>> All right, good morning. Welcome to Breen Community Church. Let me get to a few announcements again. Starting from today, we have a college study hall, so that's the end of the quarter. And so starting from tonight at 6 o'clock to 2 a.m., today, Monday, and Tuesday. So if you have snacks or anything that you want to bring to encourage them, just drop it off at the cafe area.

Living Well Pregnancy Center. The bottles, if you took the bottles, and they said that they need that turned back in by next Sunday. So the station where you can drop that off is on -- when you go outside, there's going to be a table out there, so please visit that and drop it off there.

Christmas service is coming up in two Sundays. And obviously, as you're coming in, you probably received one of these cards. And again, if you need more of it just to invite people or use it as an opportunity to share the gospel, please take some more. We'll have plenty. And then on that Sunday, our outreach team is going to be having an outreach team table stationed outside.

So if you have friends that are coming who want to ask more questions or they have materials that they can give, they can take home with them, so please visit that table outside. Again, that's going to be there on that Sunday. New Year's Eve service. On Tuesday, on December 31st at 11 p.m., we have our New Year's Eve service, and we have this every year to welcome the new year as an act of giving our firstfruits to the Lord as we welcome the new year.

So we encourage you to come out today. It starts at 11 p.m. It should be done around 12, 15. And there is a ping-pong tournament along with that during the day if you are willing to participate in that. And that happens earlier part of the day around 5 o'clock.

BBA, WBBA sign-up. If you are applying to play basketball, they said that this week is the last week that you can sign up, so please sign up for that. And you do need to be a member to participate in this fellowship, so please sign up for that. The sign-up, again, this week is the last week.

The table is outside, so please sign up for that. Lastly, Winter Bible Study. That's starting on February 5th. The subject is going to be hermeneutics. Obviously, this Sunday is our last Sunday for this session of Bible study, and the next session is going to start on February 5th. Pastor Mark is going to go through hermeneutics.

Basically, hermeneutics is how to study the Bible. I know we have a class that we've been offering for people to kind of jump in and learn how to do inductive Bible study. But this is going to be much more extensive. It's going to be going through how to study through the narratives, how to study through the poetry, how to study through the epistles and various things.

And so Pastor Mark is going to go through specific passages for us and how to do that study, how to interpret, how to apply, that type of stuff. And so that's starting on February 5th. So please sign up. There's going to be opportunity to sign up through Wednesday or Weekday Bible Study or on the website, I think through the QR code.

So we ask that you do that as soon as possible so that we can prepare the small groups and home groups before we get started in February. I think that's it for my announcements. Let me pray for us and then give you an opportunity to give online or a physical offering as you're exiting.

Okay, let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for this morning. We pray, Father, that all the distractions and the things that so easily entangles us, help us, Lord God, to be freed from that and to fix our eyes completely upon Christ. Lord, we desire to meet you.

We desire to worship you. We desire, Father God, to see a greater glimpse of who you are each Sunday. Guide us and lead us and deliver us, Lord God, that we may be worshipers in spirit and in truth. I pray that this giving that we give may it be multiplied for the sake of your kingdom and help it, Lord God, to be used for the sake of your righteousness and for your gospel.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ - Church family, why don't we stand together? Why don't we, while we're standing, say hello to a couple people around you. Introduce yourself. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ There's more than enough men who are willing to pay and to abuse them, to gratify their perverted sexual desires.

I've only highlighted some of the things that I've seen. Some of you have experienced horrendous things. Maybe even now. We are in a desperate situation. Whether they're living in a mansion or whether they're homeless, the spiritual state in the eyes of God is no different. And that's why he says, "To beseech the Lord of the harvest." Until the Lord opens our eyes to see.

He saw us, and instead of being disgusted, He came, drew near to us. And that while we were yet sinners, while we were blaspheming, while we should have been disgusting to a holy, holy, holy God, He had compassion on us. Because we were sheep without shepherds, lost and harassed.

And He told His disciples, "Harvest is plentiful, workers are few." "Beseech the Lord of the harvest. Beg the Lord of the harvest." They don't know how to pray. They don't know how to come to God. That's why He called us. So that we would be a light in this dark world.

Sometimes when a church has been around for a long time, we forget why we planted the church. We didn't plant the church so that you could have a nice, safe place to gather together on Sunday. The church is not planted so that our kids are protected from this evil world.

That's not the reason. It's so that we can be a light. We can take the gospel to the remotest parts. And a church, a brand new church plant, is very aware of that. And they're actively engaged, but for whatever the reason, any church that's been around for 5, 6, 7, 8 years, they forget about the harvest.

And then it becomes about us. "Harvest is plentiful, workers are few." "Beg the Lord of the harvest." "Ask the Lord to open your eyes to see the suffering around us." Some people are doing a good job faking it. They're pretending. They're pretending because they don't want you to see.

But if you spend enough time with anybody, a billionaire, a homeless person, the brokenness is the same. Because they have been separated from the shepherd of life. That's why you and I have been called to be a light in this dark world. I want to end my sermon. I want to play you this song from Keith Green because it was rebuking and challenging to me many years.

And some of you guys would know who Keith Green is. No nonsense, right? So I want you to listen to this song. The praise team is going to lead us in our closing song. Do you see, do you see all the people sinking down? Don't you care, don't you care?

Are you going to let them drown? How can you be so numb not to care if they come? You close your eyes and pretend the job's done. Bless me, Lord, bless me, Lord. You know it's all I ever hear. No one aches, no one hurts, no one even sheds one tear.

But he cries, he weeps, he bleeds, and he cares for your needs. And you just lay back and keep soaking it in. Oh, can't you see it's such a sin? He brings people to your door, and you turn them away as you smile and say, God bless me. Be at peace, and all heaven just weeps.

Because Jesus came to your door. You've left him out on the streets. Open up, open up, and give yourself away. You see the need, you hear the cries, so how can you delay? God's calling, and you're the one. But like John, you run. He's told you to speak, but you keep holding it in.

Holding it in. Oh, can't you see it's such a sin? The world is sleeping in the dark that the church just can't fight 'cause it's asleep in the light. How can you be so dead when you've been so well fed? Jesus rose from the grave, and you, you can't even get out of bed.

Oh, Jesus rose from the dead. Come on, get out of your bed. How can you be so dumb not to care if they come? You close your eyes and pretend the job's done. You close your eyes and pretend the job's done. Don't close your eyes. Don't pretend the job's done.

Come away, come away, come away with me, my love. Come away from this mess. Come away with me, my love. Church family, let's all stand together. I'm going to let that settle because that's one of those songs. But as we sing this last song, I would hope that we would understand the call for us, but just the contrast between what we have in this song and the big hope that we know Christ, that we have just that great appreciation for what he's done for us.

How great the chasm that lay between us. How high the mountain I could not climb. In desperation, I turned to heaven and spoke your name in tune. And through the darkness, your loving kindness tore through the shadows of my spine. The work is finished. The end is written. Jesus Christ, my living hope.

Oh, come and guide me, oh, God of mercy. Oh, how I could ever feel such boundless grace. Oh, God of angels, I stand down from the grave to wear my soul and wear my shoes. The cross has spoken. I am forgiven. The King of kings was risen. Oh, Savior, I'm yours forever.

Jesus Christ, my living hope. Hallelujah. It's the one who set me free. Hallelujah. God's love is real for me. You have broken every chain. In salvation lay your name. Jesus Christ, my living hope. In kingdom come that sealed the promise. Your buried body began to breathe. Out of the silence, a roaring loudness.

And the grave has no grave but my name. In kingdom come that sealed the promise. Your buried body began to breathe. Out of the silence, a roaring loudness. And the grave has no grave but my name. Jesus Christ, my living hope. Hallelujah. It's the one who set me free.

Hallelujah. God's love is real for me. You have broken every chain. In salvation lay your name. Jesus Christ, my living hope. It's the one who set me free. Hallelujah. God's love is real for me. You have broken every chain. In salvation lay your name. Jesus Christ, my living hope.

Jesus Christ, my living hope. Jesus Christ, my living hope. Let's pray. Now the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, eternal love of God the Father, rest, restore, encourage, rebuke, and build the church, Lord God, that we may live worthy of the gospel that you've given us.

Open our eyes, Lord God, to see the desperate situation, Lord, that our families, friends, co-workers, our neighbors are in. That we may on their behalf be intercessors, to beseech, to beg, to plead on their behalf, Lord God, that their eyes may be opened too. That we would have the courage to open our mouth, Lord God, to go where you go, to say what you say, and to do what you do.

Help us, Lord God, to deny ourselves, to pick up our cross daily, and follow your calling to the harvest. May the aroma of Christ go wherever you send your church this week. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. ♪ God said to his sons ♪ ♪ They called him Jesus ♪ ♪ He came to draw them ♪ ♪ Healed and bore them ♪ ♪ He raised them up ♪ ♪ To by my power ♪ ♪ An empty grave is there to ♪ ♪ Save your days ♪ ♪ Because he lives ♪ ♪ I can praise tomorrow ♪ ♪ Because he lives ♪ ♪ The plague is gone ♪ ♪ Because I know ♪ ♪ He holds the future ♪ ♪ And life is worth the living ♪ ♪ Just because he lives ♪ ♪ ♪ The laws of space and time ♪