(soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) (soft music) - Good morning, church family.

Happy Lord's Day. We will now begin our service. (soft music) I'm so sorry, I didn't plug in my guitar. Let's try that one more time. (soft music) (soft music) Let us sing, may the words. ♪ May the words of my mouth ♪ ♪ And the meditations of my heart ♪ ♪ Be pleasing to you ♪ ♪ Pleasing to you ♪ ♪ May the words of my mouth ♪ ♪ And the meditations of my heart ♪ ♪ Be pleasing to you, my God ♪ You're my rock.

♪ You're my rock and my redeemer ♪ ♪ You're the reason that I sing ♪ ♪ I desire to be a blessing in your eyes ♪ ♪ Every hour and every moment ♪ ♪ Lord, I want to be your servant ♪ ♪ I desire to be a blessing in your eyes ♪ ♪ In your eyes ♪ May the words.

♪ May the words of my mouth ♪ ♪ And the meditations of my heart ♪ ♪ Be pleasing to you ♪ ♪ Pleasing to you ♪ ♪ May the words of my mouth ♪ ♪ And the meditations of my heart ♪ ♪ Be pleasing to you, my God ♪ You're my rock.

♪ You're my rock and my redeemer ♪ ♪ You're the reason that I sing ♪ ♪ I desire to be a blessing in your eyes ♪ ♪ Every hour and every moment ♪ ♪ Lord, I want to be your servant ♪ ♪ I desire to be a blessing in your eyes ♪ Every hour.

♪ Every hour and every moment ♪ ♪ Lord, I want to be your servant ♪ ♪ I desire to be a blessing in your eyes ♪ ♪ In your eyes ♪ All right, good morning. Welcome to Breen Community Church. Just have a couple of announcements before we get started.

First of all, on March 20th, we have two seminar classes that are being offered by our two elders, Elder Jane, sorry, Elder Joe and Elder Phillip. And so Elder Phillip is going to be leading a seminar on how to do personal devotions. And so how to do quiet time, to meet with the Lord, to study the Bible.

And so it's a one-hour seminar that's gonna be taking place at 2 p.m. on March 20th. And then the other seminar that Elder Joe's gonna be running at the same time is family devotion. So some of you young families, or even if you don't have a family yet and you kinda wanna get a heads up on what that may look like, especially those of you who have small children at home, Elder Joe's gonna be giving a seminar on how that's being practiced at home, at his home, and so you answer some questions that you may have.

And so that's also gonna be running at the same time. So one is on family devotions and one is on personal devotion. So please sign up for that. If you think that's gonna be beneficial to you, it'll be a one-hour session at 2 p.m. on March 20th, okay? The other announcement, I think we made last week, and then we just kinda reminded you online through that that we are gonna be taking special offering for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine.

So obviously there is a lot going on over there, and I'm sure you've been watching. And so I remember a few weeks ago when I was up here, we talked about how the peace is being disturbed and we don't know if Russia is gonna be going in and what is that gonna look like, and obviously it has happened.

And now the concern we have is how is this going to end? Is this gonna trigger something more? And so up to now they said about 1.5 million people have been evacuated or they've crossed the borders for safety, and obviously there's an intense fight going on. It seems like it's increasing.

The offering that we're gonna be giving is gonna be very specifically targeted and be given to the local churches in that area. So we have other Southern Baptist churches, missionaries and local pastors in Ukraine who's already working to help people to spread food, provide shelter, and transfer them if they need it.

And so there's already people who are on the ground working, so the offering's gonna go directly to them. So 100% of what we send is going to go to the local churches, the pastors and missionaries, to use those funds to help the people to come out and those who are staying that are not able to access food and that kind of stuff.

So it's a very worthy cause that I think that we can, you know, give our finances toward that direction. So when you give your offering, please designate, make it very specific, whether you're giving electronically or if you're giving a check, you know, at the back in the box, that you make sure that it's designated for a Ukraine offering so that our finance team will know that that's gonna be dedicated for that, okay?

So let me pray for us, and then we'll give you a couple minutes to give your offering, and then we'll begin our worship. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we come before you this morning with heavy hearts for our brothers and sisters, Lord God, specifically in Ukraine. Lord, I know there's a lot of young families, especially, who are disturbed because they have young children to protect, people who have been trying to flee the war zones, in danger of their life.

I thank you, Father God, that even in this that you are sovereign, but we pray specifically for our brothers and sisters, the local churches that are there, the missionaries who are tirelessly laboring, Lord God, to be the light that you call them to be. I pray, Father God, that you would give guidance that in the midst of all of this that you truly would be our peace.

I pray, Father God, that you would humble the Russian leaders. I pray, Father God, that you would show yourself powerful, far above, Lord God, any nation, and that our confidence, especially our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, Lord God, would have greater confidence in your power and your might, Lord God, than any other powers.

I pray, Father God, for a peaceful end, but in the midst of all this turmoil, we pray, Father God, that the gospel would continue to be preached with more vigor, passion, conviction than ever. And so we pray, Father God, for the missionaries, for the churches, Lord, who are tirelessly laboring, that our funds, Lord, would go to minister to them, to lift your name up, and to help, Lord, and be a light, Lord, that you've called them to be.

So we ask, Lord, that you would help us to give with a generous heart that it may be multiplied for your use in your kingdom. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let us rise as we sing these praises. And before we start, I would like to read a few verses from Psalm 148.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord from the heavens. Praise him in the heights. Praise him, all his angels. Praise him, all his hosts. Praise him, sun and moon. Praise him, all stars of light. Praise him, highest heavens and the waters that are above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted.

His glory is above earth and heaven. Amen. Creation testifies to the glory of our God. So as a church, let us also join together in praising our blessed creator, our gracious and loving God. Let us sing all creatures of our God and King. All creatures. All creatures of our God and King.

Lift up your voice and with us sing. Oh, praise him. Alleluia. Thou burning sun with golden beam. Thou silver moon with softer gleam. Oh, praise him. Oh, praise him. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Let all things. Let all things their creator bless. And worship him in humbleness. Oh, praise him. Alleluia.

Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son. And praise the Spirit three in one. Oh, praise him. Oh, praise him. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. All the redeemed. All the redeemed washed by his blood. Come and rejoice in his great love. Oh, praise him. Alleluia. Christ has defeated every sin. Cast all your burdens now on him.

Oh, praise him. Oh, praise him. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. He shall return. He shall return in power to reign. Heaven and earth will join to sing. Oh, praise him. Alleluia. Then who shall fall on bended knee? All creatures of our God and King. Oh, praise him. Oh, praise him. Alleluia.

Alleluia. Oh, praise him. Oh, praise him. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Great is the Lord. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise. In the city of our God, the holy place, the joy of the whole earth. Great is the Lord in whom we have the victory. He aids us against the enemy.

We bow down on our knees. Lord, we want to lift your name on high. Lord, we want to thank you for the works you've done in our lives. Lord, we trust in your unfailing love. For you alone are God eternal throughout earth and heaven above. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise.

In the city of our God, the holy place, the joy of the whole earth. Great is the Lord in whom we have the victory. He aids us against the enemy. We bow down on our knees. And Lord, we want to lift your name on high. And Lord, we want to thank you for the works you've done in our lives.

Lord, we trust in your unfailing love. For you alone are God eternal throughout earth and heaven. And Lord, we want to lift your name on high. And Lord, we want to thank you for the works you've done in our lives. Lord, we trust in your unfailing love. For you alone are God eternal throughout earth and heaven above.

For you alone are God eternal throughout earth and heaven above. Amen. You may be seated. If you can turn your Bibles with me to Hebrews chapter 13. This is going to be the second to the last sermon that we're going to be in the book of Hebrews. Somebody clap.

I don't know what to make of that. So it's going to be the second to the last sermon. Usually when I'm about to finish, I kind of have a good idea of where I'm going to be jumping into. And I still am not decided. So I kind of dwindled it down to two possibly areas that I may be focused on.

One is maybe go through the minor prophets. Or to -- might jump into the gospel of Luke. So one or the other. So those of you who are studious who have been asking me where are we going, you can study both. Okay. And then so when we jump into that, you'll kind of get a head start.

Hebrews chapter 13, and I'll be reading verse 20 and 21. Now the God of peace who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever.

Amen. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we praise you and thank you that we have the privilege to be able to call you our Abba Father. That we have hope that is eternal, that will never fade, never perish, kept for us, Lord God, by the power of Christ. We thank you that we're able to pray and come to the throne of grace with confidence.

We thank you, Father God, for brothers and sisters that we can run this race with. We thank you that despite all that is happening around us, that you are our peace, that you are our joy, you are our life. Help us, Lord God, to continue to focus our attention upon Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. I want you to imagine for a minute what kind of letter you would write to our Ukrainian brothers, particularly to their church. And I kind of want to give you, you know, just to give you more information on how to approach it, how to think about it.

Imagine if the Ukrainian situation right now, with all that's going on, there's a lot of attention given, there's funds going. And so the church has been ignited, and we're hearing a lot of encouraging things that are going on over there. Let's imagine for a minute that the Russian government does come in and they take over and make it into a communist country, and they make it illegal to gather as a church.

And let's imagine for a minute that this has been going on now for about 20 to 30 years. So at the beginning of all of this, there was a lot of excitement. There's a lot of, like, igniting of the church, like, this is what God is doing, and a lot of great work and evangelism that's taking place.

But 20, 30 years have gone by, and now some of the leaders in the church have been jailed. Some of them are actually starting to get publicly executed. And so the church is beginning to kind of slide back, to kind of synchrotize and stay undercover, and they're no longer actively evangelizing.

And so they're starting to realize that there are serious consequences and that that struggle is not momentary, that this may be a permanent thing that they need to accept. And so in a large part, the church begins to drift back and start to compromise. What kind of letter would you write to that church to encourage them, to get them back on track?

I give that scenario to you because that's the historical background behind why this letter was being written. It says that this was a church that was ignited in the beginning, and they were excited, even in the persecution as their brothers and sisters are being dragged into jail. They were visiting them joyfully, even as their possessions are being confiscated.

But the struggle is 10, 20, 30 years have gone by, and it wasn't letting up. It started actually increasing, and the people who are leading them and inspiring them are starting to one by one starting to die. And so the author of this letter is writing this letter to encourage them from drifting back to their old life.

And so the whole letter is written to kind of get them to refocus and re-anchor in Christ. So the author spends majority of this letter reminding them who Jesus is. So if there's one letter in the New Testament that you want to know about Jesus, about Christology, I'm not talking about the life of Jesus, the Gospels, but the doctrine of Jesus and what he has done, it's the book of Hebrews.

And the whole reason behind that is not simply so that the recipients of this letter will come out and say, "You know what? I know Christology now. If you ask me anything about Jesus and the sacrifices and the covenants, I can tell you because I studied the book of Hebrews." The purpose of this letter is very practical.

It's written to a church who's drifting back and began to compromise certain things and accept certain things that they shouldn't. And so we talked about this last time I was up here, and there's a reason why he's concluding this letter by reminding them who God is. He says in verse 20, "Now the God of peace." He could have emphasized all kinds of different aspects of who Jesus is and who God is.

He says, "God is the God of peace." There's a reason why he's saying that. He didn't just pick of all the attributes that he just picked that one. He's telling them that because their peace has been disturbed. It's because they're looking for peace. And the reason why they're drifting back into their old life is because they think that if they compromise a little bit, if they began to embrace their old life, the persecutors, the Jewish community, if they began to just begin to accept some of that, that maybe they could maintain some of that peace.

And that's why in conclusion to this letter, and he says he's reminding them, "God is the God of peace." He's the peace. You can have all the peace that this world can give, but just like Jesus said in John 14, 27, "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.

Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor let it be fearful." That passage in John 14 is also written to disciples who is about to lose their peace, worldly peace. Jesus is about to go to the cross. As long as they were following Jesus, they were walking with him with this great hope that the new kingdom was going to come and that they were going to be soldiers for this new Messiah.

And so they were constantly wrestling who's going to sit to the left or to the right. But right before he wrote John chapter 14, he told them, "Where I go, you cannot come." And so they were beginning to get anxious. They were losing their peace. Because soon after he says that, he's going to go to the cross and they're going to be confused.

And so he's preparing them for that. So he wasn't just randomly saying these things and say, "This is who I am." It's a very practical application. He said, "I'm going to give you this peace." When everything around you begins to fall apart, I want you to remember that the peace that I give you is unlike any other peace.

That even if all the world power, even if all the world ends and the whole world begins to hold hands and we have utopia, he says, "The peace that I give to you is not a peace that you can have just by not having wars." So he reminds us, the whole book of Hebrews is to remind us of who Jesus is.

And then in conclusion to that, he says in verse 21, there's a very practical application. It isn't just, "God is the God of peace, so therefore enjoy life." In verse 21, he says, "He's the one who equips you in every good thing to do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ.

To whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen." The reason why he's saying all of this is not simply so that you wouldn't be anxious. It's so that we may be anchored to this God of peace so that you may be equipped to do every good work. There's a practical application to that.

To not to drift, to commit ourselves to Christ. Let me, as we spend some time unpacking verse 21, because this is the conclusion of everything that we've been talking about. Before God uses us, he always empowers us. Let me say that again. Before God can ever use us, he always empowers us.

I think one of the biggest problems that you and I run into is we're rich. We have access to education, to books, experience, churches, training, seminaries, Bible studies. I mean, we have so much access to everything that we have the danger of what Jesus warned us about. We have a tendency to think that we're self-reliant.

And then we have a tendency to kind of minimize the power of God. That's why, again, even in Bible teaching churches, where there's a heavy emphasis on studying and knowledge and knowing. But for whatever the reason, the Bible teaching churches tend to be really weak in prayer. And if we're not careful, even as we study the Bible, it's filling us up with pride, thinking that we can.

In Isaiah chapter 40, 28 to 31, it says, "Do you not know, have you not heard, the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable." Now, he says all of this for a reason. To be anchored to God, he says in verse 29, "He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might, he increases power." Our might, our strength doesn't come from our education, from any experience, from being smart, or being talented.

It's that he's the one who gives us strength. He's the one who increases power. Verse 30, "Though youth grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength. They will mount upon the wings of the eagles, they will run and not get tired, and they will walk and not become weary." You know, I think one of the most arrogant words in the modern language for a sinful man to say is, "I will." I will.

Because when we say, "I will," it means like, "I determine, I'm going to carry it out, and I'm going to fulfill it." I will. Now, we may not think through all of that when we say it, but oftentimes a sinful man, when he says, "I will," he's saying that I'm going to do this.

Remember what it says in the letter of James? It says, "Do not be arrogant." It said, "I'm going to go to this city, and I'm going to do it in that city." He said, "The problem is not your plan. The problem is you think that all this is going to happen simply because you will." Rather say, "If the Lord wills, if He allows it." In other words, humble yourself.

Recognize who you are. See, the strength comes from Him. The power that you and I need for sanctification, for good works, doesn't come from within us. If we just go into our closets and just search deep within, that we're going to encounter something inside, and then it's going to come out.

That's how we're going to do this work. He says, "No, it's not in us." When he says, "They will gain new strength. They will mount upon eagles. They will not get tired. They will walk and not become weary." Well, how do you do that? He said in verse 31, "Those who," what?

"Wait upon the Lord." Those who wait upon the Lord. You can get all the training that you want. You can read as many books as you want. You can have all the experiences and pour all the money and latest technology. He says, "No, that's not where the power, that's not where the strength is." He says, "Those who wait upon the Lord." He reminds us the God of peace, he's the one who will equip us for all good works.

And this is pleasing to him. He's the one who will equip us. You know the interesting word, the word "equip" here, in some of your translations has been translated to "perfect." But it's not the word "teleos." "Teleos" basically means that you've come to the end conclusion of what God had intended.

Basically, it means to make it suitable for you for good works. So everything that God has done, everything that he has said, knowing who he is, to commune with him, is so that you may be suitable for good works. Let me take a minute to explain this because I think there's so much misunderstanding of good works because in our generation, in some circles, when you use the word "good works," automatically it's become a bad term.

That's legalism. We don't talk about what we do, we talk about what he did. So "good works" has become a dirty word because that burdens people. Good works judges people. Good works causes us to look at other people and say, "Why do we keep talking about things that we can't do?" So let's not talk about what we do, let's talk about what he does.

And oftentimes, the verse that is often quoted for that, Isaiah 64, verse 6, is, "For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like filthy garments. And all of us wither like leaf, and our iniquities, like wind, take us away." How many of you heard this?

Don't raise your hand, okay? So I may say something to contradict you. I don't want to embarrass you. How many of you have heard this passage being taught, saying that very thing that I said? "All our good deeds are like dirty rags." So why talk about dirty rags? Let's talk about his righteousness that he's imputed to us, that he's given to us.

So when we emphasize good deeds, all it is is dirty rags. This is exactly why we need to study the Bible. Because you can take verses out of context, and it sounds great because you have verses. That's how cults form. You ever have a conversation with a Jehovah's Witness, and they are intimidating because they know so much Scripture, until you actually open the Bible, and then you show them what it says before, and what it says after in the context, and all of a sudden, it's like, "Oh, they really don't know." They just pluck that verse out.

Well, this is one of those verses. Because if you look at the context of this, the very next verse, he says, "There is no one who calls on your name, who arouses himself to take hold of you, for you have hidden your face from us and have delivered us into the power of our iniquities." Does that sound like a believer?

God has turned his face around. No one's taking hold of him. God's hidden his face. Where else do you see this description? Romans 3, when he describes all of sin and falls short of the glory of God, and he says, "No one sees God, not even one." So if you're not convinced, the very next verse absolutely makes it clear.

Verse 8, it says, "But," just that word alone, "But," you know he's going to change what he just said. This is the state that man is in, "But now, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are potter, and all of us are the work of your hand." He's not saying to believers that everything that you do is just simply dirty rags.

He's talking to unrepentant sinners, that when you try to do things, you're kind of like taking a dirty rag and you're just washing and just moving the dirt around. Because the rag is much dirtier than what you're trying to clean. So if you are an unrepentant sinner, every good deed is like washing things with dirty rag.

That's what he means. This is not a passage against good deeds. In fact, the scripture makes it very clear that we are saved for good deeds. Ephesians 2, 8 and 9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. This is not your own. It is the gift of God, not as a result of us, so that no one may boast." We sing this verse.

Children, memorize this verse. But when you quote this verse outside of the context, and you leave out the whole part of what he says in verse 10, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for," what? Good works. He didn't just pluck us out so that you're no longer judged.

And then the salvation, it ends there. It's like, oh, we're saved and we feel free. We have Christian liberty. And then you just enjoy life until we get to heaven. He says, no, he saved us not only from the penalty of sin, but the power of sin. He created us.

The reason why he gave us grace is so that through the grace that you may commit yourself to good works. Again, in 2 Corinthians 9, 8, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that the purpose of this grace, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." For every good work.

For whatever the reason, in our generation, we have separated the grace of God and good works. Either you commit to, oh, this church is about good works. They're legalistic. It's very legalistic the way that people use the term legalistic. Every time we talk about good works and working hard and sanctification, it's like, oh, that's legalistic.

The beauty of the gospel is not the good works. It's about what he did. But the reason why he did what he did, he says, is so that we can have good works, that we can restore what God had intended for us. 2 Peter 1, 3, it says, "Seeing that his divine power has granted us, to us, everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence." Again, because of the generation that you and I live, our natural tendency, and if you go seek counseling, sometimes, sad to say, even within the Christian circle, when you confess your sins, one of the first things that they look for is, what caused you to be that way?

What was your mother like? What was your father like? What was your past like? What's your birth order? Your first son? Oh, you had all that pressure to be good. That's why you're that guy. You're the middle son? Oh, everybody picked on you. Your older brother picked on you, and you got in trouble every time.

You got in a fight with your younger brother, so everything was your fault? Like, oh, you're the baby. You're loved all the time, so you got spoiled. That's why you're, because your parents didn't raise you properly. So, in modern psychology, when you say, hey, these are the problems, the first thing they look for is, why did you do that?

What are the circumstances that you grew up in? What happened to you? So, indirectly, you say, oh, you sinned because of the woman that you put in here. Exactly what Adam said. Instead of saying, I sinned against you. I shouldn't have done that. He said, well, I did it because of the woman that you put in.

He doesn't directly say, it's your fault. But in essence, that's what he's saying. He said, oh, bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh. Then as soon as he sins, like, yeah, that woman, that woman that you put in here tempted me. Maybe you shouldn't have, maybe you shouldn't have done that.

See, he says, every time we make excuse, right, and we play the victim. You know what that means? That means God had enough power to pluck you out of hell, but he didn't have enough power to save you from sin. You're indirectly saying, I don't have everything that I need for a life of godliness.

Every time we come before God, I am the way I am because of those people treated me this way. So the power of God is not enough to save you from that. He says, everyone who knows Jesus Christ has been given everything that you need for a life of godliness.

He has already given that to us. In Colossians 1, 28 through 29, we proclaim him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ for this purpose. Also, I labor, striving according to his power, which mightily works within me.

Paul says sometimes he seems like he's superhuman, right? He's getting beaten, forsaken by his own countrymen. He's learning how to sometimes starve. He's been whooped to the point of death, bitten by scorpions, and he just keeps marching. He just keeps marching. He just keeps going from city to city.

How did he do that? He said, because this is Apostle Paul. He's well-educated. He's a Roman citizen. He had good examples. He had Gamaliel, the top scholar of his nation behind him. He comes from great pedigree. No. He says, the power, the power that's working powerfully within me, it's that power that's giving him the power to be able to do what he is doing.

If that is true, which you and I all believe, then shouldn't the greatest priority of every Christian all the time is to abide in Christ? Before we try to transform the world, before we try to be educated, before we try to do discipleship, before we do anything else, shouldn't the greatest priority of every Christian every single day is am I genuinely abiding in Christ?

Because the moment we begin to do anything by our power, we realize how impotent and how weak we are. You know what's interesting is in Isaiah chapter 6, 3, 17 to 19, Isaiah prays to God for the nation of Israel. But if you know anything about the context of the book of Isaiah, Isaiah is basically warning them for superficial worship.

So it wasn't because they were denying God. He doesn't talk about, you know, like child sacrifice. I mean there's a lot of things that they did. And at one point in Israel's history, they actually did that. And even cannibalism. I mean that's how far they fell. But Isaiah, Isaiah indictment against Israel wasn't that.

They were very busy at the temple making many sacrifices. And he says then because of the superficial worship, the Babylonians are going to come and take them into captivity. So at the end of the book of Isaiah, after presenting his case, he prays to God for Israel. So I want you to pay attention to this prayer.

He says in verse 17, why oh Lord do you cause us to stray from your ways? To stray from his ways. Does that sound very familiar to what we've been studying? Just drifting. Most of us, most people who fall away or backslide, however you want to use that term, you see it years before it happens.

Like you're just kind of busy. You get your priorities all mixed up. Maybe you're dating somebody you shouldn't date. Small compromises. Pursuing things that you shouldn't pursue. Doing things that you shouldn't do. And you just kind of sweep it under the rug, sweep it under the rug. And you begin to drift away from God.

Most people that I know who abandoned their faith don't wake up one day and say, you know what, I'm done with God. I don't believe this anymore. They walk away. Most people that I've seen that walk away from their faith, you saw it years before they actually pulled the plug.

They were just drifting and drifting and drifting, compromising one after another, and then it becomes their lifestyle. And they just kind of learn to adjust. And so they're just hanging on by a thread, and you only need one excuse to break that thread, because it's not that strong. He says, Lord, do you cause us to stray from your ways and harden our hearts?

Somebody who continued to drift away from God, their hearts are hardened. They attend worship, but songs are just songs. They're not worshiping. Bible study is just study. You're serving the church because that's what you do. It's part of a community. And the only sin that grieves you is the sin that you get caught in, that has immediate consequence, that you can't belong and part of this community.

So it's not grieving God that you're concerned about. It's about belonging in the community. So it's really the only sins that we grieve over are the sins that bothers us. So their hearts are hardened. And we know that we're in the church long enough to know that true worship isn't just checking in and checking out.

So once your heart is hardened because we've been drifting and drifting and drifting, you're just attending church. You're not worshiping God. And then he says, "Why have you hardened our hearts from fearing you?" There's no fear of God in them. He says the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God.

But when your hearts have become hardened, there's no fear of God. There's no consequences. So like I said, the only things that we repent of are the things that have immediate consequence on us. And that's why you see pastors, elders, and leaders, and church people who can live a double life committing all kinds of sin, and it doesn't bother them year after year after year until they get caught.

How did they do that? Because they were drifting. Their hearts become hardened. And then the fear of God is no longer there. They're functioning by the fear of man. So as long as nobody calls them out, they're fine. He prays and he says, "This is what has happened to Israel.

They've allowed compromise after compromise after compromise, and they're no longer worshiping God. There's no fear of God, and yet they're coming to the temple making sacrifice after sacrifices. They're singing songs. They're gathering constantly, and what does God say to that? 'I hate your evil assembly. Everything that you're singing is just noisy, is noisy to me.'" He said, "Take your evil assembly away from me." Because there's no fear of God.

No true worship is happening. As a result of that, verse 18, it said, "Your holy people possessed your sanctuary for a little while." There was a period when there was genuine worship going on at the temple, but it said, "Our adversaries have trodden it down. We have become like those over whom you have never ruled, like those who were not called by your name." And if a church continues to go down this path and there's no fear of God, and there is a form of godliness, and yet there is no power, eventually the church doesn't look anything different than a non-Christian.

That's what he's saying. There's people who've never worshipped you, but there's no difference, other than you go to church on Sunday, and those people do not. This is Isaiah's prayer describing the nation of Israel. And so his prayer is in chapter 64, verse 1 and 2, "Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains may quake at your presence, as fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil, to make your name known to the adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence." If you look at the content of his prayer, he's asking for prayer of things that they cannot do.

When's the last time that you considered moving a mountain? Never. That's a mountain. So when he prays to the Lord that you would come move the mountains, it's because he recognizes that their problem, their sin, is like a mountain. When we don't recognize the problem, we naturally think, "Let's gather together.

Let's make a plan." Can you imagine the ridiculousness of seeing a mountain ahead of you and then having a meeting? How are we going to level this mountain? Who's going to show up to that meeting? Who's going to say, "Yes, who's going to lead us in this endeavor?" Nobody, because you're a fool to think that somehow, that if we gather all our resources together, right, and buy enough shovels, that we can move this mountain.

See, first and foremost, God brings us to a point where we recognize that this is a mountain ahead of us. And even the way he describes, "Kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil." Now, if you've ever watched, you know, was it Man vs. Wild, Bear Grylls? He teaches us how to make fire, drink your pee, all kinds of stuff, right, to survive.

And, you know, I've seen, you know, like various ways that he creates fire, but I've never seen him say, "Here, here's what you do. Just rub your hand real hard, right, and it gets hot enough, just go, pfft." Never! Because he doesn't have that ability, so he has to get a stick, or he has to get tinder, or sometimes he has a lighter.

But he can't generate the heat by himself. Even something as simple as lighting the brush fire, or boiling water. You need something super-- something outside of you to do that. So when he prays that you would come, and you would shake the mountain, and that you would burn the fire, because all of this is a description of man's sin.

Because the greatest obstacle to mankind that disturbs our peace is not government. It is not our economy. It's our sins. And it's this arrogance of mankind that thinks, "I will. I'm going to do this. I'm going to move this mountain. I'm going to generate this heat. I'm going to boil this water." And that's why Jesus says it's harder for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

And he's not saying rich people can't enter the kingdom of God, but the temptation for rich man is that he thinks he can, because he has more resources. That's where you and I are at. We have more seminaries, more churches, more Bible translations, more books to read, more sermons that we can have.

We have people filled with MBA degrees, who've been successful in businesses, who are managers. So our natural tendency is like, "Come on. Let's get it together." We just use our smarts and ingenuity. We can do this. Isaiah, in his prayers, is admitting, "Only you can move the mountain. Only you can bring the fire." Roger Ellsworth, in his small book, "Come Down, Lord," says this, "If we're not careful, we can think pushing all the right buttons can produce lasting spiritual results.

We can reduce the work of the church to shrewd maneuvering with statistical probabilities and psychological jargon. We can have polish but not power. We need to realize that God can do more in a minute with His power than we can in a lifetime with our strategies." There's a reason when you travel and you go to the remote parts of India that doesn't have half the resources, or even a tenth of the resources that you and I have, and yet you see power of the gospel spreading through the villages.

Men who are not educated, don't have the financial backing, didn't go to much training, they weren't properly discipled, they don't even have a way to get into some of these villages, and yet the power of God is moving tremendously through these villages because they understand that all they need is God.

They tend to pray more because they're desperate. They tend to cling to God more because they're desperate. They don't have a lot of plans. They don't have a lot of strategies. And don't get me wrong, all of these things are not evil. They're not bad. We need to have more of it, right?

God has given us intellect, He has resources, use it to the best of our ability. But the temptation is to think that that's where the power is. That is not where the power is. You know, the scripture says, and he ends this section in verse 23, "I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation I have written to you briefly." In other words, take the word of God seriously.

We have a tendency, again, because we have so much resources, experience, gifting, money, talent. If we can gather all of that together, right, we can manipulate to get more people to come into church. I don't know how often, at least four or five times a year, I get an email from some organization promising me that if I use their strategy that I can milk more money from you.

They guarantee 30%, right? But is that the goal of the church, to milk money from you? I want to try it to see if it actually works. Don't worry. I've never responded to that. Because God can do more with the little that you give honestly, as an act of worship, than much that you give grudgingly.

And that is true not only of finances, but everything that you do. You know what's interesting is in Matthew 28, that's where the Great Commission is given. But before the Great Commission is given, before he commissions them to go, he allows the disciples to fail. Remember? Where Jesus says, "I'm going to go to the cross, and you're going to deny me." Remember what Peter says?

He says, "They may do that, but I will not." That arrogant term, "I will not." And then Jesus says, "No, you're going to. In fact, you're going to be the worst. You're going to deny me three times." And he gets utterly destroyed. He's humbled. And so after they're humbled, because yeah, we're going to do this, you know.

As long as the Messiah is with us, and then Messiah is crucified on the cross, and everybody hides, and they're in fear. They don't even go to check the tomb. I mean, you read the gospel, how many times Jesus says, "I'm going to be resurrected on the third day.

I'm going to be crucified. I'm going to be resurrected on the third day." They're so scared that they don't even go check the tomb. The women have to go and check. They have to come back. And even when they came back, they didn't believe him, because they were so fixated on their own glory.

But after they fail miserably, remember Jesus shows up, and he feeds the disciples, and he pulls Peter aside, and he says, "Do you love me, Peter?" He says, "Yes, I do." "Then feed my sheep." "Do you love me, Peter?" "Yes, I do." "Feed my sheep." "Do you truly love me more than these?" And some people think that maybe these, he's talking about the fish.

I don't think he's talking about the fish. I could be wrong, but I think he's just pointing to the other disciples, because that's exactly what he said before Jesus went to the cross. "They're all going to deny you, but not me." It's like, "Peter, are you still confident that you love me more than these?" These guys right there, right?

"You were so confident before." "Lord, I love you." He said, "Then feed my sheep." His confidence has left. His arrogance, "I'm going to do this." He's like, "Oh, man." He's just thankful that Jesus receives him back. And then he tells his disciples, "Meet me in our hometown in this mountain in Galilee." So this is where we pick up in Matthew 28, verse 16.

He's meeting them at the mountain where he's going to give the Great Commission. This is what it says in verse 16. "But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw him, they worshipped him." Let me stop right there. Don't just read it.

I mean, they worshipped him. To a Jew, I mean to anybody, you can't worship any of that. That's the first of the Ten Commandments. "Thou shalt not have any other gods before me." So they followed him. They respected him. They honored him. But then after the resurrection, they worshipped him.

So if they had any doubt of his identity, his deity, this would have been blasphemous, worthy of stoning. Even the angels were in terror when somebody would mistaken them and bow down in worship. They said, "Don't do that! Because if you worship me, you're going to be destroyed and I'm going to be destroyed." But the disciples knew exactly who Jesus was.

And that's why they bowed down. They worshipped him. But here's what it says right after. "They worshipped him, but some were doubtful." Why were they doubtful? They already worshipped him. Did they worship him? And then think to themselves, "Is he God?" You think that's what that meant when he said, "They worshipped him, but they were doubtful." They already worshipped him!

It's like, "I'm not sure. I'm going to figure this out later." You know what's interesting is the word for "testado," to doubt, means to waver or to hesitate. Clearly they didn't waver about his identity because they already worshipped him. So many commentators believe, which I also believe, their doubt was themselves.

And if you read the context in where the Great Commission comes out, it makes more sense. Because we often see the Great Commission and it says, "Go therefore and make disciples." "Baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." But the context in which he says it is right after they fail.

They lose all confidence in themselves. And then they meet and they worship him, thankful that he restores them. But some of them are doubtful. "You're going to commission really us?" You see the attitude difference between before the crucifixion? "I'm going to do this. They will all do this, but I will not." But afterwards they're like, "Really?

You're going to use me?" You know, I think many of us, if you've been walking with the Lord for any period of time, you know, in the beginning, you come out thinking, "I'm going to turn the world upside down for Jesus Christ. I'm going to go out in a bang." "I'm going to share the gospel to the remotest part of the world, and if I die early, glory to God!" Three, four, five, six, ten, twenty, thirty years go by, and you have lost all confidence.

You've compromised more than you can remember. And you've lost all confidence. "I don't know if God can use me." And you just kind of, "I just want to stay in the back. I just kind of ride this out to the end." And we have a tendency, when we face these obstacles, which oftentimes it is ourselves, that it's like, "Oh, no, no, no.

Let those guys who are gifted, let the younger guys take care of that." And then we kind of fade to the background. And I believe that that's where the disciples were. They worshipped Him. They loved Him, but they doubted. And it's in that context that Jesus says, came up to them, spoke to them, and saying, "All authority has been given to me." The authority is not in you.

If you're worried about your power, good. That's where you should be. There's no power in you. You can't move mountains. You're not going to be able to start any fire. I'm the consuming fire. All authority has been given to me. And then He says, "Now go." Go not because you're smart, not because you have a proven track record, but because all authority has been given to me.

Now go. Make disciples. And then He concludes by saying, "And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." As much as the Great Commission is important, the context in which He says it, and the power that they need to do it, is His authority and His presence.

And that's why He says, "You cannot bear fruit unless you abide in Me." You cannot bear fruit. How many times have we heard that? How many times have we repeated that? How many times have we studied that? And yet so few people give their total attention. "You cannot bear fruit unless you abide in Me because the power is not in you." That's why the disciples, they say, "Okay, okay.

Thank you for restoring us." And then right before they go, remember what they're told? "Wait. When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, when the power that you need, the Holy Spirit comes upon you, then you will be My disciples." In Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the remotest part of the world.

But He says to do what? To wait. Does that sound familiar? Yeah, Isaiah. The passage that we looked at in the beginning of the sermon. It said, "Those who will not grow weary, mount up on eagles." Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength, who recognize that this is a mountain.

Let me conclude with this. I want you to have something very practical. What does it mean then for God to empower us? Because we naturally think, "Okay, there's some supernatural power. I'm going to go home in the closet until power comes. I'm going to raise my hand and the Holy Spirit will come now right here." I used to be in a charismatic circle.

We would have worship and we raise our hand and the Holy Spirit that's hovering around the room would touch my hands and then He would come. "Oh, I got it!" So we would wait and worship for the Holy Spirit. Is that what He's talking about? He says, "Wait for the power.

Just wait. Don't go." If that's what you think that means, then I've actually ruined you. Not only are you not going to do the work, you're going to have biblical reasons. "No, I can't do it because I don't have the power." Let me give you something really practical. Every time I lead worship, somebody comes up and says, "Thank you for leading worship.

I really like the way you do this and that." I know myself. That's one area that you can't pump me up in because I've been deflated. Let me tell you a practical story. Years ago when I was back in college, the ministry that was there at Biola, they were having some sort of, I won't say a competition, it was worship, but they gathered all the students and they were presenting a choir.

I was part of that choir and there was probably about 30 of us. All my close friends, everybody that I knew was in that choir. The choir director, she was leading us and she said, "We need somebody to do a solo." My friends said, "Peter has a good voice." They recommended.

They offered me up. You know what comes next when they offer you up. I said, "Okay." She said, "Peter, why don't you come down?" She gave me a line that I'm supposed to sing and I did a solo. My ego is inflated. It's like, "Yes, finally, somebody knows." I walked down from everybody and I stood there and they said, "Go ahead, Peter." They started playing along.

I started singing. It's like waiting for standing ovation. After I did my little piece, I could tell by her expression that she wasn't impressed. She didn't say a thing. After I finished, dead silence. Then she said, "Okay, thanks, Peter. Is there anybody else that can--?" I went from, "Oh!" to, "Oh my gosh." I was humiliated in front of all my friends.

I crawled back into the choir. I sang as small as I could. I realized, "Okay, my voice is a choir voice." There are some people--the people who sing up here, they have good voices. Mine is a choir voice. It sounds good when it's drowned out by other noise. People say, "Oh, if that's how insecure you are about your voice, then why do you sing?

Why do you need praise?" Because I'm not trying to lead you in singing. I'm trying to lead you in worship. It doesn't matter what you think. Don't get me wrong. I'm not like, "Oh, I'm so bad." I'm not trying to be fake humble. It's good enough to be in a choir.

I understand that. But I've been freed. If my goal was my own glory, I would not do that. Because I know there's room filled with people who are much more talented than I am, much more gifted than I am. There's a lot of things that I do that I know there's people who are much better than I am.

But I've been freed from myself. I'm not doing it for my glory. I'm not doing it to get your praise. And there's a reason why Jesus says, "He who seeks his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake, he will find it." I have been freed from myself so that I can live my life to give him the glory.

I don't get the greatest happiness from you. My greatest joy comes from him. I've been freed. And every single one of you have been freed, if you can just accept that. That's why we practice God-centered worship. Because when you're at the center, it ruins you. It ruins you. Even when we're doing good works, we'll always have one eye out the other to see if somebody else is noticing me.

Or we have the other eye looking to see if there's anybody else judging me. Am I doing a good enough job? And so that concern for you is ruining everything that you do. But if you place God where he needs to be, you're free. You're free. It doesn't matter what other people think.

It doesn't matter how good of a job that I do. Because in the end, all I want is to glorify God and for you to join me. I pray that every single one of us would know this Jesus, surrender to this Jesus, to be anchored to this Jesus. That we may be properly equipped for every good work for his glory.

Let's pray. Again, as our praise team comes up, let's take a few minutes to come before the Lord in prayer. Let the word of God not just enter into your head, but enter into your heart. Have you been drifting? Where do you find your peace? What are you looking to?

To take some time to come before the Lord and find your confidence in him. Again, as our worship team leads us, let's take some time to pray. (Prayer is sung) (Prayer is sung) (Prayer is sung) (Prayer is sung) Let's all stand up for the closing praise. (Prayer is sung) I once was lost.

I once was lost in darkest night. Yet thought I knew the way. The sin that promised joy and light had led me to the grave. I had no hope that you would own a rebel to your will. And if you had not loved me first, I would refuse you still.

But as I ran, but as I ran, my help I was indifferent to the cost. You looked upon my helpless state and led me to the cross. And I beheld God's love displayed. You suffered in my place. You bore the wrath reserved for me. Now all I know is grace.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. All I have is Christ. Hallelujah. Jesus is my life. Hallelujah. All I have is Christ. Hallelujah. Jesus is my life. (Prayer is sung) Now Lord, I would be yours alone. Endless, O almighty. The strength to follow your commands could never come from me. O Father, use my ransom life in any way you choose.

And let my song forever be my only post is you. Hallelujah. All I have is Christ. Hallelujah. Jesus is my life. Hallelujah. All I have is Christ. Hallelujah. Jesus is my life. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. All I have is Christ. Hallelujah. Jesus is my life. Let's pray. Though youth grow weary and tired and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength.

They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weary. Lord, help us, Lord God, that the promises of your word is not just theory, but the very things, Lord, that we practice in our lives. That we would first and foremost learn, Father God, to wait upon you.

To abide in you. To trust in you. To walk with you. To commune with you. Lord, that we would choose what is best. Help us, Lord God, to be empowered for every good deed that you've called us to be. Especially, Lord God, for our brothers and sisters, Lord, who are in Ukraine.

Give them the strength that they need. I pray, Father God, that your presence would be so much more real to them than ever. That as you strengthen them, that revival will break out, Lord God, within the churches of that nation. That what man meant for evil, that you would turn it to good for your glory.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. God sent his son. They called him Jesus. He came to God. He'll end for you. He lived and died. To buy my poor life. An empty grave is there to fill. My Savior lives. Because he lives, I can face tomorrow. Because he lives, all fear is gone.

Because I know he holds the future. And life is worth the living just because he lives. All right, so we do, I don't want to call it senior, close to senior fellowship here. Okay, so we're going to have it here. So if you guys can help us out to put away the chairs and we're going to set up, just like kind of we would have Bible study.

And then the fellowship is going to be taking place here if you're 50 and over.