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(gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle music) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) ♪ Son of God, shaper of the stars ♪ ♪ You alone, the dweller of my heart ♪ ♪ Mighty King, how beautiful you are ♪ ♪ How beautiful ♪ ♪ Son of God, the Father's gift to us ♪ ♪ You alone were broken on the altar of love ♪ ♪ Precious lamb, freedom's in your blood ♪ ♪ It's in your blood, Jesus ♪ ♪ Jesus, O Holy One ♪ ♪ I sing to you, forgiven ♪ ♪ Savior, I'm overcome with your great love for me ♪ ♪ Son of God, strength beyond compare ♪ ♪ You alone, the darkness cannot bear ♪ ♪ Lord of love, your kindness draws me near ♪ ♪ It draws me ♪ ♪ Son of God ♪ ♪ Son of God, prophecy of old ♪ ♪ You alone, resembler of my soul ♪ ♪ Come again and lead your people home ♪ ♪ Come lead us home, Jesus ♪ ♪ O Holy One ♪ ♪ I sing to you, forgiven ♪ ♪ Savior, I'm overcome with your great love for me ♪ ♪ You are worthy, you are worthy ♪ ♪ You are worthy of all my praise ♪ ♪ You are beautiful, you are beautiful ♪ ♪ I will lift up my hands and sing ♪ ♪ You are worthy, you are worthy ♪ ♪ You are worthy of all my praise ♪ ♪ You are beautiful, you are beautiful ♪ ♪ I will lift up my hands and sing ♪ ♪ Jesus, O Holy One ♪ ♪ I sing to you, forgiven ♪ ♪ Savior, I'm overcome with your great love for me ♪ ♪ I'm overcome with your great love for me ♪ - Amen, good evening, everybody.

I would like to start off this service with a famous chapter, Exodus 15, when God delivered the people, his people, from the hands of the Egyptians. It says, "Then Moses and the sons of Israel "sang this song to the Lord and said, "I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted.

"The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. "The Lord is my strength and song, "and he has become my salvation. "This is my God, and I will praise him, "my Father's God, and I will extol him. "The Lord is a warrior. "The Lord is his name.

"Pharaoh's chariots and his army he has cast into the sea, "and the choicest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea. "The deeps cover them. "They went down into the depths like a stone. "Your right hand, O Lord, is majestic in power. "Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemies, "and in the greatness of your excellence, "you overthrow those who rise up against you.

"You send forth your burning anger, "and it consumes them as chaff." Let's take a moment to pray together. Our Heavenly Father, as we come gathered together to worship and to pray to you, our prayer is, God, that through the work and ministry of your spirit, you would grant to us growing eyes of faith, hearts of faith, for the things that we read, the things that we believe would be so real as though we saw it with our physical eyes.

We pray, Father God, that the conviction that we had, that you are powerful far above and beyond everything else, that just as we sung, you are more beautiful, more worthy, and holier than anything that we could fathom. I pray, Father God, that when we see you as such, we would respond in kind.

We thank you for this evening. It's in Christ's name, amen. - Let's go ahead and stand together. (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) ♪ Your grace that leads the sinner home ♪ ♪ From death to life forever ♪ ♪ And sings this song of righteousness ♪ ♪ By blood and not by marriage ♪ ♪ Your grace that reaches far and wide ♪ ♪ To every tribe and nation ♪ ♪ Has called my heart to enter in ♪ ♪ The joy of your salvation ♪ ♪ By grace I am redeemed ♪ ♪ By grace I am restored ♪ ♪ And now I freely walk into the arms of Christ ♪ ♪ The arms of Christ, my Lord ♪ ♪ Grace ♪ ♪ Your grace that I cannot explain ♪ ♪ Not by my earthly wisdom ♪ ♪ The prince of life without a stain ♪ ♪ Was traded for this sinner ♪ ♪ By grace I am redeemed ♪ ♪ By grace I am restored ♪ ♪ And now I freely walk into the arms of Christ ♪ ♪ The arms of Christ, my Lord ♪ ♪ Let praise rise up and overflow ♪ ♪ My song resound forever ♪ ♪ For grace will see me welcomed home ♪ ♪ To walk beside my Savior ♪ ♪ By grace I am redeemed ♪ ♪ By grace I am restored ♪ ♪ And now I freely walk into the arms of Christ ♪ ♪ The arms of Christ, my Lord ♪ ♪ By grace I am redeemed ♪ ♪ By grace I am restored ♪ ♪ And now I freely walk into the arms of Christ ♪ ♪ My Lord ♪ ♪ And now I freely walk into the arms of Christ ♪ ♪ My Lord ♪ (gentle music) ♪ How great the chasm ♪ ♪ 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 into the night ♪ ♪ And through the darkness your loving kindness ♪ ♪ Tore through the shadows of my soul ♪ ♪ The work is finished, the end is written ♪ ♪ Jesus Christ, my living hope ♪ ♪ Who could imagine so great a mercy ♪ ♪ What heart could fathom such boundless grace ♪ ♪ The God of ages stepped down from glory ♪ ♪ To wear my sin and bear my shame ♪ ♪ The cross has spoken, the cross has spoken ♪ ♪ I am forgiven ♪ ♪ The King of kings calls me his own ♪ ♪ Beautiful Savior, I'm yours forever ♪ ♪ Jesus Christ, my living hope ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me ♪ ♪ You have broken every chain ♪ ♪ There's salvation in your name ♪ ♪ Jesus Christ, my living hope ♪ ♪ Then came the morning that sealed the promise ♪ ♪ Your buried body began to breathe ♪ ♪ Out of the silence the roaring lion ♪ ♪ Declared the grave has no claim on me ♪ One more time.

♪ Then came the morning that sealed the promise ♪ ♪ Your buried body began to breathe ♪ ♪ Out of the silence the roaring lion ♪ ♪ Declared the grave has no claim on me ♪ ♪ Jesus, yours is the victory ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me ♪ ♪ You have broken every chain ♪ ♪ There's salvation in your name ♪ ♪ Jesus Christ, my living hope ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me ♪ ♪ You have broken every chain ♪ ♪ There's salvation in your name ♪ ♪ Jesus Christ, my living hope ♪ ♪ Jesus Christ, my living hope ♪ ♪ For you are my living hope ♪ Amen, may we sing that.

(church bell ringing) Okay, please turn your Bible over to Exodus chapter 15. And again, it's such a familiar passage, but it cannot be overstated, that the Exodus account is a glorious, glorious wonder of God. And it goes down in history, whereas in the Old Testament, if the people of God are thinking, give me the prime example of deliverance, this is the story that is told to the generations upon generations.

And then, the song that we're looking at in chapter 15, is immediately upon that deliverance. We're not talking about reflecting and reminiscing of old, but rather then and there by the sea, this is a song famously known as the Song of Moses. And it's the song given as a worshipful act to God.

And for us to appreciate it, we've gotta do the imagination. Visualize you being there. I want you to do your best to imagine your worst nightmare. You know the ones where somebody's chasing you. You know the ones when you're falling deep, deep down into a dark pit. You know the ones where if you're startled, you know, abruptly from that kind of nightmare, just in cold sweat, that's you running.

Why? Because the scripture accounts that the Egyptians who enslaved God's people were chasing them with 600 chariots. Can you imagine that? I want you to think about more than every single person in this room all chasing after you, one single person. And in order to modernize it, imagine that all of them are riding trucks.

They've got guns in their cars, shotguns, AKs, whatever it may be, and they're all chasing you, and you're running for your life. This is the scene. And then, you know what makes the scene even more scarier sometimes? It's not so much just the fact that the enemy is a million times faster than you because you're on foot with your luggage, and they're on chariots.

A lot of times, things get scarier when the people around you are filled with fear, and they start losing it, and they start saying stuff they shouldn't be saying, when the people around you are just filled with terror in their heart. In Exodus 14, this is what the account says.

Exodus 14, verses 10 through 14. As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them. So they became very frightened. So the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord, and they started to lose it. Verse 11, then they said to Moses, is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness?

Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the word we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, leave us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.

Yikes. Could you be strong, seeing the dust of smoke, the thunder sound of hooves, and then the guys who are next to you who are supposed to be older, or whatever it may be, just completely filled with terror to the degree that they would stay, ridiculous things like this?

Verse 13, but Moses said to the people, do not fear, stand by and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. Why? The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.

Wow. Isn't that incredible? They're just screaming like, oh my gosh, we should go back. Oh my gosh, let's just surrender. And Moses sits there and says, you know what the word of the Lord is? Stay quiet, watch me. What a mic drop. So I want you to imagine you hearing those words, right?

Moses saying to you, just you stay quiet and watch, and you'll never see these fools again. And you may be thinking, are you crazy? And just then, you see fire, you see the clouds that's been guiding you, and as the story goes, Moses does what God commands, and boom, the sea opens up, and you see just the wall of water.

You're walking through what used to be right there, the ocean, or the sea. And the fire comes and confuses them, and again, to make the story shorter a bit, 'cause we don't have all that time, as you know, God commands and it swallows up the soldier, but I want you to picture this.

If you were a young man, maybe you were like high school age, and you're watching all this, and once you cross, and it says in the morning, so they walk through the night, and in the morning, what you see is the waters just rush back to fill the void, and all the people are just, as soon as it happens, obviously, first you hear screams, and then nothing.

All you hear is water. One of the interesting things about the story is that I just thought that this massive amounts of water buried them, but it says actually a bunch of their bodies came to the sea, and they saw them, the deceased, right before their feet. What a terrifying, what a jaw-dropping, I don't think I would be able to say a word.

Could you? Even though they were enemies, even though they were the oppressors, their lifeless bodies are there. What would you do? Well, strangely enough, this portion of the text that we are in, Moses breaks out in song of worship. He sees the mighty hand of God, and in chapter 15, verse one, he says, Moses and the sons of Israel, so it wasn't just him, but everybody sang the song to the Lord and said, I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted, the horse and its rider, he hurled into the sea, and after he sings the song with all the men, it seems like the ladies joined on.

They continued the celebration. Verse 20 says, Miriam and the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and were dancing, and Miriam said, sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted, the horse and its rider, he has hurled into the sea.

He has hurled into the sea. And so, we take a moment to remind ourselves, wow, the Lord God has shown and proven himself to be so powerful. The people of God, when they saw, could do nothing but react with dancing, with shouts of joy, and singing. For us, then, we remember that our worship is a reaction to us seeing the glory of God.

Our worship is reactionary. Our singing, our emotions, it's all reactionary. And just as a nation of Israel, they saw the power which the Lord used against the Egyptians, they're filled with fear, they're filled with joy, and they believe that it is the natural process for us. So then, we ask this question.

Are any of you guys in a state where you come to worship and something just feels old? Are we ever in a state where we come to worship and we start to have this thought, like, I'm not sure if I'm getting anything out of it? Do we come into worship and sometimes we have a situation where it's an age-old kind of problem?

When I say age-old, it was one of the first sins. If you recall back between Cain and Abel, what was Cain's sin? He just kind of said, "Meh." Right? There wasn't anything in it for them. The great fallen condition that tainted our worship from long ago was we failed to see the incredible glory of God, and when we come into worship, it's kind of like, am I getting anything out of it?

And so, once we start to feel like, is this moving me in any way? Is this inspiring to me? Then this is when all kinds of stuff like playing church, doing it just out of tradition, it's like, you know, my parents did it, this is the way my parents and my father and the church does it, or we turn into some kind of weird superstition.

If I continue to give God worship, I know eventually he's going to bless me. May it never be that we grow tired of giving praises and worship to this powerful God, amen? Today, I want to take a look at this portion. I'm going to run through it pretty quickly.

For us to visualize God in this story so that we would be inspired for greater worship, to visualize God, and how does it present it to us? How did God use this specific case-in-point deliverance so that he would reveal himself to be powerful? Take a look at verse two.

Chapter 15, verse two, it says, "The Lord is my strength and song, "and has become my salvation. "This is my God, and I will praise him, "my Father's God, and I will extol him. "The Lord is a warrior. "The Lord is his name. "Pharaoh's chariots and his army he has cast into the sea, "and the choices of his officers "to drown into the Red Sea, the deeps cover them.

"They went down into the depths like a stone." Interesting, if we were there on the shore, and all of a sudden, Moses is breaking off into song, we're thinking, whoa, what are you doing? And what Moses is going to say is, I am reacting to the fact that, look, God is a warrior, and he's absolutely victorious.

You know what's really interesting is, the ESV captures it in a different way. It says, "God is a man of war." Whoa, question, when we think about God, we have so many titles, so many depictions and perspectives about God. Among them, is it, this is a warrior. Now, I want you to know that sometimes, when I sit and I do one of these Old Testament studies, and I'm trying to imagine, I actually sit there, and I'm like, hmm, the way I think of a warrior is he's gotta have army fatigue, you know, the camouflage, and I think, no, no, no, God doesn't need camouflage, you know, like, so what if they see him?

He wants to be seen, okay? And it's like, oh, and then he's got the helmet. It's like, oh, wait a minute, he doesn't need helmet either, right? And he's got this big gun with a scope on it, and all that kind of stuff, it's like, wait a minute. How do we perceive of God, the scripture is telling us, do you see the way God is here presented to his people, primarily as a man of victory and war?

If you turn to Revelations chapter 19, if we're going to see God as a warrior, we also want to see Christ as a warrior, and it's appropriate for us to get a little afraid. This is a famous passage, Revelations chapter 19. It says, "I saw heaven open, and behold, a white horse, "and he who sat on it called Faithful and True, "and in righteousness he judges and wages war." Do you see that?

"He wages war, his eyes are flame of fire, "and his head are many diadems, "and he has a name written on him "which no one knows except himself. "He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, "and his name is called the Word of God. "The armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, "white and clean, were following him on white horses.

"From his mouth comes a sharp sword, "so that with it he may strike down the nations. "He will rule them with a rod of iron. "He treads on the winepress "of the fierce wrath of God the Almighty. "And on his robe and on his thigh, "he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords." You've heard that before, yes?

You've probably even seen people try to draw it. It looks ridiculous. But I want to remind you, that picture of Jesus Christ, I believe, is a closer reality to us. What do I mean by that? I'm just talking about time. Aren't we now in the last hour? Aren't we now closer to the time when he will return?

Aren't we now waiting and anticipating this picture? Were you waiting for somebody who had the towel on his arm, or were you waiting for somebody that looks like this? We're waiting for the warrior, amen? And then so when we picture Christ that way, we should be worshiping, that's you.

You're going to be almighty, all-powerful. You're gonna be filled with wrath, and anybody who stands in your way is gonna get destroyed, they're gonna get leveled. You know, part of the reason why, or not part of the reason, one of the points more recently that I've been just fixated on, and if you hear my preaching, you've probably heard me mention it many times.

I am just astounded, I am in worship, just in awe, of the perfections of the various facets of God, namely the fact that he is both simultaneously incredibly strict, severe, vengeful, and wrathful, while at the same time perfectly kind and merciful, yes? Another passage from Revelations chapter six, it says this.

Then the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the commanders, and the rich, and the strong, and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves, and among the rocks of the mountains, and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the presence of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the lion.

No, it says the wrath of the lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand? Gospel truth for us is we were standing, if Christ is gonna come, mighty on a white horse, with fire coming out of his eyes, we were standing in rebellion about to face him.

Gospel truth is, but instead of being against us, he is gonna be for us to deliver us. What an amazing, amazing truth. And the reason why I'm going at this is because in the eyes of the saints of old, eyes of Moses, he is looking at the wrath of God, he is literally looking at death and destruction, and saying, God, I worship you, you're exalted, and I want us to feel the same.

A strange mixture in our heart of fear, wonder, terror, but so much relief. This God is for me. Do you know who's in my corner? Do you know who is my strength? Do you know who fights for me? I don't even have to say a word, he asked us to be quiet.

God Almighty, he is the warrior, amen? And so the next bits of the passage, all it's doing, and the song is just reiterating, do you understand how powerful he is? Do you understand what a warrior he is? Do you understand how secure and sure his victory is? Take a look over at verse six through 10.

In verse six through 10, I call it, this is God versus anyone and everyone. God versus any and all. God is so amazing, let the greatest come from the world, and he's dead. The God is so amazing, let every single man come against God, and they're dead. Take a look.

It says, your right hand, O Lord, is majestic in power. Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy, and in the greatness of your excellence, you overthrow those who rise up against you. You send forth your burning anger, and it consumes them as chaff. The blast of your nostrils, the waters were piled up.

The flowing water stood up like a heap. The deeps were congealed, and the hearts of the sea, and the enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil. My desire shall be gratified against them. I will drop my sword, my hand will destroy them. You blew with your wind, and the sea covered them.

They sank like lead in the mighty waters. You know, a lot of us, we geek out over certain things. Some of you guys are like experts with tech, and you're like, oh my gosh, do you understand how powerful this M1 chip is, or whatever chip it is now? Do you understand what the retina thingy and all this kind of stuff?

Well, back in the day, I actually really, really liked watching boxing, and I'll be like, oh my gosh, did you see that punch to the liver? Do you see that uppercut? Every single punch is landing. That's, to me, how this passage sounds. And I want every single one of us to know, part of our worship sounds like that.

It's like, did you see, did you see how God, exact thing he said, came to be exactly as he said, when he said it, and how he said it? Oh my gosh, every jab, every hook, every punch, landing square in the face. Question. If you are coming to worship, and you're not worshiping, it is because you are not seeing God this way.

Why are you not impressed with this warrior? Why are you not impressed with God? What is keeping you so distracted? And I wanna give this challenge. If you, during your whole week, have been staring at things that are so awesome, tech-wise, car-wise, position-wise, job-wise, and you've just been marveling at the works of man, and then you come to church, and you're like, meh, it's 'cause you don't see it with your physical eyes.

No wonder you're not impressed. If you, throughout your whole week, you don't rely on God, you don't pray, you don't read his word, you've just been working hard, you've been putting in the hours, and you're doing a great job, you come to worship, and you're like, meh, why? Because you're very much impressed with yourself.

Our worship is simply being in awe, and I want us to feel that. Next portion, in verse 11 through 16, he says, who is like you among the gods, O Lord? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders? You stretched out your hand, the earth swallowed them, and in your loving kindness, you have led the people whom you have redeemed, in your strength, you have guided them to your holy habitation.

This is amazing. Every true Christian knows how to be in wonder of God, who has brought us to his dwelling. We are amazed because we think, God, you've been gracious to me? You wanna be a part of my life? You want me with you? You've offered us adoption? We're constantly in wonder.

Verse 14 through 16, it says, the peoples have heard, they tremble, anguish has gripped the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed, the leaders of Moab trembling grips them. All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. Terror, dread fall upon them. By the greatness of your arm, they are motionless as stone.

Motionless as stone. He's just talking about the effect of God's greatness, that if you truly see him, there's gonna be a healthy fear. There's gonna be a healthy fear. And then finally, not only is there wonder, not only is there fear, but ultimately for us, when we see the power of God, we're filled with absolute hope.

Verse 16, it says, until your people have passed over, O Lord, until the people pass over whom you have purchased, you will bring them and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance. The place, O Lord, which you have made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.

The Lord shall reign forever and ever. For the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, and the Lord brought back the waters of the sea on them. But the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea. What is this?

He is summarizing and requenting what just happened, but he knows God is 100% faithful and capable of accomplishing his plan. Earlier in the song, he says, Lord, you're my God, I'm gonna worship you. You are my Father's God, I'm gonna worship you. It is totally good that he, Moses, sees God's promises to the forefathers, God's promises to patriarchs are gonna come true according to the covenant.

Why? Because God is powerful to keep his word. God is faithful to keep his promise, and that is our future hope. So, I want us to take a moment to turn to Psalm 106, and then I read eight verses. In hindsight, looking back, several hundred years pass since the actual time of Exodus to the writing of the psalm.

Okay? In looking back then, what's the perspective? What's the attitude? And in many ways, it's the exact same. But there is a convicting word for us here, so I want us to look, Psalm 106, starting from verse one. Praise the Lord, oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his lovingkindness is everlasting.

Who can speak of the mighty deeds of the Lord, or can show forth all his praise? How blessed are those who keep justice, who practice righteousness at all times. Remember me, oh Lord, in your favor towards your people. Visit me with your salvation, that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.

We have sinned like our fathers. Look at this. We have committed iniquity. We have behaved wickedly. For our fathers in Egypt did not understand your wonders. They did not remember your abundant kindness, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. Nevertheless, he saved them for the sake of his name, that he might make his power known.

Whoa. Take a look at that passage, and I want to give glory to God. Did God not know that the people would set up a golden calf just shortly after? Did God not know that actually, from the moment he sent Moses, people were like, who the heck are you?

Did God not know that the people were like, hey, why are you making it harder for us? Now they want us to make more bricks without straw. Did God not know that the people would lose heart and be like, oh my gosh, we should have just died in Egypt.

Did God not know that by the sea, just shortly after, they were like, wow, and everybody was dancing with tambourine, and woo, that they would sin against him? Praise God. Praise God he is merciful, but also praise God that he works and operates for his glory and for his name, amen?

Praise God in this passage, it says, God is holy, and for his own name he accomplished so that he might make his glory known, and he is shining it. Then shame on us if we ever come into worship, and it's like, I don't know, this stuff's getting old. What?

Then clearly there's some strange blindness, and something deeper is happening with our hearts. Let us know that this song of Moses is a song for us. When we believe God to be victorious, when we believe God to be mighty, and when we believe God to be the warrior, we're gonna be led to worship.

Let's pray. Lord, I truly ask God that you would help us not to walk this life by sight. We see other people's talents and skills and the product of their hands, and we get so impressed. Lord, I pray God you would forgive us for that, because we know better.

Lord, you're the God who created everything, and you're the God who gave us breath, and you are so powerful. Even if all, however many billions of people are on this earth rose up against you, with one word, you would make all of them fall. I pray, Lord, that you would help us just to be in wonder.

And Lord God, even if we don't sing, but let us in our reaction of prayer, let us in our reaction of submission, let us in our reaction of fear and hope, let all these things, Father God, rise to you from our faith. We thank you, it's in Christ's name, amen.

For the remainder of the evening, we're gonna have just extended time of prayer, but we're just going to move in three sections. I wanna first give you guys the time to do personal prayer. So I'm gonna put up to several points for you if you just wanna react and you wanna just respond, I mean, with just your own heart to God, with repentance, with more trust.

Go ahead and do that, and after 10 minutes, we'll then move to corporate prayer, and at the end, we'll finish off with praying for one another. Go ahead and take time now for extended prayer. (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) - Okay, allow me to close that portion off in prayer.

Heavenly Father, just lifting up another word as a congregation, Lord, we do ask that by your Spirit, we will experience your power on a regular basis. Lord, we ask that we would experience your Spirit just moving so deeply by way of conviction and faith. And then Lord, help us to make sure that we are following you to the degree that we would experience that power, that we would risk our comforts and well-being for your kingdom to experience that power.

By way of simple obedience, when things seem impossible, or even trusting in you when we're most deeply hurt, help us, Father God, to experience your power in our lives. We know, Lord God, that you are faithful and good. It's in Christ's name, amen. At this time, we'll go to the next portion where there is a lot of things happening at church.

As you know, the Korea team is just wrapping up. Today was the last day of an English camp that they've been running. From some of their posts and messages, it sounds like they had a really amazing time, so let's pray that God would use every single one of those conversations, all the informal downtime, and then let's pray that the team stays then ready, in focus and sober, so that they can maximize all the time that they have.

This month, as you guys know, there's been a lot of graduations for college students, for high school students. Let's pray that as they're going to experience a lot of changes, and therefore challenges, that they would have both a purposeful, intentional time, especially in the summer. Soon, just in two, three weeks, we're gonna be having VBS, and there's been, just for months, a lot of preparation that's gone into that.

I just put grace on volunteers. There's been, there's over like 90 to 100 volunteers. Let's pray that all the volunteers, no matter what they're doing, they are really focused in on ministering to the students and maximizing whatever opportunity they have, but more so, too, when we think about the loss for our church, we're thinking, there are so many young students, so many children, and we're desperately praying for their salvation, joining in the parents, pleading to God, save their souls.

We also have an EV and gospel, EV outing and gospel night. So Saturday, we're gonna be going at 1 p.m. out to the various malls. Please pray just for fruitful conversations, and then Wednesday, 7/10, there's going to be an evening gospel presentation, and then also Q&A. Let's ask that God will cause those things to be fruitful.

Okay, please go ahead and pray for the next 10 minutes. (gentle music) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) - Okay, for the remainder of our time, if you have just a need for personal prayer, please continue to do so.

But otherwise, take a moment to look to the people around you, share your prayer requests, and take time to pray for one another. And in about 10 to 15 minutes, we'll bring everybody back for a closing praise, and we'll end the night there. Please go ahead. 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(people chattering) (people chattering) (people chattering) Okay, church family, let's all stand together as we sing our closing praise. ("How Has the Sinner Been Forgiven?") ♪ How has the sinner been forgiven ♪ ♪ And how has the rebel been made clean ♪ ♪ Or blinded eyes and made to see ♪ ♪ Have the orphans been adopted ♪ ♪ Who hated your love and ran from grace ♪ ♪ Spies, they've rejected all your ways ♪ ♪ How wonderful the Father's love ♪ ♪ The Father's love for us ♪ ♪ That he would send his only son ♪ ♪ To come and rescue us ♪ ♪ He has saved us, called us blameless ♪ ♪ Binds us now and will sustain us ♪ ♪ Oh, how wonderful the Father ♪ Your mercy.

♪ Your mercy floods our lives with kindness ♪ ♪ And your grace has colored all we see ♪ ♪ And you have promised not to leave ♪ ♪ You freely give your spirit to us ♪ ♪ So we can be sure we're sons of God ♪ ♪ Rest in the hope of what's to come ♪ ♪ How wonderful the Father's love ♪ ♪ The Father's love for us ♪ ♪ That he would send his only son ♪ ♪ To come and rescue us ♪ ♪ He has saved us, called us blameless ♪ ♪ Guides us now and will sustain us ♪ ♪ Oh, how wonderful the Father's love ♪ The suffering.

♪ The sufferings, they fill our lives ♪ ♪ With confidence, we're heirs of Christ ♪ ♪ So we cry, I'm a father ♪ ♪ The sufferings, they fill our lives ♪ ♪ With confidence, we're heirs of Christ ♪ ♪ So we cry, I'm a father ♪ ♪ How wonderful the Father's love ♪ ♪ The Father's love for us ♪ ♪ That he would send his only son ♪ ♪ To come and rescue us ♪ ♪ How wonderful the Father's love ♪ ♪ The Father's love for us ♪ ♪ That he would send his only son ♪ ♪ To come and rescue us ♪ ♪ He has saved us, called us blameless ♪ ♪ Guides us now and will sustain us ♪ ♪ Oh, how wonderful the Father's love ♪ (upbeat rock music) Let's pray together.

Father, we're thankful, Lord God, that you gathered your church to come and pray and sing these songs of worship to you. As we depart, I pray, Lord God, that you remind us just the importance of our personal times of prayer, devotions, that our love for you may only grow, Lord God, because we can reflect on the grace that you continually poured out to us, that we can reflect on who you are.

You are a thrice holy God who has been so gracious to us. So I pray, Lord God, that as we pray for many things, from personal topics to church things going on, I pray, Lord God, that you help us, Lord God, to continue to be a praying church, that we may not rely on our own abilities, our own strengths, but we may gain just spiritual power and strength through our devotion, Lord God, to you and through prayer.

So be with us, Lord God, as we continue, Lord God, seeking you, and give us the strength that we need. It's in Christ that we pray. Amen. Good night. Thanks, guys. you