WEBVTT 00:00:00.461 --> 00:00:01.183 Good morning folks. 00:00:01.183 --> 00:00:01.804 Glad you're here. 00:00:01.804 --> 00:00:04.791 We are blessed you are here today. 00:00:07.461 --> 00:00:08.243 Would you bow please? 00:00:08.243 --> 00:00:10.289 Thank you, Father, for letting us be here. 00:00:10.289 --> 00:00:12.769 Thank you for this wonderful Sunday morning. 00:00:12.769 --> 00:00:26.260 We thank you for setting up a plan to where we could get together and meet and celebrate and worship you, honor your son, encourage each other, and we hope that we will please you in all these things we do this morning. 00:00:26.260 --> 00:00:28.687 Thank you for the blessings you give us over and over. 00:00:28.687 --> 00:00:31.152 In Jesus' name, we pray Amen. 00:00:31.152 --> 00:00:39.654 I once was lost in sin, but Jesus took me in, and then a little light from heaven, filled my soul. 00:00:41.299 --> 00:00:45.070 It bathed my heart in love and wrote my name above. 00:00:45.664 --> 00:00:48.735 And just a little talk with Jesus Made me whole. 00:00:49.542 --> 00:00:54.198 Now let us have a little talk with Jesus, let us tell him all about our troubles. 00:00:54.542 --> 00:00:56.478 He will hear our faintest cry. 00:00:56.901 --> 00:01:07.186 He will answer by and by when you feel a little prayerful yearning, as your heart in heaven is turning, you will find a little talk with Jesus makes it right. 00:01:09.700 --> 00:01:21.346 I may have doubts and fears my eyes be filled with tears, but Jesus is a friend who watches day and night I go to him in prayer. 00:01:21.346 --> 00:01:27.974 He knows my every care and just a little talk with Jesus makes it right. 00:01:27.974 --> 00:01:30.602 Now let us have a little talk with Jesus. 00:01:30.602 --> 00:01:33.103 Let us tell him all about our troubles. 00:01:33.103 --> 00:01:35.525 He will hear our famous cry. 00:01:35.525 --> 00:01:38.046 He will answer by and by. 00:01:38.219 --> 00:01:46.567 When you feel a little prayerful yearning, as your heart, into heaven is turning, you will find a little talk with Jesus makes it right. 00:01:52.281 --> 00:02:04.287 These are the days of Elijah declaring the word of the Lord and these are the days of your servant. 00:02:04.608 --> 00:02:19.215 Moses righteousness being restored, and these are the days of great trials of famine and darkness ensored. 00:02:19.215 --> 00:02:27.735 Still we are the voice of the desert, crying, preparing the way of the Lord. 00:02:27.735 --> 00:02:39.742 Behold he comes, riding on the clouds, shining like the sun at the trumpet call, so lift your voice. 00:02:39.742 --> 00:02:48.415 It's the year of Jubilee and out of Zion still salvation comes. 00:02:48.415 --> 00:03:05.812 And these are the days of Ezekiel, the dry bones becoming as flesh, and these are the days of your servant David, rebuilding a temple of praise. 00:03:05.812 --> 00:03:15.248 And these are the days of the harvest the fields are as white in the world. 00:03:16.919 --> 00:03:24.671 And we are the laborers in your vineyard declaring the word of the Lord. 00:03:24.671 --> 00:03:36.609 Behold he comes Riding on the clouds, shining like the sun At the trumpet call, so lift your voice. 00:03:36.609 --> 00:03:45.493 It's the year of Jubilee, and out of Zion's hill salvation comes. 00:03:45.493 --> 00:03:47.830 There's no God like Jehovah. 00:03:47.830 --> 00:03:50.187 There's no God like Jehovah. 00:03:50.187 --> 00:03:52.527 There's no God like Jehovah. 00:03:52.527 --> 00:03:55.031 There's no God like Jehovah. 00:03:55.031 --> 00:03:57.371 There's no God like Jehovah. 00:03:57.371 --> 00:03:58.944 There's no God like. 00:03:58.944 --> 00:04:01.085 Jehovah, there's no God. 00:04:01.085 --> 00:04:03.747 Like Jehovah, there's no God like. 00:04:03.787 --> 00:04:04.510 Jehovah. 00:04:04.510 --> 00:04:18.990 There's no God like Jehovah. 00:04:18.990 --> 00:04:31.999 There's no God like Jehovah before he comes, riding on the clouds, shining like the sun at the tropic coast. 00:04:31.999 --> 00:04:34.488 So lift your voice. 00:04:34.488 --> 00:04:41.833 It's the year of Jubilee and out of Zion's hill salvation comes. 00:04:41.833 --> 00:04:50.170 Who was and who is, and who is to come? 00:04:54.321 --> 00:05:01.228 Who was and who is and who is to come, amen. 00:05:15.380 --> 00:05:21.199 They bound the hands of Jesus in the garden where he prayed. 00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:30.326 They led him through the streets in shame. 00:05:30.326 --> 00:05:44.427 They sat upon the Savior, so pure and free from sin, they said crucify. 00:05:44.427 --> 00:05:53.033 So pure and free from sin, they said crucify and ease to blame. 00:05:53.033 --> 00:06:06.593 He could have called ten thousand angels To destroy the world and set him free. 00:06:06.593 --> 00:06:22.502 He could have called ten thousand angels but he died alone for you and me. 00:06:22.502 --> 00:06:28.166 To the howling mob. 00:06:28.247 --> 00:06:29.529 He yielded. 00:06:29.529 --> 00:06:35.512 He did not for mercy cry. 00:06:35.512 --> 00:07:02.242 The cross of shame he took alone alone and when he cried it's finished he gave himself to die salvation's wondrous plan was done. 00:07:02.242 --> 00:07:06.314 He could have called ten thousand. 00:07:06.314 --> 00:07:07.096 Land was done. 00:07:07.096 --> 00:07:16.350 He could have called 10,000 angels to show the world and set it free. 00:07:16.350 --> 00:07:35.644 He could have called 10,000 angels, but he died alone, for you and me. 00:07:59.997 --> 00:08:00.757 Would you pray with me, please? 00:08:00.757 --> 00:08:10.048 Dear Lord, we give thanks to you for the opportunity to hear together around your table and remember your son, jesus Christ. 00:08:10.048 --> 00:08:14.471 Lord, we remember that he's part of the deity, that he came from heaven. 00:08:14.471 --> 00:08:16.687 He came here to earth to serve us, lord. 00:08:16.687 --> 00:08:19.009 He came here to help those that were sick. 00:08:19.009 --> 00:08:23.000 He came here to help those that were needing to hear your word, lord. 00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:25.185 He fed them those that were hungry. 00:08:25.185 --> 00:08:26.831 He came here, lord. 00:08:26.831 --> 00:08:27.572 He fed them those that were hungry. 00:08:27.593 --> 00:08:28.956 He came here, lord, and washed people's feet. 00:08:28.956 --> 00:08:41.032 He took on the lowest part of the household servant and washed people's feet, showing us, lord, the example that we are to serve others and to give to others, lord. 00:08:41.032 --> 00:08:52.403 And in the end, he gave us the ultimate example when he gave his life upon the cross for us, so that we may have a better life here, lord, when we accept him as our Lord and Savior, and that we may have a better life in eternity. 00:08:52.403 --> 00:08:56.964 As we partake of this bread, lord, we do so remembering that it represents Jesus Christ's life. 00:08:56.964 --> 00:11:53.899 In Jesus Christ's name, we pray no-transcript. 00:11:54.940 --> 00:12:04.259 Dear Lord, we gather around this table once again, getting ready to partake of the vine, the fruit of the vine, remembering that this represents Jesus' blood that was shed on the cross for our sins. 00:12:04.259 --> 00:12:07.309 Lord, lord, we remember that Jesus didn't die of old age. 00:12:07.309 --> 00:12:11.441 He didn't die of an infection or a disease, lord. 00:12:11.441 --> 00:12:12.706 He was crucified on the cross. 00:12:12.706 --> 00:12:19.250 There was a shameful death, lord, a death reserved for the worst. 00:12:19.250 --> 00:12:32.467 There was A cruel death, and he just lay there, hung there and suffered for us, lord, lord, the good thing is we remember that after he was dead and buried, he arose from that grave, victorious over death. 00:12:32.467 --> 00:16:24.000 It's because of that we know that he reigns over heaven and earth and we put our trust in him no-transcript. 00:16:24.500 --> 00:16:27.327 Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen. 00:16:27.327 --> 00:16:28.110 Would you be with me, please? 00:16:28.110 --> 00:16:35.791 As we give thanks for the offering, dear Lord, we give thanks for you for the opportunity to give back to you a portion of what we've received this past week, lord. 00:16:35.791 --> 00:16:38.729 Lord, we realize that this is an opportunity for us to grow. 00:16:38.729 --> 00:16:44.379 You said you like a cheerful giver, so let us do that cheerfully, lord. 00:16:44.379 --> 00:16:47.149 Let us give in, knowing that we're helping others out. 00:16:47.149 --> 00:16:49.307 Lord, we do realize that we are helping others out. 00:16:49.307 --> 00:16:52.504 We're helping others out in other countries, the missionaries we support. 00:16:52.504 --> 00:16:54.831 We're helping others out right here in our community. 00:16:54.831 --> 00:17:06.640 We ask you to be with the elders as they distribute this money in different ways, that it goes a long way in progressing your kingdom, lord, that many people will come to know you in a better way. 00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:07.799 Help us to always be mindful of that. 00:17:07.799 --> 00:18:41.699 It's in Jesus Christ's name we pray, amen, thank you All right Thank you. 00:18:41.719 --> 00:18:48.310 The scripture reading today comes from Acts 16, and it's verses 24 through 25. 00:18:48.310 --> 00:18:53.511 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 00:18:53.511 --> 00:19:00.669 About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:02.865 Bow with me, please. 00:19:02.865 --> 00:19:03.901 Father, we do. 00:19:03.901 --> 00:19:06.329 Thank you so much for the love of your son, jesus. 00:19:06.329 --> 00:19:14.354 A simple song with the greatest truth that can ever be uttered is that your son loves us. 00:19:14.354 --> 00:19:17.429 We thank you for the victory we have because of him. 00:19:17.429 --> 00:19:19.666 We thank you for your grace and mercy. 00:19:19.666 --> 00:19:22.960 In Jesus' name, all God's people said amen. 00:19:23.381 --> 00:19:26.951 A couple of announcements that we need to make. 00:19:26.951 --> 00:19:31.310 First, any ladies, there is a coming up in November. 00:19:31.310 --> 00:19:35.931 It's called Hope in Motion Ladies Day in Newark. 00:19:35.931 --> 00:19:37.847 That's put on by Healing Hands International. 00:19:37.847 --> 00:19:40.308 They do the Walk for Water and some of the stuff we do. 00:19:40.308 --> 00:19:48.670 There's some information out there If you would like more information about that, because we're going to have a meeting after church. 00:19:48.670 --> 00:19:48.790 We do. 00:19:48.790 --> 00:19:53.057 There's some information out there If you would like more information about that, because we're going to have a meeting after church, a brief meeting after church for any ladies. 00:19:53.057 --> 00:19:55.811 Just to give you information about it, there is a cost, but the church wants to help with that cost. 00:19:55.811 --> 00:20:01.929 So if anybody wants to go, so if you think you'd be interested in this, just see me right up here. 00:20:02.539 --> 00:20:22.468 Also, mark mentioned our brother Ralph, who passed away, and Ralph came to us through the Romeos retired old men eating out small group that we had, and he wrote a note that he wanted to read to the congregation, but he never got back here. 00:20:22.468 --> 00:20:35.866 But Quentin asked us to read it and he said I just want to thank the church family for the calls, the assistance in whatever way it was provided, and especially for the prayers. 00:20:35.866 --> 00:20:50.165 And he wanted to let you know that he was very grateful and appreciative of his church family and what they'd done for him, and so his plan was to be able to say it from that seat when we handed him a mic, the thanks. 00:20:50.165 --> 00:20:51.450 But he's in heaven. 00:20:51.450 --> 00:21:05.082 But the family wanted to make sure that you knew how thankful he was for you being with him, and so we want to continue to pray for the Schenkel and the Bedinger family, as Mark said. 00:21:05.082 --> 00:21:11.128 Also, we have a new sister in Christ who wants to place fellowship here, anita Kogel. 00:21:11.128 --> 00:21:13.496 Anita, where are you? 00:21:13.496 --> 00:21:15.320 Welcome, be sure, and welcome our new sister in Christ. 00:21:15.320 --> 00:21:16.102 Let's give her a hand. 00:21:16.102 --> 00:21:19.829 We're thankful that she's here with us. 00:21:21.192 --> 00:21:27.708 All right, I want to apologize in advance, because some of you have heard this sermon before and you've probably heard it more than once. 00:21:27.708 --> 00:21:33.012 This is the very first sermon I preached here when I tried out in September of 1988. 00:21:33.012 --> 00:21:43.333 But the last three or four weeks before I retire, I really wanted to come up with, if this was the last time I spoke to you, what is it I would want to tell you. 00:21:43.333 --> 00:22:01.272 And last week we talked a little bit about baptism and things, and next week we're going to share, you know, man, what I really want to leave you with, and this lesson was just something that I thought you know what I really want us to grasp and to hear. 00:22:01.272 --> 00:22:04.269 So some of you have heard some of this before. 00:22:04.269 --> 00:22:04.890 Maybe some of you have heard all of it before. 00:22:04.890 --> 00:22:08.487 Maybe some of you heard all of it before. 00:22:08.487 --> 00:22:16.829 You can fall asleep like you usually do, but I just think it's important that we understand that During my 36 years here, I've seen God do some amazing things. 00:22:16.829 --> 00:22:21.125 I've seen his power, I've seen his grace. 00:22:21.125 --> 00:22:51.660 You would have to experience what I've experienced to really see what God has done, and I've been awed by the fact that he has led this church, in spite of its preacher, through good times and through tough times in a way that has really revealed his power and during this time, has really revealed his power, and during this time this has been a church that has learned to worship God through good times and bad times. 00:22:52.039 --> 00:22:56.211 There's a contemporary Christian artist, tasha Layton. 00:22:56.211 --> 00:23:02.849 Many of you may have heard of her and she's a singer who just wrote a song. 00:23:02.849 --> 00:23:12.990 That's a popular song and her journey as a Christian, when she talks about her journey, included going through a struggle in the church. 00:23:12.990 --> 00:23:17.511 She was a member of Split and she talks about how that rocked her faith. 00:23:17.511 --> 00:23:24.493 It led to her exploring other religions until she decided to come back to Christianity. 00:23:26.920 --> 00:23:44.405 She traveled with Katy Perry as a backup singer for a while and she talks about how the temptations and the trials of being a part of really, you know, a worldly ungodly concert, you know type of thing, how that was tough at times. 00:23:44.405 --> 00:23:54.051 And she goes through talking about how she's really struggled at times through her life because of the thing like the church split and things like that. 00:23:54.051 --> 00:23:59.349 And she wrote a song called Worship Through it and maybe how many of you heard that song, worship Through it? 00:23:59.349 --> 00:24:08.162 I'd play it for you but it's instrumental and I'd get in trouble, but anyway, but it's called worship through it and she tells the story. 00:24:08.162 --> 00:24:09.041 That was a joke, guys. 00:24:09.041 --> 00:24:18.814 She tells the story about how that song came about, and I just want you to listen to what she says. 00:24:19.585 --> 00:24:41.095 So the song Worship Through it came about because I got together with my husband and Matthew West and AJ and I said I really want to write a song about what we're walking through right now and at that point one of our dearest friends was diagnosed with cancer and our community was just really going through it. 00:24:41.134 --> 00:25:01.856 we were praying hard for him and really believing god for a miracle on his behalf so we wrote this song, worship through it, to encourage our community to worship through that valley, to worship as much in the valley as on the mountaintop, to worship when it's hard to worship when it's easy, just to worship through it all. 00:25:02.105 --> 00:25:20.740 You know, our friend passed away from cancer and I think now the song has taken on a brand new meaning because we're worshiping through our grief and we're worshiping through us receiving the miracle, not in the way we expected. 00:25:20.740 --> 00:25:25.499 Never seen a community trust God more than our community right now. 00:25:25.499 --> 00:25:33.402 It's been really inspiring the way that people have leaned in and surrendered, but it's still hard. 00:25:33.402 --> 00:25:41.895 I've been listening to the song myself and just letting my own song minister to my heart and letting Jesus speak to me through the song. 00:25:41.895 --> 00:25:59.534 I hope that people can grab on to it and just become inspired to worship through whatever situation you're walking through Trust in God, knowing that he's faithful, knowing that he's good and knowing that what the enemy meant for evil, he will always turn around. 00:26:00.655 --> 00:26:01.357 And she's right. 00:26:01.357 --> 00:26:04.030 Life's tough, isn't it? 00:26:04.030 --> 00:26:10.473 Sometimes worship is easy and sometimes worship is high, hard. 00:26:10.473 --> 00:26:14.695 Sometimes we get into messes and we don't know how to get out. 00:26:14.695 --> 00:26:16.371 Sometimes life's not fair. 00:26:16.371 --> 00:26:18.306 Sometimes the bad guy wins. 00:26:18.306 --> 00:26:24.905 Sometimes we pray to God and he doesn't answer the prayer the way we thought he would answer it. 00:26:24.905 --> 00:26:34.048 And so what do you do when life's unfair, when you're mistreated, when life is hard, when things don't go the way we thought they would? 00:26:34.048 --> 00:26:35.451 What do you do? 00:26:35.451 --> 00:26:45.436 Because, see, we can't control our circumstances and we do live in a broken world but we can control the way we respond to those circumstances. 00:26:45.436 --> 00:26:51.458 One example of that of a guy who learned how to worship through it is the Apostle Paul. 00:26:51.458 --> 00:26:53.795 Are you hitting these or am I? 00:26:54.740 --> 00:27:01.738 Oh good, okay, the Apostle Paul is getting ready to start his second missionary journey and he has a plan. 00:27:01.738 --> 00:27:07.635 He planned on going this way I don't know if you've ever been on a trip and planned to do this and it didn't work out. 00:27:07.635 --> 00:27:08.849 That's happened to me a lot. 00:27:08.849 --> 00:27:13.909 We've been trying to go to Alaska Troops for three years and twice they canceled it because of COVID. 00:27:13.909 --> 00:27:20.950 And the third day, third year, they canceled it because we didn't get to go, because we had COVID the day before we went, and so I'm taking it. 00:27:20.950 --> 00:27:29.112 God doesn't want me to go to Alaska, but you know, paul, they tried to go to Phrygia and Galatia and the Holy Spirit stopped them there. 00:27:29.112 --> 00:27:33.089 They tried to go to Mysia, but when they got to the border they couldn't go there. 00:27:33.089 --> 00:27:36.574 They tried to enter Bithynia, but the spirit of Jesus wouldn't go there. 00:27:36.574 --> 00:27:44.413 So they passed by Mysia and went on down to Troas and they didn't go where they wanted to go. 00:27:45.184 --> 00:27:57.036 And if you read on, what happens is he tries to go to all these places and one night he has a vision and an angel in the vision says Paul, here's where I want you to go. 00:27:57.036 --> 00:27:58.371 I want you to go to Macedonia. 00:27:58.371 --> 00:28:00.888 And so I want you to understand. 00:28:00.888 --> 00:28:02.694 Paul wanted to go over here. 00:28:02.694 --> 00:28:05.133 God said no, I want you to go over here. 00:28:05.133 --> 00:28:10.657 And really it was pretty amazing because God sent him to a totally different continent. 00:28:10.657 --> 00:28:13.073 God sent him to Europe for the first time. 00:28:13.073 --> 00:28:26.444 In fact, if Paul hadn't gone, we may not have been sitting here, because everywhere Paul wanted to go was Asia and God said no, listen, I'm going to change your plan. 00:28:26.444 --> 00:28:33.784 And so he goes, and when he goes there he gets to the city of Philippi and it doesn't go real well. 00:28:33.784 --> 00:28:37.646 It doesn't go real well. 00:28:37.646 --> 00:28:38.791 That's when he decides, hey, we need to go. 00:28:38.811 --> 00:28:44.789 They get to Philippi and one of the things that happens is he's preaching and there's a servant girl, a slave girl, that follows him around preaching. 00:28:44.789 --> 00:28:53.425 And while he's preaching, this slave girl keeps yelling hey, these men are preachers of the most high God, these men are preachers of the most high God. 00:28:53.425 --> 00:28:59.513 Can you imagine, trying to preach, preach, and somebody's in the crowd shouting hey, this guy's preaching of the Most High God. 00:28:59.513 --> 00:29:09.316 And it went on for days, to the point that, it said, paul got annoyed at it and he cast the demon, the evil spirit, out of the woman. 00:29:09.316 --> 00:29:11.891 Now I don't know why he did it. 00:29:11.891 --> 00:29:17.516 I want to think that the reason he did it was because this lady, she was speaking truth. 00:29:17.516 --> 00:29:27.515 Sometimes even evil spirits can speak truth, but this evil spirit was taking glory away from God. 00:29:27.515 --> 00:29:30.770 And so Paul says get out of there. 00:29:30.770 --> 00:29:32.932 So the evil spirit leaves the woman. 00:29:32.932 --> 00:29:39.066 She can't no longer do what her owners or masters had made her a slave to do. 00:29:39.066 --> 00:29:41.170 They get upset. 00:29:41.170 --> 00:29:44.376 They start saying these guys are causing all kinds of trouble. 00:29:44.376 --> 00:30:09.017 To make a long story short, a big old riot happens and people get upset and they arrest Paul and Silas, and I want you to notice it says they ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods After he was severely flogged not just flogged, severely flogged they were thrown into the prison and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 00:30:09.017 --> 00:30:13.365 When he received these orders, the jailer put them in the inner cell. 00:30:13.365 --> 00:30:20.338 He put them back in the deepest part of the cell and fastened their feet in stocks. 00:30:21.224 --> 00:30:23.373 And then here's the verse that amazes me. 00:30:23.373 --> 00:30:24.788 It's one of my favorite verses. 00:30:24.788 --> 00:30:27.336 Here's Paul. 00:30:27.336 --> 00:30:37.557 He's in jail, he's cramped up, he's bleeding, his back is ripped open like hamburger meat. 00:30:37.557 --> 00:30:43.625 There's all these gnats and flies flying around the open wounds and he can't swat at them because he's chained up. 00:30:43.625 --> 00:31:01.627 He's in an inner cell on a dirt floor that's dark and dank and wet and cold, and he's sitting there at midnight in pain in a place he didn't want to go to to begin with. 00:31:01.627 --> 00:31:06.432 And he says why me Lord. 00:31:06.432 --> 00:31:13.948 If you'd have just listened to me and let me go to Bithynia when I wanted to go to Bithynia, I wouldn't be in this mess. 00:31:13.948 --> 00:31:17.295 It's all your fault, god, because you made me, made me go here. 00:31:17.295 --> 00:31:21.911 I'm obeying you, god, I'm doing what you want me to do and I'm here in jail. 00:31:21.911 --> 00:31:23.516 That's what he said. 00:31:23.516 --> 00:31:29.171 Don't this verse amaze you? 00:31:29.171 --> 00:31:32.289 Verse 25. 00:31:33.704 --> 00:31:47.633 Through the blood, through the pain, it says Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to it. 00:31:47.633 --> 00:31:50.067 Now, what would you be singing? 00:31:50.067 --> 00:31:52.855 Put yourself in Paul's sandals. 00:31:52.855 --> 00:32:05.749 He's sitting there saying oh Lord, my God, when I, in awesome wonder, I'd be singing. 00:32:05.749 --> 00:32:06.853 Why, me Lord? 00:32:06.853 --> 00:32:21.652 What is it that Paul had that he could worship through the mistreatment, worship through being beaten, worship through being put in prison, even though he was obeying God? 00:32:21.652 --> 00:32:25.093 How could he worship through that? 00:32:25.093 --> 00:32:28.153 And that's what we want to talk about this morning. 00:32:28.153 --> 00:32:30.814 How do we worship through life's hard times? 00:32:30.814 --> 00:32:43.269 It's okay to sing these are the days of Elijah, when things are going good but how do you sing? 00:32:43.269 --> 00:32:44.914 How great thou art in the funeral home? 00:32:44.914 --> 00:32:47.953 How do you sing how great thou art in the unemployment line? 00:32:47.953 --> 00:32:51.355 How do you sing how great thou art in the surgery when the doctor comes up? 00:32:51.355 --> 00:32:55.471 How do you worship through it? 00:32:55.471 --> 00:32:59.387 And I want us to look at what Paul did. 00:32:59.387 --> 00:33:02.557 Number one we need to make a commitment to God before the tough times come. 00:33:06.074 --> 00:33:08.191 When Brittany and Philip were young. 00:33:08.191 --> 00:33:13.532 I've told this before, but when they were young they were toddlers. 00:33:13.532 --> 00:33:17.872 They were upstairs playing and we were downstairs and all of a sudden I hear this. 00:33:17.872 --> 00:33:39.816 So I go running up and Brittany has a hold of some Phillips hair, just pulling it, and he goes, and so I try to get our fingers done and I explain to Brittany you know that, hey, you know pulling hair hurts. 00:33:39.816 --> 00:33:41.230 And I take this back. 00:33:41.230 --> 00:33:41.992 I told it wrong. 00:33:41.992 --> 00:33:44.172 Phillip had a hold of Brittany's hair. 00:33:44.172 --> 00:33:54.107 Yeah, phillip had a hold of Brittany's hair and because Brittany would never do anything like that, but anyway, phillip had a hold of Brittany's hair and I untangled it. 00:33:54.107 --> 00:34:00.213 I said, phillip, you know it hurts to pull hair and all of that. 00:34:00.213 --> 00:34:04.557 And I said Brittany, you know, he didn't understand that pulling hair hurts and he didn't mean it. 00:34:04.557 --> 00:34:05.558 And Philip, you shouldn't pull hair. 00:34:05.558 --> 00:34:19.099 And he said, okay, and Brittany, you understand, he didn't know it hurt, okay, so I went back downstairs and a few seconds later and I go running up and I walk in and Brittany looks at me and says he does now. 00:34:24.588 --> 00:34:28.737 And so you know, well, you know what we need to understand. 00:34:28.737 --> 00:34:34.996 Life's hard and life's fair, and just because we're Christians doesn't mean life's going to be all hunky-dory. 00:34:34.996 --> 00:34:37.568 You're a Christian a while and you understand. 00:34:37.568 --> 00:34:37.684 You know what I do now. 00:34:37.684 --> 00:34:38.235 I understand life's going to be all hunky-dory. 00:34:38.235 --> 00:34:38.847 You're a Christian a while and you understand. 00:34:38.847 --> 00:34:40.827 You know what I do now. 00:34:40.827 --> 00:34:48.512 I understand life's not always fair and we've been Christians long enough to understand that Jesus is way up front for us. 00:34:48.512 --> 00:34:51.634 In John he says I want you to know, in this world you're going to have trouble. 00:34:51.634 --> 00:34:56.809 I don't know why we're surprised that the world's evil, it's a broken world. 00:34:56.809 --> 00:34:58.893 I don't know why we as surprised that the world's evil, it's a broken world. 00:34:58.893 --> 00:35:01.385 I don't know why we, as Christians, got all upset about what happened at Paris at the opening ceremony. 00:35:01.385 --> 00:35:02.510 Why does it surprise you? 00:35:02.510 --> 00:35:04.690 That's the world we live in. 00:35:04.690 --> 00:35:09.371 It doesn't surprise us. 00:35:09.371 --> 00:35:13.061 We live in a broken world. 00:35:13.061 --> 00:35:14.550 It's full of trouble. 00:35:17.306 --> 00:35:17.847 First, peter. 00:35:17.847 --> 00:35:30.460 Peter tells us about the fiery darts that we have to deal with and you know Paul and Silas were able to worship at midnight because they had decided long before they got to Philippi. 00:35:30.460 --> 00:35:34.275 I'm committed as a disciple of Jesus, no matter what. 00:35:34.275 --> 00:35:36.112 I'm committed to King Jesus. 00:35:36.112 --> 00:35:38.331 Good times, I'm committed to the king. 00:35:38.331 --> 00:35:40.255 Bad times, I'm committed to the King. 00:35:40.255 --> 00:35:42.072 If I have to worship through it. 00:35:42.072 --> 00:35:47.554 I have to decide before I'm going through it that I am following Jesus, no matter what. 00:35:47.554 --> 00:35:49.510 I am a disciple of Jesus. 00:35:49.510 --> 00:36:04.157 Sometimes we play these games with Jesus where, well, yeah, yeah, jesus, I'm going to follow you, but if they don't sing the songs I like down at that church, I'll just do something else. 00:36:04.157 --> 00:36:12.858 Jesus, I'm going to follow you, but you know, the boys at work sometimes it gets a little hard to you know, sometimes I just have to fit in. 00:36:12.858 --> 00:36:14.528 Jesus, I'm going to follow you. 00:36:14.528 --> 00:36:18.117 But Paul and Silas was Jesus, I'm going to follow you. 00:36:18.117 --> 00:36:37.751 They had already made that commitment, and so if I'm going to be able to worship through the hard times that you are going to have, or maybe you have now to worship through it, I have to begin with saying right now God, I'm yours, no matter what I love what Daniel says. 00:36:37.751 --> 00:36:40.748 Or Shadrach, meshach and Abednego say Remember? 00:36:41.010 --> 00:36:48.434 They were the three Hebrew guys that were thrown into the fiery furnace because they refused to bow down and worship an idol. 00:36:48.434 --> 00:36:56.829 And when Nebuchadnezzar, the king, said you either bow down and worship to this idol or I'm going to throw you in the fiery furnace, here's what they said. 00:36:56.829 --> 00:37:01.135 We don't need to defend ourselves before you in this matter, king. 00:37:01.135 --> 00:37:07.112 If you throw us in the fiery furnace, the God we serve will deliver us and he'll deliver us from your hand. 00:37:07.112 --> 00:37:14.949 But even if he does not deliver us, we ain't bowing down to your stupid idol anyway. 00:37:14.949 --> 00:37:16.954 See, that's faith. 00:37:16.954 --> 00:37:18.436 That's faith. 00:37:18.436 --> 00:37:19.559 Faith is. 00:37:19.559 --> 00:37:20.059 You know what? 00:37:20.059 --> 00:37:22.092 I don't understand what's going on in this country. 00:37:22.092 --> 00:37:23.952 I don't understand what's going on in my life. 00:37:23.952 --> 00:37:26.353 I don't like what the doctor said to me. 00:37:26.353 --> 00:37:26.974 But you know what? 00:37:26.974 --> 00:37:33.074 I'm going to trust God because my God's going to be with me and I'm going to worship him because he'll take care of this. 00:37:33.074 --> 00:37:43.778 But even if he don't take care of it, I'm going to worship him anyway because he's God and I don't understand, but my God does. 00:37:43.778 --> 00:37:52.835 The beginning of worshiping through it begins with me setting him right here today and say God, I am with you, no matter what. 00:37:53.764 --> 00:37:58.195 This lady here, she's one of the stars of the recent Olympics. 00:37:58.195 --> 00:38:01.507 She's from Bhutan Is that a country, bhutan? 00:38:01.507 --> 00:38:06.639 But she's one of the stars there and I can't think of her name. 00:38:06.639 --> 00:38:18.740 Kenzing Lemuel, I think, is her name, but she ran in the marathon and she was the only athlete from that country. 00:38:18.740 --> 00:38:28.231 She finished dead last in the marathon, but she finished. 00:38:28.231 --> 00:38:42.853 There was 11 people that started the marathon and didn't finish at all, and so when she crossed the line over an hour later, after the first place person, they talked to her about it and asked her about it, and here's what she said. 00:38:42.853 --> 00:38:47.215 She said I knew I had to finish because I got the quote right here. 00:38:47.215 --> 00:38:48.036 I knew I had it somewhere. 00:38:48.036 --> 00:38:53.637 She said my country didn't send me 5,000 miles to start the race. 00:38:53.637 --> 00:38:57.835 They sent me 5,000 miles to start the race. 00:38:57.835 --> 00:39:00.824 They sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race. 00:39:01.567 --> 00:39:05.514 Jesus didn't come to die on the cross for you to start living a Christian life. 00:39:05.514 --> 00:39:08.373 He came and died on the cross so we could finish. 00:39:08.373 --> 00:39:13.731 Be committed to finishing. 00:39:13.731 --> 00:39:16.931 How do I sing through it? 00:39:16.931 --> 00:39:17.784 How do I sing through it? 00:39:17.784 --> 00:39:19.010 How do I worship through it? 00:39:19.010 --> 00:39:19.766 How do I sing? 00:39:19.766 --> 00:39:23.891 At the midnight times of my life, I begin right now saying God, I'm with you, no matter what. 00:39:23.891 --> 00:39:24.612 Does that make sense? 00:39:24.612 --> 00:39:26.577 No matter what? 00:39:26.577 --> 00:39:31.594 Then you keep your confidence in God, even when it looks like he's not near. 00:39:31.594 --> 00:39:40.036 Paul and Silas could sing through the difficult times because they had already committed their confidence to God. 00:39:41.666 --> 00:39:47.570 I heard this joke about a man and woman celebrating their 25th anniversary and the guy asked his husband. 00:39:47.570 --> 00:39:49.630 He said well, what did y'all do for your 25th anniversary? 00:39:49.630 --> 00:39:50.614 He said we went to Norway. 00:39:50.614 --> 00:39:51.226 He goes. 00:39:51.226 --> 00:39:52.331 I took my wife to Norway. 00:39:52.331 --> 00:39:55.164 He said, great, what are you going to do for your 50th? 00:39:55.164 --> 00:39:57.728 He said I'm going to come bring her back to Norway. 00:39:57.728 --> 00:40:01.922 He said, great, what are you going to do if you're 50? 00:40:01.922 --> 00:40:03.005 He said I'm going to come bring her back. 00:40:06.764 --> 00:40:07.847 Sometimes that's the way we sort of see. 00:40:07.847 --> 00:40:08.128 You know God. 00:40:08.128 --> 00:40:09.913 We think God just takes us somewhere and leaves us, and he doesn't. 00:40:09.913 --> 00:40:18.936 When God takes us somewhere, even if it's painful, there's a purpose for it, there's a reason for it, and so I need to understand that. 00:40:18.936 --> 00:40:33.737 And Paul and Silas were singing at midnight in that jail because they were confident that, even though they didn't like what was going on and they didn't understand what was going on, they were confident God was with them and God was going to do what was best for them. 00:40:33.737 --> 00:40:42.775 Paul in jail later writes this In Philippians 4, he's in jail and my God will meet all your needs according to his riches. 00:40:43.005 --> 00:40:43.266 He says. 00:40:43.266 --> 00:40:45.414 Listen, god's going to meet your needs. 00:40:45.414 --> 00:40:52.077 The problem is, what I need sometimes is not what I want. 00:40:52.077 --> 00:41:08.414 There are times I need to go to the dentist, which I do because I canceled my last one, bert, and I love him, but I never want to go see him in his dentist's office, especially on Disney Day when he's playing the Disney music. 00:41:08.414 --> 00:41:10.512 No, but I never want to, you know. 00:41:10.512 --> 00:41:11.967 But there's times you have to. 00:41:11.967 --> 00:41:14.615 You know I need to eat my vegetables. 00:41:14.615 --> 00:41:27.317 I never want to eat them and sometimes we have to understand that God says I'm going to give you what you need, not always what you want. 00:41:28.646 --> 00:41:35.193 Maybe Paul and Silas needed to learn to love like Jesus, so they were sent to take care of a Philippian jailer. 00:41:35.193 --> 00:41:42.039 Maybe they needed to learn to be put from a prison that God is with them, even in a jail cell. 00:41:42.039 --> 00:41:55.418 Maybe they needed to learn to have their faith strengthened when things happened they didn't understand, and so I can worship through it when I remember God's going to give me what I need, no matter what. 00:41:55.418 --> 00:42:05.324 But see, we forget that, partly because we're spoiled Americans, when things go bad or what we think is bad. 00:42:05.324 --> 00:42:08.074 Sometimes we think things are bad and God says no, they're really good. 00:42:08.074 --> 00:42:12.014 What you're going through is really good because you're learning to trust me now. 00:42:12.014 --> 00:42:14.208 You're never going to understand. 00:42:14.208 --> 00:42:18.097 God is faithful until you're put in a situation where you have nobody but God. 00:42:18.097 --> 00:42:21.635 You're never going to learn to love like Jesus until somebody betrays you. 00:42:21.635 --> 00:42:27.898 You're never going to experience God's sustaining grace until you go through a trial that you can't get through yourself. 00:42:27.898 --> 00:42:33.813 God's not really concerned about your comfort. 00:42:33.813 --> 00:42:48.034 He's concerned about your character, and he wants us to become more like Jesus every day, and so I need to understand that, and a lot of times we just jump to the wrong conclusions. 00:42:48.295 --> 00:42:58.554 We're like the old guy that went running into the drugstore and he went running back to the pharmacist and he started banging on the counter and he said hey, hey, hey, hey, do you have the cure for the hiccups? 00:42:58.554 --> 00:43:01.552 And the guy kept putting some pills. 00:43:01.552 --> 00:43:04.452 He said I'm talking to you, man, don't you have the cure for the hiccups? 00:43:04.452 --> 00:43:05.570 Do you have anything to cure hiccups? 00:43:05.570 --> 00:43:07.731 He said sorry. 00:43:07.731 --> 00:43:08.311 I'm talking to you. 00:43:08.331 --> 00:43:19.396 You got a cure for the hiccups and the pharmacist looked up at him and he smacked that guy. 00:43:19.396 --> 00:43:19.637 And I go ah. 00:43:19.637 --> 00:43:20.605 He said what did you hit me for? 00:43:20.605 --> 00:43:24.074 The pharmacist said you don't have the hiccups now anymore, do you? 00:43:24.074 --> 00:43:28.364 He said no, but my wife out in the car still does. 00:43:34.945 --> 00:43:38.478 Well, see, a lot of times we're like that too, in that we jump to conclusions and think you know God. 00:43:38.478 --> 00:43:39.905 And God says listen, stop jumping to conclusions. 00:43:39.905 --> 00:43:44.804 What you think is bad is good. 00:43:44.804 --> 00:43:47.373 A loved one dying may be bad, but it could be good if they're a Christian, because now they're in heaven. 00:43:47.373 --> 00:43:52.914 And yes, I understand you grieve, but you know what it's good. 00:43:52.914 --> 00:43:56.387 And so we lose our. 00:43:56.487 --> 00:44:05.041 If I don't trust God in bad times, that he's going to give me what I need, even in bad times, then what's going to happen? 00:44:05.041 --> 00:44:05.844 Here's the problem. 00:44:05.844 --> 00:44:11.818 The problem is I want a resurrection, but I don't want to have to die on the cross. 00:44:11.818 --> 00:44:16.735 The problem is I want healing, but I don't want to feel any pain. 00:44:16.735 --> 00:44:19.981 The problem is I want healing, but I don't want to feel any pain. 00:44:19.981 --> 00:44:23.047 The problem is I want to experience sunshine, but I don't want to have to go through any rain. 00:44:23.047 --> 00:44:25.978 The problem is I want to wear a crown, but I don't want to have to carry my cross. 00:44:25.978 --> 00:44:29.456 I want to experience victory, but I don't want to have to fight any battles. 00:44:29.456 --> 00:44:40.286 And when God gives me what I need, which may be something that's tough, instead of what I think we need, I get mad at God and say God, why'd you do this, Paul and Silas? 00:44:40.286 --> 00:44:41.952 God, why'd you put us in this prison? 00:44:41.952 --> 00:44:45.369 If you'd have just let us go to Bithynia, this wouldn't have happened to us. 00:44:45.369 --> 00:44:51.112 How dare we get mad at the God who sent Jesus down to die on the cross for our sins? 00:44:51.112 --> 00:44:59.853 How dare we get mad at the God who gives us the air to breathe and who sent his son and sent him to save us from a devil's hell? 00:44:59.853 --> 00:45:02.608 And we play this little game with God. 00:45:02.608 --> 00:45:05.990 Right, we play this game. 00:45:05.990 --> 00:45:07.630 We've talked about this before. 00:45:08.286 --> 00:45:12.697 When things go good, god's on his throne. 00:45:12.697 --> 00:45:19.713 When things go bad, where's God? 00:45:19.713 --> 00:45:28.492 Hey, I got a good job, new job God's on his throne. 00:45:28.492 --> 00:45:33.153 But it only pays minimum wage God's off his throne. 00:45:33.153 --> 00:45:36.878 But I'm able to buy a car God's on his throne. 00:45:36.878 --> 00:45:38.005 But gas is almost to buy a car God's office throne. 00:45:38.005 --> 00:45:40.612 But gas is almost four bucks a gallon. 00:45:40.612 --> 00:45:41.414 God's office throne. 00:45:41.414 --> 00:45:46.396 But my car gets 30 miles to a gallon God's office throne. 00:45:46.396 --> 00:45:49.306 But I got a payment every month. 00:45:49.306 --> 00:45:50.168 God's office throne. 00:45:50.168 --> 00:46:01.681 Things are going good God's on his throne. 00:46:01.681 --> 00:46:05.916 Things are going bad God's off his throne. 00:46:05.916 --> 00:46:10.224 My mother-in-law's coming to see me God's off his throne. 00:46:10.224 --> 00:46:13.621 But she's only staying three days. 00:46:13.621 --> 00:46:17.409 God's on his throne, but this is the first day. 00:46:17.409 --> 00:46:18.271 God's off his throne. 00:46:22.938 --> 00:46:28.494 Listen, god is on his throne. 00:46:28.494 --> 00:46:33.193 If Kamala Harris wins, god's on his throne. 00:46:33.193 --> 00:46:35.972 If Donald Trump wins, god's on his throne. 00:46:35.972 --> 00:46:37.922 If inflation goes up, god's on his throne. 00:46:37.922 --> 00:46:38.565