WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:00.640 Good morning. 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:03.600 Yeah, let's give your hand up for the Lord. 00:00:04.160 --> 00:00:06.080 You guys can have a seat for a second. 00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:09.519 My name is Russ, and I want to say welcome to Church at the Grove. 00:00:09.599 --> 00:00:17.359 And you get extra brownie points for being here at the early service on January 2nd. 00:00:17.519 --> 00:00:19.120 You get extra brownie points. 00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:25.280 And your potential for perfect attendance remains intact. 00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:29.280 So we'll see how long you can maintain that, right? 00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:31.440 And so it's great to see y'all this morning. 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:33.679 Excited about the new year. 00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:42.159 And if maybe this is your first time, maybe not, but if you haven't connected with us, we'd love to have your name, your information. 00:00:42.240 --> 00:00:43.920 You can stop by the connection desk. 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:47.359 You can fill out the connection card online if you would like to. 00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:51.280 We want to help you take your next steps in your spiritual journey. 00:00:51.359 --> 00:00:56.640 And that's one of the things you can do to kind of uh join and partner with us to take those next steps. 00:00:56.880 --> 00:00:58.320 I love the new year. 00:00:58.399 --> 00:00:59.759 I love a fresh start. 00:00:59.920 --> 00:01:05.519 I love uh being able to uh to kind of have a reset button for us. 00:01:05.680 --> 00:01:12.480 I'm not big, I'm not a big resolution person, but I do love kind of the feeling of having that fresh start. 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:24.640 Um, and that's how we're looking at this year as we want to begin it focusing on the Lord, who he is, and how we can respond uh to how he leads us. 00:01:24.799 --> 00:01:29.680 And so uh this year we're beginning with an emphasis on prayer. 00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:35.200 Um, we're gonna enter into a 28-day uh period of prayer and fasting. 00:01:35.359 --> 00:01:37.519 Um, and so that begins tomorrow. 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:51.280 We want to encourage you to uh to check out the Church of the Grove app or our website to join in with some daily devotion time, and you decide what you want to fast, how you want to do that over the next month. 00:01:51.439 --> 00:01:54.239 Um and and it's it's an awesome time. 00:01:54.319 --> 00:01:58.159 We're we're kind of initiating a new season for Church at the Grove. 00:01:58.239 --> 00:02:05.599 And here's the secret, I'll tell you, is we're we're we're entering into a preparation time for uh a new building program. 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:16.560 And I know people would gasp and think, oh my, you know, if you've ever been uh with a church through that, it's uh it's always kind of a man, that's a big deal. 00:02:16.639 --> 00:02:20.560 Uh sometimes people are excited, sometimes it's like, oh me. 00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:23.280 Um but but it's an exciting time. 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:31.840 We we've seen God do some amazing things this past year in spite of some of the challenges that we've all had to face and endure. 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:34.719 And so we're believing that God is gonna continue that. 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:37.520 We've had a tremendous space issue. 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:40.400 Now you look around the room, you say, I don't see a space problem. 00:02:40.639 --> 00:02:45.599 Well, it is January 2nd, and um it's the it's the end of the holiday season. 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:54.159 But if you were here any in the fall and you were here at this campus, you know that we had some space issues, uh, especially in our kids' area. 00:02:54.319 --> 00:02:57.360 And so we're trying to remedy that in the short term. 00:02:57.520 --> 00:03:01.280 Um, hopefully, we're gonna bring in uh another modular. 00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:09.520 We're hoping the city will prove that, and uh and and we can do that that will give us some extra space for our kids and children's areas. 00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:20.960 Um but we want to really want to focus less on the building part and more on what God is gonna do and how he will pour out his spirit. 00:03:21.199 --> 00:03:30.240 And so, along with prayer and fasting next Sunday night, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday evenings, we're gonna have three nights of prayer. 00:03:30.479 --> 00:03:34.400 And it uh how many of you ever went to a revival meeting growing up? 00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:38.479 And so it's it'll be, you know, that's kind of you know, that's kind of my reference point. 00:03:38.560 --> 00:03:40.159 You know, we don't call it revival anymore. 00:03:40.240 --> 00:03:54.800 That's not trendy or cool, but we're just gonna call it nights of prayer, and we're gonna worship together, we're gonna pray together, we're gonna ask and believe for big things through the work of the Holy Spirit, what God wants to do. 00:03:55.039 --> 00:04:04.639 And so, as a backdrop for this initiative and this focus on prayer, I want to read a passage out of 1 Chronicles 29. 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:23.040 And so, when King David had a vision for building the temple, um, and of course he had been told by God that you will not be the one who will build it because of your life and being a man of war and shedding blood and how he had to uh fight. 00:04:23.519 --> 00:04:29.519 Um, and and God said, You're not gonna be allowed to build the temple. 00:04:29.680 --> 00:04:40.959 But David, rather than getting discouraged and pulling back, he said, Well, listen, I can prepare, I can set up my son well for him to be the one who will build the temple. 00:04:41.040 --> 00:04:54.879 And so David said, I'm gonna raise, I'm gonna begin to raise the funds necessary for my son to build the temple and provide a place where the presence of God can be experienced in a tangible way. 00:04:55.199 --> 00:05:01.120 And so, um, and when I say we're going to a building program, I'm kind of saying that tongue in cheek. 00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:08.240 We need to go into a building program, but here's what we're gonna do we're gonna build first into God's people. 00:05:08.720 --> 00:05:11.360 We want to build the people of God. 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:14.560 We want to emphasize discipleship. 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:18.240 We want to emphasize raising up new leaders. 00:05:18.399 --> 00:05:26.240 And so we're believing that, knowing that God's gonna lead us at some point to prepare for what God has in store. 00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:39.199 Next Sunday, I'll tell you a couple of things that are happening in our community, in our county, um, in the surrounding areas that are going to impact our walnut grove and social circle communities. 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:43.279 But here's what King David says in 1 Chronicles 29, 10. 00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:47.199 He says, Then David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly. 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:53.920 O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever. 00:05:55.040 --> 00:06:00.959 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, and the victory and the majesty. 00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:06.079 Everything in the heavens and earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:09.040 We adore you as the one who is over all things. 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:13.600 Wealth and honor come from you and you alone, for you rule over everything. 00:06:13.759 --> 00:06:20.959 Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion, people are made great and given strength. 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:26.079 Oh God, we thank you and praise your glorious name. 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:27.199 But who am I? 00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:29.920 Who are my people that we would give anything to you? 00:06:30.160 --> 00:06:35.920 Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us. 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:42.160 We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:48.480 Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone soon without a trace. 00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:54.319 Oh Lord of God, even this material we have gathered to build a temple to honor your holy name comes from you. 00:06:54.480 --> 00:06:56.720 It all belongs to you. 00:06:57.519 --> 00:07:02.879 I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and you rejoice when you find integrity there. 00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:12.000 You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously. 00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:19.519 O Lord, the God of our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make your people always want to obey you. 00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:22.399 See to it that their love for you never changes. 00:07:22.560 --> 00:07:34.959 Give my son Solomon the wholehearted desire to obey all your commands, laws, and decrees, and to do everything necessary to build this temple for which I have made for these preparations. 00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:43.120 That's David's opening prayer as he is going into this building campaign. 00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:49.279 And so I want us to enter into this year with a spirit of prayer. 00:07:49.839 --> 00:07:56.639 Almost like David coming before God, acknowledging him for who he is and what he's done. 00:07:57.920 --> 00:08:00.480 And then surrendering our hearts to him. 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:12.399 And so, really, I want to focus over these next few moments just really on the character of God, who he is, what he's like. 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:33.200 And so these next two songs are specifically focused on acknowledging who God is, singing back to him regarding his character, regarding his attributes, regarding his ways, his heart. 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:43.440 And so we're going to spend a few moments in worship, beginning this year, focusing on God. 00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:46.480 I believe worship, a lot of people try to define it. 00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:53.279 It's very hard to define worship, but I heard somebody say that worship is our heart's affection on the Lord. 00:08:53.919 --> 00:08:56.320 Our heart's affection on the Lord. 00:08:56.799 --> 00:09:04.399 Man, it's my heart beats because I know him, and he is good, and he is great. 00:09:05.759 --> 00:09:22.720 It's our mind's attention on him, thanking him for who he is and what he has done, and anticipating him pouring out his goodness for the days to come. 00:09:23.600 --> 00:09:24.240 Amen. 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:26.639 And so focus on that. 00:09:27.440 --> 00:09:37.600 Try to tune out any distractions, and let's just start with worship to him, singing back to him who he is. 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:43.360 Hopefully, our affections will follow as we focus our attention on him. 00:09:44.639 --> 00:09:45.519 So let's pray. 00:09:45.759 --> 00:09:48.320 Father, we come. 00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:54.799 Often we come to you with divided, divided affection. 00:09:56.000 --> 00:10:16.720 Being pulled in directions away from you by the things of this world, by by all the different things that can maneuver and change our hearts and pull us away from you. 00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:19.279 But God, we come to sing to you. 00:10:19.600 --> 00:10:21.039 We come to sing about you. 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:23.360 We come to sing back to you. 00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:28.639 Just simply your character, your attributes. 00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:33.840 And Father, we believe that you're going to show up. 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:37.440 We believe and anticipate that you're going to pour out your spirit. 00:10:38.159 --> 00:10:40.320 God, may we be able to sense it. 00:10:42.879 --> 00:10:44.080 Father, you were good. 00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:45.360 You were holy. 00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:54.720 And we come to offer you back to you, your majesty and your glory. 00:10:57.519 --> 00:11:10.240 We expect great things because we believe in who you are, what you've done, and we anticipate that you will continue to work as we move into two thousand and twenty-two. 00:11:10.960 --> 00:11:12.960 It's in Jesus' name we pray. 00:11:13.279 --> 00:11:13.919 Amen. 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:26.399 You can have a seat. 00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:38.320 Isaiah six. 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:46.960 It says, In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up. 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:50.399 And the train of his robe filled the temple. 00:11:50.639 --> 00:11:52.799 Above him stood the seraphim. 00:11:53.440 --> 00:11:59.519 Each had six wings, with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:07.679 And one called to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. 00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:10.639 The whole earth is full of his glory. 00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:17.600 And the foundation of the threshold shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 00:12:17.679 --> 00:12:25.600 And I said, Woe is me, for I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:30.320 For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. 00:12:30.960 --> 00:12:40.080 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar, and he touched my mouth and said, Behold, this has touched your lips. 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:44.080 Your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for. 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:48.960 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send? 00:12:49.120 --> 00:12:50.559 Who will go for us? 00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:54.159 Then I said, Here am I, send me. 00:12:54.639 --> 00:12:57.519 And he said, Go and say to his people. 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:07.120 So Isaiah has an experience where God comes to him and touches him. 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:21.200 And as it is for those of us that have genuinely had an encounter with the Lord, we become keenly aware of how we fall short of his glory. 00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:24.080 We know God for who he is. 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:30.879 We understand his attributes and how unworthy we are to be in his presence. 00:13:33.440 --> 00:13:50.080 But Isaiah doesn't stop there because out of the kindness and the grace and the steadfast love of the Lord, he takes it upon himself to remedy Isaiah's uncleanness. 00:13:53.120 --> 00:13:58.480 And he takes the coal and he touches him and he makes him clean. 00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:01.200 He makes him worthy to stand in his presence. 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:04.399 Isaiah has been cleansed. 00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:05.759 He is forgiven. 00:14:05.840 --> 00:14:07.279 He's atoned for. 00:14:08.240 --> 00:14:23.360 And Isaiah has this realization that the God of the universe, out of his kindness, out of his gracious heart, has made me acceptable in his presence. 00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:26.960 What is my response? 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:35.759 And as it should be for all of us who have had a genuine encounter with Jesus, our response should be, here am I. 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:37.360 Send me. 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:45.360 Whatever it is you want from me, of me, for me, God, I am available. 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:46.480 Use me. 00:14:49.600 --> 00:15:03.440 And so we we we talked about the affections that are that should be just an obvious response to the presence of God. 00:15:03.919 --> 00:15:24.159 But another part of that is our abilities, our giftedness, our skill, our personality, our passions, all that we have, God wants to use when he says, Here am I, send me. 00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:28.960 We like Isaiah, bring what we have to the Lord. 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:38.879 The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12, a spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:43.039 To one person, the spirit gives the ability to give wise advice. 00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:46.480 To another, the same spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:53.440 The same spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else, the one spirit gives the gift of healing. 00:15:53.759 --> 00:16:00.639 If you read through that chapter, it's all about us bringing our abilities, our gifts. 00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:11.600 Whatever the Lord has for us that is unique to us, we bring it to make ourselves available for what he wants for us. 00:16:11.679 --> 00:16:15.679 And our response should say, should be, hear my, send me. 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:21.360 So we can partner with the Lord in what he's called us to do. 00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:29.200 The other thing that we bring to the Lord is our assets, our our our resources. 00:16:30.799 --> 00:16:38.960 For some, it might be money, it might be how we've learned to make a living. 00:16:39.519 --> 00:16:46.240 Whatever way that we provide for our family, we also bring to the Lord. 00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:50.240 Ephesians 5, the apostle Paul says, so be careful how you live. 00:16:50.399 --> 00:16:57.360 Don't live like fools, but those who are wise, and here's what he says, make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 00:16:57.679 --> 00:17:02.000 And one of the gifts or one of the assets we bring is our time. 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:23.359 Now I think we we live in a culture where it has become easier to give money and say we've given back to the Lord when sometimes the Lord wants us to give our time, and time has become even a more precious commodity at times than money. 00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:32.480 But God says it's not either or, it's both and it's all that you have, all that you are, all that you have to offer. 00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:36.960 And here's where we land. 00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:45.039 God is calling us to build a people that carry his presence and partner in his mission. 00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:52.720 He's called us to build a people that carry his presence and partner in his mission. 00:17:53.039 --> 00:18:05.039 And so I want to give you a chance to prayerfully consider how you would bring everything that God has given you to the Lord. 00:18:05.279 --> 00:18:13.920 It may be your resources, it might be money, it might be just who you are, but it's also your time. 00:18:14.480 --> 00:18:23.440 It's your giftedness, it's your personality, it's your passions, all that to the Lord, and you say, I surrender all. 00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:29.920 And along with Isaiah, we can say, Here am I, send me. 00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:48.079 And whatever this year has for me, and whatever year, whatever this year has for my family, whatever this year has for us as a church, we start by saying, I surrender all to you, Lord. 00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:49.359 So let's pray. 00:18:49.519 --> 00:18:50.880 Let's pray together. 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:58.640 Father, as we come, we consider all that you have provided us with. 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:08.079 Every bit of our ability and our assets, all that we have and our possessions, but also our time. 00:19:09.440 --> 00:19:12.640 We come to say, it's yours, O Lord. 00:19:13.599 --> 00:19:15.680 Here am I, send me. 00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:20.240 We want to be a people that you can build, Lord. 00:19:20.799 --> 00:19:25.519 We want to partner with you in your mission. 00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:34.880 And so, Father, we pray, offering you everything we have, surrendering everything to you this morning. 00:19:35.039 --> 00:19:49.839 I just want you to imagine yourself coming to God's altar, coming before the cross, coming in the presence of God, and literally laying down everything you have. 00:19:50.880 --> 00:19:59.920 And hopefully with Isaiah, you can say in 2022, yes, Lord, here am I. 00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:18.799 Send me, use me, use all I have, use everything you've given me to partner in your mission, God, to see more people come to Jesus to see the church fulfill its mission to be about your work this morning. 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:26.880 Just imagine yourself coming and laying all that you are, all that you have before the Lord, surrendering all to him. 00:20:27.200 --> 00:20:29.359 So in Jesus' name, we pray.