Friends - August 20, 2023: full transcript and answers

▶ 0:00 Those online want to thank you for joining us it’s good to be in God’s house this morning uh I wanted to uh invite all the visitors and those online uh to worship God this morning with us we’re going to start with worship and uh up here we have some ways that we exercise worship we stand in the house of the Lord and all these have a scripture title there’s more scriptures than uh to confirm all these things but you’ll read in Psalms Psalm says many times times over 100 times to praise the Lord so that’s one of the key things as a Christian when you praise God uh who who can remember over here one of you guys writer what happens when you praise God tell. Me have happy life what’s the scripture junior do you remember no okay and we praise God out of the mouth of babes and sucklings I have ordained praise to what freeze stop destroy destroy beat back the enemy in your life so I encourage you this morning let’s stand together let’s praise God together wel I welcome us and I’m sorry join us in praise to God this.

▶ 1:15 Morning are you ready to praise the Lord this morning are you ready to get free how do we get free praising the Lord amen amen where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. Liberty liy to break the chains and heal the pains and all might be free to worship thee oh where the spirit of the Lord is there is. Liberty. Liberty liberty to break the chains and heal the pains at all might be free to worship the oh I am free to worship thee I am free to worship thee. Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty li to.

▶ 2:07 Worship where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. Liberty liberty to break the chains and heal the pains that all might be free to worship me oh I am free to worship thee I am free to worship thee where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty liberty to worship me where the spirit of the Lord is there is. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty to break the chains and heal the pain that all might be free to worship. The yes Lord thank we praise you today come.

▶ 3:11 L. Praise. Pr. Hallelujah this song in my heart the song in my soul the song I was born to sing is your a s of freom now I’m free to dance again. Hallelujah I’ll in the darkness I’ll in the rain rej in your love again your of now I dance again let’s sing that again this song in my heart song in my heart the song in my soul the song I was bor to sing song of freedom now I’m free to dance.

▶ 4:06 Again I’ll sing in the darkness I laugh in the rain rejoice in your love again it’s your song of fre now I it dance. Again your spirit brings me liberty your breath of life set me free Jesus your love and lift me high me reason to run this gra with joy this song within me Lord we bless your holy. Name Jesus all dance before your throne bring this heavenly sound to you alone this song within me Lord we bless your holy. Name s the song in my heart the song in my soul the song I was born to sing it’s your song of freedom now I’m free to dance.

▶ 5:14 Again I’ll sing in the darkness I laugh in the ring rejoice in your love again it’s your song of freedom now I’m free to dance. Again. Your spirit brings me liy your breath of life set me free Jesus your love and lifts me high me reason to r this ra with joy this song within me Lord we bless your holy. Name Jesus all dance before your throne bring this heavenly sound to you alone this song within me Lord we bless your holy. Name Jesus your love and lif me high me reason to run this with joy this song within me Lord will bless your holy.

▶ 6:20 Name will bless your holy. Name we’ll bless your holy name. We bless you lordess. Bless we ex. We we worship great is the king of kings and the Lord than we hon you gl we worship you j we thank. You worthy is our king. I will sing to the Lord and I will lift my voice for you have heard my cry.

▶ 7:15 I will sing to the Lord I will lift my hands for you have brought me out of the oh you have brought me out of the and I’ll sing glory. Hallelujah I lift your name on high I singly cuz you’re worthy I praise you in the I will pr to the Lord and I will lift my voice for you have heard my cry I will sing to the Lord and I will lif my hands for you have brought me out of the pit oh you have brought me out of the pit I’ll sing glory.

▶ 8:28 Hallelujah I lift your name on high I’ll sing holy cuz you’re worthy I’ll praise you in the I sing glory. Hallelujah I lift your name on high I’ll sing holy cuz you’re worthy I’ll praise you in. The I will sing to the Lord. And I will lift my voice for you have heard my cry I will sing to the Lord and I will lift my hands.

▶ 9:23 For you have brought me out of the pit oh you have brought. Me out of the p yes Lord you’ve heard our cry Lord you’ve heard our voice we. Pra. Hallelujah we praise you thank you Jesus thank you. Lord. Thank when we cry out to the Lord he does hear our cry.

▶ 10:30 Amen he will hear us we just have to wait on him that’s what we want to do today we want to wait on the Lord each one of us needs his touch amen each one of us needs the evidence and the proof by his Holy Spirit being in this place to touch your heart today if you’ll just render it unto God amen. Amen I. Waited for the Lord on. High I. Waited and he heard my cry I. Waited for the Lord on.

▶ 11:25 High I waited. And he heard my cry let’s sing that again oh I. Waited yes I waited for the Lord on high Lord on high I. Waited and he heard my cry. He pulled me out of my desair and he showed me where to. Walk from quick sand to. Security from the to a rock.

▶ 12:19 I. Waai for the Lord on high. I. Waited and he heard my cry. I for the Lord on. High I. Wait and he heard my cry he pulled me. Out me out of my despair and he showed me where to.

▶ 13:11 Walk from fear into security from the quick to the rock I. Waited for the Lord of on. High I. Waited and he heard my cry I’ll sing to let the people know that I have been. Restored and they will kneel. And understand to return and trust in the Lord oh I.

▶ 14:08 Wait for the Lord on. High I. Waited and he heard my cry I. Waited yes I waited waited for the Lord. On I. Waited and he heard my cry there’s a new song there’s a new. Song in my heart to. Sing there the new. Song praises to my k.

▶ 15:02 There’s a new. Song in my heart to. S a new. Song praises to my king. We wor. Hallu Lord Jesus we thank you this morning God Lord we ask that you come with your word and reveal it unto us Jesus we pray that you come to our hearts to our spirit this morning Jesus we need need you God yes Lord we need you above all the solutions that man has today in our world God one day we’re going to stand before you one day we’re going to.

▶ 16:12 Be in. Eternity God Lord we want to know you now God you let us you give us the option of knowing you now Jesus and God we want to be close to you now. We thank you Lord. Jesus I always felt it helpful in in church to take. Notes. Um keeps you awake gives you something to do it helps when you write the words down if you want to remember something you write it down you you you know you read it you you read it in your mind you read it out loud you write it down those are all ways to remember something so I just encourage you I got some pr pre-filled sheets you can just fill out you can take it home and pray it’s all scripture um this is not me just giving you.

▶ 17:09 Words uh but it’s very important that you know who’s talking in this story about Job because sometimes who talking really. Matters we’re going to talk about friends this morning and we’re looking at the story of Job we went talking about Job last week and we’re going to review that in just a moment and we’re going to just review what happened to Job uh we’re going to look at his friend’s advice that came and also ask the question who is our friend who is your friend this. Morning in Job chapter 1 verse one. It says that Job was blameless and upright one who feared God and shunned.

▶ 18:07 Evil verses later it says that he lost all of his employees he lost his wealth he lost his source of wealth he uh he had a lot of things and his employees were all killed and he lost all of his sheep and camels and uh cattle. And one day while his kids were in a house the wall came and killed all of his children and I haven’t lost a child yet don’t want to lose a child uh and I I don’t think anybody would want this to happen to them losing their children losing all their source of wealth it’s it’s got to be a very difficult thing but he stopped and his famous statement was the Lord gives and the Lord takes away and he worshiped God now what you have to also remember is that God and Satan are having this conversation God says to Satan have you considered my servant Job you know God is very proud of Job God’s very proud that Job is responding to grow and mature become somebody who is blameless and upright you know he is happy when we do these things.

▶ 19:29 He wants to brag and so Satan responds I mean I I don’t know if I’d want to be in that conversation would you guys want to be in that conversation between God and Satan God bringing you up and being like hey you want to test out my servant cuz that’s what’s happening here and uh Satan’s reply was well you got ahead you’re protecting this guy of course he’s going to say good things about you and said God said okay I’m going I’ll remove the protection’. And so all these things happened to him and he said but don’t touch his body that’s the first thing he said so all the stuff around him uh you know he lost all of his possessions he lost his children. Horrible and then God comes to Satan again he say hey he didn’t curse me to my face and uh Satan replies and says if you let me touch his body then he’ll curse you so that’s what you see here Job has got boils all over his skin um he boils hurt uh a lot I’ve never had a boil but you can only imagine the pain he was in um so thees Satan brought afflictions on his body.

▶ 20:48 At the beginning Job thought it was God that he was doing this to him but it was Satan’s hand that’s we what we learned last week. And uh you know a lot of people would ask the question well you know God’s allowing it so it’s really God doing it no it’s Satan doing it and uh he’s proving somebody he’s testing somebody he’s not Satan’s doing the the bad thing right and he wants to see if if if Job uh if what he has done in Job the growth and the uh power that he’s given to Job where where he’s at blameless and upright uh how is he going to hold up he he God is trusting that Job is going to respond right and he. Did and so we see here an example of someone who handled tragedy very well.

▶ 21:43 Um it says in the scriptures that he did not sin against God and we learned last week what Job’s fear was his fear was that he wouldn’t be able to find God that God would would no longer he would would no longer have a relationship with God he was in great fear he wasn’t afraid of his wife you know who told him to die curse God and dies what she told him to do he wasn’t afraid of losing all his possessions he want he was afraid of losing his relationship with Jesus Christ and that was the question we asked last week do you even. Care that you are distant from. God for some of us God God is. Separated really. Far and God is asking us do we care that we have a relationship or do not have a relationship with.

▶ 22:45 Christ and this morning we’re going to look at the friends lies and who is our friend Job 4:7 his friends come and they start to comfort him and uh they bring up they say a lot of things now Job is like 30 plus chapters okay it’s a big book so I’m just going to pull out some things here and there one of the things that the friends say is uh who ever perished being innocent where were the upright ever cut off and so what they’re saying with this statement is you know uh we know Job that you look good on the outside but really you’re doing something we don’t know what you’re doing but you’re you’re being a bad guy you know cuz God doesn’t do this to innocent people and that’s what uh a belief is out there that bad things don’t happen to God’s people and that’s not.

▶ 23:41 True the rain falls in the just and the unjust if you go through your life thinking that bad problems aren’t going to come you’re going to be in for an awakening problems are going to. Come okay now to answer this question. Jesus was he innocent. Yes Acts 8:32 he was led as a sheep to the slaughter as a lamb before his shear is silent he opened not his mouth Christ when he was crucified he went before them and he didn’t make big arguments even though he is the best lawyer in the whole. World he is the best judge in the whole. World he could have shut them up. He was. Silent now he had a goal right he knew he want he he he his purpose was to be crucified for the sin of the world Pilate said about Jesus and he said this to everyone I find no fault with this man.

▶ 24:53 Christ and so we see here very quickly that Christ was innoc inocent and he was crucified do bad things happen to good people yes did bad things happen to innocent. Yes Abel was killed by his brother why was he killed by his brother did Abel do something wrong. No now that’s not to say that there’s things in this world and your life that you bring consequences on there’s a lot of things that you can do Bible says that your sin will correct you when you go and you do things that bring consequences in your life I’m talking about sexual immorality having sex with the same sex sex with uh you know beastiality molestation all this stuff has a big consequence it’s sin and it will correct you there’s things that will correct you you can get diseases from all those behaviors you can get hurt by doing drugs and all the alcohol all that stuff it will hurt your body and affect your life.

▶ 26:02 Amen that’s not what I’m talking about you know let’s say an accident happens and oh why did it happen oh because he has been bad or uh you know yes because he’s done something bad uh the blessing gospel we we read these scriptures about blessing and yes God wants to bless us amen does God want to bless us yes is God blessing Job. Here he’s going to bless Job and Job is mature enough to handle this in a way that a lot of us could not. Handle and that growth and that maturity is a blessing when you can go through life and handle problems handle conflict.

▶ 26:54 Situations that is a good thing. And we want to let God bring us to that place John 16:33 Jesus Christ these are I know it’s not read but it his his words in the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world some of us have are thinking about becoming Christians are becoming Christians new some of us have been Christians a long time wherever you are at you’re going to have problems in your life but be of good cheer Christ Jesus has overcome the world and just like Job here he can bring you through the problems. Amen that’s the point and that’s the goal here Romans 5:3 we also glory in tribulations knowing that tribulation produces perseverance now all of us are like I problems do I want problems do I want any more.

▶ 27:54 Problems what is this going to do it’s going to produce perseverance is there another way that I can get this perseverance thing without having to have all this is all the issues is there another way you can do that God where I don’t have to go through problems. Uh but it’s a reminder here that tribulation is. Not it seems like it’s impossible it seems like it’s so hard and frustrating but God God is going to use it to produce something in your life. Perseverance character and hope Romans 8:35 we also want to remember who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall. Tribulation problems.

▶ 28:48 No. Distress. Persecution famine nakedness peril. Sword. Neither height nor depth nor any created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord God says he’ll never leave us nor forsake us now in this case you may think that God has left Job he hasn’t left Job he’s just backed off a little bit and in your life as a Christian you may go through times where it’s like God where are you he’s backed off a little bit and what do you do in that case you can either give up and start turning and go toward the world or you can start seeking God more than you have God where are you God I need you humbling yourself it takes some humbling it takes some time you got to take time out of your day out of your schedule we all get busy life comes and life is busy you’ve got to include God in your life.

▶ 30:04 Job 5:2 wrath kills a foolish man his children are not safe they’re oppressed and robbers take his harvest there’s a lot of foolish people in America there’s a lot of foolish wealthy people in America and I’ll tell you what a fool is here in the next slide but uh there’s people that are not following God they’re living life how they see it living uh what’s wise in their own eyes they’re not serving God not listening to God uh but their children are. Fine uh they’re not oppressed and if a robber takes their stuff they got billions of dollars to pay for the insurance or somebody you know they’re got they got no problem right so what the friends are saying here is not exactly.

▶ 30:59 True and they go on to say 8 verse 4 if your sons have sinned against him he has cast them away for their transgression and then he says here and he’s they’re accusing Job’s family his children because they sinned they were. Killed and uh can you imagine being a young person can you imagine when you were young and you sinned and you got killed for it I mean none of us would be able to be. Adults right it’s not it’s not. True God’s not going to throw you out because you sin he’s going to give you every opportunity till the day you die to humble yourself to turn to what is right.

▶ 31:52 Repent and follow. Him the problem is a lot of of us reject. That as I said earlier. God sends the rain on the just and the unjust you know bad things happen to good people and they happen to bad people there is no. Uh there’s no special. Treatment. Amen a fool in Psalms 53:1 they say there is no God a fool spreads slander they’ll talk bad about people and that and it what they’re saying is not true or it’s a hal truth or partly true and it’s not really true fools do evil for sport they do evil for fun it says in the scriptures that they uh there’s these guys that they can’t go to sleep until they’ve hurt somebody or done some stupid thing fools rage and self-confident they have a temper they’re angry they’re self-confident they’re arrogant uh they despise father’s instruction you us young people out there you know we have a problem when we get instruction.

▶ 33:16 From uh our father could be if you got a good father or from father God amen father God’s got a lot of instruction and when we read that or we hear somebody quoting it you know we we cringe and we. Say stop telling me what to. Do that’s how fools. Behave excellent speech is not becoming to a fool you hear excellent speech come out of a fool and you’re like that doesn’t fit that guy I know that guy he’s an idiot and he’s talking like you know. Wow. Uh perversity is on their lips fools repeat their bad behavior that says the scriptures that like a dog returns to their vomit they repeat the bad behavior they vent all their feelings so these are the things that a fool does and you can find this in Proverbs uh if you read Proverbs you’ll find it if you read the Bible you can learn all of this stuff.

▶ 34:28 Then in Job chapter 25 these friends say that man cannot be righteous and pure and that’s a good question can we be righteous and pure well the person we’re talking about who is who we’re talking about Job right and God in talking to Satan at the beginning he says to Satan Job is is upright and he is. Blameless so can it can we achieve that yeah we. Can Jesus says in Matthew 5:48 therefore you shall be perfect just as your father in heaven is perfect and we always say nobody’s perfect are we perfect no nobody’s perfect right and the word there is not perfect or without flaw if we look around how many we all have flaws right the word is.

▶ 35:33 Complete. Mature I was with my children and we went to uh on vacation to Sequoia and you go out there and these trees are as big as this house no not as round as this house maybe from here out to where Ryan is there’s a trunk that big that large and that tree has come to what maturity it’s strong it’s it’s got a lot of wood the storms come and a lot of these trees have been burned by fires and they’re still. Standing the wind comes they’re still. Standing they’re mature amen and that’s what God is talking about he wants to bring us from Ground Zero to the full built out.

▶ 36:33 Tower amen strong I also went to uh New York I remember years ago went to New York saw Ground Zero and they have a memorial for the the twin towers and uh Ground Zero it’s just like you know it’s flat and it it’s a very nice uh memorial but that’s also very close by as where they built the new Freedom Tower if you guys remember and Christ wants to bring us no matter where we are maybe we’re below the earth plants they all start below the earth right you have to grow you have to germinate you got to come break through the ground and then you got to start growing it’s a process it takes time but Christ wants to bring us there and the scriptures back it up James chapter 1:4 let patience have its perfect work that you may be what perfect and complete lacking what.

▶ 37:39 Nothing. Amen if you know if you remember the fruits of the spirit if you remember what Peter said add to your faith add to your faith we we want to grow the fruits of the spirit I I I love that song because I can remember all the fruits of the spirit love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness to woohoo gentleness and self-control all the fruits of the spirit we can have and grow into those things God wants to bring you to a place where you have. Love. Joy. Peace. Longsuffering or patience. Amen. We are definitely we definitely need to increase our patience with God in America we we have a tendency to not be very I’m not very patient tell you right now if I have to drive on the road and it’s there’s traffic I’m just like get me out of here I can’t handle traffic anymore I used to drive to work uh you know de brea all the time and traffic and you’re just like okay.

▶ 39:00 Okay uh but now if there’s traffic for some reason I can’t handle anymore but we’re not patient with God God it takes time to grow it takes time for a tree to grow now if you pursue them you can get everything your environment right and you can be in growth central right now you can be over in the dry area because you’re not seeking God you’re not getting any word from God you’re not getting any uh the spirit reigning on you there’s two ways you can do this you can either put yourself in a very tough situation where you are not taking any time for God you’re not uh creating an environment to grow or you can make it so that you are watered every day you’re getting God’s word into you every day you know you are making it a place where God can grow in your life.

▶ 39:55 It depends uh on the choices we make cuz God can do the work but we got to have some patience 1 John 3:7 he who practices righteousness is righteous oh wow look at that. John he’s saying hey if you practice. Righteousness like a doctor a doctor uh he went through uh medical school and when he starts to do his work what do they say he is pr this is his practice and he starts to do his work does the does the doctor know everything. No I remember going to a doctor and I had a I know I knew what I had and I thought he knew what I had but he didn’t know what I had I said I know what this is.

▶ 40:57 And he’s like oh what is it I said it’s poison oak so you know he’s trying to figure it out doctors don’t know everything but he’s practicing we can practice doing what is right and when we do that God looks at us that we are righteous just as he is righteous he who sins is of the Devil for the Devil has sinned from the beginning if anyone sins we have an advocate with the father now you know you’re not going to be righteous all the time why because we learn what nobody’s perfect right but we want to grow you want to grow to maturity you want to grow to where you are. Complete and you need some tools for that and one of them is if you sin we what have a what advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous we can come to Christ who is crucified who died on the cross for our sin and we can get forgiveness cleansing and if you meet that resurrected king you also get power to keep moving to keep growing in God Jesus did not just die he rose.

▶ 42:16 Amen 1 Peter 2:2 desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow so I’m just confirming here we want to grow if if it starts with the milk then start with the milk if it starts with something small start with something small but keep growing in. God see this here believe grow and know. Christ it starts with faith and then you add to it and you grow Revelations 20:2 I saw small and great standing before God the dead were judged according to their works by things which were written in the books and anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire what we want to point out here is yes one day we are going to stand before God we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ that’s what it says in uh Paul wrote in the New Testament it’s confirmed here in Revelations the dead were judged according to their works not according to your beliefs not according to what’s in your head but according to what you have done how did you treat your family how did you treat did you harm others love does no.

▶ 43:40 Harm anyone not found written in the book was cast in the lake of fire who wants to go to lake of fire I don’t want to go to lake of fire I want my name written where in the book and whose book is it it’s God’s book book it’s Christ’s book right so if I want to get in the book of life who do I follow and who do I listen to I listen to. Christ now I mean maybe uh maybe Confuciuss or buddha or the hindu God maybe they got a book too but you know what I don’t I don’t know if they’re going to keep me from the you know are they going to give me eternity I I don’t know if I want to be on their book I want to be on Christ’s. Book he’s got the power he’s the one who rose from the grave he is the one who is strong he’s the one that has got it.

▶ 44:39 All he’s the one who can keep me out of that lake of fire and so God is looking for some good works repentance is a good work loving your neighbor is a good work having some faith that’s a good work you know add to your faith adding to your faith is a good work turning from your sin that’s what repentance is that is a good work growing in God going to church seeking after God that’s a good. Work you know what working is a good work did you know that going to work is a good. Work you know when you go on the Job that’s a good work.

▶ 45:29 Work six days shall you work it’s one of the commandments one of the ten commandments second Peter chapter 3:16 in which and uh Peter is talking about Paul’s writings and he’s saying in some of Paul’s writings there are some things that are hard to understand which untaught unstable people twist to their own destruction as they do the rest of the scriptures it’s important that you know you may have heard the a statement that somebody got from Paul and because you don’t understand uh it it messes you up right you got to be careful you know there’s some doctrines out there oh I don’t have to repent because uh I’ve got grace if grace is on me I don’t I got grace I don’t need to do anything I don’t need to repent what I got to repent for I got. Grace and we can turn it into our own destruction we got to have the whole the whole gospel you got to have the whole book you got to know the what it’s saying what is the full message don’t just you know hold on to a scripture and Paul he does clarify himself when he talks about grace at the next sentence he says does this mean that we don’t do good works and he’s like no he answers his questions so be careful be.

▶ 46:54 Careful we don’t want to misunderstand Paul to a point where we think we don’t need to speak right do right do good and take on the fruits of the spirit. Amen Job 6:14 a man’s friends afflict him so his friends came to help him out but they weren’t really helping him they were accusing him they were putting him down they were accusing him of sinning and he’s like I didn’t do anything. Wrong. Uh they gave him bad. Advice it says in Proverbs 18:24 one friend sticks closer than a brother and Jesus clarifies he adds to this and he says greater love has no one than this than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

▶ 47:47 And Jesus Christ as you know has laid down his life for us and he calls us. Friends he doesn’t call you a peasant he doesn’t call you insignificant you’re an ant in my world you know how they like to portray God in the movies right they you know they got the gods up there and they’re just like oh these these these stupid. Humans that’s that’s not how God sees us at all do you understand that the reason why we’re here is so that he can inherit us. At the end he wants billions of people in heaven with him he wants. You he wants me we are his prize.

▶ 48:43 Possession do you understand that the other the ark of the covenant is gold for a reason because God sees us as. Precious. So. Valuable we are treating children very like. Trash we are treating people like trash God does not see that at. All he we are valuable to. Him John 15:14 you are my friends if you do whatever I command you’re my wait a second what did you just.

▶ 49:37 Say we have to do what he says then were’re his friends what kind of friendship is that how about you do what I say. Too in 1 John 5:3 it says this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not b burdensome they’re not grievous you know God’s commandments they’re not going to harm you they’re not going to hurt you they’re good for us he’s saying if you follow you know he’s God you got to remember that he’s not just uh you know a another human he is God and so when he says if you keep my command you’re my friend he deserves that kind of following right he deserves us for us to follow and keep his commands and they’re not grievous he’s not asking you to hurt yourself he’s asking you to follow them so it will bless your life.

▶ 50:37 Can God is God capable to bring us to a place where we can keep his commands I submit to you today yes he can can God do a work in us so that we can become his friends yes he can he’s not just God he’s not just our savior he’s not just king he’s not just Emmanuel he not just the captain of the host and all the other names in the Bible right he is also. What our friend John 15:15 no longer do I call you servants for a servant does not know what his master is doing but I have called you. Friends for all things that I heard from my father I have made known to you Christ was excited to share all these things you know it’s us that we we got the problem God starts talking we’re like what do you what do you even mean I don’t even understand what you’re saying.

▶ 51:48 Amen have you ever read the scriptures and you’re like I don’t understand what he’s talking. About I do it all all the time but Christ has shared with us everything that God has told him the the disciples put it in the Bible we have the Bible today you can put God’s word into you in 2023 there’s no there’s no excuse we got a hurricane coming you can still find the word of God you can still listen to it we’ve got redundancy on all the servers and all the technology you can listen to God’s word you can read God’s word you can study God’s word there’s all these tools there’s just no excuse for not putting God’s word into your mind.

▶ 52:42 And then God can take his word and he can make it alive this morning maybe you’ve heard many of these scriptures before but God can make take us scripture and he can make it real and powerful so we want to invite you this morning we’re going to stand we’re going to sing oh come to the altar we’re going to take some time this morning whether or not you’re at ground. Zero maybe God is starting. To grow in you uh faith is starting to grow in you and you want to grow in God whether you’re at Ground Zero whether you’re at the middle of being built whether you’re mature this morning we want to invite you this morning to respond to Christ we’re going to sing this song we’re going to take some time here to seek.

▶ 53:40 Christ to respond to his word his truth and God is asking us this morning are we willing to grow to maturity to completeness will we make Christ our our friend and this morning as an act of making Christ your friend let’s. Stand let’s. Respond let’s open up our mouths and sing unto. Him are you hurting and broken. Within overwhelm by the weight of your sin Jesus is. Calling have you come to the end of yourself do you search for a drink from the well Jesus is.

▶ 54:47 Calling oh. Lord oh come to the altar the father’s arms are open wide. Forgiveness was born with the precious blood of Jesus. Christ of Jesus. Christ this morning if you’ve never accepted Jesus in your heart. Or heads pw or eyes closed this morning it’s the blood of Jesus Christ that. Cleanses it says in the scriptures Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and Romans 6:23 it says the wages of that sin the payment the result.

▶ 55:45 Is death and hell but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord the gift gift that he gave was his life his blood was shed for. Us and 1 John 1:9 it says if we confess with our mouth he’s faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness this morning if you’d like to accept Christ if he’s calling and knocking on your heart this morning other heads bowed our eyes closed just lift up your hand and raise your hand right where you’re at and pray this prayer with me Lord. Jesus I admit I have sinned I. Confess I invite you into my heart.

▶ 56:39 Lord come to. Me Lord cleanse. Me forgive me for my sin I commit. Lord to turn from. Wrong and follow. You. Amen leave behind your regrets and mistakes come today there’s no reason to way Jesus is. Calling. Oh come home oh come to the altar.

▶ 57:32 The father’s arms are open wide. Forgiveness was born with the precious blood of Jesus. Christ oh what a savior. Isn’t he. Wonderful sing halelujah. Christ is. Risen bow down before. Him for he is Lord of all sing. Hallelujah.

▶ 58:25 Christ is. Risen we’re going to sing that bridge one more time I’d like to invite you at this time we’re going to come to the front and response we’re going to come as if this was an altar if you’d like to bring a pad with you as your chair like to invite you to just come up to this front area here as an act of coming out to Jesus Christ many people did it in the scriptures zakus the woman with the issue of blood they they came out from where they were and they reached out and they touched Jesus and he healed. Them he transformed their life as an act this morning I’ like to invite you to come down come down to the front. Here this is an altar let Jesus come and touch you let him speak to you let him move upon you oh what a sa.

▶ 59:26 Savior isn’t he. Wonderful sing. Hallelujah Christ is. Risen bow down before. Him for he is Lord of all sing hallelujah. Christ is. Risen I come to the altar your father’s arms are open wide. Forgiveness was born with the precious blood of Jesus Jesus.

▶ 1:00:34 Christ let’s lift up our voices together just in prayer just asking God to come say your own prayer unto him inviting him let’s lift up our voices God we invite you right now God Jesus Lord you’re the king of kings and the Lord of lords Jesus we pray that you make yourself real to us tonight this morning Jesus we ask God that you come and touch us Jesus Lord we pray Lord transform our lives Lord we don’t want to be conformed under this world but we want to be transformed by you Jesus Jesus please God we call on you this morning God Lord I have all these problems and setbacks in my life Jesus I need you to come Lord Jesus I pray grow grow me God jes Jesus Jesus Jesus come Lord with your living word come with your your strength and your power God Lord I need you God I need you Jesus Jesus.

▶ 1:01:37 Please please oh Lord Jesus. Jesus God I want to serve you all my days. Oh. Oh. Oh I’m going to ask uh we have somebody that wants to get baptized. Today and we’re going to pray with them right now and Ryan if you want to go out and Paul if you want to come forward we’re going to pray with you right.

▶ 1:02:29 Now I’m right down here in the middle and you older. Ones the older ones come on up lay hands on. Paul the scriptures say that God will give us a new heart help put a new give us a new mind and that he’ll put his spirit into us and he’ll cause us to walk in his ways and that’s what we want that new covenant and we we’re going to pray for Paul right now lift him up in prayer that God would give him a new heart that God would put his spirit into him and that God would give him the grace and cause him to walk in his statutes let’s lift up our voices God we pray for call right now God Jesus Jesus Jesus right now God we pray remove the heart of stone God Lord we have a hard heart toward God Lord it says in the scriptures that you’ll give us a responsive heart Jesus we pray for Paul right now God Lord give him a new heart give him a new heart Lord that is his desire is for you God to live for you to follow you Jesus Jesus Jesus please come come with your spirit God Lord take away any spirit from darkness God take away the spirit any spir

▶ 1:03:59 our own spirit God Lord a spirit Lord that is is not good not helpful God Lord we pray that your spirit would come your powerful spirit Jesus Lord and fill him God Lord come Lord renew him Jesus Jesus please please oh Lord and cause him to walk in your ways into your truth Jesus right now God we lift up Jesus Jesus Lord do that new that new covenant in his life in his heart Jesus thank you.

▶ 1:04:48 Jesus at this time if you’ve already accepted Christ and you also want to ask that God would give you a new heart that you and you want to grow this morning and you want to as a as a response to the word this morning I’d like to invite you to come and walk up to where these older ones are and we’re going to pray and ask God that God would give you a new heart that God would get put his spirit in you it’s a promise it’s a covenant it’s called the new covenant it’s his promise and we want to make that available for anyone that would like to come if you’ve already accepted Christ you’ve already invited him in your heart you want to keep. Growing come forward let’s let’s commit to Christ this. Morning oh what a savior.

▶ 1:05:49 Isn’t he. Wonder. F sing. Hallelujah Christ is. Risen howow down before. Him Jesus for he is Lord of all sing. Hallelujah Christ is risen. To the altar our father’s arms are open wide.

▶ 1:06:42 Forgiveness was born with the precious blood of Jesus. Christ oh Jesus. Oh. Jesus. Oh. Jesus oh. Jesus praise the Lord. You are worthy of it.

▶ 1:07:48 All you are worthy of it. All. For from you are all things to you are all. Things you deserve the glory you are worthy of it. All you are worthy of it all jes. Jesus for from you are all things and to you are all things you deserve the glory I just want to give anyone else another opportunity here if you’d like to invite.

▶ 1:08:50 God to give you a new heart. To put his spirit into you we can just ask him this morning maybe you believe in God already maybe you’ve invited Jesus already before that this is a promise it’s called the new covenant it’s a new promise in Christ his blood that was shed for you his body that was broken for you it’s he says that he would do these things if you’d like to pray. Uh ask for this new heart and his spirit in you just pray with me this prayer Lord. Jesus I pray Lord. Jesus take away from. Me my hard.

▶ 1:09:44 Heart God give me a new heart. Resp responsive. Heart. That will respond to your word Jesus I pray fill me with your Spirit put your spirit in. Me and God cause. Me give me that powerful. Grace to walk in your ways. Thank you. Jesus everyone said. Amen you may find your seats oh what a savior.

▶ 1:10:48 Isn’t he. Wonderful. Sing. Hallelujah Christ is. Risen bow down before. Him for he is Lord of all sing. Hallelu Christ is risen. Our goal here is to connect you with. Christ and uh we I know there’s a lot of folks in here in. Uh we we we just had to take time this morning to connect with Christ meet with Christ. So. Uh that’s our goal here just just just wanted to share that for a moment and.