♪ theme music ♪
(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,
an in-depth, interactive study
of the Word of God.
We are in the middle
of a series of studies
on Ezra and Nehemiah,
an ancient priest, an ancient courtier,
that God used by His Spirit to give messages,
not only for their generation
but also for us today.
Today we're going to glimpse at worship
in Ezra and Nehemiah's time,
Worshiping the Lord,
and it will inspire us as we think
about out own worship of the Lord today.
So welcome to Hope Sabbath School.
What's the most important lesson
we've learned from Ezra
and Nehemiah so far?
What do you think?
(Jason) God is in control.
(Derek) God is in control,
and God uses people, doesn't He?
People like Ezra and Nehemiah,
and, of course, you've got
a contemporary with Esther,
men and women of God who are, like,
"God, I'm available to be used by You."
And we're just so glad that you are part
of that global team
because it's not just a few of us here
but Hope Sabbath School members
in 150 countries around the world
that are part of God's team, sharing
the good news of a God who loves us
with an immeasurable and unfailing love.
Here is Jimilai in Fiji who says, "Bula!"
(Team) Bula!
(Derek) That's a greeting.
"I want to praise God
for the marvelous work the Holy Spirit
is doing through Hope Sabbath School.
I never miss any of your series.
I always download all of the topics on my phone
and share them with my friends."
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) "It helps me,
taking the Sabbath School class
in my ministry at the park
where I teach and share with those
who sleep on the streets."
(Team) Wow.
(Derek) "We meet in the park every Sabbath.
We also have Sabbath School in the park.
We share lunch together.
Sometimes there is not enough food,
but God's love is more than what we need."
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) "After lunch, we go to the hospital
and orphanages for visits."
I tell you, Jimilai sounds, like,
on fire for Jesus, wouldn't you say?
"I thank God that He brought me
to Hope ministry to encourage me
in every way and enlighten me and my family
to press forward until eternity,
knowing the end is near,
and we should be ready to go home."
(Team) Amen!
(Derek) I want to thank you, Jimilai,
for writing to us from Fiji.
And he says, "We really need
your prayers for our lives,
those who are on the streets,
that we can hang in there, no matter
what may come until Jesus comes."
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Did you know we had
a Hope Sabbath School member in Fiji
teaching homeless people in a park? Amen?
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Solomon writes to us from Nigeria.
Solomon, thanks for being part
of our Hope Sabbath School family.
"I'm very happy with the work of God
that you are doing," he says.
"I was born into a Christian family,
and up til now I'm still following Jesus."
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) "I watch your program every week,
and it makes me happy,
and I'm filled with the Spirit.
Even if I have problems,
I turn and I watch the program,
and my problems go away."
Well, that's interesting.
Maybe the problems are still there,
but I'm not focusing on them anymore.
"Happiness in the Holy Spirit takes over.
Glory be to God Almighty."
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Solomon, thanks
for your testimony; you cheered us up.
And it's true, when we turn
our eyes towards Jesus, as the song goes,
the things of Earth, what?
(Team) Grow strangely dim.
(Derek) They may still be problems and challenges,
but they grow strangely dim.
Roatan, Honduras, Leonardo writes
and says, "I just want to say,
'Keep up the good work.'
It's a blessing to learn God's Word
and to understand God's Word with you.
I'm from Bay Island, Roatan, Honduras."
Well, Leonardo, thanks for the short note
to Hope Sabbath School.
We're glad you're part of our family.
Here's a short note
from a donor in Pennsylvania,
and I just want to thank each one of you
that prays and supports.
We're a donor-supported ministry.
"Thanks once again for all you do
to help people understand the Bible."
Do you hear the theme
coming through over and over again?
My life would be lost without it."
(Stephanie) Wow.
(Derek) As always, keep up the good work
of spreading God's Word."
Well, thanks for writing
to us from Pennsylvania.
We're glad that you're part
of our Hope Sabbath School family.
And thank you for your support and your prayers.
One last note, from Gaetano in Malta,
the island of Malta; Malta is where?
(Kenneth) Near Greece.
(Derek) Right, in the Mediterranean Sea,
not far from Greece.
"I am from Malta,
a Seventh-day Adventist Christian.
I watch Hope Sabbath School
when I'm at home.
I sometimes lead a class at my church.
Thanks for what you're doing.
May the Lord bless you.
May we all find ourselves
in the city of God."
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) That's the prayer, right?
"I pray for you; please pray for me.
I have still got some things
to get rid of in my life
to be more like Jesus."
Well, you know, it's true,
the closer we come to Jesus,
the more we see our own deficiencies.
But we're not focusing on those things;
otherwise; what happens to us?
We get depressed, right?
We want to turn our eyes on Jesus.
And then he concludes,
"I am thankful for all of you.
God bless you, your brother
in Christ in Malta."
Well, Gaetano, thanks for writing to us
from that beautiful island.
And thanks to each one of you
for writing to Hope Sabbath School.
You can write to sshope@hopetv.org.
We send it to the team,
and it really gives us encouragement
to see how God is changing lives around the world.
Right now we want to sing
our theme song, 3,000 years old.
The words, Psalm 25,
the tune is one that my wife composed,
and it's a cheerful little song.
I feel like jumping when I sing it.
Why don't you sing it with us?
♪ music ♪
(Derek) You know, the theme
for our study today
is Worshiping the Lord,
and we were just doing that, weren't we?
You might say, "I can't believe
I've just sung on global television,"
and the answer is, "It's not about us,"
because someone in Roatan,
someone in (What were some
of the other places we read?)
Fiji and Malta, they're going
to be singing along with us
and praising the Lord,
every nation, kindred, tongue and people.
And on that day we gather
by the sea of glass,
I don't know what language we'll be singing,
whether it will be the language of Heaven,
or whether somehow God
will merge all of those languages
into one symphony of praise,
"To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul."
Maybe it will be a different tune, I don't know.
But we're going to focus today
on Worshiping the Lord,
and we are going to learn some lessons
from the fifth century B.C.,
from Ezra and Nehemiah who led the exiles
in that second and third wave,
trying to get back to where God
had originally called them to be.
We'll learn some lessons.
Let's pray the Holy Spirit
will be our Teacher today.
Our Father in Heaven, we thank You
for Hope Sabbath School members around the world.
We represent every nation,
kindred, tongue and people.
You're calling Your people to prepare
for the soon coming of Jesus.
And, God, we believe that worshiping You
in spirit and truth
is a crucial part
of our spiritual journey.
And so, as we study
lessons from ancient inspired texts
of Ezra and Nehemiah,
may your Holy Spirit speak to us
in a fresh way today.
We pray it in the name of Jesus. Amen.
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Worshiping the Lord,
singing the songs of the Lord,
let's start in Ezra, chapter 3,
and, Stephanie, if you could begin
our study today in Ezra,
chapter 3, verses 10 and 11.
Let's see how the people
in the time of Ezra responded
when the foundations were laid
for the new temple.
(Stephanie) And I'll be reading
from the King James Version:
(Derek) Isn't that amazing, and I thought
we were having a good time
with our Scripture song,
but we didn't have trumpets and cymbals.
So how would you describe
what's going on here
as the temple's foundation
is being laid? Jonathan?
(Jonathan) They're rejoicing
that their years of separation
from their connection with God is finally over,
and now they're back
to where God dwells amongst them,
and they have this special relationship with God.
(Derek) How would you describe their rejoicing?
(Team) Celebration. Jubilee.
(Derek) You know, some of us, like,
I was born in Britain;
we kind of rejoice like this.
That's about it, you know.
It seems pretty uninhibited, doesn't it,
shouts of joy and cymbals and trumpets.
We want to hold onto that
as we go to Nehemiah,
but we ask our question,
what are some things
that might hold us back
from worshiping God in spirit and truth?
Now, someone told me this some years ago;
I'll never forget it.
They said if in your worship you're trying
to draw attention to yourself,
that's called exhibitionism, right?
But if in your worship
you're wanting to bring glory to God,
you know the little child that jumps up
and, you know, is that exhibitionism?
Or my wife's grandma from China
who would kowtow and blow kisses to Jesus,
is that exhibitionism or is that freedom
to worship in spirit and truth
in their culture, right?
Now, if she was doing it,
or someone's doing it
just to draw attention to themselves...
But let's think about this.
I think you're right;
I mean, they were really...
Is there such a thing as really rejoicing?
They were rejoicing in spirit and truth.
Remember that picture Ezra described,
and let's take a look
in Nehemiah, chapter 12.
Jason, if you could read chapter 12,
look at verse 27, 31, 42 and 43.
We'll catch a little glimpse
of what's happening.
Here, you've got the temple,
in the time of Ezra, the foundations.
Now they're celebrating
that the walls have been rebuilt.
Let's see how they worship the Lord.
(Jason) I'll be reading
from the New King James Version,
Nehemiah, chapter 12,
verse 27, 31, and 42 and 43:
Then we have verse 31:
42 and 43:
(Derek) What do you think?!
How would you compare that to the time
of the laying of the stones in Ezra's time?
Similar, right? There were a few additions.
What did you see in terms of additions?
(Gladys) They have choirs.
(Derek) They had these
kind of antiphonal choirs, right?
I think that was alluded to
in the time of Ezra.
But these were large choirs. What else?
(Nicole) Instruments.
(Derek) They had stringed instruments, too,
and harps, right?
And how far was the celebration heard?
(Team) A distance. Far away.
(Derek) Yeah. So there's
this tremendous sense of singing songs to the Lord,
and, of course, probably many
of those songs were songs of Scripture,
like the one we sang for our theme song.
Let's go back to the time of David,
in 1 Chronicles 25:6-7,
where David appoints singers.
We're looking here at worshiping the Lord,
and certainly one way
is worshiping Him in song.
Somebody have 1 Chronicles 25?
Travis, verses 6 and 7, what does it say?
(Travis) I'll be reading
from the New King James Version:
(Derek) So, I have a question for you.
That's a lot of singers - 288 -
and what does it say about them?
(Nicole) They were all accomplished.
(Derek) Yeah, they were skillful, right?
I mean, some of us, there are leaders,
some of you are leaders,
and some of us are leaners.
That means we're not the soloists, right?
But these were all skillful.
Evelyn, why do you think
David appointed so many to be singers
in the house of the Lord, 288?
(Evelyn) I believe David recognized
the importance to give God
your 100 percent in worship.
To him it was important.
He said, "This is our God.
We have to give Him the best.
We need our skilled musicians
to praise God as joyfully as they can."
(Derek) And he certainly
did that personally, didn't he?
He wrote many Scripture songs,
and probably he sang many of them
to an audience of One - who was that?
To the Lord, right?
Yeah, he sang, "To You, O Lord..."
I don't know what the tune was, right,
but just to an audience of One.
But I think Evelyn's right.
He sensed the value of worship, excuse me,
of music as part of worship,
and so he just wants lots
of skilled musicians
to help lead. Kenneth?
(Kenneth) One important note
is the directors in directing these people
because even though you have the skill,
if you are not directed in the right way...
(Derek) Has anyone been part of a choir
where there was no director?
I mean, I suppose
a very well-trained choir
because it's kind of ingrained;
otherwise, it could be fairly chaotic, right?
So, you noticed there was someone
who actually directed them
so that things actually came
at the same time; good point. Gladys.
(Gladys) I was thinking
that maybe to avoid burnout,
you know, when you have so many people,
you can take turns
instead of having just the same person
doing everything at the same all the time.
(Derek) Yeah, you've got
almost one per day here, right, 288.
So, instead of going,
"Oh, I've got to sing again today,"
it's like, "It's my day coming.
I'm going to be able to sing
in the house of the Lord."
I'm sure they did it in groups,
but, yeah, there were many reasons,
but that's a fairly significant group
to lead in songs of the Lord.
(Jason) Also, I was going to add,
also the more the merrier.
Like we read the verse before,
it was heard afar off.
So the more people you have,
the more it could be heard
because I think that was one of the reasons
why they had large choirs,
so that other nations could hear
and say, "Oh, what's all that about?"
Intriguing them, you know,
about the beautiful music that's being sung.
(Derek) Sure. So there is
a certain strength in numbers
when you have a large choir,
or there they had choirs antiphonal,
choirs singing back and forth
to each other, quite impressive.
I want to hyperspace forward
to something Jesus said,
and then I have
an application question for us.
Jesus said that the Father seeks people
who worship Him in spirit and in truth.
That's a principle, Jonathan, right?
It's not like a specific description.
What does that mean to you?
(Jonathan) I think the spirit
can look different for different people.
To me, it's examining our hearts.
Like, I think "spirit" certainly applies
that you just want someone
that's filled with the Spirit.
It is coming out of them;
it is not just something exterior.
God has changed their heart, and it's flowing
out of this relationship,
but sometimes you can
get really excited about things, maybe,
and not all that excitement
is grounded in truth.
And so it seems like
it's capturing, like, yes,
it needs to be emotional,
it needs to be wholehearted,
but it also needs to be based on truth.
And so God wants all of us,
every part of our body and brain,
to be intelligently appreciating who He is
and wholeheartedly in love with,
and expressing that love to Him.
(Derek) I remember someone,
while you were sharing,
saying, "I don't mind making
a fool of myself in front of God."
Well, my question would be,
is God asking you to make
a fool of yourself in front of Him?
I like what Jonathan said.
My worship, we're talking here
about music, specifically,
should be uninhibited.
Like, "Oh, I don't know.
I'm not the greatest singer.
Maybe I can't just be
really singing like this
because Johnny can sing
a lot better than I can,"
or, "Susan is much more..."
So I'm not, like, inhibited
by what others might think,
but my brain is still in gear, right?
So the principles I've learned from Scripture,
you know, if angels cover their faces
and cry, "Holy, holy, holy,"
I don't think God's asking us
to make a fool of ourselves
in front of Him, whatever that means.
Does that make sense?
Anybody else? "Spirit and Truth," Jason?
(Jason) Building off the idea of truth there,
Jonathan referenced grounding it in the truth,
and I think in this case
it's in the Word of God
and making sure that what you're singing,
what you're worshiping,
the music you're saying, is consistent
with what God has told us in His Word.
The principles, the beliefs, the values.
(Derek) Okay, anyone want
to add to that before I want
to apply it a little further?
Nicole and then Gladys.
(Nicole) I would add to that,
that it should be a worship that draws you closer to Christ.
(Derek) So, what is the result of that worship?
(Nicole) Right, and it should reflect
the Person you're worshiping.
(Derek) Oh, and the character of...Okay.
So if I just go back
with a lot of adrenaline and emotional hype,
and then I just kind of crash,
rather than walking away
saying "God is awesome,"
"Jesus is my marvelous Savior," right,
what's the focus, okay?
Now, we've heard...Gladys, I'm sorry; I forgot you.
(Gladys) Nicole just told
what I was going to say basically.
Sometimes we just get consumed
in the activity itself
instead of Who we're worshiping.
So, that should be the focus,
and, like you said,
after the worship is over,
that has to be like a renewal of our spirit
instead of a draining activity
because we were just working out, you know...
(Derek) Let's get very practical then, okay?
Do we allow our worship
to really express to God
how we genuinely feel?
You know, I hear, "Holy, holy, holy" [sad voice],
and you look at them,
and you go, "That's scary."
What are some things that hold us back?
Again, we're not talking
about showmanship or exhibitionism,
but, you know, that the angels
would look down and say, "Those people
really love our heavenly Father.
Look at them; look at the way
they're singing the songs of the Lord."
What might hold us back from that,
do you think? Nicole?
(Nicole) I think sometimes we get consumed by our circumstance,
and we also get so down
by what's going on around us
that when we come to church,
we can't even put that aside to say,
"Thank You, Lord, for what You have done for us."
We get so bogged down,
and, "Oh, this happened,"
and you're in church, "Holy, holy..."
It's our circumstances; we let those take over our ability
to really be able to worship the Person...
(Derek) So, one thing then
that may hold us back, Nicole is saying,
is we bring a lot of stuff with us,
which is part of our lives,
but it could distract us.
What else might hold us back? Kenneth?
(Kenneth) Sometimes it's because
of those...like, we are afraid
of how people are going to criticize us,
so we are looking at how people
are going to interpret what we are doing.
And then, because of that,
we hold back from actually rendering
a very heartfelt worshiping to God.
(Derek) And part of the reason
we might be concerned
by what people think
is because we don't see
many other people uninhibited
in their expression of singing
the songs of the Lord.
If we saw some of them, and we see
they're not showmanship or exhibitionism,
they're just genuinely worshiping the Lord,
that might give us a sense of what?
Freedom to be able to do so as well.
We've got lots of hands raised here.
Is this an important topic?
(Team) Yes.
(Derek) We have much to learn
from Ezra and Nehemiah.
Have you been to a worship service recently
that looked like what we read
in Ezra and Nehemiah
where just, it was heard afar off?
There were choirs and singing.
(Team) No. It's been awhile.
(Derek) Jonathan, share a time
with me, if you would,
when you experienced worship with music.
You were talking to me about a time
that just really lifted you
to the throne room of God.
(Jonathan) Yeah, there was
a Christian concert that was
specifically focused on worship that was amazing.
I went to it; I wasn't sure,
but after a little while, it was...
Yeah, I kind of lost the sense of time.
I was just forgetting
about the people around me
and just worshiping God...
(Derek) And what was your takeaway
when you left that concert?
(Jonathan) It felt like
kind of a taste of Heaven,
just the joy that it will be
to truly be able with your whole heart
to express and be singing beautiful songs.
Just, yeah, you enter another world,
and you don't have to worry about the people around you.
It's loud enough that no one else can really hear you,
and you're worshiping with all your heart.
(Derek) Anybody have
an experience like that? Evelyn?
(Evelyn) I think a time that I sensed that
was when you came to preach at Southern.
It was fairly recently.
We were singing, "Wonderful, Merciful Savior,"
and I remember you kept directing
the students to sing the line
over and over again.
And I remember being so choked up
I could barely sing
because I felt like crying.
I was like, "God, You are
the One that we praise."
And I just remember thinking,
"I wish the service could be like this
every time we have vespers."
I mean, the music was absolutely beautiful.
(Derek) I happened to be
at that same meeting,
and the presence of God was so palpable,
we didn't want to leave.
So, we know God wants to be with us always like that.
So, again, maybe the stuff that we bring?
Now, to give a little context
to that beautiful music and worship,
the leaders of music had really prepared.
They were singing in key.
They had some beautiful instruments.
It wasn't loud and kind of overwhelming.
It was sweet and beautiful.
But also the people who had gathered;
many of them were going to go,
either as student missionaries...
Travis, you were there that night.
(Travis) I was.
(Derek) Many of them were going to go
for a year of volunteer mission service.
Many of them were going to go
and share the gospel message
in short meetings during the summer.
So the kind of people who came,
does that make a difference?
(Team) Yes.
(Derek) If people come with an open heart? Stephanie?
(Stephanie) I was thinking
somewhat along the same line as Nicole.
The distraction that could be
is that we have lost our taste
and our desire for the things of God.
And so it no longer is beautiful to us.
(Derek) Ah, wow. Either it's
no longer beautiful,
or we just don't even know
what it looks like or what it sounds like.
I'm going to take one more comment from Jonathan,
and then we need to go on
because singing is just one part
of worshiping the Lord.
But could we agree
from the 288 that David named
that it is an important part?
(Team) Yes.
(Derek) Yes, Jonathan.
(Jonathan) I just want to add something
to what was just previously said.
In our focus, where we have our attention,
also affects the way we worship
and the way we sing.
So here we see that they were focused
on what God was doing for them,
so they could properly worship Him.
Sometimes we come to a church
thinking of other things,
and then the way we worship
is affected by that.
(Derek) Absolutely.
(Jonathan) If our taste,
as she was saying, for music, for worship
is destroyed or damaged
by what we observe,
if we want to restore it,
we have to observe
the proper thing, which is God.
(Derek) So, we come focusing on Him.
And I think, back to Evelyn,
your experience there,
people came who had surrendered
their lives to God,
and the worship leaders came prepared
to bring attention to God
and not to themselves,
and God showed up in a powerful way.
Another aspect of worshiping the Lord
is experiencing cleansing.
Let's look in Nehemiah, chapter 12.
Jason, if you could read that for us,
chapter 12 and verse 30?
(Jason) All right, and I'll be reading
from the New King James Version,
and the Bible says:
(Derek) Another word for purified is...?
(Derek, Team) Cleansed.
(Derek) So let's talk
about cleansing and worship.
Question: Should I be cleansed
before I come to worship - is that
an essential preparation for coming -
or can I experience cleansing in the worship?
(Team) Both.
(Derek) Oh, both.
(Nicole) What is "cleansing"?
(Derek) Okay, that's
a good question, Nicole.
What is "cleansing"?
Well, "Create in me
a clean heart, O God..."
(Derek, Team) "Renew a right spirit within me."
(Derek) Or...? Acts, chapter 2,
"Be baptized...for the washing away of your sins."
So cleansing is forgiveness
and a restoration of purity,
and that's a gift of God.
Would that be a good preparation for worship?
(Team) Yes. Sure.
(Derek) Can I come
if I've not experienced that?
(Team) Yes.
(Derek) Jonathan?
(Jonathan) I just want to say
that we cannot cleanse ourselves,
so we cannot pretend
to go in, cleaned, to worship.
So we have to have a "please" position,
a willingness to be cleansed,
and go in before His presence,
as we behold His presence,
as we worship Him,
as we are in contact with God, we are cleansed.
(Derek) I remember someone said,
"I can't go and celebrate
the Lord's Supper," or Communion,
"because I don't feel worthy."
And I'm thinking, "Then no one could go."
That's why we go, because we're not worthy - Who's worthy?
(Team) Jesus.
(Derek) Jesus is worthy.
Now, that's different
from 1 Corinthians 11,
talking about doing it
in an unworthy manner.
That's talking about carelessness, lack of reverence.
but Jonathan makes a good point.
If I say, "Well, I don't think
I'm clean enough to come
and worship the Lord,"
it's in coming and worshiping Him
that I can experience that restoration
then transformation. Kenneth?
(Kenneth) Recently my wife took me
to enjoy one of the Christian
contemporary music festivals,
and at first I was hesitant.
But when we got there, what I saw
and what the musicians there said,
"You know, sometimes you guys
just think that the music just comes naturally,
but let me tell you,
before I come to sing,
I spend some time with God.
Not a day," he said, "I dedicate
a week praying and preparing myself
so that the music that I'm going to sing or minister,
is going to impact the lives of people."
So this is how I see this
about cleansing and preparation
that we can do, so that when we
come together with fellow believers,
the music will make a joyful noise to God
and impact the people who come there.
(Derek) That's interesting.
Kenneth's saying the preparation
is not only by the worshiper who comes
but the one who's leading in worship.
We're going to come back
to that a little later,
but that's so important.
Let's focus again on the need
for cleansing as part of worship.
First John 1, verse 9,
is fairly well known by many Christians
about, "If we confess our sins,"
but I would like to start in verse 7.
First John 1, Adison,
if you could start with verse 7.
Listen carefully, the Apostle John
speaking under inspiration of God,
verses 7 through 9.
(Adison) And I'll be reading
from the King James Version:
(Derek) How many of us need cleansing?
(Team) All.
(Derek) In fact, if we think we don't...?
(Team) We deceive ourselves.
(Derek) We deceive ourselves, right?
We all need cleansing, and, ideally,
before I even come to worship
I prepare, and I say, "Lord,
make me clean like the new-fallen snow."
But I may come just as I am and say,
"God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
Remember that man who beat on his...?
If he had waited to come...
No, he came just as he was,
and he experienced the cleansing
that he so desperately needed.
So this cleansing experience,
I'd like someone to share
a time when you experienced
that cleansing of God as you lifted
your heart in praise and worship to Him.
Anyone have a story
that comes to mind? Gladys.
(Gladys) Actually I was not in church.
I was in my classroom,
and my heart was very burdened
with situations that I had before.
But I had to teach Bible,
so I was like, "Lord,
I don't know how to do this
because my heart is not in it."
And it was Creation, so I said,
"Oh, I don't have to...I really...
I can do this with my eyes closed
because it's about Creation.
And for the first time,
God, with the singing the kids were doing,
and the reading of the Word of God,
God just blessed my heart.
When I read that Scripture,
"In the beginning, God
created the heavens and the earth,"
it struck me like for the first time.
I just started weeping
because I just could not believe
that in the beginning
the world was in chaos,
and I felt like God was talking to me,
"Your world is in chaos,
and I am here to bring light."
And it was just like
a wonderful worship experience for me,
and I was just not even ready for that.
And the kids were singing and singing,
you know, "Let There Be Light,"
"This Little Light of Mine."
I don't know how they just connected
all these songs together.
And it was just such a blessing,
and it was not even a church.
(Derek) It was a church, actually,
and the angels were saying
to the children, "Keep singing, keep singing."
We can experience the cleansing of God
sometimes in unexpected places.
Anybody else have a story? Adison.
(Adison) Well, lately, I've been doing
a lot of road-tripping.
(Derek) For those who may be,
because we've got 150 countries,
"road-tripping" would mean...?
(Adison) Well, sometimes
it means going to Canada.
(Derek) Okay, so, long drives in a car?
(Adison) Long drives, sometimes 45, 48 hours.
(Derek) That is long.
(Adison) I try to space it out a little bit
but sometimes knock it all out.
Anyway, there is a lot of time
to think as you're driving.
And I also enjoy listening to music.
And so, I was listening as I was driving
and thinking about Heaven
and thinking about Jesus
and all the good things
He's done for me personally.
This song began to play, and it was
called, "Lord, Have Mercy on Me,"
and I just began to...
It even brought tears to my eyes
because I began to rethink
just how imperfect I am
and the times I let people down
and the times when I just fall short.
And it really was a moving experience
at an unexpected time.
(Derek) And you were driving?
(Adison) I was driving.
(Derek) And you had windshield wipers to wipe the tears?
(Adison) I suppose, yeah.
(Derek) God can catch us if we don't
keep putting up barriers, right?
Maybe at a Christian concert
or maybe one-on-one listening
while I'm on a long road trip,
God can catch our attention.
Songs of praise, important,
cleansing, important as part of worship.
But also the Bible speaks
about offering sacrifices.
Now we know in the Old Testament time,
the ceremonial system, those sacrifices
were animals, right, birds and animals
and grain offerings, and different parts,
all pointing forward to...?
(Team) Jesus.
(Derek) Jesus, our all-sufficient Savior.
Look at Nehemiah, chapter 12, verse 43.
Again, we're focusing here
on how they were worshiping
the Lord at that time.
Nehemiah, 12, Travis,
if you'd read verse 43.
Notice what it says.
(Travis) I'll be reading
from the New King James Version:
(Derek) What do you think it means
when it says they offered "great sacrifices"?
First of all, do you think it's talking
about animal sacrifices there?
(Kenneth) Maybe even more than animals.
(Derek) Maybe more, but it
could include that, right? Jonathan.
(Jonathan) I was thinking it
could be alluding back to when Solomon
dedicated the temple.
And I was trying to think of the number,
but it was like thousands upon thousands, all these sacrifices.
(Derek) So, would you say then...
But Kenneth's thinking it was
more than just maybe animal sacrifices or sacrifice.
What other kinds of sacrifices
might they have offered that day?
(Gladys) Their time.
(Derek) Their time? Grain? Okay.
First fruits.
(Team Member) Themselves.
(Derek) Themselves, right?
(Team Member) For God's service.
(Derek) What's the "great," Travis?
(Travis) It says, the verse after that,
"At the same time," they appointed
rooms for a storehouse,
so that means if there were rooms
being appointed to store the offerings and the things,
I'm thinking that they were bringing
gifts to the Lord, you know,
presenting things to Him.
(Derek) Some might have been animals that were killed.
Some might have been free-will offerings,
sacrificial offerings that would help
the support of the temple,
the priests, the Levites, the singers, right?
So, "great," would you say "great"
in terms of quantity or significance...?
(Team) Both.
(Derek) You say quality and quantity; it was both.
You would say they weren't saying,
"What's the least I have to bring?"
You remember when Moses called
for the building of the sanctuary,
that the response was so overwhelming,
Moses had to say, "We have enough."
That's a heartfelt response, isn't it? Yes, Nicole?
(Nicole) I was just thinking it would be so nice today
if our churches could tell people to stop bringing
because we have enough
to support the needy, the folks
who are in need in our church.
And it's just an example for us
that we have a ways to go
when it comes to doing what Christ wants,
which is helping those around us
that are in such need.
(Derek) So, let's talk about today.
We don't sacrifice animals.
Why don't we sacrifice lambs anymore?
(Team) Jesus came.
(Derek) Jesus is the Lamb of God.
He died once for all, right?
And so, instead of focusing
on a little, helpless lamb, beast,
we focus on Jesus, right?
So, what sacrifices can we bring
as part of worship in spirit and truth?
What do you think?
(Kenneth) I think somewhere
in the book of Romans it says
we should present ourselves
as a living sacrifice.
(Derek) That's right,
in Romans, chapter 12, doesn't it?
It says, "Present your bodies..."?
(Team) A living sacrifice.
(Derek) A living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable to God," my translation
says, "which is your reasonable service."
And it goes on to say,
"Don't be conformed to..."?
(Team) This world.
(Derek) "...to this world, but be..."?
(Team) "Transformed by the renewing of your mind."
(Derek) So, maybe part
of the sacrifice we bring
is a willingness to...?
Finish the sentence.
(Gladys) To be transformed.
(Derek) To be transformed, that's right.
It's not, as Jonathan mentioned earlier,
that we come because we look so good.
But we are willing for God
to do whatever He wants to do.
Is that an act of worship?
(Team) Amen. Yes.
(Jonathan) It makes me think of the verse,
"The sacrifices of the Lord
are a broken and contrite spirit."
And I think that captures
a lot of what it's about
and what Christ went through
and His example for us.
Willing to be humble and come down
and be beaten by all these people
and to live a life without...
All the things that we look for,
He gave up and said, "Okay,
I give this up," and He lived
that Romans 12, "Let your bodies
be a living sacrifice."
(Derek) And I think
Jonathan's making an important point here
that, when we come to true worship
in spirit and truth,
our focus is not on whatever sacrifices we are making.
We will make them,
as a loving response,
but our focus should be on the sacrifice...?
(Team) That Jesus made.
(Derek) That He has made, right?
"God forbid," Paul says,
"that I should boast," or glory,
"except in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ."
That's where my focus should be, in true worship.
So, how are we doing with that?
Is Christ always the focal point?
Is that not our prayer
in Hope Sabbath School?
Whatever we're studying about,
that people would catch a clearer
and yet clearer revelation of what?
(Team) Jesus.
(Derek) The immeasurable, unfailing love of God,
and that Jesus would be...?
(Team) Lifted up.
(Derek) Would be lifted up.
So, the sacrifices we bring -
we're singing songs to the Lord,
we are experiencing cleansing,
and the sacrifice is...?
Ourselves in worship
and thankfulness to...?
The One who loved us
and gave Himself for us, right? Travis?
(Travis) And our sacrifices
also can be with our tithes and offerings
as they did back then
because the work can go forward,
you know, when we contribute.
Hope Sabbath School is donor-based.
Without offerings to the Hope Channel,
we wouldn't be here.
(Derek) Right, and some of you
pay to drive all the way here
or to fly all the way here, right?
Why do you do that?
Some might say, "They just want
to be on television."
Let me tell you, it's not worth it.
It has to be because you see
lives are being changed, right?
(Team) Amen. Yes.
(Derek) So your coming here is an act of...?
(Team) Worship.
(Derek) It's an act of worship. Jason?
(Jason) And the utilizing of our time, too.
(Derek) Which is an act of worship.
(Jason) Yes.
(Derek) Sure. Well, good.
We've got three important lessons
we've learned so far.
We've learned singing songs to the Lord
was a really important part of worship then.
And we mustn't lose sight of that, right,
even if we're singing
a 200-, 300-, 500-year-old song,
a 3,000-year-old Scripture song.
If we're singing Martin Luther's
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, you know?
"And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us, we will not fear."
I mean, let's sing it like we meant it!
What do you think?
(Team) Yes. Amen.
(Derek) So that is an important part of worship.
The cleansing is an important part of worship.
And then thirdly, offering sacrifice,
not animals, but heart and gifts
in gratitude for what God has done,
not to pay or to earn His favor, right?
But a fourth lesson we learn,
look in Nehemiah 12, verse 44.
You could almost miss it.
It's actually just at at the end of that verse,
and it talks about giving thanks
for those who lead in worship.
Would someone like to read that for us?
Gladys? Nehemiah 12, verse 44.
(Gladys) Yes, I'll be reading
from the New International Version:
(Derek) "Judah was pleased."
My Bible says they "rejoiced."
In other words, they appreciated
the spiritual leadership
that was being provided.
Who did they represent,
these priests and Levites?
Who do they represent?
The solemn thought
is that they actually represent
the character of God.
And that's why Jesus gets so upset
when He comes and they've turned
His Father's house into...?
(Derek, Team) A den of thieves.
(Derek) A marketplace, "How dare you
do that?" He says.
"It shall be called a house of prayer for..."?
(Derek, Team) All people.
(Derek) So the responsibility
of those leading in worship
is to reflect the character of God, right?
So, let's talk about a time
when God blessed you...
We talked about music,
but I'm now going to broaden it out
to worship in general,
when God used someone,
in a sense representing the truth
about who He was,
to bless your life in worship.
Can you think of a time?
It may have been in a church,
or it may have been somewhere else.
It may have been at a camp,
or it may have been at a training program.
Travis, a time that God used someone
to bless your life in worship.
(Travis) I did the school of evangelism
in Australia, an ARISE program,
and I remember the last day,
It was a Thursday, and the presenter was James Rafferty.
And he was presenting Revelation in a way
I had never seen it presented before.
And I remember it was an hour long,
and I remember weeping
almost the entire time,
the way he presented Jesus
in the light of love in Revelation.
It was just an amazing thing.
I taped it on my phone,
and I still have it and will listen to it
sometimes, from time to time.
And it still brings tears to my eyes.
So God used him in a powerful way.
(Derek) So God used a man named James
to reflect the beauty of God's character
in the message that he shared.
And praise God that that messenger
didn't get in the way, right?
It could happen. Stephanie, a time?
(Stephanie) Yeah, I was thinking
of a church that I attended in Tennessee,
and the leader who was
leading out in the songs,
she sang with such joy.
And I told her later, I said,
"You sing as if you believed
what you were singing."
And she said, "I do."
And it was just so inspiring
to see her smiling face.
And really, we're marching
to Zion, you know?
Whatever the songs were,
she was very engaged, and you could tell
she believed the message she was singing.
And that inspired me because I thought
that's an awesome example.
(Derek) That was part
of the sermon, right?
That God can use a person,
we ought to thank God
for those people. Adison?
(Adison) A pastor back home came to mind.
He's an old family friend of ours.
He baptized my dad back in 1994,
and in 2011 he baptized my brother and me,
my twin brother, both on the same day,
so it was a really special moment.
But what led to that
was his involvement in our church.
He would come to our church,
and he would preach
and lead out in worship.
And I remember growing up as a child
and moving into my early teens,
just the impact of his messages,
and the sincerity that he possessed.
He was truly vindicating
the character of Christ,
and it had a huge impression on my life.
And so his ability to lead in worship
ultimately led to my cleansing, experiencing baptism
and truly a blessing.
(Derek) Is he still living?
(Adison) He is still living.
(Derek) I hope he watches.
(Adison) I hope so, too.
(Derek) And he will see that testimony,
and you know what he'll say?
(Team) Praise God.
(Derek) Probably with tears running
down his cheeks, right,
he'll say, "Praise God," or he may
even use my favorite Hebrew word.
(Team) Hallelujah.
(Derek) Maybe a little less inhibited.
Hallelujah! That God could use
a woman, a man like us, you know,
to do something supernatural
like change a person's life?
Praise God. Someone else. Yes, Jason?
(Jason) I was invited to church
a while back in Norfolk, Virginia.
And I forget his name,
but he asked me to come, and I did.
He was an older gentleman, kind of stocky,
but he had a voice
that was very, very bass-like,
and they had a song
that they were singing at the church.
He was sitting right next to me,
and he was drowning me out.
And it allowed me to be uninhibited, for me to express,
and I could just sing and sing and sing.
And, you know, it might not
seem like a blessing,
but at the same time, it was
because I could just be myself and sing
because, of course, no one
could really hear me
because he was next to me,
just barely, and from afar,
everybody could hear him.
As I looked back, it really was a blessing
because at that point,
I was a babe in Christ.
I was kind of scared to sing, you know,
because I really can't sing.
But I made a joyful noise,
however that sounded to him,
but it really was a blessing.
It really helped me
to come out of my comfort zone.
(Derek) Like singing
with the angel choirs;
like, sing up; it's going to sound okay.
It's going to sound okay.
We certainly can thank God
for people who lead in worship,
who God's used to bless our lives.
I'd like to close by asking... We're talking here
about Worshiping the Lord.
The Bible also says, "When you give,
it's given back to you."
Can you think of a time
when God gave you the opportunity
to help lead a worship,
and you were blessed in that experience?
Anybody? That you were given
an opportunity to lead
in worship. Kenneth?
(Kenneth) I recently was at one
of our Friday worships that we have,
young couples, we meet.
And everyone, not knowing
that everyone has had a very rough week,
so when we came, they said I should lead.
And after we read a Scripture,
I asked how is the message...
You know, how is God
speaking to them personally.
And then each individual shared
their experience throughout the week
and how the hymns and then
the Scripture was very appropriate, speaking to us.
So, that, yeah, testimony
that they shared on that day
really blessed me and lifted me up.
(Derek) And this was a group
of how many couples?
(Kenneth) About eight.
(Derek) About eight couples,
you and your wife were helping to lead that.
And as God gave you a Scripture,
and as they responded
to how that impacted them,
you were blessed in return?
(Kenneth) More than blessed.
(Derek) More than blessed,
more than blessed. Yes, Gladys.
(Gladys) Every month I do prison ministry
at a prison here in Maryland.
And it's just amazing how...
We don't have any contact with them
prior to going to visit,
and I preach there regularly.
And it amazes me always
the message that God
impresses me to present,
how the songs that they prepare,
the prayers that they prepare,
everything that they share,
it just goes together.
It amazes me every single time
because we never talk with them
to say, "Hey, read this Scripture,"
or, "Sing this song,"
or, "Prepare this hymn."
We just come prepared
to bring the message,
and everything in the worship just comes together,
and it blesses me every single time.
And I always say that that's
my favorite Sabbath of the month.
(Derek) As you come to worship together.
(Gladys) Yes.
(Derek) God may give you the opportunity,
not only to go and worship,
sing with all your heart,
experience cleansing, offer sacrifices,
affirm those who are leading in worship,
but God may also give you
an opportunity to lead.
He may, in response
to what we've studied here,
or maybe you're watching,
God may give you a chance to lead.
So, we've talked about the importance of preparation.
From what you've learned
about worshiping in spirit and truth,
what would you say
is the most important preparation,
either in coming to worship
or in coming to lead worship?
Maybe it's the same for both.
The most important preparation,
what would you say, Travis?
(Travis) Courage and humility.
(Derek) Okay, courage to not be inhibited,
but humility to say
it's all about Him and not about me.
All right; you want to add to that, Jonathan?
(Jonathan) Recognition of our dependence upon Him
and just throwing ourselves upon Him...
(Derek) Even when we come to worship,
not just coming to lead worship.
(Jonathan) Yeah, in multiple ways.
(Derek) Right? "God, even coming to worship,
I really can't worship You like You deserve,"
for a variety of reasons,
bringing a lot of stuff with me,
or, "I've never seen people
really worshiping in spirit and truth,
but here I am, and I come in my great need.
You do what You need to do." Evelyn?
(Evelyn) I've been a part
of some worship teams here and there,
and sometimes the team is very focused
on, "We need to get the harmony right,"
and, "We need to make sure
we hit every note exactly."
And we don't exactly focus
on, "Okay, is this music really uplifting God?"
Or, "Are the people who are going to hear
going to be blessed?"
And I realize that those worships
are the ones where I'm most nervous in.
It's the worships that we are
anxious to go and sing.
However, I've contrasted that
with worships where we're really praying.
We're saying, "God, I ask
that this music bless those who hear it."
Those are the best worships that we've had.
(Derek) The very best.
When God is lifted up,
when my heart is aligned with His heart,
when I'm saying, "God,
this is all about You," whether I'm
worshiping or leading in worship,
whether I'm singing, whether I'm asking for cleansing,
whether I'm offering a sacrifice
or giving thanks for those who are worshiping,
"Let my heart beat with Your heart,
and let my worship, by Your grace,
bring joy to Your heart."
Is that your prayer today?
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Let's pray that will happen
even in the worships
that are just ahead of us.
Father in Heaven, You are
worthy of all worship.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
for all You have done for our salvation,
we praise You and worship You even today.
And we pray, from the principles
we've learned from Ezra and Nehemiah,
that we would go on to worship You
in spirit and truth, just as Jesus
longed for us to do.
We pray it in Jesus' name. Amen.
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Thanks for joining us
for Hope Sabbath School!
Go out and be a blessing
to those around you.
♪ theme music ♪