WEBVTT

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♪ theme music ♪

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(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,

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an in-depth, interactive study

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of the Word of God.

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I'm excited about the topic today as we

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continue our series through <i>The Psalms,</i>

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<i>Worship That Never Ends.</i>

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What a great topic,

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and I know you'll be blessed,

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so welcome to Hope Sabbath School.

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Welcome to the team,

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good to be together again.

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Take a look at each other and wave.

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We represent the whole world,

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and I'm excited that John's going

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to be leading our study today.

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What a great study,

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<i>Worship That Never Ends.</i>

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We've also got some remote team members

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with us today, always happy to have them.

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Heide, good to see you again,

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glad you're with us.

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Leeah, great to have you

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on the team today.

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And, Travis, always good

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to have you with us.

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I'm so thankful for our remote team
members

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as well as the team here in the studio.

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But I'm thankful for you, too,

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because you are part of our global family.

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And when you answer a question,

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when John asks and you

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raise your hand, you're part

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of that in-depth, interactive study

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of the Word of God.

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We're always happy to hear from you,

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and here are just a few emails

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we've received recently.

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Kanchele writes from Zambia.

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Do we get a lot of emails from Zambia?

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Kanchele writes and says,

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"My name is Evangelist Kanchele,"

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now, that's significant as I read on,

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"from Zambia, in the western part
that is Mongu.

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Hope Sabbath School has changed my life

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in so many ways,

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and Hope Sabbath School is one

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that made me to be an evangelist!"

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(Team) Praise God.

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(Derek) "I love the way

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the Bible is presented.

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God bless you, Hope Sabbath School,"
and we say...?

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(Team) Amen.

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(Derek) Isn't that amazing?

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You've got an evangelist

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in Western Zambia who was encouraged

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to serve the Lord

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through Hope Sabbath School.

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Thank you for writing to us, Kanchele.

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Here is another note.

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This one is from Mozambique,

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and the person writes and says,

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Joaquim from Mazambique,

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"Hello, Pastor Derek

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and all the Hope Sabbath School team!

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First, I want to make it clear

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that I'm not good in English.

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I'm from Mozambique, so the main thing

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that I appreciate in the program

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is how you make the Word of God

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so easy to understand.

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May God bless you all, Joaquim." Amen?

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(Team) Amen.

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(Derek) Well, we're glad.

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We just launched

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a Hope Channel in Mozambique,

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and actually our Portuguese-speaking
channel

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in Brazil, Novo Tempo, helped launch

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the channel in Mozambique. Amen?

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We're all working together,

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so really exciting to hear

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what God is doing.

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Well, here's a hand-written note

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from a donor couple in California

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in the United States, and they write

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and say, "We always enjoy listening

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to Hope Sabbath School

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and seeing your faces.

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All these years we feel like

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we know you all.

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You all make Hope Sabbath School

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flow easily, and we share your thoughts

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with our own Bible class

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here in California," and a donation

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of 400 dollars to bless the ministry

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of Hope Sabbath School. Amen?

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I want to say thank you, donor couple,

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you know who you are.

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And thanks to each one of you,

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because we're all part

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of this miracle of God

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called Hope Sabbath School.

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It's a donor-supported ministry.

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Thank you to this couple,

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but thank you to you, too.

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You can go to our website,

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hopetv.org/hopess.

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Maybe someone just left you

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an inheritance, or you see

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that you have 30 dollars a month

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that you could set aside

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for laying up some treasure in Heaven.

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Go to the website, click on Donate,

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and say, "Thank You, Lord,

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for what You're doing

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through Hope Sabbath School."

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Well, one last note,

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from Rosemary in Arkansas

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in the United States of America.

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Rosemary says, "I love Hope Sabbath School

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because of the...," what do you think?

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Diversity, "...diversity of the group.

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I learn a great deal, every program,

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and I love the Scripture songs, too.

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I've been watching so long,"

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writes Rosemary, "I feel like
you're family.

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Thanks for all you do."

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Well, Rosemary, thanks for writing to us,

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and actually, you said you like the songs,

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we need you to help us sing

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the theme song today.

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Could you do that?

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But before we start the music,

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I just want to give you another reminder

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about a wonderful collection

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of <i>Trilogy Scripture Songs</i>

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from the Psalms; there are six songs

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including our theme song from Psalm 105.

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And you can just go to our website,

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hopetv.org/hopess,

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click on the Free Gift tab.

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If you don't know how to do that,

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ask a youngster in your family to do that,

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and they'll find it there and download

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that collection of six songs.

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You can share those with friends.

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Hide God's Word in your heart,

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including our theme song, and God will

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bring that to your remembrance.

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The Holy Spirit will help you

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when you need to remember those words.

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Right now, we're going to sing

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one of those six songs, from Psalm 105,

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"Oh, give thanks to the Lord."

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Let's sing together.

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♪ music ♪

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(Derek) I just love that song, don't you?

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Three thousand years old

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but a new melody, and what a beautiful way

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to begin our study.

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John, thanks for leading us in prayer.

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(John) Thank you, Pastor Derek.

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Let's pray as we begin.

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Loving heavenly Father, thank You so much

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for this time You have given us as we are

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coming to the tail end of our study

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in the book of Psalms.

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I pray, dear God, that we

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will go away praising You

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and singing praises to You, even now.

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I pray these things

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in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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(Derek, Team) Amen.

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(John) In the book of Psalms,

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we have been looking at how these psalms

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have been used in worship services

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of the sanctuary back then.

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And even here at Hope Sabbath School

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we put new tunes to these psalms

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and we sing them.

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And in our study, we're going

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to look at worship itself.

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While psalms are being used

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in worship services, today we're going

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to be looking at worship itself.

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And here at Hope Sabbath School,

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we consult the Bible for what worship is,

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and not culture in general,

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and we praise God for that.

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So before we begin, we want

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to define what worship is,

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and so the question to you:

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What is worship?

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What do you think worship is? Jason?

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(Jason) When I think about it,

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it really just comes

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to how we conduct ourselves.

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In the way we conduct ourselves,

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whether through thought, actions or words,

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we're basically honoring God

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in all those aspects

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and giving honor to His name.

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(John) Giving honor to God's name. Yes.

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(Scott) Ultimately worship is God-focused

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and not self-focused.

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(John) God-focused, not self-focused.
Pedro.

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(Pedro) It's the way that we can

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respond to God and His love.

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There is nothing I can give to God

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other than to worship Him.

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(John) A response to God's love.

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(Derek) So, we're all talking about God,

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but people worship all kinds of things.

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Some people worship idols,

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some people worship movie stars,

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some people worship themselves,

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so I think at the very fundamental level

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worship is ascribing worth,

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value, to something.

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And supreme worship, of course,

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only one Person deserves that,

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and that is God Himself.

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We ascribe worth to Him

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when we worship Him.

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And I certainly agree

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that can be in our words,

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in our actions, in our thoughts.

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But we need to, like you said, focus

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on worship of God, because people

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can worship other things.

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(John) And just to follow your thought,

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Pastor Derek, there is someone

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who said that worship is

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to see what God is worth

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and to give Him what He's worth.

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(Derek) Beautiful.

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(John) To see the worth of God

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and to give all that is worthy to Him.

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So, at the University of Denver,

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they released a study about communication,

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and this is what they said.

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They said, "Communication consists

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of 55 percent body language,

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38 percent paralanguage,

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and 7 percent verbal content."

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So, there is a lot

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of nonverbal communication

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that happens when we speak,

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and so with worship, gestures and posture

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also play a role in worship

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because they communicate to God

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what we want to express.

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And so, we're going to look

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at one of the gestures

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that the Bible talks about

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which is lifting up our hands in worship.

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Now, we're going to see what the Bible

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has to say about it.

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If I can have Lilica please read to us

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from Psalm 134 and verse 2,

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Psalm 134 and verse 2.

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What does the Bible mean when it talks

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about lifting up our hands to God?

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(Lilica) I'll be reading

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from the New King James Version,

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Psalm 134, verse 2:

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(John) Okay, thank you, Lilica.

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So, here in this text, what does

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lifting up the hands mean. Yes, Pedro.

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(Pedro) To worship God, to bless Him.

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(John) Okay, to worship God,

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to bless Him. Scott?

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(Scott) I was going to say the same thing.

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Verse 1 says, "Come, bless the Lord,"

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and that gives us the context of verse 2.

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(John) That's right, to bless the Lord.

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And in talking about context, Scott,

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here the context is those who are

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ministering in the temple are called

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to lift up their hands and bless God.

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Now, this gesture expresses adoration,

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and this gesture indicates the object

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of praise is God and not ourselves,

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and that the entire person is involved

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in worshiping God

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or giving praises to God.

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Let's look at another text,

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Lamentations, chapter 2 and verse 19,

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Lamentations, chapter 2 and verse 19.

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And if I can have Jason please read that
for us.

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(Jason) It will be my pleasure.

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Lamentations, chapter 2, verse 19, says:

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(John) Okay, thank you.

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So, here what is the meaning

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of lifting ones hands toward the heavens,

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in Lamentations? Yes, Jason?

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(Jason) It seems like a cry out,

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like desperation, like, "Lord," you know,

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giving up yourself, surrendering

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in a sense, I'm taking from that text.

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(John) Okay, so in Psalms we're seeing

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that lifting up our hands means

00:13:11.986 --> 00:13:14.614
to praise God, to give Him glory,

00:13:14.614 --> 00:13:17.202
but here in Lamentations we're seeing

00:13:17.202 --> 00:13:18.421
out of desperation

00:13:18.421 --> 00:13:20.050
we're crying out to God,

00:13:20.050 --> 00:13:22.568
and we want to receive help from Him.

00:13:22.568 --> 00:13:24.620
And so, what we are beginning to see

00:13:24.620 --> 00:13:26.085
is that lifting up hands

00:13:26.085 --> 00:13:27.629
means different things

00:13:27.629 --> 00:13:30.326
in different contexts, but all of that

00:13:30.326 --> 00:13:33.050
is focused toward God.

00:13:33.050 --> 00:13:35.161
To Him we praise, and He is

00:13:35.161 --> 00:13:37.443
the object of worship, and He is

00:13:37.443 --> 00:13:39.476
the giver of all blessings

00:13:39.476 --> 00:13:41.912
and the answer to our prayers.

00:13:41.912 --> 00:13:43.455
Let's look at one more verse,

00:13:43.455 --> 00:13:45.799
in the New Testament, 1 Timothy,

00:13:45.799 --> 00:13:49.285
chapter 2 and verse 8, if I can have

00:13:49.285 --> 00:13:51.498
Scott please read that for us,

00:13:51.498 --> 00:13:54.346
1 Timothy, chapter 2 and verse 8.

00:13:54.346 --> 00:13:58.081
Paul is instructing his, if I can use

00:13:58.081 --> 00:14:00.815
the term, young intern Timothy

00:14:00.815 --> 00:14:03.845
how one ought to conduct himself

00:14:03.845 --> 00:14:05.989
in the house of God.

00:14:05.989 --> 00:14:07.152
(Scott) Yes, it says:

00:14:16.680 --> 00:14:18.316
(John) Okay, so we see,

00:14:18.316 --> 00:14:20.524
not only in the Old Testament

00:14:20.524 --> 00:14:23.037
but also the New Testament, in the church

00:14:23.037 --> 00:14:25.552
we find that lifting up of hands

00:14:25.552 --> 00:14:26.908
is being allowed.

00:14:26.908 --> 00:14:30.140
Lifting up of hands is being allowed.

00:14:30.140 --> 00:14:34.253
So, question, is it fine for us

00:14:34.253 --> 00:14:37.417
to lift our hands in worship? Yes, Scott.

00:14:37.417 --> 00:14:41.038
(Scott) I was raised in a setting

00:14:41.038 --> 00:14:43.312
where people were rather skeptical

00:14:43.312 --> 00:14:44.825
of lifting hands.

00:14:44.825 --> 00:14:46.424
They associate it

00:14:46.424 --> 00:14:49.898
with Pentecostalism or other things,

00:14:49.898 --> 00:14:52.509
but when I read the Bible,

00:14:52.509 --> 00:14:54.290
I don't find that there.

00:14:54.290 --> 00:14:56.860
Lifting hands is biblical,

00:14:56.860 --> 00:15:00.106
and so it's not a habit I was raised with,

00:15:00.106 --> 00:15:02.714
but it's something that's biblical.

00:15:02.714 --> 00:15:03.909
(John) Yes, Tendi.

00:15:03.909 --> 00:15:05.206
(Tendi) Like you said,

00:15:05.206 --> 00:15:06.542
lifting up your hand

00:15:06.542 --> 00:15:08.873
depends on the context.

00:15:08.873 --> 00:15:11.289
If you're in church, and the pastor

00:15:11.289 --> 00:15:12.596
is preaching, for example,

00:15:12.596 --> 00:15:14.239
you cannot lift your hands;

00:15:14.239 --> 00:15:15.949
you need to be reverent.

00:15:15.949 --> 00:15:17.767
But if there is worship, if there is

00:15:17.767 --> 00:15:20.236
a song that compels your spirit

00:15:20.236 --> 00:15:22.298
to lift your hands, then you can.

00:15:22.298 --> 00:15:23.330
(John) Okay, you used

00:15:23.330 --> 00:15:24.503
a very important word.

00:15:24.503 --> 00:15:27.052
Here actually in Timothy, Paul talks

00:15:27.052 --> 00:15:29.747
to Timothy about the importance

00:15:29.747 --> 00:15:32.296
of reverence in God's house.

00:15:32.296 --> 00:15:34.592
And so, lifting up hands

00:15:34.592 --> 00:15:36.583
is not supposed to be irreverent.

00:15:36.583 --> 00:15:38.184
It should not be irreverent;

00:15:38.184 --> 00:15:39.990
there should be reverence

00:15:39.990 --> 00:15:41.714
that should be entailed

00:15:41.714 --> 00:15:43.150
along with that. Pastor Derek?

00:15:43.150 --> 00:15:44.605
(Derek) And also in the Sermon

00:15:44.605 --> 00:15:47.172
on the Mount, Jesus says in anything

00:15:47.172 --> 00:15:48.925
to do with worship, whether it's

00:15:48.925 --> 00:15:51.017
prayer or fasting or whatever,

00:15:51.017 --> 00:15:51.974
don't do something

00:15:51.974 --> 00:15:54.540
to draw attention to yourself.

00:15:54.540 --> 00:15:56.623
I'm thinking of the my wife's grandmother

00:15:56.623 --> 00:15:58.919
who was from China, and she would

00:15:58.919 --> 00:16:01.388
kowtow when she prayed.

00:16:01.388 --> 00:16:03.522
You know what kowtowing is, right?

00:16:03.522 --> 00:16:05.840
But she wouldn't do that on a platform

00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:07.750
or in front of everybody.

00:16:07.750 --> 00:16:09.024
She would do that when she

00:16:09.024 --> 00:16:10.733
went to her closet to pray,

00:16:10.733 --> 00:16:13.125
because it was part of her culture.

00:16:13.125 --> 00:16:14.527
It was her way, actually,

00:16:14.527 --> 00:16:17.458
of showing reverence to God
in her culture.

00:16:17.458 --> 00:16:18.687
But I think the principle

00:16:18.687 --> 00:16:21.742
in the Sermon on the Mount is that we

00:16:21.742 --> 00:16:25.833
are sensitive that we're not just becoming

00:16:25.833 --> 00:16:28.814
the center of attention,
drawing attention.

00:16:28.814 --> 00:16:30.342
Jesus talks about praying

00:16:30.342 --> 00:16:32.135
on street corners so that you

00:16:32.135 --> 00:16:34.281
can be seen by people.

00:16:34.281 --> 00:16:35.869
(John) That's right, and we'll go

00:16:35.869 --> 00:16:37.267
to that verse, Pastor Derek,

00:16:37.267 --> 00:16:38.930
but I want to take a few comments.

00:16:38.930 --> 00:16:40.375
Pedro and then Travis.

00:16:40.375 --> 00:16:41.971
(Pedro) I see the importance here

00:16:41.971 --> 00:16:43.990
of giving blessing and receiving blessing.

00:16:43.990 --> 00:16:45.573
Obviously, God is inviting us,

00:16:45.573 --> 00:16:48.413
I found it fascinating, inviting us
to bless Him.

00:16:48.413 --> 00:16:50.769
It's a practice we might not partake of

00:16:50.769 --> 00:16:53.243
with our hands and our actions.

00:16:53.243 --> 00:16:54.769
I see our hands as surrendering,

00:16:54.769 --> 00:16:56.746
and when I look at Timothy here, there is

00:16:56.746 --> 00:16:58.446
the aspect of lifting up your hands

00:16:58.446 --> 00:16:59.453
in a negative way,

00:16:59.453 --> 00:17:00.567
There is a positive way

00:17:00.567 --> 00:17:01.702
of lifting up our hands

00:17:01.702 --> 00:17:02.703
and a negative way.

00:17:02.703 --> 00:17:04.052
And we should say,

00:17:04.052 --> 00:17:05.907
"My works are of the Lord," as I think

00:17:05.907 --> 00:17:07.769
that's what we're seeing here.

00:17:07.769 --> 00:17:09.838
[Paul] is saying, "I'm worshiping You

00:17:09.838 --> 00:17:13.002
by saying my actions are Your actions."

00:17:13.002 --> 00:17:15.770
And that is important for us to understand

00:17:15.770 --> 00:17:17.409
the context that we're in,

00:17:17.409 --> 00:17:19.335
like drawing attention to God

00:17:19.335 --> 00:17:21.446
and not to ourselves.

00:17:21.446 --> 00:17:22.642
(John) Exactly, something

00:17:22.642 --> 00:17:23.774
that Pastor Derek said,

00:17:23.774 --> 00:17:25.173
and you are repeating, Pedro,

00:17:25.173 --> 00:17:26.832
which is important, is context.

00:17:26.832 --> 00:17:28.604
We need to know where we are

00:17:28.604 --> 00:17:29.611
and what we're doing,

00:17:29.611 --> 00:17:30.796
and why we are doing it.

00:17:30.796 --> 00:17:33.113
And not just because everyone is doing it,

00:17:33.113 --> 00:17:34.695
but the reason why it's

00:17:34.695 --> 00:17:37.746
being done. Travis.

00:17:37.746 --> 00:17:39.301
(Travis) I was just going to say

00:17:39.301 --> 00:17:40.458
what Pastor Derek said.

00:17:40.458 --> 00:17:46.439
If we're praising God and not trying

00:17:46.439 --> 00:17:47.972
to draw attention to ourselves,

00:17:47.972 --> 00:17:49.741
I don't think there is anything wrong

00:17:49.741 --> 00:17:51.348
with lifting your hands to heaven

00:17:51.348 --> 00:17:53.331
in adoration to God.

00:17:53.331 --> 00:17:55.272
(John) Okay, so the Scripture is clear

00:17:55.272 --> 00:17:56.839
that lifting up our hands

00:17:56.839 --> 00:18:00.194
to God in prayer is fine.

00:18:00.194 --> 00:18:02.906
And one Bible scholar writes

00:18:02.906 --> 00:18:05.183
that it's not a prescription,

00:18:05.183 --> 00:18:06.487
but the Bible is describing

00:18:06.487 --> 00:18:09.227
that it is allowed.

00:18:09.227 --> 00:18:10.754
But if a person doesn't do that,

00:18:10.754 --> 00:18:12.193
that doesn't mean that God

00:18:12.193 --> 00:18:14.323
is not being praised or that God

00:18:14.323 --> 00:18:16.162
is not answering their prayers either.

00:18:16.162 --> 00:18:19.546
And so, there is room for both.

00:18:19.546 --> 00:18:20.972
Now, there are times

00:18:20.972 --> 00:18:23.472
when lifting up our hands to God

00:18:23.472 --> 00:18:25.909
is inappropriate, or other ways

00:18:25.909 --> 00:18:28.151
of doing it, and, Pastor Derek,

00:18:28.151 --> 00:18:29.404
you alluded to it.

00:18:29.404 --> 00:18:31.040
Let's go to Matthew, chapter 6,

00:18:31.040 --> 00:18:32.730
verses 5 and 6; if I can ask Puia

00:18:32.730 --> 00:18:35.023
to please read that for us.

00:18:35.023 --> 00:18:36.626
(Puia) Sure, and I'll be reading

00:18:36.626 --> 00:18:38.225
from the New King James Version,

00:18:38.225 --> 00:18:40.576
Matthew 6, verses 5 and 6:

00:19:11.715 --> 00:19:13.107
(John) Thank you, Puia.

00:19:13.107 --> 00:19:14.814
So, question: Are there times

00:19:14.814 --> 00:19:16.547
when lifting up our hands

00:19:16.547 --> 00:19:17.974
is not appropriate?

00:19:17.974 --> 00:19:19.804
What do you think? Yes, Scott.

00:19:19.804 --> 00:19:22.133
(Scott) Worship is one of those things

00:19:22.133 --> 00:19:24.887
that has a significant cultural element

00:19:24.887 --> 00:19:27.201
to it, and with a worldwide audience,

00:19:27.201 --> 00:19:28.451
there are different people

00:19:28.451 --> 00:19:30.659
who feel different ways about it.

00:19:30.659 --> 00:19:32.944
And I think, as Derek mentioned,

00:19:32.944 --> 00:19:36.331
sometimes if we insist on expressing

00:19:36.331 --> 00:19:38.153
worship the way we're comfortable with

00:19:38.153 --> 00:19:39.612
in a setting where the people

00:19:39.612 --> 00:19:41.046
around us aren't comfortable

00:19:41.046 --> 00:19:43.232
with that same expression, it can cause

00:19:43.232 --> 00:19:45.776
distraction, even if it's not intentional.

00:19:45.776 --> 00:19:47.768
And it can cause trouble

00:19:47.768 --> 00:19:49.721
that doesn't need to be caused.

00:19:49.721 --> 00:19:51.752
(John) Okay, a distraction, a distraction

00:19:51.752 --> 00:19:54.137
where the focus is not so much on God

00:19:54.137 --> 00:19:56.769
but more about what I am doing.

00:19:56.769 --> 00:19:58.337
And that's what these Pharisees

00:19:58.337 --> 00:20:00.218
were doing; they would stand

00:20:00.218 --> 00:20:01.522
on street corners, and they

00:20:01.522 --> 00:20:03.235
would pray aloud because they wanted

00:20:03.235 --> 00:20:06.110
others to know, "See how righteous I am."

00:20:06.110 --> 00:20:10.070
And if those kinds of attitudes are

00:20:10.070 --> 00:20:12.681
what we have when lifting up our hands,

00:20:12.681 --> 00:20:14.723
that is to be avoided. Yes, Pedro.

00:20:14.723 --> 00:20:16.253
(Pedro) And I see the importance

00:20:16.253 --> 00:20:18.182
for us to care for others; Jesus told us

00:20:18.182 --> 00:20:20.250
to love others as ourselves.

00:20:20.250 --> 00:20:22.853
And drawing attention to ourselves

00:20:22.853 --> 00:20:24.403
in a room and saying, "Well, I'm

00:20:24.403 --> 00:20:25.382
doing this for God,"

00:20:25.382 --> 00:20:27.013
is not about the people around me.

00:20:27.013 --> 00:20:29.004
And God says to care for those around us.

00:20:29.004 --> 00:20:30.360
We are our brother's keeper.

00:20:30.360 --> 00:20:31.570
In the same way, if we're

00:20:31.570 --> 00:20:32.733
seeing someone doing it,

00:20:32.733 --> 00:20:34.667
remember it's your brother, your sister.

00:20:34.667 --> 00:20:36.292
Don't rebuke people for no reason.

00:20:36.292 --> 00:20:39.158
If they are adoring God, allow them

00:20:39.158 --> 00:20:41.948
to worship God with their hearts.

00:20:41.948 --> 00:20:43.486
(John) Exactly. Yes, Stephanie,

00:20:43.486 --> 00:20:45.331
you seem to have something to say?

00:20:45.331 --> 00:20:47.335
(Stephanie) I was just thinking that it's

00:20:47.335 --> 00:20:49.004
really a principle; it's a matter

00:20:49.004 --> 00:20:51.565
of principle that whatever we do,

00:20:51.565 --> 00:20:53.914
we do it to honor God in worship.

00:20:53.914 --> 00:20:55.297
That's the principle.

00:20:55.297 --> 00:20:58.940
(John) Exactly. And Leeah.

00:20:58.940 --> 00:21:00.387
(Leeah) I think it's very true

00:21:00.387 --> 00:21:02.931
that sometimes how we conduct ourselves

00:21:02.931 --> 00:21:04.282
physically in worship can be

00:21:04.282 --> 00:21:05.431
a distraction to others.

00:21:05.431 --> 00:21:07.722
But I've also found that sometimes

00:21:07.722 --> 00:21:09.725
it can be an encouragement to others.

00:21:09.725 --> 00:21:11.672
Sometimes people are ashamed

00:21:11.672 --> 00:21:13.173
that, you know, maybe they want

00:21:13.173 --> 00:21:14.134
to lift their hands,

00:21:14.134 --> 00:21:15.853
but they're uncomfortable doing so.

00:21:15.853 --> 00:21:17.797
So maybe sometimes our expression

00:21:17.797 --> 00:21:19.374
can give other people the freedom

00:21:19.374 --> 00:21:20.402
to express themselves

00:21:20.402 --> 00:21:21.749
before the Lord as well.

00:21:21.749 --> 00:21:24.847
(John) Amen. Yes, Nancy?

00:21:24.847 --> 00:21:26.748
(Nancy) It has to do with our attitude.

00:21:26.748 --> 00:21:29.491
If we have an attitude of worship,

00:21:29.491 --> 00:21:32.901
then yes, I think it will be noticed

00:21:32.901 --> 00:21:35.279
by those who are around us.

00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:37.586
But the most important thing is for us

00:21:37.586 --> 00:21:41.716
to truly be honoring God in our worship.

00:21:41.716 --> 00:21:45.687
(John) Amen. Travis, I saw your hand.

00:21:45.687 --> 00:21:47.611
(Travis) I was just going to comment

00:21:47.611 --> 00:21:50.674
on what was mentioned earlier

00:21:50.674 --> 00:21:53.589
about principle, and I think John

00:21:53.589 --> 00:21:57.204
the Baptist clearly held this principle

00:21:57.204 --> 00:21:58.954
in high regard, and it's John,

00:21:58.954 --> 00:22:03.880
chapter 3:30, and he says, "Jesus

00:22:03.880 --> 00:22:05.855
must increase, and I must decrease."

00:22:05.855 --> 00:22:10.693
So understanding who God is

00:22:10.693 --> 00:22:12.739
is really essential

00:22:12.739 --> 00:22:14.403
and I think is the principle.

00:22:14.403 --> 00:22:17.490
It's not about us; it's about Jesus.

00:22:17.490 --> 00:22:18.548
(John) Right. Pastor.

00:22:18.548 --> 00:22:19.949
(Derek) I just want to affirm

00:22:19.949 --> 00:22:21.981
what Leeah said, because if a person

00:22:21.981 --> 00:22:24.145
is leading worship and they're frowning -

00:22:24.145 --> 00:22:25.965
you talked about body language -

00:22:25.965 --> 00:22:28.775
and it's like, "Let's rejoice
in the Lord."

00:22:28.775 --> 00:22:31.136
And people are like, "I don't believe you.

00:22:31.136 --> 00:22:33.724
You don't <i>look</i> like you're rejoicing."

00:22:33.724 --> 00:22:35.411
So, I don't want to be the focus

00:22:35.411 --> 00:22:37.286
of attention, but I do want,

00:22:37.286 --> 00:22:39.820
as Jason said earlier, my whole body

00:22:39.820 --> 00:22:43.333
to communicate how great God is.

00:22:43.333 --> 00:22:45.532
And I think that's where we're just asking

00:22:45.532 --> 00:22:48.463
the Holy Spirit to guide us

00:22:48.463 --> 00:22:51.725
as to what is an appropriate way

00:22:51.725 --> 00:22:53.872
with our words, with our body language,

00:22:53.872 --> 00:22:56.321
with the way that we say those words

00:22:56.321 --> 00:22:57.682
to really honor God.

00:22:57.682 --> 00:22:59.274
(John) Exactly. What's amazing

00:22:59.274 --> 00:23:02.531
is that the Bible is very balanced.

00:23:02.531 --> 00:23:04.804
It's giving room for...If you want

00:23:04.804 --> 00:23:06.866
to express your praise to God,

00:23:06.866 --> 00:23:08.181
your prayers to God,

00:23:08.181 --> 00:23:10.288
using your hands is absolutely fine.

00:23:10.288 --> 00:23:11.624
But on the other hand, it is

00:23:11.624 --> 00:23:13.011
important that we don't have

00:23:13.011 --> 00:23:14.714
a self-centered attitude

00:23:14.714 --> 00:23:17.238
or even at times borrow from culture

00:23:17.238 --> 00:23:19.125
the practicing of waving hands

00:23:19.125 --> 00:23:21.231
and lifting up our hands

00:23:21.231 --> 00:23:23.537
and saying that we're praising God,

00:23:23.537 --> 00:23:25.684
but it's really coming out from culture.

00:23:25.684 --> 00:23:27.791
But it ought to come

00:23:27.791 --> 00:23:30.560
from the sole purpose of praising God

00:23:30.560 --> 00:23:32.980
and offering to God our praise.

00:23:32.980 --> 00:23:34.955
Puia and then we'll go to the next point.

00:23:34.955 --> 00:23:36.797
(Puia) Yes, I just wanted to highlight

00:23:36.797 --> 00:23:38.564
also the point from Matthew 6

00:23:38.564 --> 00:23:40.870
where we read, Jesus, I believe,

00:23:40.870 --> 00:23:42.544
differentiated the way

00:23:42.544 --> 00:23:44.718
you worship God individually

00:23:44.718 --> 00:23:46.783
versus in a group, right?

00:23:46.783 --> 00:23:48.777
So, I think it's important to be mindful

00:23:48.777 --> 00:23:49.947
about how we worship God

00:23:49.947 --> 00:23:51.117
when we come as a group.

00:23:51.117 --> 00:23:52.662
But when you go into the closet,

00:23:52.662 --> 00:23:53.817
and you pray before God,

00:23:53.817 --> 00:23:56.530
lift up your hands, and maybe you want

00:23:56.530 --> 00:23:58.282
to move around as you pray.

00:23:58.282 --> 00:23:59.779
Sometimes I pray while walking,

00:23:59.779 --> 00:24:01.936
so I think you can differentiate

00:24:01.936 --> 00:24:03.804
between individual worship

00:24:03.804 --> 00:24:05.947
versus group worship as well.

00:24:05.947 --> 00:24:07.548
(John) Thank you, Puia.

00:24:07.548 --> 00:24:09.764
So we're having a lively discussion here

00:24:09.764 --> 00:24:13.815
about lifting up our hands. Stephanie?

00:24:13.815 --> 00:24:15.058
(Stephanie) Something else

00:24:15.058 --> 00:24:16.893
that came to my mind is, really, we're

00:24:16.893 --> 00:24:18.051
the only ones that know

00:24:18.051 --> 00:24:20.457
if our relationship with God

00:24:20.457 --> 00:24:23.017
is allowing us to truly honor Him

00:24:23.017 --> 00:24:25.758
when we're doing anything in worship.

00:24:25.758 --> 00:24:29.345
So, it's very difficult to be able

00:24:29.345 --> 00:24:31.321
to judge someone's motives.

00:24:31.321 --> 00:24:34.312
And that's hard, right?

00:24:34.312 --> 00:24:37.038
But really we need to pray that God

00:24:37.038 --> 00:24:39.230
will use that person,

00:24:39.230 --> 00:24:40.874
wherever they're at, and trust

00:24:40.874 --> 00:24:42.706
that God will lead them.

00:24:42.706 --> 00:24:44.259
(John) Sure. Thank you all

00:24:44.259 --> 00:24:45.162
for your comments.

00:24:45.162 --> 00:24:47.015
And maybe those of you who are watching

00:24:47.015 --> 00:24:49.611
either on YouTube or on TV, you know,

00:24:49.611 --> 00:24:50.972
write down what you think

00:24:50.972 --> 00:24:53.653
about this topic on our YouTube channel

00:24:53.653 --> 00:24:56.204
or Facebook page, or email to us

00:24:56.204 --> 00:24:58.363
what you think about this topic,

00:24:58.363 --> 00:25:00.334
because you are also part

00:25:00.334 --> 00:25:01.846
of this discussion.

00:25:01.846 --> 00:25:04.231
Let's go to our next topic here,

00:25:04.231 --> 00:25:07.153
praising the Lord with our whole hearts.

00:25:07.153 --> 00:25:11.544
If I can ask Nancy to please read to us

00:25:11.544 --> 00:25:15.233
from Psalm, chapter 9, verses 1 and 2,

00:25:15.233 --> 00:25:18.911
Psalm, chapter 9, verses 1 and 2.

00:25:18.911 --> 00:25:19.900
(Nancy) I'm reading

00:25:19.900 --> 00:25:21.959
from the New American Standard Bible:

00:25:36.877 --> 00:25:38.614
(John) Okay, thank you.

00:25:38.614 --> 00:25:40.727
So, here the psalmist is saying

00:25:40.727 --> 00:25:42.813
that he will give thanks to the Lord

00:25:42.813 --> 00:25:45.036
with his whole heart.

00:25:45.036 --> 00:25:47.371
So in contrast, is it possible

00:25:47.371 --> 00:25:51.188
to give thanks to God half-heartedly?

00:25:51.188 --> 00:25:52.227
(Team Member) Sure.

00:25:52.227 --> 00:25:54.471
(John) For sure, right?

00:25:54.471 --> 00:25:58.258
What does it mean, actually, to praise God

00:25:58.258 --> 00:25:59.813
with our whole heart?

00:25:59.813 --> 00:26:03.037
What does that look like practically?
Stephanie?

00:26:03.037 --> 00:26:04.564
(Stephanie) I feel like it means

00:26:04.564 --> 00:26:06.212
a full surrender to Jesus.

00:26:06.212 --> 00:26:07.861
We're fully surrendered to Him,

00:26:07.861 --> 00:26:09.869
and so we're giving Him praise

00:26:09.869 --> 00:26:11.198
with all of our heart.

00:26:11.198 --> 00:26:12.814
He has everything of us.

00:26:12.814 --> 00:26:14.388
(John) Okay. Heide?

00:26:14.388 --> 00:26:16.201
(Heide) I think that he's answering it

00:26:16.201 --> 00:26:17.775
right here in this verse

00:26:17.775 --> 00:26:20.256
because he's telling you, "I will tell

00:26:20.256 --> 00:26:21.742
of Your marvelous works."

00:26:21.742 --> 00:26:23.789
In other words, share what God

00:26:23.789 --> 00:26:27.735
has actually literally done in your life.

00:26:27.735 --> 00:26:29.731
And he's also telling you,

00:26:29.731 --> 00:26:32.795
being glad, that's a way that we are

00:26:32.795 --> 00:26:34.795
praising the Lord with our whole hearts,

00:26:34.795 --> 00:26:39.181
just by continuing to be full of joy

00:26:39.181 --> 00:26:41.255
amidst the trials of life.

00:26:41.255 --> 00:26:46.258
We're also praising the Lord by singing;

00:26:46.258 --> 00:26:48.166
he's telling us this is another way

00:26:48.166 --> 00:26:51.839
that you can praise Him and worship Him.

00:26:51.839 --> 00:26:54.162
So he's telling us right here

00:26:54.162 --> 00:26:55.823
what we need to do.

00:26:55.823 --> 00:26:57.721
(John) Okay, thank you, Heide. Puia.

00:26:57.721 --> 00:26:59.926
(Puia) I just wanted to comment

00:26:59.926 --> 00:27:03.316
that sometimes life can be difficult,

00:27:03.316 --> 00:27:06.521
and we may not be able to give praise

00:27:06.521 --> 00:27:07.981
to God with all our hearts

00:27:07.981 --> 00:27:11.156
and with joy and gladness all the time.

00:27:11.156 --> 00:27:12.496
But I think the key point is

00:27:12.496 --> 00:27:13.904
to just come to God.

00:27:13.904 --> 00:27:15.465
Just come to God and come to Him

00:27:15.465 --> 00:27:17.141
with your trouble, and as Stephanie

00:27:17.141 --> 00:27:18.602
pointed out, surrender

00:27:18.602 --> 00:27:20.103
your troubles to Him.

00:27:20.103 --> 00:27:21.787
And I believe that's the key point

00:27:21.787 --> 00:27:24.369
about praising God with our whole heart.

00:27:24.369 --> 00:27:26.048
(John) I want to focus on something

00:27:26.048 --> 00:27:28.820
that you said, Puia, "Just come to God."

00:27:28.820 --> 00:27:30.664
You know, sometimes when we recognize

00:27:30.664 --> 00:27:32.632
that we are not wholehearted

00:27:32.632 --> 00:27:34.025
in wanting to worship God

00:27:34.025 --> 00:27:35.796
or wanting to follow His truth,

00:27:35.796 --> 00:27:37.394
the amazing thing about God

00:27:37.394 --> 00:27:39.671
is that you can be honest to Him about it.

00:27:39.671 --> 00:27:41.491
And we can say, "God, I don't feel

00:27:41.491 --> 00:27:43.893
like I'm doing this wholeheartedly,

00:27:43.893 --> 00:27:45.484
but please help me do it,"

00:27:45.484 --> 00:27:47.156
and God will help you do it.

00:27:47.156 --> 00:27:49.284
And those moments when you are

00:27:49.284 --> 00:27:51.339
vulnerable with God are when you

00:27:51.339 --> 00:27:54.000
can get closer to Him. Pedro.

00:27:54.000 --> 00:27:55.118
(Pedro) It is important

00:27:55.118 --> 00:27:56.764
to also look at the context here.

00:27:56.764 --> 00:27:58.683
David is praising God

00:27:58.683 --> 00:28:00.055
amidst the death of his son.

00:28:00.055 --> 00:28:01.961
I'm not sure if it was Bathsheba's child

00:28:01.961 --> 00:28:03.303
or Absalom; I believe it was

00:28:03.303 --> 00:28:06.229
Bathsheba's, her son.

00:28:06.229 --> 00:28:07.744
And look at ourselves.

00:28:07.744 --> 00:28:09.532
Imagine, I'm willing to say,

00:28:09.532 --> 00:28:13.315
"God, You are worthy,

00:28:13.315 --> 00:28:17.862
even in my most tragic moment,"
wholeheartedly.

00:28:17.862 --> 00:28:19.024
There are people today

00:28:19.024 --> 00:28:20.614
who have sentiments, "Why did God

00:28:20.614 --> 00:28:23.024
allow my child to go through this,

00:28:23.024 --> 00:28:25.629
or someone that I love, or the pain

00:28:25.629 --> 00:28:27.056
that I'm suffering right now?"

00:28:27.056 --> 00:28:29.959
And God says, "Come to Me."

00:28:29.959 --> 00:28:31.531
(Derek) Wow, that's so powerful,

00:28:31.531 --> 00:28:32.632
because my whole heart

00:28:32.632 --> 00:28:34.533
could be a broken heart,

00:28:34.533 --> 00:28:37.855
but I come to Him in total surrender.

00:28:37.855 --> 00:28:39.231
That's a beautiful thought,

00:28:39.231 --> 00:28:43.202
and it's something I long for, John.

00:28:43.202 --> 00:28:47.783
I long to just let go of all of my fears,

00:28:47.783 --> 00:28:50.719
not worry about what people think,

00:28:50.719 --> 00:28:54.898
and just worship God with my whole heart.

00:28:54.898 --> 00:28:57.656
(John) Powerful. Lilica?

00:28:57.656 --> 00:28:58.858
(Lilica) The very thought

00:28:58.858 --> 00:29:00.526
of being vulnerable before God

00:29:00.526 --> 00:29:03.138
is worship Him with your whole heart,

00:29:03.138 --> 00:29:04.512
because you open your heart.

00:29:04.512 --> 00:29:07.320
You're being naked before Him.

00:29:07.320 --> 00:29:09.367
David is the one that is called

00:29:09.367 --> 00:29:12.557
a man after God's own heart.

00:29:12.557 --> 00:29:14.591
Every single time you see

00:29:14.591 --> 00:29:15.696
in the Old Testament...

00:29:15.696 --> 00:29:18.169
I have in the back of my Bible, written,

00:29:18.169 --> 00:29:20.320
the times where David is mentioned

00:29:20.320 --> 00:29:23.111
during the kings of Judah,

00:29:23.111 --> 00:29:27.204
and it says that, "This one followed God

00:29:27.204 --> 00:29:29.091
as David did follow God

00:29:29.091 --> 00:29:30.062
with all his heart,"

00:29:30.062 --> 00:29:32.407
something like that; I'm paraphrasing.

00:29:32.407 --> 00:29:35.774
But it mentions that the king

00:29:35.774 --> 00:29:38.542
followed God as David followed God

00:29:38.542 --> 00:29:39.944
with all his heart.

00:29:39.944 --> 00:29:42.673
It's being open; tell God,

00:29:42.673 --> 00:29:44.768
the One who only can see.

00:29:44.768 --> 00:29:46.886
I love what John Bunyan,

00:29:46.886 --> 00:29:49.653
if I'm pronouncing it right, who wrote

00:29:49.653 --> 00:29:52.974
the book <i>The Pilgrim's Progress,</i> said,

00:29:52.974 --> 00:29:55.984
"It's better to have heart without words

00:29:55.984 --> 00:29:58.209
than words without heart."

00:29:58.209 --> 00:30:01.798
When we come before God, speak it,

00:30:01.798 --> 00:30:04.140
whatever it is, say it.

00:30:04.140 --> 00:30:06.441
And that is what He is concerned about.

00:30:06.441 --> 00:30:07.386
(Derek) Praise God.

00:30:07.386 --> 00:30:08.974
(John) Amen. Tendi and then we'll

00:30:08.974 --> 00:30:10.357
go to the next verse.

00:30:10.357 --> 00:30:12.196
(Tendi) I learned today

00:30:12.196 --> 00:30:14.547
that when you trust,

00:30:14.547 --> 00:30:17.260
a hormone called oxytocin is released

00:30:17.260 --> 00:30:19.083
into your system, and it's

00:30:19.083 --> 00:30:20.655
the same hormone that's released

00:30:20.655 --> 00:30:22.102
when you're in love

00:30:22.102 --> 00:30:25.052
or when you do something with a purpose.

00:30:25.052 --> 00:30:27.458
And I believe worship, when you worship

00:30:27.458 --> 00:30:29.038
God with your whole heart,

00:30:29.038 --> 00:30:31.547
that hormone is released in your body,

00:30:31.547 --> 00:30:33.339
and it shows in your countenance

00:30:33.339 --> 00:30:35.137
that you're worshiping God.

00:30:35.137 --> 00:30:36.395
So, that's what worshiping

00:30:36.395 --> 00:30:38.356
with your whole heart means to me.

00:30:38.356 --> 00:30:39.717
(John) Okay, so there is

00:30:39.717 --> 00:30:42.756
a deep connection with our spirituality

00:30:42.756 --> 00:30:45.680
and even our own bodies, right?

00:30:45.680 --> 00:30:48.832
And there are studies which say

00:30:48.832 --> 00:30:51.613
that people that attend religious services

00:30:51.613 --> 00:30:53.349
are actually much more happy,

00:30:53.349 --> 00:30:54.375
and they are able

00:30:54.375 --> 00:30:56.593
to overcome negative thoughts.

00:30:56.593 --> 00:30:57.987
And so maybe there is someone

00:30:57.987 --> 00:30:59.702
who is watching, and you don't care

00:30:59.702 --> 00:31:01.654
about God or the Bible, but you are

00:31:01.654 --> 00:31:03.478
in a quandary in your own life.

00:31:03.478 --> 00:31:05.088
I want to assure you that if you

00:31:05.088 --> 00:31:06.808
begin praising God,

00:31:06.808 --> 00:31:09.211
attend church services, that your life

00:31:09.211 --> 00:31:11.058
will completely turn around.

00:31:11.058 --> 00:31:12.377
(Team) Amen.

00:31:12.377 --> 00:31:13.975
(John) Let's go to another verse,

00:31:13.975 --> 00:31:16.789
Psalm 113, verses 1, 2 and 3.

00:31:16.789 --> 00:31:19.135
If I can have Heide please read that

00:31:19.135 --> 00:31:24.442
to us, Psalm 113, verses 1, 2 and 3.

00:31:24.442 --> 00:31:25.607
(Heide) I'll be reading

00:31:25.607 --> 00:31:28.394
from the New King James Version,
and it says:

00:31:47.716 --> 00:31:49.601
(John) Okay, there is a lot of praising

00:31:49.601 --> 00:31:51.142
going on in these verses,

00:31:51.142 --> 00:31:53.910
and in verse 3 the psalmist says,

00:31:53.910 --> 00:31:55.822
"From the rising of the sun

00:31:55.822 --> 00:31:57.364
to its setting," that's

00:31:57.364 --> 00:31:59.711
pretty much our whole day, right?

00:31:59.711 --> 00:32:01.271
And, I mean, you're at work,

00:32:01.271 --> 00:32:03.661
you're at school, maybe you're

00:32:03.661 --> 00:32:07.049
a homemaker, you're just doing
different things.

00:32:07.049 --> 00:32:10.714
How are we, twenty-first century
busy people,

00:32:10.714 --> 00:32:12.380
supposed to praise God

00:32:12.380 --> 00:32:14.060
from the morning until the evening?

00:32:14.060 --> 00:32:16.540
How does that practically happen? Lilica.

00:32:16.540 --> 00:32:18.299
(Lilica) As a Pathfinder, we have one

00:32:18.299 --> 00:32:19.819
of the laws that says

00:32:19.819 --> 00:32:23.800
to have always a song in your heart.

00:32:23.800 --> 00:32:25.595
You may be singing, even if you

00:32:25.595 --> 00:32:29.485
are not expressing it aloud.

00:32:29.485 --> 00:32:31.200
(John) Okay. Yes, Nancy.

00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:33.071
(Nancy) It reminds me of my grandmother

00:32:33.071 --> 00:32:34.812
who used to always be singing hymns

00:32:34.812 --> 00:32:36.154
as she was cooking.

00:32:36.154 --> 00:32:38.094
I have that memory of her, as a child,

00:32:38.094 --> 00:32:41.388
and, yes, she was a very positive
and gentle person.

00:32:41.388 --> 00:32:42.810
And I think when we fill

00:32:42.810 --> 00:32:44.554
our hearts and our minds

00:32:44.554 --> 00:32:47.827
with the words of God, it helps us.

00:32:47.827 --> 00:32:49.907
It helps us through anything.

00:32:49.907 --> 00:32:51.800
(John) Singing, singing whether you

00:32:51.800 --> 00:32:53.518
are working, doing schoolwork

00:32:53.518 --> 00:32:54.995
or humming a song.

00:32:54.995 --> 00:32:56.210
You can probably memorize

00:32:56.210 --> 00:32:58.385
the Scripture songs that we play here.

00:32:58.385 --> 00:32:59.960
What do you think, Pastor Derek?

00:32:59.960 --> 00:33:01.542
(Derek) Well, I think so, and God

00:33:01.542 --> 00:33:03.076
has given us the ability to do

00:33:03.076 --> 00:33:06.543
more than one thing at the same time.

00:33:06.543 --> 00:33:07.676
Nancy gave an example,

00:33:07.676 --> 00:33:09.501
while her grandmother was cooking.

00:33:09.501 --> 00:33:11.253
You can be driving to the office

00:33:11.253 --> 00:33:13.383
or driving to school, and you can

00:33:13.383 --> 00:33:14.992
be praising God at the same time.

00:33:14.992 --> 00:33:16.491
You're still watching the road,

00:33:16.491 --> 00:33:18.523
but God has given us that ability.

00:33:18.523 --> 00:33:20.680
And I think when the psalmist says

00:33:20.680 --> 00:33:22.937
in Psalm 16, "I've set the Lord

00:33:22.937 --> 00:33:25.390
<i>always</i> before me.

00:33:25.390 --> 00:33:26.754
When He is at my right hand,

00:33:26.754 --> 00:33:29.673
I will not be moved," will not be shaken,

00:33:29.673 --> 00:33:32.399
that tells me I can praise God

00:33:32.399 --> 00:33:35.168
at all times, like the text says,

00:33:35.168 --> 00:33:38.026
while I'm going about my regular day.

00:33:38.026 --> 00:33:39.941
(John) Okay, and song plays a huge role,

00:33:39.941 --> 00:33:42.347
singing and music play a huge role,

00:33:42.347 --> 00:33:44.746
which we will come to in a bit. Puia.

00:33:44.746 --> 00:33:45.879
(Puia) You asked, John,

00:33:45.879 --> 00:33:48.786
about the practical application

00:33:48.786 --> 00:33:51.822
in the twenty-first century.

00:33:51.822 --> 00:33:53.942
For me, in the morning

00:33:53.942 --> 00:33:56.059
when I get up, what helps me is

00:33:56.059 --> 00:33:58.056
listening to gospel music,

00:33:58.056 --> 00:34:01.479
and before I go to bed I read a Bible text

00:34:01.479 --> 00:34:03.718
or listen to a podcast,

00:34:03.718 --> 00:34:05.409
and I fall asleep with it.

00:34:05.409 --> 00:34:07.537
And I believe that sets the tone

00:34:07.537 --> 00:34:09.448
for my morning and evening.

00:34:09.448 --> 00:34:11.725
(John) Okay, so you begin the morning

00:34:11.725 --> 00:34:14.448
praising God, focusing your mind on God.

00:34:14.448 --> 00:34:15.948
You think through what you read

00:34:15.948 --> 00:34:18.563
in the Bible or what you listen to 
in a sermon,

00:34:18.563 --> 00:34:21.452
and you go to bed, falling asleep

00:34:21.452 --> 00:34:22.845
thinking about God, you know,

00:34:22.845 --> 00:34:26.116
that constant communication
with God. Pedro.

00:34:26.116 --> 00:34:27.717
(Pedro) I see the importance here

00:34:27.717 --> 00:34:28.678
as well for actions.

00:34:28.678 --> 00:34:30.544
God says in the fourth commandment

00:34:30.544 --> 00:34:32.639
"In six days you shall labor

00:34:32.639 --> 00:34:34.683
and do all your work," but the labor

00:34:34.683 --> 00:34:36.146
is continuing to be reflecting

00:34:36.146 --> 00:34:37.614
the character of God.

00:34:37.614 --> 00:34:40.328
Everything I do; I drive on the road;

00:34:40.328 --> 00:34:41.385
am I reflecting Jesus?

00:34:41.385 --> 00:34:42.910
It's worship, my actions.

00:34:42.910 --> 00:34:44.457
We talked about hands earlier;

00:34:44.457 --> 00:34:46.467
my actions can be put into worship,

00:34:46.467 --> 00:34:48.080
how I treat others;

00:34:48.080 --> 00:34:49.373
that's an act of worship.

00:34:49.373 --> 00:34:53.272
"If you have done it others, you have done
it to Me," is an act of worship that God

00:34:53.272 --> 00:34:55.983
is inviting us to do, so actions
play a huge role in that.

00:34:55.983 --> 00:34:57.360
(John) ...In whatever we do,

00:34:57.360 --> 00:34:58.278
we can worship God.

00:34:58.278 --> 00:35:01.228
You know, if there is a job given,

00:35:01.228 --> 00:35:03.072
and you do that job well,

00:35:03.072 --> 00:35:04.741
you do that job with integrity,

00:35:04.741 --> 00:35:06.287
that is worship to God.

00:35:06.287 --> 00:35:07.290
That is praising God.

00:35:07.290 --> 00:35:09.420
I mean, the Bible says

00:35:09.420 --> 00:35:11.670
that whatever you do,

00:35:11.670 --> 00:35:16.517
do it all for the glory of God, right?
Yes, Tendi.

00:35:16.517 --> 00:35:18.196
(Tendi) You could also worship Him

00:35:18.196 --> 00:35:20.109
with your personality.

00:35:20.109 --> 00:35:22.677
Be a loving and lovable Christian

00:35:22.677 --> 00:35:25.462
to be around; that is worship.

00:35:25.462 --> 00:35:28.344
(John) Okay, being a loving
and a lovable Christian.

00:35:28.344 --> 00:35:31.374
Now, some of you talked about singing

00:35:31.374 --> 00:35:33.320
through the day or using music

00:35:33.320 --> 00:35:34.952
through the day, humming a song,

00:35:34.952 --> 00:35:37.341
singing a song, listening to songs.

00:35:37.341 --> 00:35:38.811
And let's see what the Bible

00:35:38.811 --> 00:35:41.886
has to say about the role of music

00:35:41.886 --> 00:35:44.511
and singing in worship.

00:35:44.511 --> 00:35:46.864
If I can have Tendi please read to us

00:35:46.864 --> 00:35:51.025
from Psalm 33, verses 1, 2 and 3,

00:35:51.025 --> 00:35:54.389
Psalm 33, verses 1, 2 and 3.

00:35:54.389 --> 00:35:55.707
(Tendi) And I'll be reading

00:35:55.707 --> 00:35:57.767
in the English Standard Version,

00:35:57.767 --> 00:36:00.417
Psalm 33, verses 1, 2 and 3:

00:36:22.027 --> 00:36:25.164
(John) Okay, we see that when the psalmist

00:36:25.164 --> 00:36:27.300
is writing, there is a lot of happiness

00:36:27.300 --> 00:36:29.124
surrounding him, right?

00:36:29.124 --> 00:36:31.615
And it says that musical instruments

00:36:31.615 --> 00:36:33.642
are being used in worship.

00:36:33.642 --> 00:36:36.938
There are lyrics being used in worship.

00:36:36.938 --> 00:36:39.593
You know, music plays an important role

00:36:39.593 --> 00:36:42.033
in worship, and specifically the types

00:36:42.033 --> 00:36:44.300
of music we listen to enhance

00:36:44.300 --> 00:36:46.147
our frontal lobes, and it has

00:36:46.147 --> 00:36:48.578
biological implications, too, right?

00:36:48.578 --> 00:36:51.919
It has both negative and positive effects.

00:36:51.919 --> 00:36:54.403
Songs that are based on Scripture

00:36:54.403 --> 00:36:55.632
and music that is based

00:36:55.632 --> 00:36:58.172
on the principles of Scripture

00:36:58.172 --> 00:36:59.802
truly help us to worship God

00:36:59.802 --> 00:37:02.372
in the right way, right?

00:37:02.372 --> 00:37:04.232
And, Stephanie, you seem like

00:37:04.232 --> 00:37:05.636
you have something to say.

00:37:05.636 --> 00:37:07.372
(Stephanie) I just saw in verse 3,

00:37:07.372 --> 00:37:09.232
it says, "Play skillfully

00:37:09.232 --> 00:37:11.620
with a shout of joy."

00:37:11.620 --> 00:37:13.654
There's this sense of peace,

00:37:13.654 --> 00:37:17.672
of contentment and satisfaction in Jesus,

00:37:17.672 --> 00:37:20.112
so again, pointing to Him.

00:37:20.112 --> 00:37:21.542
(Derek) John, you know my wife

00:37:21.542 --> 00:37:23.052
likes to write Scripture songs

00:37:23.052 --> 00:37:25.061
and put them to a melody so we can sing.

00:37:25.061 --> 00:37:27.312
Sometimes she'll see maybe a CD

00:37:27.312 --> 00:37:30.116
of Scripture songs, but they

00:37:30.116 --> 00:37:31.777
plug in the harp, and they crank

00:37:31.777 --> 00:37:35.011
the decibels up so loud that you

00:37:35.011 --> 00:37:36.036
can't hear the words,

00:37:36.036 --> 00:37:38.234
and it's hurting your ears.

00:37:38.234 --> 00:37:41.037
I think the principle there again

00:37:41.037 --> 00:37:44.839
is the instrument and the volume of it

00:37:44.839 --> 00:37:46.883
and maybe how it's played

00:37:46.883 --> 00:37:48.171
also pointing to God,

00:37:48.171 --> 00:37:50.077
or is it a distraction.

00:37:50.077 --> 00:37:54.035
A person says, "Well, no instruments;

00:37:54.035 --> 00:37:55.251
we just sing a cappella."

00:37:55.251 --> 00:37:56.815
Well, like you said earlier,

00:37:56.815 --> 00:37:58.968
we certainly have permission

00:37:58.968 --> 00:38:01.334
to use the 10-stringed instrument, right,

00:38:01.334 --> 00:38:04.934
but we always make sure that the product

00:38:04.934 --> 00:38:07.402
of that is glorifying God.

00:38:07.402 --> 00:38:09.361
(John) Exactly. Yes, Pedro.

00:38:09.361 --> 00:38:11.463
(Pedro) And I see in the text here, Derek,

00:38:11.463 --> 00:38:14.486
it says, "Play skillfully,"

00:38:14.486 --> 00:38:16.292
even, "with a shout."

00:38:16.292 --> 00:38:18.079
You know, I'm not just going to yell.

00:38:18.079 --> 00:38:20.629
It's skillfully use your shout, and I see

00:38:20.629 --> 00:38:22.662
choruses from different parts of the world

00:38:22.662 --> 00:38:25.004
that give that emphasis

00:38:25.004 --> 00:38:27.974
on that beautiful voice tune

00:38:27.974 --> 00:38:29.603
that God has given us.

00:38:29.603 --> 00:38:30.586
(John) Puia?

00:38:30.586 --> 00:38:32.006
(Puia) A few years ago, I had

00:38:32.006 --> 00:38:33.587
the privilege of doing evangelism

00:38:33.587 --> 00:38:36.201
in India, and I was invited to preach

00:38:36.201 --> 00:38:41.110
in a prison, and I was a bit unsure

00:38:41.110 --> 00:38:43.000
about what I was going to face.

00:38:43.000 --> 00:38:44.838
And so the guards escorted us

00:38:44.838 --> 00:38:46.831
inside the prison, and they

00:38:46.831 --> 00:38:48.535
seated us in the chapel.

00:38:48.535 --> 00:38:51.185
And then the prisoners started coming in,

00:38:51.185 --> 00:38:55.235
and as we started singing I was surprised.

00:38:55.235 --> 00:38:57.494
These prisoners had given their hearts

00:38:57.494 --> 00:38:59.708
to Jesus, and they praised God

00:38:59.708 --> 00:39:00.852
with all their hearts.

00:39:00.852 --> 00:39:02.357
We sang songs that we

00:39:02.357 --> 00:39:04.708
normally sing in our churches,

00:39:04.708 --> 00:39:06.917
but the level of commitment

00:39:06.917 --> 00:39:10.225
or the level of joy that they expressed

00:39:10.225 --> 00:39:12.496
as they were praising God with the songs

00:39:12.496 --> 00:39:14.084
just moved my heart.

00:39:14.084 --> 00:39:16.585
It tells me that when we

00:39:16.585 --> 00:39:18.337
talked about freedom, it's not

00:39:18.337 --> 00:39:20.067
really where you are at, is it?

00:39:20.067 --> 00:39:22.910
It's where your heart is.

00:39:22.910 --> 00:39:25.385
(John) Powerful. Yes, Pedro.

00:39:25.385 --> 00:39:26.572
(Pedro) I just mentioned

00:39:26.572 --> 00:39:28.358
wholeheartedly singing, right,

00:39:28.358 --> 00:39:30.199
that they are praising God, and I had

00:39:30.199 --> 00:39:31.832
a similar experience as well going

00:39:31.832 --> 00:39:38.838
to visit a very high facility
near my house.

00:39:38.838 --> 00:39:41.545
And I saw men singing with their hearts,

00:39:41.545 --> 00:39:43.498
hugging each other, praising God

00:39:43.498 --> 00:39:46.186
because God has changed their hearts,

00:39:46.186 --> 00:39:48.364
and a heart change, praise God.

00:39:48.364 --> 00:39:49.633
(Team) Amen.

00:39:49.633 --> 00:39:51.394
(John) Let's look at two more verses

00:39:51.394 --> 00:39:52.648
in the book of Psalms,

00:39:52.648 --> 00:39:55.417
and I want you to observe,

00:39:55.417 --> 00:39:58.374
there is a phrase that is repeated,

00:39:58.374 --> 00:40:00.212
and I want you to observe that phrase.

00:40:00.212 --> 00:40:03.051
If I can have Stephanie please read to us

00:40:03.051 --> 00:40:05.533
Psalm 40 and verse 3,

00:40:05.533 --> 00:40:08.050
and after which if Leah can please read

00:40:08.050 --> 00:40:11.722
Psalm 98, verse 1.

00:40:11.722 --> 00:40:13.842
Psalm 40, verse 3,

00:40:13.842 --> 00:40:16.300
and then Leeah Psalm 98, verse 1.

00:40:16.300 --> 00:40:17.796
(Stephanie) And I'll be reading

00:40:17.796 --> 00:40:19.319
from the New King James Version:

00:40:28.085 --> 00:40:30.816
(John) Okay, a new song. Leeah?

00:40:30.816 --> 00:40:31.759
(Leeah) I'm reading

00:40:31.759 --> 00:40:33.435
from the English Standard Version,

00:40:33.435 --> 00:40:35.251
Psalm 98, verse 1:

00:40:45.046 --> 00:40:46.577
(John) Okay, what is the phrase

00:40:46.577 --> 00:40:47.684
that is being repeated?

00:40:47.684 --> 00:40:48.570
(Team) A new song.

00:40:48.570 --> 00:40:50.668
(John) A new song, a new song.

00:40:50.668 --> 00:40:52.699
And so, while it is good that we use

00:40:52.699 --> 00:40:56.054
the book of Psalms to make new songs

00:40:56.054 --> 00:40:59.169
or give new tunes to them

00:40:59.169 --> 00:41:01.269
with the same old lyrics,

00:41:01.269 --> 00:41:02.609
but the Bible also tells us

00:41:02.609 --> 00:41:04.488
that we can write new songs.

00:41:04.488 --> 00:41:05.610
And in the last study,

00:41:05.610 --> 00:41:07.401
we talked about journaling.

00:41:07.401 --> 00:41:09.224
Pastor Derek, you talked about how you

00:41:09.224 --> 00:41:10.999
were inspired to journal.

00:41:10.999 --> 00:41:13.712
And maybe God is calling some of us

00:41:13.712 --> 00:41:15.590
to write of our experiences

00:41:15.590 --> 00:41:18.477
with Him in songs. Yes, Pedro.

00:41:18.477 --> 00:41:19.967
(Pedro) I find it fascinating,

00:41:19.967 --> 00:41:21.259
I'm originally from Brazil,

00:41:21.259 --> 00:41:23.072
and recently in Brazi,l in our church,

00:41:23.072 --> 00:41:23.978
changed the hymnal.

00:41:23.978 --> 00:41:25.080
They updated the hymnal

00:41:25.080 --> 00:41:27.054
with new songs, and it was

00:41:27.054 --> 00:41:29.791
a very exciting experience

00:41:29.791 --> 00:41:31.480
because now we have different songs

00:41:31.480 --> 00:41:32.869
that people have been singing

00:41:32.869 --> 00:41:34.740
that now have been added to the hymnal.

00:41:34.740 --> 00:41:36.197
So it's easy access to people,

00:41:36.197 --> 00:41:37.133
and they have added

00:41:37.133 --> 00:41:39.099
a little section just for the kids,

00:41:39.099 --> 00:41:40.475
and my daughter sings them.

00:41:40.475 --> 00:41:42.433
So, she loves to go through that section

00:41:42.433 --> 00:41:44.206
of the kids songs inside the hymnal,

00:41:44.206 --> 00:41:47.460
and she feels part of that book as well.

00:41:47.460 --> 00:41:49.983
It's not just, "Oh, the old hymnal,"

00:41:49.983 --> 00:41:52.306
it's now, "It's my hymnal."

00:41:52.306 --> 00:41:54.590
(John) One thing that I love

00:41:54.590 --> 00:41:56.734
to do with hymns

00:41:56.734 --> 00:41:59.557
is to see the story of the hymns,

00:41:59.557 --> 00:42:02.582
as to why this hymn came about.

00:42:02.582 --> 00:42:05.714
And the famous song <i>Amazing Grace,</i>

00:42:05.714 --> 00:42:09.008
the back story is really powerful

00:42:09.008 --> 00:42:11.066
of John Newton as to why he wrote

00:42:11.066 --> 00:42:13.638
the story and what is his experience.

00:42:13.638 --> 00:42:16.066
And the Bible also talks about singing

00:42:16.066 --> 00:42:18.872
a new song because of a new experience,

00:42:18.872 --> 00:42:20.889
and let's read about that

00:42:20.889 --> 00:42:22.457
in Isaiah, chapter 42.

00:42:22.457 --> 00:42:24.820
If I can have Scott please read to us

00:42:24.820 --> 00:42:31.533
from Isaiah, chapter 42, verses 10 and 12.

00:42:31.533 --> 00:42:34.308
Isaiah, chapter 42, verses 10 and 12,

00:42:34.308 --> 00:42:37.617
talks about singing a new song.

00:42:37.617 --> 00:42:39.847
(Scott) And I'll be reading from the ESV:

00:42:50.904 --> 00:42:52.029
And verse 12:

00:42:56.836 --> 00:42:58.751
(John) Okay, and if I can have Lilica

00:42:58.751 --> 00:43:01.482
please read to us from Revelation,

00:43:01.482 --> 00:43:05.152
chapter 14, verses 1, 2 and 3,

00:43:05.152 --> 00:43:09.007
Revelation 14, verses 1, 2 and 3.

00:43:09.007 --> 00:43:12.040
And we find that not only here

00:43:12.040 --> 00:43:14.458
on this earth are we to write

00:43:14.458 --> 00:43:16.175
new songs of experience,

00:43:16.175 --> 00:43:17.895
but in the end, when everything

00:43:17.895 --> 00:43:19.732
is said and done, there is going to be

00:43:19.732 --> 00:43:22.936
a new song that is going to be sung.

00:43:22.936 --> 00:43:24.089
(Lilica) I'll be reading

00:43:24.089 --> 00:43:25.681
from the New King James Version,

00:43:25.681 --> 00:43:29.997
Revelation 14, verses 1, 2 and 3:

00:44:11.434 --> 00:44:15.325
(John) Okay, now why is it that no one

00:44:15.325 --> 00:44:18.334
was able to learn the song

00:44:18.334 --> 00:44:21.359
but the 144,000? Yes, Pedro.

00:44:21.359 --> 00:44:23.101
(Pedro) I think when we sing songs,

00:44:23.101 --> 00:44:24.132
we want to sing songs

00:44:24.132 --> 00:44:26.006
that relate to our experiences, right?

00:44:26.006 --> 00:44:27.701
And we see in the world today

00:44:27.701 --> 00:44:29.304
people are attached to the songs

00:44:29.304 --> 00:44:31.042
that relate to their own experience.

00:44:31.042 --> 00:44:32.728
And there in Heaven, we are singing

00:44:32.728 --> 00:44:34.505
a song that relates to our redemption

00:44:34.505 --> 00:44:36.550
and how God saved us from our sins.

00:44:36.550 --> 00:44:38.060
And we're celebrating

00:44:38.060 --> 00:44:40.199
that beautiful victory, that God

00:44:40.199 --> 00:44:41.597
has conquered for us.

00:44:41.597 --> 00:44:42.789
And the angels have never

00:44:42.789 --> 00:44:44.800
experienced that, so they will be silent.

00:44:44.800 --> 00:44:46.492
They're not going to sing something

00:44:46.492 --> 00:44:47.982
that they have not experienced.

00:44:47.982 --> 00:44:49.897
So, it's important for us to also learn

00:44:49.897 --> 00:44:51.290
that as we go on our journey,

00:44:51.290 --> 00:44:53.683
seek songs that elevate God and bring us

00:44:53.683 --> 00:44:55.989
closer to Him into our journey.

00:44:55.989 --> 00:45:00.386
(John) Okay, so music and songs help us

00:45:00.386 --> 00:45:02.460
express our experience in words

00:45:02.460 --> 00:45:03.914
and also our emotions.

00:45:03.914 --> 00:45:07.292
And here the 144,000 are expressing

00:45:07.292 --> 00:45:09.917
their emotions and their experience

00:45:09.917 --> 00:45:12.927
through the music and the lyrics
of that song.

00:45:12.927 --> 00:45:14.862
And the text actually kind of hints

00:45:14.862 --> 00:45:17.681
as to what the theme of that song will be.

00:45:17.681 --> 00:45:20.612
If you see towards the end of verse 3

00:45:20.612 --> 00:45:22.732
it says, "No one could learn that song

00:45:22.732 --> 00:45:24.968
except the 144,000

00:45:24.968 --> 00:45:27.746
who had been redeemed from the earth."

00:45:27.746 --> 00:45:30.211
So, it's going to be a song of redemption

00:45:30.211 --> 00:45:33.305
that the 144,000 will sing.

00:45:33.305 --> 00:45:35.501
Lilica and then we'll move on.

00:45:35.501 --> 00:45:37.505
(Lilica) As we speak about the new songs,

00:45:37.505 --> 00:45:40.333
like, what is wrong with the old songs?

00:45:40.333 --> 00:45:43.499
People ask us, "What is

00:45:43.499 --> 00:45:44.497
your favorite song?"

00:45:44.497 --> 00:45:46.787
And you say, "It's this, but it was

00:45:46.787 --> 00:45:48.246
the other one before,"

00:45:48.246 --> 00:45:50.178
depending on the context.

00:45:50.178 --> 00:45:52.163
In the Pathfinder Law, when you study

00:45:52.163 --> 00:45:55.251
about having a new song in your heart,

00:45:55.251 --> 00:45:59.164
we learned that singing, as praying,

00:45:59.164 --> 00:46:01.450
is an act of worship.

00:46:01.450 --> 00:46:03.111
So, a new song, why?

00:46:03.111 --> 00:46:04.555
Because of the new experience

00:46:04.555 --> 00:46:05.905
I'm living with God.

00:46:05.905 --> 00:46:08.351
I'm expressing it into words as I pray,

00:46:08.351 --> 00:46:09.917
I don't go praying and repeating

00:46:09.917 --> 00:46:11.536
the same prayer every single day,

00:46:11.536 --> 00:46:13.435
right, as with singing.

00:46:13.435 --> 00:46:15.651
A new song is a new experience.

00:46:15.651 --> 00:46:18.053
(John) A new song and a new experience.

00:46:18.053 --> 00:46:19.166
Alright, let's move on,

00:46:19.166 --> 00:46:20.971
but before we move on, maybe you are

00:46:20.971 --> 00:46:24.763
looking for good quality Christian music.

00:46:24.763 --> 00:46:27.902
And as Pastor Derek said, you can claim

00:46:27.902 --> 00:46:30.372
our free offer with this study,

00:46:30.372 --> 00:46:32.774
but also check Hope TV where there is

00:46:32.774 --> 00:46:34.198
going to be singing

00:46:34.198 --> 00:46:36.550
and good quality Christian music

00:46:36.550 --> 00:46:40.954
that can enhance your worship towards God.

00:46:40.954 --> 00:46:43.616
Let's go to the next part of our study,

00:46:43.616 --> 00:46:47.485
declaring God's glory among the nations.

00:46:47.485 --> 00:46:50.257
And if I can have Leeah please read to us

00:46:50.257 --> 00:46:54.884
from Psalm, chapter 96, verses 1 to 13,

00:46:54.884 --> 00:46:57.786
Psalm 96, verses 1 to 13.

00:46:57.786 --> 00:47:00.885
It has some very interesting phrases

00:47:00.885 --> 00:47:03.114
which parallel with the book of Revelation

00:47:03.114 --> 00:47:04.677
which we will see.

00:47:04.677 --> 00:47:06.000
(Leeah) And I'll be reading

00:47:06.000 --> 00:47:07.631
from the English Standard Version,

00:47:07.631 --> 00:47:10.427
Psalm 96, verses 1 through 13:

00:48:28.132 --> 00:48:29.783
(John) Alright, powerful.

00:48:29.783 --> 00:48:32.672
There is a lot going on in this passage,

00:48:32.672 --> 00:48:35.432
but I want to ask, what message

00:48:35.432 --> 00:48:37.692
is the psalmist calling us to proclaim

00:48:37.692 --> 00:48:39.815
to all nations here? Scott.

00:48:39.815 --> 00:48:43.223
(Scott) Yeah, he's telling us to tell

00:48:43.223 --> 00:48:45.151
the other people about God,

00:48:45.151 --> 00:48:47.115
who God is, what He's about,

00:48:47.115 --> 00:48:49.378
His righteousness, His justice,

00:48:49.378 --> 00:48:51.549
His judgment, His glory,

00:48:51.549 --> 00:48:52.862
all these different things.

00:48:52.862 --> 00:48:54.832
Tell people about God.

00:48:54.832 --> 00:48:56.871
(John) Okay, tell people about God,

00:48:56.871 --> 00:48:59.770
and he is inviting the entire nations,

00:48:59.770 --> 00:49:01.743
he is inviting the entire earth

00:49:01.743 --> 00:49:03.265
to do so. Travis.

00:49:03.265 --> 00:49:05.040
(Travis) I'm thinking of Revelation,

00:49:05.040 --> 00:49:07.868
chapter 18, and it says

00:49:07.868 --> 00:49:09.899
that the whole earth

00:49:09.899 --> 00:49:12.148
was filled with His glory.

00:49:12.148 --> 00:49:14.252
The glory is the goodness of God.

00:49:14.252 --> 00:49:16.383
In the psalm that was just read,

00:49:16.383 --> 00:49:18.169
we see that, in all its attributes,

00:49:18.169 --> 00:49:20.963
whether it's His creative power,

00:49:20.963 --> 00:49:24.965
His redemptive power, His mercy,

00:49:24.965 --> 00:49:27.622
His grace, that is what God wants us

00:49:27.622 --> 00:49:28.882
to proclaim to the world.

00:49:28.882 --> 00:49:32.565
And that story will be told

00:49:32.565 --> 00:49:34.943
in its fullness before Jesus comes.

00:49:34.943 --> 00:49:36.315
(Team) Amen.

00:49:36.315 --> 00:49:37.798
(John) Heide.

00:49:37.798 --> 00:49:39.268
(Heide) Oh, when I was looking

00:49:39.268 --> 00:49:41.898
at this psalm, it just really reminded me

00:49:41.898 --> 00:49:44.169
of Revelation, chapter 14,

00:49:44.169 --> 00:49:46.436
the three angels' messages where I see

00:49:46.436 --> 00:49:50.089
that he is proclaiming to everyone

00:49:50.089 --> 00:49:53.632
centuries before the Apostle John,

00:49:53.632 --> 00:49:55.805
John the Revelator, ever wrote,

00:49:55.805 --> 00:49:57.904
that we have a Creator

00:49:57.904 --> 00:50:00.098
and He is worthy of our worship,

00:50:00.098 --> 00:50:02.888
and that He is going to come,

00:50:02.888 --> 00:50:05.932
and that He is going to judge the earth.

00:50:05.932 --> 00:50:09.866
And I see him calling us to worship

00:50:09.866 --> 00:50:12.049
this mighty powerful Being.

00:50:12.049 --> 00:50:14.465
(John) Amen. Stephanie.

00:50:14.465 --> 00:50:15.789
(Stephanie) I was thinking

00:50:15.789 --> 00:50:17.409
that this psalmist, when they

00:50:17.409 --> 00:50:19.132
were writing it, understood

00:50:19.132 --> 00:50:21.033
the character of God.

00:50:21.033 --> 00:50:22.359
They had experienced it.

00:50:22.359 --> 00:50:23.362
It's that new song.

00:50:23.362 --> 00:50:25.523
They knew Him, and therefore they were

00:50:25.523 --> 00:50:27.153
able to tell of His glory.

00:50:27.153 --> 00:50:30.615
It wasn't an old song.

00:50:30.615 --> 00:50:32.272
(John) And talking about glory,

00:50:32.272 --> 00:50:35.686
we want to just see what this glory means.

00:50:35.686 --> 00:50:39.275
If I can have Lilica please read to us

00:50:39.275 --> 00:50:42.449
Exodus, chapter 33, verses 18 to 23.

00:50:42.449 --> 00:50:44.383
You know, this glory that God wants us

00:50:44.383 --> 00:50:46.365
to proclaim to all the earth,

00:50:46.365 --> 00:50:48.102
what is the glory of God that we are

00:50:48.102 --> 00:50:51.312
called to share as an act of worship?

00:50:51.312 --> 00:50:53.313
(Lilica) Exodus 33?

00:50:53.313 --> 00:50:56.042
(John) Verses 18 to 23.

00:50:56.042 --> 00:50:58.463
(Lilica) 18 to 23, I'll be reading

00:50:58.463 --> 00:51:00.432
from the New King James Version:

00:51:51.267 --> 00:51:57.337
I will add chapter 34, verse 6.

00:51:57.337 --> 00:51:59.999
(John) Alright, so chapter 34 and verse 6.

00:51:59.999 --> 00:52:02.328
In the next chapter, Moses continues

00:52:02.328 --> 00:52:05.954
to expand on what this glory means.

00:52:05.954 --> 00:52:08.684
Alright, Lilica, chapter 34 and verse 6.

00:52:08.684 --> 00:52:09.873
(Lilica) Verses 6 and 7

00:52:09.873 --> 00:52:11.986
from the New King James Version:

00:52:38.145 --> 00:52:40.072
(John) Okay, to glorify God

00:52:40.072 --> 00:52:43.456
is to glorify His character, right?

00:52:43.456 --> 00:52:45.683
So, through our singing, we ought to let

00:52:45.683 --> 00:52:48.903
the world know about the character of God.

00:52:48.903 --> 00:52:51.168
But moving on, Jesus talked

00:52:51.168 --> 00:52:52.860
to the woman at the well,

00:52:52.860 --> 00:52:55.568
and He told something really powerful.

00:52:55.568 --> 00:52:57.516
And if I can ask Scott to please read

00:52:57.516 --> 00:53:01.226
to us in John, chapter 4, verses 23 to 24.

00:53:01.226 --> 00:53:04.412
And Jesus is talking to this woman

00:53:04.412 --> 00:53:07.989
at the well about worship

00:53:07.989 --> 00:53:11.953
and what worship should entail.

00:53:11.953 --> 00:53:13.344
(Scott) Okay:

00:53:32.990 --> 00:53:34.809
(John) Okay, so if a person says

00:53:34.809 --> 00:53:36.878
that "I'm worshiping God," or if a church

00:53:36.878 --> 00:53:38.913
claims that they are worshiping God,

00:53:38.913 --> 00:53:40.649
they ought to worship God

00:53:40.649 --> 00:53:42.406
in spirit and in truth,

00:53:42.406 --> 00:53:45.102
but what does that mean, to worship God

00:53:45.102 --> 00:53:47.350
in spirit and in truth? Puia?

00:53:47.350 --> 00:53:48.873
(Puia) I believe it's important

00:53:48.873 --> 00:53:51.369
to make sure that our reasons

00:53:51.369 --> 00:53:52.985
for worshiping God is in line

00:53:52.985 --> 00:53:56.002
with the way the Holy Spirit works.

00:53:56.002 --> 00:53:58.772
It's not just an outward performance

00:53:58.772 --> 00:54:01.023
or vain repetition,

00:54:01.023 --> 00:54:02.947
but it's an inward alignment

00:54:02.947 --> 00:54:04.404
with the Holy Spirit, allowing

00:54:04.404 --> 00:54:06.528
the Holy Spirit to come into our hearts

00:54:06.528 --> 00:54:08.961
and worshiping Him according to the Word.

00:54:08.961 --> 00:54:10.609
Because, according to Jesus,

00:54:10.609 --> 00:54:12.666
the Word of God is the truth,

00:54:12.666 --> 00:54:16.275
so worshiping in spirit and in truth.

00:54:16.275 --> 00:54:17.867
(John) Okay, so if a person says,

00:54:17.867 --> 00:54:19.273
"I'm worshiping God," they go

00:54:19.273 --> 00:54:20.447
to a worship experience,

00:54:20.447 --> 00:54:22.450
but they are not moved by the Holy Spirit

00:54:22.450 --> 00:54:23.922
to make changes in their life,

00:54:23.922 --> 00:54:26.093
if they are not prompted to obey

00:54:26.093 --> 00:54:28.023
the Word of God, then that is something

00:54:28.023 --> 00:54:29.907
to be doubted, right?

00:54:29.907 --> 00:54:31.983
And so, our worship experience

00:54:31.983 --> 00:54:33.678
should always be in alignment

00:54:33.678 --> 00:54:36.179
with the truths of the Word of God

00:54:36.179 --> 00:54:39.076
and also in following the promptings

00:54:39.076 --> 00:54:40.541
of the Holy Spirit.

00:54:40.541 --> 00:54:41.610
We're not only going

00:54:41.610 --> 00:54:45.122
to be singing songs now, but also forever,

00:54:45.122 --> 00:54:47.079
and let's read about that.

00:54:47.079 --> 00:54:49.245
Let's go to Isaiah, chapter 66,

00:54:49.245 --> 00:54:50.872
verses 22 and 23.

00:54:50.872 --> 00:54:53.466
Stephanie, if you can please read to us

00:54:53.466 --> 00:54:58.494
in Isaiah 66, verses 22 to 23.

00:54:58.494 --> 00:54:59.999
(Stephanie) And I'll be reading

00:54:59.999 --> 00:55:01.977
from the New King James Version:

00:55:26.348 --> 00:55:29.688
(John) Wow. I have experienced

00:55:29.688 --> 00:55:31.912
one of the most amazing experiences

00:55:31.912 --> 00:55:35.543
of listening to Handel's <i>Messiah</i> music.

00:55:35.543 --> 00:55:37.534
I once went for a sing-along;

00:55:37.534 --> 00:55:39.097
it was glorious, you know,

00:55:39.097 --> 00:55:42.329
so many instruments, so much singing.

00:55:42.329 --> 00:55:44.490
But imagine going to Heaven,

00:55:44.490 --> 00:55:46.439
it's your first Sabbath there,

00:55:46.439 --> 00:55:48.528
the angels are singing, and they are

00:55:48.528 --> 00:55:50.258
playing musical instruments.

00:55:50.258 --> 00:55:52.166
And voices from around the world,

00:55:52.166 --> 00:55:55.252
different languages - there is nothing

00:55:55.252 --> 00:55:58.293
to compare to what is going to happen.

00:55:58.293 --> 00:55:59.928
You know, God is calling us

00:55:59.928 --> 00:56:03.737
to worship Him and Him alone, where we

00:56:03.737 --> 00:56:05.677
take our focus from ourselves

00:56:05.677 --> 00:56:07.723
toward God, now and forever.

00:56:07.723 --> 00:56:09.312
(Team) Amen.

00:56:09.312 --> 00:56:10.871
(Derek) Thank you so much, John.

00:56:10.871 --> 00:56:12.459
That's a powerful study,

00:56:12.459 --> 00:56:15.114
<i>Worship That Never Ends.</i>

00:56:15.114 --> 00:56:17.964
And I appreciate the fact that we realize

00:56:17.964 --> 00:56:19.201
that in different cultures

00:56:19.201 --> 00:56:21.614
people may worship in different ways.

00:56:21.614 --> 00:56:23.864
They may sing different songs,

00:56:23.864 --> 00:56:26.221
but the common thread is it's all

00:56:26.221 --> 00:56:28.701
pointing to God, glorifying God,

00:56:28.701 --> 00:56:32.545
praising God, and telling other people

00:56:32.545 --> 00:56:35.033
about the awesome character of God.

00:56:35.033 --> 00:56:38.672
That kind of worship is worshiping God

00:56:38.672 --> 00:56:41.364
in spirit and truth.

00:56:41.364 --> 00:56:43.008
Let's pray together.

00:56:43.008 --> 00:56:45.456
Father in Heaven, we know the psalms,

00:56:45.456 --> 00:56:47.012
down through the centuries,

00:56:47.012 --> 00:56:49.373
were used in worship,

00:56:49.373 --> 00:56:52.360
both before the coming of Messiah

00:56:52.360 --> 00:56:55.479
and since the coming of Messiah,

00:56:55.479 --> 00:56:58.356
reminding us that worship

00:56:58.356 --> 00:57:00.059
is something that You deserve.

00:57:00.059 --> 00:57:03.632
You are worthy of all of our worship.

00:57:03.632 --> 00:57:05.668
And I pray that in all of our worship,

00:57:05.668 --> 00:57:08.338
we would be guided by Your Spirit

00:57:08.338 --> 00:57:11.883
and guided by Your Word and set free

00:57:11.883 --> 00:57:14.568
from all of those traditions

00:57:14.568 --> 00:57:17.848
and past experiences that hold us back

00:57:17.848 --> 00:57:20.475
from worshiping You in spirit and truth,

00:57:20.475 --> 00:57:24.038
is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.

00:57:24.038 --> 00:57:25.278
(Team) Amen.

00:57:25.278 --> 00:57:27.840
(Derek) Thanks for joining us
for Hope Sabbath School.

00:57:27.840 --> 00:57:29.656
You say, "Derek, that's challenging,

00:57:29.656 --> 00:57:31.405
to look and say, 'What of my past

00:57:31.405 --> 00:57:34.118
is just tradition or habit,

00:57:34.118 --> 00:57:36.299
and what truly honors God

00:57:36.299 --> 00:57:39.207
and glorifies His name and shows

00:57:39.207 --> 00:57:40.626
His glory to those around?'"

00:57:40.626 --> 00:57:42.610
Let's worship like that

00:57:42.610 --> 00:57:44.031
and go out and be a blessing

00:57:44.031 --> 00:57:45.731
to those around you.

00:57:45.731 --> 00:58:28.086
♪ theme music ♪