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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 The Psalms,
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Worship That Never Ends.
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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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Worship That Never Ends.
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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 Trilogy Scripture Songs
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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
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to praise God, to give Him glory,
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but here in Lamentations we're seeing
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out of desperation
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we're crying out to God,
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and we want to receive help from Him.
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And so, what we are beginning to see
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is that lifting up hands
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means different things
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in different contexts, but all of that
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is focused toward God.
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To Him we praise, and He is
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the object of worship, and He is
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the giver of all blessings
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and the answer to our prayers.
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Let's look at one more verse,
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in the New Testament, 1 Timothy,
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chapter 2 and verse 8, if I can have
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Scott please read that for us,
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1 Timothy, chapter 2 and verse 8.
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Paul is instructing his, if I can use
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the term, young intern Timothy
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how one ought to conduct himself
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in the house of God.
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(Scott) Yes, it says:
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(John) Okay, so we see,
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not only in the Old Testament
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but also the New Testament, in the church
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we find that lifting up of hands
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is being allowed.
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Lifting up of hands is being allowed.
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So, question, is it fine for us
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to lift our hands in worship? Yes, Scott.
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(Scott) I was raised in a setting
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where people were rather skeptical
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of lifting hands.
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They associate it
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with Pentecostalism or other things,
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but when I read the Bible,
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I don't find that there.
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Lifting hands is biblical,
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and so it's not a habit I was raised with,
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but it's something that's biblical.
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(John) Yes, Tendi.
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(Tendi) Like you said,
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lifting up your hand
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depends on the context.
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If you're in church, and the pastor
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is preaching, for example,
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you cannot lift your hands;
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you need to be reverent.
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But if there is worship, if there is
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a song that compels your spirit
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to lift your hands, then you can.
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(John) Okay, you used
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a very important word.
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Here actually in Timothy, Paul talks
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to Timothy about the importance
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of reverence in God's house.
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And so, lifting up hands
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is not supposed to be irreverent.
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It should not be irreverent;
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there should be reverence
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that should be entailed
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along with that. Pastor Derek?
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(Derek) And also in the Sermon
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on the Mount, Jesus says in anything
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to do with worship, whether it's
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prayer or fasting or whatever,
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don't do something
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to draw attention to yourself.
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I'm thinking of the my wife's grandmother
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who was from China, and she would
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kowtow when she prayed.
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You know what kowtowing is, right?
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But she wouldn't do that on a platform
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or in front of everybody.
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She would do that when she
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went to her closet to pray,
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because it was part of her culture.
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It was her way, actually,
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of showing reverence to God
in her culture.
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But I think the principle
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in the Sermon on the Mount is that we
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are sensitive that we're not just becoming
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the center of attention,
drawing attention.
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Jesus talks about praying
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on street corners so that you
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can be seen by people.
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(John) That's right, and we'll go
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to that verse, Pastor Derek,
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but I want to take a few comments.
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Pedro and then Travis.
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(Pedro) I see the importance here
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of giving blessing and receiving blessing.
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Obviously, God is inviting us,
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I found it fascinating, inviting us
to bless Him.
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It's a practice we might not partake of
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with our hands and our actions.
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I see our hands as surrendering,
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and when I look at Timothy here, there is
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the aspect of lifting up your hands
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in a negative way,
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There is a positive way
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of lifting up our hands
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and a negative way.
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And we should say,
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"My works are of the Lord," as I think
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that's what we're seeing here.
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[Paul] is saying, "I'm worshiping You
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by saying my actions are Your actions."
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And that is important for us to understand
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the context that we're in,
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like drawing attention to God
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and not to ourselves.
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(John) Exactly, something
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that Pastor Derek said,
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and you are repeating, Pedro,
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which is important, is context.
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We need to know where we are
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and what we're doing,
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and why we are doing it.
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And not just because everyone is doing it,
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but the reason why it's
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being done. Travis.
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(Travis) I was just going to say
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what Pastor Derek said.
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If we're praising God and not trying
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to draw attention to ourselves,
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I don't think there is anything wrong
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with lifting your hands to heaven
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in adoration to God.
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(John) Okay, so the Scripture is clear
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that lifting up our hands
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to God in prayer is fine.
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And one Bible scholar writes
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that it's not a prescription,
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but the Bible is describing
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that it is allowed.
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But if a person doesn't do that,
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that doesn't mean that God
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is not being praised or that God
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is not answering their prayers either.
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And so, there is room for both.
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Now, there are times
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when lifting up our hands to God
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is inappropriate, or other ways
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of doing it, and, Pastor Derek,
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you alluded to it.
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Let's go to Matthew, chapter 6,
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verses 5 and 6; if I can ask Puia
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to please read that for us.
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(Puia) Sure, and I'll be reading
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from the New King James Version,
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Matthew 6, verses 5 and 6:
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(John) Thank you, Puia.
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So, question: Are there times
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when lifting up our hands
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is not appropriate?
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What do you think? Yes, Scott.
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(Scott) Worship is one of those things
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that has a significant cultural element
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to it, and with a worldwide audience,
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there are different people
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who feel different ways about it.
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And I think, as Derek mentioned,
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sometimes if we insist on expressing
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worship the way we're comfortable with
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in a setting where the people
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around us aren't comfortable
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with that same expression, it can cause
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distraction, even if it's not intentional.
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And it can cause trouble
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that doesn't need to be caused.
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(John) Okay, a distraction, a distraction
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where the focus is not so much on God
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but more about what I am doing.
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And that's what these Pharisees
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were doing; they would stand
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on street corners, and they
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would pray aloud because they wanted
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others to know, "See how righteous I am."
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And if those kinds of attitudes are
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what we have when lifting up our hands,
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that is to be avoided. Yes, Pedro.
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(Pedro) And I see the importance
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for us to care for others; Jesus told us
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to love others as ourselves.
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And drawing attention to ourselves
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in a room and saying, "Well, I'm
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doing this for God,"
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is not about the people around me.
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And God says to care for those around us.
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We are our brother's keeper.
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In the same way, if we're
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seeing someone doing it,
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remember it's your brother, your sister.
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Don't rebuke people for no reason.
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If they are adoring God, allow them
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to worship God with their hearts.
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(John) Exactly. Yes, Stephanie,
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you seem to have something to say?
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(Stephanie) I was just thinking that it's
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really a principle; it's a matter
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of principle that whatever we do,
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we do it to honor God in worship.
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That's the principle.
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(John) Exactly. And Leeah.
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(Leeah) I think it's very true
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that sometimes how we conduct ourselves
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physically in worship can be
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a distraction to others.
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But I've also found that sometimes
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it can be an encouragement to others.
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Sometimes people are ashamed
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that, you know, maybe they want
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to lift their hands,
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but they're uncomfortable doing so.
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So maybe sometimes our expression
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can give other people the freedom
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to express themselves
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before the Lord as well.
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(John) Amen. Yes, Nancy?
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(Nancy) It has to do with our attitude.
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If we have an attitude of worship,
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then yes, I think it will be noticed
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by those who are around us.
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But the most important thing is for us
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to truly be honoring God in our worship.
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(John) Amen. Travis, I saw your hand.
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(Travis) I was just going to comment
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on what was mentioned earlier
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about principle, and I think John
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the Baptist clearly held this principle
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in high regard, and it's John,
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chapter 3:30, and he says, "Jesus
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must increase, and I must decrease."
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So understanding who God is
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is really essential
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and I think is the principle.
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It's not about us; it's about Jesus.
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(John) Right. Pastor.
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(Derek) I just want to affirm
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what Leeah said, because if a person
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is leading worship and they're frowning -
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you talked about body language -
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and it's like, "Let's rejoice
in the Lord."
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And people are like, "I don't believe you.
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You don't look like you're rejoicing."
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So, I don't want to be the focus
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of attention, but I do want,
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as Jason said earlier, my whole body
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to communicate how great God is.
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And I think that's where we're just asking
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the Holy Spirit to guide us
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as to what is an appropriate way
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with our words, with our body language,
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with the way that we say those words
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to really honor God.
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(John) Exactly. What's amazing
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is that the Bible is very balanced.
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It's giving room for...If you want
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to express your praise to God,
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your prayers to God,
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using your hands is absolutely fine.
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But on the other hand, it is
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important that we don't have
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a self-centered attitude
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or even at times borrow from culture
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the practicing of waving hands
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and lifting up our hands
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and saying that we're praising God,
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but it's really coming out from culture.
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But it ought to come
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from the sole purpose of praising God
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and offering to God our praise.
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Puia and then we'll go to the next point.
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(Puia) Yes, I just wanted to highlight
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also the point from Matthew 6
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where we read, Jesus, I believe,
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differentiated the way
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you worship God individually
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versus in a group, right?
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So, I think it's important to be mindful
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about how we worship God
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when we come as a group.
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But when you go into the closet,
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and you pray before God,
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lift up your hands, and maybe you want
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to move around as you pray.
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Sometimes I pray while walking,
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so I think you can differentiate
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between individual worship
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versus group worship as well.
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(John) Thank you, Puia.
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So we're having a lively discussion here
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about lifting up our hands. Stephanie?
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(Stephanie) Something else
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that came to my mind is, really, we're
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the only ones that know
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if our relationship with God
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is allowing us to truly honor Him
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when we're doing anything in worship.
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So, it's very difficult to be able
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to judge someone's motives.
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And that's hard, right?
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But really we need to pray that God
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will use that person,
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wherever they're at, and trust
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that God will lead them.
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(John) Sure. Thank you all
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for your comments.
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And maybe those of you who are watching
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either on YouTube or on TV, you know,
-
write down what you think
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about this topic on our YouTube channel
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or Facebook page, or email to us
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what you think about this topic,
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because you are also part
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of this discussion.
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Let's go to our next topic here,
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praising the Lord with our whole hearts.
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If I can ask Nancy to please read to us
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from Psalm, chapter 9, verses 1 and 2,
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Psalm, chapter 9, verses 1 and 2.
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(Nancy) I'm reading
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from the New American Standard Bible:
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(John) Okay, thank you.
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So, here the psalmist is saying
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that he will give thanks to the Lord
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with his whole heart.
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So in contrast, is it possible
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to give thanks to God half-heartedly?
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(Team Member) Sure.
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(John) For sure, right?
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What does it mean, actually, to praise God
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with our whole heart?
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What does that look like practically?
Stephanie?
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(Stephanie) I feel like it means
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a full surrender to Jesus.
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We're fully surrendered to Him,
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and so we're giving Him praise
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with all of our heart.
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He has everything of us.
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(John) Okay. Heide?
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(Heide) I think that he's answering it
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right here in this verse
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because he's telling you, "I will tell
-
of Your marvelous works."
-
In other words, share what God
-
has actually literally done in your life.
-
And he's also telling you,
-
being glad, that's a way that we are
-
praising the Lord with our whole hearts,
-
just by continuing to be full of joy
-
amidst the trials of life.
-
We're also praising the Lord by singing;
-
he's telling us this is another way
-
that you can praise Him and worship Him.
-
So he's telling us right here
-
what we need to do.
-
(John) Okay, thank you, Heide. Puia.
-
(Puia) I just wanted to comment
-
that sometimes life can be difficult,
-
and we may not be able to give praise
-
to God with all our hearts
-
and with joy and gladness all the time.
-
But I think the key point is
-
to just come to God.
-
Just come to God and come to Him
-
with your trouble, and as Stephanie
-
pointed out, surrender
-
your troubles to Him.
-
And I believe that's the key point
-
about praising God with our whole heart.
-
(John) I want to focus on something
-
that you said, Puia, "Just come to God."
-
You know, sometimes when we recognize
-
that we are not wholehearted
-
in wanting to worship God
-
or wanting to follow His truth,
-
the amazing thing about God
-
is that you can be honest to Him about it.
-
And we can say, "God, I don't feel
-
like I'm doing this wholeheartedly,
-
but please help me do it,"
-
and God will help you do it.
-
And those moments when you are
-
vulnerable with God are when you
-
can get closer to Him. Pedro.
-
(Pedro) It is important
-
to also look at the context here.
-
David is praising God
-
amidst the death of his son.
-
I'm not sure if it was Bathsheba's child
-
or Absalom; I believe it was
-
Bathsheba's, her son.
-
And look at ourselves.
-
Imagine, I'm willing to say,
-
"God, You are worthy,
-
even in my most tragic moment,"
wholeheartedly.
-
There are people today
-
who have sentiments, "Why did God
-
allow my child to go through this,
-
or someone that I love, or the pain
-
that I'm suffering right now?"
-
And God says, "Come to Me."
-
(Derek) Wow, that's so powerful,
-
because my whole heart
-
could be a broken heart,
-
but I come to Him in total surrender.
-
That's a beautiful thought,
-
and it's something I long for, John.
-
I long to just let go of all of my fears,
-
not worry about what people think,
-
and just worship God with my whole heart.
-
(John) Powerful. Lilica?
-
(Lilica) The very thought
-
of being vulnerable before God
-
is worship Him with your whole heart,
-
because you open your heart.
-
You're being naked before Him.
-
David is the one that is called
-
a man after God's own heart.
-
Every single time you see
-
in the Old Testament...
-
I have in the back of my Bible, written,
-
the times where David is mentioned
-
during the kings of Judah,
-
and it says that, "This one followed God
-
as David did follow God
-
with all his heart,"
-
something like that; I'm paraphrasing.
-
But it mentions that the king
-
followed God as David followed God
-
with all his heart.
-
It's being open; tell God,
-
the One who only can see.
-
I love what John Bunyan,
-
if I'm pronouncing it right, who wrote
-
the book The Pilgrim's Progress, said,
-
"It's better to have heart without words
-
than words without heart."
-
When we come before God, speak it,
-
whatever it is, say it.
-
And that is what He is concerned about.
-
(Derek) Praise God.
-
(John) Amen. Tendi and then we'll
-
go to the next verse.
-
(Tendi) I learned today
-
that when you trust,
-
a hormone called oxytocin is released
-
into your system, and it's
-
the same hormone that's released
-
when you're in love
-
or when you do something with a purpose.
-
And I believe worship, when you worship
-
God with your whole heart,
-
that hormone is released in your body,
-
and it shows in your countenance
-
that you're worshiping God.
-
So, that's what worshiping
-
with your whole heart means to me.
-
(John) Okay, so there is
-
a deep connection with our spirituality
-
and even our own bodies, right?
-
And there are studies which say
-
that people that attend religious services
-
are actually much more happy,
-
and they are able
-
to overcome negative thoughts.
-
And so maybe there is someone
-
who is watching, and you don't care
-
about God or the Bible, but you are
-
in a quandary in your own life.
-
I want to assure you that if you
-
begin praising God,
-
attend church services, that your life
-
will completely turn around.
-
(Team) Amen.
-
(John) Let's go to another verse,
-
Psalm 113, verses 1, 2 and 3.
-
If I can have Heide please read that
-
to us, Psalm 113, verses 1, 2 and 3.
-
(Heide) I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version,
and it says:
-
(John) Okay, there is a lot of praising
-
going on in these verses,
-
and in verse 3 the psalmist says,
-
"From the rising of the sun
-
to its setting," that's
-
pretty much our whole day, right?
-
And, I mean, you're at work,
-
you're at school, maybe you're
-
a homemaker, you're just doing
different things.
-
How are we, twenty-first century
busy people,
-
supposed to praise God
-
from the morning until the evening?
-
How does that practically happen? Lilica.
-
(Lilica) As a Pathfinder, we have one
-
of the laws that says
-
to have always a song in your heart.
-
You may be singing, even if you
-
are not expressing it aloud.
-
(John) Okay. Yes, Nancy.
-
(Nancy) It reminds me of my grandmother
-
who used to always be singing hymns
-
as she was cooking.
-
I have that memory of her, as a child,
-
and, yes, she was a very positive
and gentle person.
-
And I think when we fill
-
our hearts and our minds
-
with the words of God, it helps us.
-
It helps us through anything.
-
(John) Singing, singing whether you
-
are working, doing schoolwork
-
or humming a song.
-
You can probably memorize
-
the Scripture songs that we play here.
-
What do you think, Pastor Derek?
-
(Derek) Well, I think so, and God
-
has given us the ability to do
-
more than one thing at the same time.
-
Nancy gave an example,
-
while her grandmother was cooking.
-
You can be driving to the office
-
or driving to school, and you can
-
be praising God at the same time.
-
You're still watching the road,
-
but God has given us that ability.
-
And I think when the psalmist says
-
in Psalm 16, "I've set the Lord
-
always before me.
-
When He is at my right hand,
-
I will not be moved," will not be shaken,
-
that tells me I can praise God
-
at all times, like the text says,
-
while I'm going about my regular day.
-
(John) Okay, and song plays a huge role,
-
singing and music play a huge role,
-
which we will come to in a bit. Puia.
-
(Puia) You asked, John,
-
about the practical application
-
in the twenty-first century.
-
For me, in the morning
-
when I get up, what helps me is
-
listening to gospel music,
-
and before I go to bed I read a Bible text
-
or listen to a podcast,
-
and I fall asleep with it.
-
And I believe that sets the tone
-
for my morning and evening.
-
(John) Okay, so you begin the morning
-
praising God, focusing your mind on God.
-
You think through what you read
-
in the Bible or what you listen to
in a sermon,
-
and you go to bed, falling asleep
-
thinking about God, you know,
-
that constant communication
with God. Pedro.
-
(Pedro) I see the importance here
-
as well for actions.
-
God says in the fourth commandment
-
"In six days you shall labor
-
and do all your work," but the labor
-
is continuing to be reflecting
-
the character of God.
-
Everything I do; I drive on the road;
-
am I reflecting Jesus?
-
It's worship, my actions.
-
We talked about hands earlier;
-
my actions can be put into worship,
-
how I treat others;
-
that's an act of worship.
-
"If you have done it others, you have done
it to Me," is an act of worship that God
-
is inviting us to do, so actions
play a huge role in that.
-
(John) ...In whatever we do,
-
we can worship God.
-
You know, if there is a job given,
-
and you do that job well,
-
you do that job with integrity,
-
that is worship to God.
-
That is praising God.
-
I mean, the Bible says
-
that whatever you do,
-
do it all for the glory of God, right?
Yes, Tendi.
-
(Tendi) You could also worship Him
-
with your personality.
-
Be a loving and lovable Christian
-
to be around; that is worship.
-
(John) Okay, being a loving
and a lovable Christian.
-
Now, some of you talked about singing
-
through the day or using music
-
through the day, humming a song,
-
singing a song, listening to songs.
-
And let's see what the Bible
-
has to say about the role of music
-
and singing in worship.
-
If I can have Tendi please read to us
-
from Psalm 33, verses 1, 2 and 3,
-
Psalm 33, verses 1, 2 and 3.
-
(Tendi) And I'll be reading
-
in the English Standard Version,
-
Psalm 33, verses 1, 2 and 3:
-
(John) Okay, we see that when the psalmist
-
is writing, there is a lot of happiness
-
surrounding him, right?
-
And it says that musical instruments
-
are being used in worship.
-
There are lyrics being used in worship.
-
You know, music plays an important role
-
in worship, and specifically the types
-
of music we listen to enhance
-
our frontal lobes, and it has
-
biological implications, too, right?
-
It has both negative and positive effects.
-
Songs that are based on Scripture
-
and music that is based
-
on the principles of Scripture
-
truly help us to worship God
-
in the right way, right?
-
And, Stephanie, you seem like
-
you have something to say.
-
(Stephanie) I just saw in verse 3,
-
it says, "Play skillfully
-
with a shout of joy."
-
There's this sense of peace,
-
of contentment and satisfaction in Jesus,
-
so again, pointing to Him.
-
(Derek) John, you know my wife
-
likes to write Scripture songs
-
and put them to a melody so we can sing.
-
Sometimes she'll see maybe a CD
-
of Scripture songs, but they
-
plug in the harp, and they crank
-
the decibels up so loud that you
-
can't hear the words,
-
and it's hurting your ears.
-
I think the principle there again
-
is the instrument and the volume of it
-
and maybe how it's played
-
also pointing to God,
-
or is it a distraction.
-
A person says, "Well, no instruments;
-
we just sing a cappella."
-
Well, like you said earlier,
-
we certainly have permission
-
to use the 10-stringed instrument, right,
-
but we always make sure that the product
-
of that is glorifying God.
-
(John) Exactly. Yes, Pedro.
-
(Pedro) And I see in the text here, Derek,
-
it says, "Play skillfully,"
-
even, "with a shout."
-
You know, I'm not just going to yell.
-
It's skillfully use your shout, and I see
-
choruses from different parts of the world
-
that give that emphasis
-
on that beautiful voice tune
-
that God has given us.
-
(John) Puia?
-
(Puia) A few years ago, I had
-
the privilege of doing evangelism
-
in India, and I was invited to preach
-
in a prison, and I was a bit unsure
-
about what I was going to face.
-
And so the guards escorted us
-
inside the prison, and they
-
seated us in the chapel.
-
And then the prisoners started coming in,
-
and as we started singing I was surprised.
-
These prisoners had given their hearts
-
to Jesus, and they praised God
-
with all their hearts.
-
We sang songs that we
-
normally sing in our churches,
-
but the level of commitment
-
or the level of joy that they expressed
-
as they were praising God with the songs
-
just moved my heart.
-
It tells me that when we
-
talked about freedom, it's not
-
really where you are at, is it?
-
It's where your heart is.
-
(John) Powerful. Yes, Pedro.
-
(Pedro) I just mentioned
-
wholeheartedly singing, right,
-
that they are praising God, and I had
-
a similar experience as well going
-
to visit a very high facility
near my house.
-
And I saw men singing with their hearts,
-
hugging each other, praising God
-
because God has changed their hearts,
-
and a heart change, praise God.
-
(Team) Amen.
-
(John) Let's look at two more verses
-
in the book of Psalms,
-
and I want you to observe,
-
there is a phrase that is repeated,
-
and I want you to observe that phrase.
-
If I can have Stephanie please read to us
-
Psalm 40 and verse 3,
-
and after which if Leah can please read
-
Psalm 98, verse 1.
-
Psalm 40, verse 3,
-
and then Leeah Psalm 98, verse 1.
-
(Stephanie) And I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version:
-
(John) Okay, a new song. Leeah?
-
(Leeah) I'm reading
-
from the English Standard Version,
-
Psalm 98, verse 1:
-
(John) Okay, what is the phrase
-
that is being repeated?
-
(Team) A new song.
-
(John) A new song, a new song.
-
And so, while it is good that we use
-
the book of Psalms to make new songs
-
or give new tunes to them
-
with the same old lyrics,
-
but the Bible also tells us
-
that we can write new songs.
-
And in the last study,
-
we talked about journaling.
-
Pastor Derek, you talked about how you
-
were inspired to journal.
-
And maybe God is calling some of us
-
to write of our experiences
-
with Him in songs. Yes, Pedro.
-
(Pedro) I find it fascinating,
-
I'm originally from Brazil,
-
and recently in Brazi,l in our church,
-
changed the hymnal.
-
They updated the hymnal
-
with new songs, and it was
-
a very exciting experience
-
because now we have different songs
-
that people have been singing
-
that now have been added to the hymnal.
-
So it's easy access to people,
-
and they have added
-
a little section just for the kids,
-
and my daughter sings them.
-
So, she loves to go through that section
-
of the kids songs inside the hymnal,
-
and she feels part of that book as well.
-
It's not just, "Oh, the old hymnal,"
-
it's now, "It's my hymnal."
-
(John) One thing that I love
-
to do with hymns
-
is to see the story of the hymns,
-
as to why this hymn came about.
-
And the famous song Amazing Grace,
-
the back story is really powerful
-
of John Newton as to why he wrote
-
the story and what is his experience.
-
And the Bible also talks about singing
-
a new song because of a new experience,
-
and let's read about that
-
in Isaiah, chapter 42.
-
If I can have Scott please read to us
-
from Isaiah, chapter 42, verses 10 and 12.
-
Isaiah, chapter 42, verses 10 and 12,
-
talks about singing a new song.
-
(Scott) And I'll be reading from the ESV:
-
And verse 12:
-
(John) Okay, and if I can have Lilica
-
please read to us from Revelation,
-
chapter 14, verses 1, 2 and 3,
-
Revelation 14, verses 1, 2 and 3.
-
And we find that not only here
-
on this earth are we to write
-
new songs of experience,
-
but in the end, when everything
-
is said and done, there is going to be
-
a new song that is going to be sung.
-
(Lilica) I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version,
-
Revelation 14, verses 1, 2 and 3:
-
(John) Okay, now why is it that no one
-
was able to learn the song
-
but the 144,000? Yes, Pedro.
-
(Pedro) I think when we sing songs,
-
we want to sing songs
-
that relate to our experiences, right?
-
And we see in the world today
-
people are attached to the songs
-
that relate to their own experience.
-
And there in Heaven, we are singing
-
a song that relates to our redemption
-
and how God saved us from our sins.
-
And we're celebrating
-
that beautiful victory, that God
-
has conquered for us.
-
And the angels have never
-
experienced that, so they will be silent.
-
They're not going to sing something
-
that they have not experienced.
-
So, it's important for us to also learn
-
that as we go on our journey,
-
seek songs that elevate God and bring us
-
closer to Him into our journey.
-
(John) Okay, so music and songs help us
-
express our experience in words
-
and also our emotions.
-
And here the 144,000 are expressing
-
their emotions and their experience
-
through the music and the lyrics
of that song.
-
And the text actually kind of hints
-
as to what the theme of that song will be.
-
If you see towards the end of verse 3
-
it says, "No one could learn that song
-
except the 144,000
-
who had been redeemed from the earth."
-
So, it's going to be a song of redemption
-
that the 144,000 will sing.
-
Lilica and then we'll move on.
-
(Lilica) As we speak about the new songs,
-
like, what is wrong with the old songs?
-
People ask us, "What is
-
your favorite song?"
-
And you say, "It's this, but it was
-
the other one before,"
-
depending on the context.
-
In the Pathfinder Law, when you study
-
about having a new song in your heart,
-
we learned that singing, as praying,
-
is an act of worship.
-
So, a new song, why?
-
Because of the new experience
-
I'm living with God.
-
I'm expressing it into words as I pray,
-
I don't go praying and repeating
-
the same prayer every single day,
-
right, as with singing.
-
A new song is a new experience.
-
(John) A new song and a new experience.
-
Alright, let's move on,
-
but before we move on, maybe you are
-
looking for good quality Christian music.
-
And as Pastor Derek said, you can claim
-
our free offer with this study,
-
but also check Hope TV where there is
-
going to be singing
-
and good quality Christian music
-
that can enhance your worship towards God.
-
Let's go to the next part of our study,
-
declaring God's glory among the nations.
-
And if I can have Leeah please read to us
-
from Psalm, chapter 96, verses 1 to 13,
-
Psalm 96, verses 1 to 13.
-
It has some very interesting phrases
-
which parallel with the book of Revelation
-
which we will see.
-
(Leeah) And I'll be reading
-
from the English Standard Version,
-
Psalm 96, verses 1 through 13:
-
(John) Alright, powerful.
-
There is a lot going on in this passage,
-
but I want to ask, what message
-
is the psalmist calling us to proclaim
-
to all nations here? Scott.
-
(Scott) Yeah, he's telling us to tell
-
the other people about God,
-
who God is, what He's about,
-
His righteousness, His justice,
-
His judgment, His glory,
-
all these different things.
-
Tell people about God.
-
(John) Okay, tell people about God,
-
and he is inviting the entire nations,
-
he is inviting the entire earth
-
to do so. Travis.
-
(Travis) I'm thinking of Revelation,
-
chapter 18, and it says
-
that the whole earth
-
was filled with His glory.
-
The glory is the goodness of God.
-
In the psalm that was just read,
-
we see that, in all its attributes,
-
whether it's His creative power,
-
His redemptive power, His mercy,
-
His grace, that is what God wants us
-
to proclaim to the world.
-
And that story will be told
-
in its fullness before Jesus comes.
-
(Team) Amen.
-
(John) Heide.
-
(Heide) Oh, when I was looking
-
at this psalm, it just really reminded me
-
of Revelation, chapter 14,
-
the three angels' messages where I see
-
that he is proclaiming to everyone
-
centuries before the Apostle John,
-
John the Revelator, ever wrote,
-
that we have a Creator
-
and He is worthy of our worship,
-
and that He is going to come,
-
and that He is going to judge the earth.
-
And I see him calling us to worship
-
this mighty powerful Being.
-
(John) Amen. Stephanie.
-
(Stephanie) I was thinking
-
that this psalmist, when they
-
were writing it, understood
-
the character of God.
-
They had experienced it.
-
It's that new song.
-
They knew Him, and therefore they were
-
able to tell of His glory.
-
It wasn't an old song.
-
(John) And talking about glory,
-
we want to just see what this glory means.
-
If I can have Lilica please read to us
-
Exodus, chapter 33, verses 18 to 23.
-
You know, this glory that God wants us
-
to proclaim to all the earth,
-
what is the glory of God that we are
-
called to share as an act of worship?
-
(Lilica) Exodus 33?
-
(John) Verses 18 to 23.
-
(Lilica) 18 to 23, I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version:
-
I will add chapter 34, verse 6.
-
(John) Alright, so chapter 34 and verse 6.
-
In the next chapter, Moses continues
-
to expand on what this glory means.
-
Alright, Lilica, chapter 34 and verse 6.
-
(Lilica) Verses 6 and 7
-
from the New King James Version:
-
(John) Okay, to glorify God
-
is to glorify His character, right?
-
So, through our singing, we ought to let
-
the world know about the character of God.
-
But moving on, Jesus talked
-
to the woman at the well,
-
and He told something really powerful.
-
And if I can ask Scott to please read
-
to us in John, chapter 4, verses 23 to 24.
-
And Jesus is talking to this woman
-
at the well about worship
-
and what worship should entail.
-
(Scott) Okay:
-
(John) Okay, so if a person says
-
that "I'm worshiping God," or if a church
-
claims that they are worshiping God,
-
they ought to worship God
-
in spirit and in truth,
-
but what does that mean, to worship God
-
in spirit and in truth? Puia?
-
(Puia) I believe it's important
-
to make sure that our reasons
-
for worshiping God is in line
-
with the way the Holy Spirit works.
-
It's not just an outward performance
-
or vain repetition,
-
but it's an inward alignment
-
with the Holy Spirit, allowing
-
the Holy Spirit to come into our hearts
-
and worshiping Him according to the Word.
-
Because, according to Jesus,
-
the Word of God is the truth,
-
so worshiping in spirit and in truth.
-
(John) Okay, so if a person says,
-
"I'm worshiping God," they go
-
to a worship experience,
-
but they are not moved by the Holy Spirit
-
to make changes in their life,
-
if they are not prompted to obey
-
the Word of God, then that is something
-
to be doubted, right?
-
And so, our worship experience
-
should always be in alignment
-
with the truths of the Word of God
-
and also in following the promptings
-
of the Holy Spirit.
-
We're not only going
-
to be singing songs now, but also forever,
-
and let's read about that.
-
Let's go to Isaiah, chapter 66,
-
verses 22 and 23.
-
Stephanie, if you can please read to us
-
in Isaiah 66, verses 22 to 23.
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(Stephanie) And I'll be reading
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from the New King James Version:
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(John) Wow. I have experienced
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one of the most amazing experiences
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of listening to Handel's Messiah music.
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I once went for a sing-along;
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it was glorious, you know,
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so many instruments, so much singing.
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But imagine going to Heaven,
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it's your first Sabbath there,
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the angels are singing, and they are
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playing musical instruments.
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And voices from around the world,
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different languages - there is nothing
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to compare to what is going to happen.
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You know, God is calling us
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to worship Him and Him alone, where we
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take our focus from ourselves
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toward God, now and forever.
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) Thank you so much, John.
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That's a powerful study,
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Worship That Never Ends.
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And I appreciate the fact that we realize
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that in different cultures
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people may worship in different ways.
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They may sing different songs,
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but the common thread is it's all
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pointing to God, glorifying God,
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praising God, and telling other people
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about the awesome character of God.
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That kind of worship is worshiping God
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in spirit and truth.
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Let's pray together.
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Father in Heaven, we know the psalms,
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down through the centuries,
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were used in worship,
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both before the coming of Messiah
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and since the coming of Messiah,
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reminding us that worship
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is something that You deserve.
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You are worthy of all of our worship.
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And I pray that in all of our worship,
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we would be guided by Your Spirit
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and guided by Your Word and set free
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from all of those traditions
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and past experiences that hold us back
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from worshiping You in spirit and truth,
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is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) Thanks for joining us
for Hope Sabbath School.
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You say, "Derek, that's challenging,
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to look and say, 'What of my past
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is just tradition or habit,
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and what truly honors God
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and glorifies His name and shows
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His glory to those around?'"
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Let's worship like that
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and go out and be a blessing
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to those around you.
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♪ theme music ♪