[0:00] Musique Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.
[0:36] I can feel His mighty power and His grace. I can hear the brush of angels' wings.
[0:50] I see glory on each face. Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.
[1:04] Hi and welcome to Pendleton Center Church. We are the Chancel Choir. If you're new to our church, please pick up a welcome folder that's at the connection site or the welcome and information desk.
[1:17] We'd like to know you are here, so everyone, please put your name on the friendship card you'll find in the bulletin. If you would like to receive the church newsletter or need an update of any information, please be sure to fill out your address, email, and phone number.
[1:35] On the back, you can write prayer concerns, blessings, or notes to the staff. Please enjoy our service and have a blessed day. Good morning. This is the day that the Lord has made.
[1:48] We will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord has made.
[2:09] Let us rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord has made.
[2:24] Let us rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day. This is the day that the Lord has made.
[2:39] Let us pray. Glorious Lord, we come into your presence, coming to worship your powerful name. We pray that you will come and fill us with your Holy Spirit.
[2:50] Make yourself known to us. Reveal yourself to us that we may be able to grow closer to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. I'd like to invite you all to stand if you're able as we sing together, Victory in Jesus.
[3:03] I heard an old love.
[3:33] I heard an old story. How a Savior came from glory. How he gave his life on Calvary to save a wretch like me.
[3:46] I heard about his groaning, of his precious blood's atoning. Then I repented of my sins and won the victory.
[4:01] Oh, victory in Jesus, my Savior forever. He sought me and bought me with his redeeming blood.
[4:17] Hey, love, fear, I knew him. And all my love is to him. He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing blood.
[4:32] I heard about his healing, of his cleansing power revealing. How he made the lame to walk again, and caused the blind to see.
[4:48] And then I cried, dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit. And somehow Jesus came and brought to me the victory.
[5:03] Oh, victory in Jesus, my Savior forever. He sought me and bought me with his redeeming blood.
[5:20] He loved me ere I knew him. He loved me with his love. And all my love is to him. He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.
[5:36] I heard about a mansion he's built for me in glory. And I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea.
[5:51] About the angels singing and the old redemption story. And some sweet day I'll sing up there a song of victory.
[6:06] Oh, victory in Jesus, my Savior forever. He sought me and bought me with his redeeming blood.
[6:22] He loved me ere I knew him. And all my love is to him. He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing blood.
[6:35] The Lord be with you. And also with you. Please be seated. This morning we do have a mission moment in your bulletin.
[6:47] This is what they call United Methodist Student Day. And what we do is we send in our offerings to the United Methodist Church and then our young people apply for scholarships. In our church several young people actually receive these scholarships.
[7:01] And actually if you have someone heading to college or you are someone heading to college, there is a Methodist scholarship waiting for you that you can apply for. And pretty much everyone gets that if you belong to a Methodist church.
[7:12] So if you want to help out our young people, this is the best way to go about doing that. Thank you. Good morning. How is everybody today? Good morning. Yeah, that's wonderful.
[7:23] We're sending around a couple of clipboards. One of them is about the Seneca Street Dinner. And you're welcome to sign up and participate in that ministry in terms of being able to, you can actually go down and help do the dinner, but you can also donate stuff that is needed to make that dinner possible.
[7:39] And we will in a couple of weeks be having our 24-hour prayer vigil. We like to kick off the year, you know, the regular church year as things go from September on through in prayer.
[7:52] And it's an important aspect of the life of a church. It's important to lay the foundation for what's coming in ministry, what's coming for our own personal growth. If you were here last week, you heard me talking about prayer and how important that is.
[8:07] So please sign up for an hour that you could come to the sanctuary and pray for the needs of the church, for your needs, and for the ministries. We also are looking, you'll notice in your bulletin, just a little notice, that we're looking for some folks who would be willing to come between that, during the prayer vigil, between that midnight and 6 a.m. time, not just to pray.
[8:31] We need folks to do that too. But just to be a little bit of an extra measure of security, so that nobody's in the building in the middle of the night by themselves. If you would be interested and willing to do that, let me know on your friendship card.
[8:46] And you're going to find little yellow cards out at the entrance. We're trying to organize some folks into prayer groups, groups of people who meet regularly for the purpose of praying and learning more about prayer, to deepen our prayer life and our devotion to God.
[9:06] So if you could just fill one of those out. The directions are in the back. What joys do you have this morning? I know, I'm just so glad to be here. What joys do you have?
[9:17] Yes, Louie. Excellent, excellent.
[9:31] A good report on tests for cancer as a result of answer to prayer. Praise God. Others. Yes. Excellent.
[9:42] Amen. Amen. Amen. Praise God for healing. Praise God for healing. That's a blessing. Yes. Grandson Hunter, 16 years old today. That is a blessing to watch our children grow. Others.
[9:53] Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
[10:04] Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
[10:15] Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
[10:26] Yes. Yes. We will lift her up in prayer. Thank you. Any other praises? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
[10:37] Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
[10:48] Yes. so many things in our hearts that God has blessed us with let's return some of the blessing God has blessed us with back to God for the work of the ministry but that's mine Sous-titrage ST' 501
[12:10] Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501
[13:40] Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501
[15:10] Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Amen.
[16:04] Patty, Ray, Marge, and Tiffany. Yes, for healing, for these folks who are in need of diagnosis and of healing, right? In Jesus' name. Any others? Yes.
[16:20] Hmm. Max is a preemie. Maddox. Maddox is a preemie, and we want to make sure that Maddox is... is going to grow, is going to continue to grow and develop the way that he needs to.
[16:34] Thank you for that, and we will pray. Any others? With these concerns... Oh, yes, yes, yes. Sorry. Yes.
[16:45] Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
[16:55] Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Amen. Amen. We continue in prayer for young Max, who is in need of healing.
[17:09] Thank you. Yes. Yes. Yes. For Sandy. Yes. Thank you. Yes. Yes. Yes. We will continue in prayer.
[17:19] We will continue in prayer for Sandy. Any others? With these concerns and those that are on your heart, whether you join me from your seat or at the rail, let's turn to the Lord in prayer.
[17:31] Yes. Yes. Gracious God of all creation, you are the one who knows our needs before we even ask.
[17:47] vous hear et vous answerz our prayers we can take hope and comfort in that we are grateful Lord knowing that you call us to pray we lift up now before you all those who are sick and infirm those who have cancers who have injuries who have need of whatever kind of healing is needed in their spirits in their souls or in their bodies Lord you know them and you know best what it is that they need to have healed and you know how best to bring about that healing so we trust you Lord as we lift these people up to you those whose names we have spoken and those we hold in our hearts we pray for those Lord who are nearing the end of life we pray that you will hold them in the palm of your hand that they would know your presence that you are with them and we pray that they would have peace we pray
[19:07] Lord for all of those who are working with loved ones who are sick and infirm with loved ones who are nearing the end of life Lord God we pray that you would give them strength give them comfort help them Lord help them to be the help that is needed for their loved ones we pray Lord for all of those who are grieving losses we just ask in Jesus name that you would bring comfort and joy in the hope of eternal life with you joy in the hope of salvation joy in the memories of love and nurture and care knowing that those who have gone on before us have so very very much blessed and contributed to who we are today Lord we pray for our children and all of our loved ones who do not know you or who have walked away from the church we just ask in Jesus name that by your spirit by your grace you continue to pursue them Lord you continue to reveal yourself to them draw them back towards yourself
[20:33] Lord draw them back to your church we pray for all of the ministries of this church especially as the season is beginning again we pray for our Sunday school programs and our preschool we pray for the confirmation class we pray for all of the adults who will begin to study and pray and learn and grow in their faith through pressing into you we pray that this service would be a part of that we ask that as we hear the word spoken as we continue to sing songs of praise as we continue in prayer that you would transform us cause us to be people who seek you cause us to be people who are lights in the world for you we pray that you would be with Pastor Tom as he delivers the message you have for us this day give us eyes to see and ears to hear and hearts and minds to understand and to receive all that you would share with us this day and help us Lord to worship you well for that is why we came in Jesus name we pray amen shall we hear from the word of the Lord good morning this is
[22:20] Exodus chapter 1 verses 8 through 14 chapter 2 verses 23 through 25 then a new king to whom Joseph meant nothing came to power in Egypt look he said to his people the Israelites have become far too numerous for us come we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and if war breaks out we'll join our enemies fight against us and leave the country so they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor they built pithom and ramises as store cities for pharaoh but the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied and spread so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly they made their lights bitter with harsh labor and brick and mortar with all kinds of work in the fields and all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly during that long period the king of Egypt died the Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham
[23:21] Isaac and with Jacob so God looked down the Israelites and was concerned about them this is the word of the Lord thanks be to God thank you Madeline this morning we're beginning a new sermon series that will probably last for some time because we're going to look at the book of Exodus a number of years we did this ago we did this and it's been a long time Exodus is a story of how a people went from being sort of having a faith in God to a people that lived for God as we look at our own lives and figure out what are the barriers what are the things we need to break through to make our lives with God what they're supposed to be the truth of the matter is God has a great promise for us and I think this church is a great church amen I think we have a great country amen and I think you're great people I'll tell you that myself I brag about you as a church and I've even told people that this congregation as a group of people has become so much more deep in their faith and committed in their relationship with God and I'm so impressed to see people's lives grow and yet we know we can be more right change from glory into glory is what the song says
[24:38] I think there's a promise that's greater than what we're living and so we're going to talk about that over the next few weeks how does that how does that factor into our lives into our church into even how we can impact this community and maybe even the world with what we do and what we are and learn some lessons from these people in Egypt now you may or may not recall the story there was a time when a man named Joseph went down into Egypt this is at the end of the book of Genesis and Joseph how we got there and all of that is a long story we won't go into but when he arrived he was basically a slave and ended up becoming second in command over all of Egypt it's an amazing story it's worth reading it's an adventure story you'd like it and you'd enjoy all the intrigues and such but when Joseph became second in command over all of Egypt he also brought his whole family out of Canaan at first they were reluctant since they didn't know who Joseph really was but in the end they all came and settled and Joseph put them in a land called Goshen which is right on the border of Egypt and Canaan it was a prosperous wonderful place to live but Joseph put them there on purpose because he didn't expect them to stick around very long get through the famine and get back home be close to the border so you can get out quick if you need to so they they really were at the top of the game when we come to this passage and it says that a new king who didn't care about Joseph or anything that happened in the past came to power and everything went wrong everything went wrong have you ever noticed that just when you figure out the rules of life it all changes you know
[26:34] I refuse to use Windows on computers for the longest time I stayed with DOS if anybody knows what that means because I just said this is a fad it will go away all these changes all these new things good Lord help you if you have to sign up for medical insurance in the next two months trying to figure out this policy compared to that policy and my copay over here is all my blood and my copay over here is my firstborn I don't know what to do here's my credit card and leave me alone does anybody else feel like the rules have just keep changing and if we knew what they were we can make things work but it seems like we can't and we're in the midst of such an incredible cultural change some of it absolutely astoundingly good you know these things are they're so far beyond anything we ever had in our lives 20 years ago even us older folk have a hard time remembering that if we don't know the answer to a question all we have to say is Google right
[27:42] I mean how unbelievably off the wall is that Google tell me how to fix my water pump on the car really you can get anything from a little phone you carry with you it's beyond our imaginations some of the changes in our social structure have been good some of the things that have happened have been great blessings and we are a prosperous and really really well positioned culture and yet some things are real struggle our church is doing very well but I have to tell you most churches are in decline if you haven't noticed the vast majority of them are struggling to even stay open our families have gone from a handful of families that couldn't make relationships work for a while to where now they say that pretty much one in every two marriages that we create will come apart we're very troubling for the person who puts those together we see things happening in the lives of our children and we don't even understand what to say to them because the rules are so different when I was a young man the rules were very simple
[29:01] I could kind of monkey around with my life for about three years and then I had to find a girl get married get a job buy a house settle down and have kids very simple now I'm not sure what it's supposed to be and so it makes us kind of long for the old days because we think everything was better back then remember remember back in the day when it was like this leave it to beaver that's exactly how I remember my mom was dressed in a beautiful dress and my dad in a suit and they waited at the door with my lunch that's called sarcasm if you're not understanding not even close but we have this vision that the past was somehow so much better we just like to go back to a place where things are simple and easy how could a whole nation like this get into such a mess how could they they fall from this height down to here the changes often come slower than we realize they sort of slip in and we don't notice how things are changing and that happened for them at first they lost influence and they just weren't so important but that's okay because most people don't really care if they're influential they just want to get by and then they asked them to build a couple cities and do some work and they thought well you know we should contribute to this culture we're a part of and the next thing they know their wages kind of get cut and they feel like they're being taken advantage of and then eventually they actually become slaves in chains and no longer having the freedom they had before it didn't happen right away eventually and this is next week's story these people became so oppressive that they actually killed their children their babies they don't see it it just slowly occurs remember the old story about a frog if you put a frog in a pot of cool water it'll just swim around and then if you slowly slowly heat the water the frog will stay in there until it's boiling because it doesn't notice the change gradually and yes there's bad people
[31:24] I think that's one of the things we misunderstand about our world there are really bad people in this world around the world democracy is in decline whether you're aware of it or not or paying attention or not we have dictators now all over the world where we used to have elected leaders in fact the people are electing dictators that's an interesting thought isn't it that's what they're doing around the world it's the new trend and people are being hurt and they're being killed and they're being put into chains and children are being mistreated it says in here in verse 10 that the new pharaoh the new king said we need to deal shrewdly with these people where they'll become so large that if a war breaks out they're going to take the sides of our enemies and so it says they oppress them and they give them more and more hard and bitter and harsh works and even then the people continued to grow and to multiply so they gave them even more work so now we have people where some people are barely getting by and others are living in comfort off the work of their hands does that sound familiar to anybody the book of proverbs tells us those who give to the poor will lack nothing but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses and yet we have people who don't see the poor we live in a culture of income inequality you can say what you think about it but back in the day we always knew the boss might make 20 times more than we do but not 2,000 times more than what we do people are living in such radically different stages and if we start talking about the world's condition it's mind boggling there are bad people in the world and sometimes other people put us in chains sometimes we can blame other folks and say it's their fault which we like to do nowadays but it isn't always somebody else's fault the book of Exodus is actually an outline for the book of Matthew so from time to time we're going to look at the book of Matthew because Matthew designed his book based on Exodus a little child rescued miraculously the rules given from a mountaintop there's a number of things that you'll see and you can see the story of Exodus and in the very beginning of the book of Matthew the way he starts things out is with John the Baptist
[34:10] John the Baptist a voice crying out in the wilderness who said to us you brood of vipers who warned you to flee from the coming wrath produce fruit in keeping with repentance and do not think you can say to yourselves we have Abraham as our father I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children of Abraham the axe is already at the root of the trees and every tree that does not produce fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire I baptize you with water for repentance but after me comes one who is more powerful than I whose sandals I'm not worthy to carry he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire now you might think he's talking to the Roman soldiers or you might think he's talking who were oppressing the Israelites or you might think he's talking to the rich people he was talking to the Sadducees and Pharisees which were the religious people of the day he was talking to us and basically he was saying it didn't have to be the way it was in the book of Exodus and it doesn't have to become this way today we are not where the people of Israel were in Exodus we are not that bad off we are not that far gone we don't want to wait till we get to that point before we have a change amen so God calls us to change repentance which means to turn around to turn towards God and away from brokenness see the answer is not a return to the past the answer is to live into the promise
[35:52] God has for us for the future the problem for the children of Israelites is not what was happening to them in Egypt it was that they were in Egypt at all because they were only supposed to be there a few years they overstayed their welcome have you ever people like that they come to your house and you're more than happy to have them there for a couple days and two weeks later you're saying get out get out and they didn't live into the dream that God had for them and you see it's because of the seduction of just getting by they had food to eat later on they referred to them as the flesh pots of Egypt they had food to eat they had a place to sleep there were no foreign armies attacking them they felt some sense of security and from time to time I'm sure they even played some games and had some fun but they weren't living the life
[36:53] God intended they were doing okay but they could have done better and we're doing good but we could do something even more phenomenal and so what God is calling for us to do is to remember whose we are to not forget the promise God has for your life what God is expecting out of you and what God wants you to have to go into the promised land that he intended because otherwise we get stuck in the chains of mediocrity just getting by so this morning I'm going to talk to you about what put these people in this place and how we can avoid it but in the next few weeks we're going to talk about how we can break through barriers things that actually happen in each of our lives as we find ourselves stuck chained and broken where we should be moving forward and thriving and the answer to their issue was very simple it was in the Shema we should know it love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and the second is like it love your neighbor as yourself you know love
[38:11] God with all your heart soul mind and strength simply means don't forget God John said that he wanted us to produce fruit in keeping with repentance in other words in keeping our hearts towards God and keeping a life that's so focused on God we never forget God we remember who God is we live a life that demonstrates God in who and what we are and these people have forgotten God you know if you read it if you'll note in the passage it actually said that it seemed as if God had forgotten them during that long period the king of Egypt died and the Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God and God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abram and Isaac and Jacob and God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them sometimes it feels like God forgot us it really does I understand that
[39:11] God where are you but I'd suggest to you that the reason why it feels like God has forgotten us is because we're not facing God see the truth is is when we turn our back on God God actually respects our decision and puts his attentions elsewhere if you want to see thriving churches if you want to see the Christian faith alive if you want to see miracles happen go into the southern hemisphere where they are on fire for God the Holy Spirit is baptizing them with power and miracles and amazing things we're all saying why not us well because we're so busy with the flesh pots of Egypt we're so busy with our daily living we've forgotten God it's not that we hate God it's not that we've turned away it's not that we don't believe in God it's that we're just too busy with getting by and all God wants us to do is turn and cry out to him and he will remember us he will give us those blessings
[40:13] God wants to care for us the problem is we've got everything in our lives we are so blessed as a people that we become obsessed with our blessings I forgot the blesser I went to a balloon festival New York State balloon festival in Dansville New York while I was away anybody ever been to the balloon festival see here's what it is you go to the balloon festival and they have all these little tents where they sell a bunch of junk you know what I'm talking about it's stuff that's very intriguing you go oh cool that cream could make me feel better oh isn't that neat that little rock would look just right in our oh look at this little thing they have all kinds of interestingly weird strange things that for some reason catch our attention and we walk from tent to tent to tent with the idea that we'll buy all this junk and they have food they actually had a stand that had German food schnitzel and sauerkraut
[41:17] I was like wow there's no line there you know where the line was hot dogs and fried dough and ice cream and junk bad stuff that's where everybody was and they had a band in a tent you could just go listen to this band they were pretty good and they had rides for the kids and it was really quite a quite a happening it only cost five dollars the balloons were supposed to go up Friday evening at six Saturday morning at six and Friday evening Saturday evening at six Sunday morning at six and Sunday evening at six we went Friday try to beat the crowds what we discovered is that they got together and felt that the winds were just a little off and so they weren't going to put up the balloons okay so we checked the weather for the morning and it didn't look so good and sure enough the balloons didn't go up at six the next morning either so our friends drove all the way back to Dansville they didn't pay the five dollars they sat in a nearby parking lot and they watched and the balloons didn't go up again the balloons went up once in the entire weekend now let me let me let me just say to you this was the
[42:30] New York State Balloon Festival the reason why we went there was to see a whole lot of not to buy junk from tents right not to eat food that was bad for us not to listen to some band that was okay but not my reason if we're going I wanted to see balloons they had everything except balloons you getting to the point we can have everything but it doesn't help us if we gain the whole world and we lose our soul you remember Martha and Mary Martha's running around worried about every little detail and they're gathering with Jesus and Jesus turns to her in the book of Luke and he says Martha Martha you're worried and upset about many things but few things are needed in fact only one Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her if we forget the main thing the whole reason we exist in this life the whole purpose of our creation which is to be in relationship with God and be the people God wants us to be in this world if we lose that we may gain all kinds of other stuff we don't need and junk that will make us bad but you see where we can end up now you're not there
[43:58] I know you're not or you wouldn't be here okay I don't want you to hear wrong we thought about having a sermon series about how bad everything is and then I thought no everything's pretty good with these people they're here I'm not gonna beat you up you're doing good but we can do better amen it's not that you're you're awful it's not that you've you've missed everything it's not that you hate God it's not that you completely turned your back on God it's just we don't want to end up where the Israelites ended up in Egypt where we want to go is to the promised land amen break the chains that keep us from what God intended for our lives and when we turn to God God pours out his blessings on us and when we turn away the blessings go somewhere else so we don't want to be chained to a mediocre meaningless life we want to be living into the promise
[44:59] God has for each of us the amazing amazing promise that God has for each of us because God before you were born designed something incredible for you to do and to be if we live into it the second one is like it love your neighbor as yourself living out of love and set out of out of fear it says there were so many of them in verse 9 and even again in verse 12 it says there are so many of them that the Egyptians were afraid of the Israelites now does this make any sense to you why would wealthy powerful people be afraid of poor little you know but they are aren't they even today because you see if you get people desperate and poor enough they're unpredictable because they have nothing to lose so the Egyptians were afraid of them and worried about them and had a deep concern that they need to control these people and keep them down now let me give you a history lesson I know most of you don't like history but I got to tell you the back story of this because otherwise you might not quite understand it at the time of
[46:05] Abraham the Egyptian empire stretched into Canaan so that was greater Egypt kind of like we live in New York but if I said I was going to New York you'd know I'm at the city you know what I'm talking about we live in New York but that's the city that's New York right the they were foreigners they came from the land around Canaan and Iraq they came from the land that Abraham came from they looked like
[47:07] Joseph they talked like Joseph they acted like Joseph but they called themselves pharaohs and lived in Egypt and ruled Egypt and the original Egyptians the people who were born in Egypt got shoved into the southern region and treated like dirt you get this read the story of Joseph they took their land they took their food they took their animals they took their wealth Joseph and these Hyksus did that and then they stayed for a couple hundred years well why not everything's going so good let's stick around even though God told them your promise is over there they stayed where they didn't belong well you know eventually what happens is the people that belong you know that's how it works and so the Egyptians reclaimed the land of Egypt a new king arose who didn't know or care about Joseph do you get it and so the oppressed became oppressors and those who were doing all the leading and all the ruling and getting all the benefits lost them you see the problem is all too often all we see is what's in front of our face and we don't even understand what we're doing the past had some wonderful good things about it but some of it was a little off let's let's listen to dad on the beaver here and i 꼭
[48:40] C'est bon.
[49:10] C'est bon.
[49:40] And what we're trying to do is not what other people are experiencing or hearing or feeling. And so we need to change the narrative.
[49:52] We need to change how we speak to each other. We need to change how we act towards each other. Because even in the subtle words and the simple phrases or actions, we can offend without knowing we're offending.
[50:06] I don't think he meant to put his wife down. But he did, didn't he? I don't think he meant to hurt anybody, but could you imagine if his wife heard that?
[50:19] He would have been hurting. And there would have been pain. See, in the book of Matthew, Jesus told him to change the narrative. He said this.
[50:29] Why did I tell you that story about the Hyksus in Egypt?
[50:42] Because this has been going on since time began. If the Egyptians would have welcomed the Hyksus or the Hyksus would have been loving towards the Egyptians, they would have built an incredible, powerful empire.
[50:58] The Israelites would have loved the Egyptians and they would have lived on as the greatest empire on the face of the earth. But instead, the very people living in the same land for hundreds of years learned to hate each other.
[51:11] Anger, anger, hurt, and hate. Have you heard any of that lately? Do you follow? And so the German people were oppressed by the United States and Britain and France.
[51:28] And so they struck out at the Jewish people who then got themselves a homeland in the Middle East and decided they were going to get those Palestinians. And so now they're fighting back.
[51:39] Do you see? I met a man named Father Shakur from Palestine. He said what we have to do is break this chain. We have to love the Israelis. What do you mean?
[51:51] We have to love our enemies. We have to love the people that seem to say the wrong things. We have to love the people that vote for the other party. We have to love the people who get all weird and crazy about property lines in our backyard.
[52:05] We have to love the people who yell at our kids. We have to love the people who make us nuts at work. We have to love the people that Jesus referred to as our enemies.
[52:20] As if the Israelites and the Jewish people had loved each other, loved their neighbors. None of this pain, none of these chains would ever have happened.
[52:32] So see, we have the answer. If we live into our faith, if we move into what God intends, if we don't get stuck in the past, we can break the chains of pain, the circle of pain.
[52:49] We can change the narrative completely. And that's what Christians are called to do. To be the love of God to the world. So people see what it means to love as God would love.
[53:03] It says that God remembered his agreement with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You see, God remembered it because they remembered it.
[53:15] When they turned back to God, when they lived into repentance to God, all of a sudden God said, I can bless them now. They're not stuck anymore. I can break their chains and set them free.
[53:27] You're a good church. You really are. We can be a lot better. You're good people. I mean that.
[53:37] I'm not trying to butter you up. You really are. I've been pastor of this church a long time. And I can't say that I've ever had so many disciples of Jesus Christ worshiping in our congregation.
[53:51] But we can be more. This is a great nation. But we can make it into something that reflects God's intention and promise.
[54:03] The Israelites didn't become slaves when the Egyptians put them in chains. They became slaves a lot longer than that. When they lost their faith, they lost their love, and they lost their calling from God.
[54:19] We're called to an amazing life. Breaking through the chains of anger, fear, loneliness, boredom, worry, confusion.
[54:31] We're tempted to be less. Just to get by. God has called us to a life where we'll thrive, where we'll prosper, where we'll break every chain that holds us back.
[54:46] And if we turn towards God, we can do that. Amen? Amen? Are you here? Amen? Amen? Amen. All right. Amen. Amen.
[55:10] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501
[56:18] Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501
[57:48] Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501
[59:18] Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501
[60:20] Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501
[61:22] Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501
[62:42] Sous-titrage ST' 501 Sous-titrage ST' 501 Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
[62:57] We were made to thrive. We were made to thrive. God has such promise for us. And so often we just get into a routine and we start becoming a little complacent and the things just start creeping in that start keeping us down.
[63:16] et ne nous остановiner encore par le inspiration pour l'issage. C'est plus То que nous on ma part de table de grâce, il y�ne de vous qu'게요 à des confiance.
[63:28] J'елю le paine de ton signe. J'ai eu besoin de ton signe. J'ai eu besoin de ton signe. J'ai eu besoin de ton signe. J'ai cette Silkburg. J'ai eu besoin de ton signe.
[63:41] J'ai besoin de ton signe. to see where I need to go and what I need to do to live into your promise, your possibility, your hope in Jesus Christ.
[64:02] Amen. Hear the good news. Christ died for us while we were sinners. And this proves God's love for you and for me. So in the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven.
[64:18] Glory to God. Amen. And now as a forgiven body of Christ, let's greet one another with the peace of the Holy Spirit as we prepare for the table. Thank you.
[64:43] Thank you. Stop.蹴. Did we see all theule attention onدم indicate to this one two?
[64:55] To this one, the alumnus has been reversed. childhood. To this. To this given another purpose. to this teacher, to this teacher, to this teacher, it up and to this teacher, Je vous remercie.
[65:35] Je vous remercie.
[66:05] Je vous remercie. Je vous remercie. Je vous remercie. Je vous remercie. Je vous remercie. Je vous remercie.
[66:17] Je vous remercie. Je vous remercie. Je vous remercie. Je vous remercie. Je vous remercie. Even if it's your first time here, even if it's the first time you ever walked into any church anywhere, you are welcome at the table this morning.
[66:35] Not because I invite you, because God invites you. This table belongs to God, and God welcomes you.
[66:47] The Lord be with you. Lift up your hearts. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right and a good and joyful thing always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
[67:05] You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life. When we turned away and our love failed, your love remained steadfast. You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God, and spoke to us through your prophets.
[67:21] And so with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn, Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.
[67:35] Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Holy are you and blessed is your son Jesus Christ.
[67:46] Your spirit anointed him to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to announce that the time had come when you would save your people.
[68:00] He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and ate with sinners. By the baptism of his suffering, death and resurrection, you gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.
[68:15] And on the night in which he gave himself up for us, Jesus took bread and he gave thanks to you. He broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying, Take and eat. This is my body which is given for you.
[68:35] Do this in remembrance of me. And when the supper was over, he took the cup. Again, he gave you thanks and praise and gave it to his disciples, saying, Drink from this, all of you.
[68:46] This is the cup of my blood, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sin. Do this as often as you drink it. In remembrance of me.
[69:02] And so in remembrance of these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice in union with Christ's offering for us as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
[69:17] Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here. and on these gifts of bread and wine.
[69:29] Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world, the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. By your Spirit, make us one with Christ, one with each other and one in ministry to all the world until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet.
[69:49] Through your Son, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty God, now and forever. Amen. Now, with the confidence of dearly beloved children of God, let's pray as Jesus taught us.
[70:06] Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
[70:16] Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
[70:32] For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. Will those who are serving this morning please come forward. Amen.
[70:47] Amen. Amen.
[71:17] Amen. Amen.
[72:16] Amen. Amen. And now Jesus Christ invites you to the table, to the rail, for prayers for healing, for anointing, or prayers to break through the barriers holding your life.
[72:33] We invite you to light a candle as your prayer. Come and join us with the Lord. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[73:16] Amen. Amen.
[74:16] Amen. Amen.
[74:47] Amen. Amen.
[75:46] Amen. Amen.
[76:46] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[77:15] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Sous-titrage Société Radio-Canada de service i invite you to stand as we're going to sing together because he lives god they called him jesus he came to love heal and forgive he bled and died till my mind blood and an empty grave is there to prove i save your lives because he lives i would face tomorrow because he lives all fear is gone because i know he holds the future and life is worth the living just because he lives and then one day i'll cross the river i'll fight my smile no more with me and when as death gives way to victory i'll see the light the glory and i'll know he reigns because he lives i can face tomorrow because he lives all fear is all because i know he holds the future and life is worth the living just because he lives i with the new i know he has an incredible dream plan for your life don't underestimate what god wants and will do in your life we're going to live into the promise of god we're going to break through the barriers and find our way to that dream that god intended for us
[80:36] As people, as a church, as a community that can change the world by changing the narrative. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.
[80:49] Go in his peace. Amen.