1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:02,680 I've titled our sermon this morning. 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:11,080 Worship God with Gratitude. What happens to us in life as we 3 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:16,960 go through life is not as important as how we respond to 4 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:22,040 what happens to us. There are a lot of things in 5 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:24,320 life that happened to us. They're not pleasant. 6 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:30,760 Some are just inconvenient. Some are uncomfortable, some are 7 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:33,920 simply just bad, some are even wrong. 8 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:37,840 But in some way we cannot control that. 9 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:40,200 But there's one thing we can control. 10 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:44,720 We can't control how we respond to what happens to us. 11 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:50,000 Put it this way, you may have had a bad day and somebody does 12 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:56,280 something to you or with you, puts you in a bad mood and then 13 00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:01,520 they do something nice for you. Do you say a heartfelt, honest, 14 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:04,760 heartfelt gratitude, thank you or thank you? 15 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:11,760 How does it come out? We are always responsible for 16 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,480 how we respond. We're called to worship God, 17 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:18,120 meaning we give him worth and what what we say and how we 18 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:23,680 live. And we have to be mindful of the 19 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,000 fact that are we doing, Are we worshiping God out of 20 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:27,480 obligation? Are we praising him out of 21 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:28,920 obligation? Or is it because our hearts are 22 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:31,800 so full and we really want to? And I get it. 23 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:34,400 And the times of emotional turmoil like we find ourselves 24 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,360 in, it's not always easy. And it reveals something about 25 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:40,520 us where we stand and where we need to grow. 26 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,360 And when we worship God, it's not because, oh, God needs to be 27 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:45,880 worshipped. Yes, it's another, it's time, 28 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,040 another chore. No, it's not like that at all. 29 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,560 It's an opportunity for us, and it's not that God needs to be 30 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,440 worshipped and as if he's now less God if we don't. 31 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:59,720 But we need to worship God because if we don't, we make 32 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:01,360 room for Satan to get a foothold. 33 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:06,040 The truth is, God does want us. He created us. 34 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,199 He wants us. We're his, his image. 35 00:02:08,199 --> 00:02:11,120 He wants us to worship not because he's more God if we do, 36 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:13,480 but because we become more like Him. 37 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:18,240 We align more with Him and our relationship to God should 38 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:21,080 always be a relationship of worship. 39 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:24,600 God's a God of glory and honour and holiness and majesty. 40 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:27,920 It's important that we worship God with that mind frame, that 41 00:02:27,920 --> 00:02:31,560 mindset, and we do it as human beings. 42 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:34,360 We're people, flesh and blood people. 43 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,000 We have purpose. We have meaning and value for 44 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:40,000 that purpose. We have many stories of how God 45 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:41,800 was worshipped in the Old Testament times. 46 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:45,240 Worshipping God was always a huge deal in the Old Testament. 47 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:46,560 Still is. It should be. 48 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:50,720 When we read of the Old Testament laws in particular, a 49 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,400 lot of very intricate detail went into how God was to be 50 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:57,720 worshipped. We read of how God instructed 51 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:00,560 His people through Moses, how to build the Tabernacle, the tent 52 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:04,160 of worship in the wilderness. Very detailed list of things, 53 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:06,800 what to do and how to do it, and you can read it. 54 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,920 It's very complicated. Later on when the nation of 55 00:03:09,920 --> 00:03:13,480 Israel was established and they had the temple, that form of 56 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:16,400 worship continued. Corporate worship was a huge 57 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:18,360 deal. They celebrated and worshipped. 58 00:03:18,640 --> 00:03:22,680 Lots of activity went into, it had to be done just in the right 59 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:24,880 way, in the right form and nothing was left to chance at 60 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:27,200 all. But then under the new covenant, 61 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:29,320 the New Testament that Jesus brought in, there's, there's no 62 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:31,240 longer the old format under the law. 63 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:34,720 Today we're under grace and we worship God in spirit and truth. 64 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,360 As Jesus told the Samaritan woman, he said God is spirit and 65 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:40,520 those who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth. 66 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:44,360 Well, this morning we're continuing our sermon series in 67 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:47,120 Nehemiah, and today we're in chapter 12. 68 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,760 The books of Ezra and Nehemiah both tell much of the story of 69 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:54,600 what happened to the Jews after they had been in captivity for 70 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:58,080 70 years. The Jews had been given freedom 71 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:01,280 to return from Babylon. Some of the Jews had returned to 72 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,120 the homeland. A lot of clean up to do, a lot 73 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:06,680 of rebuilding to do. Things needed to be done to 74 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:08,480 bring community back to the area. 75 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:12,760 And it happened slowly over a long period of time, and it 76 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:16,240 happened in several waves. The 1st wave of people that 77 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,800 returned from Babylon to Judea was, was that there was a leader 78 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:23,680 named Zerubbabel under the rule of King Cyrus. 79 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,480 He authorized the permission, the freedom of the Jews to go 80 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:28,880 back home. Years later, it was a priest 81 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:31,400 named Ezra. He LED a second wave of people 82 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:33,640 back to Judea. And finally after that, some 83 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:37,240 time went by and Nehemiah LED a third wave back to the homeland. 84 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,040 And in this book of Nehemiah, that's where we find ourselves. 85 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,560 One of the timelines that I looked at online and to indicate 86 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:47,680 to find a kind of what was this like? 87 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:51,840 The suggestion is that it was over a 90 year time frame from 88 00:04:51,840 --> 00:04:54,840 the 1st wave that came back to the SEC to the last one that we 89 00:04:54,840 --> 00:04:56,840 read in Nehemiah. That's a long time. 90 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:00,560 That's not counting the 70 years that they were in captivity with 91 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:04,280 no returns. But back in Judea, the work of 92 00:05:04,280 --> 00:05:06,880 restoration had begun in some measure when the first group 93 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:10,320 came back and that started work on the temple to rebuild it. 94 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:12,560 But then opposition came and letters were written and 95 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:14,880 complaints were lodged, and the kings had stopped the work and 96 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:19,680 wasn't very good. And finally Nehemiah comes and 97 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,440 the temple already had been rebuilt under Ezra, was finished 98 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:24,960 on Nehemiah comes back and under his ministry, his leadership, 99 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:29,520 the wall gets rebuilt, had been completed in record time. 100 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:33,800 Actually, the restoration had happened as a culture, as a 101 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:35,520 people. Things were coming together. 102 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:40,520 It was really a success story. Now it came time to celebrate 103 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:42,480 what had happened, to dedicate the wall. 104 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:46,920 It was time to celebrate what God had done and to reflect on 105 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:49,480 his goodness and this became a national event. 106 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:52,320 Well, actually was a national event for the people had been a 107 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:54,080 long time in coming. In coming. 108 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:57,600 Nehemiah organized and again, a lot of detail went into this 109 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:00,800 project. You see, we as people need that. 110 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:04,120 Think about what we do with weddings. 111 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:11,280 We put a lot of time, a lot of energy and resources, and it has 112 00:06:11,280 --> 00:06:12,520 to be done just so and it's fine. 113 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:14,720 It's good because it should be a special day. 114 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:18,960 It should be. We need to do those things, make 115 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:21,000 it special, because then we remember it. 116 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:23,520 That's one reason why weddings are the way they are. 117 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:27,800 It's a once in a lifetime event that a couple organizes. 118 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:30,640 The celebration. Nehemiah chapter 12 in Jerusalem 119 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:34,320 was a one-of-a-kind, unique one time celebration in that it was 120 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:36,440 the dedication of the wall. They had celebrations all 121 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:38,680 throughout the year, Passover and a lot of celebrations they 122 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:41,080 had. But this was a unique, specific, 123 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:43,960 one-of-a-kind celebration. The wall had been completed in 124 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:45,440 record time. It was a good wall, a great 125 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:48,200 project they organized. Let's get together, celebrate. 126 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:52,840 I want us to look into Nehemiah chapter 12, beginning verse one. 127 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:57,400 Now these are the priests and the Levites who came up with the 128 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:00,480 rubber bowl, the son of Sheel Teal and Joshua, Zeriah, 129 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:04,880 Jeremiah and Ezra, Ezra, Nehemiah goes on and gives a 130 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:10,080 list of names of the priests and Levites and who all came earlier 131 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:12,600 on in Nehemiah. We read of names, a list of 132 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:14,920 names of people who helped rebuild the wall. 133 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:17,960 Now here's giving a list of names who are going to be part 134 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:19,880 of this project, this this, this event. 135 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:24,160 It's amazing how important names are in Scripture. 136 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:28,360 God named the 1st man Adam. Then Adam named his wife Eve. 137 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:34,320 Names are a big deal in the Bible and they're even a big 138 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:36,000 deal to us. Maybe not as big of a deal, but 139 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:39,480 they should be. Perhaps you see names become 140 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,320 associated and connected with meaning. 141 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:45,840 If someone mentions the word Einstein, OK, we'll think of 142 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:50,240 smartness and and intellect and IQ and all those things, and 143 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:51,640 there's some not so famous names. 144 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:55,960 When we hear those names, then OK, we think of evil and and 145 00:07:55,960 --> 00:08:00,520 brutality and so on. People are remembered by their 146 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:03,480 names for one way or another. And in those times when this was 147 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:05,840 written down, there was value to these names. 148 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:08,760 Nehemiah mentions a list of names of people who have served 149 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:11,480 the community of Israel with their talents, their gifts, 150 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:13,680 their resources. And now again we have a list of 151 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:16,280 names. Maybe to us these names do not 152 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:18,800 mean that much, but what it does tell us, names have 153 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,280 significance. And when the readers of that 154 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:23,600 time would have read the stories, Oh yeah, they would 155 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:25,840 have, They would have remembered that. 156 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:32,120 There's a commentator by the name of David Guzik, who's a 157 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:33,720 commentary I love to read sometimes. 158 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:36,799 And he points out how these priests by name were mentioned. 159 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:38,880 And there are three different phases. 160 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,720 We see in chapter 12, verse 1 to 11 a list of names of the 161 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:45,720 Levites who returned. Then we have a list of names 162 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:49,240 from 12 to 21. Nehemiah mentions those names of 163 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:51,400 the priests who came at a later time, a different time, and 164 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:58,080 again a list in verse 22 to 26 and in verse 26 he says these 165 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:01,240 lived in the days of Joy Akim the son of Joshua the son of 166 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:03,360 Josodach, in the days of Nehemiah the governor. 167 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:06,320 This Nehemiah wrote the book and of Ezra the priest describes. 168 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:10,040 Nehemiah writes in a very detailed way, mentioning 169 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:13,560 specific times and dates. And as I said before, it carried 170 00:09:13,560 --> 00:09:16,880 huge significance. Think for a moment in our time. 171 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,400 Let's say you go to a thrift shop, which sometimes I do, or 172 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:22,320 to a yard sale, and you happen to pick up a magazine, an old 173 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:25,680 book or magazine, let's say, and you see your great grandfather's 174 00:09:25,680 --> 00:09:30,160 picture there and a write up I'm sure you would want to read. 175 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:33,600 What did they write about him? You would want to know your 176 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:36,040 history. Oh, that's my great granddad. 177 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:36,640 Yeah. Yeah. 178 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:39,680 I want to see what happened. You would be who wrote the 179 00:09:39,680 --> 00:09:41,280 magazine? When was it written? 180 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:43,080 Where was it written? And if maybe there's some 181 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:45,920 resources I can follow up on, at least I would feel that way. 182 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:50,280 I would want to know. And I think for the readers of 183 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:53,200 the book of Nehemiah and that time, this was maybe similar. 184 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:56,840 The wall had been rebuilt and it was a historic event. 185 00:09:57,360 --> 00:09:59,360 It was a big deal. God had done it. 186 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:01,520 Record time. And he writes exactly what 187 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:03,680 happened. A lot of good had happened. 188 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:07,040 The city had been restored in some at some measure not 189 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:10,120 completed, but was restored. The reproach was lifted was a 190 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:13,360 time for celebration and so they had a dedication ceremony. 191 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:17,280 Verse 27, it says now at the dedication of the wall of the of 192 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:20,960 Jerusalem, they sought out the Levites and all their places to 193 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:23,400 bring them to Jerusalem, to celebrate the dedication with 194 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:27,400 gladness, both with thanksgivings and singing with 195 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,320 cymbals and string instruments and harps. 196 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:34,160 And the sons of the singers gathered together from the 197 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:36,280 countryside around Jerusalem, from the villages of the 198 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:40,280 Neetophathites, from the House of Gilgal, from the fields of 199 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:43,680 Gibbon Asmavath, for the singers had built themselves villages 200 00:10:43,680 --> 00:10:47,160 all around Jerusalem. This was a huge deal and a big 201 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:50,240 deal, a spiritual event as well. The Levites from the tribe of 202 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:54,280 Levi were doing their work. The priestly men were doing 203 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:56,520 their work. They're all called together. 204 00:10:56,520 --> 00:10:58,520 Let's do this. They were pointed to their 205 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:02,200 tasks, they were given assignments to do the ministry, 206 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:06,880 celebrate and sing and rejoice. That was a job. 207 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:09,600 Their job description instruments are mentioned 208 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:12,120 symbols, loud instruments, string instruments. 209 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:15,920 We don't know what all they did, but one of the things that stood 210 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:18,760 out to me as I was going through this, this dedication 211 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:20,880 celebration included the use of music. 212 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:25,400 And we sing, we do. And I paused a little bit to 213 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:28,040 just think about that. Music is so powerful. 214 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:32,920 Sometimes when I'm very excited, I'm very joyful, very glad. 215 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:35,960 I like to listen to music that that resonates with that. 216 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:39,000 And there's times when I just turn on music that's different 217 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:42,840 that that it's comforting, but also healing because of 218 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:45,480 emotional pain. And we go through that as well. 219 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:50,320 Music for me carries the soul. It engages the heart and the 220 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:54,240 mind all in one. And when we do that in as 221 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:58,560 corporate and group is together, it's a powerful thing that we 222 00:11:58,560 --> 00:12:00,400 enjoy and participate in with fully. 223 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:03,040 And they did it back then and we do it now too. 224 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:08,640 One thing I love doing is watching little toddlers listen 225 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:12,760 to music because when you play a lively tune, they get involved, 226 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:16,080 they start moving. What we as older folk, we kind 227 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:17,720 of know we're too refined for that. 228 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,080 We don't. And some cultures they still do. 229 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:23,120 And if you go to Africa, for instance, they sing not with 230 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:24,920 just their voice, they sing with their body. 231 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:28,800 And it's amazing to watch how they enjoy worshipping. 232 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:32,480 We as a men in a community have some have gotten away from that. 233 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:34,920 And I don't know if it's right or wrong, but it's just that 234 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:36,600 way. But as I said, I just love 235 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,440 watching little people, our grandchildren, especially when 236 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:41,480 you play a tune or strum on your heart. 237 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:43,000 And the little ones, they just go at it. 238 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:46,840 They're all in. Music brings them together in 239 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:51,880 every aspect. Music was part of the dedication 240 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:56,000 and again, this was a celebration. 241 00:12:56,000 --> 00:13:00,280 What God had done. The era of we are nothing, it 242 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:03,960 means nothing, we are history, That era was coming to a close, 243 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:06,000 the wall had been built, now it's time to celebrate. 244 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:10,960 We are a people Again, it was time to celebrate, to move 245 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:13,760 forward. Turning a new page is what it 246 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:16,920 was. And they prepared for the big 247 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,880 event. Notice how they prepared for 248 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:21,800 that. Verse 30 it says then the 249 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:24,680 priests and the Levites purified themselves and purified the 250 00:13:24,680 --> 00:13:28,080 people, the gates and the wall. They got ready. 251 00:13:28,680 --> 00:13:31,520 They prepared themselves. It was not something Oh yeah, we 252 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:32,760 forgot. We could quickly got to do that 253 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:34,680 yet. No, this was a preparation time, 254 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:38,160 not a physical, physical cleansing as in, oh, I, I worked 255 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:39,600 in the garage, I'm dirty now I have a bath. 256 00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:43,200 Not that kind of preparation. It was a mental, emotional, 257 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:46,320 spiritual preparation, a preparation time for this big 258 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:49,520 event that was going to go down. Setting themselves apart for 259 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:51,960 this event, focusing on what's going to what's going to happen, 260 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:55,200 how they would lead. They brought themselves and the 261 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:58,360 people into alignment with God. There's a principle for us here 262 00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:00,440 to learn. You see, when Jesus had a visit 263 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:05,000 with a Samaritan woman at the well of Shikhar, the woman asked 264 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:06,760 Jesus, well, where is the right place to worship you? 265 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:09,920 Jews say in Jerusalem, We Samaritans say here on this on 266 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:11,760 that mountain mount charism, that's where we should worship. 267 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:16,480 Where should we worship? And Jesus simply says to her in 268 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:19,680 in Saint John chapter 4, he says the time is coming. 269 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:21,760 Believe me, the time is coming when the true worshippers will 270 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:25,520 worship God not there nor here, but in spirit and in truth in 271 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:27,120 you. That means we can do it anywhere 272 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:31,080 we are. The outward form is good and 273 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:32,520 it's significant. It has meaning. 274 00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:35,360 It has purpose and value, but that's not the most important. 275 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:39,040 The most important is the heart. We can stand and sing songs. 276 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:40,560 Our mind is 1,000,000 miles away. 277 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:46,400 Let's engage our heart, our mind, our soul and God with God. 278 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:48,360 When we worship, we can't fool him, He knows it. 279 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:55,240 John 424 God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him 280 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:56,800 in spirit and truth, and I trust we do that. 281 00:14:57,360 --> 00:15:00,320 Another verse in Psalm chapter 24 verse three to four says who 282 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:01,880 may ascend into the hill of the Lord? 283 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:07,040 Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a 284 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:11,560 pure heart, who has not lifted up a soul to an idol, nor sworn 285 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:14,720 deceitfully a person who's honest, a person of integrity. 286 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:18,080 So these people purified themselves, then they purified 287 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:21,160 the people, and then the gates and the wall. 288 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:26,440 For us today, purification is not an outward ritual, as it was 289 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:27,920 for the people in Nehemiah's day. 290 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:31,240 But for us, it's an inner surrender, a humbling of 291 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:34,120 ourselves and dedicating ourselves to Jesus Christ. 292 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:37,280 Do we in our time also dedicate things to God? 293 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:41,280 Better believe it, we do. I remember very clearly to this 294 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:45,400 day, 1995, in November, when we dedicated this building. 295 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:48,120 Anna and I were here from the get go. 296 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:52,560 We helped build it and it was one big GLAAD event. 297 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:57,400 We had a it was packed, people were here, we sang, we 298 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:00,200 worshipped and people gave greetings and whatnot. 299 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:06,240 And we celebrated the opening of LEMC in November of 1995. 300 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:09,600 You see, it's not just churches that are dedicated. 301 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:11,440 The Jews head of the Temple, it was dedicated. 302 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:13,560 They dedicated this wall that they had. 303 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:17,640 We must dedicate ourselves and then also the things that God 304 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:20,560 has entrusted to us. I'm not saying for every little 305 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:23,040 thing we need a ceremony to dedicate it, but it's important 306 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:24,520 to remember, to pause and reflect. 307 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:26,440 What has God done? Why has He done it? 308 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:29,280 What's His purpose? Are we recognizing that all we 309 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:31,440 have, all we art, all comes from Him? 310 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:34,600 It's important to give Him glory and honor and praise and thank 311 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:37,200 Him. Sometimes people, Christian 312 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:39,440 families, when they buy a house, they have a prayer of dedication 313 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:41,120 for the house. They want to live there for 314 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:43,120 God's glory. It's for them a reminder. 315 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:45,560 God has blessed them with a house, glorify God. 316 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:48,960 In our church, we have parent child dedication services. 317 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:52,000 We recognize it's important for our parents to remind themselves 318 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:54,560 us as a church, we'll stand with this couple, with these parents. 319 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:57,200 Does they dedicate their little one for God's glory. 320 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:01,640 Here in this story of Nehemiah, the Levites dedicated 321 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:04,040 themselves, the wall, the people and everything. 322 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:08,680 Nehemiah 311231 he continues. He says, So I brought the 323 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:12,240 leaders of Judah up on the wall. Now they go on the wall and 324 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:14,839 appointed 2 large Thanksgiving choirs. 325 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:18,160 One went to the right on the wall toward the refuse gate. 326 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:19,359 Later on one went to the other side. 327 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:23,800 But just a side note, this is that very same wall where the 328 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,040 sandblatten, all the other guys. They said if a fox goes on, 329 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:29,640 it'll fall down. This was a good strong wall. 330 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:31,760 Crowds of people were walking on it. 331 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:35,920 And EMI again mentions the names of the leaders who were part of 332 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:38,000 this process or part of this part of this project. 333 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:39,600 Some of the priests were mentioned. 334 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:43,280 They were in the choir as well. He describes it in detail what 335 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:46,240 they did actually, verse 37, he says by the fountain gate in 336 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:48,120 front of them. They went up the stairs of the 337 00:17:48,120 --> 00:17:50,560 City of David on the stairway of the wall beyond the House of 338 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:53,040 David as far as the Watergate eastward. 339 00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:56,360 Now to us this may not mean much at all unless you're very 340 00:17:56,360 --> 00:18:00,240 familiar with the geography and the architecture of the old city 341 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:01,600 and all that stuff, which I'm not. 342 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:04,760 But this was this was important. This was how they did it. 343 00:18:06,120 --> 00:18:08,440 The two different choirs represent were separate. 344 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:11,320 They went different routes along the wall on the opposite sides. 345 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:16,720 It says in verse 2038, the other Thanksgiving choir went the 346 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:19,800 opposite way and I was behind them with half of the people on 347 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:23,400 the wall going past the tower of the Ovens as far as the broad 348 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:25,600 wall. And above the gate of Ephraim, 349 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:27,680 above the old gate, above the fish gate, the tower of 350 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:30,080 Hannanal, the tower of the 100, as far as the sheep gate. 351 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:31,280 And they stopped by the gate of the prison. 352 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:33,920 So they went around, started here, and went opposite ways 353 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:36,760 around. We can imagine the two choirs on 354 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:38,960 the wall of Jerusalem, one walking one way, the other 355 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:41,720 walking one way, and then coming around together. 356 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:44,440 And the second choir was the one where Nehemiah was in. 357 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:49,600 There were Thanksgiving choirs. That's what this was about. 358 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:52,160 Thanksgiving. All the glory and praise was 359 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:53,360 focused on God, what he had done. 360 00:18:56,960 --> 00:18:59,680 I sometimes think that festive occasions when something good 361 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:01,880 has happened, we say we're thankful, and I do believe we 362 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:03,520 are. But do we take it seriously 363 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:05,800 enough? Do our deeds show that we 364 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:07,360 actually do treasure what we have? 365 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:13,600 How we say thank you is an indicator of how thankful we are 366 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:18,520 when we dedicate ourselves, our time, our resources to thank 367 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:21,520 you, to say thank you must come from the heart. 368 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:25,880 Continuing on here, the way the passage reads, the two choirs 369 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:27,640 came together and it says here in verse 40. 370 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:30,520 So the two Thanksgiving choirs stood in the House of God. 371 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:33,360 Likewise I and half of the rulers of me with me. 372 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:37,480 And it says in verse 42 also that day they offered great 373 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:40,640 sacrifices and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great 374 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:42,280 joy. The women and children also 375 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:46,320 rejoice, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard far off. 376 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:49,720 It was not some almost silent, quiet choir. 377 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:53,080 The day was great. It was a glad, joyful, great and 378 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:55,080 glorious day. It was exciting. 379 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:58,880 It was loud. There was a high point in the 380 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:01,880 nation that day. All the celebration, the 381 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:06,120 dedication, all things happened. Well, they were giving and being 382 00:20:06,120 --> 00:20:09,400 generous, bringing offerings. And as we continue reading verse 383 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:13,560 44, it says, and at the same time, while this is going on, 384 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,040 some were appointed over the rooms of the storehouses for the 385 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:17,840 offerings. So much was coming together, so 386 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:19,200 much was being brought to Jerusalem. 387 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:22,800 They they appointed people over the storehouses the first 388 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:25,960 fruits, and the Thais to gather them into them from the fields 389 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:28,880 of the cities, the portions specified by the law for the 390 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:31,680 priests and Levites. For Judah rejoiced over the 391 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:33,240 priests and Levites who ministered. 392 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:36,120 Verse 45. Both the singers and the 393 00:20:36,120 --> 00:20:38,560 gatekeepers kept the charge of their God and the charge of the 394 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:41,440 purification, according to the command of David and Solomon. 395 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:44,360 For in the days of David and Asaph of old, there were chiefs 396 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:48,080 of the singers and songs of praise and Thanksgiving to God. 397 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:52,400 In the days of the rubber ball, in the days of Nehemiah, all 398 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:54,600 Israel gave the portions for the singers and gatekeepers a 399 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:56,920 portion for each day. They also consecrated holy 400 00:20:56,920 --> 00:20:59,080 things for the Levites, and the Levites consecrated them for the 401 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:03,200 children of Aaron. This is a healthy faith 402 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:07,680 community, rejoicing and dedicating themselves in the 403 00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:11,080 wall to God. You see in a healthy faith 404 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:15,320 community, where as much as possible everybody participates 405 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:19,600 and where as much as possible, everybody contributes and as a 406 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:23,200 result, everyone is blessed. That was what was happening here 407 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:28,120 on this day, a joyful event. The leaders of the people, the 408 00:21:28,120 --> 00:21:30,840 leaders of the nation, the religious leaders, together with 409 00:21:30,840 --> 00:21:33,200 the citizens, they all came together as one. 410 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:38,600 There was a togetherness there. There was a unity there and they 411 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:42,920 all celebrated together and the resources they had, they gave of 412 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:45,880 those. They ministered well, It was 413 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:49,600 structured, was organized, a well functioning system. 414 00:21:50,120 --> 00:21:53,480 They worshipped God with gratitude for what He had done 415 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:57,680 for them. This had been a long time in 416 00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:02,600 coming, had been a very long time, a long journey over many 417 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:05,480 decades. The difficult and challenging 418 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:07,720 history that their ancestors had lived through was because of 419 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:10,440 what had happened before them, rebelling against God, 420 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:12,000 worshipping idols. God had worn them to the 421 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:13,320 prophets. They had not listened. 422 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:16,080 God had disciplined them through the foreign kings who took them 423 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:20,120 captive and destroyed their land. 70 years of exile and now 424 00:22:20,120 --> 00:22:23,040 they were at the point where they could again feel good about 425 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:26,200 themselves as a nation. The reproach had been lifted. 426 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:28,280 They work together. The rejoice of God had done for 427 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:29,800 them. They didn't have independence as 428 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:32,120 a nation yet at this time that would. 429 00:22:32,120 --> 00:22:34,880 There was a small time and that happened under the Maccabees. 430 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:37,680 The point in history won't go into, but here at this point 431 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:40,680 they were free to worship God as they saw fit under Babylon's 432 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:42,320 rule. But they were together again. 433 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:52,720 I wonder a little bit about us. Do we worship God that way? 434 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:56,720 Yesterday one of our ladies in the church sent a poem she had 435 00:22:56,720 --> 00:22:59,440 written and she read, she had read Nehemiah in advance of 436 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:01,880 today's sermon in her Bible reading. 437 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:04,640 And she had written a poem on the experience of the people had 438 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:06,360 when they celebrated the dedication of the wall. 439 00:23:06,360 --> 00:23:08,880 And she sent it to me and I asked her can I read it in the 440 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:09,960 sermon this morning? She said yes. 441 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:15,120 So here, here it is, all the beautiful names written in God's 442 00:23:15,120 --> 00:23:18,920 Word, all the choirs and songs that were heard, beautiful songs 443 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:21,840 of Thanksgiving, celebrating the joy of life and living. 444 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:25,640 They prepared everything as instructed to dedicate and bless 445 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:28,240 the wall they had constructed. The Lord had blessed them and 446 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:30,680 shown them favors, so they wanted to thank the Lord and 447 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:33,000 Savior. The leaders of Jude on top of 448 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:35,120 the wall. 2 choirs singing their thanks for it. 449 00:23:35,120 --> 00:23:37,680 All great sacrifices were made on that day. 450 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:40,080 The sound of the rejoicing could be heard from far away. 451 00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:43,400 The Lord had given them great joy and they sang loud. 452 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:45,840 All the men and women and children made-up the crowd. 453 00:23:46,120 --> 00:23:47,800 Must have been amazing to have been there. 454 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:49,640 What awesome, what an awesome story. 455 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:53,560 Now they had to share. We get to read all about it even 456 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:57,680 today, and we can share how they must have celebrated that day by 457 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:01,360 Tina Friesen. This poem encapsulates the story 458 00:24:01,360 --> 00:24:04,280 well. As good as it was that they got 459 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:07,560 to dedicate them all, celebrate it all together, as good as it 460 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:10,600 was, there's one thing that had happened and I'm sure it was 461 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:12,520 there. But this was also a healing 462 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:17,160 journey. A healing journey. 463 00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:22,160 We can't always predict and control these. 464 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:27,320 I know many in our community need comfort these days. 465 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:29,800 God is in the business of healing. 466 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:35,720 But the Thanksgiving must begin before that already. 467 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:38,560 There's so much to be thankful for all the time. 468 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:41,800 God wants us to dedicate ourselves to His 'cause God 469 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:44,200 wants us to dedicate our time, our talents and skills to His 470 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:47,920 purposes. Sometimes the mindset is OK. 471 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:50,680 As soon as this pain is over, I will be thankful again. 472 00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:55,120 No, no, no, no, no, I will be thankful now. 473 00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:59,680 Now, if we're going to wait to worship with gratitude till 474 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:03,760 things change, we may never. Worshipping God with gratitude 475 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:06,200 is something that's not connected to our circumstances. 476 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:08,880 We are to be grateful to worship God, and as glorious and great 477 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:11,440 as this event was, they worship gladly and so should we. 478 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:16,320 And so we will. But there are times when we 479 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:19,440 still do it, when it's not as good. 480 00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:21,760 I want to close with the story of the Martin Ring cart. 481 00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:27,800 It was a man who was born in April 23, 1586, and a talent for 482 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:29,680 a city called Eilenberg and Saxony. 483 00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:32,280 Luther Lutheran state in Germany at the time, was still under the 484 00:25:32,280 --> 00:25:35,080 Holy Roman Empire. This man, this young kid, after 485 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:37,880 learning, after learning Latin in his hometown as a young boy 486 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:42,120 in 16 O 1, he became what was called a foundation scholar and 487 00:25:42,120 --> 00:25:45,240 he sang in the choir in the Saint Thomas School in Leipzig. 488 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:48,200 He received a scholarship and enabled him to begin his studies 489 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:49,880 of theology at the University of Leipzig. 490 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:53,240 The following year he became a teacher and eventually a Deacon. 491 00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:56,480 In 1613, he became a pastor and he ended up serving in his 492 00:25:56,480 --> 00:26:00,760 hometown called Eilenberg. Five years later, in 1618, 493 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:05,920 Rinkhart, now in his 30's, the 30 Years War in Europe began. 494 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:07,760 If you love history, you'll be interested in this. 495 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:11,880 It's a very destructive war, both religious and political, on 496 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:14,320 both sides. It started primarily over 497 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:17,400 religious struggles between Lutherans and Catholics, and it 498 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:21,520 dragged on for 30 long years, much destruction and death. 499 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:24,760 Eilenberg was a city where Rinkhart was a pastor was a 500 00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:27,080 walled city, and so a lot of refuges came there fleeing the 501 00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:28,840 war. But also troops would come 502 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:31,640 through and he would have to house them and they would have 503 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:34,400 to take that, take up the homes in the city, plunder them at 504 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:36,600 times. Food was often scarce. 505 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:41,080 Then in 1637, almost 20 years into the war, the plague arrived 506 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:44,200 in the overcrowded city. There was 4 pastors. 507 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:47,920 The one pastor fled to died of the disease and Rinkhart was 508 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:49,760 left alone to tend the sick and bury the dead. 509 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:53,600 He performed and presided over up to 50 funerals. 510 00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:56,840 In one day. Over 8000 died, including his 511 00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:59,080 wife. That was not the end of it. 512 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:03,720 After the plague came famine. Surviving accounts say the food 513 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:06,080 was so scarce 30 or 40 people would fight in the streets over 514 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:10,280 a dead cat or a crow. Rinkart gave so much to charity 515 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:13,040 to feed the hungry he was forced to mortgage several years of his 516 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:14,920 income so just to feed his own children. 517 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:18,040 Surprisingly, given the difficulties of his life, the 518 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:21,440 hymns that Rinkart Pent wrote in those days were full of praise 519 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:24,920 and trust in God, even when they spoke of troubles afflicting his 520 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:28,040 country. The best known one is he wrote 521 00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:31,040 that around 1636, in the middle of the war, it's called now, 522 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:36,200 Thank we all our God. Well, the war dragged on for 523 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:40,200 another nine years. His services did not earn him 524 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:42,760 the town's praise or gratitude. They harassed him constantly, 525 00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:44,880 but financial issues caused by his efforts to feed the 526 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:48,240 starving. When peace finally came in 1648, 527 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:54,360 Rinkart was exhausted. He had prematurely aged, and he 528 00:27:54,360 --> 00:27:57,040 died the following year around age 62. 529 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:02,560 He was a hymn writer, wrote many hymns, but they were not based 530 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:06,600 on the hardships of his life but on his relationship with God. 531 00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:11,920 That's important. I want to read that hymn that I 532 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:14,280 just spoke about. It's a German song, actually 533 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:15,880 somebody translated into English. 534 00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:18,480 I'll read it. He says now thank we all, our 535 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:22,720 God with hearts and hands and voices, who wonders things has 536 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:25,840 done, and whom his world rejoices, who from her mother's 537 00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:28,760 arms has blessed us on our way with countless gifts of love and 538 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:31,560 still is ours today. Oh, may this bounteous God 539 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:34,360 through all our life be near us with ever joyful hearts and 540 00:28:34,360 --> 00:28:37,720 blessed peace to cheer us, to keep us in this grace and guide 541 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:40,800 us when perplexed, and free us from all ills of this world in 542 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:43,480 the next. All praise and thanks to God the 543 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:46,520 Father now be given, the Son and Spirit blessed, who reigned in 544 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:50,600 highest heaven, the one eternal God whom heaven and earth adore. 545 00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:54,920 For thus it was and is now and shall be forevermore. 546 00:28:55,480 --> 00:28:59,360 Think about the context, the horrendously devastation, 547 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:03,520 devastating experience of war and plague and famine and death. 548 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:12,120 And he could write that. Do we have time to dedicate 549 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:15,600 ourselves to thank God in whatever circumstance we find 550 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:17,520 ourselves in? I think we do. 551 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:21,800 All the hearts of Israel had experienced the years of 552 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:24,560 suffering and outcomes this celebration. 553 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:27,840 Sure, it was at the end of it, but we don't wait that long. 554 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:32,400 We don't wait that long. We praise God, dedicate 555 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:35,120 ourselves to God, and worship and gratitude in spite of what 556 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:37,920 happens. You see, so often I will. 557 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:41,000 When this is done, once this changes, when once this is 558 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:43,920 finished, once that's over, if that's the goal, we may never. 559 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:48,400 Let's dedicate ourselves to God now, today in our time when we 560 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:51,000 can. God created you and me to be 561 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:55,080 holy, to be dedicated to Him, and we're created for worship, 562 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:57,520 to adore Him as we do. We'll find that no matter what 563 00:29:57,520 --> 00:29:59,960 life throws at us, we can still have joy and peace in the 564 00:29:59,960 --> 00:30:04,520 darkest pain. God has provided His gift of 565 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:07,560 eternal life for us to receive for all who repent of their sins 566 00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:09,600 and turn to Him. And that's the greatest joy we 567 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:11,280 can have. You know, whatever else life 568 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:13,120 throws at us, it's not easy, it's hard, it's difficult. 569 00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:15,600 We get that, but we still thank God. 570 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:19,720 So let's dedicate ourselves to God. 571 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:24,560 Let's commit ourselves to him. Let's surrender ourselves to Him 572 00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:27,040 and let Him use us to glorify and worship Him with 573 00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:30,080 Thanksgiving, with gratitude, regardless of what lies in our 574 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:33,200 path in front of us and what may, what we, we find ourselves 575 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:36,400 to be in. It doesn't matter, no matter how 576 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:38,440 difficult, how good it is, we're still the Lords. 577 00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:40,880 He'll take care of us. He'll see us through and in the 578 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:44,040 end, the sun will shine again. Pause with me for prayer. 579 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:48,800 Lord Jesus, thank you. You do not leave us nor forsake 580 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:50,880 us. You want us to worship you. 581 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:54,520 You want us to serve you. You want us to rejoice in you. 582 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:58,760 Thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus, for a sacrifice in 583 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:01,440 the cross for our sins. And we pray, Lord, that we will 584 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:03,760 be receptive. Allow your Spirit to change our 585 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:07,040 hearts. Guide us in our walk and help 586 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:10,360 us, Lord, to be thankful, faithfully grateful in all 587 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:12,240 things as we walk in your footsteps. 588 00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:14,200 Your name we pray. Amen.