1 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:04,040 Hey everybody, this is Pastor John Ewart from Englewood 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:05,920 Baptist Church in Rocky Mountain, North Carolina. 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:08,119 Thank you so much for tuning in to our podcast. 4 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,320 You're going to hear from God today as we share from his word 5 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,080 about important issues facing your life that can guide you 6 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:22,760 according to the Bible. Well, good morning Englewood. 7 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:28,160 Y'all turn to Nehemiah chapter 8. 8 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:29,760 I'll catch up to you in a minute. 9 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:36,080 That's in the Old Testament. Had to share that so you'd know. 10 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:40,120 Good to see everybody this morning. 11 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:41,480 Thank you so much for being here. 12 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:46,320 Listen, I'm excited to see what God's going to continue to do. 13 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:49,720 Had a wonderful conversation earlier this morning with a 14 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:54,000 couple who's going to join us and I look forward to that this 15 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:55,440 Wednesday night. By the way, in our core 16 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:57,880 training, just so you'll know, I'm going to talk about the 17 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:00,520 existence of God in our world today. 18 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,240 They often, we often have folks who don't even believe that. 19 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:06,720 So we need to know how we're going to apologetically describe 20 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:08,720 the existence of God and to point to him. 21 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:11,080 And so you come back, we're having a good crowd on Wednesday 22 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:13,080 night. It's one of our primary 23 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,280 doctrines. You know, because of my work at 24 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:19,840 the seminary for years, I, I, I would often speak at that 25 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:22,960 denominational type events at Baptist things, so state 26 00:01:22,960 --> 00:01:24,640 conventions, associations, etcetera. 27 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:27,840 And a couple of few years ago, I was speaking at one of these 28 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:31,120 things in Charlotte and my wife Teresa went with me. 29 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:33,880 Now it's really important that you heard me say my wife Teresa. 30 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:37,880 So I shared and shared and, you know, I thought we had a really 31 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:40,760 good time and all these people started coming up to me wanting 32 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,200 to talk to me after the meeting. And I thought, man, man, this 33 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,160 was a really been good. I must have really impacted 34 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:48,440 somebody, you know, So it really, really got to them. 35 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:51,480 And these people came coming up to me and they kept wanting to 36 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,360 share with me about about my beautiful daughter that was 37 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:58,800 there with me. That's a true story. 38 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,280 Now I know where the we're beauty and the beast, but still 39 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:08,240 that's kind of hard to take true identity. 40 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:13,120 Who are we really and who was who must we become? 41 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:15,800 Someone once wrote. We, we're not what we are. 42 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:17,800 We're not even what we think we are. 43 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:20,120 We are what we think other people think we are. 44 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:25,720 So in our world today, that is so subjective. 45 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:30,560 It, it makes our, it makes an accurate identity of self and 46 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:35,560 self-awareness so fuzzy, so slippery and accurate spiritual 47 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:38,760 identity is, is crucial. It's, it's vitally important. 48 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:42,280 We need to know who we are in Christ and we need to know who 49 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:44,320 we should be. And all of us are on that 50 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:45,960 journey. We're, we're, we're going to 51 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,480 talk about here I am and here God is. 52 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:50,080 And there's always going to be a gap. 53 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,520 And we got to talk about that gap, but we're going to work on 54 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:56,080 that. And so we want to move forward. 55 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:58,200 And so Inglewood, we exist. Here's our identity. 56 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:04,040 We exist to join God's mission to bring glory to him and to and 57 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:07,360 for and to join him in redeeming the nation's. 58 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:09,960 Now, how are we going to do that right here, right now, with 59 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:13,400 these people, this place, our resources, what are we going to 60 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:14,880 do? We call that our vision. 61 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:17,880 And we're going to make disciples who love God, love 62 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:21,800 people, and join that mission. It's not not any harder than 63 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,680 that, and even the logo that we're using right now is going 64 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:28,280 to help us to not only understand that, but to help 65 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:30,120 others that understand our identity. 66 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,000 This is who Englewood Baptist Church really is. 67 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:36,880 We're right here constantly, constantly impacting the world 68 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:39,320 by making and sending disciples who love God. 69 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:41,960 Love people. Join God's mission by pointing 70 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:47,200 others to the cross. And last week, then I began a 71 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:49,520 new sermon series. And, and if you weren't here, 72 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:52,440 you really need to go back and in the lobby, you need to get 73 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:54,560 one of these bookmarks and one of these magnets. 74 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,880 And I'm not a gadget person or gizmo bumper car ish type 75 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,440 person, but I want you to put this someplace where you'll 76 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:03,680 remember these things and and focus upon these things because 77 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,800 over the next several weeks, we're going to be breaking these 78 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:10,280 things down as I begin this new sermon series called Come Live, 79 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:14,480 the Church's vision, the Seven Essentials of Discipleship. 80 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:18,040 If you weren't here last week, it would be very important to go 81 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,200 back and listen to that introduction because I shared an 82 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:24,680 introduction to guide us in defining what a real disciple 83 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:26,040 is. We talk about making disciples. 84 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:27,520 We talk about disciples. You love people, love God. 85 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:28,800 Well, what is one of those things? 86 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:31,960 What is a disciple? We need to know it, really 87 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:34,480 understand that. How do we make them? 88 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:38,360 How are I-1, as we would say back home? 89 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:42,880 So we need to understand and apply very specific essentials 90 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,640 of discipleship to help lead us to that deeper spiritual 91 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:47,640 maturity. So once again, very quickly, let 92 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:50,160 me just share these seven and we're going to break down the 93 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,280 first one. A disciple of Jesus engages the 94 00:04:52,280 --> 00:04:54,680 Bible with a humble and teachable spirit. 95 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:59,080 A disciple of Jesus unites in fellowship through hospitality 96 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:03,240 and authenticity, abides in prayer with dependence and 97 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:07,800 anticipation, commits to service with generosity and compassion, 98 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:13,440 responds in worship with awe and surrender, lives out evangelism 99 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:17,040 with boldness and love, participates in missions with 100 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:22,320 urgency and sacrifice. These must define who we are. 101 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:24,360 Now each one of these, and you're going to see this today, 102 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:27,320 have several sub points and we're going to be talking about 103 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:28,680 those and introducing those to you. 104 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:31,640 But then we're also going to be teaching those things over over 105 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:36,200 months to come. We'll talk more about that, but 106 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,840 these need to define who we are. They also need to set the agenda 107 00:05:38,840 --> 00:05:41,880 for our ministry planning. So I ask you in all seriousness 108 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:44,560 to please pray for your ministry leaders this Tuesday afternoon. 109 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:49,680 We're going to meet all Tuesday afternoon as we meet to adjust 110 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:53,040 and align all of our programs, all of our ministries, and all 111 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,920 of our events for 2026 to achieve these essentials. 112 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:01,520 And then also please pray for your missions, your personnel, 113 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:05,840 your finance lay teams, and your pastors as they meet to adjust 114 00:06:05,840 --> 00:06:10,120 and align the 2026 budget that we're going to present to you to 115 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:13,760 also support these essentials and help us achieve things. 116 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:19,600 We must be, we must make true multiplying disciples and 117 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:21,480 everything needs to be connected. 118 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:25,520 So every true believer is equipped by the Holy Spirit. 119 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:27,560 If you if you don't get that, you need to go back to this 120 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:30,680 Wednesday night and listen to what I said online. 121 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:34,160 So I talked about the Holy Spirit and he equips us to grow 122 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:36,440 in these core essentials. We, we can do this. 123 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:39,840 And the word disciple, we know some of you know that Greek word 124 00:06:39,840 --> 00:06:43,200 mattheist, you've heard that shared different parts of the 125 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:45,680 definition for that. But we need to understand this, 126 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:48,760 that the root word for just for mattheist, the root word for 127 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:53,000 disciple actually comes from a Greek word that means the mental 128 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,880 effort needed to think something through. 129 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:00,000 So in other words, a true disciple is, is working through 130 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,360 things, a true disciples working through problems. 131 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:05,880 A true disciple is, is learning, constantly learning. 132 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:09,440 They never stop learning. And so discipleship is this 133 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:12,640 never ending spiritual journey that we're all on together. 134 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:16,840 We all have room to grow. We all have room to learn. 135 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:23,200 Of all people, Ernest Hemingway, who I don't quote often, he once 136 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:25,240 wrote this. He said there's nothing noble 137 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:27,680 about being superior to your fellow man. 138 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:32,920 True nobility is being superior to 1's former self. 139 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:36,800 We want to help you and your family to grow. 140 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:39,440 We want you to understand and to value. 141 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:41,320 This is my next step in discipleship. 142 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:43,840 This is my child's next step in discipleship. 143 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:45,400 We want you to understand what that is. 144 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:47,320 We want you to understand how the church is going to help you 145 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:49,080 with that because none of us are perfect. 146 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:52,280 None of us have arrived. If you think you've arrived. 147 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:54,920 And the word humility, which is coming up in the message today, 148 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:58,720 is important for you because we're all on the journey. 149 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:03,840 We can all grow even more mature and our walk with God and with 150 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:07,320 one another. Former NFL football coach Vince 151 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:12,640 Lombardi once said perfection is not attainable, But if we pursue 152 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:16,160 perfection, we can catch excellence. 153 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:19,760 And So what we're looking for is let's submit to the Lord. 154 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:24,720 Let's submit to his mission and see if if he'll use us to make 155 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:28,720 excellent disciples and for us to create an excellent pathway 156 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:32,559 that's understood, that makes sense, that will help people 157 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:38,840 become more mature. And so that journey begins with 158 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:41,080 the understanding that there are certain spiritual disciplines, 159 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:44,120 certain spiritual activities that are true disciples going to 160 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:48,600 to engage in and also apply and develop in their lives. 161 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:53,640 And one of those is this that a true disciple is engaging the 162 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:58,000 Bible with a humble told you that word would show up and 163 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:00,760 teachable spirit. Now I want you to notice the 164 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:03,440 characteristics of being because every one of these essentials 165 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:07,000 has being parts, knowing parts and doing parts. 166 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:10,080 I want you to see the being part first that that idea of 167 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:12,400 humility, the idea of teachability. 168 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:14,920 And you're going to see these characteristics in the passage 169 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:17,160 today. We're going to talk a whole lot 170 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:18,760 more about all of this stuff down the road. 171 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:22,800 But a disciple must also know certain things that mental 172 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:24,800 effort that they're making to think things through. 173 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:27,160 They need to know how to engage the Bible. 174 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:32,080 So a disciple of Jesus engaging the Bible needs to know what the 175 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:37,360 Bible is, right? How we got the Bible, how the 176 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:41,080 Bible is inspired, the importance of context when 177 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:44,360 engaging the Bible. So these basic Bible study 178 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:48,120 methods or, and also Bible meditation methods and 179 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:52,640 memorization techniques, even in methods and then how do we apply 180 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:54,120 the Bible? It's not going to do us any good 181 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:55,120 if we don't know how to apply it. 182 00:09:58,040 --> 00:10:01,720 But even if we're humble, even if we're teachable and know 183 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:04,080 these principles in practice, they're not going to do us any 184 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:05,280 good. They're not going to do anybody 185 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:07,480 else any good unless we put them into practical use. 186 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:11,120 So we, we can, we can learn the being and we can learn the 187 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:13,920 knowing, but we also need to apply the doing. 188 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:17,280 So a disciple does certain things and teaches others to 189 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:19,600 engage the Bible first of all, corporately. 190 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:24,720 We do this together by sitting under expository preaching, by 191 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:29,440 by being in a small group study together, by being in midweek 192 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:34,000 studies together. You know what percentage I want 193 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:36,280 in those things, right? What percentage? 194 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:41,320 100%, everybody. But we also need to do this 195 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:43,040 personally. This needs to translate. 196 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:45,720 You come to the headquarters of training, so to speak, so that 197 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:50,560 during the week personally, you're able to engage the Bible 198 00:10:50,560 --> 00:10:55,080 by reading, studying, meditating, memorizing, and 199 00:10:55,680 --> 00:10:58,920 applying. We'll have to break all these 200 00:10:58,920 --> 00:10:59,960 things. We're going to be talking about 201 00:10:59,960 --> 00:11:03,480 these things for a long time. So we need all three areas, 202 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:06,880 being, knowing, and doing to be a complete disciple. 203 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:12,640 It's why it's who, it's what, it's how, it's the discipline of 204 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:16,640 why that I've shown you before. I hope you begin to catch on 205 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:21,760 that everything ties together. Nehemiah chapter 8. 206 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:25,080 It's an interesting story. I, I, I love to preach through 207 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:27,720 the book of Nehemiah. It's a powerful Old Testament 208 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,000 book with a lot of incredible lessons for today's church. 209 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:33,680 Nehemiah chapter 8. The Hebrews have been in exile 210 00:11:33,680 --> 00:11:36,520 in Babylon for 70 years. It's been a hard time, very 211 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:38,600 painful, very hurtful. They've lost a lot. 212 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:41,680 The Babylonians hauled them off and they've lost a lot along the 213 00:11:41,680 --> 00:11:45,160 way. It's difficult, but it was time 214 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:49,600 now for their new future. Sometimes we go through seasons 215 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:52,840 of life that are difficult, painful, transitional. 216 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:56,800 But it was time for their new future. 217 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:59,040 And Inglewood, it's time for ours as well. 218 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:02,360 And so they were allowed to return to Jerusalem and they 219 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:05,760 came back in groups, 1st 50,000 or so, came back to rebuild the 220 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:08,440 temple, but there were enemies who had moved into the land and 221 00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:09,960 they didn't want them rebuilding anything. 222 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:12,840 So these enemies were fighting the whole time and we're kind of 223 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:14,520 preventing them from getting the job done. 224 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:18,040 So years later, Ezra, who has a book named after him in the 225 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:21,480 Bible, Ezra, the priest and the scribe, he comes back with 226 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:23,600 another group to help him finish. 227 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:27,040 But the city walls were still in ruins. 228 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:28,960 They still weren't safe, They still weren't ready. 229 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:31,240 They weren't ready for everybody else to come back yet. 230 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:32,800 They had to get everything ready 1st. 231 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:37,120 And so they needed to, needed to be able to restore their ability 232 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:39,920 to move forward to, to worship Yahweh as they should and to 233 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:41,440 live as a people like they should. 234 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:46,920 And so God sends Nehemiah to help rebuild the walls, even an 235 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:49,360 uncertain, even perhaps chaotic times. 236 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:52,800 Revival was coming. And we're going to join them 237 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:57,600 less than a week after they'd finished the walls, Nehemiah 238 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:02,000 chapter 8, verse one, and all the people gathered as one man 239 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:03,720 into the square before the Watergate. 240 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:07,480 And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of 241 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:10,880 Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. 242 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:13,840 I'm going to share 4 important truths for us in our 243 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:16,720 discipleship and engaging the Bible this morning. 244 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:18,640 The first of all is the hunger for the word. 245 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:22,400 I want you to see these people. All the people came. 246 00:13:22,640 --> 00:13:25,240 All of them came. Don't miss that. 247 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:31,320 I I sometimes wonder what's it going to take for all the people 248 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:37,960 to gather here, for every seat to be full, for standing room 249 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:39,800 only. I was talking to someone 250 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:42,440 yesterday who's done some work overseas in a place where I've 251 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:45,160 done a lot, and we were talking about some of the churches. 252 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:46,680 Now you there were standing room only. 253 00:13:46,680 --> 00:13:49,640 People would be sitting in the aisles violating every fire code 254 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:52,560 you could imagine. What's it going to take? 255 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:57,200 They gathered on the east side of Jerusalem as one. 256 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:02,360 I want you to see that spirit of unity, working together on God's 257 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:04,560 mission and purpose will create that. 258 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:09,040 We're in this together. This isn't some long experience. 259 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:10,720 We're we're, we're in this together. 260 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:14,600 And they asked Ezra to read the law, the first five books of the 261 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:16,720 Old Testament, the Pentateuch. That's what he would have been 262 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:19,840 reading. They had been in exile so long, 263 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:24,440 and it had been too long since they've been able to gather like 264 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:28,240 this as one people to be taught and to hear a word from the 265 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:31,360 Lord. And they were starving for that. 266 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:35,920 They were hungry for that. I mean, what a special moment to 267 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:40,160 appreciate the freedom and the opportunity to gather again in 268 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:45,040 that kind of united spirit after all those years before revival. 269 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:46,680 They needed to hear from the Lord. 270 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:49,120 They needed His guidance. They needed His strength. 271 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:54,720 They needed His hope by engaging His word corporately and 272 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:57,240 personally. Look at verse 2. 273 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:02,160 So Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both 274 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:06,160 men and women and all who could understand what they heard on 275 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:09,720 the first day of the 7th month. And he read it from a read from 276 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:11,960 it facing the square before the Watergate, from early morning 277 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:15,880 until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those 278 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:19,520 who could understand. And the ears of all the people 279 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:22,280 were attentive to the book of the law. 280 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:25,160 Now, whenever you see something repeated, a phrase repeated in 281 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:28,000 the Old Testament in Hebrew, that's there for emphasis. 282 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:30,240 So in other words, if you see something repeated more than 283 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:31,720 once, you're trying to drive home a point. 284 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:34,200 All the people are there, all the men are there, all the women 285 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:35,960 are there, all the older children are there. 286 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:38,800 Everybody who could understand is there and they're hanging on 287 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:41,920 every word. All the people are focused and 288 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:44,840 they're hanging on every word. They, they needed to be reminded 289 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:49,720 what God's word was to, to study it, to to read it, to meditate 290 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:52,560 upon it, to memorize it, and then to apply it. 291 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,160 And we'll see that in a moment. So all the men and the women and 292 00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:57,720 those old enough to understand needed to engage it, to 293 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:00,920 recognize its inspiration, to recognize its power, to 294 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:04,320 recognize what it was. Every age, every member of the 295 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:09,160 family needed it. One reason that we have connect 296 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:13,280 groups, small groups here, one of the reasons we have family 297 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:16,640 ministries for all ages here is because we all need it. 298 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:22,240 They were hungry for His word. They were hungry for Him to show 299 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:24,680 them the future, no matter how long it took. 300 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:27,320 They were focused, hungry, starving for the word. 301 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:33,640 I mean, Ezra read for five to six hours and you think I go 302 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:37,440 long? You can tell they weren't 303 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:43,040 Baptist. Let's see if I can finish by 5. 304 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,160 I don't even wear a watch. That didn't no good. 305 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:51,000 Look at verse 5. And Ezra opened the book in the 306 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:54,040 side of all the people. All the people notice this, for 307 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:58,200 he was above all the people. And as he opened it, all the 308 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:01,840 people stood. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the 309 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:03,720 great God. And all the people answered 310 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:05,760 Amen, Amen, lifting up their hands. 311 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:08,280 And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their 312 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:12,680 faces to the ground. When he opened the scroll, and 313 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:14,720 it would have been a big scroll to begin reading it. 314 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:20,720 The people stood and then bowed all the way to the ground in in 315 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:24,520 a great display of respect and love. 316 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:26,800 They, they knew what that scroll was. 317 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:32,440 They knew that that was not just a book, that was not just some 318 00:17:32,440 --> 00:17:37,480 list of rules, that was not just a human created doctrine. 319 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:41,360 That was the inspired, infallible, inerrant word of 320 00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:43,840 God. They recognize that. 321 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:48,520 And Ezra gives praise and thanks to the Lord, the great God, and 322 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:50,800 the people respond in reverence and worship. 323 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:53,840 Worship is a part of who we are. I want you to see that 324 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:55,880 characteristic of a disciple's being. 325 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:57,560 They were humble before the Lord. 326 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:02,760 We humbly approach the word of God because that's what it is. 327 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:06,480 It's the word of God and we need it. 328 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:09,880 We need to read it, we need to study it. 329 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:13,320 We need to meditate on it. We need to memorize it. 330 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:16,320 We need to apply it with a teachable spirit. 331 00:18:18,120 --> 00:18:21,320 And and when we're prepared to acknowledge and hear from God, 332 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:25,920 our response better be humility. It better be worship. 333 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:30,880 I invite you to do what Skyler said and and get this collection 334 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:35,520 of songs from our our worship team that will help you worship. 335 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:38,840 If that's what you need. Do it to enjoy it. 336 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:42,360 I think you ought to buy 30 or 40, not 20, but that's another 337 00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:45,400 story. But they were ready. 338 00:18:46,360 --> 00:18:48,560 They were hungry. Are are you? 339 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:51,840 I mean, is this town? What do we got to do? 340 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:57,600 Are you hungry to become the disciple who truly engages the 341 00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:00,280 Bible with humility and a teachable spirit? 342 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:05,960 Will you submit your life to this truth to the authority of 343 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:10,400 this inerrant, infallible, inspired word of God in in the 344 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:13,000 Bible? You know, so we, we don't have 345 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:15,000 the luxury of living by our own truth. 346 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:19,640 We, we don't have the luxury of basing our lives on on, on being 347 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:21,520 true to ourselves. I don't even know what that 348 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:24,680 means. You need to mature and grow up 349 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:28,240 in personal and corporate obedience and submission to the 350 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:32,240 objective standard of authority of God's Word as your guide. 351 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:34,880 Because we live in a world. We live in a culture that 352 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:39,600 rejects it, so we better be fully submitted to it or you're 353 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:44,120 not going to have an anchor. So know what the Bible is. 354 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:45,880 Know how it's perfectly inspired. 355 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:49,080 Go and listen to my midweek lesson Seriously on the 356 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:52,720 authority of Scripture from August the 6th, where I help you 357 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:57,120 understand some of those things. Everything ties together that 358 00:19:57,120 --> 00:20:01,240 we're doing. So how will you engage the word 359 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:04,520 of the Lord of the universe? They're hungry, they're 360 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:06,680 starving, they're seeking, they're patient. 361 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:09,440 Look at verse 4. And Ezra, the scribes stood on a 362 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:12,000 wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. 363 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:15,400 And behind beside him stood a whole bunch of men with really 364 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:17,120 difficult Hebrew names to pronounce. 365 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:24,520 Verse 7. The Levites help the people to 366 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:28,280 understand the law while the people remained in their places. 367 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:31,960 They read from the book, from the law of God, clearly, and 368 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:35,920 they gave the sense so that the people understood the reading. 369 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:39,040 Don't miss what's going on here #2 don't miss the teaching of 370 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:41,960 the Word. They built a platform. 371 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:44,720 It'd been like a pulpit kind of idea, but a big platform so that 372 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:46,960 they could see him. But he also, this is a big 373 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:48,320 scroll. This wouldn't have been a little 374 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:49,320 Bible. This is a scroll. 375 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:53,880 He needed a place to set that thing and so the people could 376 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:55,680 see him. And these Levites, maybe they 377 00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:58,600 were even priests were, would help the crowd to understand. 378 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:00,920 I'm going to come back to that because they needed help. 379 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:04,160 You got to understand they had been in captivity for so long. 380 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:07,520 Many of them would have been speaking Aramaic at that point, 381 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:10,920 not Hebrew. And although they would know 382 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:13,680 some Hebrews, some of them would have missed some of the old 383 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:16,560 Hebrew and they needed help understanding the old Hebrew, 384 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:20,520 Jesus's heart language, when even by that time, years later 385 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:22,840 would have been Aramaic primarily. 386 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:25,120 Now he obviously knew Hebrew and Greek. 387 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:29,120 But you can understand that some of these hopes we'd even they 388 00:21:29,120 --> 00:21:31,040 just need basic translation help some of them. 389 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:35,280 And and and so never move past this. 390 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:37,480 Let me let me stop it because this is worth it. 391 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:42,720 You need, I hope, to celebrate the privilege you have of being 392 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:46,600 able to engage a personal copy of the Word of God in your heart 393 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:51,800 language, to be able to read this, to study this, to meditate 394 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:54,480 upon this, to memorize this and to apply it. 395 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:56,600 You just need to understand what a privilege this is. 396 00:21:56,600 --> 00:21:58,440 And some of you might have many copies. 397 00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:00,360 Some of them are probably getting dusty on a shelf. 398 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:05,080 I hope this is your guide because listen, in the world 399 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:07,680 today, there are about 7000 or so languages. 400 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:11,960 It expands to about 12,000 by the time you get to dialects. 401 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:15,600 And I just need you to understand the complete Bible 402 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:18,440 exists in less than 600 of those. 403 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:24,120 And so there are people everywhere, including that group 404 00:22:24,120 --> 00:22:28,080 you saw on the screen earlier, who would not have a copy of the 405 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:31,120 complete word of God in their language to even read or to 406 00:22:31,120 --> 00:22:33,720 understand. And I don't know how often you 407 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:35,800 show God appreciation for that, but I pray you do. 408 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:39,640 But the other thing these people needed, they needed expositional 409 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:41,280 explanation. The Bible's going to tell us 410 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:45,160 they're teaching them. And so one, one of the things 411 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:48,480 that they did is as a disciple of Jesus, we're going to seek to 412 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:52,800 sit under expositional teaching and preaching both in large 413 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:55,400 group and in small group, because what they were doing is, 414 00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:58,760 is instructive teaching was going on section by section. 415 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:02,160 They'd spread out and there'd be a little group over here and one 416 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:04,480 of the Levites would be talking to them and there'd be a group 417 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:06,720 over here and a Levite would be talking to them and helping them 418 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:08,680 to understand here's what the Bible means. 419 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:10,200 Here's what, here's what he's reading. 420 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:15,440 This is what that means. And so they're engaging the 421 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:18,000 Bible both personally and corporately. 422 00:23:19,360 --> 00:23:21,920 They were helping them. The people eagerly were 423 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:24,120 remaining there for hours to get this. 424 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:27,360 And so they, they were helping them. 425 00:23:27,360 --> 00:23:29,600 We need to learn basic Bible study methods. 426 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:31,320 One of the things that we're going to be doing is I'm going 427 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:32,760 to don't, don't let these words flow you. 428 00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:34,920 We're going to be talking about some basic hermeneutical and 429 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:38,160 basic homiletical skills. How do I study and interpret 430 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:39,960 Scripture? How do I present Scripture? 431 00:23:40,120 --> 00:23:41,840 We're going to be giving some practical lessons. 432 00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:43,680 Watch for a podcast. And then there's going to be a, 433 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:47,480 a host section of teaching that we'll do to help both your Bible 434 00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:51,000 teachers as well as you. What do I do with this in my 435 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:54,360 personal quiet time? What's the best way for me to 436 00:23:54,360 --> 00:23:57,600 engage this? What are some basic Bible study 437 00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:01,480 methods, meditation methods, memorization techniques? 438 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:05,760 We're going to offer these things to, you know, how to 439 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:08,760 apply the Bible in your life. So we're also going to ask you 440 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:11,080 to participate in missions and ministry in that application. 441 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:14,720 Because a disciple is, is not only going to do this for 442 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:17,160 themselves, but a true disciple is also going to want to teach 443 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:20,960 other people about the Bible. How can I share this with 444 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:24,600 others? So as one, we must gather 445 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:28,760 eagerly corporately sitting under expository preaching and 446 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:31,320 then in our Connect group, small group ministry and in our 447 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:33,720 midweek study to study it even more. 448 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:37,560 Because certainly being taught and challenged by sermons is 449 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:39,760 important, but if you're not currently engaged in a small 450 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:43,760 group, you're missing out on on people helping you to engage and 451 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:46,840 study and apply the word. Now some new groups were 452 00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:49,160 launched last week. They'll be more forming soon. 453 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:51,200 It's not too late. You can join any week. 454 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:53,440 In fact, the lady after the first service came up to me and 455 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:54,800 she says I want to go to a connect group. 456 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:57,160 Don't know where 1 is, where can I go? 457 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:03,000 So that can be you next week. And I want to say thank you to 458 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:05,360 everybody who's already engaged and thank you for reaching out 459 00:25:05,360 --> 00:25:07,240 to love people and to pray for them. 460 00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:10,040 I look forward to this Wednesday night praying through some of 461 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:12,040 those prayer requests before we have our lesson. 462 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:16,480 So the men, women, and all who could hear with understanding 463 00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:21,360 gathered to hear and understood. I mean, that just sounds like us 464 00:25:21,360 --> 00:25:24,240 every week. But listen. 465 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:27,640 In fact, listen to some of the final words for Moses to Joshua 466 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:31,280 in Deuteronomy 31, he says assemble the people, men, women 467 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:33,720 and little ones and the sojourners within your town. 468 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:36,800 So even the guests, even the outsiders, get them in here that 469 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:39,480 they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God. 470 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:43,080 And be careful to do all the words of this law and that their 471 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:46,400 children who have not known it may hear and learn to fear the 472 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:48,640 Lord your God. As long as you live in the land 473 00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:53,160 that you're going over the Jordan to possess here, learn to 474 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:59,120 fear and carefully observe. That's a pretty good formula for 475 00:25:59,120 --> 00:26:02,440 us to observe. Sounds humble, sounds teachable 476 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:05,920 to me. So because we want to help 477 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:07,440 others, we want to help the next generation. 478 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:09,480 That's what it says. We get to help our preschoolers 479 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:12,760 and our children and our students to understand what the 480 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:15,840 word of God is. So we have groups for all ages 481 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:19,440 and all of our guests would be most welcome. 482 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:23,080 So all I can say is Inglewood, it's time for all of us to 483 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:27,480 assemble as one. So they stayed right in place 484 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:31,920 hour upon hour upon hour, wanting the word of God that 485 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:34,160 they had been missing. And they knew they needed it. 486 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:36,720 They knew they must have it. It reminds me of a church 487 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:38,680 planter friend of mine. So when I lived in the 488 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:40,840 Philippines, I taught in the School of Theology as part of 489 00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:42,800 what I did there. And I had a student named Henry 490 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:44,960 Amarillo. He's a pastor in California now. 491 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:47,120 But then he was one of my students in Manila. 492 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:50,800 And we, we were planting churches all around Metro Manila 493 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:53,640 and around the islands. And we had started a brand new 494 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:56,800 church at the Fort Andres Bonifacio Army base. 495 00:26:57,480 --> 00:26:59,160 And, you know, there's no separation over there. 496 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:03,880 You can start them anywhere. And so some, especially young 497 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:06,520 adults and students, were gathering for Bible study every 498 00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:08,560 single week. So we sent Henry out there as 499 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:11,120 the church planter. He got a little apartment to 500 00:27:11,120 --> 00:27:13,720 live in, about the size of the fishbowl that the drummer's in. 501 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:18,800 I don't know how he stands it in there, but we appreciate you. 502 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:23,840 I stare at him, but we appreciate you need bubbles or 503 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:27,400 something. But Henry had this little bitty 504 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:30,920 apartment and every morning before the students would go to 505 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:34,080 class or off to work, they would stop at his apartment and he 506 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:36,720 would read the Bible to them and give a little devotion. 507 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:40,600 Well, Henry tells me the story. He goes, Pastor you or he goes. 508 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:42,520 I woke up 1 morning, it was pouring down rain. 509 00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:45,200 The monsoon season would come. And I don't in a tropical 510 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:46,720 environment like that at the monsoon. 511 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:48,360 I mean, it's a frog strangling rain. 512 00:27:48,360 --> 00:27:51,720 I mean, it's raining, he says, so I nobody's going to come. 513 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:58,400 So I just laid back down a couple seconds later and he 514 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:00,680 opens the door and there's all these students, all these young 515 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:02,720 adults standing out there in his yard. 516 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:06,280 I mean, they don't have umbrellas, they don't have 517 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:07,440 raincoats. They're just getting wet, 518 00:28:08,120 --> 00:28:10,960 getting drenched. And he says, what are you doing? 519 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:17,520 He goes, oh brother Henry, we couldn't begin our day without 520 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:24,280 hearing the word of God. So Henry says, with the greatest 521 00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:27,880 amount of humility I could ever have, I stood in my doorway and 522 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:31,120 just read Scripture to them and prayed with them so they could 523 00:28:31,120 --> 00:28:35,240 start their day. We need the whole counsel of God 524 00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:38,440 too, not just part of it. Second Timothy 3 that Paul wrote 525 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,280 to his spiritual son says all Scripture is breathed out by God 526 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:43,800 and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for 527 00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:47,320 training and righteousness that the man of God may be complete, 528 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:52,280 equipped for every good work, All Scripture. 529 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:54,320 You don't get to pick and choose. 530 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:56,840 You know, I, I don't like this part. 531 00:28:56,840 --> 00:28:58,360 So that's not going to, we're not going to do that. 532 00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:00,680 This one's OK. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow. 533 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:03,120 Kind of this one's sort of, you know, iffy. 534 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:06,560 We don't get to do that. We don't think we, we don't get 535 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:09,680 to pick the verses we need or we think we should have. 536 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:14,560 Do you want to be incomplete, or do you seek completeness and 537 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:20,520 thorough equipping in your life? Be a disciple who engages all of 538 00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:26,560 God's Word, the whole counsel of God, humbly with a teachable 539 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:33,360 spirit ready to read, study, meditate, memorize and apply, 540 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:37,560 and then lead others to do the same because it'll correct, 541 00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:41,760 it'll train, it'll complete you allow it to have its full impact 542 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:43,720 on your life. And that's what's getting ready 543 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:45,600 to happen to these people. They were hanging on every 544 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:51,400 single word, hanging on every word, listening Nehemiah chapter 545 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:55,800 8, verse 9, and Nehemiah who was the governor, and Ezra the 546 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:57,960 priest and scribe and the Levites who taught the people 547 00:29:57,960 --> 00:30:01,640 said to all the people, this day is holy to the Lord your God. 548 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:07,960 Do not mourn or weep for all the people wept as they heard the 549 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:12,880 words of the law. Don't miss the impact of the 550 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:15,520 Word. The people were overcome. 551 00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:18,080 They were frankly overwhelmed. They were overwhelmed by the 552 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:19,720 Word of God. It pierced their hearts. 553 00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:21,880 It pierced their souls with truth. 554 00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:24,400 They could not, they would not deny it. 555 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:27,240 They couldn't deny God anymore. They recognized that they had 556 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:31,040 not been keeping the law as they should while they were in exile, 557 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:34,320 and they mourned over that. They wept over their sin. 558 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:37,080 They wept over the things that they shouldn't have been doing 559 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:39,440 that they were doing, and they wept over the things that they 560 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:42,200 should have been doing that they were not doing or could not do 561 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:45,480 in the exile. It was breaking their hearts. 562 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:50,240 I don't know about you, but maybe you feel like you're in 563 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:53,760 exile this morning. Maybe you feel totally 564 00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:56,480 disconnected, separated away from God. 565 00:30:57,720 --> 00:31:00,040 Maybe you're struggling so much in your life that you're just 566 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:02,880 completely overwhelmed by it. Well, I, I just challenge you to 567 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:05,080 allow his truth to overwhelm you instead. 568 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:09,720 Honest recognition of sin is a part of our revival. 569 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:15,040 It it the Holy Spirit convicts us, all of us of our sin. 570 00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:19,120 And and that's not pleasant. We we don't, we don't seek that 571 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:22,120 often. But but God doesn't promise to 572 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:25,040 give us everything we want. He he promises to give us what 573 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:29,320 we need in order to serve him. And that's exactly what we 574 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:33,320 needed. Henry Ford one time was talking 575 00:31:33,320 --> 00:31:36,040 about the brand new invention called the automobile. 576 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:40,160 And he said this, he said if I'd asked the people what they 577 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:43,920 wanted, they would have just said a faster horse. 578 00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:51,480 I'm I'm thankful that we serve a God who has inspired a perfect 579 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:56,520 word for us to tell us this is what you really need because 580 00:31:56,520 --> 00:32:02,360 humanity doesn't often even know what it really needs if left to 581 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:05,800 themselves. So confession and repentance are 582 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:09,200 part of the revival experience. The Hebrew people were 583 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:12,320 confronted with the truth of God's perfect holiness and in 584 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:15,040 their humility and teachable spirit, they honestly saw 585 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:17,120 themselves. They saw their shortcomings. 586 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:19,880 They saw had that they had fallen short from obeying the 587 00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:21,480 word. They saw their sin. 588 00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:24,520 They're overwhelmed by it. When we're confronted by the 589 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:27,800 holiness of God's word and we humbly submit to us our sins 590 00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:31,400 going to seem foolish. Look at verse 10. 591 00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:36,640 Then he said to them, go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet 592 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:40,920 wine and send portions to anyone who has has nothing ready for 593 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:44,880 this day is holy to your our Lord and do not be grieved. 594 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:47,840 And here's a phrase that you would know, for the joy of the 595 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:52,840 Lord is your strength. So the Levites calm to all the 596 00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:55,200 people saying be quiet for this day is holy. 597 00:32:55,560 --> 00:32:58,920 Do not be grieved. The day was holy to the Lord. 598 00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:01,520 It was separated for him and that should have resulted in 599 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:06,080 joy. True revival, true surrender 600 00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:11,640 always brings great joy, for the joy of the Lord is our strength. 601 00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:13,160 Now what does that mean? Does that mean that? 602 00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:17,880 Does that mean that that my joy for the Lord brings me strength 603 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:20,920 or what brings God joy brings me strength? 604 00:33:22,080 --> 00:33:29,720 Yes, both are important as I live out the essentials of true 605 00:33:29,720 --> 00:33:31,880 discipleship that brings God joy. 606 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:35,680 And I'm also in my strongest possible position in life at 607 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:37,880 that point. When I'm in obedience, that's my 608 00:33:37,880 --> 00:33:41,800 strongest possible position. So that will be the most 609 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:45,080 spiritually healthy place I can be, from which I can be the most 610 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:50,320 effective in dealing with life as well as serving God and I. 611 00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:54,080 And as I bring him joy, his strength will surround God and 612 00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:58,280 protect me, which brings me great joy becomes this cycle. 613 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:02,520 There's no stronger place to be that that does not mean I I will 614 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:04,840 still not experience trials. That doesn't mean I get to 615 00:34:04,840 --> 00:34:07,440 escape the storms. In fact, God promised us to the 616 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:08,440 opposite. I'm going to go right through 617 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:11,239 the middle of them and and you need to go back a couple of 618 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:13,800 midweek services and listen to me talk about the problem of 619 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:16,239 evil and you'll see what the Bible says about that. 620 00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:21,000 But I endure those times with perseverance to bring him joy 621 00:34:21,199 --> 00:34:27,280 and to celebrate in his joy, which brings me joy so I don't 622 00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:28,840 grieve. I can joy in God. 623 00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:33,320 I can rejoice with what causes him to rejoice and that will 624 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:40,480 strengthen me and truly engaging his word brings him great glory 625 00:34:40,679 --> 00:34:45,719 and joy growing in discipleship will bring him great glory and 626 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:49,760 joy and and so see you got to understand the Hebrews were were 627 00:34:49,760 --> 00:34:53,679 not to continue grieving. Instead, they were to recognize 628 00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:55,960 the opportunity that God was given him. 629 00:34:56,760 --> 00:34:58,520 Here's a special new opportunity. 630 00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:03,560 Listen, the restoration and guidance into a new future that 631 00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:05,040 he had perfectly designed for them. 632 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:06,280 That's what they needed to celebrate. 633 00:35:06,480 --> 00:35:08,320 I mean, that sounds wonderful. It sounds freeing. 634 00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:11,200 And Englewood, he's saying the exact same thing to us this 635 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:14,240 morning. God wasn't done with them and 636 00:35:14,240 --> 00:35:18,120 God's not done with us. They were being given another 637 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:21,560 opportunity, and so are we. So Are you ready for 638 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:24,520 discipleship? Are you ready for revival? 639 00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:27,760 Are you ready for a full house? Are you ready for the 640 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:31,160 opportunity to join His mission and serve Him in a new future 641 00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:34,200 that He is perfectly designed just for us? 642 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:39,160 Because this day is holy to the Lord your God, and we need to 643 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:41,480 respond to Him. We need to respond to His Word. 644 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:44,520 We need to be a holy people set apart from Him. 645 00:35:44,800 --> 00:35:47,400 But the story isn't quite over. Not not just yet. 646 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:51,560 Almost because they needed to apply what they understood. 647 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:54,160 See, they, they, they were becoming something. 648 00:35:54,240 --> 00:35:56,560 They were knowing things, but now they had to apply. 649 00:35:56,560 --> 00:35:58,680 They had to do some things. They needed to apply this. 650 00:35:58,680 --> 00:36:02,120 Look at verse 12. And all the people went their 651 00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:04,200 way to eat and drink and to send portions. 652 00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:06,520 In other words, they, they were making sure other people, they 653 00:36:06,600 --> 00:36:08,320 were taking care of their neighbors and their friends, 654 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:11,080 loving on other people, making sure they had food, making sure 655 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:15,800 they had their portions and to make great rejoicing because 656 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:19,840 they had understood the words that were declared to them. 657 00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:22,000 See, the last thing we've got to see is the obedience to the 658 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:24,880 word. The people rejoiced. 659 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:28,800 They met each other's needs and they worshipped they, they 660 00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:31,840 understood the word of God. It changed them, it overwhelmed 661 00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:33,480 them. It, it was it, they couldn't 662 00:36:33,480 --> 00:36:35,280 refuse it and they acted upon it. 663 00:36:37,120 --> 00:36:39,560 And as a disciple of Jesus Christ, they were teaching. 664 00:36:40,600 --> 00:36:43,440 They we are, we need to be teachable and we need to know 665 00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:45,520 how to apply the word in our lives. 666 00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:48,320 There's a formula for a blessing here. 667 00:36:48,320 --> 00:36:57,640 Study, understand, be changed, act and they apply even further. 668 00:36:57,640 --> 00:37:01,360 Look at verse 13. On the second day, the heads of 669 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:05,600 the father's houses, all of the, of all the people with the 670 00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:08,520 priests and the Levites came together to Ezra the scribe in 671 00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:10,080 order to study the words of the law. 672 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:13,840 And they found it written in the law that the Lord commanded by 673 00:37:13,840 --> 00:37:17,160 Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during 674 00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:20,600 the feast of the 7th month, and that they should proclaim it and 675 00:37:20,600 --> 00:37:23,160 publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem. 676 00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:26,760 Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive and wild 677 00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:30,960 olive, Myrtle, palm and other leafy trees to make booths as it 678 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:33,880 is written. So the leaders all met for, for 679 00:37:33,880 --> 00:37:35,480 deeper study. Great leaders are going to do 680 00:37:35,480 --> 00:37:38,200 that. They're going to be constantly 681 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:39,600 studying on behalf of their people. 682 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:43,360 They're going to engage in God's Word in a deep way so that they 683 00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:46,600 can lead the people to apply it and to live it in their lives. 684 00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:50,760 So they were likely studying Leviticus chapter 23 and 685 00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:53,160 realized that they should, at that moment on the calendar, 686 00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:55,800 they should have been keeping the Feast of the Booths or the 687 00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:58,800 Feast of Tabernacles. We won't get into too much about 688 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:01,720 what that is, but but they, they had not been able to think about 689 00:38:01,720 --> 00:38:02,680 it. They had been able to celebrate 690 00:38:02,680 --> 00:38:05,040 the festivals, the feasts, well, while they were in exile. 691 00:38:05,520 --> 00:38:07,640 They've been able to do this and they knew they should, they 692 00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:10,360 needed, they needed to obey, they needed to apply, they 693 00:38:10,360 --> 00:38:12,880 needed to act. And so for a week the people 694 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:15,000 were going to live in simple huts that they built out of 695 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:17,360 branches. Look at verse 16. 696 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:21,960 So the people went out and brought they did. 697 00:38:21,960 --> 00:38:25,440 In other words, they applied. They went out and brought them 698 00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:28,360 and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their 699 00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:31,440 courts, and in the courts of the the House of God, and in the 700 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:33,720 square at the Watergate, and in the square at the gate of 701 00:38:33,760 --> 00:38:36,400 Ephraim. And all knows how many times 702 00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:39,640 that word shows up, and all the assembly of those who had 703 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:42,600 returned from the captivity may boost and lived in the booths. 704 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:46,720 For from the days of Joshua, or Joshua the son of Nun to that 705 00:38:46,720 --> 00:38:51,520 day, the people of Israel had not done so, and there was very 706 00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:54,600 great rejoicing. So off they went in a meet 707 00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:58,520 obedient practical application to do exactly what the word of 708 00:38:58,520 --> 00:39:02,720 God told them to do. So truly engaging the Bible is 709 00:39:02,720 --> 00:39:07,120 going to result in the people of God applying it and practically 710 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:09,040 living it out in obedience and action. 711 00:39:09,360 --> 00:39:10,640 That's where we need this to end. 712 00:39:10,960 --> 00:39:13,960 Discipleship is a life. It's an entire exciting life 713 00:39:14,480 --> 00:39:17,320 that that he gives to us. So they gather branches, they 714 00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:20,520 built booths and they camped out and they did this to remind them 715 00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:22,400 of how God had brought them through the wilderness 716 00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:25,040 wanderings, how they lived in temporary shelters. 717 00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:26,720 But God had always provided for them. 718 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:29,520 And so it was a time to recognize, it was a time to 719 00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:34,440 remember the blessings of God and the opportunities that that 720 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:36,920 were ahead of them. And so the eternal God was 721 00:39:36,920 --> 00:39:39,080 working on the people's behalf, even in the middle of the 722 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:42,600 wilderness, how he brought them out and sustained them so that 723 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:45,080 they could serve. So this was an an act of humble 724 00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:50,120 memorial to remind a humble teachable people who they were 725 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:55,960 and to whom they belonged. And the Bible says, I always 726 00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:59,560 think this is kind of cute that it was the best feast of booths 727 00:39:59,560 --> 00:40:02,320 since the days of Joshua almost 1000 years earlier. 728 00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:08,600 And there was great joy. And all the while, don't miss 729 00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:12,920 this. Ezra continued to read the word 730 00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:15,720 to them and they continued to be taught. 731 00:40:15,720 --> 00:40:21,640 Look at verse 18 and day by day from the first to the last day 732 00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:23,680 he read from the book of the law of God. 733 00:40:24,760 --> 00:40:28,120 They kept the feast 7 days and on the 8th day there was a 734 00:40:28,120 --> 00:40:30,760 solemn assembly according to the rule. 735 00:40:32,360 --> 00:40:35,200 See, these disciples love to sit under expository preaching and 736 00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:38,040 teaching, and they continue to apply the Bible. 737 00:40:38,520 --> 00:40:40,080 They understood their new direction. 738 00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:43,360 And now Inglewood, it's time for us. 739 00:40:44,600 --> 00:40:48,920 A true disciple of Jesus engages the Bible with a humble and 740 00:40:48,920 --> 00:40:51,040 teachable spirit. So we're going to learn and 741 00:40:51,040 --> 00:40:52,720 apply this essential introduction. 742 00:40:52,720 --> 00:40:54,480 And we're going to help other people do the same. 743 00:40:54,680 --> 00:40:56,440 And we're going to go back and we're going to review and we're 744 00:40:56,440 --> 00:41:03,440 going to see all those sub points in various ways and how 745 00:41:03,440 --> 00:41:06,080 we do that, We're going to be giving you multiple 746 00:41:06,080 --> 00:41:07,800 opportunities to learn and to apply. 747 00:41:08,480 --> 00:41:09,920 And we're going to do that together as one. 748 00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:10,920 We're going to do that corporately. 749 00:41:10,920 --> 00:41:12,360 We're going to do that in our personal lives. 750 00:41:12,560 --> 00:41:16,840 And because we have a place for everyone to engage the word, be 751 00:41:16,840 --> 00:41:21,800 hungry for it, connect to the real power, it's time to engage 752 00:41:21,800 --> 00:41:26,120 that power source. Many of you know that Teresa and 753 00:41:26,120 --> 00:41:32,240 I are moving into a new home and have been eternally unpacking. 754 00:41:35,120 --> 00:41:38,640 And the other day, Teresa, bless her heart, who's just doing the 755 00:41:38,640 --> 00:41:43,280 bulk of that work, Teresa was trying to add a floor lamp to a 756 00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:47,600 plug in the wall behind an already full bookshelf. 757 00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:53,360 And and rather than unpack the entire bookshelf, she was down 758 00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:56,760 on the floor crawling on the floor, contorting to get a power 759 00:41:56,760 --> 00:42:00,520 strip plugged into that wall socket back way back in there. 760 00:42:01,880 --> 00:42:04,520 And of course, I was sitting in my recliner 2 feet away 761 00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:06,720 instructing her on how to do that. 762 00:42:09,680 --> 00:42:14,640 So thinking it was done, thinking it was done, she tried 763 00:42:14,640 --> 00:42:21,280 to turn on the lamp and there was nothing, no light, no power. 764 00:42:23,400 --> 00:42:28,520 So I told her it didn't work. So she climbed back down on the 765 00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:31,920 floor and was crawling back in there again, contorting to try 766 00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:34,760 to reach back, to flip that little switch on the power 767 00:42:34,760 --> 00:42:38,080 strip. And she finally was able to 768 00:42:38,080 --> 00:42:43,240 reach it and there was light and I declared it as good. 769 00:42:52,080 --> 00:42:55,760 What's got to happen? Seriously, what's got to happen 770 00:42:55,760 --> 00:42:59,760 in your life to engage, to make the connection, to recognize 771 00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:02,120 your real need, the great need to understand what's missing 772 00:43:02,320 --> 00:43:03,800 what, what's it going to take in your life? 773 00:43:03,800 --> 00:43:05,960 Man, I, I had such a great conversation this morning with a 774 00:43:05,960 --> 00:43:08,600 couple that that talked about what's going to, what's it going 775 00:43:08,600 --> 00:43:14,160 to take to flip the switch to really connect you to real 776 00:43:14,160 --> 00:43:22,560 power, transforming power. What's it going to take to get 777 00:43:22,560 --> 00:43:24,240 that real power to flow into your life? 778 00:43:27,960 --> 00:43:33,040 Well, let's ask godfather, what's it going to take? 779 00:43:35,600 --> 00:43:40,160 Lord, I'm thankful, so thankful for the testimonies of baptism 780 00:43:40,160 --> 00:43:45,560 today, my visit earlier with people who are eagerly seeking 781 00:43:45,560 --> 00:43:48,840 to serve you both before the service and after the early 782 00:43:48,840 --> 00:43:52,720 service. But I wonder about these people, 783 00:43:52,720 --> 00:43:55,240 Lord. Father, I've tried to tell them 784 00:43:55,240 --> 00:43:59,120 what you told me to tell them, and now, Father, I got to leave 785 00:43:59,120 --> 00:44:03,200 it up to you. I pray, Father, that your Holy 786 00:44:03,200 --> 00:44:05,400 Spirit will help them to understand that there is real 787 00:44:05,400 --> 00:44:09,160 power, but they've got to be connected to it. 788 00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:12,360 And that connecting point is the cross. 789 00:44:14,520 --> 00:44:17,040 Initially, it's salvation for some. 790 00:44:18,200 --> 00:44:19,720 They're never going to be connected. 791 00:44:19,720 --> 00:44:22,520 They're never going to understand any of what I just 792 00:44:22,520 --> 00:44:23,400 said. They're never going to 793 00:44:23,400 --> 00:44:26,920 understand the power of Your Word until they're saved. 794 00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:30,920 So Father, I pray your Holy Spirit will convict them. 795 00:44:30,920 --> 00:44:33,520 Right now, you'll just run rampant through their hearts, 796 00:44:33,840 --> 00:44:35,920 Father. You'll Pierce their mind and 797 00:44:35,920 --> 00:44:38,680 soul, Lord, to where they'll recognize your reality. 798 00:44:41,320 --> 00:44:43,960 And Father, I pray that they'll ask Jesus Christ to come into 799 00:44:43,960 --> 00:44:46,600 their heart as their Lord and Savior, believing He's the only 800 00:44:46,600 --> 00:44:49,720 one who can save them, the only one who's died on a cross to 801 00:44:49,720 --> 00:44:54,040 forgive them. And then like in the early 802 00:44:54,040 --> 00:44:56,600 service, Father, I know there are believers here who recognize 803 00:44:56,600 --> 00:45:00,280 that this could be a day, a day that is holy unto you, a day of 804 00:45:00,280 --> 00:45:07,120 recommitment, a day of revival to where they they flip that 805 00:45:07,120 --> 00:45:10,560 switch that's just been off or a little dusty. 806 00:45:14,200 --> 00:45:17,320 Father Dwar, they're committed to be a disciple who engages 807 00:45:17,320 --> 00:45:20,240 your word with a humble and teachable spirit. 808 00:45:20,880 --> 00:45:24,680 For some of that might mean baptism, like like they've seen 809 00:45:24,680 --> 00:45:26,960 the testimonies today. Maybe it's church membership, 810 00:45:26,960 --> 00:45:29,240 like someone talked to me after the first service. 811 00:45:29,400 --> 00:45:33,000 Whatever it is, maybe for some, they just need to come and pray. 812 00:45:33,000 --> 00:45:35,760 They just need to fill this front with prayer, praying for 813 00:45:35,760 --> 00:45:37,760 the future of the church, praying for their own future, 814 00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:40,080 praying for their relationship and walk with you. 815 00:45:41,920 --> 00:45:44,320 Maybe they need to go to our next steps room and talk to 816 00:45:44,320 --> 00:45:47,600 someone who privately, discreetly, lovingly is just 817 00:45:47,600 --> 00:45:50,480 going to have a conversation with them and pray with them 818 00:45:51,560 --> 00:45:52,800 about what you're saying to them. 819 00:45:54,880 --> 00:45:57,560 So Father, I just pray you'll encourage us, You'll empower us 820 00:45:58,600 --> 00:46:02,120 to take the steps of faith that we need in order to receive your 821 00:46:02,120 --> 00:46:06,560 gift of grace. Thank you, Father, for the way 822 00:46:06,560 --> 00:46:09,320 that you work in Your Word and the way your will is working in 823 00:46:09,320 --> 00:46:12,000 US. This pray you'll bless us now in 824 00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:15,680 Christ's name, Amen. Well, stand with me. 825 00:46:15,680 --> 00:46:18,440 We're going to sing together. There'll be some pastors here. 826 00:46:18,440 --> 00:46:21,360 We'd love to visit with you, but you don't have to visit with us. 827 00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:25,200 There's a room right over there called the Next Steps Room, and 828 00:46:25,200 --> 00:46:27,360 there are people in there who'd love to pray with you. 829 00:46:27,920 --> 00:46:29,440 There's love on you. Encourage you. 830 00:46:29,440 --> 00:46:32,120 You can go straight into that room and have any conversation 831 00:46:32,120 --> 00:46:34,120 you need. You can come here and pray 832 00:46:35,000 --> 00:46:37,880 whatever you need to do, you come as we sing. 833 00:46:47,120 --> 00:46:49,680 Thank you so much for listening today, and I also hope that 834 00:46:49,680 --> 00:46:52,200 you'll go to ourwebsite@englewoodbaptist.com 835 00:46:52,200 --> 00:46:55,280 as well as our app and find many other resources that will bless 836 00:46:55,280 --> 00:46:57,480 you and your families. Thank you once again.