Okay guys, last week we made a couple of statements that you took home with you and I'm hoping
that you were able to practice it during the week I was. So I'm hoping you were able to.
The first statement we made was that I exist for one reason only. I exist for one reason
only. I exist to serve and display the King and to advance his rule and influence. That was the
first statement we made last week. That the only reason for your existence, just think of this,
the only reason for your existence, there's no other reason, the only reason for your existence
is to serve and display the King as in Jesus and to advance his rule and his influence. It's the only
reason for your existence guys. Once you become a Christian, there is no other reason for living.
I know I'm repeating it again and again but it's so vital that we get this because most of us don't
think like this. That all my talent, all my time, all my treasure and my life is for just one reason.
That I am here to display and serve the King as in Jesus and I'm here to advance his rule and
influence here on earth. That was the first statement we made. The second statement we made
was that my life now is only about the fame of Jesus. My life now is only about the fame of Jesus,
the fame of Jesus, the fame of Jesus. Consumed with bringing fame to him and we talked about how these
really well-placed CEOs of companies leave their lucrative jobs and the money that they get to go
and serve at the White House for four years or sometimes eight years and their only intent is we
serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States and everything we do will be towards
his fame. That the statements we make, the way we dress, the way we conduct ourselves, the things we
say shall bring him fame and so they abandon everything else for four to eight years. We use
that as a parallel to show or say that we have to now get to a point where my life is only about
the fame of Jesus. My marriage is only about the fame of Jesus. My role as a husband is only about
the fame of Jesus. My activity as a pastor is only about the fame of Jesus. My gleaning is only about
the fame of Jesus. The way I keep my house is only about the fame of Jesus. In my walking, in my talking,
in sex, in the bedroom, in boardrooms, it's only about the fame of Jesus. That's how we need to now
begin to compute. That's what we talked about last week. This week I want to talk about being a living
sacrifice and it'll be a three part series and today we'll take one. So living sacrifice and it just
keeps adding to what we did last week. So when we think of the word sacrifice what comes to mind is
that there must be some death involved because we think that what God wants of us is the sacrifice
of death. That's the easy part guys but one of the things that God keeps coming back to and particularly
in Romans 12 verse 1, he makes it very obvious that he doesn't want a dead Jacob. He wants a Jacob
who is living, a living sacrifice who will bloodily put to death three things. Here's what a living
sacrifice, here's what a living sacrifice puts to a bloody death. One stubbornness, two self-will
and three inflated self-respect. A living sacrifice, God doesn't want me dead. I mean sure
martyrs have played a tremendous role in Christianity because every time Christian blood is spilt it cries
out and every time Christian blood is spilt Satan has overplayed his hand and every time Christian
blood is spilt the gospel advances. So martyrdom is a part of Christianity, has always been a part
of Christianity but what God requires is not people who are willing to die. Well that's part
of the equation what he wants is people who are willing to live as a sacrifice and a living
sacrifice puts to death three things guys without putting to death these three things there's no
going forward eh because these are the things that prevent us from being living sacrifices. This is
why no goat or bull went dancing voluntarily to the altar. I mean those things have to be dragged
to the altar. So they have to be dragged held and then their necks have to be chopped off. What we
need to put to death if I want to be a living sacrifice is three things stubbornness, oh man
my mum used to say that I used to be pretty stubborn kid when I was young. I remember one
night waking up I don't remember this my parents told me this I was two or three and I woke up at
one o'clock in the night and just started crying I won't stop and they checked me out and I was
fine they did everything they could I was fine but I kept crying and nobody could sleep and
finally they remembered that they hadn't taken me and taken me out for my 7 p.m. walk like they
used to every night and so in the middle of the night at 1 30 my dad had to take me out for a walk
she said help us Lord and as soon as he took me out for a walk at 1 30 in the morning I stopped
crying so stubbornness is something that has to be put to death guys as kids we have it as grownups
we have it and one of the things one of the primary things that has to be put to death if
you want to be a living sacrifice is stubbornness the second thing is self-will where I have a will
of my own that I try to exert and that will always come in the path of being a yes Lance
it'll always come in the way of being a sacrifice and the third one is inflated self-respect
inflated self-respect I wanted to just put self-respect but in the Western world we somehow
think self-respect is some highly valued commodity so I thought I'll just put inflated
self-respect I mean what about Jesus exhibited self-respect nothing stripped naked hung on a
cross born in a stable fatherless questionable birth origins died among thieves rejected by
his own people his family thought he was crazy disciples ran away one betrayed him what about
him had any iota of self-respect he respected who he was and why why why because John 13 says he
knew where he came from and where he was going even that came not from anything intrinsically
possessed because he said by myself iron nothing that's what he said a so even when it came to
self-respect it came because of where he came from and where he was going and not because of
some intrinsic value that he attributed to himself which is why when he says when he talks about
parables like the pearl of great price he's not talking about him being the pearl of great price
he didn't go around saying I am the pearl of great price he was talking about the kingdom well that's
another story we'll talk about it another time guys so these three things have to be put to death
if there is any hope of me stepping into being a living sacrifice and so over the next three
weeks we look at Matthew 1129 and Matthew 1129 says take my yoke upon you and I'd spoken about
this in June of last year but I felt it was good to visit it again now Matthew 1129 says take my
yoke upon you and learn from me for I'm gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for
your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light and then you go to then we'll go to
Matthew 1624 not today the next time Matthew 1624 says that take up your cross deny yourself and
follow me we'll talk about that next time and then Matthew 1929 Matthew 1929 where it says if you
want to follow me you will have to literally lay down homes mother father sister brother and the
things you possess and only then can you follow me that's in Matthew 1929 three levels of sacrifice
and so today we start with Matthew 1129 and 30 Matthew 20 1129 and 30 so if you want to turn to
it that's where we'll stay today and then over the next two the next two times we'll take care of the
rest next week it'll be Jason who will be speaking because I'll be in Bahrain Matthew 1129 and 30
guys we always forget to make this announcement but we don't take an offering in the church we
make an offering so if you want to make an offering there's a box at the end of the church and you can
always go joyfully or laugh your way to that box and put some money in it that's all I let you know
that Matthew 1129 let's read from verse 18 Matthew 1118 here goes for John came neither eating nor
drinking and they say he has a demon the son of man came eating and drinking and they say look at
him a glutton and a drunkard a friend of tax collectors and sinners yet wisdom is justified
by her deeds then he began to denounce then Jesus began to denounce the cities where most of his
mighty works had been done because they did not repent woe to you Chorazin woe to you Bethsaida
for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon or Sidon they would have
repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes but I tell you it will be more bearable on the day
of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you and you Capernaum will be will you be exalted to heaven
you will be brought down to Hades for if the mighty works done in you have been done in Sodom
it would have remained until this day but I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of
judgment for the land of Sodom than for you so Jesus is at present talking about how what he said
had been rejected and he's talking about that and then it shifts at that time and he suddenly
stops and he starts communing with his father and look at what he says at that time Jesus declared
I thank you father Lord of heaven and earth that you have hidden these things from the wise and
understanding and reveal them to little children yes father for such was your gracious will verse
27 all things have been handed over to me by my father and no one knows the son except the father
and no one knows the father except the son and anyone to whom the son chooses to reveal him and
then in verse 28 come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest verse
29 take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I'm gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest
for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light so guys Jesus is asking you to come beside
him and take one end of the yoke so that me and him can pull together have it just come up for a
second so let's assume I'm Jesus sorry I'm rushing you I know I didn't even warn you but let's assume
I'm Jesus and Tavis is Tavis so here's what Jesus is saying to Tavis Jesus saying to Tavis
hey Tavis here's what I want you to do I want you to come beside me and so Tavis comes beside him
and then he says I want you to take this yoke we don't have a yoke but we will pretend so we'll
take what Chris always drops so so so he says take this yoke come beside me Tavis and so Tavis
comes beside me and then he says take one end of the yoke Tavis and so Tavis takes one end of the
yoke and he says now walk beside me and so Tavis and I keep walking with the yoke on my shoulder
and his shoulder wasn't that brilliant thank you let's do the whole thing again
so that's what Jesus is saying come Jacob get beside me take one end of the yoke so that me and
you can pull together and so what is this yoke so here are the things we need to know about the
yoke one he doesn't say take this yoke upon you he doesn't say take a yoke upon you he says take
what my yoke so the first thing is guys it's something he wears take my yoke that itself
should bring hope because this was scares most Sunday school kids when they grow up because they
learnt it and then they realized oh shucks he's gonna put something on me but what God is saying
is I'm gonna put what on you take my yoke it's something that he has obviously warned for all
eternity that he obviously wears now and that he'll obviously wear forever just imagine that
this thing that he wears this yoke that he wears was given to him by his father because he only
accepts that which is from his father so this yoke that Jesus is talking about that he's inviting
me to come under is something that his father gave him something he's warned since eternity
something that he wore when he walked the earth and something he wears now things are suddenly
looking better so that's one thing about the yoke it's take my yoke too it's a yoke the father
laid on him and we know that the father dearly loves the son so it can't be something nasty take
my yoke too it's given him by the father given to him by the father three he says it's easy it's
easy it's light it's easy and the word easy there is something like crestos or crests or toes and
what it basically means is kind man the word easy really doesn't do it justice it's actually the word
that should be used is kind and so here's what these are saying this yoke is light and it's kind
of kind it's a kind yoke and now you begin to think hmm this might actually work for me I don't
need to be scared of this worse the yoke is actually kind it's light and it's kind and for
he says hey Jacob take take it up take it up as in there's there's an active willing voluntary
desire that should rise up in me this is not something he'll force on me this is not something
that I'm obliged to wear this is not something that will jeopardize my eternal security he's
saying come Jacob take it up take up this yoke and wear it so there's an active willing voluntary
desire that I should have to come under this yoke I guys who have dogs have seen this very often I
had this little Tibetan spaniel and it was all day every time I'd come back from school as soon
as I'd pick up the collar this dog would start jumping and turning around and wagging its tail
and going crazy why because as soon as I picked up the collar the dog knew that I'd take it up for a
walk so instead of being afraid of the collar this dog would look forward to the collar because every
collar out he knew that a walk was imminent this is what God is calling us to a instead of shirking
from the scripture which says take my yoke upon you every time the word yoke is mentioned your heart
should leap like a little dog thinking our shucks my master's gonna take me out for a walk my master's
gonna take me out for a walk that's the feeling that should come up that is what God wants to
bring out of you instead we think to ourselves oh man here comes something that will demand a
sacrifice of me no in fact the dog would have to be dragged back home because I get tired of
walking after two minutes and then I discovered this thing called a car and everything is fine
now so take the yoke these are the four things that we need to understand guys and look at the
context in which the scripture is quoted a Jesus breaks into the spontaneous communion with his
father and he's saying things like father only you know me and I'm the only one who knows you and
he's in this communion with the father and you should see how the message puts a day here's what
Matthew 11 27 sounds like in the message the father has given me all these things to do and
say and then look at these next few lines this is this is a unique father-son operation coming out
of father-son intimacy and knowledge no one knows the son the way the father does nor the father the
way the son does and then Jesus says but I'm not keeping it all to myself I'm ready to go over it
line by line with anyone willing to listen and while he's having this conversation that has to
do with the knowledge of the father and the intimacy Jesus shares with the father he suddenly
turns to his disciples and says hey come take this yoke upon yourself too so this yoke he's
talking about must be defined by the context that preceded what he just said it's in the middle of
talking to his father middle of talking about intimacies with the father middle of talking about
his knowledge of the father that he suddenly turns to his disciples and says come take my yoke upon you so what is
this yoke then I would sit not I would suggest I would strongly say to you that this yoke that
Jesus is talking about an offering to you and to me and to the disciples that day this yoke is
his relationship with the father this yoke is his relationship Jesus is yoke Jesus is yoke is his
relationship with the father this is what he's worn since the beginning of time guys he loves
this yoke is the it's a yoke he pleasurably wears in John 5 it says that the father dearly loves
the son this is the yoke he's been wearing since eternity this is the yoke he wore when he walked
the earth everything he did why did he do it he said everything I do because I love my father this
is the yoke he wears today it's a yoke that is kind it's a yoke that is easy he'll never ask me
to wear anything that he hasn't already worn and he's saying hey Jacob this is what I wear come come
son take my yoke upon you enter into this relationship that I have with the father because
didn't I tell you when I rose again that I'm going to your father and my father and he's saying
come take this yoke upon you and what does this yoke entail what all does it have in it it has
it's a yoke it's a relationship or a yoke of affection trust and intimacy Jesus's yoke is
his relationship with his father and it's a relationship of affection of trust and of intimacy
this is what Jesus has always been he is from everlasting to everlasting he has no beginning
he's the alpha and omega and yet from that place called no beginning he has always worn this yoke
and it has been this amazing affection amazing affection that he's had for the father it's been
this absolute trust where he says I know that God will not allow me to see decay and it is
this amazing intimacy which would cause him to wake up in the morning and go up to the mountains
and speak to Abba the amazing intimacy that has him cry out on the cross or Elie Elie is
the amazing intimacy that he always had he had on earth he has today you can imagine a you're
walking with him he's just been rejected in a few towns what he said no one has listened to and is
walking along and you're behind him and suddenly he breaks up into spontaneous prayer and he says
father nobody knows you like I do and you're the only one who knows me like nobody else does and
these are intimacies that you and I share no one knows you father no one knows you nobody knows me
and yet these are intimacies that you and I share and I have such knowledge of you and you have such
knowledge of me while he's in this spontaneous prayer with him and his father and everything
else seems excluded suddenly he turns around and says come take this yoke upon you enter into this
relationship that I have with the father which is full of affection of trust and of intimacy guys
you think Jesus would ever not walk in rest when you have these things intact in your life with your
father you get this right and you'll walk in rest for the rest of your life man this is what happens
to children where they are in the affection of their mother they know the trust and the reliance
they can count on and they have such an intimate relationship with their mother weaned at the
mother's breast stilled stilled stilled be still and know that I am God not till I know the affection
and the trust and the intimacy that I can have with the father stilled at the mother's breast
still in the father's rest and that's a crazy thing I mean good enough that you redeemed me great
that you've given me a free ticket to heaven my future is taken care of but here's what you're
adding to it you are saying that wonder of wonders you're inviting me into the same relationship that
you have with the father here I come running like a little dog who's seen the caller and I come
bounding saying put that yoke on me put that yoke on me take me out for a walk that's what
we're talking about guys any questions before we go on any questions any comments any disagreements
any other views before we go on go ahead man
yeah in two minutes 20 seconds I'm gonna deal with that next yeah
any other questions okay so how do we to answer Matt's question so we are being called to enter
into the relationship how do we do this how do we do this I knew that dog collar thing would get
too literal at some point so how do we do this one guys every morning the Spirit of God awakens
me to step into so here's the first one every morning or afternoon or evening depending on
whether you're an morning afternoon or evening person most pastors are afternoon people every
morning the Spirit of God awakens me every morning the Spirit of God awakens me to step
to step into the same affection trust and intimacy that Jesus had with the Father
that Jesus had with the Father you know in Song of Songs 2 10 there's this beautiful verse
which says arise my love my fair one arise my love my fair one and come away with me for the
winter has passed and the springtime has come every morning guys the Spirit of God has only
one desire to bring you into perfect oneness with the Father John chapter 17 the whole chapter is
about Jesus saying father you and I are one no now let Jacob also be one with us and how father
you're in me and I'm in you and I'm in Jacob so Jacob can be one with us this is his prayer
the desire of the Spirit is can I bring Jacob into perfect oneness with the Father can I bring
Acts 29 into perfect oneness with the Father this is his desire and every morning the Spirit of God
awakens me to step into the same I love that not a secondary but the same affection trust and
intimacy that Jesus had with the Father the Spirit of God awakens me and says Jacob want to step
in further today it's the water that starts at the ankle that comes to the knees that comes to your
waist and then comes to your neck till you're finally swimming in this matrix man I won't
happen overnight but I got a lifetime to begin to step into this same intimacy that Jesus had with
the Father arise my love my fair one and come away with me says the Spirit of God every morning or
every afternoon for the winter has passed and the springtime has come come come now know that
this invitation is open every day to every child of God why because Jesus had take my yoke upon you Jacob
second guys every week if possible start with ABBA what do you want to say to me about your
for me what do you want to say to me about your love for me even Jesus needed a day every now
and then there would be an audible voice from heaven which would say stuff like you're my beloved
in whom I am well pleased you're my beloved in whom I delight these words were spoken over Jesus
not because he doubted it but it was the affirmation of the Father and you think you
and I don't need it I look forward to the Father saying not sweet nothings but sweet
somethings to me every so often I'm not saying make it a weekly habit but I mean just imagine
if God said to you hey Jason you're my son you're chosen and marked for my love and the delight of
my life you think you can resist that after that when he says to you hey you're the delight of my
life Matt Rosalind you're the delight of my life you're marked for my love when the Father says
that you think it's possible to function normally no you're again like that little dog running around
in circles I remember once going through a rough patch and felt the Lord and this actually happened
in a dream and I'm sleeping that night and there's this beach and suddenly there's this
scripture scrawled on the beach and it says Psalm 80 verse 15 I woke up and I quickly started looking
for Psalm 80 15 and here's what it says you are the root that my right hand has planted you are
the son I have raised for myself you think you think problems will bother me then after that you
are the root my right hand has planted you are the son I've raised for myself oh after that it
was like bring it on I can deal with it that's where we start guys that's where we start ask the
Lord to grace you and he doesn't do it grudgingly I mean like Wayne was saying yesterday Wendy was
saying she wasn't feeling beautiful and so what did Wayne say Wayne said but you are beautiful you
are pretty you are good-looking and what did Wendy say Wendy said but you're my dad that's
what dads always say that's what Wendy said yeah how cool that she recognized it that you're my
dad that's what dads always say right on right on right on that's what dads always say
this is not some kind of little breadcrumb that he thinks you've been asking for affirmations
here eat this crumb no man this is a father's heart and my response should be the same as Wendy's
but you're my dad this is what you always say but go ahead say it anyways and you write it down on
your iPhone or if you have Mark's phone then write it down on a sheet of paper because
it was so funny I was with Mark at a restaurant and send him a text message and notice that if
you sit two feet away it takes about three minutes to get there but if you hold the phone
right next to him it goes immediately it's a very high-tech phone but that's yeah that phone is
very high-tech guys ask God ask the father not father tell me something nice ask the father
every few weeks or every few days father is there anything you want to say to me and trust that the
father enjoys doing it remember the Wendy story trust that the father enjoys doing it because it
will really change the way you see things once you hear the father and guys don't think you can't
hear the father you just think that when he speaks it can't be him because surely God won't
say such nice things about me or surely God doesn't speak no man you can actually hear him
you can actually hear him so here's what I want us to do right now just write down what you think
the father is saying to you just write down what you think the father is saying to you in the
context of what we've just talked about write it down keep the tape running guys don't shut it off
write it down
okay in that verse he uses another line he says learn from me guys learning is
acquiring or gaining skill or knowledge over a period of time because it doesn't happen
instantly over a period of time when I was a kid there used to be these comics called flash
garden comics if you're old enough you'll know what I'm talking about and there was this little
kid called Willie in flash garden comics and he had this amazing ability to look at a book
and immediately he'd have he'd know everything in the book I thought what if it's real so one day
I decided two days for the exam let me try this so I took a book put it under my pillow and went
to sleep I thought what if what if this actually works what if instantly everything in that book
I was very young didn't happen man because you have to learn and he says learn from learn from
me and that is acquired or gained over a period of time learn from me and guys why is this
important because need some water Chris okay why is this important because knowledge is what generates
affection trust and intimacy knowledge is what generates it say as you get to know someone you're
able to express greater affection trust easily and get intimate knowledge odd in oddly enough the
very word that King James uses and Adam knew his wife why because there it generates affection
trust intimacy and so this is vitally and how do you get this one serious study of the word
through being taught and through learning yourself serious study of the word that's one way you do it
to since here communion with God and three straightforward obedience straightforward
obedience you want to increase in knowledge these three things are vital I can't increase in knowledge
through worship in fact it's a very bad idea when a church is centered around worship because how
can you worship him who do you don't know you can feel emotional about him but that's no big deal
you can cry a little and then you'll have to get over it but as you begin to know him worship
becomes more meaningful so it requires knowledge is attained through the serious study of the word
since your communion with God I like the word communion now than prayer and then
straightforward obedience where once you know what you're supposed to do that you actually
go and do it that's how you increase in knowledge and knowledge will generate affection trust and
intimacy so ache ache after the knowledge of God ache after it let your belly hurt ache after the
ache after it I want to know you more I want to know you more a couple of points more than
stop so we will be done before 1225 guys the third thing is shuttle between shuttle between
loving the father and being in love with the father shuttle between loving the father and
being in love with the father it's not semantics it's real it's not just the way we word things
it's two different things they there's loving the father and there is being in love with the father
and there are two things man David knew this David knew this Jesus knew this and most Christians
live in one or the other they either live here or they live here loving the father is what Jesus
talks about in John 15 14 or 14 15 John 14 15 loving the father is John 14 15 and what does it
say if you love me you will obey my commands very simple straightforward being in love with the
father is when you and I get called here is a man who is after the heart of God a man after God's
heart is when you are in love with the father not just loving the father and what what are we
talking about one is about affection the other one's about intimacy and both have to combine
me so I'm called to do things out of an affection father for the father but I'm also called to be
I'm supposed to be loving where I will follow your commands and the evidence of being the evidence
the evidence of loving the father is obedience to his commands and then there is being in love
with the father which is when you are intimate one talks about fidelity the other talks about
intimacy you can have a couple that will never cheat on each other but will never be intimate
either I met couples like that they've spent the last 40 years like that they even have kids so
it's not like they didn't have sex but intimacy don't know how to spell it fidelity absolutely
gotta have both men and then you are known in the corridors of heaven as a man or a woman
after God's heart Jesus was like this see had both David was like this had both at one point
David says in Psalm 119 I will obey your commands and delight in you and then three verses before
that he says oh God enlarge my heart enlarge my heart that I may run in your commands what a
difference one place he says I will follow your command so that I may delight in you on the other
place he says enlarge my heart so that I might run in your commands a man after God's own heart
shuttle between loving the father and being in love with the father guys we've got to do this
say it'll show in the quality of your life guys one will prove to people that you are Christian
because your life shows obedience to his commands the other will prove that you're the father's son
ha I don't want just to be a Christian I want to be the father's son and a Christian we met many
good Christians but how many father-son relationships do you come across in the church
imagine how the disciples would just go completely quiet when Jesus would talk start talking to the
father a these are fishermen who learned religious education probably on the beach and then this man
starts praying and when he starts praying he begins to call this God Yahweh I am the
self-existent one he starts talking to God like goddesses father so remember those two lines we
read up in the beginning I exist for one reason only to serve display and advance the king and
his rule and then the second statement was my life is only about the fame of Jesus so here is
the third statement for us to take home my heart beats for one reason alone my heart
beats for one reason alone to nurture the same intimacy affection and trust that Jesus had with
the father my heart beats for one reason alone to nurture the same intimacy that Jesus had with
the father my heart beats for one reason alone I wake up and I realize oh shucks I'm awake my heart
is beating ah awake and arise my love come my heart beats for one reason alone here father
love that collar love that yoke my heart beats for one reason alone to nurture every day the
affection the trust and the intimacy that Jesus displayed and had with the father is absolutely
possible for this little Jacob here on earth and by little I meant small not little as in little I
didn't need to explain that and as I do this guys as I begin to enter into this you will find that
rest is very easy even in the valley of trouble even in the valley of trouble go to Hosea 2
Hosea 2 and we'll read that and then Hosea 2 actually Derek can you put on the PowerPoint
Hosea 2 we'll have to put it on this since you were Samson a little while ago Hosea 2
Hosea 2 I'm glad you see the positive in everything Derek Hosea 2 where is Hosea
before this doesn't help at all you know that right
of course this is embarrassing the pastor can't find Hosea
oh got it he's a minor prophet what can you do
Hosea chapter 2 yeah Hosea chapter 2
listen to this say verse 14 onwards look at the intimacy that God expresses
Hosea 2 14 onwards therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness
not to punish her but to speak tenderly to her and there I'll give her vineyards and I will make
the valley of Acre or valley of trouble a door of hope and there she shall answer as in the days
of her youth as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt and in that day she shall
answer as in the days of Egypt and in that day declares the Lord you will call me my husband
and no longer will you call me my master for I will remove the names of the balls from her mouth
and they shall be remembered by her no more and I'll make for them a covenant on that day with the
beasts of the fields and the birds of the air and the creeping things of the ground and I will
abolish the bow the sword and the war from the land and I'll make you lie down in safety Jacob
I will betroth you to me forever I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice in
steadfast love and in mercy I'll betroth you to me in faithfulness and you shall know me the Lord
and in that day I will answer declares the Lord I will answer the heavens and they shall answer
the earth and the earth shall answer the I'm so glad there are kids in this church and the earth
shall answer the grain the wine and the oil I said kids and they shall answer Jezreel and I will
show her for myself in the land I will have mercy or no mercy I will say to not my people you are
my people and he shall say you are my God beautiful scripture you should read it in the new living
translation nlt it is beautiful it is beautiful guys next week we'll be dealing with taking not
next week the week after that we'll be dealing with taking up your cross you cannot take up the
cross till you take up the yoke because a sacrifice is painful when you don't like the person
you're sacrificing for a sacrifice is easy when you like the one you're sacrificing for you cannot
take up the cross if you don't take up the yoke just want you guys to sing the song as we close
and then if you need prayer feel free to come up and there'll be people who will pray with you
so
the water let my soul first after you
you are all that my heart desires and I long to worship you
one more time and as the deer pants for the water so my soul first after you
you are all that my heart desires and I long to worship you
behold you have come over the hill upon the mountain
to you I will run
my beloved you've captured my heart one more time beautiful
you behold you have come over the hill upon the mountain
to you I will run my beloved you've captured my heart
oh
won't you dance with me
lover of my soul
oh
won't you dance won't you dance with me
me
next verse with you I will go
oh you are my love you are my fair one
the winter has passed and the spring time has come with you I will go
with you I will go you are my love you are my fair one
the winter has passed and the spring time has come one last time with you I will go
with you I will go you are my love you are my fair one the winter has passed the winter has passed
and the spring time has come I will dance with you
I will dance with you
lover of my soul
oh
to the song of all songs may I suggest that Wendy must be doing that right now
right now
I will dance with you
oh
lover of my soul
to the song of all songs
romance
me
oh
lover
of my soul
to the song of all songs
you're an amazing god you're an amazing god
oh
please help us to put this into practice this week please thank you
guys if you need prayer for anything feel free to come or otherwise