Don't Go Without God Any Longer | Robby Gallaty | Exodus 33

Amen. Good morning. Good morning. We welcome you to Long Hollow. If you've chosen to worship with us today as a guest, we feel honored that you would choose to worship with us. If you're online or you're in Gallatin, we welcome you to Long Hollow, or incarcerated, or in one of our live prison campuses. I think we are in seven prisons live every week with the service at Long Hollow, so we welcome you guys as well. We're reading through a Bible reading plan called the F260 Old Testament, and we are at the heart of Exodus. So if you have a Bible, turn with me to Exodus 33, and as you're turning there, I wanna talk to you about why you and I should never go on any longer without God. Don't go on any longer without God. Last week, if you were here, you know where we are. Right now, the golden calf is still warm from the fire. The ashes are barely scattered. 3,000 men are dead right now. The tablets have been thrown to the ground and broken, and the covenant has already been severed. God goes to Moses, and he's like, hey man, listen, I'm still gonna give you the land. I'm still gonna send an angel ahead of you.

I'm still gonna keep my promise, but I'm not gonna be going with you. Now, let's be honest, how many leaders would have still taken that deal? I mean, let's be honest. The presence of God, but we still get the land, right? The presence of God, but we got the promise of God. How many leaders would have gone on and said, well, I'll take the land without you? But what Moses does in this text in a moment should stop us all cold in our tracks. Here's what I mean. Moses looks to God, and he says, well, if you're not gonna go, then I'm not gonna go. Not another step, not another inch, not another direction in my life. Without you, I'm not gonna go anywhere. Why does that strike us as odd? We live in a world today, especially Western American culture, where everyone is chasing the next big thing, bigger platforms, bigger opportunities, more followers, open doors, and Moses teaches us something pretty amazing. In fact, it's a principle that's almost completely forgotten, and that is this. The destination means nothing if God isn't there, amen? If God isn't there, it means not, why would I wanna go, God, if you're not there? Today, we're gonna talk about the presence of God

in our own lives, and the thing you're gonna ask yourself as you leave is, do I really want God's presence in my own life? Exodus 33, if you're there, we like to say word at Long Hollow, so we know the word changes our lives, so if you're there, say word. Word. Amen, amen, the word of the Lord. Moses said to the Lord, look, you have told me, lead this people up, but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You said, I know you by name, and you have also found favor with me. Now, if I have indeed found favor with you, God, please teach me your ways, and I will know you so that I may find favor with you. Now, consider that this nation is your people, and he replied, my presence will go with you, and I will give you rest, and Moses says, if your presence does not go, don't make us go up from here. How will it be known that I and your people have found favor with you unless you, God, go with us? I wanna talk about the presence of God in our life, the power of God in our life. Number one is this, if you're taking notes, two insights here. You and I must long, like Moses, for the presence of God in our life. We must long for more of God's presence.

Now, you have to remember, Moses just met God personally not long ago. They're, in a sense, in the honeymoon. If the wedding was Mount Sinai, the wilderness is the honeymoon, and so Moses is still learning who God is. He knows something, though, already. He knows 80 years before what it's like to live without the presence and the power of God, and he says, if that's the option, in a land without you or in the wilderness, I'm here with you, God, I'm gonna choose you. Now, if you're honest and think about it, the same applies to us today. Look at me. The number one thing that separates a believer in Jesus Christ from an unbeliever in your neighborhood or in your classroom or in your family, the number one reason, do you know what it is? It's not charisma, it's not gifts or talents or production or possessions or conduct. All those things are good. The number one delineating factor is believers have the presence of God in their life. Unbelievers don't. That's the major difference, and I'm reminded of this when the apostles were brought in before the religious leaders in Acts chapter four, verse 13. They had such a power in the presence of God on their life

that people noticed around them. Watch this. Acts chapter four, look at the screen. When the religious leaders saw the. oldness of Peter and John, and perceived that these were uneducated, common men, they were what? Say it out loud. Astonished. Why? Because they recognized these men had been with Jesus. Come in close. You can have all the talents in the world. You could go to seminary. You can have a doctorate, a master's degree. You can be in church all your life. My friend, if you don't have the power of God and the presence of Jesus on your life, you have nothing. Nothing. Pharisees showed us that. But you may not have talent or ability to write home about. You may not have been at school or have a biblical education, but you have the power of God on your life. You have everything. That's what the Bible says. And the people noticed that. They said, man, we're amazed because we know that they've been with Jesus. I wonder, look at me.

I wonder if people noticed that about you. This brother here, one thing about Drew, the power of God's on his life. One thing about Mike, I don't know much. The power of God is on his life. What if you and I adopted a I won't go unless you go mentality? Like, God, I'm not gonna go. If you're not with me, I don't wanna go. I know what it's like to go without you. I've lived 80 years like that. But if you're not with me, I don't want to go. And here's what Moses teaches us. Write this down. This is the lesson I want you to get right out the gate. It's better to wander in the wilderness with God to live in the promised land without God. Say that again. I want you to get this. It is better to wander in the wilderness of our life, the difficult seasons of our life with God than to receive the promised land and live there without God. Moses is saying, listen, I don't want the land. I want the Lord. Can you say that? Can you? I don't want what God can give me. I want God. That's what he's saying.

And so how do you and I encounter God this way? How do we experience God this way? Look at verse 17. Let's drop down, 33, 17. The Lord answered Moses, I will do this very thing you have asked for me because you have found favor with me and I know your what? I know you by name. You know what he's saying there? It's not I know your name is Moshe. It's no, I know you. I know your heart. I know your desire. And then Moses does the unthinkable. Brace yourself. Moses says, all right then. We're tight, you know, we're tight. Show me your glory. Show me your glory. Here's what Moses is saying. At this point in the journey, Moses knows about God, but he wants to know more of God. He wants to learn. He wants to, he said, God, like you call me to lead the nation, but I don't even really know you. I don't know everything about you. And so Moses rolls the dice and he makes a bold move. He's got God, show me your glory. Moses, what are you doing, man?

Are you crazy? I mean, let's be honest. If God spoke to me, think about this, through a burning bush on the backside of a desert, then demonstrated his power with plagues against my enemies and then demolished those jokers in the Red Sea, God, I'm good. I don't need anything else. Not to mention the ancient CGI on Mount Sinai with smoke and fire and lightning and thunder. But here's the thing about Moses, coming close. Moses still wants more. Don't miss this. Not more miracles, not more demonstrations, not more activity. Moses wants more of God. Brother, sister, look at me. Young adult, do you want more of God? Could you say that, honestly? More of his power, more of the person of Christ, more of the presence of God in your life. Here's what I know in my own life. You'll never experience more of the presence of God if you're full of self at the same time. Because the presence of God and your, two things can't occupy the same vessel. You're either full of self or you're full of God, which is the choice. And I know that, I don't know about you, but I learned that the hard way.

I took that remedial class a couple times. Anybody took that class and passed it? Or still in it, right? I mean, that's the reality. But here's what Moses shows us, you're gonna love this. Moses says to God, I'm not gonna settle for a fat-free, sweet and low substitute of the power and the presence of God. He is longing for the fullness of God. He wants more of God. What would happen if Long Hollow, just the people who call Long Hollow home, what if you and I lived that way? Do you think we would change this city for Christ? God, I want no one else and nothing less than all of you. A pastor was overseas, I heard this story, and visiting a missionary, they were supported. morning, when he came in contact with the missionary and met him firsthand, he was blown away. He just exuded joy. He was a spirit-filled man and you could tell it was contagious, it was infectious around him. And he said to the man as they were sitting over dinner, he said, I would, he looked at him in the face, he said, I'd give anything. He said, I would give the world to have the joy you have. And the missionary looked back and said, well, that's just what it cost me. I had to give up the world. I had to give up the world.

See, Moses longs for God over the world. He wants more of God than anything the world can offer, which is why God responds the way he does. Watch this, look at verse 21. The Lord said, all right, here's a place near me. You're to stand on the rock and when my glory passes by, circle that phrase, passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have circled, passed by, you're gonna wanna circle, we'll come back to that. Then I'll take my hand away and you will see my back, but my face will not be seen. Now, don't misunderstand. What God's doing here by saying you'll see my back, it's not that God has a back, by the way. Theologically, something called an anthropomorphism, it's a big word, anthro, mankind, anthropology, mankind, morphism, the word morph or form of, it's God in his infinite wisdom trying to explain to finite humans who he's like. God doesn't have a hand, like the arm of the Lord's short. God doesn't have a hand. The eyes, he doesn't have eyes. But that's a way for us to understand it, right? So God is giving him a picture of what he's gonna do. Why does God have to hide his face and show his back? Because, Mo, you can't handle the glory of God. That's what he's saying, can't handle it all. So I'm gonna give you a piece of it.

I was thinking about and meditating on this passage this week, coming close. Is this why heaven is for eternity? Think about this. Is it when you and I get to heaven, we will never exhaust our understanding of the majesty of God and the magnificence of God and the goodness of God and the glory of God? Maybe that's what eternity is. It takes us that long to fully comprehend who God is. Here's what Moses shows us, I want you to get this. One moment in the manifest presence of God and it marks our life forever. It changes you. Anybody know what I'm talking about? Like one moment in the presence, I've got one encounter with God, we become a marked man or a woman. Now how do I know this? Remember Isaiah? He's in the temple, he sees the angels, the Lord high and lifted up, holy, holy, holy. And what happens? Isaiah's not the same guy. Remember Samuel, when he heard the voice of the Lord, God called, is that you Eli, is that you? And then he comes, he just changed man. Remember Jacob wrestling that MMA match when he finally taps out with the Lord. He's like, all right, I'm out.

It changes, changes not only his name, it changes his life. Paul's on the road to Damascus, going to persecute, kill Christians. Now he sees Christ. Now he's going to save and share Christ with lost people. When you encounter God like that, it changes your life. But don't miss this. Don't miss this. Because some of you are like, oh, I know God. Of course, I know Jesus. I live in Middle Tennessee. Everybody knows Jesus. Right? Everybody knows Jesus. Write this down. Proximity to God doesn't always equate to intimacy with God. This is for someone today. You know Jesus. The question is not, do you know Jesus? The question is, does Jesus know you? Proximity to God doesn't equal intimacy with God. A change like this isn't just immediate. It's a process. God brought these men and women in the Bible through a process to a punctiliar, if you will, point in time where God changes their life. It takes time. This is not overnight. You can't quick create a minute version

of this in your own Christian life. And here's the problem with modern Western Christianity today. We want quick devotionals, fast food spirituality, TikTok theology, and Instagram intimacy. Can I get an amen? That's the world we live in. We want it now, we want it fast, and we want it quick. But don't miss this. That's not how God works. God works the best. And our waiting. I tell people, God's never on my time, but he's always on time, amen? Just wish he'd hurry up some time, but God's, he works in the waiting. He works in the stillness. Moses and Elijah, I wanna see your glory. He tells Elijah, listen, you're gonna have to listen real hard because I'm not in the wind, I'm not in the storm, I'm not in the fire, I'm in the whisper. I'm in the wind, I'm in the whisper. And if God's whispering, are you making time to hear? Had the opportunity last week to teach doctoral students from a seminary in California. They came in town and had 17 students and I had the privilege of teaching about discipleship. And I always tell young pastors this line,

and not just young, some of these guys are older than me, but just young in the ministry or young at a church or new at a church. And I had to learn this myself, so I was able to speak from experience, but I always teach them this principle. And here's the principle. Young leaders, this works in your business, in your workplace, works in your home. Young leaders suffer from two challenges or new leaders suffer from two challenges. Number one is they overestimate what they can do in the short term. They get quick to change and move. So they overestimate what they can do in the short term, but they underestimate what God can do over the long haul. Anybody know what I'm talking about? They want to change and move. It's like, no, no, no, we're not in a sprint, we're in a journey here. And the same thing can be said for your life. Friends, write this down. Microwaved spirituality produces lukewarm Christianity. Microwaved spirituality produces lukewarm Christianity. When was the last time you slowed down enough, don't miss this, to be present in the presence of God? Key word there is present. Or better yet, let me ask you this way. When was the last time you even tried? See, once you start learning about God

in no way is it a matter of time. When you start learning about God and knowing more about the presence of God, you long for this, you long to live, number two, in the power of God. Once you have a taste of the presence, you're like, man, I don't wanna go anywhere without the power of God. And so you and I, as born again believers, we must live in the power of God. Let's see what God does to Moses, Exodus 34, five. Turn the page if you're there, say word. Watch this. The Lord came down in a cloud, stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord, Yahweh. The Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth. By the way, people say the God of the Old Testament is a God of anger and wrath and judgment and the God of the New Testament, that couldn't be further from the truth. God's saying, you wanna know who I am? I maintain faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. I don't know about you, but I can aim into that, amen? Now here's the key word here. It says in verse six, if we go back to verse six, I want you to see what it says. The Lord, what?

Passed him by. Now in the NASB, the New American, I'm reading out of the CSB, but the New American Standard Bible translates it this way. Then the Lord passed by in front of him. I like that translation, because I'm gonna show you why. God decides to display his glory by passing by Moses, just giving him a piece of his presence. I don't know about you, that's a pretty peculiar way to, hey, I wanna meet you on our first date, but I'm gonna give you my back first, okay? So just close your eyes. It's kind of a peculiar way. I'm just gonna pat, I'm not gonna get a frontal face, just gonna give you a sign. It's kind of peculiar, but God is doing something way deeper than just displaying his glory to Moses. You're gonna love this. God is setting up, in a sense, an Easter egg, a clue that he will carry out, not in front of a man, but in front of a group of disciples rowing in a boat 1,400 years later with the same phrase. Turn with me to Mark chapter six. Before you turn, go to your Bible, just as I like to do these references. Put in Mark 6, 45 next to Exodus 34. That'll be your cross-reference. You can go back later when you study this passage again. Mark 6, 45. Jesus just fed the 5,000.

We know he's Cajun because he likes bread and fish, so. He likes a good po' boy, catfish po'. He wouldn't have eaten catfish, because it's unclean, but I love a good catfish po' boy. Verse 45, after this, I want you to see this. Immediately, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. Now, key word here. Don't have a lot of time, but watch this. Who sent the disciples into the storm? Don't be shy. Say it loud. Jesus. Really? Are you sure? Go back and read it again. Are you sure? Jesus. Jesus sent the men into the storm for a purpose, right? After he said goodbye to them, he went away to the mountain to pray. Well into the night, the boat was in the middle of the sea and he was alone on the land. He saw them straining at the oars because the wind was against them. If you know anything about the Sea of Galilee, if you look at a map, it's 13 roughly miles in length and about eight miles wide. It's not very big.

And yet they've been at it for seven, eight hours, just rowing, they can't get anywhere. He saw them straining and so very early in the morning, he came toward them walking on the water or the sea and he wanted to, here it is, circle it, pass them by. When they saw him walking on the sea or the water, they thought it was a ghost and they cried out because they all saw him and were terrified. Imagine the scene here. When I read the Bible, try to picture it in my mind. Imagine the scene here. He's looking out at these disciples who are struggling to make headway. There's a strong headwind, this is another sidebar. There's so many connections here, I could literally unpack the whole passage and take forever. The word wind in the Bible is ruach, breath, or spirit. Wind is synonymous with the presence of God. So not only does God on the shore send them into the storm, God with the wind keeps them in the middle of the storm. Why? Because there's a lesson to learn. I want you to teach you a lesson here. And to make matters worse, when they're on the water, just when things couldn't get worse, ghost hunters show up, that's the word, phantasma. They think it's a ghost. They're like, oh my gosh, we're dying,

we're gonna die in the boat. There's a ghost walking on the water. And the figure in the water doesn't come at them. The text says he what? He wanted to, he meant to pass by them. What in the world is Jesus doing? Like come on, Jesus, what are you doing? The key to understanding this passage is you have to understand two key words. Two key words, write them down. Meant and pass by. Meant and pass by. Meant is another word for, I know I'm saying that wrong, is that right? Meant, not M-I-N-T, M-E-A-N-T, you get it. Meant, willed, by the way, purpose, that's a better word. He purposed to pass them by. You know what that means? That means this is not an accident. This is not Jesus getting lost on the water, I forgot where I was gonna be, you know? It's not what it is. Jesus intended to pass by them for a purpose. So this is not happenstance Jesus, this is determined, predestined, if you will. This is purposed Jesus. Number two, pass by, as we just read, is a call back to Exodus 34. Jesus is not trying to scare the guys on the water. I've heard, Kevin, you've probably heard,

I've heard pastors actually preach sermons that said, you know, why did Jesus meant to pass? Maybe he wanted to scare them, you know? Horror film Jesus, you know? Grrr, that's not what he's doing. Or maybe he's playing hard to get Jesus, you know, he's just trying to walk by. You guys really want me to come? Okay, I'll come over. Is that what he's doing? No, that's not what he's doing. You're reading the Bible from a Western perspective. You gotta put this back into the context in which it was written. There's only one person, because these guys know that Old Testament passes, they know the Bible well, there's only one person, one person in all the world who passes by someone. You know who it is? God. And if Jesus is passing by us in this moment, he is saying without saying who he is. I am God. A lot of liberal, you know, far out there, or liberal scholars or critics, atheists, agnothics will say, well, I'd believe Jesus is the Messiah if he'd just come out, if he would've just said it. I believe Jesus, you ever heard this? Why didn't Jesus just say he was God?

I'd believe him if he did. And my response is, well, he did. He did, he did it over and over and over. He just didn't do it as a Western American pastor, he did it as a Middle Eastern, dark-skinned, first century rabbi, which what a rabbi does is, he quotes the Old Testament scripture to show us, watch this, these are not two independent testaments, this is one story from start to finish that God wrote that coincides together. Jesus is saying it, he's just not saying it the way we think he would say it, he said it over and over again. But the most powerful words in this whole passage come at the end when Jesus meets them. And notice what he says in verse 50. He says to them, before he approaches, he says, have courage, say it with me. It is what? It is, I don't be afraid, don't fear. Now, you would think the most powerful phrase there is don't be afraid, but that's not the most powerful phrase. The most powerful phrase is it is I. Now, in English, we miss this, so we have to put it back into the Hebrew Aramaic language of the day. And if you put it is I back into Hebrew, here's what Jesus is saying. Have courage, I am. Don't be afraid.

Have courage. Now, we know our Bibles because we just read it. What is I am? Why in the world would Jesus say I am to the disciples? Because that's the exact thing God said to Moses in the wilderness at the burning bush when Moses was like, hey, listen, I'm gonna go talk to Pharaoh, but I'm gonna need a name. I mean, he's not gonna believe, tell me what's your name. And honestly, if you're honest, I am's kind of a weird name. I mean, Joey would have been fine, you know. Micah, man, I would have gone with that. Yochanan, John, I'm gonna go on with that. God's like, no, no, no, tell him I am sent you. I am who? No, no, no, tell him I am sent me. Here's what God said, the genius of God. God doesn't give him a title, God gives him a verb. Feel the weight of this. He gives him the verb to be. The verb to be is wherever you are in time and space, I am. In your past worst moments, I am. In your future challenges, I am. In your present situation, I am. Watch the order of the passage. Don't have courage, I am, don't be afraid. This hit me this morning when I was praying, watch this. If you have I am first in your life, you have no fear. But if you have I first in your life,

you're scared to death. So the way we have courage is to put I am first and then we don't have fear. Now this phrase, I am's a powerful term. It's all through the Old Testament. Abraham, I am, here I am. Remember Genesis 22. Moses, I am. Isaiah, here I am, send me. It's all over. Jesus uses this word very distinctly right when he gets arrested in the garden. Some of you may not remember this, but I wanna show it to you. Look at the screen, John 18. Watch what happens when Jesus is about to be arrested by the temple police. Watch what happens to the people when Jesus says this phrase. Then Jesus, knowing everything, verse four, that was about to happen to him, went out and said to them, who is it that you're seeking? Jesus of Nazareth, they answered. Jesus says, I am, who? He. Judas, who betrayed him, was also standing with them. When Jesus told them, I am he, they stepped back and fell to the ground. Let me just tell you, that's not strong enough. In the Greek, it actually means,

it's like the force be with you. Dragon Ball Z, excuse the language, people don't. It's like this force. When Jesus says, I am, it's like, boom, and all the guys fall. Now here's the point. That same phrase lands differently to the person receiving it. Here's what I mean. To the arresting guards, I am, threw them backward. To the fearful disciples, it brought comfort and peace. Now why is that important? Because we comforted the disciples of the same words that are comforting to us today. I wanna speak something into your life today. I want everybody to look up here for a moment before we close. And I wanna speak this into your life and over your life because I feel like wherever you are, this will be a healing balm for your soul. If your health is declining and you're here today, God would say to you, I am. If your child is wayward and hasn't been home in a while, God would say, I am. If you're going through a health crisis that seems bleak, God would say, I am. Is your joy fleeting? I am. If you lost a loved one, a family member or a friend, he would say, I am.

If your marriage is failing and hanging on by a thread, he would say, I am. If you've ever felt suicidal, maybe you do now, God says, man, I am. You're depressed, I am. You're riddled with anxiety, I am. Your situation looks helpless, I am. If you're ready to throw in the towel right now, I am. Friends, Jesus never promised ever in Scripture to remove us from the storms of life. He just promised to walk with us through them. You and I will experience troubles in life. Classmates are gonna ridicule you. People are gonna bully you, bully you. Family are gonna turn against you. Friends are gonna criticize you. Enemies are going to attack you. But be encouraged today, and I wanna speak this over your life. Jesus sees you, He knows you, and He's with you. I mean, if anybody saw more miracles, I mean, Moses witnessed every miracle in the book, right? In fact, he actually wrote the book. Believe it, he wrote the book on the miracles. And yet, he still wanted more of God. Not more from God, more of God. And so let me ask you some probing questions as we close. Are you following Jesus because of what He can do for you?

Only you can answer this. Are you following Jesus for what you can get from Him? Or are you following Jesus because He is the destination? Let me ask it another way. Are you following Jesus for a treasure? Or can you honestly say, no, Jesus is the treasure of my life? He's the treasure. Can you say like Moses, God, I'm not gonna, if you don't go, man, I don't wanna go. I'm not gonna go unless you go there. And maybe that's exactly where you are now. Look at me. You're right now in the middle of a storm. The wind is beating against you. You're rowing with all your might. You're exhausted. You're ready to throw in the towel. And if you're honest, you would say, Pastor Robbie, God really feels distant right now. It's like He passed by me, but He didn't stop. If that's you today, and you're in the midst of a storm right now, or maybe God just feels far away, and you can't even explain why. In just a moment, here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna ask you to stand up right where you are. And you're not saying anything to me, or anything publicly. You're just taking a stand.

Here's what you're doing. You're standing because you're saying, I need someone to pray over me. I need prayer in the storm. I need help in the middle of the struggle. And when you stand, we're gonna ask, just a moment, people to get around, and Gallatin will do this too. We're gonna ask people to get around and just pray over you. There's something powerful about the prayers of the people of God for other saints of God. I promise you. And so if you're here today and you're saying, man, I need someone to pray over me. I'm gonna stand. And by the way, you're probably thinking, well, you want me to stand in here in front of all these people? That's embarrassing. Well, Moses stood at one time and needed prayer. The disciples stood at one time and needed prayer. And by the way, every woman and man in here at one time or another either has stand or would stand for prayer. And if you're not there now, you may be one day. But right now, I know there are some in this size that would say, hey, so just stand right where you are. I don't wanna make this long. So just quickly, just stand right where you are and say, hey, I'm just, and in your standing, you're saying, I want someone to pray over me.

Believe me, there are gonna be people more than you. So praise God. Just stand right now quickly. Praying for a wayward son. Praying for my marriage. Grab the hand of your spouse. We both know this marriage is not what we present it to be. We need prayer. Just grab your spouse. You don't have to say a word. By the way, standing for prayer is not being weak. It's wise. It's wise. Amen? Let's praise God. Anybody else, just stand. People are already standing. Look around. You're not alone in here, I promise you. Stand right now, just for a moment. We're gonna gather around you and pray, and we're gonna believe that in this moment, God's gonna change your life. I promise you. Do you believe that? I believe that, because I've seen it. Anyone else, just stand right where you are. If you're thinking, man, I'm gonna go home, and I'm gonna look back and think, golly, I wish I would've stood.

You stand. Wayward child, drug addiction, separation from God. You feel lonely, isolated, suicidal. Hey, I just need prayer for me. Tired of doing it alone. Tired of going through it, feeling hopeless. I need peace, Pastor. That's what I need prayer for. Thank you. Anyone else? Just a moment longer. Anyone else? Just stand right, real quick. Thank you, sister. Anyone else? Just quickly, in the back, balcony. Gallatin, you stand as well. All right, here's what I wanna do. I want you to look around right now to everyone standing. Every person standing, I want three, four, five people laying hands and praying over them. So let's stand our feet right now. All of us are gonna come. Well, I've never prayed in church before. This is your moment. Come on, we need everybody. Gather around. As you gather around, before you pray, I'm gonna pray. And here's the instructions. I'm gonna pray.

So everyone gather around those who stood. If you stood, raise your hands. So make sure you got a couple hands on your shoulders and praying over you. Everybody got some. All right, we need people. Look around. Pray, raise your hand. Just need people. You're gonna have to move, sorry. You have to move if you need to. All right, everybody have someone praying over them? Anybody need anybody praying over them? At Gallatin as well. Here's what I'm doing. I'm gonna ask you to pray. And when I finish praying, then I'm gonna ask you to pray. If you feel comfortable, whisper to the people, tell the people there, say, I need prayer for. You don't have to go. into a dissertation. Pray for my family, pray for my marriage, pray for my addiction, pray for my child, whatever it is, finances, whatever. And then you just go around and pray over them and then we're gonna sing over you as we worship the Lord. Father, we thank you so much for Jesus. God, we pray right now, you hear our prayer. And that God, the people here today who have stood, I'm so thankful for their courage.

They feel like they're in a storm, you may feel distant. Your voice is hard to hear. I pray today, God, they would leave this place different than the way they came in. We ask it in Jesus' name, amen.