Revival in Chains

You're worthy of it all For from you are all things To you are all things You deserve the glory Come on and revolt You're worthy of it all Jesus, you're worthy of it all For from you are all things To you are all things You deserve the glory You're worthy of it all You're worthy of it all Jesus, you're worthy of it all Jesus, you're worthy of it all Jesus, you're worthy of it all Jesus, you're worthy of it all You're worthy of it all You're worthy of it all For from you are all things To you are all things You deserve the glory You're worthy of it all You're worthy of it all For from you are all things To you are all things You deserve the glory You're worthy of it all Jesus, you're worthy of it all For from you are all things To you are all things

To you deserve the glory Oh, you deserve the glory Oh, you deserve the glory Oh, you deserve the glory Hey, welcome to Church Family Who's excited to be in this house today? Oh man, it's going to be a good day I'm very excited to be here with a great warm up this morning God, I pray that you're Holy Spirit with just a sin on this place Wake us up, Lord Fill our lungs with praise today Fill our hearts with gratitude Our minds with wonders, we worship you In Jesus' name, amen All right, well, I've got a question for you Is the power Yes, there's power in the blood Is the power, come on Yes, there's power in the precious blood of the man Goodness of power Yes, there's power in the blood Only in the blood is the power Yes, there's power in the blood All right, here we go Church, come on There's nothing that could set me free But the blood that flowed down Calvary The great blood that lost his soul on me I've been washed by the blood of the land There's nothing that could burst me But the one who raised me from the grave

Will I be perfect for all my days I've been washed by the blood of the land There's the power Yes, there's power in the blood Only in the blood is the power Yes, there's power in the precious blood of the man There's nothing that could shrink me But the fire that falls from me ♪ Everybody, I've been washed by the blood of the land ♪ ♪ Yes, I've been washed by the blood of the land ♪ ♪ Music power ♪ ♪ Yes, there's power in the blood ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Yes, there's power in the precious blood of the land ♪ ♪ It is in power ♪ ♪ Yes, there's power in the blood ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Yes, there's power in the precious blood of the land ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the precious blood of the land ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ ♪ Yes, there's power in the blood ♪ ♪ Yes, there's power in the precious blood ♪ ♪ Yes, there's power in the precious blood ♪ ♪ Yes, there's power in the precious blood ♪ ♪ Yes, there's power in the precious blood ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪

♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ The precious blood of the land ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪

♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪

♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪

♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪

♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, the blood is in power ♪ ♪ Shame is a prison ♪ ♪ It's cruel as a grave ♪ ♪ Shame is a robber and he's come to take my name ♪ ♪ Love is my redeemer ♪ ♪ Lifting me up from the ground ♪ ♪ Love is the power where my freedom song is found ♪ ♪ There ain't no grave, come on ♪ ♪ Gonna hold my body down ♪ ♪ There ain't no grave ♪ ♪ Gonna hold my body down ♪ ♪ When I hear that trumpet sound ♪ ♪ I'm gonna rise up out of the ground ♪

♪ There ain't no grave ♪ ♪ Gonna hold my body down ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Fear is a liar, with a smooth and velvet tone ♪ ♪ Fear is a tide ♪ ♪ It's always telling me to ride ♪ ♪ Oh, love is a resurrection ♪ ♪ And love is a trumpet sound ♪ ♪ Love is my weapon ♪ ♪ Gonna take my triumphs down ♪ ♪ There ain't no grave ♪ ♪ Gonna hold my body down ♪ ♪ There ain't no grave ♪ ♪ Gonna hold my body down ♪ ♪ When I hear that trumpet sound ♪ ♪ I'm gonna rise up out of the ground ♪ ♪ There ain't no grave ♪ ♪ Gonna hold my body down ♪ (upbeat music) (upbeat music) ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ (upbeat music) (upbeat music) ♪ Oh, there was a battle ♪ ♪ A war between death and life ♪ ♪ And there on a tree ♪ ♪ The Lamb of God was crucified ♪ ♪ He went on down the hill ♪

♪ And He took back every key ♪ ♪ He rode the battle line in ♪ ♪ And now we're starting all the captives ♪ ♪ Praying on the grave ♪ ♪ And holding my body down ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ There ain't no grave ♪ ♪ And holding my body down ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ When He heard the drums itself ♪ ♪ He rode up out of the ground ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ He could hold his body down ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ That hold his body down ♪ ♪ Oh, not a secret hold you down ♪ ♪ Jesus ♪ ♪ There are no grave ♪ ♪ And hold this body down ♪ ♪ There ain't no grave ♪ ♪ That hold this body down ♪ ♪ If you walked out of the grave I'm walkin' too ♪ ♪ If you walked out of the grave I'm walkin' too ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ If you walked out of the grave I'm walkin' too ♪ ♪ If you walked out of the grave I'm walkin' too ♪ ♪ Come on somebody ♪ ♪ If you walked out of the grave I'm walkin' too ♪ ♪ If you walked out of the grave I'm walkin' too ♪ ♪ If you walked out of the grave I'm walkin' too ♪

♪ If you walked out of the grave I'm walkin' too ♪ ♪ If you walked out of the grave I'm walkin' too ♪ ♪ If you walked out of the grave I'm walkin' too ♪ ♪ If you walked out of the grave I'm walkin' too ♪ ♪ If you walked out of the grave I'm walkin' too ♪ ♪ If you walked out of the grave I'm walkin' too ♪ ♪ If you walked out of the grave I'm walkin' too ♪ ♪ If you walked out of the grave I'm walkin' too ♪ ♪ If you walked out of the grave I'm walkin' too ♪ ♪ There ain't no grace ♪ ♪ To hold my body down ♪ ♪ There ain't no grace ♪ ♪ To hold my body down ♪ ♪ When he heard the trumpet sound ♪ ♪ He rose up out of the ground ♪ ♪ There ain't no grace ♪ ♪ He could hold his body down ♪ ♪ There ain't no grace ♪ ♪ Could hold his body down ♪ ♪ Jesus, we look to you today ♪ ♪ You are the center of little ♪ ♪ Jesus, we look to you today ♪ ♪ We fix our eyes on you today ♪ ♪ You're the point, you're the purpose, you're the reason for today ♪ ♪ We look to you for strength ♪ ♪ We love you, Jesus ♪ ♪ Help us love you, God ♪ ♪ With all we are ♪ ♪ With all our hearts, soul, mind, and strength, God, we love ♪ ♪ We love you, God, we love you ♪

♪ We love you, Jesus ♪ ♪ Jesus, I love you, I love you ♪ ♪ Jesus, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you ♪ ♪ But Jesus, I love you ♪ ♪ I love you ♪ ♪ I love you ♪ ♪ You more than anything ♪ ♪ Oh, yes, more than anything ♪ ♪ We sing today ♪ ♪ That Jesus, I love you ♪ ♪ I love you ♪ ♪ I love you ♪ ♪ But Jesus, I love you ♪ ♪ I love you, I love you ♪ ♪ But Jesus, I love you ♪ ♪ I love you, I love you ♪ ♪ More than anything ♪ ♪ Oh, Jesus, more than anything ♪ ♪ Pour it out to Him ♪ ♪ Oh, Jesus, I love you ♪ ♪ I love you, I love you ♪ ♪ Oh, Jesus, I love you, I love you, I love you ♪ ♪ Oh, Jesus, I love you, I love you ♪ ♪ More than anything ♪ ♪ More than anything we sing, yes ♪ ♪ Jesus, I love you, I love you ♪ ♪ Oh, Jesus, I love you, I love you, I love you ♪ ♪ Oh, Jesus, I love you, I love you, I love you ♪ ♪ Oh, yes, more than anything ♪ ♪ Oh, more than anything we sing, Jesus ♪

♪ Oh, Jesus, I love you, I love you ♪ ♪ Pour out your other parts, Jesus ♪ ♪ I love you, I love you ♪ ♪ Pour it out to Him ♪ ♪ Oh, Jesus, I love you, I love you, I love you ♪ ♪ More than anything ♪ ♪ Pour it out to Him ♪ ♪ Oh, in Jesus, I love you ♪ ♪ Oh, yes, Jesus ♪ ♪ You're the center of your Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh, in Jesus, I love you, I love you, I love you ♪ ♪ Oh, more than anything ♪ ♪ Oh, more than anything we love you, Jesus ♪ ♪ More than anything ♪ ♪ More than anything ♪ ♪ Jesus, be the center of it all ♪ ♪ Be the center of our praise ♪ ♪ Be the center of our devotion, our affection, God ♪ ♪ You're the reason for today ♪ ♪ You're the reason for our lives ♪ ♪ Love you ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ So live the past which feels ♪ ♪ Lift up a song to your today ♪ ♪ Lift up a song to the Lord today ♪ ♪ Lift up a song to your today ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And maybe we've made this complicated ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ More than it was ever meant to be ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ As it always been about the same thing ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh Lord, bring us back to simple things ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And you be the center of you ♪ ♪ And my heart belongs to you ♪ ♪ I must save your own home ♪ ♪ You're the one I hold on to ♪ ♪ For the beauty of your name ♪ ♪ My soul will live to save ♪ ♪ The Jesus of you ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Teach us to the same home ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ To the same ♪ ♪ And when this is your actual worth ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Keep us awake to what's important ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Just like me ♪ Oh, we see how it is for you By the center of the old My heart belongs to you My Savior always You're the one I've ever wanted For the beauty of your name My soul is here to say Jesus, I love you We sing again

You know for you By the center of the old My heart belongs to you My Savior always You're the one I've ever wanted For the beauty of your name My soul is here to say Jesus, I'm reaching again You know how I love you You know how I love you Jesus, I love you Oh, I love you You know how I love you Jesus, I love you Sing my whole life, my whole life For you glory, my whole world For you only everything For the honor And if my days tell a story ♪ ♪ For the honor of your name reaching out today ♪ ♪ In my whole life ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For you all the everything ♪ ♪ For the honor of Jesus day ♪ ♪ In my days ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪

♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪

♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ For your glory from my whole world ♪ ♪ And if my days tell us what may be ♪ ♪ I'll be knowing everything ♪ ♪ All you want, all you want ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ He knows how to love everything else for sure ♪ ♪ But you're good God ♪ ♪ Oh, Jesus, I love you ♪ ♪ Oh, how I love you ♪ ♪ Yes, God ♪ ♪ You know how I love you ♪ ♪ Oh, Jesus, God ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Lift up a song today ♪ ♪ Lift up a song to the Lord today ♪ ♪ Your affection, Your love for Him today ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ You pour out our love ♪ ♪ Pour out Your love on Jesus ♪

♪ Your affection, Your devotion ♪ ♪ We pour out all our oil today ♪ ♪ Everything we have done ♪ ♪ It's yours, everything, Lord ♪ ♪ It's yours, everything, God ♪ ♪ It's yours, but this cost us something today ♪ ♪ When we praise You, Lord ♪ ♪ Let us cost us something today ♪ ♪ When we praise You, God ♪ ♪ To give everything we are to You ♪ ♪ 'Cause You were the God that lives ♪ ♪ Pour out our love, pour out our love on Him today ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ Jesus, Jesus, we love You ♪ ♪ More than anything ♪ ♪ More than anything ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ In our whole life ♪ ♪ For You, Lord, My world ♪ ♪ For You, only everything ♪ ♪ For the order of Your name ♪ ♪ And give my days ♪ ♪ To the store You let it be ♪ ♪ Of You, only everything ♪ ♪ For the order of Your name ♪ ♪ In our whole life ♪ ♪ For Your, Lord, My world ♪ ♪ For You, only everything ♪ ♪ For the order of Your name ♪

♪ And give my days ♪ ♪ To the store You let it be ♪ ♪ Of You, only everything ♪ ♪ For the order of Your name ♪ ♪ And we sing the Lamb of God ♪ ♪ Anointed one ♪ ♪ There was an is, an is to come ♪ ♪ You see it on the throne above ♪ ♪ Holy, holy, and righteous one ♪ ♪ Who shed His blood ♪ ♪ You grew to us ♪ ♪ The Father's love ♪ ♪ Jesus Christ ♪ ♪ He leads it up ♪ ♪ Help, when it's up ♪ ♪ The only thing ♪ ♪ For God ♪ ♪ The Lamb of God ♪ ♪ We're going to one ♪ ♪ Who was an is, an is to come ♪ ♪ You see it on the throne above ♪ ♪ Holy, holy, and righteous one ♪ ♪ Who shed His blood ♪ ♪ You grew to us ♪ ♪ The Father's love ♪ ♪ Jesus Christ ♪ ♪ He leads it up ♪ ♪ Holy, the Lamb of God ♪ ♪ The Lamb of God ♪ ♪ We're going to one ♪

♪ Who was an is, an is to come ♪ ♪ You see it on the throne above ♪ ♪ The only, the only ♪ ♪ The Lamb of God ♪ ♪ We're going to one ♪ ♪ Who was an is, an is to come ♪ ♪ You see it on the throne above ♪ ♪ Who was an is, an is, an is ♪ ♪ Who was an is, an is, an is ♪ ♪ Who was an is, an is to come ♪ ♪ You see it on the throne above ♪ ♪ You're holy, holy, and righteous one ♪ ♪ You see it on the throne above ♪ ♪ You grew to us ♪ ♪ The Father's love ♪ ♪ Jesus Christ ♪ ♪ He leads it up ♪ ♪ He leads it up ♪ ♪ Who was an is worthy ♪ ♪ Who was an is worthy ♪ ♪ Yes ♪ ♪ Who carries the light ♪ ♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ ♪ He leads it up ♪ ♪ Who was an is ♪ ♪ There is no one, oh there is no one ♪ ♪ There is no one, oh there is no one ♪ ♪ Only in Jesus, oh there is no one ♪ ♪ Only in Jesus, oh we sing today, oh who else ♪ ♪ Oh who else, oh who else ♪

♪ Oh who else, oh there is no one ♪ ♪ Only in Jesus, oh who else is worthy ♪ ♪ Oh who else is worthy ♪ ♪ There is no one, oh there is no one ♪ ♪ There is no one, oh there is no one ♪ ♪ Only in Jesus, oh there is no one ♪ ♪ Only in Jesus ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ There is no one, oh there is no one ♪ ♪ There is no one, oh there is no one ♪ ♪ Only in Jesus, oh there is no one ♪ ♪ Only in Jesus, oh there is no one ♪ ♪ The perfecter, the finished wear today ♪ ♪ The praise arrives, the praise arrives ♪ ♪ Yeah, the praise arrives ♪ ♪ The praise arrives to the King ♪ ♪ Fix your eyes on Jesus ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ The perfecter, the perfecter arrives ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ The perfecter, the perfecter arrives ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ There is no one, oh there is no one ♪ ♪ Only in Jesus, oh there is no one ♪ ♪ Only in Jesus, oh there is no one ♪ ♪ Only in Jesus, oh there is no one ♪ ♪ Only in Jesus, oh there is no one ♪ ♪ Only in Jesus, oh there is no one ♪ ♪ Only in Jesus, oh there is no one ♪ ♪ Only in Jesus, oh there is no one ♪

♪ Only in Jesus, oh there is no one ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ Everything just is getting harder to recognize ♪ ♪ The person I was ♪ ♪ Before I am kind of close ♪ ♪ I don't walk like I used to ♪ ♪ I don't talk like I used to ♪ ♪ I've been lost from the inside ♪ ♪ I've been lost from the listening again, yeah ♪ ♪ But when everything just is getting harder to recognize ♪ ♪ The person I was ♪ ♪ Before I am kind of close ♪ ♪ I don't walk like I used to ♪ ♪ I don't talk like I used to ♪ ♪ I've been lost from the inside ♪ ♪ I've been lost from the inside, yeah ♪ ♪ Oh, hallelujah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ You know it was a blur ♪ ♪ It couldn't have been a blur ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ God be praised ♪ ♪ And no one was a thump ♪ ♪ You would have been a thump ♪ ♪ Remember where you were ♪ ♪ And where you are today ♪ ♪ Where the blood has brought you today ♪ I cannot explain But nothing's more than this

In the presence of God Oh, when my heart eats spirits Oh, when my shame hit the wayside And my sin met the most high I was washed from the inside Come on, can we sing that again when my sin met? Oh, when my shame hit the most high And my sin met the most high I was washed from the commission Now one more time, one more time Oh, when my sin Never been my sin in the wayside to go And my sin met the most high I was washed from the inside I was washed from the inside So hallelujah, hallelujah I know it was a plan The truth only made the plan Oh, hallelujah Oh, hallelujah I know it was a plan The truth only made the day Oh, hallelujah Oh, hallelujah I know it was a plan The truth only made the plan Oh, hallelujah Hallelujah I know it was a plan The truth only made the plan

It could have only been the plan It could have only been the plan It could have only been the plan It's never been about performance But fast, but strong and full of acceptance Let me tell you It's only by me It's never been about deserving Or it's a gift, it's free again Let me tell you It's never been about performance It's never been about performance Perfection, or striving for acceptance Let me tell you Oh, hallelujah It's never been about deserving Or it's a gift, it's free again Oh, hallelujah We are assured in Scripture In Ephesians 2, 8 through 9 For you have been saved by grace through faith And it is not your own doing Not a result of work so that no one may boast We have nothing to boast in no performance No perfection, no good works That we have done nothing that we have done All our good works are filthy rags before God But it is Jesus Christ The perfect Son of God who gave His life for us His perfect sacrifice for us

That brings us here today That brings life And we have redemption through His blood Thank you, Jesus Come on, do we sing it like we believe it today? It's never been about performance It's never been about performance Perfection, or striving for acceptance Let me tell you It's only by the Lord It's never been So won't earn It's a gift that's free again Let me tell you It's only by the blood Does anybody want to be one? You'd rise, you'd show a purified spot Let me tell you It's only by the blood Does anybody want to be worthy? Forget it Oh, so justify really believe it Let me tell you It's always never been about performance It's never been about performance Perfection, or striving for acceptance Let me tell you It's only by the blood It's never been about to say Oh, yeah

It's a gift that's free again Let me tell you There's anybody, whatever you want You're righteous, most of your time is fine When you tell you, it's only my fault There's anybody, one of you, one So give it up, just as I'll be living there Then you tell you, it's only my fault Oh, I let it out tonight I let it be, yeah I'm the only person, boy It could've only been the blood Oh, I let it be, yeah I let it be, yeah I'm the only person, boy It could've only been the blood Oh, I let it be, yeah Oh, I let it be, yeah I know it wasn't bad It could've only been, yeah Oh, I let it be, yeah Oh, I let it be, yeah I know it wasn't bad It could've only been the blood Oh, give it up, thank you God For the blood of Jesus There's one thing I wish we had said today Thank you for the blood Jesus, thank you for the blood We thank you for the blood of Jesus

Oh, we thank you for the blood Thank you You just begin to tell the Lord, thank you for this sacrifice Jesus, thank you for this sacrifice Oh, you made a way, let's sing There was no way What can one say Oh, we can wash away my sin And nothing but the blood of Jesus Oh, you can't make me whole again Nothing but the blood of Jesus Oh, we can wash away my sin And nothing but the blood of Jesus Oh, you can't make me whole again It's nothing but the blood of Jesus Oh, precious, there's no flow That makes me quite as strong Oh, nothing, found I know It's nothing but the blood of Jesus Oh, precious, there's no flow That makes me quite as strong Oh, Father, found I know Today it's nothing but the blood of Jesus Oh, you can't make me whole again ♪ Oh, nothing but the blood ♪ ♪ Oh, Jesus ♪ ♪ Give him praise today ♪ ♪ Give Jesus praise ♪ (audience applauding) (indistinct)

(somber music) - You know, there is one of my favorite passages in all the scriptures, Revelation chapter four. If you've been around for any time, you have heard me read out of and quote this passage often, but one of the things that strikes me is this image. You know, there's this throne set in heaven that John records in this chapter. And he said that there's one who sits on the throne who's like a jasper and a sardius stone appearance. There's an emerald rainbow around the throne, lightnings and thunderings and voices proceed out of the throne and there's these four creatures that fly around the throne with six wings full of eyes all over and they declare the praises of the one who sits on the throne day and night. But it says this in Revelation four, starting in verse nine, it says whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne who lives forever and ever the 24 elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and they worship him who lives forever and ever and they cast their crowns before the throne saying you are worthy O Lord to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things and by your will they exist and were created. Guys, I want you to know that when I hear the words of Jesus in the Lord's prayer, Father, let your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,

I immediately go to Revelation chapter four and I say what are they doing in Revelation four that Jesus longs to see happen on the earth? And what I see are people who are not only lifting their voices and worship and praise and adoration but I see people taking their crown off their head and laying it at the foot of the throne of God. And guys, as we sing, as we give our time, our energy, our affection, our honor and our attention to the one who is worthy, the only one who is worthy, we find ourselves becoming an earthly reflection of heavenly reality. And this is the dream of Jesus coming true through us. You know, normally I like send you back to your seats and we get ready for an offering but I just feel like maybe we just stay in this environment of worship this morning as we give and here's why. Because not only do these elders who surround the throne of God, not only do they declare their song of praise, you are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things and by your will they exist and were created. But what else do they do? They also take their treasure, they take their crown, they take their accomplishments, they take their achievements off of themselves and they lay them at the feet of Jesus, the one who sits on the throne.

And this morning I need you to understand, in just a moment we're gonna pray over this and we're gonna give in this atmosphere of worship and we're gonna give in this atmosphere of worship because we are joining our activity with Heaven's example, we are joining our activity with Heaven's example and we are gonna take our crown, our achievements, our accomplishments off of ourselves and we're gonna lay it at the feet of the one who is worthy. Can we do that this morning? As an act of adoration to the one who is our greatest treasure, we are gonna give, we're gonna lay at his feet our treasures, our achievements, our possessions and say, Lord, you are infinitely more valuable than anything we have accrued or accomplished for ourselves. Amen. So I want you this morning, before we begin to move, I know we're gonna have some pastors and elders up here at the front to receive the offering. If you wanna give using the envelope and the seat in front of you, you can do that here in just a moment. But before we do so, I want you to just take a minute to listen for the voice of God. Say God, what does my honor look like this morning? More than my song, more than my presence, more than my time? God, how can I take out of what you've provided for me and bless you with it, Lord? you have purposed in your own heart and to do so cheerfully, for the Lord loves a cheerful

giver. And so this morning I don't want us to give according to like, what's the least, you know, what's the least I can give? Is it 10%? All right, I just want to make sure I don't accidentally give 11. I want us to be a people who listen for the voice of God, the whisper, the still small voice, the whisper of the Holy Spirit, and who will with great joy, gratitude and cheerfulness obey that voice for His glory and for the good of His people, amen? So Lord, we thank You for Your presence in this place and we thank You that though You didn't need a single one of us, You call us, You invite us, You welcome us in to what You are doing in the earth to partner with You, to join with You, and to have a hand in what You are building as our inheritance. Lord, we thank You that we're not just servants, but we are friends because You share with us Your heart, Your will and Your intentions. And so as we give to You this morning, Lord, we do so in joy that we've been counted, fit to partner with You and to be involved in what You're doing, Lord, we ask that this offering would touch Your heart, that it would minister to You, that You would see when You look at our giving this morning, Lord, that You would see the dream of Jesus coming true, that Your kingdom would come and Your will would be done on earth as it is in heaven, Lord, we cast our crowns, we cast our riches, we cast our accomplishments at Your feet this morning and we say, Lord, You are worth more than gold and we love You in Jesus' name, amen. This week, my eight-year-old son came home from school, he goes to Christian school, and he came home so thrilled to tell me about this awesome story, about these two guys whose names you couldn't remember, who were locked in jail together, but God opened the jail so that they could come out, and he said, even the jailer that put them in jail, he got saved too, and I said, dude, I'm going to preach that on Sunday, that's a word from heaven, buddy. I'm always sort of looking and listening for like, what's the next step for us as a church? Where are we going to go? What is it that you're speaking to us?

I don't want to just kind of set a plan and tune out from the voice of God. I want to make sure that even though I have a plan, I want to make sure that I yield to his plan, to his word, to his voice in any moment, and recently a question was asked of one of my staff members actually who mentioned it to me, and this was a question that was asked I think by someone who doesn't think very highly of us as a church and they said, you know, instead of worship and family, why don't you guys focus on just being a biblical Christian community, and now I didn't get the chance to answer that question, but I do think it's a fair question, and my response would be, and I think this is actually interesting, it's worth maybe all of us understanding, would be really simple, that I think that what a biblical Christian community looks like is a community that stands on the two legs of worship and family. I think it's actually what we see in the book of Acts, is that the church is birthed by the fire of the Holy Spirit, that the church is shaped and strengthened by the teaching of the apostles, and what that produces is a community unified in these two things, their commitment to the worship of God, and their commitment to the family of God. And so if we are going to be a biblical Christian community, we are going to have to be a Christian community that is devoted deeply, consistently and perpetually to the cause And as I was just sort of mulling that idea over, my son came home and he started to talk about the story he'd read in school about Acts chapter 16, and it was like the Lord began to tap on this passage that he had used in years past to minister so deeply to me and say, "Had he remember?" And I remember the first time I ever preached out of this passage, it was in a carport in Kuri Tiba, Brazil. I don't know, at least a decade ago, there was a church plant there that was owned by, actually a businessman that had started a gym. He also planted a church and this church would meet

in the parking garage connected to the gym that he owned after, you know, after their hours or over the weekend. And so we would get together there, man. We had some amazing times staying with their family. Ronald Berg is his name. I know it doesn't sound very Brazilian, but he's from Southern Brazil where everybody's German and I'll let you figure out how that happened. (audience laughing) A conspiracy theory, Revitrail. And so, you know, I was, we had some amazing times there and God moved in a tremendous way. And then I was marked by my times down there in Brazil with our extended family. And I remember the way that the Lord spoke through this passage to me then. And I feel like I don't want that to be lost or overlooked or just left on a shelf to get dusty for us as a family because we need the Word of God alive and active in our lives today. And so I want us to look together at the story of what happened in and through and around Paul and Silas in Acts chapter 16. I'm gonna go to Acts 16, starting in verse 16. And it says this, it says, "Now it happened as we went "to prayer that a certain slave girl "possessed with a spirit of divination met us "who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. "This girl followed Paul and us and cried out saying, "These men are servants of the Most High God

"who proclaimed to us the way of salvation, "and this she did for many days. "But Paul greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ "to come out of her. "And he came out that very hour. "But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, "they seized Paul and Silas, dragged them "into the marketplace to the authorities. "And they brought them to the magistrates "and said, 'These men, being Jews, "exceedingly trouble our city. "And they teach customs which are not lawful for us, "being Romans to receive or observe. "Then the multitude rose up together against them, "and the magistrates tore off their clothes "and commanded them to be beaten with rods. "And when they had laid many stripes on them, "they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer "to keep them securely. "Having received such a charge, "he put them into the inner prison "and fastened their feet in stocks. "I'll stop there, there's more to the story, "but I want to just pull a couple things out "before we maybe get too deep into it. "Here's how the story starts, okay? "This is context for you. "The story starts with this. "Now it happened as we went to prayer

"that a certain slave girl "possessed with a spirit of divination met us." Now, what Luke, who authored the Book of Acts, what he didn't write is as we were wandering around looking for possessed girls, we managed to find one. What he didn't write was as we were doing outreach, what he said is, as we went to prayer, and here's the principle I think that we so often overlook in the modern church, it is this, you don't find the powerful God moments by chasing powerful God moments, you find powerful God moments by chasing God. What you see from the disciples here in Acts 16 is that their orientation is toward the pursuit of God. That's their priority. We want to be in the presence of God. We want to be among the people of God. We're coming together in fellowship with each other, and incidentally, as we're pursuing fellowship with one another, God brings people across our path that need deliverance. See, this is still how God wants to act. I understand for many years, at this point, the majority of my life in ministry, I was a traveling itinerant evangelist, and because of that, I would go out and I'd preach the gospel to people like this slave girl, demonized, afflicted, broken, enslaved people, and I'm grateful, I'm really grateful for that,

I had a lot of people express concern, like, it's going to be boring. It has not been boring. It's, you know, they would say, well, it's just going to be mundane. It's the same thing weekend and week out. Like it's exciting when you travel and you go to these places. And in a year's the reality, you know, there are unique challenges to being a traveling itinerant evangelist and they're unique challenges to being a local church pastor. But here's, here's my thought is that what we see from the, the leaders of the early church, the fathers of the church, Peter and Paul, to the book of Acts, is that they are almost always orienting themselves toward the assembly of the brethren. Their passion is for the people of God. And sometimes in their, in their quest to find fellowship for the people of God, the Lord brings lost, enslaved, afflicted people across their path. I would point to Peter and John going into the, the gate called beautiful. That they weren't looking for lame boys to heal. They were going to worship and on their way to worship. A man looked up at them as to receive something. And Peter said, silver and gold, have I none? But what I do have, I give to you in the name of Jesus, Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk. And his ankles were strengthened and he, he stood up. And so see, what happens is, is we, we overlook those contextual comments that the book of Acts includes. We ignore the fact that over and over again, the book of Acts tells us that the early church's main priority was to get together with believers. Let me, okay, this sounds like I'm saying we shouldn't be doing evangelism. Just let me do an experiment really fast. How many of you came to salvation in a local church? Whether it was this one or another one, oh, oops. Here's the truth, despite our efforts, there has never been a more effective evangelistic mechanism in the world than the local church.

If you want to reach souls, start in the church. If you want to see the lost saved and the, you know, the captives delivered, like love the church. This is God's primary speaking place in the earth. It is the church. And so we have this precedent set here in Acts chapter 16 that the believers are not looking for lost, enslaved, demonized young girls to minister to that. What they're doing is, is they're looking for the presence of God. We do not find powerful moments by chasing powerful moments. We find powerful moments by chasing God. As we went to prayer, a certain slave girl possessed with the spirit of divination. Now, this is interesting because a lot of times in our movement, people, people make friends with a spirit of divination by calling it discernment. And it's not discernment, it's suspicion, it's accusation, it's criticism. See, the difference between divination and discernment is not what you see. It's what you do with what you see. Somebody should write that down. I'm not going to remember it in second service. So y'all text it to me. This is the reality though. The difference between discernment and divination is not what you see. See, both people see the truth. The problem is that one person celebrates what is true and right and good. The other person causes distraction, division, deception with what they see that is true. And so this girl possessed with the spirit of divination. She brought her master as much profit by fortune telling. Now, this girl, what she did was she followed Paul, Luke writes, she followed Paul and us and cried out saying, "These men are servants of the most high God who proclaim to us the way of salvation." And this she did for many days, but Paul greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her."

And he came out that very hour. Now, I think it's important for us to see that it's important for us to acknowledge if we're going to rightly unpack this passage, that what this girl said was true. [BLANK_AUDIO] and they proclaim to us the way of salvation. That is entirely, factually correct. Now, I have been around ministry long enough to see some people who are clearly not operating out of the Spirit of God, but who will say something like this, like this, show me in the Bible where I'm wrong. But it's true though, listen, I'm just saying, right? Like these are the kinds of things that come out of us when we're saying something that we know is morally indefensible, but technically true. And we sort of hide behind the fact that what we're saying is technically true, but there's a precedent actually in the scriptures that you can say something that's true and it can still be demonic. You can say something that is accurate or correct, and it's still demonic. It's still not in alignment or accordance with the Spirit of God and it's still worthy of rebuke. See, this I think is important for us to understand. So often we just sort of say, well, it's got to be true. And so you have Christians that are parading around in the street saying like at a pride parade, saying like you're all going to burn in hell if you don't repent.

It's like technically that's correct, but I don't know if this is in, this is something that's being like compelled by the Spirit of God, right? And so we've got to be a people that aren't just living our lives according to the letter of the law, but according to the Spirit that inspired the letter of the law. And that means it holds us to a higher standard. It's not enough just to speak the truth. We must, if we're going to be biblical Christians, we must speak the truth in love. And this is the difference, she spoke the truth, but there wasn't love for the truth. There wasn't love for the Lord. There wasn't love even for the servants of the Lord. What she was doing was distracting from the work of God and bringing profit to these people who owned her. And so be careful when you're saying something that's true and you know that it's causing destruction or division or deception in the lives of other people. It may be true, but just because it's true doesn't mean that it is right. And I hope we can understand the difference. Amen. And so this girl cries out, these men are servants of the Most High God who proclaim to us the way of salvation. And this she did for many days, but Paul greatly annoyed, turned and said to the Spirit,

I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her and he came out that very hour. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and they dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. Okay, so I want you to see in these last couple verses that there are kind of, there are two distinct archetypes at play here that Paul and Silas are dealing with. The first is a victim and the other is a victimizer. You got this girl who at the beginning of the story tells her she's a slave. She is owned, she's property, and she's possessed by a demon. Now, instead of seeking deliverance for her, instead of seeking help for her, instead of having compassion or sympathy for this girl, her masters are using her demonic affliction to make money. They're using her oppression and torment to capitalize for themselves. And it's easy for us to read Acts 16 and think, well, that's a different world. That's 2,000 years ago in the ancient Near East and that sort of thing doesn't happen anymore. But I want you to see that this victim who is this girl is relating to that she's in the orbit of these victimizers, that is her masters, those that own her like she's property and who enrich themselves by way of her tormenting spirit.

And it seems like this is the sort of thing that would only exist in the ancient world, but I want you to consider that we actually see this exact same paradigm play out in many different industries in our nation today, like for example, the abortion industry. Though we have doctors who are making estimates are about $5 billion a year by lying to women about the child that is growing inside of them. And this demonic deception that has befallen so many women in our Western world is one that if truth were to ever prevail over that lie, many people's profits would dry up. in that paradigm. I would point to the pornography industry, which doesn't make $5 billion a year like abortion. It makes $100 billion a year more than the NFL, the NBA, and Major League Baseball combined. And it's the same thing. It's demonized, afflicted, deceived, poor people who are making rich these victimizers, these masters of theirs, these people that prop up and facilitate and administrate this evil, wicked industry. And I would point also to, you know, the maybe a more recent development would be like the trend in gender reassignment surgeries and hormones that I would say it's the same paradigm. You have victims, people that are being demonically deceived and oppressed, and instead of help or truth or sympathy or love, there's an entire industry that has arisen to say, "How can we make money off of their affliction?" And it's easy to just look at the story of this girl, this slave girl from Acts 16, and to see it is only that, but it is actually analogous. It's an illustration of entire systems that are major parts of our Western society that need to quickly by the grace of God be eradicated once and for all. And so I need us to see the way that this system plays out. When Paul and Silas cast the spirit out of this girl, you notice that the masters who were enriching themselves because of this girl's demonic oppression, they were not so excited about the power of God being demonstrated. They weren't thrilled that the kingdom of God had come upon them. Understand, the kingdom of God is only good

news to those who hate the kingdom of darkness. Those who love the kingdom of darkness, those who get rich through the kingdom of darkness will do everything they can to resist and repel the kingdom of God. And that's exactly what happens here is that they seized Paul and Silas when her masters in verse 19, when her masters saw that their hope of prophet was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and they dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. And they brought them to the magistrates and they said this, I want you to listen really closely to this. These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city and they teach customs which are not lawful for us being Romans to receive or observe. Listen to this, then the multitude rose up together against them and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. Who rose up against them? See, it wasn't just her masters. It wasn't just one or two or three people that were getting wealthy because of her affliction. The multitudes turned against them. A guy that I really look up to, a minister mentioned once, I heard him tell the story once, that he was a young man, he was in college and he came to his pastor and he said, "Pastor, the Lord has called me to pastoral ministry. I'm going to be a pastor one day like you." And his pastor turned to him and said, "Alright, you should get comfortable being alone." And that was his only piece of advice. Get comfortable being alone. That's the reality of living a life of unshakable devotion to God is that not just sometimes often you will have to stand alone. You'll have to take the ministry God's given you, the business God's given you, the dream. You feel like God's given you and you're going to have to lay those things on the table again and again and again for the sake of what is true. We see Paul and Silas standing alone against multitudes who are not saying to them, "Hey guys, you actually messed up here or there, your theology was bad." These people aren't accusing them saying, "We hate God and you guys love God." So that's why we're persecuting you. What they're saying is that these guys are bringing disorder and chaos to our world. They're disrupting the way things are. These guys are troublemakers. They are a problem. Surely if there is a God, this is not how God would want people to act. And so we feel justified in throwing them into prison. Guys, I want you to know that there will be times that you have to stand alone. But truth is truth, whether it's popular or not. And we as the people of God have to be people that build our lives on the solid rock of His truth. And so when they had laid many stripes on them in verse 23, they threw

them into prison commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, they'll put them into the inner prison and fasten their feet in stocks. But, amen. At midnight, Paul and Silas got some spoons and started digging their way. (congregation laughing) No, but at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. Can I tell you why we worship like we do at the Altar Fellowship? It's because we see in scripture that sometimes the greatest act of warfare against the powers of darkness you can mount is to turn your back on the enemy entirely and fix your eyes on the one who is still worthy of praise. Even when you're in prison. See, this is why we do what we do. It's not because we don't think other things need to be done, it's because we think that when we fix our eyes on the one who sits on the throne, he will handle the other things that we couldn't possibly do on our own. This is our shared conviction. This is why we do what we do. It's why we are who we are here. At midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. And the prisoners, it says, we're listening to them. Suddenly, say suddenly, listen, you may have walked us as far away from God as you could possibly get for the last 30 years.

But today could be the day of your suddenly. Your life may be in suffering and sorrow and disorder and dysfunction because of choices that you have made for decades, but God is still the God of suddenlys. And he can do in an instant what you undid in decades. This is the good news of the presence of God, man. I still believe that one moment in his presence can change. Everything can fix everything you broke. - Amen. - Over the course of your life to this point. Suddenly, there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all, somebody say, all, all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. Think for just a minute about where Paul and Silas are at. They are beaten with rods. Their backs laid open and bleeding. And they've had their feet fastened in stocks in the inner part of the prison. This is short of death as bad as it gets. There is no way out. And Paul and Silas aren't saying, you know what, when God delivers us from this prison, then we're gonna worship him. Paul and Silas say, isn't he worthy of worship? Even before the breakthrough. See, this is, I think, gonna be a word for some of you guys. Some of you all have been thinking, you know what, I'm gonna come down to the front

and I'm gonna worship like these people once God gives me deliverance from my addiction. Once my marriage is restored, once my family's brought back into right order, once my son or daughter who walked away from the faith, once they come back, man, I'm telling you, I'm gonna be running up and down these aisles. Can I give you some pastoral advice? Don't wait. Don't wait. Don't wait until the battle's over to worship God. He is the God who is on the throne and who has promised his victory right now. And so my invitation to you is to worship like God is victorious even before you see it because God is victorious even before you see it. Amen. So suddenly there was a great earthquake. So the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loose. Now this is presumably a prison full of prisoners. And some of them at least are there for a good reason, I would guess, murderers, thieves. And see God doesn't have bad aim, you know? He's not sending out miracles like a shotgun, right? Everyone received deliverance because God has favor on Paul and Silas, you know? We came to Johnson City, Tennessee because it was the smallest city on our list.

We had a list of places we might go to plant a church and all of them were very cool cities and then there was Johnson City, you know? And Johnson City is cool, we just didn't know it. And we came here, God began to speak to us out of Isaiah chapter 35. And he began to show us that sometimes he calls us into the wilderness or I would say sometimes he puts us in the prison, not so that we can just sort of learn a lesson in that place. When God wants to move into a place, he sends a man, he sends a son, a daughter into that place. What does this mean? If Paul and Silas were here, they would tell you we knew God had a heart for that jailer because he sent us into his life. We didn't need to have some angelic visitation. God put us in that jailer's life. So there was no question to us that God was going to move in him, that God had his crosshairs fixed on that jailer and his family and renew it because he put us across his path. See, here's the thing. If you begin to see yourself as the beloved of the Lord, then when you walk into your workplace tomorrow, you can know God has a plan for your workplace, otherwise he wouldn't have wasted you by putting you there. You can understand that when you move into a new neighborhood, that when you walk into the grocery store, that when you're sitting down in the coffee shop, like wherever it is that you end up in life, you can trust, as the Bible says, that the steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord, and that wherever you end up, God intends to move. And the evidence, all the evidence you could ever need is that he put you there. His favorite son, his favorite daughter, full of his Holy Spirit and sent on assignment

from the throne of heaven. Your life has a purpose, and it's not just your distant future, your life has a purpose right now. Your life has a purpose in the everyday, normal, insignificant, mundane tasks that you have to do, and your life has a purpose even in the tragic injustices you may face. There is purpose in every part of our lives. I've called this in the past, the ministry of proximity, I believe with all my heart that the church would be more effective at bringing cultural transformation to the world around them if we would release worship outside of our buildings. Like if we would just stand on street corners and just sing amazing grace while people are getting out of the bars on a Friday night, man, I'm convinced 100 percent that there would be people that are walking out drunk and who immediately sober up and who stop as their eyes fill with tears and who say, "Man, I remember my grandma singing that song when I was a little boy." I haven't felt this. What is this thing I feel? Guys, I could tell you testimony after testimony after testimony of people that came into my life when I was a musician who would walk into a bar where we were playing a concert or some music venue who were Satanists or drug addicts or atheists and they would show up with all of their affliction and all of their deception and all of the demonic oppression that had come upon their life and it would just melt off of them not because we were teaching them things they didn't know, but because we had turned our attention to heaven because God is enthroned on the praises of his people. Suddenly that bar began to feel a lot like the throne room of heaven and these people began to experience a God they'd only ever talked about or read about or heard about and it began to short circuit every objection they had. It began to obliterate their unbelief not because of persuasive words but because of God's power and presence on display in that place. This is the tactic that Paul and Silas employ here. They bring deliverance to an entire geographic region and it's not because they are working

for the deliverance of that entire geographic location it's because they have fixed their eyes on God and in their pursuit of him he pours out a grace that overflows from Paul and Silas and touches everybody close to him. I want that on my life. Like I want everybody that lives on my street to have dreams every night about a man in white with holes in his hands visiting them and saying I've got a purpose for you. Go to Matty's house and ask him how you can be saved. This is what I want every hill and hauler out here where people are living in crazy houses they built themselves. I want those people, for real. I want those people to wake up early on a Sunday morning and just start walking and end up here like I don't even know what I'm looking for but I think there's something here for me. Guys this is the kind of life we've been called to live, this is the kind of life Jesus called us to live in anything less should be unacceptable for us. Maybe God put you where he put you so the blessing on your life can overflow onto the lives of others around you. And so the foundations of the prison were shaken immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed and the keeper of the prison awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors opened supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself but Paul called with a loud voice saying do yourself no harm for we are all here that he called for a light, ran in and fell down and trembling before Can I tell you what the first step towards salvation is? Humility. It is to fall down and trembling. I got just a couple of weeks ago, now I got the privilege of leading a new brother in his step of profession of faith to the Lord back in the office right over there. And we got down on our knees in the office

and we cried together while we prayed and committed his life to Christ. And that posture of like, we gotta lower ourselves. We need to fall down and trembling in the acknowledgement that there's something bigger than us and that we need his mercy. And this is what this jailer does. He asks the question and this is the important question. If you have not asked this question, please come and grab me as soon as I walk off this stage today. I would be thrilled to answer this question for you. It says that he brought them out in verse 30 and said, sirs, what must I do to be saved? I have to be saved. I need the mercy of God. And so they said this, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household. Jesus said, this is the work of my father. Believe on him, who he said. Guys, this is all that we bring to the table to warrant our salvation is faith. It's our trust in Jesus as our Lord, our Savior, our Redeemer and our ultimate deliverer. And so they respond to the question, what must I do to be saved with this simple answer? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household. Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house and he took them the same hour of the night

and washed their stripes and immediately he and his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. I love this story that it ends with Paul and Silas getting their wounds taken care of, eating a meal with a family of new brothers and sisters. What an amazing, beautiful story. But I want you to know the enemy did everything he could to break Paul and Silas. The enemy did everything he could to destroy Paul and Silas. The enemy did everything he could to silence Paul and Silas. But I'll tell you something, my brother, my good friend, Chris Mathis, told me years ago that has stuck with me for a long time. The enemy made one crucial mistake in his efforts to silence Paul and Silas. You want to know what the enemy's mistake was? He left them together, baby. He should have never put Paul and Silas in the same prison cell. You want to know why? Because I guarantee that night, Paul and Silas, they've been laid open, their backs are bleeding, the flies are starting to swarm around them. It's dark and it's discouraging and they have no way of getting a message to anybody and it looks like they may die in here. And I'll bet at some point, Silas turned

with his eyes full of tears and just said, "Paul, haven't God been good to us?" (congregation laughing) Man, this is what Jesus went through. Jesus said, "We'd be blessed if people reviled us and spoke all manner of evil about us for his namesake. We're blessed today, Paul." And I'll bet Paul turned and said, "You know what, man? He's so good. He's so good that the sufferings of this age aren't even fit to be compared with what he has prepared for us." And these two brothers begin to look back and forth at each other and say, "You know what? This situation is bad, but our God is still good." This is a bad day, but our God is a good God, amen? And he's still on the throne and he's still got a plan for us and our future is bright. No matter how dark our today may feel. Like these brothers begin to sharpen each other. They put to the test with the scriptures, tell us that one can send a thousand to flight but two, 10,000. They put to the test with scripture, tells us that as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens the countenance of his brother. What happened is that these two brothers came together and they said, "Hey, you know what? "Man, I feel like singing." You know what?

Come on, come on, they can't steal my joy. They cannot steal my gratitude because they can break my body, but my soul belongs to God. My soul has peace in God because Jesus loved me and died from me. Man, I can have hope in any situation and these two brothers having been brutally beaten and locked into the innermost chamber of the prison when hope seemed lost and the dream looked like it had died. Man, I know that Silas turned the ball and said, "Hey man, "we still got a song to sing." you your story isn't over. Our story is not a tragedy. Our story is not a story of failure or sorrow or suffering, friends, 10,000 years from now, 10,000 times 10,000 years from now, we will be in eternal unbroken rest and rejoicing in the presence of our God and Savior. There is no temporary affliction or momentary suffering that can overshadow the glory that Jesus died for us to have. And because of that, friends, we can rejoice in every season knowing that our future is in good hands if our faith is in Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. Come on. So I need to tell you this morning, if you cannot say with absolute unshakeable confidence, I know that my future is secure, that Jesus is the Lord of my life, my redeemer, my rescuer, my Savior, my deliverer, and my King do not leave this room without that assurance. You can come and talk to me. We'll have a couple of other pastors and elders hanging out here at the front. We would love the opportunity to talk with you, to pray with you, and to make sure that

you can have the same hope that Paul and Silas had. See, this is why we do what we do is because we know that God has made his church to be a place of worship, and not just where we celebrate that everything is good, where we understand that worship is our means of spiritual warfare, that we fix our eyes on God, and we know that breakthrough comes, we begin to celebrate that God is good even when our moment, or our momentary situation is not. And of course, of family, that when we stand together, nothing the enemy throws at us can break us apart. Amen. God is glorified in a community of people devoted to each other in worship and in family, for his namesake. Amen. Lord, we love you. We thank you, God, for your word, the way that it illuminates the path to us, the way it brings us life and guidance and strength and hope. God, help us to never forget that your plan for us is good, and that even when the situation where in hurts, even when we have unanswered questions, even when it feels like you're slow in your response, God, thank you that even in the prison, you still have a plan for Paul and Silas, and even in our situation, God, you still have a plan for us. Help us to see your purpose in this situation and to live on high alert for opportunities to bring you glory. Lord, let your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, right here at the Alter Fellowship in Johnson City, Tennessee. Lord, we love and honor you. We commit to you again this morning. Our love, our energy, our honor, and our affection. You are infinitely worthy of it all. We bless you today in Jesus' holy name, amen. [MUSIC] [MUSIC]

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