1 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:17,120 We're going to take a look at Exodus chapter 15 this morning as 2 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:21,240 we look at this hymn and think about what it has to teach us, even 3 00:00:21,240 --> 00:00:24,000 though we can't sing it, necessarily what it has to teach 4 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:24,200 us. 5 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,800 But I don't know if you know, but every few years, BBC Songs of 6 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:33,090 Priyas conduct a survey to discover what what is the UK's favourite 7 00:00:33,090 --> 00:00:33,530 hymn. 8 00:00:33,850 --> 00:00:39,050 And in 2019, they discovered that the favorite hymn to be sung 9 00:00:39,050 --> 00:00:43,970 by churches in the UK is Jerusalem by Hubert Parry, written 10 00:00:43,970 --> 00:00:44,810 in 1916. 11 00:00:44,810 --> 00:00:47,930 And probably the popularity of that came because it was sung at 12 00:00:47,930 --> 00:00:50,970 the wedding of Prince William and Catherine. 13 00:00:51,450 --> 00:00:54,970 Last year they discovered that the UK's favorite hymn to be sung 14 00:00:54,970 --> 00:00:59,300 in schools was Shine, Jesus, Shine by Graham Kendrick. 15 00:00:59,300 --> 00:01:01,740 And many of us will be familiar with that because of our 16 00:01:01,740 --> 00:01:02,740 Youth Fellowship days. 17 00:01:03,460 --> 00:01:08,220 And in the early 2010s, the favorite to be sung was Abide With 18 00:01:08,220 --> 00:01:10,900 Me by Henry Francis Light. 19 00:01:11,540 --> 00:01:17,220 Now, this survey wasn't based on what churches sang, so they didn't 20 00:01:17,220 --> 00:01:18,540 get a list of what everybody sang. 21 00:01:18,540 --> 00:01:21,060 Rather, they went out and asked what were people's favourites, 22 00:01:21,060 --> 00:01:22,740 what did they want to sing? 23 00:01:23,780 --> 00:01:26,860 And you'll immediately recognize with certainly Jerusalem 24 00:01:26,860 --> 00:01:31,300 and Abide With Me, their hymns that are very nationalistic, with 25 00:01:31,300 --> 00:01:35,380 Jerusalem specifically speaking of England's Hills and the 26 00:01:35,380 --> 00:01:39,940 Mills and Abide With Me being sung annually at the FA cup final. 27 00:01:40,580 --> 00:01:45,380 So these are hymns that are sung in public events or at public 28 00:01:45,380 --> 00:01:48,020 events, or have a nationalistic meaning. 29 00:01:49,150 --> 00:01:52,470 Whether people understand their true depth of meaning is, of 30 00:01:52,470 --> 00:01:53,870 course, another discussion. 31 00:01:54,990 --> 00:01:58,030 So with these hymns being known to so many, it's no surprise 32 00:01:58,030 --> 00:02:01,910 to us that that's why people chose them as hymns that they want 33 00:02:01,910 --> 00:02:04,990 to sing, because in the age in which we're living, it's probably 34 00:02:04,990 --> 00:02:06,350 the only hymns that they know. 35 00:02:06,910 --> 00:02:11,150 But we all have a favorite hymn to sing, and we like our hymns 36 00:02:11,150 --> 00:02:14,150 because of what it says, or maybe because of the tune. 37 00:02:14,150 --> 00:02:16,830 It evokes in us an emotion in the singing. 38 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:21,040 And of course, words and music go together because they do something 39 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:23,360 that match each other. 40 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:26,880 The strength of the music matches the strength of the words. 41 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:34,000 Or a hymn that is more thoughtful will have a gentler melody 42 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:37,640 so that we will be pulled into the deeper meaning of what we're 43 00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:38,080 singing. 44 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:43,600 But the reality is we don't always stick to the same favorites. 45 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:47,760 As the years pass and as we're introduced to new songs, we begin 46 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:53,000 to like new ones over older ones that would have been our favorites. 47 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:57,120 Now let's do the Analong Presbyterian Church survey. 48 00:02:57,120 --> 00:02:59,520 I'm not going to ask you what you want to Sing, because we'd be 49 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:00,680 here all day for that. 50 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:03,720 But you've had to trust me in what we sing. 51 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:07,560 And last year, the most frequently sung hymn in our services 52 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:12,210 of worship was not ask you to shout out, but in your head, what 53 00:03:12,210 --> 00:03:12,930 do you think it was? 54 00:03:14,050 --> 00:03:16,610 Here is Love Everlasting Praise. 55 00:03:17,010 --> 00:03:18,130 Anybody get that right? 56 00:03:19,170 --> 00:03:19,570 No. 57 00:03:20,930 --> 00:03:25,570 That was sung 12 times, followed by this. 58 00:03:25,570 --> 00:03:27,330 Maybe not so much of a surprise. 59 00:03:27,730 --> 00:03:31,970 Christos, Victor, Amen and the Matchless Name of Jesus, both sung 60 00:03:32,130 --> 00:03:32,930 nine times. 61 00:03:33,490 --> 00:03:36,210 And all the other hymns that might be your favorites were sung 62 00:03:36,210 --> 00:03:38,850 about four or five times each throughout the year. 63 00:03:40,070 --> 00:03:43,430 And you know, whenever we talk about hymns, you'll automatically 64 00:03:43,430 --> 00:03:45,950 think of ones you like and you might go, we haven't sung that in 65 00:03:45,950 --> 00:03:46,190 a while. 66 00:03:46,190 --> 00:03:48,270 I get that on a Monday morning, and then all of a sudden 67 00:03:48,270 --> 00:03:50,190 it appears a few weeks later. 68 00:03:50,190 --> 00:03:52,630 But Christianity is unique. 69 00:03:54,070 --> 00:03:56,950 We are unique because we sing. 70 00:03:58,310 --> 00:04:00,630 We are a faith that sings. 71 00:04:01,190 --> 00:04:04,190 If you were to observe other faith groups in their acts of so 72 00:04:04,190 --> 00:04:06,520 called worship, they don't sing. 73 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:12,280 There may be chants or someone may lead some form of rhythmic verse, 74 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:17,240 but Christianity is the only faith that sings. 75 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:19,400 So why do we do it? 76 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:23,640 Well, we sing first and foremost because the Bible gives 77 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:28,680 us the example of singing, which is our scripture passage this 78 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:29,000 morning. 79 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:34,120 And there are different hymns and songs sprinkled throughout Scripture, 80 00:04:34,810 --> 00:04:37,770 with of course, the great songbook of God's people right in 81 00:04:37,770 --> 00:04:38,810 the middle, the Psalms. 82 00:04:39,690 --> 00:04:43,010 But secondly, as part of our worship of God, we sing praise of 83 00:04:43,010 --> 00:04:46,850 his name because he is worthy of our devotion, of our focus, and 84 00:04:46,850 --> 00:04:47,530 of our praise. 85 00:04:47,530 --> 00:04:53,130 That's why Psalm 145:3 says, Great is the Lord, and most worthy 86 00:04:53,370 --> 00:04:54,170 of praise. 87 00:04:54,810 --> 00:04:58,410 His greatness no one can fathom. 88 00:05:00,260 --> 00:05:04,820 And as we look at the end of Scripture, we see in John's Revelation 89 00:05:04,900 --> 00:05:08,900 multiple times the redeemed people of God and the heavenly host 90 00:05:09,220 --> 00:05:10,500 singing praise of his name. 91 00:05:10,500 --> 00:05:14,340 For example, Revelation 4, verse 11 tells us of what they sing, 92 00:05:14,340 --> 00:05:17,420 and it echoes what we've read in Psalm 145. 93 00:05:17,420 --> 00:05:21,620 You are worthy, O Lord, our Lord and God, to receive glory and 94 00:05:21,620 --> 00:05:22,660 honor and power. 95 00:05:22,980 --> 00:05:28,060 For you created all things, and by your will they were created 96 00:05:28,060 --> 00:05:29,660 and have their being. 97 00:05:31,180 --> 00:05:34,700 And so we have been created to worship God. 98 00:05:35,020 --> 00:05:38,140 And one way we do that is through singing. 99 00:05:39,100 --> 00:05:42,500 And as we see the people of God saved through the waters of the 100 00:05:42,500 --> 00:05:46,780 Red Sea, their natural response as they look back across 101 00:05:46,860 --> 00:05:51,420 the waters now flowing naturally again, is to burst into 102 00:05:51,420 --> 00:05:53,670 song of what God has done. 103 00:05:54,710 --> 00:05:58,070 And by the way, let me tell you two things about you. 104 00:05:58,790 --> 00:06:01,830 The number of ministers who come into this pulpit and Always. 105 00:06:01,830 --> 00:06:04,950 Then come back to me and talk about your singing. 106 00:06:05,430 --> 00:06:06,630 Should encourage you. 107 00:06:06,870 --> 00:06:12,510 You sing exceptionally well and exceptionally loudly, and that's 108 00:06:12,510 --> 00:06:12,790 good. 109 00:06:13,430 --> 00:06:17,590 The second thing, there's probably no greater privilege for 110 00:06:17,590 --> 00:06:23,270 me than to stand here and hear you sing what you believe. 111 00:06:24,790 --> 00:06:29,470 So the hymns we sing may not necessarily be your favorites, but 112 00:06:29,470 --> 00:06:32,990 they will speak of a depth that we must communicate and sing 113 00:06:32,990 --> 00:06:37,350 to each other as well as to God about what we believe about him 114 00:06:37,830 --> 00:06:41,350 and about who we believe we are as his people. 115 00:06:42,710 --> 00:06:47,320 So now, on the other side of the Red Sea, bursting into song for 116 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,960 what God has done, we must remember that their rescue from Egypt 117 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:52,960 was not a simple walk in the park. 118 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:56,800 The people had to trust that God would deliver them. 119 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:02,280 They fled Egypt, not knowing if the Egyptians would come after 120 00:07:02,280 --> 00:07:02,640 them. 121 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:05,880 And when the Egyptians did come after them, the children of 122 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:07,720 Israel had their backs against the Red Sea. 123 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:08,760 There was nowhere for them to go. 124 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:12,120 And so they had to trust that God would make a way for them to 125 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:12,280 cross. 126 00:07:13,470 --> 00:07:18,510 And he did that by dividing the waters, by ensuring that they 127 00:07:18,510 --> 00:07:20,510 walked on the dry sea bed. 128 00:07:21,070 --> 00:07:22,670 And even that took faith. 129 00:07:22,670 --> 00:07:26,270 As they walked with water, walls of water on both sides. 130 00:07:27,630 --> 00:07:31,230 And as they did one step in front of the other, they had to trust 131 00:07:31,550 --> 00:07:37,630 that God would hold the waters back so that they could be saved 132 00:07:38,700 --> 00:07:43,260 and not lost, as would be the outcome of the Egyptians. 133 00:07:45,420 --> 00:07:46,860 And God did just that. 134 00:07:47,420 --> 00:07:50,900 The people's faith was well placed because he did hold the waters 135 00:07:50,900 --> 00:07:51,180 back. 136 00:07:51,580 --> 00:07:55,900 And now with the pieces of chariots floating on the water, the 137 00:07:55,900 --> 00:07:59,500 people look back across to the land of their enslavement. 138 00:07:59,660 --> 00:08:01,980 And they sing of what God has done. 139 00:08:02,700 --> 00:08:06,740 And what this song does for us is a song of praise to God that speaks 140 00:08:06,740 --> 00:08:08,060 of three people. 141 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:10,520 And so this is how we're going to look at this. 142 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:12,520 We're not going to take it verse by verse, but looking at what 143 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:15,960 the song says about these three groups of people, and the first 144 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:17,760 is, it's a song of God's greatness. 145 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:20,760 So of course it's a song of God, but it's specifically about 146 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:21,440 his greatness. 147 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:24,400 And this hymn is full of who God is to the people. 148 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:29,520 Their accusations of Moses from chapter 14 are now past, and 149 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,800 they highly exalt the Lord for all that he has done. 150 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:35,120 As verse one commences for us. 151 00:08:35,829 --> 00:08:38,629 But look at what they say of him in verse 2. 152 00:08:39,429 --> 00:08:42,869 The Lord is my strength and my song. 153 00:08:43,669 --> 00:08:45,989 He has become my salvation. 154 00:08:46,229 --> 00:08:51,748 He is my God, and I will praise him, my Father's God, and 155 00:08:51,748 --> 00:08:53,429 I will exalt him. 156 00:08:54,389 --> 00:08:57,269 These are words of God's mighty act of Salvation. 157 00:08:57,829 --> 00:09:02,389 The people know what they have been saved from and they know who. 158 00:09:03,780 --> 00:09:05,780 They know the one who has saved them. 159 00:09:06,020 --> 00:09:10,460 It is the Lord God, and He will be the focus of their praise 160 00:09:10,460 --> 00:09:15,060 because they are truly alive and they are truly rescued because 161 00:09:15,060 --> 00:09:16,580 of his mighty hand. 162 00:09:17,140 --> 00:09:21,340 In verse three, they go on to describe God as their warrior, affirming 163 00:09:21,340 --> 00:09:24,180 that he is the one who has fought for them and defeated their 164 00:09:24,180 --> 00:09:24,580 foes. 165 00:09:25,140 --> 00:09:28,060 But did you notice there in verse two, they also recognize him 166 00:09:28,060 --> 00:09:29,380 as the God of their fathers. 167 00:09:30,060 --> 00:09:33,260 So they recognize that the promises that God made to Abraham 168 00:09:33,500 --> 00:09:37,580 and to Isaac and to Jacob and to Joseph are now being revealed 169 00:09:37,580 --> 00:09:39,740 to them, even though it be 400 years later. 170 00:09:40,700 --> 00:09:44,740 Moving through this hymn where they sing of God, in verses 68, they 171 00:09:44,740 --> 00:09:48,100 speak of him and his righteous anger towards the enemies of his 172 00:09:48,100 --> 00:09:48,380 people. 173 00:09:48,780 --> 00:09:52,500 And if they are enemies of his people, then ultimately they're enemies 174 00:09:52,500 --> 00:09:53,020 of Him. 175 00:09:53,660 --> 00:09:56,580 And the words of these verses not only speak of God's majestic 176 00:09:56,580 --> 00:10:01,040 power, but they also speak of his right to punish those who reject 177 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:01,280 him. 178 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:05,040 Because verse 7 says, in the greatness of your majesty, you threw 179 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:06,600 down those who opposed you. 180 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:09,480 You unleashed your burning anger. 181 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:12,680 It consumed them like stubble. 182 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:16,960 Although the people at times may have doubted if God was going 183 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:20,280 to rescue them, as demonstrated in their reaction to 184 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:25,850 Moses at the Red Sea, they now affirm that, that as the Lord's righteous 185 00:10:25,850 --> 00:10:30,250 anger was against the Egyptians, and as he punished them 186 00:10:30,250 --> 00:10:34,650 for their evil deeds, so his steadfast love was towards them. 187 00:10:35,370 --> 00:10:39,850 As the surging waters were parted for them to pass through, 188 00:10:40,810 --> 00:10:44,570 they recognized that it is the greatness of the Lord, his majesty. 189 00:10:44,570 --> 00:10:47,810 And where comes their salvation, there is his wrath on 190 00:10:47,810 --> 00:10:48,410 the other side. 191 00:10:48,410 --> 00:10:51,130 And that wrath is the punishment for of the Egyptians. 192 00:10:52,170 --> 00:10:56,130 And so verse 11 in the middle of this hymn is a crescendo of their 193 00:10:56,130 --> 00:10:59,290 praise as their focus of God becomes one of comparison. 194 00:10:59,530 --> 00:11:04,250 And so they sing, who among the gods is like you, O Lord, who 195 00:11:04,250 --> 00:11:08,170 is like you, majestic and holiness awesome in glory, working 196 00:11:08,330 --> 00:11:09,050 wonders. 197 00:11:09,690 --> 00:11:13,610 So this is now their affirmation that all other objects 198 00:11:13,610 --> 00:11:17,740 of worship, the so called gods, are false. 199 00:11:18,220 --> 00:11:20,300 And there is only one true God. 200 00:11:22,540 --> 00:11:26,060 And it is the God of their salvation, the God who they now know 201 00:11:27,020 --> 00:11:28,140 as their Savior. 202 00:11:29,980 --> 00:11:34,500 So this new position before God gives the people a renewed confidence 203 00:11:34,500 --> 00:11:36,380 in the God of covenant promise. 204 00:11:36,940 --> 00:11:40,060 They now sing of their enemies, the Philistines, Edomites, 205 00:11:40,060 --> 00:11:43,950 Moabites and Canaanites, as nothing before God. 206 00:11:44,990 --> 00:11:47,270 Their thinking will be, well, if he's done this to the world's 207 00:11:47,270 --> 00:11:50,630 superpower, what's he going to do to all the tribes along the way. 208 00:11:50,630 --> 00:11:54,670 And they knew of these tribes, of course we know God will make them 209 00:11:54,670 --> 00:11:55,710 divert those tribes. 210 00:11:55,710 --> 00:11:59,269 They will face them in 40 years time, but God will see them 211 00:11:59,269 --> 00:11:59,470 through. 212 00:11:59,470 --> 00:12:03,630 And so their confidence is that nothing is beyond God's reach. 213 00:12:04,270 --> 00:12:07,550 And so the people will now need to remind themselves of this 214 00:12:08,110 --> 00:12:11,660 because they will meet these people groups as they journey to 215 00:12:11,660 --> 00:12:12,660 the promised land. 216 00:12:13,620 --> 00:12:17,780 And it is to that land of promise that they look, as they Conclude 217 00:12:17,780 --> 00:12:22,980 in verse 18, the Lord will reign forever and ever. 218 00:12:22,980 --> 00:12:24,580 They trust his promises. 219 00:12:25,060 --> 00:12:28,020 They trust he will give them the land of promise. 220 00:12:28,260 --> 00:12:33,300 And as such he will be their God and He will reign over his people 221 00:12:33,780 --> 00:12:34,340 forever. 222 00:12:35,140 --> 00:12:39,650 This is a climactic conclusion and a future hope of the people. 223 00:12:40,370 --> 00:12:46,290 They look beyond what and where they are in that moment and 224 00:12:46,290 --> 00:12:49,810 they look to the very eternal nature of God. 225 00:12:50,210 --> 00:12:53,370 And so this is a true hymn of praise, not necessarily for what 226 00:12:53,370 --> 00:12:55,410 he has done, but for who he is. 227 00:12:56,290 --> 00:13:00,170 And when God is the object of our praise as part of our worship 228 00:13:00,170 --> 00:13:05,030 of him, then we will know deep in our hearts who he is so that like 229 00:13:05,030 --> 00:13:09,470 the people who crossed the Red Sea, he will be the God of our salvation 230 00:13:09,790 --> 00:13:11,550 and the God who will keep us. 231 00:13:12,750 --> 00:13:18,150 And we know this now because of Jesus Christ and what he accomplished 232 00:13:18,150 --> 00:13:19,710 for us on Calvary's cross. 233 00:13:20,029 --> 00:13:24,150 Because the only reason that we can know God who He is, so that 234 00:13:24,150 --> 00:13:28,670 we can sing praise of his name is because Jesus has made it possible 235 00:13:28,750 --> 00:13:29,950 for us to know Him. 236 00:13:30,790 --> 00:13:36,990 Jesus stands in our place before God's judgment so that we 237 00:13:36,990 --> 00:13:42,790 can be free from the wrath that the Egyptians faced for their 238 00:13:42,870 --> 00:13:44,870 disobedience against God. 239 00:13:45,430 --> 00:13:48,590 And that's why the writer of Hebrews tells us what he does in 240 00:13:48,590 --> 00:13:50,070 Hebrews 13 and verse 15. 241 00:13:50,150 --> 00:13:55,630 It's now through Jesus, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice 242 00:13:55,630 --> 00:13:58,870 of praise, the fruit of lips that confess his name. 243 00:13:58,870 --> 00:14:02,750 And yes, we confess him by telling of the gospel, but we profess 244 00:14:02,830 --> 00:14:07,950 him by what we sing, by what we sing to him and to one another 245 00:14:08,510 --> 00:14:11,310 of what we believe as his people. 246 00:14:12,590 --> 00:14:15,430 And so what Hebrews is saying to us here is the only way we can 247 00:14:15,430 --> 00:14:17,790 worship God is through Christ. 248 00:14:18,430 --> 00:14:21,270 Because God's way of salvation for us is not through the waters 249 00:14:21,270 --> 00:14:25,150 of the Red Sea, but it is through the risen Lord Jesus. 250 00:14:26,270 --> 00:14:30,950 The Baptist Pastor John Piper is often quoted as saying mission 251 00:14:30,950 --> 00:14:33,070 exists because worship doesn't. 252 00:14:33,710 --> 00:14:34,910 And he's very true. 253 00:14:35,630 --> 00:14:40,110 Where people are not truly worshipping God, there is a mission 254 00:14:40,110 --> 00:14:40,430 field. 255 00:14:41,710 --> 00:14:46,910 Because ultimately, what does God require of us to worship Him? 256 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:49,640 Now, worship is not singing. 257 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:53,960 So when we talk about someone leading worship, no, nobody Leads 258 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:54,600 worship. 259 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:58,360 God leads worship through Jesus. 260 00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:03,920 We have people who lead us in praise, perhaps, but it's God who 261 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:05,320 tells us how to worship Him. 262 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:07,480 Worship is prayer. 263 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:09,560 Worship is praise. 264 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:13,400 Worship is listening to His Word and reading His Word. 265 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:15,000 Worship is fellowship. 266 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:19,080 It's all of these things that we do so that we make much of God 267 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:23,740 and who he through His Son, Jesus, and not one individual item 268 00:15:23,740 --> 00:15:27,380 that outshines or we believe, overextends the other. 269 00:15:28,660 --> 00:15:32,660 Worship of God is everything that we bring to him, as we will 270 00:15:32,660 --> 00:15:33,700 see in a moment. 271 00:15:34,020 --> 00:15:37,460 Because we can only worship God because of faith in Jesus. 272 00:15:37,620 --> 00:15:41,380 And if we don't have faith in Jesus, then we're not truly worshiping 273 00:15:41,380 --> 00:15:41,780 God. 274 00:15:42,100 --> 00:15:45,500 We're simply going through the motions of singing hymns and songs 275 00:15:45,500 --> 00:15:46,100 that we like. 276 00:15:46,830 --> 00:15:50,190 And as much as I encourage believers this morning to sing heartily 277 00:15:50,190 --> 00:15:54,950 because God is worthy of our praise because of Jesus, I challenge 278 00:15:54,950 --> 00:15:59,510 you this morning to ask yourself, are you simply going through 279 00:15:59,510 --> 00:16:02,190 the motions of being here this morning? 280 00:16:03,230 --> 00:16:05,790 Are you here in body, but not in spirit? 281 00:16:07,150 --> 00:16:09,710 As I was writing this, I did think, are the lights on? 282 00:16:09,710 --> 00:16:10,590 But no one's home. 283 00:16:10,590 --> 00:16:13,190 But I thought that might be a little bit cruel, so I'll not say 284 00:16:13,190 --> 00:16:15,130 it, but whoops, I did. 285 00:16:19,210 --> 00:16:25,530 You see, you can sit here, you can leave here, and it can mean absolutely 286 00:16:25,530 --> 00:16:26,410 nothing to you. 287 00:16:28,890 --> 00:16:32,330 That's not worship of God. 288 00:16:33,690 --> 00:16:38,290 His Word alone, read, never mind preached or presented to us 289 00:16:38,290 --> 00:16:45,220 in song, should be enough for our hearts to sing of who God is. 290 00:16:46,500 --> 00:16:47,620 Don't get me wrong. 291 00:16:47,620 --> 00:16:49,380 I am glad you're here. 292 00:16:50,500 --> 00:16:55,700 But my duty is to tell you the reality of humanity before God. 293 00:16:56,660 --> 00:17:00,180 And if you are not worshiping God this morning because of faith 294 00:17:00,180 --> 00:17:03,660 in Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sins, then it's not 295 00:17:03,660 --> 00:17:04,340 worship. 296 00:17:05,710 --> 00:17:07,550 You're simply going through the motions. 297 00:17:10,270 --> 00:17:14,190 You see, worship of God is to be meaningful, to come from our hearts, 298 00:17:14,990 --> 00:17:16,910 yes, expressed on our lips. 299 00:17:17,630 --> 00:17:21,630 But it comes from a deep gratitude of God who God is to us. 300 00:17:22,110 --> 00:17:25,230 Because if you're not truly worshipping God, then in the words 301 00:17:25,230 --> 00:17:30,830 of John Piper, you are a mission field because you're not 302 00:17:30,830 --> 00:17:35,040 worshipping, which means mission needs to exist. 303 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:40,560 And I pray day and daily for your soul to be saved by the only 304 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:41,600 one who can. 305 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:43,440 Because you are precious. 306 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:48,120 You are precious to those around you and they want you to join 307 00:17:48,120 --> 00:17:53,440 them in not just praise of God here on earth, but eternal, everlasting 308 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:55,520 praise of him in heaven. 309 00:17:56,480 --> 00:18:03,290 You are precious because the danger that you're in is that you'll 310 00:18:03,290 --> 00:18:08,090 continue through the motions of simply turning up and singing 311 00:18:08,170 --> 00:18:09,530 for the rest of your life. 312 00:18:10,090 --> 00:18:13,650 Believing that simply being here is good and that's all you need 313 00:18:13,650 --> 00:18:14,650 to get to heaven. 314 00:18:15,210 --> 00:18:18,010 But this song of Moses tells us differently. 315 00:18:18,010 --> 00:18:22,090 Because the second thing, or the second people that we see is 316 00:18:22,090 --> 00:18:25,530 a song of the destruction of the Egyptians. 317 00:18:26,100 --> 00:18:30,060 Because they went through the motions of religion, they worshiped 318 00:18:30,060 --> 00:18:33,540 their deities, they did not worship the one true God. 319 00:18:34,340 --> 00:18:37,620 And how many times throughout this song are the Egyptians mentioned? 320 00:18:37,780 --> 00:18:39,460 It begins for us in verse 4. 321 00:18:39,940 --> 00:18:43,940 Pharaoh's chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. 322 00:18:44,340 --> 00:18:48,420 The best of Pharaoh's officers are drawn in the Red Sea. 323 00:18:48,580 --> 00:18:51,700 And verse five continues by saying that the waters covered them 324 00:18:51,700 --> 00:18:53,390 and brought them to the depths of. 325 00:18:54,900 --> 00:18:58,140 Now, this is not a floating over the Egyptians kind of thing. 326 00:18:58,140 --> 00:19:03,260 This is the reality of those who don't truly worship God for who 327 00:19:03,260 --> 00:19:04,100 he truly is. 328 00:19:05,460 --> 00:19:09,299 And this is told in verse nine, as the people sing of the boasting 329 00:19:09,299 --> 00:19:12,860 of the Egyptians, trusting in their own strength, in their own 330 00:19:12,860 --> 00:19:16,220 efforts, in their own weaponry to subdue the children of Israel. 331 00:19:16,220 --> 00:19:19,820 Because there they sing, the enemy boasted, I will pursue, I will 332 00:19:19,820 --> 00:19:20,500 overtake them. 333 00:19:20,500 --> 00:19:24,660 I will divide the spoils, I will gorge myself on them and I will 334 00:19:24,660 --> 00:19:27,500 draw my sword and my hand will destroy. 335 00:19:28,460 --> 00:19:30,300 You can almost see this in a movie. 336 00:19:30,460 --> 00:19:34,100 The Egyptians champing at the bit across the plains of the Red 337 00:19:34,100 --> 00:19:37,580 Sea, singing these very words, we're gonna get them. 338 00:19:37,580 --> 00:19:39,180 We're the strength, we're the might. 339 00:19:40,059 --> 00:19:40,940 What a boast. 340 00:19:42,620 --> 00:19:44,620 But how false and shallow it is. 341 00:19:45,820 --> 00:19:49,220 Because similarly today we can easily say, I believe in God and 342 00:19:49,220 --> 00:19:53,220 Jesus, I'm a Christian, I'll be okay because of my good deeds 343 00:19:53,220 --> 00:19:53,820 and kindness. 344 00:19:53,820 --> 00:19:57,640 But this is false and it's as shall as anything the Egyptians may 345 00:19:57,640 --> 00:19:58,080 have believed. 346 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:01,840 Because the devil believes in God and Jesus and he will not be 347 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:02,280 saved. 348 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:07,800 And none of our good works and kindness is ever pure enough to save 349 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:08,120 us. 350 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:14,200 We boast in ourselves because we think that simply saying we are 351 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:15,400 Christians is enough. 352 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:17,400 It isn't. 353 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:21,640 A Christian is someone who follows Jesus every day of their 354 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:26,270 lives, where every moment is one of worship of God. 355 00:20:26,270 --> 00:20:27,910 And you might be going now, hold on a minute. 356 00:20:27,910 --> 00:20:28,870 How can you do that? 357 00:20:29,030 --> 00:20:33,310 If my workmates heard me sing Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven, 358 00:20:33,310 --> 00:20:36,070 as I did my job well, I would be a laughingstock. 359 00:20:37,270 --> 00:20:40,710 Well, this worship is not always singing, praying or reading. 360 00:20:41,190 --> 00:20:44,670 Remember, worship is the completeness of what we do before 361 00:20:44,670 --> 00:20:46,950 God and its constituent parts. 362 00:20:47,990 --> 00:20:48,350 What? 363 00:20:48,350 --> 00:20:49,550 Worship day and daily. 364 00:20:49,550 --> 00:20:54,110 Every moment of every day is how we live out the values and the 365 00:20:54,110 --> 00:20:55,110 commands of God. 366 00:20:55,750 --> 00:21:00,110 We treat humanity as souls needing salvation because God gave 367 00:21:00,110 --> 00:21:02,310 his own son for that salvation. 368 00:21:02,950 --> 00:21:06,710 We respect the authorities over us through honest business practices, 369 00:21:07,110 --> 00:21:10,390 paying taxes and working hard for our employers. 370 00:21:11,350 --> 00:21:15,550 We are kind to our employees and we celebrate in the good of others 371 00:21:15,550 --> 00:21:17,190 and not in their downfall. 372 00:21:17,590 --> 00:21:19,670 This is what God calls us to. 373 00:21:19,990 --> 00:21:25,070 So, as Romans 12:1 tells us, everything we do, from the cleaning 374 00:21:25,070 --> 00:21:28,610 of the toilets and mopping up the floor to the hardest business 375 00:21:28,610 --> 00:21:33,250 decisions that will ever have to be made, we do a spiritual worship 376 00:21:33,330 --> 00:21:34,050 of God. 377 00:21:34,530 --> 00:21:37,770 Paul tells us, therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's 378 00:21:37,770 --> 00:21:43,210 mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing 379 00:21:43,210 --> 00:21:43,810 to God. 380 00:21:44,130 --> 00:21:47,730 This is your spiritual act of worship. 381 00:21:48,610 --> 00:21:53,090 Worship of God is about offering ourselves and everything 382 00:21:53,170 --> 00:21:54,130 we do to Him. 383 00:21:54,530 --> 00:21:58,450 It's about offering our hearts in prayer and praise. 384 00:21:59,010 --> 00:22:03,330 It's about offering our minds in the study and reading of His Word. 385 00:22:03,730 --> 00:22:07,250 It's about offering the actions of our hands in doing a good 386 00:22:07,250 --> 00:22:11,170 job, in being honest and trustworthy. 387 00:22:11,810 --> 00:22:15,810 This is what marks Christians as His people. 388 00:22:16,610 --> 00:22:21,280 Not simply saying, we're Christians, but worshipping him every 389 00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:22,400 moment of every day. 390 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:27,200 To be here on a Sunday and simply live like the rest of the 391 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:32,640 world during the week is not true faith, nor is it true Christianity. 392 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:37,400 It is the boastful pride of the Egyptians, where we think that 393 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:41,600 we can simply take the name of God and His salvation to suit us 394 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:44,160 rather than have any meaning. 395 00:22:45,370 --> 00:22:48,930 If we don't take him seriously, if we don't worship him 396 00:22:48,930 --> 00:22:52,330 truly, then we will face the same punishment as the Egyptians 397 00:22:52,330 --> 00:22:56,370 did, as the Philistines did, as the Edomites, Moabites and Canaanites 398 00:22:56,370 --> 00:22:56,650 did. 399 00:22:57,290 --> 00:23:02,930 We will indeed, as the song says, tremble and fear, as our ultimate 400 00:23:02,930 --> 00:23:07,850 rejection of God, will be in our eternal punishment, lost forever 401 00:23:08,090 --> 00:23:08,890 in hell. 402 00:23:09,610 --> 00:23:12,530 That's why Miriam sings at the end of this, particularly in the 403 00:23:12,530 --> 00:23:15,970 last two lines of verse 21, sing to the Lord, for He is highly 404 00:23:15,970 --> 00:23:16,570 exalted. 405 00:23:17,310 --> 00:23:21,390 But she then goes on to say, the horse and its rider he has hurled 406 00:23:21,950 --> 00:23:25,310 into the sea, lost forever. 407 00:23:27,550 --> 00:23:31,630 But there's a third group who are sung off in this song. 408 00:23:32,750 --> 00:23:34,670 This is where we finish this morning. 409 00:23:35,150 --> 00:23:38,150 Because this is a song of the greatness of God, but it's also of 410 00:23:38,150 --> 00:23:39,550 the destruction of the Egyptians. 411 00:23:39,790 --> 00:23:42,830 But it's a song of the very people of God. 412 00:23:43,970 --> 00:23:48,850 This is not just a song that is sung by them, but this is a song 413 00:23:49,170 --> 00:23:50,130 about them. 414 00:23:51,250 --> 00:23:56,530 God's whole rescue has been for his glory and for their good. 415 00:23:57,570 --> 00:24:00,690 It hasn't been simply about freeing a people from slavery. 416 00:24:01,090 --> 00:24:04,650 It's been about freeing them so that they can worship him, the 417 00:24:04,650 --> 00:24:05,690 God of their salvation. 418 00:24:05,690 --> 00:24:09,610 And we see this in verse 17, you will bring them in and plant 419 00:24:09,610 --> 00:24:11,650 them on the mountain of your inheritance. 420 00:24:12,360 --> 00:24:14,520 The place, O Lord, you made for your dwelling. 421 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:18,720 The sanctuary, O Lord, your hands established because of the 422 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:21,480 Lord's salvation, demonstrated to them through their deliverance 423 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:23,800 from Egypt and through the waters of the Red Sea. 424 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:28,520 They can look beyond their current situation to the fulfillment 425 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:32,440 of the promises of God and the land that he promised to Abraham. 426 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:36,000 And so for these people as they sing this, there is a renewed 427 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:37,080 trust in God. 428 00:24:38,450 --> 00:24:41,250 And that is what worship demonstrates. 429 00:24:41,250 --> 00:24:46,450 Today, when Christians gather for morning and evening worship, 430 00:24:47,090 --> 00:24:48,770 it shouldn't be a choice. 431 00:24:50,130 --> 00:24:54,490 Not only does scripture tell us to meet together, it also warns 432 00:24:54,490 --> 00:24:56,690 us about not meeting together. 433 00:24:57,490 --> 00:25:00,530 I said earlier that the Christian faith is the only faith 434 00:25:00,530 --> 00:25:01,410 that sings. 435 00:25:02,050 --> 00:25:06,450 But we are also the only faith that meets with like minded people 436 00:25:07,100 --> 00:25:11,260 who for one day in the week, get away from the weight and sin 437 00:25:11,260 --> 00:25:16,540 of the world to be together in one voice, in one heart and one spirit. 438 00:25:17,420 --> 00:25:20,860 And I hope that coming to church on a Sunday is not a decision 439 00:25:21,020 --> 00:25:21,980 you have to make. 440 00:25:22,699 --> 00:25:27,060 I hope you want to be here because of what it means to you and 441 00:25:27,060 --> 00:25:30,140 what it demonstrates to others about what you believe. 442 00:25:31,340 --> 00:25:36,270 We may not agree on everything in life, be that politics, faith 443 00:25:36,270 --> 00:25:41,030 or social commentary, but we were never made to be replicas of 444 00:25:41,030 --> 00:25:41,510 each other. 445 00:25:42,470 --> 00:25:47,990 Rather, in worship we become like Christ as we grow, as his people. 446 00:25:49,270 --> 00:25:52,630 Worship of God is not about you alone. 447 00:25:53,350 --> 00:25:57,070 Yes, the people sung of their individual salvation, but they sang 448 00:25:57,070 --> 00:26:00,790 of the salvation of God's people because they had gone through 449 00:26:00,790 --> 00:26:01,510 it together. 450 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:06,920 And we meet week by week to encourage one another, to bless one 451 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:11,160 another and to show the world who it really is that is worthy of 452 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:11,840 our worship. 453 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:17,720 As Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 25 says, Let us not give up 454 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:22,720 meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us 455 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:23,840 encourage one another. 456 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:29,370 And all the more, as you see the day approaching, you see what 457 00:26:29,370 --> 00:26:31,090 meeting together is supposed to be. 458 00:26:32,290 --> 00:26:34,210 It's supposed to be an encouragement. 459 00:26:34,850 --> 00:26:36,210 It's not to be missed. 460 00:26:36,530 --> 00:26:39,090 It's not to think that something else is better because 461 00:26:39,090 --> 00:26:43,250 it's not something that comes for a moment and then disappears. 462 00:26:44,370 --> 00:26:49,410 What we do here, week by week is what will last for eternity. 463 00:26:50,210 --> 00:26:54,820 Now, I'm sorry, you'll not be sitting in these pews and you'll 464 00:26:54,820 --> 00:26:57,180 not be sitting in the CM pew every week in eternity. 465 00:26:58,540 --> 00:27:04,140 But what we do in our worship of singing, of prayer, of reading 466 00:27:04,140 --> 00:27:06,540 his word, of understanding, and of our worship throughout the 467 00:27:06,540 --> 00:27:10,780 week and the offering of our hands demonstrating who we are is 468 00:27:10,780 --> 00:27:11,780 what will last. 469 00:27:11,780 --> 00:27:13,340 And that's why we come together. 470 00:27:14,300 --> 00:27:21,120 That's why we worship God for who he is and not who we are. 471 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:26,680 The people rescued through the waters of the Red Sea, truly sung 472 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:28,800 of God and His goodness. 473 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:33,040 They looked back at the One who would rescue them so that they 474 00:27:33,120 --> 00:27:35,359 could worship Him. 475 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:41,200 And my duty this morning is to inform you that that is still what 476 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:45,600 God requires of us, to worship him fully. 477 00:27:46,470 --> 00:27:51,830 And the only way we can do that is by knowing Jesus as our Savior. 478 00:27:53,190 --> 00:27:55,750 That's why we sing the hymns we sing. 479 00:27:56,470 --> 00:27:59,030 That's why we read the passages we read. 480 00:27:59,430 --> 00:28:03,110 And if this has made you sit uncomfortable in your pew this morning, 481 00:28:03,270 --> 00:28:04,670 then that's not me. 482 00:28:04,670 --> 00:28:08,390 That is the work of the Holy Spirit, and you must pay attention 483 00:28:08,390 --> 00:28:11,070 to that, because that's God at work. 484 00:28:11,070 --> 00:28:17,510 Do not ignore him, but allow him to work in you and through you 485 00:28:18,390 --> 00:28:24,590 so that you truly can be saved for his glory and the greatness and 486 00:28:24,590 --> 00:28:27,510 the goodness of eternity with Him. 487 00:28:29,750 --> 00:28:35,830 If you know Christ, worship well, it seems to have been a bit 488 00:28:35,830 --> 00:28:38,470 of a habit over the past two weeks, but I'll say it again. 489 00:28:38,710 --> 00:28:42,960 We're going to finish with two great songs that allow you to express 490 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:46,960 what the children of Israel express and what we believe today 491 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:51,080 so that it will truly be the anthem of our hearts as we go through 492 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:54,680 this week and we worship God well in all that we do. 493 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:58,800 But if you're sitting uncomfortable because you're now 494 00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:00,960 questioning, am I truly worshipping God? 495 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:06,000 Well, pay attention, because Christ is inviting you to know him 496 00:29:06,970 --> 00:29:12,010 so that this very day next week you can be back and you can 497 00:29:12,010 --> 00:29:18,810 worship truly and believe the words we sing and hear as your testimony 498 00:29:19,130 --> 00:29:21,370 of faith because of what the Lord has done. 499 00:29:23,210 --> 00:29:28,970 Our God, and let no one tell you differently, is truly a great 500 00:29:29,450 --> 00:29:33,730 God who calls each of us to worship Him. 501 00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:39,680 Him through the weeping of the night and through the joy of the 502 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:45,200 morning, so that, yes, he will bring you through whatever red sea 503 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:51,520 you need to cross, and he will hold back the waters so you will 504 00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:58,640 not be swallowed up and you will land safe on the shores of his 505 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:01,320 salvation for all eternity. 506 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:04,280 Let's pray. 507 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:11,160 Our Father God, we continue in worship, in prayer as we continue 508 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:16,080 to make much of who you are to us and through this hymn, often overlooked 509 00:30:16,080 --> 00:30:21,160 or possibly even very little heard of, but yet it challenges us 510 00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:24,040 to our core of who we are to be as we worship you. 511 00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:25,600 For this is not light stuff. 512 00:30:26,230 --> 00:30:27,430 This is heavy stuff. 513 00:30:27,430 --> 00:30:30,710 It's weighty stuff, because it's of you. 514 00:30:32,150 --> 00:30:35,950 But Father, in our trust of you and in our worship of you, comes 515 00:30:35,950 --> 00:30:40,950 the likeness, because you bear our burden and you share our grief. 516 00:30:41,750 --> 00:30:45,870 So that indeed through the waters we will pass, trusting step 517 00:30:45,870 --> 00:30:51,350 by step in faith that you will hold back the waters so that we may 518 00:30:51,350 --> 00:30:55,400 sing songs of rejoicing and praise who you are. 519 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:57,720 So, Father, speak to us. 520 00:30:57,720 --> 00:31:02,120 And may we be receptive to the work of your Holy Spirit that does 521 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:08,080 make us shift in our pews so that we can be right with you and 522 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:09,640 know you for all eternity. 523 00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:12,360 And this we pray in Jesus name. 524 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:13,640 Amen.