Bethel Church Service | Richard Gordon Sermon | Worship with Brady Voss, Haley Kennedy

Hello Bethl online family. Good morning. Happy Sunday. We're so happy to have you here guys. I have Jay Valatin with me today. He's on our senior leadership team. I know you can't wave back, but if you want to give Jay away. We're so happy to have him with us this Sunday.

Um I see so many of you already on the YouTube on Bethl online. Guys, we see you. Chris, Willie, Joy, Suzanne, Claudia, Phillip, Patty. Guys, we're so happy that you're tuning in. Maybe you can let us know where you're tuning in from. We know we've got a global family who's um watching back this community of people who are just burning for Jesus all over the world.

And we'd love to hear where you're from. Some of you are from Germany. >> We've got a lot of Germans in town this week. >> Yeah, >> feels exciting. Jay, we're excited. We're going to worship together today. Anything you're feeling for service? anything that you'd love to just pray and uh declare over our community? >> I mean, honestly, for starters, it's so cool that we get to do this together, right?

Like, we get to come together and wake up to a fresh morning where God is alive, >> where we get to celebrate together, where we get to encounter him. And sometimes I just think that we don't realize how incredible that is. >> Yeah. and how amazing it is to be alive and that we get to interact with a God that loves us, that cares for us, >> that knows us.

And I just feel like that's such a privilege. And my daughter and I this morning um I was laying in bed with her just for a little bit and we were asking questions um to chat GBT just about like what's the most amazing thing about the human body and what's the most amazing thing about the ocean and what's the most amazing thing about uh our eyeballs and it's really fun to get some of those facts and it just reminded me like how incredibly amazing God is.

And I just wanted to to read this verse. It was Psalms 19:1. The heavens declare the glory of God. The skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day, they pour forth speech. Night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech. They use no words. No sound is heard from them.

Yet their voices go out to all the earth. And there's something that happens in us when we begin to realize who God is. And it says that nature, all of nature proclaims God's glory. And I I just for me this week and even a couple weeks ago, I've just been thinking a lot about God, you know me, you see me.

You're alive. You're amazing. like you created our eyeballs >> to connect to our brain to be able to like see and and our tongue and our bodies to function well. And here's what it comes down to. >> We have a God who is such an incredible creator who wants to who who wants to have a relationship with us, who wants to know us, who who wants to love us.

And I just think I think that we should be full of wonder every single day at who he is and what he's doing. >> Absolutely. >> And the fact that we don't run the world, God runs the world. He's the one that crafted, that created to put everything into place. >> And we as stewards, we as co- lababorers get, we have the privilege of partnering with him every single day and showing up with him in in part of his creation.

It's incredible. It's an incredible privilege. >> It's true. It's so incredible because I'm thinking I'm seeing people from the chat saying they're in Alaska. We've got Nigeria. We've got New Zealand. I saw Denmark. Um people from Germany, uh Pennsylvania, all over the world. And anywhere you are, the heavens are still declaring the glories of the Lord.

And it doesn't matter where you are, you're looking up into that sky and seeing something being declared by nature, the goodness of God. And it's like it no one on planet Earth is exempt from seeing that. >> Like no matter where you are, >> I think it's so important because every single day we have these things that feel so real to us that are like, "Oh my gosh, what am I going to do about my paycheck?

What am I going to do about these challenges? Marriage, what am I going to do about, you know, kids?" Things like that. And God continually brings us back to look at creation. Look at what I've done. Look at what I built. Look how good I am. Look at how everything speaks back to like I am the source.

I'm a good father who is leading you, guiding you, uh providing for you. You can trust me. You can count on me and and I'm here for you. And not only that, but we we get to be collaboring with Christ inside of his creation. And it's just again like it's I think when you look at something that's really beautiful, right?

When you look at a ring or when you look at um the mountains, you're like, "What created this? What made something so incredibly amazing?" And we get to go back to and worship the creator who made everything work. And I again, for me, it just makes me come alive inside.

It really does to go like you have everything uh pulled together in your hands and you've got this. Yeah, he's got this. J, I want you to pray into that because I can see all over the chat people are even responding like, "Oh, can you can you feel the invitation to wonder?

Can you feel the invitation to experience just even um the goodness of the Lord through that?" And so, I'd love for you to pray. I just feel like there's um an invitation that the Lord's giving us, not only through the word, but through what's happening just Yeah. every day in the midst of our our mundane that we get to experience the creator of the universe doing incredible things in our lives through our lives and we just get to kind of look up and experience it. >> Yeah, absolutely.

And I'll say this too, I really feel like prayer is a real key in this season. um uh it's probably 3 or 4 months ago where the Lord began to invite me into deeper prayer and and I just really I'm seeing incredible things happen through prayer. And so I just wanted to throw that that out there for you guys.

And it may be like a duh moment, but for me like I feel like there's different seasons when God calls us into different things that are really important. So, Father, we thank you that we get to be sons and daughters, Lord. That we get to be co-labors, that we get to be ambassadors, that this morning, the sun coming up or the rain coming down, no matter where you're at, the the the creation that we get to wake up in speaks of how good of a father you are. >> Yeah.

It speaks of how intricately detailed how much you care about the birds, the flowers, Lord, and you really care about us. How much you want to partner with us, Lord. You know that the ocean can be crazy. You know that the sky can be pouring. And Lord, you created all of those things for our benefit.

And Lord, I just thank you that no matter if we're in the sun, if we're in the rain, Lord, that you want to speak about your goodness, your faithfulness, your mercies, and Lord, we get to partner with you in that. So Lord, no matter where each person's at, would you give us a deep revelation of your goodness, of your love, of your kindness for us, of your mercy, of your grace, but also of your creativity that we get to partner with, Lord, of your strength, um, Father, uh, of your your kindness, Lord.

And I just pray that that today that we would that we would have a deeper revelation of who you are as a creator, as a as a lover to us, Lord, as a father, Lord. Thank you for that. Amen. >> Amen. Wow. Thanks, Jay, for praying. I I'm I just feel so thankful that no matter what my circumstance is, like he's unchanging.

He's the same. He's He's good all the time. Guys, we're about to head into worship. We've got um Brady Voss and Haley Kennedy leading us in. Um Richard Gordon's going to be preaching the word this morning. We're so expectant, so thankful. Um we're going to we're going to end with this.

Um I'm looking at my Bible. I'm looking at Psalm 92. I'm looking at Psalm 95. And both are similar. And it says, "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, oh most high, to declare your steadfast love in the morning and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the loot and the harp, to the melody of the liar.

For you, oh Lord, have made me glad by your work. At the works of your hands, I sing for joy. Let's get ready to go into his presence with thanksgiving and praise to worship the King of Kings. He is faithful. He is full of steadfast love and he is good.

And so guys, we're thankful that we get to come together to worship. Um we're expectant for the Lord to as he always does to show up when we come um before him to love him. And so guys, we just love you. We bless you. We'll see you after service. >> Take care. >> Hello.

Hello. All over the room. Hey, let's stand together. All over. We're going to enter into worship today. If you're joining us today, let me say thank you. Welcome. Jesus loves you. if you're online. Welcome. Welcome. O didn't know if you knew this, but the Lord is here. Did you guys know this?

The Lord is here. The Lord is here. We uh we get uh together in the morning uh before every service. There's teams that meet to to gather together, to pray together uh just about the service, and we get to share testimonies. Um, and so we heard testimonies today and I asked this is if you don't know this is Rory.

Rory is our youth pastor, our phenomenal youth pastor. Hello >> here. >> Yeah. So this is the this is young saints. That's the that's the youth group Rory representing. Uh God is doing amazing things all over. One of the places he's doing them is in young saints with our teenagers and I asked Rory if you would just share quickly just testimony to open this morning. >> Yeah, I'd love to.

We had something just really special happen this last Wednesday night. I was sharing and um in our high school service, uh we were in worship and somebody from our team felt the need to put a big wooden cross back in the middle of our stage and kind of in worship and uh so there they kind of just put it on stage while everyone's in worship and it almost I don't know how to describe it.

If you've been in a room and you you sense the hunger start to rise and obviously hunger is a gift given to us. And so as you start feeling the hunger in a room, you you kind of lean in more. You're like, "Wow, we got a lot of kids.

I can feel hunger and faith." And all of a sudden, kids are kneeling at their cross, kids are worshiping. And it almost pulled us into this moment where we ended up worshiping the whole night. And kids are getting, you know, given altar calls. So many kids are are like responding to altar calls, responding to letting go of lifestyles of sin or secrecy.

Um we had somebody there that had gotten saved recently, a teenager at another event in the city, showed up there as their first night there encountering God. And it just it reminded me of of where in Psalm 8 uh it says, you know, by the lips of infants and babes he has ordained praise.

And I'm watching right now. We're hearing about it in fourth and fifth grade right now. So much is happening in our fourth and fifth graders at our Bethl Christian School. It's happening on Sunday mornings. We're experiencing these moments where I'm like, God is actually breaking through in our kids right now.

And it's encouraging. Yeah. This morning on our Twin View campus, they took some of the little kids that are in the that are just go to class, the little guys, and they walked them around the service at Twin View. And people are getting touched by God as these little babies are praying for people all over the service.

So, uh, that's amazing. Yes. That's amazing. And we're here. Listen, let's uh not pretend, but that when the the the cross the middle of the stage and teenagers worshiping Lord, this is why we're here today. This is what we come for is to worship him. And we can do it with each other.

We are going to enter into worship. But before we do, we always just like to take a moment in this house. You're with some amazing people. I don't know if you know this, but you're with some phenomenal, amazing, wonderful people. So, why don't you take just a moment, turn to them, turn to someone you don't know.

Find someone you don't know, someone you didn't drive here with. Say hello to them. Introduce yourself. Love on them a little bit. And then we're going to enter into worship in just a moment. Heat. Heat. Let's sing together. Sing. Behold the lamb. Behold the lamb of God. On the cursed cross, the weight of every sin lay on his shoulders and beaten and betrayed. and wrapped in all my shame.

Forsaking everything for my forgiveness. No greater love than this. Hallelujah. Yeah. We praise the lamb. We praise him on the throne. Hallelujah. Deep within the grave is broken body lay. The darkness thought the heaven was defeated. But Jesus the ground and death was overcome. Heat. Heat. Heat. Yeah.

Heat. We sing soon a day and soon a day will come. The skies will open up and on the clouds we'll see the Lord descending. The gates will open wide. The dead in Christ will rise and he shall reign in glory never behold the lamb of God. Heat.

Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Yeah. Yeah. Let's sing it again. Hallelujah. And we praise you, Lord. die. >> Yes, we praise. We praise the lamb upon. Sing. We praise the lamb. We praise the lamb upon. We praise the lamb. We praise the lamb upon the throne.

Hallelujah. >> Sing we praise the lamb again. And we praise the lamb upon. >> We praise you, Lord. We praise the lamb. >> Praise you, Jesus. We praise the lamb upon the throne. Yeah. We praise the Lord. Oh, for you are good. You are good and your love endures.

You are good. You are good and your love endures. You are good. You are good and your love endures today. Yes, you are. You are good. You are good and your love endures. You are good. You are good and your love endures. You are good. You are good and your love endures to live. >> Oh, one last time.

Let's sing that to him. You are good >> for you are good. You are good and your love endures. >> Yes, Lord. You are good. You are good. >> And your love endures. You are good. You are good. And your love endures today. My hope is built on nothing less. than Jesus blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame but holy trust in Jesus name. Let's sing that again. My hope is built. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but holy trust in Jesus name. Singing Christ alone and Christ alone corner strong we made strong in the Savior's love through the stor.

He is Lord. He's low. When darkness seems to hide his face, I will rest. I rest on his unchanging grace. In every high and slowly g my anchor holds within my anor within Christ the weak. made strong in the Savior's love through the Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat.

Heat. Heat. When he shall come with trumpet sound, oh may I then in him be found dressed in his wrath. rightousness alone. Faultless I stand before the throne. Let's sing it again. When he shall come. When he shall come with trumpet sound. Oh, me I let in him be found.

Dressed in his rightousness alone. For this I stand before the throne. Oh by your mercy. Oh, just lift your arms on. Heat. Heat. Hey, I'm Heat. Heat. He's gone alone forever and ever. Lord of all forever and ever. You are Lord of all forever and ever. You are Lord of all forever and ever.

You are Lord of all. We confess. We confess you are on the throne. You are Lord. Forever and ever. You alone are Lord. Forever and ever and ever and ever. Yes, you are. Yes, you are. Oh Jesus, you are the Lord of all. Yes, you are. Oh, in Christ alone Christ alone.

Born stone, the weak made strong in the sior love through the storm. Yes, you are. >> He is Lord, Lord of all. Look to the Lord this morning. >> Yeah, there he is seated on his throne. Lord of all, Jesus, you are Lord of all. >> Seated on your throne, >> Lord of the only one who's seated on the throne.

Yes, you are Jesus. >> There's only one who's seated on the throne. >> You are Lord of all. >> Only one who's seated on the throne. >> Yes, you are Lord of all. >> There's only one who's seated on the throne. >> Oh, you are Lord of all. >> There's only one who's seated on the throne.

Jesus, Lord of all. >> This only one who's seated on the throne. >> Yes, you are Lord of all. >> This only one who's seated on the throne. >> You are Lord of all. >> This only one who's seated on the throne. >> Yeah. Sing that out. He's Lord of all. >> This only one who's seated on the throne.

You are Lord. >> There's only one who's seated on the throne. >> Yes, you are Lord. >> There's only one who's seated on the throne. >> Jesus, the Lord of all. >> There's only one who's seated on the throne. >> Give the angels praise his name. >> There's only one seated on the throne.

Jesus is the word. Jesus is the word. Jesus only. Heat. Heat. There's only one Jesus. Heat. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Only one seated on the throne. There's only one who's seated on the throne. >> Yeah. We confess you, Lord. There's only one who's seated on the throne.

Worthy as a lamb. There's only one seated on the throne. Yes, God. There's only one who's seated on the cross. He's the Lord of all. Just tell the Lord this morning, you alone are worthy, Jesus. You alone are worthy, Jesus. We don't bring our worship to anyone else.

We bring our worship to the lamb of God. The only one found worthy. The only one found worthy. Let's just lean in. Just begin to sing a new song to the Lord. Scripture says, "Sing a new song to him." We bless you this morning, Jesus. Oh, we bless you as the worthy one.

Oh, as the worthy ones, we bless you this morning, Jesus. Come have our praises. Come have our worship. Come have our worship. Yes. Come have our worship. Come have our worship. And I will give you all my worship. And I will give you all my praise. You alone I long to worship.

You alone are worthy of my praise. So I will give you all my worship. I will give you all my praise. You alone I long to worship. You alone are worthy. >> Let's sing it again. I will give. Yes, I will give. You all my worship. Yes, I will give you all my praise.

For you alone I long to worship. You alone are worthy of my praise. End Up above the heaven sea and down below it's echoing. The anthem of eternity. Oh, let it rise. Let it rise. Let it rise. Jesus, we behold you now. We lift our hands. We lay our crowns.

In highest praise we bring to you. Oh, let it rise. Let it rise. Let it rise. Oh, let it rise. Let it rise. Let it rise. How holy, how holy is the Lord God Almighty, so worthy, so worthy to be praised. Yes, you are. Sing every nation and every nation tribe and tongue bows before the throne of one.

Oh, praise the father spirit son. Let it rise. Let it rise. Let it rise. Let it rise. Let it rise. Let it rise. How? How is the Lord God all mighty? So worthy, so worthy to be praised. Heat. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat.

Heat. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Oh, the one who was and is to come. The lion of Judah, the lamb who was slain, the risen king. Sing it again. This is who he is.

The first and the first. the last, the alpha and omega, the one who was. >> Oh, we join in heaven song today, Lord. The lion of Judah, the lamb who was slain, >> the risen king, the living. >> One more time. The first and the first, the last, the alpha and omega, the one who was to come, >> the lion of Judah, >> the lamb who was slain, the risen king. >> Tell him he's holy.

And how holy, how holy is the Lord God. >> So worthy, so worthy, so worthy to be. >> I'll sing it again. How holy and how holy, how holy is the Lord God Almighty, so worthy, so worthy, be praised. You are alpha and omega. We worship you our Lord.

You are worthy to be praised. >> Sing you are alpha. You are ala and omega. We worship you our Lord. You are worthy to be praised. >> Sing. We give you all the glory. >> We give you all the glory. Glory. We worship you. >> Yes. >> You are worthy to be worthy. >> We give you all.

We give you all. We give you all. All the glory we worship you are Lord. You are worthy to be praised. >> Just one more time we give. We give you all the glory. We worship you our Lord. You are worthy to be praised. Bless you Jesus. Bless you.

Jesus have my heart, my will, my soul. Jesus have my hopes, my dreams, my world. With joy I lay down. With joy I cast my crowns. Jesus have it all. To you I bring my praise, my lips, my song, a living sacrifice as one, reborn. Your life is now my own.

Your will is what I want. Jesus have it all. Jesus have it all. Jesus have it all. To you belongs the glory, the praise of all the world. Jesus have it all. Jesus have it all. Oh blessing and all honor, majesty and all. Jesus have it all. Jesus have your church, your love, your bride.

The joyful which you freely give your life, radiant in white, washed and purified. Jesus have us all. Jesus have your worth, your due, your song, the praise of every nation, tribe and all. Let all that has been made glorify your name. Jesus have us all. Jesus have it all.

Jesus have it all. To you belongs the glory and praise of all the world. Jesus have it all. Jesus have it all. All blessing and all honor, majesty and all. Jesus have it all. Jesus have it all. To you belongs the glory, the praise of all the world.

Jesus have it all. Jesus have it all. All blessing and all, majesty and all. Jesus have it all. to the one who sits on the throne. Jesus, all my life. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat up here. Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. All my Merc all my life. Have it all.

You sit on the throne. All my days, all my life, have it all. Jesus, have it all. Jesus have it all. To you belongs the glory, the praise of all the world. Jesus have it all. Jesus have it all. All blessing and all honor, majesty and all. Jesus have it all.

Jesus have it all. To you belongs the glory, the praise of all the world. Jesus have it all. Jesus have it all. All blessing and all honor, all majesty it all. Jesus have it all. >> Yes, Lord. Jesus have it all. Jesus have it all. >> Jesus have it all. >> Jesus have it all. >> Jesus have it all. >> Jesus have it all. >> Jesus have it all. >> Jesus have it all. >> Just give it all to him. >> Jesus have it all.

Every ounce of what you brought in here that isn't meant to be on your shoulders. >> Give it to the Lord right now. >> Jesus. >> Thank you. >> I don't know if you've seen the journey that we've been on in worship, but first we started with remembering who the Lord is. and that he is on the throne.

And the thing that jumped out at me about the songs of him on his throne is what he's doing there. He's seated. So the things that would normally cause us to jump out of our chair in astonishment or fear, the Lord is seated for. He is not afraid.

He is not overwhelmed. He is not surprised. He is not astonished because he is God Almighty, the Lord of all. He sits on high. He looks down low. In the black church, that's what we used to sing. He sits on high. He looks down low. And from his vantage point, we win.

And we've been singing about that God. We've been singing about the God who delivered the children of Egypt, I'm sorry, Israel out of Egypt. We've been singing about the God who delivered David out of the caves. We've been singing about the God who made Solomon the most wise king of all.

We've been singing about the God who helped the disciples to finally see their Messiah. We've been singing about the God who sent his one and only son that by his name and his sacrifice on the cross, we would be called the children of God. Let me tell you what else I know about that God.

Psalm 46 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear. And even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling, there is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, a holy place of the tabernacle of the most high God.

You are the tabernacle of the most high God. The Holy Spirit dwells inside of you. He moves inside of you. In him you live, breathe, and move and have your being. He is in you. He is with you. He is for you. God is in the midst of her.

Verse 5, she shall not be moved. And God shall help her just at the break of dawn. The nations raged. The kingdoms were moved. He uttered his voice. The earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us. Say that with me. The Lord of hosts is with us.

The Lord is reminding us today of who he is, where he's seated, and who we are. The Lord of hosts is with us. But this is the verse that woke me up this morning. I'm going to get to it. Ooh, this is building so good. Come, behold the works of the Lord, who has made desolations in the earth.

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two. He burns the chariot in the fire. And this is what woke me up this morning. Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations.

I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us. Say that with me again. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Some of us came in here with things on our shoulders we were never meant to carry.

And this is an opportunity because the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is seated on his throne and sees all and knows all and loves us all is in us all. And it is time to cast off those things that we were never meant to walk with.

Amen. So, I just want you to start balling them up. Balling them up. All those things you brought with you, maybe you got to take them off your shoulder. Just start balling them up. If you're online and you're watching, just start balling them up. Balling them up. If you brought bitterness, if you brought fear, if you have an issue in finances, if you are are overwhelmed at work, if you feel like you don't know what God is saying, what the next step is supposed to ball it up.

Ball it up. Ball it up. Ball it up. Yeah. Get it all nice and compact. Nice and I know we don't have snow, but we're like making a big old snowball. And I want us to cast it away from us. Don't throw it at your neighbor's head, but but I want you to ball it up.

You got it? And I want you on the count of three, you're going to shout, "The Lord of Hosts is with us." And you're going to cast off these things that have been trying to weigh you down. Oh, I see some of you have big big snowballs. All right, you're going to cast it.

Okay, on the count of three, the Lord of Hosts is with us. All right, one 2 3 He is with us. He is now. Praise the lamb of God. Who is seated on the throne who never fails. Who walks in his holiness. Has no one to check in with.

He has no supervisor. He has no equal. He alone is king of kings. And Lord of lords. Worship the Lord. Oh, we worship you, Lord. We thank you, God. You are our refuge and our strength. We honor you this morning. We praise your name. We praise you all our days, all our life.

You can have all that we have, Lord. You can have all of our worship, all our days, God. All my life, all have it all. Have it all. Oh, heat, heat. All my life have it all. Don't you feel light? The goodness of God. Don't you feel light?

Tell your neighbor, "I feel lighter." Tell your other neighbor, "You look lighter." So good. Hug them as you make your way back to your seats. And please, please thank our worship team. Woo! Have it all. Jesus. Oh, online, we're so glad that you're here. As you are making your way to your seats, um the junior high students who've been participating in that program can make their way to the door now and uh go take part in that class.

And let's welcome up Lauren Valatin. Oh, Jamila. She led us in prayer today. Thank you, Miss Jamila. Oh, good morning, Bethl Church. Thank you. Hey, if you've got a seat open next to you, would you raise a hand? We've got a lot of people around the side and the back maybe looking for chairs.

We've also got our overflow room open across the hall to my left. Our ushers and some of our team will help you guys all find a a seat. Good morning. Good morning. >> Yeah, keep your hands up just a little bit. Thank you so much. That's perfect. Okay.

Hey. Well, do we by any chance have any firsttime guests with us today? Would you raise your hand? Give us a wave. First time guests. Hi. Welcome. Keep your hands up. Give us like a loud proud wave. Keep your hands up. Our ushers have something there just for you, our first time guest.

How wonderful to share our worship time with you this morning. We're so glad you're here. Uh if this is your very first time to BETHL and you've got one of those cards in your hand, we would love it if you would meet our team outside in the south lobby after service, we've got a team out there at that information booth that would love to pray over you, prophesy over you, and if you are here to stay, if you're considering making Bethl your home church, then we definitely want to make sure you know how to get connected and plugged in.

So, welcome guest. So good to have you. Uh a couple announcements for you today. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ and you have never been baptized, you have the opportunity to be baptized tonight at our 6 p.m. worship service. So, if that's you or anybody that you know that would like to be baptized, we would invite you to join our team at 5:00 p.m. in the East West Fellowship Room.

We've got a short class. Our teams will walk you through kind of what is baptism, what to expect in that baptism experience. I will tell you, spoiler alert, you will get soaking wet from head to toe. So, you're going to want to bring a change of dark clothing and a towel.

But other than that, our teams will prep you in the East West Fellowship Room. And we would love to celebrate your baptism with you tonight during our worship service. So, yep, no need to sign up ahead of time. Just head that way at 5:00. The next thing I'll mention, which I've mentioned a couple weeks now, is just that if you're a member here at Bethl Church, you want to mark February 25th on your calendar.

That's our annual business meeting. We will do check-in for everyone at 6:00 p.m. in that lobby and then we'll start our meeting at 6:30. That's kind of your annual moment to get some really good important updates, business updates, um ministry updates from Bethl Church. If you're a member, we really need you to prioritize being there that night.

So, we'd love to see you. And now, we don't have um any church news today. So, I'm going to actually invite you to stand up. We're going to take the ti and offerings this morning. I'm going to do that, too. Why not? Um, right. Let's do that, too.

Uh, I was driving here this morning and Isaiah 26 was in my spirit. It says, uh, in verse three, you will keep him in perfect peace. You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts you. Trust in the Lord forever. He's our everlasting strength.

So this morning as we receive our tithes and offerings, here's what I was feeling in my spirit is that as we give today, as we receive ti and offerings and we actually make a statement, a physical statement in the natural realm, what we get to do with our money is make a statement that our eyes are fixed on him, that we trust him beyond circumstance, beyond anything that Jamila prayed off of us this morning.

We actually get to make a physical declaration about where our trust is. And it says that he will keep us in perfect peace whose eyes are fixed on him. So let's read declaration number two today as a church. And let's just make that statement of faith as we believe for great things as we give our tithes.

As we receive today's offering, we are believing you for heaven opened, earth invaded, storehouses unlocked, and miracles created. Dreams and visions, angelic visitations, declarations, impartations, and divine manifestations, anointings, giftings, and calls, positions, and promotions, provisions, and resources to go to the nations. Souls and more souls from every generation saved and set free, carrying kingdom revelation.

Thank you, Father, that as I join my value system to yours, you will shower favor, blessing, and increase upon me so I have more than enough to co- lababor with heaven and see Jesus get his full reward. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Very good. Jesus, bless this offering today. We trust you.

We fix our eyes on you, God, and we welcome your perfect peace. Okay, our ushers are going to pass those buckets and as they do, I'm going to welcome up Dan Fairley who's going to give us an important bit of information today. >> Hey everybody, >> it's good to see you.

And as the offering's going around and then uh just before Richie comes up to preach and speak, got an important update for you and I need to I need to be really clear. So, I'm going to read it to you, and I realize it's about a situation that some of you may be aware of or not be aware of.

So, I'm going to read this to you. On February 13th, 2026, we became aware of a video containing serious allegations of clergy sexual abuse pertaining to Ben Armstrong, about the events that took place in 2009. Earlier that day at 11:10 Pacific time, we released a statement based on the information that we were aware of at the time and our understanding of Ben's lived repentance since that time.

However, in light of these pre new and previously unknown allegations, we've placed Ben Armstrong on administrative leave and he'll not be ministering while an independent third party investigation takes place. This step forward is not a verdict, but a necessary measure intended to reflect the care and sobriety with which we approach matters uh of this nature and our desire to operate with transparency and truth.

We are currently reaching out to those who've been brought who've brought these allegations to light and we are actively engaging outside counsel and independent experts to ensure thorough impartial and traumainformed processes. We are committed to health and accountability as we pursue spiritual, physical and emotional safety across our entire organization.

I recognize that an update like that can stir emotions. And again, I want to be available today. The senior leadership team will be in the veil room today if you'd like to pray with us or speak with us or need pastoral support and uh after the service. But we'll have ongoing communication about this.

Our very own Richie Gordon is coming now to preach under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. So, welcome Richie Gordon. Why don't you just lift your hands with me? Oh Jesus, we recognize your presence here. Jesus, we love you. Jesus, our posture is on our knees, on our face.

Search me, know me. Jesus, our hearts are yours. Through this journey, I've learned that Jesus loves the church. Jesus leads the church. >> Jesus owns the church. >> It's his bride. >> Oh Jesus, give me your love for your bride. Just tap someone next to you and say, "I love Jesus.

I'm very aware that uh I'm not here simply to preach a message, but the the Lord has invited me to help lead us through a moment. And my posture is not to preach at you, but to lead and help lead us through something. In moments of shaking, Jesus reenters us, not by shrinking the gospel, but by purifying what we carry.

We are tending a moment as a church that's very tender. A moment that requires humility, clarity, and deep dependence on Jesus. Trust has been impacted for some, confusion stirred for others, pain has been brought to the surface for people we deeply, deeply care about. I just want to say very clearly, if you've been hurt, confused, or wounded by leaders or the church, God sees you.

You are not invisible. Your pain matters and your voice should be heard. >> I just want to be very clear. Jesus is not nervous in this moment. The Holy Spirit has not stepped back. Truth, light, repentance, and love are not threats to revival, but foundations. >> Jesus isn't nervous, and the Holy Spirit has not withdrawn.

Today I'm going to preach a message called um obedience and humility at the river. And I can imagine as a church family, we are at a river moment. Uh and we're crossing this river together. But I'm also very aware that there's people in this room that have their own river, their own river that they are crossing.

Um, and we see throughout scripture there's these river moments, these crossing point moments where God doesn't speak just from a mountain, but he waits at the river for his people. I believe every person in this room is standing at a river right now. Not the same river, but a very real one.

And the question is not will you face this river. The question is how will you cross this river? My wife's in the front row. I'm married to Libby, the most beautiful woman in the world. And um we have three children. Our first child is Moses. Our second child is Elizabeth or Ella Rose.

Hi Ella. And our third child is Joshua. We have a Moses and a Joshua. We're that Christian. And when Moses a couple years ago, we were in Hawaii and we were at this place called Wamea Bay and it's one of the big wave surfing spots in the world and the sea and there was also a river and between them there's an estie.

It's like a a body of water where the sea and the river meet and there was this rushing estry. this. It was so fast and it had broken one of the sandbanks and it started forming a standing wave moving from the sea to the estry and there were these prourfers surfing the standing wave in this estry.

And so me and Moses and Libby were there and we were watching these prourfers surf this rushing body of water and then Moses gets slipped into the estri now he can't swim and Libby is screaming Moses Moses and if you any dads here you wave your dad in that moment I became Indiana phones and I my hand reached out further than it had ever reached and Moses was under the water getting swept away and I gripped his hand and I started getting swept away too into the estie and then I picked him up above the water and still to this day my son Moses will say, "Dad, remember when you saved my life?"

I'm a good dad, but there is a great father. >> And his arm in the river is so outstretched >> that for all that are in trouble, his arm is stretched out that you would grip onto it, he will save. >> That's right. >> And if you're here and you don't know Christ or if you're here and you're far from God, I want to tell you great news.

The father's arm is stretched out to save. >> Stretched out to save you. And if you're in a spot of trouble and you're in the river, I want to tell you that the father's arm is stretched out >> and he is he will hold on to your hand.

And let me tell you, you're going to get through this river. >> You're going to get through this river. I want to take us to the scripture and show us a river, the river Jordan, and I'm going to show us a moment in the Old Testament and a moment in the New Testament.

I don't want to just give you opinion. I want to give you a biblical pattern of how we cross over rivers. So, why don't you turn to Joshua chapter 1 and we're going to read from verse one all the way to verse 11. It's going to be a chunky piece of scripture.

I give you a little context. Moses was he he gets commissioned at a burning bush to take his nation out of slavery. And Moses comes to the Red Sea, puts his staff, and the Red Sea supernaturally parts. and he's able to take his people uh from slavery to freedom.

Joshua is uh a man. He takes the people from freedom to promise. And this is the context of when Joshua is here. He's at a river. And let's read verse one. After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua, son of Nun, Moses's aid.

Verse two, Moses, my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I'm about to give them to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot. As I promised Moses, your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon.

Let me just pause right there. When we read the scripture, we don't just read it. The scripture reads us. And as I'm going through this chunky piece of scripture, I want to encourage you. Let the Holy Spirit just speak to you. Don't wait for my insight or revelation as you're reading through it.

Like, let the scripture read you and like jump out at you. I've got go back to verse three. I will give you every place where you set your foot as I promised Moses. Your territory will be extended from the desert to Lebanon and from the great river Euphrates all the Hittite country to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.

No one will be able to stand amongst you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep the book of the law always on your lips. Meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.

Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. So Joshua ordered the officers of the people, go through the camp and tell the people, get your provisions ready.

Three days from now, you will cross the Jordan here to to go and take possession of the land the Lord your God has given you for your own. continue the story. He in Joshua chapter 3, Joshua doesn't just take a promise. He writes that promise down. It becomes a goal.

He breaks that goal down. It becomes a plan and he implements that plan. And he takes the people to the Jordan River and he crosses the Jordan River in the most supernatural way. I'm going to just go through this and read it. And as we go through it and read, um, I want to give you I want to tell you what God's doing in me during this season.

Um, as I'm part of the leadership team, the Holy Spirit is a person. The Holy Spirit is not a force. >> If the Holy Spirit is a force, you're waiting for a moment or you're waiting for an event to happen. But if he's a person, he's walking with me in the valley.

He's walking with me on the mountain. He's in the river with me. He's right next to me, whispering to me in tough conversations. He's whispering to me when I'm crying on my pillow at night. He is speaking to me for he is a person. >> The Trinity is the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The only one that has a body is Jesus the son. The Holy Spirit does not have a body. And so it's sometimes it's hard to to have this concept of like how am I supposed to have a relationship with a person that does not have a body. He has a mind, a will, emotion that the scriptures outlay for us, but he has no body.

The way we can describe him, he's like the wind. The wind comes in. We can see the leaves rustle, but we can't see the wind. And the Holy Spirit, he comes into this place. And you'll feel the tenderness and the weight of him. You'll some will shake under his tender presence.

Some will weep because of his presence, but you won't you won't see his body. But if you can understand that he is a person that you can have a relationship with. He is the key to crossing the river. >> Not just a set of principles. It's the person of the Holy Spirit. >> So as you read through this, let the person of the Holy Spirit lead you.

Okay. So verse two, I'm going to go verse by verse. Um, I want to pick verses and we'll go through it. And I believe the Lord has a biblical pattern for us here to show us how to cross a river. If it's just my opinion, great. But if it's a biblical pattern, here we go.

This means you can apply it to your river. Verse two, Moses, my servant, is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I'm about to give you. Let's pause right there. This moment is happening in tragedy. >> What?

H how many people here you would say to me some of the greatest change has happened in my life during some of the most difficult moments of my life right here. It does not feel like the perfect time. This is the midst of a tragedy. This is not a small tragedy.

This is a big deal. >> In the midst of this big deal, >> God's like, "Now is the time." Like what? Surely surely we should wait for my whole life to be like in order. Surely I need to wait until I get over my father wounds, my mother wounds.

Surely need to wait until everything is perfect before I can partner with you spirit and move forward. >> In the midst of tragedy, God says, "Now is the time. Come on. >> Right now across this room and on the stream, people are going, "Oh man, I remember that difficult moment.

It changed me." >> It changed me. >> I'll speak directly. We are in a very significant moment as a church and it's going to be one of the most transforming moments ever. >> This is a moment to lean in. This is a moment to lean into the spirit.

This is going to transform you. In the midst of crisis, there's a great opportunity for transformation. Moses, my servant, is dead. Now then, you and all these people get ready to cross the Jordan into the land I'm about to give them. I've learned this from Chris and uh this house that sometimes when you lead prophetically, it's not just what you do, it's when you do it.

You can do the same thing but in a different time and you strike oil. >> And suddenly in this moment of crisis, God's like, "Now's the time." We see it in the scripture with Jesus. He's like, "Cast your nets on the other side." What? We just did that.

In moments like this, it may be not a new thing he's asking you to do, but he's asking you to obey. And in it, you're going to strike gold. Let's go. >> Verse three. I will give you every place where you set your foot as I promised Moses.

Let's go to verse 5. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you. What are we seeing here? We're seeing Moses's promise is becoming Joshua's promise. >> At the river, >> you start to get confronted. >> Is this your faith or is this your leader's faith? >> Are you riding on the coattails of a man or are you riding on the co holding on to the coattails of the son of man?

We see this with Jesus with Simon. Simon comes to him in Matthew 16:16. Jesus have a conversation. He says, "Who do you say that I am?" And Simon responds, "Well, these people say this, these people say this, these people say that." And Jesus gets in his face and says, "Who do you say that I am?"

And Simon responds and it changes everything. >> He says, "You are the Messiah. You are the Christ." And it's like this high moment in history of the church. And Jesus responds and says, "No longer do I call you Simon, but I call you Peter. >> For in the river, your identity is changed. >> No longer do I call you Simon.

I call you Peter. And on this rock, I will build my church. I believe the church wasn't just built on Peter. It was built on the personal revelation of the Messiah. >> And here we have Joshua. And God is saying to Joshua, just like Moses, now it's yours.

At the river, there's a question. You're like it becomes is this faith personal or am I hanging on to the coattails of a man and I would propose at the river identity is formed identity is formed just like in the rivers of baptism. Oh God let me hold on to the coat of the son of man >> with all my grip.

Verse seven, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my so servant Moses gave you. Can you see that Joshua is not leaving the old? He's not leaving the old to hang on to something brand new. He's holding on to everything. Isn't that beautiful?

It's like sometimes people like it's a new season, but I'm bringing everything I've learned from my last season in. I I was an engineer, electronic engineer, worked for YouTube, Google. I thought when I became a minister, uh, I'd leave it all behind. You laugh because you guys know what I'm the chief technology officer here and I help with the infrastructure here.

And I'd use that engineering mind to come and bring uh help into this place. Paul Manoring taught us this like he wastes nothing. Everything from there is getting brought into this. Uh be strong and very courageous. There's a biblical pattern here where Joshua takes ground on the earth, promised land on the earth.

Joshua, what he does is he takes a dream and he it this promise and he puts obedience to it. And a promise without obedience becomes a dream never realized. >> And some people have all these promises and they're sitting back and they talk about these promises and promises, but they've never put obedience to it.

And it's just remained a dream that's never been realized. >> And Joshua, in the book of Joshua, it's showing us a biblical pattern of how do we take ground in the natural? We take ground in the natural by putting obedience to promise at the right prophetic timing. >> It says in three days we're going to go take that land. >> He takes a dream.

He it becomes a goal. He breaks that goal down into a plan and he implements it and he actually leads and he puts a plan in place and he rolls it out. >> Some of you need to sit with some strategists and say, "Help me put a plan together. >> This is so good >> because I have a dream, >> but I don't know how to turn that into a promised land.

And when Joshua gets his plan, it's a heavenly plan. And the plan is this. He's supposed to go to the River Jordan with the priests and the ark. And he's supposed to step into the water. Now, this is some crazy stuff right here. It says, "Be strong and courageous."

The soul would say that I need more clarity. I need more clarity. >> But the spirit would say, have faith. >> The soul needs 100% clarity, 100% agreement for movement forward. But the spirit operates in the realm of truth, love, and faith. >> Oh, I want to be led.

I love the soul is a gift. Let me tell you, your emotions are not bad. They are a gift. Jesus has a Jesus has emotions. Your mind is not a hindrance. It is a gift. >> Your will is not a hindrance. It's a gift. >> But the spirit should be the leader.

Being strong and courageous looks like having faith to stand, put your feet in the water. And what happens when the feet go in the water? Joshua 3, those Jordan River supernaturally parts just like the Red Sea, but this time it gets held up at the headarters at a place called Adam.

A prophetic picture that this is about generations. and the the supernatural parting of a river and the people step into the promised land. >> Can you see the identity transformation happened leading up to the river parting not when they got to the promised land. Some of you are waiting like, "Oh man, as soon as I've got my identity right, then you know then, you know, if I can get to that destination, everything's going to be okay."

And God's like, "Now." >> Now, when everything's not perfect, now >> follow the spirit. >> When there's when there's nervousness, when now follow the spirit. >> Have someone next to you and say, "Obedience takes ground in the natural. I want to take you to Matthew chapter 3. I'm taking you to the Jordan again, but instead of Joshua coming to the Jordan, we have Jesus coming to the Jordan.

And in Matthew 3:13, I want you to read it with me because I want the scripture to read you. Verse 13. Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

Jesus replied, "Let it be so." Now it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness. Then John consented. Verse 16. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water and at that moment heaven was opened and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove al lighting on him.

And a voice from heaven said, "This is my son with whom I love with whom I am well pleased." Jesus comes to the river and instead of going across the river, Jesus comes into the river and he comes low and instead of the river supernaturally parting, the heavens supernaturally part. >> And the posture of Joshua is courage and obedience to cross a river.

But the posture of Jesus is humility to see an open heaven. And you would say to me, Rich, so what am I supposed to do at my river? Am I supposed to be bold, courageous, or am I supposed to be humble? Yes, >> you're supposed to have radical obedience to the scriptures. >> Radical obedience to following the scriptures and following what is true, what is lovely, what is right.

And you're supposed to have radical humility. >> Just like when Jesus came to the earth, he came as a baby. And he came and he humbled himself. >> Is it going to look easy? No. When he came as a baby, Herod tried to kill him. And he and and then his parents had to take him.

It's in the midst of difficult moments the spirit will lead you. >> The spirit's leading me and it's leading us during these times. And Jesus comes low. I don't know if you realize how significant this is. The waters of baptism at the Jordan were baptism for repentance of sin. >> And it is the first person to have ever walked the earth that is sinless. >> And he comes to these waters and he comes and humbles himself and comes low.

He had every every reason to defend himself, every reason to not. >> And he chose a posture of humility. >> And the results after that posture of humility was an open heaven. >> Humility will heal people around you, but humility will open the heavens around you. Amen. >> And he gets down on his knees, a picture, a symbolism of his death.

And he comes under the water and then he comes up, a symbolism of his resurrection. And the heavens tear and the father's voice comes booming out. This is not an inner voice. This is not a voice in your spirit or voice that whispers in your head. No, the theologians will say this was an audible, a soundwave that came from heaven, the father's voice shouting, "This is my son with whom I love and I'm well pleased."

For 400 years, the prophets haven't been speaking. The voice of God was so rare. But this marks the crossing of a river from one covenant to another. In the law of first mention, the first time something is spoken, it sets the precedence for the rest. So this covenant, this covenant is not about how much you can do.

This covenant is about a father that's pleased with you. >> If you're far from God or if you are an unbeliever and you found yourself here, I want to tell you this. God loves you. God is pleased and he wants to be near you and close to you and run to you.

He is not far from you. This is a covenant of love and grace. He is chasing you down. >> You may think he's far. He's like this close to you. And his outstretched arm is here in the river. And Jesus comes up out of the river. The heavens tear.

The voice of God comes and the Holy Spirit comes like a dove. For us to walk with the Holy Spirit, the person of the Holy Spirit, humility is imperative. It's not just a good idea and a good posture. It's imperative for the Holy Spirit to rest upon us.

I'm not just showing you a good idea. I'm showing you a biblical pattern on how to go across a river. In the scripture, the river is never casual. It's where wondering ends and promise begins. It's where pride gets exposed. It's where obedience costs something. It's where God meets people right at the edge of themselves.

Let's have someone next to you and say I'm at the river. I want to share one more river story and then I'm going to pray for us. It's a story of uh Nman or if you're American, non. And Norman's a he's a proud man. He's a proud proud proud man.

He's distinguished. He's royal. He's uh successful. He's done many things and uh he has respect and and he demands it. and he is struggling with leprosy. He's got this um skin disease. He's got this sickness that has hurts him. And he's heard of a prophet Elijah that could heal him.

And so he goes and he thinks, I'm going to meet with the important man. I'm going to get an audience of the important man. And the prophet won't see him. And he sends his servant to tell Nan, you need to go dip yourself in the Jordan River. You go dip yourself in the Jordan River.

And Nman's pride, Nman's pride makes him refuse to obey the word of the Lord. >> And he gets to the end of himself because often it takes getting to the end of yourself for transformation to happen. And he gets to the very end of yourself. I know you're there.

You've been there. You get to the very end of yourself and you're like, "Okay, God." And Nmon gets to the end of himself and he doesn't just drag his body, he drags his pride to the river. >> And Nmon dips himself in that muddy Jordan River. And when he goes under, his his um his sin and sickness goes under, but also his pride goes under that river.

And when Nmon gets up out of that river, he has baby skin, but he has a healed heart. for pride had been ripped out of him. It died in that river. At these moments, these river moments, it's where pride, you're met with pride and and you have to let go. >> One of my students, he shared with me and it's so profound and he said the scripture that says, "God draws near to the humble but he opposes the proud."

I always imagine this like this is my wife here. I always imagine he draws near to the humble. He comes so close. So I imagine the proud he would do the opposite. He would draw away. But the scripture doesn't say he draws away. The scripture says he will oppose the proud.

What does it look like when you oppose someone? You come so close. You come so close. so close to them that you get you you're confronting the pride within them. You're pulling the pride out. God is this close to the humble but this close to the proud >> keeping them up at night. >> Speaking to them in the whispers of the night, >> saying, "I will not let you hang on to this pride.

Lay down the sword. Stop defending yourself. >> Drop to the knee. >> And healing will come to your soul >> and healing will come to the body. >> And in the Jordan River, Nmon doesn't just get healed of his sickness, but he gets healed of his sickness. My posture during this time, if you don't recognize it, globally, the church should be saying, "Search me and know me, God." >> My posture is I'm in the river like Norman.

I'm saying, "God, search me and know me. If there's any pride within me, God, oppose me. Come right up face to face. Just challenge me. God, pull it out of me. If my I don't you know when Jesus came to Jerusalem he did not ride in on a high horse.

He rode in in a as on donkey. He did not ride in and when he rode into Jerusalem was the s it was signaled that he came in as king. It was his inauguration. It was prophesied. But he did not come in a high horse. He came in on a donkey.

And I'm like, God, if a donkey was good enough for the King of Kings, put me on a mule. God, I want to be dipped in the river. I want to be healed of any pride. Nmon comes to the river powerful, accomplished, and offended. The river doesn't challenge his disease first.

It challenges his pride first. Nmon is healed when he gets low. And Jesus heals us by going low. Still tap someone next to you and saying, "I'm going low in this season. Again, I'm not just preaching a good message. I feel like the Lord said, "Would you shepherd a people at a time like this to help cross a river, your personal river, and a river at at us?"

Obedience is like plowing a field. It's sweaty. It's slow. It's not glamorous, but it prepares the soil. And humility is like rain. You can't force it, but when it falls on prepared ground, everything grows. H how do you take a biblical pattern and a a prophetic um revelation of what to do now?

How do you do anything about it on Monday? Anything about it on Tuesday? For some of you, courage looks like staying present instead of disappearing. For some, humility looks like listening instead of defending. >> The Lord has spoken to me so clearly during the season. Rich, be quick to listen and very slow to speak.

For some, courage is acting. For some, humility is waiting. I want to ask you today two questions. This is where it gets personal for you. It moves from being inspirational to a responsibility to ask yourself, what do I already know to now go and obey? Many of us there's been promises or the Lord has whispered and it just you are one step of courage away from obedience.

I want to ask yourself and you you know it's it's been ringing in your head the whole time I've been speaking. What do I already know that I know I need to obey this week? And the second question is, and where am I invited to come low in humility?

This is where the scripture moves from being on the page and the word becomes flesh. I want to pray for us. Um, and I'll give you an invitation to respond. If you are uh at a river, there's a biblical pattern here of how to take ground in the natural.

It's through courage, strength, and obedience. If you're a river at a river, there's a biblical pattern of how to walk in an open heaven. It's through radical humility. I want to give you an opportunity to respond. Um, not so we have a good service, but it says in the scriptures that if you acknowledge God before man, he will acknowledge you in the heavens.

What does that word acknowledge means? Yada. It means an intimate connection. So your response may look like a standing. Your response may look like something, but in the spirit it looks like a connection. Um, and I'll ask you the question if you know that you need courage right now.

You know that you need courage to step into radical obedience. You know you need to be strong and courageous at this river junction that you personally are at. If you know that you need God's courage, I'm not talking about soul-led courage. I'm talking about a spirit-ledd courage. The soul is beautiful, but I'm talking about a spirit-led courage.

Do you know that you I'm going to count to three and I want you just to stand. One, two, and three. And then if you're sitting or if you're standing, this is for you. If you know that this season requires radical humility, if you know this season requires you to be moving in humility so that you would step into an open heaven.

When I count to three, I want you to just open your hands. If you're sitting or if you're standing, one, two, and three. And then just with every eye closed, I want to pray for you. Thank you, God. Jesus, lead us through this river. Give us courage that obeys.

Give us humility that stays close. We trust you to part the way. We trust you to part the way. We trust you to open the heavens and we trust you to provide. Oh Jesus, I bless every one of their souls. Put your hand on your heart right now.

I don't want to minimize the soul. The soul is a blessing. Emotions are a blessing. The mind is a blessing. Your will is a blessing. God, I bless the soul. As David would say in the scriptures in Psalm 42, he speaks to his soul. He says, "Oh soul, you're downcast.

Hope in the Lord." And he says, "Praise the Lord, oh my soul. Don't forget all his benefits." I speak to your souls right now. I say, "Hope in the Lord, soul." I speak to your souls right now. I say praise God and don't forget all that God has done, soul. >> Soul, I bless you.

I speak to every one of your souls. And now I want to speak to your spirit. Your spirit that has become one with the Holy Spirit. And I speak of your spirit. I say, spirit, you are blessed. Spirit, it's not time for the soul to lead. It's time for the spirit to lead us.

So spirit, I speak to you and I just declare permission to lead in this river season. Permission to lead in this river season. I speak over our body and our movement. Oh God, I pray for a radical humility that would come upon and a radical grace to obey what is true, lovely.

Well God, we thank you for the mercy of the Lord that would rest upon this house and rest upon all those that have been connected to this place. Holy Spirit, we thank you for the grace on this place. It's um it's such a privilege uh to speak during such a sensitive time.

Just want to let you know how much I love this church. How much I love these leaders. Hours behind closed doors. You know, movements aren't made on stages. Movements are made behind closed doors. Hours behind closed doors in radical humility and radical obedience. I just love this place.

And she tap someone next to you and say, "I'm in the river." Wow. Can we give Richard a round of applause, please, friends? What a good word. Can we all just say Richie, we love you. >> We love this man. I wonder if I can invite the the ministry team up front quickly.

You can come forward. And while they're coming forward, I just want to just extend the invitation. If you've never given your life to Jesus or maybe you've walked away from him and today you feel that pull that you want to recconnect with God, this morning is the morning.

And if that's you, I want you to be brave and I don't want you to talk yourself out of this situation or out of faith, but I want you to stick up your hand quickly. Say, "That's me. I know that I've got to give my life to Jesus.

I'm going to look furiously through the crowd here." Or you need to recommmit your life to Jesus. Give me a wave so I can see clearly. Okay, looks like we're all in. If not, the sign is up here and you can come speak to someone and they'll pray for you.

But is it okay if I pray for you before I send you out? >> All right. Lord Jesus, we thank you. We thank you. We thank you for who you are. We say that we want to build our house on the rock of Jesus. We declare that your kingdom is the the kingdom of all kingdoms.

That you are the king of all kings. We thank you Lord for peace to guard hearts and minds throughout this week. We thank you for your grace to fall upon us and perhaps your opposition. We love you, Lord. And everybody said, >> "Amen." Make sure you connect to someone on the way out.

Thanks for being with us. >> Hello. Hello, Bethl online community. Um I know Brad just gave us a moment to respond. If that's you, if if you're uh in a situation where you want to give your life to Jesus, maybe for the first time or maybe you're recommitting your life, our team would love to know, you can write, "That's me.

I want to give my life to Jesus." In the comments, you could say, "I need Jesus." But something to indicate that today is a day you want to make a decision for him. We'd love to pray for you. We'd love to cover you in that. What a message. >> Yeah, it's incredible.

Honestly, um I love Richard talking about the river because the river was really the pathway to the promised land. And I know that when we often get into that place where we're going, man, there's things in my life that I need to address or areas of my life that are challenging or when he told the story about his son uh almost being swept away and then him reaching out and grabbing him.

I have been there so many times in my life. like so many times in my life um working through different areas of pain and those have always birthed incredible fruit in my life >> and it's the the humility that that Rich was talking about today. It to me is this incredible place of surrender so that I don't have to do it all right like I surrender.

I cast my cares on God. I lean on him. And he is able then once we surrender, he's able to come in and take that place of being Lord in our life. Take that place of like the picture of Richard coming and grabbing his son. It's in the surrender that God comes and he lifts us up.

And I was thinking about this verse earlier and honestly this feels like a ver a verse for my life right now which is really powerful. It's Acts 20:24. I consider my life worth nothing to me. My only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me.

The task of testifying the good news of God's grace for me. I just feel there's so much power in going this is my focus. >> Yeah. >> I have I'm a son of God. I've been called to be a collabor with Christ. It's not my job to make everything work out perfectly.

It's his job. My job is to surrender to his will every day like Jesus did. He said, "I didn't come to do my will, but I came to do the will of the father." Right? So, you see this perfect posture of humility with Jesus coming. Right? He's our perfect model.

So, he models humility through surrender to God. And you watch God be glorified because Jesus is going, "I'm not here to do what I want. I'm not here to do what everyone else wants me to do. I'm not here to do what the crowd wants me to do.

I'm not here to please everybody. I'm on a mission to please the father. And that is done through humility. It's done through servantthood. It's done through this pathway. And I just know each one of us has these places in our lives. There's nobody that's on this call today.

There's nobody in the church. There's nobody online today that has all of life figured out, that doesn't have a place where we ultimately feel secure in our ability to do this life. Because life was never meant for us to get security through what we can do. It's always through Christ.

And so, I just want to encourage you like this to me is so encouraging because you don't have to figure everything out perfectly. You don't have to bear your own fruit. We can go, Lord, what are you guiding me in today in humility, right? Like, Lord, I've got this place in my life.

I've got my marriage or I've got this circumstance that we're that we're in wi with church or I have a past wound that that is a real place for me where I feel like I need the Lord to reach out and to lead me through. And God, would you come and take that place? would you come and if I lay this before you and I seek you and I press into you and I don't just try to solve it or mask it or or even numb out but Lord if I can come and ask what are you saying about this >> what are you doing in this where are you at in this place as I'm moving through these challenging times I really want to encourage you guys to this week to to really press Then in the humility again isn't I'm bad, I'm not doing good, I'm not enough.

It's all about who he is. It's all about his strength and surrendering to him. >> So good. Jay, I want to ask you just this question. Um, practically, if there are some people who are online and they're thinking like, what does that look like? How do I how do I I I don't know.

How do I go low in that? How do I begin to have that conversation with the Lord? Sometimes it's easy for us to kind of say like, you know, bring that before the father. Is there anything practically you would say or give advice to some of maybe our community who are wondering like what does that actually look like? >> Yeah.

For starters, I think there's places that God's calling us into that we don't actually want to talk about, we don't want to look at. And it really does take courage, right? And even in my own life, it takes so much courage to step into those places. uh could be my marriage where I really don't want to address the pain or I'm really afraid of what my wife's feedback is for me or I'm really afraid of you know these places and I think the first step is can I have courage to really look at what God's bringing up >> good >> there's none of us that get that get out of that first posture of humility is to Lord what do you want to say >> the next question is how do you want to lead me what do you want me to do in this Lord because it's not like he comes in and solves all these situations for us. >> The humility piece is Lord, I'm willing to take the steps that you are leading and guiding me in.

We have the Holy Spirit for that >> that leads us into righteousness. >> And so I really do think that David prayed this prayer, search me, know me, Lord. >> And it's a show me. It's the kindness of God that leads us to repentance. So when the Lord's bringing something up in our lives, it's show me Lord where you want to purify, where you want to grow me, where you want to heal me, and and having the courage to walk that out in openness and honesty with him, and really starting to address this.

And this last thing I'll say, the only thing in our life that that what I should say like this, what keeps chaos happening is our inability to confront it. And so our ability to actually step up and confront it, it's Eve eating the apple >> or eating the fruit, Adam standing right next to her.

He never confronts it. >> He never actually stops and says, "Hey, enemy, devil," or even, "Hey, Eve, this isn't what we're supposed to be doing." >> And our ability to confront these places in our lives >> that are causing tons of pain. I really think that is a massive posture >> of humility that God's calling us into.

And none of us are immune to this. This is all of our lives. We have to constantly be in this place of search me, know me, lead me, which is very vulnerable. It requires us to put our ego, >> which we all have, our ego, and go, "Hey, you can't be my leader.

You can't be my guide. You can't be my director." But any area of our life that has chaos in it that we don't address ultimately leads to lots of pain. >> Let's confront things this week with the Lord, right? Inviting him into it. Going to those places of humility and allowing him to actually have that space in our hearts, in our minds, in in in our uh just in our lives throughout whatever it is.

Um before we go, >> can I say one more thing? >> Yes. Go ahead. >> I just I don't think that this is a down thing. I don't think that it's like a h this is so bad. I think that this like what a gift that we have a God that wants to lead us to a place of health and of wholeness.

And James 1 says, "Consider it pure joy or hilarious laughter. When you when you encounter various trials," and I'm paraphrasing, "For the testing of your faith >> produces perseverance." And it says, "When perseverance runs its course, you will lack nothing." The Lord in his love, in his kindness, >> wants to bring us to a place where we don't lack anything.

Yeah. >> And it's talking about don't come to a trial like ah this is terrible. H the posture of humility is not necessarily a posture of crying and mourning. And that's okay. It's a posture in some ways of anticipation. >> The Lord is leading me to a place of health and of life and of hope.

And if the Lord's bringing up something in your marriage, it's amazing what the Lord's doing in this church. He's leading us to a place of strength where he doesn't want us to lack something and it's an opportunity. >> It's true. Okay. >> So good. And it shows us that there's an area where the Lord wants to bring healing, life, redemption, restoration, whatever it is.

Um, this is such a good word. I'm going to ask Jay to pray for courage. Just before we go, but um online community, we're going to have prayer rooms after this. If you'd like to receive uh prophetic ministry or prayer, I know some of you are writing in the chat that you've got loved ones who need healing.

You yourself may need healing in your body, maybe you just need prayer covering. We'd love to pray for you. our teams. Um we'll post the link in the chat so that you can go on to receive ministry. But um Jay, would you pray for just courage and then just bless our community and then we'll uh we'll end this time together. >> Honestly, my favorite prayer that I have is a prayer that a good friend of mine, John Eldridge, gave me and he said, Jay, often times I just stop and I pray this prayer.

Lord, I am your son >> and you're my father. Would you lead me today? And Lord, that's what we're asking all of us. Would you lead me today? Would you lead me with my kids? Would you lead me with my wife? Lord, would you lead me uh while we lead the church?

Would you lead me while we lead our businesses? And Lord, would you lead us? Father, we are all a part of a family. There's there there's there's no one person that doesn't belong to this family that that is deeply looking to be strengthened, to be grown, to have you come in and to lead us in a place of strength.

So would you give us courage to step into >> the life that you're inviting us into, Lord? It's wholeness, its health, its peace, and its joy in the Holy Spirit. Amen. >> Amen. Guys, we love you so much. We'd love to pray for you. As we mentioned, there are some links in the chat that you could join us for.

Um, we bless you. We pray that you have an incredible week just coming before the Lord, knowing that he wants to lead you, that he wants to cover you and bless you. We love you. Have a great week. See you guys.