Come let us sing for Joy to the Lord

I think probably very few of you remember someone who taught here years ago. John McFarland. He was a missionary to Eastern Europe, he was one of brother Andrew's Guys, he went in. He went in fully expecting never to get out. and he passed away many years ago, but One of his teachings. He said our our our heavenly father is like a loving dad - like a loving father - he likes to do things with his kids. And the two things he said, is he really likes to go camping.

And his favorite game is hide and seek -

And if you, if you're looking for him, You'll find them, but if you're ignoring him, you're not even going to know he's there. Cuz he's a pretty good Hider. This is actually a fundamental ancient Christian and Jewish tradition. If you see the presence of God in your life, you see more of it. And if you refuse to see the presence of God in your life, you don't see any of it. the more you seek, the more you see. He is the one that enjoys this game of Hide and Seek and camping with his kids. It's spring. We've had lots of rain, and a lot of people don't like rain, but whenever I see rain, I remember, it's a sign of the holy spirit of God.

Wow. Oh yeah. And if it's a Feast of Tabernacles and it rains,

Wow, you can expect something awesome. Yes, Michael.

"I'm pretty sure the Son is our God" ... Thank you for that comment.

Are we talkin about the sun of righteousness? Who Rises with healing in his wings?

Yep, we're going to get a full sermon before we even start. John Lansford - "The Call was having a massive event at I forgot where it was. But anyways, they were singing the song. Let It Rain, and it rained just on the stage for about 15 minutes during that time."

I'm glad I wasn't playing electric guitar there, that night.

I have played electric guitar in a kind of like rain storm and I did get shocked.

Lord, we ask your blessing on this time, please the help us to honor you ... That is our desire to honor you in all that we say and all the way you think and all that we do. I'm so particularly in this time we're trying to focus on your word. We ask your blessing in Jesus name, amen? And amen. Welcome, this is church, the Messiah arm, Rob Wilson. And one of the teaching Elders, here anyone can teach we have short poorest sections and if you want to teach a short tour, a section c Doug and he'll schedule you for teaching, I'm really looking forward to Emily teaching again. 13 year old. I think that's our youngest record so far, but She gave a very nice teaching last week. Come let us sing for Joy To The Lord. And I almost called this The Gospel According to Paul Wilbur.

Right out of Psalm, 95. In unity. I think that the Unity part is critical here. We happen to be at Seder 57 on our particular unusual twice and 7 year cycle. And I've picked completely different readings except for the Torah reading. and the Psalm, the New Testament readings are completely different than what we picked, and I'll get to why that is the case. So we're in the point where God gives the Manna in the desert and I kind of wanted to start with a joke and when the people of Israel thought they said, what's that? And then God told him to gather up some of that. What's that - about an Omer, that's what nana means, what's that? And they didn't even change the name of it from. What's that? There's something else that we call it Manna? And we give it all kinds of holy significance and it should have it. But what it means is, what's that Cuz they didn't know what it was. They never seen it before, and Moses said, it's the bread God is giving you to eat. And then we had a couple of really cool things and this is actually from the Bible when they dew had going up, there was a fine like likes things. Fine has frost on the ground so we have concluded that they ate Frosted Flakes.

Any Tony the Tiger impersonators there? "They're Great!"

I had to do that. I've really silly. Sometimes so years ago when I gave sermons and I didn't get give nearly as many as I do. Now, I would always ask where we at, where we at in the cycles of the year, in the calendar of the Year? Where are we at in the Torah? and the third thing I ask was where we at in the calendar calendar of our own lives,

Every time I come up to teach, I think this, where are we at? In the calendar of our own lives. And this week, I feel inundated with holiness

I'm in awe ... Because we're actually celebrating births in one sense or another throughout the congregation there. Many families.

Maybe not immediately here, but Births were celebrating New births. Last week we had three baptismal people and we got a fourth one. Because Jack realized he also wanted to be baptized and that's fine.

And wonderful! And it was a great blessing to witness those baptisms. We had a coming-of-age last week. I bought Mitzvah 13 year old gave a teaching uncredible teaching wonderful about the shabbaton coming-of-age. Marriage is a important event in our lives and we have an upcoming marriage about to be celebrated and we actually have one not too long ago, that was celebrated. So marriage is a holy Event, God brought these people together. And passing into the Olam Habba ...

The world to come. This week. Well, a week ago. Very dear blessed, sister friend of all of us. Passed into the world to come.

And I am, I lit a candle and we put a flower next to it and I took a picture of the candle, the "yartzeit" and I sent it to Ken and then I looked a little bit beyond the candle, and I noticed in our backyard, there were all of these primroses blooming and they have not bloomed before that day. And they were a gift from Pauline.

Now, if that isn't holy, I don't know what is If you see God present in your life, you see more of him in your life.

Last night we celebrated Bonnie Connors 80th birthday and then she's going to continue celebrating that today. And I learned this, I did not know it Bonnie's mother was one of the two flood twins in 1913. When the flood rip through Dayton and killed many many, many people to twins [a boy and a girl] babies were pulled out of the river.

Bonnie's mother. And all of The Descendants who came to celebrate it last night, wouldn't have been here. If it weren't kind of the hand of God.

And her parents were some of the founders of Fairhaven. So we've got big connections going on right here in Dayton. Yeah, well, lots of Wows, four Wows and I can think of, so all of these things, The calendar were in Pentecost Shavuot preparing for the the feast dance practices announced. We have a, teen dance group that's going to be meeting with McKenna, and we're trying to figure out what to call, Jack's dance group. And we decided, huh? Yeah, yeah, it's it's everybody else.

There are the "Teens" and there's "everybody else". So

That that works for me.

I should know that. Not right now. I'm not going to think about it last week with shovel. Look for all the week before. That was shoveling. Last week, we celebrated shovel call, kept talking about the two mountains. This is my favorite picture of the, two mountains us has heard it, hangs and Martha Stearns' living room in in Jerusalem. She painted it. Martha Stern, is the wife of David Stern. If you have a complete Jewish Bible or a Jewish New Testament, David Stern author that, and Martha painted this. I first, saw it printed in a book called, "Take Hold", "Hazak" by David Berkowitz, in black and white. And I've since found a color version of this, actually looks like the one on the wall or not, but I liked it it. And it, it's the verse, from Jeremiah 31. I will write my words on their hearts and I will be their God and they will be my people. Fire fell on the mountain. Both times God's word was spoken. Arguably, according to our best understanding in all the languages of the world at both times. The whole world is called to to learn of God and to learn of his word and God will do that. And that's the promise of Pentecost in the celebration of the feast, which were headed toward so because we had a baptism, I am remiss to not say we need to pray for these people who were recently baptized Cuz you don't get to do something like that and don't have some kind of attack. There's danger when you do something for God, you can count that someone else doesn't want that to succeed. And so I wanted to set a moment aside to pray for the Recently Baptized to pray for our Unity as a body of Believers here and to pray for Unity within the greater Body of Christ. Which goes far beyond these walls ... And I thought, okay, what should we pray while we should we eat? We should pray for that, that you and us, and all of all of us. All should experience his presence. And his kingdom, as we walk through life, we should pray for protection from temptations that we are subject to. And from evils, which we are subject to, we should pray for whatever. Our daily needs are there are many, we should pray for forgiveness and forgiven-ness We should forgive one another. We should not Grumble. Not complain. That moan not murmur, not anything. Like what we're going to talk about today and we should pray for Unity in him and I wrote all these down and I go home. That's the Lord's Prayer. Works for me. I guess Jesus had a pretty good idea.

Funny how that works.

So this is the portion today, and if you, if you were studying from the handout you focused on the first part was to the Sabbath. Mainly the Sabbath is just about celebrating the Sabbath, but when you look at the whole portion, the holsaeter there, three main parts, Israel, grumbled complained, argued, murmured? and got in my opinion should have just what did he do? He gave them bread from Heaven, incredible. What parent corrects wrong actions with blessing. Interesting question. And then they quarrel with roses and are y'all with Moses? And Moses is saying that they're going to throw rocks at them? And he's a little bit afraid and they tell him to walk through the crowd with his staff, which is arguably a Lethal Weapon, you know, I mean since the staff of God. So, so that's a pretty bad thing. Quarreling against Moses and all this stuff and what is got to do. He gives them water. Again. Blessing, instead of something worse. and some commentators actually say I will, they weren't really quarreling with Moses, they they just knew if they if they

I'm just going to say the word b**** long enough. God would bless them.

Weird.

What God does that?

Ours does ... What did they have to do to get the bread? They had to collect an omer of the bread and just for the sake of of visual clarity This is about the size of an Omer. So you go out and gather no more bread for your family. And if you were old and couldn't bend over to good and you only got a few pieces, you put came back and put it on the table and it and it was a full armor. And if you collected like twice as much because you're greedy and stingy and you want lots, you came back and you put it on your table and it was an Omer. Brian and others have called this "Commandments on - with training wheels". Can't mess up. If you fall over, you're still going to be on your bike. I love that "Commandments with training wheels". Water from The Rock. Manna from the heaven. but God doesn't just Bless ... he also has type of judgment, and I think that this follows on the heels of the other two, because it's a type of judgment. They complained, they murmured they quarreled, they did all kinds of problems and God bless them with Manna and with water for 40 years. Which is insane, but he also allows amalek to come and begin killing the weaker - the weakest of the tribe and so God allows evil into a situation. Apparently for our good. And, in this case, Moses went up on the mountain and lifted his staff and his arms got tired and Aaron and Hur put them on a rock and held up his arms. And as long as his arms were upheld up, they prevailed. And if the arms went down, they lost and he put them up, he prevailed if they went down. So, Kyle's, commenting this morning. That this seems kind of arbitrary, doesn't it? It's kind of crazy. Well, I think there's more to it than is in the text. I think. I think the idea here is that Moses was waving this Banner like praising God with it. And as long as he was praising God as long as he was steady and the word is Emmunah which means Faith or faithfulness. And in Hebrew, there is no difference between Faith And Faithfulness. They're not distinct.

It's the same thing. If you have faith, you have faithfulness.

We don't think of that, that way, we think I have faith, but I'm not going to do anything about it. Some people have actually said that to me, Anyway.

Enough on that ... Emmunah ...

And they defeated amalek and he called the name of the place I Adonai Yireh [CORRECTION Adonai Nissi] God is my banner

Does anyone remember the song ? ... he brings us into his banqueting table, His Banner Over Me Is Love ... brings us into his banqueting table His Banner Over Me Is Love ... Is It Goes on. So this is here in Exodus and about 40 years later [CORRECTION a Year Later] Similarities in all this is a year later. Yeah, this is a year later. Yep. So they're leaving Sinai a year later and instead of saying so when they get the Sinai, the verse says they camped is real camped in the Hebrew. If you, if you read it in the Hebrew, "They Camped ... Israel Camped . And that the commentators say they Camped ... an assembly of disparate individuals, Israel Camped They came together as one body. One unified witnessing body. They Camped So when they leave Sinai it doesn't say they left Israel left it says They Departed. and the people who read it closely say,

Where is the singular masculine or singular person? "He Left" it isn't there. They didn't leave his one person, they left and disunity. They left with a parent, Unity with the silver horns in the banners and marching and tribes and all that stuff. But really, they were not in unity when they left. They were in this unity and I would argue when their grumbling and quarrelling they're in disunity. Kind of the same thing when we Grumble and coral and murmur. We are in this Unity. We are dishonoring one another.

Don't do that.

You're not going to get bread from heaven. Get water from the rock but you might get the battles. They unified in the, in the in the blood of Christ in Jesus Christ a unified. So it said they departed in the scenery, they complain, they argued murmur and fire broke out from the Lord at the air at this point. God's not as quick as patient with them as he was before they craved other food. This looks like they craved other food. Also, We don't have anything to eat but here God goes. You want Quail. You got it. Three feet of quail. And they're devouring the quail, eating it and everytime. I read this first sight, I feel like I need to get a floss ... I really do

What's that stuck in my teeth? But everyone who craved died and were buried there. And they called it by that name. So these are the same thing. Two different times in the history of Israel. And now I'm going straight to the New Testament, rather than try to get into all that other stuff because the New Testament teaches it pretty well 1st Corinthians 10:1-6 , Our Fathers were all under the cloud and passed through the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and drink the same spiritual drink from the rock, that followed them, and that rock was Christ. But God was not pleased. All this took place as examples to teach us that we should not desire evil as they did. What evil did they do that? What evil did they desire here?

Their own way. Their own desires, not what God wanted them to do.

They didn't want what God was, giving them, they wanted something else. God gave them what they wanted. Judge them for it. Don't do that.

That rock was Christ, This needs took place as examples to teach that we shouldn't desire evil. As they did Desiring, evil Desiring your own way. Martha Campbell one day, got up and proclaimed a prophetic announcement, repent, and anything that is not of Christ. And I, I can almost hear her saying that.

Powerful ... Hebrews. We are his house is the last week. We talked about us being the Harvest. So, I'm in the, in the, in the, in the salt in the Old Testament, God provides Manna From Heaven, and in the New Testament, when you're trying to make sense of this, he's saying Gather in the Harvest. And he's going to - and this is another prophetic verse. He's going to shake the trees and bring the Harvest is going to cause the Harvest to be brought and where the Harvest where the grain, where the bread of life for the Earth, around us where, where the manna What, yeah, where the map of where is Christ, where the Manna? And we are the water to the world. They need the food. They may not want the food, but that's what we are, that's what we're called and were called to be Harvesters. So not only are we, the Harvest world for the Harvesters.

Not only that, we're His house?

We're the grain, we're the water, we're the Harvest, we're the Harvesters, we're His house holding fast to our confidence and hope as the holy spirit says. Today if you hear his voice, do not Harden your hearts, as you did, in the Rebellion, that generation went astray and they're hard. I swore, in my wrath they shall not enter my rest. And so read this in the New Testament, I'm thinking I thought he said they weren't going to enter his rest because of the spies of cident but it turns out that it has something to do with my son there about Because they complained they argued. They murmured, they weren't in unity. That's why they didn't get to go into the land, is that different from the spies believing The bad report of the spies? No ... It's really the same thing. It's really the same thing. Just it comes down to this Unity. Grumbling, complaining murmuring, not being happy with your lot. Not giving to those in need etc. Etc, etc.

One more verse. This is 2nd Corinthians 8-10 are you should read the whole thing? Cuz he kind of have to read the whole thing to to make much sense out of it. But call here is praising the macedonians for their contribution and he's trying to use this as an example to the Corinthians to increase their contribution, to the Saints, who need their help. It's going to have to read the whole thing to get that out of it. But he's he's really, really blown away at how wonderfully loving the very poor Macedonians were by giving more than they really could afford to the brothers in Jerusalem who needed it badly and the Corinthians are fairly well off. And Paul is telling them you should be like the macedonians you should help those in Need. You should contribute to the cause of God. Now we don't chase the money here at Church of The Messiah, we're not, we're not That's not our business plan. If you're looking for a church that chases, the money don't come here. We're not wearing that. We don't chase the money, we take the money and we do with it as well as we can to help mainly missions in benevolences and to pay for a facility for us to Worship in. But it's we hope that most of what comes in will be able to give out. Like the macedonians that's not our business plan. We had one, other business plan that was put forward and we thought about making a sign free food and dancing women that would bring them in.

But now we have to expand that the free food dancing, women and children and even small children.

That wouldn't sell as well.

Anyway, we didn't buy into that business plan, either. Your present abundance. He's telling the Corinthian should Supply their needs so that when their abundance so their abundance May Supply your need when you need it. So we should be helping each other and whatever way we can, as long as we can. And if we ever come to a point of being in need, we should be willing to accept the help of others.

For whoever gathered much had nothing left over. That sounds like the Torah reading. The Mana. You're going to get it over.

I'd be curious you know. I would, I would probably say I'm not even going to go out. I'm going to see if I get An Omer anyway.

I'm kidding.

Yeah, pick up one piece of Manna ... Hmm ....

Whoever gathered much had nothing left over and whoever got a little had no luck. Paul Wilbur. Finally, on to the sermon. He quoted directly from the NIV and so the bold words [I've printed here] are exactly the NIV come. Let us sing for Joy to the Lord. Let it shout aloud. The rock of our Salvation. Let us come before him with Thanksgiving and extol him with music and with song. And then he adds these words, these are not in the NIV ... Sing Halle Hallelujah, Sing Halle Hallelujah, Sing Halle Hallelujah, Sing Halle Hallelujah! ... This is not in Paul Wilbur but he could have continued with this. This is right from the NIV verses 3 through 5. For the Lord is a great God, the great God above all gods in his hands are the depths of the earth and the mountain peaks belong to him the Sea is his for He made it and his hands, formed the dry land. And I actually started making this into a verse - that would work. We could add that verse if we wanted to. Paul Wilbur continuous lettuce. Come, let us Bow Down and Worship. Let us kneel before the Lord, our maker for. He is our God, and he has the words and we belong to him. We are his people, the flock, under his care has an incredible. That he's quoting me an IV. Pretty cool. Come bring your praises to the Lord shot allowed to the rock of our Salvation. Holy holy is the Lord so far. This is an entirely wonderful worship song, right? We like it. For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture the flock under his care today. If you hear his voice, don't Harden your hearts. As you did at Meribah as you did on that day at Masa and the desert ... somehow, I'm not feeling so worshipful when I'm hearing this stuff. I should, but I don't I ... I kind of sense the quail in my teeth, you know? I mean, you know I'm ... this is you've gone past preaching and you've gotten into meddeling". Do not Harden your hearts. As you did at Meribah as you did that day at Masa in the desert where your father's tested and tried me though, they had seen what I did for 40 years. I was angry with that generation. I said they are a people whose Hearts go astray and they have not known my ways. So I declared on oath in my anger, they shall never enter my rest. I don't want to sing that verse.

But it's part of it. And so when I sing that Paul Wilbur song from now on, I'm going to remember, there is a judgment part.

Mercy and justice for God to be the merciful god. This is a slide from last week, it's absolutely true. He must also be the just God. If you take away the Justice, the judgments you don't have mercy. If you take away the mercy, you don't have real judgment, you don't have appropriate judgment. Being a parent is hard. Figuring out what the reward. and what to Let's not say punish.

Gently Correct.

Tally words, Mayim - water, Masa, Meribah, Nasa - means to test or to prove. It might be related to the other word NASA - Which is Nun-Shin-Alef - I think - which means to lift up. So it sounds the same. But spelled differently. Lift up or test ... they could be - they could be related. Tzur - this particular rock is a hard rock, like a mountain like a big, big Solid Rock. I think of the El Capitan, Yosemite. You know, those "Ginormous" - I think it's a 3000 foot rise of limestone, Big Hard Rock. Later on, we'll talk about it later. The other one where he is supposed to speak to the Rock, it's Selah. It's a different Rock - we read "rock" then "rock" - different kind of rock. I'm not going to get into that till later, but I will later. Amalek - Amalekites Amalek arguably is Edom. He's not just a small tribe of Edomites ... It could be Amalek is actually representing the whole tribe of Edom here.

That's what I think. Moving on to John ... moving on to not being hungry and not being thirsty ... about the Mana and the water, right? Right. And when I read this and I remembered, I thought about why I thought about it all week Pauline's passing. I have to do this verse. Just just because I have to do this first, I am the bread of life.

He's coming from Capernum. He's coming from Bethsaida over to Capernum and this is in the middle of feeding the 5000 and walking on the water and Sermon on the Mount and all that stuff is going on right in here in this is right after the death of John. I'm so when I read this, I'm imagining my best understanding of the chronology. He's left Bethsaida cuz he wants to get away.

And he gets away, but they keep following him and he feeds him and walks on water and Peter and all the rest of that. Anyway, and John 6:35-40. I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry. Whoever believes in me, will never be thirsty. I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of the one who sent me. This is the will of the one who sent me that I lose not one of all he has given me, but raised each one up on the last day. For this is the will of my father that everyone who sees the son and trust in him may have eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day.

There was a song "and I will raise him up and I will raise him and I will raise him up on the last day.

And this is a song about The bread of life.

And it's the song about - song about communion. I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty and I will raise him up on the last day. Amen, and Alleluia.

Do you see God's activity in your life?

Blank stares. That's scary.

Okay, thank you. I'll finish. Reasons, he's coming. Why is God coming? He told us. Why is coming? And I've just tried to make a shortlist. Yes, I gave these last week. I'm trying to work on it. I think. I think it's important to remember these things. He's come to seek save and redeem the Lost. He's come in person. He's coming back and he's coming through us. So all of these things are reasons. He's coming but he's also coming in US. These are part of what. Mainly him. but, Also has to do with us 6, save and redeem. The Lost restore and renew lives Gathering his Harvest. And he'll the nation's bring an end to Death and two evil establish a new Heaven, and a new kingdom on New Earth. Place his word in US Written on our hearts, he will be our God will be as people forgive and forget iniquity falling, short of things and actual thin. He will grow is coming to dwell with us in our midst at a very core. And he's coming to establish his physical Kingdom on Earth. What's left for us, allow him to encounter you. This is my prayer for everyone in here and for many more that I pray for every day. I pray that the people I'm praying for will allow the Lord to encounter them because he's trying

he's pursuing people, he's not leaving people alone, they may be ignoring him But if they allow him to encounter them, he will encounter them. I believe that with all my heart.

When you encounter him receive him as Savior, Lord and King. Receive him. Welcome him and consider what he's done. You could read almost anything in the Bible and praise God about it. If you think about it for a while, speak his truth in love. Speak his truth in judgment is not what I wrote.

He will do that. but somehow it'll be merciful, I don't understand that, but there will be Mercy in judgement Where call to speak his truth in love. And I think I added this actually modified from last week. Stop complaining. Arguing murmuring, Etc. I've almost put a blank blank, blank, blank blank blank, blank blank blank cuz it goes on. You know, the cities of the seven, seven. Never mind. There are more than that, for this know that you are part of his Harvest, Sharon bringing in his Harvest be as ambassadors and his emissaries. So, are there's a little bit of a difference between ambassadors and it was series. I'm in, in, in ancient Rome they had senatorial appointments and they had ambassadorial appointments, does anyone know the difference between the two? Set at Oriel, appointments were Senators that they selected from the population of a country that decided they wanted to be friends with Rome, and they'd established long-term friendships with Rome and so they got Senators Representatives. Because they were friends with Rome, but if they were not friends with Rome like say Israel.

They appointed an ambassador. And an ambassador was appointed as a representative of the nation within the nation with a standing army at his disposal.

They were friends of Rome. He needed a standing army to defend him and his phallus and everything else. So that was what happened. We are not. Yeah, we are emissaries of Christ. Yeah, we are but we're also ambassadors of Christ. We've been called into situations where where were the people? The nation that were visiting? The are not friends of God, and were appointed as ambassadors

In enemy territory.

With a standing army. So the Ambassador when he runs into difficulty, he contacts the boss. Who may send more armies or he contacts his army. We have an army. At our disposal to call upon if we are in enemy territory and we need help. And he will send

The Army to our Aid. That's ambassadors. And finally, what are we? What's left for us? Celebrate and saying about him and celebrate and sing to him.

Lord, we thank you for this time. We ask your blessing as we go forward from this place. May we help you and what you were doing in the world in Jesus name. Amen.