Order, Words, & Voices
09.18.22
Order
Pre Worship Music
Opening Songs: How Great Is Our God Christian
Build My Life
Call to Worship Rick
Song: I Love You Lord Christian
Reading Exodus 15 In Person – Martha
Lord’s Supper/Song I Love You Lord Christian/Rick
Message A Witness Rick
Song: How Can I Keep From Singing Christian
Howdy
Closing Peace Rick
Benediction Rick
Post Worship Music
Words and Voices
Music [8 slides]
How Great Is Our God
The splendor of the King
Clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice
He wraps Himself in light
And darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
And trembles at His voice
How great is our God
Sing with me
How great is our God
And all will see how great
How great is our God
And age to age He stands
And time is in His hands
Beginning and the End
Beginning and the End
The Godhead three in one
Father Spirit Son
The Lion and the Lamb
The Lion and the Lamb
How great is our God
Sing with me
How great is our God
And all will see how great
How great is our God
Build My Life
Worthy of ev’ry song we could ever sing
Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring
Worthy of ev’ry breath we could ever breathe
We live for You
Jesus the name above ev’ry other name
Jesus the only one who could ever save
Worthy of ev’ry breath we could ever breathe
We live for You
We live for You
Holy there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who You are
And fill me with Your heart
And lead me in Your love to those around me
I will build my life upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
I will put my trust in You alone
And I will not be shaken
Call To Worship/Lord’s Prayer [13 Slides]
Call To Worship
When humans worship God the creator, articulating our praise and adoration because of who God is and what God has done, we are, whether we realize it or not, summing up the praises and adoration of the whole creation.
This is why our physical expression is natural. As we sing, pray, and dive into the word that is God’s good news – in all of this, we recognize who God is, and all that God has done.
As we go deeper allowing praise to impact our innermost parts, through repentance, forgiveness, our humanness experiences the physical relief and settling of peace, and the relief of joy – for that moment, our burdens are lifted.
And as we allow our minds to dig into deep thought and consideration, our hearts to fill our eyes with tears, our hands raised or our heads bowed, or, it may even be that a solitude plants us in our seat to absorb God to whom our focus has turned – in that moment, in this moment, everything ceases to be about us.
This is what was happening when Moses and the Isrealites began spontaneously singing and dancing after their successful crossing of the Red Sea.
This also explains why Miriam and all the women picked up tambourines and continued singing and dancing throughout the throng of stunned, and now free, Israelites. This is why we gather, this is why we sing, listen, and pray.
Yes, we will soon be thirsty again, we will soon forget the provisions of the creator, grumbling will replace our praise. But, in this moment, as the waters calm, we praise because we remember. May we now share in this moment. May we now join the Isrealites and permit God to set our feet on dry ground and may we now look back and gaze upon all that God has done.
May we set aside concerns about future chariots, horses, and soldiers. May we lay aside coming storms and as well as our probable hunger and thirst. May we, in this moment, recognize and remember our mighty, loving, compassionate, merciful, and grace filled God. May we worship, may we praise.
Prayer [Please stand and share in the voicing of the Lord’s Prayer and then remain standing following the prayer]
Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our trespasses,
While we forgive those who trespass against us.
And, God, lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.
Amen.
Music (1 slide)
Music
I Love You Lord
I love You Lord
And I lift my voice
To worship You
O my soul rejoice
Take joy my King
In what You hear
May it be a sweet sweet sound
In Your ear
Reading [No Slides]
After God rescued the Israelites from Pharaoh and his armies, Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord for he is highly exalted. God has hurled Pharoah’s horses and drivers into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my defense, God has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord reigns for ever and ever.”
As Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. Then Miriam the prophet, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver God has hurled into the sea.”
Exodus 15:1-2, 18-21
Lord’s Supper/Music (No Slides]
Introduction
The observance of the Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is often approached as a holy moment restricted to those who are holy and able to come to the table in a state of holiness. However, when Jesus first instituted this practice, he did so at a table full of his disciples, men who had no real idea what he was talking about, who probably felt that Jesus was acting unusually weird. It was a group that included one who had already betrayed Jesus, and another who refused to believe that he could be the next to betray his friend. It was also a group who after this holy time, would argue about which of them would be the greatest. No, they were not a holy group, they were humans, humans who needed God’s grace, humans who needed this holy moment to prompt them to remember all other holy moments. This was a moment much like the moment when the Isrealites spontaneously sang and danced in recognition of God’s mighty work. It was, and it is for us today, a moment when we, together, remember that God was human just like us and took our humanness to the cross, and that Jesus was also, and is also, holy, unlike us – and that he hung on that cross to death and then walked out of the grace to life. Like the Isrealites at their rescue and redemption, today we do the same at our rescue and redemption, we eat and we drink, remembering the act of the almighty God in the flesh and in the divine. As we open up the and eat the bread, let us remember and rejoice.
[music plays while elements are distributed and partaken of]
Music
I Love You Lord
I love You Lord
And I lift my voice
To worship You
O my soul rejoice
Take joy my King
In what You hear
May it be a sweet sweet sound
In Your ear
Message -a witness [16 Slides]
Exodus 15
The Isrealites were having a party, and, at this point, if there ever was a group that had a reason for a party – the Isrealites did. They were now free, they were no longer slaves. They were now humans and not property. And now, they had a sea between them and Pharoah. God was the guest of honor at this party. This party also involved the first party song, actually it is the first song sung documented in the Bible.
The song was told the story of God and their experience with God,
[Slides] “I will sing to the Lord, for God is highly exalted. Both horse and driver have been hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my defense; God has become my salvation. The Lord is my God, and I will praise God, my father’s God, and I will exalt God.
[Slide-leave up to next slide] The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. God has hurled Pharaoh’s chariots into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered the mall; they sank to the depths like a stone. Your right hand, Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, Lord, shattered the enemy.”
The song told all their their story of deliverance that was accomplished by God’s mighty hand. The more they sing, the more it stuck in their minds. As they sing, Moses’ sister, the prophetess Miriam, runs and grabs her tambourine, and all the women run and grab their tambourines (apparently this was something they was always kept accessible, it was even a priority when you were dragging your luggage across the sea bed while being chased by Pharoah’s armies). The women began playing the tambourines and singing the constant vital reminder.
[Slide-leave up to next Slide] “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.”
It was a party where everyone was involved and everyone was going to go home with a lasting significant party gift, the forever echo of their story in song. More importantly, a story of their great and almighty God, as witnessed by their own eyes, feet, arms, mind, emotions, and every part of their being.
Since they did not have paper and pencil, they did not have the printing press, most of them were not literate – this story needed to resound for them and that was best done in a song. A song that would remind their minds and fill their hearts. It was the evidence of what God had done – a moment that could only be believed if you had, yourself, experienced it…which they had. The song was actually their debriefing, a moment to consider all that had happened and all that they had seen. A moment, and a song, that would be a vital stepping stone for the trust and strength they would need in future days..
It was a moment that came out of an intense experience orchestrated by God. If we go back a couple of chapters we see the behind the scenes workings of God to bring them to this moment.
[Slide] ‘When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.
[Slide]They are not ready to trust me in battle yet.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for [thinking they were ready for battle.]’ (Exodus 13:17-18)
[Slide] ‘Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites they are to camp by the sea. Pharaoh will think that the Israelites are wandering around Egypt in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.”
[Slide] And, God continues, “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart regretting letting them go, so he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will see that I am the Lord.”
[Slide] So the Israelites did this.’…and then as Pharoah and his armies were advancing on the Isrealites ‘the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.
[Slide] That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore.
[Slide] And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.’ (Exodus 14:1-5, 29-31)
[No Slide]In this orchestrated moment we see and understand everything else about the story of the deliverance of the Isrealites. Everything was done in order that the people would realize that their deliverance came from God, that their deliverance was by God. In this Sea Parting moment had experienced God’s power personally, it was through all five senses, they saw, they heard, they touched, tasted, and even could smell the water. It was personal which is what they needed. They had fully witnessed the power of the Almighty God. They saw that God could be trusted, and was present, even when they would be up against any wall – an unforgiving sea or a mighty army.
Ten times they had seen the heart of Pharaoh hardened and, in response, the power and might of God was present. This eleventh time, as their backs were against the sea, a moment when they could not help but feel the hopelessness of fear, God was present.
[Slide] Christian Writer Donald C. Fleming says, “The song that Moses and the people sang was more than just a song of rejoicing over a fallen enemy. It was above all a song of praise to God, whose character the people had come to know better in the events of their deliverance from Egypt.
[Slide] God was the God of power who saved God’s people and overthrew their enemies, a God of frightening majesty and holiness who so directed the forces of nature that arrogant, rebellious people were destroyed. Yahweh executed God’s judgment on Egypt’s gods and proved to God’s people that the Lord was the only God.
[Slide] Moreover, God was their covenant Redeemer, and was faithful to promises. In addition the victory gave Israel confidence for the future. As God overthrew mighty Egypt, so God would too overthrow less powerful nations that Israel would meet on the journey ahead.
[Slide] Having redeemed God’s people from bondage, God would surely bring them into the land they had been promised. (Donald C. Flemming)
[No Slide] The power of this song, like the power of this moment, was to prepare the people for the battles ahead, the moments where they again will feel as if they are backed against the sea. Will they keep this story in their minds and hearts and continue to remember the details of the experience? Will they let this understanding enhance their understanding of God through the experience? Will they allow this to lead them to a true worship of God?
When Peter, James, and John witnessed Jesus with Moses and Elijah, Peter’s first response was to freeze this moment in time – to stay there on the mountain. He desired to remember the moment and hold only to the experience. Peter, James, and John would need this experience as they went on to survive as Jesus was arrested and then as they led the New Testament Church. However, Peter attempted to push them to stay in the moment, the experience. “Let’s build houses and just live up here, me and the guys could watch Moses, Elijah, and Jesus talk and hang out forever1” His focus was on the experience, not how it could help him better trust God. Staying on the mountain, trying to always replicate the experience would stunt their growth and cripple them as leaders. They need to move forward.
On the other hand the prophet Isaiah also had a moment, an experience with the true God, through which Isaiah experienced the power of the Almighty God. When it was time for him to move on and grow from the experience he was ready. ‘Then I heard the voice of the Lord, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)
We cannot stay in a moment, we must allow the moment to grow us in our trust of God and to move us forward.
When the Isrealites saw, experienced, and felt the mighty nature of God, when they, through the avenue of a song, remembered the details of God’s power, they faced a decision. Do we stay here on the opposite side of the sea from Pharoah smugly taunting him or do we move forward to God’s promise? Do we relegate this experience to a great memory, or do we go forward with it? Do we allow it to lead us to true worship of the true God? Do we allow this to move us to worship which will move us to a deeper knowledge of God and trust in God? Do we stay here or they do we take this experience, this enhanced understanding and go forward?
This was a crucial moment, the very next thing we see with the Isrealites, actually in chapter 15, is a crisis. They are hungry and thirsty and yet had no water or food. They began complaining, grumbling about Moses and forgetting the God who was present as well as mighty.
NT Wright theorizes that there are ‘two golden rules at the heart of spirituality. [Slide] (1) You become like what you worship. When you gaze in awe, admiration and wonder at something or someone, you begin to take on something of the character of the object of your worship. Those who worship money become, eventually, human calculating machines. Those who worship sex become obsessed with their own attractiveness or prowess. Those who worship power become more and more ruthless. So, what happens when we worship the creator God whose plan is to rescue the world which will be accomplished by Christ the Lamb who was slain? The answer comes in the second golden rule of spirituality, because you were made in God’s image, [Slide] (2) Worship makes you more truly human. When you gaze in love and gratitude at the God in whose image you were made, you do indeed grow. You discover more of what it means to be fully alive.’ (NT Wright,
Let’s connect the dots:
- God rescued the Isrealites from slavery through ten mighty acts. But, God knew that through the personal acts these people did not make a personal connection between themselves and God. It had all happened from afar. Moses, God, and sometimes Aaron, were the ones involved with Pharoah, not the average Isrealite.
- God sent the people out of their way to shield them from a battle they were not ready for and to another moment they desperately needed.
- God set the Israelites backs against the sea leaving them with unswimmable waters on one side and Pharoah’s approaching armies on the other.
- God gave the people a first person moment with God. The waters split and the Isralites reached the far side before the armies reached them. Personal- they experienced it with all five of their senses.
- God let nature take its natural course, the waters fell, destroying Pharaoh’s army and resources.
- The Isrealites debriefed through a song they would remember and recite, lyrics detailing their personal encounter with God, this would be the beginning of their journey of trusting God. Their worship of this God would deepen as their knowledge and understanding of the God they worshiped grew. They would be the witnesses of this moment to those not present in the moment.
- The Israelites’ trust of God would grow as their experiences with God continued.
Is your worship dependent on your growing understanding of God or is it stuck somewhere in the desert?
Let’s Pray.
Music [4 slides]
There is an endless song
Echoes in my soul
I hear the music ring
And though the storms may come
I am holding on
To the rock I cling
How can I keep from singing Your praise
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love
How can I keep from shouting Your name
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart (want to sing)
Community [2 Slides]
- [Slide] Next Sunday, When you have no voice, Numbers 27:1-11
- [Slide] Fall Bible Study – Beg. September 28 at noon (5 weeks) – seeking interest for evening study
Closing Peace [1Slide]
May the Peace of the Lord go with you. And also with you.
Benediction [1 Slide]
“Depart now in the fellowship of God the Father and as you go, remember: By the goodness of God you were born into this world. And by the grace of God you have been kept you even until this very hour. And by the love of God, fully revealed in the face of Jesus, you have been redeemed and you are being redeemed. So go in peace.”
Order, Words, & Voices 