A Psalm For The Sons Of Korah | Rev. Raymond Woodward

now I was glad when they said unto me let us go to fac marille what a great church you are I don't I know all of you that belong to this great church by name but I know many of you by your faithfulness because I see you in the house of God uh Beverly and I are stalkers by the way we watch you online all the time so uh we're stalkers and I know many of you by your faithfulness even if I don't know you by your name and I thank you for being part of such a wonderful Church to all of our guests of course uh you're so welcome what a beautiful place to come and worship God in this uh wonderful Community um if I was a dictator of a small country with a small kind of militia or Army and they told me I had to go to war against the fac marville choir I'd be scared I just say forget it isn't this worship team just absolutely wonderful so thankful for them and I'll get right to the word but I would be absolutely remiss if I didn't say thanks to the Lord for your wonderful pastoral team that leads you here under the direction of Pastor sister Carpenter and all these other men and women that serve you with such distinction I love them I appreciate their friendship and they've been a blessing in our lives as well as yours um go ahead and have a seat and then just mess up the devil entirely lift up your hands lift up a shout of Praise In The House of the Lord God's good lift up that shout hallelujah yes yes yes Hallelujah yes Jesus we worship you God we worship you God we worship you God we we love you Jesus we love you Jesus we love you Jesus it was a traumatic terrifying event that would scar them for the rest of their lives we don't know exactly how old they were when that terrible tragic day unfolded but most likely they were just young men some of them merely boys no doubt they had seen the signs of their father's Rebellion as he increasingly complained and criticized the leaders God had given them but they were only Sons some of them just boys so what could they do they stood helplessly by as their dad raged and railed against the perceived Injustice that had so grievously offended him they were far too young to challenge their dad's bruised ego which was now threatening everything about the life that they loved they knew if they tried to talk to him he would just angrily cast aside their concerns and ignore their pleas and so they were powerless to stop their father's wounded Spirit from spreading its infection and separating their family from the rest of the people they didn't know how it was all going to end but the growing dread in their hearts told them this is going to be an unbelievable tragedy it wasn't so in the beginning after all their father Kora was a kohathite he was a cousin of Moses and Aaron he was a member of the honored tribe of Levi he was chosen by God to do the work of the Tabernacle it was the sacred duty of the family of Kath every time the camp of Israel moved to take down the veil and carefully cover up the Ark of the Covenant and all the other Furniture used for worship inside the Tabernacle and then they alone their Clan alone would transport those holy articles wherever the Israelites traveled time after time walking many many many miles through the Wilderness the other levitical families the gershonites and the marites they were allowed to transport the items under their Care on carts they would simply load up the Tabernacle coverings and curtains posts and bases pegs and ropes and uh they'd put them on carts and then let the beasts of Burden do the heavy work but not the coites the Articles under their care were used for worship and so God had declared them holy God had forbidden anyone to even touch them under penalty of death especially the Ark of the Covenant and so their family would carry all of these holy items shielded from view by special coverings on Long staves running through Corner rings on every piece of sat acred Furniture the staves supporting that precious holy cargo were then laid upon their shoulders and they walked through the Wilderness no carts no wagons no beasts of Burden could help them or assist them because the holy Tabernacle Furniture could only be carried by men appointed for this purpose quite frankly God thought if men are to receive the blessing of communion with God then men were to Bear the burden of commitment to God it was a unique privilege but it was a heavy responsibility it was an honored task but it was an arduous job especially when the journey was long especially when the burdens were heavy and the heat was unbearable and the Wilderness was in hospitable and finally it all began to just bother Kora the ministry hadn't changed but the heart of the minister had become offended the problem seemed to begin not long after Kora started hanging out with Dayan and abam Two Brothers From the tribe of Reuben their rebellious attitude it just fanned the Flames of kora's already growing offense and eventually between the three of them their combined discontent grew to infect 250 prominent leaders in Israel as kora's attitude soured what he had once seen as a privilege became a problem what he had once considered a blessing became a burden what he had once thought to be a high honor it just became an inconvenient irritation nothing had changed except his attitude but when his attitude changed that changed everything for Kora why did his family have to walk everywhere why did his family have to carry everything why did his family have burdens that no one else seemed to have and why did his family have to serve when Moses and Aaron got to lead with their families you see a root of bitterness had sprung up in his soul and he was already defiling others with his critical words but Kora was oblivious to his sinful attitude the sons of Kora they watched with growing horror as their dad morphed into a monster Before Their Eyes he had chosen fools to be his close companion iions and Proverbs says the companion of fools shall be destroyed now Kora was being destroyed if you could have been in their tents emotions were running high in the family Sullen silence was common and it was punctuated by these terrible Outburst of rage and anger and you could cut the tension in kora's family with a knife nobody could reason with Kora nobody could calm him down nobody could put out the fire of bitterness that raged in his heart or stop the flood of criticism that just poured out of his mouth he was totally out of control Kor was losing his ministry but he wasn't concerned he was rebelling against God but he wasn't alarmed he was hurting his family but he just didn't care and his sons his innocent boys saw it all unfold and finally one man's offense erupted into a crisis that engulfed a whole nation number 16 now Kora the son of ishar the son of Kath the son of Levi and Dayan and abon the sons of elab and an the son of pth Sons of Ruben they took men and they rose up before Moses with certain of the children of Israel 250 Prin of the assembly famous in the congregation men of renown and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and they said to them you take too much upon you seeing all the congregation Are Holy every one of them and the Lord is among them wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord can you imagine the arrogance and the audacity of these men they've risen up against God's servants Moses and Aaron all because they want to be priests also who made you better than us who put you in charge you take too much upon yourselves why do we have to do all the menial work the rest of the congregation they're just as holy as you are don't you know all of us are qualified to be priests too and Kora is there leading the charge opposing in the leaders that God had appointed disqualify him himself from the levitical ministry that God had given him and most of all disgracing himself in the eyes of his horrified Sons numbers 16 and 8 and Moses said to Kora here I pray you you sons of Levi seeth it but a small thing unto you that the god of Israel has separated you from the congregation of is Israel to bring you near to himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them and he hath brought thee near to him and all thy Brethren the sons of Levi with thee and you seek the priesthood also Moses pleads with Kora isn't it enough that God has separated you to perform this special Ministry don't you realize what a privilege you have don't you understand what an honor it is to stand before the Lord in his house before his people can't you see the blessings God has given to you and to your family aren't you grateful just to be part of God's chosen people but cor can't hear any of it because his Rebellion has hardened his heart and he refuses to listen verse 12 and Moses was sent to call Dayan and abam the sons of elab cor's friends which said we will not come up you don't have any authority over us and then they say this this is shocking is it a small thing Moses that you have brought us up out of a land that flowed with milk and honey to kill us here in the wilderness except thou make thyself all together a prince over us when Moses calls for kora's friends those bad influen es daythan and abam when he calls for them to come talk to their leaders they absolutely refuse we will not come up we don't respect you and they viciously accus the man of God Moses you brought us up out of a land that flows with milk and honey just to kill us in this Wilderness stop the train just for a minute Egypt was not a land flowing with milk and honey Egypt was a slave land where they were in bondage for 430 years I just want to tell you tonight beware when your friends look at Egypt as though it was the promised land beware when your friends look at the world as though it was somehow better than the church beware when they want to go back there instead of going forward with God you've got some serious thinking to do and some serious praying to do and some serious deciding to do when you got friends like daythan and abam and that's why God sets up a showdown for the very next morning all the leaders involved are to bring sensors filled with coals and incense to offer worship and God himself will show who's on the Lord's Side the next day as the glory of God Appears Moses tells the people he warns them you need to put some distance between yourselves and the temp T of Kora dayam and abam and when the people move away that's when the Judgment of God Falls verse 32 and the Earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up and their houses and all the men that appertained unto Kora and all their goods they and all that appertained to them went down alive into the pit and the Earth closed upon them and they perished from among the congregation you say with our modern sensibilities which really are modern stupidities we look back and they say isn't that harsh God was setting the pattern of typology for every age and dispensation that would come and his people coming out of Egypt would someday be a type of Us coming out of the world his people being redeemed in the wilderness would sometime be a type of us being redeemed through our trials so God said to Kora and dayam and abam you're not messing up my program you're not messing up my plan if you can't get on board you're going to go down God's got this little problem he thinks he's God in fact he knows he's God so you can criticize it with all your modern sensibilities if you want but before it was over it got even worse fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men that had offered incense with with Kora and then a plague from the Lord killed another 14,700 people who sympathized with the rebels it was an unprecedented display of God's judgment and that would have been the end of the story except for seven words just 10 chapters later numbers 26 and 11 not withstanding the children of Kora died that's Mercy in a verse right there on that day of Destruction the sons of Kora had to make a split second soul searching gut-wrenching decision would they stand with their dad in his sin and Rebellion or would they stand on the Lord's Side would they let their father's failure Define their future would they let their family's history decide their Destiny thankfully the sons of Kora decided to rebel against the Rebellion that's a good thing right there if you see somebody that's rebellious against the word of God you need to rebel against the Rebellion they decided to separate themselves from the unsubmitted they decided to choose God's house over their father's house that decision ision was difficult it was painful but that one decision would Define them Forever by faith the sons of Kora did what Moses had done many years earlier and the author of Hebrews tells us about it by faith Moses when he was come to years he refused to be called a son of Pharaoh's daughter he chose rather to suffer Affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the the pleasures of sin for a season he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt because Moses had res respect under the recompense of the reward in other words he knew that's what what's coming after is greater and longer and better than what's here now so Moses passed on the pleasures of Egypt the pleasures of sin the pleasures of the world he said I've got my ey on something greater something longer something bigger I've got my eyes on Heaven oh my goodness that spirit is in this room tonight there's some people here that have made up their mind come hell or high water I intend to go all the way to the streets of gold with my Lord and Savior I don't care what they call me I don't care how they mock me I don't care how they persecute me I will would rather have Jesus than everything else my goodness the sons of Kora stood on the Lord's Side when it would have been so much easier to follow their family and their friends as a result of that decision God didn't destroy them but that's not the best part of the story that one decision not not only did it cause God not to destroy them it caused God to bless them and their descendants please hear me tonight their past didn't dictate their future their mess didn't prevent their Miracle their father's Rebellion didn't prevent their children's Redemption God still had a plan for the line of Kora even after Kora got out of line yes God still has a plan for your family no matter who messed up when they messed up or how they messed up if you'll give it to God God has a plan for you and your children and your children's children that's in the book of Acts the Bible says not withstanding the children of Kora died not now that verse right there begs for a sequel and what a sequel gets written whenever the Lord gets involved because there is a sequel when the Bible reintroduces us to the sons of Kora just a few Generations later we don't see a clan holding on to bitterness and resentment we don't see a family nursing a centuries old Grudge no they are serving in the house of the Lord did you know that the great prophet Samuel would arise from the lineage of the sons of Kora he was so powerful that the Lord fulfilled every prophecy he ever spoke he let none of Samuel's words fall to the ground unfulfilled and the Bible says in 1st Samuel 7 that God kept the Philistines subdued all all the days of the prophet Samuel as long as he was living the enemy couldn't get an advantage over God's people he came from the lineage of the sons of Kora one group from the sons of Kora they became expert Warriors who joined King David in his military exploits one descendant was named heeman he became one of three great worship leaders in the Tabernacle along with ASF and Ethan another group from their lineage would become the keepers of the Gate of the Tabernacle and still another group would be given oversight of all the ministering vessels and most amazing of all to me the sons of Kora would eventually become writers of Israel's worship music 11 of the Psalms in your Bible are specifically attributed to the sons of Kora how marvelous is the grace and the mercy and the forgiveness and the goodness of God that's worth a timeout right there we didn't deserve it our family didn't deserve it my dad messed it up but I'm here because God has been faithful to me God's been good to me I'm still here devil there's nothing you can do about it I know I got a pass but watch me devil I got a future too hundreds of years after kora's Rebellion his descendants were doing the very same work that Kora thought was beneath him caring for the sacred Furnishings overseeing the ministry vessels and guarding the gates of the sanctuary the work hadn't changed but the spirit of the workers had changed the sons of Kora chose to fulfill the role that the Lord had reserved for them with honor and enthusiasm and that's why God blessed them so much Generations earlier you remember Moses stood face to face with Kora and his rebellious mob and Moses asked them a question is it a small thing to you that God has chosen you to do the work of the Tabernacle Kora don't you realize what a blessing God has given to you the sad news is that Kora didn't realize but the good news is the sons of Kora they did realize what a privilege it was to be part of the house of the Lord and that's why the 11 Psalms that they wrote overflow with deep longing for God's presence and deep Gra gratitude for God's goodness we won't go through every one of the Psalms that would be a much longer meeting than what you intended on coming to the Psalms are Psalm uh 42 Psalm 44-49 Psalm 84 and 85 and Psalm 87 and 88 and everyone of those psalms begin with the same inscription a psalm for the sons of Kora how unbelievable is that Kora is a rebel Kora is a sinner Kora was so bad God swallowed up his rebellion in a pit in the earth and yet Generations later a psalm for the sons of Kora I don't care where your family grew up or came from if you're here tonight God has a purpose for your life furthermore God has a purpose for your family God has a purpose for your future God's not looking at your past he's looking at your eternity that's what matters to God wherever you've come from you're welcome in the house of God whatever your family did you're welcome in the house of God however bad it's been you're welcome here among God's people oh my I'm about to lose it up here and as you go through those psalms and we'll just kind of take a helicopter level bird's eye view of a few of them because there's just not enough time but it's beautiful Psalm 42 As the deer pants after the water Brooks so panth my soul after thee Oh God my dad didn't appreciate the presence of God my dad didn't appreciate the privilege of being in your presence but Lord you hear me as the deer in the woods pants over water and seeks out water and Sear churches for water that's how I feel about your presence I can I can hardly wait to get to the house of God I can hardly wait for the choir just start singing so I can do something to praise him just start the service Pastor I came to praise him as the deer pants after the water Brooks so panth my soul after thee Oh God this one's a little astounding Psalm 41 we have heard with our ears oh God our fathers have have told us what work thou did in their days in the times of old notice that our fathers their father didn't tell them that their father filled their ears and their minds with bitterness and resentment and carnality but the sons of Kora had enough sense to know if my family's that dysfunctional I'm going to pull in close to the family of God if my family's going to oppose this wonderful relationship with God I'm just going to pull it I got some other fathers I got some other mothers I got some other brothers I've got some other sisters and if my Earthly family decides to write me off and disown me and forget my name and disinherit me watch me devil I've got a family right here I love my Earthly family but if they decide to kick me out I'm welcome in the house of God my father's told me how God showed up in this life and that life and that life and that life there's a a host of testimonies in the house of the Lord tonight if you don't have a testimony of your own yet and you're serving Jesus hang in you'll have one soon and if you don't you're encompassed you're engulfed by a host of testimonies in this room there's somebody in some Pew in some section in this Sanctuary that had the same problem you've got right now they were addicted to the same stuff their family did the same stuff their family was in the same junk but guess what they're here serving God we've got testimonies everywhere in this Sanctuary my fathers told me it's going to be okay my fathers told me that I have great things in my future it's amazing Psalm 45 is another one um my heart is in inditing a good matter now that's old King James you know what that means my heart is overflowing with some good wonderful things of God that's what it means I speak of the things which I have made in other words remember there's songwriters they wrote that song right there I speak of the songs that I have written touching the king and then they say my tongue is the pen of a ready writer I just want to write down the Praises of God God so somebody else can sing them I just want to write down my testimony so somebody else can know about it my tongue is the pen of a ready writer you don't have a pen that's okay use your tongue you don't have a pen that's okay use your voice and we lift up our voices in the sanctuary and we thank God for every testimony that's here my heart is overflowing with the goodness of God they go on in that Psalm to say thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness you know there's a lot of people today that they say they love righteousness but they like a lot of wickedness to go along with it notice that but the sons of Kora this is their motto thou lovest righteousness and hated wickedness and because you separated yourself from the rebellion and the sin and the world and you love God's righteousness therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows let me tell you why fac mirl is an anointed assembly of Believers it's because you have pastors who are courageous enough in the face of all kinds of ungodliness and worldly pressure to stand in this Pulpit week after week month after month and declare to you the the whole counsel of the word of the Lord you want to thank God every day that you've got a team of pastoral voices that are committed to the word of God and Apostolic truth and experience and worship and lifestyle you want to thank God every day therefore the Lord has anointed an assembly like this one with the oil of gladness above a whole lot of other places there's a reason that there's rejoicing in the camp of the people of God tonight because his anointing rests where his righteousness is loved verse 17 I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations therefore shall the people praise thee forever and ever my dad didn't do this he would have stamped out your name in fact our whole family history could have ended with our Daddy's Rebellion but as for us we're going to work to make sure our kids and our grandkids and our great grandkids that your name is Remembered in all generations and Bishop already said it tonight that someday down the road there's going to be some little kids that grow up into 20 somethings and 40 somethings and 60 somethings and if the Lord carries they're still going to be leaping and dancing and raising their hands in altars just like this we're going to make sure that the Next Generation hears about it cuz his truth endur to all generations oh my Psalm 46 another one uh we we don't have time it's just there a bird's eye view um this one's special to me God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble therefore will not we fear though the Earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea though the waters thereof Roar and be troubled though the mountains shake with the swelling there of every so often the songs written by kora's son take a turn that just kind of leaves you breathless at the profound gratitude they have we read it and you might not have noticed it therefore will not we fear though the Earth be removed for their family the Earth was removed once for their family the Earth had given way so suddenly that their father and all his rebellious friends were swallowed up but even on that terrible tragic day of trouble when the Earth really did literally open up God had been their refuge and their strength so when I hear the sons of Kora say that there's 's no cause to fear even on the days when your World falls apart and caves in when I hear them say it I can take it to heart I will not fear though trouble Rise Against Me on every side the war Rises against me I will not fear because my life is hidden in the Tabernacle of the Lord God is my refuge and my strength that same Psalm includes these words be still and know that I am God I will be exalted among the Heathen I will be exalted in the earth now there's a little quirk in in in Hebrew you know that says be still and know that I am God and some people that's their that's their verse they've got that on their fridge be still it doesn't mean be quiet it means be still it's not talking about your external praise it's talking about your internal attitude see there's some people that are quiet on the outside and on inside they're just like a duck on water you're not supposed to be all anxious and agitated and having Apostolic anxiety attacks and Pentecostal panic attacks on the inside while you sit there like this no you're supposed to be still on the inside peaceful on the inside confident on the inside and on the outside you wonder what you're supposed to do oh I'll tell you they wrote this too Psalm 47 oh clap your hands all ye people shout unto God with a voice of Triumph korus boys wrote that our dad messed it up but let me tell you when we get in the presence of God oh clap your hands all ye people and shout unto God with a voice of trial yes yes yes yes yes oh my goodness I love that verse and you do too we quote it all the time oh clap your hands and sometimes that's about as far as we get we clap our hands which is wonderful but that's the only time in all of scripture that the Bible tells us to clap our hands in worship one time but there are many times when the Bible says lift up your voice like a trumpet lift up your voice in the sanctuary lift up your voice in a loud voice and worship the Lord so when the Bible says clap your hands all you people I'm doing that part but I'm especially going to do the next part and Shout under our great God with a voice of Triumph Jesus saved me I'm redeemed I've got a future that's why I shout hallelujah hallelujah it's amazing to me that kora's boys wrote that huh Psalm 48 great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God in the mountain of his Holiness beautiful for situation the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion on the sides of the north the city of the great king my goodness those boys could have had an attitude toward the house of God they could have had an attitude toward the people of God they could have had an attitude toward the city of Jerusalem that the people of God eventually inhabited they could have had an attitude but they didn't have an attitude they were so enthralled with the house of of God that when they got near to Jerusalem they looked up at that City on a mountain and they said great is the Lord and greatly to be praised I feel the same way tonight great is the Lord and greatly to be praised at fac marille among the people who know that his name is Jesus beautiful they wrote this one too Psalm 85 mercy and Truth are met together righteousness and peace have kissed each other God's judgment should have fallen on our family but Mercy got in the way of the truth about us the truth about us was ugly the truth about us was not good the truth about us you wouldn't have wanted us around but God's mercy and Truth met together and righteousness and peace kissed each other they wrote this one um Psalm 87 the Lord Lord shall count when he writeth up the people that this man was born there as well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there all my Springs are in thee what they're saying there when they say the Lord shall count when he writes up the people God's going to say this man was born there see what they're writing in their song is we should have been counted among the rebels but when God writes up his people he said no no this man was born here you you you you don't get it yet but it's so awesome I should have been written up with the Sinners I should have been written up in the list of the drug addicts I should have been written up with the long list of Alcoholics I should have been written up in the dysfunctional families category but the Lord said no no when you count my people you can write as though the man was born here let me tell you if you've only been part of f see maraville for about 3 days you're as welcome here as a saint that's been here for 40 years you're just that welcome you know why cuz there's no seniority in the house of the Lord we're just all Sinners so grateful to be saved by the grace of God so when God looks at us he said no don't write that one as they came from a far off no just write them up as they were born here they were born here they're just as welcome to the house of God and the altar of God and the presence of God as anybody that's been around for a long time my goodness the sons of korus said we're going to sing and Worship the Lord because all our joy and all our life and all our Springs of living water are in him but my favorite I don't have time to go through them all my goodness we'd be here for a week I've been here for a week well I still didn't have time to go through them all but this is my favorite and it's your favorite too if you think about it it's unbelievable that the sons of a rebel who died for his Rebellion the sons of a person who was so ungrateful for his privilege of working in the house of God it's unbelievable that they would get to write these words Psalm 84 how amiable are th thy Tabernacles oh lord of hosts my soul longth even fainteth for the courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh crith out for the Living God it's a beautiful Psalm but this verse Takes the Cake for me verse 10 for a day in thy Court is better than a thousand anywhere else I know what my daddy did I know what my family was known for but I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to be a big shot out there in the tense of wickedness I'm just glad to be here I don't deserve it I couldn't buy it but I'm just glad to be here I don't care Pastor if you put me up there or right here or back there or out parking cars I'm just glad to be here God's been good to me time out lift up your hands and your voice lift up every great word of praise and gratitude that you have for the Lord I'm just thrilled to be here oh yes yes yes yes yes yes stand with me I think we're done I'd rather be a doorkeeper for the sons of Kora that's not a figure of speech that's reality I I am a doorkeeper that's what they did they opened and shut the gates They Carried those heavy Implements of worship they were glad to do it their dad wasn't glad their dad was angry and irritated their dad was jealous of every body else their dad had such an evil attitude that God had to wipe him out so that the people of Israel would not be infected and polluted but no matter where your family has been no matter what a mess has erupted in your past I don't care where you've been I care where you're going God doesn't care what your past pedigree says he cares about your name being written down in glory so I just want to declare to the church and the Lord and the devil and the world I'm just thrilled to be an Apostolic believer I'm just honored to be part of the kingdom of God better is one day in your courts better is one day in your house better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere your best day in the world doesn't hold a candle to your most burdensome day in the church I know it's not always perfect we're just people I know we got problems and issues and I know there's days when you may struggle or I may struggle I know there's days when you may fall flat on your face and you may feel like you're a failure but you're here I know there's days when you go home and there's tension in your family and you're worried about the bills and you're rried about the kids and you're worried about something else but you're here there's no place I'd rather be than smack dab in the middle of the will of God the house of God the people of God the Church of the Living God there no other place I'd rather be before we come pray tonight I'd like to start our prayer in the seats tonight if you wouldn't mind mind you're such good people would you reach over to somebody on either side if you would and just grab them by the hand and then lift every hand that we can lift in this building right now lifted in honor and worship and prayer and praise to God now your hands look wonderful but your hands are not the center of spiritual warfare in your life death and life are in the power of the tongue so lift up your voice right now beside that person lift up your voice right now unashamedly in front of you your family my family as for me and my house we will serve the Lord as for me and my house we will serve the Lord I don't care what happened in my past I'm here about my future oh pray church that's so beautiful and Powerful that's so wonderful and liberating there's joy in the house of the Lord tonight there's thankfulness in the house of the Lord tonight yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah now in just a moment I'm going to ask this great church to just head for a very familiar place it's the best place in the building the Lobby's exceptional the classrooms are elegant and wellapp appointed the coffee shops awesome Sanctuary is just gorgeous the best place in the building PR here where we meet with God every week and he changes lives so in just a moment I'm going to ask this great church to just head for a very familiar spot this is our homec court advantage right here when we get here and pray you can't tell what might happen when we get here and worship you can't tell whose life might be changed this is home court advantage right here so we're going to come and I I just like to say this for all of you that are our honored guests we're so thrilled that you're here don't don't be a spectator and feel like well this isn't my church or this is your church this is your people you're welcome here just like everybody else um yeah so so don't exclude yourself because we want to include you and God wants to include you when I was studying this week this beautiful passage of scripture um I just couldn't get away from feeling like somebody would be here tonight that there's a mess in your past there's a fracture in your family there's um a hurt in your heart there's just something back there and your emotions range from anger to frustration to shame it's just a it's just a hodgepodge of just very raw emotions about something that wounded you deeply and I just want to say like the sons of Kora would tell you it doesn't matter what your daddy did what or what your mother did I don't say those words lightly it doesn't matter what happened in the past history of your family two generations back or three generations ago it doesn't matter who your grandparents hated it doesn't matter who your parents fought with it doesn't matter not to God because God can reach into anybody's life tonight and just with his holy presence go new page new start new chapter new book New Life he's amazing he's amazing he's amazing there's such a holy presence of God here right now and we're going to head for the altar just momentarily but before we do I'm just going to ask you I'm not trying to play on your emotions I'm quite overwhelmed right now with the goodness of God would you lift up your hands like a funnel and just lift up your face to the Lord and just just begin to love him and worship him and honor him CU Jesus is here to touch a family tonight Jesus is here to heal a marriage tonight Jesus is is here to restore a backslider tonight Jesus is here to give you hope over that situation that has just bound you and bothered you and burdened you he's here to meet with you tonight better is one day in his house better is one day in his courts than a thousand days anywhere else would you bring your family your spouse your friends would you just start coming down these aisles when you get here come as close as as you can cuz we're going to need everybody on deck at fac tonight come as close as you can and just keep clearing those aisles God is going to touch down here in a moment and it's going to be amazing what he does for some folks here tonight the presence of the Lord is here I can feel him in the atmosphere ah keep coming great church that's beautiful keep coming guests and friends and families and couples oh keep coming that's beautiful we got room in through here just come as close as you can cuz we're going to pray one for another the greatest thing that the sons of Kora ever did for themselves is they refused to divide from the people of God I refuse to divide from the people of God you're my brother you're my sister you're my family you're my church you ready would you reach over to somebody before you behind you on either side of you would you lay your hand on them and would you just begin to pray with them and for them and let God touch them somebody God wants to give you a future instead of the pain of the past let him do it