November 17, 2019 - Chuck Swindoll preaching, "Seven Insights From Job About Our God"

good morning and thank you for being this hour of worship we're so glad that you're here take a look at your bulletin please i want to mention the hymns that we'll be singing today that there's a common theme and all of them will be singing today about the confidence we have in God's plan for our lives and that he will always direct and provide for us so I think you'll see that common theme going through all the music we're gonna begin the service with a very joyful numberplate by our string orchestra they're directed by Pete hazard [Music] [Applause] little Mozart to warm you up on a little bit of a cool morning we're glad you're here to enjoy that if that's your kind of music you will love tonight six o'clock the downbeat of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra will occur right here they are coming and they're playing on this platform and it will be a delight to have what they call DSO on the go as they do some work in that area of Mozart I'll believe correct yes I think so that's tonight and you can enjoy it starting at 6:00 you'll need to come earlier because the concert begins and as you know they hold you back from moving in to the room if there's music going on so come early enough to enjoy the preliminaries and they'll be tuning and then playing at 6 o'clock straight up thank you for making plans for that this evening Oh word of thanks to those of you who were among our volunteers this past week you don't know this you weren't involved but records were set we had all 320 people come and they worked their way through 15,000 items as they prepared thanks for giving bags that would be delivered to people in Frisco County Collin County and Dallas County this week to encourage them this Thanksgiving and 600 bags will be delivered as a result of the hard work of these volunteers as they met also they prepared gifts for teachers as well as first responders in the city of Frisco and Little Elm and they'll be receiving those gifts as well to encourage them at this time of the year so our thanks goes to each one of you who was involved in that activity thank you for being here and volunteering your time it's a great moment for me to make an announcement we make every year at this time and that is family portraits are being offered to the congregation this year and they are compliments of a member of our church of the photographer Cindy ward photos will be taken on three consecutive Sundays beginning this next Sunday December 1 and on two consecutive Saturdays beginning the 7th of next month so three Sundays and the two Saturdays in between please refer to your worship folder for the details relating to information for scheduling your family photo for that wonderful opportunity as always appointments will be scheduled on a first-come first-served basis so you're being quick to respond would be a wise move on your part let me welcome you who are our guests today thank you for coming if you've not noticed already in your worship folder is a little tear off tab that you fill out with your own hand and hold on to that when you leave stop by the Information Center and give that to them they can welcome you and tell you some things about our church and you can learn of what God is doing here in our midst and how grateful we are for his hand on us from one a month to the next thank you for visiting make sure by the way if you brought a handheld device that you've put it on silence or turned it off completely unless it plays an important role in your time of worship we want to dedicate a number of our children today but before we do that we want you to meet one another there are folks here who've not met you and they would love to do that so I stand up and reach across a little space across an aisle to say hello to someone you've not met before this is great thank you you may be seated always appreciate your willingness to do that that makes us a warm statement of welcome to all who come and you may be here every Sunday but many are not and this is their chance to meet someone they've not known before I want you to look into the faces of these parents aside from looking a little tired they've got a happy look on their faces and that's exactly what scripture says how blessed is the one who has his quiver full of children not a great way to put it and nobody said amen to that so I I'm gonna take that by faith that it is in fact the scripture says children are a heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward how happy is the one who has is quiver for thee these are parents that are swimming upstream in a world has lost its way among a culture that's dark and what they're doing is is not popular they're rearing their children God's way based on the Word of God they're not perfect they're not super human individuals they don't have extra strength beyond what you are I had when our children were smaller but they're engaged in rearing their children as God would have them do it our desire as a church is to work alongside of them I've said for years the church cannot resurrect what the whole puts to death so as the home works in tandem with Scripture we work alongside the home in the support of that kind of training we believe in these children we protect them we watch over their welfare and we make certain that our instruction is based not on the opinion of a teacher though that opinion may be a strong and and and even traditional opinion we make sure that everything is based on the Scriptures and so these children are brought to us and we train them and and help in the little way we can at the time we've got but the main training happens in these homes by the way if you're among the grandparents represented up here or a godparent would you stand up we'd like to recognize your presence today as you are here among us any of these there's there's one that was another my dear your role is so important because you influence the children and you give them the joy of knowing the roots of their family and how blessed that is for the child now the reason for a child education is found in the First Samuel in the book of 1st Samuel as elkanah and his wife bring their their child Samuel to the priest that child has been prayed for I in fact Samuel means ask of God and Hannah the mother had asked God for a child and he gave her a little boy and then she brought him to the priest and it was an irrevocable decision he belonged to to God and to God's Word from then on I'm about through and as a result these these this child was placed in the care of God's work and God's workers and today we dedicate the children to the Lord in the same way if you turn to face me I have four very simple questions to ask each of you and if you will answer with I do to express your response if this is true that would make our our statement complete do you parents today testify that you have come to know the Lord Jesus as your own personal Savior do you desire that your home be the place where Christ is the central figure and His Word is honored and obeyed do you give your child to the Lord today irrevocably anticipating by faith that he or she will come to know Christ just as you have do you therefore promise before God that you will give up your time and attention and and your prayers to the setting of the atmosphere in the home so that the child is raised under the influence of spiritual things for as much as as possible you commit yourself to a home like that good good for you let's stand for prayer for these parents today maybe we bowed together certainly Lord of these gifts are treasures from you these are your children they're on loan to these parents and it's an awesome thing to be given a gift from you our awesome God so we pray for these parents who need your strength of your patience your insight your wisdom your discipline your love your gentleness to rear the children in a way that pleases you and prepares them for life we anticipate by faith the child's salvation today and we commit each one to you now in the name of Jesus our Savior and God God's people said amen you may be seated we have certificates of recognition today for Ayden Matthew Russell and then for Andrew Michael Ritchie for Marren Wiley Matthews Nino philia name on Johnson Isabella ones Ubu Dean Ripken blue Carol and hannah elizabeth carpenter not great these who are shaking their hands or those who work with our children every day would you please join me in thanking each one of them you'll find in your hymnal the songs of the morning as well as words on the screen we'll begin with him number five six to be thou my vision we will have our worship time and you are the choir in times like this where you blend your voices with our adult choir and we sing together the songs of the faith may we stand together for this first Jam five six to be thou mighty [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] I'll change my race [Music] [Music] [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] it seemed fitting as we were coming to the end of the series on epical events nobody expected that there be sort of a sort of a wrap-up that related to the one who had caused all of those events some of which were truly surprising and I would even use the word mysterious and the one I'm referring to is the Lord our God Himself who is is full of surprises and even mystery anyone who has attempted to understand his ways has often been frustrated for there are times you cannot explain God's reasoning oh oh why would Joe of a righteous man be permitted by the Lord to go through such awful experiences why would Joseph such a good man be permitted to go through the abuse of his brothers or the the unfair accusation of mrs. Potiphar and and hell on it on the list could go why would God asked Abraham to take the life of Isaac his son so in in light of these questions and a hundred others seemed appropriate that we turn to one of the characters and in this case job and let him speak let him give us insights that we lack in ourselves regarding our God so we're going to do that today we're going to consider seven insights from Jobe about God I find all of him in the last chapter of the book that bears job's name job chapter 42 we'll work our way through these verses and and in in terms anyone can understand we will hopefully gain insight into our God all at the same time I fully admit much of what God does will remain profound unanswerable and even mysterious you might want to find a blank space I have one at the end of this 42nd chapter or you can write these 7 down or maybe a blank page in your Bible but trust me you may not think you need them now you will one day perhaps even sooner than you expect you'll want to turn to the list and rehearse it I think it will be helpful all of them are based on verses from chapter 42 of job I'll be reading from the New Living Translation just a few excerpts from this chapter let's stand together for the reading of the scriptures and then a brief time of prayer before the offering is taken then Jove replied to the Lord I know that you can do anything and no one can stop you you you asked who is this the questions my wisdom with such ignorance it is I and I was talking about things I knew nothing about things far too wonderful for me you said listen and I will speak I have some questions for you and and Lluis answer them I had only heard about you before but now now I have seen you with my own eyes I take out I take back everything I said and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance verse 10 when the I wouldn't jove prayed for his friends the Lord restored his fortunes in fact the Lord gave him twice as much as before then all his brothers and sisters and former friends came and feasted with him in his home and they consoled him and comforted him because of all the trials the Lord had brought upon him and each of them brought a gift of money and a gold ring verse 13 God also gave jobs seven more sons and three more daughters for sixteen Joe who lived a hundred forty years after that living to see four generation of his children and grandchildren then he died an old man who had lived a long full life will you pray with me please we long to live a full life Oh God it may not be long but we'd like it to be full we'd like to think that what we do matters and what we decide pleases you we'd like to learn how to submit to you and to sit and rest in you regardless of our circumstances there will be times one that won't be easy but we're not asking for what's easy we're asking for what's best we'd like for others when we're gone to remember us as women and men who took you seriously who believed what you wrote in your word and guided our lives according to its principles Oh Lord they're a lot of things that we would say along with job things would love to take back that we once said but we can't do that those words are out there and we said them and now looking back we realize some of them were hasty others were foolish some were dead wrong and a few of them were short-sighted today Lord we pray for the kind of wisdom that comes with age and pain and therefore we will listen to an older man job who knew pain and may we live different lives because of it we give our gifts now full of gratitude to you thankful for the way you're going to use these gifts and thankful for the privilege of having an occupation where we could earn a living and be able to give be pleased we pray in our motive for giving and in the act itself we do so to bring you pleasure as we submit to your will in these moments ahead now in the name of Jesus we pray everyone said amen please be seen [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] life's best teachers for those who are getting up in years and have known pain often the more years and the deeper the pain the better the teaching we some think about it older people are worth a lot more than younger folks no no I read this we have silver in our hair golden our teeth stones in our kidneys titanium and our hips and wrists and ankles and knees and spine let in our feet and a lot of natural gas and our gut we're worth a whole lot but when you add the presence of pain all of those other things are diminished because outcomes not information but wisdom there's a great difference between information which the youth are full of and wisdom which they lack Sara Teasdale the poet is put it best when I've ceased to break my wings against the faultiness of things and learning that compromises wait behind each hardly open gate when I can look life in the eyes groan calm and very coldly wise life will have given me the truth and taken an exchange my youth not only does age provide wisdom when prey when pain is brought into the mix insight is gained which is far better than simple facts or information insight the ability to see into and even beyond a situation so that one lives a life above his or her circumstances due to those insights this is what makes Jovi's work such a treasure for i know no one nor do you who suffered like Jobe and the insight drips from his pen for all to read and remember it occurred to me as I began to think about wrapping up this series on these epical events where we sit and learn and listen to one after another after another some of which are wrapped in mystery and unfairness strange turns of events and when we stop to think that God is the author of them it baffles us we need insight we don't simply need facts about God we need insight into how he works who he is what he's about by the end of his life job seems to have gleaned that insight and I find in this a forty second chapter of his book at least seven there may be many more but at least seven insights about God that I do not find in most other places or any other writings that I read so with your pen handy and your mind and gear I'll do my best to move through these seven in a way that anyone can understand them I have no interest in impressing you with my knowledge of God for I will tell you there are occasions when I simply am at a loss to explain is working so I come to you today as a learner a reader a preacher who longs to know more perhaps we will gain it together insight number one is found in verse 2 of chapter 42 look at your Bible it begins first 40 verse 1 of chapter 42 then Jobe replied to the Lord so the chapter begins with Joe speaking and it is a dialogue back and forth between Joel and his God so Jobe speaks the first thing he says verse 2 I know that you God can do anything let's stop right there insight number 1 there is nothing God cannot do there is nothing God cannot do Joe has finally come to realize that his Lord and Master was capable of doing anything any way he pleases with anyone who wishes for as long as he desires and in many ways for reasons known only to him because God is able to do anything when theologians grab hold of his thought they give it a word that you may have heard but maybe you have not known what it meant the word they give it is omnipotence omnipotence let's unpack it Omni the first part of it means all or everywhere potent means powerful effective God is all-powerful he dwells in absolute and unlimited might strength power aw Tozer wrote it like this all God's acts are done without effort he extends no energy that must be replenished his self-sufficiency makes it unnecessary for him to look outside himself for a renewal of strength stay with me all the power required to do all that God wills to do lies in undiminished fullness of his own infinite being in other words he needs no help from anyone he is able to create from nothing we invent with things already in existence God creates we invent he maintains the vast universe we can't change a thing in the universe we can only observe it and enjoy it he sustains life in all creatures we can't keep ourselves alive an absence of breath for just a little bit of time and we're gone he sustains life as long as he pleases in all creatures when he's no longer pleased that they live they stop living there's nothing he cannot do he's even able to raise the dead when we die we're gone it's over oh there's eternal life but as far as this earth is concerned finished we don't come back for a second act it's over God sustains life nothing stands in his way nothing hinders his will no obstacle causes him a detour he's able to do all things which is why I've urged you to reserve the word awesome for God alone unless one can do the above he isn't awesome no thing is awesome no animal is awesome no creature is awesome only God four times of the Bible reread that nothing is impossible with God four times Jeremiah 32 17 Jeremiah 32 27 Luke 1:37 Luke 18:27 nothing is impossible with God that's where we start insight number 2 verse 2 concludes I know that God can do anything and no one can stop him here's the insight it is impossible to frustrate hinder or stop God's purposes it is impossible to frustrate hinder or stop God's purposes as job put it no one can stop you God's intentions are neither altered nor disrupted his purpose is transpire without delay without hindrance and without fail God is never surprised or shaken he never has reason to rethink the events he enacts for his ways are perfect he does not adjust his plans according to our pleasures and arrangement of things we adjust our arrangement of things according to his plans peace and pleasure are found in submitting to him all the while remembering he is not almost sovereign those words make me smile like my saying I'm almost married after 64 years I'm altogether married I'm not almost married God is not almost in charge let me break that down he's the Potter we are the clay he's the Shepherd we are the Sheep he provides we consume he displays we discover he initiates we participate he is inscrutable we are predictable it's impossible to frustrate hinder or stop God's purposes number 3 verse 3 look at the verse first you asked now here's the dialogue you asked who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance and job's hand flies in the air it's me I'm the one I love his vulnerability job says it's I I was talking about things I knew nothing about or do we understand that huh here's the here's the insight don't miss any of it God's ways are beyond our understanding and they are too deep to explain God's ways are beyond our understanding and they are too deep to explain I love the way Eugene Peterson in the message renders this verse quote I babbled on about things far beyond me made small talk about wonders way over my head I like Frederick Victor's words in his work wishful thinking I love the analogy listen for it God doesn't explain here he explodes he says that to try to explain the things job once explained would be like trying to explain Einstein to a little neck clam that's a great analogy God doesn't reveal his grand design beaten you're right he doesn't have to explain himself he doesn't owe us that let's understand he owes us nothing we owe him everything here's the way Paul put it all the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgments how unfathomable his ways romans 11:33 unsearchable unfathomable isaiah put a little differently for as the heavens are high above the earth God says my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts as the Rays come down and snow from heaven and return not but water the earth and makes it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater so shall my word be when it goes forth out of my mouth it shall never return empty but it will accomplish the things which I please and do not need to explain I would add we spend our lives trying to explain the unsearchable trying to understand the unfathomable or is one of my mentors used to put it trying to unscrew the inscrutable don't waste their time he's also learn to live in such a way that you give him his due he's God and and and we are not and let's love it that way job comes to an insight in this but by the way before I go there let me let me introduce you to a emotion a gesture it's called a shrug some of you hadn't done in a long time let's do it together okay one two three some of you didn't do it you do you're too sophisticated to do it so do it again you want two three yeah you look better already now if you could add for the most difficult words you'll ever speak to the shrug you'll even look great I do not know I don't know I don't know how many letters are after your name and I don't care but it seems as though the more letters the more people want to ask questions to people like that they don't know either and by the way medical doctors could cannot cure they treat they guess and might I add they practice medicine the wisest of medical doctors on occasion will go I do not know I don't know why you get cancer and she didn't I don't know why he lost his baby and and you got to keep yours healthy I don't know why that first responder carried a limp body out of the building and that first responder carried one who was restored to full health I don't know why that one died in and and this one lived and you'll never know you'll never know you need to know you need to know the God who knows and leave it at that simplistic though that may sound for those who think they know what they don't know God doesn't simply call foolish he calls us ignorant it is an ignorant statement to say you know when in fact you do not know now that I've pretty well offended everybody let's go to the fourth insight the more you learned about God the less you'll be impressed with anybody and that's the way it ought to be that's the way it ought to be a list like this makes you impressed with God and God alone in sight number four look at verse five and verse six I had only heard about you before but now I've seen you with my own eyes I you know what it means by that I I think I think he means I've seen you work in ways I never saw you work before I've gone through things I've never been through before I've seen you and then I've come to an absolute end of myself and I take back everything I said you felt like that haven't you and and and I and I sit here in dust and ashes to show my repentance get this insight number four only by focusing fully on God are we able to humble ourselves and rest in his will only by focusing fully on God are we able to humble ourselves and rest in his will our choir this morning happened to have sung one of my favorite pieces that they sing in their repertoire of music I love it because it is so simple and yet profound it be still be still sounds like my dad's counsel when I was a little boy sitting next to him at the table and my feet are moving and my legs are shuffling around spilling the milk and pushing figs around and he says son sit still on occasion God says to us be still sit still you know what Joe was doing in verses five and six he said he's still he's resigned in in for submission he looks back and realizes there were questions he asked asks he asked and realized now how shallow and superficial they were there were demands he made and understands now that he's sitting and resigned in God's will he had no right to demand anything you know what I love that's absent from all of job's writings a spirit of entitlement which is the characteristic of the 21st century I've got it coming those are my rights you press my rights I'll sue you and they will and they do how easy to be intimidated by a lawsuit and to forget all the while that the one who has everything against us and knows all about us never takes us to court Joe focusing fully on his god humblest humbles himself and wrists in his will now I can hear some critic when he hears that say in response well Chuck I would too if he'd blessed me like he's blessing Joe wait a minute wait wait a minute my critic friend you were reading ahead he is a blessed job yet you know where job is you check for yourself he's still sitting in ashes he's still penniless homeless he's still diseased covered with sore balls none of that has changed you know what's changed job has changed job has changed God you don't have to relieve me of any of this I don't know why I've got all this that's happened to me but it's your call and I'm yours and you've never done anything that's truly unfair or without a purpose I'm yours and I rest my case I'm sitting still that's a changed man most people live their lives and never come to that place we're born with our fists clenched and the only time we finally open our hands is it death never seen a cadaver with clenched fists they're all open Joba does quiet spirit of resignation complete continuant rests himself in the Lord it's beautiful because he relies fully on the Lord God who knows what's best at all times though remember it's different from the way we see life people make this silly mistake all the time they think of God is just like us except a lot older he's got this long beard and he stands in the north of the mat going blowing at north wind across the world don't go there he is nothing at all like us He is God and we are not he has ways beyond our grasp and we'll never know rest in that leave it alone or you'll never know rest you'll churn the rest of your life now then God has a tether and when he comes to the end of it things happen look at verses 7 8 and 9 you'll hear insight number 5 let me read the verses after the Lord and finish speaking to job now look closely he said to Elif as the tema night I'm angry with you and with your two friends for you have not spoken accurately about me as my servant Jonas so you take seven bulls and seven Rams that you go to my servant job and you offer a burnt offering for yourselves in other words you seek his forgiveness you've taken advantage of him long enough you've accused him long enough all of it falsely you said wrong things long enough shut your mouth take the sacrifice go before job offer the sacrifice and look I will accept to his prayer on your behalf I will not treat you as you deserve for you to have not spoken accurately about me as my servant Jove has so Elif has the team and I bildad the shuhite so far the name of theit did as the job commanded as the LORD commanded him and the Lord accepted job's prayer here's the insight number five or yes number five when the day of reckoning comes God demonstrates firm judgment mixed with great grace when the day of reckoning comes God demonstrates firm judgment with great grace it's a saying I've used before but it bears repeating now all God's accounts are not settled at the end of the month remember he's not like us he doesn't keep our kind of books his books don't look like our books when you own it all and when you control it all the books don't look alike through all the long dreadful days and Jove has been suffering God has remained what silent not absent don't believe it not absent silent silent but we would plead for job for for the Lord to speak silence until now and now the day of reckoning has come it's time for you three friends to know what fools you've made of yourselves how you have taken advantage of this dear man job not God doesn't miss anything he knows them by name as he knows us and in the process he doesn't give them what they deserve fully because there's grace involved in this which is another subject in sight number 6 10 to 15 this is where it gets very very delightful look closely look at verse 10 when Joel prayed for his friends look at the verbs the Lord restored his fortunes in fact the Lord increased him twice as much as before he gave him twice as much as before all his brothers and sisters came and feasted with him in his home and they consoled and comforted him because of the trials he had gone through and each of them brought a gift of money and a and and a gold ring look still look at the verb the Lord blessed job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning and look at the list he doubles his livestock he doubles his Caravan he doubles his oxen and he gives them seven sons and three more daughters is the gracious of God not to double his children just just a thought so he gets ten new children he's got ten in heaven and now he's got ten brand-new ones for him and his wife to have the joy of rearing he gives them their names and verse thirteen and all the land no women were so lovely as the daughters of job and their father put them into his will along with her brothers here's the insight insight number six no one can be compared to our God when he comes to blessings I mean he unloaded the truck on Joe how gracious of him the Lord accepted his prayers the Lord restored him the Lord multiplied his increase and and then the Lord blessed him in such great measure did it all with abundance critics wrong the earth today talking about how you got your God has ripped you off I'm gonna look at the people who are suffering and you worship a God like that I mean look at the people who were killed and you think God's in charge just listen to the critic they're everywhere they're all over even in quote high places who are pulling God out of documents where he belongs because God is no longer fair may I ask you to pause for a moment set all of the nonsense aside and start to count your blessings and I warn you you'll run out of ink in your pen and paper in your tablet and time on your calendar before you get to the end of his blessings they are over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over think of your blessings look at you look at us the objects of his blessings in abundance no one can be compared to him when it comes to blessings don't forget that at this season of the year when you will be tempted to let Black Friday eclipse beautiful Thursday will you please remember its thanks giving so let's give things rather than plan on what we're gonna spend let's pause and let the day run its course as we praise him for his blessings I look over what I deserve and I I'm just so embarrassed I can't look very long and I realized what God has done and I I'm thrilled to tears no one can be compared to our God when it comes to his blessings now number seven I love this it would take a little time on it so relax verses 16 and 17 job lived 140 years after that do you know that most people would not have remembered that I don't know how long you lived before this maybe a hundred years he's among the patriarchs they live long time he may be by the end of his life 200 250 300 we don't know but he lived a hundred forty years after all that he went through and he was able to see four generations of his children and his grandchildren let's take a generation there's 35 years if my math is right so for a hundred and forty years here came the children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren great-great-grandchildren and then he died an old man who lived a long full life here's the insight only God can fill our final years with the kind of music that frees us to live above our circumstances only God can fill our final years with the kind of music that frees us to live above our circumstances you hear the music you can't hear it it's in the man's soul it's in the soul of those who died well who've lived well there's music there now let me get realistic no doubt some near job's age we're not nearly as close to the Lord their final years may have been very different perhaps they were plagued with loneliness sadness maybe a loss of memory perhaps struggling with dementia III don't know but life being what it is there were some who were physically unable to keep up as well as Jobe could keep up he lived a long full life and he finished well which means he had the music that brought the melodies of great memories that he drew on and they had a way of eclipsing yesterday's regrets and silencing tomorrow's worries and fears bear with me through a very moving story some of you will remember the Shawshank Redemption a film an award-winning film it's the story of a prison Shawshank and the lives of inmates who fought against the brutality in order to sustain their humanity one of the main characters in the film was played by Tim Robbins the film's character is Andy mischievious energetic creative and he spent his days carving chess men from stone and petitioning the state for books for the prison library so he could help his fellow inmates earn high school diplomas which several of them did another creative idea costs him two weeks in solitary confinement but to Andy it was worth it he gained access to the privy to the prison's public address system and he played a record of great symphonic operatic music for all the prisoners to hear for the first time in their lives great music as the moving strains of of classical music stream through the cells the washrooms the mess hall the prison yard inmates stopped and stared transfixed as the music wafted across the familiar world of the prison and the prisoners the actor Morgan Freeman who is also the narrator of the story the Shawshank Redemption says these words about that epical moment nobody expected Morgan's line I have no idea to this day what those two Italian ladies were singing about truth is I don't want to know some things are best left unsaid I'd like to think they were singing about something so beautiful it can't be expressed in words and it makes your heart ache because of it he goes on I'll tell you those voices soared higher and farther than than anybody in the big house dared to dream it was like some beautiful bird flapped into a guy's cage and made those dumb walls and iron bars dissolve away and for the briefest of moments every last man in Shawshank felt free what the violence that's it that's job at the end of his life the music of his soul takes over and having lived a long full life music starts and he soars in his journey heavenward higher and farther than anyone ever dared to dream and he was free having left the body of pain and sickness and sorrow he's finally home free at last thank God free at last this for we will be that's our ending child of God that's ours it isn't a bird flapping its angel's wings and they take us from earth to glory and we see him as he is and we are forever they're free unless unless you don't know this God listen to me you may not even notice god this kind of information is this is this is foreign to you it wasn't visit of the way you were taught at your schools this isn't what your teacher said your so-called instructors but you realize now if you go on the basis of the book of truth this is the god of eternity he alone can take you from earth to heaven but we are the cross you don't want to live your last years lonely surrounded by those who remind you of the things that you're trying to forget you need the freedom only Christ can provide and only Christ can provide you don't you forget it please bow your heads deep within your soul is a hunger a god-shaped vacuum and it'll never be satisfied until he occupies that vacuum trust him now what are you waiting for next week you may not have next week I buried them younger every year this one may be your last come to him now believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be rescued delivered secured forgiven and free free at last thank you dear father for speaking to us in terms we can understand may these terms silence the voices of the majority around us who are trying to convince us that they are right and this is wrong that they speak truth when in fact they are lies hear us as we sit still and accept your plan and allow you the freedom to work so that we become changed individuals like Christ like Christ and for those who've never met you Father bring them to yourself before this day ends I ask for Jesus sake and all his people said amen amen [Applause] [Music] hey friends I'm Melissa Renner pastoral leader of our women's ministries here at Stonebriar Community Church thank you for tuning into our live stream this morning if you live in the Dallas area we would love to connect with you in person whether that's on a Sunday art any of our events throughout the week visit Stonebriar org to find out what we have to offer and come see us soon [Music] you

Channel: Stonebriar Community Church

Views: 2,337

Rating: 4.875 out of 5

Keywords: stonebriar community church, stonebriar, frisco, frisco texas, texas, chuck swindoll, frisco church, insight for living

Id: SUJThjbBr4Y

Length: 100min 14sec (6014 seconds)

Published: Sun Nov 17 2019