Exodus chapter 6, and we're looking at Jehovah, part 2. But anyways, the question tonight is do you truly know God as Jehovah or do you know about him? We've spoke about the last few weeks with respect to Jehovah. He does not appear until after. The name Jehovah in the Bible does not appear until after the creation of man. There's something very significant about that. It's his personal name. In the New Testament, we know that name as Jesus Christ. And God as Jehovah is the most certain fact in all of the universe. Jehovah, I am that I am, the self-existent one. In Exodus 3 verse 14, and God said unto Moses, I am that I am. Now the impact of knowing God as Jehovah is that some people have not trusted him. Others think that God will change just for them. While others think that God will send them to hell, will not send them to hell through thinking that God will listen to their story, listen to their appeal, and I'm good enough. But what we must do is agree with God's assessment of our life. We find in Romans 3, verse 23, the Bible clearly tells us, for all have sinned, none of us are good, and come short of the glory of God. None of us are perfect. None of us reach or attain to the perfection, the glory, the splendor of God. None of us do. And as a result of that, Romans 6, 23 tells us, for the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And these relate directly to us. You know that the amount of sin in my life is of no issue to God because we've all come short. And what we must do is accept His answer here in Exodus chapter 6 tonight. We're going to look at the first eight verses, but I'm just kind of going through a little bit of review. And I must accept God's answer because there is only one plan for my life and yours. As Jesus said in John 14, 6, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. There's only one way. There's one path. There's one direction that God wants. Now, obviously, all of us, we make our decisions, and sometimes we get off the path that we ought to go. Now, a drowning man who wants to live will take any remedy, he'll take any life preserver, he'll take any boat that will come up beside him and help him into the boat to get out of the water, if he has the physical capacity to do such. He doesn't choose to take the life preserver or the swimmer's aid, he's willing, I mean, he's willing to take anything that comes to him. He accepts the help, as the help and the aid and the gift is extended to him. What we must do is adopt God's agenda for a life, His commands, that I'm willing to do what God wants me to do because I understand that I am like a drowning man here in the ocean of life trying to figure out where is land. God's plan is perfect. It never changes. And what we must do, first of all, is agree with his assessment that we are a sinner who's dead and accept the answer through the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Adopting his agenda for our lives and living in it and do we really know him? So as we come here to Exodus chapter 6 and we start off experiencing God as Jehovah in Exodus chapter 6 verse 1, the Bible tells us The Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. God spake unto Moses and said unto him, I am the Lord. And I appeared unto Abraham, and unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty. But by my name, Jehovah, was I not known to them. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I remembered my covenant. Wherefore, say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm and with great judgments. And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God, and ye shall know that I am the, what's that there? Lord, that's all capitalized, that's Jehovah, your God. which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will bring you unto the land concerning which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and I will give it to you for an inheritance. I am the Lord. God is exposing, as we mentioned last week, that Jehovah and the protection of his children, he's exposing himself in his personal name. We're gonna look at that tonight and several other ideas, and I trust it's an encouragement. that God reveals Himself to us many times when we are most afflicted. Because then we are realizing I have no other help but Him. With that, let's pray. Dear Heavenly and Gracious Father, Lord, I yield tonight to Thee. I thank You for Your goodness. Father, I need Your help to direct and guide my thoughts or to speak to your people to encourage them. Our Father, we yield tonight to thee and thank you for being our precious Savior. God, would you be glorified, exalted. Lord, may our hearts be stirred to know you more. I sure love you, Jesus. In your precious name I pray, amen. As you think about experiencing God as Jehovah here, he says, I am the Lord here in Exodus chapter six. God Almighty, Jehovah the self-existent one, the unchangeable nature, I am that I am. Now in Exodus chapter six, verses one through three, we find something interesting here that Jehovah, Lord, protects his name. And he says, I am the Lord. You know, when I need some money or I tell others I have prayed and God said he would give it to them. You know, I'll say, God will be embarrassed if he doesn't give me money. You know what, I can't make false claims and threaten God to, well, God, if you don't give me money, I said you'd give me money and you didn't give me money, so if you don't give me money, it's gonna embarrass your name. Well, no, God can't be pushed or threatened into a position. You just can't do that to him. You know, I can do things all day long and say he'll do it. I could do things all day long and say you'll do it, and you're like, I'm not doing that. The very thing is, I mean, here's the, but God has a perfect plan, and he knows exactly what we need, and I can't just pray a prayer or make statements and try to push God into that box of my thinking. It just doesn't happen. In Genesis 4, verse 1, Adam and Eve knew God as Jehovah, and Adam and Eve knew his wife, and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. Now, when sin entered their view of God, of Adam and Eve, it began to fade for selfish desires. Noah knew God as Jehovah in verse 8. And as we kind of, but Noah, Genesis chapter six, verse eight, not Exodus, excuse me, Genesis chapter six, verse eight, not Exodus six, eight, that doesn't work, but in Genesis six, eight, not Exodus six, eight, Genesis six, eight, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. God, again, is showing his protection through the name Jehovah. He doesn't reveal himself to anybody as Jehovah. There are some specific requirements here. And I want to look at several of those things that we find that in God's calling upon Moses' life. In Exodus chapter 3 verse 14, we'll go back and forth here in Exodus and Genesis, but in Exodus chapter 3 verse 14, When God reveals himself to Moses as the Lord Jehovah, or the I am that I am, God is calling, and there's a specific thing of his authority, but also his name. Here's the authority, the name by which you are to submit your will to follow the Lord. Exodus 3, verse 14, and God said unto Moses, I am that I am. And he said, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I am that sent me unto you. When the people ask, you know, it's kind of like a brother and sister. Now, if you have siblings and you grew up around your siblings, you would tell your sibling, you know, maybe your parent told you, go get your brother, go get your sister and tell them it's dinner time. So you obey and hey, so-and-so, brother, sister, it's dinner time, mom said, dad said. I'm gonna keep doing what I'm gonna do. But if it's, the sibling says, it's dinner time, we need to come. But if they say, mom or dad said, come to the dinner table, and you're legitimately telling the truth, there's some authority behind that. Now, they obviously have a choice whether they listen or not. And many siblings were like, ah, bug off, right? But as you think about this, Moses here is coming and God's giving them the name by which they need to submit. Now, in Exodus chapter three, verse 19, And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand and smite Egypt with all my wonders, which I do, which I will do in the midst thereof, and after that he will let you go. But we find that he's to come by the name of the Lord unto Israel, but he doesn't come, he just comes by God unto Pharaoh and says, let my people go. Exodus chapter six, verse three. I appeared unto Abram, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them. The patriarchs, if you would, the patriarchs are the forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that would be the patriarchs, right? They didn't know God as Jehovah, but we will never know God as Jehovah, or never know Jesus Christ, unless there is a desire for, through Jesus Christ, it's an understanding, a realization that I've sinned. I have to come to the recognition that I have personally offended God. That I have personally done actions which have trespassed or transgressed or offended God. So there must be a desire for personal holiness and if we'll never know the Lord unless there's a desire to a recognition that I have personally offended him. I have personally done something that has breached or broken the guidelines which he's given for my life to help me. I have to. And in Leviticus chapter 19, verse two, would you look with me here? Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, the third book of the Bible. There must be, you'll never know God as Jehovah if there's no desire for personal holiness. And I must, I mean, holiness is one of those things that is so important in our lives, and we think, and I was, talking, I've talked with people in the past with whom I've looked, I've talked with them, and they want the Lord or their imagination of what God can do. They want the benefits of God without the attachment to Him alone. If I was to tell my wife on our wedding day or coming into the wedding, I want you, I want to marry you. And I want someone else. She would say, no, thank you. And rightly so. I don't think anyone, if I'm going to marry, I don't want them and someone else. I want them. And God is saying, I want all of your heart, right? The first and greatest commandment, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. God is saying in that idea of holiness here in Leviticus 19, two, in verse one, the Lord spake unto Moses saying, speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel and say unto them, ye shall be holy. I the Lord your God am holy. Some may never have a desire to be holy, Be holy is a believer's most significant decision, even more so than morals. Morals, you're just following some guidelines. Holiness is a desire to be like the one I love. The idea of holiness is I'm separated. When I put this ring on, and I said I do, I said I don't to everyone else. All other women, I said I don't. But to my wife, I said, I do. And marriage is a picture that God is saying, I want all of your heart. I want you. I want you. I love you. I don't want you to have this. I was actually just reading this morning in Ezekiel, continuing to read. there in Ezekiel, they're like, God says, you're not just a person of the streets who goes to anyone that buys you. No, you're like a wife who's adulterous and cheating on her spouse. And you pay these people to come in unto you, and yet they have no respect for you. Israel had failed because materialism and other, they had made all these treaties and they failed to just come to God and say, I'm going to trust you. The idea of knowing God is that I want Him because He is the solution. And not only is there no desire, but there's no determination for personal holiness. You're willing, if God will give you holiness, Webster's 1828, holiness, the state of being holy, purity, or integrity of moral character. Not just moral, but integrity of moral character. Integrity, right, doing what's right when no one's around. Freedom from sin, sanctity. Applied to the supreme being, holiness denotes perfect purity or integrity of moral character, one of his essential attributes. So my desire, be ye holy, for I am holy. And this whole idea of knowing Him is that I will say yes to the Lord. But if somebody wants me to do an action which will violate or bring discredit to Christ, I'll say no thank you. Because I don't wanna do any, I'm set apart. If somebody is a part of a company, I was talking with my mother some time ago, and she works in a company as a salesperson. and they make an agreement that if they leave that line of work as a salesperson, they don't go work for somebody else as a salesperson as a conflict of interest because of the knowledge they've gained within that particular industry. because it could hurt the bottom line. It would be unethical. They sign a thing, say, and I don't remember all the specifics, but to be a salesperson here to go to someone else as a competitor and then bring all the null intricate workings of this company over to here would be unethical. So they're devoted to the company from a business perspective because they have some trade secrets. If I was a chemist for one company, she works for a plastic company and they sell all sorts of different plastic stuff for binders and body bags and Well, all sorts of stuff, even like vinyl tiles. I mean, I don't know. They do lots of different things. They make the material in large bulk. Anyways, but if you take the trade secret, and then I go somewhere else where they've spent all the research and development, all of the money for what is necessary in the processing, and you trade those secrets. China does this a lot. They steal trade secrets, and they bring it in, and then they steal it, and then they mass manufacture when they've never had the blood, sweat, and tears necessary to actually create various projects. They're stealing it. God is saying, I don't want someone to steal your heart. I don't want someone to steal your affections. The question tonight is, do you know God as Jehovah in your desires and your determination? Going back to Exodus chapter 6, he proves his name. And I have also established my covenant with them, verse four, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. God said, I've established my covenant. I gave it to Abraham. God explains what he does. In fact, he's a covenant-keeping God. If you wanna look with me at Genesis chapter 15, we'll come back here to Exodus, but in Genesis chapter 15, this is where God makes the promise to Abraham. He proves his name. When I said I do to my wife on that marriage altar, May 29th, 2010, I went home with her that night. Well, not home, but we went on honeymoon, and then we went home. But I made a promise, till death do us part, I'm gonna stay with her until death parts us, by God's grace. And I made that promise, I will be with you. And God says, listen, Israel, I'm gonna be with you. Genesis chapter 15, verse 13. He said unto Abram, know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them 400 years. And also that nation whom they shall serve will I judge. And afterwards shall they come out with great substance, and thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace. Thou shalt be buried in a good old age. God kept his promise for those 400 years. He agreed with Abraham and his word is correct. God says, I'm a covenant-keeping God. I will establish my covenant with him there in Exodus 6 verse 4. He's a concerned God. Notice with me verse 5 of Exodus chapter 6. I love it that when God makes a promise, thou shalt not perish. If you accept Jesus Christ, you'll never perish. Yes, we may physically perish, we may physically die, but I will never eternally perish. Like to forever be not able to get into the presence of God, that'll never happen to you or I, if you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. He's a covenant-keeping God. I'm settled, the foundation is there, the promise note is given, and the promise note is not based upon me. It's based upon His integrity, His holiness. Now my wife took some faith, and I took faith in her. And trusting when we said, I do, that we would be faithful to those commitments. that God is concerned, and the next point that we looked is in verse five, and I've also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage. God is concerned. He says, listen, my people are groaning, and they're afflicted, and they're hurting, and I must do something. Jehovah, by his name, he'll hear the cries of his own. Can I imagine that any one of you who have children or grandchildren Should they come into distress, you would do everything in your power to assist the person you love. One of your family members, you would be concerned. If you would, you'd raise heaven and hell if you could. You'd do everything in your might, your ability, your physical capability to help the one in need. God was concerned. He realizes my people are suffering. They've hit the 400 year mark. And what does God do? In verse six, God takes charge. And wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the birds of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm and with great judgments, and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God and he shall know that I am the Lord. God performs what he promises. He's always perfect. Can I tell you that God is the only means of getting freedom from whatever it is that I'm enslaved to in my life? I've talked with a number of people lately outside of church and just some things in their life and I've encouraged them. I said, listen, you might want to, you might be thinking I'm going to deal with things physically. I'm going to deal with them from this perspective, but you got to think what God wants and you have to not only physically, but you also have to deal with things spiritually. You see, because our physical actions, our physical decisions, have spiritual implication or spiritual consequences. Here's some questions. Do you possess the name of Jehovah? Some may be insensitive. They don't really care to remember this. Some may be indifferent. Ah, whatever, right? Ah, he's Jehovah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know that. Some may be interested. I desire to possess it. You see, when you have a desire and a determination for personal holiness, then you will have that position that I will, then the Lord says, okay, you want me. When you seek me, you shall find me. When you search for me with all your heart, right? God says, seek me and search for me with all your heart. When there is a desire and a determination for him, I'll get to know him. Because I'm moving in a direction. When I wanted to get to know my wife, I would call her. I would email. I don't know if I emailed very much. She says no, okay. I wrote letters. I texted. And we called most of the communication was calling because it was a long distance relationship until we were married. But I was progressively moving towards her to know her. Because I was saying no to everyone else, and my desire was for her, my desire for God, my determination that I will know Him. Not just I'll get to know about Him, but I'll know Him. You might know about me, or I might know about you, but I don't know you. I don't know your deepest, darkest, you know, desires and dreams, or even your fears. I don't know that. As I get to know the Lord, Jehovah, it changes me. We're never the same. When problems arise in my life and yours, I run to the rock. I run to the one who keeps his covenant, keeps his promises. God did not just fling his name out. He went to a few who could not live without it. And I say, when we begin to praise God as Jehovah, there's some things that happen. Think about this. When we experience God, be holy, right? For I am holy. Knowing Jesus Christ, salvation starts with a recognition of my condition. That I am at odds with Him. That I am separated from Him. and a recognition, a realization, and a repentance, or an acknowledgement, or an acceptance of what God says about that relationship that is broken, and my condition before him, I accept it. I say the same things that he says, that I'm guilty, and I move towards him. A change of direction that results in a change of thinking. And it forever changes. And here in the desert is God gets a hold of Moses. God says, I want you to go back to my people. And Moses is fearful and he's like, I stutter and I have problems. And I think a lot of us do that at times. God, I could never do that. You want me to do what? And I tell you that the thought of at first being a pastor was like, a little intimidating. I knew that's exactly what God wanted, but I was like, eh. There was at first some intimidation in front of being in front of people. But by God's grace, he helps. I want us to look at praising God as Jehovah. When I begin, as I move toward him, search for him and seek him, something happens. And the basis of our praise is not just some verbal utterances, but in fact it is something that comes from the heart. To make the statement praise the Lord is not necessarily praise. Here are some instructions for praising the Lord. Emotions or some emotional fervor that is stirred up does not necessarily mean it's of the Lord. I ought to be thankful, joyful, grateful, excited, but it can easily be that emotional fervor can just be maybe in just the environment. Now, when you're around the Lord, I'm thankful for him, but I'm also, if I'm in the Lord's presence, a desire to be holy. Now, if there's sin in my life and I'm going in a direction I ought not to go, then I'm like, oh, praise Jesus, but I'm doing wrong. that I'm not desiring to get close to him. I just want that emotional euphoria, that emotional high, if you would. There's a lot of things in life that can produce some emotional high. Now, praise is the expression of an emotion, and we all have emotions. But we cannot manipulate God by some music that throws on a sprinkling of God and all of a sudden is right. Because those who are bringing the praises to God ought to have a life and lifestyle that is saying, I want to be like the Lord. Obviously, God knows the heart of everyone. But it's saying, God, I want you. I'm not trying to please man, or I'm not trying to please others. I'm trying, as we do the expression, as we're playing the music, that I could show the grandeur of the God that I want to be like. Praise is an expression of your emotion, but it's also an expression of faith. Notice with me, turn with me to Hebrews 11, verse six. And it can many times people can have a substitute in just the emotional fervor, emotional high of some song. And there is music that is pleasing to the Lord and there's music that is not. It doesn't matter what you what words you put to it, but by its very nature in Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, there is a difference in the world's music and God's music. There is a difference. And there ought to be. If you take out the words, is the music still showing of the beauty of the Lord? You know, is it balanced? Is it showing of perfection? Now, I understand that musical capabilities, but it ought to be the heart of the person. And as I'm dressing and I'm talking, you know, I understand we can easily get to just, we can look at the dress, we can look at this other stuff and say, But it ought to be where that person is, is a direction towards the Lord, not just for entertainment value. There's a lot of things that can come off as just for entertainment, and it loses the fervor of just, I want to be holy like he's holy. I hope that makes sense. You know, the idea of my wife, and the more I get to know her, the more I appreciate her. My wife is amazing, an encouragement and a blessing. And she encourages me and helps me, and I hope I do that to her. But I want to move close to that heart of her. I want to move close to the heart of God. In Hebrews 11, verse 6, but without faith. It is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Praise is an expression of your faith and understand this, if you're not trusting God with the circumstances of your life, then there is no true praise coming. Romans 14, 23, and he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith, whatsoever is not of faith is sin. And the idea here is, you know, eating like, oh, I'm not so sure I should be doing this, right? But I'm certain that the direction that I'm going is of the Lord, and this is what I ought to do, right? Without faith, without trust, without a dependence on him, he said it's impossible to please me. I want you to trust me. One of the things that hurts relationships more than anything else is a lack of trust of the other person. Trust in various areas of life, but if you lose that trust, you lose the heart. In Psalm 100, verse five. Just got a few pages left here, so. On my notes, I want to finish this if we can tonight. Psalm 100, make a joyful noise of the Lord. Verse one, all you lands, serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord, he is God. It is he that hath made us, not we ourselves. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving. and into his courts with praise. Be thankful unto him and bless his name. For the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting, and in truth endureth to all generations." His character, perfectly loving, just, right? Good and merciful and truth, endureth. And verse 5, he's good. There is no evil, no bad. Jesus Christ, when he was reviled, reviled not again, as 1 Peter 2 tells us. He's merciful, always doing what's right. He's truthful. And his concern here, and his truth, endureth to all generation. His mercy is everlasting. The idea here is God's mercy is a recognition that I'm getting and you're getting what we don't deserve. There is a concern for every generation. Here's an illustration. A newborn Christian after one week should have joy. A seasoned Christian after 20 years should have great joy. And as the longer I'm saved, my joy ought to increase." There's a concern of the Lord. The behavior of our praise. You know, some people might let their minds go into neutral, their jaws slack and allow their mind to just wander. But in 1 Corinthians, notice with me here, 1 Corinthians chapter 14, my praise to God can actually be intelligent. I can praise him intelligently. It's not, as some might assert, that in Christianity, you know, open your brain, or open your head and take the brain out, throw it out, and then you can praise God. That's not the case at all. There's in fact a video that I've showed here at the church on the gentleman that created the MRI. Dr. Damadian, I think was his name. He's now with the Lord. But it was a recognition of the complexity and the order of life that got him to realize, as a technician in his lab, would get him to think about God and evolution, which ultimately bring him to realization of who Jesus Christ was. He read the scriptures, was fully convinced of the Bible, There's a man very intelligent. There's a lot of other men and women, men and women, that have done significant scientific feats. And outside of science, have done other things. Or even for some, as we, just in our day-to-day functioning. We can praise God intelligently. It's not a belief system that you blindly follow. It can be tested and proven. First Corinthians chapter 14 verse 15, what is it then? I will pray with the spirit, I will pray with the understanding also. I will sing with the spirit, I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupyeth the room of the unlearned say amen? Giving a thanks, seeing, understandeth not what thou sayest. The idea here is that when I'm speaking to you, I'm hoping that what I'm saying is making sense. and that it's clear, it's understandable. As we go back to Psalm 100, we can know him. In Psalm 100 verse 3, know ye that the Lord he is God. Know ye that the Jehovah he is God. His name Jehovah in the Old Testament, Jesus in the New Testament, he is God. And we are to go where I can know Him. It says, enter into His gates with thanksgiving. As I'm coming, and that mind of entering into His gates with thanksgiving is that, you know when someone comes to you all the time, and if they're always like, oh, life's so bad, you know, and if someone's always so negative all the time and they're coming into your presence, you're just like, ah. But God's saying, enter into my courts, enter into, now I understand there's times where we're broken over things in our life and God understands that and God hears and God heard the groanings of the children of Israel who were in a terrible state. But he says, enter into my gates with thanksgiving. Into his courts with praise. Realize that in scripture God has made a big deal about places. where people come to meet him, and in the scriptures, talking about bringing all their tithes in the storehouse, bringing it into the temple, in 1 Timothy 3, verse 15, but if I tarry long, thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the church of God, in the house of God, excuse me, which is the church of God, the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. That's there in 1 Timothy 3, 15. the house of God, the church of the living God, behave thyself. God's given us some direction. He says, listen, here's some ways I want you to operate when you're in a church house. Now, because of persecution and other things that may come, there may come a day where we aren't meeting in this building and we gotta go meet somewhere else out in secrecy. The Lord still has some guidelines for functioning and how we ought to operate. You know, there are no lone wolf Christians. Some might say, well, I want to worship God by myself on a mountain or a lake. There's no biblical support for this idea. Reality is we do not worship God this way. I'd like you to look with me at Hebrews chapter 10. Now there is, there can be a time of personal worship, but there's also a time of corporate worship. Look with me at Hebrews chapter 10, verse 24. And we'll be done here shortly. Next week, we'll, Lord willing, look at Jehovah from the New Testament perspective, and the Lord Jesus Christ. In Hebrews chapter 10, verse 24, and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another in so much the more as you see the day approaching. What is he saying? He says, I don't want you to neglect coming together corporately. But the idea of exhorting is coming alongside. Back today, there was a discussion with someone with whom I spoke, and I mentioned in your hurt, As 1 Corinthians 12, you know, you hurt with those who hurt, you rejoice with those who rejoice. The beautiful thing about church is it ought to be a place where we come along to lift up and encourage, but at the same time, if someone's going the wrong direction, you give them the encouragement or the challenge to say, listen, you're going astray, come back. Not forsaking, let us consider one another. Revoke into love and to good works. And God's saying, listen, I want my people, corporately, as they come together, united, for His praises. You see, praise always has expression. Some people may express praise better than, you know, how we express at Christmas time. My wife gives me a gift that she's been trying to give for a long time, and I'm just overjoyed. Sometimes tears might come to my eyes. I give my wife a gift that I've gone out of my way to do something, and she's like, thank you. And I'm like, that's it? Thank you. I'm like, doesn't tears come to her eyes? She's like, woo! You know, a big old hug. She's just not as expressive. She's gotten a lot better because she knows it's kind of important to me and I tend to be a little bit more, you know, we're different, right? Neither is bad. We're just different. praise has expression and some people might get a surprise and there's times our daughter when a few years ago when she saw grandma and grandpa we met them they came to a hotel we were at and and they opened the door and she opened the door and she just kind of sat there just looking at grandma and grandpa she didn't like you know and now eventually once it kind of like clicked on her she she went forward and gave him a hug but it was just kind of like it was kind of like her mother on that She was very, very thankful and very excited, but it wasn't that outward expression of it. But we express our praises differently. There is a noise, a joyful sound. There's singing. Why are we singing in church? Joyful singing. You don't have to be dead and lifeless. Great is thy faithfulness. And I ought to come from a heart with a recognition that God's been faithful to what he's promised. Do you realize praise is also an exercise? A servant is a waiter waiting to serve the Lord. I must focus my attention on him. It's there in Psalm 100, verse 2, and then the conclusion will be here in just a second. Psalm 100, verse 2. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. You know, if the only thing I ever did in my life is I came to my wife and I said, do this and do this and do this and do this, or she did the same to me, vice versa, you know, it wouldn't be a very satisfying relationship. The Lord, we ask God many times, God, please do this. God, please do this. And God's saying, listen, I want your heart. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. If I want to praise the Lord, it's not just with my lips, it's also with my hands. It's an exercise that I am coming because I want to say, Lord, I'll do what you want me to do out of pleasure. In conclusion this evening, how long has it been since you just praised Jehovah with your words, with your hands, your actions? You see, if you don't obey God, you can never praise Him. If you don't have a desire for holiness, you can't praise Him. You see, serving Him in obedience is the only true way to praise the Lord, and may we praise the Lord, Jehovah, as we know Him, as we give Him our hearts. As you think on these truths tonight, I'll have a time of invitation and just heads bowed and eyes closed. And when you're done praying, feel free to look up and we'll come to our prayer time tonight, our corporate prayer time. But I just want to challenge you tonight. Did you think about that? Just experiencing Jehovah because I want to know him. And I trust tonight you'd say, Lord, I just want to know you. Enter into his courts with thanksgiving. It's always blessed when we can come before God and say, Lord, thank you. So as the music plays, I trust that you just talk with the Lord, however He may have spoken to your heart this evening, and you just maybe recommit, or maybe tonight if you're watching and you've never accepted Jesus as your Savior, you'd say, I realize I need that first step of holiness, I need the realization of Jesus to forgive me of my sins and put me in a right standing with God, ask Him to forgive me of my sins and be my Savior and God will forgive you. As the music plays, I trust you just pray and talk.