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Guest Speakers: A Song, A Book and A Tent
July 12, 2021 · 46 min
Speaker: Abiel Mir
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Pastor Jeff Schwarzentraub serves as president of Pastor Jeff Ministries, a national and global ministry designed to equip believers and challenge them to take
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0:00 Good morning, brave or should I say, Harvest Church. Brave, what's going on? I was welcomed by some happy greeters with Harvest Miami. So kind of you to do that. We feel just0:12 at home. It's a pleasure and an honor not only to be among you, but also to have this place of privilege. Thanks especially to your pastor, pastor Jeff and Kim.0:24 I hope and I know you'd know this, but you are blessed to have pastor Jeff as your pastor, a true champion of the faith.0:38 He, he's a genuine man of God, a friend to me, and it's an honor to to stand here. It's a it's a great trust. Also to0:50 be with, Kent and Nancy whom we've known for over a decade. So it was great to be in your company. And pastor John and Beth, thanks so much for all that you guys1:01 do. It's it really is great. There was joy in the first service, but I think there's joy in this house this morning. I bring greetings from1:14 I bring greetings from Harvest Church Miami. There's joy over there and there's joy over here. You know, I tell you 1 more thing about your pastor. He's not the not only the church is called brave, but he is brave1:26 himself. You know, to let a Mexican and a Cuban occupy his pulpit to Sundays on a row. It takes a brave man to do that. I suggest we do a special offering right now1:37 just to cover the border. No more of us coming in here next week, know. So our church, we have a lot. It's good to be in this1:49 brave global family. We have a lot in common, not only the spirit of God and the love of the father binds us, but we have a heritage of the Harvest2:01 Bible Chapel heritage that we have in common. I love seeing those pillars there. We have love and respect among the leadership. We have a mutual vision to see2:12 Christ exalting bible believing churches not only in this nation but throughout the world. And so but something even more interesting that you didn't know is that both this congregation and our2:24 congregation this year, have been in the book of Revelation. And that's really special. We've been going through the same pages, the same verses. The spirit of God has guided us in the2:36 same knowledge and I just praise God for that. And we know that as the return of Christ approximates, it will be preceded by a2:47 season of great difficulty. That means social distress. That means a lot of the stuff that we are seeing, some stuff that is being rehearsed and some things that are2:59 legitimate here. Persecution of Christians and Jews, a season of famine and rationing. I grew up in a country where food was3:11 rationed. Quick example, our family was granted the permission to purchase 1 chicken breast a week for a family of 5 and half a pound of rice,3:23 and that was it. These things are manifestations of, what I believe, and I think you would agree with me that we are experience experiencing a3:34 greater presence of satanic exhibition like never before. Would you agree? Yes. I feel like 20 years ago, it was here, but it wasn't as clear. Now it's here and it's3:46 clear. And the enemy is here to deceive us. The enemy is here to entangle us in the destructive chains of sin, to cause us to doubt3:58 and to fear, to see if any of us are willing to give up on God. But glory be to God that through Christ, we're more than conquerors. Amen? Amen. And in the letter to the4:10 churches, Jesus told the apostle John to tell the churches that those who overcome, those who persevere, they will inherit the kingdom of God. They will be given a crown. They will4:22 rule and reign with him forever. And we know that salvation belongs to the Lord. Amen? Amen. Now the question is, are we going to persevere? And in difficult times, can tell you4:34 that I I lived and being able to plant, help plant churches throughout Latin America, I oftentimes see people that live in difficult situations. But4:46 this morning, I want to draw your attention the book of Exodus. Here we find the people going through perhaps more4:58 limited situations than even what I lived as a Cuban those years that I lived there. For sure, they didn't have the luxury of having enough5:09 acai in their bowl. Alright? No fruit and vegetables. They couldn't complain about the shower, the hot water doesn't come fast enough. Nothing like that. They had5:21 real problems. Living in the desert not for 4 days, not for 40 months, but for 40 years. True and real hardship, but in the midst of all of that, the Lord5:33 preserved them. And the Lord caused them to to endure and possess the land. And so even more clearly, if you know the book of Exodus,5:45 the book of Genesis ends with the people of God entering Egypt. And then by the time we get to the book of Exodus, now there are a big group of about 3000000 people.5:57 And the angst of wanting to be free and live in exile and having their own land that was promised to them by Abraham. And and it just grew and grew and6:08 things were difficult for them. They were being oppressed and God raised a man named Moses. And Moses was a man of an average man of great challenges6:20 and shortcomings, a man with a terrible temper, a man yet that was willing to obey God. And through him, God did amazing things. And when we think6:32 of Moses, maybe some of us think of a staff, right? The staff that turned into a snake, the staff that God used to command the waters to part.6:43 Maybe you think of the sandals and the holy ground and the burning bush. But this morning, I want to bring to your attention 3 essential things that Moses6:55 held onto at all times. I'm not bringing you a clever message from Miami. I'm just drawing your attention to 3 things that we all need7:07 to not only survive, but to thrive in troubled times. Amen? And so those things are the very title of the message. They don't have to wonder what they are. So the sermon the title of7:19 today's sermon is a song, a book, and a tent. 3 things that Moses held on to at all times. So7:31 would you meet me in Exodus chapter 15? I'm not gonna do an exposition of a verse. This is a 1 off, but sort of an overview where we7:42 find these things and how, they're essential tools for us. So as you turn there, let us pray. Our god who is in heaven and in7:54 each 1 of our hearts this morning, we bless you and we thank you for the privilege we have to draw near. We draw near8:06 not by any merit of our own, not because we are good religious people. We we have gathered here because we have been transformed by your perfect8:18 work at Calvary for us. Thank you that we have been reminded of that, and thank you that through these songs, can return and remember. But8:30 God, I pray that your word will be effective in each 1 of our hearts, in our minds this morning. So I pray that both the preacher and the listeners will8:41 decrease, that we will be anxiously hearing your word, that you would increase in all areas of8:53 knowledge, of insight, that we may perceive and walk away from this place today changed and transformed and determined to9:04 grow closer to you, Lord. We bless you, and we thank you for for what you have done that has brought us to this place, but also for what you will do today. In your name, we pray.9:17 Amen. Would you read with me the first 2 verses? It says, then Moses, you can read out loud with me if you'd like. And the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord saying,9:29 I will sing to the Lord for he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and the rider he has thrown into the sea. The lord is my strength and my song. He has9:41 become my salvation. This is my god. I will praise him. My father is god, and I will exalt him. This morning,9:53 I want to tell you that you need to sing your song. You need to sing your song for the joy of your heart10:05 and for the strength of your heart. Joy is God's gift to mankind. It's that essence that is closely knit to life itself.10:18 A joyless life is sort of like a lifeless existence, and a song is that raw expression of10:29 life itself. When I say song, most of us think of a song, but I wanna draw you10:41 back a little bit more to a more raw manifestation of what a song really is. After all, when Moses is singing this song, he hasn't10:53 received the law yet, yet he has a song to the Lord. The people of Israel, they had this unique song, this expression called11:05 Hallelujah. It is an expression of gratitude. It's an expression of joy, and we each of us are born with a song. When each of us were11:16 born, the first thing we did was we cried. If any of us didn't cry, there was a problem. Something is wrong. Without that cry, something is wrong. Life11:28 itself is an expression of joy. We cry at birth. We have a song in moments of joy and excitement, in moments of11:40 pleasure, in moments of pain and sorrow. We have an expression of the soul and that is your song. The same way11:52 that the nightingale has the sound that they do and a dog has a bark and a lion has a roar. Could you identify those animals outside of their sound?12:04 Right? It is the testimony of who they are In the same way, we have a greater song to sing, our testimony to our12:16 God. See music, music simply gives form to your song. The same way that language organizes your ideas. And I know that12:28 what I'm saying is a little strange to our culture because we have been conditioned to understand songs. I feel like what I'm trying to express to you is entrapped between12:40 this this what I call the tyranny of a music industry and and and the passivity of a sing along. And I will explain what I'm talking about. When we when we see pop stars today12:52 and you see what they do and we hear the sound they make, the dudes in the room say, I can't do that, man. I fix cars. That's what I do. Right? And the13:04 ladies when they hear Celine Dion or Kelly Tori Kelly, they're like, no, I'm not trying that. Right? And so what that does is13:16 that silences your song. The other trouble is the come and sing along. When when children are small, their parents put them in13:28 the car and they bring them along. But eventually, children grow up and they drive themselves to places. What am I trying to say? True13:39 worship is the incorporation of your heart song, the expression of your soul of gratitude to God into this vehicle13:51 that these worship leaders lead us in. Does that make sense? Which by the way, did a great job. Are you grateful for them? That was so well done. So sensitive to the fact that it is14:03 not about them. It is about him and we and our song means that you have a song and I have a14:15 song, and we're bringing together to bear testimony of someone that is greater. And here, this is the song, not the song of children and the song14:27 of young women, but this is a song of Moses. Are you listening to me, man? The song of Moses, the greatest the greatest leader14:38 ever, the manliest man you can think of. And, then Miriam follows and he says that the Lord is a man of war, that the14:50 Lord is his name. In Zephaniah 3 17, it says that the Lord our God is in our midst and he is mighty to save and that he rejoices over us with gladness15:02 and he will quiet us with his love and he will exalt over us with loud singing. So if God himself sings over us, how can we not15:13 sing within his presence? Amen? Bring your song to the Lord. I believe that our worship is perfected as these songs are being15:25 organized, but you bring your own personal song. I was blessed this morning when I was seeing some of you. I'm like, man, a lot of this a lot of this church really gets it. I can15:37 tell they're singing their joy from within to the lord. They're not just singing along. They're not just accompanying just to do the religious thing. They're really just worshiping the Lord. And I believe15:48 that our worship is closer to heaven on earth. This this space between between heaven and earth when our song is incorporated, our testimony into the songs16:01 that we sing. Songs have the power to unite us. Right? Our song is our strength. We we we know the history of of the peoples that go through16:12 difficult times and what carries them through is their song. In America, we have this heritage of of the black spirituals. They they express their faith and their16:24 deep sorrow and and their ability to persevere and they that song is their strength. When we have the Olympics, I I I love football, which we call soccer.16:37 Won't go into the discrepancy there. But you see all the nations, there was a European Cup and Copa America down south and you see all the16:49 nations before the the representative, they sing their song. It binds them together in purpose, in identity, and in that is their strength. When you come and you17:01 worship the Lord, you're not only singing your personal song, but you are expressing strength and joy to those around you. Why did I say there is joy? But there17:12 is joy. Right? The more we express our song to the lord, the more the more joy we have, the more strength, the more comfort we have. And in the scriptures, the word17:24 joy, strength, song oftentimes appear together. So this morning, church, we have a more perfect song, the song of the redeemed,17:37 the song of the lord. When we go to Revelations chapter 5 verse 9, there we see the song of the redeemed, and we're great multitude. The ultimate reality is worship. It's us17:48 singing the song that we were given now perfected by the blood of Christ. Amen? On November fifteenth in 19 84,18:01 I received the reason for 1 of my songs. Moses here sings of what God has just done for them. God has parted the sea. But on18:13 that day in 19 84 in the island of Cuba, I suffered a terrible accident. I was distracted. I had disobeyed my grandmother and I was running and I was the sun was just coming out18:25 early in the morning. Tripped and instead of a car hitting me, I ran into the center of a Mack truck and I entered under it with 2 big tires and somehow, someway that truck18:37 was able to stop and not completely kill me. A year after my recovery when I was able to walk, my father who was and still is a pastor,18:49 he used to pastor 3 different congregations because at the time, there were not enough pastors. Many of them in the 80s were arrested. They were they were persecuted. And so he had to tend19:01 to 3 different congregations, 3 different churches in different cities. So he would take me from church to churches. He would preach the gospel and then he would he would tell the church and the people what God had done19:13 by sparing my life. And I would just stand there. I was 9 years old, and I would say yes to what my dad would say, that's right, and barely able to walk. And I remember 1 day,19:25 an older retired pastor said, Abiel, you you have been given a second life, but this life is not yours. This life is to serve the Lord.19:37 I had not understood the gospel yet. I had not given my life to Christ. I had not gone into the waters of baptism. But right there, I heard beyond just an old man speaking to19:48 me. I heard the Lord and I understood. And later on, that event where the Lord spared my life became the reason for my song. And I wanna ask this20:00 morning, do you have a story like that? Maybe it's not departing of the sea. Maybe it's not spared from an accident or something like that. But do you have a story where20:12 God intercepted your life and he let you know that he's real and that he knows you by name and that he has purpose for your life? That's the reason20:24 for your song. Now move with me to chapter 20, the book of Exodus, and we're going to look at the second item. The second more than20:35 item, the second thing that Moses knew to hold on to. Most of you know that in this twentieth chapter of the book of Exodus is when God draws calls the people to the to the20:47 mountain and he manifests his power in a storm and a cloud. And there God is wrestling with with Moses speaking to him and he's writing what we know as a 10 commandments.20:59 Up to now, the people were guided by Moses, by God spoke to Moses, Moses spoke to the people. But in chapter 19 verse 5 and 6, God tells21:10 Moses that he was going to open up the access to himself. That he was not only this idea of 1 man and a people was going to be opened up, that he wanted a kingdom of21:22 priests, a nation unto the Lord. So the knowledge of God was going to be written down. It was going to be revealed so they have a point of reference so they can obey god and live21:34 accordingly. And I don't have time to read all of it, but I think it's important that we remind ourselves what those what those 10 commandments were. And God told the people that they shall have no other21:46 god but him. And God told the people that they shall not make any physical idols, things that would get in the that would get their attention, to get their affection,21:58 to put their trust on, but the lord himself was to be who they adored and who they revered and who they worshiped, that they were not to misuse his name.22:11 That whenever they say then said the name of the lord, it was to be they were to be reminded of his worth and who he was. That they were supposed to rest on the seventh day, and that22:23 on that day, they were experiencing god they were experiencing God closer and more intimately to be reminded who he was and what he was doing among them. He also told them22:35 to honor their father and their mother, to be grateful. He told them that they were not allowed to murder. Jesus later on, confronted not22:46 only our ability to kill with our hands, but our ability, to kill with our hearts, in our anger, anyone who opposes us for that is not the will of God for us.22:58 Also taught them to not commit adultery and to not steal what was not theirs and to not bears bear false witness in any situation and23:10 to not covet that which was not theirs. And so here, later on when Moses dies in the first book of Joshua, you read23:22 that God tells Joshua that this book of the law was not to depart from their mouth, but they were supposed to meditate on it day and night. Not once23:34 a month, but day and night. And that if they were careful to do what was written in it, then they will make their way prosperous and that they would have good success.23:47 And so I want to remind you church that not only you need your song for your joy and your strength, but you also need to read the book for guidance and for23:59 your power. The word of God has been manifested then throughout, after that time through prophets and through the apostles. And and and God has24:11 used certain symbols to remind us that nature and the power of his word. We learned that at the very beginning, creation was brought about because God24:22 simply spoke things and they came to be. And then he gave us this book that we cannot do without. And to Jeremiah, God said that his word was24:34 like fire and like a hammer that would consume us with a holiness that is not our own and that has the power24:46 to crush our pride and to save us. In the book of James, the word of god says that his word is like a mirror where we can24:58 see ourselves for who we really are. A word that reveals our nature and our thoughts in ways that nobody else can better than we even know25:10 ourselves. First Peter, the word is like a seed that multiplies and bears fruit and amplifies and grows if we25:21 trust it. In the Psalms, the word of god is like a lamp to light to guide us in the darkness, to show us the way to go. In Isaiah,25:33 the word of God is like rain and snow that has the power to refresh and to fulfill his purposes. And in Hebrews, the word25:45 of God is like a sword. It is living and active and sharper than a 2 edged sword, piercing the division of soul and spirit and the joint and marrow and discerning the25:57 thoughts and the intent of the heart. This is the word of God, and you need it. You can't do without it. You can't entrust someone26:09 else to interpret it for you. You must read it. You must have it. And God gave his word, and you and I have access. I want to make you26:20 aware that because of this word, there are brothers and sisters in other parts of this world, it causes them their life.26:32 They are in prison today because of this word. They suffer persecution, things that you and I have never seen. And you and I have26:44 the privilege to read this word. We have access to it. Let's let's not take it for granted. The word of God is a power26:56 unto salvation. If you're a note taker, I encourage you to write this down. The word of God teaches those 3 things, teaches, demands,27:09 and empowers you to live what is true and right before the Lord. I'll say it again. The word of God teaches,27:22 demands, but empowers you to live what is true and what is right before the Lord. The word of god27:33 generates faith in the heart of man and he's able to save you. Jesus said that this this word of the gospel will be proclaimed unto all the earth as a testimony. Romans the27:45 apostle Paul says that I'm not ashamed of the gospel. Why? Because it is the power of God unto salvation. We need the word of God. In 1927:57 93, now I was living in the state, in the state of Maryland, that's where I grew up. My heart was crushed. The doctor said that I had28:09 to stay in bed rest for 3 months. There was about 3 of us in the baseball team that had a chance to play in college and I was 1 of them.28:21 My freshman year, my first year in the United States, I didn't speak any English. My name is and where is the bathroom and that's it. And it didn't sound like this. It was sort of like, you know, through a28:32 translator, the coach gave me 2 jerseys. The what I later on learned that it was a JV and the varsity jersey. He wanted me to play for both teams on my freshman year. So that indicated to28:44 me that I had a chance that I maybe would fulfill every Cuban boy's dream, which is to be a baseball player. Right? And here I am. I'm not going anywhere.28:56 I'm not playing baseball. And I have no connections and my parents have no money and I don't have a Nintendo. I'm not playing Tetris. It's just me and this29:08 word. And I reached for a guitar that was given to me, a guitar with 5 strings and 2 holes. Not fancy, it just it didn't have a fifth a sixth29:20 string and the second hole was from an accident, all right? But I took the word of God in this little room that I shared with my brother and29:33 I joined my song with the word of God. And I remembered that I wasn't supposed to be alive anyways. So what if I couldn't play baseball or have the chances for whatever29:45 destiny God had for me? And I began to write songs. And by May of that year, I kinda put a band together and wrote 12 songs and did a little concert and that was the beginning29:57 of music ministry. So right there, there was the song, the book in a little tent where I went to meet with the30:08 Lord. How important is the word of God to you? Now join me in Exodus chapter 3330:22 verse 7, and this we will read together. It says, now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he30:34 called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would30:46 rise up, and each would stand at his tent door and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the30:58 entrance of the tent, And the lord would speak with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud, standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would31:09 rise up and worship each of the tent's door. Thus, the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend. When31:21 Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man would not depart from the tent. What is this tent?31:33 This tent is the precursor to the tabernacle. It is a movable place where God promised to meet with31:45 Moses. The tent is a dwelling place, a place of residence, a place where Moses and the people will gather to meet with the holy God. It was a movable31:56 structure as they were in the desert. The Jewish people have a tradition and the men and mostly the men, but also women, they have something called a tallit. You might have seen it. It's32:08 like an outer garment or a scarf that they would put over their heads. They would grab the 4 corners, and they would use they would go into this private personal tent, and they would32:20 read the word. Jesus taught his disciples that when you go and pray, you should go to the secret place and to and to seek the lord in the secret, and him who hears you in32:32 the secret will will will acknowledge you in public. Jesus had a tallit. Imagine Jesus going away to pray to the father. If Joe's if if32:43 Moses' face was so brilliant that the apostle that the, people couldn't see him, imagine the face of Jesus between between that cloth and the presence of God in32:55 this place so much so that the woman that reached out and touched his garment was healed immediately. And later on in that passage, he says many people will come and be healed just by the power that was33:07 there as a residual of that tent that was on Jesus at all times. Do you have a tent? Do you have a place where you can say, here, I will meet with the33:19 lord. Here, I will seek him. Here, I will be with him.33:31 Moses just had to show up, And he knew that God would do the rest. Different than the pagan priests of the time that33:43 had to cut their bodies and present a certain type of offering and and do all kinds of rituals. Moses just had to show up and God would33:55 do the rest. Maybe there's some people joining us online and you're not yet free or able to meet in person like these wonderful brothers and sisters are,34:07 right where you are, you can still have a tent. In spite of the pandemic, in spite of the fears, in part in part in spite of whatever physical limitation you may have,34:19 right where you are, you can have a tent. You need a tent for vision, and you need a tent for your rest. Moses34:31 would go in there and God would alter his vision. He would change what he saw. You know this well, the people of Israel were not an easy people. They were34:42 master complainers and they will fill his mind and fill his day with trials and complaints and difficulties, and you're not doing it right, and how can we do this better? And his heart was34:54 oftentimes afflicted, yet he would go in there. And when he would go in there, something supernatural would happen. The same thing that you read in chapter 4 of Revelation, the same35:06 thing that Isaiah 6, reveals, the same thing that Ezekiel 1, the same thing that Daniel 7. What do all those passages have in common? The God is on his35:18 throne. God is seated on his throne unaffected. He's not in a rush. He's not scared. He's not too busy. He35:30 is in perfect peace, ruling and reigning. And I believe that today, at this it is common to all of us, there are situations that you're facing, and there are things that have you35:41 unsettled, and you're not sure which way to turn. And I want to remind you that your situation did not catch God by surprise. And that you were not35:52 created to solve problems, you were created to worship. It is the lord who solves problems, and you worship him. And you just need to revise your36:04 vision. It is the lord who fights your battles. You need to behold him and allow him to renew your vision, to refresh your vision from the noise of this world, from36:16 the sensual images, from the lies of the enemies, from the hype of the news, from the opinion pieces, from the conspiracy theories, from everything out there that36:28 is out to instill fear in you, seeking to destroy you and cripple you. If you go in the tent, God promises to meet with you and he will renew your vision,36:40 And you will be given perfect rest. Isaiah says that he will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because we trust in him. And somebody needs to hear this morning36:52 that you need to stop fighting. You need to stop worrying, and you need to stop planning for the worst case scenario. And you just need to go in your tent and say, God, here I am.37:05 I'm just here not to sing. I'm here not to read. I'm here to encounter the living God. Would you give me the rest that I37:16 need? Amen? Martin Luther King Junior was known for this very37:28 enlightening phrase. He spoke about people being either thermostats or thermometers. Right? Thermometers tell you what37:40 the temperature is. The people of Israel, they were largely thermometers. It's cold. It's hot. I'm37:51 hungry. I don't like weird birds. I don't like mana. But Moses, he was a thermostat.38:05 He was able to change the temperature because he met with God. Let me remind you, it is the intent of the38:17 Lord that we, not the pastor, that we are a kingdom of priests unto the Lord.38:30 That you have a song that is unique to you to sing, that you have a book that you can read for yourself, and that38:41 you can show up to the tent, and that he will meet with you. And as you do that, you have the power to not be the thermometer, but the38:53 thermostat at home when those difficult conversations rise up, when the kids start driving you crazy, at work, in your neighborhood,39:05 wherever you find yourself, God intends for you to be a thermostat. So I ask you this morning,39:18 maybe you haven't seen well, for sure you haven't seen the Red Sea parted in front of you. Or maybe you haven't been spared from an accident. But maybe the Lord39:30 has brought you through cancer. Or maybe you're just beginning marriage and life is changing and God is using that to show you that he's close toShow more
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