Sunday

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WELCOME TO THE CROSSING Saturday/Sunday, June 25/26, 2016 The Power of Words Isaiah 6:1-8 Lead Pastor: Greg Dumas Welcome Southshore- Hillsborough County School Board – about to pass a third agenda item labeled “Gender Expression” under non-discrimination clause/President Obama’s Title 9 issuance – basically would allow “full grown transgender men to go into school age girls bathrooms” - that was to be voted on Tuesday June 28 – Thankfully, I am glad to announce that because the church and area Pastors BEGAN to mobilized/there was community blow back to the board and they have removed “Gender Expression” from the slate of things to be voted on for the June 28th meeting. (Thank you Lord!) Please let me remind you that this is a small victory in what is sure to be a very long process (LGBT) agenda is unrelenting and pervasive, it’s sure to come up again quickly. That being said, Community Issues Counsel we are now beginning to organize for long term strategies/increased effectiveness-talking to you about School Board seats/then County Commission seats. Encouragement is to continue in Faith/be ready for Action! Not what we stand against – what we stand for! We are in a Series called the “Power of Words” –The Words we confess have the ability to shape and direct our lives. Start confessing that which is true and right and noble and praiseworthy – actually direct your life! Big Idea: I am Pardoned in his Presence and there I find my Purpose! Turn in your Bibles to: Isaiah 6:1-8 Isaiah6:1-8(NIV) 1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, (throne is surrounded by angels (1 Kings 22:19; 2 Chron. 18:18), encompassed by a rainbow (Promise of God/not Promiscuity of Man) (Rev 4:3), twenty-four others thrones (Rev 4:4), and a sea clear as glass (Rev 4:6). It is flaming with fire (Dan 7:9), glittering with sapphires (Ezek. 1:26) flashes with lightening and rumbles with the sound thunder (Rev 4:5), surrounded by shockingly almost unapproachable, pure white light (Rev 20:11) and a river of living water flows from its center (Rev 22:1) high and

exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."… 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." John Oswalt - “When God intends to remove the sin in which we have lived for years, the experience is a wrenching, a searing kind of divine surgery to the inner man . . . Apart from the fire of self-surrender and this divine surgery a clean heart is an impossibility.” 8

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" – the same glory/fire that destroys the unrighteous only purifies the righteous - the same man who was flying apart now presents himself whole – Pardon paves the way to Purpose – here I am send me!

1. The Presence of the Lord: In true worship you are transported to another dimension- dimension of divine truth, place where pain is translated in His presence - In the presence of the Lord, the weight and the worry, the grief and the sorrow, give way…as grandeur of His presence engulfs your senses. Your heart is awakened, soul received refreshment. Illustration: First Wednesday pray time: Sang a new song-so refreshing Man/Woman/Child – Experience the Presence of the Lord this week – barren/burdened ALL THE MORE Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG) 28 "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.29 Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 30 Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Song: Beauty for ashes/Chrystal Lewis He gives beauty for ashes Strength for fear Gladness for mourning Peace for despair I am Pardoned in his Presence and there I find my Purpose! 2. The Pardon of the Lord: Have you ever really seen the depths of your sin? Have you ever been repulsed/horrified by your sin? If you have never been horrified by your sin, you can’t know the depth of your Pardon–light searing leads to light serving! “Jesus is just alright with me” If however, you become fully aware of the depths of your sin, it’s like guilt and the shame cling to you, truly horrifying, It’s in that moment human misery that we are miraculously/divinely acquitted – The atoning sacrifice for sin. Illustration: Brian Welch/Corn – tells his story of being radically redeemed – Don’t have to have lived like Brian Welch to need radical redemption–every person needs divine pardon because no one has the power to remove sin by right living – You can’t save you! Every person needs divine pardon – live in divine purpose! I am Pardoned in his Presence and there I find my Purpose!

3. The Petition of the Lord: In hearing His invitation, you are aware of the fact that You are NOT Able, but you are also aware of the fact that You have been Divinely Enabled and say, “Here am I. Send me!” A few weeks ago I spoke at Sub Thirty – invitation/who wants to serve God for the rest of their life in Full Time ministry – who is called to serve in Ministry as a Vocation – almost 30 young people asked for a testimony. Illustration: Testimony: Young man who some years ago was not walking with God – bad break up examine his life/Lord gave him a dream and showed him the kind of person he was NOT supposed to be – prompted him to come to church/got involved in Sub Thirty/Tuesday nights – Committed his life to the Lord (the most important decisions he has ever mad/life changing )got a journal/reading his bible – acknowledged the fact that God was calling him into His service and surrendered - now I know why I am here/ to allow God to have every part of my life/to let God use me/to spread the good news. I am Pardoned in his Presence and there I find my Purpose! Illustration: Zeke’s Dream – Short Video Salvation and Invitation