Pastor's Blog
Jon Hoover • February 07, 2022
Introduction to Daniel
Do you ever feel like a stranger in this world? In particular, do you sense that the values you had growing up are nearly extinct in the generations coming up today? I think many of us, myself included, can relate to that feeling. I’m only 40 years old, but this is already a very different world than I grew up in.
This morning I will begin a new series in the book of Daniel. One of the many reasons I believe the Lord has led me to preach through this book is because I believe faithfulness to Christ is going to become increasingly difficult in the years ahead.
As it pertains to the book of Daniel, let me give you some brief context. The book of Daniel chronicles his experience in the Babylonian captivity around 605 B.C. The book itself opens after King Nebuchadnezzar’s first siege of Judah when he brought Daniel and his friends to Babylon.
Daniel is obviously the author of the book, though some modern liberal scholarship prefers to attribute it to someone else written hundreds of years later, probably because they don’t believe in its prophetic witness.
Here’s the main idea (quoted from Danny Akin): "Even in times of great trial and opposition, Christians must remain faithful to God and his gospel, imitating Christ’s own steadfastness as he endured persecution and death for our sakes.”
Therefore, “When we find our feet forcibly planted in the soil of an anti-God, anti-Christian culture, it is absolutely imperative that our hearts be drawn to heaven and our minds be immersed in the Word of God.”
Let’s begin by reading how the book begins.
Daniel 1:1–7
ESV
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. 3 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, 4 youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. 5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. 6 Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. 7 And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.
God Works Through Hardship
First of all, let’s point this out. The Babylonian captivity is first and foremost a result of the Lord’s judgment on his people for their disobedience. We are told this in Leviticus 26:33.
Leviticus 26:33
ESV
33 And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.
God does not tolerate disobedience, and he is willing to scatter his people through judgment should they choose to defy him. The truth is that the same thing can still happen today, resulting in extreme hardships. Yet, even though that is true, you must understand that for Daniel and his friends, and for us as well, that hardship and judgment does not mean that God is not at work in your life.
Dale Davis says in commentary on the book of Daniel, “Sometimes God may allow hardship to reach us because he wants his mercy to reach beyond us.” God’s purpose in hardship is not to crush you. God’s purpose in hardship here was not to crush Daniel and his friends. Rather, God’s purpose in hardship is to refine you and to make himself known.
Sometimes God allows us to go through hardship because it is only through hardship that we realize that the grace of God is sufficient for us.
So, Daniel and his friends are taken by the king. They are uprooted from their homeland and placed under the indoctrination of the Babylonian Empire.
Look at the second verse to see how this happened.
Daniel 1:2
ESV
2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.
In other words, King Nebuchadnezzar and his men plundered Judah, took the vessels of the house of God and brought them back to put on display. What was the purpose of this? The purpose was to put on display before Daniel that King Nebuchadnezzar was more powerful than Daniel’s God. It’s to show Nebuchadnezzar’s power, strength, and victory over Israel. It’s to intimidate Daniel and his friends.
Nebuchadnezzar is doing the exact same thing. It’s a way of silencing anyone who dissents from the ways of the Babylonians. Here’s the truth, and this still applies today in our culture and in our society:
When godless people take over a nation (like Nebuchadnezzar did to Judah), the only way forward for godless leaders is for them to silence dissent and punish those whose religious views don’t go along with their agenda, and the result of such godlessness is always indoctrination.
We’ll see that here in this text and in this story, and we can easily point it out in our own society. The key to all of this will be learning how to faithfully follow Jesus when it’s hard. We have to learn how to thrive in Babylon.
This is what happens to Daniel. Let me show you the four steps taken by King Nebuchadnezzar intended to brainwash Daniel. And these 4 steps are happening to us right now as well.
Number 1...
Isolation (Verse 3)
This was the first step in this entire process. Look at verse 3:
Daniel 1:3
ESV
3 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility,
In other words, what the king did was isolate Daniel and his friends and others from their people. These were young men as the text says. They were taken from their homeland, from their family, and from their friends and placed within the wicked system of the Babylonians.
They were sent off away from the familiar and into the unknown. They were isolated without a support structure to help them endure. You likely have a sense of this now. Have you ever felt isolated in your values and beliefs? Daniel sure would have.
Secondly...
Indoctrination (Verse 4)
Upon being isolated from their friends, the king sought quickly to indoctrinate them.
Daniel 1:4 (ESV)
4 ...to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
In other words, the king wanted them to learn his ways. He wasn’t bringing them their to feed them and educate them and give them a loving place during their captivity. The king wasn’t trying to make them comfortable. No. Not at all. His intention was to change them by indoctrinating them.
He would force them to read and study the literature and language of the Chaldeans. They would be immersed in the polytheistic array of deities of the ancient Near Eastern world. This was the king’s way of brainwashing them. He wanted to turn them into Babylonians.
Third...
Assimilation (Verse 5)
Once they were isolated and indoctrinated, the next step had to be assimilation.
Daniel 1:5
ESV
5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king.
Not only did the king want to forcibly indoctrinate them, he wanted to fully assimilate them into the Babylon lifestyle. He assigned them new food to eat, new wine to drink, and new ways of living that would make them indistinguishable from the other Babylonians.
And finally, confusion...
Confusion (verses 6-7)
How did he do this? He changed their names. He sought to change their identity. This is where we are introduced to Daniel and his friends, Hannaniah, Mishael, and Azariah.
Now understand this, the king changed their names. In the ancient world, the meaning attached to a name was a big deal. Daniel mean as “Elohim is my judge.” Hananiah means “Yahweh is gracious.” Mishael means “Who is like Elohim?” And Azariah means “Yahweh helps.”
So what did the king do? He gave them new names. Daniel and his friends now have their names changed to Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, all in honor of the Babylonian gods.
You see how this change happens? Do you see how godless people can take over a society? The king tried to isolate, indoctrinate, assimilate, and confuse Daniel and his friends. They stood strong, but when the same happens to you, will you be able to stand strong?
This is what happens when godless people take over. It is the only way for godless people to take over godly people. The intended purpose is to silence the voice of the one true God.
Indoctrination Today
The big question before us is this: is this same thing happening today in our own culture? The answer is yes. It is happening now.
Here’s how this happens in our own culture - and you have to be willing to see this.
When you disagree with the mainstream culture and its ideology, then you will find yourself quickly isolated, indoctrinated, assimilated, and ultimately confused. When you go along to get along, you quickly find yourself left behind. The ideology of the world is not interested in compromise. The ideology of the world is not interested in religious freedom. The ideology of the world is taking a torch and burning down every bit of orthodox Christianity it can find.
But your response is likely this: “This is America. There’s no so such thing as silencing free speech or my religious freedom. Nobody can take that away.” You might not believe me that you will need to be more like Daniel in Babylon than yourself in America. But here me out -
The problem is this - and I have a feeling my generation knows this more than other generations - the levers of power throughout society, particularly when it comes to the distribution of information and religious freedom, those levers of power now lie more within the tech giants at Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon than they do within the government, and the government has little power to stop them.
The culture doesn’t need the government to do its bidding, and the government has seemingly less and less interest in protecting religious freedom. Social media controls what you see and what information you have access to. Say the wrong thing and you will quickly find yourself on the receiving end of their anger.
Find yourself on the wrong side of their ideological opinions, and you will find yourself quickly banned from the very place where most speech takes place. And not ironically, the culture, big tech, and government policies always take aim at the Christian views of the world because it is specifically the Christian worldview that threatens the advance of secularism at large.
If you don’t believe me, hear me out for a moment. Let me give you a few examples because you need to know that you will soon need to be more like Daniel in Babylon than yourself here in America.
Ryan Anderson, a fantastic theologian and historian, has had one of his major books banned from Amazon because they didn’t like his Christian views on transgenderism. Why is that a big deal? Amazon controls about 80% of the book market, so do you think any publishing companies are going to get behind an author whose books are banned from 80% of the market? The tech giants can quickly isolate Christians who disagrees with their agenda. Starting to sound like Daniel and his friends being isolated, right?
Emilee Carpenter of Maine is a photographer who, because of her faith in God, refused to photograph a homosexual wedding and lost her lawsuit and had to pay fines of over $100,000. Emilee Carpenter was forced by the government to fall in line or shut down.
Again, regardless of the legitimacy of the claim, the effect is the same - get in line with the secular agenda or pay a price that’s good and likely to cost you your livelihood.
Chris Routson of Ohio was fired for sharing his faith with a co-worker on his personal time off because the co-worker complained to management that sharing faith was inappropriate and invasive. Chris Routson was isolated because of his faith. He lost his job for doing evangelism off the clock.
Kevin Cochran, the former Fire Chief in the city of Atlanta, was fired for writing a book that disagreed with the homosexual agenda. He’s a Christian man who wrote a book on his own time as a private citizen, and he was fired for it. He eventually won a $1.2 million dollar settlement against the city, but the message is clear: disagree with the agenda of the world, and you’re going to pay a price for it.
Not everyone has the time, money, or resources to fight these issues in court, so most people will fall in line instead of risking their livelihoods.
And what about children? Secular views of the world dominate - absolutely dominate - the school systems and especially the university. Christian beliefs about the world, gender, and personhood are shut down, and if they aren’t shut down, the vast majority of other students will quickly withdraw themselves from Christians who dare speak their minds, leaving many children isolated. Do we really expect children to have the strength to stand up to the world when they might be one of a few in their class or school with similar Christian values?
Again, you might disagree with some of the claims on a legal basis, and that is perfectly fine. But, you cannot disagree with me that the impact of all these types of cases has a chilling effect on Christians who fear speaking up because of what it might cost them. The tech giants can quickly brainwash the world with the click of a button.
When the tech giants control what you see, they can manipulate what you believe to be true about the world. When the tech giants control what you see, they can manipulate what you believe to be true. And when they can manipulate the secular society at large, the secular society will quickly turn on you like Nebuchadnezzar laying siege to Judah.
They can isolate Christian views about the world. And this happens all the time. And on and on it goes.
And the sad reality for many believers today is that it’s easier to fall in line and assimilate to this new culture than it is to stand out and stand up for what is right. Those who do stand often find themselves isolated and confused.
I do want to be clear - I don’t have a persecution complex where I believe every little encroachment on religious freedom warrants some sort of public outcry. I am not one prone to panic or fear. I’m also not prone to hyperbole or exaggeration.
I do think, however, that to ignore these issues is to have your head stuck in the sand. For every example I’ve mentioned, there are a dozen more.
Ignorance is not bliss when livelihoods are destroyed because someone doesn’t fall in line with the demands of a rapidly secularizing society.
If you don’t already, you are going to find out that following Jesus means you’re going to need to be more like Daniel in Babylon than you are yourself in the America you grew up in.
It won’t be a swift sudden change overnight. It will be the slow, day by day, isolation, indoctrination, assimilation, and confusion of the world that will cause Christians to become brainwashed.
This is exactly how King Nebuchadnezzar sought to brainwash Daniel and his friends. Yet, Daniel and and his friends stood strong in the faith. They never surrendered, and God rewarded them.
Listen - Daniel thrived in Babylon. What Nebuchadnezzar meant for harm, God intended to use for good.
And the truth is, whatever harm comes your way because of the world we live in, God can and will use it to make himself known. You, too, can thrive in Babylon. How?
Thriving in Babylon
So, the question is: how do you grow and thrive as a believer in the days ahead? We will explore this more in the weeks ahead, but let me give you these biblical principles now:
1. Look to the Example of Jesus
Understand that it’s not you the world hates. It’s God.
Jesus said - John 15:18.
John 15:18
ESV
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
Nobody likes to face rejection from the world. I think it’s one of the reasons we are so scared to do evangelism. But, let’s remember the words of Jesus. It’s not us the world hates. It’s God. Jesus told us to expect this. He went on in that same passage to say that if they persecuted him, then they will persecute us also.
2. Recognize Christ’s Presence
Jesus has promised you his presence, so you can endure
Matthew 28:20 (ESV)
20 And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Whatever we endure in this life, we have this promise - that Jesus is with us. We are not on our own. We belong to Christ, and nothing can separate us from his love.
3. Pray for Your Enemies
You know it’s easy to get all up in arms about the ways of the world. We tend to be ready to fight and always have a defensive posture against the world. There’s a time and place for that, but do you also pray for those who seek to do you harm? Remember the words of Jesus here too:
Matthew 5:44
ESV
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Listen church - right now and in the years ahead, you really will feel more like Daniel in Babylon than yourself in America. I’m not saying America is Babylon. I don’t believe that. I am saying, however, that following Jesus will be more costly in the years ahead than it has been in years past. How will you respond? Your first response must be prayer.
Look to the example of Jesus. Recognize his presence is with you. And pray for those who persecute you. That’s how you thrive in Babylon. Daniel and his friends will face many more challenges, and we have much to learn from them. Faithfulness to Christ is our goal regardless of what the world says or does. Church, I don’t fear the future. I’m not afraid of the rising tide of secularism, and you shouldn’t be either. After all, light shines brightest in the darkness, and the light of Christ in you will be what draws the world out of darkness! Go and be light this week.
Jon Hoover • February 07, 2021
Good morning church family!
I have chosen to once again write a devotional instead of record a video. We did not know we would need to cancel church until late Thursday afternoon. I could record the sermon I prepared for Sunday, but I have to believe that recordings simply do not carry the weight of preaching live in person. Also, this sermon coming up is so good that I was getting fired up about it in my office on Thursday and began preaching it out loud to myself, HA! That sermon is just going to have to wait until a live church service.
Assuming we are in the building next week, we will also do communion. If you are watching on Facebook right now, please feel free to come by the church and pick up communion supplies, and you can participate at home. We are happy to deliver them as well. Please feel free to let us know if we can help you with that!
WORSHIP
God Omniscient, God All Knowing by Matt Boswell
Christ our Hope in Life and Death by Keith and Kristyn Getty
If interested, please watch the video about the writing of Christ our Hope in Life and Death. I am thankful for people today who are still writing new hymns with doctrinal depth that are rooted in Scripture.
Behind the Song: Christ Our Hope in Life and Death
GIVING
You can tithe online at FBC Giving.
DEVOTION
I have to admit that I was a little frustrated at the need to cancel church today. I knew this day would come when a few people may have Covid, and it would be better to cancel than to risk exposing more people, especially when the vaccine is becoming readily available to so many people. However, I woke up this morning with Psalm 118:24 on my mind:
"This is the day that the Lord has made,
Let us rejoice and be glad in it."
That's an incredibly simple statement, but it is also an incredibly powerful statement. Many of us live with various frustrations these days. You might be frustrated with politics (aren't we all?). We are all frustrated with Covid policies and Covid in general. You might be frustrated with a family member or friend. The list could go on. The truth is that all of us deal with life's frustrations, and these days seem to provide plenty of opportunity for frustration.
Yet, I wonder how often we stop and consider this one simple verse. As a preacher, I enjoy breaking down longer passages and digging into the original languages, but oftentimes, simple can be better.
So, let's break this passage down for just a moment.
First, the Psalm says this is the day that the Lord has made. This should focus your attention on what is before you today, not yesterday or tomorrow. Jesus said not to worry about tomorrow (or the day before, for that matter). Your focus as a believer in Christ is to realize that what is before you today is exactly what the Lord had planned. Live in the light of knowing that today is where you must focus your heart for Christian living.
Secondly, the Psalm says that this is the day that the Lord has made. Why is it that you should focus your attention on today? Well, for one thing, you can't do anything to change it. More importantly, today is the day the Lord has made. I love science and the laws that God created that govern the universe, but, without God, the sun would not rise today. The rain would not fall. You aren't promised tomorrow. You are only promised what is put in front of you today, and today is the day that the Lord has made. Frustrations may abound, but today is the Lord's day!
Third, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Rejoice? "But...but...this world seems so hopeless, and you don't know what my life is like." Yes, I still say, "rejoice." It seems counterintuitive, but the truth about how you feel is more determined by how you act than it is how you feel. Feelings follow actions, not the other way around. You don't have to "feel" a certain way in order to act a certain way. Feelings are not a very good guide for your actions. What if we approached each day with reasons to rejoice instead of reasons to be frustrated? Yes, life is messy and the world has gone mad, but this is still the day that the Lord has made, and we should all rejoice!
"But, I don't have to be happy about it, right?"
Wrong.
Fourth, this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." I think there was a reason David put this statement last. If all we do is focus on what there is to be frustrated about, we will never get to the point where we can be glad in whatever the day may bring. Here's the deal though - if you want to be glad in whatever today might bring, you cannot skip over the first three things above. You must recognize that today is the day that is before right now. You must recognize that today is the day that the Lord has made, and because it is His day, then you have reason to rejoice. If you get your heart and mind around those three things, then I bet you can begin to be glad in whatever today may bring.
As the hymn says:
When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost
Count your many blessings, name them one by one
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Once again:
This is the day that the Lord has made,
Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
There is always something to be frustrated about, but today is the day that the Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad in it!
I hope you have a wonderful day! It is my hope that we will be back in the building again next week!
Sincerely,
Pastor Jon
PRAYER REQUESTS
I would encourage you at some point today to take some time and pray for the following individuals:
Charles & Doris Davis
Gene and Linda Woody
Donna Barnette
Kitty Ham (she is home from the hospital)
Lorraine Gooding
Terry Gooding's son and grandson
Megan Lynch
Mary Alice Beaman
Martha Poythress
Jon Hoover • January 23, 2021
Good morning church family!
I certainly wish we were able to meet at church today, but I do believe it is best that we take at least one week off to make sure there is no spread of COVID within the church. Again, if you were exposed to COVID and develop any symptoms, please let us know so that we can make a quick and wise decision about church services on Sunday, January 31st.
I have decided to write a Sunday morning devotion that you can do by yourself or with your family. I want to save the sermon I prepared for this week for when we meet at church again. It's an important sermon in this series in Galatians, and I believe it will better serve more of our church to preach it live.
WORSHIP THROUGH SONG
Christ Our Hope in Life and Death
WORSHIP THROUGH GIVING
DEVOTION
My encourage to you is to work through the following passages in your Bible. Don't use a phone or a tablet. Get out your Bible and read through it by yourself or with your family!
Read:
Hebrews 4:12
Matthew 4:4
2 Timothy 3:16-17
John 1:1-14
These passages focus on the Word of God, and the passage in John focuses on Jesus being the eternal Word of God who came to the earth to save you from sin!
There is a very real sense in which I believe Christians must renew their commitment to the authority of God's word - the Bible. Everything in our culture screams at us to trust other sources and worldly philosophies that clash with the Bible. This is to be expected in a post-Christian society that would rather "go along to get along." It's easier for a fish to swim downstream than it is against the current. Likewise, it will be far more difficult for Christians to remain faithful in the years and decades to come. This should not come as a surprise.
However, if you are to remain faithful, what is it that you are to remain faithful to? The answer to that is obviously the teachings of the Bible. If you are going to take your faith seriously, you must take the Bible seriously, and that means that you must have a rock-solid faith in what it teaches and proclaims.
The passage in Hebrews says that the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword. It discerns your motives, intentions, and thoughts.
Matthew 4:4 states that you cannot live on bread alone, rather you will need every word that comes from the mouth of God. Of course, Jesus knew that people must have food to physically survive. That was not his point. He knew that spiritual survival was far more important than physical survival. There's an interesting point to make here. The hungrier you get, the more food you need to sustain life. Likewise, the more the world starves you of truth, the more you will need the word of God to survive. If anything is true right now, it is the fact that truth is elusive. Many people have lost their grip on reality. I believe it is because they are starved for truth and are searching for it in all sorts of places except the one place they can ALWAYS find it - in the Bible. Unfortunately, this can be true for many Christians, too. You need the Word of God to survive spiritually just like your body needs food to survive physically. If you've lost your desire to feed on the Word of God, then I encourage you this morning to pray that God will renew in you a hunger for the Word of God.
The passage in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 also serves as a reminder that the Word of God is perfect. In fact, the text there says that it was "breathed out by God." This means that God used human authors to write down exactly what he wanted them to have. This is why it says that is useful for correction and reproof. The Bible is not just a good book with some good moral suggestions. It is the Word of God, and you must yield to it in every aspect of life and faith.
Finally, the passage in John reveals to us that God didn't just give us words. He gave us his Son, Jesus Christ, the eternal Word. How amazing is it that God stepped into history to save you from your sin?
If you've lost your passion for the Word of God, then this morning is a perfect time to renew It and to commit yourself again to trusting the Bible as a reliable source of spiritual nourishment and truth!
You can do that by using the following prayer as a model for yourself or your family:
Dear God, thank you for speaking to me through the Bible. In a world gone crazy, please help me and my family to trust your Word. Please renew in me a desire to read, study, and apply the Word of God to every aspect of my life. It is my desire to follow you, and I know that faithfulness to you requires that I follow your Word. Please convict of sin and apathy, and renew in me a desire to follow you all the days of my life. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
As they say, "if you fail to plan, plan to fail." What's my point? You need to develop a plan to read the Bible on a regular basis. Devotionals are great, and I encourage you to use them. New Morning Mercies by Paul Tripp and I highly recommend it to you. However, devotionals must be secondary to Bible study and reading. Below are a few plans you can use to study the Bible on a regular basis.
Read Scripture - This is my personal favorite for daily Bible reading and study. It's an app you can download, but I encourage using your actual Bible to read the Scripture.
Ligonier Ministries Bible Reading Plans - Here is a helpful roundup of Bible reading plans for 2021.
In any case, whatever you do to read the Word of God, make sure you do it regularly! I have always been told that you will develop an appetite for what you are fed. If you fill your life full of worldly ideas, then expect to find yourself craving for more of the world. However, if you continually feed on the Word of God, you will find yourself desiring to know God more and more!
All this talk about food and hunger has me quite hungry already! So, like any good Baptist after church, it's time to eat!
Have a blessed and restful Sunday afternoon!
Pastor Jon
Jon Hoover • June 07, 2020
How Great Thou Art #10
Verse 1
O Lord my God
When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds
Thy hands have made
I see the stars
I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout
The universe displayed
Chorus
Then sings my soul
My Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art
How great Thou art
Then sings my soul
My Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art
How great Thou art
Verse 4
When Christ shall come
With shout of acclamation
And take me home
What joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow
In humble adoration
And there proclaim
My God how great Thou art
Glorify Thy Name #249
Verse 1
Father we love You
We worship and adore You
Glorify Thy name in all the earth
Glorify Thy name
Glorify Thy name
Glorify Thy name in all the earth
Verse 2
Jesus we love You
We worship and adore You
Glorify Thy name in all the earth
Glorify Thy name
Glorify Thy name
Glorify Thy name in all the earth
Verse 3
Spirit we love You
We worship and adore You
Glorify Thy name in all the earth
Glorify Thy name
Glorify Thy name
Glorify Thy name in all the earth
Majesty #215
Chorus
Majesty worship His majesty
Unto Jesus be all glory
Honor and praise
Majesty kingdom authority
Flow from His throne
Unto His own His anthem raise
So exalt lift up on high
The name of Jesus
Magnify come glorify
Christ Jesus the King
Majesty worship His majesty
Jesus who died now glorified
King of all kings
All Creatures Of Our God And King #27
Verse 1
All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing
O praise Him alleluia
Thou burning sun with golden beam
Thou silver moon with softer gleam
O praise Him O praise Him
Alleluia alleluia alleluia
Verse 2
Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along
O praise Him alleluia
Thou rising moon in praise rejoice
Ye lights of evening find a voice
O praise Him O praise Him
Alleluia alleluia alleluia
Verse 4
Let all things their Creator bless
And worship Him in humbleness
O praise Him alleluia
Praise praise the Father praise the Son
And praise the Spirit three in One
O praise Him O praise Him
Alleluia alleluia alleluia
God Our Father We Adore Thee #248
Verse 1
God our Father we adore Thee
We Thy children bless Thy name
Chosen in the Christ before Thee
We are holy without blame
We adore Thee we adore Thee
Abba's praises we proclaim
We adore Thee we adore Thee
Abba's praises we proclaim
Verse 2
Son Eternal we adore Thee
Lamb upon the throne on high
Lamb of God we bow before Thee
Thou hast bro't Thy people nigh
We adore Thee we adore Thee
Son of God who came to die
We adore Thee we adore Thee
Son of God who came to die
Verse 4
Father Son and Holy Spirit
Three in One we give Thee praise
For the riches we inherit
Heart and voice to Thee we raise
We adore Thee we adore Thee
Thee we bless thro; endless days
We adore Thee we adore Thee
Thee we bless thro; endless days
Breathe On Me #238
Verse 1
Holy Spirit breathe on me
Until my heart is clean
Let sunshine fill its inmost part
With not a cloud between
Chorus
Breathe on me breathe on me
Holy Spirit breathe on me
Take Thou my heart cleanse every part
Holy Spirit breathe on me
Verse 4
Holy Spirit breathe on me
Till I am all Thine own
Until my will is lost in Thine
To live for Thee alone
Jon Hoover • May 28, 2020
Come Thou Almighty King
Verse 1
Come Thou Almighty King
Help us Thy name to sing
Help us to praise
Father all glorious
Over all victorious
Come and reign over us
Ancient of Days
Verse 2
Come Thou Incarnate Word
Gird on Thy mighty sword
Our prayer attend
Come and Thy people bless
And give Thy Word success
Spirit of holiness
On us descend
Verse 4
To Thee great One in Three
Eternal praises be
Hence evermore
Thy sovereign majesty
May we in glory see
And to eternity
Love and adore
Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing
Verse 1
Come Thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love
Verse 2
Here I raise mine Ebenezer
Hither by Thy help I'm come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
Verse 3
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let Thy grace Lord like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart Lord take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
Blessed Assurance
Verse 1
Blessed assurance Jesus is mine
O what a foretaste of glory divine
Heir of salvation purchase of God
Born of His Spirit washed in His blood
Chorus
This is my story this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long
This is my story this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long
Verse 2
Perfect submission perfect delight
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy whispers of love
Verse 3
Perfect submission all is at rest
I in my Savior am happy and blest
Watching and waiting looking above
Filled with His goodness lost in His love
Holy Spirit
Verse 1
Holy Spirit living Breath of God
Breathe new life into my willing soul
Let the presence of the risen Lord
Come renew my heart and make me whole
Cause Your word to come alive in me
Give me faith for what I cannot see
Give me passion for Your purity
Holy Spirit breathe new life in me
Verse 2
Holy Spirit come abide within
May Your joy be seen in all I do
Love enough to cover every sin
In each thought and deed and attitude
Kindness to the greatest and the least
Gentleness that sows the path of peace
Turn my strivings into works of grace
Breath of God show Christ in all I do
Verse 3
Holy Spirit from creation's birth
Giving life to all that God has made
Show Your power once again on earth
Cause Your church to hunger for Your ways
Let the fragrance of our prayers arise
Lead us on the road of sacrifice
That in unity the face of Christ
May be clear for all the world to see
Brethren We Have Met To Worship
Verse 1
Brethren we have met to worship
And adore the Lord our God
Will you pray with all your power
While we try to preach the Word
All is vain unless the Spirit
Of the Holy One comes down
Brethren pray and holy manna
Will be showered all around
Verse 2
Brethren see poor sinners round you
Slumbering on the brink of woe
Death is coming hell is moving
Can you bear to let them go
See our fathers and our mothers
And our children sinking down
Brethren pray and holy manna
Will be showered all around
Verse 4
Let us love our God supremely
Let us love each other too
Let us love and pray for sinners
Till our God makes all things new
Then He'll call us home to heaven
At His table we'll sit down
Christ will gird Himself and serve us
With sweet manna all around
I Surrender All
Verse 1
All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live
Chorus
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all
Verse 4
All to Jesus I surrender
Lord I give myself to Thee
Fill me with Thy love and power
Let Thy blessing fall on me
Jon Hoover • May 28, 2020
Good morning church family!
On June 14th, we will begin moving back inside the building for our church services. That service will continue to be contact-free. All doors will be propped open and seating will be arranged in such a way to allow for social distancing. We hope that you will feel comfortable joining us!
CALL TO WORSHIP
HYMNS
OFFERING
HYMNS
Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God
SERMON
BENEDICTION
Jon Hoover • May 24, 2020
O Worship the King
1. O worship the King, all glorious above,
And gratefully sing His wonderful love;
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.
2. O tell of His might, O sing of His grace,
Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space!
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm.
4. Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail:
Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.
Holy, Holy ,Holy
1. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
4. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
Crown Him with Many Crowns
1. Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne,
Hark! how the heavnly anthem drowns
All music but its own;
Awake, my soul, and sing
Of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity.
2. Crown Him the Lord of life,
Who triumphed o'er the grave,
and rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save;
His glories now we sing
Who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring,
And lives that death may die.
4. Crown Him the Lord of love;
Behold his hands and side,
Those wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified:
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
For Thou hast died for me:
Thy praise and glory shall not fail
Thro-out eternity.
What A Friend We Have in Jesus
1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Evrything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Evrything to God in prayer!
2. Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer:
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our evry weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
3. Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge;
Take it to the Lord in prayer:
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In His arms He'll take and shield thee;
Thou wilt find a solace there.
O Church Arise
Verse 1
O church arise and put your armour on
Hear the call of Christ our Captain
For now the weak can say that they are strong
In the strength that God has given
With shield of faith and belt of truth
We'll stand against the devil's lies
An army bold whose battle cry is Love
Reaching out to those in darkness
Verse 2
Our call to war to love the captive soul
But to rage against the captor
And with the sword that makes the wounded whole
We will fight with faith and valour
When faced with trials on every side
We know the outcome is secure
And Christ will have the prize for which He died
An inheritance of nations
Verse 3
Come see the cross where love and mercy meet
As the Son of God is stricken
Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet
For the Conqueror has risen
And as the stone is rolled away
And Christ emerges from the grave
This victory march continues till the day
Every eye and heart shall see Him
Verse 4
So Spirit come put strength in every stride
Give grace for every hurdle
That we may run with faith to win the prize
Of a servant good and faithful
As saints of old still line the way
Retelling triumphs of His grace
We hear their calls and hunger for the day
When with Christ we stand in glory
I Have Decided to Follow Jesus
1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
2. Tho none go with me, I still will follow;
Tho none go with me, I still will follow;
Tho none go with me, I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
4. The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.
Jon Hoover • May 21, 2020
Good morning church family!
I hope everyone had a great week! We are enjoying the outdoor service here at the church, but we also understand not everyone is comfortable coming. That is ok! I hope you enjoy the message and music here! Have a blessed Sunday!
SUNDAY SCHOOL
CALL TO WORSHIP
WORSHIP
TITHES & OFFERINGS
WORSHIP
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
SERMON
CLOSING HYMN
Jon Hoover • May 16, 2020
10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)
Chorus
Bless the Lord O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name
Verse 1
The sun comes up it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes
Chorus
Bless the Lord O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name
Verse 2
You're rich in love and You're slow to anger
Your name is great and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find
Chorus
Bless the Lord O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name
Verse 3
And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore
Chorus
Bless the Lord O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name
Bless the Lord O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name
Ending
Worship Your holy name
Lord I'll worship Your holy name
Nothing But The Blood
Verse 1
What can wash away my sin
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can make me whole again
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
Chorus
O precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow
No other fount I know
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
Verse 4
This is all my hope and peace
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
This is all my righteousness
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
Chorus
O precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow
No other fount I know
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
There Is A Fountain
Verse 1
There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel's veins
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains
Lose all their guilty stains
Lose all their guilty stains
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains
Verse 4
E'er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply
Redeeming love has been my theme
And shall be till I die
And shall be till I die
And shall be till I die
Redeeming love has been my theme
And shall be till I die
To God Be The Glory
Verse 1
To God be the glory great things He has done
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin
And opened the life gate that all may go in
Chorus
Praise the Lord praise the Lord
Let the earth hear His voice
Praise the Lord praise the Lord
Let the people rejoice
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son
And give Him the glory great things He has done
Verse 2
O perfect redemption the purchase of blood
To every believer the promise of God
The vilest offender who truly believes
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives
Chorus
Verse 3
Great things He has taught us
Great things He has done
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son
But purer and higher and greater will be
Our wonder our transport when Jesus we see
Chorus
O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing
Verse 1
O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer's praise
The glories of my God and King
The triumphs of His grace
Verse 2
My gracious Master and my God
Assist me to proclaim
To spread thru all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name
Verse 3
Jesus the name that charms our fears
That bids our sorrows cease
Tis music in the sinner's ears
Tis life and health and peace
Verse 4
He breaks the pow'r of canceled sin
He sets the pris'ner free
His blood can make the foulest clean
His blood availed for me
Turn Your Eyes
Verse 1
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
Verse 2
Turn your eyes to the hillside
Where justice and mercy embrace
There the Son of God gave His life for us
And our measureless debt was erased
Chorus
Jesus to You we lift our eyes
Jesus our glory and our prize
We adore You behold You our Savior ever true
Oh Jesus we turn our eyes to You
Verse 3
Turn your eyes to the morning
And see Christ the lion awake
What a glorious dawn fear of death is gone
For we carry His life in our veins
Chorus
Jesus to You we lift our eyes
Jesus our glory and our prize
We adore You behold You our Savior ever true
Oh Jesus we turn our eyes to You
Verse 4
Turn your eyes to the heavens
Our King will return for His own
Every knee will bow every tongue will shout
All glory to Jesus alone
Chorus
Jesus to You we lift our eyes
Jesus our glory and our prize
We adore You behold You our Savior ever true
Oh Jesus we turn our eyes to You
Jesus to You we lift our eyes
Jesus our glory and our prize
We adore You behold You our Savior ever true
Oh Jesus we turn our eyes to You
Oh Jesus We Turn Our Eyes to You
Jon Hoover • May 10, 2020
Sunday, May 10th, 2020
First Baptist Church
As I thought through a sermon for today, I wasn’t quite sure what to preach on or what the mood of everyone would be like. I knew that I did not want to continue this week in the series that I have been preaching through online.
I’m honestly not sure I would even call this a sermon. Rather, what I want to be brief and speak with you about what I think we must learn from this pandemic.
When all of this started, I wrote a short article I posted online which detailed 3 hopes I had following the coronavirus outbreak. I want to return to that this morning. I’d like to update it, and then I want to give you some additional commitments I think every single person in church should make as we reopen our economy and our churches.
A GREATER PASSION FOR GOD’S WORD
The first thing I hope for is a greater passion for God’s Word. It’s been an interesting couple of months for me. Week after week, I receive comments on email or through social media from people looking for hope or for a greater understanding of the Bible.
When all this started, there was a tremendous amount of fear in every corner of society. I saw reports online of Bibles selling out at Walmart. Curious to know if it was true, I went to our Walmart in Kinston, and sure enough, their Bible section was low on Bibles. At Walmart.
At the same time, hopelessness was on the rise. Suicide prevention hotlines were frequently reporting a twice as many calls as usual with the average call lasting twice as long. And this is still happening even now - hopelessness is on the rise.
In other words, what all this revealed is that people need an anchor that can latch onto a foundation that will hold them secure when the waves of life feel more like an approaching tsunami.
The Bible says in Hebrews 10:23 that we must hold fast to the hope that we profess. That hope is the gospel of Jesus Christ that we read about in the Bible. It’s so easy to let other things fill the void and tell us they are more worthy of our time and attention. But, they’re not. God’s Word is an anchor that will hold tight when everything else seems to fail.
We must be people and a church who proclaim and believe that God’s Word is an anchor that is far stronger than anything the world has to offer. So I hope and I pray that we would grow in our love for God’s Word.
When the world began to fall apart and so much was unsure, people went in search of hope. They went to the Bible section at Walmart, and yet we have many Bibles in our homes collecting dust. Let us return to the Word of God.
Secondly, I pray for a GREATER PASSION FOR CHURCH ATTENDANCE
The second thing I hope for is a greater desire for church attendance and in-person gatherings.
ZOOM is great. I am thankful for that kind of technology, but it has its limitations. The fact of the matter is that we were created for community. We were created for a relationship with God and with other people. We are relational beings, and when you remove that relationship, something isn’t right.
And the truth is that this is a highly theological point. The reason we are relational beings is because God is a relational God and we are created in his image.
In John 1, in Matthew 3, in 1 Corinthians 6, and in 2 Corinthians 12, we see this relationship of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit all together. The Trinity was present before creation and there was a relationship there within the Trinity itself. God is a relational God and if we are created in his image, then we are relational people, and that means that being together in-person with one another matters greatly.
So my hope following all of this is that we would be reminded of the importance of faithful church attendance. I pray that many would be brought back to church, and that many would realize how important it is that we have one another. The gathered church matters because of relationships and that truth is rooted in who God is and who he made us to be.
My third hope is for a GREATER PASSION FOR EVANGELISM
This point is somewhat related to the first. As we saw the sharp rise in hopelessness, it should cause a sharp rise in the desire for evangelism. If nothing else, the coronavirus should teach us that life is brief. It should teach us that we aren’t as secure as we think we are. And it should teach us that we must be a people who consistently and faithfully share the hope we have within us.
1 Peter 3:15 says that we should always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us. In the days ahead, people are going to return to work fearfully. It’s likely that many won’t go into a crowd for quite some time. That’s ok. But as believers, when we have the opportunity, let us be the kind of people who are hopeful even in the midst of times that are uncertain.
It is in those moments that people often listen and need to see in us that Jesus Christ is our rock and our foundation.
In the months ahead, it will be increasingly important that we anchor ourselves to the Word of God. It will be increasingly important that we realize the importance of gathering as a church. And it will be even more important that as things open back up, we are ready to share the hope that each of us has in Jesus Christ.
Finally, I hope and pray that these last couple of months will cause us to value the humanity in each and every person.
One of the most difficult and parts of all of this, at least for me, is when I’m in a grocery store and there seems to be a common fear between people. You keep your distance of 6 feet, but other people look at you and you can tell that they avoid close contact because you might have the virus. I get it. People don’t want to get sick.
But there’s something not right when everyone is afraid of each other and they don’t even want to look you in the eye. We live in a highly polarized society where deep distrust exists among people. This virus is going to cause that polarization to be even greater.
What I hope for is that no matter how you feel about all of this - my hope is that we learn to value the image of God in all people, and that we might turn away from the polarization that exists all around us to see the shared humanity that we all have because of the image of God in us.
When you go out to the grocery store or to work, be safe, but look people in the eye and say, “hello, it’s good to see you.” As more and more things open up, some people are going to have a deep distrust of others. As Christians, we must be the light of the world. We must exude hope. And, now more than ever, we must see other people as people created in the image of God.
In closing, I want to read from Romans 8. I know many people are fearful and have great heaviness in their hearts. This passage is a tremendous reminder of God’s love for us. Romans 8 beginning in verse 31.
Romans 8:31-39
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him
graciously give us all things?
33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Have a blessed day!