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[ Music ] Since Jesus came into my heart, since Jesus came into my heart, I've put joy on my soul like a savior of love. ♪ Since Jesus came into my heart ♪

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♪ I should know that the world ♪ ♪ Endlessly I know ♪ ♪ Since Jesus came into my heart ♪ ♪ I am heavenly so happy ♪

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♪ As all would I know ♪ ♪ Since Jesus came into my heart ♪ ♪ Since Jesus came into my heart ♪ ♪ Since Jesus came into my heart ♪

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♪ There's a joy in my soul ♪ ♪ That can see to this love ♪ ♪ Since Jesus came into my heart ♪ - Amen.

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[Silence] Message of this song says, "Bloods of joy, [Silence] "O'er my soul, floods of joy,

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[Silence] "O'er my soul, like the sea billows roll." [Silence] Let's look at Luke 24, verses 50-53 of the text.

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When Jesus had led them out of the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the Temple

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praising God. The subject, great joy, great joy. They returned to Jerusalem with great joy, great joy. That was a song that was popular many years ago,

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sort of romantic ballad, it had words such as these, "I've just found joy. I'm as happy as a baby boy since I found my sweet Lorraine. Lorraine, Lorraine, I've just found joy." Now, in this particular song, joy is described as something that is found. Joy is identified with happiness.

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But we have a certain concept of joy that may not be true to reality. In fact, great joy is the kind of sermon you'd expect a pastor to preach around Christmas time. Joy embraces far more than just a season of the year.

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Joy is an experience related to praise and thanksgiving in public worship. Joy is the quiet confidence of the heart. confidence of the individual in God.

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Joy is the proclamation of God's saving power. It seems that many who are called Christian have lost the joy associated with the disciples of Jesus. the disciples of Jesus in the first century.

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Many are confused about joy. They think it is something which it is not. In the cartoon series that was popular when I was a boy called Little Abner, he was a resident of Dogpatch.

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He lived in Dogpatch. They had a particular drink in Dogpatch in those days that was called Kickapoo Joy Juice. Some people who may not live in Dogpatch have associated joy with a drink, something they can get in a bottle. We think that we have to have a special drink to loosen people up.

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Therefore, when you get a gathering together, we have what is called a cocktail party. That's to sort of break the ice, icebreaker, get people in a happy-go-lucky mood. So joy is often in our society, often I say associated with some kind of artificial stimulant. We drink, we smoke, we sniff or inject into our bodies.

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Now this kind of joy is associated with feeling good. People do all these things to feel good and they say this is joy. Now, the kind of joy I'm talking about this morning is joy that one may possess and does possess whether you feel good or not.

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You can be here this morning and you can have some problems. You can have your sinus bothering you, your arthritis bothering you, and all other kind of things bother you and still have this kind of joy that we are concerned about in this text.

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Now the scripture identifies joy with singing, shouting, and identifies it with noise, loud noise, identifies it with dancing, clapping, praising God. Now a lot of these things if people were doing today in our service, we would look around and wonder what had happened to them.

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But that is an expression of joy. And it's not limited to something that occurred in the long ago, it is something that may experience right here this morning in Ebenezer Church. The scripture says make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands serve the Lord with gladness come before his presence with

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singing. And when you look at this I wonder if some of our worship services manifest this kind of joy. Some serve the Lord with sadness rather than gladness. They come before his presence with closed lips. You know we complain if we didn't have hymnals and after we got the hymnals I see people every Sunday standing up you know and don't open their mouths and

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And when he says, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord," the church needs to recover joy, that joy identified with praise and thanksgiving to God. Now there is a difference my brothers and sisters in joy and pleasure. Now pleasure is in our power.

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You know I like to have fried onion rings and every now and then my wife prepares those for me. And I have a delightful meal. That's pleasure. And that's within our power, her power, whenever she decides to cook. And so that pleasure can come today, tomorrow, or any time this week.

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That's pleasure. It's within our power. You can go out and have a pleasurable experience. In fact, you can have a gourmet meal and you take special satisfaction in that activity.

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So pleasure is often in our power, but joy never is. can go out and control when you're going to have pleasure, but not when you're going to have joy. Joy is not something we come to church in order to experience. Let me say that

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again. Joy is not something that we come to church to experience. Joy is something that you bring to church. If you really got joy, you don't wait to see how the preacher, see whether the reverend is going to be on this morning or not.

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You see, and whether the choir really got it this morning, you know. That's not the kind of joy I'm talking about. It's something you already have and you come with that joy. You bring it with you.

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Now Luke reports within the context of this chapter, he talks about these two disciples who were on the road to Emmaus and this is a village that is very close to Jerusalem and these disciples were traveling downhill, they were depressed, the road they were on laid down in the dumps. And as we listen in on that conversation, it says, "You know,

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we had thought that this Jesus would have been the one that would have redeemed Israel. But all these things that have happened in Jerusalem, he's been crucified and buried, And they were without hope. They were in the dungeons of despair.

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And while they were there, they were joined by another traveler. many people, human existence has become a joyless journey. It's a journey where they have no joy. And life is really meaningless if we have no joy. What had happened in Jerusalem

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the last few days for them meant that life had lost its meaning with the crucifixion. But you see, joy is an ecstatic experience, it's a mystical encounter, it is a religious experience that happens and when it happens, the same old world looks new.

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And it can happen in the most adverse circumstances. I remember a dear old sister earlier in my ministry in Waco, whose name was Sister Cade, and she called me one day, she was up in her 90s

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and she was just filled with joy. And yet here she was confined to bed, and Reverend, I'm just so happy today. You see, this is the kind of joy

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that many people don't understand. When I was a child, I could not understand. And I'd go to church and often be seated beside mother and she would be there and the preacher would preach

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and give the testimony and all that on the first Sunday. And she would shout, and I knew that many times the rent hadn't been paid and we had left home early because we didn't want to be there when the rent man came.

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And I was wondering how in the world could she shout? - Yes Lord. - But now I understand. - Yes Lord.

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- That you can have this sort of joy, you can shout and be glad. even in the midst of all of these adverse circumstances that surround us.

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And this is why the older people expressed it in the language of song. I went to the valley, and I didn't go to stay, but my heart got happy, my soul got happy,

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I stayed all day. That's joy. I looked all around me and it looked so fine. I asked the Lord if all was fine. I looked at my hands and they looked new. I looked at my feet and they were too. Joy. That's joy. But you know the problem of my brothers

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brothers and sisters is that we are troubled by a joyless economy. You know, we think that when we get more things that we will be happy. And those things do not contribute to happiness. We think that when we get a fine ranch style home and all of that and fine area that we're going to be happy. And if we can get the right car, then we'll be happy. And if we can somehow

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manage a good job that pays well, then we will be happy. But I'm here to tell you that you can have all of those things and not be happy. You can have everything that you need in that regard and still find out that you are happy. So we got our programs.

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Oh, we have numerous programs. And we have our educational projects. And we have our political and social projects. And we have advanced techniques.

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but they do not produce joy. So we can have all this and still miss the joy that I'm talking about. Though we have the wealth of the world

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and have not this joy, our lives have no meaning. Now Sinclair Lewis describes it, he says it comes as a surprise. It's the kind of joy we're talking about

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comes as a surprise. It is not according to our design. It is the jewel of great price for which we surrender all other jewels.

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So joy is the jewel of great value and beauty. Joy is the jewel greatly prized. It's a gift. It's God's gift.

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God surprises us with joy. We can't make it happen. We cannot own it. We just thank God that he permits us to experience it.

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The travelers on the Emmaus Road were surprised by joy. They were sad. Their hearts were heavy. And suddenly they are surprised by joy.

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Another traveler joins their company and the conversation is enriched. Their burdens are lifted. Their spirit is strengthened.

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Their eyes are opened and they have joy. The disciples experienced joy at the communion table. They recognized Jesus in the breaking of bread, and they said, "Did not our hearts burn within us

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"while he talked with us on the road?" So you see, joy is God's gift as we journey. It comes as a surprise. So joy also is my gift.

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marked by a sense of peace, a sense of openness, a sense of fulfillment and gratitude. Now there are forces and there are people

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who set out to be what I call kill joy. They'll kill your joy. And you don't know what's wrong with them. Someone called me the other day and left a number,

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and I called the number, and somebody answered the phone. I said, "May I speak with so and so?" That was the number and the name that had been left here. And he said, "You're not here."

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I said, "Well, you tell him." "I'm not going to tell him anything." You see. Now, if you're in a real good mood, that can kill your joy.

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It can kill your joy. And in the course of a day and in the course of a week, you are going to find a number of instances where there will be some attempts to kill your joy. But I'm talking about a kind of joy that suffering does not destroy.

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You know, I visit with people time and time again, they say, "Rev. I've never been sick." And they can't bear sickness because they've never been sick. Well, most of us who have never been sick,

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if we live long enough, we will be sick. But what we're talking about is suffering that does not destroy and cannot destroy joy. The fact that our Lord said,

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when people speak all manner, listen to this language, all manner of evil against you falsely, against you falsely, what does he say?

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Rejoice! and be exceedingly glad. In other words, not just a little bit glad, but exceedingly glad when people have spoken

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all manner of evil against you falsely. In other words, you've gotta have the kind of joy that cannot be destroyed by the kill joys out there. In other words, when you read that Luke in his history,

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in the early history there in Acts, the apostles were beaten. They said, "Don't speak anymore in his name, Jesus." So they told him, said, "Okay, we're gonna beat you

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"and just let you go, but you be sure "that you don't speak anymore in his name." And they went out and kept on doing it. And the scripture says, "They counted it joy

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to suffer shame in his name. This is the kind of joy that we're talking about. It is joy that sickness cannot destroy. Ask Paul about this joy.

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Paul says, now he said, it was given me as a messenger from Satan a thorn in my flesh to buffet me, to trouble me. And he said, "I went to the Lord about it, and I asked him three times to

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remove the thorn. And the Lord gave me the answer, 'My grace is sufficient for you.'" In other words, Paul, go on and because my strength is made perfect in your weakness." That's the kind of joy that cannot be destroyed

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by suffering. Now, joy is a sense of connectedness to what is. It involves the union of heaven and earth, It's a union of the divine and the human.

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It's a union of the spirit and flesh. So finally, brothers and sisters, joy is being at home with God. Luke concludes his gospel with Jesus

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leading his disciples out to the vicinity of Bethany and Bethany means house of the afflicted, house of the afflicted is what it means and Jesus lifted up his hands and blessed them and left them. He was taken up into heaven. They worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, not not a

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little but great joy. They departed from Bethany, the place of affliction, for Jerusalem, the city of trial and crucifixion, they departed with great joy. Great joy. Now you can't really have this joy unless you really have this experience of being at home with God. And when you're at home with God, you

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are willing to accept whatever life brings because you know that God is with you and that God will take care of you. You're at home with him. So joy is not something that you experience when things are going well. Joy is something that you you go through the crucifixion and you come to the resurrection and you

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still have joy, joy, great joy, joy in pain, joy in sunshine, joy in the rain, joy. I'm moved by this experience of George Matheson who was losing his sight. The doctor told him as he was leaving his office that you better see everything you want to see quickly because soon the darkness will settle and you'll not be able to see

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anymore. He was going blind. He went to his fiancée and offered to break off the engagement hoping that she would refuse, But to his surprise, she agreed to break off the engagement when she found out he was going

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blind. And he was so stricken with grief, for many days he went in, and out of this entire experience came a song that we sing from time to time in our worship services, "Oh love that will not let me go."

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I rest my weary soul in thee, I give thee back the life I owe, that in thine ocean depths my, its flow may richer, fuller be. But it's this verse that, there's a third verse that really I want to lift up for us, it says, "Oh joy, oh joy," now in the

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the midst of all that has happened. He says, "Oh joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to thee. I trace the rainbow through the rain and feel the promise is not vain that morn shall tearless be." In other words, when you really have joy, you can go You can go through the pain.

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You can go through the pain of losing a loved one because you know what it really means to be at home with God. And when you're at home with God,

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you understand that the Lord gives and the Lord taketh away. And so you still have the joy of the Lord. You see, when you have joy,

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it's like a mother bearing a child. You know, when she brings that child into the world great deal of pain in the normal circumstance, but when the child comes, when she comes through that pain, there is joy.

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And mothers have from the beginning of time looked forward to the joy knowing that there is the pain. Oh joy, yes joy that seeketh me through pain. So great joy, great joy, great joy means to somehow that you can endure the darkness.

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That's what the psalmist is talking about when the psalmist says that weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning. So brothers and sisters,

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count yourself fortunate indeed if you have this joy. You may not have the finest car, you may not live in the best home, you may not wear the most fashionable clothes

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but if you have this joy, It is the joy that the world cannot take away. That's what the song says when it says, this joy that I have.

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- Yes Lord. - This joy that I have, the world didn't give it to me and the world didn't give it and the world can't take it. This joy that I have.

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So thanks be to God for this joy. If you have it, then you are ready for the journey. You're not on a joyless journey, but you're on a joyful journey if you have this joy

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that I'm talking about. So that's why we can sing joy, joy to the world, the Lord is come. Joy that is coming to our lives.

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Joy that journeys with us. Joy that strengthens us. Joy that leads us over hills and through valleys. Joy, yes, joy that calls us

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I am come to overflow joy that is there even in the midst of tears. That joy that God gives, great joy that succeeds and strengthens regardless of circumstances. So the good thing is that this joy is available as God's gift to any person who is in need of it. And I say this to anyone who is open to receive it.

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Isn't that good news? That if you have the openness to him, that somehow he comes wherever we are and brings that joy.

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It's a surprise. It's a wonderful surprise that he brings into our lives. So as we come to this time of invitation, there may be someone here who doesn't have this joy.

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It's a joy that God gives us through Jesus Christ as his free gift, and as we meditate during this time of dedication and commitment, we invite you to come give your life to the Lord.

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If you are outside the church, make that decision now. If you are in Austin, living in Austin without a church home, we invite you to become a part of the family of God here at Ebenezer as we extend that blessed invitation

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that Jesus Christ gives in the gift of joy. [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC] Come.

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O'er hills of showers of blessings, thou art scattering full, and free. ♪ Shores the thirsting ♪ ♪ Souls refreshing ♪ ♪ Let some drops ♪

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♪ Now fall on me ♪ ♪ Even me ♪ ♪ Even me ♪ ♪ Lord ♪

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♪ Even me ♪ ♪ Even me, Lord ♪ ♪ Even me ♪ ♪ Let some drops ♪

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♪ Now fall ♪ ♪ On me ♪ ♪ Pass me not ♪ ♪ Oh gentle Savior ♪

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♪ Sinful though ♪ ♪ My heart ♪ ♪ Baby ♪ ♪ I am longing ♪

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♪ For thy favor ♪ ♪ Worst thought ♪ ♪ Blessing ♪ ♪ Oh, bless me ♪

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♪ Even me ♪ ♪ Lord, even me ♪ ♪ Even me ♪ ♪ Lord, even me ♪

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♪ Whilst thou art blessing ♪ ♪ Oh, bless me ♪ ♪ Bread of heaven ♪ ♪ Bread of heaven ♪

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♪ Let me ever ♪ ♪ Feed on your bread ♪ ♪ I will not be defeated ♪ ♪ I will not be defeated ♪

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♪ On thee ♪ ♪ Thine, O heaven ♪ ♪ Lord, atone for me ♪ ♪ Even me ♪

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♪ Lord, even me ♪ ♪ Even me ♪ ♪ Oh Lord ♪ ♪ Even me ♪

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♪ Let thy blood ♪ ♪ Atone for me ♪ ♪ For me ♪ ♪ Even me ♪

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♪ Lord ♪ ♪ Even me ♪ ♪ Even me ♪ ♪ Even me, Lord ♪

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♪ Even me ♪ ♪ Let some drops ♪ ♪ Now fall ♪ ♪ On me ♪

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- Amen. (audience applauding) [ Applause ]