1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:03,400 Welcome to the Cross Power Church podcast. 2 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:06,800 You're listening to a service from our church in Campbell, TX. 3 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:10,480 We pray this message strengthens your faith and points you to the 4 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:12,840 cross. Now let's join the service. 5 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:17,480 So there's a lot of times whenever or at least 6 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:22,760 occasionally you really feel the attack of the enemy, you know 7 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:25,960 where that you know something's not right. 8 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:29,560 Nothing seems to be going right. And then when you get to church 9 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:32,840 there before you can ever even start to preach, somebody else 10 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:35,120 coming up with all their problems wanting them dealt with 11 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:37,040 right, then you're like, Nah, hang on a second. 12 00:00:37,480 --> 00:00:40,200 The devil's trying to derail something, you know? 13 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,480 And I haven't felt good most of the day. 14 00:00:43,480 --> 00:00:46,120 And I thought, well, I'm not going to quit on this thing. 15 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:48,880 And I don't really know how it's going to turn out, but we're 16 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:51,040 going to do a little Bible study and I'm going to do a little 17 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:53,160 talk and I'm going to try not to preach to you. 18 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:59,840 But anyway, I do want to, well, I have to do whatever the Lord's 19 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:05,239 telling me to do. So if you would, a couple of 20 00:01:05,239 --> 00:01:08,080 things I need to preface before we get started. 21 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:18,200 If you turn over to Psalm chapter 91 and you look there 22 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:23,200 at, oh, we'll look at the first maybe 2 verses. 23 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:27,440 But in Psalm chapter 91, anybody got a Bible with you? 24 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:32,360 That's good. Too many people you know, don't, 25 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:35,000 don't have their have it on their phone. 26 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,600 They don't have it physically or either. 27 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:39,960 And it's like, well, need to have your Bible. 28 00:01:39,960 --> 00:01:46,640 That's your sword. But in Psalm chapter 91, it's 29 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:51,240 pretty famous, you know, well known passage, but it says he 30 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:55,760 who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the 31 00:01:55,760 --> 00:02:01,960 shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, my 32 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,400 refuge and my fortress, my God, and whom I trust. 33 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,360 I want you to look at that. That first verse says he who 34 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:15,720 dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the 35 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:18,840 shadow of the Almighty. You can turn that thing around 36 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:23,120 and it means the exact same thing, but it's a different way 37 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:27,040 of saying if you start at the end and read the the last part 38 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:32,360 of the verse first and you say it this way, he who abides in 39 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,240 the shadow of the Almighty will dwell in the shelter of the Most 40 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:38,880 High. It's the same concept. 41 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:46,640 They're both accurate. Problem is, well, we, you and 42 00:02:46,640 --> 00:02:51,080 your ugly sweater get up again. Thank you. 43 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,400 Now you're kind of thin. I need a big broad guy. 44 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:57,880 But anyway, that's all right. You'll get the point. 45 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:04,640 So if the sun's over here, right, where is his shadow going 46 00:03:04,640 --> 00:03:07,040 to be? Going to be? 47 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:09,480 Back over here somewhere, right? OK. 48 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:14,640 Now, is his shadow likely to be over there at the end of that 49 00:03:14,640 --> 00:03:16,040 row? Is it? 50 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:18,240 You think it would reach there? If the sun's up here? 51 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:19,880 Is it going to reach over there? Probably not. 52 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:21,480 I mean, it's sure not going to be back. 53 00:03:21,640 --> 00:03:24,840 It's not going to be over there. Or what do you got to do to be 54 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:29,240 in the shadow of the Almighty? You got to get right up close to 55 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:32,600 him to make sure if he moves, you move. 56 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:35,560 Because if he moves and you don't move, you find yourself 57 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,560 back over here and you're not in the shadow anymore. 58 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,040 And guess what? Your shelter's gone too. 59 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:44,960 You got to stick close to the Lord. 60 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:47,840 He said a while ago, draw close. Draw close to God. 61 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:50,120 You know what? You've got to draw close to the 62 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:53,080 Lord, and you got to stay there, OK. 63 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:57,160 And it's not just be in his. Let me just have a nice word 64 00:03:57,160 --> 00:03:59,080 that's right. It's not just be at the church, 65 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:02,840 OK? It's not just, well, I warmed a 66 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,400 bench, I came in and I went to service one day. 67 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:09,640 Or you can be around Jesus and not close to him at all. 68 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:15,480 You can be around Jesus and not have him in you operating and 69 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,640 effectively flowing through you and doing with you what He wants 70 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,800 to do with you. And sometimes what He wants to 71 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:24,880 do with you isn't exactly what you necessarily would have 72 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:28,000 wanted him or thought that he ought to do with you. 73 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:31,680 Sometimes the things you go through aren't the things that 74 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:34,000 you would have picked for yourself. 75 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:38,520 But if you just stay close to him, he'll take care of it. 76 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:43,120 I don't know who that's to, maybe more than one person, but 77 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:44,720 I felt like I needed to say that. 78 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:51,480 You remember in I've got so many verses and so many passes. 79 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:54,120 I always do. And it's like good night again, 80 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:56,520 Lord, they're going to think I can never shut up, you know? 81 00:04:56,720 --> 00:05:03,280 But anyway, Genesis chapter 1, God creates, you know, 82 00:05:03,280 --> 00:05:04,840 everything. He creates the heavens, he 83 00:05:04,840 --> 00:05:07,560 creates the earth, He creates the, the beasts of the field, 84 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:10,720 the birds of the air, the, the swarming things in the ocean and 85 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:14,840 the waters. And, and he creates men, which 86 00:05:14,840 --> 00:05:17,280 is the only thing that he created in his own image. 87 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:23,640 It's also the only thing that it said afterwards, because 88 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:26,000 afterwards every time he created something, it said and it was 89 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:27,760 good. Or I mean, yeah, it was good. 90 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:32,160 But then whenever he gets to, to man and he creates man, it says 91 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:35,120 it was very good. OK. 92 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:39,520 And then by the time you get to the end of that chapter in 93 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:49,160 verses like 27282627, you've got the, the the Trinity Godhead 94 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:53,640 saying we're going to create him in our man in our, in his own 95 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:58,000 image, right. And the next thing that you have 96 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:05,680 in chapter 2 is the fact that you know, it goes through him, 97 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,960 making him out of dust and whatever and breathing into him, 98 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:15,280 his his own breath. Now the reason why this is 99 00:06:15,280 --> 00:06:21,400 important is because God created man not to just run around like 100 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:25,400 the beasts of the field, OK, that they're OK, but that's not 101 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:28,560 why he created you. He created you as a human being 102 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:31,760 in his image that he might be able to commune with you, that 103 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:34,200 he might be able to walk with you, that he might be able to 104 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:36,760 share with you and hear from you, Right. 105 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:40,400 And too often, even as the bride of Christ, as Christians who 106 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:44,280 show up on Wednesday night, even we kind of get in a rush. 107 00:06:44,280 --> 00:06:47,240 It's Christmas after all. And I got shopping to do and I 108 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:50,360 got cookies to bake and I got whatever I got to do. 109 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:57,920 And and if we're not careful, we can allow a wedge to to be 110 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:02,720 driven between US and him just the same way they did in chapter 111 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:05,440 3 of Genesis whenever they sinned. 112 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:11,720 And sin isn't just something that created a wedge between God 113 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:15,480 and mankind back in Genesis. It's something that creates a 114 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:18,400 wedge between God and mankind right now. 115 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:21,640 And he said, well, I'm not sinning. 116 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:24,200 Yeah. But see, there's this passage 117 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:26,440 over. And I believe it was in James, 118 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:28,560 if I remember right. And he said, you know, he who 119 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:31,160 knows what to do and doesn't do it to him, it's sin. 120 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:35,400 And how many times can you, if you're real honest with 121 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:39,680 yourself, you say, well, I knew I ought to have done that, but 122 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:43,280 I, I did anyway. Or I, I knew I should have done 123 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:47,760 this, but I didn't. And I mean, let's just get real. 124 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:50,000 We're not perfect, right? I'm not trying to say you're 125 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:54,400 perfect or we should be perfect, but we should be pressing closer 126 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:58,320 to the Lord instead of allowing stuff to come in between US and 127 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:02,960 Him and driving a wedge into that relationship that He called 128 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:06,320 very good. Now if you turn over to John 129 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:13,880 chapter 1, let's read just a few verses of this John chapter 1, 130 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:17,680 verses one through 5, and I don't know wherever, we'll 131 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:21,880 figure it out as we go. In the beginning was the Word, 132 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:26,200 and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 133 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:29,080 He was in the beginning with God. 134 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:33,760 So now we know that because of the capital letter there on the 135 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:38,039 West, yours has got that right. OK, so it's a proper noun. 136 00:08:38,039 --> 00:08:39,640 It's the name of a person, place, or thing. 137 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:41,559 You should have picked that up in school along the way. 138 00:08:41,919 --> 00:08:45,880 All right, So we're talking about a person, place or thing. 139 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:48,560 And then whenever we look a little bit further, it calls him 140 00:08:48,560 --> 00:08:52,480 and he uses a pronoun he. So we know that it's a male 141 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:57,720 individual, and we also know that he was in the beginning 142 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:03,560 with God, and we also know that he was God. 143 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:07,760 That's what it says. So we're talking about someone 144 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:12,600 who is God, but it's also with God. 145 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:15,760 And the only way you can do that according to is to think of the 146 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:18,600 Trinity, Godhead, really. And, and you got the Father, God 147 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,240 the Father. And oftentimes that's the way 148 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:23,960 it's presented in Scripture is when it says God is talking 149 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:26,080 about the Father. A lot of times that's that's the 150 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:30,360 case. And so you've got the Son of God 151 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:32,720 here. And if you read through this 152 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:36,680 passage, you'll, it becomes real clear that that's what this is 153 00:09:36,680 --> 00:09:41,360 talking about, talking about Jesus in the beginning, he 154 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:43,760 always was. See, we're talking right now 155 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:47,920 about how, you know, it's Christmas time and Jesus came 156 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:51,000 and that wasn't the beginning of Jesus. 157 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:56,720 Jesus had already been. He always was and always will 158 00:09:56,720 --> 00:10:00,520 be. He's God in the beginning. 159 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:02,960 He was he was already there in the beginning. 160 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:07,440 All things were made through him and without him nothing was made 161 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:10,840 that was made In him was life, and the life was the light of 162 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:13,720 men. And the light shined in the 163 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:16,200 darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 164 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:24,040 Verse 9 Speaking of light, that was the true light. 165 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:26,080 Now if there's a true light, I'm going to tell you there's a 166 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:29,680 false light too, OK. And some things you may look 167 00:10:29,680 --> 00:10:33,360 good and, and they're not. And the only way that you can 168 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:38,160 really discern that is if you get into the word and you stay 169 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:41,080 there in John 15, what did he say say? 170 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:45,160 He said, I am the true vine. There's there's the truth again, 171 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:48,000 I'm there's a fake vine too. I'm the true vine. 172 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:51,000 And then when you say you're the branches and you're supposed to 173 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:54,120 abide in me, you got to dwell there. 174 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:57,360 You got to stay there. And, and even if you say, well, 175 00:10:57,360 --> 00:10:59,880 I was raised in church, I've been in church, you know, every 176 00:10:59,880 --> 00:11:01,160 time the doors are open, I'm here. 177 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:04,400 I know what the word says. Well, good, you better stay 178 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:06,520 there. Second you start moving away 179 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:11,480 from it, you've got a problem. It's kind of like the second you 180 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:14,360 start moving out of the shadow and moving away from him. 181 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:17,440 They're both the word. You've got a problem. 182 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:22,840 And in verse 10, it says He was in the world and the world was 183 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:26,360 made through him, and the world did not know Him. 184 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:34,680 He came to his own and his own did not receive him, but as many 185 00:11:34,680 --> 00:11:38,680 as received Him. To them He gave the right to 186 00:11:38,680 --> 00:11:42,520 become children of God. How cool is that? 187 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:48,880 I mean, that's awesome to those who believe in His name, who 188 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:52,600 were born not of blood doesn't mean that you were just born a 189 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:53,960 human. See, there's people that say, 190 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:56,160 well, I'm a child of God. He made me. 191 00:11:56,840 --> 00:11:59,560 I was being born of blood. This doesn't sage it. 192 00:11:59,560 --> 00:12:03,080 That's good enough. It says who were not those who 193 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:07,680 were just born in blood, but were the will of flesh nor the 194 00:12:07,680 --> 00:12:13,280 will of man, but of what of God? Well, you might remember 195 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:18,640 Nicodemus in John chapter 3. He came asking, you know, how, 196 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:22,240 what do you, you know, how do I get to heaven and how do I, you 197 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:26,400 know, get right with God and, and how, how do I take care of 198 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:29,800 this issue? And it wasn't just an issue that 199 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:32,920 he had that he knew, you know, I might not be doing everything 200 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:36,640 quite right because guess what, in Romans chapter 323, it also 201 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:41,240 says that for all of sin and fallen short of the glory of 202 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:45,560 God. So each one of us, at some point 203 00:12:45,560 --> 00:12:48,120 we're faced with the same problem Nicodemus had in chapter 204 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:51,880 3 of of John, where it's like, OK, you come to Jesus and you 205 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:57,120 say, how is it? What is it I've got to do to fix 206 00:12:57,120 --> 00:12:59,080 my problem? But if you come to him, you've 207 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:04,080 come to the right spot and he told him you've got to be born 208 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:09,160 again. That word again is a nothen in 209 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:12,120 the original language. And that means from above is 210 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:15,200 what it means. So when you told him so you got 211 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:19,400 to be born again. It's not that you got to be born 212 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:23,000 a second time of the blood. You got to be born from above 213 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:27,480 through the Spirit of God, OK, and and become a member at that 214 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:31,640 point, be born into the family of of God. 215 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:36,720 And that's an awesome thought. Now we get so caught up and we 216 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:39,000 have, we have it in our head, you know, we've heard that, we 217 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:41,440 know that kind of stuff. But we're running here and we're 218 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:45,920 running there and, and we don't really have time to dwell on 219 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:49,640 that. We don't have time to appreciate 220 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:53,720 that, hardly have time to just get to church. 221 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:55,440 I'm doing pretty good just being here. 222 00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:58,200 Don't tell me you have never felt that way. 223 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:01,680 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. 224 00:14:01,680 --> 00:14:07,200 Verse 14 and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only 225 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:12,640 begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 226 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:19,520 Thank God for His grace and thank God that He is the truth. 227 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:26,960 Now it's kind of a behind the scenes look at the Christmas 228 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:29,080 story. It's kind of behind the scenes. 229 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:35,240 Look what we just read of how an invisible God allowed himself to 230 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:39,760 be seen. That men, whether from the 231 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:43,600 richest of men like the Magi, you know, with their treasures, 232 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:47,760 who came searching for him as they followed the star, or the 233 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:50,880 the poorest of men who stunk like the sheep out in the field, 234 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:55,760 the shepherds, it didn't matter who you were. 235 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:02,800 He made a way that we could be in the presence of God once 236 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:05,560 again. See, he was creating a way so 237 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:09,800 that the wedge could be taken away, so that the division could 238 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:12,920 be separated or that was separating could be taken, 239 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:16,600 removed and and we could once again enter the presence of God. 240 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:26,600 In Chapter 7 of Isaiah, verse 17 speaks of his coming at that 241 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:32,840 time and it it's actually several 100 years beforehand, 242 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:39,560 but he's Speaking of the coming of, of Christ as a baby and he 243 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:45,080 he referred to him as Emmanuel, God with us. 244 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:49,760 So it's, it's really important because see, in the beginning, 245 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:54,600 if you remember right after man fell in Genesis chapter 3, you 246 00:15:54,600 --> 00:16:01,400 find God walking in the garden and they could hear the sound of 247 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:05,280 his footsteps. How can you determine who it is 248 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:07,480 just by the sound of their footsteps unless you've spent 249 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:12,920 some time in their presence? I mean, I can be at work and I 250 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:15,560 detect certain people's footsteps and I know who they 251 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:18,560 are because the way they want. I can be at home and I can 252 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:21,880 detect certain footsteps and know if it's my wife or my son 253 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:24,600 or whoever, right? But I have to spend some time 254 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:26,280 with them. That didn't just happen. 255 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:33,720 And The thing is, they were able to spend time with the Lord. 256 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:41,640 Somewhere along the way they decided, you know, it'll be OK, 257 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:46,800 let's just do this. It'll be all right. 258 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:57,480 It's not all right lately, you know, like I said, we've been 259 00:16:57,480 --> 00:16:59,600 shopping. We've been considering the needs 260 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:02,600 and desires of others and, you know, getting gifts. 261 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:07,720 And we've been coming to the idea of Jesus as a helpless babe 262 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:11,720 and a Manger perhaps more than any other time of the year. 263 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:16,359 And in his coming, he was motivated by a single factor 264 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:26,200 that we might know his presence once again, that we might enter 265 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:29,920 and eternally remain in his presence. 266 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:37,000 And why would he want that? Because he loves you. 267 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:41,640 And sometimes it's real easy to listen to the enemy and go He 268 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:43,760 doesn't love you. If he loved you, he wouldn't let 269 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:48,600 this happen. If he really loved you, you 270 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:52,000 wouldn't be in this situation. You wouldn't be facing these 271 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:55,360 needs. You wouldn't have the problem 272 00:17:55,360 --> 00:17:58,160 like he talked about a while ago and he is lacking money or 273 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:00,760 whatever, right? Let me tell you what, I've 274 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:04,240 lacked money too and there was a time and I'm sure everybody has, 275 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:08,080 but I had a need for 10,000 bucks and I didn't know where I 276 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:11,840 was going to get the $10,000. Had no clue and I got a phone 277 00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:17,960 call as I was down praying Lord you can speak things into 278 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:22,440 existence. The phone rang and I answered 279 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:25,240 the phone and some men had never heard of before or ever heard of 280 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:28,040 again. Said you have cattle. 281 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:29,840 I said yes. He said. 282 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:32,800 I said would you like to come up and look at something, you know, 283 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:37,640 look like a prospect of sale? And he says no. 284 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:39,400 I want you to pick two of them out. 285 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:41,560 I'm going to give you $5000 each. 286 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:43,080 You bring them down here to Henderson. 287 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:47,960 Well, I'm not real smart, but I could figure out 5 + 5 = 10. 288 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:49,600 And that's exactly what I needed. 289 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:51,120 And I just asked the Lord for it. 290 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:53,080 And boom, just like that it happened. 291 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:55,200 Now, sometimes it doesn't happen just like that. 292 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:58,040 And he test your face, sees if you're really serious or not. 293 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:01,760 But guess what? It's not just a matter that he 294 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:05,280 can. He wants to, OK. 295 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:09,000 And whenever you take that same thing and you apply it over to 296 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:13,600 health and other issues, it's not just a matter that God can 297 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:16,120 heal you. God wants to heal you. 298 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:18,720 I believe that with all my heart. 299 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:23,000 If that's not true, then you tell me why is it that He took 300 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:27,160 the stripes for our healing? That wasn't something He just 301 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:33,240 thought would be fun. He did that because He loves you 302 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:37,000 and He wants you to do well. Sometimes doing well means you 303 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:38,760 got to walk through the deep waters. 304 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:42,000 You might not like it. It might be a little bit scary, 305 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:44,080 but guess what? He said he'd be with you. 306 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:47,520 That reminds me. Turn over to to Isaiah chapter 307 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:49,840 43. We're going to read that. 308 00:19:50,360 --> 00:19:53,000 I told you I didn't know where I was going, but I'm working my 309 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:57,240 way through this. OK, so Isaiah chapter 43, let me 310 00:19:57,240 --> 00:20:08,120 pull it up real quick. Oh, come on. 311 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:27,480 It says, But now thus says the Lord who created you, oh, Jacob, 312 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:30,960 and he who formed you, oh, Israel, and you said, well, 313 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:33,520 that's the Jacob and Israel. But guess what? 314 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:38,240 He's not a respecter of persons. If you were grafted in, you're 315 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:39,960 his child too. We just read about that. 316 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:42,440 Anybody who believes because has the right to become his child, 317 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:46,760 right, OK, He's not going to withhold something good from his 318 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:48,920 child. And this statement will apply to 319 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:50,760 you just as much as it applies to that. 320 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:54,640 And it says fear not. I should say not that it says, 321 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:58,120 but he says fear not, for I have redeemed you. 322 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:02,840 I have called you by your name, and you are mine. 323 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:07,280 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and 324 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:11,000 through the rivers they shall not overflow you, and through 325 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:12,720 the rivers they should not overflow you. 326 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:16,960 And when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, 327 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:21,760 nor shall the flames scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the 328 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:29,520 Holy One of Israel, your Savior. He didn't say, I'll keep you out 329 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:32,480 of the fire. Hey, look at the children of it. 330 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:34,920 You know, the Hebrew children, those young men, Shadrach, 331 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:38,360 Meshach and Abednego, they had to go in the fire. 332 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:41,440 But they said, you know, do whatever you want. 333 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:43,040 I'm going to serve the Lord anyway. 334 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:47,200 I'm not going to give up just because it doesn't look good. 335 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:50,720 All right? And when they were in the fire, 336 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:54,320 there was a fourth man in there with them, right again. 337 00:21:54,920 --> 00:22:00,120 He's not going to abandon you. He's going to be with you when 338 00:22:00,120 --> 00:22:02,440 you go through the fire in the high waters. 339 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:06,120 And you can say praise God about that or woohoo or however you 340 00:22:06,120 --> 00:22:08,520 want to do it, but that's something you should be excited 341 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:10,640 about. But see, a lot of times we've 342 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:13,240 heard that and we've heard that and we just kind of got used to 343 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:15,360 it. Don't get used to it. 344 00:22:16,120 --> 00:22:19,280 Get excited about it. Keep telling yourself it doesn't 345 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:22,280 matter what my eyes see. It matters what the word of God 346 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:24,600 says because he's the faithful and true one. 347 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:27,040 And He says that He's going through this with me. 348 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:30,760 So if I go through it, I don't necessarily personally want to, 349 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:32,560 but hey, I want to be close to him. 350 00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:35,400 And he said he's not going to leave me. 351 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:39,160 You know, that's what he said to to the children of Israel 352 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:45,200 started with Moses and and Joshua and all the children of 353 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:47,240 Israel. And by the time you get over 354 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:48,800 into the New Testament, guess what? 355 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:53,000 He says That's you too. I'm not going to leave you nor 356 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,040 forsake you. And that I, I always thought 357 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:56,760 that was strange. Not leave you. 358 00:22:56,760 --> 00:22:58,480 I get that. Not forsake you. 359 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:00,320 Isn't that the same thing? A little redundant there? 360 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:04,880 God, no, it's not. What if you look into the word a 361 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:06,920 little bit more and figure out what he's saying? 362 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:09,320 He's saying I'm not going to abandon you or leave you. 363 00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:11,680 And I will never fail you either. 364 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:15,920 That's what he's saying. And you can't get excited about 365 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:17,520 that whenever you're facing problems. 366 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:20,040 I don't know what you, you're dead or something. 367 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:22,080 You know, that's some good stuff. 368 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:30,040 Now, his in his coming that we've already read about and 369 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:33,320 talked about, he was motivated by a single factor. 370 00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:36,560 I said that you might know his presence. 371 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:42,720 You might enter that presence and remain there and he loved 372 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:48,600 you so much that it's like a a shepherd who left the 99 for the 373 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:53,320 one you remember that story. Christ being fully God when he 374 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:57,480 took upon himself flesh the form of man. 375 00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:01,760 He left all else behind. In Philippians chapter 2, 376 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:07,720 reading first six and following Philippians 26 and following 377 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:14,320 says though he was God, he did not think of equality with God 378 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:17,680 like the Father as something to hold on to. 379 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:22,000 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges. 380 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:27,640 He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human 381 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:30,080 being. And when he appeared in human 382 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:33,760 form, he humbled himself in obedience to God, and died a 383 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:43,000 criminal's death on a cross. Therefore God elevated him to 384 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:47,040 the place of highest honor, and gave him the name above all 385 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:51,600 other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and 386 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:54,920 in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and every 387 00:24:54,920 --> 00:25:00,920 tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the 388 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:08,560 Father. Now he could have sat back there 389 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:14,120 and said, well, you know, I'd like to rescue some of those 390 00:25:14,120 --> 00:25:19,520 perishing folks, Father, But you know, I don't want, do I have to 391 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:21,560 get up now and go down there and do that? 392 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:26,120 Can't I just sit back here on my throne and just say the word? 393 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:31,360 Can't we just do it that way? I mean, after all, what's the 394 00:25:31,360 --> 00:25:33,880 difference? You know, I don't have to go 395 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:36,120 down there right now. I don't have to go to church on 396 00:25:36,120 --> 00:25:38,960 Sunday. Why should I have to do that? 397 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:46,360 I'm just saying sometimes the ridiculous statements that I 398 00:25:46,360 --> 00:25:53,120 made about Jesus at the Father's side on a throne in heaven, that 399 00:25:53,120 --> 00:25:57,040 he wouldn't want to come down and save us and go through what 400 00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:01,680 he went through. He could have made-up some 401 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:05,000 excuses about why that didn't seem like a good thing. 402 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:10,520 He could have said, well, not today, Father, how often do we 403 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:17,320 give these stupid excuses? See, His coming down was to 404 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:21,280 bring His presence, ushering in His presence, right? 405 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:24,040 That had been separated. There was a division and He's 406 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:30,560 bringing His presence in so that mankind can know the presence of 407 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:35,560 God once again. And He didn't give excuses. 408 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:39,920 But we do. Well, I don't feel like it 409 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:42,520 tonight. The weather's just terrible. 410 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:44,480 Can't we just go Sunday? That's good enough. 411 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:46,800 Hey, I've read the. I know that story. 412 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:48,560 I've read. If so and so is going to be 413 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:51,000 talking that night anyway. We don't need to go. 414 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:55,760 Yeah, you do. If He's willing to come down as 415 00:26:55,760 --> 00:27:01,760 he did and and go through what he went through to have His 416 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:09,000 presence with you and available to all, who are we that we 417 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:18,960 should say we are not denied? He stepped down into the world 418 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:24,520 to be with you for eternity. In Hebrews chapter 4 verse 15, 419 00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:28,880 it says that he was tempted in every way, just as we are, yet 420 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,880 without sin. He hadn't sinned before He came 421 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:34,360 down here because He's a holy God. 422 00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:37,680 He didn't sin when he was confronted with things that 423 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:41,000 would tempt him and challenge him, just as we are, because 424 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:43,640 he's a holy God and he was without sin. 425 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:47,440 So that's the big difference there, is that we've all sinned, 426 00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:55,560 but he didn't. And Paul said that, you know, 427 00:27:56,440 --> 00:28:04,120 the punishment for the penalty for sin was death, but if we 428 00:28:04,120 --> 00:28:09,200 were to die to take that punishment for our sin, we'd be 429 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:11,360 eternally separated from God because we're not the 430 00:28:11,360 --> 00:28:14,040 resurrection in the life they see. 431 00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:16,880 If he was to die, who can keep God down? 432 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:19,320 He's the resurrection in the life. 433 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:24,080 He's not the death. He just died in the form of man 434 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:27,720 so that we wouldn't have to go through that death, because He 435 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:32,480 knew I can come back and He knew that we couldn't, right? 436 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:37,400 And so thank God, He was willing to take upon himself the sins of 437 00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:41,680 the whole world, your sins, my sins, everybody's sins, for 438 00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:45,240 generation after generation. He took it all. 439 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:49,800 Why? So that you could know His 440 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:52,440 presence. Because if you have sin, you 441 00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:54,920 can't enter into the presence of a holy God. 442 00:28:55,160 --> 00:28:58,200 God's not going to let sinful things come into his presence 443 00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:02,520 and pollute. So the only way that you can 444 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:08,640 actually get into the presence of God at this point is to 445 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:15,440 accept Jesus Christ, to let him receive the free gift, right? 446 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:17,600 It's what Paul called it, a free gift. 447 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:20,120 Receive the free gift of salvation. 448 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:26,920 He purchased it, he paid for it, and he's giving it to you for 449 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:30,880 free, and all you got to do is accept it. 450 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:33,640 But once you accept that, everything changed. 451 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:36,360 You just can't just say, Oh yeah, thank you very much for 452 00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:38,400 that gift. I'm going to set it right over 453 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:41,720 here in the closet someplace, shut it up, and I'm never going 454 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:44,480 to do anything with it again. Well, that's stupid. 455 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:51,800 I mean, there is an obligation for us who believe, who call 456 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:55,080 upon the name of the Lord and repent and turn from what we 457 00:29:55,080 --> 00:30:01,440 were doing to to not go back and keep on doing it and put put God 458 00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:06,080 in the closet somewhere. We're supposed to be drawing 459 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:09,480 close to him. James chapter 4 verses 7 and 8 460 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:13,000 says that real clearly says draw near to the Lord and he'll draw 461 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:16,960 near to you see, because he knows how people are and he 462 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:18,760 knows what he's already done. OK. 463 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:23,960 My desire was to be in the have them in my presence so that we 464 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:29,240 could commune and fellowship and I could enjoy being with my my 465 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:32,720 people, right And they can enjoy being with me. 466 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:35,800 But they messed that up with that sin thing. 467 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:40,240 But they never worry because I already knew they would right. 468 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:45,440 And before the foundation of the world, it says in Revelation 13 469 00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:49,440 verse 8 that the lamb slam before the foundation of the 470 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:52,920 world. Why was he the lamb slam before 471 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:56,440 the what Jesus already knew that he was going to be the 472 00:30:56,440 --> 00:31:00,040 sacrificial lamb that was slain on our behalf because of our 473 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:02,040 sins. And and he had a plan. 474 00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:04,800 He's got a plan. He's got a plan that you don't 475 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:07,240 even know of. Sometimes you you aren't around 476 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:08,840 to when he came up with that plan. 477 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:10,760 Guess what? There's sometimes right now you 478 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:11,840 might be going through something. 479 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:14,680 You don't know what, you don't understand why it has to be the 480 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:15,880 way it is. And guess what? 481 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:18,960 He's still got a plan. I remember years ago coming in 482 00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:23,520 here and hearing Lance talk about, you know, Abraham taking 483 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:27,600 Isik up the mountainside, right? And he said, guess what? 484 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:31,080 They didn't understand everything. 485 00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:34,440 And it was probably a rough walk going up that hill because what? 486 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:37,280 God already had a plan in action and there was a ram on the other 487 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:39,200 side already being sent up, right? 488 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:43,240 That wasn't just for Isaac and Abraham. 489 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:47,520 That's for you, too. He hasn't forgotten about you. 490 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:51,520 He still wants you to be in his presence. 491 00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:59,160 He still wants that fellowship with you now talking about Jesus 492 00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:04,920 coming and his presence being shared again or renewed. 493 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:10,920 You know, we hear these days, especially this time of year 494 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:14,320 anyway, we hear songs like Joy to the World, right? 495 00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:19,880 Well, you got some reason to be joyful, OK, If you accept the 496 00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:23,040 free gift that he was offering you, because then you got 497 00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:27,760 restored relationship, then you have the ability to enter into 498 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:29,880 the presence of God. You know he didn't say that 499 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:33,320 every man that was ever created is sitting at the right hand of 500 00:32:33,320 --> 00:32:36,880 the Father, seated in the heavenlies with Jesus. 501 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:40,120 What he said was that you are as a believer. 502 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:43,360 But sometimes our vision doesn't look up too well. 503 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:45,640 We just look around to everything we're going through. 504 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:49,040 We can't figure out why it's got when we're having these problems 505 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:52,400 down here on earth, when we got to realize, hey, that's not the 506 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:55,080 whole story. That's not the whole picture. 507 00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:58,400 The whole picture, if I look at it right, is I'm seated in the 508 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:01,800 heavenlies by the Father. I'm up there with Christ right 509 00:33:01,800 --> 00:33:04,560 now. We are one, just as he said in 510 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:07,960 John 17, whenever he gave the great priestly prayer, I'm 511 00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:10,280 preaching and I told you I wouldn't, but anyway, I can't 512 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:13,320 help it. So when in John 17, what did he 513 00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:15,200 say? He he's praying, if you remember 514 00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:16,920 right. And he said my prayer is that 515 00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:20,360 that just as you and I are one and I'm in you and your and me, 516 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:23,400 that they would also be in me and me and you and we would all 517 00:33:23,400 --> 00:33:27,880 be in OK. But we kind of just let that go 518 00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:31,240 to the subway side. And we forget that we have that 519 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:35,120 that favor. We forget that we're his child 520 00:33:35,120 --> 00:33:37,200 and that he's with us and promise never to leave us or 521 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:39,120 forsake us. We look at the problem and we 522 00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:42,000 go, well, I guess God left me. No, he didn't. 523 00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:48,720 That was the whole point from Genesis to where I've already 524 00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:53,560 come is that that he wants you to be in his presence and him 525 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:58,920 being your presence, he's not leaving you, not on your life. 526 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:04,920 He's not leaving you. But whenever he came and we sing 527 00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:07,920 these songs about his coming and hark the herald angels scene and 528 00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:12,520 no, well, no, well, no. Well, write that one. 529 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:16,480 And, and you know, when I was a kid, I thought, well, that meant 530 00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:19,679 they're missing their L somewhere, you know, I don't get 531 00:34:19,679 --> 00:34:22,440 it, you know, but you know what that really means. 532 00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:24,840 It actually comes from the French. 533 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:28,480 I think it's Old French around 11 or 12th century. 534 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:33,400 And they got it from the Latin, OK, from it came out of Rome, 535 00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:37,280 you know, the Roman Empire and Latin in around the 4th or 5th 536 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:43,560 century AD. And the Latin form of this word 537 00:34:44,080 --> 00:34:48,320 is where we have today, some modern English words that come 538 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:55,120 right out of the Latin form such as Natal, like prenatal, post 539 00:34:55,120 --> 00:34:58,040 Natal, right? What is Natal? 540 00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:01,080 It's pre birth and it's post birth. 541 00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:03,560 OK. And then you have words like 542 00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:08,000 nation where we are all born from the same place, OK, or 543 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:11,800 nativity and nativity is a Christmas word that we think of. 544 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:15,000 Well, it's a little scene. Well, no, it's talking about the 545 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:22,240 activity nativity, right of birth because the nay part is is 546 00:35:22,240 --> 00:35:25,520 the birth. So it's a compound, I don't 547 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:28,280 know, it's not a compound word, but it's it's, it's a word 548 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:31,640 that's derived from both of those we can put together. 549 00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:38,440 And and then you've got Noel and it's comes from the same spot. 550 00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:42,920 And it means birth LEL means God. 551 00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:47,960 So if you go to Bethel, you'll find that in the scripture too, 552 00:35:48,200 --> 00:35:51,800 right? And it's the house, Beth is 553 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:56,080 house, L is God. So it's the House of God, good 554 00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:58,280 place to be. OK. 555 00:35:58,720 --> 00:36:03,320 And if you look at the word Noel, the no comes from the 556 00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:05,600 birth part. And L is God. 557 00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:10,000 So it's the birth of God. So whenever the angels and they 558 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:17,040 were singing and we we talk about this, this Noel, what are 559 00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:20,800 we saying? We're saying birth, the birth of 560 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:25,080 God, not that he was never in existence beforehand, and now he 561 00:36:25,080 --> 00:36:29,840 is, but he was born as a man that he might bring his presence 562 00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:34,520 into a sinful world, that we might forever be able to enjoy 563 00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:37,160 his presence if we'll just accept the free gift that he 564 00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:38,560 gave us. All right. 565 00:36:38,920 --> 00:36:41,120 Praise God. Yeah. 566 00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:46,520 So that first verse of, you know, Noel, kind of reminds you 567 00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:51,160 of, oh gosh, I need to hurry up, Luke chapter 2. 568 00:36:51,640 --> 00:36:54,160 OK, let's jump over to Luke chapter 2 because I know you 569 00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:57,480 didn't think John chapter 1 was very Christmassy, OK? 570 00:36:57,840 --> 00:37:01,320 And we are kind of talking about God's birth or the birth of 571 00:37:01,320 --> 00:37:04,240 Christ. We're talking about him wanting 572 00:37:04,240 --> 00:37:09,600 and desiring a relationship with us, a personal presence. 573 00:37:12,240 --> 00:37:15,080 And then Luke chapter 2. I'm going to do verse 8 through 574 00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:18,920 14 at this point, See where we get. 575 00:37:19,240 --> 00:37:22,520 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in 576 00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:25,720 the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 577 00:37:26,360 --> 00:37:29,960 And behold, an Angel of the Lord stood behold before them, and 578 00:37:29,960 --> 00:37:32,720 the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were 579 00:37:32,720 --> 00:37:35,680 greatly afraid. And then the Angel said to them, 580 00:37:35,680 --> 00:37:41,440 do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great 581 00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:47,280 joy, which will beat all people. For there is born to you this 582 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:51,800 day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord, 583 00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:54,560 and this will be the sign to you. 584 00:37:55,280 --> 00:37:59,880 You'll find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a 585 00:37:59,880 --> 00:38:04,400 Manger. And suddenly there was with the 586 00:38:04,400 --> 00:38:07,960 Angel, a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and 587 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:13,400 saying, God, I mean, glory to God in the highest and on earth, 588 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:20,600 peace, goodwill toward men. Now this is the record of 589 00:38:20,600 --> 00:38:25,960 fulfillment of a promise that was made before the foundation 590 00:38:25,960 --> 00:38:32,840 of the earth. See, he had a plan and we're now 591 00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:40,240 seeing it being fulfilled. Thank God that, you know, I I 592 00:38:40,240 --> 00:38:42,200 don't know about you, but I've had some plans. 593 00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:46,800 Well, it never happened. I had, boy, I had some plans. 594 00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:49,440 I had it all figured out. Didn't work. 595 00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:55,000 God's not that way. So he's not limited by time to 596 00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:58,040 mention he's in the past, he's in the present, and he's in the 597 00:38:58,040 --> 00:39:00,560 future all at once. And there's not a single thing 598 00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:02,600 that he doesn't see or know, right? 599 00:39:03,960 --> 00:39:09,880 Yeah. So if he's got a plan, you can 600 00:39:09,880 --> 00:39:14,440 rest assured it's going to work. Just trust him, draw close to 601 00:39:14,440 --> 00:39:17,280 him and say, where are we? Where do we step today? 602 00:39:17,280 --> 00:39:19,760 Lord, I'm stepping along with you, right? 603 00:39:20,080 --> 00:39:24,680 And stay right there by His side, having accepted that free 604 00:39:24,680 --> 00:39:30,600 gift from this one who is willing to humble himself and 605 00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:35,680 step down from his throne in heaven, become a little baby 606 00:39:35,680 --> 00:39:38,160 that couldn't take care of himself, just so that he could 607 00:39:38,160 --> 00:39:45,720 become a man that would not sin and could take our sin to the 608 00:39:45,720 --> 00:39:49,800 cross. Thank God, What a plan. 609 00:39:50,120 --> 00:39:54,720 That's a great one. He's the only wise and eternal 610 00:39:54,720 --> 00:40:02,320 King who would He had taken upon himself, the former man, for 611 00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:06,000 those who would receive him, for those who would want to be in 612 00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:10,320 his presence. He wasn't placed on a wooden 613 00:40:10,320 --> 00:40:12,280 Manger. That's not. 614 00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:16,160 I mean, maybe it was, I don't know, but it wasn't the reason 615 00:40:16,160 --> 00:40:19,160 he came down. If he was, the reason he came 616 00:40:19,160 --> 00:40:24,120 down was so that he could be placed on a wooden cross so that 617 00:40:24,120 --> 00:40:29,880 he could purchase our salvation and our eternal presence with 618 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:31,800 him, right? Being eternally present with the 619 00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:36,280 Lord. Look at the 1st 7 verses of that 620 00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:38,760 same chapter. And it says, and it came to pass 621 00:40:38,920 --> 00:40:43,640 in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that 622 00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:45,360 all the world should be registered. 623 00:40:45,600 --> 00:40:50,000 This census first took place while Carinius was governing 624 00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:54,480 Syria. So all went, how many went? 625 00:40:54,880 --> 00:40:58,400 All went to be registered. Everyone to his own city. 626 00:40:58,600 --> 00:41:01,200 It's important you remember everybody's going OK. 627 00:41:01,400 --> 00:41:06,280 Joseph also went up from the from Galilee out of the city of 628 00:41:06,280 --> 00:41:10,080 Nazareth into Judea to the city of David, which is called 629 00:41:10,080 --> 00:41:16,160 Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David to be 630 00:41:16,160 --> 00:41:21,360 registered with Mary his betrothed wife, who was with 631 00:41:21,360 --> 00:41:24,320 child. So it was that while they were 632 00:41:24,320 --> 00:41:28,520 there, the days were completed for her to be delivered and she 633 00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:32,640 brought forth her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling 634 00:41:32,640 --> 00:41:37,640 clothes and laid him in a Manger because there was no room for 635 00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:43,560 him them in the end. So get this picture because it's 636 00:41:43,560 --> 00:41:47,480 it's an important one. You got God Almighty on the 637 00:41:47,480 --> 00:41:51,600 throne in heaven. Always was always will be can do 638 00:41:51,600 --> 00:41:54,240 anything right. What's he choose to do, take off 639 00:41:54,240 --> 00:41:58,680 his royalty, take off his crown, take off his purple robes or 640 00:41:58,680 --> 00:42:10,440 whatever they were and and come down as a baby to be rejected by 641 00:42:10,440 --> 00:42:16,480 most of the world. Now we sing this song, Silent 642 00:42:16,480 --> 00:42:17,640 Night. Holy. 643 00:42:18,720 --> 00:42:22,440 It was a holy night. It wasn't too silent because 644 00:42:22,680 --> 00:42:25,920 what was going on? Everybody had to go and 645 00:42:25,920 --> 00:42:27,800 register. That's why they couldn't even 646 00:42:27,800 --> 00:42:30,600 get in the end. I mean, it was a buzz. 647 00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:37,720 The town was full of people, but only a few actually entered into 648 00:42:37,720 --> 00:42:44,200 the presence of God where the baby Jesus was, and today's not 649 00:42:44,200 --> 00:42:50,040 that much different. I'm sure there were people there 650 00:42:50,040 --> 00:42:54,520 at that time that they knew Scripture prophesied of the 651 00:42:54,520 --> 00:43:02,160 coming Messiah, the Anointed One, which we call Christ, but 652 00:43:02,160 --> 00:43:11,400 they were busy. There were only a handful that 653 00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:20,440 even bothered to try and come. And I'm thinking we can get too 654 00:43:20,440 --> 00:43:25,920 busy and we can be one of those that hey, I was in the city 655 00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:27,320 where he was born. So what? 656 00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:31,320 You weren't in his presence? You weren't searching after him 657 00:43:31,320 --> 00:43:35,920 or seeking for him, but he said, hey, if you knock, it'll be 658 00:43:35,920 --> 00:43:39,200 opened unto you. You know, there's got to be some 659 00:43:39,200 --> 00:43:42,720 seeking on our part. You know, I've heard so many 660 00:43:42,720 --> 00:43:45,240 people say, hey, well, he knows where I'm at. 661 00:43:45,880 --> 00:43:47,360 Of course he knows where you're at. 662 00:43:47,480 --> 00:43:51,040 But he said that you draw near to me and I will draw near to 663 00:43:51,040 --> 00:43:53,240 you. He said that you need to knock, 664 00:43:53,240 --> 00:43:56,480 you need to seek, you need to ask, and it will be given unto 665 00:43:56,480 --> 00:44:00,320 you, right? I mean, there is an expectation 666 00:44:01,560 --> 00:44:06,080 based on the fact that he's already laid it all out, that 667 00:44:06,080 --> 00:44:09,360 we're supposed to be stepping forward to receive the things 668 00:44:09,360 --> 00:44:13,920 that he's got for us. He didn't just force salvation 669 00:44:13,920 --> 00:44:17,840 on everybody. He looked according to Peter. 670 00:44:17,840 --> 00:44:25,640 He said that, you know, God has a desire that all would be saved 671 00:44:25,640 --> 00:44:30,720 and none would perish and God can do anything. 672 00:44:31,440 --> 00:44:35,480 Why didn't you save everybody? Doesn't work that way. 673 00:44:35,800 --> 00:44:39,040 There's an expectation that you're going to receive the gift 674 00:44:39,040 --> 00:44:43,640 that he's set out before you, that you're going to see Kim and 675 00:44:43,640 --> 00:44:48,160 draw close to him. And then the good thing happens, 676 00:44:48,160 --> 00:44:49,480 right? Because he had already. 677 00:44:49,480 --> 00:44:52,240 I mean, he and I say that kind of tongue in cheek in a sense 678 00:44:52,240 --> 00:45:00,800 because in first John chapter 2 verse 2, it says that his dying 679 00:45:00,800 --> 00:45:03,120 on the cross was atonement for our sin. 680 00:45:03,280 --> 00:45:06,800 It's the the payment that I was talking about that that we 681 00:45:06,800 --> 00:45:08,960 couldn't pay and he did and it's a free gift. 682 00:45:09,240 --> 00:45:12,640 But it says that it wasn't just for us, us believers. 683 00:45:12,760 --> 00:45:15,920 It's for the whole world. He died and extended the gift 684 00:45:16,040 --> 00:45:21,480 for the whole world and not all the world. 685 00:45:21,480 --> 00:45:23,320 In fact, most of the world won't receive it. 686 00:45:25,000 --> 00:45:28,960 And then the ones who say that they do, sometimes we do and we 687 00:45:28,960 --> 00:45:33,120 mean it. But then there's times we set it 688 00:45:33,120 --> 00:45:35,320 on the back shelf over there and we're busy. 689 00:45:38,520 --> 00:45:45,320 I'm going to tell you what the Lord's calling his church, the 690 00:45:45,320 --> 00:45:54,120 Lord's calling y'all, and me to draw closer to him, to stay 691 00:45:54,120 --> 00:45:57,760 right up next to him in the shadow, in that secret spot, 692 00:46:00,040 --> 00:46:03,840 that shelter spot. Because there's coming a day 693 00:46:03,840 --> 00:46:09,600 very soon, it's already at hand that that people will seek him 694 00:46:09,600 --> 00:46:11,120 and they will not be able to find him. 695 00:46:11,840 --> 00:46:14,960 See, there's windows of opportunity and the window is 696 00:46:14,960 --> 00:46:22,480 shutting. And we can say, yes, I believe 697 00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:27,600 that, but if we really believed it, we would do a little bit 698 00:46:27,600 --> 00:46:32,240 better job about pushing in to His presence and about drawing 699 00:46:32,240 --> 00:46:37,600 others into that same spot because His loves in US and He 700 00:46:37,600 --> 00:46:54,620 loves the whole world. It may be a little bit 701 00:46:54,620 --> 00:46:56,940 redundant, but I feel like I have to read this because 702 00:46:56,940 --> 00:47:02,080 whenever I was thinking about what I was supposed to say to 703 00:47:02,080 --> 00:47:07,440 you, the Lord gave me a word for you. 704 00:47:12,800 --> 00:47:15,600 I want to make sure I say it right, that I don't leave 705 00:47:15,600 --> 00:47:17,600 something out and I'd written it down. 706 00:47:18,800 --> 00:47:21,920 So just shut your eyes for a second so you're not distracted 707 00:47:21,920 --> 00:47:23,960 from something else. Kind of like if you're praying. 708 00:47:30,080 --> 00:47:38,840 And the Lord said, draw close, don't simply make time for me, 709 00:47:39,800 --> 00:47:44,120 but let me fill your days and your nights, let me walk with 710 00:47:44,120 --> 00:47:50,000 you and share it with you. For the day indeed is coming, 711 00:47:51,960 --> 00:47:57,240 and there it's near at hand that men will seek me, cannot find 712 00:47:57,240 --> 00:48:02,080 me. For as it was in the days of 713 00:48:02,080 --> 00:48:05,720 Noah, when people were too busy to listen, too busy to take 714 00:48:05,720 --> 00:48:10,120 time, too busy to turn from their daily routines, that the 715 00:48:10,120 --> 00:48:14,320 door was closed and only a few were protected from the coming 716 00:48:14,320 --> 00:48:21,680 storm. Surrendered to me today all that 717 00:48:21,680 --> 00:48:28,000 is rightfully mine. Surrender it to me all that is 718 00:48:28,000 --> 00:48:29,480 rightfully mine. You. 719 00:48:30,720 --> 00:48:34,440 You are mine, for I have purchased you with a price, and 720 00:48:34,440 --> 00:48:37,120 you are mine. Surrender yourself to me this 721 00:48:37,120 --> 00:48:40,640 day and draw close. Do not allow yourself to become 722 00:48:40,640 --> 00:48:43,720 captive like those who were taken to Babylon. 723 00:49:02,080 --> 00:49:07,200 He is not the Jesus. His desire is to be with you and 724 00:49:07,200 --> 00:49:11,080 walk with you and talk with you. And yet so often it's his 725 00:49:11,080 --> 00:49:13,960 children. We just ignore him. 726 00:49:13,960 --> 00:49:16,040 Oh, we know he's there. I'll talk to him again on 727 00:49:16,040 --> 00:49:18,360 Sunday. He doesn't want that. 728 00:49:19,800 --> 00:49:23,800 He wants you to be with him daily, seeking his face, drawing 729 00:49:23,800 --> 00:49:28,640 close to him and walking with him daily that he might, that 730 00:49:28,640 --> 00:49:32,560 you might not allow the, the, the deep waters and the fires to 731 00:49:32,560 --> 00:49:35,280 triple you because you know that he's with you. 732 00:49:38,640 --> 00:49:41,160 And I know I'm probably preaching to the choir. 733 00:49:42,120 --> 00:49:44,680 Sometimes the choir needs to hear somebody else sing a little 734 00:49:44,680 --> 00:49:48,880 bit too, I guess. But I can't help. 735 00:49:48,880 --> 00:49:50,680 But I got to give you what the Lord gives me. 736 00:49:52,600 --> 00:49:56,040 So I love you. And if there's anybody that 737 00:49:56,040 --> 00:49:59,960 needs special prayer, you can come down here and pray with me. 738 00:49:59,960 --> 00:50:02,040 I'll be glad to pray with you, and I'm sure there are others 739 00:50:02,040 --> 00:50:04,320 too. Thanks for listening to the 740 00:50:04,320 --> 00:50:07,640 Cross Powered Church podcast. May you know that true hope, 741 00:50:07,760 --> 00:50:10,680 peace, and salvation can only be found in Jesus. 742 00:50:11,200 --> 00:50:14,880 If you're near Campbell, TX, we would love for you to join us in 743 00:50:14,880 --> 00:50:17,360 person. You can find service times at 744 00:50:17,360 --> 00:50:18,960 crosspoweredchurch.com.