1 00:00:01,760 --> 00:00:04,080 Welcome to the Island's Christian Church podcast. 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:06,760 Subscribe to hear a new episode every week. 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:16,440 Thanks for joining us. Circumstances and you're going 4 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:18,960 to find that to be true in your life as well if you live long 5 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:21,240 enough. It's not the easy seasons of 6 00:00:21,240 --> 00:00:23,880 your life that you come out with the most experience and the most 7 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:25,560 knowledge. It's the difficult seasons of 8 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:28,000 your life. And in one particular difficult 9 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:31,280 season of my life, when I was very young, about 23 years old, 10 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:33,920 I had a dear friend of mine, actually the guy who preached 11 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:35,880 here last Sunday. And I think about this all the 12 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:38,480 time because he's 10 years old. John is 10 years older than me. 13 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:40,360 John Crosby preached for me last week. 14 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:44,360 He and I were, I was walking through a very difficult season 15 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:46,480 at 23. He was 33. 16 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,480 And I look back on that and think, I thought he was so old 17 00:00:49,480 --> 00:00:51,360 and wise and he was a stupid kid. 18 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:54,560 All right. And this is what's so 19 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:57,880 interesting about that is he said something to me when I was 20 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:00,440 walking through that difficult season that has stuck on me the 21 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:02,960 rest of my life. I'm going to share this with 22 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:06,480 you, he said, Stephen, it's not your circumstances that 23 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:09,600 determine who you become. It's how you respond to those 24 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:12,240 circumstances that will determine who you've become. 25 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:16,120 So that and that truth has been something I've used over and 26 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:18,000 over and over again in my life when I've come up against 27 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:20,800 difficult circumstances and you will come up against difficult 28 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,560 circumstances, difficult seasons of life where you will have to 29 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,480 pause and say, what are these circumstances going to do to me 30 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:28,000 right now? Are they going to make me 31 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:29,840 better? Are they going to make me angry? 32 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:32,200 Are they going to make me run away or are they going to make 33 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:33,840 me better? Are they going to make me a 34 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,160 different type of person? A person who trusts God, a 35 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:39,680 person who leans in, a person who relies on God to help him or 36 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:41,840 her. So it's not your circumstances 37 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:45,000 that determine who you become. It's how you respond to those 38 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:47,240 circumstances that determine who you become. 39 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:52,400 Now, Christmas, the season of Christmas, which it's great and 40 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:54,840 we love it, but here's something about Christmas that we all need 41 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,400 to be honest about. Christmas has a way of 42 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:00,680 intensifying circumstances that you are living in. 43 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:04,160 Christmas has a way of intensifying circumstances that 44 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:07,080 you are living in. So let me explain what I mean. 45 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,880 If life is going well for you right now, Christmas amplifies 46 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:13,920 that joy, right? If things are going well for 47 00:02:13,920 --> 00:02:15,280 you, then Christmas kind of goes, man. 48 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,240 Look, it's been going great for a few months and look at 49 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:20,040 Christmas now. It makes it even better because 50 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,840 like, you have Christmas to amplify how good life's been 51 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,400 going. But if life is hard for you 52 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,320 right now, if things are not going good for you, Christmas 53 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:31,760 has a way of amplifying that pain for you as well. 54 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:35,760 Christmas has a way of saying you see how terrible your life 55 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,040 is. Everyone around you is so happy 56 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:40,880 and you are so miserable. At Christmas time. 57 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:45,240 Our unfavorable circumstances seem to be highlighted or 58 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:47,240 presented to us in high definition. 59 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:50,040 They seem to be they seem to be enunciated. 60 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:54,360 I remember around 5 after five years of marriage, Mary and I 61 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:56,040 Mary and I've been married about five years. 62 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:58,040 And we decided, hey, let's, let's have kids. 63 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:01,760 And you know, golly, this seems like a whole lifetime ago. 64 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,240 But she wasn't even sure she wanted children. 65 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:06,560 Sorry, guys, I know that's hard news to hear. 66 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:08,880 I always, always wanted children. 67 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:11,560 She wasn't so sure. We're still debating on who was 68 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:15,440 right on this, but anyway, but we just say, hey, let's have 69 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:16,920 kids. We're at Year 5. 70 00:03:16,920 --> 00:03:22,040 We've been married, we're 26. And so we start, you know, we're 71 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:25,080 going to have kids. And then it doesn't come easy 72 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:28,680 for us. We have multiple miscarriages. 73 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:33,400 We walk through some really dark pain of not being able to 74 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:36,560 conceive and then conceiving and having miscarriage. 75 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,000 And it's just, it was really tough, man. 76 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,760 It was really, I don't want to turn the whole sermon into that 77 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:47,040 testimony, but it was a really tough season for our lives and 78 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:49,160 God use them for good. And she'll be the first to tell 79 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:52,520 you that honestly, that's what made us the marriage we are 80 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:56,680 today was walking through those years of infertility was we 81 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:58,920 learned how to trust each other and rely on each other and 82 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,440 really believe that we had each other's back. 83 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:07,160 And I remember at Christmas time, during those years of 84 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:12,120 infertility, Christmas time would accentuate that pain so 85 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,560 much more because I have, I have four siblings. 86 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:19,640 I'm one of five and my oldest sister, she's 10 years. 87 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:24,280 One of my older sisters had a child when she was in her early 88 00:04:24,280 --> 00:04:28,760 20s and and then another child, she's 10 years older than me. 89 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:31,280 And so then those grandbabies are there at these Christmas 90 00:04:31,280 --> 00:04:33,160 parties. And my brother had a couple kids 91 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,560 and those grandbabies are there. And so we'd go to these family 92 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:37,560 Christmas parties and all these little children be running 93 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:39,320 around. And I should have children by 94 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:42,440 now, but I didn't. And so I would bring gifts for 95 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:44,720 the nephews and nieces and it would be so exciting. 96 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:47,800 And I would always wonder in my head are will my brothers and 97 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:50,880 sisters ever have nephews and nieces that are my children to 98 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:52,440 bring gifts to at Christmas time? 99 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,200 And Christmas would have a way of accentuating the pain of our 100 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:59,360 infertility year after year after year. 101 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:03,400 But here's the thing about Christmas. 102 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,960 If life will, if life will not change, if your circumstances 103 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:13,800 are determined to not change, then your faith has to grow. 104 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:19,200 You have to respond to that pain of circumstance with a growing 105 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,840 faith. That's really the only option, 106 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:26,360 because here's the other option. The only other option is to be 107 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:30,440 angry, to be bitter, to be sad, to look at your circumstances 108 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:35,200 that refuse to change and say I am angry because of this and I 109 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:38,640 will make everybody around me miserable because I'm angry 110 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:41,440 because of this. Have you ever been that person? 111 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:44,560 Have you ever been the victim of that person? 112 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:47,520 See, that's one option. You can look at your 113 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:50,040 circumstances that refuse to change and you can say I will be 114 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:51,520 bitter and I will be angry about this. 115 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:53,480 Or you can look at your circumstances that refuse to 116 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:56,320 change and you can say the answer to this is faith. 117 00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:00,680 So I look back on my season of difficulty of Mary and I walking 118 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:03,400 through infertility and how Christmas would accentuate that 119 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:06,000 pain. And I would pray and I would 120 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,280 talk to God. And sometimes those prayers were 121 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:11,600 anger filled and sometimes those prayers were yelling and 122 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:14,280 sometimes those prayers were weeping, but they were always to 123 00:06:14,280 --> 00:06:18,480 God. In other words, I was always 124 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:22,960 leaning into my faith through the pain of that season. 125 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,200 And that's really the only option you have when 126 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:30,320 circumstances refuse to change. You and I must have our faith 127 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:32,720 grow. And this truth sits at the very 128 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,520 heart of Christmas. Think about the message spoken 129 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:38,360 by the angels to some shepherds. Maybe you know the story. 130 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:40,920 Maybe you haven't read it in the Bible, but you saw Charlie 131 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:46,520 Brown's Christmas, right? And an Angel appeared to the 132 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:48,400 shepherds, right? And they were afraid. 133 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:50,800 And what did the Angel say to the shepherds? 134 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:57,160 The Angel said to the shepherds, do not be afraid, for behold, I 135 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:00,640 bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all the 136 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:05,880 people. Those two words fear not, or do 137 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:10,200 not be afraid. And then the other word, behold. 138 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:17,520 Behold, these are the key to our faith growing, rejecting, fear 139 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:21,320 and beholding, fearing not and beholding. 140 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:24,960 These are the key to your faith growing. 141 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:26,400 This is the key to your faith growing. 142 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,520 You must reject fear and you must behold. 143 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:33,760 So this morning as we start this new teaching series called The 144 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:36,680 Wonder of Christmas, today we're going to talk about something 145 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:39,160 that many of us have lost or we struggle to hold on to or we 146 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:40,480 hold on to it with loose fingers. 147 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:45,240 And that is this, the wonder of faith, the wonder of faith. 148 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:49,240 And this is the type of faith that comes from beholding the 149 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:53,120 gospel freshly again. And Christmas time should force 150 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:56,680 us and push us to behold the gospel freshly again. 151 00:07:57,240 --> 00:07:59,920 So to start our conversation around the wonder of faith, 152 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:02,600 let's read the passage that many of you will recognize, Luke 153 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:06,600 chapter 2, verses 8 through 11. It's famous, it's great, and we 154 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:07,600 ought to read it every Christmas. 155 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:11,160 And then Christmas morning you ought to force your kids to make 156 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:14,520 force your kids or your grandkids, you read it to them 157 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:16,800 before they get over one single gift, all right? 158 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:18,840 They will remember this passage of Scripture the rest of their 159 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:22,280 life if you do that right. Luke chapter 2, verses 8 through 160 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:24,160 11. This is what it says, it says. 161 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,440 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, 162 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:28,400 keeping watch over their flocks at night. 163 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:31,200 An Angel of the Lord appeared to them. 164 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:34,159 Do you guys ever think, oh, it's angels, right, right. 165 00:08:34,159 --> 00:08:36,799 It's like, but at first it's just an Angel of the Lord 166 00:08:36,799 --> 00:08:40,280 appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them. 167 00:08:40,919 --> 00:08:44,039 And they were, everybody say terrified, terrified. 168 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:48,320 But the Angel said to them, do not be afraid. 169 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:51,440 I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the 170 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:53,520 people today in the town of David. 171 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:57,040 A Savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah of the Lord, 172 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:00,480 you and I, We all need our faith to grow. 173 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:03,200 And here's the big idea. So if you're a note taker, I'm 174 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:06,000 going to give you the big idea up front, the thesis of this 175 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:09,160 whole talk so you can know this up top at the top, you ready? 176 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:15,360 Faith grows when we behold the gospel more than we behold our 177 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:17,240 fear. All right, let me say that 178 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:21,040 again. Faith grows when we behold the 179 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:24,280 gospel more than we behold our fear. 180 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:26,320 All right, so you have two options. 181 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:28,520 You can behold your fear, or you can behold the gospel. 182 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:32,920 Your faith will grow the more you behold the gospel as opposed 183 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:35,920 to beholding your fear. And here's the two we're going 184 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:37,920 to, we're going to unpack 2 ideas from this text. 185 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:43,080 Ready #1 Permitting your fear to rule is the problem. 186 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:46,120 Permitting your fear to rule is the problem. 187 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:50,600 And #2 permitting the gospel, perceiving the gospel, I'm 188 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:54,840 sorry, is the solution. So #1 permitting your fear to 189 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:58,600 rule is the problem. And #2 perceiving the gospel is 190 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:00,920 the solution. So first of all, let's just jump 191 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:04,480 into this. Permitting your fear to rule is 192 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:06,360 the problem. Now I know when we read the 193 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:09,400 story of the shepherds, we see them getting terrified. 194 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:11,880 We think to ourselves, well, of course, Steven, they got 195 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:14,360 terrified. If an Angel showed up to you and 196 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:16,400 you were out in the field doing something and an Angel just kind 197 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:19,080 of like came out of nowhere and there was light all around you. 198 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:21,320 I mean, what does that even, like, look like? 199 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:23,000 Wouldn't you be terrified? That's true. 200 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:25,920 But I think when you read it that, you know, on the surface 201 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:27,280 and you think, well, of course they were terrified. 202 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:29,240 It was an Angel. I think you're missing something 203 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:32,400 more important in the text, and I think you're missing why Luke 204 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:35,600 shares with us that the shepherds were terrified. 205 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:39,720 If you think about the Bible, humans are always afraid of the 206 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:41,960 holy or the representative of the holy. 207 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:44,680 Every time an Angel shows up in the world, what happens? 208 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:46,520 The Angel shows up in front of a person. 209 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:49,480 What does the text say? The Angel says what do not what? 210 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:51,360 Be afraid. Why does the Angel say do not be 211 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:53,080 afraid? Because the human that the Angel 212 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:57,200 has appeared to is what afraid. The natural response of humans 213 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:00,400 to anything to holy, to the holy or to the representative of the 214 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:03,600 holy is fear. Think about Isaiah in chapter 6. 215 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:05,120 I know if you're not a Bible person, you're like, I don't 216 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:06,080 know what that is. That's OK. 217 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:09,240 You should go read it sometime In Isaiah chapter 6, what does 218 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:11,920 Isaiah, he finds himself where? In the throne room of God. 219 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:16,320 And what does he say? He says, woe is me for I'm a man 220 00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:18,520 of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips. 221 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:20,880 And what what what's what's happening to him in that moment? 222 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:23,280 He's fearful. He's fearful. 223 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:26,520 When we find ourselves confronted with the holy or the 224 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:29,800 representative of the holy, human beings are fearful. 225 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:31,840 We're afraid. Now, here's the thing. 226 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,120 No Fear is a real deal. Follow me. 227 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:36,240 We're talking about fear right now, OK, and how we give into 228 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:37,720 fear. And some of you live in a 229 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:41,640 constant state of fear. You live in this perpetual state 230 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:46,640 of fear. We actually choose fear. 231 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:53,720 We choose it. Fear is bad for us, but it's 232 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:57,840 natural to us. It's natural to us, it comes 233 00:11:57,840 --> 00:11:59,560 natural to us. We choose fear. 234 00:11:59,680 --> 00:12:02,160 And This is why. Because you and I have thrown 235 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:06,720 off God's rule in our lives and in this world, we've thrown it 236 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:08,320 off. We've said, hey, I don't need 237 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:10,200 God's rule. I don't want God telling me how 238 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:11,640 to live. I don't want a matter of fact, I 239 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:13,080 don't want anybody telling me how to live. 240 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:14,560 I'm my own man, I'm my own woman. 241 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:16,640 I'm in charge, I'm sovereign over me. 242 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:19,800 And we throw off a God's rule. And when you and I choose to 243 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:23,960 throw off God's rule, the only other option is to choose fear 244 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:25,480 that will now dominate your life. 245 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:30,440 We choose fear. OK, Stephen, what do you mean? 246 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:34,680 Think back to Genesis chapter 3. Thinking back to Genesis chapter 247 00:12:34,680 --> 00:12:37,720 3, if you, I know some of you have read Genesis, you know the 248 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:40,160 story. The first humans are in the 249 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:42,680 garden. Satan comes along in the in the 250 00:12:42,680 --> 00:12:45,640 form of a serpent and he lies to the first humans. 251 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:48,920 He lies to Eve. And what is the essence of the 252 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:52,120 lie that he tells? He the essence of the law that 253 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:55,480 he tells to the first humans is based in fear. 254 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:57,560 What is the fear? The fear is this. 255 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:03,480 You have a God doesn't have your best interests at heart. 256 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:07,560 He's holding out on you. He's not telling you the whole 257 00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:10,160 truth. You're being, it's being you're 258 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:12,760 being withheld from. You're not getting the whole 259 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:13,960 story. You're not getting the whole 260 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:15,800 truth. In other words, the law that was 261 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:20,160 told by the serpent to the first humans was based in fear. 262 00:13:20,560 --> 00:13:23,160 You do not have a God you can trust. 263 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:25,200 You do not have a God that's looking out for you. 264 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:27,680 You have a God who's holding out on you. 265 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:31,480 When in fact, the very first humans had a God that loved 266 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:36,680 them, supplied their needs, and was in daily unfettered 267 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:40,600 relationship with them. And what did the first humans 268 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:42,160 do? They did. 269 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:45,000 They did exactly what you and I do most days. 270 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:51,520 They threw off the rule of their Heavenly Father, they threw it 271 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:55,920 off, They threw off the rule of God, and they by doing so became 272 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:58,360 a fearful race. Think about this. 273 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:03,720 After Adam and Eve eat other fruit, the Bible says that God 274 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:06,240 came into the garden and was walking in the garden and the 275 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:07,640 cooler the evening to look for them. 276 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:11,320 And what were they doing? They were hiding. 277 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:17,120 They were hiding. You only hide because you are 278 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:20,680 what? Afraid you are fearful. 279 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:25,720 You see, when humans throw off the rule of God, they take up 280 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:29,040 the cloak of fear. And that's a principle you can 281 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:31,320 in your everyday life. If you throw off the rule of 282 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:33,640 God, you were taking up the cloak of fear. 283 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:35,960 And you think, well Steven, is there an in between? 284 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:38,640 Can I throw off the rule of God and somehow not choose fear? 285 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:40,840 Friend, I'm sorry, but there isn't. 286 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:46,960 Either God becomes your sovereign or fear will dominate 287 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:49,880 your life. That's just the way it is. 288 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:52,640 That's what the Scriptures teach. 289 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:56,840 And at the point that Adam and Eve chose to cloak themselves 290 00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:59,840 with fear and throw off the sovereign rule of God, at that 291 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:03,680 point, a, a detrimental mindset has entered into human beings, 292 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:06,240 which you and I all suffer from to this day. 293 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,080 And this is the detrimental mindset that you and I, you and 294 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:11,640 I all suffer from. You ready? 295 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:16,240 Here's our mindset. You and I think that it's up to 296 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:20,320 us. It's up to me and it's up to 297 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:25,120 you. If I'm going to be safe, I have 298 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:30,320 to make sure that I'm safe. If I'm going to be happy, I have 299 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:34,840 to make sure that I'm happy. Even to this point. 300 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:39,200 If I'm going to be right with God, if I'm going to be saved, 301 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:45,880 then it's up to me to be saved. Now, what is this mindset? 302 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:48,360 What am I talking about? Well, all of a sudden, 303 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:51,960 everything that that we think gives life meaning, joy, 304 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:56,400 happiness, safety, being saved or right with God, you know, 305 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:58,280 getting rid of our guilt, getting rid of our shame, 306 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:00,640 getting rid of our of our embarrassment, our sin. 307 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:03,800 Like everything we think that will give life flourishing and 308 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:06,080 give life hope. Everything we think that we need 309 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:08,160 in order to to be happy fulfilled people. 310 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:17,120 It's up to me to do. And when we think that way, we 311 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:21,400 have a detrimental mindset that will create fear. 312 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:24,120 And there are Christians who think this way. 313 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:27,440 Well, I better be good enough. I better be holy enough. 314 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:29,840 I better go to church enough. I better give enough money away 315 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:32,880 so that God is happy with me. Friend, that is not the gospel 316 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:34,800 of hope drawing you to the heart of God. 317 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:40,440 That is fear based and it's detrimental to us. 318 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:44,000 Let me write. Let me give you this. 319 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:49,640 If you take notes, fear festers when I assume life is up to me. 320 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:54,320 Fear festers when I assume life is up to me. 321 00:16:56,560 --> 00:17:00,960 When life feels like it depends on me, I will always be afraid. 322 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:06,599 Because what I know deep down is I'm not up to the task. 323 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:12,599 And I'll never admit that. I'll tell you I can make it. 324 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:16,800 I'll pull myself up. I'll get through this, I'll be 325 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:24,839 happy one day, but that thinking will lead me to always be 326 00:17:24,839 --> 00:17:29,040 afraid. Now the Angel in Luke 2 327 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:34,520 addresses fear not as something to be managed. 328 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:37,560 Like hey guys, don't be afraid, it's OK, we can talk through 329 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:39,880 your fear. The Angel in Luke 2 actually 330 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:42,280 addresses fear as something to be removed. 331 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:46,040 The Angel treats fear as something more than just an 332 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:48,440 emotional problem or an emotional flaw. 333 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:50,840 For the Angel, this is important. 334 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:53,320 For the Angel, fear is not emotional. 335 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:57,600 Fear is spiritual. In other words, for the Angel, 336 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,040 what the Angel understands and what the Bible understands is 337 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:05,560 that fear is a tool of Satan. It's a tool of the enemy. 338 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:08,960 It's a weapon of the enemy, your fear. 339 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:10,920 And my fear is not just like an emotional flaw. 340 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:13,240 It's not just like, oh, I'm just kind of going through some tough 341 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:14,520 seasons. I got some bad mental health 342 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:16,200 issues. No, the, the mental health 343 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:19,640 problems we have are the outcomes of the spiritual issue 344 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:22,520 of fear. All right, spiritual this the 345 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:25,400 spiritual issue of fear is a weapon in the hand of Satan. 346 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:29,240 And perfect love drops out fear. The Bible says in other words, 347 00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:31,280 and God is love. So God drops out fear. 348 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:34,120 So if we find ourselves fearful, it is never from God. 349 00:18:34,120 --> 00:18:37,600 It can only be from the enemy who hates you. 350 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:40,960 Do you follow me? In other words, fear is not 351 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:42,800 like, oh, I'm really afraid of my life. 352 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:45,440 And and that's not just like a neutral thing, like, well, I 353 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:47,120 just, I just tend to be a fearful person. 354 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:54,000 That's not neutral. That's a spiritual demonic work 355 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:58,040 that's happening. I know that's too heavy, right, 356 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:02,160 That we don't want to think that way. 357 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:09,440 But fear is what fills the space in your heart where you don't 358 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:21,270 trust God, where you where your heart doesn't trust God like 359 00:19:21,270 --> 00:19:23,470 that part of your heart. And you know, there's parts of 360 00:19:23,470 --> 00:19:24,750 your hearts where you just don't trust God. 361 00:19:25,270 --> 00:19:27,750 I got them. We don't have a long enough 362 00:19:27,750 --> 00:19:29,070 sermon for me to walk you through them. 363 00:19:30,470 --> 00:19:33,790 There are parts of your hearts where you don't trust God in 364 00:19:33,790 --> 00:19:37,950 those places where you don't trust God, that's where fear 365 00:19:38,430 --> 00:19:42,720 fills up that space. This is why fear is the enemy 366 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:46,640 beneath so many of our problems. Things like anxiety, dread, 367 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:50,080 catastrophic imaginings. Anybody have catastrophic 368 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:52,800 imaginings like you just imagine terrible stuff happening to you. 369 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:55,560 Just me, OK, You, you, there's three of us. 370 00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:57,960 You want to get together, have coffee for all right. 371 00:19:59,360 --> 00:20:01,760 I mean, I feel like I'm, I feel like I'm a screwed up person and 372 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:02,760 I would love to have some friends. 373 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:05,320 So. And it turns out there's not 374 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:08,800 that many of us. Kind of always thought there 375 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:12,800 were a lot of us. I don't know if I should keep, I 376 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:14,000 don't know if I should keep being a preacher. 377 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:17,240 Anyway, I'm kidding. Of course I got to keep being a 378 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:19,720 preacher. Catastrophic imaginings. 379 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:22,520 Anger. So if you deal with anger, if 380 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:26,960 you deal with resentment, if you deal with panic, if you deal 381 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:32,040 with lying, deceiving, self self protection, deceiving. 382 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:34,640 You know when you tell lies to make yourself look better or to 383 00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:37,840 protect yourself? Nobody does that, right? 384 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:45,560 Yeah. Self protection, addiction. 385 00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:48,920 Now, these are mental health nightmares. 386 00:20:49,360 --> 00:20:53,680 They are they They really are. But listen to me carefully. 387 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:57,160 Those mental health night nightmares, they grow in the 388 00:20:57,160 --> 00:21:00,320 soil of the spiritual problem of fear. 389 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:05,360 That's the soil they grow in. These emotions. 390 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:08,960 A fear, anxiety, resentment, panic, lying, self protection, 391 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:12,320 addiction. These things are downstream from 392 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:17,440 the waterfall of fear. Fear is at the root of all of 393 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:20,360 them. Fear is the crushing belief that 394 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:25,040 life is up to me and God cannot actually be trusted. 395 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:29,040 Friend, that is the first lie that humans believe and it is 396 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:31,800 the lie that you are tempted to believe today. 397 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:40,000 Life is not up to you to fear, to that fear that you have and I 398 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:43,440 have, and the shepherd's hat to that fear. 399 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:49,440 The Angel announces 2 words, or three words depending on your 400 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:53,920 translation. Do not be afraid or fear not. 401 00:21:57,360 --> 00:21:59,120 Fear is not something to be managed. 402 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:02,680 It's something to be rooted out, something to be removed. 403 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:06,280 When the Angel says fear not, the Angel is not offering 404 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:09,760 emotional support. Instead, the Angel is offering a 405 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:13,720 new reality, a new spiritual reality. 406 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:17,760 The holy has come near. The perfect love of God has 407 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:22,520 entered into the fearful space of man, and now this space where 408 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:26,000 you cannot control anything, a sovereign God who controls all 409 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:30,600 things has entered into it, and he has come just for you. 410 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:36,520 So fear not, do not be afraid. And that leads us to our next 411 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:39,640 idea this morning. If fear, if permitting fear to 412 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:42,920 rule is the problem #1 if permitting fear to rule is the 413 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:47,040 problem, then #2 perceiving the gospel is the solution. 414 00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:49,600 Perceiving the gospel is the solution. 415 00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:54,560 Now today we've read from the NIV 2011, which that was on the 416 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:55,880 screen. That's what many of you have, 417 00:22:56,440 --> 00:22:58,680 and you may have noticed that when we read that on the screen, 418 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:00,960 and maybe if you have it in front of you, the word behold 419 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:03,400 isn't in your translation and it wasn't on the screen. 420 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:07,200 And the word is actually there in the original Greek, the word 421 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:09,080 behold. Fear not, do not be afraid. 422 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:12,680 Behold. I, I give you good news. 423 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:16,560 The reason that the NIV and some other translations remove the 424 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:19,160 word behold is because they think it's archaic that people 425 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:20,960 don't really use the word behold anymore. 426 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:23,640 Like we don't really walk around and go behold, grab me some 427 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:24,520 bread. You know what I mean? 428 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:26,200 Like, I mean, I do it in my house. 429 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:28,640 I'm like, behold make me a sandwich, but it doesn't happen. 430 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:33,320 But we don't really use the word behold anymore. 431 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:36,160 And so they make it. The translators made a decision 432 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:38,120 because it's archaic and like, hey, let's don't use that. 433 00:23:38,120 --> 00:23:42,440 But then there are, there are translations that that use that 434 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:45,080 original Greek word, translations like the ESV, the 435 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:47,440 New American Standard Bible, which happens to be a great 436 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:49,360 translation. They still include it. 437 00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:51,040 Now, why do I, why do I point that out? 438 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:52,320 Why? Why did I take the time to tell 439 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:54,960 you that? Well, because the word behold is 440 00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:57,000 important. The word being there matters 441 00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:00,680 because I think that Luke includes it and I think that the 442 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:05,720 Angel says it because the Angel was not simply saying, hey, just 443 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:07,480 don't be afraid. Like just get over it. 444 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:10,800 I think the angel's offering, listen, I think the angel's 445 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:12,760 offering an alternative to being afraid. 446 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:16,320 How helpful is it if somebody says, hey, listen, just stop 447 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:19,760 being so fearful with your life? Is that helpful? 448 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:26,400 No, if I could bro, I would, you know what I mean? 449 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:27,640 Like I don't need a therapist to tell me. 450 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:29,120 You guys remember that new heart episode? 451 00:24:29,120 --> 00:24:31,480 Hey, nevermind, I'm showing my age I'm 50 in February, you 452 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:35,560 know, stop it 2 words stop it $5 please everyone Google that 453 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:37,720 later. If you watch it on YouTube, you 454 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:39,760 will, you will think you're like, that was the best summit I 455 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:42,240 heard because I got to see that bit on YouTube. 456 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:45,680 But anyway, so if I could just stop being fearful, I would. 457 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:48,200 So the Angel is saying more than just stop being fearful. 458 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:50,880 The Angel is offering an alternative to being fearful, 459 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:53,760 and that alternative is the word behold. 460 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:55,400 And This is why the word behold is. 461 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:57,680 It's important. So the Angel is saying, hey, 462 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:00,760 don't be afraid. Instead behold. 463 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:02,120 And what does the word behold mean? 464 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:06,160 The word behold means instead look at this, perceive this, 465 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:11,440 take this in deeply. Behold or beholding is the 466 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:14,520 alternative to fear. It's what we do as opposed to 467 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:16,560 fear. And so the word behold means to 468 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:20,080 shift your focus, to take your eyes off of what frightens you. 469 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:22,040 And you have something to fix them on. 470 00:25:22,120 --> 00:25:24,160 Because if you say, hey, take your eyes off of what frightens 471 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:26,480 you, and I look over here and there's nothing, that's what I'm 472 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:29,000 going to do. I'm going to go back to what 473 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:31,520 frightens me because I have nothing here to fix my eyes on. 474 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:34,000 And what the Angel is saying is, no, there's an alternative for 475 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:35,840 you to put your eyes on something different, on 476 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:38,400 something better. Behold, put your eyes on 477 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:40,640 something better. Turn them from the fear and put 478 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:43,160 them on something better. And behold does not mean to 479 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:46,520 glance or to just notice. Behold means to perceive, to 480 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:49,400 absorb, to internalize, to see it to the bottom. 481 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:52,520 And So what? What is the Angel telling them 482 00:25:52,520 --> 00:26:00,240 to behold? Behold, I have some news, some 483 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:07,120 good news, not advice, not recommendations, but news. 484 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:12,040 I have some news that changes reality, that makes things 485 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:16,960 different. So in the midst of your fear 486 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:21,080 right now, the Angel says to the shepherds, and the word of God 487 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:24,000 says to you, in the midst of your fear right now, look into 488 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:30,760 this news, this good news, the good news that a Savior has come 489 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:33,840 to remove our sin. Good news, right? 490 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:38,600 It goes deeper than that. Good news that a Savior has come 491 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:44,640 to remove the enmity between God and me, and a Savior has come to 492 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:48,400 make me right with God. A Savior has come to remove my 493 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:52,000 shame from me, to put me back in right relationship with God, my 494 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:54,480 heavenly Father. That a Savior has done for me 495 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:56,000 what I could never do for myself. 496 00:26:56,120 --> 00:27:00,640 That's good news. The gospel is good news. 497 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:02,920 And here's what the Angel is saying, and here's what I'm 498 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:07,760 trying to teach you today is that we allow, we permit fear to 499 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:09,840 rule our lives. And we wonder why we're 500 00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:12,280 miserable. And what the Angel has offered 501 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:15,240 as an alternative and what the text offers as an alternative is 502 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:17,600 don't permit fear to rule your life. 503 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:22,400 Perceive the gospel and perceiving the gospel is the 504 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:25,880 solution to our fear. Tim Keller says it best. 505 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:29,640 Listen to this quote by him. It says if you take time to 506 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:35,080 comprehend or behold what is in the gospel message, it will 507 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:37,720 remove the fear that has dominated and darkened your 508 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:40,200 life. To the degree that you truly 509 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:45,040 behold, gaze at, grasp, relish, internalize, rejoice in the 510 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:48,400 gospel, to that degree, the fears of your life will be 511 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:51,720 underminded. Isn't that beautiful? 512 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:53,360 Man? I miss Keller. 513 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:56,000 Let's think about this for a moment. 514 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:59,120 Fear goes down. The fear in your life will go 515 00:27:59,120 --> 00:28:00,760 down. The fear in your heart will go 516 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:05,920 down to the, to the degree that the gospel truth becomes real to 517 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:10,880 you, to the degree not that you believe the news, but that you 518 00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:17,680 internalize and know that the news is true, your fear will go 519 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:19,680 down. Not to the extent that you hear 520 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:22,680 sermons about the gospel or to the extent that you go to church 521 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:24,800 and this is what people think. I got problems in my life. 522 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:26,560 I'm going to go to church. That doesn't solve your 523 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:29,280 problems. Sitting through a sermon is not 524 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:31,960 going to fix anything. I've preached a lot of them. 525 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:35,920 I'm telling you they don't. What fixes things is what the 526 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:38,920 Angel is saying is to internalize the beautiful news, 527 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:45,760 the truth of the gospel. Jesus did not come just for 528 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:49,560 people, but to internalize it to the point that you understand 529 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:51,640 that Jesus doesn't. Jesus didn't come just for 530 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:53,600 people. Jesus doesn't just love people, 531 00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:55,600 but listen to this. You internalize it to a point 532 00:28:55,600 --> 00:29:03,880 that you say Jesus came for me and Jesus loves me for that. 533 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:08,120 News changes fear. It diminishes the power of fear 534 00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:13,040 in your life. The gospel is news. 535 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:18,440 It's not tips for better living, and it certainly isn't moralism. 536 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:20,160 Don't let me get started on that. 537 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:22,600 The gospel isn't ethical teaching. 538 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:24,760 It's not even spiritual inspiration. 539 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:26,720 So you do good deeds for your neighbors. 540 00:29:27,560 --> 00:29:30,400 I'm all for ethical living, moral living. 541 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:32,120 I'm all for doing good deeds for your neighbors. 542 00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:34,440 But that is not the point. The gospel. 543 00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:37,480 The gospel is news. News that something has 544 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:40,120 happened. It happened in history and it is 545 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:43,400 independent of human beings. Did not come from the philosophy 546 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:46,000 of man, but it came from the mind of God. 547 00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:48,040 News that God has come into our world. 548 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:52,800 He has come to you, not in order to get you to do something for 549 00:29:52,800 --> 00:29:58,320 him or to behave better for him, but He's come for you to rescue 550 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:00,280 you and put you back in a relationship with Him. 551 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:03,600 That He did this for you. The God who wrapped himself in 552 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:07,800 flesh in order to come to us is a God you can place your total 553 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:11,520 faith in, your total trust in. And when you place your total 554 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:15,040 faith in this God who came for you, friend, your fear will 555 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:18,000 dissolve. This is why perceiving the 556 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:20,640 gospel is the solution to the fear. 557 00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:25,600 Your fear will dissolve as you trust fully in the God who came 558 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:29,280 for you. Another Keller quote, this one 559 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:32,000 won't be on the screen. But Steven, you ask, you might 560 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:33,560 say, Steven, how can I trust God? 561 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:35,600 Like I want to trust God, I want to believe this. 562 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:38,560 Listen to what Keller said. I love this, he says. 563 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:41,480 The answer to why you can trust God. 564 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:46,560 The answer is that that little baby in the Manger is the mighty 565 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:51,400 Christ of the Lord. So think, so think, perceive, 566 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:56,320 ponder If the omnipotent Son of God would radically lose 567 00:30:56,320 --> 00:30:58,840 control. This is what we're all afraid 568 00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:00,040 of, right? Losing control. 569 00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:06,440 If the omnipotent Son of God would radically lose control and 570 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:07,960 you understand that that's what Jesus did. 571 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:11,560 The God of creation lost control. 572 00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:15,440 Your biggest fear is losing control. 573 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:22,520 The guy who made you chose to lose control by becoming a baby 574 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:27,920 for you. When you realize that, then you 575 00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:30,880 can trust him. And what Keller says is that you 576 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:33,480 that truth should undermine our fear. 577 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:40,360 So this morning, the main idea that I wanted you to walk away 578 00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:46,160 with was simply this Faith grows when we behold the gospel more 579 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:48,600 than when we behold our fear. That's it. 580 00:31:49,560 --> 00:31:52,480 And we unpack 2 ideas. Permitting fear to rule is the 581 00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:54,920 problem, and perceiving the gospel is the solution. 582 00:31:55,680 --> 00:32:00,000 Quite beautiful, right? But before we go, I want to 583 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:02,720 bring your attention to something really cool about the 584 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:05,760 shepherds. And I was tempted to not include 585 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:10,560 this because I knew it would add just a few minutes, but bear 586 00:32:10,560 --> 00:32:15,680 with me. Though I did not read the part 587 00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:19,000 of the text that shows the shepherd's response to the news. 588 00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:23,280 You may know the story. Once the shepherd's heard the 589 00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:26,080 nudes and they beheld it, they internalized it. 590 00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:30,680 They knew it to be true. Something changed inside of 591 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:33,680 them. Something shifted inside of 592 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:36,360 them. Luke tells us that they left 593 00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:40,280 their flocks. It's a big deal, their 594 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:42,840 livelihood. They walked away from it, they 595 00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:46,120 hurried, they sought out the baby. 596 00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:50,840 They saw the baby, and they told others about the baby. 597 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:58,320 Friend, these are not the actions of fearful men, are 598 00:32:58,320 --> 00:33:02,000 they? These are the actions of bold, 599 00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:08,120 courageous men, men of faith. You see, this is what happens 600 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:11,440 when our faith is awakened and our fear decreases. 601 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:15,120 Think about it. These men, their circumstances 602 00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:17,320 had not changed. They did not all of a sudden get 603 00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:19,640 better careers. They were still stinky 604 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:23,120 shepherds, the lowest rung of the rung in the social status of 605 00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:25,920 their culture. Rome was still oppressive. 606 00:33:26,240 --> 00:33:29,360 They were still poor. Their daily reality of living 607 00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:33,920 with stinking sheep had not changed, and yet fear no longer 608 00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:37,560 had a hold on them because faith had replaced their fear. 609 00:33:38,320 --> 00:33:42,360 Faith had replaced their fear. When you behold the gospel, your 610 00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:45,440 fear decreases and your confidence for action, your 611 00:33:45,440 --> 00:33:49,920 confidence for action will rise. It's not a confidence rooted in 612 00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:53,200 self or confidence rooted in like your own ability to control 613 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:55,480 things. No, it's a confidence rooted in 614 00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:58,680 the One who came into the world as a baby to save you. 615 00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:01,880 You're confident in him. You trust the news, and that 616 00:34:01,880 --> 00:34:05,360 will embolden you to take action, to walk in, and to take 617 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:09,040 hold of what God has called you to see. 618 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:12,480 The more deeply you behold the gospel, the more naturally your 619 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:16,480 life begins to move in response. Not out of obligation, but out 620 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:21,120 of wonder. Faith grows not when you strain 621 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:24,440 to increase it, but when you behold the One who has already 622 00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:27,719 come near. And like the shepherds, that 623 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:31,719 faith will release you to step into what God has called you to. 624 00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:38,440 Action always follows faith, not because you're obligated, but 625 00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:42,960 because faith will always stir confidence in the God who can't 626 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:46,560 be trusted. Does that make sense? 627 00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:53,920 So let me give you an action step in response to what we've 628 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:56,360 learned today. I want you to set aside a quiet 629 00:34:56,360 --> 00:34:59,880 few minutes and write something out in your own words. 630 00:34:59,880 --> 00:35:02,040 You can use your Notes app on your phone. 631 00:35:03,240 --> 00:35:06,200 I want you to write out what you believe the gospel actually is, 632 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:10,520 not a theological definition, but as if you were explaining it 633 00:35:10,520 --> 00:35:14,360 to a friend in a coffee shop. Let me give you a, a sentence 634 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:16,720 here. Maybe you can start it this way. 635 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:18,000 So if you take notes, write this down. 636 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:20,840 If you want to take a picture of this, the gospel is good news 637 00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:23,560 because so if you were sitting with a friend at a coffee shop, 638 00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:26,720 you're a believer. Now, do you don't have to raise 639 00:35:26,720 --> 00:35:29,160 your hand, But when I ask this question, say yes or no in your 640 00:35:29,160 --> 00:35:32,080 head, do you believe the news of the gospel of Jesus Christ? 641 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:35,800 Do you believe that news? OK, So if you were sitting with 642 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:38,680 a friend at a coffee shop and you were talking to your friend 643 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:40,920 who's maybe a believer or not a believer, doesn't matter. 644 00:35:42,560 --> 00:35:44,000 And you started the sentence this way. 645 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:47,160 If they said to you, why, why do you, why do you think the gospel 646 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:50,320 is good news? The gospel is good news because, 647 00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:53,080 and just in an organic way, what would you say to your friend, 648 00:35:54,880 --> 00:35:56,520 come on now, you're a believer. You believe this stuff. 649 00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:59,280 Certainly you can answer. Certainly we can do this 650 00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:05,520 provides everlasting hope. The gospel is good news because 651 00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:08,600 be able to write that down and don't just keep writing. 652 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:11,120 Write as much as you want. That's the first sentence. 653 00:36:11,120 --> 00:36:14,040 But here's the second sentence directly beneath that sentence. 654 00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:17,680 I want you to write this because this is true. 655 00:36:18,040 --> 00:36:21,640 I don't have to fear. And then you write out the thing 656 00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:27,280 that is holding you down. The fear that has been the 657 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:31,440 loudest lately, the fear of failing, the fear of being 658 00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:35,400 alone, the fear of finances, the fear of future, of loss, of 659 00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:38,960 anything else that keeps heavy weighing you down. 660 00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:43,200 The fear of grief, the fear of facing the future. 661 00:36:44,240 --> 00:36:47,640 And then take these two sentences and keep them close by 662 00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:52,160 during the holiday season. And maybe your life is going 663 00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:55,680 good right now and the holidays will accentuate that goodness. 664 00:36:56,600 --> 00:37:00,000 Go back and read these two sentences to remember that the 665 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:02,720 true goodness of the gospel, the true goodness of the Christmas 666 00:37:02,720 --> 00:37:06,720 season is the gospel, not your circumstances that happened to 667 00:37:06,720 --> 00:37:09,280 be good right now. Because give it a minute. 668 00:37:12,600 --> 00:37:16,480 And if your circumstances are not good right now and the 669 00:37:16,480 --> 00:37:19,160 holidays are accentuating the pain and the heartache of your, 670 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:23,200 of your, of your circumstances, and keep these sentences close 671 00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:26,680 by and read them throughout the week. 672 00:37:28,120 --> 00:37:34,240 Hey, remind yourself the gospel is good news because and because 673 00:37:34,240 --> 00:37:38,000 the gospel is true, I don't have to fear these things. 674 00:37:39,080 --> 00:37:42,480 So how would you explain it to a friend at a coffee shop? 675 00:37:42,520 --> 00:37:43,680 That's how I want you to write it. 676 00:37:45,640 --> 00:37:49,960 The simple act of reflecting on the gospel is how you behold to 677 00:37:49,960 --> 00:37:52,600 the gospel. And that, friend, is how faith 678 00:37:52,600 --> 00:37:55,440 grows. And it's how fear begins to lose 679 00:37:55,440 --> 00:38:01,320 its authority in your life. So let me say this over you and 680 00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:09,880 then I'll pray for us. Very simple today, do not just 681 00:38:09,880 --> 00:38:16,040 hear the gospel, behold it. And to the degree that you 682 00:38:16,040 --> 00:38:22,640 behold the truth and the news of the gospel, your fears will lose 683 00:38:22,640 --> 00:38:27,800 the authority in their lives. In your life, your fears will be 684 00:38:27,800 --> 00:38:31,840 diminished as you behold the gospel. 685 00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:34,800 Will you stand with me as I pray for us? 686 00:38:36,960 --> 00:38:41,040 Father, thank you for the truth of the gospel, the beautiful 687 00:38:41,040 --> 00:38:45,880 truth of the gospel. I love it so much it invigorates 688 00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:50,160 me. It just for thousands of years, 689 00:38:50,160 --> 00:38:53,440 Lord, this truth has been proclaimed and preached by men 690 00:38:53,840 --> 00:38:58,600 much wiser than me and women much wiser than me. 691 00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:08,160 And I'm honored to join in that song, that song that says 692 00:39:08,160 --> 00:39:12,920 there's nothing we can do. We can only receive this gift. 693 00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:18,400 And Lord, you are the one who even awakens us to receive it. 694 00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:24,880 You are so good. Thank you that at Christmas 695 00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:29,000 time, regardless of our circumstances, good or bad, we 696 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:35,960 can celebrate the good news that you came for us, that you came 697 00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:39,840 for me. The name of Christ we pray. 698 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:43,400 Amen. If you enjoyed this episode, 699 00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:46,680 please like and subscribe to hear a new episode every week. 700 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:50,520 You can also worship with us in person in Savannah, GA or watch 701 00:39:50,520 --> 00:39:54,880 our live stream on Facebook and YouTube every Sunday at 9:15 AM. 702 00:39:55,320 --> 00:39:56,360 Have a great week.