1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,800 Thank you for listening to the river. 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,700 Bend Church podcast Reverb in church exists. 3 00:00:06,700 --> 00:00:09,800 Delete all people to know love and live New Life in Jesus 4 00:00:09,808 --> 00:00:12,300 Christ. We hope that you enjoy this 5 00:00:12,300 --> 00:00:17,900 message. This is week two of our 6 00:00:17,900 --> 00:00:20,800 Christmas series but that doesn't mean you missed anything 7 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:23,600 that you can't catch up on because we're in a series 8 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,300 called. It's the most blank time of the 9 00:00:26,300 --> 00:00:28,500 year. If you were to have to put one 10 00:00:28,500 --> 00:00:31,500 word in the blank, what would you You say so far as I've been 11 00:00:31,500 --> 00:00:35,700 crazy chaotic has it been you know, joyful how is it being 12 00:00:35,700 --> 00:00:38,800 stressful? Exciting overwhelming, you know 13 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:42,300 can you keep the kids like under control because Christmas is 14 00:00:42,300 --> 00:00:43,500 coming. Now, I know I've heard that from 15 00:00:43,500 --> 00:00:46,600 a lot of parents like the chaos of keeping my kids, finishing 16 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:48,300 school, and getting to where we need to go. 17 00:00:48,300 --> 00:00:51,900 It says stuff right now. So I want to give you the big 18 00:00:51,900 --> 00:00:55,000 idea of this series. We understand that we give gifts 19 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:59,400 at Christmas but that really for believers for followers of 20 00:00:59,408 --> 00:01:02,000 Christ. Stems from the fact that God 21 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:04,700 gave, but there's a big idea of this series and then we're going 22 00:01:04,700 --> 00:01:07,000 to dive into today's specific message. 23 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:11,200 But here's a Christmas reality for us because God gave at 24 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:15,200 Christmas, we get to choose because God gave it Christmas, 25 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:18,100 we get to choose. And so today what I want to do 26 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:22,100 is put a choice or an understanding before us a choice 27 00:01:22,100 --> 00:01:27,200 that we get to make, because God gave it Christmas but I'll be 28 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:29,800 really honest, Pastor confession this morning for a dive into the 29 00:01:29,900 --> 00:01:33,000 Message, I almost didn't bring this message to the table. 30 00:01:33,300 --> 00:01:34,800 I wanted to do something different. 31 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:36,400 I'd already told God. I was going to do something 32 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:38,900 different you ever done that before I already told God, like 33 00:01:38,900 --> 00:01:41,400 God, I got this mapped out like it's going to be powerful or 34 00:01:41,500 --> 00:01:43,000 this scripture is going to be so good. 35 00:01:43,100 --> 00:01:45,100 And I started studying in and over the last few weeks, the 36 00:01:45,107 --> 00:01:47,900 Lord started changing my heart. Here's why I wrestled with the 37 00:01:47,900 --> 00:01:50,100 message that I was telling Richard earlier this morning, 38 00:01:50,700 --> 00:01:54,200 there's a handful of people. I mean the house is full here 39 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:56,800 Oakwood. I know you guys are and so out 40 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:59,800 of everybody here, there's only a handful of people that this 41 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,200 Messages for, in fact, I might be preaching an entire message 42 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:05,500 today for one person that's in the room and you go, man. 43 00:02:05,500 --> 00:02:07,000 That's crazy. Like, you're gonna you're gonna, 44 00:02:07,100 --> 00:02:08,400 you're gonna make all the rest of us. 45 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:10,000 Listen to a message for one person. 46 00:02:10,199 --> 00:02:12,300 Do you want me to be obedient to God or not? 47 00:02:12,300 --> 00:02:15,800 Come on. I can be disobedient to the 48 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:17,600 Lord. When I, when I get into the 49 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:20,400 message, I think there's at least one person here today and 50 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:24,000 it's for you and so if you know it's for you then maybe that's 51 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:25,900 why I got God. Has been stirring me for three 52 00:02:25,900 --> 00:02:27,500 weeks. One of the hardest messages I've 53 00:02:27,500 --> 00:02:30,300 written because I was wrestling with so much this week in 54 00:02:30,300 --> 00:02:32,500 finishing this up. But here's what I want to say, 55 00:02:32,500 --> 00:02:35,400 here's why I decided to do it one, I know God gave me peace on 56 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:37,400 it. The other thing, even if it's 57 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:40,700 not for you, God wants you to hear this because he's got 58 00:02:40,700 --> 00:02:42,700 something for you to do with it, when you get out of here. 59 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:45,900 So is that a Deal. So for the one person here, man, 60 00:02:45,900 --> 00:02:47,200 we love you. And I'm glad you're here because 61 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:48,900 I wrote a message just for you today. 62 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:52,200 But for everybody else here, everybody else at Oakwood, we 63 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:55,600 need to hear this because God's going to send us out with a new 64 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:59,600 understanding of what some people are going through. 65 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:01,600 And so, let me give you the message today and you're going 66 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:03,500 to stand why, it's kind of a strange message. 67 00:03:03,500 --> 00:03:08,100 Christmas is the most inclusive time of the year and you go man. 68 00:03:08,100 --> 00:03:10,300 That's a weirdest titled Christmas message I've ever 69 00:03:10,300 --> 00:03:14,000 heard my life deal. Like I told the Lord that But 70 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:15,600 here's what I've learned. And here's, here's why we're 71 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:17,800 going this direction today with the Christmas story. 72 00:03:18,700 --> 00:03:22,500 There is someone here and you feel left out in the crowd. 73 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:26,000 What I mean, is it could be like, where your mental health 74 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:27,500 is. It could be like some emotional 75 00:03:27,500 --> 00:03:30,800 scarring, or it could just be a personality, but you can be in 76 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:33,200 the midst of a room like this, where there's love and there's 77 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,800 worship in and all that, but internally you feel alone. 78 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,000 God brings you even when you're around people, even when you're 79 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:42,300 in a big crowd at work, or when you go shopping and when you go 80 00:03:42,300 --> 00:03:45,900 out, like, you still somehow feel like I don't fit in with 81 00:03:45,900 --> 00:03:48,400 everybody else. Why does everybody else 82 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:51,600 connecting so easy? Why do they have it that way? 83 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:53,800 But it's just me. That's the one I'm talking to 84 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,100 this morning, the person an externally you put on the show. 85 00:03:57,100 --> 00:04:00,200 Like you're just like everybody else but internally somehow you 86 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:04,600 feel left out You've even talked yourself out of like I know that 87 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:07,900 Jesus is good and I know that that he is extended salvation 88 00:04:07,900 --> 00:04:11,200 because he loves me and you may have even accepted that, but 89 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:13,500 then you go. But these are really accept me 90 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:17,300 or am I left out? That's the one that I'm talking 91 00:04:17,300 --> 00:04:19,200 to maybe the ones not even here in this room. 92 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:22,000 Maybe it's you at Oakwood. Maybe the one is sitting there 93 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,800 this morning. What does it feel like though? 94 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:27,900 Who am I talking to somebody who deals with inner shaming 95 00:04:27,900 --> 00:04:29,500 Brokenness? Even though you've been trying 96 00:04:29,500 --> 00:04:31,300 to get over it? You're still dealing with this 97 00:04:31,300 --> 00:04:34,000 inner shame and Brokenness, you your present. 98 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:38,000 But it's hard for you to really engage this person that I'm 99 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,800 talking to, you feel misunderstood, and for some 100 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:43,800 reason you feel alone and you can't put your finger on it. 101 00:04:44,700 --> 00:04:48,400 The Christmas message has something for you today. 102 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:52,700 Here's the deal because God gave us Jesus, because Jesus came, 103 00:04:52,700 --> 00:04:56,000 guess what? You are included in the gospel 104 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:59,700 story. Christmas means no one is left 105 00:04:59,700 --> 00:05:02,400 out of God's love. No one is left out of God's 106 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:04,500 kingdom. No one is left out of redemption 107 00:05:04,500 --> 00:05:07,700 or healing or wholeness. Even if you've Yourself out of 108 00:05:07,700 --> 00:05:09,600 it. Even if you had somebody beats 109 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:12,400 you down as a child. Are you been in a relationship 110 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:15,400 that was abusive and you feel Lester them like you can never 111 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:17,600 recover. Now, listen Christmas tells you 112 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,100 there is healing for you. The one person here, who said, 113 00:05:21,100 --> 00:05:23,600 no, no, not for me Joe. No, this is that you're the one 114 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:26,700 I'm talking to, because the Lord was putting this on my heart, 115 00:05:26,700 --> 00:05:28,900 tell them. Christmas means that there is 116 00:05:28,900 --> 00:05:32,100 wholeness again for you that you will rise again. 117 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:34,700 That God doesn't want you to live in your depression, in your 118 00:05:34,700 --> 00:05:38,100 defeat and your loneliness that he has the More in this life for 119 00:05:38,100 --> 00:05:41,000 you than you can even imagine for yourself right now and he 120 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:44,700 sent this guy, literally sitting at a Panera Bread at 6:00 in the 121 00:05:44,700 --> 00:05:48,100 morning, writing this word right here for you, and he said, it's 122 00:05:48,100 --> 00:05:50,200 for you. So I don't know who you are, but 123 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,800 I'm fired up to share this with you because you need this this 124 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:55,500 morning church for the rest of us. 125 00:05:55,900 --> 00:05:59,100 We have to extend this kind of hope to people, this Christmas, 126 00:05:59,100 --> 00:06:01,800 you are included. You are included. 127 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:04,300 I don't care where you've been, what you've done, what you've 128 00:06:04,300 --> 00:06:06,700 chosen in the past, what your wrestling's, and struggles, 129 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:11,000 Christmas means you are included and we won't shut up. 130 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:15,600 We refuse to be quiet about this message, that Christmas means 131 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:19,000 you are included. Now, the message today comes 132 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:23,200 from the entire Christmas story. Usually, I'll zoom in and I'll 133 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:25,300 look at one little piece. Like, we'll talk about the wise 134 00:06:25,300 --> 00:06:28,200 men or we'll talk about Mary and Joseph, that's usually kind of 135 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:30,000 how I like to teach the Christmas story. 136 00:06:30,300 --> 00:06:33,700 But in this exact instance, we're literally going to cover 137 00:06:33,700 --> 00:06:36,100 almost every main character in The Christmas Story. 138 00:06:36,100 --> 00:06:38,500 In a really short time. Time because I zoomed out and I 139 00:06:38,508 --> 00:06:41,300 looked at the whole big picture and it was like, God painted 140 00:06:41,300 --> 00:06:43,800 that picture. I included everyone and I want 141 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:46,200 to show you through the people. I invited to the Christmas 142 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:48,600 story. And so today, we're going to 143 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:50,700 start with the two main characters. 144 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:53,700 So maybe it'll be a little bit of just like Bible study and 145 00:06:53,700 --> 00:06:55,800 Bible Understanding for you because we're going to look at 146 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:59,600 these scriptures. But I want to start today with 147 00:06:59,700 --> 00:07:02,100 the main two characters are the first two characters. 148 00:07:02,100 --> 00:07:05,300 We really see in the Christmas story, you see at the Nativity 149 00:07:05,300 --> 00:07:08,800 and I have them here. Here, they are Mary and Joseph, 150 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:10,400 I know they're leaning a little bit. 151 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:13,800 I don't know why they got a little lean-to them but no, I 152 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:15,700 love this nativity set. There's a story. 153 00:07:15,700 --> 00:07:19,100 The first year we came here, we purchased this from a store 154 00:07:19,100 --> 00:07:23,700 downtown and it was created by Randy's, Randy's friends, Randy, 155 00:07:23,700 --> 00:07:25,800 and friends. If you know who they are, I 156 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:29,700 believe this one specifically is created by some special needs 157 00:07:30,300 --> 00:07:32,700 men and women that came together to do this. 158 00:07:32,700 --> 00:07:35,300 So it's just been really, really special to my heart every year. 159 00:07:35,300 --> 00:07:38,200 I pray when we take Out. I literally pray for those that 160 00:07:38,300 --> 00:07:41,000 that made it in those families. But also it blesses, my heart 161 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,500 just to have this in our home. So we actually have it. 162 00:07:43,500 --> 00:07:45,000 I stole it from our fireplace Courtney. 163 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:49,000 Let me take it this morning. So this is Mary, don't you like 164 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:52,000 that head covering it in an incredible Mary and Joseph and 165 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:54,200 then they already have baby Jesus but when we first start 166 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:56,100 reading the story, they don't have baby Jesus yet but they're 167 00:07:56,100 --> 00:07:59,300 going to have him eventually but I want to take a quick look 2000 168 00:07:59,300 --> 00:08:01,800 years ago at this event that happened. 169 00:08:02,100 --> 00:08:04,900 Here's what we're told. In Matthew chapter 1. 170 00:08:05,500 --> 00:08:07,000 This is how Jesus. Jesus. 171 00:08:07,100 --> 00:08:11,200 The Messiah was born, his mother Mary was engaged in the 172 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,000 old-school. Word is betrothed like promised 173 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,700 to it was actually more stiff than just engage. 174 00:08:16,700 --> 00:08:19,300 It was a it was a promise. This is a done deal. 175 00:08:19,300 --> 00:08:21,900 It just hasn't happened yet. They were engaged. 176 00:08:21,900 --> 00:08:24,600 She was engaged to be married to Joseph but before the marriage 177 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:27,900 took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant 178 00:08:27,900 --> 00:08:30,000 through the power of the Holy Spirit. 179 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:34,400 Joseph to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not 180 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:37,900 want to disgrace her publicly. He decided to break the 181 00:08:37,900 --> 00:08:41,500 engagement quietly. So when we look at this, what 182 00:08:41,500 --> 00:08:44,700 we've done is, we've sanitized and we've taken the pain out of 183 00:08:44,700 --> 00:08:46,400 the Christmas story. We go, aww, look at the cute 184 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:49,100 little figurines. Mary and Joseph, can I tell you 185 00:08:49,300 --> 00:08:51,400 this marriage started with division in it? 186 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:53,000 Come on, anybody feeling that today. 187 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:56,300 Sometimes we feel left out because our marriage is 188 00:08:56,300 --> 00:08:58,400 struggling. Can I just tell you before they 189 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:00,800 even got married? They almost didn't get married. 190 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:03,100 He was trying to divorce her before they even got married, 191 00:09:03,100 --> 00:09:07,100 not Jesus his family for sure. Yeah, Jesus His family. 192 00:09:07,300 --> 00:09:09,600 He was about to leave her because I mean, Not only was she 193 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:11,800 pregnant before marriage, she was pregnant before sex, and 194 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:13,600 that's a whole other struggle, you know what I mean? 195 00:09:15,700 --> 00:09:20,800 That isn't weird struggle it but here they are and there's 196 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:24,300 tension in their relationship. Now, this is interesting, you 197 00:09:24,300 --> 00:09:28,900 can read right over this if you look at earlier the angel, 198 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,900 here's the Angel, by the way, the angel came to Mary but 199 00:09:31,900 --> 00:09:34,300 Joseph didn't seem to be there, came to me and said, Mary, 200 00:09:34,300 --> 00:09:36,500 you're going to have a baby. The holy spirit is going to 201 00:09:36,500 --> 00:09:40,000 conceive this child in you. And so, Mary said, yes, Lord, I 202 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:43,000 receive it whatever you had for me, but at that point Joseph had 203 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:46,000 not heard from the angel yet. All he had Go on. 204 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:48,400 Was what Mary Said. So Mary goes to him and says, 205 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:50,600 hey Joseph. I got something to tell you like 206 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:52,800 I'm pregnant. But it's God's baby. 207 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:55,600 Come on, man. That is not easy to hear anybody 208 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:57,600 ever try that? Like, you're like no, no, that's 209 00:09:57,600 --> 00:09:59,700 not how it works. I'm pregnant, but it's God's 210 00:09:59,700 --> 00:10:01,200 baby. I'm gonna have it so Joseph I 211 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:05,300 mean he's a righteous man. So he wants to believe, why them 212 00:10:05,300 --> 00:10:08,900 with Joseph say he was going to he was going to kind of divorce 213 00:10:08,900 --> 00:10:10,800 her quietly and not disgrace her. 214 00:10:11,100 --> 00:10:13,600 It's because I think at this point is probably a few months 215 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:15,500 later and she's starting to show Show. 216 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:18,600 And he's walking around town and maybe they've been covering it 217 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,600 up and he's trying to believe God, he's trying to believe her 218 00:10:21,700 --> 00:10:23,600 because he loves her and he's a righteous man, but he's 219 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:25,300 struggling. So finally he goes, you know 220 00:10:25,300 --> 00:10:27,200 what? I could have her Stone but I 221 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,000 love her too much. I'm a writer, I want to just 222 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:31,900 kind of bow out and just let happen what happens, but then, 223 00:10:32,100 --> 00:10:33,800 right? Then look what happens as he was 224 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:37,400 thinking about divorcing. Her eight Gabriel shows up and 225 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:39,100 talks to him. Look what he says as he 226 00:10:39,100 --> 00:10:41,800 considered this an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. 227 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:44,900 So actually, technically Joseph was sleeping and the angel came 228 00:10:44,900 --> 00:10:48,600 and talked to him. It's so Joe. 229 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:51,600 He see if you're timid a dream, Joseph son of David. 230 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:54,300 The angel said, do not be afraid to take. 231 00:10:54,300 --> 00:10:57,800 Mary as your wife for the child within her was conceived. 232 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:01,200 So this is the affirmation. He was conceived by the Holy 233 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:05,200 Spirit and she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. 234 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:07,300 Now, this is weird because usually, you would name your 235 00:11:07,300 --> 00:11:09,800 firstborn son after you. So his name should have been 236 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:11,300 what? Joseph, but he said, you're not 237 00:11:11,300 --> 00:11:12,800 going to name him. Joseph, you're going to name him 238 00:11:12,900 --> 00:11:14,300 Jesus. Why? 239 00:11:14,500 --> 00:11:17,400 Because he will save his people. From their sins. 240 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:21,000 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through the 241 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:23,900 prophet. Look, the Virgin will conceive, 242 00:11:23,900 --> 00:11:26,100 a child. She will give birth to a son and 243 00:11:26,108 --> 00:11:29,800 they will call him Immanuel, which means God Is With Us verse 244 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:32,200 24. Joseph woke up. 245 00:11:32,300 --> 00:11:35,800 He did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his 246 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:37,900 wife. But he did not have sexual 247 00:11:37,900 --> 00:11:43,000 relations with her until until her son was born and Joseph 248 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:47,800 named him Jesus in that incredibly SC, powerful. 249 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:50,600 God's story, right there. Can you sense the Brokenness 250 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:53,800 that they had to walk through even to get to the birth of baby 251 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:55,900 Jesus? We can't take the pain and the 252 00:11:55,908 --> 00:11:58,800 Brokenness out of the story. Can we not when you look at it? 253 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:02,800 Let's just talk about in-laws. How do you think, you know, how 254 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:05,000 do you think the in-law conversations went like? 255 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:08,300 Look, look dad, she's pregnant and it's not mine. 256 00:12:08,300 --> 00:12:11,500 It's God's baby. I don't think the conversations 257 00:12:11,500 --> 00:12:14,500 went very well, you can imagine like all the way through their 258 00:12:14,500 --> 00:12:16,400 family. There was tension anybody here. 259 00:12:16,500 --> 00:12:20,900 I have a dysfunctional family, maybe it's for you just to say 260 00:12:20,900 --> 00:12:24,600 God has included, you don't, you know that God does what he does 261 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:28,000 on purpose. Don't, you know, that God didn't 262 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:29,500 go. Oh man, I didn't realize the 263 00:12:29,500 --> 00:12:32,100 tension. It was going to cost to have her 264 00:12:32,100 --> 00:12:34,800 be impregnated by the Holy Spirit can see but I didn't 265 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:36,500 realize the kitchen. Oh God knew it. 266 00:12:36,500 --> 00:12:39,100 You know what he did? He painted us a beautiful 267 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:43,000 picture of who the gospel includes even in the story of 268 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:46,900 Mary and Joseph right here. So who did Jesus including 269 00:12:46,900 --> 00:12:49,100 Christmas? Let me just give you this right 270 00:12:49,100 --> 00:12:51,200 here. Here's who Jesus included. 271 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:54,300 Jesus includes people with broken relationships and he 272 00:12:54,300 --> 00:12:58,400 heals. You could even put another word 273 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:01,100 if you don't use broken, you could say he includes those with 274 00:13:01,100 --> 00:13:05,600 dysfunctional relationships, he includes those with complicated 275 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:07,500 relationships. He includes those, you know, 276 00:13:07,500 --> 00:13:10,200 there's people in the house today and you've been divorced 277 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:12,600 and you're still carrying the pain from it because maybe it 278 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:14,600 was your fault. Maybe it's their fault, maybe 279 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:16,300 there was abuse. But here's the thing, there's 280 00:13:16,300 --> 00:13:21,200 always loss and there's always pain and so you could put 281 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:24,400 yourself and say, you know what, I'm included in the store even 282 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:26,900 though sometimes I count myself out, I've said, That I'll come. 283 00:13:26,900 --> 00:13:29,700 I can never really be all God wants because I've already blown 284 00:13:29,700 --> 00:13:31,200 it. What if he gave us the Christmas 285 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:34,400 story to remind you that he included those who have made 286 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:36,900 mistakes? Or who have been, you know, had 287 00:13:36,900 --> 00:13:39,500 bad things done to them the past those that have been through 288 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:43,000 really bad situations. You know, maybe those whose 289 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,500 marriages are struggling, and God just wants to come and say 290 00:13:45,500 --> 00:13:47,900 he includes you, you actually need him more. 291 00:13:47,900 --> 00:13:51,500 If your marriage is struggling There are people in the house. 292 00:13:51,500 --> 00:13:53,100 No doubt. Maybe this one's for you. 293 00:13:53,100 --> 00:13:56,200 That kids and parents. Your relationship is strained or 294 00:13:56,208 --> 00:13:57,700 broken. And here's the deal. 295 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:00,600 That doesn't mean that you need to lean away from the gospel. 296 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:03,800 You need to lean into it. Those that have Dad or Mom 297 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:05,900 issues because the things happen, when you were going up, 298 00:14:05,900 --> 00:14:10,100 Jesus includes people with broken relationship strained 299 00:14:10,100 --> 00:14:12,900 relationships. He didn't invite perfect people 300 00:14:12,900 --> 00:14:14,300 to be a part of the Christmas story. 301 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:16,800 You know, who invited people, who would say, yes. 302 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:20,000 He invited a young couple and they said, yes, even though 303 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:23,200 Brought pain on them to be the Earthly parent Joseph to be the 304 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:25,000 Earthly, father Mary to be the mother. 305 00:14:25,700 --> 00:14:28,600 See there's maybe somebody here and you have believed this lie. 306 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:32,500 The enemy is said you, you are excluded because of blank, what 307 00:14:32,500 --> 00:14:35,600 do you put in the blank? You'll never be because you're 308 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:38,300 blinking in, there's a 10 word sense of loss. 309 00:14:38,300 --> 00:14:41,600 And there's a ten-word sense of I don't belong and I don't fit 310 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:45,900 in and I don't matter so I pray. Today is a healing flow if 311 00:14:45,900 --> 00:14:49,800 that's you over your life to be reminded now fast forward a few 312 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:53,000 months. It's Mary and Joseph traveled to 313 00:14:53,300 --> 00:14:55,600 Bethlehem. They had to go there for a 314 00:14:55,608 --> 00:14:58,800 mandatory census because that was actually Joseph's Hometown 315 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:01,500 and so they head there and they get there. 316 00:15:01,500 --> 00:15:03,800 And here's what it says, while they were there. 317 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:06,000 The time came for her baby to be born. 318 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:09,600 She gave birth to her firstborn son, she wrapped him snugly, in 319 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:11,900 strips of cloth, and laid him in a Manger, because there was no 320 00:15:11,900 --> 00:15:16,100 lodging available. For them, that night, there were 321 00:15:16,100 --> 00:15:18,900 shepherds staying in the fields, nearby guarding their flocks of 322 00:15:18,900 --> 00:15:21,800 sheep, son, Like an angel of the Lord appeared. 323 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:24,400 Among them in the radiance of the Lord's, Glory surround them 324 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:27,700 and they were terrified, but the angel reassured them. 325 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:30,800 He said, don't be afraid, I bring you good news. 326 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:34,400 That will bring great joy to all people and here's the 327 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:37,700 announcement, the Savior. Yes, the Messiah. 328 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:43,200 The Lord has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David and 329 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:47,500 you'll recognize him by the sun. You'll find the baby wrapped in 330 00:15:47,500 --> 00:15:50,000 snugly, in strips of cloth and lying in a Manger. 331 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:53,000 They hurried to the Village. So right here is where you see 332 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:55,800 the action point. They heard the story, they were 333 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:58,000 invited in, hey, you're included. 334 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:00,800 And now they make the decision. They hurried to the village and 335 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:03,800 found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby lying in 336 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:06,100 the manger. After seeing him the shepherd's 337 00:16:06,100 --> 00:16:07,800 told everyone. What had happened? 338 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:12,100 And what the angel has said to them about this child, all who 339 00:16:12,100 --> 00:16:15,500 heard the shepherd story were astonished but Mary kept these 340 00:16:15,500 --> 00:16:17,800 things that are heart and thought about them often and 341 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:20,000 then they go back to their pasture. 342 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:22,400 The shepherd's went back to their flocks but this time 343 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:26,000 glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and 344 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:28,400 seen. It was just as the angel had 345 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:31,200 said, let's talk a little bit about the shepherd's here 346 00:16:31,900 --> 00:16:35,000 because I have these guys here and we don't know if there were 347 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:39,400 two or ten or Twenty or we don't know, but it had sheep, 348 00:16:39,500 --> 00:16:40,800 obviously, they didn't bring the Sheep. 349 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:43,000 By the way, we get this, a little, they probably left the 350 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:44,700 Sheep back with one of the other guys. 351 00:16:44,700 --> 00:16:46,900 It would have not been fun to been that guy like. 352 00:16:46,900 --> 00:16:48,600 Hey, you got to stay here because we're going to see 353 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:50,000 Jesus. Maybe they drew. 354 00:16:50,100 --> 00:16:52,000 Drawers. I don't know they gambled for, I 355 00:16:52,008 --> 00:16:53,600 don't know what they did. They did something they played 356 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:55,200 rock paper scissors. But somebody had to stay with 357 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,300 the Sheep but because it's the Christmas story and our Nativity 358 00:16:58,300 --> 00:16:59,900 is include sheet. We put them out there but the 359 00:16:59,900 --> 00:17:03,600 shepherd show up. Do you know who these guys were? 360 00:17:04,500 --> 00:17:08,200 You know, a little bit about who these guys were, most people 361 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:10,700 would tell you scholar. Why's that study that shepherds 362 00:17:10,700 --> 00:17:12,599 are kind of the lowest of the low in society. 363 00:17:12,700 --> 00:17:14,200 It doesn't mean they were bad people. 364 00:17:14,700 --> 00:17:17,200 Sometimes, maybe they were Scoundrels and thieves, but 365 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:18,800 you'll hear people write about that. 366 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:21,000 I've studied it a lot. I'm Sure, that all Shepherds for 367 00:17:21,008 --> 00:17:22,200 like that. I mean, King David was a 368 00:17:22,208 --> 00:17:23,900 Shepherd. Jesus says, I am the Good 369 00:17:23,900 --> 00:17:25,599 Shepherd, sir. I don't think he implied that 370 00:17:25,608 --> 00:17:28,200 like all shepherds in the first century would just rotten, 371 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:29,700 they're probably worth something. 372 00:17:29,700 --> 00:17:32,200 But here's the truth, it was a lowly lowly job. 373 00:17:32,900 --> 00:17:35,300 I mean, it was, it was kind of like, you know, one of the base 374 00:17:36,300 --> 00:17:39,700 based jobs of society of that day, but yet it was an important 375 00:17:39,700 --> 00:17:42,200 job because they literally couldn't worship. 376 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:45,200 They didn't have sheep to take to sacrifice. 377 00:17:45,300 --> 00:17:47,400 If there were shepherds the carrier for the sheep. 378 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:49,400 And so it was a very important job. 379 00:17:49,500 --> 00:17:52,300 But there were Slowly, and here's what we do, know about 380 00:17:52,300 --> 00:17:55,200 him, for the most part, they were the outcasts of society. 381 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:57,700 I mean, they followed sheep around, they didn't have a lot 382 00:17:57,700 --> 00:18:00,600 of money for the most part. They lived in little bunches, 383 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:03,000 they wander through the Wilderness, taking care of 384 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:05,300 sheep. So they were outcasts, do you 385 00:18:05,300 --> 00:18:06,700 know what? The Christmas Story shows us 386 00:18:06,700 --> 00:18:08,900 though. It says at the time, Jesus was 387 00:18:08,900 --> 00:18:12,000 born exactly at that time. There were shepherds right 388 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:14,500 outside in a field like timing was perfect. 389 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:16,600 And here's what Christmas shows us. 390 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:19,900 What does Jesus do, Jesus? Invites the out. 391 00:18:20,100 --> 00:18:24,400 Cast in. Shepherds were social outcasts. 392 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:28,900 So I think, you know, maybe you feel like, because of your job 393 00:18:28,900 --> 00:18:31,700 or because of, you know, your social status, maybe that's what 394 00:18:31,700 --> 00:18:36,200 makes you feel outcasted. And, and, and that's unfortunate 395 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:39,800 because it takes every if you're doing what you need to do, where 396 00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:41,300 God's called you to be right now. 397 00:18:41,300 --> 00:18:44,100 It takes all of us working together to make the church, go 398 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:46,900 even to make our world go, we all must do what's in front of 399 00:18:46,900 --> 00:18:50,100 us to do what our gifts that allows us to do stop playing the 400 00:18:50,100 --> 00:18:52,700 comparison game and just be obedient to what God has in 401 00:18:52,700 --> 00:18:55,600 front of you. But more often than not. 402 00:18:55,700 --> 00:18:59,200 Not it's not our social status or what we do for work and make 403 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:01,700 us feel Outcast. It's what's going on inside of 404 00:19:01,700 --> 00:19:04,500 us. It's the shame and regret that 405 00:19:04,500 --> 00:19:07,100 we carry, it's our mental and emotional unhealth. 406 00:19:07,100 --> 00:19:11,500 That we carry that makes us feel get this not that we are Outcast 407 00:19:11,500 --> 00:19:15,100 it but you feel that you are one of the enemy's greatest weapons 408 00:19:15,100 --> 00:19:19,500 used to make God's people feel like outcasts when he said 409 00:19:19,500 --> 00:19:23,300 you're included. Christmas shouts, this message 410 00:19:23,300 --> 00:19:28,200 the outcasts are invited in. But here's the thing, did you 411 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,000 notice that action point in the story? 412 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:33,200 They got invited to see Jesus and what did they have to do? 413 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:38,300 Choose to believe it and go. She used to say, because I feel 414 00:19:38,300 --> 00:19:41,600 like an outcast because I feel like I don't belong in the city 415 00:19:41,700 --> 00:19:44,200 because I feel like how could this really be God. 416 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:45,700 Invite me. And they could have said, you 417 00:19:45,700 --> 00:19:46,900 know what? We're just going to write that 418 00:19:46,900 --> 00:19:48,200 off. Yeah, it was amazing when the 419 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:49,900 Angels showed up, but you know what? 420 00:19:49,900 --> 00:19:51,400 He must have gotten the wrong Shepherds. 421 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:53,000 He must have come to the wrong pasture. 422 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:56,000 But what do they do? They took off and they went to 423 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:59,400 find Jesus and they got to be in the story. 424 00:20:00,500 --> 00:20:03,500 So this is a word for somebody who feels outcasted. 425 00:20:03,700 --> 00:20:06,700 You have to continue to seek Jesus. 426 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:09,400 You have to continue to follow him. 427 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:13,400 That's on you because the truth is you are included. 428 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:15,700 If you feel outcasted the shepherd's reminded year 429 00:20:15,700 --> 00:20:19,600 included, now not only did he invite the outcast at Shepherds? 430 00:20:19,900 --> 00:20:22,700 But several months later, maybe even a year later. 431 00:20:22,900 --> 00:20:26,000 If you look at the Timeline we meet some wise men so here they 432 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:31,000 are. Moe, Larry and Curly for the 433 00:20:31,300 --> 00:20:33,200 people, old enough to know who the Three Stooges are. 434 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:35,000 And yes, I know because my grandmother watched it when I 435 00:20:35,008 --> 00:20:38,300 was a kid. No, but these guys right here 436 00:20:38,300 --> 00:20:41,600 now how many wives, how many, how many wise men were there? 437 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:45,200 Well, don't answer that. We don't know if you look 438 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:47,700 scripturally speaking. There were three gifts, gold 439 00:20:47,700 --> 00:20:49,700 frankincense and myrrh that we're going to read about, but 440 00:20:49,700 --> 00:20:51,200 we don't know how many wise men there were. 441 00:20:51,300 --> 00:20:53,600 We always make them out to be the three kings. 442 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:54,800 We don't even know that they were keys. 443 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:57,300 In fact, we think there were more astronomers than they were 444 00:20:57,300 --> 00:21:00,400 Kings or scientists than they were Kings and so so it's crazy 445 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:02,700 when you get to study and how over the years we've just made 446 00:21:02,700 --> 00:21:06,000 up stuff and people believe it as if it's scripture, come on, 447 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:08,200 we do. That all the time we make up 448 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:09,900 stuff and people come that sounds so good. 449 00:21:09,900 --> 00:21:11,600 It must be God. You better make sure in your 450 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:14,800 Bible, it's God. Don't you be taking Facebook and 451 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:17,200 Twitter thinking it's God, you better make sure it's God. 452 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:21,400 Sorry, that was just a side note for 9:30, this morning, 10 453 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,900 o'clock service. So here's the, here's the guy, 454 00:21:24,900 --> 00:21:27,500 so they these guys, they start actually, if you want to put 455 00:21:27,500 --> 00:21:30,500 them geographically correct in your manger scene, you don't 456 00:21:30,500 --> 00:21:32,700 need to put them in and put them like over to the side because 457 00:21:32,700 --> 00:21:34,600 they came later like they were there. 458 00:21:34,700 --> 00:21:38,100 Whenever Jesus was born, the shepherd's came that night but 459 00:21:38,100 --> 00:21:40,600 they started seeking him so it took them a while. 460 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:41,800 They had to travel, we don't know. 461 00:21:42,100 --> 00:21:44,200 There's a lot of mystery, we don't know exactly where they 462 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:47,700 came from, we don't know exactly how they got involved with 463 00:21:47,700 --> 00:21:49,700 following the star. There's a lot of speculation. 464 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,700 You know what, I think, I think the Holy Spirit. 465 00:21:53,300 --> 00:21:55,100 Miles away. The Holy Spirit was working in 466 00:21:55,100 --> 00:21:57,000 their hearts saying, hey, there's gonna be a star and 467 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:58,800 you're gonna find the savior of the world there. 468 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:00,900 I want you to sneak him. So they start reading her Bible 469 00:22:01,100 --> 00:22:03,200 and they go, you know what? There's something to this God's 470 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:04,200 at work. Let's go. 471 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:06,000 Seek him out. Hey guys, you wanna do something 472 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:08,800 crazy. Let's go look for Jesus, that's 473 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:10,900 just my view. No Country Boy interpretation of 474 00:22:10,900 --> 00:22:12,400 it. It's crazy but let's just load 475 00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:14,600 our donkeys and camels and let's just go find them. 476 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:17,500 And so here's what it says, they were following this star. 477 00:22:17,500 --> 00:22:20,800 It says the star they had seen in the East, guided them to 478 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:24,300 Bethlehem and went ahead of them and Stopped over the place where 479 00:22:24,300 --> 00:22:28,200 the child was when they saw the star, they were filled with joy. 480 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:31,900 They entered the house. Now, we know that this is later, 481 00:22:31,900 --> 00:22:34,500 they're no longer at the barn or stable where they were. 482 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:38,000 It says they entered the house. They saw the child with his 483 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:40,200 mother so maybe they're staying with a family or they're renting 484 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:44,200 a room somewhere now and it's at least months if not a year or so 485 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:46,900 later and he says, they found him with his mother. 486 00:22:46,900 --> 00:22:48,900 They bowed down and they worshiped him. 487 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:51,900 They opened their treasure chest and this is why we usually 488 00:22:51,900 --> 00:22:53,800 assume there were three. Osman. 489 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:56,500 When actually, it could have been much more many more or 490 00:22:56,500 --> 00:23:00,400 less, they gave Gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 491 00:23:00,900 --> 00:23:04,200 And so, this is really interesting when I looked at 492 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:05,600 this. Why why, why? 493 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:10,700 Because I ask weird questions. Why did God include wise 494 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:14,100 wealthy, guys, in the invitation to the Christmas story? 495 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:16,900 Let me tell you why. This is so strange. 496 00:23:16,900 --> 00:23:20,600 When you read the Bible, Jesus seems to go after the poor and 497 00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:23,200 the weak and the outcasts, and that's true. 498 00:23:24,300 --> 00:23:27,400 But you also got to remember he invited Zacchaeus to the 499 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:28,600 kingdom. He invited. 500 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:30,800 Matthew who wasn't a poor guy to the kingdom. 501 00:23:30,900 --> 00:23:33,900 He invited Nicodemus to the kingdom, who was a wealthy 502 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,500 leader of the Pharisee. So sometimes we can get in our 503 00:23:36,500 --> 00:23:38,700 minds. That God only goes after those 504 00:23:38,700 --> 00:23:41,500 who are so broken and so lowly. And so outcasted. 505 00:23:41,500 --> 00:23:46,500 No, no, God goes after everyone. His kingdom is for anyone who 506 00:23:46,500 --> 00:23:49,500 will believe, no, matter your social status or bank account. 507 00:23:49,500 --> 00:23:54,200 If you will say yes to Christ, he accepts you But here's the 508 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:55,800 thing, this is why it's interesting. 509 00:23:56,100 --> 00:23:59,800 I believe that these people in our society are the most 510 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:02,300 overlooked as. So let me tell you who Jesus 511 00:24:02,300 --> 00:24:06,300 includes in the Christmas story, those who feel are are 512 00:24:06,700 --> 00:24:09,800 overlooked. Outcasted is one thing, 513 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:13,800 overlooked is another thing I've learned there are so many people 514 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:18,800 in our world who feel overlooked It's often those who don't have 515 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:22,200 great needs, see when there's a there's a there's a prayer 516 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:25,100 crisis for somebody and the whole church is rallying around 517 00:24:25,100 --> 00:24:29,800 them that person knows that they matter when there's a financial 518 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:32,500 crisis, you watch in our community, Lord forbid. 519 00:24:32,500 --> 00:24:34,800 It should ever happen again, but you watch somebody like lose 520 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:37,200 their home to a fire. Or you watch a storm? 521 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:39,600 Come through you watch somebody fall in a really difficult 522 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:42,900 financial situation and it becomes, we become aware of it. 523 00:24:42,908 --> 00:24:44,700 You know what the church does, you know what, our community, as 524 00:24:44,700 --> 00:24:47,700 we rally around and we do something, but those People feel 525 00:24:47,700 --> 00:24:50,100 that they matter. It's the people who are just 526 00:24:50,100 --> 00:24:52,400 faithful, they're just living their lives. 527 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:56,700 They don't really have, like, great physical or great needs as 528 00:24:56,700 --> 00:25:01,400 far as money or anything else. But these people, I think are 529 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:04,700 the ones most often overlooked both back in their day and guess 530 00:25:04,700 --> 00:25:07,000 what? Now, in the church we assume 531 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:08,800 that you're fine. What do you need? 532 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:13,100 You have, all your needs met. And so what happens is the enemy 533 00:25:13,100 --> 00:25:15,400 comes in and tells everybody they don't really matter like 534 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:18,300 they are fine, they don't need you, they don't need friendship, 535 00:25:18,300 --> 00:25:20,300 they don't need a word of Hope of encouragement. 536 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:22,200 You don't need to reach out to them because they don't have 537 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:23,500 needs. I'm here to debunk. 538 00:25:23,500 --> 00:25:26,500 That everybody has broken this in their heart. 539 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:29,100 Everybody has heard these guys needed, Jesus. 540 00:25:29,100 --> 00:25:33,500 Just as much as these guys did. These guys needed Christ as much 541 00:25:33,500 --> 00:25:35,800 as these guys did and I'm telling you, we've got to 542 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:39,400 remember that church. Jesus didn't just come for those 543 00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:41,600 who fell out, cast it or didn't have their knee. 544 00:25:41,700 --> 00:25:45,800 He came for everybody. So those fateful moms and dads 545 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:48,700 who just doing their thing. Those faithful single moms and 546 00:25:48,700 --> 00:25:51,300 you just feel overlooked because you're just doing your thing, 547 00:25:51,300 --> 00:25:53,700 you're just working hard and you seem to just ride under the 548 00:25:53,700 --> 00:25:55,800 radar. Nobody ever really reaches out 549 00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:57,600 to you. Here's the thing, Christmas 550 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:00,200 tells us that you're included. And I want to flip this because 551 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:02,800 maybe you're the one here that It needs to hear that for 552 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:04,800 everybody here. We've got to be reminded that 553 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:06,500 though. There are people all around us 554 00:26:06,500 --> 00:26:09,000 who are getting overlooked and they need to know they matter. 555 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:11,100 They need to know that the gospel is for them. 556 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:12,800 They need to know that God loves them. 557 00:26:14,100 --> 00:26:16,900 Say, I'll bet that there's somebody here and this maybe 558 00:26:16,900 --> 00:26:18,300 that one I'm talking to him. You know what? 559 00:26:18,300 --> 00:26:21,100 Oakwood I'm debating. Is it hearers that there were 560 00:26:21,100 --> 00:26:23,600 you guys are. Maybe it's in Oakwood and you 561 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:26,100 feel overlooked just sitting in the room right now. 562 00:26:26,100 --> 00:26:29,000 And you go man that if you only know, Joe, that new Joe, that's 563 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:32,700 me, listen, don't you listen to the lies of the enemy Church? 564 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:37,100 To tell you, you don't matter. You may feel overlooked and 565 00:26:37,100 --> 00:26:38,300 wheat. It's just something we've got to 566 00:26:38,300 --> 00:26:40,700 get better at because God shows us through the Christmas story. 567 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:44,100 These guys were invited to be a part of his story forever. 568 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:49,400 Now, there's one very last overlooked couple of people in 569 00:26:49,408 --> 00:26:53,100 the Christmas story and you won't find that they have a 570 00:26:53,100 --> 00:26:55,600 figurine up here. There's nobody to represent them 571 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:58,100 because in your Nativity, there's not either I am 572 00:26:58,100 --> 00:27:02,300 considering adding them next year, though, because the wise 573 00:27:02,300 --> 00:27:06,200 men came into Jesus life months or a year or so later, we 574 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:09,200 include them. The shepherd's came, the night 575 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:12,200 of the birth, we include them, the angel came, technically, 576 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:14,800 like months, before the birth, we include Gabriel. 577 00:27:14,900 --> 00:27:18,300 Include the angel, but we don't include this power couple and 578 00:27:18,300 --> 00:27:19,600 they're not, they're not like a couple. 579 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:21,600 It's just a couple of people that I find in the store and 580 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:24,300 every year when I read it, when I get to their story, I just 581 00:27:24,300 --> 00:27:25,400 smile. I don't know why. 582 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:28,400 And this year is the first time, God kind of showed me. 583 00:27:28,500 --> 00:27:31,000 I think why I smile when I look at it and I'm going to tell you 584 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:34,100 what it is, there's two people I want you to meet one. 585 00:27:34,100 --> 00:27:38,000 Is a man named Simeon and the other a woman named Anna and 586 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:39,700 they are powerful part of the Christmas story. 587 00:27:39,700 --> 00:27:42,900 Included in the story forever. Look at this verse 25, there was 588 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:45,800 at that time. Now let me You what that time 589 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:48,200 was that time was Jesus was eight days old. 590 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:52,000 And as a Jewish boy, they would take him to the temple so that 591 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:53,800 the priests could circumcise him. 592 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:55,100 Thank you. Jesus. 593 00:27:55,100 --> 00:27:57,100 That, I don't have to do that today in the church. 594 00:27:57,100 --> 00:27:58,900 Praise You. Lord, if you had to bring your 595 00:27:58,900 --> 00:28:01,600 baby here to me on day eight, we'd be in bad shape. 596 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,500 I'm just saying but they would take their babies. 597 00:28:04,500 --> 00:28:07,600 It was required by law that they take their babies to the priest 598 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:09,800 like being a preacher. So much better today than it was 599 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:13,100 in the first century. Just saying, at that time, there 600 00:28:13,100 --> 00:28:14,800 was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. 601 00:28:14,900 --> 00:28:17,800 He was righteous and devout, he was eagerly waiting for the 602 00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:22,700 Messiah to come AKA. He was looking for Jesus, the 603 00:28:22,700 --> 00:28:25,800 Holy Spirit was upon him. Now, when I read this, this is 604 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:28,200 where I start smiling. Because at this point, the book 605 00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:32,000 of Acts hasn't happened yet, I figured out one of the reasons I 606 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:35,600 just feel this man must have been living in such a way that 607 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:38,400 the spirit of God and the anointed could be on him before 608 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:40,900 the death of Christ. And before the outpouring of the 609 00:28:40,900 --> 00:28:44,000 spirit, we do know that the spirit moved constantly from 610 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:46,100 beginning of time. Till now, but the spirit was 611 00:28:46,100 --> 00:28:48,700 poured out over all the church in the book of Acts. 612 00:28:48,700 --> 00:28:51,100 But this guy's already living in the church age before. 613 00:28:51,100 --> 00:28:54,000 The church age, he's living filled with the spirit of God. 614 00:28:54,100 --> 00:28:57,300 It said the spirit was on him. That's one of my prayers. 615 00:28:57,300 --> 00:29:00,000 This week. Spirit Lord let the spirit be on 616 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:02,000 your people. Some of y'all need to just 617 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,500 experience what? It's like to have the spirit on 618 00:29:04,500 --> 00:29:07,300 you one time and you can almost never turn back again. 619 00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:10,200 That's a whole other message in the Richard. 620 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:14,600 The Holy Spirit was upon him and he had revealed to him that he 621 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:17,600 would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. 622 00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:21,800 So the Holy Spirit had made him a promise and he felt sure about 623 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:25,600 it that day, the spirit. You notice this man is the 624 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:27,400 spirit this guy's led by the spirit. 625 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:28,700 He could have stayed home that day. 626 00:29:28,700 --> 00:29:30,400 He could have gone fishing on the lake that day. 627 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:32,800 He could have done anything but where did the spirit lead him? 628 00:29:32,900 --> 00:29:34,700 The spirit led him to the temple. 629 00:29:34,700 --> 00:29:37,900 Another message for another day. We have to learn to listen to 630 00:29:37,900 --> 00:29:39,900 the leading of the spirit as the church. 631 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:44,300 So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus, to the 632 00:29:44,308 --> 00:29:48,200 Lord is the law required Simeon, was there? 633 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:50,700 Check this out. When you listen to the spirit, 634 00:29:50,700 --> 00:29:52,600 you'll be in the right place at the right time. 635 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:56,700 Let that hit. He took the child in his arms 636 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:00,600 and praised God saying so it's this kind of a Lion King moment. 637 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:02,400 He takes, I don't know how this happens. 638 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:04,700 Either send me and just runs up to Mary and grabs her baby. 639 00:30:04,700 --> 00:30:06,400 That's what Courtney does the babies by the way. 640 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:09,100 She just runs up to people and grabs her baby starts loving on 641 00:30:09,100 --> 00:30:10,800 him. But this dude, this in the 642 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:13,600 church like He runs up. He grabs a baby and he holds it 643 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:14,900 up high like I can see it right now. 644 00:30:14,900 --> 00:30:16,800 Here's what he says, Sovereign Lord. 645 00:30:17,100 --> 00:30:21,600 Now let your servant die in peace, and as you promised for, 646 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:24,100 I have seen your salvation, which you prepared, for all 647 00:30:24,100 --> 00:30:28,000 people, he is a light to reveal God, to the nation's, he is the 648 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:32,100 glory of your People Israel. Do you see this guy that could 649 00:30:32,100 --> 00:30:34,600 have been easily overlooked that we don't talk about? 650 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:36,600 We should talk about in just like everybody else. 651 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:39,200 I think is he's there. Eight days into Jesus's life. 652 00:30:40,500 --> 00:30:43,600 Now, there's another prayer Warrior, a woman of God named 653 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:48,000 Anna and she falls into the same category of being in the right 654 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:51,200 time at the right place because she had been a prayer Warrior. 655 00:30:52,100 --> 00:30:55,200 Here's what it says, Anna a profit. 656 00:30:55,700 --> 00:30:59,500 So, this was a woman of God who had the gift of Prophecy in her 657 00:30:59,500 --> 00:31:01,600 life. God was speaking through this 658 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:04,400 woman, she may have been one of the PowerHouse preachers of the 659 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:06,500 day. We don't know, we don't know 660 00:31:06,500 --> 00:31:08,700 anything else about her. All we know she was a prophet. 661 00:31:08,700 --> 00:31:10,200 God had given her a word. She was speaking. 662 00:31:10,300 --> 00:31:12,400 In that word. And so the and a prophet, she 663 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:16,000 was also in the temple. She was the daughter of phanuel, 664 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:18,400 from the tribe of Asher. She was very old. 665 00:31:18,900 --> 00:31:21,000 Her husband died. When they've been married, only 666 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:23,100 seven years and this is sort of sad story. 667 00:31:24,300 --> 00:31:26,900 So maybe she got married it, let's say she got married at 20 668 00:31:26,900 --> 00:31:30,800 years old, we don't know that so she was married for seven years. 669 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:34,900 She was, let's just say by 27 years old, she lived until she 670 00:31:34,900 --> 00:31:37,900 was Eighty-Four as a widow she didn't get married again. 671 00:31:38,700 --> 00:31:41,400 What did she do then? What did she do with her life? 672 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:44,500 If she never she never left the temple but stayed there day and 673 00:31:44,500 --> 00:31:46,500 night, worshiping god with fasting and prayer. 674 00:31:46,500 --> 00:31:48,600 I'll be honest with you to most of us that sounds like the most 675 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:49,900 boring thing that could ever happen. 676 00:31:50,100 --> 00:31:52,000 When the holy spirit of God, gets a hold of your heart and 677 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:53,900 you get that close to him though you don't want anything else. 678 00:31:54,500 --> 00:31:55,900 And I'm not saying you should marry or not. 679 00:31:55,900 --> 00:31:57,500 Marry, I'm just telling for her, she fell. 680 00:31:57,500 --> 00:31:59,400 So in love with the Lord. At that point. 681 00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:01,700 She said, God, I'm free to just come to the temple. 682 00:32:01,700 --> 00:32:03,300 So she just worshipped and prayed. 683 00:32:03,500 --> 00:32:06,000 Can I tell you what? I know about her, she could 684 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:08,800 easily be forgotten. Nobody would ever know except 685 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:11,600 for God. Made sure to inspire her in to 686 00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:14,100 inspire her written into the story. 687 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:18,400 Look at this, she came along right place at the right time. 688 00:32:18,700 --> 00:32:23,600 Just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph and she began 689 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:27,900 praising God, God, she talked about the child to everyone who 690 00:32:27,900 --> 00:32:31,600 have been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem. 691 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:33,600 She got to see Jesus, and that was all it. 692 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:36,800 Took, we don't even know that she held Jesus, she just got to 693 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:39,500 see Jesus. She had a praise break seeing 694 00:32:39,500 --> 00:32:42,300 the eight year old baby Jesus. She starts preaching him like 695 00:32:42,300 --> 00:32:43,800 crazy at that point. That's him. 696 00:32:43,900 --> 00:32:45,800 That's him. That's the savior. 697 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:49,400 So when I look at these people who are not included in the 698 00:32:49,400 --> 00:32:52,200 Nativity, who are they in the church today? 699 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:55,600 Let me tell you. This is what Christmas tells us. 700 00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:59,000 Jesus remembers the Forgotten faithful. 701 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:03,000 I'm looking at some senior adults in the house today, 702 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:05,800 probably do quit too. Maybe watching online this 703 00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:08,200 morning. There's some of you guys and you 704 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:11,600 have been faithful for a long time and you feel like nobody 705 00:33:11,600 --> 00:33:16,000 notices anymore Maybe the Faithfully been generous, maybe 706 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:20,300 you Faithfully prayed. Do you know what Jesus wanted us 707 00:33:20,300 --> 00:33:23,700 to know through the Christmas story that nobody is forgotten. 708 00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:27,000 There aren't any forgotten faithful now sure sometimes it 709 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:29,100 may seem for you may seem forgotten but the Christmas 710 00:33:29,100 --> 00:33:31,000 story reminds us God never forgets. 711 00:33:32,300 --> 00:33:34,900 So I'm looking at some of our Legacy members here and you've 712 00:33:34,900 --> 00:33:37,100 been faithful a long time and you feel forgotten. 713 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:39,700 I wanted to take the opportunity this morning to say, whether 714 00:33:39,700 --> 00:33:42,200 you're, you know, a parent, a grandparent, a great 715 00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:44,200 grandparent. I wanted to look at all of you 716 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:49,300 guys and say you matter in fact, as far as what God is doing here 717 00:33:49,300 --> 00:33:52,500 at River Bend without what you've done for years and what 718 00:33:52,500 --> 00:33:55,100 you poured out and how the gospel work in different 719 00:33:55,100 --> 00:33:58,500 Generations through you, we wouldn't be exactly what we are. 720 00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:01,200 We wouldn't be a multi-generational church as we 721 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:03,900 are right now and so I just need to look at you and say thank 722 00:34:03,900 --> 00:34:06,500 you. We don't tell you that enough. 723 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:09,400 Miss Shirley, I see you. I know you and mr. 724 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:12,300 Gene and others come in every single week and y'all come down 725 00:34:12,300 --> 00:34:14,000 here. Nobody knows, nobody knows on 726 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:15,300 Thursday, you know, those bulletins. 727 00:34:15,300 --> 00:34:17,699 You have in your hand right now. Somebody has to put all that 728 00:34:17,699 --> 00:34:20,699 together every week, Ashley, who's on our staff, she has a 729 00:34:20,707 --> 00:34:22,500 volunteer teaming and they're a hoot. 730 00:34:22,500 --> 00:34:24,500 I love cutting out there. You never know what you're going 731 00:34:24,500 --> 00:34:27,199 to hear in there, do you but you know what, every single week 732 00:34:27,199 --> 00:34:29,600 they come down and they Faithfully served, you know what 733 00:34:29,600 --> 00:34:32,000 you can easily feel like I'm the Forgotten faithful. 734 00:34:32,199 --> 00:34:33,600 Just being forgotten and I don't matter. 735 00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:35,900 God just reminded me through this story. 736 00:34:36,300 --> 00:34:40,400 There is nothing wasted. So you may be a young person and 737 00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:42,100 you feel like you're the Forgotten fateful. 738 00:34:42,100 --> 00:34:44,300 Like I could see you being a teenager and going Joe. 739 00:34:44,300 --> 00:34:46,000 What about me? Because I'm trying to live a 740 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:49,100 purer life and a holy life and I everybody else is doing it 741 00:34:49,100 --> 00:34:51,400 different than I am. And I feel like such an outcast, 742 00:34:51,500 --> 00:34:54,800 I feel overlooked, I feel forgotten, the Christmas story, 743 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:58,300 reminds you, you need to keep on pressing ahead, keep on seeking 744 00:34:58,300 --> 00:35:02,300 Jesus, Keep on pursuing Holiness because he has not forgot you. 745 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:06,300 You can be in a tough season of parenting, a tough season, in 746 00:35:06,300 --> 00:35:09,800 your marriage, a tough season wherever You may be whatever us 747 00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:13,500 your status is right now and you can feel like I'm just being 748 00:35:13,500 --> 00:35:16,500 faithful and nobody cares. I don't know if this matters or 749 00:35:16,500 --> 00:35:18,300 not but this is the word. The lord gave me. 750 00:35:18,500 --> 00:35:21,500 You do matter. God sees everything and we're 751 00:35:21,508 --> 00:35:24,300 going to try to celebrate better on this Earth but the truth is 752 00:35:24,300 --> 00:35:26,100 we'll never be able to celebrate it all. 753 00:35:26,100 --> 00:35:29,400 But one day in eternity, God is going to bring the record book 754 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:32,900 out and he's gonna kind of shocked us as he reveals all the 755 00:35:32,900 --> 00:35:37,300 things that folks did that we never knew about So this is a 756 00:35:37,308 --> 00:35:39,900 word of Hope for you. If you feel left out, if you 757 00:35:39,900 --> 00:35:41,900 feel like you're at a place where you've been forgotten, 758 00:35:42,600 --> 00:35:45,700 keep on praying and serving. I don't know how long they had 759 00:35:45,700 --> 00:35:49,300 to pray and serve all those years San Simeon, and Anna, 760 00:35:49,300 --> 00:35:51,600 until they finally got their moment with Jesus. 761 00:35:52,300 --> 00:35:55,000 And he showed up, and now they're in history forever, and 762 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:57,900 they will be for eternity because of that faithfulness 763 00:35:57,900 --> 00:36:01,700 that they have. So this is for someone today, 764 00:36:02,500 --> 00:36:06,400 you're included, think about it. God has given us an invitation 765 00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:08,000 to the kingdom. We have to choose whether you're 766 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:10,400 going to believe this invitation or not for the one that's here 767 00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:13,000 today. Mary and Joseph, they had to 768 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:16,300 believe in keep the faith in what God had promised him the 769 00:36:16,300 --> 00:36:18,200 shepherd's. They had to decide to go and 770 00:36:18,200 --> 00:36:20,900 seek Jesus. The wise men they had to search 771 00:36:20,900 --> 00:36:24,600 for months. Simeon and Anna. 772 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:27,500 They had to recognize him when he was before them and not let 773 00:36:27,500 --> 00:36:30,500 doubt take over. Could it be a baby or we looking 774 00:36:30,500 --> 00:36:33,900 for a king? Or we looking for baby king, and 775 00:36:33,900 --> 00:36:36,800 they had to believe, but they all accepted the invitation and 776 00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:39,200 so here's the questions. I want you to consider this 777 00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:42,400 morning church. Have you truly accepted the 778 00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:46,000 invitation to be included. I can't pass over the 779 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:48,600 opportunity without thinking. Maybe God brought somebody to 780 00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:51,900 just this moment. Just this day to realize that 781 00:36:51,900 --> 00:36:54,500 just like these people who Were included that you've been 782 00:36:54,500 --> 00:36:58,900 included to if you surrendered your life to Christ, do you know 783 00:36:58,900 --> 00:37:01,600 how you accept the invitation to be included? 784 00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:07,000 You have to put your faith in, Jesus Christ, Surrender Your 785 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:09,300 Life to him, as Lord. That's literally what it means 786 00:37:09,300 --> 00:37:12,300 to put faith in him to say Jesus, I have so much faith that 787 00:37:12,300 --> 00:37:14,000 I'm ready to let you call the shots. 788 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:15,200 I don't know how that's all going to work. 789 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:17,100 You can say that, but you can say, Lord best. 790 00:37:17,100 --> 00:37:19,900 I know how, like, I'm ready to turn it over to you and begin to 791 00:37:19,900 --> 00:37:23,900 learn to follow you. So just a moment, I'm going to 792 00:37:23,908 --> 00:37:26,600 give you an opportunity both here and at Oakwood to do that. 793 00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:31,500 Now here's the other question though, if the one person here 794 00:37:31,500 --> 00:37:34,300 is the one who needed to be reminded you were included today 795 00:37:34,300 --> 00:37:36,900 for everybody else. Who do you need to include this 796 00:37:36,900 --> 00:37:38,700 Christmas? Because he I told you this is 797 00:37:38,700 --> 00:37:42,200 for everybody, there is somebody on the brink of getting so low 798 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:45,000 in depression that they don't even know if they want to be 799 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:47,300 here anymore. There's somebody in your path. 800 00:37:47,300 --> 00:37:48,800 That's hurting. There's somebody maybe this 801 00:37:48,800 --> 00:37:51,300 financially hurting or somebody that relationally and 802 00:37:51,300 --> 00:37:53,800 emotionally is hurting. If you're not careful, you'll 803 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:56,000 just head up and plow through the Christmas season. 804 00:37:56,200 --> 00:37:59,400 This is the reminder to the church, to all of us, who do you 805 00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:02,100 need to include? There's probably somebody you 806 00:38:02,100 --> 00:38:04,100 work with right now. Maybe the holy spirit's already 807 00:38:04,100 --> 00:38:05,700 doing that work in your like shoot. 808 00:38:06,300 --> 00:38:08,100 I see him now, I see her right now. 809 00:38:08,100 --> 00:38:11,100 In my mind, there's somebody that I need to be sure to 810 00:38:11,107 --> 00:38:14,500 include them in Christmas, you may even it's crazy sounding. 811 00:38:14,700 --> 00:38:17,600 You may need even need to invite somebody in, to do Christmas, 812 00:38:17,600 --> 00:38:19,200 celebrate Christmas with you this year. 813 00:38:19,400 --> 00:38:21,000 How cool of a picture of the church? 814 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:22,700 Would it be if you knew there was somebody? 815 00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:24,700 I knew that was going to be alone and you said, hey once you 816 00:38:24,700 --> 00:38:27,700 come celebrate with us, or can we come celebrate with you? 817 00:38:29,700 --> 00:38:32,500 Who do you most identify with this morning, the broken 818 00:38:32,500 --> 00:38:35,000 relationships, the outcast, The Overlook. 819 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:36,600 There's are the Forgotten faithful. 820 00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:40,400 Wherever you identify with the most, you just need to know like 821 00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:45,100 Christmas is a reminder that you have been included. 822 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:48,000 You have been included, listen, both here. 823 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:50,100 And at Oakwood, I want you to Bow your heads, if you will all 824 00:38:50,100 --> 00:38:51,700 over the room, bow with me right now. 825 00:38:52,300 --> 00:38:55,100 Listen, if you know that God has included you today. 826 00:38:55,100 --> 00:38:57,900 Then here's the invitation, I want you to pray with me right 827 00:38:57,900 --> 00:38:59,100 where you are. If you know, Oh, that the 828 00:38:59,107 --> 00:39:02,100 invitation is for you and you know that he's includes you and 829 00:39:02,100 --> 00:39:05,000 you're ready to surrender. Just say this prayer from your 830 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:08,300 heart to his heart. Just say Jesus, I Surrender my 831 00:39:08,300 --> 00:39:12,000 life to you. I'm ready to follow. 832 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:17,100 You just tell him Lord, thank you for inviting me to be your 833 00:39:17,100 --> 00:39:22,800 child. Forgive me of my sin and help me 834 00:39:23,100 --> 00:39:27,900 live the new life you have for me, thank you for saving me. 835 00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:31,700 Listen, if you prayed that prayer this morning both here or 836 00:39:31,700 --> 00:39:34,700 at Oakwood Oakwood, you need to let Pastor Michael know in just 837 00:39:34,700 --> 00:39:36,500 a moment come down and let him know. 838 00:39:36,500 --> 00:39:38,800 I prayed that prayer this morning I'm in I know God 839 00:39:38,800 --> 00:39:41,500 including me, listen for me. I'm gonna be hanging out here. 840 00:39:41,500 --> 00:39:44,800 Listen for everybody else both here and at Oakwood today, 841 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:47,400 there's somebody you need to be praying for. 842 00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:49,900 There's somebody you need to just thank God, he included you. 843 00:39:49,900 --> 00:39:52,300 So we're going to respond with our feet right now. 844 00:39:52,300 --> 00:39:54,300 Is we worship him. So I want to invite you. 845 00:39:54,300 --> 00:39:56,500 If there's somebody, you know, you need to include pray for 846 00:39:56,500 --> 00:39:58,500 him. Now this morning if God's just 847 00:39:58,600 --> 00:40:00,400 Did you? You are included, come and pray 848 00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:03,600 and thank him today at the altar Pastor Michael, you can take it 849 00:40:03,600 --> 00:40:10,700 at the campus. And so father right now, I ask 850 00:40:10,700 --> 00:40:13,300 you to let us be able to respond to this invitation or do you 851 00:40:13,300 --> 00:40:17,100 have invited us because you love us and God for that one person's 852 00:40:17,100 --> 00:40:18,600 here today. And they needed to hear this 853 00:40:18,600 --> 00:40:20,900 Lord, I Thank you. I would do this message all over 854 00:40:20,900 --> 00:40:22,300 again because that's what you said doing. 855 00:40:22,300 --> 00:40:24,500 So God for whoever whoever is heart. 856 00:40:24,500 --> 00:40:28,400 That is today, I'm asking you God, fill them up with joy, fill 857 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:30,900 them up with the reminder that they matter feel them. 858 00:40:30,900 --> 00:40:33,400 Take away their shame as they surrender to you. 859 00:40:33,600 --> 00:40:36,400 Give them new life as they literally new life as they walk 860 00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:39,500 out of the house today. If the spirits heal the hearts 861 00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:42,800 heal, the emotions, Lord, Heal The Mines, God you can heal 862 00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:44,400 anything. And so Lord, we call on your 863 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:47,900 healing hand over this place today over every person's heart 864 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:50,900 mine family marriage relationships. 865 00:40:51,400 --> 00:40:54,200 For those that feel outcasted and overlooked God today remind 866 00:40:54,200 --> 00:40:57,300 them through the power of your spirit they matter and matter to 867 00:40:57,300 --> 00:41:00,500 you they matter to this church. So Lord, as we worship you now, 868 00:41:00,500 --> 00:41:03,200 I pray that you would let us Worship in spirit and Truth in 869 00:41:03,200 --> 00:41:08,500 Jesus name. Thank you for listening to the 870 00:41:08,500 --> 00:41:10,100 river. Bend Church podcast. 871 00:41:10,300 --> 00:41:13,000 Learn more about who we are as a church and how to connect you 872 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:16,000 can head over to our website Riverbend Church dot life.