1 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:10,200 We welcome you to the Via Zion Sermon podcast. 2 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:13,080 We are a church based out of Chennai, India. 3 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:16,360 We are thrilled that you tuned in today and hope that you will 4 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:19,920 be refreshed, revived, and energized by what you hear. 5 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:23,400 Our desire is that you will live life with a renewed sense of 6 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:26,840 purpose that stems from a vibrant faith in Jesus. 7 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:32,200 The year 2025 is 1 where we will be positioned by God to possess 8 00:00:32,439 --> 00:00:35,480 our promise. As we are in the Advent season, 9 00:00:35,480 --> 00:00:39,040 we look afresh at Jesus, the quintessential promise. 10 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,800 Whatever this year has looked like with its highs and lows, we 11 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:45,920 bring it all back to Jesus, without whom this year would 12 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:49,800 have been empty and unbearable. He isn't just a promise that God 13 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,400 made, but He is the promise giver and promise keeper. 14 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:56,080 Hi Church, this has a joy and a privilege to be able to bring 15 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:59,440 God's Word to you today, even as we take some time to listen to 16 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:00,520 God's Word. For those of you who are 17 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:04,680 watching online or listening, I pray and believe that God will 18 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:07,280 minister to us. His Word doesn't come back to us 19 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:09,200 void. Whatever we'll receive, whatever 20 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:13,040 we hear, whatever we read, I believe it finds root in our 21 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:15,720 hearts and it starts working within us. 22 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,160 You know how many of you can agree that Jesus is the promise 23 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:20,760 for this season? Amen. 24 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:24,640 He came down 2000 years back. He was the fulfillment of 25 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:26,240 Emmanuel. He is God with us. 26 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:29,760 He died on the cross. He rose again and we get to 27 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:33,800 experience him every day. And so today in Advent, as we 28 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:37,440 saw the bumper, as we heard last week, you know, sometimes this 29 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:40,760 promise can seem like it's missed. 30 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:42,760 It's just moving away. It's not there. 31 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:45,880 And I pray and ask that this promise will become real in your 32 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:47,960 heart. Jesus is the promise. 33 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:50,040 He is the promise giver. So for those of you who are 34 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:53,000 holding on to his word, I pray and ask that he'll give us the 35 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,360 strength and the grit to hold on to it, that we won't let go. 36 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:00,280 And hold on to something else. He is the promise keeper because 37 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,360 he keeps his promises. He not when he gives it, but he 38 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:06,200 also fulfills it in his time. And so a lot of the promises 39 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:08,759 that we receive here on this earth is so that we can bring 40 00:02:08,759 --> 00:02:12,600 heaven here on earth if he came down, which means we can also 41 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:16,400 believe in God. And so this Christmas, it's not 42 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,800 about us just believing it, but it's also about witnessing it 43 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:23,120 and experiencing it. You all, me included, can 44 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:25,080 experience the miraculous hand of God. 45 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:28,920 Last week we saw from the lives of Joseph and Mary of how one 46 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:31,560 was a vessel and the other one was a steward. 47 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:35,840 And I believe God is wanting to shape us into those two specific 48 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:38,880 things where we'll be able to be a vessel for His miraculous. 49 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:41,160 And I believe and ask, I don't know about you, but we are 50 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:43,640 believing for God's miraculous hand on our lives. 51 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:46,680 And I pray and ask that we all will be partakers of that. 52 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:50,600 We won't just be reliant on our own strength, on our own 53 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:53,600 abilities, on our own things that we are surrounded. 54 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:57,240 We'll rely on Him solely so that we'll see the miraculous hand of 55 00:02:57,240 --> 00:02:59,120 God in our lives. And I pray we'll also be better 56 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:02,160 stewards because God's given us certain things that he wants us 57 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:06,800 to do, you know, be responsible for the message that he's 58 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,400 deposited within us. And so today, even as we 59 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:11,720 continue, we're going to go to the second part and I'm going to 60 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:16,040 go into this area of these two special characters that 61 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:19,400 witnessed the birth of Jesus. You all know what I'm talking 62 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:22,240 about. It's about the shepherds and the 63 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:23,760 wise men, and we'll be looking into them. 64 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,840 But even before you go into that, I just wanted us to kind 65 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:30,480 of go back into some of the things that we are plagued by as 66 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,560 society. You know, a lot of us when we 67 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:37,560 are looking into our own country, into the own fabric of 68 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:42,240 our, of being a citizen of this land, we realize it's not as 69 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:44,880 plain as it's, look, we're just not this one citizen around. 70 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:48,080 We realized that we've had different systems in place. 71 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:49,760 We have certain categories in place. 72 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:52,240 And so one of the things that we realized is we have been divided 73 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:56,040 by categories time and again, you know, from the last census 74 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:59,880 that they took in our country to where we are today, we we are 75 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:02,960 categorized into these different sub caste systems. 76 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:08,160 We have the FC, we have the BC and then we have these Obcs and 77 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,280 the SC and the St. and this forms a society. 78 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:15,160 We were divided in such a way. We have with that division. 79 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:17,920 What happened economically, we were divided. 80 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,040 Education wise, we were divided, opportunity wise, we were 81 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:23,920 divided. And so within these categories, 82 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:26,200 we've been surviving within these categories. 83 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,960 Socio economic systems work within these categories. 84 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,080 Our experiences differ within these categories. 85 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:36,400 Even our understanding of God changes within these categories. 86 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:41,480 We see differences in the way we all live. 87 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:44,600 But one of the things that remains a common denominator is 88 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:47,000 sin. Sin effects all these different 89 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,240 categories. The outcome of sin effects all 90 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:51,720 these categories. The outcome of sin in terms of 91 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:56,240 brokenness effects everyone. And so today when we are living 92 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:58,800 in this world with these different categories, and that 93 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:02,880 category more or less is not even just probably seen around, 94 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:06,760 but it's in our mindset. And so we fall back on that time 95 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:09,320 and again. And so as Christ's followers, 96 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,400 what are we called to receive this Christmas? 97 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:15,800 Because this Christmas when we see these two specific groups of 98 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,640 people who came to worship him, God tied the ends. 99 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:23,120 He made sure everyone from the least to the most well known, He 100 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:25,400 tied everyone and all of us fall within this category. 101 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:30,680 And I want to encourage you today, we are not as Christ 102 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:32,840 follows, we don't have just access to certain things. 103 00:05:32,840 --> 00:05:36,280 We have access to God, Holy stereotypically, you know, we 104 00:05:36,280 --> 00:05:39,400 might be holding jobs here based on this categories that I spoke 105 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:43,080 about. But God is saying what I have my 106 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:45,840 plans for you is forgiven for all of mankind. 107 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:49,200 It's for whoever receives him. To them, He's given them the 108 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:52,360 power to become children of God. And so we all get access to his 109 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,880 inheritance and so we all can get to claim the benefit of 110 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:57,720 being His children. And one of that is being 111 00:05:57,720 --> 00:05:59,840 eternity, spending eternity with him. 112 00:05:59,840 --> 00:06:01,400 One of that is spending eternity. 113 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:03,880 You know, one of that is living whole lives here. 114 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:05,560 One of that is finding healing here. 115 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:07,480 One of that is finding restoration here. 116 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:10,600 One of that is finding, you know, a place where we can come 117 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:12,800 together and share of God's goodness. 118 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:16,720 One of that is actually having hope for the generations to 119 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:21,240 come. And so today, what is God asking 120 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:23,800 us? God, we're probably living in a 121 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:27,120 world today where we probably haven't experienced any kind of 122 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,640 discrimination or we've faced equality or, you know, we are 123 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:33,400 probably in an egalitarian setup. 124 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:37,440 But God's asking today. A lot of us are feeling that 125 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:39,880 unsaid thing. A lot of us are feeling 126 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:42,320 invisible. A lot of us are feeling, why is 127 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:44,800 this just happening to me and my family? 128 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:50,760 But in the season of Advent, it's a beautiful reminder that 129 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:54,000 the people of God were expectedly waiting for this 130 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:56,800 Messiah to come. And it just doesn't end that 131 00:06:56,880 --> 00:07:00,560 every time we celebrate Advent every year is a reminder for us 132 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:03,200 is are we also waiting expectantly? 133 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:07,240 Because if you're not waiting expectantly, we will miss out in 134 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:10,280 seeing Jesus in the everyday. What are some of the things that 135 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,680 we feel like are plaguing us today? 136 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:16,440 As much as I talked about those categories that might not make 137 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:19,200 sense, but some of the categories that the outcomes of 138 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:22,320 those categories are debt. Some of those categories that 139 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:25,880 we've seen as broken homes, some of that we've seen as 140 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:29,320 relationships is fraying. Some of the thing we've seen as 141 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:31,360 ill health. We've come into this culture of 142 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:34,400 performance. We've come into this pressure of 143 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,440 having to be someone who we aren't really. 144 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:41,760 We also see this other thing of being marginalized. 145 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:45,840 We also see this other thing of what we, we might feel like we 146 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:48,480 don't belong. And all these are probably, you 147 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:53,280 might say is very felt. But Jesus who came 2000 years 148 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:56,440 back, came for all of this, came for all of this. 149 00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:59,080 And the reason why I wanted to start off with this is because 150 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:04,160 many a times we just think the Christmas message is for us, but 151 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:05,640 the Christmas message is for everyone. 152 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:07,800 Sometimes we just think, you know what? 153 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:10,800 The aspect of Christmas is only for those who are privileged 154 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:14,520 because we suddenly wear these shoes where we suddenly think we 155 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:17,520 are bringing joy. We are bringing, we are able to 156 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:19,200 give gifts. And so we think we are in this 157 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:21,960 giving mode. No, but everyone is in the place 158 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:25,440 of receiving. Yes, generosity is filled as 159 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:28,320 we're grateful for what God said, and so we are giving, but 160 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:33,240 are we also receiving from the one who came? 161 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:36,799 Is Emmanuel really relevant to us today? 162 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:39,120 And that's why our Christian faith is so pivotal. 163 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:42,559 That's why this promise is very important. 164 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:47,440 It has no room for Iraqi. We all have the same access to 165 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:49,200 God. You know, one of the beautiful 166 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:52,440 passages that we get to read is what the Psalmist have written. 167 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:55,320 And in that they say in Psalm chapter 91, we're going to read 168 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:58,200 from the Passion translation. You can follow it even as we 169 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:00,520 need. When you abide under the shadow 170 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:04,480 of Shadai, you are hidden in the strength of God Most High. 171 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:09,760 He's the hope that holds me and the stronghold to shelter me, 172 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:14,080 the only God for me and my great confidence. 173 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:22,480 This word Shaddai is the is a is a Hebrew word which means 174 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:27,280 almighty, which means it establishes God as the one who 175 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:31,760 can accomplish his purposes, protect his covenant people and 176 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:34,520 supply every need. Sometimes we just read, you 177 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:37,760 know, whoever dwells in the shadow of the Almighty and we 178 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:41,600 don't understand the all compassing nature of the 179 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:46,360 Almighty. This Shaddai is he establishes, 180 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:50,720 he accomplishes his purposes in US, He protects us and he 181 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:53,720 supplies everything. And so there are, there are a 182 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:56,800 lot of occurrences, close to 48 occurrences of this world. 183 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:02,200 But as we read this, it's an evidence that God is with us 184 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:05,600 through everything. So today, if it's if you're 185 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:10,040 feeling less purposeful, you can still rest under the shadow of 186 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:12,200 Shaddai. If you're feeling, you know what 187 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:14,480 provision is hard, it's a struggle. 188 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:18,600 I'm not able to make ends meet. You can still rest under the 189 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,920 shadow of Shadai today if you feel you're not protected, you 190 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:25,400 feel like the enemy is around. He's his darts are coming out at 191 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:27,120 you. You know, he's striking you with 192 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:30,240 the wrong identity. He's speaking you to the old man 193 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:33,280 that was that that existed. And now he's not able to see the 194 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:36,800 new transformed man. Rest in the shadow of Shadai, 195 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:42,040 and he will protect you. And so today, this one aspect of 196 00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:46,760 Advent is very important. We need to learn to rest in Him, 197 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:51,440 because if we don't rest in him, we'll get caught up with what 198 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:57,360 the world wants us to be under. And I believe when Jesus came 199 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:00,160 into this world, he came to set us free once and for all. 200 00:11:00,680 --> 00:11:03,800 So when you receive Jesus into your heart, you are set free 201 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:08,000 once and for all the systems, the patterns, the the thought 202 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:10,840 processes, the structures that the world is wanting to operate. 203 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:13,560 And many times these structures are not physical structures, not 204 00:11:13,560 --> 00:11:16,760 what we face in person, but it's structurally right here. 205 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:20,560 You suddenly are not able to see that God will carry you through 206 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:24,640 because here you're still captive to the plans and to the 207 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:27,360 patterns that the enemy's already worked in and through 208 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:29,480 your life. As I was reading and meditating 209 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:32,080 through these two beautiful stories that you're going to 210 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:35,640 see, you know, it's interesting. They covered two different 211 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:39,320 aspects of society. The shepherds and the wise men 212 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:44,880 are two distinct aspects of the society. 1 was outside the city. 213 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:46,360 One was in the heart of the city. 214 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:49,880 If you have to put it into that category. 215 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:55,320 And God was reminding I came for all that message can never 216 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:58,320 change. I came so that I can fulfill 217 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:02,440 everyone will find. Just imagine that I can't wait 218 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:08,720 to see what it is like to see the whole gospel being revealed 219 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:13,360 to us many a times just take part in part, but God saying I 220 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:17,440 came to fulfill the law, which means he didn't just fulfill our 221 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:19,800 aspect. He fulfilled in his entirety the 222 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:22,720 two things that we are going to be looking in their characters. 223 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:25,080 The first are the shepherds. And let's, so let's just read 224 00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:26,960 from Luke chapter 2 verses 8 onwards. 225 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:29,400 And this is what it says. And there were shepherds living 226 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:32,360 out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks 227 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:34,400 at night. An Angel of the Lord appeared to 228 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:36,600 them and the glory of the Lord shown around them. 229 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:39,600 And they were terrified. But the Angel said to them, do 230 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:41,480 not be afraid. I bring you good news that will 231 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:46,160 cause great joy for all people. Today in the town of David, a 232 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:49,680 Savior has been born to you. He's the Messiah, the Lord. 233 00:12:49,680 --> 00:12:53,280 This will be assigned to you. You will find a baby wrapped in 234 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:57,760 cloth and lying in a Manger. Suddenly a great company of 235 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:01,440 heavenly host appeared with the Angel praising God and saying, 236 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:05,120 Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth, peace to 237 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:09,520 those on whom his favor rests. When the angels had left them 238 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:11,760 and gone into heaven, the shepherd said to one another, 239 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:15,520 Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened 240 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:19,680 which the Lord has told us about. 241 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:24,000 Just remember, they're living in a time and age, but God hasn't 242 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,800 spoken for 400 years. God hasn't spoken for 400 years. 243 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:31,680 And what we heard last week was what probably happened little 244 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:36,200 over than a year back, you know, mainly getting betrothed and the 245 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:39,120 Spirit of God coming up on her, she becoming pregnant in the 246 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:42,160 same time, Zechariah and Elizabeth having John. 247 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:46,520 This is where we see God really moving, you know, within the his 248 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:48,720 people. A year before that, but before 249 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:53,640 that there were 400 years of silence right after captivity. 250 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:56,840 They repent, they sin, another regime comes. 251 00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:59,720 And so this has been happening. And in 400 years what's happened 252 00:13:59,960 --> 00:14:03,120 from the Assyrians to the Babylonians to the Persians to 253 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:06,440 the Medes, we move to the Greek, and then the Romans come in 254 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:09,040 play. And so now Israel is under the 255 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:12,480 Roman authority. And So what they are living 256 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:15,680 under, they still have temples, they still have as they're 257 00:14:15,680 --> 00:14:18,200 living under the rulership of the Romans, they still have 258 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:21,000 their own places of worship. They've still formed this 259 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:25,040 religious structures through which they're walking through, 260 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:27,360 which has become more of a burden than for anyone to 261 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:30,840 actually wholly love God. But in the midst of this, 262 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:33,120 there's a remnant who's still seeking God. 263 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:37,920 And the reason why I'm spending some time here is the the first 264 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:40,600 group of people that we're seeing are the ones who 265 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:44,160 immediately went to see Jesus when he was born. 266 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:47,360 And these are the nobodies of society. 267 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:49,880 These are the ones who will always have doubt. 268 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:53,400 You know, for many of us, we've heard the story of a shepherd 269 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:57,560 who's actually looking after he cries, fox, fox. 270 00:14:57,560 --> 00:14:59,440 And he goes and says, and he says, I'm joking, you know. 271 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:03,560 And so there's this, there's this loosely character sketch 272 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:07,880 that's done around these kind of people, the shepherds that they 273 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:10,320 are nobodies, you know, they are, they are left to just take 274 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:12,520 care because they are all by themselves with their sheep. 275 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:17,600 But we also see there are people in the Old Testament who, who 276 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:22,040 occupied those spaces and were kings who occupied the spaces 277 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:24,760 and hurt God. And so a couple of the things 278 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:27,880 that would have been really ingrained in the shepherds. 279 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:30,600 And why did they immediately go? Because the message that came 280 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:34,440 was this is for all people. They were able to find 281 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,640 themselves in that all. And so today I want to ask you, 282 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:40,320 are you finding yourselves in that all? 283 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:43,320 Because a lot of us are discounting the very fact that 284 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:45,600 this Christmas message is not for me because I've not seen my 285 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:48,120 miracle, because I've not I've not witnessed certain things 286 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:51,440 this year or probably I've not been able to see God come 287 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:53,360 through. No, But the good news is for 288 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:55,680 all. So are you able to witness and 289 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:58,640 say God, I see myself in this message. 290 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:01,280 So the first thing is the shepherds saw themselves in the 291 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:04,240 message of the ancients Cape. But the second thing is they 292 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:07,560 immediately responded. And you know, as I was 293 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:10,240 meditating, I was I was just pondering and then God kind of 294 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:11,840 like just highlighted me to Moses. 295 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:15,520 You know, Moses is here who suddenly is just left Egypt. 296 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:19,080 He's moved, he's got married and suddenly when he's sending to 297 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:22,000 sheep, he sees his burning Bush, which is actually on burning. 298 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:25,560 But it just got his attention. And the beautiful thing in that 299 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:28,120 is he received a command and he left. 300 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:33,080 There was something when shepherds encountered the living 301 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:35,880 God that they took the message seriously. 302 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:39,920 It didn't discount them from the very earthly systems that they 303 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:43,320 were governed by, very earthly systems that they were governed 304 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:46,320 by. So the trick the, the, the 305 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:50,360 question that I have for you is it was ingrained in their 306 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:53,000 history. A lot of these are oral 307 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:55,720 learners, you know, even though at that time they had scribes, 308 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:58,400 they had written it. But even from the time of Moses 309 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:01,960 all the way to this time, the story would have been recounted 310 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:04,920 because the five books were the prominent books at that time. 311 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:08,079 Those were the things that they they lived by the God of 312 00:17:08,079 --> 00:17:11,800 Abraham, Jacob and Isaac. Abraham was a Bedouin, was 313 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:15,359 moving around everywhere. There was this immediate 314 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:19,520 response to what God did. I asked them to do that. 315 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:21,400 They did. And so I was wondering, God, why 316 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:24,200 did the shepherds immediately respond to the good news? 317 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:27,040 Because they knew who it came from. 318 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:29,520 Today the good news is coming from God. 319 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:33,920 The good news is for all people, and the good news requires a 320 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:35,520 response. And the first thing I wanted to 321 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:37,880 highlight was the regard of obedience. 322 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:40,560 The shepherd's response was to obey. 323 00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:44,040 They went and they saw what they heard. 324 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:46,640 And so today, what is our response today? 325 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:50,080 Are we ready to obey whatever God's called us to do, whatever 326 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:55,560 God's given us as a instruction? This Advent message is 1 of 327 00:17:55,560 --> 00:18:00,640 obedience is 1 of obedience. If you want to be a steward, if 328 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:04,280 you want to be a vest, if you want to be 1 who's willing to 329 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:06,600 receive the message that is for all people. 330 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:10,040 It requires obedience. And the question I have for you 331 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:14,040 today is, are we carrying history of God speaking to us 332 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:17,960 today? Where, where have we witnessed 333 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:20,000 it? Where have we witnessed it 334 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:21,720 today? A lot of us are coming from 335 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:26,760 lineages where our parents have heard God and have responded. 336 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:29,440 Our grandparents have heard God and have responded. 337 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:36,160 We in the last 40 years, time and again have seen God 338 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:38,560 answered. And so today do we have a 339 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,720 history for us to lean back on? They had a history which was far 340 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:43,760 beyond generations. The God who called them, the God 341 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:47,280 who set them as a nation, They had a God to actually look back 342 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:50,600 in history and say this is the God who's calling us today. 343 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:52,800 We also have a God who's calling us. 344 00:18:53,120 --> 00:18:56,680 Can we respond to that? Maybe not rewrite our own 345 00:18:56,680 --> 00:19:00,400 history, maybe go back to it and live and stand on the testimony 346 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:04,680 of what people have encountered in their lives and what you're 347 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:08,960 holding on to. We are not living in a time when 348 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:12,520 God is silent. Yes, we have videos, we have 349 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:17,200 reels, we have posts, we have sermons, we have the Bible is 350 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:19,600 everywhere. We have all that across the 351 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:23,320 world. But God is not silent today. 352 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:27,520 There is. God is raising up a remnant 353 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:32,400 who's ready to say yes to God. What are we receiving from God 354 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:35,600 today? Shepherds were the first 355 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:38,440 carriers of the message that Jesus was born. 356 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:42,000 They were the first witnesses. They went and they saw Shepherds 357 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:44,200 took the message seriously because they knew it was the 358 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:48,520 weight for their Messiah. It's it's it's, it's interesting 359 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:53,720 such a big message was hand delivered by God himself to the 360 00:19:54,120 --> 00:19:58,640 to the least in the society. That's what humbleness looks 361 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:01,160 like. God of all creation. 362 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:03,840 He came to the outcasts of those societies. 363 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:06,840 They literally were staying outside the perimeter, taking 364 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:09,680 care, attending. He comes there and he says, hey, 365 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:13,640 I've come into the world. If they are all not seeing you, 366 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:19,280 I'm seeing you. The King has come, Messiah is 367 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:21,480 born. They just didn't listen. 368 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:24,440 They obeyed. They went. 369 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:28,640 They verified what they heard, They witnessed of what they 370 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:31,400 heard, and so in fact, when we read, it says that from verse 371 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:34,400 16. So they hurried off and found 372 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:37,200 Mary and Joseph and the baby who was lying in the Manger. 373 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:40,800 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what 374 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:45,560 had been told to them about this child, and all who heard him 375 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:48,000 were amazed at what the shepherd said to them. 376 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:52,120 But Mary treasured up all these things and ponded them in her 377 00:20:52,120 --> 00:20:53,920 heart. The shepherd's returned, 378 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:58,200 glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard 379 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:02,200 and seen, which were just as they had been told. 380 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:06,320 It's interesting because we don't hear about the shepherds 381 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:10,560 33 years, 30 years later when Jesus is in his ministry. 382 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:14,920 We don't hear about them, but their attitude to what had 383 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:20,480 happened, their response to their obedience was to share, 384 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:26,160 and I believe that still remains the heartbeat of Advent in our 385 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:30,120 second expectation of waiting for the arrival of the King of 386 00:21:30,120 --> 00:21:33,040 Kings. We are just not called to keep 387 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:35,800 the message to ourselves. We are called to tell. 388 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:39,160 We are called to share. We are called to go about and 389 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:41,200 tell of His good works to everyone. 390 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:48,400 If you and I are not able to obey into doing that, we will 391 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:53,480 not be able to see the complete gospel being given to the people 392 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:56,040 around. And so as we see from these 393 00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:58,880 shepherds life, what is God calling us to carry today into 394 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:04,200 this world that we are because you and I have this message 395 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:07,680 right within us. But are we like the shepherds? 396 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:10,760 Are we like the shepherds? They didn't look for prominence. 397 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:13,560 They, they, how would they have gone and shared? 398 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:15,640 They would have gone around and say, hey, guess what? 399 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:18,960 These angels came. They have said a Messiah is 400 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:21,080 born. I'm sure there were many others 401 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:24,320 who gathered around. Suddenly Mary would have felt 402 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:27,120 what's happening, and that's why it says she pondered. 403 00:22:27,120 --> 00:22:30,760 She kept it close to her heart because she knew there were 404 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:32,040 bigger things that were going to come. 405 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:38,800 And it's important for us to see that God is wanting us to be His 406 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:42,360 carriers today. What are you disqualifying 407 00:22:42,360 --> 00:22:45,680 yourselves with? Is it your life choices? 408 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:48,120 Is it some of the things that you think you know? 409 00:22:48,120 --> 00:22:51,040 What if people know this side of me, they might just write me 410 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:52,680 off. People can write you off. 411 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:56,840 God won't write you off. People can say what you know, 412 00:22:56,840 --> 00:22:59,040 who you were in your sinful state. 413 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:01,720 But God sees you the minute you ask for forgiveness, the minute 414 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:05,200 you allow Him to change you, the minute you start exhibiting 415 00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:08,000 Jesus is light in and through your life. 416 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:11,160 You really need to be bothered of what Jesus says. 417 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:13,080 And so I want to turn my attention to Colossians. 418 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:15,840 Chapter 1 was 24 to 29. That's what it says. 419 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:19,320 I can even celebrate the sorrows I've experienced on your behalf. 420 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:22,600 For as I join with you and your difficulties, it helps you to 421 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:25,680 discover what lacks in your understanding of the sufferings 422 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:28,680 Jesus Christ experienced for His body, the Church. 423 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,200 This is the very reason I've been made a minister by the 424 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:35,000 authority of God and a servant to His body, so that in his 425 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:39,080 detailed plan I would fully equip you with the Word of God. 426 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:42,960 There is a divine mystery, a secret surprise that has been 427 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:46,280 concealed from the world for generations, but now it's being 428 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:49,120 revealed, unfolded and manifested for every holy 429 00:23:49,120 --> 00:23:52,760 believer to experience. Living within you is the Christ 430 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:55,720 who floods you with expectation of glory. 431 00:23:55,720 --> 00:24:00,080 The mystery of Christ embedded within us becomes a heavenly 432 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:04,360 treasure chest of hope, filled with the riches of glory for His 433 00:24:04,360 --> 00:24:07,680 people. And God wants everyone to know 434 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:09,720 it. Christ is our message. 435 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:13,360 We preach to awaken hearts and bring every person into the full 436 00:24:13,360 --> 00:24:17,080 understanding of truth. It has become my inspiration and 437 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:22,480 passion in ministry to labor with a tireless intensity with 438 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:26,920 His power flowing through me to present to every believer the 439 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:31,720 revelation of being is perfect one in Jesus Christ. 440 00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:37,000 Even as I read this, this divine mystery that we read about is 441 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:39,520 concealed within us. For those of us who have seemed 442 00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:42,120 and I love this verse, what it says in verse 27. 443 00:24:42,120 --> 00:24:45,320 It says living within you is the Christ who floods you with the 444 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:49,440 expectation of glory. The mystery of Christ embedded 445 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:51,840 within us. You know one of the things about 446 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:54,360 being embedded is it's hardwired. 447 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:58,600 It's the board is there. It's just been infused with it. 448 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:04,960 It becomes a very fabric. No longer will the the sinful 449 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:08,400 nature have its voice. It becomes Christ who has his 450 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:10,920 voice. So today, just as the shepherds 451 00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:14,760 have received it, they saw and we know in the Bible for those 452 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:18,480 of us who receive Jesus and have this faith, even though we just 453 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:21,520 believe with the hearts and have not seen God credits to us. 454 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:25,000 He thinks that he he's positioned us to a place that 455 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:28,480 your faith is higher than those who see me and believed. 456 00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:32,360 And so today, as you and I believe in this Jesus who's 457 00:25:32,360 --> 00:25:35,320 living within us, who was working in it through US, he's 458 00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:37,480 embedded in us so that his glory will be evident. 459 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:41,720 What has happened when you are studying neural networks in our 460 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:44,360 engineering, there's this main emphasis on what is being 461 00:25:44,360 --> 00:25:46,960 embedded. When it's embedded, what happens 462 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:48,440 is it makes everything run smooth. 463 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:54,160 It exponentially runs faster. It's caused to do certain 464 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:58,080 things, run in a particular way, and this embedding that Paul is 465 00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:02,000 talking about is so that the mystery of Christ, the wholeness 466 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:05,560 of Christ, will be within us. Anything that we lack, the 467 00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:08,920 gospel has its answer. Anything that we think we are 468 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:12,400 lacking in the gospel just requires us to open it and 469 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:14,560 meditate and allow Christ to run through it. 470 00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:16,760 My lack has to go through His glory. 471 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:19,640 My struggles have to go through His dependency. 472 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:23,960 My needs and wants, as earthly as it is, has to run through Him 473 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:28,200 so I can receive contentment and satisfaction in Christ Jesus. 474 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:31,440 Today we've received the same message of Christ, his 475 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:36,160 resurrection. And the ask for us is, are we 476 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:41,240 willing to change so that God will be glorified in this entire 477 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:43,520 equation? For the shepherds, it was God's 478 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:48,520 message, God's revelation, God's freedom of the gospel that came 479 00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:51,200 to them and they shared about it in its entirety. 480 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:57,800 And so today you and I have a story to share. 481 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:00,840 The very fact that I couldn't have planned my life to this 482 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:02,800 extent. The very fact that even if I 483 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:05,560 close my eyes, I have hope knowing where I'm going. 484 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:09,480 The very fact that I don't have fear of eternity. 485 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:14,200 How much do we have to share? How much is God doing around us 486 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:19,680 that causes us to take this and say we are ready to share? 487 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:22,960 So I pray we'll stop disqualifying yourselves. 488 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:26,800 We stop disqualifying ourselves because when we are embedded in 489 00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:29,720 Christ, there's a heavenly treasure of hope. 490 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:33,560 Christmas is all about the hope that we have in Jesus. 491 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:38,320 Yes, we have war, we have signs of struggle, we have sicknesses, 492 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:41,360 we have illness. But be of good cheer for he, 493 00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:45,800 Jesus, Emmanuel, God, who came down in flesh and who's 494 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:48,680 resurrected today and is seated at the right and has overcome 495 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:52,120 the world. Romans 1513 it says, may the God 496 00:27:52,120 --> 00:27:56,240 of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, 497 00:27:56,240 --> 00:27:59,480 so that you may overflow with the hope by the power of the 498 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:01,600 Holy Spirit. It's what God is saying is me, 499 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,720 may I fill you and may you overflow. 500 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:12,280 May I fill you with hope. Hope is is not that I have 501 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:15,240 everything, but Lord, in the midst of everything, I still 502 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:18,960 believe and trust in you. And as I allow that in my day 503 00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:21,880 and day, month on month, year on year, it automatically has to 504 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:24,360 overflow and with the help of the Holy Spirit starts 505 00:28:24,360 --> 00:28:26,560 overflowing. What becomes that overflow? 506 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:28,560 Christ is our message, no one else. 507 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:31,760 We point everything and everyone to Jesus. 508 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:36,080 He alone is our Saviour. The second thing is we preach to 509 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:39,520 our wakened hearts. Suddenly the Holy Spirit who has 510 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:43,120 been promised to us as a comforter, who has been promised 511 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:48,720 to us as the Ruach, who's been promised to us as the one who 512 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:52,920 has the entire, the Dunamis power is suddenly is showing us 513 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:56,320 who to speak to. It wasn't random people that the 514 00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:58,400 Holy Spirit will take you. Just imagine Philip into the 515 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:02,800 Ethiopian eunuch. Peter spoke to 3000 peoples 516 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:06,560 whose hearts were awakened. You and I will get opportunities 517 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:08,280 to speak whose hearts are awakened. 518 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:10,040 You won't speak to dead end hearts. 519 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:12,520 That's what God to do is supernatural work. 520 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:16,440 We will speak to awakened hearts and where will it be awakened 521 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:22,040 when we can know how to tell the word of God clearly for a time 522 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:25,600 such as this today many a times you're preaching to the wrong 523 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:27,800 hearts. You're preaching to hearts which 524 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:30,720 are not ready to receive. That's why we in church, we 525 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:34,400 specifically have this 2020 where we constantly are living 526 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:37,840 the gospel so that their hearts are awakened. 527 00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:44,200 It's awakened. So I pray that the heart will be 528 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:46,520 plowed as you work, as you do it. 529 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:50,360 That's why when we take the gospel today, we're not just 530 00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:53,200 taking it and dropping it. We say, hey, come along with me. 531 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:58,280 Come along with me. The third thing is when we have 532 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:02,400 this hope that's overflowing in and through us, we will work 533 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:07,280 tirelessly. We hope, Paul says we who have 534 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:12,080 received the first Advent are eagerly waiting for the second 535 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:15,960 return of Jesus. So we work tirelessly today in a 536 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:19,600 world where rest is so exaggerated about. 537 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:22,600 I believe a lot of people have become lazy and a lot of people 538 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:26,440 have taken cushion after that. Today, when we found so many 539 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:31,960 excuses to say burnout, this and that, are we willing to be 540 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:34,160 tireless for the sake of the gospel? 541 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:38,440 You know, it's interesting. If we are truly tireless for the 542 00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:41,120 sake of the gospel, we will in fact flourish. 543 00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:46,080 We will not, you know, be wasted literally. 544 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:49,000 We'll be fruitful. We'll be fruitful into our old 545 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:51,440 age. And so Church, I want to ask you 546 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:54,600 today as the shepherds, are you discounting yourself or are you 547 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:56,000 receiving it? Because the message has come 548 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:58,000 specifically for you, for all people. 549 00:30:58,000 --> 00:30:59,600 You are called to take it to all. 550 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:04,040 And I pray specifically that as you live in this space, you will 551 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:06,520 live out of the overflow that they responded in. 552 00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:09,720 Their response was obedience. Our response is obedience. 553 00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:12,200 When we obey, we live in the overflow. 554 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:15,640 We allow His hope to fill us. And it's the overflow of that 555 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:18,040 the Holy Spirit takes us out where Christ is. 556 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:20,600 Our message. We preached our wakened hearts 557 00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:23,720 and we worked tirelessly, tirelessly. 558 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:26,240 The second thing that we see is the wise men. 559 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:29,960 So as I mentioned earlier, these were probably the ones in the 560 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:32,840 outer perimeter of the place of society. 561 00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:37,720 Then we have the very people who in our day-to-day term would be 562 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:40,880 the downtown, the happening, the people who were in the midst of 563 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:44,240 all the bust, the people who were in in the midst of culture. 564 00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:47,400 So let's read that Matthew chapter 2 verses 1 to 9. 565 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:49,520 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the 566 00:31:49,520 --> 00:31:54,360 time of King Herod, Magi from the East came to Jerusalem and 567 00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:56,920 asked, where is the one who has been born King of Jews? 568 00:31:57,160 --> 00:32:01,360 We saw his star when it rose, and have come to worship him. 569 00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:06,560 When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem 570 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:08,880 with him. When he had called together all 571 00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:12,520 the peoples, chief priests and teachers of the Law, he asked 572 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:17,360 them where the Messiah was to be born In Bethlehem, in Judah. 573 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:20,080 They replied, For this is what the prophet has written. 574 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:23,880 But you, Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are by number means 575 00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:27,080 least among the rulers of Judah for you. 576 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:32,000 Out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. 577 00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:36,720 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them 578 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:39,520 the exact time the star had appeared. 579 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:43,160 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and search carefully 580 00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:45,800 for the child. As soon as you find him, report 581 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:48,560 to me so that I too may go and worship him. 582 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:52,840 After they had heard the king, they went on their way and the 583 00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:57,560 star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it 584 00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:00,960 stopped over the place where the child was. 585 00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:05,760 These wise men decided to leave the minute the star appeared. 586 00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:09,400 Just imagine and it's taken them roughly around like a little 587 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:13,440 over 5-6 months of journey and people say they are to come from 588 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:18,160 the east and it's, it is troublesome. 589 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:23,240 And the reason why I'm saying the wise men, the people in 590 00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:26,920 downtown and culture is, is typically us Taiwan, cities 591 00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:29,760 where we are all seated, where we have access to information, 592 00:33:29,760 --> 00:33:31,240 where we are in the midst of culture. 593 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:34,240 We know what to do, we know what to say, we know how to be, we 594 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:37,080 know how to prepare ourselves. We know what to actually do. 595 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:41,080 In the midst of all the knowing, are we still obeying? 596 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:45,800 Because they chose to obey. The minute the star rose, they 597 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:49,280 knew what they had learnt. They put their learning into 598 00:33:49,280 --> 00:33:52,360 practice and they went in search. 599 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:58,400 And the beautiful thing about knowledge is the fact that there 600 00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:04,040 is a quest, there is a, there is always we've not reached, we've 601 00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:07,280 not reached. And so this is where these wise 602 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:11,639 men, they had wisdom because you'll see in their very act and 603 00:34:11,639 --> 00:34:15,040 the very the very nature and the very way that they operated out 604 00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:17,400 of wisdom. They also operated of a deep 605 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:20,840 sense of God revealing himself. But you also see that there was 606 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:26,040 a there was still a quest to see what is the star. 607 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:29,080 It doesn't it aligns and they were wise by the worldly 608 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:35,159 standards, but God could move the sun, moon and the stars to 609 00:34:35,159 --> 00:34:38,719 get their attention to say, Hey, my son is born here on earth. 610 00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:46,320 And so if we do not have an internal hunger for knowing 611 00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:48,960 more. And so this is, this is, this 612 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:51,960 is, this is, this is a very important thing because in this 613 00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:56,320 Advent story, we every year come back to the same passage, but 614 00:34:56,320 --> 00:34:59,320 there's also a year of refreshing that God wants us to 615 00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:01,560 do. God wants us to experience and 616 00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:05,440 have because the story can be the same, but the revelation is 617 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:08,880 much more clearer now the revelation much more as you've 618 00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:12,440 moved towards understanding him a bit more deeper. 619 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:15,600 And I pray that each and every one of us will have that quest 620 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:19,720 quest to know him a bit more quest to ask God what is it may 621 00:35:19,720 --> 00:35:22,600 not be content. Lord Jesus may not be content 622 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:26,040 may want to know more. You know the problem is we we 623 00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:28,120 think if you've read this, we know it all. 624 00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:32,000 No, it's it's like this treasure trove you keep digging you keep 625 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:34,440 digging. It's interesting that I've over 626 00:35:34,440 --> 00:35:37,720 the last couple of years I've been doing this the Bible in 365 627 00:35:37,720 --> 00:35:42,480 years and every time I'm going to these passages, it's it's 628 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:44,320 something new, it's something new. 629 00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:48,680 It's some his revelation light is much real every year. 630 00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:53,680 So I pray you and I don't settle off with the knowledge we've 631 00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:58,360 received, but we take it back and say God show yourself. 632 00:35:58,640 --> 00:36:02,040 I'm ready to listen. Just imagine here, as I said, as 633 00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:04,520 the people who study the stars and its alignment. 634 00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:08,520 They knew that science talked about a coming saviour. 635 00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:13,120 So today you don't have to be worried about proving Jesus that 636 00:36:13,160 --> 00:36:16,640 if Jesus did Jesus come, you know, it's, it's false. 637 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:19,920 It's, you know, it's a, it's, it's, it's a debunked thing. 638 00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:23,400 They just made it all up. No science itself, God moved the 639 00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:28,760 stars, God, astrologers, people who learnt in this can testify 640 00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:32,360 that science points to Jesus who's a coming savior. 641 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:35,800 Nothing about a God is a myth. Everything in the Bible has its 642 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:40,520 backing today and science proves it and so today we can be so 643 00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:44,680 passionate about the word and grossed is studying, but it's 644 00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:49,000 out working of the gospel in our hearts must move us towards the 645 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:51,560 truth. Today we can study all we want, 646 00:36:51,560 --> 00:36:54,080 we can know all we want, we can see all the messages we want. 647 00:36:54,360 --> 00:36:58,640 We can do all that we want, but is it moving us towards the 648 00:36:58,640 --> 00:37:01,880 truth or is it taking us away from the truth? 649 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:08,000 The problem with a lot of them having to say that I'm faith 650 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:12,680 doesn't make sense anymore is because suddenly somewhere on 651 00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:14,960 the line, some form of automation happened. 652 00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:19,320 Suddenly they didn't. They stopped digging, they 653 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:21,400 stopped asking, they stopped searching. 654 00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:27,680 They were content with the knowledge that God said that God 655 00:37:27,680 --> 00:37:29,440 was not presented anything they were doing. 656 00:37:29,880 --> 00:37:32,160 And So what happens is suddenly you're just hitting hollow, 657 00:37:32,160 --> 00:37:35,400 hollow, hollow. And before you know it, nothing 658 00:37:35,400 --> 00:37:37,760 is making sense. You start questioning even the 659 00:37:37,760 --> 00:37:42,240 revelation light that was once revealed in Micah chapter 5, 660 00:37:42,240 --> 00:37:44,400 verses 2 and four. It says, But you, Bethlehem, 661 00:37:45,680 --> 00:37:50,080 Ephrata, though you are small among the clans of Judah, all of 662 00:37:50,080 --> 00:37:53,960 you will come for me. One who will rule over Israel, 663 00:37:54,240 --> 00:37:58,400 whose origins are from of old, from ancient times, He will 664 00:37:58,400 --> 00:38:01,800 stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the 665 00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:04,760 majesty of the name of the Lord his God, and they will live 666 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:08,320 securely for them. His greatness will reach to the 667 00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:11,280 ends of the earth. It's interesting why Herod got 668 00:38:11,280 --> 00:38:14,880 disturbed. He was under an authority, he 669 00:38:14,880 --> 00:38:18,280 was under a regime, so he knew he was just a proxy person right 670 00:38:18,280 --> 00:38:20,320 there. But when he heard the word of 671 00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:22,600 God, he again went back to his history. 672 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:25,320 He would have grown up knowing who the God of Israel was. 673 00:38:25,320 --> 00:38:27,960 He would have known. And so when someone is coming 674 00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:30,800 who it says he will stand and shepherd his flock in the 675 00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:33,440 strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name, he knew 676 00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:38,920 this person will definitely be the king because anytime a king 677 00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:40,640 rose in the name of the Lord, they survived. 678 00:38:41,440 --> 00:38:43,040 And so that's why Insecurity said it. 679 00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:46,440 He probably wanted. And so their knowledge read by 680 00:38:46,440 --> 00:38:50,120 the revelation light kept them seeking. 681 00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:54,680 Their knowledge led by revelation light kept them 682 00:38:54,680 --> 00:38:57,040 seeking. Today, if you have to be in this 683 00:38:57,040 --> 00:39:00,480 mode of seeking, you need to always have that Revelation 684 00:39:00,480 --> 00:39:03,080 light. That revelation light will not 685 00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:04,920 puff you up. This revelation light, the 686 00:39:04,920 --> 00:39:09,040 minute you get that knowledge, will allow you to expand your 687 00:39:09,040 --> 00:39:12,000 understanding of unity, will allow you to expand of what His 688 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:14,040 Kingdom looks like. We'll allow you to expand and 689 00:39:14,040 --> 00:39:17,680 see this is what God wants. This is what God's calling us to 690 00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:19,600 build. This is what God is calling us 691 00:39:19,600 --> 00:39:23,360 to be set apart in, from and in. This is what God is calling us 692 00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:27,840 to really guard ourselves. This revelation light will only 693 00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:32,520 make sense when we are seeking. Time and again we take it back 694 00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:38,880 and we apply it into our lives. Is a scientific backed 695 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:41,920 understanding of things causing us to stop perceiving God? 696 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:46,960 We made sure it's so comfortable that we are, we've, we've 697 00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:50,240 tutored, we've programmed, we've designed it in such a way that 698 00:39:50,240 --> 00:39:52,800 once a week when we hear it, that encouragement is enough. 699 00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:55,720 But this encouragement is a culmination of what I've been 700 00:39:55,720 --> 00:39:59,680 meditating through the week. This is is a culmination of what 701 00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:03,600 God wants me to hear for the body collectively. 702 00:40:04,080 --> 00:40:06,920 And so today I would ask you, would you personally take that 703 00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:10,640 step to seek God? Every day means revelation. 704 00:40:10,640 --> 00:40:13,680 Like be so evident in your life that you're seeking Him every 705 00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:15,520 day. Wisdom plus action. 706 00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:18,680 In this case, the wise men and what they did was obedience to 707 00:40:18,680 --> 00:40:21,680 God and not man. They were obedient to God and 708 00:40:21,680 --> 00:40:23,920 not man. They came, they went back to the 709 00:40:23,920 --> 00:40:25,600 Scriptures. The scriptures prophesied the 710 00:40:25,600 --> 00:40:28,640 same thing and they knew they were the right path towards 711 00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:31,160 seeing the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. 712 00:40:32,560 --> 00:40:34,760 The second thing that we learnt from the wise men is their 713 00:40:34,760 --> 00:40:38,720 knowledge read by revelation, right brought them prepared to 714 00:40:38,720 --> 00:40:40,640 worship. They didn't come empty handed 715 00:40:41,240 --> 00:40:43,400 when they knew they were going to see the King of Kings and the 716 00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:45,240 Lord of Floods. They didn't come like they're 717 00:40:45,240 --> 00:40:47,880 coming to see a king. They didn't bring it. 718 00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:50,320 It's interesting the gifts that they bought. 719 00:40:50,440 --> 00:40:54,160 Anytime royalty comes to meet another royalty, they bring 720 00:40:54,400 --> 00:40:59,080 things from their land of origin, but what they brought 721 00:40:59,360 --> 00:41:02,880 was everything that they needed to give to the King of kings and 722 00:41:02,880 --> 00:41:06,480 the Lord of Lords. They prophetically wanted to 723 00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:13,640 give it so that they can allow history to say the King of kings 724 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:15,880 has come and what does that look like? 725 00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:20,000 This is why I think wisdom, when we allow God to work in and 726 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:22,520 through US, His wisdom starts operating in and through US. 727 00:41:22,520 --> 00:41:23,960 Matthew chapter 2, verse 10 to 12. 728 00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:26,640 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 729 00:41:27,440 --> 00:41:30,120 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, 730 00:41:30,120 --> 00:41:31,560 and they bowed down and worshipped him. 731 00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:35,280 Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of 732 00:41:35,280 --> 00:41:38,520 gold, frankincense and more. And having been warned and dream 733 00:41:38,520 --> 00:41:41,000 not to go back to Hera, they returned to their country by 734 00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:44,000 another route. They did not come empty handed 735 00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:47,240 to see the King of Kings and the Lord Lord of Lords, as I 736 00:41:47,240 --> 00:41:49,800 mentioned earlier. When, when, when, when, when 737 00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:54,640 These are coming from the East, They would have bought something 738 00:41:54,880 --> 00:41:58,760 from the east to actually gifts. For example, we, we had gone, me 739 00:41:58,760 --> 00:42:00,720 and my wife had gone this step to the US and what did we take? 740 00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:03,280 We took some of the things that our country is known for, some 741 00:42:03,280 --> 00:42:05,840 of the things that we can take back and go give. 742 00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:10,240 And so we represented our nation and that's what gifts giving 743 00:42:10,240 --> 00:42:13,440 looks like. But here when they gave, what 744 00:42:13,440 --> 00:42:15,800 did they give? They gave gold, they gave 745 00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:21,000 frankincense and they gave war. They knew who this king was, why 746 00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:25,000 he came, what had to be given, what had to be given. 747 00:42:25,440 --> 00:42:30,120 Knowledge did not limit them to actually understanding. 748 00:42:30,120 --> 00:42:33,200 They moved in line with the revelation like they knew who 749 00:42:33,200 --> 00:42:35,080 this king was. He was not an ordinary king. 750 00:42:35,280 --> 00:42:39,200 He was not a king who was born out of royal human royalty. 751 00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:42,280 This was God royalty. This was God royalty. 752 00:42:42,280 --> 00:42:45,280 And so they brought gold, gold which denotes royalty. 753 00:42:46,040 --> 00:42:51,040 This royalty that he came, came from above for once and for all. 754 00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:54,240 He is going to be seated on the throne, and when you read 755 00:42:54,240 --> 00:42:56,240 Revelation and you're going to be walking on the streets of 756 00:42:56,240 --> 00:42:59,040 gold, the splendor, that's what gold looks like. 757 00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:02,280 Frankincense. He's of the priestly order. 758 00:43:02,280 --> 00:43:06,120 It says in Hebrews that he's in the order of Melchizedek, the 759 00:43:06,280 --> 00:43:08,240 true high priest. Once and for all. 760 00:43:08,240 --> 00:43:11,400 He came and he offered the sacrifice himself. 761 00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:14,760 He offered the unblemished. And so today you and I aren't 762 00:43:14,920 --> 00:43:18,080 called to do anything like that. We are just called to receive 763 00:43:18,080 --> 00:43:23,200 him, partake, participate and received his redemptive BA. 764 00:43:24,520 --> 00:43:27,880 The third thing we see is BA. It was an anointing oil. 765 00:43:29,040 --> 00:43:32,400 When you read in the book of Exodus, it, it, it talks about a 766 00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:35,920 place where they are all sacred. They use, they, they have a 767 00:43:35,920 --> 00:43:39,120 Craftsman who kind of uses myrrh and all these things and they 768 00:43:39,120 --> 00:43:41,680 create an oil extract all of that and all of that. 769 00:43:41,680 --> 00:43:44,160 They anoint everything and they say these are set apart. 770 00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:46,880 This is holy. So which means Jesus who was 771 00:43:46,880 --> 00:43:51,640 here on earth knew no sin. He didn't have sin in him. 772 00:43:52,080 --> 00:43:54,000 He was set apart from heaven above. 773 00:43:54,920 --> 00:43:58,200 That's what they worshipped, that's what they came. 774 00:43:58,520 --> 00:44:00,520 That's what their revelation light looked like. 775 00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:03,600 And so today their knowledge was led by revelation light, brought 776 00:44:03,600 --> 00:44:07,160 them prepared to worship. You know, it's interesting when 777 00:44:07,160 --> 00:44:10,640 we see all these different depictions, they came prepared. 778 00:44:11,440 --> 00:44:14,840 You know, many a times when I come, I come in different 779 00:44:14,840 --> 00:44:18,840 outfits, very select outfits. If I'm coming to record, I'm 780 00:44:18,840 --> 00:44:21,320 usually coming to record with my shirt and then I'm wearing 781 00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:24,200 shorts. I'm prepared to record because I 782 00:44:24,240 --> 00:44:25,480 only this much is going to be shown. 783 00:44:26,560 --> 00:44:30,040 But when I come to preach on a Sunday, I'm coming with pants 784 00:44:30,040 --> 00:44:33,720 on. I'm dressed for this. 785 00:44:34,120 --> 00:44:36,800 They were dressed even though they knew it was just a child. 786 00:44:37,280 --> 00:44:39,680 They knew even though this person was not going to be in 787 00:44:39,680 --> 00:44:42,040 royalty in a palace, they were prepared. 788 00:44:42,320 --> 00:44:45,720 They knew they had to give it their all to worship. 789 00:44:46,520 --> 00:44:48,920 So today are we giving our all to worship? 790 00:44:49,920 --> 00:44:54,440 Are we giving our all? What they brought out as gifts 791 00:44:55,000 --> 00:45:00,080 were costing them something or could have cost them everything 792 00:45:00,960 --> 00:45:02,640 That's today. What is in our hands today? 793 00:45:04,200 --> 00:45:06,760 Are we ready to worship with all that we have? 794 00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:10,200 You know, many a times we struggle when we read the New 795 00:45:10,200 --> 00:45:12,840 Testament. His bride, the church is where 796 00:45:12,840 --> 00:45:15,000 we see him. So today, when, when, when, 797 00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:17,200 when? I mean we are required to come 798 00:45:17,200 --> 00:45:19,760 to church. How prepared are we? 799 00:45:20,680 --> 00:45:23,040 How prepared are we? Because if we are not prepared 800 00:45:23,040 --> 00:45:26,200 mentally and if we are like, oh man, I just have to go because 801 00:45:26,200 --> 00:45:27,400 the kids will miss Sunday school. 802 00:45:27,400 --> 00:45:29,360 No, I'm prepared because I need to receive. 803 00:45:29,760 --> 00:45:31,720 I'm prepared because I can't wait to worship. 804 00:45:31,760 --> 00:45:34,520 I'm prepared because I want to press in into God's presence 805 00:45:34,520 --> 00:45:36,360 today. I want to, I want to be here 806 00:45:36,360 --> 00:45:38,280 because, and this is no motivation. 807 00:45:38,280 --> 00:45:42,960 This is no motivation. If I can be prepared to worship 808 00:45:42,960 --> 00:45:46,000 the King of Kings, I'd be prepared to do by Monday to 809 00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:49,360 Friday to even the people around because I know God is in it. 810 00:45:50,320 --> 00:45:52,760 So I pray this Revelation Light will give you that wisdom. 811 00:45:53,360 --> 00:45:55,840 The third thing that we see is their knowledge read by 812 00:45:55,840 --> 00:45:59,680 Revelation Light made sure they obeyed the direction they were 813 00:45:59,680 --> 00:46:02,320 asked to take. You know, wisdom would tell 814 00:46:02,320 --> 00:46:06,720 them, you know, in case they had to play favourites. 815 00:46:06,720 --> 00:46:09,200 They knew that, you know, they would have to go to hell. 816 00:46:09,240 --> 00:46:11,600 They have to tell him. He sounded insecure. 817 00:46:11,600 --> 00:46:14,920 He wanted to know, but they knew that the message that they 818 00:46:14,920 --> 00:46:20,280 carried was far important and they were willing to know who to 819 00:46:20,280 --> 00:46:24,280 obey, not the earthly, but God. And it's a clear indication 820 00:46:24,280 --> 00:46:26,400 today in this Advent, who are we really obeying? 821 00:46:26,840 --> 00:46:30,000 Are we obeying the Master of the world? 822 00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:32,480 How are we obeying the master himself? 823 00:46:34,720 --> 00:46:37,680 Because obedience is what will set us apart. 824 00:46:37,680 --> 00:46:40,200 They, they knew they, they risked their lives. 825 00:46:40,880 --> 00:46:43,480 They, they were ready to, they were ready to take. 826 00:46:44,360 --> 00:46:47,800 So today, many a times how we will need to take the chance. 827 00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:51,040 You know, we, we, we are so worried today we'll get 828 00:46:51,040 --> 00:46:53,840 ostracized, we'll be called out, we'll be labeled. 829 00:46:54,480 --> 00:46:58,320 But God's saying, if I have called you, I will protect you. 830 00:46:58,560 --> 00:47:01,280 I will keep you. There will be a time when 831 00:47:01,280 --> 00:47:03,760 persecution arises. There will be a time when you 832 00:47:03,760 --> 00:47:06,360 are targeted for your faith. But be of good cheer, for I've 833 00:47:06,360 --> 00:47:08,800 overcome the world. As I mentioned earlier, Paul 834 00:47:08,800 --> 00:47:10,880 talked earlier when we're talking from Colossians, says 835 00:47:10,880 --> 00:47:13,400 sufferings are real. The sufferings of those who 836 00:47:13,400 --> 00:47:16,640 follow Jesus is real. But that's the cost, that's the 837 00:47:16,640 --> 00:47:18,560 ask for us. If they have gone through 838 00:47:18,560 --> 00:47:21,880 before, we can go through it and come back. 839 00:47:21,880 --> 00:47:26,040 Because in this side of eternity, it's temporary. 840 00:47:26,040 --> 00:47:28,880 Everything is temporary. We are working towards the other 841 00:47:28,880 --> 00:47:31,800 side of eternity. And so even today, even as the 842 00:47:31,800 --> 00:47:36,960 shepherds obeyed and even as the wise men pursued to go see the 843 00:47:36,960 --> 00:47:41,360 King of Kings, Are we ready to do that revelation light. 844 00:47:41,880 --> 00:47:45,320 I pray we will have that. It has to be deeply embedded. 845 00:47:45,320 --> 00:47:48,960 Christ has to be embedded in US. I just want to read a couple of 846 00:47:48,960 --> 00:47:52,360 scriptures before I close. The first thing I wanted to read 847 00:47:52,560 --> 00:47:54,240 is from John chapter one, verse 14. 848 00:47:54,240 --> 00:47:57,680 And it says, and so the living expression became a man and 849 00:47:57,680 --> 00:48:00,640 lived among us. He gazed upon His glory, the 850 00:48:00,640 --> 00:48:03,320 glory of the One and the One who came from the Father, 851 00:48:03,680 --> 00:48:06,840 overflowing with mercy and truth. 852 00:48:07,360 --> 00:48:10,240 Meaning was time, for the perfect light of truth was 853 00:48:10,240 --> 00:48:13,800 coming into the world and shine upon everyone. 854 00:48:14,000 --> 00:48:16,440 He entered into the world He created, yet the world was 855 00:48:16,440 --> 00:48:18,200 unaware. He came to the people He 856 00:48:18,200 --> 00:48:20,880 created, to those who should have received Him, but they did 857 00:48:20,880 --> 00:48:25,840 not recognize Him, but those who embraced Him and took hold of 858 00:48:25,840 --> 00:48:28,320 His name. He gave authority to become 859 00:48:28,320 --> 00:48:33,600 children of God. So today you and I can fall 860 00:48:33,640 --> 00:48:36,160 either into that A category of the worst or the B category. 861 00:48:36,760 --> 00:48:40,000 I pray that you and I will fall into the B category of the 862 00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:42,800 worst. For those who knew who embraced 863 00:48:42,800 --> 00:48:45,320 him and took hold of his name, we have the right to become his 864 00:48:45,320 --> 00:48:49,120 children, which means we are aware of what the culture of our 865 00:48:49,120 --> 00:48:51,040 home is. We are aware of who to call on. 866 00:48:51,040 --> 00:48:54,200 You know, when you become A, when you're a child, you know, 867 00:48:54,200 --> 00:48:57,080 you only called your father and mother the same thing. 868 00:48:57,080 --> 00:48:59,280 When you're a child of God, you know, and you have to call to 869 00:48:59,280 --> 00:49:02,560 God. And so today he's in US. 870 00:49:03,920 --> 00:49:08,160 He is an US, which means we need to allow him to do his work. 871 00:49:08,680 --> 00:49:11,920 You know, just this last week, we have a person who comes and 872 00:49:12,520 --> 00:49:14,960 we chase him literally every year to get him to come and 873 00:49:14,960 --> 00:49:18,240 clean our house. And the interesting thing is we 874 00:49:18,240 --> 00:49:21,760 give him a list of what all he has to do, but invariably he'll 875 00:49:21,760 --> 00:49:25,520 find everything else that's broken in our house and start 876 00:49:25,520 --> 00:49:29,120 fixing those things also. And So what he usually has to 877 00:49:29,120 --> 00:49:31,000 take two days, we'll end up taking seven days. 878 00:49:31,840 --> 00:49:35,280 And it's in this that I realized this is how Jesus wants. 879 00:49:35,720 --> 00:49:39,080 He wants to even just a couple of hours back when I was at 880 00:49:39,080 --> 00:49:43,680 home, a water can got over and he just took the empty water can 881 00:49:43,680 --> 00:49:46,640 out and he came and refilled it. That's what Jesus will do. 882 00:49:46,640 --> 00:49:49,160 If you allow him into your heart, He will come in. 883 00:49:49,960 --> 00:49:54,000 He will walk in and out. He will walk in such a way where 884 00:49:54,320 --> 00:49:59,160 he is just cleaning things up, setting things right, saying, 885 00:49:59,360 --> 00:50:02,600 you know what, I'll, I'll clear this part of your identity, this 886 00:50:02,800 --> 00:50:04,880 insecurity that you're having. I'll start working. 887 00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:07,840 Will you give me access? And so today I want to ask you 888 00:50:08,120 --> 00:50:12,200 this obedience that they showed, this pursuing that they did 889 00:50:12,200 --> 00:50:15,200 can't be done without him. And today you and I have his 890 00:50:15,200 --> 00:50:18,200 helper that is the Holy Spirit. And so today the Christmas 891 00:50:18,200 --> 00:50:21,280 message is real. Yes, we are called to live out 892 00:50:21,280 --> 00:50:26,080 this Christmas message so that when he comes we will all be 893 00:50:26,080 --> 00:50:33,560 with him in heaven. I pray that we will all be part 894 00:50:33,560 --> 00:50:37,320 of a story. This, this the story that Christ 895 00:50:37,320 --> 00:50:40,200 wants to write. You know, the problem is many a 896 00:50:40,200 --> 00:50:46,160 times we, we, we use our very own qualifications and 897 00:50:46,160 --> 00:50:48,920 limitations, what we've been spoken about, what have we, what 898 00:50:48,920 --> 00:50:52,520 we've been told we are capable of, And that becomes a lingering 899 00:50:52,520 --> 00:50:57,320 thing. I pray may you operate out of 900 00:50:57,320 --> 00:51:01,120 the fullness of his identity, India, when he comes in, you'll 901 00:51:01,120 --> 00:51:03,440 operate out of that. So whatever you're doing, you're 902 00:51:03,440 --> 00:51:05,320 doing it for his glory. Whatever you're doing, you're 903 00:51:05,320 --> 00:51:09,280 doing it so that his bride will be benefited. 904 00:51:10,000 --> 00:51:12,320 Nothing about this. You know, there was a season in 905 00:51:12,320 --> 00:51:15,560 our life and we worked, me and my wife worked for a team. 906 00:51:15,560 --> 00:51:19,080 And it's interesting as we were leaving the team a month before 907 00:51:19,080 --> 00:51:21,440 this is when the, when our boss actually asked. 908 00:51:21,440 --> 00:51:23,600 So what do you, what are your, what are your qualifications 909 00:51:23,600 --> 00:51:27,120 actually? And it's interesting that many a 910 00:51:27,120 --> 00:51:32,440 times we didn't operate because of those qualifications. 911 00:51:32,440 --> 00:51:34,560 We operated because God had called us there. 912 00:51:35,040 --> 00:51:38,440 God had called us to serve in a capacity where we are serving 913 00:51:38,440 --> 00:51:40,360 him. And when God decided, OK, you 914 00:51:40,360 --> 00:51:41,800 guys have done your job here, now go. 915 00:51:42,880 --> 00:51:44,880 And I believe that's where God wants that today. 916 00:51:44,880 --> 00:51:52,440 I pray and ask you, and I cannot live this truncated gospel where 917 00:51:52,440 --> 00:51:55,640 we are trying to live it out. But is it serving me? 918 00:51:56,160 --> 00:51:58,440 We're trying to live it out, but is it fulfilling some of the 919 00:51:58,440 --> 00:51:59,920 things that I need to get accomplished? 920 00:52:00,520 --> 00:52:04,000 I'm trying to live this out, but oh God, I'll do this all for 921 00:52:04,000 --> 00:52:07,880 you, all for your glory. I love how this verse says in 922 00:52:07,880 --> 00:52:10,400 the hymn of heaven that it's one of expected. 923 00:52:10,400 --> 00:52:13,160 There will be a day when all will bow before him. 924 00:52:13,520 --> 00:52:15,800 There will be a day when death will be no more. 925 00:52:16,120 --> 00:52:19,880 Standing face to face with he who died in rose again. 926 00:52:19,880 --> 00:52:23,880 Holy is the Lord. There will be a day when all 927 00:52:23,880 --> 00:52:26,200 will bow before him. Till then, I am ready to bow 928 00:52:26,200 --> 00:52:28,600 down before you, Lord, That is my prayer. 929 00:52:29,160 --> 00:52:30,440 That is a prayer of the shepherds. 930 00:52:30,440 --> 00:52:33,200 That's a prayer of the wise men. And I pray and ask that that 931 00:52:33,200 --> 00:52:37,400 will be the prayer of us, that maybe be ready to bow down 932 00:52:37,400 --> 00:52:40,080 before him and say, Lord, I'm ready to bow down. 933 00:52:41,320 --> 00:52:45,240 So I pray and ask that with the knowledge that we have, we will 934 00:52:45,240 --> 00:52:47,560 allow his revelation light to guide us. 935 00:52:48,120 --> 00:52:52,200 It will cause us to stand up, walk in faith, be ready with 936 00:52:52,200 --> 00:52:54,880 what we have so that we bring glory to him. 937 00:52:55,600 --> 00:52:57,440 Can I pray for you, loving heavenly Father? 938 00:52:57,440 --> 00:53:00,200 I thank you, Lord, for each and everyone, all listening, Lord, I 939 00:53:00,200 --> 00:53:02,240 believe, Lord, you're working in and through us, in and through 940 00:53:02,240 --> 00:53:04,160 me itself. Lord Jesus, I can note this. 941 00:53:04,440 --> 00:53:06,680 Thank you for the encouragement that your word gave, Lord. 942 00:53:06,680 --> 00:53:09,360 Thank you, Lord, for the story that was written, Lord Jesus, 943 00:53:09,360 --> 00:53:12,000 that you came to the two extremes and we can see 944 00:53:12,000 --> 00:53:14,000 ourselves fitting right in that story. 945 00:53:14,000 --> 00:53:17,440 Lord Jesus, I pray that Lord, your word will come alive today. 946 00:53:17,440 --> 00:53:20,320 Whoever has belittled themselves, beating themselves 947 00:53:20,320 --> 00:53:23,200 up that they are not enough, I pray the completeness of your 948 00:53:23,200 --> 00:53:25,800 own come in them, Lord, that the completeness of your gospel, 949 00:53:26,040 --> 00:53:28,960 come in them, the completeness of your salvation, redeem them. 950 00:53:28,960 --> 00:53:32,400 Lord, I pray that you would remove every form of truncation 951 00:53:32,400 --> 00:53:34,920 that we've done of the gospel, of your word, of your promises, 952 00:53:35,120 --> 00:53:39,240 of your truth, that we will believe in the whole gospel and 953 00:53:39,240 --> 00:53:42,760 live out the whole gospel today, here in this earth. 954 00:53:42,760 --> 00:53:46,200 Today I prayed out for your peace, your love, Your joy will 955 00:53:46,200 --> 00:53:51,160 be filling them, filling me, filling us so that out of the 956 00:53:51,200 --> 00:53:54,680 overflow of the Holy Spirit we'll be able to testify all 957 00:53:54,720 --> 00:53:59,960 that you want us to do and say and be Lord Jesus, anywhere, 958 00:54:00,000 --> 00:54:01,680 everywhere. Lord Jesus, we thank you. 959 00:54:02,560 --> 00:54:05,600 Go before us, be with us. I pray of him blood covering all 960 00:54:05,600 --> 00:54:07,640 his children. I pray, Lord, even as families 961 00:54:07,640 --> 00:54:09,880 come around this time, Lord, as loved ones come around this 962 00:54:09,880 --> 00:54:12,040 time, your peace, your joy prevail. 963 00:54:12,040 --> 00:54:15,720 That we will enjoy these seasons, Lord Jesus, of 964 00:54:15,720 --> 00:54:18,840 conversation, of gathering around, of helping, of doing all 965 00:54:18,840 --> 00:54:22,720 that you've called us to do so that we can bring Jesus into 966 00:54:22,720 --> 00:54:25,760 this world. Thank you, Lord, into our world. 967 00:54:25,760 --> 00:54:28,840 Lord, go before us, be with us. Your most holy name, pray. 968 00:54:29,120 --> 00:54:30,000 Amen. Amen. 969 00:54:31,400 --> 00:54:33,280 Thanks for listening to this message. 970 00:54:33,640 --> 00:54:37,120 We hope you were blessed to hear more messages like this. 971 00:54:37,400 --> 00:54:41,440 Make sure to subscribe and check out our podcast channel for past 972 00:54:41,440 --> 00:54:43,800 episodes. If you like what you are 973 00:54:43,800 --> 00:54:48,360 hearing, consider rating us, subscribing, and even sharing it 974 00:54:48,360 --> 00:54:50,920 with friends. That would really help us. 975 00:54:51,800 --> 00:54:56,280 For more content from Via Zion and to connect with us, go to 976 00:54:56,280 --> 00:55:01,400 Via Zion dot in. Remember, whoever finds Jesus 977 00:55:01,640 --> 00:55:02,480 finds life.