1 00:00:00,060 --> 00:00:01,890 Good morning to you. Why don't you turning your 2 00:00:01,900 --> 00:00:07,370 Bibles with me to Matthew, Gospel according to Matthew. 3 00:00:07,410 --> 00:00:10,570 If you're not familiar with where that is about 3/4 the way 4 00:00:10,580 --> 00:00:12,810 through your Bible. Right here is the same book we 5 00:00:12,820 --> 00:00:14,310 were in last week. This is where we're going to 6 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,470 start again this week. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are 7 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:22,840 the first four books of the New Testament and we're we're 8 00:00:22,850 --> 00:00:25,640 starting with the first verse for the first book of the New 9 00:00:25,650 --> 00:00:28,310 Testament this morning. We are we're in the middle of a 10 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:30,780 series we started last week. Of course, it's the second 11 00:00:30,790 --> 00:00:33,280 Sunday of Advent called name above all names. 12 00:00:33,290 --> 00:00:38,000 We're looking at the names of Jesus and there are there's 13 00:00:38,070 --> 00:00:40,560 close to 200 of them in the New Testament. 14 00:00:40,890 --> 00:00:44,400 But we're looking particularly during this Advent season is the 15 00:00:44,410 --> 00:00:48,810 ones that that that that are used are referred to during the 16 00:00:48,820 --> 00:00:52,240 Christmas in the Christmas account or the narratives in the 17 00:00:52,250 --> 00:00:55,330 Gospels. So last week we started with the 18 00:00:55,340 --> 00:00:56,650 first name. Anybody remember what that was? 19 00:00:58,650 --> 00:01:02,190 It's a textbook Sunday school answer. 20 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:04,170 Jesus. There we go, Jesus. 21 00:01:04,180 --> 00:01:06,970 We just started with his name and remember the 2 words 22 00:01:06,980 --> 00:01:09,820 associated with his name. Lord saves. 23 00:01:10,490 --> 00:01:13,800 That's it. At its core, the Lord saves. 24 00:01:14,090 --> 00:01:21,700 Jesus is Yahweh's come in the flesh to rescue us, to save us 25 00:01:21,710 --> 00:01:26,300 from trouble, to get us out of every hardship, primarily 26 00:01:26,310 --> 00:01:31,780 ultimately our sin, which is the source of every trouble that we 27 00:01:31,790 --> 00:01:35,340 have. But the Lord, he's caring for us 28 00:01:35,350 --> 00:01:38,170 in every absolutely every part of our lives, rescuing us. 29 00:01:39,100 --> 00:01:43,000 Many of us are experiencing trouble in this particular 30 00:01:43,010 --> 00:01:47,240 season of time. The physical illness, maybe 31 00:01:47,250 --> 00:01:52,290 there's relational discord, maybe feeling a strange from 32 00:01:52,300 --> 00:01:57,090 those that we love, financial difficulties, maybe child 33 00:01:57,100 --> 00:02:02,720 rearing challenges. Some of us are jobless, looking 34 00:02:02,730 --> 00:02:04,620 for work. Some of us are dissatisfied in 35 00:02:04,630 --> 00:02:07,480 the work that we're in and hoping and longing for something 36 00:02:07,490 --> 00:02:10,639 new. There are people that are part 37 00:02:10,650 --> 00:02:12,720 of our congregation that are feeling very down. 38 00:02:13,370 --> 00:02:16,460 You know, as soon as the sun sort of disappears, we can get 39 00:02:16,470 --> 00:02:19,980 discouraged, even depressed, and it feels like an eternity. 40 00:02:19,990 --> 00:02:23,460 We're waiting for the clouds to lift, but they haven't lifted 41 00:02:23,470 --> 00:02:24,650 quite yet. We're in trouble. 42 00:02:25,920 --> 00:02:31,710 Psalm 34, beautiful promise. It says that the Lord is close 43 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:35,590 to the broken hearted, and he saves those who are crushed in 44 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,270 spirit. That's the kind of God we have. 45 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:42,510 He draws very near to us in our trouble and he rescues us. 46 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,370 He delivers us. The circumstances may not 47 00:02:45,380 --> 00:02:50,250 actually change, but there is a sense of His presence and hope 48 00:02:50,260 --> 00:02:52,490 in the midst of it. He gives us the capacity to be 49 00:02:52,500 --> 00:02:55,490 able to walk through some very challenging times. 50 00:02:56,100 --> 00:03:00,620 When we know our need and we turn to Him, He comes through. 51 00:03:01,350 --> 00:03:05,400 That's what he does. The opposite happens very often 52 00:03:05,410 --> 00:03:09,210 in in the in James, the in James, Larry talks about the 53 00:03:09,220 --> 00:03:13,280 fact that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. 54 00:03:13,290 --> 00:03:16,420 Those when we're proud, when we think, hey, we can do this, we 55 00:03:16,430 --> 00:03:21,190 we've got this. We deceive ourselves when we 56 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:25,250 humble ourselves and look to God to meet us in the midst of our 57 00:03:25,260 --> 00:03:27,550 challenges. He's the one that comes through. 58 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:30,950 This is the source of what Jesus name is all about and really 59 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:34,310 what his all of his names are are are connected to when we 60 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:41,870 acknowledge our need, he comes, he saves, he heals, he restores 61 00:03:42,340 --> 00:03:46,450 fully the name of Jesus. This is really the point is 62 00:03:46,460 --> 00:03:50,460 powerful. There is nothing like the name 63 00:03:50,470 --> 00:03:54,060 of Jesus Christ. I read recently the testimony 64 00:03:54,290 --> 00:03:57,680 this is from a a member of the church in in the in the Bronx, 65 00:03:57,690 --> 00:04:03,540 so Brooklyn Brooklyn Tabernacle. So Jim Symbola tells this story. 66 00:04:03,550 --> 00:04:06,960 It's actually on their website as well, but tells the story of 67 00:04:06,970 --> 00:04:08,870 a man by the name of Danny Valesco. 68 00:04:09,620 --> 00:04:14,530 And Danny, he was actually quite a successful hairdresser, but he 69 00:04:14,540 --> 00:04:17,250 got involved in drugs, he became a heroin addict. 70 00:04:17,260 --> 00:04:24,010 He became homeless, contracted like hepatitis ABC and kind of 71 00:04:24,020 --> 00:04:29,030 just wait to drop down to like 106 or 180 lbs full of sores 72 00:04:29,980 --> 00:04:31,530 people, you know. So it was homeless. 73 00:04:31,540 --> 00:04:35,790 As people walk by him, they could, they could hear him sort 74 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:39,410 of fighting with the voices that were in his head. 75 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:40,990 He was in really, really rough shape. 76 00:04:42,190 --> 00:04:47,260 He ended up landing into a hospital in the Bronx, seemingly 77 00:04:47,270 --> 00:04:50,040 on his deathbed. Now he had he had a friend by 78 00:04:50,050 --> 00:04:53,510 the name of Wanda who threw this challenging time. 79 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:57,300 His life was sharing the hope that she had found in Jesus 80 00:04:57,310 --> 00:05:00,260 Christ. And Danny who just continued to 81 00:05:00,270 --> 00:05:03,770 push her off to just resist it. I got I got no, I got no use for 82 00:05:03,780 --> 00:05:05,240 that. But anybody lands in the 83 00:05:05,250 --> 00:05:07,360 hospital. And this is, this is, this is 84 00:05:07,370 --> 00:05:10,480 his testimony, He says. When I woke up, I found myself 85 00:05:10,490 --> 00:05:12,950 in a bed covered in my own vomit. 86 00:05:13,770 --> 00:05:17,220 Not a very nice scene. I wanted to die, but I couldn't 87 00:05:17,230 --> 00:05:19,390 jump out of the window because they were barred. 88 00:05:20,060 --> 00:05:24,210 Then, in the midst of all my pain, something or someone 89 00:05:24,220 --> 00:05:26,750 whispered words I had heard before. 90 00:05:27,900 --> 00:05:31,270 The day you call on the Lord, He will set you free. 91 00:05:32,630 --> 00:05:35,600 In absolute desperation I scream from my bed. 92 00:05:35,610 --> 00:05:39,540 Jesus help me. Oh God, help me with everything. 93 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:43,840 You're my only hope. So please help Jesus. 94 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:48,230 And he says yes. I didn't understand anything 95 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:51,670 about prayer, so I even used personal references as I cried 96 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:54,290 out. Jesus Wanda said that when I 97 00:05:54,300 --> 00:05:56,470 called on your name you would deliver me. 98 00:05:56,480 --> 00:06:01,220 So help me now, oh God. And at that moment, Almighty God 99 00:06:01,230 --> 00:06:05,820 swept over me and around me. I know He was real because all 100 00:06:05,830 --> 00:06:10,040 the voices in my head suddenly stopped their hellish screaming, 101 00:06:10,110 --> 00:06:13,870 and the ball of fear that had been weighing on me was lifted. 102 00:06:14,620 --> 00:06:18,170 I knew everything had changed, even though nothing outwardly 103 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:21,410 had. I was still lying in my vomit in 104 00:06:21,420 --> 00:06:25,090 a hospital bed in the Bronx, but I was 1,000,000 miles from where 105 00:06:25,100 --> 00:06:29,320 I had been before. I said that prayer to love that 106 00:06:29,690 --> 00:06:32,920 nothing really had changed in his outward circumstances, but 107 00:06:32,930 --> 00:06:36,140 he knew that he was 1,000,000 miles away from the place he was 108 00:06:36,230 --> 00:06:38,380 before. He prayed that prayer calling 109 00:06:38,390 --> 00:06:42,480 out to Jesus Christ out of the hospital. 110 00:06:42,490 --> 00:06:46,040 He went directly into Christian rehab started devouring the word 111 00:06:46,050 --> 00:06:51,080 of God became a Christian was literally delivered from his 112 00:06:51,130 --> 00:06:56,120 addiction and that testimony is in is on the website of Brooklyn 113 00:06:56,130 --> 00:07:01,400 Tabernacle talk about the power of the name of Jesus Christ. 114 00:07:01,410 --> 00:07:05,770 When we called to him. He does not fail to hear and 115 00:07:05,780 --> 00:07:14,590 respond and and answer us. Romans chapter 10 verse 13 says 116 00:07:14,660 --> 00:07:19,490 for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 117 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:21,150 That's pretty significant promise. 118 00:07:21,580 --> 00:07:24,490 And in the context, it's the name of Jesus. 119 00:07:24,620 --> 00:07:28,640 Everyone who calls in the name of the Lord Jesus will be saved. 120 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:36,260 So when we pray and we pray, we're taught to pray in the name 121 00:07:36,270 --> 00:07:39,520 of Jesus. It's not just sort of a tagline 122 00:07:39,530 --> 00:07:42,880 on the end of our prayers. There is power in the name of 123 00:07:42,890 --> 00:07:45,740 Jesus Christ. You know, Jesus in, in Matthew 124 00:07:45,750 --> 00:07:50,620 or sorry, in, in John 14 says that whatever you ask in my 125 00:07:50,630 --> 00:07:55,700 name, I will do it when we're praying according to his will 126 00:07:55,710 --> 00:07:58,030 in, in, in accordance what he desires. 127 00:07:58,040 --> 00:07:59,930 He's the one who has all authority in heaven and on 128 00:07:59,940 --> 00:08:01,980 earth. Things begin to happen. 129 00:08:02,230 --> 00:08:05,200 And we need to be praying those prayers for ourselves, but not 130 00:08:05,210 --> 00:08:09,400 just for ourselves, for our friends, for our family, for our 131 00:08:09,410 --> 00:08:14,240 community, for our nation. And God does incredible things 132 00:08:14,450 --> 00:08:16,180 through the name of Jesus Christ. 133 00:08:16,230 --> 00:08:20,540 Well, I want to go a little bit deeper this morning and I want 134 00:08:20,550 --> 00:08:24,380 to look at a name that we often overlook in all of these 135 00:08:24,390 --> 00:08:26,800 passages. One that I think is, well, I, I 136 00:08:26,810 --> 00:08:30,160 know that is one that Jesus is revealing more of his character 137 00:08:30,170 --> 00:08:34,380 to us through this name, but also is going to equip us to be 138 00:08:34,470 --> 00:08:37,780 strong soldiers for him. So let's pray before we read 139 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:41,000 this text. Father in Heaven, thank you for 140 00:08:41,010 --> 00:08:44,760 the gift of today and the gift of your word. 141 00:08:44,830 --> 00:08:48,460 That is for us today. And we pray that you would open 142 00:08:48,470 --> 00:08:51,110 our eyes to see wonderful things from your law. 143 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:55,950 Send your Holy Spirit upon us. Illuminate this word. 144 00:08:56,380 --> 00:09:01,970 Make us alive in you. We ask in Jesus name, Amen. 145 00:09:02,580 --> 00:09:07,330 Amen. Matthew chapter 1, first one. 146 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:13,420 This is the genealogy of Jesus, the Messiah, the son of David, 147 00:09:13,740 --> 00:09:17,400 the son of Abraham. We're just gonna stop right 148 00:09:17,410 --> 00:09:20,180 there. Powerful verse. 149 00:09:20,250 --> 00:09:23,860 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, 150 00:09:23,930 --> 00:09:27,320 the son of Abraham. And then he launches into that 151 00:09:27,330 --> 00:09:29,980 particular genealogy. The the name that I want to look 152 00:09:29,990 --> 00:09:33,450 at today is the son of David, the son of David. 153 00:09:33,460 --> 00:09:35,760 You ever done any study on the son of David? 154 00:09:35,770 --> 00:09:37,770 Fascinating. It's been it's it's a title 155 00:09:37,780 --> 00:09:42,460 that's used of Jesus 15 times in the Gospels and it actually 156 00:09:42,470 --> 00:09:44,730 begins the New Testament. This is verse one of the New 157 00:09:44,740 --> 00:09:48,300 Testament and it ends at the end of the New Testament in 158 00:09:48,310 --> 00:09:53,340 Revelation speaks about the son of David, the offspring of 159 00:09:53,350 --> 00:09:55,600 David. This is a very, very significant 160 00:09:55,610 --> 00:10:01,860 name. Um, and here we have Matthew 161 00:10:01,910 --> 00:10:03,760 highlighting how important this is. 162 00:10:03,850 --> 00:10:05,870 Now, we don't always see this, but it's important for us to 163 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:07,710 take a look at this in this genealogy. 164 00:10:07,790 --> 00:10:12,600 So it's just he's the, he's the Messiah, the son of David, the 165 00:10:12,610 --> 00:10:17,300 son of Abraham. Now, the way that we use son of 166 00:10:17,350 --> 00:10:20,680 is a little different than the way the ancients used son of, 167 00:10:20,730 --> 00:10:23,740 right? So for example, Jacob, you're 168 00:10:23,750 --> 00:10:27,530 the son of Randy, but we don't say Jacob you're the son of, you 169 00:10:27,540 --> 00:10:30,570 know, Randy's dad or or great grandfather. 170 00:10:30,580 --> 00:10:33,590 No, it's right. It's just your actual father, 171 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:36,150 right? Well, in the Old Testament they 172 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:38,470 didn't do that. You would consider the son of 173 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:40,830 David that meaning that you're in the same family line even all 174 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:43,210 the way back to the son of Abraham. 175 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:48,170 In fact, Joseph himself is referred in verse 20 of chapter 176 00:10:48,180 --> 00:10:54,340 1 as the son of David says here Joseph said this is when the 177 00:10:54,350 --> 00:10:55,830 Angel speaks speaks to him in a dream. 178 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:58,990 Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your 179 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:03,570 wife because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 180 00:11:03,580 --> 00:11:08,310 So we're talking about the family line to we're related, 181 00:11:08,380 --> 00:11:12,580 we're related. Jesus is somehow related to 182 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:18,130 David. Now Matthew could have just 183 00:11:18,140 --> 00:11:21,990 simply said that he could have started his gospel and said, you 184 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:27,410 know what, Jesus is a descendant of David and Abraham done and 185 00:11:27,420 --> 00:11:29,110 move on. But he doesn't do that. 186 00:11:29,180 --> 00:11:32,170 He stretches out this genealogy. Now, I don't know about you, but 187 00:11:32,220 --> 00:11:34,610 genealogy is often those things in the Bible that we kind of 188 00:11:34,620 --> 00:11:36,530 skip over. But there's something very, very 189 00:11:36,540 --> 00:11:37,600 significant. We're not going to read the 190 00:11:37,610 --> 00:11:40,850 whole thing today, but he and rather than just having a 191 00:11:40,860 --> 00:11:47,020 summary statement, he has these three groups of generations laid 192 00:11:47,030 --> 00:11:49,860 out here. Three groups of 14 generations 193 00:11:50,390 --> 00:11:55,040 spanning so the first group from Abraham to David and the second 194 00:11:55,050 --> 00:11:58,220 group from David to the exile and the last group from the 195 00:11:58,230 --> 00:12:04,220 exile to Christ coming 2000 years just crammed into this 196 00:12:04,290 --> 00:12:08,270 genealogy. But it's not the whole 197 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:10,580 genealogy. We know that from other places 198 00:12:10,590 --> 00:12:12,850 in the Bible when where where different aspects of the 199 00:12:12,860 --> 00:12:16,360 genealogy are described. There are more than 42 200 00:12:16,370 --> 00:12:20,700 generations between Abraham and Christ. 201 00:12:21,090 --> 00:12:24,830 So in other words, Matthew did some condensing. 202 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:29,230 He did some abbreviation in order to make a point. 203 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:31,190 What would his point actually be? 204 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:34,510 Why would he say there's three sets of 14 Now? 205 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:37,810 We're not 100% sure because Matthew doesn't explicitly say 206 00:12:37,820 --> 00:12:43,950 it in the text, but the number 14 is a very significant number 207 00:12:44,690 --> 00:12:51,020 for the Jewish people. Just like 007 for us today means 208 00:12:51,030 --> 00:12:54,280 only one thing, friend James Bond, right? 209 00:12:55,250 --> 00:13:05,040 To a Jew, 14 meant one thing. That meant David, um, in Hebrew, 210 00:13:05,570 --> 00:13:09,520 the there are no vowels in the Hebrew language, OK, it's all 211 00:13:09,530 --> 00:13:13,860 consonants. And so David is actually David 212 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:17,420 and it's like DVD's. So we we see that as a DVD, but 213 00:13:17,430 --> 00:13:25,090 it's it's Dallas valve Dallas and each letter. 214 00:13:25,130 --> 00:13:28,410 So for the ancients, letters and numbers correspond with one 215 00:13:28,420 --> 00:13:32,830 another. So Dallas is the first as sorry 216 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:37,520 as the 4th letter in the Hebrew alphabet and vov is is the 6th 217 00:13:37,530 --> 00:13:39,510 letter. And then and then of course, Bob 218 00:13:39,560 --> 00:13:43,010 and then the dollars four. So 4 + 6 + 4. 219 00:13:43,020 --> 00:13:49,910 What does that up to 14, right? This was David's number, no? 220 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:53,950 It's interesting that if you walk down the genealogy, David 221 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:58,160 shows up in the 14th spot. Now if, if we have missed it by 222 00:13:58,170 --> 00:14:01,540 this time, look at verse 17. It's a summary of the whole 223 00:14:01,550 --> 00:14:03,240 thing. It says thus there were 14 224 00:14:03,250 --> 00:14:06,870 generations in all from Abraham to David, 14 from David to the 225 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:10,920 exile of Babylon, and 14 from the exile to the Messiah. 226 00:14:11,190 --> 00:14:13,280 In other words, if you were doing you're reading this, it's 227 00:14:13,290 --> 00:14:16,640 like all you're hearing is David, David, David, David, 228 00:14:16,650 --> 00:14:17,900 David. He's everywhere. 229 00:14:18,010 --> 00:14:20,740 Actually, that was more than three, but three times David. 230 00:14:20,750 --> 00:14:25,790 Boom boom boom boom boom. David's a big deal. 231 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:32,600 Super big deal. Why was it so important? 232 00:14:33,830 --> 00:14:36,720 Why was he so important? I wanna take a look at this now. 233 00:14:37,410 --> 00:14:41,980 Joseph himself obviously referred to as the son of David 234 00:14:41,990 --> 00:14:45,990 as well, Joseph in the line. But we know that Joseph isn't 235 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:51,710 the blood father of Jesus. He actually adopts Jesus into 236 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:54,650 his family, right? He actually is the one that 237 00:14:54,660 --> 00:14:57,450 gives Jesus his name. Angel gives him the name, just 238 00:14:57,460 --> 00:14:59,370 call him Jesus. And Joseph does so. 239 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:02,630 Jesus is adopted into this family. 240 00:15:02,780 --> 00:15:11,500 So Jesus is the Son of David by adoption, but he is the Son of 241 00:15:11,510 --> 00:15:17,040 God by conception. And all the Gospels are 242 00:15:17,050 --> 00:15:21,320 commuting, communicating this one truth, that Jesus is human, 243 00:15:21,390 --> 00:15:23,900 fully human, but also fully divine. 244 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:28,800 There's no partiality in each one of those things. 245 00:15:28,810 --> 00:15:35,730 Fully human, fully divine. Now what's the connection with 246 00:15:35,740 --> 00:15:38,190 David? Why is he so significant? 247 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:41,010 He's the, he's a big deal in Israel, right? 248 00:15:41,020 --> 00:15:46,440 He became the most the most prized and, and and celebrated 249 00:15:46,450 --> 00:15:49,560 king, a man after God's own heart. 250 00:15:49,570 --> 00:15:54,360 The Scripture says in Luke chapter 1, we see the connection 251 00:15:54,870 --> 00:15:56,280 and we'll put it up on the screen. 252 00:15:56,290 --> 00:15:57,980 So you'll have to turn there, but I will turn there. 253 00:15:57,990 --> 00:16:02,880 Luke chapter one, verse 30. And this is when the Angel is 254 00:16:02,890 --> 00:16:05,020 speaking to Mary. But the Angel said to her, Do 255 00:16:05,030 --> 00:16:08,840 not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 256 00:16:09,570 --> 00:16:12,900 You will conceive and give birth to a Son, and you were to call 257 00:16:12,910 --> 00:16:15,960 him Jesus. He will be great and will be 258 00:16:15,970 --> 00:16:19,800 called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the 259 00:16:19,810 --> 00:16:24,420 throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob's 260 00:16:24,430 --> 00:16:28,580 descendants forever. His Kingdom will never end. 261 00:16:29,030 --> 00:16:31,220 McCullough read that text for us. 262 00:16:31,690 --> 00:16:35,970 Powerful this is. This is the connection we have 263 00:16:35,980 --> 00:16:40,800 Jesus taking over the throne of David and he is ruling and 264 00:16:40,810 --> 00:16:44,940 reigning over all things and he's establishing a Kingdom that 265 00:16:44,950 --> 00:16:47,740 will that will never end. It will be forever. 266 00:16:48,580 --> 00:16:54,030 In other words, Jesus came. Long wait for it according to a 267 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:57,990 promise to fulfill a promise that was given. 268 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:04,329 And that promise goes way back to Second Samuel Chapter 7. 269 00:17:04,500 --> 00:17:05,930 We'll put that up on the screen as well. 270 00:17:06,839 --> 00:17:08,589 This is the Lord speaking to David. 271 00:17:09,060 --> 00:17:13,540 When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will 272 00:17:13,550 --> 00:17:17,349 raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and 273 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:20,609 blood, and I will establish his Kingdom. 274 00:17:20,849 --> 00:17:23,980 He is the one who will build a house for my name, and I will 275 00:17:23,990 --> 00:17:26,900 establish the throne of his Kingdom forever. 276 00:17:26,950 --> 00:17:30,160 I will be his father and he will be my son. 277 00:17:30,690 --> 00:17:34,140 Now a little bit of context. David wanted, wanted to build a 278 00:17:34,150 --> 00:17:36,250 temple for God, to build a house for him. 279 00:17:36,260 --> 00:17:38,590 And God said, no, it's not going to be you, it's going to be your 280 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:41,750 son. So the immediate context that's 281 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:44,380 referring to who's David son? You guys remember Solomon 282 00:17:44,930 --> 00:17:48,780 Solomon and Solomon did build a temple, but Solomon actually 283 00:17:48,790 --> 00:17:52,400 didn't fulfill the promise fully. 284 00:17:53,210 --> 00:17:56,680 It was looking forward to another day when another son 285 00:17:56,730 --> 00:18:00,680 would come, and that is referring to Jesus right here. 286 00:18:00,690 --> 00:18:09,150 He is the one that's gonna build the house, so he's not just a 287 00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:15,080 son. Jesus is the Son, He is the Son, 288 00:18:15,390 --> 00:18:19,450 and that's why he can be referred to as the Messiah, the 289 00:18:19,460 --> 00:18:23,870 Christ, which means literally the Anointed 1. 290 00:18:25,380 --> 00:18:29,270 The anointed One now, who was anointed in the Old Testament 291 00:18:29,380 --> 00:18:33,360 prophets, priests and kings. Jesus was all free. 292 00:18:33,410 --> 00:18:36,230 He was a king, he was a prophet, and he was a priest. 293 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,070 But here primarily the context is, is a king. 294 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:46,200 He is the King, the King of kings, the Lord of Lords, and he 295 00:18:46,210 --> 00:18:49,090 is the one that fulfills this prophecy. 296 00:18:49,790 --> 00:18:53,300 So now we get to Isaiah Chapter 9. 297 00:18:53,310 --> 00:18:57,750 And this is the text that Jacob used for the call to worship. 298 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:01,670 Isaiah 9 verse six to seven says this for, and this is text that 299 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:04,390 we often hear during the Christmas season. 300 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:09,490 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the 301 00:19:09,500 --> 00:19:13,150 government will be on his shoulders, and he will be called 302 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:18,430 wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of 303 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:22,440 Peace, of the greatness of his government and peace there will 304 00:19:22,450 --> 00:19:25,400 be no end. He will reign on David's throne 305 00:19:25,450 --> 00:19:28,600 and over his Kingdom, establishing and upholding it 306 00:19:28,610 --> 00:19:33,000 with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. 307 00:19:35,070 --> 00:19:39,960 The implications of this text are just mind blowing. 308 00:19:42,900 --> 00:19:48,380 Jesus is taking over the throne of David and he's established. 309 00:19:48,390 --> 00:19:52,070 The government is fully on his shoulders and he will be called 310 00:19:52,120 --> 00:19:55,390 wonderful counselor. Mighty God, Everlasting Father, 311 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:59,840 Prince of Peace is realized. They don't know what to do with 312 00:19:59,850 --> 00:20:03,840 the text like this, but it can only be through the Son of the 313 00:20:03,850 --> 00:20:07,520 living God, who took on flesh and dwelt among us. 314 00:20:08,150 --> 00:20:11,980 And became literally the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords on 315 00:20:11,990 --> 00:20:15,870 our behalf. Jesus Christ our Savior. 316 00:20:17,310 --> 00:20:20,790 And Jesus explains this to the Israelites. 317 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:22,270 It's, it's an interesting conversation. 318 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:24,150 We can't look at the whole thing, but just a little bit of 319 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:27,900 it. Jesus is talking with a crowd 320 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:31,470 and he's talking about the Messiah who was to come. 321 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:36,290 And this is Mark chapter 12. And he says this David calls 322 00:20:36,300 --> 00:20:40,710 himself Sorry. David himself calls him Lord, 323 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:45,160 referring to the Messiah. How then can he be his son? 324 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:49,740 Cause a son of someone would never call someone else a Lord. 325 00:20:49,750 --> 00:20:52,890 The Son the the the the the father of is gonna be greater 326 00:20:52,900 --> 00:20:58,580 than so he says. OK, David calls the Messiah 327 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:02,150 Lord. Then how can that Messiah be his 328 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:06,570 son? Say Jesus isn't just a son, he 329 00:21:06,580 --> 00:21:12,210 is the Son, he is the son. He is David's Lord and God. 330 00:21:12,460 --> 00:21:14,550 He's just playing with it. And, and, and in the, in the 331 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:18,170 text, we don't have it up there, but it says the crowds were 332 00:21:18,180 --> 00:21:21,670 delighting listening to him say these things, kinds of things. 333 00:21:21,900 --> 00:21:25,390 So it was just slowly he's warming the people up to the 334 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:30,210 reality of who he is, who he himself actually is. 335 00:21:31,530 --> 00:21:35,000 So all this to say, we'll talk about the significance of David. 336 00:21:35,090 --> 00:21:38,460 All that that David is powerful and is a greater figure. 337 00:21:38,470 --> 00:21:42,240 He was in the in the Old Testament, he points to Jesus. 338 00:21:42,370 --> 00:21:45,700 Everything that about his life just continues to point to 339 00:21:45,710 --> 00:21:54,100 Jesus, direct people to Jesus. You think about So Jesus or or 340 00:21:54,110 --> 00:21:56,680 sorry, David, we often look at David as an example for our 341 00:21:56,690 --> 00:21:58,520 lives, but he's more than an example. 342 00:21:58,530 --> 00:22:01,750 He's kind of like a, a forerunner, like a, a, like a 343 00:22:02,140 --> 00:22:04,390 theologically, it's like a type of Jesus. 344 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:14,040 David's probably most well known for his achievement in slaying 345 00:22:14,050 --> 00:22:16,790 Goliath. There's any story that probably 346 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:19,870 everybody knows slaying Goliath. Well, we can look at that story 347 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:22,970 and say, OK, what's the application for us? 348 00:22:22,980 --> 00:22:26,050 Well, the application would be, you know, take up some courage 349 00:22:26,060 --> 00:22:28,890 and go slay your giants kind of thing, right? 350 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:32,550 Well, that might be a secondary issue, but that's not really the 351 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:36,390 primary point of of sharing a story like that. 352 00:22:37,150 --> 00:22:40,670 See, what David did was something that no one else could 353 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,190 do. Like if you think you have to 354 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:46,510 step into David's shoes and do what he did, it's like, I don't 355 00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:49,330 know about that, right? The whole Israelite army were 356 00:22:49,340 --> 00:22:51,020 trembling and fear in front of Goliath. 357 00:22:51,730 --> 00:22:54,560 But David goes in and does what no one else can do. 358 00:22:55,250 --> 00:22:58,640 He ends up slaying the giant, cutting off his head. 359 00:22:58,750 --> 00:23:02,360 And then what happens? Then the whole army rushes out 360 00:23:02,370 --> 00:23:06,780 against the Philistines, right? In other words, by doing what no 361 00:23:06,790 --> 00:23:10,240 one else could do, He also provided a way for everybody, 362 00:23:10,250 --> 00:23:13,730 everybody, all of God's people, to share in his victory. 363 00:23:15,090 --> 00:23:17,480 And that's what Jesus has done for us. 364 00:23:17,890 --> 00:23:20,910 He's the forerunner of faith. He did. 365 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:23,500 He lived the perfect life that we could not live, and he died 366 00:23:23,510 --> 00:23:27,900 that sacrificial death that we deserve to die in order that we 367 00:23:27,910 --> 00:23:33,680 could share in his victory. Now that we can reproduce what 368 00:23:33,690 --> 00:23:38,470 he was he was doing, although we try to follow him, but through 369 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:43,770 him we have the victory already. And so we rejoice and we live in 370 00:23:43,780 --> 00:23:46,810 freedom as a result of it. You see, in other words, we 371 00:23:46,820 --> 00:23:50,630 don't need another David. And this is what this is what 372 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:53,510 the Israelites were looking for in a Messiah. 373 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:56,590 We want another person like David in order to come in and 374 00:23:56,640 --> 00:24:00,890 use his political savvy and his military might and to crush the 375 00:24:00,900 --> 00:24:02,180 Romans. That that's what people are 376 00:24:02,190 --> 00:24:03,780 expecting at the time that Jesus came. 377 00:24:03,940 --> 00:24:07,010 But Jesus was, he was a different kind of king 378 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:09,830 altogether. He was establishing a different 379 00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:17,080 kind of Kingdom altogether, and here's the description of it in 380 00:24:17,090 --> 00:24:21,220 Isaiah 11. A shoot will come up from the 381 00:24:21,230 --> 00:24:23,880 stump of Jesse. Anybody know who Jesse is? 382 00:24:24,370 --> 00:24:28,000 David's dad, right? A shoot will come up from the 383 00:24:28,010 --> 00:24:30,810 stump of Jesse. From his roots, a branch will 384 00:24:30,820 --> 00:24:32,880 bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest 385 00:24:32,890 --> 00:24:34,940 on him. He will not judge by what he 386 00:24:34,950 --> 00:24:38,500 sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears. 387 00:24:38,550 --> 00:24:41,560 But with righteousness he will judge the needy. 388 00:24:41,750 --> 00:24:45,990 With justice, he will give decisions for the poor of the 389 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:50,240 earth. This was a king who was going to 390 00:24:50,250 --> 00:24:55,430 come on behalf of the needy and the poor, the helpless, those 391 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:57,920 who know their need and need rescue. 392 00:24:58,070 --> 00:25:00,760 This is who he was for. This is what the the the term 393 00:25:00,810 --> 00:25:05,260 son of David is associated with someone who is setting things 394 00:25:05,270 --> 00:25:12,580 right in the world on behalf of the oppressed, bringing healing 395 00:25:13,020 --> 00:25:16,930 to those who need it. It's not bringing a bringing in 396 00:25:16,940 --> 00:25:18,830 the Kingdom through violence or oppression. 397 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:21,160 That's just not, it's not even just Jesus style. 398 00:25:21,170 --> 00:25:22,880 This is not the way God does things. 399 00:25:24,770 --> 00:25:27,520 Through humility, through kindness, through sacrificial 400 00:25:27,530 --> 00:25:29,740 service, He brings about His Kingdom. 401 00:25:29,780 --> 00:25:33,320 This is a beautiful thing. I I just want to leave you with 402 00:25:33,330 --> 00:25:35,180 something to ponder for a minute. 403 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:39,510 Matthew or sorry, Marks in Marks Gospel, we have to get the 404 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:40,930 mascots. We've been in the other ones 405 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:44,030 already. But in Marks Gospel on chapter 406 00:25:44,040 --> 00:25:46,930 10, in the transition between 10:00 and 11:00, if you want to 407 00:25:46,940 --> 00:25:50,610 turn there, you can. But there's this, this beautiful 408 00:25:50,620 --> 00:25:55,580 progression that takes place. He begins speaking to, you know, 409 00:25:55,590 --> 00:25:57,130 let the little children come to me. 410 00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:00,950 You know that passage, right? Because the Kingdom belongs to 411 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:03,690 such as these, the weak ones, the small ones, the 412 00:26:03,700 --> 00:26:06,370 insignificant ones, the dependent ones. 413 00:26:06,870 --> 00:26:11,360 And then he moves on and he's, he's basically teaching that 414 00:26:11,370 --> 00:26:14,670 it's hard for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God. 415 00:26:15,540 --> 00:26:17,300 The rich and the powerful, they're gonna have trouble 416 00:26:17,310 --> 00:26:19,860 getting in to the Kingdom. There's there's, there's 417 00:26:19,870 --> 00:26:22,220 resistance there. And then he moves on and he 418 00:26:22,230 --> 00:26:25,640 predicts his death, that he's going to be arrested like this. 419 00:26:25,790 --> 00:26:29,690 The king himself, the Messiah, he's going to be arrested and 420 00:26:29,700 --> 00:26:32,330 he's going to be tried and he's gonna be convicted and he's 421 00:26:32,340 --> 00:26:33,910 gonna be crucified. He's gonna die. 422 00:26:36,310 --> 00:26:41,300 And then after he teaches that his disciples, this John and 423 00:26:41,310 --> 00:26:43,360 James come up to him with a request. 424 00:26:43,430 --> 00:26:47,200 Hey, we wanna sit in the highest seats of power with you in your 425 00:26:47,210 --> 00:26:50,300 glory right there. Just totally missed the point. 426 00:26:50,370 --> 00:26:51,420 And she just saying, you know what? 427 00:26:51,430 --> 00:26:53,460 The the Gentiles lorded over them. 428 00:26:53,540 --> 00:26:56,940 You know the you know, the way the world does leadership. 429 00:26:56,950 --> 00:27:01,820 It's all about power. That's not so with you said. 430 00:27:01,830 --> 00:27:05,070 Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and 431 00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:06,540 give his life as a ransom for many. 432 00:27:07,380 --> 00:27:11,610 And then there's this sweet, sweet thing that takes place. 433 00:27:12,930 --> 00:27:17,920 A man by the name of Bartimaeus starts calling out for Jesus. 434 00:27:18,050 --> 00:27:20,440 And this is it. So Bartimaeus is blind. 435 00:27:20,670 --> 00:27:23,130 He's sitting on the side of the street in Jesus, and disciples 436 00:27:23,140 --> 00:27:26,200 are walking through town. And everybody hears this man 437 00:27:26,210 --> 00:27:28,340 yelling at the top of his lungs, Jesus. 438 00:27:28,390 --> 00:27:33,150 But he doesn't say Jesus. He says, Son of David, have 439 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:36,810 mercy on me. Again, son of David, have mercy 440 00:27:36,820 --> 00:27:39,230 on me. And the crowds are saying like, 441 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:42,050 shut up, like this, stop this, you know, whatever. 442 00:27:42,060 --> 00:27:44,020 And Jesus says, you know, bring him over here. 443 00:27:44,780 --> 00:27:47,330 And he brings them over. And Jesus asks, what do you want 444 00:27:47,340 --> 00:27:49,880 me to do for you? Says Lord, I wanna see. 445 00:27:51,300 --> 00:27:54,410 And Jesus heals him on the spot, opens his eyes. 446 00:27:55,690 --> 00:27:58,020 This is the way the Son of David operates. 447 00:27:58,390 --> 00:28:00,780 You know, we think the Son of David is kind of powerful king. 448 00:28:00,790 --> 00:28:04,790 No, He's one who's coming to set things right, but he's gonna do 449 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:11,460 it through sacrifice, service, love and kindness is gonna bring 450 00:28:11,470 --> 00:28:14,720 us healing into the world. Such a beautiful, beautiful 451 00:28:14,730 --> 00:28:17,560 picture. And then Chapter 11 begins in 452 00:28:17,570 --> 00:28:19,300 Mark, and it's the triumphal entry. 453 00:28:20,010 --> 00:28:24,160 And he comes riding on a donkey. The king in humble estate. 454 00:28:24,210 --> 00:28:28,480 It's just anyway, you know, if I was God, I would not be doing it 455 00:28:28,490 --> 00:28:31,320 this way. All right, praise the Lord. 456 00:28:31,330 --> 00:28:33,120 I'm not. He is good. 457 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:36,730 So let's just kind of wrap it up. 458 00:28:36,740 --> 00:28:38,230 Son of David, what are we talking about? 459 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:44,220 We're talking about a a human and a divine king all in one on 460 00:28:44,230 --> 00:28:49,370 his throne right now, setting things right in the world 461 00:28:49,410 --> 00:28:53,660 currently at work, one person at a time. 462 00:28:57,850 --> 00:29:01,140 Jesus has come and has begun something. 463 00:29:01,150 --> 00:29:04,810 He is establishing this Kingdom that's going to last forever and 464 00:29:04,820 --> 00:29:08,720 he's calling people in he, he's bringing his Kingdom into the 465 00:29:08,730 --> 00:29:13,640 lives of people, establishing his rule in the world. 466 00:29:13,690 --> 00:29:17,440 But first of all, first and foremost, in our in our hearts, 467 00:29:17,450 --> 00:29:21,310 that's where it all begins. I'm gonna topple the proud 468 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:27,630 hearts of individuals 1 by 1, and when they're when my rule, 469 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:30,640 when I when I begin to rule their life, that will bring my 470 00:29:30,650 --> 00:29:33,830 rule on Earth. It's pretty sweet. 471 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:40,390 He's gonna bring healing. Why don't, why doesn't everybody 472 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:42,610 get healed physically that we pray for? 473 00:29:43,100 --> 00:29:45,310 I don't know. It should never stop us from 474 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:49,890 praying for healing for anybody in the name of Jesus Christ, 475 00:29:49,900 --> 00:29:51,570 because his heart is for our healing. 476 00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:54,650 But we need to also realize that the healing that Jesus is doing 477 00:29:54,700 --> 00:29:58,090 goes far beyond the physical. I mean, Paul says outwardly 478 00:29:58,100 --> 00:30:01,170 we're wasting away, but inwardly we're being renewed day by day. 479 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:05,610 It's all about the soul, right? He's healing us from our, our, 480 00:30:05,620 --> 00:30:09,000 our brokenness. He, he is bringing us more 481 00:30:09,010 --> 00:30:12,500 deeply into fellowship with him. You know, every wrestle point 482 00:30:12,510 --> 00:30:16,270 that every trouble that we're into is, is really designed to 483 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:19,430 get us closer to him. We get ourselves into the 484 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:23,600 trouble, but he uses the trouble we get ourselves into in order 485 00:30:23,900 --> 00:30:26,200 to bring healing about in our lives. 486 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:34,490 He's so good, he's so good. So we're, we're called to be to 487 00:30:34,500 --> 00:30:40,080 be those who receive it. You know, we're recipients, but 488 00:30:40,090 --> 00:30:45,260 we're also called to be instruments, Instruments in the 489 00:30:45,270 --> 00:30:49,110 Redeemer's hand. You know that that original 490 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:52,330 prophecy in in Second Samuel Chapter 7 talks about the fact 491 00:30:52,340 --> 00:30:54,710 that, you know, my son, you know, David, you're not gonna 492 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:57,110 build the house. Your son's gonna build a house. 493 00:30:57,380 --> 00:31:02,480 He's ultimately so Solomon built the temple, the House of worship 494 00:31:02,490 --> 00:31:04,320 for God where his name would dwell. 495 00:31:04,470 --> 00:31:08,260 But Jesus is building a much more significant house, a much 496 00:31:08,270 --> 00:31:11,490 more significant temple. And you know who that temple is? 497 00:31:12,540 --> 00:31:16,880 It's us. It's the Church, the temple in 498 00:31:16,890 --> 00:31:19,720 which the Holy Spirit would dwell. 499 00:31:20,210 --> 00:31:24,680 He is building the Church, and you and I are called into it and 500 00:31:24,690 --> 00:31:27,620 to be that Church, to be instruments in His hand, to 501 00:31:27,630 --> 00:31:31,080 bring His Kingdom to the world. So with that in mind, I just 502 00:31:31,090 --> 00:31:34,940 want to leave you with two todos, OK? 503 00:31:34,950 --> 00:31:38,600 And it for two doos, not 22, does it? 504 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:43,640 How many of you got to do lists going multiple to do lists going 505 00:31:43,950 --> 00:31:47,860 as Christmas approaches? These are two dues that you can 506 00:31:47,870 --> 00:31:50,820 add to your To Do List, but put them at the very top. 507 00:31:50,830 --> 00:31:54,960 OK, number one is this pray in Jesus name. 508 00:31:59,610 --> 00:32:01,680 Pray for sure. Like just pour out your heart to 509 00:32:01,690 --> 00:32:05,140 God, but be sure to pray in Jesus name, not as A tag that 510 00:32:05,150 --> 00:32:07,020 you put at the end of a prayer that you want. 511 00:32:07,030 --> 00:32:09,220 You know God give me whatever I want. 512 00:32:09,410 --> 00:32:13,490 But when we say in Jesus name, it shapes our prayers. 513 00:32:14,470 --> 00:32:18,260 It helps us to realize, no, I'm praying in His name, the One who 514 00:32:18,270 --> 00:32:25,460 has all authority and the One who is bringing about His will, 515 00:32:25,530 --> 00:32:26,900 His good, pleasing and perfect will. 516 00:32:26,910 --> 00:32:28,420 I want to pray according to that will. 517 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:32,010 You know Jesus says whatever you ask for in my name that is in 518 00:32:32,020 --> 00:32:34,250 accordance with my will, I will do it. 519 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:38,530 This is where prayer becomes powerful. 520 00:32:38,540 --> 00:32:42,330 When we start praying the will of God into the lives of other 521 00:32:42,340 --> 00:32:48,190 people, our prayers should not be well, I mean, I guess we 522 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:51,130 could pray this, but Lord, just make my life smooth. 523 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:54,580 You know when that be nice, if there's just smooth, everything 524 00:32:54,590 --> 00:32:58,100 was easy. But no, the prayer is Lord rule, 525 00:32:58,810 --> 00:33:06,000 rule in my life, take over like rule and reign in my life and my 526 00:33:06,010 --> 00:33:09,540 family's life and my friend's life in my in my neighborhood 527 00:33:09,550 --> 00:33:13,070 and my community, my nation. That's what we need to be 528 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:16,350 praying. Pray for the people. 529 00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:18,580 And what I would say just even in this context when it says 530 00:33:18,590 --> 00:33:21,590 that the government is on his shoulders, Pray for those in 531 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:24,900 government. Pray for our Prime Minister, 532 00:33:25,150 --> 00:33:28,640 pray for our our MP. We gotta, we got an MP and MPP 533 00:33:28,650 --> 00:33:32,800 who are believers who are having a challenging time living out 534 00:33:32,810 --> 00:33:36,400 their faith and making decisions with integrity in the current 535 00:33:36,410 --> 00:33:39,040 context that they're in. And we can poo poo the 536 00:33:39,050 --> 00:33:40,380 government and all that kind of stuff. 537 00:33:40,390 --> 00:33:43,860 But let's just remember, as believers, we need to pray for 538 00:33:43,870 --> 00:33:49,650 those who are, who have taken the position of leadership, this 539 00:33:49,660 --> 00:33:52,510 incredible amount of weight on these leaders. 540 00:33:53,660 --> 00:33:56,470 And this could be an opportunity for God to do great things 541 00:33:56,480 --> 00:34:00,450 through them and to pray to pray for them and to remember that 542 00:34:00,520 --> 00:34:03,470 we're citizens primarily, not of Canada. 543 00:34:03,870 --> 00:34:06,850 We are but something more significant, that we're citizens 544 00:34:06,860 --> 00:34:13,420 of Heaven and that the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, that 545 00:34:13,429 --> 00:34:15,659 Kingdom is being perfectly governed right now. 546 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:19,290 And so we can chill. We can be OK with that. 547 00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:22,150 Yeah, we wanna fight for truth to be sure, but you do not have 548 00:34:22,159 --> 00:34:26,060 to panic. God is establishing His Kingdom 549 00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:28,750 and the government is on his shoulders. 550 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:34,030 So let's pray in Jesus name. Second thing, and that is to act 551 00:34:34,100 --> 00:34:37,270 in Jesus name. Let's not just pray, not just 552 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:41,070 leave it at prayer, but we want to act in Jesus name. 553 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:44,710 Some of us are in a, you know, sometimes when, when, when our 554 00:34:44,719 --> 00:34:48,510 lives are full of trouble and, and we just can't seem to get on 555 00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:51,010 top of things. It's really hard to think beyond 556 00:34:51,020 --> 00:34:54,580 ourselves. But Jesus always is inviting us, 557 00:34:54,590 --> 00:34:56,850 no matter what we're going through, to think beyond 558 00:34:56,860 --> 00:35:00,080 ourselves. Because part of the healing in 559 00:35:00,090 --> 00:35:03,700 our life is to be thinking of others and serving them even 560 00:35:03,710 --> 00:35:07,920 when our lives are hurting. That's a that's a challenge, but 561 00:35:07,930 --> 00:35:11,430 that is that's that's like even a command of Jesus to be 562 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:13,210 thinking to be serving other people. 563 00:35:13,470 --> 00:35:17,290 But there are others of us who were in a good place and you 564 00:35:17,300 --> 00:35:18,690 know, we're, we're in a good season. 565 00:35:20,110 --> 00:35:27,040 What might God be calling us to do in this good season? 566 00:35:29,270 --> 00:35:31,420 What might He be calling us to do? 567 00:35:31,490 --> 00:35:35,220 We could be the answer to the prayers of those who feel that 568 00:35:35,230 --> 00:35:36,430 their lives are in great trouble. 569 00:35:38,730 --> 00:35:41,840 Jesus commands us to go. How do we do that? 570 00:35:41,970 --> 00:35:45,630 How do we do that? Jonas said that our Christmas 571 00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:49,320 invitations from you could hand a Christmas invitation, an 572 00:35:49,330 --> 00:35:50,950 invitation to the Christmas Eve service. 573 00:35:52,750 --> 00:35:57,190 Gil and I got a a knock on the door earlier this week and it 574 00:35:57,200 --> 00:36:00,560 was a neighbor that came by and she wanted to talk. 575 00:36:00,770 --> 00:36:04,740 And so we invited her in and she just poured out her heart to us, 576 00:36:05,710 --> 00:36:09,540 said that she's been she's looking for peace, she's looking 577 00:36:09,550 --> 00:36:12,460 for joy, she's looking for community in the world is not 578 00:36:12,470 --> 00:36:16,610 providing any of that for her. And she says, you invited me to 579 00:36:16,620 --> 00:36:19,430 the Christmas Eve service last year and I didn't come. 580 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:23,130 And I'm so sorry I didn't come. Can I come this year? 581 00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:27,630 Like seriously, we don't know who's on the other side of the 582 00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:29,680 doors of the people in our neighborhood. 583 00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:34,850 God, it's doing a a deep work. People are looking for truth and 584 00:36:34,860 --> 00:36:38,530 looking for community and looking for peace and wherever 585 00:36:38,540 --> 00:36:41,040 they're looking, it's not satisfying. 586 00:36:41,990 --> 00:36:45,080 We know that only the son of David can provide that for 587 00:36:45,090 --> 00:36:48,000 people. So let's be bold with that. 588 00:36:49,940 --> 00:36:53,990 Gentle, sensitive. But let's, let's, let's go. 589 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:56,590 Let's go. Come to Christmas Eve, Sir. 590 00:36:56,600 --> 00:36:58,930 Candlelight service. I find it very moving. 591 00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:02,150 We sing carols here. A brief message, brief message 592 00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:06,810 from Pastor John, not, not today, friends, but on Christmas 593 00:37:06,820 --> 00:37:09,610 Eve, it'll be very brief, brief message on the meaning of 594 00:37:09,620 --> 00:37:11,370 Christmas. And then we, you know, celebrate 595 00:37:11,380 --> 00:37:14,350 with some festive treats, however you wanna invite. 596 00:37:14,780 --> 00:37:16,650 It's it's a, it's a it's a beautiful night. 597 00:37:17,900 --> 00:37:20,620 How could we be helping in other practical people and other 598 00:37:20,630 --> 00:37:24,520 practical ways with this Advent conspiracy, bringing in some of 599 00:37:24,530 --> 00:37:28,940 these tangible items that can stock that blessing box in 600 00:37:28,950 --> 00:37:32,060 Welland when's the last time you've been downtown Welland? 601 00:37:32,790 --> 00:37:37,120 It's not like downtown Grimsby will tell you that that's a 602 00:37:37,310 --> 00:37:40,360 that's a very tangible way that we can love the people of 603 00:37:40,370 --> 00:37:42,900 Welland maybe financially we're in a good financial spot. 604 00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:47,080 Who is it in our congregation that is in need of, in financial 605 00:37:47,090 --> 00:37:52,550 need? Minister that way, how can we 606 00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:56,350 serve sacrificially just to be thinking of that, Not just 607 00:37:56,360 --> 00:37:58,790 praying in Jesus name, which we want to do, but we also want to 608 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:03,560 act in Jesus name. Frenzies on the throne Right 609 00:38:03,570 --> 00:38:07,120 now, the son of David, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is on 610 00:38:07,130 --> 00:38:12,520 the throne, and God will fulfill his promise and establishing his 611 00:38:12,530 --> 00:38:15,660 Kingdom in our lives and in our world. 612 00:38:15,790 --> 00:38:17,580 So let's live accordingly. Let's pray. 613 00:38:20,790 --> 00:38:25,540 Gracious Father in Heaven, how can we thank you enough for your 614 00:38:25,550 --> 00:38:30,600 saving grace in Jesus Christ, the Son of David? 615 00:38:30,750 --> 00:38:32,630 Thank you, Jesus, that you did come. 616 00:38:32,990 --> 00:38:35,760 Thank you that you you gave of yourself. 617 00:38:35,910 --> 00:38:40,120 Thank you that you even now you're revealing who you are, 618 00:38:40,630 --> 00:38:44,630 how you love, and what your plans are for our life, for our 619 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:48,580 community and our world. Come and make yourself known, we 620 00:38:48,590 --> 00:38:56,170 ask in our midst, and Lord, we offer ourselves to you as your 621 00:38:56,180 --> 00:39:00,400 instruments to be used to expand your Kingdom. 622 00:39:02,930 --> 00:39:06,900 Come Lord, we pray in Jesus name. 623 00:39:07,700 --> 00:39:08,170 Hey, Ben.