1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:08,680 It's the most wonderful time of the year. 2 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:14,120 Come on everybody. It's the most wonderful time of 3 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:23,120 the year with the kids Jingle belling, and it's the most 4 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:30,480 wonderful time of the year. Hey, good morning, good morning, 5 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,760 good morning. So we're ending our series 6 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:37,920 today. As we move on into Christmas, he 7 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:42,640 shall be called. And this morning's message 8 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,480 starts with the most joyous question of them all, which is 9 00:00:46,480 --> 00:00:51,760 also the title of this message, which is what are you expecting 10 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:58,240 for Christmas? What are you expecting for 11 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:03,200 Christmas? As a kid, I loved being asked 12 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,480 that question. Hey, when your mom and your dad, 13 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:11,800 once you knew Father Christmas, OK, I won't spoil it. 14 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:16,720 Your mom and your dad came to you and said, hey, what do you 15 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:19,240 want for Christmas? What are you hoping for? 16 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:22,040 And your eyes just lit up like this. 17 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:28,080 Sparkly eyes are calling. And you had this joy, like what 18 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:30,640 can I ask for, what can I hope for? 19 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:36,360 It's like this mixture of joy, anticipation and you start to 20 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:42,120 negotiate. So my daughter Sophia learnt, 21 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:46,960 sorry for the illustration, my love, but she learnt a trick 22 00:01:46,960 --> 00:01:50,560 very early on because her birthday is on the 16th of 23 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:51,720 January. So you know what's going to 24 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,640 happen? It's like, hey, mom and dad, you 25 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:58,640 know, I really want this, this, this thing for Christmas. 26 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,960 Can I have it? We're like, whoa, that's, that's 27 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:06,960 like way, way past the budget. Hey, can't, can't go for it. 28 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:08,560 Sorry. No, no, no. 29 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:11,160 But mom and dad, I'm going to make you a deal. 30 00:02:11,920 --> 00:02:17,960 What happens if I combine my Christmas and my birthday 31 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:22,080 present into one big present? That's all I want, you know, 32 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:25,160 But, but so if you know, like when, when your birthday comes, 33 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:28,480 you're going to be a little bit like disappointed, there's going 34 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:30,160 to be nothing to open on your birthday. 35 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:35,800 No, no, no, no, I'm, I'm 100% convinced that this is what I 36 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:41,480 want. So we fall for it every year. 37 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:45,600 And guess what happens a week before the 16th? 38 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,800 Mom and dad look at each other and go, you know, a shame. 39 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:54,920 You can't, you can't. She can't not get something on 40 00:02:54,920 --> 00:02:56,440 her birthday shows that would be wrong. 41 00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:07,520 Hey, Clinton. And she ends up the little 42 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:13,120 negotiator ends up with a double present at Christmas every 43 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:17,000 single year. And I felt throughout the 44 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:23,480 series, as we've explored the names of the Messiah, as we've 45 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:31,520 explored wonderful Counsellor, mighty God, everlasting Father, 46 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:35,040 Prince of Peace, as we've explored that the Lord is my 47 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:37,680 shepherd and he longs to tend for us. 48 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:44,240 I felt God drop in my spirit and say if you knew who I truly was, 49 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:49,320 you too. Kai would be asking me for a 50 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:55,560 double present this year. You see, in scripture, a double 51 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:59,680 portion signifies a special inheritance or blessing, which 52 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:04,360 is often given to the first born as a symbol of the Father's 53 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:09,960 strength and favour. And in Romans 8, we're reminded 54 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:14,800 over and over and over again that we are all first born 55 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:19,920 heirs, that we are all children of the Most high God. 56 00:04:20,079 --> 00:04:24,000 We are all children, and the Father longs to give us the 57 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:27,520 special inheritance. That means that we don't 58 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:31,880 approach Christmas like just another holiday or just another 59 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,680 time of the year, that we can just kind of collapse. 60 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:41,880 I finally got there. I've got 2, maybe 3 weeks before 61 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:49,760 I have to do it all over again. No, we approach Christmas with 62 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:53,320 the understanding that we are sons and daughters who share in 63 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:57,480 the Father's inheritance, the first born blessing, the double 64 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:06,200 portion. So we approach the season not 65 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:14,760 only with bold expectation, but with a correct expectation that 66 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:21,120 if we truly knew who our father was, that we would be asking 67 00:05:21,840 --> 00:05:32,680 Father, what double gift of grace, of restoration, of 68 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:39,040 breakthrough are you going to place into my hands this year? 69 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:46,400 So as we conclude this series, we're going to look one more 70 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:53,400 time at that incredible prophecy that is Isaiah 9, one of the 71 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:59,920 most amazing scriptures about Jesus. 72 00:06:01,280 --> 00:06:03,120 And we're going to look at three things. 73 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:08,560 One, the context of it, that it was spoken into a world that 74 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:12,840 looks a lot like ours. Secondly, we're going to spend 75 00:06:12,840 --> 00:06:17,880 some time having a look at that promise of light, of joy, of 76 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:21,440 restoration and utter complete victory. 77 00:06:21,840 --> 00:06:26,320 And lastly, which is the crux of our series, we're going to look 78 00:06:26,840 --> 00:06:31,640 at the person on whom this incredible promise rests. 79 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:38,840 He shall be called. Are you with me? 80 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:45,360 All right, so first, the context. 81 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:52,760 Chad showed us last week that Isaiah's words were spoken into 82 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:56,120 one of the darkest moments in Israel's history. 83 00:06:56,840 --> 00:07:01,240 Azayanan wasn't written into this world of warmth and of 84 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:05,920 candles and of it's the most wonderful time. 85 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:10,640 No, no, no. It was written into a time of 86 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:14,800 darkness and despair. Israel and Judah were divided. 87 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:18,800 Families had been torn apart. There was war, there was 88 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:20,760 corruption, there was spiritual decay. 89 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:24,960 And King Ahaz, who was the king of Judah at the time, was such a 90 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:30,560 weak and fearful leader that he decided to take the gold out of 91 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:34,480 God's temple and give it to the Assyrians and say, hey, 92 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:38,520 Assyrians, please don't attack us, please protect us. 93 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:47,160 The entire nation was caught up in their own strength and what 94 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:50,520 they could do in their own power, the differences they 95 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:54,520 could make in their own lives. Isaiah 822, the chapter before 96 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:56,760 puts it this way. They said they look towards the 97 00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:58,800 earth. In other words, they look 98 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:05,680 towards themselves, their own strength, but they're found only 99 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:13,640 distress and darkness and gloom. And maybe you know that kind of 100 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:20,840 gloom, the darkness of disappointment, of betrayal, of 101 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:25,040 grief. I'm reminding you of this 102 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:30,920 context because for me and my family, this is an incredibly 103 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:35,159 tough time for my extended family. 104 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:38,600 We can't be together at Christmas. 105 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:44,760 My brother and my sister will not be in the same room as my 106 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:51,400 father. To them, he does not exist. 107 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:56,440 So when we approach this time, guess what's going through our 108 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:59,440 families minds? Where are we going to spend it? 109 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,400 Does Who are we going to spend it with? 110 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:07,920 If we spend it with these guys, they're going to be upset. 111 00:09:08,680 --> 00:09:11,720 If we spend it with those, these will be upset. 112 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:16,480 We cannot win. Can't, can't we just can't we 113 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:19,600 just skip over Christmas? Can we just have the holidays 114 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:22,720 and not have Christmas? So we don't have the drama, We 115 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:25,560 don't have the mess, we don't have the the unforgiveness. 116 00:09:25,560 --> 00:09:27,920 We don't have the hurt. We don't have the memory of all 117 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:30,360 the things that have gone wrong. I don't even know how to deal 118 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:35,640 with it, if I'm being honest. I just approached and go kind of 119 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:39,000 like Sam goes like, are you you got your zombie eyes on again? 120 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:41,160 Are you? Are you, are you with us? 121 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:43,040 And it's like, no, I actually don't know. 122 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:44,920 I actually don't know how to deal with it. 123 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:49,320 And we start listening to that song. 124 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:54,400 It's the most wonderful time. And I'm like, no, it's not. 125 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:04,560 It's not. And maybe your Christmas has its 126 00:10:04,560 --> 00:10:10,760 own broken story of disappointment, A wound that 127 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:14,920 makes the season incredibly hard to face. 128 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:19,400 Maybe it's a season you're walking through a line nearly 129 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:24,280 separated, or facing the first year with our loved one. 130 00:10:25,560 --> 00:10:34,400 Or maybe you're just over it. This entire year has been a 131 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:39,160 battle. This entire year battle to find 132 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:43,040 meaning. Where is this Tov that we spoke 133 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:45,040 about in Ecclesiastes? Where is this meaning? 134 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:49,280 Where is this beauty that I'm supposed to find in this world? 135 00:10:49,560 --> 00:10:53,480 All I see is smoke. Heaven. 136 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:58,400 Meaningless, meaningless, meaningless. 137 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:07,800 I don't know what difficulty you face, but I do know that it's 138 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:16,480 into this exact same context, the same world, that Isaiah 139 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:20,880 begins to bring his word of hope. 140 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:26,240 As the Carol reminds us the thrill of hope. 141 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:29,840 The weary world rejoices for Yonder. 142 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:34,960 Yonder breaks a new and glorious dawn. 143 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:40,040 It's here that our bold expectation begins. 144 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:43,640 It's here that our correct expectation begins. 145 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:46,360 He says, lift up your eyes from the gloom. 146 00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:49,200 Lift up your eyes from looking at yourself. 147 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:51,920 Can you see? Can you see? 148 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:54,880 Let me show you what I'm about to do. 149 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:58,800 Let me show you I'm about to bring to you the Messiah. 150 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:02,960 And the Messiah speaks into every single context that will 151 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:06,120 ever exist throughout human history, whether it's UPS or 152 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:09,640 whether it's downs, whether it's good, whether it's bad, every 153 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:13,000 context. I will come and I will bring the 154 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:15,760 Messiah and I'll bring his promise. 155 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:21,240 And as far as promises go, you do not get any better than this. 156 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:25,840 You do not get any better than this. 157 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:31,440 So if you have your Bibles, because as Wendy says, I want 158 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:36,160 you to believe me that it's really there, would you mind 159 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:40,400 opening up to Isaiah 9 verse one? 160 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:43,240 Because we're going to go through it very quickly, line by 161 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:46,240 line, and see this incredible promise that God has for us. 162 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:58,000 And Isaiah begins with Nevertheless, there will be no 163 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:03,640 more gloom for those who were in distress. 164 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:11,760 Nevertheless, despite your distress, there will be no more 165 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:14,520 gloom. It doesn't say there will be no 166 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:18,160 more distress. It doesn't say there will be no 167 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:21,840 more problems. It says there will be no more 168 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:27,520 gloom for those in distress. In other words, even though you 169 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:31,840 are in difficulty, even though you are in distress, there will 170 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:35,840 be hope. God doesn't always remove the 171 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:39,960 difficulty, but He does remove the despair. 172 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:44,760 He does remove the gloom because he gives us hope. 173 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:48,880 And then Isaiah goes and mentions 3 regions and you could 174 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:52,680 be fooled into thinking these are just ARB reasons. 175 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:54,640 Regions. They're not. 176 00:13:55,320 --> 00:14:01,280 He mentions Zebulun, Naftali, and Galilee because these were 177 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:05,840 the border lands. They were right at the top of 178 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:08,960 Israel. They were the places that were 179 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:12,600 first invaded. There were the places that were 180 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:15,960 mixed with Gentiles. There were the places that 181 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:19,320 people would say those are the compromised lands. 182 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:24,720 And in our own lives, these are the broken areas. 183 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:30,840 These are the areas that we maybe have allowed the enemy to 184 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:36,320 grab a foothold in this year for his lies to come in and say, 185 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:40,920 hey, you're not good enough. Hey, you keep failing. 186 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,600 Hey, there is no meaning in this world. 187 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:54,560 And he says into those areas I'm going to shine my light. 188 00:14:55,920 --> 00:15:01,000 He says the people walking in darkness have seen a great 189 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:05,040 light, not a flicker, not a candle. 190 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:10,680 We light candles at Christmas because we remind ourselves that 191 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:13,320 Jesus is the light of the world. But guess what? 192 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:17,440 Jesus is not a candle. He is a great light. 193 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:24,760 He is a brilliant light and he is a permanent light. 194 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:29,760 It says on those living in the land of deep darkness, a light 195 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:33,720 has dawned. A great light that marks the 196 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:38,200 start of a new day. A new day church. 197 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:43,160 A dawn that cannot be turned off. 198 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:48,880 When God's light rises, you can't switch it off. 199 00:15:49,480 --> 00:16:01,720 The day has come in your life. Jesus is the great light that 200 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:06,280 has dawned over you. Isn't this just the most 201 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:10,080 incredible promise? Isn't this just the most 202 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:14,240 incredible Scripture? He God says. 203 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:16,480 I see your distress, but guess what? 204 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:20,520 There's no more gloom for you. I see your compromise. 205 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:24,800 Borderlands into those lands. I don't shy away from them. 206 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:27,400 I'm not afraid of them. I'm going to shine my light 207 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:31,040 right there. And when my light comes, I'm not 208 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:35,440 going to switch it off. It's like a new day. 209 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:39,560 You can't go back to the night. Isn't that incredible? 210 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:43,040 But there's more. There's more. 211 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:44,840 That's just the start. He says. 212 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:49,120 You have enlarged their nation and increased their joy as 213 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:52,680 people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when 214 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:56,040 dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian's 215 00:16:56,040 --> 00:17:00,360 defeat, God's saying, I'm going to enlarge your inheritance. 216 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:03,920 Remember the series of Romans where we took that piece of 217 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:05,920 paper and we said this is how we live. 218 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:10,800 We RIP out sections and God says, I'm going to restore that. 219 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:14,400 He says I'm not going to restore, only restore it, but 220 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:18,440 I'm going to enlarge it. We say to God, I'm living in 221 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:21,359 this Borderlands. God says I'm going to give you 222 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:25,079 more land. Are you ready for more land? 223 00:17:25,839 --> 00:17:31,600 I'm going to give you more land. And in that land I'm going to 224 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:37,800 give you great joy. And this is not surface 225 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:43,480 happiness. This is not material happiness. 226 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:49,600 It's the deep joy that comes from seeing God's promises 227 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:56,160 fulfilled. It's the joy of restoration 228 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:01,480 after a loss. It's the type of joy that you 229 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:08,440 have when you get to taste and see the fruits of your labor. 230 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:12,520 It's like building a business for five years, you've never 231 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:16,960 made a profit, and then in year 6 you become profitable and you 232 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:18,600 can see the runway. It's going to work. 233 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:22,920 This thing's actually going to work and you're cashflow 234 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:26,400 positive and you get to pay bonuses to your staff for the 235 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:30,040 first time ever. It's that kind of joy. 236 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:32,920 It's the kind of joy that you have if you have this incredible 237 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:37,760 debt hanging over your head because of bad decisions, bad 238 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:41,640 deals that you made, and you pay off that debt year after year 239 00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:45,360 after year, month after month. And then you make that final 240 00:18:45,360 --> 00:18:51,160 payment, that relief, that gratitude that comes washing in. 241 00:18:53,240 --> 00:19:00,000 It's like when the battle is done and you can divide the 242 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:05,360 plunder. And then Isaiah uses a very 243 00:19:05,360 --> 00:19:10,440 familiar image. He says as in the day of 244 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:18,360 millions defeat and every person in Israel would have known the 245 00:19:18,360 --> 00:19:25,200 story of Gideon from Judges six to seven, every person in Israel 246 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:28,240 would have known and heard the stories how the Midianites 247 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:30,720 oppressed Israel for seven years. 248 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:34,880 They plundered them from the north to the South. 249 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:39,800 That destroyed the crops, the animals, the houses from the 250 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:45,240 north to the South. And maybe 2025 has been a year 251 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:50,120 of you being plundered from the north to the South. 252 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:59,120 And God raises up Gideon, an insecure man. 253 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:05,280 An insecure man hiding in a wine press. 254 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:15,800 And he calls them out. Mighty warrior, mighty warrior 255 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:24,680 and getting a master gun. Who is God talking to? 256 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:28,600 And maybe you're sitting and going. 257 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:32,840 Who God? Who are you talking to? 258 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:43,240 God says mighty warrior. So Gideon raises up this army of 259 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:49,040 32,000 men and guess where they came from? 260 00:20:51,400 --> 00:21:00,160 Zebulon, Naftali and Asher, which is in Galilee, the very 261 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:08,280 same places that Isaiah mentions, the Borderlands, the 262 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:13,720 mixed lands. And then God takes that army of 263 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:19,520 32,000 and he cuts it down to 300. 264 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:24,400 And these aren't the elite soldiers. 265 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:31,040 They're not the Navy Seals. They're not the best of the best 266 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:35,920 of the best. These are just the guys that 267 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:39,960 drank water in the weirdest possible way. 268 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:43,440 Do you remember? How did they drink it? 269 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:48,280 They lapped it. It says like dogs. 270 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:55,200 I'd challenge you to go and find meaning in that over this 271 00:21:55,200 --> 00:22:00,440 Christmas time. But I guess we could be fooled 272 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:05,080 into thinking that God really chose these very strange 273 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:09,480 individuals. I mean, I think in the modern 274 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:13,120 context, if you had to guess who these guys were, they would be 275 00:22:13,120 --> 00:22:17,440 like the guys that understand what blockchain is, Am I right? 276 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:23,720 Hey, or, or like maybe blockchain and AR those guys. 277 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:30,040 It's like the IT folk who call the IT folk, you know, the IT 278 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:32,600 folks, IT folks. So if the IT folks computer 279 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:37,680 breaks, these are the people that they go and call to go and 280 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:43,120 fix their computers, am I right? So we could be fooled into 281 00:22:43,120 --> 00:22:47,960 thinking that since God has chosen these very tech savvy 282 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:52,840 people who who, who drink their water by lapping it with their 283 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:58,280 tongues, that potentially God's going to give them like some new 284 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:02,880 tech, like maybe like some drones or something like that to 285 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:08,880 take out this vast army of the Midianites or maybe even sharks 286 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:12,000 with lasers. Hey, can you get something? 287 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:16,600 I get. But he doesn't do that. 288 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:27,960 He says armed only with torches, with trumpets and jars of clay, 289 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:37,440 they defeated this vast army and we have this treasure in jars of 290 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:43,280 clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and 291 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:48,320 not from us. Will you take this jar of clay 292 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:53,200 and will you break it this season at Jesus feet? 293 00:23:55,160 --> 00:24:02,200 Because as in the days of millions defeat, we cannot 294 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:11,040 imagine who God will use, how God will use him, or what God 295 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:17,680 will use to bring about his victory in our lives. 296 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:28,080 And then this last verse when I read it, I was completely 297 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:33,160 flawed. It says every warrior's boot 298 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:39,440 used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined 299 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:44,080 for burning, Will be fuel for the fire God. 300 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:55,320 Every warrior's boot, every garment used in battle will be 301 00:24:55,320 --> 00:25:00,720 destined for burning. You see, the victory will be so 302 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:09,480 complete, the war is so over that you know all those clothes 303 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:17,080 this year that got muddied, that got bloodied in battle? 304 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:21,920 Do you know all that armor that you put on to fight your 305 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:24,160 battles? You know those weapons that you 306 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:30,440 use in your own strength? God says take all of those, take 307 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:33,400 them off and throw them into the fire. 308 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:43,120 You don't need them anymore. The battle is over, the war is 309 00:25:43,120 --> 00:25:47,680 won. I have done it. 310 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:57,280 So as far as promises go, it does not get any better than 311 00:25:57,280 --> 00:25:59,880 this. Hope in distress. 312 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:03,120 No more gloom, light and new dawn. 313 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:12,720 Joy in an increased inheritance. An utter and complete victory. 314 00:26:18,300 --> 00:26:22,820 As promises go, this is the pinnacle. 315 00:26:23,460 --> 00:26:28,640 This is the pinnacle of what? God has promised to give us 316 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:36,800 through Jesus the Messiah. And this is the last point and 317 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:45,080 really the crux of the series. Thing is, a promise is only as 318 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:51,560 trustworthy and secure as the one who gives it. 319 00:26:53,640 --> 00:27:00,440 And we know that this promise is secure because of who gives it. 320 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:09,960 He shall be called. And we know this because we've 321 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:15,080 all had promises given to us that have been broken by a 322 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:21,760 company, by our family, by our spouse, by our children. 323 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:25,240 I promise I won't drink. I promise, I promise. 324 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:28,720 This is the last time. I promise, I promise I won't. 325 00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:32,120 I won't get angry. I promise I won't hit you. 326 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:40,640 I promise, I promise, I promise, I promise, I promise, I promise, 327 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:43,160 I promise, I promise. And every time we hear that, I 328 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:47,920 promise. You just know you can't rely on 329 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:52,800 it. It's almost like anger wells up 330 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:59,640 in you because you know that they can't follow through. 331 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:07,200 We are the world, we are the people. 332 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:10,160 You know that song. We are the ones to make a 333 00:28:10,160 --> 00:28:12,880 broader day. So let's start giving. 334 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:17,680 I don't know if you've seen, but that song was recorded 30 years 335 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:22,240 ago. All these fit about 30 or 35. 336 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:28,000 Amazing Top of the Top of the Pops artists got together to 337 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:32,360 record the song, which was going to be there to raise money for 338 00:28:32,360 --> 00:28:38,280 famine, famine relief in Africa. And I think Michael Jackson 339 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:40,120 wrote some of it and other people. 340 00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:43,040 And it was a whole collaboration that would come together. 341 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:46,160 And we often sing the song or hear the song at least through 342 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:50,600 Christmas because, and if you watch the video of it, you, 343 00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:54,200 you'll see Bob Dylan in the background there and everybody's 344 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:56,920 going quite crazy. We are the world. 345 00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:01,240 We are the people. And he's not going. 346 00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:05,280 We're all the world. We are the people. 347 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:11,680 And he looks completely out of place, unsure, like he doesn't 348 00:29:11,680 --> 00:29:16,480 want to be there. And one of the reporters picks 349 00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:18,400 up on it. And when they're doing their 350 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:23,480 interviews afterwards, they they ask him, hey, Bob Dylan, hey, 351 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:26,480 man, what was up? Why did you look like you just 352 00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:31,640 didn't want to be there? And he responds with this. 353 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:35,920 He says, yeah, I actually didn't want to be here. 354 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:42,720 I just didn't believe the words I was singing. 355 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:50,120 I don't think that people can save themselves. 356 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:53,480 You see, we have the best intentions at heart. 357 00:29:55,080 --> 00:30:00,960 We really, really want to try. We want, we want to, we want to 358 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:08,360 save the world. But inevitably, as human beings, 359 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:15,440 we always fall flat. And if this promise, this 360 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:22,080 incredible promise we're made by anybody else but God, we too 361 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:26,120 could dismiss it. And to help us trust this 362 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:29,040 promise, God doesn't leave us guessing. 363 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:32,720 He says, you can rely on this promise. 364 00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:37,760 Because let me show you exactly who I am. 365 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:44,920 For unto us a child is born. For unto us a son is given, and 366 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:48,280 the government will rest on the shoulders, and he shall be 367 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:54,680 called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father 368 00:30:54,920 --> 00:31:00,280 and Prince of Peace. He says, let me show you my 369 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:05,120 character so that you can trust this promise. 370 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:10,080 Wonderful Counsellor, not just a good advisor, but a miracle 371 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:15,920 working wise ruler who knows exactly what to do. 372 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:22,320 He doesn't just give advice, he works wonders. 373 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:26,320 He leads us besides still waters. 374 00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:33,640 Mighty God, the powerful warrior, the Lion of Judah, the 375 00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:36,920 Creator who spoke the world into being. 376 00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:41,840 The Lion who fights every single one of our battles. 377 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:45,440 He has both strength and sovereignty. 378 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:53,120 The everlasting Father, not distant, not absent, not 379 00:31:53,120 --> 00:32:00,880 inconsistent, not in insecure, but the Father who never, ever 380 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:06,040 leaves us, who provides for us and who protects us. 381 00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:16,840 The Prince of Peace, not the absence of conflict, but Shalom, 382 00:32:18,520 --> 00:32:23,560 wholeness and healing and the restoration that of everything 383 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:27,480 that is broken within and around us. 384 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:34,840 This is why you can trust this incredible promise, because it's 385 00:32:34,840 --> 00:32:42,360 spoken by the one whose character never, ever fails. 386 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:48,320 We can make promises and break them, even if we have the best 387 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:52,200 intentions. But when God makes an earth, 388 00:32:54,080 --> 00:33:00,360 when God makes a promise, he swears by his own name, as he 389 00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:05,280 did with Abraham, because there is no one higher that he can 390 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:11,680 swear by, and he knows that he is the only one who can fulfill 391 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:17,480 every single promise in every single detail. 392 00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:20,920 So what am I expecting for Christmas? 393 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:28,000 Well, I'm expecting that the same God who spoke through 394 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:33,680 Isaiah into a world of war, division, and despair to speak 395 00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:39,320 again into our world, into my world, into my family's world. 396 00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:43,200 I'm expecting that double portion. 397 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:46,040 I'm expecting that double present. 398 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:50,920 I'm expecting the terrible to be met by the wonderful counselor. 399 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:56,040 I'm expecting the mighty God to fight every single one of my 400 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:59,000 battles. I'm expecting the abandoned to 401 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:01,400 be held by the everlasting Father. 402 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:05,440 And I'm expecting the wars within and around me to be 403 00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:10,760 stilled by the Prince of Peace, because He is my great light in 404 00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:14,360 this darkness, because he is my new dawn. 405 00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:19,639 He is my unspeakable joy, and he is my complete and utter 406 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:25,400 victory. For unto us a child is born, and 407 00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:30,440 unto us a son is given. And the government will rest on 408 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:36,120 his shoulders, and he shall be called wonderful counselor, 409 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:44,719 mighty God, my everlasting Father, and my Prince of Peace. 410 00:34:46,120 --> 00:34:52,040 And I'm standing on his word, and I'm standing on his word 411 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:59,680 that he is true to his name and his character. 412 00:35:00,800 --> 00:35:04,960 That's what I'm expecting for Christmas. 413 00:35:06,720 --> 00:35:12,840 Now, if the band can come up quickly, we're almost done. 414 00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:17,320 We are done. We can't leave it there. 415 00:35:23,020 --> 00:35:26,540 So we're going to sing one more song of worship. 416 00:35:27,940 --> 00:35:35,140 We're going to end on a high and we're going to trust God to 417 00:35:35,140 --> 00:35:39,900 move. So in a moment, AQR Code will 418 00:35:39,900 --> 00:35:43,240 come up and don't worry, we're not going to ask for a double 419 00:35:43,240 --> 00:35:48,880 offering. If you click on it, Use your 420 00:35:48,880 --> 00:35:51,720 camera app and click on it. And if you need some help, you 421 00:35:51,720 --> 00:35:55,440 can ask someone sitting next to you to do that. 422 00:35:55,680 --> 00:36:00,360 It's going to take you to a link where you can submit a prayer 423 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:04,040 request. There's already been a lot of 424 00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:06,520 people that have done it over the week. 425 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:09,320 It's about 10 or 15 up there already. 426 00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:12,920 And these prayer requests are going to come and we're going to 427 00:36:12,920 --> 00:36:16,520 put them up on our website. And as a community, we are going 428 00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:20,200 to pray through these through the season because a lot of us, 429 00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:28,680 herself included, have got many difficult times that we're going 430 00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:31,720 to have to face. And maybe there's things that 431 00:36:31,720 --> 00:36:36,680 you're hoping for for next year. Put them up. 432 00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:44,960 But I know the character of my father, and I know that he wants 433 00:36:44,960 --> 00:36:50,480 to give us that double portion of Grace Restoration, 434 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:53,320 Breakthrough, whatever it is that we need. 435 00:36:55,960 --> 00:36:59,040 So as we sing this next song, would you take a moment? 436 00:37:00,880 --> 00:37:03,920 You can share them anonymously, or you can share it. 437 00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:08,080 Put your name on it, but let's put them up and let's pray 438 00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:11,880 through them as a community. And then when God answers 439 00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:16,920 because He always does, When God answers because He always does, 440 00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:22,280 please click on the praises QR code whenever it happens 441 00:37:22,280 --> 00:37:24,600 throughout the week or even next year. 442 00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:30,320 And let's build a wall of testimonies of what our great, 443 00:37:30,920 --> 00:37:40,280 wonderful, loving, caring, Almighty, wonderful, omnipotent 444 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:46,880 God has done in our lives. You know, I wasn't going to 445 00:37:46,880 --> 00:37:52,560 share this, but at the end of burning, burning the garments, 446 00:37:52,720 --> 00:37:56,600 it says these will be used as fuel for the fire. 447 00:37:59,640 --> 00:38:06,720 Our victories, our victories, our testimonies will be fuel for 448 00:38:06,720 --> 00:38:13,640 the fire, for the fire of God to spread throughout the city in 449 00:38:13,640 --> 00:38:18,240 our lives and our families. It's the praises and the prayers 450 00:38:18,240 --> 00:38:23,160 of the Saints that rises up into heaven and he throws it back 451 00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:25,600 down onto earth. It's never ending. 452 00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:31,760 Let those testimonies be fuel for the fire that God is going 453 00:38:31,760 --> 00:38:35,120 to put in each and every single one of us. 454 00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:41,040 Can we do that? Can we take a moment? 455 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:43,040 Can we sing a song?