1 00:00:24,970 --> 00:00:29,690 It was that silent night when the stars turned their gaze to 2 00:00:29,690 --> 00:00:35,730 marvel at the earth, when the heavens gathered breathless 3 00:00:35,730 --> 00:00:42,370 around a lowly stable, when a young mother wept, tears of 4 00:00:42,370 --> 00:00:45,930 worship falling on the baby in her arms. 5 00:00:48,690 --> 00:00:53,680 And the song of the earth arose in Bethlehem, soft as the tender 6 00:00:53,680 --> 00:01:00,360 beating of his heart. And all was calm, all was 7 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:04,280 bright. Yet could this be the same God 8 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:10,000 of Abraham, the Conqueror of Israel, this baby, this fragile 9 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:14,160 life? Is this child the one who burned 10 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:19,880 his name in rapture across the gasping skies, whose voice spoke 11 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:23,680 the oceans into crashing rhythms, who crafted the 12 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:28,720 mountains into guardians of the firmament, whose hand ignited 13 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:32,800 the thirst of the deserts and a warring surge of the elemental 14 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:38,240 hosts, who breathed life from dust, broke the oppressor's 15 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:42,880 rule, scattered the chains of his people like sand, and LED 16 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:45,600 them through the wilderness with a pillar of flame? 17 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:50,680 Is this child the one whose presence billowed thunderous on 18 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:56,680 Sinai's peak, who surrounded Job with the roaring wind, stood 19 00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:01,760 defiant in the raging furnace, wrote judgment against tyrants, 20 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:06,160 and blazed on the lips of the prophets, scorching history's 21 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:08,360 pages with the fury of his might? 22 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:13,840 Could this be the same God who chose to come as the vulnerable 23 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:20,360 King, setting his throne on straw and Manger, drawing forth 24 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:25,120 the tears of shepherds, receiving the gifts of wandering 25 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:29,360 travellers, his fame unknown in this world? 26 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:39,560 He is Jesus, the one who thunders through the heavens, 27 00:02:39,920 --> 00:02:46,680 yet whispers to our hearts, who reigns victorious, yet vows to 28 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:52,440 serve the broken. He is God in the fury, God in 29 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:57,440 the silence. He holds this mystery balanced 30 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:02,040 in His hands, holds our questions till they lose their 31 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:14,960 need, until all we see is Him. You'll still get goosebumps. 32 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,720 My goodness, I just love that video. 33 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:19,440 I love the tension that it creates. 34 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:21,640 I think that one of the lions is something to this. 35 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,520 He roars in the heavens but whispers to our hearts, Yeah, he 36 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:30,120 is the God who is God almighty, but he's also God with us, the 37 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:34,480 God who condescends to us in our valleys and our struggles. 38 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:36,600 And that's very much what we're going to be taking a look at 39 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:38,520 this morning. I'm going to jump straight in. 40 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:40,960 I want to pick up on Matthew chapter 1. 41 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:42,480 If you're taking notes, you don't have to turn there. 42 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:44,480 It's going to be on the screens as we dive in. 43 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:48,760 Matthew 118 says this is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came 44 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:51,240 about. His mother Mary was pledged to 45 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:53,520 be married to Joseph. But before they came together, 46 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:55,600 she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 47 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:58,880 Because Joseph, her husband, was faithful to the law and yet did 48 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:00,920 not want to expose her to public disgrace. 49 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:04,480 He hadn't mind to divorce her quietly, but after he had 50 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:07,000 considered this, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream 51 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,320 and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary 52 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:13,120 home as your wife, because what is conceived in hers from the 53 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,120 Holy Spirit, she'll give birth to a son, and you are to give 54 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,079 him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their 55 00:04:19,079 --> 00:04:22,240 sins. All this took place to fulfill 56 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:24,400 what the Lord had said through the prophet. 57 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:27,680 The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they 58 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:32,880 will call him Emmanuel, which means God with us. 59 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:36,360 So that's the name of our series that we're going to close 2024 60 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:41,280 with God with us. And that's a, that's quite a 61 00:04:41,280 --> 00:04:45,000 loaded name. What does it mean to serve a God 62 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:48,520 who condescends, a God whose greatest desires say no, no, no, 63 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:54,000 you need to know me as this God with us, not a God upmost 64 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,560 higher. My first and foremost desires to 65 00:04:56,560 --> 00:05:00,640 know you, to be with you in the midst of all that you're facing. 66 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:04,040 Now, what we've learned from Rory is whenever something like 67 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:07,360 this that says there, the prophet had said, it's referring 68 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:09,880 to a moment in the Old Testament. 69 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:12,040 And what Ross taught us is whenever there's something 70 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:14,840 mentioned in the New Testament that's drawn from the Old 71 00:05:14,840 --> 00:05:17,360 Testament, it's always good to go back and see what was going 72 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:19,440 on in that setup, in that environment. 73 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:22,520 What is it that Matthew wants us to see here? 74 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:24,240 And you only find that in the context. 75 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:25,520 So that's what we're going to do this morning. 76 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:26,560 We're going to look at the context. 77 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,600 What is Matthew on about? Why would he choose this one 78 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:33,120 prophecy out of 300 plus prophecies out of the Old 79 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:36,120 Testament and what was spoken of of this coming Messiah? 80 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:38,760 What's so special about the fact that he wants to be known as 81 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:41,560 Emmanuel, God with us. So if you have your Bible, you 82 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:45,480 can turn to Isaiah Chapter 7. That's where we find this 83 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,040 prophecy on the scene. And just a backdrop to that, 84 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:52,960 Isaiah 7 and 8 consider the darkest days of Israel's 85 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:55,800 history. They've had a string of very 86 00:05:55,800 --> 00:06:00,560 wicked kings, and now King Ahaz is probably the worst of the 87 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,320 worst. He's leading Israel instead of 88 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,520 to their Heavenly Father. He's leading them away from the 89 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:09,200 Heavenly Father. They've systematically turned 90 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:13,960 the nation's back on God, and now they're turning their back 91 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:16,360 on one another. So the nation is divided, the 92 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:19,960 king is wicked, and then these northern kingdoms decide, OK, 93 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:23,520 now is the time that we are going to finish off the people 94 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:26,640 of Israel. So that's the context, the 95 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:30,560 backdrop. However, in the midst of that is 96 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:35,120 a God who says you are still my people, my heart is still for 97 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:37,760 you. I still want to be Emmanuel, God 98 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:41,360 with you and so he doesn't leave them to their own devices as 99 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,480 much as they said thank you, speak to the hand. 100 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:46,520 We're not interested. God comes after them and we see 101 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:50,760 in Isaiah 7 verse 3 says then the Lord said to Isaiah, go out 102 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:52,400 to meet Ahaz. That's the king. 103 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:55,040 Go out to meet Ahaz on the road to the launderers field. 104 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:58,920 Say to him, be careful, keep calm, keep calm and carry on. 105 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:01,320 That's where we got it from. Keep calm and don't be afraid. 106 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:04,600 Do not lose heart because of the these two smouldering stubs of 107 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:07,760 firewood, because of the fierce anger of Resin and Aram and of 108 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:12,280 the son of Ramalia. They have plotted your ruin. 109 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:15,120 Maybe that came up in a board meeting this week. 110 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:19,960 They have plotted your ruin, saying let us invade you to let 111 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:22,560 us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves. 112 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:27,280 Yet this is the heart of God. This is what the sovereign Lord 113 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:31,160 says. It will not take place, it will 114 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,720 not happen. I'm still on your side, Israel, 115 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:37,560 I'm still on your side, Dodgy King Ahaz verse 10 again, the 116 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:41,200 Lord spoke to Ahaz, Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in 117 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:43,320 the deepest depths or in the highest heights. 118 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:47,240 But Ahaz said, I will not ask. I will not put the Lord to the 119 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:49,080 test. I don't know what happened 120 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:51,200 there. I have a feeling that Isaiah was 121 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:53,960 looking into King Ahaz's eyes and maybe he was like checking 122 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:55,480 the time. I'm wondering like, are you, are 123 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,160 you done yet? So he says, the Lord says, ask 124 00:07:58,160 --> 00:07:59,960 for a son anything. Look at those words there, 125 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:02,880 whether in the deepest depths, on the highest heights, you 126 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:04,680 know, ask me for the lottery numbers. 127 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:06,120 Whatever it is, it will convince you. 128 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:08,560 Ask me. And he says, and it seems like a 129 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:12,200 very pious, righteous. Now I will not test to the Lord, 130 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:18,880 but actually what he says is I don't know if you've ever had a 131 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:23,800 teenager say that to you. Turn to your neighbour and 132 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,000 channel the inner teenager again to them. 133 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:30,840 Now those who are really didn't even look, you're just like, no, 134 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:33,200 whatever. I'm not going to do what the 135 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:36,799 pastor says. Now it's one thing for the 136 00:08:36,799 --> 00:08:38,880 person next to you to go or a teenager. 137 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:42,720 There's another thing completely for your spouse to do that for 138 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:44,200 you. Imagine you're fighting tooth 139 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:46,800 and nail for your marriage because it's taking strain and 140 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:49,400 you feel like you're losing his heart or her heart and all you 141 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:58,200 get from them is. Verse 13 Then Isaiah said, here, 142 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:01,480 now you House of David, is it not enough to try the patience 143 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:04,080 of humans? Will you try the patience of my 144 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:06,920 God also? Therefore, the Lord himself will 145 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:09,080 give you a sign. You didn't want to ask for the 146 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:11,200 lottery numbers. The Lord himself will give you a 147 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:13,200 sign. The virgin will conceive and 148 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,640 give birth to a son and will call him Emmanuel, which means 149 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,560 God with us. I don't know about you, but 150 00:09:19,560 --> 00:09:22,600 that's not kind of the context I thought we'd come across when we 151 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:25,040 were looking at that verse that Matthew stole from the Old 152 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:27,400 Testament. A king that doesn't care. 153 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:31,120 I kind of thought, you know, maybe it would be Isaiah having 154 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:33,040 coffee with some mates and they've been married for 20 155 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:34,440 years and they've been trying to have a child. 156 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:36,360 And she announces, oh, you won't believe it. 157 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:38,240 You know, this morning it was one strap and then it turned to 158 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:40,000 two. We're going to have a baby. 159 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:41,720 We're so excited. It's amazing. 160 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:44,440 I never thought now. And Isaiah put his coffee cup 161 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:47,400 down and said, you know, what's really amazing is that God has 162 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:50,280 shown me that a virgin will conceive and his name will be 163 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:51,360 Emmanuel. God with us. 164 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:54,720 That's kind of the context I thought this would transpire in 165 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:58,520 that Matthew's going like, OK, let me let me bring this into 166 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:01,160 this would go down well in the Gospel while he's writing it, 167 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:04,360 but it's a king who could care less. 168 00:10:05,680 --> 00:10:12,080 That is a proper statement that God would still lean into that 169 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:17,680 with the greatest Prof, greatest promise in the whole of the Old 170 00:10:17,680 --> 00:10:20,560 Testament would give it into that situation. 171 00:10:21,680 --> 00:10:24,280 Why does he do this? Why does Matthew grab that? 172 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:27,800 Why does he lean into the darkest times of Israel's 173 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:31,480 history and bring that one into Matthew chapter 1? 174 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:35,320 Two reasons. Firstly, because Matthew in his 175 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:39,400 wisdom knows that between King Ahaz and the day he was writing 176 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:45,720 the Gospel, nothing had changed. The heart of the people is still 177 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:51,320 just like Ahaz. God leans in and looks after and 178 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:56,000 loves on and then. And the reason why I raised that 179 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:58,920 is because when I look at Matthew's time and I look at 180 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:03,320 King Ahab's time and I look at our time, we were exactly the 181 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:05,400 same. Nothing's changed. 182 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:09,080 I had a conversation on the last time I preached. 183 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:12,600 I mentioned divorce statistics. I asked the question in the 184 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:13,440 sermon. I said, you know, what? 185 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:16,160 Do you know what this stats are for marriage and divorce? 186 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:20,480 And I mentioned currently it's one in every two marriages end 187 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:22,320 in divorce. And I, you know, finally said, 188 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:24,960 like, which half is it going to be, you know, And we all had to 189 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:26,120 chuckle. But then I mentioned the fact 190 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:30,720 that those stats are a little bit skewed because if as married 191 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:34,600 couples, you were to pray together, come to church 192 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:38,920 together, engage in a community, have quiet times, get into God's 193 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:41,560 word, bring your days before your heavenly Father is no 194 00:11:41,560 --> 00:11:46,800 longer one in every two. It's now one in every 59,000, 195 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:50,640 only one in 39,000 that actually ends in divorce. 196 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:54,240 And I mentioned this from the pulpits and then someone said to 197 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:56,960 me afterwards, yeah, but you know, I'm not really a reader. 198 00:11:56,960 --> 00:12:10,200 So also known as fortunately that's not you, but maybe you're 199 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:14,160 here in January when we started the series on Galatians and we 200 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:21,920 heard about the grace of God and you went, and then we went 201 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:27,040 through Jonah and we went through the prayer series and 202 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:30,000 we've just wrapped up Titus. And when you look back through 203 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:36,720 2024, nothing's changed. Not praying anymore, not leaning 204 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:39,040 in anymore. You're not drinking of the grace 205 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:41,360 of God anymore because you and I have gone. 206 00:12:43,680 --> 00:12:45,800 So that's the first reason why I believe he brings it into 207 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:49,240 Matthew chapter 1. Because the heart of man is 208 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:53,080 deceitful above all, desperately wicked. 209 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:58,560 The heart of man is modelled after A has, but I actually 210 00:12:58,560 --> 00:13:01,800 think the real reason Matthew brings it into chapter 1, it's 211 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:08,160 not so much to unpack A has his heart, but to unpack God's 212 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:11,240 heart. Because point number one is 213 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:14,280 nothing has changed. The point #2 is nothing has 214 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:17,320 changed. God's heart for you and me has 215 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:20,680 not changed. If he is willing to look at that 216 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:24,080 and say, you know what, I'm going to show you the greatest 217 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:29,920 sound mankind could ever dream of Emmanuel, God with you, then 218 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:32,200 how much more you and I are saying, Lord, would you show 219 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:35,280 yourself to me. So I want to show the heart of 220 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:37,960 God, not the heart of a has. I want to show the heart of God 221 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:43,320 in Isaiah around that and how breathtaking it is. 222 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:45,680 But a reminder for you and me because our hearts are just the 223 00:13:45,680 --> 00:13:47,520 same and we need to be reminded of this. 224 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:50,960 So I'm going to be a little bit of not a CEO, but Acro chief 225 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:53,640 reminding officer today. I want to show you the heart of 226 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:56,080 God in this. You already see it in chapters 227 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:58,560 7:00 and 8:00, but I want to show you what happens in chapter 228 00:13:58,560 --> 00:14:02,920 6 and in Chapter 9. Is it in in the literature? 229 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:08,040 It looks like God wraps his arms on either side around this cold 230 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:15,200 hearted Stony King Ahath. So we're going to look at the 231 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:16,520 before and then we're going to look at the after. 232 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:22,160 On the before Isaiah chapter 6, it says in the year that King 233 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:25,240 Uzziah died, I saw the Lord high and exalted, seated on a throne, 234 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:27,080 and the train of his robe filled the temple. 235 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:30,840 Above him was seraphim, each with six wings, with two wings 236 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:33,600 that covered their faces, with two that covered their feet, and 237 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:36,240 with two they were flying and they were calling to one 238 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:38,800 another. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God 239 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:41,080 Almighty. The whole earth is full of His 240 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:43,120 glory. At the sound of their voices, 241 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:46,680 the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled 242 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:49,000 with smoke. Woe to me, I cried. 243 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:50,600 This is Isaiah, woe to me, I cried. 244 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:53,720 I'm ruined, for I'm a man of unclean lips, and I live among 245 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:56,440 the people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the king, the 246 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,680 Lord Almighty. Then one of the seraphim flew to 247 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:02,280 me with a live call in his hand, which he had taken with tongues 248 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:04,600 from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and 249 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:06,680 said, see, this has touched your lips. 250 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:10,200 Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for. 251 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:14,400 You see the heart of God there. The heart of God first and 252 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:18,680 foremost is for sin to be taken away, guilt to be atoned for. 253 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:22,480 So much so that when he's in God's presence, we're standing 254 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:24,480 here. Now remember, this is before 255 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:28,040 we're introduced to the king. And it goes, Nah, he's standing 256 00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:30,400 before God. God is preparing him to go there 257 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:32,640 and he wants to make sure he knows, listen, this is not about 258 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,120 you being, you know, squeaky clean. 259 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:37,040 I need to cleanse you. I need to redeem you. 260 00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:40,120 I need to restore you so that you can stand before the king 261 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:42,720 and bring my word. But this is the heart of God 262 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:46,360 saying to us, no, no, there's nothing you need to do. 263 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:50,080 Just let me touch your lips. Let me deliver you. 264 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:54,800 Let me forgive you, because what he's about to declare is that 265 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:56,600 there is the one who's going to come, the Lamb. 266 00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:57,760 It takes away the sin of the world. 267 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:01,200 So he stands there first and foremost, completely set free 268 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:04,560 the heart of God for his people. There's another little comment 269 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:07,200 there that you don't see. Right at the very beginning, he 270 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:10,320 talks about the train of his robe filling the temple. 271 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:14,280 Now, this one gets completely lost on us, specifically me, 272 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:18,800 because I realized that I was alive when Princess Diana got 273 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:21,160 married. I think there was like early 80s 274 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:23,680 if not 1980. Do you remember the train of her 275 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:25,960 wedding dress? Well, take a look at this. 276 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:29,160 I actually have a photo. I think the the sort of like the 277 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:31,400 altar boys are still carrying the very back. 278 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:32,480 They haven't left the church yet. 279 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:36,400 You know, she's nearly ready to climb into the club that is 50 280 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:39,480 meters long. That's train of of her wedding 281 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:41,360 dress. I did a wedding yesterday. 282 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:44,280 It was maybe 3 meters long with 30 meters. 283 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:47,120 Now, that's what I think of when the train of his robe filled the 284 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:48,680 temple. But actually that's got nothing 285 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:50,800 to do with that. You see, she had a long train 286 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:52,120 because she wanted to look pretty. 287 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:55,760 God's robe has a long train because he wants to declare his 288 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:59,520 power, See, because in the ancient Near East, they would 289 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:01,920 make kings like we do in our day. 290 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:05,040 You know, he's sort of got the golden scepter and that funny 291 00:17:05,079 --> 00:17:09,200 small soccer ball that he had. And king tolls with a the crown, 292 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:12,839 and then he gets this robe. They would do the same in the 293 00:17:12,839 --> 00:17:14,880 Engineer East. But what would happen is when a 294 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:19,359 king went to war, if he defeated another king, they would take 295 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:21,720 that robe and they'd stitch it into their robe. 296 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:25,640 And then they'd defeat this king and they'd take that robe and 297 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:28,040 stitch it into his robe. Which meant that when you 298 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:30,560 entered the presence of the king and he's sitting on his throne 299 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:32,960 and you can see something of that robe come around the bottom 300 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:35,080 of his throne, you know, this is a big deal. 301 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:41,680 This is a mighty man of war. God's train of his robe fills 302 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:45,240 the temple. Now, I won't bore you with 303 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:50,440 dimensions, except that it's really, really, really big and 304 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:54,080 it is filled with his victory. And you know what has been 305 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:58,520 stitched into his robe that makes that train fill the entire 306 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:01,440 temple? Victory over sin and death. 307 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:06,120 Victory over your past and your shame and your dysfunctional 308 00:18:06,120 --> 00:18:10,080 family and your alcoholic, the grandparents and your abusive 309 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:12,680 boss. Victory over all of that taken 310 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:16,240 all of that. And so as I needed to see this, 311 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:21,160 this is the heart of God to wade into your mess and claim victory 312 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:25,760 on your behalf. The problem is, we really do 313 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:29,600 have a heart like a has I heard. I watched a Ted Talk this week. 314 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,440 Young guy was busy explaining about his childhood. 315 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:34,920 He was saying came to the end of Grade 1. 316 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:37,480 They'd finished the first year of a big school. 317 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:40,280 And so the teacher thought this is a great opportunity to really 318 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:42,920 blow some wind into these kids lives and encourage them. 319 00:18:43,120 --> 00:18:46,400 So she had them all stand and when they stood, she said, OK, I 320 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:49,880 want you to encourage someone else in the room, pick someone, 321 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:51,920 encourage them. And once you've been encouraged, 322 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:53,800 you can sit down. And so the kids had to turn and 323 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:57,560 eventually, you know, the 50 went down to only 20 standing. 324 00:18:57,560 --> 00:19:00,040 Then only 10 was standing. And right at the end, there were 325 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:03,120 three kids still standing. And the teacher was saying, is 326 00:19:03,120 --> 00:19:03,760 there? Is there anyone? 327 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:05,080 You want to say something, Butch? 328 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:06,240 You want to you want to encourage? 329 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:08,920 And he's like, no, come on, Butch. 330 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:10,920 Yeah, come on, Butch. Shame on you, Dennis. 331 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:11,800 You want to say, have you got any? 332 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:13,720 It's like, no. So these three kids stand there. 333 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:15,760 No one wants to say a single nice thing about them. 334 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:23,200 And so the teacher, the teacher says, well, best you do better 335 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:24,720 next year. So we've got something nice to 336 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:27,560 say about you. Yeah, I know. 337 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:32,600 You've got to love it. Hey, so but now here's his 338 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:37,080 point, He says. So he gets this burning hot 339 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:41,080 rejection at the age of 6. Now he was probably late 30s, 340 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:45,040 early 40s and he's saying every time he steps into a situation 341 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:50,360 that is a little bit, you know, deep water, all he hears is the 342 00:19:50,360 --> 00:19:55,240 screams of a six year old. You not enough, they're not 343 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:57,600 going to like you. They won't want to do business 344 00:19:57,600 --> 00:20:00,880 with you. And his life is governed by his 345 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:04,440 six year old self. And we're the same, you see, 346 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:08,040 because as much as the train of the road folds the temple, when 347 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:12,080 night comes, our six year old self leopard crawls in and 348 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:15,040 unstitches because, well, I'm a disappointment. 349 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:17,440 And you know, this, this shame, I need to take my shame back. 350 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:19,640 And, you know, I really was guilty and I don't think I said 351 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:24,240 sorry enough. And so Isaiah needs to see no, 352 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:26,640 no, no, no. That has been claimed by the 353 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:30,480 conquering king, and it will be paid for on the cross. 354 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:36,520 Don't you dare take it back. But Isaiah clearly had. 355 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:39,240 I beg your pardon? Ahaz clearly had. 356 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:42,680 I was reminded of an illustration that I did when 357 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:46,440 this place was still a tent. For those of you who've been 358 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:49,640 with us for a while, we had the stage on that side. 359 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:52,520 It was a circus tent. We were all clowns. 360 00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:56,680 We still are. And the faces just extended all 361 00:20:56,680 --> 00:20:58,880 the way to the very end and outside the stages. 362 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:01,240 But anyway, that the illustration I was reminded of 363 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:05,920 when, when the Israelites go into the promised land, they get 364 00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:08,880 told that this is your inheritance, say, and the Bible 365 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:12,000 in Exodus describes it says it's from the mountains to the sea, 366 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,400 from the rivers to the desert. This is yours. 367 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:18,520 This is what the God of Isaiah 6 has for you. 368 00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:23,960 But then the six year old comes along, you know, and we get 369 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:30,640 angry with our kids and we disappoint our boss and we break 370 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:34,440 our wives hearts and we click on something we should never have 371 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:38,800 clicked on and we get angry and storm out of church. 372 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:42,320 And what happened was by the time David was king, they were 373 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:47,080 living in 60% of what Isaiah 6 had for them. 374 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:52,080 Only 60%. And then it got worse because 375 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:56,000 Solomon came along and Solomon blesses cotton ticking skin. 376 00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:58,680 Besides, he's going to marry something like 700 wives and 377 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:01,120 he's going to have 50,000 concubines and he's going to 378 00:22:01,120 --> 00:22:05,680 allow idolatry and even child sacrifice into Israel. 379 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:13,840 And so at the time of Ahaz, they are living in 10% of what God 380 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:22,080 had for them in Isaiah 610%. Maybe that's you. 381 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:25,640 Maybe when you look at your laugh and you look at the 382 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:27,760 decisions you've made or when you look at what you've been 383 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:31,640 through, God, where were you? Feels like all I have is this. 384 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:35,840 And so God says before you're even going to deal with that 385 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:41,800 heart in Isaiah 6 says, let the train of my robe fold a temple. 386 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:46,080 Let me take it all, I'll take it all myself, and you can have it 387 00:22:46,120 --> 00:22:51,360 all as a gift of salvation, a God who redeems, who restores, 388 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:55,120 who renews. And that is the Isaiah that gets 389 00:22:55,120 --> 00:22:58,240 sent to King Ahaz. That is the understanding that 390 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:01,160 he carries when he stands before the heart that goes. 391 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:07,880 What about you? Whose report do you believe, the 392 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:10,520 six year old or the God of Isaiah 6? 393 00:23:11,360 --> 00:23:15,880 Because this God wants you to know him as Emmanuel, God with 394 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:19,560 us. And that's only half the story 395 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:23,480 because on this side we get into Isaiah Chapter 9 and it begins 396 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:24,680 in verse 2 by saying the following. 397 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:27,480 It says the people walking in darkness have seen the great 398 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:30,240 lights on those living in the land of deep darkness. 399 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:34,080 A light has dawned for as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have 400 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:36,320 shattered the yoke that burdens him. 401 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:42,600 So he's standing on this side. OK, he's Isaiah's encountered 402 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:47,920 the living God, the God of Isaiah 6. 403 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:51,040 He's now had a very pleasant moment with King Ahaz and his 404 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:55,280 shady heart. And still God is saying that 405 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:59,520 darkness, there's going to be a light dawning in there, Your 406 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:02,160 darkness, there's going to be a light dawning in there. 407 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:05,120 Still, he says in the days of Midian's defeat, that's when 408 00:24:05,120 --> 00:24:08,360 Gideon, against all odds, you're looking at your situation. 409 00:24:08,360 --> 00:24:09,840 You're going? Yeah, but not not mine. 410 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:11,920 You don't know my baggage, my background. 411 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:14,480 You don't know what my kids are doing and what my husband has 412 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:19,200 said now, he says you have shattered the yoke that burdens 413 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:22,160 him. You've shattered the bar across 414 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:25,560 their shoulders and the rod of their oppressor. 415 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:28,920 How is that possible? Well, fine. 416 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:31,920 To us a child is born and to us the son is given and the 417 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:34,040 government will be on his shoulders and he'll be called 418 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:38,040 wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of 419 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:40,640 Peace, of the increase of his government and peace. 420 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:45,480 There will be no end. Now that is an amazing statement 421 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:48,520 in and of itself. The fact that that statement is 422 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:53,160 made from here, looking back at Ahaz's heart is unprecedented. 423 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:57,360 That God is still saying after you're in my heart, I'm coming 424 00:24:57,360 --> 00:24:59,720 for you. I want you to know me as 425 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:03,160 Emmanuel, God with us. I want you to be close to me. 426 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:07,360 I want to be close to you. I want to overwhelm you with all 427 00:25:07,360 --> 00:25:13,680 that I have for you, which in a word is in the Hebrew Pele. 428 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:19,560 I want to introduce you to the God who he declare of him Pele. 429 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:24,880 Pele is basically what he's saying over a has his heart. 430 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:29,600 Pele is what he was saying over my daughter when she was in ICU 431 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:33,600 a year ago and is now completely in full remission. 432 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:37,520 Pele is what was said over a young baby that was born last 433 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:40,800 week Sunday and they didn't know if she would last 36 hours, but 434 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:43,560 she might be discharged from hospital this newborn baby this 435 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:45,440 week because Pele has stepped in. 436 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:46,960 You want to know what Pele means? 437 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:50,320 It's it's one of the words that are used exclusively of God in 438 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:54,920 this context, and it's only ever used in utter darkness. 439 00:25:55,160 --> 00:26:00,840 Pele is essentially that which requires God as its explanation. 440 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:09,560 Pele how my daughter went from an isolation ward in ICU a year 441 00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:11,880 ago to now complete remission Pele. 442 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:15,920 That which requires God as its explanation. 443 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:17,800 You want me to explain? I can't. 444 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:23,360 All I can tell you is a meta God of whom it is said Pele, and 445 00:26:23,360 --> 00:26:26,120 this is what he is saying over a hairs. 446 00:26:27,360 --> 00:26:31,160 He's looking back and he's saying it doesn't bother me, no 447 00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:35,320 biggie. I can take that and make a Pele. 448 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:41,800 I can turn that into essentially a hot luck David, if we just 449 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:46,560 surrender that to him. What is it in your life that you 450 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:51,640 need Pele? Imagine think of that whatever 451 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:54,600 it is, maybe it's a marriage, maybe it's a business, maybe 452 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:58,200 it's a situation you're facing. Maybe it's just ongoing 453 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:00,640 brokenness. What is that? 454 00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:06,520 Imagine this time next year, you standing where I'm standing, 455 00:27:07,120 --> 00:27:11,120 maybe holding the microphone sitting on the stage with raw he 456 00:27:11,120 --> 00:27:17,520 says what happened, I don't know requires God as an explanation. 457 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:24,320 Pele so because what he says here, he give us 2 specific sort 458 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:27,440 of picture stories through Azan. We don't have time to go through 459 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:30,560 it, but I'll I'll instead just concisely show you the way I 460 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:32,760 would describe it. The one is kudzu. 461 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:35,240 I don't know if you know what kudzu is. 462 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:39,880 Kudzu is a vine and they imported it from the East to 463 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:42,560 America because one engineer thought, well, this will be 464 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:44,720 really good. It grows pretty quickly and it 465 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:47,520 will help us, you know, mitigate the soil erosion while you're 466 00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:49,280 building a bridge or whatever the case might be. 467 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:53,080 So they, they imported khutsu to the South of the US. 468 00:27:53,920 --> 00:27:57,600 The problem is it grows really, really well, 50 centimetres in a 469 00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:00,400 day. So I want to show you a photo of 470 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:05,360 khutsu. That was a holiday home. 471 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:08,880 They built a bridge not far from there. 472 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:13,160 The family came on holiday, you know, Christmas presents and tow 473 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:16,200 and you know all that cheese and wine you need for the December 474 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:18,920 holidays. And the kudzu had eaten their 475 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:23,680 own. And it is, it is like it is that 476 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:26,240 thick. You need bulldozers to get rid 477 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:29,720 of kudzu. And that's one of the pictures 478 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:35,640 that we see in a Zionine. See God looks at that says it 479 00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:39,840 might have just crept up on you. It wasn't malicious, but he'll 480 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:42,480 deal with it. You look at it and you think our 481 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:44,200 December is ruined. We're not going to have 482 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:51,800 Christmas in that place unless pillar that which only that 483 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:55,680 requires God as its explanation. And so the picture here that is 484 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:59,400 happening that Isaiah's prophesying over a has is some 485 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:02,320 areas of our lives kind of creep up on us. 486 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:04,600 We weren't malicious. You know, you weren't out there 487 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:08,240 to destroy that person's business or, you know, ruin that 488 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:10,280 relationship. But one thing was said and 489 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:13,000 nothing was apologized. And it was like a stone that got 490 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:14,760 into your shoe. And then you kind of avoided 491 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:17,280 them for a while. And this thing has just become 492 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:20,640 to the point where it feels like everything is just completely 493 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:23,880 invalid. And now you don't know how to 494 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:27,640 get out of there. Now you're on such deep water 495 00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:30,520 and there's so much hanging over your head. 496 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:33,640 Maybe it's financial. It was just a little bit more on 497 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:36,040 the credit card here and just you needed this because the 498 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:38,160 business was in a certain place and it wasn't malicious. 499 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:43,720 But eventually kudzu, maybe that's the situation that God 500 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:46,840 says. Let me Pele over that. 501 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:51,240 The other way I'll describe what's going on here is with the 502 00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:54,200 picture of an avalanche. I found this beautiful one. 503 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:58,960 Can't you imagine? I heard the story of a guy who 504 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:02,840 was caught in that. And he says it's not like, you 505 00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:05,480 know, we think snow. There's no snow. 506 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:08,480 It's not even like a wave. It's like a truck. 507 00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:11,440 You get hit by this thing. And he says it hits you so hard 508 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:14,800 that you, if you're actually able to stay conscious, you just 509 00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:17,680 numb and this thing swallows you as it covers you. 510 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:20,720 And he said when he was under there, he couldn't tell if he 511 00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:23,280 was upside down or not. Like which which way out? 512 00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:24,680 How do you dig yourself out there? 513 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:29,840 He says because there's so much pressure from all sides, can 514 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:32,360 barely breathe, and it puts so much pressure on your body that 515 00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:35,280 you're not even able to tell slightly upside down all that 516 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:39,200 was up and you are meters under this stuff. 517 00:30:41,280 --> 00:30:44,240 And that is one of the pictures that he paints in Isaiah 9 when 518 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:48,800 he looks back at a house because he is about to be absolutely 519 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:52,480 obliterated by these descending armies from the north. 520 00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:57,240 And God is saying, I just want to be Immanuel, God with you. 521 00:30:58,160 --> 00:31:00,040 And God is saying to you, I don't know which of the two you 522 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:03,680 are. Maybe it's been that slow creep 523 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:07,680 in 2024. It's just been 2020, no more. 524 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:16,440 Maybe it feels like like you're under so much pressure. 525 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:21,600 Maybe you've even thought the only way out is to take my life. 526 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:31,280 God says, can I blow your mind? Can I take that and make it play 527 00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:36,920 that which requires God as its explanation? 528 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:45,520 What if 2025, as I heard a friend say, is 2020 Thrive, 529 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:54,520 Thriving in that good zoo. From kudzu to thriving, from an 530 00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:56,640 avalanche of pressure to thriving. 531 00:31:56,640 --> 00:32:00,360 What if you were to place that into the God who says I want to 532 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:03,760 be a manual God with you? I want to step into, I want to 533 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:09,400 wade into that mess and 2025 comes along and that very thing 534 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:12,440 with this financial or relational or emotional or 535 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:16,520 spiritual or all of the above, that you're standing here at the 536 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:22,360 end of 2025 and you can say Pele, Pele, Pele, Pele, Pele. 537 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:25,280 That which requires God as its explanation. 538 00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:31,240 If so, you would have encountered someone who likes to 539 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:36,560 be called Emmanuel, God with us. And that's the invitation that 540 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:46,440 Isaiah gives to King Ahaz. And yet he responds with I get 541 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:49,960 that. I've been at the place where it 542 00:32:49,960 --> 00:32:52,920 just seems. I mean, that would be lovely, 543 00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:59,240 you know, but 2020 thrive, really, I know what that's like. 544 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:02,880 Actually, you're starting to doubt the goodness of God. 545 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:09,240 Like it's been so long, he's worn me down. 546 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:12,440 I think he's abandoned me. I understand that. 547 00:33:13,360 --> 00:33:21,640 But still, like in Notting Hill, I'm just a girl standing in 548 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:24,120 front of a boy trying to tell him I love him. 549 00:33:26,240 --> 00:33:32,200 That is what God Most High does for you and I when he says I 550 00:33:32,200 --> 00:33:36,400 will be Emmanuel, God with you and that is the invitation. 551 00:33:37,360 --> 00:33:41,360 So I'm going to close and pray and if anything in your life 552 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:43,800 desperately needs pillar, I'd like to pray for you. 553 00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:46,600 So Heavenly Father, this morning, I just want to thank 554 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:48,760 you for your word. I want to thank you even more 555 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:51,560 for your heart. Thank you that we serve a God 556 00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:54,160 like this. Who would have ever thought that 557 00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:57,160 we could have access to you actually more than that? 558 00:33:57,400 --> 00:33:59,240 That you are wanting access to us? 559 00:33:59,760 --> 00:34:04,000 That a God like this, the God who was a pillar of fire by 560 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:08,560 night in the desert, the God who sets Israel free under Pharaoh's 561 00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:12,120 reign and part of the sea, that same God would want to wade into 562 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:15,040 our little mess and our broken hearts. 563 00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:19,199 Pray, Lord Jesus, for every person here who needs an 564 00:34:19,199 --> 00:34:23,840 encounter with God that can only be explained through pillar. 565 00:34:24,760 --> 00:34:27,520 Lord, would you rain down your Pillay over us? 566 00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:30,040 Would you walk into and wade into our mess? 567 00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:32,199 Would you deliver? Would you set free? 568 00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:34,159 Would you restore? Would you redeem? 569 00:34:34,159 --> 00:34:37,600 Would you resource? Would you love on and comfort 570 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:42,400 and just drown us in your compassion, your mercy and your 571 00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:46,920 grace? Lord, we need you, we need you. 572 00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:55,159 We invite you Emmanuel to come and be God with us and we ask, 573 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:58,480 would you confirm your word with signs and wonders following 574 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:01,040 Jesus name, Amen.