1 00:00:00,500 --> 00:00:05,000 The Christmas is amazing. I love I just love everything 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:10,800 about and I get caught up into it and I sometimes get too 3 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:14,200 excited and Christmas is over before we get to Christmas day, 4 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:17,200 which isn't so good. And then I have to have an 5 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:21,100 influx of energy from my family to get you back in the Christmas 6 00:00:21,100 --> 00:00:24,400 spirit, but I think we're all in the Christmas spirit, we're 7 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:28,000 waiting for it to happen, which is what Advent is about, isn't 8 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:29,500 it? It's about waiting. 9 00:00:29,500 --> 00:00:33,700 And we begin to see all the signs of Christmas happening 10 00:00:33,700 --> 00:00:36,700 whether it's snow or whether it's the lights or whether it's 11 00:00:36,700 --> 00:00:39,900 your Christmas cards or the presence beginning to build up, 12 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:44,100 they are all indicators. They are all little lights and 13 00:00:44,100 --> 00:00:48,200 signs pointing to something bigger, as we begin to prepare 14 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:52,700 ourselves. It's funny that we feel like we 15 00:00:52,700 --> 00:00:57,900 finish the year with Christmas. But really, for Christians, it 16 00:00:57,900 --> 00:00:59,400 should be where we start the year. 17 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:04,000 We should start from the place of Christmas in heading to the 18 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,800 next year, with the knowledge and the experience of the good 19 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:13,000 news that Christ came to Earth, you and me. 20 00:01:17,300 --> 00:01:22,400 I also before I forget I was teaching some students Samuel 21 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:26,800 ride to school on Wednesday and they said would you do we do 22 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:31,500 shout out to us and so before I wanted to do at the end so you 23 00:01:31,500 --> 00:01:34,200 stay to the end and listen the whole thing but I'm just going 24 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:36,800 to get it done. So Samia Rider you are very 25 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:38,600 welcome. To join us in church. 26 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:44,400 And re as you asked me to name Check you. 27 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:50,800 So re as there you go. Big up for Riyadh. 28 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:54,700 Let me start by reading something. 29 00:01:58,300 --> 00:02:04,200 In those days, Caesar, Augustus issued a decree that a census 30 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:08,600 should be taken of the entire Roman world. 31 00:02:08,900 --> 00:02:11,700 And this was the first census that took place. 32 00:02:11,900 --> 00:02:16,700 While quirinius was governor of Syria and everyone went to their 33 00:02:16,700 --> 00:02:23,500 Hometown to register. Just give you a bit of History. 34 00:02:23,700 --> 00:02:25,800 I think. Sometimes we forget that Jesus 35 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,800 happened in a moment in time, he was born in a moment in time. 36 00:02:29,100 --> 00:02:34,000 So we all know who Julius Caesar is, yeah, Just after that Julius 37 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:39,500 Caesar gets bumped off, okay. And then his close friends, the 38 00:02:39,500 --> 00:02:45,400 sort of ran the kind of the Roman armies, they all started 39 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:49,900 in fighting With each other, Mark Antony was kind of one of 40 00:02:49,900 --> 00:02:53,500 the main characters of that. And and he teams up with 41 00:02:53,500 --> 00:02:58,000 juiciest Seasons cousin or second cousin that Julius Caesar 42 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:04,000 adopts as his son. And and he renamed himself or 43 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:09,800 gustus and Mark, Antony loses a battle and he is so caught up in 44 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:11,900 himself that he takes his own life. 45 00:03:12,100 --> 00:03:14,200 So this is all history, this is all happening. 46 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:19,400 And when Mark Antony takes in his own life, Augustus, as left 47 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:23,800 as the kind of sole leader, the main Rule and there's a little 48 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:26,700 bit of Civil War, but basically, he takes over. 49 00:03:27,500 --> 00:03:31,300 And he deems himself. He calls himself Emperor and the 50 00:03:31,300 --> 00:03:36,100 Roman Empire begins to start and and he says a few things about 51 00:03:36,100 --> 00:03:38,200 himself. He says let me read it. 52 00:03:38,300 --> 00:03:43,700 He says he brings Justice and peace to the known world, that's 53 00:03:43,700 --> 00:03:47,100 what he announces. And when the Romans went into P 54 00:03:47,100 --> 00:03:52,000 of places, the the people who live there would say that 55 00:03:52,100 --> 00:03:57,100 Augustus was our savior and our Lord, that's what they were. 56 00:03:57,300 --> 00:03:59,700 Silence sounds a bit familiar, doesn't it? 57 00:04:00,100 --> 00:04:02,900 It gets more familiar. See they all guster's turns 58 00:04:02,900 --> 00:04:07,600 around and says you know Julius Caesar My adoptive father, he 59 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:11,200 was actually divine. Which makes me? 60 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:15,600 The son of. Son of God. 61 00:04:15,900 --> 00:04:20,399 And so there is a stage being set in our history books. 62 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:25,500 Of the Son of God who brings Justice and face but he's 63 00:04:25,500 --> 00:04:28,800 counterfeit. Not the real thing and exactly 64 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:30,400 the same time to get your history at. 65 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,100 Exactly the same time that all gustus is doing this. 66 00:04:34,500 --> 00:04:38,400 We have this story emerging exactly the same time. 67 00:04:38,700 --> 00:04:43,200 So when you begin to think about our story and our Christmas and 68 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:46,800 what is happening, it happens is a pivotal moment in history. 69 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,900 It isn't just a made-up, fairy tale or something you find in 70 00:04:49,900 --> 00:04:56,900 this book, Julius Caesar markandstacy, Augustus, Jesus is 71 00:04:56,900 --> 00:05:00,400 in that space. He's just in Bethlehem being 72 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,600 born. Really funny when he cemented 73 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:07,400 his Empire, he does. Augustus does a census to find 74 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:11,200 out what he's really got. He saw made him the main act, 75 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:16,300 he's taken center stage and how big is this thing that I have? 76 00:05:17,700 --> 00:05:22,500 So it is a census. Everyone take their boxes. 77 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:27,000 Christian know Jesus wasn't born but we've just had the sensors. 78 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:29,100 Haven't we? Yeah. 79 00:05:29,500 --> 00:05:31,600 Do you know what the result was when they went through they do 80 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:35,700 it every 10 years, Christianity has been on this gradual decline 81 00:05:35,900 --> 00:05:38,500 and then a huge jump in the last 10 years. 82 00:05:38,900 --> 00:05:44,300 Only 46 percent of UK citizens would say they are Christian 83 00:05:44,300 --> 00:05:47,300 now. So it's like and we feel quite 84 00:05:47,300 --> 00:05:51,000 sad and aggrieved and we see some of that in our politics 85 00:05:51,100 --> 00:05:52,500 Sin. And I education system. 86 00:05:52,500 --> 00:05:56,300 We see that some papers are saying we are no longer a 87 00:05:56,300 --> 00:05:59,200 Christian country. That's what's being said in some 88 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:06,400 papers and that's really sad news, it is news, but when you 89 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:10,200 dig into a little bit, what is really going on is nominal, 90 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:12,300 Christianity, kind of established. 91 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,400 You know. State-run church is, people 92 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:17,300 aren't going anymore. We're not getting married in 93 00:06:17,300 --> 00:06:19,500 church anymore. We're not having funerals in 94 00:06:19,500 --> 00:06:20,900 church anymore. Where those things. 95 00:06:21,100 --> 00:06:24,000 Have gone down. So nominal Christianity is 96 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:28,500 absolutely on the decline, but at the same time, if you look 97 00:06:28,500 --> 00:06:31,500 further into statistics, there is a huge increase in other 98 00:06:31,500 --> 00:06:34,400 things. So, black majority churches are 99 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:38,800 skyrocketing in the UK Vineyard movement is church. 100 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:43,800 Planting like, you can't keep up HD be their church planting 101 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,100 exactly the same time. And so we see a decline in 102 00:06:47,100 --> 00:06:52,600 nominal Christianity, but people who loved Jesus and live every 103 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:55,500 day. As if his opinion really matters 104 00:06:55,500 --> 00:06:58,300 they're trying to follow his opinion, is on the up. 105 00:06:59,500 --> 00:07:09,700 Amazing, 330 million people ticked the Box, saying we love 106 00:07:09,700 --> 00:07:15,800 Jesus, and we live every day. As if sub pinion matters 330 107 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:19,800 million on our little island. It's incredible around the 108 00:07:19,808 --> 00:07:22,400 build. If Augustus had done a census 109 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:25,700 and said how many are there of you two million would have 110 00:07:25,700 --> 00:07:28,800 ticked the Box. Think about that. 111 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,500 And on the day when Augustus is this census. 112 00:07:34,700 --> 00:07:38,900 Zero. Because he wasn't born yet. 113 00:07:40,300 --> 00:07:43,600 Two thousand years. This thing is going to be his 114 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:50,700 God and to Earth. And just if you are someone that 115 00:07:50,700 --> 00:07:56,500 tick the Box you know I'm a no religion I wonder how you feel 116 00:07:56,500 --> 00:08:00,200 about Jesus there. That's what it's about is not 117 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:03,700 about attending. A building is not about going 118 00:08:03,700 --> 00:08:04,700 somewhere. That's cold. 119 00:08:04,700 --> 00:08:08,300 And your toes are cold. It is about. 120 00:08:08,300 --> 00:08:11,500 Do you love Jesus and are you living every day? 121 00:08:11,700 --> 00:08:16,600 As if opinion matters, Which you can choose and you can change 122 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:19,400 what box you tick. You haven't set your trajectory. 123 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:22,200 So as we sort of, Honda Christmas. 124 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:24,300 Do you think, where am I really on that? 125 00:08:24,700 --> 00:08:28,600 Do I love Jesus, and do I live every day, as if it's opinion 126 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:36,700 matters, We should read on. So so Joseph. also went up from 127 00:08:36,700 --> 00:08:40,400 the town of Nazareth, in Galilee, to Judea to Bethlehem 128 00:08:40,500 --> 00:08:44,900 to the town of David, they get this because he belongs to the 129 00:08:44,900 --> 00:08:52,100 house and the line of David He went there to register with Mary 130 00:08:52,700 --> 00:08:55,900 who was pledged to be married to him and she was expecting a 131 00:08:55,908 --> 00:09:00,400 child and while they were there, the time came for the baby to be 132 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:03,600 born at so nicely and politely put, isn't it? 133 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:07,000 The time came for the baby to be born. 134 00:09:07,500 --> 00:09:10,900 Some of us know. It's not like that and she gave 135 00:09:10,900 --> 00:09:16,800 birth to her firstborn. He was a son And she wrapped him 136 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:22,800 in cloths and she placed him in a Manger, which we all know in a 137 00:09:23,500 --> 00:09:28,900 wooden feeding trough, because there was no room for them in 138 00:09:28,900 --> 00:09:36,500 the Inn. And Jesus is Hometown where 139 00:09:36,500 --> 00:09:40,100 Joseph grew up, where Joseph kick football with his friends, 140 00:09:40,100 --> 00:09:43,800 where he sneaks around their houses after school, and, and 141 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:46,100 stole their food. That's where they were going 142 00:09:46,100 --> 00:09:49,700 back to loads of relatives would have been there and he would 143 00:09:49,700 --> 00:09:54,200 have got with Mary on maybe a donkey banging on the doors to 144 00:09:54,208 --> 00:09:55,800 his relatives saying, can I come in? 145 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:01,200 We haven't got any room for you. We get told in the translation 146 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:04,500 that Went to an inn and some people are saying there, that 147 00:10:04,500 --> 00:10:07,400 wasn't a very good translation, what it would have been would 148 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:10,700 have been people's houses, they would live on the second floor 149 00:10:10,900 --> 00:10:12,700 and on the ground floor. There would have been a place 150 00:10:12,700 --> 00:10:16,000 for their animals and then there would be a guest room because 151 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,800 Hospitality was so big in that culture. 152 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:24,200 And Joseph wasn't just a local, it wasn't a local lad that grew 153 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:26,600 up there and all his relatives were there. 154 00:10:26,900 --> 00:10:31,900 He was of the line and the House of David. 155 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:35,900 You know the shepherd boy that became king. 156 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:39,400 Joseph descendant from them. He should have been let in 157 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:41,000 somewhere, should know, you really. 158 00:10:41,700 --> 00:10:44,900 So something is going on that leads you to speculate what was 159 00:10:44,900 --> 00:10:47,100 happening. What was going on there? 160 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:53,900 And there's loads of different views, but I wonder if him And 161 00:10:53,900 --> 00:10:59,800 Mary and her pregnancy was just a little complicated maybe not 162 00:10:59,900 --> 00:11:04,700 accepted by the culture and so people were like, we don't we 163 00:11:04,700 --> 00:11:07,300 don't want much to do with this. We're just someone else will 164 00:11:07,300 --> 00:11:10,500 deal with this. We don't want this, it was messy 165 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:13,800 like many of our Christmases. It messy. 166 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:17,900 Don't know. We who, who do we have round? 167 00:11:17,900 --> 00:11:19,800 Who do we see? They're going to get around 168 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:22,500 sunsets. Going to get drunk and, and so 169 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:28,100 Jesus. when into a space where Christmas is messy, knows what 170 00:11:28,100 --> 00:11:33,200 mess is like And Freya thank you, that you've helped us maybe 171 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:36,700 go against some of that messiness or step into the 172 00:11:36,700 --> 00:11:39,200 messiness a bit rather than avoiding it. 173 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:44,800 So, it was messy for whatever reason. 174 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:51,200 He can't find anywhere, really to stay it's difficult and so, 175 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:56,100 Christmas is a bit like a magnifier on that, isn't it? 176 00:11:56,100 --> 00:11:59,000 That everything is normal. Just is Multiplied. 177 00:11:59,100 --> 00:12:02,900 So Joy is Multiplied. Happiness is Multiplied. 178 00:12:03,300 --> 00:12:08,100 Conflict is Multiplied. Selfishness is Multiplied. 179 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:11,000 Whatever is saw that the core wherever is at the center of the 180 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:17,200 stage just gets bigger. And for Jesus, for Joseph and 181 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:22,500 Mary, what is multiplied? Is quite a lot of difficulty. 182 00:12:23,700 --> 00:12:28,100 You could say, actually, maybe there was a little bit of Shame, 183 00:12:28,100 --> 00:12:31,900 put on them, not the two of them had any shame, but maybe people 184 00:12:31,900 --> 00:12:35,200 try to put shame on them, but which is really interesting. 185 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:39,700 It means that Jesus Laughing to our world. 186 00:12:40,100 --> 00:12:44,700 Jesus stepped in, and his first moments were not being accepted. 187 00:12:46,100 --> 00:12:51,700 We're being turned away. People being suspicious chain, 188 00:12:51,700 --> 00:12:59,200 trying to be put on him. And so, when we think about Our 189 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:03,000 Lives when we think about, when we pray and we're struggling 190 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:07,700 with things, we pray to someone whose first moments are someone 191 00:13:07,700 --> 00:13:11,400 who is pushed away and not accepted and people just not 192 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:14,100 wanting to step into the messiness of that. 193 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:18,900 And so when you pray, you pray to someone that goes I get it. 194 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:26,800 I understand I empathize. I am with you in this. 195 00:13:27,100 --> 00:13:31,100 So don't ever think there is a prayer that you can pray because 196 00:13:31,700 --> 00:13:36,200 he gets his first moments. In fact, his last moments were 197 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:39,900 exactly the same. He was crucified naked. 198 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:46,500 The game, not his Shame. Shame, put on him, he 199 00:13:46,500 --> 00:13:52,600 understands And I think that God may not know what's going on in 200 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:55,300 our world is quite interesting. As well, Mark, use this word 201 00:13:55,300 --> 00:13:59,600 last week, that God is omniscient, which is a great re 202 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:03,300 where we love using. But actually what it means is, 203 00:14:03,300 --> 00:14:10,900 God has matchsticks in his eyes Doesn't it if he sees and knows. 204 00:14:10,900 --> 00:14:15,800 All we can think he's outside of time, but it means he cannot 205 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:18,300 turn away. He cannot blink. 206 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:20,700 He cannot cut it out of his sight. 207 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:26,900 Why did Jesus come? Because God has matchsticks in 208 00:14:26,908 --> 00:14:30,700 his eyes. And the children that he loves 209 00:14:30,700 --> 00:14:33,000 that he adores that are so precious. 210 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:36,100 I can't I can't stand back anymore. 211 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:40,100 I must do something. I must step into this messiness 212 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:44,900 and show them another way. And so Jesus comes because God 213 00:14:44,900 --> 00:14:49,900 has match sticks in his eyes. He comes to fix the messiness, 214 00:14:50,100 --> 00:14:54,300 he comes to step into the messiness, he comes to be part 215 00:14:54,700 --> 00:14:59,200 of our messiness. He sees all already and He's 216 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:02,400 fairly familiar with with shame, really, isn't he? 217 00:15:03,500 --> 00:15:05,600 He understands it. And so we shouldn't go before 218 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:08,300 him being fearful about the things that going wrong. 219 00:15:08,700 --> 00:15:16,100 In fact, The the real. The fact is that there is no 220 00:15:16,100 --> 00:15:19,500 shame before. God, in fact, the real shame is 221 00:15:19,500 --> 00:15:22,500 that we don't go before. God don't make sense. 222 00:15:24,300 --> 00:15:29,200 That's the problem before God, there is no shame he's seen or 223 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:34,200 he knows it. The problem is we the tragedy 224 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:37,600 is, we don't go to God in our shame because he's already seen 225 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:39,500 it. He a fives. 226 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:44,700 And it's really interesting for us, you know, when we fall over, 227 00:15:44,700 --> 00:15:49,000 when we make mistakes in our world worldview we get back up, 228 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:52,700 don't we? But as Christians when we make 229 00:15:52,700 --> 00:15:56,400 mistakes, when we fall, we don't get back up. 230 00:15:56,500 --> 00:16:01,000 We cover up that we keep a secret. 231 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:04,300 So we've got we match sticks in his eyes which is a little bit 232 00:16:04,300 --> 00:16:07,300 old. Really because he desperate for 233 00:16:07,300 --> 00:16:10,100 us to come before him. And to be real with who we are, 234 00:16:11,900 --> 00:16:13,500 students School asked me last week. 235 00:16:13,500 --> 00:16:17,800 They said, why do Christians always talk about sin and shame, 236 00:16:18,100 --> 00:16:23,100 which I'm doing our comp help here and The reason is we're not 237 00:16:23,100 --> 00:16:25,500 miserable. The reason is, we're not like 238 00:16:25,500 --> 00:16:28,700 obsessed with it. The fact is, if you, you are 239 00:16:28,700 --> 00:16:32,800 Mind, Body, Soul, all together. And if you break a leg, you go 240 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:36,400 and get it fixed, you fix your body and thank goodness. 241 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:39,800 Now, if you have a mental health, difficulty we now go and 242 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:41,600 talk about and we get tools to manage it. 243 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:43,600 A lot of my work is helping with that. 244 00:16:43,700 --> 00:16:46,900 So we do with the mind, there's only one thing left, our soul, 245 00:16:46,900 --> 00:16:50,300 our spirit, and we just going to go around sort of hobbling 246 00:16:50,300 --> 00:16:52,900 around with something. When we use words like sins 247 00:16:52,900 --> 00:16:58,300 described or do we get it fixed? This this thing we use sin. 248 00:16:58,300 --> 00:17:03,300 It's it pollutes us. We're we have sickness poison in 249 00:17:03,300 --> 00:17:04,400 our veins. When we do it. 250 00:17:04,599 --> 00:17:06,800 It is. These are things we learned from 251 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:13,000 Our Fate, please sirs. It's it is powerful it once, 252 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:15,500 isn't enough? We become obsessed. 253 00:17:15,500 --> 00:17:18,800 We get draw me. Come channel channel Vision on. 254 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:22,200 That thing is powerful. And the worst thing is it 255 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:24,900 creates a partition between us and God? 256 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:28,200 The god that we can close our eyes with. 257 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,800 Where is he? We, it's like we're trying to 258 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:33,200 shove them away. There's a barrier. 259 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:35,900 We begin to put in the way that that means that we can't know 260 00:17:35,900 --> 00:17:39,700 the peace of God so much and so croats in creates a partition. 261 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:45,700 And the brainy brow goes further brainy Brown says that the idea 262 00:17:45,700 --> 00:17:48,800 of sin is that I've done something wrong. 263 00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:55,200 Shame is when I think there is something wrong with me. 264 00:17:59,100 --> 00:18:01,700 Bob with mattresses eyes, cannot cope with that. 265 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:04,000 And so he comes to Earth to address shame. 266 00:18:04,100 --> 00:18:06,800 And he comes in a way that empathizes and goes. 267 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:10,100 I get it, I get it. I know that. 268 00:18:14,300 --> 00:18:17,900 Brainy Brown says this. She says that if you put shame 269 00:18:17,900 --> 00:18:23,600 in a Petri dish and bombard it with empathy, it cannot survive. 270 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:27,300 What did Jesus do? He comes to our world? 271 00:18:27,500 --> 00:18:29,600 And he takes Shane's and he lives it. 272 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:32,700 He bombards it with empathy for you and me. 273 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:39,000 And so, Take your shame, do something with it. 274 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:43,200 And Jesus, even shows as Paul writes about what Jesus does in. 275 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:45,900 Let me read it to you in Hebrews 12. 276 00:18:45,900 --> 00:18:52,200 He says this, I can find it. So, just a bit back thing. 277 00:18:52,500 --> 00:18:56,100 Therefore, since we are surrounded Side by such a great 278 00:18:56,100 --> 00:19:00,200 cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us 279 00:19:00,500 --> 00:19:03,100 and in easily, entangles us. And let us run with 280 00:19:03,100 --> 00:19:05,300 perseverance, the race marked out for us. 281 00:19:05,700 --> 00:19:11,700 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus. The author and the Perfecter of 282 00:19:11,700 --> 00:19:18,300 our faith, who for the joy, set before him even me, that's why I 283 00:19:18,300 --> 00:19:21,500 came with matchsticks, in his eyes, before the joy before him, 284 00:19:22,300 --> 00:19:28,600 endured the cross get this scorning, its shame and sat down 285 00:19:28,600 --> 00:19:32,400 at the right hand of the Throne of God in the SV, it says, 286 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:41,000 despising it shame too often people of Jesus are being held 287 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:44,400 down and held back and held captive, because we cover up 288 00:19:45,100 --> 00:19:52,300 rather than get up, Our example, our model, he despised shame, 289 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,400 and he empathize with it, when he was born for our to hold of 290 00:19:55,408 --> 00:19:58,000 his life. And as he died for us to stand 291 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,900 before him and say, I know you see me, here I am. 292 00:20:02,300 --> 00:20:05,700 And so if you feel that sense, sometimes of Shame and get 293 00:20:05,700 --> 00:20:08,800 before God, or get before your connect group, and just say, 294 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:13,500 because if you bombard it with empathy, it has no power. 295 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:18,500 It loses its power. So be brave and get the help. 296 00:20:18,500 --> 00:20:26,700 We need. What someone I should move on. 297 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:54,200 Sigh. That's going to say something 298 00:20:54,200 --> 00:21:08,700 else to you first. So tanned pepper knife and fish 299 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:17,600 and glory, and Thing honor. We're going to hear a different 300 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:21,100 announcement in minute. Tell me in a minute. 301 00:21:21,100 --> 00:21:24,100 What you think is glory and something else. 302 00:21:24,900 --> 00:21:30,500 Let me read you something more. So and there were shepherds 303 00:21:30,500 --> 00:21:34,800 living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks 304 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:39,600 at night, and an angel of the Lord appeared to them. 305 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:43,800 And the glory of the Lord Shone around them, and they were 306 00:21:44,100 --> 00:21:48,400 terrified. But the angel said to them, do I 307 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:50,400 can't do the voice. How do you do an angel voice? 308 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:55,700 Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great 309 00:21:55,700 --> 00:21:58,000 joy. That will be for all the people 310 00:21:58,300 --> 00:22:02,100 today. Today, think Julius Caesar 311 00:22:02,500 --> 00:22:07,000 Augustus at the same time. All gassed us today in the town 312 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,800 of David. A savior has been born to you 313 00:22:10,100 --> 00:22:15,700 and he is Christ, the lord or gustus know Jesus. 314 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:20,700 Yes, yes. And this will be a sign to you. 315 00:22:20,700 --> 00:22:25,400 You will find a baby wrapped in a cloth and lying in a Manger 316 00:22:25,900 --> 00:22:29,100 free. Clear sign, Berto. 317 00:22:29,100 --> 00:22:33,400 Anything else. Then suddenly a great company of 318 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:37,800 Heavens host, appears with the angel praising God and saying, 319 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:46,000 Interesting thing. It takes one, Angel to announce 320 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:51,100 his coming. It takes an army of Heaven to 321 00:22:51,100 --> 00:22:53,800 respond to the announcement. So I thought I won't read it 322 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:56,100 with read this all together, we're joining the Army. 323 00:22:56,600 --> 00:23:02,100 So on the count of three, three, two, one glory to God in the 324 00:23:02,100 --> 00:23:08,300 highest and on Earth, peace to those in whom his favor rests 325 00:23:09,100 --> 00:23:13,600 Imagine that, but the Heavenly house not being contained. 326 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:15,400 Not bear to hold themselves back. 327 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:18,400 In fact, just thinking this doesn't deserve, just one Angel. 328 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:22,200 This deserves all of us, which is going to rip apart heaven for 329 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,700 a second Peak through. And make sure people realize 330 00:23:25,700 --> 00:23:29,200 what has just happened and then we'll go back in before we get 331 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:37,300 in trouble. Glory and peace. 332 00:23:39,300 --> 00:23:43,500 There is this kind of symbiotic, relationship, salt and pepper, 333 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:47,400 fish and chips, knife and fork. Glory and peace. 334 00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:50,400 When Glory goes up. What comes down? 335 00:23:51,700 --> 00:23:56,400 He's the angels are announcing the status of the way things 336 00:23:56,400 --> 00:24:00,900 work. When Glory goes up, peace comes 337 00:24:00,900 --> 00:24:04,300 down. That's why Christmas has this 338 00:24:04,300 --> 00:24:10,500 kind of Desire, hope promise of Peace because all the lights, 339 00:24:10,500 --> 00:24:15,100 all the signs, all the snow brush eyes to give Glory 340 00:24:15,100 --> 00:24:18,300 upwards. And when we do he's because to 341 00:24:18,300 --> 00:24:31,200 come down so, What why wanted us to think about is as we as we 342 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:35,500 think about Christmas as we think about Glory, who is really 343 00:24:35,500 --> 00:24:39,800 the center of our stage? What is the center piece for us? 344 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:44,100 Is it, is it glory to God? Are we closing our eyes? 345 00:24:44,100 --> 00:24:48,300 And when we see snow or when we see mountains or when we hear 346 00:24:48,300 --> 00:24:51,000 The King's Speech, are we just closed her eyes and just giving 347 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:54,600 Glory up to God. We are we making big of God? 348 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:57,200 That's what Glory means is to make bigger. 349 00:24:57,300 --> 00:25:00,600 Of what, what are we making big off this Christmas? 350 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:06,200 are extravagant gifts, the fact that we're turning the heating 351 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:14,000 on what are we making Glory of and as you make Glory of him as 352 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:22,200 you big him up, He's understand. And so for struggling, With sin, 353 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:27,700 shame, finances relatives, whatever the thing is, were 354 00:25:27,700 --> 00:25:31,900 struggling with the answer is not fix ourselves, but to give 355 00:25:31,900 --> 00:25:39,600 him glory, allow glory to go up. So his peace and down, That is 356 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:43,600 the order of things, that is what the angels are announcing 357 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:48,100 as what's happening. And I'm going to about to hit 358 00:25:48,100 --> 00:25:52,100 time. So the story carries on that, 359 00:25:52,100 --> 00:25:58,000 the shepherd's they go and visit the bay in the baby and they're 360 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:02,300 convinced and they spend time with him and their hearts are 361 00:26:02,300 --> 00:26:05,100 moved more than just seeing a newborn child there moved 362 00:26:05,100 --> 00:26:09,000 because the immensity of who is before them and that there Is 363 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:12,200 the savior and the lord of the world sitting there, and they 364 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:15,400 leave him and they'd begin to make big of him. 365 00:26:16,300 --> 00:26:18,400 And so, what do we learn from this story? 366 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:21,800 What, how does it affect us in our Advent as we give begin to 367 00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:24,200 start next year? Because that's what Christmas is 368 00:26:24,208 --> 00:26:27,800 about, what does it mean? Firstly that we need to spend 369 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:31,400 time with the baby, we need to give him time. 370 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:35,000 We know you need to spend time with Christ and he actually 371 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:39,400 invites us into something. Just want to read his words when 372 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:41,400 you grew up after 30 years or so. 373 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:47,200 This is his invite to you. Okay, let me read out you Cinema 374 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:50,900 Matthew. Let me find it now. 375 00:26:52,100 --> 00:26:54,600 Matthew 11:28, he says this to you. 376 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:57,500 Are you tired? This is our Jesus. 377 00:26:57,500 --> 00:27:00,100 Speaking. His words are you worn out? 378 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:05,100 Are you burned out on religion? If so come to me. 379 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:09,600 Get away with me and you will recover life. 380 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:13,200 This is his invite to us. I will show you how to take 381 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:16,700 rest. Walk with me and work with me, 382 00:27:17,100 --> 00:27:23,500 watch How I do things, learn The unforced rhythms of Grace, so I 383 00:27:23,500 --> 00:27:26,900 won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 384 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:34,400 Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and 385 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:38,400 lightly. That's his invite this Christmas 386 00:27:39,100 --> 00:27:46,400 from his book, from his words. so my question is, if you make 387 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:50,600 Jesus Center Stage, he will invite you to come and keep 388 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:54,100 company with him. And as your glory goes up, his 389 00:27:54,100 --> 00:27:58,900 peace will come down. And then go make big of him. 390 00:27:59,900 --> 00:28:05,300 No, tell others about him. I share what he's done for you. 391 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:08,700 Amen.