1 00:00:01,400 --> 00:00:06,520 Luke chapter 2, verse one. In those days a decree went out 2 00:00:06,520 --> 00:00:09,920 from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 3 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:14,720 This was the first registration when Querinius was governor of 4 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:17,880 Syria. And all went to be registered, 5 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:21,240 each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from 6 00:00:21,240 --> 00:00:24,720 Galilee, from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city 7 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:28,520 of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the 8 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:32,000 house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his 9 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:36,120 betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the 10 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:40,040 time came for her to give birth, and she gave birth to her first 11 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:44,200 born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him 12 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:47,520 in a Manger, because there was no place for them in the end. 13 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,120 Lord, we love you. We are so thankful for this, 14 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:55,600 this miracle that we just read, the Virgin who gave birth, the 15 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:58,920 promise that is fulfilled. Every promise you make is a 16 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:03,000 promise that you keep. You're so trustworthy. 17 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,160 You're so hope giving. You're so gracious. 18 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:12,000 What I pray that today, the word, this passage and the 19 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:15,320 others, I pray that you will massage them into our hearts, 20 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:17,800 that you would help us to rejoice at the work that you've 21 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,880 accomplished. And that it would provide all 22 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:23,840 the desire, all the will, all the motivation and all the 23 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,840 ability for us to walk out our obedience as well as an overflow 24 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:31,080 as a joyful response for the King who has saved us, for the 25 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:33,760 King who loves us. In Jesus name, we thank you. 26 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:39,800 Amen. Caesar Augustus decrees that all 27 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:44,560 the world should be registered. So it's not technically a crime 28 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:47,760 to count your people and to keep watch over your flocks and to 29 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:52,880 understand what's yours. And yet oftentimes you need to 30 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:55,280 consider what is the cost of doing such a thing. 31 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:57,840 So whenever a leader would say, I want to take a census, it's 32 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:00,880 not like us today take a census. That's still a big investment. 33 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:02,840 That's still an important thing. And what I think we're required 34 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,240 to do it every 10 years, something like that. 35 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:07,920 I think, though I might be in being the Constitution. 36 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:11,240 I don't know, Gordon, you could tell us that you look it up 37 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:13,080 later and let us know. But it's important. 38 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:14,640 We got to take a census all the time. 39 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:16,000 But you know what we don't have to do? 40 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:18,800 We don't have to. Each of us all travel back to 41 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:23,080 the hometown of our ancestors to then be counted at some booth by 42 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,360 some Roman to say, Yep, you were here. 43 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:26,920 You're allowed to go all the way back. 44 00:02:26,920 --> 00:02:30,000 Now the the dangerous and expensive journey that we 45 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,800 required you to take. So that's what it meant whenever 46 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,840 somebody said I want to take a census, I want to take and not 47 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:39,960 just of like Jerusalem, not just of the Jewish people, but the 48 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:42,120 whole world. So Caesar Augustus, everything 49 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:44,320 that he had power over, he's, this is his demand. 50 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:49,400 So this is a big, big, big, big ask for people who do not have 51 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:54,840 wealth and means and flights and cars this and trains and buses. 52 00:02:55,120 --> 00:03:00,600 This is a massive, massive ask. This probably is a large ego 53 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:04,480 based thing. Rome's ego was pretty large most 54 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,360 of the time. So the tyrant wants to count 55 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,200 what he considers to be his. He wants receipts, he wants 56 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,720 numbers, he wants proof all the world should be registered. 57 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:15,680 Caesar is looking at what he can see. 58 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:17,440 He's looking at what he can measure. 59 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:19,440 He's looking at what he can control. 60 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,040 And the irony, of course, is meanwhile, the one who knows the 61 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:28,600 number of hairs on Caesar's head is coming to earth and he's 62 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:32,360 coming in unseen. The godless ruler is separate 63 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:34,280 from the people and he's proud of it. 64 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:37,400 Meanwhile, God himself is joining his people and he's 65 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,760 pleased to do it without pomp, without circumstance, apart from 66 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:43,240 the announcement to the shepherds in a field nearby. 67 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:47,000 So Luke is not just showing us a sweet scene here. 68 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,640 This is not just for nostalgia's sake for us, of course. 69 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:52,920 He's announcing that God kept his promise and the true king 70 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,960 has arrived. The serpent crusher, the promise 71 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:59,320 that was made all the way back in the garden, his finally come. 72 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:03,160 He's finally here, but he arrived a way that nobody would 73 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:05,960 have ever chosen. He arrived low, He arrived 74 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:09,680 hidden, and he arrived humble. We see this dramatic difference 75 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:12,400 between the ego of man and the humility of God. 76 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:17,079 Man is always trying to appear bigger and more significant than 77 00:04:17,079 --> 00:04:19,560 he is. God, being perfect, being 78 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:22,800 complete, being sovereign, being eternal, being all powerful, is 79 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:26,920 pleased to appear small. Jesus encourages us to just be 80 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:30,240 like him. Follow in his example, he says 81 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:34,040 take the low seat at the table. Some of my favorite favorite 82 00:04:34,280 --> 00:04:37,320 stories that Jesus talks about just or just the teaching. 83 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:40,520 He says if you're invited to a banquet, take the low seat at 84 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:41,640 that. Where am I supposed to sit? 85 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,320 I hope I get a good spot. Just take the lowest spot. 86 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:46,200 It's easy. Take the lowest and most 87 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:48,120 insignificant spot. If somebody promotes you and 88 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:50,520 moves you, great. And if they don't, you're where 89 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:53,000 you belong anyway, and you shouldn't be mad about it. 90 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:54,200 Oh, I can't believe nobody moved me. 91 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:56,360 I took the low seat. That's also pride. 92 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,240 You were still hoping for something instead of just being 93 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:02,160 pleased. The Lord himself lived in a 94 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:04,240 young woman's womb for nine months. 95 00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:07,200 And then he says, and I'll come to be born. 96 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:09,040 And then they'll put me in a feeding through. 97 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:13,080 And it won't be in a palace. He won't be celebrated. 98 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:17,040 He won't be honored. Pharaoh's babies receive more 99 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:19,960 honor than Jesus did. Many, many people's babies 100 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:22,360 receive more honor and care than Jesus did. 101 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:24,520 Would we tolerate our babies being born in these 102 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:27,880 circumstances? Now hospitals are like they 103 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,400 continue to upgrade the birthing units like they continue because 104 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:35,520 they know like, you got options. There is room in the ends. 105 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:39,120 God's OK. He can come in small. 106 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:40,600 Why? Because He has all the power. 107 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:43,640 He really is sovereign and He really is humble. 108 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:48,360 Content not to be seen for months, he now unceremoniously 109 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:53,400 moves in to the stable. Everyone went to be registered. 110 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:55,880 What else can we see here? We can see that this is normal 111 00:05:55,880 --> 00:06:00,080 people doing normal life stuff, just following the laws, 112 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:03,960 following the rules. This is what most of our life 113 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:06,400 looks like, isn't it? This is what tomorrow looks like 114 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:08,760 for all of us. Tomorrow's probably not a 115 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:11,120 spectacular day. It's probably just another day. 116 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:13,440 It's it's Monday and what do I need to do? 117 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:16,480 I need to walk out my basic obedience with the Lord. 118 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:19,480 Joseph went up from Nazareth to Bethlehem with Mary. 119 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:23,480 This is basic obedience, and that idea of basic obedience 120 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:24,960 should ring a bell. We've been talking about it for 121 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:26,920 a few weeks. It should encourage you because 122 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:30,480 you remember what we heard Jesus say in Matthew 2446. 123 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:34,480 Blessed is that servant whom his Master will find so doing when 124 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:36,840 he comes doing what? Doing what he left him to do. 125 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:40,600 That was it. This is good news for me because 126 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:42,800 I can walk out the basic obedience. 127 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:46,600 Actually I can't. I can only do anything by the 128 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:49,120 hope of the Holy Spirit. But thankfully he hasn't given 129 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,440 me an extraordinary thing to do. He's just given me a basic 130 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:55,240 obedience to wake up and do what is the basic obedience the Lord 131 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:57,640 has put right in front of you? Hey, my servant, this is what 132 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:01,320 I've given you for today. It's it's well within your 133 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:03,880 ability to do it. It might include making that 134 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:06,000 phone call and encouraging that person. 135 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:09,760 It might involve praying. It might involve putting your 136 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:14,120 putting his word in your heart. It might involve 12 hours, it 137 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:17,360 might involve 8 hours, it might involve 4 hours of work in your 138 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:20,200 job. All these things though are just 139 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:22,280 the basic obedience that He requires of us. 140 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:27,080 The good news is, the more we focus on our obedience in the 141 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:30,000 natural, the lower, the more, the more the Lord will put His 142 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:34,640 super on top of your natural. Joseph doesn't know everything 143 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,760 that's coming, he just knows he's following one step at a 144 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:41,240 time. Joseph, it's OK, you can marry 145 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,680 her. She's still a virgin and you can 146 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:46,800 take her as your bride. This is the Lord's doing. 147 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:49,120 He's only. Wow, Well, that's crazy. 148 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:52,680 OK, so and now the law comes that we're not even told that an 149 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:54,040 Angel said, yeah, go to Bethlehem. 150 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:56,800 He's just, he's not like, I've got to make sure that this baby, 151 00:07:56,960 --> 00:07:59,560 the Messiah, he's got to be born in Bethlehem because that's what 152 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:02,080 the prophecy. Joseph wasn't like figuring this 153 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:04,120 out. He wasn't making the prophecy 154 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:05,720 happen. This is just the Lord's 155 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:06,960 sovereignly accomplishing things. 156 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:09,960 And Joseph was just like, Yep, I got to go to Bethlehem, and 157 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:11,840 everybody else is having to go to their hometowns. 158 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:13,720 He's like, come on, Mary, let's load up. 159 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:16,320 Let's make the journey. And now the baby is born in 160 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:18,000 Bethlehem. It's just basic obedience. 161 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:20,120 For him, though. It's like paying his taxes. 162 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:22,200 It did not feel supernatural for him. 163 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:25,520 It felt like, I've got to protect my pregnant wife. 164 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:28,440 It felt like I've got to get her safely to Bethlehem. 165 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:31,440 It felt like, this is not easy to do. 166 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:34,440 This does not feel super secure. I mean, I know how helpless I 167 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:36,919 felt when my wife was giving birth in a hospital surrounded 168 00:08:36,919 --> 00:08:40,480 by a staff of people. I can't imagine how Joseph feels 169 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,159 on the road going. Like, sure wish we had a group 170 00:08:43,159 --> 00:08:46,040 of women around. I sure wish we had the guarantee 171 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:49,800 that we were going to have help. They likely did when they got to 172 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:52,920 Bethlehem when she was giving birth, I imagine. 173 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:57,160 But it's just speculation. Basic obedience, Lord, what 174 00:08:57,160 --> 00:08:59,960 would you have me do next? Lord, this is hard, but it's 175 00:08:59,960 --> 00:09:03,240 still basic obedience. And then the Lord blesses it. 176 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:07,240 Do what you know to do. That's what we see the faithful 177 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:11,560 do in the Christmas story. The kings, the prideful, they're 178 00:09:11,560 --> 00:09:14,280 going to do their own thing. They're going to do what pleases 179 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:16,760 them. But Joseph, Mary, they're doing 180 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:21,320 what pleases the Lord. It's not extraordinary obedience 181 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:23,600 that the master required of the servant in the parable. 182 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:27,160 It was an extraordinary obedience that the Lord required 183 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:29,160 of Joseph. Just do what you know you should 184 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:30,880 do. The Lord will put his super on 185 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:35,080 your natural, and God keeps His promise while you take ordinary 186 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:38,280 steps. That's a good word. 187 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:40,160 That's an encouragement. Man. 188 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:43,040 My life is boring, man. My life is a regular man. 189 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:45,720 My life is just day in and day out. 190 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:47,920 Well, welcome to being a human being. 191 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:50,160 That's what most days look like for most folks. 192 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:53,400 You know, like not all of us are kings, not all of us are 193 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:55,680 presidents, not all of us are prime ministers, and we're not 194 00:09:55,680 --> 00:09:58,000 called to be. We only need a few people who 195 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:00,200 have that kind of prestige and power. 196 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:04,200 Not all of us are going to be famous TikTok influencers. 197 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:08,080 I don't know if we have high aspirations for that in this 198 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:10,880 room, but if you do, not all of us are going to be that. 199 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:17,720 That's OK, That's normal. It's just called living. 200 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:20,000 And the Lord says, I just want you to live a quiet and 201 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:21,840 peaceable life and I want you to walk with me. 202 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:26,400 That was the point. Thankfully, Joseph took his 203 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:30,440 ordinary obedience seriously. Do you take your ordinary 204 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:33,720 obedience seriously? Is Jesus and simple obedience 205 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:36,040 enough to satisfy you? It was for Joseph. 206 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:38,760 It was for Mary. And to be clear, we'll say it 207 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:41,240 again, your obedience does not earn His love. 208 00:10:41,680 --> 00:10:44,080 He loved you first, and that is why you love Him. 209 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:45,840 And then of course, loved ones to obey. 210 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:48,440 I love the Lord because He loved me first. 211 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:51,640 He is the initiator. He started this whole engine and 212 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,320 now I have momentum because of Him. 213 00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:58,560 But my ordinary obedience will lead to extraordinary blessing. 214 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:01,520 That's the good news I want to give to you as we're talking 215 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:05,360 about as a church in this season of growth, growth, how personal 216 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:07,960 growth. Surrender was what the Lord 217 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:11,040 called for. First surrender leads to 218 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:14,120 breakthrough. Awesome, I've had breakthrough. 219 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:16,760 Now what happens now the Lord says, I want to take you into a 220 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:19,960 season of growth, and growth looks like something. 221 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:22,840 Growth does look like some basic obediences. 222 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:24,880 But the thing we have to be careful about when we start to 223 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:28,080 talk about obediences and spiritual disciplines is a lot 224 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:30,840 of times people then start to think that they're earning God's 225 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,520 favor, people. And it's very, very slippery 226 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:35,840 slope to think like, yeah, I want to grow in some areas. 227 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:38,840 You start making a list and all of a sudden you think I now have 228 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,200 more favor with the Lord. No, you don't. 229 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:44,400 You had all the favor because Jesus earned it for you. 230 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:47,400 And now we do these things out of a Worshipful delight and 231 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:49,280 obedience. These things are going to make 232 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:53,400 you experience more blessings, but only because that's what 233 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:56,520 obedience does. These are these are this is just 234 00:11:56,520 --> 00:12:01,200 sowing and reaping. So if you were sleeping 3 hours 235 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:04,840 a night and you up that to seven, you don't have more favor 236 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:06,760 with the Lord because you're living a more disciplined 237 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:08,680 lifestyle. But are you going to feel 238 00:12:08,680 --> 00:12:11,400 better? Is your life going to be 239 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:13,560 objectively better? Everybody say yes. 240 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,680 You do that for yourself for two months and your body's like, 241 00:12:16,680 --> 00:12:18,160 wow, what's this called? And you're like, it's called 242 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:19,880 rest. And your body's like, that's 243 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:22,160 amazing. God's changing my life. 244 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:24,200 Yes, he is. He's blessing you. 245 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:25,880 Well, I did it. Yeah. 246 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:29,320 You walked out a a basic design that the Lord had for you. 247 00:12:29,680 --> 00:12:31,120 But you didn't earn more favor with him. 248 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:33,160 He still loved you no matter what. 249 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:37,840 When you were up all night long wasting time doing nothing, He 250 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:39,880 still loved you. He still cared for you. 251 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:41,240 His grace was still there for you. 252 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:44,840 And yet you were suffering for your own foolishness and 253 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:47,320 disobedience. And you will be blessed by 254 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:50,840 walking out some obedience. So if you're eating 7:11 every 255 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:54,880 single day and you then start to eat in some foods that have like 256 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:56,960 fewer ingredients, we'll just put it that way. 257 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:00,120 And some foods that hadn't been sitting under the heater for the 258 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:04,360 past 72 hours are, are you going to be healthier? 259 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:05,520 Is your body going to feel better? 260 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:07,920 Yeah, of course. Did you're in favor with God? 261 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:10,080 No. Is your life going to improve? 262 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:12,320 Yes. So obedient. 263 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:14,640 There's just simple disciplines. There's simple things that would 264 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:16,360 happen in our lives. The same thing would happen in 265 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:18,680 our spiritual disciplines, spiritual growth. 266 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:21,600 Does God love you more because you read your Bible more? 267 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:24,480 Absolutely not. Does God love you more because 268 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:26,240 you pray more? Absolutely not. 269 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:29,120 Do you love God more when you read your Bible more? 270 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:31,720 Yes, you will. Will you love God more when you 271 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:33,160 pray more? Yes, you will. 272 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:35,560 Will your life be blessed? Yes, because your mind is being 273 00:13:35,560 --> 00:13:37,600 renewed. So you see the world the way God 274 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:40,120 sees it, and you live and function in a different way. 275 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:42,120 And as you're reading the word of God, the Holy Spirit 276 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:43,920 ministers to you and he starts talking about something. 277 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:46,960 He's like, hey, you know what? I want you to forgive that 278 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:49,920 person. And you go 00 and he goes, 279 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:52,440 welcome to growth. He says, not only that, I want 280 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:55,920 you to give him a call and you go, whoo, now we're really 281 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:58,600 talking about growth. Does he love you more when you 282 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:00,080 do those things? No, he does not. 283 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:03,360 Are you more blessed and are you living as a more free person 284 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:05,400 because you're taking action and obedience? 285 00:14:05,560 --> 00:14:08,160 Yes, you are. But it's easy for us to mix 286 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:11,240 these things up and to think I've earned favor with God. 287 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:15,520 I've earned all these blessings. You're, you're just blessed 288 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:17,400 because you're doing things the way he intended for him to be 289 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:20,680 done. And he's good and he thankfully 290 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:23,800 even creates the will. He creates the will in you, the 291 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:26,400 desire in you, and the ability to fulfill it. 292 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:30,000 So he still gets all the credit. And we just finally get some 293 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:31,520 freedom from not being boneheaded. 294 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:35,320 So that's a blessing to us. So that's what we're describing 295 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:36,080 here. When we're talking about 296 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:39,200 obedience, we're talking about being satisfied in Christ. 297 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:42,440 We don't, I don't want you to forget the gospel. 298 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:45,840 The whole point of the thing, you couldn't save yourself, only 299 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:48,360 Jesus could. So your obedience doesn't earn 300 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:50,680 his love. He loved you first, that's why 301 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:52,760 you love Him. And love wants to obey. 302 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:58,680 And yes, ordinary obedience will lead to extraordinary blessing 303 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:01,960 if we kept stacking some of those examples together. 304 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:04,680 Now, I wasn't doing this and now I am. 305 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:08,360 That's an upgrade in my life. Things are objectively better, 306 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:12,720 like my health is better because I went from sleeping 3 hours a 307 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:15,240 night to seven and I've been doing it for months. 308 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:17,840 My health is objectively better. This is an upgrade. 309 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:22,200 I started working out like, wow, I feel better. 310 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:24,040 Even more so. I'm eating differently. 311 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:26,000 Wow. I started taking my wife on 312 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,440 dates. Our marriage is better. 313 00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:30,760 We're enjoying one another more. We're getting to know one 314 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:33,240 another better. These are objectively better 315 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:35,320 things. The Lord doesn't love me more, 316 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:37,480 but do you? Is there more blessing and and 317 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:40,560 and provision over my life? Yeah, there is because I'm 318 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:42,800 walking in in accordance to what he's called me to. 319 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:45,840 Anyway, He still would have loved me, but I would have been 320 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:48,720 struggling in all these places. Oh Lord, what's going on with my 321 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:50,440 health? Go to sleep. 322 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:53,320 Oh Lord, I just need a breakthrough. 323 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:55,400 Go to bed. The breakthrough. 324 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:59,200 The breakthrough is your pillow. The breakthrough is getting off 325 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:02,320 your phone. Oh Lord, I'm just so addicted to 326 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:03,280 all these things. Yes. 327 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:05,480 Go to sleep. Nothing good happens late at 328 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:08,080 night. Go to sleep, get in your bed, 329 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:10,360 lay on your pillow. Well, I can't fall asleep. 330 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:13,520 Yes, I know it'll take some time because you have rewired your 331 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:19,720 brain through dopamine addiction and scrolling all these things. 332 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:22,800 May God love you more. Of course not, Absolutely not. 333 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:26,000 But because God has saved you, God does love you and God does 334 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:28,800 want your life blessed in holistic ways. 335 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:31,800 And I, like I said, I think this season of growth is going to 336 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:33,800 look like some very practical things for us. 337 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:37,640 That's why I'm throwing out some very practical examples. 338 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:40,400 I don't intend to be the self help pastor. 339 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:43,920 And at the same time, I absolutely intend to teach the 340 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:46,120 flock, hey, how do we build a life? 341 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:49,160 What might it look like to have some best practices? 342 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:50,800 I didn't tell you what your bedtime is. 343 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:52,800 I just said you need one that's really good. 344 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:54,800 So I didn't tell you how long you're allowed to be on your 345 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:56,240 phone. I just told you, you need to be 346 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:59,120 self-control and the master of your device instead of the other 347 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:01,400 way around. I didn't tell you what your diet 348 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:04,079 had to be. I just said it can't be all 711. 349 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:07,960 So upgrades and blessing. I didn't say how often you 350 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:10,400 needed to date your wife, but I just said you do need to date 351 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:13,400 your wife. So all kinds of simple 352 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:15,720 practices, all kinds of simple things that we can start to put 353 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:21,400 into place and we go, wow, wow, I'm so blessed, not because of 354 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:24,839 me, but because I'm walking out things that the Lord frankly 355 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:27,960 reveal, He reveals through His word and He intends for His 356 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:31,440 people. Why don't we chase so many other 357 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:33,800 things? Most of the time we're not 358 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:37,280 satisfied with Jesus and with our simple obedience to Him. 359 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:40,000 I think most of the time because we haven't really, we haven't 360 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:43,720 really tested him. The real confession, if most 361 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:46,760 people are honest, would be something like I'll be satisfied 362 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:52,080 with my Savior as long as I also have fill in the blank, as long 363 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:56,280 as I also have comfort, as long as I also have control of this 364 00:17:56,280 --> 00:17:58,400 situation. As long as I also have approval. 365 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:01,800 I'll be satisfied with my Savior and simple obedience. 366 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:05,440 As long as I also have a certain amount of money, As long as I 367 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:08,360 also have a certain kind of marriage, as long as I also have 368 00:18:08,360 --> 00:18:11,040 a certain kind of child, as long as I also have a certain 369 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:14,280 reputation, As long as I also still have the show that I like 370 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:17,280 to watch or my team that I like to watch. 371 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:20,760 Some of those things are blessings, and some of those 372 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:24,040 things are weights that are not helpful to you, and some of 373 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:27,440 those things are idols that are simple idols. 374 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:31,040 All have the same signature. They promise satisfaction, but 375 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:34,680 they cannot keep it. This is the state of all the 376 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:37,560 world outside of Christ. This is the state of you and I. 377 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:41,160 Whenever we backslide, whenever we bring in some idolatry again, 378 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:43,600 we go. This thing comforts me. 379 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:53,040 It does for a moment, just for a second, very, very brief moment, 380 00:18:53,120 --> 00:18:56,560 as I've seen an animation recently, very, very simple 381 00:18:56,560 --> 00:18:59,800 animation, simple line drawing, one line for the ground. 382 00:19:00,120 --> 00:19:02,400 And this little bird is just walking along the line for the 383 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:04,960 ground. You know what I'm talking about. 384 00:19:05,360 --> 00:19:07,240 Brian's dying along. Anybody else familiar with it? 385 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:10,160 It's a, it's referring to addiction and he's just walking 386 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:12,560 along, simple little bird. He comes across this little 387 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:13,920 puddle. He doesn't know what it is. 388 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:17,880 He just walks past it. He just keeps on walking. 389 00:19:18,120 --> 00:19:21,800 He comes across another one, pokes it with his beak, messes 390 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:24,200 with it, and then he keeps on walking. 391 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:26,200 Eventually he comes to another puddle. 392 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:32,440 He slurps it up and immediately his eyes change color. 393 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:36,920 He's flying. Beauty, splendor, ecstasy. 394 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:39,520 I mean, he's just the highest of highs. 395 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:41,760 We don't know what he's, we don't know what he's just drank, 396 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:44,360 but we know he's as high as he can be. 397 00:19:44,360 --> 00:19:46,320 And it's wonderful. It's bliss. 398 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:50,000 It's like heaven. And then he glides gently back 399 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:53,320 down to the earth and he keeps walking and he comes across 400 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:56,000 another puddle and he's so excited. 401 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:57,600 This time he slurps it upright again. 402 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:01,240 Same thing happens, but it was shorter this time and he 403 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:03,320 actually kind of landed with a bump on the ground. 404 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:07,440 Shake it off. He now starts running in a mad 405 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:10,480 psychotic Sprint for his next puddle. 406 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:13,800 And he gets to his next puddle. He slurps it as quick as he can. 407 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:16,400 It changes his eyes and he strains with all his might and 408 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:19,280 he's able to take off and fly for a second before he crashes 409 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:22,960 and rolls on the ground. Now he's in a complete mad dash. 410 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:26,760 He finds another puddle. His eyes change colors, but he 411 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:30,880 can't even leave the ground. He continues puddle after puddle 412 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:34,600 after puddle as he becomes a shell and he is ragged and he is 413 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:38,240 worn down. This is what idolatry always 414 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:40,480 does to us. This is what our idols do to us. 415 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:44,360 They promise us everything. And there is pleasure in sin. 416 00:20:44,360 --> 00:20:47,880 The scripture says for a season, otherwise we wouldn't do it. 417 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,040 Like I would never sin. Like, wow, that was awful in 418 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:53,600 every possible way. Let me do it again. 419 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:56,520 That's not how it works. No, there was something, 420 00:20:56,520 --> 00:21:01,080 something shallow, but it it was just a, it was just a, a cheap 421 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:04,120 substitute. It wasn't true satisfaction. 422 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:07,000 So we run and we run. I just, I guess I need more. 423 00:21:07,120 --> 00:21:09,560 I guess I need it again. And meanwhile, I don't know that 424 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:11,480 I'm losing my soul through the process. 425 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:14,640 I'm getting more ragged. I'm getting more worn down. 426 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:20,200 I'm going who can save this poor little bird at the end? 427 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:22,600 And it doesn't end with hope. It just ends. 428 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:24,560 He's just ragged. He's just despaired. 429 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:27,480 What does he need? He needs a savior, just like me, 430 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:29,280 just like you, because that's what we are. 431 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:33,120 I'm just the same thing. Give me another puddle. 432 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:37,440 Or on my television or my sports ball team. 433 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:44,200 I'm, you know, I've been, I've been humbled these past few 434 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:47,240 years because the Panthers have been trash. 435 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:54,040 And I thought that I was better than other football fans because 436 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:56,880 the Panthers were so bad. I didn't have much emotional 437 00:21:56,880 --> 00:21:59,840 attachment going on. And already the Panthers like on 438 00:21:59,840 --> 00:22:01,280 the brink of making the playoffs. 439 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:05,280 And I'm like this, this could happen. 440 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,480 And I'm going, oh, there it is. It's been there the whole time, 441 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:12,200 just wasn't tested because the team was so bad. 442 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:13,760 It just didn't. It was like, ah, this season's 443 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:16,320 over before it even started. This season's over before it 444 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:18,320 even started. And now that the Panthers like 445 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:23,320 what if and that little bird looking at a puddle like, but 446 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:25,720 what if? What's wrong with being a 447 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:26,720 Panthers fan? Nothing. 448 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:29,760 You can have good clean entertainment as long as 449 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:33,760 entertainment doesn't have you. Can you miss the Panthers game, 450 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:38,480 Joe Michael? Well, the Lord never asked me to 451 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:41,640 do something that crazy. Could you miss the Panthers 452 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:43,120 game? Could you survive? 453 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:45,400 Would it be all right if they don't make the playoffs? 454 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:47,920 Would you be OK? Would you be satisfied with 455 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:50,040 Jesus? I'm not saying there's not 456 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:53,520 things that we look forward to. I'm not trying to take simple 457 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:55,200 delights that you're supposed to enjoy. 458 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:57,040 I'm looking forward to some good food tonight. 459 00:22:57,040 --> 00:22:59,080 Anybody else? Yeah. 460 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:01,320 Yeah. The Lord gave us all kinds of 461 00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:04,800 pleasures and delights in this life and we need to keep them in 462 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:12,160 their proper place. Idols all do the same thing. 463 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:15,720 They promise satisfaction, but they cannot keep their promises. 464 00:23:17,720 --> 00:23:20,360 The Bible keeps using the language of hunger and thirst 465 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:24,840 because underneath our surface level desires is a deeper 466 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:28,240 thirst. We needed to be saved from all 467 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:33,040 our idolatry, which is why our I just need Jesus plus blank is 468 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:35,520 idolatry. It's Jesus plus nothing. 469 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:39,280 Jesus plus nothing equals everything. 470 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:44,000 And we needed Jesus. So the Lord sent Jesus in 471 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:45,760 simplicity. He could have sent him any way 472 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:47,320 he wanted to. He could have come any way he 473 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:49,840 chose. But he came in simplicity and 474 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:51,480 humility. And again, the Lord's plan is 475 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:53,760 always working. The prideful will always miss 476 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:55,600 it, and the humble will always enjoy. 477 00:23:56,440 --> 00:24:00,280 And that's by his design. The Lord opposes the proud. 478 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:02,640 Does God want everybody to be saved? 479 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:05,080 Yes, he does. But he's still opposing people. 480 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:07,240 Well, who's the opposing? The prideful. 481 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:10,320 It's perfect. It works perfectly. 482 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:13,360 It's a perfect system. Because the prideful can't have 483 00:24:13,360 --> 00:24:16,000 him, because the prideful don't want him, Because the prideful 484 00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:20,080 don't think they need him, which is why it's so dangerous. 485 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:26,200 Pride is such a dangerous sin for us because we do hunger and 486 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:28,600 thirst for something deeper, but we cannot be satisfied with the 487 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:30,680 false puddles that we come across. 488 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,680 Jesus puts his finger on this thirst in John chapter 4. 489 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:39,800 Turn to the right in your Bible. You're in the loop. 490 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:50,910 Go to John 4. John 4 verse 7. 491 00:24:51,590 --> 00:24:54,110 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. 492 00:24:54,910 --> 00:24:58,750 Jesus said to her, give me a drink for his disciples had gone 493 00:24:58,750 --> 00:25:03,630 away to the city to buy food. The the Samaritan woman said to 494 00:25:03,630 --> 00:25:07,710 him, how is it that you, a Jew, asked for a drink from me, a 495 00:25:07,710 --> 00:25:10,070 woman of Samaria? For Jews have no dealings with 496 00:25:10,070 --> 00:25:13,040 Samaritans. So John's writing that that 497 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:17,000 there for his audience. Jesus answered her, If you knew 498 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:20,720 the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, give me a 499 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:24,120 drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you 500 00:25:24,120 --> 00:25:27,920 living water. The woman said to him, Sir, you 501 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:31,200 have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. 502 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:33,840 Where? Where do you get that living 503 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:35,720 water? Are you greater than our Father 504 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:38,240 Jacob? He gave us this well and drank 505 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:41,920 from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock. 506 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:46,440 Jesus said to her, Everyone who drinks of this water will be 507 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:49,920 thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I give 508 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:53,720 him will never be thirsty again. The water that I give him will 509 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:57,760 become like a spring of water welling up to eternal life. 510 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:02,400 The woman said to him, Sir, give me this water so that I will not 511 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:05,520 be thirsty or have or have to come here to draw water. 512 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:08,160 Jesus said to her, Go call your husband and come here. 513 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:11,440 The woman answered him, I have no husband. 514 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:15,320 Jesus answered her, you are right in saying you have no 515 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:19,280 husband, for you had five husbands and the one you have 516 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:23,040 now is not your husband. What you've said is true. 517 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:27,240 So Jesus here is putting his finger on something for this 518 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:30,560 woman and it's of course it's the opposite of what we all 519 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:32,880 experience. Is that little bird running and 520 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:37,480 chasing puddles, thirsty again and more thirsty than before and 521 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:41,320 thirsty again and more desperate than before and more unhealthy 522 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:45,160 than before and more discouraged and more burned out and more 523 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:48,200 lost than before? But none of it is beyond the 524 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:51,120 reach of Jesus. Jesus is coming to a woman whose 525 00:26:51,120 --> 00:26:53,680 life has been puddle after puddle. 526 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:58,320 Dissatisfaction, troubles, challenges. 527 00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:03,400 We don't know what happened, but we know where she ended up. 528 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:06,280 She's now living with a man who's not her husband, and Jesus 529 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:09,880 doesn't condemn her. He offers her living water that 530 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:13,240 will actually satisfy her. She chased through men. 531 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:16,480 Maybe you've chased through people. 532 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:18,040 Maybe you've chased through relationship. 533 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:19,720 Maybe you've chased through other things. 534 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:21,240 It's a long list I could go through. 535 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:23,360 You can insert your own things in your mind here. 536 00:27:23,360 --> 00:27:24,920 I've chased through this. I've chased through that. 537 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:28,280 What if your puddles look like Jesus still offers to all of us? 538 00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:30,920 Drink, drink, drink. That's the baby in the Manger. 539 00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:34,240 This, this, this is the solution. 540 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:36,840 The Lord said that he better believe it's the solution. 541 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:40,160 It's God himself. He's the only solution. 542 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:43,960 He's the only satisfaction. This is not sentimentality. 543 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:48,600 This is not, isn't it sweet? This is actually putting faith 544 00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:51,200 in the Savior. This is actually being changed 545 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:55,720 by God Almighty. And then from there, rivers of 546 00:27:55,720 --> 00:27:58,560 living water. Now I actually have a spring 547 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:02,480 bubbling up into eternal life and I'm drinking all the time. 548 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:05,320 This is His will for you. I'm drinking all the time. 549 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:08,280 I can drink, I can drink, I can drink from my savior. 550 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:09,840 Yes, I'm tempted with this puddle. 551 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:12,680 Yes, I've slurped up that puddle and the Lord says that's not who 552 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:14,440 you are. How would you drink out of out 553 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:17,120 of a puddle? You have the full access to my 554 00:28:17,120 --> 00:28:20,560 riches, to my abundance. You're drinking out of a puddle. 555 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:24,040 You're eating out of the trash, son, That's not who you are 556 00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:26,720 anymore. You might want to be just like 557 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:28,520 them, but you're not just like them anymore. 558 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:32,160 You're not. You used to be and you're not. 559 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:34,040 And I want them to not be just like them either. 560 00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:37,880 I want to bring them into my house, but everything else is 561 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:41,840 just cheap substitutes. Jesus is pointing that out. 562 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:48,600 This woman, she's used to a well that she has to come to daily to 563 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:50,400 draw water. This well doesn't permanently 564 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:52,760 satisfy. It's why she has has to come 565 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:54,880 every day. But this is also why she has had 566 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:57,640 five husbands and the man she's with now is not her husband. 567 00:28:57,640 --> 00:29:01,280 She's not satisfied and now she's finally met face to face 568 00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:06,120 her maker who can fully satisfy. So sin, as we've said before, 569 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:08,840 sin means missing the mark. It was an archery term, that's 570 00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:11,080 what it meant. Sin means missing the mark. 571 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:12,880 There was the bullseye and I missed it. 572 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:15,520 That's the sin. The distance between the 573 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:19,920 bullseye and the and the where my arrow hit, that's the sin. 574 00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:23,040 And I have a lot of missed arrows, don't you? 575 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:28,360 All of them, all of them always missed varying degrees of 576 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:31,840 distance. Missing the mark at all is 577 00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:36,040 enough to deserve devastation. I deserve hell forever. 578 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:39,360 I deserve to suffer. And I deserve for my smoke to 579 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:44,320 roll up with Satan's forever and ever and ever, as justice is 580 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:48,480 continually satisfied for those who rejected Christ. 581 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:53,840 But God, who is rich in mercy, while we were still sinners, he 582 00:29:53,840 --> 00:30:01,560 came to rescue us. He came to hit the mark for us. 583 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:05,360 Even when we have missed it over and over and over, Jesus comes 584 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:07,760 and hits the bull's eye, pleases the Father. 585 00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:11,360 He gives us an example. But he doesn't just crush us as 586 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:13,720 an example, He gives us real life. 587 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:15,960 We all miss the target of obedience. 588 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:18,160 We all fall short of God's glory and God's holiness. 589 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:21,640 We keep missing, we keep drinking at the wrong wells. 590 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:24,640 They seem to satisfy, but then only for a moment. 591 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:28,200 And then comes the crash or the consequence against our souls. 592 00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:29,800 And it shows up in all kinds of ways. 593 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:31,840 And we go say, where is the Lord? 594 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:35,680 That's the it's the typical response. 595 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:38,080 My life has fallen apart because of all of my sin. 596 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:41,000 And then I go, where were you? God that's going. 597 00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:44,000 Yeah, if only I have like instructed you. 598 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:46,760 If only I'd sent my son. If only I'd given you a book to 599 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:49,000 teach you how to follow me and walk with me. 600 00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:54,480 But we have to remember whenever we're looking at our friends and 601 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:57,120 our loved ones and all the people we care about, we say 602 00:30:57,120 --> 00:31:00,040 this often as well, We don't just want things to change 603 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:02,680 practically in their lives. We need the Lord to actually 604 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:05,200 save them. But if you understand where they 605 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:07,440 are and what they're going through, and you understand, you 606 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:11,240 can look at them with compassion and you can see them tenderly as 607 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:13,360 the Lord does, and you see that they're just chasing something 608 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:16,440 else again, instead of having frustration like Jesus. 609 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:20,680 He doesn't with this woman. He's gentle and He's gracious. 610 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:23,440 Is He always gentle and gracious with people in their sin? 611 00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:27,480 No, not when pride shows up, but when there's humility, it's just 612 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,160 gracious gentleness over and over and over. 613 00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:32,720 So when you see gracious, when you see humility in someone's 614 00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:35,560 life, they should just get more buckets of grace from you. 615 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:37,800 Buckets of grace, buckets of grace. 616 00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:40,120 Is there humility? Then another bucket of grace is 617 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:42,920 all that they need right now to continue to remind them and 618 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:45,520 restore them and draw them in because they're just chasing 619 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:48,240 puddles and they have not yet tasted Jesus. 620 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:51,920 So you're not to look at the world with condemnation. 621 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:55,360 You're not to look at the world with contempt and go, how could 622 00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:57,240 you? Well, you know how they could. 623 00:31:57,240 --> 00:31:59,880 The same way that you did. The same way that I did. 624 00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:02,760 The same way that we're still tempted to, even though we have 625 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:05,880 the living well inside of us. And even still we find ourselves 626 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:10,160 drinking from stupid puddles and we go, what was that doing? 627 00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:12,320 And we're goes, yeah, yeah, let's not do that again. 628 00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:16,680 This should draw you to humility as well as you look at the world 629 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:19,200 around you and just go. They're chasing things. 630 00:32:19,800 --> 00:32:21,080 You go, man. Why won't he? 631 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:23,960 Because he's because he's hurt. He's injured, he's wounded, he's 632 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:26,360 broken, he's lost. He's spiritually dead. 633 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:29,360 That's why he's spiritually dead. 634 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:32,640 And you're asking a spiritually dead man to just fix himself. 635 00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:35,480 He has no ability. He has no life. 636 00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:38,600 He has no strength. Come on, woman, do right. 637 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:42,440 Get in with all these men, and now you got another man. 638 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:45,920 Just do right, You know, just have some decency and just act 639 00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:49,320 right. Well, she can't except that she 640 00:32:49,320 --> 00:32:53,280 is changed from the inside out. You and I couldn't do anything 641 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:56,080 except that Jesus changed us from the inside out. 642 00:32:56,080 --> 00:32:58,400 And then when we have satisfaction and fulfillment, we 643 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:03,200 go, Oh, what a relief, what a satisfaction. 644 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:06,400 All those other things, they seem to satisfy, but only for a 645 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:09,280 moment. These other wells have 646 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:11,280 consequences after we drink from them. 647 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:14,360 At first we think we're nourished, but later we find 648 00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:16,880 that the well was poisoned. That's what that little bird 649 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:19,440 found out. I thought this was the answer. 650 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:21,520 And yet the poison shows up later. 651 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:26,160 We're all going to have wells that we go to until we drink 652 00:33:26,280 --> 00:33:28,400 deeply from Christ. This is the whole reason he 653 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:32,040 came, as the Carol says, to save us all from Satan's power when 654 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:34,400 we were going astray. I can't save me. 655 00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:38,280 You can't save you. That's the message of Christmas. 656 00:33:38,320 --> 00:33:40,160 It's not. Oh, look at the baby. 657 00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:44,240 Isn't he sweet? Well, yes, but way bigger than 658 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:46,480 that. This is the Dragon Slayer. 659 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:49,960 This is the world changer. This is the most powerful one to 660 00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:52,640 ever live. Caesar can make you go to 661 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:55,680 Bethlehem and get registered. Caesar can't change your heart. 662 00:33:56,520 --> 00:33:58,120 He can't make you a new creation. 663 00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:00,400 Jesus can change the hearts of man. 664 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:05,280 Powerful leaders throughout the history have used the sword to 665 00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:09,800 get their way, and Jesus uses the sword of His word to Pierce 666 00:34:09,800 --> 00:34:12,199 into people's hearts and to open them up and go. 667 00:34:13,199 --> 00:34:15,600 The Lord has just done what no man could have ever done. 668 00:34:16,199 --> 00:34:19,280 He man has made men say things out loud. 669 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:21,800 Man has made men go places and do things. 670 00:34:22,159 --> 00:34:27,520 But all motivated with fear. God draws us in with love. 671 00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:31,400 I love you. And that is what melts the heart 672 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:33,440 of all people. This is the message for you 673 00:34:33,440 --> 00:34:35,080 again today. This is the gospel for you 674 00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:38,400 again, Christian. Receive the gospel again. 675 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:42,360 Hear the gospel again. Be encouraged again to know God 676 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:45,639 loves you, man. I'm ashamed of all the things. 677 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:48,679 Yeah, I'm ashamed. A lot of puddles too. 678 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:51,360 And then what do we do with it? We bring it to the Lord again 679 00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:54,800 and we say, Lord, I need to be cleansed, I need to be forgiven. 680 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:59,520 And he pours in all the living water again and rinses and 681 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:05,720 cleanses and I'm backslidden. Well, good news. 682 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:08,840 Come in back into the house. Come right through the front 683 00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:10,800 door. Don't try and sneak in while 684 00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:12,520 everyone will see me if I come through the front door. 685 00:35:13,040 --> 00:35:16,280 Uh huh. I hear you, Pride, come in 686 00:35:16,280 --> 00:35:20,520 through the front door, be loved and welcomed and received and 687 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:22,360 receive grace again and again and again. 688 00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:24,320 You know who gets credit in a story like that? 689 00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:26,600 Not the person who comes running home. 690 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:29,680 Jesus gets credit over and over and over. 691 00:35:29,680 --> 00:35:32,480 And that was the point. He gets all the credit. 692 00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:35,680 He gets all the reward. When you drink deeply from 693 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:40,120 Christ, your motives change. He becomes your reward. 694 00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:43,600 He satisfies. Why would anybody resist A 695 00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:46,560 savior like that? Jesus tells us and in John 696 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:51,160 chapter 3 and turn to the left, John chapter 3 verse 19. 697 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:55,920 This is the judgment. The light has come into the 698 00:35:55,920 --> 00:35:59,120 world, and people love the darkness rather than the light 699 00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:04,480 because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked 700 00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:07,960 things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his 701 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:11,240 works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true 702 00:36:11,480 --> 00:36:14,880 comes to the light so that it may be clearly seen that his 703 00:36:14,880 --> 00:36:17,200 works have been carried out in God. 704 00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:20,800 People love the darkness rather than the light because their 705 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:25,280 works are evil. So it's also worth stating 706 00:36:26,480 --> 00:36:29,200 everybody is not stuck as a hostage. 707 00:36:29,200 --> 00:36:30,960 Why? Because the Lord has come. 708 00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:34,600 So when the gospel is preached, people do have the ability to 709 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:37,120 respond. People don't reject Christianity 710 00:36:37,120 --> 00:36:39,600 because it's not true. They reject Christianity because 711 00:36:39,600 --> 00:36:42,040 it's bright light reveals everything. 712 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:45,680 What's broken out there and what's broken in here. 713 00:36:46,360 --> 00:36:49,240 And as we read Isaiah, how he said it earlier, the people who 714 00:36:49,240 --> 00:36:51,440 walked in darkness have seen a great light. 715 00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:53,480 Those who dwelled in a land of deep darkness. 716 00:36:53,680 --> 00:36:58,200 On them light has shone. You haven't known real joy until 717 00:36:58,200 --> 00:37:00,000 you see two things, not just one. 718 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:02,480 Two things. The true nature of your sin, 719 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:05,440 that's crushing. But then the true nature of 720 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:07,560 God's grace because only then can you appreciate it and 721 00:37:07,560 --> 00:37:09,560 understand it. God loves you. 722 00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:11,720 God loves you, God loves you. Have you seen that? 723 00:37:11,720 --> 00:37:14,280 Not land with people? That's because they're missing 724 00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:16,440 part of the equation. They don't understand the depth 725 00:37:16,440 --> 00:37:18,880 of their sin. And they think, yeah, I'm, I'm 726 00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:20,800 not that big. I'm not that bad of a person 727 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:24,560 because I know bad people because I never killed anybody. 728 00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:28,600 So until we see both, I can't appreciate God's goodness and 729 00:37:28,600 --> 00:37:31,880 His grace. Jesus explained that battle 730 00:37:31,880 --> 00:37:34,880 between light and darkness here in John 3, and then Paul 731 00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:38,160 summarizes that same conflict as a war between the seen and the 732 00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:41,480 unseen in 2nd Corinthians 418. We look not to the things that 733 00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:43,000 are seen, but the things that are unseen. 734 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:46,360 For the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that 735 00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:50,800 are unseen are eternal. So Caesar, he lives by what is 736 00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:53,160 seen. God builds by the unseen. 737 00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:56,880 The world measures the mighty. God overlooks the mighty and 738 00:37:56,880 --> 00:37:59,440 comes to the lowly. He comes to Mary and Joseph and 739 00:37:59,440 --> 00:38:04,840 shepherds to whoever is humble, the ones who have room, who gets 740 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:07,480 to host the king, whoever will have him, whoever will honor 741 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:09,200 him. Obviously he's not picky. 742 00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:14,400 That was a joke. I was like, you can say look at 743 00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:16,120 your neighbor. Be like, clearly he ain't picky. 744 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:17,760 I don't do enough. Look at your neighbor jokes. 745 00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:20,880 I'm glad you don't think we need look at your neighbor and say 746 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:26,280 clearly he ain't picky. If you'll humble yourself like 747 00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:29,160 Mary and Joseph, you'll realize that you're a Manger instead of 748 00:38:29,160 --> 00:38:31,840 thinking that you're a throne. And then you'll get to fully 749 00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:36,560 enjoy him and you'll go, wow, I'm a Manger and the King is 750 00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:41,160 pleased to dwell in me with me. That's awesome news. 751 00:38:41,440 --> 00:38:44,280 I can still be the feeding through that means I'm a mess 752 00:38:45,320 --> 00:38:48,160 and I'm God's mess. And God is going to continue to 753 00:38:48,160 --> 00:38:50,520 build your life. God is going to continue to 754 00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:53,640 renew your mind. He saved you, but he didn't. 755 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:56,280 He did not intend to leave you in that same spot. 756 00:38:56,720 --> 00:38:58,440 Well, but I'm rescued. I'm his now. 757 00:38:58,440 --> 00:38:59,720 Yes. You live in the palace. 758 00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:03,160 And now we want to teach you how to act like you live in the 759 00:39:03,160 --> 00:39:05,240 palace. Living in the palace looks 760 00:39:05,240 --> 00:39:07,120 different from living out in the streets. 761 00:39:07,680 --> 00:39:08,760 So in the palace. Hey. 762 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:10,200 Hey. This is a refrigerator. 763 00:39:10,200 --> 00:39:12,480 This is where all your food is. Everything's here. 764 00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:14,720 Everything's healthy. Everything's good. 765 00:39:15,280 --> 00:39:16,960 Everything's good for you. This is your bed. 766 00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:19,720 This is your bedtime. This is your. 767 00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:22,120 This is how you live. This is how you build your life. 768 00:39:22,120 --> 00:39:23,320 This is what your life looks like. 769 00:39:23,480 --> 00:39:25,400 Here's what marriage looks like in the Kingdom. 770 00:39:25,960 --> 00:39:28,040 Here's what fatherhood looks like in the Kingdom. 771 00:39:28,760 --> 00:39:30,720 Here's what being a son or a daughter looks like. 772 00:39:30,720 --> 00:39:32,040 Here's what being a wife looks like. 773 00:39:32,040 --> 00:39:34,400 Here's welcome to the Kingdom. Here's what being an employee 774 00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:37,160 looks like in the Kingdom. It looks different with If I 775 00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:38,640 don't do everything right, am I not saved? 776 00:39:38,680 --> 00:39:40,640 What? No, you are saved. 777 00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:45,520 The king saved you because because he saved you, period. 778 00:39:45,880 --> 00:39:49,360 You trusted in him. You repented and you believe now 779 00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:51,960 again, back to what we're just teaching you how how we live in 780 00:39:51,960 --> 00:39:54,560 the Kingdom now. And these things are already in 781 00:39:54,560 --> 00:39:56,960 you. He put them in you, but you 782 00:39:56,960 --> 00:39:58,960 haven't necessarily learned how to walk them out yet. 783 00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:01,160 You got old habits, you got old patterns. 784 00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:04,520 And now we want to teach you what new Kingdom had and habits 785 00:40:04,520 --> 00:40:07,320 and patterns look like. Order is better than chaos. 786 00:40:07,760 --> 00:40:09,440 So we're going to teach you how to build some of that. 787 00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:14,400 Love is better than hate. Forgiveness is greater than 788 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:15,800 unforgiveness. We're going to show you what 789 00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:17,960 this looks like to walk it out on a regular basis. 790 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:22,080 That's what the Kingdom transformation looks like. 791 00:40:22,080 --> 00:40:26,560 First the miracle of the new birth comes, and then step by 792 00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:29,600 step, day by day, we continue to grow with the Lord. 793 00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:33,400 He dwells with us, and He's pleased to dwell with the 794 00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:35,480 humble. He did it at His birth, and He 795 00:40:35,480 --> 00:40:36,960 did it during His earthly ministry. 796 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:40,280 Fisherman, sinners, the humble, the repentant. 797 00:40:40,480 --> 00:40:42,480 He does it today for whoever will put Him first. 798 00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:47,280 Jesus doesn't just reveal God to us, He reveals us to us. 799 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:51,600 Simeon tells Mary that's exactly what will happen. 800 00:40:53,160 --> 00:40:55,480 We'll close with this. Go to Luke chapter 2 again, 801 00:41:12,740 --> 00:41:16,580 verse 34. And Simeon blessed them and said 802 00:41:16,580 --> 00:41:21,260 to Mary his mother, behold, this child is appointed for the fall 803 00:41:21,260 --> 00:41:25,020 and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is opposed. 804 00:41:25,020 --> 00:41:28,240 And a sword will Pierce through your own soul also, so that 805 00:41:28,240 --> 00:41:31,720 thoughts from many hearts may be revealed. 806 00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:35,760 Jesus reveals you. Jesus exposes what you worship. 807 00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:38,520 He exposes what you fear. He exposes what you protect. 808 00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:42,440 And that is his great mercy to expose and to reveal. 809 00:41:42,680 --> 00:41:44,400 I'm protecting this thing. I'm guarding this thing, I'm 810 00:41:44,400 --> 00:41:46,440 holding on to this thing. And he's going, can I have it? 811 00:41:47,160 --> 00:41:49,080 Can I have it? Love me more, trust me more, 812 00:41:50,160 --> 00:41:53,640 love me more, trust me more. Because you cannot repent of 813 00:41:53,640 --> 00:41:57,080 what you will not reveal. But the light of the world 814 00:41:57,080 --> 00:41:59,200 doesn't just expose you, He cleanses you. 815 00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:04,400 The point is not humiliation and despair. 816 00:42:04,720 --> 00:42:08,040 The point is humility and then exaltation. 817 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:12,440 He cleanses you because he bears the penalty on your behalf. 818 00:42:12,760 --> 00:42:14,600 You think you're going to have to bear the penalty and he goes. 819 00:42:14,600 --> 00:42:17,880 If you humble yourself, then you can actually receive the grace 820 00:42:17,880 --> 00:42:21,680 because the price has been paid. Christmas is not about shallow 821 00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:24,600 sentimental ideas. Christmas isn't a mood. 822 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:27,480 Christmas isn't a spirit. Christmas is God coming to save 823 00:42:27,480 --> 00:42:29,480 mankind who could not save himself. 824 00:42:30,400 --> 00:42:32,800 Christmas is the in your face good news. 825 00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:36,480 Reminder that God is humble, God is gracious and He has come to 826 00:42:36,480 --> 00:42:42,080 rescue us and make us like Him. Anyone can crowd him out, but 827 00:42:42,080 --> 00:42:44,840 anyone who repents and believes will welcome Him in. 828 00:42:47,200 --> 00:42:51,000 Jesus doesn't just expose your idols, He goes to the cross to 829 00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:53,480 forgive idolaters and to give them new hearts. 830 00:42:56,640 --> 00:42:59,720 Good news for people who cannot save themselves. 831 00:43:01,160 --> 00:43:02,480 So maybe you will want to do something. 832 00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:04,440 Maybe you're saying I do want to do something. 833 00:43:04,440 --> 00:43:06,520 If I feel a desire to do something, then pick something. 834 00:43:06,520 --> 00:43:08,720 You can do something. If you're saying I want, I want 835 00:43:08,720 --> 00:43:11,400 to make more room for him. If he's, if he's at the door and 836 00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:15,600 knocking as he said he was, what does it look like to open the 837 00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:17,960 door? Well, I've, I've already, I've 838 00:43:17,960 --> 00:43:19,640 already the Lord's already saved me. 839 00:43:20,320 --> 00:43:22,000 I'm already in his palace in his Kingdom. 840 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:23,840 All right, then what would it look like to enjoy more 841 00:43:23,840 --> 00:43:26,600 fellowship with him? Is there something that he's 842 00:43:26,600 --> 00:43:28,600 been asking for, or is there something that you would say? 843 00:43:28,600 --> 00:43:30,040 I just want to lay it aside anyway. 844 00:43:33,080 --> 00:43:35,400 Pick a rival of the Lord and throw it out. 845 00:43:35,480 --> 00:43:43,680 Name it, remove it, replace it. We're not making room for God so 846 00:43:43,680 --> 00:43:46,240 that God will love us. He came first while we were 847 00:43:46,240 --> 00:43:49,680 still sinners, and we make room because He's come to us and 848 00:43:49,680 --> 00:43:52,600 we're thankful. Jesus said to a lukewarm church, 849 00:43:52,600 --> 00:43:54,480 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. 850 00:43:55,160 --> 00:43:58,600 If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in. 851 00:44:01,400 --> 00:44:04,240 Bethlehem didn't make room. We don't want to repeat that. 852 00:44:06,560 --> 00:44:08,440 So whatever it would look like for you, Lord, I want to make 853 00:44:08,440 --> 00:44:09,640 more room for you. I love you. 854 00:44:09,640 --> 00:44:11,320 I want to make more room for you. 855 00:44:11,320 --> 00:44:15,160 What would it look like? What's it going to look like for 856 00:44:15,160 --> 00:44:16,680 you to build my life in this season? 857 00:44:17,400 --> 00:44:19,560 Some of you, you've been walking with the Lord for a long time. 858 00:44:19,800 --> 00:44:23,600 He said the Lord has blessed me. He has built a great life for 859 00:44:23,600 --> 00:44:25,880 me. I've walked out obedience 860 00:44:25,880 --> 00:44:29,480 because he's given me the will and desire and now I have a, a, 861 00:44:29,560 --> 00:44:32,160 a blessed life because of it. Well, the Lord's not finished 862 00:44:32,160 --> 00:44:34,400 with you. He has others for you to 863 00:44:34,400 --> 00:44:37,240 continue to disciple, and He also has new levels of growth 864 00:44:37,240 --> 00:44:42,160 for you. Your God came to forgive you. 865 00:44:42,640 --> 00:44:44,560 He came to cleanse you. He loves you. 866 00:44:44,560 --> 00:44:47,640 He came to satisfy you. He wants you to trade your shame 867 00:44:47,640 --> 00:44:51,680 for His innocence. That's why we throw out whatever 868 00:44:51,680 --> 00:44:54,520 competes and we honor the humble King who didn't just go to a 869 00:44:54,520 --> 00:44:57,280 Manger, but He went to a cross for you. 870 00:44:57,280 --> 00:45:01,280 He started in the Manger. As sweet, as innocent as the 871 00:45:01,280 --> 00:45:04,360 baby in the Manger is, and as graphic as this visual is, 872 00:45:04,560 --> 00:45:06,840 imagine that baby crucified on a cross. 873 00:45:08,480 --> 00:45:11,440 That's the same innocence he had at 33 years old, the same 874 00:45:11,440 --> 00:45:13,320 perfection. It's graphic. 875 00:45:13,600 --> 00:45:15,360 It's vile of an image as that is. 876 00:45:15,360 --> 00:45:18,040 That is what you have when you have Jesus Christ on the cross 877 00:45:18,040 --> 00:45:21,760 that day, on that Friday. That's too much. 878 00:45:21,760 --> 00:45:25,080 I know I didn't do it, the Lord did. 879 00:45:26,960 --> 00:45:29,400 Lord, thank you for your great love, your great grace. 880 00:45:30,880 --> 00:45:33,480 Thank you for saving us. Thank you for the gospel. 881 00:45:33,480 --> 00:45:36,640 It is the power of God unto salvation for all who will 882 00:45:36,640 --> 00:45:39,000 believe. And we believe. 883 00:45:39,800 --> 00:45:43,840 And we thank you for rescue. Thank you for taking us and 884 00:45:43,840 --> 00:45:46,560 changing us and forgiving us and rescuing us. 885 00:45:46,880 --> 00:45:49,920 And now from this place of rescue, from this place of being 886 00:45:49,920 --> 00:45:52,080 brought out of the streets and into the palace. 887 00:45:52,520 --> 00:45:56,680 Now, Lord, we say, build our lives, teach us, we've we've 888 00:45:56,680 --> 00:45:59,400 found that we're that we are sons. 889 00:46:00,360 --> 00:46:03,320 So now what do we do? Teach us how to live. 890 00:46:03,400 --> 00:46:06,400 Show us what it looks like to build a life that's pleasing to 891 00:46:06,400 --> 00:46:08,040 you. To build a life that's full of 892 00:46:08,040 --> 00:46:10,160 good fruit. To build a life, Lord, that 893 00:46:10,160 --> 00:46:11,960 actually brings us more satisfaction. 894 00:46:12,600 --> 00:46:15,280 We want to enjoy the wholesome rewards, the wholesome benefits, 895 00:46:15,280 --> 00:46:18,520 and the beautiful blessings. I know I do. 896 00:46:19,480 --> 00:46:26,000 I know the whole church does. Or we want the good life and we 897 00:46:26,000 --> 00:46:27,880 see that it can only be found in one place. 898 00:46:30,920 --> 00:46:34,320 We've been chasing many puddles and even still we're distracted 899 00:46:34,320 --> 00:46:37,280 and tempted by them. Protect us and preserve us, 900 00:46:37,600 --> 00:46:39,120 Lord. Continue to draw us to Your 901 00:46:39,120 --> 00:46:45,160 will. Help us to look within where the 902 00:46:45,160 --> 00:46:51,080 Holy Spirit is, that we would be able to be constantly satisfied 903 00:46:51,600 --> 00:46:54,600 with fellowship with Jesus and the simple obedience You've 904 00:46:54,600 --> 00:46:56,240 given to us and put in front of us. 905 00:46:59,320 --> 00:47:03,560 Bless your people, strengthen them, refresh them now and 906 00:47:03,560 --> 00:47:08,200 always. The Lord bless you and keep you. 907 00:47:09,760 --> 00:47:13,640 The Lord make his face Shinedown upon you and be gracious to you. 908 00:47:14,600 --> 00:47:18,120 The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you great 909 00:47:18,120 --> 00:47:22,000 peace in Jesus name, Amen.