Welcome to healing scars with pastor Burton here. You'll find practical relevant biblical information
The Bible will be broken down verse by verse so that you get the full context of the scripture
To better grow in your relationship with Jesus
Good evening church
Thanks. Thanks for everyone for being here
We know there's a lot of stuff going on in town tonight a lot of places
So, you know, we thank you for taking the time and making this your destination of choice
Of course
It's not one of our normal days it's not one of our normal times either
So I know that has a role to play in it as well as well as who's able to make it who's not
So we'll see who trickles in as the night goes on as well
So good to see returning faces though and old faces. So as it's always a blessing too, right?
So I'm here in time. So I know there's somebody else back there. All right
so, um
Hey
Welcome brother. Merry Christmas
Well again, you know, we appreciate everyone for being here, you know, it's Christmas Eve and
I said tonight's as you've already seen as a guy like our normal services. We've had
Technical errors back there. The gremlins are hard at work trying to stop us from going live
But they're not gonna stop a good thing though. Lord can't be stopped, right? You know didn't have the live music tonight
Just weren't able to pull it off. It's been so busy
But you know, we had we still had Christmas carols going so it's still a good time
All right with that said though as we begin
Let us pray
Lord we we thank you for this joyous time together in fellowship
Praising you in a worship as we celebrate the birth of your son Jesus
we ask that you open our hearts and our minds to what you have to speak for speak to us tonight and that
You use what you have prepared for us to help us grow not only in our relationship with you but in our character and
Use it as we go out to the world to reflect your light pray all this in the name of Jesus. Amen
All right, and tonight
Time safe. We're just gonna dive straight in
So I invite everybody open up your Bible your app whatever it is you use or you can watch on the slides behind me
Actually, I digress
While you guys open that open up to Luke chapter 2. I almost forgot we do have one announcement
Wasn't gonna do announcements, but there is one in there
So especially for those who are watching online as well. This still pertains to you. So
If you do have it on your heart to tie
You know gifts have an offering or even just a prayer request because we like prayer requests. It's a very prayerful church, right?
You can do so in either the black boxes at the back of the room
We have one on both sides or online at the cross 66 org. All right, that's our one announcement
So welcome again
So again Luke chapter 2 and we're actually going to start off
Where verses 4 through 7?
Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea
To the city of David which is called bedlehem
Because he was one of the house and lineage of David
To be registered with Mary his betrothed wife who was with child
So it was that while they were there
The days were completed for her to be delivered
And she brought forth her her firstborn son
And wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them
in the end
They're a pretty humble beginning, isn't it?
This is not what people have in mind when they think of royalty being born into the world
Let alone
Our ultimate king right our lord and savior the messiah
You know there even today you think of births now
Is it today now you can't even go on social media without somebody having something where they're popping blue smoke or pink smoke or
Paints or whatever saying oh we got a boy. We got a girl. It's coming on this date, right?
There's a lot of pomp and circumstance there
You know and there's always been some kind of pomp and circumstance even when we were born
So it's not anything new
Back then people would still get excited. Hey, we're expecting a kid
Nobody would ever expected to uh, go to a place like this though
Now we're here we're looking at it's talking about a manger
We have all these images that are made up of what a manger is all these pictures, but that's they're not exactly accurate
So let's paint the picture. This isn't our big red barn
There's no big door on hinges. There's no stone
Bridal gear hanging up and blankets filled up and stacked in the corner none of that stuff, right? None of these cozy little things
Right. What we're looking at here is a dark
dank and dirty place
mangers like this
Were essentially caves
There were small shallow caves
with troughs or troughs
Crows or troughs
Shallow caves with troughs or troughs carved into the wall
These troughs are what we know as mangers
So here
Jesus is born and he's placed in a carved out stone
With some swaddling clothes
A far cry from anything sanitary
You know, this is where all the animals go
These are the things that they eat out of they drink out of
They defecate here, right? They give birth themselves here. There's a lot of nasty things that are going on
Right a dirt floor maybe some stones
You know, you could trample it down you could dig stuff out you carve it throw things out smooth it out as much as you want
It's not a place of comfort
You know even in the military
We had our own ways of smoothing things out and providing for some comfort
But it took time
Things that they didn't have
It just coming off of a donkey if you can marry was an instant state
giving birth
To help out with anything like that
No
So it's a very humble beginning, you know
The most humble beginning really, you know, and this is something that was done
When we were able to read hindsight being 20. It's to remind us
Right out the gate that things aren't always going to be easy
We're going to have to work for things. We're going to have hardships. We're going to have discomfort
And there's a lot of that ahead of us that's life but it's also a reminder
That we shouldn't put god
In a position to try to meet our expectations
Because in his power and everything he's capable of and we're talking a creator of everything, right?
Our expectations are nothing
He can do so much better
We can't put him in a in a cookie cutter mold
And expecting to be
That because that's not him
We can't do that with one another
I can't take brian
But hey, that's the next president of the united states as much as he probably loved that
But you know what
It's not that's not his cookie cutter mold is it?
God's no different
Is you know the thing we have to remember about god is he's always at work
And he's at work in our
sin darkened
And troubled world
And he's always working for what's best for us and what's best for his kingdom
Now looking here, this is the birth of jesus. This is the greatest gift that any of us could ever receive
John 3 16 we're all pretty familiar with this right god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son
That whoever believes in him should not perish
But have everlasting life
And he's always been a great friend of mine
Come on we go to ball games and you see that held up
Right now we could probably drive down central and find out hanging out in at least one window, right?
A sticker on somebody's car
But it does it speaks to his love for us
You know we like to say
Jesus is the reason for the season
Jesus is the reason for the season, but let's be honest
Every day is jesus's season
Every single day
So really the way we should be looking at this
Is he's the beacon for every region
It's the beacon for every region of the planet for every man woman and child
A beacon of light
You know
We should be seeing it more as
The bridge that gap that god's given us as well
You know god could have left us to us our sin
Right could have done a lot he could have wiped this out started new started fresh
All the things he's created things known and unknown there's probably more unknown than known
He could have done something a whole lot different
But instead he loved us
But instead he loved us enough that he sent his only begotten son for us
A light to show us the way
The lighthouse right a way to be reconnected with him
Psalm 119 105 this is a verse that you'll find at the front of a lot of bibles usually just inside the cover
It's also used in a lot of prayers your word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path
The word's jesus, right
He is our light in an otherwise darkened world. He's the light of life
Now I'll remind you that while today many of us may look at the baby jesus
Just born right we got a nativity right over here in the corner baby jesus
Jesus didn't stay a baby though. He grew up
Became a man
He died he took on all of our sin this into the world
once to the cross died rose again
Ascended and he's coming back
When we look at christmas, that's really what we're celebrating. It's not just the birth. He's coming back
That's something i've been preaching a lot last couple weeks. It's twofold
He came he saw he's coming back
Not only that but here
Jesus has also promised us two gifts
When we're looking at these passages
first
The first is the first
The second is the first of the first two passages
First
We'll never walk in spiritual darkness
When we turn to him we open our hearts to him we let the holy spirit fill us we repent of our sin
And we follow christ
We are always going to be in his light
We're not going to cast a shadow because he doesn't cast a shadow just light
Secondly
As I already alluded to his light resides in every believer the holy spirit
You know the thing is we're able to take that light and reflect it out into the world for others to see
Come to know him to illuminate the way to him to light the path
And when we do this we glorify god
And we illuminate the path in the dark world, right
It's really hard to to hide something that's illuminated
Here in albuquerque even we can just go out the door here
And you look up to sandia right our lovely mountains even at night. What are you going to see?
lights
Because we have that big restaurant up there
We got tv and radio arrays flashing their little red lights looking like a christmas tree year-round
You know all sorts of stuff
You know on a good night and get to watch the moon come up behind it
You see that whole outline
There's a lot of light there
And you figure those are just a couple of small lights
You think about it even going back in the history world war ii
Especially throughout europe wonder what happened
Come sundown lights had to go out lamps had to go out or blackout curtains were up
Air raid sirens would go out when there's a potential for danger saying hey put out those lights they can see you from up above
Or even just pull out your phone and do a google search images from the international space station
On the dark side of the world
And it's lit up
It's a lot of light you can't hide it
And you figure that's just a light that's here that's not even the light of christ
So there's a lot there and if that's not enough look at our moon our moon has no light of its own
Absolutely none
You know unless you know
Neil armstrong let the flashlight on out there, but i'm pretty sure those batteries are dead and gone
But it has no light of its own so what what's it reflecting is reflecting the light of the sun, right?
And it changes depending on where the earth is between the earth and the sun the phases of the moon
We reflect light just like the moon we reflect the light of christ the light of life
That holy spirit in us
And when we live for jesus and that light shines
People who are living in spiritual darkness they see it they're drawn to it
They want to know more
They want to know what this light is
You know just like a moth to a flame
Now what that said
When we let that light shine and people do come to us
It's important that we don't forget we still have to introduce someone else
It's important that we don't forget we still have to introduce them give them that little handshake
The holy spirit takes over from there
Because no one's going to come out to light be like what is this on never mind walk away if they don't know
So we have to tell people
It's part of a great commission
With that said there are those who are going to look to overshadow us
They don't want that light out in the world
You know they they want to want to take that light and they want to dim it they want to squash it
You know it's like it's right here gone
It's part of that battle between light and darkness
Between god and satan
It's a battle we know is already won
But that's because god's already here so he already knows it so he's able to tell us hey don't worry it's good
We got we got this we're still standing on the battle lines right now though. We're still at that forefront
So it's on us as believers
So it's on us as believers to ensure that that light doesn't dim that light has to continue to show
That light that's within us because we ourselves through our own actions and our words
Have that power to dim it
We go to john chapter 8 verse 12
Jesus is speaking here says then jesus spoke to them again saying I am the light of the world
He who follows me shall not walk in darkness
But have the light
of life
Give me a second here lost my place in my notes
But he who follows me meaning true believers people who actually follow not just those people like oh yeah, I believe
I said his his light shines in all directions
We go to first peter chapter 3 verse 15
says but
Sanctify the lord of the earth
He says but sanctify the lord god in your hearts and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who ask you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and inferior in other words are saying be vigilant
Right go out be bold be a good steward of the word
Be willing to speak to people when you have those people who can't come up and they try to cast that shadow
They try to cast doubt. You know what?
Don't hide
Yes, no one to pick your battles, but don't hide be willing to speak up the word will speak for itself
But when you're challenged on your beliefs you have to be willing to stand up that's why we have testimony
And what you say
Is one way that you do it the other thing is your actions how you live your life how you treat others how you reach out and give someone a hand up
As opposed to pushing them away
And we live in a world that generally wants to push people away
I've had just tonight even
Tess was talking with my niece over here and we're talking about how people group themselves based on music that they listen to
It hasn't really changed much
Still a lot of people do that
They distance themselves because people dress differently
Oh, no, that's emo over there. That's got stay away from them
Now. Oh look, we got a bunch of thugs and gangbangers over here. Oh, we got the hicks
Where's the nerds? Where's my people?
right
Got it the way we look at nerds has changed a bit
It's kind of improved over the years, but we still kind of group people the same way don't we?
So we need to make sure our actions aren't putting people in those cookie cutter molds
We're not hiding that light away from people just because we don't know them and we don't understand them. They look different. Maybe they smell funny. I don't know
You laugh I might be talking about you
You know, so but this is a you know, this is Christmas this is a time that we should be using as a time of refreshment
A time of renewal, you know, everybody's got a time of refreshment
A time of renewal, you know, everybody likes to say, you know new year new year new me and all that stuff. No
Christmas time because this is the time
That we are able to kind of sit back a little bit. We get to take a day or two for ourselves as we celebrate Christ
And this is a time that we get to let the world know that because of Christ there is love there is hope there's a chance
There's opportunity. There's mercy. There's grace. There's so many great things
There's so many blessings out there gifts from him gifts that we don't even know about
We have to shine that light for others to see and let them know what he's done in our life
We have to share our testimony. I was here. I was beaten up
Hacker torn up. I had this addiction or that addiction or I was having trouble with this
I was looking at things I shouldn't have I was gambling whatever
But then I turned to Christ and he was able to pull me away from all that
Right. We have people who have lived in their cars
Like hey, I got me out of that. I got a place of my own now. I got a family as well
You know, I used to go out and you know, I spent years out in the battlefield sleeping in tents
You know, I got excited to go back and I had a place with the wooden floor that was built maybe a wall or two
Got real exciting when the Air Force came in or the CVs or the Corps of Engineers and they set up air conditioning
And good potable water. Oh man, that's a big one right there
As long as nobody sees that water buffalo gets over excited and jumps in decides to take a bath and everyone's drinking water that happened
But a lot of things, you know, there's a lot of things out there like that
We need to we need to introduce people we just let that light shine not hamper it so that people could come up and say
Yeah, this is my testimony. Let me tell you about Jesus and they come and know him and form that relationship with them themselves
And they could feel the warmth of his love
The comfort of his embrace and they can start healing from the inside out spiritually
The places where it matters most the places that last for eternity
Because without that
It's a lot of doom
A place without light
Gnashing the teeth as we're told right and typically when somebody comes we need to remember it starts small
Just like Jesus he came into the world. He started small a newborn baby
Some people back. Oh, yeah, I had a 30 pound baby
Right, not generally though
Tiny little thing
Itty bitty thing not an animal same way
Jesus grew our faith is no different starts off a mustard seed of faith is how the Bible refers to it, right?
And it grows
Little by little
Jesus grew into a man. He gave us that perfect example
Our faith grows as we grow with our relationship with him and before long what started as a seed underneath the soil and couldn't be seen
Turns into this tree. It's 20 feet tall
And produces seed that sees the world round
And then Jesus came into the world and he grew into a man
And he grew into the world round
Little things grow
The light of our world light of our lives Jesus has grown
In each one of us every one of us as we talk to Jesus when we pray
And we learn more about him and what he expects from us
Our character grows.
We change.
When we're born again, right, it says born again is a new creature,
is a new being, right, depending on the translations you read.
But born again, new.
Because all of us, when we're born again, we're new.
And when we heal, we change.
We're not the person we were.
We aren't the drunk.
We aren't the junkie.
We aren't the gambler.
We aren't the adulterer.
So on and so forth.
We're a new person.
So when we leave here today, we need to remember we're not just celebrating the birth of a king.
We're celebrating all he has, all he is doing for us.
All that is to come because of him.
The freedom he's given us from sin and the bondage to it.
The reunification that he's granted us with the reunion with the father.
He took the sin that separated us from the father so that we could be back with him at the table.
It's a mighty gift.
And we need to remember that while as we celebrate his impending return,
that we remember he's the light of the world.
And we share his light.
Now just to demonstrate the light, unfortunately I wasn't able to get candles in time for tonight.
That was my fault.
I was able to actually find the candles.
I just couldn't find the little holders that you put them in, you know, to protect people from the wax,
that kind of thing, and I didn't want anybody getting burnt.
You know, I tried, you know, I got like these little, you know,
battery lit, voted candles, like that's just not the same.
But the example is still the same.
You take one candle, you light it up.
Let me get my little voted here.
I'm not doing that one.
That's a real candle.
And it's got a lot of wax in that jar.
I'm not going to get burned right now.
But you have your one candle and you light it up, right?
You're in a real candle.
And you light it up, right?
You're in a room that has absolutely no light.
Guess what?
Now you have a little light.
You get real close to it, you're going to feel a little warmth.
You bring in another candle.
You pass that flame on.
Now you got two candles.
There's a little bit more light in the room, a little bit more warmth.
You take those two candles and you light a couple more.
And then you take those and you light more and you light more and you light more.
And before long, you have a room that's totally illuminated.
And within a few minutes, it gets pretty warm pretty quick.
If you've ever been to a candlelight service, you know, it can get toasty.
The light of the world is the same.
Jesus came into a dark world, one light.
And then he reached out and he touched others.
People that others wouldn't even go near, right?
Lepers, tax collectors, prostitutes, so on.
Reunifying the world.
And everywhere he went and everywhere he touched, his flame was passed.
The world became a little brighter, a little bit more comfortable, a little warmer.
And even now, his light continues to touch lives through people like you and me.
When we open up and we let his light shine.
Don't ever be afraid to let that light out.
It's not a gift just for you.
It's a gift for you to share.
Each and every single one of us.
With that said.
Remember, you are your candle.
Every time you see a candle, remember you are a candle.
I'm not kind of out of it, but that just came to me.
Your candle.
Let us pray.
Lord, we thank you for bringing us together.
We thank you for speaking to us.
We thank you for your son and the fact that you sent him to live and die for us.
To rise again so that we can know about you and be reunited with you as we should be.
And not these idols that had taken over the world and still fight for a foothold.
We thank you for blessing us with that greatest gift.
We know that we've fallen short.
We know that we've sinned.
And as we take a moment and we reflect on our own transgressions.
We ask that you forgive us for them.
We ask that you forgive us for those that we may have forgotten or may not even realize
that we've committed.
We thank you for all this forgiveness as well.
And as we leave here today, we ask that you continue to fill our hearts with joy and wonder.
And we ask that you guide us to the places that you've prepared for us.
And that as you guide us there, you hold us in your protective hands.
That as we go out, you arm us with the wisdom and the knowledge we need to take your light
into the world and share it with those who are still in dark places.
And we ask that we never forget that in all these things, that all the stuff that we do,
the good that we may do, that it all is done in a way that points to you.
That everything that we do is in your will and for the good of your kingdom.
And all of this people said.
Amen.
Thank you all for joining us here today at Healing Scars with Pastor Burton.
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you can find us on our website at Be The Light Sanctuary dot org or on Facebook at Be The
Light Sanctuary.
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We look forward to hearing from you all.
God bless.