WEBVTT 00:00:01.349 --> 00:00:03.950 Welcome to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton, 00:00:04.129 --> 00:00:07.269 the official podcast of Cross Christian Fellowship, 00:00:07.290 --> 00:00:10.769 Route 66, in the heart of Albuquerque, New Mexico, 00:00:10.990 --> 00:00:14.150 where Burton is the lead pastor. We're glad you're 00:00:14.150 --> 00:00:18.429 here. Father, we thank you for this time. We 00:00:18.429 --> 00:00:21.190 thank you for this day. And it is a day that 00:00:21.190 --> 00:00:22.649 you made, so we're going to rejoice. We're going 00:00:22.649 --> 00:00:25.480 to be glad in it. We ask that you open our hearts 00:00:25.480 --> 00:00:26.940 and our minds to everything that you have to 00:00:26.940 --> 00:00:29.539 speak to us and teach us today and show us how 00:00:29.539 --> 00:00:31.820 to apply it to our lives in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:00:32.579 --> 00:00:36.119 Well, as we said during announcements, this is 00:00:36.119 --> 00:00:39.679 it. This is Christmas week. Happy Christmas, 00:00:39.759 --> 00:00:43.380 everybody. It's just a few days away. It's an 00:00:43.380 --> 00:00:46.060 exciting time for sure. For some of us, it's 00:00:46.060 --> 00:00:48.280 a little stressful. Some of us still have a little 00:00:48.280 --> 00:00:51.799 shopping to do, that kind of stuff. So sometimes 00:00:51.799 --> 00:00:56.130 it could be a little... Right. It's also one 00:00:56.130 --> 00:00:57.710 of those weeks where we kind of had that ever 00:00:57.710 --> 00:01:02.229 changing planner. Right. We think we have things 00:01:02.229 --> 00:01:03.789 lined up. And the next thing we know, there's 00:01:03.789 --> 00:01:05.209 a curveball and we've got something else that 00:01:05.209 --> 00:01:08.409 we've got to take care of as well. Right. So 00:01:08.409 --> 00:01:12.900 so it could be exciting. However, of course, 00:01:12.920 --> 00:01:15.219 you know, we're all gathered here. We've got 00:01:15.219 --> 00:01:17.540 to keep at the forefront of everything, no matter 00:01:17.540 --> 00:01:20.040 what's going on and all the fun stuff we have 00:01:20.040 --> 00:01:22.060 planned or all the aggravations that come up 00:01:22.060 --> 00:01:26.060 and all that. We have to keep the reason for 00:01:26.060 --> 00:01:27.560 the season at the forefront of everything. It's 00:01:27.560 --> 00:01:32.439 Jesus, right? So on that note, let's go ahead 00:01:32.439 --> 00:01:34.459 and let's open up our Bibles or Bible app or 00:01:34.459 --> 00:01:36.760 whatever it is that you're using to Luke chapter 00:01:36.760 --> 00:01:40.909 2. And we're going to start off right here at 00:01:40.909 --> 00:01:50.170 the front. So Luke chapter 2. Nerds like me like 00:01:50.170 --> 00:01:51.590 the Bible app anyway, because you just click 00:01:51.590 --> 00:01:54.269 on it. Boom, there it is. I also have like five 00:01:54.269 --> 00:01:56.349 Bibles at home with all different translations. 00:01:58.010 --> 00:02:01.709 But Luke chapter 2, verses 1 through 3. And the 00:02:01.709 --> 00:02:06.090 word says, And it came to pass in those days. 00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:08.840 that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that 00:02:08.840 --> 00:02:12.360 all the world should be registered. This census 00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:16.879 first took place while Quirinius was governing 00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:20.520 Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone 00:02:20.520 --> 00:02:24.699 to his own city. Of course, this time of year, 00:02:24.740 --> 00:02:25.939 this is one of those things that we talk about 00:02:25.939 --> 00:02:28.400 a lot. There's a census that was ordered by Caesar 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:32.979 Augustus of the Roman Empire. And the censuses 00:02:32.979 --> 00:02:37.639 were typically done for two reasons. One, to 00:02:37.639 --> 00:02:40.360 find citizens to serve in the Roman army. That 00:02:40.360 --> 00:02:44.180 was a big one right there. Of course, Jews didn't 00:02:44.180 --> 00:02:47.819 have to serve in that. So the second reason was 00:02:47.819 --> 00:02:50.240 for tax purposes, because the Jews still had 00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:52.400 to pay their taxes just like everybody else, 00:02:52.460 --> 00:02:55.740 just like you and I do today. Who enjoys paying 00:02:55.740 --> 00:03:00.860 taxes, by the way? I don't know. I'm doubting 00:03:00.860 --> 00:03:03.169 that one, brother. i see that treasure cat smile 00:03:03.169 --> 00:03:07.050 on your face that raised hand i love you man 00:03:07.050 --> 00:03:10.930 but no um those were the two reasons why why 00:03:10.930 --> 00:03:14.169 uh typically they had the census the census was 00:03:14.169 --> 00:03:18.370 a mandatory thing and of course that's what led 00:03:18.370 --> 00:03:22.250 joseph taking his pregnant wife to go and register 00:03:22.250 --> 00:03:25.430 right everybody had to you know who came from 00:03:25.430 --> 00:03:27.930 a certain line had to go back to a specific place 00:03:27.930 --> 00:03:30.370 to register right think of it as a clan or a 00:03:30.370 --> 00:03:33.080 tribe It's the best way to think of it in today's 00:03:33.080 --> 00:03:38.139 terms. You know, it wasn't like today where you 00:03:38.139 --> 00:03:40.699 could just mail it in or hop online in some places, 00:03:40.919 --> 00:03:44.960 right? Like you had to physically go and show 00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:48.379 up. And for some people, it was quite the trip. 00:03:48.560 --> 00:03:50.819 And you think about it, for Joseph and Mary, 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:54.979 and it's a pregnant woman. You know, some people 00:03:54.979 --> 00:03:56.719 argue, well, it doesn't say in the Bible. It's 00:03:56.719 --> 00:03:58.599 like, well, sometimes, you know, God expects 00:03:58.599 --> 00:04:01.659 us to use the common sense he gave us. When someone's 00:04:01.659 --> 00:04:03.900 due to give birth at any moment, how comfortable 00:04:03.900 --> 00:04:06.740 is it for them in any sense of the word a lot 00:04:06.740 --> 00:04:08.840 of the time, let alone having to travel a long 00:04:08.840 --> 00:04:15.060 distance? Not very comfortable, right? So, but, 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:18.899 you know, even though they didn't live in Bethlehem, 00:04:18.920 --> 00:04:22.480 Mary and Joseph both came from the line of David. 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:25.240 So they had to travel there to register for the 00:04:25.240 --> 00:04:29.089 census. Now, of course, the prophecy said that 00:04:29.089 --> 00:04:31.589 the Messiah would be born in the line of David. 00:04:32.430 --> 00:04:35.209 Wow, okay. Cool, it's already there. You go back, 00:04:35.209 --> 00:04:36.689 you can actually trace it. I know there's some 00:04:36.689 --> 00:04:38.189 places in the Bible where some of us are like, 00:04:38.209 --> 00:04:40.250 oh, we're at that point. And it's like this name 00:04:40.250 --> 00:04:41.730 and this name and this name. And it's like three 00:04:41.730 --> 00:04:44.290 chapters of names. And that's why. Because the 00:04:44.290 --> 00:04:46.290 Jews were very proud of their lineage and where 00:04:46.290 --> 00:04:48.209 they came from. They could trace it back. And 00:04:48.209 --> 00:04:50.129 it was no different for them. They still had 00:04:50.129 --> 00:04:52.699 that lineage. They could still trace it. is very 00:04:52.699 --> 00:04:54.980 important you know some of us we get we like 00:04:54.980 --> 00:04:56.899 to go out and we like to hop online and do the 00:04:56.899 --> 00:04:59.800 you know uh the little um heritage thing you 00:04:59.800 --> 00:05:01.180 know it's like what you know what's my bloodline 00:05:01.180 --> 00:05:03.000 where's my name come from and all that and traces 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:06.379 it back so far back then they already had it 00:05:06.379 --> 00:05:08.420 they had it down it's one of those things they 00:05:08.420 --> 00:05:10.100 took a lot of pride and they passed it down from 00:05:10.100 --> 00:05:12.000 generation to generation it's like you need to 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:14.540 know where you come from you need to know who 00:05:14.540 --> 00:05:19.199 your ancestors are So, and like I said, Joseph 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:21.220 and Mary, they were both at that line of David. 00:05:21.339 --> 00:05:26.040 And so this decree positioned Mary exactly where 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:30.699 she needed to be to give birth to Jesus. This 00:05:30.699 --> 00:05:34.579 very place was actually prophesied hundreds of 00:05:34.579 --> 00:05:38.959 years earlier. We turn to Micah chapter five, 00:05:39.079 --> 00:05:47.779 verse two. Micah five, verse two. So Micah 5, 00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:52.319 2, the word says, but you, Bethlehem, I can't 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:56.199 even pronounce this word right now. There we 00:05:56.199 --> 00:06:00.399 go. There, though you are small among the clans 00:06:00.399 --> 00:06:04.819 of Judah, out of you will come for me one who 00:06:04.819 --> 00:06:07.379 will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are 00:06:07.379 --> 00:06:11.660 from of old, from ancient times. You see, this 00:06:11.660 --> 00:06:16.220 is the same town. This is the same place. where 00:06:16.220 --> 00:06:21.480 King David was born, raised, and ruled as king. 00:06:22.199 --> 00:06:26.959 I'm sorry, was anointed as king. Now Jesus, God 00:06:26.959 --> 00:06:30.839 entering our world as fully man, in the line 00:06:30.839 --> 00:06:33.180 of David, just as prophesied, the same place 00:06:33.180 --> 00:06:36.600 as where David had originated. And much like 00:06:36.600 --> 00:06:40.180 the return of Jesus, his birth was a long time 00:06:40.180 --> 00:06:43.339 coming. His return, a long time coming, right? 00:06:43.740 --> 00:06:45.300 we're still waiting on that we're excited for 00:06:45.300 --> 00:06:46.959 that that's going to be great well for those 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:50.579 of us who are believers anyway all right so we're 00:06:50.579 --> 00:06:52.800 going to keep uh honing in on the on the picture 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:54.560 here bringing it into focus let's go back to 00:06:54.560 --> 00:06:56.259 luke 2 we're going to pick up where we left off 00:06:56.259 --> 00:07:06.600 so luke 2 verses 4 through 7. so luke 2 verses 00:07:06.600 --> 00:07:10.040 4 through 7 where it says joseph also went up 00:07:10.040 --> 00:07:12.759 from galilee out from the city of nazareth into 00:07:12.759 --> 00:07:16.500 judah into judea to the city of david which is 00:07:16.500 --> 00:07:19.100 called bethlehem because he was of the house 00:07:19.100 --> 00:07:22.420 and lineage of david to be registered with mary 00:07:22.420 --> 00:07:27.220 his betrothed wife who was with child so it was 00:07:27.220 --> 00:07:29.540 that while they were there the days were completed 00:07:29.540 --> 00:07:33.279 for her to be delivered and she brought forth 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:36.740 her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling 00:07:36.740 --> 00:07:39.699 clothes and laid him in a manger because there 00:07:39.699 --> 00:07:46.220 was no room for them in the end before i go any 00:07:46.220 --> 00:07:47.660 further here i want to point out here that it 00:07:47.660 --> 00:07:49.920 does say firstborn son there are those out there 00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:52.079 that will argue that she still remained you know 00:07:52.079 --> 00:07:55.379 pure afterwards where it tells us firstborn here 00:07:55.379 --> 00:07:58.120 and if we go further in we know that jesus had 00:07:58.120 --> 00:08:01.680 half brothers as well Not saying that to harp 00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:03.339 or poke fun at anybody. It's just something for 00:08:03.339 --> 00:08:06.240 clarity and actually understand the scripture 00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:07.899 and everything. It's something that we can all 00:08:07.899 --> 00:08:11.560 look in and find very easily for ourselves. But 00:08:11.560 --> 00:08:17.180 moving along, this is God's way. Jesus could 00:08:17.180 --> 00:08:19.459 have been born anywhere. He could have been born 00:08:19.459 --> 00:08:22.519 at any time. But this was the place that God 00:08:22.519 --> 00:08:26.339 chose. And while people change, tend to change 00:08:26.339 --> 00:08:28.639 their minds this way and that, depending on which 00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:34.879 way the wind blows, God's mind doesn't change. 00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:37.019 He stays right where he was. He's made a decision, 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:38.960 and he says, this is what is going to happen. 00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:42.820 That is what's going to happen, right? Plain 00:08:42.820 --> 00:08:47.259 and simple. When he makes a decree, he stands 00:08:47.259 --> 00:08:52.779 by it, which we see in Hebrews 13 .8. Same here. 00:08:52.820 --> 00:08:54.519 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and 00:08:54.519 --> 00:08:57.039 forever. Right? We see it in other parts of Scripture 00:08:57.039 --> 00:09:00.820 as well. It doesn't change, but we tend to get 00:09:00.820 --> 00:09:04.080 caught up in things. We lose our focus, and we 00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:06.399 start focusing on the world, all this stuff that 00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:09.019 gets thrown at us. We take our eyes off of Jesus. 00:09:09.960 --> 00:09:12.100 In the whirlwind of all this stuff, we start 00:09:12.100 --> 00:09:14.600 to wonder, why aren't things getting any better 00:09:14.600 --> 00:09:19.600 out there? You know, we're doing all this. We're 00:09:19.600 --> 00:09:22.399 seeing all these things, right? And it's kind 00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:24.179 of the things a lot of people get caught up on 00:09:24.179 --> 00:09:26.980 when they first get brought into a church, especially 00:09:26.980 --> 00:09:29.279 if it's someplace that has kind of poor theology, 00:09:29.539 --> 00:09:32.440 right? Like, oh, you come in, you do this, and 00:09:32.440 --> 00:09:34.080 you say this, and everything's going to be great. 00:09:35.960 --> 00:09:40.440 That's not what the Word teaches us, is it? Instead, 00:09:40.700 --> 00:09:42.840 we get focused on all this stuff, and we take 00:09:42.840 --> 00:09:46.570 our eyes off of Jesus. Everything around us becomes 00:09:46.570 --> 00:09:49.669 a whirlwind, right? It's its own storm. And so 00:09:49.669 --> 00:09:52.789 it's a wonder that we aren't already, you know, 00:09:52.789 --> 00:09:54.789 start thinking, why aren't things getting better 00:09:54.789 --> 00:09:59.110 out there? You know, and it's because we start 00:09:59.110 --> 00:10:06.470 thinking about me and not he, right? We're thinking 00:10:06.470 --> 00:10:10.250 about ourselves and not him. Our eyes come off 00:10:10.250 --> 00:10:14.639 of Jesus. Jesus didn't come into the world. looking 00:10:14.639 --> 00:10:19.120 for comfort. He didn't come in to make everything 00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:23.360 easy, to glaze it over, to sugarcoat it, make 00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:26.480 it easy to swallow. Now, if we look back, you 00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:31.580 know, at verses four and five there, Mary is 00:10:31.580 --> 00:10:35.559 ready to give birth at any moment, right? It's 00:10:35.559 --> 00:10:36.639 one of those things like, man, she's ready to 00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:43.019 pop at any time. She didn't have the comfort. 00:10:44.069 --> 00:10:46.190 Or the creature comforts, as we call them today, 00:10:46.429 --> 00:10:48.409 to get her there. She didn't have a car. She 00:10:48.409 --> 00:10:50.210 didn't have a van. She didn't have a truck. She 00:10:50.210 --> 00:10:51.789 didn't have an ambulance to come and pick her 00:10:51.789 --> 00:10:54.649 up. Instead, she was like everybody else at that 00:10:54.649 --> 00:10:57.230 time. The means of transportation were limited. 00:10:58.309 --> 00:11:03.450 She got to walk. Moms, that can be pretty uncomfortable, 00:11:03.649 --> 00:11:09.009 can't it? At that point. Or she could ride on 00:11:09.009 --> 00:11:13.649 an animal. That's not that much better. I'll 00:11:13.649 --> 00:11:18.509 tell you what. Maybe, maybe there'd be a cart 00:11:18.509 --> 00:11:23.549 there to ride in, right? Dirt roads are, for 00:11:23.549 --> 00:11:26.950 us, got a nice car with big rubber tires filled 00:11:26.950 --> 00:11:28.830 with air and shocks and suspension and all that 00:11:28.830 --> 00:11:31.769 are still pretty rough. You think of an old cart 00:11:31.769 --> 00:11:34.289 going down these dirt roads, going over rocks 00:11:34.289 --> 00:11:36.990 and potholes and washouts and everything else 00:11:36.990 --> 00:11:46.200 under the sun. Right? Not comfortable. Let alone 00:11:46.200 --> 00:11:48.759 animals stopping here and there and jerking at 00:11:48.759 --> 00:11:56.179 things. Moving along these bumpy dirt roads, 00:11:56.460 --> 00:11:58.419 stone roads, some paths definitely smoother than 00:11:58.419 --> 00:12:02.019 others, but nothing comfortable by any stretch 00:12:02.019 --> 00:12:04.240 of the word, by any stretch of the imagination 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:09.529 even. Right? God didn't soften this road. that 00:12:09.529 --> 00:12:13.549 he had Joseph taking his family down. And God 00:12:13.549 --> 00:12:14.850 could have done it, right? Like, hey, this is 00:12:14.850 --> 00:12:17.750 my son. You know what? Smooth sailing. You got 00:12:17.750 --> 00:12:19.690 roads of gold getting you all the way there. 00:12:20.110 --> 00:12:25.350 No, he didn't do that, though. Instead, he used 00:12:25.350 --> 00:12:29.269 it as a way to give them strength, something 00:12:29.269 --> 00:12:32.970 to endure. As Philippians 4 .13 says, I can do 00:12:32.970 --> 00:12:34.570 all things through Christ who strengthens me, 00:12:34.590 --> 00:12:40.879 right? Jesus didn't promise us the easy road. 00:12:42.539 --> 00:12:45.279 He did tell us God's way, though. He told us 00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:47.919 the way God wants us to go through life. And 00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:50.860 he told us things will be rough, just as it was 00:12:50.860 --> 00:12:54.220 rough for his entrance into the world. When it 00:12:54.220 --> 00:12:56.779 comes to the easy stuff, life is going to be 00:12:56.779 --> 00:12:59.820 hard. We are going to find discomfort. We're 00:12:59.820 --> 00:13:05.190 going to find rocky, rough roads. That we've 00:13:05.190 --> 00:13:10.429 been told that we will be inconvenienced. And 00:13:10.429 --> 00:13:12.730 anyone who says otherwise, I can promise you 00:13:12.730 --> 00:13:14.309 they haven't actually read the Bible or looked 00:13:14.309 --> 00:13:18.570 at the context of it. However, it is these hardships, 00:13:18.830 --> 00:13:23.549 it is these discomforts, these pains, these inconveniences 00:13:23.549 --> 00:13:27.350 that God uses to mold us and shape us and build 00:13:27.350 --> 00:13:30.049 our character to remind us that we need to lean 00:13:30.049 --> 00:13:33.220 into him and depend on him. for all the things 00:13:33.220 --> 00:13:39.559 that we need in life. And not only that, as our 00:13:39.559 --> 00:13:43.419 character is shaped and molded, he's better able 00:13:43.419 --> 00:13:47.039 to use us to serve him and to sow into the kingdom. 00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:52.159 Right? He gives us that testimony where we go 00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:53.779 out and we could talk to others and bring them 00:13:53.779 --> 00:13:55.919 to Jesus. Bec, hey, let me introduce you to my 00:13:55.919 --> 00:13:58.179 Lord and Savior. And he can be your Lord and 00:13:58.179 --> 00:14:02.720 Savior as well. Coin the phrase, they turn the 00:14:02.720 --> 00:14:05.139 light on in the window for them right whereas 00:14:05.139 --> 00:14:08.000 i was at motel six is it right we'll leave the 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:13.139 light on for you right i think there's only maybe 00:14:13.139 --> 00:14:14.539 one person in this room who shouldn't understand 00:14:14.539 --> 00:14:20.320 that reference now the census of course there 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:22.799 were a lot of travelers people tend to forget 00:14:22.799 --> 00:14:24.700 they think oh you know mary and joseph were just 00:14:24.700 --> 00:14:27.259 cruising on into bethlehem they forget this is 00:14:27.259 --> 00:14:28.840 something ordered for everybody there were a 00:14:28.840 --> 00:14:31.980 lot of people on the road How different is that 00:14:31.980 --> 00:14:35.240 from us this season? People travel for Christmas, 00:14:35.340 --> 00:14:38.120 do they not? I remember when I was little, I 00:14:38.120 --> 00:14:40.159 looked forward to Christmas because if I wasn't 00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:42.179 with my grandparents, I was probably coming here 00:14:42.179 --> 00:14:43.700 to Albuquerque and I was going to my uncle's. 00:14:43.720 --> 00:14:48.139 I loved going to my uncle's. That guy's house 00:14:48.139 --> 00:14:51.500 is like a zoo. He's a big time hunter. He had 00:14:51.500 --> 00:14:53.700 animals stuffed and all over the place, heads 00:14:53.700 --> 00:14:56.679 mounted and all that. It's very much like, what's 00:14:56.679 --> 00:14:58.379 the name of that place up in Farmington with 00:14:58.379 --> 00:15:04.090 all the animals? But black bullocks, yeah if 00:15:04.090 --> 00:15:07.750 you have it It's like an animal museum this guy's 00:15:07.750 --> 00:15:09.830 a big hunter all sorts of stuffed animals of 00:15:09.830 --> 00:15:13.289 stuff you go in and like Big game that you wouldn't 00:15:13.289 --> 00:15:15.070 find here and like just for all around the world 00:15:15.070 --> 00:15:17.649 stuff is amazing stuff But as a kid you go in 00:15:17.649 --> 00:15:20.970 there and like wow You know some of those animals 00:15:20.970 --> 00:15:24.600 who looked up in there pretty cool I remember 00:15:24.600 --> 00:15:26.220 he had this moose that was bigger than my car. 00:15:26.379 --> 00:15:27.740 That thing terrified me. I was always scared 00:15:27.740 --> 00:15:28.980 to death that it was going to fall on me because 00:15:28.980 --> 00:15:30.559 I had to sleep on the couch right underneath 00:15:30.559 --> 00:15:33.059 it. It was so big, my uncle had to have a steel 00:15:33.059 --> 00:15:35.940 beam put into the wall to support it. It's huge, 00:15:36.100 --> 00:15:42.039 right? But I digress. Rabbit trails, right? That's 00:15:42.039 --> 00:15:45.220 what I do. People were on the road. They were 00:15:45.220 --> 00:15:48.190 traveling. One just for all it wasn't for a holiday. 00:15:48.330 --> 00:15:50.730 Unfortunately, it was for this census. So there's 00:15:50.730 --> 00:15:53.370 a lot of people out there rooms worth filling 00:15:53.370 --> 00:15:56.289 up Joseph's travel agent must not have been very 00:15:56.289 --> 00:15:58.610 good at his job I'll tell you what cuz they get 00:15:58.610 --> 00:16:01.289 to the end and what happens they go up tombo 00:16:01.289 --> 00:16:03.509 day or boat It wasn't there because the light 00:16:03.509 --> 00:16:05.490 shirt certainly wasn't left off for him. It's 00:16:05.490 --> 00:16:11.669 like uh, yeah We're pretty full up but there's 00:16:11.669 --> 00:16:14.840 a barn out back make yourself comfortable Right? 00:16:14.919 --> 00:16:17.919 Knock yourself out. You know, pull up some extra 00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:21.100 hay if you want to. It's okay. And this guy, 00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:22.659 he wasn't even about to try to look for room 00:16:22.659 --> 00:16:25.100 because he knew that they were at capacity. There 00:16:25.100 --> 00:16:27.019 was a lot of people. So they sent him out back. 00:16:27.679 --> 00:16:31.279 Right? The light was definitely not left on for 00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:37.019 him. You know, this is one of those, sorry, maybe 00:16:37.019 --> 00:16:38.580 you could squeeze between the cows and the horses. 00:16:39.460 --> 00:16:41.299 You know, the donkey's pretty warm and soft to 00:16:41.299 --> 00:16:47.379 lean up against. Go for it. Not real cozy. Not 00:16:47.379 --> 00:16:50.860 the kind of place that you're thinking is going 00:16:50.860 --> 00:16:56.899 to be good for a pregnant woman. You know, and 00:16:56.899 --> 00:16:58.679 most of us think, oh, you know, Barry was probably 00:16:58.679 --> 00:17:02.580 waiting out in the car. No. I can pretty much 00:17:02.580 --> 00:17:05.220 assure you, they all walked in together. That's 00:17:05.220 --> 00:17:06.720 just how places were back then. That's how people 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:10.900 traveled back then. Right? It wasn't going to 00:17:10.900 --> 00:17:12.140 be like, hey, it's a little cold out there. I'm 00:17:12.140 --> 00:17:16.910 going to stay in here and keep it warm. So the 00:17:16.910 --> 00:17:18.450 odds of him knowing that Mary is pregnant are 00:17:18.450 --> 00:17:20.430 probably pretty high. Joseph, in talking to him, 00:17:20.470 --> 00:17:21.829 probably would say, my wife's pregnant, come 00:17:21.829 --> 00:17:23.650 on. Can't you find us a place for her at least, 00:17:23.710 --> 00:17:30.490 right? But what husband wouldn't do that? But 00:17:30.490 --> 00:17:34.130 instead, they get to go out to a barn. And we're 00:17:34.130 --> 00:17:38.269 not talking about like a nice red barn. Maybe 00:17:38.269 --> 00:17:40.769 some bridles hanging up over here. Some bales 00:17:40.769 --> 00:17:43.410 of hay stacked up nice and neat over there. You 00:17:43.410 --> 00:17:46.750 know, animals in these perfect little... you 00:17:46.750 --> 00:17:51.650 know holes made for them no we're talking about 00:17:51.650 --> 00:17:57.029 essentially a shallow cave but was used back 00:17:57.029 --> 00:17:59.390 then almost commonly oh yeah they built up some 00:17:59.390 --> 00:18:01.170 structures but for the most part it was like 00:18:01.170 --> 00:18:04.509 a shallow cave right and he's like trials that 00:18:04.509 --> 00:18:10.569 were carved out into the wall it's not this like 00:18:10.569 --> 00:18:12.690 the images that we have are these nice stacked 00:18:12.690 --> 00:18:15.490 up wooden little you know feeding troughs with 00:18:15.490 --> 00:18:17.970 hay and stuff the baby jesus laid in it no it 00:18:17.970 --> 00:18:20.210 was stone these are the things that they put 00:18:20.210 --> 00:18:24.470 the food in and the water in so if things were 00:18:24.470 --> 00:18:28.430 already uncomfortable enough they just got a 00:18:28.430 --> 00:18:31.650 little more uncomfortable it's like hey you're 00:18:31.650 --> 00:18:33.609 pregnant guess what you go in there there's going 00:18:33.609 --> 00:18:35.549 to be just a little mint a little bit to keep 00:18:35.549 --> 00:18:37.869 you out of the elements lean up against the rock 00:18:37.869 --> 00:18:45.130 good luck right good luck chuck It was a dark, 00:18:45.289 --> 00:18:50.410 dirty, smelly, smelly. So you think about it, 00:18:50.450 --> 00:18:52.470 that's where the animals are. That's where the 00:18:52.470 --> 00:18:57.009 animals lie. You know, all the comforts of the 00:18:57.009 --> 00:18:59.490 inn, they're gone. Instead, this is the same 00:18:59.490 --> 00:19:01.930 place where the animals go and they feed and 00:19:01.930 --> 00:19:04.829 they live and they give birth and they defecate 00:19:04.829 --> 00:19:06.650 and everything else. And sure, someone's going 00:19:06.650 --> 00:19:09.029 to go up there and scoop at some, but if you've 00:19:09.029 --> 00:19:10.549 never been to those areas, you can only do so 00:19:10.549 --> 00:19:14.609 much, right? It's kind of like you have a dog 00:19:14.609 --> 00:19:18.289 and you have grass. You had grass. They go out 00:19:18.289 --> 00:19:20.630 and they start peeing. What happens? You got 00:19:20.630 --> 00:19:24.269 brown grass. It's done, right? These trials weren't 00:19:24.269 --> 00:19:26.430 any different, right? These stalls weren't any 00:19:26.430 --> 00:19:29.150 different. You got donkeys. You got horses. You 00:19:29.150 --> 00:19:31.170 got cows. You got all sorts of stuff out there. 00:19:33.730 --> 00:19:35.750 Petting zoos kind of give you a taste of that. 00:19:36.869 --> 00:19:38.549 Ever been on a ranch? I could tell you, yes, 00:19:38.630 --> 00:19:44.670 it can get worse. It can get a lot worse. And 00:19:44.670 --> 00:19:48.930 this is the place where Jesus was going to be 00:19:48.930 --> 00:19:53.470 born? How many of us would even want to go to 00:19:53.470 --> 00:19:56.230 such a spot if we're pregnant or our loved one's 00:19:56.230 --> 00:20:00.930 pregnant, right? Knowing that they're due at 00:20:00.930 --> 00:20:02.809 any time and that it might just happen here. 00:20:04.650 --> 00:20:08.710 That's kind of a grim thought, right? But they're 00:20:08.710 --> 00:20:11.250 making due. They adapted and they overcame, right? 00:20:11.569 --> 00:20:14.099 God empowered them. So it's like, you know what, 00:20:14.140 --> 00:20:15.900 this is a bad situation, but at least we have 00:20:15.900 --> 00:20:18.500 a place to sleep. We have a safe place to sleep 00:20:18.500 --> 00:20:23.839 tonight. That's really what it came down to. 00:20:26.059 --> 00:20:27.960 We certainly don't think it of being a place 00:20:27.960 --> 00:20:32.799 that royalty was going to be born into. But that's 00:20:32.799 --> 00:20:38.079 exactly what happened. Now we think of the world 00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:40.920 as we live in it, shrouded in the darkness of 00:20:40.920 --> 00:20:45.900 sin. The innkeeper turned Joseph and his pregnant 00:20:45.900 --> 00:20:48.000 wife away because there was no room. He wasn't 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:51.940 about to even look to try to make room. Matter 00:20:51.940 --> 00:20:54.400 of fact, for where they were, he probably couldn't 00:20:54.400 --> 00:20:56.200 even recommend a place down the road. Like, yeah, 00:20:56.200 --> 00:20:57.660 everybody's booked up. Everyone's in time for 00:20:57.660 --> 00:20:59.420 the census. Should have been here three hours 00:20:59.420 --> 00:21:05.460 ago. Instead, they got this little place, gave 00:21:05.460 --> 00:21:10.880 them a little protection from the elements. Think 00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:13.579 of it this way. How do we treat others that are 00:21:13.579 --> 00:21:17.819 in need? How do we treat others that are in need? 00:21:19.660 --> 00:21:22.579 How do we talk to them? How do we help provide 00:21:22.579 --> 00:21:26.259 for them, let alone even minister to them? For 00:21:26.259 --> 00:21:27.940 the most part, you go somewhere, and here comes 00:21:27.940 --> 00:21:29.359 someone who's down and out on their luck, and 00:21:29.359 --> 00:21:32.240 what is it? Get out of here, right? Scram, you 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:34.180 bum. I'm going to call the cops. I'm going to 00:21:34.180 --> 00:21:42.529 get you trespassed. We turn them away. We turn 00:21:42.529 --> 00:21:46.250 a cold shoulder to them. Instead of asking if 00:21:46.250 --> 00:21:48.730 we can pray for them at least. I was like, you 00:21:48.730 --> 00:21:50.150 know what? Maybe I don't have anything to give 00:21:50.150 --> 00:21:52.750 you, but I can pray for you. I could treat you 00:21:52.750 --> 00:21:56.190 as a human being. And that's a gift in itself 00:21:56.190 --> 00:22:00.410 right there, isn't it? So when we think of it, 00:22:00.529 --> 00:22:02.549 with all the blessings that we have, how do we 00:22:02.549 --> 00:22:07.210 like it when people treat us as less than? When 00:22:07.210 --> 00:22:10.759 someone comes up and they're unclean. Right? 00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:13.160 Because they're unshowered. They're living on 00:22:13.160 --> 00:22:15.059 the streets. What do we do? We treat them like 00:22:15.059 --> 00:22:17.720 lepers. I'm clean. I'm clean. Get away from me. 00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:21.740 That's not the way we're supposed to do it. Not 00:22:21.740 --> 00:22:25.420 at all. Not the way we're asked to minister to 00:22:25.420 --> 00:22:37.900 them. Let's turn to Matthew 25. Matthew 25 verses 00:22:37.900 --> 00:22:45.000 41 through 45. It talks exactly about this. Jesus 00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:50.039 said, and he will also say to those on the left 00:22:50.039 --> 00:22:53.440 hand, depart from me, you cursed into the everlasting 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:56.599 fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For 00:22:56.599 --> 00:23:01.299 I was hungry and you gave me no food. I was thirsty 00:23:01.299 --> 00:23:04.940 and you gave me no drink. I was a stranger and 00:23:04.940 --> 00:23:08.599 you did not take me in. Naked and you did not 00:23:08.599 --> 00:23:12.180 clothe me. Sick and in prison, and he did not 00:23:12.180 --> 00:23:15.119 visit me. Then they will answer him, saying, 00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:18.579 Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or 00:23:18.579 --> 00:23:22.480 a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and 00:23:22.480 --> 00:23:26.099 did not minister to you? Then he will answer 00:23:26.099 --> 00:23:28.960 them, saying, Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch 00:23:28.960 --> 00:23:32.519 as you did not do it to one of the least of these, 00:23:32.700 --> 00:23:38.759 you did not do it to me. We're all honest with 00:23:38.759 --> 00:23:41.119 ourselves. Every single person in this room is 00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:44.980 guilty of that at some point. At some point in 00:23:44.980 --> 00:23:48.640 our lives, in our comings and goings, maybe we're 00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:51.539 in a hurry, who knows? But at some point, we 00:23:51.539 --> 00:23:53.920 turn a cold shoulder to the least of these, and 00:23:53.920 --> 00:23:55.700 in doing so, we turn a cold shoulder to Jesus 00:23:55.700 --> 00:24:03.500 Christ. Sometimes it's not easy. Sometimes we 00:24:03.500 --> 00:24:06.200 look at somebody and they scare us. There's some 00:24:06.200 --> 00:24:09.660 scary dudes out there. There's some scary women 00:24:09.660 --> 00:24:13.200 out there. Let's be honest. But we shouldn't 00:24:13.200 --> 00:24:16.200 turn a cold shoulder to them. Maybe you're not 00:24:16.200 --> 00:24:17.779 comfortable talking to them by yourself. That's 00:24:17.779 --> 00:24:21.559 okay. Pray for them. You can still pray for them. 00:24:23.519 --> 00:24:26.420 Because if you do it lovingly and earnestly, 00:24:26.599 --> 00:24:30.859 even throw it up there, like, Lord, I'm afraid 00:24:30.859 --> 00:24:34.440 to even go and talk to them by myself. Maybe 00:24:34.440 --> 00:24:37.119 if somebody was with me, but... I'm terrified 00:24:37.119 --> 00:24:39.279 because it happens. It's human. It's called being 00:24:39.279 --> 00:24:42.759 human. You admit your guilt, you admit your weakness, 00:24:42.940 --> 00:24:47.359 and you still pray for them. That's still something. 00:24:47.579 --> 00:24:57.859 And if you mean it, then it matters. I said at 00:24:57.859 --> 00:24:59.920 some point we're all guilty of this. Some of 00:24:59.920 --> 00:25:03.180 us regularly are still guilty of this. Being 00:25:03.180 --> 00:25:05.099 like those people that Jesus was talking about 00:25:05.099 --> 00:25:08.119 here. I said, sometimes we're too busy. It's 00:25:08.119 --> 00:25:10.759 not safe, right? It's like this person looks 00:25:10.759 --> 00:25:12.680 like they're high as a kite. I'm not going to 00:25:12.680 --> 00:25:17.960 go talk to them. Sometimes we get caught up in 00:25:17.960 --> 00:25:19.819 things and we have that mindset like we did with 00:25:19.819 --> 00:25:21.099 Scrooge when we're going through our Scrooge 00:25:21.099 --> 00:25:23.380 series, right? Yeah, everybody's just out to 00:25:23.380 --> 00:25:25.380 take advantage of me. Like, I'm not going to 00:25:25.380 --> 00:25:27.920 take my time. It's like, yeah, right? You know, 00:25:27.960 --> 00:25:30.000 I've even talked about, you know, I once served 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:32.440 at a church where the lead pastor, senior pastor, 00:25:32.539 --> 00:25:34.220 if you will, is just like, why should I give 00:25:34.220 --> 00:25:35.440 them my hard -earned money? They can go out and 00:25:35.440 --> 00:25:39.579 get a job just like I can, right? We've all had 00:25:39.579 --> 00:25:42.400 that mindset at some point. We go up and we see 00:25:42.400 --> 00:25:44.259 somebody panhandling on the quarter and a median, 00:25:44.420 --> 00:25:50.660 right? It's like, well, they got money for smokes. 00:25:51.380 --> 00:25:54.519 I'm not going to give them money. That's okay. 00:25:55.460 --> 00:25:56.940 Maybe you have some food with you. You could 00:25:56.940 --> 00:26:04.299 give them smile wave You don't have to give people 00:26:04.299 --> 00:26:12.500 money to take care of them Let's see We can do 00:26:12.500 --> 00:26:15.900 so many things to take care of people So many 00:26:15.900 --> 00:26:18.599 things Maybe you have a maybe you're like me 00:26:18.599 --> 00:26:20.660 right now. You got an unopened bag of pork rinds 00:26:20.660 --> 00:26:24.869 sitting on your passenger seat next to you You 00:26:24.869 --> 00:26:27.569 see a guy out there on the corner, looks kind 00:26:27.569 --> 00:26:29.849 of hungry. You know what? Most guys like pork 00:26:29.849 --> 00:26:33.009 rinds. Give him that bag of pork rinds. Right? 00:26:34.130 --> 00:26:38.109 There's a lot we can do. And the answer is simple. 00:26:38.509 --> 00:26:40.650 You know, this pastor asked that question, why 00:26:40.650 --> 00:26:46.930 should I? And the answer, simple. Because of 00:26:46.930 --> 00:26:51.150 Jesus. Because of Jesus, what he has done for 00:26:51.150 --> 00:26:54.309 you. What he's continuing to do for you, what 00:26:54.309 --> 00:26:56.250 he's going to do for you because he's promised 00:26:56.250 --> 00:27:00.829 to. Not because anybody deserves it. You didn't 00:27:00.829 --> 00:27:03.549 deserve it. I didn't deserve it. But because 00:27:03.549 --> 00:27:06.609 of Jesus, because Jesus told us to love on our 00:27:06.609 --> 00:27:08.589 neighbor like we would want to be loved ourselves, 00:27:08.829 --> 00:27:12.509 right? The golden rule. Right there is your answer. 00:27:12.589 --> 00:27:15.210 Because of Jesus. It's not because of you. It's 00:27:15.210 --> 00:27:17.390 not because of your selfishness. Put that in 00:27:17.390 --> 00:27:19.250 your pocket, walk away, go and repent of it. 00:27:21.769 --> 00:27:24.670 We do it because of Jesus, because it is the 00:27:24.670 --> 00:27:33.170 right thing to do. Clean and simple. You know, 00:27:33.210 --> 00:27:34.809 this time of year, we like to say Jesus is the 00:27:34.809 --> 00:27:38.329 reason for the season. Yes, Jesus absolutely 00:27:38.329 --> 00:27:41.829 is the reason for the season. But you know what? 00:27:42.890 --> 00:27:46.250 He's the reason for every single day. He is the 00:27:46.250 --> 00:27:49.210 reason for every single blessing in your life. 00:27:51.470 --> 00:27:54.210 He is the blessing and he is the reason for every 00:27:54.210 --> 00:27:56.990 opportunity that comes up in your life for you 00:27:56.990 --> 00:27:58.789 to minister to somebody else, whether you recognize 00:27:58.789 --> 00:28:08.089 it or not. Why you? Why not you? Because, again, 00:28:08.269 --> 00:28:14.250 it's not about you. It is about him. It's not 00:28:14.250 --> 00:28:19.349 about me. It is about Jesus. We need to remember 00:28:19.349 --> 00:28:25.089 that. We need to pause and we need to ask ourselves, 00:28:25.269 --> 00:28:29.009 am I doing what Jesus would have me do? Am I 00:28:29.009 --> 00:28:31.029 serving them the way Jesus would have me serve 00:28:31.029 --> 00:28:35.089 them? If it's not an automatic yes, and you're 00:28:35.089 --> 00:28:38.150 having to stop and think about it, the answer 00:28:38.150 --> 00:28:42.230 is a no. If it's not an automatic yes, it is 00:28:42.230 --> 00:28:46.069 already a no, period. Because as soon as you 00:28:46.069 --> 00:28:49.109 stop to think about it, because you're not sure, 00:28:50.089 --> 00:28:52.769 You start putting in your own justifications 00:28:52.769 --> 00:28:56.410 for why you're doing what you're doing. And it 00:28:56.410 --> 00:28:58.930 no longer becomes about him, but it becomes about 00:28:58.930 --> 00:29:05.690 you. So again, am I doing the right thing? Am 00:29:05.690 --> 00:29:08.990 I letting his light shine in me for others to 00:29:08.990 --> 00:29:12.490 see? Am I turning down my light so that his has 00:29:12.490 --> 00:29:16.009 more room to shine? Am I leaving the light on? 00:29:18.960 --> 00:29:21.099 Instead, we need to be like those who he's speaking 00:29:21.099 --> 00:29:25.759 about just a few verses before, earlier. Right? 00:29:25.819 --> 00:29:28.960 Same place. Just go back a few verses, 35 through 00:29:28.960 --> 00:29:34.299 40. Jesus said, for I was hungry and you gave 00:29:34.299 --> 00:29:36.740 me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. 00:29:36.839 --> 00:29:39.220 I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked 00:29:39.220 --> 00:29:41.319 and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited 00:29:41.319 --> 00:29:44.759 me. I was in prison and you came to me. Then 00:29:44.759 --> 00:29:46.720 the righteous will answer him saying, Lord, when 00:29:46.720 --> 00:29:49.140 did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty 00:29:49.140 --> 00:29:51.920 and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger 00:29:51.920 --> 00:29:54.880 and take you in or naked and clothe you? Or when 00:29:54.880 --> 00:29:58.940 did we see you sick or in prison and come to 00:29:58.940 --> 00:30:03.240 you? And the king will answer and say to them, 00:30:03.259 --> 00:30:05.779 assuredly, I say to you in as much as you did 00:30:05.779 --> 00:30:07.900 it for one of the least of these, my brethren, 00:30:08.019 --> 00:30:13.859 you did it to me. Not looking for a reward, not 00:30:13.859 --> 00:30:16.279 looking for an attaboy, not looking to elevate 00:30:16.279 --> 00:30:19.359 your status, you know, get that little pat on 00:30:19.359 --> 00:30:24.039 the back. No self high fives there, right? None 00:30:24.039 --> 00:30:29.000 of that. Not looking for payment. Instead, we 00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:30.819 should be reaching out and doing these things 00:30:30.819 --> 00:30:33.140 because we want to, from the kindness of our 00:30:33.140 --> 00:30:35.859 hearts, because we genuinely love our fellow 00:30:35.859 --> 00:30:41.740 man and we want what is best for them. That's 00:30:41.740 --> 00:30:45.799 part of being Christ -like. We put ourselves 00:30:45.799 --> 00:30:52.079 to the side and let Jesus shine. We do it because 00:30:52.079 --> 00:30:55.720 we care. We do it because we love. We love others 00:30:55.720 --> 00:31:06.160 the way Jesus loves us. We do it because it's 00:31:06.160 --> 00:31:08.400 the right thing to do. It's what we're called 00:31:08.400 --> 00:31:14.240 to do. At a certain point, It's not even a compulsion. 00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:19.880 It's automatic. It's automatic. Because it's 00:31:19.880 --> 00:31:21.160 just like in our giving. We're not supposed to 00:31:21.160 --> 00:31:27.140 be compelled to do things. You know, it's kind 00:31:27.140 --> 00:31:30.799 of like exercising, right? Certain other things 00:31:30.799 --> 00:31:32.279 in life. Yeah, at first you're kind of like, 00:31:32.279 --> 00:31:36.420 ah, man, this sucks. Not looking forward to this. 00:31:36.799 --> 00:31:39.259 But you go and you do it. And after a while, 00:31:39.339 --> 00:31:41.779 it gets easier. And easier and easier. And then 00:31:41.779 --> 00:31:43.200 after a while, I was like, no, this is my time. 00:31:43.279 --> 00:31:45.640 I got this to do. I'm looking forward to it. 00:31:47.480 --> 00:31:49.579 Taking care of your fellow man is no different. 00:31:50.180 --> 00:31:52.460 Looking out for others, ministering to others 00:31:52.460 --> 00:31:54.880 is no different. Yes, it can be hard at first. 00:31:55.619 --> 00:31:58.740 But you know what? That's your ministry. Ministry 00:31:58.740 --> 00:32:02.900 is messy. I know there's people in here definitely 00:32:02.900 --> 00:32:05.200 don't understand what I'm talking about. All 00:32:05.200 --> 00:32:08.710 right? Pastor Mike, Darren, Brian. Everybody 00:32:08.710 --> 00:32:10.049 in here should actually know what I'm talking 00:32:10.049 --> 00:32:13.049 about. It's messy. You're not going to get it 00:32:13.049 --> 00:32:14.750 right every time. It's not going to be perfect 00:32:14.750 --> 00:32:16.269 every time. Matter of fact, you're going to go 00:32:16.269 --> 00:32:19.650 up and you're going to be doing your best. You're 00:32:19.650 --> 00:32:21.170 going to put that best foot forward. You're going 00:32:21.170 --> 00:32:23.950 to have a smile on your face. You're looking 00:32:23.950 --> 00:32:27.309 at this guy. Oh, I know what. I got something 00:32:27.309 --> 00:32:29.230 special for this guy. He's going to love it. 00:32:29.670 --> 00:32:32.990 And what do they do? Get away from me. Don't 00:32:32.990 --> 00:32:37.920 touch me. Why are you looking at me? Mom, he's 00:32:37.920 --> 00:32:44.779 breathing my air. Right? You know what? It's 00:32:44.779 --> 00:32:49.579 okay. You still did the right thing. They turned 00:32:49.579 --> 00:32:53.119 you away. Just like we saw in the previous verses. 00:32:54.720 --> 00:32:57.079 They turned Jesus away. That's okay. You still 00:32:57.079 --> 00:32:59.460 tried. You put forth the best effort. There's 00:32:59.460 --> 00:33:01.700 no need to cast pearls before swine. No one to 00:33:01.700 --> 00:33:06.410 make your exit. Don't get hung up in it. It's 00:33:06.410 --> 00:33:08.630 not that complicated. We make things a little 00:33:08.630 --> 00:33:10.289 bit more complicated than they need to be, though, 00:33:10.309 --> 00:33:15.710 don't we? We do it because we're there for others 00:33:15.710 --> 00:33:22.089 just as Jesus was there for us. We do it because 00:33:22.089 --> 00:33:26.250 we can be there. And because we want others to 00:33:26.250 --> 00:33:28.569 trust us enough that we're able to introduce 00:33:28.569 --> 00:33:32.809 them to Jesus Christ. And that right there is 00:33:32.809 --> 00:33:37.980 the biggie. So that we can introduce them to 00:33:37.980 --> 00:33:44.599 Jesus Christ. Leave the light on. Leave the light 00:33:44.599 --> 00:33:49.359 on. Put the candle up in the window. Or as Jesus 00:33:49.359 --> 00:33:54.099 said in Matthew 5, verse 16, let your light shine. 00:33:54.480 --> 00:33:56.980 So you let your light so shine before men that 00:33:56.980 --> 00:33:59.359 they may see your good works and glorify your 00:33:59.359 --> 00:34:03.259 father in heaven. Let them see he who is in you. 00:34:06.029 --> 00:34:10.489 In other words, right? Let that light shine so 00:34:10.489 --> 00:34:12.110 bright that they don't see you, but they see 00:34:12.110 --> 00:34:14.309 Jesus in you. They see the Holy Spirit in you. 00:34:16.949 --> 00:34:20.949 But make room for Jesus. I promise y 'all we're 00:34:20.949 --> 00:34:23.590 heading for home. This is the last section. Following 00:34:23.590 --> 00:34:27.809 Jesus is hard. It is. He told us it was going 00:34:27.809 --> 00:34:31.369 to be hard and he wasn't lying. Sadly, people 00:34:31.369 --> 00:34:34.010 will only follow him for a short period of time 00:34:34.010 --> 00:34:40.369 in their lives. We turn to John 6, verse 66. 00:34:40.849 --> 00:34:46.650 So John 6, 66, probably the saddest verse in 00:34:46.650 --> 00:34:50.210 all the Bible. I'm already hearing a woe and 00:34:50.210 --> 00:34:51.989 I haven't even read it yet. You can see it behind 00:34:51.989 --> 00:34:54.309 me. This is probably the saddest verse in all 00:34:54.309 --> 00:34:56.809 the Bible. It says, from that time, many of his 00:34:56.809 --> 00:34:59.409 disciples went back and walked with him no more. 00:35:00.170 --> 00:35:04.500 See, we tend to think about The disciples is 00:35:04.500 --> 00:35:06.760 just those at the last supper with him, right? 00:35:06.940 --> 00:35:12.800 We think of the 12, right? No, no, no. When we 00:35:12.800 --> 00:35:15.639 read through, there were a lot more, a lot more, 00:35:15.780 --> 00:35:23.619 several more. And at this point, people found 00:35:23.619 --> 00:35:31.519 him offensive, absurd. They looked at him like, 00:35:31.579 --> 00:35:35.880 man, someone flew off the cuckoo's nest. He needs 00:35:35.880 --> 00:35:37.780 to go and join the rest of the dodo birds. That's 00:35:37.780 --> 00:35:41.460 how people looked at him. They just didn't understand 00:35:41.460 --> 00:35:42.820 him, though. They didn't understand what he was 00:35:42.820 --> 00:35:44.199 trying to say because they didn't want to listen. 00:35:45.239 --> 00:35:46.679 Right? It's like the word tells us, the enemy 00:35:46.679 --> 00:35:50.639 will tickle the ears. Right? They weren't hearing 00:35:50.639 --> 00:35:52.320 what they wanted to hear. They were hearing, 00:35:52.480 --> 00:35:57.000 hey, you need to change. You're wrong. They didn't 00:35:57.000 --> 00:36:01.679 like it. He was saying things. Reclaiming himself 00:36:01.679 --> 00:36:06.159 as the Lord. That was a big one right there. 00:36:09.039 --> 00:36:10.699 If they didn't understand, it was because they 00:36:10.699 --> 00:36:12.960 lacked faith altogether. They didn't trust him. 00:36:13.000 --> 00:36:17.079 They didn't trust what he was saying. Especially 00:36:17.079 --> 00:36:19.519 once they realized that he was not the conqueror, 00:36:19.519 --> 00:36:22.079 at least not in the sense that they were hoping 00:36:22.079 --> 00:36:25.900 for. Right? So we have to remember, they were 00:36:25.900 --> 00:36:27.659 looking for a conqueror. They were looking for 00:36:27.659 --> 00:36:31.059 basically a military general. Someone to come 00:36:31.059 --> 00:36:33.480 and run the show and run roughshod off over all 00:36:33.480 --> 00:36:35.920 their enemies. Right? They were looking for blood. 00:36:37.460 --> 00:36:41.579 Jesus was not looking for blood. He wasn't going 00:36:41.579 --> 00:36:45.559 to give in to their selfish requests. Right? 00:36:46.940 --> 00:36:48.800 Like we go into the fall. What happens at Starbucks? 00:36:49.079 --> 00:36:51.019 Pumpkin spice comes out. Jesus over there is 00:36:51.019 --> 00:36:52.519 like, no, I'm not turning your water into pumpkin 00:36:52.519 --> 00:36:56.219 spice. Okay, I made that up. He doesn't say that. 00:36:56.239 --> 00:36:59.849 But still, you know what I'm saying? Right? He 00:36:59.849 --> 00:37:01.130 wasn't going to give in to their selfish request. 00:37:01.269 --> 00:37:03.929 And people had a lot of selfish requests. His 00:37:03.929 --> 00:37:06.590 teaching was difficult. It was difficult to understand, 00:37:06.829 --> 00:37:11.690 let alone to hear. Believing isn't always easy. 00:37:13.610 --> 00:37:15.750 That's one of those things, faith. That's one 00:37:15.750 --> 00:37:17.429 of those words that we can use kind of interchangeably. 00:37:17.510 --> 00:37:19.210 Because when we think of faith, we need to remember 00:37:19.210 --> 00:37:23.230 faith is trust. Trust is believing, right? Somebody 00:37:23.230 --> 00:37:25.929 says something, I don't know if I believe that, 00:37:25.949 --> 00:37:32.250 buddy. I'm thinking you're full of baloney. We 00:37:32.250 --> 00:37:33.449 don't trust what they're saying. We don't have 00:37:33.449 --> 00:37:35.289 any faith in what they're saying. Faith in Jesus, 00:37:35.349 --> 00:37:37.269 faith in God, it's the same thing. We need to 00:37:37.269 --> 00:37:38.909 remember those words are interchangeably. Sometimes 00:37:38.909 --> 00:37:41.230 we mix them up a little bit and try to take them 00:37:41.230 --> 00:37:43.489 and make them mean something else. Something 00:37:43.489 --> 00:37:45.750 mystical and magical. There's nothing mystical 00:37:45.750 --> 00:37:49.849 or magical about it. It's trust. That's what 00:37:49.849 --> 00:37:53.170 belief is. Following Jesus, like I said, it's 00:37:53.170 --> 00:37:55.610 not always easy. Today, we respond much in the 00:37:55.610 --> 00:38:00.130 same way as they did. back then. We try to frame 00:38:00.130 --> 00:38:03.769 him in these cookie cutter molds. Right? We use 00:38:03.769 --> 00:38:08.789 this phrase like my Jesus. Last time I checked, 00:38:08.889 --> 00:38:11.090 we don't have ownership over him. He has ownership 00:38:11.090 --> 00:38:21.909 over us. Our Lord and Savior. Right? Not my Jesus. 00:38:22.730 --> 00:38:24.469 Don't get me wrong. I like the song. Let me tell 00:38:24.469 --> 00:38:26.829 you about my Jesus. She's saying something good. 00:38:27.050 --> 00:38:29.610 But we tend to put it in that framework, right? 00:38:29.710 --> 00:38:31.989 That cookie cutter mold. Like, oh, this is the 00:38:31.989 --> 00:38:34.889 image we have of him. And anything outside of 00:38:34.889 --> 00:38:40.510 that is unacceptable. We hold Jesus to our own 00:38:40.510 --> 00:38:45.269 selfish expectations. Our own selfish wants. 00:38:46.070 --> 00:38:48.289 And then we get upset when those don't come into 00:38:48.289 --> 00:38:51.940 fruition. When things don't work out the way 00:38:51.940 --> 00:38:54.900 we want them to. We don't get the relationship 00:38:54.900 --> 00:38:58.639 that we're wanting. And what's sad is people 00:38:58.639 --> 00:39:02.139 will still go out there and they will go after 00:39:02.139 --> 00:39:04.340 these things hot and heavy. Like, oh, no, no, 00:39:04.360 --> 00:39:06.639 no. I've been praying. I've been doing everything 00:39:06.639 --> 00:39:08.380 that I can. Why won't the Lord give me this? 00:39:08.380 --> 00:39:12.400 Because it's not about you. It's about him. First 00:39:12.400 --> 00:39:13.980 and foremost, it's not about you. It's about 00:39:13.980 --> 00:39:18.199 him. Secondly, you're doing it out of selfish 00:39:18.199 --> 00:39:23.190 greed. Your own selfish wants. You're continuing 00:39:23.190 --> 00:39:25.710 to pursue after it when everybody around you, 00:39:25.750 --> 00:39:27.170 including your own family, has told you this 00:39:27.170 --> 00:39:32.889 is toxic. You need to get away from it. But people 00:39:32.889 --> 00:39:36.510 cling to that stuff, right? Whether it's a relationship, 00:39:36.929 --> 00:39:43.250 that's really bad. Rugs, alcohol, gambling, porn 00:39:43.250 --> 00:39:45.630 addictions, or any other addictions, right? You 00:39:45.630 --> 00:39:48.940 got somebody that go out. Hey, I just got paid. 00:39:49.000 --> 00:39:51.400 I got bills due. Oh, but you know what? There's 00:39:51.400 --> 00:39:53.519 a celebrity in town. I want to go to their meet 00:39:53.519 --> 00:39:55.139 and greet and get their signature. That bill 00:39:55.139 --> 00:39:59.900 can wait. It's going to be late. And you go to 00:39:59.900 --> 00:40:02.059 their house. They're behind on their bills. The 00:40:02.059 --> 00:40:05.260 house is run down. But they got all these pictures 00:40:05.260 --> 00:40:10.460 lying in the wall. All these toys stacked on 00:40:10.460 --> 00:40:14.860 shelves. It's no different. It's the exact same 00:40:14.860 --> 00:40:17.530 stuff. It's just a different addiction. It's 00:40:17.530 --> 00:40:19.949 a different idol because that's what happens 00:40:19.949 --> 00:40:23.289 is we give into the world of the stuff we want. 00:40:24.429 --> 00:40:30.230 And we put it first. We get upset because we 00:40:30.230 --> 00:40:33.150 don't have control over the things we feel we 00:40:33.150 --> 00:40:35.610 should have control over. And we don't want to 00:40:35.610 --> 00:40:41.030 turn those reins over to Jesus. The expectations 00:40:41.030 --> 00:40:45.429 aren't met. And the relationships fall apart. 00:40:46.349 --> 00:40:48.989 We get upset because we feel we're entitled to 00:40:48.989 --> 00:40:54.110 them. I'm telling you, if you're one of those 00:40:54.110 --> 00:40:55.510 people and you're hearing this, you're outlining 00:40:55.510 --> 00:40:57.909 or online and you're hearing this, and maybe 00:40:57.909 --> 00:40:59.710 it's hitting a little hard, it's because you 00:40:59.710 --> 00:41:02.650 need to hear this. Stick with me. Because all 00:41:02.650 --> 00:41:06.170 that hurt that you have, all those failed expectations, 00:41:06.489 --> 00:41:09.449 those wants that you confused with needs that 00:41:09.449 --> 00:41:12.250 weren't fulfilled, all those missed standards, 00:41:12.309 --> 00:41:16.179 it's because you put faith in men. and not in 00:41:16.179 --> 00:41:20.219 our Lord. Your faith was in somebody else and 00:41:20.219 --> 00:41:23.699 what they said and not in God and what he has 00:41:23.699 --> 00:41:26.900 said and what he has promised. But your faith 00:41:26.900 --> 00:41:35.659 needs to be in Jesus. Jesus came to bring down 00:41:35.659 --> 00:41:38.960 the division in our lives. There's a lot of division 00:41:38.960 --> 00:41:42.139 and we see it oh so greatly today. He came to 00:41:42.139 --> 00:41:44.699 bring down that division and reunite us with 00:41:44.699 --> 00:41:48.920 the Father. Not to give us something just because 00:41:48.920 --> 00:41:51.119 someone took a piece of scripture, took it out 00:41:51.119 --> 00:41:54.440 of context, twisted it, and I can tell you right 00:41:54.440 --> 00:41:58.119 now, that is Satan or one of his ministers, and 00:41:58.119 --> 00:42:01.340 they convince people, you name it, you want it, 00:42:01.380 --> 00:42:04.699 you claim it, it's yours. You say this or you 00:42:04.699 --> 00:42:07.000 do this, and I'll give it to you. It doesn't 00:42:07.000 --> 00:42:10.659 work that way. And this season, the focus needs 00:42:10.659 --> 00:42:13.780 to be on Jesus. And all too often, it's on Jesus' 00:42:13.940 --> 00:42:15.559 baby, right? We talked about this a little bit 00:42:15.559 --> 00:42:17.980 last week. I remind you that our Lord and Savior 00:42:17.980 --> 00:42:22.699 has grown up. In fact, he grew up. He took lashes 00:42:22.699 --> 00:42:24.579 for us. He took a beating. He took torture for 00:42:24.579 --> 00:42:28.639 us. He went to the cross for us with our sin, 00:42:28.699 --> 00:42:32.719 took the punishment that we deserve unjustly. 00:42:33.210 --> 00:42:35.230 He took what should have been for us. He took 00:42:35.230 --> 00:42:38.030 it on himself. Went to that cross, he died, was 00:42:38.030 --> 00:42:40.889 buried, rose again three days later, came back, 00:42:41.050 --> 00:42:43.090 promised to see to be returned, ascended to heaven, 00:42:43.150 --> 00:42:45.989 and he will return for us. Our Lord does not 00:42:45.989 --> 00:42:49.010 break his promises, ever. We've seen it time 00:42:49.010 --> 00:42:50.630 and time again. He comes through. It may not 00:42:50.630 --> 00:42:53.570 be in the timeline we expect, but that's okay 00:42:53.570 --> 00:43:01.010 because his timing is perfect. So we need to 00:43:01.010 --> 00:43:03.300 remember that. Especially in this season, because 00:43:03.300 --> 00:43:04.940 we do, we get caught up in everything around 00:43:04.940 --> 00:43:07.480 us. All these things that become distractions 00:43:07.480 --> 00:43:10.139 and take our eyes off of him, right? Travel and 00:43:10.139 --> 00:43:13.219 meals and friendships and families and all this 00:43:13.219 --> 00:43:15.219 stuff that we need to do. You know, we all have 00:43:15.219 --> 00:43:17.920 these long lists of stuff that we need to get 00:43:17.920 --> 00:43:19.940 done all the way up to Christmas Eve or maybe 00:43:19.940 --> 00:43:22.320 even into Christmas Day. Some people going all 00:43:22.320 --> 00:43:23.679 the way through Christmas Day because they have 00:43:23.679 --> 00:43:25.480 friends and family and all this other stuff going 00:43:25.480 --> 00:43:28.760 on, right? All these distractions, these various 00:43:28.760 --> 00:43:30.699 forms of entertainment that are out there. We're 00:43:30.699 --> 00:43:32.760 talking about before service, what was it during 00:43:32.760 --> 00:43:34.679 the countdown? About football and basketball 00:43:34.679 --> 00:43:36.320 because of one of the trivia questions, right? 00:43:36.739 --> 00:43:40.219 All this stuff. And all this stuff in and of 00:43:40.219 --> 00:43:42.219 itself can absolutely be good. It could be wonderful, 00:43:42.380 --> 00:43:46.039 joyful stuff. But more often than not, it takes 00:43:46.039 --> 00:43:49.519 our eyes off of Jesus. And when that happens, 00:43:49.579 --> 00:43:54.460 it becomes an idol. Something takes your eyes 00:43:54.460 --> 00:43:59.659 off of Jesus. You need to make a change. Plain 00:43:59.659 --> 00:44:03.420 and simple. Revelation. This is our last piece 00:44:03.420 --> 00:44:04.659 of scripture and this will only take a couple 00:44:04.659 --> 00:44:08.079 minutes. We're almost done, I promise you. I 00:44:08.079 --> 00:44:12.019 think I heard a tummy grumbling over here. Revelation 00:44:12.019 --> 00:44:18.059 3, verse 20. Behold, I stand at the door and 00:44:18.059 --> 00:44:20.820 knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the 00:44:20.820 --> 00:44:23.619 door, I will come in to him and dine with him 00:44:23.619 --> 00:44:27.900 and he with me. Me. Don't be the innkeeper who 00:44:27.900 --> 00:44:34.280 turns Jesus away. Don't do it. Instead, make 00:44:34.280 --> 00:44:40.619 room in your heart. Make room right here. Make 00:44:40.619 --> 00:44:45.699 time to spend with Jesus. Like my wife said, 00:44:45.760 --> 00:44:47.159 we're all going to be gathering in here on Christmas 00:44:47.159 --> 00:44:49.239 Eve to celebrate someone, right? Celebrate the 00:44:49.239 --> 00:44:53.920 birth of Jesus. Make time to spend with him. 00:44:55.500 --> 00:44:58.760 He wants to fellowship with you. He wants a relationship 00:44:58.760 --> 00:45:01.619 with you. Yeah, he's annoying, but he doesn't 00:45:01.619 --> 00:45:02.659 want to just sit there and be like, oh, I know. 00:45:03.159 --> 00:45:05.099 He wants to hear from you. He wants to converse 00:45:05.099 --> 00:45:07.079 with you. He wants to talk with you. He wants 00:45:07.079 --> 00:45:08.179 to be able to be like, you know what? You've 00:45:08.179 --> 00:45:11.960 got this going, but you need to do this. Right? 00:45:12.059 --> 00:45:14.179 He wants to be able to guide you and help you. 00:45:15.280 --> 00:45:16.840 Like, you've got this going on in your life, 00:45:16.940 --> 00:45:18.639 but this is what's getting in the way of this. 00:45:19.000 --> 00:45:21.320 So how about we adjust fire on that and we do 00:45:21.320 --> 00:45:27.650 this instead? That's relationship. He's already 00:45:27.650 --> 00:45:32.289 come and done so much. He wants that relationship. 00:45:32.389 --> 00:45:34.309 He wants you to be saved, to be reunited with 00:45:34.309 --> 00:45:37.690 the Father because he loves you. God sent Jesus 00:45:37.690 --> 00:45:40.010 here because he loves you, because he wants you 00:45:40.010 --> 00:45:42.809 to come back to the table, to be united with 00:45:42.809 --> 00:45:46.230 him forever. The sacrifice has already been made 00:45:46.230 --> 00:45:54.010 for you in blood. All for you. And a promise 00:45:54.010 --> 00:45:58.590 has been made for you. Be still and know that 00:45:58.590 --> 00:46:03.769 I am God. Be still and listen for what he has 00:46:03.769 --> 00:46:08.530 to say to you. Turn off the TV, turn off the 00:46:08.530 --> 00:46:12.329 radio, turn off all the noise. That's why people 00:46:12.329 --> 00:46:15.150 say, oh, go into the prayer closet. Why? Because 00:46:15.150 --> 00:46:17.309 it's a nice, quiet, secluded place. Close the 00:46:17.309 --> 00:46:23.829 door. Pray. And then wait patiently. to hear 00:46:23.829 --> 00:46:28.110 what he has to say to you. He's coming back for 00:46:28.110 --> 00:46:31.590 you. All you have to do is accept his gift above 00:46:31.590 --> 00:46:38.610 all others. On that note, let us pray. Father, 00:46:38.710 --> 00:46:41.190 today we get so caught up in life that we forget 00:46:41.190 --> 00:46:46.369 too often that we need to come to you. We forget 00:46:46.369 --> 00:46:49.050 that we should be moving through life with you. 00:46:52.559 --> 00:46:55.460 Not just coming to you because we're struggling 00:46:55.460 --> 00:46:59.860 to move through life. We need to remember that 00:46:59.860 --> 00:47:02.099 we need to call on you regularly and share things 00:47:02.099 --> 00:47:06.619 throughout the day with you. Not calling on you 00:47:06.619 --> 00:47:10.860 just because it's convenient. Today and every 00:47:10.860 --> 00:47:13.119 day from here moving forward, we ask that you 00:47:13.119 --> 00:47:17.460 be the light in our heart and help us to keep 00:47:17.460 --> 00:47:20.639 that light shining bright for others to see. 00:47:21.210 --> 00:47:23.530 not to pull down the curtains or anything that 00:47:23.530 --> 00:47:26.389 might get in the way, but to dim our own light 00:47:26.389 --> 00:47:28.230 and to shine your bright so brightly that others 00:47:28.230 --> 00:47:32.309 see it so that people see you and not us. We 00:47:32.309 --> 00:47:34.469 ask you to help us push out all the things that 00:47:34.469 --> 00:47:37.550 are getting in the way of just that, all the 00:47:37.550 --> 00:47:39.710 things that we don't need in our lives and all 00:47:39.710 --> 00:47:41.429 the things that we have there that limit you 00:47:41.429 --> 00:47:46.110 because we try to put shackles on you and do 00:47:46.110 --> 00:47:47.849 it in our own power instead of letting you do 00:47:47.849 --> 00:47:51.550 the power. Help us to release that control that 00:47:51.550 --> 00:47:54.809 we're so desperately holding on to so that you 00:47:54.809 --> 00:47:58.510 can fully and perfectly do your work without 00:47:58.510 --> 00:48:01.550 us getting in the way. Because it is us getting 00:48:01.550 --> 00:48:07.630 in the way. Help us so that we remember to keep 00:48:07.630 --> 00:48:12.329 that light on for all to see. Be that light on 00:48:12.329 --> 00:48:15.570 the hill as you've called us to be. We thank 00:48:15.570 --> 00:48:18.329 you for your examples. We thank you for your 00:48:18.329 --> 00:48:21.260 sacrifices. We thank you for your love. We thank 00:48:21.260 --> 00:48:24.639 you for your promises. Guide us and move us all 00:48:24.639 --> 00:48:26.519 the days of our lives, as all of his people said. 00:48:27.280 --> 00:48:29.699 Amen and amen. Remember, as you leave here, you 00:48:29.699 --> 00:48:31.380 are loved and you are blessed, so go and be the 00:48:31.380 --> 00:48:59.440 church. Until next time, take care and God bless.