Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:00]:
Hey. You know, this morning, we're so glad that you're here. With sometimes we'll say it as Mele Kaliki Maca. Sometimes we'll say it as Sometimes we'll say it as. And if I massacre that Mandarin, I'm sorry about that. Sometimes we say it Feliz Navidad in Spanish. We say it Khrisu Masu Njema in Swahili. We say Maligayang Pasco in Tagalog, or maybe in Korean, we say.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:33]:
Now all those languages are the heart language for people in this room, from different places and different places around the world. But aren't you glad that it means Merry Christmas in whatever the language, and that God knows your heart this morning? We're so glad that you guys are here. Hey. You know, one of the things we did last night was we we talked about doing a a Christmas offering it that, upfront that I talked about it. But, you know, one of the things we forgot to do was actually take an offering. So, so what we're gonna do is I'm just gonna explain real quick is that we we do a number of and some of those are outreaches and missions and things in Myanmar. And you guys have seen maybe some of the videos of lives that have been impacted, literally, lives that have been saved and lives that have been saved eternally, of kids that have been fed in in a war torn, an area in on our ongoing ministry. We have boots on the ground that are there 247, and it's because of the contribution and the partnership of people like you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:01:36]:
And so, part of that goes to things like that, things that we do in Fiji and things that we do locally. And lately, locally, there's been a number of things that have happened. There was a a family in Eva who who, lost a home to fire. There's been a number of situations in people that we used for benevolence. And so, it's really this is the thing that we're just saying. If you wanna just make a difference, and it it doesn't necessarily go to, doesn't at all go to the operation of the church, but it's something that will take place outside of the church. This is what the Christmas offering is for. And so often, you know, we we get Christmas presents for each other or how many of you guys sometimes we get Christmas presents for ourselves.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:02:17]:
Right? But this is an opportunity to say, hey, Jesus, that you said that whatever we do for someone else. You know what he says? I take it personally because it's like you did it for me. And so that's the that's the spirit in which that we're taking the Christmas offering. And, so if you guys wanted to do that, we're there's a few ways that you can do that. If you want an envelope. Just raise a hand, when some of the folks will give you an envelope. But, if you're a little bit more tech oriented and you'd like to use our online giving, and you can do that throughout, you know, till the end of the year, that you what you can do is go to our online, church online, a giving platform. You can give that way.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:02:59]:
Or if you want to use a text to give, that's actually the way that, my wife and I most normally give, and, just go text to give. And that when you do give, though, whether it's in, it's in the envelope or it's any of these formats, if you wanted to go to the Christmas offering, we have a very complicated line that you need to write, Christmas offering. Right? So, and and then all that will go to some kind of an outreach, some kind of a means to for us to participate, be generous when people are in need. And so I just wanna pray for that, for a second, and then we're gonna continue on our gathering. Father, we're so thankful that that lord that Christmas, it is. It's such a powerful and meaningful time for us all. But father, we're thankful that you take it personally, that you take it personally that when when, someone who is hungry is fed, when someone who is in the midst of a difficult time that someone comes alongside. And we wanna be that kind of a people that are able to stand with people in our community as well as to stand with people, that we've been reaching out to, that we've been developing and strengthening along the way.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:04:09]:
So father, I thank you for those who give today. We pray that would you not just bless the offering, but would you bless the giver? And we're so thankful that we get to participate with you. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Hey. Again, Merry Christmas. My apologies if I slaughtered, your language, in which that you say Merry Christmas.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:04:29]:
But, you know, Christmas, celebrates the savior all over the world. In some places, it's already Christmas. Right? And in all these languages that are spoken here, I know there's probably more. And yet at the same time, there's a sense of of whether we're here or we're in different places around the world that Christmas is met with a lot of anticipation as well as reflection. It's met with anticipation culturally, I think, because we all look forward to seeing friends and family, and, we know that there's friends and family who are who've been out of town, have come into town. And if that's you this evening, this morning, you just wanna raise a hand. We wanna just say welcome, man, we're so glad that you guys could come. Right? I see sons, including my own.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:05:16]:
I see parents. I see siblings. I see all these things that have, people that have come, and sometimes it's so nice to, see pet family come together. We're all looking forward to that kind of a time, and maybe you're looking forward to a celebration tomorrow or gifts under the tree. But to those of us who know Christ, it's also this massive invitation to worship. And we're also called, I think, to reflect. Right? Not just on the time together, but but what is the meaning of Christmas, and why are we celebrating? And there is an objective meaning for Christmas. And Christmas might mean different things to different people and different places and and different backgrounds, but at the same time, there is an objective meaning for Christmas.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:05:57]:
Because Christmas is not obviously just about decorations and lights, although you might like them like I do. But but it means that the God who created all things would choose to be with us and become one of us. That he would choose to walk in our shoes and go to the cross to do something we could not do so that we could be reunited, that we could be connected and and rescued from those things by which we could not save ourselves. And we're gonna start with some details of that Christmas story this morning, and and and we're gonna begin by just looking not at the the pregnancy and the birth. We talked about that last night at candlelight, but we're gonna talk about it, in in probably in the in the the the last the the days right after, the birth of Christ. And we're gonna be reading from Matthew chapter 2, verses 1 to 2 as kind of our lead in. And so would you be kind enough? Would you stand with me this morning, and then would you be kind enough, to join me as we read. This is God's word, and as we're standing in reverence for him.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:07:10]:
Ready? Let's read. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of king Herod. And at that time, some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem asking, where is the newborn king to the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship. And, you know, in this in this place what we see is is languages from all over the world were even spoken at that time. We people came from far and wide to come and honor the birth of Jesus. And so before you're seated, would you do me a favor? Would you turn to your neighbors as god always honors those that honor him, and then you can have a seat. And when we take a time to honor him, the god says, he honors us. And and what we'll see this morning is that the wise men the wise men are we're really just they're they're courtesans, really.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:15]:
They're they're parts of a royal court in the the the, kingdoms of the Medes and the Persian Empire. And if they came from the ancient capital of that Persian Empire, they would have walked literally 1300 to 1500 miles just to get to Jerusalem. And it's a it's it's not an ordinary road. It's not a well traffic route, world, but it was a trade route along the way. And, you know, the thing is that when good things happen. The word gets around, doesn't it? Do me a favor. Turn to your neighbor who says the word gets around. Sometimes the word that we wanna go around is good news, right, not the bad news.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:53]:
Right, not all the stuff that you get caught doing. It's the stuff that that that we want people to know. And so the word got around that the king of of the Jews had been born. Originally, that term Magi was exclusively spoke about those who could interpret dreams. And and maybe we become reminiscent that we see in the book of Daniel, how the prophet Daniel, had the capacity, a god empowered and given pacity to interpret dreams. That God can give everybody, an an ability that's beyond their own ability, and so we see that he was part of that kind of a realm. And and then the word began to broaden, and it began to interpret, be be marked with guys who were astrologers and that they read the signs, and they had some kind of abilities in that way, and they were sages and and who gave guidance to king. And so we see these people.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:48]:
They they they aren't the Jewish people, but but God isn't concerned simply with 1 race. He's concerned with all people. And so we see him inviting them even in this beginning. And then it says that why would they come? And and part of that is because the scriptures were well known throughout the whole, kind of a, Middle Eastern area that there were there were prophecies that the prophets had wrote about 700 years, that the prophet Ezekiel was well known, the prophet Isaiah was well known, and maybe these Magi had read those. And maybe those Magi were aware that it says that that, alright, the lord himself will give you the He says, look. The virgin will conceive a child, and she will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means god with us, or maybe we see later in that very same book. He says, for a child is born to us, a son is given to us, and the government will rest on his shoulders. And they literally came to see someone who would rule a nation and would rise to rule the area.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:11:01]:
And he will be called wonderful counselor, mighty god, everlasting father and prince of peace. And now how did they come? Well, the scripture says that in that passage that we had read, was that they actually were following some kind of sign in the sky. Right? And, that when they were there, they're looking, and they saw this sign that they said this is the sign of this thing that had been prophesied. And so they eventually come to Jerusalem, basically knocking on the gates saying, hey. We're looking for the newborn king. And it says at that moment that it wasn't the most welcome news. In in verse 3, it goes on and it says, king Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this as was everyone in Jerusalem. You know, why would they be disturbed? Well, one of those, if you you live in the area, you didn't know.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:11:56]:
Maybe there was Ku. Right? You didn't know that maybe there was an upheaval in the kingdom. And if you're the king, guess what? If you hear there's a new king born and there already is a king, you get a little worried, right, about those things. And so it it was met not necessarily universally joyful. Right? But it it it it it had a sense of unstable effect as well. And, you know, one of the reasons that is, I think, sometimes you guys ever notice that the people that are closest to you or sometimes the hardest to reach. You guys ever try to reach people around you? Right? Some people that the the folks that you love, you try to anybody try to whether it's to to to to share the Lord with them or sometimes to get them to do something that you anybody here invests in something? You go like, man, somebody ought to invest in this thing. Right? And you talk to these people, and the people closest to you, what does it say sometimes? Like, I don't know about that.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:12:48]:
Right? And it's often the case. And people in Jerusalem were the same way. They had been surrounded by the prophetic word. They had been surrounded by this knowledge, and yet they were the most skeptical. And so but Herod is smart. Right? He calls a meeting of the priest when he's presented with this, this news. And he's he's asked, hey. Where, by the way, is this messiah supposed to be born? And they tell them, hey.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:13:21]:
The the word is clear. It says in the prophet Micah that that that in it's in Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what they wrote about. And and he said, okay. Bethlehem. Right? I got it. I got it. And so he comes back, and and he's saying, you know, I I'm not about to throw everything away, I think. So I I wanna find out where this king is myself.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:13:42]:
And so it says in verse 7, then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. And he told them, hey. Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him too. Now if you believe Harrods kind of a angle on that, then I got some land in I'd like to sell you this morning. Right? But, right, because it's it it was like the it was like in the movies, right, where the the evil guy is is disguising his motives. But but he says to him that he does want to know, and he did want to know. Now some commentators, they they try to to date.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:14:27]:
When did this exactly happen? Because we may not know exactly when it happened, but we do know that it did happen. And most commentators will say, between 4 7 BC. Now some of those reasons are because looking back historically, we can see there are a number of kind of a celestial things happening that was just unusual at the time. There was a nova that the Chinese record in their, annals of what happened at that time that kinda detailed around 6 BC. So that that was happening at that time. Around, around 7 BC, there was a conjunctions of the planets of Mars in Jupiter and Saturn that would have pointed like a triangle that they some people think that that's what the Magi were following. Now when this this exactly happened, we don't know. But to be honest, I'm guessing it's obviously at least by 4 BC.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:15:25]:
You know why? Because Herod dies in 4 BC. So we know that he's already dead by the by the end of the year. So it had to happen before he died, and it had to happen sometime before. But the reason I believe that it's also that time, it's not because of all the celestial things, because I'm not sure if that's what they really follow. It could be. But if we read on in the story, there's some things that go beyond the normal things that she might see in the sky. It says it like this in verse 9. It says, after this interview, the wise men went their way, and the star they had seen in the east, you know, like like the mariners who who went from, from Hawaii to to Tahiti.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:16:10]:
Right? They how did they guide get guided? By the stars. Right? How did they originally come from, Polynesia to Hawaii? Through by the stars. He says the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem, but then it says something kinda weird. It says, it went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. And when they saw the star, they were filled with joy. You see, you can look at the stars and figure out how to go maybe south to to Hawaii Kai. But you know what I cannot get? Can I get the address to your house by following a star? And all of a sudden, something happens. It says that's plainly supernatural.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:16:58]:
Did god whether he caused something to move in the sky that they follow, whether it was an angel, we don't know. But something unusual happens. You know, sometimes God uses unusual things to to move us. God uses things that are are things out of the ordinary for us to move. And then we find this situation in this situation, right, we we find these wise men seeking a sign in which to follow. When they finally get to the house, it says this. They entered the house, and they saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. And they opened their treasure chest and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:17:43]:
Now the Magi's immediate response is to bow down to this child. Never says she bows to the mother, never says he bowed to the father, says they bow down to the child. This is kind of an unusual thing. And and we see is it what is the reason for that? We we see the story, the story of Christmas couch with Joseph and Mary and angels and shepherds and and and Magis and and parents and kings along the way. But is this the the heart of the story of Christmas? I think it's part of the details, but maybe there's an overarching thing that we might see as well. And some of that you could see, I think, maybe even in the gifts that that we're given. How many of you here? Anybody here had a child recently? Anybody here? You guys don't wanna raise your hand. I've seen I know a bunch of you guys I see some of them sitting with you, but, you know, the thing is that when you have a gift how do you guys have a baby shower? Anybody get gold at that baby shark? Anybody get myrrh? Right? Like, it's not a that's not average giftings or frankincense.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:18:54]:
Gold is was a sign that they were often given as, kinda tribute to kings. Right? It's the most valuable metal of that time. Right? It's before we knew that all the kind of crazy medals that we have today, but but it was the most ornate thing. It was used in in in jewelry. It was used as currency. It was used in in a dormant in in, in the the greatest of palaces. And so they bring the child gold, and then they bring the child frankincense. You know, frankincense, comes from the resin of a tree, in in that Middle East area.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:19:31]:
And what they find that they used it for, they used it for perfumes and all those things, but it was one of the things that they used in the burning of incense, in the temple of the Lord, that it was one of the things that it was used that was to be part of a formula that was used strictly as a worship for god. And then we see this thing called myrrh, which is also a resin from a different tree and slightly further to, the east, and and we find that used in a bunch of different things. But, traditionally, it's part of the package in in an embalming kind of a spice in that time. When they someone passed away. They didn't the the Jews didn't embalm like the Egyptians, but they did wrap them in the midst of the spice. Now some commentators will say, when you look at these things, try not to read too much into it because there's no way that the magi would have known that. Right? Just see it as, like, a valuable gift. But sometimes what we find in the scriptures is people do things, and they don't even know the significance because they're fulfilling the word of god that they didn't even know they were doing.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:20:45]:
When Jesus is about to be crucified, the high priest who did not like Jesus, who saw him as a threat, said, for the sake of the nation, 1 man must die. And it says this, that he, being the high priest, spoke this without his knowing that would be prophetic of the reason god sent his son. You See, you don't always have to know what you're doing, that sometimes god uses even the things you're not aware of. And so we see in this aspect, I think, some hints about who it is that they came to worship, that he would be a king, that we see this aspect of divinity, and we see this aspect of a sacrifice. The next time Jesus receives myrrh is that his burial? And so this king who is born, the one who claims later or who has been spoken of, who has been the the king, who is god, who will die. It becomes part of the broader story. And so this morning, in our time together. I think we need to know our place in the story.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:22:06]:
You guys ever watch a movie and and you find that that you identify with a certain character. You guys ever do that? You know? Like, we one of my favorite movies, some of you guys know, it's not a surprise, lord of the rings. Right? And then sometimes you wonder who which character? We would ask, which one would you be? I probably wouldn't be Frodo. I wouldn't be the guy who wants to go all the way. But I I might be the guy at that point who would stand with him because I I tend to be that kind of a guy. I I, I might be a Sam. I'm not gonna be right? Sometimes we we identify with different people. I do wanna ask you this, that if you were to identify with people that in this story that as we've told it this morning, there's some people that might identify with Herod in some sense because you run your own life.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:22:58]:
And I as I drove to church this morning, I saw somebody said this, my life, my rules on the back of the car. Right? That's the spirit of Herod that says this, that I'm in charge, and no one's gonna tell me what to do. And god gives us that ability to choose that. Thus as he gave Herod that. And so that is one way that you could go. Some people you guys, everybody anybody identify with Jesus? This is what happens when you identify with Jesus. Christmas is all about you, about getting gifts, and we celebrate that. Right? You call that the messiah complex.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:23:42]:
No, but like a right? So most of us, we're not Jesus. Right? We know this aspect. But something goes amiss when we become the center of this story. You see, I believe this story is given so that if we are to relate to anyone that that would we relate to the Magi who may not have understood everything, they may not have had all of the background, but they knew something was different with Jesus and that they needed Because if we were to understand what this story is like from a bigger picture, we would have to actually read it in a different book in the bible. We see this in the book of John verses 1 to 5. It says it like this. In the beginning, the word already existed. The word was with god, and the word was god.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:43]:
He existed in the beginning with god, and god created everything through him. And nothing was created except through him. The word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone, and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. That when we see this part, you know, it says the beginning was the word, and you you read quickly. I know there's a a little bit of confusion if you've never read this before. When I first read this, I I just said, wait. What? The word was with God and the word was God? And, you know, I didn't understand. What what is that? But it's talking about Jesus.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:25:26]:
But it doesn't say Jesus. It doesn't say Yahweh. It doesn't say why doesn't it say those things because that would have been very specific to a Jewish audience. But, you know, god was more concerned, not just simply, he was concerned with Jewish people just as he's concerned today with Jewish people, but he was concerned with people beyond Jewish people. He was concerned with you. He was concerned with me. He was concerned with your neighbors. And so they use a different word.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:25:56]:
They actually use the word logos, which is the where we get the word word. And the word logos had a kind of a philosophical meaning that was around it in that whole area, in the Middle East, in in the Greek and Roman culture as well, that the word logos had struck a deep chord in every culture. And what it was used was to to identify saying this. It's the rational principle behind the universe. The logos was called the source of life, which gives life and it's reasonableness. Stoic philosophers who are not believers and they're not Christians, but they believe that the logos was an integrating principle tying the universe, which makes the laws of nature and maintains order and gives it unity and coherence. And so if we were to read it like how they might read it, they might say this. In the beginning was this rational integrating principle, and the rational integrating principle was with god, and that rational integrating principle was god.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:27:11]:
And all things came into being by this rational integrating principle, and that rational integrating principle became flesh and dwelt among us. And what they're talking about, why does he talk like that? Because like when we said Merry Christmas in the morning, this morning, we could say Merry Christmas. Christmas. Christmas in Gemma. Right? You could say it in every line. If I keep going, I'm gonna really mess it up. So I I'm gonna stop by my head, hopefully. But why do we say it? Because sometimes there's a language that we all understand.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:27:59]:
You know what god says? He understands your language. He understands your knowledge. He understands you. And he was he has come not for the pageantry, not for the the family time. Those things are great. Right, we love those things, but he came for us. He came for you. And so we see in this It says it comes in, though, and the story continues.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:28:34]:
He says that he came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. It's same as today, that he's come into the world, but the world doesn't always recognize it. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But there's a nice sometimes every once in a while, you ever get in a conversation and somebody yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But you get sometimes that's the point of contention. Right, but sometimes the word but has a nice angle to it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:29:05]:
And this is where he says but. He wasn't received. He wasn't honored by by who? By Herod, by the people in Jerusalem. He wasn't welcome, but what did he say? But to all who believed and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of god. They are reborn, not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness, and we have seen his glory, the glory of the only father's one and only son. I think if I were to say, what is Christmas about? Christmas is about God who loves people and seeing the situation before him, seeing at times our life, Seeing at times are are struggles, saying this.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:14]:
I love them, but they don't understand me. I love them, but it's hard for them to receive me. So I will step down from the universe. The one who had always been spirit, always been existent, became a little child born in a manger. Why? So that the experience that we have with the king is not gonna be a philosophy to be discussed, a theory to be debated, a concept to be pondered, but the word became a person to be welcomed, loved, enjoyed, and followed. And so that's the Christmas story in a nutshell. It's a little bit of a different kind of a story, I'm sure, for some of us, but it's the story that the god who made you and the god who made me understands me, and he understands you because he's walked in our shoes. He's lived a life, a human life, but he was more than man.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:31:38]:
He was god who became man. The prophet said it like this. We read it earlier in Isaiah 96. For a child is born to us, a sun is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders, and he will be called wonderful counselor. That word wonderful is kind of like a a miraculous counselor. Some of us Maybe, I don't know, this morning, if you need wisdom this morning, you know what? You can call upon the lord and find one who has some miraculous direction for him. He's gonna be called what? The mighty god.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:21]:
I'm sorry, some of you, you know, we we have amazing people in our life, and there's some amazing people in your life, but have you ever called anybody that you know? You're a mighty god. Right? This is not stuff to talk about just regular people, is it? It's not talking about a baby that's just born like every other baby, but he's a mighty god. Then he becomes the everlasting father, the eternal father, the god who has lived forever. But I love with what it ends, the prince of peace. Because he came so that people could have peace with God, that they might have the peace of God. And this morning, our hope, our desire is that as you leave, that you would have the peace of God because you have the peace with god. And that's the Christmas story in a nutshell. Would you bow your heads with me? You're gonna close in a word of prayer.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:33:32]:
Father, sometimes in every story, we can get lost in the details. We can get lost in the details of something, the prophecies. We can get lost in the details of of of couples walking a a long row and maybe having no room at the inn, and angels and shepherds and kings and Magi. And, lord, they are all part of that Christmas story, but but the story that they paint is really a larger story. The story, lord, that says that you really know us and you really valued us. And even when people couldn't understand all about you, like the magi, they didn't understand all about you, but something in them something in them drew them toward you. And maybe you're here this morning. Maybe you're here this morning, and you've heard the Christmas story told many times.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:34:44]:
Heard about the baby in the manger. Heard about the shepherds. Maybe you've even done that as a as a child in a a church play. That's really part of the story. It really is. But the bigger story The bigger story is the god who is eternal, the god who is creator, the god who made all things. That he would choose to change, really, just his, in some sense, the way he operated, the way he would relate by becoming a man, by becoming a person. So that if we wanted to understand what god thought, to be honest, see how Jesus thinks.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:33]:
That's how god if you wanted to know how he wants to deal with people, then see how Jesus treated people. And what we saw was that when people were at their weakest, like the woman caught in adultery, Jesus doesn't point his finger, though he would have every right to. And he doesn't point out her sin. He covers her. And he says, women, woman, where were your accusers? And they had dispersed because of Jesus' covering. He said they have they've left. I have not. And this is what he said.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:36:26]:
Neither do I accuse you. That's God's word. And then he says, go and sin no more. If you wanna understand how Jesus active. How we might not. We see he sacrificed. We see he gave. And he said to us, when you give to someone, even like a little child, like, just giving him a a cold cup of water, he says this.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:37:05]:
I take it personal. It's like you did it to me. Father, this this morning, there's some of us that, lord, we we get so caught up in our lives, and life gets so busy that it's easy to forget these things. But, father, would you just strengthen us this morning? Would you remind us that in the busyness of life, you're still here. You just want us to attune our ears to your voice above all the craziness and the busyness of life. And if that's you this morning, you just say, lord, my life's been so busy, well, I've been so consumed with different things, but I know I need to learn to attune myself, to hear you again, to seek you, I guess. And maybe, you know, you've known him for a long time. Just you haven't really sought him.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:38:14]:
Like, if that's you this morning, would you just say just raise your hand to god. Say, god, that's I realize I need to do that. Lord, we're thankful. We're thankful that you're patient. We're thankful that you're kind. Father, would you renew hearts this morning that are are seeking you afresh again? And maybe, lord, there's people here that they haven't heard your voice in a way that has really changed them yet, and, lord, it's really it's it's not a feeling that you're looking for. It's it's a choice. It's a people that just respond to your invitation to relationship.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:02]:
It's it's people who would say, lord, that when you extend your hand toward us, that lord, we would take your hand in friendship. Lord, entrust. At the same time, recognizing the friendship we have is not an equal friendship. It's with the king of the universe. It's with the god who made us and the god who called us. So, lord, there's a implicit sense we understand. This friendship with you is, lord, that I I need to surrender. You know, Herod wasn't willing to surrender.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:45]:
But I thank you, lord, that I know there are folks this morning that they're much wiser. They're they're much more wiser. Father, thank you that you open our eyes this morning. Even as we slow down in the midst of the Christmas craziness and busyness, because the real reason you came was for us. And if you wanted to respond to that, we're gonna just pray a very simple prayer. And would you join me this morning? Lord Jesus, thank you that Christmas is about you, that it's not just about you. We have a part in this story, and you came for me. So today, I open my heart, and I give it to you, the one who knows me and who loves me.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:40:49]:
Thank you, lord, that you can also forgive me. I confess that I've sinned, that I've not been perfect and that I need you. So would you lead me today? And would you guide me today? Help me to understand the way you think, the way you feel and the way you act because I wanna follow you in this life. And thank you that there is an eternal life after this life that we can begin now as we come to know you. In Jesus' name, amen. Hey. Can we congratulate those folks who said yes this morning?