1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:15,440 Welcome to Hub City Vineyard. 2 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:23,060 To get connected or to give online go to connect.hcv.church or give.hcv.church. 3 00:00:23,060 --> 00:00:27,360 If at any point during this message you feel called to make a change in your life, text 4 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,840 change me to 970-00. 5 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:32,120 Thank you and enjoy the message. 6 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:33,520 Hey, good morning everyone. 7 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:36,880 How's everyone doing? 8 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:37,880 That good. 9 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:38,880 All right. 10 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:39,880 Excellent. 11 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:40,880 Happy Sunday. 12 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:42,360 We're so glad that you're here joining us at HCV. 13 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:46,160 If you're joining us online, thank you for welcoming us into your home. 14 00:00:46,160 --> 00:00:49,720 It's great to connect with you and relate with you this beautiful Sunday. 15 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:54,920 I just want to start this morning just by recognizing how generous our community of 16 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:57,720 faith is like early last week. 17 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:02,400 We were having staff meeting on Tuesday and God just really overwhelmed me with your generosity. 18 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:04,120 I mean, think about it. 19 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:10,280 Over the last few weeks, we gave away almost 90 complete Thanksgiving meals to local families 20 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:16,120 in need partnering with our elementary schools and middle schools and even a few high schools. 21 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:19,720 We had 250 angels on our angel tree this year. 22 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:23,680 That's pretty near the most we've ever had and they're all gone. 23 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,680 I mean, you all picked them all up. 24 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:31,480 You went out and got gifts for these kids that wouldn't have gone without. 25 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:33,760 In the midst of a pandemic, right? 26 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:38,720 There's just a lot of negativity in the world, especially in the church world, just pastors 27 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:44,960 and leaders and just a lot of negativity about people not participating, not reconnecting. 28 00:01:44,960 --> 00:01:46,360 I just want to say thanks. 29 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:53,040 Your generosity absolutely just blew me away as we kick off this holiday season. 30 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:58,880 Today, there's just many opportunities for you to gather and serve right here at HTV 31 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:01,980 today, right after this gathering to start with why. 32 00:02:01,980 --> 00:02:02,980 What is that? 33 00:02:02,980 --> 00:02:08,100 It's an introduction to HTV and how God desires to use you in our tri-state area. 34 00:02:08,100 --> 00:02:12,800 We want to partner with you so that you can make a difference in this local community. 35 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:18,160 If you've never been to start with why, simply meet Mike Watson or Chris Rudasso right here 36 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:20,520 at the front of the stage directly after this gathering. 37 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:25,960 If you're online and you want to participate and start with why, you can simply go to zoom.htv.church. 38 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:31,960 There'll be a link there that you click and you can join us virtually for the start with 39 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:32,960 why class. 40 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:38,680 Today at 2.30, last week John Budnicki shared and really challenged our church. 41 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:42,240 I was just encouraged by the word that he gave. 42 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:45,800 He invited everyone to join him today at 2.30 if you would like. 43 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:50,720 He's going to meet at the City Park Museum parking lot and go Christmas caroling. 44 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,120 Of course he's going to be singing songs but looking for opportunities to pray for people 45 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:55,480 as well. 46 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:59,200 If you did pick up one of the angels and you brought it with you, you can leave it here, 47 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:03,760 give it to Ms. Lisa or you can drop it off at our Oak Ridge Drive location today between 48 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:06,080 10 and 3. 49 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:09,200 Tonight, Jess and I would like to invite you to join us. 50 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:14,280 Jess and I will be leading Pray First at our Oak Ridge Drive location. 51 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:17,360 Basically what is Pray First, we're going to gather at 6 to pray for the needs of our 52 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:21,520 community of faith, our local community, our nation and the world. 53 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:26,240 You're invited to come and join us as we just spend an hour praying and getting close to 54 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:27,240 God. 55 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:30,680 Now, as many of you know, we're preparing our hearts to celebrate Jesus' birth. 56 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:36,240 We're in the Christmas season and I'm excited to launch into this new series called Rediscover 57 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:37,240 Christmas. 58 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:42,120 Over the next three weeks, we're going to be looking at three different gifts that the 59 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:47,360 wise men gave Jesus around the time of His birth according to Matthew's Gospel and Matthew 60 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:48,360 chapter 2. 61 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:54,120 I found a stack of gifts on each side of the platform just for you to reference those gifts 62 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:57,000 that the Magi or the wise men brought. 63 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:01,720 Just to give you a little context of Matthew chapter 2, of course Jesus was born in Bethlehem 64 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:09,720 during the reign of King Herod and some wise men or Magi traveled a great distance to come 65 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:11,640 and worship Jesus. 66 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:13,320 Now how many wise men were there? 67 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:16,280 Does anybody know how many wise men there were? 68 00:04:16,280 --> 00:04:20,720 Well, some people say three and of course if you have a nativity scene in your house 69 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:23,840 or you visit your mom's house and she has one up, right? 70 00:04:23,840 --> 00:04:27,560 And you look at that nativity scene, you see three wise men. 71 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:28,680 Now is that true? 72 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:30,040 We have no idea. 73 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:35,720 Okay, we tended to think that there was three wise men because they brought three gifts. 74 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:40,280 So we relate those three gifts to the three wise men when in reality, chances are there 75 00:04:40,280 --> 00:04:42,080 could have been dozens. 76 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:44,540 But tradition tells us that there are three. 77 00:04:44,540 --> 00:04:48,880 But what we do know about these wise men, it doesn't matter if there's three or 23, 78 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:50,560 we know they are highly educated. 79 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:56,200 We know that they were incredibly wealthy and we also know they were desperate to meet 80 00:04:56,200 --> 00:05:00,160 the one who might just be the savior of the world. 81 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:05,360 The Bible tells us in fact when they saw the star in Matthew chapter 2 verse 10, they were 82 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:07,920 filled with joy. 83 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:09,020 And I want to stop right there. 84 00:05:09,020 --> 00:05:14,640 Without word joy, it is my prayer that as we go through this series together that we 85 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:18,320 all discover a new sense of joy over these next three weeks. 86 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:22,840 Because I tell you, if you look at many people's lives throughout the nation, joy has been 87 00:05:22,840 --> 00:05:25,200 stolen from them. 88 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:30,480 It's whether they can't go to church, they can't hang out with people, the pandemic, 89 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:35,520 the election, whatever it may be, it seems that a lot of joy has been lost. 90 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:42,280 It's my desire that as we refocus on Jesus that our joy would be uplifted within our 91 00:05:42,280 --> 00:05:43,280 spirit. 92 00:05:43,280 --> 00:05:47,360 So not only were the wise men filled with joy, but they entered a house, they saw the 93 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:51,760 child with his mother Mary and they bowed down and worshiped him. 94 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:57,680 Then they opened their treasure chest, they gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and 95 00:05:57,680 --> 00:05:58,680 myrrh. 96 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:02,000 Gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 97 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:06,200 Now for many of you, you know that it's been almost a year since our youngest son, Phoenix, 98 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:08,880 was born, surprise. 99 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:15,560 When Phoenix was born, let me tell you, we received no gifts of gold, frankincense, and 100 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:16,560 myrrh. 101 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:17,600 We didn't receive those. 102 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:20,480 For many people, they're like, well, what kind of a gift is that? 103 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:27,120 Well, when we had Phoenix, we got diapers and onesies and pacifiers, and we actually 104 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:32,080 got the ever important, all purpose baby snot sucker. 105 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:35,240 Now let me tell you about this little baby snot sucker. 106 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:40,760 With my older children, we had a snot sucker that had a blue ball on the end of it. 107 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:43,160 You put it in their nose and you squeezed. 108 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:48,880 Now in our technologically advanced world, now that we're smarter people 10 years later, 109 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:56,160 they've decided now that you can actually suck the snot from your child's nose. 110 00:06:56,160 --> 00:07:00,600 Now why exactly you would like to do that, I have no idea, but that was a gift that we 111 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:06,120 were given, and I'm happy to say that I've never used that, but just has several times. 112 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:07,960 Okay? 113 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:12,480 Now these wise men, they offered three gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 114 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:17,800 These gifts were not only valuable, but they were very practical, and yet what a lot of 115 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:21,280 people don't know is they were deeply spiritual. 116 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:27,720 In fact, the Bible scholars agree that these gifts were useful for the family, but what 117 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:32,080 I'm going to tell you over the next three weeks is that it foreshadowed actually the 118 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:35,240 images of what Jesus would represent to you and me. 119 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:40,760 Gold, of course, we all know what gold is, it's very valuable in itself, but gold actually 120 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:44,080 represented the kingship of Jesus. 121 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:50,520 Next week we're going to discuss myrrh, and myrrh represented Jesus as the lamb of God, 122 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:53,400 and today we're going to talk about frankincense. 123 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:57,920 Before I get into the meaning of frankincense and how it relates to Jesus, according to 124 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:04,800 the essential oil advisors on the great wide web known as Google, frankincense is an oil 125 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:09,880 with all sorts of properties and all sorts of purposes. 126 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:14,120 It's actually like the Swiss army knife of essential oil, so if you're looking to get 127 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:17,800 started in essential oil, go get some frankincense. 128 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:24,400 Frankincense possesses antiseptic, astringent, carminative, diuretic, digestive, sedative, 129 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:29,120 uterine, and vulnerary therapeutic properties. 130 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:35,720 I have no idea what any of that means, no clue, but I do know that the internet told 131 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:41,520 me that those were very important properties in a healing aspect of frankincense, so now 132 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:46,160 you know what pastors do throughout the week in preparing for their sermons. 133 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:50,440 You're looking up what frankincense and essential oils do. 134 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:57,120 Now, frankincense we know was a very expensive and practical gift that was given to Jesus 135 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:01,920 because it helped the family to heal wounds and to treat wounds. 136 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:08,560 Now frankincense was the oil that the priests would use during the sacrifices. 137 00:09:08,560 --> 00:09:12,840 They would be burning incense, like we are this morning, we're burning incense to reference 138 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:19,240 what was happening in the temple, and then that smoke would arise or rise up to heaven 139 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:21,840 representing the prayers of the people. 140 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:29,680 So the symbolism behind this offering of frankincense being burned and the prayers going up to the 141 00:09:29,680 --> 00:09:34,160 people, that connected to the priestlyness of Jesus. 142 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:38,840 We're going to talk about Jesus, our high priest today. 143 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:43,760 Now some of you, if you weren't raised Roman Catholic or you weren't growing up in the 144 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:49,440 Episcopalian world like me, you may not necessarily relate to what a priest was, so I'm going 145 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:54,920 to break that down for you so that we can really understand who Jesus was and what he 146 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:55,920 did for us. 147 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:57,440 Now I want to be honest with you. 148 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:00,640 In this series, okay, I'm going to get off course a little bit. 149 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:06,400 I'm going to dive into some very deep theological and seminary teaching, and I just want to 150 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:07,700 make sure you guys can handle it. 151 00:10:07,700 --> 00:10:09,280 Can you handle it? 152 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:10,680 Are you ready for it? 153 00:10:10,680 --> 00:10:11,880 Okay, all right. 154 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:14,080 So don't say I didn't pre-warn you. 155 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:17,920 Okay, don't throw out to me all that was boring, I didn't get it, and all those things. 156 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:22,260 I pre-warned you, and I'm going to challenge you to open your minds and more importantly 157 00:10:22,260 --> 00:10:28,360 your hearts to receive that all that God has for you through this series, which leads us 158 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:31,320 to our first thoughts this morning. 159 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:35,720 Priests represented the people before God. 160 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:40,080 Priests represented the people before God, there it is Matthew 2, 10 through 11, the 161 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:45,320 Magi showed up, they were filled with joy, they bowed down and worshiped, they opened 162 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:48,800 their treasure chests, they gave them gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 163 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:55,400 Today of course we're focusing on frankincense, Jesus, the high priest. 164 00:10:55,400 --> 00:11:00,760 So the priest throughout scripture served one big primary role that was broken into 165 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:02,080 two functions. 166 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:08,160 The priest essentially would be the representative of the people before God. 167 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:14,400 I'm going to represent you before God if I was a priest, and the priest's primary role 168 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:16,600 was broken into the two functions. 169 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:23,000 First, the priest made sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins in the temple. 170 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:28,360 The priest would take an innocent animal, they would sacrifice it to represent the forgiveness 171 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:30,360 of the people's sins. 172 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:37,680 Secondly, the priest prayed prayers on behalf of the people of God representing the people 173 00:11:37,680 --> 00:11:38,680 of God. 174 00:11:38,680 --> 00:11:47,520 Hebrews 8, 3 tells us this, since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, 175 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:51,760 they offered gifts meaning prayers, and then they made the sacrifices. 176 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:57,340 So in our next two thoughts I want to talk about those two functions as we see Jesus 177 00:11:57,340 --> 00:12:00,920 as our high priest which leads us to our next thought. 178 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:04,280 See friends, God is holy. 179 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:05,280 God is holy. 180 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:09,840 Since the very moment in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned against God there 181 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:18,720 were two opposing forces that collided, the holiness of God and the sinfulness of mankind. 182 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:22,560 And if we don't understand the holiness of God, guess what? 183 00:12:22,560 --> 00:12:26,080 We're always going to just casually approach sin. 184 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:31,120 We're going to casually approach it like it's no big deal and it's not going to harm us. 185 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:37,560 Until we understand what it truly means that God is holy, we'll never realize the cost 186 00:12:37,560 --> 00:12:40,700 and the tragedy of what sin does to us. 187 00:12:40,700 --> 00:12:41,700 God is holy. 188 00:12:41,700 --> 00:12:43,880 Look at 1 Samuel 2, 2. 189 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:46,600 No one is holy like the Lord. 190 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:48,500 There is no one besides you. 191 00:12:48,500 --> 00:12:51,560 There is no rock like our God. 192 00:12:51,560 --> 00:12:58,360 Isaiah 6 verse 3, they were calling out to each other, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of 193 00:12:58,360 --> 00:12:59,640 heaven's armies. 194 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:03,960 The whole earth is filled with his glory. 195 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:05,760 So what does it mean that God is holy? 196 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:11,280 Well the word holy comes from the Greek word agios which means separate. 197 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:12,780 It means other. 198 00:13:12,780 --> 00:13:13,780 What is God? 199 00:13:13,780 --> 00:13:17,160 God is transcendently separate. 200 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:19,680 Our God is perfect in every single way. 201 00:13:19,680 --> 00:13:27,160 He is flawless, he is pure, he has no fault, no wrong, no stain in him and our God is transcendent 202 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:28,160 the other. 203 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:30,880 And remember that means he's separate. 204 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:32,240 He's perfect. 205 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:38,160 So we need to understand that the holiness isn't just one attribute of God. 206 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:42,600 Holiness is the perfection of all of his attributes. 207 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:45,040 His power is holy. 208 00:13:45,040 --> 00:13:46,640 God's grace is holy. 209 00:13:46,640 --> 00:13:48,640 God's mercy is holy. 210 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:50,800 God's glory is holy. 211 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:58,120 It's his holiness, his otherness if you will, his separateness, his purity that makes him 212 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:00,680 worthy of our praise. 213 00:14:00,680 --> 00:14:05,180 Now our God is holy and our challenge is that we're not. 214 00:14:05,180 --> 00:14:11,160 See the struggle in many of our lives is we're not perfect, we're not holy and thus the challenge 215 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:13,840 for us to live up to his standards. 216 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:22,000 Look at 1 Peter 1, 15 to 16, but now you must be holy in everything you do just as God who 217 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:28,120 chose you is holy for the scriptures say you must be holy because I am holy which leads 218 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:29,720 to our next thought. 219 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:32,600 See humanity is sinful. 220 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:37,880 Romans 5, 12, when Adam sinned, sin entered the world. 221 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:44,160 Adam sin brought death so death spread to everyone for everyone sinned. 222 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:50,720 Now admittedly in our culture today a lot of people don't want to use that word sin. 223 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:55,760 They might say well I made a mistake, I'm sorry, but it's not sin. 224 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:58,320 Who's to tell me if I'm sinned? 225 00:14:58,320 --> 00:14:59,920 If it feels good do it. 226 00:14:59,920 --> 00:15:04,480 What's good to me is true to me is what I believe it may not be what you believe. 227 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:06,280 Who needs sin? 228 00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:15,320 One psychiatrist said that sin is a very outdated term to trick children to being good. 229 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:16,520 Sad but true. 230 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:20,720 In other words who needs sin when you got Elf on the Shelf? 231 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:26,360 Elf on the Shelf, he travels around each morning doing different things. 232 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:30,200 He's going to report kids naughty and nice back to Santa. 233 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:33,040 Who needs sin? 234 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:35,200 Let's just keep the children in check. 235 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:36,720 See here's the challenge. 236 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:42,680 We have to understand the reality of sin because there's the holiness of God and the sinfulness 237 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:43,680 of man. 238 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:45,960 None of us are holy. 239 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:47,560 None of us are perfect. 240 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:50,320 Not a single one of you nor me. 241 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:56,720 Not the nice neighbor who helps you do everything or the kind lady at work that seems to be 242 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:58,360 perfect. 243 00:15:58,360 --> 00:15:59,360 Everyone is sinned. 244 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:01,120 Look at Romans 3, 23. 245 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:02,560 For everyone is sinned. 246 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:05,480 We all fall short of God's glorious standard. 247 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:11,680 See this is why God hates sin because it's everything he's not. 248 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:13,220 It's not that he hates us. 249 00:16:13,220 --> 00:16:16,960 He hates the sin because it's the opposite of his holiness. 250 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:21,960 And see it's the opposite of his holiness which means it disrupts our intimacy, our 251 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:24,120 connection, our fellowship with him. 252 00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:30,520 Sin separates us from God and unfortunately affects our life negatively. 253 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:35,240 Friends, we have to realize that God hates sin. 254 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:40,600 Now in the Old Testament, the high priest one time a year would make a sacrifice as 255 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:44,240 a temporary payment for the sins of the people. 256 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:49,800 It was known as the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur and the priest would sacrifice an innocent 257 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:55,600 animal, go into the tabernacle behind the veil, into the place that is the holy of holies. 258 00:16:55,600 --> 00:17:00,560 The priest would then light the frankincense to lift the prayers of the people to God, 259 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:07,360 to heaven and as the smoke rose, he literally would sprinkle the blood of the innocent animal 260 00:17:07,360 --> 00:17:13,800 all over the mercy seat and this would symbolize the death of an innocent one in place of the 261 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:17,920 guilty ones as payment for our sins. 262 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:21,240 Then have you ever heard of the term scapegoat before? 263 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:24,480 See there was two parts of the priest process. 264 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:26,320 That term came from the priest. 265 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:30,920 He would take another goat, an innocent animal, he would lay hands on the goat, confess the 266 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:36,240 sins of the people, symbolically transforming those sins onto the goat and then release 267 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:41,400 the goat into the wilderness or throw it off a cliff. 268 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:47,120 Therefore the first animal died as a sacrifice paying for the price of the sins. 269 00:17:47,120 --> 00:17:53,320 The scapegoat was run out of the community symbolizing that the sins have been separated 270 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:54,320 from the people of God. 271 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:56,000 Can I just pause there a minute? 272 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:58,720 Let's all just take a deep breath. 273 00:17:58,720 --> 00:17:59,720 That's just weird. 274 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:03,280 Would you all agree with that? 275 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:04,280 That's just weird. 276 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:08,560 As I was studying this and really understanding what they were doing, they were taking an 277 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:13,400 innocent animal, slit its throat, put the blood in a bucket, sprinkle the blood over 278 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:18,480 the mercy seat, they would lay hands on a goat, release it into the wilderness or make 279 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:19,720 it run off of a cliff. 280 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:21,880 I mean that's just weird. 281 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:23,440 Just straight up weird. 282 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:29,040 It's very, very extreme and to me it seems unfair. 283 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:32,640 But here's what you have to understand. 284 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:39,980 Because God is just, completely just, perfect, He must punish sin. 285 00:18:39,980 --> 00:18:41,800 But God isn't only just, He's what? 286 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:42,800 He's merciful. 287 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:51,000 And because of His mercy, right, the sacrifice took care of the justness, the mercy was the 288 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:52,760 scapegoat. 289 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:58,240 The price is paid with the sacrifice so that the forgiveness of sins can be released, the 290 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:00,640 mercy can be released on the scapegoat. 291 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:04,640 So God's holiness and His justice is completely satisfied. 292 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:08,840 Now that, those actions were a temporary covering under the old covenant. 293 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:15,200 But we, you and I, we're not a people of the old covenant, we're under the new covenant. 294 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:19,200 And when I tell you about a new and a better sacrifice, which leads us to our next thought, 295 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:25,040 you see, Jesus paid the price for sin. 296 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:29,600 Hebrews chapter 10, verse 10 tells us a little bit about this great high priest. 297 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:30,600 His name was Jesus. 298 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:32,720 Look at Hebrews 10, 10 through 12. 299 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:37,840 For God's will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ 300 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:40,160 once for all time. 301 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:46,240 Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, 302 00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:51,680 offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away the sins. 303 00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:58,800 But our high priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all 304 00:19:58,800 --> 00:19:59,800 time. 305 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:04,200 Then he sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand. 306 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:07,720 You know, a prime example of that is I made you guys a shirt this morning. 307 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:08,720 Okay. 308 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:17,840 I took one of my favorite tie dyes and I covered it in coffee grounds and ketchup, salsa, guacamole, 309 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:21,320 refried beans and hot chocolate. 310 00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:22,780 Okay. 311 00:20:22,780 --> 00:20:25,000 And let me be honest with you. 312 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,720 It's one of my tie dyes that I want to give to anybody to wear. 313 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:30,080 Now would you guys want to wear a shirt that looks like this? 314 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:34,200 I mean, seriously, and not only does it look bad, it smells. 315 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:35,200 Okay. 316 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:36,200 It stinks. 317 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:37,200 It's dirty. 318 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:38,200 Right. 319 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:39,200 And then you know what I did? 320 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:44,880 I took straight bleach and I poured it all over this shirt and it didn't help at any. 321 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:45,880 Right. 322 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:49,960 It wasn't anything that I could do to wash this shirt clean because it was completely 323 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:51,460 covered in what? 324 00:20:51,460 --> 00:20:52,460 In filth. 325 00:20:52,460 --> 00:20:58,660 And see, what we have to recognize with Jesus being our high priest is this. 326 00:20:58,660 --> 00:21:00,320 We're kind of like this shirt. 327 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:01,320 Right. 328 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:02,320 We're not perfect. 329 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:03,320 We're going to make mistakes. 330 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:04,920 We got stains, wrinkles. 331 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:05,920 Right. 332 00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:07,960 We spill coffee on ourselves. 333 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:12,400 We say the wrong things, do the wrong things, make bad choices. 334 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:16,560 And see, this shirt, we can try to clean it up ourselves, but it's never going to get 335 00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:18,700 clean. 336 00:21:18,700 --> 00:21:19,920 You can't clean it up yourself. 337 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:21,480 It doesn't matter how much you scrub it. 338 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:25,280 I mean, straight bleached it and get it clean. 339 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:28,920 And see, what Jesus does for us though is this. 340 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:36,880 The high priest sacrificed his life so that he could take his righteousness, his gift, 341 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:41,200 if you will, and put it over your dirtiness. 342 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:48,320 So that our brokenness, our sins are covered by his righteousness. 343 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:50,680 And it's not anything we do, it's all him. 344 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:53,880 So that when God looks at us, when we're in a relationship with Jesus, you know what God 345 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:55,800 sees in us? 346 00:21:55,800 --> 00:22:01,880 He sees the righteousness of God because Jesus has covered our what? 347 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:02,880 Sin. 348 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:07,960 So, so, so we see in the sacrifice, right? 349 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:15,760 Jesus died as our Savior, but ultimately though, his rising to be with the Father allows his 350 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:20,360 Spirit to cover us with his righteousness. 351 00:22:20,360 --> 00:22:24,840 And it's important for us to understand, he's not just this distant Savior off in heaven 352 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:29,320 somewhere that just feels sorry for us. 353 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:33,000 Oh, it sucks to be you. 354 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:37,240 Jesus, our fifth thought, understands and cares for all humanity. 355 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:40,040 Look at Hebrews 4, 14 to 15. 356 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:45,000 So then, since we have a high priest who has entered heaven, Jesus, the Son of God, let 357 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:48,680 us hold firmly to what we believe. 358 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:55,000 This high priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all the same things and testings 359 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:59,280 we do, yet he did not sin. 360 00:22:59,280 --> 00:23:04,360 So this high priest of ours, Jesus, the high priest, he understands our weaknesses, he 361 00:23:04,360 --> 00:23:08,040 faced the same testings we do, yet he did not what? 362 00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:10,560 He did not sin. 363 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:16,240 And see, we need to understand and embrace this truth because whatever you're going through 364 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:19,640 this morning, it doesn't matter what you walked in here with, it doesn't matter what you're 365 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:24,600 dealing with at home, online, Jesus understands. 366 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:28,200 He relates through our trials, he sympathizes with our pains. 367 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:31,600 Whatever you're going through at this very moment, guess what? 368 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:33,640 Jesus understands it because he went through it. 369 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:37,600 I mean, think about this, if you feel stressed right now, it could be your work, it could 370 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:45,040 be your children, it could be Christmas is coming, if you feel stressed right now, Jesus 371 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:49,320 in the Garden of Gethsemane had his friends abandon him. 372 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:53,560 He knew what was coming, he knew he was facing the cross, he fell to the ground and his words 373 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:59,880 were, my soul is overwhelmed in agony to the point of death. 374 00:23:59,880 --> 00:24:04,080 Friends that's stress, Jesus experienced it. 375 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:11,000 If you deal with crazy people in your family, Jesus dealt with crazy people in your family. 376 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:13,840 Did you know that that's a spiritual principle? 377 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:17,280 Every family has a little crazy in it, everyone does. 378 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:21,460 How many of you, raise your hands, how many of you have a little crazy in your family? 379 00:24:21,460 --> 00:24:24,720 Raise your hands, raise your hands if you have a little crazy in your family. 380 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:32,880 Now look around, find the person or people that don't have their hands up, nod at them 381 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:34,960 and say you're the crazy. 382 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:40,760 That's right, you're the crazy. 383 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:43,760 Every family has some crazy, right? 384 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:48,320 And it causes you stress and you get overwhelmed. 385 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:52,680 Think about this, when Jesus said he was the Messiah, his family said he was crazy, he 386 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:53,680 was a lunatic. 387 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:56,740 He said you're a lunatic. 388 00:24:56,740 --> 00:25:00,520 Think about how Jesus understands what you're going through. 389 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:05,200 Jesus was conceived out of wedlock to a teenage mom, scandalous in his time. 390 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:11,080 He was raised in a small town where everybody whispered about him and called him a bastard. 391 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:16,200 Jesus lived in poverty, he was criticized, he was ridiculed, he was bullied, he was tempted 392 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:19,520 by the devil again and again and again. 393 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:24,200 When he was at his weakest and most vulnerable, remember he didn't eat for 40 days but he 394 00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:27,760 did not sin. 395 00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:32,760 Jesus experienced the death of a close friend, he grieved the loss of family members, he 396 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:35,160 was accused of things he did not do. 397 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:39,640 Worst of all, he felt abandoned by God on the cross. 398 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:46,600 Now he wasn't, but he felt that way because Jesus, the high priest, became the sin for 399 00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:48,320 you and me. 400 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:51,760 And just like the scapegoat, what did God have to do while Jesus was on the cross? 401 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:55,160 He had to look away. 402 00:25:55,160 --> 00:26:01,960 And while Jesus was hanging on the cross, he said these words, my God, my God, why have 403 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:04,400 you forsaken me? 404 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:10,200 So if you've ever felt like you couldn't reach the presence of God, Jesus understands it. 405 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:16,560 If you've never felt the presence of God while Jesus was on that cross, he understands it. 406 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:19,160 Whatever you feel this morning, he felt. 407 00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:21,440 Whatever you hurt, he hurt. 408 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:29,360 The high priest sympathizes with you and me and he is now sitting in heaven praying prayers 409 00:26:29,360 --> 00:26:30,360 on our behalf. 410 00:26:30,360 --> 00:26:37,960 Friends, it's an invitation to experience something new in our relationship with Jesus. 411 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:42,600 John 1, 1 says, in the beginning was the Word and the Word is with God and the Word became 412 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:43,600 flesh. 413 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:46,600 Imagine if you can the details of what God did for you. 414 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:50,360 He was born in the form of a child that we're going to celebrate who loves you and cares 415 00:26:50,360 --> 00:26:51,360 about you. 416 00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:54,200 God in His divine providence, what did he do? 417 00:26:54,200 --> 00:27:01,560 He sent wise men to bring gifts, prophetically declaring the nature of Jesus to come. 418 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:07,680 Frankincense, he is our priest who would be sacrificed for the forgiveness of sins and 419 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:10,200 literally intercede on our behalf. 420 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:18,160 See, in Hebrews chapter 4 verse 16, it makes a statement about how we're to approach Jesus 421 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:19,160 each and every day. 422 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:24,480 Friends, it's so important that we discuss this verse and embrace its truth because it 423 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:26,440 will supernaturally change your life. 424 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:30,640 Now this morning, some of you are like, it's a little different today Chris, what is this 425 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:31,640 all about? 426 00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:36,720 Well this morning I invited Daniel to come and to play some worship behind me and it 427 00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:39,640 was for this very reason. 428 00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:47,720 We no longer practice the prayers of incense and burning the incense and offering the prayers 429 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:48,720 up to heaven. 430 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:53,000 We practice that, right, because we no longer have to. 431 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:55,520 We have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. 432 00:27:55,520 --> 00:28:00,160 But see, our worship took the place of that incense. 433 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:05,520 See, when we worship and we sing out to God, it's not about just coming here and being 434 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:08,360 entertained and clapping our hands and singing songs. 435 00:28:08,360 --> 00:28:14,640 I want to challenge you, our worship is our prayers to God. 436 00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:18,520 And it's removing that old covenant, embracing it with the new so that God's Spirit can 437 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:26,040 dwell up within us that as we worship, He hears our needs and our prayers and our desires. 438 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:33,520 So in essence, Daniel playing is our frankincense this morning. 439 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:35,360 Which leads us to how we need to approach Jesus. 440 00:28:35,360 --> 00:28:38,520 Number one, we need to approach Jesus boldly. 441 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:43,120 Look at Hebrews 4.16, let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. 442 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:44,860 There we will receive His mercy. 443 00:28:44,860 --> 00:28:47,860 We will find grace to help us when we need it most. 444 00:28:47,860 --> 00:28:51,240 You can come to Jesus boldly. 445 00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:52,240 And why? 446 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:53,920 You say, well, Chris, why would I come to Jesus boldly? 447 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:55,680 Because He cares about you. 448 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:57,680 He understands you. 449 00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:02,560 And He desires that we go before His gracious throne and receive His mercy. 450 00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:03,560 Why? 451 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:06,080 You're like, Chris, why would I do that? 452 00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:13,440 Because God desires to reign His grace and His mercy upon us through Jesus' sacrifice. 453 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:18,760 When we need it most, that's when we go to Him. 454 00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:21,400 And it's my invitation to you today to come. 455 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:22,400 You can come boldly. 456 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:26,840 Now, so many people, when they think about coming before God, they want to kind of hunker 457 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:27,840 down. 458 00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:31,400 They picture God with a big paddle that's going to punish them and yell at them and 459 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:32,400 scream at them. 460 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:33,400 That's not true. 461 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:39,600 So what God desires, He doesn't want us to be afraid to come to Him. 462 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:42,000 He desires that we embrace Him. 463 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:45,240 Hey, you know something else? 464 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:48,840 When you come boldly before God, you don't have to use King James language. 465 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:51,160 You can just be yourself. 466 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:53,160 Just speak as you talk. 467 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:58,360 Come as you are when you speak to God. 468 00:29:58,360 --> 00:29:59,800 I mean, think about it. 469 00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:02,480 When my children come to me, I'm their earthly father. 470 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:03,480 I have six children. 471 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:05,200 When my children come to me, guess what? 472 00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:06,200 I respond. 473 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:09,920 Now, Friday was a little different. 474 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:13,200 All of my children are home now from school, and I was getting ready for a wedding. 475 00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:15,440 I was a little late, so I was preparing the ceremony. 476 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:20,880 I was typing it up, working at the table, and Trinity comes running in, my oldest daughter. 477 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:22,760 And Trinity is now bigger than me. 478 00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:27,340 So when she comes running in, she kind of wraps her arms around me, and a hug to her 479 00:30:27,340 --> 00:30:30,160 now is a bear hug, and you barely can breathe. 480 00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:33,000 And I was ignoring her, trying to keep working, but I couldn't see my scream. 481 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:34,000 And I was like, Trinity! 482 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:38,480 She goes, I'm not letting go until you hug me back. 483 00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:42,760 So, of course, as a dad, what did I do? 484 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:43,760 I responded. 485 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:47,600 And see, that's how God is with us. 486 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:52,640 Remember, He stands at the door and knocks, right? 487 00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:56,000 Boldly realize that Jesus placed His righteousness, remember this? 488 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:58,360 Remember this shirt that you carry around? 489 00:30:58,360 --> 00:30:59,960 He placed it on you. 490 00:30:59,960 --> 00:31:04,600 Jesus placed His righteousness on you. 491 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:06,960 Stop living in the past. 492 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:09,520 Which leads us to our next approach to Jesus. 493 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:12,100 We need to approach Jesus honestly. 494 00:31:12,100 --> 00:31:14,680 Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. 495 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:16,840 See, God is gracious. 496 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:19,880 There we will receive His mercy. 497 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:22,100 Friends just talk to Jesus. 498 00:31:22,100 --> 00:31:24,600 He cares about you. 499 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:26,760 Look at 1 Peter 5, 7. 500 00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:27,760 Give all your worries. 501 00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:31,120 Now, does it say give your desperation worries? 502 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:32,880 It says all your worries. 503 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:35,520 All your cares to God because He cares about you. 504 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:39,160 Think of Philippians 4, don't worry about anything. 505 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:41,160 Instead, pray about everything. 506 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:42,920 Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He's done. 507 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:45,960 Then you experience God's peace. 508 00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:49,040 Which exceeds anything we can understand. 509 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:53,600 His peace will guard our hearts and minds as you live in Jesus. 510 00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:56,800 For example, those of you who are gathered here and you have a loved one that's far from 511 00:31:56,800 --> 00:32:00,440 God struggling in life. 512 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:02,760 You need to say their name to God. 513 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:04,760 Speak it to Jesus. 514 00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:10,680 Tell Jesus who it is and He intercedes on your behalf. 515 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:15,720 Jesus would be praying for that person right now. 516 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:18,840 Some of you are struggling financially and Christmas is coming and you've got the weight 517 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:20,400 of the world on you. 518 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:22,480 You're not sure how you're going to pay all your bills. 519 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:23,960 You're afraid you're hurting. 520 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:28,240 But the Bible tells us that Jesus is our provider. 521 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:34,240 He meets all of our needs according to God's glorious riches. 522 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:37,080 Some of you are hurting emotionally. 523 00:32:37,080 --> 00:32:43,120 Perhaps you're carrying the cares of a broken relationship or what has been and happened 524 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:45,800 in the past and it hurts. 525 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:50,280 You're struggling physically or someone that you love got a bad medical record. 526 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:51,720 Guess what? 527 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:54,520 Jesus is our healer. 528 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:58,900 The Bible tells us He bore our stripes. 529 00:32:58,900 --> 00:33:00,560 He hurts with you. 530 00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:03,360 He understands. 531 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:06,880 Some of you are overwhelmed and feel like you're completely broken and Jesus says I 532 00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:08,640 want to be your strength. 533 00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:12,000 Friends, you've got to come to Jesus. 534 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:13,480 Approach Jesus honestly. 535 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:14,480 Boldly, honestly. 536 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:18,680 Number three, you've got to approach Jesus openly. 537 00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:23,680 Notice it says let us come boldly to our gracious God that we receive His mercy and we will 538 00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:25,560 find grace. 539 00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:30,200 We need to receive God's grace this morning which means we need to open up our heart and 540 00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:32,480 be vulnerable before Him. 541 00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:33,640 Look at Jeremiah 17. 542 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:34,640 We have to remember this. 543 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:37,800 The human heart is the most deceitful of all things. 544 00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:38,800 Desperately wicked. 545 00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:40,560 Who really knows how bad it is? 546 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:43,400 But I the Lord search all hearts, examine secret motives. 547 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:48,480 I give all people their due rewards according to what their actions deserve. 548 00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:50,320 Luke 8 17. 549 00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:54,440 For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open and everything that 550 00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:59,600 is concealed will be brought to the light and made known to all. 551 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:01,600 Allow God to search your heart this morning. 552 00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:05,120 If there's negativity, if there's sin, if there's unforgiveness, if there's bitterness, 553 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:06,840 there's anger, what do you do? 554 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:07,840 You give it to Him. 555 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:10,400 Present it to Him. 556 00:34:10,400 --> 00:34:16,000 Allow the Spirit to remove it from your heart so you can move forward which moves to the 557 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:17,920 final way that we approach Jesus. 558 00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:19,840 Remember, we come boldly. 559 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:20,840 We come honestly. 560 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:21,840 We come openly. 561 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:24,040 And finally, you've got to be regular. 562 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:25,040 Regularly approach Jesus. 563 00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:26,040 Look at Hebrews 4 16. 564 00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:29,000 Let us come boldly to the throne of gracious God. 565 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:30,280 There we will receive His mercy. 566 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:32,080 We will find grace. 567 00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:34,880 He will help us when we need it most. 568 00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:40,480 Friends, there should not be a situation that we go through alone. 569 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:44,760 If this past week you said you had a bad day or today you look at me and you say, Chris, 570 00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:46,400 I just had a bad week. 571 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:48,280 You know what that means? 572 00:34:48,280 --> 00:34:52,440 That means that we're choosing not to involve Jesus in our lives. 573 00:34:52,440 --> 00:34:55,000 Did everyone hear that? 574 00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:58,920 We're choosing not to involve Jesus in our lives because we're having a bad day over 575 00:34:58,920 --> 00:35:00,400 anxiety and stress. 576 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:01,400 We're overwhelmed with financial. 577 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:07,560 Then we're not allowing God to speak to our hearts when faced with those situations. 578 00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:09,600 Look at Lamentations 3 22 to 23. 579 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:12,200 The faithful love of the Lord never ends. 580 00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:13,480 His mercies never cease. 581 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:15,040 Great is His faithfulness. 582 00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:16,720 His mercies begin afresh. 583 00:35:16,720 --> 00:35:18,100 How often? 584 00:35:18,100 --> 00:35:19,760 Every morning. 585 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:20,760 Every morning, friends. 586 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:21,760 Psalm 23 6. 587 00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:26,280 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life and I will 588 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:31,360 live in the house of the Lord forever. 589 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:34,200 Now I'm excited because today, you know what I want to give you? 590 00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:37,360 I want to give you a gift. 591 00:35:37,360 --> 00:35:39,160 I want to give you a gift this morning. 592 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:42,080 I'm not going to let you leave here with a little stick of frankincense. 593 00:35:42,080 --> 00:35:49,080 I want to give you a gift to spend a few moments in God's presence. 594 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:53,480 When's the last time you've really enjoyed God's presence? 595 00:35:53,480 --> 00:36:00,860 Because you know what quite often happens in our busy lives? 596 00:36:00,860 --> 00:36:08,520 We allow our social media posts, our news feeds, our sports teams, our TikTok videos. 597 00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:15,260 We allow that to rob God's presence from our lives. 598 00:36:15,260 --> 00:36:19,560 We don't make priorities where they need to be set. 599 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:23,180 And this morning I'm going to invite all of us to come boldly before God's throne and 600 00:36:23,180 --> 00:36:26,920 just invite His presence into our lives. 601 00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:28,400 And I want you to hear me out. 602 00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:32,440 I don't care who you are, where you came from, how long you've been in church, how long you 603 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:33,800 haven't been in church. 604 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:36,880 I want you to come before God your own way. 605 00:36:36,880 --> 00:36:41,960 You use your own language, your own words, your own style. 606 00:36:41,960 --> 00:36:44,560 I just want to invite you to go before God and talk to Him. 607 00:36:44,560 --> 00:36:52,500 Now I invited Lauren to join Daniel this morning in singing the song, So Will I. 608 00:36:52,500 --> 00:36:55,440 So as we go before God this morning, the words will be on the screen. 609 00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:58,000 Some of you will feel led to sing. 610 00:36:58,000 --> 00:36:59,000 Sing. 611 00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:01,080 Some of you will be led to weep. 612 00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:02,080 Weep. 613 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:03,880 Some of you will be led to laugh. 614 00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:04,880 Laugh. 615 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:05,880 Some of you will be led to clap. 616 00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:06,880 Stand up and clap. 617 00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:07,880 It's okay. 618 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:08,880 Be yourself. 619 00:37:08,880 --> 00:37:15,640 Some of you will be challenged to stand and lift your hands up and pray for a family member, 620 00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:20,320 a friend that is in need of change. 621 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:25,560 Some of you need to go before God and allow your heart to be changed and set free. 622 00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:29,040 Whatever it is that God is leading you to, respond. 623 00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:35,440 Because this is your gift that I'm giving to you as we kick off this Christmas season. 624 00:37:35,440 --> 00:37:41,680 Now let's all pray the words, Come Holy Spirit together, and then we'll allow Lauren to sing. 625 00:37:41,680 --> 00:37:42,680 Can we do that? 626 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:43,680 All right. 627 00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:47,240 Just, I want to invite you if you can, if you're comfortable, just put your hands like 628 00:37:47,240 --> 00:37:48,240 this. 629 00:37:48,240 --> 00:37:55,040 No big deal, it's just a posture of openness, saying we're allowing God to come in. 630 00:37:55,040 --> 00:37:56,040 Now let's say it together. 631 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:57,040 Come Holy Spirit. 632 00:37:57,040 --> 00:37:58,040 There's no impossible. 633 00:37:58,040 --> 00:37:59,040 I believe that you are working now. 634 00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:00,040 So pour it out. 635 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:19,040 Oh, pour it out.