WEBVTT 00:00:07.900 --> 00:00:11.099 Hey guys, this is Tracy. If at any time you'd 00:00:11.099 --> 00:00:15.019 like to connect with HCV, go to hcv .church forward 00:00:15.019 --> 00:00:18.100 slash connect. If you feel called to give, go 00:00:18.100 --> 00:00:21.980 to hcv .church forward slash give. And if at 00:00:21.980 --> 00:00:23.920 any time you feel called to make a change in 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:29.399 your life, text change me to 970 -00. Enjoy the 00:00:29.399 --> 00:00:31.300 message. Hey, if you're joining us from home, 00:00:31.399 --> 00:00:34.640 thank you for welcoming us into your space. We're 00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:38.759 glad you chose to tune in and gather with us 00:00:38.759 --> 00:00:44.439 on this Christmas Eve. So you heard Rhett mention, 00:00:44.600 --> 00:00:48.280 I just want to follow that up. This weekend is 00:00:48.280 --> 00:00:51.119 our weekend of rest. We're taking a Sabbath from 00:00:51.119 --> 00:00:54.299 gathering in person. I want to encourage you 00:00:54.299 --> 00:00:56.299 to tune in and watch the video that will play 00:00:56.299 --> 00:01:00.100 at our regular gathering times, 825, 1005, and 00:01:00.100 --> 00:01:05.799 1145. It's a journey through 20 years of HCV. 00:01:05.939 --> 00:01:09.099 So don't miss it. I was watching a little bit 00:01:09.099 --> 00:01:11.480 of it last night and found myself tearing up 00:01:11.480 --> 00:01:13.599 watching myself, which was a little weird, but 00:01:13.599 --> 00:01:18.859 I guess it happens. So being that it's Christmas 00:01:18.859 --> 00:01:21.340 Eve, I would like to open with a question for 00:01:21.340 --> 00:01:24.060 you to ponder as I share with you for a few minutes. 00:01:25.219 --> 00:01:33.019 What are you seeking? What are you seeking? These 00:01:33.019 --> 00:01:35.379 are actually the first words that Jesus spoke 00:01:35.379 --> 00:01:38.500 in the Gospel of John when he asked two of his 00:01:38.500 --> 00:01:41.680 eventual disciples, why are you following me? 00:01:42.959 --> 00:01:45.079 And it's a very important question for all of 00:01:45.079 --> 00:01:47.540 us to ponder because here's the reality. When 00:01:47.540 --> 00:01:49.980 you're dedicated to something, or dare I say, 00:01:50.060 --> 00:01:52.859 when you worship something, you will do some 00:01:52.859 --> 00:01:55.739 crazy things for it. I mean, this definitely 00:01:55.739 --> 00:01:58.459 can be seen in the world of professional sports. 00:01:59.260 --> 00:02:02.439 This past Sunday night, I was gifted some tickets 00:02:02.439 --> 00:02:06.310 to the Ravens game. Took the whole family. And 00:02:06.310 --> 00:02:09.210 at one point in the game, I actually had to go 00:02:09.210 --> 00:02:12.229 use the restroom. And as I was in the restroom, 00:02:12.469 --> 00:02:15.449 I realized they had a game day radio broadcast 00:02:15.449 --> 00:02:19.610 in the bathrooms. So while I was in the bathroom, 00:02:19.789 --> 00:02:22.490 one of the Ravens receivers dropped the ball. 00:02:23.169 --> 00:02:26.710 And all of the guys in the bathroom literally 00:02:26.710 --> 00:02:33.009 began to boo. I was looking around thinking, 00:02:33.090 --> 00:02:36.550 we're not even watching the game. I was like, 00:02:36.610 --> 00:02:41.389 wow, that is dedication. See, when you're dedicated 00:02:41.389 --> 00:02:44.490 to something, you do some wild and crazy things. 00:02:44.849 --> 00:02:47.650 I mean, just think about early on in your dating 00:02:47.650 --> 00:02:50.909 life, how you would go the extra mile for that 00:02:50.909 --> 00:02:53.430 girlfriend or that boyfriend or that person you 00:02:53.430 --> 00:02:56.229 were trying to oppress. Right? When you're committed 00:02:56.229 --> 00:02:59.310 to something, you'll do some crazy things for 00:02:59.310 --> 00:03:03.289 it. And what I want to call us back to this Christmas 00:03:03.289 --> 00:03:08.490 Eve. is a call back into real, authentic worship 00:03:08.490 --> 00:03:11.569 and love for God. See, with all the busyness 00:03:11.569 --> 00:03:15.169 and distractions that this season brings, we're 00:03:15.169 --> 00:03:19.110 pulled in so many different directions. I want 00:03:19.110 --> 00:03:22.270 to pause for just a few minutes and put our attention 00:03:22.270 --> 00:03:26.689 back on him. And we see that in the life of the 00:03:26.689 --> 00:03:29.330 wise men. Let's read Matthew 2, verses 1 through 00:03:29.330 --> 00:03:32.560 2. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during 00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:35.979 the reign of King Herod. And about that time, 00:03:35.979 --> 00:03:39.159 some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem. 00:03:39.979 --> 00:03:42.219 They asked the simple question, where is the 00:03:42.219 --> 00:03:45.919 newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as 00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:49.800 it rose, and we have come to worship him. And 00:03:49.800 --> 00:03:53.620 when hearing this story, in our minds, we immediately 00:03:53.620 --> 00:03:58.030 have this idea of what these men look like. Three 00:03:58.030 --> 00:04:01.689 guys on camels wearing turbans, robes, traveling 00:04:01.689 --> 00:04:04.590 through the desert, and then they show up to 00:04:04.590 --> 00:04:08.389 see Jesus on the night he was born. Let me just 00:04:08.389 --> 00:04:12.289 say, all of that is wrong. Just a few common 00:04:12.289 --> 00:04:14.550 misconceptions that all of us have been raised 00:04:14.550 --> 00:04:18.310 on regarding these wise men. The first one is 00:04:18.310 --> 00:04:21.470 that there was three of these men. We always 00:04:21.470 --> 00:04:23.829 see it, whether it be on a postcard or in the 00:04:23.829 --> 00:04:26.750 nativity set. But we don't see it anywhere in 00:04:26.750 --> 00:04:29.610 the Bible that there was three people. It could 00:04:29.610 --> 00:04:32.470 have been two. It could have been 50. We know 00:04:32.470 --> 00:04:34.610 that there was three gifts given, and that is 00:04:34.610 --> 00:04:37.810 how people assume that there was three people. 00:04:38.430 --> 00:04:40.509 We also have been taught that they were kings. 00:04:41.089 --> 00:04:44.550 We sing songs like we three kings of Ori and 00:04:44.550 --> 00:04:48.269 Ar. The reality is nowhere in the scriptures 00:04:48.269 --> 00:04:52.029 are these men referred to as kings. They're called 00:04:52.029 --> 00:04:55.680 magi. Which means they were scholars and astrologers. 00:04:55.699 --> 00:04:59.120 They're not royalty in any way. Then we see in 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:00.839 the manger scenes how they arrived the night 00:05:00.839 --> 00:05:04.100 Jesus was born. Again, a common misconception. 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:08.620 Just picture it, the night of Jesus' birth. Six 00:05:08.620 --> 00:05:10.639 o 'clock, the shepherds show up. Eight o 'clock, 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:14.420 the wise men visit. All these people are showing 00:05:14.420 --> 00:05:17.519 up to the stable and Mary and Joseph, their heads 00:05:17.519 --> 00:05:19.199 are spinning and they're thinking, why are all 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:22.730 these random people just showing up? But the 00:05:22.730 --> 00:05:25.189 Bible actually tells us that these men visited 00:05:25.189 --> 00:05:28.790 a child, not a baby, and they arrived at a house. 00:05:29.689 --> 00:05:32.329 This would have been weeks, if not months, or 00:05:32.329 --> 00:05:34.970 even a year or two later after Jesus' birth. 00:05:35.410 --> 00:05:38.129 See, they did not visit Jesus in the stable. 00:05:39.069 --> 00:05:41.430 Even though that's what manger scenes show us, 00:05:41.449 --> 00:05:43.230 the Bible tells us they showed up at a house. 00:05:43.970 --> 00:05:46.970 And the last one is that these men knew exactly 00:05:46.970 --> 00:05:49.670 what they were doing. They knew where they were 00:05:49.670 --> 00:05:53.120 going. and they have come to worship. Yes, they 00:05:53.120 --> 00:05:56.079 had come to worship, but the Bible tells us that 00:05:56.079 --> 00:05:59.079 they first showed up in Herod's palace. Why? 00:05:59.920 --> 00:06:03.060 Because that's where a king would be born. They 00:06:03.060 --> 00:06:05.279 were going to visit the Messiah, but they were 00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:08.240 actually mistaken, quickly realizing he wasn't 00:06:08.240 --> 00:06:10.980 in a palace, but actually in a common house. 00:06:11.660 --> 00:06:14.180 See, these men did not know everything. They 00:06:14.180 --> 00:06:17.019 didn't even know where they were going. They 00:06:17.019 --> 00:06:20.670 were simply walking by faith. What do we actually 00:06:20.670 --> 00:06:22.870 know about these men? We know that these men 00:06:22.870 --> 00:06:25.750 were wise men from the east. This was probably 00:06:25.750 --> 00:06:28.850 ancient Babylon or Persia. Somewhere between 00:06:28.850 --> 00:06:32.069 800 and 1200 miles they would have traveled through 00:06:32.069 --> 00:06:34.810 the desert. It would have taken them weeks if 00:06:34.810 --> 00:06:37.149 not months for them to arrive at this destination. 00:06:38.129 --> 00:06:40.569 How did they know the Messiah was to be born? 00:06:41.050 --> 00:06:43.829 Well if you go back around 700 years you would 00:06:43.829 --> 00:06:47.290 discover that Daniel the prophet lived in Babylon. 00:06:48.009 --> 00:06:50.870 He would have brought and taught about the messianic 00:06:50.870 --> 00:06:54.790 prophecies that the Messiah would come. That 00:06:54.790 --> 00:06:57.209 would have been handed down from generation to 00:06:57.209 --> 00:07:00.470 generation to generation until finally these 00:07:00.470 --> 00:07:04.209 men saw the signs and they would follow these 00:07:04.209 --> 00:07:08.009 signs that would lead them to Jesus. What is 00:07:08.009 --> 00:07:10.449 the lesson for all of us to learn in this this 00:07:10.449 --> 00:07:14.230 evening? The lesson is this. If you are seeking 00:07:14.230 --> 00:07:18.160 truth, you will find it in Jesus. If you are 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:20.439 seeking for truth, you will find it in Jesus, 00:07:20.459 --> 00:07:22.800 which leads us to our first thought. Jesus is 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:25.980 truth. See, I don't know what you're searching 00:07:25.980 --> 00:07:30.019 for in this life. But if you intently pursue 00:07:30.019 --> 00:07:32.860 truth, it's always going to lead you to Jesus. 00:07:33.459 --> 00:07:36.399 Why? Because Jesus himself declared in John 14, 00:07:36.459 --> 00:07:40.699 6, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No 00:07:40.699 --> 00:07:44.300 one comes to the Father except through me. See, 00:07:44.379 --> 00:07:47.420 truth is not found in our good works. Truth is 00:07:47.420 --> 00:07:50.699 not found in books we read. Truth is not found 00:07:50.699 --> 00:07:54.899 in people we connect with. The only truth that's 00:07:54.899 --> 00:07:57.699 worth pursuing is a relationship with Jesus. 00:07:58.259 --> 00:08:00.779 See, Jesus isn't just the teacher of the truth. 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:04.120 He is the truth. And the more you know Jesus, 00:08:04.439 --> 00:08:07.199 the more you will know truth. Because see, the 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:10.300 Bible says in Jeremiah 29, 13, if you look for 00:08:10.300 --> 00:08:13.740 me wholeheartedly, church, you will find me. 00:08:14.600 --> 00:08:16.779 And I don't know where you are on this journey, 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:20.839 but like these wise men, if you intently set 00:08:20.839 --> 00:08:23.779 out to find and discover truth, you're going 00:08:23.779 --> 00:08:27.000 to always end up at Jesus. I mean, that's probably 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:30.240 why you're gathered here at HCV tonight. God 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:34.000 has actually brought you to this place where 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:37.919 you can find him and meet with him, a place where 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:40.960 you will find the truth in your life, which leads 00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:43.929 us to our next thought, our second thought. Jesus, 00:08:44.070 --> 00:08:47.950 he deserves our worship. Notice Matthew 2, 2. 00:08:48.230 --> 00:08:52.049 Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw 00:08:52.049 --> 00:08:56.029 his star as it rose and we have come to worship 00:08:56.029 --> 00:09:00.389 him. And this is the whole purpose of our passage 00:09:00.389 --> 00:09:04.830 tonight. See, these men intently with a purpose 00:09:04.830 --> 00:09:07.970 set out to worship Jesus. And this is the first 00:09:07.970 --> 00:09:11.610 instance in the Bible that someone came to worship 00:09:11.610 --> 00:09:15.240 Jesus. And notice. It wasn't after he had performed 00:09:15.240 --> 00:09:18.799 miracles. It wasn't after he spoke truth. It 00:09:18.799 --> 00:09:21.379 wasn't after he was raised from the dead. It 00:09:21.379 --> 00:09:23.899 was when he was a child or a toddler in this 00:09:23.899 --> 00:09:27.139 house. Now the word used for worship in this 00:09:27.139 --> 00:09:30.279 instant is the same word that is used throughout 00:09:30.279 --> 00:09:33.559 the New Testament. It's used around 60 times 00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:37.460 in the New Testament. And worship means to kneel, 00:09:37.500 --> 00:09:42.600 to submit, to adore, and to revere. Now think 00:09:42.600 --> 00:09:46.879 about this. Worshiping a toddler that was only 00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:50.220 a year or two old. These men would go on a journey 00:09:50.220 --> 00:09:53.539 for over 800 miles through the desert, through 00:09:53.539 --> 00:09:57.200 dangerous territory, to find this child and do 00:09:57.200 --> 00:10:00.799 what? Worship him. Now that word worship was 00:10:00.799 --> 00:10:04.159 normally used for royalty. And it literally meant 00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:08.840 to kiss the ring. A person that would walk into 00:10:08.840 --> 00:10:11.899 a palace and stand before a king. would first 00:10:11.899 --> 00:10:16.039 kneel down and submit and adore. Then the person 00:10:16.039 --> 00:10:18.980 would kiss the king's ring as a sign of submission. 00:10:19.620 --> 00:10:22.179 And that's what these men were doing for Jesus. 00:10:22.259 --> 00:10:26.820 Why? Because they knew he was the Messiah. They 00:10:26.820 --> 00:10:29.720 knew he was the Savior of the world sent from 00:10:29.720 --> 00:10:33.720 God to us. Remember, Jesus is Emmanuel, God with 00:10:33.720 --> 00:10:36.379 us. And all throughout the New Testament, we 00:10:36.379 --> 00:10:39.659 see this word worship. Matthew chapter 8 verse 00:10:39.659 --> 00:10:43.019 2, And behold, a leper, a man that was sick and 00:10:43.019 --> 00:10:46.279 outcast, came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, 00:10:46.360 --> 00:10:49.500 if you are willing, you can make me clean. As 00:10:49.500 --> 00:10:53.340 Jesus ascended into heaven, Luke 24, 51 to 52, 00:10:53.539 --> 00:10:57.000 while he was blessing them, he left them and 00:10:57.000 --> 00:10:59.919 was taken up to heaven. So they, meaning the 00:10:59.919 --> 00:11:03.340 disciples gathered, they worshipped him and then 00:11:03.340 --> 00:11:05.460 returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. 00:11:05.929 --> 00:11:08.870 In Revelation 5, verse 12, this would be us. 00:11:09.629 --> 00:11:12.850 This is what John saw in the future. In a loud 00:11:12.850 --> 00:11:15.190 voice, they were saying, worthy is the lamb who 00:11:15.190 --> 00:11:18.049 was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom 00:11:18.049 --> 00:11:19.889 and strength and honor and glory and praise. 00:11:20.350 --> 00:11:24.230 See, this is the word for worship. And we need 00:11:24.230 --> 00:11:26.830 to understand our lives were created to give 00:11:26.830 --> 00:11:30.289 God what? To give God worship. And when you truly 00:11:30.289 --> 00:11:34.039 understand who Jesus is, Worship actually is 00:11:34.039 --> 00:11:37.139 the only response that makes sense. And listen, 00:11:37.299 --> 00:11:41.919 if you get your eyes on Jesus, you'll live a 00:11:41.919 --> 00:11:45.019 life of true worship honoring him in every area 00:11:45.019 --> 00:11:47.500 of your life. Not just on a Sunday morning, not 00:11:47.500 --> 00:11:50.539 just on a Christmas Eve, which leads us to three 00:11:50.539 --> 00:11:53.639 simple lessons we can learn from these wise men 00:11:53.639 --> 00:11:56.960 tonight, which will help us to live a life of 00:11:56.960 --> 00:12:00.440 worship that God desires for us. First, worship. 00:12:01.210 --> 00:12:05.169 starts by recognizing who God is. Remember, these 00:12:05.169 --> 00:12:09.070 men were raised in pagan Babylon, an area and 00:12:09.070 --> 00:12:12.350 a culture that was anti -God, anti -religion. 00:12:12.370 --> 00:12:15.929 Yet somehow, they recognize there has to be more 00:12:15.929 --> 00:12:19.570 in life. There has to be a truth out there that 00:12:19.570 --> 00:12:21.769 is more than what this culture is telling us. 00:12:22.009 --> 00:12:26.049 Very similar to today. We are so convicted in 00:12:26.049 --> 00:12:29.350 what people believe, yet God is inviting us to 00:12:29.350 --> 00:12:31.980 worship him. And what did these men do? They 00:12:31.980 --> 00:12:35.120 chose to follow the truth, and God got a hold 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:37.759 of their hearts. Look at Matthew 2 .2. Where 00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:42.159 is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star. 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:46.759 We saw his star. And what is this star? Well, 00:12:46.779 --> 00:12:48.620 there's actually a lot of debate about what this 00:12:48.620 --> 00:12:51.259 star was and what it actually did at this point 00:12:51.259 --> 00:12:54.820 in time. Here's the reality. I have no clue what 00:12:54.820 --> 00:12:58.259 it was. It could have been a comet. It could 00:12:58.259 --> 00:12:59.799 have been shooting stars. It could have been 00:12:59.799 --> 00:13:03.000 a planet. But here's the reality. None of that 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:07.500 matters. The most important aspect of what this 00:13:07.500 --> 00:13:11.340 star was doing is this. It was God's way of getting 00:13:11.340 --> 00:13:14.860 these men's attention. See, these men were focused 00:13:14.860 --> 00:13:18.440 on what is truly important. And for so many people 00:13:18.440 --> 00:13:21.580 in our culture, they look to themselves for all 00:13:21.580 --> 00:13:24.740 the answers. They look to themselves for solutions 00:13:24.740 --> 00:13:28.320 to life's problems. For other people, they focus 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:32.220 on the government or those in authority to all 00:13:32.220 --> 00:13:35.399 the answers for life's problems. Listen, it doesn't 00:13:35.399 --> 00:13:37.740 matter who you vote for, they're all going to 00:13:37.740 --> 00:13:41.620 let you down. We are not called to have our focus 00:13:41.620 --> 00:13:44.379 within. We're not called to have our hope in 00:13:44.379 --> 00:13:49.120 others. We are called as people to lift our eyes 00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:52.809 to the one who created us and sustains us. He 00:13:52.809 --> 00:13:56.009 is the savior of the world. He is the one who 00:13:56.009 --> 00:13:59.190 will rescue us and lead us into a life of abundance. 00:13:59.610 --> 00:14:02.990 These men, they were paying attention and God 00:14:02.990 --> 00:14:06.870 sent them a sign saying, this is the way I want 00:14:06.870 --> 00:14:10.629 you to go. And listen, I truly believe that God 00:14:10.629 --> 00:14:12.529 is trying to get some of your attention tonight. 00:14:13.070 --> 00:14:15.769 He is speaking directly to you through the Holy 00:14:15.769 --> 00:14:18.470 Spirit. He's trying to get you to move toward 00:14:18.470 --> 00:14:22.000 the calling he has on your life. And if you're 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:25.100 here tonight and you're struggling with an issue, 00:14:25.379 --> 00:14:27.679 it could be a relationship, it could be your 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:30.399 job, it could be finances, it could be an addiction 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:33.879 or a habit that you're trying to beat. Maybe, 00:14:34.039 --> 00:14:36.740 just maybe, this is God's way of trying to get 00:14:36.740 --> 00:14:40.019 your attention. Matthew chapter 2, verses 9 to 00:14:40.019 --> 00:14:43.179 10. After this interview, the wise men went their 00:14:43.179 --> 00:14:46.639 way. And the star they had seen in the east guided 00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:49.500 them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them. and 00:14:49.500 --> 00:14:52.440 stopped over the place where the child was. Now 00:14:52.440 --> 00:14:56.100 notice this. When they saw the star, they were 00:14:56.100 --> 00:14:59.340 filled with joy. And see, this is what happens 00:14:59.340 --> 00:15:02.620 when you follow God. You are filled with joy. 00:15:02.919 --> 00:15:07.200 And why? Because of who Jesus is. And Paul says 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:09.960 it this way in Philippians 2, Therefore God elevated 00:15:09.960 --> 00:15:13.059 him, Jesus, to the place of highest honor and 00:15:13.059 --> 00:15:15.419 gave him the name above all other names, that 00:15:15.419 --> 00:15:18.620 at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in 00:15:18.620 --> 00:15:20.539 heaven and on earth and under the earth and every 00:15:20.539 --> 00:15:23.860 tongue declare that Jesus is Lord to the glory 00:15:23.860 --> 00:15:27.419 of God the Father. See, the wise men recognized 00:15:27.419 --> 00:15:31.080 who Jesus was and they were committed to pursuing 00:15:31.080 --> 00:15:33.940 him and finding him. And my challenge to you 00:15:33.940 --> 00:15:38.090 tonight is, Don't miss the signs. Don't miss 00:15:38.090 --> 00:15:40.629 the signs of what God is calling you into right 00:15:40.629 --> 00:15:44.250 now. Don't miss the moments that God leads you 00:15:44.250 --> 00:15:48.690 into your life. That is where true worship starts, 00:15:48.730 --> 00:15:51.429 which leads us to our second lesson. Worship 00:15:51.429 --> 00:15:56.789 is sustained when distractions are removed. So 00:15:56.789 --> 00:15:59.649 much is vying for your attention in this world. 00:16:00.009 --> 00:16:03.889 I mean, even right now. All of you or most of 00:16:03.889 --> 00:16:07.269 us have these phones in our pockets that are 00:16:07.269 --> 00:16:09.590 constantly going off, constantly ringing. We 00:16:09.590 --> 00:16:12.730 have kids. We have schedules. We have stuff that 00:16:12.730 --> 00:16:15.169 we have to take care of. We have jobs that we 00:16:15.169 --> 00:16:18.570 go to work to every day. There's so many distractions 00:16:18.570 --> 00:16:21.570 in this life. And for some of you, you can't 00:16:21.570 --> 00:16:23.169 even get through worship without checking your 00:16:23.169 --> 00:16:26.960 phone. I mean, you literally, we literally can 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:29.500 be in the presence of God worshiping, and the 00:16:29.500 --> 00:16:32.379 phone vibrates, and instead of worshiping, you 00:16:32.379 --> 00:16:36.759 immediately respond by checking it. We have these 00:16:36.759 --> 00:16:40.059 notifications for Instagram and Facebook, and 00:16:40.059 --> 00:16:42.740 you know what they cause us to do? They cause 00:16:42.740 --> 00:16:45.980 us to look away from God. They cause us to focus 00:16:45.980 --> 00:16:49.659 on a device. And some of you are listening right 00:16:49.659 --> 00:16:51.559 now and looking up for the first time because 00:16:51.559 --> 00:16:59.720 I'm calling you out. And we laugh about it. But 00:16:59.720 --> 00:17:01.519 here's the reality. I want all of you to hear 00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:04.720 this. The enemy knows the power of distracting 00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:09.640 your life. The enemy knows the power of distractions 00:17:09.640 --> 00:17:12.880 in your life. So the magi, they get to Jerusalem. 00:17:13.019 --> 00:17:15.779 They're looking for Jesus. And a distraction 00:17:15.779 --> 00:17:19.799 comes their way, Matthew 2, 7 through 8. Then 00:17:19.799 --> 00:17:22.819 Herod, oh, King Herod, called for a private meeting 00:17:22.819 --> 00:17:24.579 with these wise men. And he learned from them. 00:17:25.069 --> 00:17:27.809 When the star first appeared. And then he told 00:17:27.809 --> 00:17:30.390 them. Oh go to Bethlehem and search carefully 00:17:30.390 --> 00:17:32.170 for the child. And when you find him come back 00:17:32.170 --> 00:17:34.910 and tell me. So I can go and worship him too. 00:17:36.049 --> 00:17:38.289 Now here's the reality. Herod didn't want to 00:17:38.289 --> 00:17:43.190 worship Jesus. Herod was insecure. Overwhelmed 00:17:43.190 --> 00:17:45.670 with his position. And wanted to kill this baby. 00:17:46.150 --> 00:17:48.410 He didn't want to lose his position and his power. 00:17:49.549 --> 00:17:51.730 And then sure enough, God would speak to the 00:17:51.730 --> 00:17:54.730 men again, Matthew 2, 9 and 12. After the interview, 00:17:54.849 --> 00:17:58.049 the wise men went their way. The star they had 00:17:58.049 --> 00:18:00.750 seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It 00:18:00.750 --> 00:18:02.490 went ahead of them and stopped over the place 00:18:02.490 --> 00:18:05.650 where the child was, where they worshipped. And 00:18:05.650 --> 00:18:07.509 when it was time to leave, notice they returned 00:18:07.509 --> 00:18:10.910 to their own country by another route, for God 00:18:10.910 --> 00:18:15.130 had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. 00:18:16.059 --> 00:18:18.380 See, this is so important for us to understand 00:18:18.380 --> 00:18:21.240 when it comes to our lives. We're about to launch 00:18:21.240 --> 00:18:23.480 into a new year, 2026, and it's only going to 00:18:23.480 --> 00:18:25.839 get crazier. And if you're going to fully give 00:18:25.839 --> 00:18:28.420 yourselves to the things of God, you're going 00:18:28.420 --> 00:18:30.400 to have to say no to the distractions of this 00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:33.039 world. You're going to have to say no. Colossians 00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:35.960 3, 2. Think about the things of heaven, not the 00:18:35.960 --> 00:18:38.720 things of the earth. And these distractions are 00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:41.019 everywhere, church. They're in our families. 00:18:42.359 --> 00:18:45.019 They're in our careers. They're on our phones. 00:18:45.589 --> 00:18:48.369 They're in the mirror when we stare at it and 00:18:48.369 --> 00:18:51.009 think to ourselves, I don't look good, I'm overweight, 00:18:51.230 --> 00:18:54.009 I need a diet, I need this, I need that. There's 00:18:54.009 --> 00:18:57.509 so much vying for your attention. And listen, 00:18:57.589 --> 00:19:00.089 if the enemy can't destroy you and pull you down, 00:19:00.269 --> 00:19:03.609 he's going to settle for distracting you. And 00:19:03.609 --> 00:19:06.869 there's so many Jesus followers that are so distracted 00:19:06.869 --> 00:19:09.849 that they're simply not making a difference for 00:19:09.849 --> 00:19:12.369 the kingdom of God. They're not impacting their 00:19:12.369 --> 00:19:15.160 families. They're not impacting their communities. 00:19:15.299 --> 00:19:17.859 They're not serving in their churches. They're 00:19:17.859 --> 00:19:21.420 not making a difference. Why? Because they are 00:19:21.420 --> 00:19:24.859 so distracted by the things of this world. And 00:19:24.859 --> 00:19:26.859 they're putting priority on the things of this 00:19:26.859 --> 00:19:29.259 world rather than Jesus. And listen, we were 00:19:29.259 --> 00:19:32.640 created by God and for God to live a life of 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:36.680 worship for him. And everything else is secondary. 00:19:37.579 --> 00:19:41.369 We are called to change the world. We are called 00:19:41.369 --> 00:19:45.670 to be the church that forcefully advances. And 00:19:45.670 --> 00:19:48.170 I want to challenge you in moving into this new 00:19:48.170 --> 00:19:52.130 year. Let's not get distracted. Which leads us 00:19:52.130 --> 00:19:54.990 to our final lesson. See, worship starts by recognizing 00:19:54.990 --> 00:19:58.170 who God is. Worship is sustained when we remove 00:19:58.170 --> 00:20:01.269 distractions. And finally, worship requires sacrifice. 00:20:02.049 --> 00:20:05.269 These men arrive at the house. Matthew 2 .11. 00:20:05.490 --> 00:20:07.670 They entered the house, saw the child with his 00:20:07.670 --> 00:20:10.589 mother. Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped 00:20:10.589 --> 00:20:13.150 him. Then they opened their treasure chests and 00:20:13.150 --> 00:20:15.329 gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 00:20:15.650 --> 00:20:19.049 And notice these men came bearing gifts. They 00:20:19.049 --> 00:20:21.650 didn't show up and look at Jesus and say, we 00:20:21.650 --> 00:20:26.349 traveled so far. We almost died. It was such 00:20:26.349 --> 00:20:28.670 a hard journey. No, they said, we have gifts. 00:20:29.549 --> 00:20:32.690 They came bearing gifts because true worship 00:20:32.690 --> 00:20:37.880 involves sacrifice. And when we truly love something 00:20:37.880 --> 00:20:40.819 or are dedicated to something, guess what? We'll 00:20:40.819 --> 00:20:44.519 wake up early for it. We'll overpay for it. We'll 00:20:44.519 --> 00:20:47.279 save up for it. We'll dream about it. We'll think 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:50.720 about it. We'll talk about it. Why? Because it 00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:53.880 consumes our lives. And this is what God has 00:20:53.880 --> 00:20:56.480 called us to do with him, not with the things 00:20:56.480 --> 00:20:59.059 of the world. I mean, think about the first time 00:20:59.059 --> 00:21:03.099 you lifted your hands in worship. Or maybe you 00:21:03.099 --> 00:21:06.000 haven't gotten there yet. Right? I remember when 00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:08.519 I first gave my life to Jesus, I was so insecure 00:21:08.519 --> 00:21:12.579 to raise my hands. Like I wanted to, but I kept 00:21:12.579 --> 00:21:14.400 looking around. I was worried about everyone 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:17.859 else. And then I had a moment where I felt the 00:21:17.859 --> 00:21:21.359 Holy Spirit inviting me to be sacrificial. It 00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:23.980 wasn't about the song. It was about the person 00:21:23.980 --> 00:21:26.799 of Jesus. And it didn't start like this. This 00:21:26.799 --> 00:21:28.940 is what it looked like. This is what it looked 00:21:28.940 --> 00:21:37.500 like. You look around. And then God gets a hold 00:21:37.500 --> 00:21:40.299 of your heart and you're feeling all extra bold. 00:21:40.740 --> 00:21:44.299 So you move from here to here. Like you move 00:21:44.299 --> 00:21:51.440 from Presbyterian to Baptist, right? And then 00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:53.980 eventually you hang around HCV long enough, you 00:21:53.980 --> 00:21:57.079 get full on charismatic right here, right? You 00:21:57.079 --> 00:21:58.980 just get on full on charismatic. You're just 00:21:58.980 --> 00:22:03.880 like, let it go. Now some of you, you're not 00:22:03.880 --> 00:22:07.970 even here yet. And my challenge to you tonight 00:22:07.970 --> 00:22:10.130 is we're going to close with worship. You're 00:22:10.130 --> 00:22:11.269 thinking, yeah, we're going to sing joy of the 00:22:11.269 --> 00:22:12.369 world. We're going to light the candle. Yeah, 00:22:12.369 --> 00:22:14.789 we're going to do that. But we're going to do 00:22:14.789 --> 00:22:17.190 a little bit more than that. And it's amazing 00:22:17.190 --> 00:22:20.769 how God changes your life when you're willing 00:22:20.769 --> 00:22:23.549 to be sacrificial with him. And it's not about 00:22:23.549 --> 00:22:25.650 hands raised. It's about surrendering to God. 00:22:25.690 --> 00:22:27.529 That's all this means. God, I'm surrendering 00:22:27.529 --> 00:22:31.549 to you. That's all it means. And the wise men, 00:22:31.630 --> 00:22:34.609 they bowed down and they worshiped. And they 00:22:34.609 --> 00:22:37.769 brought gifts. And I quickly want to show you 00:22:37.769 --> 00:22:39.569 what these gifts were. The first gift, what was 00:22:39.569 --> 00:22:42.329 it? It was gold. A gift for royalty, a gift for 00:22:42.329 --> 00:22:46.470 a king. Why? It was a declaration that Jesus 00:22:46.470 --> 00:22:50.430 is my Lord. Then they gave frankincense, which 00:22:50.430 --> 00:22:53.130 is an incense used in temple worship. And again, 00:22:53.170 --> 00:22:56.549 it was a declaration saying, Jesus is my God. 00:22:57.809 --> 00:23:00.809 Jesus, you are God of the universe, the God that 00:23:00.809 --> 00:23:05.240 was and is to come, and nothing else. We'll get 00:23:05.240 --> 00:23:07.400 my worship but you. And finally they gave myrrh. 00:23:07.740 --> 00:23:10.380 And myrrh is a burial spice. And little did they 00:23:10.380 --> 00:23:13.059 know that that gift that they would bring would 00:23:13.059 --> 00:23:15.359 later be used to repair his body for a burial. 00:23:15.559 --> 00:23:18.180 And eventually the resurrection of Jesus would 00:23:18.180 --> 00:23:21.299 become the sacrifice for our sins. And these 00:23:21.299 --> 00:23:26.200 men were declaring, Jesus is my Savior. See, 00:23:26.279 --> 00:23:29.359 my salvation, our salvation comes from no other. 00:23:29.740 --> 00:23:32.559 And I want to challenge you. He deserves our 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:36.269 worship. And when we realize these three truths, 00:23:36.410 --> 00:23:39.069 we realize worship is less. It's less about the 00:23:39.069 --> 00:23:42.509 song, and it's more about worshiping the King 00:23:42.509 --> 00:23:46.009 of Kings. Paul writes it this way, Romans 12, 00:23:46.109 --> 00:23:48.089 1. My brothers and sisters, I plead with you, 00:23:48.150 --> 00:23:50.890 give your bodies to God because of all he has 00:23:50.890 --> 00:23:54.410 done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice, 00:23:54.630 --> 00:23:57.869 the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly 00:23:57.869 --> 00:24:02.349 worship. See, these wise men showed up to worship 00:24:02.349 --> 00:24:06.140 a child. Jesus had not yet before miracles spoke 00:24:06.140 --> 00:24:10.259 truth or had been risen from the grave. The purest 00:24:10.259 --> 00:24:15.339 form of worship is when you come to God asking 00:24:15.339 --> 00:24:18.920 nothing in return and simply wanting to worship 00:24:18.920 --> 00:24:22.819 him for who he is. And my challenge to you tonight 00:24:22.819 --> 00:24:27.799 is this. Let's come before him and let's truly 00:24:27.799 --> 00:24:33.799 worship him for who he is. Amen. Will you stand 00:24:33.799 --> 00:24:40.000 with me as we close? Now listen, we're going 00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:42.900 to light our candles here in a second and we're 00:24:42.900 --> 00:24:44.799 going to sing joy to the world like we always 00:24:44.799 --> 00:24:47.680 do in our traditional candlelit service. But 00:24:47.680 --> 00:24:51.920 I asked our team, I said, let's take it a step 00:24:51.920 --> 00:24:54.579 further. Yeah, I want to sing joy to the world, 00:24:54.599 --> 00:24:57.779 but I want to add some worship into it. And I 00:24:57.779 --> 00:25:01.279 want to challenge some of you. You got a candle 00:25:01.279 --> 00:25:03.440 in your hand so you got an excuse you can lift 00:25:03.440 --> 00:25:06.160 your hand tonight. Right? You don't have to be 00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:08.619 embarrassed. You don't have to worry about what 00:25:08.619 --> 00:25:12.799 anybody thinks. You can raise it high and experience 00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:16.259 that freedom. But before you do that, listen. 00:25:16.579 --> 00:25:18.539 Hey, come back to me. I know it's Christmas. 00:25:19.579 --> 00:25:21.779 I know it's Christmas and you're all giddy and 00:25:21.779 --> 00:25:27.900 excited to open your gifts. Listen. This is a 00:25:27.900 --> 00:25:31.559 moment. Where God has brought you into a place 00:25:31.559 --> 00:25:36.460 of worship. And it's a holy moment. And we don't 00:25:36.460 --> 00:25:39.940 want to lose the fact and the reality that we 00:25:39.940 --> 00:25:43.000 are here to worship the King. Amen? Everything 00:25:43.000 --> 00:25:46.299 else can wait. See how quickly distractions set 00:25:46.299 --> 00:25:49.200 in? Oh, church is over. Let me go talk to everybody. 00:25:49.960 --> 00:25:54.900 Oh, yeah. What are you laughing about? You're 00:25:54.900 --> 00:26:04.660 the one doing it. Listen. Listen. Let's worship, 00:26:04.740 --> 00:26:07.880 right? But before we do, I want to pray a simple 00:26:07.880 --> 00:26:10.180 prayer because God highlighted in my heart that 00:26:10.180 --> 00:26:15.880 some of you, some of you, just being honest, 00:26:16.220 --> 00:26:20.759 God is calling you back. God's calling you home. 00:26:21.240 --> 00:26:23.559 He's calling you to return your heart to Him. 00:26:23.880 --> 00:26:27.160 Get rid of the distractions and make Him a priority 00:26:27.160 --> 00:26:29.769 in your life. Amen? All right, so we're going 00:26:29.769 --> 00:26:32.369 to pray a simple prayer like we pray every single 00:26:32.369 --> 00:26:36.049 gathering here at HCV. If you've never prayed 00:26:36.049 --> 00:26:38.069 it, I'm going to invite you to pray it with us 00:26:38.069 --> 00:26:41.490 and to recommit your life back to God. Let's 00:26:41.490 --> 00:26:46.609 pray. Jesus, I'm broken. I'm full of doubt, shame, 00:26:46.869 --> 00:26:52.869 regret, sin. Change me. Forgive me. I believe 00:26:52.869 --> 00:26:57.849 you're the Son of God. I believe you died for 00:26:57.849 --> 00:27:03.160 me. I believe you're alive today. Set me free. 00:27:03.720 --> 00:27:08.259 Fill me with your spirit. Help me, God, to serve 00:27:08.259 --> 00:27:13.299 others. In Jesus' name, amen. So if you prayed 00:27:13.299 --> 00:27:15.339 that prayer for the first time or you recommitted 00:27:15.339 --> 00:27:18.779 your life to Jesus, see Rudy or me because I'm 00:27:18.779 --> 00:27:21.599 going to tell you in 10 days to get baptized 00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:24.799 because we have a New Year's baptism on January 00:27:24.799 --> 00:27:28.500 4th after our third gathering. And there's probably 00:27:28.500 --> 00:27:30.460 half of you in here that need to make that commitment. 00:27:31.000 --> 00:27:34.640 So if it is, sign up, register, and let's have 00:27:34.640 --> 00:27:37.559 the largest baptism we've ever had at HCV. Amen? 00:27:38.140 --> 00:27:40.000 All right, let's light our candles.