1 00:00:00,030 --> 00:00:03,840 Zach: They are, they are frightening, uh, beings to behold. 2 00:00:04,500 --> 00:00:07,580 And so that's probably part of the other reason that the, the, 3 00:00:07,580 --> 00:00:12,510 the shepherds were terrified and, and not only are angels terrifying 4 00:00:12,900 --> 00:00:14,940 in a lot of ways, God can be too. 5 00:00:23,110 --> 00:00:26,890 Jesse: Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Salty Pastor Podcast. 6 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:27,770 My name is Jesse Maher. 7 00:00:27,770 --> 00:00:33,735 I'll be your host and welcome, Zach Peake, our Salty Pastor for the day, 8 00:00:33,735 --> 00:00:35,235 or what did we call you last time? 9 00:00:35,235 --> 00:00:39,945 Our sea salt, sea salt, Himalayan salt, Himalayan salts. 10 00:00:39,945 --> 00:00:40,425 Yes. 11 00:00:40,845 --> 00:00:45,075 I can't keep track of all of the different spices we bring on here, but we definitely 12 00:00:45,075 --> 00:00:47,685 have a lot of spice and we are so excited. 13 00:00:47,925 --> 00:00:51,285 Everyone who has, is listening, only on our podcast, you won't be 14 00:00:51,285 --> 00:00:54,975 able to see this, but we have a brand new desk that, um, was made 15 00:00:54,975 --> 00:00:57,285 by a very, very special volunteer. 16 00:00:57,585 --> 00:00:59,655 Um, here at Foothills named Jerry Anderson. 17 00:00:59,655 --> 00:01:02,894 He made this amazing desk that has this TV mounted in it. 18 00:01:02,925 --> 00:01:07,335 So we feel so special and blessed that he decided to put some time and 19 00:01:07,645 --> 00:01:11,949 craftsmanship and creating something so amazing for, um, the podcast and 20 00:01:11,949 --> 00:01:14,770 for Foothills, because we use the studio for a lot of different things. 21 00:01:14,770 --> 00:01:18,669 So if you're only a listen only person just tune in once for the 22 00:01:18,669 --> 00:01:21,310 podcast, just so you can check out our new desk, but we are so thankful 23 00:01:21,310 --> 00:01:22,570 to Jerry and everything he's done. 24 00:01:23,169 --> 00:01:26,619 But enough with that, we have Zach Peake here. 25 00:01:26,919 --> 00:01:28,330 It is Christmas time. 26 00:01:28,330 --> 00:01:33,289 We are in the middle of our series, Jesus Is Christmas and Zach, what 27 00:01:33,289 --> 00:01:34,725 are you preaching about this week? 28 00:01:35,625 --> 00:01:39,825 Zach: Well, I was a little bit, uh, confused, uh, last Sunday because 29 00:01:39,945 --> 00:01:44,695 yeah, because I got sent the basic outline of what, uh, Pastor Peake 30 00:01:44,715 --> 00:01:46,935 wants me to preach on for this Sunday. 31 00:01:47,325 --> 00:01:49,455 And then he started preaching on Sunday and I was like, this is. 32 00:01:50,145 --> 00:01:51,164 Similar outline. 33 00:01:51,164 --> 00:01:54,465 Jesse: He wants to reinforce the point. 34 00:01:55,815 --> 00:01:57,975 Zach: But thankfully he brought in a little bit of Matthew. 35 00:01:57,975 --> 00:01:58,785 We're not in Matthew. 36 00:01:58,785 --> 00:02:02,445 We're just going to be in that Luke chapter two, we touched on it this 37 00:02:02,445 --> 00:02:05,225 last week, and now we're going to dive a little bit deeper into it. 38 00:02:05,695 --> 00:02:08,940 Um, you know, he was opening the series and so he was kind of covering a 39 00:02:08,940 --> 00:02:12,630 little bit of everything, a little bit higher level, you know, that 30,000. 40 00:02:12,630 --> 00:02:14,220 Jesse: Casting vision of where we're going. 41 00:02:14,220 --> 00:02:14,610 Right. 42 00:02:14,730 --> 00:02:14,970 Zach: Yeah. 43 00:02:14,970 --> 00:02:19,770 And we're going to get a little bit more specific about Jesus, about joy 44 00:02:19,830 --> 00:02:22,920 and about some of these, uh, these more specific things and about how 45 00:02:22,920 --> 00:02:25,530 that actually works in the context of our relationship with Christ. 46 00:02:25,620 --> 00:02:26,880 That's what we're going to be doing this week. 47 00:02:27,180 --> 00:02:28,230 And a little bit with Christmas. 48 00:02:28,230 --> 00:02:29,700 Jesse: You know, I kind of love Christmas. 49 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:34,454 I'm so excited for just celebrating Christmas that the church just 50 00:02:34,454 --> 00:02:36,795 had, it takes on a different energy around Christmas time. 51 00:02:37,125 --> 00:02:40,245 Um, I think, I mean the world as a whole does, right? 52 00:02:40,245 --> 00:02:43,815 Like there's a different kind of, you know, it's not necessarily 53 00:02:43,815 --> 00:02:47,055 true authentic joy that you get from Jesus, but there's a definite 54 00:02:47,055 --> 00:02:48,765 like increase in like just general 55 00:02:49,619 --> 00:02:51,060 excitement around Christmas. 56 00:02:51,060 --> 00:02:52,079 And so it's always great. 57 00:02:52,079 --> 00:02:54,420 Zach: And it's cool that it's such like a worldwide thing. 58 00:02:54,959 --> 00:02:58,500 Jesse: I mean, you see this in Pastor Doug talked about this on the podcast pass last 59 00:02:58,500 --> 00:03:03,869 week that, you know, even nonbelievers over in Arabian countries still celebrate 60 00:03:03,869 --> 00:03:06,420 Christmas for not the best reasons. 61 00:03:06,420 --> 00:03:10,230 Commercialism and stuff, but they still get excited about Christmas. 62 00:03:10,230 --> 00:03:10,560 And so. 63 00:03:11,085 --> 00:03:13,965 We're just wanting to keep the focus on why we are excited 64 00:03:13,965 --> 00:03:15,285 about Christmas, which is Jesus. 65 00:03:15,285 --> 00:03:15,555 Right? 66 00:03:15,585 --> 00:03:17,985 So you said we were in Luke two today. 67 00:03:18,465 --> 00:03:18,645 Zach: Yeah. 68 00:03:18,645 --> 00:03:20,055 We're going to be in Luke chapter two. 69 00:03:20,145 --> 00:03:23,835 Uh, we're going to, we're going to talk a little bit about the opening to it, 70 00:03:23,835 --> 00:03:27,145 where it goes, you know, anybody who's read the Christmas story will recognize 71 00:03:27,145 --> 00:03:31,515 the, you know, there's the census Caesar Augustus says the census should be taken 72 00:03:31,515 --> 00:03:33,765 and Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem. 73 00:03:33,765 --> 00:03:34,965 And we'll talk a little bit about that. 74 00:03:35,355 --> 00:03:40,755 Uh, but we really want to pick up, uh, kind of, what happens once they're 75 00:03:40,755 --> 00:03:45,135 there and once Jesus is born, um, I mean, we can just jump in right now, 76 00:03:45,195 --> 00:03:47,655 you know, uh, anybody who's read the Christmas story this'll sound 77 00:03:47,655 --> 00:03:49,485 really familiar starting verse one. 78 00:03:49,935 --> 00:03:52,845 In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be 79 00:03:52,845 --> 00:03:54,525 taken of the entire Roman world. 80 00:03:55,005 --> 00:03:56,915 And everyone went to their own town to register. 81 00:03:57,465 --> 00:04:01,275 Joseph went up to, went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, 82 00:04:01,455 --> 00:04:03,045 to Bethlehem, the town of David. 83 00:04:03,255 --> 00:04:05,535 Uh, we all, we know that's all familiar to us. 84 00:04:05,535 --> 00:04:09,435 We, he went there to register with Mary, who he was pledged to be married to him 85 00:04:09,615 --> 00:04:13,725 and was expecting a child while there the time came for the baby to be born. 86 00:04:13,935 --> 00:04:16,125 And she gave birth to her first born son. 87 00:04:16,745 --> 00:04:20,144 She wrapped him in cloths and placed them in a manger because there was 88 00:04:20,144 --> 00:04:22,455 no guest room available for them. 89 00:04:22,995 --> 00:04:25,185 Uh, and then this is what we really want to focus on this week. 90 00:04:25,185 --> 00:04:28,305 This is kind of the pivotal part of the story that we're going 91 00:04:28,305 --> 00:04:30,855 to be taking our attention to. 92 00:04:31,575 --> 00:04:34,785 Uh, in verse eight, it says, and there were shepherds living out in the fields 93 00:04:34,785 --> 00:04:39,585 nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night, an angel of the Lord appeared 94 00:04:39,585 --> 00:04:45,225 to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified. 95 00:04:46,455 --> 00:04:47,595 So I want to start right there. 96 00:04:47,595 --> 00:04:52,275 We talked last Sunday about how fear it can kill our joy. 97 00:04:52,615 --> 00:04:57,615 Fear causes us to behave in a lot of ways and do a lot of actions that take us 98 00:04:57,615 --> 00:04:59,895 away from experiencing the joy of Christ. 99 00:05:00,285 --> 00:05:04,815 And here we see when an angel shows up to the shepherds, what happens? 100 00:05:05,205 --> 00:05:06,585 They are terrified. 101 00:05:07,425 --> 00:05:11,094 They are overcome with fear. 102 00:05:12,685 --> 00:05:15,765 But the angel said to them do not be afraid. 103 00:05:15,794 --> 00:05:17,055 I bring you good news. 104 00:05:17,055 --> 00:05:19,325 That will cause great joy for all the people. 105 00:05:19,995 --> 00:05:22,710 Today in the town of David, a savior has been born to you. 106 00:05:22,950 --> 00:05:24,030 He is the Messiah. 107 00:05:24,300 --> 00:05:24,990 The Lord. 108 00:05:25,290 --> 00:05:26,610 This will be assigned to you. 109 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:31,350 You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. 110 00:05:31,860 --> 00:05:37,025 So I want to take a second to, to focus on the fear, and then the defeating of 111 00:05:37,025 --> 00:05:39,425 that fear and where the joy comes in. 112 00:05:39,665 --> 00:05:42,995 Because we see these shepherds are terrified and they're terrified 113 00:05:42,995 --> 00:05:44,165 for a couple of different reasons. 114 00:05:44,375 --> 00:05:47,315 Uh, one of them is because, you know, they're just out with the flocks 115 00:05:47,315 --> 00:05:50,285 at night and something shows up in the sky and starts talking to them. 116 00:05:50,285 --> 00:05:50,555 Right. 117 00:05:51,530 --> 00:05:53,090 Definitely a little creepy. 118 00:05:53,150 --> 00:05:55,880 If you were out camping in the mountains, you know, and you're 119 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:59,300 sitting around the fire, it's 10, it's gotten dark, you know, it's nice. 120 00:05:59,300 --> 00:06:02,120 You just hanging out, talking and then a light appears in the 121 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:03,300 sky and starts talking to you. 122 00:06:03,300 --> 00:06:05,300 You you're going to be a little freaked out. 123 00:06:05,540 --> 00:06:07,760 Jesse: I mean, people get freaked out just by like being in their 124 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:09,130 tents and they constantly think like, 125 00:06:09,130 --> 00:06:10,330 bears are coming to get them, right? 126 00:06:10,330 --> 00:06:13,300 Like you hear a snap of a twig out there and it's like, gosh, they 127 00:06:13,300 --> 00:06:16,480 were used to being outside, but it's like, they're still on high alert. 128 00:06:16,510 --> 00:06:18,340 That's why you're out there is to protect the flocks. 129 00:06:18,340 --> 00:06:18,550 Right. 130 00:06:18,700 --> 00:06:21,100 So it's like, they're already kind of amped up. 131 00:06:22,260 --> 00:06:26,010 You know, just like every, a quote, unquote, UFO sighting or whatever, you 132 00:06:26,010 --> 00:06:30,810 start seeing lights in the sky, then it really, uh, it's contradictory to what 133 00:06:30,810 --> 00:06:33,410 you are expecting, in a people mind. 134 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:36,210 Zach: Uh, light to appear in the sky at angel to appear in the 135 00:06:36,210 --> 00:06:38,010 sky and start talking to you. 136 00:06:38,070 --> 00:06:38,580 Yes. 137 00:06:39,150 --> 00:06:40,890 There's another reason they're terrified though. 138 00:06:40,980 --> 00:06:44,190 And we can know this from the Old Testament, a lot. 139 00:06:44,700 --> 00:06:45,570 Angels are scary. 140 00:06:46,485 --> 00:06:50,385 You know, we have a great idea in Western culture of angels, looking 141 00:06:50,385 --> 00:06:54,555 like these, you know, very, very white people with these nice flowing 142 00:06:54,555 --> 00:06:56,534 robes that have a nice little halo. 143 00:06:56,625 --> 00:06:57,885 They're playing the harp. 144 00:06:57,915 --> 00:06:59,145 They sit on her shoulder. 145 00:06:59,205 --> 00:06:59,975 Jesse: They're so calm. 146 00:07:00,465 --> 00:07:03,975 Like sheriff style, like very, very peaceful. 147 00:07:04,005 --> 00:07:05,175 Well, yeah. 148 00:07:05,235 --> 00:07:06,284 Zach: And that's not an angel. 149 00:07:07,335 --> 00:07:09,585 When you read in the, uh, in the Old Testament. 150 00:07:09,585 --> 00:07:12,685 I think one of my favorite encounters is, is the book of Daniel. 151 00:07:13,125 --> 00:07:15,525 Daniel is in the kingdom of Babylon. 152 00:07:15,525 --> 00:07:20,315 You know, he's doing his thing and an angel shows up to talk to him. 153 00:07:20,715 --> 00:07:24,375 And like, there's a couple of men with him that run out of the room. 154 00:07:24,705 --> 00:07:27,735 And like the way Daniel describes it, he's like, I couldn't stand 155 00:07:27,735 --> 00:07:29,474 anymore, cause my knees were so weak. 156 00:07:29,835 --> 00:07:33,105 Like this guy he's like he's described, I can't remember exactly how it is, 157 00:07:33,105 --> 00:07:36,945 but he's like this 20 foot tall guy, like, who looks like he's made of bronze 158 00:07:36,945 --> 00:07:38,865 with a sword, you know, he's got like 159 00:07:38,915 --> 00:07:39,795 Jesse: They are warriors, right?! 160 00:07:39,795 --> 00:07:45,240 For the most part, like every instance we see of angels in the Bible, Contrary 161 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:47,250 to the Western cultures view of them. 162 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:49,020 They're the warriors. 163 00:07:49,230 --> 00:07:51,870 They are not like meek mild thing Kings. 164 00:07:51,900 --> 00:07:57,120 They were they're like, whoa, they're like Avengers, but even bigger, even 165 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:00,570 scarier, even more like empowered. 166 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:00,840 Yeah. 167 00:08:01,290 --> 00:08:04,620 Zach: They are frightening, uh, beings to behold. 168 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:08,530 And so that's probably part of the other reason that the, the, the 169 00:08:08,580 --> 00:08:12,930 shepherds were terrified and, and not only are angels terrifying. 170 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:15,719 And a lot of ways God can be too. 171 00:08:16,290 --> 00:08:18,780 And I think this is something that we don't often recognize. 172 00:08:18,780 --> 00:08:21,990 We can talk about how, you know, we can be afraid of this world and yes, that 173 00:08:21,990 --> 00:08:26,040 can kill our joy, or we can be afraid of what might happen to us or afraid 174 00:08:26,070 --> 00:08:30,300 of, you know, financial things or, you know, really anything in this world 175 00:08:30,930 --> 00:08:34,919 can cause us fear and insecurity and yeah, that can take away our joy, but 176 00:08:34,950 --> 00:08:36,360 there's something else that's scary. 177 00:08:36,390 --> 00:08:38,640 And that is kind of getting closer to God. 178 00:08:39,110 --> 00:08:43,545 You know, God, uh, uh, when it's, it's so interesting when you read the Old 179 00:08:43,545 --> 00:08:47,595 Testament, there's a part where I believe it's Moses says, God, I want to see you. 180 00:08:47,595 --> 00:08:48,735 I want to see who you are. 181 00:08:48,735 --> 00:08:49,515 I want to see you. 182 00:08:49,885 --> 00:08:53,565 And it's interesting because earlier in the, and I believe it's the same passage, 183 00:08:53,955 --> 00:08:57,415 you know, it describes the Old Testament describes how Moses talked to God. 184 00:08:57,555 --> 00:08:59,699 As a friend talks to his friend face to face. 185 00:08:59,729 --> 00:08:59,939 Right. 186 00:09:00,030 --> 00:09:02,069 And so it's like, Moses has this relationship with God. 187 00:09:02,069 --> 00:09:02,490 He knows him. 188 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:05,099 Jesse: He's already very close, he's closer with God than 189 00:09:05,099 --> 00:09:07,070 basically anybody before him. 190 00:09:07,270 --> 00:09:09,620 Short of Adam, basically in the garden. 191 00:09:09,689 --> 00:09:13,800 Zach: But then Moses is like, I want to see you in all your glory. 192 00:09:14,290 --> 00:09:14,550 God. 193 00:09:15,465 --> 00:09:16,725 No, no, you can't. 194 00:09:17,235 --> 00:09:18,074 It's like, well, why not? 195 00:09:18,165 --> 00:09:20,355 I thought we were buddies and God's like, oh, because you'll die. 196 00:09:21,105 --> 00:09:22,635 Jesse: Would you like to be vaporized today? 197 00:09:22,845 --> 00:09:24,345 Would you like to cease to exist? 198 00:09:24,345 --> 00:09:27,824 You can, you can come be with me sooner than you're supposed to do if you 199 00:09:27,824 --> 00:09:28,724 Zach: really want to. 200 00:09:28,724 --> 00:09:29,734 Yeah, exactly. 201 00:09:30,074 --> 00:09:33,495 And so he has Moses stand in this crack of this mountain. 202 00:09:33,875 --> 00:09:38,640 And he goes by in all of his glory and it describes how Moses can, you know, he 203 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:41,219 can, he feels the shaking in this power. 204 00:09:41,490 --> 00:09:44,490 And then when the Lord is a ways off, he comes out of the 205 00:09:44,490 --> 00:09:46,140 crack and just sees behind him. 206 00:09:46,620 --> 00:09:49,250 And even that has a profound impact on him. 207 00:09:49,250 --> 00:09:51,510 Jesse: Well, cause he comes down from the mountain glowing after that 208 00:09:51,510 --> 00:09:56,859 experience, like he's literally like his face is glowing just from train... 209 00:09:56,880 --> 00:09:57,390 Yeah. 210 00:09:57,420 --> 00:10:01,800 Just from the train of his glory, which is basically just the vapor waves of, 211 00:10:02,655 --> 00:10:03,255 of God. 212 00:10:03,255 --> 00:10:05,895 And that was enough to basically transform. 213 00:10:05,895 --> 00:10:06,165 Um, 214 00:10:07,005 --> 00:10:09,645 Zach: And I think it's really important for us to, to take away. 215 00:10:09,645 --> 00:10:12,194 And what I really want to focus on with this scripture 216 00:10:12,375 --> 00:10:14,145 is that God is terrifying too. 217 00:10:14,655 --> 00:10:17,145 When we first encounter him, he is scary. 218 00:10:17,145 --> 00:10:18,675 He's the creator of the universe. 219 00:10:18,675 --> 00:10:20,235 He is perfection. 220 00:10:20,235 --> 00:10:21,735 He is goodness and incarnate. 221 00:10:22,275 --> 00:10:26,354 He is so many things that are wonderful and beautiful and also 222 00:10:26,505 --> 00:10:28,275 very scary at the same time. 223 00:10:28,900 --> 00:10:32,439 You know, I'm sure we've all had experiences where we went 224 00:10:32,439 --> 00:10:33,670 into a situation that was good. 225 00:10:33,670 --> 00:10:36,760 Maybe it's when you went to, you know, you'd want it to go to maybe 226 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:38,380 a dream college or something. 227 00:10:38,740 --> 00:10:41,560 And you know, it was a really good school and you got in and you show 228 00:10:41,560 --> 00:10:46,020 up that first day and it's a good thing, but you're a little scared. 229 00:10:46,680 --> 00:10:47,240 Yeah. 230 00:10:47,290 --> 00:10:49,780 Or I'm sure you know, with, with you being out on tour, you know, when 231 00:10:49,780 --> 00:10:52,829 all your dancing, I'm sure there were times where, you know, it's, 232 00:10:52,829 --> 00:10:54,730 it's scary and it's a good thing. 233 00:10:55,560 --> 00:10:57,510 But it's still scary. 234 00:10:57,960 --> 00:10:59,340 It's still tough. 235 00:10:59,370 --> 00:11:03,870 And that's only amplified with God because he is so good. 236 00:11:03,930 --> 00:11:07,050 You know, I played sports in high school and there were times where, you know, 237 00:11:07,050 --> 00:11:10,320 the first day show up to practice, especially the first day, you know, 238 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:11,850 I was part of the high school team. 239 00:11:12,210 --> 00:11:16,080 You know, that's a, that's an intimidating thing because you recognize that, you 240 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:17,530 know, that you're in this new level. 241 00:11:18,030 --> 00:11:20,880 You know, you're like, okay, the game is going to be raised and I got to 242 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:24,030 step up and there's that insecurity inside you, which can cause fear. 243 00:11:24,420 --> 00:11:27,120 And it's only a lot more with the Lord, right. 244 00:11:27,150 --> 00:11:30,870 Because he is much, much better than the JV football team, 245 00:11:30,900 --> 00:11:32,590 but I was trying to play for. 246 00:11:33,560 --> 00:11:34,210 So, yeah. 247 00:11:34,230 --> 00:11:37,680 But, but that's so that's, there's so many reasons the shepherds were 248 00:11:37,680 --> 00:11:41,490 terrified, you know, and there's a lot of reasons for in our lives that we can be 249 00:11:41,490 --> 00:11:45,600 terrified of the Lord, you know, we can be afraid of the way he will change us. 250 00:11:45,930 --> 00:11:50,310 He can be afraid or we can be afraid of what he may ask us to 251 00:11:50,610 --> 00:11:54,360 leave behind for him .The ways he will mold and shape our lives. 252 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:59,200 I remember in high school, um, you know, at me and like everybody else that needs 253 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:00,870 to be like, yeah, we want to follow God. 254 00:12:00,870 --> 00:12:03,390 But, but what if he asks us to be a missionary in Africa? 255 00:12:04,020 --> 00:12:04,860 I don't want to do that. 256 00:12:04,860 --> 00:12:06,560 I don't want to do that. 257 00:12:06,560 --> 00:12:09,345 So I want to follow him, but I'm scared of what he's going to do. 258 00:12:09,795 --> 00:12:10,875 On my own terms. 259 00:12:11,085 --> 00:12:12,465 And that's how a lot of us act. 260 00:12:12,465 --> 00:12:16,695 And that's how a lot of us behave is we recognize the power of the Lord. 261 00:12:16,995 --> 00:12:20,640 And that much power can be scary to us. 262 00:12:21,030 --> 00:12:23,910 And so when we talk about fear and we talk about the fears 263 00:12:23,910 --> 00:12:25,319 that hold us back from joy. 264 00:12:25,560 --> 00:12:25,800 Yeah. 265 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:29,040 There's fears about this world there's fears about, well, it could happen 266 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:33,569 that there can be worries about money or food or how we're going to get gas 267 00:12:33,569 --> 00:12:37,260 in our car, you know, our house or you know, where we're going to live. 268 00:12:37,260 --> 00:12:39,810 And there, there are a lot of things that we can worry about and some 269 00:12:39,810 --> 00:12:41,040 of them can be really legitimate. 270 00:12:41,490 --> 00:12:45,540 But I think the greatest fear that we have of all, for many of us is actually 271 00:12:45,540 --> 00:12:46,959 going to God and fully follow him. 272 00:12:47,369 --> 00:12:48,735 Excuse me fully following him. 273 00:12:49,845 --> 00:12:54,314 So, and we see that with the shepherds, you know, when the shepherds are in 274 00:12:54,314 --> 00:12:57,074 the fields and they're just living their lives, you know, like you said, 275 00:12:57,074 --> 00:13:00,645 they're used to this, they're out there, they're watching the flocks and what 276 00:13:00,645 --> 00:13:03,525 happens, a heavenly host shows up. 277 00:13:04,515 --> 00:13:07,694 Jesse: Well, and you, we see a lot, especially in the Old Testament 278 00:13:07,694 --> 00:13:12,225 before, you know, Jesus kind of allowed us a more personal relationship. 279 00:13:13,350 --> 00:13:16,980 The only people that really got that kind of like one-on-one time 280 00:13:16,980 --> 00:13:20,610 with even an angel where like the holiest of holy people, right? 281 00:13:20,610 --> 00:13:24,360 Like the best of the past Moses, you know, Joshua, these guys 282 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:25,709 that were like the leaders. 283 00:13:25,949 --> 00:13:30,300 And so these shepherds who are just like, nobody's out in a field, like 284 00:13:30,300 --> 00:13:33,540 they're just working class guys to have a 285 00:13:34,485 --> 00:13:39,285 supernatural experience like this to have a divine experience 286 00:13:39,765 --> 00:13:42,435 is very out of the norm, right? 287 00:13:42,465 --> 00:13:46,905 Compared to what they've been taught from childhood of, you know, Moses gets to 288 00:13:46,905 --> 00:13:51,135 talk to the, you know, God, these guys, these are very set rules and you know, 289 00:13:51,135 --> 00:13:55,695 the priests in the tabernacle, they can kind of sometimes interface with him. 290 00:13:55,695 --> 00:13:57,915 But you know, you, you are too unclean. 291 00:13:57,915 --> 00:14:00,105 You are not worthy enough to have an experience. 292 00:14:00,105 --> 00:14:03,315 So that's a whole nother layer of like, oh, we either really 293 00:14:03,315 --> 00:14:04,755 messed up or something weird. 294 00:14:04,755 --> 00:14:05,515 It's not like, right. 295 00:14:05,515 --> 00:14:05,625 Like, 296 00:14:06,135 --> 00:14:09,165 Zach: But I mean that point you bring up is so interesting because do you know why 297 00:14:09,975 --> 00:14:12,735 Moses was the spokesman to the Israelites? 298 00:14:12,825 --> 00:14:16,215 Tell me, because when you read Exodus, when you go through the book 299 00:14:16,425 --> 00:14:19,965 and they are led out of Egypt, you know, they they're led out of Egypt. 300 00:14:19,965 --> 00:14:23,535 Moses is the one who acts, you know, on behalf of God, him and Aaron, 301 00:14:23,535 --> 00:14:24,945 they speak to the people in Pharaoh. 302 00:14:25,155 --> 00:14:26,025 They get them out of Egypt. 303 00:14:26,025 --> 00:14:27,195 They crossed the red sea. 304 00:14:27,405 --> 00:14:30,975 They get out to the desert, they go to Mount Sinai, which is, you 305 00:14:30,975 --> 00:14:33,645 know, at that point is the mountain of the Lord because the Lord has 306 00:14:33,645 --> 00:14:34,845 decided this is where we're going to. 307 00:14:35,865 --> 00:14:36,765 Figure this stuff out. 308 00:14:37,025 --> 00:14:38,825 Jesse: We're going to make our covenant figure out. 309 00:14:38,835 --> 00:14:39,345 Zach: Where we're going to do it. 310 00:14:39,495 --> 00:14:41,115 And they spent a long time there. 311 00:14:41,115 --> 00:14:43,395 They were there for like a year, you know, we all know about 312 00:14:43,515 --> 00:14:44,895 the 40 years in the desert. 313 00:14:45,045 --> 00:14:47,505 We all know about the leaving Egypt, but there's a time in between 314 00:14:47,505 --> 00:14:50,295 like that's over a year long where they're hanging out at Sinai. 315 00:14:50,595 --> 00:14:52,645 Jesse: Just waiting, they're just waiting for whats happening. 316 00:14:52,685 --> 00:14:55,665 Zach: And the people are terrified of God. 317 00:14:56,435 --> 00:14:59,655 They have the opportunity they could have in the covenant with God, they could 318 00:14:59,655 --> 00:15:02,055 have talked to him and be like, Hey, we want you, we want you in our lives. 319 00:15:02,265 --> 00:15:03,495 But they were like, no, please. 320 00:15:03,945 --> 00:15:05,175 Moses, like, Hey anybody wouldn't. 321 00:15:05,175 --> 00:15:06,145 Nope, Nope, Nope. 322 00:15:06,195 --> 00:15:07,035 You go up there 323 00:15:07,305 --> 00:15:09,965 Jesse: you go up to the scary mountain with all the lightening. 324 00:15:09,965 --> 00:15:10,525 Zach: With all the light. 325 00:15:10,575 --> 00:15:11,595 You can spoke that thing. 326 00:15:11,595 --> 00:15:11,805 Yeah. 327 00:15:11,865 --> 00:15:13,815 You go up there or we're going to stay here. 328 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:16,380 Um, yeah, we're good. 329 00:15:16,410 --> 00:15:16,770 We're good. 330 00:15:16,770 --> 00:15:17,280 It's all good. 331 00:15:18,030 --> 00:15:20,130 Jesse: We've actually been looking into crafting a bowl. 332 00:15:21,370 --> 00:15:23,280 Zach: We're going to, we're thinking about a little calf over here. 333 00:15:23,340 --> 00:15:24,330 Aaron's got us. 334 00:15:24,330 --> 00:15:26,250 You go hang out with the big, scary cloud. 335 00:15:26,250 --> 00:15:27,510 If it's talking to you, right. 336 00:15:27,780 --> 00:15:30,630 They were terrified of God. 337 00:15:30,630 --> 00:15:31,740 They were scared. 338 00:15:32,655 --> 00:15:33,705 And that's an Exodus. 339 00:15:33,705 --> 00:15:36,495 The people who have been led out of Egypt, who've been saved 340 00:15:36,495 --> 00:15:38,295 from slavery and captivity. 341 00:15:38,535 --> 00:15:43,075 And not only that, but they become decently wealthy off of it too. 342 00:15:43,095 --> 00:15:43,335 Cause 343 00:15:43,335 --> 00:15:46,785 Jesse: they, they inherit, or God basically puts it on the Egyptians 344 00:15:46,785 --> 00:15:48,885 hearts to give them all this wealth. 345 00:15:48,975 --> 00:15:51,995 As they're leaving their life, just go , take all of this stuff. 346 00:15:51,995 --> 00:15:52,705 Just get out. 347 00:15:52,705 --> 00:15:52,865 Zach: Yeah. 348 00:15:52,865 --> 00:15:57,535 Imagine if you were at some awful job and God's like, Hey, 349 00:15:57,805 --> 00:15:59,065 I'm going to get you outta here. 350 00:15:59,065 --> 00:16:01,825 We're going to get you into a great place to work purely for me. 351 00:16:02,005 --> 00:16:04,705 And we're going to get you a severance, that's worth five years of salary. 352 00:16:06,715 --> 00:16:08,665 And what's the Israelites reaction to this. 353 00:16:08,695 --> 00:16:13,795 They are terrified because God can be scary and it's 354 00:16:13,825 --> 00:16:15,525 okay for us to recognize that. 355 00:16:15,915 --> 00:16:19,530 It's okay for us to recognize that the creator of the universe upon which all 356 00:16:19,530 --> 00:16:24,270 of our life depends, you know, and who has sent his son and who loves us, is 357 00:16:24,270 --> 00:16:28,980 also, you know, very scary sometimes, you know, in that great power that he has. 358 00:16:29,010 --> 00:16:32,580 Jesse: There's so many points where, whether it's David, the Psalmist 359 00:16:32,610 --> 00:16:38,340 or other writers talking about our first reaction, anytime we think of 360 00:16:38,340 --> 00:16:42,840 God should just be to fall on our knees in fear and trembling, right? 361 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:45,600 Like that is a phrase that's used so many times. 362 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,500 And we as a Western culture kind of take it for granted. 363 00:16:48,500 --> 00:16:50,900 We're like, I want Jesus is he's, he's fighting for us. 364 00:16:50,900 --> 00:16:51,610 We can just have this 365 00:16:51,610 --> 00:16:54,020 Zach: Jesus is just that skinny guy with that nice beard. 366 00:16:55,820 --> 00:16:58,160 Jesse: And he's gonna be, he's the one that, you know, we 367 00:16:58,160 --> 00:16:59,120 don't have to be afraid anymore. 368 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:01,490 He's got us covered, but it's like, no, like. 369 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:03,290 God is still scary. 370 00:17:03,319 --> 00:17:05,450 Zach: But you don't have to be afraid of anything else, right? 371 00:17:06,169 --> 00:17:06,530 Jesse: Yeah. 372 00:17:06,619 --> 00:17:09,740 And so I think it's, it's, I love this point. 373 00:17:09,740 --> 00:17:12,679 You're bringing up of like, it's really easy for us to just 374 00:17:12,679 --> 00:17:15,050 kind of be like, it's Christmas, everything's supposed to be happy. 375 00:17:15,260 --> 00:17:16,280 God's always in our corner. 376 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:21,050 And he is always on our corner, even in that same section when he's talking 377 00:17:21,050 --> 00:17:24,859 to Moses and this is a really great characteristic of God where he's talking 378 00:17:24,859 --> 00:17:26,329 about, he says, I am a jealous God. 379 00:17:26,659 --> 00:17:29,389 And it's like, if you worship another God, besides. 380 00:17:30,100 --> 00:17:33,220 For three to four generations after you, you will be punished. 381 00:17:33,250 --> 00:17:36,310 But someone who loves me and follows me for a thousand 382 00:17:36,310 --> 00:17:38,140 generations, they will be blessed. 383 00:17:38,140 --> 00:17:40,900 And so it's like, God, doesn't say, you know, you're good. 384 00:17:40,900 --> 00:17:43,990 I love you no matter what, which he does, but he's also like, 385 00:17:44,500 --> 00:17:45,790 but you got to love me back. 386 00:17:45,900 --> 00:17:47,950 This is not a one-sided relationship. 387 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:52,600 And he does instill basically some rules and consequences of if you're not 388 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:58,240 stepping up and putting your time in and showing that I am your one and only. 389 00:17:59,294 --> 00:18:03,225 I can also be not a very nice, you know, it's kind of like parenting. 390 00:18:03,794 --> 00:18:05,475 Zach: Well, he also is a, he's a God of love. 391 00:18:05,475 --> 00:18:06,615 He's also a God of justice. 392 00:18:06,615 --> 00:18:06,915 Yes. 393 00:18:07,335 --> 00:18:12,554 You know, and, and, and th that, that balance is something that, you know, 394 00:18:12,585 --> 00:18:15,254 a lot of us talk about, you know, when we talk about why there's evil in the 395 00:18:15,254 --> 00:18:18,855 world and all of these things, um, but you know, it's, it's important 396 00:18:18,855 --> 00:18:25,295 for us to realize that approaching God is something that can be scary. 397 00:18:25,395 --> 00:18:30,314 And that we, as humans who are flawed in the sinful and who have been raised in 398 00:18:30,314 --> 00:18:35,745 this world, that doesn't want us to know God, it is a scary thing to go to God. 399 00:18:35,745 --> 00:18:37,754 And it's important for us to realize that. 400 00:18:38,054 --> 00:18:42,314 Because there is no way for us to overcome that fear, to overcome that 401 00:18:42,314 --> 00:18:44,804 scariness without admitting it's there. 402 00:18:45,044 --> 00:18:49,185 We have to recognize it's there, but listen to what the shepherds 403 00:18:49,185 --> 00:18:50,835 do, listen to what their story is. 404 00:18:51,810 --> 00:18:52,710 Do not be afraid. 405 00:18:52,710 --> 00:18:54,000 I bring you good news. 406 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,700 That will cause great joy for all the people today in the town of 407 00:18:56,700 --> 00:18:58,350 David, a savior has been born to you. 408 00:18:58,560 --> 00:18:59,610 He is the Messiah. 409 00:18:59,610 --> 00:19:00,270 The Lord. 410 00:19:00,690 --> 00:19:01,919 This will be assigned to you. 411 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:04,919 You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. 412 00:19:05,430 --> 00:19:09,810 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising 413 00:19:09,810 --> 00:19:13,920 God and saying glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth, peace 414 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:16,200 to those on whom his favor rests. 415 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:18,720 Again, this is, this is something that is good. 416 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:19,560 We know this is good. 417 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:21,810 We read this story and this is an incredible thing. 418 00:19:22,350 --> 00:19:27,300 It's also very scary for the shepherds, but how do the shepherds respond? 419 00:19:28,050 --> 00:19:31,590 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said 420 00:19:31,590 --> 00:19:35,729 to one another, let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, 421 00:19:35,969 --> 00:19:38,459 which the Lord has told us about. 422 00:19:38,790 --> 00:19:41,590 See the shepherds here, make an incredible decision. 423 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:45,375 Instead of letting the fear overcome them, which I mean, yeah, the angel 424 00:19:45,375 --> 00:19:50,385 said do not be afraid, but that's, you know, you can still be afraid. 425 00:19:50,625 --> 00:19:52,185 Jesse: You're still probably going to be afraid. 426 00:19:52,275 --> 00:19:56,475 Zach: I remember this one time, uh, when I was in middle school, um, we had been 427 00:19:56,475 --> 00:20:00,795 in basketball tryouts and this one kid at it, he really wanted to make the varsity 428 00:20:00,795 --> 00:20:02,625 team, but he wasn't quite good enough. 429 00:20:02,625 --> 00:20:04,215 He didn't make it, you know? 430 00:20:04,215 --> 00:20:05,415 And he was in the locker room. 431 00:20:05,415 --> 00:20:06,885 He was really sad afterward. 432 00:20:06,885 --> 00:20:09,975 He was crying a little bit and everybody there like really felt for him. 433 00:20:10,895 --> 00:20:12,935 Biggest guy who is a football player. 434 00:20:13,055 --> 00:20:17,075 Who's just, this tank goes up to him and the nicest way he 435 00:20:17,075 --> 00:20:19,295 can is like, Hey, it's fine. 436 00:20:19,325 --> 00:20:21,305 You're going to be, but he does it in his tone. 437 00:20:21,485 --> 00:20:25,264 He's doing his best, but it's so like intimidating still. 438 00:20:25,535 --> 00:20:27,065 And it did not help at all. 439 00:20:27,125 --> 00:20:29,795 And I'm just like, that's kind of what the angel probably was like. 440 00:20:29,915 --> 00:20:31,775 It's like do not be afraid. 441 00:20:31,775 --> 00:20:34,155 And you're like, I am still very afraid. 442 00:20:34,925 --> 00:20:36,175 I am now more afraid. 443 00:20:37,365 --> 00:20:39,705 The shepherds, you know, we read this like, oh great. 444 00:20:39,794 --> 00:20:40,754 Angel said, don't be afraid. 445 00:20:40,754 --> 00:20:41,595 Why would you be afraid? 446 00:20:41,595 --> 00:20:45,855 It's like, well, well, I mean, there's still that opportunity for 447 00:20:45,855 --> 00:20:49,004 them to be afraid, but despite that, and then, you know, all these other 448 00:20:49,004 --> 00:20:51,645 angels show up and start singing and they're like, what's going on? 449 00:20:51,645 --> 00:20:56,175 Like, that is an amazing, but also in some ways, a terrifying experience, 450 00:20:56,205 --> 00:20:59,895 especially with like what you talked about, where, you know, if, if any Jewish 451 00:20:59,895 --> 00:21:03,044 background which living in Bethlehem, they probably had a Jewish background. 452 00:21:04,004 --> 00:21:08,715 That is a scary thing to experience, you know, the Lord to experience his 453 00:21:08,715 --> 00:21:11,504 glory and power, but what do they do? 454 00:21:12,105 --> 00:21:15,824 They make the decision to not allow that, to affect them. 455 00:21:15,855 --> 00:21:19,965 They make the decision that, yes, this is a scary thing, but it's also a good thing. 456 00:21:19,995 --> 00:21:22,485 And so I'm going to choose the good part of it. 457 00:21:22,814 --> 00:21:25,965 And even though I might still be scared, I'm going to go try to 458 00:21:25,965 --> 00:21:27,345 experience this and figure it out. 459 00:21:27,345 --> 00:21:28,635 And they go into Bethlehem. 460 00:21:28,905 --> 00:21:33,990 Jesse: Well, and they don't know what, to expect, like the angels are not, like 461 00:21:34,020 --> 00:21:38,640 they say, you know, the Messiah is born, he's here, but like, you know, they're 462 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:44,400 probably expecting he's maybe in a palace or cause like the, the idea back then was 463 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:48,990 the Messiah was going to come in basically as this king, this like glorious figure. 464 00:21:48,990 --> 00:21:49,130 And, 465 00:21:50,205 --> 00:21:54,345 so they're kind of going in and I'm, you know, I would be thinking, well, he's 466 00:21:54,345 --> 00:21:58,125 probably locked behind some door and like, there's probably a host of angels also 467 00:21:58,125 --> 00:22:02,805 protecting him and like, it's, you know, like trying to go and see like, you know, 468 00:22:02,805 --> 00:22:05,235 some celebrities, baby, basically, right? 469 00:22:05,235 --> 00:22:06,555 Like there's security everywhere. 470 00:22:06,885 --> 00:22:10,775 And it's like, it turns out he's just in a manger because there was no room 471 00:22:10,775 --> 00:22:15,605 for him even in just like a broke down inn, like he's out in a barn basically. 472 00:22:15,965 --> 00:22:19,265 And so it's like, their expectations are constantly 473 00:22:19,265 --> 00:22:23,255 being, um, changed, changed right. 474 00:22:23,285 --> 00:22:24,215 Of what it is. 475 00:22:24,215 --> 00:22:28,595 But they have the, the, the courage to go out and be like, 476 00:22:28,595 --> 00:22:30,475 well, we were told he's here. 477 00:22:31,295 --> 00:22:34,140 And even though it's super scary and we don't know what to expect, we're 478 00:22:34,140 --> 00:22:36,480 still going to go forward and go see 479 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:37,310 what it is they told us. 480 00:22:37,310 --> 00:22:37,390 Zach: Yeah. 481 00:22:37,390 --> 00:22:38,730 They make that decision to go. 482 00:22:38,910 --> 00:22:42,660 And what are the effects of this in verse 16? 483 00:22:42,900 --> 00:22:45,390 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby 484 00:22:45,570 --> 00:22:46,710 who was lying in a manger. 485 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:50,460 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them 486 00:22:50,460 --> 00:22:54,540 about this child and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 487 00:22:54,930 --> 00:22:57,640 But Mary charged up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 488 00:22:58,140 --> 00:23:01,920 The shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things 489 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:05,130 they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. 490 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:08,760 And so we see here that the shepherds are confronted at the beginning of 491 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:12,990 this story with something that is scary, that they are terrified of. 492 00:23:12,990 --> 00:23:15,960 It says explicitly, they were terrified. 493 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:16,950 That is where they start off. 494 00:23:16,980 --> 00:23:17,760 They are terrified. 495 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:19,050 And where do they terrified of? 496 00:23:19,290 --> 00:23:21,360 They are terrified of a messenger of the Lord. 497 00:23:21,630 --> 00:23:22,740 Something that is good. 498 00:23:23,100 --> 00:23:27,120 So something that is good, something that is bringing joy, the Messiah Christ. 499 00:23:28,139 --> 00:23:32,370 His birth and the surrounding circumstances and glory of 500 00:23:32,370 --> 00:23:34,530 God terrify the shepherds. 501 00:23:34,860 --> 00:23:38,700 That is where they start off with this, but they take the steps 502 00:23:38,700 --> 00:23:43,860 to go explore it, to seek God in it, to see what is going on here. 503 00:23:43,860 --> 00:23:45,030 I want to find out despite. 504 00:23:46,125 --> 00:23:49,575 You know, initial fear and despite, despite what could be 505 00:23:49,575 --> 00:23:52,815 very scary, you know, and they're not a hundred percent sure. 506 00:23:52,815 --> 00:23:55,635 I mean, according to Bible, all the angel said is this will be the sign to you. 507 00:23:55,635 --> 00:23:58,115 You'll find a baby wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger. 508 00:23:58,145 --> 00:23:59,595 They're like, that's not a lot to go off. 509 00:23:59,685 --> 00:23:59,985 Right. 510 00:24:00,075 --> 00:24:03,135 You know, and Bethlehem probably wasn't the biggest town, but that's 511 00:24:03,135 --> 00:24:05,235 still like, okay, interesting. 512 00:24:05,235 --> 00:24:06,345 We're going to go try. 513 00:24:06,585 --> 00:24:09,435 So it's not like they were like, Hey, go, do you know, it's not a GPS. 514 00:24:10,169 --> 00:24:12,719 Take three turns in here, go down this street, look at here. 515 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:13,739 Oh, well that's where it is. 516 00:24:13,739 --> 00:24:15,899 It's, you know, it's a little bit more ambiguous than that. 517 00:24:16,290 --> 00:24:19,949 But despite all that, they go and seek it. 518 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:25,139 They go and search for it and they end up not only having great joy themselves, 519 00:24:25,139 --> 00:24:26,189 you know, they worship the Lord. 520 00:24:26,189 --> 00:24:28,709 They praise him for all these amazing things they've seen and heard. 521 00:24:28,979 --> 00:24:32,820 But the people in Bethlehem who hear this are amazed and Mary treasures 522 00:24:32,820 --> 00:24:36,270 up all of these things in her heart, you know, it brings joy, not just to 523 00:24:36,270 --> 00:24:37,620 themselves, but to those around them. 524 00:24:38,939 --> 00:24:42,360 Jesse: Well, and it's, it's kind of like, it's a longer lasting joy, right? 525 00:24:42,360 --> 00:24:44,909 Like that phrase of treasuring, these things up in your heart, you're like 526 00:24:44,909 --> 00:24:48,060 kind of storing them away at something that's going to last you rather than 527 00:24:48,149 --> 00:24:50,410 kind of an ephemeral, or just short term. 528 00:24:50,410 --> 00:24:51,300 Zach: It's not happiness. 529 00:24:51,360 --> 00:24:52,860 It's not some, it's not happiness. 530 00:24:52,860 --> 00:24:53,580 It's not temporary. 531 00:24:53,580 --> 00:24:54,540 It's, it's a Joy. 532 00:24:54,745 --> 00:24:58,165 It's a joy, something that is long lasting that does not go away. 533 00:24:58,465 --> 00:25:01,254 And so that's what we're going to try to talk about a little bit, uh, 534 00:25:01,314 --> 00:25:05,185 you know, this Sunday, when we're talking more specifically about joy 535 00:25:05,215 --> 00:25:09,115 and fear and how that fear can prevent us from experiencing the joy is that 536 00:25:09,115 --> 00:25:12,145 Jesus being born, Jesus being God. 537 00:25:12,145 --> 00:25:12,534 Jesus 538 00:25:13,120 --> 00:25:16,750 having a relationship with us, is an objectively good thing. 539 00:25:16,750 --> 00:25:20,170 It is something that brings us joy that brings us happiness. 540 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:23,920 You know, that it's both temporary and, you know, sustainable. 541 00:25:24,210 --> 00:25:26,290 It's, it's an amazing, and it's a good thing. 542 00:25:26,770 --> 00:25:31,720 But our fear of him can prevent us from taking those steps. 543 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:36,810 Jesse: Well, and you know, we never hear about these shepherds again, right? 544 00:25:36,810 --> 00:25:39,840 Like they're in this chapter, but you have to imagine like, 545 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:41,610 that experience changed them. 546 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:41,940 Right. 547 00:25:41,940 --> 00:25:47,010 That joy, that, that fear of do you guys remember the time all the angels appeared 548 00:25:47,010 --> 00:25:50,150 to us and were singing and telling us. 549 00:25:50,150 --> 00:25:52,670 Zach: I mean, its got to be great at dinner parties. 550 00:25:53,620 --> 00:25:54,040 Might have 551 00:25:54,060 --> 00:25:55,380 a story that's a little bit better. 552 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:56,550 I think I can beat you. 553 00:25:56,610 --> 00:25:58,320 I attended the angels choir practice. 554 00:25:58,330 --> 00:25:59,040 It was kind of cool. 555 00:25:59,700 --> 00:26:02,910 Jesse: But then it's like that joy had to have been transformational for 556 00:26:02,910 --> 00:26:06,180 them for the rest of their lives of, we were the, you know, some of the 557 00:26:06,180 --> 00:26:10,800 first people to go and see the Messiah and, you know, heartbreaking that 558 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:15,750 they may have seen, you know, him go through what he had to in the end too. 559 00:26:15,750 --> 00:26:17,700 Like we don't, we don't have their story. 560 00:26:17,910 --> 00:26:20,450 That's not in the Bible, but you have to imagine that there. 561 00:26:21,150 --> 00:26:25,995 What happened to Jesus got spread through the country afterwards. 562 00:26:25,995 --> 00:26:29,835 And so it's like, they have to have been, like, we saw him at the 563 00:26:29,835 --> 00:26:32,625 beginning and we've now heard about what has happened to him at the end. 564 00:26:32,625 --> 00:26:36,254 And then probably had also heard about his resurrection, which is another form of 565 00:26:36,254 --> 00:26:38,415 joy that they could, they could thrive on. 566 00:26:38,415 --> 00:26:43,245 But it's just like, I think it's so easy in this like very 567 00:26:43,245 --> 00:26:46,515 celebrity focused culture of. 568 00:26:47,534 --> 00:26:52,875 Um, ways people, especially in these, um, charismatic kind of churches where 569 00:26:52,875 --> 00:26:56,745 it's like, oh, that person that passed, or he's so much better than I am. 570 00:26:56,745 --> 00:27:01,514 And it's like time after time, after time, God comes to the lowliest of 571 00:27:01,514 --> 00:27:04,004 people and they get to have the best 572 00:27:05,145 --> 00:27:05,655 joy. 573 00:27:05,685 --> 00:27:09,405 And so it's like when you, when you see and read these stories, don't, I 574 00:27:09,405 --> 00:27:13,514 guess what I want to share is like, don't think that you are not capable 575 00:27:13,514 --> 00:27:14,745 of getting that same kind of joy. 576 00:27:14,844 --> 00:27:19,034 You know, this joy that Jesus brings to you is not reserved for the best 577 00:27:19,034 --> 00:27:23,084 of the best Christians or, you know, the mega church pastors or whatever. 578 00:27:23,084 --> 00:27:26,475 This is the joy, same joy that you and I can have the, you 579 00:27:26,475 --> 00:27:29,364 know, the newest Christian and the oldest Christian can have. 580 00:27:29,415 --> 00:27:31,334 That this joy is for everyone. 581 00:27:31,334 --> 00:27:31,395 Yeah. 582 00:27:31,865 --> 00:27:36,095 For just a select few, which is amazing because that's different 583 00:27:36,095 --> 00:27:37,295 than almost every other religion. 584 00:27:37,295 --> 00:27:41,075 It's like every other religion basically puts you in, you know, a ranking or a 585 00:27:41,075 --> 00:27:46,295 hierarchal order of like, you get this, if you do these things and these acts, you 586 00:27:46,295 --> 00:27:51,275 get to this level, I mean, and this is a very different way of approaching things. 587 00:27:51,275 --> 00:27:52,925 God says, no, I love you all. 588 00:27:52,955 --> 00:27:55,035 And I want you all to experience this joy. 589 00:27:55,465 --> 00:27:55,755 Zach: Well, we 590 00:27:55,770 --> 00:27:59,580 see so many of the stories of people who interact with Jesus, 591 00:28:00,060 --> 00:28:03,810 uh, are people who have a reason to be afraid or have a reason to 592 00:28:03,810 --> 00:28:06,600 have distance between them at him. 593 00:28:06,780 --> 00:28:08,910 Jesse: Lepers, prostitutes, tax, collectors, 594 00:28:09,120 --> 00:28:11,850 Zach: Zacchaeus, he is all of his disciples, you know, 595 00:28:12,330 --> 00:28:15,450 and they overcome fear. 596 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:17,040 They overcome self doubt. 597 00:28:17,070 --> 00:28:18,180 They overcome self pity. 598 00:28:18,180 --> 00:28:22,620 They overcome all these things and they decide I'm going to seek him. 599 00:28:23,210 --> 00:28:26,730 You know, his disciples leave, whatever business or whatever 600 00:28:26,730 --> 00:28:28,320 livelihoods they have to follow him. 601 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:32,130 Jesse: Well, and they constantly see him do these works and almost after every 602 00:28:32,130 --> 00:28:36,570 great miracle he does, like, he calms the waves, and it usually ends that 603 00:28:36,570 --> 00:28:40,470 chapter with, and they were afraid, right? 604 00:28:40,740 --> 00:28:44,400 It's like all the time, they're constantly overcoming their fears because they're 605 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:48,970 like, this guy is doing one major miracle after another and they're constantly 606 00:28:48,970 --> 00:28:53,970 like, what is going ? And it's like this constant fear, and then they go 607 00:28:53,970 --> 00:29:00,660 into sections of just amazing rapturous joy of like, we get to be with this guy 608 00:29:00,660 --> 00:29:02,880 who's doing these amazing works, right? 609 00:29:03,030 --> 00:29:03,270 Yeah. 610 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:08,250 So, well, I know that us and probably all of our listeners are really excited for 611 00:29:08,250 --> 00:29:10,170 you to delve into this more on Sunday. 612 00:29:10,470 --> 00:29:14,640 Um, Zach will be preaching and talking to us more about fear and joy. 613 00:29:14,670 --> 00:29:19,035 And just overall, we want to encourage you guys to be joyful this season. 614 00:29:19,035 --> 00:29:23,415 There's so many reasons that everyone wants to tell you why this Christmas 615 00:29:23,415 --> 00:29:24,525 isn't going to be very good. 616 00:29:24,525 --> 00:29:28,215 Whether it's, you can't get this thing because of supply chain issues or, uh, 617 00:29:28,215 --> 00:29:31,005 you know, if you're listening to future people, if you're listening to this, 618 00:29:31,005 --> 00:29:32,505 we're still in the middle of coronavirus. 619 00:29:32,505 --> 00:29:35,655 You still might be in the middle of coronavirus and your time, who knows, 620 00:29:36,015 --> 00:29:40,035 but you know, there's so many reasons why everyone wants to tell you this 621 00:29:40,065 --> 00:29:41,685 isn't going to be a joyful season. 622 00:29:42,435 --> 00:29:47,205 And we here at the Salty Pastor from myself and Zach and Pastor Doug and 623 00:29:47,205 --> 00:29:50,295 our staff here at Foothills and just the church as a whole want to tell 624 00:29:50,295 --> 00:29:53,685 you, there's plenty of reason to be joyful and the primary reason, 625 00:29:53,715 --> 00:29:57,825 his name is Jesus, and he wants you to have real true, authentic joy. 626 00:29:58,490 --> 00:30:01,160 There may be points where you're not overly happy, but that's 627 00:30:01,160 --> 00:30:02,480 not what the point of joy is. 628 00:30:02,510 --> 00:30:06,410 The point is to have an, a true eternal joy that you can only get through Jesus. 629 00:30:06,410 --> 00:30:10,250 So we encourage you guys to focus on that this season, too, if you're 630 00:30:10,250 --> 00:30:13,970 not in, uh, in doing the advent study with us, do an advent study. 631 00:30:13,970 --> 00:30:16,270 If you're not doing our evidence study, do any kind of advent study 632 00:30:16,270 --> 00:30:19,570 cause your study of Jesus and understanding why he came to help you. 633 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:22,940 It's going to help you in your growth and your walks so much more, 634 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:25,940 especially as you get closer to his birth and celebrating that. 635 00:30:25,940 --> 00:30:28,010 So thank you guys so much for joining us. 636 00:30:28,010 --> 00:30:31,430 We'll see you on Thursday, Pastor Doug, we'll be back on the desk to talk a little 637 00:30:31,430 --> 00:30:35,540 bit more about, um, how some of these things apply to our modern day stuff. 638 00:30:35,810 --> 00:30:39,620 And it's just going to be such a great week here on the Salty Pastor Podcast. 639 00:30:39,650 --> 00:30:42,380 Thank you so much Zach for joining us and we'll see you on Sunday 640 00:30:42,380 --> 00:30:51,520 here at Foothills Christian Church.