1 00:00:02,010 --> 00:00:04,554 Thanks for tuning in to the Sandals church podcast. 2 00:00:04,682 --> 00:00:08,542 Our vision as a church is to be real with ourselves, God and others. 3 00:00:08,676 --> 00:00:11,360 We're glad you're here and we hope you enjoy this message. 4 00:00:14,130 --> 00:00:17,706 Merry Christmas and welcome to our Christmas Eve service here at Sandals Church. 5 00:00:17,738 --> 00:00:19,738 I'm Fredo, the online pastor. 6 00:00:19,834 --> 00:00:24,558 And as we celebrate Christmas today, we're going to hear a message from the story in the 7 00:00:24,564 --> 00:00:27,714 life of Jesus brought to you by our lead pastor, Matt Brown. 8 00:00:27,762 --> 00:00:29,078 So let's get ready to hear from him. 9 00:00:29,164 --> 00:00:30,840 We're so glad you joined us. 10 00:00:31,530 --> 00:00:33,426 Hi, guys, and welcome to Sandals Church. 11 00:00:33,458 --> 00:00:35,894 And I just want to say merry Christmas, man. 12 00:00:35,932 --> 00:00:39,714 I don't know about you, but my wife and I, we like to talk about our favorite Christmas 13 00:00:39,762 --> 00:00:40,114 memories. 14 00:00:40,162 --> 00:00:44,486 And hers are always so special, so know, family oriented. 15 00:00:44,518 --> 00:00:45,478 And mine are all about gifts. 16 00:00:45,494 --> 00:00:45,990 Amen. 17 00:00:46,070 --> 00:00:49,094 I mean, I'm just so, so missed the Christmas spirit. 18 00:00:49,142 --> 00:00:54,622 My first Christmas memory is waking my parents up, hitting them on the heads with 19 00:00:54,676 --> 00:00:55,722 lightsabers. 20 00:00:55,866 --> 00:00:59,562 I think it was 1978 and Star wars was born. 21 00:00:59,706 --> 00:01:03,498 And my brother and I, we were making the sounds because back then, the lightsabers didn't 22 00:01:03,514 --> 00:01:03,966 make any sounds. 23 00:01:03,988 --> 00:01:04,606 You had to make your own. 24 00:01:04,628 --> 00:01:07,706 I was like, get up, dad. 25 00:01:07,738 --> 00:01:12,494 And the next year, my parents had not a curfew, but an absolute time where you couldn't be 26 00:01:12,532 --> 00:01:12,686 up. 27 00:01:12,708 --> 00:01:15,318 We had to stay in our rooms till a certain time because I think it was like five a and I 28 00:01:15,324 --> 00:01:16,290 was whacking my dad. 29 00:01:16,370 --> 00:01:16,854 Get up. 30 00:01:16,892 --> 00:01:17,718 Get up. 31 00:01:17,884 --> 00:01:21,910 Not only was Jesus born, but jedi's were know we were so excited. 32 00:01:22,330 --> 00:01:26,854 But for most of us, when we think of Christmas, right, we think of looking back, looking 33 00:01:26,892 --> 00:01:31,426 back to our childhood, looking back to favorite Christmas memories. 34 00:01:31,538 --> 00:01:32,326 But here's the thing. 35 00:01:32,348 --> 00:01:36,234 I want to remind you about Christmas, and this is so important for those of you that are 36 00:01:36,272 --> 00:01:41,438 hurting, those of you who've had a tough year, those of you who are struggling, number one, 37 00:01:41,524 --> 00:01:45,262 Christmas is a time everyone can look forward to. 38 00:01:45,396 --> 00:01:47,662 It's an amazing, amazing time. 39 00:01:47,796 --> 00:01:50,762 And I realize things are difficult, things are challenging. 40 00:01:50,906 --> 00:01:52,666 The world is uneasy. 41 00:01:52,778 --> 00:01:54,474 There's a lot of political turmoil. 42 00:01:54,522 --> 00:01:55,274 There's been wars. 43 00:01:55,322 --> 00:01:59,330 We've had Covid, we have economic challenges, we have all of these issues. 44 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:00,594 And I want you to know this. 45 00:02:00,632 --> 00:02:03,074 The world has always been that way. 46 00:02:03,272 --> 00:02:08,854 But hundreds and hundreds of years, somewhere between 709 hundred years before the birth of 47 00:02:08,892 --> 00:02:11,538 Jesus, there was a prophet named Isaiah. 48 00:02:11,634 --> 00:02:13,462 And his time was just like us. 49 00:02:13,596 --> 00:02:17,078 He had leaders that he didn't choose, but that were chosen for him. 50 00:02:17,164 --> 00:02:21,594 There was political turmoil, there was racism, there was war, there was conflict, there was 51 00:02:21,632 --> 00:02:22,246 famine. 52 00:02:22,358 --> 00:02:27,062 And Isaiah looked forward to something he would not see in his lifetime. 53 00:02:27,126 --> 00:02:27,818 Think about that. 54 00:02:27,904 --> 00:02:31,306 Every single one of us in this room gets a Christmas every year. 55 00:02:31,408 --> 00:02:36,910 Isaiah never saw a Christmas, but he dreamed about it, and he prophesied about it. 56 00:02:36,980 --> 00:02:39,678 And here's what he says in Isaiah 96. 57 00:02:39,844 --> 00:02:46,194 He says, for us, a child is born to us, a son is given to us. 58 00:02:46,312 --> 00:02:47,922 And this is no ordinary child. 59 00:02:47,976 --> 00:02:49,586 This is a special child, he says. 60 00:02:49,608 --> 00:02:53,806 And the government will rest on his shoulders. 61 00:02:53,998 --> 00:02:56,370 Now think about the people that are running our government. 62 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:57,586 Anybody want some new ones? 63 00:02:57,688 --> 00:02:58,098 Okay. 64 00:02:58,184 --> 00:02:59,874 I don't care if you're a Democrat or Republican. 65 00:02:59,922 --> 00:03:01,234 Like, we could change them in for Jesus. 66 00:03:01,282 --> 00:03:02,146 Amen. 67 00:03:02,338 --> 00:03:04,674 But it says, the government rests on his shoulders. 68 00:03:04,722 --> 00:03:07,510 And what that means in the Hebrew is it fits. 69 00:03:07,930 --> 00:03:11,626 You see, we got a lot of people in this world trying to lead, and they were not made for 70 00:03:11,648 --> 00:03:12,518 leadership. 71 00:03:12,694 --> 00:03:14,682 Jesus was born to lead. 72 00:03:14,816 --> 00:03:17,030 The government fits on his shoulders. 73 00:03:17,110 --> 00:03:20,582 And he will be called wonderful counselor. 74 00:03:20,726 --> 00:03:24,286 Maybe this is a verse you read when you gather around with family members, and some of them 75 00:03:24,308 --> 00:03:24,954 need counseling. 76 00:03:25,002 --> 00:03:25,642 Amen. 77 00:03:25,786 --> 00:03:28,062 Just kind of say, hey, Jesus is for you. 78 00:03:28,196 --> 00:03:29,322 Free therapy. 79 00:03:29,466 --> 00:03:30,574 But more than that, right? 80 00:03:30,612 --> 00:03:31,806 He's mighty God. 81 00:03:31,988 --> 00:03:33,786 He's everlasting father. 82 00:03:33,898 --> 00:03:37,330 Think of all the kids in our world today that don't have a dad. 83 00:03:37,750 --> 00:03:39,380 He's a dad to everyone. 84 00:03:39,830 --> 00:03:41,522 And then think about this. 85 00:03:41,656 --> 00:03:43,410 He's the prince of peace. 86 00:03:43,910 --> 00:03:45,598 He brings peace. 87 00:03:45,774 --> 00:03:47,294 And that's the gift of Christmas. 88 00:03:47,342 --> 00:03:49,598 It's a time of peace. 89 00:03:49,694 --> 00:03:51,278 And we can all look forward to this. 90 00:03:51,304 --> 00:03:51,894 But here's the thing. 91 00:03:51,932 --> 00:03:53,986 Some of you are saying, yeah, but I'm not religious. 92 00:03:54,178 --> 00:03:56,374 I just got dragged here because my grandma made me. 93 00:03:56,412 --> 00:03:57,222 And that's why I'm here. 94 00:03:57,276 --> 00:03:59,026 Here's the amazing thing about Christmas. 95 00:03:59,138 --> 00:04:05,114 Christmas number two is even for the people who feel disconnected from God, if that's you 96 00:04:05,152 --> 00:04:08,698 today, I want you to know that Christmas is for you. 97 00:04:08,864 --> 00:04:15,850 The very first Christmas, the people that God chose to reveal himself to were the furthest 98 00:04:15,930 --> 00:04:17,230 away from God. 99 00:04:17,380 --> 00:04:22,254 You see, there was a time in jewish history where shepherds were very, very special people. 100 00:04:22,452 --> 00:04:23,626 They were honored. 101 00:04:23,738 --> 00:04:26,018 They were considered servants of God. 102 00:04:26,184 --> 00:04:28,366 It's where we get our english word pastor. 103 00:04:28,398 --> 00:04:33,154 It comes from the word shepherd, but kind of like our day and age where we've lost an 104 00:04:33,192 --> 00:04:38,358 appreciation for working class people, the people that actually make our lives better, the 105 00:04:38,364 --> 00:04:41,238 people that actually work, to make things work. 106 00:04:41,404 --> 00:04:43,042 Shepherds were forgotten. 107 00:04:43,186 --> 00:04:44,946 They were considered disgusting. 108 00:04:45,058 --> 00:04:46,742 They were not allowed in the city. 109 00:04:46,876 --> 00:04:50,758 They were considered ignorant, illiterate, not God's people. 110 00:04:50,844 --> 00:04:52,294 And isn't it interesting? 111 00:04:52,492 --> 00:04:59,638 In Luke, chapter two, the very people that God announces the birth of Christ to isn't the 112 00:04:59,644 --> 00:05:01,994 rich, it isn't the famous. 113 00:05:02,122 --> 00:05:03,578 It's the forgotten. 114 00:05:03,754 --> 00:05:05,482 It's the disenfranchised. 115 00:05:05,626 --> 00:05:07,278 It's the left out. 116 00:05:07,444 --> 00:05:12,874 Oftentimes, when we read the story of Christmas, we focus on this verse. 117 00:05:12,922 --> 00:05:15,186 There was no room for Jesus in the end. 118 00:05:15,368 --> 00:05:19,538 You want to know who else wasn't welcome in Bethlehem on Christmas night? 119 00:05:19,704 --> 00:05:20,926 It was shepherds. 120 00:05:21,038 --> 00:05:28,086 They were filthy, stinky and gross, and they were out in the fields nearby, but not in 121 00:05:28,108 --> 00:05:28,790 town. 122 00:05:29,210 --> 00:05:30,680 But isn't it interesting? 123 00:05:31,050 --> 00:05:35,398 Those are the exact people that Jesus wanted to reach. 124 00:05:35,564 --> 00:05:39,766 If you're a christian today, I want you to think about who are the people that are far from 125 00:05:39,788 --> 00:05:41,186 God that you need to reach? 126 00:05:41,308 --> 00:05:45,020 Who's the person that you need to announce the goodness of Christmas to? 127 00:05:45,470 --> 00:05:50,794 And so I just want you to know that if you feel far from God, Christmas is not about you 128 00:05:50,832 --> 00:05:51,918 reaching out to God. 129 00:05:52,004 --> 00:05:55,280 Christmas is about God reaching down to you. 130 00:05:55,730 --> 00:06:00,606 One of the names that Jesus has given, besides mighty God, wonderful counselor, prince of 131 00:06:00,628 --> 00:06:06,990 peace, is a name called Emmanuel, which literally means God with us. 132 00:06:07,140 --> 00:06:08,990 And that's the beauty of Christmas. 133 00:06:09,150 --> 00:06:13,442 And right now, whether you know it or not, or you feel it or not, God is here and he wants 134 00:06:13,496 --> 00:06:15,426 to be with you. 135 00:06:15,608 --> 00:06:19,986 So that night, there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of 136 00:06:20,008 --> 00:06:20,334 sheep. 137 00:06:20,382 --> 00:06:22,866 Like, worried about work, worried about making a dollar. 138 00:06:22,898 --> 00:06:24,150 That's where some of you are today. 139 00:06:24,220 --> 00:06:25,394 How am I going to pay my rent? 140 00:06:25,442 --> 00:06:25,986 Oh, my gosh. 141 00:06:26,018 --> 00:06:28,354 Anybody been to the grocery store lately? 142 00:06:28,482 --> 00:06:30,630 I mean, it just blows my mind. 143 00:06:30,780 --> 00:06:33,922 Just this week, Tammy and I, we ordered four tacos, okay? 144 00:06:33,996 --> 00:06:35,674 And no more letters from my hispanic people. 145 00:06:35,712 --> 00:06:36,250 I love you. 146 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:37,494 We ordered four tacos. 147 00:06:37,542 --> 00:06:38,714 And the guy told me the price. 148 00:06:38,752 --> 00:06:40,234 And I was like, no, we just said four. 149 00:06:40,272 --> 00:06:41,100 Not 40. 150 00:06:42,110 --> 00:06:45,594 But a lot of us are just wrestling with, oh, my gosh, how am I going to pay the bills? 151 00:06:45,722 --> 00:06:49,070 Some of you are worried, or, how am I going to pay for these gifts that I already bought? 152 00:06:49,490 --> 00:06:52,502 And the shepherds are in the fields, not celebrating. 153 00:06:52,586 --> 00:06:54,530 They're working, they're worried. 154 00:06:54,870 --> 00:06:58,018 And suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared among them. 155 00:06:58,184 --> 00:06:59,090 Isn't that amazing? 156 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:02,258 Among them, not above them, not around them. 157 00:07:02,344 --> 00:07:03,378 Among them. 158 00:07:03,544 --> 00:07:05,490 Right with them. 159 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:07,250 You see, that's the goodness of God. 160 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:09,174 He doesn't want to be above you or around you. 161 00:07:09,212 --> 00:07:12,134 He wants to be with you, among you. 162 00:07:12,252 --> 00:07:16,726 And it says, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them all of a sudden, in their 163 00:07:16,748 --> 00:07:19,980 filth, in their mire, in their darkness, there was light. 164 00:07:20,510 --> 00:07:22,086 And there was beauty. 165 00:07:22,278 --> 00:07:24,570 And the Bible says they were terrified. 166 00:07:24,910 --> 00:07:26,038 They were terrified. 167 00:07:26,134 --> 00:07:29,770 But the angel reassured them, don't be afraid. 168 00:07:30,110 --> 00:07:34,750 Don't be afraid, he says, for I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all 169 00:07:34,820 --> 00:07:35,438 people. 170 00:07:35,604 --> 00:07:36,554 The savior. 171 00:07:36,682 --> 00:07:37,978 Yes, the messiah. 172 00:07:38,074 --> 00:07:38,954 The Lord. 173 00:07:39,082 --> 00:07:44,626 The one that Isaiah prophesied about hundreds of years ago, the one that many people had 174 00:07:44,648 --> 00:07:48,530 forgotten or given up on or just thought it was a myth, a fairy tale. 175 00:07:49,590 --> 00:07:53,730 That Messiah has been born tonight in Bethlehem. 176 00:07:54,470 --> 00:07:58,542 Some of you have given up on God because it's been too long since you connected with him. 177 00:07:58,696 --> 00:08:01,270 You said, oh, he's forgotten me, or, he doesn't care about me. 178 00:08:01,340 --> 00:08:07,110 You see, what Christmas reminds us is that God's promises are true no matter how long ago 179 00:08:07,180 --> 00:08:08,280 he made them. 180 00:08:09,130 --> 00:08:14,460 They said, he's born today in the city of David, and you will recognize him by this sign. 181 00:08:14,830 --> 00:08:15,818 By this sign. 182 00:08:15,904 --> 00:08:18,794 And some of you, you've been christians your whole life, and you've never thought about why 183 00:08:18,832 --> 00:08:19,482 this is a sign. 184 00:08:19,536 --> 00:08:23,166 We're going to get to this later in the message, but this is a sign. 185 00:08:23,268 --> 00:08:29,818 You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth lying in a manger. 186 00:08:29,994 --> 00:08:33,098 This is a unique child in a unique situation. 187 00:08:33,284 --> 00:08:39,554 And these shepherds are looking for a very, very special sign that makes Jesus very, very 188 00:08:39,592 --> 00:08:42,580 different from any other child in the city. 189 00:08:43,190 --> 00:08:43,842 Number three. 190 00:08:43,896 --> 00:08:47,942 Christmas is a time to celebrate the goodness of God. 191 00:08:48,076 --> 00:08:50,310 Boy, it's easy to forget that, isn't it? 192 00:08:50,460 --> 00:08:52,806 It's easy to forget that with all of the. 193 00:08:52,908 --> 00:08:59,330 Just the angst, the worry, the conflict, the violence all around us, it's easy to forget 194 00:08:59,410 --> 00:09:00,662 how good God is. 195 00:09:00,716 --> 00:09:01,834 And you want to know why that is? 196 00:09:01,872 --> 00:09:04,300 Because we're too focused looking here and not up there. 197 00:09:05,630 --> 00:09:11,034 In Luke, chapter two, verses 13 through 14, it says, suddenly the angel was joined by a 198 00:09:11,072 --> 00:09:15,610 vast host of others, the armies of heaven. 199 00:09:15,690 --> 00:09:17,306 And some are like, I didn't know God had an army. 200 00:09:17,338 --> 00:09:18,846 Yeah, you might want to write that down. 201 00:09:19,028 --> 00:09:27,970 And they don't lose ever praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest heaven. 202 00:09:28,550 --> 00:09:34,914 The highest heaven, and listen to this and peace on earth to those with whom God is 203 00:09:34,952 --> 00:09:35,730 pleased. 204 00:09:36,970 --> 00:09:38,950 And he said that to shepherds. 205 00:09:39,370 --> 00:09:42,040 They never thought they'd pleased anybody in their life. 206 00:09:43,050 --> 00:09:46,150 They weren't invited to anybody's home that first Christmas. 207 00:09:46,490 --> 00:09:48,822 Nobody thought about them, but God thought about them. 208 00:09:48,876 --> 00:09:52,950 And God was pleased to reveal his goodness to them. 209 00:09:53,100 --> 00:09:54,986 Some of you come to church and say, why do we sing? 210 00:09:55,008 --> 00:09:55,754 Why do we got to sing? 211 00:09:55,792 --> 00:09:57,370 We sing about the goodness of God. 212 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:02,234 We praise God for his goodness and there's something special about Christmas songs that 213 00:10:02,272 --> 00:10:07,840 remind us, no matter where we are, no matter how stressed we are, of the goodness of God. 214 00:10:08,370 --> 00:10:15,326 And so I don't know how your 2023 has been, but my prayer for you in this Christmas is that 215 00:10:15,348 --> 00:10:20,434 you would be reminded of God's goodness, of the truth of that, and maybe for the first time 216 00:10:20,472 --> 00:10:24,180 in your life, you could join with angels and sing glory to God. 217 00:10:24,630 --> 00:10:26,690 Some of you've never sang to God. 218 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:28,482 Some of you've never worshipped God. 219 00:10:28,536 --> 00:10:32,806 And at the end of the service today, I'm going to give you an opportunity to sing that for 220 00:10:32,828 --> 00:10:34,630 the first time as a believer. 221 00:10:35,050 --> 00:10:42,170 And maybe this is the first Christmas where you get Christmas music, and it's no longer 222 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:48,170 something that's just kind of background noise, but it becomes present worship for you. 223 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:50,670 And you realize, oh, my gosh. 224 00:10:51,090 --> 00:10:55,200 God has been moving through history just for me. 225 00:10:56,130 --> 00:10:57,360 Just for me. 226 00:10:59,250 --> 00:11:05,090 Next Christmas is a time to understand why Jesus was born. 227 00:11:05,430 --> 00:11:06,994 You ever wonder that? 228 00:11:07,192 --> 00:11:08,190 Why was he born? 229 00:11:08,270 --> 00:11:15,220 Why did God choose this way in order to bring his presence into our lives? 230 00:11:15,990 --> 00:11:19,502 All of the Hebrew Bible testifies to the coming messiah. 231 00:11:19,566 --> 00:11:20,326 He's going to come. 232 00:11:20,348 --> 00:11:21,958 Isaiah tells us he'll be a child. 233 00:11:22,044 --> 00:11:23,846 He tells us he'll be a son. 234 00:11:24,028 --> 00:11:26,354 Other places tells us he'll be born of a virgin. 235 00:11:26,402 --> 00:11:30,540 There's all these signs to let us know this is no ordinary child. 236 00:11:31,630 --> 00:11:38,458 But in Luke 215 through 16, when the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to 237 00:11:38,464 --> 00:11:39,910 each other, let's go to Bethlehem. 238 00:11:40,070 --> 00:11:41,002 Let's go. 239 00:11:41,136 --> 00:11:45,710 Let's see the thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about. 240 00:11:45,860 --> 00:11:50,590 And they hurried to the village, and they found Mary and Joseph. 241 00:11:51,090 --> 00:11:52,666 And there was the baby. 242 00:11:52,778 --> 00:11:56,270 Do you see it lying in a manger? 243 00:11:56,770 --> 00:11:59,954 Now, if you've been a Christian your whole life, I'm about ready to wreck your whole view 244 00:11:59,992 --> 00:12:00,978 of Christmas, okay? 245 00:12:01,064 --> 00:12:04,526 So just be prepared and write all of your notes to pastor Dan Zimbardi. 246 00:12:04,558 --> 00:12:05,140 Okay? 247 00:12:06,150 --> 00:12:09,990 But what I want you to do is I want you, in your mind to think of a manger. 248 00:12:10,410 --> 00:12:12,150 Get a picture of a manger. 249 00:12:12,810 --> 00:12:14,280 What does it look like? 250 00:12:14,730 --> 00:12:18,710 And I'm guessing it looks something like this right here. 251 00:12:18,860 --> 00:12:20,294 Is that what you got? 252 00:12:20,492 --> 00:12:22,646 Is that the picture that you created? 253 00:12:22,838 --> 00:12:24,314 We've all been raised with this. 254 00:12:24,352 --> 00:12:26,822 We've gone to church plays, kindergarten plays. 255 00:12:26,886 --> 00:12:31,630 And baby Jesus is placed in this snuggly little wood thing made by a carpenter. 256 00:12:32,050 --> 00:12:36,750 Well, let me show you a picture of an actual manger from the first century. 257 00:12:38,290 --> 00:12:40,000 What does that look like to you? 258 00:12:42,390 --> 00:12:44,340 It looks like a tomb to me. 259 00:12:47,030 --> 00:12:52,370 You see, in Jesus'time, there wasn't a lot of wood, but there was a lot of stone. 260 00:12:54,230 --> 00:13:01,826 So I want you to envision a sleeping baby Jesus in that it doesn't look like a birth. 261 00:13:01,858 --> 00:13:03,126 What does it look like? 262 00:13:03,308 --> 00:13:04,390 A death. 263 00:13:06,970 --> 00:13:11,050 That's the sign from the moment he was born. 264 00:13:11,630 --> 00:13:13,900 He was born to die for you. 265 00:13:15,710 --> 00:13:17,530 That's the beauty of Christmas. 266 00:13:19,150 --> 00:13:24,782 Now, a lot of theologians and historians, they argue about what's the oldest christian book 267 00:13:24,836 --> 00:13:25,790 in the Bible. 268 00:13:26,290 --> 00:13:30,330 Most people, myself included, think it's the book of Galatians. 269 00:13:30,490 --> 00:13:32,154 It's the first book written. 270 00:13:32,282 --> 00:13:36,798 It's the first letter ever written to Christians from a Christian. 271 00:13:36,894 --> 00:13:39,774 Think about that the next time you read the book of Galatians. 272 00:13:39,902 --> 00:13:44,082 It's older than Matthew, it's older than mark, it's older than Luke, and it's older than 273 00:13:44,136 --> 00:13:44,740 John. 274 00:13:45,370 --> 00:13:50,550 It's the first letter ever written that Christians for 2000 years would call. 275 00:13:50,620 --> 00:13:52,710 Listen to this scripture. 276 00:13:54,250 --> 00:14:00,822 And right there in the first couple of verses, Paul in his own way, in his own signature, 277 00:14:00,886 --> 00:14:03,260 saying, says this grace and peace to you. 278 00:14:03,630 --> 00:14:09,558 And listen to what he says in the fourth verse of the first chapter of the first letter 279 00:14:09,654 --> 00:14:19,422 ever written to Christians, Galatians one four, Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as 280 00:14:19,476 --> 00:14:21,658 God our father planned. 281 00:14:21,834 --> 00:14:26,322 In order, listen to this, especially if you're not a Christian, especially if you don't get 282 00:14:26,376 --> 00:14:26,930 God. 283 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:31,602 If you've ever asked yourself why, if God is so good, is the world so bad? 284 00:14:31,656 --> 00:14:39,174 In Galatians one four, Paul tells you, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which 285 00:14:39,212 --> 00:14:45,142 we live, man, if you hate this evil in this world, guess who else does? 286 00:14:45,196 --> 00:14:46,120 God does. 287 00:14:47,390 --> 00:14:52,780 But more than hating it, here's what the Bible says over and over and over again. 288 00:14:54,590 --> 00:14:57,450 A better word that God uses is grief. 289 00:14:58,350 --> 00:14:59,930 God grieves. 290 00:15:01,230 --> 00:15:05,966 In Genesis, chapter nine, when the world had become so evil, God had to start over. 291 00:15:06,068 --> 00:15:08,158 It doesn't say that God hated the world. 292 00:15:08,244 --> 00:15:08,862 Listen to this. 293 00:15:08,916 --> 00:15:10,430 It says, God grieved. 294 00:15:11,170 --> 00:15:16,500 It grieved his heart how terrible mankind had become. 295 00:15:18,550 --> 00:15:20,594 And so God decided to start all over. 296 00:15:20,632 --> 00:15:21,858 And guess what happened? 297 00:15:22,024 --> 00:15:24,020 We made the exact same mess. 298 00:15:24,870 --> 00:15:31,302 But God promised he would never judge us again in that way for our sins, he decided to 299 00:15:31,356 --> 00:15:32,550 judge himself. 300 00:15:33,370 --> 00:15:37,286 Now, we don't get a lot of rain in Socal, but the next time we do, I want you to look for a 301 00:15:37,308 --> 00:15:37,714 rainbow. 302 00:15:37,762 --> 00:15:42,474 Because the rainbow is God's sign that he will never, ever judge the entire world for their 303 00:15:42,512 --> 00:15:43,420 sins again. 304 00:15:44,590 --> 00:15:48,806 But in the hebrew language, the rainbow is not a rainbow. 305 00:15:48,838 --> 00:15:50,330 It's a warrior's bow. 306 00:15:50,910 --> 00:15:55,914 And I want you to imagine when you look at the rainbow, if you were to shoot an arrow, 307 00:15:55,962 --> 00:15:57,600 which direction would it go? 308 00:15:58,530 --> 00:15:59,790 Straight to heaven. 309 00:16:01,250 --> 00:16:08,030 You see, God shot himself, pierced himself to save us from our sins. 310 00:16:08,190 --> 00:16:09,374 That's the beauty of Christmas. 311 00:16:09,422 --> 00:16:10,626 That's why we sing. 312 00:16:10,808 --> 00:16:15,374 That's why we're so excited, because Jesus Christ was born. 313 00:16:15,502 --> 00:16:16,386 Listen to me. 314 00:16:16,488 --> 00:16:21,670 So we don't have to die, and we get to live, as the scripture says, forever. 315 00:16:22,250 --> 00:16:23,110 Forever. 316 00:16:23,690 --> 00:16:24,342 Number five. 317 00:16:24,396 --> 00:16:27,814 Christmas is a time to share the love of Jesus with others. 318 00:16:27,932 --> 00:16:30,742 When's the last time you just unapologetically share Jesus? 319 00:16:30,806 --> 00:16:32,410 Look, everybody shares everything. 320 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:34,026 Everybody's pushing everything. 321 00:16:34,128 --> 00:16:38,582 And I work out at a gym, and some of the people in my gym are christians. 322 00:16:38,726 --> 00:16:39,642 Most are not. 323 00:16:39,696 --> 00:16:40,554 Okay, most are not. 324 00:16:40,592 --> 00:16:44,140 I'm making a guess there, but based upon the attire, I'm guessing not. 325 00:16:45,470 --> 00:16:47,022 And, you know, people just push everything. 326 00:16:47,076 --> 00:16:48,046 Oh, you need to be drinking this. 327 00:16:48,068 --> 00:16:48,846 Oh, you need to be doing this. 328 00:16:48,868 --> 00:16:49,406 You know what I say? 329 00:16:49,428 --> 00:16:50,990 You know what you need Jesus. 330 00:16:51,330 --> 00:16:52,320 You need. 331 00:16:53,330 --> 00:16:56,074 Just because that's the truth, we need clarity. 332 00:16:56,122 --> 00:16:56,834 When's the last time? 333 00:16:56,872 --> 00:16:57,886 And you know why you need Jesus? 334 00:16:57,918 --> 00:17:00,222 Because God loves you and God gave you Jesus. 335 00:17:00,286 --> 00:17:02,260 And you're missing out on this. 336 00:17:02,790 --> 00:17:04,420 You're missing out on this. 337 00:17:04,950 --> 00:17:11,558 In Luke 217 through 18, after seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened. 338 00:17:11,724 --> 00:17:16,294 Some of you have been christians your entire life, and you've never told anyone what has 339 00:17:16,332 --> 00:17:16,920 happened. 340 00:17:18,570 --> 00:17:20,374 They met Jesus one time. 341 00:17:20,572 --> 00:17:21,330 One time. 342 00:17:21,420 --> 00:17:22,854 They didn't even get to hear him preach. 343 00:17:22,982 --> 00:17:24,134 Maybe he cried and pooped. 344 00:17:24,182 --> 00:17:24,954 That was it. 345 00:17:25,072 --> 00:17:29,402 But they were inspired because of what the angels had told them. 346 00:17:29,536 --> 00:17:34,430 When's the last time you shared the reason for the hope you have in Jesus? 347 00:17:36,290 --> 00:17:38,510 Just tell people, here's what he did for me. 348 00:17:38,580 --> 00:17:40,160 Here's what he's done for me. 349 00:17:41,010 --> 00:17:45,594 Matter of fact, some of you, you have family members that are gathered with you at a church 350 00:17:45,642 --> 00:17:47,730 service, and they don't even know why. 351 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:51,954 Maybe tonight, around the tree or whatever your family tradition is, you could just tell 352 00:17:51,992 --> 00:17:53,022 them, why church? 353 00:17:53,086 --> 00:17:55,714 Why Jesus is so important to you. 354 00:17:55,912 --> 00:17:57,806 And you don't have to be nasty like me at the gym. 355 00:17:57,838 --> 00:18:03,862 You could just be nice and just say, hey, here's what Jesus means to me. 356 00:18:03,996 --> 00:18:10,460 And I hope one day, as my family and my friends, he will mean the very same thing to you. 357 00:18:11,070 --> 00:18:12,554 Now here's the thing. 358 00:18:12,752 --> 00:18:17,530 All who heard the shepherd's story were astonished. 359 00:18:18,590 --> 00:18:19,958 Were astonished. 360 00:18:20,134 --> 00:18:21,254 They didn't see Jesus. 361 00:18:21,302 --> 00:18:22,362 They hadn't met Jesus. 362 00:18:22,426 --> 00:18:26,110 They didn't meet the angels, but they were astonished. 363 00:18:27,730 --> 00:18:29,930 What is this about God that I'm missing. 364 00:18:30,010 --> 00:18:32,062 What is this about God that I don't know? 365 00:18:32,116 --> 00:18:32,990 And here's the thing. 366 00:18:33,060 --> 00:18:36,180 So many people judge God and they don't even know him. 367 00:18:36,630 --> 00:18:39,380 They've never heard about him, they've never met him. 368 00:18:39,910 --> 00:18:45,274 People have all kinds of ideas about church, about pastors, about christians, and largely 369 00:18:45,342 --> 00:18:51,446 that is framed by the media, by social media or something they've heard or something that 370 00:18:51,468 --> 00:18:58,566 someone else said one time, maybe as a Christian this Christmas, the gift that you could 371 00:18:58,588 --> 00:19:03,274 give someone is the gift of actually meeting a real Christian and saying, this is who I am. 372 00:19:03,312 --> 00:19:04,460 This is what I'm about. 373 00:19:05,150 --> 00:19:12,030 And I'm not perfect, but I do know and worship someone who is next. 374 00:19:12,100 --> 00:19:12,766 Number six. 375 00:19:12,868 --> 00:19:13,918 Christmas time. 376 00:19:14,084 --> 00:19:17,280 Christmas time is a time to change my life. 377 00:19:18,690 --> 00:19:20,320 That's what babies do. 378 00:19:21,010 --> 00:19:23,200 Babies change your life. 379 00:19:23,650 --> 00:19:25,546 If you've been at sandals for years, you know the story. 380 00:19:25,588 --> 00:19:30,690 When our first child was born, I think I'd held an infant once. 381 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:31,966 I'd never watched an infant. 382 00:19:31,998 --> 00:19:33,854 I'd never been responsible for an infant. 383 00:19:33,982 --> 00:19:36,930 And they need, like, 24/7 watching. 384 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,780 You can't just leave them with the dog and go out. 385 00:19:41,450 --> 00:19:43,270 And I was scared to death. 386 00:19:43,930 --> 00:19:45,798 I was so scared, I had a panic attack. 387 00:19:45,884 --> 00:19:47,574 I left Tammy at the was. 388 00:19:47,612 --> 00:19:48,214 She needed rest. 389 00:19:48,252 --> 00:19:50,802 I don't know what was going on, so she was passed out. 390 00:19:50,956 --> 00:19:52,090 I had a panic attack. 391 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:52,602 I left. 392 00:19:52,656 --> 00:19:57,370 And I remember I went home and I said, God, I'm not ready to be a dad. 393 00:19:58,990 --> 00:20:00,966 I said, I don't even know how to feed the dogs. 394 00:20:00,998 --> 00:20:05,146 Every day, like, we had two dogs, and some days they ate, and some days somebody forgot. 395 00:20:05,178 --> 00:20:09,166 I don't know who it was, but I said, I'm not ready for this. 396 00:20:09,188 --> 00:20:10,814 And I remember what the Lord said, you're not ready. 397 00:20:10,852 --> 00:20:12,080 But he said, I am. 398 00:20:13,350 --> 00:20:17,860 And he sent me back, and I've been a dad ever since. 399 00:20:18,470 --> 00:20:20,370 You see, here's the thing about babies. 400 00:20:20,710 --> 00:20:22,580 They challenge you to grow up. 401 00:20:23,350 --> 00:20:27,720 And not everybody grows up, but you should grow up. 402 00:20:28,970 --> 00:20:32,454 It says, mary kept all these things in her heart. 403 00:20:32,652 --> 00:20:34,150 She's a teenager. 404 00:20:35,450 --> 00:20:40,790 She still has zits, but her life just changed forever. 405 00:20:41,210 --> 00:20:42,230 Can you imagine? 406 00:20:42,310 --> 00:20:46,006 You give birth to a child, and all these people are coming and saying, oh, my gosh. 407 00:20:46,038 --> 00:20:49,610 Angels of God told me all these things about your baby. 408 00:20:51,310 --> 00:20:53,760 And she pondered all these things in her heart. 409 00:20:55,410 --> 00:20:58,080 You see, children help us grow up. 410 00:20:58,930 --> 00:21:02,446 If you're new to Sandals church, our vision is being real, and this is hard for a lot of 411 00:21:02,468 --> 00:21:03,040 people. 412 00:21:03,890 --> 00:21:07,086 Some people come to sandals as it's just too real, it's too raw. 413 00:21:07,118 --> 00:21:08,322 And I understand that. 414 00:21:08,456 --> 00:21:11,486 But I think life is real and life is raw. 415 00:21:11,518 --> 00:21:14,580 And we need a church that meets us where we really are. 416 00:21:15,350 --> 00:21:19,506 So there was a couple that came up to me this last Sunday after church at our Hunter park 417 00:21:19,538 --> 00:21:20,306 campus. 418 00:21:20,498 --> 00:21:23,974 And they said, would you say a prayer blessing over our child? 419 00:21:24,172 --> 00:21:26,200 He was a beautiful little boy. 420 00:21:26,810 --> 00:21:28,166 I said, what's his name? 421 00:21:28,268 --> 00:21:30,038 And I'm not going to tell you his name because I don't want you to know. 422 00:21:30,044 --> 00:21:30,326 It was. 423 00:21:30,348 --> 00:21:31,254 But it was a name with a. 424 00:21:31,292 --> 00:21:34,598 I mean, if you're going to name a kid, don't put pressure on your kid, okay? 425 00:21:34,684 --> 00:21:36,434 Like, don't name your kid Socrates. 426 00:21:36,482 --> 00:21:37,318 You know what I'm saying? 427 00:21:37,404 --> 00:21:40,862 Because how is Socrates going to handle getting spelling test wrong? 428 00:21:40,916 --> 00:21:42,122 It's a lot of pressure. 429 00:21:42,266 --> 00:21:44,554 But they named this boy a name like Socrates. 430 00:21:44,602 --> 00:21:46,590 And it's just a lot of pressure. 431 00:21:47,330 --> 00:21:48,846 But they said, would you pray over him? 432 00:21:48,868 --> 00:21:49,582 And I said, sure. 433 00:21:49,636 --> 00:21:50,622 Why is that? 434 00:21:50,756 --> 00:21:55,940 And they said, we came to church for the first time a couple of months ago. 435 00:21:57,110 --> 00:22:01,250 And they said, we have been sleeping together and we're not married. 436 00:22:02,070 --> 00:22:04,770 And we were thinking about having an abortion. 437 00:22:06,890 --> 00:22:13,206 But we came here and you said, and I don't know if you remember, Pastor Matt, but you said, 438 00:22:13,228 --> 00:22:17,590 there's no such thing as an accidental child, only accidental parents. 439 00:22:19,310 --> 00:22:21,850 And we chose life, pastor. 440 00:22:22,350 --> 00:22:23,290 Amen. 441 00:22:28,110 --> 00:22:28,634 Would you. 442 00:22:28,672 --> 00:22:30,540 Would you pray over our son? 443 00:22:31,790 --> 00:22:33,520 I said, I'll do more than that. 444 00:22:34,130 --> 00:22:35,246 I said, I'll pray over him. 445 00:22:35,268 --> 00:22:37,040 And this church will help you raise him. 446 00:22:39,170 --> 00:22:41,360 This church will help you dedicate him. 447 00:22:43,250 --> 00:22:44,494 And I said, listen to me. 448 00:22:44,532 --> 00:22:46,194 Both of you are going to need to grow up. 449 00:22:46,312 --> 00:22:48,100 You're going to need to change your life. 450 00:22:50,150 --> 00:22:52,820 But as a church, we're going to be right there with you. 451 00:22:54,390 --> 00:22:57,300 Christmas is a time to change. 452 00:22:57,830 --> 00:23:00,230 You ever wonder why God would send a baby? 453 00:23:01,050 --> 00:23:03,718 Babies remind us we need to grow up. 454 00:23:03,884 --> 00:23:04,982 We need to protect. 455 00:23:05,116 --> 00:23:06,278 We need to be better. 456 00:23:06,364 --> 00:23:08,682 You know what babies do better than anything else? 457 00:23:08,736 --> 00:23:11,354 They show you how selfish you are. 458 00:23:11,552 --> 00:23:12,890 Why are you crying? 459 00:23:13,550 --> 00:23:14,902 I need to sleep. 460 00:23:15,046 --> 00:23:16,300 Baby doesn't care. 461 00:23:17,070 --> 00:23:18,380 Baby doesn't care. 462 00:23:19,870 --> 00:23:21,840 And you got to learn to grow up real fast. 463 00:23:24,290 --> 00:23:24,750 Next. 464 00:23:24,820 --> 00:23:25,246 Look at this. 465 00:23:25,268 --> 00:23:27,818 In Luke 220, the shepherds went back to their flocks. 466 00:23:27,834 --> 00:23:28,782 But listen this. 467 00:23:28,916 --> 00:23:30,320 They were never the same. 468 00:23:31,650 --> 00:23:35,986 They were at the beginning of the evening, far from God and alone with themselves. 469 00:23:36,088 --> 00:23:36,834 And listen to this. 470 00:23:36,872 --> 00:23:37,854 And it ended. 471 00:23:37,982 --> 00:23:42,340 Glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. 472 00:23:43,670 --> 00:23:44,850 Why listen to this? 473 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:47,320 It was just as the angel had told them. 474 00:23:47,850 --> 00:23:49,400 Exactly like that. 475 00:23:50,170 --> 00:23:53,800 You see, Christmas is a great time to change my life. 476 00:23:54,170 --> 00:23:55,638 Some of you, you know this. 477 00:23:55,724 --> 00:23:58,520 You have not lived 2023 the way you should. 478 00:23:59,130 --> 00:24:00,998 You know, you should be better. 479 00:24:01,164 --> 00:24:03,180 You know, you need to change. 480 00:24:04,190 --> 00:24:05,418 Like, how many of you guys, you. 481 00:24:05,424 --> 00:24:05,958 You know, there's. 482 00:24:05,974 --> 00:24:08,074 There's some aspect of your life that needs to change. 483 00:24:08,112 --> 00:24:09,370 Raise your hands if you're honest. 484 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:09,878 Okay? 485 00:24:09,984 --> 00:24:12,494 Raise your hands and your hands not up. 486 00:24:12,612 --> 00:24:13,034 Lying. 487 00:24:13,082 --> 00:24:14,400 That's what needs to change. 488 00:24:15,890 --> 00:24:18,080 But changing is hard, isn't it? 489 00:24:19,090 --> 00:24:21,840 Especially if it's a necessary change. 490 00:24:24,510 --> 00:24:27,280 This last year, I realized I need to make some changes. 491 00:24:27,890 --> 00:24:32,734 I found out in my family that there's just a disease that I've now seen in three 492 00:24:32,772 --> 00:24:34,142 generations of my family. 493 00:24:34,276 --> 00:24:35,406 My great grandmother had it. 494 00:24:35,428 --> 00:24:36,286 My grandfather had it. 495 00:24:36,308 --> 00:24:37,470 My dad has it. 496 00:24:37,620 --> 00:24:39,620 There's a good chance I'm going to get it. 497 00:24:40,470 --> 00:24:45,346 And so I was doing some research and talking with some doctors, and they recommended some 498 00:24:45,368 --> 00:24:45,940 changes. 499 00:24:46,310 --> 00:24:49,182 So the disease that runs in my family is a mental disease. 500 00:24:49,246 --> 00:24:50,370 It's dementia. 501 00:24:51,350 --> 00:24:56,514 And I met a doctor who said I was trying to understand why you should give up alcohol. 502 00:24:56,562 --> 00:25:01,350 And this is what he said, anything that affects your brain, affects your brain. 503 00:25:03,150 --> 00:25:04,602 So alcohol was easy. 504 00:25:04,736 --> 00:25:06,118 Here was the killer. 505 00:25:06,294 --> 00:25:07,210 Sugar. 506 00:25:07,950 --> 00:25:10,326 I know you're never coming back to church. 507 00:25:10,358 --> 00:25:11,260 I get it. 508 00:25:11,710 --> 00:25:14,010 There's probably somebody right now licking a candy cane. 509 00:25:17,470 --> 00:25:18,490 And here's the thing. 510 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:20,394 I would have never said I had a problem with sugar. 511 00:25:20,442 --> 00:25:22,202 I would have said, some of you have a problem with sugar. 512 00:25:22,266 --> 00:25:23,754 I would have said that I never had a problem with sugar. 513 00:25:23,802 --> 00:25:25,200 I gave sugar up. 514 00:25:25,650 --> 00:25:27,714 I woke up the first day. 515 00:25:27,752 --> 00:25:30,114 When I said, no more sugar, I woke up. 516 00:25:30,152 --> 00:25:32,126 Literally, my first thought was licorice. 517 00:25:32,318 --> 00:25:34,450 I don't even like licorice. 518 00:25:35,830 --> 00:25:41,810 Isn't it amazing how hard it is to change, even if you know your life's at risk? 519 00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:49,140 I mean, you know, you should go out for a walk, but this gouge is so comfy. 520 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:51,668 You know, you should get up in the morning. 521 00:25:51,754 --> 00:25:55,704 But why is the best part of sleep right when you wake up, you're like, I will never leave 522 00:25:55,742 --> 00:25:56,650 this bed. 523 00:25:58,780 --> 00:26:00,376 It's hard, isn't it? 524 00:26:00,478 --> 00:26:03,610 Hard to make the right changes. 525 00:26:04,700 --> 00:26:06,428 Man, that's the amazing thing. 526 00:26:06,594 --> 00:26:09,228 God knows how hard it is to change. 527 00:26:09,394 --> 00:26:13,710 So he's created a way where if we ask, he'll change us. 528 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:15,740 Isn't that incredible? 529 00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:23,616 In two corinthians 517, the apostle Paul writes some of the most beautiful words that have 530 00:26:23,638 --> 00:26:24,668 ever been written. 531 00:26:24,844 --> 00:26:31,264 If you need a fresh start, if you know your life needs to change, if you're tired of not 532 00:26:31,302 --> 00:26:36,656 being able to do what you know you should do, you want to be a better father. 533 00:26:36,848 --> 00:26:40,416 And maybe for you it's not sugar, but it is alcohol, it's drugs. 534 00:26:40,448 --> 00:26:47,210 And you've tried so many times, why don't you let Christ try for you? 535 00:26:48,220 --> 00:26:49,352 Here's what Paul says. 536 00:26:49,406 --> 00:26:52,090 Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. 537 00:26:52,620 --> 00:26:54,808 Listen to these words and be set free. 538 00:26:54,894 --> 00:26:58,744 The old life is gone and here's the beauty. 539 00:26:58,872 --> 00:27:01,820 A new life has begun. 540 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:06,670 Christmas reminds us that we need new life. 541 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:14,496 I don't know about you, but I know some people in my life that need to change a lot of 542 00:27:14,518 --> 00:27:15,376 things this year. 543 00:27:15,398 --> 00:27:17,410 I had to change for my health. 544 00:27:18,260 --> 00:27:19,890 I had to change for my health. 545 00:27:21,220 --> 00:27:22,870 I had to make a lot of changes. 546 00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:27,572 But if you're headed in the wrong direction and you need to change, why don't you just ask 547 00:27:27,626 --> 00:27:29,110 Jesus to change you? 548 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:30,996 Because he will. 549 00:27:31,178 --> 00:27:33,860 That's why he came to rescue you. 550 00:27:33,930 --> 00:27:35,000 To rescue me? 551 00:27:35,070 --> 00:27:40,452 To rescue us from this world that is overcome with evil and darkness. 552 00:27:40,516 --> 00:27:42,372 That is the hope of Christmas. 553 00:27:42,436 --> 00:27:45,640 That is why we gather, that is why we are here. 554 00:27:45,790 --> 00:27:54,636 Because God did not abandon us, but he sent his very own son to save us from ourselves and 555 00:27:54,658 --> 00:27:55,612 from this place. 556 00:27:55,746 --> 00:27:59,792 So if you bow your heads and close your eyes, just want to ask you, is there anybody here 557 00:27:59,926 --> 00:28:04,444 watching online or is in a worship service at one of our campuses? 558 00:28:04,572 --> 00:28:12,756 If you know you need to change, I just want you to say quietly to yourself, Jesus, I need 559 00:28:12,778 --> 00:28:13,510 to change. 560 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:19,990 And I know some of you have tried so many times, but here's how Jesus changes you. 561 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:24,630 You repent of your sins and you place your faith and trust in him. 562 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:27,044 And here's what the Bible says. 563 00:28:27,082 --> 00:28:30,840 No matter what you've done, no matter where you are, no matter who you are, the Bible says, 564 00:28:30,910 --> 00:28:36,680 all who call upon the name of Jesus, he's the Lord, will be saved. 565 00:28:37,020 --> 00:28:39,020 He answers every prayer. 566 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:44,668 If that's you and you need to be changed, you need to be saved this Christmas, I just want 567 00:28:44,674 --> 00:28:51,456 you to raise your hand, put your hand up, and I'm going to ask right now that you would 568 00:28:51,478 --> 00:28:57,024 feel the presence of God, the presence of Jesus, reach down from heaven and take your hand. 569 00:28:57,062 --> 00:28:58,210 And here's the thing. 570 00:28:58,740 --> 00:29:03,012 If you're really ready to repent and you're ready to believe, he will change you and he 571 00:29:03,066 --> 00:29:07,270 will save you and he will never let you go. 572 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:10,116 Because here's the thing that Christmas reminds us. 573 00:29:10,138 --> 00:29:14,196 When God makes a promise, it always comes true. 574 00:29:14,378 --> 00:29:15,140 Let's pray. 575 00:29:15,220 --> 00:29:19,496 Heavenly Father, you see every hand raised, you know every heart, you know every story. 576 00:29:19,678 --> 00:29:23,748 Father, I just pray this Christmas their life would be changed. 577 00:29:23,924 --> 00:29:28,964 This Christmas they would start over and it would be this Christmas that like the angels, 578 00:29:29,012 --> 00:29:34,520 the light came on and they saw your son for who he truly is. 579 00:29:34,670 --> 00:29:36,884 Bless them, Lord, with truly a merry Christmas. 580 00:29:36,932 --> 00:29:42,080 We pray this in the name of Jesus and all God's people said amen. 581 00:29:43,940 --> 00:29:45,804 As we respond to God's word, preach. 582 00:29:45,852 --> 00:29:48,224 We have an opportunity now to give back. 583 00:29:48,342 --> 00:29:52,064 We do this as an act of worship, and I would love for you to participate with us in this 584 00:29:52,102 --> 00:29:52,496 moment. 585 00:29:52,598 --> 00:29:56,430 To do so you can go to give sc we're so glad you joined us.