1 00:00:01,601 --> 00:00:03,203 I just want to know. It was great. 2 00:00:03,203 --> 00:00:06,873 It is great to have Caleb and Noel back with us all the way from New York. 3 00:00:08,174 --> 00:00:10,477 Caleb and Noel, Robyn's brother and sister. 4 00:00:10,477 --> 00:00:11,011 They've. 5 00:00:11,011 --> 00:00:12,178 They grew up in this church. 6 00:00:12,178 --> 00:00:14,114 You started this church with us? 7 00:00:14,114 --> 00:00:15,982 Yeah. You're. 8 00:00:15,982 --> 00:00:18,585 You're not that old brother. 9 00:00:18,585 --> 00:00:20,453 Well, we were just in our garage meeting, 10 00:00:20,453 --> 00:00:24,090 just kind of hanging and, So, anyway, it's great to have you guys back. 11 00:00:24,090 --> 00:00:24,958 You know, you're welcome back. 12 00:00:24,958 --> 00:00:28,762 Every and every time you're back in the area from from New York. 13 00:00:28,862 --> 00:00:29,362 Yeah. 14 00:00:29,362 --> 00:00:30,430 Thank you guys very much. 15 00:00:30,430 --> 00:00:32,866 It's a blessing to have you both. 16 00:00:32,866 --> 00:00:35,035 In this series, I've been introducing 17 00:00:35,035 --> 00:00:38,038 to you our different church planters 18 00:00:38,171 --> 00:00:41,908 and network leaders, around the world 19 00:00:41,908 --> 00:00:44,911 and locally, Cuba, Guatemala. 20 00:00:45,745 --> 00:00:48,314 In churches we've started in Fresno. 21 00:00:48,314 --> 00:00:50,050 Those were committed to. 22 00:00:50,050 --> 00:00:55,755 And so in that same vein, I want to introduce you to a lady this morning. 23 00:00:55,755 --> 00:00:59,159 She's not a church planter, but she is doing, 24 00:00:59,793 --> 00:01:04,097 a lot of church work, maybe in a different venue. 25 00:01:04,164 --> 00:01:05,198 Her name is Tita, 26 00:01:06,633 --> 00:01:08,902 and, I got to know Tita. 27 00:01:08,902 --> 00:01:13,306 Years and years and years ago, Tita has given her life 28 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,410 to ministry in the largest urban slum in Central America. 29 00:01:18,078 --> 00:01:20,380 In the heart of Guatemala City. 30 00:01:20,380 --> 00:01:24,517 There's a ravine that's a mile long and half a mile wide. 31 00:01:25,452 --> 00:01:27,787 And it it's a it's home 32 00:01:27,787 --> 00:01:31,591 to about 70,000 people just in this ravine. 33 00:01:31,591 --> 00:01:35,128 Just these chanties stacked on top of each other with the sewage river 34 00:01:35,128 --> 00:01:38,298 that runs down the middle of it is divided into 35 00:01:38,298 --> 00:01:41,301 ten gang neighborhoods. 36 00:01:41,634 --> 00:01:44,637 At one point, it was the most dangerous place on the planet. 37 00:01:45,004 --> 00:01:46,172 Because you can't go. 38 00:01:46,172 --> 00:01:49,309 You can't pass into another neighborhood without your life being, 39 00:01:51,478 --> 00:01:53,012 risked and oftentimes taken. 40 00:01:53,012 --> 00:01:56,382 And so these kids that are growing up in this area, it's 41 00:01:56,382 --> 00:02:01,688 estimated about 90% of them are physically and sexually abused on a regular basis. 42 00:02:01,688 --> 00:02:03,690 The police don't go into this area. 43 00:02:03,690 --> 00:02:05,925 The military doesn't go into this area. 44 00:02:05,925 --> 00:02:07,627 It's just run by ten gangs. 45 00:02:09,629 --> 00:02:11,764 And so Tita, 46 00:02:11,764 --> 00:02:15,802 God put it on her heart instead of trying to deal with the trauma 47 00:02:15,802 --> 00:02:19,472 after the trauma has happened, to stop the trauma from happening. 48 00:02:20,473 --> 00:02:22,742 And so she has, 49 00:02:22,742 --> 00:02:25,712 through years and years and years of work, has established relationships 50 00:02:25,712 --> 00:02:28,681 with basically the gang leaders of each of the ten neighborhoods. 51 00:02:28,715 --> 00:02:33,286 And she's been able to start academies in a place called la La manana. 52 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:38,691 And we have partnered with her in paying for academies and propelling the work 53 00:02:38,691 --> 00:02:43,129 there for, very, very for year after year after year after year, after year. 54 00:02:43,563 --> 00:02:47,800 And so what she does is establish these schools 55 00:02:48,067 --> 00:02:51,070 where the kids will get education, because otherwise they're not educated. 56 00:02:51,271 --> 00:02:54,274 They get meals five days a week, Monday through Friday, 57 00:02:55,542 --> 00:02:57,610 they get medicine and doctors. 58 00:02:57,610 --> 00:02:58,111 They get, 59 00:02:59,846 --> 00:03:01,381 counseling for them and 60 00:03:01,381 --> 00:03:04,517 their parents, in education, the Bible. 61 00:03:05,185 --> 00:03:09,989 And so she's really stepped in in the role of a Christian community 62 00:03:10,123 --> 00:03:13,293 and, and meeting these needs and rescuing these kids 63 00:03:13,293 --> 00:03:16,529 and trying to transform the parents lives and their families. 64 00:03:16,930 --> 00:03:20,133 And so we're committed to, you know, we always have been for years and years 65 00:03:20,133 --> 00:03:20,533 and years. 66 00:03:20,533 --> 00:03:22,268 We've taken multiple trips there. 67 00:03:22,268 --> 00:03:23,736 We support her every month. 68 00:03:23,736 --> 00:03:28,942 And so as, as with these other church planters, I'm continue to ask you 69 00:03:29,676 --> 00:03:32,679 that you consider over and above your regular tithes and offerings. 70 00:03:33,413 --> 00:03:37,517 We have two times left today, and then to culminate it 71 00:03:37,517 --> 00:03:42,188 all on Christmas Eve, so that we can take your extra giving. 72 00:03:42,188 --> 00:03:46,659 Our extra give it showing have already decided and given extra over 73 00:03:46,659 --> 00:03:49,996 and above to this very initiative, so we can divide all that up 74 00:03:49,996 --> 00:03:53,132 amongst our planters and and network leaders and Tita 75 00:03:53,733 --> 00:03:57,036 to an end of the year gift for them 76 00:03:57,036 --> 00:04:00,974 to help them, survive to help them live. 77 00:04:01,374 --> 00:04:04,978 And so if you if you've already participated in that, thank you so much. 78 00:04:04,978 --> 00:04:07,647 It is fantastic going to make a world of difference in these people's lives. 79 00:04:07,647 --> 00:04:10,250 If you haven't yet, prayerfully consider God. 80 00:04:10,250 --> 00:04:12,352 What about my regular tithes and offerings? 81 00:04:12,352 --> 00:04:16,589 Would you have me give to propel your work, kingdom work all around the world 82 00:04:16,990 --> 00:04:20,693 and culminate on Christmas Eve and then we'll be able to bless them? 83 00:04:20,994 --> 00:04:21,995 Okay, you got it. 84 00:04:23,129 --> 00:04:24,230 Okay. 85 00:04:24,230 --> 00:04:27,600 In this series, we're looking at these characteristics 86 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:30,570 that are, that come with Christmas, as it were. 87 00:04:30,870 --> 00:04:35,808 I've titled this series, The King Has come and we're we're we're we're in this. 88 00:04:35,808 --> 00:04:38,444 It'll culminate in next week at Christmas Eve. 89 00:04:38,444 --> 00:04:40,780 We're looking at these different characteristics 90 00:04:40,780 --> 00:04:45,752 and I want to dive into today not just Bethlehem, but way before Bethlehem. 91 00:04:45,752 --> 00:04:49,555 And I'm going to try to take these two, polar ins and kind of tie 92 00:04:49,555 --> 00:04:52,558 them together around the Christmas story. 93 00:04:52,592 --> 00:04:57,630 Let me suggest this, that Christmas is not just the story of a baby in a manger. 94 00:04:58,131 --> 00:05:00,566 It's the story of God's love. 95 00:05:00,566 --> 00:05:03,936 And God's love didn't begin in a manger. 96 00:05:04,404 --> 00:05:07,407 It started a way back in the Garden of Eden. 97 00:05:07,840 --> 00:05:11,878 And Christmas comes with profound claims 98 00:05:12,945 --> 00:05:15,948 about God and claims for us. 99 00:05:17,016 --> 00:05:19,952 And the big idea that I want to press into this morning 100 00:05:19,952 --> 00:05:23,423 is this that many people love the vibe of Christmas, 101 00:05:23,423 --> 00:05:26,426 but avoid the claim of Christmas. 102 00:05:26,759 --> 00:05:30,263 Christmas makes some profound claims 103 00:05:31,698 --> 00:05:33,499 about God, 104 00:05:33,499 --> 00:05:36,169 about who God is, about God's expectation 105 00:05:36,169 --> 00:05:39,172 about his desire and kingdom 106 00:05:39,405 --> 00:05:42,408 make some profound claims 107 00:05:42,909 --> 00:05:45,912 and implications for us. 108 00:05:46,679 --> 00:05:48,414 But the fact is that most people love 109 00:05:48,414 --> 00:05:51,417 the vibe of Christmas, but avoid the claim of it 110 00:05:52,552 --> 00:05:54,287 right? 111 00:05:54,287 --> 00:05:55,221 I mean, we love this time. 112 00:05:55,221 --> 00:05:57,290 Most people love this time of year. It's fun. 113 00:05:57,290 --> 00:05:59,092 I get it. 114 00:05:59,092 --> 00:06:01,894 But if you have given much deep 115 00:06:01,894 --> 00:06:04,897 thought to the claim behind the vibe 116 00:06:06,332 --> 00:06:08,201 it. Christmas is much more than a baby. 117 00:06:08,201 --> 00:06:10,770 It's much more than tinsel. You understand this. 118 00:06:10,770 --> 00:06:12,038 It's much more than lights. 119 00:06:12,038 --> 00:06:13,439 It's much more than presents. 120 00:06:13,439 --> 00:06:15,875 It's much more than cookies. It's much more than decor. 121 00:06:18,010 --> 00:06:19,045 Most people want the 122 00:06:19,045 --> 00:06:22,048 warmth of Christmas, but not the weight of it. 123 00:06:22,849 --> 00:06:23,716 And so this morning 124 00:06:23,716 --> 00:06:26,719 I want to talk about the claim of Christmas and the weight of it, 125 00:06:27,954 --> 00:06:30,289 what lies behind the manger, 126 00:06:30,289 --> 00:06:33,292 what was what was put in motion 127 00:06:33,993 --> 00:06:36,996 not in Bethlehem, but back in the garden. 128 00:06:38,865 --> 00:06:41,868 Since the days of Eden, God has been 129 00:06:42,368 --> 00:06:45,371 telling his story of love since the days of Eden, 130 00:06:46,172 --> 00:06:49,175 he's been making his love manifest since the days of Eden. 131 00:06:50,410 --> 00:06:53,413 We've rejected his love since the days of Eden. 132 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:57,450 He instituted and started the Christmas story. 133 00:06:58,284 --> 00:07:01,621 We celebrate the advent of in the advent of it at Bethlehem. 134 00:07:02,555 --> 00:07:05,558 But since the days of Eden, 135 00:07:05,691 --> 00:07:08,995 it's been before our very eyes and poor before humanity's eyes. 136 00:07:08,995 --> 00:07:09,796 And I'm going to look 137 00:07:10,863 --> 00:07:13,866 at the days of Eden. 138 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:17,003 In Eden, God's love was revealed. 139 00:07:17,103 --> 00:07:19,772 And my hope and prayer is that 140 00:07:19,772 --> 00:07:22,742 we're going to see the correlation between the Eden and Bethlehem. 141 00:07:23,643 --> 00:07:26,646 What we see in Eden, we see in Bethlehem, 142 00:07:27,513 --> 00:07:29,916 what we see, and God's interaction with Adam and Eve. 143 00:07:29,916 --> 00:07:32,919 We see in the advent of Jesus coming to earth, 144 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,089 the Bethlehem story, the manger story, 145 00:07:37,089 --> 00:07:41,561 the Christmas story was written and spoke about and prophesied 146 00:07:42,228 --> 00:07:45,231 in the garden a long time ago. 147 00:07:46,232 --> 00:07:48,067 And in Eden, God's love was revealed. 148 00:07:48,067 --> 00:07:50,970 God manifest his love in three ways, 149 00:07:50,970 --> 00:07:54,307 and they're the same ways God manifests his love in Jesus. 150 00:07:54,974 --> 00:07:57,143 Then the same three ways this has been. 151 00:07:57,143 --> 00:08:00,780 This has been God's model since the very beginning. 152 00:08:02,748 --> 00:08:05,751 God's love is manifested in three ways 153 00:08:05,818 --> 00:08:08,187 proximity, provision, and parameters. 154 00:08:08,187 --> 00:08:09,789 Say those with mean proximity, 155 00:08:10,857 --> 00:08:13,860 provision, parameters. 156 00:08:15,294 --> 00:08:17,463 This is the way it was in the in the Garden of Eden. 157 00:08:17,463 --> 00:08:20,967 This is this is the way he manifested his love in a manger. 158 00:08:22,235 --> 00:08:26,606 And on Christmas Eve, I'm going to talk about these three things in detail. 159 00:08:26,606 --> 00:08:28,107 So I just want to give you a snapshot. 160 00:08:28,107 --> 00:08:30,776 I just want to open just open a jar. 161 00:08:30,776 --> 00:08:34,313 We'll get into it on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Eve. 162 00:08:34,680 --> 00:08:36,516 Liberty High School 5:00. 163 00:08:36,516 --> 00:08:37,383 We're going to dive into this. 164 00:08:37,383 --> 00:08:41,654 And my son Caleb is going to preach this message with me on Christmas Eve. 165 00:08:42,355 --> 00:08:44,023 And so I'm excited for that time. 166 00:08:44,023 --> 00:08:45,625 I'm excited for our time together. 167 00:08:45,625 --> 00:08:50,162 I'm excited for you to get to see hear him 168 00:08:50,796 --> 00:08:53,799 as we dive into these three things together. 169 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,370 But let me just say as a snapshot proximity, provision, 170 00:08:57,370 --> 00:09:00,573 parameters, this was the manifestation of God's love in need. 171 00:09:00,573 --> 00:09:04,410 And this was the manifestation of God's love in Bethlehem, in the manger 172 00:09:05,378 --> 00:09:06,245 proximity. 173 00:09:06,245 --> 00:09:08,581 Genesis three eight 174 00:09:08,581 --> 00:09:10,683 the Bible tells us, and they heard the sound 175 00:09:10,683 --> 00:09:13,719 of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. 176 00:09:14,053 --> 00:09:17,056 The Hebrew word is the breeze of the evening. 177 00:09:18,424 --> 00:09:20,259 And so right from the very beginning. 178 00:09:20,259 --> 00:09:23,262 So Adam and Eve would hide themselves and walk away from him. 179 00:09:23,262 --> 00:09:25,298 Right from the very beginning in the garden, 180 00:09:25,298 --> 00:09:27,333 God said, you were so important to me. 181 00:09:27,333 --> 00:09:29,168 I want to be near you. 182 00:09:29,168 --> 00:09:31,871 And in the manger he said, you're so important to me. 183 00:09:31,871 --> 00:09:33,172 I just don't want to be near you. 184 00:09:33,172 --> 00:09:35,474 I want to be in you. 185 00:09:35,474 --> 00:09:37,877 But the story of God's love is made manifest 186 00:09:37,877 --> 00:09:39,445 both in the garden and of the manger. 187 00:09:39,445 --> 00:09:41,047 By this word proximity. 188 00:09:41,047 --> 00:09:45,985 God came close to walk amongst and walk with. 189 00:09:47,653 --> 00:09:48,888 Love is not distant. 190 00:09:48,888 --> 00:09:50,890 Love is close 191 00:09:50,890 --> 00:09:52,892 and God was a part of the world in the garden. 192 00:09:52,892 --> 00:09:55,261 He was a part of their walk in the garden. 193 00:09:55,261 --> 00:09:56,963 It was a part of their reality in the garden. 194 00:09:56,963 --> 00:10:00,800 And that Christmas Jesus is known as Emmanuel, God. 195 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:04,837 With this proximity to be with us, to be near us, and not just to be 196 00:10:04,837 --> 00:10:09,241 with us in nearest neighbor, but to be within us as a Savior. 197 00:10:10,509 --> 00:10:12,411 Not only that, in the garden we see 198 00:10:12,411 --> 00:10:15,414 God's love manifested in his provision. 199 00:10:16,148 --> 00:10:19,986 God said to Adam and Eve, behold, I've given you every plant yielding seed 200 00:10:19,986 --> 00:10:24,557 that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. 201 00:10:24,557 --> 00:10:26,158 You shall have them for food. 202 00:10:26,158 --> 00:10:30,529 He's providing for those he loves, and to every beast of the earth, 203 00:10:30,529 --> 00:10:32,698 and every bird of the heavens, and everything 204 00:10:32,698 --> 00:10:35,701 that creeps on the earth, everything that has breath of life. 205 00:10:35,701 --> 00:10:38,204 I've given every green plant for food. 206 00:10:38,204 --> 00:10:39,505 And it was so. 207 00:10:39,505 --> 00:10:40,773 God says, I'm giving. 208 00:10:40,773 --> 00:10:43,442 I'm giving you more than what you can enjoy. 209 00:10:43,442 --> 00:10:45,811 I'm giving you everything for your enjoyment. 210 00:10:45,811 --> 00:10:48,781 But I've given you so much you can't even enjoy everything I'm giving you. 211 00:10:49,315 --> 00:10:52,051 You have needs that you can't provide for yourself, 212 00:10:52,051 --> 00:10:53,853 that I don't expect you to provide for yourself. 213 00:10:53,853 --> 00:10:54,820 So I'm coming. 214 00:10:54,820 --> 00:10:56,122 Close proximity 215 00:10:56,122 --> 00:10:59,125 and I'm providing for you that what you cannot provide for yourself. 216 00:10:59,225 --> 00:11:02,328 And it's the same thing that happened in Bethlehem in a manger. 217 00:11:02,528 --> 00:11:02,962 God said, 218 00:11:02,962 --> 00:11:03,963 I'm going to come close 219 00:11:03,963 --> 00:11:08,234 and provide the provision for you that you cannot provide for yourself, 220 00:11:08,234 --> 00:11:10,503 namely forgiveness of sin and eternal life. 221 00:11:12,772 --> 00:11:15,775 The story of God's love in the garden 222 00:11:15,975 --> 00:11:19,311 is the same story of his love in a manger. 223 00:11:20,012 --> 00:11:22,481 Proximity and provision. 224 00:11:22,481 --> 00:11:25,985 In Genesis 216, the Lord God commanded 225 00:11:25,985 --> 00:11:28,988 the man, saying, you can surely eat of all the trees of the garden. 226 00:11:29,055 --> 00:11:34,593 I'm giving you so much you have no idea of the bounty 227 00:11:34,727 --> 00:11:37,797 and the abundance and the provision that I'm setting 228 00:11:37,797 --> 00:11:40,800 before you. 229 00:11:41,801 --> 00:11:44,303 Because I love you 230 00:11:44,303 --> 00:11:46,472 and I want to have this relationship with you. 231 00:11:46,472 --> 00:11:49,475 So I'm going to provide for you 232 00:11:49,575 --> 00:11:50,042 and friends. 233 00:11:50,042 --> 00:11:53,012 That's exactly what he did in a manger. 234 00:11:56,949 --> 00:11:59,852 But along with the proximity provision, 235 00:11:59,852 --> 00:12:02,421 there are some parameters. 236 00:12:02,421 --> 00:12:05,424 It's just not a free for all. 237 00:12:05,758 --> 00:12:08,761 Genesis 217 238 00:12:08,828 --> 00:12:11,564 I love you, and I've drawn near, and I've given you more 239 00:12:11,564 --> 00:12:13,532 than what you can enjoy. But 240 00:12:15,267 --> 00:12:17,636 one parameter 241 00:12:17,636 --> 00:12:20,372 of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat. 242 00:12:20,372 --> 00:12:23,375 For in the day you eat of it, you will surely die. 243 00:12:23,876 --> 00:12:26,245 There's parameters. 244 00:12:26,245 --> 00:12:28,447 It's just not a free for all. 245 00:12:28,447 --> 00:12:31,550 There's boundaries, there's rules. 246 00:12:33,352 --> 00:12:35,888 The love of God was manifested 247 00:12:35,888 --> 00:12:38,891 not just by his proximity, not just in his provision, 248 00:12:38,991 --> 00:12:42,461 but was manifested by the parameters 249 00:12:42,762 --> 00:12:45,765 he put around us for our protection. 250 00:12:47,333 --> 00:12:48,300 You understand this. 251 00:12:48,300 --> 00:12:51,270 It is unloving not to protect. 252 00:12:51,504 --> 00:12:54,807 And so God says, for your protection, I'm going to put parameters. 253 00:12:55,941 --> 00:12:58,010 Yes, I want to be near you. Proximity. 254 00:12:58,010 --> 00:13:02,782 Yes, I will bless you and provide for you, but I will set for your protection 255 00:13:02,782 --> 00:13:05,785 certain parameters. 256 00:13:07,353 --> 00:13:09,688 Clinically, the best thing that parents can do for 257 00:13:09,688 --> 00:13:12,424 their children is give them parameters and boundaries. 258 00:13:13,859 --> 00:13:16,862 I was just reading one, 259 00:13:17,029 --> 00:13:20,032 statement that said this children 260 00:13:20,566 --> 00:13:23,903 especially need parameters, boundaries, limits and structure 261 00:13:24,370 --> 00:13:27,773 because they provide safety, they teach self-regulation, 262 00:13:28,073 --> 00:13:31,977 they build resilience, they develop decision making skills. 263 00:13:32,778 --> 00:13:34,747 They help, 264 00:13:34,747 --> 00:13:37,116 understand expectations, 265 00:13:37,116 --> 00:13:39,718 parameters and boundaries, prevent anxiety. 266 00:13:39,718 --> 00:13:41,420 And kids. 267 00:13:41,420 --> 00:13:46,158 They prevent entitlement to kids by guiding them to manage their own emotions 268 00:13:46,158 --> 00:13:49,428 and be able to function in the world and without boundaries and limits 269 00:13:51,030 --> 00:13:52,231 and without those things. 270 00:13:52,231 --> 00:13:55,835 Kids feel insecure, struggle with behavior, lack 271 00:13:56,001 --> 00:13:59,138 the internal framework to handle challenges in life, 272 00:14:00,105 --> 00:14:03,609 and it makes them unhappy and less equipped for this world. 273 00:14:05,211 --> 00:14:08,214 Do you see the correlation spiritually? 274 00:14:09,648 --> 00:14:11,851 And so God says, for your protection 275 00:14:11,851 --> 00:14:16,355 and for your benefit, to provide you boundaries and structure. 276 00:14:16,522 --> 00:14:21,794 I love you, I am with you, I want to and I will provide for you. 277 00:14:21,794 --> 00:14:26,899 But there must be boundaries and parameters for your protection. 278 00:14:30,636 --> 00:14:33,639 See God's parameters that he gives us 279 00:14:33,973 --> 00:14:36,242 are not God's rejection of us. 280 00:14:36,242 --> 00:14:39,245 They're God's protection for us. 281 00:14:40,045 --> 00:14:42,982 And in the garden God said, 282 00:14:42,982 --> 00:14:47,920 there are certain parameters you have to live by and at the manger. 283 00:14:48,454 --> 00:14:52,658 With the advent of Jesus, Jesus came and said, yes, I've come for you, 284 00:14:53,459 --> 00:14:55,861 and I will provide for you that what you cannot provide 285 00:14:55,861 --> 00:14:57,563 for yourselves forgiveness and salvation. 286 00:14:57,563 --> 00:15:00,699 But there are parameters in our relationship. 287 00:15:01,567 --> 00:15:04,570 There's commands to understand. 288 00:15:04,670 --> 00:15:07,339 So what we what God did in the manger, 289 00:15:07,339 --> 00:15:10,342 God first did in the garden of. 290 00:15:11,543 --> 00:15:14,179 And this has been God's love story. 291 00:15:14,179 --> 00:15:15,381 This has been God's plan. 292 00:15:15,381 --> 00:15:18,217 This has been God's work since the very beginning. 293 00:15:18,217 --> 00:15:21,220 It didn't start at Bethlehem. 294 00:15:22,121 --> 00:15:25,257 Love does not give one everything they want. 295 00:15:25,257 --> 00:15:26,258 We understand that right? 296 00:15:28,594 --> 00:15:30,763 Sometimes love keeps 297 00:15:30,763 --> 00:15:33,766 from one what they want. 298 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:37,803 Dad's, pay attention. 299 00:15:38,370 --> 00:15:40,239 A good dad's strong. 300 00:15:40,239 --> 00:15:43,242 No is proof of the good. 301 00:15:43,242 --> 00:15:46,245 Dad's strong love. 302 00:15:47,212 --> 00:15:49,248 And the dad ought to be the first, 303 00:15:49,248 --> 00:15:53,085 most profound and loudest know in the child's life. 304 00:15:53,252 --> 00:15:56,221 Not the mom's. 305 00:15:58,057 --> 00:16:01,060 Body clear. 306 00:16:02,928 --> 00:16:06,865 God's parameters are not prison bars for us. 307 00:16:06,865 --> 00:16:09,868 They're guardrails on a mountain road. 308 00:16:11,603 --> 00:16:13,038 And so, from the beginning, 309 00:16:13,038 --> 00:16:16,041 God says, I love you. 310 00:16:16,041 --> 00:16:18,310 And my love is revealed in those three ways. 311 00:16:18,310 --> 00:16:20,145 I don't want you to miss them. 312 00:16:20,145 --> 00:16:23,182 They're the same ways God revealed his love in a manger in Bethlehem. 313 00:16:24,550 --> 00:16:27,419 And in response to that, 314 00:16:27,419 --> 00:16:30,155 God's love was rejected. 315 00:16:30,155 --> 00:16:32,658 This is what happened to the garden. 316 00:16:32,658 --> 00:16:35,661 And it's still what happened after Bethlehem. 317 00:16:36,362 --> 00:16:38,831 Genesis three one through seven. 318 00:16:38,831 --> 00:16:40,699 Let me just read this for you. 319 00:16:40,699 --> 00:16:44,503 I think the reference is up there, but let me just let me just you 320 00:16:44,503 --> 00:16:46,005 know, most of this story. 321 00:16:47,773 --> 00:16:49,408 Let me just recap it now. 322 00:16:49,408 --> 00:16:51,377 The serpent was more serpent than you know, 323 00:16:51,377 --> 00:16:54,446 the devil was more crafty than any of the other beasts of the field 324 00:16:54,646 --> 00:16:55,714 that the Lord God made. 325 00:16:55,714 --> 00:16:57,516 And he said to the woman, 326 00:16:57,516 --> 00:17:02,121 Did God really say that you shouldn't eat of any tree in the garden? 327 00:17:02,121 --> 00:17:05,224 I mean, that's what the devil always does, takes what God 328 00:17:05,224 --> 00:17:08,360 says, manipulated, morphs, it changes. It. 329 00:17:09,261 --> 00:17:11,263 God never said you can't eat of any tree. 330 00:17:11,263 --> 00:17:14,233 Matter of fact, God said, you can eat of every tree but one. 331 00:17:14,233 --> 00:17:16,935 And so the devil always does this. 332 00:17:16,935 --> 00:17:19,238 The God really. 333 00:17:19,238 --> 00:17:22,241 And he fools us. 334 00:17:25,811 --> 00:17:27,746 And the woman said, 335 00:17:27,746 --> 00:17:30,215 we can eat of the fruit of the tree of the garden. 336 00:17:30,215 --> 00:17:34,420 But God said, there's one tree that we can't eat from. 337 00:17:34,987 --> 00:17:35,788 Don't even touch it. 338 00:17:37,656 --> 00:17:39,925 And the serpent said, 339 00:17:39,925 --> 00:17:42,661 listen. 340 00:17:42,661 --> 00:17:45,631 God's holding out on you. 341 00:17:46,432 --> 00:17:47,466 You won't really. 342 00:17:47,466 --> 00:17:50,269 It won't be that bad. 343 00:17:50,269 --> 00:17:53,072 Like the consequences. 344 00:17:53,072 --> 00:17:56,041 There won't be that severe. 345 00:17:56,041 --> 00:17:59,011 It's not going to be that costly. 346 00:17:59,278 --> 00:18:02,281 Anybody can. 347 00:18:03,348 --> 00:18:06,351 Maybe this one time will be all right. 348 00:18:07,352 --> 00:18:09,121 Maybe this one sin I still flirt with. 349 00:18:09,121 --> 00:18:11,523 It'll be okay. 350 00:18:11,523 --> 00:18:14,526 It won't be that bad. 351 00:18:16,962 --> 00:18:19,565 He says you won't really die. 352 00:18:19,565 --> 00:18:22,568 Matter of fact, God knows that when you eat of it, 353 00:18:23,102 --> 00:18:26,071 you get all the good stuff you've always wanted. 354 00:18:26,972 --> 00:18:29,842 Because God's holding out on you. 355 00:18:29,842 --> 00:18:32,845 He's put up some parameters and boundaries 356 00:18:33,178 --> 00:18:35,881 because he really doesn't want you 357 00:18:35,881 --> 00:18:38,851 to have all you. 358 00:18:39,685 --> 00:18:42,688 Again, anybody? 359 00:18:48,427 --> 00:18:51,430 So the woman saw that the tree was good. 360 00:18:51,797 --> 00:18:54,800 It was a delight to the eyes. 361 00:18:55,801 --> 00:18:57,169 It's everything she wanted. 362 00:18:58,537 --> 00:19:01,540 And she took some of the fruit and ate it 363 00:19:01,540 --> 00:19:04,543 and gave some to her husband, 364 00:19:04,843 --> 00:19:07,846 who got really stupid and ate it too. 365 00:19:11,283 --> 00:19:14,253 And then they realized how much it cost him. 366 00:19:16,555 --> 00:19:17,556 And in the middle of this, 367 00:19:17,556 --> 00:19:20,392 when God says, I love you so much, I'm drawing near to you. 368 00:19:20,392 --> 00:19:22,661 And my provision is so profound, 369 00:19:22,661 --> 00:19:25,531 I'm going to give you more than you could ever enjoy. 370 00:19:25,531 --> 00:19:28,500 I have a few parameters that's going to protect you. 371 00:19:28,534 --> 00:19:31,937 And in response to that, Adam and Eve said, I don't want it. 372 00:19:35,340 --> 00:19:37,009 They reject you this proximity. 373 00:19:37,009 --> 00:19:40,946 They rejected his provision and they moved against his parameters. 374 00:19:41,146 --> 00:19:44,716 And in the in Bethlehem, in the manger, 375 00:19:44,750 --> 00:19:48,120 God again came to us and he said, I want to be near you. 376 00:19:48,120 --> 00:19:51,256 I'm giving you my son, whose name will be God with you. 377 00:19:52,090 --> 00:19:55,894 And he will give you everything that you cannot do for yourself, namely, a 378 00:19:55,894 --> 00:19:58,730 right relationship with me, the forgiveness of sin, 379 00:19:58,730 --> 00:20:02,034 the promise of eternal life and our response to him. 380 00:20:02,134 --> 00:20:05,404 He says, even though I have some parameters that you have to live by 381 00:20:05,404 --> 00:20:08,840 for your protection, our response to him has been, I don't want it, 382 00:20:10,442 --> 00:20:13,412 but do my own thing. 383 00:20:13,612 --> 00:20:14,813 Because at the end of the day, 384 00:20:14,813 --> 00:20:17,816 there's something in here that tells me you're holding out on me. 385 00:20:18,884 --> 00:20:20,953 How many of us? 386 00:20:20,953 --> 00:20:24,590 But I've waited and I've wanted and I've prayed and I've tried to do. 387 00:20:24,590 --> 00:20:27,593 And God still hasn't come through. Why? 388 00:20:29,394 --> 00:20:32,064 Maybe he doesn't love me. 389 00:20:32,064 --> 00:20:35,067 Maybe he's not going to provide for me. 390 00:20:35,434 --> 00:20:38,103 Maybe these parameters are to keep me constricted, 391 00:20:38,103 --> 00:20:41,073 not to protect me. 392 00:20:46,178 --> 00:20:48,280 Everything 393 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:51,016 that we see in the garden, 394 00:20:51,016 --> 00:20:53,385 we see at the manger, 395 00:20:53,385 --> 00:20:57,055 both in the love of God and the response of our hearts. 396 00:20:58,757 --> 00:21:01,760 God's love story didn't start in Bethlehem. 397 00:21:02,194 --> 00:21:04,162 It has been a part of his character 398 00:21:04,162 --> 00:21:07,165 from the very beginning. 399 00:21:08,133 --> 00:21:08,834 And unfortunately, 400 00:21:08,834 --> 00:21:11,837 the character of humans haven't changed either. 401 00:21:17,009 --> 00:21:18,243 See, the foundation 402 00:21:18,243 --> 00:21:23,415 for the first sin in the garden was not breaking a rule. 403 00:21:25,050 --> 00:21:27,152 It was doubting God's love 404 00:21:27,152 --> 00:21:30,155 that caused them to break the rule. 405 00:21:32,758 --> 00:21:35,761 And that's the foundation of our wandering as well. 406 00:21:35,794 --> 00:21:38,930 You see, Eve disobeyed Eve. 407 00:21:38,930 --> 00:21:41,933 Disobedience flowed out of suspicion. 408 00:21:42,467 --> 00:21:46,471 I'm suspicious that God really doesn't hear or 409 00:21:46,471 --> 00:21:50,242 obviously care who's willing to intervene, or powerful enough to act. 410 00:21:50,742 --> 00:21:53,745 And so I'm going to do it my way. 411 00:21:54,313 --> 00:21:56,515 Joseph's disobedience 412 00:21:56,515 --> 00:21:59,518 flowed out of misplaced loyalty. 413 00:22:00,686 --> 00:22:03,689 He was loyal to Eve over God. 414 00:22:04,890 --> 00:22:06,491 So he misplaced loyalty, 415 00:22:06,491 --> 00:22:09,494 always produces misplaced love. 416 00:22:10,429 --> 00:22:13,432 And we have to understand. 417 00:22:14,433 --> 00:22:17,436 That sin is not merely loving the wrong thing. 418 00:22:17,736 --> 00:22:21,573 It's trusting or loving God less than something 419 00:22:21,573 --> 00:22:24,543 else. 420 00:22:27,079 --> 00:22:29,247 God's love for us calls 421 00:22:29,247 --> 00:22:32,250 for loyalty to God above all else. 422 00:22:33,051 --> 00:22:35,954 All else. 423 00:22:35,954 --> 00:22:38,957 Things and people. 424 00:22:39,424 --> 00:22:40,592 Jesus, after 425 00:22:40,592 --> 00:22:44,296 the manger would say, some 30 years later, 426 00:22:45,364 --> 00:22:49,034 the greatest commandment is to love the Lord 427 00:22:49,034 --> 00:22:53,105 your God with your whole all of your heart 428 00:22:53,438 --> 00:22:56,441 and soul and mind, 429 00:22:56,641 --> 00:22:59,644 love and loyalty to him above all else. 430 00:23:03,415 --> 00:23:04,349 To love God 431 00:23:04,349 --> 00:23:07,352 with our whole heart and soul in mind 432 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:11,957 is first and utmost loyalty to him, 433 00:23:13,291 --> 00:23:16,261 and to the parameters that he's established. 434 00:23:17,129 --> 00:23:20,132 Jesus will say in John 1415, 435 00:23:20,298 --> 00:23:23,301 if you love me, you'll what? 436 00:23:25,036 --> 00:23:28,039 You'll live within my parameters. 437 00:23:28,407 --> 00:23:30,542 If you love me, 438 00:23:30,542 --> 00:23:33,545 you'll live within my parameters. 439 00:23:34,679 --> 00:23:38,483 The greatest manifestation of God's love for us 440 00:23:38,583 --> 00:23:43,088 is proximity, provision and giving us parameters. 441 00:23:43,622 --> 00:23:48,960 The greatest manifestation of our love to God is obedience to those parameters. 442 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:51,930 That's what Jesus said. 443 00:23:56,034 --> 00:23:56,701 Do you realize that 444 00:23:56,701 --> 00:24:01,940 every act of disobedience is a vote of no confidence of God's character? 445 00:24:04,609 --> 00:24:07,112 Every time I disobey God, 446 00:24:07,112 --> 00:24:10,115 it's my vote of no confidence in God's character. 447 00:24:12,117 --> 00:24:12,818 I don't trust him 448 00:24:12,818 --> 00:24:15,821 nor love him in that moment. 449 00:24:17,122 --> 00:24:18,156 This has been. 450 00:24:18,156 --> 00:24:21,793 This has been the story of God's love and our response to it 451 00:24:22,527 --> 00:24:25,063 since the garden 452 00:24:25,063 --> 00:24:28,066 and since the manger. 453 00:24:29,100 --> 00:24:32,204 And the thing I love about God is how he responds. 454 00:24:32,337 --> 00:24:36,208 How we responded in the garden is how he responds after the manger. 455 00:24:37,776 --> 00:24:39,411 How does God respond? 456 00:24:39,411 --> 00:24:44,282 Well, God's love both pursued and covered those who rejected him. 457 00:24:45,083 --> 00:24:47,319 This is a beautiful part of it. 458 00:24:47,319 --> 00:24:50,188 Genesis three nine 459 00:24:50,188 --> 00:24:53,492 but the Lord God called to the man and said, where are you? 460 00:24:53,925 --> 00:24:56,928 It's not that he didn't know. 461 00:24:57,062 --> 00:25:00,198 God wanted Adam to know that he was pursuing him 462 00:25:01,233 --> 00:25:03,702 because Adam was running away. 463 00:25:03,702 --> 00:25:05,604 Adam was hiding. 464 00:25:05,604 --> 00:25:08,340 And so God calls it. Adam, where are you? 465 00:25:08,340 --> 00:25:11,576 I want you to know I'm coming after you, is what he's saying. 466 00:25:12,177 --> 00:25:13,879 It's not that he didn't know where he was. 467 00:25:15,180 --> 00:25:18,183 And so God's love started the pursuit. 468 00:25:18,450 --> 00:25:20,619 And it didn't just pursue. 469 00:25:20,619 --> 00:25:23,188 It covered for the Lord. 470 00:25:23,188 --> 00:25:26,258 God made Adam, made for Adam and his wife 471 00:25:26,291 --> 00:25:29,461 garments of skins and clothed them. 472 00:25:30,462 --> 00:25:33,598 Because as a result of their rejection of God's 473 00:25:33,598 --> 00:25:37,869 love, living outside the parameters of God they inherited, 474 00:25:38,069 --> 00:25:42,474 they gained shame because of sin, nakedness before God. 475 00:25:43,141 --> 00:25:47,279 And so God had to cover their nakedness in shame because of their sin 476 00:25:47,879 --> 00:25:53,251 and so the response of God in the garden is the same response of God at the manger. 477 00:25:53,451 --> 00:25:55,921 God says, I will come to you and pursue you. 478 00:25:55,921 --> 00:25:57,822 You're running away from me. 479 00:25:57,822 --> 00:26:00,559 You've chosen to live outside of my parameters, 480 00:26:00,559 --> 00:26:03,929 even though I love you and I provided all things for you, 481 00:26:04,062 --> 00:26:05,397 but because you chose to live outside 482 00:26:05,397 --> 00:26:07,399 of my parameters, you're not going to come to me. 483 00:26:07,399 --> 00:26:09,234 So I have to go to you. 484 00:26:09,234 --> 00:26:11,703 Which is the difference between Christianity and religion. 485 00:26:11,703 --> 00:26:13,972 Religion is man's attempt to get to God. 486 00:26:13,972 --> 00:26:16,942 Christian is God's coming to man 487 00:26:16,942 --> 00:26:20,145 says, I will come to you and now I will cover you. 488 00:26:20,145 --> 00:26:22,380 It's the same thing that happened in the garden. 489 00:26:23,315 --> 00:26:25,150 It happened at the manger. 490 00:26:25,150 --> 00:26:28,153 This has always been God's love story to us. 491 00:26:31,489 --> 00:26:32,123 Think about it. 492 00:26:32,123 --> 00:26:35,126 After Adam and Eve rejected God, 493 00:26:35,126 --> 00:26:38,129 after everything God had done, 494 00:26:38,163 --> 00:26:40,065 I want to walk with you. 495 00:26:40,065 --> 00:26:41,566 I want to be near you. 496 00:26:41,566 --> 00:26:46,304 I want to be like all in your life, and I'm giving you everything I've given. 497 00:26:46,304 --> 00:26:47,973 You are you kidding me? 498 00:26:47,973 --> 00:26:49,975 You're going to turn your back on me. 499 00:26:49,975 --> 00:26:51,476 You're going to reject me. 500 00:26:51,476 --> 00:26:52,477 You're going to act like I'm 501 00:26:52,477 --> 00:26:55,614 the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth option in your life. 502 00:26:55,747 --> 00:26:57,482 As if I don't really matter. 503 00:26:57,482 --> 00:26:58,950 If my parameters don't matter. 504 00:26:58,950 --> 00:27:01,953 Can you imagine how God should have responded 505 00:27:03,321 --> 00:27:04,623 to it? 506 00:27:04,623 --> 00:27:07,525 I'm done. I'm starting over. 507 00:27:07,525 --> 00:27:09,060 I created you two out of nothing. 508 00:27:09,060 --> 00:27:10,128 I can do that again. 509 00:27:12,063 --> 00:27:14,933 God showed a ghost to them, 510 00:27:14,933 --> 00:27:17,936 and instead God started a rescue plan. 511 00:27:18,870 --> 00:27:21,573 And the thing that amazes me, 512 00:27:21,573 --> 00:27:24,275 the shock to me 513 00:27:24,275 --> 00:27:27,278 that while God's love pursued them, 514 00:27:27,779 --> 00:27:29,714 his justice remained intact 515 00:27:29,714 --> 00:27:32,717 because somebody had to pay 516 00:27:33,418 --> 00:27:37,322 somebody, his justice would not be lessened 517 00:27:37,822 --> 00:27:40,825 because of his love. 518 00:27:42,327 --> 00:27:45,897 So while justice demanded destruction, 519 00:27:47,565 --> 00:27:51,236 God pursued without abandoning justice. 520 00:27:53,405 --> 00:27:55,507 In the garden 521 00:27:55,507 --> 00:27:58,243 and at the manger, 522 00:27:58,243 --> 00:28:02,313 Christmas time is a time of joy and happiness and hopefully 523 00:28:02,313 --> 00:28:04,749 peace and beauty. 524 00:28:04,749 --> 00:28:06,551 But it doesn't mean that God ignores 525 00:28:06,551 --> 00:28:09,554 the demands of justice. 526 00:28:10,488 --> 00:28:13,892 God's pursuit is seen at Christmas, 527 00:28:15,427 --> 00:28:17,662 but God entered the world 528 00:28:17,662 --> 00:28:20,665 to satisfy his justice. 529 00:28:21,266 --> 00:28:24,269 Romans 323 and 24. 530 00:28:27,539 --> 00:28:31,009 For all of us, me who you 531 00:28:32,310 --> 00:28:35,313 have sinned and fall 532 00:28:35,380 --> 00:28:39,617 far short of the glory and ideal of God. 533 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:44,723 And are justified. 534 00:28:44,923 --> 00:28:47,926 His justice satisfied 535 00:28:48,359 --> 00:28:52,731 by his grace as a gift through but through redemption. 536 00:28:52,731 --> 00:28:55,300 That in whom 537 00:28:55,300 --> 00:28:58,303 Jesus. 538 00:28:59,370 --> 00:29:02,373 God never lowers his standard. 539 00:29:02,774 --> 00:29:05,777 Instead, God sends his son. 540 00:29:06,544 --> 00:29:08,413 God shows his love. 541 00:29:08,413 --> 00:29:10,915 It's always been his story 542 00:29:10,915 --> 00:29:13,918 and that while we're still sinners. 543 00:29:15,487 --> 00:29:17,188 Christ died for us. 544 00:29:17,188 --> 00:29:20,191 Justice satisfied? 545 00:29:21,826 --> 00:29:24,829 See, God's pursuit started in Eden. 546 00:29:26,498 --> 00:29:28,133 And then resulted in the shedding 547 00:29:28,133 --> 00:29:31,136 of innocent blood to cover Adam and Eve. 548 00:29:32,670 --> 00:29:35,640 And God's pursuit entered the world at Bethlehem. 549 00:29:36,541 --> 00:29:39,511 And it resulted in the shedding of innocent blood on the cross 550 00:29:40,812 --> 00:29:43,715 to cover me and my sin, 551 00:29:43,715 --> 00:29:46,718 and you and yours, if you'll accept it. 552 00:29:50,054 --> 00:29:51,289 This has always been God's story. 553 00:29:51,289 --> 00:29:54,292 It's always been his plan. 554 00:29:54,526 --> 00:29:56,427 And God both initiated this plan 555 00:29:56,427 --> 00:30:00,532 and completed this plan not just at Bethlehem, but in the garden. 556 00:30:01,166 --> 00:30:04,402 Let me let me explain to you how God works. 557 00:30:05,103 --> 00:30:07,405 This is God's economy. 558 00:30:07,405 --> 00:30:11,142 And because God the Father lives outside the space time 559 00:30:11,142 --> 00:30:14,145 continuum, let's just get that part straight. 560 00:30:14,479 --> 00:30:18,550 Have you ever thought about this idea that there was a time when time didn't exist? 561 00:30:23,454 --> 00:30:24,122 Like the. 562 00:30:24,122 --> 00:30:25,089 It was just God. 563 00:30:25,089 --> 00:30:28,126 God the Triune God, God the Father, God the son, God the spirit, the only thing. 564 00:30:29,127 --> 00:30:32,230 And God initiated this whole creative work. 565 00:30:33,731 --> 00:30:35,133 So God exists. 566 00:30:35,133 --> 00:30:39,103 God the father, God Son, and God's Spirit exist outside the space time continuum. 567 00:30:39,904 --> 00:30:42,907 And so when God says something, pronounces something 568 00:30:42,941 --> 00:30:45,944 because he's outside the space time continuum, that thing 569 00:30:45,944 --> 00:30:49,314 that he is pronounced actually has come to pass right? 570 00:30:49,314 --> 00:30:50,882 Then, 571 00:30:50,882 --> 00:30:52,717 because he's over the whole 572 00:30:52,717 --> 00:30:56,955 spectrum of time now, you and I are reality. 573 00:30:56,955 --> 00:30:58,890 Isn't that 574 00:30:58,890 --> 00:31:02,460 when we hear something is going to happen, we have to wait for it to happen. 575 00:31:02,961 --> 00:31:06,164 And so there's a lag time with us, but with God. 576 00:31:08,099 --> 00:31:11,870 And so in response to God's love is proximity, 577 00:31:11,870 --> 00:31:15,907 provision and parameters that we break and we reject. 578 00:31:16,641 --> 00:31:20,712 He draws near and provides for us the way back 579 00:31:21,446 --> 00:31:25,950 and in the garden, not just at the at the manger, but in the garden. 580 00:31:26,217 --> 00:31:28,519 He's solidified this whole thing. 581 00:31:28,519 --> 00:31:30,688 He took care of everything in the garden. 582 00:31:30,688 --> 00:31:33,691 And here's what it look like in talking to, 583 00:31:34,192 --> 00:31:37,195 to to Eve and to Adam and to the serpent. 584 00:31:37,562 --> 00:31:39,330 He he he set this in motion. 585 00:31:39,330 --> 00:31:42,333 His love both acted in that moment 586 00:31:42,333 --> 00:31:45,270 and was promised to still arrive 587 00:31:45,270 --> 00:31:48,273 because he's outside the space time continuum. 588 00:31:48,706 --> 00:31:53,111 His love acted definitively and finally, in that moment in the garden, 589 00:31:53,278 --> 00:31:57,749 and made a promise that we would later experience thousands of years later. 590 00:31:58,449 --> 00:31:59,884 But he solidified it. 591 00:31:59,884 --> 00:32:04,455 Then, and the way he solidified it then was to make this promise 592 00:32:04,455 --> 00:32:07,458 and prophecy as if it had already happened. 593 00:32:07,558 --> 00:32:11,296 He said to the serpent, I will put enmity 594 00:32:11,462 --> 00:32:15,900 between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring. 595 00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:18,870 He shall bruise your head, or no. 596 00:32:19,871 --> 00:32:20,138 Yeah. 597 00:32:20,138 --> 00:32:22,407 He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. 598 00:32:22,407 --> 00:32:25,410 Here's what God the Father is saying. 599 00:32:27,445 --> 00:32:30,114 That word offspring 600 00:32:30,114 --> 00:32:33,117 put the word seed in there, because that's the actual Hebrew word. 601 00:32:34,285 --> 00:32:37,288 So what God is saying to the devil 602 00:32:37,455 --> 00:32:40,458 is I'm going to put in between, do between you and her, 603 00:32:41,326 --> 00:32:44,329 between your seed and her seed 604 00:32:44,629 --> 00:32:45,863 and of that seed. 605 00:32:45,863 --> 00:32:49,300 You might bruise his heel, granted, but he's crushing 606 00:32:49,300 --> 00:32:52,303 your head. 607 00:32:52,570 --> 00:32:52,937 Here's 608 00:32:52,937 --> 00:32:56,641 the one of the power of things, in that when God says her seed. 609 00:32:56,641 --> 00:32:58,609 We know this. 610 00:32:58,609 --> 00:33:01,512 When a husband or wife come together 611 00:33:01,512 --> 00:33:03,715 and make a baby 612 00:33:03,715 --> 00:33:06,718 who brings the seed to that conception. 613 00:33:08,052 --> 00:33:11,055 And then the man does. 614 00:33:11,255 --> 00:33:14,092 I'm I'm a little concerned that two of you got it right. 615 00:33:17,695 --> 00:33:20,698 The man brings the seed right? 616 00:33:20,965 --> 00:33:22,567 Right. 617 00:33:22,567 --> 00:33:25,103 God says to eat about Eve. 618 00:33:25,103 --> 00:33:28,106 Your seed. Eve. 619 00:33:28,239 --> 00:33:31,242 Did God not understand biology? 620 00:33:32,643 --> 00:33:34,645 No. He understood it full well. 621 00:33:34,645 --> 00:33:38,683 But what he was saying and it was done then it was an experience to Bethlehem. 622 00:33:39,083 --> 00:33:43,321 Is that this one who will crush the head of the devil, 623 00:33:43,621 --> 00:33:46,624 will not be of the seed of man, 624 00:33:47,792 --> 00:33:50,128 though born of a woman, 625 00:33:50,128 --> 00:33:54,132 it will be the God that exists outside the space time continuum. 626 00:33:54,465 --> 00:33:58,202 Because we all know that the woman doesn't bring the seed to the baby. 627 00:33:58,202 --> 00:33:59,437 The man does. 628 00:33:59,437 --> 00:34:04,909 Jesus was not born of man, nor of man's decision, but of God the Father. 629 00:34:04,909 --> 00:34:07,211 Outside of the space time continuum. 630 00:34:07,211 --> 00:34:11,582 What caused this little girl to have a baby way in the future? 631 00:34:11,682 --> 00:34:14,719 But God had determined that it was already done in the garden. 632 00:34:15,286 --> 00:34:18,056 He showed up and answered the question and he made a promise. 633 00:34:18,056 --> 00:34:18,856 At the same time. 634 00:34:20,925 --> 00:34:24,195 He acted, and he promised to act. 635 00:34:25,363 --> 00:34:30,001 And that's why in John 114 we read and the word capital W 636 00:34:30,001 --> 00:34:34,372 the Logos of God, the Word of God, Jesus became 637 00:34:34,372 --> 00:34:38,543 flesh and dwelt among us, and we've seen his glory. 638 00:34:39,811 --> 00:34:42,780 Glory is the only son from the father, 639 00:34:43,414 --> 00:34:46,417 full of grace and truth, his love from close, 640 00:34:46,584 --> 00:34:49,987 his provision we've seen, and the parameters 641 00:34:49,987 --> 00:34:52,990 of truth. 642 00:34:53,191 --> 00:34:56,160 The promise fulfilled 643 00:34:56,894 --> 00:34:59,764 immediately after the rejection of him. 644 00:34:59,764 --> 00:35:02,767 God makes a promise and fulfills it 645 00:35:03,601 --> 00:35:06,604 all at the same time. 646 00:35:06,871 --> 00:35:09,841 Our restoration was never an afterthought to God. 647 00:35:10,775 --> 00:35:11,542 It was immediate. 648 00:35:11,542 --> 00:35:12,376 He said, you ran away. 649 00:35:12,376 --> 00:35:15,379 I came near. 650 00:35:16,280 --> 00:35:18,850 See the first Christmas promise 651 00:35:18,850 --> 00:35:21,853 was made in the middle of the first mess. 652 00:35:23,354 --> 00:35:26,357 To understand that. 653 00:35:26,791 --> 00:35:27,925 For us, the Christmas 654 00:35:27,925 --> 00:35:31,095 promise of God being with us comes in the middle of our mess. 655 00:35:33,297 --> 00:35:35,833 God doesn't expect us 656 00:35:35,833 --> 00:35:38,436 to clean stuff up 657 00:35:38,436 --> 00:35:41,439 before he comes to us. 658 00:35:42,173 --> 00:35:43,407 And if will open the door of our heart 659 00:35:43,407 --> 00:35:46,410 to him, he'll show up in the middle of our mess 660 00:35:46,577 --> 00:35:47,912 and make it right. 661 00:35:47,912 --> 00:35:50,681 It's what he did in the garden for the promise in the garden. 662 00:35:50,681 --> 00:35:53,684 What he did in Bethlehem, in the manger 663 00:35:53,751 --> 00:35:56,754 was willing to do right now. 664 00:35:57,622 --> 00:36:00,992 God's pursuit is faster than my failure. 665 00:36:03,494 --> 00:36:05,062 And God's pursuit of provision 666 00:36:05,062 --> 00:36:08,065 for you is faster than your failure. 667 00:36:10,434 --> 00:36:13,437 Here's the point. 668 00:36:13,571 --> 00:36:15,806 Christmas 669 00:36:15,806 --> 00:36:18,809 is God's expression of love. 670 00:36:19,544 --> 00:36:22,113 And it didn't start in Bethlehem. 671 00:36:22,113 --> 00:36:24,815 We saw it there, 672 00:36:24,815 --> 00:36:27,218 but it was manifested clearly all the way in the garden. 673 00:36:27,218 --> 00:36:29,820 Because God has loved us with an everlasting love. 674 00:36:29,820 --> 00:36:32,823 The Bible says. 675 00:36:33,324 --> 00:36:35,026 But please hear me. 676 00:36:35,026 --> 00:36:37,061 And I'm going to say this gently, but please hear me. 677 00:36:38,763 --> 00:36:41,098 To celebrate Christmas 678 00:36:41,098 --> 00:36:45,503 without accepting the claims of Christmas is disingenuous 679 00:36:46,003 --> 00:36:49,006 and I would say heresy. 680 00:36:54,312 --> 00:36:57,515 Christmas comes with profound claims. 681 00:37:01,485 --> 00:37:02,820 And it is her radical 682 00:37:02,820 --> 00:37:05,823 to only love the vibe of Christmas 683 00:37:07,458 --> 00:37:10,461 and reject the claims of it. 684 00:37:13,264 --> 00:37:16,267 And the best way, according to Jesus, 685 00:37:16,801 --> 00:37:19,804 to express our love to God. 686 00:37:21,138 --> 00:37:24,141 Is obedience to him. 687 00:37:24,809 --> 00:37:26,978 If you love me, 688 00:37:26,978 --> 00:37:29,981 he says. 689 00:37:31,616 --> 00:37:34,051 The way we say it here 690 00:37:34,051 --> 00:37:37,021 is belong, become, give and go. 691 00:37:38,189 --> 00:37:39,023 Belong. Become. 692 00:37:39,023 --> 00:37:41,192 Give and go. 693 00:37:41,192 --> 00:37:43,761 That encapsulates the greatest command to love God 694 00:37:43,761 --> 00:37:46,764 with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength. 695 00:37:46,831 --> 00:37:48,432 To love God with your whole heart. 696 00:37:48,432 --> 00:37:51,435 That's the belong part 697 00:37:51,769 --> 00:37:53,404 where I fall in love with Jesus 698 00:37:53,404 --> 00:37:56,407 and belong to his family. 699 00:37:58,809 --> 00:38:01,012 And then as I learn to love him 700 00:38:01,012 --> 00:38:04,015 with my soul, mind and strength, 701 00:38:05,316 --> 00:38:08,152 that's to become 702 00:38:08,152 --> 00:38:11,155 the person God made me to be in Christ likeness. 703 00:38:12,890 --> 00:38:15,893 And now response to that I give my life, 704 00:38:16,961 --> 00:38:19,897 my time, my talents, my treasures, 705 00:38:19,897 --> 00:38:23,267 and I go on mission with him because there's people in my world 706 00:38:23,267 --> 00:38:26,270 that don't know him, that need to. 707 00:38:27,838 --> 00:38:28,439 Belong. 708 00:38:28,439 --> 00:38:29,540 Become. Give and go. 709 00:38:29,540 --> 00:38:31,809 Love the Lord God with their whole heart, soul, mind, strength. 710 00:38:31,809 --> 00:38:34,779 It's the best way in obedience to him to show 711 00:38:34,779 --> 00:38:37,782 that you love him according to what Christ said. 712 00:38:38,582 --> 00:38:41,385 And so today 713 00:38:41,385 --> 00:38:43,621 I want to invite you, 714 00:38:43,621 --> 00:38:47,491 if you haven't yet agreed to belong to the family of God. 715 00:38:47,491 --> 00:38:50,494 To do that. 716 00:38:50,695 --> 00:38:52,930 And if you have already chosen 717 00:38:52,930 --> 00:38:55,933 to belong to the family, God by faith in Jesus, 718 00:38:57,034 --> 00:39:00,204 to commit to obedience, to becoming 719 00:39:02,006 --> 00:39:05,009 Christlike. 720 00:39:05,176 --> 00:39:08,179 To giving all of yourself 721 00:39:08,245 --> 00:39:11,248 and to going on mission with him. 722 00:39:13,384 --> 00:39:15,653 How can we ask God to be near us? 723 00:39:15,653 --> 00:39:19,857 Proximity and expect to enjoy the provisions of God, 724 00:39:20,224 --> 00:39:23,127 his goodness, and his grace, 725 00:39:23,127 --> 00:39:27,531 and reject the parameters that he's given us 726 00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:32,403 to belong, become, give and go. 727 00:39:34,438 --> 00:39:37,441 And so I invite you to pray with me. 728 00:39:41,011 --> 00:39:42,980 If you've never fully 729 00:39:42,980 --> 00:39:45,983 given your life to Christ, 730 00:39:46,350 --> 00:39:48,219 fully love God with your whole heart 731 00:39:48,219 --> 00:39:51,222 and soul and mind, strength, 732 00:39:51,255 --> 00:39:53,557 and you're realizing today 733 00:39:53,557 --> 00:39:56,994 that God's love for you has brought him near. 734 00:39:58,963 --> 00:40:00,931 You realize his provision 735 00:40:00,931 --> 00:40:03,934 and his profound goodness to you. 736 00:40:05,669 --> 00:40:08,205 And you're realizing, 737 00:40:08,205 --> 00:40:11,442 have you kicked back against him? 738 00:40:14,912 --> 00:40:17,915 And invite you in this moment 739 00:40:18,015 --> 00:40:21,018 to draw near to him just simply. 740 00:40:22,586 --> 00:40:24,255 God, I believe that you love me. 741 00:40:27,391 --> 00:40:28,592 And I believe that through 742 00:40:28,592 --> 00:40:31,595 Jesus, you've come close to me. 743 00:40:32,696 --> 00:40:35,699 And this morning I want to come close to you. 744 00:40:38,369 --> 00:40:41,672 I admit I've lived against 745 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:45,976 and in opposition to your parameters and boundaries. 746 00:40:48,212 --> 00:40:49,480 You call that sin? 747 00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:52,483 And I agree with you. 748 00:40:52,683 --> 00:40:55,653 And I need your forgiveness. 749 00:40:55,820 --> 00:40:57,288 And so this morning, 750 00:40:57,288 --> 00:41:00,291 I place my faith in you. 751 00:41:01,926 --> 00:41:03,427 I accept what you did for me 752 00:41:03,427 --> 00:41:06,430 on the cross to die for my sins. 753 00:41:06,564 --> 00:41:09,033 And they give me the way 754 00:41:09,033 --> 00:41:11,769 to be right with the father 755 00:41:11,769 --> 00:41:14,772 and have eternal life. 756 00:41:15,439 --> 00:41:18,008 Today I accept you as my Savior. 757 00:41:18,008 --> 00:41:21,011 Thank you for your forgiveness. 758 00:41:21,245 --> 00:41:23,047 Just keep your eyes closed, just for a moment. 759 00:41:23,047 --> 00:41:23,714 If you made that. 760 00:41:23,714 --> 00:41:27,251 If you said that prayer, would you just simply slip your hand up right now? 761 00:41:27,251 --> 00:41:30,054 I'm not going to ask you to do anything crazy. I just want to pray for you. 762 00:41:30,054 --> 00:41:31,121 Would you just kind of. 763 00:41:31,121 --> 00:41:33,190 Thank you. Thank you. God bless you. 764 00:41:33,190 --> 00:41:33,591 Thank you. 765 00:41:33,591 --> 00:41:34,124 Good for you. 766 00:41:34,124 --> 00:41:37,061 Good for you, good for you. Good. 767 00:41:37,061 --> 00:41:38,762 Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, 768 00:41:40,030 --> 00:41:40,431 thank you. 769 00:41:40,431 --> 00:41:41,298 Over there. Good. 770 00:41:41,298 --> 00:41:42,733 Anybody else? Good. 771 00:41:42,733 --> 00:41:44,335 Thank you, thank you I appreciate. 772 00:41:44,335 --> 00:41:46,337 Good for you. 773 00:41:46,337 --> 00:41:48,272 Good for you. Good. 774 00:41:48,272 --> 00:41:49,507 Thank you. 775 00:41:49,507 --> 00:41:52,443 Don't let this time pass you by, man. 776 00:41:52,443 --> 00:41:52,843 Thank you. 777 00:41:52,843 --> 00:41:55,513 Good. 778 00:41:55,513 --> 00:41:57,948 Father, you know these hearts that are coming to you right now. 779 00:41:57,948 --> 00:42:00,751 You know, these hearts that have returned to you right now. 780 00:42:00,751 --> 00:42:03,654 I thank you for their courage. 781 00:42:03,654 --> 00:42:05,022 I thank you for their boldness. 782 00:42:05,022 --> 00:42:09,593 I thank you for their desire to live rightly and to give themselves to you. 783 00:42:10,394 --> 00:42:12,162 Holy spirit, thank you for speaking of them. 784 00:42:12,162 --> 00:42:15,165 Thank you for their decision. 785 00:42:15,432 --> 00:42:18,435 I, together with them, affirm their decision 786 00:42:19,236 --> 00:42:20,738 and we lay hold of that together. 787 00:42:20,738 --> 00:42:24,141 And father, I ask in the name of Jesus that they would 788 00:42:24,141 --> 00:42:27,144 fill your presence right now, that you'd fill them with your spirit, 789 00:42:27,344 --> 00:42:30,514 that you would enable them to walk in concert with you, 790 00:42:30,514 --> 00:42:35,252 being led by you, not trying to lead you, that you protect them from the evil one. 791 00:42:37,721 --> 00:42:40,357 God, I pray that they would look back on this moment in this day 792 00:42:40,357 --> 00:42:43,360 and think, this was one of those times that absolutely changed my life. 793 00:42:45,029 --> 00:42:47,364 Thank you. 794 00:42:47,364 --> 00:42:48,599 Now listen, we're not done yet. 795 00:42:48,599 --> 00:42:50,367 For those of you who have already made that prayer, 796 00:42:50,367 --> 00:42:54,338 you've already made that decision, but that you know there's something in you. 797 00:42:55,139 --> 00:42:58,108 When we talk about loving God with your whole heart, 798 00:42:58,108 --> 00:43:00,244 soul, mind and strength to live in, in concert 799 00:43:00,244 --> 00:43:03,247 and within his parameters, you know you have it. 800 00:43:04,048 --> 00:43:05,749 You know you've allowed stuff 801 00:43:05,749 --> 00:43:08,752 to slip into Wayne. 802 00:43:09,153 --> 00:43:10,921 And though he is 803 00:43:10,921 --> 00:43:13,591 the one who saved your soul, 804 00:43:13,591 --> 00:43:15,426 you know at times in your life he's 805 00:43:15,426 --> 00:43:18,429 maybe the second, third, fourth option. 806 00:43:19,163 --> 00:43:20,764 And I want to invite you to come back. 807 00:43:22,900 --> 00:43:23,500 Would would 808 00:43:23,500 --> 00:43:26,503 you say, God, thank you that you love me? 809 00:43:27,338 --> 00:43:29,907 Thank you that you forgiven me? 810 00:43:29,907 --> 00:43:32,776 But I admit 811 00:43:32,776 --> 00:43:35,779 I've slipped and wandered. 812 00:43:36,180 --> 00:43:37,414 I'm hiding from you 813 00:43:37,414 --> 00:43:40,417 in some areas of my life. 814 00:43:40,651 --> 00:43:43,654 And I know it's silly. 815 00:43:44,388 --> 00:43:45,322 That I can't hide from you. 816 00:43:45,322 --> 00:43:48,325 And so, father, I ask your forgiveness. 817 00:43:48,826 --> 00:43:51,829 And I repent of those things. 818 00:43:53,097 --> 00:43:54,565 That those things might. 819 00:43:54,565 --> 00:43:54,765 That's. 820 00:43:54,765 --> 00:43:57,768 You've been secondary at best. 821 00:43:59,069 --> 00:44:02,072 Give me the strength to desire 822 00:44:02,272 --> 00:44:03,173 to be right with you. 823 00:44:03,173 --> 00:44:06,176 Give me the strength. 824 00:44:06,343 --> 00:44:09,380 And the decision, because of your grace, 825 00:44:09,380 --> 00:44:12,383 to live in obedience. 826 00:44:15,486 --> 00:44:16,820 Father, thank you for your love. 827 00:44:16,820 --> 00:44:19,823 Thank you that you pursued us with an everlasting love. 828 00:44:20,491 --> 00:44:22,593 Thank you for what you instituted back in the garden. 829 00:44:22,593 --> 00:44:25,596 You fulfilled in the manger, 830 00:44:25,696 --> 00:44:28,265 and that we get to sit here in this moment and look back 831 00:44:28,265 --> 00:44:29,466 at all this that you've done 832 00:44:31,201 --> 00:44:33,437 with gratitude 833 00:44:33,437 --> 00:44:36,740 and thankfulness and commitment. 834 00:44:38,208 --> 00:44:41,211 You are a good God. 835 00:44:42,146 --> 00:44:44,415 Help us to love you with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength. 836 00:44:44,415 --> 00:44:47,418 In your name I pray. Amen. 837 00:44:47,551 --> 00:44:49,053 Listen, I love you. 838 00:44:49,053 --> 00:44:50,788 I'm proud of you. 839 00:44:50,788 --> 00:44:54,191 Those of you who made those decisions, I want you to tell somebody today. 840 00:44:54,191 --> 00:44:56,927 You got to tell somebody today. 841 00:44:56,927 --> 00:44:57,961 You can write on the card. 842 00:44:57,961 --> 00:45:00,631 Let us know. You can see me in the welcome center. 843 00:45:00,631 --> 00:45:01,331 Let's talk. 844 00:45:01,331 --> 00:45:05,102 I got I got a little book that I wrote about the foundations of, 845 00:45:05,102 --> 00:45:07,104 of of Christian doctrine. 846 00:45:07,104 --> 00:45:09,673 I would love for you to pick up and start reading that and start 847 00:45:09,673 --> 00:45:13,477 understanding what this Christianity thing is. 848 00:45:13,477 --> 00:45:16,246 It'd be great for you to pick that up, 849 00:45:16,246 --> 00:45:19,650 tell someone you came with, let us know on a card. 850 00:45:20,551 --> 00:45:23,520 We want to walk with you through these next steps. 851 00:45:23,554 --> 00:45:26,657 Those of you who have made some decision to get right with Jesus, then 852 00:45:27,291 --> 00:45:28,292 don't let that die. 853 00:45:28,292 --> 00:45:30,294 I want you to walk out these doors. 854 00:45:30,294 --> 00:45:33,030 You understand? You understand? Yeah. 855 00:45:34,031 --> 00:45:34,932 Listen, I'm proud of you. 856 00:45:34,932 --> 00:45:38,202 I love you on on Christmas Eve, 5:00, Liberty High School. 857 00:45:39,002 --> 00:45:40,037 Okay. 858 00:45:40,037 --> 00:45:42,372 I'm so excited for that time together. 859 00:45:42,372 --> 00:45:44,708 Just to be together and for for my son Caleb. 860 00:45:44,708 --> 00:45:47,911 They get to share that time with us teaching through these things. 861 00:45:48,112 --> 00:45:50,581 And I'm just I'm just so excited for what God's going to do. 862 00:45:50,581 --> 00:45:52,116 So make sure you come. 863 00:45:52,116 --> 00:45:55,119 Now, listen, you all know people who don't know Jesus. 864 00:45:55,753 --> 00:45:57,554 You have them in your in your family. 865 00:45:57,554 --> 00:45:59,757 You have them in your life. You have them in your huddle. 866 00:45:59,757 --> 00:46:04,194 So you if you're graced with waking up every morning between now 867 00:46:04,194 --> 00:46:09,299 and Christmas Eve, okay, if God allows you that grace which I pray he does, 868 00:46:09,967 --> 00:46:13,070 if he doesn't, I hope you wake up in heaven and not somewhere else. 869 00:46:13,070 --> 00:46:17,074 But if your grace to be able to wake up, you know, every day between now 870 00:46:17,074 --> 00:46:19,076 and the 24th, it's only for one reason. 871 00:46:20,310 --> 00:46:20,744 The only reason 872 00:46:20,744 --> 00:46:23,747 you're waking up on the 24th is for one reason 873 00:46:24,548 --> 00:46:27,050 that those people who don't know Jesus, you invite them in church 874 00:46:27,050 --> 00:46:29,686 and help them get to know Jesus. That's the only reason you're going to wake up. 875 00:46:29,686 --> 00:46:31,288 You got it. 876 00:46:31,288 --> 00:46:33,390 So they they're 80, 877 00:46:33,390 --> 00:46:36,393 80 times more likely to come with you on Christmas Eve. 878 00:46:36,660 --> 00:46:38,295 One, if you invite them, they won't come with you. 879 00:46:38,295 --> 00:46:41,999 They are unavailable, but if you invite them to like a cookie 880 00:46:41,999 --> 00:46:45,002 or hot chocolate or shaking, what do we put 881 00:46:45,636 --> 00:46:48,338 one of those boards 882 00:46:48,338 --> 00:46:50,440 before or after? 883 00:46:50,440 --> 00:46:51,975 80 times more likely. 884 00:46:51,975 --> 00:46:59,082 Okay, so invite them a hot chocolate or a keyboard cue board, something. 885 00:46:59,082 --> 00:47:01,018 They'll come. You got it. 886 00:47:01,018 --> 00:47:04,021 I love you got a song about Jesus. 887 00:47:04,154 --> 00:47:04,888 All right, let's sing.