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In chains I was brown,

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I was a madman on the run.

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Through the hills

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I wandered.

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I was riding from the sun.

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But truth found me there.

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It was in my darkest eye.

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I traded my black heart

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Welcome to Tell the Truth, a weekly podcast

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about faith, current events, and life in general,

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brought to you from Mountain View Baptist Church

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live every Monday night at 6 PM CST.

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Well, just like last time, I think we,

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might need to change that opening.

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Brought to you, on the Monday nights that

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we are all able to be here.

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Because we got to miss a little bit,

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but, hey, that's, that's what cold and flu

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season will get you when, there's all kinds

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of nasty stuff running around, makes everybody sick,

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and it's not any fun. But we're back

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and we're all doing good.

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How about it brother Brian? How are you

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doing tonight? I'm doing good. I feel a

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whole lot better

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than I did last week. Last week I

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was I was feeling pretty rough. So yeah,

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but doing much better today. That is awesome,

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man. How about you, brother Dennis? Doing alright.

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Doing alright. It's Monday. One of the little

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ladies down at the assisted living place said

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they used to call it blue Monday. Blue

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Monday.

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Yeah. That's right. Sometimes it gets a little

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blue. Yeah,

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it does. It does. And, we are having

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a slight technical issue. We're not streaming live

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on the rumble tonight. Don't know what's going

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on there, but it just won't connect. So

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we get to be on YouTube and,

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the audio stream, but that's all right. We'll

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have the recording up when it comes time.

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Yeah. Mondays, Mondays are always a great way

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to start the week.

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Yeah. Yep.

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But,

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tonight I think we're going to be talking

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about Christmas and a little bit about the

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commercialization of it a little bit about what

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Christmas really is all about, especially for us

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Christians, maybe.

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Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we live in a

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day where,

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you know, I mean, there's, there's a lot

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surrounded by Christmas.

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But, of course,

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as far as Christianity goes, it's it's all

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about Christ. Right? That's that's what we're that's

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what we celebrate Christmas for. We celebrate it

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because,

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we celebrate his birth, whether he was born

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on December 25th or not.

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It we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ,

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our savior

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and our lord and his coming. And,

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we should celebrate that every day just as

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well as we celebrate his death, his burial,

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and his resurrection. Amen? Yeah. Amen. So but

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yeah. But but it it you know, on

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the other flip side of it, man, what

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a,

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what a holiday it's turned into.

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Yeah. It's something they are saying. Yeah. A

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lot of people get hung up on this

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thing too about well, this originally was this

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day or that day, and the Christians adopted

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it as Christmas and what are let's just

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stay out of that mess. Yeah. You know,

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it's a day we honor the birth of

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Christ. That's right. You know, whether it was

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December 25th or June 14th, we don't we

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don't know. Right. But it's a, it's a

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day to set aside. Yeah. Amen. Amen. Yeah.

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And I mean, it really doesn't matter what

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day he was born on. The fact is

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it's just the fact that we're taking a

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day to celebrate it and we're taking a

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day to recognize it. I mean, it's, it's,

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it's the same reason that,

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most modern Christians

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don't go to church on

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Saturday anymore. They, they go to church on

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Sunday in honor of the resurrection of Christ.

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It's, it's not about anything changing. It's not

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about anybody trying to take control of stuff.

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It's because they recognize, hey, look, he rose

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on Sunday and that's the day we're going

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is the day he rose because part of

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the purpose of going to churches is because

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of what that resurrection meant for us. And

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then Christian and Christmas is the same way.

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It's it's what that birth meant. Yeah. Yeah.

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And, you know, I I know there's there's

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a lot of other things to,

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if you really think about it, and then

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on the other side, a lot of Christians

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are like, okay. You know, we can't do

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the Santa Claus thing. We don't need to

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put up that tree. We don't need to

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do that. And they just get all just

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really by humbug about everything and and really

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take

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every bit of joy out of it. And

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really, the joy is there. Yes. It's commercialized.

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Yes. It's been twisted into a thing that

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it probably shouldn't be in a whole lot

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of ways,

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but the joy that is there,

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it it it it's a season of joy

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because

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we celebrate Jesus. Right? And I mean, come

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on. The whole Santa Claus thing. I mean,

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I've never I've never worried about that. I've

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told my kids the truth of of Jesus.

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Right? And and that's that's the the truth

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that they that they stick with, and that's

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the truth that that we hang on to.

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Santa Claus is a fun thing and, you

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know,

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something of folklore, something of of

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an actual real person too, I guess,

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mixed into 1. But,

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but yeah. So,

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you know, I I didn't try to ruin

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my kids,

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Christmas. Yeah. Yeah. Childhood. Cover your child's ears

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during this podcast. Yeah.

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Yeah.

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But anyway yeah. Well, you know, it's funny

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you mentioned that about the, the real person

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of Saint Nicholas and the guy that that

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referred to, I actually never realized, but there's

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there's a story from back in the early

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days of the church. He was a very

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old,

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in the Catholic church, a person that became

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a saint later. And one of the things

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that he was very much,

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he felt very strongly about was about the

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divinity of Christ. It was very, very important

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to him. So important. In fact, he got

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in a fist fight with 1 of the

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other other people at one of the councils,

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because the guy was saying, well, he was

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a, he was like God, but he was

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not from God. And Saint Nicholas got up

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and popped him in the mouth for it.

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You don't talk like that. And I mean,

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goodness. That's, I'm like, hey, I like that

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story of Santa Claus right there.

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Yeah. Yeah.

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Yeah. I I think we I think we

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do have to be careful when we,

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when we bring him into the church

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and we try

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to make some confusion there. Like, okay, here's

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here's Christ, who is all these things to

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us. And then let's bring in on Santa

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Claus and he's all these things to us.

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Let's don't be let's don't confuse that. Nobody

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nobody takes the place of Jesus. Right? Yeah.

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I mean, it's a,

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it's it's a fun story. It's it's a

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it's it's a great thing to tell your

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kids, you know, and have fun with and

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and a lot of people would disagree with

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that. Well, you're, you know, you're that's blasphemous

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if you're if you're even tell you're telling

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your kids a lie but you know, those

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kinds of things but yeah. I I think

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I think if you if you're focused on

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Christ, like you said, you know, and you

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got your kids focused on this is

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the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

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Because I I think I think the Santa

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Claus thing has gone way too far at

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times. You know, it's got he's he's watching

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you all year, singing naughty nice, that kind

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of thing. And we I I think for

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a lot of people that don't know Jesus,

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that we end up portraying

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Santa Claus as kind of a god. Yeah.

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Yeah. Right? And and and that's all they

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know. Right. Yeah. Yeah. And and then they

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find out, oh, that's well, I guess I

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shouldn't say that, but

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He's he's he's

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magical. He's this. He's that. He's and, you

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know, and and we begin to

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to overemphasize

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who he is. Right? Yeah. And the wrong

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things about, you know, it turns into just

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what am I getting? What am I getting?

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What do I get? Yeah. And and, you

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know, I I finally sat through the whole

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movie of, Polar Express,

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not long ago, and I I that's, you

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know, that's 2 hours. I can't get back,

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you know.

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And, it it is man, it was it

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just seemed

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awful. Yeah. You know, it was all about

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me, me, me. What am I getting? And

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and so, man. Yeah. We,

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we were in the Christmas parade, our annual

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Christmas parade the other night, and, we, I'm

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not gonna go into detail about the float

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that was a couple of floats in front

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of us, but it had Santa Claus and

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Jesus in it, and it was

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very mixed signals. I can promise you that

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in many different ways. But anyway,

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yeah. So but yeah. You know, keeping things

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in their proper place and their proper perspective

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on those things, you know, I mean, good

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gracious. We

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we you know, tooth fairy. We done the

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tooth fairy. We done an Easter bunny. We

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done a lot of different things, you know,

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that that we would consider commercialized, but we

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always made sure

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to,

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express to and impress into our kids

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the the truth of the word of God

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and who Jesus is and exactly what he's

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done and that no one takes his place

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and no one has

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his power and his glory and no one's,

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you know, no one's worthy to be praised

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but him. So Right.

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Yeah. We we you just gotta keep things

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in their place. You know? You really do.

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It's it's hard to do in this day

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and age, isn't it? It is. It is.

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Yeah. Because everybody's making a buck off of

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it. Right. You know? I mean Yeah. That,

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you know, the the whole the whole thing,

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the whole Santa Claus thing, I was reading

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a little bit more about that too.

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It kind of went from, I think the

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Santa Claus part of it came from like

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a Dutch name that that they ended up

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getting,

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pronounced

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like that Santa Claus.

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But,

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the the whole red suit and the white

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trimming and all that jolly Saint Nick

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from what I understand came came along from

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like the Norman Rockwell painting. Oh okay.

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You know,

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1930s, and that's what kind of made that

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big and popular thing. So

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00:10:12,500 --> 00:10:13,959
but yeah. Yeah.

265
00:10:14,419 --> 00:10:17,079
But, but yeah. So here we are in

266
00:10:17,459 --> 00:10:17,959
2024.

267
00:10:19,779 --> 00:10:21,480
You can look almost everywhere,

268
00:10:22,794 --> 00:10:24,554
and you can see this time of year

269
00:10:24,554 --> 00:10:25,615
lights. I mean,

270
00:10:26,235 --> 00:10:28,254
Nicole and I were married in,

271
00:10:28,794 --> 00:10:30,495
November of 1997,

272
00:10:31,115 --> 00:10:32,495
way back in the nineties.

273
00:10:33,035 --> 00:10:34,554
When a lot of you weren't even living,

274
00:10:34,554 --> 00:10:35,215
but anyway,

275
00:10:36,075 --> 00:10:38,490
but I got shirts older than that.

276
00:10:42,889 --> 00:10:44,409
But but, you know, we could,

277
00:10:44,970 --> 00:10:47,690
we went to Gatlinburg on our honeymoon and

278
00:10:47,690 --> 00:10:49,690
and so we'd usually try to go back

279
00:10:49,690 --> 00:10:52,029
once a year. And usually if you go

280
00:10:52,174 --> 00:10:54,014
pretty close to where we were in in

281
00:10:54,014 --> 00:10:54,514
that

282
00:10:55,134 --> 00:10:57,154
in that time frame where we were married

283
00:10:57,294 --> 00:10:59,294
they'll have the lights up at Gatlinburg. Man

284
00:10:59,294 --> 00:11:00,914
they're beautiful. You know I mean

285
00:11:01,294 --> 00:11:03,375
you know you can go to places like

286
00:11:03,375 --> 00:11:05,054
New York or wherever. You can go to

287
00:11:05,054 --> 00:11:07,289
Rock City here in Gadsden you know or

288
00:11:07,610 --> 00:11:10,190
to the to the, to the falls there

289
00:11:10,490 --> 00:11:12,809
and and things just lit up and beautiful.

290
00:11:12,809 --> 00:11:14,490
Lots of fun, lots of good things to

291
00:11:14,490 --> 00:11:14,990
spend,

292
00:11:15,610 --> 00:11:18,589
but everything is just so commercialized

293
00:11:18,970 --> 00:11:21,129
and it's it's made to make money and

294
00:11:21,129 --> 00:11:22,190
it's made to,

295
00:11:22,815 --> 00:11:25,075
to grab your attention and to

296
00:11:25,455 --> 00:11:28,014
to to really take our focus off of

297
00:11:28,014 --> 00:11:30,175
what we're our focus is supposed to be

298
00:11:30,175 --> 00:11:33,054
on. Yeah. Amen. Amen. And and and our

299
00:11:33,054 --> 00:11:35,500
focus, you know, this this this story that

300
00:11:35,500 --> 00:11:37,419
God laid out with this, you know, this

301
00:11:37,419 --> 00:11:39,759
this ain't plan b. Right. It's from eternity

302
00:11:39,820 --> 00:11:41,899
past. This was planned. That's right. That God

303
00:11:41,899 --> 00:11:43,980
would step out of heaven Yes. And become

304
00:11:43,980 --> 00:11:45,600
a helpless baby. Yeah.

305
00:11:46,059 --> 00:11:47,580
And his destiny was to die on a

306
00:11:47,580 --> 00:11:50,059
cross. That's right. That's right. That story, man,

307
00:11:50,059 --> 00:11:51,875
it's so much better than Santa Claus. It

308
00:11:51,875 --> 00:11:54,514
is, isn't it? Yes. Yeah. It's an eternal

309
00:11:54,514 --> 00:11:56,995
story. It's a it it it didn't just

310
00:11:56,995 --> 00:11:57,495
start,

311
00:11:57,875 --> 00:11:59,815
it I mean, it began

312
00:12:00,195 --> 00:12:02,730
way way over 2000 years ago. Right? God

313
00:12:02,889 --> 00:12:04,730
had planned had this plan and he knew

314
00:12:04,730 --> 00:12:05,549
from the beginning

315
00:12:06,089 --> 00:12:07,850
what was gonna take place and what was

316
00:12:07,850 --> 00:12:08,889
gonna happen that,

317
00:12:09,610 --> 00:12:13,049
that Christmas that our our Yeah. Our Christian

318
00:12:13,049 --> 00:12:14,970
holiday and that's what it is. I want

319
00:12:14,970 --> 00:12:17,394
everybody out there to know that Christmas is

320
00:12:17,394 --> 00:12:19,634
a Christmas holiday. Amen. It is a is

321
00:12:19,634 --> 00:12:21,174
a Christ centered holiday.

322
00:12:21,875 --> 00:12:24,535
Easter is a is a Christ centered

323
00:12:25,075 --> 00:12:26,995
holiday. That's what it is. It's not about

324
00:12:26,995 --> 00:12:28,934
a bunny. It's not about a fat guy.

325
00:12:29,075 --> 00:12:30,995
No. Not even about me. And it's not

326
00:12:31,035 --> 00:12:32,769
You gotta let me. And it's not Xmas.

327
00:12:32,769 --> 00:12:34,389
It's not Xmas. No. Alright.

328
00:12:34,850 --> 00:12:36,629
You don't x it out. Yeah. Amen.

329
00:12:37,169 --> 00:12:38,529
And, you know, that's that

330
00:12:39,250 --> 00:12:41,409
if you have young children, if you're listening

331
00:12:41,409 --> 00:12:42,389
and you have kids,

332
00:12:42,850 --> 00:12:45,089
one of the best things you can do

333
00:12:45,089 --> 00:12:48,164
is use this as the opportunity to talk

334
00:12:48,164 --> 00:12:48,904
about Christ.

335
00:12:49,284 --> 00:12:51,524
It's what it's about. And I'll be honest,

336
00:12:51,524 --> 00:12:53,865
I tie it all the way from Christmas

337
00:12:54,485 --> 00:12:55,225
to Easter.

338
00:12:55,684 --> 00:12:57,044
We put our Christmas, you know, we have

339
00:12:57,044 --> 00:12:59,125
our Christmas tree up. We decorate it for

340
00:12:59,125 --> 00:12:59,625
Christmas

341
00:13:00,004 --> 00:13:00,824
and you have

342
00:13:01,529 --> 00:13:03,850
always making sure we have ornaments and stuff

343
00:13:03,850 --> 00:13:05,529
that are referencing the birth of Christ. They're

344
00:13:05,529 --> 00:13:07,070
referencing the manger, they're referencing,

345
00:13:07,449 --> 00:13:08,809
you know, what had the star in the

346
00:13:08,809 --> 00:13:10,649
sky and all of that. And then, I

347
00:13:10,649 --> 00:13:12,329
mean, all the way up until Easter, we're

348
00:13:12,329 --> 00:13:13,709
just swapping out decorations.

349
00:13:14,154 --> 00:13:15,274
Yeah. And, you know, a lot of people

350
00:13:15,274 --> 00:13:16,394
are like, well, you're just too lazy to

351
00:13:16,394 --> 00:13:18,075
take your tree down. It's let's be honest.

352
00:13:18,075 --> 00:13:19,595
There's there's a little bit of that. There's

353
00:13:19,595 --> 00:13:21,914
also I want that connection of he was

354
00:13:21,914 --> 00:13:22,414
born

355
00:13:23,434 --> 00:13:24,794
so that he could go to that tree

356
00:13:24,794 --> 00:13:27,370
and die. Yeah. And and I want that

357
00:13:27,370 --> 00:13:30,090
to be ingrained in their little minds all

358
00:13:30,250 --> 00:13:32,889
you know, just always that reference, that connection.

359
00:13:32,889 --> 00:13:34,410
Even if they don't understand it when they're

360
00:13:34,410 --> 00:13:36,490
young, the thing is as they've gotten older,

361
00:13:36,490 --> 00:13:39,210
they start making these connections really quickly, and

362
00:13:39,210 --> 00:13:41,529
it's it's it's surprising when they get, you

363
00:13:41,529 --> 00:13:42,704
know, 8, 9 9 years old and they

364
00:13:42,704 --> 00:13:44,144
start going hey wait you know geez he

365
00:13:44,144 --> 00:13:45,345
was born and then and then he died

366
00:13:45,345 --> 00:13:46,704
on the tree and and we do this

367
00:13:46,704 --> 00:13:48,144
thing with the Christmas tree and then and

368
00:13:48,144 --> 00:13:49,504
you kept it up all the way through.

369
00:13:49,504 --> 00:13:50,004
Oh

370
00:13:50,464 --> 00:13:51,684
you know. Yeah.

371
00:13:52,065 --> 00:13:53,504
I I know some folks that

372
00:13:54,304 --> 00:13:55,044
that have

373
00:13:55,904 --> 00:13:58,440
at Christmas time that bought their children 3

374
00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:00,360
gifts, you know, and able to tell the

375
00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:02,519
story of the wise men and, you know,

376
00:14:02,519 --> 00:14:03,720
and and and just,

377
00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:05,960
you know, a lot of different ways that

378
00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:06,540
you can,

379
00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:07,879
that you can,

380
00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:11,559
share the gospel with your kids during Christmas

381
00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:13,320
time. So one good way is to be

382
00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:14,894
in church because most of your churches out

383
00:14:14,894 --> 00:14:17,375
there are doing Christmas plays and Yeah. Those

384
00:14:17,375 --> 00:14:19,695
types of things and preachers are preaching Christmas

385
00:14:19,695 --> 00:14:21,475
messages during this time and,

386
00:14:22,174 --> 00:14:24,575
you know, Christ centered messages that talk about

387
00:14:24,575 --> 00:14:27,329
his birth. And so so yeah. It it's

388
00:14:27,329 --> 00:14:29,429
just a great opportunity to share

389
00:14:29,809 --> 00:14:31,809
what it is really about, and not only

390
00:14:31,809 --> 00:14:33,649
with your kids, but with other people who

391
00:14:33,649 --> 00:14:36,209
really don't know. Yeah. Mhmm. Yeah. I I

392
00:14:36,209 --> 00:14:37,730
think, I think too, you know, we're talking

393
00:14:37,730 --> 00:14:38,549
about the commercialization.

394
00:14:39,490 --> 00:14:40,629
I I think we've kinda

395
00:14:41,044 --> 00:14:43,204
maybe cheapened a little bit, the baby in

396
00:14:43,204 --> 00:14:43,784
a manger

397
00:14:44,404 --> 00:14:46,324
thing thing a little bit, you know. Well,

398
00:14:46,324 --> 00:14:47,924
Diane and I went up to, to to

399
00:14:47,924 --> 00:14:49,924
visit the ark up in Kentucky, that that

400
00:14:49,924 --> 00:14:51,524
park that's up there with a life size

401
00:14:51,524 --> 00:14:53,605
ark, and and they had a whole display

402
00:14:53,605 --> 00:14:56,309
in there about how these children's stories have

403
00:14:56,309 --> 00:14:58,950
really diluted the whole story of Noah's Ark.

404
00:14:58,950 --> 00:15:01,269
Right. You know, these fuzzy little creatures sticking

405
00:15:01,269 --> 00:15:02,950
their heads out in the cartoons and all

406
00:15:02,950 --> 00:15:04,710
this different stuff that they have. And I

407
00:15:04,710 --> 00:15:06,070
think we've done kind of the same thing

408
00:15:06,070 --> 00:15:08,004
with Jesus in the manger. Cheers. You know,

409
00:15:08,004 --> 00:15:08,965
and that whole Christmas story, and and we

410
00:15:08,965 --> 00:15:09,583
we missed the real miracle behind it. Yeah.

411
00:15:09,583 --> 00:15:09,764
You know, that this this is the God

412
00:15:09,764 --> 00:15:11,144
of heaven Yeah.

413
00:15:11,764 --> 00:15:13,625
That had has become a poor, naked, defenseless

414
00:15:13,925 --> 00:15:15,545
baby relying completely on the father for

415
00:15:20,299 --> 00:15:22,433
for everything. I see it. I see it.

416
00:15:22,433 --> 00:15:23,059
And and and the seed that Satan was

417
00:15:23,059 --> 00:15:23,759
chasing the whole entire time Yeah.

418
00:15:24,860 --> 00:15:24,939
With

419
00:15:25,819 --> 00:15:26,220
Yeah.

420
00:15:26,620 --> 00:15:27,339
With the government trying to kill the babies

421
00:15:27,339 --> 00:15:27,980
during that time and and,

422
00:15:28,620 --> 00:15:32,059
just I mean, it it's yeah. We we

423
00:15:32,059 --> 00:15:33,519
we wanna make it a cute little sweet

424
00:15:36,195 --> 00:15:38,455
little story. That's what we wanna make it.

425
00:15:38,754 --> 00:15:40,695
But but there was there was,

426
00:15:41,394 --> 00:15:42,455
miracles happening.

427
00:15:43,075 --> 00:15:43,715
Oh, man.

428
00:15:44,115 --> 00:15:45,634
Just one after another. I mean, when you

429
00:15:45,634 --> 00:15:48,195
think about a a star leading people to

430
00:15:48,355 --> 00:15:50,695
Yeah. Jesus. I mean, that is huge.

431
00:15:51,100 --> 00:15:53,100
Was it just a supernova or something that

432
00:15:53,100 --> 00:15:55,179
happened? It it was moving. Yeah. God said,

433
00:15:55,179 --> 00:15:57,019
here, let me show you where he's at.

434
00:15:57,019 --> 00:15:59,259
Let me take you there. Yeah. And and

435
00:15:59,259 --> 00:16:01,279
and then and then the the the spiritual,

436
00:16:02,220 --> 00:16:04,299
warfare that was going on with, like I

437
00:16:04,299 --> 00:16:05,039
said, with,

438
00:16:05,419 --> 00:16:07,575
with trying to take out those children and

439
00:16:07,575 --> 00:16:09,355
take out those babies, those firstborns.

440
00:16:10,294 --> 00:16:12,615
I mean, just it it's there's just so

441
00:16:12,615 --> 00:16:15,274
much going on in that story. Oh, man.

442
00:16:15,735 --> 00:16:18,134
That that we that we leave out or

443
00:16:18,134 --> 00:16:20,789
we just commercialize. Yeah. Yeah. And we'd kind

444
00:16:20,789 --> 00:16:22,309
of gloss over the virgin birth. And and

445
00:16:22,309 --> 00:16:24,389
that's one of the most critical doctrines in

446
00:16:24,389 --> 00:16:26,549
Christianity. Without the virgin birth, he's not the

447
00:16:26,549 --> 00:16:28,629
son of God. That's right. Yeah. It all

448
00:16:28,629 --> 00:16:31,370
falls apart. Yeah. Right? Yeah. And and it's

449
00:16:31,590 --> 00:16:34,254
it's real. It happened. It happened. Just like

450
00:16:34,254 --> 00:16:36,095
the Bible says it did. We need to

451
00:16:36,095 --> 00:16:38,014
believe that. Amen. And it was in an

452
00:16:38,014 --> 00:16:39,875
obscure little town in the middle of nowhere,

453
00:16:40,174 --> 00:16:42,735
you know, that nobody noticed. I mean, what

454
00:16:42,735 --> 00:16:44,654
kind of king comes in like that? Yeah.

455
00:16:44,654 --> 00:16:47,200
Yeah. A humble one. That's exactly right. That's

456
00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:49,679
exactly right. And one who had a,

457
00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:52,639
he had a plan. Right? Absolutely. And knew

458
00:16:52,639 --> 00:16:53,139
exactly,

459
00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:56,399
each each step of his plan, how it

460
00:16:56,399 --> 00:16:57,779
would go, what it would be.

461
00:16:58,399 --> 00:17:00,320
You know, I mean, think to think about

462
00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:00,820
that

463
00:17:01,675 --> 00:17:03,915
and and the characters in in that, the

464
00:17:03,915 --> 00:17:06,335
real characters, the people, the real people,

465
00:17:06,955 --> 00:17:09,195
Mary and Joseph, and like you said, to

466
00:17:09,195 --> 00:17:11,615
to pick someone like her. I mean,

467
00:17:12,555 --> 00:17:14,875
Mary is not someone that we worship. Okay?

468
00:17:15,275 --> 00:17:17,490
So so we don't wanna we we don't

469
00:17:17,490 --> 00:17:18,150
want to,

470
00:17:18,529 --> 00:17:20,230
overemphasize or over spiritualize

471
00:17:20,529 --> 00:17:21,509
who Mary is.

472
00:17:22,130 --> 00:17:24,450
Mary is not someone we worship, but but

473
00:17:24,450 --> 00:17:26,849
man, what a woman of God. You know?

474
00:17:26,849 --> 00:17:28,070
I mean, she was,

475
00:17:28,609 --> 00:17:30,869
for for God to handpick Mary,

476
00:17:31,815 --> 00:17:33,894
to be that type. She was not perfect.

477
00:17:33,894 --> 00:17:36,375
She was not, you know Right. He, she

478
00:17:36,375 --> 00:17:38,474
herself was born into sin, of course.

479
00:17:39,095 --> 00:17:41,514
But but, Josh, I mean,

480
00:17:41,815 --> 00:17:42,375
she had to be something else for God

481
00:17:42,375 --> 00:17:43,204
to say, okay. I'm gonna pick you to

482
00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:46,480
else for God to say, okay, I'm gonna

483
00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:47,299
pick you

484
00:17:47,759 --> 00:17:50,740
to be to to to carry the savior

485
00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:51,859
of the world

486
00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:55,039
inside of you. And then to handpick Joseph.

487
00:17:55,039 --> 00:17:57,680
Right? And for Joseph Yeah. Joseph had to

488
00:17:57,680 --> 00:17:59,455
be such a man of faith,

489
00:17:59,914 --> 00:18:00,654
to to

490
00:18:01,115 --> 00:18:02,734
to believe that his wife

491
00:18:03,035 --> 00:18:04,795
had not had any kind of relations with

492
00:18:04,795 --> 00:18:06,955
another man. Yeah. And and and to trust

493
00:18:06,955 --> 00:18:08,875
the angel that came to him and said,

494
00:18:08,875 --> 00:18:09,375
hey,

495
00:18:09,755 --> 00:18:12,154
Joseph, you know, Mary has been faithful to

496
00:18:12,154 --> 00:18:14,670
you in this. She hasn't done anything and

497
00:18:14,670 --> 00:18:17,150
this is this birth is a miraculous birth

498
00:18:17,150 --> 00:18:19,869
of God and and for for Joseph to

499
00:18:19,869 --> 00:18:21,789
trust in that and believe in that and

500
00:18:21,789 --> 00:18:24,049
be a man of faith and then continue

501
00:18:25,325 --> 00:18:25,984
with Mary

502
00:18:26,365 --> 00:18:26,865
to

503
00:18:27,325 --> 00:18:30,045
and really risk his life. I mean knowing

504
00:18:30,045 --> 00:18:30,545
that,

505
00:18:31,085 --> 00:18:33,484
the the danger that was surrounded, the decree

506
00:18:33,484 --> 00:18:35,565
that had went out and all those things

507
00:18:35,565 --> 00:18:38,045
that were happening with it and basically having

508
00:18:38,045 --> 00:18:38,785
to be,

509
00:18:39,325 --> 00:18:39,930
you know,

510
00:18:41,690 --> 00:18:43,610
secret about what was going on, where the

511
00:18:43,610 --> 00:18:45,049
birth was gonna be, and those kinds of

512
00:18:45,049 --> 00:18:45,549
things.

513
00:18:45,930 --> 00:18:47,690
Yeah. I mean, Joseph was a he was

514
00:18:47,690 --> 00:18:49,130
a great man of God too. We don't

515
00:18:49,130 --> 00:18:51,049
give him enough credit. No. Not not nearly

516
00:18:51,049 --> 00:18:53,085
enough. Yeah. I mean, everybody, a lot of

517
00:18:53,085 --> 00:18:54,845
times, and I've heard pastors do this before.

518
00:18:54,845 --> 00:18:57,005
They, they really jump on that. You know,

519
00:18:57,005 --> 00:18:58,765
when you're reading through the Christmas story and

520
00:18:58,765 --> 00:19:00,924
you're reading through that leading up to the

521
00:19:00,924 --> 00:19:03,164
birth of Christ and it says that he

522
00:19:03,164 --> 00:19:05,244
had kind of made up his mind. Okay.

523
00:19:05,244 --> 00:19:06,759
I'm going to put her away. We're going

524
00:19:06,759 --> 00:19:08,119
to, we're going to walk away from this

525
00:19:08,119 --> 00:19:10,839
clearly something's going on, but you know, and,

526
00:19:10,839 --> 00:19:12,200
and the angel came to him and said,

527
00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:14,380
Hey, woah, no, she's telling the truth. You

528
00:19:14,679 --> 00:19:16,920
know, I mean, you, a lot of people

529
00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:18,375
really get stuck on that. And I'm like,

530
00:19:18,934 --> 00:19:20,154
you mean to tell me?

531
00:19:20,855 --> 00:19:23,015
Yeah. If if this young girl that you're

532
00:19:23,015 --> 00:19:24,934
you're about to get that you're you're she's

533
00:19:24,934 --> 00:19:26,615
your fiance. You know the 2 of you

534
00:19:26,615 --> 00:19:28,454
haven't been doing anything, and she comes up

535
00:19:28,454 --> 00:19:29,835
pregnant. You're not thinking,

536
00:19:30,134 --> 00:19:31,194
I've been, like,

537
00:19:32,375 --> 00:19:32,875
Nicole?

538
00:19:36,069 --> 00:19:37,589
Is there something that you need to tell

539
00:19:37,589 --> 00:19:39,289
me? I'm having trouble with this.

540
00:19:39,669 --> 00:19:42,169
You know? I mean, all of us would,

541
00:19:42,230 --> 00:19:43,750
but the fact is as soon as that

542
00:19:43,750 --> 00:19:45,669
angel came, it wasn't even a question with

543
00:19:45,669 --> 00:19:47,589
Joseph. Yeah. I'd been like, I knew we

544
00:19:47,589 --> 00:19:48,970
needed premarital counsel.

545
00:19:51,154 --> 00:19:52,134
Yeah. I mean,

546
00:19:52,595 --> 00:19:54,515
exactly. I mean, any of us would have

547
00:19:54,515 --> 00:19:56,914
just been like, no. No way. Yeah. Oh,

548
00:19:56,914 --> 00:19:58,214
no. This is god's son.

549
00:19:58,515 --> 00:20:01,075
Mhmm. Uh-huh. Yeah. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. Well well,

550
00:20:01,075 --> 00:20:02,454
we even we even twist

551
00:20:02,755 --> 00:20:04,914
the the legend of Mary. Right? She turns

552
00:20:04,914 --> 00:20:06,890
into this sinless thing who's they call the

553
00:20:06,890 --> 00:20:09,210
mother of God and that that's no no

554
00:20:09,210 --> 00:20:09,950
no no no no.

555
00:20:10,410 --> 00:20:12,349
Right. Yeah. Yeah. I don't have a mother.

556
00:20:12,730 --> 00:20:14,970
On earth, he did. Yeah. And do you

557
00:20:14,970 --> 00:20:16,829
ever notice that he always calls her woman?

558
00:20:16,890 --> 00:20:19,605
Mhmm. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Until until

559
00:20:19,605 --> 00:20:21,365
he tells John when he's on the cross

560
00:20:21,365 --> 00:20:22,984
said your mother Yeah.

561
00:20:23,285 --> 00:20:25,684
Yeah. That's right. That's right. Because she is

562
00:20:25,684 --> 00:20:27,285
just a human being. She is just a

563
00:20:27,285 --> 00:20:28,825
person. She is not a deity.

564
00:20:29,285 --> 00:20:31,365
She is not in heaven somewhere. You cannot

565
00:20:31,605 --> 00:20:32,884
I mean, she is in heaven, but she

566
00:20:33,045 --> 00:20:34,559
you can't she's not there for you to

567
00:20:34,799 --> 00:20:37,279
pray to her or to, you know, ask

568
00:20:37,279 --> 00:20:39,039
forgiveness for your sins. Listen. You get that

569
00:20:39,039 --> 00:20:41,120
from one place. Right? And Yeah. And that's

570
00:20:41,120 --> 00:20:42,980
God himself. That's that's Christ,

571
00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:45,620
Jesus himself. So so, yeah,

572
00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:48,765
that those are the things that kinda get

573
00:20:48,765 --> 00:20:49,585
over overemphasized

574
00:20:49,964 --> 00:20:50,944
or over spiritualized,

575
00:20:52,284 --> 00:20:54,865
but, but God, he he picked a normal

576
00:20:55,804 --> 00:20:56,304
woman.

577
00:20:56,924 --> 00:20:58,444
No doubt she must have been a great

578
00:20:58,444 --> 00:21:01,184
woman Yeah. But but a normal woman nonetheless,

579
00:21:02,279 --> 00:21:03,500
to carry the savior

580
00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:06,039
of the world. It's amazing. And and and

581
00:21:06,039 --> 00:21:07,160
I always like to think of it like,

582
00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:09,980
you know, Bethlehem was like, you know, Sylvania.

583
00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:12,600
Yeah. Yeah. Right. And and these are the

584
00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:15,625
obscure people. Nobody knows them. Right. And and

585
00:21:15,625 --> 00:21:18,744
god picked these people Mhmm. For, who knows

586
00:21:18,744 --> 00:21:20,744
why? Yeah. Right? Just like it was like

587
00:21:20,744 --> 00:21:22,984
he he chose Israel and didn't really say

588
00:21:22,984 --> 00:21:25,065
why is because I chose you. You're right?

589
00:21:25,065 --> 00:21:27,005
And and these people are just

590
00:21:27,340 --> 00:21:30,059
obscurity, but it rocked the whole world. Yeah.

591
00:21:30,059 --> 00:21:32,700
It did. 2000 years ago, over 2000 years

592
00:21:32,700 --> 00:21:34,860
ago, it rocked the world. Yes. It did.

593
00:21:34,860 --> 00:21:35,840
Yes. It did.

594
00:21:36,380 --> 00:21:38,220
He can do the same with us. Yes.

595
00:21:38,220 --> 00:21:41,025
He can. Amen. And think, you know, you

596
00:21:41,164 --> 00:21:41,984
talking about

597
00:21:42,285 --> 00:21:45,404
how godly and how how Mary and Joseph

598
00:21:45,404 --> 00:21:47,404
were really willing to step out and do

599
00:21:47,404 --> 00:21:48,625
what God called them do.

600
00:21:49,565 --> 00:21:51,644
Think about Mary's family. There was something about

601
00:21:51,644 --> 00:21:53,424
that family because her cousin

602
00:21:54,605 --> 00:21:55,345
was also,

603
00:21:55,750 --> 00:21:57,669
sure, you know, beyond the age of being

604
00:21:57,669 --> 00:21:59,349
able to to, you know, she was already

605
00:21:59,349 --> 00:22:00,789
advanced in years. They didn't think they were

606
00:22:00,789 --> 00:22:01,909
gonna have a baby. And then all of

607
00:22:01,909 --> 00:22:04,089
a sudden, hey, here's this this baby.

608
00:22:04,470 --> 00:22:06,309
Oh, by the way, he's gonna prepare the

609
00:22:06,309 --> 00:22:08,184
way for Mary's son.

610
00:22:08,565 --> 00:22:10,565
John was more spiritually mature in the womb

611
00:22:10,565 --> 00:22:12,105
than most of us are today.

612
00:22:13,765 --> 00:22:15,684
He leaked in the womb. He knew who

613
00:22:15,684 --> 00:22:16,744
that was. Wow.

614
00:22:17,684 --> 00:22:19,785
Man, can you and can you imagine

615
00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:23,279
you're born in, you're born and over time

616
00:22:23,279 --> 00:22:25,519
you start coming to this realization of who

617
00:22:25,519 --> 00:22:27,680
your cousin is, and then God is calling

618
00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:28,960
you to go out and saying, Hey, John,

619
00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:30,500
I need you to go out and tell

620
00:22:30,799 --> 00:22:33,519
everybody who is coming behind you. Tell them

621
00:22:33,519 --> 00:22:35,404
about who I am and who it is

622
00:22:35,404 --> 00:22:37,404
that I'm about to send, because it's your

623
00:22:37,404 --> 00:22:38,765
cousin over here. You've known him your whole

624
00:22:38,765 --> 00:22:40,684
life. You're going to go out and preach

625
00:22:40,684 --> 00:22:41,805
about him and you're going to go out

626
00:22:41,805 --> 00:22:43,244
and tell people about him. Oh, by the

627
00:22:43,244 --> 00:22:45,805
way, you're also going to die. Yeah. Yeah.

628
00:22:45,805 --> 00:22:46,945
For what you're saying.

629
00:22:48,684 --> 00:22:49,589
And John goes,

630
00:22:50,069 --> 00:22:52,390
yes, lord. Okey dokey. I'll do it. I'll

631
00:22:52,390 --> 00:22:53,450
do it. And,

632
00:22:53,750 --> 00:22:55,429
you know, I I don't know. I mean,

633
00:22:55,429 --> 00:22:57,109
if it had been me, I'd probably I'd

634
00:22:57,109 --> 00:22:59,210
have been dropping some names. You know?

635
00:23:01,109 --> 00:23:02,569
Jesus. That's my cousin.

636
00:23:04,224 --> 00:23:06,144
We go way back. That but you remember

637
00:23:06,144 --> 00:23:08,065
that wedding the other day? That was my

638
00:23:08,065 --> 00:23:08,565
cousin.

639
00:23:12,625 --> 00:23:15,264
Old Lazarus. Yep. My cousin. No. That's who

640
00:23:15,264 --> 00:23:16,085
he done it.

641
00:23:17,289 --> 00:23:18,730
But it's funny though, you know, at at

642
00:23:18,730 --> 00:23:20,890
Jesus baptism, John acts like he doesn't really

643
00:23:20,890 --> 00:23:22,890
know. Yeah. But you know that there there

644
00:23:22,890 --> 00:23:24,670
were stories all over the family,

645
00:23:24,970 --> 00:23:27,049
you know, and and, Elizabeth talking about the

646
00:23:27,049 --> 00:23:28,890
baby leaving in a womb, Mary talking about

647
00:23:28,890 --> 00:23:30,730
things, and people talk about things. He had

648
00:23:30,730 --> 00:23:32,705
to know. Yeah. But he he was waiting

649
00:23:32,705 --> 00:23:34,384
for that sign. Yeah. That's right. That's right.

650
00:23:34,384 --> 00:23:36,644
He's waiting for that sign. Absolutely. Absolutely.

651
00:23:37,345 --> 00:23:39,605
What and I think John John

652
00:23:40,065 --> 00:23:41,585
knew that he had a calling on his

653
00:23:41,585 --> 00:23:43,025
life, but it's like you said, he was

654
00:23:43,025 --> 00:23:45,105
waiting for that calling. Yeah. He was waiting

655
00:23:45,105 --> 00:23:47,349
for it to really mature and come to

656
00:23:47,349 --> 00:23:47,849
be

657
00:23:48,230 --> 00:23:50,150
and and and then it was. Yeah. Right?

658
00:23:50,150 --> 00:23:51,529
Mhmm. Yeah. Man.

659
00:23:51,910 --> 00:23:52,230
And,

660
00:23:52,869 --> 00:23:53,109
we

661
00:23:54,150 --> 00:23:56,569
John reminds me a lot of

662
00:23:58,164 --> 00:23:58,664
Paul

663
00:23:59,204 --> 00:24:01,525
in in the fact of his boldness and

664
00:24:01,525 --> 00:24:03,845
the fact of who he was. You know,

665
00:24:04,085 --> 00:24:06,244
John didn't seem to have the the past

666
00:24:06,244 --> 00:24:09,684
that Paul had. Yeah. But but, you know,

667
00:24:10,005 --> 00:24:11,845
not so he wasn't as much like Saul,

668
00:24:11,845 --> 00:24:13,200
but he was a lot of power. I

669
00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:15,599
mean, he was very bold and Yeah. You

670
00:24:15,599 --> 00:24:17,519
know, everybody thought he was crazy, you know.

671
00:24:17,519 --> 00:24:18,819
He was out there just

672
00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:20,339
eating honey and locusts.

673
00:24:21,039 --> 00:24:23,919
Yeah. Yeah. I figured he'd been a hippie

674
00:24:23,919 --> 00:24:25,440
looking guy out there in the wilderness. I

675
00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:27,125
don't know if he wasn't he wasn't chosen

676
00:24:27,125 --> 00:24:29,365
it all. They, they kind of show him

677
00:24:29,365 --> 00:24:30,664
as a kind of a wild man.

678
00:24:31,205 --> 00:24:34,565
Crazy John. Yeah. I actually love their portrayal

679
00:24:34,565 --> 00:24:36,085
of him just cause you see him come

680
00:24:36,085 --> 00:24:37,384
walking out barefooted,

681
00:24:38,644 --> 00:24:40,549
you know, he's wearing, he's wearing these clothes

682
00:24:40,549 --> 00:24:42,549
that it's clear he's been just wandering out

683
00:24:42,549 --> 00:24:45,109
in the woods. Yeah. Looking for some honey.

684
00:24:45,109 --> 00:24:46,869
Got some got got a twig or two

685
00:24:46,869 --> 00:24:48,230
in his hair, you know, and and when

686
00:24:48,230 --> 00:24:50,230
you read the description of that, it's like,

687
00:24:50,230 --> 00:24:51,910
goodness. You see this guy coming and most

688
00:24:51,910 --> 00:24:53,509
people were probably going, hey. Hey. Hang on

689
00:24:53,509 --> 00:24:55,109
to your purse real tight because he's probably

690
00:24:55,109 --> 00:24:56,684
about to over here and steal something. Yeah.

691
00:24:56,684 --> 00:24:58,845
And dude was bold, man. He's calling calling

692
00:24:58,845 --> 00:25:01,325
the the religious leaders brood of poppers and

693
00:25:01,325 --> 00:25:03,484
stuff like that. You know? Yeah. Yeah. And

694
00:25:03,484 --> 00:25:06,464
I I love the gospel of John. I

695
00:25:06,525 --> 00:25:07,920
love it. Oh, man. He

696
00:25:08,799 --> 00:25:10,960
he wrote some good stuff. You know? I

697
00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:12,100
mean, it's powerful.

698
00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:14,400
His words are powerful. Of course, I know

699
00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:17,600
that they're they're inspired by God himself, but

700
00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:19,680
man, what a what a man that that

701
00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:21,674
he was. Yeah. When you when you read

702
00:25:21,674 --> 00:25:23,115
the things that he was saying to people,

703
00:25:23,115 --> 00:25:24,335
it's just like, goodness.

704
00:25:24,714 --> 00:25:25,214
Yeah.

705
00:25:26,315 --> 00:25:28,234
Yeah. Yeah. So I I I wanna read

706
00:25:28,234 --> 00:25:30,154
something, man. We we think about,

707
00:25:30,954 --> 00:25:32,794
we think about this baby in a manger,

708
00:25:32,794 --> 00:25:35,490
and so cute, you know, so, oh, how

709
00:25:35,490 --> 00:25:37,809
sweet, you know, and all this stuff. And

710
00:25:37,809 --> 00:25:39,730
we make cartoons about it and all this

711
00:25:39,730 --> 00:25:42,049
stuff, but look at the description of who

712
00:25:42,049 --> 00:25:44,549
this baby is in Revelation chapter 1.

713
00:25:45,169 --> 00:25:45,909
In Revelation

714
00:25:46,210 --> 00:25:49,095
chapter 1, here's who, the apostle John saw

715
00:25:49,095 --> 00:25:51,174
and he said, then I turned in verse

716
00:25:51,174 --> 00:25:52,934
12. Then I turned to see the voice

717
00:25:52,934 --> 00:25:55,494
that was speaking with me and having turned

718
00:25:55,494 --> 00:25:57,355
I saw 7 golden lampstands.

719
00:25:57,974 --> 00:25:59,734
And in the middle of the lampstands I

720
00:25:59,734 --> 00:26:01,494
saw 1 like a son of man. So

721
00:26:01,494 --> 00:26:01,994
he

722
00:26:02,375 --> 00:26:04,619
looks like a guy. Right? He's shaped like

723
00:26:04,619 --> 00:26:06,619
a guy. And he said clothed in a

724
00:26:06,619 --> 00:26:08,859
robe reaching to the feet and girded across

725
00:26:08,859 --> 00:26:11,340
his chest with a golden sash. His head

726
00:26:11,340 --> 00:26:13,660
and his hair were white like white wool,

727
00:26:13,660 --> 00:26:15,500
like snow, and his eyes were like a

728
00:26:15,500 --> 00:26:16,480
flame of fire.

729
00:26:16,804 --> 00:26:18,884
His feet were like burnished bronze when it

730
00:26:18,884 --> 00:26:20,325
has been made to glow in a furnace,

731
00:26:20,325 --> 00:26:22,085
and his voice was like the sound of

732
00:26:22,085 --> 00:26:22,904
many waters.

733
00:26:23,365 --> 00:26:25,365
In his right hand, he yelled 7 stars

734
00:26:25,365 --> 00:26:26,884
and out of his mouth came a sharp

735
00:26:26,884 --> 00:26:29,069
2 edged sword and his face was like

736
00:26:29,069 --> 00:26:31,230
the sun shining in its strength. When I

737
00:26:31,230 --> 00:26:32,669
saw him, I fell at his feet like

738
00:26:32,669 --> 00:26:34,750
a dead man and he placed his right

739
00:26:34,750 --> 00:26:36,769
hand on me saying do not be afraid.

740
00:26:36,829 --> 00:26:38,750
I am the first and the last. Yeah.

741
00:26:38,750 --> 00:26:39,250
Amen.

742
00:26:39,789 --> 00:26:40,289
Amen.

743
00:26:40,829 --> 00:26:43,149
Amen. That's God in that manger. Yeah. Look

744
00:26:43,149 --> 00:26:44,130
at look at Revelation

745
00:26:44,775 --> 00:26:47,255
19. You see it even more awesome description

746
00:26:47,255 --> 00:26:48,535
of him when he's coming back. And he

747
00:26:48,535 --> 00:26:50,375
said, and I saw heaven opened in verse

748
00:26:50,375 --> 00:26:52,775
11. And behold a white horse and he

749
00:26:52,775 --> 00:26:54,535
who sat on it is called faithful and

750
00:26:54,535 --> 00:26:57,255
true. And in righteousness, he judges and wages

751
00:26:57,255 --> 00:26:59,420
war. His eyes are like a flame of

752
00:26:59,420 --> 00:27:01,359
fire, and on his head are many diadems.

753
00:27:01,580 --> 00:27:03,019
And he has a name written on him

754
00:27:03,019 --> 00:27:04,799
which no one knows except himself.

755
00:27:05,180 --> 00:27:07,180
He is clothed with a robe dipped in

756
00:27:07,180 --> 00:27:09,099
blood, and his name is called the word

757
00:27:09,099 --> 00:27:09,680
of God.

758
00:27:10,164 --> 00:27:12,164
And the armies which are in heaven, clothed

759
00:27:12,164 --> 00:27:14,325
in fine linen, white and clean, were following

760
00:27:14,325 --> 00:27:15,704
him on white horses.

761
00:27:16,164 --> 00:27:18,244
From his mouth comes a sharp sword so

762
00:27:18,244 --> 00:27:19,924
that with it, he may strike down the

763
00:27:19,924 --> 00:27:21,444
nations and he will rule them with a

764
00:27:21,444 --> 00:27:23,769
rod of iron. And he treads the wine

765
00:27:23,769 --> 00:27:25,690
press of the fierce wrath of God the

766
00:27:25,690 --> 00:27:27,769
almighty. And on his robe and on his

767
00:27:27,769 --> 00:27:29,930
thigh, he has a name written, king of

768
00:27:29,930 --> 00:27:32,970
kings and lord of lords. Mhmm. Yeah. That's

769
00:27:32,970 --> 00:27:34,750
the baby in a manger. Amen.

770
00:27:35,049 --> 00:27:38,090
Respect, baby. That's Oh, yeah. Figure out. Amen.

771
00:27:38,090 --> 00:27:38,355
Well,

772
00:27:41,075 --> 00:27:42,914
and I I love it was CS Lewis

773
00:27:42,914 --> 00:27:44,835
in in the last battle. He makes a

774
00:27:44,835 --> 00:27:45,335
reference

775
00:27:45,875 --> 00:27:48,214
to the manger, and he he and and

776
00:27:48,434 --> 00:27:50,515
in in it, he just says, do you

777
00:27:50,515 --> 00:27:52,775
not know that once in your world,

778
00:27:53,380 --> 00:27:54,599
there was a little manger

779
00:27:54,900 --> 00:27:56,440
that contained something greater

780
00:27:56,900 --> 00:27:58,900
than the whole world? Yeah. And it was

781
00:27:58,900 --> 00:28:01,460
just that that thought. I think of that

782
00:28:01,460 --> 00:28:03,380
every time Christmas rolls around, like in that

783
00:28:03,380 --> 00:28:04,839
manger was something greater

784
00:28:05,215 --> 00:28:07,615
than the entire world, greater than the universe

785
00:28:07,695 --> 00:28:10,035
Yep. Because it's the hands that made it.

786
00:28:10,095 --> 00:28:10,595
Yeah.

787
00:28:11,055 --> 00:28:11,715
Yeah. Yeah.

788
00:28:12,735 --> 00:28:14,975
Yeah. Revelation chapter 6, it made me think

789
00:28:14,975 --> 00:28:17,055
of that when you started reading those things

790
00:28:17,055 --> 00:28:20,070
and another description of this baby of this

791
00:28:20,070 --> 00:28:22,549
little lamb that came. The lamb to be

792
00:28:22,549 --> 00:28:23,049
sacrificed.

793
00:28:23,430 --> 00:28:26,150
Oh, yeah. Revelation chapter 6 starting in, I

794
00:28:26,150 --> 00:28:27,289
think it's verse 15,

795
00:28:27,910 --> 00:28:29,590
and and the kings of the earth and

796
00:28:29,590 --> 00:28:31,214
the great men and the rich men and

797
00:28:31,214 --> 00:28:33,775
the chief captains and the mighty men and

798
00:28:33,775 --> 00:28:35,234
every and every bondman

799
00:28:35,694 --> 00:28:36,994
and every free man

800
00:28:37,295 --> 00:28:40,015
hid themselves. Listen to this. Hid themselves in

801
00:28:40,015 --> 00:28:41,694
the dens and in the rocks of the

802
00:28:41,694 --> 00:28:42,194
mountains

803
00:28:42,575 --> 00:28:44,674
and said to the mountains and the rocks,

804
00:28:44,815 --> 00:28:45,839
fall on us

805
00:28:46,319 --> 00:28:47,059
and hide

806
00:28:47,599 --> 00:28:49,759
us from the face of him that sitteth

807
00:28:49,759 --> 00:28:52,240
on the throne and listen at this, and

808
00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:54,259
from the wrath of the lamb.

809
00:28:55,519 --> 00:28:57,599
I mean, that sounds that doesn't sound like

810
00:28:57,599 --> 00:28:59,460
a lamb, does it? That's a dangerous lamb.

811
00:29:00,424 --> 00:29:01,484
Yeah. Wow.

812
00:29:02,184 --> 00:29:04,345
Yeah. Yeah. That is such an incredible thought.

813
00:29:04,984 --> 00:29:07,384
The wrath of the lamb had these people

814
00:29:07,384 --> 00:29:09,304
so scared. And it's like, have you ever

815
00:29:09,304 --> 00:29:12,025
seen a lamb when it gets angry? Right.

816
00:29:12,025 --> 00:29:13,544
I I I, you know, and ask, you

817
00:29:13,544 --> 00:29:14,825
know, you can ask Don Don some of

818
00:29:14,825 --> 00:29:16,580
the folks around here that have, you know,

819
00:29:16,580 --> 00:29:18,500
that raise sheep, they'll tell you lambs are

820
00:29:18,500 --> 00:29:20,820
not scary. No. And it doesn't matter how

821
00:29:20,820 --> 00:29:23,220
mad they get. I have watched a baby

822
00:29:23,220 --> 00:29:26,900
lamb absolutely nearly knock itself out. Just takes

823
00:29:26,900 --> 00:29:28,980
off running and smacks into stuff when it

824
00:29:28,980 --> 00:29:31,005
gets upset because it's just like, are you

825
00:29:31,005 --> 00:29:32,684
kidding me? And I've seen it hit people

826
00:29:32,684 --> 00:29:34,524
and they go, what I mean, it's like

827
00:29:34,524 --> 00:29:36,144
a cat jumping on you almost.

828
00:29:36,605 --> 00:29:37,345
Yeah. Yeah.

829
00:29:37,724 --> 00:29:40,444
Yeah. And and then John in John chapter

830
00:29:40,444 --> 00:29:42,759
1 was talking about him, and, you know,

831
00:29:42,759 --> 00:29:44,200
he didn't he didn't really go through the

832
00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:46,359
birth of Jesus. He he gets right into

833
00:29:46,359 --> 00:29:49,720
it. I mean, chapter 1 verse 1, he

834
00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:51,160
wants you to know, okay, here's what I

835
00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:52,679
want you to know. I want you to

836
00:29:52,679 --> 00:29:53,880
know who God is. I want you to

837
00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:55,319
know who Christ is. So he says in

838
00:29:55,319 --> 00:29:56,700
the beginning was the word

839
00:29:57,224 --> 00:29:59,224
and the word was with God and the

840
00:29:59,224 --> 00:29:59,724
word

841
00:30:00,025 --> 00:30:00,924
was God.

842
00:30:01,545 --> 00:30:03,625
The same was in the beginning with God.

843
00:30:03,625 --> 00:30:06,345
All things were made by him and without

844
00:30:06,345 --> 00:30:09,065
him was not anything made that was made.

845
00:30:09,065 --> 00:30:10,904
In him was life and the life was

846
00:30:10,904 --> 00:30:11,804
the light of man

847
00:30:12,105 --> 00:30:14,240
and the light shineth in the darkness and

848
00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:17,039
the darkness comprehended it not. There was a

849
00:30:17,039 --> 00:30:19,220
man sent from God whose name was John

850
00:30:19,599 --> 00:30:21,679
the the same which was him the the

851
00:30:21,679 --> 00:30:23,599
same came from a witness to bear witness

852
00:30:23,599 --> 00:30:26,159
of the light that all men through him

853
00:30:26,159 --> 00:30:26,899
might believe.

854
00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:27,700
He

855
00:30:28,105 --> 00:30:30,024
he was not the light, told him about

856
00:30:30,024 --> 00:30:31,865
John, but was sent to bear witness to

857
00:30:31,865 --> 00:30:34,105
the light. That was the true light which

858
00:30:34,105 --> 00:30:35,944
the light of every man that cometh into

859
00:30:35,944 --> 00:30:37,704
the world. He was in the world and

860
00:30:37,704 --> 00:30:39,384
the world was made by him and the

861
00:30:39,384 --> 00:30:41,704
world knew him not. He came unto his

862
00:30:41,704 --> 00:30:42,204
own

863
00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:44,799
and His own received Him not. But as

864
00:30:44,799 --> 00:30:46,740
many as received Him to them,

865
00:30:47,119 --> 00:30:47,599
He,

866
00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:49,539
to them gave He power

867
00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:52,400
to become the sons of God. That's what

868
00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:55,299
Jesus done. That was His purpose in coming.

869
00:30:55,575 --> 00:30:57,654
Even to them that believe on his name

870
00:30:57,654 --> 00:30:59,994
which were born not of not of blood

871
00:31:00,134 --> 00:31:01,974
nor the will of flesh nor the will

872
00:31:01,974 --> 00:31:04,615
of man but of God and the word

873
00:31:04,615 --> 00:31:07,174
was made flesh. I love this. The word

874
00:31:07,174 --> 00:31:10,170
was made flesh and dwelt among us and

875
00:31:10,170 --> 00:31:11,690
he beheld his glory and the glory of

876
00:31:11,690 --> 00:31:14,089
the only begotten of the father full of

877
00:31:14,089 --> 00:31:16,410
grace and of truth. Amen. I mean, I

878
00:31:16,410 --> 00:31:18,730
I love I love John. I love the

879
00:31:18,730 --> 00:31:20,329
book of John and I love those first

880
00:31:20,329 --> 00:31:23,134
several verses there just telling us who Jesus

881
00:31:23,134 --> 00:31:24,595
is. Like, okay.

882
00:31:25,694 --> 00:31:28,255
Is is is he is he God's son?

883
00:31:28,255 --> 00:31:28,755
Yes.

884
00:31:29,375 --> 00:31:30,914
Is he creator? Yes.

885
00:31:31,295 --> 00:31:32,994
Is he is he God

886
00:31:33,454 --> 00:31:36,080
in human flesh? That's what trips everybody up.

887
00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:37,920
Right? Yeah. You you I mean, people will

888
00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:39,779
say I'm gonna say, I mean,

889
00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:42,480
the Jehovah's Witness and and and some of

890
00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:44,180
these other groups out there,

891
00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:46,400
that if you talk to them, they'll say,

892
00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:49,164
well, you know, yeah. Now we're we're not

893
00:31:49,164 --> 00:31:51,005
too far off in how we believe, you

894
00:31:51,005 --> 00:31:53,884
know. I believe that that Jesus was God's

895
00:31:53,884 --> 00:31:56,684
son too, a son. Right? That's that's kind

896
00:31:56,684 --> 00:31:58,205
of the way they look at it there.

897
00:31:58,205 --> 00:31:59,805
Okay. But do you believe he was God

898
00:31:59,805 --> 00:32:01,109
in human flesh? Well,

899
00:32:01,589 --> 00:32:03,349
no. He because he wasn't. And I said,

900
00:32:03,349 --> 00:32:05,349
well, what about John 1:1? Well, they don't

901
00:32:05,349 --> 00:32:06,789
read that. They take that out of the

902
00:32:06,789 --> 00:32:08,390
Bible. They don't let you know, they do

903
00:32:08,390 --> 00:32:09,369
away with it.

904
00:32:10,710 --> 00:32:12,309
In the same way with the Mormons. Right?

905
00:32:12,309 --> 00:32:15,194
The Mormons believe that that, that he was

906
00:32:15,194 --> 00:32:17,855
a son. They also believe that that Satan

907
00:32:18,234 --> 00:32:20,474
was a son of God and one was

908
00:32:20,474 --> 00:32:22,875
evil and one was good and and that,

909
00:32:23,194 --> 00:32:25,055
you know, and that we can be,

910
00:32:25,515 --> 00:32:28,154
sons of God and and when we die,

911
00:32:28,154 --> 00:32:29,454
we can be put over

912
00:32:29,809 --> 00:32:32,450
planets and all these crazy crazy things. They

913
00:32:32,450 --> 00:32:35,170
basically take they basically take the verse out

914
00:32:35,170 --> 00:32:37,009
of Genesis that says, and the sons of

915
00:32:37,009 --> 00:32:38,690
God saw the daughters of men that they

916
00:32:38,690 --> 00:32:40,450
were, you know, fair and lovely and took

917
00:32:40,450 --> 00:32:42,525
their lives out of the place. Out of

918
00:32:42,845 --> 00:32:45,484
context, and they they I mean, when yeah.

919
00:32:45,484 --> 00:32:47,085
We know that it's talking about the angels

920
00:32:47,085 --> 00:32:48,445
there. We have no doubt what it's talking

921
00:32:48,445 --> 00:32:50,285
about, but for some reason in their mind,

922
00:32:50,285 --> 00:32:51,505
that just makes those

923
00:32:51,805 --> 00:32:54,445
equally sons with Christ. And I'm like, how

924
00:32:54,445 --> 00:32:56,684
do you guys go from that to that?

925
00:32:56,684 --> 00:32:58,679
I mean, this is a huge leap. And

926
00:32:58,679 --> 00:32:59,799
you can pick up the rest of the

927
00:32:59,799 --> 00:33:01,480
Bible and figure that out. Right? And while

928
00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:03,900
we're ripping, how about Colossians? Paul talks about,

929
00:33:04,119 --> 00:33:06,919
yeah, here we go. 5th, chapter 1, verse

930
00:33:06,919 --> 00:33:09,339
15. He is the image of the invisible

931
00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:11,315
God, god, the firstborn of all creation.

932
00:33:11,615 --> 00:33:13,775
For by him, all things were created, both

933
00:33:13,775 --> 00:33:15,615
in the heavens and on earth, visible and

934
00:33:15,615 --> 00:33:18,015
invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or

935
00:33:18,015 --> 00:33:20,654
authorities, all things have been created through him

936
00:33:20,654 --> 00:33:22,815
and for him. Yeah. He is before all

937
00:33:22,815 --> 00:33:25,075
things, and in him, all things hold together.

938
00:33:25,500 --> 00:33:27,099
He is also head of the body, the

939
00:33:27,099 --> 00:33:29,279
church, and he is the beginning, the firstborn

940
00:33:29,339 --> 00:33:31,099
from the dead so that he himself will

941
00:33:31,099 --> 00:33:33,740
come to have first place in everything for

942
00:33:33,740 --> 00:33:34,799
it was the father's

943
00:33:35,259 --> 00:33:37,420
good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell

944
00:33:37,420 --> 00:33:38,025
in him.

945
00:33:39,705 --> 00:33:41,545
Amen. You know, all of these verses, and

946
00:33:41,545 --> 00:33:43,484
this is something I I hope our listeners

947
00:33:43,705 --> 00:33:45,884
can can grasp and take away.

948
00:33:46,664 --> 00:33:49,085
Every single verse we just read expressed

949
00:33:49,464 --> 00:33:50,365
the godhood

950
00:33:51,220 --> 00:33:51,960
of Christ.

951
00:33:52,500 --> 00:33:54,039
The fact that He was

952
00:33:54,420 --> 00:33:57,720
God in human flesh, fully God, fully man,

953
00:33:58,019 --> 00:34:00,180
because you will find, and I've watched this

954
00:34:00,180 --> 00:34:01,160
happen to people,

955
00:34:02,019 --> 00:34:03,799
they get cornered by somebody who's

956
00:34:04,255 --> 00:34:06,674
Jehovah's Witness or a Mormon or,

957
00:34:07,934 --> 00:34:08,434
Muslims

958
00:34:08,815 --> 00:34:10,974
will corner people on this and they'll say,

959
00:34:10,974 --> 00:34:12,594
well, you know, we accept

960
00:34:12,894 --> 00:34:15,155
that Jesus was a great prophet.

961
00:34:15,934 --> 00:34:17,554
And it's like, well, that's great.

962
00:34:18,210 --> 00:34:20,769
The problem is you don't accept that he

963
00:34:20,769 --> 00:34:21,429
was God.

964
00:34:21,809 --> 00:34:23,109
And without that,

965
00:34:23,650 --> 00:34:25,670
that is the defining

966
00:34:26,690 --> 00:34:28,150
principle of Christianity.

967
00:34:28,769 --> 00:34:30,550
Because if he's not God,

968
00:34:31,394 --> 00:34:32,855
all of this is for nothing

969
00:34:33,315 --> 00:34:34,914
because it means his death on the cross

970
00:34:34,914 --> 00:34:36,675
was meaningless. Well done. It was just a

971
00:34:36,675 --> 00:34:39,074
guy that died for Barabbas. Yeah. That's right.

972
00:34:39,074 --> 00:34:40,675
Yeah. That's all it is. He's just a

973
00:34:40,675 --> 00:34:41,974
guy that died to

974
00:34:42,675 --> 00:34:43,335
to satiate

975
00:34:43,869 --> 00:34:44,769
a bunch of angry,

976
00:34:45,469 --> 00:34:47,949
Jewish leaders. Amen. That's all he was. And

977
00:34:47,949 --> 00:34:49,250
if that's all he is,

978
00:34:49,630 --> 00:34:52,369
yeah, the the our entire religion is is

979
00:34:52,510 --> 00:34:54,030
completely useless. And the whole Bible is putting

980
00:34:54,030 --> 00:34:55,389
too much emphasis on it. Have we read

981
00:34:55,389 --> 00:34:58,130
Philippians 2 yet? Nope. Okay. Philippians chapter

982
00:34:58,589 --> 00:34:59,089
chapter

983
00:34:59,765 --> 00:35:00,905
2 in verse 9,

984
00:35:01,765 --> 00:35:04,724
wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and

985
00:35:04,724 --> 00:35:05,625
given him an

986
00:35:06,724 --> 00:35:08,505
we're gonna have a church in here tonight.

987
00:35:09,364 --> 00:35:10,505
Giving him a name.

988
00:35:11,780 --> 00:35:13,619
He's giving him a name that's above every

989
00:35:13,619 --> 00:35:15,639
name that at the name of Jesus,

990
00:35:16,339 --> 00:35:18,820
every knee shall bow of things in heaven

991
00:35:18,820 --> 00:35:20,659
and things in earth and things under the

992
00:35:20,659 --> 00:35:23,219
earth and that every tongue should confess that

993
00:35:23,219 --> 00:35:26,199
Jesus Christ is lord to the glory

994
00:35:26,585 --> 00:35:29,704
of God the father. Amen? Amen. Amen. I

995
00:35:29,704 --> 00:35:32,525
got another one for you. Hebrews 1, baby.

996
00:35:32,824 --> 00:35:34,904
God, after he spoke long ago to the

997
00:35:34,904 --> 00:35:36,045
fathers and the prophets,

998
00:35:36,344 --> 00:35:37,085
in many,

999
00:35:37,784 --> 00:35:39,545
in many portions and in many ways, in

1000
00:35:39,545 --> 00:35:41,384
these last days has spoken to us in

1001
00:35:41,384 --> 00:35:43,469
his son whom he appointed heir of all

1002
00:35:43,469 --> 00:35:45,650
things through whom he also made the world.

1003
00:35:45,869 --> 00:35:48,030
And he is the radiance of his glory

1004
00:35:48,030 --> 00:35:49,329
and the exact representation

1005
00:35:49,630 --> 00:35:52,269
of his nature and upholds all things by

1006
00:35:52,269 --> 00:35:53,949
the word of his power. When he had

1007
00:35:53,949 --> 00:35:56,724
made purifications of sin purification of sins, he

1008
00:35:56,724 --> 00:35:58,244
sat down at the right hand of the

1009
00:35:58,244 --> 00:36:01,065
majesty on high. Amen. Amen. He is done.

1010
00:36:01,525 --> 00:36:02,025
Amen.

1011
00:36:02,565 --> 00:36:03,065
Amen.

1012
00:36:03,684 --> 00:36:06,005
Yes. Yes. He is done. He is powerful.

1013
00:36:06,005 --> 00:36:06,664
He is

1014
00:36:07,969 --> 00:36:10,929
we we can't we can't discount that. And

1015
00:36:10,929 --> 00:36:13,730
that's what that's what Christmas has brought about

1016
00:36:13,730 --> 00:36:15,329
it. And I mean, that's what that's what

1017
00:36:15,329 --> 00:36:16,869
Christmas has given us.

1018
00:36:17,329 --> 00:36:19,425
It's given us a powerful God

1019
00:36:19,744 --> 00:36:20,644
who who

1020
00:36:21,105 --> 00:36:23,744
is is not only a a yes. He's

1021
00:36:23,744 --> 00:36:25,744
a good prophet. Yes. He's a,

1022
00:36:26,304 --> 00:36:28,625
he was a great man. Yes. He was

1023
00:36:28,625 --> 00:36:29,925
a a great rabbi.

1024
00:36:30,224 --> 00:36:32,304
You know, all these things that he is

1025
00:36:32,304 --> 00:36:34,280
to to the Jews and

1026
00:36:34,660 --> 00:36:36,440
to so many other different religions,

1027
00:36:37,460 --> 00:36:39,000
but he is God

1028
00:36:39,300 --> 00:36:43,460
in human flesh. 100% man, 100% God. Amen.

1029
00:36:43,460 --> 00:36:45,400
And, you know, he's the prophesied

1030
00:36:46,055 --> 00:36:47,894
child. Right? He's the he's the he's the

1031
00:36:47,894 --> 00:36:50,614
prophecy from from Isaiah 7. Amen. That that

1032
00:36:50,614 --> 00:36:52,855
we all like to quote, but we forget

1033
00:36:52,855 --> 00:36:54,454
that it's serious. And he says,

1034
00:36:55,015 --> 00:36:57,175
in verse 14, therefore, the lord himself will

1035
00:36:57,175 --> 00:36:59,015
give you a sign. Behold, a virgin will

1036
00:36:59,015 --> 00:37:00,320
be with child and bear a son and

1037
00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:01,860
she will call his name Emmanuel.

1038
00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:03,460
Well, what does that mean?

1039
00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:05,920
God with us. That's it. That's right. God

1040
00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:07,380
with us. Amen. Amen.

1041
00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:08,500
Amen.

1042
00:37:09,039 --> 00:37:11,460
I love and while we're at Romans Romans

1043
00:37:11,519 --> 00:37:12,525
1 and verse

1044
00:37:13,005 --> 00:37:14,684
16, for I am not ashamed of the

1045
00:37:14,684 --> 00:37:16,764
gospel of Christ for it is the power.

1046
00:37:16,764 --> 00:37:18,144
I wanna keep emphasizing

1047
00:37:18,764 --> 00:37:21,085
he is all powerful. It is the power

1048
00:37:21,085 --> 00:37:24,204
of God unto salvation. Christ is the power

1049
00:37:24,204 --> 00:37:26,130
of God and salvation. Amen.

1050
00:37:26,829 --> 00:37:29,650
To the to everyone that believeth, to everyone.

1051
00:37:29,869 --> 00:37:31,949
He didn't leave you out. He didn't say,

1052
00:37:31,949 --> 00:37:34,109
I'm gonna pick you and not you. I'm

1053
00:37:34,109 --> 00:37:36,269
gonna I'll save you, but I won't save

1054
00:37:36,269 --> 00:37:38,750
you. When he died, he died for the

1055
00:37:38,750 --> 00:37:39,250
entire

1056
00:37:39,885 --> 00:37:41,565
world. And he said he he said, I'm

1057
00:37:41,565 --> 00:37:42,925
not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for

1058
00:37:42,925 --> 00:37:44,364
the power of God and the salvation for

1059
00:37:44,364 --> 00:37:46,125
everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and

1060
00:37:46,125 --> 00:37:48,525
the Greek, for therein is the righteousness of

1061
00:37:48,525 --> 00:37:50,204
God revealed from faith to faith that it

1062
00:37:50,204 --> 00:37:50,864
is written,

1063
00:37:51,244 --> 00:37:52,945
the just shall live by faith.

1064
00:37:53,565 --> 00:37:54,065
So,

1065
00:37:54,760 --> 00:37:56,200
and then you wanna go on and you

1066
00:37:56,200 --> 00:37:59,079
wanna read Romans 1 if you don't believe

1067
00:37:59,079 --> 00:37:59,980
this. Right?

1068
00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:02,680
If you wanna if you wanna know what

1069
00:38:02,680 --> 00:38:05,000
it's like, if you decide, okay, you know

1070
00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:07,565
what? I'll say that God is a good

1071
00:38:07,565 --> 00:38:09,484
prophet or I'll say Jesus is a good

1072
00:38:09,484 --> 00:38:10,764
prophet or I'll say he's a good man

1073
00:38:10,764 --> 00:38:12,444
or I'll say he's a good rabbi, but

1074
00:38:12,444 --> 00:38:14,525
I'm not gonna say that he has God

1075
00:38:14,525 --> 00:38:16,684
in human flesh. So what you've done, you

1076
00:38:16,684 --> 00:38:19,644
have made him like man, right? You have

1077
00:38:19,644 --> 00:38:22,420
brought him down and that's what that second

1078
00:38:22,480 --> 00:38:23,279
part of,

1079
00:38:23,599 --> 00:38:25,920
starting in verse 18 in Romans 1, that's

1080
00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:28,079
what it starts dealing with. Right? That we've

1081
00:38:28,079 --> 00:38:28,719
made him like,

1082
00:38:29,440 --> 00:38:31,139
4 footed beast and

1083
00:38:31,519 --> 00:38:34,099
and and creatures and trees and everything else.

1084
00:38:34,235 --> 00:38:35,934
And we try to do that because

1085
00:38:36,235 --> 00:38:38,315
we wanna make God like us. Yeah. You

1086
00:38:38,315 --> 00:38:41,114
know, we we can't comprehend who he is.

1087
00:38:41,114 --> 00:38:42,875
We can't comprehend the fact. We've talked about

1088
00:38:42,875 --> 00:38:44,574
this here on here before that,

1089
00:38:45,114 --> 00:38:47,434
that he he's always been. Right? He didn't

1090
00:38:47,515 --> 00:38:48,954
he don't have a beginning. He don't have

1091
00:38:48,954 --> 00:38:49,679
an end.

1092
00:38:50,159 --> 00:38:52,319
And and and we we, you know, trying

1093
00:38:52,319 --> 00:38:54,880
to explain the the the the trinity and

1094
00:38:54,880 --> 00:38:57,119
just all the the complexity of what it

1095
00:38:57,119 --> 00:38:59,440
is and all these different things. And so

1096
00:38:59,440 --> 00:39:01,695
and so if we can just make God

1097
00:39:01,695 --> 00:39:02,515
like us,

1098
00:39:02,894 --> 00:39:04,755
right, if we can just say, yeah, he's

1099
00:39:04,815 --> 00:39:06,894
he's a great guy. You know, he's,

1100
00:39:08,094 --> 00:39:08,594
whatever.

1101
00:39:08,894 --> 00:39:10,494
Who is it place who is it, yeah,

1102
00:39:10,494 --> 00:39:11,934
that plays God all the time in all

1103
00:39:11,934 --> 00:39:12,515
the movies,

1104
00:39:12,815 --> 00:39:13,795
that we see.

1105
00:39:14,489 --> 00:39:16,090
Oh my goodness. I can't I can't I

1106
00:39:16,090 --> 00:39:18,010
can't think of his name. Jonathan Romey, is

1107
00:39:18,010 --> 00:39:19,289
it? No. The one that played,

1108
00:39:20,010 --> 00:39:21,309
he he played it in,

1109
00:39:22,809 --> 00:39:24,650
what what was the what was the little

1110
00:39:24,650 --> 00:39:25,949
portrayal of of Noah?

1111
00:39:27,824 --> 00:39:28,565
The the fun

1112
00:39:29,264 --> 00:39:31,744
the the funny one with Jim from No.

1113
00:39:31,744 --> 00:39:33,744
Jim Carrey. Office. No. The one that Jim

1114
00:39:33,824 --> 00:39:35,105
Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. You know what I'm

1115
00:39:35,105 --> 00:39:36,565
talking about? Oh. Yeah.

1116
00:39:37,025 --> 00:39:39,364
Who's who's anyway, he's played Yeah. Several

1117
00:39:39,905 --> 00:39:42,349
several different several different movies. But but, I

1118
00:39:42,349 --> 00:39:44,030
mean, you know, if we could if we

1119
00:39:44,030 --> 00:39:46,289
could make it a familiar character,

1120
00:39:46,590 --> 00:39:48,989
we can make him somebody who looks like

1121
00:39:48,989 --> 00:39:51,789
us, who acts like us, and who maybe

1122
00:39:51,789 --> 00:39:54,670
he's, you know, maybe he's he's got a

1123
00:39:54,670 --> 00:39:57,224
a sick sense of humor. Maybe he's, you

1124
00:39:57,224 --> 00:39:59,144
know, don't mind a little bit of sin

1125
00:39:59,144 --> 00:40:00,824
here, a little bit of sin there. Yeah.

1126
00:40:00,824 --> 00:40:03,164
You know, we we want God is holy.

1127
00:40:03,625 --> 00:40:06,025
Holy, holy, holy. Amen. Yes. He is. That's

1128
00:40:06,025 --> 00:40:07,625
the only thing about him is repeated three

1129
00:40:07,625 --> 00:40:09,880
times. Right? Yeah. Holy, holy, holy. Yeah. And

1130
00:40:09,880 --> 00:40:11,340
who did Jesus claim to be?

1131
00:40:11,640 --> 00:40:12,840
He claimed to be God. He claimed to

1132
00:40:12,840 --> 00:40:13,960
be God. You know, it's like c s

1133
00:40:13,960 --> 00:40:15,640
Lewis talked about him. He's either a liar,

1134
00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:17,719
a lunatic, or the Lord. That's right. Yeah.

1135
00:40:17,719 --> 00:40:18,460
And and

1136
00:40:18,840 --> 00:40:20,219
even even the Pharisees

1137
00:40:20,519 --> 00:40:22,125
attested to it when he says

1138
00:40:22,684 --> 00:40:24,684
truly, truly I say to you before Abraham

1139
00:40:24,684 --> 00:40:26,764
was born, I am. They knew exactly what

1140
00:40:26,764 --> 00:40:28,364
he was saying because it said, therefore, they

1141
00:40:28,364 --> 00:40:29,804
picked up stones to throw at him, but

1142
00:40:29,804 --> 00:40:31,085
Jesus hid himself and went out of the

1143
00:40:31,085 --> 00:40:33,565
temple. He's claiming to be Yahweh. That's exactly

1144
00:40:33,565 --> 00:40:37,039
the burning great day. Yahweh. Yes. Amen. Absolutely.

1145
00:40:37,420 --> 00:40:39,579
And, you know, that's the thing. Everybody that

1146
00:40:39,579 --> 00:40:40,079
that

1147
00:40:42,059 --> 00:40:42,960
I don't understand

1148
00:40:43,340 --> 00:40:45,660
where people get this idea that he was

1149
00:40:45,660 --> 00:40:47,824
just a man, just a man. And and

1150
00:40:47,824 --> 00:40:49,505
like you say, I know it's just the

1151
00:40:49,505 --> 00:40:51,344
desire to make him more like us and

1152
00:40:51,344 --> 00:40:53,184
to to try and and bring him down

1153
00:40:53,184 --> 00:40:55,025
to our level. But I'm like, do you

1154
00:40:55,025 --> 00:40:57,344
understand the point that you're missing? I mean,

1155
00:40:57,344 --> 00:40:59,505
did you not hear what the angel said

1156
00:40:59,505 --> 00:41:01,019
to the shepherds? Yeah.

1157
00:41:01,400 --> 00:41:01,900
Yeah.

1158
00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:04,860
Behold is born this day a savior

1159
00:41:05,160 --> 00:41:07,320
who is Christ the Lord. I mean, you

1160
00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:09,579
you can't have that being said

1161
00:41:09,880 --> 00:41:10,380
if

1162
00:41:11,079 --> 00:41:13,424
if he's just a man. Nope. You

1163
00:41:13,885 --> 00:41:15,724
know, I'm I'll I'll go back to Isaiah

1164
00:41:15,724 --> 00:41:16,764
9, you know, and and,

1165
00:41:17,484 --> 00:41:20,045
he's the prophesied king that's coming and it's

1166
00:41:20,045 --> 00:41:22,684
it's, the it goes it goes pretty long

1167
00:41:22,684 --> 00:41:24,840
here, but hang on with me. Hang on.

1168
00:41:24,840 --> 00:41:26,599
He said the people who walk in darkness

1169
00:41:26,599 --> 00:41:28,200
will see a great light. Those who live

1170
00:41:28,200 --> 00:41:29,800
in a dark land, the light will shine

1171
00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:31,800
on. You shall multiply the nation. You shall

1172
00:41:31,800 --> 00:41:33,800
increase their gladness. They will be glad in

1173
00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:35,880
your presence as with the gladness of harvest

1174
00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:37,800
and as men rejoice when they divide the

1175
00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:38,300
spoil.

1176
00:41:38,735 --> 00:41:40,414
For you shall break the yoke of their

1177
00:41:40,414 --> 00:41:40,914
burden

1178
00:41:41,215 --> 00:41:43,215
and the staff on their shoulders. That's what

1179
00:41:43,215 --> 00:41:44,815
he did on the cross. That's right. The

1180
00:41:44,815 --> 00:41:46,574
rod of their oppressor is at the battle

1181
00:41:46,574 --> 00:41:48,494
of Midian. Every boot of the booted warrior,

1182
00:41:48,494 --> 00:41:51,215
the battle tumult, and cloak rolled in blood

1183
00:41:51,215 --> 00:41:52,815
will be for burning fuel for the fire.

1184
00:41:52,815 --> 00:41:55,280
For a child will be born to us,

1185
00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:57,280
a son will be given to us, and

1186
00:41:57,280 --> 00:41:59,519
the government will rest on his shoulders and

1187
00:41:59,519 --> 00:42:01,539
his name will be called wonderful counselor,

1188
00:42:01,920 --> 00:42:02,900
mighty god,

1189
00:42:03,280 --> 00:42:05,760
eternal father, prince of peace. There will be

1190
00:42:05,760 --> 00:42:08,014
no end to the increase of his government

1191
00:42:08,014 --> 00:42:09,934
or peace or the throne of David and

1192
00:42:09,934 --> 00:42:12,414
over his kingdom. Yeah. To establish it and

1193
00:42:12,414 --> 00:42:14,815
uphold it with justice and righteousness from then

1194
00:42:14,815 --> 00:42:16,734
on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord

1195
00:42:16,734 --> 00:42:18,514
of hosts will accomplish this. Amen.

1196
00:42:18,815 --> 00:42:20,355
Mhmm. Mighty God. Amen.

1197
00:42:22,050 --> 00:42:22,789
Amen. Amen.

1198
00:42:23,090 --> 00:42:24,550
Matthew chapter 16,

1199
00:42:25,570 --> 00:42:27,410
throwing a lot of scripture at you today,

1200
00:42:27,410 --> 00:42:29,730
but man, what better what better things to

1201
00:42:29,730 --> 00:42:31,090
throw at you. Right? That's right. I mean,

1202
00:42:31,090 --> 00:42:32,450
we can all sit here and say what

1203
00:42:32,450 --> 00:42:34,390
we wanna say, but it doesn't nothing

1204
00:42:34,690 --> 00:42:36,130
compared to the power of the word of

1205
00:42:36,130 --> 00:42:37,635
God. Matthew 16,

1206
00:42:37,934 --> 00:42:38,835
starting there

1207
00:42:39,454 --> 00:42:41,155
in verse, number 13.

1208
00:42:41,454 --> 00:42:43,635
When Jesus came under the coast of Caesarea,

1209
00:42:43,775 --> 00:42:46,434
Philippi, he asked the disciples saying, whom

1210
00:42:46,894 --> 00:42:49,695
do men say that I, the son of

1211
00:42:49,695 --> 00:42:50,515
man am?

1212
00:42:51,055 --> 00:42:52,114
And they said,

1213
00:42:52,460 --> 00:42:54,559
some say that thou art John the Baptist.

1214
00:42:54,619 --> 00:42:57,900
Some say Elias, talking about Elijah. Others say

1215
00:42:57,900 --> 00:42:58,400
Jeremias

1216
00:42:58,940 --> 00:43:00,539
and one of the prop or one of

1217
00:43:00,539 --> 00:43:01,199
the prophets.

1218
00:43:02,139 --> 00:43:05,339
He sayeth unto them, but whom say ye

1219
00:43:05,339 --> 00:43:08,135
that I am? He's asking the people that

1220
00:43:08,135 --> 00:43:10,695
are closest to him. He doesn't wanna leave

1221
00:43:10,695 --> 00:43:12,614
them out. Right? I mean, I this is

1222
00:43:12,614 --> 00:43:15,494
what I love about Jesus. He challenged the

1223
00:43:15,494 --> 00:43:18,954
the the Pharisees. He challenged the religious leaders

1224
00:43:19,430 --> 00:43:22,309
and and and the government to to look

1225
00:43:22,309 --> 00:43:24,230
at him and see who he was. Right?

1226
00:43:24,230 --> 00:43:26,470
And he said, hey. You know, this is

1227
00:43:26,550 --> 00:43:28,150
you say it. You said it. I didn't

1228
00:43:28,150 --> 00:43:30,390
say it. You know? But but he never

1229
00:43:30,390 --> 00:43:32,470
leaves the people closest to him out because

1230
00:43:32,470 --> 00:43:34,255
I and and I want you to there's

1231
00:43:34,255 --> 00:43:35,934
a message in this tonight and the Lord's

1232
00:43:35,934 --> 00:43:37,695
just give it to me right now. But

1233
00:43:37,695 --> 00:43:39,215
but, you know, I think a lot of

1234
00:43:39,215 --> 00:43:41,934
times the people that are closest to us

1235
00:43:41,934 --> 00:43:44,094
or the people that we sometimes would just

1236
00:43:44,175 --> 00:43:46,349
our family members and especially right here at

1237
00:43:46,349 --> 00:43:48,670
Christmas. You think about this. You're gonna you're

1238
00:43:48,670 --> 00:43:50,589
gonna be meeting family members that you don't

1239
00:43:50,589 --> 00:43:52,589
see all year long or maybe you only

1240
00:43:52,589 --> 00:43:54,210
see them a couple of times a year.

1241
00:43:54,269 --> 00:43:57,389
And and, uncle Bob and and aunt Judy

1242
00:43:57,389 --> 00:43:59,549
and whoever it may be, you know, and

1243
00:43:59,549 --> 00:44:00,614
and you see them

1244
00:44:01,414 --> 00:44:03,434
and you say excuse me.

1245
00:44:04,695 --> 00:44:06,775
You say that you love them. You say

1246
00:44:06,775 --> 00:44:09,175
that you care about them. And and you

1247
00:44:09,175 --> 00:44:11,094
go to church every Sunday and you share

1248
00:44:11,094 --> 00:44:11,755
the gospel,

1249
00:44:12,454 --> 00:44:14,940
you know, maybe on foreign mission fields and

1250
00:44:14,940 --> 00:44:17,340
and and maybe at work or whatever. But

1251
00:44:17,340 --> 00:44:18,859
a lot of times, the people that we

1252
00:44:18,859 --> 00:44:20,460
love the most and the people that we're

1253
00:44:20,460 --> 00:44:22,059
closest to are the people that we leave

1254
00:44:22,059 --> 00:44:24,380
out. And I love the fact that Jesus

1255
00:44:24,380 --> 00:44:26,940
never done that. Right? He he asked the

1256
00:44:26,940 --> 00:44:29,795
people who were following him, who were sleeping

1257
00:44:29,795 --> 00:44:31,335
on the ground with him at night,

1258
00:44:31,714 --> 00:44:34,355
on those on those cold desert nights and

1259
00:44:34,355 --> 00:44:36,994
those hot desert days that were walking with

1260
00:44:36,994 --> 00:44:39,795
him, that that that faced the tempest of

1261
00:44:39,795 --> 00:44:42,034
the sea, that that watched him do the

1262
00:44:42,034 --> 00:44:44,500
miracles from the from the wedding to the

1263
00:44:44,500 --> 00:44:47,000
to the raising Lazarus from the dead to

1264
00:44:47,699 --> 00:44:49,699
all these different things that that he was

1265
00:44:49,699 --> 00:44:53,779
able to do. Jesus didn't assume because they

1266
00:44:53,779 --> 00:44:56,119
seen all this, they would just automatically

1267
00:44:56,420 --> 00:44:58,179
know and say, okay. This is this is

1268
00:44:58,179 --> 00:45:00,094
who he is. He wanted to be a

1269
00:45:00,094 --> 00:45:02,335
witness to them and he said who did

1270
00:45:02,335 --> 00:45:04,014
all these people say I am? And they

1271
00:45:04,014 --> 00:45:06,175
said well some say you're a prophet some

1272
00:45:06,175 --> 00:45:08,494
say you're John the Baptist all these things

1273
00:45:08,494 --> 00:45:10,335
that I just read you know and he

1274
00:45:10,335 --> 00:45:12,894
said but I wanna know because I love

1275
00:45:12,894 --> 00:45:14,609
you and because I care about you. I

1276
00:45:14,609 --> 00:45:16,929
wanna know who you, who do you think

1277
00:45:16,929 --> 00:45:19,190
I am? And of course, of Simon Peter,

1278
00:45:19,329 --> 00:45:21,009
so many times he stuck his foot in

1279
00:45:21,009 --> 00:45:23,329
his mouth, but so many times he was

1280
00:45:23,329 --> 00:45:26,210
right. In verse 16, and Simon Peter answered

1281
00:45:26,210 --> 00:45:26,869
and said,

1282
00:45:27,545 --> 00:45:29,805
he said, Thou art Christ,

1283
00:45:30,985 --> 00:45:31,805
the son

1284
00:45:32,105 --> 00:45:34,825
of the living God. Amen. And Jesus answered

1285
00:45:34,825 --> 00:45:37,545
and said unto him, blessed art thou Simon

1286
00:45:37,545 --> 00:45:38,045
Barjona

1287
00:45:38,425 --> 00:45:40,905
for flesh and blood hath not revealed it

1288
00:45:40,905 --> 00:45:43,079
unto thee. In other words, the Holy spirit

1289
00:45:43,079 --> 00:45:45,559
told you this, right? This wasn't something that

1290
00:45:45,559 --> 00:45:48,039
you've seen because you've seen America. It wasn't

1291
00:45:48,039 --> 00:45:50,039
something that was a visual. It wasn't something

1292
00:45:50,039 --> 00:45:52,039
that you heard, but it was the holy

1293
00:45:52,039 --> 00:45:54,440
spirit of God that moved upon you and

1294
00:45:54,440 --> 00:45:55,180
told you

1295
00:45:56,005 --> 00:45:58,005
exactly who I am. He said flesh and

1296
00:45:58,005 --> 00:46:00,164
blood has not revealed it unto you, but

1297
00:46:00,164 --> 00:46:02,984
my father which is in heaven. That's who

1298
00:46:03,445 --> 00:46:06,105
told the disciples. That's who told his closest

1299
00:46:06,164 --> 00:46:08,484
friends, his people who who he loved the

1300
00:46:08,484 --> 00:46:10,804
most and he didn't leave them out. Right?

1301
00:46:10,804 --> 00:46:12,570
He didn't say, well, well, I assume they

1302
00:46:12,570 --> 00:46:14,730
know because they're following me. Yeah. For anybody

1303
00:46:14,730 --> 00:46:16,489
listening right now, that is the most important

1304
00:46:16,489 --> 00:46:18,410
question you'll ever have to answer. That's right.

1305
00:46:18,410 --> 00:46:20,570
Who do you say Jesus is? Amen. Amen.

1306
00:46:20,570 --> 00:46:22,989
Everybody's gotta answer it. That's right. That's right.

1307
00:46:23,130 --> 00:46:25,289
A non answer is an answer. That's it.

1308
00:46:25,289 --> 00:46:28,054
Nothing to know. That's it. Amen. Amen. You're

1309
00:46:28,054 --> 00:46:29,494
not the son of god. That's that's all

1310
00:46:29,494 --> 00:46:31,034
you're saying. In verse 38

1311
00:46:31,414 --> 00:46:34,534
of of, of, of of John chapter 6,

1312
00:46:34,534 --> 00:46:36,855
Jesus said, for I have come down from

1313
00:46:36,855 --> 00:46:38,295
heaven not to do my own will, but

1314
00:46:38,295 --> 00:46:39,989
the will of him who sent me. Yeah.

1315
00:46:40,789 --> 00:46:43,369
I kinda kinda, hey, I'm God. Right? That's

1316
00:46:43,429 --> 00:46:45,269
kinda what he's saying. I come down from

1317
00:46:45,269 --> 00:46:47,429
heaven. Who'd who would say that? That's exactly

1318
00:46:47,429 --> 00:46:49,429
right. Mhmm. I mean, and it it tells

1319
00:46:49,429 --> 00:46:51,510
him he can forgive sins. I mean, come

1320
00:46:51,510 --> 00:46:53,444
on. What are you saying when you do

1321
00:46:53,444 --> 00:46:55,125
that? I'm the way, the truth, the life.

1322
00:46:55,125 --> 00:46:57,525
Really? You're claiming to be truth? No one

1323
00:46:57,525 --> 00:46:59,784
comes to the father, but by me. Right.

1324
00:47:00,484 --> 00:47:02,804
Yeah. It's all over John, man. The gospel

1325
00:47:02,804 --> 00:47:04,789
of John is just it's just rich in

1326
00:47:04,789 --> 00:47:07,109
God claims. Amen. Who who else calms the

1327
00:47:07,109 --> 00:47:09,510
storm? Yeah. Who else raises the dead? Who

1328
00:47:09,510 --> 00:47:11,590
else heals the blind, the deaf, the mute,

1329
00:47:11,590 --> 00:47:13,750
the crip Yeah. Every kind of disease and

1330
00:47:13,750 --> 00:47:15,670
infirmity you can think of. Who has power

1331
00:47:15,670 --> 00:47:17,500
over the spiritual realm to cast demons out?

1332
00:47:17,500 --> 00:47:20,305
Oh, man. Oh, amen. Over the weather and

1333
00:47:20,305 --> 00:47:22,805
and all that's around us. So sorry.

1334
00:47:24,385 --> 00:47:25,744
I just got the whole ghost and hit

1335
00:47:25,744 --> 00:47:27,045
Tyler right the mask. I'm sorry.

1336
00:47:30,224 --> 00:47:31,364
Perfect shot. Sorry.

1337
00:47:32,420 --> 00:47:34,180
But, yeah. I mean, you know, he he

1338
00:47:34,180 --> 00:47:37,059
he he is he has dominion and power

1339
00:47:37,059 --> 00:47:37,559
over

1340
00:47:38,260 --> 00:47:38,760
everything.

1341
00:47:39,059 --> 00:47:39,559
Everything.

1342
00:47:40,260 --> 00:47:42,019
That's that's who he is. Yep. And he

1343
00:47:42,019 --> 00:47:43,219
laid it out in Matthew when he said,

1344
00:47:43,219 --> 00:47:45,700
I have been given power all power and

1345
00:47:45,700 --> 00:47:48,454
authority in heaven and on earth. Yeah. Amen.

1346
00:47:48,555 --> 00:47:49,974
Amen. He's got

1347
00:47:50,275 --> 00:47:51,954
it. Thank God he's got it because he's

1348
00:47:51,954 --> 00:47:52,454
merciful.

1349
00:47:52,755 --> 00:47:53,575
He's graceful.

1350
00:47:54,114 --> 00:47:56,675
Gracious. You know and it's amazing to me

1351
00:47:56,675 --> 00:47:58,835
the the verse that that brother Brian just

1352
00:47:58,835 --> 00:48:00,515
read out of out of Matthew where he's

1353
00:48:00,515 --> 00:48:02,275
asking them who do others say that I

1354
00:48:02,275 --> 00:48:04,420
am? It is always

1355
00:48:05,519 --> 00:48:06,980
absolutely been mind boggling

1356
00:48:07,359 --> 00:48:08,880
that one of the answers was, well, some

1357
00:48:08,880 --> 00:48:10,739
say you're John the Baptist. Yeah. What?

1358
00:48:11,199 --> 00:48:11,859
You're the

1359
00:48:12,239 --> 00:48:14,239
they think I'm the person who did my

1360
00:48:14,239 --> 00:48:16,000
baptism. Has he even been there a year

1361
00:48:16,000 --> 00:48:18,505
yet? I mean, it's like, where did they

1362
00:48:18,505 --> 00:48:20,045
come up with that? Mhmm.

1363
00:48:20,744 --> 00:48:23,305
And, you know, the disciples were sitting there

1364
00:48:23,305 --> 00:48:24,744
quoting, you know, telling him, well, this is

1365
00:48:24,744 --> 00:48:26,344
what other people think. And, you know, even

1366
00:48:26,344 --> 00:48:27,465
in the back of their minds, they had

1367
00:48:27,465 --> 00:48:29,065
to be going, okay. This sounds crazy even

1368
00:48:29,065 --> 00:48:31,805
to us. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

1369
00:48:32,269 --> 00:48:34,510
Amen. I mean, they were people were in

1370
00:48:34,510 --> 00:48:38,269
such denial. Yeah. Even then, even then, you've

1371
00:48:38,269 --> 00:48:39,809
got the guy walking

1372
00:48:40,190 --> 00:48:42,750
down the street, walking up to a guy

1373
00:48:42,750 --> 00:48:43,489
who hadn't

1374
00:48:43,869 --> 00:48:45,554
who has not been able to walk since,

1375
00:48:45,635 --> 00:48:47,074
you know, he was a child or since

1376
00:48:47,074 --> 00:48:49,394
he was born or whatever, completely crippled. And

1377
00:48:49,394 --> 00:48:50,934
he goes, here, rise up and walk.

1378
00:48:51,234 --> 00:48:53,635
Yeah. Okay. Yeah. And and he does it.

1379
00:48:53,635 --> 00:48:55,335
No. He didn't have a choice.

1380
00:48:55,795 --> 00:48:58,420
That's the thing. Right? You have a choice

1381
00:48:58,420 --> 00:49:00,179
to live when Jesus says live? Do you

1382
00:49:00,179 --> 00:49:02,500
have a choice to walk or see or

1383
00:49:02,500 --> 00:49:05,159
or or move when Jesus says move?

1384
00:49:05,539 --> 00:49:07,380
You know, that's the that's the thing about

1385
00:49:07,380 --> 00:49:09,800
the, some of you'd be hanging out,

1386
00:49:10,579 --> 00:49:12,179
hanging on to a tree limb when the

1387
00:49:12,179 --> 00:49:13,795
rapture takes place because you don't know if

1388
00:49:13,795 --> 00:49:15,474
you're ready to go or not. But guess

1389
00:49:15,474 --> 00:49:17,715
what? When he calls us home, when that

1390
00:49:17,715 --> 00:49:19,715
trumpet sounds, is it when the voice of

1391
00:49:19,715 --> 00:49:20,215
his,

1392
00:49:20,994 --> 00:49:22,755
really the trumpet is gonna be the voice

1393
00:49:22,755 --> 00:49:24,994
of Jesus calling us home. We're not gonna

1394
00:49:24,994 --> 00:49:27,380
be at the gravity will not hold us,

1395
00:49:27,380 --> 00:49:29,380
and we you can't stay here if you

1396
00:49:29,380 --> 00:49:31,380
want to. No. You can't hang on that

1397
00:49:31,380 --> 00:49:33,880
tree limb hard hard enough. I got you.

1398
00:49:34,660 --> 00:49:37,059
A mental image of somebody upside down hanging

1399
00:49:37,059 --> 00:49:38,980
on a tree limb. Just just holding on

1400
00:49:38,980 --> 00:49:40,660
for dear life. Jesus trying to pull them

1401
00:49:40,660 --> 00:49:42,684
up by their feet. He's going, Come on.

1402
00:49:42,684 --> 00:49:45,085
Come on. I mean, that is it is

1403
00:49:45,085 --> 00:49:47,585
though. It is amazing to me that that

1404
00:49:48,844 --> 00:49:51,905
I I I really do. I can understand

1405
00:49:52,364 --> 00:49:52,864
why

1406
00:49:53,724 --> 00:49:56,219
2000 years after the fact, some people go,

1407
00:49:56,219 --> 00:49:56,719
well,

1408
00:49:57,179 --> 00:50:00,000
I just can't be I get the doubt.

1409
00:50:00,059 --> 00:50:01,820
I get the trouble. I get where you're

1410
00:50:01,820 --> 00:50:02,880
coming from because,

1411
00:50:03,420 --> 00:50:04,719
you know, it makes

1412
00:50:05,579 --> 00:50:07,659
I get it. I do understand it because

1413
00:50:07,659 --> 00:50:09,515
you're not seeing it with your own two

1414
00:50:09,515 --> 00:50:11,295
eyes and people are doubtful.

1415
00:50:13,355 --> 00:50:14,175
They saw.

1416
00:50:14,555 --> 00:50:16,954
That just goes to show the fact that

1417
00:50:16,954 --> 00:50:18,735
there were people that saw

1418
00:50:19,195 --> 00:50:20,575
with their own two eyes

1419
00:50:20,940 --> 00:50:22,480
standing 5 feet away,

1420
00:50:23,500 --> 00:50:24,880
the people that they knew,

1421
00:50:26,059 --> 00:50:28,320
the little child that they knew was dead,

1422
00:50:29,099 --> 00:50:31,579
and Christ says, going back, she's fine. Yeah.

1423
00:50:31,579 --> 00:50:33,515
Are Judas sitting in a boat watching Jesus

1424
00:50:33,515 --> 00:50:34,894
come to him walking on water.

1425
00:50:35,914 --> 00:50:39,375
How did he miss that, man? There was

1426
00:50:39,994 --> 00:50:42,094
no possible way. You cannot

1427
00:50:43,755 --> 00:50:46,235
convince me that the people back then, the

1428
00:50:46,235 --> 00:50:48,889
people at the time witnessing it happened,

1429
00:50:49,989 --> 00:50:52,389
they they there was no excuse. There was

1430
00:50:52,389 --> 00:50:55,670
zero excuse. I get people today having a

1431
00:50:55,670 --> 00:50:57,510
hard time wrapping their heads around it, having

1432
00:50:57,510 --> 00:50:59,609
a hard time. I really really do,

1433
00:51:00,795 --> 00:51:02,875
But it would not have made and Christ

1434
00:51:02,875 --> 00:51:03,594
even told,

1435
00:51:03,914 --> 00:51:05,434
you know, told this in the parable when

1436
00:51:05,434 --> 00:51:07,514
He talks about Lazarus saying, you know, the

1437
00:51:07,514 --> 00:51:09,034
rich man saying, Send Lazarus back. And he

1438
00:51:09,034 --> 00:51:10,554
said, If they won't listen to the prophets,

1439
00:51:10,554 --> 00:51:12,155
they're not gonna listen to one raised from

1440
00:51:12,155 --> 00:51:14,474
the dead. And people look at that and

1441
00:51:14,474 --> 00:51:15,809
go, Well that's just crazy.

1442
00:51:16,210 --> 00:51:19,190
Christ rose from the dead and people still

1443
00:51:19,250 --> 00:51:20,230
didn't listen.

1444
00:51:21,090 --> 00:51:23,730
In the day, at the time, they stood

1445
00:51:23,730 --> 00:51:26,449
around watched Him. There were people there were

1446
00:51:26,449 --> 00:51:29,110
people that saw Christ hang on a cross,

1447
00:51:29,170 --> 00:51:31,204
die, get His side stabbed,

1448
00:51:31,985 --> 00:51:34,224
know for a fact he's dead. He's not

1449
00:51:34,224 --> 00:51:36,545
getting up. He's not shaking this off. It's

1450
00:51:36,545 --> 00:51:39,025
not an act. He's gone. Yeah. We buried

1451
00:51:39,025 --> 00:51:40,704
him. We rolled a stone in front of

1452
00:51:40,704 --> 00:51:42,224
it. It takes several people to get the

1453
00:51:42,224 --> 00:51:43,739
stone out of the way. We show up

1454
00:51:43,739 --> 00:51:45,820
3 days later. The stone's been moved. The

1455
00:51:45,820 --> 00:51:48,460
guards are unconscious on the ground like they're

1456
00:51:48,460 --> 00:51:51,099
dead, and the body's gone. And then we

1457
00:51:51,099 --> 00:51:53,340
see that body walking down the street 2

1458
00:51:53,340 --> 00:51:55,679
days later. Yeah. And they still went,

1459
00:51:56,219 --> 00:51:58,159
nah. I don't know. I don't know, man.

1460
00:51:58,219 --> 00:51:59,655
He's not God. He's a demon.

1461
00:52:00,054 --> 00:52:03,015
Yeah. That yeah. It's like what how in

1462
00:52:03,015 --> 00:52:03,755
the world?

1463
00:52:04,295 --> 00:52:06,534
It blows my mind. And and Christ did.

1464
00:52:06,534 --> 00:52:08,295
He told us. He said even one risen

1465
00:52:08,295 --> 00:52:10,375
from the dead. And the fact was even

1466
00:52:10,375 --> 00:52:12,695
back then when people saw it, they still

1467
00:52:12,695 --> 00:52:15,630
didn't believe. So That's right. People today say

1468
00:52:15,630 --> 00:52:17,389
that, oh, well, if I could just see

1469
00:52:17,389 --> 00:52:18,989
the right sign, if I could just get

1470
00:52:19,069 --> 00:52:20,909
no. You know what? God could walk up

1471
00:52:20,989 --> 00:52:22,909
when you get to that point, God could

1472
00:52:22,909 --> 00:52:25,230
walk up, peck on your window, and say,

1473
00:52:25,230 --> 00:52:27,434
hi. It's me. And they go,

1474
00:52:27,914 --> 00:52:28,655
nope. Sorry.

1475
00:52:28,954 --> 00:52:31,114
Nope. It's just like what you read a

1476
00:52:31,114 --> 00:52:33,454
minute ago. Right? It's like, Simon,

1477
00:52:33,914 --> 00:52:35,515
flesh and blood didn't reveal this to you.

1478
00:52:35,515 --> 00:52:37,114
Yeah. It was the spirit. That's the spirit

1479
00:52:37,114 --> 00:52:39,195
of God. So John chapter 15, you know,

1480
00:52:39,195 --> 00:52:41,429
on the flip side of that, I see,

1481
00:52:41,489 --> 00:52:43,969
you know, yes. We we we don't have

1482
00:52:43,969 --> 00:52:46,610
Jesus walking among us in flesh. We don't

1483
00:52:46,610 --> 00:52:47,269
have him,

1484
00:52:48,449 --> 00:52:51,570
you know, seeing those those miracles in in

1485
00:52:51,570 --> 00:52:53,969
Canaan and Galilee and all these different things

1486
00:52:53,969 --> 00:52:56,224
that were going on. We don't see that,

1487
00:52:56,525 --> 00:52:58,144
but there is a supernatural

1488
00:52:59,085 --> 00:52:59,585
force

1489
00:53:00,045 --> 00:53:03,184
that is Jesus. Right? That it that lives

1490
00:53:03,244 --> 00:53:05,884
among us and moves among us, and it's

1491
00:53:05,884 --> 00:53:08,460
called the holy spirit. And and and it's

1492
00:53:08,460 --> 00:53:11,280
it's what John talks about in John 15.

1493
00:53:11,659 --> 00:53:14,059
And and he, he just really just begins

1494
00:53:14,059 --> 00:53:16,239
to talk about it there in verse 26.

1495
00:53:17,099 --> 00:53:19,739
But when the comforter has come, whom I

1496
00:53:19,739 --> 00:53:22,219
will send unto you from the father, even

1497
00:53:22,219 --> 00:53:25,364
the spirit of truth, which proceeded from the

1498
00:53:25,364 --> 00:53:28,405
father. He shall testify of me and ye

1499
00:53:28,405 --> 00:53:30,724
also shall bear witness because you have been

1500
00:53:30,724 --> 00:53:32,965
with me from the beginning. And so he

1501
00:53:32,965 --> 00:53:34,805
kind of covers those who have been with

1502
00:53:34,805 --> 00:53:36,780
him, but he says, look, he says, there's

1503
00:53:36,780 --> 00:53:38,140
not gonna be an excuse for the rest

1504
00:53:38,140 --> 00:53:39,739
of you either. He said, because the spirit

1505
00:53:39,739 --> 00:53:41,820
of God is real and it's true and

1506
00:53:41,820 --> 00:53:44,940
it has a drawing power. Right? Listen, guys,

1507
00:53:44,940 --> 00:53:46,480
I have heard of people

1508
00:53:46,940 --> 00:53:48,079
I've heard of people,

1509
00:53:48,940 --> 00:53:51,500
out on their lawn mowers and and and

1510
00:53:51,500 --> 00:53:54,014
not step foot in a church house and

1511
00:53:54,014 --> 00:53:55,474
and something just

1512
00:53:56,335 --> 00:53:58,734
get on them. Right? Like, I've got we

1513
00:53:58,734 --> 00:54:00,014
we had a guy. I was I was

1514
00:54:00,014 --> 00:54:00,835
taking some

1515
00:54:01,295 --> 00:54:02,494
some classes through,

1516
00:54:02,815 --> 00:54:05,930
New Orleans here, several years ago and and,

1517
00:54:06,410 --> 00:54:07,769
and and one of the guys in our

1518
00:54:07,769 --> 00:54:09,369
class and he says, guys, I I wasn't

1519
00:54:09,369 --> 00:54:10,190
raised in church.

1520
00:54:10,650 --> 00:54:12,090
And I was like, really? And he said,

1521
00:54:12,090 --> 00:54:13,769
yeah. I wasn't raised in church. He said

1522
00:54:13,769 --> 00:54:14,890
he said, do you know how I got

1523
00:54:14,890 --> 00:54:16,329
saved? And I said, sure. How'd you get

1524
00:54:16,329 --> 00:54:18,250
saved? And he's he's I was actually I

1525
00:54:18,250 --> 00:54:20,170
was out mowing my yard and he said

1526
00:54:20,170 --> 00:54:22,304
that he said, I mean, I'd heard little

1527
00:54:22,304 --> 00:54:24,304
bits and pieces about Jesus, you know? And

1528
00:54:24,304 --> 00:54:25,824
he said, but but I I mean, my

1529
00:54:25,824 --> 00:54:27,264
parents didn't carry me to church. I didn't

1530
00:54:27,264 --> 00:54:28,784
go I didn't go to Sunday school. I

1531
00:54:28,784 --> 00:54:30,545
didn't go to Bible school. He said, I

1532
00:54:30,545 --> 00:54:32,224
just heard these little bits and pieces. And

1533
00:54:32,224 --> 00:54:34,385
he said, I'm out there in my yard

1534
00:54:34,385 --> 00:54:35,905
one day and I'm mowing my yard. And

1535
00:54:35,905 --> 00:54:38,039
he said, he said, I just stopped and

1536
00:54:38,039 --> 00:54:40,280
I started crying and I couldn't figure out

1537
00:54:40,280 --> 00:54:41,960
what was going on and and then he

1538
00:54:41,960 --> 00:54:43,640
said it was like God spoke to me

1539
00:54:43,640 --> 00:54:45,480
in a still small voice and said I

1540
00:54:45,480 --> 00:54:48,300
am real and my son is real

1541
00:54:48,599 --> 00:54:51,195
and you need him. And he said I

1542
00:54:51,275 --> 00:54:53,434
I got on my knees. And he said,

1543
00:54:53,434 --> 00:54:55,195
I asked him and I told him, yes,

1544
00:54:55,195 --> 00:54:57,355
I want you and I need you. Something

1545
00:54:57,355 --> 00:54:59,515
this powerful came to me. And people ask,

1546
00:54:59,515 --> 00:55:01,515
what about those people in the far corners

1547
00:55:01,515 --> 00:55:03,275
of the earth? And how do I'm telling

1548
00:55:03,275 --> 00:55:05,855
you, it is God. God will reveal himself

1549
00:55:06,474 --> 00:55:09,589
through so many different avenues. Right? Absolutely.

1550
00:55:09,889 --> 00:55:10,710
The fact is

1551
00:55:11,010 --> 00:55:12,849
he wants us, but he doesn't need us.

1552
00:55:12,849 --> 00:55:14,849
Right? I mean he can get his gospel

1553
00:55:14,849 --> 00:55:16,929
out there and he's that powerful, but the

1554
00:55:16,929 --> 00:55:20,050
holy spirit of God is man. I mean

1555
00:55:20,050 --> 00:55:22,304
we and and then to be able to

1556
00:55:22,304 --> 00:55:24,784
to be saved. One thing that they didn't

1557
00:55:24,784 --> 00:55:25,605
have before

1558
00:55:25,984 --> 00:55:28,565
before the cross and before acts chapter 2,

1559
00:55:28,784 --> 00:55:31,184
they didn't have the holy spirit dwelling inside

1560
00:55:31,184 --> 00:55:33,444
of them. Right? We not that today.

1561
00:55:33,744 --> 00:55:35,905
And yet we walk away from it at

1562
00:55:35,905 --> 00:55:37,284
times and yet we,

1563
00:55:37,940 --> 00:55:40,099
and yet we deny it at times and

1564
00:55:40,099 --> 00:55:40,839
yet we

1565
00:55:41,219 --> 00:55:42,579
we we wanna place it on a back

1566
00:55:42,579 --> 00:55:44,179
burner, you know. And then that God that

1567
00:55:44,179 --> 00:55:46,739
lives in you, Christian men and women, you're

1568
00:55:46,739 --> 00:55:49,059
out there today. Don't play around with it

1569
00:55:49,059 --> 00:55:51,219
anymore. Either you know him or you don't

1570
00:55:51,219 --> 00:55:52,965
know him. Right? And if you know that

1571
00:55:53,045 --> 00:55:54,644
you know him and you know that he

1572
00:55:54,644 --> 00:55:57,364
is he is transformed him, you've been born

1573
00:55:57,364 --> 00:55:59,765
again, you better not walk but run to

1574
00:55:59,765 --> 00:56:01,844
church this Sunday. That's right. Go go to

1575
00:56:01,844 --> 00:56:04,885
work tomorrow and say, look, God is real

1576
00:56:04,885 --> 00:56:06,860
and he's coming back back. And this thing's

1577
00:56:06,860 --> 00:56:08,860
not gonna last very much longer. If you

1578
00:56:08,860 --> 00:56:11,099
love the people you say you love, tell

1579
00:56:11,099 --> 00:56:13,900
them about Jesus. Right? Stop acting like a

1580
00:56:13,900 --> 00:56:15,420
fool in front of them and tell them

1581
00:56:15,420 --> 00:56:16,640
about Jesus because

1582
00:56:17,019 --> 00:56:19,715
he is real and he is God's son

1583
00:56:19,715 --> 00:56:21,715
and he is God in human flesh. Yeah.

1584
00:56:21,715 --> 00:56:23,074
And that's the power of the gospel. Right?

1585
00:56:23,074 --> 00:56:24,675
The power is not in me and how

1586
00:56:24,675 --> 00:56:26,594
how eloquent I am and he said that

1587
00:56:26,594 --> 00:56:28,114
he's telling the story and doing all this

1588
00:56:28,114 --> 00:56:29,635
stuff. The power is in the gospel. I

1589
00:56:29,635 --> 00:56:30,675
see it. And the power is in the

1590
00:56:30,675 --> 00:56:32,219
holy spirit. And and and what you said

1591
00:56:32,219 --> 00:56:33,820
about the guy in the lawnmower just reminded

1592
00:56:33,820 --> 00:56:36,400
me how Jesus called all the disciples. Right?

1593
00:56:36,460 --> 00:56:38,380
This was an ordinary town. This is like

1594
00:56:38,380 --> 00:56:40,780
Sylvania again. Right? Yeah. And this guy comes

1595
00:56:40,780 --> 00:56:42,940
up and says, follow me. Yeah. There's a

1596
00:56:42,940 --> 00:56:45,019
spirit happening in there. Exactly. You're not just

1597
00:56:45,019 --> 00:56:46,934
gonna take off and drop your nets and

1598
00:56:47,015 --> 00:56:49,094
off. It's an action of the holy spirit.

1599
00:56:49,094 --> 00:56:50,855
It's how important it's in that day, wasn't

1600
00:56:50,855 --> 00:56:53,414
it? Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. Amen. Amen. Yeah. It

1601
00:56:53,414 --> 00:56:55,815
wasn't like like I come up and said,

1602
00:56:55,815 --> 00:56:58,855
hey, leave your family business guys. The the,

1603
00:56:58,855 --> 00:57:01,019
you know, your father's counting on you, your

1604
00:57:01,019 --> 00:57:03,099
mother's counting on you, your children are counting

1605
00:57:03,099 --> 00:57:05,420
on you, leave your family business. It's gonna

1606
00:57:05,420 --> 00:57:06,480
be okay.

1607
00:57:06,860 --> 00:57:08,700
And and Oh, good. Let's go. Yeah. Let's

1608
00:57:08,700 --> 00:57:10,880
go follow Brian. Yay. Yeah.

1609
00:57:11,340 --> 00:57:13,755
But that's, yeah, you're right. I mean, it

1610
00:57:13,755 --> 00:57:15,914
it was the spirit of God that was

1611
00:57:15,914 --> 00:57:19,275
on Jesus Amen. That compelled them, that drew

1612
00:57:19,275 --> 00:57:21,755
them. Right. Unless we're drawn by the holy

1613
00:57:21,755 --> 00:57:23,835
spirit of God, then we can't be saved

1614
00:57:23,835 --> 00:57:25,275
in the first place. Oh, man. Here here's

1615
00:57:25,275 --> 00:57:27,034
one of my favorite God claims from Jesus

1616
00:57:27,034 --> 00:57:28,460
too. I gotta get this in full. We

1617
00:57:28,460 --> 00:57:31,659
quit, man. It's John chapter 10 verse 27.

1618
00:57:31,659 --> 00:57:33,659
He said, my sheep hear my voice and

1619
00:57:33,659 --> 00:57:35,500
I know them and they follow me and

1620
00:57:35,500 --> 00:57:37,579
I give eternal life to them and they

1621
00:57:37,579 --> 00:57:38,639
will never perish

1622
00:57:38,940 --> 00:57:40,460
and no one will snatch them out of

1623
00:57:40,460 --> 00:57:42,695
my hand. My father who has given them

1624
00:57:42,695 --> 00:57:44,375
to me is greater than all and no

1625
00:57:44,375 --> 00:57:45,815
one is able to snatch them out of

1626
00:57:45,815 --> 00:57:48,055
the father's hand. I and the father are

1627
00:57:48,055 --> 00:57:50,454
1. Amen. You can lose your salvation, but

1628
00:57:50,454 --> 00:57:52,934
I know where mine's at. Amen? Amen. Yeah.

1629
00:57:52,934 --> 00:57:55,780
Amen. I know where mine's at. Amen. Amen.

1630
00:57:55,780 --> 00:57:57,719
I got one more verse too. I'm sorry.

1631
00:57:59,059 --> 00:58:00,280
We're ripping, baby.

1632
00:58:00,980 --> 00:58:03,300
Matthew 28. Let's let's go right to the

1633
00:58:03,300 --> 00:58:05,300
end of it right there and and hit

1634
00:58:05,300 --> 00:58:06,945
those red letters in Jesus,

1635
00:58:07,505 --> 00:58:10,065
verse 18 that starts out Jesus came and

1636
00:58:10,065 --> 00:58:13,025
spake unto them saying all power. Listen, this

1637
00:58:13,025 --> 00:58:15,184
is this is what the father gave the

1638
00:58:15,184 --> 00:58:16,005
son. Okay?

1639
00:58:16,465 --> 00:58:18,305
This is not what the father would give

1640
00:58:18,305 --> 00:58:20,500
a son. Right? This is not what the

1641
00:58:20,500 --> 00:58:22,340
father would I mean, he he he would

1642
00:58:22,420 --> 00:58:23,940
if he had a bunch of sons, he

1643
00:58:23,940 --> 00:58:25,380
would just divide it. You know? And say,

1644
00:58:25,380 --> 00:58:26,820
here's some for years, here's some for you,

1645
00:58:26,820 --> 00:58:28,579
here's some for you. But but no, this

1646
00:58:28,579 --> 00:58:31,300
is all given to Jesus. Right? And Jesus

1647
00:58:31,300 --> 00:58:33,300
came and spake unto them saying, all power

1648
00:58:33,300 --> 00:58:35,054
is given unto me in heaven and earth.

1649
00:58:35,214 --> 00:58:37,454
And then he and then he commands us.

1650
00:58:37,454 --> 00:58:37,954
Okay?

1651
00:58:38,655 --> 00:58:40,574
This is not if you want to. This

1652
00:58:40,574 --> 00:58:42,894
is not maybe you should. This is not

1653
00:58:42,894 --> 00:58:45,554
we'll think about it, but he says go.

1654
00:58:46,014 --> 00:58:47,934
That's what he's telling us. He's telling you

1655
00:58:47,934 --> 00:58:49,920
men and women of god. He's telling us

1656
00:58:50,079 --> 00:58:52,880
go you therefore and teach all nations, baptizing

1657
00:58:52,880 --> 00:58:54,319
them in the name of the father and

1658
00:58:54,319 --> 00:58:56,960
the son and of the holy ghost. Amen.

1659
00:58:56,960 --> 00:58:59,119
Baptist, they get all scared about the holy

1660
00:58:59,119 --> 00:58:59,940
ghost, but

1661
00:59:01,039 --> 00:59:02,799
if we don't say holy spirit, they're gonna

1662
00:59:02,799 --> 00:59:05,545
get upset today. But but the holy ghost

1663
00:59:05,545 --> 00:59:06,285
of God,

1664
00:59:06,585 --> 00:59:08,844
teaching them to observe all thing whatsoever

1665
00:59:09,144 --> 00:59:11,545
I have commanded you and lo, I am

1666
00:59:11,545 --> 00:59:14,184
with you always even unto the end of

1667
00:59:14,184 --> 00:59:15,485
the world. Amen.

1668
00:59:15,945 --> 00:59:16,445
Amen.

1669
00:59:16,985 --> 00:59:19,079
You got another one, don't you? Amen. Nope.

1670
00:59:19,160 --> 00:59:20,680
Okay. Nope. I I just got I was

1671
00:59:20,680 --> 00:59:22,619
saying that book in your app. No.

1672
00:59:23,719 --> 00:59:26,200
No. That The word disciples just just jumps

1673
00:59:26,200 --> 00:59:27,640
out at me, man. Yeah. It jumps out

1674
00:59:27,640 --> 00:59:29,400
at me. Don't he's he's not saying go

1675
00:59:29,400 --> 00:59:32,840
therefore and make new Christians and converts and

1676
00:59:32,840 --> 00:59:33,340
the

1677
00:59:33,719 --> 00:59:35,885
disciples. And if you're listening to not be

1678
00:59:35,885 --> 00:59:38,144
a disciple if you're a believer Yeah. Jump

1679
00:59:38,445 --> 00:59:41,005
in. Jump in. Follow him. And doesn't it

1680
00:59:41,005 --> 00:59:42,925
seem like the the the leading them to

1681
00:59:42,925 --> 00:59:45,324
Christ is almost a given anyway? Yeah. You

1682
00:59:45,324 --> 00:59:47,510
know, tell tell him about Jesus. Let the

1683
00:59:47,510 --> 00:59:49,109
holy spirit do his work. Like you said,

1684
00:59:49,109 --> 00:59:50,630
it's the power of the holy spirit that

1685
00:59:50,630 --> 00:59:51,769
saves, not us.

1686
00:59:52,230 --> 00:59:54,889
And and and then and then disciple them.

1687
00:59:55,109 --> 00:59:57,210
Do not leave them where they are. Right.

1688
00:59:57,510 --> 00:59:59,565
Right? Don't don't get somebody saved. So, oh,

1689
00:59:59,644 --> 01:00:01,085
good luck. I see it. I see it.

1690
01:00:01,085 --> 01:00:03,164
Read your Bible. You know, oddly enough, we

1691
01:00:03,164 --> 01:00:06,284
we actually had a, mild conversation recently at

1692
01:00:06,284 --> 01:00:07,744
work. We were talking about,

1693
01:00:08,125 --> 01:00:09,885
you know, a lot of churches and a

1694
01:00:09,885 --> 01:00:10,704
lot of pastors.

1695
01:00:11,565 --> 01:00:13,199
They really focus on the show.

1696
01:00:13,760 --> 01:00:15,920
Yeah. They really focus on the show nowadays,

1697
01:00:15,920 --> 01:00:18,159
and it's like, well, you're not bringing anybody,

1698
01:00:18,159 --> 01:00:21,039
buddy. No. This the it's either God or

1699
01:00:21,039 --> 01:00:23,440
nothing. Yeah. And if if you think that

1700
01:00:23,440 --> 01:00:26,154
you're doing it, God will wake you up.

1701
01:00:26,154 --> 01:00:27,994
So be careful about that. Be careful about

1702
01:00:27,994 --> 01:00:29,034
that. And if you go to a church,

1703
01:00:29,034 --> 01:00:31,514
hey. Look. Those shows, I get it. I

1704
01:00:31,514 --> 01:00:32,875
get it. You go out there and you

1705
01:00:32,875 --> 01:00:34,234
go to this and oh, man. It's a

1706
01:00:34,234 --> 01:00:36,554
good show, and I I enjoy the music,

1707
01:00:36,554 --> 01:00:38,494
and I enjoy the the spectacle

1708
01:00:38,795 --> 01:00:40,894
on Sunday morning. Well, you know what?

1709
01:00:42,440 --> 01:00:45,319
Yeah. Yeah. Think about that. Think about it.

1710
01:00:45,319 --> 01:00:47,319
Be careful about that. And if if you

1711
01:00:47,319 --> 01:00:48,440
go to a church like that, find a

1712
01:00:48,440 --> 01:00:49,960
church that's gonna give you some meat because

1713
01:00:49,960 --> 01:00:51,319
the whole purpose of going to church is

1714
01:00:51,319 --> 01:00:52,699
getting food. It's discipleship.

1715
01:00:53,324 --> 01:00:55,324
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Hey. There's nothing wrong with

1716
01:00:55,324 --> 01:00:57,324
good worship music. Make sure it's coming from

1717
01:00:57,324 --> 01:00:59,164
the heart. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Make sure it's

1718
01:00:59,164 --> 01:01:01,804
real. Make sure it's real. Worship is such

1719
01:01:01,804 --> 01:01:02,304
a

1720
01:01:03,005 --> 01:01:05,244
a wonderful thing that we are called to

1721
01:01:05,244 --> 01:01:06,864
do because it is about

1722
01:01:07,164 --> 01:01:08,304
the worthiness

1723
01:01:09,090 --> 01:01:11,030
of God. Darrell Bock Right. And we commercialize

1724
01:01:11,170 --> 01:01:12,170
it a lot like we do Christians. Darrell

1725
01:01:12,170 --> 01:01:13,329
Bock Yeah, we do. Yeah. Darrell Bock We

1726
01:01:13,329 --> 01:01:13,829
do.

1727
01:01:15,410 --> 01:01:17,090
And you know what? It is. It is

1728
01:01:17,090 --> 01:01:18,849
that time of year where we wanna think

1729
01:01:18,849 --> 01:01:20,789
about and focus on and remember

1730
01:01:21,295 --> 01:01:22,594
that Jesus Christ

1731
01:01:23,054 --> 01:01:25,295
came as a baby to bring us the

1732
01:01:25,295 --> 01:01:25,795
greatest

1733
01:01:26,655 --> 01:01:27,155
gift

1734
01:01:28,014 --> 01:01:30,014
of all time, and that was the gift

1735
01:01:30,014 --> 01:01:32,275
of our salvation, the gift of the forgiveness

1736
01:01:33,855 --> 01:01:34,755
of our sins,

1737
01:01:35,250 --> 01:01:36,849
and to give us the ability to not

1738
01:01:36,849 --> 01:01:39,090
only get our sins forgiven because they had

1739
01:01:39,090 --> 01:01:41,969
the covering of sins before Christ came. He

1740
01:01:41,969 --> 01:01:43,909
gave us the ability to repent

1741
01:01:44,449 --> 01:01:47,349
of our sins, to turn from our sins,

1742
01:01:47,489 --> 01:01:49,489
and he called people to do it even

1743
01:01:49,489 --> 01:01:51,855
in his day. He would heal somebody. He

1744
01:01:51,855 --> 01:01:54,175
would tell them about Him. He would fix

1745
01:01:54,175 --> 01:01:55,715
whatever it was, go up and

1746
01:01:56,094 --> 01:01:57,934
and prevent them from stoning them. And what

1747
01:01:57,934 --> 01:01:59,635
did He always say? Rise,

1748
01:01:59,934 --> 01:02:02,335
go sin no more. Go sin no more.

1749
01:02:02,335 --> 01:02:04,434
He said it over and over and over,

1750
01:02:04,670 --> 01:02:06,769
and that's what He brought us is

1751
01:02:07,230 --> 01:02:09,150
with His death on the cross the ability

1752
01:02:09,150 --> 01:02:10,670
for us to say, okay I'm gonna get

1753
01:02:10,670 --> 01:02:11,890
up and I'm gonna go out,

1754
01:02:12,510 --> 01:02:13,489
and I'm not afraid

1755
01:02:13,789 --> 01:02:15,550
of Satan. I'm not afraid of the temptations

1756
01:02:15,550 --> 01:02:17,150
he's gonna throw to me because I'm putting

1757
01:02:17,150 --> 01:02:19,125
my faith in Christ, And you know what?

1758
01:02:19,125 --> 01:02:20,804
We're gonna slip, we're gonna fall, but he

1759
01:02:20,804 --> 01:02:23,045
has given us the ability to overcome these

1760
01:02:23,045 --> 01:02:24,644
things. That's the key right there is overcome.

1761
01:02:24,644 --> 01:02:26,324
And that's what he says to 7 churches

1762
01:02:26,324 --> 01:02:28,644
in Revelation. We have the power, but we

1763
01:02:28,644 --> 01:02:29,545
got to fight.

1764
01:02:29,844 --> 01:02:31,605
The power that raised God from the dead

1765
01:02:31,605 --> 01:02:33,364
lives inside of us, and we need to

1766
01:02:33,364 --> 01:02:36,109
fight the temptations, not just buckle. That's right.

1767
01:02:36,109 --> 01:02:37,869
Yeah. Amen. Right. Amen. And we have the

1768
01:02:37,869 --> 01:02:40,989
power to overcome. That's right. Amen. And he's

1769
01:02:40,989 --> 01:02:43,230
he's he's just saying tap into it. Right?

1770
01:02:43,230 --> 01:02:44,609
Yep. I'm here.

1771
01:02:44,909 --> 01:02:47,235
I'm not I'm not leaving you comfortless. Right?

1772
01:02:47,315 --> 01:02:48,934
That word comfortless is,

1773
01:02:50,035 --> 01:02:52,035
it it's the word orphan. Like, I'm not

1774
01:02:52,035 --> 01:02:53,394
gonna leave you an orphan. I'm not gonna

1775
01:02:53,394 --> 01:02:54,934
leave you by yourself. Right?

1776
01:02:55,394 --> 01:02:56,994
And and that's what he's saying. He said,

1777
01:02:56,994 --> 01:02:58,675
I'm here. I didn't I didn't ask you

1778
01:02:58,675 --> 01:03:00,195
to do this by yourself. I know it's

1779
01:03:00,195 --> 01:03:01,875
hard. I know it's tough. I know you

1780
01:03:01,875 --> 01:03:03,920
can't fight Satan, on your own. I know

1781
01:03:03,920 --> 01:03:06,159
that he's he's he's a he's a powerful

1782
01:03:06,159 --> 01:03:08,400
adversary to you, but he's not to me.

1783
01:03:08,400 --> 01:03:10,400
Mhmm. Yeah. Yeah. And and the key another

1784
01:03:10,400 --> 01:03:11,519
key to this, though, is like I got

1785
01:03:11,519 --> 01:03:12,980
a lot of keys. I'm a key here.

1786
01:03:14,079 --> 01:03:15,859
Big key ring. The the word gift.

1787
01:03:16,215 --> 01:03:17,974
It's a gift. You don't earn this. Yeah.

1788
01:03:17,974 --> 01:03:19,575
You don't earn this. You just accept the

1789
01:03:19,575 --> 01:03:21,335
gift, and it it's never taken back from

1790
01:03:21,335 --> 01:03:23,175
you. Yeah. God gives you a gift, and

1791
01:03:23,175 --> 01:03:25,494
and and Jesus offers us in Revelation to

1792
01:03:25,494 --> 01:03:27,095
come drink of the water of life without

1793
01:03:27,095 --> 01:03:29,655
cost. Mhmm. Yeah. It's a gift. Amen. All

1794
01:03:29,655 --> 01:03:31,089
you need to do is say yes. That's

1795
01:03:31,089 --> 01:03:33,170
right. That's right. And don't be afraid to.

1796
01:03:33,170 --> 01:03:35,250
Don't be afraid. That's the other thing. Do

1797
01:03:35,250 --> 01:03:37,889
not be afraid. Again, the things that Christ

1798
01:03:37,889 --> 01:03:39,429
said to people, don't be afraid.

1799
01:03:39,889 --> 01:03:41,670
Don't be afraid. I mean,

1800
01:03:42,289 --> 01:03:44,929
it's who He is. He's given us the

1801
01:03:44,929 --> 01:03:45,429
ability

1802
01:03:46,494 --> 01:03:48,675
to overcome, to to turn

1803
01:03:48,974 --> 01:03:51,135
from these things in the world. Yep. You

1804
01:03:51,135 --> 01:03:52,815
just gotta reach out and take it. It's

1805
01:03:52,815 --> 01:03:55,135
a free gift. Yep. And that's that is

1806
01:03:55,135 --> 01:03:57,215
what Christmas is about, that free gift of

1807
01:03:57,215 --> 01:03:58,894
salvation. And to reach out and take it.

1808
01:03:59,027 --> 01:04:01,239
Is born unto us, the son is given.

1809
01:04:01,239 --> 01:04:03,480
Amen. That's right. Amen. And the the the

1810
01:04:03,480 --> 01:04:05,639
language in that is really, really precise. Right?

1811
01:04:05,639 --> 01:04:07,319
It is. It is. A child is born,

1812
01:04:07,319 --> 01:04:08,699
but son's always been.

1813
01:04:09,000 --> 01:04:12,315
That's right. Yes. That's right. Amen. Yeah. Yes.

1814
01:04:12,635 --> 01:04:13,934
That baby in a manger

1815
01:04:14,474 --> 01:04:16,635
ain't no regular baby. No. No. And he

1816
01:04:16,635 --> 01:04:18,815
is Christ the Lord. Amen.

1817
01:04:20,954 --> 01:04:22,474
Mhmm. Alright. Well, that brings us to the

1818
01:04:22,474 --> 01:04:24,335
end of it tonight. And goodness,

1819
01:04:25,079 --> 01:04:26,760
That is I'm I'm glad we got back

1820
01:04:26,760 --> 01:04:28,920
together after a couple weeks. I needed that

1821
01:04:28,920 --> 01:04:30,760
break. Couple weeks now or Get us set

1822
01:04:30,760 --> 01:04:33,079
on fire. Well, I'm hoping that I might

1823
01:04:33,079 --> 01:04:34,860
need to start doing this every other week.

1824
01:04:35,960 --> 01:04:38,440
I'm hoping that, maybe either I'm not sure

1825
01:04:38,440 --> 01:04:40,125
if it'll be next week or the following

1826
01:04:40,125 --> 01:04:41,724
week, we'll be able to get together and

1827
01:04:41,724 --> 01:04:43,085
get out there and do some stuff with

1828
01:04:43,085 --> 01:04:45,164
the choir. And, cause one of those 2

1829
01:04:45,164 --> 01:04:47,405
weeks, those are the last 2, Mondays we

1830
01:04:47,405 --> 01:04:49,085
have before Christmas. So I'm hoping we can

1831
01:04:49,085 --> 01:04:51,105
actually get together, do some Christmas music

1832
01:04:51,565 --> 01:04:52,065
and,

1833
01:04:52,699 --> 01:04:55,099
you know, do some just ministering and worshiping

1834
01:04:55,099 --> 01:04:57,019
together and let everybody join us for that

1835
01:04:57,019 --> 01:04:59,659
because that would be amazing and wonderful and,

1836
01:04:59,659 --> 01:05:01,359
and a great time. Yeah.

1837
01:05:01,900 --> 01:05:04,539
Brother Dennis, would you dismiss us in prayer

1838
01:05:04,539 --> 01:05:05,819
tonight before we go out the rest of

1839
01:05:05,819 --> 01:05:08,094
the week? Alright. Father in heaven, thank you

1840
01:05:08,094 --> 01:05:09,694
so much for the gift you gave us

1841
01:05:09,694 --> 01:05:12,414
on that first Christmas morning. Father, that that

1842
01:05:12,414 --> 01:05:14,494
the lord Jesus stepped down out of heaven,

1843
01:05:14,494 --> 01:05:16,494
out of glory, to become one of us,

1844
01:05:16,494 --> 01:05:18,494
to relate to us, to understand us, to

1845
01:05:18,494 --> 01:05:20,494
know us, but more important to die for

1846
01:05:20,494 --> 01:05:22,440
us, that we might have our sins paid

1847
01:05:22,440 --> 01:05:24,519
for, that the wrath that we deserve is

1848
01:05:24,519 --> 01:05:25,659
poured out on him.

1849
01:05:26,440 --> 01:05:28,839
Lord, we don't have enough ways to say

1850
01:05:28,839 --> 01:05:29,500
thank you.

1851
01:05:29,800 --> 01:05:31,800
Father, I pray for everyone listening that they

1852
01:05:31,800 --> 01:05:34,280
would accept this gift of salvation, that that

1853
01:05:34,280 --> 01:05:36,280
that they would see the power, the power

1854
01:05:36,280 --> 01:05:38,925
that you've that you've shown 2,000 over 2000

1855
01:05:38,925 --> 01:05:40,945
years ago when you came to this earth

1856
01:05:41,485 --> 01:05:43,164
and died on a cross. And, father, I

1857
01:05:43,164 --> 01:05:45,244
pray for everyone listening that you would bless

1858
01:05:45,244 --> 01:05:45,744
them,

1859
01:05:46,045 --> 01:05:47,405
that they would see you in a whole

1860
01:05:47,405 --> 01:05:49,644
different light, that they would follow you. Not

1861
01:05:49,644 --> 01:05:52,125
just say we believe, but but follow you

1862
01:05:52,125 --> 01:05:53,219
and live it out.

1863
01:05:53,619 --> 01:05:55,460
Father, thank you, and I pray for your

1864
01:05:55,460 --> 01:05:57,460
blessings on on the men in this room.

1865
01:05:57,460 --> 01:05:59,719
And in Jesus' name, amen. Amen.

1866
01:06:01,940 --> 01:06:03,960
Special thank you to Carter Pridemore,

1867
01:06:04,260 --> 01:06:06,359
Brian Harris, Waverly Henderson,

1868
01:06:06,739 --> 01:06:09,434
Tatum Harris Spears, and Jim Josie Bartain Bartain

1869
01:06:09,434 --> 01:06:11,855
for our theme song, Truth Set Me Free.

1870
01:06:12,155 --> 01:06:14,574
I've been Tyler Goza on production and audio.

1871
01:06:14,954 --> 01:06:16,954
We hope you can join us live next

1872
01:06:16,954 --> 01:06:18,574
Monday at 6 PM CST.

1873
01:06:18,954 --> 01:06:19,934
Thank you for listening.

1874
01:06:23,480 --> 01:06:25,099
In my darkest hour.

1875
01:06:25,639 --> 01:06:28,440
I traded my black heart for joy, for

1876
01:06:28,440 --> 01:06:31,019
something real, something with power.

1877
01:06:33,079 --> 01:06:33,579
Truth

1878
01:06:33,880 --> 01:06:35,339
set me free.

1879
01:06:36,039 --> 01:06:38,175
Truth came to me.