The Trustworthy God

Good morning, everybody. As we're standing, let's have a quick word of prayer.

Lord God, we thank you that you have gathered your people here on this last Sunday of Advent.

Lord, as we open up your word, give us eyes to see the beauty of the incarnation.

Lord, help us to be right there in the story.

Lord, I pray that by your Holy Spirit you would move in our hearts.

If anybody here has a misunderstood view of you, that that would be all that more corrected this morning.

For some that don't yet know you, may this be the morning they come to faith.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Please take a seat.

So some of us still travel into work, but a lot of us work from home.

Before the work from home orders, some of you would travel across one of the three bridges onto the Quebec side.

Think about the day ahead, think about co-workers, what you're going to eat at dinner time, new recipe.

Your mind would probably be racing, but unlikely that you'd be thinking about the structural integrity of the bridge you were crossing.

Or you hop on a bus, or you jump in your car, you're driving to the office, going to the front entrance, jump in the elevator, go up to floor seven.

Whatever floor you're on, thinking about you're behind at work, or maybe you're on the verge of finishing a project.

Whatever. Whatever it may be.

Family.

I don't think you're thinking about the structural integrity of that building that you're in.

What makes a bridge or a building trustworthy?

Is it not the integrity of the build?

The engineering and the contingencies in place that would give us confidence to such a degree that we don't even think about the trustworthiness of the bridge or the building or the road.

Unless, you know, your mind goes in a morbid direction.

Or, you know, there's an actual structural problem with it.

But how about with people?

What makes somebody trustworthy?

That's what makes a building or a road or a bridge, some kind of structure trustworthy.

But how about people?

What makes a person trustworthy?

People that you trust have integrity to keep confidentiality when you share with them a vulnerable thing.

They're not going to hijack your friendship for their own reputational gain.

They have a track record of trustworthiness, of showing up, of saying something and following through.

When they do something that offends you, you know, you can work things out.

There's apologies.

There's reconciliation.

There's built trust.

There's built integrity there.

Now, listen, of course, no building or bridge is going to last forever.

I mean, gravity, the weather, the elements, all that stuff will take its toll.

Things aren't built to last forever.

Also, to be a human is to err.

So, it's inevitable that there's some kind of broken trust in relationships.

No relationship is perfectly integral.

There is more to trust than simply having integrity.

But integrity is most certainly the crucial ingredient.

So, centuries before Jesus' birth, the nation of Israel found itself in what seemed to be perpetual exile

with Assyria, with Babylon, with Persia, eventually with Greece.

And by the time Jesus shows up on the scene, they're under Roman subjugation.

It's constantly being ruled by a foreign power.

And if you were to read a secular historical book, sociology, whatever, on the history of Judea,

they would potentially say, a historian, they would chalk it up to geopolitical forces at the time.

One nation conquers a small nation that is conquered and so on and so forth.

But the biblical account is that Israel fell into idolatry.

And a cycle of idolatry that wasn't just amoral, but absolutely dehumanized a whole people group.

Sacrificing children, going to war, worshipping in perverse and sexual, like terribly sexually perverse ways.

And the scriptures say that because of that, they were sent into exile.

So, I'm painting a bit of a backdrop leading up to Jesus coming on the scene.

Up until about 500 years before the Christmas story, God spoke to Israel through the prophets.

And he promised that he would restore them.

He would restore them.

That their relationship, the broken relationship with him would be restored.

And that it would be done through this mysterious and magnificent, mighty Savior.

We get little hints of this Savior throughout the prophetic books.

This anointed one from God that would be sent to correct all the wrongs.

To fix all the brokenness.

So, leading up to the first century, this messianic understanding kind of evolved past the biblical account.

So that the Messiah would come.

And by the time the Romans were there, would completely upend the Romans.

It would be a military and political force, this Messiah.

And purify the land.

And there was a great messianic fervor.

But the problem was, they were still under subjugation.

They were still under the yoke of a foreign oppressive rule.

And they struggled with it.

There was false messiahs.

There were collaborators.

There were people being led astray.

There were essentially political terrorists.

All within the nation of Israel.

All trying to achieve some kind of messianic.

And the question then is asked by these people.

Has God forgotten about us?

Does he lack integrity?

It's been 500 years since he spoke to us.

Let alone the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Messiah coming.

500 years.

Even the exodus or the enslavement in Egypt was 400 years.

This is 500 years.

There's groaning.

There's frustration.

Is God who he says he is?

Is he the promise keeping God?

Does he have integrity?

Can we trust him?

In fact, there was a savior already on the scene.

So to speak, a savior.

Caesar Augustus was the first emperor of Rome.

And his reign ushered in relative peace to the known world.

Maybe this is the savior that history points to.

But our story doesn't pick up in Rome.

It does not pick up in Jerusalem.

It does not pick up in a palace.

Our story picks up in lowly backwater Bethlehem.

And this is the backdrop for the text that we'll read this morning.

As we read, keep in mind the angst that is felt by society under Roman rule in ancient Israel and Judea.

Think about the question in your mind as we read, can God be trusted?

Is he trustworthy?

Is he an integral God?

Because, I mean, I don't know if there's anybody new.

If you're new, welcome.

If you're new at home, welcome.

But everybody here, I think, has been to church before.

And immediately you'll jump to, oh no, of course God is trustworthy.

Of course he's integral.

Because we see the end of the story.

We're familiar with the end of the story.

But I'd say put yourself, not at the end of the story, but in the story.

Try to feel the angst.

Ask the question.

Let it kind of sit uneasy in your heart.

Is God trustworthy?

Is God trustworthy?

So if you have a Bible, please turn with me to Luke chapter 2, starting in verse 1.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

If at any time you need a Bible, we have some Bibles here at the front.

Help yourself to a Bible.

Feel free to take it home.

So we'll read Luke chapter 2, verses 1 to 7 to open it up.

Luke 2:1–7

In those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

A quick pause here.

I'm not going to get into it at all.

If you're into kind of historical criticism,

or you've heard that there's a bit of a discrepancy with this possible,

like a dating issue with verse 2, this registration under Quirinius,

George, in his blog, had a good explanation for this.

The blog is from November 22nd.

I'd encourage you guys to check it out.

It should be on the YouTube show notes right under the video.

And you can check that out.

But we'll continue.

I'll start again in verse 2.

This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria,

and all went to be registered, each to his own town.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth to Judea,

to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,

because he was of the house and lineage of David,

to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth,

and she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloth

and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn.

Throughout this chapter, and really throughout the rest of Luke,

but especially in this chapter, there are these subtle jabs at Caesar Augustus.

Not because Luke has this thing out for Caesar Augustus.

It's because Caesar Augustus was the most powerful man in the world.

Easily the most powerful man in the world.

Caesar is the one who brought peace, remember, to the known world.

And here in this story of Jesus' lowly birth,

he is just an unknowing agent of God's plans.

The emperor, the greatest emperor of the greatest empire,

is a mere pawn in the purposes of God.

Caesar had registration across the known world for the purpose of taxation,

a grand, grand, grand thing,

and it was used by God so that an 800-year-old prophecy could be fulfilled.

The prophecy in Micah chapter 5,

Micah 5 · chapter mention

that the Messiah would be born in lowly Bethlehem.

But Mary and Joseph were in Nazareth.

God, in his providence, orchestrates the fulfillment of a prophecy,

and he uses the most powerful person as a pawn.

It's remarkable.

It really is remarkable.

You could say it's coincidence.

If it is, let's, if you feel that way,

if you're thinking that way, that's okay.

Let's just keep, continue on.

But before we continue on,

I'm not sure if you guys knew this,

I'm no prophet, all right?

I can predict that I'll make breakfasts most mornings,

and I'll change at least one poopy diaper.

That's kind of the extent of my prophetic ability.

So I'm no prophet.

So I'm not going to muse on how the Lord

is going to use really, like, current, current events

for his purposes.

I'm not going to, I'm not going to try to figure that kind of stuff out.

But I'll just say this.

It would seem that throughout history,

whenever a human force tries to suppress God's church

or claim absolute authority over God,

it seems that God turns it on its head

and uses it for his own purposes.

Communist China has tried to stamp out religion

and destroy the church.

And it's because of their very actions

that the church has flourished.

They can try, but they will fail.

Time and time and time again in history,

God makes it very, very plain

that the most powerful,

the most absolute authority

is just a pawn in his providential plan.

And here we have exactly that with Caesar Augustus.

He's just a pawn.

It doesn't mean he's not a powerful person.

It just means, compared to God,

who is he?

Who is he?

It's remarkable.

If we had time to go through all of Luke 1 and 2

and just Luke 1 and 2,

not to mention the rest of Luke,

we'll see even more fulfilled prophecies,

but never in a way that seems to be straightforward

from human perspective,

but completely and perfectly fulfilled

in God's way and in his time.

And yet no other story could be,

no other way this story could be kind of told

would make it come to pass in the way that it did.

There's no other choose-your-own-adventure.

God could have done it this way,

or this way, or this way, or this way.

This is the way that God has chosen.

It's magnificent.

It's spectacular.

The greatest emperor of the greatest empire

is completely upended by God

through a child born to peasant parents

in a lowly backwater town

in a very, very contentious land.

And this is God's doing.

The emperor of peace

pales in comparison to the king of peace.

Caesar Augustus ushered in

the 200 years of Roman peace,

but it was never truly peace.

I mean, it definitely wasn't eternal peace.

It lasted for 200 years,

but it was a peace that was brought about

by subjugation and slavery

and a lot of bloodshed and taxation

and heavy-handedness.

It was peace,

but it wasn't the peace.

So he is the emperor of peace,

but he's not the king of peace.

And Luke here is showing us this

in a very subtle way in the text.

This is why, friends,

we ought to strive for good governance

in our country,

but not put our faith in it.

The war to end all wars

lasted not even a generation.

It was a very short-lived maxim.

Time and again,

our best attempts at peace and prosperity

never last.

They never last.

It's not as though we shouldn't

strive for peace

or strive for the ending of war

and strive for good governance.

It's just that we ought not

to ever put our faith

and ultimate trust and hope

in those things

because they don't have true,

eternal, everlasting integrity.

They always fall apart.

So what about the peace

that God would bring?

Would it last forever?

Remember,

keep yourself in the story.

Feel the angst.

Let's continue.

Verses 8 to 14.

And in the same region,

there were shepherds out in the field

keeping watch over their flock by night.

And the angel of the Lord appeared to them

and the glory of the Lord shone around them

and they were filled with fear.

And the angel said to them,

Fear not,

for behold,

I bring you good news of great joy

that will be for all people.

For unto you is born this day

in the city of David a Savior

who is Christ the Lord.

And this will be a sign for you.

You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths

and lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was,

with the angel,

a multitude of the heavenly hosts

praising God and saying,

Glory to God in the highest

and on earth peace

among those whom he is pleased.

Consider how magnificent this is.

At night,

the shepherds see the sky light up.

This declaration that this angel says

is befitting of an emperor.

Again,

these subtle jabs

at Caesar Augustus' absolute power.

Because this declaration isn't given to him.

It's given to Jesus.

It's a grand announcement.

A Savior,

a Messiah,

a Lord.

All very technical terms

that are full of meaning.

Savior,

somebody that will

literally save.

The Messiah,

the Christ,

someone that is anointed by God

to be a Savior.

And the Lord is a regal title.

And it's all given to Jesus.

I mean,

if they would have said

in Rome,

in the halls,

the great halls,

you will find this one.

That would be fitting.

But you will go to Bethlehem

and you'll find this,

the Savior,

Messiah,

and Lord

wrapped in swaddling cloths.

It doesn't fit,

but it's right.

It's right.

And it's also interesting that

the announcement isn't made to dignitaries.

It's not made to important people.

It's not made to religious leaders.

It's made to shepherds.

And although in the Bible,

shepherding,

especially where we see shepherding

with Moses

and with David,

it has a good connotation

about it.

Shepherding,

by the time Jesus' day

comes to pass,

it fell into disrepute.

Urbanization happened

so that the rich people

were not so much

the rich shepherds

that tended their own flock,

but they got the poor people

to attend their flock.

And these poor people,

by virtue of tending a flock,

couldn't engage in religious life,

couldn't engage in social life.

There was a suspicion

around shepherds

in Jesus' day.

They were lowly people.

And yet,

they are the first people

that hear this declaration

of the Christ.

The first people.

Luke writes

this true account

of the shepherds

with the blue-collar man in view,

the down-and-out single mom in view,

the my serb payment just ran out

father of three in view.

And because it is

for the shepherds,

it means it's for us.

It's for us.

It's for you.

Our ears are hearing this

with the shepherds.

The first announcement

of the Christ

who will come.

Because at the very core

of what it means

to be a human,

and you might be put together,

and if you are,

that is good.

There's no judgment.

But there is a brokenness

about humanity.

There is.

There's pain.

There's broken relationships.

There's betrayal.

And if we're real

about who we really are,

we are lowly people.

And God declares

His salvation to us.

It's wonderful.

It is wonderful.

It gives us great hope

that this is who God

has declared His goodness to.

And here's the bit

that speaks about peace.

Look with me again

in verse 14.

Glory to God

in the highest

and on earth.

Peace among those

with whom

He is pleased.

This peace

is fleshed out

in two songs

from chapter 1.

One Mary's song,

the Magnificat,

and also Zechariah's

prophecy,

both in chapter 1.

I won't read

Zechariah's bit,

but I encourage you guys

to take some time

and read through it,

meditate on it.

But here's some of

Mary's prayer.

And this is what it says.

This is from Luke chapter 1,

Luke 1 · chapter mention

starting in verse 46.

And Mary said,

My soul magnifies the Lord

and my spirit rejoices

in God my Savior.

For He has looked

on the humble estate

of His servant.

For behold,

from now on

all generations

will call me blessed.

For He who is mighty

has done great things

for me

and holy is His name.

And His mercy

is for those

who fear Him.

From generation

to generation,

that's that long-lasting bit.

He has shown strength

with His arm.

He has scattered the proud

in the thoughts

of their hearts.

He has brought down

the mighty from their thrones

and exalted those

of humble estate.

He has filled the hungry

with good things

and the rich

He has sent away empty.

He has helped

His servant Israel

in remembrance

of His mercy

as He spoke

to our fathers,

to Abraham

and to His offspring forever.

That prayer

is so packed

with theological truth.

But what I want you guys

to hear

is that

this peace

that God will bring

will look to correct

and heal

and feed

and mend

the brokenness

and the hungry

and lift up the lowly

and for the plans

of those

who are in authority

that don't use

their authority

to serve

but to subjugate.

That sounds like peace

and this peace

is from generation

to generation.

This is the peace

that God

is bringing

that God

is declaring

through these angels.

Again,

Augustus

he couldn't

he couldn't offer

that peace.

The Pax Romana

again

if you were under

under the peace of Rome

you still had to pay taxes

and often times

it was very unjust

the tax collecting.

A Roman garrison

had authority

that you had to

submit to.

A third

of the

population

was enslaved.

That doesn't sound

like full peace

to me.

And yet

the peace

that God offers

is true peace

and it's everlasting.

It has integrity.

And Mary here

connects it

right at the bottom

in verse 54

and 55

to the fulfilled

promises of God.

God

is trustworthy.

His promises

are coming true

finally.

He hasn't forgotten.

God

is

God

is

God

is

God

this is again

why we don't put our

ultimate hope in the promises

made by

government

by

health care workers

by

a spouse

or a partner

by

the hope of a promotion

or

a salary increase.

Those things

don't have

true

long lasting

fulfill

the hole in our heart

integrity.

They might promise that

but if you've had a few

disappointments

you know

you know what I'm

saying

that that integrity

it's lacking

because at the core

of our brokenness

isn't just

a lack

of a better job

or

a really thoughtful

husband or wife

or

or a husband

and wife

or a really

really excellent

prime minister

or premier

or mayor

or whatever

but at the core

of our brokenness

is sin

and an estranged

relationship

from the living God.

Verse 14

at the end of it

says this

it says

on earth

peace

among

those

with whom

he

God

is pleased

that bit

with whom

he is pleased

is this technical

biblical term

that refers

to God's elect

those that

are

a part of

the in group

those that God

has saved

and just if you

if you think

that this is somehow

an exclusive group

remember

declared to shepherds

right

and what have

the shepherds

done to

to get into

this

wonderful

exclusive

elect group

this in group

what have they done

they've done

nothing

the angel

shows up

and declares

this wonderful

peace

on earth

to God's

elect

and they just

hear it

they have done

nothing to

achieve this

but they have

to receive it

they have to

receive it

so look with me

in

in the last

bit of our section

verses 15 to

20

when the angels

went away

sorry

when the angels

went away

from them

into heaven

the shepherds

said to one

another

let us go

over to

Bethlehem

and see

this thing

that has

happened

which the

Lord has

made known

to us

they are

responding

to this

message

it's not

just that

they hear

it and

go on

their way

it changes

them

they respond

to it

look

continue

on with

me

verses 16

and they

went with

haste

and found

Mary

and Joseph

and the

baby

lying in

a manger

they went

with haste

the idea

with this

haste is

that they

left their

flocks

they left

their flocks

where they

were

we looked

at this

in a Bible

study

recently

we had a

discussion

well did

they leave

people to

look after

the flocks

and take

care of

the flocks

you know

because

it's not

like this

was a

pendant

area

they're

just

literally

just

following

the flocks

in a

giant

giant

wilderness

where there's

predators

and everybody

who knows

anything about

sheep

like they

have zero

defense

mechanisms

so that's

what the

shepherds

are for

shepherds

lead them

to food

and to

good water

and protect

them

well

but they

leave their

their flocks

with haste

there is

something

wonderful

about this

they are

overcome

they have

to see

it

they're

responding

with this

with this

passion

with this

fervency

let's continue

on verse

17

and when

they saw

it

the baby

they made

known the

saying

that had

been told

them

concerning

the child

and all

who heard

it wondered

at what

the shepherds

told them

it was

likely that

Bethlehem

was swollen

with people

for this

registration

I mean

we know

that there's

no room

in the inn

not like

they have

a holiday

inn

but there's

no place

for them

to have

a room

to have

a bed

Bethlehem

is full

of people

and they're

hearing this

words going

around

but Mary

treasured

up

all these

things

pondering

them

in her

heart

and the

shepherds

returned

glorifying

and praising

God

for all

they had

heard

and seen

as it

had been

told

them

they are

responding

and their

response is

with joy

and their

response is

with sharing

what they

have seen

sharing

their faith

and not

kind of

going on

their way

but glorifying

God

it results

in praise

remember

verse 14

glory to God

in the

highest

this is

about

God's

renown

and God's

glory

verse 19

verse 18

and all

who heard

it

wondered

at what

the

shepherds

had told

them

but Mary

treasured

up all

these

things

pondering

them

in her

heart

you can

hear

about

the

good

news

of

God

and

kind

of

go

on

your

own

way

that

but

in

verse

19

it

juxtaposes

Mary's

good

response

with the

response

of others

that didn't

have the

right

response

and

obviously

it's

juxtaposed

with the

shepherds

who have

a good

response

as well

it's not

enough

to hear

about

about

the peace

that God

brings

that the

Messiah

is coming

it's

not enough

to just

hear about

it and

go on

your way

grips

you

and it's

not something

that you

have to

muster

up

either

the

Holy

Spirit

is at

work

you hear

something

and if

it

grips

you

you

by the

Holy

Spirit's

strength

act on

that

you

can't

just

go back

to

tending

the

flock

as if

nothing

happened

where there's

no change

it seems

that the

shepherds

went back

to

tending

their

flock

it says

right in

verse 20

and the

shepherds

returned

I don't know

it doesn't say

specifically to

their flock

let's say

they went

back to

their flock

it's not

as if

all of a

sudden

they were

elevated

to the

highest

throne

of

of

of

Rome

or

King

Herod's

palace

they're

they're

just

they're

still

shepherds

but their

lives are

different

they're

glorifying

God

they're

they're

gripped

with this

good news

they have

a little

skip

in their

step

the

good news

has

changed

their

lives

friends

we're

in

the

the

boots

of the

shepherds

we hear

about the

peace

of God

that will

endure

forever

and that

will

satisfy

our

hearts

that

will

remove

the

sin

and

fix

the

estrangement

we have

with

God

this is

good

news

and it

might

not

change

where

you're

at

but we

have to

remember

that our

hope

isn't

in a

better

life

here

and

now

although

it's

good

to get

a better

life

here

and

now

our

hope

is

to be

with

God

in

his

presence

enjoying

his

company

at

his

table

being

friends

with

him

not

looking

over

our

shoulder

not

feeling

the

weight

of

a

taxation

from

Rome

not

having

a

fear

of

death

taking

a

loved

one

or

taking

our

own

body

or

fear

that

our

bodies

will

just

deteriorate

and

break

down

or

not

that

this

beautiful

city

we live

in

will

just

crumble

to

pieces

no

our

hope

is

in

the

eternal

city

where

our

bodies

will be

made

completely

right

never

breaking

down

again

that

we

will

be

at

this

table

with

the

savior

himself

we

will

be

friends

of

his

enjoying

his

food

no

more

tears

of

pain

that's

what we

look to

that's

what the

peace

is

talking

about

hope

is

wrapped

up

in

swaddling

cloths

sitting

in

a

food

trough

in

a

backwater

place

that's

the

hope

it is

not

in

Rome

it is

not

at

Parliament

Hill

it is

not

at

Queen's

Park

it is

not

in

your

bank

account

it is

not

with

your

children

or

your

spouse

it is

not

with

your

muscles

or

your

brain

it's

with

nothing

because

all

those

things

will

break

away

break

apart

fall

away

this

peace

it's

wonderful

you know

the thing

about the

first

Advent

is that

the promises

of God

were fulfilled

that God

proved to

be an

integral

promise

keeping

trustworthy

God

which

means

that

as

we

read

about

the

second

coming

of

Christ

whether

that

happens

in

our

earthly

life

or

not

we

can

have

sure

confidence

that

it

will

come

to

pass

how

will

it

come

to

pass

I

don't

know

I

would

say

let's

be

a

bit

wary

of

people

that

know

the

date

or

the

hour

and

have

it

all

kind

of

mapped

out

there

was

500

6

7

800

years

to

discern

the

prophecies

of

God

in

the

Old

Testament

and

by

the

time

Jesus

comes

around

they

they've

gotten

it

wrong

I

don't

trust

myself

to

figure

out

the

book

of

Revelation

and

map

out

how

Jesus

is

going

to

come

back

but

I

do

know

he

will

I

do

know

he

will

why

because

he

came

for

the

first

advent

he

came

as

a

baby

he

fulfilled

the

promises

we

we

struggle

with

skepticism

and

we

struggle

with

belief

and

it's

very

clear

as

we

go

through

Luke

1

and

2

that

Mary

doesn't

quite

know

everything

that's

going

to

happen

she

doesn't

know

that

her

son

is

going

to

go

and

die

on

a

cross

Zechariah's

prophecy

talks

about

how

she

will

be

pierced

in

the

heart

but

doesn't

say

why

it's

shrouded

in a

bit

of

mystery

but

she

believes

skepticism

and

and

a bit

of

unbelief

how

does

this

kind of

come to

pass

is it

really

true

historically

this

and that

I

think

it's

okay

to

sit

in

that

and

to

wrestle

with

that

because

we

we

don't

have

to

understand

a

through

z

to

have

belief

we

believe

and

then

we

understand

it's

a

commitment

to

the

truth

of

God

even

if

we

don't

quite

understand

it

all

I

mean

the

Bible

is

far

from

an

action

plan

that

spells

out

a

through

z

of

God's

providential

ordering

of

history

it's

it's

not

that

we

are

used

to

that

that

stuff

gives

us

comfort

but

that's

not

what

it

is

so

you

might

not

ever

fully

grasp

all

the

promises

of

God

or

every

nuance

of

the

faith

but

don't

let

that

stop

you

from

hearing

and

receiving

ask

God

to

help

it

to

drive

you

on

a

deeper

search

to

search

the

scriptures

to

figure

things

out

that

keep

you

up

at

night

or

that

are

head

scratchers

or

make

you

very

uneasy

that

you're

a

Christian

and

this

Christmas

enjoy

it

if

it's

going to

be a

tough

Christmas

because

you

can't

connect

with

family

or

maybe

this

is

just

the

way

Christmases

go

however

your

Christmas

plays

out

think

about

how

Christ

has

come

and

he

has

come

to

bring

an

everlasting

and

eternal

peace

and

how

his

coming

proves

that

God

is

a

trustworthy

and

integral

and

promise

keeping

God

heavenly

father

we thank

you so

much

for

this

wonderful

story

that

is

a

story

it's

a

historically

true

account

but

it

is

still

a

story

it

moves

us

it

grips

us

it

is

a

wonderful

account

of how

you

have

come

to

save

that

you

don't

just

give

us

an

information

dump

but

you

involve

us

into

this

wonderful

narrative

that is

playing

out

and

Lord

I

pray

that

we

will

look

with

fresh

eyes

at

the

Christ

child

and

that

we

won't

just

look

at

the

Christ

child

and

smile

and

kind

of

go

on

with

a

regular

Christmas

but

that

we

will

look

to

the

life

that

the

Christ

child

will

live

we

will

look

at

the

prophecies

that

the

Christ

child

fulfills

we

will

just

be

absolutely

responsive

in this

declaration

that

you have

brought

peace

everlasting

peace

to