Advent 2023 - Week 1

He is so so good. You got a Bible. Go to John chapter

one, John chapter one, from now till Christmas, we're gonna, we're

gonna kind of live in John chapter one, those first fourteen or fifteen verses.

And this is my uh, this is my favorite favorite passages of scripture.

In John chapter one, I believe this, this is uh is the

Christmas story told from Heaven to Earth rather from rather than from Earth to Heaven.

I believe we see behind the scenes, and we see that heavenly view

of what's happening during the Christmas season. And it is a powerful thing that

God gives us a glimpse of how he sees what's happening, a look behind

the veil, if you will. In John chapter one, starting in verse

one, it says, in the beginning was the Word, and the word

was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning

with God. All things were made through him, and without him, nothing

was made. That was made. In him was life, and the life

was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and

the darkness did not comprehend it. Let's pray, Father, we thank you

for your word. It's the only change agent on the face of this planet.

So I pray that today you change us, Lord, that you adjust

our attitudes, that you allow us to get the focus that we need.

I pray Lord that you envelop our small mindedness and allow us to dream Lord

the purpose that you have for our lives. Lord, today, don't let

us be held back, but let us be set free in Jesus' name.

Amen, Amen, and Amen. We open up this passage of scripture and

we get this view of Jesus that we don't get in the other uh in

the other Gospels. We get this, this eternal view of Jesus that before

he was the baby in the manger, he was, that he has always

been, that he is the ancient of days, that he is the beginning,

and he will be there at the end. Amen Alpha Omega. Jesus

has always been. Jesus is the steady edity in our lives. Come on,

somebody, you know, in a world that's dictated by the fast and

the new and the fresh, Jesus is that constant and faithful partner that does

not move, and he's always exactly where he says he's going to be.

And I take great comfort in the fact that I serve a God that's not

moved by the whims of culture and society, but one that is who he

is day in and day out, and he does not divvy from his character.

How many of you you've ever done something and after you do it you

think to yourself, boy, that just was out of mind. That was

just out of character for me. Have you ever done something that you say,

wow, that was just that was that was dumb? Maybe that's the

way you say it, not out of character, that was dumb. God

doesn't do those things because he always has been and he always will be.

He is the same yesterday, today and forever. And in a world where

niche fads dictate the formation of culture, we rely on the step, fastness

and stability of God when we look at our world and all of them.

Is that okay? If I just talked to y'all plain today it's just us

right, and the absolute ridiculousness that's going on in culture right now? Do

you realize that if the Lord does not come back soon, if he tarries,

and this age that we're living in is written about in history books,

people are gonna look back and think we have lost our minds. We and

listen it's because the enemy uses those niche fads of new and see there's there's

really nothing new under the sun. And as humans, a lot of times

we get bored with the monotony of Jesus just being good, of just being

stable and steady, because we we want something, because you know, maybe

we're not where we should be. Come on, now, He's always where

he's supposed to be, but maybe we're not where we're supposed to be.

So we struggle with things and we look for something little new, little fresh,

something to excite us, something to energize us, and we grab hold

of all these things. Listen, do you realize that from the beginning God

created Adam a man and he created Eve a woeman. They have different parts

that stay covered and that has been that way, and up until recently that

has not been confusing to anyone. But now suddenly we struggle with simple foundational

issues like what is a man and what is a woman? It's a niche

fat it's a distraction from the reality that God is good and that he's steadfast

and he is stable and we can count on him. And when we begin

to look at all of the things that are happening through gender identity, and

listen, I'm gonna use this word toxic masculinity. Where men don't act like

men, that's toxic maxculinity. Toxic masculinity is when men don't act like men,

when men act like sissy girls. Come on now, I wore my

flannel today, so I'm on, got my boots and my flannel. We

just going after it all today. That's toxic masculinity. When a man refuses

to lead his home, when young men don't see visions and old men don't

dream dreams, because that's our purpose and to bring she the perfect the perfect

accentuator to who we are. Our spouse is on board with the plan that

God has dropped into our lives and see her help us fulfill that purpose and

that destiny that we have. That's toxic masculinity. When we don't do those

things. The world filled with toxic feminism. There's lots of toxicity in the

world. But we must remember that Jesus is who he says he is,

and he's not moved by the ripples, and that's all it is. We

think it's a tidal wave, but it's just a ripple. It's just a

ripple. And culture because God is going to win. And we read all

these things and we create all of these new ways to hate each other.

Do you realize that we're now inventing ways that we can hate and be divided.

It's absolutely mind blowing that the standard problems that humanity faces are not enough

that we need to create new ones. And it goes against the character and

nature of He who was with God and he who was God that in the

beginning in Genesis chapter one, when the spirit of the Lord hovered over the

deep, Jesus was there and he orchestrated creation. Not one thing was made

that wasn't made by him. Don't fall prey, Do not be distracted by

those niche fads that come and go and listen, even in theology, those

things happen that the pendulum swings one way in the church and we get movements

like the Hypergrace movement, where it's okay, you don't have to do,

you don't have to believe anything, you don't have to you don't have to

live anyway. God already knows you're gonna mess up. He's already forgiven you

hypergrace. But you swing the pendulum the other way, and no matter what

you do you're not good enough, is just as wrong. And we see

these things happen not just in culture in the world, but also in the

culture of the church as we fall victim to these things, and they're all

just distractions about the fact that He's steady and God has a plan for us.

You know. It was on Black Friday. This this elderly woman was

going through the parking lot of the mall and she wanted to park up close

to the door. So she was pulling through and she drives one of those

big old I call them land yachts. Come on, somebody, And she

came around the corner and just as she came around the corner, this car

was backing out. It was a parking place right up against the wall about

I don't know, maybe thirty feet down from the door. So she puts

on her blinker and she's waiting and the car backs out, and then this

teenager just shoots in the parking lot in front of her, and she pulls

up and she rolls her winded down and she said, sweetheart, I had

my blinker on. That was my parking place. Teenager looks at her says,

well, grandma, that's what it's like to be young and fast.

So Grandma backs the car up, puts it in drive, points it at

the rear of the car, and slams into it as hard as she can.

She puts it in drive, she backs up, and she slams into

it again. She beats it into about a three foot box up against the

wall of the mall. She rolls the wind up, she gets out,

locks her doors. She looks at the teenager and said, in sweetheart,

that's what it's like to be old and rich. You may think those niches

will get you somewhere, but Jesus is steady Eddy. He's got all the

resources we need to weather the storm. He's got everything we need, and

he swings a bigger bat than any foe we face, because he is the

Ancient of days. And he's not moved by the trouble you face, because

he's already seen the other side of it. And it says all things were

made through him, and without him, nothing was made. That was made.

In him was life. Jesus has that conversation with the masses where he

says, listen, you can inherit the Kingdom of God unless you eat my

flesh and drink my blood, and the masses leave him and they come to

him and they say, you know, that might not have been the best

sermon. You know, we really needed a good offering today, and I

don't know that that was the best way to get it Jesus. And Jesus

looks at him and says, well, hey, are you gonna leave me

too? Peter responds, and this is what he says. He says,

you have the words of life. Where are we gonna go? Where are

we going to go to find what you have? It doesn't exist anywhere else

because in you is life, and your life fuels us. Where can we

go except to the feet of Jesus says in him was life, and the

life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness did not comprehend it life. The Christmas season is about life

and a new kind of life. It's about the steadfast, eternal God making

a shift in everything we had known as reality for the first time since the

very first two. There would come a being, a man, not born

of the will of his father, not created by the flesh and blood of

man, but birth through the virgin Mary, and would tear a hole in

reality, and this pivotal moment leads us to understand that God can create life

unlike any life that had ever been created. Christmas is about this supernatural,

experiential life, and he says that life is the light of men. But

how do we experience life? I get this question, especially during this time

of year, all the time. If God is God? Now, first

of all, if you just called him God, he is I mean?

Jesus answered that. He said, I am. You know, we often

say that like I am, you know, like I am, you know,

like it sa is power. I think Jesus said it more like that,

I am. Well what about I am? Well? What if I

I am just a matter of fact, casual? I am? I need

healing. I am I need pridgle. I am Now I just I don't

know where to go? Can you help? Where I am? He just

is? This is the question, if God is God, why are such

bad things high and to people? Because life is standard to all humanity,

Because the world is sick with sin. And I'm not talking about your actions

of sin. I'm talking the thing that those actions are born out of the

overarching concept in dwelling sickness of sin, that came into the earth and began

to grow and expand with that very first rebellion of the very first man and

woman. As a matter of fact, the Bible even talks about that.

It says in Matthew chapter five, verse forty five, that you may be

sons of your father in heaven, for he makes his son rise on the

evil and on the good. Listen, and he sins rain on the just

and on the unjust. Now, I want to to here. You know,

it's easy to think, oh, well, you know, you get

both right. I mean, it's just like, oh, it's a balance.

If you live in the Sahara desert and he sends more sun, it

don't feel good. Come on, somebody. But if you're in the rainy

season in Africa and he sends more rain and it starts washing your home away,

that's not good. But we all live under the pressures of life,

none of us or exempt to the pressure and effects of life. Friday Night,

listen, I love y'all. I preached y'all almost every week. I

pray for y'all every day. In my opinion, I'm a pretty okay guy.

I mean, it's just my opinion. I hope somebody else has the

same one, right, it's my hope. I go to bed hoping that

Every night. Friday night, my wife and I we go to the to

the Mexican restaurant to eat, and you know, we eat guys in there

singing country music. It was great. The foods music was okay. Come

on, somebody, he's singing at the Mexican restaurant for a reason. Amen.

We get to the end of the midal we jump in the car.

I'm ready to go home. Put my feet up, take a little nap

before I go to bed. Make sure I can cover that distance from the

couch to the bedroom. Got a rest up click click click clickick click click.

Oh, that's not what the car is supposed to do. Come on,

somebody. So I called my father law. Hey, bring the jump

box batteries dead. Put the jump box on it. Click click click click.

It drained. Jump box dead selling the battery. I'm a pastor,

Jesus, You're not supposed to let my battery die. So I get up.

The next morning, I head out and it's raining. As a matter

of fact, the hardest portion of rain that happened on Saturday was the portion

when I was taking the battery out of the car. It took me a

while to find a battery because you know these niche fads where now they don't

put batteries under hoods. Come on, somebody. It took me a while

to find it behind the behind the front seat of the car. I'm not

even gonna go there. Get the battery out, change the battery out.

Behave you know what? That is life? That's life. The week before

that my dad fell, spent the whole week in the hospital, wore out.

Hey, that's life. It rains on the just and the unjust alike.

But we just read that in him is life, and that life is

the light of men. But if my life looks like everybody else's life,

how can that be a light to anybody? If steadfast God makes me look

like everybody else looks, then how can my life be a testimony? Well,

let's look John, chapter ten, verse ten. The thief does not

come. Except let's talk about that for just a second. This is all

free. This is not even covered inn offer. It's free. If the

enemy does something for you, it's not really for you. It will eventually

be to you because he does not show up. Accept he is exclusively a

bad dude. The thief does not come except to steal, to take what

belongs to you, to kill, to try to mute the life that is

in you, and to destroy. The word literally means to wipe you from

remembrance, to take what you have, to render you hopeless, that you

would be forgotten by the people you love. I have come, Jesus is

talking. I have come that they may have here's this word again. Life.

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have

it more abundantly, so more life. Now, I'm not gonna like what

I'm about to say. By hold on, buckle your seat belt. It

may be that you get more of the bad stuff sometimes too, it may

be that you get positioned and set up for a miracle because things have broken

loose around you, and just when you feel like you can't hold on anymore,

he shows up. But the reality is abundant life is not having more

than everybody else. It's being able to live through what everybody else is crushed

by. It's being able to hold your head high when you get the bad

doctor's report because you know that you win on the end. And how do

we know that? Because he always has been and He has always done it.

And why do you think you're so special? Uh? Oh, why

do you think you're so special that God is going to let you be the

very first person that he breaks his character and nature for. That's pretty selfish.

Oh, God's not gonna help me selfish. That's a selfish thought,

because that means that God thinks you are different than everybody else. He's going

to touch you and lead you and guide you and help you and deliver you

through just like he does his people. Abundant life is the fact that no

matter what life throws me, no matter what comes against me, I hold

on to the ever steady, never changing hand of a good and faithful God

that will see me through cancer, that'll see me through diabetes, that'll see

me through that divorce, that'll see me through But He'll see me through it

all because that's who he is, and that's what life looks like to the

believer. Play you guys, come on, get ready, life and life

more abundantly. Pastor Clay accidentally said something a little while ago that just resonated

with resonated with my spirit. When he was explaining what he was about to

do, he said, you know, this is a little more liturgical.

This is a little more ceremonial than what we normally do here. He's and

this is the phrase he said, it's a little different than I Beautiful chaos.

That phrase kind of stuck with me. Beautiful chaos. And I'm gonna

try not to preach my last message here, but do the best justification that

I can in this moment. That beautiful chaos where it feels like things are

just a little bit out of control, That beautiful chaos where it looks like

there's no way ends or ever going to meet, where there's just seems to

be more month than there is money that I've already depleted my budget, and

it's the third That beautiful chaos where my kids are screaming and I don't know

what's wrong with them. That beautiful chaos where it just seems like everything that

comes out of my mouth makes my husband or wife. And that beautiful chaos

where everything I put my hands to rusts and falls apart. That beautiful chaos

where it just doesn't seem like things make sense. Where He shows up.

Because when Jesus shows up for the very first time in Genesis, the Bible

literally says that the earth was in chaos, and it's in the chaos of

our lives, that beautiful chaos of all your special traits, peculiarities, strange

giftings. It's in that beautiful chaos that Jesus shows his steadfastness. And listen,

for somebody here today. It's in that beautiful chaos where you know you

strayed from him, where you know you've put him on the back burner and

pushed him to the back of your mind, and you've lived your life in

a way that's not pleasing to him, that he still shows himself faithful and

solid, the beautiful chaos of the guilt and the shame of the things we've

done and our failures and our inadequacies, that he brings life into the darkness,

that he illuminates not you but him in you, those moments of fatigue

where everybody else gives up, joy joy awakens somewhere right in here, and

the joy of the Lord becomes our strength. You can make it, not

because you're strong enough, but because he's strong enough. You can make it

because he has been good and he always will be good, because he was

with God in the beginning, and he's with you here this morning. Everybody's

staying with me all over the building. The needs in this room are as

plentiful as there are people. We all have them. The size varies,

the amount of worry varies. But nothing in this room is too difficult for

Jesus. As a matter of fact, even the temptation that you face is

common demand. Nothing greater than anybody else has made it through. He's here

and he's waiting during this Christmas season for you to fall into his arms.

The Altar team will come and get ready one last time today. I don't

know what you're facing. I don't know what's beat you up. Whatever it

is, surrender it to Jesus. Surrender your sickness to Jesus. Surrender your

depression to Jesus. Surrender your your addiction, your alcohol is, of your

drug abuse, your whatever it is, Surrender it to Jesus. Surrender that

the whole that pornography has on your life to Jesus. Surrender that adversary spirit

that you have towards other people. Surrender that to Jesus. Because his life

there is a light of men, his desires to bring you through it.

It's on the count of three you're hearing you say I'm ready to surrender everything

to the Lord. I've been holding on to things, and now it's time

for me to let them go. I'm so weak and tired. I'm gonna

turn it loose right now. On the count of three, I want you

to step out and move. Don't hold on to it anymore. One,

two, three, step out and move right now? Where are you come

on? I can't do it myself. I gotta turn lose. Pray,

Church, pray. I gotta turn lose somebody, somebody, somebody. It's

gonna get a breakthrough this morning. Somebody is gonna get a miracle this morning.

Somebody's about to have your your fatigue restored. He's gonna lift you up.

It's gonna lift you up the wings the eagles. You'll run and not

grow weird. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Yes,

son, right there at home, right there in the comments, just put

I need you, Lord, I need you Lord. Listen. There's prayer

warriors online right now that will pray for you. Betty Reese, she will

reach Heaven on your behalf if you'll just drop that right there in the comments

and let people know. Just let her know, okay, I need the

Lord to touch me today. Put that in the comments. I need the

Lord to touch me today. She'll activate her faith and you'll get your miracle

right there at home. Thank you, Jesus, Thank you Jesus,