Tremble Part 3 | Faithful Before The Encounter with Chris Schlotterbeck

He's glorious.

Behold the one who has come to us.

Welcome to Hub City Vineyard.

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Thank you and enjoy the message.

Hey, good morning, everyone.

How we doing?

So good to see you.

If you're joining us from home,

thank you for welcoming us into your space,

your dorm, your car, wherever you may be watching.

Can we just give another hand to our worship team?

They do such a great job just welcoming God's presence here

and just getting us connected with Jesus

as we enter into this Christmas season.

I just want to remind everyone that we are doing

an HCV Wells campaign.

We've been doing it throughout the year.

We're going to send a check to an organization

to build wells in Africa in two weeks.

So if you have not given yet today or next Sunday

is your last opportunity, we will come up with a total

and let everyone know on the 31st

how many wells we will be able to build.

At last count, we are right around $40,000.

So that's four wells, which is a lot and great.

I just appreciate everyone giving and giving generously

that we can just give away because I believe

that's what God would want us to do.

For the last two weeks, we've been looking

at the Christmas story through the encounters

of ordinary people with an extraordinary God

in our December series, Tremble.

I kicked off the series with Zechariah

and his encounter with the angel Gabriel in the temple

discussing how we all have a little Zechariah in us

because we all question God.

Last week, Jess shared an amazing message

about Mary's encounter with Gabriel

and how she was willing to obey God

and that she was a part of that moment

that would change the world.

Mary, of course, is the star of the story.

Joseph, her fiancee, does not get that much attention.

In fact, I believe that we could call Joseph

the unsung hero of Christmas.

I mean, think about it.

We always say Mary and Joseph.

We never say Joseph and Mary.

And that is how it is at weddings.

I mean, I thought back to when Jess and I got married.

I mean, no one commented on my tux.

No one said how stylish my hair was,

how beautiful my smile was.

No, I wasn't the star.

See, people don't attend a wedding to see the groom.

Everyone goes to see the bride wearing her beautiful dress.

Jess, of course, was beautiful, right?

A dream girl, the star of the show.

I was simply a prop that started the wedding off.

You know, I just walked down the aisle first.

I mean, people may have thought

there was like a cardboard cutout up front

if it wasn't for the fact that I couldn't stop sweating

because we decided to get married in the middle of August

on the hottest day of the year

in a church with no air conditioning.

Oh, did I mention we packed it full of 400 people,

no seats left, and it was the hottest day of my life?

Joseph, see, he relates well to the groom at the wedding.

He was there for the ultimate moment,

but what role did he really play?

See, Mary and Joseph were chosen by God

to be the earthly parents of his son, Jesus.

And if we're honest, parenting is always a challenge.

Even though Jesus was the son of God,

he was still an infant,

which means that Jesus had dirty diapers.

Jesus would get sick, he would spit up all over Mary.

I'm sure he woke up Mary and Joseph with his tears.

Jesus probably had the terrible twos.

Although he was fully God, he was still fully man.

I mean, personally, I feel enormous pressure

raising my six children, Isaac, Trinity, Zoe,

Lily, Nolan, and Phoenix.

You know, I just don't wanna mess them up.

You know, I wanna do my best to be Jesus to them.

Could you imagine the pressure of parenting the son of God?

I mean, how do you discipline God's son?

Do you really give the creator of the world a bedtime?

Do you make the son of God take a bath?

And if he takes a bath, does he look at you and say,

well, can I walk on water?

Can you really say to Jesus, because I said so?

I mean, when you say because God made it that way,

does he ask why or does he already know?

I mean, think about this, blow your mind.

Do you teach Jesus the animal sounds?

I mean, he created them.

What an incredible challenge.

I mean, there must have been something special

about this couple that was chosen by God.

And this morning, I wanna focus on Joseph,

the supporting actor, not the star,

but the Christmas story reveals some incredible truths

about his heart that I believe all of us can learn from

and ultimately be changed by God from.

So let's open in prayer.

Holy Spirit, come.

We're just thankful for this season.

This is a season of anticipation, of waiting, of longing,

to just connect with you.

We're thankful for your birth, Jesus,

that you made a way for us to reconnect with the creator.

Have your way this morning, God,

may it be your words, not mine.

And more importantly, may we all be changed

as we gather to connect with you in Jesus' name, amen.

And all of that leads us to our first thought this morning.

You see, Joseph was a righteous man.

Matthew chapter one, verses 18 through 19

is where we start the story.

This is how Jesus, the Messiah, was born.

His mother Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph.

But before the marriage took place,

while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant

through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man

and did not want to disgrace her publicly,

so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

And for so many people, they don't understand,

well, why quietly, Chris?

And let's look at some historical background,

which will better help us to understand Joseph's dilemma.

Joseph lived in a society where he didn't have an option

to give Mary a second chance.

Jewish, Greek, and Roman law all demanded

that a man should divorce his wife

if a woman was guilty of adultery.

If Joseph didn't break things off with Mary,

he was breaking the law.

On the other hand, if Joseph went through with the wedding,

people would assume he was the one that got Mary pregnant.

His reputation would have been ruined.

So we find Joseph in a no-win situation.

Leave Mary and she is destroyed,

stay with Mary and he was destroyed.

And imagine how Joseph felt when he heard the news.

You put yourself in his shoes, he's engaged to be married.

Now she's pregnant and he knew it wasn't his baby, obviously.

And this news would come after three months

of Mary being absent from the relationship.

Remember, Mary left to stay with her cousin Elizabeth

after encounter with the angel Gabriel.

So Joseph would have been hurting.

It was evident that his soon-to-be wife had betrayed him,

but we read that Joseph was a righteous man.

What does that mean?

It means he's a man of character

who God trusted to be the earthly father for his son.

Now we must realize Joseph's reaction was not typical.

One would expect a counterattack against Mary

or the father or whomever it was

because that's human nature.

When a person is hurt, quite typically,

they go on the offensive.

They attack or strike back because hurting people hurt people.

And this is especially true in relationships.

Typically when teenagers or immature adults

break up with one another, what immediately follows?

They focus on how bad the other person was

or how bad the other person is.

And do we even realize that this makes no sense whatsoever?

Because if you're pointing fingers

at how bad the other person is,

think about the moron you must be

to be in a relationship with him.

Look in the mirror.

Joseph didn't want people to think

or speak negatively about Mary.

He didn't launch a campaign to smear her name.

He didn't start gossiping.

He knew he had to leave Mary,

but he didn't want to embarrass her or ruin her reputation.

And this is the reason he would leave her quietly.

And see, many people assume that Joseph already knew

or believed that Mary was gonna give birth

to the Son of God.

This was not the case.

You know, Joseph did what was right

before he heard from the angel.

Did everyone hear that?

He was a man of integrity.

He was a righteous man.

Joseph didn't make a decision out of immediate anger.

He wasn't irrational, he wasn't unstable.

And for a young man who had just had his life

turned upside down,

he demonstrated remarkable grace and poise.

He took time, he assessed the situation,

and seeing that Mary was human,

he made the choice of what would be best for her

because Joseph was righteous.

His goal was not to get even,

his goal was not to get revenge.

A righteous heart doesn't seek revenge.

A righteous heart does not carry grudges,

but does just the opposite.

A righteous heart releases others from anger,

and it takes a righteous person

to walk away from a hurt or an offense.

In fact, this is a great way to assess

a person's spiritual maturity.

To assess a person's depth in their relationship with Jesus.

Are you a person that forgives?

Do you release people when they hurt you?

I mean, I've been following Jesus

for going on 28 years now,

and when people betray you, trust me, it hurts.

When people talk bad about you

or smear your name with gossip, it hurts.

When people judge your motives

or you get left out or looked over, it hurts.

Just because we are in a relationship with Jesus

does not mean that we are free

from experiencing hurt and pain.

However, it's a choice to allow God

to work on those areas of your heart.

It's a choice to allow the Holy Spirit

to bring healing and forgiveness,

and friends, that is living with a righteous heart.

When we allow righteousness

to be stronger than your emotions,

it's a choice that every single one of us have.

We don't have to lash out,

we don't have to write that post,

we don't have to try to publicly humiliate

the other person in order to win,

we don't have to walk away from relationships,

we don't have to leave your church

and point fingers on your way out.

You can choose to lay down the offense,

throw away the anger,

choose a righteous, healthy response to hurt and pain.

And friends, you need to let go of the idea

the world needs to know the reason behind your actions.

We don't need the world's justification

because we've already been justified by Jesus.

Doesn't matter what other people

in the social media world thinks.

But Chris, that person hurt me.

I get it.

I can relate, I work with people every single day.

We must remember hurting them

does not make us feel any better.

It just lowers us to their level.

And I wanna challenge you church,

be like Joseph, be righteous.

And what does that look like?

It means you're surrounded by Jesus.

And you allow the love of God to be evident in your life.

Let your words, your actions, your attitudes

be guided by the Holy Spirit.

And it's my prayer for our community of faith

that when people see us, they see Jesus.

And what does that look like?

Well, Micah 6, 8 explains it for us.

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good.

And this is what he requires of us,

to do what is right, to love mercy,

and to walk humbly with your God.

And when we do that, friends,

we are reflecting God to our culture,

which leads us to our next thought.

You see, Joseph considered before he acted.

And we must remember, again,

this is all before he had his encounter

with the angel in a dream.

Joseph loved Mary,

but he knew he needed to break off the engagement.

He didn't know who the father of the child was.

He just knew it wasn't him.

And then in Matthew 1, 20, we read,

as he considered this.

See, Joseph didn't make a rapid, angry, stupid decision.

He took time before he acted.

He considered it.

He thought about it.

He worked through the different possibilities.

He did not take immediate action.

He had a lot invested in this relationship.

So he gave the decision thought,

and I believe he gave it a lot of prayer.

And I want to encourage you to be that kind of person

who understands the advantages of considering things.

Don't make immediate, emotionally-based decisions.

Consider your actions.

Before acting in anger, consider, think, and pray.

In our culture, though, it's normal to do the opposite,

to act without considering the consequences.

I mean, think about it.

We do it all the time when we drive, right?

We blow our horns and lash out as someone that cuts us off.

I mean, we're yelling at people who, by the way,

never hear us.

I mean, if you really want to see a person

who doesn't think, watch the parents

of Little League baseball players.

I mean, I have literally seen adults and parents

in screaming matches with a 16-year-old umpire.

They don't consider how they look

or how humiliating it is for their kids.

And we do this in arguments with our spouses.

If we would only slow down and consider

the impact of our words, our relationships

would be so much better.

And this Christmas season, many people do not consider

what they are purchasing, and then they end up drowning

in debt in January.

Many people during the holidays do not consider

what they are eating, and they find themselves

miserable and tired from all the calories.

Oh, did I mention social media?

It controls our culture, and for some of us,

too much of our time, which causes people to post

and scroll through images for hours throughout the day

because they don't consider the waste of time.

I mean, just think about the foolish posts,

the arguments, the comments that people make every day

with their thumbs because they don't consider

before they type.

Most of the decisions, words, and actions that we regret

happen when we recklessly speak or act

without considering the consequences.

And friends, the Bible challenges us to live carefully.

Look at Ephesians chapter five.

So be careful how you live.

Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise.

Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.

Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand

what the Lord wants you to do.

What would it look like if we all lived carefully?

If we all took the time to think and then act,

making the most of every opportunity?

How much different would the church be

in our culture's eyes?

How much more of an influence would we have

in people's lives if we stopped and considered

what is gonna happen with our actions?

If Joseph wouldn't have taken the time to think,

he would have missed the ultimate opportunity.

I mean, we wouldn't be talking about Mary and Joseph.

I mean, we might be talking about Mary and Roscoe.

Who knows?

But unexpectedly though, something happened

that changed Joseph's mind,

which leads us to our next thought.

See, Joseph listened, obeyed, and trusted.

Matthew chapter one, verse 20 to 24.

As he considered this, remember, he's thinking,

and the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.

And I believe, I wanna pause here just a second,

there's amazing connection between Joseph considering

and this amazing moment of hearing from God.

See, impulsive decisions often prevent us

from hearing God's voice.

Joseph thought before acting,

and it was in the thinking,

it was in the pausing that Joseph what?

Had a visitation in a dream from an angel.

Mary heard from an angel, and now it was Joseph's turn.

Let's continue.

Joseph, son of David, the angel said,

do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife,

for the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

She will have a son, you are to name him Jesus,

for he will save his people from their sins.

All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message

through the prophet.

Look, the virgin will conceive a child,

she will give birth to a son,

and they will call him Emmanuel,

which means God is with us.

When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord

commanded and took Mary as his wife.

And first, just notice a few things.

The angel refers to Joseph as a son of David.

See, God didn't just pick any first century Jewish man

to steward the life for his son.

He picked a faithful son of David.

I mean, the only other person in the New Testament

to be referred to as son of David is Jesus.

I mean, so the angel is speaking to Joseph,

this title that came with authority.

He reminded Joseph of his royal line

in preparing him for the task ahead.

Second, Joseph chose to listen and obey.

And this must be why God chose him.

There are so many times that we are not sure

which decision to make, which road to take,

but if our heart is pure and we are seeking God,

he will reveal truth to us.

You say, Chris, well how?

How do we?

It might come from reading your Bible.

It might come from quiet time of prayer and reflection.

God could use me to speak to you.

An answer could come during our worship time.

God could use a friend or a coworker.

God could come and visit you in a dream,

just like he did Joseph.

If we want God's direction for our lives,

I wanna challenge you, slow down and listen.

Joseph didn't question his dream.

He didn't blame it on last night's shrimp.

He didn't know how everything was gonna turn out,

but what did he do?

He chose to obey and trust God with his next steps.

When he woke up, he did as the angel commanded him to do,

and he took Mary to be his wife.

God spoke, God commanded, Joseph obeyed, Joseph trusted.

Joseph knew that people would make fun of him,

talk about him.

Why, he was going against culture,

he was going against the law.

It didn't make any common sense.

But Joseph received a command from God,

which meant he told him to do something and he responded.

In church, if you haven't heard from God in a while,

pause and reflect on this simple question.

Was I obedient the last time God gave me instructions?

Was I obedient the last time God told me something to do

during a Sunday gathering?

Did God ask you to do something, say something,

to give something, and you didn't?

Here's a principle.

If we don't obey God's commands,

don't be surprised by his silence.

If you're wondering, hey God, I don't hear you,

why aren't you speaking to me?

Go back to the last point of disobedience

and make it right.

Did he challenge you to forgive someone

and you chose not to?

Did he challenge you to restore a relationship

and you said no, I was hurt too bad?

That's disobedience.

And when the Holy Spirit speaks to us, we know it's him.

And when we argue with him and turn our back

and say it's not him, we're basically saying,

no God, I don't believe.

And I know for a fact, every Sunday that I share,

I see the Holy Spirit speaking to many of you.

I see the Holy Spirit all over your faces and your actions

as you walk out these doors.

And my question to you is, do you respond?

Have you responded?

Because if he challenges you to do something

and you don't, don't be surprised by his silence.

Well, Chris, I'm not sure it was from God.

Are you reading your Bible?

Because the Bible's our God and our lives

are to be lining up with the words that are in that book.

And if it's not lining up, we need to change.

I mean, Joseph's response tells us two things

about the man who would be the earthly guardian of Jesus.

He knew who he was and he was committed to the scriptures.

And this isn't a small thing.

This is how the Bible appeals

to the followers of Jesus today.

Know who you are.

You, if you're in a relationship with God,

you are a son and daughter of the King.

You are a son and daughter of the creator of the world.

And if you're not reading the Bible and receiving truths,

then are you really walking in all that God has for you?

See, a lukewarm follower of God

reacts to a difficult assignment

if God tells you to do something by saying,

I'm not doing that, God.

You put your feet in the ground

because I don't feel like doing it.

And we may not vocalize it that way,

but when we knowingly go against what God has said

or what God has told us to do, that's what we're doing.

You're forgetting who you are.

Even though it was difficult to accept and believe,

Joseph obeyed and never looked back.

God said it, Joseph believed it, and then he did it.

It's just a remarkable display of obedience,

faith, and trust.

Joseph's obedience to God cost him the right

to value his own reputation.

It wasn't about him.

And for many followers of Jesus today,

probably much older than Joseph,

claiming they're led by the Spirit,

have you learned that lesson?

Joseph was a man of few words.

We don't know much at all about him,

but we do know he was a man of simple faithfulness.

He did the next right thing in front of him.

He listened, he obeyed, and so much of following God

is simply asking, hey God, what do you want me to do next?

And because of his obedience the first time,

think about it, God was again able to speak to Joseph

in a dream through an angel so he could get Jesus

away from an evil king that wanted to destroy him.

We read this in Matthew two.

After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord

again appeared to Joseph in a dream.

Get up, flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,

the angel said.

Stay there until I tell you to return

because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.

That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child

and married his mother and they stayed there

until Herod's death.

This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet.

I called my son out of Egypt.

Which leads to our final thought this morning.

Friends, Joseph modeled integrity.

Matthew one, verse 25, but he did not have

sexual relations with her until her son was born.

And Joseph named him Jesus.

So this means Joseph and Mary did not have sex

until after Jesus was born even though

they were husband and wife.

And some of you are sitting there like,

oh okay, why is that important Chris?

Why are we bringing up sex in a Christmas talk?

Well Joseph was a righteous man

who was able to restrain his physical and sexual desire

to be with his wife as a means of honoring God.

Listen, he did not want to jeopardize

the extraordinary life he was called to live

for five minutes of pleasure.

If they would have had sex, people could then question

the Holy Spirit getting Mary pregnant.

Could have been a cover up for lust.

We are called to live with the same kind of integrity.

Jesus followers need to stop making excuses

for their actions.

And I hear it all the time.

We are called to live to a higher standard.

Well Chris, that temptation was too much.

Lie.

God promises that we will not be tempted

beyond what we cannot bear or stand.

Well I can't control my actions Chris, lie.

God has given us not a spirit of fear

but of love, power, and self control.

Well everyone's doing it Chris,

society approves, lie.

When we're in a relationship with Jesus,

we are controlled by God's spirit living inside of us.

And think about it, Joseph was married

and he stayed sexually pure

because he focused on God's call for him.

What, God's called to live an extraordinary life

and we are called to do the same.

We are called to walk with integrity

so that people can see God living inside of us.

Proverbs 28, six.

It's better to be poor and live right

than to be rich and dishonest.

Friends, God's plan and dream for our lives

is so much bigger than our short term desires.

First Peter three tells us this,

instead you must worship Christ as Lord of your life.

And if someone asks about your hope as a believer,

always be ready to explain it

but do it with gentle and respectful way.

Keep your conscious clear.

Then if people speak against you,

they will be ashamed when they see

what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.

It's the life you are living this morning,

a reflection of the Holy Spirit inside of you.

Do people see God in how you handle conflict?

Do people see God in your words and actions?

Do people see God coming out of your generosity?

Joseph lived with integrity,

then he receives the opportunity to name God's son, Jesus.

You know, I was thinking about this week as a father,

wouldn't you have been tempted

to name your son Joseph Jr.?

I mean, he's the son of God.

I mean, his birth is the pivotal moment

in history of the world.

Naming him Joseph Jr. would have assured

Joseph a place in history.

Remember, during this time, and it's funny we laugh,

but during this time,

a child was typically named after his father

because it revealed his lineage,

his heritage, his family line.

And after everything that they had been through,

Mary and Joseph have the right to name the child.

You know, it's not about being fair,

it's about being obedient.

And what did Joseph do?

He didn't complain, he didn't argue with God.

Joseph cared more about God's plan for the world

than his own personal recognition.

Obedience doesn't glorify God when we put our name on it.

If you want to explain all the great things

you're doing in Jesus' name,

then you're simply bringing attention to yourself.

It's all about giving God the glory.

It's all about sacrificial obedience.

Joseph wanted God's name to be known, not his name.

And this is a beautiful picture of how God partners with us.

We can apply our lives to Joseph's

and begin to live an extraordinary life every single day.

And I believe that's what God wants for all of us.

Four simple steps in living an extraordinary life,

and the first is, you gotta listen.

Our life is too fast-paced and busy and out of control.

We need to have time to listen.

Matthew 1, as he considered this,

an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.

Joseph, son of David the angel, said,

do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife,

for the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit

and she will have a son, and you will name him Jesus,

for you will save his people from their sin.

God gave the instructions to Joseph,

and he daily does the same for us, I believe that.

Every morning that you wake up, it's a fresh late

for you to listen to what God wants you to do.

It's an opportunity for you to pour a cup of coffee

for Jesus and to have a conversation with him,

because Revelation 320 tells us,

look, I stand at the door and knock.

If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in.

And we will share a meal together as friends.

And all of us at HCV learned, right, during our series seven

that these words were not for those outside of the church.

Who were they for?

They were for the church.

Jesus is inviting the church to listen daily,

and I believe God wants to speak to us right now.

I'm gonna invite the Holy Spirit to come,

and I want you just to simply listen.

Yes, it's gonna be silent, it's gonna be quiet,

it's gonna be uncomfortable,

but in a season of busyness and craziness,

it's okay just to slow it down

and allow the Holy Spirit to speak.

So Holy Spirit, come now.

We give you this time.

Open our ears to hear from you.

God, I come to you and pray for that couple

that's struggling in their marriage, God,

that you would open up their communication

so they can clearly hear from one another.

God, I pray for that back, that degenerative back issue

that's happening in that person,

and I pray for healing in Jesus' name.

God, I pray for that relationship

between daughter and mom,

and I pray you restore it and you heal it,

and you bring glory to your name through it in Jesus' name.

And God, I pray for those migraines

that you would release them

and that your healing would come in Jesus' name.

Church, we need to listen,

and when we listen and he speaks to us next,

we need to be obedient.

When Joseph woke up, what did he do?

He did as the angel Lord commanded and took Mary his wife.

Joseph responded, and God desires that we do the same,

that we walk in obedience.

God can use you, now think about this,

God can use you to bring something into existence

that changes the course of history for someone else.

Obedience is making the decision to do what God says.

Look what Jesus said in John 14,

if you love me, obey my commandments.

And if we obey his commandments, what's he gonna do?

He's gonna send the Holy Spirit to empower us,

to fill us, to lead us so that others can see him in us.

Jesus says, if you love me, obey church.

Do what the Bible says, live like I live.

Don't compromise because we're filled with the Holy Spirit.

We have a power that is greater than us,

living inside of us, that allows us to avoid daily slip ups.

Look at 1 Peter 1, 14,

you must live as God's obedient children,

don't slip back into your old ways of living

to satisfy your own desires.

You didn't know any better then.

We need to be obedient church,

which leads us to our next step, be disciplined.

We listen, we be obedient, we be disciplined.

But he did not have sexual relations with her

until her son was born and Joseph named him Jesus.

What is discipline?

It's acting on that decision.

Not just one time, but every single day.

It's not one decision, I love you God,

I love you Jesus, forgive me.

It's a daily choice to discipline ourselves,

to restrain ourselves.

I will act on your leading God,

I will be obedient to serve you,

I will be obedient to serve and sacrificially give.

I will come tonight and serve kids

at our angel tree Christmas party.

I will be a part of our donut drop

and give away hot chocolate and smile at my community.

I will serve at the cold weather shelter

and see the homeless loved on.

1 Corinthians 9, 27, I discipline my body like an athlete,

training it to do what it should,

otherwise I fear that my preaching to others,

I myself might be disqualified.

I wanna challenge some of you this morning.

In two weeks we're having our New Year's baptism,

you're called to make that commitment.

You're struggling in your relationship with Jesus,

you're wavering, you're slipping back in

because you haven't publicly declared that I love God.

And I wanna challenge you, if that's you, sign up.

Be a part, get under the water and make that commitment.

Discipline is important because this is how God uses us

in extraordinary ways.

This is how we set the example for others to follow.

Look what Paul shared to the church in Philippi,

Philippians 4, 9, keep putting into practice

all you learned and received from me.

Everything you heard from me and saw me doing

then the God of peace will be with you.

Are you an example setter for your family,

for your friends, for your coworkers, for your classmates?

Are you simply coasting through life

allowing the culture to control you?

Which leads us to our final step.

We listen, we be obedient, we be disciplined

and we point people to Jesus.

All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message

through his prophet, look,

the virgin will conceive a child,

she will give birth to a son and they will call him what?

Emmanuel, which means God is with us.

Friends, church, this is good news.

God is with us.

In a season of expectation,

for many it's a season of feeling alone,

sad, unloved, unseen because it's the holidays.

People and children are walking with pain

through a season of hope.

And I wanna challenge you, will you point people

to the person they're searching for?

And how do I know that, how that happens?

Just look, look at the shepherds.

They hurried to the village, they found Mary and Joseph,

they saw Jesus lying in the manger

and after seeing him the shepherds told

everyone what had happened and what the angel had said

to them about this child and all who heard

the shepherd's story were astonished.

We are a week away from Christmas

and for so many people, they want the holidays to be over.

Why not take a step of faith and invite a few people

to all of our Christmas celebrations?

And you say, why?

Because it's the reason that we are created

to point people back to the creator.

And when we invite and include,

people's lives can be changed.

Next Saturday we have our Christmas Eve Eve

candlelight service, traditional service at seven o'clock.

It is for everyone, we would love for you to come

and experience Jesus, a week from today,

Christmas morning, nine and 11,

it's gonna be our Sunday celebrations

like you've never seen.

Christmas morning, we'll be here at 10 o'clock,

wear your PJs, I'll be in mine,

and we'll read a Christmas story

and challenge our childlike faith.

Why invite?

You say, why invite, Chris?

Why should I invite anyone?

Listen to what the birth of Jesus

brought into our world, Galatians 4.

But when the right time came,

God sent his son, born of a woman, subject to the law.

God sent him to buy freedom for us

who were slaves to the law

so that he could adopt us as very own children.

And because we're his children,

God has sent the spirit of his son into our hearts,

prompting us to call out Abba Father.

Now, you are no longer a slave,

but God's own child, and since you're his child,

God has made you his heir.

An opportunity from then, women, young, old, rich, poor,

to experience what?

New and abundant life through Jesus.

And we all must remember,

Mary did not give Jesus his name, who did?

Joseph.

Joseph partnered with God to accomplish God's plan,

and Joseph had the honor of naming the Son of God

with the name that is above every other name.

Joseph gave him the name Jesus.

There is power in that name, Jesus.

There is healing in that name, Jesus.

There is life and authority in that name.

There is freedom from bondage and addiction in that name,

and his name is Jesus.

There is joy and peace in that name,

and more importantly, for some of you,

there is forgiveness in that name.

Will you stand with me?

And before we sing, and we're gonna sing big,

I want to invite all of us

to pray this simple prayer together.

Jesus, I'm broken.

I'm full of doubt.

Shame, regret, anger, sin.

Change me.

I believe you're God's son.

I believe you died for me.

Make me new, set me free.

Fill me with your spirit.

Allow me to serve others.

In Jesus' name, amen.

And I was challenged, okay,

that if you prayed that prayer for the first time,

see me, encourage me, high-five me,

I wanna give you next steps.

I wanna tell you to be baptized,

because that's your connection with your creator.

Come and behold,

the King of Glory is here.