Everlasting | Ps. Keith Pittman

Welcome to the Celebration Church Orlando podcast.

Thank you so much for listening today.

We hope it encourages you and inspires you.

Here's today's message.

With every hand lifted up and with every mind clear, may maybe there's some areas of your life that you just need to declare the power and presence and person of Jesus over it.

I want you to think on that right now.

Lord, you you know the things that are on our minds, God.

You know the struggles that we face, the areas that we need the person and the ministry of Jesus to be fully expressed.

Father, we speak Jesus over that.

We speak Jesus over our families.

We speak Jesus over our callings.

We we speak Jesus over our purpose, over our identities, God, over our resources, Lord.

We just want to declare the name of Jesus over all of it.

And in that we can experience all that you are in and through it.

Speak to us today.

Stir us today and help us to actualize the reality of what it means that Jesus is here.

That is the good news.

In Jesus' name that we pray.

Amen and amen.

Can we put our hands together for the goodness of God?

You can go ahead and take your seats at this time.

It's so good to see every single one of you.

I'm so glad that you are here participating and worshiping with us, whether you're here with us in person, uh, maybe you're joining us online, or maybe you're listening to uh the podcast or watching on YouTube a little bit later.

However, you may find yourself with us today, we're so thankful and so glad that you are here with us for our Christmas services.

I I want to start our time today by reading um a passage of scripture that is found in Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6 and 7.

Isaiah 9:6

It's a passage that we've been looking at over the past couple of weeks that kind of has served as a theme.

And what it is is it says that for unto us a child is born, a son is given, and the government will rest upon his shoulders.

And he will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

His government and peace will never end, and he will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.

The passionate commitment of the Lord of heaven's armies will make this happen.

This this passage of scripture was written in a time when the the audience would have heard it in the middle of some peril.

They were entering into a a time of of consequence for decisions, and and so they were about to be led into what we were defined as exile, this persecution that they were about to experience.

But but then the prophet shows up to give them some encouragement that what you are facing you will not always face.

That that what you are dealing with, you won't always deal with.

In fact, that that God is going to send a messiah that's going to represent him perfectly and that's going to lead you out of the oppression that you were facing.

So this became a thing that people were excited about.

It became something that people had anticipated.

They were looking forward to the idea of this Messiah coming to usher the people of God into a place of freedom and wholeness.

So for many of them, they began to speak in their present situation about this future presence.

This idea that, hey, when the Messiah comes, we're not going to have to deal with this anymore.

When the Messiah comes, he's going to set everything right.

When the Messiah comes, he's going to bring equality to all people.

When the Messiah comes, we're no longer going to deal with the things we're dealing with.

That the Messiah began to take on its own form of a legend.

And so before long, people started adding things to it because it was going to help them in their present situation.

So they began to say, hey, when the Messiah comes, he's going to come like a like a soldier and he's going to take over the government, he's going to take over the world.

Because that is exactly what they needed, but it didn't match reality.

So as people were looking around, they were they were looking for these attributes that never quite measured up to what God truly knew his people needed.

They were looking at military leaders that would rise up and say, maybe he's the Messiah.

They would look at great leaders that would rise up and say, Well, maybe he's the Messiah.

They would see people that would come from families of prominence and wealth and success and say, Well, certainly he's got to be the Messiah because he has the resources to make everything right.

And they were all looking in the wrong place.

But the Bible tells us in Luke chapter 2, starting at verse number one, that God had other plans.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

And what it says here is that at the time that Roman Emperor Augustus made a decree and a census that should be taken throughout all of the Roman Empire.

This was the first census to be taken when Quiranius was governor of Syria.

All were to return to their ancestral towns to register for the census, and because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home.

He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.

He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

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

She gave birth to her firstborn son.

She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger because there was no lodging for them in the end.

Isn't it interesting that while the whole world was looking and anticipating and expecting the Messiah to come through all these powerful structures, that God decided to bring the Messiah through poor immigrants at a place where they couldn't even get access to a hotel?

It's amazing how God will shift things a little bit differently than what we had anticipated or had expected.

You know, this idea of everyone looking for the Messiah to come one way, but God uses the temporary things to establish something permanent.

That certainly on the surface doesn't look like a long-term solution.

And for me, I know a little bit about long-term solutions.

I I really do blame YouTube for the false confidence that exists in a lot of us, myself included.

Because you can go onto YouTube and at any given moment you can feel like you're an expert at anything.

Because you can watch a video and someone can explain to you how to do something, and before long, you're just working on electricity that you know you shouldn't be touching, and you're potentially going to kill you and your whole family.

But YouTube has an ability to give you false confidence.

So I had to learn a long time ago that I had to operate within my boundaries, know my strengths, know my weaknesses, and leave some things for the experts.

I am not a handyman.

There I said it.

I said it.

If you if you need someone to help you change a tire, I can do it.

If you need someone to hold the light while the real guy's working on a thing, I can do that.

If you need someone to tighten something, if you need somebody to help you move something, I can do it.

But if you actually need me to build something, I'm not I'm not the guy for it.

I've learned that a long time ago.

Like I am not the long-term solution.

I am more of a temporary fixed guy for guy.

In fact, I would say when it comes to the realm of handyman, I'm like a temporary tire.

I may get you to where you need to go to, but don't put any extra speed or weight on it.

That's that's how I view it.

And in my family, they know this all too well.

Over the past year, we began to recognize a little bit of wear and tear that just begins to accumulate in your home.

And and naturally they're going to come to me, the the father, the leader of the home, and say, Hey dad, like I'm dealing with a leak in the house.

I'm like, what do you want me to do about it?

Like, I don't know what to tell you to do.

Like, put some tape around it.

I don't know.

Like, I they would just come to me with these varying things, and I know that that's not my strength, I know that's not my gift set.

And so I would kind of like say, Hey, look, let's figure out a temporary solution for this.

And so as the the request began to build and accumulate, I'm thinking to myself, hey, my father's gonna come.

He's incredibly gifted and resourced in this area, he'll be able to fix these things.

But but then I felt like the ultimate test had come.

And that ultimate test was that I needed to change the light bulb in my bathroom.

Now, it's changing a light bulb in the bathroom.

I feel like anybody can do that.

I feel like jokes start like that.

Like, how many pastors does it take to change a light?

Like, it's not it's not that difficult on the surface.

So when my wife comes to me and says, Hey, I need you to change this light bulb, I'm thinking to myself, that's easy.

That's light work.

Let me get this ladder, let me go up there, I take the fixture down, I put the light, I change the light bulb out, and when I go to put the fixture back, it keeps falling down.

It won't stay up there.

So now I'm feeling as if my manhood is in question because if I show my wife that I can't change the light bulb, she may not honor me anymore.

So I'm like, okay, what can I do to make sure that I don't lose my marriage because of a light bulb?

Here's what I'm gonna do.

I'm gonna go and get me some duct tape, and I'm gonna tape this fixture up here, and she'll never notice the difference.

True story.

So she comes home, she sees that the fixture is back together, the room is illuminated, and she's like, oh my gosh, you did such a good job.

I'm like, yes, I did, honey.

Yes, I did.

Just affirm me, give me all the affirmation that I can handle.

I felt good about it for about 20 minutes, and then the glue began to wear off, and then the light fixture fell again.

And I kept putting up more tape and it would fall again.

I put up more tape and it fell again.

And then I finally got to a point where I'm like, I'm just gonna wait for my dad to get here.

So my dad shows up during Thanksgiving and he goes into the room, takes him about five minutes, and then he fixes it permanently, that you would never know that the problem was there.

I've never been more happy and insecure at the same time in my entire life.

Apparently, when I took down the fixture, I broke a piece of it off that I wasn't supposed to do.

And my dad was like, Why don't you just take this little slot off?

I'm like, man, why don't you just mind your business?

Um but my dad came in and fixed it.

And what I realized is that I know that I am a temporary solution.

I am not the long-term fix.

I think that for many of us, if we're honest with ourselves, we look at the wear and tear that life can sometimes put upon us.

The areas of our lives where Mary, maybe it's going a little bit dimmer.

Maybe there's some holes that need to be filled.

And the problem is we end up turning to temporary things that can fix something that only God can do.

We find ourselves not being content.

So so we we turn to maybe maybe um maybe maybe this job will be the thing that will give me ultimate fulfillment.

Because I feel like there's something missing.

So I'll go to this job and that'll absolutely be the temporary, that'll be the permanent long-term fix.

But before long, the the glue begins to wear off and we're right back to where we started from.

Maybe we're saying, like, if I if I can just go on another vacation, that'll be the thing that'll that'll make me feel better, and that'll that'll make me feel good.

I'll I'll look at social media, I'll post some things, maybe I'll get some likes, and and that'll be the thing that fills me.

But then we do that very thing, we recognize that it's such a temporary thing.

We we chase after careers, we chase after resources, and we have these goals in mind, thinking that's going to be the thing that that's gonna bring us fulfillment.

And I found that each time I reach a new goal, I I'm not satisfied because somehow there's another goal to reach and it doesn't seem to fill it.

What I submit to you is is it possible that we're looking to tempt to temporary things to fill something that only God can do?

Is it is it possible that we're hoping for fulfillment and things that God never intended to bring us true ultimate fulfillment?

The idea of Jesus coming is the good news because we no longer have to look to temporary resources in order to provide an everlasting fill.

That's found exclusively in the person of Jesus.

The arrival of Jesus is meant to communicate I no longer have to look to temporary things to bring me wholeness.

That's why we celebrate the good news.

That's why the birth of Jesus is such a big deal.

That the Bible defines one of the characteristics of Christ as being everlasting.

Everlasting, this idea of being eternal, eternity, it's it's a concept that even in our finite minds we're not able to adequately wrap our minds around.

But but eternity, it really speaks to uh durability, endurance, longevity, survival without restraints.

That is incredible news to know that the God that we serve is durable, he can handle the weight and the burdens and anything that we put his way.

Isn't it good news to know that our God is reliable?

That no matter what we may face and that we may struggle with, that we can depend on God to show up and to move us forward.

It also means that it's without limits.

How encouraging is it to know that we serve a God that has no limitations, there is no beginning or end to his power, his influence, his ability to shift and move things around at will.

That is the good news, my friends.

We have an everlasting God that makes himself available to every single one of us, and he doesn't have an expiration date, and that's the good news.

See, this season of Advent, this this Christmas season, as we call it, is a season for us to pause and to reflect and to be reminded of who Jesus is and what we have access to.

One of the things that we have access to is hope, but but not just regular hope.

I'm talking about an everlasting, unending hope.

I'm not talking about a temporary hope, I'm not talking about something that that once we accomplish it and get it, that it goes away.

But I'm talking about this this fulfillment, this anticipation of knowing that I can always look forward knowing that God is fighting and moving on my behalf.

You know, more often than not, we find ourselves in a place where we're hoping for things.

And then once we achieve it or not achieve it, that can determine whether we move on or not.

But the way that the scriptures define hope that's connected to Christ, it means that I can look forward by looking backward, and that fills me with hope.

Let me let me say it this way: Dr.

Henry Cloud says the greatest indication of a future outcome is looking at past behaviors.

That means that I can look at things in the past, and that will often give me an indication of how they will turn out in the future, especially when it comes to Jesus.

I'm filled with hope no matter where I may find myself because I can say that if God did it for them, he will absolutely do it for me, and I have hope where I'm standing right now.

If God did it then, then he will absolutely do it now, and I can have hope knowing that he's going to continue to move me forward.

That is the good news, my friend, is that knowing that the ministry of Christ and that the gospel that has been preached many years before us is still alive and active today.

And I can have an expectation that the blind eyes will open, I can have an expectation that the lame will walk, and I have an expectation of knowing that God is still performing those same miracles, and I can have hope in that.

What scripture then tells us is that not only do we have access to this hope that keeps us in a posture of expectation and excitement, but we also have this joy that's now made available to us, this everlasting, unending joy that we're able to celebrate the goodness of God, even if we haven't made it to our destination just yet.

That's what it means.

Joy is not an emotion, it's not something that that is built on circumstances.

In fact, that was simply just mean being happy.

I like to define happiness as this happiness is determined on what's happening.

And different things happen, and I can determine whether I'm happy or not.

But joy is this overflow of excitement, even if I'm not where I want to be at just yet.

One of my favorite narratives in scripture is really found in the the ministry of God, taking the people of God from Egypt and going to the promised land.

But it was a long journey.

And one of the things that is so powerful about this is that in the book of Exodus, Scripture tells us that as Moses is leading them out of Egypt, that they go across the Red Sea.

And when they get on the other side of the Red Sea, they break out into a praise and worship service.

Here's a little Bible um nugget for you guys.

That's the first time that is scripture documents when people say worship to God.

We see other references of angels and other beings, but this is the first time a worship set takes place.

This is powerful because they are filled with joy.

They're worshiping God, but yet they're still in the desert.

They had a praise even though they didn't make it to their destination because they were filled with joy.

They had a praise even in the desert because they were filled with joy.

They knew that they weren't where they wanted to be, but they were celebrating that they're not where they used to be, so they had been filled with joy.

I believe what God makes available to us is this ability to get some perspective and understanding that because of Jesus, I have access to joy, and that joy allows me to recognize that even if I haven't made it to my promised land yet, you haven't made it to your destination yet, that I still have a praise even in the desert because God is faithful, God is true, and he is with me, and he will not leave me more forsake me.

That is why we celebrate the goodness of God, He makes this joy available.

What the Bible says in Scripture, it tells us in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 2, verses 8 through 10, as the shepherds were out taking care of their flock, that the angels came to them, and it says that the night shepherds were staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks, and then suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them, and they were terrified.

Luke 2:8–10

But the angels reassured them, Don't be afraid, he said, I bring you good news and great joy to all people.

He says, Guys, we're we just got here straight from heaven and we got some good news for you.

You know, a lot of times when you hear news, you have to consider the source.

Whenever my family comes to me, like, hey, did you hear this?

I'm like, Where did you hear this from?

We have to consider the source.

These shepherds are out in the field, and they're saying, We just left the throne room of heaven, and and I want you to know that the Messiah is come, and this is good news.

You can respond to this good news because we have perspective.

You can consider the source, and this good news is going to bring joy to all people.

You can celebrate it because we're a trusted resource, that we bring you good tidings and good news, and that that joy is available.

Their message to the shepherds was really quite simple that the arrival of Jesus was good news because he brings joy to the world.

In heaven in nature see, and heaven in nature see, and heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven, and nature see Joy to the world the savior, let men their songs employ, rock fields and blood, rock fields and place, repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy on the mountain, honey Oh, yeah, over the hills, every way on the prices He rules the world with true hand race, and makes us all his love It's crazy.

I think we can do people in the mini body in the presence of God's glory for the middle.

We have a brain even in the midst of the presentation.

But God, you are good even when it's not good.

That we can trust the knowledge that you're working all things together for the good of those who love you and who are called according to your purposes.

And so, God, we celebrate it and we expound in the joy and the power and the grace that is found in the person of Jesus.

You can go ahead and take your seats at this time.

When I think about our ability to have a praise even while we're in the desert, you have to ask yourself, why?

What is it that allows us to have such profound confidence in this love that God makes available for us?

And it's because it's connected to his very nature that it's everlasting, that it's adorable, that it's unending, and it's the love that flows from that that gives us this confidence.

See, I think a lot of times when we think about this idea of love, the culture has redefined it and almost rewired our brains as to what it means.

Because we casually use it.

You think about things that you loved.

Maybe you think about the greatest gift that you ever gotten and how much you loved it.

For me, I still remember it was a Sony Walkman.

People are like, what in the world is that?

Just Google it.

It's it's probably in a Smithsonian L.

But I remember when I I still vividly remember my hope and my expectation, my anticipation that my parents were gonna get it for me when they got it for me.

I loved it.

I slept with it.

I listened.

Let me explain.

And Walkman is something that used to play music.

Um basically imagine an iPhone, but much bigger, much more terrible on the environment, but but also was very productive and helping me engage in music culture.

So I remember taking it with me everywhere that I went.

I loved it so much until an upgrade came out.

Then I discarded it and moved on to the next thing.

Then I discarded it and moved on to the next thing.

And unfortunately, we can have that same mentality when we think about what God's love means for us.

You see, I have different things that I have loved in different seasons.

Maybe you have a favorite outfit.

You mean I love that outfit until it gets a stain on it, and that stain doesn't come out, and then what you used to only wear at certain events is now the thing that you wash your car in.

Y'all know what I'm talking about.

But I used to love it so much, but it got stained, and so I now I can use it for something different.

And if we're not careful, we'll begin to think that that's how God sees us.

I loved you so much when you're doing everything perfect, when you're doing everything right, but now you got some stains on you, so I don't have a purpose for you anymore.

And then that makes us feel a little uncomfortable with coming into the house of God, the presence of God, because we feel like we're gonna be judged by God.

But the reason why we celebrate the good news is because God's love is everlasting, which means that even when we have flaws, that even when we have stains, that God does not remove his love from us.

That's what he made available to us.

That while we were yet sinners, that he demonstrated his love to us, this everlasting enduring love.

And because we have access to this everlasting enduring love, we now can begin to live lives that are filled with peace.

See, when we think about love and being secured in the love of Christ, it begins to allow us to walk in peace and confidence.

See, the definition of peace is certainly not the absence of conflict, it's the presence of Jesus even while we're facing it.

When we look in scripture, we see over and over again these varying instances where people were in the middle of chaos, but but yet they were somehow still filled with peace.

I think about Daniel in a lion's den.

You know that that story that maybe you heard when you were in children's church?

And and the image that I often get is how Daniel was now thrown into this lion's den.

And what they would do back then is they would starve the lions.

So that way when a person was thrown in there, they would pounce on him immediately.

But the Bible says that Daniel was in there unbothered and unworried because he had peace.

The lion was still there, the threat was still present, but he had a peace that surpasses all understanding.

Some of us can begin to look into our text messages and look into our email boxes and maybe look at our bank account, and we can see that roaring lion that is that is staring us in the eye, and maybe it's trying to rob us of peace, but when we understand that peace is not the absence of opposition, peace is not the absence of conflict, but peace is the presence of Jesus.

Daniel was able to have so much peace because what the Bible says is that God sent a messenger to shut the lion's mouth.

I wish that somebody could grab a hold of this.

It is possible to be in a chaotic environment, but be reminded that God sent a messenger to shut the lion's mouth.

There may be some things that are roaring over your life right now, but God sent a messenger to shut the lion's mouth.

There may be some things that are roaring over your family right now, but God sent a messenger to shut the lion's mouth.

There may be some diagnoses that are being roared over your health right now, but God sent a messenger to shut the lion's mouth, and that messenger's name is Jesus, the living God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

This is why we celebrate.

It's because we know that even in the face of opposition, we have the opportunity to experience peace.

The Bible tells us that when the shepherds hear this news of the idea that the Messiah is born, they have an opportunity to go and worship him.

The Bible says that he's going to bring goodwill and peace to all people.

And that peace is available to every single one of us right now.

Family and friends, I want you to know the reason why we celebrate is not to have justification to going out and spending bills, but it's actually an opportunity for us to slow down and embrace what this season represents.

And what it represents is that we have an opportunity to experience love.

We have an opportunity to walk in peace.

We can absolutely have joy and have hope because Jesus has come.

We don't have circumstantial peace, we have peace in every circumstance.

We don't have circumstantial joy, we have joy no matter the circumstance.

We don't have circumstantial love, we have love no matter the circumstance.

We don't have circumstantial hope, we have hope no matter the circumstances.

We have a Lord that we serve who is everlasting, unending, all-powerful, and because of that, we can walk and live in victory.

What scripture tells us is that when Jesus' birth was upon the horizon, that there were these wise men, and they were made aware of it because they saw a bright light in the sky, what we would refer to as the star of Bethlehem.

That was an indication that something had shifted cosmically, that there's been a turning of the page, so to speak, to bring a deeper awareness of what God was ushering in and making available to all mankind.

That light was symbolic of the life and ministry of Jesus to signify that he truly is the light of the world.

The Gospel of John tells us as Jesus is unpacking the varying dynamics of who he is, he makes this declaration I am the light of the world.

And those who believe on me will never experience darkness again.

Jesus is helping to reveal to them and also to us that wherever there are shadows, wherever there is areas where we don't have clarity, that he is the light of truth that is leading the way.

And I believe it's in moments like that that we have an opportunity to be just like those wise men, but to look to that light and allow that light to order our steps and lead us out of the darkness.

It was so bright you couldn't miss it.

And I believe the same can be said of us and our walk with God.

When you came in today, that too.

When you came in today, you would have received a candle.

I'm going to ask you to go ahead and take that out of this time.

If you didn't get it, you can lift your hand up and someone from the team will come and bring one to you.

What I want us to do is I want us to go ahead and turn these lights on.

And it's a symbolic gesture, but it's powerful, similar to when we take communion.

It's us entering into this space and as a community and as a family, recognizing that Jesus is indeed the light of the world, who is ordering our steps and illuminating all truth and casting out the darkness.

As a family and as a community, let us stand to our feet, let us sing to our Savior and worship together, knowing that He indeed is the light of the world.

We thank you for the grace that you make available for us that we are able to walk in love and truth and light and experience your goodness.

Father, I pray over your people right now that in this season that we are capable of pausing and reflecting on the goodness that exists within you.

Lord, I pray that we can experience your everlasting hope, your everlasting joy, your everlasting love, and experiencing your everlasting peace, knowing that nothing can separate us from you.

That is what this season is, and that is why we celebrate.

Bless your people in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen and amen.

Church, we put our hands together for the goodness of God and what it means for us in this powerful season.

Thanks again for listening.

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