I Am Nobody | Pastor Chris Kouba

Grab your Bibles, open them up with me to Luke chapter 2.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

Luke chapter 2.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

While you're finding that, this has nothing to do with the message.

I just want to uh say a quick little word coming off of the worship that we just had.

Um, there's a Bible reading plan that I've been doing for the last two years.

I'm gonna do it again in 2024.

This is about the time of year whenever you need to be kind of thinking through that, and I want to encourage you, we're gonna be giving you some resources.

There's something called the Bible recap, which basically is a Bible reading plan, reading you chronologically through all of the Bible, uh, and you can read it, and then you can listen to a little podcast that kind of explains it.

This morning I read the book of Philippians, um, and there's this passage that it made me think about as we were worshiping today that I just want to read to us.

Philippians chapter 2, beginning in verse 5.

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

It says, Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above the name of Jesus that is above every name.

So that the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father.

Father in heaven, we come before you and we are humbled by the fact that we get to do that.

The very fact that we can relate to you through the gift of prayer, knowing how holy and majestic and other that you are, the fact that you would relate to us is beyond comprehension.

Father, you are the King of Kings.

You are the Lord of Lords.

And so today, Father, let everything that we do, let everything that we say, let the reading and opening of your word, let the worship that we have just participated in and the worship that we leave from this place on our lips.

May give you glory, may give you honor, and may we behold the Son of God who was born, who died, who rose from the dead, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

It's in the name of Jesus that I pray.

Amen and amen.

Let me take this opportunity to give a word of greeting to all of those that are joining us at our correctional facilities, those on the Pando app, and those of you at home with the flu.

Because it seems like a lot of you that's probably the case.

So we are the survival of the fittest, and we are not sick, all right?

Uh, it is good to see you here, and yeah, most likely we'll all be sick by Wednesday, but it's all good, okay?

We're here at church today, and we are very, very grateful for it.

Luke chapter 2 is where we're going to be today.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

I'm a nobody.

I'm a nobody.

What's weird is that I didn't wake up that day thinking that those words were going to be spoken in my ear.

I actually woke up that day thinking I was doing pretty well, kind of feeling really good about myself, to be honest with you, having a pretty good day, all right?

I had a lot of good things going on, I had a lot of momentum happening, I had a lot of positives in the category that kind of made me feel like in my own mind at least I was kind of a big deal that day.

Which is why it surprised me when all of a sudden that voice came in.

You see, I have a great family, I've got a great job, I've got a great church, I've got a lot of friends, not only in my contacts, but like if I actually were to push their numbers and call those people, they would actually answer my call.

And so because of that, I was feeling really good.

But I had a little bit of time in the afternoon, and so I grabbed my phone and I and I began to check email, and then after I checked my email, I checked the weather because it could change, you know, in any any moment, right?

It's Houston, Texas, and so I assumed that could be the case.

And then I began to check the news, and then I began to check sports, and then I began to go down that black hole that is social media.

Average person spends 147 minutes per day now on social media, so I'm not that abnormal.

And so I just start kind of scrolling through social media.

I'm kind of just scrolling and seeing what is on there, I'm seeing what other people are doing, I'm seeing where other people ate, I'm seeing some of the vacations that some of the folks are having prior to Christmas, and they look like really good vacations.

And then the algorithm seems to suggest that I like golf videos, so I got a bunch of videos telling me how to fix my swing, how to make sure to put.

I mean, it was a mindless trap of golf videos, and then I saw it.

It was a post from a buddy of mine.

Uh he's a buddy of mine that I would consider to be a really, really good friend.

And this buddy was on a trip, and this trip was with a bunch of guys.

I began to look and see who the guys were, and I know I recognized all of the guys.

You want to know why?

Because these were my buddies.

These, in fact, were all guys that I would say we not only know each other, but we know each other well enough to where if there was ever a trip that was being planned, I would be included.

Yet I'm sitting there scrolling through social media and I'm looking at a trip that I wasn't invited to.

And then I start to think, I wonder when they're gonna get together next.

I wonder if I'm gonna be invited then.

Started to have some FOMO.

You guys ever heard of FOMO?

You know what FOMO is, right?

FOMO is the fear of missing out.

It can be seemingly harmless, it can be no big deal, but man, I'm just telling you, in that moment, it became something that kind of cut a little bit.

Here's the irony of the situation.

As I'm looking at this trip, they're doing an activity that I have no desire to do, right?

I have zero thought whatsoever to do that.

And I know my schedule was so crazy the previous few days from when I saw this that I wouldn't even have wanted to be able or been able to go on the trip.

That none of that stuff ever actually mattered, though.

What mattered was the fact that they didn't give me the opportunity because I wasn't invited.

It seemed stupid and small, but in that moment I had this voice in my ear.

You're nobody.

And to be honest with you, it was kind of a it took me back because I don't I don't believe that to be the case.

I don't think that's the case, but in that moment, as I was scrolling through social media, that's what I felt.

You ever been there?

Statistics say that 69% of Americans experience FOMO on a regular basis.

They say that because of social media and the rise of social media and the rise of people putting their lives out there for everyone to see, that that number is trending upward on a constant basis.

Which means FOMO is also trending up.

FOMO is one of those things that results in feeling sad, feeling depressed, feeling anxious.

Beginning to have a negative view of yourself, and then it leads to having a negative view of others.

This morning we're continuing in our series called Behold, and what we're doing is we're looking at the wonder and the majesty of the announcement of Jesus.

And we're seeing how, as a result of that wonder and of that announcement, when you behold the Son of God, it not only casts out all fear, it drives out shame.

It also drives out that anxious feeling of FOMO.

What we're gonna see this morning are the magic words that continue to show up in the birth announcements of Jesus, which is these words fear not, do not be afraid.

What we're gonna see is a story of the shepherds, and it's gonna be interesting because this is not a situation to where they're experiencing FOMO because their whole lives have been FOMO, and so therefore they stop thinking that they would ever be included on anything.

But they begin to have fear as they are confronted with this announcement.

And what I want us to see in this text is not only how it helps us deal with our FOMO, but what we should do with it to ensure that nobody else experiences FOMO when it comes to the message of Jesus.

Let's begin reading in Luke chapter 2, beginning in verse 8.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

It says, In the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.

And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the 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'll find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes 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 with whom he is pleased.

It says here that the shepherds were filled with great fear.

You can see how this could be the case.

They're minding their own business, doing their own thing, and then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, this angel begins to appear.

We we we know that the art that we see these days really doesn't make it feel as drastic as it would be, because the art picks depicts an angel as this really, really gentle, meek, mild, beautiful caricature up in the sky.

But the Bible, though, presents angels as fierce warriors.

So what you want you to picture is a fierce warrior in the sky, and all of the glory that would come along with that, all of a sudden now shining down.

You can imagine there is fear because of just the shock of what they are experiencing.

I would also, though, argue that they were afraid because no one ever called their name.

And they didn't know what to do.

This is the first time that they're all of a sudden now realizing that this special great announcement, which I'm sure they've heard of other people getting significant encounters, but never themselves.

And so now they are afraid, not because they're afraid of missing out, they're afraid because they don't know what it's like to be included.

As a result of that situation, what we begin to see is this great announcement that not only helps us, but teaches us something about how we should respond to this news.

First thing I want you to see is this do not fear the message is for you.

Do not fear the message is for you.

Some of you may be listening to the story of Jesus, and you may be hearing about the salvation that he brings, and you've got FOMO because you're afraid it's not going to be for you.

What I want you to see in this text, and I want you to see in the story, is that this announcement of good news of great joy given by an angel to specific shepherds.

We don't know their names, we don't know their backgrounds, we don't necessarily know any of their story.

But what we do know is that they, out of all the people chosen, were the ones who were chosen to be the recipients of the greatest announcement in all of history.

This announcement was personal.

It wasn't given to every shepherd, it was given to these specific shepherds.

The language even shows that.

Look at what it says.

It says, For unto you is born this day.

This will be a sign for you.

For behold, I bring you.

You will be wrapped, uh find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes.

We, of course, know that this announcement was for more than just these shepherds, but I want you to not miss the fact that it was given specifically to these shepherds.

This is how God works.

God is over all, but he specifically wants to be God for you.

Luke chapter 12, verse 7 says this, why even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

Luke 12:7

Fear not, for you are of more value than many sparrows.

He knows how many hairs you have personally, not generically, not in mass, but specifically.

Whenever you hear that voice that is in your head telling you that you are somebody, I want you to remember this.

God says that He knows exactly who you are.

You aren't some generic being that was made that just happens to live in Northeast Houston.

You are a person with a specific plan that God has for their life.

Psalm 139, verse 16, your eyes saw my unformed substance.

Psalms 139:16

In your book were written every one of them the days that were formed for me.

When as yet there were none of them.

God knows exactly how many days you have here on this earth.

He has given them all a number.

There will for sure be at times, particularly as you go through this season, when you will be scrolling through your social media, you'll be scrolling through looking at other people's lives, and you will notice that the people at work got together and they didn't include you.

There will no doubt be a time when you will be scrolling and you will see friends posting a pick, doing something very fun together, and you were not included.

There is no doubt, without question, going to be situations, perhaps, even in the next two weeks, when you're gonna be scrolling and you're gonna see folks having gotten together, looking at Christmas lights, seemingly having a very wonderful time, and you're looking at those pictures, you're not included in those pictures.

And I want you to know whenever that voice begins to tell you that you're a nobody and you're insignificant, and nobody notices or cares about you, that in all of the eight over eight billion people that are born on this earth, I want you to know this there was one that was born named Jesus, and he was born specifically for you.

You don't have to fear, you don't have to fear missing out.

Because you can know this Jesus came so that you would be included.

It doesn't stop there though.

Look at what it says in verse 10.

The angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Skip down to verse 15.

It says, When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, Let's go to Bethlehem.

Let's see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph, and there was the baby lying in the manger.

After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.

All who heard the shepherd's story were astonished.

What this story tells us is that one, we do not have to be afraid because the message is for you.

But here's the second thing I want you to see is that we are to behold and share it with everyone.

We are to behold and share it with everyone.

Here at United City Church, one of our core values is that lost people matter.

That isn't a marketing slogan for us.

That isn't just something that we put up on a wall or a website.

But I want us to realize that what God has called us to do is to come and worship corporately together and to be able to sing in worship like we just did about the King of Kings, and we're supposed to sing about his majesty and his holiness, and not just lift his name up, be impressed with him, and then walk away as though it doesn't change us at all.

But instead, we are to receive the gift of Jesus, the announcement that he is born, and that we are to behold him, and it should cause us to not want to keep it to ourselves, but instead to want to go tell everybody else about it.

To be the includers and the bringers of the greatest news that has ever been told.

Who should we share this with?

Let's just look at some of the examples that are found in the story here.

First of all, we see in the Christmas story the outcast mentioned.

The outcast.

Of all the people the Lord could have chosen to get the word out about his baby that was being born, the shepherds were the least likely choice of all.

We keep saying that over and over again in this Christmas story, that God chooses the least likely people to be the greatest mouthpieces.

Why?

Because he's not trying to come in and make a big scene so that everyone would look and just basically be forced to worship.

Instead, he wants to show, he wants to relate in every single way, even to the ones who were on the fringe, who were on the outskirts.

You see, the shepherds, their testimony was so unreliable because they weren't seen as somebody who was significant that if they were called in and they were asked to be a character reference for somebody else in the law, Jewish law at this time, they would not even be considered credible testimony.

They were nobody's.

They were on the outside looking in.

Matthew chapter 11, verses 4 and 5 says, And Jesus answered them, Go and tell John what you hear and see.

Matthew 11:4

The blind receive their sight and the lame walk.

Lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.

What this shows us is that the baby is not just for all of those who have it all together.

The baby came for those who don't have the perfect life and who don't have the perfect situation.

Do you know people who you would say are on the outside?

Do you know people who are on the fringe?

Do you know people who you would say, Man, I'm not so sure how the church would feel if they showed up?

I want you to know this.

The announcement of Jesus was for them.

I pray that God allows us to be the type of church where you never have to say, I wonder what the church will think if I bring them.

But instead, we're the type of church that goes after them.

Because we've behold the Savior and we know as a result of the majesty and the wonder of the one that we worship.

You're the perfect person that needs to hear this.

May God give us eyes to see.

May God give us a heart for those who are on the outside.

May God allow us to be the people who don't just drive by those that no one sees, but instead giving us eyes to see the people who no one's looking at.

Let me tell you another group of people that we see in this story.

It's the religious.

It's the religious.

In the immediate context of this passage, what we see is that this announcement was given to Jewish people, uh, talking to them about the one they had been waiting for, the one they had been longing for, the one who was the Messiah.

Luke chapter 2, verse 11, it says that this baby was born in the city of David, a Savior, Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:11

We could do a whole series of messages on just that phrase alone and show the absolute significance about how all of those phrases were meant to point the Jewish religious person back to all of the prophecies that were supposed to be fulfilled when God was going to make things right and he was going to send one who would be the ultimate sacrifice for the sins.

Because the Jewish system was based upon this idea of God giving them a law, a law by which they were to follow, and if they followed it, then they could have a right standing with God.

The problem was they could never follow the law perfectly.

In fact, they continually tripped up, and as a result of that, there was provision made through yearly sacrifices that had to be offered for the people to be able to pay for their sins.

And what you saw was all of these religious people were hoping that at some point God would come and be able to give an ultimate sacrifice.

They were doing what they could possibly do on their own, but still realizing this isn't enough.

Folks, you probably all know people that are religious here in Northeast Houston.

It's cool to be religious in Northeast Houston.

If I've asked people, I ask all the time, hey, do you go to church anywhere?

And I've I've been amazed at how many people give me an answer, even though they may not have ever attended that church instead of Easter or Christmas a year ago, right?

But they at least got an answer.

They at least got a semblance of being connected to a church because the idea is that it's cool to be.

Religious here in Northeast Houston, and what that's done is that's muddied the waters to we've got a lot of people who attend some services, who give some money, who be doing some various activities with the thought and the goal and hope that eventually they're gonna stand before God.

There's gonna be enough good things on their ledger which are gonna outweigh the bad things on their ledger, and they assume and they hope that that is going to allow them to be able to have eternal life with God.

And I would simply tell you that this message of Jesus, the one who came, lived a perfectness, obedient life, died on a cross, and rose from the dead, this announcement is for all of those, maybe you who are trying so hard at religion, but you don't have any joy, you don't have any peace, you don't have any blessing.

Do you know any people that are religious?

Do you know any people that know the right answer but they don't know Jesus?

Our goal is that you would behold the announcement of Jesus and all of his glory and all of his wonder, and it would lead you to share this message with the people that you know in your life that are religious.

Let's talk about another group.

Let's talk about the nuns.

The nuns.

This is the fastest growing population that is out there.

29% of Americans now uh would identify themselves as none, meaning this if you were to say, What religion do you follow?

They would say, none.

I don't follow anything.

I'm not associated and connected to anything, and I like it that way.

Later in Luke chapter 2, what we see in my Bible, the heading says, beginning over verse 22, Jesus presented at the temple.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

There was a man named Simeon who was a priest, and Simeon basically had been told by God that he would one day see the Messiah before he dies.

And so what we see is Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the temple to dedicate him, a normal Jewish activity.

And what we see is he prays in his prayer of dedication over this child, and listen to what it says.

Verse 29 Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word.

For my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples.

This is a key verse, verse 32.

A light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.

A light for revelation to the Gentiles.

What he's saying is this Jesus has come for the non-religious.

Jesus has come for the non-Jew.

Jesus has come for the nun.

Meaning this, if you're here today, if you're watching me online, and the only reason that you're doing this is because you really like that girl and you really want that girl to like you, and you know that she said the only way that she'll like you is if you actually go to church with her.

You have no desire whatsoever to be into any of this.

In fact, you would proudly say that you are not into this.

I want you to know this.

Even if you're not searching for him, he is searching for you.

Do you know any nuns in your life?

Do you know any people who basically have no interest whatsoever in the church?

Do you know any people in your life who have no interest whatsoever in the things of God?

Do you know any people who would gladly and proudly put that they don't follow anything other than themselves?

Let me just tell you this.

I my goal and my desire is that you would behold the announcement of the Jesus Christ, the Savior, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords, and it would cause you to go after those who are not going after him.

Folks, we are a church who doesn't take no for an answer.

We are a people who goes after those who've continually said no.

Let me give you the last category that I want to point out today, and that is the secret.

The story of the baby born in a manger was given.

It says that wise men heard about it and they became interested and intrigued by it.

They found themselves curious.

We don't know what type of expectations that they would have on this child, uh, but we do know that their curiosity was so great that it says that they actually traveled great distances to come to the child, and they offered up gifts to him, and they also worshiped him.

Folks, we all know people who are kicking the tires.

I know of a couple in this church, and here's their story.

They were not interested whatsoever in faith, they were not interested in religion, but their marriage was an absolute wreck in every single way.

And somebody said, You should try church.

What can that hurt?

And they came to church here at this place, and God not only allowed them to hear the message of Jesus, but they got saved, and as a result of their salvation, they began to pursue not only each other, but they began to pursue the Lord, and now both them and their family is radically different.

All because someone said, You should try church, what could that hurt?

Folks, we all know people that are all around us, who are seeking, who are curious, who are interested.

They may not have crossed over the line, they may just be wondering what it's all about.

And my prayer and my goal is that you would behold the announcement of Jesus, that you would allow the reality that God came into the world to not just be something that falls on common ears, but instead you would allow that reality to not only cause you to worship in your in your song and worship and your adoration for Jesus, but it would also cause you to go after those that are seeking all around you.

You need to know He's the answer that you're searching for.

Let me give you two points of application.

Two points, uh, and then we'll be done.

First thing is this receive the gift.

Receive the gift.

My family is celebrating Christmas uh tonight, actually, after the service.

Uh, we are heading in the car and we are driving up to Dallas.

Uh, my wife's family is all in the Dallas area, and they've got school tomorrow, so we're coming in hot.

We're gonna be just jumping those uh those presents right off uh of the car, and we're immediately gonna be kind of doing that whole thing.

And this isn't one of those things where we're all gonna get together and we're gonna take turns, okay?

Who's next?

And then one person at a time, whatever.

And if you do that, I'm not saying that's bad.

I'm just saying we ain't got time for that tonight, all right?

We're on a schedule, we got to get this thing done.

And so what's gonna happen is everybody's gonna have to spread out and sit, and what they're gonna do is they're gonna put all of those gifts and they're gonna lay them all out in front of each individual person, and then somebody's gonna say go, and it's gonna be boom, here we go, and it's just gonna be an explosion of stuff, right?

And it's gonna be awesome.

Can I tell you I'm 43 years old?

It's still really cool sitting down in that seat and having a present in front of you, all right?

Your name's written on it.

What I've noticed is there's not quite as many as there used to be.

You know, it's a little bit different.

Nicely, though, a little bit more expensive than it used to be.

That's the kind of cool part.

But still, seeing your name on a gift.

There's just something that kind of just makes your heart beat a little faster.

I want you to know that if you're here today and you're on the fringe, you're an outcast, there's a gift in your name.

If you're here today and you're religious and you're honestly sick and tired of trying to do good enough, realizing that you never do do good enough, and wondering how you're ever supposed to do good enough, and you're on this treadmill that's just running to nowhere.

I want you to know there's there's a gift.

Your name.

If you're here today and you're one of the proud nuns, you don't believe in anything.

You're not seeking after God, you're just seeking after the girl.

You're just seeking after something because your mom asked you to, or your dad thought it would be a good idea, and you're just happening to be here.

Let me just tell you this: you may not be seeking God, but right this moment, he has a gift with your name on it.

Just for you.

Some of you that are seeking, you're interested, you're curious.

Let me just tell you, your curiosity is met, and then some in the person of Jesus.

And he's not trying to play keep away from you, or he's just trying to figure out how he can keep you guessing and keep you wondering.

Instead, he wants to be fully and completely known, so much so that he left all of the grandeur and the glory of heaven in order to come and live on this earth, to identify with you, to relate to you, to have a relationship with you.

That gift has got your name on it.

The question is, have you received the gift?

John chapter 1, verse 12, it says this but to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

John 1:12

You don't have to fear missing out.

But instead, just like the shepherds, you can be amazed that you get to be included.

Will you receive the gift today?

Let me give you a second point of application.

For those of you that already are believers, who've received the gift.

Let me encourage you with this re-gift the gift.

Re-gift the gift.

You all know about regifting, right?

You know what it is, you get that gift, you smile, you say, Oh, thank you, this is wonderful.

All the while knowing you have zero intentions of keeping that gift.

You know you'll never wear it, you'll know you'll never use it, you'll know you'll never spend it, you know whatever it is, you don't necessarily want it.

But you don't necessarily want to tell them that in the moment because that is rude.

So instead, you play it off and you act like it is a wonderful gift that you have received, all the while beginning in that moment to think about who you can give this to somebody else to, or you begin to remember a gift that you forgot to give somebody else, and guess what?

Oh, I've got this.

Here you go.

I'm gonna give this, and you re-gift the gift.

You see, a lot of times we re-gift the gift because we don't like the gift.

Here's what I want you to see, though, when it comes to this, you re-gift the gift because the gift is so good you can't keep it to yourself.

We got opportunities next week.

Christmas Eve services, statistics show.

People respond to a simple personal invitation more than any other time of the year when you invite them to Christmas Eve services.

9:30, 11, 3 o'clock in English, 1 o'clock in Spanish.

But here's what I want to ask you to do.

Would you consider even sharing your story prior to next week?

Somebody this week?

Would you begin to tell them about the gift that you've received?

Would you begin to think through personally who you can share this gift with?

Would you bow your heads and would you close your eyes all across this room?

If you're watching me online, please do the same.

Have you received the gift?

You don't have to fear missing out.

Right now, it gives me the opportunity that you have your life changed forever.

Could you receive Jesus?

This announcement wasn't just that he was born.

This announcement was that he lived, that he died, that he rose from the dead, and he now offers you the chance to receive the free gift of eternal life.

It's got your name on it.

Only thing you need to do is receive it.

If you've never received Jesus, I want to invite you right now to pray this simple prayer of faith with me that will forever change your life.

There's nothing magical about the words that I'm gonna say, but by praying this prayer, it puts words articulated to what God wants to do in your life.

You say these words, dear God, I want to receive the gift.

Thank you for the announcement of Jesus.

Thank you for his death, his resurrection from the dead.

And right now I received his gift of mercy, grace, and eternal life.

With me, I want you to do me a favor.

I want you just to look up and I want you to see where the closest pastor or leader is in the front or on the sides to you.

In just a moment, we're all gonna stand up for what we call a time of invitation.

We're gonna sing.

And I'm gonna ask you, if you would, right in that moment, to just immediately step out from where you are and come and talk to the person that you just made eye contact with, you just saw.

We want to celebrate with you, we want to answer questions that you might have.

We want to pray with you today.

We want to help you as you begin this walk of faith with Jesus.

Others of you need to come and join United City Church.

God is leading you, and you just know this is home.

This is where he wants you to be.

And if that's you today, would you come forward?

And by your coming, you're gonna encourage others to do the same.

Some need to be baptized like these three that we saw.

What an unbelievable story of faith, God moving in people's lives.

Maybe your stories like Sam, or maybe you thought you knew.

But God has revealed to you very clearly.

No, not only do you not know, but he wants you to know right now that's your story, you come.

Maybe your stories like Logan and you that live a tough life.

But guess what?

God can restore the years the locusts have eaten, and the next chapter can be different than the five-t last ones that have been lived.

God may be calling you today to follow through in believers' baptism.

If you that's you, would you come forward and let us schedule your baptism?

Some of you need prayer.

That voice has been in your ear and you need to pray against it.

You need to pray the sanctifying words of truth found in God's word.

Let us pray those for you today.

Maybe some of you have physical needs, you've got mental needs, you've got relational needs, financial needs.

Every week we want this to be an opportunity for you to receive prayer as the Spirit leads.

Father, I pray you'd move in these moments we have left.

Call people to yourself.

Give them courage to move, the boldness to respond, taking their next step.

It's in the name of Jesus that I pray.

Amen.

Would you stand up and as you stand, you come forward.

If you're online, there's a prompt there.

Do you follow that prompt?

You come right now.

Who has saved it?

It's got to be a good idea.

Praise God for how he's moving.

So grateful for these who come and decisions that are being made.

I just want to remind you, again, 9:30, 11 next week as well as three o'clock in English.

And then we've got uh a one o'clock service in Spanish.

I hope that you will take the materials we've already given to you and that you would use those to invite other people.

We're gonna have some special elements in the service.

It'll be a one-hour Christmas candlelight service.

Again, it's a little unique being on Sunday, but we are uh prayerful that God is gonna move in a big way.

Would you consider?

We feel like we've heard a lot of folks that are gonna come to your normal worship time.

Consider coming at three o'clock or helping us serve at one of the other ones because we believe three o'clock especially will be a big guest service, but we are excited, ready, we are praying.

I hope that you will be as well.

But most importantly, I pray that you are inviting others to be a part of that.

Merry Christmas.

We will see you all next week.

Take care.

Wow, what an amazing message we got to hear this morning.

I hope the Lord showed himself to you in a fresh, new way.

Hey, if you made a decision today to follow Jesus or a decision for Christ, we would love to process that with you, and so text the word next to 55498, and someone from our team will be more than happy to reach out and process that with you.

If you missed the message or you missed a note or two and you want to go back, don't worry.

We've got the option for that as well.

It's gonna be available on Spotify as well as Apple Music.

This has been an amazing morning.

We love you guys so much, and we hope to see you next week.

Bye-bye.