Room For the King

Luke chapter 2, verse one. In those days a decree went out

Luke 2 · chapter mention

from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

This was the first registration when Querinius was governor of

Syria. And all went to be registered,

each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from

Galilee, from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city

of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the

house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his

betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the

time came for her to give birth, and she gave birth to her first

born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him

in a Manger, because there was no place for them in the end.

Lord, we love you. We are so thankful for this,

this miracle that we just read, the Virgin who gave birth, the

promise that is fulfilled. Every promise you make is a

promise that you keep. You're so trustworthy.

You're so hope giving. You're so gracious.

What I pray that today, the word, this passage and the

others, I pray that you will massage them into our hearts,

that you would help us to rejoice at the work that you've

accomplished. And that it would provide all

the desire, all the will, all the motivation and all the

ability for us to walk out our obedience as well as an overflow

as a joyful response for the King who has saved us, for the

King who loves us. In Jesus name, we thank you.

Amen. Caesar Augustus decrees that all

the world should be registered. So it's not technically a crime

to count your people and to keep watch over your flocks and to

understand what's yours. And yet oftentimes you need to

consider what is the cost of doing such a thing.

So whenever a leader would say, I want to take a census, it's

not like us today take a census. That's still a big investment.

That's still an important thing. And what I think we're required

to do it every 10 years, something like that.

I think, though I might be in being the Constitution.

I don't know, Gordon, you could tell us that you look it up

later and let us know. But it's important.

We got to take a census all the time.

But you know what we don't have to do?

We don't have to. Each of us all travel back to

the hometown of our ancestors to then be counted at some booth by

some Roman to say, Yep, you were here.

You're allowed to go all the way back.

Now the the dangerous and expensive journey that we

required you to take. So that's what it meant whenever

somebody said I want to take a census, I want to take and not

just of like Jerusalem, not just of the Jewish people, but the

whole world. So Caesar Augustus, everything

that he had power over, he's, this is his demand.

So this is a big, big, big, big ask for people who do not have

wealth and means and flights and cars this and trains and buses.

This is a massive, massive ask. This probably is a large ego

based thing. Rome's ego was pretty large most

of the time. So the tyrant wants to count

what he considers to be his. He wants receipts, he wants

numbers, he wants proof all the world should be registered.

Caesar is looking at what he can see.

He's looking at what he can measure.

He's looking at what he can control.

And the irony, of course, is meanwhile, the one who knows the

number of hairs on Caesar's head is coming to earth and he's

coming in unseen. The godless ruler is separate

from the people and he's proud of it.

Meanwhile, God himself is joining his people and he's

pleased to do it without pomp, without circumstance, apart from

the announcement to the shepherds in a field nearby.

So Luke is not just showing us a sweet scene here.

This is not just for nostalgia's sake for us, of course.

He's announcing that God kept his promise and the true king

has arrived. The serpent crusher, the promise

that was made all the way back in the garden, his finally come.

He's finally here, but he arrived a way that nobody would

have ever chosen. He arrived low, He arrived

hidden, and he arrived humble. We see this dramatic difference

between the ego of man and the humility of God.

Man is always trying to appear bigger and more significant than

he is. God, being perfect, being

complete, being sovereign, being eternal, being all powerful, is

pleased to appear small. Jesus encourages us to just be

like him. Follow in his example, he says

take the low seat at the table. Some of my favorite favorite

stories that Jesus talks about just or just the teaching.

He says if you're invited to a banquet, take the low seat at

that. Where am I supposed to sit?

I hope I get a good spot. Just take the lowest spot.

It's easy. Take the lowest and most

insignificant spot. If somebody promotes you and

moves you, great. And if they don't, you're where

you belong anyway, and you shouldn't be mad about it.

Oh, I can't believe nobody moved me.

I took the low seat. That's also pride.

You were still hoping for something instead of just being

pleased. The Lord himself lived in a

young woman's womb for nine months.

And then he says, and I'll come to be born.

And then they'll put me in a feeding through.

And it won't be in a palace. He won't be celebrated.

He won't be honored. Pharaoh's babies receive more

honor than Jesus did. Many, many people's babies

receive more honor and care than Jesus did.

Would we tolerate our babies being born in these

circumstances? Now hospitals are like they

continue to upgrade the birthing units like they continue because

they know like, you got options. There is room in the ends.

God's OK. He can come in small.

Why? Because He has all the power.

He really is sovereign and He really is humble.

Content not to be seen for months, he now unceremoniously

moves in to the stable. Everyone went to be registered.

What else can we see here? We can see that this is normal

people doing normal life stuff, just following the laws,

following the rules. This is what most of our life

looks like, isn't it? This is what tomorrow looks like

for all of us. Tomorrow's probably not a

spectacular day. It's probably just another day.

It's it's Monday and what do I need to do?

I need to walk out my basic obedience with the Lord.

Joseph went up from Nazareth to Bethlehem with Mary.

This is basic obedience, and that idea of basic obedience

should ring a bell. We've been talking about it for

a few weeks. It should encourage you because

you remember what we heard Jesus say in Matthew 2446.

Blessed is that servant whom his Master will find so doing when

he comes doing what? Doing what he left him to do.

That was it. This is good news for me because

I can walk out the basic obedience.

Actually I can't. I can only do anything by the

hope of the Holy Spirit. But thankfully he hasn't given

me an extraordinary thing to do. He's just given me a basic

obedience to wake up and do what is the basic obedience the Lord

has put right in front of you? Hey, my servant, this is what

I've given you for today. It's it's well within your

ability to do it. It might include making that

phone call and encouraging that person.

It might involve praying. It might involve putting your

putting his word in your heart. It might involve 12 hours, it

might involve 8 hours, it might involve 4 hours of work in your

job. All these things though are just

the basic obedience that He requires of us.

The good news is, the more we focus on our obedience in the

natural, the lower, the more, the more the Lord will put His

super on top of your natural. Joseph doesn't know everything

that's coming, he just knows he's following one step at a

time. Joseph, it's OK, you can marry

her. She's still a virgin and you can

take her as your bride. This is the Lord's doing.

He's only. Wow, Well, that's crazy.

OK, so and now the law comes that we're not even told that an

Angel said, yeah, go to Bethlehem.

He's just, he's not like, I've got to make sure that this baby,

the Messiah, he's got to be born in Bethlehem because that's what

the prophecy. Joseph wasn't like figuring this

out. He wasn't making the prophecy

happen. This is just the Lord's

sovereignly accomplishing things.

And Joseph was just like, Yep, I got to go to Bethlehem, and

everybody else is having to go to their hometowns.

He's like, come on, Mary, let's load up.

Let's make the journey. And now the baby is born in

Bethlehem. It's just basic obedience.

For him, though. It's like paying his taxes.

It did not feel supernatural for him.

It felt like, I've got to protect my pregnant wife.

It felt like I've got to get her safely to Bethlehem.

It felt like, this is not easy to do.

This does not feel super secure. I mean, I know how helpless I

felt when my wife was giving birth in a hospital surrounded

by a staff of people. I can't imagine how Joseph feels

on the road going. Like, sure wish we had a group

of women around. I sure wish we had the guarantee

that we were going to have help. They likely did when they got to

Bethlehem when she was giving birth, I imagine.

But it's just speculation. Basic obedience, Lord, what

would you have me do next? Lord, this is hard, but it's

still basic obedience. And then the Lord blesses it.

Do what you know to do. That's what we see the faithful

do in the Christmas story. The kings, the prideful, they're

going to do their own thing. They're going to do what pleases

them. But Joseph, Mary, they're doing

what pleases the Lord. It's not extraordinary obedience

that the master required of the servant in the parable.

It was an extraordinary obedience that the Lord required

of Joseph. Just do what you know you should

do. The Lord will put his super on

your natural, and God keeps His promise while you take ordinary

steps. That's a good word.

That's an encouragement. Man.

My life is boring, man. My life is a regular man.

My life is just day in and day out.

Well, welcome to being a human being.

That's what most days look like for most folks.

You know, like not all of us are kings, not all of us are

presidents, not all of us are prime ministers, and we're not

called to be. We only need a few people who

have that kind of prestige and power.

Not all of us are going to be famous TikTok influencers.

I don't know if we have high aspirations for that in this

room, but if you do, not all of us are going to be that.

That's OK, That's normal. It's just called living.

And the Lord says, I just want you to live a quiet and

peaceable life and I want you to walk with me.

That was the point. Thankfully, Joseph took his

ordinary obedience seriously. Do you take your ordinary

obedience seriously? Is Jesus and simple obedience

enough to satisfy you? It was for Joseph.

It was for Mary. And to be clear, we'll say it

again, your obedience does not earn His love.

He loved you first, and that is why you love Him.

And then of course, loved ones to obey.

I love the Lord because He loved me first.

He is the initiator. He started this whole engine and

now I have momentum because of Him.

But my ordinary obedience will lead to extraordinary blessing.

That's the good news I want to give to you as we're talking

about as a church in this season of growth, growth, how personal

growth. Surrender was what the Lord

called for. First surrender leads to

breakthrough. Awesome, I've had breakthrough.

Now what happens now the Lord says, I want to take you into a

season of growth, and growth looks like something.

Growth does look like some basic obediences.

But the thing we have to be careful about when we start to

talk about obediences and spiritual disciplines is a lot

of times people then start to think that they're earning God's

favor, people. And it's very, very slippery

slope to think like, yeah, I want to grow in some areas.

You start making a list and all of a sudden you think I now have

more favor with the Lord. No, you don't.

You had all the favor because Jesus earned it for you.

And now we do these things out of a Worshipful delight and

obedience. These things are going to make

you experience more blessings, but only because that's what

obedience does. These are these are this is just

sowing and reaping. So if you were sleeping 3 hours

a night and you up that to seven, you don't have more favor

with the Lord because you're living a more disciplined

lifestyle. But are you going to feel

better? Is your life going to be

objectively better? Everybody say yes.

You do that for yourself for two months and your body's like,

wow, what's this called? And you're like, it's called

rest. And your body's like, that's

amazing. God's changing my life.

Yes, he is. He's blessing you.

Well, I did it. Yeah.

You walked out a a basic design that the Lord had for you.

But you didn't earn more favor with him.

He still loved you no matter what.

When you were up all night long wasting time doing nothing, He

still loved you. He still cared for you.

His grace was still there for you.

And yet you were suffering for your own foolishness and

disobedience. And you will be blessed by

walking out some obedience. So if you're eating 7:11 every

single day and you then start to eat in some foods that have like

fewer ingredients, we'll just put it that way.

And some foods that hadn't been sitting under the heater for the

past 72 hours are, are you going to be healthier?

Is your body going to feel better?

Yeah, of course. Did you're in favor with God?

No. Is your life going to improve?

Yes. So obedient.

There's just simple disciplines. There's simple things that would

happen in our lives. The same thing would happen in

our spiritual disciplines, spiritual growth.

Does God love you more because you read your Bible more?

Absolutely not. Does God love you more because

you pray more? Absolutely not.

Do you love God more when you read your Bible more?

Yes, you will. Will you love God more when you

pray more? Yes, you will.

Will your life be blessed? Yes, because your mind is being

renewed. So you see the world the way God

sees it, and you live and function in a different way.

And as you're reading the word of God, the Holy Spirit

ministers to you and he starts talking about something.

He's like, hey, you know what? I want you to forgive that

person. And you go 00 and he goes,

welcome to growth. He says, not only that, I want

you to give him a call and you go, whoo, now we're really

talking about growth. Does he love you more when you

do those things? No, he does not.

Are you more blessed and are you living as a more free person

because you're taking action and obedience?

Yes, you are. But it's easy for us to mix

these things up and to think I've earned favor with God.

I've earned all these blessings. You're, you're just blessed

because you're doing things the way he intended for him to be

done. And he's good and he thankfully

even creates the will. He creates the will in you, the

desire in you, and the ability to fulfill it.

So he still gets all the credit. And we just finally get some

freedom from not being boneheaded.

So that's a blessing to us. So that's what we're describing

here. When we're talking about

obedience, we're talking about being satisfied in Christ.

We don't, I don't want you to forget the gospel.

The whole point of the thing, you couldn't save yourself, only

Jesus could. So your obedience doesn't earn

his love. He loved you first, that's why

you love Him. And love wants to obey.

And yes, ordinary obedience will lead to extraordinary blessing

if we kept stacking some of those examples together.

Now, I wasn't doing this and now I am.

That's an upgrade in my life. Things are objectively better,

like my health is better because I went from sleeping 3 hours a

night to seven and I've been doing it for months.

My health is objectively better. This is an upgrade.

I started working out like, wow, I feel better.

Even more so. I'm eating differently.

Wow. I started taking my wife on

dates. Our marriage is better.

We're enjoying one another more. We're getting to know one

another better. These are objectively better

things. The Lord doesn't love me more,

but do you? Is there more blessing and and

and provision over my life? Yeah, there is because I'm

walking in in accordance to what he's called me to.

Anyway, He still would have loved me, but I would have been

struggling in all these places. Oh Lord, what's going on with my

health? Go to sleep.

Oh Lord, I just need a breakthrough.

Go to bed. The breakthrough.

The breakthrough is your pillow. The breakthrough is getting off

your phone. Oh Lord, I'm just so addicted to

all these things. Yes.

Go to sleep. Nothing good happens late at

night. Go to sleep, get in your bed,

lay on your pillow. Well, I can't fall asleep.

Yes, I know it'll take some time because you have rewired your

brain through dopamine addiction and scrolling all these things.

May God love you more. Of course not, Absolutely not.

But because God has saved you, God does love you and God does

want your life blessed in holistic ways.

And I, like I said, I think this season of growth is going to

look like some very practical things for us.

That's why I'm throwing out some very practical examples.

I don't intend to be the self help pastor.

And at the same time, I absolutely intend to teach the

flock, hey, how do we build a life?

What might it look like to have some best practices?

I didn't tell you what your bedtime is.

I just said you need one that's really good.

So I didn't tell you how long you're allowed to be on your

phone. I just told you, you need to be

self-control and the master of your device instead of the other

way around. I didn't tell you what your diet

had to be. I just said it can't be all 711.

So upgrades and blessing. I didn't say how often you

needed to date your wife, but I just said you do need to date

your wife. So all kinds of simple

practices, all kinds of simple things that we can start to put

into place and we go, wow, wow, I'm so blessed, not because of

me, but because I'm walking out things that the Lord frankly

reveal, He reveals through His word and He intends for His

people. Why don't we chase so many other

things? Most of the time we're not

satisfied with Jesus and with our simple obedience to Him.

I think most of the time because we haven't really, we haven't

really tested him. The real confession, if most

people are honest, would be something like I'll be satisfied

with my Savior as long as I also have fill in the blank, as long

as I also have comfort, as long as I also have control of this

situation. As long as I also have approval.

I'll be satisfied with my Savior and simple obedience.

As long as I also have a certain amount of money, As long as I

also have a certain kind of marriage, as long as I also have

a certain kind of child, as long as I also have a certain

reputation, As long as I also still have the show that I like

to watch or my team that I like to watch.

Some of those things are blessings, and some of those

things are weights that are not helpful to you, and some of

those things are idols that are simple idols.

All have the same signature. They promise satisfaction, but

they cannot keep it. This is the state of all the

world outside of Christ. This is the state of you and I.

Whenever we backslide, whenever we bring in some idolatry again,

we go. This thing comforts me.

It does for a moment, just for a second, very, very brief moment,

as I've seen an animation recently, very, very simple

animation, simple line drawing, one line for the ground.

And this little bird is just walking along the line for the

ground. You know what I'm talking about.

Brian's dying along. Anybody else familiar with it?

It's a, it's referring to addiction and he's just walking

along, simple little bird. He comes across this little

puddle. He doesn't know what it is.

He just walks past it. He just keeps on walking.

He comes across another one, pokes it with his beak, messes

with it, and then he keeps on walking.

Eventually he comes to another puddle.

He slurps it up and immediately his eyes change color.

He's flying. Beauty, splendor, ecstasy.

I mean, he's just the highest of highs.

We don't know what he's, we don't know what he's just drank,

but we know he's as high as he can be.

And it's wonderful. It's bliss.

It's like heaven. And then he glides gently back

down to the earth and he keeps walking and he comes across

another puddle and he's so excited.

This time he slurps it upright again.

Same thing happens, but it was shorter this time and he

actually kind of landed with a bump on the ground.

Shake it off. He now starts running in a mad

psychotic Sprint for his next puddle.

And he gets to his next puddle. He slurps it as quick as he can.

It changes his eyes and he strains with all his might and

he's able to take off and fly for a second before he crashes

and rolls on the ground. Now he's in a complete mad dash.

He finds another puddle. His eyes change colors, but he

can't even leave the ground. He continues puddle after puddle

after puddle as he becomes a shell and he is ragged and he is

worn down. This is what idolatry always

does to us. This is what our idols do to us.

They promise us everything. And there is pleasure in sin.

The scripture says for a season, otherwise we wouldn't do it.

Like I would never sin. Like, wow, that was awful in

every possible way. Let me do it again.

That's not how it works. No, there was something,

something shallow, but it it was just a, it was just a, a cheap

substitute. It wasn't true satisfaction.

So we run and we run. I just, I guess I need more.

I guess I need it again. And meanwhile, I don't know that

I'm losing my soul through the process.

I'm getting more ragged. I'm getting more worn down.

I'm going who can save this poor little bird at the end?

And it doesn't end with hope. It just ends.

He's just ragged. He's just despaired.

What does he need? He needs a savior, just like me,

just like you, because that's what we are.

I'm just the same thing. Give me another puddle.

Or on my television or my sports ball team.

I'm, you know, I've been, I've been humbled these past few

years because the Panthers have been trash.

And I thought that I was better than other football fans because

the Panthers were so bad. I didn't have much emotional

attachment going on. And already the Panthers like on

the brink of making the playoffs.

And I'm like this, this could happen.

And I'm going, oh, there it is. It's been there the whole time,

just wasn't tested because the team was so bad.

It just didn't. It was like, ah, this season's

over before it even started. This season's over before it

even started. And now that the Panthers like

what if and that little bird looking at a puddle like, but

what if? What's wrong with being a

Panthers fan? Nothing.

You can have good clean entertainment as long as

entertainment doesn't have you. Can you miss the Panthers game,

Joe Michael? Well, the Lord never asked me to

do something that crazy. Could you miss the Panthers

game? Could you survive?

Would it be all right if they don't make the playoffs?

Would you be OK? Would you be satisfied with

Jesus? I'm not saying there's not

things that we look forward to. I'm not trying to take simple

delights that you're supposed to enjoy.

I'm looking forward to some good food tonight.

Anybody else? Yeah.

Yeah. The Lord gave us all kinds of

pleasures and delights in this life and we need to keep them in

their proper place. Idols all do the same thing.

They promise satisfaction, but they cannot keep their promises.

The Bible keeps using the language of hunger and thirst

because underneath our surface level desires is a deeper

thirst. We needed to be saved from all

our idolatry, which is why our I just need Jesus plus blank is

idolatry. It's Jesus plus nothing.

Jesus plus nothing equals everything.

And we needed Jesus. So the Lord sent Jesus in

simplicity. He could have sent him any way

he wanted to. He could have come any way he

chose. But he came in simplicity and

humility. And again, the Lord's plan is

always working. The prideful will always miss

it, and the humble will always enjoy.

And that's by his design. The Lord opposes the proud.

Does God want everybody to be saved?

Yes, he does. But he's still opposing people.

Well, who's the opposing? The prideful.

It's perfect. It works perfectly.

It's a perfect system. Because the prideful can't have

him, because the prideful don't want him, Because the prideful

don't think they need him, which is why it's so dangerous.

Pride is such a dangerous sin for us because we do hunger and

thirst for something deeper, but we cannot be satisfied with the

false puddles that we come across.

Jesus puts his finger on this thirst in John chapter 4.

John 4 · chapter mention

Turn to the right in your Bible. You're in the loop.

Go to John 4. John 4 verse 7.

John 4:7

A woman from Samaria came to draw water.

Jesus said to her, give me a drink for his disciples had gone

away to the city to buy food. The the Samaritan woman said to

him, how is it that you, a Jew, asked for a drink from me, a

woman of Samaria? For Jews have no dealings with

Samaritans. So John's writing that that

there for his audience. Jesus answered her, If you knew

the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, give me a

drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you

living water. The woman said to him, Sir, you

have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep.

Where? Where do you get that living

water? Are you greater than our Father

Jacob? He gave us this well and drank

from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.

Jesus said to her, Everyone who drinks of this water will be

thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I give

him will never be thirsty again. The water that I give him will

become like a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

The woman said to him, Sir, give me this water so that I will not

be thirsty or have or have to come here to draw water.

Jesus said to her, Go call your husband and come here.

The woman answered him, I have no husband.

Jesus answered her, you are right in saying you have no

husband, for you had five husbands and the one you have

now is not your husband. What you've said is true.

So Jesus here is putting his finger on something for this

woman and it's of course it's the opposite of what we all

experience. Is that little bird running and

chasing puddles, thirsty again and more thirsty than before and

thirsty again and more desperate than before and more unhealthy

than before and more discouraged and more burned out and more

lost than before? But none of it is beyond the

reach of Jesus. Jesus is coming to a woman whose

life has been puddle after puddle.

Dissatisfaction, troubles, challenges.

We don't know what happened, but we know where she ended up.

She's now living with a man who's not her husband, and Jesus

doesn't condemn her. He offers her living water that

will actually satisfy her. She chased through men.

Maybe you've chased through people.

Maybe you've chased through relationship.

Maybe you've chased through other things.

It's a long list I could go through.

You can insert your own things in your mind here.

I've chased through this. I've chased through that.

What if your puddles look like Jesus still offers to all of us?

Drink, drink, drink. That's the baby in the Manger.

This, this, this is the solution.

The Lord said that he better believe it's the solution.

It's God himself. He's the only solution.

He's the only satisfaction. This is not sentimentality.

This is not, isn't it sweet? This is actually putting faith

in the Savior. This is actually being changed

by God Almighty. And then from there, rivers of

living water. Now I actually have a spring

bubbling up into eternal life and I'm drinking all the time.

This is His will for you. I'm drinking all the time.

I can drink, I can drink, I can drink from my savior.

Yes, I'm tempted with this puddle.

Yes, I've slurped up that puddle and the Lord says that's not who

you are. How would you drink out of out

of a puddle? You have the full access to my

riches, to my abundance. You're drinking out of a puddle.

You're eating out of the trash, son, That's not who you are

anymore. You might want to be just like

them, but you're not just like them anymore.

You're not. You used to be and you're not.

And I want them to not be just like them either.

I want to bring them into my house, but everything else is

just cheap substitutes. Jesus is pointing that out.

This woman, she's used to a well that she has to come to daily to

draw water. This well doesn't permanently

satisfy. It's why she has has to come

every day. But this is also why she has had

five husbands and the man she's with now is not her husband.

She's not satisfied and now she's finally met face to face

her maker who can fully satisfy. So sin, as we've said before,

sin means missing the mark. It was an archery term, that's

what it meant. Sin means missing the mark.

There was the bullseye and I missed it.

That's the sin. The distance between the

bullseye and the and the where my arrow hit, that's the sin.

And I have a lot of missed arrows, don't you?

All of them, all of them always missed varying degrees of

distance. Missing the mark at all is

enough to deserve devastation. I deserve hell forever.

I deserve to suffer. And I deserve for my smoke to

roll up with Satan's forever and ever and ever, as justice is

continually satisfied for those who rejected Christ.

But God, who is rich in mercy, while we were still sinners, he

came to rescue us. He came to hit the mark for us.

Even when we have missed it over and over and over, Jesus comes

and hits the bull's eye, pleases the Father.

He gives us an example. But he doesn't just crush us as

an example, He gives us real life.

We all miss the target of obedience.

We all fall short of God's glory and God's holiness.

We keep missing, we keep drinking at the wrong wells.

They seem to satisfy, but then only for a moment.

And then comes the crash or the consequence against our souls.

And it shows up in all kinds of ways.

And we go say, where is the Lord?

That's the it's the typical response.

My life has fallen apart because of all of my sin.

And then I go, where were you? God that's going.

Yeah, if only I have like instructed you.

If only I'd sent my son. If only I'd given you a book to

teach you how to follow me and walk with me.

But we have to remember whenever we're looking at our friends and

our loved ones and all the people we care about, we say

this often as well, We don't just want things to change

practically in their lives. We need the Lord to actually

save them. But if you understand where they

are and what they're going through, and you understand, you

can look at them with compassion and you can see them tenderly as

the Lord does, and you see that they're just chasing something

else again, instead of having frustration like Jesus.

He doesn't with this woman. He's gentle and He's gracious.

Is He always gentle and gracious with people in their sin?

No, not when pride shows up, but when there's humility, it's just

gracious gentleness over and over and over.

So when you see gracious, when you see humility in someone's

life, they should just get more buckets of grace from you.

Buckets of grace, buckets of grace.

Is there humility? Then another bucket of grace is

all that they need right now to continue to remind them and

restore them and draw them in because they're just chasing

puddles and they have not yet tasted Jesus.

So you're not to look at the world with condemnation.

You're not to look at the world with contempt and go, how could

you? Well, you know how they could.

The same way that you did. The same way that I did.

The same way that we're still tempted to, even though we have

the living well inside of us. And even still we find ourselves

drinking from stupid puddles and we go, what was that doing?

And we're goes, yeah, yeah, let's not do that again.

This should draw you to humility as well as you look at the world

around you and just go. They're chasing things.

You go, man. Why won't he?

Because he's because he's hurt. He's injured, he's wounded, he's

broken, he's lost. He's spiritually dead.

That's why he's spiritually dead.

And you're asking a spiritually dead man to just fix himself.

He has no ability. He has no life.

He has no strength. Come on, woman, do right.

Get in with all these men, and now you got another man.

Just do right, You know, just have some decency and just act

right. Well, she can't except that she

is changed from the inside out. You and I couldn't do anything

except that Jesus changed us from the inside out.

And then when we have satisfaction and fulfillment, we

go, Oh, what a relief, what a satisfaction.

All those other things, they seem to satisfy, but only for a

moment. These other wells have

consequences after we drink from them.

At first we think we're nourished, but later we find

that the well was poisoned. That's what that little bird

found out. I thought this was the answer.

And yet the poison shows up later.

We're all going to have wells that we go to until we drink

deeply from Christ. This is the whole reason he

came, as the Carol says, to save us all from Satan's power when

we were going astray. I can't save me.

You can't save you. That's the message of Christmas.

It's not. Oh, look at the baby.

Isn't he sweet? Well, yes, but way bigger than

that. This is the Dragon Slayer.

This is the world changer. This is the most powerful one to

ever live. Caesar can make you go to

Bethlehem and get registered. Caesar can't change your heart.

He can't make you a new creation.

Jesus can change the hearts of man.

Powerful leaders throughout the history have used the sword to

get their way, and Jesus uses the sword of His word to Pierce

into people's hearts and to open them up and go.

The Lord has just done what no man could have ever done.

He man has made men say things out loud.

Man has made men go places and do things.

But all motivated with fear. God draws us in with love.

I love you. And that is what melts the heart

of all people. This is the message for you

again today. This is the gospel for you

again, Christian. Receive the gospel again.

Hear the gospel again. Be encouraged again to know God

loves you, man. I'm ashamed of all the things.

Yeah, I'm ashamed. A lot of puddles too.

And then what do we do with it? We bring it to the Lord again

and we say, Lord, I need to be cleansed, I need to be forgiven.

And he pours in all the living water again and rinses and

cleanses and I'm backslidden. Well, good news.

Come in back into the house. Come right through the front

door. Don't try and sneak in while

everyone will see me if I come through the front door.

Uh huh. I hear you, Pride, come in

through the front door, be loved and welcomed and received and

receive grace again and again and again.

You know who gets credit in a story like that?

Not the person who comes running home.

Jesus gets credit over and over and over.

And that was the point. He gets all the credit.

He gets all the reward. When you drink deeply from

Christ, your motives change. He becomes your reward.

He satisfies. Why would anybody resist A

savior like that? Jesus tells us and in John

John 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3 and turn to the left, John chapter 3 verse 19.

John 3:19

This is the judgment. The light has come into the

world, and people love the darkness rather than the light

because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked

things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his

works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true

comes to the light so that it may be clearly seen that his

works have been carried out in God.

People love the darkness rather than the light because their

works are evil. So it's also worth stating

everybody is not stuck as a hostage.

Why? Because the Lord has come.

So when the gospel is preached, people do have the ability to

respond. People don't reject Christianity

because it's not true. They reject Christianity because

it's bright light reveals everything.

What's broken out there and what's broken in here.

And as we read Isaiah, how he said it earlier, the people who

walked in darkness have seen a great light.

Those who dwelled in a land of deep darkness.

On them light has shone. You haven't known real joy until

you see two things, not just one.

Two things. The true nature of your sin,

that's crushing. But then the true nature of

God's grace because only then can you appreciate it and

understand it. God loves you.

God loves you, God loves you. Have you seen that?

Not land with people? That's because they're missing

part of the equation. They don't understand the depth

of their sin. And they think, yeah, I'm, I'm

not that big. I'm not that bad of a person

because I know bad people because I never killed anybody.

So until we see both, I can't appreciate God's goodness and

His grace. Jesus explained that battle

between light and darkness here in John 3, and then Paul

summarizes that same conflict as a war between the seen and the

unseen in 2nd Corinthians 418. We look not to the things that

are seen, but the things that are unseen.

For the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that

are unseen are eternal. So Caesar, he lives by what is

seen. God builds by the unseen.

The world measures the mighty. God overlooks the mighty and

comes to the lowly. He comes to Mary and Joseph and

shepherds to whoever is humble, the ones who have room, who gets

to host the king, whoever will have him, whoever will honor

him. Obviously he's not picky.

That was a joke. I was like, you can say look at

your neighbor. Be like, clearly he ain't picky.

I don't do enough. Look at your neighbor jokes.

I'm glad you don't think we need look at your neighbor and say

clearly he ain't picky. If you'll humble yourself like

Mary and Joseph, you'll realize that you're a Manger instead of

thinking that you're a throne. And then you'll get to fully

enjoy him and you'll go, wow, I'm a Manger and the King is

pleased to dwell in me with me. That's awesome news.

I can still be the feeding through that means I'm a mess

and I'm God's mess. And God is going to continue to

build your life. God is going to continue to

renew your mind. He saved you, but he didn't.

He did not intend to leave you in that same spot.

Well, but I'm rescued. I'm his now.

Yes. You live in the palace.

And now we want to teach you how to act like you live in the

palace. Living in the palace looks

different from living out in the streets.

So in the palace. Hey.

Hey. This is a refrigerator.

This is where all your food is. Everything's here.

Everything's healthy. Everything's good.

Everything's good for you. This is your bed.

This is your bedtime. This is your.

This is how you live. This is how you build your life.

This is what your life looks like.

Here's what marriage looks like in the Kingdom.

Here's what fatherhood looks like in the Kingdom.

Here's what being a son or a daughter looks like.

Here's what being a wife looks like.

Here's welcome to the Kingdom. Here's what being an employee

looks like in the Kingdom. It looks different with If I

don't do everything right, am I not saved?

What? No, you are saved.

The king saved you because because he saved you, period.

You trusted in him. You repented and you believe now

again, back to what we're just teaching you how how we live in

the Kingdom now. And these things are already in

you. He put them in you, but you

haven't necessarily learned how to walk them out yet.

You got old habits, you got old patterns.

And now we want to teach you what new Kingdom had and habits

and patterns look like. Order is better than chaos.

So we're going to teach you how to build some of that.

Love is better than hate. Forgiveness is greater than

unforgiveness. We're going to show you what

this looks like to walk it out on a regular basis.

That's what the Kingdom transformation looks like.

First the miracle of the new birth comes, and then step by

step, day by day, we continue to grow with the Lord.

He dwells with us, and He's pleased to dwell with the

humble. He did it at His birth, and He

did it during His earthly ministry.

Fisherman, sinners, the humble, the repentant.

He does it today for whoever will put Him first.

Jesus doesn't just reveal God to us, He reveals us to us.

Simeon tells Mary that's exactly what will happen.

We'll close with this. Go to Luke chapter 2 again,

Luke 2 · chapter mention

verse 34. And Simeon blessed them and said

to Mary his mother, behold, this child is appointed for the fall

and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is opposed.

And a sword will Pierce through your own soul also, so that

thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.

Jesus reveals you. Jesus exposes what you worship.

He exposes what you fear. He exposes what you protect.

And that is his great mercy to expose and to reveal.

I'm protecting this thing. I'm guarding this thing, I'm

holding on to this thing. And he's going, can I have it?

Can I have it? Love me more, trust me more,

love me more, trust me more. Because you cannot repent of

what you will not reveal. But the light of the world

doesn't just expose you, He cleanses you.

The point is not humiliation and despair.

The point is humility and then exaltation.

He cleanses you because he bears the penalty on your behalf.

You think you're going to have to bear the penalty and he goes.

If you humble yourself, then you can actually receive the grace

because the price has been paid. Christmas is not about shallow

sentimental ideas. Christmas isn't a mood.

Christmas isn't a spirit. Christmas is God coming to save

mankind who could not save himself.

Christmas is the in your face good news.

Reminder that God is humble, God is gracious and He has come to

rescue us and make us like Him. Anyone can crowd him out, but

anyone who repents and believes will welcome Him in.

Jesus doesn't just expose your idols, He goes to the cross to

forgive idolaters and to give them new hearts.

Good news for people who cannot save themselves.

So maybe you will want to do something.

Maybe you're saying I do want to do something.

If I feel a desire to do something, then pick something.

You can do something. If you're saying I want, I want

to make more room for him. If he's, if he's at the door and

knocking as he said he was, what does it look like to open the

door? Well, I've, I've already, I've

already the Lord's already saved me.

I'm already in his palace in his Kingdom.

All right, then what would it look like to enjoy more

fellowship with him? Is there something that he's

been asking for, or is there something that you would say?

I just want to lay it aside anyway.

Pick a rival of the Lord and throw it out.

Name it, remove it, replace it. We're not making room for God so

that God will love us. He came first while we were

still sinners, and we make room because He's come to us and

we're thankful. Jesus said to a lukewarm church,

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.

Bethlehem didn't make room. We don't want to repeat that.

So whatever it would look like for you, Lord, I want to make

more room for you. I love you.

I want to make more room for you.

What would it look like? What's it going to look like for

you to build my life in this season?

Some of you, you've been walking with the Lord for a long time.

He said the Lord has blessed me. He has built a great life for

me. I've walked out obedience

because he's given me the will and desire and now I have a, a,

a blessed life because of it. Well, the Lord's not finished

with you. He has others for you to

continue to disciple, and He also has new levels of growth

for you. Your God came to forgive you.

He came to cleanse you. He loves you.

He came to satisfy you. He wants you to trade your shame

for His innocence. That's why we throw out whatever

competes and we honor the humble King who didn't just go to a

Manger, but He went to a cross for you.

He started in the Manger. As sweet, as innocent as the

baby in the Manger is, and as graphic as this visual is,

imagine that baby crucified on a cross.

That's the same innocence he had at 33 years old, the same

perfection. It's graphic.

It's vile of an image as that is.

That is what you have when you have Jesus Christ on the cross

that day, on that Friday. That's too much.

I know I didn't do it, the Lord did.

Lord, thank you for your great love, your great grace.

Thank you for saving us. Thank you for the gospel.

It is the power of God unto salvation for all who will

believe. And we believe.

And we thank you for rescue. Thank you for taking us and

changing us and forgiving us and rescuing us.

And now from this place of rescue, from this place of being

brought out of the streets and into the palace.

Now, Lord, we say, build our lives, teach us, we've we've

found that we're that we are sons.

So now what do we do? Teach us how to live.

Show us what it looks like to build a life that's pleasing to

you. To build a life that's full of

good fruit. To build a life, Lord, that

actually brings us more satisfaction.

We want to enjoy the wholesome rewards, the wholesome benefits,

and the beautiful blessings. I know I do.

I know the whole church does. Or we want the good life and we

see that it can only be found in one place.

We've been chasing many puddles and even still we're distracted

and tempted by them. Protect us and preserve us,

Lord. Continue to draw us to Your

will. Help us to look within where the

Holy Spirit is, that we would be able to be constantly satisfied

with fellowship with Jesus and the simple obedience You've

given to us and put in front of us.

Bless your people, strengthen them, refresh them now and

always. The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face Shinedown upon you and be gracious to you.

The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you great

peace in Jesus name, Amen.