Advent Week 4: The Gift of Jesus and the Call to Stillness

• The Nature of Biblical Love 00:35:13 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor defines love not as a vague feeling but as an action, citing John 3:16 to show that God's love is demonstrated by giving His Son.
• The Call to Response 00:36:31 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor proposes the question 'How do I respond to the Christmas message?' and argues that the Gospel is an invitation to receive, not just information to ponder.
• The Pattern of 'Come, Hear, and Do' 00:39:40 ▶️ 📄
  > Using Luke 6:47-48, the pastor outlines three steps for responding to Jesus: coming to Him, hearing His words, and putting them into practice.
• Proximity and Experience 00:43:20 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor argues that Jesus invites proximity ('Come and you will see') because profound truths cannot be explained with soundbites but must be experienced.
• The Nature of God's Love 00:52:07 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor contrasts the cultural view of God as wrathful with the biblical view of God as patient and loving, citing Old Testament scriptures.
• Incarnation and Christmas 00:55:58 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explains that Jesus came as a Savior, not a philosopher or king, to be misunderstood and rejected, highlighting the scandal and beauty of Christmas.
• Substitutionary Atonement 00:57:26 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor reads Isaiah 53, explaining that Jesus took on the pain and sins of humanity, becoming whole through His bruises.
• Call to Stillness and Response 00:59:20 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor invites the congregation to slow down amidst the busyness of Christmas to respond to the true meaning of the season.
• The True Meaning of Christmas 00:59:29 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor contrasts the modern, loud, and busy commercialization of Christmas with the quiet, radical act of God giving Himself in the manger, urging the congregation to focus on the 'gift of Jesus' rather than traditions.
• Gratitude and Thanksgiving 01:01:05 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor encourages the congregation to express gratitude for God's faithfulness, patience, and 'indescribable gift,' citing 2 Corinthians 9:15.
• Repentance and Restoration 01:01:59 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor addresses those feeling distance or compromise, reframing repentance not as shame but as an invitation to 'come home' and align with God's kindness, citing Romans 2:4.
• Spiritual Hunger and Intimacy 01:03:02 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor prays for those seeking a deeper experience of God, citing Matthew 5:6 to encourage a hunger for righteousness and intimacy with God.
• Evangelism and Salvation 01:04:31 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor offers a specific opportunity for those who have never received Jesus to invite Him into their hearts, citing John 1:12.

• Sermon Illustration 00:37:26 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his dog, Wedge, a white boxer, and his mother-in-law. He warned her that Wedge didn't listen well, but she ignored the warning, and the dog's momentum pulled her down the road until a divinely placed bush broke her fall.
• Sermon Illustration 00:43:44 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor recounts a Christmas party where a church leader brought a White Elephant gift that was so unexpected and funny that it caused belly laughter, illustrating that some experiences (and aspects of people) can only be understood by being present.
• Sermon Illustration 00:45:21 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references a previous sermon by Andrew about the Grand Canyon, noting that words like 'amazing' are insufficient to describe it, illustrating that Jesus cannot be fully explained by words but must be experienced.
• Sermon Illustration 00:50:03 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the analogy of smelling a key lime pie versus eating it to illustrate the difference between hearing about God (exposure) and receiving Him (nourishment).
• Sermon Illustration 00:49:22 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his wife Sherry not remembering stories he told her, using it to illustrate the difference between hearing and listening.
• Sermon Illustration 00:45:26 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references the Grand Canyon to illustrate that some truths are too profound to be fully described with words and must be experienced.
• Sermon Illustration 00:59:29 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor contrasts the modern, loud, and busy commercialization of Christmas with the quiet, radical act of God giving Himself in the manger, urging the congregation to focus on the 'gift of Jesus' rather than traditions.

• Pastoral Charge 00:34:12 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor encourages the congregation to think about and pray about joining the church in the new year.
• Pastoral Charge 00:40:57 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor challenges the congregation to consider their personal response to Jesus.
• Pastoral Charge 00:47:31 ▶️ 📄
  > Check out the previous week's message on the parable of the sower.
• Pastoral Charge 00:56:37 ▶️ 📄
  > Listen to the heart of God as He speaks about what He knows.
• Pastoral Charge 00:59:20 ▶️ 📄
  > Slow down and respond to the true meaning of Christmas.

[00:00:39] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Thank you.

[00:02:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Well, good morning, Grace Covenant.
[00:02:06] Let's stand to our feet today as we worship.
[00:02:11] We celebrate Emmanuel, God with us, amen.
[00:02:14] You ready to celebrate?

[00:02:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Sing it out, come on.
[00:02:23] Silent night Holy night And all is calm
[00:02:36] All is bright Round yon virgin mother and child Holy infant so tender and mild
[00:03:11] Come on, sing this out.
[00:03:13] Emmanuel, God with us on earth Christ the Lord, our Savior's holy birth Sing our Messiah, our Messiah, we lift you higher When all of creation declare your worth
[00:03:38] Emmanuel God with us on earth Silent night, holy night
[00:04:06] Jesus pure light Radiant dreams from thy holy face With the dawn of redeeming grace Jesus Lord at thy birth
[00:04:36] Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Emmanuel, God with us on earth Christ the Lord, Christ the Lord Our Savior's holy birth
[00:05:01] Come Messiah, lift you higher Let all of creation declare your worth Emmanuel, God with us on earth Hallelujah!
[00:05:17] Amen Church!
[00:05:18] God with us!
[00:05:21] Listen to yourself, come on!
[00:05:23] hallelujah the greatest blessing the son of heaven living here with us hallelujah we can't stop singing oh jesus christ the miracle of sing it again hallelujah the greatest blessing the son of heaven living here with us
[00:05:49] Hallelujah, we can't stop singing Oh Jesus Christ, the miracle of love Emmanuel, God with us on earth Christ the Lord, our Savior's holy birth
[00:06:18] We lift it higher, let all of creation declare your worth Our Messiah, we lift it higher, let all of creation declare your worth Emmanuel, God with us on earth
[00:06:47] God with us on earth

[00:07:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
And now my life is yours and I will sing
[00:08:03] Jesus, worthy is your name Jesus, you deserve
[00:13:19] of Christ Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
[00:14:52] We give you all the glory We give you all the glory We give you all the glory
[00:15:20] O come let us adore Him O come let us adore Him Christ the Lord Can we adore Him this morning?

[00:15:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
We praise You, Lord.
[00:15:51] Please take a seat as we celebrate.

[00:16:14] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
I was getting ready to sit down.
[00:16:22] Good morning.
[00:16:24] We are Ken and Debbie Stovason and are privileged to lead the lighting of the Fourth Advent Candle, the Candle of Love.
[00:16:33] Debbie and I recently re-watched the movie The Man Who Invented Christmas, which depicts the circumstances surrounding Charles Dickens' writing of the famous story A Christmas Carol.
[00:16:48] You may recall that Ebenezer Scrooge has taken on a tour of his past, present, and future life that opens his eyes to his failures and their impacts.
[00:17:00] As a result, he responds with an outpouring of love toward those he wronged throughout his life.
[00:17:11] During this season of close fellowship with our friends and families,
[00:17:16] It is healthy to find a quiet time and place to reflect on our lives and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any shortcomings in the mirror of Paul's biblical description of love.
[00:17:30] To this end, we may turn to the familiar Love Is statements found in 1 Corinthians 13 to find the questions that we might ask ourselves in this self-examination.
[00:17:47] Am I patient?
[00:17:50] Am I kind?
[00:17:53] Am I envious?
[00:17:55] Am I boastful?
[00:17:57] Am I proud?
[00:17:58] Am I dishonoring others?
[00:18:03] Am I self-seeking?
[00:18:05] Am I easily angered?
[00:18:08] Am I keeping a record of wrongs?
[00:18:11] Am I delighting in evil and not the truth?
[00:18:17] Am I always protective?
[00:18:20] Am I always trusting?
[00:18:22] Am I always hopeful?
[00:18:25] Am I always persevering?
[00:18:29] And finally, in what areas am I failing?
[00:18:35] Even if our answers do not invoke the same terror as Scrooge experienced, like Scrooge we have the opportunity to change the future.
[00:18:46] We have the power of the Holy Spirit to help us show God's love to family, friends, and to the world.
[00:18:55] And as the hymn says, that is how they will know we are Christians, by our good.
[00:19:06] And as we light the fourth candle, we remember that Christmas is God's declaration of love, not just spoken, but embodied in Jesus Christ.

[00:19:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Thank you.
[00:19:59] Held within a manger the Son of God arrived The One who would be called Emmanuel The promise was delivered unto a virgin bride The One who would be called Emmanuel
[00:20:25] Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above them all All thrones and dominions All powers and positions Your name stands above them all And the angels cry
[00:20:57] All Creation Cries
[00:21:20] David, the Savior born today, the one who would be called Immanuel.
[00:21:32] Behold the host of heaven with holy roar proclaim, the one who would be called Immanuel.
[00:21:45] The Messiah, our God, is with us now And the angels cry Holy, all creation cry

[00:22:24] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Holy, you will always be Holy, holy forever Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest

[00:23:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
In dominions all powers and positions Your name stands above them all Jesus, Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above them all

[00:23:29] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Your name stands above them all and the angels cry Holy, your creation cries Holy, you are lifted high

[00:24:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Hallelujah, Lord.
[00:24:43] We worship you, that you are holy forever.
[00:24:48] You are name above all names.
[00:24:50] You sit on the throne, and we worship you.
[00:24:54] We're so honored to be in your presence, to be known by you, to be worthy of being saved by you.
[00:25:07] Holy, holy are you, oh God.
[00:25:11] Seated on the throne, in your presence, there is fullness of joy.
[00:25:23] We love you, Lord.
[00:25:26] You are worthy.
[00:25:28] You are worthy.
[00:25:33] Lord, we receive from you strength,
[00:25:40] We receive joy and gladness and peace that no matter what is going on around us, that you are a strong foundation.
[00:25:54] You steady the ground we stand on.
[00:25:58] You anchor us.
[00:26:06] Goodness and mercy
[00:26:09] Follow us, Lord, all the days of our lives.
[00:26:13] We love you.

[00:26:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
In Jesus' name.
[00:26:29] Amen.
[00:26:32] Amen.

[00:27:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Good morning, everyone.
[00:27:23] Welcome to Grace Covenant Mooresville.
[00:27:26] For those of you who don't know me, my name is Eric and I am just thrilled to be able to be your service host today.
[00:27:32] It is genuinely a joy to see you all here today.
[00:27:35] We are so grateful that you came.
[00:27:37] Merry Christmas, Eve, Eve, Eve, Eve.
[00:27:44] Yeah.
[00:27:45] Wow we are in the full swing of Christmas and it's just wonderful to gather together and worship the Lord together so thank you for being here it's good to see your faces if we have anyone new here today we want to especially say thank you and it's glad we're glad that you're here we have a gift for you and so at the end of the service we would ask if you're new or new-ish and if you haven't done so already we would love to invite you to come by
[00:28:11] So this week is Christmas.
[00:28:38] and I hope you all are ready it's coming whether you're ready or not but um we have a candlelight service on Christmas Eve so at three o'clock everybody say three o'clock three p.m and at five p.m everyone say five p.m on Christmas Eve we'll have a candle light yeah a candlelight service so um invite your family and friends we even have these
[00:29:04] I would encourage you to take one or two or three and give them to a friend or a neighbor or a co-worker and invite them to join us on Christmas Eve for our candlelight service.
[00:29:19] It's going to be a great time and we look forward to worshiping with you then.
[00:29:25] Now, next Sunday, I like to invite people to come to church, so I always feel weird about telling people not to come to church.
[00:29:32] But don't come to church next Sunday.
[00:29:34] I mean, you can if you want, but you'll be the only one here.
[00:29:37] Hopefully, when you see the empty parking lot, you'll realize that.
[00:29:40] But we're going to do a virtual service online so you can stay home and stay in your jammies and grab a cup of coffee and worship with us online from your couch or bed or wherever you're going to be.
[00:29:51] I know some of you are planning to get together at one another's homes and do that, so that's going to be a fun thing to do.
[00:29:58] But service times are going to be at the regular time.
[00:30:00] They'll be live streamed at 9.30 a.m.
[00:30:03] And coming up on January 11th, we have Grow and Serve Sunday.
[00:30:20] This is an opportunity where you'll be able to hear from some ministry leaders and get to know about some opportunities where you can get plugged in.
[00:30:28] The Lord wants to use each and every one of us and so perhaps you sense that God is calling you to serve in some area of ministry so this is an opportunity for you just to hear from some of the ministry leaders and figure out where it is that you might want to plug in and serve and with that as we're entering or not entering into the Christmas season we were on the full swing of Christmas as we celebrate the greatest gift you know we do a lot of gift giving of gifts and presents but all
[00:30:58] This is all talking about or the real reason for the season is Jesus coming and the greatest gift that has ever been given and that's the gift of eternal life that he has given us.
[00:31:09] And so we get an opportunity to give in many ways.
[00:31:11] We give of our time, we give of our talents, but we can also give of our finances.
[00:31:15] And so this is an opportunity where we can do that.
[00:31:19] It's a love response, our responding to him,
[00:31:23] For Him first loving us.
[00:31:26] Now as we give our tithes and our offering, there's three ways we can do that.
[00:31:29] You know what they are.
[00:31:30] We have our tithe and offering boxes here in the back of the sanctuary and out in the lobby.
[00:31:34] You can also give online or through the app.
[00:31:39] Would you join me as we pray over our tithes and offering as well as praying over the rest of the service?
[00:31:48] Father, we give you glory.
[00:31:51] and praise and honor for indeed you alone are worthy thank you for loving us so well and so completely thank you for your faithfulness thank you for providing for our needs lord
[00:32:08] We ask that you would bless our tithes and our offerings as we give, Lord God, we pray that you would multiply them and help us to be good stewards of them, Lord, that you might accomplish everything that you want to in and through this church.
[00:32:21] Lord we need you and we praise you and we ask that you would only not only bless our tithes and offering but Lord bless the rest of this service Lord would you bless Pastor Steve as he's getting ready to come and share the message that you've given him to share Father may the words from his mouth come directly from you may you be glorified as you prepare our hearts to receive what you have for us today we ask all this in Jesus name Amen

[00:33:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
Well, good morning.
[00:33:12] I'm Pastor Steve.
[00:33:13] I want to welcome you here to Grace Covenant Mooresville.
[00:33:16] What an amazing time of year.
[00:33:18] Amen.
[00:33:19] That we get to come and celebrate the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
[00:33:24] And as Eric already did, I almost called you Pastor Eric.
[00:33:26] I don't know if that was prophetic there or not.
[00:33:30] I just want to welcome you this morning.
[00:33:32] Those of you who come regularly, those of you who are visiting today, we are so glad that you're here to celebrate this amazing time with us.
[00:33:41] And before I jump into my message, I do want to mention, just to give you a little bit of a heads up as we move into the new year, that in January we're going to be starting
[00:33:49] God bless you all.
[00:34:12] and to receive from the Lord sometimes we have to make well we always have to make space for that amen and so this is a great opportunity for us as a church as a community to do that together so no shame or no guilt whatever that looks like for you i want to encourage you to be thinking about be praying about how you can how you can join us in that in the new year amen how many of you are looking forward to the new year
[00:34:36] Okay, all right, I thought more, like, I thought more of you would be, I'm looking forward to 2026, I think it's going to be a great year for our church, I think it's going to be a great year, I'm praying, I'm believing for you, it's going to be a great year.
[00:34:50] But this morning we're entering into our final week of our series, Goodness and Light, as we've been going through Advent.
[00:34:58] And this week, we have lit the Advent candle of love.
[00:35:02] And when we talk about love at Christmas, it's easy for that word to become familiar, almost a little bit sentimental, but the Bible doesn't really treat love as this vague feeling.
[00:35:13] It treats love as an action.
[00:35:15] In fact, the most well-known verse in Scripture is John 3, verse 16.
[00:35:19] Many of you know by heart it says, For God so loved the world.
[00:35:22] Aren't you glad that it didn't just stop there, right?
[00:35:25] Or that it doesn't say, For God so loved the world that He had really gushy feelings for us.
[00:35:30] He wished the best for us.
[00:35:32] It doesn't say that.
[00:35:32] It says, For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.
[00:35:38] Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
[00:35:42] You see, God loved and so He gave.
[00:35:46] And so as we celebrate this time, it's essential to remember, listen, that love takes the initiative.
[00:35:53] Love gives.
[00:35:54] It moves first.
[00:35:56] Love stepped into our world.
[00:35:59] And that's what Christmas is all about.
[00:36:00] Don't let it get commercialized in your home, in your family.
[00:36:05] Don't lose the meaning of this season.
[00:36:08] Treasure it.
[00:36:09] It's God's love taking on flesh.
[00:36:12] It's light breaking into darkness.
[00:36:15] It's goodness moving towards brokenness.
[00:36:19] And when love speaks this clearly, it just requires a response, doesn't it?
[00:36:25] And so that's the question that I want to propose to you this morning as we step into this message.
[00:36:31] How do I respond to the Christmas message?
[00:36:34] It is absolutely the most powerful message ever spoken.
[00:36:38] But how do we respond to that message?
[00:36:41] Because if John 3.16 is true, and we all believe it is, then Christmas, it isn't just a holiday that we celebrate.
[00:36:50] Church, it is a declaration.
[00:36:52] It isn't God giving us a suggestion.
[00:36:55] He sent a Savior.
[00:36:56] He didn't just send a concept or an idea.
[00:36:59] He sent His one and only Son.
[00:37:02] And the Gospel is not merely information for us to ponder and think about.
[00:37:06] It's an initiative
[00:37:09] and or rather it's an invitation to receive but but here's what we all know from the real world don't we that you can hear a message and not really be listening to a message amen
[00:37:21] Parents, Amen.
[00:37:22] You know what I'm talking about.
[00:37:23] Spouses, Amen.
[00:37:26] Years ago, I had a dog named Wedge.
[00:37:27] I think I've talked about Wedge before.
[00:37:29] He was this white boxer, had this like black spot around one of his eyes.
[00:37:34] 70 pounds of pure muscle and energy.
[00:37:38] And I have, my mother-in-law was living with us at the time.
[00:37:41] And she wanted to take my dog Wedge for a walk and Wedge was not very good at listening, right?
[00:37:47] And so I warned her very sternly, hey, I don't recommend you do that.
[00:37:52] He doesn't listen very well.
[00:37:53] He's just going to pull you.
[00:37:54] My mother-in-law was maybe five feet, a hundred and...
[00:37:58] and the Holy Spirit.
[00:38:17] of watching that dog take off down the road.
[00:38:20] You guys ever see somebody who starts running down a hill and then they realize, oh, wait a minute, I can't stop.
[00:38:25] Well, that's exactly what happened.
[00:38:27] She started running down the road and that momentum took her.
[00:38:30] Luckily, there was a bush there that broke the fall, praise the Lord, right?
[00:38:35] Divinely placed bush, but what a great memory I have of my mother-in-law.
[00:38:45] You see, we can hear things a thousand times and still remain unchanged by them.
[00:38:50] And we've already seen that the Christmas story proves this.
[00:38:52] Many people heard about Jesus.
[00:38:54] Some felt threatened, others curious.
[00:38:57] A lot of people were indifferent at the time.
[00:38:58] Some responded with worship and obedience.
[00:39:01] It was the same message we talked about this last week, but they had a different response.
[00:39:06] And if we're honest, that tension isn't just out there, it's right here as well.
[00:39:12] And just as we've looked at other processes for growth in Scripture throughout this series, I want to point out one more this week as we bring this series to a close and as we even bring this year to a close.
[00:39:25] And a pattern that sounds almost too simple as we pursue the Lord, but I believe it's life-changing.
[00:39:32] And you can find this pattern in Luke chapter 6 verse 47 and 48, a pattern of how we can respond to the Christmas message.
[00:39:40] And I want to read it to you this morning.
[00:39:42] And this is Jesus speaking, and this is what he says.
[00:39:44] He says, As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.
[00:39:57] They are like a man building a house who dug down deep and laid a foundation on rock.
[00:40:04] When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it because it was well built.
[00:40:15] Jesus gives us three things that we can do to receive the Christmas message, to receive His message this morning.
[00:40:22] Come, hear, and do.
[00:40:27] Church that's how we respond to the Christmas message not by merely admiring it or agreeing with it that sounds like a great idea but by receiving it so deeply that it transforms our lives and so today I'm not asking you have you heard about Jesus I'm sure every single one of you have heard about Jesus my question to you this morning is what is your response to Jesus and so let's look at these three things this morning come here do let's first of all look at the word come
[00:40:57] And I want to point out that I want to focus on the invitation that Jesus is saying this to us.
[00:41:04] Because love invites, doesn't it?
[00:41:06] You know, Jesus' interactions are pretty fascinating if you go through the New Testament.
[00:41:10] Look at the way he responds to people.
[00:41:12] Look at the way he answers questions.
[00:41:14] In John chapter 1, two of John the Baptist's disciples, they hear John point to Jesus, and John makes this amazing declaration.
[00:41:22] Look, this is the Lamb of God.
[00:41:24] And so this intrigues his disciples' interest, right?
[00:41:28] And so they do as many of us would do, they follow Jesus and they ask him a question.
[00:41:32] I don't think they were bold enough to really ask him about who he was and all the big questions.
[00:41:36] So they ask him a question and they ask him this, Rabbi, where are you staying?
[00:41:43] Hey, where are you from?
[00:41:44] Where are you staying?
[00:41:46] And on the surface, it seems like a simple question, doesn't it?
[00:41:49] And if Jesus were distant, if he would have hurried, if he was indifferent, if Jesus was too busy buying gifts,
[00:41:55] or ensuring that he had all the ingredients for the Christmas cookies he needed made for the party.
[00:42:00] He would have just given them an address to put in the GPS, right?
[00:42:04] But listen, Jesus is never careless with seekers, amen?
[00:42:09] He heard the questions behind the question.
[00:42:12] They weren't really asking where he was from or where he was staying.
[00:42:15] They were asking, who are you?
[00:42:17] What are you about?
[00:42:18] Are you the one that we've been waiting for?
[00:42:22] And it's so interesting
[00:42:25] How Jesus responds in John 1, verse 39, he says this, Come and you will see.
[00:42:34] Come and you will see.
[00:42:37] You see, this answer reveals something profound about how Jesus operates.
[00:42:42] Jesus knows that the biggest, listen, the biggest questions in life don't have simple answers, do they?
[00:42:48] The biggest questions in life don't have simple answers.
[00:42:52] Questions like, who am I?
[00:42:53] And why am I here?
[00:42:54] And can I be forgiven?
[00:42:56] Is God trustworthy?
[00:42:58] Will my life actually matter?
[00:43:01] These questions can't be solved with sound bites.
[00:43:05] They can't be reduced to a slogan.
[00:43:07] They can't be answered from a distance.
[00:43:10] And so Jesus knows this, and so he doesn't try to give them a cheap answer.
[00:43:16] But instead he invites them into proximity.
[00:43:20] He says if you really want to know the answer to those questions, you know what you need to do?
[00:43:27] You need to be with me.
[00:43:29] You need to follow me.
[00:43:32] Watch how I live.
[00:43:33] Experience it for yourself.
[00:43:38] A couple weeks ago, it might have been last week, but you know how time feels when you're in a busy season.
[00:43:44] I think it was last week we had a Christmas party for the church staff at my house.
[00:43:49] I make some mean beef tenderloin.
[00:43:52] Amen.
[00:43:53] Staff, come on.
[00:43:54] Those of you who were there.
[00:43:57] But we played this game, White Elephant.
[00:43:58] Anybody play that game?
[00:44:00] And let me tell you, one person that is a leader in our church brought a gift that if you would have
[00:44:06] You would have known about it.
[00:44:08] If you would see this person and the gift that they brought, you would never have put those two together.
[00:44:12] You would have thought, what is going on here?
[00:44:14] You would have seen this person in a whole new light.
[00:44:17] And there was a couple of people there who very much enjoyed this gift.
[00:44:20] And they were like belly laughing, like everybody starts laughing because they're laughing.
[00:44:28] I mean, it's funny.
[00:44:29] It's like, oh, that's a funny joke.
[00:44:30] But they were laughing so hard.
[00:44:32] You ever been in one of those experiences?
[00:44:34] I mean, I guess you had to be there.
[00:44:40] Do you see what I did there?
[00:44:43] You had to be there.
[00:44:49] To hear the belly laughter.
[00:44:51] To experience the joy in the room.
[00:44:52] You had to be there to see the personalities come out, the sides of people that you don't always see on Sunday mornings.
[00:45:02] You had to be there.
[00:45:03] That's the only way I can explain it.
[00:45:07] Any attempt to replicate it would create just a fake imitation.
[00:45:16] Another phrase that we like to use is, man, words just can't explain.
[00:45:21] I remember a couple weeks ago when Andrew started this series, he talked about the Grand Canyon.
[00:45:26] How do you describe the Grand Canyon?
[00:45:29] You know the words that we use?
[00:45:30] Think about it.
[00:45:32] Amazing.
[00:45:34] That's all you can do.
[00:45:36] Right?
[00:45:36] That's it.
[00:45:38] You had to be there.
[00:45:40] Does that really capture it?
[00:45:41] It doesn't.
[00:45:42] And this is why so many people struggle with Jesus.
[00:45:45] Because we want these quick, clean answers to the most profound questions that humans have ever asked.
[00:45:53] But the truth is this.
[00:45:54] Many of the answers that we're searching for are not learned.
[00:45:58] They are lived.
[00:46:00] They're only discovered as we walk with Him.
[00:46:04] As we listen to His voice, as we watch how He lives and how He forgives and how He confronts and how He restores, the truth is that Jesus is God's answer.
[00:46:13] Jesus had that same problem.
[00:46:16] He was up in heaven.
[00:46:17] He says, words can't describe my love for these people.
[00:46:22] So the Word became flesh and the Word came and the Word dwelt among us.
[00:46:33] And He showed us the reality of what the love of God is.
[00:46:38] That's what Christmas is telling us.
[00:46:40] That God cannot be explained.
[00:46:42] He has to be experienced.
[00:46:44] And He knows this.
[00:46:45] And so He came near to us.
[00:46:48] He moved into the neighborhood.
[00:46:50] He let people hear His voice and see His compassion.
[00:46:55] He helped us to experience His goodness up front.
[00:46:58] And love continues to do the same thing today.
[00:47:02] Jesus usually doesn't answer with yes or no, but come and see.
[00:47:12] Walk with me.
[00:47:14] Experience me.
[00:47:15] Let me show you the answers to the questions on your heart.
[00:47:18] And so Christmas confronts us with this question.
[00:47:21] Will you come to Jesus?
[00:47:27] Second of all,
[00:47:29] Now, I did a whole message on this last week.
[00:47:31] I want to encourage you to check that out.
[00:47:33] But I want to talk about this, Love Nourishes.
[00:47:35] Coming close to Jesus is a great start, but proximity alone is not enough.
[00:47:40] And this is sometimes, or rather, this is something we touched on last week.
[00:47:47] I do encourage you to check out this whole series.
[00:47:49] I think we've had some great, there's been some great messages here.
[00:47:54] But before Jesus explained the parable of the sower, if you remember last week, we talked about that parable of the sower and the seeds and the condition of the soil, and that's what determines whether we receive what God is saying.
[00:48:07] Before He actually talks about that, if you jump back to Matthew 13, starting in the 14th verse, the disciples ask Jesus a question of, why are you speaking in parables?
[00:48:18] Why don't you just come out and say what it is you need to say?
[00:48:21] Why do you have to do it this way?
[00:48:22] And Jesus gives them this answer.
[00:48:23] He says,
[00:48:24] In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah.
[00:48:27] You will be ever hearing, right?
[00:48:29] They hear, but never understanding.
[00:48:34] You will be ever perceiving, or seeing rather, but you'll never be perceiving.
[00:48:39] For this people's heart has been calloused.
[00:48:43] They hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.
[00:48:47] Otherwise, listen, otherwise, if they would only open their eyes, if they would only listen, otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.
[00:49:02] Can you hear the heart of God here?
[00:49:04] You see, that's the distinction that we're talking about today.
[00:49:06] You can be near Jesus and you can still not receive what He's offering to you.
[00:49:10] You can hear, but not really listen.
[00:49:16] And as I mentioned, if you have kids, you know what I'm talking about.
[00:49:20] If you're married, you know what I'm talking about.
[00:49:22] I asked Sherry, Sherry is like my, I don't have a lot of, I don't have a lot of memories.
[00:49:27] I don't know why.
[00:49:28] And so I always have to ask Sherry, do you remember anything that would be great for me to tell in a message?
[00:49:33] And so, and with this particular point, I'm like, you know what, guys are always on getting like a bad rap here.
[00:49:38] So are there any stories where like I said something to you and you didn't listen?
[00:49:42] Like I need one of those stories.
[00:49:44] And this time she came up with a blank.
[00:49:46] This was the one time she couldn't figure out a story for me, and I don't know why.
[00:49:49] I think it was intentional.
[00:49:54] But let me give you another picture since Sherry fell through on this one.
[00:49:57] The thing about smelling food is not the same as eating food, is it?
[00:50:02] All I have to say is this.
[00:50:03] Have you ever smelled a great key lime pie?
[00:50:07] I haven't, but I've tasted them.
[00:50:10] And maybe it's just because I don't have really good smell since I've had COVID.
[00:50:14] I've had some amazing key lime pie that words cannot just explain.
[00:50:22] That was a little drop back to what I said earlier.
[00:50:24] But here's the thing.
[00:50:25] You can't stand there and smell it all.
[00:50:27] You can stand there and smell it all day long, but you don't get any nourishment.
[00:50:31] No strength, no energy, no life.
[00:50:33] That only happens when you actually take it in.
[00:50:35] And spiritually, it's the same thing, church.
[00:50:37] You can be around worship, you can be around scripture, you can go to church and hear sermons all week long.
[00:50:43] You can smell the gospel and still be spiritually undernourished.
[00:50:48] Because hearing is exposure, but listening is reception to that exposure.
[00:50:53] Listening is when truth moves from the surface into the soul.
[00:50:56] It's when what God says is allowed to settle in our hearts, when it's allowed to take root and nourish us.
[00:51:02] And here's the heart of it, church.
[00:51:04] This is why love matters so much, because when we trust someone's love, we open ourselves to receive what they have to say.
[00:51:14] Love doesn't just invite us near.
[00:51:16] Love speaks so that we can be nourished.
[00:51:20] So that we can be strengthened, so that we can be healed.
[00:51:22] And so the question that I want to ask here is, not am I close, but am I actually receiving from the Lord?
[00:51:31] You've been invited, maybe you came, but are you taking that step to prepare the soil of your heart to receive the word that God wants to plant in you that will produce seeds?
[00:51:45] And so lastly,
[00:51:47] First, we come.
[00:51:48] Second, we hear.
[00:51:49] And lastly, guess what?
[00:51:50] This one.
[00:51:50] This is everybody's favorite.
[00:51:52] Everybody loves this one.
[00:51:53] You guys know what this one is?
[00:51:55] We do.
[00:51:57] Because if we've learned anything from Jesus, it's that love response.
[00:52:04] Love acts.
[00:52:06] Amen?
[00:52:07] From the very beginning, God's love has never been accidental or reactive.
[00:52:11] It's always been intentional and promised and pursued.
[00:52:15] The Old Testament is really not a random collection of stories.
[00:52:18] It's a long, patient testimony that God was moving towards us through it all.
[00:52:23] So many folks misunderstand the Old Testament as this collection of God, this God of wrath that just is so upset with his people, can't stand them, is constantly pouring out his wrath on them.
[00:52:33] But if you actually read through it, what you're going to find
[00:52:35] is an immensely patient God who generation after generation after generation is continuing to come back to the people of Israel to bring them in.
[00:52:46] Amen.
[00:52:48] And I want to take a moment to read some of these scriptures, but part of what I want to do this morning is to kind of rest in the spirit of this season.
[00:52:58] And so I want to read these to you this morning.
[00:52:59] In fact, I'm going to go ahead and ask Nikki to come on up.
[00:53:01] We're going to start a little early with Milo, piano time.
[00:53:05] Because I want us to do something that is very rare in this season.
[00:53:10] I want us to rest in some of the scriptures about our Lord.
[00:53:13] And I want us to, I want to give you, now it's up to you whether you receive them or not, but listen, I want to give you an opportunity to receive them this morning.
[00:53:22] And so I'm going to read some scriptures this morning and then I want to speak a little bit more and then I have some moments of ministry that I'd like to do with you because I just believe that the Lord wants to just bring a spirit of refreshing and peace over you this season.
[00:53:40] All throughout the Old Testament, we see evidence of God's love.
[00:53:43] In Zephaniah 3, verse 17, it says, The Lord your God is with you.
[00:53:48] The mighty warrior who saves, he will take great delight in you.
[00:53:53] In his love, he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.
[00:54:01] You guys think about that.
[00:54:02] The Lord is singing over you right now.
[00:54:05] He's rejoicing over you right now.
[00:54:08] Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 8 and 9 it says this but it was because the Lord loved you and he kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and he redeemed you from the land of slavery from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt know therefore that the Lord your God is God he's a faithful God
[00:54:37] Keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keeping His commandments.
[00:54:44] You see, God didn't just reveal Himself to His people back then either.
[00:54:47] He also promised that one day He would step even closer
[00:54:52] He foretold a greater rescue, a deeper revelation, and that revelation came through Jesus Christ.
[00:54:58] Amen.
[00:54:58] I want to read something to you.
[00:55:00] Isaiah 5, verse 6-7 says this, For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders, and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God.
[00:55:22] Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
[00:55:28] Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.
[00:55:31] He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
[00:55:41] The zeal of the Lord Almighty accomplish this.
[00:55:47] For centuries, God promised that love would not remain distant, that salvation would not stay abstract, that light not stay on the horizon.
[00:55:58] And then in the fullness of time, God took on flesh.
[00:56:03] And you see, Jesus didn't come as a philosopher to be debated or a king to be protected or a ruler that we needed to serve.
[00:56:11] He came as a savior, which is exactly what we needed.
[00:56:17] And that's the scandal, that's the beauty of Christmas, that Jesus came knowing that He would be misunderstood, knowing that He was going to be rejected, knowing that He was going to be betrayed, and yet He still came.
[00:56:29] I want to read another verse from you from Isaiah chapter 53.
[00:56:33] And this is one that many of you know, but I'm going to read it from the message this morning.
[00:56:37] And I want to encourage you to listen to the heart of God as He speaks about what He knows.
[00:56:42] Jesus knew what was going to happen.
[00:56:44] He knew the life in front of Him.
[00:56:48] And this is what it says that He chose.
[00:56:51] It says, The servant grew up before God, a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field,
[00:56:59] There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause you to take a second look.
[00:57:04] He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered.
[00:57:08] who knew pain firsthand.
[00:57:11] One look at him and people turned away.
[00:57:14] We looked down on him, thought he was scum, but the fact is it was our pains that he carried.
[00:57:21] It was our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
[00:57:26] We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures,

[00:57:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
but it was our sins that did that to him that ripped and tore and crushed him our sins he took the punishment and that made us whole through his bruises he got healed

[00:58:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
We're all like sheep who've wandered and gotten lost.
[00:58:05] We've all done our own thing.
[00:58:06] We've gone our own way.
[00:58:08] And God has piled all our sins, everything we have done wrong, on Him.

[00:58:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
On Him.

[00:58:22] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
You see, this is how God responds to us.
[00:58:26] This is how God comes to us.
[00:58:29] And church, that brings us back to the heart of Christmas.

[00:58:33] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

[00:58:47] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
This is where it all started.
[00:58:48] Before the gifts and the tree and the songs and the lights, before the traditions that we all cherish, it started with one radical act of kindness.
[00:59:01] God giving himself to a world that did not deserve him would often reject him and yet he came anyway.
[00:59:08] And so this morning I want to encourage you before we rush out of here, we got a little bit of time left, before we move on to the next thing because we got so many things going on right now, don't we?
[00:59:17] But I want us to do something that doesn't come naturally this time of year.
[00:59:20] I want us to slow down.
[00:59:21] I want us to respond.
[00:59:24] Christmas is loud.
[00:59:25] Christmas is busy.
[00:59:26] Christmas is full.
[00:59:29] But the first Christmas wasn't.
[00:59:33] It was a starry night in a manger and a baby propped in cloth.
[00:59:41] And right now I want to invite us into a moment of stillness.
[00:59:44] So if you don't mind just bowing your heads, posturing yourself to receive.
[00:59:50] A moment to respond to the true meaning of Christmas, not to analyze it, not to improve it, simply receive it, to simply respond to it.
[00:59:58] James 1, verse 21 says, Humbly accept the word planted in you, which...
[01:00:03] Can save you.
[01:00:05] And so let's take a moment to do just that.
[01:00:10] So this morning, if you're comfortable, I invite you to put your hands out in front of you as a posture of receiving from the Lord.
[01:00:16] And let's just take a moment to receive His peace.

[01:00:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Let's take a moment to think about the gift of Jesus.
[01:00:29] Not the doctrine or the big words that we learned about Him.
[01:00:33] Not the debates.
[01:00:35] Just the gift of Jesus.
[01:00:38] God giving self.
[01:00:44] God coming.
[01:00:50] God stepping into our world.
[01:00:54] because of His love.
[01:00:57] I think the first response this morning is gratitude.

[01:01:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
You've been reminded again and again of how good God has been, how faithful He's been, how patient He's been with you.
[01:01:10] Scripture says in 2 Corinthians 9, 15, thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.
[01:01:16] And if that's you this morning, I want you to take a few moments in your own words to just quietly
[01:01:22] Reminisce on those things and just say thank you to the Lord.
[01:01:46] For others, as we slow down, perhaps the Holy Spirit's gently pointing out areas in your heart that need attention.
[01:01:52] Maybe this season has revealed distance, distractions, compromise, weariness.
[01:01:59] This morning as you bring these things before the Lord, you will not receive condemnation, but an invitation.
[01:02:09] Romans 2 verse 4 says, God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance.
[01:02:14] If repentance is part of your response today, this isn't about shame, it's about coming home,
[01:02:21] Aligning your heart with the Lord's.
[01:02:23] And so if that's you this morning, I just want to take a moment to pause and allow you to display your heart before the Lord and have him reveal to you what's there, what needs to be drawn out as we enter this new year, as we celebrate his coming, his arrival.

[01:02:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Let's take a moment to pause and allow him to speak to us now.

[01:03:02] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
For others, as we stand on the edge of a new year, I pray that your response is hunger.
[01:03:08] You know God, you've heard of God, you've been to church, but you just want to experience Him more deeply.
[01:03:16] More of an awareness of His presence, more sensitivity to His voice, more obedience, more intimacy.
[01:03:22] Matthew 5, 6, I love what Jesus says.
[01:03:24] He says, blessed are those who hunger and who thirst for righteousness.
[01:03:28] Here's the promise, for they will be filled.
[01:03:33] And that's what we're believing for you this morning who are just desiring for more of God in your lives.
[01:03:39] And so I just want to pause here to give you space to pray and to ask the Lord for more of Him in your life.
[01:04:08] So as we continue this moment, which is possibly uncomfortable for some of you, but that's okay.
[01:04:15] It's good to get familiar with God's presence.
[01:04:20] Scripture tells us in John 1, verse 12, it says, "'Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.'"
[01:04:31] Some of you this morning, maybe you've never received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and I want to give you that opportunity right now.
[01:04:37] You've never invited Him into your heart to be Lord of your life, and if that's you, I just want to pray with you.
[01:04:42] We're not going to spend much time here, but I want to give you this opportunity.
[01:04:45] If you don't mind just raising your hands, looking up here, I'm not going to embarrass you.
[01:04:49] I just want to pray a prayer with you if you want to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior this morning.
[01:04:53] Anybody this morning?
[01:04:54] Anybody?
[01:04:56] Amen.
[01:04:56] Amen.
[01:04:57] That's okay.
[01:04:59] And for the rest of you, I want to pray a prayer over you this morning who are just looking for a deeper experience with the Lord in 2026.
[01:05:08] Maybe you're saying, I just need more of you.
[01:05:11] I've been on the outskirts, or maybe I've just entered into a season of complacency, and it's time for me to move forward.
[01:05:17] It's time for me to take those next steps.
[01:05:19] There's never the perfect season, and so I'm choosing this season right now to start moving forward.
[01:05:25] And if that's you, I want to pray with you today.
[01:05:27] And so if you could put your hands out in a way, and just as we're surrendering to the Lord this morning, let me pray with you.
[01:05:35] Our Father in heaven, thank you for the gift of Jesus.
[01:05:38] Thank you for loving us first.
[01:05:41] And Lord, we just pray as we step into this new year, we ask for a fresh hunger.
[01:05:47] We ask that you sharpen our ears to hear you, that you sharpen our hearts to receive from you, that you give us courage to respond in obedience when it's difficult,
[01:05:59] Draw us closer than we've ever been before.
[01:06:02] That's what we are praying for this season, for this time, Lord, that we would draw closer to you.
[01:06:08] We would experience you in ways that we have never experienced you before.
[01:06:11] We would see you, Lord, we would hear your voice,
[01:06:17] With certainty, Lord, that we would believe your promises so much that we would base our lives around them, that we wouldn't look at your word as something we have to do because we have to check the list off, Lord, but that you would place a hunger in our hearts for this truth that defines our life, that defines reality itself.
[01:06:42] May our lives reflect your love that you've shown in Jesus Christ.
[01:06:48] And if that's your prayer this morning, say amen.
[01:06:51] Amen, amen.
[01:06:53] Why don't you stand with me today?
[01:06:54] I wanna say sometimes that's uncomfortable.
[01:06:57] Some of you may not even be used to just taking some time to quiet ourselves before the Lord, but let me tell you, your soul, your spirit is longing for that.
[01:07:08] And so it's a joy to do that with you, amen?
[01:07:11] Before I speak a blessing over you this morning, I do want to give you a couple reminders.
[01:07:15] First of all, what times are we showing up on Wednesday?
[01:07:19] 3 o'clock and 5 o'clock.
[01:07:22] I think I heard a lot of people at 3 o'clock, so some of you might consider 5.
[01:07:26] Let's spread it out a little bit.
[01:07:28] Invite your friends.
[01:07:29] Invite your family.
[01:07:30] They're waiting for you to invite them.
[01:07:34] So make sure you do that.
[01:07:35] Additionally, next Sunday, where are you going to be?
[01:07:39] Anywhere but here, right?
[01:07:40] I don't care.
[01:07:41] We're just not gonna be here.
[01:07:42] So we wanted you to enjoy your time with your family.
[01:07:45] I'm gonna enjoy my time with my wife and my family.
[01:07:48] So we're grateful for that break in this season.
[01:07:52] And so let me go ahead and speak a blessing over you before we go.
[01:07:56] As we continue in this Christmas season, may you not just celebrate the story, but may you receive the gift
[01:08:07] May the love that came near to you in Christ continue to shape you, to nourish you, and to flow through you.
[01:08:15] And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you now and always.
[01:08:24] And everybody said amen, amen.
[01:08:26] Have a great week.
[01:08:26] We'll see you Wednesday.