1 00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:05,840 Speaker 2: I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. 3 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:08,280 Speaker 1: I wanted to thank you for joining us today. Hope 4 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 1: this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. Hope it 5 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: gives your perspective to see God is moving in your life. 6 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,599 Speaker 1: Enjoy the message. 7 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 2: In Matthew chapter one, the record goes, this is how 8 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 2: the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother, Mary 9 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 2: was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they 10 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 2: came together, she was found to be with child through 11 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:32,319 Speaker 2: the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man, 12 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 2: and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, 13 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:38,520 Speaker 2: he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 14 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 1: But after he had considered. 15 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 2: This, because sometimes your first instinct is not God's will, 16 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 2: he had considered this, after he did the math, and 17 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 2: after he calculated his next move. 18 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: God spoke. 19 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 2: It is often contrary to our logic. When God speaks, 20 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 2: it often relates what we see when God calls us 21 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 2: to walk by faith. 22 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: But after he. 23 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 2: Had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to 24 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 2: him in a dream and said. 25 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: Joseph, son of David. 26 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 2: Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, 27 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 2: because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 28 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 2: She will give birth to a son, and you are 29 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:24,960 Speaker 2: to give him the name Jesus. Everybody say that name. 30 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,959 Speaker 2: You are to give him the name Jesus, because he 31 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 2: will save his people from their sins. I know you're confused, 32 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 2: I know you're bewildered, and I know that you're hurt. 33 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 2: But verse twenty two, all this took place to fulfill. 34 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 2: I know you're having a hard time making sense of 35 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 2: the situation right now, but all this took place to fulfill. 36 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: It's not random. 37 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 2: There's a reason all this took place to fulfill. I 38 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 2: hear the apostle Paul all the way over from Roman 39 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 2: say he wants to get in on this. All things 40 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,639 Speaker 2: work together for the good of those who love God 41 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 2: and are called according to his purpose. All this the 42 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 2: parts you like, the parts you don't, the parts you get, 43 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 2: and the parts that keep you awake at night, the 44 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 2: parts that feel good, and the parts that lead you 45 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 2: with tears on your pillow. All this took place to 46 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 2: fulfill what the. 47 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: Lord had said through the prophet. 48 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 2: The Virgin will be with child and will give birth 49 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 2: to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, which 50 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:34,080 Speaker 2: means God with us. When Joseph woke up, he did 51 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 2: with the Angel of the Lord had commanded him and 52 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 2: took Mary home as his wife, but he had no 53 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 2: union with her. Just to make it clear, he had 54 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 2: no union with her until she gave birth. 55 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,359 Speaker 1: To a son, and he gave him the name Jesus. 56 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:53,920 Speaker 2: I want to speak for just a few moments today 57 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 2: on the benefit of the doubt. 58 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 1: Christmas is rightly celebrated. 59 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 2: As the story of new beginnings, but the story begins 60 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 2: at a dead end. By the time you get to 61 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 2: Matthew Chapter one. Heaven has been seemingly silent since the 62 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 2: time of Malachi the prophet for several centuries. And I 63 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:22,119 Speaker 2: did not read you the whole of Matthew Chapter one. 64 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:24,959 Speaker 2: If I had started with verse one, you might have 65 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 2: been asleep by the time that I got to the 66 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 2: part I wanted to read, because it's just a genealogy 67 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 2: of how Jesus came into the earth from a human perspective, 68 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 2: and Matthew gives us fourteen generations between Abraham and David, 69 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 2: fourteen more between David and the Babylonian exile of the 70 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 2: people of Israel fourteen more from the exile to the 71 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 2: Birth of Jesus Christ. 72 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: That's all in Matthew chapter one. 73 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 2: It's a list of names, really, but it signifies how 74 00:03:56,480 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 2: at this point in God's redemptive story, as told in 75 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 2: the pages of Holy. 76 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: Scripture, heaven has hit a dead end. 77 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 2: God has sent the law to his people, but they 78 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 2: broke it. Literally, when Moses came down the mountain with 79 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:17,040 Speaker 2: the Ten Commandments showing the people how to live to 80 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 2: be a people, by the time he could get the 81 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:22,679 Speaker 2: rules down to them, they were dancing naked around another 82 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 2: God that they made because they got tired of. 83 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: Waiting on the one they couldn't see. 84 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 2: So Moses, in his frustration, broke the tablets had to 85 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 2: go up and carve out some new ones. Not only 86 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 2: was their hope of keeping the law broken, like it 87 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:39,839 Speaker 2: is every time we try to do God's will in 88 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 2: our own strength, but the prophets that God had sent 89 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 2: to his people were each turned away, despies, rejected. Many 90 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 2: of them died at the hands of the very people 91 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 2: that they came with a word to deliver. And so 92 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:58,160 Speaker 2: now they've broken the law, disobeyed the prophets, and by 93 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 2: the time you get to Matthew chapter one, Heaven has 94 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 2: hit a dead end. And as man after man after 95 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 2: man after man comes into the earth, none of them 96 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:10,160 Speaker 2: being the Messiah who is able to rescue and redeem, 97 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 2: it seems that we're at an impasse because the true 98 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,040 Speaker 2: character of God cannot break through the frailty of humanity 99 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:20,239 Speaker 2: to deliver this love message that has existed before time began. 100 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 2: The beginning was a word, and the word was with God, 101 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 2: and the Word was God. And the full preincarnate Word 102 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 2: of God was existing in Jesus Christ before he was 103 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 2: ever made flesh on Christmas Day. But it has not 104 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 2: yet found its way into the earth, not by the 105 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 2: time we have read Matthew chapter one. 106 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:39,840 Speaker 1: So what we get is forty two. 107 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 2: Generations of frustration and suddenly Christ is born. Heaven has 108 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 2: hit a dead end, and humanity feels the same way. 109 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 2: No matter how they try to follow God, there seems 110 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 2: to be something in their hearts prone to wander. No 111 00:05:56,040 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 2: matter what commitment they make, they seem unable to keep it. 112 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: So now you have heaven at a dead end. 113 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 2: Because God is perfectly holy and cannot violate his standard 114 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:11,159 Speaker 2: to relate to unholy people and humans who unholy have 115 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 2: no way to God. And all of a sudden, here 116 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:14,799 Speaker 2: comes a latter named. 117 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 3: Jesus, not from the earth to the sky, but from 118 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 3: the heavens to the earth, and it's the throne of 119 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:28,720 Speaker 3: the rule and reign of a sovereign God is lowered 120 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:29,160 Speaker 3: into the. 121 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:33,840 Speaker 2: Everyday affairs of humanity. We see Joseph is also at 122 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:38,839 Speaker 2: a dead end. Maybe he really looked forward to having 123 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 2: Mary as his wife, but he gets some bad news 124 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 2: when it comes to his attention that she's claiming that 125 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 2: she got pregnant by God. Now I want to say 126 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 2: something about that real quick, because in church we just 127 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:56,159 Speaker 2: skip right over this stuff. But a lot of people 128 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 2: come to church on Christmas and don't come any other 129 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:00,799 Speaker 2: time of the year, and they sit in listen politely 130 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 2: to stuff like this. But when we say that she 131 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 2: had a baby, but it was all wise no X, 132 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 2: they get kind of confused about this because you know, 133 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 2: this stuff doesn't just happen every day, and what we're 134 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 2: shouting about they're. 135 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: Kind of skeptical about. 136 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 2: So let me talk about this for a minute, because 137 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 2: it must have been hard for Joseph to take the 138 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 2: Angel at his word when he saw no way forward. 139 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 1: I mean, he wants to marry her. 140 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 2: He's looking for a way to go through with it, 141 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 2: but the law requires him to put her away. So 142 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 2: he's going to do it in the most dignified way possible. 143 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 2: He's not going to humiliate her. He's going to do 144 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:38,600 Speaker 2: it in a righteous way. But he sees no road forward, 145 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 2: no route past this indiscretion. And so the scripture says 146 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 2: that he had in mind to put her away. But 147 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 2: sometimes what you have in mind is not what God 148 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 2: has in store. 149 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 1: It's just that he can't see a way forward. He's 150 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 1: at a dead end. I was looking. 151 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 2: Forward to Mary. You know, Mary is a wonderful person. 152 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 2: We find out, very content, not a wife who's hard 153 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 2: to please. 154 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: She was gonna be such a good wife. 155 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 2: And I already put a deposit down on the venue 156 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 2: for the wedding and it's non refundable. 157 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 1: But I don't see any way to go. 158 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 2: Through with this because she's got a baby and it's 159 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 2: not mine, and she says it belongs to the Lord. 160 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 2: I don't see a way forward. Heaven is at a 161 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 2: dead end, humanity is at a dead end. Joseph is 162 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:33,240 Speaker 2: at a dead end, and I just wonder are you. 163 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 2: I wonder is there anybody in this room, watching online 164 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 2: or on television who has found yourself. 165 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:45,680 Speaker 1: At a dead end this day. 166 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 2: In a relationship, you can find yourself having done all 167 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 2: that you know to do for someone that you love 168 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 2: and thinking to yourself, well if they don't love me 169 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 2: back by now. 170 00:08:57,280 --> 00:08:58,080 Speaker 1: You can find. 171 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 2: Yourself at a dead end with your children. You can 172 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:04,080 Speaker 2: do everything that you can do for the very for 173 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:06,840 Speaker 2: the very person that you would do anything for, but 174 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 2: it is not enough, and you find yourself before God. 175 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 1: Saying I don't know what else to do. 176 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 2: You can find yourself at a dead end in your resources. 177 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:22,040 Speaker 1: I'm out of I'm out of money. 178 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 2: I put everything on every credit card. I stole a 179 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 2: credit card alive to get another credit card. I put 180 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:32,720 Speaker 2: that balance on this balance, and I can't balance anything 181 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:33,559 Speaker 2: else anymore. 182 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 1: I'm at an end. I don't know. 183 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:39,920 Speaker 2: I think this is it, because I really think I've 184 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 2: run out of room to run. 185 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 1: I'm at a dead end. You know, religion can leave. 186 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:48,480 Speaker 2: You at a dead end when you have made so 187 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 2: many commitments to change, but you never do, When you 188 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:55,480 Speaker 2: have said so many times you know I'm gonna do 189 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:58,079 Speaker 2: better now, you know I'm really gonna I'm gonna really 190 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:00,320 Speaker 2: kick that. You know, that's the last time I'm gonna 191 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 2: do that. That's really the last time. This time is 192 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 2: the last time. I won't do it no more. And 193 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 2: then you do it again, and every time you do, 194 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 2: you feel a little more hopeless that you're ever going 195 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:14,600 Speaker 2: to be capable of real change. I wonder, are you 196 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 2: at a dead end? And I wonder did you know 197 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 2: that dead ends are the perfect. 198 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 1: Place for new beginnings? 199 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 2: In Jesus Christ, this is the message that I came 200 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 2: to preach this Christmas, not about a tall baby lying 201 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 2: in a bassinet. I came to preach about new beginnings. 202 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:37,439 Speaker 2: The Lord is come. Let earth receive her king. Let 203 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:40,960 Speaker 2: every heart prepare his room. He is with us, and 204 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:42,559 Speaker 2: anything is possible. 205 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:44,080 Speaker 1: This is not the end. 206 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:49,720 Speaker 2: Seems to be the announcement of Heaven that this is 207 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:52,160 Speaker 2: not the end. Touch somebody say this is not the end. 208 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:59,360 Speaker 2: New beginnings often start when you find yourself at a 209 00:10:59,360 --> 00:10:59,839 Speaker 2: dead end. 210 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 1: I admire Joseph. I admire Joseph. 211 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 2: Maybe maybe it's more appropriate to say you admire Mary. 212 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:14,199 Speaker 2: Maybe that's sexist for me to preach about Joseph on Christmas, 213 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:15,560 Speaker 2: because Mary did all the hard work. 214 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:17,600 Speaker 1: You understand, I'm not trying to be that way. I 215 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:18,400 Speaker 1: really I. 216 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 2: Really just think that I wouldn't have had the faith 217 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:27,200 Speaker 2: to give Mary the benefit of the doubt on this one, 218 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 2: on this one. And so it says he had a 219 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 2: dream and he woke up and he was like, cool. See, 220 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 2: I wouldn't be cool. But just a dream unless the 221 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 2: angel was Maury Povich with a paternity task like, no, 222 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:48,240 Speaker 2: I promise you can show this, then I'm good. If 223 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:52,560 Speaker 2: we got some DNA on this divine baby in your belly, fine, 224 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 2: But I'm not so sure because I have crazy dreams. 225 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:59,319 Speaker 1: This might have been just a crazy dream. 226 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:05,240 Speaker 2: But he did what the angel had commanded him. That 227 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:09,320 Speaker 2: the angel said something that is simple on the surface, 228 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 2: but there's great depth to it. 229 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 1: I'd like you to consider it. 230 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 2: In verse twenty, what is conceived in her is from 231 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 2: the Holy Spirit. 232 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:23,320 Speaker 1: Simplify, what's in her is from Me. 233 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 2: And sometimes God wants you to know that what is 234 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 2: packaged as disappointment. 235 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:35,440 Speaker 1: Is really destiny. Do you see it? What's in her 236 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:36,760 Speaker 1: is from Me. 237 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:40,040 Speaker 2: And sometimes when people cause you pain and when life 238 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 2: lets you down, it looks on the surface like God 239 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:47,080 Speaker 2: has left you. But what's in her, what's happening in 240 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:51,840 Speaker 2: your life, is from me, and he goes with it. 241 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:54,480 Speaker 2: And I must have like a really bad version of 242 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 2: the Bible. This is a little older Bible that I 243 00:12:57,440 --> 00:12:59,880 Speaker 2: preach from. It's a great bible. It has Billy grahmsy 244 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 2: that you're in it. This Bible. He signed this Bible. 245 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:04,000 Speaker 2: They told me he signed it. 246 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:04,559 Speaker 1: I wasn't there. 247 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:07,120 Speaker 2: I never met him, but could have been Larry Bry 248 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:08,160 Speaker 2: with some good penmanship. 249 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 1: Who knows. 250 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:11,959 Speaker 2: I give him the benefit of the doubt, though, that 251 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:13,880 Speaker 2: Billy Graham really signed the Bible. 252 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:14,880 Speaker 1: And in this Bible. 253 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 2: I was struggling because I couldn't find anybody else got 254 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 2: a Bible. I just want to cross references because my 255 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:26,520 Speaker 2: Bible must be messed up because in my bible, let's 256 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 2: see your bible. Your Bible might be better than Mine's 257 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:34,840 Speaker 2: a smaller Bible's pointing that out. Oh this is the 258 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:38,000 Speaker 2: good one. This this might be the King James version 259 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 2: or something like that. Yeah, this one will have it. 260 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:42,200 Speaker 2: I see, I'm looking twenty two version. We've seen give 261 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:45,600 Speaker 2: birth to a son cous name Man and Joe being 262 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:50,079 Speaker 2: raised from sleep. Nope, your Bible's your bible's missing it too. 263 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 2: I was looking for the part of the story where 264 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:59,959 Speaker 2: the angel gave Joseph proof, and I couldn't find it 265 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:02,080 Speaker 2: in my Bible or yours. Anybody else got a Bible 266 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:06,960 Speaker 2: because our bibles are are missing stuff. It's disappointing. I 267 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:09,160 Speaker 2: know they've got new translations. Surely it'll be in a 268 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:13,360 Speaker 2: in this bible. What color do you call that, babe? 269 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:13,719 Speaker 1: That's a. 270 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 4: Huh? 271 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:18,520 Speaker 2: What color is his bible? Surely it'll be in your 272 00:14:18,559 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 2: pink bible. She's got tabs on her bible. 273 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:26,440 Speaker 1: Surely it'll be. 274 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:32,800 Speaker 2: We'll see this one. This one's problematic too. It's pretty, 275 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:37,720 Speaker 2: but it's it's problematic because now I'm looking for the 276 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:45,840 Speaker 2: part where it tells me how Joseph felt. I can't 277 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 2: find it. All it says is that God said to Joseph, 278 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:59,080 Speaker 2: it's me go forward, and he did it. I can't 279 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:03,840 Speaker 2: find the part where they wrote in the clouds, no, really, 280 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:07,520 Speaker 2: this is God's baby, you know, at their gender reveal party, 281 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:10,960 Speaker 2: because they also needed to have a divinity revealed party. 282 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 1: I can't find the clouds. I can't find the sign. 283 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 2: It was just the voice of God saying to Joseph 284 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 2: it's me go through, and I feel like that might 285 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:29,760 Speaker 2: be the Lord for someone today. I know you don't 286 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:32,680 Speaker 2: have the proof, I know you don't have the feeling, 287 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:36,440 Speaker 2: and I know all signs point to stopping. 288 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: But it's me go through. 289 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:47,400 Speaker 2: He must have really trusted Mary. But he couldn't trust 290 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:49,880 Speaker 2: Mary now, could he. This is an arranged marriage. They 291 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:54,040 Speaker 2: didn't date three years. He didn't to get to choose her, 292 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 2: pick her based on her profile Christian Singles dot com, 293 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 2: Christian Palestinians dot com. He didn't swipe for Mary. He 294 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 2: just that's the way it worked back then. You just 295 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:12,760 Speaker 2: got her. He didn't know her like that. He must 296 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 2: have really trusted God enough to give him the benefit 297 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 2: of the doubt. 298 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 1: What is the benefit of the doubt? 299 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:26,640 Speaker 2: I asked God how we should define that term, and 300 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:28,360 Speaker 2: he told me to ask Wikipedia. 301 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: Wikipedia says. 302 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 2: That the benefit of the doubt is a favorable judgment 303 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 2: in the absence of full evidence. 304 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:42,280 Speaker 1: The benefit of the doubt. 305 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:47,400 Speaker 2: It means that when it doesn't add up, the variable 306 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:49,080 Speaker 2: is God for me. 307 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:52,000 Speaker 1: And so it means that when. 308 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 2: I don't have evidence to support my conclusion that God 309 00:16:57,080 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 2: is good, that He is with me, and that He 310 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:03,400 Speaker 2: is for me. Let's say those three things. God is good, 311 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:08,680 Speaker 2: he is with me, he is for me. I want 312 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 2: you to say it again, and I'm looking all the 313 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 2: way to the back to the people with that little 314 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:14,160 Speaker 2: Christmas attitude, say God is. 315 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:18,240 Speaker 1: Good, he is with me, he is for me. 316 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 2: Now I have reached that verdict, not by the process 317 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:25,800 Speaker 2: of deduction and looking at my life to see if 318 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 2: it lines up with that assertion. I reached that conclusion 319 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:33,000 Speaker 2: by revelation. And once I came to believe that God 320 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:35,800 Speaker 2: is good, he is with me, and he is for me, 321 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:39,760 Speaker 2: I now live by that verdict and I collect the 322 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:43,240 Speaker 2: evidence to support the verdict that I have already come to. 323 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 2: This is not how you reach a conclusion in a 324 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:50,760 Speaker 2: court of law, but in the realm of faith. It 325 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:57,679 Speaker 2: works like this verdict. First evidence, Second, what. 326 00:17:57,560 --> 00:17:58,240 Speaker 1: Does that mean. 327 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 2: I don't look to my bank account or my doctor's 328 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:05,679 Speaker 2: report to see if God is a provider or a healer. 329 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:10,520 Speaker 2: I've already come to the conclusion that he is Jehovah 330 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:16,480 Speaker 2: Chirah and Jehovah Rafica. He is my provider and my healer. 331 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:20,719 Speaker 2: That's the verdict. So now, no matter what the evidence says, 332 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:24,959 Speaker 2: I can find greater evidence in the death of Jesus Christ. 333 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:28,600 Speaker 2: See when he hugged for me. That's settled it out 334 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:31,119 Speaker 2: of court. I don't need to take it before a 335 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:32,760 Speaker 2: judge or a jury. 336 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:36,040 Speaker 4: I already know he loves me this much. 337 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:46,359 Speaker 2: I believe it. Not on always see it, but I 338 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:52,399 Speaker 2: believe it. I doubt it sometimes, but I believe it. 339 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 2: You can't say both. You can't say both. You're not 340 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:57,360 Speaker 2: allowed to say both in church. You can't say that 341 00:18:57,440 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 2: in church. You can't talk about doubt in church. 342 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:01,239 Speaker 1: Because James Jap says, let him not doubt, let him 343 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 1: leave me his. 344 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 2: Heart, he should have aways say if he doubts like 345 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:04,159 Speaker 2: way to see he Thos driven with. 346 00:19:04,359 --> 00:19:06,000 Speaker 1: Let let that man thank you see anything for the 347 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:13,320 Speaker 1: Lord and staiment. I know that Bible verse bro, but. 348 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:19,560 Speaker 2: I think it's confusing for people who think that faith 349 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 2: is the absence of doubt. 350 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 1: The Bible doesn't say that Joseph didn't doubt. 351 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:30,760 Speaker 2: It just said that he did what he had to 352 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 2: do even with the doubt in his heart. 353 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:40,320 Speaker 1: Means he didn't let the doubt stop him. Don't let 354 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:41,040 Speaker 1: him stop you. 355 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:45,280 Speaker 2: Of course you'll have doubts, just don't let them be dead. 356 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:47,800 Speaker 1: Ends, and a lot. 357 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:49,960 Speaker 2: Of people stand at the dead end of a destiny 358 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:53,000 Speaker 2: that God is bringing them into because they will not 359 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:54,359 Speaker 2: walk through the doubt to get. 360 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:54,880 Speaker 1: To the promise. 361 00:19:57,280 --> 00:19:59,399 Speaker 2: I meet these people and they say things to me 362 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 2: because of my profession. I guess they make assumptions about 363 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 2: me because there's a reve in front of my name. 364 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 2: They make assumptions about me that I don't have real doubts. 365 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 2: One gentleman that I was doing business with, he put 366 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:20,280 Speaker 2: it this way. He was like, I envy you because 367 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:24,520 Speaker 2: I would love to have faith. I always wanted to 368 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:27,680 Speaker 2: believe in God, but I just always am the kind 369 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:30,479 Speaker 2: of person that doubts a lot, and I envy you 370 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:32,240 Speaker 2: that you don't have those doubts. 371 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:36,080 Speaker 1: Now here's what I should have said back to him. 372 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:37,639 Speaker 2: It only took me four months to come up with this, 373 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:46,439 Speaker 2: because he is assuming that faith is the absence of doubt. 374 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:51,880 Speaker 2: For me, faith has never been the absence of doubt. 375 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 2: Faith is not the absence of doubt. It is the 376 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:58,480 Speaker 2: means to overcome it. Do you hear what I'm saying. 377 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:02,240 Speaker 2: We get in church and we just all go into 378 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 2: this walking, dead, willing suspension of disbelief, and we just 379 00:21:08,119 --> 00:21:11,000 Speaker 2: believe things that have no impact on our everyday life, 380 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 2: just like we're binge watching Netflix, like I'm just gonna 381 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:15,920 Speaker 2: watch this for a little while and hear this little 382 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:19,119 Speaker 2: comforting word. But then we go out into the world 383 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 2: and we doubt the stuff. 384 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:22,160 Speaker 1: But we can't say we. 385 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 2: Doubt the stuff because doubt is bad, because isn't doubt bad. 386 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:30,320 Speaker 2: One time, I even had a keptist pastor who was 387 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:33,520 Speaker 2: giving an invitation like, we will give in a moment 388 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:36,200 Speaker 2: for people who want to place their faith in Christ. 389 00:21:37,119 --> 00:21:39,240 Speaker 2: And when we do it at our church, we have 390 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 2: people repeat a prayer. It's just a means of allowing 391 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:44,639 Speaker 2: them to express their heart to God so that they 392 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:46,960 Speaker 2: can have a moment that they look back on and 393 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:51,240 Speaker 2: say I placed my trust in Christ. And to me, 394 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:54,280 Speaker 2: that prayer is a very sacred moment. It's not a 395 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:56,159 Speaker 2: time for people to get their person get out and 396 00:21:56,160 --> 00:22:00,080 Speaker 2: beat the parking, and it's not a time for someone 397 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 2: who's preaching to start sharing their opinions. That is a 398 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:05,480 Speaker 2: time to present the gospel and get out of the 399 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:10,960 Speaker 2: way because only God can save a person. And now, well, 400 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 2: I believe this campus pastor mintwell, but what he said 401 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:16,680 Speaker 2: I had to correct him on later. 402 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:20,160 Speaker 1: And I'm not a mean guy, and I make mistakes. 403 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:21,640 Speaker 2: Up here too, But to me, he made a really 404 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:24,199 Speaker 2: big mistake when he was praying the prayer because he 405 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:25,840 Speaker 2: was inviting the people to pray, and he said, if 406 00:22:25,840 --> 00:22:28,119 Speaker 2: you want to give your heart to Christ today and 407 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:30,600 Speaker 2: know for sure that you have a relationship with him, 408 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:34,000 Speaker 2: pray this. You know, Lord Jesus, I believe that I'm 409 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:38,080 Speaker 2: a sinner in need of a savior, and I believe without. 410 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 1: A doubt that's the part he should have left out. 411 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,440 Speaker 2: I believe without a doubt that Jesus Christ, the Son 412 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:46,920 Speaker 2: of God and the. 413 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:49,680 Speaker 1: Savior of the world. Today, I give you my life. 414 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:52,320 Speaker 2: All of it was good, all of it was appropriate, 415 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:54,560 Speaker 2: and there is no other way to be saved but 416 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:56,919 Speaker 2: to confess with your mouth Jesus's Lord, believe in your 417 00:22:56,920 --> 00:22:58,200 Speaker 2: heart God raised him from the dead. 418 00:22:58,400 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 4: You shall be saved. 419 00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:05,640 Speaker 2: But that one parenthetical insert, without a doubt, I told him, 420 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:07,520 Speaker 2: never again. 421 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:09,480 Speaker 1: When you stand in. 422 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:12,400 Speaker 2: The pulpit at elevation, do I want you to put 423 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:15,160 Speaker 2: people in a position where you're telling them to pray 424 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 2: something that they can't honestly pray. As a matter of fact, 425 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:23,040 Speaker 2: don't put them in a position to pray something that 426 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:27,320 Speaker 2: you can't honestly pray because there is not one of 427 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:30,440 Speaker 2: you in the room, even with tabs in your pink Bible, 428 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:37,720 Speaker 2: that can honestly say without a doubt, not a. 429 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:38,239 Speaker 1: One of you. 430 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:42,560 Speaker 2: And if you can hang on, you hadn't had teenagers. 431 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:45,800 Speaker 2: Yet somebody to my backside backed me up on this. 432 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:55,840 Speaker 2: The triumph of my faith is not the absence of doubt. 433 00:23:57,280 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 4: The triumph of my faith. 434 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:04,359 Speaker 2: Is the ability for the light to shine in the deepest, 435 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:07,120 Speaker 2: darkest recesses. 436 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:07,560 Speaker 4: Of my heart. 437 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 2: I got doubts, but I trust him anyway. So my 438 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:19,960 Speaker 2: faith can say, even though I walk through the valley 439 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:23,240 Speaker 2: of the shadow of death and the shadow of doubt. 440 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:25,159 Speaker 4: And the shadow of dysfunction. 441 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:27,720 Speaker 1: I will fear no evil. It's not that I don't 442 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:31,399 Speaker 1: go through valleys. I don't die there, even. 443 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:32,160 Speaker 4: Though I walk. 444 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:34,760 Speaker 2: Through the valley of the shadow of death. This is 445 00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:36,000 Speaker 2: Christmas preson people. 446 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:37,680 Speaker 1: Even though. 447 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:42,719 Speaker 2: Throw us in the fire, our God is able to 448 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:46,760 Speaker 2: deliver us. But even if he doesn't, we will not 449 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:49,160 Speaker 2: bow our knee to you, O King. 450 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:50,480 Speaker 1: Never conness her. 451 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:57,199 Speaker 2: I know Lazarus is dead, but if Jesus is on 452 00:24:57,240 --> 00:25:01,760 Speaker 2: the scene, every dead end is a destiny waiting to begin. 453 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:14,160 Speaker 4: Even now, I have my doubts. 454 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:18,960 Speaker 2: I don't believe this because I don't doubt it. 455 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:21,760 Speaker 1: If you don't doubt. 456 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:22,720 Speaker 4: It, you're not reading. 457 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:34,399 Speaker 2: It, or you're reading it with no intent to live it. 458 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 1: My doubt is the evidence of my growth. 459 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:39,560 Speaker 4: Amen. 460 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:45,280 Speaker 1: The closer I get, the more questions I have. 461 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:54,439 Speaker 2: I struggle to believe it that I'm forgiven, that he 462 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:57,439 Speaker 2: forgives me not only for what I did before I 463 00:25:57,480 --> 00:25:58,400 Speaker 2: accepted him. 464 00:25:58,400 --> 00:25:59,720 Speaker 1: But for what I still do. 465 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:02,880 Speaker 2: Oh, y'all are gonna look at me like that on Christmas? 466 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:04,720 Speaker 1: That's what you brought me, that face. 467 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:12,600 Speaker 2: Maybe he could forgive the past stuff, but what about 468 00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:13,479 Speaker 2: the present stuff? 469 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:16,560 Speaker 1: What about that? 470 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:18,960 Speaker 2: Yeah? 471 00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:23,000 Speaker 1: I have my doubts. I have my faith, but I 472 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:23,880 Speaker 1: have my doubts. 473 00:26:25,119 --> 00:26:28,199 Speaker 2: My man thought he couldn't come to Christ because he 474 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:32,800 Speaker 2: had the doubts. He thought that belief was the absence 475 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:33,280 Speaker 2: of doubt. 476 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:35,680 Speaker 1: He didn't have. 477 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:40,160 Speaker 2: The revelation that real belief is the willingness to stand 478 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:43,000 Speaker 2: on it even when you can't see it, feel it. 479 00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:44,119 Speaker 4: Or explain it. 480 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:48,200 Speaker 1: I have my doubts. 481 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:51,000 Speaker 2: I read that if any man is in Christ, he's 482 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:53,880 Speaker 2: a new creation and the oldest gone and the newest come. 483 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 2: But that versus still in progress in my life, there's 484 00:26:57,040 --> 00:27:00,840 Speaker 2: still some old stuff in me comes down out in traffic. 485 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:01,440 Speaker 1: Hello. 486 00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 4: I have my doubts. I have my doubts. I have 487 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:11,000 Speaker 4: my doubts. 488 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:14,560 Speaker 2: I've read that whom the sun sets free is free indeed, 489 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:17,480 Speaker 2: but sometimes I feel bound by stuff. 490 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:21,760 Speaker 4: I have my dows Is that all right? 491 00:27:22,840 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 2: Do you need to find another church now that you 492 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:27,160 Speaker 2: know that the dude with. 493 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:30,120 Speaker 4: The mic has some dowts. I have my doubts. 494 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:37,680 Speaker 1: I have my doubts. 495 00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:41,960 Speaker 2: And Abby is already doing the thing that we all 496 00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:43,800 Speaker 2: do at some point in our life if we try 497 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 2: to be religious. 498 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 1: Where she's going? 499 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 2: Well, she said the other day, where did God come from? 500 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:53,359 Speaker 2: And I'm like, you're six? Can he just have always 501 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:56,000 Speaker 2: been there at age six? Do we really have to 502 00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 2: start this now? But that was about the same time 503 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:01,280 Speaker 2: I did it. She said it so funny. It was 504 00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:03,120 Speaker 2: like she had me on a witness stand or something. 505 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:05,880 Speaker 2: She said she was waiting for me to get home 506 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:08,880 Speaker 2: from work because she asked Holly, and Holly said, you're gonna. 507 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:11,560 Speaker 1: Ask your dad about that. He'll be home in a 508 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:12,480 Speaker 1: couple hours. 509 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:15,520 Speaker 2: And she said, Abby's got a question for you, And 510 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:18,000 Speaker 2: Abby said, where did God come from? 511 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:20,720 Speaker 1: And who made him? And don't just say he's always 512 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:26,160 Speaker 1: been there? And I'm going. 513 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:33,480 Speaker 2: Already, yeah, already. This is the first gift of mystery 514 00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:38,239 Speaker 2: that Heaven is giving to my daughter. It is the 515 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:42,160 Speaker 2: beginning of a lifetime of learning the art of. 516 00:28:42,120 --> 00:28:48,360 Speaker 5: Faith, which Richard Roh suggests is patience with mystery, not 517 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 5: the absence of it. Patience with it to take Mary home, 518 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:59,040 Speaker 5: even when you don't know where this is headed. So 519 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:03,760 Speaker 5: I did not give her a cookie cutter answer, partially 520 00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:04,880 Speaker 5: because she's smarter. 521 00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:09,040 Speaker 2: Than me and would have seen right through it. And said, 522 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:10,880 Speaker 2: I welcomed the mystery. And I said, I used to 523 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:12,840 Speaker 2: lay awake in my bed too thinking about that when 524 00:29:12,880 --> 00:29:14,800 Speaker 2: I was a little boy. I was probably seven or eight, 525 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:20,360 Speaker 2: because boys are two years behind, but I had that 526 00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:22,320 Speaker 2: same thing. I just couldn't never make sense of it, 527 00:29:22,360 --> 00:29:23,240 Speaker 2: and I still haven't. 528 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 1: I have my doubts, but I believe it. 529 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:33,240 Speaker 2: I believed that while I was watching my dad die 530 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 2: and I had to preach my stuff back to myself, 531 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:39,600 Speaker 2: and I didn't have the protective insulation. 532 00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:47,680 Speaker 1: Of this to stand behind or this to hold. Yeah, So. 533 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:53,959 Speaker 2: It's a real problem because a lot of people are 534 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:55,360 Speaker 2: waiting for the doubt to disappear. 535 00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:58,720 Speaker 1: Let's take the next step the faith. 536 00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:04,440 Speaker 2: If the absence of doubt was a prerequisite for being 537 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 2: used by God, Mary could not have been. 538 00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:09,880 Speaker 1: The mother of Jesus. 539 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:14,040 Speaker 2: Over here, the Angel is talking to Joseph, but before 540 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:19,040 Speaker 2: he came to Joseph, he spoke to Mary. He spoke 541 00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:23,960 Speaker 2: to them separately, because you have to experience faith for yourself. 542 00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:29,440 Speaker 2: You have to make your own decision as to who 543 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:32,680 Speaker 2: God is and what he means to you. So while 544 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:35,560 Speaker 2: he was speaking to Joseph, who had to endure the 545 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:38,320 Speaker 2: embarrassment of walking through this. 546 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:43,040 Speaker 1: Next season, he was speaking to Mary. 547 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:47,840 Speaker 2: And you're familiar with the story, but just put it 548 00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:52,320 Speaker 2: on the screens real quick. This is Luke one where 549 00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:55,560 Speaker 2: he said to Mary, greetings, you who are highly favored. 550 00:30:56,320 --> 00:31:00,560 Speaker 1: The Lord is with you. That's the verdict. 551 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:06,720 Speaker 2: Before I give you the particulars of the situation, I 552 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:08,280 Speaker 2: want to bring you back to the thing that you 553 00:31:08,320 --> 00:31:10,400 Speaker 2: can always know in every season of your life, if 554 00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 2: you choose to. 555 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:11,480 Speaker 1: Believe it. 556 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:17,680 Speaker 2: Your verdict, should you choose to accept it, God is 557 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:22,120 Speaker 2: with me. God is for me. You are highly favored. 558 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:26,040 Speaker 2: God is for you, and He is with you in 559 00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:28,680 Speaker 2: this moment. Now, I got something I got to tell you. 560 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:33,280 Speaker 2: The angel starts off by reminding Mary of his presence, 561 00:31:33,440 --> 00:31:36,880 Speaker 2: and it says that Mary was greatly troubled at his words. Now, 562 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:39,160 Speaker 2: what's there to be troubled about? All he said was Hello, 563 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:46,080 Speaker 2: God likes you. It seemed like YadA high fived him fistbalm. 564 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:50,760 Speaker 2: But she wondered what this greeting might be. Often the 565 00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:54,080 Speaker 2: first impulse when God really shows up in your life 566 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 2: is fear, and it is only in pushing through the 567 00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:01,080 Speaker 2: fear that you find the love of God on the 568 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:02,800 Speaker 2: other side of your fear. 569 00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:07,400 Speaker 1: What's this all about? But the Angel said to her. 570 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:13,520 Speaker 2: Don't be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 571 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 2: You have found favor with God, and I got an 572 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:20,560 Speaker 2: assignment for you. Because I find favor with God. You 573 00:32:20,560 --> 00:32:22,040 Speaker 2: will be with child and give birth to a son, 574 00:32:22,160 --> 00:32:24,960 Speaker 2: and you are to give him the name Jesus. And 575 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:26,560 Speaker 2: he will be great and will be called the Son 576 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:28,360 Speaker 2: of the Most High. And the Lord God will give 577 00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:31,040 Speaker 2: him the throne of his father David, and he will 578 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:33,400 Speaker 2: reign over the House of Jacob forever. 579 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:36,040 Speaker 1: His kingdom will never end. 580 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:39,760 Speaker 2: Now watch Mary's response, well, praise the Lord, and glory 581 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:42,480 Speaker 2: to God in the highest, and peace on earth, and 582 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:44,680 Speaker 2: good will to men on whom his favor rest. 583 00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:47,480 Speaker 1: And your words to me are like drops of gold assurance. 584 00:32:47,680 --> 00:32:49,520 Speaker 2: In a heart of no Mary said first thing out 585 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:56,160 Speaker 2: of her mouth was, how I know how pregnancy works? 586 00:32:56,520 --> 00:33:00,840 Speaker 2: How am I pregnant? I promise God? And Joseph been 587 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:04,000 Speaker 2: keeping it clean? I promise God. We have nothing in 588 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:06,920 Speaker 2: the back seat of a camel ac, I promise God. 589 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:14,160 Speaker 2: How her first. 590 00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:18,360 Speaker 4: Instinct is not yes, it's how. 591 00:33:19,360 --> 00:33:24,280 Speaker 2: That is always the response when God really knocks. How 592 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:28,760 Speaker 2: how can I really be forgiven by someone who died 593 00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:31,520 Speaker 2: on a cross before I was ever born? How can 594 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:34,080 Speaker 2: somebody else's death really affect my life? 595 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:36,880 Speaker 1: How that's a good starting place? 596 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:41,120 Speaker 2: How can you really use me? Look at me? I'm nobody, 597 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:47,240 Speaker 2: I'm nothing. How How how can I move forward after this? 598 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:51,080 Speaker 2: How can I believe that I still will see the 599 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:54,360 Speaker 2: goodness of the Lord in the land of the living? 600 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:56,000 Speaker 1: How? How? 601 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:59,960 Speaker 2: How see the greatest gifts that God ever gives? Are 602 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:03,280 Speaker 2: on the other side of your How on the other 603 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:06,600 Speaker 2: side of your question, on the other side of your 604 00:34:06,920 --> 00:34:09,200 Speaker 2: I don't get it. On the other side of your 605 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:12,319 Speaker 2: I don't understand, on the other side of who me, 606 00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:15,080 Speaker 2: on the other side of what now, on the other 607 00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:16,160 Speaker 2: side of why. 608 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:17,960 Speaker 1: This, that's where the gift is. 609 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:22,160 Speaker 2: And you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes 610 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:26,080 Speaker 2: and lying in the manger. God wrapped his son in 611 00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:29,239 Speaker 2: something that looked so common that you would walk by 612 00:34:29,320 --> 00:34:32,520 Speaker 2: it if you weren't looking for it. Because the greatest 613 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:47,440 Speaker 2: gifts that God gives are wrapped in doubt. And the 614 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:51,719 Speaker 2: promise is wrapped in doubt for a reason, because if 615 00:34:51,719 --> 00:35:00,520 Speaker 2: He gave you proof, you wouldn't need faith. So he 616 00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:04,239 Speaker 2: hides it. He hides his promise in the darkness to 617 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:08,440 Speaker 2: protect you. And this will not make sense in an 618 00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:11,759 Speaker 2: Instagram generation. But sometimes God needs to work on the 619 00:35:11,760 --> 00:35:17,759 Speaker 2: big picture of your life in the dark room to 620 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:23,920 Speaker 2: let it develop. Doubt is where faith develops. Doubt is 621 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:28,319 Speaker 2: where faith matures. Doubt is where faith gets hardened past 622 00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:31,520 Speaker 2: Christian cliches that fit on a bumper sticker or a pinterest. 623 00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:38,920 Speaker 2: Let it develop, Let patience have its perfect work in you, 624 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:41,000 Speaker 2: that you may be perfect and complete, lacking not. 625 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:45,239 Speaker 1: That it's the dark room. In fact, Isaiah, who was 626 00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:47,360 Speaker 1: quoted to Joseph also said. 627 00:35:47,120 --> 00:35:50,520 Speaker 2: In Isaiah chapter nine, verse one, Nevertheless, there will be 628 00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:54,319 Speaker 2: no more gloom. I want to write a song one 629 00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:57,520 Speaker 2: day called nevertheless. It's one of my favorite Bible words. 630 00:35:58,160 --> 00:35:59,879 Speaker 2: It means it looks one way, but it's really another. 631 00:36:01,360 --> 00:36:03,360 Speaker 2: It means give it time, let it unfold. God is 632 00:36:03,440 --> 00:36:08,360 Speaker 2: up to something. It means that the that the verdict 633 00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:11,479 Speaker 2: has already submitted, Just give the evidence time. 634 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:12,960 Speaker 1: You will see it. 635 00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:16,360 Speaker 2: Nevertheless, no matter what you see right now, it means 636 00:36:16,360 --> 00:36:18,719 Speaker 2: that the ruling on the field can be overturned at 637 00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:21,960 Speaker 2: any time. It means that there is a review booth 638 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:24,319 Speaker 2: called Heaven. Y'all didn't come to have church today. Y'all 639 00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:26,480 Speaker 2: come to just check it out the list and stock 640 00:36:26,560 --> 00:36:31,960 Speaker 2: us stuffing with some cute little stuff. Nevertheless, there will 641 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:34,640 Speaker 2: be no more gloom for those who were in distress. 642 00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:38,279 Speaker 2: In the past, he humbled the land of Zebulin in 643 00:36:38,320 --> 00:36:40,520 Speaker 2: the land of Neftali. But in the future he will 644 00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:44,839 Speaker 2: honor Galilee of the Gentiles by the way of the 645 00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:47,719 Speaker 2: sea along the Jordan. Oh. I need to insert this 646 00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:50,879 Speaker 2: because Galilee means valley of shade. 647 00:36:51,560 --> 00:36:53,600 Speaker 1: Now watch what happens in the darkest valley. 648 00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:58,080 Speaker 2: The prophet says, the people walking in darkness have seen 649 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:01,200 Speaker 2: a great light. And I would confused at this point 650 00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:03,319 Speaker 2: because I thought he was talking about something that would 651 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:08,400 Speaker 2: happen seven hundred years later. The prophet Isaiah prophesied seven hundred. 652 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:09,720 Speaker 1: Years before the birth of Christ. 653 00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:12,600 Speaker 2: But now he is speaking about something that has yet 654 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:15,479 Speaker 2: to be, as if it already happened. This is called 655 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:18,640 Speaker 2: the prophetic perfect. You see it often in scripture. It's 656 00:37:18,680 --> 00:37:22,560 Speaker 2: when God, who stands outside of time, knows exactly what 657 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:25,399 Speaker 2: you're going through, how long you're going to go through it, 658 00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:28,239 Speaker 2: and what he's going to do. On the other side 659 00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:31,200 Speaker 2: is the God who spoke, Let there be light, and 660 00:37:31,360 --> 00:37:36,400 Speaker 2: molecules and particles rearranged themselves to spread out into the universe, 661 00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:38,239 Speaker 2: to talk in every corner. 662 00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:39,600 Speaker 1: Of this splode. 663 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:44,239 Speaker 2: My faith gives me the ability to stand in the 664 00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:51,160 Speaker 2: darkest valley believing that the light has already come. If 665 00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:58,200 Speaker 2: I let it develop. Faith is developed now. Faint always 666 00:37:58,239 --> 00:38:02,680 Speaker 2: develops in doubt. If faith learns to depend. 667 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:06,520 Speaker 1: On God because of doubt. If you never doubted God, 668 00:38:06,560 --> 00:38:09,239 Speaker 1: you would be him. Before long. 669 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:12,600 Speaker 2: You would start worshiping yourself and singing, how great Thou 670 00:38:12,680 --> 00:38:14,440 Speaker 2: art in your full length mirror, and God is not 671 00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:16,440 Speaker 2: going to allow you to become so arrogant that you. 672 00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:17,760 Speaker 1: Never have doubts. 673 00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:20,680 Speaker 2: If he removed the doubt, he would remove the need 674 00:38:20,719 --> 00:38:23,239 Speaker 2: for him for you to know that He is God 675 00:38:23,280 --> 00:38:25,839 Speaker 2: and you are not. That's why you doubt. There are 676 00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:29,799 Speaker 2: benefits to the doubt. There's a benefit to having to 677 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:32,680 Speaker 2: wrestle with God and wrestle with where you are, and 678 00:38:32,760 --> 00:38:35,600 Speaker 2: wrestle with yourself and wrestle like Jacob did. 679 00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:38,279 Speaker 1: That's where you find the revelation of. 680 00:38:38,239 --> 00:38:42,840 Speaker 2: The goodness of God, not in your self confidence, but 681 00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:44,000 Speaker 2: in your self doubt. 682 00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:47,320 Speaker 1: Mary said, how will this be? I am a virgin. 683 00:38:47,920 --> 00:38:50,319 Speaker 2: The angel said, the power of the most High will 684 00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:55,760 Speaker 2: overshadow you. But you must make the decision to believe 685 00:38:55,920 --> 00:39:01,000 Speaker 2: God in the face of evidences. SEMs to contradict his 686 00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:04,240 Speaker 2: promise to believe God. 687 00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:05,320 Speaker 1: That every dead end. 688 00:39:06,040 --> 00:39:09,080 Speaker 2: Is a doorway if you decide to go through it, 689 00:39:11,400 --> 00:39:13,200 Speaker 2: and there is someone here who is standing at a 690 00:39:13,239 --> 00:39:18,200 Speaker 2: doorway today called doubt, and if you will walk through 691 00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:21,840 Speaker 2: it and make the decision to trust God in this situation, 692 00:39:22,040 --> 00:39:25,280 Speaker 2: you will find on the other side a greater glory 693 00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:27,279 Speaker 2: revealed to you than you have ever known. 694 00:39:28,400 --> 00:39:31,839 Speaker 1: But if you stop here. If you stop with how 695 00:39:32,840 --> 00:39:35,960 Speaker 1: and why and when and what? 696 00:39:37,080 --> 00:39:38,960 Speaker 2: If you wait till you have all the evidence to 697 00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:43,839 Speaker 2: trust God, you will never take Mary home, and you 698 00:39:43,880 --> 00:39:47,880 Speaker 2: will never see the promise of God come to pass. 699 00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:54,240 Speaker 2: All of the greatest faith is on the other side 700 00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:58,880 Speaker 2: of your deepest out. I want to ask, with no 701 00:39:58,960 --> 00:40:02,320 Speaker 2: one leaving, please don't leave in this moment. 702 00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:05,399 Speaker 1: This is that invitation moment that. 703 00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:08,960 Speaker 2: I spoke about earlier that is so sacred to us, 704 00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:11,000 Speaker 2: and I want to ask at every campus that you 705 00:40:11,040 --> 00:40:14,200 Speaker 2: would stand to your feet right now, because this is 706 00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:25,280 Speaker 2: a moment of decision for many, for those who say 707 00:40:26,200 --> 00:40:29,560 Speaker 2: what one man said to Jesus, who needed the gift 708 00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:35,920 Speaker 2: of healing. I want to believe. Help my unbelief. I 709 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:41,600 Speaker 2: want to believe, but I feel unworthy. I want to believe, 710 00:40:41,640 --> 00:40:47,360 Speaker 2: but I have my doubts. God has a grace that 711 00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:51,319 Speaker 2: is greater than every doubt, and all he requires is 712 00:40:51,360 --> 00:40:53,120 Speaker 2: the next step in the light that you do have. 713 00:40:53,840 --> 00:40:56,520 Speaker 2: I believe there are many here today who need to 714 00:40:56,520 --> 00:40:58,920 Speaker 2: receive the gift of salvation, but you can't receive it 715 00:41:00,520 --> 00:41:05,920 Speaker 2: uppear You can't receive it with these and you can't 716 00:41:05,960 --> 00:41:07,160 Speaker 2: receive it with your own effort. 717 00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:11,400 Speaker 1: It is by grace you are saved through faith. I 718 00:41:11,440 --> 00:41:12,600 Speaker 1: know you have your doubts. 719 00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:16,920 Speaker 2: When Peter walked towards Jesus on the water, he had faith, 720 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:18,880 Speaker 2: but it flipped so quick. The next thing you know, 721 00:41:18,960 --> 00:41:22,520 Speaker 2: he was sinking, and Jesus asked him a question, why 722 00:41:22,560 --> 00:41:24,280 Speaker 2: did you doubt? 723 00:41:26,080 --> 00:41:27,879 Speaker 1: And when he asked him that question, he didn't push 724 00:41:27,920 --> 00:41:29,840 Speaker 1: him back under the water to teach him a lesson. 725 00:41:30,719 --> 00:41:33,000 Speaker 2: He reached out his hand to bring him back to 726 00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:36,800 Speaker 2: the boat and to show him who he was all along. 727 00:41:38,200 --> 00:41:42,000 Speaker 2: So this message is for the doubters. We often sing 728 00:41:42,040 --> 00:41:46,319 Speaker 2: it Christmas, Oh come all ye faithful. Today the invitation is, 729 00:41:46,680 --> 00:41:52,879 Speaker 2: come all ye doubtful, with questions and dysfunctions and conflicts, 730 00:41:53,960 --> 00:41:58,160 Speaker 2: to place your faith in the God who is the Great. 731 00:41:58,160 --> 00:41:59,959 Speaker 1: I am with you. Bow your head and close your eyes. 732 00:42:00,080 --> 00:42:00,920 Speaker 1: At every location. 733 00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:03,440 Speaker 2: I want to pray a prayer right now for those 734 00:42:03,480 --> 00:42:07,200 Speaker 2: who want to come into a relationship with Christ. Receive 735 00:42:07,280 --> 00:42:10,440 Speaker 2: forgiveness by faith because of his finished work on the cross, 736 00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:13,000 Speaker 2: and live a new life in his name, because of 737 00:42:13,040 --> 00:42:16,680 Speaker 2: his resurrection from the dead, and make a decision of 738 00:42:16,719 --> 00:42:20,600 Speaker 2: faith today to put your hope in him. 739 00:42:20,800 --> 00:42:22,720 Speaker 1: We're going to pray a prayer right now out loud. 740 00:42:24,200 --> 00:42:26,320 Speaker 2: Our whole church family will pray it for the benefit 741 00:42:27,160 --> 00:42:29,080 Speaker 2: of those who are coming to God for the first 742 00:42:29,160 --> 00:42:32,759 Speaker 2: time or are coming back to God. And if this 743 00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:34,440 Speaker 2: is the prayer of your heart, God will hear you 744 00:42:34,480 --> 00:42:37,839 Speaker 2: from heaven and will save you from your sin. Let's 745 00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:42,200 Speaker 2: pray together right now, repeat after me, Heavenly Father. I 746 00:42:42,280 --> 00:42:47,600 Speaker 2: believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and 747 00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:52,240 Speaker 2: the Savior of the world. And today I make Jesus 748 00:42:53,160 --> 00:42:57,560 Speaker 2: the Lord of my life. I believe he died for 749 00:42:57,680 --> 00:43:03,080 Speaker 2: me to forgive my sin. I believe he rose again 750 00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:09,560 Speaker 2: to give me life. I receive this new life. I 751 00:43:09,560 --> 00:43:14,800 Speaker 2: will follow you from this stay forward. I received your grace. 752 00:43:16,160 --> 00:43:21,160 Speaker 2: This is my new beginning. Had still bowed, eyes still closed. 753 00:43:21,160 --> 00:43:23,080 Speaker 2: If you just prayed that prayer, shoot your hand up 754 00:43:23,120 --> 00:43:25,919 Speaker 2: in the air on the count of three, one two three, 755 00:43:26,040 --> 00:43:27,359 Speaker 2: no hesitation. 756 00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:29,520 Speaker 1: All over this room and all of our campuses. 757 00:43:29,600 --> 00:43:33,239 Speaker 2: God, bless you, God, bless you, God, bless you. 758 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:36,719 Speaker 1: What a wonderful thing. Come on, I think we can 759 00:43:36,760 --> 00:43:41,440 Speaker 1: celebrate better than that. What a wonderful thing to witness 760 00:43:41,480 --> 00:43:42,799 Speaker 1: souls being reborn. 761 00:43:43,880 --> 00:43:47,240 Speaker 2: Come on, Church, can we celebrate the goodness of God. 762 00:43:48,320 --> 00:43:50,359 Speaker 2: I think we ought to sing with the angels a 763 00:43:50,360 --> 00:43:53,920 Speaker 2: little while. If the angels in heaven rejoiced when one 764 00:43:54,040 --> 00:43:58,600 Speaker 2: senter repents, let the people of God proclaim Christ is 765 00:43:58,600 --> 00:44:02,760 Speaker 2: born this day in your mind, in your mind. 766 00:44:10,440 --> 00:44:11,560 Speaker 1: Thank you for joining us. 767 00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:14,319 Speaker 2: Special thanks to those of you who give generously to 768 00:44:14,400 --> 00:44:15,120 Speaker 2: this ministry. 769 00:44:15,480 --> 00:44:17,880 Speaker 1: Is because of you that this ministry is possible. 770 00:44:18,320 --> 00:44:20,839 Speaker 2: You can click the link in the description to give now, 771 00:44:21,400 --> 00:44:25,280 Speaker 2: or visit Elevationchurch dot org slash podcast for more information 772 00:44:25,840 --> 00:44:28,400 Speaker 2: and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. 773 00:44:28,880 --> 00:44:30,200 Speaker 1: You can share it with your friends. 774 00:44:30,480 --> 00:44:32,759 Speaker 2: You can click the share button, take a screenshot and 775 00:44:32,800 --> 00:44:34,920 Speaker 2: share it on your social stories and tag us at 776 00:44:34,960 --> 00:44:35,799 Speaker 2: Elevation Church. 777 00:44:35,880 --> 00:44:37,520 Speaker 1: Thanks again for listening. God bless you.