WEBVTT 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:01.520 Hello, friends. 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:02.799 This is Pastor Creighton. 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:06.080 Thank you for tuning in to Newsong Church's Sermon Podcast. 00:00:06.240 --> 00:00:13.279 At Newsong Church, we want to see Jesus lifted high in Port Perry, Ontario, as we worship, grow, and serve. 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:18.559 You can learn more about us and find contact info at newsongportperry.ca. 00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:25.679 Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, according to Luke chapter 2, beginning at verse 21. 00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:28.399 Glory to you, Lord Christ. 00:00:28.879 --> 00:00:38.960 And at the end of the eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:47.119 And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:53.920 As it is written in the law of the Lord, every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord. 00:00:54.159 --> 00:01:02.799 And to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle doves and two young pi or two young pigeons. 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:14.959 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was a righteous and devout was right righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:22.879 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord the Lord's Christ. 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:42.879 And he came in the spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child, Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took up he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now you're let letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word. 00:01:43.120 --> 00:01:53.439 For my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel. 00:01:53.599 --> 00:01:57.439 And his father and his mother marvelled at what was said about him. 00:01:57.599 --> 00:02:09.280 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed. 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:16.879 A sword will pierce through your own soul also, so that the thoughts from many hearts may be revealed. 00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:30.159 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Fenuel, of the tribe of Asher, she was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin. 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:38.800 And then as a widow until she was eighty-four, she did not depart from the temple, worshipping with fasting and prayer night and day. 00:02:39.120 --> 00:02:47.439 And coming up at that very hour, she began to give thanks to God, and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. 00:02:47.680 --> 00:02:49.360 This is the gospel of Christ. 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:52.000 Praise you to the Lord Christ. 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:59.840 Heavenly Father, we now come before you to hear your word, to hear you speak directly to our hearts and our minds. 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:04.879 Father, I just pray that any distractions from this week would fall away. 00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:08.319 That you would draw us closer to yourself. 00:03:08.800 --> 00:03:10.240 In Jesus' name. 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:11.120 Amen. 00:03:11.439 --> 00:03:12.719 Please be seated. 00:03:19.039 --> 00:03:27.840 So it may not look like it, but I used to climb cliff faces up mountains in BC when I was younger. 00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:33.840 And I have a I have a pretty good story actually when it comes to climbing mountains, like sheer cliff faces. 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:41.439 I must have been early 20s, and I was in my 20th straight hour of climbing up a side of a mountain. 00:03:41.680 --> 00:03:46.159 And something very scary and interesting happened during this time. 00:03:46.319 --> 00:03:50.960 It was right at the end, the last rope length before you summit the mountain. 00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:54.639 And what happened was that me and my partner were so tired. 00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:58.800 And as you go up, you um you climb rope lengths as you go. 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:05.199 And then as you go, you pass the gear to your partner, so you take turns going up by rope length so you can rest. 00:04:05.360 --> 00:04:07.599 And the gear is what protects you. 00:04:07.759 --> 00:04:10.719 Um if you fall, it'll catch your rope as you fall. 00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:14.960 So you won't fall the full 70 meters of your rope length past your blair. 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:24.319 And what happened at this is that my partner forgot to give me the gear for the last 70 meters of the climb. 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:33.279 We were about 300 meters up, um, and I went, did some moves, climbing moves, that it would have been impossible to downclimb back to him. 00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:37.920 So I had to do the last 65 meters with absolutely no protection. 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:44.959 I only had a rope that would have caught, hopefully caught me if I ended up falling the whole 70 meters if I fell. 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:46.879 I did not, I'm still here standing. 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:50.800 Um but the other thing about this is that it was at night. 00:04:50.959 --> 00:04:56.319 It must have been at three in the morning, and I was I only had a headlamp, a head flashlight with me. 00:04:56.480 --> 00:04:59.920 So I was in this old my own little light bubble as I did this. 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:02.959 I was in a very dire situation. 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:07.279 If one mistake happened, I would have, I don't know what would have happened. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:14.240 Now, switching to the Bible, um, for the past four weeks we've been looking at the birth of Jesus narrative. 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:19.279 And then now last week was the climax of that, and Jesus has been born. 00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:23.120 But we're not done looking at it yet because there's more, Luke has more to say. 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:29.360 So if you can turn with me to Luke chapter 2, verses 21 to 38, we're gonna look at it. 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:35.439 And we're gonna look at it in three points. 00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:45.040 The first point is ordinary for extraordinary purposes, Jesus confirmed as Savior, and the disciples' heart. 00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:50.160 So point one, ordinary for extraordinary purposes, verse 21. 00:05:50.879 --> 00:06:00.720 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. 00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:10.240 Now, if you remember, Gabriel came to Mary and to Joseph and said that you are to name your child Jesus Emmanuel. 00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:14.000 So this is them fulfilling, following the angel's command. 00:06:14.240 --> 00:06:17.439 And you might be thinking, why are we talking about circumcision? 00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:19.360 Why is that in the Bible right now? 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:21.360 Isn't that an Old Testament thing? 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:25.199 Well, circumcision was a very important thing in Israel. 00:06:25.439 --> 00:06:32.639 It was a sign of one of the covenants that God made to Abraham to be a symbol that you will be of my people. 00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:37.360 Anyone who was circumcised became an Israelite of God's people. 00:06:37.839 --> 00:06:40.319 And then Jesus, the name is very significant. 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:43.920 Yes, there is other people named Jesus in Israel in that time. 00:06:44.079 --> 00:06:47.040 But what it means, it means God saves. 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:58.319 So what happens here is that God is using very ordinary means of circumcision, everyday things for them, and an everyday name to make something extraordinary, significant. 00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:02.480 So look at what happens next in verse 22 to 24. 00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:15.199 And when the time came for their purification, that is Mary and Jesus, according to the law of Moses, they brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present unto the Lord. 00:07:15.439 --> 00:07:22.480 As it is written in the law of the Lord, every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord. 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:31.120 And to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons. 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:41.600 Now what's going on here, I know this is this is not the most interesting things to talk about, but the law is very important to understand the New Testament. 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:56.399 Here is a law where after some a woman gives birth, after they've circumcised the kid on the eighth day, they have to wait another 33 days before they can come into the temple and be purified. 00:07:57.120 --> 00:08:07.439 And they had to do this in a way where either they were to sacrifice a lamb, or if they were poor people, they would sacrifice turtle doves and young pigeons. 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:12.480 So this is showing us that Jesus came from a very poor family. 00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:25.920 God used a very poor family, didn't use a very mighty family, didn't use kings for his purposes, he uses people who are very ordinary, very ordinary people for extraordinary things. 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:29.360 And you might be thinking, why is this important to look at? 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:31.360 Why look at circumcision? 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:35.360 Why look at them fulfilling these purification laws? 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:39.440 Well, circumcision identifies Jesus as a person of Israel. 00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:52.720 If this didn't happen, if Jesus didn't come under the law, his ministry would have been useless because no one would have listened to him or given him any authority, he would have had no street credit at all. 00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:55.679 Because people would have looked at him and said, You're not Israelite. 00:08:55.759 --> 00:08:56.879 How can you be a Messiah? 00:08:56.960 --> 00:08:57.840 You're nothing. 00:08:58.080 --> 00:09:02.320 So this is very important that we see that Jesus is coming under the law. 00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:11.440 Jesus, who is fully God and fully man, puts himself under the law to save humanity from the law, that they could not save themselves. 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:15.039 He was the only one who could truly follow God's plan. 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:22.639 And the reason why there is a law, you might be thinking, why would God even make a law in the first place if his people could never even follow it? 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:33.279 What the law was, is that it was a thing when Israelites were coming out of Egypt, coming into the promised land of Canaan. 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:44.480 This law was to set them apart so that they wouldn't fall into the ways of the Babylonians or the Canaanites, where they would sacrifice babies and do all these other horrible things. 00:09:44.639 --> 00:09:47.039 God wanted to bring his people out from that. 00:09:47.200 --> 00:09:49.120 He didn't want them to be tempted with that. 00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:51.600 So he gave them a way to live. 00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:57.519 He wants people to realize they need God, but they didn't realize that. 00:09:57.840 --> 00:10:02.000 See, God uses ordinary things for extraordinary purposes. 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:08.559 He brings Jesus in in a very ordinary way to fulfill his plan, his purposes. 00:10:08.960 --> 00:10:13.279 Point two, Jesus confirmed a Savior. 00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:19.840 So before we read the verses, so we have Jesus and his parents coming up to Jerusalem to the temple. 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:30.799 And then this guy, Simeon, this is the only time he's mentioned, comes up, and they would have met at the outer courts of the temple because no women were allowed in the inner courts of the temple. 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:33.679 So this is on the steps of the temple that's happening. 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:36.320 So verse 25 to 33. 00:10:36.960 --> 00:10:48.960 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was a righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 00:10:49.120 --> 00:10:55.919 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 00:10:57.039 --> 00:11:14.240 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when his parents brought in the child, Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word. 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:25.039 For my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, and a light for a revelation to the Gentiles, and for for the glory to your people Israel. 00:11:25.279 --> 00:11:29.360 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:33.200 Now what does the consolation of Israel mean? 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:37.679 In Isaiah 40, verse 1, Isaiah is prophesying. 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:39.440 It's God speaking through him. 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:46.080 And it speaks of one that will be a comfort to Israel, it will be a comfort to God's people. 00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:53.200 Simeon was told that he would see the one who is going to bring the comfort in in person. 00:11:54.159 --> 00:11:58.639 His words talk about that he picks Jesus up. 00:11:58.879 --> 00:12:04.960 And this man was so privileged that he was able to hold Jesus in his arms. 00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:10.720 And he knew that this is the promise that was promised so long ago. 00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:14.639 He says, My eyes have seen your salvation. 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:23.120 Simeon right here confirms that Jesus is the savior of all peoples, the Gentile and the Jew, not just the Jewish people. 00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:28.879 It says he is a light to the Gentiles and glory to the Jewish people. 00:12:30.240 --> 00:12:41.919 But then he turns to Mary and says in verse 34 and 35 that you are, that he will face persecution, he will face death, and that Mary's heart will be broken. 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:54.799 What he's doing here is he's prophesying about the future of Jesus' ministry and the future of his death, and then what Mary is going to witness when she stands at his cross and sees him being crucified. 00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:59.600 And it also says here, which is something that we should really hold to our hearts. 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:02.000 It says, Some will not believe. 00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:04.159 And then it says, Some will believe. 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:07.519 If we look in verse 34 and 35, it says it. 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:40.559 He's going to die. 00:13:40.720 --> 00:13:44.639 And that Mary's heart, her soul, her inner soul would be pierced. 00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:50.480 Like any mom who saw their child brutally killed, would feel. 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:52.000 Rightfully so. 00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:54.480 That is what he's talking about. 00:13:54.720 --> 00:14:02.000 This is a prophecy that we see fulfilled later on in Luke, in Mark, in Matthew, and in John. 00:14:02.879 --> 00:14:06.559 But here we see Jesus confirmed by a second prophet also. 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:09.679 The prophet Anna, a prophetess. 00:14:09.840 --> 00:14:12.559 So look at verse 36 and 38. 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:20.960 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Fanul, of the tribe of Asher. 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:30.240 The tribe of Asher, which is very interesting, is when Israel was exiled into Babylonian or Babylon. 00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:32.799 This tribe never came back. 00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:36.240 It's one of the tribes that disappeared during this exile time. 00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:39.440 But here it's saying that she is a remnant of it. 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:41.519 She's a representative of it. 00:14:41.840 --> 00:14:45.279 It's just an interesting fun fact, a little geek moment there. 00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:48.159 And then it's continuing on. 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:56.799 Of the tribe of Asher, she was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin. 00:14:57.519 --> 00:15:06.559 And then as a widow until she was eighty-four, she did not depart from the temple, worshipping with fasting and prayer night and day. 00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:15.519 And coming up at that very hour, she began to give thanks to God, and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. 00:15:15.919 --> 00:15:19.200 Here we see that Jesus is called the redemption of Jerusalem. 00:15:19.360 --> 00:15:28.000 Again, he is confirmed as the Savior, the one who's going to bring the peace, the comfort to Israel and to all people, all nations. 00:15:28.639 --> 00:15:35.519 It's interesting if you go back and if you count it, Jesus, this is only chapter two that we're in, that we're looking at. 00:15:35.679 --> 00:15:40.639 Jesus has been confirmed as Savior and Messiah at least a dozen times, probably more. 00:15:40.960 --> 00:16:01.919 It's pretty obvious what this book is about is that Jesus, the one who's sent by God, God's only Son, came into the world to live a life under the law, a perfect life under the law, and to die as the sacrifice, is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, and who rises from the dead. 00:16:02.159 --> 00:16:03.759 That is what the gospel is about. 00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:06.399 That is the gospel, if you say it in the simplest form. 00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:13.519 That God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 00:16:13.759 --> 00:16:15.679 And that's what Luke's doing here. 00:16:15.759 --> 00:16:22.480 He's showing all these prophecies said about him, fulfilled in him, talked about his life and his future life. 00:16:22.639 --> 00:16:24.639 That is what's going on here in Luke. 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:28.639 So you might be thinking, well, what does this have to do with me? 00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:31.279 Well, if you look again at verse 32. 00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:41.200 A light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people, Israel. 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:48.559 See, the Christian belief is that because of the fall of humanity, everyone has a veil over their eyes. 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:51.679 Everyone's heart has been veiled towards God. 00:16:52.639 --> 00:16:57.200 Everyone's lives have been darkened and is in need of help. 00:16:57.360 --> 00:17:00.559 No one can live the life that God has required. 00:17:00.720 --> 00:17:04.160 So God had to send his son in, as we just talked about. 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:17.599 The best way for me to describe this, I don't have some theological term or great explanation, but the way I can talk about this is that I can talk about when I came to faith. 00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:24.240 Before I walked into a church when I was 18, I had a completely different way of thinking. 00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:26.160 I was a very angry person. 00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:28.720 I was, I just did not care about anything. 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:30.880 I didn't care whether I lived or died. 00:17:31.039 --> 00:17:35.119 I just was completely, my mind was completely 180. 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:45.039 But then when I walked into that church, my in a moment, in like the blink of an eye, my entire life and mindset switched. 00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:53.039 The only way I can explain that is that the whole spirit came into me, that Jesus revealed himself to me, that the veil was taken off. 00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:55.920 And I came out of that building as a different person. 00:17:57.039 --> 00:18:11.599 You could say that this experience was just something similar to a political rally where everyone gets into this mob mentality that people don't even know what they're doing, that it's just the mob pushing them forward, manipulating them to come forward. 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:20.079 But normally those thoughts, if you take yourself out of that, go away, and you revert to your old way of thinking. 00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:29.599 See, I left the church for six years, and my mind never went back to the way I used to think before I walked into that building. 00:18:29.680 --> 00:18:32.000 You think it would, but it didn't. 00:18:32.240 --> 00:18:35.119 I've always been a different person since that moment. 00:18:35.359 --> 00:18:38.079 That moment, everything changed. 00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:42.240 Now, this is some this isn't something special to me either. 00:18:42.559 --> 00:18:48.720 Millions of people have experienced this all through the ages since Jesus rose from the dead. 00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:58.240 History was changed in that moment from a group of just 12 apostles going out to the world, spreading the gospel, the message of Jesus. 00:18:58.559 --> 00:19:03.039 That isn't something that's just changed by mob mentality or hallucinations. 00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:05.200 Something happened. 00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:09.279 Jesus rose from the dead as prophesied. 00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:13.359 This isn't a practice or a mantra. 00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:18.559 Jesus is the light of the world, as Simeon says right here in the Bible. 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:22.240 Once you see something, you can't unsee it. 00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:34.799 And just going back to the illustration I used at the beginning of me climbing at the side of a mountain, if that headlamp, the flashlight on my head, went out, I would have been in such a hopeless situation. 00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:39.039 I wouldn't have not been able to see anything, and I most likely would have fallen. 00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:42.079 I don't know what would have happened when I fell, but I would have fallen. 00:19:42.640 --> 00:19:45.839 But that's the thing if you don't have Jesus in your life either. 00:19:46.079 --> 00:19:48.079 There's no light guiding you. 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:52.160 Your light is your life may appear to be great. 00:19:52.400 --> 00:20:00.960 You may have be financially successful, great, like family, but if you don't have Jesus in your life, you're in a dire situation. 00:20:01.440 --> 00:20:03.599 There's no light in your life. 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:07.359 So point three, the disciple's heart. 00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:11.599 Now, with it being New Year's, I can't help but talk about goals. 00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:12.720 I love goals. 00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:18.799 Um, I have a lot of goals in my life, whether it's fitness goals, I want to run a 10K this year, we'll see what happens. 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:22.799 Um but goals are very important, or you can call them intentions. 00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:27.279 It could be just an intention if goals seem too serious for you. 00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:33.680 And if we look at this text, this text gives us great goals or intentions to look at. 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:46.160 Now, if you haven't set any spiritual goals, goals where that you might that might bring you closer to God, I would strongly encourage it to think about that, to think that this year could just maybe take little steps. 00:20:46.240 --> 00:20:52.240 It doesn't have to be these huge, cold turkey, big, audacious goals, just very simple goals. 00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:59.839 If we look at Jesus' parents, we see at the beginning that they were obedient to God's law and to what the angel commanded them. 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:02.960 Maybe there's something in your life you need to stop doing. 00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:04.640 Maybe you need to give it to the Lord. 00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:07.440 Maybe you need to be accountable to someone. 00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:13.680 Or if you look at Simeon, how he anticipated the Lord's promise to him. 00:21:13.920 --> 00:21:15.920 Do you ever think about heaven? 00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:21.279 I just finished a book by Richard Baxter called The Saints Everlasting Rest. 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:23.920 And that book is just all focused. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:34.880 It's him after he nearly had he had a near-death experience, just reflecting on how much he thought about heaven during that time and how it completely changed the way he viewed life. 00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:36.960 I would strongly recommend it. 00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:44.720 Just meditate on heaven, where the Christian hope, the promise, is ultimately leading us when Jesus returns. 00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:48.960 We get to anticipate the Lord's return when we think about heaven. 00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:55.519 And if you look at Anna, how she's worshipful and prayerful, sometimes this is the hardest one. 00:21:55.680 --> 00:22:03.119 To commit to coming to church every Sunday, or to commit to gathering and being involved in groups during the week, or just to pray more. 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:05.200 There's a lot of good resources for that. 00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:07.440 I can recommend a bunch, Creighton can. 00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:10.960 I'm sure there's many people in the congregation that can recommend it too. 00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:15.359 But I stand up, I stand up here as someone who needs help in all these areas. 00:22:15.519 --> 00:22:19.039 I'm not perfect, so I'm not trying to lay burdens on yourself. 00:22:19.279 --> 00:22:28.480 These are just good goals to have as we continue in this Christian pilgrimage through life, that we come together and we say these things together and we encourage each other. 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:44.880 And if you're watching here online or here in person and you would not call yourself a follower of Jesus, I would challenge you to make it a goal to give an honest search of the claims of Christianity, that Jesus rose from the dead. 00:22:45.039 --> 00:22:52.960 And if that truly happened, if that happened, as we all believe, those who follow Jesus, that changes everything. 00:22:53.279 --> 00:23:01.759 No matter your belief on creationism, your belief on anything in the Old Testament, if Jesus rose from the dead, that changes everything. 00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:05.119 And that is the most important thing that we can talk about. 00:23:05.359 --> 00:23:08.640 See, the gospel is a gospel of mercy and grace. 00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:16.079 And when we fall short, as we inevitably will do in some areas in our life, it is a gospel of mercy. 00:23:16.319 --> 00:23:17.680 It is a gospel of grace. 00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:21.680 There is always forgiveness when we come to Jesus, when we come to the cross. 00:23:21.920 --> 00:23:26.160 The one, the light of revelation to all people. 00:23:26.480 --> 00:23:27.759 He is the light. 00:23:28.079 --> 00:23:30.400 You just have to let him be the light of your life. 00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:31.920 Let's pray. 00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:40.960 Heavenly Father, as we come to the new year, we thank you, Lord, that we can come to you and just pray to you. 00:23:41.359 --> 00:23:45.920 We can worship you, that you give us a relationship with you. 00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:47.359 We haven't done anything. 00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:49.759 You've given it to us as a free gift. 00:23:50.240 --> 00:23:55.119 Father, I just pray that as we come into the new year, you would guide us. 00:23:55.359 --> 00:24:00.319 You would give us wise discernment on decisions we need to make in these coming years. 00:24:00.960 --> 00:24:09.039 And that we would, as a community, come together and then reach the community of Port Perry to spread the gospel. 00:24:09.359 --> 00:24:14.000 Help us, Lord, to set that on our hearts to think about those who need to hear your truth. 00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:15.519 In Jesus' name. 00:24:15.839 --> 00:24:16.480 Amen. 00:24:16.960 --> 00:24:18.480 Thank you for listening today. 00:24:18.640 --> 00:24:24.079 We worship a generous God who calls us to follow Him in giving willfully, cheerfully, and sacrificially. 00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:30.799 Newsong Church's mission and ministry is 100% funded by the generous gifts of those worshiping and journeying with us. 00:24:30.960 --> 00:24:38.559 If you'd like to offer a gift towards Newsong's ministry, please visit new songportperry.ca slash giving for more information on how to do that. 00:24:38.799 --> 00:24:41.599 May God bless you and keep you today and every day.