WEBVTT 00:00:00.801 --> 00:00:12.651 Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year, not because I have to go in debt to buy my kids presents, but because there's a hyper-focus on Jesus. 00:00:12.651 --> 00:00:24.286 It's almost as if the whole year we can actually do church without focusing on Jesus, but right around Christmas time, then it's all about Him. 00:00:24.286 --> 00:00:28.402 Focusing on Jesus, but right around Christmas time, then it's all about him. 00:00:28.402 --> 00:00:46.850 It's strange to me in what we would call the Western church or church in suburban America, how church from January to November can be about being a good person, having good character, treating each other kindly, being a good neighbor, and then we get to December and we're like, oh yeah, to Jesus. 00:00:46.850 --> 00:00:51.526 That's actually the reason, and so today, here's my prayer. 00:00:51.526 --> 00:00:58.787 My prayer is that through our talk and through us being together that we would see Jesus. 00:00:58.787 --> 00:01:07.073 I want to invite you today that the eyes of your heart would be enlightened to know the hope that awaits you. 00:01:07.073 --> 00:01:09.566 That is Paul's reminder to the church. 00:01:09.566 --> 00:01:17.334 I want to invite you today to consider that all that you know about Jesus isn't all there actually is to know about Jesus. 00:01:17.334 --> 00:01:22.730 I found it dangerous in my life to get to the point where I think I've known everything about him. 00:01:22.730 --> 00:01:36.332 I think some of us have some knowledge of him, and maybe we've even read the Bible, and so we could say we kind of know who he is, and yet there's more to know about him. 00:01:36.332 --> 00:01:45.551 This is our revelation of the character of Jesus living out itself in our lives. 00:01:45.551 --> 00:01:55.561 Lives is that we make ourselves available to learn more about him, and so I'm just going to go on a journey with you today, 2024. 00:01:55.561 --> 00:02:04.290 For me, after 17 years of walking with the Lord, committed faithfully, 2024 has been the most vibrant my Christian life has ever been. 00:02:04.290 --> 00:02:09.485 I feel like I wake up and I can feel like he's there. 00:02:09.485 --> 00:02:13.652 I can talk to him and I feel like we have. 00:02:13.652 --> 00:02:15.140 I know I sound like a crazy person. 00:02:15.140 --> 00:02:17.927 I feel like we can have dialogue, me and Jesus. 00:02:17.927 --> 00:02:20.473 I talk to him and he talks back. 00:02:20.473 --> 00:02:21.603 This is in John. 00:02:21.603 --> 00:02:23.449 My sheep know my voice and I love them. 00:02:24.693 --> 00:02:27.461 I've been in the Bible more than ever before. 00:02:27.461 --> 00:02:29.406 We went, we walked our church through. 00:02:29.406 --> 00:02:32.812 We called it sola scriptura, which is only scripture. 00:02:32.812 --> 00:02:36.868 We went three days non-stop reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. 00:02:36.868 --> 00:02:40.265 Every hour there was a new person coming in to read the Bible. 00:02:40.265 --> 00:02:45.164 We did the whole thing in three days and then, right after that we went three months where we all did the Bible reading plan together. 00:02:45.164 --> 00:02:47.689 We did the whole thing in three days and then, right after that, we went three months where we all did the Bible reading plan together. 00:02:47.689 --> 00:02:54.432 We read the entire text in three months and I've learned more about the Bible this year than ever before. 00:02:54.432 --> 00:03:01.432 I went to Bible college, I went to school to learn about this and I've learned more this year than all the years of walking with the Lord. 00:03:01.881 --> 00:03:09.390 And here's my encouragement to you, for those of you who have walked with God and you feel like man I'm like twice your age young man. 00:03:09.390 --> 00:03:12.128 I know more about the Bible than you would ever imagine. 00:03:12.128 --> 00:03:14.829 I just want to entertain this thought that there might be more. 00:03:14.829 --> 00:03:27.621 I just want you to consider that there might be more about Jesus that you have yet to uncover, and if you would posture your hearts to be open to him, he might actually speak to you today. 00:03:27.621 --> 00:03:38.407 Now, I'm aware that we have a wide demographic of ages, a wide range of ages, in the room today, and yet in all of that, God can speak to you. 00:03:38.407 --> 00:03:41.348 I'm looking specifically at all the younger kids. 00:03:41.348 --> 00:03:46.991 Man, god can speak to you, god can encounter you right here in this room. 00:03:46.991 --> 00:03:53.876 He can open your eyes to see him for who he is, and there could be a moment today where you fall in love with Jesus. 00:03:53.876 --> 00:04:02.283 If you get anything from today, it's this Everything will change if you fall in love with Jesus, everything. 00:04:02.283 --> 00:04:04.270 And so we're going to be in the book of John. 00:04:06.139 --> 00:04:07.622 Did you bring your Bibles with you today? 00:04:07.622 --> 00:04:08.421 Oh, that was quiet. 00:04:08.421 --> 00:04:16.648 If you brought your Bible out today, would you put it up in the air, wave it around like you actually care about it? 00:04:16.648 --> 00:04:17.709 Go ahead. 00:04:17.709 --> 00:04:20.050 This is not to condemn you at all. 00:04:20.050 --> 00:04:28.117 I do this every church I go to, even at my home church, because it's going to be really hard to be a Christian in 2025 without one of these. 00:04:28.117 --> 00:04:31.781 You ought to get yourself one. 00:04:31.781 --> 00:04:32.302 They're cheap. 00:04:32.302 --> 00:04:34.305 It's like $8 on Amazon. 00:04:34.305 --> 00:04:36.509 It'll probably arrive tomorrow with prime shipping. 00:04:36.509 --> 00:04:39.754 You could probably get one right now as you sit in church. 00:04:39.754 --> 00:04:45.276 You might even can you do like Uber Eats for Bibles from Walmart and see if they'll deliver it here. 00:04:45.276 --> 00:04:50.458 Like you got to get one of these, you got to get a Bible. 00:04:50.458 --> 00:04:52.218 It's really hard to be a Christian without a Bible. 00:04:52.737 --> 00:04:54.838 We're going to be in the book of John, john, chapter 10. 00:04:54.838 --> 00:04:57.382 John is in the New Testament. 00:04:57.382 --> 00:05:00.892 The Bible is split up into two parts Old Testament and New Testament. 00:05:00.892 --> 00:05:06.211 The Old Testament creates the framework for our need of a Savior. 00:05:06.211 --> 00:05:15.084 The Old Testament shows us why Jesus was necessary in order for us to be reconciled to God, and so don't discard the Old Testament. 00:05:15.084 --> 00:05:20.543 The Old Testament is full of God's love and grace, in the same way that the New Testament is full of God's love and grace. 00:05:20.543 --> 00:05:22.487 So we're going to be in John 10. 00:05:22.487 --> 00:05:28.245 In the New Testament it's Matthew, mark, luke, john, so John is the fourth book in the New Testament. 00:05:28.245 --> 00:05:31.733 In my Bible it's on page 1,483. 00:05:31.733 --> 00:05:35.867 I don't think that'll work on yours, but it works on mine. 00:05:36.228 --> 00:05:37.732 Here we go, john, chapter 10, verse 10. 00:05:37.732 --> 00:05:41.588 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. 00:05:41.588 --> 00:05:48.182 I came that they may have life and have it abundantly, and kill and destroy. 00:05:48.182 --> 00:05:49.524 I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 00:05:49.524 --> 00:05:53.697 My thought for today is that everyone in this room would like to receive an abundance in life. 00:05:53.697 --> 00:05:54.920 Is that true? 00:05:54.920 --> 00:05:56.487 Raise your hand if you don't want an abundance. 00:05:56.487 --> 00:06:00.322 Like I could do without an abundance, I don't need that, okay. 00:06:00.322 --> 00:06:05.009 So everyone in here would say I could do with an abundance in life Me too. 00:06:05.752 --> 00:06:07.574 Let's do an exercise 30 seconds. 00:06:07.574 --> 00:06:15.569 Lean over to someone next to you and fill in the blank my 2025 would be better if I just had more blank. 00:06:15.569 --> 00:06:17.192 Go ahead 30 seconds. 00:06:17.192 --> 00:06:17.973 Lean over to someone. 00:06:17.973 --> 00:06:20.625 I'm going to start calling you out by your shirt color. 00:06:20.625 --> 00:06:25.723 If you're not talking to anyone, all right, yep, lean over. 00:06:25.723 --> 00:06:29.509 Lean over to the next person, the person you didn't like enough the first time to go to them. 00:06:29.509 --> 00:06:34.204 Tell them my 2025 would be better if I just had more. 00:06:34.204 --> 00:06:38.632 And I'm going to wait the whole 30 seconds. 00:06:38.632 --> 00:06:41.261 You still got 12 seconds. 00:06:41.261 --> 00:06:44.242 Come on, it's okay to talk in church. 00:06:44.242 --> 00:06:58.093 I think all of us have something in mind. 00:06:58.093 --> 00:07:04.016 My whole year, next year, would be better if I just had just that. 00:07:04.016 --> 00:07:09.603 Just that one thing, I think I heard someone say if I had more hair. 00:07:09.603 --> 00:07:10.545 That's incredible. 00:07:10.545 --> 00:07:11.447 Whoever said that? 00:07:11.447 --> 00:07:14.413 In Jesus name, bless that man with more hair. 00:07:14.413 --> 00:07:18.661 Y'all said it, not me. 00:07:21.466 --> 00:07:22.588 I got a picture of my family. 00:07:22.588 --> 00:07:25.675 I think I got three kids. 00:07:25.675 --> 00:07:29.627 I know I look like I'm too young to even have one. 00:07:29.627 --> 00:07:38.189 That's me in the same exact outfit that I'm wearing today Same sweater, same pants, same shoes. 00:07:38.189 --> 00:07:39.545 I even got on the same socks. 00:07:39.545 --> 00:07:40.889 Go Warriors. 00:07:40.889 --> 00:07:43.887 I think I'm even wearing the same shirt. 00:07:43.887 --> 00:07:45.985 Under my hair is the same way. 00:07:45.985 --> 00:07:47.262 I use the same homemade. 00:07:47.483 --> 00:07:48.466 That's my wife Mercy. 00:07:48.466 --> 00:07:50.654 She's absolutely incredible. 00:07:50.654 --> 00:07:53.202 The most loving person you'll ever meet in your life. 00:07:53.202 --> 00:07:56.528 She loves well Like. 00:07:56.528 --> 00:08:03.627 She loves so much that she'll confront you if you're not living up to what you know to be true about who you are Like. 00:08:03.627 --> 00:08:05.851 If she sees you slipping, she'll tell you. 00:08:05.851 --> 00:08:07.274 She tells me all the time. 00:08:08.281 --> 00:08:10.348 So, my wife Mercy, I've got three kids. 00:08:10.348 --> 00:08:13.528 Let me see Micah right here is my oldest, he's 10. 00:08:13.528 --> 00:08:17.509 My middle son, hendrix, right there, like Jimi Hendrix, he's 8. 00:08:17.509 --> 00:08:20.346 And my youngest son, kaio, c-a-i-o. 00:08:20.346 --> 00:08:21.408 He's 5. 00:08:21.769 --> 00:08:32.227 My thing would be my 2025 would be better if I just had more obedience for my kids, if I just got a little more listening. 00:08:32.227 --> 00:08:35.715 Oh man, my life would be so much better. 00:08:35.715 --> 00:08:39.241 But all of us have something right. 00:08:39.241 --> 00:08:44.200 All of us can identify one thing If I just had this, my life would be so much better. 00:08:44.200 --> 00:08:53.403 Now, my wife, she's so gracious to me, but if she were here, she would tell you I am not a handyman at all. 00:08:53.403 --> 00:08:57.198 I can't swing a hammer, I can't turn a wrench. 00:08:57.198 --> 00:09:05.623 I don't even own a toolbox, and I know I'm losing points with some of the guys in here, but I do smoke brisket, so let me get those points back. 00:09:05.623 --> 00:09:18.139 Let me get those points back, but I can't I'm not good with with tools at all and, uh, some days I'll wake up and I'll just get really ambitious Any any guys in here just get really ambitious. 00:09:18.139 --> 00:09:21.873 You know you're in over your head but you're like, oh, I could do this Me and YouTube. 00:09:21.873 --> 00:09:23.860 We got this, we'll figure it out. 00:09:24.669 --> 00:09:31.464 And so it was four years ago, october 2020, during the pandemic, you know, and things are kind of starting to open up. 00:09:31.464 --> 00:09:36.282 And I woke up and I felt like, man, our neighborhood just needs more joy. 00:09:36.282 --> 00:09:37.594 We need more joy. 00:09:37.594 --> 00:09:42.679 And I leaned over to my wife and I said, babe, today I'm going to go put up some Christmas lights. 00:09:42.679 --> 00:09:44.283 It was October. 00:09:44.283 --> 00:09:47.312 I'd never done it before. 00:09:47.373 --> 00:09:49.558 In my family growing up, we didn't put up Christmas lights. 00:09:49.558 --> 00:09:54.461 I grew up in Hawaii Like we had no need for Christmas lights because it's just paradise when you walk outside. 00:09:54.461 --> 00:09:57.654 We don't need to look at anything beautiful, everything's beautiful in Hawaii. 00:09:57.654 --> 00:10:01.383 And so I get up and I'm like, babe, I'm going to put these Christmas lights up. 00:10:01.383 --> 00:10:03.153 And you know, she's so encouraging. 00:10:03.153 --> 00:10:15.640 She's like, okay, so I go to Home Depot I know where Home Depot is, by the way and I walk in and the first thing I see Home Depot sells this kit, a Christmas light kit. 00:10:16.041 --> 00:10:18.826 It has everything you need to put up Christmas lights at your house. 00:10:18.826 --> 00:10:22.179 And I looked at it and I said no, that's too easy, I'm going to go and get piece by piece. 00:10:22.179 --> 00:10:26.761 And so I went walking to Home Depot on the right side that's where all the Christmas decor is. 00:10:26.761 --> 00:10:33.616 I went and got the lights and I went home and I said I got this, got home, pull up in my driveway, unbox the lights. 00:10:33.616 --> 00:10:44.009 And I stood back and I said man, how am I supposed to get these up there? 00:10:44.009 --> 00:10:44.711 And so I went back to Home Depot. 00:10:44.711 --> 00:10:47.918 You know Home Depot sells these plastic clips that you could put on your gutter so that you could put the lights on. 00:10:47.918 --> 00:10:52.274 So I bought myself a box of clips and I thought surely I have everything I need for life and godliness. 00:10:52.354 --> 00:10:58.121 And I came home with the clips and the lights and I'm standing there and I'm like I got this, babe, I'm going to put these lights up. 00:10:58.121 --> 00:10:59.585 I wanted to make my kids proud. 00:10:59.585 --> 00:11:10.879 I was like I'm going to do this for you guys, and I get there and I have the lights and I have the clips and then I realized you need something to get the clips on the gutter. 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:18.662 And Home Depot sells this pole that, like telescopes, you twist the clips on on and then you can put them on the gutter. 00:11:18.662 --> 00:11:22.196 And I didn't get that the first or the second trip. 00:11:22.196 --> 00:11:32.173 So I went back in my car and I went back to Home Depot and I walked into Home Depot and I passed you know, that kit I told you about in the beginning passed the kit and I got the pole. 00:11:32.173 --> 00:11:34.457 I said, okay, this is it. 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:40.812 And I got home and I had the lights and I had the clips and I had the pole and I started putting the clips up and they don't tell you this. 00:11:40.812 --> 00:11:42.955 But the clips break Just about every other clip. 00:11:42.955 --> 00:11:44.674 They're plastic, they break when you put them up there. 00:11:44.674 --> 00:11:55.082 So I put the clips up and I finally got the lights up and I stood back and I was so proud of myself until I realized that I needed some way to turn them on. 00:11:55.082 --> 00:11:59.251 I'm not handy, guys. 00:11:59.251 --> 00:12:19.498 I had to jump back in my car, go back to Home Depot and grab the green outdoor extension cords so that I could plug my lights in with a timer so that I could finally get everything on, and all the while I was passing this stupid kit in the middle of the aisle that said we have everything right here in this one box. 00:12:21.890 --> 00:12:23.557 It reminds me of John 10 10. 00:12:23.557 --> 00:12:27.799 When Jesus says I've come to give you life, and life in abundance. 00:12:27.799 --> 00:12:34.844 And all of us in this room have something that we think if I just have more of this in 2025, my life is going to be better. 00:12:34.844 --> 00:12:42.292 My life is going to be better. 00:12:42.292 --> 00:12:58.081 And so, in our constant pursuit of more peace and our constant pursuit of more meaning or more deep relationships, or more money or more of my debt wiped out, all the while we're pursuing these things, tiring ourselves out, and there's this kit that stands in the middle that says everything that you need is actually right here. 00:12:58.081 --> 00:13:02.587 That stands in the middle that says everything that you need is actually right here. 00:13:05.629 --> 00:13:06.836 It would be crazy, wouldn't it be crazy, if there was a person? 00:13:06.836 --> 00:13:08.764 It'd be crazy if there was just a person who had all these things that we said that we needed. 00:13:08.764 --> 00:13:13.759 It'd be crazy if there was one place that we could go to where we didn't have to chase each item by itself. 00:13:13.759 --> 00:13:15.913 We could go to one place and find all of these things. 00:13:15.913 --> 00:13:17.277 It'd be weird. 00:13:17.277 --> 00:13:23.580 It'd be weird if there was a person named Jesus or something who had all of these things. 00:13:23.580 --> 00:13:30.863 And here's where the tension lies, is that they're not all bad things, all the things that we just said to each other. 00:13:30.863 --> 00:13:38.854 Man, if I just, if I just had a promotion at work, then I'd be able to pay off that debt and I wouldn't have to deal with any more stress. 00:13:38.854 --> 00:13:42.620 That's not a bad thing, man. 00:13:42.620 --> 00:13:48.839 If I just had more meaningful relationships at school with my friends, I'd feel less lonely, I'd feel less overlooked. 00:13:48.839 --> 00:13:52.892 It's not a bad thing, man. 00:13:52.892 --> 00:13:58.476 If I could just my wife and I could just get over this one hurdle our relationship, we'd be reconciled, we'd have more peace. 00:13:58.476 --> 00:13:59.480 It's not a bad thing. 00:14:00.730 --> 00:14:04.961 And yet we find ourselves in life constantly chasing after each thing. 00:14:06.130 --> 00:14:10.662 When all of these things are found in one person, enter Jesus. 00:14:10.662 --> 00:14:20.576 When Jesus says in John 10, 10, I've come to give you life, and life in abundance, or life and have it abundantly, what he's saying is this word zoe, this zoe, life. 00:14:20.576 --> 00:14:27.976 Zoe, life is not that we have more stuff, but that we experience more satisfaction and contentment and fulfillment. 00:14:27.976 --> 00:14:47.160 In our minds, in how we process words, we see abundance and we automatically think stuff An abundance of money, an abundance of cars, an abundance of investments, an abundance of homes. 00:14:47.160 --> 00:14:48.566 An abundance. 00:14:48.566 --> 00:14:53.758 We think it's always more and it somehow always ties itself to monetary value. 00:14:53.758 --> 00:14:57.312 And yet this is not what Jesus refers to at all. 00:14:57.312 --> 00:15:04.921 He says if you want to experience the highest form of life, the most satisfied form of life, here's what you're going to find. 00:15:04.921 --> 00:15:06.671 It's all found in me. 00:15:06.671 --> 00:15:20.288 It's not found in buying the new house with the extra room for the man cave, with the extra room for the man cave. 00:15:20.288 --> 00:15:25.361 It's not found in finding another job with a better benefits package and better healthcare. 00:15:25.361 --> 00:15:28.436 It's not in any of those things. 00:15:28.436 --> 00:15:31.239 It's found in a person, and his name is Jesus. 00:15:32.410 --> 00:15:43.162 When Jesus says I've come to give you an abundance of life, what he's saying is not that you're going to have more, but every day that you wake up, you get to live with purpose, an abundance of life. 00:15:43.162 --> 00:15:47.035 Every day that you wake up, you get to live with passion and zeal. 00:15:47.035 --> 00:15:49.623 You look forward to what God's going to do in your life. 00:15:49.623 --> 00:15:59.720 Every day that you wake up, you get to wake up with direction and a sense of knowing that I'm going to be okay, no matter what presents itself in front of me. 00:15:59.720 --> 00:16:03.075 I found myself this year, 2024. 00:16:03.697 --> 00:16:04.258 I told God. 00:16:04.258 --> 00:16:12.389 I said God, if you don't do a thing, if you do nothing else for me for the rest of my life, I'm ever satisfied in what you've already done. 00:16:12.389 --> 00:16:14.972 God, I don't need you to answer another prayer. 00:16:14.972 --> 00:16:17.134 I found contentment in knowing you. 00:16:17.134 --> 00:16:21.719 I've got kids and I've got dreams for my family and what I want to do. 00:16:21.719 --> 00:16:29.306 And yet, if God doesn't answer any of those prayers, I found complete joy and satisfaction in knowing him. 00:16:29.306 --> 00:16:34.335 This is an abundance of life. 00:16:34.355 --> 00:16:39.765 Here's what's going to happen if you get all those needs met, the needs that you just mentioned You're just going to have. 00:16:39.765 --> 00:16:46.035 If you get all those needs met, the needs that you just mentioned, you're just going to have more needs that need to be met. 00:16:46.035 --> 00:16:49.812 And when those needs are met, you'll find other needs that need to be met and your heart will ever grow tired and weary of chasing and pursuing. 00:16:49.812 --> 00:16:51.818 This is literally. 00:16:51.818 --> 00:16:53.846 The book of Galatians says it like this. 00:16:53.846 --> 00:17:12.056 He says because we've all been born as sons and daughters of the most high God, our hearts cry out Abba, father, there's a longing and an angst on the inside of each and every one of our hearts that longs to be with him, and yet we're pursuing everything else and we wonder why we grow tired and we wonder why we grow weary. 00:17:12.056 --> 00:17:17.286 Because our heart longs to be with him and yet we're trying to find fulfillment in things. 00:17:17.286 --> 00:17:23.580 If you want 2025 to be your best year ever, I would tell you this fall in love with the person of jesus. 00:17:23.580 --> 00:17:39.884 Don't pursue things and try to get things, and and they're all great things none of them are bad in principle, but if you want to find the best satisfaction in your life, you find it in him. 00:17:39.884 --> 00:17:43.980 The abundant life doesn't start at the point of your need being met. 00:17:43.980 --> 00:17:46.739 It starts at the point of seeing Jesus rightly. 00:17:49.050 --> 00:17:55.694 Here's the problem with the American church we don't actually see Jesus rightly, especially at a time like Christmas. 00:17:55.694 --> 00:17:57.400 What is Jesus? 00:17:57.400 --> 00:18:00.154 He's a baby in a manger. 00:18:00.154 --> 00:18:01.440 That's Jesus. 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:04.596 And you know why that's Jesus to us? 00:18:04.596 --> 00:18:05.559 Because it's marketable. 00:18:05.559 --> 00:18:09.780 I can sell Jesus in a manger a baby that's cute. 00:18:09.780 --> 00:18:20.900 I could sell a nativity scene, and all the while, the church is being sung to sleep by pop culture and media and we're influenced to think that Jesus is only a baby in a manger. 00:18:22.730 --> 00:18:26.537 This is Israel in the Bible, israel, the nation in the Old Testament. 00:18:26.537 --> 00:18:29.375 This is Israel's relationship with God. 00:18:29.375 --> 00:18:31.121 God sets them free. 00:18:31.121 --> 00:18:35.861 Israel runs off, forgets about God, does their own thing, says God, we got this, we don't need you. 00:18:35.861 --> 00:18:39.095 And then they realize, oh, they don't got this, they need him. 00:18:39.095 --> 00:18:40.356 God help us. 00:18:40.356 --> 00:18:42.800 And God comes and he helps them. 00:18:42.800 --> 00:18:46.954 And then Israel goes away and says, okay, god, I think we figured it out, we don't need you anymore. 00:18:46.954 --> 00:18:50.590 And then they realize, oh, my gosh, I do need him. 00:18:50.590 --> 00:18:51.711 So they call God again. 00:18:51.711 --> 00:18:52.313 God help us. 00:18:52.313 --> 00:18:55.238 And God comes back in all his mercy and grace, helps them again. 00:18:55.238 --> 00:18:57.981 This is us, this is the American church. 00:18:57.981 --> 00:18:59.724 God, we don't need you. 00:19:01.691 --> 00:19:02.593 And then things get really hard. 00:19:02.593 --> 00:19:05.020 Oh, my God, I need you, I need you, I need you, I need you. 00:19:05.020 --> 00:19:10.942 And God comes so lovingly and so gentle and he meets us at the point of our need. 00:19:10.942 --> 00:19:13.894 And then things start going well and then we forget about him. 00:19:13.894 --> 00:19:15.015 Oh God, I don't need you anymore. 00:19:15.015 --> 00:19:16.376 I already got the job. 00:19:16.376 --> 00:19:17.880 God, I don't need you anymore. 00:19:17.880 --> 00:19:18.361 I already got the job. 00:19:18.361 --> 00:19:19.182 God, I don't need you anymore. 00:19:19.182 --> 00:19:21.184 That relationship I prayed for, oh, it's better. 00:19:21.184 --> 00:19:24.458 I don't need you anymore. 00:19:24.458 --> 00:19:25.402 Oh God, I don't need you anymore. 00:19:25.402 --> 00:19:28.215 I already paid off that debt that we had. 00:19:28.215 --> 00:19:30.721 And then we call out for him again and then we run away. 00:19:30.721 --> 00:19:40.671 This is Israel. 00:19:40.691 --> 00:19:42.757 And so Israel finds itself in a place where they're looking for a king, a conqueror, a savior. 00:19:42.757 --> 00:19:49.375 Israel wanted, like someone like King David, to come back and restore the nation to what it was, because they had been so, so tired of trying to sustain themselves without God. 00:19:49.375 --> 00:19:53.275 So they find themselves in this place where they're told the king is going to come. 00:19:53.275 --> 00:19:54.602 This is the Christmas story. 00:19:54.602 --> 00:19:55.287 This is what we all sing about. 00:19:55.287 --> 00:19:55.869 This is the Christmas story. 00:19:55.869 --> 00:19:59.666 This is what we all sing about. 00:20:01.876 --> 00:20:03.364 But what Israel expected was a king. 00:20:03.364 --> 00:20:11.390 Israel expected like a warrior, like William Wallace from Braveheart. 00:20:11.390 --> 00:20:19.630 Israel expected William Wallace to come and say they may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom. 00:20:19.630 --> 00:20:22.951 Maybe this movie went over your head. 00:20:22.951 --> 00:20:28.041 Israel was looking for someone like Luke Skywalker, to be like a Jedi Knight and come back and bring balance to the force. 00:20:28.041 --> 00:20:32.438 They wanted a warrior, someone who was going to come in and conquer and help them. 00:20:33.461 --> 00:20:34.671 Maybe you don't watch Star Wars. 00:20:34.671 --> 00:20:47.953 Israel wanted someone like Batman Just send up a bat signal and Batman will come save Israel, and so they're longing, expecting for someone to come save them, just like us. 00:20:47.953 --> 00:20:56.015 We're longing and thinking that if I just get this one thing fixed, it'll save my life, it'll settle everything. 00:20:56.015 --> 00:21:00.971 And Israel is waiting for a king, and all they get is a baby. 00:21:00.971 --> 00:21:06.627 And can you imagine this Israel thinking I need someone to come and save me. 00:21:06.647 --> 00:21:07.569 And then a baby comes. 00:21:07.569 --> 00:21:16.642 A baby, a baby in a manger is supposed to come and save me. 00:21:16.642 --> 00:21:20.385 This baby can't teach me how to be a better man. 00:21:20.385 --> 00:21:22.996 Why should I trust this baby? 00:21:22.996 --> 00:21:25.853 Sweet baby Jesus. 00:21:25.853 --> 00:21:29.923 You can't help me know how to steward my finances. 00:21:29.923 --> 00:21:31.454 Why should I trust you? 00:21:31.454 --> 00:21:34.076 I was expecting a king. 00:21:34.076 --> 00:21:40.211 Baby Jesus, what are you going to teach me about being a better wife or a better husband? 00:21:40.211 --> 00:21:47.020 This is the image of Jesus that we're taught. 00:21:47.020 --> 00:21:56.019 And because we're taught this image of Jesus, it limits, it creates a gap between our understanding of who he really is. 00:21:56.019 --> 00:22:08.499 Because this is the image that we push, baby Jesus, how's it going to help me wipe out all my debt? 00:22:08.499 --> 00:22:11.825 I'm going to go back to my real king. 00:22:12.289 --> 00:22:14.348 We all have real kings, whether we say it or not. 00:22:14.348 --> 00:22:14.741 You know. 00:22:14.741 --> 00:22:16.363 King career Kings. 00:22:16.363 --> 00:22:23.413 Whether we say it or not, you know, king career King career my career will save me. 00:22:23.413 --> 00:22:25.940 I'll just work harder, get a promotion, get a raise. 00:22:25.940 --> 00:22:31.295 Hopefully taxes don't go up at the same time. 00:22:31.295 --> 00:22:32.718 King career that's our real king. 00:22:32.718 --> 00:22:37.991 Or how about this one, some of us? 00:22:38.011 --> 00:22:40.836 King self-reliance, king effort I just got to do more. 00:22:40.836 --> 00:22:48.236 I just got to grunt more Grr, because grunting helps. 00:22:48.236 --> 00:22:53.044 We all have kings that we don't articulate verbally, but they still exist. 00:22:53.044 --> 00:22:56.833 What about king approval of man? 00:22:56.833 --> 00:23:03.321 If I just sit in the back and appease everyone and make everyone else happy, then my life will be better. 00:23:03.321 --> 00:23:13.457 King leisure I'm just going to sacrifice my own health and well-being on the altar of taking my family out on more vacations and then everything's going to be better. 00:23:13.457 --> 00:23:16.997 What about king selfish ambition? 00:23:16.997 --> 00:23:22.196 No, this is about me and my dreams and my wants for me. 00:23:22.196 --> 00:23:25.836 What about King's self-care? 00:23:25.836 --> 00:23:29.345 What about King YOLO? 00:23:29.345 --> 00:23:31.068 Do it all. 00:23:31.068 --> 00:23:32.132 You only live once. 00:23:32.132 --> 00:23:38.411 We all have a king, because this is how we see Jesus. 00:23:38.411 --> 00:23:47.386 I have an idea that if you would be able to see Jesus rightly, your entire life might change. 00:23:47.386 --> 00:23:53.346 This is the image we have of Jesus and this is not who Jesus is. 00:23:55.240 --> 00:24:01.205 Jesus was in a manger for a time, but Jesus grows up and he walks out of that manger. 00:24:01.205 --> 00:24:05.829 We read in the Bible how Jesus was 12 years old, found in the temple praying. 00:24:05.829 --> 00:24:09.005 He's not the baby in the manger anymore, he's praying at church. 00:24:09.005 --> 00:24:15.471 Then we read about Jesus, 30 years old in Matthew, getting baptized by John the Baptist. 00:24:15.471 --> 00:24:21.451 The clouds part and the voice comes from heaven and says this is my beloved son, with whom I'm well pleased. 00:24:21.451 --> 00:24:25.806 He's not the baby in the manger anymore, he's being baptized. 00:24:25.806 --> 00:24:33.320 Then we see Jesus gather the 12 disciples, goes around, starts healing the lame, healing the blind, healing the sick. 00:24:33.320 --> 00:24:38.192 Starts feeding people with some Hawaiian rolls and deep fried catfish. 00:24:38.192 --> 00:24:46.622 Jesus, he's not the baby in the manger anymore, and yet we treat him like he's the baby in the manger. 00:24:46.622 --> 00:24:49.434 Jesus, you can't help me with my problems today, I'll just do this myself. 00:24:49.434 --> 00:24:52.361 He says you can't help me with my problems today, I'll just do this myself. 00:24:52.401 --> 00:25:03.769 It reminds me of I'm Filipino, so we have family parties for, like, anything Like, it'll just be a Tuesday and my family will find a reason to get together and we'll go to these. 00:25:03.769 --> 00:25:07.613 Yes, thank you, I got one supporter in the room. 00:25:07.613 --> 00:25:16.359 We'll go to these family parties and I'll often find myself meeting people I'd never met before in my life, but they know me. 00:25:16.359 --> 00:25:19.022 Oh, austin. 00:25:19.022 --> 00:25:19.403 Oh, come here. 00:25:19.403 --> 00:25:23.107 I haven't seen you since you were five years old, like pinching my cheeks. 00:25:23.107 --> 00:25:24.951 I'm not five years old anymore. 00:25:24.951 --> 00:25:26.512 I got my family right behind me. 00:25:27.012 --> 00:25:29.195 Oh, my gosh, I remember I used to change your diapers. 00:25:29.195 --> 00:25:32.483 Do you remember me? 00:25:32.483 --> 00:25:32.605 Mm-hmm? 00:25:32.605 --> 00:25:37.654 Yeah, gosh, I remember I used to change your diapers. 00:25:37.654 --> 00:25:38.355 Do you remember me? 00:25:38.355 --> 00:25:39.238 Yeah, auntie. 00:25:39.238 --> 00:25:43.539 Oh, austin, look. 00:25:43.539 --> 00:25:44.161 Oh, I remember you were so cute. 00:25:44.161 --> 00:25:44.461 What happened? 00:25:44.461 --> 00:25:52.615 Aunties are the rudest man, but they'll be doing this to me and in my mind, I'm like I'm not that baby anymore, I've got a family. 00:25:52.615 --> 00:25:54.178 When are you going to start talking to me like I'm? 00:25:54.178 --> 00:25:55.319 Like I'm not that baby anymore, I've got a family. 00:25:55.319 --> 00:26:00.259 When are you going to start talking to me like I'm an adult? 00:26:04.406 --> 00:26:06.480 I wonder how the Lord feels with our image of him like this. 00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:13.316 And he's not the baby in the manger anymore. 00:26:13.316 --> 00:26:14.618 We treat him like this. 00:26:14.618 --> 00:26:16.842 Okay, god, thank you for this day. 00:26:16.842 --> 00:26:17.785 I hope I have a good day, amen. 00:26:17.785 --> 00:26:20.971 And yet the lord has an invitation, one of the most beautiful invitation he gives. 00:26:20.971 --> 00:26:21.842 I love this. 00:26:21.842 --> 00:26:26.292 This is this year has been one of my favorite scriptures to pray and meditate on. 00:26:26.292 --> 00:26:34.890 He says come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest, but you're a baby. 00:26:34.890 --> 00:26:37.452 You're a baby in a manger. 00:26:37.452 --> 00:26:39.355 You can't give me rest. 00:26:39.355 --> 00:26:40.296 You don't even rest. 00:26:40.296 --> 00:26:45.861 You probably just cry all night. 00:26:45.861 --> 00:26:47.041 You haven't even been fed by your bottle, baby Jesus. 00:26:47.041 --> 00:26:59.056 This is how we treat Jesus, and this is why I think many of us have experienced an unsatisfied Christian life, because we still treat him like the baby. 00:27:02.420 --> 00:27:06.872 Aw Tozer, one of my favorite authors in the world, says what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. 00:27:06.872 --> 00:27:10.789 And so I would ask you when you think about God, what do you see? 00:27:10.789 --> 00:27:14.406 Do you yet see the baby in the manger? 00:27:14.406 --> 00:27:20.987 Do you see a distant father? 00:27:20.987 --> 00:27:24.067 Do you see a judge with a gavel? 00:27:24.067 --> 00:27:28.450 Do you see a school principal waiting for you to mess up? 00:27:28.450 --> 00:27:31.686 What do you see when you think of him? 00:27:31.686 --> 00:27:36.871 I would tell you today that everything changed for me when prayer changed for me. 00:27:36.871 --> 00:27:41.971 When prayer changed for me, everything else about my Christian walk changed. 00:27:43.162 --> 00:27:47.481 When I started diving into the text and diving through the scripture, I started reading the book of Revelation. 00:27:47.481 --> 00:27:50.325 I know it's scary Anyone scared to read the book of Revelation. 00:27:50.325 --> 00:27:50.925 I know it's scary. 00:27:50.925 --> 00:27:52.688 Anyone scared to read the book of Revelation? 00:27:52.688 --> 00:28:03.862 Yeah, eyeballs and horns and oh my gosh, and wizards and dungeons and dragons it's like Harry Potter, all in the book of Revelation. 00:28:03.882 --> 00:28:13.528 It's scary sometimes, but you start reading through the book of Revelation, chapter four and five, where God gives John an eyewitness account, a sneak peek into what the throne room looks like, and everything changes. 00:28:13.528 --> 00:28:17.335 He's not the baby in the manger anymore, he's a king. 00:28:17.335 --> 00:28:34.776 And if I would change my perspective on how I see Jesus, maybe my prayer life might change, maybe everything else for me might change if I come to him not as a baby but as king, to him not as a baby but as king. 00:28:34.776 --> 00:28:47.627 I think it's hard for us in America to recognize him as king because we don't have kings and so our natural minds can't associate him as king and give him the honor that he's due, because that part there's a gap. 00:28:47.627 --> 00:29:00.106 But when we submit ourselves to Jesus, the king, I've found that everything I could ever want or need, I discover I used to think. 00:29:00.106 --> 00:29:10.990 I used to think, all right, if I could just have you know how you guys did the exercise, if my 2025 would be better, better if I could just have blank. 00:29:10.990 --> 00:29:12.973 I used to think it was more money. 00:29:12.973 --> 00:29:17.429 And so, 2017, my wife and I launched a business. 00:29:17.429 --> 00:29:20.646 We launched a business. 00:29:21.201 --> 00:29:23.569 I come from a family where we have no entrepreneurs. 00:29:23.569 --> 00:29:36.144 The highest form of education would be my mom and she graduated from high school, and I grew up with both parents and two older brothers both and she graduated from high school and I grew up with both parents and two older brothers, both of who barely passed high school. 00:29:36.144 --> 00:29:38.842 And so I thought me launch a business? 00:29:38.842 --> 00:29:39.443 No way. 00:29:39.443 --> 00:29:42.070 But I was kind of excited, so I was like, let's do it. 00:29:42.070 --> 00:29:45.384 And so we launched a business in 2017. 00:29:45.384 --> 00:29:48.292 Did really well, even through the pandemic. 00:29:51.423 --> 00:30:09.692 We were at the point where it was two more years in business and I would have been able to retire before 40 years old Literally retire, sit back, step away from everything, and, because of the business that we had built, everything would have been generating enough revenue for us to live comfortably and do what we wanted to do. 00:30:09.692 --> 00:30:10.654 I was two years away. 00:30:10.654 --> 00:30:13.482 I thought that's all I needed. 00:30:13.482 --> 00:30:17.863 If there's any business owners in the room, you know how stressful owning a business is. 00:30:17.863 --> 00:30:21.791 I thought own a business, everything will go away. 00:30:21.791 --> 00:30:24.924 No, everything got worse, more headaches. 00:30:24.924 --> 00:30:26.307 What I got? 00:30:26.307 --> 00:30:27.009 To hire people. 00:30:27.009 --> 00:30:30.134 I got to file my taxes differently. 00:30:30.134 --> 00:30:36.828 I have to follow rules differently according to how we filed our corporation, like what. 00:30:38.961 --> 00:30:43.650 And I remember one day being in prayer and telling God this was earlier this year, in April. 00:30:43.650 --> 00:30:45.547 I said God, why is this so hard? 00:30:45.547 --> 00:30:55.548 I thought all I needed was just to make more money and my parents or my family me as a parent would be more satisfied, I'd be more content, my family would be well taken care of. 00:30:55.548 --> 00:30:57.201 I thought everything was going to be okay. 00:30:57.201 --> 00:30:58.884 Why is this so hard? 00:30:58.884 --> 00:31:03.040 And I heard the voice of God and I've only heard this twice in my life. 00:31:03.602 --> 00:31:14.321 I clearly heard him say Austin, you forgot about me In your pursuit of all of these things, austin, that you thought was going to make your life better, you forgot about me. 00:31:14.321 --> 00:31:18.111 I was like I'm a pastor. 00:31:18.111 --> 00:31:19.133 How do I forget about you? 00:31:19.133 --> 00:31:21.705 I've been walking with you for 17 years. 00:31:21.705 --> 00:31:22.849 What do you mean I forgot about you. 00:31:22.849 --> 00:31:24.722