0002 Sermon: Faith Under Fire: The Promise Of Eternity

Can Christians truly become warriors of faith in today's world? Join us as we navigate the mission of Christ Forged Church, committed to transforming men into Christ-centered leaders and nurturing the biblical femininity of women. Through the lens of Reformed theology, we explore how our community strives to build strong homes and support both veterans and first responders. With the spirit of Christmas in our hearts, we celebrate our traditions while announcing exciting changes to our worship format, aimed at fostering unity and active participation.

The episode also takes a sobering turn as we address the disturbing rise in violence against Christians, particularly through vehicle attacks. In a society heavily reliant on cars, these threats pose unique challenges that demand vigilance and preparedness. Despite such dark realities, we shift our focus to the true meaning of Christmas, reflecting on the birth of Jesus as a beacon of hope and the ultimate promise of eternity. Through collective gratitude, we reinforce the significance of embracing this sacred season with renewed faith.

Prayer becomes our anchor as we discuss practical ways to maintain focus, drawing inspiration from the simplicity and humility of a child's prayer. Our sermon transitions into the miraculous birth of John the Baptist, a prelude to the coming of Jesus, underscoring themes of faith and divine promise. As we recount the story of Jesus's birth, we invite you to partake in the celebration of communion, honoring Christ's life and sacrifice. Together, we pray for peace and unity, encouraging all to embody Christ's love and grace while seeking healing for our nation.

Christian Warrior Talk is Sponsored by Trident Shield, your trusted ally in violence preparedness. Trident Shield helps safeguard your loved ones with expert training and consulting. Trident Shield, defending faith through empowered preparedness because together, we save lives."

Chapters

• 0:00 Christ Forged Church Update and Announcement
• 9:59 Vehicle Attacks and Christmas Message
• 20:19 Power of Prayer and Miracle Births
• 32:37 Birth of Jesus and Visits
• 39:10 Jesus' Birth and Life Story
• 49:45 Communion and Prayer for Peace

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:39

Merry Christmas to you all. Merry, merry, merry Christmas. We ran a little long today for extra worship to roll in some of the Christmas songs Again. You can find our playlist for Sundays on the channel. It's in channels and it's Christ Forge Sunday Worship. So again, strange name, right? I know you guys have only heard it once before. So, merry Christmas, welcome to Christ Forged Church, a home church, community and ministry and farm sorry, ministry and farm that forges Christian warriors for today's challenges.

Speaker 1: 1:15

All right, christ Church or Christ Forged Church exists to transform life by forging men into Christ-centered leaders, equipping them to disciple their families, build strong homes and serve God's kingdom. Rooted in Reformed theology, we are dedicated to restoring biblical masculinity, empowering veterans, first responders and men to find their identity in Christ and fulfill their God-given purpose. While Christ Forged Church focuses on forging men into leaders, we are equally committed to nurturing biblical femininity in women. By embracing the God-given role, women are empowered to love their unique callings as loving, nurturing figures, shield maidens and strong supporters of faith in their homes, churches and communities, reflecting Christ's love and grace in all they do. Through discipleship, the refining power of God's word and brotherhood, we aim to create a legacy of faith that strengthens families, builds community and generations to come. Additionally, christ's Word Church prepares individuals to face dangers of this world with courage and wisdom, equipping them to protect their loved ones and uphold the Word of God. We accomplish this by training for both kinetic challenges and spiritual challenges, fostering resilience and readiness in every aspect of life.

Speaker 1: 2:24

So now we will not be having a Christmas Eve service. We do not have enough in-person people here in attendance to do a competent Christmas Eve service. We'll post one next year. So I recommend you find a church that aligns with your values and go celebrate and sing Christmas hymns with a large body. Or, if you've got a bunch of people there in your house, you can do it yourself. Just get a playlist of the words. That's what we're going to do here. So we're going to queue up about I don't know 10, 15 songs with the words on there and we're going to sing away and all that.

Speaker 1: 2:58

But we're building, we're fortunate, we're building, we're fortunate. This is our what I would say our first on-the-clock Christmas where the kids at five and a half, three and one are paying attention really. So now we are building family traditions that we all have right, and, for example, today we were debating on what to have for Christmas dinner, which historically in my family things were very different. So usually Christmas Eve, everyone from all the families came to my grandparents' house, which is where I was most of the time, and they did Christmas there. We exchanged, you know know, presents from each other there and, um, and it was great, it was great we that's. Those are the fondest memories I have um, you know, people laughing around the table, having a good time, great home cooking. I think we always had a turkey I don't think we had one with me road that I recall anyways and uh, just just great times. And then, before I was saved, it was that. And then I went out with my friends and try not to get into too much trouble the night after I left. You know from crit, from christmas eve so great times as a kid and then even as a young adult. I remember practically killing myself to get home for christmas eve because I want to get that turkey dinner and everything else. So we decided we're going to do our big family meal here on Christmas Eve and then have Christmas Day be a day of leftovers, relaxation and reflecting on the Lord and celebrating the Lord. So that's what we want to do here, and we're such a small unit. All of our family lives right here on the Lord, so that's what we want to do here, and we're such a small unit. All of our family lives right here on the compound, so we can do that and really looking forward to that. I know we've got only a few days left, but that's what we're doing here. We only have one more church service at 7 pm, and that's next week, okay, you know which. I don't even know what the date of that is, but then on January 5th we start at 11, okay. So how will those services work? Well, the 11 o'clock service, which is Eastern Standard Time, will be not broadcast live.

Speaker 1: 5:21

We're really hoping to change things up, encourage in-person attendance here and not just people taking the easy route and staying home and not building that community here. We're able to drive people to be here in person, but online. We're going to be hosting this in a Zoom room. That means that we won't be on Facebook or YouTube or X or any of these other places live. It will restream life, right, meaning I want there to be worship and I want everyone here to be able to worship. I want people wherever they're at around the country. We've got people in Oregon and Washington and California and Texas and Boston and Maine and Florida all doing this service. Okay, from all around the country. So I want them to be singing out to the Lord because worship is so important. It's not for us, it's for Him. So we're going to get online and, because we're in a Zoom room, we can stream the videos from YouTube and sing along together.

Speaker 1: 6:24

Okay, then afterwards I will cut out the announcements, the music and then just put the sermon online. Okay, so that will live stream. Right, it won't be live meaning that, meaning it will already be done, but it will broadcast as a live event out to the interwebs and all the social media channels. Then In person okay, starting on the 5th, lauren and my mom, or my mom and Lauren or whoever one or the other or both, will be helping people park and welcome you to our home. Okay, because we're a home church. Welcome you to our home church. All will be in the main sanctuary here until after worship, where we will dismiss the young children to our separate mother's room where Lauren and the other moms can bring the younger kids to watch the sermon on TV. It's on the other side of this wall actually, and enjoy kids' appropriate Bible lessons. After the service we will have fellowship food and drinking activities.

Speaker 1: 7:31

Okay, we are launching a new fellowship show. I know we talked about Christian. We talked last weekend, but I want to turn the page fresh start. So we're launching a new fellowship show called Christ Forge Locking Shields. It's the same as Christian Warrior Talk in many ways. Starting Friday, january 3rd at 9 pm Eastern Standard Time on all social media channels, christ Forge Locking Shields is a fellowship show where we will discuss all things Christian life, prepping, homesteading tactics, news stories and the effect of soul. We'll also be doing testimonies and interviewing people, authors and other interesting people that are reaching out for me to schedule. As we speak.

Speaker 1: 8:17

We will be filming a welcome video to show people what to expect when they come to our home church. So be on the lookout for some social media posts up here with a welcome video. This will be basically what it looks like. A camera will show you what it looks like from the curb where you come, where you park, the front way you come in, so you can see that we're not weirdos. Come in the living room door, walk through our kitchen. We have a church-only bathroom in our house which is attached to the sanctuary. You come in, we'll see where the mother's room is and you'll see everything's all good to go, all right. We're also going to be filming a video of what makes Christ Forged Church different, including the farm and ministry. So be on the lookout for that, because we're going to be looking for extras for that one.

Speaker 1: 9:05

And then, to make things even more interesting, we might be processing a big pig on Saturday, january the 4th. We can use help. We'll be giving out large amounts of sausage and parts to those who want to come help. We have some pigs that we need to process that are full grown Bacon, who's a lot of piggies to go. Al, who has been our patriarch pig. He's not getting the girls pregnant anymore and it's either all girls or just him, so he's got to go too. So we'll figure out which one of those I'm going to talk to him. I don't know if it's going to be bacon or Al, but it's going to be one of them. So you know. Again, the fourth is flexible. It might be after our main trip, but I just wanted to put that out there. And now I'm going to get to some sad news as far as in the news. Okay, so we believe in preparing for challenges, kinetic and spiritual.

Speaker 1: 9:59

And violence against Christians is going through the roof. Since last month We've had two attacks on two Christian schools in two weeks. And we just had an attack in Germany where a Muslim man who's trying to say he's a former Muslim, but whatever plowed into a bunch of Christians at a high rate of speed in a Christian-like shopping area where that's where it all, it's all decorated. It's that the week before that there was a bunch of muslims marching through there, screaming all over right. So, um, vehicle attack. We had another one, I think in texas the other day, where the cops were chasing somebody and they decided to, rather than get caught or to go on a blaze, or they crashed, I think, through a jc penny store, drove over 100 yards to the store, ran over a ton of people on purpose and he was shot and killed. Um, nice, france, was the largest vehicle attack in history.

Speaker 1: 10:58

Vehicle attacks are terrible. American society is not prepared to handle vehicle attacks. Everybody wants to talk about the guns, always. Vehicles are the ones that give me up at night. Vehicle are the ones that will shut down economies and shut down an awful lot because the amount of infrastructure it takes to protect against a vehicle attack is huge. You've got to put bollards and raise massive curb heights and change a lot of things to where we here in America are the most car-dependent people of anywhere in the world, I think, where we don't like taking mass transportation. I mean, if you're a weirdo who lives in New York City, maybe the rest of us. Our vehicles are our freedom, right, that's our mobility to go wherever we want to go, and you know you can drive anywhere in the continental US if you want. Right, a lot of places over in Europe they don't mind being dependent on the government to take them places. But that's not us. We like our freedom of movement and these vehicle attacks are one form of attack against that. You know I don't want to talk about things because I don't want to give anybody any ideas, but you people out there who are brothers and sisters who watch this show, I care about you and I care about the people you care about. Please, please, please, always be aware of your surroundings and always have a plan, okay, plan to defend yourself and plan to put your family somewhere.

Speaker 1: 12:27

When I go on a public save. I always go to a parade. I wouldn't sit there and stand on a curb where anybody can jump the curb and run over my family. We would set up by stairs where we could gain altitude. We would sit somewhere where a car couldn't fit between two buildings, or there were bollards, which are steel or cement poles that cars can't fit through, and that is where we would sit. And the whole time there I'd be staring around making sure that no one's going to run over the kids. Because what happened was last year, the year before, in Kenosha, wisconsin, we had a massive Christmas attack there as well. A lot of people hurt, a lot of people killed. Okay, this is the way of the future, sorry to say.

Speaker 1: 13:09

Vehicle attacks are really hard to prevent. There's only one way to stop them. There's two ways to stop them. One is crashing your vehicle into their vehicle and stopping them from hitting anyone. The other is a fireman. It's not like an active shooter where you can just get hands on them and just touch them. You can take them down. They're in a thousand plus pound projectile moving very fast, okay so, or thousands of pounds, as in the case of I think it was a 16 ton truck that he just drove right through and that might be wrong, but it was a big, giant truck. I know it was a massive truck and the body. I think there was over 800 hurt there in one event and 80 killed or something like that. It was a lot. So many of those injuries aren't small. They're amputations and horrible things where people were run over by a massive truck, trampled to death and all kinds of other things.

Speaker 1: 14:05

So, as Christians, we have targets on our back. As Americans, we have targets on our back. As Christian Americans around the world, we have targets on our back and here at home, because of the LGBTQ trans madness and because of all the illegals we've let in, the LGBTQ trans madness and because of all the illegals we've let in, we have no idea how many terrorists are in our country right now ready to activate, whether they be Chinese or Islamic jihadists or Trend de Aragua, the now most powerful murderous gang in the country. It didn't exist before Biden went into office. So again, be aware, always have a plan, always be armed and always be aware of your surroundings.

Speaker 1: 15:11

All right, now I'm going to turn the page. We're going to get back to Christmas, but I've been having a chance to speak on that, got to speak on that and it's really important. Now we are in the Christmas season and it is hard to avoid the stress, but the reason for the season is not stressful. The reason for the season is the promise of eternity was born this day. Now I'm going to be the first to say I don't think Jesus was born on September 25th. I think he was probably, you know, people say in the fall or late summer, most likely, according to what a lot of people think. But it doesn't matter. We chose a day because we didn't know the day and we picked this day. It doesn't matter. I don't care if people want to celebrate the birth of Christ every day, which we should. This is the day, collectively, when the world points its heart at the heavens and says thank you, god, for sending your son to come down and die on a cross, to take our sin and to rule and reign over death in heaven. So that's what today is about. Today is about not the hope, the promise of eternity being delivered. So my goal today is to actually put the timeline of Jesus' birth and the events that we celebrate talk about, sing about on this day, to put them in order and to kind of explain them a little bit, all right, and then talk about something we don't talk about enough, which is the gospel.

Speaker 1: 16:56

So let's go to prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you. We thank you for our many and manifold blessings. We thank you for the season where, despite commercial America and the world trying to take it over, it's all about you. It should be all about you, lord. Your people know you. It's all about you. It should be all about you, lord. Your people know you and they make it about you, lord, we're thankful for the family that we have around us during this holiday season.

Speaker 1: 17:32

Lord, our hearts mourn for those who are suffering from the Christmas Day attack and others, and our heart goes out to them. And our heart also goes out to those who are displaced from the Christmas Day attack and others, and our heart goes out to them. And our heart also goes out to those who are displaced from the hurricanes. We are grateful they are still with us and we are grateful that they know you. And we are grateful for those that knew you, who are now with you in heaven, smiling down on us, enjoying glory and paradise more than we could ever imagine.

Speaker 1: 18:01

Lord, we thank you for all of our blessings, known and unknown, the trillions upon trillions of cells that had to work near perfect for us to even be here, all the protections from all the catastrophes that could have happened throughout this day. I will never know how much you protected us, saved us from such things. Lord, we thank you for the trials that you put us through, that test our faith and grow us to be like you have us to be. Lord, we thank you for your common grace. We thank you for the heavens, the stars, the sun, the moon, the earth. We thank you for the mountains to the oceans and everything in between. We thank you for sunrises and sunsets, for the sound of children's laughter and birds in the morning. Waves on the shore, smell of good food, cooking, good drink. Thank you for the taste of good food and drink. Thank you for a warm fire on a cold day, a cold breeze on a hot day. Lord, we thank you for it all. Lord, we thank you most for your divine grace, for choosing us and calling us to you, writing our names into the book of life for the foundations of the earth. Calling us to you, lord, we thank you and we thank you for your son Jesus, who made it all possible, shed his precious blood and bore your wrath for our transgressions, for our sins, for he had none. So, lord, we pray this time would please you and only you, would celebrate you and only you. Glorify you and only you. And may it please you, may we proclaim you with every breath of our lungs and we'll serve you with every beat of our hearts. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Speaker 1: 20:20

Now I know a lot of you out there don't know how to pray. We have people from all walks of life who are different levels of their journey. They're different depth in their journey, they're not as far down the road on their Christianity and you don't know how to pray. And trust me, even the Apostle Paul and others struggle with praying. All the apostles struggle with praying. They had to ask Jesus on how they should pray.

Speaker 1: 20:45

And I know, if you're like me, you stop praying at night, comfy in your bed, your mind wanders. I know that if you're like me and you haven't toned out things enough, you'll start your prayer and next thing you know you're thinking about a million other things other than God. I can tell you what works best for me and best for most people Is put a, you know, depending on who you are get on your knees and pray on the side of your bed. I put a nice purple pillow down there to protect my knees and get down there and it's not the most comfortable, but it's not uncomfortable. And it's not the most comfortable but it's not uncomfortable and it focuses me and keeps me up and keeps me focused on him. So, whatever it's worth, you try doing that Now.

Speaker 1: 21:30

You don't have to say everything I said in my prayer. You can say the simplest prayer of a child. In fact, children's prayers are the most powerful prayers. They have so much faith. The doubt of the world hasn't crept in on them yet. So we can pray like children.

Speaker 1: 21:48

If we have to Get alone and just pray to God, just realize you're not talking to you know, sky Buddy or Jesus Bro. You're talking to the creator of the universe and make sure you come with gratitude and humbleness. But even then, if you don't know how, god gave us a manual in Matthew 6, 9-13, when his followers asked Jesus, how should we pray? And Jesus said like this Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Speaker 1: 22:40

There are a lot of people who have written a lot of prayers and who pray a lot, and no one does it better than Jesus. Everything you need to know is right there. Everything you need to get through your day is right there. If you pray that prayer every morning, just that one, it will cover your bases and then some. So let us get into my sermon now. My sermon now. The promise for eternity, okay, the hope of christmas for us. It's where hope delivered happened. You gotta remember the entire old testament is pointing to a future Messiah. It's all pointing to Christ, and that promise had not been delivered yet at that point, until that babe was born. That day. So right before Jesus was born in Jerusalem, an angel told Zechariah that he and Elizabeth would have a child, john the Baptist, luke 1, 5-25.

Speaker 1: 23:50

The days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the division of Abijah, and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and he and her name was Elizabeth. If you see me stuttering on words, whatever it's because I copied and pasted on my iPad from the English Standard Version and it doesn't keep entire words, so it'll split a word in the right place, whether it's that or not. So bear with me. They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. That says something right there. Walking blameless and righteous before the statutes of the Lord. It means they're pretty special people. But they had no child because Elizabeth was barren, both were advanced years. See this theme appearing over and over and over this barrenness, with Elizabeth, with Abraham's wife right With Jacob's wife right Now.

Speaker 1: 24:51

While he was serving as priest before God, when his division was on duty according to the custom of priesthood, he was chosen by law to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. Remember, aaron's sons went up in smoke because they did it improperly and there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense, and Zechariah was troubled when he saw him and fear fell upon him. I bet he thought he was going to be the next crispy critter, for your prayer has been heard and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you shall name him John, and you will have joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. He must not drink wine or strong drink and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord, their God, and he will go before them in the spirit and the power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready for the Lord a people prepared. And Zachariah said to the angel here's a guy who knows all about previous patriarch struggles and their wives' struggles to get pregnant and God promising them and them coming through. And those patriarchs' struggles, their wives' struggles to get pregnant and God promising them and them coming through. And those patriarchs doubting and God still delivering after they made a mess. And here is Zechariah, once again doubting. And the angel answered him I am Gabriel, I stand in the presence of God. I am Gabriel, I stand in the presence of God and I was sent to speak to you and bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until these things take place, because you do not believe my words, which will be filled in their time.

Speaker 1: 26:54

And the people were waiting for Zechariah and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. And when he came out he was unable to speak to them and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. He kept making signs to them and remained mute. Now, on the chosen, he wrote on a board it was interesting, like a chalkboard. And when his time of service was ended he went to his home. After these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived and for five months she kept herself hidden saying Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me to take away my reproach among my people. Now a Nazareth angel told Mary, that same angel that she would give birth to a child who would save his people.

Speaker 1: 27:43

And then we're here now in chapter 126 through 38. And six months, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to the city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said Greetings, o favored one, the Lord is with you. But she was greatly troubled at the saying, trying to discern what sort of greatness might be. And the angel said to her Do not be afraid, mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. And he will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father, david, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there will be no end. And he said to the angel how will this be, since I am a virgin? And the angel said to her the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be called Holy, the Son of God. And behold, your relative, eliza Elizabeth again, that's the freaking thing here in her old age, conceived a son. This is the sixth month with her, who was called barren, for nothing will be impossible with God. And Mary said behold, I am a servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her.

Speaker 1: 29:21

Now, later on, mary went and visited her cousin Elizabeth in Judea, in Luke 1, 39-56. Mary in those days arose and went with haste into the hill country to a town in Judah and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth to a town in Judah. And she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth, and when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leapt in her womb. Now, remember, the Holy Spirit was told, or sorry, the angel Gabriel told Zechariah that Joseph, that the Holy Spirit was going to be within that baby, even in the womb. So here it is the baby leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why is this granted to me? That the mother of my Lord should come to me, for, behold, the sound of your greeting came to my ears. The baby in my womb leapt for joy, and blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord. Now, john the Baptist was born in Judea Luke 1.57-80. And in Nazareth the angel Gabriel told Joseph to take his Mary as his wife, for that which was conceived in her was of the Holy Ghost. So now we go to Joseph.

Speaker 1: 30:45

Now, the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. This is Matthew 1, 18 through 25. When his mother, mary, had been betrothed to Joseph before they came together, she was found to be with a child from the Holy Spirit. Joseph didn't know it was from the Holy Spirit. Joseph thought this girl that was supposed to be his wife is pregnant from somebody else, and her husband, joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, put her to death because that would be unhealthy, and he was kind, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son and he shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God with us. When Joseph woke from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. He took his wife, but he knew her not until she had given birth to a son and he called his name Jesus.

Speaker 1: 32:02

Now Catholics I don't know how they navigate around this verse here, but Catholics believe that Mary had no other children and that she stayed a virgin forever. Here you have it in plain black and white. But he knew her not until she had given birth to a son in plain black and white. But he knew her not until she had given birth to a son, which means that of course they had sex and they made other children, etc, etc. After that. So I don't know how they deal with that, but that's from a small little book called Matthew. But anyways, let's get into this now.

Speaker 1: 32:38

Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, so now Jesus is being born. Luke 2, 1-21, the birth of Jesus Christ. In those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Cornelius was governor of Syria and all went to be registered, each to his own town, and Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and of the lineage of David to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. So they're on the road and that's why they're in the hotel, why they were going to hotels and to inns and taverns and trying to find a place to stay and why they ended up in the manger or in the barn with the animals. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddled cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn, wrapped him in swaddled cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn.

Speaker 1: 33:41

And in the same region where the shepherds were, there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flocks at night. Now, this is important because it's part of our ministry, this is part of the Christian warrior ministry, this is part of Christ's forge. We're called to be the good shepherd. The Shepherds were out at night with their sheep. Why they don't graze at night? It's to protect sheep. David himself killed a lion and a bear right from attacking sheep. This is what they were out there doing protecting their flock Keeping watch, guarding, keeping watch, guarding, keeping watch. That's what we are to do with our flock, whether it be our family, our church, our schools, our community, our country. We're to keep watch.

Speaker 1: 34:46

And an angel of the lord appeared to them. The glory of the lord shone all around them and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them what do angels always say? Fear not. For behold, I bring you good news of greatest joy that will be for all people, for unto you is born this day in the sea, david, a Savior who is Christ, the Lord, and this will be a sign for you. You will find the baby, wrapped in swaddled cloths, lying in a manger, and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and, on earth, peace among those with whom he is pleased. When the angels went away from and saying in the manger and when they saw it, they may have known the saying that had been told to them concerning the child, and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart, and the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all they have heard and seen, as it had been told them. At the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by an angel before he was conceived in the womb. Eight days he was circumcised. No mention of the wise men. Right, every manger scene has this and the wise men coming and bringing all these gifts and laying them at their feet. But then, in Jerusalem, at least 40 days after his birth, jesus was dedicated at the temple. In Luke 22 through 38, jesus presented at the temple and when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem and presented him to the Lord. No-transcript every male who first opened the womb shall be called holy to the Lord and offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord.

Speaker 1: 36:50

A pair of turtle doves are two young pigeons. Now, just think about that. On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me two. What is it? One French hen, two turtle doves, sorry, sorry. A partridge in a pear tree and then two turtle doves. That's not by accident. I got the song wrong, the first verse wrong, but I got the two turtle doves right, okay, or two young pigeons.

Speaker 1: 37:19

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him and it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord Christ. He came in the Spirit into the temple and when the parents brought him to the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up his arms and blessed God and said Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for the revelation of the Gentiles. So here we are, and for glory for the people of Israel, we're already being looped in, we've already been earlier in the Old Testament, but Gentiles like you and like me, non-jews, into the kingdom. And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and the rising of many in Israel, for a sign that is opposed, and a sword will pierce through your own soul also, so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed. And there was a prophetess, anna, the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin and then as a widow until she was 84. She did not part from the temple, worshiping and fasting and praying that day and, coming up that very hour, she began to give thanks to God and speak to him, while we were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. Now, finally, in Bethlehem, from the east visited Jesus. The Magi from the east visited Jesus and brought him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Speaker 1: 39:11

Now, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in Judea, the days of Herod the king, the wise men from the east came to Jerusalem saying where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For he saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled in all of Jerusalem with him and, assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him in Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet O you, o, bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people, israel. Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared, and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word that I too may come and worship him. After listening to the king, they went on their way and, behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced and seemed to enjoy, and, going to the house, they saw the child with his mother and they fell down and worshipped him. Notice the term house there. Not they went into the barn, not they went into the house. They saw the child marry his mother and they fell down and worshipped him. Then, opening their treasures they'd offer gifts of gold, frankincense and silver and being warned to dream not to return to Herod, they departed from their own country by another way, only a little more.

Speaker 1: 40:43

I just want to put this timeline in place and I'm going to paraphrase the rest of this, god warned the magi not to return to her and tell where the king of the jews was born matthew 2, 12. And an angel appeared to joseph in a dream and told him to take jesus and mary and flee from from Egypt, so Herod would not kill him. Now, when they departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said Rise, take the child of his mother and flee to Egypt and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child and destroy him. And he rose and he took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet Out of Egypt. I called my son. When the Magi did not return to Herod in Jerusalem, Herod issued a decree that all children in Bethlehem to one another be killed Matthew 16. After Herod's death, an angel appeared in a dream to Joseph and told him to take Jesus and marry him back to Israel. That's in Matthew 2, 19-21. Joseph was warned by God in a dream not to go to Judea. So they went to Nazareth of Galilee Matthew 2, 22-23. And lastly, in Nazareth, jesus grew and became a strong spirit filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

Speaker 1: 41:56

Luke 2.40. That is what this weekend is about, or this week is about this month is about. It's what weekend is about, or this week is about. This month is about. It's what everything's about this child being born. That's the order of events and how it happened, as best we know. Now it's easy to lose track of what this is all about. It can be about gifts. It can be about traveling. It can is all about. It can be about gifts, it can be about traveling, it can be about food, it can be about everything, but it's not about that. It's about eternity. It's about God choosing you to come to him, surrender to him, to be his.

Speaker 1: 42:41

And all of us have lived vile lives. When you put our life next to Jesus's, we're all crimson darkness. We always compare ourselves to Hitler or Charles Manson or the worst. We never compare ourselves to the best of us and we certainly don't compare ourselves to Christ. So much of our lives we have settled for things that were outside of God's will. So much of our lives we have settled for things that were outside of God's will. I think of what would happen if all my prayers were answered, even when I was an atheist, praying to something oh, whatever, not even believing in it, but throwing up a quote-unquote Hail Mary, for lack of a better term. How little I would have settled for, instead of now, the family I have. How little I would have settled for, instead of now, the family I have, the life I'm living In service to him. We all have a chance To turn and make Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Nobody wants the Savior, nobody wants the Lord. When you become a Christian for real, either, you will feel in your heart that you should be serving other people. It's not about you anymore. You're the least important person in your life. It's how can you help other people, how can you serve him? That's how you know you're saved. It's still about you. Stop praying now.

Speaker 1: 44:32

Many of you out there are church wounded or you've known Christian hypocrites your whole life. Heck, I'm not nearly the man that you see here, which is not much. Most of the time, I struggle like everyone. I struggle like everyone. I have to repent all the time, try to do better, and there are some things that I have put behind me forever that I will never do. There are other things that are going to be daily battles for me the rest of my life, but I can tell you 100% certainty that the joy of my life has multiplied exponentially. And I'm not alone. Every Christian that I know who is truly a Christian. The joy in their life manifests in their gratitude and what they do with their time serving others. So God fulfills his promises.

Speaker 1: 45:47

Way back in Genesis, very beginning of the Bible, the very beginning of man's story, god promised Jesus. Jesus, the second Adam, come to take all the sin of the world and to do the righteousness that the first Adam could not do. So I challenge you all this weekend to look at your life. If you're not a Christian and you just happen to stumble upon this podcast, pray to God, ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Go buy a Bible and start reading Now. Don't do what most of us do Start on page one and then read all the way to the back, because you're going to get a couple hundred pages in and then you're going to burn out and then you're going to have to. You're going to fall away for a while when you go back and you'll start the same thing over and over. Don't ask me how many times I've read Genesis and Exodus before I made it to the book. Do at least Genesis and Exodus and then read the four Gospels and then straight through the back and then start over. That's what I recommend.

Speaker 1: 47:05

So if you are a Christian and your life is devoid of joy, what are you doing wrong? What sin is in your life that you haven't put down? That is separating you from God, that is separating you from gratitude. Do you think too highly of yourself? Do you think too little of yourself? Are you entitled, broken? God can work on all those things. God can fix all those things. God can give you purpose. Your greatest number is not going to be what you received You're laying on your deathbed. It's not going to be the diamond you got or the car you bought or whatever. It's going to be moments where you gave yourself to someone else and it changed them or had a massive effect on them. So I pray that you take some time to think about those things, reflect, give yourself over to God, start serving others.

Speaker 1: 48:13

So we do the Lord's Supper here, every service, and that's what we're going to do now. This is for baptized believers and we're going to read how to do this the correct way here 1 Corinthians 11, 27 through 32. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and the blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks the sermon of the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself, all right. So if we do this in an unworthy manner, if we don't confess our sins before we do this, we eat and drink that judgment on ourself. So now, close your eyes, go before the Lord.

Speaker 1: 49:02

Make this simple First part repent of your sins, the ones you know about, ones that you know are separating you from the Father, ones that you know are separating you from the Father, the ones that are driving Christ at arm's length away from you, not letting his love into you. And then ask God to reveal what am I doing wrong, lord, what am I doing wrong? And repent of us. I bet you'll know. Even when you say it, you'll know what you're doing wrong.

Speaker 1: 49:45

Next, this is a celebration toast. We are feasting and drinking because of Christ's accomplishment for us. So know what he did. He came, lived a sinless life, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, went to the cross, willingly died for our sin, paid the price for us, took on the wrath of God and then rose from the grave to raise a lever. Later he said at the right hand of the Father, to judge us all, to be king forever and ever. And he took a cup I'm sorry, that was the reading.

Speaker 1: 50:24

Jesus took the bread and, after blessing it, broke it and gave to the disciples and said Take, eat, this is my body. And he took a cup and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which was poured out for many from the beginning of the sentence. Go ahead and eat and drink, and we follow the Lord. We thank you. We thank you for your son, lord. Let's just focus on him. We thank you for Jesus Christ. May every breath that we take be to breathe him in more. Every beat of our heart is in the blood that is full of him. May our deeds reflect Christ. This week more than ever, may we love one another like Jesus loved us, and may we give grace. Grace like only you can do.

Speaker 1: 51:38

Lord, I pray a prayer of protection, love and grace over the persecuted church, over troops overseas, first responders at home and veterans of yesteryear. I pray for this congregation and fellowship all around the world watching now or later. Pray for the world that we would not go into World War III and then we would turn back on the edge of this insanity. I pray for my beloved America that she would turn from her sin, humble herself, hit her knees, seek your face and then you would heal her so we could once again be one nation under God, indivisible liberty and justice for all. Now I call this fellowship to attention and put on the full armor of God, strap on the shield of faith, pick up the sword of the Spirit and boldly walk forward to join the shield wall, locking our shield of faith with others left and to the right, as we march forward to take ground for your kingdom, for your glory. In Jesus' name we pray Amen.

Speaker 1: 52:59

Now I've got an audience of people in here to help me sing today, so we are going to be in 153 here. You're going to hold that over there with my mom and help me sing doxology. I'm not sure where we are. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, son and Holy Ghost. Amen. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.