WEBVTT 00:00:01.340 --> 00:00:02.258 Merry Christmas! 00:00:02.379 --> 00:00:09.580 Merry Christmas! Hi, my name's Amy Ly, and this is my husband Tyler, and we wanna welcome you to the Christmas service for Trinity Community Church. 00:00:10.300 --> 00:00:10.300 Yeah. 00:00:10.301 --> 00:00:15.500 Christmas is a special time, and for us it kind of has even more meaning, right? 00:00:15.500 --> 00:00:15.980 Yeah. 00:00:15.980 --> 00:00:18.300 You asked me to marry you 30 years ago on Christmas Eve 00:00:18.300 --> 00:00:20.980 And she said, yes,. 00:00:21.480 --> 00:00:23.420 I'm so thankful four children later. 00:00:23.420 --> 00:00:23.859 Three. 00:00:23.861 --> 00:00:26.140 Three grandchildren, and who knows what is to come. 00:00:26.289 --> 00:00:26.780 Amen. 00:00:26.809 --> 00:00:27.300 Amen. 00:00:27.460 --> 00:00:27.460 Yeah. 00:00:27.980 --> 00:00:28.100 All right. 00:00:28.250 --> 00:00:34.299 Well, again, thank you for joining us and please feel free to worship with us during this first song. 00:04:36.220 --> 00:04:39.088 There's a lot of things that you could say about the Christmas story. 00:04:39.209 --> 00:04:43.088 Obviously we could spend hours and hours breaking it down. 00:04:43.089 --> 00:04:43.449 Yeah. 00:04:43.451 --> 00:04:44.850 But I thought it would be kind of neat. 00:04:44.910 --> 00:04:50.009 You and I both have have thought about the end of the Christmas story as being something that's special. 00:04:50.189 --> 00:04:50.610 Yes. 00:04:50.610 --> 00:04:51.050 Right? 00:04:51.050 --> 00:04:51.410 Yes. 00:04:51.540 --> 00:04:53.088 So who are the characters we're talking 00:04:53.088 --> 00:04:53.329 About? 00:04:53.331 --> 00:04:56.290 We're gonna talk about Anna and Simeon and Jesus. 00:04:56.889 --> 00:04:56.889 Yeah. 00:04:57.088 --> 00:04:57.610 And shepherds 00:04:57.850 --> 00:04:57.850 . 00:04:57.850 --> 00:04:58.290 That's right. 00:04:58.579 --> 00:05:00.250 So let's look at Luke chapter two. 00:05:00.250 --> 00:05:05.889 If you, if you're reading along with your Bible, you can turn to Luke chapter two verses 22 through 38. 00:05:06.790 --> 00:05:16.649 And when the time came for their purification, according to the love Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord as it is written in the law of the Lord. 00:05:16.810 --> 00:05:21.050 Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord. 00:05:21.389 --> 00:05:28.088 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. 00:05:28.470 --> 00:05:36.569 Now, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout waiting for the consolation of Israel. 00:05:36.790 --> 00:05:45.970 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's Christ. 00:05:46.550 --> 00:05:49.050 And he came in the spirit into the temple. 00:05:49.350 --> 00:06:06.920 And when the 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 part in peace according to your word, for my eyes, have seen your salvation. 00:06:07.310 --> 00:06:15.439 That you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people. 00:06:15.440 --> 00:06:16.000 Israel. 00:06:16.500 --> 00:06:31.040 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him, and Simeon bless them and said to marry his mother, behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is opposed. 00:06:31.680 --> 00:06:34.639 And a sword will pierce through your own soul also. 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:35.120 Hmm. 00:06:35.449 --> 00:06:38.519 So that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed. 00:06:38.939 --> 00:06:58.800 And there was a prophet test, Anna, the daughter of Piel, of the tribe of Escher, she was advanced in years having lived with her husband seven years, and from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was 84, she did not depart from the temple worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 00:06:59.139 --> 00:07:08.600 And coming up at that very hour, she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who are waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. 00:07:08.629 --> 00:07:09.399 That's great. 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:09.839 Yeah. 00:07:09.870 --> 00:07:10.360 Yeah. 00:07:10.360 --> 00:07:16.959 I don't think a lot of people consider Simeon and Anna, at least I haven't heard them talked about a lot when you hear the Christmas story. 00:07:17.139 --> 00:07:18.279 Not much, I don't think. 00:07:18.279 --> 00:07:18.680 Yeah. 00:07:18.680 --> 00:07:25.079 And so I thought it would be kind of neat to look at them and maybe glean some lessons from the way that they responded to Jesus. 00:07:25.220 --> 00:07:25.639 Yes. 00:07:25.889 --> 00:07:32.000 So the first thing that we can point out is that Jesus' parents were obedient to dedicate him to the Lord. 00:07:32.069 --> 00:07:33.160 It's kind of interesting. 00:07:33.161 --> 00:07:37.040 He's dedicated to the Lord and he is the Lord, but it was right. 00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:38.800 It was like a progressive thing. 00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:39.920 These things were happening. 00:07:40.209 --> 00:07:42.600 So he was presented to his father, right? 00:07:42.600 --> 00:07:43.079 Mm-hmm. 00:07:43.120 --> 00:07:46.079 that his father who had given him into this world. 00:07:46.100 --> 00:07:52.560 And so there was, uh, they, everything that was done was in order to fulfill the commandments and the law. 00:07:53.019 --> 00:07:54.519 And so it was just really neat. 00:07:54.521 --> 00:07:56.600 I love when we do dedications here at Trinity. 00:07:56.750 --> 00:07:57.240 Yeah. 00:07:57.240 --> 00:08:02.360 And I think it had to be special for Mary to realize he is is never mine. 00:08:02.639 --> 00:08:02.639 Right. 00:08:02.641 --> 00:08:03.839 He's always the fathers. 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:04.360 So yeah. 00:08:04.360 --> 00:08:07.319 Over and over again, you see where Mary's considering these things. 00:08:07.321 --> 00:08:07.639 Yeah. 00:08:07.970 --> 00:08:15.720 So, uh, the next thing is that Simeon seems to give us an example of how we almost look to Jesus as our savior and for salvation. 00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:18.120 Um, Simeon was a righteous guy. 00:08:18.120 --> 00:08:19.759 It says that in the verses here. 00:08:19.761 --> 00:08:21.240 He was righteous and devout. 00:08:21.649 --> 00:08:25.040 He was devoted to his heavenly Father, right? 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:25.519 Mm-hmm. 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:25.600 . 00:08:25.620 --> 00:08:33.080 And it's always good to have good people around you that are like that, loyal to the Lord and faithful to each other as well. 00:08:33.308 --> 00:08:38.678 Well, I think that some of the saints in the body, these young or these men that have faithfully served mm-hmm. 00:08:38.759 --> 00:08:44.320 and dedicated their lives and been married 50 and 60 years, and the example that we look to in them. 00:08:44.321 --> 00:08:44.720 Yeah. 00:08:44.721 --> 00:08:49.080 And I think how much Simeon if we take heed to what the word say Sure. 00:08:49.081 --> 00:08:52.320 How the devotion that they had serving the father Yeah, yeah. 00:08:52.799 --> 00:08:54.000 In expectation for the savior. 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:54.480 Right. 00:08:54.700 --> 00:09:02.960 And as Simeon is kind of pointing us to how we can interact with the life of Jesus, how we can really be redeemed and saved. 00:09:02.961 --> 00:09:08.678 It's interesting that, first of all, we, we must recognize that only God can make a person righteous. 00:09:09.269 --> 00:09:16.120 Even though Simeon was a good man, God called him righteous because he was, uh, because he had chosen him Yes. 00:09:16.129 --> 00:09:17.279 To be one of his children. 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:22.919 And so that's just something to remember as you're contemplating what it means to be a Christian. 00:09:23.250 --> 00:09:24.558 We can't do it on our own. 00:09:24.559 --> 00:09:25.919 You can't do enough good things. 00:09:25.921 --> 00:09:27.799 You can't give enough gifts. 00:09:27.801 --> 00:09:30.639 You can't, uh, you know, be, be religious enough. 00:09:30.640 --> 00:09:35.120 There's nothing that we can do to be righteous outside of God calling us righteous. 00:09:35.678 --> 00:09:35.678 Yep. 00:09:36.360 --> 00:09:39.279 Anything we do that is so supposedly good is like filthy rags. 00:09:39.280 --> 00:09:39.480 Yes. 00:09:39.480 --> 00:09:40.720 So we need the righteousness 00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:40.840 Of Christ. 00:09:40.841 --> 00:09:42.759 We need the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. 00:09:42.830 --> 00:09:43.320 Yeah. 00:09:43.659 --> 00:09:59.039 And then the next thing that I see with Simeon in this passage is that he was waiting for the Messiah based on the Old Testament prophecies that, that he knew from, from a young age, because these verses would've been quoted over and over again whenever he was in the temple. 00:09:59.440 --> 00:09:59.440 Yeah. 00:09:59.440 --> 00:10:02.840 And, and it's a challenge to us to memorize the word of God. 00:10:03.080 --> 00:10:03.080 Yeah. 00:10:03.081 --> 00:10:06.960 That we have it hidden so that we know the truth from falsehood. 00:10:06.960 --> 00:10:07.360 Yeah. 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:09.120 Simeon knew what to look for Yeah. 00:10:09.169 --> 00:10:15.080 Because of what was in the, in the word of God, what he had read already or what he had heard already his whole life. 00:10:15.081 --> 00:10:21.720 So some examples of those prophetic things, uh, found in, in the Old Testament one is Isaiah seven 14. 00:10:22.100 --> 00:10:23.000 You wanna read that? 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:23.399 Sure. 00:10:23.519 --> 00:10:26.320 Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. 00:10:26.321 --> 00:10:31.240 Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel. 00:10:31.909 --> 00:10:32.399 Amen. 00:10:32.400 --> 00:10:33.720 And then Micah five, two. 00:10:34.419 --> 00:10:42.159 But you o Bethlehem Efta, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah from you shall come forth for me. 00:10:42.220 --> 00:10:47.759 One who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from old, from ancient days. 00:10:47.830 --> 00:10:48.320 Yeah. 00:10:48.321 --> 00:11:02.600 Just amazing to me that hundreds of years before Jesus was born in this earth, there were these prophecies, these promises found in God's word that were so precise, where he was gonna be born, how he was gonna be born, all of those things. 00:11:02.600 --> 00:11:03.080 Yeah. 00:11:03.080 --> 00:11:07.960 And the promises that stood the test of time, and the test of rulers and nations coming and going. 00:11:07.961 --> 00:11:08.360 Yeah. 00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:09.759 And God's words stood time 00:11:09.759 --> 00:11:11.039 Still, always true. 00:11:11.299 --> 00:11:13.440 And then the final one is Isaiah nine, six. 00:11:13.441 --> 00:11:14.480 This is probably my favorite. 00:11:14.509 --> 00:11:14.919 I love 00:11:14.919 --> 00:11:15.039 It. 00:11:15.041 --> 00:11:15.360 Yeah. 00:11:15.379 --> 00:11:28.840 For two, i, a child is born to us, a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, prince of peace. 00:11:28.870 --> 00:11:29.360 Yeah. 00:11:29.690 --> 00:11:34.279 So if we want to be followers of Jesus, first of all, it's only He that can make us righteous. 00:11:34.280 --> 00:11:34.879 We learned that. 00:11:34.880 --> 00:11:35.240 Yes. 00:11:35.240 --> 00:11:40.759 The second thing that I think Simeon gives us an example of is that we must hear the word of God. 00:11:41.009 --> 00:11:44.720 In order for faith to grow, we need to be hearers of the word. 00:11:45.440 --> 00:11:48.320 And we, we can't, again, we have no ability to change ourselves. 00:11:48.321 --> 00:11:50.159 The Holy Spirit has to make that happen. 00:11:50.500 --> 00:11:54.519 But the word of God is what God uses to draw people to himself. 00:11:54.879 --> 00:12:00.320 And, and when we believe it and, and live it out, you know, he changes our lives. 00:12:00.389 --> 00:12:00.879 Yeah. 00:12:00.880 --> 00:12:04.240 And hearing and implying that word daily. 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:04.399 Yes. 00:12:04.400 --> 00:12:08.600 And multiple times a day, just like we need to eat or drink water to sustain ourselves. 00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:08.960 Exactly. 00:12:08.961 --> 00:12:12.558 We need that word of God to sustain our faith and our belief. 00:12:12.789 --> 00:12:13.519 That's right. 00:12:13.520 --> 00:12:13.879 Yeah. 00:12:13.880 --> 00:12:14.200 Yeah. 00:12:14.490 --> 00:12:22.279 Another thing that we see from Simeon, he had been given a personal guarantee by God that he would see the Messiah with his own eyes. 00:12:22.280 --> 00:12:28.320 Can you imagine that it's not only that he had read the prophecies, or that he had this thing that he felt in his heart. 00:12:28.321 --> 00:12:36.200 He actually had been told by God that you're gonna live long enough to see the actual Messiah born into this world. 00:12:36.460 --> 00:12:40.600 I'm sure every day he was in anticipation like, it's today the day, it's 00:12:40.919 --> 00:12:40.919 Predicted. 00:12:41.080 --> 00:12:41.399 It's today, the day. 00:12:41.960 --> 00:12:42.279 Today be the day. 00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:46.279 It's like you didn't want to miss a day at the temple, just in case it was that 00:12:46.279 --> 00:12:46.399 Day. 00:12:46.558 --> 00:12:46.558 Yeah. 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:46.960 And just 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:48.879 Watching, watching, looking, wondering. 00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:55.879 Uh, and it's not like Marion Joseph wore a sign that said, you know, Messiah's parents. 00:12:55.880 --> 00:12:57.799 I mean, he had to have discernment. 00:12:57.960 --> 00:12:59.000 The Holy Spirit had to show him. 00:12:59.320 --> 00:12:59.320 Yeah. 00:12:59.320 --> 00:12:59.519 Right. 00:12:59.520 --> 00:13:02.879 That relationship with the father, he he knew Yeah. 00:13:02.880 --> 00:13:03.360 He saw 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:03.519 Him. 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:03.799 Yeah. 00:13:04.120 --> 00:13:15.039 And, and so that's that vital step again, the next step in understanding salvation is that the Holy Spirit has to open our eyes so that we can see Jesus as he really is. 00:13:15.041 --> 00:13:15.360 Yeah. 00:13:15.389 --> 00:13:15.879 Yeah. 00:13:16.279 --> 00:13:16.279 Yeah. 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:19.759 I'm, I'm so glad that God's done that for us, for our children. 00:13:19.860 --> 00:13:20.279 Yes. 00:13:20.299 --> 00:13:23.000 For a lot of the people who are, are part of our church. 00:13:23.460 --> 00:13:28.759 And we're just believing even for more eyes to be opened today by the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:13:28.759 --> 00:13:31.600 And it's something we have to do for ourselves. 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:35.600 We can't rely on our parents doing it for us or our children doing it. 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:38.600 It's a commitment we make personally with the Father. 00:13:38.600 --> 00:13:39.240 Exactly. 00:13:39.779 --> 00:13:45.960 And I, I think the final thing there with Simeon is he responded by blessing God and blessing Jesus' family. 00:13:46.649 --> 00:13:50.320 So what was his first act after he realized that this was Messiah? 00:13:50.649 --> 00:13:52.678 He turned his face heaven word. 00:13:52.679 --> 00:14:01.120 And he began to praise and worship God and thank him that he had the ability to, to be a part of this very important moment in time. 00:14:01.500 --> 00:14:09.519 And then he looked to Mary and Joseph and began to prophesy to them about what their future looked like and what Jesus' future was gonna be. 00:14:10.019 --> 00:14:19.039 And so, in order for us to be believers in Jesus Christ, we must believe in our heart and confess with our mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord. 00:14:19.450 --> 00:14:30.080 It wasn't enough for Simeon to know about Jesus or to even be hopeful concerning him in order for him to access who Jesus is for himself. 00:14:30.450 --> 00:14:32.600 He needed to speak it out of his mouth. 00:14:32.899 --> 00:14:42.200 And, and we have that same, you know, the call from Romans 10, nine and 10 is that we are supposed to confess, believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths. 00:14:42.740 --> 00:14:47.120 And, um, one of the greatest ways to do that, in my opinion, is in through baptism. 00:14:47.899 --> 00:14:48.399 You know? 00:14:48.750 --> 00:14:49.240 Yeah. 00:14:49.269 --> 00:14:54.639 I, I still remember getting baptized on an Easter morning, and it was one of the most spectacular days of my life. 00:14:54.639 --> 00:14:55.000 Yeah. 00:14:55.000 --> 00:14:59.279 It's just this public declaration of what God's already done on the inside. 00:14:59.280 --> 00:14:59.799 Right. 00:14:59.801 --> 00:15:00.279 Right. 00:15:00.279 --> 00:15:01.240 Shouting it to the 00:15:01.240 --> 00:15:02.639 World, shouting it to the world. 00:15:03.559 --> 00:15:08.799 Um, and he is interesting cuz he didn't, he prophesied a couple of things that were pretty unique. 00:15:09.299 --> 00:15:17.360 The first thing was that he said that God's intent with Jesus was to bring salvation to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. 00:15:17.659 --> 00:15:25.120 And this would've been a radical thought because most of the Jewish people believed that the Messiah was coming exclusively for them. 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:25.559 Right. 00:15:25.559 --> 00:15:27.080 This was tearing down prejudice. 00:15:27.179 --> 00:15:27.960 Yes, yes. 00:15:27.961 --> 00:15:29.600 Big time hitting it right on the head. 00:15:30.139 --> 00:15:44.039 And then the other thing is that he not only talked to most, uh, Mary and Joseph about the good things that were coming, but he also said, there's gonna be a, a great season of difficulty that you're going to face and that Jesus is going to face. 00:15:44.041 --> 00:15:54.759 And we know, as you read the scriptures and understand the rest of the story, that Jesus suffered greatly in order to be able to be the sacrifice that we needed him to be. 00:15:54.830 --> 00:15:55.679 Absolutely. 00:15:55.681 --> 00:15:56.120 Yeah. 00:15:56.259 --> 00:15:58.039 And he was a willing sacrifice. 00:15:58.039 --> 00:15:59.159 Yeah, exactly. 00:15:59.160 --> 00:15:59.919 Thank God. 00:16:00.340 --> 00:16:02.559 And so you're gonna talk about Anna for a few minutes. 00:16:02.561 --> 00:16:02.759 Yes. 00:16:02.759 --> 00:16:03.120 Yes. 00:16:03.799 --> 00:16:09.879 Um, I love how Anna was an example, uh, how to live a life of hope surrendered. 00:16:09.880 --> 00:16:10.159 Yeah. 00:16:10.600 --> 00:16:15.360 Um, she lived in the temple and she devoted probably like three-fourths of her life. 00:16:15.429 --> 00:16:16.360 That's a long time. 00:16:16.639 --> 00:16:16.919 Or devoted 00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:18.759 Because she was like 85 years old. 00:16:18.760 --> 00:16:18.919 Right. 00:16:18.921 --> 00:16:19.559 Something like that. 00:16:19.559 --> 00:16:20.320 84 and four. 00:16:20.321 --> 00:16:23.360 And she was married for seven years and then a widow. 00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:23.639 Wow. 00:16:23.640 --> 00:16:27.480 And it says she worshiped and fasted and prayed in the temple day and night. 00:16:27.480 --> 00:16:27.799 Yeah. 00:16:27.801 --> 00:16:30.320 And so this woman was expectant Yeah. 00:16:30.340 --> 00:16:31.840 For the hope to come. 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:32.000 Right. 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:34.320 And she, it says she was a prophet mm-hmm. 00:16:34.360 --> 00:16:34.399 . 00:16:34.400 --> 00:16:43.519 And so I believe she just had such great expectancy of knowing the scripture and being so in tune with the Holy Spirit that she know knew great things were coming. 00:16:43.520 --> 00:16:43.960 Yeah. 00:16:44.019 --> 00:16:46.559 And so she passes by Simeon Sure. 00:16:46.561 --> 00:16:53.320 As Simeon with Marian Joseph, and she sees the Christ child, and then she begin, begins declaring it Yeah. 00:16:53.321 --> 00:16:54.919 To everybody she sees in the temple. 00:16:55.259 --> 00:16:58.799 And so first of all, she's her filled with hope. 00:16:59.159 --> 00:16:59.159 Yep. 00:16:59.160 --> 00:17:05.519 And she sees that portrayed in flesh before her, and she immediately starts telling other people. 00:17:05.920 --> 00:17:05.920 Yeah. 00:17:05.921 --> 00:17:09.559 And what a great example about our faith to begin to Yeah. 00:17:09.560 --> 00:17:11.720 To be bolder about sharing our faith for one thing. 00:17:11.720 --> 00:17:12.480 For sure. 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:16.319 It's almost like Simian is giving us the pathway to salvation. 00:17:16.660 --> 00:17:20.319 And then Anna is coming in and showing us what to do once we've been saved. 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:20.640 Yeah. 00:17:20.890 --> 00:17:29.440 So the first thing that Anna kind of teaches us through that you mentioned is that believers should be committed to worshiping God even through with prayer and fasting. 00:17:29.500 --> 00:17:29.920 Yes. 00:17:29.921 --> 00:17:30.319 Right. 00:17:30.380 --> 00:17:41.880 And we'll have Kelly preach a message on that next year, 2023 sometime, but no, we should, we should really be believers that are sincere in the way that we worship God. 00:17:41.881 --> 00:17:42.440 Right? 00:17:42.460 --> 00:17:42.880 Yes. 00:17:42.881 --> 00:18:00.160 And then the next thing she, she kind of brought up there, um, is that believers should stand on God's promises, trusting that, that he knows the right timing, like you said, she recognized, she discerned, she saw, um, what was happening with Sumin and she immediately moved in that direction. 00:18:00.161 --> 00:18:00.440 Yeah. 00:18:00.441 --> 00:18:00.759 You 00:18:00.759 --> 00:18:04.358 Know, and we have that hope and that promise that Jesus is returning Yes. 00:18:04.359 --> 00:18:06.160 One day for his church and his bride. 00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:06.640 Yeah. 00:18:06.641 --> 00:18:15.720 And so we should be filled with that expectancy and be praying for that and, um, belonging in hope for those things to come. 00:18:15.720 --> 00:18:16.118 Yeah. 00:18:16.349 --> 00:18:16.839 Yeah. 00:18:16.840 --> 00:18:29.319 If we believe it, if we actually believe it, and we've, we've read it in the scriptures and we feel it on the inside, it should so impact us that we are like Sime and Anna in the way that we respond. 00:18:29.640 --> 00:18:29.640 Yeah. 00:18:29.641 --> 00:18:38.799 You know, that we live our lives, uh, fully expectant that in our lifetime, in the, in the, any moment in time that this could actually happen. 00:18:38.800 --> 00:18:39.279 Yeah. 00:18:39.720 --> 00:18:41.039 Uh, that's so, that's so good. 00:18:41.420 --> 00:18:46.400 And the final thing with Anna is that, like you said, she shared her faith with everybody that was around her. 00:18:46.819 --> 00:18:57.720 And we as believers should, in my opinion, um, more than we do, more than I do, I should say, we should share the good news of Jesus with those that we encounter around us. 00:18:57.720 --> 00:18:58.160 Yeah. 00:18:58.390 --> 00:19:04.319 I think we, we can choose to show and share all the things that he's done for us. 00:19:04.320 --> 00:19:04.720 Yeah. 00:19:04.769 --> 00:19:15.079 In the past, he's done so many things and salvation is enough, but daily, as we are in tune with him, and with him living out life, we can see God moving in our lives every day. 00:19:15.240 --> 00:19:15.240 Yeah. 00:19:15.240 --> 00:19:17.880 And so there is always something new to share about 00:19:17.880 --> 00:19:18.118 Jesus. 00:19:18.440 --> 00:19:18.880 Yeah, exactly. 00:19:18.990 --> 00:19:26.680 I ask the Lord all the time for new stories because as a pastor of a church that, you know, we've been here now for, I guess it's 10 years, something like that. 00:19:27.140 --> 00:19:32.200 And so it is like you preach often enough, you tell enough of your stories,, I 00:19:32.358 --> 00:19:32.720 Mean, new stories, 00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:34.079 , he needs some new stories. 00:19:34.080 --> 00:19:34.480 Right. 00:19:34.980 --> 00:19:39.759 And so I'm thankful that, um, I go looking for God to move. 00:19:39.760 --> 00:19:49.440 I have an expectancy that he's going to do something not just through me, but around me, where I'm gonna be able to observe it and be able to, like you said, to, to share it with other people. 00:19:50.309 --> 00:19:52.079 I mean, what a great gift we've been given. 00:19:52.080 --> 00:20:02.358 And it's just unfortunate that sometimes we feel pressured from the outside to be silent, concerning the thing that's really the most important thing that's ever happened to us. 00:20:02.740 --> 00:20:05.440 You know, it's the most important thing that's ever happened to the world. 00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:06.720 To the world, to the world, period. 00:20:06.829 --> 00:20:07.319 Yeah. 00:20:07.450 --> 00:20:15.358 So I, I've just, I think Sian and Anna, like, like we said from the beginning, really had a lot to share with us today. 00:20:15.490 --> 00:20:20.118 So thank God for those that that don't even get noticed or mentioned a lot. 00:20:20.289 --> 00:20:25.279 They're still important in the Kingdom of God and that those verses are in the scripture for a very important reason. 00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:25.599 Yeah. 00:20:25.759 --> 00:20:25.880 So, yeah. 00:20:25.881 --> 00:20:30.640 And it's a good encouragement to con as we get older to continue for suing and 00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:30.960 Longness. 00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:31.640 Well, I'm getting older. 00:20:31.710 --> 00:20:32.799 I don't think you're getting older. 00:20:33.099 --> 00:20:37.440 You still look, you're great about the same as when I married you almost years ago. 00:20:37.608 --> 00:20:41.079 So speaking of love, why don't we love on the Lord? 00:20:41.460 --> 00:20:44.599 And we'll go to this next song, this worship together. 00:23:48.150 --> 00:23:53.319 I think one thing that's special about Christmas is how families can incorporate traditions. 00:23:53.390 --> 00:23:53.880 Yeah. 00:23:54.099 --> 00:24:00.039 And I think one of the things that's been unique, you know, I grew up in a family where we didn't really celebrate holidays a lot. 00:24:00.040 --> 00:24:17.720 In fact, Christmas was kind of like the joke at our house was green as evil because my dad was, went to a Bible school and was taught some things about Christmas that were just, it's not that they were necessarily horribly wrong, but they just, it made a very strict environment for our family. 00:24:17.890 --> 00:24:25.799 So what we would do is we would actually set up a, a, a beautiful nativity scene and we were allowed to put some lights around it. 00:24:26.220 --> 00:24:28.920 And, and that was the focus, the focal point. 00:24:28.921 --> 00:24:33.759 And honestly, looking back on it, you know, it's not like missed out by doing that. 00:24:33.760 --> 00:24:35.960 It was really kind of a neat way to, to focus. 00:24:35.961 --> 00:24:39.680 And then we'd put our gifts under, under that area and open our gifts. 00:24:39.681 --> 00:24:41.920 But we as a family with our kids mm-hmm. 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:43.759 and now hopefully our grandkids, right. 00:24:44.358 --> 00:24:49.640 Um, wants to continue to be creative in coming up with things that could become traditions. 00:24:50.019 --> 00:24:57.079 And one of the ways we've done that is by doing, uh, the Christmas story in v in a variety of ways, right? 00:24:57.080 --> 00:24:57.319 Mm-hmm. 00:24:57.358 --> 00:24:57.400 . 00:24:57.519 --> 00:24:59.400 So one year, you remember what Jordan did one year? 00:24:59.401 --> 00:24:59.680 Yeah. 00:24:59.680 --> 00:25:02.680 Jordan like narrated in the whole Bible story. 00:25:02.849 --> 00:25:04.000 He acted out the whole 00:25:04.400 --> 00:25:04.519 Christmas story. 00:25:04.640 --> 00:25:08.519 Like every person he would just spin and then he would be Joseph, he'd spin around, then he'd be Mary's part. 00:25:08.700 --> 00:25:10.079 And it was quite entertaining. 00:25:10.089 --> 00:25:11.200 It was very entertaining. 00:25:11.201 --> 00:25:12.480 Everybody laughed a lot. 00:25:12.710 --> 00:25:14.039 I don't know if there were any tears. 00:25:14.368 --> 00:25:17.279 He might've cried when he kicked the table or something, I don't remember. 00:25:17.559 --> 00:25:17.559 But 00:25:17.799 --> 00:25:19.240 Yeah, it was quite a sight, 00:25:19.240 --> 00:25:20.039 But it was hilarious. 00:25:20.618 --> 00:25:22.559 And, but it was also special. 00:25:22.560 --> 00:25:26.720 It was meaningful because we were talking about the greatest story, right? 00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:26.880 Yeah. 00:25:26.881 --> 00:25:27.680 The Christmas story. 00:25:27.700 --> 00:25:36.279 And so I think that, um, as we continue, as, as we've continued to move along through the years, we've tried a lot of variety of different ways. 00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:50.880 Cause I think one of the things again that can happen is that we can become so like, tied into and, and caught up in the, the world's way of celebrating, which is not, none of it's, it's, it's not like everything is evil. 00:25:51.299 --> 00:26:00.559 But you know, if, if your entire focus of Christmas is on the movies or you know, the, or presents or, you know, you could list a whole bunch of things. 00:26:00.670 --> 00:26:05.400 Well, and if it's all on that, I think you leave the season feeling voided Yeah. 00:26:05.401 --> 00:26:08.720 Of an empty because you haven't focused on the right things. 00:26:08.721 --> 00:26:09.118 Correct. 00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:16.118 But if you're focusing on the gift of Christ and the things that he's done for you, you can leave that season feeling refreshed and filled up Yeah. 00:26:16.119 --> 00:26:19.079 Instead of drained from shopping like crazy or whatever. 00:26:19.080 --> 00:26:19.480 Right. 00:26:19.480 --> 00:26:26.279 And I think we've done Christmas, like we've always tried to do the Christmas story, but we've, like, you've challenged them to do it different ways. 00:26:26.280 --> 00:26:30.799 So maybe each kid had to share a different way or they acted out or different things. 00:26:30.800 --> 00:26:39.358 And so it was different because you have to change it as the kid's age or to, you know, it's part of, or just to make it fun or, um, 00:26:39.358 --> 00:26:39.759 Yeah. 00:26:39.760 --> 00:26:45.920 I I think, you know, God is a creative God, and so I think that, that he gives his children the same creativity. 00:26:45.921 --> 00:26:58.640 And so we thought, we've talked about this enough, probably we thought that we would, um, give you an example of something that you might be able to do with your family or friends group or, um, spiritual family. 00:26:59.140 --> 00:27:01.079 And, uh, this is just one example, right. 00:27:01.160 --> 00:27:15.799 So what we did was Manna White, my wife has brought this beautiful velvet bag, and if anybody can guess and put in the comment section what, where you think that came from, there'll be a bonus, something for you in the new year. 00:27:15.800 --> 00:27:18.319 I don't know what it will be yet, but that'd be fun. 00:27:18.730 --> 00:27:26.960 So what we're gonna do is we're gonna draw, there's some sheets of paper in here that have the different people or, or entities Right. 00:27:26.961 --> 00:27:28.759 That were a part of the Christmas story. 00:27:28.829 --> 00:27:29.319 Okay. 00:27:29.329 --> 00:27:41.440 So each one of us are gonna take, turn drawing out of the bag, and then, uh, whenever you draw out of the bag, you, you get to share from your perspective what it must have been like for those characters in the Nativity story. 00:27:41.549 --> 00:27:42.039 Okay. 00:27:42.040 --> 00:27:42.440 Okay. 00:27:43.039 --> 00:27:43.118 All right. 00:27:43.170 --> 00:27:44.599 So are you gonna start or am I gonna start? 00:27:44.599 --> 00:27:45.319 I guess I'll go first. 00:27:45.559 --> 00:27:45.640 All right. 00:27:45.839 --> 00:27:45.920 All right. 00:27:45.921 --> 00:27:46.440 Here we go. 00:27:50.868 --> 00:27:51.358 Okay. 00:27:51.359 --> 00:27:52.279 I got Shepherds. 00:27:52.519 --> 00:27:52.880 Shepherds. 00:27:52.881 --> 00:27:53.079 Yes. 00:27:53.080 --> 00:27:53.720 Amazing. 00:27:53.849 --> 00:27:57.118 So what do you, what do you wanna say about the shepherds? 00:27:57.868 --> 00:28:14.240 Well, when I think about it, I think you have faithful young men, or men that would be out there, um, in different types of weather, in the rain, and, um, maybe feeling lonely a lot of times, 00:28:14.470 --> 00:28:15.118 I would think. 00:28:15.119 --> 00:28:15.559