WEBVTT 00:00:01.679 --> 00:00:04.080 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:08.960 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:10.480 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:14.160 Well, it's good to be with you today. 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:19.120 We're kicking off a brand new series called A Return to Wonder. 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:30.399 And this year's been, as in many ways, a return, and we're our hearts longing is that as we hit the avent Christmas season, it would be a return to wonder. 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:33.439 Do you remember when you used to wonder? 00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:36.799 And maybe you haven't stopped, and that's amazing. 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:46.960 But do you remember like wondering at maybe it was just an incredible sunset that just captivated your awe and attention? 00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:56.000 Maybe it's the wonder of, you know, new young love or the wonder of that next adventure. 00:00:56.799 --> 00:01:01.200 Or better yet, do you remember when you were a kid and you used to wonder? 00:01:01.439 --> 00:01:04.159 Like things as a kid were magical, weren't they? 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:04.959 Mysterious. 00:01:05.120 --> 00:01:17.760 Think about especially like Christmas itself was this incredibly just wonderful time of the year filled with anticipation and excitement and mystery. 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:28.640 You know, the word wonder means to be into awe, to be completely captivated, filled with this intense admiration for someone or something. 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:39.599 You know, um, my son, Ryder, when he was like younger, like five or six, he loved Legos. 00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:44.159 In fact, this morning I was asking him if I could share this story with you. 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:51.120 And he's like, sure, Dad, because you won't have a story to share if I if you don't. 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:56.560 I'm like, no, I got other stories, but I think this is such a great story when it comes to wonder. 00:01:57.280 --> 00:01:58.719 He loved Legos. 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:06.959 And so my in-laws decided for his birthday to um, you know, take him to Legoland, in fact, our whole family to Legoland. 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:08.400 He was thrilled out of his mind. 00:02:08.479 --> 00:02:15.599 Just think about it, like you're five or six, and like you love Legos and Legoland, like a land of Legos. 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:17.840 How amazing is this? 00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:19.840 He was so excited about it. 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:32.479 The night before, we're at one of those Himachi, you know, cook in front of you places for his birthday dinner, and he's talking nonstop to the chef all about Legoland, and so excited. 00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:37.520 And as we're driving up, and I'm just thinking, like, oh, I wonder how he's experiencing this. 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:42.240 Has got to be the most magical moment of his young life at this uh time. 00:02:42.560 --> 00:02:49.120 And you see these characters that are built out of Legos as you're driving in, and we're stuck in traffic trying to get into the parking lot. 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:56.560 And I look in my rear view mirror and can see what was filled with awe, kind of just turned. 00:02:57.439 --> 00:03:00.960 And he says, We can go now. 00:03:02.080 --> 00:03:03.599 Like, what do you mean? 00:03:03.759 --> 00:03:05.599 No, no, no, we can go now. 00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:08.240 Like, and here's what it was. 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:11.360 He's super literal, okay? 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:20.639 So when he heard Legoland, he envisioned a land made completely of Legos. 00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:30.879 And so when we showed up and the streets weren't made of Legos and the ride wasn't made of Legos, and everything else wasn't made of Legos, it was a huge disappointment. 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:32.240 He's like, I'm done, I'm good. 00:03:32.319 --> 00:03:34.800 I'm like, no, it's still pretty awesome, son. 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:39.439 It's just not everything is made of Legos. 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:45.120 And as we get older, we tend to lose our sense of wonder, don't we? 00:03:45.520 --> 00:03:54.319 Maybe it's the reality of life sets in, or disappointment begins to rob us of wonder. 00:03:54.719 --> 00:03:58.479 Worry tends to replace our wonder. 00:03:58.960 --> 00:03:59.919 You know, A.W. 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:07.039 Tozer, in his classic uh knowledge of the holy, gets to a deeper root, though. 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:22.000 In it, he writes that secularism, materialism, and the intrusive presence of things have put out the light in our soul and turned us into a generation of zombies. 00:04:22.639 --> 00:04:34.319 We cover our deep ignorance with words, but we're ashamed to wonder, we're afraid to whisper mystery. 00:04:35.519 --> 00:04:44.160 What if there's a deeper, more wonderful reality to the Christmas season that we've actually been missing all along? 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:56.639 And how do we return to the reality of Christmas actually being this all-inspiring moment that it is supposed to be? 00:04:57.279 --> 00:05:04.000 You know, in the um art world, there's this idea called visual lethargy. 00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:11.519 If you look it up, it's really become a common uh idea just about um visual um fatigue. 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:20.879 But but in the art world, what it means is it's really the this idea that the more you see something, the less you tend to see. 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:23.199 Uh, that the more you take in. 00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:30.560 And a lot of the masterpieces and the things that we see, many of us, we've seen it so many times, we just take it for granted. 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:37.600 Because we're not art experts and we don't understand the incredible, uh, masterful work behind it. 00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:43.360 We just look at it and go, Yeah, that's the Mona Lisa, thank you very much, whatever, uh, and get on with it. 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:49.360 And visual lethargy has this idea that we begin to take things for granted. 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:51.920 We become so familiar with them. 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:54.639 Well, familiarity breeds what? 00:05:55.600 --> 00:05:59.600 Apathy, contempt, complacency. 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:12.959 One person, I don't know who said this, but I think he was right or she was right, said that one of the greatest barriers to actually knowing something is thinking you already know. 00:06:14.319 --> 00:06:18.160 Assuming I already have the story. 00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:31.120 And I think when it comes to the Christmas season, when it comes to the Christmas story, we're so familiar with it, we think we actually already know. 00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:34.240 And I believe we're missing the wonder. 00:06:34.480 --> 00:06:36.480 In fact, I I took this from home. 00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:38.879 This is um, oops. 00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:43.759 This is a obviously a nativity set, and we see these around here. 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:44.959 There's the wise men. 00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:47.279 How many wise men were at the birth of Jesus? 00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:49.279 None. 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:52.079 You're all you're right, you were all wrong. 00:06:52.399 --> 00:06:58.959 See, see, see, we're so familiar, we think we actually know there was no wise men at the birth of Jesus. 00:06:59.120 --> 00:07:00.879 They came two years later. 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:03.839 Hello, and another fun fact for you. 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:06.240 Oh my gosh, your mind was just blown. 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:10.800 You can go home now, sermon over. 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:16.560 And by the way, we don't know how many wise men there were. 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:19.920 There are three gifts, but the text doesn't tell us. 00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:24.480 The song says three wise men, we three kings of Orient are. 00:07:25.040 --> 00:07:32.800 But we've become so familiar that we look at this, and this is set up maybe in your home. 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:39.839 You drive past it, and we look at it, and we see it, and we go, no, we think we know the story. 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:49.040 And we we we just hit repeat every single year, and as a result, I think we're missing it. 00:07:50.079 --> 00:08:04.000 And so, what we want to do in our series, in our time together for the next few weeks is we want to take a fresh look at a very familiar story, the Christmas story, and return to wonder. 00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:14.079 And let our hearts once more, or for the very first time, whisper mystery. 00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:21.759 Now, the birth of Jesus gets wrapped up in all of our Christmas traditions, right? 00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:27.759 Eggnog, which I had two cups last night, did not need that, but it was delicious. 00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:40.240 The Christmas tree lighting, Santa Claus, um, peppermint mochas, elf on the shelf. 00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:50.960 And because it gets wrapped up into all of these traditions, we actually forget that the Christmas story is firmly rooted in history. 00:08:51.120 --> 00:09:05.600 Like the birth of Jesus is a historical event that took place a little over 2,000 years ago, and where we find what we're so familiar with, the Christmas story, is in the Gospel of Luke. 00:09:05.759 --> 00:09:18.799 And Luke is a doctor and a historian, and he meticulously researched, went to eyewitnesses, and chronicled and documented and detailed the life of Jesus. 00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:20.639 And this is how Dr. 00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:26.960 Luke opens the birth of Jesus in these familiar words. 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:29.440 We find it in Luke chapter 2, verse 1. 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:36.240 In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a creed that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 00:09:36.399 --> 00:09:42.399 I can't help but hear Linus's voice as I read this in the Charlie Brown Christmas. 00:09:42.799 --> 00:09:43.840 Some of you have never seen it. 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:46.240 That can be a new Christmas tradition for you. 00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:53.600 This was the first census that took place while Cornerius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to their own town to register. 00:09:53.840 --> 00:10:06.000 So Joseph also went to the town of Nat uh from the town of Nazareth to the Galilee of Judea, to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house in the line of David. 00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:12.960 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:19.440 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. 00:10:19.600 --> 00:10:26.960 She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no guest room available for them. 00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:28.559 Familiar. 00:10:29.840 --> 00:10:32.000 We're familiar with the story, aren't we? 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:35.759 Now here's what I find absolutely fascinating. 00:10:38.480 --> 00:11:08.480 Is at the very beginning, Luke begins the story of Jesus' birth, the story of the long-awaited Messiah, the story of the anointed one, the one who is the King of Kings, who Isaiah prophesied that he would be the wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, of his greatness and peace there shall be no end. 00:11:09.200 --> 00:11:11.919 He begins with Caesar Augustus. 00:11:12.080 --> 00:11:18.240 Now, to the original audience, this would have acted like a hyperlink or a footnote to them. 00:11:18.559 --> 00:11:25.759 When the minute that Luke says Caesar Augustus, the people and the census, they like immediately know who this is. 00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:40.159 They live through this, they remember not only the historical event and the timing and the place, many who lived through it or were born around that same time, and parents told them about, hey, we all had to go to our heritage and birth homes. 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:44.320 But it would have acted as a comparison. 00:11:45.679 --> 00:11:58.879 See, it would have, they would have immediately had this comparison or juxtaposition between Jesus, the King of Kings, and Caesar Augustus, the first emperor of Rome. 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:07.759 You see, at the birth of Jesus, there was no one greater than Caesar Augustus. 00:12:08.240 --> 00:12:18.240 Caesar Augustus actually defeated Mark Antony, who was Cleopatra's husband, to become the first emperor of Rome. 00:12:19.120 --> 00:12:25.679 Through his military exploits, he actually doubled the size of the Roman Empire. 00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:30.639 And he was an incredible politician and strategist. 00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:32.480 He built highways. 00:12:32.559 --> 00:12:34.000 I mean, this was unheard of in the day. 00:12:34.159 --> 00:12:38.159 He built highways through the entire Roman Empire. 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:43.600 This supported his military to move effortlessly throughout the entire Roman Empire. 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:54.559 And it also promoted a season of prosperity through trade and it brought about what was known as the Pax Romana or the peace of Rome. 00:12:54.960 --> 00:13:01.600 And it was, he was able to uh gain unparalleled peace throughout the entire province. 00:13:02.159 --> 00:13:14.080 Rome and their empire had traditionally had so many uprisings throughout the peoples that they had conquered, and through the military force and political prowess, he was able to bring about this peace. 00:13:14.159 --> 00:13:19.200 And yet, I mean, you just think about it, Augustus wasn't his original name. 00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:21.759 He began his original name's Octavian. 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:25.440 He named himself Augustus, which means exalted one. 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:28.960 I think he maybe had a big head or something there. 00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:36.320 And when he died, he was ultimately deified and worshipped in the imperial cults. 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:46.000 Caesar Augustus was the most important, influential, and powerful person at the birth of Jesus. 00:13:46.159 --> 00:13:47.360 Now don't miss this. 00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:48.879 Today. 00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:51.200 Today. 00:13:51.919 --> 00:13:59.120 Caesar Augustus is simply a footnote in the birth story of Jesus. 00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:08.080 See, I just shared a few facts about Caesar Augustus, and the reality is, is most of you didn't know those. 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:20.240 The most famous, powerful person in that day is now famous for being in the story of Jesus' birth. 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:21.440 Now think about this. 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:34.240 Jesus, who was born in an obscure part of the Roman Empire to a marginalized community, by the age of two-ish, he was then a refugee to Egypt. 00:14:34.720 --> 00:14:45.840 Jesus, who, you know, grew up in a working class son of a carpenter, eventually went on to be this itinerate teacher or rabbi. 00:14:46.159 --> 00:14:52.720 Jesus, who was ultimately executed on a Roman cross. 00:14:53.519 --> 00:15:06.480 The sign of Rome's dominance and power and the public symbol upon which Augustus Caesar kept the peace throughout the empire. 00:15:06.879 --> 00:15:11.279 Jesus, by the way, we have no image and no sculpture of. 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:17.679 Augustus Caesar, we actually have lots of statues and images and paintings of. 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:20.639 Jesus never wrote a book. 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:33.840 Augustus Caesar wrote many books and made sure to have his life story chronicled so it would be cemented in all of history, his legacy and importance. 00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:39.279 Jesus only had a public career of three years, around 30 to 33-ish. 00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:44.240 Augustus Caesar was emperor for 30 years. 00:15:45.120 --> 00:15:50.559 And Augustus, exalted one, even named a month after himself. 00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:54.159 It's the month of August, that's right. 00:15:56.480 --> 00:16:03.600 And yet, Jesus' birth is literally divided history. 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:16.240 We are in the year twenty twenty one AD, Orano Domini, the year of our Lord. 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:39.279 The most powerful, the most influential, the most important person in the day of Jesus is now merely but a footnote in the story of Jesus. 00:16:39.440 --> 00:16:51.360 And today, today, literally billions of people across the world will gather to tell this story and to celebrate Jesus. 00:16:52.320 --> 00:17:00.080 And I'm not sure, but I'm confident there has to be like an Augustus Caesar fan page on Facebook somewhere. 00:17:00.799 --> 00:17:03.039 And maybe there's a group that gathers. 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:06.079 I'm not sure about that. 00:17:07.279 --> 00:17:08.960 Isn't it amazing? 00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:11.279 Isn't it remarkable? 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:22.240 See, Luke, as he detailed the life of Jesus, said this was no ordinary baby born in a manger. 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:26.720 This is no ordinary moment. 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:42.960 In fact, this is Emmanuel, God with us, and history confirms, regardless of what you believe about Jesus, history confirms this was no ordinary child. 00:17:44.240 --> 00:18:06.240 And I think this is where some of us have a problem or wrestle with the Christmas story and why it so easily gets wrapped up into our Christmas tradition, because we talk about Emmanuel, God with us, like God visiting the planet, and it just feels impossible. 00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:12.559 And even for some Christians, right, you're just like, yeah, but I don't know. 00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:16.000 And here's what's fascinating. 00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:39.119 If you told anyone in the first century that this obscure rabbi who was executed by a Roman cross would one day be more famous, more well known than the emperor himself, they too would say it is impossible. 00:18:41.119 --> 00:18:56.079 And so, as we begin this Christmas season, as we step into Advent, as we see nativity scenes being set up around. 00:18:59.119 --> 00:19:02.480 Would you wrestle afresh this season? 00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:05.920 Would you ask this question? 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:08.160 What if it's true? 00:19:09.680 --> 00:19:11.200 What if it's true? 00:19:12.319 --> 00:19:15.599 What if Jesus really is Emmanuel? 00:19:21.920 --> 00:19:31.279 What if the best news the planet has ever heard is the arrival of Emmanuel? 00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:39.920 And we celebrate it every single year, and maybe we've been overlooking the wonder of it. 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:45.920 What if Jesus really is the reason this is the most wonderful season of the year? 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:47.519 That this baby, think about this. 00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:57.759 This baby born in a manger is the one who you long for to bring life and hope and peace and purpose. 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:12.000 Here's a question I I really want for a few of you to really wrestle with this season, to take time and to process. 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:23.680 Would you at least have the intellectual integrity to ask afresh this Christmas season, who is this child? 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:29.279 We can't help but look at history and his impact. 00:20:29.519 --> 00:20:40.480 And not only did his birth divide time as we know it and talk about it, but his teaching and his way of life has reshaped history. 00:20:43.119 --> 00:20:48.880 Or we ask with a level of intellectual integrity. 00:20:49.839 --> 00:20:52.079 Okay, who is this child? 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:56.240 Who is this Jesus? 00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:00.000 Visual lethargy. 00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:07.440 The more we tend to see, the less we tend to see. 00:21:07.680 --> 00:21:10.640 The more we see something, the less we tend to see. 00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:16.079 And one of the greatest barriers to knowing something is thinking we already know. 00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:23.519 And could it be that we actually have been missing out on the wonder of Christmas? 00:21:23.680 --> 00:21:34.240 That the greatest barrier to truly experiencing the wonder of Christmas this season is thinking we already knew the story. 00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:35.759 You know, H. 00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:36.000 W. 00:21:36.319 --> 00:21:47.119 Tozer yet again once wrote this that the complacency of Christians is the scandal of Christianity. 00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:57.759 We said that familiarity breeds apathy or maybe we've just become too familiar. 00:22:01.119 --> 00:22:12.319 Jesus follower Would you dare to whisper the mystery this Christmas season? 00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:17.599 Would you dare afresh to say, Who is this child? 00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:22.640 To let your heart return to wonder. 00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:29.920 To let your heart be captivated with the one who Isaiah the prophet said. 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:34.480 To us, a child is born. 00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:36.799 To us, a son is given. 00:22:36.960 --> 00:22:40.319 And the government will be on his shoulders. 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:52.799 And he will be called your wonderful counselor, your mighty God, your prince of peace, your everlasting father. 00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:58.160 And of the greatness of his government and peace, there will be no end. 00:22:59.119 --> 00:23:12.240 Here's what I know Augustus Caesar's greatness and government, it eventually came to an end, and yet the greatness of Jesus continues to this day. 00:23:13.200 --> 00:23:21.119 You know, when we wonder, when we wonder well, we worship. 00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:27.200 Wonder or awe is the fuel of our worship. 00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:43.279 When we recognize this is no ordinary story, this is no ordinary baby, and this is not just caught up in our traditions, then our hearts cannot help but be looking up and just going in awe of Jesus. 00:23:43.599 --> 00:23:46.079 You are the one and only Jesus. 00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:50.480 You love me, you came for me, you are God with us. 00:23:50.960 --> 00:23:54.079 And so I want to invite us just simply to worship. 00:23:54.160 --> 00:23:59.039 And we have a song called Wake Up to the Wonder. 00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:04.240 And it's a song that was written for our series and in this season. 00:24:04.480 --> 00:24:21.599 And would you make it your prayer that God, this season, that I just wouldn't hit repeat, the same old same thing going through the motions, but God, would you wake up my heart to the wonder and the reality of who you are? 00:24:22.079 --> 00:24:25.839 Heavenly Father, thank you for this moment. 00:24:26.079 --> 00:24:37.759 Thank you for the reality that you are so for us and you so love us that you did not leave us on our own, but you came to be with us. 00:24:39.440 --> 00:24:44.720 Thank you for Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. 00:24:45.359 --> 00:25:11.200 And God, right now, and just in this moment, would you begin to spark a wonder, spark a curiosity, spark an awe, a hunger, and a thirst that would just grow and grow and grow through this season, where once more, or for the very first time, our hearts, our minds, our lives would be caught up in the wonder of who you are. 00:25:12.559 --> 00:25:14.960 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:25:15.200 --> 00:25:20.160 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:22.640 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:25:22.880 --> 00:25:28.880 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.comslash cards.