WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.319 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:07.040 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.640 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:22.079 We're in the series called Behold. 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:24.960 How to worship the King. 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:36.880 Behold, to gaze, to wonder, to look at someone or something until something has been grasped of the significance of that person or thing. 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:38.000 I'm really grateful. 00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:43.200 Many of you have just shared how helpful and meaningful this series has been. 00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:45.439 And it's kind of funny, isn't it? 00:00:45.679 --> 00:00:50.560 Because you're like, do we really need a reminder to behold? 00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:52.399 And the answer is yes. 00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:58.320 In the fast-paced, chaotic world and the season we live, we get caught up in so many things. 00:00:58.479 --> 00:00:59.679 Just the reminder. 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:12.640 The reminder of our souls to pause and behold the king, to wrestle with how do you move beyond the hurry of the season and truly behold the one it's all about. 00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:15.760 How do you worship the king? 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:19.200 At week one, we talked about preparing the way for the king. 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:23.120 Last week we looked at in being in the presence of the king. 00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:26.560 Today we're talking about our posture before the king. 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:29.599 Go ahead and say the posture matters. 00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:33.519 Your posture matters. 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:41.359 Now, uh, Saturday, upcoming Saturday, this Saturday, my wife and I will celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary. 00:01:41.680 --> 00:01:42.159 Thank you. 00:01:42.319 --> 00:01:44.239 Yeah, this is really exciting. 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:50.640 Um and uh on our 10-year wedding anniversary, we did something we'd never done before. 00:01:50.799 --> 00:01:52.640 It was so exciting. 00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:54.799 We went to Napa for a couple days. 00:01:54.959 --> 00:01:56.719 Had never been there prior to that. 00:01:56.879 --> 00:02:00.799 It's this magical land, if you don't know about it, with these grapes and other things. 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:02.640 Uh, it's fantastic. 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:12.319 Uh, one of those afternoons, we're walking through some shops in one of the little towns, and in walks Joe Montana. 00:02:13.199 --> 00:02:13.599 Yeah. 00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:19.199 Now I'm a Cowboys fan, but I recognize greatness and can appreciate it, right? 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:27.840 So Joe walks in because we're on first name basis, and and he walks in, and I'm thinking to myself, I'm preparing, I'm like, okay, what am I gonna say? 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:30.719 I would like to get a picture with him, maybe an autograph. 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:34.800 And you know, if you've ever had this experience, I'm like, okay, Mr. 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:36.560 Montana, I really love you. 00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:37.520 I wasn't gonna share that. 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:38.639 I'm a Cowboys fan. 00:02:38.879 --> 00:02:52.080 And just I had this speech rehearsed, and I'm on my way walking to Joe Montana, and a guy gets to him right before me, and he says almost identically what I had rehearsed in my mind. 00:02:52.159 --> 00:02:53.120 I hear him, Mr. 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:56.479 Montana, and he goes on, and I'm like, shoot. 00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:03.039 And and Joe looks at him and says, you know, I had some lawsuit a while ago. 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:05.360 I don't do autographs or pictures anymore. 00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:11.280 And I immediately just turned like I wasn't even gonna say hi to him at all. 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:17.840 But here's what we know who you approach determines the posture that you take. 00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:19.520 Who you approach. 00:03:19.759 --> 00:03:21.759 Like I'm approaching Joe Montana. 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:24.080 There was a posture, there was a preparation. 00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:27.039 I'm like, okay, I'm gonna think through this, I'm gonna call you Mr. 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:28.400 Montana, not Joe. 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:54.719 Who you approach determines the posture that you take, whether it's with a friend or your parents or a coworker or your boss, whether it's someone that you think is influential or important or powerful, who you approach determines the posture that you take. 00:03:54.879 --> 00:04:01.360 Now let me ask, what posture are we to take in the presence of the king? 00:04:02.879 --> 00:04:13.360 In the ancient Near East, when you went into the presence of a king, uh one there was a preparation, we were talking a little bit about that in week one. 00:04:13.520 --> 00:04:18.560 You would not go in your ordinary garb, you would wear your very best, nicest clothes. 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:21.040 We used to call it back in the day your Sunday best. 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:26.560 Um, you know, you would dress up, you would never come into the presence of a king empty-handed. 00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:29.759 You would bring a gift, often gold or something precious. 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:33.439 You had to be invited in or summons. 00:04:33.839 --> 00:04:37.120 You could not just go on your own at any time. 00:04:37.199 --> 00:04:56.319 And a herald would declare your presence, you would enter in and immediately you would bow prostrate before, and you would either kiss the ground, or in other some certain uh cultures, you would kiss the king's feet and extend your right hand as a sign of service and honor to the king. 00:04:56.480 --> 00:05:12.240 And then you would be greeted and welcome to stand in his presence, but you wouldn't look him in your eyes, you would look down out of deference and respect, and you wouldn't just speak, you would be spoken to and then invited to speak. 00:05:13.920 --> 00:05:19.360 And as you left the presence of the king, you walked backwards. 00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:28.480 Because to turn your back on the king was a sign of disrespect, and so you walked backwards out of his presence. 00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:36.879 Because who you approach determines the posture that you take. 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:47.920 And I gotta admit, I believe our posture often reveals we don't understand who we're approaching when we worship. 00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:55.040 Our posture matters when we worship and approach God. 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:55.839 St. 00:05:56.079 --> 00:06:07.600 Augustine said this our whole selves, body, soul, and spirit, must worship God, for we cannot truly love God with only part of our being. 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:11.360 He was a North African bishop, one of our church fathers. 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:24.639 Thomas Aquinas, one of the greatest thinkers of Christianity ever, said the soul is not imprisoned in the body, but uses it as an instrument for its own expression. 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:25.680 And T. 00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:37.680 Wright, scholar, historian, theologian, says the Christian body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and what we do physically matters spiritually. 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:40.480 It's interconnected. 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:47.600 In fact, research tells us what we do physically impacts us emotionally and spiritually. 00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:49.040 In fact, just do this with me. 00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:50.959 Would you would you just smile? 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:52.720 Would you just smile? 00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:58.560 Research shows that if you just smile, it actually changes your mood a bit. 00:06:58.879 --> 00:07:13.120 Our body posture of how we just sit and it sit, pardon me, as we just sit there, and if you're kind of slunched over like this, it can take you down and you can have a negative outlook. 00:07:13.199 --> 00:07:18.639 And if you sit rightly up, it actually will lift your spirits. 00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:28.800 Your physical reality is connected to your emotional and spiritual reality because you are one being, not separated. 00:07:28.879 --> 00:07:33.279 And we bifurcate those two much to our own loss. 00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:38.879 And so, how do we approach the king? 00:07:39.040 --> 00:07:40.480 Here's what I want to do with our time. 00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:42.560 I want uh us to do two things. 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:52.160 First, uh to take one of the most famous descriptions or prophecy of Jesus and look at who we're approaching and the appropriate posture, what it would be. 00:07:52.319 --> 00:07:57.680 Secondly, then look at some of the key people in the Christmas narrative and learn from their response. 00:07:57.839 --> 00:08:03.360 I want to give us some physical things to do, and I'm gonna invite us to do some things physically. 00:08:03.519 --> 00:08:08.240 It might be a little uncomfortable for some, but hey, go with it. 00:08:08.480 --> 00:08:10.800 It's not gonna be weird or awkward, but just go with it. 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:11.360 Go with it. 00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:15.120 If you got your Bibles, would you turn to Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6? 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:18.800 We get this beautiful, powerful description of the coming Messiah. 00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:24.560 Messiah literally means anointed one or king, speaking of Jesus. 00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:27.680 This is who Jesus is. 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:32.000 For to us, a child is born. 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:34.639 To us, a son is given. 00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:49.279 And the government will be on his shoulders, and he will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, the everlasting father, the Prince of Peace. 00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:55.440 Who you approach determines the posture that you take. 00:08:57.360 --> 00:09:08.639 As we approach the wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, what postures are we to take and worship? 00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:14.240 Well, in approaching the wonderful counselor, let me give you the posture of open hands. 00:09:14.480 --> 00:09:21.600 In fact, if you wouldn't mind doing it right now, just take your hands out, put them on your lap, and open them up. 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:25.600 It's a sign of receptivity, of humility. 00:09:26.159 --> 00:09:33.440 In fact, psychologists tell us that just this posture of openness actually reduces our stress. 00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:48.320 As we open up, and you can even take something where you realize I'm clinging on to something, and you visualize what you're clinging on to that your heart's gripping, and you open it up, and God, I want to receive from the wonderful counselor. 00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:53.440 I want to receive your wisdom and direction and insight. 00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:55.600 I need you to meet with me. 00:09:55.679 --> 00:10:04.480 And we do this from time to time in our services, where we just open up our hands as a posture of openness to the wonderful counselor. 00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:08.720 What posture do we take when it comes to the mighty God? 00:10:09.440 --> 00:10:15.360 Mighty God, I want to suggest, is that posture of bowing down in the presence of a king of getting low. 00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:27.600 And I don't know if you've bowed down recently or gotten on your knees where you get low, but this is actually a universal sign of humility in the presence of someone that's greater. 00:10:27.919 --> 00:10:32.240 That you just get down on your knees, you get down low. 00:10:32.559 --> 00:10:37.440 Um, I have some friends that have climbed half dome. 00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:38.879 I'll never do it. 00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:40.480 I it freaks me out. 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:43.440 Um, I've had actually nightmares about climbing it. 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:44.559 I'm like, I don't know why. 00:10:44.639 --> 00:10:45.759 I'll never do it. 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:53.200 Um, but but they tell me, as you get to the top, you want to get to the edge and look over. 00:10:53.759 --> 00:10:56.399 And your body just naturally does this. 00:10:56.559 --> 00:11:06.639 They're telling me, as you closer you get to the edge, the lower you get, the closer you get to the immensity of it, you can't help but get lower to the ground. 00:11:07.200 --> 00:11:14.320 And it's the same in the presence of God, in the mighty God, the one who spoke and everything came into existence. 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:20.559 As you begin to recognize the greatness and the grandeur of who He is, that we just get low. 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:25.440 There's times in our service where we just need to get low. 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:38.639 We need to humble our heart, and our heart and spirituality is connected to our physical, and so we get ourselves low, directing our spirit in humility to God. 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:42.480 Maybe you need to do this at home. 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:46.720 Maybe just in the morning. 00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:50.159 Try it. 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:52.960 Just once this week, try it. 00:11:54.080 --> 00:11:58.240 In your prayer time, you can even put your hands open and kneel at the same time. 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:00.080 Look at that, you're doing both. 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:11.120 But we miss out on so much when we don't physically respond in worship as well. 00:12:11.279 --> 00:12:13.600 In the presence of the everlasting Father. 00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:17.200 The posture is that of a raised hand. 00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:22.080 It's the natural response of a child to a parent. 00:12:23.039 --> 00:12:25.120 Did you hear the thunder the other day? 00:12:25.279 --> 00:12:26.399 Like yesterday? 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:28.159 Is that crazy? 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:31.200 What's up with tornadoes in California? 00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:35.519 We pay too much money for tornadoes in California. 00:12:36.080 --> 00:12:37.919 We gotta put our foot down here. 00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:40.799 We already got earthquakes, we don't need tornadoes. 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:43.679 Woke up to the thunder. 00:12:44.559 --> 00:12:50.399 And I remember because as a little kid, I grew up uh until eight in Texas, and that's real thunder. 00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:52.799 And real tornadoes. 00:12:53.440 --> 00:13:01.360 And I remember hearing the thunder that shook the house, and it just reached out and cried for my parents. 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:07.200 Because that's what a little kid does when they're afraid, when they're uncertain. 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:18.559 Mom, Dad! And we reach out and we raise our hands to our Heavenly Father in desperation and need, but a child does the same in joy. 00:13:18.879 --> 00:13:25.759 Mom, Dad, and we reach out and stretch our hands and just God, I just love you. 00:13:26.639 --> 00:13:28.480 I want to be with you. 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:38.159 To the everlasting Father, you have a perfect, all-good, heavenly father who loves you. 00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:51.200 And so we raise our hands, reminding our souls, reaching out to him in surrender, and joy in desperation. 00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:58.960 With the Prince of Peace, our posture, well, is of standing or dancing. 00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:02.799 In fact, we're going to sing a song that says, I stand in awe. 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:06.399 As you stand, you stand in awe, you stand in respect. 00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:11.679 Standing is also this sign of I'm ready to move or ready to act. 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:16.799 Like I'm in the presence of the Prince of Peace and I'm standing or dancing. 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:19.360 And you're like, well, why stand or dance? 00:14:19.600 --> 00:14:27.360 We live in the most anxious age of all time with so much uncertainty, and we have the Prince of Peace. 00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:37.679 And so I can have peace no matter what storm I'm going through, not because of somebody, but I have the Prince of Peace with me in the presence of the storm. 00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:48.000 And so I have peace, not because the absence of the storm, I have peace because Jesus is with me in the storm, and so I can stand firm in his presence. 00:14:49.279 --> 00:14:49.919 Amen. 00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:51.679 Somebody, please. 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:52.639 Amen. 00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:57.360 And I can dance. 00:14:58.480 --> 00:14:59.440 Actually, I can't. 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:00.480 I can't dance. 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:01.279 I can't. 00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:04.960 I'm a little too armsy, is what Jenny tells me. 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:07.039 She's like, 10 and 2. 00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:07.840 Remember hitch? 00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:08.480 10 and 2. 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:09.200 Keep it there. 00:15:09.360 --> 00:15:10.639 I I get a little too. 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:17.120 I'm like, come on, it's just to the Lord, or but it's at a wedding. 00:15:17.200 --> 00:15:19.200 Um, and it's embarrassing. 00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:22.879 We used to have a guy, uh family, part of our church. 00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:27.120 Uh, we called him Ozzie Rob because he's Australian and his name's Rob. 00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:28.480 We're real creative. 00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:32.799 And he, every service, he danced into the Lord. 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:42.720 There's just a joy and a freedom in his presence, and just, God, I don't know what tomorrow may bring, but I'm in the presence of the Prince of Peace, and so I'm secure. 00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:47.600 And I'm just gonna dance in your presence out of joy and delight. 00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:49.440 I challenge you. 00:15:50.320 --> 00:15:51.679 You can try it here. 00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:56.159 Or you might want to try it in the privacy of your own home. 00:15:57.039 --> 00:15:58.000 But dance. 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:04.879 Who we approach determines the posture that we take. 00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:11.279 Wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:12.320 Why? 00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:18.480 Because our physical response directs and impacts our spiritual and emotional. 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:29.519 I want to look at some responses to Jesus and how people in the Christmas narrative responded to him to give us a few more responses, postures to take. 00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:33.200 Mary, when she found out she was pregnant, she went to go visit her cousin. 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:37.519 Her cousin, quite a bit older, probably was more realistically her aunt. 00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:43.600 And she goes to visit Elizabeth, and Elizabeth had a miraculous uh pregnancy as well. 00:16:43.759 --> 00:16:48.320 She was uh older, like I said, and it's gonna give birth to John the Baptist. 00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:57.200 When Mary shows up in the presence of Elizabeth, it says that the baby inside her leapt with joy, and she exclaimed in a loud voice. 00:16:58.159 --> 00:17:02.159 See, there is a time in our worship to shout for joy. 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:04.160 To shout for joy. 00:17:04.319 --> 00:17:05.839 In fact, would you try it with me? 00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:07.119 Would you shout for joy? 00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:07.599 You ready? 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:08.160 On three. 00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:09.680 One, two, three. 00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:12.480 That's pretty good. 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:13.680 That's pretty good. 00:17:13.920 --> 00:17:17.359 There's something about a giving a good old holler. 00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:20.880 Woo! You know, it's like it's cathartic. 00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:23.680 You probably need to do it more often than you know. 00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:25.519 Oh, just do it in your car though. 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:27.519 Um, no, just do it here. 00:17:28.319 --> 00:17:34.240 Like God has met you, God has saved you, and I am shouting for joy. 00:17:35.200 --> 00:17:41.920 And then Mary, just a few verses later, she writes the most beautiful, powerful song. 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:44.160 It's called, we call it the Magnificant. 00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:49.200 And it said of her that she treasured up all these things in her heart. 00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:53.279 That we'd shout for joy and then we'd sing with passion. 00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:59.839 Whether we're a singer or not, we would sing with passion. 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:01.359 You know, it's interesting. 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:12.319 Um, I think many of us, and I've fallen into this camp uh uh often, is like, well, I'm not really, I am kind of a shouter, but like that's just not my personality, right? 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:15.680 All these postures, even, well, that's not my thing. 00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:18.160 Here's what's interesting. 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:25.920 Um, many of us are wonderful shouters for joy or or the other with our favorite sports team, aren't we? 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:44.559 When Steph Curry hits that shot, woo! You know, and we sing with passion in the presence of some of our favorite artists, whether it's Beyonce, T-Swift, Kendrick Lamar, The Weekend, Post Malone, whoever your cold play is mine. 00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:46.640 But whoever your favorite one. 00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:53.440 Isn't it amazing that someone who can be so reserved is at a T-Swift waving her, you know, woo! I'm done. 00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:54.400 I won't do that again. 00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:55.920 I'm sorry, I apologize. 00:18:56.079 --> 00:18:58.160 You can't unsee that either. 00:18:59.680 --> 00:19:00.720 Now, listen to this. 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:03.680 Martin Luther, the great reformer, wrote this. 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:11.599 Singing with passion and shouting for joy are not just acts of praise, they are acts of warfare against despair. 00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:24.799 Truth is, many of you need to start preaching to yourself, speaking the truth of God, singing the truth of God over your lives. 00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:30.799 The shepherds, they um had this angelic announcement. 00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:36.240 They go and see um baby Jesus, just as it was said. 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:40.799 And then it says of them, they they spread the word, praising God. 00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:43.039 They just shared it with everyone. 00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:48.319 They couldn't help but just share it with everyone around them. 00:19:49.119 --> 00:19:55.519 Did you know sharing the word about Jesus is actually an act of worship? 00:19:56.799 --> 00:20:01.279 Um, this right here is a meat masher. 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:04.079 Yeah, I know, it's pretty exciting. 00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:12.000 We have a meat masher because somebody that my wife follows on Instagram was talking all about this meat masher and how great it is. 00:20:12.160 --> 00:20:14.799 I have a house of teenage boys, you know. 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:18.160 We go through a lot of ground meat as a family. 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:20.000 And so this is incredible. 00:20:20.319 --> 00:20:23.200 Just do this, it's so much easier than the little, you know. 00:20:23.359 --> 00:20:30.720 And so I we have this meat masher because someone shared about it, and then my wife is sharing with me, and she's sharing with everybody else. 00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:32.079 Like, hey, this thing's awesome. 00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:34.799 Check this thing out and the ridges, it's amazing. 00:20:35.119 --> 00:20:35.680 Why? 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:40.880 Because when we love something, we talk about it. 00:20:41.920 --> 00:20:43.759 You love that restaurant. 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:45.920 Oh, I want you to experience it. 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:47.920 I had this great experience, it's amazing. 00:20:48.079 --> 00:20:49.200 You gotta try this. 00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:55.519 When you love that artist, wouldn't it love that place that you went to? 00:20:56.160 --> 00:20:58.400 We just can't help but share it. 00:20:58.480 --> 00:21:01.680 It's part of an act of worship. 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:04.480 It's how we're designed and hardwired. 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:08.079 I want to encourage you this season. 00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:09.440 Would you share the word? 00:21:10.160 --> 00:21:13.680 You've had these Christmas Eve invitations. 00:21:15.359 --> 00:21:18.720 Who's a family member, a friend, a coworker? 00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:21.440 They go, I Jesus changed my life. 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:22.240 I can't help it. 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:24.079 I'm gonna share with them. 00:21:24.240 --> 00:21:25.359 Would you come with me? 00:21:25.519 --> 00:21:28.079 Would you invite them to our Christmas Eve service? 00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:31.200 You know, is there's a difference between inviting and informing. 00:21:31.359 --> 00:21:34.240 A lot of the ways we talk to people, we inform them, you know. 00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:35.680 Hey, uh, this is cool. 00:21:35.759 --> 00:21:37.519 You should you should go do it, right? 00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:40.799 It's like there's a service one, two thirty, and four. 00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:43.119 Um it's at my church. 00:21:43.200 --> 00:21:44.799 It would be great if you came. 00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:46.240 That's informing. 00:21:46.480 --> 00:21:52.960 Inviting is this hey, we're attending this Christmas Eve service at 2 30. 00:21:53.119 --> 00:21:54.240 Would you come with us? 00:21:54.400 --> 00:21:55.599 We'd love to have you join us. 00:21:55.680 --> 00:21:56.880 We'll save a seat for you. 00:21:57.759 --> 00:21:59.599 In fact, we'll meet you in the parking lots. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:00.880 And walk with you. 00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:03.119 That's inviting. 00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:05.599 Would you invite someone? 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:13.119 Shout for joy, sing for praise, share with others, and then the magi. 00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:16.960 The magi they come before Jesus. 00:22:17.039 --> 00:22:20.640 And remember, you never enter the presence of a king empty-handed. 00:22:21.680 --> 00:22:25.039 And they brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:28.000 They bowed down and they brought gifts. 00:22:28.880 --> 00:22:31.519 Giving generously is an act of worship. 00:22:33.599 --> 00:22:44.319 In fact, uh it used to be in our service, in a lot of services, during the offering time, we talk about the worshipful act of giving and have it incorporated in the service. 00:22:44.400 --> 00:22:44.880 It's hard. 00:22:45.039 --> 00:22:48.720 We in our church, we don't pass baskets, you know. 00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:50.319 Most of you give online. 00:22:51.119 --> 00:22:59.279 And so it's hard to get connected with like giving as an act of generosity, but as an act of worship. 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:04.960 I want to give you just maybe two practices this week for that. 00:23:05.359 --> 00:23:11.839 One, would you take maybe a$5 bill,$10 bill, or$20 bill, just depending on where you're at financially? 00:23:12.240 --> 00:23:13.279 Keep it in your pocket. 00:23:14.799 --> 00:23:19.119 God, this week I want to be generous as an act of worship. 00:23:20.079 --> 00:23:22.319 Who would you want me to be generous to? 00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:25.440 And you just hold on to it with that prayer. 00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:28.559 Five bucks, ten bucks, twenty bucks. 00:23:28.640 --> 00:23:33.200 It might be a person you run into, a person you see that's on the street that's in need. 00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:37.440 It might be someone in the line at the coffee shop where you just, I want to bless them. 00:23:37.680 --> 00:23:39.519 Who do I want to be generous? 00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:41.039 Who do you want me to be generous with? 00:23:41.200 --> 00:23:43.440 It will just begin to connect and you connect it. 00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:45.759 This is an act of worship to my king. 00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:47.839 I'm not coming empty-handed. 00:23:48.160 --> 00:24:04.480 You might think of like, okay, I can't do this every week because I automate my giving, but what does it look like to physically in this moment as we gather as a church in worship to remind myself that my generosity is actually part of my worship. 00:24:05.440 --> 00:24:10.880 And so you might just go, like, I'm just gonna do a one-time gift in this moment. 00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:13.039 Some of you even have checks. 00:24:13.119 --> 00:24:13.599 You can do that. 00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:14.400 It's really weird. 00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:15.839 Uh, but you can do it that way. 00:24:15.920 --> 00:24:19.279 But where you just connect, you gotta connect it. 00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:22.880 This worshipful act. 00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:34.880 I sing loudly, shout for joy, share with others, and give generously are all postures of worship to our King. 00:24:36.160 --> 00:24:42.960 So let me ask you what does your posture reveal about how you see God? 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:47.279 I remember, um, oh, I don't have it. 00:24:47.759 --> 00:25:01.200 I remember uh one time in church, um, I had a coffee, no shame, this is please uh this is what I've done, but I'd have a coffee cup in one hand and I kind of raising my hand with the other. 00:25:01.519 --> 00:25:02.720 Have you ever done this? 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:07.519 Um I definitely do this, and it was just like, wait a second. 00:25:07.839 --> 00:25:10.880 I think I'm just being a little too casual. 00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:21.279 And so I was like, okay, I just gotta put my coffee cup down because I'm in the presence of the King Almighty, and I just want to just give him everything. 00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:25.119 I just want to give him everything in this moment. 00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:28.640 And so I'm not even gonna just hold on to my coffee cup. 00:25:29.759 --> 00:25:37.920 Let me ask, if you truly saw Jesus as King of kings, how would it change the way you approach him in worship? 00:25:39.839 --> 00:25:53.599 That he is king, he is your wonderful counselor, he is your mighty God, he is your everlasting father and your Prince of Peace. 00:25:55.759 --> 00:26:03.519 We're gonna close with a time of worship, and I want to invite us to posture ourselves. 00:26:05.519 --> 00:26:17.200 It means responding physically in worship to direct us spiritually, our heart and soul, to God. 00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:24.319 And so the band is gonna come up, and if it's not already, they're gonna come up and they're gonna lead us in worship. 00:26:24.480 --> 00:26:31.359 And what I'm gonna ask us to do, because I don't think we'll do it otherwise, I want us to begin on our knees. 00:26:31.599 --> 00:26:34.960 If you're physically able to do that, would you get on your knees with me? 00:26:35.039 --> 00:26:40.880 If you're not physically able, please don't, you know, I know for some that's just not a possibility. 00:26:42.799 --> 00:26:49.440 But would you get on your knees, recognizing that we're coming to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? 00:26:51.359 --> 00:26:53.759 And then would you open your hands? 00:26:56.400 --> 00:27:06.400 And we take this posture of humility before our King and openness that we want to meet with you, we want to receive from you. 00:27:10.880 --> 00:27:12.400 We worship you. 00:27:58.000 --> 00:28:00.559 Would you overwhelm us with your presence right now? 00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:02.799 Would you overwhelm us with your love? 00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:12.240 Would you help us to see more clearly who you are? 00:28:39.039 --> 00:28:40.400 And so we worship you. 00:28:43.680 --> 00:28:46.000 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:28:46.160 --> 00:28:50.559 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:28:50.720 --> 00:28:52.880 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:28:53.039 --> 00:28:58.799 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.comslash card.