WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:02.959 Well, it's the first Sunday in Advent. 00:00:03.040 --> 00:00:05.599 The fourth Sunday is leading us into Christmas. 00:00:05.759 --> 00:00:08.800 Advent means arrival or coming. 00:00:09.039 --> 00:00:11.679 Advent's the season of waiting and hoping. 00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:20.079 It's permission for us to wait powerless with open hearts to God's story for our lives. 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:36.079 And we aren't just preparing for Christmas during the season, we're preparing for the second coming of Jesus, which is so interesting that in Advent, the first Sunday historically is set apart for us to talk about the second coming of Jesus while we're preparing to think about Christmas, the first coming. 00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:41.359 And so what we see is that we see Christ's first coming, so we think about it as Christmas in the cross. 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:44.960 Christ's first coming reckons us forgiven and righteous. 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:48.640 Fully his, nothing for you to add. 00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:54.240 And then Christ's second coming will restore all the sadness to joy. 00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:55.920 Fully restored. 00:00:56.240 --> 00:01:01.359 So we're fully righteous now, and yet we're not fully restored. 00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:08.079 We all long for this because we long for restoration, for things to be right. 00:01:09.439 --> 00:01:14.640 On Christmas morning in our home, we release the girls into the living room and out they go. 00:01:14.719 --> 00:01:20.879 And then we, our Christmas family tradition, is that we all open our stocking gifts together at the same time. 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:23.920 And so you know, wrapping paper starts to fill the floor. 00:01:24.079 --> 00:01:28.959 And then after that, we go one gift at a time, one person at a time around the circle. 00:01:29.280 --> 00:01:32.400 You go, and then you go, and then you go. 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:35.599 We all watch each person. 00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:42.560 It takes 17 hours to do this, which is the big debate. 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:45.760 Do you rotate one gift one person at a time? 00:01:46.079 --> 00:01:49.599 Or does like one person open all their gifts and then you go to the next? 00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:52.000 Or is it just like a free-for-all, right? 00:01:52.640 --> 00:01:58.879 No matter what, your living room is becoming a mess slowly, and all the control freaks, what are we doing? 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:06.560 Dying because you know there's a gift card down there somewhere. 00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:09.520 So that's me. 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:13.120 Got my comfies on, got my slippers on. 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:14.879 Where the trash bag? 00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:18.400 Anyone else spend Christmas Eve with a trash bag? 00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:19.599 We're all the control freaks. 00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:21.039 Trash bag people, raise your hand. 00:02:21.199 --> 00:02:22.080 Trash bag people? 00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:22.960 Yep. 00:02:23.599 --> 00:02:25.439 We all need a trash bag person. 00:02:27.199 --> 00:02:28.479 We want it restored. 00:02:28.639 --> 00:02:29.280 Trash bag people. 00:02:29.360 --> 00:02:31.199 Some of y'all have no idea what I'm talking about. 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:34.319 Trash bag people want it restored. 00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:37.759 We want it back to the way it should be. 00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:42.159 So we wait in Advent, right? 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:43.919 We wait in Advent. 00:02:44.240 --> 00:02:51.840 We're resting what's already true, Christmas, but we're hoping in what's to come, the day of restoration, Christ's second coming. 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:54.879 We want it to be how it should be. 00:02:54.960 --> 00:02:56.479 Our hearts are longing for that. 00:02:56.639 --> 00:03:10.000 Your heart long, all of our hearts long for life and our bodies and our relationships and our finances and provision to be as it should be, for it to be restored back to the way it should be. 00:03:10.240 --> 00:03:19.199 Maybe this idea of second coming for you is always spelt overly religious, fantastical, or maybe you grew up like me and it was always fear-based. 00:03:19.360 --> 00:03:24.400 Like you better, you better, he's coming, he's coming for you, he's gonna get you, you know. 00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:39.520 But as I've gotten older and my theology has become rooted more in Jesus alone and not my effort or my merit, and then my body, like I'm not as spectacular as I once was. 00:03:39.680 --> 00:03:41.039 Can you believe it? 00:03:41.919 --> 00:03:44.319 Like it's just not working like it used to. 00:03:44.479 --> 00:03:51.039 Like my right hip, I don't know if your right hip or we want restoration. 00:03:52.159 --> 00:03:56.000 I sat with a really sweet woman this week. 00:03:56.479 --> 00:03:58.319 Her entire body is failing. 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:01.360 None of her body will cooperate with it. 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:06.240 Someone hurts you. 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:15.120 You experience depression or disappointment or discouragement, war, hunger, illness. 00:04:16.160 --> 00:04:16.959 Your right hip. 00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:20.079 We want it restored. 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:22.800 We want it to be the way it should be. 00:04:23.199 --> 00:04:26.879 This is our hearts crying out for restoration. 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:30.240 We're fully redeemed now, and yet we're hoping for restoration. 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:32.319 Our passage this morning is Mark 13. 00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:35.120 It's called the Olivet Discourse. 00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:37.519 Because Jesus is on the Mount of Olives. 00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:41.120 He's standing on the Mount of Olives and he's teaching his disciples. 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:45.199 Here's a view of the Mount of Olives from the Temple Mount, looking across the valley to the Mount of Olives. 00:04:45.279 --> 00:04:53.839 So Jesus would have been over there on that little mountain teaching his disciples, looking back at the Temple Mount, and he was telling them earlier in Mark 13, the temple will be destroyed. 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:54.720 This is gonna happen. 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:56.879 Your temple that you love so much is gonna be destroyed. 00:04:57.120 --> 00:04:58.639 He says, Hey, you should persevere. 00:04:58.720 --> 00:05:01.199 This is gonna happen, but you need to persevere. 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:03.680 And then he starts to teach about his second coming. 00:05:03.839 --> 00:05:06.000 We jump in Mark 13, verse 24. 00:05:06.160 --> 00:05:15.519 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and powers in the heavens will be shaken. 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:19.600 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:26.560 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. 00:05:26.879 --> 00:05:28.959 Point number one, sort of a macro point. 00:05:29.040 --> 00:05:33.600 It's God is fully committed to love and redeem us. 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:38.959 The heart of apocalyptic literature in the scriptures is not fear. 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:43.680 The heart of apocalyptic literature is hope for those in Christ. 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:46.959 Where it looks like the whole world is sad and broken, there's no hope. 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:47.920 What could ever happen? 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:49.759 This thing just keeps going on and on and on. 00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:50.480 It's horrible. 00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:56.160 There's hostages in Gaza, there's war in Israel, there's war in Ukraine, our lives. 00:05:57.040 --> 00:05:59.360 I mean, are you put together yet? 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:01.839 Are any of us put together yet? 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:02.879 Didn't you think? 00:06:03.680 --> 00:06:07.040 Didn't you think you would be more put together at this point? 00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:11.439 We need hope for a restoration. 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:16.319 And Christmas is God's love in the flesh, into our messy world. 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:21.040 Christmas in the cross gives us a foot into our full righteousness. 00:06:21.279 --> 00:06:22.480 We are secure. 00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:26.319 One foot is there in Christmas, the first Advent. 00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:29.199 And one foot is in the second Advent. 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:33.439 Jesus' second coming, restoration. 00:06:34.399 --> 00:06:38.240 And so we live with one foot in the first, one foot in the second. 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:45.120 Point number two is this by growing aware of our story's end, we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:48.079 Verse 26 says, He's coming in the clouds. 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:52.319 Clouds in the scriptures, this word signifies glory. 00:06:53.360 --> 00:07:00.560 In the presence of God, there's beauty, there is power, there's utter aliveness. 00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:01.600 Don't you love that? 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:02.959 Utter aliveness. 00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:06.399 Nothing is broken and nothing is sad. 00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:10.000 Our hearts cry out for that restoration to come. 00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:12.480 Now, let's quickly look at two phrases that jump out. 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:15.600 The first is in verse 24, after that tribulation. 00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:17.920 That's the phrase, after that tribulation. 00:07:18.079 --> 00:07:25.199 Now, if you remember our teaching from Revelation last year, we did a series of the book of Revelation, and we talked about two views of the end times. 00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:30.959 If you remember this, the first view is dispensational premillennial view. 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:35.759 I'm sure you talked about it this week in your small group or dinner over coffee. 00:07:35.839 --> 00:07:37.759 It's a very, very popular topic. 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:43.759 But maybe you did read the Left Behind book series like years ago, or you heard about it, or you saw it. 00:07:44.319 --> 00:07:45.759 There's a rapture. 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:48.720 Christians are sucked up to heaven, those left behind. 00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:56.399 There's a horrible seven years of tribulation before Christ reigns for a thousand years, and then there's an eternal heaven. 00:07:56.560 --> 00:08:00.639 That's the summary of the dispensational pre-millennial view. 00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:02.160 Maybe that's your view. 00:08:02.399 --> 00:08:02.959 Fantastic. 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:03.839 We love that you're here. 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:04.560 Thanks for being here. 00:08:04.639 --> 00:08:05.680 Maybe you don't have a view. 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:06.480 You don't care. 00:08:06.639 --> 00:08:07.199 Fantastic. 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:08.160 We love that you're here. 00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:12.560 Our church believes what is called the covenantal amillennial view. 00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:14.160 Here's a summary of that. 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:31.360 We see much of the apocalyptic language in Revelation as symbolic or figurative, meaning the end times and the tribulation are the suffering we experience now between the first coming and the second coming, the first Advent and the Second Advent. 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:38.399 And our hope is that He will come again to restore all things. 00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:43.919 Verse 27, this other phrase jumps out: gather his elect. 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:45.679 Who are the elect? 00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:47.120 I mean, what was this talking about? 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:48.720 Certain people, not other people? 00:08:49.279 --> 00:09:01.840 The elect in the mystery of God's sovereignty are those God has lavished love upon, called to himself by grace alone, through faith alone, and Christ alone. 00:09:02.639 --> 00:09:07.200 If that's true of you, then you are the elect. 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:12.480 Now that doesn't answer, does God elect some and not elect others? 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:21.440 I've been studying for a long time at this point, and I'm just getting more and more okay with the mystery within God's sovereignty. 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:26.720 Now, what I do know is the gift that the doctrine of election can give you. 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:42.799 I do know this for sure, and this is that we can find a rest, unbelievable relief, that our faith is not about the strength of our own effort or merit to cause or maintain a relationship with God. 00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:46.799 That our relationship with God is through Christ alone. 00:09:47.039 --> 00:09:54.879 It is born from and sustained by his love for us in the cross and is objective and it is declared and given to us. 00:09:55.120 --> 00:09:56.559 That's a gift. 00:09:57.120 --> 00:10:00.240 Dietrich Bonhoeffer says this about Advent. 00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:16.000 The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come. 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:20.720 Now, if we think back on the second coming, do you remember this artwork? 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:40.559 We looked at this when we studied Revelation chapter six, all that figurative symbolic language in chapter six, the second coming, the first horse, victory, the second horse division, the third horse, inequality, the fourth horse, death. 00:10:41.759 --> 00:10:46.480 But the first horse is foremost. 00:10:47.120 --> 00:10:49.120 The first horse is supreme. 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:56.480 So maybe you're here and you know the hurt and the chaos of those last three horses in your life and your heart. 00:10:58.159 --> 00:11:00.000 But we have the first horse. 00:11:00.879 --> 00:11:01.919 Victory. 00:11:02.399 --> 00:11:12.320 And so as Christians, we're called to face our fear and our pain, to be on a healing path through that by the Holy Spirit in us, to move into healing. 00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:15.519 Yes, we will cry more, but we will rejoice more. 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:19.440 Because we know the first horse is supreme. 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:22.799 We live in the already, but the not yet. 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:25.279 The story's still unfolding. 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:28.240 Look at the top of this painting. 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:30.639 See the very top, right up there. 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:33.200 Very small. 00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:37.039 Overall is the Lamb and the Word. 00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:44.320 See, the fairest judge ever is the most loving, approachable, humble creature ever. 00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:50.399 This is how God has chosen to give himself to us in Jesus. 00:11:51.200 --> 00:11:53.679 This is how he regards us, relates to us. 00:11:53.840 --> 00:11:58.879 We may be groaning today, but we do have hope. 00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:01.039 Mark 13, verse 28. 00:12:01.279 --> 00:12:03.360 From the fig tree learn its lesson. 00:12:03.519 --> 00:12:09.759 As soon as its branch becomes tender and put out its leaves, you know that summer's near. 00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:14.480 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near at the very gates. 00:12:14.559 --> 00:12:18.799 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until these things take place. 00:12:19.039 --> 00:12:23.840 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:32.320 Point number three is this God's story for your life and those you love, it's still unfolding. 00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:39.360 Jesus wasn't wrong in verse 30 when he said, all this will happen during their lives, these people listening right then. 00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:41.440 Because the temple was destroyed. 00:12:41.759 --> 00:12:43.840 What he was talking about, just across that valley. 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:50.399 37 years later, in AD 70, Titus, Roman general, sacked Jerusalem, destroyed the temple. 00:12:51.039 --> 00:12:54.080 Verse 28, Jesus gives us this image of a fig tree. 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:55.759 Now here's a picture of a fig tree. 00:12:55.919 --> 00:12:57.360 These were all over Israel. 00:12:57.519 --> 00:12:58.720 They are all over Israel. 00:12:58.799 --> 00:13:05.759 And at the time in Israel, there weren't many plants that lost all of its leaves in the winter and then rebudded in the spring. 00:13:05.919 --> 00:13:15.120 So when Jesus starts to talk about this, they all have this image clearly in their mind that when that tree buds, summer's near. 00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:23.840 And Jesus is saying, I bring the ultimate spring, the ultimate new life, ultimate summer. 00:13:25.919 --> 00:13:29.919 This is how we live in the already, but not yet. 00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:35.600 Already fully redeemed, but not yet fully restored. 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:37.360 Already fully redeemed. 00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:43.039 That's the new life we have in Jesus of the cross, but not yet fully restored. 00:13:43.519 --> 00:13:45.919 Not yet the second coming. 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:51.759 Last week with our girls, we watched the Christmas movie The Holiday. 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:53.440 We're working our way through Christmas movies. 00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:55.039 I don't know if you're into Christmas movies yet. 00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:57.120 We're working our way through all our favorite Christmas. 00:13:57.440 --> 00:13:58.480 It was a Nancy Myers film. 00:13:58.559 --> 00:13:59.919 Anybody about Nancy Myers films? 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:01.840 They have the most amazing homes. 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:05.840 If you just need like a two-hour envy trip, just watch a Nancy Myers film. 00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:08.159 The homes are amazing, just drool the whole time. 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:09.600 It was in 2006. 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:10.720 You've had time to see it. 00:14:10.799 --> 00:14:12.879 I'm not going to feel too bad about all of this. 00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:15.360 Iris is British. 00:14:15.919 --> 00:14:18.240 She's British and she's a mess. 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:22.320 She has this love for this guy who's just a jerk. 00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:23.840 He's just horrible, right? 00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:24.799 You've seen it. 00:14:24.879 --> 00:14:26.159 You're like, that guy's awful. 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:28.080 She just in love with this guy. 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:29.039 She's a mess. 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:30.159 She's heartbroken. 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:31.519 Amanda's American. 00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:32.879 She lives in LA. 00:14:33.919 --> 00:14:35.200 And she's a mess. 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:36.480 And she's heartbroken. 00:14:36.639 --> 00:14:38.799 So they switch houses for a holiday. 00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:42.559 Remember, Amanda goes to England, Iris goes to LA. 00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:48.559 And of course, they each meet a sweet, good man on their holiday. 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:50.879 And the movie's unfolding. 00:14:51.200 --> 00:14:54.240 You don't know what's gonna happen next, it's unfolding. 00:14:55.039 --> 00:14:57.759 Will Iris stop crying? 00:14:59.440 --> 00:15:01.440 Will she get with Miles? 00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:04.879 Will Amanda open her heart? 00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:07.759 Will Amanda commit to Graham? 00:15:08.320 --> 00:15:08.879 Will she? 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:10.960 I mean, we want her to so badly. 00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:13.919 And my girls can't talk more about this. 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:15.120 Just the whole movie. 00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:18.240 Just talking about it and will they and how? 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:20.720 And like we're pausing it and talk it out. 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:24.320 Let's just let's just talk it out for a bit. 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:27.840 And they're asking us, will I risk it with mine? 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:33.360 Will Amanda open her heart to Graham and those two beautiful, cute little girls? 00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:34.720 Will she commit to them? 00:15:34.960 --> 00:15:36.240 Will she move to England? 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:38.240 How will like how will this work out? 00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:39.120 Will it work out? 00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:42.240 And we're like, hey, watch the movie. 00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:43.840 Right? 00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:46.480 Watch it. 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:48.879 You have to watch the story. 00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:53.440 They're all incredibly sad in the middle of the movie. 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:56.480 But all the sadness will come untrue. 00:15:57.200 --> 00:15:58.720 There will be a restoration. 00:15:58.879 --> 00:15:59.759 You see my point. 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:01.519 You've seen it for about the last four minutes. 00:16:01.679 --> 00:16:05.279 My point is, of course, we're all mid-movie. 00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:06.960 We're all mid-movie. 00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:09.440 The sadness, it will come untrue. 00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:14.240 Some of us will experience restoration in different parts in this world. 00:16:14.799 --> 00:16:17.200 But some of us won't experience full restoration. 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:23.200 None of us will experience full restoration until either heaven or Christ's second coming. 00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:31.600 This is why the doctrine of eternal life, heaven, Christ's second coming, it actually means everything to our hearts. 00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:33.440 Because our hearts long for restoration. 00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:35.039 And that is not fear-based. 00:16:35.200 --> 00:16:37.759 That is hope-filled for us. 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:39.440 Hope-filled. 00:16:39.679 --> 00:16:42.399 I had two growth, grace, and questions. 00:16:42.799 --> 00:16:46.639 Growth and grace questions for our hearts that came to me this week that I was pondering. 00:16:46.799 --> 00:16:56.960 The first is this where do I need to move from fear to hope as God's story for my life is still unfolding? 00:16:58.080 --> 00:17:00.080 Where do I need there's probably some area? 00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:01.519 You need to move from fear to hope. 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:04.160 God's story for life is still unfolding. 00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:08.240 Second, how am I living in the temporal world? 00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:13.359 But I need to place my hope in the restoration to come. 00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:17.279 Mark 13, verse 32. 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:21.279 But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows. 00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:24.960 Not even the angels in heaven or the Son, but only the Father. 00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:29.839 Be on guard, keep awake, for you do not know when the angels will come. 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:38.880 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 00:17:39.119 --> 00:17:49.519 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know when the master of the house will come in the evening or at midnight or when the rooster crows or in the morning, lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 00:17:49.759 --> 00:17:53.279 And what I say to you, I say to all, stay awake. 00:17:53.599 --> 00:18:01.359 Point number four is this our gross is awakening to the restoration of all things by King Jesus. 00:18:01.599 --> 00:18:03.599 We want to awaken to that. 00:18:04.480 --> 00:18:09.759 My in-law subdivision in Florida, it's gated by a guard gate and a guard. 00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:13.759 And so when we go down there to visit, we pull up, pull up to the guard gate. 00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:14.880 The guard steps outside. 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:15.839 I give him my name. 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:22.079 He goes inside, he checks a list, he looks at the list, he checks us off, he opens the gate, in we go. 00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:24.000 He's the doorkeeper. 00:18:26.640 --> 00:18:28.400 Never have they been asleep. 00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:31.839 There's probably been 50 different guards at that guard gate over the last 15 years. 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:34.079 Never have any of them been asleep. 00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:48.960 Now, from what I can tell, and I'm no expert on guard gates or security of subdivisions or anything like that, but what I can tell is if you have a guard, just kind of like the main requirement here is just like stay awake. 00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:54.319 Like that seems, like that in a phone seems to be like the main part of this job, right? 00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:56.240 Just stay awake. 00:18:57.119 --> 00:19:09.119 Four times Jesus uses the word awake to be watchful, be like a doorkeeper and stay awake to what means the most. 00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:15.119 The point is not to figure out some secret date of Jesus returning. 00:19:15.519 --> 00:19:18.640 If you start hearing that, just change the channel and go somewhere else. 00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:20.160 That's not the point. 00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:28.720 It's a call and grace to live intentional, to stay awake, and in the Christmas truth. 00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:31.839 That he is with you and he is for you. 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:35.599 And in the cross, that we are fully forgiven and fully righteous. 00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:39.039 That he knows all of you and he loves all of you. 00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:49.359 So, my brothers and sisters, welcome to Advent, these four weeks taking us to Christmas, where we rest in the first coming and we hope in the second. 00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:51.039 Let's pray together. 00:19:52.640 --> 00:20:05.039 Heavenly Father, thank you for the season where we get to rest in the truth of Christmas, in the gift of the cross, and we get to hope in your second coming. 00:20:05.359 --> 00:20:11.839 As our hearts cry out to be righteous, may we find ourselves fully at rest in the gift of Jesus and the cross. 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:22.720 And as our hearts cry out for restoration, may we be filled with hope that there will be a day we are with you in heaven where there is no sadness or illness. 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:26.400 And there will be a day when all things are restored. 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:28.240 In Christ's name we pray. 00:20:28.400 --> 00:20:28.880 Amen.