WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.200 But we are in our fourth week of Advent. 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:05.599 Next Sunday is Christmas. 00:00:05.679 --> 00:00:08.160 So we are coming right up onto it. 00:00:08.240 --> 00:00:12.160 And our text this morning is one of the classic Christmas texts. 00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:13.439 And so I'll reread it. 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:19.519 We'll read a little bit, make some sense of it, and really just ponder God's goodness to us. 00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:22.719 So Matthew 1, 18 through 21. 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:32.880 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way, when his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph before they came together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:37.920 And her husband, Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:49.039 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:57.359 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. 00:00:58.000 --> 00:00:59.119 Point number one is this. 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:02.240 In Jesus, you really are fully saved. 00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:03.600 Really. 00:01:03.759 --> 00:01:04.400 You really are. 00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:05.280 That's the point. 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:09.200 Not like maybe, but you really are fully saved. 00:01:09.359 --> 00:01:12.959 We could say Jesus plus nothing equals everything. 00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:16.560 For the past few weeks, the World Cup's been going on. 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:17.519 That soccer. 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:19.120 Don't know if you're aware of that. 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:22.799 The four of us that didn't come to church this morning are watching it at home right now. 00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:24.079 I heard there's a final game. 00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:27.359 Y'all don't care because you're here, but it is a soccer tournament. 00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:36.159 And wasn't that exciting when the US, you know, they advanced and we all pretended like we were soccer fans for like 10 days. 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:38.879 It was an amazing ten days for our country. 00:01:39.040 --> 00:01:41.599 Um, what an amazing time for us. 00:01:42.239 --> 00:01:46.159 So every four years, the World Cup, let me just fill you in because y'all don't know. 00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:46.719 We don't know. 00:01:46.799 --> 00:01:48.159 I just learned about this this year. 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:49.920 Every four years there's a World Cup. 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:51.760 It's a big soccer tournament in the world. 00:01:51.920 --> 00:01:53.519 The whole, the rest of the world knows about it. 00:01:53.599 --> 00:01:55.200 We're just beginning to learn about it. 00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:57.680 Every four years it changes locations. 00:01:58.319 --> 00:02:00.319 And this year it's been in Qatar. 00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:04.719 Now, how they won the bid to host it is sketchy. 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:07.439 Maybe you've seen the Netflix documentary on FIFA. 00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:10.400 Just a multitude of sins, really. 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:13.759 So the question is, is why do they why did they want it? 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:16.319 Like, why did Guitar want this? 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:24.400 It's a tiny, wealthy country that's surrounded by bigger, well, more well-known, wealthy countries. 00:02:24.800 --> 00:02:30.719 Yet this this country's also known to uh of its mistreatment of groups of people. 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:40.080 Back in January, The Guardian published an article entitled, Could 2022 be sports washing's biggest year? 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:42.960 I'd never heard that term, sports washing. 00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:44.319 I'd never heard that. 00:02:44.479 --> 00:02:45.680 So here's what I learned. 00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:58.560 For decades, this isn't new, but for decades, oppressive, horrible governments all around the world, these countries, they'll use sports as a cleansing agent over their sins. 00:02:58.879 --> 00:03:17.759 So commit your atrocities, commit your sins, and then use a sporting event that has so much prestige and celebration that the world will just forget about your sins and remember the memory of the final goal or the big stadium or the big celebration, right? 00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:22.479 I mean, it's sports watching as forgiveness and absolution. 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:25.280 I mean, it's a perfect sermon illustration, right? 00:03:25.360 --> 00:03:27.280 I mean, that's like teed up for me. 00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:34.319 Hitler did it in 1936 when he hosted the Olympics, the Nazis hosted the Olympics in Berlin. 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:38.800 Argentina did it in 1978 with the World Cup. 00:03:39.039 --> 00:03:41.919 Russia did it in 2018 with the World Cup. 00:03:42.240 --> 00:03:47.599 China did it earlier this year with the Olympics, and now Qatar is doing it. 00:03:48.080 --> 00:04:02.800 Absolving themselves of their atrocities and their sins before the world by just spending enough money, creating enough prestige, enough celebration, that the world will forget of their atrocities and remember the celebration. 00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:09.039 Now, you are not Hitler or Putin. 00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:12.800 Probably, hopefully, most days, right? 00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:15.919 I mean, some of you would be like, well, there's I have moments. 00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:17.759 You probably do. 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:23.759 But you and I, we certainly are all looking for a washing. 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:26.399 Something. 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:40.160 Someone outside of ourselves to absolve us, to wash us from our mistakes and our failures and our inability just to get it all together perfectly. 00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:48.160 And to be and to feel pure and whole and even righteous or whole again. 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:53.519 From that one big mistake that keeps replaying in your mind. 00:04:53.600 --> 00:04:55.040 It was years ago. 00:04:55.279 --> 00:04:57.439 And you'll just flash back to it. 00:04:57.759 --> 00:05:00.319 Or it's the secret addiction or the secret motivation. 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:02.560 Nobody else knows about it except you, or the failure. 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:03.519 You just can't shake. 00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:04.720 It kind of sticks to you. 00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:06.800 Or maybe you actually read the Bible. 00:05:07.040 --> 00:05:10.240 Like you actually read the Bible, you actually tried to live it out. 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:14.720 I mean, that'll mess you up because Jesus asks us some radical things, right? 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:17.120 I mean, Sermon on the Mount is the beginning of his teaching. 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:18.480 He says, radical things, right? 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:20.879 Don't, it's not, do not commit murders. 00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:24.879 Don't even have anger in your heart, no lust, no greed. 00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:27.759 Pray continually, be generous and kind. 00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:30.079 This is holy and good. 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:32.319 This is who we should be. 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:41.199 And because of our inability to hold it, we're eventually crushed by it. 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:43.519 It's actually why Jesus was doing that. 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:46.639 He's saying, I'm the fulfillment of the law for you. 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:50.240 If you live by law, you'll be crushed and exhausted. 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:56.959 You will be condemned by it because it's exposing that we are sinners in need of a washing. 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:00.319 Something from beyond ourselves. 00:06:00.399 --> 00:06:13.680 We're learning what we say every single week, and Sam just said it, that we're more broken than we originally thought, but in Christ, we're more loved by God than we ever dare to dream. 00:06:14.879 --> 00:06:23.120 That's why Matthew writes in verse 21, she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:25.040 So the people don't have to save themselves from their sins. 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:26.399 You don't have to save yourself from your sin. 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:28.399 You really are saved. 00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:31.920 Jesus was a common name at the time, it had a huge meaning. 00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:35.439 Jesus is the Jewish name for the Hebrew name Joshua. 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:36.879 Yeshua. 00:06:37.279 --> 00:06:39.839 Yahshua, meaning to save. 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:47.279 So that word save, save is the Greek word sozo, meaning delivered and made whole. 00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:55.199 In Jesus, you really are saved, fully delivered from the penalty of sin, not the consequences in this world. 00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:00.720 Fully whole with God, your heavenly Father. 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:02.959 And this is done by Jesus for you. 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:06.240 All the forgiveness and all the righteousness you could ever need. 00:07:06.399 --> 00:07:11.439 Nothing for you to add, only more for you to rest in and trust in and grow deeper into. 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:14.560 That's God's grace to us. 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:16.800 It's a real washing. 00:07:16.879 --> 00:07:20.319 It's not a sports washing, it's a divine washing. 00:07:20.879 --> 00:07:28.000 And Jesus has his power because he's not just a great teacher, which he was, he was Savior. 00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:30.879 He's our advocate, 1 John says. 00:07:30.959 --> 00:07:35.120 Maybe you remember that a few years ago we talked about this word, advocate in 1 John. 00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:37.439 An amazing word, 1 John 2, 1 and 2. 00:07:37.680 --> 00:07:40.720 My little children, I'm writing these things to you so that you may not sin. 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:47.439 But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:54.399 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 00:07:54.879 --> 00:07:59.759 Advocate's the word paraclete, meaning to represent in a legal manner. 00:08:01.600 --> 00:08:04.000 It's an official binding relationship. 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:09.120 So whatever they achieve, you achieve. 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:15.680 I mean, amazing. 00:08:15.839 --> 00:08:16.959 What a Christmas present. 00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:18.240 And then you got chosen. 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:19.839 You are chosen for jury duty. 00:08:19.920 --> 00:08:26.399 And you're on the jury duty and you're there and you're sitting there and you got chosen, so you're actually in the box, the jury box. 00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:31.519 And the accused is there next to the accused is the accused lawyer. 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:36.799 And that lawyer, she will work on behalf of the accused. 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:41.840 No matter how guilty, she will work for the accused. 00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:44.960 Because she's the advocate. 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:49.279 Whatever she achieves, the accused achieves. 00:08:51.519 --> 00:09:01.120 And our role, as the accused, is to sit quietly and trust while she works for us. 00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:13.440 Theologian Charles Hodge makes sense of it like this: the relationship of Christ to his people is that of a legal advocate to a client. 00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:15.919 The former personates the latter. 00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:18.240 The lawyer stands in the client's place. 00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:21.519 It is, while it lasts, the most intimate of relationships. 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:24.799 You may not even have to appear in court. 00:09:25.120 --> 00:09:26.559 You are not heard. 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:28.480 You are not regarded. 00:09:28.799 --> 00:09:30.080 You are lost. 00:09:30.480 --> 00:09:35.039 And your advocate, who for the time being is your representative. 00:09:35.679 --> 00:09:38.240 The advocate, not you, is seen. 00:09:38.480 --> 00:09:40.879 The advocate, not you, is heard. 00:09:41.200 --> 00:09:44.000 The advocate, not you, is regarded. 00:09:45.039 --> 00:09:49.679 I mean, that's the sufficiency of Christ as Savior for us. 00:09:50.879 --> 00:09:53.279 Verse 22, Matthew 1, 22. 00:09:53.840 --> 00:09:57.759 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet. 00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:04.399 Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God with us. 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:10.159 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:18.240 He took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son, and he called his name Jesus. 00:10:19.440 --> 00:10:23.519 So Emmanuel means God with us. 00:10:23.919 --> 00:10:28.879 Point number two is this in Jesus you have forever belonging with God. 00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:31.679 Secure forever belonging with God. 00:10:31.919 --> 00:10:33.919 And you are never alone. 00:10:35.919 --> 00:10:38.559 I've been watching the fifth season of The Crown. 00:10:38.639 --> 00:10:39.360 Are you caught up? 00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:41.279 I know maybe you switched over to Harry Megan. 00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:41.840 I know. 00:10:42.080 --> 00:10:42.720 I know it's good. 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:44.639 It's tough decisions right now. 00:10:44.879 --> 00:10:45.840 Really hard. 00:10:46.080 --> 00:11:00.879 So the fifth season of The Crown is uh it follows Princess Diana and her marriage to Charles, which is and the fallout of that, and her sadness, and like pretty much like the whole season's her and her apartment. 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:02.000 It's just the worst thing. 00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:06.000 And like every episode, she's sort of like just crumbling into herself. 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:13.360 And then she's like, she's at the hospital volunteering, and she thinks maybe this new doctor will love her, and it's just worse. 00:11:13.519 --> 00:11:14.240 That's even worse. 00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:26.639 And then there's a scene with her and Charles, and they've had their divorce, and they're talking about the relationship, and it's it's just it's really heartbreaking because basically she's saying to him, you remember the scene if you've seen it, they're at the kitchen table there. 00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:29.279 She's saying, like, I just wanted you to love me. 00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:30.879 That's all I wanted. 00:11:31.120 --> 00:11:32.960 But all I got was rejection. 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:46.000 Which is heartbreaking to watch someone, anybody, any of us, that we might long for belonging and only receive rejection. 00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:49.600 It's our greatest fear. 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:50.639 Right? 00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:52.559 To be alone at the lunch table. 00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:57.679 To not belong anywhere to anyone. 00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:00.639 Am I alone? 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:06.399 Where and to whom does my heart actually belong? 00:12:08.399 --> 00:12:10.639 If they knew me, would they still love me? 00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:16.080 If God knew me, if he really knew me, would he still love me? 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:21.919 Well, the promise we have in Jesus the Savior is that he is Emmanuel. 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:26.000 The word Emmanuel only occurs three times in the Bible. 00:12:26.080 --> 00:12:33.440 It's here in Matthew, it's twice in Isaiah, a book of the Old Testament, 800 years before Jesus' birth. 00:12:33.759 --> 00:12:41.440 And Isaiah 7.14, the prophet prophesies that Emmanuel will come to a virgin 800 years before. 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:49.440 Isaiah 8.8, the prophet prophesies that the people of God belong to this Emmanuel. 00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:54.240 A couple of questions that have hit me this week. 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:56.720 I call them growth and grace questions. 00:12:57.440 --> 00:13:05.679 Is first, if we think about Jesus, in Jesus we don't have to save ourselves, and we don't have to make ourselves whole by our own work. 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:10.559 So here's a very wordy question for that. 00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:13.440 I was like, this is a really wordy question as I looked at it again this morning. 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:15.360 Just hang with me as I work my way through it. 00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:32.960 What peace and growth, what peace and growth might occur as you draw near to Jesus for limitless forgiveness, righteous standing with God, and wholeness of heart? 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:40.720 A good practice is when we just write, you know, peace, growth, and then these different areas. 00:13:40.879 --> 00:13:49.519 Like what might happen inside of you if we trust in the full sufficiency of Jesus for this rather than us trying to merit that? 00:13:49.919 --> 00:13:53.519 What freedom, what growth, what transformation might happen? 00:13:54.559 --> 00:14:03.120 In Emmanuel, that promise we have that God is with us, that we belong, that we always belong, no matter our condition. 00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:06.879 Not as we should be, but as we are right now. 00:14:07.919 --> 00:14:09.840 So here's the wordy question for that one. 00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:15.759 What peace and growth might occur as you trust in Emmanuel? 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:19.600 That you are never alone and God will never leave you. 00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:26.080 I mean, if that is true for you in your heart, what peace might you know in your heart? 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:29.360 What growth might you know in your heart, in your life? 00:14:30.080 --> 00:14:37.039 What might that mean for your heart, for your soul, for your mind, for your life, your relationships, your work, your money? 00:14:37.679 --> 00:14:43.519 What could it possibly mean if it's this true and this good? 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:50.799 The last word for us to ponder this morning is that word that we keep seeing over and over and over in the last couple of years. 00:14:51.039 --> 00:14:53.759 Behold, verse 23. 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:58.799 Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel. 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:14.159 Remember, behold is to pause, gaze, not just not just not just get to work for God, but be astonished by God. 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:17.919 Point number three is this, our last point. 00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:27.919 Our faith practice is to ongoingly linger longer and treasure more the grace of God. 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:41.120 A few weeks ago over Thanksgiving, my in-laws, this was, I mean, an amazing gift, my in-laws for their 50th anniversary, they didn't want to party. 00:15:41.679 --> 00:15:56.000 And so they decided to take the whole family, 20 of us on my wife's side, so the whole 20 of us, for their 50th anniversary, took us to the Dominican Republic, to an all-inclusive resort to celebrate their 50th. 00:15:56.639 --> 00:16:01.360 And I continued my long legacy of accepting free trips, and so I went. 00:16:03.039 --> 00:16:12.159 Laid by the beach, sipping mojitos, sermon prep, I was sermon prepping, lots of sermon research, I'll tell you that. 00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:16.240 Because I mean, whoo, you go to the pool bar at 4 p.m. 00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:21.120 The lunch meal is worn off. 00:16:21.600 --> 00:16:23.840 Been a good bit of drinking there at the pool bar. 00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:24.879 About 4 p.m. 00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:27.759 was where the people watching got interesting. 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:31.440 People are dancing that should not dance. 00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:35.600 And they're wearing speedos and bikinis, doing the limbo. 00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:37.600 I saw things. 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:42.480 I need a I need a sports washing, is what I needed. 00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:52.000 The final night there, all 20 of us, we had this amazing dinner out on the pier. 00:16:52.559 --> 00:16:54.320 There's a picture of all of us. 00:16:54.480 --> 00:16:57.440 The weather was perfect. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:00.159 I mean, the sun was setting. 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:09.920 The children were the right amount of tired where they'll actually sit and just talk, but they weren't so tired that they're falling apart. 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:16.319 It's just the most amazing little moment there, and we had food and wine and dessert. 00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:29.119 And at the end of the meal, at the end of the meal, each of her parents spoke to us, spoke to the group about what matters in life. 00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:41.839 Where we can actually find peace, not just like an amazing dinner on a pier, you know, but where you actually can find peace when you're buried in work or buried in children or buried in heartache. 00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:44.319 Where can you actually be saved? 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:51.359 And they just talked about Jesus to us and to our children. 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:54.319 How he gives peace. 00:17:54.720 --> 00:17:56.480 And how he sustains. 00:17:57.680 --> 00:17:59.279 And how he really is enough. 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:01.759 As we learn to trust him. 00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:05.039 And they had us. 00:18:05.279 --> 00:18:14.559 And what I mean by that is, like, like as a preacher, I know if somebody, like I can tell sometimes I have you, and sometimes they have like half of you, like, but they had us. 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:17.039 Like they had our attention. 00:18:17.359 --> 00:18:18.400 They had us. 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:26.319 From age 46, the oldest child, down to age three, the youngest grandbaby. 00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:29.680 18 people, they had us. 00:18:31.920 --> 00:18:36.240 And when they finished, there was such a sweetness. 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:40.240 Yeah, of gratitude to be in such a beautiful place, right? 00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:42.000 I mean, that's that's quite a gift. 00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:52.400 But I think more so to hear such good news that transcends even that beautiful place, nobody moved. 00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:54.799 None of us got up. 00:18:54.960 --> 00:18:57.440 I've been to a lot of family dinners. 00:18:58.319 --> 00:18:58.640 Right? 00:18:58.799 --> 00:19:01.839 I mean, usually the family dinner ends, and you know what happens. 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:07.759 It's like, you know, you know, somebody's got to get to their bath time, you've got to get the kids hung, you got the little kids, and you gotta get to bed. 00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:09.839 It's like, how how quickly can I escape? 00:19:09.920 --> 00:19:13.680 Is what's kind of occurring at the end of the end of a family dinner. 00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:16.000 Nobody moved. 00:19:17.039 --> 00:19:25.839 We all just kept sitting there, lingering and treasuring that moment, beholding. 00:19:26.640 --> 00:19:32.160 I mean, finally, the the waiters, they had cleared the dishes and they're just kind of hovering. 00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:33.039 You know what I'm talking about? 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:37.279 When you stay at your table too long and the waiters just keep saying, You need anything else? 00:19:37.839 --> 00:19:41.039 You know, hit hit, like off you go, off you go. 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:42.079 We want to go home. 00:19:42.319 --> 00:19:43.680 Head to the pool bar. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:51.200 We were just content to linger into treasure. 00:19:53.039 --> 00:19:56.720 That's what happens when you experience something that's truly good. 00:19:57.680 --> 00:20:04.000 Our calling is not to learn a bunch of information about God and then go work for him. 00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:06.720 Both those things are great. 00:20:06.880 --> 00:20:09.839 Information about God and serving God on both those things are great. 00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:20.640 But it's got to come from a place that our calling is to be astonished by how good Jesus is for us, how sufficient he is. 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:26.880 How we can heal the guilty places and the shameful places and the busy places. 00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:34.799 And that we learn, and we're learning how to linger longer, and how to treasure more. 00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:37.200 To draw near. 00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:38.960 To behold. 00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:45.119 God came to save us, to save you, and never leave you. 00:20:46.319 --> 00:20:50.160 Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son. 00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:54.640 And you will call his name Emmanuel. 00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:56.319 Let's pray together. 00:20:57.839 --> 00:21:07.759 God, thank you for your grace to us, that despite our inability to uphold the law, what we should be, in your grace, you came to fulfill the law. 00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:12.480 That in Christ we have all the forgiveness we need and all the righteousness we need. 00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:18.160 That on the cross we know our sin is put upon you and your righteousness is given to us. 00:21:18.319 --> 00:21:20.640 What a gift we have in the Savior. 00:21:21.680 --> 00:21:23.920 And that you promise to never leave us. 00:21:25.359 --> 00:21:29.119 Help us to linger longer and treasure more. 00:21:29.359 --> 00:21:30.559 In Jesus' name. 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:31.359 Amen.