WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:01.520 Father, we praise you. 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:07.120 We thank you for uh being such a great and loving Father, for adopting us as your very own children. 00:00:07.280 --> 00:00:17.600 Holy Spirit, we thank you for being our teacher and counselor, and please uh uh uh just speak to each one of us today, that we would uh each leave with something from you. 00:00:17.839 --> 00:00:23.760 And uh Jesus, we thank you for saving us and being our friend, and we uh praise you for that. 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:25.120 It's in your name we pray. 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:26.079 Amen. 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:37.520 So on Christmas Eve, I mentioned that we're gonna start the year off uh with three weeks of three things that Jesus taught that we can apply in our everyday lives. 00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:40.640 And I'm gonna step back from one week. 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:44.640 Whenever I do that, I usually regret it because something changes, you know? 00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:48.560 And um I might have had like a Church 101 seizure. 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:54.000 You know, it's the um all the Christmas lights is like watching Pokemon, and so I wasn't exactly sure. 00:00:54.079 --> 00:01:04.319 And um but uh in praying about it and thinking about it, and by the way, we are gonna get back to Corinthians uh one of these days if you're uh if you're wondering about that. 00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:15.200 But in praying and thinking about it, um I think before we talk about what Jesus taught, it would be good to take a week and just remind ourselves who uh Jesus is. 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:19.840 I think that will have the most profound impact on us as we start the year. 00:01:20.159 --> 00:01:22.799 Jesus never wanted to be a belief system. 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:28.000 He's never wanted to be just uh a deity that we revere. 00:01:28.319 --> 00:01:34.480 He wants to be our friend and Savior, uh, who we can believe in, who we can trust, who'll never let us down. 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:46.239 He came to earth for several reasons to die for us, um, you know, for all our junk, but also to die for us so none of us will ever have to fear dying ourselves. 00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:49.120 Um He also came to show us what God is really like. 00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:52.959 He came to answer that question, you know, does God really love me? 00:01:53.359 --> 00:01:55.920 To answer that question once and for all. 00:01:56.400 --> 00:02:04.640 But he also came so we would know that for Jesus it's personal, that he cares about people and he cares about you specifically. 00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:09.199 One thing that Jesus didn't spend very much time on was the fact that he was God. 00:02:09.439 --> 00:02:17.520 You know, it seems odd because Christians spend so much time on that, you know, arguing about that and persuading uh about that. 00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:20.560 To Jesus, I guess he thought it was pretty obvious. 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:22.879 Um He did emphatically say it. 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:27.599 To the Samaritan woman, he said he was the Messiah, to Peter, he said he was the Messiah and the Son of God. 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:39.120 He told the high priest he was the son of God, told the Pharisees he and God are one, that ticked him off, and so they picked up stones to uh to kill him, and he still said, Hey, the father's in me and I'm in the father. 00:02:39.280 --> 00:02:43.439 He also told them that before Abraham was, um I am. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:46.639 He told his disciples, if you know me, you know the Father. 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:50.800 He was emphatic about it, but he wasn't preoccupied with it. 00:02:51.199 --> 00:03:02.960 I think that for Jesus, knowing that he was going to be crucified, raised from the dead, a bunch of people would see him, he was going to publicly ascend, that most people would eventually just figure it out. 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:13.199 Um Jesus called himself the Son of God three times in all of the gospels combined. 00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:18.080 Eighty-one times he called himself the son of man. 00:03:19.520 --> 00:03:22.080 Eighty-one times he called himself the son of man. 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:38.560 It's he knew he was God, but he wanted to make sure that we knew he's with us, that he cares about us, that he loves us, that for him it's personal with us. 00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:42.080 Brian Skurs gave me a book that John Eldridge wrote. 00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:44.560 It's called uh Beautiful Outlaw. 00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:47.120 And uh you might have read, he wrote a book. 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:49.680 Um what was that book? 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:52.000 Wild at Heart, thank you. 00:03:52.159 --> 00:03:54.080 Um that was a great book. 00:03:54.159 --> 00:03:56.319 But if you're looking for a book to read, this is this is a good one. 00:03:56.400 --> 00:04:00.960 It really kind of captures uh some of the things that that we talk about here. 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:04.719 But at the end of this book, um he talks about one day in Jesus' life. 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:11.360 And there's a bunch of things that I knew, but I'd never really thought about wow, all this happened in uh one day. 00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:18.720 Uh one morning Jesus gets off a boat from the Sea of Galilee and he gets quite a wake-up call. 00:04:18.959 --> 00:04:25.199 He's met on the dock by this huge naked guy who is acting crazy. 00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:30.319 Um and it turns out this guy's been tormented by evil spirits for years. 00:04:30.560 --> 00:04:35.279 He was uh, you know, the people wanted to help him, subdue him, he would cut himself. 00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:37.279 Uh it was it was a bad situation. 00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:38.959 But he was too strong to subdue. 00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:43.839 Once they put chains on him, he just snapped the um the chains. 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:50.399 You know, for the people there, he was probably the crazy guy in the cemetery. 00:04:50.879 --> 00:04:52.079 But Jesus loved him. 00:04:52.240 --> 00:04:57.279 In fact, he sailed all the way across the Sea of Galilee just to see him. 00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:04.079 And so he saves him from these spirits, and for the first time in years, it says he was clothed and at peace and completely sane. 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:10.720 Mark says that afterwards he went from town to town telling everyone what Jesus had done for him. 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:13.040 And that was the start of this day. 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:16.879 Jesus gets back on the boat and he sails across the Sea of Galilee to the other side. 00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:22.160 Now, when we think of Sea of Galilee, we usually think really huge because it's a sea. 00:05:22.399 --> 00:05:26.000 Um, but it's really to us would be more like a big lake. 00:05:26.319 --> 00:05:31.120 Lake Lanier and Sea of Galilee are roughly the same surface square footage. 00:05:31.279 --> 00:05:34.639 And so you could sell back and forth fairly easily. 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:40.160 But he gets off the boat on the other side and he meets a paralyzed man being carried on a mat. 00:05:40.560 --> 00:05:41.600 He heals the man. 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:45.360 The man jumps up, grabs the mat, runs home. 00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:48.399 He then meets Matthew the tax collector. 00:05:48.959 --> 00:05:50.079 It's in Matthew 9. 00:05:50.160 --> 00:05:53.680 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at this tax collector's booth. 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:56.560 Follow me and be my disciple, Jesus said to him. 00:05:56.720 --> 00:05:58.639 So Matthew got up and invited him. 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:06.480 Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:12.720 But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciple, Why does your teacher eat with such scum? 00:06:13.600 --> 00:06:18.639 When Jesus heard this, he said, Healthy people don't need a doctor, sick people do. 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:23.519 Well, next he sees the Jewish leader of the synagogue, a man named Jairus. 00:06:23.759 --> 00:06:28.800 Jairus falls at Jesus' feet because Jairus' daughter is dying. 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:31.920 And he asks Jesus if he would come and heal him. 00:06:32.160 --> 00:06:35.600 Jesus goes with him and a crowd's formed all around. 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:40.879 But in the crowd, there's a woman who's had a condition for twelve years where she's bleeding badly. 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:50.240 It says that she spent all of her money on it, and it just keeps getting worse, and she uh in desperation reaches out and touches Jesus' robe. 00:06:51.519 --> 00:06:56.480 She can tell instantly that something's happened, that she's been healed. 00:06:56.800 --> 00:06:59.759 Jesus stops and he asks, Who just touched me? 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:09.439 So this woman is shaken, is shaking, she's frightened, and Jesus looks down and looks her in the eye, and he says, Daughter, go in peace. 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:12.240 Your suffering is over. 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:20.480 Just then, messengers come to Jairus and tell him not to trouble the teacher because his daughter has died. 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:26.959 Jesus overhears the conversation and he says to the dad, Don't be afraid, just have faith. 00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:29.199 And so they go to the girl. 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:30.560 She's 12 years old. 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:35.040 Jesus holds her hand and he says to her, Little girl, get up. 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:37.600 And she does. 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:42.720 And her parents are just overwhelmed and amazed. 00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:46.560 Jesus then goes back home. 00:07:47.920 --> 00:07:50.560 And two blind gentlemen burst into his house. 00:07:51.680 --> 00:07:53.120 Jesus heals them both. 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:57.360 Right after that, a man who can't speak is brought to Jesus. 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:03.279 Jesus casts out a demon and he begins talking and praising God. 00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:09.040 That was one day of Jesus' time on earth. 00:08:10.079 --> 00:08:14.160 Freeing people, loving people, healing people, saving people. 00:08:15.839 --> 00:08:17.759 That is Jesus. 00:08:19.439 --> 00:08:22.399 I grew up calling Jesus Christ. 00:08:23.920 --> 00:08:26.399 For a while I probably thought it was his last name. 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:32.960 It's actually a title for Jesus, it means Messiah or Savior. 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:40.159 I grew up in a in a kind of a religious Christian microculture. 00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:43.840 But we really never said Jesus. 00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:44.879 It was always Christ. 00:08:45.039 --> 00:08:49.120 When we prayed, it was in Christ's name, it was it was always Christ. 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:53.200 In the sense is that was more reverent. 00:08:55.360 --> 00:09:00.799 Now later, when I started talking about Jesus, it actually felt odd. 00:09:01.039 --> 00:09:07.679 Like somehow I was being too familiar with God to be on a first name basis with God. 00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:15.120 In the Gospels, the title Christ is used four times. 00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:24.399 Jesus' name is mentioned 1,097 times. 00:09:25.679 --> 00:09:30.799 See, religion comes up with more titles than any other part of life. 00:09:31.039 --> 00:09:33.759 I mean, you end up with several titles. 00:09:34.240 --> 00:09:37.120 Doctor, Reverend, Bishop, you know, whatever. 00:09:38.240 --> 00:09:40.399 Jesus didn't use titles. 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:44.639 He used his first name. 00:09:44.879 --> 00:09:45.279 Why? 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:48.080 Because he doesn't want a separation from us. 00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:56.879 He came for just the exact opposite purpose, to have closeness, to have intimacy, to have real relationship with us. 00:09:57.679 --> 00:10:04.960 And when he used a title, it was the one he gave himself, the most humble title ever. 00:10:05.120 --> 00:10:10.080 It was God himself calling himself the Son of Man. 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:14.480 Intimate with us. 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:19.120 Now Jesus is not some faraway character written about in an old book. 00:10:19.440 --> 00:10:23.039 He is alive and he is well and he loves you. 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:26.559 He's not mad at you, he's not giving up on you. 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:31.600 He's meeting us here today for a reason. 00:10:31.679 --> 00:10:38.799 It's because he cares about you and wants a personal, real relationship with you. 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:46.399 One day Jesus is walking and he's tired and he's thirsty, and he's close to Jacob's well. 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:48.799 So he goes over there and there's a woman there. 00:10:49.279 --> 00:10:51.279 Um they're in Samaria now. 00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:58.720 And Jewish men, by tradition and law, didn't talk to Samaritan women. 00:10:59.200 --> 00:11:03.039 But Jesus goes to the well and he does. 00:11:03.279 --> 00:11:17.679 And so they get to talk, and eventually he tells her that he knows that she's been married five times and she's living with the guy that she's uh with now, and then they have this conversation about uh Samaritans and Jewish people and what true worship is. 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:21.279 And at the end of that, the woman said, I don't know about that. 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:23.440 I do know that the Messiah is coming. 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:26.399 When he arrives, we'll get the whole story. 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:28.480 I am he, said Jesus. 00:11:28.799 --> 00:11:33.039 You don't have to wait any longer or look any further. 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:35.519 And the whole town came out to see Jesus. 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:51.600 He stayed there a couple days, and then they said to the woman, Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but but because we have heard him ourselves, now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world. 00:11:52.960 --> 00:12:02.480 In Jesus' time on earth, religion said you don't talk to a woman from Samaria. 00:12:04.159 --> 00:12:07.200 But Jesus did because he loved her. 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:10.480 Religion said you don't do anything on the Sabbath. 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:13.360 Jesus did a lot of things on the Sabbath. 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:16.000 His favorite thing was healing people. 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:21.360 In Mark 3, it says, Jesus went into the synagogue again, and he noticed a man with a deformed hand. 00:12:21.519 --> 00:12:25.279 Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus' enemies watched him closely. 00:12:25.440 --> 00:12:29.440 If he healed the man's hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. 00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:34.399 Jesus said to the man with a deformed hand, Come and stand in front of everyone. 00:12:34.639 --> 00:12:41.200 Then he turned to his critics and asked, Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? 00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:43.759 Is this a day to save life or to destroy it? 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:45.679 But they wouldn't answer him. 00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:52.639 He looked around at them angrily, and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:55.440 And then he said to the man, Hold out your hand. 00:12:55.759 --> 00:13:00.000 And so the man held out his hand, and it was restored. 00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:09.279 One of the things that Jesus didn't worry about was religious people judging him, or what other people thought about him. 00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:15.519 What he was worried about is this man that he loved with a crippled hand. 00:13:17.679 --> 00:13:20.399 Jesus gets invited to eat at a Pharisee's house. 00:13:20.559 --> 00:13:30.720 Now, if you don't know, the Pharisees were the most uptight, self-righteous of the Jewish people and of the religious bunch. 00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:32.159 And so they sit down to eat. 00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:38.960 And in walks a prostitute. 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:44.720 She goes right over to Jesus and she falls crying at his feet. 00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:56.159 You know, and the tears are falling, so she takes her hair and she starts wiping his uh his feet, wiping the tears from his feet, and then she starts kissing his feet. 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:08.799 Okay, they're at a Pharisee's dinner table, a prostitute walks in, and now she is uh laying down and kissing Jesus' feet. 00:14:10.799 --> 00:14:12.559 The Pharisee can't stand it. 00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:19.120 And so he's thinking to himself, he said he's thinking, if this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman this is. 00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:21.039 She's a sinner. 00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:31.519 But Jesus knows his thoughts, and he says, I tell you, her sins they are many have been forgiven. 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:34.320 So she has shown me much love. 00:14:35.200 --> 00:14:36.159 Let me say that over. 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:38.399 Her sins and they are many have been forgiven. 00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:40.080 So she has shown me much love. 00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:43.440 But a person who has forgiven little shows only little love. 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:47.679 And Jesus said to the woman, Your sins are forgiven. 00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:54.080 The men at the table said among themselves, Who is this man that he goes around forgiving sins? 00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:59.120 And Jesus said to the woman, Your faith has saved you. 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:01.360 Go in peace. 00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:06.799 Do you know that you don't have to worry about what other think people think about you? 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:10.159 Jesus didn't. 00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:13.279 He wasn't trying to impress the self-righteous. 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:18.879 He was showing love and giving a new start to a woman that was hurting. 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:21.279 A woman that he loved. 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:25.519 It wasn't just the woman, it was everyone that Jesus met. 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:31.759 The most looked down man, looked down upon man in one town was a guy named Zacchaeus. 00:15:32.320 --> 00:15:42.320 He was a tax collector and he ripped people off and he was in cahoots with the Roman government, and so the Jewish people just hated this guy. 00:15:42.559 --> 00:15:52.000 And so one time Jesus is in town, there's this big crowd, and in the middle of it all, Jesus turns to this guy, Zacchaeus, and he says, I'm coming over to your house for dinner. 00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:56.159 And says in Luke 19, But the people were displeased. 00:15:56.320 --> 00:16:00.879 He's gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner, they grumbled. 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:09.120 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I've cheated people on their taxes, I'll give them back four times as much. 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:16.559 Jesus responded, Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:21.919 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who were lost. 00:16:28.080 --> 00:16:29.679 He cared about Zacchaeus. 00:16:31.120 --> 00:16:32.320 And he cares about you. 00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:37.840 In Hebrews 2, it says he is not ashamed to call you his brothers and sisters. 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:43.919 He also says, I no longer call you servants, I call you friends. 00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:19.359 And a lot of that is what we've been told. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:24.000 People say, trust Jesus and your life will be a walk in the park. 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:26.720 Trust Jesus and you'll be rich. 00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:32.559 Jesus said, in this world you'll have many troubles. 00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:38.640 He does not promise everything in our lives will be perfect. 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:44.160 He does promise that eventually in the next life, it will. 00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:59.119 But his promise is to be with us, to take care of us, to never leave us, to give us the strength to get through the really hard situations, the tough losses, all those things that happen in life. 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:03.759 To make bad things that happen work out for our good. 00:18:04.640 --> 00:18:07.680 Those are the things that he promises. 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:24.319 You've probably all experienced having a friend or uh a spouse or um a family member where something happens between you and you know you're just irritated and then kind of builds up. 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:30.720 And then over time, um you just kind of lose the closeness in the relationship. 00:18:30.799 --> 00:18:37.599 Then at some point, one of you gets like enough is enough, and you have a conversation about it. 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:44.160 And it's like I, you know, this is just how I was feeling, and you hurt my feelings here, and this is this is where I'm at. 00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:49.920 And when that happens, doesn't usually that wall come back down? 00:18:50.640 --> 00:18:56.160 I mean, doesn't usually our hearts start get softened back towards each other. 00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:00.319 It's the same with Jesus. 00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:06.400 We can have that same conversation with Jesus. 00:19:06.559 --> 00:19:08.960 You know, David did over and over. 00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:10.079 I don't understand it. 00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:10.880 I'm ticked off. 00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:11.759 Where have you gone? 00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:13.519 What's what's happening? 00:19:14.160 --> 00:19:18.559 I've had that conversation with Jesus many times. 00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:33.119 Where it's like, you know, I'm over here trying to do this, and then you do this to, you know, let this happen to me, or you know, try to be generous over here, and now there's financial trouble over here, and I mean, what in the world is going on? 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:35.119 Paul did that. 00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:41.119 You know, it sounds a little more like spiritual, I guess, when when you read it. 00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:45.119 Paul's a guy just like like uh like us, a person. 00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:52.880 Okay, now he's like totally sold out and and given his life to Jesus, and he's got this big health problem. 00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:55.839 I mean, it's called a thorn of the flesh, but he's frustrated by it. 00:19:56.000 --> 00:20:00.000 And so he goes to Jesus and he asks him to fix it, and he doesn't. 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:04.160 And he asks him a second time, and he doesn't. 00:20:04.720 --> 00:20:08.799 And so I'm guessing the third time, there's a little bit of what's going on. 00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:12.880 I've already asked you twice, and where are you? 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:17.839 And Jesus says, My grace is sufficient for you. 00:20:20.960 --> 00:20:36.480 And he didn't say that, I'm sure, in some audible voice or a handwriting on the wall, I'm sure in Paul's spirit, he spoke and said, Hey, my grace right now is enough. 00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:39.920 If nothing else, I'm gonna get you through this. 00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:43.119 We'll get through this together. 00:20:46.240 --> 00:20:49.200 And so that's an idea, if that's where you're at. 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:54.079 Because this year, if we can have a close relationship with Jesus, it's what he wants. 00:20:54.400 --> 00:21:03.119 But part of a real relationship is real conversations, and part of prayer is not talking to Jesus like trying to tell him what we think he wants to hear. 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:04.799 He's way beyond that. 00:21:05.039 --> 00:21:08.640 I mean, what he wants to hear is whatever is on our hearts. 00:21:09.279 --> 00:21:15.440 Um so as an aside, if that's where you're at, have that conversation. 00:21:16.079 --> 00:21:19.920 He'll speak to you in his way and in his time. 00:21:21.680 --> 00:21:28.799 And he keeps his promises, his promise that will never die, a promise that no one can ever take you from his hand. 00:21:29.039 --> 00:21:30.799 He will not break those promises. 00:21:31.119 --> 00:21:40.720 First Peter 1, it says, You love him even though you've never seen him, though you do not see him now, you trust him, and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:42.160 That can be us. 00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:46.400 Life with Jesus isn't just an intellectual relationship. 00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:48.640 It's not anti intellectual. 00:21:48.799 --> 00:21:53.039 I mean, Jesus created us with our minds, and he expects us to use them. 00:21:54.160 --> 00:21:56.400 And we've got a lot of intellectual things in our life. 00:21:56.480 --> 00:21:59.599 The thing is, a relationship with Jesus is super. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:01.759 Supernatural. 00:22:03.039 --> 00:22:04.799 It's supernatural. 00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:09.039 He is God and He was man and He is spirit. 00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:14.799 And if you want to know Him, He will not let you down. 00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:20.079 If you want to experience life with Him, He will not let you down. 00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:23.680 And the thing is, that looks different for each of us. 00:22:24.160 --> 00:22:26.160 We talk about that, having a relationship with Jesus. 00:22:26.319 --> 00:22:26.960 Well, what is that? 00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:27.920 What does that look like? 00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:32.480 And it's the thing is it's different for every one of us because every one of us is different. 00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:38.960 Is there anyone in your life that you have the exact same conversation with that you connect with in the exact same way? 00:22:39.039 --> 00:22:40.640 Or is it that we're all different? 00:22:40.880 --> 00:22:43.119 And so we interact with each other all differently. 00:22:43.279 --> 00:22:49.920 God created us in his image, but all different, and a relationship with Jesus looks different for every one of us. 00:22:51.599 --> 00:23:00.559 You know, at uh at work, we've got a book, and now maybe a couple books that we give before anyone starts. 00:23:00.880 --> 00:23:07.920 And you know, the idea is that they'll read these books because they share uh they communicate core principles for the company. 00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:10.240 And it helps everybody to get on the same page. 00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:16.880 And rather than have taken all that time to explain all that to each person, we can give them these couple of books. 00:23:17.039 --> 00:23:20.880 Say, hey, read these before you start, and then we'll kind of be on the same page. 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:27.519 In many ways, that's what the Bible is for us. 00:23:28.960 --> 00:23:32.000 It's God putting the core stuff down. 00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:36.000 We can all have it, we can all be on the same page. 00:23:36.319 --> 00:23:42.559 He speaks to all of us through it, but that is not the only way that he speaks. 00:23:42.880 --> 00:23:46.240 He speaks to us individually, and it's different. 00:23:46.799 --> 00:23:51.599 Um for one person it might be music, another person it might be nature. 00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:54.000 When you're outside, you can feel God's presence. 00:23:54.160 --> 00:23:57.359 It might be when you're listening to a song, words jump right into your heart. 00:23:57.440 --> 00:23:58.960 It might be art. 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:03.119 Some of us he'll speak to in a dream. 00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:08.880 Some of us will be worshiping and they'll be have a vision and speak to us that way. 00:24:09.440 --> 00:24:13.920 Often he'll speak to us with fun, normal stuff. 00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:18.319 You know, I've got friends that get up every morning and take a walk with Jesus. 00:24:18.559 --> 00:24:19.759 Talk to him about their day. 00:24:19.839 --> 00:24:21.839 I've got friends that have a cup of coffee with Jesus. 00:24:21.920 --> 00:24:28.960 I've got a friend that plays golf, plays two balls, one for him, one for Jesus. 00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:39.599 He usually scores better on Jesus' ball, but you know, it it there's not a formula. 00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:45.519 You know, it's it's um Jesus is not a belief system. 00:24:45.920 --> 00:24:51.599 He is a living God that wants to have a real relationship with each of us. 00:24:51.759 --> 00:24:54.720 And that looks different for each of us. 00:24:55.440 --> 00:24:57.519 You know, for me, it's it's different things. 00:24:57.680 --> 00:25:00.559 I mean, they I try to interact with Jesus every day. 00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:02.480 Some days it's all day and it just comes normal. 00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:06.480 Some days I blow them off and don't interact at all. 00:25:06.799 --> 00:25:12.240 And uh not that I'm proud of that, but I'm that's just what happens sometimes. 00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:22.160 And one of the things he's taught me, I think I've mentioned this before, is if I can find a week, I mean, if I can find an hour once a week, just one hour that I can spend with him. 00:25:23.279 --> 00:25:30.480 And maybe the first part of it I get everything off my chest or what I'm worried about or things I could use help with. 00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:33.839 And then the last part, just try to sit and listen. 00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:57.440 And and and um, never have I left that time without hearing from him or feeling him or being stressed and feeling comfort or or being worried and feeling peace or something coming to mind, or someone I need to forgive, uh soften my heart towards Susan. 00:25:57.599 --> 00:26:06.000 You know, whatever it is I need, every single time, always he meets me at that time. 00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:15.039 And it's the same for all of us, and it might not be that for you because we're all wired differently, but it the way to know what it is is to ask him. 00:26:16.079 --> 00:26:18.559 Say, hey, I want to have a close relationship with you. 00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:20.640 Could you show me what that's gonna be? 00:26:21.920 --> 00:26:24.160 How we can meet together. 00:26:24.799 --> 00:26:25.680 And he will. 00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:36.720 Starting this year, I mean, there is nothing that could replace a closer personal relationship with Jesus. 00:26:37.119 --> 00:26:40.480 In Revelation 3 and 20, it says, Look, I stand at the door and knock. 00:26:40.640 --> 00:26:48.640 If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will share a meal together as friends. 00:26:50.799 --> 00:26:53.920 I don't know if you do New Year's resolutions. 00:26:54.400 --> 00:26:55.440 I've got a couple. 00:26:55.599 --> 00:27:01.680 One is to gain a lot more weight, and the second is to start smoking. 00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:05.359 I'm just kind of trying to lower the bar this year. 00:27:05.440 --> 00:27:19.759 And uh, but if there is one thing that will profoundly impact all of us individually and together, is if we just start the year reaching out to Jesus. 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:31.839 You know, either uh starting a relationship, renewing a relationship, growing a relationship, but having with Jesus what he came to have with us. 00:27:32.480 --> 00:27:35.200 A real intimate relationship. 00:27:35.440 --> 00:27:38.400 And so if the worship team will come up, we'll we'll stop there. 00:27:38.880 --> 00:27:43.519 And uh let's stand and we'll get ready to sing one last song together. 00:28:00.400 --> 00:28:03.680 You know, starting a relationship with Jesus is actually really simple. 00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:11.920 I mean, there's no formula, there's no aisle to walk, there's no specific song to sing, nothing to get notarized. 00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:18.240 You know, it's just us saying to him in our own words, in our own way, you know, I need you. 00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:27.599 And for most of us, not all of us, for most of us, it's we spent so long trying to live life ourselves, we got to the point where we knew, hey, I need some help here. 00:28:28.160 --> 00:28:29.440 Jesus, I need you. 00:28:29.599 --> 00:28:30.960 Will you help me? 00:28:31.279 --> 00:28:32.160 Will you save me? 00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:33.839 Can you forgive me for all my junk? 00:28:35.039 --> 00:28:36.480 Could I start over? 00:28:37.119 --> 00:28:48.880 You know, and he created us with the Spirit, and that comes alive, and his spirit connects with ours, and he starts to transform us from inside out, and then things around us start to change. 00:28:49.359 --> 00:28:59.119 Uh and then from then on, it's a process as we grow closer to Jesus and become more and more like him. 00:28:59.359 --> 00:29:04.720 You know, I used to not, I can say that I went to church my whole life, and for most of it I never loved Jesus. 00:29:04.880 --> 00:29:06.640 I kind of felt guilty about that. 00:29:07.359 --> 00:29:09.279 You know, I'd praise him, but I didn't love him. 00:29:09.359 --> 00:29:12.319 But I tell you, the more I know him, I can't help but love them. 00:29:12.799 --> 00:29:16.240 And the more you get to know them, you'll love them too. 00:29:16.400 --> 00:29:17.279 So let's pray. 00:29:17.519 --> 00:29:18.559 Father, we praise you. 00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:22.799 We thank you for uh for loving us, adopting us, your kids. 00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:23.920 We thank you for this new year. 00:29:24.000 --> 00:29:25.440 We thank you for us all being together. 00:29:25.599 --> 00:29:31.759 We've all got different things going on, Father, and please just uh bless each of us, give us whatever uh we need today. 00:29:31.920 --> 00:29:33.200 And Jesus, we love you. 00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:37.519 Thank you for coming, thank you for saving us, thank you for being our friend. 00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:38.880 It's in your name we pray. 00:29:39.119 --> 00:29:39.759 Amen.