WEBVTT 00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:06.959 Welcome to the MetaCurch Podcast. 00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:08.080 My name's Clayton. 00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:10.240 I'm the pastor here at MetaCurch. 00:00:10.400 --> 00:00:17.920 And my hope is that today's podcast finds you at the perfect time in your life that God uses it to inspire and enlighten you. 00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:20.559 I hope that you enjoy today's message. 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:26.160 Like Pastor said, my name is Tony. 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:27.600 I'm super excited to be here. 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:30.000 Thank you guys for taking your time out of your day. 00:00:30.160 --> 00:00:32.719 If you are a new guest here, man, welcome. 00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:33.920 You are in a great place. 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:38.159 And if you're watching online in the past, the future, the present, yes, I said the past. 00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:40.880 You never know, you might have a time traveler up in here. 00:00:41.119 --> 00:00:43.520 Tori told me not to say that, but I think it's cool. 00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:44.640 Maybe you never know. 00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:46.240 But guys, my name is Tony. 00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:52.320 I like Pastor Clayton said, we met you guys literally a year ago here in your soft opening in this building. 00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:56.960 And we had no idea that we would jump in as quickly as we did. 00:00:57.119 --> 00:00:59.520 And one of the big reasons is y'all are some savages. 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:00.880 Y'all used to meet at a bar. 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:02.320 Like that was our biggest takeaway. 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:04.799 We're like, yo, these are people we want to roll with. 00:01:04.959 --> 00:01:20.159 And when we came here, we met your pastors and we met some of the staff and some of you guys, it was apparent that God was calling us to be here because it was really inspiring to see a local movement in a new city in San Antonio that was new to us, and we had no idea and didn't know any people. 00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:24.079 But it was cool to see that weekly you guys have mission initiatives. 00:01:24.319 --> 00:01:34.319 Weekly, you guys are meeting together in small groups in your own homes and doing life together and actually living out the purpose of your lives and the mission that Christ has called us to. 00:01:34.560 --> 00:01:39.200 So it was really cool to see, and it was honestly a big testament to our faith to really see. 00:01:39.359 --> 00:01:55.040 I always knew God was big or pictured him being big, but I didn't realize moving halfway across the country that God would show up and with provision and blessing and just friends and family and just people in a place that we had never really been before. 00:01:55.200 --> 00:02:04.079 We've traveled here, we visited for vacation, and we have our brother and sister-in-law who lives here, and they've been an awesome help for us since we've been here, and it's a huge blessing to have them. 00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:07.439 But you guys have been a huge impact in our life. 00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:08.960 Now, I'm honored to be here. 00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:19.599 Like I said, we are in this third week of this series at a Meta Christmas, and Pastor Lee started off with the song, O come, come, Emmanuel. 00:02:19.759 --> 00:02:32.000 And that song was talking about how God is with us, and it was talking about a chosen group of people, God's chosen people who are living in agony, who are literally living in distress, awaiting a Savior to come. 00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:48.159 And then Pastor Noel last week he talked to us in the perspective of the shepherds, the ones who heard about this coming Messiah, who heard about this king who was coming, and how we are to live when we hear about this coming Messiah, when we hear about the good news of the gospel. 00:02:48.400 --> 00:02:51.039 And this week we're looking at a newer Christmas carol. 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:52.159 I think I got the best song. 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:53.280 Thank you, Pastor Noel. 00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:56.000 It is a great Christmas carol, it's a newer one. 00:02:56.080 --> 00:02:57.919 It is called Prince of Heaven. 00:02:58.080 --> 00:03:07.120 And it's a cool song, it's by Elevation, and it actually talks about in the beginning where it talks about how the people, they're also, they're talking about how they're in agony awaiting a savior. 00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:08.960 The world is crying out. 00:03:09.120 --> 00:03:21.840 And then it talks about how there is a baby, this incarnate word of God comes into the world, and it says that he has all the power, all the authority, and he is to receive all the glory. 00:03:22.319 --> 00:03:25.680 And then the cool part about this song is there's actually a response at the end. 00:03:25.759 --> 00:03:34.000 It says, This baby who has all the power, all the authority, who gets all the glory, it says that we can come to know him. 00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:42.240 Now, this isn't gonna really be your typical Christmas message, but if you're crazy like me, just a little bit, because Tony's, I'm kind of crazy. 00:03:42.479 --> 00:03:48.639 When I think about that, when I heard that song, the question I asked myself was, over what? 00:03:49.520 --> 00:03:55.199 Like Jesus coming into the world, getting all the power, all the authority, and all the glory. 00:03:55.360 --> 00:03:58.400 What did he actually have power and authority over? 00:03:59.199 --> 00:04:01.840 What did he come for Christmas for? 00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:06.319 If you guys would pray with me as we get into our message today. 00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:11.360 Father God, thank you so much for just the opportunity to speak into my brothers and sisters' lives here, Lord. 00:04:11.439 --> 00:04:12.800 I pray that, Holy Spirit, you would come. 00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:16.800 Holy Spirit, you'd make yourself apparent of who you are in our lives, Lord. 00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:19.839 And I pray that we would empty ourselves right now, Lord. 00:04:20.399 --> 00:04:22.800 Holy Spirit, fill us up with your truth. 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:25.040 Show us your truth. 00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:28.879 And I pray that some people would walk away lighter today. 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:31.920 Some people would walk away with the knowledge that they are free, God. 00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:39.199 And I pray that you would show us the reality of the world we live in and show us why Jesus came that first Christmas. 00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:41.920 If you're ready to get going, say amen. 00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:46.160 So the title of my message today is called Prince of Heaven. 00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:54.240 And I really do believe if you are here today, if you are sitting in these chairs, if you're listening online, that God has something very specific for you. 00:04:54.480 --> 00:05:00.959 And my prayer is that you will walk away with more joy, more peace, or maybe you find peace or find joy. 00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:04.319 A lot of us come into the Christmas season with a lot of burdens. 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:07.920 Or maybe when the Christmas season comes around, you're like, ah, it's this time again. 00:05:08.079 --> 00:05:14.959 I'm I know I'm supposed to feel joyful, happy, but something is pulling in the opposite direction. 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:19.839 Growing up, I was um, I'm I had a big family, or at least I thought until I moved here. 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:21.360 Y'all have some big families. 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:24.079 Y'all are into creating some big families here. 00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:26.160 I'm number four of six. 00:05:26.319 --> 00:05:29.600 So I remember when we pulled up to Walmart, like people knew we were there. 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:35.759 If we were fighting and screaming, like people were like, look at these weirdos, but like y'all got some villages rolling through in Walmart. 00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:36.720 It's kind of weird. 00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:39.600 Now, growing up though, it was crazy to say the least. 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:46.079 Like, there was always chaos, something going on in the household, and Christmas was that time where things got a little crazy. 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:56.639 If you're if you're as old as me, you know the books came with you used to be able to circle things in there, and like, you know, me, my brothers and sisters were all up in there circling everything, thinking, you know, we can get whatever we want. 00:05:56.720 --> 00:05:57.600 It didn't matter. 00:05:57.839 --> 00:06:03.759 My sister Diana, when she was in the fifth grade, she had this book called The Christmas Story. 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:10.480 And in the back of this book was a place where you had um basically envelopes that were already made out to, you know, the North Pole. 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:18.079 It already had a stamp of seal on it, ready to be mailed off, go straight to the North Pole, straight to the big man, Santa himself. 00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:28.560 And Diana, this was the year with respected families in the room, this was the year Diana's writing her Christmas letter that my mom decided to tell Diana the real meaning of Christmas, if you catch my drift. 00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:31.920 And Diana's worldview was shattered. 00:06:32.319 --> 00:06:38.720 Like her life was hinging on what she believed about the real meaning of Christmas. 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:41.519 Diana was actually so angered. 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:48.879 She rolled down the hallway, storming down the hallway, climbing up her bunk bed, grabbing this textbook of a children's story. 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:50.000 This thing's kind of dangerous. 00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:51.279 It's heavy, it's thick. 00:06:51.519 --> 00:06:54.639 Climbs up, grabs this book, runs back down the hallway. 00:06:54.720 --> 00:06:56.800 This is how Diana tells the story. 00:06:56.959 --> 00:07:06.480 She did not know where my mom was, takes this book, chucks it across our living room, hits my mom straight in the face, blood everywhere, that never happened. 00:07:06.879 --> 00:07:09.439 Ambulance was called, that never happened either, but it makes it dramatic. 00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:13.759 And Diana uttering the words, then what's the point of this? 00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:15.759 And Christmas. 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:19.759 And I think a lot of us, that story, my sister hates when I tell the story. 00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:23.279 That's the s this that's the year Diana assaulted our mom on Christmas. 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:30.000 She hates when we bring it up every Christmas, but my that story literally is so true to all of our lives. 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:37.360 Each and every single one of us, I dare to say, you buy into some kind of lie or deception and you live your life around it. 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:44.879 You see, regardless if we believe something is true or not, it has the same exact power over us if we believe it to be true. 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:45.759 Did you know? 00:07:45.839 --> 00:07:52.079 And if you're in this room, you can raise your hand if you want to be that guy or that woman, but did you know some people believe that the earth is flat? 00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:53.279 Anybody? 00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:56.160 No one's raised their hand all service, all services yet. 00:07:56.240 --> 00:07:56.560 No one? 00:07:56.720 --> 00:07:57.199 No one here? 00:07:57.360 --> 00:08:02.959 Cool, because I didn't want to talk to someone after service if you really did believe that, but some people believe the earth is still flat. 00:08:03.120 --> 00:08:09.680 Now that makes sense back in the day, we didn't have modern-day technology, we didn't have the picture of the globe and all these different things. 00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:19.680 But if you were a fisherman back in the day or you traveled boats, you had a true fear and you would not venture out past the shore in fear of falling off the planet and probably losing your life. 00:08:19.759 --> 00:08:21.519 I've never heard of anyone falling off the planet. 00:08:21.680 --> 00:08:28.480 I guess they're gone forever, but they actually lived their lives in fear of something that was not true. 00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:35.360 Yet it affected the way that we explored, yet it affected the way that we saw and perceived our world. 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:38.639 Now, maybe some of you guys are parents here today and you guys are liars. 00:08:38.720 --> 00:08:39.120 I don't know. 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:41.120 My parents lied to me about this growing up. 00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:48.960 Maybe you guys tell your kids this, it's, you know, it's get the scene, it's summer, everyone's hanging out by the pool or your friends' pool, everyone's eating. 00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:55.120 And then you tell your kids, you cannot go into the pool for the next hour or half an hour because you're gonna cramp up. 00:08:55.279 --> 00:08:56.240 It's a lie. 00:08:56.480 --> 00:08:57.440 100% a lie. 00:08:57.519 --> 00:08:57.919 Google it. 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:03.679 And if I'm wrong because I didn't actually do the homework to check it, just email Pastor Clayton, that dude Tony you had up here, he doesn't know what he's talking about. 00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:09.200 But that is such a waste of all the swimming time we could have had, and don't even get me started about that one kid. 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:14.080 And if this was you, the wet hand in the chip bag, like at the oh my gosh. 00:09:14.240 --> 00:09:18.320 Like, if that's you, we do have prayer in the front after every service. 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:20.080 We will lay hands on you. 00:09:20.320 --> 00:09:21.600 You need help. 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:24.559 Those kids, ah, it gets me every time. 00:09:24.960 --> 00:09:27.120 Now, these are funny examples, right? 00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:46.159 But what if the lie that we have bought into is something more serious, something like that you're never gonna be good enough, or maybe that you jumped into a relationship too early, you married too young, and maybe you'd be better off if you just got a divorce, and you know, that real person you're supposed to be with, they're waiting on you, that's where you're gonna try and find true happiness. 00:09:46.399 --> 00:09:53.759 Or all the things that you've done in your past that you've hide from your significant other, or you hide from your family, or the thing that you never tell anyone. 00:09:54.240 --> 00:10:00.159 You picture a God who could never love you because of the mistakes and how far you've gotten in your life. 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:08.399 And maybe you're like me and you go back to self-defeating behaviors, and you're like, How in the world can I just get over this? 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:11.440 Or you find yourself stuck in thought patterns. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:21.600 And maybe you think to yourself, this vice or this drug that I continuously get in that masks what I'm really feeling, and there's no way I could live life without it. 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:32.639 Or maybe you're like many people who every year that goes by, New Year's is coming up, and every year that goes by, we think about all the things that we didn't get accomplished. 00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:47.440 And we remember all the things that we put on that New Year's resolution list that we wanted to accomplish, and year goes by and year goes by, and we're getting older, and maybe we've bought into the lie that there's no way we can accomplish or do the things that God has for us in this life. 00:10:48.080 --> 00:10:54.399 Regardless if you're if it is true or not, remember if you believe it to be true, it has the same exact power over you. 00:10:54.960 --> 00:11:03.360 In 1943, there was a speaker, his name was Winston Churchill, and he said that the empires of the future will be the empires of the mind. 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:05.440 Now that was in 1943. 00:11:05.600 --> 00:11:07.679 Churchill was way beyond his time. 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:14.080 To understand what he's talking about, the empires of the past were those who went out and conquered land and conquered territories. 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:17.360 Those were the people in charge of the world, those leaders. 00:11:17.600 --> 00:11:21.840 And then if you paid attention to history, which I didn't as a young when I was in high school, sad to say. 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:24.799 But if you did, you heard something about the Industrial Revolution, right? 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:30.720 This big thing that happened in the United States, this big thing that happened in the world, and what were people fighting for? 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:32.080 Market share. 00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:38.960 The companies, the largest companies, the ones who were the monopolies that can control and have all the power, they were fighting for this. 00:11:39.200 --> 00:11:47.360 But Churchill foresaw literally over 70 years ago that the empires of today will be the ones who are in charge of ideas. 00:11:48.320 --> 00:11:58.960 And I say all this because in the world we live in, with the disposal of technology, with the amount of information being pushed down our throats, we are actually at war today. 00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:02.399 And you're like, ah, that's a little harsh language, right? 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:03.440 Like, we're not actually at war. 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:07.759 Ukraine's at war, we're not, you need to chill, like, or you're using hyperbole just to. 00:12:08.399 --> 00:12:09.759 No, we are at war. 00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:12.639 We are at war with lies. 00:12:13.519 --> 00:12:16.559 You see, and that makes you maybe that makes you feel uncomfortable. 00:12:16.879 --> 00:12:22.320 But the old church fathers, the writers of the New Testament, they would not shy away from this idea. 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:32.240 You see, Apostle Paul, someone who written the majority of our New Testament, he has a lot of key phrases that start out with one of his most famous is fight the good fight of the faith. 00:12:32.639 --> 00:12:36.480 He told the Ephesians to put on the full armor of God. 00:12:36.960 --> 00:12:40.480 And he prayed that their pastor Timothy would fight the battle well. 00:12:40.720 --> 00:12:46.879 And Paul claimed that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil. 00:12:47.279 --> 00:12:51.360 And the weapons that we fight are not weapons of this world. 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:58.080 And Paul also claimed that we have divine power to demolish strongholds. 00:12:59.120 --> 00:13:03.360 Maybe you're like me and you find it at the deepest parts of your soul, tension. 00:13:04.159 --> 00:13:16.159 You find that yourself constantly pulled in the opposite direction of what you know to be right, constantly in these negative thought patterns, constantly wanting to change or stop doing things in our life. 00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:19.200 Maybe you can relate, like you feel stuck. 00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:31.360 You feel like there's no way out, or you feel imprisoned to sin that you actively partake in daily, weekly, monthly, in the closet, whenever just behind closed doors, and you feel imprisoned to it. 00:13:33.279 --> 00:13:36.559 Maybe you think it's just hard to follow Jesus, like so many of us. 00:13:37.600 --> 00:13:41.519 I remember when I was a young Christ follower, my friend group, I felt ostracized. 00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:50.480 I felt like the outcast, people would make fun of me, and maybe you're new in your walk, and your ideas of what you're trying to believe about Jesus are contrary to what the world tells you. 00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:56.159 Do you have these constant thoughts in your mind that you wish you could just suppress? 00:13:56.320 --> 00:14:02.080 But yet they continue to creep up like there's some kind of agenda or some kind of force behind it. 00:14:03.120 --> 00:14:04.559 Well, that's because there is. 00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:08.799 You see, we are at war today, and we actually have an enemy. 00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:15.840 We have an enemy, and you know him as the devil, Satan, the prince of the air, the stealer of life. 00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:19.759 And maybe you're thinking, dude, this was the week I got my family to show up to Christmas. 00:14:19.840 --> 00:14:21.440 And you're this is supposed to be Christmas. 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:27.600 All you had to do was talk about Jesus, the major scene, you know, maybe some of the animals, Joseph, Mary. 00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:37.440 But you see, to Jesus, the devil was very at work and at live and present in the world. 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:52.639 And if we want to understand the Christmas story, if we want to truly understand why Jesus came to this earth, what he had power, authority, and all the glory over, we need to understand that we have an enemy. 00:14:53.519 --> 00:14:55.919 And what is the old battle cry of war? 00:14:56.799 --> 00:14:58.559 Know your enemy. 00:14:59.360 --> 00:15:02.000 So there's no way that you and I will win a battle today. 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:06.960 There's no way that we could stand fight against an enemy who has some kind of power in this world. 00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:12.159 There's no way that we could stand a chance if we do not know what we're up against. 00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:17.679 Jesus had a title for him, he called him the father of lies. 00:15:19.039 --> 00:15:23.519 And this Christmas, we're actually looking at the devil, looking at our enemy, and looking. 00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:24.559 What does the Bible say? 00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:27.919 What does Jesus have to say about this enemy? 00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:32.480 Why did Christ come on Christmas to truly understand why he came? 00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:37.120 We need to learn a little bit about how Jesus thought about this enemy. 00:15:37.360 --> 00:15:42.159 See, in John 8, verse 44, it says that he was a murderer from the beginning. 00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:45.919 He's always hated truth because there's no truth in him. 00:15:46.159 --> 00:15:51.519 When he lies, it's consistent with his character, for he is a liar, the father of lies. 00:15:52.080 --> 00:16:09.279 To Jesus, the devil was a murderer from the beginning, which means anything that I care about, anything that you care about, any dream that you've ever had, anything that you sought after for your family, anything that God has for your life, the devil's sole purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy that. 00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:15.279 He was a murderer from the beginning, and some translations say that when he lies, it's consistent with his language. 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:17.440 This is the language he speaks. 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:23.200 You see, the devil, how he combats us, is with lies and deception. 00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:26.000 That is how he attacks us. 00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:35.360 And today I argue that all of us have bought into some kind of lie, some kind of distorted reality about the world that we live in. 00:16:36.240 --> 00:16:39.120 And the question you might ask is, okay, so how did we get here? 00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:40.639 This is God's perfect world. 00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:42.480 Like, how did in the world did we get here? 00:16:42.720 --> 00:16:47.279 Well, for me, the best thing to do is go back to the story of the Garden of Eden, right in the beginning of our Bible. 00:16:47.440 --> 00:16:53.759 And it says that Adam and Eve were in the garden and they're with the God, they're in the presence of God, fully known with God. 00:16:54.639 --> 00:17:00.559 And God says, You can have all of this world multiply and subdue, be fruitful and multiply in this good world. 00:17:00.720 --> 00:17:05.359 But this one thing right in the middle of the garden, this tree, that's mine. 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:09.839 Do not eat of this one tree, the knowledge of good and evil. 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:13.759 Do not look at it, don't touch it, don't think about it. 00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:15.839 Don't do anything with this. 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:16.960 This is mine. 00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:24.880 And quickly we see in the Genesis story that things fall apart pretty quickly. 00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:27.599 And we hear about this, this is the part with the snake, right? 00:17:27.680 --> 00:17:29.920 This is where some kind of some of us check out pretty quickly. 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:33.039 Like we read about a talking snake and we're like, okay, what in the world we talk? 00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:42.240 I'm not concerned today if you read Genesis as a literal event that happened in the history, or if you believe it to be a poetic story about the human condition. 00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:48.480 Regardless of what you believe, it is the truest sense of human condition and how we came to be of where we are. 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:51.440 You see, in Genesis 3:1, this is the serpent. 00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:55.359 The serpent was the shrewdest of the wild animals the Lord God had made. 00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:59.200 It's revealed to us that this is the devil that we're talking about here. 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:06.720 And one day he asked the woman, Did God really say you must not eat of the fruit of any of the trees in the garden? 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:09.440 Did you catch the lie? 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:15.200 Did God really say not to have any of the trees in the garden? 00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:19.759 No, we know that God said, You can have everything except this tree. 00:18:20.319 --> 00:18:23.359 You see, it was a slight distortion of the truth. 00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:28.559 If you were a lot of us are gonna be going into some Christmas, some family gatherings, this one's free for you. 00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:31.200 If you want to learn to manipulate your family, this is for you. 00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:32.559 Don't manipulate your family. 00:18:32.799 --> 00:18:34.240 This is all you have to do. 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:36.799 Give them 90% of the truth. 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:41.519 They already trust you, they know you, they're gonna believe you, and then distort 10% of it. 00:18:41.839 --> 00:18:45.279 That 10%, the lie that you want them to believe, focus in on that. 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:48.319 Repeat it over and over, get them to buy into it. 00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:54.160 You see, the devil did not come at Adam and Eve with an assault rifle, with a machine gun, with a predator drone. 00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:56.720 No, he came at her with an idea. 00:18:57.599 --> 00:19:01.680 A slight distortion of the truth, did God really say? 00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:07.119 And in Genesis 3:4, it says that the woman was convinced. 00:19:08.400 --> 00:19:16.559 And then, fast forward a couple thousand years later, the devil and his schemes tend to not be changing, like he tends to be doing the same thing over and over again. 00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:21.279 Thousands of years later, Jesus is on the scene, he's starting his ministry. 00:19:21.519 --> 00:19:32.079 It says he was baptized in the Jordan River, and as he's on walking back to town, it says that he was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:38.000 Jesus was led into isolation to be tempted by the devil. 00:19:38.319 --> 00:19:39.599 He has three encounters with him. 00:19:39.759 --> 00:19:42.799 We're gonna look at one really quickly in Luke 4, verse 5. 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:48.880 It says, Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 00:19:49.519 --> 00:19:53.200 He said, I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them. 00:19:53.440 --> 00:20:03.759 And the devil said, Because they are mine to give to anyone that I please, and I will give to you, and I will give all to you if you worship me. 00:20:04.640 --> 00:20:13.519 See, the craziest part about that little narrative between the Prince of the world and the Prince of Heaven right there, that's almost like this iconic battle between Jesus and the devil right here. 00:20:13.599 --> 00:20:23.039 The craziest part to that story to me is that Jesus never rebuked the thought that the devil had authority in this world and could give him the things of this world. 00:20:23.359 --> 00:20:29.440 You see, a lot of the things in the world may come easy if we were to do things that are not the way of God. 00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:35.759 And Jesus, he combated and defeated the devil in the wilderness. 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:57.920 But you see, the problem here today is that we might think that we are at war today against maybe each other, and maybe against violence or different things in this world, but again, we are at war with lies, and not so much that we tell lies, but that we believe lies and we live them as if they're true. 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:03.599 Jesus responded back to the devil in verse 8. 00:21:03.759 --> 00:21:09.519 Jesus replied, The scripture says you must worship the Lord your God and serve him only. 00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:22.559 You see, to truly understand how and why Jesus came into the world on Christmas, what he came to fight, we need to understand the enemy and his power and the power that we have over the enemy. 00:21:22.799 --> 00:21:26.559 See, where Adam and Eve failed, they chose to eat of the fruit. 00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:32.160 They chose to believe that they could be God, they could decipher between good and evil. 00:21:32.559 --> 00:21:40.640 And a lot of us, regardless, if we say, you know, we're skeptics or whatever it is, we talked about manipulation, we are very easily manipulated. 00:21:41.039 --> 00:21:45.440 A lot of us, regardless, if I don't give you a reason not to trust me, you'll trust what I'm saying. 00:21:45.680 --> 00:21:50.000 And the devil's the most shrewdest creature on this planet. 00:21:50.400 --> 00:21:56.319 And his soul is to, his soul job is to steal, kill, and destroy everything that you have. 00:21:56.640 --> 00:21:59.759 And you see, Jesus came, he fought the devil in the wilderness. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:05.039 And he won and combated the devil, the father of lies with truth. 00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:08.400 And maybe you're here and you're asking, what is truth, right? 00:22:08.559 --> 00:22:11.599 Truth is this thing we've been talking about since the beginning of time. 00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:13.839 People want to know what is truth. 00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:16.319 You might not like my definition. 00:22:16.480 --> 00:22:18.240 It's the truest sense of reality. 00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:23.839 I'm very aware, you probably shouldn't use the word in your definition of something, but to me it makes more sense. 00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:26.319 It's truth is the truest sense of reality. 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:29.599 And if you put it like this, usually we find truth when we find out we're wrong. 00:22:29.839 --> 00:22:34.960 If I told you I believe I can fly, like, no, I really believe I can fly. 00:22:35.519 --> 00:22:42.079 Every single time I hit the ground, I'm faced with the truest sense of reality, which is that our planet here on earth has gravity. 00:22:42.240 --> 00:22:46.400 Regardless of what I believe, there is a truer sense of reality. 00:22:46.640 --> 00:22:49.279 And there's actually a better definition of reality. 00:22:49.519 --> 00:22:54.640 The truest or highest definition we can find is found in John 14, verse 6. 00:22:54.880 --> 00:22:58.400 Jesus said, I'm the way, I'm the truth, and I am the life. 00:22:58.559 --> 00:23:01.119 No one comes to the Father except through me. 00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:05.920 You see, Jesus didn't claim to know truth, he claimed to be the truth. 00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:09.920 Which means that Jesus is the best form of reality. 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:13.680 He's the truest form of reality in all of existence. 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:15.920 Jesus is truth. 00:23:17.440 --> 00:23:28.000 And we find ourselves living in false realities, enslaved to sin, enslaved to distorted ideas, feeling imprisoned. 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:32.079 And yet Jesus said that freedom is found in him. 00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:33.839 Truth is found in him. 00:23:34.079 --> 00:23:39.440 He combated the devil in the wilderness with the truth of God, which is him. 00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:43.759 And today we wage war against our enemy. 00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:47.359 We wage war this Christmas against our enemy. 00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:49.519 Jesus who came to fight for us. 00:23:49.680 --> 00:23:59.680 And we're fighting, we're looking at these two kingdoms: this kingdom of the prince of the world, which is in control and has authority in this world according to Jesus. 00:23:59.920 --> 00:24:04.000 And he's the stealer of life, he's a murderer, and he's a liar. 00:24:04.640 --> 00:24:13.200 And then on this side, we have the Prince of Heaven who came down, who has all power, all authority, and all glory. 00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:21.279 And he came down and died for us to show us the love of Christ, to show us that we are freed by him. 00:24:23.119 --> 00:24:25.680 I know this is a pretty weird Christmas message, right? 00:24:25.839 --> 00:24:28.640 Like, Tony, why are we talking about the devil? 00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:37.359 But again, in order to understand why Jesus came on Christmas, we need to know that at Christmas Jesus came to fight. 00:24:37.920 --> 00:24:42.079 You see, Jesus came to fight for you, and he came to fight for me. 00:24:42.559 --> 00:24:50.240 At John 8, it's verse 31, it says, Jesus said to the people who believed in him, You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 00:24:50.640 --> 00:24:56.640 And in verse 32, it says, You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. 00:24:57.359 --> 00:25:03.440 Jesus, the truest sense of reality, Jesus the truth, that truth sets you free. 00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:10.079 Regardless if you feel you are imprisoned to slave or in prison or shackled up, you are free in Christ. 00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:25.920 You see, when Jesus came on Christmas, when he went to the cross and died, when he rose again, he ultimately defeated the devil, defeated death itself, the one common denominator that we all have. 00:25:27.519 --> 00:25:30.559 And through Christ, he gives us eternal life. 00:25:31.680 --> 00:25:42.640 The one who holds all the power, all the authority, and all the glory came on Christmas to fight for you and I. 00:25:56.400 --> 00:25:57.839 God, just take this from me. 00:25:57.920 --> 00:25:59.440 I don't want to act this way anymore. 00:25:59.599 --> 00:26:01.680 I don't want to treat people like this anymore. 00:26:01.839 --> 00:26:05.680 I don't want to watch these things or respond in this way to my spouse. 00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:08.480 Or maybe you've bought into the lie, I'm a high school dropout. 00:26:08.640 --> 00:26:15.200 If you're a high school dropout, maybe you've bought in the same lie I brought out, was thinking or believing was that I would never amount to anything. 00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:20.799 Or maybe you find yourself in a marriage in a difficult season and you believe that it's over. 00:26:21.440 --> 00:26:24.160 What's the point of even trying anymore? 00:26:24.880 --> 00:26:28.319 There's no reason to continue trying, it's just gonna end the same way it does. 00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:42.480 Or maybe you find yourself stuck behind a screen, literally 24-7, feeding yourself with lies of the enemy, or comparing yourself in this world to anything, and all these things are fleeting. 00:26:44.559 --> 00:26:55.920 But Jesus, who came to fight for us on Christmas, showed us that we have a God who is in control, who's in power, who has authority over the one who is in this world. 00:26:56.319 --> 00:26:59.759 Greater is he than he who is in this world. 00:27:00.799 --> 00:27:03.200 Jesus came to fight for you and I. 00:27:03.839 --> 00:27:16.480 And this whole time I've been battling the idea, God take this from me, only to learn that the whole time God didn't just want to take it from me, He wanted me to receive something in place of it. 00:27:17.519 --> 00:27:19.119 Remember how to deceive someone? 00:27:19.279 --> 00:27:20.400 And don't use this. 00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:24.880 90% truth, distort 10% of it. 00:27:25.279 --> 00:27:28.160 What's the 10% that you and I have bought into? 00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:29.279 What's the 10%? 00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:45.519 Because 90% of it is true, it's wrapped around something that is true, but somewhere along the way we've distorted it and perverted it, and we're living in a false reality that does not show our Savior in that. 00:27:47.200 --> 00:27:54.240 It does not show that we believe that Jesus overcame the devil on Christmas, that he came to fight for us. 00:27:55.440 --> 00:28:09.759 A lot of us are enslaved, and the door is open because freedom is frowned in Christ, the truth of who Christ is, the truest sense of reality, and that truth sets you free today. 00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:15.200 What do we do into this meantime, though, right? 00:28:15.519 --> 00:28:23.680 So now Jesus died, he resurrected, now Christ lives in us, and we battle not by ourselves, but the war we battle is with Christ now. 00:28:23.839 --> 00:28:30.160 We have the Holy Spirit to fight this spiritual warfare that each and every single one of us face daily. 00:28:32.079 --> 00:28:35.200 We have Christ now to fight this battle with us. 00:28:35.759 --> 00:28:45.920 If you would do what Paul says in Romans 12, verse 2, he says, Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. 00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:51.759 And then you'll be able to test and approve what God's good will is. 00:28:52.720 --> 00:28:57.279 His good, pleasing, and perfect will. 00:28:58.720 --> 00:29:00.880 Do not conform to the patterns of this world. 00:29:00.960 --> 00:29:06.240 The enemy has authority and he can give you anything of this world, but it is fleeting. 00:29:06.880 --> 00:29:08.799 It's like sand in your fingertips. 00:29:08.880 --> 00:29:16.319 The things that last, the things that matter, the things that are eternal are found in Christ, the truth, the truest sense of reality. 00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:21.039 But be transformed by the renewal of your mind. 00:29:21.200 --> 00:29:25.680 How do we do that when the world that we live in has this authority, this enemy against us? 00:29:25.759 --> 00:29:26.400 How do we do that? 00:29:26.559 --> 00:29:27.839 It's repetition. 00:29:28.319 --> 00:29:34.400 And I'm gonna give you the advice that I was given when I was a new Christian, and I hated getting this advice when I was younger. 00:29:35.440 --> 00:29:39.920 I'd be dealing with something, they'd go to a pastor and they'd be like, Tony, just pray. 00:29:40.720 --> 00:29:42.079 Just read the word. 00:29:42.640 --> 00:29:45.599 I was like, dude, give me something real, something practical. 00:29:45.680 --> 00:29:47.839 You don't understand, like, I'm going through this right now. 00:29:47.920 --> 00:29:49.920 I need something now, I need help now. 00:29:50.559 --> 00:29:55.440 But you see, we have to condition ourselves to do the work of God, partner with God. 00:29:55.599 --> 00:29:57.119 It's his work and our work. 00:29:57.200 --> 00:30:10.079 The renewal of our mind is us in repetition, learning what Christ says about us, what he believes about this world, what he's in power and authority over, and speak that over your life. 00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:12.480 Speak that over your family. 00:30:14.799 --> 00:30:18.640 Christ died for this to show us. 00:30:19.119 --> 00:30:24.880 Scripture says that before the foundation of the earth, Jesus was sent to the cross. 00:30:25.039 --> 00:30:30.160 That means before the foundations of the earth, Christ has already set us free. 00:30:30.480 --> 00:30:32.559 He fixed the problem from the very beginning. 00:30:32.720 --> 00:30:37.200 He knew just like Adam and Eve, we would choose our own way. 00:30:38.240 --> 00:30:44.480 So he came down and he showed us and he fought the battle that very first Christmas. 00:30:45.039 --> 00:30:49.200 And then finally, being led to his death on the cross to show us. 00:30:51.759 --> 00:30:54.000 I want you to take something away from this. 00:30:54.160 --> 00:30:56.720 Take the truth of God and use it. 00:30:57.519 --> 00:31:00.559 You guys go ahead and bow your heads and close your eyes. 00:31:02.640 --> 00:31:09.200 This truth, it says then you'll be able to test and approve what God's good will is. 00:31:09.359 --> 00:31:12.480 If we don't know what God's good will is, there's nothing we can bring to this king. 00:31:12.559 --> 00:31:16.880 There's nothing that we can bring in the scope to compare it to the world. 00:31:17.519 --> 00:31:21.119 What's the 10% lies that you and I have been buying into? 00:31:23.359 --> 00:31:34.640 What's the lies and deception that you and I put our weight in, put our trust in that really are not bringing us towards life, bringing us towards Jesus, they're bringing us ultimately towards death. 00:31:38.720 --> 00:31:44.960 In the beginning of the sermon, we talked about how Paul he told the Ephesians to put on the armor of God. 00:31:45.759 --> 00:31:52.319 The second half of that verse is put on the armor of God so that you will withstand the schemes of the devil. 00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:57.680 And Paul gave us various things to use as the armor of God. 00:31:59.200 --> 00:32:11.039 One of the things that he gave us that are offense, which Jesus used in the wilderness to defeat the devil, he called the sword of the spirit, which he said is the word of God. 00:32:11.920 --> 00:32:13.599 In the wilderness, what did Jesus say? 00:32:13.759 --> 00:32:18.640 He says, For it is written, do not serve any other God than your God. 00:32:20.160 --> 00:32:28.400 He uttered back, he spoke back with truth, the truest sense of reality, which is found in Jesus, which ultimately frees you. 00:32:30.079 --> 00:32:34.480 Before the beginning of time, Jesus went to the cross and you have been freed. 00:32:34.640 --> 00:32:45.119 No matter what you believe about yourself today, others, or this world, the lies you believe, you are free because Jesus came to fight for you. 00:32:47.039 --> 00:32:51.440 Holy Spirit, reveal to us the things that we have bought into. 00:32:53.039 --> 00:33:03.119 Reveal to us your truth found in your word, God, and give us the courage to talk back, to speak back your truth. 00:33:04.160 --> 00:33:06.799 And thank you, God, for coming on Christmas. 00:33:08.319 --> 00:33:14.640 The Prince of the World was defeated by the Prince of Heaven. 00:33:15.039 --> 00:33:15.680 Amen. 00:33:20.799 --> 00:33:23.519 Thanks so much for listening to the message today. 00:33:23.680 --> 00:33:28.880 If this was helpful to you and you want to help us get the word out, you can subscribe to this podcast. 00:33:29.039 --> 00:33:32.079 You can rate and review or share it with your friends. 00:33:32.240 --> 00:33:38.960 If you want to get connected further with what MetaCurch is doing, you can go online to metachurch.tv. 00:33:39.200 --> 00:33:41.440 There you can learn how to take next steps. 00:33:41.519 --> 00:33:45.279 You can learn where our different venues are at if you ever wanted to visit. 00:33:45.440 --> 00:33:49.359 And you can also give financially to help push this movement forward. 00:33:49.599 --> 00:33:53.039 Man, I love you guys and I hope you have a great rest of your day.