Latest / Koinonia Christian Center / He Came Down | Pastor Trev Evans
Transcript
- 0:00Come on, say it with me. This is my
- 0:01Bible. This is my word.
- 0:03>> It is God's word. It is God's word.
- 0:04>> It reveals to me.
- 0:06>> It reveals to me
- 0:07>> God's will.
- 0:08>> Therefore, therefore,
- 0:09>> it's the final authority
- 0:11>> the final
- 0:11>> to which I submit
- 0:13>> to settle all the issues
- 0:15>> all
- 0:15>> of my life.
- 0:17>> It's the standard
- 0:19>> of my conduct of my conduct
- 0:20>> and the basis
- 0:22>> of all my expectation.
- 0:23>> All my expectations.
- 0:24>> Shout it out. I am.
- 0:26>> I am
- 0:26>> what it says I am.
- 0:27>> It says I am. I possess I
- 0:29>> what it says I possess.
- 0:31>> It says I
- 0:31>> and I can do
- 0:33>> I can do
- 0:34>> absolutely everything.
- 0:35>> Absolutely.
- 0:36>> It says I can do.
- 0:37>> It says
- 0:38>> I'm a believer.
- 0:39>> Not a doubter.
- 0:40>> I'm a doer.
- 0:42>> Not just a hearer.
- 0:43>> And my life
- 0:44>> And my life,
- 0:45>> my everyday life,
- 0:46>> my everyday life
- 0:47>> is the better.
- 0:48>> After having heard
- 0:50>> the word of faith.
- 0:51>> The word of faith.
- 0:51>> Faith comes by hearing.
- 0:53>> Faith comes by hearing
- 0:54>> and hearing. and hearing by the word of
- 0:57God.
- 0:58>> Let's ride.
- 1:00>> You may be seated in the presence of the
- 1:02Lord.
- 1:03>> Amen.
- 1:05Yeah.
- 1:07Amen. Amen. Yeah. There we go.
- 1:13Go with me to Luke chapter 2. Luke
- 1:17chapter 2
- 1:19vers 6. I want to read verse six and
- 1:22seven. Luke chapter 2
- 1:24>> verse 6 and 7. I'll read out the New
- 1:28King James Version. Luke chapter 2 verse
- 1:326 and 7. And right before I get into
- 1:34that, big shout out to everyone who
- 1:36graduated uh this week from Pit
- 1:39Community College from East Carolina
- 1:41University. Big shout out. I don't want
- 1:45to start calling names, but just big
- 1:46shout out to you all. It was absolutely
- 1:49amazing achievement what you've done and
- 1:51uh we are super proud of you. Amen.
- 1:54>> Amen. Amen. Luke chapter 2 verse six and
- 2:00seven it says so it was that while they
- 2:04were there the days were completed for
- 2:06her to be delivered. and she brought
- 2:10forth her firstborn son and wrapped him
- 2:15in swaddling clothes and laid him in a
- 2:20manger. All because there was no room
- 2:24for them in the end. I want to talk to
- 2:28us uh briefly from this thought. He came
- 2:32down.
- 2:35He He came down.
- 2:38>> You know, there's something in the human
- 2:40nature that's always striving to climb.
- 2:45>> From the time we're children, we're
- 2:47taught to aim high, reach further, and
- 2:50extend, ascend to the top.
- 2:53>> Amen.
- 2:53>> We celebrate the climb. We applaud those
- 2:55who rise to the top of their careers.
- 2:58Those who climb the corporate ladder,
- 3:01>> those who climb and achieve fame and
- 3:03wealth and power. Think about it. We
- 3:06climb mountains just to conquer them.
- 3:09>> At least some of us.
- 3:12>> We climb over obstacles to prove just
- 3:14how strong we really are. Even in
- 3:18religion, humanity has often tried to
- 3:20climb its way to God
- 3:22>> through good works,
- 3:24>> through rituals,
- 3:26>> through self-righteousness.
- 3:28>> Climbing symbolizes achievement. It
- 3:30symbolizes power. It symbolizes
- 3:33self-sufficiency,
- 3:34>> and it's celebrated because it feeds our
- 3:37sense of pride,
- 3:40>> our sense of control,
- 3:42>> but here's the problem. No matter how
- 3:45high we climb,
- 3:47>> we'll never be able to bridge the gap
- 3:50between us and God.
- 3:55>> Our sins created a gulf.
- 3:58Our disobedience created distance
- 4:02>> that no matter how hard we try, we will
- 4:04still fall short.
- 4:07>> Understand something. The way that you
- 4:10and I, the only way for us to get to God
- 4:13is not for us to climb up to him.
- 4:17>> But the fact is he came down.
- 4:20[cheering]
- 4:20>> Hallelujah.
- 4:23>> Jesus came down. He climbed down into
- 4:26bro. It would be one thing. See, I mo
- 4:29when I'm at home and I'm getting ready
- 4:31to go somewhere and I'm going to stay
- 4:33for a period of time, I I try my very
- 4:37best to make sure that the
- 4:39accommodations of the place that I'm
- 4:41going to
- 4:42>> is at least equal to what I'm used to.
- 4:49>> EVEN EVEN IF IT I I WANT IT TO BE
- 4:51BETTER, VERONICA, BECAUSE I am going
- 4:52somewhere to stay for a little while. I
- 4:54wanted TO BE BETTER, BUT at the very
- 4:56least,
- 4:57I wanted to be somewhat, you know,
- 5:00comparable to what I'm used to.
- 5:03>> But Jesus, when he came down, where he
- 5:05was GOING WAS NOT COMPARABLE TO WHAT he
- 5:08was used to.
- 5:12>> He came down from heaven
- 5:14>> to earth.
- 5:16>> He came down from light into darkness.
- 5:20>> He came down from holiness into
- 5:23brokenness.
- 5:25He came down. He came down.
- 5:29>> He came down into a crime scene.
- 5:36>> He came down into a place where there
- 5:39was hate
- 5:41>> at an all-time high.
- 5:44>> HE CAME DOWN INTO A PLACE WHERE WHERE
- 5:46MASS SHOOTINGS was just was just the
- 5:48norm of the day.
- 5:52He came down where IMMIGRANTS WERE
- 5:55SCARED. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THOSE WHO
- 5:56ARE NOT HERE LEGALLY. I'M TALKING ABOUT
- 5:58THOSE WHO ARE HERE LEGALLY.
- 6:01>> HE CAME DOWN INTO A PLACE WHERE EVEN
- 6:03THEY WERE SCARED TO GO TO THE grocery
- 6:05store.
- 6:07>> He came down.
- 6:10>> Jesus came down and and it was not just
- 6:13a geographical relocation.
- 6:16>> It was a financial relocation.
- 6:19God.
- 6:20>> He came down from having all of his
- 6:21needs met, never having to worry about
- 6:23anything
- 6:25>> into having to depend on humans to feed
- 6:27him.
- 6:29>> He came down and having to depend on
- 6:32somebody else to change him.
- 6:35>> He came down.
- 6:39>> And can I tell you the reason? Oh, I'm
- 6:40I'm I'm about there. The reason why he
- 6:43came down,
- 6:44>> he didn't come down for himself. Number
- 6:48one, he came down to relate to us.
- 6:52>> Let's ride.
- 6:54>> He came down to relate to us.
- 7:00>> HE CAME THAT THAT'S WHY HE DID ALL THAT
- 7:02HE DID WAS SO THAT HE CAN RELATE.
- 7:05>> He came to be BORN AS A HUMAN SO that he
- 7:08could relate. Hebrews chapter 4.
- 7:12>> Hebrews chapter 4. Oh, I love the word
- 7:14of God. Hebrews chapter 4:1 15 says,
- 7:18"For we do not have a high priest,
- 7:22>> who cannot sympathize with our weakness,
- 7:25>> but was in all points tempted as we are,
- 7:29yet without sin."
- 7:31>> Bump your neighbor. Say, "He can
- 7:32relate."
- 7:33>> He can relate.
- 7:34>> Now, though, I know I I hear some of you
- 7:36saying, "Now, how can God RELATE TO ME?
- 7:38HE'S never been tempted with sex."
- 7:42I know there's stories out there saying
- 7:44Jesus slept with women, but the devil is
- 7:46a lie.
- 7:47>> Ah yeah. Uh-huh.
- 7:49>> We're living in the day now where you
- 7:50have to believe none of what you hear
- 7:52and half of what you see.
- 7:57>> I was looking at a AI picture. I said,
- 7:59"Now, I ain't never been there before. I
- 8:00don't know how I got there."
- 8:02>> That's right.
- 8:05>> But he can relate to THE TEMPT. THE
- 8:08BIBLE says that he was tempted in all
- 8:11points
- 8:12>> as we are.
- 8:14>> Can I SUBMIT TO YOU THAT THERE'S ONLY
- 8:16THREE POINTS of sin?
- 8:20>> Now go go WITH ME TO FIRST JOHN CHAPTER
- 8:222 verse 16. There's only THREE POINTS TO
- 8:27SIN. I KNOW YOU CAN BRING UP A WHOLE LOT
- 8:29OF STUFF, especially modern day. See,
- 8:31because stuff changes. You go from re
- 8:34reefer to cigarettes to now none of that
- 8:37is hardly around now is vaping.
- 8:42>> But there's only three points to sin.
- 8:44SECOND F FIRST JOHN chapter 2.
- 8:47>> VERSE 16 SAYS FOR ALL THAT IS IN THE
- 8:50WORLD.
- 8:51>> This is how Jesus can relate to us.
- 8:54>> For all that is in the world is the lust
- 8:56of the flesh. The lust of the eyes and
- 9:00the pride of life is not of the father,
- 9:03but this is of the world.
- 9:06>> Jesus is able to relate to us because he
- 9:09was tempted in all points.
- 9:13>> No, he didn't have he didn't have
- 9:15anybody offer him weed.
- 9:18>> But it ain't but three points. There's
- 9:19lust of the flesh.
- 9:20>> That's right.
- 9:21>> That that's WHAT WE DID. NO, NO, THE THE
- 9:23WOMEN DIDN'T RUN UP ON HIM. NOW, they
- 9:25may have ran up on him, but he didn't he
- 9:26didn't he didn't yield to temptation.
- 9:28>> That's right.
- 9:32>> The points of sin is the lust of the
- 9:34flesh,
- 9:35>> the lust of the eyes, the pride of life.
- 9:37If you back up TO MATTHEW CHAPTER 4,
- 9:39JUST write it down. When he was tempted
- 9:41of the enemy,
- 9:43>> the enemy said, "If you are the son of
- 9:45God, command these stones to become
- 9:48bread."
- 9:49>> That's right.
- 9:49>> That's the lust of the flesh. That is
- 9:51when the enemy tempts you for a trying
- 9:55to get you to fulfill a natural desire
- 9:57in a sinful way.
- 9:58>> That's right.
- 10:01>> Sex is a natural desire.
- 10:03>> But he never intended FOR YOU TO USE
- 10:05YOUR SISTER IN CHRIST TO FULFILL THAT
- 10:07DESIRE. [cheering]
- 10:09[applause]
- 10:11>> YES, SEX IS A NATURAL DESIRE, BUT HE
- 10:13NEVER INTENDED YOU TO JUST GO ON AN
- 10:15ESCAPADE.
- 10:21lust of the flesh.
- 10:24>> Not just the lust of the flesh, but the
- 10:26lust of the eyes.
- 10:27>> The enemy told him, he said, "If you are
- 10:30the son of God," he said, "Throw
- 10:31yourself down.
- 10:34>> Throw yourself that, excuse, that's the
- 10:36pride of life."
- 10:37>> That he said, "THROW YOURSELF DOWN THAT
- 10:40YOU'RE SO YOU YOU know you're the son of
- 10:42God.
- 10:44You you don't you don't you don't have
- 10:45to obey all the rules that everybody
- 10:48else has to.
- 10:51>> THAT THAT'S WHAT THAT'S WHAT PRIDE.
- 10:55>> THAT'S WHAT PRIDE GOES AFTER.
- 10:57>> PRIDE CAUSES US TO BE SELF-CENTERED AND
- 10:59THINK THAT THE RULES DON'T APPLY to us.
- 11:02>> Yeah. Yeah. THAT THAT THAT THAT THAT I
- 11:04DON'T HAVE TO PRAISE GOD. I COULD JUST
- 11:06STAND HERE and just, you know, just
- 11:07thank them in my mind. I ain't got to
- 11:08really lift my hand. That's for the
- 11:09people that don't have, you know, they
- 11:11really going after God. They need God IN
- 11:13ANOTHER WAY THAN I DO.
- 11:19>> The pride of life.
- 11:22He said, "Cast yourself down.
- 11:25You don't have to. The rules don't
- 11:27apply." He can relate.
- 11:29>> The rules don't apply to you.
- 11:32>> You don't have to do it. LIKE I KNOW I
- 11:34know they I know they said, you know,
- 11:35that you you you need a tithe, but you
- 11:37you don't have to, you know, bring it to
- 11:38the storehouse. You can just go feed
- 11:39some people.
- 11:42preaching.
- 11:43>> Yeah. Come on. Come with your own, you
- 11:45know, how how you want to do it. You can
- 11:46you can kind of finesse this thing.
- 11:49>> The pride of life.
- 11:54>> The lust of the eyes. The pride of life.
- 11:56But then the lust of the flesh, but then
- 11:58there's the lust of the eyes. Yes.
- 12:01>> The Bible says that he took Jesus up to
- 12:03a high place,
- 12:05>> had him survey and be able to look at
- 12:07everything.
- 12:08>> And he said, he said, "I I'll give you
- 12:11everything you can see
- 12:14>> if you just bow down and worship me."
- 12:18>> How often have we been pulled into
- 12:20situations by what we see?
- 12:25How
- 12:25>> how h HOW HOW HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE
- 12:28ENDED up in relationships that we
- 12:29shouldn't have been in all because of
- 12:31what we saw?
- 12:35>> HOW OFTEN HAVE WE ENDED UP IN SEASONS OF
- 12:38DROUGHT AND DISTANCE FROM GOD BECAUSE WE
- 12:40FELL INTO what we saw?
- 12:47>> Yeah. Jesus can relate. He can relate.
- 12:50>> No, he he can he can relate to what it
- 12:52IS THAT YOU'RE GOING. HE CAN RELATE
- 12:54>> to the pull of the eyes. He can relate
- 12:57to THE PRIDE OF LIFE. HE CAN RELATE TO
- 12:59THE LUST OF THE FLESH.
- 13:01>> He came down
- 13:03>> to let you know that he can relate.
- 13:07>> Can I submit to you all that not only
- 13:10are that not only is that he came down,
- 13:13but he caused us to come down.
- 13:17Yes,
- 13:18>> HE'S CALLING US TO COME DOWN so that we
- 13:21can relate to those around us.
- 13:24>> See, you and I have TO BE CAREFUL
- 13:26BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS WE TRY TO HELP
- 13:28people without coming down first.
- 13:33>> THAT THAT THAT'S HOW YOU CAN THAT'S HOW
- 13:35YOU CAN arrogantly treat people like
- 13:38they don't matter when you have
- 13:39something they don't that they need.
- 13:44>> What what what has HAPPENED IN THAT
- 13:45SITUATION? YES, YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT
- 13:46THEY NEED, BUT YOU DIDN'T STEP BACK AND
- 13:48COME DOWN first
- 13:50>> to relate to them.
- 13:55>> No, you may not have the very same
- 13:56situation that they have,
- 13:59>> but you can relate.
- 14:00>> Amen.
- 14:01>> Oh, no, no, no. You may not have the
- 14:02very same situation, but but you can
- 14:04relate.
- 14:06>> Yeah, MAYBE THEY DID NOT. THEY THEY THEY
- 14:08should have apologized to you. They said
- 14:10something they shouldn't have said to
- 14:12you. Come on.
- 14:13>> And they they they have apologized.
- 14:17Now, you can take this one of two ways.
- 14:19You can either stand there and try to
- 14:23wait for an apology that's that you
- 14:25think is acceptable,
- 14:27or you can step back and come down and
- 14:30remember the times when you didn't you
- 14:33didn't apologize to God and you didn't
- 14:35repent like you should have. Amen.
- 14:41>> Now you you you you and I have to take a
- 14:43moment to step back and relate to
- 14:46others.
- 14:47>> Could it be
- 14:48>> could it be
- 14:50>> that the way out of your situation
- 14:53>> is to come down into somebody else's
- 15:00>> AND COME DOWN AND RELATE TO YOU'RE
- 15:02TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THROUGH
- 15:04THAT DEPRESSION. Come on.
- 15:05>> Could it be that God is calling YOU TO
- 15:07COME DOWN INTO SOMEBODY ELSE SITUATION
- 15:08and write them an encouraging note?
- 15:12>> Could could IT COULD IT BE THAT THAT YOU
- 15:14ARE BELIEVING GOD TO TO GIVE YOU THIS
- 15:16FINANCIAL INCREASE,
- 15:19>> BUT GOD WANTS YOU TO COME DOWN OUT OF
- 15:20YOUR SITUATION AND JUST HAND THAT little
- 15:23$10 to somebody else.
- 15:28>> Touch your neighbor. Say, "I can
- 15:29relate."
- 15:30>> I can relate.
- 15:32That's what God is calling us to do.
- 15:35>> If Christmas is anything,
- 15:38>> it's the fact that you and I can come
- 15:40down and relate to others.
- 15:43>> And see, WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT DOESN'T
- 15:44REQUIRE A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY.
- 15:46>> THAT'S RIGHT.
- 15:48>> That's right.
- 15:48>> What it will WHAT IT WILL REQUIRE IS FOR
- 15:50YOU TO COME down
- 15:53out of your busyness.
- 15:57>> Yeah, I know. I know you're busy. We got
- 15:59a lot to do, but there's an older person
- 16:01in your life
- 16:03>> that you need to come down and go relate
- 16:06to.
- 16:08>> There's somebody there there's A WIDOW
- 16:10IN YOUR LIFE. NO, YOU MAY NOT HAVE MONEY
- 16:12TO TAKE HER. NO, YOU MAY NOT. AND IF YOU
- 16:14GOT A LITTLE MONEY, give it to her.
- 16:16Bless her. Be a BLESSING TO HER. BUT IF
- 16:17YOU DON'T HAVE THAT, YOU STILL CAN COME
- 16:19DOWN AND RELATE.
- 16:22>> AMEN.
- 16:24>> This is what Christmas is all about.
- 16:26Right.
- 16:27>> I'm concerned because Christmas has been
- 16:29so commercialized
- 16:31>> that we think that if WE DON'T HAVE
- 16:33MONEY, WE CAN'T BRING CHRISTMAS.
- 16:37[applause]
- 16:39>> CAN I TELL YOU THAT THE REAL CHRISTMAS,
- 16:42THE FIRST CHRISTMAS WAS WHEN JESUS CAME
- 16:44DOWN.
- 16:47>> BEFORE ANYBODY PUT A CHRISTMAS TREE UP,
- 16:49HE CAME DOWN.
- 16:55He can relate.
- 16:58>> He can relate.
- 17:00You and I can relate. But it calls for
- 17:04us to come down.
- 17:07>> He came down to relate to us. Number
- 17:09one. But number two, he came down, catch
- 17:12this, to reveal God to us.
- 17:17>> He came down to reveal God.
- 17:22Is that what that is?
- 17:24>> Do I need a change?
- 17:31>> Is that better?
- 17:35>> No.
- 17:36>> Okay. He's coming to help me out.
- 17:40>> I know I am.
- 17:44>> You going to work on it? I'mma keep
- 17:45going.
- 17:46>> Is it bothering y'all?
- 17:48>> Let's ride.
- 17:51He came. My god.
- 17:56>> He came down.
- 18:00[applause]
- 18:11>> Can I tell you that there's somebody
- 18:12who's having a problem with ringing in
- 18:14their life?
- 18:22There's somebody being irritated by a
- 18:23ringing in their life
- 18:26>> and the sol and they're praying for a
- 18:28solution
- 18:31>> and you are the solution.
- 18:36>> No, no, no. You are you are the sol you
- 18:38God is waiting for you to come down.
- 18:42>> See, Marcus couldn't help me from where
- 18:44he was.
- 18:45He didn't just get in the room. He was
- 18:48sitting up in the booth. But it wasn't
- 18:50until he came down.
- 18:56>> I'm good. I want to do you just just
- 18:58leave it. Yeah. Just leave. Just leave
- 19:00it. Yeah.
- 19:04Jesus came down to relate to us,
- 19:07>> but he came down to reveal God's heart
- 19:10to us.
- 19:12>> Jesus came all the way. He look how he
- 19:15came down.
- 19:17>> He didn't come down in some plush
- 19:20nursery
- 19:21where he had everything he needed. The
- 19:24Bible says that they laid him in a
- 19:26manger.
- 19:28>> A manger was a feeding trough.
- 19:31>> And feeding troughs were only housed in
- 19:33stables.
- 19:34>> That's right.
- 19:35>> Where animals laid.
- 19:36>> That's right.
- 19:38>> He was in a stinking situation.
- 19:41>> HE CAME DOWN. WHY DID HE COME DOWN THIS
- 19:43WAY? SO THAT HE COULD REVEAL GOD'S HEART
- 19:45TO US TO LET US KNOW THAT THERE'S NO
- 19:48SITUATION THAT YOU COULD GET IN THAT I
- 19:50WILL NOT COME TO. [cheering]
- 19:55>> I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. Can I
- 19:57tell you the real MEANING OF CHRISTMAS?
- 19:59I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. JESUS
- 20:01WILL COME DOWN INTO YOUR SITUATION.
- 20:08He'll come down and relate to you.
- 20:11He'll come down and reveal God's heart
- 20:13to you.
- 20:15>> That God wants you to that no matter
- 20:17what you have done,
- 20:20>> no matter how low you have gone,
- 20:23>> NO MATTER WHAT you have sunk into, no
- 20:26matter how long YOU HAVE BEEN THERE,
- 20:28GOD'S HEART TOWARD you is good.
- 20:35>> This is Christmas.
- 20:39If you don't have a present,
- 20:42>> if you don't have A GIFT, IF YOU'RE NOT
- 20:44A SEE, BECAUSE I NEED TO take a moment
- 20:46to speak to this because there are some
- 20:48people
- 20:50>> WHO ARE FEELING LIKE THEY'RE NOT GOING
- 20:52TO experience Christmas because you
- 20:54don't have all the money you need, you
- 20:56want yet. Somebody shout
- 20:57>> yes.
- 21:00>> But can I tell YOU THAT YOU'VE ALREADY
- 21:02BEEN EQUIPPED to bring Christmas into
- 21:04the life of somebody around you? IF YOU
- 21:07WILL TAKE A MOMENT TO JUST STEP BACK AND
- 21:09COME DOWN AND RELATE AND REVEAL GOD'S
- 21:12HEART TO OTHER PEOPLE, IT will be the
- 21:14biggest gift that you've EVER GIVEN INTO
- 21:17YOUR LIFE.
- 21:20>> I've helped somebody.
- 21:24But it calls for us to come down.
- 21:29Some of you need to come down and share
- 21:33your testimony.
- 21:38Someone I'm not I'm not talking about
- 21:39the one that you post.
- 21:44>> I'm talking about the one that you've
- 21:45been holding on to.
- 21:48>> I'm talking about the ONE THAT HADN'T
- 21:49MADE IT TO SOCIAL MEDIA. I'm talking
- 21:51about the ONE THAT YOU HADN'T TOLD
- 21:53ANYBODY ABOUT THAT WHEN GOD BRINGS THE
- 21:55SITUATION IN FRONT OF YOU AND YOU SEE A
- 21:57PERSON THAT HAS WALKED THROUGH WHAT
- 21:59YOU'VE WALKED THROUGH, GOD IS CALLING US
- 22:01TO COME down
- 22:04>> to relate and reveal his heart to them.
- 22:09>> That's why he brought you through.
- 22:12>> That's why he brought YOU OUT. NOT SO
- 22:14that you CAN WALK AROUND WITH A BADGE OF
- 22:16HONOR, BUT SO THAT YOU CAN WHEN YOU FIND
- 22:18SOMEBODY WHO IS JUST LIKE YOU,
- 22:23>> that you'll remember,
- 22:26>> what it was like to feel alone,
- 22:29>> that you will remember what it was like
- 22:32to feel like, I don't know IF I'M EVER
- 22:34GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS SIN.
- 22:38I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN OUT OF IT FOR 5
- 22:40YEARS, BUT WHEN YOU SEE SOMEBODY
- 22:42STRUGGLING, GOD WANTS YOU TO REMEMBER.
- 22:47>> He wants you to come down
- 22:51>> and relate.
- 22:54And can I just make one, let me clear up
- 22:55one point. Relating doesn't mean that
- 22:58you get in sin with them.
- 22:59>> That's right.
- 23:03[laughter]
- 23:04>> Yeah. I'm going just go relate to the
- 23:05boy. Oh, we going to go up and just
- 23:06smoke a little something so I can
- 23:07relate. That's not relating.
- 23:10That's reverting.
- 23:12>> Oh,
- 23:14no, NO, NO. I'M TALKING about
- 23:16righteously relating.
- 23:20>> That I remember what it's like to be
- 23:23without a savior
- 23:25>> and act like I didn't need anything.
- 23:29I know what it's like for people to come
- 23:31and invite me to church and I lie to
- 23:33them and tell them I'm coming knowing
- 23:35good and well I had no intentions on
- 23:36coming.
- 23:39>> So now when I invite somebody and they
- 23:41lie to me and they don't come, I'm not
- 23:45upset with them.
- 23:48>> I just spiritually get more fortified
- 23:51>> and said IF YOU DUCK THAT ONE, you won't
- 23:53be able to duck this one. Hey, how you
- 23:55doing?
- 23:56I was looking for you last Sunday.
- 23:59[laughter]
- 24:01>> Why? Because I can relate.
- 24:04>> I know what it's like to run from a God
- 24:06who's calling me.
- 24:07>> I know what it's like to run from a God
- 24:09who is calling me out of my mess and
- 24:11calling me out OF SOME THINGS THAT I
- 24:13DON'T WANT TO LET GO OF YET.
- 24:18>> He's calling us to come down.
- 24:21>> Somebody say, "Merry Christmas."
- 24:22>> Merry Christmas.
- 24:23>> He's calling us to come down. Yes.
- 24:26>> To relate to those around us,
- 24:29>> to reveal the heart of God,
- 24:32>> to remind people that you have not done
- 24:34so much.
- 24:36>> You have not gone so far,
- 24:40that God cannot forgive you.
- 24:43>> That God cannot restore you. [applause]
- 24:47>> And I know you have done I KNOW YOU HAVE
- 24:49PRAYED AND ASKED GOD SAY, "GOD, if you
- 24:51get me out of this, I won't do it no
- 24:52more." I know this is the fourth time.
- 24:55See, this is where we got to be honest
- 24:58>> and say, "I I didn't get my second
- 25:00chance right.
- 25:03I blew my second chance a long time ago.
- 25:06>> But I want you to know that he's the
- 25:08kind of God that will give you another
- 25:10chance.
- 25:11>> And I don't care how what you've done
- 25:13and how long you've done it or who
- 25:15you've done it with.
- 25:19>> His heart is good toward you.
- 25:22God is calling us to bring Christmas to
- 25:26somebody.
- 25:29>> Give your gifts.
- 25:32If you give your gifts, can I ask? Can I
- 25:34say something? Give your gifts with the
- 25:36heart of God in mind.
- 25:39>> Don't let it be a competition.
- 25:45>> [applause]
- 25:48>> Maybe your gift is not the biggest,
- 25:52maybe it's not the grandest,
- 25:55but what it should do is relate to
- 25:57people.
- 25:58>> What your giving should do, it should
- 26:00reveal the heart of God to others.
- 26:04>> God wants us to have a real Christmas.
- 26:10God is calling us to have a real
- 26:13Christmas
- 26:15>> where we will come down
- 26:17>> into the lives of those around us
- 26:21>> to relate to them
- 26:23>> and to reveal his heart.
- 26:25>> This is our prayer that this week
- 26:28somebody shout this week.
- 26:30>> This week
- 26:30>> I will come down.
- 26:33>> This week
- 26:34>> this week
- 26:34>> I will relate to someone.
- 26:36>> I will relate to someone. This week,
- 26:38>> I will reveal God's heart.
- 26:40>> I will reveal God's heart
- 26:41>> to somebody.
- 26:48[applause]
- 26:50>> That's my prayer
- 26:53is that we will do like Jesus did and
- 26:56come down.
- 26:58>> Let's pray.
- 27:01Father in Jesus name, we thank you for
- 27:03this opportunity around your word
- 27:07and father we take a moment to step back
- 27:12father because we thank you
- 27:14because you have given us a real
- 27:16Christmas
- 27:19God. You came down
- 27:22not for the greatest among us. You came
- 27:25down for them too. But Lord, you came
- 27:28low enough to let all of us know
- 27:31that there is no there is no depth that
- 27:34you will not go to reach us.
- 27:37Thank you for coming down.
- 27:41Thank you for for stepping aside of all
- 27:44of the splendor of heaven and coming
- 27:46down to earth. [music]
- 27:49Thank you for coming to relate to us.
- 27:53Father, thank you for being the kind of
- 27:55[clears throat] savior
- 27:57who was tempted in all points as we
- 27:59were, but yet without sin.
- 28:02So Lord, help us to to embrace you and
- 28:05not to run from you, but realize you can
- 28:08relate to us. that Lord, no matter what
- 28:10it is that we're dealing with, no matter
- 28:12what it is that we're facing, no matter
- 28:13what kind of challenges that are in our
- 28:15lives right now, Father, help us
- 28:18to realize that you can relate to us and
- 28:22that we can bring all that we have to
- 28:24you.
- 28:26Thank you for coming down to reveal
- 28:28yourself to us
- 28:30that your heart towards us is good.
- 28:34Father, it is our prayer that as we have
- 28:36freely received, may we freely give. May
- 28:41we come down in our lives to help
- 28:43somebody else to prayerfully [music] to
- 28:46relate to them and to reveal your heart
- 28:49to them. We thank you for it now in
- 28:52Jesus name.