Kept In The Dark

0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:02.320 I want to pray one more time before I preach. 0:00:02.600 --> 0:00:05.280 I want to pray for something specifically. Everyone's standing at 0:00:05.280 --> 0:00:07.840 every location in your home. Stand in your kitchen, stand 0:00:08.000 --> 0:00:10.600 get out the bed, and stand up in your Tommy Johns. 0:00:10.600 --> 0:00:13.119 If you have to put a robe on, robes of 0:00:13.200 --> 0:00:17.599 righteousness and stand up, and I want to pray. I 0:00:17.600 --> 0:00:19.880 don't have long to really talk about it, but I 0:00:19.920 --> 0:00:23.079 want to pray about it. About our offering next Sunday, 0:00:23.160 --> 0:00:28.280 December twelfth. This is a tradition, and more than it's 0:00:28.320 --> 0:00:31.280 a tradition, because some traditions are empty. This is not 0:00:31.320 --> 0:00:33.760 an empty tradition like a turkey or something like that 0:00:33.760 --> 0:00:37.040 that's going to put you to sleep anyway. This is training. 0:00:38.200 --> 0:00:40.880 This is how when we trust God, when we bring 0:00:40.960 --> 0:00:43.599 him the first fruits of everything that he's given us, 0:00:43.880 --> 0:00:47.040 which thousands of people will commit to do here between 0:00:47.040 --> 0:00:48.800 now at the end of the year and set it 0:00:48.880 --> 0:00:51.720 up online and all that, and many people giving above 0:00:51.760 --> 0:00:53.959 and beyond. I've already got my offering ready. I got 0:00:53.960 --> 0:00:57.440 a head start. I started on this, started praying about 0:00:57.480 --> 0:01:02.160 this in October, so I'm ready. But we're calling the 0:01:02.160 --> 0:01:05.680 offering better. That's the word that we associated with the offering. 0:01:06.040 --> 0:01:08.600 I took it from where he said the glory of 0:01:08.680 --> 0:01:11.280 the latter house would be greater than the glory of 0:01:11.280 --> 0:01:13.880 the former house. And so many people right now are 0:01:13.880 --> 0:01:17.520 in seasons of rebuilding. But the Lord doesn't just want 0:01:17.520 --> 0:01:20.839 to rebuild what we had before. He wants to take 0:01:20.920 --> 0:01:26.880 us to a new place with new priorities and new perspective. 0:01:27.800 --> 0:01:31.840 So now the key to all of this. Do you 0:01:31.880 --> 0:01:35.720 really trust that he's your provider? Do you really trust 0:01:35.760 --> 0:01:39.120 that he is Jehovah jiro The Lord provides, the Lord sees. 0:01:39.520 --> 0:01:42.600 So when I bring my offering, it's not just oh 0:01:42.720 --> 0:01:44.920 so we can keep paying staff members. Oh so we 0:01:44.959 --> 0:01:48.120 can keep changing guitar strings on Joey's less pallback there. 0:01:48.280 --> 0:01:50.440 Oh so we can keep buying goldfish crackers for the 0:01:50.520 --> 0:01:52.840 kids over any kids so they don't freak out while 0:01:52.840 --> 0:01:57.520 I'm preaching too long for me's training is teaching me 0:01:57.720 --> 0:02:01.880 to trust God. And it also does something amazing because 0:02:01.920 --> 0:02:04.920 then I get to see the fruit of preaching the 0:02:04.920 --> 0:02:08.200 gospel all around the world. I want to thank all 0:02:08.240 --> 0:02:11.160 of you who tithe to this ministry, who give to 0:02:11.240 --> 0:02:15.520 this ministry. We preach Jesus all over the world daily 0:02:16.240 --> 0:02:19.440 I mean, every hour of every day, there's somebody being 0:02:19.480 --> 0:02:23.280 blessed somewhere by this ministry, and we get to do 0:02:23.400 --> 0:02:30.760 that together. So I'm excited, really excited. I'm grown up now, 0:02:30.960 --> 0:02:34.079 so I'm more excited about giving than receiving because I'm 0:02:34.120 --> 0:02:38.480 grown up now. I'm grown up now. And so we're 0:02:38.480 --> 0:02:40.919 going to pray for all who are praying and asking God. 0:02:40.960 --> 0:02:43.480 God want me to give above and beyond the type 0:02:43.480 --> 0:02:46.200 again to tithe both. Let me pray because only God 0:02:46.240 --> 0:02:48.600 can speak these things to you. By your head, Father, 0:02:48.639 --> 0:02:52.520 I thank you for what you've already done. I don't 0:02:52.560 --> 0:02:56.079 want to skip that if you never did anything else 0:02:57.400 --> 0:03:01.560 for Stephen Ferdy, for Elevation Church, for the people that 0:03:01.600 --> 0:03:05.000 I'm looking at. You already gave us this many breaths, 0:03:05.000 --> 0:03:07.800 this many days, this many blessings, this many breakthroughs, this 0:03:07.880 --> 0:03:11.320 many victories, this many slain giants, this many crumbled walls. 0:03:11.600 --> 0:03:14.720 You've already done enough to be worthy because you saved 0:03:14.760 --> 0:03:17.679 us and you loved us, and you came to tabernacle 0:03:17.720 --> 0:03:21.800 and live in us. So it's already enough. But you 0:03:21.919 --> 0:03:27.520 promise that you're able to do immeasurably more. I declare 0:03:27.560 --> 0:03:30.280 that over your children today that their best is not 0:03:30.360 --> 0:03:34.800 behind them, and the devil is a liar. That the 0:03:34.880 --> 0:03:39.160 glory of the present house, what you're building right now, 0:03:39.520 --> 0:03:43.280 by your spirit, in the name of Jesus, it will 0:03:43.920 --> 0:03:48.800 be greater. Say it. It will be greater. In the chat, 0:03:49.040 --> 0:03:55.040 it will be greater. Riverwalk, it will be greater. Valentine, 0:03:55.280 --> 0:04:00.320 it will be greater. And we give you praise by 0:04:00.400 --> 0:04:06.440 faith in Jesus' name. If you believe that, give God 0:04:06.480 --> 0:04:18.760 a mighty shout of praise. Yeah, all right, So they'll 0:04:18.760 --> 0:04:20.400 give you the details how to get that offering. I 0:04:20.400 --> 0:04:23.919 need everybody participating on the level where God has blessed you. 0:04:24.520 --> 0:04:26.440 I'll be sneaking out of here will The church is big. 0:04:26.480 --> 0:04:28.200 They don't need my money. It's not about the church 0:04:28.279 --> 0:04:34.680 needing your money. It's about you needing God. So it 0:04:34.720 --> 0:04:38.160 will be grateful. And if you never ever give, we'll 0:04:38.200 --> 0:04:42.640 still be here for you. Isn't that cool? The restaurant 0:04:42.640 --> 0:04:46.120 doesn't tell you that, Hey, we'll still feed you. Man, 0:04:46.279 --> 0:04:48.840 Just keep on coming. We'll keep on whatever you want, free, 0:04:48.880 --> 0:04:50.880 refill as long as you want. They'll kick you out, 0:04:52.120 --> 0:04:55.080 But this is a ministry that will be here for you, 0:04:56.760 --> 0:05:00.320 be here for you. One dude told me he left 0:05:00.320 --> 0:05:02.360 the church for four years. He said, I was mad 0:05:02.400 --> 0:05:04.560 at you. I said mad at me. I had never 0:05:04.600 --> 0:05:08.520 met him before. He said, yeah, you were preaching some 0:05:08.560 --> 0:05:11.039 things that I didn't want to hear. But he said, 0:05:11.080 --> 0:05:13.640 I came back because what God said through you was right. 0:05:15.160 --> 0:05:17.240 And he said when I finally reminded me of the 0:05:17.240 --> 0:05:18.840 prodigal son, when he went off in the pigpen and 0:05:18.839 --> 0:05:20.800 stuff and he came to a census. I didn't tell 0:05:20.839 --> 0:05:23.320 him that he looked like you've been in the pig pen, buddy. 0:05:24.839 --> 0:05:27.000 But he said, when I finally got my got my 0:05:27.040 --> 0:05:29.360 mind back right, I knew where I could come back 0:05:29.400 --> 0:05:31.599 to with elevation because I knew I'll be accepted and 0:05:31.640 --> 0:05:35.400 welcome and e grace. And that's what I like about 0:05:35.440 --> 0:05:41.120 this church. I love this church. Man. Oh come all 0:05:41.160 --> 0:05:43.440 ye faithful, I'll come. Oh come all ye faithless. Oh 0:05:43.480 --> 0:05:45.839 come all ye heathen, Oh come all ye pagans, Oh 0:05:45.920 --> 0:05:48.960 come all ye addicted. Oh oh come all ye pretty. 0:05:49.000 --> 0:05:51.040 I'll come all ye ugly. I'll come with you buff. 0:05:51.040 --> 0:05:54.400 I'll come ye skinny, scrawny, fat. I don't care. Oh 0:05:54.440 --> 0:05:58.480 come just calm, just calm, so it'll be amazing. I'm 0:05:58.480 --> 0:06:01.279 glad you came. Hey, Todd, at least five people on 0:06:01.360 --> 0:06:02.800 your way down, don't touch them, don't touch them. Don't 0:06:02.800 --> 0:06:04.720 touch them, because's how legal. I forgot. I'm sorry. Oh 0:06:04.720 --> 0:06:06.599 have it, I'll have it. I'll have it. Just look 0:06:06.640 --> 0:06:09.640 at five people, untell them. I'm glad you came today. 0:06:10.120 --> 0:06:12.680 Put it in the chat online. I'm glad you came 0:06:12.760 --> 0:06:16.320 today when you found five people. Take your seat. Let's go, 0:06:19.040 --> 0:06:27.000 let's go. Take your seat. I am giving you your 0:06:27.080 --> 0:06:35.400 Christmas sermon Early. I know how you are, and I 0:06:35.440 --> 0:06:40.080 know they're shipping delays in the natural, and I know 0:06:40.200 --> 0:06:43.920 also the closer it gets to Christmas, the less docking 0:06:44.160 --> 0:06:45.880 room at the docks, You're going to have to hear 0:06:45.920 --> 0:06:47.839 God's word because your life's going to be so busy 0:06:47.839 --> 0:06:50.400 and crowded. You be around all these people. You don't 0:06:50.480 --> 0:06:52.479 like cleaning up your house to impress them, and don't 0:06:52.520 --> 0:06:56.000 even like them buying them stuff, and they don't even 0:06:56.040 --> 0:06:58.359 wear what you bought them last year, and you have noticed. 0:07:01.000 --> 0:07:03.920 But so I'm gonna give you your gift Early. I'm 0:07:03.920 --> 0:07:05.839 gonna get out of head. I got out of head 0:07:05.839 --> 0:07:08.000 on all of Holly's gifts this year. I've got them 0:07:08.000 --> 0:07:12.920 all there already. I bought them early, that's right. And 0:07:13.000 --> 0:07:16.800 Abby knows everything that she's getting. Holly doesn't. So that's 0:07:16.840 --> 0:07:19.280 because I trust Abby now, trust her, I can tell 0:07:19.280 --> 0:07:22.800 her honestly. Y'all, all of my kids when they were little, 0:07:22.800 --> 0:07:25.320 they all spoiled presence. One time, Elijah came back from 0:07:25.320 --> 0:07:27.240 South Park with me, and he told Holly because I 0:07:27.280 --> 0:07:29.920 took him shopping and he saw Santa. And I know 0:07:30.040 --> 0:07:33.040 you think Santa's pagan, but he is five, okay, And 0:07:33.120 --> 0:07:35.360 so I took him to go sit on Santa's lap. 0:07:36.000 --> 0:07:38.640 And he came back and told Holly, I'm not allowed 0:07:38.680 --> 0:07:43.560 to tell you that we got you sweatpants from Juicy 0:07:46.560 --> 0:07:51.160 oh Man. But I trust Abby now, so I don't 0:07:51.600 --> 0:07:57.720 keep her in the darkening. He go to Matthew chapter two. 0:07:59.280 --> 0:08:01.679 I told Graham's sitting on the front road, this sermon 0:08:01.760 --> 0:08:04.240 keeps getting bigger in me the longer we sit here. 0:08:04.400 --> 0:08:06.600 They need to stop singing so I can preach, because 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:11.000 I feel like I'm about to give birth, which is 0:08:11.040 --> 0:08:16.640 exactly what Mary said in Bethlehem. She wasn't planning to 0:08:16.640 --> 0:08:19.000 give birth in Bethlehem, but she had to anyway. And 0:08:19.040 --> 0:08:20.920 that's where we're going to pick up today in Matthew 0:08:21.000 --> 0:08:26.600 chapter two. You ready, You're ready or not? Here comes 0:08:26.680 --> 0:08:35.239 Jesus Matthew chapter two. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem 0:08:35.240 --> 0:08:39.800 in Judea during the time of King Herod, Magi from 0:08:39.880 --> 0:08:44.120 the east came to Jerusalem and asked, where is the 0:08:44.120 --> 0:08:47.280 one who has been born King of the Jews. We 0:08:47.360 --> 0:08:50.760 saw his star when it rose and have come to 0:08:50.800 --> 0:08:55.440 worship him. When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed. 0:08:56.720 --> 0:09:02.040 Uh oh, and all Jerusalem with him, because if Herod 0:09:02.080 --> 0:09:04.880 gets mad, he's going to do crazy stuff to them. 0:09:05.320 --> 0:09:08.680 Because he's this provincial governor, he's not really in charge. 0:09:08.720 --> 0:09:12.040 He's appointed by the Roman government. So you know, Caesar 0:09:12.080 --> 0:09:16.000 Augustus is really the headman, but he's got Herod watching 0:09:16.040 --> 0:09:21.200 out for all of these Jewish people. So Versport says, 0:09:21.240 --> 0:09:24.400 when he had called together all the people's chief priests 0:09:24.400 --> 0:09:26.920 and teachers of the law, he asked them where the 0:09:26.960 --> 0:09:30.360 Messiah was to be born? In Bethlehem and Judea. They replied, 0:09:30.600 --> 0:09:33.680 for this is what the prophet has written. But you 0:09:34.080 --> 0:09:37.680 Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are by no means 0:09:37.840 --> 0:09:42.600 least among the rulers of Judah. Now I love that 0:09:42.720 --> 0:09:44.800 verse because it comes from Michael five to two, and 0:09:45.200 --> 0:09:48.280 it lets me know, o little town of Bethlehem, big 0:09:48.320 --> 0:09:53.520 things can come from small places. Y'all need to drink 0:09:53.559 --> 0:09:56.840 your coffee thirty minutes earlier next week, because big things 0:09:57.679 --> 0:10:02.320 can come from small all places. Look at your neighbors, 0:10:02.360 --> 0:10:05.920 say be nice to me. I'm carrying something big. I 0:10:06.000 --> 0:10:08.320 know you can't see it right now, but out of 0:10:08.400 --> 0:10:14.559 me it's gonna come something that can change the world. Yeah, 0:10:15.000 --> 0:10:22.839 let's go Merry Christmas, y'all, for out of you will 0:10:22.880 --> 0:10:26.560 come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. Shepherd 0:10:26.600 --> 0:10:30.080 my people Israel. Then Herod called the Magi secretly found 0:10:30.080 --> 0:10:32.360 out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 0:10:32.360 --> 0:10:34.760 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, go and search 0:10:34.920 --> 0:10:37.679 carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, 0:10:37.679 --> 0:10:40.440 report back to me so I can go worshiping too. 0:10:40.559 --> 0:10:42.839 You know, I'm gonna go worshiping too, just to kill him, 0:10:42.840 --> 0:10:46.040 but he's threatened by him. After they heard the king, 0:10:46.040 --> 0:10:48.040 they went on their way, and the star they had 0:10:48.080 --> 0:10:52.200 seen when it rose a thousand miles back where they 0:10:52.240 --> 0:10:55.680 came from in Persia. When ahead of them five more 0:10:55.760 --> 0:11:00.120 miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem until stopping the place where 0:11:00.120 --> 0:11:02.440 the child was. When they saw the star, they were 0:11:02.520 --> 0:11:05.720 over joy. Came a long way to see this. It 0:11:05.920 --> 0:11:10.160 validated their instinct that something big was happening. And on 0:11:10.240 --> 0:11:14.640 coming to the house, they saw the child. A child 0:11:15.720 --> 0:11:18.960 means Jesus is a little bigger. Now he's not. I 0:11:19.000 --> 0:11:21.280 know you've got that Precious Moments thing on the credenza, 0:11:21.320 --> 0:11:24.160 but he's not a baby. He's not in a barn 0:11:24.200 --> 0:11:26.120 at this point. He's in a house. And there weren't 0:11:26.160 --> 0:11:28.160 three of these guys, the three wise men. They brought 0:11:28.160 --> 0:11:32.800 three gifts. Gold represents divinity, Frankenson's represents priesthood, murder represents 0:11:32.880 --> 0:11:35.360 Jesus burial at his death. It's all symbolic, and it's 0:11:35.400 --> 0:11:39.000 also about to finance the trip that Joseph doesn't even 0:11:39.040 --> 0:11:41.160 know that he's going to have to take yet, because 0:11:41.200 --> 0:11:47.920 God is already working even before you realize it. So 0:11:48.240 --> 0:11:51.400 they presented him, they opened their treasures, they bowed down 0:11:51.400 --> 0:11:54.800 and worshiped him. It said they saw the child with 0:11:54.840 --> 0:11:57.680 his mother Mary, They bowed down and worshiped him. Then 0:11:57.720 --> 0:12:00.600 they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of 0:12:00.640 --> 0:12:04.600 gold Frankensonson Mermer, and having been warned in a dream 0:12:04.679 --> 0:12:07.040 not to go back to Herod, they returned to their 0:12:07.040 --> 0:12:12.680 country by another rue. Now let's prepare for our scripture 0:12:12.760 --> 0:12:16.680 landing here. When they had gone, an angel of the 0:12:16.720 --> 0:12:22.520 Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. Get up, he said, 0:12:23.880 --> 0:12:28.760 take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. 0:12:30.040 --> 0:12:34.680 Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going 0:12:34.760 --> 0:12:39.520 to search for the child and kill him. So he 0:12:39.640 --> 0:12:44.000 got up, took the child and his mother during the night, 0:12:44.559 --> 0:12:47.640 and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death 0:12:47.679 --> 0:12:51.160 of Herod, and so was fulfilled what the Lord had 0:12:51.160 --> 0:12:55.280 said through the prophet. Out of Egypt, I called my son. 0:12:56.920 --> 0:13:04.320 This sermon is called kept in the Dark, Kept in 0:13:04.360 --> 0:13:10.040 the Dark. Here we are again with the same familiar 0:13:10.480 --> 0:13:17.560 cast of Christmas characters, and the challenge of reading the 0:13:17.760 --> 0:13:21.520 Christmas Story as a pastor is you just want to 0:13:21.520 --> 0:13:23.200 skip ahead to the part where he gets up from 0:13:23.240 --> 0:13:26.120 the grave and skip past all this stuff where he 0:13:26.160 --> 0:13:34.360 had You also understand that we're watching these characters as 0:13:34.400 --> 0:13:41.400 they are walking through what we are watching with knowledge 0:13:41.960 --> 0:13:45.560 of where they end up. So that's why it's hard 0:13:45.960 --> 0:13:51.040 to really grasp the meaning of a scripture is because 0:13:51.080 --> 0:13:55.920 we're watching something that they're walking through, but we are 0:13:56.160 --> 0:14:01.199 watching with knowledge what they are walking through, and we 0:14:01.320 --> 0:14:03.480 know how. So you kind of want to pull him aside. 0:14:03.559 --> 0:14:07.560 You want to be like, hey, Joseph, Mary's not lying. 0:14:09.679 --> 0:14:13.200 It really was the Holy Spirit that got her pregnant. 0:14:13.720 --> 0:14:19.760 You're not crazy, you're not simping. She really really, she 0:14:19.760 --> 0:14:22.440 she really when she told you that it was the 0:14:22.520 --> 0:14:25.040 Lord who came to her, and you kind of wonder 0:14:25.480 --> 0:14:28.080 was it really the Lord or was it was it 0:14:28.160 --> 0:14:32.720 was it Leroy and and and and so. So Joseph, 0:14:32.920 --> 0:14:36.560 y'all please be good. This is a Christmas sermon. Is 0:14:36.640 --> 0:14:37.880 It's kind of like you want to pull him to 0:14:37.880 --> 0:14:40.640 the side and be like, hey, Joseph, because Joseph had 0:14:40.680 --> 0:14:45.240 it rough right, like he really never knew. He died 0:14:45.480 --> 0:14:48.400 not knowing if this was really the message. I'm sure 0:14:48.400 --> 0:14:51.160 he saw stuff that made him think, Okay, okay, this 0:14:51.280 --> 0:14:54.080 kid's pretty special, you know. I'm sure in the carpenter shop, 0:14:54.280 --> 0:14:56.720 Jesus would do something every now and then, maybe make 0:14:56.760 --> 0:14:59.000 a two by four pop up and levitate in the 0:14:59.000 --> 0:15:01.440 shape of a cross, just to give Joseph a little 0:15:01.440 --> 0:15:03.960 bit of confidence that this is real, but he didn't 0:15:04.000 --> 0:15:08.120 really know all he had to go on watch this. 0:15:08.200 --> 0:15:10.760 I didn't read this scriptures. The Lord came to him 0:15:10.760 --> 0:15:16.000 in a dream. Do you believe your dreams? I don't 0:15:16.000 --> 0:15:20.040 believe my dreams. I'd be in jail. I'd be on 0:15:20.160 --> 0:15:23.720 so many pill prescription pills for anxiety if I believe 0:15:23.760 --> 0:15:26.880 my dreams. So he has to hold on to something 0:15:26.880 --> 0:15:30.560 that he saw in his sleeve and walk it out 0:15:30.600 --> 0:15:35.400 in his life. We are watching with the knowledge. Hey Joseph, 0:15:35.600 --> 0:15:37.320 just hang in there, man, Just do the best you 0:15:37.400 --> 0:15:39.360 can to raise the kid. You know, show him a 0:15:39.360 --> 0:15:42.840 few things. You really can't mess this up. He's like 0:15:42.920 --> 0:15:45.800 he's kind of got a little special protection agency. He 0:15:45.880 --> 0:15:48.280 got a little heavenly secret service around him. Even if 0:15:48.280 --> 0:15:50.360 you lose him at the temple when he's twelve, you 0:15:50.400 --> 0:15:52.720 know he'll find his way back. He kind of pays 0:15:52.760 --> 0:15:54.480 the roads with gold in heaven so he can find 0:15:54.480 --> 0:15:56.720 his way through the streets of Jerusalem. It's gonna be 0:15:57.040 --> 0:16:00.360 all riot. You gotta want to tell him that he 0:16:00.400 --> 0:16:05.600 didn't know. And if you hang in there, they're going 0:16:05.680 --> 0:16:08.480 to be every middle aged man in every little Methodist 0:16:08.600 --> 0:16:10.800 church in America is going to be pretending to be 0:16:10.840 --> 0:16:12.760 you and dressing up like you in the month of 0:16:12.800 --> 0:16:15.880 December one day. Right, you kind of tell them, Madgie, 0:16:15.880 --> 0:16:18.160 because they come so far, right, they come from Persia. 0:16:18.400 --> 0:16:24.880 These are not even preachers, they're astrologers. These are not 0:16:24.960 --> 0:16:32.840 even Jews, they're gentiles. They are following something that they 0:16:32.840 --> 0:16:36.080 shouldn't even be following to see the will of God. 0:16:36.120 --> 0:16:40.040 And it still got them there. And they had to travel, 0:16:40.080 --> 0:16:43.080 as I think I mentioned, a long way. How far 0:16:43.200 --> 0:16:48.080 is a long way five miles, ten miles, twenty miles, 0:16:48.280 --> 0:16:52.120 fifty miles, one hundred miles. How many times did they 0:16:52.160 --> 0:16:56.000 have to recharge the tesla to get one thousand miles 0:16:57.360 --> 0:17:02.760 from Persia with these heavy gifts estimated to be worth 0:17:02.840 --> 0:17:07.320 like four million dollars? And then it was all worth it? 0:17:07.320 --> 0:17:09.400 And you kind of want to tell them that, like, hey, 0:17:09.880 --> 0:17:13.640 just so you know that star it's got you five 0:17:13.680 --> 0:17:16.200 miles within. Sometimes you want to tell somebody you are 0:17:16.320 --> 0:17:19.560 so close. Don't quit right now. You are so close. 0:17:19.760 --> 0:17:22.720 They were five miles from where Jesus was, So you 0:17:22.800 --> 0:17:24.439 kind of want to tell them because you have the 0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:29.400 knowledge if you go five more miles, you are going 0:17:29.480 --> 0:17:34.000 to see the Savior of the World. Now we're reading 0:17:34.080 --> 0:17:37.120 it right with the knowledge of where it ends up. 0:17:38.480 --> 0:17:41.800 They aren't watching themselves travel a thousand miles. They are 0:17:41.840 --> 0:17:46.720 walking a thousand miles. So here's the thing that'll keep 0:17:46.720 --> 0:17:50.359 you humble. Be careful who you judge when they're walking 0:17:50.400 --> 0:17:53.000 through something that you are only watching from a distance. 0:18:00.160 --> 0:18:04.800 You've never walked through the age that your mom is before. 0:18:06.359 --> 0:18:09.040 You've never well, you have walked through the age that 0:18:09.119 --> 0:18:11.960 your kids were before, but you never walked through it 0:18:12.000 --> 0:18:17.679 with a snapjack Ah, I got you right. You were like, 0:18:17.800 --> 0:18:20.040 I have been a teenager, I've seen it all. You 0:18:20.119 --> 0:18:27.200 hadn't seen anything, but TikTok. Passage of Time will teach 0:18:27.200 --> 0:18:32.080 you sometimes that you gotta be careful that when you're 0:18:32.200 --> 0:18:37.480 watching someone else go through something. It's interesting, isn't it, 0:18:37.480 --> 0:18:43.199 Because everybody in the passage is walking through something that 0:18:43.240 --> 0:18:46.760 they don't know where it ends up, whether it's the 0:18:46.840 --> 0:18:49.760 Magi or even Herod. You kind of want to pull 0:18:49.800 --> 0:18:52.719 Herod to the side, right because he's trying to keep 0:18:52.800 --> 0:18:55.080 Jesus from being the king, and you got to want 0:18:55.080 --> 0:19:00.000 to be like, don't bother, Like really, man, save your book. 0:19:00.240 --> 0:19:04.400 Is you're not gonna. You can search all you want 0:19:04.440 --> 0:19:08.520 to kill Jesus, but you won't succeed, I felt the 0:19:08.520 --> 0:19:11.480 Holy Ghost. I want to tell the devil this morning. 0:19:11.960 --> 0:19:15.440 You can search all you want want, but it won't work. 0:19:16.800 --> 0:19:20.400 You can come at the Child of God with everything 0:19:20.520 --> 0:19:23.880 you got in your arsenal and keep flying at him 0:19:24.080 --> 0:19:26.800 in the middle of the night. But I read to 0:19:26.960 --> 0:19:30.040 the back of the book, and you can search all 0:19:30.080 --> 0:19:34.200 you want, but it won't succeed. For the Lord's purpose 0:19:34.359 --> 0:19:39.240 will prevail. The Lord's purpose will prevail. I'm gonna herald 0:19:39.280 --> 0:19:42.480 it from the mountain top today. It won't work, Herod. 0:19:42.800 --> 0:19:46.480 You can search all of Bethlehem, you can kill every baby, 0:19:46.720 --> 0:19:49.280 you can lie all you want to, but it won't 0:19:49.320 --> 0:19:53.520 work because of Jeremiah one twelve. See Jeremiah one twelve 0:19:53.760 --> 0:19:56.879 is a Christmas scripture that never got preached on Christmas. 0:19:56.960 --> 0:19:58.880 But I'm gonna give it to you today. The Lord 0:19:58.920 --> 0:20:02.199 said to Jeremiah, you have seen correctly watched this, for 0:20:02.440 --> 0:20:06.760 I am watching over my word to see that it 0:20:06.840 --> 0:20:11.840 is fulfilled. Now you ought to shout about Jeremiah one twelve. 0:20:13.720 --> 0:20:19.760 He said, I'm watching to see that my word is fulfilled. 0:20:20.160 --> 0:20:23.560 And this scripture only made so much sense until Jesus 0:20:24.000 --> 0:20:26.880 was born in Bethlehem. Now, I want you to look 0:20:26.920 --> 0:20:30.760 at Jeremiah chapter one in the light of Matthew chapter two, 0:20:31.280 --> 0:20:35.400 that after Jesus was born, Remember Jesus was born in Bethlehem, 0:20:35.560 --> 0:20:39.280 but he didn't come from Bethlehem. In the beginning was 0:20:39.359 --> 0:20:42.439 the Word, and the word was with God, and the 0:20:42.480 --> 0:20:47.239 word was God. That's John chapter one. So when the 0:20:47.280 --> 0:20:50.280 Bible says that God is watching over his words to 0:20:50.400 --> 0:20:53.960 fulfill it, it means that no matter how much Herod 0:20:54.320 --> 0:20:59.560 searched for the baby called Jesus, God was watching over 0:20:59.600 --> 0:21:02.520 the sea of his son that would bring forth the 0:21:02.560 --> 0:21:12.680 harvest of salvation. Yeah, oh, y'all missed the six thirty 0:21:12.680 --> 0:21:15.639 am service today. That's when God gave all this to me. 0:21:16.240 --> 0:21:21.120 Y'all miss the good service today. Oh my God, he's 0:21:21.200 --> 0:21:30.240 watching over Yeah. And yet you wonder, like if you 0:21:30.280 --> 0:21:33.120 could tell Herod hey man. In the end, Josephus said 0:21:33.119 --> 0:21:38.800 that in Herod's later years he couldn't stop eating and 0:21:38.840 --> 0:21:42.360 there were worms in his intestines. You kind of want 0:21:42.400 --> 0:21:45.080 to tell him, man, stop trying to kill Jesus. This 0:21:45.160 --> 0:21:46.520 is not the path you want to go down. But 0:21:46.560 --> 0:21:49.320 see you know how it ends. He did. You kind 0:21:49.320 --> 0:21:52.000 of want to tell Joseph, have faith, man, it's gonna 0:21:52.000 --> 0:21:57.240 because everything in the passage I just read you, from 0:21:57.280 --> 0:22:03.040 a human perspective was a problem, but from a heavenly perspective, 0:22:03.600 --> 0:22:09.679 it was a prophecy. So Christmas gives me this perspective 0:22:10.320 --> 0:22:24.000 that God disguises prophecy as problems. Verse one said he 0:22:24.240 --> 0:22:28.280 was born in Bethlehem. That was not where they had 0:22:28.560 --> 0:22:34.280 the reservations. It was a problem. It also says, if 0:22:34.280 --> 0:22:37.680 you notice, they had to escape to Egypt because they 0:22:37.680 --> 0:22:40.840 were trying the king of their region was trying to 0:22:40.920 --> 0:22:44.760 kill him. That is also a problem. It says later 0:22:44.960 --> 0:22:47.600 that when Joseph got up to leave for Egypt, he 0:22:47.680 --> 0:22:49.439 had to go back to Galilee. He couldn't even go 0:22:49.440 --> 0:22:51.200 to Nazareth, where he was from, for a little while. 0:22:51.280 --> 0:22:54.440 He had to wait in Egypt. That's also a problem. 0:22:55.600 --> 0:22:58.200 But the same things that I read in that passage 0:22:59.480 --> 0:23:05.800 that problems. We're designed to fulfill a prophetic word, because 0:23:05.840 --> 0:23:14.359 he watches over his word to fulfill it. In Micah 0:23:14.400 --> 0:23:16.600 five to two it says he will be born in Bethlehem. 0:23:17.760 --> 0:23:21.960 So maybe this is why Mary's water broke early because 0:23:22.000 --> 0:23:24.399 she had to give birth in the place that the 0:23:24.480 --> 0:23:29.000 prophet spoke. And at the same time that they are considering, 0:23:29.200 --> 0:23:31.320 where are we going to do this? There's no room 0:23:31.359 --> 0:23:34.840 in the end. This is not on our plan. Look 0:23:34.880 --> 0:23:39.120 at this. God is not protecting your plan. He's protecting 0:23:39.119 --> 0:23:48.199 his promise. He's not protecting your preference of how you 0:23:48.280 --> 0:23:50.399 wanted it to go, how you wanted it to be, 0:23:50.760 --> 0:23:53.240 who you wanted to stay. He's not protecting any of that. 0:23:54.280 --> 0:23:58.520 In fact, he's disguising the prophecies. See we know that 0:23:58.600 --> 0:24:02.200 these are prophecies, but but the mag I didn't know that. 0:24:02.400 --> 0:24:05.520 They didn't even quote a single scripture and they found Jesus, 0:24:06.680 --> 0:24:09.720 yeah weird. And the one the chief priests and describes, 0:24:09.760 --> 0:24:12.400 and the teachers of the law, they know every scripture 0:24:12.560 --> 0:24:17.159 and they don't even see the Savior. The ones who 0:24:17.240 --> 0:24:20.320 should have seen God first were kept in the dark. 0:24:21.800 --> 0:24:27.840 I don't like being kept in the dark, do you do? You? 0:24:28.880 --> 0:24:30.679 Then you would not have liked to have been a 0:24:30.720 --> 0:24:35.760 disciple of Jesus Christ of Nazareth because his communication skills 0:24:36.000 --> 0:24:41.280 were suspect at best. You could have told me to 0:24:41.359 --> 0:24:45.680 feed five thousand men and their wives and children before 0:24:45.920 --> 0:24:48.720 you were on the third hour of your sermon, Jesus, 0:24:50.160 --> 0:24:52.480 why did you wait until now to ask us if 0:24:52.480 --> 0:24:56.520 we have any food for these people? All the times 0:24:56.520 --> 0:24:58.920 that the disciples were and we think about everything that 0:24:59.000 --> 0:25:01.600 Jesus taught is to sciples, but all how about other things? 0:25:01.600 --> 0:25:04.920 He didn't tell them, Hey, go over in that boat 0:25:05.000 --> 0:25:07.119 to the other side. I'm gonna see you there in 0:25:07.119 --> 0:25:15.439 little wall. He didn't say anything about the storm that 0:25:15.480 --> 0:25:19.680 they would spend the next six hours rolling through. Why 0:25:19.680 --> 0:25:21.400 would you love somebody and keep them in the dark. 0:25:23.280 --> 0:25:25.280 I'm telling my staff one time, I said, do not 0:25:25.440 --> 0:25:28.160 play God with information that you were waiting to give 0:25:28.160 --> 0:25:32.320 me until I'm in a good mood, because by the 0:25:32.359 --> 0:25:34.000 time you're figuring out how to tell me how to 0:25:34.040 --> 0:25:36.360 tell me, it's gonna get three times worse. I need 0:25:36.400 --> 0:25:38.879 to turn off the sink or unhooked the pips, or 0:25:38.880 --> 0:25:41.200 burn down the house or whatever I need to do. 0:25:41.440 --> 0:25:45.720 So tell me now. I don't want to be kept 0:25:45.720 --> 0:25:50.399 in the dark. I used to go on Twitter was 0:25:50.560 --> 0:25:59.320 this was BC, but it would say on Twitter. I 0:25:59.440 --> 0:26:01.640 was at the so and so campus today at elevation 0:26:01.960 --> 0:26:04.159 and the the sermon went down in the middle of 0:26:04.160 --> 0:26:06.680 the sermon, and nobody on my team and told me, 0:26:07.840 --> 0:26:10.399 and I'm I'm like, I'm calling a meeting Monday. I'm like, y'all, 0:26:10.680 --> 0:26:13.320 if the video for the sermon cuts out at the 0:26:13.520 --> 0:26:16.720 at the Matthew's campus, you gotta tell me. I can't 0:26:16.720 --> 0:26:22.120 find out on Twitter. I'm gonna find out because I'm 0:26:22.160 --> 0:26:24.879 trolling the internet to see all these problems. Y'all are 0:26:24.920 --> 0:26:32.439 trying to hide from me. So tell me, and I 0:26:33.440 --> 0:26:38.240 should I say this, I've told God before. You gotta 0:26:38.280 --> 0:26:44.040 tell me stuff. You can't let me get out of 0:26:44.040 --> 0:26:46.639 here with a sling shot and a bag lunch and 0:26:46.680 --> 0:26:49.040 put a delith in front of me. Tell me that's 0:26:49.040 --> 0:26:51.360 gotta be a giant so I can do some bicep 0:26:51.440 --> 0:26:58.840 carls and some ju jitsu training. Tell me, don't keep 0:26:58.840 --> 0:27:01.439 me in the dark if you love me. The Bible 0:27:01.480 --> 0:27:03.639 says that in him was light, and that life was 0:27:03.680 --> 0:27:06.080 the light of men. And so why would God, who 0:27:06.119 --> 0:27:08.399 is the Way, the Truth and the Life, whose life 0:27:08.440 --> 0:27:10.639 is the light of men, whose light shineth in the 0:27:10.720 --> 0:27:13.840 darkness and the darkness comprehendith and not John one to five, 0:27:13.920 --> 0:27:16.920 King King James version, Why would the God who dwells 0:27:17.000 --> 0:27:21.680 in ineffable light keep his children in the dark. Why 0:27:21.680 --> 0:27:24.800 didn't he just tell Joseph when he said, Hey, Mary's pregnant, 0:27:24.880 --> 0:27:28.680 it is the Holy Spirit. Why didn't he tell him 0:27:28.880 --> 0:27:34.520 that before Mary started to show? Why is she got 0:27:34.520 --> 0:27:39.480 to be six months along? Before you give me a dream? 0:27:39.760 --> 0:27:43.520 Don't keep me in the dark. Just tell me. Tell 0:27:43.520 --> 0:27:46.160 me when I meet somebody, they are lying through their 0:27:46.200 --> 0:27:48.159 teeth and you will not even want to see their 0:27:48.240 --> 0:27:51.200 name on your phone three months from now. Just tell me, God, 0:27:55.880 --> 0:27:57.639 I could save a lot of texts back and forth. 0:27:57.680 --> 0:28:00.840 I could just block them on day one if I 0:28:00.880 --> 0:28:08.320 had some advanced planning, strategic knowledge. Just tell me. Just 0:28:08.359 --> 0:28:10.240 tell me, Hey, by the way, you're gonna have the 0:28:10.280 --> 0:28:12.720 baby's birth in Bethlehem, so get a room. Why I 0:28:12.800 --> 0:28:14.159 got to trick me into going to bettle him with 0:28:14.160 --> 0:28:16.200 the census that Caesar called for to get me there, 0:28:16.240 --> 0:28:21.200 So I wasn't even expecting it. Why ain't you telling 0:28:21.200 --> 0:28:29.040 me God before we had multiple kids. No, I'm kidding. 0:28:29.080 --> 0:28:32.120 I love all my kids. But I'm saying I could 0:28:32.119 --> 0:28:34.000 have planned for it. I could have saved for it. 0:28:34.119 --> 0:28:36.239 I could have got ready for it. Maybe I went 0:28:36.400 --> 0:28:43.280 to build all these campuses. If I had known about covid. Ah. 0:28:43.640 --> 0:28:47.000 Maybe God doesn't keep you in the dark all the 0:28:47.040 --> 0:28:55.680 time because he's cruel. Maybe sometimes he keeps you in 0:28:55.720 --> 0:29:04.120 the dark because he's getting something ready inside of you. 0:29:06.720 --> 0:29:08.720 Like right now in our house, Holly has a little 0:29:08.800 --> 0:29:11.760 room right off the kitchen, and the door is shut 0:29:12.680 --> 0:29:16.840 all the time, right now and shut last month. Let's 0:29:16.840 --> 0:29:18.920 see all this stuff that's coming through our house right now, 0:29:19.840 --> 0:29:23.720 all these boxes giving me gray hairs in my beard. 0:29:23.760 --> 0:29:25.760 How many boxes come in my house this time of year, 0:29:26.520 --> 0:29:30.320 all these boxes? And Holly, Holly, Holly's a wonderful wife. 0:29:30.360 --> 0:29:33.920 She's always happy to see me. But she's been telling 0:29:33.960 --> 0:29:35.520 me lately on the other side of the door, in 0:29:35.520 --> 0:29:37.680 that little office where she's got all these Christmas gifts, 0:29:37.680 --> 0:29:41.840 she says, stay out. And I'm like, who are you 0:29:41.880 --> 0:29:44.120 talking to right now? This is not Graham knocking on 0:29:44.160 --> 0:29:45.800 the door. This is not one of your children, This 0:29:45.800 --> 0:29:51.200 says your husband. No, stay out, because I'm getting something 0:29:51.240 --> 0:29:58.840 ready for you. Stay out right now. I'm not in 0:29:58.960 --> 0:30:01.600 this room, no, man. That's kind of a silly illustration. 0:30:01.800 --> 0:30:09.800 Is it? Is Holly not like God? You like that? Ah? 0:30:10.880 --> 0:30:18.040 Is she not like your God? Who sometimes you say God, 0:30:18.560 --> 0:30:21.160 show me this, and tell me that, and give me 0:30:21.160 --> 0:30:23.880 your direction for this and that. And does God not 0:30:24.080 --> 0:30:28.280 sometimes in his silence send you the message I need 0:30:28.320 --> 0:30:34.600 you to stay out because my ways are not your ways. 0:30:35.640 --> 0:30:38.440 Who thank you, Jesus, I didn't even think of Isaiah 0:30:38.480 --> 0:30:42.640 fifty five. And my thoughts are not your thoughts. And 0:30:42.680 --> 0:30:47.040 as high as the heavens are above the earth, so 0:30:47.120 --> 0:30:51.560 are my ways above your ways, and my thoughts above 0:30:51.640 --> 0:30:56.160 your thoughts. And sometimes God, because He's got these See, 0:30:56.160 --> 0:30:59.360 he's got these boxes that have been coming in of 0:30:59.400 --> 0:31:03.920 something that he ordered before time began from eternity, he 0:31:04.040 --> 0:31:08.440 spoke a word, a prophecy concerning your life, not just 0:31:08.560 --> 0:31:12.160 the life of Jesus. No, No, there's a prophecy over 0:31:12.320 --> 0:31:16.160 your life. And the prophet said, before you were born, 0:31:16.520 --> 0:31:19.400 I knew you when you were in the darkness of 0:31:19.440 --> 0:31:23.640 your mother's womb. I set you apart, and I kept 0:31:23.680 --> 0:31:26.800 you in the dark. And no eye has seen, and 0:31:26.960 --> 0:31:30.280 no ear has hurt, and it hasn't even in your 0:31:30.320 --> 0:31:35.520 heart what God has prepared for those who love him 0:31:35.800 --> 0:31:46.320 and trust him enough to follow him, even when he 0:31:46.440 --> 0:31:51.720 keeps you in the dark. Do you trust the one 0:31:51.760 --> 0:31:56.960 who's behind that door you think he's wrapping up interaction 0:31:57.000 --> 0:31:59.200 in those boxes trying to hurt you. He said, I 0:31:59.280 --> 0:32:01.520 know the plans I have for you, plans to pross 0:32:01.600 --> 0:32:04.080 for you, not to harm you. I'm a good God. 0:32:05.960 --> 0:32:09.880 The irony of the passages, everybody was kept in the dark, 0:32:10.960 --> 0:32:15.400 all of them. Mary didn't know, Mary, did you know? No, 0:32:18.160 --> 0:32:21.800 that's the remix. That's the Stephen Verdick remix. Y'all put 0:32:21.840 --> 0:32:27.280 that on Spotify for me. No, she didn't know. She hoped, 0:32:28.160 --> 0:32:35.960 she carried. She didn't know. You don't know. Merry Christmas. 0:32:37.200 --> 0:32:39.760 That's the message of Christmas. That's the message I'm getting 0:32:39.760 --> 0:32:42.520 from this passage. We saw a star, we came to worship, 0:32:42.600 --> 0:32:45.080 and where is he? They didn't know. The ones who 0:32:45.120 --> 0:32:47.320 should have known didn't know. Because of their knowledge that 0:32:47.400 --> 0:32:49.160 kept them from knowing what they were supposed to know. 0:32:50.200 --> 0:32:57.080 They knew the Bible too good to believe it. Ah, 0:32:57.680 --> 0:32:59.800 God said, I'm gonna leave the Pagans to a place 0:32:59.840 --> 0:33:04.200 that a priest wouldn't even go. Oh, my God, you 0:33:04.280 --> 0:33:07.000 mean what I think I know about God could keep 0:33:07.040 --> 0:33:09.480 me from seeing him for who he really is. Yes, 0:33:10.840 --> 0:33:12.800 you mean I don't know God in all of his 0:33:12.920 --> 0:33:20.800 fullness No, he's omniscient. You are not. I'm not even sumniscient. 0:33:24.480 --> 0:33:27.880 I'm no niscient. I don't know nothing. I don't even 0:33:27.920 --> 0:33:33.880 know grammar. Can't you tell you? See now, you're kind 0:33:33.920 --> 0:33:36.440 of in the Christmas story cause you're like the magi. 0:33:36.520 --> 0:33:39.040 You don't know, you don't know where this is going. 0:33:39.880 --> 0:33:41.560 You came to Charlotte for a job and then they 0:33:41.600 --> 0:33:46.200 fired you eight months in What if God got you? 0:33:46.560 --> 0:33:59.480 What is the problem is the costume for a prophecy? God? 0:34:00.040 --> 0:34:01.960 Why did you keep me in the dark. Why didn't 0:34:02.040 --> 0:34:05.040 you tell me that that relationship would fail? Maybe he 0:34:05.120 --> 0:34:08.799 wanted the relationship to surface some stuff in you that 0:34:08.880 --> 0:34:12.000 he could work on, so your relationship with him could 0:34:12.040 --> 0:34:16.640 get better. If he had told you how it would end, 0:34:16.680 --> 0:34:20.320 you wouldn't have taken the first step. So now I 0:34:20.360 --> 0:34:23.640 know why God didn't call a committee meeting before Christmas. Okay, 0:34:23.800 --> 0:34:27.880 Shepherd's angels, you know, like he's running a Christmas pageant 0:34:27.960 --> 0:34:29.959 or something like that. All right, come on, mad joh, 0:34:30.000 --> 0:34:32.000 here's how it works, Joseph, here's what's going to happen. 0:34:32.000 --> 0:34:35.880 Mary's gonna come up. Yeah, we read it. We're so 0:34:36.040 --> 0:34:41.840 smug and honestly, like if I can be real, I 0:34:41.880 --> 0:34:44.160 spent all of my thirties hating Christmas as a pastor 0:34:45.120 --> 0:34:48.560 because people come in and it's like they don't really 0:34:48.560 --> 0:34:52.440 even want to hear a sermon. It's just like, especially 0:34:52.440 --> 0:34:54.360 when it comes to Christmas and people are coming in 0:34:54.400 --> 0:34:57.200 because they're supposed to, you can't say much to somebody 0:34:57.200 --> 0:34:59.719 who's there because they feel like they're doing God a 0:34:59.760 --> 0:35:03.799 faith or to come to church. People have to have 0:35:04.040 --> 0:35:07.600 need that they're aware of to really receive from God. 0:35:08.600 --> 0:35:12.000 That's why I push my Christmas message early to avoid 0:35:12.040 --> 0:35:18.680 the shipping delays so you could get this word. And 0:35:18.760 --> 0:35:27.680 God is thank you Jesus watching over his word. We 0:35:27.840 --> 0:35:32.439 are watching what they are walking through. We know where 0:35:32.440 --> 0:35:37.040 they end up. They don't and that takes faith. Man. 0:35:38.640 --> 0:35:40.680 I mean, if you know the whole twenty third song, yeay, 0:35:40.719 --> 0:35:42.480 though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, 0:35:42.520 --> 0:35:43.920 I will fear no evil for that with me that 0:35:44.040 --> 0:35:45.880 run that stuff they come from me. You know it 0:35:46.000 --> 0:35:50.120 ends with the wolves getting driven off by the staff. 0:35:50.400 --> 0:35:51.839 But if you're right in the middle of the valley 0:35:51.880 --> 0:35:56.799 you think it's your new mailing address. Oh, I guess 0:35:56.840 --> 0:36:02.839 that's just how it is. Shadow of death. Well, that's 0:36:02.880 --> 0:36:05.720 an allusion to Galilee, where Jesus ended up being raised. 0:36:06.680 --> 0:36:09.640 That's what Isaiah prophesied. He said, those of you in 0:36:11.400 --> 0:36:16.680 what was it helped me out Zebulen and nephtilly Man. 0:36:16.719 --> 0:36:21.760 Galilee was so sprawny to the Jewish people. When Solomon 0:36:22.000 --> 0:36:23.520 was paying off his debts and he had to give 0:36:23.560 --> 0:36:25.560 the King of hear him something, he gave him twenty 0:36:25.560 --> 0:36:28.480 cities in Galilee. Just roll them over here. You can 0:36:28.520 --> 0:36:30.640 have this the northern part of the kingdom. Part they 0:36:30.680 --> 0:36:32.960 didn't want, the part where a lot of the Canaanites 0:36:33.000 --> 0:36:35.520 still lived because it was still overrun by enemy. Oh, 0:36:35.560 --> 0:36:38.440 you can have Galilee. And the King of Tiger got 0:36:38.440 --> 0:36:40.640 it and he said, what did you give me, my brother, 0:36:41.400 --> 0:36:45.560 you can have this back. That's where Jesus did his 0:36:45.640 --> 0:36:54.200 ministry in the land of those dwelling in darkness. Galilee 0:36:54.239 --> 0:36:57.080 where Jesus based his ministry. Now, please don't think this 0:36:57.160 --> 0:37:00.799 is a geography lesson. This is a word for you. 0:37:01.640 --> 0:37:05.760 The place that was associated with darkness, that's what Jesus 0:37:05.760 --> 0:37:13.120 did the most. It was known as the land of 0:37:13.239 --> 0:37:20.120 shadow and death, Shadow and death. And the thing is, 0:37:20.280 --> 0:37:23.919 you don't know which it is when you're walking through it. 0:37:24.000 --> 0:37:27.040 Is this gonna kill me? Or is this just a shadow? 0:37:29.160 --> 0:37:32.160 And God doesn't tell you you ever? Wish God would 0:37:32.160 --> 0:37:33.680 give you an age you're gonna die at so you 0:37:33.719 --> 0:37:35.600 can know how much to save and how much to enjoy, 0:37:36.960 --> 0:37:38.719 because I would spend it all. If God told me 0:37:38.760 --> 0:37:41.040 I had till forty three, I wouldn't leave the kids 0:37:41.080 --> 0:37:46.760 a die. I probably wouldn't come preach again either. Honestly, 0:37:46.760 --> 0:37:48.759 if I only had till forty three, I might do 0:37:48.840 --> 0:37:51.040 one more message, you know, and put it out there 0:37:51.040 --> 0:37:52.319 and see if you want to see. I don't know 0:37:52.320 --> 0:37:57.360 about Definitely, I'd spend all the money. And God knows that. 0:37:57.360 --> 0:37:59.719 That's why. If God told me when I was gonna die, 0:37:59.840 --> 0:38:04.400 or God told you when Ah, did you notice what 0:38:04.640 --> 0:38:08.480 the angel told Joseph go to Egypt. Herod's trying to 0:38:08.560 --> 0:38:10.440 kill your kid, But watch us. I'm gonna keep him 0:38:10.440 --> 0:38:12.160 in the dark. I'm not gonna let him find him. 0:38:12.239 --> 0:38:14.799 He can search all he wants to kill Jesus, but 0:38:14.920 --> 0:38:18.719 I am watching over my word to fulfill it. So 0:38:19.120 --> 0:38:22.400 no weapon formed against the Word of God that is 0:38:22.480 --> 0:38:26.400 in your arms will prosper before I forget. Let me 0:38:26.400 --> 0:38:28.680 tell you this God set to tell you that he 0:38:28.800 --> 0:38:31.520 is keeping your kids. God set to tell you that 0:38:31.560 --> 0:38:34.239 as they walk through the darkness of the valley of 0:38:34.280 --> 0:38:37.480 this cultural shadow of death, the hand of the Lord 0:38:37.800 --> 0:38:40.880 is upon your children. And I want you to shout 0:38:40.920 --> 0:38:48.040 if you receive this prophecy by fame. Herod can look 0:38:48.080 --> 0:38:52.400 all he wants, but he won't kill mine. He won't 0:38:52.440 --> 0:38:56.040 get soords. The blood is on my house, the blood 0:38:56.120 --> 0:39:03.239 is on my life. Hey, hey lord, ha ha ha. 0:39:03.480 --> 0:39:10.560 Y'all settle down, silent night, Holy night. All is calm ya, 0:39:11.120 --> 0:39:15.759 all is bright, All is not bright, All is not bright, 0:39:17.000 --> 0:39:18.680 All is not bright. That's pretty to sing, is a 0:39:18.719 --> 0:39:22.920 nice image. It helps the Christmas light tree light manufacturer 0:39:22.960 --> 0:39:25.320 sell a lot of merchandise. But all is not brightant 0:39:26.960 --> 0:39:31.239 he said, I was so distracted by the star in 0:39:31.320 --> 0:39:33.880 Matthew too, and how bright it had to be to 0:39:33.920 --> 0:39:36.040 lead them a thousand miles because I like the bright stuff, 0:39:36.080 --> 0:39:41.000 don't you. I like the bright spots when I can see. 0:39:42.320 --> 0:39:46.720 I like when God gives me light, let there be life. 0:39:46.880 --> 0:39:48.799 I love when God says let there be light and 0:39:48.800 --> 0:39:54.160 he shows me something clearly. I loved Saturday morning when 0:39:54.200 --> 0:39:57.319 God gave me this message I love this morning. When 0:39:57.320 --> 0:40:00.239 he gave me even more, I'm not gonna I love 0:40:00.239 --> 0:40:01.640 it when I have to think about all this stuff 0:40:01.680 --> 0:40:10.160 I didn't get to. I didn't love Thursday. Thursday, I 0:40:10.200 --> 0:40:15.560 was groping around in the dark. ELOI lama shabaktany, My God, 0:40:15.640 --> 0:40:19.080 My God, why had that forsaken? I'm so sorry. Lord, 0:40:19.120 --> 0:40:20.440 whatever I did, I won't do it again. Just give 0:40:20.480 --> 0:40:22.080 me a message. I don't even feel like the Bible's 0:40:22.080 --> 0:40:25.880 in English right now. Oh God, I don't like that, 0:40:28.800 --> 0:40:34.560 you know, like I try to give you what God 0:40:34.600 --> 0:40:39.120 gives me and regifted. Now I'm coming to a point 0:40:39.120 --> 0:40:41.040 in my life where I try to give you what 0:40:41.080 --> 0:40:44.280 I would give to my own kids. And that's deeper 0:40:45.200 --> 0:40:48.640 than giving you a lesson from the Bible. So pushes 0:40:48.680 --> 0:41:00.239 me to go deeper. But deeper means darker, h to 0:41:00.239 --> 0:41:03.880 look low for God, not always up here in the clouds. 0:41:03.920 --> 0:41:09.000 Somewhere on some inspirational feeling, he said, you're gonna find 0:41:09.200 --> 0:41:15.680 the child on the ground in little old bedlamb Oh, 0:41:15.719 --> 0:41:19.320 little town of Bedlam. Wasn't a compliment, it was an insult. 0:41:20.840 --> 0:41:23.880 And from that place, God, wherever you feel the most insecure, 0:41:25.360 --> 0:41:31.880 wherever you feel the most insulted. Wherever it is the darkest, 0:41:33.360 --> 0:41:37.360 wherever it is your galilee, that's where God's glory is 0:41:37.360 --> 0:41:44.160 the greatest. Elijah told me the other day during her workout, 0:41:44.719 --> 0:41:47.359 I'm sorry, my energy is low. I slept horrible last night. 0:41:48.520 --> 0:41:51.960 I messed up and listened to this music that got 0:41:52.000 --> 0:41:53.840 me in this dark mood, and then I just was 0:41:53.920 --> 0:41:55.840 like I couldn't get it out of my head, and 0:41:55.880 --> 0:41:59.080 I'm laying there and I'm sitting there like I can't sleep, 0:41:59.120 --> 0:42:00.600 and then I try to look at my phone because 0:42:00.640 --> 0:42:04.839 that's what I normally do, but that made it worse. Well, yes, 0:42:07.400 --> 0:42:17.239 you ever have nights like that? Dad, The guy in 0:42:17.320 --> 0:42:20.879 me that wants to be so admired and respected wanted 0:42:20.920 --> 0:42:23.880 to say, of course not, son, I don't count sheep. 0:42:24.000 --> 0:42:32.239 I talked to the shepherd. You know what, I don't 0:42:32.239 --> 0:42:33.920 think you should keep your kids all the way in 0:42:33.960 --> 0:42:37.359 the dark about what you struggle with. You don't need 0:42:37.400 --> 0:42:39.919 to tell him everything. No, don't don't hate. Please, don't 0:42:39.920 --> 0:42:43.520 tell him everything. That's going to build up a therapy 0:42:43.600 --> 0:42:47.240 build that you know, be bigger than their college fund. 0:42:47.800 --> 0:42:51.279 But I am saying, I am saying there's moments where 0:42:51.320 --> 0:42:55.360 I realize, you know, he already sees me preaching. He's sixteen. 0:42:57.400 --> 0:43:04.680 I said, nights like that, I've had months like that. No, 0:43:04.760 --> 0:43:09.839 I had no nights like that. I've had I've had 0:43:09.880 --> 0:43:15.480 a year like that, not this year. And that's when 0:43:15.520 --> 0:43:18.799 the Lord took me back to my passage. I thought 0:43:18.840 --> 0:43:21.879 the passage was about the star. I had a message going. 0:43:21.880 --> 0:43:24.600 It's pretty good too. I don't know why the Lord 0:43:24.640 --> 0:43:27.080 won't tell me to write message the first time. Why 0:43:27.080 --> 0:43:29.680 does he keep me in the dark. I'm studying about 0:43:29.719 --> 0:43:32.719 the star, like how it's God's GPS system. That's what 0:43:32.800 --> 0:43:35.440 I was going to tell you, God is your GPS. 0:43:35.440 --> 0:43:43.120 Merry Christmas Ler said, that's a look at Matthew two fourteen. 0:43:44.480 --> 0:43:46.680 It said that after they saw the starbout down in 0:43:46.719 --> 0:43:52.040 worshiped him, an angel came and he took the child 0:43:52.120 --> 0:43:59.000 and his mother during the night. And that's what I realized. 0:44:02.320 --> 0:44:07.000 That God does a lot of things at night that 0:44:07.080 --> 0:44:12.120 he can't do during the day. They left for Egypt 0:44:12.920 --> 0:44:16.719 they would stay for a year. Wasn't their plan. They 0:44:16.719 --> 0:44:19.839 weren't packed for it. It wasn't your plan to be 0:44:20.400 --> 0:44:22.400 right now? Are you exactly where you plan to be? 0:44:22.480 --> 0:44:26.920 Right now, because if so, I want to worship you, Jesus. 0:44:29.040 --> 0:44:31.080 I want to give you gifts of gold and Frankinson's 0:44:31.160 --> 0:44:37.120 and Mr. They left her in the night. You got 0:44:37.160 --> 0:44:43.759 to follow at night? Sometimes? Are you following God in 0:44:43.800 --> 0:44:47.520 the night? Right now? What I mean is you can't 0:44:47.520 --> 0:44:52.280 really see what's two steps ahead, and you keep bumping 0:44:52.320 --> 0:44:56.840 into stuff that makes you want to cuss, and you 0:44:56.880 --> 0:45:02.279 can't even hardly find the bathroom at night, and you 0:45:02.320 --> 0:45:06.799 don't really know. You're just like Joseph. You're just like Mary, 0:45:07.400 --> 0:45:09.960 You're just like the Magi. You're even just like Herod. 0:45:12.160 --> 0:45:14.879 There was only one in the passage who knew where 0:45:14.920 --> 0:45:19.960 this was headed, and he couldn't even walk yet nobody 0:45:20.040 --> 0:45:26.560 else knew. So I tell my sons about my daughter, 0:45:26.640 --> 0:45:33.799 about my church, about nights like that. I don't want 0:45:33.800 --> 0:45:35.319 to just tell him about the God of nine point 0:45:35.320 --> 0:45:39.759 thirty on Sunday morning. It's got too much makeup on. 0:45:41.520 --> 0:45:45.040 Then they won't realize God when he has to show 0:45:45.120 --> 0:45:51.120 up at four am. I want to pastor a church 0:45:51.160 --> 0:45:55.040 and to be a person who has four am faith 0:45:58.320 --> 0:46:04.919 during the night, because I want my kids to see 0:46:04.960 --> 0:46:07.720 me do great things from God and write great songs 0:46:07.760 --> 0:46:10.920 for God and preach great messages and make good decisions, 0:46:11.000 --> 0:46:13.960 and love their mom and be a memory making dad 0:46:14.120 --> 0:46:16.920 and give them all of these wonderful experiences. But I 0:46:16.960 --> 0:46:22.480 want them to know that I had some nights where 0:46:22.600 --> 0:46:27.880 I didn't know. I didn't know, I didn't know if 0:46:27.920 --> 0:46:30.760 the church would keep going, especially when it was a baby. 0:46:30.920 --> 0:46:33.000 I would walk out every week, not knowing if anybody 0:46:33.040 --> 0:46:38.560 would be out there. I hate when God prompts me 0:46:38.640 --> 0:46:42.040 to tell you stuff that's embarrassing to me. I'd rather 0:46:42.120 --> 0:46:44.879 keep you in the darks. I would rather roll out 0:46:44.920 --> 0:46:48.279 on the stage. Hey, praise the Lord, everybody. God is 0:46:48.320 --> 0:46:51.239 your GPS, and he's gonna rerupt you. Am I right? 0:46:55.719 --> 0:46:58.800 But Lord said to tell you the things you doubt 0:46:58.800 --> 0:47:03.680 about I doubt about you. Hear me, Son, I've had 0:47:04.080 --> 0:47:07.680 nights like that. I had nights where I wished I 0:47:07.719 --> 0:47:09.840 could throw up, but I couldn't because it wasn't physical 0:47:09.880 --> 0:47:17.560 what was making me sick. There's no sickness like night sickness. 0:47:19.040 --> 0:47:22.400 I never had morning sickness like Holly did. But let 0:47:22.480 --> 0:47:26.200 me tell you something. He's not just the God of 0:47:26.280 --> 0:47:36.880 nine thirty Sunday morning. He led Joseph teeth at night 0:47:37.000 --> 0:47:41.480 so if you ever see me do anything great, boy, 0:47:41.560 --> 0:47:46.759 it's not because I always walked in the light. It's 0:47:46.800 --> 0:48:00.480 because I was kept in the dark. Everybody who God 0:48:00.520 --> 0:48:05.560 ever used, he didn't use them because they always had 0:48:05.600 --> 0:48:08.520 so much light, so much knowledge, so much goodness. You 0:48:08.520 --> 0:48:11.799 see all this other stuff everybody's posing on Instagram, and 0:48:11.840 --> 0:48:14.279 they got all these lights that are so flattery and 0:48:14.360 --> 0:48:19.239 all these filters. But the God of four Am, the 0:48:19.280 --> 0:48:23.160 God of four Am, the God who got up from 0:48:23.200 --> 0:48:27.360 the grave in the physical body of a man named Jesus. 0:48:27.560 --> 0:48:30.799 In John twenty, verse one, it says, while it was 0:48:30.960 --> 0:48:35.880 still dark Mary Magdalene went to the twob what he 0:48:36.080 --> 0:48:39.240 didn't get up when the light came out. Easter didn't 0:48:39.280 --> 0:48:44.840 start with a sunrise. It started in the dark. So 0:48:45.560 --> 0:48:48.359 if you are in the dark today and you don't know, 0:48:48.719 --> 0:48:51.640 and you can't feel, and my God, why have you 0:48:51.719 --> 0:48:54.719 forsaken me? And how does this end? And why does 0:48:54.760 --> 0:48:57.560 it hurt? And when does it stop? And when can 0:48:57.640 --> 0:49:01.560 I leave? I need you to know that He's watching 0:49:01.640 --> 0:49:05.840 you and keeping you and holding you and with you 0:49:06.280 --> 0:49:15.480 in the fourth watch of the night. Yes there's a 0:49:15.520 --> 0:49:19.680 star that guides you. Yes there's a light that guides you. Yes, 0:49:19.800 --> 0:49:22.880 there are blessings that attend you. Yes, there is favor 0:49:22.960 --> 0:49:25.600 that you can feel, and you will experience all of 0:49:25.640 --> 0:49:32.160 those things. But sometimes he's gonna tell you things in 0:49:32.280 --> 0:49:36.959 the night and lead you through things at the night. 0:49:37.920 --> 0:49:40.840 And what he does at the night you will be 0:49:41.080 --> 0:49:46.000 shouting about in the day. Because this is why you 0:49:46.000 --> 0:49:48.200 gotta hold on. This is why you can't give up. 0:49:48.400 --> 0:49:50.160 This is why you gotta get help. This is why 0:49:50.160 --> 0:49:51.879 you gotta work through it. This is why you can't 0:49:51.880 --> 0:49:54.319 accept the feed. This why Hair is searching for you. 0:49:54.360 --> 0:49:56.920 But he couldn't find you yet. He couldn't kill you yet. 0:49:57.160 --> 0:50:03.120 What he couldn't kill is Christ. You the hope of glory. 0:50:05.880 --> 0:50:10.560 And he leads me not just with a star, not yet, 0:50:10.600 --> 0:50:15.040 not yet, not yet. Y'all don't want to go yet, 0:50:15.080 --> 0:50:17.319 do you? Ya? Don't wanna go yet, do you? Y'all 0:50:17.360 --> 0:50:19.600 got enough battles at home. Just stay with me for 0:50:19.640 --> 0:50:22.560 a minute, get under this blessing for a minute. The 0:50:22.680 --> 0:50:26.160 night is coming when Roman can work. Let us work 0:50:26.200 --> 0:50:30.040 the works of him who sent us, watch him over me. 0:50:34.040 --> 0:50:37.799 Yes he is because I got something in common with 0:50:37.960 --> 0:50:43.480 Mary and Joseph. I'm carrying Jesus. I got Jesus on 0:50:43.680 --> 0:50:53.120 the inside of me. Everything that God spoke to Joseph 0:50:53.560 --> 0:50:57.040 that confirmed his word, he did it at night in 0:50:57.120 --> 0:50:59.600 a dream. Take Mary home in a dream. Go to 0:50:59.640 --> 0:51:03.000 Egypt in a dream, Go back to Nazareth. Everything God 0:51:03.080 --> 0:51:06.120 did in Joseph's life, he did it at night. What 0:51:06.560 --> 0:51:10.320 is he doing on the night? Watch for you right now? 0:51:10.600 --> 0:51:12.600 What is he doing? I'm telling you we're gonna be 0:51:12.680 --> 0:51:17.200 shouting about it tomorrow, but right now it's night. Right 0:51:17.239 --> 0:51:22.719 now it's night. I always feel like coming out here 0:51:22.719 --> 0:51:25.680 to preach is a little bit like a detective novel. 0:51:26.040 --> 0:51:30.160 I'm trying to find who are you? Who are you 0:51:30.320 --> 0:51:33.960 that God gave me this word for that? He just 0:51:34.000 --> 0:51:37.000 stirred me up till, like I told Graham, I feel 0:51:37.040 --> 0:51:41.400 like I'm about to give birth. Who are you? What 0:51:41.520 --> 0:51:47.160 are you carrying? What does Herod know about you that 0:51:47.360 --> 0:51:50.200 has him trying to track you down and kill you? 0:51:50.680 --> 0:51:54.200 Why has the attack been so strong? If you were 0:51:54.320 --> 0:51:58.920 not carrying Jesus, if you were not sent for purpose, 0:51:59.200 --> 0:52:02.520 if there was not a prophecy over your life, you 0:52:02.600 --> 0:52:07.279 wouldn't be feeling any pain. The pain is a labor pain. 0:52:07.800 --> 0:52:19.680 You're about to break something forward and it made me 0:52:19.760 --> 0:52:26.719 think that this is not the only Joseph, that there's 0:52:26.760 --> 0:52:31.840 another Joseph who had to go to Egypt. Y'all know 0:52:31.880 --> 0:52:37.959 the other Joseph. Y'all know ot joseph old Testament Joseph. 0:52:38.040 --> 0:52:39.919 Y'all know Joseph put it in the chat. I know Joseph. 0:52:39.960 --> 0:52:41.400 I know Joseph. I know what you're talking about. I 0:52:41.440 --> 0:52:43.080 know what you're doing. You're not talking about Joseph who 0:52:43.120 --> 0:52:47.279 married Mary. You're talking about Joseph who was promised that 0:52:47.360 --> 0:52:50.360 God would raise him up to feed his whole family 0:52:50.680 --> 0:52:53.560 and save his whole nation in a time of family. 0:52:53.800 --> 0:52:56.719 That Joseph who saw the stars and saw the grain. 0:52:57.000 --> 0:52:59.319 But God didn't show him everything he would go through. 0:52:59.440 --> 0:53:03.879 God him in the dark. He didn't tell him, your 0:53:03.880 --> 0:53:06.440 brothers are gonna betray you, the very ones you're gonna 0:53:06.440 --> 0:53:08.719 have to feed. You're going through something right now. And 0:53:08.760 --> 0:53:11.840 you didn't see this coming. He didn't see himself pushed 0:53:11.880 --> 0:53:15.560 into a sister. He didn't see himself sold into slavery. 0:53:15.920 --> 0:53:18.919 He didn't see himself running away in a prison while 0:53:18.920 --> 0:53:21.440 he was forgotten by the cup bearer and the baker. 0:53:21.760 --> 0:53:23.960 But you know what Joseph told me to tell you. 0:53:24.440 --> 0:53:29.040 God kept me in the dark. He was with me. 0:53:29.440 --> 0:53:34.840 He kept me. He held me steady, he held me down, 0:53:35.120 --> 0:53:39.600 He held me level, he kept me safe. He preserved 0:53:39.640 --> 0:53:42.719 my mind. He walked with me through the valley of 0:53:42.920 --> 0:53:46.959 the shadow of Death. I will fear no evil. He's 0:53:47.160 --> 0:53:54.799 with me. That's how I'm here. He kept me. Everybody, 0:53:54.880 --> 0:54:03.440 God kept giving price right here. Ah. He kept me. 0:54:06.239 --> 0:54:13.359 He kept me in the dark. He kept me in 0:54:13.400 --> 0:54:19.040 the dark. He kept me from killing myself. He kept 0:54:19.080 --> 0:54:22.640 me from walking away. He kept me from giving up 0:54:22.680 --> 0:54:25.960 my dream. He kept me from turning my back on 0:54:26.000 --> 0:54:30.239 my Fathe I'm not here because I always walked in 0:54:30.280 --> 0:54:35.919 the light. I'm here because He kept me in the dark. 0:54:37.960 --> 0:54:40.759 That's how I got here. He kept me in the dark. 0:54:40.880 --> 0:54:44.080 He didn't tell me everything. That's how he got me here. 0:54:44.640 --> 0:54:46.799 He told me one thing at a time, and that's 0:54:46.840 --> 0:54:49.239 how He's gonna speak to you. One thing at a time, 0:54:50.719 --> 0:54:53.640 One thing at a time. Give us this day, our 0:54:53.719 --> 0:54:58.279 daily bry. He kept me in the dark. If God 0:54:58.280 --> 0:55:03.160 told you everything, you start spazzing out. We have to 0:55:03.160 --> 0:55:10.400 call the ambulance to your gammis. I used to pray, 0:55:11.280 --> 0:55:15.040 and I still pray. God give me light but this 0:55:15.120 --> 0:55:19.480 is a Christmas prayer. God keep me in the dark 0:55:21.440 --> 0:55:32.040 when I got you, don't let me tonight. Well, one 0:55:32.120 --> 0:55:36.800 man said from the nineteen twenties, don't forget in the 0:55:36.880 --> 0:55:42.319 darkness what you learned in the light. He got up 0:55:42.320 --> 0:55:47.839 at night, Joseph went to Egypt. You're following God right 0:55:47.880 --> 0:55:50.040 now to a strange place. I know you are. He 0:55:50.120 --> 0:55:53.120 spoke to me about you. He said, to tell you, 0:55:53.920 --> 0:55:56.839 I'm keeping you in the dark. You got to turn 0:55:56.880 --> 0:55:58.839 it over. You gotta trust in the Lord with all 0:55:58.840 --> 0:56:01.279 your heart and lean not on your own understanding in 0:56:01.320 --> 0:56:04.520 all your ways. Acknowledge him and he will direct your past. 0:56:04.760 --> 0:56:08.399 What's he saying? He will keep you in the dark, 0:56:10.080 --> 0:56:14.400 keep you You remember when God's people came out of 0:56:14.400 --> 0:56:17.920 Egypt in the Old Testament, and the Bible says that 0:56:17.960 --> 0:56:21.160 they had believe and the firstborn of all of Egypt 0:56:21.200 --> 0:56:24.880 was struck down. So committed was God to the freedom 0:56:24.920 --> 0:56:30.240 of his people. God has committed to your freedom. Yeah. 0:56:30.440 --> 0:56:34.160 God is committed to his children. He is watching over 0:56:34.239 --> 0:56:38.600 his word to perform it in your life. In this 0:56:38.719 --> 0:56:46.480 moment at night. He neither sleeps nor slumbers. And one 0:56:46.520 --> 0:56:50.160 time I heard a fella say, well, if God never 0:56:50.239 --> 0:56:53.160 sleeps nor slumbers, then I'm going to get some rest, 0:56:54.400 --> 0:57:00.160 because one of us should. The Bible says that the 0:57:00.200 --> 0:57:03.560 people of Israel, and look at this, HOLLI this cling 0:57:03.600 --> 0:57:06.359 to me in the last minute. How God does it? 0:57:09.400 --> 0:57:12.120 The first Joseph who went to Egypt in the Bible 0:57:12.880 --> 0:57:15.240 was Joseph who went to preserve the nation of Israel. 0:57:15.520 --> 0:57:21.960 And watch what it says in age of this chapter twelve, 0:57:22.800 --> 0:57:24.560 verse forty. And this is the word I want to 0:57:24.600 --> 0:57:28.200 leave you with today. Now, the length of the time 0:57:29.080 --> 0:57:32.440 the Israelite people lived in Egypt was four hundred and 0:57:32.480 --> 0:57:37.840 thirty years. Y'all, I don't care who you are. That's 0:57:37.840 --> 0:57:42.640 a long night. That's a long time to wonder. Where 0:57:42.680 --> 0:57:46.320 are you God? Now, it's been eighty one generation since 0:57:46.320 --> 0:57:48.880 the birth of Christ that we live in, and I 0:57:48.920 --> 0:57:51.640 think we have completely messed up the message of Christmas 0:57:51.640 --> 0:57:56.480 in those eighty one generations because we only associate God 0:57:56.680 --> 0:57:58.960 with the light, and He is the light. There's no 0:57:59.080 --> 0:58:03.360 darkness in him. However, look what the Bible says to 0:58:03.440 --> 0:58:06.680 the people. This is thousands of years before Jesus. And 0:58:06.840 --> 0:58:10.360 watch how the prophetic word alives. God is watching over 0:58:10.400 --> 0:58:14.440 his word to perform it. Next verse, at the end 0:58:14.480 --> 0:58:16.720 of four hundred and thirty years to the very day, 0:58:16.960 --> 0:58:21.160 all the Lord's divisions left Egypt, Go go go, because 0:58:21.240 --> 0:58:27.800 the Lord kept vigil that night. Somebody say, that night, 0:58:28.840 --> 0:58:31.840 do you know the one I'm talking about, the one 0:58:31.880 --> 0:58:36.440 where the anxiety was beating, the breakers were pounding. You 0:58:36.520 --> 0:58:39.160 know the one I'm talking about where all the memories 0:58:39.240 --> 0:58:41.440 came flooding back. You know the one I'm talking about, 0:58:41.560 --> 0:58:44.880 all the regrets that four am devil that you fought, 0:58:45.960 --> 0:58:48.800 that was searching to kill you, like Herod was searching 0:58:49.000 --> 0:58:52.360 like Pharaoh wanted to kill the Israelites. He like he 0:58:52.400 --> 0:58:54.240 wanted to kill like he wanted to strike them down. 0:58:54.280 --> 0:58:59.560 But he couldn't watch why because the Lord kept vigil 0:59:00.520 --> 0:59:05.120 that night. And this is what the scripture says, to 0:59:05.200 --> 0:59:08.880 bring them out of Egypt on this night. Somebody say, 0:59:08.920 --> 0:59:12.600 this night, now follow me, follow me. Receive this word. 0:59:12.680 --> 0:59:14.560 How many of you received this word that I'm appreciate 0:59:14.600 --> 0:59:19.080 to you today. That is a weak response. If you 0:59:19.120 --> 0:59:23.880 have heard this word, if you receive this word, maybe 0:59:23.920 --> 0:59:27.920 it's for somebody on the Epham. Maybe it's you that 0:59:28.000 --> 0:59:32.480 this word is coming for. All right, So give me 0:59:32.520 --> 0:59:37.880 the scripture again, he said, on this night because the 0:59:37.960 --> 0:59:44.400 Lord kept vigil that night. I want you on this 0:59:44.520 --> 0:59:48.520 night to keep vigil, to honor the Lord for the 0:59:48.680 --> 0:59:56.480 generations to come. Aren't you glad that Joseph followed in 0:59:56.560 --> 0:59:59.880 the dark so we could have Jesus in our hearts 1:00:00.240 --> 1:00:06.240 and our lives. What are you carried? What is the 1:00:06.360 --> 1:00:10.320 important thing on the other side of this night? That night, 1:00:11.160 --> 1:00:14.200 the night they left Egypt with the blood on their doors, 1:00:14.200 --> 1:00:17.040 so that the angel of Death passed over their houses. 1:00:17.320 --> 1:00:22.000 That night God stayed up and watched. And now so 1:00:22.120 --> 1:00:25.240 he said, you keep it. If you were kept in 1:00:25.280 --> 1:00:28.080 the dark, then don't you get in the dark and 1:00:28.080 --> 1:00:32.480 lose your faith. Don't you let this knock you off 1:00:32.520 --> 1:00:35.120 of what the solid rock you've been standing on. Don't 1:00:35.120 --> 1:00:38.240 you let this snatch your prophecy. This is bigger than 1:00:38.280 --> 1:00:42.080 you you hear me. This is bigger than how you 1:00:42.120 --> 1:00:48.280 feel right now. This is for generations to come. That's 1:00:48.360 --> 1:00:50.440 why you have to make it through the night. That's 1:00:50.520 --> 1:00:52.400 why I had to make it through the night so 1:00:52.480 --> 1:00:54.800 I could tell my sixteen year old, so he can 1:00:54.880 --> 1:00:58.000 tell his sixteen year old I've had nights like that. 1:00:58.360 --> 1:01:01.800 But watch this. No matter how dark the night. God, 1:01:02.200 --> 1:01:09.520 God never stopped watching. God never stop keeping. God, never 1:01:09.920 --> 1:01:20.320 stop working. God never stop sustaining. Because they were in 1:01:20.360 --> 1:01:23.880 the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch 1:01:24.520 --> 1:01:29.720 over their flocks by night. God is a good shepherd. 1:01:30.040 --> 1:01:34.360 He watches his flock at night. He doesn't only like 1:01:34.440 --> 1:01:37.360 you in the light of day. He watches you in 1:01:37.440 --> 1:01:41.120 the grimy place. He's a grimy God. He'll roll up 1:01:41.120 --> 1:01:45.120 his sleeves and come down, born of a virgin, dressed 1:01:45.160 --> 1:01:49.280 like a man, to set his people breed. He never 1:01:49.760 --> 1:01:56.480 stop watching me, never stopped. He never stopped watching. He 1:01:56.720 --> 1:02:04.120 never stopped watching. Gis God worship. He never joke his 1:02:04.320 --> 1:02:14.040 I cap you, ay, that's great to have promises that 1:02:14.080 --> 1:02:18.200 God made you in the light. But the promises that 1:02:18.240 --> 1:02:21.800 God makes in the light have to be kept in 1:02:21.880 --> 1:02:27.480 the dark. The whole church missed it, but you do. 1:02:28.840 --> 1:02:33.480 It has to be kept in the dark. That's where 1:02:33.520 --> 1:02:38.880 you need Jesus. That's where you need Jesus. That's where 1:02:38.920 --> 1:02:45.680 you need light. And I think, I think, I think, 1:02:45.720 --> 1:02:50.480 no matter how long the light is, the day is 1:02:50.520 --> 1:02:58.560 going to be greater. I do, I do. God never 1:03:01.080 --> 1:03:03.280 remember when he came out walking to the disciples on 1:03:03.320 --> 1:03:07.320 the water. It was the fourth watch of the night. 1:03:09.280 --> 1:03:11.919 What I love about it say, watch this, I'm gonna 1:03:11.920 --> 1:03:14.760 get out of y'all. Wait a minute. I know it's late, 1:03:16.200 --> 1:03:20.600 but it's late in your life too. Huh, it's late 1:03:20.600 --> 1:03:25.360 in your life too. He said that Jesus came walking 1:03:25.360 --> 1:03:28.720 to them on the storm in the water. What I 1:03:28.760 --> 1:03:32.400 love about it is before he walked out to them, 1:03:32.800 --> 1:03:36.600 he never stopped watching them. He saw him the whole 1:03:36.600 --> 1:03:42.520 time they were in the storm. God is watching over 1:03:43.320 --> 1:03:48.960 his worth, whether it's herod, whether it's depression, whether it's 1:03:49.000 --> 1:04:00.760 your dumb decisions. They are not stronger than the prophecy. Yeah, 1:04:01.160 --> 1:04:04.760 and until Christ has brought forward, God is watching. Oh God, 1:04:05.200 --> 1:04:07.520 I thank you that you're watching over my house. I 1:04:07.600 --> 1:04:09.840 thank you that you're watching over my gift. I thank 1:04:09.840 --> 1:04:12.080 you that you're watching over my spirit. I thank you 1:04:12.120 --> 1:04:14.720 that you're watching over my broken heart, so that nothing 1:04:14.760 --> 1:04:17.200 seeps in that would keep me from seeing you. God. 1:04:17.200 --> 1:04:19.080 I thank you that you are watching over these men 1:04:19.120 --> 1:04:21.320 and women. I thank you that know storm that they 1:04:21.320 --> 1:04:24.280 are in reduces your visibility, for you have an all 1:04:24.360 --> 1:04:27.520 seeing eye. You are the all knowing God. You are 1:04:27.560 --> 1:04:30.040 the living Word in the beginning was the Word, and 1:04:30.080 --> 1:04:32.680 the word was with God, and the word was God. 1:04:33.040 --> 1:04:36.880 That same word that came forth through forty two generations 1:04:37.040 --> 1:04:40.120 and past state these generations to come to us today. 1:04:41.360 --> 1:04:47.240 We have our eyes on you now. Watch God, watch God. 1:04:48.400 --> 1:04:53.040 Watch God. Keep your focus even in the door. Watch God, 1:04:54.040 --> 1:04:58.440 watch God, watch his word. Meditate on in your bed, 1:04:58.600 --> 1:05:01.520 remember it, play it in your Watch God. Watch God 1:05:01.560 --> 1:05:04.160 bring you out. Watch God do a miracle. Watch God 1:05:04.200 --> 1:05:07.640 give you a testimony. Watch God turning around. Wat's God 1:05:07.800 --> 1:05:11.040 use this very thing. Watch God, watch God, Watch God, 1:05:11.160 --> 1:05:13.480 watch God turn around. Tell five people watch God, watch God, 1:05:13.640 --> 1:05:17.680 watch God, watch God, watch God, watch God. Heyy, stop 1:05:17.720 --> 1:05:21.320 watching the news for five minutes and watch God. God 1:05:21.400 --> 1:05:26.320 doesn't watch the news. Please good news. Yes, glad tidings, 1:05:26.720 --> 1:05:33.680 it breaks great story and he watches over his flock 1:05:34.840 --> 1:05:37.920 by night. Give him praise. If you received this one, 1:05:39.040 --> 1:05:44.000 thank you, loving, Thank you Jesus. Well, if you enjoyed 1:05:44.000 --> 1:05:46.400 today's podcast, there are a couple of things I'd love 1:05:46.440 --> 1:05:49.600 for you to do. Make sure to subscribe, rate, and 1:05:49.760 --> 1:05:52.840 review this podcast. You can also help us reach others 1:05:52.880 --> 1:05:56.120 by investing today at Elevation Church dot org, slash and 1:05:56.200 --> 1:05:58.960 give and thanks again for joining us on the Elevation 1:05:59.080 --> 1:06:00.480 Podcast inst