The Pajamas Are A Prophecy

0:00:05.040 --> 0:00:06.280 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 0:00:06.280 --> 0:00:09.360 I'm the pastor of Elevation Church, and this is our podcast. 0:00:09.520 --> 0:00:10.000 Be sure to. 0:00:09.960 --> 0:00:13.720 Subscribe so we can get you these new sermons every week. 0:00:13.880 --> 0:00:22.919 I hope you're blessed today. We praise you for who 0:00:22.960 --> 0:00:28.240 you are. We praise you because you came and because 0:00:28.280 --> 0:00:34.239 you can. We come to worship you, adore you, and 0:00:34.280 --> 0:00:35.120 give you glory. 0:00:35.760 --> 0:00:40.240 Christ the Lord. Thank you for coming for us, thank 0:00:40.240 --> 0:00:43.400 you for dying for us. Thank you for giving us 0:00:43.440 --> 0:00:51.879 this moment. We worship you, Almighty God in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen, 0:00:59.280 --> 0:01:01.680 I want to welcome you to a very special Sunday 0:01:01.680 --> 0:01:05.640 at Elevation Church. Welcome to our evam around the world. 0:01:08.440 --> 0:01:11.160 A few minutes from now, we'll have the chance to 0:01:11.160 --> 0:01:17.600 give our offering, and that will be absolutely incredible. As 0:01:17.600 --> 0:01:20.040 we stand in the midst of so many miracles that 0:01:20.080 --> 0:01:22.600 God has done for each of us, and so many 0:01:22.640 --> 0:01:25.319 miracles that He's done for all of us. I just 0:01:25.400 --> 0:01:28.600 invite you to bring your offering with joy today, and 0:01:28.680 --> 0:01:32.640 maybe your offering is a million dollars. We have had 0:01:32.680 --> 0:01:36.000 people give a million dollars in these offerings, and you 0:01:36.040 --> 0:01:37.560 would clap if they gave it to you. And your 0:01:37.600 --> 0:01:39.640 bank account. I don't know why you're not clapping, because 0:01:39.640 --> 0:01:46.679 we can use that to help people. Yeah, but it 0:01:46.760 --> 0:01:49.680 might not be that much in terms of the finances 0:01:49.720 --> 0:01:53.240 of it. But we all get to stretch our faith together. 0:01:54.320 --> 0:01:57.000 So whether you're here in a building or watching online, 0:01:57.440 --> 0:02:01.760 I'm excited about the opportunity to give. As you give, 0:02:01.880 --> 0:02:05.400 you will select one word or phrase. Some people make 0:02:05.480 --> 0:02:07.640 up really creative words, like my word for the year 0:02:07.680 --> 0:02:09.680 is trusting God, even though I don't see his goodness 0:02:10.680 --> 0:02:14.560 a lot of hyphens. But whether it's a sentence or 0:02:14.600 --> 0:02:17.520 a word, something that captures the spirit of what you're 0:02:17.520 --> 0:02:20.160 believing God to do in your life. And will believe 0:02:20.200 --> 0:02:22.480 God with you and stand with you for that. And 0:02:22.520 --> 0:02:25.000 again at the end of the sermon, I'll pray and 0:02:25.160 --> 0:02:27.919 we'll have that opportunity, which means that I've got to 0:02:27.960 --> 0:02:31.480 preach short today, which means that you've got to listen hard. 0:02:32.760 --> 0:02:35.200 So tell your neighbor, if we get out latest your 0:02:35.200 --> 0:02:41.079 fault for not listening. I can look and see how 0:02:41.120 --> 0:02:45.360 good you're listening. If we do this right, I will 0:02:45.360 --> 0:02:51.200 have you home in time today to watch the Panthers 0:02:51.200 --> 0:03:00.120 lose or the Panthers playing today all right, that's a prophecy, 0:03:00.400 --> 0:03:04.120 Praise the Lord. I started a tradition a few years 0:03:04.160 --> 0:03:07.880 ago of giving you your Christmas sermon on the week 0:03:07.919 --> 0:03:09.959 you give the offering. So I'm going to continue that 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:10.880 tradition today. 0:03:12.639 --> 0:03:14.440 I like to give it to you before you get 0:03:14.520 --> 0:03:15.880 so busy. 0:03:16.720 --> 0:03:19.320 The busier you get in this season, the less bandwidth 0:03:19.320 --> 0:03:22.399 you have. So I want to give you the Christmas 0:03:22.440 --> 0:03:25.679 story and walk through it together and see a few 0:03:25.680 --> 0:03:28.560 things that God would speak to us before things get 0:03:28.600 --> 0:03:32.040 extra hectic. How many would say, it's already extra hectic. 0:03:32.080 --> 0:03:36.720 Pastor Stephen, you're about thirty five years too late. Well 0:03:36.720 --> 0:03:38.600 made this message. Find you and catch up with you 0:03:38.640 --> 0:03:40.760 wherever you are today, remain standing in honor of the 0:03:40.760 --> 0:03:43.520 reading of God's word. If you're joining us online today, 0:03:43.560 --> 0:03:46.200 let us know in the chat where you're watching from. 0:03:46.640 --> 0:03:50.920 And everybody just say, I trust in God, I trust 0:03:51.000 --> 0:03:59.160 in God. I trust in God. Are you a soprano? 0:04:01.200 --> 0:04:17.159 Luke Chapter two, Versus seven through twelve. Luke, Chapter two, 0:04:18.480 --> 0:04:25.560 verses seven through twelve. And she brought forth her firstborn 0:04:25.680 --> 0:04:30.840 son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him 0:04:30.880 --> 0:04:34.039 in a manger because there was no room for them. 0:04:34.839 --> 0:04:38.400 In the end, they were in the same country, shepherds 0:04:38.400 --> 0:04:42.960 abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. 0:04:43.880 --> 0:04:46.520 And lo, the Angel of the Lord came upon them, 0:04:47.480 --> 0:04:50.520 and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, 0:04:51.440 --> 0:04:55.479 and they were sore afraid. And the Angel said, unto them, 0:04:56.040 --> 0:05:01.520 fear not, for behold, I bring bring you good tidings 0:05:01.560 --> 0:05:06.359 of great joy, which shall be to all people. For 0:05:06.640 --> 0:05:11.600 unto you is born this day in the City of David, 0:05:12.120 --> 0:05:18.080 a savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall 0:05:18.120 --> 0:05:23.160 be a sign. Unto you, you will find the babe 0:05:24.040 --> 0:05:30.360 wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Let's put 0:05:30.360 --> 0:05:32.279 our hands together and thank God for the gift of 0:05:32.360 --> 0:05:39.440 Jesus Christ. Look at that again with me verse twelve. 0:05:40.720 --> 0:05:45.720 You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying 0:05:46.240 --> 0:05:48.720 in a manger. The title I want to give this 0:05:48.800 --> 0:05:51.880 message today is a little unusual. But stick with me 0:05:52.279 --> 0:05:54.760 and I'll make it make sense. The Lord told me 0:05:54.800 --> 0:06:02.159 to tell you the pajamas are a prophecy. The pajamas 0:06:03.680 --> 0:06:06.560 are a prophecy. Now touch your neighbor and say, don't 0:06:06.560 --> 0:06:11.040 sleep through this sermon. This one's going to make sense. 0:06:11.080 --> 0:06:15.400 In a minute, you may be seated. The pajamas are 0:06:15.600 --> 0:06:28.080 a prophecy. Amen. Yeah. So when I think about this 0:06:29.120 --> 0:06:34.760 Christmas announcement to the Shepherds and the Christmas story in general, 0:06:35.800 --> 0:06:38.560 it causes me to reflect and realize how many times 0:06:38.600 --> 0:06:44.200 in my life that rejection or the fear of rejection 0:06:45.120 --> 0:06:48.039 has kept me from receiving a gift that God wanted 0:06:48.040 --> 0:06:52.560 to give me. I don't like to admit that because 0:06:52.600 --> 0:06:56.719 I would like to pretend as if everybody else was 0:06:56.800 --> 0:06:58.560 to blame for the things I didn't get in life, 0:06:58.680 --> 0:07:00.600 or that I'm just waiting on the Lord for everything 0:07:00.600 --> 0:07:05.279 I've prayed for. But this Christmas, in reflecting, I thought 0:07:05.279 --> 0:07:08.760 a lot about how rejection and I'll break that down 0:07:08.920 --> 0:07:11.480 just a little bit for you right now. But first 0:07:11.600 --> 0:07:15.120 let me tell you a story. On Christmas Eve, my 0:07:15.160 --> 0:07:17.440 grandmother on my dad's side would always come to see 0:07:17.520 --> 0:07:20.760 us with my uncle Russell, and both of them are 0:07:20.800 --> 0:07:23.160 now in heaven. They both died within the last couple 0:07:23.200 --> 0:07:25.280 of years. I want to tell you about the last 0:07:25.320 --> 0:07:28.280 time that I saw both of them. They lived just 0:07:28.320 --> 0:07:30.760 about two hundred yards apart on the same piece of land. 0:07:31.600 --> 0:07:33.400 My uncle called me to tell me that he was 0:07:33.440 --> 0:07:36.240 sick and that he didn't have much time. He'd kept 0:07:36.240 --> 0:07:38.960 it a secret. He didn't tell anybody. And I really 0:07:39.000 --> 0:07:42.360 loved this uncle too. He was my cool uncle. He 0:07:42.440 --> 0:07:44.280 was my cool uncle. He didn't give me beer or 0:07:44.320 --> 0:07:46.880 anything like that when my dad wasn't looking, but he 0:07:46.920 --> 0:07:49.280 always had my back. When I called the DJ Jazzy 0:07:49.360 --> 0:07:52.480 Jeff nine hundred hot line, the Fresh Prince in Jazzy 0:07:52.560 --> 0:07:55.200 Jeff nine hundred hot line and ran up a seventy 0:07:55.240 --> 0:07:57.320 dollars phone bill, he was the one to meet me 0:07:57.360 --> 0:07:58.440 out in the yard and let me know I was 0:07:58.480 --> 0:08:00.520 in trouble so I could prepare to go face my dad. 0:08:01.120 --> 0:08:03.960 And he had my back. So I went to see him, 0:08:03.960 --> 0:08:07.280 and it was really sad because he was already in 0:08:07.320 --> 0:08:09.120 the bed. Why didn't you tell us sooner? We could 0:08:09.160 --> 0:08:10.640 have come and seen you sooner. Be as a very 0:08:10.640 --> 0:08:15.160 private person and going to see him with my mom, 0:08:15.560 --> 0:08:17.760 I figured while we were there we would get to 0:08:17.760 --> 0:08:21.880 see my grandmother too, who was also pretty sick. But 0:08:23.360 --> 0:08:25.560 something weird happened, and y'all, I didn't want to tell 0:08:25.560 --> 0:08:27.240 this story at the start of my sermon because it's 0:08:27.280 --> 0:08:29.800 going to sound heavy, but it's all right to laugh. 0:08:29.920 --> 0:08:34.000 Because it's kind of funny, and everybody's family it's kind 0:08:34.000 --> 0:08:37.200 of crazy, and so don't feel bad laughing at this 0:08:37.240 --> 0:08:39.640 when I tell you, because kind of funny. We're sitting 0:08:39.640 --> 0:08:45.280 there with my uncle and my grandmama calls and they 0:08:45.320 --> 0:08:47.040 pick up the phone, and we're sitting with my uncle, 0:08:47.880 --> 0:08:52.400 and I hear my grandmama on the phone while my 0:08:52.559 --> 0:08:56.319 uncle's girlfriend is sitting there, and she says, hey, hey, grandmama. 0:08:56.960 --> 0:08:59.360 And they had tension in their relationship too, but you know, 0:08:59.400 --> 0:09:02.040 she was calling because he was very sick and probably 0:09:02.160 --> 0:09:05.679 days away from dying, and so she I can't believe 0:09:05.679 --> 0:09:08.560 I'm telling you all this. She goes, what are y'all doing? 0:09:09.160 --> 0:09:13.280 And Sandy says, well, Faith and Stephen are here, and 0:09:13.360 --> 0:09:19.800 Grandmama goes, Faith and Stephen, oh God. Now I love 0:09:19.840 --> 0:09:23.120 my grandmama. It's not like we had some horrible relationship. Again. 0:09:23.160 --> 0:09:26.120 She would come every Christmas Eve. My grandmama was the 0:09:26.160 --> 0:09:29.040 one who would record the pay per view WrestleManias for 0:09:29.160 --> 0:09:31.200 me when I was a boy. So I owe her 0:09:31.200 --> 0:09:35.800 a great debt of gratitude, love and honor. Anyway, she said, 0:09:36.080 --> 0:09:40.040 Faith and Stephen, oh God. Then she goes, are they 0:09:40.080 --> 0:09:46.200 coming over here. She know we could hear, and Sandy said, oh, 0:09:46.280 --> 0:09:51.319 I don't know, Grandmama, and Grandmama goes, god, I hope not. 0:09:54.240 --> 0:09:58.200 I know. It's kind of like ray for pestor Stephen, 0:09:59.679 --> 0:10:03.160 and and so it was the weirdest thing. And we 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:06.320 didn't go see her and then never saw her again. 0:10:07.760 --> 0:10:10.280 I never saw her again. And I don't know that 0:10:10.360 --> 0:10:13.920 I regret that necessarily, because I mean, it was pretty 0:10:13.920 --> 0:10:19.040 obvious we weren't wanted. But you know, my mom said something, 0:10:19.080 --> 0:10:20.960 and in fact checked this with her to make sure 0:10:21.000 --> 0:10:24.640 she actually said it. This week when we were driving away, 0:10:24.640 --> 0:10:26.560 we were like, what that crazy that we were like 0:10:26.640 --> 0:10:31.400 these unwanted aliens invading She didn't want to see us, 0:10:32.360 --> 0:10:36.240 And she goes, my mom goes, well, maybe it wasn't 0:10:36.280 --> 0:10:41.800 that she didn't want to see us. Maybe she didn't 0:10:41.840 --> 0:10:46.600 want us to see her in that state and the 0:10:46.679 --> 0:10:51.280 house in that state, and she had raised another girl 0:10:51.320 --> 0:10:53.800 after she had raised one of her son's daughters, and 0:10:53.840 --> 0:10:55.880 then those kids were there, and so the house was 0:10:55.960 --> 0:11:03.320 always a mess. Maybe she wasn't reject us, Maybe she 0:11:03.480 --> 0:11:10.760 was protecting herself from being seen by us. The reason 0:11:10.840 --> 0:11:13.800 I mention that as embarrassing as the story is, and 0:11:13.840 --> 0:11:17.840 as awkward as it is, Merry Christmas, everybody, there's a 0:11:17.880 --> 0:11:22.959 heart wrenching Christmas story. To warm your spirits. We'll put 0:11:23.000 --> 0:11:25.200 some hot cocoa into communion cups a Christmas even make 0:11:25.240 --> 0:11:28.200 it up to you something like that. The reason I 0:11:28.320 --> 0:11:32.200 share it is because it made me realize that a 0:11:32.240 --> 0:11:38.520 lot of times we reject blessings in our life because 0:11:38.559 --> 0:11:44.440 we don't accept the messes that come with them. And 0:11:44.520 --> 0:11:47.800 what I love about Luke chapter two and the way 0:11:47.840 --> 0:11:51.560 that God comes to earth in the form of a 0:11:51.640 --> 0:11:58.200 baby born in a barn in Bethlehem, is that it 0:11:58.280 --> 0:12:04.080 lets me know that God is very comfortable stepping into 0:12:04.800 --> 0:12:09.199 my mess. I want to say to somebody today whose 0:12:09.240 --> 0:12:13.480 life is a mess going into this holiday season. House 0:12:13.600 --> 0:12:18.160 is a mess, mind is a mess, marriage is a mess. 0:12:19.000 --> 0:12:22.360 Money is a mess. If I look long enough, I'll 0:12:22.400 --> 0:12:25.120 find a mess. Don't make me get up under the bed. 0:12:25.200 --> 0:12:28.400 I will fight. I'll open the doors in the closet. 0:12:28.440 --> 0:12:31.559 In the room, you don't let anybody in. Everybody in 0:12:31.600 --> 0:12:33.880 here has a mess. And I think one of the 0:12:33.880 --> 0:12:38.760 greatest sins of the Church is the cutification of Christmas. 0:12:40.679 --> 0:12:47.280 I made that word up. Cutification little baby Jesus. You know, 0:12:47.440 --> 0:12:52.320 babies are only cute when you're waving at them. They're 0:12:52.440 --> 0:12:57.120 chaotic if you're raising them. I will repeat that again 0:12:57.880 --> 0:13:00.880 because you are a little slow today. Y'all came in 0:13:00.920 --> 0:13:04.800 on that dial up modem spiritual setting. Okay, I'm gonna 0:13:04.840 --> 0:13:07.680 say it again. Babies are cute when you wave all. 0:13:07.840 --> 0:13:11.439 Look have babies so cute? But when you're raising them, 0:13:14.280 --> 0:13:18.600 Jesus Christ, the baby becomes the perfect symbol of Christmas 0:13:19.160 --> 0:13:22.760 because it teaches us that God is comfortable in our chaos. 0:13:23.320 --> 0:13:25.240 So don't wait till you get it all together to 0:13:25.280 --> 0:13:29.760 invite God in. Don't be like Grandmama and think, well 0:13:29.800 --> 0:13:33.719 if they saw how I was living. The beauty of 0:13:33.760 --> 0:13:38.760 the incarnation of Jesus Christ is that while o Romans 0:13:38.800 --> 0:13:43.880 five eight, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, 0:13:45.040 --> 0:13:48.040 and while we were in our lowly state, he came. 0:13:49.520 --> 0:13:54.120 Notice where he came. He came in a field to 0:13:54.200 --> 0:13:59.280 the shepherds. So it reminds me to know that God 0:13:59.320 --> 0:14:04.200 can reach me wherever I am. God can reach me 0:14:04.840 --> 0:14:07.040 wherever I am. Let's get that confession, go and say 0:14:07.040 --> 0:14:11.040 it out loud. God can reach me wherever I am. 0:14:12.400 --> 0:14:15.280 And this is why we sing the Christmas Carol. I've 0:14:15.280 --> 0:14:22.800 got friends in low places the Christmas Carol because because 0:14:22.840 --> 0:14:26.040 it's good to know that this season you have some 0:14:26.160 --> 0:14:30.440 expectations for great moments and peaceful moments and wonderful reunions 0:14:30.440 --> 0:14:32.840 and wonderful gifts and all of that. But if you 0:14:32.880 --> 0:14:36.400 really want to have a blessed Christmas season, might I 0:14:36.480 --> 0:14:46.000 give you some unspiritual sounding advice. Lower your expectations right, 0:14:47.360 --> 0:14:52.160 set your expectations low. And you're like, but no, the 0:14:52.200 --> 0:14:55.840 Bible said, fear not, for behold, I bring you good 0:14:56.080 --> 0:14:59.440 tidings of great joy. So in that sense, we expect 0:14:59.560 --> 0:15:02.600 blessing to come into our life. How many are expecting 0:15:02.640 --> 0:15:05.000 God to bless you before the year is over in 0:15:05.040 --> 0:15:08.960 a brand new, beautiful way. Well, don't be shy about it. 0:15:09.040 --> 0:15:13.960 You're not gonna get in like that little timid Christian. 0:15:14.720 --> 0:15:17.720 How many are expecting God to bless you? 0:15:19.840 --> 0:15:20.120 Yeah? 0:15:20.280 --> 0:15:25.720 I am, of course I am. I'm expecting for him 0:15:25.760 --> 0:15:29.080 to show up and provide for me. I'm expecting for 0:15:29.200 --> 0:15:32.560 him to see me through with this peace. I'm expecting 0:15:32.600 --> 0:15:36.200 for him to create moments that I'll remember. I'm expecting 0:15:36.280 --> 0:15:38.160 him to visit in my life, and I need to 0:15:38.160 --> 0:15:40.840 stop screaming because this isn't the best part of my sermon. 0:15:41.640 --> 0:15:45.960 But God promised number one, he will reach you. Notice 0:15:46.000 --> 0:15:49.760 that the angels came to the shepherds. And the reason 0:15:49.840 --> 0:15:54.200 I mentioned Saint Garth Brooks is because look at this verse. 0:15:54.200 --> 0:15:56.920 You never seen this before in the Christmas story it said, 0:15:57.400 --> 0:16:01.640 and lo, the Angel of the Lord came upon them. 0:16:01.760 --> 0:16:06.480 You missed it. While we're so busy looking for God 0:16:07.000 --> 0:16:12.360 to come from up here from a high experience. While 0:16:12.360 --> 0:16:14.680 we're so busy waiting for God to come up here, 0:16:14.760 --> 0:16:18.000 the Angel of the Lord came upon them, the Bible says, 0:16:18.480 --> 0:16:23.120 and Lo, the Angel of the Lord came upon them. 0:16:23.880 --> 0:16:26.920 So if you're looking for God in your life right now, 0:16:27.600 --> 0:16:31.120 looking for provision and protection in your life, right now, 0:16:31.640 --> 0:16:37.600 I got a piece of advice. Look low. Imagine Heaven 0:16:38.040 --> 0:16:40.920 wanting to get the word out that the Savior of 0:16:40.960 --> 0:16:44.760 the world is born, and so Heaven puts together an 0:16:44.840 --> 0:16:49.280 advertising agency, a marketing team. We got to get the 0:16:49.320 --> 0:16:53.040 word out and let everybody know that the Savior is born, 0:16:53.440 --> 0:16:56.440 that the one who was prophesied is coming, that the 0:16:56.440 --> 0:16:59.960 one who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah is here, 0:17:00.120 --> 0:17:03.160 right now today is born to you in the City 0:17:03.160 --> 0:17:07.000 of David, a savior, which is Christ, the Lord, who 0:17:07.040 --> 0:17:10.760 will we assemble to be the influencers that will spread 0:17:10.800 --> 0:17:14.719 this heavenly message. And so God looks at Silicon Valley 0:17:15.000 --> 0:17:18.560 and finds some tech startup billionaires, but he can't give 0:17:18.600 --> 0:17:22.479 them the message because they're too high for it. And 0:17:22.560 --> 0:17:25.440 God looks at somebody else who has a perfect standing 0:17:25.480 --> 0:17:30.000 in society, some socialite who is accepted by all, who 0:17:30.000 --> 0:17:33.480 has entree into every environment, but he can't give them 0:17:33.520 --> 0:17:37.720 the message because they're too high for it. And God 0:17:38.000 --> 0:17:41.280 puts together a search committee. We need to give somebody 0:17:41.320 --> 0:17:44.760 the message that the Savior is born, and we can't 0:17:44.840 --> 0:17:49.240 find anybody except these shepherds. You got to understand something 0:17:49.240 --> 0:17:53.719 about the shepherds. The shepherds, we're the lowest people in 0:17:53.800 --> 0:17:57.600 the society of the day. So when God get ready 0:17:57.640 --> 0:18:01.200 to shout, got ready to give the high, highest announcement, 0:18:01.760 --> 0:18:06.240 he picked the lowest people to give the highest announcement. 0:18:06.800 --> 0:18:10.760 And I wonder, is he looking for somebody today who's 0:18:10.840 --> 0:18:14.640 been real low because he wants to show you something. 0:18:17.080 --> 0:18:20.920 I had to learn this that the Lord looks slow. 0:18:22.520 --> 0:18:26.360 Did you know that the Lord looks low. Jesus said, 0:18:26.400 --> 0:18:30.600 I am lowly in heart for all of those who 0:18:30.640 --> 0:18:33.680 are in a spiritual low today, he's looking for you. 0:18:35.000 --> 0:18:36.960 Tell your neighbor in case they're going through, say he's 0:18:36.960 --> 0:18:41.040 looking for you. He's looking for you. Hey, angels over here, 0:18:41.119 --> 0:18:44.000 we're important now. I'm not looking for you. Hey angels 0:18:44.040 --> 0:18:46.040 over here, I'm real smart. I'm not looking for you. 0:18:46.320 --> 0:18:49.320 Hey angels over here, I'm accepted by everybody. I'm not 0:18:49.400 --> 0:18:55.919 looking for you. I'm looking for a low person. You say, 0:18:56.000 --> 0:18:57.480 what does that mean if my life is going good, 0:18:57.480 --> 0:19:00.960 that God won't bless me. It doesn't mean that at all. 0:19:02.119 --> 0:19:04.320 It just means that the only reason your life is 0:19:04.359 --> 0:19:10.080 going good is because He reached down when you were lone. 0:19:11.720 --> 0:19:16.120 And some of us have forgotten. I'm gonna give you 0:19:16.160 --> 0:19:20.720 twenty three seconds to remember how he reached down low, 0:19:23.119 --> 0:19:26.320 how you didn't deserve for him to answer your prayer, 0:19:27.800 --> 0:19:29.879 how you had to pray for him to get you 0:19:30.000 --> 0:19:36.120 out of a situation that you got yourself into. Fake 0:19:36.200 --> 0:19:40.520 people on Christmas. That's cute Christmas phrase I'm talking about. 0:19:40.800 --> 0:19:45.200 He reached down Loa. 0:19:44.160 --> 0:19:49.520 He reached way down Loa. 0:19:50.560 --> 0:19:53.960 And the Bible said lo the Angel of the Lord. 0:19:54.320 --> 0:19:59.879 Everybody saw loa, loa. I got a friend in low, 0:20:00.040 --> 0:20:06.439 oh places that encouraged me. Look for God in the 0:20:06.520 --> 0:20:10.920 lows over the next twenty days, look for the lessons 0:20:10.960 --> 0:20:14.680 he wants you to learn in the lows. After all, 0:20:15.280 --> 0:20:17.879 if He chose lowly shepherds to reveal his son to, 0:20:18.560 --> 0:20:21.199 maybe he will choose your low moment to reveal the 0:20:21.240 --> 0:20:30.919 greatest lessons of your life. Now, I'm on o'clock today, 0:20:31.760 --> 0:20:33.359 But that's not the only thing I wanted to tell 0:20:33.400 --> 0:20:37.119 you about. That's just one thing. The first thing I 0:20:37.200 --> 0:20:40.560 noticed is that God promises to reach you. There are 0:20:40.600 --> 0:20:43.040 three points in this sermon. If you choose to write 0:20:43.080 --> 0:20:47.800 them down, he will reach you. And then the second 0:20:47.800 --> 0:20:53.000 thing what really got my attention. And y'all, I don't 0:20:53.040 --> 0:20:55.720 get tired of preaching the Christmas story. I don't know why. 0:20:56.320 --> 0:20:59.480 It's the same every time I read it, but I'm 0:20:59.520 --> 0:21:06.600 not That's why we come back around to this again. 0:21:07.720 --> 0:21:14.120 It's the same. But I'm not. I'm growing, I'm changing, 0:21:15.720 --> 0:21:21.520 I'm not staying a baby. Jesus didn't and he's in me. 0:21:23.240 --> 0:21:27.560 And so it's interesting, isn't it that God would reveal 0:21:27.640 --> 0:21:33.040 himself to lowly people and reach them. What a strategy. 0:21:33.080 --> 0:21:35.119 I got to point this out. The Angel could have 0:21:35.160 --> 0:21:36.560 told everybody Jesus was born. 0:21:36.600 --> 0:21:37.000 He didn't. 0:21:37.800 --> 0:21:41.080 He told the shepherds. They went to Bethlehem and saw it, 0:21:41.160 --> 0:21:45.520 and they told everybody because God wanted people to receive 0:21:45.600 --> 0:21:50.720 the word of his son through messy messengers. And that's 0:21:50.760 --> 0:21:52.520 a lot of what's going on in your life right now. 0:21:52.560 --> 0:21:58.040 God is speaking to you through messy messengers. But if 0:21:58.080 --> 0:22:06.920 you don't accept the mess you reject the blessing. So 0:22:06.960 --> 0:22:11.880 he promises to reach you. And it's the contrast, isn't it. 0:22:12.240 --> 0:22:14.080 I wrote this in my notes. See if this makes 0:22:14.119 --> 0:22:21.320 sense to you. Jesus is in the juxtaposition. Jesus is 0:22:21.320 --> 0:22:25.840 in the juxtaposition because on one hand, I'm given a 0:22:25.880 --> 0:22:30.880 promise of great joy. On the other hand, I am 0:22:30.960 --> 0:22:36.480 told to look in a manger for a baby. There's 0:22:36.600 --> 0:22:40.760 nothing great about a baby physically speaking. Now, I want 0:22:40.760 --> 0:22:42.480 to teach you a little bit so we don't just 0:22:42.520 --> 0:22:45.320 have a sentimental Christmas. Let's really let's really dig into this. 0:22:46.600 --> 0:22:50.119 The smallness of the body that God chose to inhabit 0:22:51.160 --> 0:22:53.439 says something about the way He works in our lives. 0:22:55.800 --> 0:22:58.800 If God being God could be born of a virgin 0:22:59.560 --> 0:23:03.800 right than he could have skipped to the highest version 0:23:03.840 --> 0:23:07.560 of humanity to come to earth. That would have been 0:23:07.680 --> 0:23:15.280 more efficient. God chooses the least efficient way possible to 0:23:15.359 --> 0:23:18.600 save the world. And the only way I can explain 0:23:18.680 --> 0:23:22.680 this to you is to tell you that God does 0:23:22.720 --> 0:23:25.879 not always work in the way that makes the least 0:23:26.000 --> 0:23:32.040 mess or takes the least time. He works in the 0:23:32.080 --> 0:23:36.400 way that brings him the most glory. Y'all better help 0:23:36.440 --> 0:23:39.840 me preach, you better help me preach. This is the 0:23:39.920 --> 0:23:45.160 Christmas sermon. He looks for a shepherd. They're messy, they're 0:23:45.200 --> 0:23:47.760 in the fields. When they go to see the baby. 0:23:47.800 --> 0:23:51.880 They didn't even get to wash their hands. They were 0:23:52.080 --> 0:23:55.960 in the middle of their mess. And God shows up. 0:23:56.760 --> 0:23:59.960 You are in the middle of a mess and God, 0:24:00.000 --> 0:24:02.520 God will show up. But how will he show up? 0:24:02.680 --> 0:24:05.040 Small? Small? 0:24:06.320 --> 0:24:11.159 You will find a babe wrapped in cloths and lying 0:24:11.960 --> 0:24:16.640 in a manger. Big enough to save the world, small 0:24:16.760 --> 0:24:21.119 enough to fit in a cradle. This is the juxtaposition 0:24:21.200 --> 0:24:25.080 of Jesus. In the Book of Zechariah, chapter four, verse ten, 0:24:25.800 --> 0:24:29.440 the prophet says, despise not the day of small beginnings, 0:24:30.680 --> 0:24:33.919 And this Christmas. You have to understand that some of 0:24:33.960 --> 0:24:37.080 the things that God gives you in your life are 0:24:37.160 --> 0:24:42.080 under wraps right now. They're big, but they're in a 0:24:42.119 --> 0:24:46.040 little package. The fact that Jesus came as a baby 0:24:46.400 --> 0:24:50.480 lets us know that there is a development process to 0:24:50.600 --> 0:24:53.960 everything that God does in your life. So you pray 0:24:54.080 --> 0:24:58.280 for something and get frustrated because what God gave you 0:24:58.680 --> 0:25:02.080 doesn't match what you ask for. The fact that He 0:25:02.240 --> 0:25:05.520 came as a baby lets me know that there is 0:25:05.560 --> 0:25:09.840 a part of God that I must grow into. Feels 0:25:09.880 --> 0:25:13.680 so annointed to preach this to somebody who has been frustrated. 0:25:14.520 --> 0:25:17.720 You have been frustrated because you have been comparing your 0:25:17.800 --> 0:25:24.720 starting place to somebody else's finished product. If God says, 0:25:24.760 --> 0:25:28.240 if you look for me, you'll find me as a baby, 0:25:28.800 --> 0:25:32.639 just a small thing, just a small prayer, Holly. The 0:25:32.720 --> 0:25:34.840 other day, one of the men I met at the 0:25:34.840 --> 0:25:38.119 wrestling match said, I got a question to ask you. 0:25:39.000 --> 0:25:44.600 Elevation church, right, I said, because that could go either way. 0:25:45.960 --> 0:25:48.639 He could say my whole family got saved there, or 0:25:48.680 --> 0:25:53.080 he could say I heard y'all pass out marijuana instead 0:25:53.080 --> 0:25:55.080 of communion bread. Is that true? 0:25:55.119 --> 0:25:57.120 I mean, people say all kind of crazy stuff about 0:25:57.119 --> 0:26:00.240 our church. I've heard everything about our church. Many people 0:26:00.240 --> 0:26:02.280 have heard crazy stuff about our church before. I'm not 0:26:02.320 --> 0:26:04.399 looking because you hurt my feelings. I'm closing my eyes 0:26:07.240 --> 0:26:10.160 that big church, that megachurch. But here's what he said 0:26:10.160 --> 0:26:12.840 to bless me. He said, I got a question I 0:26:12.880 --> 0:26:15.520 always want to ask you. Elevation Church, right, And obviously 0:26:15.520 --> 0:26:18.040 I'm kidding. I'm proud to pastor this church. I'm proud 0:26:18.040 --> 0:26:19.040 to pastor. 0:26:18.760 --> 0:26:22.080 A church that would give millions of dollars and reach 0:26:22.200 --> 0:26:26.760 millions of souls and do amazing things, and stand and 0:26:26.920 --> 0:26:32.320 serve and drive back darkness and shatter stereotypes, and clothe 0:26:32.359 --> 0:26:36.200 the orphan and clothe the naked, and feed the hungry, 0:26:36.400 --> 0:26:39.800 and visit those in prison and proclaim the acceptable. 0:26:39.880 --> 0:26:47.040 Year thought the Lord's favor. I said, yeah, Elevation Church. 0:26:47.440 --> 0:26:50.520 What little edgy? 0:26:50.800 --> 0:26:54.119 He said, did y'all used to meet in a basement? 0:26:55.560 --> 0:26:58.680 And I had to think about it because I barely 0:26:58.760 --> 0:27:05.159 remember that basement, But I said, yeah, actually we did 0:27:05.400 --> 0:27:09.439 in the basement of the Matthews Community Center. Give me 0:27:09.480 --> 0:27:11.680 my handheld, Mike. The Lord must want me to preach. Preach. 0:27:13.000 --> 0:27:15.479 This is my teaching, Mike. Let's go ahead. And make 0:27:15.520 --> 0:27:20.080 the switch. Something's wrong. I will not let a microphone 0:27:20.119 --> 0:27:23.760 stop me from releasing this message. Get this off me, Jared, 0:27:23.880 --> 0:27:31.000 come over, Jared, Jared. Everybody say Jared, take off the 0:27:31.080 --> 0:27:36.359 grave clothes and let him go. All right? So he said, 0:27:37.600 --> 0:27:41.600 did you meet in a basement? I said, yeah, we 0:27:41.720 --> 0:27:45.040 actually did for a few weeks. That's where we started, 0:27:45.680 --> 0:27:49.880 at the Matthews Community Center basement. He said, how long 0:27:49.920 --> 0:27:52.040 did you meet there? I said not long, but it 0:27:52.119 --> 0:27:57.680 was the longest six weeks of my life. I used 0:27:57.680 --> 0:28:00.480 to go in the bathroom in the baseman of the 0:28:00.520 --> 0:28:04.280 Matthews Community Center and I would stand over the toilet 0:28:04.359 --> 0:28:08.200 because every week I felt like I would throw up 0:28:08.320 --> 0:28:18.840 because I was pregnant. You ever had mourning sickness for 0:28:18.960 --> 0:28:23.080 something God was doing in your life? No offense. I 0:28:23.119 --> 0:28:25.840 know it's just a metaphor, but I felt like that. 0:28:26.160 --> 0:28:29.720 I felt like I was carrying something big. Maybe that's 0:28:29.760 --> 0:28:33.000 why I wanted to preach about Mary, because maybe I 0:28:33.119 --> 0:28:37.400 was standing over the toilet feeling like I was carrying something. 0:28:37.840 --> 0:28:41.880 But I'm scared of something. But I'm carrying something. But 0:28:42.080 --> 0:28:45.640 I'm scared of something, And in that chucks the position. 0:28:45.800 --> 0:28:48.720 Are you there right? Now, you know God has given 0:28:48.760 --> 0:28:51.400 you a word. You know God has called you to 0:28:51.440 --> 0:28:54.520 do something. You know God has made you a promise. 0:28:54.920 --> 0:28:57.840 You know he reached out and saved you. You know 0:28:58.000 --> 0:29:01.200 he's given you a testimony. You know he brought you 0:29:01.280 --> 0:29:04.160 out of a miri pit. You know he set your 0:29:04.160 --> 0:29:10.560 feet on the rock. But in that basement, behind the 0:29:10.600 --> 0:29:18.040 closed door of a bathroom stall, I was privately petrified. Yeah, 0:29:18.080 --> 0:29:20.360 and I didn't think it'd be good if I threw 0:29:20.440 --> 0:29:23.880 up in front of my team. I didn't think that 0:29:23.920 --> 0:29:29.680 would be a good look for leadership. And yet somehow 0:29:31.000 --> 0:29:34.520 from that basement. Now I'm preaching about a barn in 0:29:34.560 --> 0:29:40.640 Bethlehem and a basement in Matthews. But I'm really preaching 0:29:40.680 --> 0:29:44.400 about the low place in your life today, whatever it is, 0:29:45.760 --> 0:29:50.440 the small beginning in your life today, because God said, 0:29:50.440 --> 0:29:58.960 not only will I reach you, I will wrap you. 0:29:59.000 --> 0:30:02.600 Think about Jesus. Come on, let's consider it before we 0:30:02.640 --> 0:30:04.880 get real cute with it and put money on our 0:30:04.880 --> 0:30:11.240 credit cards to tell Jesus Happy Birthday before we go 0:30:11.320 --> 0:30:13.600 into debt. Show the Lord how much we appreciate all 0:30:13.640 --> 0:30:20.400 He's done for us, before we get into all that chaos. 0:30:20.520 --> 0:30:26.000 Let's take a moment, and consider the Christ A babe 0:30:26.640 --> 0:30:32.480 born in a manger, laid in a manger. Why give 0:30:32.520 --> 0:30:35.880 me Luke two seven? Because there was no room for 0:30:35.960 --> 0:30:42.600 him In the end, he was rejected. The Savior came 0:30:43.720 --> 0:30:48.240 and he was rejected. He was rejected because they had 0:30:48.760 --> 0:30:52.760 no room. And so now I wonder, am I talking 0:30:52.760 --> 0:30:57.240 about Jesus or am I talking about you? Because maybe 0:30:57.280 --> 0:31:00.360 you've been rejected not by a person, but maybe your 0:31:00.440 --> 0:31:03.440 dream has been rejected or denied, or delayed or deferred 0:31:03.480 --> 0:31:06.880 this year and in that place of rejection, where you 0:31:06.920 --> 0:31:09.800 could not find room for yourself, could not feel at 0:31:09.880 --> 0:31:12.880 home in your emotions, could not see a solution through 0:31:12.880 --> 0:31:15.800 your red seat, could not see a way through your storm, 0:31:16.040 --> 0:31:19.280 could not find peace in your night, could not figure 0:31:19.320 --> 0:31:23.520 out your next step to take in that place of rejection, 0:31:23.760 --> 0:31:27.440 watch this, you will find a babe in a manger. 0:31:28.760 --> 0:31:31.200 It wasn't Mary's plan to place him in a manger. 0:31:32.240 --> 0:31:35.040 It was not her preference to place him in a manger. 0:31:35.880 --> 0:31:39.080 Sometimes we end up in places we didn't plan to be. 0:31:40.080 --> 0:31:42.640 I didn't plan for my season to get ended early. 0:31:43.080 --> 0:31:45.720 I didn't plan for my job to go overseas or 0:31:45.760 --> 0:31:48.880 replaced by a computer. I didn't plan for my kid 0:31:48.960 --> 0:31:51.120 to come home and say I need some money. I'm 0:31:51.200 --> 0:31:55.520 on drugs. I didn't plan for any of this. But 0:31:55.880 --> 0:32:00.320 just because you did not expect it doesn't mean God 0:32:00.400 --> 0:32:08.080 hasn't covered it to you, whom this word is for, 0:32:08.840 --> 0:32:13.120 it is a specific word. You have been rejected by people, 0:32:13.600 --> 0:32:16.680 could not find anyone to help you, didn't get it 0:32:16.720 --> 0:32:19.640 from where you wanted to get it from. It didn't 0:32:19.640 --> 0:32:22.880 come through when you needed it to come through. Jesus 0:32:23.040 --> 0:32:25.880 was laid in a manger, but watched the Bible put 0:32:25.920 --> 0:32:30.680 it back up. It says he's wrapped in swaddling clothes 0:32:31.400 --> 0:32:36.120 laying in a manger. The manger is a cold place, 0:32:36.800 --> 0:32:41.840 the manger is a strange place. But the swaddling clothes, 0:32:41.960 --> 0:32:46.240 see these strips of linen that were wrapped around him 0:32:46.560 --> 0:32:50.360 were a symbol of his mother's care. How many would say, 0:32:50.760 --> 0:32:55.760 I was rejected, but God wrapped me. I was disappointed, 0:32:56.320 --> 0:33:00.640 but he wrapped me. I was lost and lonely, but 0:33:00.840 --> 0:33:05.080 he rapped me. I was turned away, but he rapped me. 0:33:05.640 --> 0:33:13.080 I was done wrong, but he rapped to me. And 0:33:13.200 --> 0:33:17.160 this becomes the prophecy that the promise of God does 0:33:17.200 --> 0:33:20.480 not mean we will never find ourselves in a low place. 0:33:21.600 --> 0:33:25.920 It simply means that wherever life lays you, God has 0:33:25.960 --> 0:33:34.360 you rapped. Say God has me rapped. Say it again, 0:33:34.360 --> 0:33:38.240 God has me rap. In fact, right now I feel 0:33:38.280 --> 0:33:43.560 the Everlasting Father wrapping his arms around somebody to let 0:33:43.560 --> 0:33:45.400 you know that you didn't plan to be here, but 0:33:45.440 --> 0:33:51.040 he planned for your arrival, and he prophesied. Joseph and 0:33:51.080 --> 0:33:53.040 Mary didn't think this was the right time to have 0:33:53.120 --> 0:33:56.360 the baby. They were headed to Bethlehem, which wasn't even 0:33:56.360 --> 0:34:02.400 where their hospital was or their gift registry. But the 0:34:02.440 --> 0:34:06.200 prophet had said Micah chapter five, verse two, from you 0:34:06.400 --> 0:34:10.920 Bethlehem will come a ruler. So they had to be 0:34:11.120 --> 0:34:15.640 in Bethlehem at that exact moment so they could give 0:34:15.719 --> 0:34:20.360 birth to this king. And the Spirit wants you to 0:34:20.400 --> 0:34:26.560 know right now, he's got you rapped. He's got you rapped. 0:34:28.920 --> 0:34:36.360 He welcomes you with your weird self, He welcomes you 0:34:37.400 --> 0:34:40.879 with your weak self. I know it because of how 0:34:40.880 --> 0:34:47.080 he came. He reached me, He rapped me. I never 0:34:47.120 --> 0:34:51.359 paid attention to the swaddling clothes, never thought much about them. 0:34:52.400 --> 0:34:54.800 I was too busy trying to get to the frankincense 0:34:54.880 --> 0:34:59.120 and the gold and the mirrh, the good stuff. But 0:34:59.200 --> 0:35:01.440 I found out some some times God will allow you 0:35:01.520 --> 0:35:06.759 to be rejected and he will wrap you, and that 0:35:06.920 --> 0:35:17.120 sometimes people's rejection is God's protection. Don't assume God isn't 0:35:17.160 --> 0:35:20.440 doing it. He's just got it under wraps right now. 0:35:22.000 --> 0:35:26.160 Don't assume it's insignificant. You will find the babe wrapped 0:35:27.160 --> 0:35:33.920 in swaddling clothes, long strips of linen that wrapped the Savior. 0:35:34.120 --> 0:35:36.680 He's got you wrapped right now. I can't get off 0:35:36.760 --> 0:35:40.080 of it, y'all. He's got you wrapped right now. Because 0:35:40.120 --> 0:35:43.560 this cold in this manger, this cold in this divorce, 0:35:44.040 --> 0:35:47.959 is cold in this condition. It's cold in this hospital room. 0:35:48.360 --> 0:35:51.440 It's cold in this prison bed. It's cold in this 0:35:51.600 --> 0:35:55.680 loveless home. It's cold in this adolescent trial, is cold 0:35:55.719 --> 0:35:59.640 in this court case is cold right now. But I'm covered, 0:36:02.800 --> 0:36:06.520 but I'm covered. Put it in the chatters cold, but 0:36:06.600 --> 0:36:10.280 I'm covered. Tell your neighbor is cold, but I'm covered. 0:36:11.400 --> 0:36:14.320 I siffer sometimes. But he came to the shepherds to 0:36:14.400 --> 0:36:17.640 let me know that I'll never go so low he 0:36:17.680 --> 0:36:21.080 can reach me, that I'll never make a mess too bad, 0:36:21.120 --> 0:36:25.480 that he won't step into it. Stop turning God away, Grandmama, 0:36:25.520 --> 0:36:27.000 because your house is a mess. 0:36:27.440 --> 0:36:30.319 When he comes in, he'll clean it up when he 0:36:30.360 --> 0:36:33.160 comes in. He'll fix it up when he comes in. 0:36:33.280 --> 0:36:36.520 He'll turn it around when he comes in. He'll bring 0:36:36.600 --> 0:36:38.200 new wine when. 0:36:38.040 --> 0:36:42.680 He comes in. I got good news of great joy. 0:36:43.560 --> 0:36:49.000 Shell the zippers, I'm stepping in, shell, my hid. 0:36:50.160 --> 0:36:55.640 You'll got a friend in a love place. You gotta safe. 0:36:55.680 --> 0:37:04.120 You're in a major Listen him thirty seconds figs or grave. 0:37:15.160 --> 0:37:19.720 Low. The angel came lo. I see God reaching down 0:37:20.080 --> 0:37:23.960 to the addicted today, this Christmas season, the broken family, 0:37:24.360 --> 0:37:28.400 the grieving family, the same in your heart, everything that 0:37:28.480 --> 0:37:30.680 you want to use to keep him out. He said, 0:37:30.800 --> 0:37:35.040 that's the reason I'm coming in. I came to Saints Sinners. 0:37:38.840 --> 0:37:42.320 We haunt it right now, mister, we're haunt it right now. 0:37:43.280 --> 0:37:45.200 And I realized, can I tell you one more thing? 0:37:46.080 --> 0:37:48.520 He said that he will reach you. Say he'll reach me. 0:37:49.800 --> 0:37:52.880 Number two, say he'll rap me. Maybe you need to 0:37:52.880 --> 0:37:54.719 tell your neighbor. Pretend like you're an angel for a minute. 0:37:54.719 --> 0:37:58.080 Make the announcement. Everybody. Say he'll reach you. Put it 0:37:58.120 --> 0:38:01.640 on the line. Say he'll reach you. Say he'll rap you. 0:38:02.760 --> 0:38:05.600 He'll rap you like a gift. How many know some 0:38:05.640 --> 0:38:07.879 of you have been taken for granted, and you think 0:38:07.920 --> 0:38:09.759 you don't have a gift, and you think you're not 0:38:09.800 --> 0:38:12.959 good at anything. You got it. You're just rapped right 0:38:13.000 --> 0:38:16.399 now because when God gets ready to unwrap it, he's 0:38:16.440 --> 0:38:19.000 gonna use it, and he needs you to be mature 0:38:19.120 --> 0:38:27.240 enough to handle it. Yes, Lord, I feel no doubt 0:38:27.280 --> 0:38:29.720 that this is the message God wanted us to shout 0:38:29.760 --> 0:38:35.920 about this Christmas. Y'all keep clapping like an angel wants 0:38:35.960 --> 0:38:39.920 to shout like a separate one time. Sound like He 0:38:40.120 --> 0:38:41.200 paid for you. 0:38:42.600 --> 0:38:45.640 When you could comb the hell the boys. 0:38:45.719 --> 0:38:47.200 He's good when. 0:38:47.040 --> 0:38:51.360 You couldn't bum the hem. If he has to reach 0:38:51.880 --> 0:38:55.960 way down edenough will picul up. 0:39:04.600 --> 0:39:09.759 So I give you this. God was once a baby 0:39:10.560 --> 0:39:18.280 taking his first breath. Sovereignty lay swaddled where the oxen slept. 0:39:19.840 --> 0:39:26.719 God was once a toddler taking his first steps. The 0:39:26.760 --> 0:39:35.920 carpenter of the cosmos wobbled on two legs. God once 0:39:36.040 --> 0:39:43.360 wore pajamas. You didn't know that God wore pajamas. He said, 0:39:43.400 --> 0:39:50.200 you will find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying 0:39:50.239 --> 0:39:51.719 in the major in now, Isaiah said he'd be born 0:39:51.719 --> 0:39:55.600 of a virgin. Micah said he would be born in Bethlehem. 0:39:56.000 --> 0:39:58.680 But not one of the prophets told me he would 0:39:58.719 --> 0:40:03.560 be wrapped in class. That's because it was hidden. It 0:40:03.680 --> 0:40:07.840 is Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is hidden. 0:40:08.160 --> 0:40:11.800 It does not yet appear what we shall be ah. 0:40:11.800 --> 0:40:16.320 But watch this. Although the pajamas were not directly prophesied, 0:40:16.880 --> 0:40:21.760 the pajamas are a prophecy. I told you it would 0:40:21.760 --> 0:40:25.719 make sense when I finished. Now, let's appreciate when Jesus 0:40:25.800 --> 0:40:29.800 comes in human form, we see him wrapped in strips 0:40:29.840 --> 0:40:33.520 of linen. The next time we will see strips of 0:40:33.600 --> 0:40:42.439 linen in the story of Jesus. The next time we 0:40:42.520 --> 0:40:46.719 see strips of linen. Let me teach the Bible. The 0:40:46.760 --> 0:40:51.799 Bible says in John chapter twenty, verse five that when 0:40:51.880 --> 0:40:54.960 Peter got to the tomb where the body of the 0:40:55.120 --> 0:41:00.279 Savior used to lay, he came following John, and he 0:41:00.320 --> 0:41:04.560 went into the tomb, and he saw the linen cloths 0:41:05.200 --> 0:41:09.360 lying there. What's he trying to say, Fernick, I'm trying 0:41:09.480 --> 0:41:20.000 to say, what use to holdings? Couldn't hold it anymore? Man, 0:41:20.600 --> 0:41:23.600 That's why he was wrapped in strips of linen. He 0:41:23.840 --> 0:41:26.359 was letting me. Now they're gonna. 0:41:26.120 --> 0:41:29.760 Lay me in the grave with the biddle of your sins. 0:41:31.200 --> 0:41:37.640 But it's three dyes, three days, three minutes, and I 0:41:37.640 --> 0:41:47.880 can finish three days. God lived in a body, laid 0:41:47.960 --> 0:41:55.040 down in a grave. Three days later he was gone. 0:41:55.920 --> 0:42:05.759 Linen strips remained. The mystery figured it out. The mystery 0:42:06.360 --> 0:42:11.480 of the linen strips is that Jesus was born swallowed 0:42:11.520 --> 0:42:16.759 in linen strips. When he died, he was buried in 0:42:16.880 --> 0:42:22.440 linen strips, and when he rose, he left the linen 0:42:22.520 --> 0:42:28.960 strips to let you know that he is Lord of. 0:42:29.000 --> 0:42:41.760 All, Lord of all, Lord of all, Lord of all. 0:42:43.760 --> 0:42:48.440 In linen strips, and you will find the band. Stop 0:42:48.520 --> 0:42:52.240 looking up there to something better in the future, wrapped 0:42:53.719 --> 0:43:00.279 swaddling clothes. You keep telling me who left you, Start 0:43:00.320 --> 0:43:03.040 telling me how he held you. When they left you, 0:43:03.560 --> 0:43:10.960 he rapped me. So he came to the shepherds to 0:43:11.040 --> 0:43:16.239 let me know he can reach me. He came as 0:43:16.239 --> 0:43:20.880 a baby, raptinglenin to let me know that he can 0:43:21.560 --> 0:43:25.040 rap me. And at the end of his life he 0:43:25.160 --> 0:43:28.840 rose from the dead, and he left his linen strips 0:43:28.880 --> 0:43:40.120 to let me know he can raise me. The pajamas 0:43:41.480 --> 0:43:45.759 were a prophecy, y'all. He was swaddled, not only so 0:43:45.840 --> 0:43:49.520 he wouldn't shiver. Jesus was God. He could have made 0:43:49.600 --> 0:43:54.200 his body a seat warmer even as a baby. He 0:43:54.320 --> 0:43:58.440 was swaddled in strips so you would know that He 0:43:58.480 --> 0:44:03.160 came to die for you, and that whatever has died 0:44:03.200 --> 0:44:10.880 in your life will rise again in His name. And 0:44:11.040 --> 0:44:19.320 this is my Christmas message to you. This is the 0:44:19.360 --> 0:44:29.520 prophecy of the pajamas. Every Christmas, my wife gives every 0:44:29.520 --> 0:44:35.400 member of our family pajamas. It's a tradition. Every Christmas, 0:44:35.440 --> 0:44:39.520 she gives us pajamas on Christmas Eve. When the kids 0:44:39.520 --> 0:44:43.879 were little, they didn't like the pajamas, but they knew 0:44:43.880 --> 0:44:48.839 what the pajamas signified. It meant, not many hours from now, 0:44:49.960 --> 0:44:53.640 we got something for you. We got something for you. 0:44:54.560 --> 0:44:56.879 Tell your neighbor. God's got something for you. God's got 0:44:56.880 --> 0:45:00.480 something for you. Because when they opened the pajama they 0:45:00.480 --> 0:45:05.319 could know, oh, it's Christmas Eve. It became like Pavlov's dog. 0:45:05.600 --> 0:45:09.719 They started getting excited about the pajamas because of what 0:45:09.800 --> 0:45:15.440 the pajamas prophesied. I need you to start getting excited 0:45:15.480 --> 0:45:21.480 again about what God can do in your life despise, 0:45:21.640 --> 0:45:29.200 not today a small Beginning's Linen's strips are lying there. 0:45:30.000 --> 0:45:32.680 An empty grave is there to prove my savior lips. 0:45:32.840 --> 0:45:37.760 Not just a manger birth, but an empty grave showing 0:45:37.840 --> 0:45:42.399 my family and pajamas every Christmas Eve, every Christmas Eve? 0:45:44.320 --> 0:45:46.839 What is going on with my hair? Every Christmas Eve? 0:45:48.440 --> 0:45:51.560 That's back when I used to preach seven thousand Christmas services. 0:45:51.920 --> 0:45:54.520 Look at my hair. It's a wonder I didn't end 0:45:54.600 --> 0:45:57.560 up in a rehab facility preaching that many Christmas services. 0:45:58.440 --> 0:46:03.480 Oh God, that was the year. You know what I 0:46:03.480 --> 0:46:07.120 think this woman was when she gave them those pajamas 0:46:07.800 --> 0:46:12.799 with a dog on it. I think I just thought 0:46:12.840 --> 0:46:19.600 about this. She was prophesying to show up the other picture. 0:46:21.160 --> 0:46:28.560 Now we got a dog for real. Now we got 0:46:28.600 --> 0:46:37.600 a dog for real. The pajamas were a prophecy. I 0:46:37.680 --> 0:46:39.439 want you to get the picture in your mind. One 0:46:39.440 --> 0:46:42.040 more time of Christmas for real. You can have your 0:46:42.080 --> 0:46:44.280 Christmas scented candles all you want. If they really smelled 0:46:44.320 --> 0:46:47.480 like Christmas, you wouldn't want to light them because it 0:46:47.520 --> 0:46:52.200 was messy, it was smelly, it was rough. You would 0:46:52.280 --> 0:46:54.440 light a candle to cover up the smell of the 0:46:54.440 --> 0:46:59.120 First Christmas, but from that game a savior. So I 0:46:59.160 --> 0:47:09.440 give you this charge Christmas. Expect a blessing. Expect a blessing. 0:47:10.480 --> 0:47:12.600 And Lo, the Angel of the Lord came upon them, 0:47:12.640 --> 0:47:14.680 and the glory of the Lord chilling round about them. 0:47:15.000 --> 0:47:18.600 Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of 0:47:18.680 --> 0:47:23.240 great joy, which shall be to all people, shepherds and sages, 0:47:23.800 --> 0:47:27.680 all people, billionaires and broke, all people. 0:47:30.200 --> 0:47:39.239 Expect the blessing and accept the mess. Accept it, accept it. 0:47:39.960 --> 0:47:40.840 God accepts you. 0:47:41.600 --> 0:47:46.120 I never saw my grandmother again because she wasn't expecting 0:47:46.120 --> 0:47:51.120 our visit. We never had a moment because she didn't 0:47:51.160 --> 0:47:53.400 want to show her mess. I know you keep pushing 0:47:53.440 --> 0:47:56.839 God out, keep pushing joy out, keep pushing the future out, 0:47:57.080 --> 0:47:59.880 keep pushing peace out, keep pushing it out. Because you're messy. 0:48:00.320 --> 0:48:05.960 Expect the blessing from the God who steps into your mess. 0:48:07.560 --> 0:48:12.960 This is the Lord of the linen strips. This is 0:48:13.000 --> 0:48:17.839 the prophecy of the pajamas. God has you wrap wrap 0:48:17.880 --> 0:48:21.560 your arms around yourself right there where you are. Yeah, yeah, yeah, God, 0:48:21.600 --> 0:48:24.799 I thank you that you got me covered. I thank 0:48:24.840 --> 0:48:28.240 you for covering my family. I thank you for covering 0:48:28.239 --> 0:48:31.120 my special needs child. I thank you for covering the 0:48:31.160 --> 0:48:33.880 soldier who's overseas and can't be with their family. I 0:48:33.960 --> 0:48:37.640 thank you, Lord, I thank you for covering me as 0:48:37.680 --> 0:48:41.080 I look at an empty seat. I thank you for 0:48:41.120 --> 0:48:43.440 covering me as I wish I could do more for people, 0:48:43.440 --> 0:48:46.400 but I can't right now. I thank you for covering 0:48:46.440 --> 0:48:50.439 those who are waiting for a breakthrough in their emotions. 0:48:50.560 --> 0:48:55.040 I thank you that they're covered even in the cold. 0:48:55.120 --> 0:48:59.880 This Christmas, you said you'll find Jesus wrapped. Thank you 0:49:00.120 --> 0:49:09.000 Jesus for rapping me. Oh come lis. 0:49:10.680 --> 0:49:16.560 Uh, Oh calm. 0:49:17.080 --> 0:49:28.239 Well us, Yeah, sweet sweet scarp have your wedding. 0:49:28.400 --> 0:49:34.160 M Yeah, cried. 0:49:36.760 --> 0:49:40.600 The Lord of All in linen strips. Let's adore him now, 0:49:41.080 --> 0:49:48.520 Oh calm, when you stand in reverence the King of 0:49:48.640 --> 0:50:02.600 Kings come, Oh come, Glory to God in the highest. 0:50:05.400 --> 0:50:17.360 And on earth, peace in your low place. For he alone, 0:50:20.120 --> 0:50:21.320 that's why we glorify. 0:50:28.040 --> 0:50:28.920 Say it again. 0:50:30.200 --> 0:50:43.040 He now on every hand lifted in his presence, say 0:50:43.080 --> 0:51:00.600 we give you all the glory God. 0:51:01.440 --> 0:51:03.600 Thanks for joining us today. We pray that God has 0:51:03.600 --> 0:51:05.960 spoken to you in a unique and powerful way through 0:51:05.960 --> 0:51:08.520 the message. Well we are in our year in offering 0:51:08.600 --> 0:51:10.880 season as a church where we get the opportunity to 0:51:10.960 --> 0:51:13.239 reflect back on all the ways that God has been 0:51:13.280 --> 0:51:16.160 faithful to our ministry this year, but also to look 0:51:16.200 --> 0:51:19.120 ahead at what we're believing God for in the upcoming year. 0:51:19.440 --> 0:51:21.000 And each year as a church, we get to come 0:51:21.040 --> 0:51:24.279 around a special offering and offering that contributes to both 0:51:24.320 --> 0:51:27.439 outreach efforts in local and global cities and as well 0:51:27.480 --> 0:51:30.360 as the expansion of our ministry continuing to reach people 0:51:30.360 --> 0:51:33.000 all over with the hope of the Gospel. And we'd 0:51:33.040 --> 0:51:35.200 invite you to take part and participate in our year 0:51:35.239 --> 0:51:37.720 end offering. To do so, you can go to Elevationchurch 0:51:37.760 --> 0:51:39.759 dot org. Just click the banner there at the top, 0:51:40.000 --> 0:51:41.719 and then you'll be able to see everything that you 0:51:41.800 --> 0:51:43.680 need to be a part of our year end offering. 0:51:43.840 --> 0:51:46.760 You'll see two options. The first is to begin tithing. 0:51:47.080 --> 0:51:49.719 Maybe you've been wanting to prioritize God in your finances, 0:51:49.760 --> 0:51:52.280 but you haven't taken that step to make a commitment 0:51:52.320 --> 0:51:54.399 to doing so. This is a great place to begin. 0:51:54.840 --> 0:51:57.879 Or perhaps you've been giving consistently in this season. God 0:51:57.920 --> 0:52:00.360 may be challenging you to stretch above and on the 0:52:00.440 --> 0:52:03.600 tithe to give a sacrificial gift to our year end offering. 0:52:03.880 --> 0:52:05.840 If you're part of one of our physical locations, you 0:52:05.840 --> 0:52:07.960 can choose your campus there, or if you're part of 0:52:07.960 --> 0:52:11.160 our online ministry, of course you'll choose Epham or online 0:52:11.239 --> 0:52:13.160 and then enter the amount that you'd like to give. 0:52:13.640 --> 0:52:15.360 We are believing for all the ways that God is 0:52:15.400 --> 0:52:17.560 going to stretch our faith in this season through our 0:52:17.600 --> 0:52:19.600 year end offering, and we can't wait to see what 0:52:19.600 --> 0:52:22.000 God does through you. God bless and we'll see you 0:52:22.080 --> 0:52:22.279 soon