Participants:
Series Code: TDYFW
Program Code: TDYFW200035S
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00:02 I want to spend my life
00:08 Mending broken people 00:13 I want to spend my life 00:19 Removing pain 00:24 Lord, let my words 00:30 Heal a heart that hurts 00:35 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:46 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:08 Hello, friends, 01:10 welcome to Family Worship. 01:11 Welcome to Happy Sabbath. 01:13 Right, Honey? Yes. 01:14 Glad to be here and it's the Christmas season. 01:17 That's right. Joy to the world, why? 01:20 The Lord has come. That's right. That's right. 01:22 You can see we try our best to look festive. 01:25 For those of you who want to join us, 01:26 go ahead and put on your festive outfits 01:29 but the good news is, 01:31 the Lord's blessing is available all year long. 01:33 But this is a special season, isn't it, Honey? 01:35 Yeah, Christmas. 01:36 You know, so many people during Christmas time 01:38 are of so much joy and love and happiness, 01:43 but yet there's sometimes sorrow 01:46 because someone's not there. 01:48 The table is empty, you know, 01:50 the chair is empty and no one is not there, 01:52 that special person. 01:54 Especially, 2020 has been a very challenging year 01:56 for all of us, 01:57 so to be able to make it to this time of the year is a... 02:00 Praise the Lord. 02:01 And we don't want you to just stay locked on us, 02:04 we have two very good friends with us, 02:07 that would probably prefer 02:09 to be spending Christmas in Arizona, 02:11 but we decided to get them back over here, 02:13 so they could enjoy the time with us. 02:15 Ron and Donna Baerg. 02:16 Good to have you here, Ron and Donna. 02:18 Thank you. Thank you. 02:19 It's good to be here. Yes, yes. 02:20 Well. 02:22 We're here with family. 02:24 We're here with family and friends. 02:26 Yes. Good, good. 02:27 What would this time of year be like in Arizona? 02:32 With the other family. 02:35 Weather wise. 02:36 Weather wise, it usually 02:38 is probably in the 70s in the day. 02:42 Oh. Well, thanks. 02:43 I'm glad you're in southern Illinois, 02:45 where you get some cold weather. 02:48 It's odd that 02:51 I found that you have to start the day out 02:54 with flannel pajamas. 02:55 That's right. 02:57 Because it's chilly in the mornings. 02:58 They're like the desert. Yeah. 03:01 That's right. 03:02 Yeah, true and you're from here. 03:04 Yeah, right southern Illinois. 03:06 Yeah, Honey. 03:07 Well, we're gonna, we're gonna walk through a special time. 03:11 This is the perfect time of the year 03:12 to remember the story that surrounds the season, 03:16 the gift is salvation. 03:18 We're going to talk about the gift of salvation, 03:19 but we're going to begin 03:21 by walking through the story 03:22 as Matthew, the converted tax collector 03:25 and Dr. Luke brings it to our table. 03:27 Each one of them brings it at a different angle, 03:30 but before we do anything, 03:33 Honey, would you begin with prayer for us today? 03:34 Let's bow our heads. 03:36 Our gracious Heavenly Father, we praise You and honor You. 03:40 Lord, thank You, 03:41 Heavenly Father for sending Jesus. 03:44 Where would we be without our precious Jesus? 03:47 We invite your presence through the Holy Spirit, 03:49 to be in our midst, to lead, bless and guide, 03:53 as we talk about the most precious gift 03:57 that the world has ever received 03:59 our savior, in Jesus' name, amen. 04:03 Amen. 04:04 You know, Ron and Donna, 04:06 there are lot of stories 04:09 that surround the Christmas season 04:11 and many of them are traditional 04:13 rather than scriptural. 04:14 Right. 04:16 And so what we're going to do today is, 04:17 we want to spend a little time 04:19 in kind of calibrating the story, 04:20 making it scriptural rather than just traditional 04:22 because you know, you see, 04:24 I know that it's difficult to put wives, 04:28 men and shepherds together 04:31 but right now, as maybe you drive around 04:32 your neighborhood or your community, 04:34 you know what I like about this time of year, Honey? 04:36 It could be a horrible year. 04:38 It could be the most terrible year 04:39 but when you come to this time of year, 04:41 we can still go to secular stores 04:44 and hear music about Jesus. 04:45 isn't that wonderful? 04:47 Yes Amen. 04:48 Yes, joy to the world and Bethlehem songs, 04:51 it's just beautiful. 04:52 And, Donna, you know, you're from southern Illinois. 04:54 In Walmart, 04:55 they started selling Christmas trees in October 04:58 I don't care, I like looking at them. 05:01 Yes, yes. 05:02 They did. They do it. 05:04 Home depot had Christmas trees before we left. 05:08 That's right. Wow. 05:09 I mean, they had them in October there. 05:11 Okay Yeah. 05:13 So, so people anticipate. 05:15 They're trying to find a reason to still be cheerful 05:18 and be excited. 05:19 But what I want to do is, before we dive into the topic, 05:22 which is in fact about salvation, 05:24 the greatest gift. 05:26 We're going to start by walking 05:28 through some of the components of the story. 05:32 How did this great gift even happen? 05:36 Let's go to Galatians 4:4. 05:37 Let's start there, Galatians 4:4. 05:42 Everything about heaven 05:43 is according to God's time table. 05:48 Everything about the blessing that comes to us 05:49 is according to God's timetable. 05:52 Galatians 4:4 05:54 and let me see, 05:56 I know, where that is but, Honey, do you have that, Ron? 05:59 Galatians 4:4. 06:00 Yes, I do. 06:02 "But when the fullness of time had come, 06:06 God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, 06:10 born under the law." 06:12 Okay, so we see right away 06:14 that there's a time for everything. 06:16 You know, Ecclesiastes says, 06:17 the time for everything and a purpose, 06:19 time and purpose for everything under the sun. 06:21 So while this time of year is a time of celebration. 06:25 And as, I'm glad you brought that out. 06:26 There's some people that 06:27 when we think about the numbers of losses of life, 06:30 in spite of the controversy that surrounds COVID-19, 06:33 there're lot of homes that 06:35 they don't really have 06:36 a whole lot to celebrate this season. 06:37 That's for sure. 06:39 Sad reality. 06:40 What do you think about that, Donna? 06:42 All the people that have 06:43 just come down to the end of the year 06:45 and regardless of age, 06:47 a lot of people succumb to this COVID-19 environment 06:50 and here we are, 06:51 still trying to find a resolution to it. 06:54 I have to say, we are still blessed. 06:57 That's right. Yes, we are. 06:58 We still have hope. 07:00 We have a future in the Lord. 07:03 We have to hold on to that very tight. 07:05 That's right. Amen. 07:07 And anything you want to add to that, Ron? 07:09 Well, no, 07:11 I think, I am so fortunate to know of the gospel 07:18 to know this story. 07:19 Yeah. 07:22 So I had like Donna said, we have hope. 07:26 We have hope that we wouldn't have otherwise. 07:29 Right. 07:30 I think of all the people in India, China, 07:35 the billions of people over there 07:38 that they serve all these millions of idols... 07:45 and their gods, yeah. 07:48 What hope do they have? 07:51 So we are doubly blessed. 07:55 That's right. That's right. 07:56 Beyond measure 07:58 and you spent time in Africa too, 08:00 preaching and all that 08:01 and there's so many people that don't have. 08:04 Absolutely. 08:05 I'm so grateful for what we do have. 08:07 They're hungering for the gospel over there. 08:10 Yes. That's right. 08:12 But now, so we have, when the fullness of time came, 08:15 now, let's go to the mission, what is the mission of Jesus. 08:17 Let's go to Matthew 1:21. All right. 08:19 Look at that, Matthew 1:21. 08:21 Everything is about timing. 08:22 When the fullness of time comes and as you know, 08:25 we live in a world 08:26 where there are 12 months a year. 08:28 The seasons come, the seasons go. 08:30 Whenever the trees start turning colors, 08:34 it's amazing how quickly the year just descends. 08:36 It just slides down a sliding board. 08:38 Have you noticed that? Yeah. 08:39 You get that little nip. 08:41 In southern Illinois, 08:42 we get the mix between warm and cold, 08:43 cold and warm, warm and cold, until all of a sudden one day, 08:46 it's like the warm says I'm done, 08:47 I'm coming back next year. 08:49 And, well, let's look at the mission of Jesus. 08:52 Matthew 1:21. 08:53 What is the mission of the Jesus? 08:55 Okay, Ron just read that. Honey? 08:57 "And she will bring forth a Son 08:59 and you shall call His name Jesus, 09:02 for He will save His people from their sins." 09:06 Okay, okay. 09:08 Not in their sin, right? Say it again. 09:09 Not in their sin, from their sin. 09:13 Okay. Yeah. 09:14 So now we get this. 09:16 We know that the message of the season 09:18 is about salvation. 09:19 Yeah. It's about salvation. 09:21 The mission of Jesus is clearly outlined 09:23 in Matthew 1:2-21 09:25 and in Galatians we read, 09:26 when the fullness of time had come, 09:28 God sent forth His Son. 09:30 Now, let's go to Luke Chapter 1 09:33 and what we're going to do together? 09:34 Donna and Ron, 09:36 you guys can maybe cater-corner your Bible there, 09:38 so you could look at that together. 09:41 Okay. 09:42 Luke Chapter 1, 09:43 we're going to walk through an amazing story, 09:45 because a lot of times people, 09:47 when we read the story in the Bible we say, 09:50 wow! Praise the Lord. 09:51 Thank you Jesus. 09:53 But when you go through the details of it, 09:56 it'd be very difficult 09:58 if a teenager showed up in your family, 10:00 Donna, claiming to be pregnant and she's not married yet 10:04 and a virgin and claimed that the Holy Spirit did that. 10:07 I mean, quite a different story. 10:08 Yes. What do you think? 10:10 Yeah, it is. 10:14 Yeah. 10:15 I can't imagine what Joseph must have thought. 10:19 Well, and she herself, 10:21 of course, the angel assured her. 10:25 But what about my neighbors, what about my betrothed, 10:31 you know, my fiance? 10:34 Yeah, yeah. 10:36 Yeah. What about him? 10:37 She had to have had a relationship with God 10:40 in such a way that she handled it. 10:43 Yes, yes. 10:44 But I think very close relationship. 10:46 So there are a number of stories 10:47 intermingled into this 10:49 and I know, if you have your Bibles, 10:50 then I want you to follow along with this. 10:52 In Luke Chapter 1, there are a number of stories. 10:53 It's Elizabeth and Zachariah. 10:56 There's Mary and Joseph. 10:58 And then you find 10:59 as one is praying for the Lord's blessing. 11:02 The blessing comes, she goes away. 11:06 So let's start in verse 24. 11:10 In verse 24. 11:12 Okay? Luke Chapter? 11:14 Luke 1:24. 11:16 You have that, Donna? 11:17 Yeah. Okay. 11:18 "Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived 11:22 and she hid herself five months saying..." 11:25 Verse 25. 11:27 "Thus, the Lord has dealt with me, 11:29 in the days when he looked on me, 11:31 to take away my reproach from among people." 11:34 Okay, so the Lord granted her a blessing 11:39 and Elizabeth was not young. 11:43 She was not young 11:46 but now we have the transitional verse. 11:48 Verse 26, Honey, so that's the context of it. 11:52 The Lord blessed Elizabeth. 11:54 Now, we have the next component in the story. 11:57 Look at verse 26. 11:58 Honey, you start there. 12:00 "Now, in the sixth month, 12:02 the angel Gabriel was sent by God, 12:05 to a city of Galilee named Nazareth." 12:07 Keep going. 12:09 Okay, 12:10 "To a virgin betrothed to a man, 12:12 whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. 12:15 The virgin's name was Mary." 12:17 Okay, so the Lord now, 12:19 having blessed Elizabeth 12:21 because they're praying for a child. 12:23 The Lord blesses Elizabeth, she goes and hides. 12:27 She left home. She's hiding. 12:29 Now, the angel continues his trek. 12:32 And when you follow the story, 12:34 it clearly makes it known that this is the same angel. 12:37 You go to verse 19, 12:39 you see the angel answered and said to him, 12:43 I am Gabriel. 12:44 He's talking to Zachariah, I am Gabriel. 12:46 Wow. 12:47 Now after he starts the journey in the life of Elizabeth, 12:53 he now carries the journey to the next step. 12:56 Where does he go? 12:58 He goes to the house of a young girl who's a virgin, 13:00 whose name is Mary. 13:02 And you want to read verse 28, Ron, and verse 29? 13:09 "And having come in, the angel said to her, 13:12 'Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you. 13:17 Blessed are you among women.' 13:20 But when she saw him, 13:21 she was troubled at his saying 13:24 and considered 13:25 what manner of greeting this was?'" 13:29 Okay, let's stop, 13:30 let's pause and break this down 13:31 because I'll be honest with you. 13:33 If young lady, 13:34 I know there's some young person watching. 13:36 If young lady, you wake up in the morning 13:37 and somebody shows up in your room, 13:39 no doors open, no windows open, 13:43 and all of a sudden, 13:44 you get a greeting from an angel. 13:45 You find, what does it say in the end of that verse? 13:48 What did she say in the end of that verse? 13:50 It said, 13:51 "What matter of greeting was this?" 13:53 Yes. 13:55 What kind of greeting, huh? 13:57 We could put this, nowadays, 13:58 young ladies texting and all of a sudden, 14:00 there's a glow in the room and an angel says, 14:03 "Hello, highly favored one." 14:06 What is going on? 14:08 You see, this is a miracle surrounding the birth of Jesus. 14:10 It is. 14:12 There's a miracle surrounding the story of salvation. 14:14 And so often, we just talk about salvation 14:16 but I like, in this season it's a perfect time 14:18 to talk about the miracle of the season. 14:20 In other words, she's saying, what's going on? 14:24 What's going on? 14:25 So what's her reaction, Donna? 14:27 Go to verse 30. 14:28 Okay. Verse 30. 14:30 "Then the angel said to her, 14:35 'Do not be afraid, Mary, 14:38 for you have found favor with God 14:41 and behold, 14:43 you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son 14:46 and shall call His name Jesus.'" 14:49 Okay, that seems pretty directed to the point 14:51 but remember, what are you thinking, Honey? 14:53 You found favor with God. 14:56 Isn't that beautiful to find favor with God? 15:00 Amen. 15:01 I'm like, oh, my heart just filled with joy 15:05 to know that I could have favor with God. 15:09 She did what was pleasing in his sight. 15:11 What do you think, Donna, as a woman? 15:13 You couldn't ask for anything more than that. 15:16 You really couldn't. 15:18 I was thinking earlier, she had to stand alone in this, 15:24 but she had the memory of the angel. 15:26 Did she forget what that angel looked like? 15:28 No. No. 15:30 Did she remember the moment? 15:31 Yes, and she had to carry, 15:34 as the word says 15:36 and I think she pondered and pondered 15:38 and pondered it in her heart. 15:41 That's a very good point. Yeah. 15:43 Ron, you want to add to that? 15:44 Because now as Donna was saying, 15:46 when the angel left, 15:47 she was the only one that saw him. 15:49 She kept it in her heart, 15:51 but what kind of consolation is that, 15:53 because now you have to go and explain 15:54 what just happened. 15:55 That's tough. 15:57 It would be mixed feelings. 15:59 I would think because here, she is, she's thinking, 16:04 I'm highly favored with God, 16:05 amongst the whole nation of Israel. 16:09 This little country girl here, 16:12 you know, from this little town up here, 16:16 and yet I've got the honor of Jesus 16:22 is going to be born to me. 16:26 In my womb. 16:28 So, but then, how about everybody? 16:33 What are they gonna say? Yeah. 16:35 I don't know that 16:37 she really thought a lot about that. 16:38 She said, 16:40 "My soul praises the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God." 16:43 That's right. 16:44 She embraced the moment. 16:46 She did. 16:48 Yeah, so when you think about this as a woman 16:51 which said to me when I read the story. 16:53 When the Lord is about to turn your life upside down, 16:55 He doesn't ask for your permission. 16:56 That's right. 16:57 But you just have to explain it. 16:59 You know, one thing about the gift of salvation, 17:01 it turns our lives inside out. 17:03 It doesn't, it doesn't. 17:04 It finds us in one condition, 17:07 introduces us to another condition. 17:09 Now it's up to us to figure out what just happened? 17:11 What do we tell people now? 17:13 Say it. Okay, so let's go on. 17:15 Keep going in the story because I want to. 17:17 We're gonna tie into this beautiful aspect 17:19 and then we're going to bring Elizabeth into the story. 17:21 And find out what happened with Joseph there too. 17:24 Okay, so you read verse 31, Donna, am I correct? 17:27 Yes. 17:28 Verse 32 and 33, Ron. 17:32 "He will be the great, 17:34 he will be great 17:35 and will be called the Son of the highest, 17:38 and the Lord God will give Him the throne of his Father David 17:43 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever 17:47 and His kingdom 17:48 there will be no end." 17:50 Wow. 17:52 You know, you have that voice, Ron, 17:53 that, you know, that Bible reading voice, 17:54 doesn't he? 17:56 It sounds like... 17:57 What do you think of that, Ron? 17:59 Beautiful voice, yes. 18:01 Well, this was a promise that they had been looking for, 18:07 for all these years, 18:08 actually for 4000 years. 18:10 And all of a sudden, here it was, here it was. 18:14 Wow. 18:15 Finally. 18:17 And He's going to reign over the house 18:19 of Jacob forever. 18:21 I know. 18:23 The house of David. That's right. 18:25 The kingdom of David, 18:26 so what a blessing, what a blessing, 18:30 you know, they... 18:32 She had to be, 18:34 yes, at that time forget everything else. 18:40 This is a blessing that... 18:42 And no one else could really embrace 18:44 but her as Donna was pointing out. 18:47 She's getting all this information now. 18:49 She has to communicate it. 18:50 But I want to bring the biology back into the story. 18:53 Go ahead. Okay. 18:54 Let's bring the biology back. 18:56 Who's the next, is it you, Honey? 18:57 We're gonna go round table. 18:58 This is important. 19:00 The biology is starting in verse 34 and 35. 19:02 Now, let's talk. 19:03 What do I mean by the biology? 19:05 Because up until this point, she's a young girl. 19:07 She's introduced as Mary. 19:09 She's a virgin. She is engaged. 19:13 She's not yet married 19:15 but there's the biological aspect of it. 19:17 Honey, verse 34 and 35. 19:20 "Then Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, 19:26 since I do not know a man?" 19:29 And the angel answered and said to her, 19:31 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you 19:35 and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. 19:40 Therefore, also that Holy One who is to be born 19:44 will be called the Son of God." 19:47 Hmm. 19:49 Okay, but now... 19:52 How do you handle that? 19:54 Well, he's saying to her, get ready, 19:59 something's going to happen 20:01 That's right. 20:03 She had to put her trust in that. 20:04 Yeah. And she did. 20:07 I don't know when you hear from God 20:09 and you know it's God, 20:11 you're just going to do it. 20:13 You've got to trust Him. 20:14 That's right. 20:15 I'm thinking as a woman, you know. 20:17 Well. 20:19 This is how we started getting together. 20:21 Was God just made a statement to me one day 20:24 and said, get ready. 20:26 That's right. 20:27 And you're going to a wedding and before you married Ron. 20:31 Well, I pondered it for a year and then all of a sudden, 20:35 things started happening and we met 20:37 and, Angie, you know the whole story. 20:39 I know the whole story because we put them together. 20:44 The Lord used me and my husband to make a match 20:48 and we met on the trip to the Holy Land, 20:50 the Bible Land. 20:51 During what time of the year? 20:53 Christmas. Okay, so. 20:54 We spent Christmas day in Bethlehem. 20:56 Absolutely, yes. 20:58 Now, that's the reason why we have you on the program 21:00 because they are the Christmas gift 21:01 to each other. 21:04 And I thought. 21:05 It was a beautiful match that the Lord put together. 21:08 That's right. But I honestly tell you. 21:10 Both were widowed. 21:11 Yeah, both of us widowed 21:12 and we neither one of us had a clue 21:14 that this was going to happen 21:16 but one year before it happened, 21:18 he let me, God had me ponder this in my heart. 21:21 God, was that you? 21:23 Oh. 21:24 I'm thinking it is because, you know, 21:27 and, but I didn't expect it to happen, 21:30 but still get pondering. 21:33 And so your question is, how can this thing be? 21:36 Yeah. 21:37 I do not know a man right now. 21:39 What man are you talking about? 21:42 And, Ron, remember, it's like we took to Ron... 21:44 Yes, on the trip to Jerusalem. 21:47 In the Holy Land. The Bible Land. 21:48 You know, we found a holy man in the Holy Land. 21:50 Yes. 21:51 And we took Ron and we had dinner together. 21:53 Yes. 21:54 We would say, hey Ron, what are you doing, 21:55 come and sit with us. 21:57 I just zeroed on Ron. Yeah. 22:00 And then one day Angie said to me, 22:03 "I know exactly who he will be good for." 22:06 And I said, "Who?" 22:08 She said, "Donna." 22:10 I don't think 22:12 Donna's thinking about marriage right now. 22:14 You weren't, were you? No, no. 22:16 And when she mentioned that to Ron, 22:18 I think you kind of alluded to some degree 22:20 to Ron and I said. 22:22 What'd you say? 22:23 I said, "Angie, I'm doing just fine." 22:28 You were single in Arizona. Right. 22:30 And the Lord just made 22:32 a godly connection with you two. 22:34 That's right. It's beautiful. 22:36 So for those, so for both of them, 22:38 the question which Ron had 22:39 and Donna had was, how can this be? 22:40 Both of them. 22:44 But I didn't ponder on the how can this be as much as, 22:47 God how are you going to do this? 22:49 What's going to happen? 22:50 Because I didn't want to not trust Him 22:54 and I didn't want to slap His hand, 22:56 if He wanted to bless me. 22:57 So here Mary is. 22:59 She's getting ready to bring the greatest blessing 23:02 this world has ever seen, 23:04 the one we need desperately 23:06 So, yeah, He put it in her heart. 23:09 She pondered it. She was good with it. 23:12 And it also adds another component to the story, 23:14 which I mean years ago, 23:17 I preached this in a sermon 23:18 but I titled and Angie know it. 23:21 I titled it, Mary had a baby, 23:25 but it took me many years to realize, 23:28 that wasn't the case. 23:30 A baby had Mary. 23:33 A baby had Mary. 23:35 Now the reason I said this is because when right away 23:38 what we're seeing in the story already is, 23:40 when the Lord comes into your life, 23:42 He completely comes in and transforms everything 23:46 that you thought was normal. 23:47 Right. 23:49 He comes in and says, okay, 23:50 and here's a story of salvation. 23:53 Salvation cannot happen 23:54 without the introduction of the Holy Spirit. 23:56 Absolutely. Amen. Yes. 23:58 That's what the Bible said, 23:59 "That which is born in you is of the Holy Spirit." 24:01 This is the story of salvation. 24:03 The Holy Spirit has to plant a seed of righteousness in us 24:07 and that righteousness has to start 24:09 a transformation process 24:10 which to many people, just as this case is to Mary, 24:14 you cannot explain it. 24:15 Right. It's hard to explain. 24:18 And we'll talk about the unexplainable part 24:20 a little bit here. 24:21 It's hard to explain, 24:22 but right away in this one-to-one conversation 24:25 she's stuck, but I want to now swivel. 24:28 You want to say something, Ron, before we swivel? 24:32 Well, she's receiving this great blessing. 24:38 Yeah. 24:39 Like you say the Holy Spirit said, 24:41 the Holy Spirit will come upon you. 24:43 I had never really considered 24:49 until what you just said now, Pastor, 24:52 that without the Holy Spirit, 24:54 yes, we, I knew that, 24:56 but I hadn't really considered the significance. 25:01 The Holy Spirit is such an important, 25:06 I don't want to say character, 25:09 such an important figure part of the Godhead. 25:13 Oh, yeah. That's right. 25:15 He is with us all the time. 25:19 That's right. 25:20 He is with and yet he's with everybody. 25:24 He's with my friend Peter over there in Africa right now. 25:29 Exactly, He's everywhere. 25:31 And He has the character that is so beautiful, 25:33 we can talk to Him anytime we want. 25:35 That's right. 25:36 Any time that you want, you can go directly to Him. 25:40 That's right. 25:42 He's alive and well. 25:43 I know that's kind of getting off of the story, 25:46 but He was so important, 25:49 He was an important part of the event 25:54 then, and He can be important. 25:56 He's a very important part of our lives every day now. 26:00 Amen. 26:02 So let's add another component to this 26:03 because the Holy Spirit is working in Mary 26:06 to introduce Jesus. 26:07 Yes. 26:08 Okay, so let's see... 26:10 So let's see some. Let's go to John. 26:11 Keep your page, if you're following us, 26:13 keep it right here, 26:15 but I want you to see something significant. 26:16 Let's go to John Chapter 16. 26:19 We're gonna come back here in a moment. Okay? 26:22 I want you to see something. 26:25 And this is so vitally important, 26:27 John Chapter 16. 26:29 That's why I like my Bible, okay. 26:32 Okay. 26:34 Okay, John Chapter 16. 26:36 I'll read this one, verse 13. Yes. Go ahead. 26:38 It says, "However, when he, the Spirit of truth has come, 26:43 he came to Mary, 26:44 he will guide you into all truth," 26:48 and watch this, 26:49 "for he will not speak on his own authority, 26:52 but whatever he hears, 26:54 he will speak 26:55 and he will tell you things to come." 26:57 But look at what he came to do. 26:58 Look at verse 41. 27:00 He will glorify me. 27:01 Forty one? Verse 14, sorry. 27:04 "He will glorify me, 27:06 for he will take of what is mine 27:08 and declare it to you." 27:09 So who did the Holy Spirit come to Mary to glorify? 27:12 Jesus. 27:14 Glorify God. 27:16 Jesus. Jesus, isn't it? 27:18 yeah, Jesus. 27:19 Because this is Jesus speaking. The Son of God. 27:21 That's right. 27:22 Jesus is saying, 27:23 the Holy Spirit's work is to glorify Me, 27:25 so he comes to Mary now and he tells her, 27:26 going back to Luke Chapter 1. 27:28 "The one that's going to be born in her, 27:29 is the Son of the Highest, call His name Jesus." 27:32 Matthew 1:21, "Call His name Jesus." 27:35 That's what His name is going to be. 27:36 And Jesus says, 27:37 "When the Holy Spirit comes, 27:39 his job is to glorify Christ, not to glorify himself." 27:42 So we don't glorify the Holy Spirit, 27:44 the Holy Spirit leads us to glorify the Father. 27:47 But now, let's transition back into the story 27:50 because we have Mary now in a predicament. 27:52 She's engaged... 27:53 To glorify the Son. 27:55 She's engaged, say it again. 27:56 Glorify the Son, Jesus. 27:58 She has to glorify the Son in her life. 28:01 Yes. 28:02 But the problem now that she's faced with is, 28:05 how do I tell my husband? 28:09 And what am I going to do now? 28:10 Let's get back to the biological part of it. 28:12 We've never had children. Right. 28:14 But it's probably not too late for Abraham and Sarah. 28:17 But this is Angela and I'm John, 28:19 so I think it's probably too late. 28:21 But let's add this component. 28:25 You may remember, in the story, 28:26 that the Lord visited Elizabeth first 28:30 and Elizabeth decided to get out of town. 28:33 She went away. Yeah. 28:34 Let's look at what happens now. She's now an older lady. 28:36 And what you're going to see now is, 28:37 I'll bring the instrument of the story out afterwards. 28:39 So, Donna, now, what I'd like you to do is, 28:42 go to verse 36 and verse 37 28:49 of Luke Chapter 1. 28:50 Oh 36 and 37? 28:52 Yes. Yes. Okay. 28:54 Remember that. Remember Mary is... 28:56 The Holy Spirit overshadowed her. 28:59 The process is starting. 29:00 Jesus is being born in her and she's in a predicament. 29:02 What does she do? 29:04 Verse 36. 29:05 "Now indeed 29:07 Elizabeth, your relative has also conceived a son, 29:09 in her old age and this is, 29:12 well, in her old age 29:13 and this is now the sixth month for her, 29:16 who was called barren, 29:19 for with God nothing will be impossible." 29:22 Okay. 29:23 Isn't that wonderful? Wow. 29:24 Honey, did you hear that? 29:26 Honey, it's impossible... 29:27 Well, 29:29 right now the well is dried 29:32 We might have a Christmas gift. 29:34 I don't think so 29:36 Yes, Sarah laughed. 29:38 Oh, yeah, Sarah did laugh. 29:40 She did laugh, 29:42 but the Lord is saying to her, the angel is saying to Mary. 29:45 Now, this happened to Elizabeth in her old age. 29:49 Now, it's happened to you in your young age 29:51 and so just when it seemed difficult. 29:53 Probably menopause, right, Donna? 29:55 Yeah, probably. 29:57 The neighbors are talking, so she's left town. 29:59 Whatever happened to your wife, Zachariah? 30:02 She hasn't even texted me. 30:04 And I can't say a word. I hadn't been informed. 30:07 I don't know where she is. 30:09 But now something's going to happen 30:11 because here's what I want to bring out 30:13 and we're going to just go to this. 30:14 Read verse 38, Donna. 30:16 Just add that into it, 30:18 then I'm going to go to the next now. 30:19 Okay, verse 38. 30:22 "Then Mary said, 'Behold the maidservant of the Lord! 30:25 Let it be to me, according to your word, ' 30:28 and the angel departed from her.'" 30:30 Oh, wow. 30:32 You know, Ron, 30:33 what if we had 30:35 the willing heart that Mary had? 30:36 I know. 30:37 What three words did she say, let it be. 30:40 Let it be. Let it be. Let it be. 30:42 You know, there's a song years ago, 30:43 the Beatles wrote a song 30:45 and I did a sermon years ago called, 30:47 let it be. 30:48 But when your life is being turned inside out 30:51 by the Holy Spirit, 30:52 and you don't have anything to explain, 30:53 you can't explain it, 30:55 you don't know what's going on except for the fact that 30:56 this is a spiritual process. 30:59 Sometimes, my brethren, 31:00 you have to just surrender and say, 31:02 I don't know how this is going to happen 31:03 but let it be. 31:05 Let it be, the Lord knows. 31:06 According to your word. 31:07 According to your word. 31:10 She has a saying that she's adopted it. 31:15 Whenever comes on a situation like, you know, 31:19 that we can't explain, so be it. 31:22 So be it. 31:24 I've heard Donna say that before. 31:26 So be it. I have too. 31:27 Okay, Sarah, Sarah, whatever will be, will be. 31:32 The old timers know that one, right? 31:34 Whatever will be will be. 31:36 I like... Go ahead, Ron. 31:37 Pardon me, but I like the part she said, 31:41 behold the maidservant of the Lord. 31:44 That's right. 31:45 Of the Lord, 31:47 she had completely surrendered herself 31:49 to God in this situation, 31:53 so it was no problem and the angel, he left. 31:57 That's right. 31:58 I like that you brought that out 32:00 because that's interesting, 32:01 when you surrender yourself to the Lord, 32:02 then the only thing you could do 32:04 after that is, let it be. 32:05 Don't worry about the details. 32:07 So many of us miss the gift 32:08 and the blessing that God has in store, 32:10 because you're trying to figure, 32:12 okay, Lord so give me the... 32:13 How's this going to happen? 32:15 What am I supposed to do? 32:17 She says look, behold the maidservant of the Lord. 32:19 I'm yours Lord. 32:21 Just let it be according 32:22 and I like that you brought that out. 32:24 According to what, Donna? 32:25 Well, what I say, according to your word 32:27 That's right. 32:29 Not according to our word, but according to God's word. 32:32 That was the first now in the story. 32:34 Honey, I want you to go now to the next now. 32:36 Okay. 32:38 To the next now, verse 39. 32:39 "Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country 32:44 with haste to a city of Judah 32:48 and entered the house of Zacharias 32:50 and greeted Elizabeth." 32:52 Keep going. 32:53 "And it happened, 32:54 when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, 32:56 that the babe leaped in her womb. 33:00 Wow, 33:01 and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit." 33:05 Wow, notice this now Holy Spirit's busy. 33:07 He comes, he visits Mary, 33:09 but verily he visits, the angel visits Elizabeth, 33:13 then the Holy Spirit visits Mary, 33:16 then the Holy Spirit visits Elizabeth, 33:19 when Mary visits Elizabeth. 33:21 You get the point? 33:23 Now quite a lot of visiting, but the Lord is in charge here. 33:27 And this is the whole beautiful thing about it. 33:29 What do we get out of that, ladies? 33:30 I'm gonna see if you can pull this out. 33:32 What do we get? 33:33 We have Mary, the young lady. 33:34 We have Elizabeth, the older person 33:36 and they're both in the same predicament. 33:38 What happens? 33:40 Show me the goodness of God in this. 33:42 I'm not going to take too long to draw this out. 33:44 Comrades. 33:45 Say it again. Comrades. 33:47 That's right. 33:48 When you're going through stuff, 33:49 God leads you to people 33:51 that are going through the same stuff. 33:53 This is good. Isn't that wonderful? 33:55 Close buds. 33:57 Yeah, both of them in a predicament. 33:58 One is older, one is a young probably a teenager. 34:02 What do we do now? 34:03 And I could imagine, Ron, Elizabeth probably said, 34:06 good to see you. 34:08 I've been up here for five months 34:11 because it said that 34:12 when she went there, when she went there, it was, 34:17 it was talked about how long that Elizabeth had been there. 34:20 Elizabeth had been there. 34:22 With haste, Mary got there quick. 34:24 She hurried. 34:25 Verse 39 says, she went with haste. 34:26 She got out of town. 34:28 No forwarding address, no notices, 34:31 no stickies on the refrigerator. 34:33 She just left and she went to Elizabeth. 34:37 But now, let's see what happened because... 34:39 The babe just leaped. 34:40 And why do you think the babe leaped? 34:42 Because it was Jesus. 34:44 John the Baptist was in her tummy, right? 34:46 That's right. 34:47 The babe leaped it says in verse 41. 34:51 Yeah, and she, but it also said, 34:53 "she was filled with the Holy Spirit 34:55 at that moment." 34:57 So she just, she got right in with what God wanted. 35:00 Amen. 35:02 And what he was wanting to show her, yeah. 35:03 That's right. 35:04 And, Ron, what did she say to her? 35:06 Look at verse 42. 35:07 Then she spoke, yeah, it said, 35:10 "Spoke with a loud voice and said, 35:12 'Blessed are you among women 35:14 and blessed is the fruit of your womb.'" 35:17 Okay, and add verse 43. 35:22 "But why is this granted to me, 35:25 that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" 35:29 And I think you can't miss verse 44. 35:30 No, keep going. 35:33 "For indeed, 35:34 as soon as the voice of your greeting 35:36 sounded in my ears, 35:38 the babe leaped in my womb for joy." 35:42 Something that only God can do. Yep. 35:44 Okay, because how Elizabeth is now along in, 35:49 she's approaching six months. 35:52 Baby's kicking, right? 35:53 Baby is kicking. Oh, yeah. 35:54 Baby is kicking. 35:56 She's approaching six months but we have to find out 35:57 what's happening during that time. 35:59 All right? 36:00 And now this is the part that you just alluded to, Donna, 36:04 and since you alluded to it, 36:06 maybe I should have you read it, 36:08 verse 46. Okay. 36:11 "And Mary said: 36:14 'My soul magnifies the Lord 36:16 and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 36:20 For He has regarded 36:22 the lowly state of His maidservant, 36:24 for behold, henceforth all generations 36:27 will call me blessed. 36:29 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, 36:33 and holy is His name. 36:35 And His mercy is on those who fear Him 36:39 from generation to generation.'" 36:42 Wow. Keep going? 36:44 Keep going, the testimony. 36:45 Okay. 36:46 "He has shown strength with His arm, 36:49 He has scattered the proud 36:50 in the imagination of their hearts. 36:53 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, 36:55 and exalted the lowly. 36:57 He has filled the hungry with good things, 37:00 and the rich He has sent away empty. 37:03 He has helped His servant Israel, 37:05 in remembrance of His mercy. 37:07 As He spoke to our fathers, Abraham and his seed forever." 37:12 Okay, okay, he spoke to his father Abraham 37:15 and his seed forever. 37:17 Now, we all know 37:19 in order for there to be a birth, 37:20 there has to be a seed, 37:23 and the Spirit of God planted the seed 37:26 one in Elizabeth, the other one in Mary, 37:29 and this miracle began to transpire. 37:32 And what's happening here though is, 37:34 the thing that's so vitally important 37:35 that we have to grab 37:36 because Mary is listening to the testimony. 37:42 Mary is testifying to what's taking place in her. 37:45 She's not talking about somebody out there somewhere. 37:49 She's saying the child that's in me has done all this. 37:53 She is testifying to his pre-existence. 37:57 This is what you have to grab here. 37:58 She says, my soul magnifies the Lord 38:02 and my spirit has rejoiced in God, my Savior. 38:06 Who is that? 38:08 The Christ being born in her. 38:10 She's testifying to His pre-existing, 38:12 His existence. 38:14 She's testifying to what had taken place prior to that. 38:17 So this testimony is, 38:18 I'm amazed that God will so condescend 38:21 and fill me that way. 38:23 For thousands of years, 38:24 they have looked for this Jesus, right? 38:26 That's right. And she got an honor. 38:29 They looked for a king. 38:31 But they were looking for a king not as babe, right? 38:33 They were looking for a grown man. 38:34 Yeah, to come back. Yeah. 38:36 Okay, Ron? 38:37 Could I take a little side trip here? 38:39 Yes, take it. You go and take a side trip. 38:41 Go back up here, to where the babe, 38:44 where John, 38:46 because it was John the Baptist. 38:47 Yes, it was. 38:50 He was six months along. Yes. 38:53 I heard this, 38:54 we've all heard probably the story 38:56 about Jennifer LaMountain told about the boy's, 39:03 little boy singing to his sister 39:06 when she was in the womb 39:09 and she wasn't breathing after she was born 39:14 and they dressed him up 39:16 to say goodbye to her in the nursery 39:20 because she was dying. 39:21 He went in and started singing to her. 39:23 You're my sunshine, he was singing. 39:25 And she had heard that before in the womb. 39:30 Now, people talk about, 39:32 well, it's not a baby or it's not a human. 39:36 Right. Oh, yes. 39:37 You know, right there, this is God's saying. 39:41 That's right. He is a human being. 39:45 He knew what was going on. 39:47 He heard the voice of the mother there 39:50 and the Holy Spirit was with him. 39:53 People do not ever think that a child is not a person 39:57 until they're born. 39:59 Thank you, Ron. 40:00 Well said, well said. 40:02 Donna? 40:03 I wanna just go on this little side thing there. 40:08 When a baby is conceived, 40:12 God's thought is not how they were conceived, 40:15 His thought is, will this one serve Me? 40:18 That's right. 40:19 Will this one serve Me? 40:23 So there's value. 40:25 He doesn't see it as though 40:26 it's not conceived in a full-fledged marriage 40:31 or anything like that. 40:33 Of course, He wants it that way. 40:34 That's right. 40:35 Because there's strength in marriage and all that, 40:38 but when they're not born in the most perfect way, 40:42 well, this seed, 40:44 will this seed grow up and serve Me. 40:46 Wow, that's my story. 40:47 That's your story. 40:48 Because my mom and dad were not married, 40:50 when I was conceived. 40:51 My mom and dad never got married. 40:53 They met long enough just to conceive me 40:55 and I'm so, so glad you just said that, 40:57 will this seed grow up to serve Me? 40:59 You know there's a term that Angie knows. 41:02 Go ahead and say it. 41:03 It's fitting right now. 41:04 But if it's right now, 41:06 there's a term that society has used 41:07 to delegitimize the worth of a child. 41:11 You know, first of all on the medical side, 41:13 some people call it an embryo. 41:16 Oh, this is the birth of a precious child. 41:19 There's a seed that can grow up to be a beautiful babe. 41:24 From the time the conception takes place, 41:26 that's a life that God puts great value on. 41:29 And I thank the Lord, 41:30 when my mom and dad conceived me, 41:32 they were not married. 41:33 They met long enough 41:35 just I don't know how long they dated. 41:36 They never told me, 41:38 but they never got married and they conceived me 41:39 and my mom as a young girl 41:42 gave me life and left me in the city of New York. 41:45 She left me in the home 41:46 of a Christian of a Seventh-day Adventist Christian lady. 41:49 Amen. 41:50 You were not illegitimate 41:51 And the point I want to bring out. 41:53 Yes, Honey, there's a term that the society uses, 41:55 they call them illegitimate child. 41:59 Let me tell you something. 42:00 I'm glad that the world is listening. 42:02 Let's do our part to change that phrase. 42:04 The child is not illegitimate, the parents are illegitimate. 42:07 Right. 42:08 The child didn't do anything. Nothing. 42:10 Absolutely. Right, Ron? 42:11 Right, Donna? 42:13 The child is not guilty of anything. 42:14 That doesn't come out saying 42:17 is that why they hid it when it comes out 42:18 because it did something wrong. 42:20 But the child is not illegitimate. 42:22 The child is born the way 42:23 that God intended for that child to happen. 42:26 Right. Nature took its course. 42:27 Say it again. Nature took its course. 42:29 So, I'm not an illegitimate child 42:31 and neither is any child born out of wedlock 42:33 because God can take a seemingly 42:35 like the text said here, 42:37 for with God nothing is impossible. 42:40 So the question, Donna, that's powerful. 42:41 Will this child serve Me? 42:43 Yeah. 42:45 And praise God, I look at my humble beginning 42:47 and here I am today 42:49 growing and serving the Lord, in spite of how my story began. 42:52 Praise God. 42:53 It's going to get better though. 42:55 Yeah. It's going to get better. 42:57 Okay, now you just read that. 42:58 Honey, verse 56 and verse 57. 43:02 What a powerful story. 43:05 "And Mary remained with her about three months 43:08 and returned to her house." 43:10 Okay, in verse 57. 43:12 "Now, Elizabeth full, 43:13 Elizabeth's full time came for her to be delivered 43:18 and she brought forth a son." 43:20 Okay, now this is something, I want to take off on, 43:22 because we have a little time, 43:24 I'm gonna start building on this. 43:25 Okay. 43:27 Ladies, you all know. 43:29 Donna, you had children. 43:31 Yeah. 43:32 What happens when you get to three months? 43:34 You start showing it. 43:37 Say it again. 43:38 You start showing it. Okay. 43:41 So what? Okay. 43:44 Now, we've got to pack this beautifully. 43:46 So, this child, this hidden child, 43:48 this baby Jesus, 43:50 He was hidden from society. 43:52 He was hidden from Joseph. 43:55 He was hidden from Mary's family. 43:58 All this hiding is taking place 44:01 and then three months come 44:06 and now she can't hide Jesus anymore. 44:10 Yeah, okay and I want to build on that, brethren, 44:12 because when Jesus comes into your life, 44:14 you may try to, if he, 44:17 I got to get out of the preaching mode 44:18 and start it. 44:19 All right. Go ahead. 44:21 If Jesus is being born in you, there's going to come a time, 44:25 when it's going to be impossible to hide Him 44:29 because as I said a moment ago, 44:33 because the baby, Donna, 44:34 you said the baby is starting to change you. 44:37 Just tell me briefly because you've been a mom. 44:39 You've had children. 44:41 Is it possible to keep eating the same way you did 44:47 when you're pregnant? 44:48 Have you experienced any eating changes? 44:50 'Cause I hear some weird stories. 44:52 Did you ever go through any of that? 44:53 Yeah, I liked certain things that weren't. 44:57 I wasn't that crazy about before, yeah. 44:59 Okay, so the baby started changing the way you ate? 45:03 Yeah. Okay. 45:04 Yeah. Okay. 45:05 Now, Ron, I didn't forget you. 45:07 Okay, so did you eat a lot more after you got pregnant? 45:12 I slept a lot. 45:14 Okay. Or said just resting well. 45:16 Okay. And you eat a lot. 45:18 I ate a lot and my grandma told me, 45:21 she didn't even know I was expecting and she said, 45:24 you're expecting, there's a glow about you. 45:26 Oh. 45:28 Okay, Donna. 45:29 You are, the Holy Spirit's leading, Honey. 45:32 Okay, the Holy Spirit's leading. 45:33 Now you know what I'm going to say, right? 45:35 I do, say it. 45:36 Brethren, when the Holy Spirit is being born in you, 45:39 it's impossible to hide the glow. 45:41 That's why Jesus said, 45:43 "Let your light so shine before men." 45:45 You cannot say that Jesus is being born in you, 45:48 if there's no glow. 45:50 Ron, come on, help me out. 45:53 Shouldn't there be an external difference 45:55 when there's an internal change taking place? 45:58 There should be but there isn't, 46:00 you know, it's wonderful when you're. 46:04 My former wife. Yeah. 46:06 We've had two children 46:09 and I don't think she had to tell me 46:15 that we were expecting 46:18 because there was something about her changed. 46:22 You know, and I could see it. 46:24 You know when man and woman 46:27 are intimate together, 46:30 you can tell when there's a change. 46:33 Hopefully, it'll be good. 46:34 Well, this was always just both times it was. 46:38 It was great. 46:40 That's right so, so this, 46:42 so let's go back and the points you made 46:44 because Angie knows where this is headed. 46:46 Donna's given us the ammunition. 46:47 Yeah, she did. There's a glow. 46:49 Yeah. 46:50 Also, not only is there a glow, 46:51 not only is your light shining 46:53 because Jesus is the light of the world. 46:55 It's impossible to have the light of the world 46:57 on the inside 46:58 and not the light of the world 47:00 and the light of the world not shining on the outside. 47:02 There's something else, you mentioned 47:03 and you talked about the eating part. 47:05 What happens when a woman is pregnant, 47:06 they do what? 47:07 Eat abundantly. And... 47:09 Regularly. 47:10 They eat abundantly and regularly. 47:11 Now, let me ask you a question as a mom. 47:13 Why do you eat, 47:14 why do you not stop eating 47:16 when you have weight? 47:18 Why do you not stop eating when you're pregnant? 47:20 Why do you keep eating? 47:21 You've got more than one eating. 47:24 You have more than one person eating 47:26 Okay, so is the babe, 47:28 does the baby have anything to do 47:30 with you continuing to eat? 47:32 Yeah. It's everything. 47:35 Yeah, it takes away from you. 47:37 You're getting nutrition, right? 47:39 The nutrition's coming in and you're, 47:42 I don't know. 47:44 Okay. 47:46 When I first came to Christ, 47:48 the first thing I wanted to do was share 47:52 Christ and begin to, you know, 47:56 speak to others about Christ. 47:57 All right. 47:59 I don't know if that has anything to do with 48:00 what you're trying to say. 48:02 You made the point just a moment ago, 48:03 the baby has to be nourished. 48:04 Oh, yeah. 48:06 And the baby starts making the changes. 48:07 The glow happens 48:08 not because Donna wants to glow, 48:10 but the baby makes the glow. 48:11 Right. 48:13 The Donna eats abundantly and regularly because the baby, 48:18 without eating, the baby will not survive. 48:20 Right. 48:21 Let me make the comparison, brethren, 48:24 the reason why we have to as Christians 48:26 eat of the word of God abundantly and regularly. 48:29 The only way that the Jesus in you 48:31 is going to survive 48:32 is if you eat abundantly and regularly. 48:35 Now what else happens? What else happens? 48:38 Let's say, okay, five months. 48:40 What happens at about a three, four, five-month period? 48:43 Well, you're getting thicker and it's growing. 48:48 Okay. 48:50 Jesus is, say let's, I don't know, say, 48:52 Jesus is growing in us 48:53 or the baby is growing in us and... 48:59 What else happens? 49:00 What else happens, Honey? You get thicker. 49:02 Your clothing. 49:03 Oh, your clothing changes. 49:05 Yeah, you gotta, you can't get and stay in your clothes. 49:07 You can't wear your usual clothes 49:09 that you used to wear. 49:10 Well, they do now, the tighter, you know Yeah, 49:12 but the baby's suffering from that but, Honey, 49:14 what's the point that's being made here? 49:17 You don't dress the way you used to dress 49:19 before you were pregnant. 49:21 Wow. 49:22 Now, I want you to grab that. This is powerful. 49:24 This is the miracle of the story 49:25 of the birth of Christ. 49:27 We didn't forget you, Ron. 49:29 We're coming back to you 'cause you've a supportive role. 49:30 Hold on, Joseph, 49:32 we're coming to you in a minute. 49:33 Okay. 49:34 Here's the other thing 49:36 because we're going to talk about the changes. 49:37 You change the way you eat. 49:38 Yeah. 49:40 There's a glow, because Christ is in your life. 49:41 Yes. 49:43 And for those who think about 49:44 changing the way a Christian dress, 49:45 let me tell you something. 49:47 When Jesus is being born in you, 49:48 you cannot help but to change the way you dress, 49:51 because the baby is making the change. 49:54 Right? That's right. 49:55 It starts taking over if you, 49:57 I mean it gets to the place where you, 49:59 he's taking over, 50:00 that baby is taking over your body. 50:02 Right. 50:04 So what happens when you get to the point 50:05 where you're like a watermelon that shown? 50:08 Does it change the way you walk? 50:10 Well, sure. 50:11 Yeah. 50:12 The way you walk, okay. 50:14 Okay. 50:15 You kind of wobble, don't you? 50:16 Yeah, right. 50:18 It does, it changes everything. 50:19 Okay. Everything is changed. 50:21 Everything is changed. 50:22 So, Ron, what am I saying, 50:23 should the Christians walk change? 50:25 Absolutely. 50:27 When you're walking with Christ, 50:28 you're going to walk different. 50:30 You're going to walk, 50:33 while you're going to be considerate of others, 50:36 you're going to be, 50:39 you're going to be following the Lord. 50:41 I'm going to try to walk the way Jesus walked 50:44 as He walked the hills of Galilee. 50:48 That's right. That's right. 50:49 Okay, Donna? 50:51 There's a way to walk also, 50:53 like you're carrying something very special 50:57 and you need help sometimes 51:00 and I just think about walking with Jesus, 51:02 His arm in arm with Him, 51:05 and the enemy coming behind trying to trip us up. 51:08 You know, for whatever reason, 51:10 you don't want to trip when you know 51:12 expecting or any of that 51:14 and when you're carrying something so precious 51:17 that you just don't want 51:19 to trip and hurt that relationship 51:22 or anybody else's relationship 51:25 and so I just think about being arm in arm with Jesus. 51:28 Sometimes you're going down dark avenues, 51:34 sometimes not so dark but a lot of dark avenues. 51:37 We live in this world, we can't keep from it. 51:40 Oh, you don't even know what you're saying, Donna. 51:41 Well, we can't keep from it. 51:43 Now, let me tell you, why this is so good. 51:45 I'm just, we're just sitting here 51:46 and watching this, 51:47 'cause you made, the Holy Spirit's leading 51:49 because you just made a point that's so significant here. 51:52 When a woman gets to the point 51:53 where it's hard to balance that baby by herself, 51:56 does she hold on her 51:57 to her husband's hand more tightly? 51:58 Right, you do. Okay. 52:00 So what does Jude 1:24 say, Ron? 52:02 "Unto him who is able to keep you from falling." 52:06 Amen. 52:07 Right, absolutely. 52:09 Ain't that wonderful? Amen. 52:10 You just added another component. 52:12 Yeah. 52:13 Brothers and sisters, 52:14 when Jesus is being born in you, 52:16 you got to hold on to the Lord's hands 52:19 more tightly 52:20 because the baby 52:21 that is being born in you is precious, 52:24 and only as you hold to the hand of the man, 52:27 Christ Jesus. Amen. 52:28 The man in your life, the husband man. 52:30 Yes. 52:32 Can he keep you from falling. That's right. 52:33 Oh, I think about that and I don't know. 52:37 I think about being locked with him 52:40 and holding on to him, 52:43 you know, the enemy's always trying to trip you up. 52:45 Always trying to make you feel like, 52:47 you're not where you're supposed to be in God, 52:49 he's, that you've lost him somehow. 52:52 He doesn't like you anymore, 52:54 you've done something wrong or whatever 52:56 and you know we can get to feeling that way 52:59 but I think Jesus likes to turn around 53:01 and see the enemy and say, 53:03 something in that dark alley of an area and say, 53:06 like he's this enemy and say. 53:10 Jesus would say, go ahead make my day. 53:14 You know like, Sylvester Stallone, is that? 53:16 No. No, who is it? 53:18 No. Clint, well whoever. 53:20 Yeah, Eastwood. 53:22 And I want to bring Joseph in also a.k.a Ron. 53:25 Okay. Go to Matthew 1: 20. 53:27 Go to Matthew 1:20 because right now, 53:29 Mary is in a beautiful predicament. 53:31 If ever there was a beautiful predicament, 53:34 Mary was in a beautiful predicament 53:36 because she is delivering to the world the greatest gift. 53:39 You see, the term of our worship 53:41 is the greatest gift. 53:42 It's about salvation, 53:44 but we approach salvation 53:45 from a completely different angle 53:47 because, you know, 53:48 a lot of people waiting for the theological terms 53:49 like justification, sanctification, glorification 53:51 and that was our idea, 53:53 but the Lord took a different turn. 53:55 So now, Mary goes back home after three months. 53:58 She got it. 53:59 She's got to explain to Joseph what's going on 54:01 and verse 19 and verse 20, 54:03 because Joseph is in a predicament too. 54:06 Go ahead, verse 19 and verse 20 of Matthew Chapter 1. 54:10 "Then when Joseph her husband being a just man 54:13 and not wanting to make her a public example, 54:16 was minded to put her away secretly, 54:19 but while he thought about these things, 54:22 behold an angel of the Lord 54:24 appeared to him in a dream saying, 54:26 'Joseph, son of David, 54:29 do not be afraid to take to you, 54:31 Mary your wife 54:33 for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.'" 54:38 Oh, man. 54:39 If you could see the hairs under my shoulder. 54:41 If I was a hairy guy 54:43 my shirt would be getting bigger. 54:44 I mean, that's a powerful point. 54:46 You know, why, you know, what that's saying? 54:48 What? 54:49 That when you're in a predicament, 54:51 let the Lord explain it 54:53 to those who don't understand it. 54:56 The closest people to you will understand 54:59 because the predicament that the Holy Spirit got you in 55:02 will bring it to light in other people's lives. 55:05 He said to him, I know what you want to do, 55:08 but don't get rid of her 55:10 because what's happening in her is of the Holy Spirit, 55:13 because he was a just man. 55:16 Why do you think he felt that way, Ron? 55:18 We have one more point, 55:20 why do you think he felt that way? 55:21 Well, he had to. 55:24 He had the people of his nation 55:28 or I mean of his neighborhood to, 55:31 you know, he had a carpenter shop there. 55:34 Yes. 55:35 He had people watching, you know, who's, 55:38 have you heard about Joseph? 55:40 Have you heard about Joseph? 55:42 His wife is pregnant, they're not even married. 55:44 And they aren't even, they're just engaged. 55:48 That's right. 55:50 Talk of the town. 55:51 So now there's one more component. 55:53 Go to Matthew 25:13. 55:54 The time doesn't allow us 55:56 to stretch the entire story out, 55:58 but there's one other thing, Donna, 55:59 because the other thing about a woman that's pregnant, 56:01 you have to keep all your appointments. 56:03 You got to make sure 56:04 all the doctor's appointments are kept. 56:06 Take your vitamins. 56:07 Take your vitamins, you got to keep that going. 56:08 Every appointment to worship the Lord. 56:10 My brothers, if Jesus is in you, 56:12 don't miss those appointments to worship. 56:14 Don't miss those appointments for fellowship, 56:16 but there's one more thing. 56:17 Now, the doctor sometimes 56:18 can give you the approximate time 56:20 of when the baby's coming, but look at Matthew 25:13. 56:23 This is the lesson as we close tonight. 56:25 Look at Matthew 25:13. 56:27 He said five. 56:28 Thank you. Matthew 25:13. 56:30 All right. 56:31 My honey's going to read that. 56:33 Listen to this, the beauty of it. 56:35 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day 56:39 nor the hour 56:41 in which the Son of man is coming." 56:45 Donna. 56:46 You don't know. 56:47 You know what it means? 56:49 You may be the mother. 56:50 Jesus may be being born in you. Yes. 56:53 You may have a baby, 56:54 the doctor may try his best to predict. 56:55 A lot of people try to figure out 56:57 when Jesus is coming, 56:58 but we just found out 57:00 that salvation brings one last component. 57:02 We've got to be ready. 57:03 I've heard that women pack a bag, 57:06 to get ready to rush to the hospital, right? 57:08 And there are birth pains. 57:10 And there are pains leading up. 57:12 The world is showing us all the pains. 57:15 Jesus who is being born in you, who has been born in you, 57:20 is about to come again 57:21 and since we don't know the day nor the hour, 57:24 may the great gift of salvation lead you to be ready, 57:28 for in such an hour as we do not think 57:31 the Son of a man is going to come. 57:33 God bless you. 57:34 Merry Christmas and Happy Sabbath. |
Revised 2020-12-27