TH121206/Don't Lose Jesus at Christmas

Harvest messages are brought to you by harvest partners to receive free email daily devotions or to become a harvest partners, please visit us online@harvest.org grab your Bible right now to Luke chapter 2 Luke chapter 2 the title of my messages don't lose Jesus at Christmas. You don't overlook to if it's right after Luke one is pray together.

Father as we focus again on this beautiful story of the birth and the life of the death and the resurrection of your son Jesus.

I hope is to gain insight that we've never had before the Lord in the busyness of the season, help us not lose Jesus so speakers are mere word, we would ask in Jesus name, amen. Okay. Quick call. How many of you have already gone and done some Christmas shopping razor. While okay how many of your Lord and I've already finished your Christmas shopping you're all done, you're the really a cheapskate or seriously disturbed. Okay, a few of you interesting. It's a guy that raises an having a hard time with that. How many of you have not started your Christmas shopping yet there you're my kind of people. How many of you actually enjoy Christmas shopping as a ghetto be embarrassed at all about the Sonoma Laguna okay well I braces because I read an interesting stat that pointed out, a study was done by a psychologist that found that Christmas shopping is hazardous for men's health due to its elevating effects on blood pressure. However, no immense blood pressure goes up when he is the Christmas up a woman's blood pressure remains the same. I just find it interesting regimen story I heard about up to guys that decided to go ceiling instead of going Christmas shopping with their wives while an unexpected storm came along they lost control of their sailboat while heading for the harbor the craft to the sandbar.

There were grounded and they jumped overboard into icy water and they were pushing and shoving, trying to get the boat in that deeper water.

Water and be counted against the whole ones I turned to the other and said sure beats Christmas shopping doesn't it. I did hear the story of a mom who was out, frantically trying to get all the gifts for Christmas dragging her a small child with her and then for a moment she lost sight of him in an sheer panic she was retracing their steps and see Donna with his nose pressed against the glass of a department store looking at a manger scene and the little boy said to his mom mommy mommy look, it's Jesus hits Jesus in the hay and she said let's go, we don't have time for that exactly a mental problem of this time that we call Christmas. We can be so busy celebrating Christmas.

We forget all about Christ eventually we can lose God in the midst of it all.

One more story about a little straw little boy that went down to a church on the corner and that a lot of candles burning in therein. He figured somehow must be Jesus birthday so he was blowing the candles out when he sang happy birthday to Jesus or the minister saw this and thought that was very irreverent.

If all of the little boy home and he knocked on the door of the little boy's house and the mother answered he said ma'am.

I'm the minister at the church on the corner and I feel your boy is no respect for God. I need to talk to him. So the mother agreed and brought the minister insight on the front room called little boy downstairs and and then minister looked at him and said yeah and then I have a question for you. Where's God will boy looked around. He didn't want to say minister again said son, listen to what I'm saying. I'm asking you a question where all the little boy's eyes were as big as saucers. Any ran up the stairs of his mom and afternoon. She said someone from his mom. The love got a picture tended to guide jumped up funny. You can lose God in the church. You can lose God in the so-called celebration of Jesus and certainly it seems like every year there are more attacks against anything that points us back to the original meaning of Christmas. I heard about church in Arkansas that was going to show a Charlie Brown Christmas.

Not exactly in evangelistic production of the good story basing that on TV and got the story of Charlie Brown trying to discover the secret of Christmas of the meaning of Christmas. I said Sadie's frustrated because Lucy is just interested in cash and Snoopy is like decorating his doghouse and nobody seems to get the real idea of it and finally Linus is the one that explains it to them that Linus reads the Christmas story and the kids thing Park. The Herald Angels Sing at the Knights of the story. One of the few that you'll see on television that actually acknowledges the scriptural story, but some churches get show it in some kids from school really go watch this presentation and a group of ETS protestants of the church had to shut it down occurs. Nowadays we don't want to call Christmas trees out anymore. Now we call them holiday trees right that's in the praise. It's becoming more more popular and now in stores. It's kinda rare to hear someone say Merry Christmas and said it's happy holidays. And ironically, a survey was just done and revealed that 60% of Americans are for the expression Merry Christmas over happy holidays and for many of the Christmas story is really the one you know about Scrooge being visited by the ghost of Christmas past and tiny Tim Moore. There might be about Rudolph the red nose reindeer or Frosty the Snowman or Santa Claus. We done the same thing with Thanksgiving. We don't call it Thanksgiving anymore. Now we call it turkey day right so in this so-called time over celebrating the birth of Jesus. It's very easy to understand lose God now technically can a person lose God know we really can't.

You can't lose something if you know where it is or where they are.

So you know when they are there not lost but you can lose sight of someone and some of lost sight of the Lord in her life know when I take my grandkids out, especially in a toy store anything to start.

I keep my eye on them at all times because you know that feeling of terror. If you lose sight of the child and does so. You always want to know some parents of their kids unleashes today, which you know are starting to make more sense to me because you know how kids are. They run off. They don't want to lose sight of their children. I just read an article in the paper this week that was mind blowing to me it was about a mom who had to work one night so she left her boyfriend in charge of her infant son. I might also add that her boyfriend happened to be the biological father of the little boy will this guy left the baby all alone and went down to the local bar and he was drinking. So the mom comes home she finds the baby alone. The father comes home drunk. They arrested him and he said while the baby wasn't alone.

I left the temple there to watch her. I'm not making this up. Paul Cooley exhibited Paul in charge of the baby. Apparently this guy, but to see the good news is, is when God is in charge of our life in God is watching us. He never takes our on his eyes off of us remember in an earlier message. We look at that blessing, that the priest were to pronounce on the people in number six, which was the Lord bless you and keep you and make his face shine upon you to be gracious to you and the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and you repeat it.

As you may recall that phrase lift up his countenance means to lift up his face, or literally, to look to see to know to be interested to pay full attention.

God's always been full attention to you, you know that's how you talk to a child. You have to enter their world yet to get down to their level and talk to them the respond, but it if you stand and just went down to the child that they don't connect in that way menu been with the person you're telling them something very important and why you're talking they just like checking their text or you know updating their Instagram accounts or whatever it's like how Ruth would listen to what I'm saying you will. God never does that. God is never disinterested.

God is never distracted because really the essential message of Christmas is given to us in the Gospel of Matthew will call his name Emmanuelle, which means God is with us. That's the message God is with us were not alone, and sometimes even if we forget about him. He never forget about Christmas is not about buying presents it's about his presence in our life. And so now we come to an amazing little story I in the Gospel of Matthew, which is made Gospel of Luke, rather I and it's a story that actually happens. After Jesus was born were Mary and Joseph lost God for a short period of time they lost Jesus for three days now.

They found him down the temple and but it's a story of how they lost Jesus and that's something we can do very easily. This time of the year my friend Bob coy is a stunning Christian when he was very small. He was praying and his dad heard Christians say to the Lord. Father, thank you for sending your only forgotten son and effort Christian wisdom Frank Bob civil son of a prayer but sexually God's only begotten son not forgotten but sometimes for some people, he becomes God's only forgotten son, you know, the whole Christmas celebration to me is a lot like a surprise party.

You might throw. Let's say it's your 40th birthday so your friends and family get together and decide to throw you a big party. Everyone that you know is that people of come in from out of town. They bought the biggest KL you've ever seen.

They actually have your name strong in the light say up songs that have been written about you that are being son that was just one oversight. Someone forgot to invite you to your own party, but it's always there were just so busy and excited all just show up will be so excited, so you approach that Allison there. Your Janine being son and his people talking about you and pictures of you be hanging on the wall and so you knocked on the door really excited to get to be so thrilled when I can walk in linen, they actually ignored you may not quadrant seven activity eye contact with you and said something to someone else and it went on with the party and then it dawned in you. They saw you with they didn't want you in the parting Alexa Christmas is worth celebrating the birth of Jesus, but were forgetting about Kim. You know, we buy our presence. We trim our trees.

We string our lights. We get gifts for people we love and sometimes are people we don't love and sometimes people we don't really know right you know just when you keep up that space in the parking lot that you search for you remembered a gift you have to byes that happen to you so you have to go now looking for spaces, which really means your stocking people now because you know that so is walking to their car with bags and the good folks they're going to a Carsey get behind any real slow real slow, you know any younger.

You try to figure which further going to go because you got the signal ready to come to mark your territory rights of place are very good writer turned the signal to go over and I'll phone you know soon. I have to go around there. It in and they finally go to the carrack product market. The signals on so no one can take this basin they open up their trunk and smoothly with the gifts away in and then they look at you and then shut the trunk and walked back to the shop to mark your life. All but in all this craziness. We like Mary and Joseph can actually lose Jesus know this is an interesting glimpse into the childhood of Jesus Christ we have very little in the Scripture about it. But here's this little window into what Jesus was like as a small boy. So let's read Luke chapter 2 on the reverse is 41 to 52, read from the new living translation this time every year Jesus parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival.

When Jesus was 12 years old.

They attended the festival as usual Of the celebration was over they started on the Nazareth.

But Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem and his parents didn't miss him at first because he assumed he was with friends among the other travelers. But when he didn't show up that evening they started to look for him among the relatives and friends, they couldn't find them. They went back to Jerusalem to search for them. There three days later they finally discovered he was in the temple, sitting among the religious leaders discussing deep questions with them and all who heard were amazed at his understanding and his answers. His parents didn't know what to think, son. His mother said to him, why have you done this to us.

Your father and I've been frantic searching for you everywhere, but why did you need to search PS you should have known that I would be in my father's house but they didn't understand what he meant. Then he returned to Nazareth with them and he was obedient to them, and his mother stored all these things in her heart. So Jesus grew both in height and wisdom. They're not.

You might wonder why you reading this story around Christmas time should you be telling the story of his birth will again coming back to what I said a few moments ago. The message of Christmas is God was among us. So here is God. No walking on our earth that he is breathing our air and he is living our life and this is an amazing thing. Jesus will talk about the fourth Sunday is supernaturally can see in the womb of the Virgin Mary.

This reminds me of a statement made a while back by Larry King who said it again. Choose one person. The interview over the course of human history. He would choose Jesus Christ and the question he would ask Jesus. According the Larry is are you virgin born the answer to that question, said Larry King. What explain history to me. Interesting ceiling Larry King understands that the virgin birth is a big deal. I don't think if you're a Bible believing Christian.

You can dismiss what Scripture teaches on this topic. In fact, I would even take it a step further and say if you don't believe that Jesus was supernaturally conceived in the womb of her Virgin Mary, you can't really be a Christian is a will of Greg you're going to for that's outrageous. I don't think it it because you see this is an essential part of Christian doctrine because of Christ was not conceived in the womb of Mary by the Holy Spirit if his father was indeed Moses that he was a sinner, and if he was a sinner and his death on the cross did not atone for my sins or for your know the practice because he was supernaturally conceived in Mary's womb.

He was fully God, yet he was also fully manned, so this is a really major issue and Jesus said in John 824. Unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sin, and naturally. Another way of saying if you don't believe that I'm God then you're not really a believer because I am as God's own statement about himself and Moses said who shall I say assembly God said I am that I am, so it is essential to believe that Jesus is God and that's where the virgin birth is such an essential teaching lesson Christ was not God because he was virgin born. He was virgin born because he was God, then repeat that Jesus Christ was not God because he was virgin born. He was virgin born because he was God. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said and I quote that Jesus Christ is not true God. How could he help us if not true. Men, how could he help us" so you know we have this little glimpse into the childhood of Jesus and do we know about his birth there in the manger of Bethlehem. And we know that the wise men came to visit him later when he was a boy living in Bethlehem. They weren't there at the manger scene. Sorry that tell you that.

So if you have a nativity scene you need to take the wise men out now you can bring them in like two weeks after Christmas is over, I'm kidding you can leave them up if you want to, but the Bible doesn't say they were actually there at the manger.

They came later on. Jesus was on in the house usually was on in the manger when they visit. Visited him or a cave or a stable he was in a house. According to Matthew's gospel. So here's Jesus now growing up in Nazareth. He's a son of a carpenter, is learning that Trey he's in the construction business. Jesus would be in the business of building furniture plows framing houses. Jesus was a blue-collar worker. He was also being schooled in the Scripture.

He would observe the law.

He would go to temple on Sabbath Jesus is the only little boy and later a man whoever lived who observe the law perfectly and never violated a single commandment so there he was growing up without the limitations of sin must been a lot of pressure on his siblings and he did have siblings by Deb have to live in his example I mean can you imagine Woodberry ever say to Jesus brothers and sisters guys like him to be more like Jesus.

Mommies like per se. I know that honey but that you note just try to follow the example of Jesus more effectively little bracelet for you. It's is what would Jesus do just where this hunt getting that. But you know he never disobeyed. He never fell short. He never said he was flawless he was perfect and he did not grow as we do from sinfulness to obedience, from faith to faith, from grace to grace, from strength to strength or obedience to new levels of obedience rather key. Just was perfect and just grew into who he wants to know how to put it. He did have a human mind know this gets interesting.

Did Jesus because it was God incarnate God in the womb, God is a fetus. God is a baby. God is a toddler God there. I say who needed his diaper changed God as a young man God as an adolescent, God is an adult male but yet the Scripture tells us, and resolute to boarding. He grew and became strong and was filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon them. So here's a question when he was born there in the manger. Was he sitting there like in the body of a baby with the intellect of God knowing everything and why don't have to be a baby I don't want to be a baby like did he talk hello, Mary, Joseph, are you in Jesus God incarnate. I created the earth. I created everything actually in. Will someone get me out of this manger now know that I'm not being a reference but I'm trying to understand how much he knew it seems from Scripture that though he was God. He went through a learning process.

Even though the limitations of sin that we have, but it appears that he did not use all of the privileges of deity.

He learned in the same way that we do is eat as a child, the other learned that to into equal for a yet to learn how to write yet to learn how to walk in and just pop out of the manger to walk off.

You know know he was like a baby. He laid there. Then he turned over for the first time. Then he crawled. Then he took his first steps just like a baby that Timmy does not diminish this story at all about for me.

It makes it even more amazing that God would humble himself in such a way and become like one of us and we know that Jesus said human emotions.

We know Corsetti thirsted that he hungered he was tired after a hard days work he was sleeping. We know that he felt human sorrow and wax and we know that even felt anger, though it was righteous indignation. So here is now the story were Mary and Joseph did Jesus to the temple, and in those days of the men and women would would travel separately in the so they would send the women on ahead in the memo joined them later. Probably because the guys were tired of waiting in the chariot honking the horn unit for the wife to show up so they would just as you guys go you will see about, so Marion and all of her friends are going back to Nazareth and then Johnson comes a little bit later he's going back and Mary thought that Jesus was with Joseph and Joseph thought that Jesus was with Mary. So they get back home again and there's no Jesus even show up for dinner where Jesus I don't know Jesus was a few days now with me, or is it I don't know what a crazy conversation.

How do you lose Jesus they did not Jesus is like the religious art. He would be very easy to find. You go back in the city and say ways are in your summary as a halo you can miss some or he glows in the dark is anyone seen a child glowing in the dark. That's our son, Noah, Jesus didn't glow-in-the-dark and Jesus didn't have a halo and so here's the interesting thing they travel the whole day before they missed breakfast lunch and dinner.

Never once saw space for something he loves her love for him but they lost their faith. They just lost him. Now, can this happen to us the answer is yes, it's possible to go through in our day. For some, even a week without a thought about Jesus didn't think about anything to pray pending and crack open the Bible. On one occasion didn't give a passing thought. That is until crisis yet and suddenly it's all God and instinctive reaction all God. God will thankfully the Lord hears us, even when it's only a crisis that got us to turn to him to the good news is is even if we lose sight of him. He never loses sight of us one occasion, Jesus told his disciples to go across the sea of Galilee, and so they got the boat there make it the way across, and a huge storm comes along, and it is so bad they don't even think they're going to make it but meanwhile here's what they didn't know Jesus was up on the hill watching them praying for them and he came to them later. Walking on the water to that.

So we don't see sometimes Jesus is watching us. Maybe it was a dark night and there was a full moon and that he could see the little boats bobbing around of the Sea of Galilee and that violent storm and he was interceding for them so we don't see in our times of crisis that we can see God.

God sees a and Jesus is interceding for us.

And then ultimately Jesus came to them walking on the water. Yet the meal lost sight of Jesus, but Jesus didn't lose sight of them.

Now these understandably upset parents scolded Jesus. Verse 48 son and his mother said, why have you done this to was your father and I have been printed, searching for you everywhere.

Interesting freezing there. Newsflash Joseph is not the father of Jesus. That's what he later said I must be about my father's business and why have they done what any done this to them. Jesus hadn't done anything basically was abandoned by his parents. They were his mom and death on a well on down to the temple talk to people just hanging out is waiting for them to come back and give them he's only 12 years old and sometimes online will make a mess of things will break God's commandments will do things we shouldn't do and then we blame God for God, why did this happen.

Why did you let my marriage fall apart. But what did you do this to make smart, why did you let me become a fine alcoholic work.

Why did you let me become a drug addict because you have a free will because you're a lousy husband or an unfaithful wife when he went out drinking. We get started using drugs.

You get a little something to do with that. You see, so what not to do stupid stuff doing God tells us not to do. Then we get mad at God. When we had to face the repercussions for the DNC should have been apologizing to Jesus Mary and Joseph should have said son or really sorry we were so busy we forgot about you and we been searching in. Please forgive us, but instead they essentially correct him when he had really done nothing wrong.

And really when you stop and think about it. They were doing religious things. This was a religious celebration. The visa services the crowds another celebration forgot about Jesus. I'm telling you what this is the easiest thing to do at Christmas and I were so busy celebrating the birth of Christ, we can forget about Christ because some of your exit think you may not know Craig Nancy doesn't go along tonight we can maybe still hit the ball and do a little bit of shopping colleges target open it on because this is a time of year in word.

We have all these responsibilities and like I said earlier, God's only begotten son to become God's only begotten son. How do we lose Jesus. One way we lose Jesus is when nonessentials displace essentials at supper in the screen eventually it we are, we lose Jesus when nonessentials displace essentials and by that I mean when we're busy. One is often the first thing to go.

I have found in the top in your spiritual life was so much to do today. I really don't have time to read the word and I really don't have time to pray, even for a moment and saw God understands all get to it later in and off we go doing whatever it is that were doing or even a Christmas you know it is worth out of everything. Well, we can really go to church this week. I don't know we can make the midweek at all, but even Sunday. I don't know. We really taken go to church and I mean isn't that strange. What is this the birth of Christ. But let's not go to church a let's not work, so I imagine God think to Mr. church last Sunday.

Where were you celebrating your birth. You really were you really or maybe in our finance while we can forgive anything God we have all these other things to buy. The first thing that will say goes is any kind of finances invested in the work of God. So we make the sacrifices so here's what I'm saying nonessentials displace essential Ellison God doesn't need your money in your own innocence. God doesn't even want your money.

This isn't about money.

This is about you but here's the thing we tend to invest in what were into okay so God wants your heart. One of the ways you will show that is where you put your money because Jesus said where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. So your money will tend to follow your passion in life.

And so we will displace these things and we will let alone nonessentials that the placement of essentials. Also, we can lose Jesus when work replaces worship when work replaces worship we can be so busy working for God. We forget the God were working for in the classic example has to be the story of Mary and Martha, now God bless Martha I mean she was a wonderful woman and I think she was an amazing cook because Jesus came to her house all the time that she was again a person that would whip up an amazing feast on short notice until Jesus would show up with his disciples, a mild outgoing were just thousand two no problem, Lord, sit down and he would cook she would cook him a wonderful meal. One time he came over and Martha went to the kitchen was working away and Mary.I think I should just sit at his feet and just listen to what he has to say in this frustrated Mark so in Luke chapter 10 verse 39 we read a woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home.

She had a sister Mary who supper for the master opinion on every word he said the market was pulled away by all that she had to do in the kitchen and later she stepped in, interrupting them master don't you care that my sister is a bend in the kitchen. The meat teller. The lead man yeah I mean imagine this is God Almighty talking to Mary unfolding great truths. Martha interrupts EAA interested, excuse me, I'm a little frustrated here you can share with her apron splattered everywhere. Harrell and Don I use a little help in the kitchen. Could you tell Mary to come and help me, Jesus and Martha dear Martha you're fussing far too much in getting yourself all worked up over nothing. One thing is essential. Mary is chosen, it it's the main course and will be taken from her on some are so busy working forgot to do this forgot to their forgot and then we forget, we just running around talking about God and never talking to God. Succumbing back to Mary and Joseph. They lost Jesus or lease they lost sight of. But here's the key when they recognize that they went to rectify it immediately. I mean arty touch on the conversation but you were Jesus that are not that you have no you haven't, what we know Lori is what where did we see him last in Jerusalem whenever I lose something I find the best way to find it is to retrace my steps right where did I have it last and you go back to that place, and often you'll find their word and we see Jesus last they saw him back in Jerusalem. So that's where they went. So I think if in the busyness of life, even in the busyness of the Christian life you found that you lost Jesus I would say you need to go back to where you were before, and I'm reminded of the words of the apostle Paul to the church of Ephesus in Revelation chapter 2 become bend of the church.

At first he says I know your hard work and utensils and say they are apostles and are not you persevered your patience and you labored for my namesake, but then he goes on to say, but here's my problem with you guys you've left your first love you and saying they lost it because the New World was he simply said they left it, and so the great physician gives his prescription for renewal in a Revelation 25. He says, remember from where you will fall in repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand unless you repent. So the 3Rs getting right with God, our remember, repent, and repeat first to remember.

Maybe some of you would say you know there was a time when I was a lot closer to God than I am. There was a time when my spiritual life was far more vibrant.

There was a time when the main passion of my life was Jesus, but it's not that way anymore key.

Remember there was a time now.

Repent what is repent me just hang the uterus turnaround and then repeat. Go back and do those first works quickly in a sentence, we think it has to be some emotional thing I say just go back and do what you used to do and you'll find that that passion will return what is you used to do that step in the what you're doing now. Well, as I recall I would get up in the morning and I would read my Bible. But once you start doing that again. When so busy will just get less busy I get up earlier. Go to bed earlier.

Get up earlier and read your Bible in the morning.

What is it you wasn't recall, I I would actually make time for church.

I want to midweek service will do that to get truly hard so much when I know make it happen. You can do it well said Judith was a recall, and hung a lot of my Christian friends are really strong in the Lord I'm hanging around with a lot of other people that seem to be dragging me down these days yeah why don't you go back concerning an ungodly people again.

I mean is just like a married couple that's having problems in the always lost the love their reconcilable differences with the second.

You can get that passion in your marriage again. What is you used to do well.

I would actually take a shower and go pick up my girlfriend then and take her out to a nice run from one slide open the door for and I would tell her how beautiful she is and maybe give her a little gift you do that now. Well, sort of, I mean I brought her a gift of dirty laundry.

Does that count known. I really know go back and do those things again listen to this to romantic things and romance will come back again only to your file, just do it the way you keep a marriage strong and vibrant as by keeping those logs on the fire keeping it alive doing those things you want to be doing same is true of our spiritual life. So were the last see Jesus they saw him in Jerusalem. So they went back and they found him. And there he was waiting.

They corrected them and then he corrected them. She is me with all due respect, did you not know that I must be about my father's business. Now listen, I love and respect to both. But remember how I came to this world.

Remember who I am and I'm just doing that now in Jesus was respectful but firm with them as he reminded them of why he had come. Let's not forget Jesus in this holiday season.

We bought a nativity set. This year I mentioned this earlier on the promise I ordered it online so's a little smaller than I thought it would be and I got the figure should be about, you know, maybe this high and said they're very high they're very small I should say and but I noticed we're getting a lot of attention. I it's out in front of our house is lit up and I see neighbors stopping and staring at it. Maybe they've never seen anything like it before. I see little children looking at it like what it who are these people and what are they doing in where sense of my little granddaughter Allie likes to hug it when she goes out there is a picture of her hugging one of the figures here that seem like a little.

The figure is focused Allie very small.

That's a very small married their butts. You know it's interesting because you don't see nativity sets that much anymore. The and and you don't see mentions of Jesus in people's holiday displays but I think it's a great thing. From among people yet that's what this is all about.

I can read an article a while back about a guy who at a nativity scene in someone stole the Jesus figure. Apparently this happens quite often summer actually quitting GPS devices in the mouth, which I find interesting note using GPS to find Jesus okay but the this guy had his little Jesus figure stolen and he was actually quoted in the newspaper being taken away my Jesus and I don't know where he is sir. Please. They've taken away your plastic thing okay it's not Jesus, but sometimes you may feel worse, my life he's he's left me know he has. He's there. Emmanuelle God is with let's remember in all the height of the season to the slowdown and tune in and be still and know that he is God. You know, maybe some of you don't have this relationship with God right now.

Maybe some of you had it once, but you've strayed from it and maybe you need to go back again. As Paul said we need to get back to where we once belonged. That's Paul McCartney. Not there. Possible, but some. This uncle get back to the front to see if you're listening, but we need to go back some of you need to recommit your life to Jesus, but there might be some of you here that don't have a relationship with him at all and you know Christmas can be a very hard time for people for many reasons. One is because it it doesn't always live up to the hype. In fact, it really does so he can be very disappointed a lot of people turn to alcohol and drugs this time of the year, suicide attempts go up this time of the year, but sometimes there is a deep sadness and Christmas because maybe your families fallen apart in your parents of divorce, or maybe your wife, your husband is left you and now last year you were with them in the sure you're all alone or for others, it's because you lost a loved one and they were at the table last year and they're not with you this year and there is deep pain. So what what. While some are having fun summer in real pain right now and they need to know that the real message of all of this is God came to this earth and was born in the manger and then went to a cross and died for the sin of the world. The incarnation was for the atonement, the birth of Jesus was so there would be the death of Jesus that ultimately the resurrection of Jesus. And that's the message we don't want to lose.

He was born to die, that we might live and he went to the cross and died and rose again and now stands at the door of our life in the Knox. It will hear his voice will come in let's not be like those people celebrating the birth day of a person and not letting them into their own party. Let's not say no to Jesus, I'm so busy I was so much going on. No open the door of your life and invite him in. Forgive you of all of your sin and give you a new beginning in life. If you've not done that yet.

I would like to extend an invitation to you as we closed on prayer you can get right with God and ask Christ to come into your life and forgive you of all of your sin. You can find that piece you're looking for in a relationship with God. Let's pray father, thank you for your love for us. Thank you for sending Jesus to this earth to be born to live to die to rise and now to change and transform the people will believe in you and I pray for any here that may not yet know you help them to see their need for you, Lord, and help them to come to you this night. We pray no a heads up their eyes are closed and work praying together. If you would like Jesus Christ to come of your life. If you would like your sin forgiven if you would like your guilt taken away if you would like to avoid that hole in your heart filled that you tried to fill with all these things this world offers. If you would like to know that you go to heaven when you die, would you just looked up your hand right now and I like to pray for you. Lift up your hand. You want Christ to come in your life you want him to forgive you of your forgive you of your sin just looked her hand up if you would God bless you lifted up or I can see it. Please see what God's forgiveness tonight and we pray for you accomplishing publishing there in the past. Anybody else done here toward the front.

God bless you as well. Maybe some of you will fallen away from the Lord. There was a time when you type close relationship with God, but other things of crowded amount, but you want to return to him tonight. You want to get back to where you were before that you you want to make a recommitment to Jesus lift your hand up on the me pray for you right now.

God bless you about you, bless you anybody else.

God bless you too and you one final moment if you lifted her hand yet lift itself you want to make this recommitment to Christ a pray for you tonight.

God bless you there on the back.

Anybody else one final moment.

Bless you and encompass you over there, him and ask everyone living there just lifted your head if you would please I want you to stand your feet and I mentally join a prayer of commitment and recommitment to get you that razor can please extend your feet. Emily Juniper, don't be embarrassed you're among friends and family here. Stand up, stand up, even if you did not let your habit you want to make this commitment or recommitment to Christ.

Let me lead you in this bird to stand your feet wherever you are. God bless you. Anybody else stand up now and that now accomplish anybody else.

Even if you didn't raise your hand if you want to make this commitment or recommitment to Jesus stand out to me. Pray with you. I bless you one last moment together stand. Do it now. All right encompass each one of you pray this prayer out loud right where you stand after me again as I pray pray this out loud after me.

Okay, pray this now, Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner but you were born in the manger you died on that cross and you rose again from the dead, the outcome in the my life. I choose to follow you, Jesus. From this moment forward be my Savior be my Lord be my God, be my friend.

I repent of my sin. Thank you for calling me in Jesus name I pray, amen