The Christmas We Weren't Expecting

Joshua Bell is perhaps the world's most famous violinist of 39 years old. He was called America's greatest classical musician, the kind that people would fill out Carnegie Hall. At a minimum of hundred dollars a ticket just to hear him play his Stradivarius violin in 2007 a news I would put them up to an experiment he was in Washington DC for a concert and so the day after the concert.

They had him go down anonymously into the lifelong Metro station in DC right middle rush-hour on his $3.5 million Stradivarius violin in hand and he played for an hour with his hat out to collect tips. Keep in mind thousands of people had just paid hundreds of dollars each for a ticket to hear this guy play the night before over the 43 minutes that he stood there in the lifelong Metro station playing Botkin Brahms and other classical pieces. They said it no more than six people stop and he made a grand total of $32.17 in donations but not counting one $20 tip from one person right at the very end, who recognized that she recognized who he was, it is possible, it is possible to miss some of the greatest things in your life because your heart is not tuned to listen for them or look for them.

Sometimes our hearts are so dull and so distracted that we don't recognize Majesty even when it's right in front of us. If there were a theme for Luke's rendition of the Christmas story. I think that might be it through chapter 2 of you got your Bible.

If you are with us.

One of our campuses here on Sunday morning, or you are one of her home gatherings all across the triangle, joining us somewhere across the country around the world. When I welcome you have read your Bible tended to look to your at home you have the IV privilege of pausing the right now to get your Bible if you are at one of our locations and personality can do that but get your Bible turn on a good undiluted soup women working our way around the gospel of Luke for a while now and so for the next few weeks were going to look at what Luke says about the very first Christmas course they didn't call it Christmas, but that's what it became while you're turning there look to let me tell you about something that you're going to be getting today for free for free. As you leave. It's a new little book that I had just published with the good book company called searching for Christmas. It is as you can see short mercifully short. I might say, it's pretty easy read acts like it's accessible, it's hopefully humorous in the right places have the kind of thing I think you could fit right into a stocking, it is an evangelistic exploration of the meaning of Christmas that takes a look at the names that were given to Jesus at his birth in the best way to learn who Jesus is, is to look at the names that God his father gave to him when he was born. I wrote this book thinking about you giving it to somebody.

Perhaps you're one that person that you're reaching out to them beginning to build a relationship with throated think about you giving it to some person in conversation.

Listen, this is a very unusual Christmas and will none of us really know what's going to be like of the next few weeks. In terms of the holiday traditions we've grown so accustomed to being disrupted. We can't get together like we have in the past for me. Christmas services and I know that some may not feel comfortable coming to any of our Christmas services in person this year, but you can give them one of these and you can read it with him anyway. It is our gift to you and I hope Mitchell stop by one of the tables at whatever temperature at we have set up on the way out hunting to take two of them and give one to somebody that you're reaching out to and tell them that you read it together with them. Okay you need extra copies. You can always order them on Amazon or you can download it for free. I just go to our website. Summit church.com and you'll see a link there were you can download the e-book for free.delete chapter 2 when the big themes in Luke's gospel is at first Christmas came and went with most people, totally unaware that anything at all had even happened you ever gotten an unexpected or an unwanted Christmas gift.

Think about it from him. What is the worst Christmas gift that you've ever received one of our missionaries told me recently that she got a gift from one of her new friends in a new country. She opened it up. She was pretty excited and it was a local variety of candy beef flavored candy. She said I think this is the worst Christmas gift I've ever received. I'm sure it's hard to hide your disappointment in the face of of a gift like that part of the one you're one of my relatives, the kinda relative that you can always depend on for a good gift. How you count on them that the good answer. The good uncle never opening up the gift in that year they gave me about. I was sure. I'm sure it was a nice belt. I'm sure my mom had told them that I needed a belt but still you'll it was a belt. I'd open the package so expectantly so excitedly and I literally had to fight back tears when I sold was Congress last year. By the way, I just kidding I was like 10 years old, God's gift to us at Christmas was unexpected, but if you knew what you were looking for in your heart was to to listen to the right things and you could recognize Majesty when you saw it wasn't disappointing. Luke chapter 2 verse 22 when the days of their purification, that is Joseph and Mary's purification after Mary given birth to the baby Jesus. According to the law of Moses were finished, they brought him that is Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, which is the next stage of their of their ritual offering process.

Verse 23 Justin this is written in the law of the Lord, every firstborn male will be dedicated to the Lord. Verse 24 and offer a sacrifice according also to what is stated in the law, the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons in Leviticus chapter 12 when her first the wall the Lord. It's a reference back to Leviticus 12 God commanded each Israelite family to dedicate their firstborn to God by means of an offering that was because in the Exodus, God had spared the lives of all of Israel's firstborn sons if they put the blood of the lamb on the doorpost of their homes. When the angel sold the blood of the Lamb. He would pass over that house and spare their son. So when they gave birth when Israelites and future generations gave birth to her firstborn son. They were to travel to the temple and offer a lamb to commemorate that past server now this text says that Mary and Joseph offered to pigeons instead of a lamb which is a very important detail to note because that was an exception made in the law for exceptionally poor families. If a family just could not afford a lamb.

The law said that instead of a lamp they could offer to pigeons or two turtledoves or a partridge in a pear tree or what not right. What that shows you is that Jesus was not just born middle-class. He was not just born lower middle class. He was born poor once you let that sink in for just a minute a pastor friend of mine Patrick would be on that we lay the assets is what is it mean what is it actually mean that Jesus chose to be born into poverty when he says it means at least five things are morning means of poverty by itself is not a sin and is not shameful in and of itself is his number two, it means that poverty is not a sign of God's disapproval or that you done something wrong. This is number three. It doesn't mean poverty does not prevent a person. He says from worshiping God. After all, didn't God in the law make the provision for them for a poor person to still be able to offer the first and the best my people even when they're on hard times can still offer the first and the best of what they have to God number four.

He says it means that poverty now does not necessarily do you do poverty forever.

Some of you should be encouraged by that right Jesus life certainly took a turn in the number five. It also means he says that across that poverty is a cross that God entrusted some of us for a season maybe for a lifetime. And it is possible for us to be faithful in that season is listening. If you're poor. If you feel downtrodden you should not feel second-class Jesus identified with you first God has a plan for you where you are and that plan can turn out very well indeed, the receipt that Jesus was born poor. What happens next is totally unexpected. Verse 25.

There was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, even looking forward to Israel's consolation and the Holy Spirit was on him is been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit get a lot of stuff in your Bible, underline outer, in whatever smudge it with lipstick or preconfigured debit blood that's in the portal phrase they would not see death before the Lord's Messiah guided by the spirit. There's a second reference to the spirit of God Simeon enter the temple when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him. It was customary under the law. Simeon took him up in his arms, praising God and said now master you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised for my eyes have seen your salvation you have prepared it in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel, and all this is crazy right Mary and Joseph are simply there with hundreds of other moms and dads presenting their babies an old guy stranger and old guy suddenly runs up to them, grabs her baby and starts singing majors and fly came enemy respect to social distance employees nearly how to sanitize before you do that, I mean old ladies do this kind of stuff all the time. My pension babies without asking permission and same weird stuff like hell I could just eat you up right but old men typically don't do this, which leads to another important detail in the story. Luke says it was the spirit of God that gave Simeon. This insight says it three times and I will pass it right.

That's an important insight that is the only way anybody ever accurately recognizes Jesus. The irony here in this whole story is that all of these rituals that the Israelites were going through all the going, the temple, and all the offerings all past server stuff. Those were all given to them to prepare them for her to recognize the Messiah when he came. The irony is that those Israelites. Most deep in the rituals were the last ones in line to recognize and I think there's a very important lesson here for you and for me, keeping rituals and traditions and admin celebrations are great but more often than not they can keep you from seeing Jesus. I think about it right. If you have already started to just go to the motions of seizing the day after Thanksgiving you bought the tree reset of the Valley View fake tree people are there phrase in your fake report on thinking person coming to destroy our environment every year by cutting down a real tree. Once you raise your hand, not arms getting right with you whatever you got the tree you listen to the never ending Christmas. Usually Dante love you watch all of the hallmark movies about the big city lawyer girl comes home and falls in love with the tractor drive in high school dropout who looked like Matthew McConaughey guy you set up your stockings and your major scenes and even your little heretical well for Michelle to teach your kid to be little self-righteous Pharisees right. Maybe you're even doing some admin readings that you don't add them blots to be given out to our families or the cemetery for there's very little reflection or very little wonder over who Jesus actually is. You need the spirit of God to open your eyes to the majesty of Jesus is the only way that you can see it when he urged you this season to pray that over yourselves and your families.

Pray for your family as you go through your admin traditions prayer for those to whom you give this book searching for Christmas. I taught a good book and open their eyes to who Jesus is on the spirit of God. You and I never talk to men and women about God until we talk to God about those men and women. The good news. The good news for you is that this is the spirits mission on earth is why Jesus said, John 16 Jesus sent the Spirit to earth to teach people to see Jesus. But here's the catch. You want to call the catch. You have to ask for his help.

He gives the Spirit without measure. He said to all those, but only those who asked for him. Verse 33 verse 33 is that is Jesus's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and told his mother Mary. Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and the rise of many in Israel and to be assigned that will be opposed to stores and to pierce your own soul. The thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. We will come back to that just a minute.

Verse 36 there was also a prophetess named in, daughter of Fannie. Well, the tribe of Asher dancer, vixen, a printer, whatever Jews well along in years having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage and there was a widow. She and after that she was a widow for 84 years. She did not leave the temple serving God night and day with fasting and prayers at that very moment at every moment. She came up and begin to thank God and the speak about him, to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Israel is what you got here. You get to people to people who have something in common to both old and they're both hanging around the temple waiting longing for something first. You have Simeon from the text says was waiting for the consolation or comfort or relief of Israel promotions use that referred to a with a pointed they thought to political deliverance because for nearly 700 years Israel had been subject to oppression by foreign powers. It started with the exiles to Assyria, and then to Babylon, but after that came subjugation to the Persians than the Greeks and the Romans under whose rule the Israelites were now and who were probably the worst of all the oppressors and even even when the Jews were in their own homeland under self-rule. Their kingdom did not have near the glory that it once had had under King David or King Solomon to Israel was waiting there waiting for consolation for deliverance for justice for restoration. The promised glory.

Simeon being old represents for Luke that posture along waiting men beside him. You got Anna women tells us has been a widow for 84 years after being married for seven. It is safe to say I think we can say that no girl of 16 years old dreams about her life turning out this way been married for seven years and then having your husband die and in living for 84 years alone, especially in those days because widows usually had very little way of providing for themselves which often meant the widows were lonely and poor, and had nobody to take care of them.

I think we can say that for Luke. She represents somebody for whom life is turned out very differently than what she had expected or hoped hers, I think, is not so much a yearning for political deliverance. She usually she yearns for what for personal relief.

She yearns for personal consolation and comfort to me make a couple of of I think important observations about the story observations that should impact you and me number one number one waiting is a key component of the Christian life. Waiting is a key component of the Christian life.

There is a reason that Luke brings these two characters in the story it is to show you that Jesus comes to those who wait.

And there's a reason that both of these characters are old because for Luke that shows that they been waiting for a long time. Sometimes you and I talk about the Christian life as if it is instant fulfillment immediate answers to prayer request. If you say hello. Yes, God will give me my interview to aid your marriage in your magic and returning to me and if you do a with your kids and your kids will turn out like me. The friend that is is not always true. Many of you find yourself in a posture avoiding this Christmas. Time to fill dark time of confusion. Maybe we feel abandoned. Maybe it's the season for you of yearning and longing a longing for something to be set right. Injustice seems to rain everywhere around you. Maybe you yourself have been the victim of that injustice. Maybe you like an hour yearning for some need to be fulfilled life just has not turned out the way that you would always expected. Maybe it's a longing for it to have your family put back together or maybe to have a family of your own you are hoping to be married by this Christmas and here we are again entering another Christmas season you're still single. Maybe you're grieving the death of a child this Christmas maybe you're grieving her miscarriage this year. Maybe you're still waiting on a prodigal who is yet to return home. I don't know. I don't know when here's the thing you tried everything that you know how to try. You try new accounts waving you when got advice you talk to the pastor and you you believe in God and you trusted him and you work hard and and still things have just not gotten better for you. Why isn't the marriage hidden better. Why is it the situation changing Simeon and Anna story show you that God sees you. God has not forgotten you and waiting does not mean that you've done something wrong. Waiting is in fact an essential. I would even say an appointed part of the Christian life is the prophet Jeremiah said in the book of Lamentations the Lord is good to those who wait for him.

The prophet Isaiah agrees. He says blessed are those who wait for him and those that wait for me shall never be put to say if you want God to deliver you if you want his powerful working in your life it will come on the heels of a season of waiting. God will not disappoint those of you who wait for him he will not let you be put to shame nobody who is ever waiting for God ever in history has been let down no one not even what you will not be the first waiting is an essential even an appointed part of the Christian life and that's what we're reminded of a Christmas all about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who ended up being a martyr and of the Nazi regime.

LOL he said it. The Advent season.

The Advent season is a season of waiting for whole life. Her whole life can feel like an Advent season. He says that is a season of waiting for the last admin administrates coming the last coming for the time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth Christmas reminds us that while we've got a lot to be thankful for.

Here a lot of us are still waiting that role waiting for the second coming of Christ role waiting for the new heavens and the new earth were all waiting for Jesus to come and make things right and for all the sad things in our lives to become untrue, so I would just say to you this weekend whether you got a specific need.

Mr. waiting on God to do something in whether cystic yearning for heaven. Simeon and Anna show you that God has not forgotten you. The joy in the comfort of Christmas is for you. Even if your situation is not a change this weekend. Which leads me number two number two God's answer did not match their expectations. God's answer did not match their expectations. I think it's safe to say that neither Simeon nor Anna was thinking that a helpless baby born to a dirt poor family was God's answer to their longing, but he was.

You see what Israel thought they needed most. What they thought they needed from God was different from what they actually needed most. What they thought they needed most was political deliverance. What they thought they needed most was a new husband or a restored fortune but what they actually most needed was restoration with God. This Jesus says is eternal life not streets of gold are not perfect health will eternal life is to know God in Jesus, whom he has sent you can have that knowledge and pain as well as you can have it in health and that sometimes you have a better and payment.

Again, an elf Jesus in the abundant life that I'm talking about is not a Mercedes-Benz and it's not a 5000 square-foot house and it's not second-home it at Hilton Head and it's not it's not a perfect family. It's not all people around the table you want to know if he had not abundant life is Jesus says it's knowing me and walking in the fullness and joy of your heavenly father we may think that what we most need his physical health. This this Christmas or financial assistance for family reunion, but we most need deep in our souls is reunion with our heavenly father to see you and I were created from God.

Whether you've ever realize that are not maybe assert filling the gaps for it for you in ways that that are making connections when you've never made many never understood never thought of yourself as a religious person. The Senate was secret about you is your creative God Blaise Pascal that the French philosopher and mathematician. He famously said that the human heart has a gigantic hole in it.

Avoid a vacuum.

He called his. We spent all of our lives trying to figure out what goes in that whole these and we try to romance and return the romance thing about me Mr. writer Miss Reitman with an estimate take care of exhibit that holds not feel the money is not about romantic love is not about family is not filled by job success is not filled by prosperity or political peace that holes in the shape of the love of Jesus Christ. And that's why no matter what you find in life you always get a feel like something is not quite there, something still missing because you're created not for health and prosperity for your creative for fellowship with God, not even created for family your creative for fellowship with God. That's why St. Augustine said 1500 years ago, our hearts are restless until they learn to find their rest in you. You were created for God. You need to be restored to him and only this Messiah. Only this Christ born as a baby to live the life you were supposed to live and then die the death you were condemned to die in your place, only that baby could fill that hole. The arms that you've been searching for and romance of action in his arms. The security that you look for in money is actually found in the presence of Jesus and his promises. The significance that you craved from your pin from your dad from your spouse from the approval of others from likes on a Facebook post that significance is found in hearing God the father say to you, you are my beloved son or daughter, in whom I am well pleased not to be very clear. Okay God is good, were supposed to ask for that goodness to break into our lives and our families at this church. We believe that we can and should pray for physical healing. We should pray. You can praying should pray for an end to loneliness. You can even pray for political help. The first and foremost, Jesus came to leave you and me in the fellowship of the father because again that's eternal life.

That's the fullness of joy that is life abundantly, and apart from that and the other fixes only to be superficial. Anyway, what God did here was unexpected, but it was exactly what they needed to ask you this weekend. Are you ready for God to do the unexpected in your life this Christmas. Are you ready for God to do the unexpected in your life this Christmas. I do not care how spiritually mature you are or how much you know or how certain you feel that you know exactly what you need most from God is going tell you is a God he's been a pastor for almost 2 decades now with a PhD in theology. You gotta always be ready for God to do the unexpected in your life and if there is no room in your heart for God to surprise you. I mean legitimately surprise you. I mean, I didn't see that coming surprise you with a maybe it's not God, you're actually worshiping that is not God you really seeking to see if you're willing to come to God. There's gotta be room in your heart for him to surprise you to do the unexpected. Sometimes the greatest love that God might show to you or to me is not in fixing our problems, but when he uses that problem to open your eyes to see the treasure you have in him, and sometimes that comes to pain.

I may think about it. How does a surgeon bring peace to your body by never telling everything to be okay. If you have a tumor in you, you got cut you gotta cut you to take the tumor out so that you can have peace.

How does a therapist bring peace to a downcast or depressed person. A lot of times it's by dredging up the past and it didn't you to remember and confront those painful memories often. This is the irony.

Gotta feel worse before you can feel better.

The same thing.

Spiritual healing sometimes the paths toward peace. Lead us through valleys of pain like we often say here the summits are sometimes sometimes God answers our prayers by giving us what we would've asked for for annuity new. Sometimes God shows his love by giving us what we would've asked for if we knew what he knew what he knows is that your deepest longings the deepest longings in your heart and the peace that you're really looking for. Those are found in the knowledge of him. Those are found in the knowledge of him. Simeon said two things that right.

The end that I want to I want to close with two things again for 29 after this encounter. Simeon said I can depart in peace in the parking peace I want to change the Simeon's life changed. Having had the spirit of God opened his eyes to see who Jesus really was a good depart in peace, nothing had changed about his circumstances. Israel was still in Rome's rule. When Simeon left, he would still be a victim of injustice walking out of that. For example, he might be confronted by a Roman soldier was say something rude to him or push him or maybe even take his money it Simeon says in the temple. I am at peace and I believe in the nothing to change with Anna circumstances had she still over 100 years old and she still a widow yet.

She's a piece here's my question to you.

Peace today when you leave with her former campuses are the holy you're sitting and can you be at peace today. What do you require in order for you to be able to say I can depart in peace.

You require a change in circumstances do require resolution of some injustice you require some kind of personal vindication. You need a new husband gives me a husband you need your kids to come to faith. Imagine the sum imagine this ring of keys right here is representing the keys to your heart, member of the old days able to collect seasonably poor people have them on those like the person is important to get keys everywhere. Imagine this description was middle key rings, and here's what most of us have done this and that this represents the keys to peace in my heart and see if they can one give it to your spouse. My wife gets peeing on them on kids getting tea in my my my stockbroker get the key and my boss gets key in my girlfriend got a key in your boyfriends got a key in an end of school and try to get until they got a key also in many step back until all those groups that always people that they better treat you the way that you want to be treated because they got the keys to your peace. Well, it's not a good plan for a couple reasons right. Wonder going to let you down guaranteed you you not to have much life experience and to know that and when they let you down.

It's hard for you to even be mad at them medial while I can say that because the person is let you down. Most staring at you every morning when you look in the mirror MRI every morning when I look in the mirror I am looking at the person who has lied to JD Greer, more than any other human in history. Every morning when I look in the mirror I'm looking at the person who is disappointed and let down.

JD Greer more than anybody else. So here's what I know if I've let me down. I can't be surprised other people let me down, either because probably have let them down and got them sure of it.

So it is silly for me to give them the keys to my peace. Listen, if hope for you is found in somebody taken the key in using it the right way that all hope is listen is delayed disappointment for you. I thought this units all men you might be able to delay your disappointment for little bit but it's coming. Only Jesus should have the key to your peace is all you want to on that ring you should be able to hand it to Jesus you should be able to say you got the key to peace in my heart because only your to be faithful with it in your what I created for and your promises are sufficient. Only you can guarantee it. That's what Simeon and Anna do here. They saw that Jesus held the key to their peace and once they saw Jesus once they'd entrusted themselves to him. Then they could depart in peace, as he and he alone, the keeper of your peace today. Here's the second thing that that Simeon said that is so important. Verse 34. This child is destined to cause the rise and fall of many Simeon sinners babies can bring a dividing line for 35 to Mrs. Hill cause offense because of him. Simeon said the thoughts of a lot of hard to get exposed what they really think about God, this baby boy is gonna grow up and can reveal that because of his claims the truth about their heart will actually be revealed, and we can pull back the veil on their fake religiosity because that baby is going to grow up and preaching that none of us are good enough to get to heaven and he's going to have to give us that as a gift to his work, not ours, and would have to receive that humbly like beggars. Jesus did not come to make you a better person detained because you could not be a better person and you have to depend on him and him alone to save you a lot of people aren't like that, but it is going to attack their pride because they want somebody to improve them. They want a new and better version of them. Jesus said you were dead in your sin, I gotta put my life into you got admit that your worth your worth nothing spiritually to God for your was worthy of nothing spiritually and you gotta receive the gift humbly to demand absolute Lordship from us. A lot of people are like that either because while they got no problem with religion. They want to retain control of their lives. They will control their pocketbook.

They will control their destiny, they will control the relationships and so this this baby boys who grow up and say if I'm not Lord of all, I'm not Lord at all and are not alike that is as religious as they are. They want to keep their hands on the reins in this baby boys grow up and insist that more than we need fixes to our problems.

We need him. A lot of people want to like that either.

Then I can be satisfied with that. And that's can reveal that a lot of them aren't interested in God whether actually interested in is what they think God can do for them. This baby boys gonna bring a dividing line in all of us are to be challenged to get this Simeon talk about a guy with some backbone.

Simeon looks at Mary Mary and looks at her and says in a sword will pierce your soul also take.

We just acknowledge there are few people in the Bible that are presented as admirably and attractively as Mary right me getting even Harry didn't get it completely right.

Mary was seriously mistaken at first as to what her son was all about and more than once more than what she try to stop Mark 331 look it up. Especially Ruben sure to tell you that Mary was sinless.

Mark 331 says that Jesus's mother and brothers found his claims so absurd that they thought he was literally verse 31 Insein verse 21 says that they tried to bring him home out of his ministry to try to bring all my forces because they thought verse 21 he was out of his mind.

Simeon looks at Mary as his Jesus's claims can challenge even you Mary. What a point that out because that means you should expect that he will challenge you also.

I would say that one of the signs that you really encounter Jesus is that you've wrestled with him to see really giving yourself the Jesus gonna feel in some ways like a sword has come into your soul really wrestle really encountering Jesus means your pride is gonna get challenged and I control you one of your life, that's can get challenged to an easier challenge with the core of your idols.

And if you've never wrestled with that deep challenge you probably have never grappled with the real him you just got religious this baby boys go draw a dividing line and a dividing line to go separate people for eternity. John three that believes and obeys the son has everlasting life. Those that don't believe and obey the son will perish without him. The most important question you ever consider is what side of that dividing line are you on you surrendered to him. If you given yourself to him or are you still without him is a dividing line the kids in our trip recently and I work another argue airport and we walked muscle court or the TSA, court, or were you pass like that is like slime of whites, and it represents the Terry line my kids every time we go on a trip every time I think I don't remember the time you made the security alarm go off every time we go. Now they base a deadness of the player Mike.

I remember the boys because it was walk on the line I was trying to be in a dead joke so I was was like oh, look, this is line here. It was like as so what sort of a general kind of like just you know don't go past this area and come back so that this a lot of floor. I was like you know he kids look I'm in and out. I'm in amount been there all you and all the sudden.the light start flaring and alarm goes off in the hole where and like that the security cards from right. Another thing I don't like nuts I did on Monday. Gotta get on these, but you just it was a moment because it's like number that like I've never that he was arrested at our member that so but it's a lie right in your the one side or the other you to enter your out. It's a dividing line will settle on you on the Jesus come to a place where you acknowledge that you can never be good enough to earn heaven you come to a place for you surrendered your self to him, knowing that only his mercy could save you misreporting him in charge of your life. You can be a better person came because you could be a better person. Have you received him acknowledging that only he can save you right. Having receive that.

Can you now say I'm ready to depart from here and I am ready to be a piece once you bow your heads. If you would all the campuses in our homes and it's very simple. Okay have you received.

If not you can do it right now through we caught surrender and faith.

That's the biblical words surrender of faith.

Jesus I'd turn over control my life to you. I can save myself. You gotta say, I receive you right now is my Savior say to them, wherever you sent are old you are. Jesus, I can't save myself only you can say a friend semi-member can you say I can depart in peace.

I know that I have received Jesus said, and asked God to open your eyes to the richest treasure you possess and let that be the time your prayer baby.

Just receive Christ heads bowed and eyes close and you just receive Christ. We just prayed.

Whether you're at home, whether you're in one of our campuses and what you plot your phone just a minute whenever you want to what you pull your phone what you text the word ready Re: 80 why to 339-333-3933 and vacuum very quietly. Peak appearance rings uploaded on the three or 33933.

Text the word ready will get back to you if you prayed to receive Jesus. You text the word ready to that number is going to show you what it looks like to know for sure that you go to heaven when you die and what it looks like apologies, ready working to this this weekend. I can say I got a lot of life ahead of me and a lot of things were looking forward to today. It's all over with a lot of things I'm hoping for.

Don't come true. I can depart in peace, let your servant part of these is mine eyes held Jesus and I know him and he knows me, that is enough