Jesus Christ Really Is That Awesome
First B Jackson
2019-12-22

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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Alright. Alright. Good morning, everybody. How are we? Good to see you this morning.

Shall we sing now of Christmas? All in favor, say aye. Aye. Opposed?

No one.

Motion passes? Just kidding. Let's sing together.

Shepherds on a hillside, earthy angels sing. Oh, we honor praises due the infant king. Sing we. Sing we know where the king is born nowhere. Sing we now of Christmas.

Sing we now know where. In the town. In the town they found the son of Mary Mile. Sleeping in a manger was the holy child. Sing we know well, the king is born now.

Sing we now of Christmas, sing we now know well. Wise men sought. Wise men sought and found him. Treasures did they bring. By wing down they worship Christ the king of kings.

Sing with me. Sing we know well. The kings won't know where. Sing we now of Christmas.

Amen. Y'all can have a seat? I'm a borrow your mic for

a second. Please.

So, for some reason, y'all were singing with us and then you quit and then you started back up again. That was my fault. No. No. No.

That I would much rather be doing my job than doing your job, Blake. So, announcements this morning, here they come. Monday nights at First B. No, Monday nights. Oh, yeah.

It's it's we're going to do a Tuesday night this week. How about that? We're doing a Christmas Eve service, Tuesday night. It'll be two services, 04:30 and six in the evening. So, no Monday night service, no Awana this week.

The snowmobile retreat is still happening. We're not cancelling that for Christmas but January 24 through the twenty sixth is when that happens. Angel Tree, amazing. Sorry. Sorry.

This is our minute of silence apparently. We have had, there are so many different angles to this and not many people get to see all of em. I, it makes me anxious. Gift giving makes me anxious. I will say that.

That's that's one of the few things that I just have horrible gift giving exotic but my wife doesn't and she is the one that's kind of the center point person for this. So, the stories of your generosity and the stories of need that have been kind of we're we're in a position to hear more of those than anybody else and it's overwhelming. So, thank you for taking care of that. The last one of the last things for this Angel Tree is that we had shop with the cop has kind of morphed and evolved and instead of going to Kmart with a policeman, there was a dinner here the other night and Ashley Hull and Andy Pearson and a few other police or sheriffs that go to this church had all the rest of em here and they had some families with them and as they were leaving, all the policemen in town took the rest of the tax. Yeah.

And they brought most all the gifts have come back. So, the distribution, just pray that God would bless. He's blessed and physically obviously but that God would bless spiritually to to these families in need at this time and to those givers too. The generosity has been amazing. So, yeah.

I think that's it. There is a paper bulletin and there are lots of things listed in that. The main one for this coming week, Tuesday, 04:30 and six. If you want to seek, get here early. These are typically standing room only type events but also, if you are a member, regular attender of the church and you come often, would you please sit up front because that's the least used area of a church is the front row.

So, come on forward. In the overflow. And or go to the overflow. We'll have a room down here in the fellowship hall. There'll be overflow and you can sit down there, sing the songs.

It'll be live simultaneous with the other. So, just try to make space for visitors because there are some some sometimes in the year where there going to be a lot more of us here that are not normally here. So, make yourself uncomfortable so that they may be comfortable. Is that okay? Alright, thank you.

When do I want to do that right there? Let's do that right now. How about this is our fourth Sunday of Advent. So, I'm going invite our family forward. Here's Katie and Jeff and Annabelle Sage.

Alright.

God's inexpressible love are we not live now? The candle of Love. God's inexpressible love was demonstrated in the sending of his son. His love has led to our salvation, and we respond by loving and living for him.

John three sixteen to 17 says, for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God's did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Amen. Would y'all stand and greet one another?

All right, let's sing angels from. Angels from the realms

the world.

And worship, come and worship, worship Christ the newborn king Shepherds in the fields abiding Watching over your flocks by night God with man is now residing He undershines the infinite light Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, our newborn king. Nations we have seen in little sire Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ the new born king. Saints before the altar bending, watching long in hope and fear. Christ the new born king. Come and worship.

Worship Christ the new born king.

May I pray? God, we are here to worship you, to give you praise, to give you thanks, to remember your first coming, to look back at your first, to look forward to your next. You truly are the great desire of every nation. That one just struck me as we sang it. That all around the globe, your saints are worshiping you.

Why? Because you are worthy of praise. Amen.

In the bleak midwinter, all creation groans for a world in darkness frozen like a stone. Light is breaking in a stable full throning heat. And he sharing nevermore. And he sharing rivermore, rivermore unto us the child is born king of I would travel far. And if I were a shepherd, I would do my part before I am.

I will give to him my heart. And he shall reign forevermore, forevermore. And he shall reign forevermore, evermore. Unto us a child is born, the king of kings, lord of lords, and he shall reign forevermore,

Amen. Y'all can have a seat but I will invite the frontline team to come forward. God, thank you for this beautiful, beautiful season of the year when we do remember you that lord, we celebrate communion and we celebrate the life that you live but lord, it had it had a start in time and place though you are the agent of creation and though you were Lord Jesus, eternal from forevermore in the past to forevermore into the future. Lord, you have a time that you spent here and the fullness of time. God, I I thank you.

For those of us who are right now bound to it. We can't think of anything except for in this context of past, present, and future. Lord, we pay that we pray that you would use everything that has happened to us in our past. That you would apply it in the present, lord, for a great and glorious future, not just for us, trusting in the incorruptible hope of Jesus, but that we would be reflecting your light onto a world that is bleak. And dark.

And searching. And Lord may our lives highlight you in such a way. That it's undeniable. Why it is that it is. God, I thank you that you stepped in the time.

You stepped into this space. You left the glories of heaven and you came humbly to Earth. Lord, thank you. We celebrate that this season that as we will eventually be with with you lord and it's a hope that is an absolute certainty that has not yet come. Lord, we pray that on this Earth, we would submit your spirit and that we would humbly, humbly lay it before you.

Whatever it is, we would cast our cares and our anxieties upon you because you care for us and we would trust in you and that we live by faith in such a way that it would draw people to you. In Jesus name, we pray that you take these tithes and offerings that are going to be placed in these plates and that you do your will and your way from here to every people group on earth. Lord, do your will through us this morning. Amen.

Would you sing with it on this one?

Alright. It is time Children's Church is starting up downstairs. I'm sure they have a Christmas extravaganza going on. So, Oh boy. Is the first slide up So, have y'all ever updated your computer?

Have you ever been forced to update your computer? You got to a place where you just couldn't wait any longer. So, that's what had to happen this week and you know, the black screen and the loading and all that sort of stuff. That's been happening but we are at that place where we have updated and this was to be and will be, I hope. A responsorial or participatory participatory worship gathering.

So, it's not liturgy where it's a call and response exactly but if it's come up on the screen, there's a one particular slide I'd like you to read along with me but we are going to have our moment of silence right now. If you would, can we just center on Christ because Jesus Christ really is this awesome. God, I thank you for the way that you work. Would you? Would you do it?

Right here, right now, lord. Would you work in our hearts? I know that the spirit is to illumine scripture, to convict us of our own sin, to convince us of your righteousness, and to move. And direct us, Lord. May we be submissive to your spirit and the direction.

I thank you that your spirit is the power by which Jesus was raised from the dead and it resides among us. Lord, it resides in us. For those of us who have put our trust in Christ, you've promised it. So, lord, I pray that we'd be overwhelmed by your spirit this morning. In Jesus name.

We'll see. And if not, y'all can have another moment of silence while I go print out my notes. Because my notes are on the screen. I'm kinda trying to be honest with y'all about that. So, I'm gonna go get em.

I will. But I have a testimony that they'd like to share? Yeah. So, Blake's going to give me a thumbs up when we're when we think we're ready. Merry Christmas.

So, the expectations are so high this time of year, right? Have you all found that to be true? Why? Why? It's heightened.

We know that. So, why Christmas? Why is that? Well, I mean, it's obvious that it's Christ mass. It's Christ is why but it don't look like that necessarily.

It don't look like that everywhere but why Christmas for us, okay? Why is it that we're here this morning? Because Jesus Christ really is that awesome. He really is and it's true that he really is. Jesus Christ really is that awesome.

So, it's not just this existential feeling that we need hope and so we've placed it in something and it's helps us. No, he really is that awesome and I think even for those of us who have put our trust in him, we still don't get how awesome he is. We still don't completely understand how amazing Christ is but Jesus Christ really is that awesome. And the gift that God has given should inspire us. I mean, whether it's a cultural tradition that gives gifts or not, it should inspire us to be giving.

Christ gave of himself and my prayer a few minutes ago, I said, he left the glories of heaven. An eternal being that was outside of all this that we can see, the finiteness of what we can see. I mean, the heavens for crying out loud. The heavens, we cannot get to the end of but we have an a feeling that they end, right? And that's mind blowing to think about that to think that a divine being spoke them into existence.

Jesus Christ really is that awesome. He really, really is and Imma go back today. It's not going to be from Luke two. It's not going to be from Matthew one. I am doing a Christmas message but it's not from there.

Hebrews is what we've been studying. We're in the hall of faith of Hebrews right now. If we're going through but I'm going go back to the Exordium, the first four verses of Hebrews and just start right there with this gets at Jesus Christ really is that awesome. He really is and it's true and the truth of it like I know what the world says. I understand that they say, well, whatever you need.

It's a crutch. Religion is a crutch. I agree but we're broken. And if you got a broken leg, what do you need? You need a crutch.

It's a good thing. It is a it allows you to heal. It allows you to rely on it where you cannot rely on yourself and we need that. We are not that awesome. Merry Christmas.

Why? Here we go. We'll catch up with what I've just said. This is your slide, okay? Jesus Christ really is that awesome.

Jesus Christ really is that awesome. Imma ask you, when you see it come up, y'all just go ahead and say it, alright? If you believe it, he's outside of what, even those of us who have devoted our lives to him, he's outside even more awesome than we can express but if you believe it, express it, okay? I'm giving you the chance. Here it is.

God. God, almighty God. God, who at various times and in various ways has spoken in time past. So, this is God who's completely outside of time. He's the author of it, spoken into existence and God almighty who is awesome.

Has at various times in the past spoken. He spoke to our fathers by the prophets. That's Old Testament stuff. He has in these last days spoken to us through his son. Think about that.

I mean, people say, well, I don't I don't know. I'm not a Christian or anything. Jesus's teachings are, yeah, that's pretty good. I love your neighbor and stuff. That's sweet.

No. This is almighty God who's taken on human flesh and he is the message He has spoken in these last days. God's message of love is through Christ. That's what Christ came to share and that's why we celebrate Christmas. Why?

God speaks through Christ. He did and he does. He's given us propositional truth in his word. He's given us the New Testament which is about Christ. The Old Testament which is about Christ.

He's given it to us. Amen. God speaks through Christ. Why? He really is that awesome.

He really is that awesome. That's the truth. So, whom Jesus, whom he, God, has appointed heir of all things. So, Jesus Christ is the heir of literally for whom, by whom, in whom are all things. Why?

He really is. He really is. There's not, it's no joke. It's not just for you or just for me. He really is that.

If we only understood it, if we only completely understood it and we will, we've got an incorruptible hope that we will know just as we are known but Jesus Christ really is that awesome. So, through whom he also made the worlds. I've already mentioned this. He's the agent of creation. There were nothing that was made that was not made through Christ.

Everything God creates ex Nihilo out of nothing and he did it through Christ, Jesus. Agent of creation. Amen. Why? He really is who being active word there, being the brightness of his glory.

I've changed versions on you. I've been using the New American Standard but y'all have heard this recently. So, I've changed versions on you just to mix it up. Think about that. He is the brightness, the radiance of God's glory.

He's the active, brilliant God. Active, at work, still. Right now, well, we'll get to that. He's the express image of his person. Express image.

He is the imprint or the stamp of God. So, he's the brilliance going out but he is the stamp inwardly too. Exactly God. So, Christ is exactly what God looks like in flesh. His answers that often surprise people were God's answers.

Why? Because Christ really is that awesome. He really is. Upholding all things by the word of his power. It's one thing to be the agent of creation and some people would say that God, okay, if there's a god, he started the world but obviously, he's turned his back on it because it's not going all that great.

So, God turned his back. No. Wait a second. This says that he upholds all things by the word of his power. So, everything that was created, natural stuff, all the stuff that God said was good in the beginning.

None of that stuff would continue to be without Christ. In fact, I'll say here, nothing would continue to exist without him. Everything is defined by who he is. Y'all are baptist but you're catching on. The liturgy, the liturgy stuff is kind of an unusual thing in my tradition but so are big screen TVs.

So, I'm clicking and nothing's happened. There we go. When we when we when he had by himself, I love that. When he had by himself purged up our sins. This is for everyone who's put their trust in Christ.

When he had by himself, he did it alone and what he did didn't need your help. It does need your faith. It does need, you have to place your faith in the fact that he did it but when he had by himself purged our sins, he alone handled that sin. He sat down. The work was done.

He sat down. He's at the right hand of the majesty on high. In fact, it says that we are at what he's doing right now is interceding on behalf of all of those who put their faith in him. He's still the active brilliance of God and he's sitting right at his hands saying, help them get through the difficulty. Help em help their neighbors.

Help em love their neighbors. Help em love their enemies. When he had by himself purged our sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. He alone handled a sin and then he sat down. It's kind of looking at the finished work of He really is.

You're not going to you're not going to hit the end of it during the sermon, okay? He really is that awesome. So, having become so much better than angels. We sing a lot and we see a lot of Christmas cards about angels. Angels are great.

I don't have any argument with angels. They're great. They're messengers of God. They serve God but he's so much better than angels. He does carry a message.

So, he's similar. That's why this writer of Hebrews points out that He is God's active speaking. His active brilliance. He's the emperor. He's exactly what he is.

Having so become so much better than the angels. He's way more awesome than angels. Christ really is that awesome. So, he has he has by inheritance. Oh, it's by inheritance because he's God's son.

He's God's son. He has the inheritance of a son. The angels are servants and they're ministering servants and it makes that very clear but Christ is the heir of all things by inheritance. He has inherited a more excellent name than they. So, he is a son.

Angels are ministering service because Now, the author of Hebrews launches into a series of Old Testament proofs. I'm not going to go through all these like y'all are used to me doing and I did em a few months ago. If you want to hear you can go back online and hear that but Psalm two, Psalm second Samuel seven, Deuteronomy 32, Psalm 97 goes Psalm 104. All of these things that are forecasting and describing who Christ is and the writer of Hebrews is recognizing that, applying it. Psalm 45 goes on more Old Testament proof.

More Psalm 45. Psalm one zero two. Psalm 110, all of these are pointing towards Christ because. Jesus Christ Amen. So, we get up to Hebrews two.

We've already been all the way through Hebrews one. Took me weeks to go through that the first time but let's skip these four verses. We'll come back to them. So, where were we? There we, that's where we were, right there.

He really is. So, y'all have convinced me he is awesome. Okay, I keep hearing y'all say that but the writer of Hebrews goes on. So, Christ is awesome but what are we? The writer of Hebrews has started off with Jesus Christ really is that awesome but when it gets to Psalm eight, Old Testament proof, it's about us.

What is man or mankind, humankind? What are humans? What is man? That you're mindful of him at all or a son of man, one born human that you take care of him. We've got the contrast between Christ who really is awesome and angels who are also awesome but we've got this humanity and it says, what is man?

I mean, we're little specs. Just little specs. What's man that your mind flow of him or? Son of man that you take care of him because God does. He sustains us.

He upholds all things by the word of his power. You've made him a little lower than the angels. Would you agree we're a little lower than the angels? Yeah. We're less awesome than angels.

I sit in my study sometimes and wonder how this is going to go. We are less awesome than angels. If if we were not, we wouldn't hear him say, fear not so often. If you're wondering Daniel and Luke and Genesis and Luke and Matthew and Acts, every time we see an angel virtually, every time we see em, they say, fear not, chill, it's going to be okay. I know.

I'm awesome. No, they don't say that. Jesus is awesome. That's what they're supposed to do but we're less awesome than angels but the verses go on and it says, if you, that's God. You, God, have crowned him, man, mankind, humankind.

At this time, they use men and women together was a group that was just him, you know. You have crowned man kind with glory and honor and you've set mankind over the works of your hands. Now, that sounds like, well, he started this thing spinning and then he let it go. Well, he not quite. He upholds all things by the word of his power but he does grant them authority.

So, mankind, all the way back to Adam was put in charge. So, you've put all things in subjection under his feet. That's that's pretty big. Angels are awesome but we have a tremendous responsibility as man mankind. For in that, he put him in subjection under him.

He left nothing that's not put under him. It really is a big responsibility that God has seeded to mankind. So, if I get there, we, people, we matter because God has crowned us with glory and honor and authority. He's put a spark of the divine within us, okay? He has created us to be creative and he has handed over responsibility for a lot.

So, how's that going? Next verse, but now, we do not yet see all things put under mankind, do we? Do you think that we're doing a good, oh, let me just go forward. Do we see humankind as a whole exercise in our glory, honor, and authority for good? Do y'all see that?

Spotted instances of greatness. I think that occasionally, we see something good and we want to hang on to it and the triumph of the human spirit is good. Is everything alright with the world? I think that's obviously a no. A big no, hey?

But next verse, but but we see Jesus. So, mankind is not doing all that great with the authority that's been given to him and I think that most people would agree with that. Don't matter what side of the political spectrum especially here where it's so polarized, your own, you can recognize that it's not like it ought to be. But we see Jesus who's made a little lower than the angels. Well, Jesus actually, as far as time and space concerned, he took on though he really is that awesome and angels are less so and it's already been stated and will be explicitly stated again.

Jesus was made a little lower than angels. He took on this flesh. He started his earthly life just like us. As a baby. In a womb than has a baby and then he grew in wisdom and in stature.

He started his earth and that's what we celebrate at Christmas is there's a humanity to this divinity. So, merry Christmas. Why? We see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for for the suffering of death. He was crowned with glory and honor.

It said that God already had given us glory and honor and then put all the things in subjection up under us but we failed. Old covenant stuff we kept on failing actually. For the suffering of death, Christ was crowned with glory and honor. He didn't have his own sin, didn't have original sin, didn't have his own sin to deal with but he was living that perfect life and died that sacrificial death and that is what crowned him glory and honor. Though he was God.

Stepped out of eternal being into this temporal geography bound. He had to really walk for the suffering of death. He was crowned with glory and honor. This reminds me of Philippians two five, one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Imma read it quickly.

It is Christmas not the highlighting just as decorative, okay? It's not the Mexican flag but it kind of looks like it. Philippians two five, I changed the version on you again but have this attitude in yourselves. Have this attitude in yourselves. Which was so in Christ Jesus who although he existed in the form of God, he was by his very nature, God, the exact imprint and the brilliance of God.

He didn't regard equality with God as a thing to be grasped. He wanted righteousness more than to be right or to prove he was right. Consistent application over time eventually. People see righteousness. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus who although existed in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God as a thing to be grasped but he emptied himself.

This is Christmas. We're talking about him coming into our world. He emptied himself of his divine rights. And taking the form of a bond servant or slave, being made in the likeness of men, took on our humanity, and being found in appearance as a man. He humbled himself by becoming obedient.

Obedient to the point of death, even the death of a cross and for this reason also, God has highly exalted him. He's highly exalted him and he's bestowed on him the name which is above every name. Why? We don't celebrate Mary Ramas. We don't celebrate Mary Marymas.

We don't. It's Mary Christmas. Okay, merry Christmas. His name is above every name. So that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow.

Old Testament quote. Every knee will bow. Of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is lord to the glory of God the father. It would be true for everyone. Whether they won't admit it in this temporal life or not.

It will be obvious because is it coming up? Yeah. He really is. When I say really, I mean, it's actual, true, real. He really is that awesome and you can deny it all you want to to get to do whatever you want to do here but when the truth of the matter comes down, Jesus Christ really is that awesome and he deserves so much more than what we give.

We see him. He was made a little lower than the angels. For the suffering of death, he was crowned with glory and honor and so that. This tells, oh, I love it. Preachers love this stuff.

When when you hit a henna clause in Greek, it's a so that clause. It tells us the purpose of the why. So, he was made a little lower than angels. Why? He was crucified.

Why? So that he, by the grace of God, the goodness and grace of God crucified his own son. We gotta keep going in that verse, don't we? By the grace of God, he actually deserved to live forever, eternally both in both directions. He actually deserved that but he took on death so that we might have life actually may go on.

So that he, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. His blood was totally effective, totally effective to pay the penalty for sin for absolutely everyone. It was absolutely laid out there but then, we see this little word that was, this does sound like Easter not Christmas and I have had a couple people say, I hate it when preachers preach an Easter message at Christmas. Well, if it ain't all Easter and all Christmas, are you really proclaiming what it says? You know, Christ stepped out of the glories of heaven and he did so for a temporal time, thirty some years.

Lot of us in this room are older than that. So that he by the grace of mice taste death for everyone. The it does sound like Easter not Christmas but that might right there. That's what I'm going for. That's actually in your bulletin.

It only had a couple verses and there's a might in those verses too. Couple em. That might right there is a grammatical clue that this is subjunctive. If that don't matter to you, grammatically, I think that this matters. He did it for a purpose and the purpose was effective but it's contingent upon the recipient's own will.

Jesus Christ really is that awesome and he will be proven to be so. It will come. Though it tarry, wait for it. It's happening. It's coming to pass.

You can experience it now by faith. Or not. The might there is contingent upon the recipient's will. If I say, I want for Florine to play the piano, that's great but that piano doesn't start making noise until Florine gets up there and starts tickling those ivories, right? My will and his will have to coincide for that to happen.

Thank you for doing that by the way. So that he, Christ, might taste death. It's not like it might work. No, it works because Christ really is that awesome. The might puts it in your lap concerning Christmas.

This is Galatians. Galatians four, four, and five but when the fullness of time came. Now, we have been studying in Hebrews lately and we've been seeing a lot of things forecast in Christ from all of the Old Testament and the Old Covenant itself was forecasting a new covenant that was to come but the way that it would come about came about in the fullness of time. It was at exactly the right time. You can argue, you know, why, there, why, in that time, When the fullness of time came, we won't argue about how God did it.

He did it. When the fullness of time came, God sent forth his son who took on the nature of a servant, took on the nature of man. He was tempted in every way just as tempted yet, He was without sin. God sent forth his son. He's born of a woman.

He was born under the law. Old covenant law. He's born under that. And it then says, so that, another henna clause. So that, why?

The purpose for him to be in the fullness of time. Sent forth, born, and born under the law so that he might redeem those who are under the law. His son might redeem those who are under the law. It's an effective call. It really is.

But the might is on you so that we might receive the adoption as sons so that we might receive. It's out there and the gift has been given but in order gift to be a gift, it has to be accepted too, right? This might, this is certainly an certainly in our time frame, we think of, why does it say sons and not sons and daughters? Well, you can look at it as males and females in a group together would say sons but I think that adoption is not that way. Adoption at the time for sons was different than adoption for the daughters.

Adoption for of daughters didn't really carry any right. No inheritance passed to daughters but it did to sons. So that we, that's male and female, might receive the adoption of sons and have all the benefits of the heir of all things, Christ, he died and put himself in our place so that we might be accepted and put in his that God would see the righteousness of Christ. John three seventeen is our advent reading. It was part of that.

Y'all know John three sixteen and it has a henna clause so that whoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life. This is the follow-up that God did not send his son into the world to judge the world. That was first advent. He did not send him into the world to judge the world but he sent him so that the world might be saved through him. When it says good news of great joy shall be to all the peoples.

It's going forth. It's shall be to all the peoples. The might still stands on each individual soul. I've got tons more slides that I'm not going to go through. I'm going to stop.

About four slides from end, Blake. Can we get back to merry Christmas? There's a lot more here but merry Christmas. Okay? Why?

Because wait for it. Jesus Christ really is that awesome. He really is. He really is and we're never going to hit the end of it. It's amazing.

It's amazing. It's amazing and people that kind of lay the blame at God's feet for all the evil that has happened in the world. Jesus Christ really is awesome enough and he offers peace. He really does. But men resist They resist good news of great joy.

We resist good news of great joy. Jesus Christ really is that awesome and so there you go. Thank you. Y'all are with me now. Jesus Christ really is that awesome.

Should we go forward this week? By the power of his spirit, living out what he's done for us. Living out the incorruptible hope that he's placed in us. Now, Tuesday night, we're going to get here. We're to celebrate.

We're going to sing songs about shepherds and wise men. And we're going to go forward with the Christmas story, traditional Christmas story but I wanted you to get behind all of that and see that Can I get the band back up here? Would y'all stand with us?

Alright. Good news of great joy. Let's sing of it.

Alright. Here we go. A good news of great joy for every woman, every man. And this will be signed to you. Alright.

Unto you a child is born. Unto you a child is born. For me. God's covering. There will be no establishing with his righteousness and his sharing on David's throne.

And his name shall be from this day on. Wonderful counselor. A everlasting father.

Let's sing that again. Wonderful counselor.

Wonderful counselor, everlasting

Steve, it looks like you got something to say.

The benediction first or second? Well, I have the privilege of representing you gracious folks and we are blessed. I would like Blake, could you come up? Bailey, Mike, if you're here. Liz, Owens, if you're here.

Carl and Ray. We get to see Carl and Ray every Sunday, but we don't get to often see the rest of the staff. And you folks, again, have been very generous, we just like to present them. Oh, and Diane? Yes, Diane.

Sorry. Come on up. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

But they're so shy. So we just wanna say thank you, and I'm gonna give them their their Christmas gifts that you guys have graciously given them. Let's just pray a blessing over them as we end this year. Heavenly father, we are so very grateful how you have provided gifts and talents to us in various different ways and that through that diversity, Lord, you bring unity through Jesus Christ. Thank you for this message today.

Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for your life, your your your the birth, the death, the resurrection of Jesus Christ that gives us hope. And we just wanna say thank you in Jesus precious name. Amen. Amen.

Amen.

Alright. For the benediction. Hey, look at there. It came up. Blake's standing up here.

How'd you do that? Oh, look at him. He's on top of things all the time. He's got it covered. By the way, y'all have no idea.

The last person that did Alright. Now, may the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely. Amen and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved, complete without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because.

Amen.