WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.679 Thank you, Alex. Before I jump into the message, we can see some candles here. Last week, 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:12.120 ! we lit the first candle as we enter the season of Advent, and the first candle represented 00:00:12.120 --> 00:00:16.640 ! Love. And today, we will light the second one. I'm going to invite Megan to come up. 00:00:17.839 --> 00:00:23.679 We'll give her a round of applause. That'll be great. And Megan's family is here as well, 00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:28.560 so we welcome you. Good to have you in Hong Kong. And you're going to light the second candle for us. 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:30.640 And this one will represent joy today. 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:39.079 Oh, we're good. Good job. Would you say a prayer for us? 00:00:41.019 --> 00:00:47.320 Father God, we just come to you grateful for this opportunity to worship and to hear from you this 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:52.579 morning. Yeah, we're just so grateful for the story of Advent, that the God of the universe, 00:00:52.579 --> 00:00:58.420 who placed the stars in the sky and who created every one of us, chose to come in this perfectly 00:00:58.420 --> 00:01:05.140 messy and beautiful story of Advent. Yeah, in the most humble way. And we are just so grateful for it. 00:01:05.379 --> 00:01:11.200 And as we approach Christmas, would you speak to us? Would you be at the center of all of our 00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:16.820 festivities? Would you bless our time together? And may we hear this story of Advent in a new way. 00:01:16.939 --> 00:01:22.439 May your Holy Spirit continue to work in each and every one of us. And we ask this in your name. Amen. 00:01:22.439 --> 00:01:28.939 Amen. Thank you. Thank you. So we've been going through the book of Luke. We started with the book 00:01:28.939 --> 00:01:34.620 last week and Johnny kicked us off. And we're going to continue on that because it's Christmas and the 00:01:34.620 --> 00:01:40.959 beginning of Luke really tells the Christmas story. But really, just the first question is, what do you 00:01:40.959 --> 00:01:47.640 think about when you think about Christmas? When you think about this season? The kids and I, 00:01:47.640 --> 00:01:52.920 as we got out of the house today and it was cold, walking to the bus stop, my kids were just so happy. 00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:58.540 They're like, this reminds us of England. It's just so nice. And I'm like, actually, that's the very 00:01:58.540 --> 00:02:02.780 thing I was running away from, the cold. But here we are. What do you think about, Gracie, what do you 00:02:02.780 --> 00:02:08.219 think about when you think about Christmas? What's the first thing? Friends gathering. 00:02:08.580 --> 00:02:16.539 Nice. Good. What else? You tell us. What comes to mind for you? Food. What kind of food? 00:02:16.539 --> 00:02:23.739 McDonald's. This is kind of like the Japanese thing that they have KFC on Christmas Day, right? 00:02:23.879 --> 00:02:27.859 That's a real thing. I think I saw J1 hiding around the corner there, so I'm going to embarrass 00:02:27.859 --> 00:02:32.319 him. J1, can you pop your head around with all that hair? There we go. Look at you, all 00:02:32.319 --> 00:02:35.780 that hair. Everyone give a round of applause to J1. 00:02:35.780 --> 00:02:47.180 Just Christmas. Time with family, friends, family, friends, food. Just a beautiful time. 00:02:47.300 --> 00:02:51.960 So nothing about Jesus then, guys. Just we're okay. Thank you, J. You can go and sit back 00:02:51.960 --> 00:02:58.920 down over there if you want to. What if I asked you, what do you think about when you think 00:02:58.920 --> 00:03:03.900 about the Holy Spirit? Do you think that's tied with Christmas? Or what do you think about 00:03:03.900 --> 00:03:06.840 every day when you think about the Holy Spirit? Yeah. 00:03:11.640 --> 00:03:13.740 It's like my connection with God. 00:03:13.900 --> 00:03:19.140 Your connection with God. I like that. I like that. It's something that's hard to describe, 00:03:19.520 --> 00:03:23.680 but it is there, right, for sure. What else is there? Let's pick on one more person, Kelly. 00:03:25.560 --> 00:03:30.560 The person sitting next to Kelly, Jamie. Jamie, what do you think about when you think about 00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:37.699 the Holy Spirit? Sense of direction. The guide. Wow, that's good. But you see, we don't always 00:03:37.699 --> 00:03:41.900 think about the Holy Spirit, especially not with the Christmas story, but as I've even been looking 00:03:41.900 --> 00:03:49.420 through this book here, you just see the Holy Spirit's fingerprints everywhere. And from the very 00:03:49.420 --> 00:03:53.759 beginning, I mean, Johnny shared about this. From the very beginning, Genesis chapter one, verse two, 00:03:54.379 --> 00:03:59.780 the Spirit of God is hovering above the waters and seeking to give life. And then, of course, 00:03:59.780 --> 00:04:04.400 throughout the Old Testament, you see all these prophecies, over 300 about Jesus. And where do 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:08.180 they come from? They come from the Holy Spirit revealing to people that, hey, there's a Messiah 00:04:08.180 --> 00:04:12.900 coming. There is sin in this world. There is brokenness in this world. And because you've been 00:04:12.900 --> 00:04:17.860 living by the flesh, you're going to experience death and decay. But with the Spirit, there is life. 00:04:18.060 --> 00:04:21.819 And of course, there was a 400-year gap between the Old Testament and the New Testament. 00:04:22.259 --> 00:04:26.560 And then suddenly, the New Testament kicks off, and the Holy Spirit comes back and says, 00:04:26.560 --> 00:04:34.500 I'm here. In fact, I've always been here. And I'm here to give life once again. And then so you see 00:04:34.500 --> 00:04:40.379 Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, these two righteous people who were serving in the temple, 00:04:40.699 --> 00:04:46.000 who have been waiting for a baby for years and years. And suddenly, this is the moment the Holy 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:52.040 Spirit starts to work again. And you see the angel visit them. And then the angel, Gabriel goes and 00:04:52.040 --> 00:04:55.800 visits Mary as well. And you see this thing happening. And it's all documented by Luke, 00:04:56.600 --> 00:05:00.439 who actually I find is fascinating. Because if you look at the Gospel of Luke, it's probably the one 00:05:00.439 --> 00:05:06.420 that mentions the Holy Spirit the most. And it's really interesting because Luke was a doctor. Luke 00:05:06.420 --> 00:05:10.600 was a doctor who believed in science, and who believed in evidence, and who believed in looking 00:05:10.600 --> 00:05:14.879 at things and observing and deducing what should be happening here. And yet, he's the one who talks about 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:19.140 the supernatural realm the most. If you look at the Book of Acts, which is his sequel to Luke, 00:05:19.139 --> 00:05:23.599 you'll see that he's still talking about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is everywhere. And at least 00:05:23.599 --> 00:05:28.180 for me, maybe as a former biology teacher that wasn't quite smart enough to become a doctor like 00:05:28.180 --> 00:05:34.959 Dr. Trevor over here, was science can tell you how things work, but they don't really tell you why 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:39.879 they work in the first place. It doesn't tell you the reason behind it. And I reckon maybe it was 00:05:39.879 --> 00:05:45.419 you're thinking for me, Dr. Luke was like, hey, look, I'm a doctor, and I'm used to scientific 00:05:45.420 --> 00:05:51.319 observation. But I want to show you that actually, the Holy Spirit is moving. There is, in fact, 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:56.500 the supernatural realm is probably more real. It is more real than even what we're experiencing 00:05:56.500 --> 00:06:01.160 right here. The question is, do we truly acknowledge it? Do we recognize it? And do we respond to it? 00:06:01.160 --> 00:06:08.439 You see Zechariah and Mary both, understandably so, respond in doubt. Zechariah has this great thing 00:06:08.439 --> 00:06:12.700 that actually last week when I was reading when Johnny was leading us in it, because he's old, right? 00:06:12.699 --> 00:06:16.800 And so then you can imagine, you're doing your work in the temple, you're old, you've been waiting for a 00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:20.759 baby for years, and then an angel appears out of nowhere and says, hey, you're going to have a baby. 00:06:21.319 --> 00:06:26.060 And then he's like, verse 18 in chapter 1, oh, actually, I'll do that in a minute. How shall I 00:06:26.060 --> 00:06:31.639 know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years. That tells me Zechariah is a 00:06:31.639 --> 00:06:37.279 smart man. He calls himself old, but he calls his wife advanced. So he knows what he's doing there. 00:06:37.279 --> 00:06:46.159 But he's doubting. And then Mary, of course, even more reason to doubt, because the very way that 00:06:46.159 --> 00:06:51.219 you have a baby, she hasn't done yet. And she's like, how is that even possible? And of course, 00:06:51.239 --> 00:06:54.159 you're imagining all the repercussions that would have on a teenage girl like Mary. 00:06:55.139 --> 00:07:00.219 Once my mum finds out, I'm going to get kicked out of my house. I'm going to get kicked out of my 00:07:00.219 --> 00:07:05.439 community. So both of them respond in doubt, young and old, but then eventually they're filled 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:10.439 with faith. And we're going to move into the second half of chapter 1, where we're going to 00:07:10.439 --> 00:07:14.620 look at actually how the Holy Spirit is working through all of that. If you look at the Gospel 00:07:14.620 --> 00:07:19.199 of Luke, yes, you've got the main character, which is Jesus, but the Holy Spirit is everywhere. 00:07:19.519 --> 00:07:24.000 And we're going to try and go on this journey as we look at the Gospel of Luke and see if we can find 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:30.220 what he's doing there and see how we can apply that to our own lives. So I'm going to invite Damien to 00:07:30.220 --> 00:07:34.279 come up and read. But before we do that, you can come up, Damien. He's going to read us the Word of God. 00:07:34.279 --> 00:07:40.439 I keep talking about this paper contraption that is the Bible, that is the real way to the truth. 00:07:41.399 --> 00:07:45.979 Today, I realize I can't kind of guilt trip you in not having a Bible, when there's actually 00:07:45.979 --> 00:07:50.599 Bibles that we have in our church here that actually our dear friend Gabriel feels very 00:07:50.599 --> 00:07:56.000 strongly about and actually gifted to the church. So I picked the smartly dressed man, which is Juju, 00:07:56.519 --> 00:08:00.859 for this very purpose, to come and hand out some Bibles first before we do it. Can I do that? 00:08:00.860 --> 00:08:05.560 Can you be brave and confess if you don't have a Bible that you'd like to use a Bible today? 00:08:05.720 --> 00:08:11.259 Only to borrow, by the way. Oh, JP's making you all. He's just going to keep handing them out as we go. 00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:18.340 Come on. Oh, Brayden, look at that. He's got one. He's got one. Just keep handing them out, Juju, 00:08:18.420 --> 00:08:22.080 and just pass them around. And if you were going to use your phone, then I encourage you today to use 00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:27.719 the paper Bible, because it is so much easier to follow. And so we're going to go through the 00:08:27.719 --> 00:08:31.379 Word of God. Whilst Juju does that, can I invite us to stand for the Word of God? 00:08:36.899 --> 00:08:40.799 By the way, those Bibles are actually still remain to be church property. So once you finish using 00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:45.299 them, please do, don't take them away. Unless you really want to take one and steal it, that's okay, 00:08:45.399 --> 00:08:51.360 but that's on you. You can decide with God what that means. But there's a black cupboard there, 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:54.659 if you're part of the family. There's a cupboard there at the end. Feel free to just drop it back 00:08:54.659 --> 00:09:09.100 off over there, because Juju can't reach that top shelf. Nice suit, though. H&M kids' collection 00:09:09.100 --> 00:09:19.659 is getting good. Okay, God, forgive me. Forgive us. We come and we focus on you, Lord. Your words, 00:09:19.659 --> 00:09:25.299 not mine. Your words are the gift of life. Your words give us purpose, give us meaning. And so we 00:09:25.299 --> 00:09:29.240 lean on your words today. And so we thank you, and we receive these words with reverence and awe 00:09:29.240 --> 00:09:30.659 and gratitude. Thank you, Lord. 00:09:33.659 --> 00:09:37.679 Today's scripture reading goes from Luke chapter 1, verse 39 to 56. 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:45.819 In those days, Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judea. And she 00:09:45.819 --> 00:09:51.839 entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, 00:09:52.399 --> 00:09:59.159 the baby lived in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she exclaimed with a loud 00:09:59.159 --> 00:10:04.299 voice of her, and she said, Now, she cried, Blessed are you among women. And blessed is the fruit of your womb. 00:10:05.240 --> 00:10:14.639 And why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting 00:10:14.639 --> 00:10:24.759 come to my ears, the baby in my womb lived for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be 00:10:24.759 --> 00:10:30.980 a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord. And Mary said, 00:10:31.419 --> 00:10:41.000 My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior. For he has looked on the humble estate 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:49.960 of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed. For he who is mighty has done 00:10:49.960 --> 00:10:57.379 great things for me. And holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to 00:10:57.379 --> 00:11:03.500 generation. He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their 00:11:03.500 --> 00:11:10.220 hearts. He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate. 00:11:10.900 --> 00:11:18.780 He has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant 00:11:18.779 --> 00:11:28.480 Israel in the remembrance of his mercy as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever. 00:11:29.259 --> 00:11:34.459 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to their home, through her home. 00:11:35.139 --> 00:11:35.939 This is God's word. 00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:37.879 Thank you, Damien. Please take a seat. 00:11:38.639 --> 00:11:39.360 Thank you. Thank you. 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:46.180 So as we're highlighting this, and actually, I'm going to go further beyond. We're going to finish the 00:11:46.180 --> 00:11:49.759 whole of chapter one, actually. So if you can see this, if you're looking and you're struggling, 00:11:49.899 --> 00:11:55.759 it's page 804. And we're going to be doing the whole thing. And through it, there is yes, 00:11:55.919 --> 00:12:00.480 there is Mary. Yes, there is Elizabeth. Yes, there is Zechariah. But the Holy Spirit is just everywhere. 00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:08.920 And I want to be able to highlight that to you today. So Elizabeth, older lady, advanced in years lady, 00:12:09.240 --> 00:12:15.720 finally gets pregnant. Her and her husband Zechariah have been just righteous and holy and 00:12:15.720 --> 00:12:20.480 hardworking, following, devoted to the Lord. But yet the Lord chose not to give them baby until this 00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:25.580 point. She's got a relative, which is Mary, who they believe to be somewhere between 13 to 16. So 00:12:25.580 --> 00:12:31.600 very, very young, who didn't even ask for a baby, and now gets a baby. Both of them get visited by 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:37.420 angel Gabriel. And then Mary, both of them have doubt, but both of them get over it and go, okay, 00:12:37.520 --> 00:12:43.020 well, if this is really happening, then okay, Lord, your will be done. And so we see here in verse 39, 00:12:43.460 --> 00:12:48.740 in those days, Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country to a town in Judah. So immediately 00:12:48.740 --> 00:12:53.320 she goes, as quick as she possibly can, she heads. She's like, whoa, if this is happening to my 00:12:53.320 --> 00:12:57.000 relative Elizabeth, then I want to go and see her. And so she travels and it's a long journey 00:12:57.000 --> 00:13:01.740 and she gets there. And then there's this most fascinating encounter, which I think is just, 00:13:01.980 --> 00:13:07.160 can only be the Holy Spirit. Because what happens here is this, she goes and she enters the house, 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:12.220 so she knocks on the door and Zechariah opens the door and greets her. And then she greets Elizabeth 00:13:12.220 --> 00:13:18.980 and verse 41. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was 00:13:18.980 --> 00:13:22.880 filled with the Holy Spirit. And she exclaimed with loud cry, blessed are you among women. 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:29.580 And blessed is the fruit of your womb. Joy. And I actually talked a little bit about this last 00:13:29.580 --> 00:13:33.259 year, but no one remembers what I preached last week. So you won't remember what I preached last 00:13:33.259 --> 00:13:41.500 year. Joy. And it made me think, actually, if I'm Elizabeth at that moment, I'm probably not feeling 00:13:41.500 --> 00:13:47.799 joy were it not for the Holy Spirit. Have a think, all the years that she's been waiting for God, 00:13:47.799 --> 00:13:53.179 all the years she's been asking God, why won't you give us a, what have Zechariah and I, have I done 00:13:53.179 --> 00:14:00.000 wrong? Why are we still here without a baby? These years of diligence, these years of being righteous. 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:07.759 And that, and she's probably given up five times at this point. And finally, finally, it happens. 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:16.360 Meanwhile, her young teenage relative gets knocked up without even trying, without even trying to get 00:14:16.360 --> 00:14:22.840 knocked up. If I just imagine if you were Elizabeth in that moment, I'd be like, you and I are not the 00:14:22.840 --> 00:14:27.840 same. I've been waiting for years for this. And you're just going to have, you're just going to be 00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:32.940 pregnant too. You're just going to steal my thunder too. Just like that. You're just going to enjoy this 00:14:32.940 --> 00:14:39.080 time with me. No, you're not allowed to. I've waited 50 years for this. And yet you're here sharing joy 00:14:39.080 --> 00:14:45.320 with me because I think that's how I would feel. Isn't that how you would feel? And it brings me to 00:14:45.320 --> 00:14:51.240 the first point, which is this, the Holy Spirit, when he comes, he will fill us with joy. And you see 00:14:51.240 --> 00:14:57.820 Elizabeth is just filled with joy to the point where actually the baby in her womb jumps and leaps for 00:14:57.820 --> 00:15:02.700 joy, which tells me this thing, which is when it comes to the Holy Spirit, you will know the Holy 00:15:02.700 --> 00:15:07.860 Spirit that is there when there is joy in you. Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit, one of them 00:15:07.860 --> 00:15:15.980 being joy. But the only problem is so many of us lack joy because we look around and we see so many 00:15:15.980 --> 00:15:20.760 things. If we were Elizabeth, we look at Mary and go, well, you're going to, you're stealing my joy right 00:15:20.760 --> 00:15:25.720 now because you're sharing this with me. That's, that's not cool. It really is comparison, the spirit of 00:15:25.720 --> 00:15:30.259 comparison that actually takes away that joy. Have we all been there before? When you do something 00:15:30.259 --> 00:15:36.279 well, when you get an A minus at school and you're like, oh, that is so good. I worked so hard for that 00:15:36.279 --> 00:15:42.620 until the person next to you who barely studied gets an A plus and you're like, oh, you've just stolen 00:15:42.620 --> 00:15:50.940 my joy. I tried really hard for this. That's when Theodore Roosevelt said, the enemy, the thief of joy 00:15:50.940 --> 00:15:57.740 is comparison. Do we have this? Do we have this when we look across at someone? Maybe, maybe this 00:15:57.740 --> 00:16:01.280 is something that we feel all the time is that when we see our friends who were at the same stage of 00:16:01.280 --> 00:16:04.680 life where then they take the next step and they, they start dating and then they start getting 00:16:04.680 --> 00:16:07.560 married and then they start to have kids and then they do this and then they get this and then they 00:16:07.560 --> 00:16:11.560 get this car and then they get this flat and you're like, I was quite happy with my life until I saw your 00:16:11.560 --> 00:16:19.080 life and now I'm not happy anymore. Have we been there? When we invite the Holy Spirit into our hearts, 00:16:19.080 --> 00:16:26.400 into our lives, he fills us with joy because we stop comparing, because we stop looking at the 00:16:26.400 --> 00:16:32.160 other person. You see, Elizabeth here, the way she talks about this is just incredible. She's like, 00:16:33.259 --> 00:16:37.800 blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why is this granted to me 00:16:37.800 --> 00:16:42.600 that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, 00:16:42.740 --> 00:16:49.060 the baby in my womb leaped for joy. This was prophetic in a way. This was the Holy Spirit revealing 00:16:49.059 --> 00:16:53.719 to Elizabeth because remember at that point there was no social media, there was no WhatsApp. So she 00:16:53.719 --> 00:16:59.019 may not have even known that Elizabeth, that Mary was pregnant. She didn't receive the social updates. 00:16:59.679 --> 00:17:04.159 So she walks in and she's like, okay, by that point, Mary's about six months. She's like, whoa, 00:17:04.339 --> 00:17:08.679 you're pregnant too. But it's the Holy Spirit that reveals. And when the Holy Spirit reveals, 00:17:08.940 --> 00:17:14.619 she's just filled with joy. Does comparison steal your joy? 00:17:14.619 --> 00:17:20.039 And I've shared this time and time again. I literally just shared it again this morning with 00:17:20.039 --> 00:17:27.379 my accountability group. As I sit and as I scroll on social media, I try not to do it anymore because 00:17:27.379 --> 00:17:32.199 it's not on my phone. But every now and again, I'll check and two, three minutes in, I'll be like, 00:17:32.379 --> 00:17:39.019 this doesn't feel good. I don't like this. Why does everyone have so much hair? 00:17:39.019 --> 00:17:46.119 Why does everyone have so many good things that they're doing in life? Why are they hanging out 00:17:46.119 --> 00:17:51.980 there? What are they doing? Why aren't I invited? And a few minutes in, I'm just like, you know what? 00:17:52.079 --> 00:17:57.160 I don't like what this is doing to me. I'm just going to stop looking at it. Because comparison 00:17:57.160 --> 00:18:03.079 is the thief of joy. And you see here, the spirit-filled encounter. This is only the Holy Spirit. 00:18:03.079 --> 00:18:08.359 You can see here in verse 41 at the end, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:13.960 The Holy Spirit, when he comes, fills us with this kind of joy. And it's up to us to invite, 00:18:14.259 --> 00:18:20.319 look, a lot of us know who the Holy Spirit is and really have welcomed the Lord into our lives. 00:18:20.339 --> 00:18:25.259 But I know that sometimes there isn't that joy, but we can ask for it from him because he is the 00:18:25.259 --> 00:18:30.579 one who gives it. But it starts with us releasing and surrendering that need for comparison, 00:18:30.579 --> 00:18:36.839 that need for looking at the other. When we are content in what the Lord has given us, 00:18:37.639 --> 00:18:44.899 that's when we are filled with joy. Of course, there's two words that are often used interchangeably, 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:51.199 and that is jealousy and envy. Is there a difference? What do you think? There is a difference. 00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:52.500 What do you think? What do you think the difference is? 00:18:53.539 --> 00:18:59.199 Jealousy is more like, envy is more like you wanting to have what the other person has, 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:05.120 and jealousy is more like you don't want the other person to have something, 00:19:06.200 --> 00:19:09.259 like just simply because they have that. 00:19:09.259 --> 00:19:13.879 Yeah. There's an element of, hey, I want what you have, but if I can't have what you have, 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:18.720 then I'd rather you don't have it either. And then of course, you look at someone else who has 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:21.960 that joy and who has that thing, you're like, oh, I want that. But if I don't get it, then no. 00:19:23.119 --> 00:19:27.879 And we know we all do this when we look on the news and we see people who we're jealous of, 00:19:27.960 --> 00:19:33.099 who suffer and who have some kind of trouble. You're like, ah, you deserve it. There's something in us, 00:19:33.259 --> 00:19:37.960 sin, the flesh that causes us to look at the other people and go, oh, that's envy. That's why God said, 00:19:37.960 --> 00:19:43.059 don't do that. You know what that is? That's a bad look for my children because my children will 00:19:43.059 --> 00:19:47.500 have trust in me that I give them everything that they need and everything that will satisfy them. 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:52.400 And so we have to be careful of that. And we have to invite the Holy Spirit in to help us there, 00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:56.220 because when there is jealousy, there is no joy. Maybe just remember that for the first point. 00:19:56.480 --> 00:20:00.440 Where there is jealousy, there is no joy. So that when you're thinking, oh, I have no joy, 00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:04.019 well, then surrender the jealousy. Surrender looking at the other people and going what they have. 00:20:04.019 --> 00:20:12.019 Elizabeth could have easily, easily done that, but she didn't. She was just filled, 00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:15.680 filled with joy in meeting Mary. The second point is this, which is tied. 00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:21.900 When the Holy Spirit comes, he points you to other people. He points you to everything but yourself. 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:28.200 Why? Because the Holy Spirit is selfless. You see, she's not saying, oh, come, come and join my house. 00:20:28.259 --> 00:20:32.920 Look at me. I'm pregnant. I'm a bit ahead of you. My baby's going to be great. What's your baby's CV? 00:20:32.920 --> 00:20:39.400 Let's look at Luke chapter one and compare CVs for our children. No, no, no. She said, blessed are you, 00:20:40.140 --> 00:20:45.140 mother of my Lord. If there's a humility that comes when the Holy Spirit comes into your life. 00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:49.640 If you want to find out if someone is really filled with the Spirit and is loving the Lord, 00:20:49.960 --> 00:20:57.080 just look how humble they are, honestly. You just look for humility. Humility is the key trait that I've learned 00:20:57.080 --> 00:21:02.400 as I look at leaders, as I look for people. I'm like, does this person have humility? And what is humility? 00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:06.840 Of course, C.S. Lewis talks about humility, which is, it's not thinking any less of yourself. We're not 00:21:06.840 --> 00:21:11.440 talking about people who have low self-confidence, who have low self-esteem, who are constantly 00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:15.780 self-deprecating. But we're talking about, C.S. Lewis says, people with humility, true humility, 00:21:15.940 --> 00:21:21.400 are ones who think about themselves less. My favorite quote for humility is, humility is just being as 00:21:21.400 --> 00:21:27.920 close to the truth as possible. So not any bigger, don't inflate yourself any more or any less than you 00:21:27.920 --> 00:21:32.060 should be, just being, just staying as close to the truth as possible. When we are filled with the 00:21:32.060 --> 00:21:37.279 Holy Spirit, we will have the humility that comes with it because we won't be looking at ourselves. 00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:43.200 Verse 43, and why is it granted to me that the mother of my Lord, how did she know that? 00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:51.400 She sees Mary walk into her house. It's like, I'm pregnant, you're pregnant, but you're the mother of 00:21:51.400 --> 00:21:58.660 my Lord, my King. There's a humility there that's just like, I submit to you. 00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:07.180 I look to you. And of course, she passes that on to her baby, John the Baptist. John the Baptist was 00:22:07.180 --> 00:22:12.540 this crazy character who went out to live in the wilderness, was filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:22:12.740 --> 00:22:16.440 But John chapter three, when he's grown up and he starts his ministry, what does he say? He says, 00:22:16.500 --> 00:22:20.580 my joy is now complete because this guy is here, because I'm the bridegroom. I'm not the main 00:22:20.579 --> 00:22:24.879 character. I am so happy to be standing on the side here because Jesus is now here. And then what 00:22:24.879 --> 00:22:30.039 does he say? He must become greater. I must become less. And that's how you get that joy. 00:22:30.599 --> 00:22:36.159 So I wonder whether we struggle with joy as a, as, as a nation, as a group of people in this living in 00:22:36.159 --> 00:22:40.659 this planet at this time, we struggle with joy because we are so encouraged to focus on ourselves. 00:22:41.480 --> 00:22:47.319 Hey, work on yourself, do what's best for you. Do what you feel like you are, what you feel like. 00:22:47.319 --> 00:22:54.519 And yet somehow we are just completely deprived of joy because that's not the way to get joy. 00:22:54.819 --> 00:23:02.179 The Holy Spirit here gives joy. When you look away from yourself, joyfulness comes with selflessness. 00:23:03.619 --> 00:23:08.759 There is a humility that is involved going, it's not all about me. And in some ways that is where your 00:23:08.759 --> 00:23:17.339 joy really starts coming out. Actually, Mary has the same thing. So if we carry on. So after this, 00:23:17.460 --> 00:23:21.359 they have this wonderful interaction that's filled with the Holy Spirit. I can, I can imagine loud 00:23:21.359 --> 00:23:27.599 screeches and high pitched noises and big hugs. And after that, Mary then breaks into song and she sings 00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:33.440 this song, which of course is very one. And it starts with this, my soul magnifies the Lord. 00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:40.320 She's just been told by her relative that, Hey, the person in your womb is going to be the savior of 00:23:40.320 --> 00:23:46.840 the world. It's going to be Lord. And yet she says, my soul magnifies the Lord. But so many of us, 00:23:46.920 --> 00:23:54.019 when we get praised about anything, we're like, may we be magnified. May we be glorified. And you 00:23:54.019 --> 00:23:57.559 realize that there is no joy in that. Have you think of the most prideful person? And I've asked you this 00:23:57.559 --> 00:24:01.340 before. Think of the most prideful person, you know, or just prideful people. Do you sense joy there? 00:24:01.339 --> 00:24:08.139 No, for some reason, people who are prideful just don't have joy, but the ones who are selfless, 00:24:08.699 --> 00:24:15.379 the ones who don't think about themselves, they are filled with joy because they are filled with 00:24:15.379 --> 00:24:20.299 the Holy Spirit. And so then Mary, we won't go through verse by verse for this. My soul magnifies 00:24:20.299 --> 00:24:26.240 the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God, my savior. Verse 48, for he has looked on the humble estate of 00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:31.279 his servant. She's saying, I have no business being here. I have no business doing this. 00:24:31.339 --> 00:24:37.439 I have no business carrying the savior of the world in my womb. And yet here I am. My soul 00:24:37.439 --> 00:24:42.459 magnifies the Lord. She's filled with the spirit and she's not looking at herself. She's filled of joy 00:24:42.459 --> 00:24:47.759 because she's not looking at herself. There's a humility that's involved when it comes to anything 00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:54.500 that God is involved with. And she carries on and she talks about that in verse, let me look for it. 00:24:54.500 --> 00:25:00.160 Verse 51, he has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 00:25:00.500 --> 00:25:06.140 He has brought down the mighty from their thrones. The proud, the mighty, they have no business being here. 00:25:06.500 --> 00:25:11.200 The kingdom of God has no business for people who are proud and mighty because that's the very nature 00:25:11.200 --> 00:25:16.000 of the kingdom of God that you can only get in. It's when you recognize that you need a savior. 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:21.700 And it certainly carries on. It talks about the hungry in verse 53 and the rich he sends away empty. 00:25:21.799 --> 00:25:26.460 So she talks about the poor, talks about the helpless, talks about the oppressed. This is the 00:25:26.460 --> 00:25:31.019 same later in Luke chapter four, when Jesus starts his ministry, he will say the spirit of the Lord is 00:25:31.019 --> 00:25:36.859 upon me in Isaiah 61 to proclaim goodness to the poor, the broken, the captives, the oppressed. 00:25:36.859 --> 00:25:44.199 The kingdom of God is for those who are truly humble. The Holy Spirit brings that joyfulness 00:25:44.199 --> 00:25:51.379 through selflessness. And again, none of us have achieved this. None of us can achieve this on our 00:25:51.379 --> 00:25:57.419 own, in fact. But when was the last time when we were tempted to compare, when we were tempted to envy, 00:25:57.719 --> 00:26:02.359 when we were tempted to think about ourselves, when we go, Holy Spirit, can you just help me? 00:26:02.359 --> 00:26:09.339 I can't do this. I can't do this because if it's me, I'm going to want to do this. But if it's you, 00:26:10.339 --> 00:26:15.219 I want to do this. It's Romans 8 where he says, to set your mind on the flesh leads to death, 00:26:15.599 --> 00:26:21.519 but to set your mind on the spirit leads to life and peace. When do we just go, Holy Spirit, 00:26:21.619 --> 00:26:26.459 actually, I need your help. I am just constantly comparing myself to everyone else. Anyone, everyone. 00:26:26.460 --> 00:26:33.480 And we all have moments like that. People that we don't need to compare, there is nothing to compare. 00:26:35.100 --> 00:26:38.059 Sometimes I'll sit and I'll watch my son's basketball games with fellow 12-year-olds, 00:26:38.920 --> 00:26:43.220 catch me on the back, I can take that guy. Like me, grown man, taking the 12-year-old. 00:26:45.880 --> 00:26:50.880 But if we would just be content as children of God going, God, you have given me everything that I 00:26:50.880 --> 00:27:00.600 need. Holy Spirit, help me not think about myself. I want the joy that comes from you. I want the joy 00:27:00.600 --> 00:27:08.880 of Elizabeth, where she doesn't compare with her teenage relative, but she's just filled with joy. 00:27:10.320 --> 00:27:15.860 The third point is this, the Holy Spirit fills you with faith. You see, both of them are just filled 00:27:15.859 --> 00:27:21.139 with this faith. And actually, that's part of Elizabeth's compliment to Elizabeth. Verse 45, 00:27:21.699 --> 00:27:26.139 and blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her 00:27:26.139 --> 00:27:33.299 from the Lord. She's saying, Mary, you are so blessed. Why? Because you have faith. Why do I 00:27:33.299 --> 00:27:37.879 know you have faith? Because you believe that God is good for his promise. That when God sent angel 00:27:37.879 --> 00:27:42.419 Gabriel to tell you that this would happen, you were just filled with faith and you came to find me to 00:27:42.420 --> 00:27:49.900 celebrate this faith, you believe that God will come through. See, faith is a gift. I've met people 00:27:49.900 --> 00:27:55.080 in my life who have this gift of faith, and it is unshakable, and it is, and I just look at them, 00:27:55.160 --> 00:27:59.380 I'm like, that gift is so beautiful, because whatever circumstance you're going through, 00:27:59.460 --> 00:28:02.860 whatever kind of suffering you're going through, you just have faith that you know God will come 00:28:02.860 --> 00:28:07.500 through for you. And where does that faith come from? That faith comes from the Holy Spirit. 00:28:07.500 --> 00:28:13.420 And Mary has that, because even towards the end of her song, she says, he has helped his servant 00:28:13.420 --> 00:28:18.339 Israel in remembrance of his mercy as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring forever. 00:28:18.440 --> 00:28:22.940 She's like, God, you have been coming through time and time again for our people. Now you've been 00:28:22.940 --> 00:28:27.960 away for 400 years, and we've not known where you were, and it's been pretty bad, but now you're 00:28:27.960 --> 00:28:32.460 coming through again. And Mary continued to keep that faith. The Holy Spirit fills you with faith. 00:28:32.460 --> 00:28:39.079 It reminds me, the sequel to the book of Luke is Acts. And actually Luke describes people who have 00:28:39.079 --> 00:28:44.319 faith as people who are filled with the Holy Spirit. The first deacon in Acts chapter 6, Stephen, 00:28:45.039 --> 00:28:51.299 is described as someone who is a man of faith and is filled with the Holy Spirit. You go further 00:28:51.299 --> 00:28:57.120 along in Acts chapter 11, you see Barnabas, and same thing, man of faith, filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:28:58.079 --> 00:29:02.259 Do you want to be a man of faith? Do you want to be a woman of faith? Well, then if you do, 00:29:02.259 --> 00:29:08.920 then ask the Holy Spirit. That's where he comes from. The Holy Spirit is God on the move. 00:29:09.960 --> 00:29:18.940 The Holy Spirit is God in the now. Sometimes we neglect to think that. We neglect to acknowledge 00:29:18.940 --> 00:29:23.539 that he's actually here, and he's the giver of these good gifts. So can we be that kind of people? 00:29:24.480 --> 00:29:29.839 And it's not just the ladies. Zechariah has it too. So he's doubting, and he's like, oh, I don't know. 00:29:29.839 --> 00:29:34.259 I don't know if we're going to be able to have kids. We're pretty old, and my wife's pretty advanced. 00:29:37.659 --> 00:29:42.299 But yet then, he has this fascinating encounter that I think is really funny too. So then, 00:29:42.519 --> 00:29:47.339 after this encounter with Mary and Elizabeth, and then Mary breaks into song, and then the film, 00:29:47.419 --> 00:29:52.799 as if it was a film, moves over to... So actually, Mary then hangs out and stays at their house for 00:29:52.799 --> 00:29:56.980 three months. So you've just got two pregnant ladies just waddling around the house for three months, 00:29:56.980 --> 00:30:02.400 until the baby John the Baptist comes. And when John the Baptist comes, bear in mind, at this point, 00:30:02.500 --> 00:30:09.160 Zechariah, because of his lack of faith, has still got his mouth shut, zipped. So lots of peace in the 00:30:09.160 --> 00:30:15.660 house, and also lots of time just to reflect, I'm sure. Do you remember that? Do you remember that, 00:30:15.660 --> 00:30:20.660 Kelly, when you were unable to speak to us? Like, there was just this, just this, well, ample opportunity 00:30:20.660 --> 00:30:27.500 just to reflect, just to listen. And so I can imagine Zechariah is just mulling this, oh my goodness, 00:30:27.980 --> 00:30:34.000 why did I doubt? There was literally an angel in front of me. I should have just said, okay, 00:30:34.560 --> 00:30:37.240 that's all I needed to say. And now I can't speak. 00:30:39.860 --> 00:30:45.700 And so this fascinating encounter happens here. So they're very happy. The baby comes, I'm in verse 00:30:45.700 --> 00:30:49.200 58 now, and her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, 00:30:49.200 --> 00:30:52.819 and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, which is not a 00:30:52.819 --> 00:30:56.620 joyous occasion, but they carried on. And they would have called him Zechariah. So it's interesting. 00:30:56.740 --> 00:31:01.160 So the baby actually comes, and then the relatives and the friends and the family are like, he's going 00:31:01.160 --> 00:31:06.799 to be called Zechariah Junior. Because that's how things are, and that's how things always will be. 00:31:06.980 --> 00:31:10.580 But you just get named after your father, and that's just tradition. That's just what we do. 00:31:11.860 --> 00:31:17.960 And then, but actually, Elizabeth says, no, he shall be called John. Well, that's different. 00:31:17.960 --> 00:31:23.600 Zechariah is very, very far from John. And they said to her, wait, none of your relatives is called 00:31:23.600 --> 00:31:29.220 by this name. I love that. Have you ever had that moment where you hear from God that you should be 00:31:29.220 --> 00:31:39.279 doing something? Oh, it's dripping. That's why this is here. It might be my spit. So have you had that 00:31:39.279 --> 00:31:45.600 moment where you hear from God and you say, hey, I should do this. And then everyone else around you, 00:31:45.599 --> 00:31:52.859 where are we dripping from? Do you think it's the candle? It's water. 00:31:52.859 --> 00:32:05.059 What is it? Oh, it's on my phone. No. 00:32:07.839 --> 00:32:15.319 There is one. Let me keep the phone out. This is Holy Spirit. Okay, we're just going to move this here. 00:32:15.319 --> 00:32:24.859 Oh, this is interesting. This is like a, should we blow the candle out? Do you think that's going to make a difference? 00:32:25.980 --> 00:32:27.779 Okay, we're just going to keep going. Thank you so much, Megan. 00:32:29.599 --> 00:32:33.980 Have you been there where you know that God is telling you to do something 00:32:33.980 --> 00:32:40.740 and you know other people who hear it will be like, that's a crazy idea. That's not what we do here. 00:32:40.740 --> 00:32:45.220 This is just different. You're not supposed to be doing that. 00:32:47.160 --> 00:32:49.099 Zechariah knew that this baby would have to be called John. 00:32:49.579 --> 00:32:52.859 And then the relatives are like, what? That's not how things work here. 00:32:53.940 --> 00:32:57.640 See, what it tells me is when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, when we hear from the Holy Spirit, 00:32:57.700 --> 00:33:01.079 when we get the guidance and the direction from the Holy Spirit, it is often, 00:33:01.480 --> 00:33:05.380 my own personal experience, it is often to what the world tells us to do. 00:33:05.380 --> 00:33:10.260 It is often different because we are called to not conform to the patterns of this world, 00:33:10.700 --> 00:33:13.540 but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. 00:33:13.620 --> 00:33:17.860 So we'll have to be able to follow the good and perfect will of God that is different from this world. 00:33:19.940 --> 00:33:24.400 The Holy Spirit, when he fills us, sometimes tells us to do things that we're just simply not comfortable with, 00:33:24.560 --> 00:33:25.620 simply not familiar with. 00:33:26.760 --> 00:33:28.780 It goes against the trend of society. 00:33:29.220 --> 00:33:30.480 And yet we should still do it. 00:33:31.240 --> 00:33:32.700 And we don't do it by our own mind. 00:33:32.700 --> 00:33:36.340 We do it because of the faith that we are filled with by the Holy Spirit. 00:33:36.600 --> 00:33:39.940 And I wonder whether we have any of those circumstances happening where you're like, 00:33:39.980 --> 00:33:45.140 everyone tells me, everything tells me that I should be going for this promotion because that's what, 00:33:45.240 --> 00:33:47.980 but for some reason, God, I just feel as though God's telling me not to. 00:33:49.960 --> 00:33:51.759 Do you have the obedience to follow in that moment? 00:33:52.519 --> 00:33:55.960 I guess one way that's helpful for me is every decision that I make in my life, 00:33:56.299 --> 00:34:00.920 I'd be like, actually, if I wasn't a follower of God, would I be making this decision in the exact same way? 00:34:00.920 --> 00:34:06.160 Because if we're honest with ourselves, actually, so many of the things that we do in our lives, 00:34:06.480 --> 00:34:11.400 so many of the things that we pursue, it really doesn't, God doesn't really make that big an impact. 00:34:12.659 --> 00:34:14.840 Because we're trying to do well in our jobs, so we're trying to get promoted, 00:34:14.980 --> 00:34:16.900 and then we're trying to find a spouse, and we're trying to have a kid, 00:34:16.960 --> 00:34:19.579 and then we hope the kid is going to be healthy, and then we hope the kid is going to be happy, 00:34:19.700 --> 00:34:21.900 and then we hope the kid is going to go into a good school. 00:34:22.320 --> 00:34:26.940 Like, all these things seem to be, if we're honest, the same as the rest of the world. 00:34:26.940 --> 00:34:30.780 But if we are to be people who are filled with the Holy Spirit, 00:34:31.179 --> 00:34:33.360 then there will come moments where the Holy Spirit will say, 00:34:33.440 --> 00:34:40.659 hey, it makes sense to do this by worldly standards, but I want you to do this today. 00:34:42.380 --> 00:34:45.039 Are we, one, receptive enough to even hear that voice? 00:34:45.720 --> 00:34:48.579 And two, do we then have the obedience to actually follow it? 00:34:48.579 --> 00:34:52.079 Because none of your relatives do that. 00:34:53.360 --> 00:34:55.159 None of your friends do that. 00:34:56.039 --> 00:34:57.639 None of your co-workers do that. 00:34:58.960 --> 00:35:03.619 Even as I'm talking here, I see people who have made decisions to follow the Holy Spirit 00:35:03.619 --> 00:35:07.920 when everyone else is saying, hey, that's just dumb. 00:35:09.400 --> 00:35:10.779 But the Holy Spirit gives you faith. 00:35:11.319 --> 00:35:14.579 It gives you faith to do the thing that isn't what you think it is. 00:35:14.579 --> 00:35:18.059 And I personally think that's how Christine and I, we ended up here in Hong Kong. 00:35:18.579 --> 00:35:22.019 Because we had everything that we needed back in the UK, the life that we had. 00:35:23.639 --> 00:35:28.679 But yeah, when God knocks and when God calls, you're like, that doesn't seem to make sense. 00:35:29.360 --> 00:35:30.599 That's a bad career move. 00:35:31.199 --> 00:35:32.059 That's a bad move. 00:35:32.239 --> 00:35:34.960 I mean, I remember landing here, and some of you have heard me say this. 00:35:34.980 --> 00:35:39.799 I remember landing in Hong Kong before the protests, before COVID, bringing my young family. 00:35:40.360 --> 00:35:42.239 Alicia was just a little bit younger than EJ is now. 00:35:42.319 --> 00:35:44.799 And we had two kids, and the people were like, what on earth? 00:35:45.360 --> 00:35:47.179 Why did you come to Hong Kong? 00:35:47.179 --> 00:35:50.039 Everyone else is going the opposite direction. 00:35:50.139 --> 00:35:51.059 Why are you coming here? 00:35:51.639 --> 00:35:52.539 And I said, I don't know. 00:35:53.559 --> 00:35:54.679 Because God asks us to. 00:35:57.239 --> 00:36:01.460 When the Holy Spirit calls you, it may not look like what the world is calling you to do. 00:36:02.159 --> 00:36:04.719 But he will also be the one that gives you the faith. 00:36:05.579 --> 00:36:06.599 And so it's interesting here. 00:36:06.599 --> 00:36:11.960 So Zechariah says, no, he writes on a tablet. 00:36:12.219 --> 00:36:14.920 So the relatives are going, what's he going to be called? 00:36:15.000 --> 00:36:15.519 What's the name? 00:36:15.579 --> 00:36:18.279 And then Elizabeth says, it's going to be called John. 00:36:18.559 --> 00:36:24.259 And then everyone is just completely just filled with wonder is the word here used in verse 63. 00:36:25.980 --> 00:36:27.339 Because Zechariah asks for a tablet. 00:36:27.719 --> 00:36:30.259 So he gets an iPad, and then he writes, his name is John. 00:36:30.260 --> 00:36:32.380 And they all wondered. 00:36:33.120 --> 00:36:34.680 And they're like, what on earth is going on? 00:36:35.220 --> 00:36:38.880 He's supposed to be called ZJ, Zechariah Jr. 00:36:39.180 --> 00:36:40.580 And yet you're calling him John. 00:36:41.880 --> 00:36:43.800 That's not what we do here, Zeke. 00:36:44.200 --> 00:36:50.260 And then in that moment where he takes that step of faith and says, no, he will be called this. 00:36:50.320 --> 00:36:52.800 Because this is what the Holy Spirit told me that he will be called. 00:36:53.140 --> 00:36:54.800 Suddenly his mouth opens. 00:36:55.780 --> 00:36:57.180 And when he opens, what does he say? 00:36:57.260 --> 00:36:59.380 Oh, thank goodness I've got so many things I want to say. 00:36:59.740 --> 00:37:00.900 You, stop being so stupid. 00:37:01.060 --> 00:37:01.840 You, do this. 00:37:01.920 --> 00:37:02.300 You do this. 00:37:02.500 --> 00:37:07.300 No, he just, he opens his mouth after all these months, and he starts blessing God. 00:37:09.720 --> 00:37:13.440 When you have just that moment, and maybe, I don't know the rest of our stories here, 00:37:13.480 --> 00:37:15.260 but I can imagine Kelly probably knows how that feels. 00:37:15.519 --> 00:37:17.500 Just that moment where, you can ask her about it one day, 00:37:17.860 --> 00:37:21.980 where she finally gets to open her mouth, and Zechariah just blesses God. 00:37:22.120 --> 00:37:23.720 And fear came on all their neighbors. 00:37:23.719 --> 00:37:26.919 And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea. 00:37:27.219 --> 00:37:29.899 And all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, 00:37:30.039 --> 00:37:31.279 what then will this child be? 00:37:31.480 --> 00:37:32.919 For the hand of the Lord was with him. 00:37:33.079 --> 00:37:35.839 So they all wondered why he made this decision to begin with, 00:37:35.879 --> 00:37:37.319 because they were not sure about it. 00:37:37.439 --> 00:37:41.439 But then they were filled with awe and wonder afterwards when they heard about it, 00:37:42.059 --> 00:37:45.199 when they saw what the Holy Spirit was actually doing. 00:37:45.919 --> 00:37:49.279 And so he then breaks into almost a song, but his one is a prophecy. 00:37:49.759 --> 00:37:50.579 And so verse 67, 00:37:50.579 --> 00:37:53.239 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied. 00:37:53.380 --> 00:37:56.279 Just a word on that, in case you're not familiar with the word prophecy. 00:37:56.599 --> 00:37:58.819 The word prophecy really is more than just prediction. 00:37:59.199 --> 00:38:01.480 It is really more than just predicting what will happen in the future, 00:38:01.559 --> 00:38:04.659 or which sports team will win the NBA championship next year. 00:38:04.900 --> 00:38:07.039 It's not that kind of prophecy necessarily. 00:38:07.400 --> 00:38:10.960 Prophecy is actually declaring the heart and the word of God. 00:38:10.960 --> 00:38:14.460 When someone is prophesying here in scripture, you see them, 00:38:14.500 --> 00:38:18.380 they're just declaring on behalf, they're just declaring the heart and word of God. 00:38:18.460 --> 00:38:19.500 That is what they are doing here. 00:38:19.740 --> 00:38:22.260 And so Zechariah jumps into this prophecy and he starts, 00:38:22.480 --> 00:38:23.860 but he doesn't talk about his son. 00:38:24.260 --> 00:38:25.400 Again, you can see here, 00:38:25.440 --> 00:38:28.340 the Holy Spirit leads you to a place where you are not focused on yourself. 00:38:29.380 --> 00:38:30.420 And he just starts saying, 00:38:30.519 --> 00:38:33.280 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people. 00:38:33.340 --> 00:38:34.780 He's talking about the big picture. 00:38:35.360 --> 00:38:38.519 The Holy Spirit has revealed to him the big picture of what is happening here. 00:38:38.519 --> 00:38:41.480 And so he reels through hundreds of years that we won't go through now. 00:38:41.559 --> 00:38:42.440 He talks about Abraham. 00:38:42.679 --> 00:38:44.219 He talks about David. 00:38:44.420 --> 00:38:48.780 He talks about how God has been with the Israelites all this time and has delivered them and has been working. 00:38:48.900 --> 00:38:51.880 So even though he's only popped out now at 400 years later, 00:38:52.239 --> 00:38:54.539 the Holy Spirit, God has been working all the way through. 00:38:55.300 --> 00:38:57.679 And so he gets to this point where he's just talking about the Israelites, 00:38:57.980 --> 00:38:59.119 talking about the big picture. 00:38:59.400 --> 00:39:02.840 And then finally, verse 76, so halfway through this prophecy, 00:39:03.440 --> 00:39:05.599 he looks and he talks to his child and he says, 00:39:05.599 --> 00:39:06.360 verse 36, 00:39:06.360 --> 00:39:08.980 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, 00:39:09.039 --> 00:39:12.440 for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways. 00:39:13.079 --> 00:39:14.500 Again, the Holy Spirit reveals to him, 00:39:14.559 --> 00:39:18.260 hey, there is this big picture that what God is doing in the world, 00:39:18.519 --> 00:39:19.900 what God is doing through the Israelites. 00:39:20.220 --> 00:39:22.960 And then he looks at his baby, John, and goes, 00:39:23.280 --> 00:39:25.059 this you will be a prophet. 00:39:25.920 --> 00:39:27.780 You, child, will be a prophet of the Most High. 00:39:27.880 --> 00:39:30.019 You will prepare the way. 00:39:31.120 --> 00:39:32.760 The Holy Spirit fills you with joy. 00:39:32.760 --> 00:39:37.240 The Holy Spirit fills you with this sense of just pointing you to other people. 00:39:38.160 --> 00:39:42.280 The Holy Spirit gives you faith and reveals to you the heart of God. 00:39:42.640 --> 00:39:45.520 Can you see the Holy Spirit just doing everything here? 00:39:45.580 --> 00:39:46.260 He's a busy guy. 00:39:48.460 --> 00:39:50.580 And then it finishes with this final thing. 00:39:51.900 --> 00:39:53.800 After verse 36, he talks about his son. 00:39:53.800 --> 00:39:56.680 A new child will be called the prophet of the Most High, 00:39:56.740 --> 00:39:58.519 for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 00:39:58.580 --> 00:40:03.519 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins. 00:40:04.500 --> 00:40:06.140 If you're sat there listening to this prophecy, 00:40:06.260 --> 00:40:06.440 you'll be like, 00:40:06.580 --> 00:40:08.180 God, you're going to come and save us. 00:40:08.640 --> 00:40:09.820 Finally, from all the oppression. 00:40:10.480 --> 00:40:11.820 You're going to make Israel great again. 00:40:12.120 --> 00:40:13.860 You're going to save us again. 00:40:14.080 --> 00:40:15.140 And how are you going to save us? 00:40:15.200 --> 00:40:19.240 Wait, you're going to save us in the forgiveness of our sins. 00:40:19.239 --> 00:40:21.379 That's weird. 00:40:22.239 --> 00:40:25.259 We were hoping the Messiah would come and strong arm the opponents 00:40:25.259 --> 00:40:27.619 and destroy the opponents for us. 00:40:27.839 --> 00:40:31.759 Now you're saying that you will only be saved when our sins are forgiven. 00:40:33.399 --> 00:40:35.559 Zechariah, what are you talking about? 00:40:36.799 --> 00:40:39.879 How's your little baby John going to do that? 00:40:40.719 --> 00:40:41.619 Well, that is the point. 00:40:42.500 --> 00:40:43.699 And this is my final point here. 00:40:44.799 --> 00:40:46.359 The Holy Spirit gives you joy. 00:40:46.459 --> 00:40:48.079 The Holy Spirit points you to others. 00:40:48.079 --> 00:40:49.400 The Holy Spirit fills you with faith. 00:40:49.519 --> 00:40:52.619 But most importantly, the Holy Spirit points you to Jesus. 00:40:53.340 --> 00:40:54.860 He finishes this prophecy. 00:40:55.779 --> 00:40:57.980 He starts from talking about Israel, the big picture, 00:40:58.079 --> 00:40:58.960 to talking about his son. 00:40:59.279 --> 00:41:01.799 But he finishes by talking about Jesus. 00:41:02.880 --> 00:41:04.819 And you will point people to Jesus. 00:41:04.960 --> 00:41:06.779 For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 00:41:06.840 --> 00:41:11.920 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins. 00:41:11.940 --> 00:41:15.360 He's saying you need saving, first and foremost, from yourself. 00:41:16.460 --> 00:41:17.259 From your sin. 00:41:18.799 --> 00:41:20.519 It's the same as what Mary was saying. 00:41:21.599 --> 00:41:23.900 That God would look upon her, this humble estate. 00:41:24.000 --> 00:41:25.139 She doesn't deserve to be here. 00:41:25.440 --> 00:41:26.739 That is the crux of Christianity. 00:41:27.579 --> 00:41:30.079 If you sit here thinking that you deserve to be here, 00:41:30.199 --> 00:41:31.059 then you've got it wrong. 00:41:31.119 --> 00:41:32.019 Then you have missed the point. 00:41:32.319 --> 00:41:35.739 And I have met many, many Christians who I think have missed the point. 00:41:35.799 --> 00:41:37.719 And I pray to the Lord that I don't miss the point. 00:41:38.039 --> 00:41:41.259 That there is one day that I think that I deserve to be sat here. 00:41:41.260 --> 00:41:47.140 But the whole point of Christianity is every single person in this room does not deserve to be sat here. 00:41:47.380 --> 00:41:49.160 Because we are all sinners. 00:41:49.940 --> 00:41:52.160 And sinners can't save themselves. 00:41:53.160 --> 00:41:57.220 Einstein said the very same consciousness that created the problem can't be the one that solves it. 00:41:57.219 --> 00:42:05.279 We sit here in a pool of hurt, in a pool of death, in a pool of brokenness because of our flesh, 00:42:05.339 --> 00:42:09.399 because we've chosen to follow our flesh that has led to death. 00:42:09.400 --> 00:42:17.599 But the Holy Spirit arrives and points us to Jesus because that, when we focus on him, 00:42:17.720 --> 00:42:21.760 when we have his spirit living inside us, then we will have life and peace. 00:42:22.660 --> 00:42:24.320 It is all about Jesus here. 00:42:24.340 --> 00:42:29.320 And he says, you need to know that you are a sinner and you need to seek forgiveness. 00:42:30.059 --> 00:42:33.680 You need to know that you need to say sorry. 00:42:34.039 --> 00:42:37.800 Because afterwards it carries on because of the tender mercy of our God. 00:42:37.800 --> 00:42:42.539 Just when you think, man, this is a judgmental, harsh God. 00:42:42.780 --> 00:42:43.340 It is not. 00:42:43.780 --> 00:42:48.860 He is the tender hearted, the compassionate and kind, the gracious God. 00:42:50.180 --> 00:42:53.440 Which completely flips who you think God is. 00:42:53.860 --> 00:42:55.640 Or at least who the world thinks God is. 00:42:56.220 --> 00:42:58.740 Because the world sees God as this creator from on high, 00:42:59.160 --> 00:43:02.320 who is ready to judge and who is ready to smite and send down wrath. 00:43:02.840 --> 00:43:05.320 But you see, it is tender mercy. 00:43:06.000 --> 00:43:06.680 How do we know that? 00:43:06.679 --> 00:43:10.779 Whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness 00:43:10.779 --> 00:43:14.799 and in the shadow of death to guide our feet into the way of peace. 00:43:14.859 --> 00:43:15.659 And that is it. 00:43:16.460 --> 00:43:18.859 John the Baptist comes to prepare the way. 00:43:19.139 --> 00:43:21.000 He himself isn't the truth. 00:43:21.099 --> 00:43:23.299 He is here to give you the knowledge of salvation. 00:43:23.500 --> 00:43:25.839 But there is one who is coming who is the truth himself. 00:43:26.839 --> 00:43:29.440 So John the Baptist gives you the knowledge of how you should be saved. 00:43:29.559 --> 00:43:32.419 But then Jesus comes and says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. 00:43:32.420 --> 00:43:34.320 I am the one who will save you. 00:43:36.380 --> 00:43:39.780 He says, to give light to those who sit in that darkness. 00:43:40.099 --> 00:43:41.480 It reminds me of Isaiah 9-2. 00:43:41.900 --> 00:43:44.960 The Christmas passage that we kind of only read during Christmas. 00:43:45.119 --> 00:43:47.800 You know, the part that says, for to us a child is born, a son is given. 00:43:47.800 --> 00:43:51.820 But before that, in Isaiah 9-2, is there is a people who have been walking in darkness, 00:43:52.320 --> 00:43:55.560 a deep darkness, but they have seen a great light. 00:43:58.039 --> 00:44:02.000 John the Baptist came to give us knowledge of salvation, but Jesus himself was the truth. 00:44:02.340 --> 00:44:05.360 John the Baptist came to show us the way to peace. 00:44:05.600 --> 00:44:07.800 And Jesus was that peace. 00:44:07.800 --> 00:44:09.900 And he was that way. 00:44:11.620 --> 00:44:13.100 That is the truth of the gospel. 00:44:13.320 --> 00:44:15.740 That is the truth of Christmas here. 00:44:18.260 --> 00:44:20.600 To those who sit in darkness are in the shadow of death. 00:44:23.060 --> 00:44:24.660 And I shared about this a few weeks ago. 00:44:25.380 --> 00:44:26.100 It's Psalm 23. 00:44:27.340 --> 00:44:29.380 That even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 00:44:29.440 --> 00:44:32.180 we shall fear no evil, for he is with us. 00:44:33.539 --> 00:44:35.480 We don't have to be afraid of the shadow of death anymore, 00:44:35.480 --> 00:44:41.559 because he walked straight through and defeated death and now carries us through too. 00:44:42.639 --> 00:44:45.659 John the Baptist came to provide that for us. 00:44:46.920 --> 00:44:49.699 And even just this Christmas, as we light candles, 00:44:49.780 --> 00:44:52.800 as we think about Jesus coming as a baby in a manger with all his humility, 00:44:53.059 --> 00:44:53.840 with all his love, 00:44:55.699 --> 00:44:58.039 even that has nothing compared to his second coming. 00:44:58.980 --> 00:45:02.300 We do all of this, not because he came the first time, 00:45:02.340 --> 00:45:03.719 but because we know he's coming back again. 00:45:05.480 --> 00:45:09.980 And when he comes back again, it won't be in that gentle baby in a manger format. 00:45:10.099 --> 00:45:12.219 It will be full of glory from the skies. 00:45:13.400 --> 00:45:14.860 And that is what gives us hope. 00:45:15.760 --> 00:45:16.940 And that is what we celebrate. 00:45:17.159 --> 00:45:18.800 And that is why we celebrate. 00:45:19.920 --> 00:45:22.880 And so may the words of the benediction from Romans 15 be true for us. 00:45:22.940 --> 00:45:26.699 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, 00:45:26.699 --> 00:45:28.699 so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, 00:45:29.119 --> 00:45:31.480 you may abound in hope. 00:45:31.480 --> 00:45:38.280 The Holy Spirit gives us that hope because he fills us with joy. 00:45:39.059 --> 00:45:41.460 He gives us that hope because he fills us with faith. 00:45:42.579 --> 00:45:46.599 And that leads us to look not just to ourselves, but to other people. 00:45:46.599 --> 00:45:51.719 And so that our joy would be made complete, just like John the Baptist. 00:45:53.259 --> 00:45:57.480 Recognizing this Christmas and every Christmas and every day, 00:45:57.739 --> 00:46:01.119 we rejoice because the Lord is at hand. 00:46:01.980 --> 00:46:04.980 He is right here in the form of the Holy Spirit. 00:46:06.039 --> 00:46:07.319 And because of that, we rejoice. 00:46:07.539 --> 00:46:09.139 Because of that, we are reasonable to everyone. 00:46:09.139 --> 00:46:11.599 Because of that, we are not anxious about anything. 00:46:12.139 --> 00:46:14.699 But in everything, with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, 00:46:15.259 --> 00:46:21.199 we can make our requests to God and his guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. 00:46:21.420 --> 00:46:22.299 God is here. 00:46:23.719 --> 00:46:24.879 God is good. 00:46:26.299 --> 00:46:27.339 And God loves us. 00:46:28.839 --> 00:46:29.960 That is why we celebrate. 00:46:30.400 --> 00:46:32.119 That is why we celebrate just like Elizabeth. 00:46:32.619 --> 00:46:34.359 That's why we celebrate just like Mary. 00:46:34.940 --> 00:46:36.579 That's why we celebrate just like Zechariah. 00:46:37.239 --> 00:46:38.299 Just like John the Baptist. 00:46:39.139 --> 00:46:42.579 The Holy Spirit ultimately points us to Jesus. 00:46:44.379 --> 00:46:45.879 If you, this is where I'm going to finish. 00:46:46.460 --> 00:46:47.659 So here's the application point. 00:46:48.480 --> 00:46:50.159 If you struggle with joy, 00:46:51.019 --> 00:46:54.099 can we have a time now for you to ask the Holy Spirit, 00:46:54.199 --> 00:46:55.519 hey, I'm really struggling with joy. 00:46:55.960 --> 00:46:57.359 If there's anything blocking me, 00:46:57.799 --> 00:47:00.119 can you help me release? 00:47:01.039 --> 00:47:02.219 If you struggle with faith, 00:47:02.900 --> 00:47:03.940 then we ask the Holy Spirit, 00:47:04.339 --> 00:47:05.379 would you just give us faith? 00:47:05.819 --> 00:47:06.579 Would you give me faith? 00:47:06.579 --> 00:47:13.619 If you're just so caught up in your own thoughts and mind about just what you're doing and what you've achieved, 00:47:14.279 --> 00:47:17.619 and who you are and what you're trying to build and what you're trying to magnify, 00:47:18.039 --> 00:47:19.019 can you ask the Holy Spirit, 00:47:19.159 --> 00:47:24.440 can my soul just magnify you like Mary did? 00:47:24.440 --> 00:47:29.760 Because I do believe that God is here. 00:47:29.880 --> 00:47:31.240 I do believe that the Holy Spirit is here. 00:47:31.639 --> 00:47:32.579 And he hears our prayers. 00:47:33.679 --> 00:47:36.059 So let us come to him and spend that time now in response. 00:47:36.579 --> 00:47:38.039 I'm going to invite Paul and the team to come up. 00:47:38.159 --> 00:47:39.059 But just maybe before that, 00:47:39.159 --> 00:47:43.280 can we just spend a few minutes where you speak to God yourself? 00:47:43.280 --> 00:47:45.500 And you ask him, 00:47:45.620 --> 00:47:45.720 hey, 00:47:45.760 --> 00:47:47.400 what are you trying to say to me today? 00:47:56.280 --> 00:47:56.920 So Lord, 00:47:56.980 --> 00:47:58.880 in the same spirit of Elizabeth, 00:48:00.960 --> 00:48:01.880 Mary, 00:48:02.420 --> 00:48:03.220 Zechariah, 00:48:03.300 --> 00:48:03.660 and John, 00:48:03.659 --> 00:48:08.940 who are so filled with joy 00:48:08.940 --> 00:48:11.440 and faith 00:48:11.440 --> 00:48:13.299 and humility 00:48:13.299 --> 00:48:15.519 at your first coming, 00:48:16.879 --> 00:48:18.699 we sing that song with 00:48:18.699 --> 00:48:22.179 the same heart for your second coming. 00:48:22.179 --> 00:48:30.299 May we here 00:48:30.299 --> 00:48:33.980 by your grace 00:48:33.980 --> 00:48:34.899 and by your spirit 00:48:34.899 --> 00:48:36.159 be a people of joy, 00:48:39.019 --> 00:48:39.460 humility, 00:48:39.460 --> 00:48:41.559 and faith. 00:48:52.179 --> 00:48:56.019 And as we go forth from here 00:48:56.019 --> 00:48:57.339 and we seek to spread 00:48:57.339 --> 00:48:59.559 Christmas cheer, 00:49:00.239 --> 00:49:02.079 we ask that it would be 00:49:02.079 --> 00:49:04.460 focused fully on you 00:49:04.460 --> 00:49:06.239 and only you. 00:49:13.559 --> 00:49:14.299 Thank you, Lord. 00:49:14.300 --> 00:49:22.400 It's in your name we pray. 00:49:23.660 --> 00:49:23.980 Amen.