WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.780 I want to invite all of our children, if you would, to come forward 00:00:04.780 --> 00:00:07.379 and just make a place here around me. 00:00:07.459 --> 00:00:10.259 And I want to tell the Christmas story if I can get all of our kids to come. 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:13.439 Do you have any children here tonight who'd like to come? 00:00:14.900 --> 00:00:16.580 There's two good-looking guys there. 00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:19.379 And yeah, here comes some more. 00:00:19.780 --> 00:00:21.600 You've got to give them all just a chance to come. 00:00:23.460 --> 00:00:26.760 Grandparents, if you need to come and sit with some of them, that's perfectly fine too. 00:00:26.940 --> 00:00:29.600 Or sit on a chair beside them, have them sit in your lap. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:32.880 Hi, you can come on over here. 00:00:33.039 --> 00:00:34.340 You want to come over here and sit with us? 00:00:34.659 --> 00:00:35.259 There you go. 00:00:37.719 --> 00:00:38.380 Good deal. 00:00:39.820 --> 00:00:40.840 You want to come over here? 00:00:42.840 --> 00:00:43.640 Need some help? 00:00:47.340 --> 00:00:48.179 Here, come on. 00:00:48.200 --> 00:00:49.100 Let me help you down. 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:50.039 There you go. 00:00:51.100 --> 00:00:51.740 All right. 00:00:52.700 --> 00:00:54.079 Boy, they just keep coming, don't they? 00:00:54.140 --> 00:00:54.740 How you doing? 00:00:55.780 --> 00:00:57.260 You guys excited about tomorrow? 00:00:58.260 --> 00:00:58.920 What's tomorrow? 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:00.560 Christmas. 00:01:00.920 --> 00:01:01.340 All right. 00:01:01.759 --> 00:01:02.619 Y'all all been good? 00:01:03.820 --> 00:01:04.439 Good deal. 00:01:04.579 --> 00:01:06.040 I hope you... 00:01:06.040 --> 00:01:06.500 Yes, sir. 00:01:07.140 --> 00:01:07.799 What were you going to say? 00:01:07.819 --> 00:01:08.379 You been good? 00:01:08.379 --> 00:01:15.879 Good deal, man. 00:01:16.219 --> 00:01:17.680 I'm glad to hear that. 00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:19.940 I hope I'll be that fortunate. 00:01:19.940 --> 00:01:20.000 I hope I'll be that fortunate. 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:24.720 Hey, I want you to know that there's a whole lot happening tomorrow, right? 00:01:24.760 --> 00:01:30.540 There's been a whole lot happening up to this point for over 30 days now, getting ready for Christmas. 00:01:30.940 --> 00:01:34.200 And it's a big, big, big, big, big deal. 00:01:34.200 --> 00:01:38.480 You know, here in our country, we celebrate just two of our president's birthdays. 00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:46.520 And then a man who helped with racial equity, Martin Luther King, we celebrate his birthday. 00:01:46.900 --> 00:01:51.780 That's the only three birthdays we celebrate of people who are Americans here in our country. 00:01:51.780 --> 00:01:55.060 And in other countries around the world, they don't do that. 00:01:55.379 --> 00:01:56.439 They don't celebrate those guys. 00:01:56.519 --> 00:01:59.299 Even though they're important to us, not so important to the rest of the world. 00:01:59.659 --> 00:02:04.700 But I want to tell you tomorrow, in fact, beginning tonight at midnight all across the world, 00:02:05.420 --> 00:02:10.599 they'll be celebrating Jesus' birthday in virtually every country around the world. 00:02:10.680 --> 00:02:11.740 That's pretty incredible, isn't it? 00:02:11.780 --> 00:02:13.599 Think that somebody's that important. 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:15.419 And I'll tell you why he's so important. 00:02:15.560 --> 00:02:18.479 It's because he's God himself, okay? 00:02:19.299 --> 00:02:25.219 And if man had been planning this event, we would have done it in a big, big way, the way we always do. 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:26.799 We always think bigger is better. 00:02:27.500 --> 00:02:30.039 And there'd have been billboards announcing he's coming. 00:02:30.539 --> 00:02:35.979 And there'd have been some real special surgeon there on hand to help with the delivery of Jesus. 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:39.759 They'd have had it in some big hospital like probably most of you were born in. 00:02:40.139 --> 00:02:42.219 But that's not how God planned it. 00:02:42.219 --> 00:02:44.039 And I want to just tell you that story, okay? 00:02:44.259 --> 00:02:47.560 A lot of people think it begins in the town of Bethlehem. 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:49.139 But it really and truly doesn't. 00:02:49.219 --> 00:02:57.079 In fact, it begins about 15 months before that in a town not far from Bethlehem, about four miles away. 00:02:57.079 --> 00:02:58.439 It was actually a city. 00:02:58.659 --> 00:03:00.020 Bethlehem was a tiny little town. 00:03:00.500 --> 00:03:02.599 And this city was the city of Jerusalem. 00:03:03.099 --> 00:03:04.199 They had a temple there. 00:03:04.439 --> 00:03:06.439 And it was known all over the world, this temple. 00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:10.379 And there was a man working there that day who didn't typically work there. 00:03:10.439 --> 00:03:11.819 He lived in a town away from there. 00:03:11.819 --> 00:03:13.780 But his name was Zachariah. 00:03:13.979 --> 00:03:17.039 He was an old guy, probably even older than me, okay? 00:03:17.439 --> 00:03:21.199 Those are your older grandparents and great-grandparents probably. 00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:23.400 And he was married to a woman named Elizabeth. 00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:25.639 And they always wanted to have children. 00:03:25.780 --> 00:03:27.579 They wanted to have children just like you guys. 00:03:27.780 --> 00:03:28.939 But they never could. 00:03:28.939 --> 00:03:35.699 And so he's in the temple and he's ministering in this part of the temple known as the holy place. 00:03:35.819 --> 00:03:36.859 He's burning incense. 00:03:37.460 --> 00:03:39.800 And the people were standing outside worshiping. 00:03:39.900 --> 00:03:42.699 And they were waiting on him to come out because they knew about how long it took. 00:03:42.979 --> 00:03:44.900 And they thought any minute now he's going to come out. 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:46.419 But he didn't come out. 00:03:46.419 --> 00:03:53.179 And the reason he didn't come out is because he was having a conversation, ready for this, with an angel. 00:03:53.780 --> 00:03:55.279 This angel's name was Gabriel. 00:03:55.939 --> 00:03:59.879 And Gabriel was telling Zachariah something he could hardly believe. 00:04:00.299 --> 00:04:03.279 He told Zachariah, Zachariah, I've got good news for you. 00:04:03.819 --> 00:04:05.859 Your prayers have been heard of God. 00:04:05.860 --> 00:04:10.040 And God is going to allow your wife to expect a baby. 00:04:10.960 --> 00:04:12.160 Well, Zachariah was born away. 00:04:12.220 --> 00:04:13.020 He's an old guy. 00:04:13.420 --> 00:04:15.980 And old guys just typically don't father children. 00:04:16.160 --> 00:04:18.280 And so he thought, I don't get it. 00:04:18.340 --> 00:04:19.900 And he said, can you give me a sign? 00:04:20.340 --> 00:04:23.860 And the angel Gabriel told him, he said, yeah, I'm going to give you a sign. 00:04:23.960 --> 00:04:24.660 Here's the sign. 00:04:25.280 --> 00:04:28.560 You're not going to talk for the next nine months. 00:04:29.160 --> 00:04:32.280 Until that baby is born, you won't be able to speak a word. 00:04:32.660 --> 00:04:34.699 And even if you try, he just couldn't say anything. 00:04:34.699 --> 00:04:36.819 So he finished his duties. 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:37.719 He went outside. 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:40.240 When he went outside, all the people said, what's wrong with Zachariah? 00:04:40.279 --> 00:04:41.180 He's not saying anything. 00:04:41.719 --> 00:04:43.399 And Zachariah probably just motioned to him. 00:04:43.899 --> 00:04:44.680 He couldn't talk. 00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:46.479 He goes back home to his wife. 00:04:46.920 --> 00:04:50.740 And sure enough, short time later, she was expecting a baby. 00:04:51.620 --> 00:04:55.039 Well, that leads me to the second part of the story, okay? 00:04:55.719 --> 00:05:00.319 About six months after that, in the little town of Nazareth, 00:05:00.480 --> 00:05:03.560 it was about 70 miles from Jerusalem, okay? 00:05:03.560 --> 00:05:05.759 And it's a little town of Nazareth. 00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:08.040 There's a girl who's engaged to be married. 00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:10.319 You all probably know some girls who've gotten diamonds. 00:05:10.459 --> 00:05:12.319 They're engaged, getting ready to be married. 00:05:12.379 --> 00:05:14.040 My daughter's going to be married next weekend. 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:15.600 Big, big deal in their life. 00:05:15.660 --> 00:05:16.819 They're really excited about it. 00:05:17.300 --> 00:05:19.379 And so she's excited to be married to Joseph. 00:05:19.819 --> 00:05:23.680 And all of a sudden, one night, an angel, the same angel Gabriel, 00:05:24.180 --> 00:05:25.819 he comes back to Mary and he tells Mary, 00:05:25.939 --> 00:05:27.459 Mary, don't be afraid. 00:05:27.560 --> 00:05:28.519 I want to tell you something good. 00:05:28.519 --> 00:05:32.240 He said, you are favored among women. 00:05:32.819 --> 00:05:34.399 God is going to show you favored. 00:05:34.599 --> 00:05:35.639 And here's how he's going to do that. 00:05:36.139 --> 00:05:39.279 He's going to allow you to bear his own son. 00:05:40.299 --> 00:05:42.159 Wow, Mary couldn't take that in. 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:46.599 It's hard to imagine a woman giving birth to the very son of God. 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:49.599 But he told her, he said, the Holy Spirit's going to overshadow you 00:05:49.599 --> 00:05:52.959 and you're going to have this baby and you're going to name him Jesus. 00:05:53.899 --> 00:05:55.419 Mary's trying to figure all this out. 00:05:55.420 --> 00:05:56.759 I mean, is it possible? 00:05:56.960 --> 00:05:58.879 She said, I haven't ever been with a man. 00:05:58.960 --> 00:05:59.759 I don't have a husband. 00:06:00.280 --> 00:06:01.720 I'm not married to Joseph yet. 00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:02.640 How can this be? 00:06:03.220 --> 00:06:08.000 And the angel tells her, what's impossible for man is never impossible with God. 00:06:08.420 --> 00:06:12.180 And he says, I'm going to tell you something that will help you to believe what I've told you. 00:06:13.740 --> 00:06:17.240 Over in the town where your relative Elizabeth, you know Elizabeth? 00:06:17.420 --> 00:06:19.139 That was Zachariah's wife. 00:06:19.220 --> 00:06:19.700 Remember that? 00:06:19.700 --> 00:06:23.040 He said, over in the town where Zachariah and Elizabeth live, 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:28.180 she is right now six months pregnant, which means she was showing. 00:06:28.700 --> 00:06:30.260 I mean, her stomach was out here. 00:06:30.420 --> 00:06:34.580 And so she said, he said, why don't you go see Elizabeth? 00:06:34.900 --> 00:06:38.220 And so the next morning she gets up and she goes to where Elizabeth was 00:06:38.220 --> 00:06:39.720 and she knocked at the door. 00:06:39.820 --> 00:06:41.580 And when she knocks at the door, guess what? 00:06:42.020 --> 00:06:46.259 Elizabeth comes to the door and Mary sees her and knows she's expecting this baby. 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:47.720 And Elizabeth's so excited. 00:06:47.780 --> 00:06:48.840 She says, you won't believe it. 00:06:48.839 --> 00:06:54.419 She said, when the baby inside me heard your voice, he began to jump for joy. 00:06:54.959 --> 00:06:58.419 Well, that baby would become John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, 00:06:58.539 --> 00:07:00.379 who would come and prepare the way for the Lord. 00:07:01.099 --> 00:07:07.459 And the Bible says that she stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then she went back home. 00:07:08.139 --> 00:07:14.759 When she gets back home, she has to see Joseph because now she knows she's expecting a baby too. 00:07:14.759 --> 00:07:16.539 And she's got to tell Joseph. 00:07:16.719 --> 00:07:18.899 And so she sits down with Joseph and tells Joseph. 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:20.599 And Joseph was a good man. 00:07:21.039 --> 00:07:23.120 Joseph decided, I don't want to embarrass Mary. 00:07:23.199 --> 00:07:24.039 I don't want to harm her. 00:07:24.459 --> 00:07:28.759 What I'm going to do is I'm going to quietly just separate, get legal separation from her. 00:07:29.099 --> 00:07:31.399 And I'll let her have that baby and I'll go my way. 00:07:31.740 --> 00:07:35.819 Well, that night when he goes to bed, God reveals to him in a dream, 00:07:36.579 --> 00:07:39.300 you don't have to be afraid to marry Mary. 00:07:39.980 --> 00:07:42.360 She's a good girl and you need to take her as your wife. 00:07:42.980 --> 00:07:44.579 And Joseph was a good man. 00:07:44.579 --> 00:07:45.199 So you know what? 00:07:45.259 --> 00:07:48.639 The next day he gets up and he marries Mary. 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:50.399 He takes her to be his wife. 00:07:51.159 --> 00:07:56.519 Well, three months pass and then, or six months pass, 00:07:57.019 --> 00:08:01.860 and then one day this man named Caesar Augustus, who was the Roman emperor, 00:08:02.419 --> 00:08:05.939 he passes a decree that everybody's got to go to their hometown. 00:08:06.139 --> 00:08:07.639 They've got to register to pay their taxes. 00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:11.539 Well, his hometown, so to speak, was Bethlehem. 00:08:11.620 --> 00:08:13.219 It was about 70 miles away. 00:08:13.220 --> 00:08:21.140 And so he loads Mary up on a donkey and he heads down toward Bethlehem. 00:08:21.260 --> 00:08:23.940 It takes a long time to walk 70 miles, right? 00:08:24.340 --> 00:08:28.520 That would be about as far as from here to Greenville and back. 00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:30.340 And y'all have gotten in the car and gone that far, right? 00:08:30.400 --> 00:08:31.620 Imagine walking that far. 00:08:32.040 --> 00:08:33.360 Well, they walk that far. 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:37.120 And when they get there, Mary's ready to have this baby. 00:08:37.680 --> 00:08:42.300 So Joseph, being a good husband, he starts looking around for a place for her to have this baby. 00:08:42.980 --> 00:08:48.659 And all the motels are taken up because all these people have come to Bethlehem 00:08:48.659 --> 00:08:51.159 in order to register to pay their taxes. 00:08:51.159 --> 00:08:58.819 So this man who owns this inn, he tells her, he says, I don't know if you'll find this suitable or not, 00:08:59.299 --> 00:09:03.219 but I've got a livery stable, what we would call a big barn with animals in it. 00:09:03.579 --> 00:09:07.719 And he said, if you want to have your baby in that barn, you can. 00:09:08.439 --> 00:09:10.759 And so Joseph and Mary went out to this barn. 00:09:11.080 --> 00:09:16.679 I'm sure they cleared some animals away, put out some fresh hay, and Mary had that baby. 00:09:17.340 --> 00:09:21.000 And when she was born, when the baby was born, Mary had prepared for this. 00:09:21.080 --> 00:09:24.059 She took some cloth and she wrapped the baby in this white cloth. 00:09:24.759 --> 00:09:26.319 And there was a feeding trough there. 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:27.600 Y'all ever seen a feeding trough? 00:09:28.059 --> 00:09:30.379 You've been to a petting zoo and they got feeding troughs? 00:09:30.860 --> 00:09:33.240 Well, I'm sure they cleaned it out the best they could. 00:09:33.480 --> 00:09:35.460 And they got some fresh new hay and they put it on it. 00:09:35.559 --> 00:09:39.000 And probably a piece of cloth, I would imagine, and laid it on top of the hay. 00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:43.879 And then they took that baby Jesus, imagine this, the very Son of God, 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:46.379 and they laid Him on that hay. 00:09:47.659 --> 00:09:51.740 Well, we're almost to the end of the story, but let me tell you, that's not the end. 00:09:52.659 --> 00:09:57.399 Not far from there, in a field right outside of town, there were some shepherds. 00:09:57.840 --> 00:10:00.299 And they were watching their sheep, and it's night. 00:10:00.379 --> 00:10:03.059 Just imagine if there's no lights in this room, and it's pitch black. 00:10:03.399 --> 00:10:06.600 And they got a fire, and they're warming themselves by the fire. 00:10:06.600 --> 00:10:10.460 And they're looking over there, watching their sheep here, and watching their sheep there, 00:10:10.560 --> 00:10:12.279 hearing them baa, and that kind of thing. 00:10:12.980 --> 00:10:15.980 And all of a sudden, this angel appears to them. 00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:19.940 We don't know who this angel was, but we think it might have been Gabriel again. 00:10:20.560 --> 00:10:21.700 This is what the angel says. 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:23.120 He says, I don't want you to be afraid. 00:10:23.980 --> 00:10:25.580 He says, it's going to be okay. 00:10:26.420 --> 00:10:32.519 But to you, in the city of David, a Savior has been born, who is Christ the Lord. 00:10:32.519 --> 00:10:34.939 And boy, they were just blown away. 00:10:35.419 --> 00:10:37.779 And the sky suddenly was just brilliant white. 00:10:37.879 --> 00:10:38.960 It was like it was daylight. 00:10:39.559 --> 00:10:41.899 Can you imagine walking out in the middle of the night, and it's night, 00:10:42.039 --> 00:10:45.100 and just suddenly like that, all of a sudden, it's bright as daylight. 00:10:45.399 --> 00:10:46.379 And that's how it was. 00:10:46.939 --> 00:10:52.019 Well, as soon as he said that, the angel told him, he said, I want to tell you something. 00:10:52.079 --> 00:10:53.159 You can find this baby. 00:10:53.720 --> 00:10:56.600 He's in Bethlehem, and he's in a barn. 00:10:56.600 --> 00:11:01.000 And you'll find him in a little feeding trough wrapped in cloth. 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:07.560 Well, with that, suddenly, the sky was filled with multitudes of angels. 00:11:07.700 --> 00:11:09.100 It was like an army of angels. 00:11:09.220 --> 00:11:14.960 And they were all singing and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. 00:11:15.680 --> 00:11:21.160 And then, suddenly, those angels or those shepherds, they turned to one another, and they said, 00:11:21.860 --> 00:11:23.620 boy, I'd like to see that, wouldn't you? 00:11:23.899 --> 00:11:25.340 How would you all like to have seen that? 00:11:25.340 --> 00:11:26.420 I would have. 00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:28.180 And they said, I'd like to see that. 00:11:28.280 --> 00:11:29.660 And they told us how to find the baby. 00:11:29.780 --> 00:11:36.320 All we've got to do is go to Bethlehem, and that baby will be there in a little manger wrapped in swaddling clothes. 00:11:36.500 --> 00:11:37.680 That's pretty cool, isn't it? 00:11:40.139 --> 00:11:40.700 Yes, sir. 00:11:42.340 --> 00:11:43.240 I'll try to. 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:46.740 I'll try to. 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:55.280 Well, I know he's in Bethlehem, and I guess it's in that direction. 00:11:55.340 --> 00:11:59.360 All right. 00:11:59.700 --> 00:12:00.700 Hope you find him. 00:12:01.680 --> 00:12:02.540 Good to see you. 00:12:04.800 --> 00:12:07.560 Boy, I don't know what to make about that. 00:12:09.160 --> 00:12:13.720 I don't know about you, but I would like, I'd like to follow him. 00:12:13.780 --> 00:12:14.180 Would you all? 00:12:15.700 --> 00:12:17.080 I want you to go back to your parents. 00:12:17.740 --> 00:12:18.980 I want you to go back where your parents are. 00:12:19.019 --> 00:12:21.180 Don't just go outside, but go to your parents right now, okay? 00:12:21.479 --> 00:12:23.019 Get up and go to your parents and grandparents. 00:12:23.219 --> 00:12:24.139 Grandparents, come and get them. 00:12:25.559 --> 00:12:25.919 Okay. 00:12:32.159 --> 00:12:33.319 That's exactly right. 00:12:33.419 --> 00:12:34.879 That's where I'm getting my information. 00:12:37.019 --> 00:12:37.919 I'll tell you what. 00:12:38.019 --> 00:12:38.659 I don't know about you. 00:12:38.659 --> 00:12:42.199 I'd like to go follow those shepherds and see if they can find a baby Jesus. 00:12:42.360 --> 00:12:43.240 Would that be okay with you? 00:12:43.980 --> 00:12:45.199 Let's all get up and go outside. 00:12:45.200 --> 00:12:57.680 Good to see you, Paul. 00:12:57.800 --> 00:12:58.280 You doing okay? 00:12:58.500 --> 00:12:58.860 I'm doing good. 00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:00.020 I'm doing fine. 00:13:00.019 --> 00:13:21.759 You doing okay? 00:13:21.759 --> 00:13:51.740 Thank you. 00:13:51.759 --> 00:14:21.740 Thank you. 00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:51.740 Thank you. 00:14:51.759 --> 00:15:21.740 Thank you. 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:51.740 Thank you. 00:15:51.759 --> 00:16:21.740 Thank you. 00:16:21.759 --> 00:16:51.740 Thank you. 00:16:51.759 --> 00:17:21.740 Thank you. 00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:51.740 Thank you. 00:17:51.759 --> 00:18:21.740 Thank you. 00:18:21.759 --> 00:18:51.740 Thank you. 00:18:51.759 --> 00:19:21.740 Thank you. 00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:51.740 Thank you. 00:19:51.759 --> 00:20:21.740 Thank you. 00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:51.740 Thank you. 00:20:51.759 --> 00:21:21.740 Thank you. 00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:51.740 Thank you. 00:21:51.759 --> 00:22:21.740 Thank you. 00:22:21.759 --> 00:22:51.740 Thank you. 00:22:51.759 --> 00:23:21.740 Thank you. 00:23:21.759 --> 00:23:51.740 Thank you. 00:23:51.759 --> 00:24:21.740 Thank you. 00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:51.740 Thank you. 00:24:51.759 --> 00:25:21.740 Thank you. 00:25:21.759 --> 00:25:51.740 Thank you. 00:25:51.759 --> 00:26:21.740 Thank you. 00:26:21.759 --> 00:26:51.740 Thank you. 00:26:51.759 --> 00:27:21.740 Thank you. 00:27:21.759 --> 00:27:51.740 Thank you.