WEBVTT

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 You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

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 Our passion is to experience and express grace. Join us.

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 I love this service. I love getting to celebrate Christmas with you.

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 I want you to know tonight that a homily is a 17-minute sermon, so you can plan accordingly.

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 I also want you to know this Christmas Eve homily is brought to you by Rudolph, not the red-nosed reindeer,

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 but Rudolph, a big, soft-spoken, tender-hearted African-American man on our facilities team whom I greatly respect.

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 Rudolph came into my office this weekend while I was working on this message and said,

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 You're probably making it too hard. It's Christmas. Just relax and keep it simple.

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 I said, like, Jesus loves me? He winked. Yeah, like that.

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 He declined my offer to preach tonight, but that's what I want you to hear as we look at God's Word together.

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 Here at Southwood, we've been talking this Christmas season about what Christmas means on a personal level.

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 We've been seeing that through the eyes of those involved in the story of the first Christmas, those who were there.

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 We've noted each of them, while they have their own individual perspectives, each of them is focused on Jesus.

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 Mary helped us see that Christmas means God's grace in Jesus reaching down to the most undeserving.

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 Joseph helped us see how Jesus interrupts our lives and, as He does so, meets our biggest need to save us from our sins.

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 Herod and the wise men helped us realize that the birth of Jesus means that the true King has invaded this world.

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 And we must respond to that by either taking up our swords against Him or by laying our swords down before Him.

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 Then yesterday, the shepherds helped us see how the birth of Jesus is good news that must be celebrated and shared.

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 See, for all of these people that we know so well from our nativity scenes and Advent stories,

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 that the story of Christmas was more than just a warm, fuzzy feeling, a sentimental tradition.

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 It was a life-changing reality.

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 The birth of Jesus changed everything for them.

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 And tonight, I want us very simply to see through the eyes of the baby in the manger Himself

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 that Jesus wants the same for you this Christmas.

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 He wants you to realize that there's not just a warm feeling and tradition and sentiment,

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 but that there's a life-changing gift for you.

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 A gift He willingly gives you at great cost to Himself.

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 That's the essence of Christmas.

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 I'm not talking about psychoanalyzing the God-man baby in the manger,

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 what did the baby know or not know.

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 That's not what we're going to do tonight.

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 But rather considering what Jesus, the Son of God, believed was going on in that first Christmas.

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 Why He came and what that tells us about what we celebrate at Christmas.

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 Some of you have come a long way to be here tonight, not to hear me preach,

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 but to be with family and friends for Christmas.

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 Doesn't it mean so much when people give up so much in order to be with you?

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 One Christmas when we were much younger and able to do this,

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 Christy and I drove ten hours through the night just to be with her parents and surprise them for Christmas.

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 Why?

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 Why would we do that?

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 Because we love them.

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 Isn't that what you feel when someone considers the cost of being with you

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 and then willingly pays that cost?

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 Forfeits the time, sleep, money, comfort, even perhaps sanity,

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 depending on the state of your house around Christmas.

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 And they consider that and they come to be with you.

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 You realize, among other things, how valuable you are to them, how much they love you.

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 And tonight I simply want you to hear again what you or your children have sung many times before.

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 Jesus loves me.

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 Jesus loves you.

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 He sacrifices more than we can understand

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 to give us a gift whose value we can only begin to appreciate.

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 The Bible talks a lot about the reasons Jesus comes to be born.

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 It certainly mentions that He came because the Father sent Him

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 and He delights to do the Father's will.

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 It mentions He came to live a perfect life,

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 to reflect perfectly the glorious image of our Heavenly Father to us

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 so we would know what He's like.

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 It mentions that He came to teach us about God.

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 But the overwhelming emphasis of Jesus Himself

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 and the rest of the Bible as it talks about Him

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 is that what was on Jesus' heart in coming to be born in the manger

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 was another piece of wood, a cross.

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 God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.

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 And Jesus so loves you that He came willingly, eagerly,

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 fully aware that He was coming to die in your place.

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 He says so Himself in Mark chapter 10.

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 For even the Son of Man came not to be served,

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 but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.

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 He says again in Luke 19,

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 the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

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 Jesus says things like these over and over.

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 He knows even more deeply what everyone else in the stable is learning,

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 that He has given life to give His life.

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 Consider these other passages printed in your bulletin tonight.

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 These are just a few of the ways the Bible tells us,

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 before I ran out of space,

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 what Christmas means to Jesus,

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 what He's doing when He's born on Christmas.

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 Matthew 1,

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 Mary will bear a son and you shall call His name Jesus.

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 What's He going to do?

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 For He will save His people from their sins.

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 John 1,

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 Who is this Jesus?

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 Behold the Lamb of God

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 who takes away the sin of the world.

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 A sacrifice to cover sins.

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 Galatians 4,

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 When the fullness of time had come,

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 God sent His Son,

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 born of woman,

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 born under the law,

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 born, why?

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 To redeem those who were under the law

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 so that we might receive adoption as sons of God.

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 To pay the price is what that means.

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 To buy us back,

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 to give us the gift of adoption as God's sons.

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 Philippians 2,

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 Jesus, though He was in the form of God,

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 did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

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 something to be held on to.

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 But He emptied Himself

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 by taking the form of a servant,

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 being born in the likeness of men.

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 And He humbled Himself

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 by becoming obedient to death on a cross.

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 He had so much comfort,

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 privilege,

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 wealth.

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 He had so much of it

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 and He thought and considered,

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 should I hang on to these things?

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 Should I grasp them?

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 And He thought,

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 no way.

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 I'll give those up

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 to come and be born

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 and die for them.

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 To give them life,

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 righteousness,

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 relationship that they couldn't deserve,

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 that they could never earn.

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 There's no greater love than that.

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 That's grace that Jesus counted the cost

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 and then came for you.

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 Is that starting to hit home for you?

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 I know you've heard these things before.

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 It's not new information,

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 but that that's what happens at Christmas,

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 that Jesus comes for you.

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 Certainly the testimony of Scripture

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 allows Paul confidently to say,

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 this saying is trustworthy

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 and deserving of full acceptance

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 that Christ Jesus came into the world.

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 Why?

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 To save sinners

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 of whom I am the foremost.

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 He came to the manger

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 to go to the cross.

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 Not to be surprised later

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 by the betrayal of mankind,

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 by the separation from His Father

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 that He endured,

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 by the suffering and pain of the cross.

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 No.

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 He came with His eyes wide open

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 to the enormous cost

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 that He would pay.

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 He came for you.

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 He became flesh.

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 He was born to die.

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 The great pastor of the last century,

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 James Montgomery Boyce,

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 said it this way of Christmas.

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 The story is treated quite simply in Scripture

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 and the emphasis is always on the fact

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 that Jesus came to die.

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 The Lord Jesus Christ,

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 the eternal Son of God,

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 took a human body in order

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 that He might die for our salvation.

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 As He came into the world,

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 our Lord had His mind on His great purpose

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 to provide salvation for the race.

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 But not only did He have the purpose in mind,

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 He also was aware

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 that He was perfectly suited

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 by virtue of who He was.

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 Unlike anybody else who has ever been born,

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 He was not only man,

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 He was God as well.

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 Therefore, while as a man

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 He could die upon the cross,

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 as God He died

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 in order to pay the infinite price

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 necessary for salvation.

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 In other words,

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 Jesus knew human flesh

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 had to be divinely perfect.

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 And He knew that the wages of sin,

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 death,

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 had to be paid at an infinite level.

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 And He loved you so much

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 and knew you couldn't do it.

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 So He moved heaven and earth

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 to come and be born

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 and live and die for you.

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 For the joy set before Him,

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 the joy of being with you

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 in glorious praise

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 of the Father's costly,

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 sacrificial grace forever.

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 With that joy before Him,

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 He endured the cross.

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 Oh, how He loves you.

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 One Christmas Eve a few years ago

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 was Barbie Jeep night for me.

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 You may have had a Christmas Eve like this.

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 We were really worked up about it.

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 First, because we knew our girls

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 were going to be so excited

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 to get this gift the next morning.

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 And also because several of you

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 had told us

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 that it took you quite a while

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 to put a Barbie Jeep together.

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 We knew if it took you quite a while,

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 it would take me a long, long while

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 to put it together.

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 So, knowing that,

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 I gave up a peaceful cup of cocoa

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 by the fire with my wife,

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 which I really would have enjoyed,

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 and rushed after this service

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 to the shed of my next-door neighbor

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 and got the box out

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 and spent the next several hours

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 on the cold, hard floor of the garage

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 trying to put together a Barbie Jeep,

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 following careful instructions

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 step by step.

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 It wasn't cheap.

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 It took a fair amount of time

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 and effort to keep it secret,

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 but the late-night construction

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 was by far the most costly part for me.

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 I was running on adrenaline, however,

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 to get this perfect special gift

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 put together for our beloved girls

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 we were so excited to share it with.

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 By the end of the process,

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 I was sore and tired.

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 Christy had to stick on all the decals

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 because my arms were shaking,

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 my eyes were blurry,

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 I couldn't even put a sticker

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 on the plastic.

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 She did all of that.

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 We hardly slept that night,

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 and some of you may have that

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 to look forward to tonight.

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 But it was so worth it

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 because of their excitement

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 on Christmas morning.

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 I tell you about the Barbie Jeep

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 simply to say this.

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 You know what that feels like.

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 Willingly, eagerly, excitedly

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 to plan and pay and sacrifice

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 to give your kids or someone else

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 a special gift.

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 And Jesus says this,

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 If you who are evil

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 know how to give good gifts

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 to your children,

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 how much more

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 will your heavenly Father

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 give good gifts to you?

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 If you have any joy

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 watching a child open a present

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 tomorrow morning,

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 remember that God Himself

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 delights even more

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 in giving His Son,

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 giving that gift,

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 His righteousness,

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 eternal life to you.

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 when you give or receive

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 a costly gift tomorrow,

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 remember Christmas

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 delights God

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 because He willingly,

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 eagerly gives His Son,

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 who willingly, eagerly

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 gives His life for you

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 that you may know Him,

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 you may be with Him forever.

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 Jesus loves you.

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 The angels sang it.

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 The incarnation shouts it.

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 And this table

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 that we come to together tonight

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 repeats it for you

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 so that you will remember it

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 because Jesus doesn't want you

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 to forget.

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 Paul records how He said it

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 to His disciples.

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 On the night He was betrayed,

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 Jesus took bread

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 and He broke it,

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 gave it to His disciples.

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 As I ministering in His name,

00:15:25.860 --> 00:15:27.019
 give this bread to you.

00:15:27.059 --> 00:15:27.360
 He said,

00:15:27.480 --> 00:15:28.439
 take, eat,

00:15:28.559 --> 00:15:29.779
 this is My body

00:15:29.779 --> 00:15:31.600
 broken for you.

00:15:32.319 --> 00:15:33.960
 Do this in remembrance of Me.

00:15:34.980 --> 00:15:35.659
 In the same way,

00:15:35.720 --> 00:15:36.299
 after supper,

00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:37.299
 He took the cup,

00:15:37.819 --> 00:15:38.079
 saying,

00:15:38.179 --> 00:15:39.519
 this cup is the new covenant

00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:41.480
 in My blood,

00:15:41.980 --> 00:15:43.679
 which is given for many

00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:45.659
 for the forgiveness of sins.

00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:46.759
 Drink from it,

00:15:46.979 --> 00:15:47.719
 all of you.

00:15:50.239 --> 00:15:52.659
 See, Jesus showed us His love

00:15:52.659 --> 00:15:54.799
 to its fullest extent

00:15:54.799 --> 00:15:58.299
 when He gave His life for us.

00:15:59.359 --> 00:16:01.019
 It's why Christmas happened.

00:16:01.159 --> 00:16:02.419
 It's why at Christmas

00:16:02.419 --> 00:16:04.259
 we celebrate the giving

00:16:04.259 --> 00:16:07.599
 of costly, valuable gifts.

00:16:07.599 --> 00:16:10.319
 If you've received that gift,

00:16:10.419 --> 00:16:11.899
 the gift of eternal life

00:16:11.899 --> 00:16:13.479
 through faith in Jesus,

00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:14.899
 come and celebrate

00:16:14.899 --> 00:16:16.579
 that together with us.

00:16:16.779 --> 00:16:18.000
 This is His table,

00:16:18.139 --> 00:16:19.039
 not ours,

00:16:19.159 --> 00:16:20.759
 not the Presbyterian churches.

00:16:21.299 --> 00:16:22.819
 You come and celebrate Him

00:16:22.819 --> 00:16:23.779
 with us.

00:16:24.859 --> 00:16:26.139
 If you're here tonight

00:16:26.139 --> 00:16:29.219
 and Jesus is not someone

00:16:29.219 --> 00:16:30.819
 that makes you excited

00:16:30.819 --> 00:16:31.899
 about the gift

00:16:31.899 --> 00:16:32.639
 that He's given you,

00:16:32.679 --> 00:16:33.719
 you really maybe

00:16:33.719 --> 00:16:35.279
 are just considering Him,

00:16:35.399 --> 00:16:37.059
 just wondering about Christmas,

00:16:37.059 --> 00:16:38.179
 maybe you don't even know

00:16:38.179 --> 00:16:39.479
 why a gift like this

00:16:39.479 --> 00:16:40.439
 would be of such

00:16:40.439 --> 00:16:42.199
 infinite value to you.

00:16:42.820 --> 00:16:44.180
 If that's where you are tonight,

00:16:44.300 --> 00:16:45.800
 listen, we're so glad you're here.

00:16:46.379 --> 00:16:47.000
 We're delighted.

00:16:47.100 --> 00:16:47.700
 Maybe you came

00:16:47.700 --> 00:16:48.400
 because someone else

00:16:48.400 --> 00:16:49.240
 wanted you to come.

00:16:49.920 --> 00:16:50.700
 Thank you for coming.

00:16:51.740 --> 00:16:52.700
 We want you to know

00:16:52.700 --> 00:16:53.540
 that you are welcome

00:16:53.540 --> 00:16:54.940
 to come forward

00:16:54.940 --> 00:16:55.940
 as we do this

00:16:55.940 --> 00:16:56.620
 in just a minute.

00:16:56.960 --> 00:16:57.860
 We would love the chance

00:16:57.860 --> 00:16:58.600
 to pray with you

00:16:58.600 --> 00:16:59.400
 if you would like

00:16:59.400 --> 00:17:00.800
 or you can stay right where you are

00:17:00.800 --> 00:17:01.440
 if you'd prefer.

00:17:01.900 --> 00:17:02.759
 But don't come

00:17:02.759 --> 00:17:04.799
 and take bread and juice

00:17:04.799 --> 00:17:06.140
 that represents something

00:17:06.140 --> 00:17:07.940
 that you don't believe in,

00:17:08.519 --> 00:17:09.900
 that's not real for you.

00:17:09.900 --> 00:17:11.019
 We wouldn't want to ask you

00:17:11.019 --> 00:17:11.620
 to do that.

00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:13.680
 But if you're considering Jesus,

00:17:13.940 --> 00:17:14.759
 if you're wondering

00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:15.780
 about someone

00:17:15.780 --> 00:17:17.300
 who would love you so much

00:17:17.300 --> 00:17:18.580
 that He would come

00:17:18.580 --> 00:17:19.400
 to be born

00:17:19.400 --> 00:17:21.340
 so that He could die for you,

00:17:21.880 --> 00:17:23.240
 we'd love to talk to you

00:17:23.240 --> 00:17:23.759
 about Him.

00:17:24.220 --> 00:17:24.880
 I'll stay.

00:17:25.060 --> 00:17:25.680
 I mean, I don't even have

00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:26.240
 a Barbie Jeep

00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:27.180
 to put together tonight.

00:17:27.600 --> 00:17:28.780
 I'd love to stay

00:17:28.780 --> 00:17:30.380
 and talk with you about that.

00:17:31.740 --> 00:17:32.620
 Let me pray

00:17:32.620 --> 00:17:34.080
 and then we'll celebrate together

00:17:34.080 --> 00:17:35.460
 how much Jesus loves us.

00:17:35.460 --> 00:17:38.160
 Jesus, thank You

00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:39.259
 for this gift,

00:17:39.799 --> 00:17:41.000
 a gift beyond any

00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:42.779
 that anyone will give us tomorrow.

00:17:43.220 --> 00:17:44.860
 Your very self,

00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:46.220
 Your body and blood

00:17:46.220 --> 00:17:48.220
 poured out for us.

00:17:49.960 --> 00:17:50.840
 Would You use these

00:17:50.840 --> 00:17:52.000
 very common elements

00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:52.920
 to remind us

00:17:52.920 --> 00:17:54.039
 how much You love us

00:17:54.039 --> 00:17:55.640
 that You would do that for us?

00:17:57.720 --> 00:17:58.880
 Would You remind us

00:17:58.880 --> 00:17:59.640
 that You didn't want

00:17:59.640 --> 00:18:01.100
 to be apart from us ever

00:18:01.100 --> 00:18:02.759
 and so You secured

00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:03.500
 our eternity

00:18:03.500 --> 00:18:06.119
 by coming and moving in with us

00:18:06.119 --> 00:18:07.900
 and giving Your life for us.

00:18:07.960 --> 00:18:08.400
 Thank You.

00:18:10.119 --> 00:18:10.900
 Be with us

00:18:10.900 --> 00:18:12.160
 as we celebrate this now

00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:13.039
 in Jesus' name.

00:18:13.900 --> 00:18:14.220
 Amen.

00:18:15.619 --> 00:18:16.859
 I encourage all of you

00:18:16.859 --> 00:18:17.819
 as we consider

00:18:17.819 --> 00:18:18.960
 this sacrament together,

00:18:19.420 --> 00:18:21.339
 as we listen to this music,

00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:23.460
 perhaps to contemplate

00:18:23.460 --> 00:18:24.140
 one of the verses

00:18:24.140 --> 00:18:25.579
 printed in your bulletin there,

00:18:25.619 --> 00:18:26.640
 maybe one that

00:18:26.640 --> 00:18:28.079
 particularly to you

00:18:28.079 --> 00:18:28.960
 communicates

00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:31.619
 how much Jesus loves you

00:18:31.619 --> 00:18:32.640
 personally

00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:34.300
 and contemplate that

00:18:34.300 --> 00:18:35.240
 as we celebrate

00:18:35.240 --> 00:18:35.940
 this sacrament.

00:18:36.320 --> 00:18:37.160
 Our host team members

00:18:37.160 --> 00:18:37.780
 will usher you

00:18:37.780 --> 00:18:38.820
 to tables forward

00:18:38.820 --> 00:18:39.900
 and back

00:18:39.900 --> 00:18:40.960
 and we will celebrate

00:18:40.960 --> 00:18:42.660
 that Jesus loves us.

00:18:47.259 --> 00:18:48.400
 For more information,

00:18:48.780 --> 00:18:49.700
 visit us online

00:18:49.700 --> 00:18:51.000
 at southwood.org.

00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:52.700
 below that Bible

00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:53.259
 and have more information

00:18:53.259 --> 00:18:53.680
 and is also

00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:54.400
 available inside

00:18:54.400 --> 00:18:54.779
 of the Cuebrose

00:18:54.779 --> 00:18:55.240
 of the New Future

00:18:55.240 --> 00:18:56.099
 of Clay

00:18:56.099 --> 00:18:56.779
 on Cuebrose

00:18:56.779 --> 00:18:57.980
 on Cuebrose

00:18:57.980 --> 00:19:09.140
 3.5 o Sob

00:19:09.140 --> 00:19:09.579
 and at 1.2 O