WEBVTT

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 Well, good evening, everyone. It's a great privilege and pleasure to be with you tonight to share something of this magnificent message.

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 In addition to teaching, I teach at Edinburgh Theological Seminary. For the last 30 years or so, I've been in and out of prison.

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 I am a prison chaplain, and my colleague David and I have did a four-part Advent series.

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 I preached the first two Sundays of December, and he's preached today and the next Sunday.

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 And we decided to take four themes, four Advent themes. Peace and joy were my two.

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 David was speaking on hope today, and next Sunday he'll speak on love.

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 And as I was preparing these messages, I thought Isaiah 9 would be perfect for peace, prince of peace.

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 The increase of his government and peace would know no end.

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 And that Luke chapter 2 would be perfect for joy, good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

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 But as I began to prepare these messages, I realized that both passages hit both notes so clearly and so powerfully

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 that we are given a message of peace, predicted, a message of joy, prefigured, and then a message of peace announced and received,

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 and a message of joy to be proclaimed.

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 And with you, I'd like just to share something from Isaiah 9 and then look ahead to Luke chapter 2.

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 Because what you see here, as we were told several centuries before the arrival of Jesus,

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 the most unlikely of arrivals in the most unlikely of places with the most unlikely of outcomes.

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 That in Galilee, in Gentile territory, Zebulun, Naphtali,

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 in a place that's characterized by gloom, darkness, and even the very shadow of death.

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 In this place, there will be light, bright light that will bring joy instead of despair,

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 that will bring peace instead of conflict, that will bring hope to all people.

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 At the very beginning, we're told that the people walking in darkness have seen a great light.

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 Those that are in the shadow, a land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.

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 And then this theme of joy is brought before them.

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 Instead of gloom, they will rejoice as it was harvest time.

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 That way, they will rejoice at the time of victory as when they were dividing the plunder.

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 Because the contrast is drawn here.

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 Isaiah takes them back into their history and reminds them of that time in Judges,

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 when the Midianites, they were oppressing the people of God.

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 And God intervened and broke the rod of the oppressor, set his people free.

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 Which is one of the great themes of the whole Bible.

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 That sin brings captivity.

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 Sin brings bondage.

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 We heard in Genesis chapter 3,

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 The serpent promised everything, but delivered absolutely nothing.

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 Your eyes will be opened, you will be like God.

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 No, their eyes were opened, they realized they were naked,

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 and before they knew it, they were expelled from Eden.

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 That's what the evil one offers.

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 He offers everything, he delivers nothing.

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 God, by contrast, offers and delivers everything that he promises.

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 So instead of darkness, there's going to be light.

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 Instead of gloom, there's going to be joy.

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 Instead of captivity and bondage, there is going to be freedom.

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 So much so that even the very garments of war will be burnt,

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 because war will be no more.

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 And listen to how this arrival is described.

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 That there is one who is described as a child.

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 A child born, a son given.

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 And the government will be on his shoulders.

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 What an image.

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 That the government of this world will rest on the shoulders of a child,

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 of a baby, of a son.

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 That he will have the strength and the capacity,

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 literally, to carry the whole world on his shoulders.

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 I'm sure tonight I'm speaking to people who may be carrying burdens,

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 who may be bearing heavy weights.

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 And those burdens trouble you.

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 They trouble your mind.

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 They bother your heart.

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 They weigh you down.

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 And we're told of someone who has the capacity to hold what would otherwise crush us.

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 That he can carry this whole world, its government, and its people.

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 That he can bear those burdens.

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 In fact, my favorite verse in the New Testament must be Matthew chapter 11, verse 28,

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 where the Lord Jesus has come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden,

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 and I will give you rest.

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 The shoulders of Jesus are broad.

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 He can carry the weight, the burden, the sorrow, the suffering, the grief,

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 the anxiety that would otherwise crush us.

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 And we're told that he has four great titles,

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 that he's going to be wonderful counselor.

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 That means that he has every answer to every question.

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 He has every solution to every problem.

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 There's nothing that perplexes him,

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 nothing that causes him difficulty.

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 Why?

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 Because he's the God who is mighty, almighty, all-powerful,

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 all-wisdom, all-strength.

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 The next image there is one of everlasting father.

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 This theme of being part of a new family.

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 Sin brings separation, division.

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 Sin divides people from people.

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 Adam and Eve had their first argument in the garden

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 immediately after tasting the fruit that was forbidden them.

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 And from that time on, we see conflict.

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 We see strife.

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 We see nation versus nation, people versus people.

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 But we now, through Jesus, this son, this child,

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 we are brought into a worldwide family.

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 And instead of having conflict,

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 we look upon others now as our brothers, our sisters.

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 Why?

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 Because we have a shared father in God

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 and we have a shared elder brother in Jesus.

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 And he's described here as the prince of peace.

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 The increase of his government and peace,

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 there will be no end.

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 His government will continue to grow.

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 And this, the 21st century,

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 is the century that we are witnessing

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 the growth of Jesus' kingdom like no other.

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 The 20th century was the century

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 where the extension of Jesus' kingdom was the greatest.

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 And that century will be overtaken by the 21st century.

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 Because people from the north and people from the south,

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 people from the east and people from the west

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 are being brought together under the government of this son,

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 wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace.

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 And the end of this verse, it says,

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 the zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

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 There are many titles that are given to God.

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 This title is equivalent to the commander-in-chief.

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 The commander-in-chief of the angelic armies.

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 That what he says, he does.

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 What he promises, he fulfills.

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 What he offers, he always delivers.

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 We have so many promises that we might make

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 and so many promises that we might receive

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 that remain unfulfilled.

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 Unfulfilled.

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 So many hopes that remain unrealized.

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 But every promise that he makes,

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 he has the power, he has the authority,

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 he has the capacity, he has the resources

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 to fulfill every promise.

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 And you see, at the beginning of Jesus' ministry,

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 when he began to teach,

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 this is in Mark's gospel,

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 he began to teach, and we read in Mark chapter 4,

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 when Jesus heard that John had been put into prison.

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 He returned to Galilee, leaving Nazareth.

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 He went and lived in Capernaum,

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 which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali,

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 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah.

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 Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,

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 by way of the sea along the Jordan,

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 Galilee of the Gentiles,

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 the people living in darkness have seen a great light

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 on those living in the land of the shadow of death,

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 a light has dawned.

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 From that time on, Jesus began to preach,

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 repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.

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 The words of promise are now words of fulfillment.

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 And the beginning of Jesus' ministry, Matthew says,

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 you read it in Isaiah 9,

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 and you now see it with your eyes

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 and hear it with your ears.

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 Jesus is proclaiming the kingdom is at hand.

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 And we respond in faith.

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 We respond in repentance.

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 We turn from sin.

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 We turn from gloom and darkness.

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 We turn from oppression and captivity.

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 And we turn to hope.

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 And we turn to joy.

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 And we turn to peace.

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 And we turn to freedom.

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 Luke captures those scenes with the angels and the shepherds.

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 It's quite remarkable.

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 In the Bible, we don't have many angelic messages.

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 But whenever we do, they're significant.

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 Whenever the angels are on the scene,

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 you can guarantee that something significant is about to happen.

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 When the angels appeared,

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 when the angel, first of all, singular,

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 appeared to the shepherds,

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 the message was this.

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 I bring you good news of great joy

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 that will be for all the people.

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 But notice before the good news

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 and before the great joy,

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 do not be afraid.

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 I'm told in the Bible,

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 there are 366 occasions

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 where the Bible tells you do not be afraid.

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 That means one for every day

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 and two for a particularly scary day

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 or a leap year.

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 But 366 times,

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 now that seems to say to me

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 that we must live in a scary world.

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 If we're told do not be afraid,

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 something must be frightening.

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 Something must be fearful.

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 Do not be afraid.

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 Why?

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 Good news, great joy

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 that will be for all the people.

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 This note of joy that was predicted in Isaiah

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 is now accomplished and achieved

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 in the arrival of Jesus.

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 The one whose government,

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 the government of the world

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 is on his shoulders.

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 A child born,

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 a son given.

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 Good news.

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 Great joy for all the people.

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 Today in the town of David, Bethlehem,

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 a savior has been born to you.

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 He is Christ.

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 He's Messiah.

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 He is the anointed one,

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 the prophet and the priest

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 and the king,

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 the Lord.

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 And this will be a sign to you.

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 You will find a baby

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 wrapped in cloths

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 and lying in a manger.

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 Not surprisingly,

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 the shepherds were terrified.

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 This angelic vision created fear

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 and the angel dispelled the fear.

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 Do not be afraid.

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 But then if that wasn't enough,

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 suddenly a great company

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 of the heavenly host appeared

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 with the angel,

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 praising God and saying,

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 glory to God in the highest

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 and on earth peace to men

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 on whom his favor rests.

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 Good news.

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 Great joy.

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 Peace on earth.

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 Good will to men.

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 The angelic host fills the sky with light,

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 fills the sky with song,

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 fills the sky with peace.

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 Peace on earth.

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 And this evening,

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 that opening video,

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 there is much that causes us distress,

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 much that causes us care and concern.

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 Much of this world

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 is not characterized by peace.

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 Many human lives

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 are not characterized by joy.

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 Many individuals, families, communities

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 are beset with strife,

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 with hunger,

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 with division.

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 And Jesus has come

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 to proclaim light in darkness,

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 joy instead of gloom,

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 peace instead of distress,

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 and hope in the place of despair.

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 And I'd like you to consider

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 what the shepherds do.

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 It's intriguing because

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 in the ancient world,

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 shepherds were not allowed

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 to give testimony in a court of law.

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 They were considered to be unreliable.

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 They were not trustworthy.

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 And yet the angels appeared

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 to these people.

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 Time and again,

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 outsiders are brought in.

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 Time and again,

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 those that are on the periphery

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 of the culture,

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 of the society,

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 are now at the center

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 of the story.

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 And maybe sometimes

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 you feel like you might be

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 on the edge,

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 on the periphery,

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 not at the center.

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 And maybe God has a way

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 of using those on the edge

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 as demonstrations

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 of his power,

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 of his authority,

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 that he speaks

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 to the shepherds

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 who culturally speaking

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 are nobodies,

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 but he gives them

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 the honor

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 of being the first evangelists.

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 Because the shepherds

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 do two things.

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 They go.

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 Basically,

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 the message the shepherds

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 say to each other,

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 let's go and see.

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 And I would encourage you,

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 if you're not yet

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 a follower of Jesus,

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 don't take my word for it.

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 Don't take the words

00:14:08.279 --> 00:14:09.099
 of the carols

00:14:09.099 --> 00:14:09.839
 that we've sung

00:14:09.839 --> 00:14:11.159
 or even the words

00:14:11.159 --> 00:14:11.879
 that we've read.

00:14:12.319 --> 00:14:13.439
 See for yourself.

00:14:14.059 --> 00:14:15.039
 See for yourself

00:14:15.039 --> 00:14:16.439
 who this Jesus is.

00:14:16.939 --> 00:14:17.759
 See for yourself

00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:19.120
 what he has come to do.

00:14:19.579 --> 00:14:20.439
 See for yourself

00:14:20.439 --> 00:14:21.799
 whether these promises

00:14:21.799 --> 00:14:24.059
 have actually been fulfilled

00:14:24.059 --> 00:14:25.139
 in him.

00:14:25.779 --> 00:14:27.079
 Listen to the testimonies

00:14:27.079 --> 00:14:27.839
 of other people.

00:14:28.419 --> 00:14:29.359
 Listen to the stories

00:14:29.359 --> 00:14:30.839
 of lives changed

00:14:30.839 --> 00:14:31.959
 and transformed.

00:14:32.919 --> 00:14:34.019
 See for yourself.

00:14:34.719 --> 00:14:35.779
 Don't take my word.

00:14:35.779 --> 00:14:37.339
 Go and see.

00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:39.159
 But then we're told

00:14:39.159 --> 00:14:40.740
 that when the shepherds

00:14:40.740 --> 00:14:41.899
 went and saw

00:14:41.899 --> 00:14:42.779
 for themselves,

00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:44.600
 they found out

00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:45.679
 that it was just

00:14:45.679 --> 00:14:46.899
 as had been told

00:14:46.899 --> 00:14:47.699
 to them.

00:14:48.259 --> 00:14:49.459
 The shepherds returned

00:14:49.459 --> 00:14:51.360
 glorifying and praising God

00:14:51.360 --> 00:14:53.159
 for all the things

00:14:53.159 --> 00:14:53.939
 that they had heard

00:14:53.939 --> 00:14:54.579
 and seen

00:14:54.579 --> 00:14:55.839
 which were just

00:14:55.839 --> 00:14:56.860
 as they had been told.

00:14:57.500 --> 00:14:58.579
 Verse 17 says,

00:14:58.699 --> 00:14:59.980
 when they had seen him,

00:15:00.459 --> 00:15:01.959
 they spread the word

00:15:01.959 --> 00:15:02.959
 concerning

00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:04.440
 what had been told

00:15:04.440 --> 00:15:06.800
 them about this child.

00:15:07.920 --> 00:15:09.160
 Go and see.

00:15:09.980 --> 00:15:10.840
 Go and tell.

00:15:11.300 --> 00:15:12.120
 See for yourself.

00:15:12.820 --> 00:15:13.940
 And if you already

00:15:13.940 --> 00:15:14.920
 know this Jesus,

00:15:15.660 --> 00:15:16.740
 tell other people.

00:15:17.280 --> 00:15:17.900
 Point people

00:15:17.900 --> 00:15:18.800
 in his direction.

00:15:19.340 --> 00:15:20.139
 You might not be able

00:15:20.139 --> 00:15:21.480
 to answer people's questions.

00:15:21.980 --> 00:15:23.040
 You certainly won't be able

00:15:23.040 --> 00:15:24.540
 to solve people's problems.

00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:25.860
 But you can say,

00:15:26.019 --> 00:15:27.460
 I know someone who can.

00:15:27.460 --> 00:15:28.580
 I know someone

00:15:28.580 --> 00:15:29.280
 who can answer

00:15:29.280 --> 00:15:30.000
 your questions.

00:15:30.460 --> 00:15:31.440
 I know someone

00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:32.259
 who can solve

00:15:32.259 --> 00:15:33.019
 your problems.

00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:34.180
 I know someone

00:15:34.180 --> 00:15:35.040
 who can change

00:15:35.040 --> 00:15:36.060
 your circumstances.

00:15:36.920 --> 00:15:37.600
 Go and see.

00:15:38.320 --> 00:15:40.019
 And then go and tell.

00:15:40.580 --> 00:15:41.940
 Tell what you have seen.

00:15:42.420 --> 00:15:43.780
 Tell what you have experienced.

00:15:44.440 --> 00:15:45.100
 Point people

00:15:45.100 --> 00:15:46.379
 in the direction of Jesus.

00:15:47.100 --> 00:15:48.379
 That's the best gift

00:15:48.379 --> 00:15:49.879
 you could give anyone

00:15:49.879 --> 00:15:51.340
 at Christmas time,

00:15:51.700 --> 00:15:52.379
 New Year,

00:15:52.560 --> 00:15:54.120
 or any time of the year.

00:15:54.600 --> 00:15:55.700
 The songs that we sing

00:15:55.700 --> 00:15:56.879
 are filled with joy.

00:15:56.879 --> 00:15:58.480
 The message that we hear

00:15:58.480 --> 00:15:59.899
 is filled with peace.

00:16:00.460 --> 00:16:01.200
 And it's a message

00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:02.019
 that's worthy

00:16:02.019 --> 00:16:03.059
 of being shared.

00:16:04.019 --> 00:16:05.100
 Jesus has come

00:16:05.100 --> 00:16:05.860
 on a mission.

00:16:06.439 --> 00:16:07.460
 He's come on a mission

00:16:07.460 --> 00:16:09.220
 to seek and to save.

00:16:09.799 --> 00:16:12.059
 And he brings people

00:16:12.059 --> 00:16:14.120
 like us along with him.

00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:15.779
 Ordinary people

00:16:15.779 --> 00:16:17.879
 who have an extraordinary message

00:16:18.700 --> 00:16:20.799
 about an extraordinary Savior

00:16:20.799 --> 00:16:21.460
 who has done

00:16:21.460 --> 00:16:22.860
 extraordinary things.

00:16:23.259 --> 00:16:24.779
 You might be very ordinary,

00:16:24.779 --> 00:16:26.799
 but when you point people

00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:27.399
 to Jesus,

00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:29.399
 you are part of something

00:16:29.399 --> 00:16:31.059
 out of this world.

00:16:31.439 --> 00:16:32.699
 The Savior of the world

00:16:32.699 --> 00:16:33.959
 who has come down

00:16:33.959 --> 00:16:35.139
 to bring joy,

00:16:35.639 --> 00:16:36.620
 to bring peace,

00:16:37.099 --> 00:16:38.019
 to bring hope,

00:16:38.379 --> 00:16:39.519
 and to bring love.

00:16:39.979 --> 00:16:40.979
 So may God bless

00:16:40.979 --> 00:16:41.539
 his word

00:16:41.539 --> 00:16:42.779
 to each of our hearts.

00:16:43.199 --> 00:16:43.899
 Come and see

00:16:43.899 --> 00:16:46.000
 and go and tell.

00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:55.220
 God bless you

00:16:55.600 --> 00:16:58.720
 He'll be right tipos

00:16:58.720 --> 00:16:59.000
 and to can't

00:16:59.000 --> 00:16:59.539
 go and tell him

00:16:59.539 --> 00:16:59.919
 to ride

00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:00.179
 your hope,

00:17:00.279 --> 00:17:00.679
 and I'll be right

00:17:00.720 --> 00:17:01.240
 Leuph

00:17:01.240 --> 00:17:02.019
 that way to

00:17:02.220 --> 00:17:03.059
 смen2020.