WEBVTT

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 In a few days, we're going to begin a new year with a lot of new faces, new voices leading our government.

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 But for many years, no matter who is in the White House or which party controls Congress,

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 most Americans are very pessimistic about our government.

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 It seems that the words of former President Ronald Reagan, words he said 30 years ago,

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 it seems that it becomes more accurate with each passing year.

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 You remember them.

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 The nine most terrifying words in the English language are,

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 I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

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 Those words are probably true about every government in the world.

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 But the Bible tells us about a future government that God's people will not fear.

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 That we will not fear.

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 Because it will be the government of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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 The future government over which Jesus will rule.

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 The future government over which He will preside is a part of the Christmas story that sometimes gets overlooked.

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 But it's a part of the angel's message to Mary.

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 The angel told her that she had been chosen by God to be the mother of God's Son.

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 Look at what was said.

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 The angel said,

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 Now that statement was really compiled from several Old Testament prophecies.

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 where God had promised He was going to send His Messiah.

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 One of the more well-known prophecies,

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 one that's very familiar to us at Christmas time,

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 is Isaiah chapter 9, verses 6 and 7.

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 That's sort of been our unofficial theme for Christmas this year.

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 I started,

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 I preached one message on it.

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 The children's choir,

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 we have sung about certain aspects of this.

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 Let's read it one more time.

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 Isaiah chapter 9, verses 6 and 7.

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 For unto us a child is born,

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 to us a son is given,

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 and the government shall be upon His shoulder,

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 and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,

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 Mighty God,

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 Everlasting Father,

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 Prince of Peace.

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 Of the increase of His government and of peace,

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 there will be no end.

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 on the throne of David,

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 and over His kingdom,

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 to establish it,

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 and to uphold it with justice,

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 and with righteousness,

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 from this time forth,

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 and forevermore.

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 The zeal of the Lord of hosts

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 will do this.

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 The baby whose birth we celebrate

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 this morning

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 is no ordinary baby.

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 He is King Jesus,

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 the Son of God,

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 who will one day return to this world

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 and rule over an eternal government,

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 a government that we can have

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 absolute confidence in

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 and never fear,

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 never distrust

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 because of who leads it.

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 Just think,

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 one day we can trust our government

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 because King Jesus

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 will rule over it completely.

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 Look at this phrase from Isaiah.

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 The government shall be upon His shoulder.

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 One commentator said

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 this may refer to how a king

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 would sometimes wear a golden chain

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 around his neck

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 that hung down

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 and rested on his shoulder,

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 symbolizing his authority.

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 When Jesus returns to this world,

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 He is not going to come

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 as He did the first time,

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 as a vulnerable baby.

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 He's going to come

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 in power,

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 in authority,

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 as the Almighty Son of God

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 and the sovereign ruler

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 of this world.

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 His rule will be characterized

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 by peace,

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 not war,

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 justice,

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 not favoritism,

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 and righteousness,

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 never corruption.

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 That leads us to another reason

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 why we'll be able to trust

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 this government,

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 the government of Jesus.

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 King Jesus will rule over it

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 with the highest character.

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 Look at the phrase again from Isaiah.

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 To establish it

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 and to uphold it

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 with justice

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 and with righteousness.

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 We live in a day

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 where the character of leaders,

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 it seems,

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 just doesn't matter.

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 It's been that way

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 for quite some time.

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 But deep down,

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 we know better.

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 And deep down,

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 we really want better.

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 And the day will come

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 when we will get better

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 because we're going to get

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 a perfect leader.

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 We're going to get a leader

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 that we can trust

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 because of who He is

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 and because of what He does.

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 Look back,

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 if you've got your Bible open,

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 in Isaiah,

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 chapter 9,

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 verse 6,

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 at the names

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 or the titles

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 that Isaiah prophesied

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 would be given to Jesus.

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 Think about what,

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 think about the person Jesus is

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 as well as

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 the power that He has

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 using these names.

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 As wonderful counselor,

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 He guides us

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 with perfect wisdom.

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 We can count on that.

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 As mighty God,

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 He protects us

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 with His sovereign power.

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 As everlasting Father,

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 He cares for us

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 with unending love.

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 Then as Prince of Peace,

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 He provides us

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 with peace with God

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 and the peace of God.

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 which we looked at

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 last night.

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 It will not be difficult

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 for us to trust

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 the government

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 of King Jesus

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 because we will have

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 absolute confidence

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 in Him,

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 in who He is,

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 His character,

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 in what He has done

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 and is doing

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 because He is

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 God Almighty,

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 God in the flesh.

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 One day,

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 we will be able

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 to trust our government

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 and never have to worry

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 about it changing

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 because King Jesus

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 will rule over it

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 forever.

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 Look at one more phrase.

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 Of the increase

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 of His government

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 and of peace,

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 there will be

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 no end.

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 His government

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 will always be growing

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 and expanding,

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 but not like

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 the federal government

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 of the United States

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 that's always growing,

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 that's always expanding

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 its bureaucracy.

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 This government,

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 the government

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 of King Jesus,

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 will always be in the,

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 be growing in the positive qualities

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 of this King,

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 growing in the positive qualities

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 of peace,

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 of justice,

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 of righteousness.

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 What Ronald Reagan

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 said 30 years ago,

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 he said it,

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 there was truth,

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 but it was intended

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 to be funny,

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 a lot of humor,

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 but if you stop

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 and think about it,

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 there's too much truth

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 in this statement.

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 The nine most terrifying words

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 in the English language

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 are,

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 I'm from the government

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 and I'm here to help.

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 But the words of Jesus,

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 none of them

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 are ever scary.

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 They're comforting.

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 For an example,

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 in John 10,

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 Jesus said,

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 I came that they

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 may have life

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 and have it

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 abundantly.

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 Now,

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 I must add

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 that those words

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 are only comforting

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 to those

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 who trust Jesus

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 as their Savior

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 and have already

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 submitted

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 to Him

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 as their King.

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 If you don't know

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 Jesus as your Savior

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 and as your King,

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 I want to encourage you

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 to turn to Him

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 right now.

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 There is no better day

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 than Christmas Day

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 for you to admit

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 to God

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 that you are in need

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 of the Savior

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 that He sent.

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 Turn from your sin.

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 Change your mind.

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 Stop living

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 for yourself.

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 Ask God

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 to help you.

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 Put your faith,

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 your confidence,

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 your absolute trust

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 in Jesus Christ

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 that when He died

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 on the cross,

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 He paid the penalty

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 for your sins.

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 He did everything

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 necessary

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 for you to be

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 forgiven by God,

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 to be made

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 a child of God.

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 So call upon Him

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 to save you.

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 now,

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 this Christmas Day.

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 I want to conclude

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 with the Christmas story

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 summarized in one verse.

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 For God so loved

00:10:52.020 --> 00:10:52.720
 the world,

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 He gave His only Son

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 that whoever believes

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 in Him

00:10:58.460 --> 00:11:01.080
 will not perish

00:11:01.080 --> 00:11:03.360
 but will have

00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:04.720
 eternal life.

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 And if you trust Him

00:11:06.759 --> 00:11:08.399
 or you will trust Him,

00:11:10.399 --> 00:11:11.740
 there's no greater

00:11:11.740 --> 00:11:12.439
 confidence,

00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:14.519
 no greater comfort

00:11:14.519 --> 00:11:18.220
 that you'll ever experience.

00:11:18.980 --> 00:11:20.039
 King Jesus,

00:11:21.039 --> 00:11:22.480
 we have confidence

00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:23.059
 in Him.

00:11:23.559 --> 00:11:24.919
 We always can.

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 Let's bow together

00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:27.679
 and thank Him

00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:28.340
 for that now.

00:11:29.220 --> 00:11:29.720
 Dear God,

00:11:29.720 --> 00:11:32.720
 thank you so much

00:11:32.720 --> 00:11:34.220
 for sending

00:11:34.220 --> 00:11:35.100
 your Son

00:11:35.100 --> 00:11:36.000
 into this world

00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:39.180
 to save us,

00:11:39.680 --> 00:11:40.700
 to make us

00:11:40.700 --> 00:11:41.720
 right with you,

00:11:42.320 --> 00:11:43.360
 to make us

00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:44.080
 your children.

00:11:45.820 --> 00:11:46.940
 Thank you, Father,

00:11:47.060 --> 00:11:48.740
 that through faith

00:11:48.740 --> 00:11:49.259
 in Jesus

00:11:49.259 --> 00:11:51.759
 we can be confident

00:11:51.759 --> 00:11:53.440
 that our sins

00:11:53.440 --> 00:11:54.060
 are forgiven,

00:11:54.059 --> 00:11:56.559
 that you are

00:11:56.559 --> 00:11:57.619
 our Heavenly Father,

00:11:58.899 --> 00:12:00.500
 that you will

00:12:00.500 --> 00:12:03.919
 enable us

00:12:03.919 --> 00:12:04.599
 to experience

00:12:04.599 --> 00:12:06.559
 peace with you

00:12:06.559 --> 00:12:07.079
 now

00:12:07.079 --> 00:12:09.419
 and for all

00:12:09.419 --> 00:12:09.959
 eternity.

00:12:11.759 --> 00:12:12.519
 We,

00:12:12.779 --> 00:12:13.500
 your children,

00:12:14.500 --> 00:12:15.399
 thank you

00:12:15.399 --> 00:12:17.039
 and praise you

00:12:17.039 --> 00:12:19.019
 for this

00:12:19.019 --> 00:12:20.539
 greatest

00:12:20.539 --> 00:12:21.639
 of all time

00:12:21.639 --> 00:12:22.619
 gifts.

00:12:22.620 --> 00:12:24.820
 the gift

00:12:24.820 --> 00:12:26.779
 of eternal life

00:12:26.779 --> 00:12:27.539
 in Jesus.

00:12:29.080 --> 00:12:29.500
 And Father,

00:12:29.659 --> 00:12:30.860
 we who are Christians,

00:12:31.620 --> 00:12:32.720
 we pray

00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:34.340
 right now

00:12:34.340 --> 00:12:35.519
 and ask that

00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:36.340
 you would move

00:12:36.340 --> 00:12:37.000
 in the life

00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:37.259
 of

00:12:37.259 --> 00:12:40.980
 everyone in this room

00:12:40.980 --> 00:12:41.860
 who's not a Christian

00:12:41.860 --> 00:12:44.360
 to draw them

00:12:44.360 --> 00:12:45.440
 to faith in Jesus

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 and that today,

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 Christmas Day,

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 2016,

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 will be their day

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 of salvation.

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 In Jesus' name

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 we pray.

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 Amen.