WEBVTT

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 If you have your Bibles, I want you to turn to Isaiah chapter 9.

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! Isaiah chapter 9.

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 That's so good, I wouldn't even need to preach.

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 We could just go home, but we're not.

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 When I was a kid, I didn't get a whole lot in the mail.

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 But there were two exciting things that came in the mail every year.

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 The most exciting thing that came in the mail was a department store catalog.

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 Now, I'm not sure about part of this,

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 but I think that Alexander's on Pleasantburg Drive used to have one.

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 I think we got one.

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 I'm seeing some shagings of their heads.

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 And man, they had a killer toy section.

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 And I loved it.

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 But I know that we got a Sears and Roebuck catalog.

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 Now, let me explain.

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 If you call it Sears and Roebuck, you're old, okay?

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 The time I came around, it was Sears on Stone Avenue.

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 And they had dropped the Roebuck.

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 But I always knew when I was talking to old people,

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 they'd say, we're going to Sears and Roebuck.

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 And I'm like, who's Roebuck?

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 But Sears was the place.

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 And man, they had a catalog.

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 And I would get that catalog and turn to the back of it that came close to Christmas time.

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 And I'd get that catalog and circle all the toys.

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 I mean, if you wanted to know what I needed for Christmas,

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 just go check out the Sears catalog, you know?

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 Because you knew what that was.

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 It was fabulous.

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 And the second most exciting thing that ever came,

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 and I don't know if it came in the mail or they left it on the doorstep,

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 but that was the phone book.

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 And every year we'd get a phone book.

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 And I loved the phone book because it proved I existed.

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 We were real.

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 And when you've got a name like I've got,

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 you wonder if it's even going to be in there.

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 And if you are, can you even find it?

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 Will they spell it right?

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 Well, they send you a bill.

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 Old Mama Bell sends you a bill every month.

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 They knew how to spell your name.

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 They got it right every time.

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 But you get the phone book.

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 Now, since I've been back in Pickens,

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 I think I've got one phone book.

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 And I don't know if that was because the people before me had a home phone,

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 and I just stayed on the line.

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 And I don't know if they just every now and then go,

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 hey, I think we'll send out some phone books.

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 And that thing was minuscule.

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 I mean, it was tiny because it has home phone numbers in it,

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 and nobody has home phones anymore.

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 Now, if you do, you're not a nobody.

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 I don't mean that.

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 But I'm just saying, not many people have a home phone anymore at all.

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 And so the reality is we don't get them.

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 But listen, there were no cell phones.

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 Now, some of you are shocked.

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 There were no cell phones in those days, okay?

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 So if you had a phone, it was either sitting on a table

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 or it was sitting on a wall, one or the other,

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 and your number was in the phone book.

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 That is unless you paid to have it unlisted.

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 And if you paid to have it unlisted, you were either very important

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 or you just didn't like people, one or the other.

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 I mean, just one way or the other.

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 But on the front page of that phone book was the number for the police,

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 the number for the fire, the number for the ambulance, medical treatment.

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 And in case of emergency, you either had to go find that book

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 or a lot of people, they didn't have Post-its in those days,

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 but a lot of people would make them a Post-it.

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 They'd take a piece of paper, write down the police number,

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 write down the fire number.

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 You got to have the city police, the county police, fire,

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 write all that down and tape it on a wall beside their phone.

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 There was a lot of that going on in people's homes, you know?

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 But if you didn't know, you better know where the phone book was

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 because if you had emergency, you had to go look up that number.

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 Now, some of you all are looking at me like, he's lost it.

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 It's a different world.

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 And the rest of you know exactly what I'm talking about.

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 Today, if you need anything, just call 911.

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 They started trying to create that number before I was even born,

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 but it didn't come around until after I was grown.

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 But now all calls to 911 go to the same dispatch service

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 that then sends it where it needs to go.

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 And the needs that come in are interesting, to say the least.

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 But someone has summarized those calls

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 into four different type of calls that they get.

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 Some call for guidance.

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 They just don't know what to do.

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 There's a situation.

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 They just don't know what to do, and they won't guide it.

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 So they call 911.

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 Other people call because they can't help themselves.

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 They're in a situation where they need somebody with greater power

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 than they have to take care of something, and so they call 911.

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 Then there are calls of, for lack of a better term, relational collapse.

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 I mean, it may be a domestic disturbance.

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 It may be a child worried about a child,

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 or maybe somebody's ran away and they've been gone too long,

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 or walked away and been gone too long,

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 or we're concerned about somebody's safety,

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 and so we call, or custody crisis, and those types,

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 all those things.

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 They get those kind of calls, ugly calls, okay?

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 And then other calls come because of chaos.

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 There's just confusion and panic,

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 and they just need peace.

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 Now, we hadn't been here long when we woke up one morning,

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 I mean, woke up one evening after we went to bed,

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 to carbon monoxide detectors going off, okay?

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 We had two of them, and both of them were going off,

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 and they were going off in stereo,

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 so it was like it was reverberating.

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 And the first thought that I have,

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 if a fire alarm goes off,

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 is just wave at it a little while,

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 and it'll go off, you know?

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 It's kind of what my thought is.

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 What do you do with a carbon monoxide detector?

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 How do you handle that?

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 And so, what do you wave?

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 And you can't see it, and you can't taste it,

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 and you don't know,

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 and you just grow real tired thinking about what it is.

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 You know, that's what carbon monoxide does to you.

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 So I couldn't ignore it,

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 even though I wanted to go to bed.

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 I had to do something.

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 So what did I do?

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 I called 911, and I called them apologetically, you know?

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 I'm sorry to bother you,

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 but we got carbon monoxide detectors going off,

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 and if it was one of them,

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 if my family would have let me,

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 which they probably wouldn't have,

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 I probably would have unplugged it and went back to bed,

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 but it was two of them,

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 and so it was a different matter.

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 So they said, no, we'll come, you know?

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 It was about this time of year,

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 and so they, and it was cold outside,

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 and so they came,

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 and they had a detector.

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 The firemen came,

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 and they had a detector,

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 and they walked in the house,

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 and yeah,

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 so you got some things going on.

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 It's not bad,

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 but you got some things going on.

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 They went down in our basement,

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 our utility basement,

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 and they walked around,

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 and they went,

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 oh, yeah, yeah, yeah,

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 you got a problem.

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 You need to go outside,

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 and I said,

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 it's cold outside.

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 They said,

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 no, you need to go outside.

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 You need to get out of here.

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 So I said,

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 Lord, I hope I filled up the car.

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 So we went out

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 and sat in the car for a little while,

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 and they brought in a fan,

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 a big fan,

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 and he told the guy with the fan,

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 he said,

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 don't put it in front of that Christmas tree.

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 You'll blow it out the door.

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 Thank God they didn't do that.

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 That would have been interesting,

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 but anyway,

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 they put that fan down

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 and blew that through the house.

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 I don't know,

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 for quite a while.

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 They hung out a long time,

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 and then they said,

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 all right, yeah, all right,

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 and we figured out

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 what was the problem,

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 and we had to get some things worked on

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 and all that stuff,

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 but we worked out all that stuff,

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 and they said,

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 I think you'll be all right.

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 Crack a window,

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 and so we cracked some windows

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 and went to bed freezing,

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 but it was scary.

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 I mean,

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 it was just,

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 it was kind of chaotic.

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 We just didn't know.

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 Didn't know what the deal was,

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 and didn't know how to handle it.

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 That's a 911 call.

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 They're used to that kind of stuff,

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 so it seems like

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 that every emergency call

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 that is made

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 is a search for

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 someone who knows,

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 someone who's able,

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 someone who cares,

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 or someone who can bring order.

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 Well,

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 I know somebody

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 who can handle all that,

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 and the prophet Isaiah

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 spoke of him

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 700 years

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 before he came

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 as a babe

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 in a manger.

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 Jesus came to us,

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 and what a blessing we have,

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 and it's worth celebrating

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 this Christmas.

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 Isaiah chapter 9,

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 verse 6 says,

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 For to us

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 a child is born,

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 to us a son is given,

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 and the government

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 shall be upon his shoulder,

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 and his name

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 shall be called

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 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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 Let's pray together.

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 Heavenly Father,

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 I pray this morning

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 that you'll help us

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 not only to enjoy

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 the babe in a manger

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 and what all

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 that Christmas means,

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 but God,

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 I also hope

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 that you'll allow us

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 to see the Savior

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 and how you're involved

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 in our lives

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 and what you are for us

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 and help us

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 to respond in obedience

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 as you speak to us.

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 In Jesus' name,

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 amen.

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 If you are in search

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 of one who knows,

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 we have in Christ

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 a wonder

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 of a counselor.

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 That is literally

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 what it says.

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 And when it's translated

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 wonderful,

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 what does it mean

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 by wonderful?

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 Well, the word there

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 for wonderful

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 in Hebrew

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 is Pele.

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 Much like the soccer star

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 of, I guess,

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 the 70s,

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 one of the great ones,

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 is pronounced

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 and transliterated

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 in the same way

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 as that old soccer star,

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 but it means

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 marvelous

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 beyond human expectation,

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 something

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 that only

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 God

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 can do,

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 something we can't explain.

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 It is a word

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 that is used

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 in the Hebrew.

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 It is reserved

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 for the holy things

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 that God

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 can do.

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 And he is

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 truly wonderful.

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 I mean,

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 everything about him

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 is full of wonder.

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 He was born

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 like no other

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 from a virgin.

00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:56.360
 He lived

00:10:56.360 --> 00:10:57.559
 like no other.

00:10:57.820 --> 00:10:58.539
 He was sinless.

00:10:59.419 --> 00:11:00.759
 He knows

00:11:00.759 --> 00:11:01.720
 like no other.

00:11:01.820 --> 00:11:02.639
 He's all-knowing.

00:11:03.620 --> 00:11:04.879
 He is able

00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:05.700
 like no other.

00:11:05.820 --> 00:11:06.799
 He has all power.

00:11:07.220 --> 00:11:08.500
 He loves

00:11:08.500 --> 00:11:09.179
 like no other.

00:11:09.279 --> 00:11:09.980
 He actually

00:11:09.980 --> 00:11:11.120
 is love.

00:11:11.720 --> 00:11:12.559
 He died

00:11:12.559 --> 00:11:13.379
 like no other.

00:11:13.500 --> 00:11:13.980
 He is

00:11:13.980 --> 00:11:16.320
 he was innocent.

00:11:16.539 --> 00:11:17.799
 He rose again

00:11:17.799 --> 00:11:18.820
 like no other,

00:11:18.820 --> 00:11:19.980
 unprompted,

00:11:20.620 --> 00:11:21.379
 unassisted,

00:11:22.060 --> 00:11:22.840
 independently.

00:11:23.580 --> 00:11:24.500
 He rose.

00:11:25.260 --> 00:11:26.100
 And he gave

00:11:26.100 --> 00:11:27.220
 victory like no other

00:11:27.220 --> 00:11:28.220
 because his victory

00:11:28.220 --> 00:11:29.820
 is consuming

00:11:29.820 --> 00:11:31.580
 and eternal.

00:11:32.280 --> 00:11:32.860
 It is

00:11:32.860 --> 00:11:33.780
 the wonder

00:11:33.780 --> 00:11:35.560
 of the God-man.

00:11:35.660 --> 00:11:36.640
 Not 50%

00:11:36.640 --> 00:11:37.000
 God,

00:11:37.060 --> 00:11:37.700
 50% man,

00:11:37.780 --> 00:11:39.100
 but 100% God

00:11:39.100 --> 00:11:40.520
 and 100% man.

00:11:40.680 --> 00:11:41.220
 He is

00:11:41.220 --> 00:11:42.200
 beyond our

00:11:42.200 --> 00:11:43.000
 understanding,

00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:44.000
 beyond our

00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:44.720
 comprehension,

00:11:45.100 --> 00:11:46.500
 more than we

00:11:46.500 --> 00:11:48.799
 can imagine.

00:11:50.039 --> 00:11:51.399
 He was brought

00:11:51.399 --> 00:11:51.980
 into the world

00:11:51.980 --> 00:11:52.600
 by a woman,

00:11:53.440 --> 00:11:54.600
 yet he formed

00:11:54.600 --> 00:11:55.559
 her in her

00:11:55.559 --> 00:11:56.399
 mother's womb.

00:11:57.899 --> 00:11:59.000
 He was laid

00:11:59.000 --> 00:11:59.840
 in a manger,

00:12:00.840 --> 00:12:02.200
 yet the tree

00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:02.860
 that made

00:12:02.860 --> 00:12:03.559
 the manger

00:12:03.559 --> 00:12:04.460
 came from

00:12:04.460 --> 00:12:05.039
 wood that

00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:06.019
 existed because

00:12:06.019 --> 00:12:07.080
 he spoke it

00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:09.399
 into being.

00:12:09.399 --> 00:12:12.179
 a star

00:12:12.179 --> 00:12:14.340
 marked

00:12:14.340 --> 00:12:16.059
 his arrival,

00:12:17.360 --> 00:12:18.360
 yet he's

00:12:18.360 --> 00:12:18.759
 the one

00:12:18.759 --> 00:12:19.220
 that flung

00:12:19.220 --> 00:12:19.919
 the stars

00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:21.100
 into their

00:12:21.100 --> 00:12:21.539
 places.

00:12:22.620 --> 00:12:23.299
 And we're

00:12:23.299 --> 00:12:23.819
 not even out

00:12:23.819 --> 00:12:24.360
 of the manger

00:12:24.360 --> 00:12:24.779
 yet,

00:12:24.860 --> 00:12:25.179
 folks.

00:12:25.259 --> 00:12:25.840
 I'm telling

00:12:25.840 --> 00:12:26.340
 you,

00:12:26.740 --> 00:12:27.539
 our God

00:12:27.539 --> 00:12:29.240
 is amazing.

00:12:30.179 --> 00:12:31.120
 Yet it says

00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:31.759
 he came to

00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:32.259
 the earth

00:12:32.259 --> 00:12:33.419
 as to be

00:12:33.419 --> 00:12:34.199
 our counselor.

00:12:34.200 --> 00:12:37.680
 Wouldn't it

00:12:37.680 --> 00:12:38.300
 be nice to

00:12:38.300 --> 00:12:38.720
 be able to

00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:39.300
 go to a

00:12:39.300 --> 00:12:40.160
 counselor that

00:12:40.160 --> 00:12:41.280
 knew all

00:12:41.280 --> 00:12:42.060
 things?

00:12:43.820 --> 00:12:44.580
 I know

00:12:44.580 --> 00:12:44.840
 one.

00:12:47.060 --> 00:12:47.820
 I mean,

00:12:47.860 --> 00:12:48.120
 wouldn't it

00:12:48.120 --> 00:12:48.680
 be great to

00:12:48.680 --> 00:12:49.420
 go to a

00:12:49.420 --> 00:12:50.100
 counselor that

00:12:50.100 --> 00:12:51.540
 knew our

00:12:51.540 --> 00:12:53.900
 problems before

00:12:53.900 --> 00:12:54.640
 we even spoke

00:12:54.640 --> 00:12:54.820
 them?

00:12:56.759 --> 00:12:57.460
 I know

00:12:57.460 --> 00:12:57.720
 one.

00:12:59.660 --> 00:13:00.460
 One that

00:13:00.460 --> 00:13:00.720
 would,

00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:02.160
 we could

00:13:02.160 --> 00:13:02.840
 hide nothing

00:13:02.840 --> 00:13:03.360
 from,

00:13:04.200 --> 00:13:05.080
 and yet

00:13:05.080 --> 00:13:05.860
 still accepts

00:13:05.860 --> 00:13:06.480
 us as

00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:07.080
 we are?

00:13:09.820 --> 00:13:10.640
 I know

00:13:10.640 --> 00:13:11.100
 one.

00:13:12.800 --> 00:13:13.580
 One who

00:13:13.580 --> 00:13:13.920
 would be

00:13:13.920 --> 00:13:14.320
 thorough,

00:13:14.640 --> 00:13:14.920
 and one

00:13:14.920 --> 00:13:15.220
 who would

00:13:15.220 --> 00:13:16.100
 be just,

00:13:16.520 --> 00:13:16.900
 and one

00:13:16.900 --> 00:13:17.180
 who would

00:13:17.180 --> 00:13:18.000
 be honest,

00:13:18.200 --> 00:13:18.720
 and one

00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:19.020
 who would

00:13:19.020 --> 00:13:19.740
 be loving.

00:13:21.640 --> 00:13:22.100
 Thank God

00:13:22.100 --> 00:13:22.420
 I know

00:13:22.420 --> 00:13:22.780
 one.

00:13:23.379 --> 00:13:23.720
 And

00:13:23.720 --> 00:13:24.259
 scripture

00:13:24.259 --> 00:13:27.620
 tells us

00:13:27.620 --> 00:13:28.000
 how he

00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:28.820
 can understand

00:13:28.820 --> 00:13:29.879
 us.

00:13:30.560 --> 00:13:31.680
 It reassures

00:13:31.680 --> 00:13:32.560
 us again

00:13:32.560 --> 00:13:33.100
 and again

00:13:33.100 --> 00:13:33.780
 all over

00:13:33.779 --> 00:13:34.339
 scripture.

00:13:35.059 --> 00:13:35.579
 Isaiah

00:13:35.579 --> 00:13:36.559
 chapter 53

00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:37.339
 verse 3

00:13:37.339 --> 00:13:38.699
 says,

00:13:38.839 --> 00:13:39.120
 he was

00:13:39.120 --> 00:13:40.179
 despised and

00:13:40.179 --> 00:13:40.959
 rejected by

00:13:40.959 --> 00:13:41.439
 men, a

00:13:41.439 --> 00:13:41.839
 man of

00:13:41.839 --> 00:13:42.639
 sorrow and

00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:43.259
 acquainted with

00:13:43.259 --> 00:13:44.019
 grief as

00:13:44.019 --> 00:13:45.480
 one from

00:13:45.480 --> 00:13:46.079
 whom men

00:13:46.079 --> 00:13:46.699
 hid their

00:13:46.699 --> 00:13:47.360
 faces and

00:13:47.360 --> 00:13:48.220
 hide their

00:13:48.220 --> 00:13:48.600
 faces and

00:13:48.600 --> 00:13:48.839
 he was

00:13:48.839 --> 00:13:49.899
 despised and

00:13:49.899 --> 00:13:50.939
 we esteemed

00:13:50.939 --> 00:13:52.879
 him not.

00:13:53.019 --> 00:13:53.419
 You go to

00:13:53.419 --> 00:13:53.659
 the New

00:13:53.659 --> 00:13:54.199
 Testament and

00:13:54.199 --> 00:13:54.539
 the Hebrew

00:13:54.539 --> 00:13:55.100
 writer in

00:13:55.100 --> 00:13:55.600
 Hebrew 4

00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:56.220
 verse 15

00:13:56.220 --> 00:13:56.639
 says,

00:13:57.159 --> 00:13:57.439
 for we

00:13:57.439 --> 00:13:58.100
 don't have a

00:13:58.100 --> 00:13:58.740
 high priest

00:13:58.740 --> 00:13:59.959
 who's unable

00:13:59.959 --> 00:14:01.039
 to sympathize with

00:14:01.039 --> 00:14:01.500
 our weaknesses

00:14:01.500 --> 00:14:02.099
 but one

00:14:02.099 --> 00:14:02.579
 who in

00:14:02.579 --> 00:14:03.719
 every respect

00:14:03.719 --> 00:14:04.179
 has been

00:14:04.179 --> 00:14:04.799
 tempted as

00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:05.099
 we are

00:14:05.099 --> 00:14:07.379
 yet without

00:14:07.379 --> 00:14:09.139
 sin.

00:14:10.899 --> 00:14:11.399
 I understand

00:14:11.399 --> 00:14:12.159
 something about

00:14:12.159 --> 00:14:12.779
 that friend.

00:14:14.360 --> 00:14:15.259
 The reality

00:14:15.259 --> 00:14:16.939
 is he

00:14:16.939 --> 00:14:17.659
 understands our

00:14:17.659 --> 00:14:18.360
 circumstances.

00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:18.419
 promises.

00:14:19.960 --> 00:14:20.759
 I love what

00:14:20.759 --> 00:14:21.399
 1 John 1

00:14:21.399 --> 00:14:22.240
 9 says that

00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:22.840
 if we confess

00:14:22.840 --> 00:14:23.399
 our sins he's

00:14:23.399 --> 00:14:23.860
 faithful and

00:14:23.860 --> 00:14:24.399
 just to forgive

00:14:24.399 --> 00:14:24.759
 us of our

00:14:24.759 --> 00:14:25.019
 sins and

00:14:25.019 --> 00:14:25.560
 cleanse us

00:14:25.560 --> 00:14:26.360
 from all

00:14:26.360 --> 00:14:27.080
 unrighteousness

00:14:27.080 --> 00:14:27.680
 and what that

00:14:27.680 --> 00:14:28.940
 passage means

00:14:28.940 --> 00:14:32.300
 is so powerful

00:14:32.300 --> 00:14:32.899
 because I'm

00:14:32.899 --> 00:14:34.879
 thankful if he

00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:36.759
 was able but

00:14:36.759 --> 00:14:39.120
 not willing we'd

00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:39.720
 be in a mess.

00:14:39.720 --> 00:14:42.700
 and if he was

00:14:42.700 --> 00:14:43.639
 willing but not

00:14:43.639 --> 00:14:46.019
 able we'd be in

00:14:46.019 --> 00:14:46.660
 the same mess.

00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:48.820
 But scripture

00:14:48.820 --> 00:14:49.680
 says that he's

00:14:49.680 --> 00:14:50.399
 faithful and

00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:50.820
 just.

00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:51.460
 That means he's

00:14:51.460 --> 00:14:51.920
 willing and

00:14:51.920 --> 00:14:54.120
 able to

00:14:54.120 --> 00:14:54.660
 forgive us of

00:14:54.660 --> 00:14:55.379
 our sins and

00:14:55.379 --> 00:14:56.120
 then to cleanse us

00:14:56.120 --> 00:14:56.960
 from all

00:14:56.960 --> 00:14:57.759
 unrighteousness.

00:14:57.820 --> 00:14:58.379
 And I'll tell you

00:14:58.379 --> 00:14:59.899
 we get so good at

00:14:59.899 --> 00:15:00.759
 sinning that if we

00:15:00.759 --> 00:15:01.779
 go home and try to

00:15:01.779 --> 00:15:02.840
 write down every

00:15:02.840 --> 00:15:03.940
 sin that is in our

00:15:03.940 --> 00:15:05.399
 life and every sin

00:15:05.399 --> 00:15:06.560
 that we commit we're

00:15:06.560 --> 00:15:07.660
 going to miss some.

00:15:09.720 --> 00:15:11.080
 And that's why I

00:15:11.080 --> 00:15:11.980
 like the last phrase

00:15:11.980 --> 00:15:12.720
 in that passage.

00:15:13.700 --> 00:15:14.540
 Cleanses us from

00:15:14.540 --> 00:15:15.879
 all unrighteousness.

00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:18.200
 You see that's the

00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:20.620
 high priest that

00:15:20.620 --> 00:15:21.840
 goes on our behalf

00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:23.720
 understands our

00:15:23.720 --> 00:15:25.840
 circumstances and

00:15:25.840 --> 00:15:26.440
 has been there.

00:15:26.840 --> 00:15:28.040
 Don't ever think

00:15:28.040 --> 00:15:31.220
 well I'm in sin but

00:15:31.220 --> 00:15:32.180
 my sin's different.

00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:34.379
 It's justified.

00:15:36.180 --> 00:15:37.360
 Somehow nobody else

00:15:37.360 --> 00:15:38.379
 has ever experienced

00:15:38.379 --> 00:15:39.700
 this and mine's a

00:15:39.700 --> 00:15:41.000
 unique case and

00:15:41.000 --> 00:15:42.480
 somehow it's okay.

00:15:44.700 --> 00:15:46.640
 All of that is of

00:15:46.640 --> 00:15:47.640
 the evil one.

00:15:48.700 --> 00:15:49.860
 There's a Greek word

00:15:49.860 --> 00:15:50.440
 for that.

00:15:50.860 --> 00:15:51.280
 Baloney.

00:15:52.540 --> 00:15:53.140
 It's a bunch of

00:15:53.140 --> 00:15:53.480
 baloney.

00:15:54.820 --> 00:15:55.660
 It ain't true.

00:15:57.020 --> 00:15:58.340
 And the reality is

00:15:58.340 --> 00:16:01.560
 a sin's a sin and

00:16:01.560 --> 00:16:02.680
 thank God we serve a

00:16:02.680 --> 00:16:04.440
 savior that understands

00:16:04.440 --> 00:16:05.320
 us better than we

00:16:05.320 --> 00:16:06.200
 understand ourselves

00:16:06.200 --> 00:16:08.900
 and can sympathize

00:16:08.900 --> 00:16:10.280
 with our weaknesses

00:16:10.280 --> 00:16:13.960
 and in every respect

00:16:13.960 --> 00:16:15.340
 understands what we're

00:16:15.340 --> 00:16:15.860
 going through.

00:16:16.940 --> 00:16:17.620
 It don't stop there.

00:16:17.700 --> 00:16:18.820
 Psalm 34 verse 18

00:16:18.820 --> 00:16:19.879
 says the Lord is

00:16:19.879 --> 00:16:21.259
 near to the broken

00:16:21.259 --> 00:16:23.640
 hearted and he saves

00:16:23.640 --> 00:16:25.480
 the crushed in spirit.

00:16:26.620 --> 00:16:27.440
 And then Jesus said

00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:29.400
 in Matthew 11, 28, 29

00:16:29.400 --> 00:16:30.379
 come to me all who

00:16:30.379 --> 00:16:31.680
 labor and are heavy

00:16:31.680 --> 00:16:32.640
 laden and I'll give you

00:16:32.640 --> 00:16:33.120
 rest.

00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:35.580
 Take my yoke upon you

00:16:35.580 --> 00:16:37.560
 and learn from me for I

00:16:37.560 --> 00:16:38.560
 am gentle and lowly in

00:16:38.560 --> 00:16:39.639
 heart and you will find

00:16:39.639 --> 00:16:41.600
 rest for your souls.

00:16:42.419 --> 00:16:43.519
 You know what a yoke is.

00:16:43.580 --> 00:16:44.759
 You put a pair of oxen in

00:16:44.759 --> 00:16:46.740
 a yoke and they will pull

00:16:46.740 --> 00:16:49.279
 the burden whatever it may

00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:49.899
 be.

00:16:51.220 --> 00:16:52.500
 And what he says is you

00:16:52.500 --> 00:16:53.840
 get yoked up with me.

00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:55.019
 My yoke is easy.

00:16:55.019 --> 00:16:57.480
 I'll take the weight.

00:16:58.480 --> 00:16:59.519
 I'll take the burden.

00:16:59.620 --> 00:17:01.860
 That term also is used

00:17:01.860 --> 00:17:05.000
 of those who sat under a

00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:06.740
 rabbi and took upon his

00:17:06.740 --> 00:17:08.379
 teaching and his

00:17:08.379 --> 00:17:10.960
 instruction and did what

00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:12.180
 he told them to do.

00:17:12.359 --> 00:17:14.980
 He took on the yoke of the

00:17:14.980 --> 00:17:15.319
 rabbi.

00:17:15.379 --> 00:17:17.759
 In the same way, if you'll

00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:19.980
 dedicate yourselves to

00:17:19.980 --> 00:17:21.440
 follow what the word of God

00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:25.000
 says, he'll guide you all

00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:25.320
 the way.

00:17:25.400 --> 00:17:26.840
 He'll make it easy along

00:17:27.660 --> 00:17:28.279
 the way.

00:17:28.360 --> 00:17:31.640
 We serve a wonderful God, a

00:17:31.640 --> 00:17:33.400
 wonder of a counselor in

00:17:33.400 --> 00:17:33.940
 Christ.

00:17:35.860 --> 00:17:39.279
 When we're in crisis or the

00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:40.779
 weight of life itself comes

00:17:40.779 --> 00:17:42.759
 upon us, we need somebody

00:17:42.759 --> 00:17:43.360
 who's able.

00:17:44.600 --> 00:17:46.740
 We need a mighty God.

00:17:46.740 --> 00:17:50.180
 I call it the God of all.

00:17:50.380 --> 00:17:52.359
 He is a mighty God.

00:17:53.319 --> 00:17:54.680
 The passage we looked at

00:17:54.680 --> 00:17:55.940
 last week in the first part

00:17:55.940 --> 00:17:57.920
 of this verse talks about a

00:17:57.920 --> 00:17:59.079
 royal son that would be

00:17:59.079 --> 00:18:00.539
 given and he'd take charge of

00:18:00.539 --> 00:18:01.680
 the government and he'd be

00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:03.339
 not only that but a

00:18:03.339 --> 00:18:04.880
 wonderful advisor and as we

00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:05.680
 just talked about, a

00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:06.140
 counselor.

00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:09.460
 Now how do we know that he

00:18:09.460 --> 00:18:10.900
 was talking about Christ and

00:18:10.900 --> 00:18:12.539
 not some earthly king?

00:18:13.440 --> 00:18:14.319
 Because you've got to be

00:18:14.319 --> 00:18:15.400
 careful with prophecy.

00:18:15.400 --> 00:18:16.480
 A lot of people are not

00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:18.040
 careful with prophecy and it

00:18:18.040 --> 00:18:19.680
 sells to write books about

00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:20.220
 prophecy.

00:18:21.560 --> 00:18:22.840
 People are enamored with

00:18:22.840 --> 00:18:23.600
 knowing what's going to

00:18:23.600 --> 00:18:24.840
 happen around the corner of

00:18:24.840 --> 00:18:26.000
 tomorrow because we don't

00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:26.860
 know what's going to happen

00:18:26.860 --> 00:18:27.140
 tomorrow.

00:18:27.300 --> 00:18:28.960
 So man, if somebody can tell

00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:29.840
 us and they can base it on

00:18:29.840 --> 00:18:31.040
 scripture, we'll buy it up and

00:18:31.040 --> 00:18:31.880
 eat it up, okay?

00:18:33.060 --> 00:18:34.120
 But we need to be careful with

00:18:34.120 --> 00:18:37.280
 prophecy because the reality is

00:18:37.280 --> 00:18:38.660
 when Isaiah spoke, he was

00:18:38.660 --> 00:18:39.640
 speaking to people that were

00:18:39.640 --> 00:18:40.680
 sitting before him when he

00:18:40.680 --> 00:18:41.080
 spoke.

00:18:43.019 --> 00:18:44.700
 And God gave him a message

00:18:44.700 --> 00:18:45.860
 for those people.

00:18:47.960 --> 00:18:49.160
 When Paul wrote the book of

00:18:49.160 --> 00:18:50.120
 Ephesians, you know who he

00:18:50.120 --> 00:18:50.559
 wrote it to?

00:18:50.700 --> 00:18:51.819
 He wrote it to the church of

00:18:51.819 --> 00:18:52.340
 Ephesus.

00:18:55.720 --> 00:18:56.860
 He didn't write it to us

00:18:56.860 --> 00:18:57.259
 directly.

00:18:57.319 --> 00:18:58.180
 He wrote it to the church of

00:18:58.180 --> 00:18:58.480
 Ephesus.

00:18:58.600 --> 00:18:59.900
 It helped us a lot to

00:18:59.900 --> 00:19:01.019
 understand what was going on

00:19:01.019 --> 00:19:03.340
 in Ephesus and understand how

00:19:03.340 --> 00:19:04.240
 they heard it.

00:19:05.039 --> 00:19:06.160
 And then as the seminary

00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:07.039
 professor told me years ago,

00:19:07.319 --> 00:19:08.559
 filter it through the first

00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:09.900
 audience and then understand

00:19:09.900 --> 00:19:11.059
 how it relates to you.

00:19:11.059 --> 00:19:14.960
 Now, through the power and the

00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:18.019
 inspiration of the Holy Spirit

00:19:18.019 --> 00:19:18.940
 and through the perfection of

00:19:18.940 --> 00:19:20.859
 scripture, it does relate to us.

00:19:20.919 --> 00:19:22.339
 And there is a message there,

00:19:22.419 --> 00:19:25.279
 but we need to understand that

00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:26.859
 when folks spoke hundreds of

00:19:26.859 --> 00:19:29.619
 years ago about what was to

00:19:29.619 --> 00:19:30.599
 come, are they talking about

00:19:30.599 --> 00:19:31.819
 what was coming in their day?

00:19:31.960 --> 00:19:32.700
 Are they talking about what was

00:19:32.700 --> 00:19:34.599
 coming in the next generation?

00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:35.839
 That's been many generations

00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:36.299
 ago.

00:19:36.759 --> 00:19:37.559
 Or were they talking about our

00:19:37.559 --> 00:19:37.960
 future?

00:19:38.919 --> 00:19:40.259
 It's fascinating how people deal

00:19:40.259 --> 00:19:40.759
 with that.

00:19:42.299 --> 00:19:43.680
 So it's very easy to look at

00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:44.519
 this passage and think,

00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:45.700
 Isaiah must be talking about a

00:19:45.700 --> 00:19:47.759
 king that's coming soon, you

00:19:47.759 --> 00:19:47.940
 know.

00:19:49.420 --> 00:19:52.579
 Well, this passage, this phrase

00:19:52.579 --> 00:19:53.980
 gives it away.

00:19:55.420 --> 00:19:56.339
 He's not talking about an

00:19:56.339 --> 00:19:57.059
 earthly king.

00:19:58.119 --> 00:20:00.960
 He's talking about a mighty

00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:02.599
 God.

00:20:03.859 --> 00:20:05.759
 It exposes the real issue.

00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:07.819
 It's not just a promise that a

00:20:07.819 --> 00:20:09.759
 king is coming, but that God

00:20:10.259 --> 00:20:12.160
 himself is incarnate.

00:20:12.259 --> 00:20:13.940
 The mighty God.

00:20:14.059 --> 00:20:15.799
 That word might is often used

00:20:15.799 --> 00:20:17.660
 when speaking of a fierce

00:20:17.660 --> 00:20:22.279
 warrior, unbeatable, one that

00:20:22.279 --> 00:20:23.559
 wins the battles.

00:20:24.819 --> 00:20:27.879
 We should never believe that we

00:20:27.879 --> 00:20:31.720
 can win our own battles on our

00:20:31.720 --> 00:20:32.160
 own.

00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:37.300
 The spiritual battles that we face

00:20:37.300 --> 00:20:39.420
 are beyond our strength and

00:20:39.420 --> 00:20:41.400
 beyond our ability.

00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:43.800
 The apostle Paul put it this way

00:20:43.800 --> 00:20:44.980
 in Ephesians 6 verse 12.

00:20:45.380 --> 00:20:45.600
 He said,

00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:47.540
 For we don't wrestle against flesh

00:20:47.540 --> 00:20:48.620
 and blood, but against the

00:20:48.620 --> 00:20:49.720
 rulers, against the authorities,

00:20:50.140 --> 00:20:51.779
 against the cosmic powers of this

00:20:51.779 --> 00:20:53.700
 present darkness, against the

00:20:53.700 --> 00:20:55.500
 spiritual forces of evil in the

00:20:55.500 --> 00:20:56.860
 heavenly places.

00:20:57.060 --> 00:20:59.620
 Folks, this is beyond us.

00:20:59.619 --> 00:21:01.859
 This is not a battle for us to

00:21:01.859 --> 00:21:03.699
 fight on our own.

00:21:04.139 --> 00:21:05.839
 And I'm thankful today that we

00:21:05.839 --> 00:21:07.839
 have a mighty God who's taken

00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:09.259
 upon our battles.

00:21:09.479 --> 00:21:11.959
 He's taken them upon himself and

00:21:11.959 --> 00:21:12.500
 won them.

00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:15.559
 And the question is, do we rely

00:21:15.559 --> 00:21:19.279
 upon him to have victory in our

00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:19.959
 lives?

00:21:20.759 --> 00:21:23.079
 Because some of us are fighting the

00:21:23.079 --> 00:21:24.339
 same battles that we've been

00:21:24.339 --> 00:21:26.439
 fighting since before we knew

00:21:26.440 --> 00:21:27.000
 Christ.

00:21:29.240 --> 00:21:33.200
 On January the 8th, 1815, there

00:21:33.200 --> 00:21:35.820
 were many skirmishes and smaller

00:21:35.820 --> 00:21:38.220
 territorial battles that the

00:21:38.220 --> 00:21:42.299
 Americans profoundly defeated the

00:21:42.299 --> 00:21:44.200
 British in the Battle of New

00:21:44.200 --> 00:21:44.580
 Orleans.

00:21:46.799 --> 00:21:49.120
 And it was the last chapter in the

00:21:49.120 --> 00:21:52.660
 war of 1812, or so it seemed.

00:21:53.480 --> 00:21:55.039
 What a chapter it was.

00:21:55.039 --> 00:21:59.759
 The British suffered 2,000

00:21:59.759 --> 00:22:01.859
 casualties in that battle.

00:22:02.460 --> 00:22:04.460
 The Americans suffered 71.

00:22:05.339 --> 00:22:06.099
 Thank you very much.

00:22:08.680 --> 00:22:10.579
 It seemed to be the tell-all.

00:22:12.799 --> 00:22:15.180
 But what those soldiers did not

00:22:15.180 --> 00:22:17.139
 know on that battlefield was that

00:22:17.139 --> 00:22:18.379
 the war was already over.

00:22:21.180 --> 00:22:23.420
 The treaty of Ghent had been signed

00:22:23.420 --> 00:22:25.620
 on Christmas Eve two weeks before

00:22:25.620 --> 00:22:27.160
 that ended the war.

00:22:27.720 --> 00:22:29.519
 And due to a lack of communication

00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:31.539
 in those days, the message did not

00:22:31.539 --> 00:22:31.960
 get out.

00:22:32.259 --> 00:22:35.279
 And hundreds died fighting a battle

00:22:35.279 --> 00:22:36.940
 that they didn't have to fight

00:22:36.940 --> 00:22:38.860
 because the war was already over.

00:22:39.519 --> 00:22:41.340
 Folks, when I read about that, I

00:22:41.340 --> 00:22:43.080
 think, how many Christians do the

00:22:43.080 --> 00:22:43.660
 same thing?

00:22:45.740 --> 00:22:47.720
 How many of us are fighting battles

00:22:47.720 --> 00:22:48.900
 that we don't have to fight?

00:22:48.900 --> 00:22:52.340
 We're continuing in hand-to-spirit

00:22:52.340 --> 00:22:54.160
 combat, trying to win battles.

00:22:54.320 --> 00:22:57.200
 When the war's over, we serve a

00:22:57.200 --> 00:22:58.360
 mighty God.

00:22:59.700 --> 00:23:01.720
 A mighty God that came to this earth

00:23:01.720 --> 00:23:04.660
 to live, to die, to rise again, to

00:23:04.660 --> 00:23:05.720
 claim us victory.

00:23:07.000 --> 00:23:08.140
 So fight no more.

00:23:08.240 --> 00:23:09.660
 Your mighty God has already run.

00:23:09.840 --> 00:23:11.640
 Just surrender to your mighty God.

00:23:11.720 --> 00:23:13.340
 He's claimed your victory.

00:23:13.339 --> 00:23:16.379
 When we're in a crisis or the weight

00:23:16.379 --> 00:23:18.659
 of life itself is upon us, we need

00:23:18.659 --> 00:23:23.359
 somebody to not only be mighty and

00:23:23.359 --> 00:23:24.839
 win the battles, but we also need

00:23:24.839 --> 00:23:27.240
 somebody who's able and somebody who

00:23:27.240 --> 00:23:27.859
 cares.

00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:34.599
 We need the Father of time, the

00:23:34.599 --> 00:23:36.099
 everlasting Father.

00:23:38.659 --> 00:23:40.839
 With the promise of Jesus came the

00:23:40.839 --> 00:23:43.740
 promise of the revelation of God the

00:23:43.740 --> 00:23:45.459
 Father, the Trinity of the Godhead.

00:23:45.599 --> 00:23:47.259
 It's hard for the finite man to

00:23:47.259 --> 00:23:47.699
 grasp.

00:23:48.459 --> 00:23:50.439
 However, it is well worth pondering.

00:23:51.899 --> 00:23:54.779
 God in one being in three distinct

00:23:54.779 --> 00:23:55.299
 persons.

00:23:56.699 --> 00:23:58.859
 The Father gives all authority to the

00:23:58.859 --> 00:24:00.980
 Son and bears witness to Him, as does

00:24:00.980 --> 00:24:02.159
 Jesus to Himself.

00:24:02.720 --> 00:24:05.039
 Yet the Son claims nothing for Himself.

00:24:06.179 --> 00:24:08.279
 He gives all glory to the Father who

00:24:08.279 --> 00:24:09.019
 has sent Him.

00:24:09.019 --> 00:24:11.319
 The Father glorifies the Son.

00:24:11.400 --> 00:24:12.619
 The Son glorifies the Father.

00:24:12.940 --> 00:24:14.539
 The Father and the Son defer to the

00:24:14.539 --> 00:24:17.799
 Holy Spirit, who in turn glorifies and

00:24:17.799 --> 00:24:20.240
 defers to the Father and the Son in the

00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:24.660
 oneness that is eternally dynamic and

00:24:24.660 --> 00:24:26.700
 inexhaustible.

00:24:27.019 --> 00:24:30.240
 It is an amazing wonder.

00:24:31.720 --> 00:24:34.220
 And if you tell me that you understand all

00:24:34.220 --> 00:24:35.539
 of that, you're lying.

00:24:35.539 --> 00:24:38.500
 Because it is beyond us.

00:24:40.579 --> 00:24:42.099
 We believe it by faith.

00:24:43.659 --> 00:24:45.460
 As the Word of God teaches us.

00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:50.859
 But the question is, if they're distinct, why

00:24:50.859 --> 00:24:53.819
 is Christ called the everlasting Father here?

00:24:55.720 --> 00:24:57.619
 Well, let the Word speak for itself.

00:24:59.639 --> 00:25:01.619
 Colossians 2 verse 9 and 10 says this,

00:25:01.619 --> 00:25:06.019
 For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.

00:25:06.179 --> 00:25:07.759
 In Him is Christ, by the way.

00:25:08.699 --> 00:25:15.179
 And you've been filled in Him who is the head of all rule

00:25:15.179 --> 00:25:16.099
 and authority.

00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:19.619
 Jesus Himself put it this way in John 14, 9.

00:25:19.699 --> 00:25:22.139
 He said, whoever has seen me has seen the Father.

00:25:23.179 --> 00:25:28.259
 In John chapter 10 verse 30, He says, I and the Father are one.

00:25:28.259 --> 00:25:32.259
 The title Father means originator.

00:25:32.920 --> 00:25:33.819
 It means the source.

00:25:33.940 --> 00:25:36.099
 In other words, God is the source of all of eternity.

00:25:36.180 --> 00:25:38.440
 He's the Father of all time.

00:25:38.579 --> 00:25:40.460
 The origin of all existence.

00:25:43.140 --> 00:25:45.619
 If you look at the front of your Bible, you'll notice in the

00:25:45.619 --> 00:25:49.879
 beginning it says that God said, let us make man in our own

00:25:49.879 --> 00:25:50.299
 image.

00:25:52.500 --> 00:25:54.200
 In our own image.

00:25:55.099 --> 00:25:56.240
 Who's He talking to?

00:25:56.240 --> 00:26:01.759
 He's not speaking to the angels.

00:26:04.240 --> 00:26:06.279
 We're not made into the image of angels.

00:26:08.740 --> 00:26:10.960
 And I don't want to go down this rabbit hole, but we don't

00:26:10.960 --> 00:26:13.799
 become angels when we die.

00:26:15.160 --> 00:26:18.779
 So don't say God needed another angel when somebody that you

00:26:18.779 --> 00:26:19.339
 love dies.

00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:20.880
 Because you don't become angels.

00:26:21.019 --> 00:26:22.220
 You weren't an angel on earth.

00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:24.140
 You ain't going to be an angel in glory, you know.

00:26:24.140 --> 00:26:29.500
 He wasn't talking to the angels.

00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:32.000
 Was He speaking to the animals?

00:26:33.240 --> 00:26:34.940
 We're not made in the image of animals.

00:26:36.120 --> 00:26:37.960
 Some folks act like it, but we're not.

00:26:38.020 --> 00:26:39.360
 We're not made in the image of animals.

00:26:41.080 --> 00:26:42.960
 We're not made in the image of trees.

00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:51.360
 Now what we see there in the very beginning of the book is we see

00:26:51.360 --> 00:26:52.039
 the Godhead.

00:26:53.160 --> 00:26:54.819
 That Christ was in the beginning.

00:26:56.079 --> 00:26:58.799
 As John chapter 1 tells us, the Word was with God.

00:26:58.880 --> 00:27:00.000
 The Word was God.

00:27:00.180 --> 00:27:01.460
 He's always been.

00:27:02.640 --> 00:27:06.200
 I mean, it may look like a manger born boy died on the cross and

00:27:06.200 --> 00:27:07.380
 is gone, but don't be deceived.

00:27:07.380 --> 00:27:09.360
 He died, but He rose again.

00:27:09.820 --> 00:27:14.020
 And He rules and He reigns as the everlasting Father.

00:27:14.140 --> 00:27:15.880
 He is forever God.

00:27:17.000 --> 00:27:18.240
 Forever present.

00:27:19.980 --> 00:27:21.000
 Forever sovereign.

00:27:22.180 --> 00:27:23.620
 And He'll never leave us.

00:27:24.160 --> 00:27:25.440
 He'll never forsake us.

00:27:25.680 --> 00:27:26.840
 He'll never let us down.

00:27:27.020 --> 00:27:28.140
 He'll never die.

00:27:28.700 --> 00:27:29.820
 He'll never disappear.

00:27:30.740 --> 00:27:31.960
 He is forever.

00:27:31.960 --> 00:27:32.400
 Forever.

00:27:32.640 --> 00:27:37.940
 And the promise of the manger is this, that the eternal Father is

00:27:37.940 --> 00:27:42.200
 so personal, so loving, so caring for you and for me that He

00:27:42.200 --> 00:27:47.400
 stepped down onto our level, into our time, through our world,

00:27:47.460 --> 00:27:51.600
 and in our flesh to make us eternally His.

00:27:53.279 --> 00:28:00.539
 And when you need someone who knows, you may say, nobody gets me.

00:28:00.539 --> 00:28:01.640
 You're wrong.

00:28:01.960 --> 00:28:02.039
 You're wrong.

00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:08.740
 When you need somebody that knows He's a wonder of a counselor.

00:28:09.340 --> 00:28:13.120
 Literally what it says, a wonder of a counselor.

00:28:14.700 --> 00:28:19.340
 When you need somebody who's able, He's a mighty God.

00:28:20.620 --> 00:28:28.759
 And when you need somebody who will never leave you, people will let you down.

00:28:28.759 --> 00:28:33.559
 Even when they try their best, they'll let you down.

00:28:36.039 --> 00:28:37.339
 He'll never let you down.

00:28:39.059 --> 00:28:40.599
 He's an everlasting Father.

00:28:40.599 --> 00:28:49.839
 All we need is found in the hope of Christ.

00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:57.059
 I heard about a hiker who was hiking in the mountains.

00:28:57.059 --> 00:29:02.700
 And he had a good map, and he had what he thought was a reliable compass.

00:29:04.319 --> 00:29:11.159
 But the compass apparently had been put in his pocket with other things,

00:29:11.160 --> 00:29:23.840
 and it had something else metal or magnetized, had magnetized the needle in the wrong direction.

00:29:23.840 --> 00:29:26.240
 Just a little bit, but in the wrong direction on that compass.

00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:31.519
 And so every time he checked it, it looked right.

00:29:31.660 --> 00:29:33.440
 It didn't act chaotic.

00:29:33.579 --> 00:29:34.240
 It looked right.

00:29:34.319 --> 00:29:35.640
 But every time he checked it, it looked right.

00:29:35.740 --> 00:29:36.799
 But it felt right.

00:29:36.900 --> 00:29:40.380
 The needle settled just like it was supposed to.

00:29:40.380 --> 00:29:46.360
 But it was always pointing in the wrong direction a little bit, just a little bit.

00:29:47.600 --> 00:29:48.800
 Now, I want you to understand something.

00:29:50.580 --> 00:29:57.160
 If a compass is supposed to point this way and instead points this way,

00:29:58.380 --> 00:30:06.480
 the average hiker in the mountains after an hour will be 1,000 feet from where he's supposed to be.

00:30:06.480 --> 00:30:14.480
 And this fellow had been doing it for hours and hours.

00:30:15.680 --> 00:30:18.200
 And thankfully, a ranger found him.

00:30:19.720 --> 00:30:23.900
 And when the ranger found him, he explained to him.

00:30:25.200 --> 00:30:28.319
 He said, your compass did not fail dramatically.

00:30:28.319 --> 00:30:36.759
 It was just off enough to take you far from where you needed to be.

00:30:38.919 --> 00:30:41.240
 And that's the way life is.

00:30:45.059 --> 00:30:47.259
 We follow our feelings.

00:30:49.159 --> 00:30:51.579
 We follow our instincts.

00:30:51.579 --> 00:30:56.240
 We follow our best guesses.

00:30:58.359 --> 00:31:01.159
 And sometimes they look right.

00:31:02.119 --> 00:31:05.019
 And sometimes they feel right.

00:31:06.879 --> 00:31:11.659
 And sometimes they seem right.

00:31:14.139 --> 00:31:20.099
 But they can lead us where we never intended to go.

00:31:21.579 --> 00:31:26.119
 And it does not have to be that way.

00:31:28.179 --> 00:31:31.740
 Because Jesus is a wonder of a counselor.

00:31:32.139 --> 00:31:33.439
 He knows the right path.

00:31:35.919 --> 00:31:37.439
 He is the mighty God.

00:31:37.539 --> 00:31:40.019
 He has the strength to rescue us.

00:31:41.720 --> 00:31:43.500
 He is the everlasting Father.

00:31:43.500 --> 00:31:47.199
 He walks with us and guides us all the way home.

00:31:47.200 --> 00:31:55.100
 And I can't wait next week to tell you for Christmas about the Prince of Peace.

00:31:58.500 --> 00:32:00.559
 He is our Christmas hope.

00:32:02.559 --> 00:32:04.319
 He is our life hope.

00:32:04.319 --> 00:32:08.240
 The gift of Christmas is Jesus.

00:32:08.480 --> 00:32:11.700
 And the hope that we have in this life is Jesus.

00:32:13.379 --> 00:32:19.919
 Unto us, he is exactly what we need.

00:32:20.799 --> 00:32:24.839
 And I'm thankful today that he's here for us.

00:32:24.839 --> 00:32:32.459
 If you've never surrendered your life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

00:32:33.459 --> 00:32:36.740
 You've never confessed your sins to him as I mentioned a little while ago.

00:32:37.439 --> 00:32:41.879
 You've never asked him to forgive you, to come into your life and to save you and to change you.

00:32:41.880 --> 00:32:49.440
 I want you to know, he'll meet you where you are if you'll surrender your life to him today.

00:32:50.760 --> 00:32:51.980
 He hears your prayer.

00:32:53.760 --> 00:33:00.780
 Lord, I need you to forgive me, to cleanse me, to change my life.

00:33:00.840 --> 00:33:07.140
 And from this day forward, I'll live my life to please you in all I do.

00:33:07.560 --> 00:33:08.520
 I won't do it perfectly.

00:33:10.080 --> 00:33:15.259
 But your word tells me that the Spirit of God will empower me to be what you would have me to be.

00:33:17.500 --> 00:33:22.380
 If you've never done that, I encourage you in a minute, we're going to stand and we're going to sing.

00:33:22.700 --> 00:33:26.280
 And you come and say, Pastor, I need to give my life to Christ.

00:33:27.420 --> 00:33:30.560
 Maybe you have done that, but you've never acknowledged it publicly.

00:33:33.160 --> 00:33:34.460
 You've never told him about it.

00:33:34.460 --> 00:33:40.840
 And Jesus, by his commission and by his example, tells us that the way that we tell other people to do it is through baptism.

00:33:43.019 --> 00:33:48.620
 If you've never been baptized as a believer, as we stand and sing in just a moment, you come and say,

00:33:48.700 --> 00:33:50.660
 Pastor, I'd love to join this church by baptism.

00:33:51.620 --> 00:33:56.400
 I want to publicly profess my faith as Scripture dictates for me to do.

00:33:57.920 --> 00:33:58.980
 We won't do that today.

00:33:59.100 --> 00:34:00.140
 We'll line it up later.

00:34:00.140 --> 00:34:01.039
 But you come today.

00:34:01.039 --> 00:34:13.360
 Maybe you're like the Stale family that went on earlier worship today that God drew to this church.

00:34:15.820 --> 00:34:21.079
 Maybe you say, I've been visiting here and I feel like God would have me to be a part of this church.

00:34:22.759 --> 00:34:23.400
 You come.

00:34:23.400 --> 00:34:27.539
 As we stand and say, you come and obey God in that.

00:34:27.619 --> 00:34:29.360
 Or maybe you're here today.

00:34:31.960 --> 00:34:33.139
 And you know you're a Christian.

00:34:33.480 --> 00:34:34.480
 And you know you've been baptized.

00:34:35.059 --> 00:34:37.059
 And you know you're where you're supposed to be.

00:34:40.139 --> 00:34:43.000
 But yet there's something in your life that ain't where it's supposed to be.

00:34:43.000 --> 00:34:50.219
 Whatever it is, he can handle it.

00:34:52.139 --> 00:34:53.440
 You may not be able to handle it.

00:34:53.579 --> 00:34:54.719
 I may not be able to handle it.

00:34:54.840 --> 00:34:56.019
 We may not be able to handle it.

00:34:56.400 --> 00:34:57.139
 He can handle it.

00:34:58.480 --> 00:34:59.380
 So give it to him.

00:35:00.159 --> 00:35:03.219
 Where you stand at this altar with a pastor praying for you.

00:35:03.360 --> 00:35:05.840
 However, give it to him today.

00:35:07.639 --> 00:35:08.920
 Lord Jesus, I love you.

00:35:09.639 --> 00:35:10.619
 Thank you for your word.

00:35:10.619 --> 00:35:12.299
 Thank you for the gift of Christ.

00:35:13.699 --> 00:35:15.619
 Help us to respond in obedience, God.

00:35:15.739 --> 00:35:16.880
 In Jesus' name, amen.