WEBVTT

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 The scripture reading comes from Philippians chapter 2.

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 Please follow along on the screen, the bulletin, or your own Bible.

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 Starting in verse 4, we read,

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 Let each of you look not only to his own interest, but also to the interest of others.

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 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

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 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God of things to be grasped,

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 but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of man.

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 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,

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 even death on the cross.

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 Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

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 so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

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 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

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 To the glory of God the Father, this is the word of God.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

00:01:16.519 --> 00:01:17.079
 Thank you, Sherman.

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 If you are new here today, a really warm and hearty welcome to you.

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 My name is Jeremy.

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 I'm also one of the staff leaders here.

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 And it's so great to be celebrating and thinking through the season of Advent with you.

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 So if it's your first time, so glad that you are celebrating Advent with us.

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 We're going through a preaching series on Advent,

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 specifically called the Incarnation, God Becoming Man.

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 And today I want to begin this sermon with a very closely related topic to the birth of baby Jesus.

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 And that's World War II.

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 World War II.

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 Does anyone know here what the HBO series called Band of Brothers?

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 Anyone watch it?

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 I see some nods.

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 That's good.

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 You guys are the privileged, the blessed.

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 If you haven't, go Google it later.

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 It is a phenomenal 10-part miniseries.

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 It's like a historical drama, but it's about war, obviously, World War II.

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 Steven Spielberg, all those names.

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 Go check it out afterwards.

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 But why do I bring that up?

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 Basically, what Band of Brothers is about is about the 101st Airborne Division.

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 And that's a division of the U.S. Army.

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 Now, you've all heard of probably D-Day, right, in World War II.

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 D-Day is when the Allied Army kind of, you know, embarked on the greatest invasion rescue mission in history.

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 They crossed the English Channel, landed in the beach of Normandy to retake Europe from Nazi Germany and Hitler.

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 But what's maybe a little less known is that in the days and weeks leading up to D-Day,

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 Allied planes actually flew over France and parachuted the 101st Airborne Division under the cover of night,

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 behind enemy lines into France.

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 And the mission of the 101st was, I guess, simple but also complicated.

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 They needed to take over key cities and kind of checkpoints and roads.

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 And so that when that massive army came, when the tanks and the troops and the trucks came over the English Channel,

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 they actually would be able to move inland quickly and strike and move forward.

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 And so the 101st was small, but their mission was absolutely crucial to the war effort.

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 Absolutely crucial.

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 But for those of you guys who've watched Band of Brothers or maybe have read about World War II,

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 you would know that it was brutal.

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 These young men parachuted into chaos, bloodshed, violence, destruction.

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 Death was all around these young men.

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 But they pressed forward.

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 They persevered for the mission.

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 The mission to defeat Nazi Germany and to liberate Europe from Hitler's iron grip.

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 And so, friends, I believe, you know, as I've been thinking about this,

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 this really can be a picture of Advent.

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 The 101st coming in to France behind enemy lines.

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 It's a picture of God coming to us.

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 It's an analogy of Jesus Christ, God becoming flesh.

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 You see, Advent is all about the incarnation.

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 That's why we've named our series that way.

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 It's about God becoming flesh in the man, Jesus Christ.

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 And there are many different ways we can think about the incarnation.

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 A couple weeks ago, Chris talked about how the incarnation is kind of like God moving into our neighborhood

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 and dwelling with us.

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 Last week, Oscar talked about a lot of things.

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 But one thing that really struck me was it was about God identifying with us.

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 That we know that God, through Jesus, knows exactly what we're going through.

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 He understands us.

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 And today, we're going to think about the incarnation as God's mission.

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 A mission to win a bloody, brutal war.

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 Also a war that you and I are part of every single day.

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 You see, God's word tells us that we are in the midst of a cosmic battle between good and evil.

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 Between right and wrong.

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 And the effects of this war are felt everywhere.

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 They're felt in our city, our society, throughout the world.

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 But at its core, this cosmic battle is fought within our hearts.

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 You see, God created each of us to be his children.

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 His children to love him.

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 To worship him.

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 To get everything we need from him.

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 Because God is God.

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 And he provides all things that are good.

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 He created us to love one another.

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 To support one another.

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 So that no one would feel lonely or broken or hurt.

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 But we were tempted, scripture says, we were tempted by the lie that God just isn't enough.

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 That we needed to be the center of the universe.

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 And so the war began.

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 We rebelled against our creator.

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 We rebelled against God.

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 And therefore, all that's evil and broken in this world was an overflow of that rebellion.

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 From the genocides of our history.

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 To the environmental degradation and destruction.

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 All the way to that maybe daily lingering feeling you have that what I have just isn't enough.

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 I need a little more.

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 I'm not quite happy.

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 I need a little bit more.

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 I need to run a little harder.

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 I need to earn a little more.

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 All of this, scripture says, God says it's because that we have, we're trying to grasp onto all these things that we think will make us happy.

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 Money, sex, power, control, so on and so forth.

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 You name it.

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 But God knows.

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 God knows that only he can satisfy our deepest needs.

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 Yet we continue to fight against him.

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 We continue to run away from him.

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 And so if God wanted to win this war against evil.

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 Against the rebellion.

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 You know, he could have done it in a lot of ways, right?

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 He could have gone the nuclear option.

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 And just wiped everything out.

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 Wiped us all out.

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 Snapped his fingers.

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 Erased us and just started again from scratch.

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 He's God.

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 He's the creator, right?

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 You know, maybe he could have reprogrammed us with a new operating system that just makes us obedient robots or something.

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 I don't know.

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 But what we do know is when we look at God's word, what he's revealed of us, what he's told to us, is that he's done something very different.

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 Take a look at Colossians 1 with me.

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 It says,

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 See, God is in the business of reconciliation.

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 He wants to win us back.

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 He wants to win us out.

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 He wants to win us back.

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 He wants us to bring, to adopt us back.

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 Orphans who have run away.

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 So that we can worship him.

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 We can enjoy his love forever.

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 That we can actually be content and happy.

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 That we can see that the universe was actually designed for God to be the center.

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 Not you and me.

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 So when we take a look at today's passage that Sherman read to us, when we look at incarnation through this lens of mission, this mission into this bloody, brutal war,

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 we see some profound truths about the incarnation, I believe.

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 And this is our big idea that I want to start us with.

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 Is that the incarnation shows us that the greatest rescue mission in the history of the world,

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 this mission that Jesus is on to reconcile us,

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 this greatest mission was actually accomplished in the most humble, the most surprising of ways.

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 Let's take a look at the passage.

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 Feel free to walk through it with me in your bulletin, your Bible.

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 It will be on the screen as well.

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 Philippians 2 verse 6 says this,

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 Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God,

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 he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.

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 You see, Jesus was divine.

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 Jesus was God.

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 And equality with God meant that God the Father, God the Son, Jesus,

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 they lived in perfect harmony all through eternity, before even time existed.

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 They lived in this state of perfect love and harmony.

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 That might be a little hard for us to wrap our heads around,

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 but maybe take a moment and think about the happiest time in your life,

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 the happiest time that you spent with your loved ones.

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 You know, maybe it was a beautiful beach vacation that you spent with your family.

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 Maybe it was going to a destination wedding to celebrate someone that,

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 you know, you love so dearly and celebrate their special day.

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 Maybe it was when you were a kid around Christmas time,

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 and you were opening presents and just feeling the warmth and love of your family.

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 The best of times.

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 Now imagine being in that state of perfect bliss

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 and then choosing to give it all up just like that.

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 That's kind of like what Jesus did,

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 except that what Jesus had was infinitely better.

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 because instead of just our friends and family,

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 he had equality with God.

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 He had absolute contentment.

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 He had the ultimate comfort, privilege, and power.

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 He had equality with God.

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 And yet he did not count that something to be grasped.

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 This idea of grasping in this passage

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 can also mean that he didn't hold on to it

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 like something he can use for his own advantage.

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 He didn't think it was something that he needed to exploit

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 for his own benefit.

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 And so this is the first thing that we see about the incarnation

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 that's so humbly surprising.

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 It meant choosing to forego personal privilege,

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 to forego personal rights and comfort and pleasure.

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 It meant Jesus leaving behind selfish gain.

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 And he had every right to hold on to it, right?

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 He was God.

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 He was equal with God.

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 But he chose not to.

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 You know, I love food.

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 And, you know, when I find it hard even to share food sometimes.

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 You know, when that amazing, delicious, medium-rare steak and frites

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 come to my table, I'll be very honest,

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 I find it hard to cut a piece and let, you know,

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 my wife or my friend share it.

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 Let alone trading that steak for a bowl of brown rice.

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 You know?

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 And that's just such a small thing that I even struggle with.

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 And I think some of us do, you know?

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 Joey doesn't share food, right?

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 We find it hard.

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 We find it hard.

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 But look at Jesus.

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 For the sake of the mission,

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 he freely chose to let go of even the privilege of equality with God.

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 Isn't that amazing?

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 The next thing we see about the incarnation

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 is that it meant choosing to be a servant.

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 Jesus chose to be a servant.

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 Verse 7, Jesus emptied himself by taking the form of a servant.

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 And that word servant there actually means slave.

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 The one who has relinquished all rights

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 has sold himself to the servitude of others,

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 to put others' needs before him.

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 It would have been incredible enough, right,

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 if Jesus just gave up his privilege of equality with God

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 and became a nice middle-class person,

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 live in a nice four or five hundred square foot flat,

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 decent middle-class income.

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 We would have been pretty surprised by that already, right?

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 God becoming middle-class?

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 But no.

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 God says his mission called him to become a servant,

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 a slave, not only one who gave up privilege,

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 but actively placed his well-being

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 to serve those in need,

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 to serve others before his own need.

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 Jesus himself declared, right,

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 I came not to be served, but to serve.

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 You know, that wonderful, happy place

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 that you were thinking about before

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 with your loved ones?

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 Now imagine choosing to leave that bliss,

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 not just to leave it,

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 but, you know, to become a street cleaner,

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 a rubbish collector

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 in the slums of a developing country.

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 Just imagine that for that second,

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 if that was real.

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 Like, can we even fathom

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 the heights from which Jesus came

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 and the depths to which he went?

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 All for the sake of the mission.

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 You know, I know this passage,

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 I think we've,

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 many of us have heard this

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 Philippians passage so often,

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 and I admit,

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 I can kind of just read it

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 and be like, yeah, yeah,

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 Jesus humbled himself.

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 That's great.

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 And it's so easy, I think,

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 for me to overlook

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 and for us to forget

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 just how incredibly mind-blowing that is.

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 You know, I heard once, you know,

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 someone talking about the incarnation

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 that it's not so much like

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 the richest, most powerful man in the world,

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 the woman in the world

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 becoming the lowliest slave.

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 That would be amazing, right?

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 But it's not even quite that.

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 It's like the richest,

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 most powerful person in world,

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 in history,

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 becoming an ant,

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 becoming a bug,

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 a little bug,

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 so that he could tell

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 all the other little ants

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 about how much he loved them,

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 to communicate with them,

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 to know about them,

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 to relate to them.

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 Can our feeble minds

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 even comprehend

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 the lengths that Jesus went to

00:16:23.799 --> 00:16:25.279
 to become a man?

00:16:26.059 --> 00:16:26.879
 And I think no,

00:16:26.980 --> 00:16:28.919
 but we can sure try.

00:16:30.500 --> 00:16:33.059
 And we can sure try to be in awe

00:16:33.059 --> 00:16:35.019
 of this incredible reality

00:16:35.019 --> 00:16:37.439
 that in the incarnation,

00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:40.740
 Jesus chose to become a servant,

00:16:41.139 --> 00:16:41.819
 a slave,

00:16:42.199 --> 00:16:43.939
 for the sake of the mission.

00:16:43.940 --> 00:16:46.780
 The third thing we see

00:16:46.780 --> 00:16:47.620
 about incarnation

00:16:47.620 --> 00:16:49.260
 is that it meant

00:16:49.260 --> 00:16:51.520
 choosing to engage

00:16:51.520 --> 00:16:52.740
 with humanity.

00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:55.320
 And this is choosing

00:16:55.320 --> 00:16:56.520
 to engage in humanity

00:16:56.520 --> 00:16:59.340
 in its complete fullness.

00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:01.060
 Not just the good,

00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:02.300
 but the bad

00:17:02.300 --> 00:17:03.160
 and the ugly.

00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:05.299
 Jesus chose to engage

00:17:05.299 --> 00:17:06.720
 in the very ordinariness

00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:07.960
 of life,

00:17:08.320 --> 00:17:10.080
 the most mundane things,

00:17:10.200 --> 00:17:11.500
 and even all the darkness

00:17:11.500 --> 00:17:13.019
 and brokenness.

00:17:15.140 --> 00:17:16.400
 Verses 7 and 8

00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:16.960
 says,

00:17:17.299 --> 00:17:18.319
 Jesus was born

00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:19.660
 in the likeness of men

00:17:19.660 --> 00:17:21.200
 and being found

00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:21.900
 in human form,

00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:23.180
 he humbled himself

00:17:23.180 --> 00:17:25.220
 by becoming obedient

00:17:25.220 --> 00:17:26.480
 to the point of death.

00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:28.920
 Church,

00:17:28.980 --> 00:17:30.000
 what strikes me

00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:31.779
 about the Christmas story,

00:17:32.299 --> 00:17:32.440
 you know,

00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:33.940
 about Jesus becoming human

00:17:33.940 --> 00:17:35.160
 is in one way

00:17:35.160 --> 00:17:36.079
 it's just how ordinary

00:17:36.079 --> 00:17:37.319
 and plain it was.

00:17:38.259 --> 00:17:40.019
 This greatest rescue mission

00:17:40.019 --> 00:17:41.420
 in the history of humanity

00:17:41.420 --> 00:17:42.200
 didn't come

00:17:42.200 --> 00:17:44.440
 with a muscle-clad warrior

00:17:44.440 --> 00:17:47.059
 with his machine gun

00:17:47.059 --> 00:17:48.799
 on an Apache helicopter,

00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:49.819
 guns blazing,

00:17:50.180 --> 00:17:51.180
 to take over

00:17:51.180 --> 00:17:51.819
 and to win.

00:17:53.019 --> 00:17:54.019
 It began

00:17:54.019 --> 00:17:55.680
 with a baby,

00:17:56.200 --> 00:17:56.960
 an infant,

00:17:57.259 --> 00:17:58.299
 born in a place

00:17:58.299 --> 00:17:59.920
 where the animals lived.

00:17:59.920 --> 00:18:03.759
 And it's easy for us

00:18:03.759 --> 00:18:04.440
 to think about

00:18:04.440 --> 00:18:05.300
 baby Jesus

00:18:05.300 --> 00:18:06.480
 as a passive character,

00:18:06.580 --> 00:18:06.720
 right?

00:18:06.759 --> 00:18:08.279
 Because none of us

00:18:08.279 --> 00:18:09.060
 know a baby

00:18:09.060 --> 00:18:10.180
 who actually chose

00:18:10.180 --> 00:18:11.180
 to be born

00:18:11.180 --> 00:18:11.779
 where they are

00:18:11.779 --> 00:18:12.840
 and to be born

00:18:12.840 --> 00:18:13.380
 to the parents

00:18:13.380 --> 00:18:14.200
 that they were born to.

00:18:15.259 --> 00:18:16.220
 But I think Jesus

00:18:16.220 --> 00:18:17.560
 is the one exception.

00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:19.320
 Jesus,

00:18:19.519 --> 00:18:20.440
 equal to God,

00:18:20.660 --> 00:18:22.480
 chose to be born

00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:23.700
 as a baby,

00:18:24.019 --> 00:18:25.100
 chose to be born

00:18:25.100 --> 00:18:25.800
 in Bethlehem

00:18:25.800 --> 00:18:26.960
 2,000 years ago.

00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:28.900
 He chose to be born

00:18:28.900 --> 00:18:30.180
 in such humble,

00:18:30.620 --> 00:18:32.319
 impoverished circumstances.

00:18:33.600 --> 00:18:34.460
 Our Savior,

00:18:34.660 --> 00:18:35.200
 our God,

00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:36.700
 knows what it's like

00:18:36.700 --> 00:18:37.920
 to pass through the womb

00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:39.680
 into the cold air,

00:18:40.299 --> 00:18:41.000
 into the wonder

00:18:41.000 --> 00:18:42.259
 and scariness

00:18:42.259 --> 00:18:43.039
 of this world.

00:18:43.259 --> 00:18:44.559
 Isn't that astounding?

00:18:45.420 --> 00:18:46.799
 That our God knows that?

00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:48.500
 That he's experienced that?

00:18:50.819 --> 00:18:52.299
 What also strikes me

00:18:52.299 --> 00:18:54.380
 about the whole incarnation story

00:18:54.380 --> 00:18:55.580
 is that it's really

00:18:55.580 --> 00:18:56.780
 how easy it is

00:18:56.780 --> 00:18:59.180
 to kind of sanitize it,

00:18:59.600 --> 00:19:00.600
 to kind of make it

00:19:00.600 --> 00:19:01.700
 just suitable

00:19:01.700 --> 00:19:03.380
 for kids' rating

00:19:03.380 --> 00:19:05.020
 or a children's song

00:19:05.020 --> 00:19:06.540
 or a Christmas card.

00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:09.220
 A sweet baby Jesus

00:19:09.220 --> 00:19:10.260
 lying in a manger

00:19:10.260 --> 00:19:11.380
 with cuddly animals

00:19:11.380 --> 00:19:11.980
 around him.

00:19:12.820 --> 00:19:13.380
 Shepherds,

00:19:13.480 --> 00:19:14.180
 starry night,

00:19:15.400 --> 00:19:16.580
 wise men with the gifts.

00:19:17.960 --> 00:19:18.820
 Now all those things

00:19:18.820 --> 00:19:19.660
 may be true,

00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:22.040
 but there's so much

00:19:22.039 --> 00:19:22.700
 more to it.

00:19:23.960 --> 00:19:25.920
 Just like the 101st Airborne

00:19:25.920 --> 00:19:28.119
 dropping into hellfire

00:19:28.119 --> 00:19:30.079
 behind enemy lines,

00:19:30.639 --> 00:19:32.220
 the mission of incarnation

00:19:32.220 --> 00:19:33.279
 meant that Jesus

00:19:33.279 --> 00:19:35.079
 chose to be born

00:19:35.079 --> 00:19:36.440
 into a life of poverty,

00:19:36.940 --> 00:19:38.139
 of persecution,

00:19:38.859 --> 00:19:39.539
 of death.

00:19:40.539 --> 00:19:42.139
 Jesus chose to engage

00:19:42.139 --> 00:19:43.500
 with all of that

00:19:43.500 --> 00:19:44.339
 willingly.

00:19:45.659 --> 00:19:45.799
 You know,

00:19:45.839 --> 00:19:47.299
 Jesus experienced trauma

00:19:47.299 --> 00:19:48.519
 and danger

00:19:48.519 --> 00:19:49.420
 from day one.

00:19:49.420 --> 00:19:51.180
 And he was literally

00:19:51.180 --> 00:19:53.700
 born into a place

00:19:53.700 --> 00:19:54.720
 for farm animals,

00:19:54.840 --> 00:19:55.220
 basically.

00:19:55.360 --> 00:19:56.380
 He was literally born

00:19:56.380 --> 00:19:57.759
 into a circumstance

00:19:57.759 --> 00:19:58.500
 of poverty.

00:19:59.560 --> 00:20:00.600
 And almost as soon

00:20:00.600 --> 00:20:01.460
 as he was born,

00:20:01.880 --> 00:20:02.519
 King Herod,

00:20:02.920 --> 00:20:04.019
 the king of Israel

00:20:04.019 --> 00:20:04.860
 at that time,

00:20:05.340 --> 00:20:06.440
 he made a decree

00:20:06.440 --> 00:20:07.620
 in order to murder

00:20:07.620 --> 00:20:08.680
 all the boys

00:20:08.680 --> 00:20:09.400
 under two

00:20:09.400 --> 00:20:10.240
 in Bethlehem

00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:11.300
 and in the area

00:20:11.300 --> 00:20:12.600
 because he was afraid

00:20:12.600 --> 00:20:13.380
 of this king

00:20:13.380 --> 00:20:14.180
 that he heard of.

00:20:14.420 --> 00:20:15.620
 He wanted to wipe them out.

00:20:16.820 --> 00:20:18.120
 So all these baby boys

00:20:18.119 --> 00:20:18.979
 are being killed

00:20:18.979 --> 00:20:19.799
 around Jesus

00:20:19.799 --> 00:20:20.979
 in Bethlehem.

00:20:21.679 --> 00:20:22.219
 And so Jesus

00:20:22.219 --> 00:20:22.879
 and his family

00:20:22.879 --> 00:20:24.299
 had to flee to Egypt.

00:20:25.159 --> 00:20:25.599
 And so Jesus

00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:26.199
 now knows

00:20:26.199 --> 00:20:26.679
 what it's like

00:20:26.679 --> 00:20:27.479
 to be a refugee

00:20:27.479 --> 00:20:29.079
 as a child.

00:20:30.579 --> 00:20:31.779
 Jesus was born

00:20:31.779 --> 00:20:32.879
 into a land

00:20:32.879 --> 00:20:34.039
 that where his people

00:20:34.039 --> 00:20:35.459
 were being subjugated

00:20:35.459 --> 00:20:36.839
 by a foreign

00:20:36.839 --> 00:20:37.779
 oppressive power,

00:20:37.859 --> 00:20:38.399
 by the Romans.

00:20:39.579 --> 00:20:40.439
 Imagine choosing

00:20:40.439 --> 00:20:41.119
 to be born

00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:42.879
 into oppression

00:20:42.879 --> 00:20:43.419
 like that.

00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:45.179
 And not to mention,

00:20:45.979 --> 00:20:47.199
 the story goes on

00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:48.360
 that Jesus ultimately

00:20:48.360 --> 00:20:49.600
 experienced death

00:20:49.600 --> 00:20:50.380
 himself,

00:20:51.160 --> 00:20:52.220
 something that we'll all

00:20:52.220 --> 00:20:53.700
 face sooner or later.

00:20:54.580 --> 00:20:55.340
 And so there's nothing

00:20:55.340 --> 00:20:57.319
 pretty about Christmas

00:20:57.319 --> 00:20:58.460
 in many ways.

00:20:59.120 --> 00:21:00.019
 It was brutal.

00:21:01.140 --> 00:21:02.000
 It was hard.

00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:04.200
 It was deadly.

00:21:05.480 --> 00:21:06.360
 And Jesus chose

00:21:06.360 --> 00:21:07.000
 to engage

00:21:07.000 --> 00:21:08.380
 with every aspect

00:21:08.380 --> 00:21:09.259
 of that.

00:21:09.940 --> 00:21:10.500
 He chooses

00:21:10.500 --> 00:21:12.200
 to go into the mess.

00:21:13.220 --> 00:21:13.960
 Jesus chooses

00:21:13.960 --> 00:21:14.660
 to experience

00:21:14.660 --> 00:21:16.060
 the greatest evils

00:21:16.060 --> 00:21:17.140
 of humanity.

00:21:17.940 --> 00:21:18.519
 He chooses

00:21:18.519 --> 00:21:19.019
 to go from

00:21:19.019 --> 00:21:19.620
 the best

00:21:19.620 --> 00:21:21.120
 possible circumstance

00:21:21.120 --> 00:21:21.820
 to perhaps

00:21:21.820 --> 00:21:22.700
 the worst.

00:21:23.800 --> 00:21:25.019
 All for the sake

00:21:25.019 --> 00:21:26.540
 of this mission.

00:21:28.100 --> 00:21:28.920
 Now why would

00:21:28.920 --> 00:21:29.600
 he do that?

00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:32.240
 Why on earth,

00:21:32.340 --> 00:21:33.300
 why in creation

00:21:33.300 --> 00:21:35.740
 would motivate him

00:21:35.740 --> 00:21:36.519
 to do that?

00:21:38.220 --> 00:21:39.040
 Scripture couldn't

00:21:39.040 --> 00:21:40.000
 be clearer,

00:21:40.160 --> 00:21:40.600
 I think,

00:21:40.720 --> 00:21:41.480
 than in John 3.

00:21:41.580 --> 00:21:42.120
 I love that

00:21:42.120 --> 00:21:43.000
 Ellen picked that

00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:43.759
 in the song

00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:44.440
 earlier today

00:21:44.440 --> 00:21:45.059
 when we talked

00:21:45.059 --> 00:21:45.940
 about Emmanuel

00:21:45.940 --> 00:21:47.019
 coming to us.

00:21:47.940 --> 00:21:48.799
 Because in John 3

00:21:48.799 --> 00:21:49.119
 it says,

00:21:49.359 --> 00:21:49.940
 God the Father

00:21:49.940 --> 00:21:51.140
 loved the world

00:21:51.140 --> 00:21:52.220
 so much.

00:21:52.359 --> 00:21:53.599
 He loved you

00:21:53.599 --> 00:21:54.119
 and me

00:21:54.119 --> 00:21:55.359
 so much

00:21:55.359 --> 00:21:57.740
 that he came

00:21:57.740 --> 00:21:58.240
 himself

00:21:58.240 --> 00:21:59.140
 to save us.

00:21:59.980 --> 00:22:00.940
 That we would

00:22:00.940 --> 00:22:01.619
 not perish.

00:22:02.460 --> 00:22:03.480
 He came himself

00:22:03.480 --> 00:22:04.319
 to save us.

00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:05.299
 The incarnation

00:22:05.299 --> 00:22:06.680
 wasn't just a mission.

00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:08.460
 It was a mission

00:22:08.460 --> 00:22:09.220
 of love,

00:22:09.579 --> 00:22:10.859
 fueled by love,

00:22:10.859 --> 00:22:12.299
 by the creator

00:22:12.299 --> 00:22:13.599
 for his creation.

00:22:15.299 --> 00:22:16.619
 By the father

00:22:16.619 --> 00:22:18.199
 chasing after

00:22:18.199 --> 00:22:19.439
 his children

00:22:19.439 --> 00:22:20.219
 who had run away.

00:22:22.919 --> 00:22:23.879
 And so that's

00:22:23.879 --> 00:22:24.619
 our big idea.

00:22:25.299 --> 00:22:26.659
 That this mission

00:22:26.659 --> 00:22:27.379
 of love

00:22:27.379 --> 00:22:28.479
 was accomplished

00:22:28.479 --> 00:22:30.119
 in this amazing way.

00:22:30.259 --> 00:22:31.839
 God coming to us,

00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:33.479
 running after us.

00:22:34.599 --> 00:22:35.819
 And when we appreciate

00:22:35.819 --> 00:22:36.699
 the incarnation

00:22:36.699 --> 00:22:38.799
 as God's mission

00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:40.159
 of reconciliation.

00:22:40.680 --> 00:22:41.079
 That's really

00:22:41.079 --> 00:22:42.480
 one way to think

00:22:42.480 --> 00:22:43.419
 about the incarnation.

00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:45.779
 I hope we can

00:22:45.779 --> 00:22:46.379
 appreciate

00:22:46.379 --> 00:22:47.399
 the lengths

00:22:47.399 --> 00:22:48.440
 to which God

00:22:48.440 --> 00:22:50.460
 went to save us.

00:22:51.159 --> 00:22:52.039
 Just how much

00:22:52.039 --> 00:22:52.919
 he loves us.

00:22:54.559 --> 00:22:55.220
 But church,

00:22:55.359 --> 00:22:56.059
 this isn't just

00:22:56.059 --> 00:22:57.200
 a feel-good story

00:22:57.200 --> 00:22:58.879
 about God's love

00:22:58.879 --> 00:23:00.000
 and then,

00:23:00.059 --> 00:23:00.240
 you know,

00:23:00.299 --> 00:23:00.740
 the end.

00:23:02.180 --> 00:23:03.099
 The mission

00:23:03.099 --> 00:23:05.399
 isn't quite over yet.

00:23:06.099 --> 00:23:07.399
 So much was accomplished

00:23:07.399 --> 00:23:08.440
 through the incarnation,

00:23:08.440 --> 00:23:09.279
 but there's more.

00:23:10.519 --> 00:23:11.160
 The incarnation

00:23:11.160 --> 00:23:12.720
 was key to God's mission

00:23:12.720 --> 00:23:14.000
 but he doesn't just

00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:14.519
 save us

00:23:14.519 --> 00:23:15.100
 so that we can

00:23:15.100 --> 00:23:15.940
 keep God's love

00:23:15.940 --> 00:23:16.620
 to ourselves.

00:23:17.700 --> 00:23:18.000
 We,

00:23:18.140 --> 00:23:18.700
 his people,

00:23:19.420 --> 00:23:20.059
 God says,

00:23:20.120 --> 00:23:21.039
 are to continue

00:23:21.039 --> 00:23:22.160
 that mission.

00:23:23.620 --> 00:23:23.880
 Remember,

00:23:23.980 --> 00:23:24.740
 today's passage

00:23:24.740 --> 00:23:25.920
 actually began

00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:26.900
 with this sentence,

00:23:27.100 --> 00:23:28.200
 let each of you

00:23:28.200 --> 00:23:29.340
 look not to

00:23:29.340 --> 00:23:30.539
 his own interests

00:23:30.539 --> 00:23:32.080
 but the interests

00:23:32.080 --> 00:23:32.860
 of others.

00:23:33.860 --> 00:23:35.100
 The very heartbeat

00:23:35.100 --> 00:23:36.059
 of God's mission

00:23:36.059 --> 00:23:37.839
 is to continue

00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:38.639
 loving others,

00:23:38.779 --> 00:23:39.339
 to continue

00:23:39.339 --> 00:23:40.159
 serving others

00:23:40.159 --> 00:23:41.299
 just like Jesus did.

00:23:42.339 --> 00:23:43.440
 So when we think

00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:44.679
 about the incarnation,

00:23:45.379 --> 00:23:46.679
 it should also be

00:23:46.679 --> 00:23:47.579
 our motivation.

00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:49.299
 It should also be

00:23:49.299 --> 00:23:49.980
 the pattern

00:23:49.980 --> 00:23:50.940
 and the power

00:23:50.940 --> 00:23:52.259
 for continuing

00:23:52.259 --> 00:23:53.700
 on this mission

00:23:53.700 --> 00:23:55.179
 to reach everyone

00:23:55.179 --> 00:23:56.259
 who's far from God.

00:23:57.619 --> 00:23:58.339
 And this was where

00:23:58.339 --> 00:23:58.879
 I want this

00:23:58.879 --> 00:23:59.500
 to land

00:23:59.500 --> 00:24:00.659
 for us.

00:24:01.240 --> 00:24:02.099
 For us not to just

00:24:02.099 --> 00:24:03.139
 look in wonder

00:24:03.140 --> 00:24:03.600
 and awe

00:24:03.600 --> 00:24:04.340
 at the incarnation

00:24:04.340 --> 00:24:05.140
 but to see

00:24:05.140 --> 00:24:06.080
 what does that

00:24:06.080 --> 00:24:06.580
 have to do

00:24:06.580 --> 00:24:07.000
 with me

00:24:07.000 --> 00:24:08.380
 in 21st century

00:24:08.380 --> 00:24:08.900
 Hong Kong.

00:24:10.860 --> 00:24:11.800
 We still have

00:24:11.800 --> 00:24:12.320
 a calling

00:24:12.320 --> 00:24:13.220
 to help others

00:24:13.220 --> 00:24:13.740
 reconcile

00:24:13.740 --> 00:24:15.200
 with their creator.

00:24:16.180 --> 00:24:16.800
 There's so many

00:24:16.800 --> 00:24:17.960
 people in this city,

00:24:18.040 --> 00:24:18.560
 in this world,

00:24:18.640 --> 00:24:19.840
 even maybe around us

00:24:19.840 --> 00:24:20.400
 right now,

00:24:20.520 --> 00:24:21.860
 who need to experience

00:24:21.860 --> 00:24:22.560
 God's love.

00:24:24.120 --> 00:24:24.940
 And when we see

00:24:24.940 --> 00:24:26.040
 what God has done

00:24:26.040 --> 00:24:26.600
 for us

00:24:26.600 --> 00:24:27.480
 through the incarnation,

00:24:27.700 --> 00:24:28.680
 how Jesus left

00:24:28.680 --> 00:24:30.020
 that place of comfort

00:24:30.020 --> 00:24:30.680
 to come into

00:24:30.680 --> 00:24:32.539
 this brutal world,

00:24:33.279 --> 00:24:34.820
 I think the question

00:24:34.820 --> 00:24:36.060
 we have to ask

00:24:36.060 --> 00:24:36.940
 ourselves is,

00:24:37.900 --> 00:24:38.660
 how willing

00:24:38.660 --> 00:24:39.940
 am I,

00:24:40.380 --> 00:24:41.259
 are you,

00:24:42.200 --> 00:24:43.440
 to leave my place

00:24:43.440 --> 00:24:44.100
 of privilege

00:24:44.100 --> 00:24:45.140
 for the mission?

00:24:46.360 --> 00:24:47.220
 How willing

00:24:47.220 --> 00:24:48.080
 am I to step

00:24:48.080 --> 00:24:49.759
 out of my comfort zone

00:24:49.759 --> 00:24:51.519
 to reach somebody?

00:24:53.279 --> 00:24:53.960
 How willing

00:24:53.960 --> 00:24:54.960
 am I to use

00:24:54.960 --> 00:24:56.259
 my own experience

00:24:56.259 --> 00:24:56.960
 of suffering

00:24:56.960 --> 00:24:57.560
 and hurt

00:24:57.560 --> 00:24:59.060
 to comfort another?

00:25:00.680 --> 00:25:01.980
 I think ultimately

00:25:01.980 --> 00:25:02.779
 the question

00:25:02.779 --> 00:25:03.940
 we are posed with

00:25:03.940 --> 00:25:04.340
 is,

00:25:05.180 --> 00:25:06.279
 have I truly

00:25:06.279 --> 00:25:07.420
 experienced

00:25:07.420 --> 00:25:08.340
 God's love

00:25:08.340 --> 00:25:10.880
 and meditated

00:25:10.880 --> 00:25:11.279
 on it

00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:12.279
 and basked

00:25:12.279 --> 00:25:12.580
 in it

00:25:12.580 --> 00:25:14.160
 in a way

00:25:14.160 --> 00:25:15.500
 that helps me

00:25:15.500 --> 00:25:15.940
 to see

00:25:15.940 --> 00:25:17.340
 how much

00:25:17.340 --> 00:25:18.240
 God loves others,

00:25:18.640 --> 00:25:19.259
 to help me

00:25:19.259 --> 00:25:19.799
 to relate

00:25:19.799 --> 00:25:20.759
 to God's heart,

00:25:21.560 --> 00:25:22.259
 his heartbeat,

00:25:22.500 --> 00:25:23.180
 his love

00:25:23.180 --> 00:25:24.360
 for the lost,

00:25:24.600 --> 00:25:25.259
 for the broken,

00:25:25.860 --> 00:25:26.880
 for the downtrodden?

00:25:27.600 --> 00:25:28.720
 Have I experienced

00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:29.980
 God in that way?

00:25:30.680 --> 00:25:31.980
 God's love

00:25:31.980 --> 00:25:33.660
 because there may be,

00:25:33.900 --> 00:25:34.820
 I'm sure there may be

00:25:34.820 --> 00:25:36.000
 some pretty unlovable

00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:37.360
 people in your life.

00:25:38.799 --> 00:25:39.880
 Maybe a colleague

00:25:39.880 --> 00:25:40.460
 or boss

00:25:40.460 --> 00:25:41.140
 or subordinate

00:25:41.140 --> 00:25:42.320
 who just grates

00:25:42.320 --> 00:25:42.799
 on you

00:25:42.799 --> 00:25:44.799
 and just frustrates you

00:25:44.799 --> 00:25:46.100
 or people

00:25:46.100 --> 00:25:46.620
 who are just

00:25:46.620 --> 00:25:47.320
 so different

00:25:47.320 --> 00:25:47.920
 from you

00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:48.860
 in your life.

00:25:49.660 --> 00:25:50.680
 Different language,

00:25:50.880 --> 00:25:52.039
 socioeconomic status,

00:25:52.259 --> 00:25:52.660
 interests,

00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:53.080
 whatever.

00:25:54.600 --> 00:25:55.100
 And maybe

00:25:55.100 --> 00:25:55.900
 you've just worked

00:25:55.900 --> 00:25:56.759
 so hard

00:25:56.759 --> 00:25:57.660
 to get to where

00:25:57.660 --> 00:25:58.320
 you are today

00:25:58.320 --> 00:25:59.440
 sitting in this seat

00:25:59.440 --> 00:26:01.539
 and you've labored

00:26:01.539 --> 00:26:02.000
 hard

00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:03.380
 and you just want

00:26:03.380 --> 00:26:03.960
 to enjoy

00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:04.759
 the comforts

00:26:04.759 --> 00:26:05.340
 of middle,

00:26:06.080 --> 00:26:07.100
 upper middle class,

00:26:07.799 --> 00:26:08.680
 upper class life,

00:26:08.820 --> 00:26:09.059
 whatever,

00:26:09.820 --> 00:26:11.059
 whatever you identify

00:26:11.059 --> 00:26:11.500
 with.

00:26:12.880 --> 00:26:13.799
 Those things

00:26:13.799 --> 00:26:14.799
 may be true

00:26:14.799 --> 00:26:16.740
 but the incarnation

00:26:16.740 --> 00:26:18.200
 speaks into

00:26:18.200 --> 00:26:18.700
 every one

00:26:18.700 --> 00:26:19.500
 of those realities

00:26:19.500 --> 00:26:22.140
 because we weren't

00:26:22.140 --> 00:26:23.080
 just unlovable

00:26:23.080 --> 00:26:23.700
 to God.

00:26:24.320 --> 00:26:25.279
 We were his enemies.

00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:25.460
 enemies.

00:26:26.279 --> 00:26:27.200
 We were rebelling

00:26:27.200 --> 00:26:28.399
 against him

00:26:28.399 --> 00:26:29.559
 and yet he chose

00:26:29.559 --> 00:26:30.259
 to love us.

00:26:31.680 --> 00:26:32.599
 And can you imagine

00:26:32.599 --> 00:26:34.039
 how different we are

00:26:34.039 --> 00:26:35.160
 to the God

00:26:35.160 --> 00:26:36.619
 of the universe

00:26:36.619 --> 00:26:38.700
 and yet he came

00:26:38.700 --> 00:26:39.339
 to relate

00:26:39.339 --> 00:26:40.480
 with us

00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:41.559
 to become

00:26:41.559 --> 00:26:42.619
 one of us.

00:26:44.819 --> 00:26:45.940
 And you remember

00:26:45.940 --> 00:26:46.700
 how rich

00:26:46.700 --> 00:26:47.539
 and comfortable

00:26:47.539 --> 00:26:48.500
 Jesus was

00:26:48.500 --> 00:26:50.079
 before he chose

00:26:50.079 --> 00:26:50.899
 to give it all up?

00:26:50.900 --> 00:26:53.660
 The incarnation

00:26:53.660 --> 00:26:56.580
 is our motivation

00:26:56.580 --> 00:26:57.920
 and our pattern

00:26:57.920 --> 00:26:58.759
 for mission

00:26:58.759 --> 00:27:00.700
 in every circumstance.

00:27:03.420 --> 00:27:04.340
 The pastor

00:27:04.340 --> 00:27:05.180
 and theologian

00:27:05.180 --> 00:27:05.820
 Tim Keller,

00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:06.360
 some of you

00:27:06.360 --> 00:27:07.060
 might know him,

00:27:08.019 --> 00:27:09.120
 he once told a story

00:27:09.120 --> 00:27:09.820
 about one of his

00:27:09.820 --> 00:27:10.900
 seminary students.

00:27:11.700 --> 00:27:12.500
 His name was Mark.

00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:13.100
 Now Mark

00:27:13.100 --> 00:27:14.040
 and his wife Heather

00:27:14.040 --> 00:27:16.360
 told Tim one day,

00:27:16.680 --> 00:27:17.380
 we're going to move,

00:27:17.519 --> 00:27:18.000
 we decided

00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:18.700
 we were going to move

00:27:18.700 --> 00:27:19.559
 to Sandtown.

00:27:20.299 --> 00:27:20.840
 And Sandtown

00:27:20.840 --> 00:27:21.519
 was one of the most

00:27:21.519 --> 00:27:22.860
 dangerous neighborhoods

00:27:22.860 --> 00:27:24.460
 in the city of Baltimore

00:27:24.460 --> 00:27:25.460
 in the US.

00:27:26.440 --> 00:27:27.160
 And this was back

00:27:27.160 --> 00:27:27.860
 in the 80s

00:27:27.860 --> 00:27:29.480
 and it had been decades

00:27:29.480 --> 00:27:31.120
 since any white people

00:27:31.120 --> 00:27:32.460
 had lived in Sandtown.

00:27:33.900 --> 00:27:34.779
 Racial division

00:27:34.779 --> 00:27:35.539
 was at its peak

00:27:35.539 --> 00:27:36.100
 between

00:27:36.100 --> 00:27:38.000
 African Americans

00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:39.640
 and Caucasians.

00:27:41.180 --> 00:27:42.059
 But they decided

00:27:42.059 --> 00:27:43.259
 to move into Sandtown

00:27:43.259 --> 00:27:44.080
 and for the first

00:27:44.080 --> 00:27:44.680
 couple years

00:27:44.680 --> 00:27:45.940
 it was pretty perilous.

00:27:47.200 --> 00:27:47.840
 Mark was interviewed

00:27:47.839 --> 00:27:48.839
 by a local reporter

00:27:48.839 --> 00:27:49.319
 and he said

00:27:49.319 --> 00:27:50.399
 the police thought

00:27:50.399 --> 00:27:51.359
 I was a drug dealer

00:27:51.359 --> 00:27:53.740
 and the drug dealers

00:27:53.740 --> 00:27:54.179
 thought I was

00:27:54.179 --> 00:27:55.019
 a police officer

00:27:55.019 --> 00:27:56.699
 so for a while there

00:27:56.699 --> 00:27:57.599
 I didn't know

00:27:57.599 --> 00:27:58.199
 who was going to

00:27:58.199 --> 00:27:59.000
 shoot us first.

00:28:00.339 --> 00:28:01.399
 That's how it was.

00:28:03.220 --> 00:28:03.899
 But Mark and Heather

00:28:03.899 --> 00:28:05.039
 didn't go to Sandtown

00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:05.659
 because the rent

00:28:05.659 --> 00:28:06.240
 was cheap

00:28:06.240 --> 00:28:07.439
 though it was.

00:28:08.579 --> 00:28:09.399
 They moved

00:28:09.399 --> 00:28:10.500
 because they loved

00:28:10.500 --> 00:28:11.019
 Jesus.

00:28:11.740 --> 00:28:12.819
 They loved his mission.

00:28:12.980 --> 00:28:13.859
 They knew that Jesus

00:28:13.859 --> 00:28:15.199
 loved the people

00:28:15.199 --> 00:28:15.879
 of Sandtown.

00:28:16.259 --> 00:28:17.199
 And so over the years

00:28:17.200 --> 00:28:18.220
 they were able to work

00:28:18.220 --> 00:28:19.539
 with other community leaders

00:28:19.539 --> 00:28:21.200
 to establish a church

00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:22.319
 and all these ministries

00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:24.180
 that began to transform

00:28:24.180 --> 00:28:26.480
 this broken place

00:28:26.480 --> 00:28:27.160
 of Sandtown.

00:28:28.240 --> 00:28:28.799
 Isn't that such

00:28:28.799 --> 00:28:29.759
 a beautiful picture

00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:31.460
 of incarnation

00:28:31.460 --> 00:28:32.700
 in our world?

00:28:33.920 --> 00:28:34.299
 Of course

00:28:34.299 --> 00:28:35.360
 they didn't incarnate

00:28:35.360 --> 00:28:36.620
 they didn't become God

00:28:36.620 --> 00:28:37.860
 or become Jesus

00:28:37.860 --> 00:28:38.840
 in Sandtown

00:28:38.840 --> 00:28:40.299
 but they reflected

00:28:40.299 --> 00:28:41.059
 this story

00:28:41.059 --> 00:28:41.819
 of incarnation

00:28:41.819 --> 00:28:42.559
 by going

00:28:42.559 --> 00:28:43.740
 into Sandtown.

00:28:44.220 --> 00:28:44.680
 Two followers

00:28:44.680 --> 00:28:45.480
 two followers

00:28:45.480 --> 00:28:45.940
 of Jesus

00:28:45.940 --> 00:28:46.680
 who chose

00:28:46.680 --> 00:28:47.180
 to live

00:28:47.180 --> 00:28:47.900
 a comfortable

00:28:47.900 --> 00:28:49.620
 wonderful life

00:28:49.620 --> 00:28:51.340
 by going into

00:28:51.340 --> 00:28:51.799
 a place

00:28:51.799 --> 00:28:52.900
 of deep brokenness

00:28:52.900 --> 00:28:54.000
 and danger

00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:55.279
 so that people

00:28:55.279 --> 00:28:56.420
 who were so different

00:28:56.420 --> 00:28:56.960
 from them

00:28:56.960 --> 00:28:57.960
 could experience

00:28:57.960 --> 00:28:58.680
 the love of God.

00:29:00.779 --> 00:29:02.120
 Now I'm not saying

00:29:02.120 --> 00:29:04.759
 that every single

00:29:04.759 --> 00:29:05.519
 one of us here

00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:06.340
 needs to move

00:29:06.340 --> 00:29:07.440
 to the equivalent

00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:08.160
 of Sandtown.

00:29:09.220 --> 00:29:10.580
 I'm not saying that.

00:29:10.579 --> 00:29:13.500
 but the very serious

00:29:13.500 --> 00:29:14.939
 question I believe

00:29:14.939 --> 00:29:16.619
 God is asking us

00:29:16.619 --> 00:29:19.039
 is are you even willing?

00:29:20.779 --> 00:29:22.439
 Would you even consider it?

00:29:23.059 --> 00:29:23.960
 Are you even willing

00:29:23.960 --> 00:29:25.359
 to consider something

00:29:25.359 --> 00:29:26.699
 like that

00:29:26.699 --> 00:29:27.199
 for the sake

00:29:27.199 --> 00:29:27.720
 of the mission?

00:29:28.619 --> 00:29:29.519
 Are you willing

00:29:29.519 --> 00:29:30.679
 to leave everything

00:29:30.679 --> 00:29:32.699
 behind for me

00:29:32.699 --> 00:29:34.059
 for Jesus

00:29:34.059 --> 00:29:35.859
 for the sake

00:29:35.859 --> 00:29:36.379
 of the mission?

00:29:36.380 --> 00:29:39.320
 some of us here

00:29:39.320 --> 00:29:40.500
 are being called

00:29:40.500 --> 00:29:41.800
 to a Sandtown

00:29:41.800 --> 00:29:43.260
 and you know it.

00:29:43.920 --> 00:29:44.440
 Maybe you're even

00:29:44.440 --> 00:29:45.320
 thinking about it.

00:29:46.920 --> 00:29:47.760
 For others

00:29:47.760 --> 00:29:49.320
 God may be asking you

00:29:49.320 --> 00:29:51.240
 to live out

00:29:51.240 --> 00:29:52.560
 the incarnation story

00:29:52.560 --> 00:29:53.460
 in some other way.

00:29:54.680 --> 00:29:55.600
 Maybe it's in your

00:29:55.600 --> 00:29:56.100
 workplace.

00:29:57.300 --> 00:29:58.280
 Maybe it's in

00:29:58.280 --> 00:29:59.080
 your neighborhood

00:29:59.080 --> 00:30:00.080
 in your building

00:30:00.080 --> 00:30:00.960
 in your community.

00:30:01.900 --> 00:30:02.460
 Maybe it's even

00:30:02.460 --> 00:30:03.360
 in your own home.

00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:07.639
 How much

00:30:07.639 --> 00:30:08.619
 do you really

00:30:08.619 --> 00:30:09.359
 step out

00:30:09.359 --> 00:30:10.219
 to engage

00:30:10.219 --> 00:30:11.299
 and identify

00:30:11.299 --> 00:30:13.439
 in difficult situations?

00:30:13.699 --> 00:30:14.539
 Maybe with that

00:30:14.539 --> 00:30:15.419
 difficult colleague.

00:30:15.859 --> 00:30:16.519
 Maybe just with

00:30:16.519 --> 00:30:17.819
 your security guard

00:30:17.819 --> 00:30:18.219
 at home.

00:30:19.219 --> 00:30:20.019
 How much do you

00:30:20.019 --> 00:30:21.079
 live out the incarnation

00:30:21.079 --> 00:30:23.159
 in those situations?

00:30:24.359 --> 00:30:24.699
 And I think

00:30:24.699 --> 00:30:25.439
 for some of us

00:30:25.439 --> 00:30:26.639
 the most incarnational

00:30:26.639 --> 00:30:27.559
 thing we could do

00:30:27.559 --> 00:30:28.019
 right now

00:30:28.019 --> 00:30:28.599
 is actually

00:30:28.599 --> 00:30:29.240
 to spend

00:30:29.240 --> 00:30:30.659
 to move towards

00:30:30.659 --> 00:30:31.539
 our own families

00:30:31.539 --> 00:30:32.579
 to spend

00:30:32.579 --> 00:30:33.480
 quality time

00:30:33.480 --> 00:30:33.919
 with them.

00:30:34.579 --> 00:30:35.399
 To really get

00:30:35.399 --> 00:30:36.579
 to know a spouse

00:30:36.579 --> 00:30:37.799
 or a child

00:30:37.799 --> 00:30:38.819
 so that they

00:30:38.819 --> 00:30:39.500
 can get to know

00:30:39.500 --> 00:30:39.960
 Jesus.

00:30:42.460 --> 00:30:43.139
 You know the

00:30:43.139 --> 00:30:44.159
 incarnation was

00:30:44.159 --> 00:30:45.939
 anything but easy.

00:30:46.460 --> 00:30:47.099
 Those are hard

00:30:47.099 --> 00:30:47.779
 things to do.

00:30:48.919 --> 00:30:49.500
 Moving out of

00:30:49.500 --> 00:30:50.419
 our comfort zones

00:30:50.419 --> 00:30:51.439
 is hard.

00:30:52.759 --> 00:30:53.500
 The incarnation

00:30:53.500 --> 00:30:54.299
 was like moving

00:30:54.299 --> 00:30:55.359
 into a war zone.

00:30:55.919 --> 00:30:56.679
 So if you feel

00:30:56.679 --> 00:30:57.460
 overwhelmed

00:30:57.460 --> 00:30:59.339
 by the prospect

00:30:59.339 --> 00:31:00.099
 of going to a

00:31:00.099 --> 00:31:00.619
 Sandtown

00:31:00.619 --> 00:31:01.979
 or really

00:31:01.979 --> 00:31:02.399
 just doing

00:31:02.399 --> 00:31:02.959
 anything

00:31:02.959 --> 00:31:04.039
 in mission

00:31:04.039 --> 00:31:04.679
 that is

00:31:04.679 --> 00:31:06.259
 just makes you

00:31:06.259 --> 00:31:07.119
 feel uncomfortable

00:31:07.119 --> 00:31:08.699
 and scared

00:31:08.699 --> 00:31:10.919
 that's okay.

00:31:12.059 --> 00:31:12.899
 Because the

00:31:12.899 --> 00:31:13.559
 amazing thing

00:31:13.559 --> 00:31:14.339
 about our passage

00:31:14.339 --> 00:31:15.039
 today is that

00:31:15.039 --> 00:31:15.539
 it actually

00:31:15.539 --> 00:31:16.259
 shows us

00:31:16.259 --> 00:31:17.359
 the power

00:31:17.359 --> 00:31:18.079
 to overcome

00:31:18.079 --> 00:31:18.439
 that.

00:31:20.500 --> 00:31:21.379
 Our Lord Jesus

00:31:21.379 --> 00:31:22.219
 began with

00:31:22.219 --> 00:31:23.479
 equality with God.

00:31:23.759 --> 00:31:24.399
 He knew

00:31:24.399 --> 00:31:25.059
 who he was.

00:31:25.179 --> 00:31:26.019
 He had the deepest

00:31:26.019 --> 00:31:27.339
 most secure love

00:31:27.339 --> 00:31:28.359
 between himself

00:31:28.359 --> 00:31:29.579
 and God the

00:31:29.579 --> 00:31:29.899
 Father.

00:31:30.719 --> 00:31:31.359
 And from that

00:31:31.359 --> 00:31:32.459
 place he emptied

00:31:32.459 --> 00:31:33.439
 himself to become

00:31:33.439 --> 00:31:34.299
 a human servant.

00:31:35.919 --> 00:31:36.619
 But then take a

00:31:36.619 --> 00:31:37.500
 look at verse 8.

00:31:38.339 --> 00:31:39.279
 Jesus humbled

00:31:39.279 --> 00:31:40.099
 himself by

00:31:40.099 --> 00:31:41.199
 becoming obedient

00:31:41.199 --> 00:31:42.139
 to the point

00:31:42.139 --> 00:31:42.659
 of death.

00:31:43.099 --> 00:31:43.719
 Even death

00:31:43.719 --> 00:31:44.479
 on a cross.

00:31:45.439 --> 00:31:45.919
 Therefore

00:31:45.919 --> 00:31:47.159
 God has highly

00:31:47.159 --> 00:31:47.919
 exalted him

00:31:47.919 --> 00:31:49.099
 bestowed on him

00:31:49.099 --> 00:31:49.979
 the name that is

00:31:49.979 --> 00:31:51.399
 above every name

00:31:51.399 --> 00:31:52.099
 so that at the

00:31:52.099 --> 00:31:52.779
 name of Jesus

00:31:52.779 --> 00:31:53.899
 every knee should

00:31:53.899 --> 00:31:54.979
 bow in heaven

00:31:54.979 --> 00:31:55.619
 and on earth

00:31:55.619 --> 00:31:56.519
 and under the earth

00:31:56.519 --> 00:31:57.519
 and every tongue

00:31:57.519 --> 00:31:58.200
 confess that

00:31:58.200 --> 00:31:58.940
 Jesus Christ

00:31:58.940 --> 00:31:59.500
 is Lord

00:31:59.500 --> 00:32:00.400
 to the glory

00:32:00.400 --> 00:32:00.920
 of God the

00:32:00.920 --> 00:32:01.220
 Father.

00:32:02.980 --> 00:32:03.559
 Do you see

00:32:03.559 --> 00:32:04.379
 how the pattern

00:32:04.379 --> 00:32:05.180
 of incarnation

00:32:05.180 --> 00:32:06.220
 gives us

00:32:06.220 --> 00:32:07.000
 power

00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:08.420
 and confidence

00:32:08.420 --> 00:32:09.079
 to pursue

00:32:09.079 --> 00:32:09.519
 the mission?

00:32:11.039 --> 00:32:11.619
 See Jesus'

00:32:11.839 --> 00:32:12.299
 past

00:32:12.299 --> 00:32:13.720
 was absolutely

00:32:13.720 --> 00:32:14.799
 secure.

00:32:15.200 --> 00:32:15.519
 He had

00:32:15.519 --> 00:32:16.279
 everything he

00:32:16.279 --> 00:32:16.619
 needed

00:32:16.619 --> 00:32:17.480
 in the love

00:32:17.480 --> 00:32:18.059
 of the Father.

00:32:19.099 --> 00:32:19.700
 But Jesus'

00:32:19.940 --> 00:32:20.539
 future

00:32:20.539 --> 00:32:21.980
 was also

00:32:21.980 --> 00:32:22.980
 secure.

00:32:24.240 --> 00:32:24.839
 It was

00:32:24.839 --> 00:32:25.500
 through his

00:32:25.500 --> 00:32:26.079
 incarnation

00:32:26.079 --> 00:32:26.740
 that he

00:32:26.740 --> 00:32:27.199
 was able

00:32:27.199 --> 00:32:27.939
 to conquer

00:32:27.939 --> 00:32:28.819
 death.

00:32:29.319 --> 00:32:29.819
 That he

00:32:29.819 --> 00:32:30.159
 was able

00:32:30.159 --> 00:32:30.859
 to resurrect

00:32:30.859 --> 00:32:31.439
 to bring

00:32:31.439 --> 00:32:31.899
 honor

00:32:31.899 --> 00:32:32.919
 and glory

00:32:32.919 --> 00:32:34.159
 and worship

00:32:34.159 --> 00:32:34.759
 to God.

00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:36.419
 I think

00:32:36.419 --> 00:32:37.099
 this is so

00:32:37.099 --> 00:32:37.839
 beautifully

00:32:37.839 --> 00:32:38.539
 summarized

00:32:38.539 --> 00:32:39.460
 in John 13.

00:32:40.659 --> 00:32:41.399
 It says this,

00:32:41.500 --> 00:32:41.740
 Jesus,

00:32:42.279 --> 00:32:42.859
 knowing that

00:32:42.859 --> 00:32:43.419
 the Father

00:32:43.419 --> 00:32:44.000
 had given

00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:44.799
 all things

00:32:44.799 --> 00:32:45.399
 into his

00:32:45.399 --> 00:32:45.879
 hands,

00:32:46.500 --> 00:32:47.220
 that he

00:32:47.220 --> 00:32:47.819
 had come

00:32:47.819 --> 00:32:48.579
 from God

00:32:48.579 --> 00:32:49.199
 and was

00:32:49.199 --> 00:32:50.019
 going back

00:32:50.019 --> 00:32:50.799
 to God,

00:32:51.460 --> 00:32:52.099
 he then

00:32:52.099 --> 00:32:52.679
 rose from

00:32:52.679 --> 00:32:53.139
 supper.

00:32:54.539 --> 00:32:54.839
 You know

00:32:54.839 --> 00:32:55.240
 what he did

00:32:55.240 --> 00:32:55.839
 after that?

00:32:56.079 --> 00:32:57.879
 He knelt

00:32:57.879 --> 00:32:58.419
 down and

00:32:58.419 --> 00:32:58.919
 he washed

00:32:58.919 --> 00:32:59.500
 every one

00:32:59.500 --> 00:32:59.839
 of his

00:32:59.839 --> 00:33:00.279
 disciples'

00:33:00.539 --> 00:33:00.759
 feet.

00:33:02.179 --> 00:33:02.859
 Profound

00:33:02.859 --> 00:33:03.379
 act of

00:33:03.379 --> 00:33:03.960
 servanthood

00:33:03.960 --> 00:33:05.019
 that the

00:33:05.019 --> 00:33:06.019
 master would

00:33:06.019 --> 00:33:06.579
 kneel and

00:33:06.579 --> 00:33:07.619
 wash his

00:33:07.619 --> 00:33:08.059
 disciples'

00:33:08.279 --> 00:33:08.500
 feet.

00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:10.240
 This

00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:10.819
 astounding

00:33:10.819 --> 00:33:11.379
 sign of

00:33:11.379 --> 00:33:11.939
 servanthood.

00:33:14.819 --> 00:33:15.460
 Friends,

00:33:15.599 --> 00:33:16.159
 obviously,

00:33:16.480 --> 00:33:16.939
 we're not

00:33:16.939 --> 00:33:17.299
 Jesus.

00:33:18.159 --> 00:33:19.000
 But if you

00:33:19.000 --> 00:33:19.859
 are a follower

00:33:19.859 --> 00:33:20.699
 of Jesus,

00:33:20.700 --> 00:33:23.140
 you can have

00:33:23.140 --> 00:33:24.160
 just as much

00:33:24.160 --> 00:33:24.880
 assurance

00:33:24.880 --> 00:33:25.519
 about your

00:33:25.519 --> 00:33:26.019
 past

00:33:26.019 --> 00:33:27.460
 and your

00:33:27.460 --> 00:33:27.860
 future.

00:33:29.160 --> 00:33:29.960
 Because God

00:33:29.960 --> 00:33:30.799
 knows everything

00:33:30.799 --> 00:33:31.740
 you've done

00:33:31.740 --> 00:33:31.980
 in your

00:33:31.980 --> 00:33:32.400
 past.

00:33:33.279 --> 00:33:34.180
 He knows

00:33:34.180 --> 00:33:35.340
 every good,

00:33:35.539 --> 00:33:35.799
 bad,

00:33:35.880 --> 00:33:36.220
 and ugly

00:33:36.220 --> 00:33:36.680
 thing you've

00:33:36.680 --> 00:33:36.860
 done.

00:33:36.960 --> 00:33:37.220
 He knows

00:33:37.220 --> 00:33:37.539
 all the

00:33:37.539 --> 00:33:37.880
 things you

00:33:37.880 --> 00:33:38.600
 failed to

00:33:38.600 --> 00:33:38.860
 do.

00:33:40.340 --> 00:33:40.759
 And yet,

00:33:40.860 --> 00:33:41.299
 he loves

00:33:41.299 --> 00:33:41.519
 you.

00:33:42.360 --> 00:33:42.920
 He came

00:33:42.920 --> 00:33:43.380
 to you

00:33:43.380 --> 00:33:43.920
 with no

00:33:43.920 --> 00:33:44.220
 strings

00:33:44.220 --> 00:33:44.680
 attached.

00:33:44.680 --> 00:33:46.880
 But it's

00:33:46.880 --> 00:33:47.259
 not that

00:33:47.259 --> 00:33:47.600
 only.

00:33:48.980 --> 00:33:49.680
 He also

00:33:49.680 --> 00:33:50.400
 knows your

00:33:50.400 --> 00:33:51.220
 future if

00:33:51.220 --> 00:33:51.480
 you're a

00:33:51.480 --> 00:33:51.940
 follower of

00:33:51.940 --> 00:33:52.220
 Jesus.

00:33:52.620 --> 00:33:53.200
 He's prepared

00:33:53.200 --> 00:33:53.720
 a home

00:33:53.720 --> 00:33:54.560
 for you.

00:33:55.960 --> 00:33:56.640
 He's prepared

00:33:56.640 --> 00:33:57.500
 an inheritance

00:33:57.500 --> 00:33:58.680
 for you.

00:33:59.640 --> 00:34:00.320
 He's prepared

00:34:00.320 --> 00:34:01.320
 riches and

00:34:01.320 --> 00:34:02.480
 honor in

00:34:02.480 --> 00:34:03.360
 eternity that

00:34:03.360 --> 00:34:04.340
 beats anything

00:34:04.340 --> 00:34:05.259
 you could ever

00:34:05.259 --> 00:34:06.560
 have in this

00:34:06.560 --> 00:34:06.940
 lifetime.

00:34:08.619 --> 00:34:08.960
 And so,

00:34:09.159 --> 00:34:09.500
 in this

00:34:09.500 --> 00:34:09.960
 moment,

00:34:10.760 --> 00:34:11.420
 in this

00:34:11.420 --> 00:34:11.820
 day,

00:34:12.320 --> 00:34:13.139
 in 2021,

00:34:13.139 --> 00:34:15.940
 you have

00:34:15.940 --> 00:34:16.500
 the freedom

00:34:16.500 --> 00:34:17.059
 to lay it

00:34:17.059 --> 00:34:17.639
 all out for

00:34:17.639 --> 00:34:18.099
 the sake of

00:34:18.099 --> 00:34:18.500
 the mission.

00:34:19.179 --> 00:34:19.920
 Because in

00:34:19.920 --> 00:34:20.420
 the grand

00:34:20.420 --> 00:34:20.859
 scheme,

00:34:21.119 --> 00:34:21.599
 we have

00:34:21.599 --> 00:34:22.339
 nothing to

00:34:22.339 --> 00:34:23.239
 lose and

00:34:23.239 --> 00:34:24.539
 everything to

00:34:24.539 --> 00:34:26.359
 gain for

00:34:26.359 --> 00:34:26.879
 the mission.

00:34:27.659 --> 00:34:28.379
 The mission

00:34:28.379 --> 00:34:28.879
 to love

00:34:28.879 --> 00:34:29.420
 others, to

00:34:29.420 --> 00:34:29.739
 love them

00:34:29.739 --> 00:34:30.579
 radically and

00:34:30.579 --> 00:34:31.199
 show them how

00:34:31.199 --> 00:34:31.920
 amazing God

00:34:31.920 --> 00:34:32.199
 is.

00:34:33.339 --> 00:34:34.099
 Between our

00:34:34.099 --> 00:34:34.759
 past and

00:34:34.759 --> 00:34:35.299
 our present,

00:34:36.019 --> 00:34:36.859
 secure and

00:34:36.859 --> 00:34:37.980
 assure, we

00:34:37.980 --> 00:34:38.460
 have freedom

00:34:38.460 --> 00:34:38.879
 today.

00:34:40.719 --> 00:34:41.279
 The

00:34:41.279 --> 00:34:42.319
 incarnation shows

00:34:42.319 --> 00:34:42.980
 us that the

00:34:42.980 --> 00:34:44.179
 greatest rescue

00:34:44.179 --> 00:34:45.159
 mission in the

00:34:45.159 --> 00:34:45.760
 history of the

00:34:45.760 --> 00:34:47.219
 world was

00:34:47.219 --> 00:34:47.840
 accomplished through

00:34:47.840 --> 00:34:48.559
 the most humble

00:34:48.559 --> 00:34:49.460
 of ways.

00:34:50.880 --> 00:34:51.480
 And so, the

00:34:51.480 --> 00:34:52.659
 incarnation also

00:34:52.659 --> 00:34:53.460
 becomes our

00:34:53.460 --> 00:34:54.940
 motivation, our

00:34:54.940 --> 00:34:56.719
 pattern for

00:34:56.719 --> 00:34:57.440
 mission as we

00:34:57.440 --> 00:34:58.800
 remember how

00:34:58.800 --> 00:34:59.719
 Jesus did it.

00:35:00.800 --> 00:35:01.880
 But it's also

00:35:01.880 --> 00:35:03.300
 our power, our

00:35:03.300 --> 00:35:04.000
 power to do

00:35:04.000 --> 00:35:05.019
 something hard and

00:35:05.019 --> 00:35:05.420
 difficult.

00:35:06.599 --> 00:35:07.440
 Because it's

00:35:07.440 --> 00:35:08.179
 through incarnation

00:35:08.179 --> 00:35:09.460
 that Jesus also

00:35:09.460 --> 00:35:11.059
 conquered the

00:35:11.059 --> 00:35:11.659
 evil of this

00:35:11.659 --> 00:35:12.539
 world, that he

00:35:12.539 --> 00:35:13.440
 conquered death.

00:35:14.000 --> 00:35:14.639
 And that's a

00:35:14.639 --> 00:35:15.500
 victory that all

00:35:15.500 --> 00:35:16.299
 of us share in,

00:35:16.399 --> 00:35:17.139
 that all of us

00:35:17.139 --> 00:35:17.759
 can look forward

00:35:17.759 --> 00:35:18.099
 to.

00:35:18.659 --> 00:35:19.420
 Victory over

00:35:19.420 --> 00:35:20.940
 death, eternal

00:35:20.940 --> 00:35:22.179
 riches, and

00:35:22.179 --> 00:35:23.099
 comfort with God.

00:35:25.779 --> 00:35:26.519
 And as I was

00:35:26.519 --> 00:35:27.679
 praying and just

00:35:27.679 --> 00:35:28.519
 preparing for this,

00:35:29.059 --> 00:35:29.920
 it just hit me that

00:35:29.920 --> 00:35:31.539
 Hebrews 12, this

00:35:31.539 --> 00:35:32.440
 verse in Hebrews 12

00:35:32.440 --> 00:35:33.379
 just sums up

00:35:33.379 --> 00:35:34.239
 everything, what I've

00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:35.539
 said so well.

00:35:36.539 --> 00:35:37.399
 Take a look at it

00:35:37.399 --> 00:35:37.779
 with me.

00:35:37.780 --> 00:35:39.960
 It says, let us

00:35:39.960 --> 00:35:41.700
 run with endurance

00:35:41.700 --> 00:35:42.880
 the race that is

00:35:42.880 --> 00:35:43.840
 set before us.

00:35:44.400 --> 00:35:45.200
 A race that

00:35:45.200 --> 00:35:46.160
 includes a life of

00:35:46.160 --> 00:35:46.480
 mission.

00:35:47.840 --> 00:35:49.120
 Looking to Jesus,

00:35:49.880 --> 00:35:51.200
 the founder of

00:35:51.200 --> 00:35:52.400
 our faith, the

00:35:52.400 --> 00:35:53.300
 one who came to

00:35:53.300 --> 00:35:55.080
 us, the one who

00:35:55.080 --> 00:35:56.080
 was God but

00:35:56.080 --> 00:35:57.580
 humbled himself and

00:35:57.580 --> 00:35:59.240
 came to us so

00:35:59.240 --> 00:35:59.920
 that we could have

00:35:59.920 --> 00:36:00.260
 life.

00:36:00.420 --> 00:36:01.240
 But also the

00:36:01.240 --> 00:36:02.260
 perfecter of the

00:36:02.260 --> 00:36:03.900
 faith, the one who

00:36:03.900 --> 00:36:04.800
 points us to an

00:36:04.800 --> 00:36:06.080
 eternal reality where

00:36:06.080 --> 00:36:07.240
 our lives will be

00:36:07.239 --> 00:36:07.959
 made perfect.

00:36:09.479 --> 00:36:10.779
 Who for the joy

00:36:10.779 --> 00:36:11.979
 that was set before

00:36:11.979 --> 00:36:13.919
 him endured the

00:36:13.919 --> 00:36:15.139
 cross, endured

00:36:15.139 --> 00:36:17.079
 death, disregarding

00:36:17.079 --> 00:36:18.000
 the shame of all

00:36:18.000 --> 00:36:19.259
 that, and is now

00:36:19.259 --> 00:36:20.619
 seated at the right

00:36:20.619 --> 00:36:21.339
 hand of the throne

00:36:21.339 --> 00:36:21.799
 of God.

00:36:23.159 --> 00:36:24.179
 Church, that's my

00:36:24.179 --> 00:36:25.079
 prayer for us.

00:36:25.699 --> 00:36:27.079
 That we would live a

00:36:27.079 --> 00:36:28.919
 life of mission that

00:36:28.919 --> 00:36:30.119
 is empowered by

00:36:30.119 --> 00:36:32.599
 looking to Jesus and

00:36:32.599 --> 00:36:33.579
 looking to the joy

00:36:33.579 --> 00:36:34.899
 that was set before

00:36:34.899 --> 00:36:36.539
 him and for all of

00:36:36.539 --> 00:36:36.799
 us.

00:36:37.239 --> 00:36:39.739
 We're going to

00:36:39.739 --> 00:36:42.319
 conclude by going

00:36:42.319 --> 00:36:42.959
 into time of

00:36:42.959 --> 00:36:43.299
 communion.

00:36:44.399 --> 00:36:45.359
 And I think it's

00:36:45.359 --> 00:36:47.179
 just so apt, so

00:36:47.179 --> 00:36:49.299
 perfect to do this

00:36:49.299 --> 00:36:50.579
 because communion

00:36:50.579 --> 00:36:53.339
 symbolizes having a

00:36:53.339 --> 00:36:54.279
 meal with Jesus.

00:36:56.199 --> 00:36:57.559
 That you've now been

00:36:57.559 --> 00:36:58.839
 welcomed into the

00:36:58.839 --> 00:36:59.519
 family of God.

00:36:59.599 --> 00:37:00.739
 You're sitting at the

00:37:00.739 --> 00:37:01.439
 dining table.

00:37:01.939 --> 00:37:03.039
 That's a symbol of

00:37:03.039 --> 00:37:04.099
 family, of fellowship

00:37:04.099 --> 00:37:05.360
 fellowship in Hebrew

00:37:05.360 --> 00:37:05.799
 culture.

00:37:08.139 --> 00:37:09.099
 But I want us to

00:37:09.099 --> 00:37:09.880
 take a moment and

00:37:09.880 --> 00:37:11.139
 think about who's not

00:37:11.139 --> 00:37:12.339
 at the dining table.

00:37:13.559 --> 00:37:14.819
 Who's not sharing

00:37:14.819 --> 00:37:16.599
 this communion, this

00:37:16.599 --> 00:37:17.819
 community with us.

00:37:18.940 --> 00:37:21.319
 Who do you know who

00:37:21.319 --> 00:37:22.440
 you would just love to

00:37:22.440 --> 00:37:23.380
 be sitting in that

00:37:23.380 --> 00:37:24.839
 empty seat next to you?

00:37:25.259 --> 00:37:26.559
 You can see their name

00:37:26.559 --> 00:37:26.900
 on it.

00:37:27.339 --> 00:37:28.480
 The name tag is there.

00:37:28.559 --> 00:37:29.599
 The placard is there.

00:37:29.599 --> 00:37:30.920
 But they're not there

00:37:30.920 --> 00:37:31.139
 yet.

00:37:32.259 --> 00:37:33.440
 And I want to invite us

00:37:33.440 --> 00:37:34.480
 to just take a moment

00:37:34.480 --> 00:37:35.699
 instead of rushing into

00:37:35.699 --> 00:37:36.759
 looking, getting the

00:37:36.759 --> 00:37:39.360
 elements to actually

00:37:39.360 --> 00:37:40.199
 think about that.

00:37:40.279 --> 00:37:43.099
 Who in your life, or

00:37:43.099 --> 00:37:43.839
 maybe it's a people

00:37:43.839 --> 00:37:46.400
 group, and think about

00:37:46.400 --> 00:37:48.119
 who is not at the table

00:37:48.119 --> 00:37:49.019
 with you right now.

00:37:51.019 --> 00:37:52.579
 Communion is a time for

00:37:52.579 --> 00:37:52.980
 believers.

00:37:52.980 --> 00:37:54.420
 And so if you're not a

00:37:54.420 --> 00:37:55.619
 follower of Jesus today,

00:37:56.119 --> 00:37:57.219
 I want to invite you.

00:37:58.240 --> 00:37:59.039
 Why aren't you at the

00:37:59.039 --> 00:37:59.639
 table yet?

00:38:01.539 --> 00:38:02.639
 What do you think about

00:38:02.639 --> 00:38:02.980
 Jesus?

00:38:03.880 --> 00:38:04.639
 What do you think about

00:38:04.639 --> 00:38:05.719
 the incarnation, about

00:38:05.719 --> 00:38:06.740
 this idea that God

00:38:06.740 --> 00:38:08.139
 loved you so much that

00:38:08.139 --> 00:38:10.260
 he came to find you?

00:38:11.300 --> 00:38:12.340
 I'd love to talk to you

00:38:12.340 --> 00:38:13.039
 more about it.

00:38:13.599 --> 00:38:14.280
 Or I'd encourage you to

00:38:14.280 --> 00:38:15.400
 talk to a friend about

00:38:15.400 --> 00:38:16.240
 it, or whoever brought

00:38:16.240 --> 00:38:16.840
 you about it.

00:38:18.500 --> 00:38:19.440
 So I'm going to invite

00:38:19.440 --> 00:38:21.340
 the stewards to come up.

00:38:21.400 --> 00:38:21.940
 I want to invite the

00:38:21.940 --> 00:38:22.880
 band to come up.

00:38:23.240 --> 00:38:23.840
 And I want to invite

00:38:23.840 --> 00:38:26.340
 you to just meditate

00:38:26.340 --> 00:38:27.400
 on that truth and

00:38:27.400 --> 00:38:30.980
 think about who's

00:38:30.980 --> 00:38:32.039
 missing from the table

00:38:32.039 --> 00:38:34.139
 in your life.

00:38:35.159 --> 00:38:36.760
 And who is God calling

00:38:36.760 --> 00:38:37.980
 you to go to?

00:38:41.300 --> 00:38:43.059
 Who might you be able

00:38:43.059 --> 00:38:44.960
 to invite to our

00:38:44.960 --> 00:38:47.940
 Christmas service this

00:38:47.940 --> 00:38:49.199
 Friday and Saturday?

00:38:49.199 --> 00:38:53.619
 When you're ready, you

00:38:53.619 --> 00:38:54.659
 can come up, grab the

00:38:54.659 --> 00:38:56.519
 elements, go back to

00:38:56.519 --> 00:38:57.219
 your seats, and then

00:38:57.219 --> 00:38:58.339
 afterwards I'll lead all

00:38:58.339 --> 00:38:59.879
 of us in taking the

00:38:59.879 --> 00:39:00.619
 communion elements

00:39:00.619 --> 00:39:00.960
 together.

00:39:00.980 --> 00:39:02.659
, and 2nd, and 6 préserved

00:39:02.659 --> 00:39:04.179
 again.

00:39:04.179 --> 00:39:05.679
 Here we go.

00:39:05.699 --> 00:39:05.960
 V будет

00:39:05.960 --> 00:39:10.579
 some

00:39:10.579 --> 00:39:11.559
 family

00:39:11.559 --> 00:39:12.260
 behavior

00:39:12.260 --> 00:39:12.519
 that

00:39:12.519 --> 00:39:13.179
 you

00:39:13.179 --> 00:39:14.599
 know.

00:39:14.599 --> 00:39:14.960
 This

00:39:14.960 --> 00:39:15.000
 is

00:39:15.019 --> 00:39:15.619
 a