WEBVTT

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 During this Christmas season, we have been working our way through the prologue to John's

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 Gospel, talking together about some different aspects of the Incarnation.

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 In particular, in the last couple of weeks, we have been considering how Jesus leaves the glories

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 and the comforts of heaven and enters into our pain.

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 We've said that when the Word becomes flesh, He sacrifices the status and privilege of divinity

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 and He runs toward the pain and suffering of this world.

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 And that's glorious.

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 It's awe-inspiring to consider what God has done when the Word becomes flesh.

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 But it also begs the question, why?

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 Why?

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 What could possibly motivate God to leave those glories and comforts in order to enter into

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 pain and suffering?

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 What could drive Him to do that?

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 This morning, we get to the climax of John's prologue and we'll get to see a glimpse of

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 the heart of God in becoming man.

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 Hear God's Word from John chapter 1, starting at verse 1.

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 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

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 He was in the beginning with God.

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 All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.

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 In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.

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 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

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 There was a man sent from God whose name was John.

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 He came as a witness to bear witness about the light that all might believe through Him.

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 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

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 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

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 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him.

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 He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.

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 But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children

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 of God, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man,

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 but of God.

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 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only

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 Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

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 If you turn over just a couple chapters to chapter 3 at verse 16, we hear these familiar words.

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 For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should

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 not perish, but have eternal life.

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 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the

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 world might be saved through Him.

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 This is God's holy word.

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 Let's pray and ask Him to teach us together.

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 Father, we give You thanks for Your word.

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 We thank You for Your love for us and how it is displayed beautifully there.

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 Father, Father, would You give us Your heart.

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 By Your Spirit, teach us and change us this morning, that we might know more of Your heart

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 this Christmas.

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 Pray in Jesus' name.

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 Amen.

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 When we ask the question of what motivated God to become man, to send His Son as the Word

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 become flesh, the answer is profound, but it's not complicated.

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 It's love.

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 That's it.

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 I'm not even going to leave you in suspense.

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 The sermon's kind of over at this point.

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 It's love.

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 That's all there is to it.

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 Love.

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 If we look at the definition of the incarnation that we've been considering, you'll see it's

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 in there.

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 The incarnation is the intentional entrance of the divine Son of God into our fallen world

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 in human flesh to secure our redemption at the cost of His life.

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 Why?

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 Because of His great love.

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 It's because of His great love that He would do that.

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 Love.

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 It's certainly there in John 3.16, those words you're familiar with, but that word love is

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 not even in the verses we're considering in John 1.

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 Rather, what we'll see in John 1 this morning is God demonstrating to us how much He loves.

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 When I was a freshman at Clemson, several upperclassmen reached out to me very early on.

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 They welcomed me in.

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 They made me feel part of a community and like I had a home during that very difficult transition

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 that we all go through and leaving home and living away from home for the first time.

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 They made me feel a part of a community, especially in RUF, the campus ministry that I was involved

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 in there at Clemson.

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 And so that next year, when I was a sophomore, I was on the ministry team with RUF and before

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 the year started, I went to our campus minister and said, that's what I want to do.

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 I want to be focused on those new freshman guys.

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 I want to make them feel loved.

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 And so I asked him, I said, what would you do?

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 How do you make them feel loved?

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 And his answer was not exactly what I was expecting.

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 I was looking forward to hearing like strategies and events to do and things to say and things

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 not to say.

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 And he gave a fairly simple answer, but it's stuck with me for many years.

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 He said, well, if you want them to feel loved, I would say the easiest way is to start by

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 actually loving them and then just kind of see where that takes you.

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 But it's actually best if you really love them.

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 And I thought, wow, that's crazy.

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 You mean it's actually easier to love them than to pretend that I love them and try to make

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 them feel like I love them to actually begin caring about them.

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 And that step one is genuinely loving is true because love is a feeling and a commitment

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 that drives actions, isn't it?

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 Actually loving them was easier than pretending to.

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 When you actually love, it will be demonstrated and usually then felt as well.

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 In John 3.16, we see that God so loved the world that he gave.

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 There's really no other or better explanation for the incarnation, for the seemingly inexplicable

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 decision that Jesus made to sacrifice for us than love.

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 Love fuels God's heart.

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 It overflows from God's heart because, as the Bible tells us, God is love.

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 1 John 4.8.

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 From cover to cover of the Bible, it's a story of a God who loves.

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 Loves enough to have relationship with the people he created.

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 Loves powerfully enough to deliver them out of Egypt and slavery.

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 Loves patiently enough to bear with their sin, their idolatry, their rebellion against him.

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 Loves persistently enough to bring them back from exile and bring them to the promised land

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 again.

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 The love of God is a love that reaches down to care about and to tangibly help those who

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 are in need.

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 As Sally Lloyd-Jones says, God's love is a never-stopping, never-giving-up, unbreaking,

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 always-and-forever love.

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 It's an irrevocable commitment to relationship with his people, to their ultimate good, no

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 matter what it takes.

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 And sometimes it takes a lot, a lot of sacrifice, as it does in the incarnation.

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 And so in John 1, we are shown, in essence, how much God loves.

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 In the incarnation, God demonstrates the reality and the enormity of the love in his heart as

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 he takes on flesh.

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 Kids, if you were to think at Christmastime, what is one way that our parents show us that

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 they love us, what would you think of?

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 How do your parents at Christmastime show you that they love you?

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 You got any idea?

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 Presents.

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 That is one way, isn't it?

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 They give gifts.

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 Giving gifts is one way to show love.

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 And God gives us gifts.

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 The gift of God, Romans 6.23 says, is eternal life.

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 That true and everlasting life referenced in John 1 and in John 3.16.

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 A gift that really can't be matched.

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 The best gift you could possibly ever receive.

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 The good news of Christmas is that Jesus didn't come to give merely a little social improvement,

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 a few family values, temporary political deliverance.

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 No, he came to give eternal life, which in the meantime can and does transform all of life.

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 But he came primarily to meet our greatest need, life in the face of death, which is what

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 we deserved.

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 God so loved the world that he gave.

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 But he didn't just send a gift in the mail.

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 That would have been loving, certainly.

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 But he didn't just send a gift in the mail.

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 That gift of eternal life is given in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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 1 John 4 says, the way God shows that he is love is by giving himself.

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 He loves us so much more that he would even give himself.

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 Look at verse 9 of 1 John 4.

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 In this, the love of God was made manifest among us that God sent his only son into the

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 world so that we might live through him.

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 So that we could have life.

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 God himself came.

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 He gives himself in the incarnation.

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 That's another way at Christmas that many of us will show love or will receive love.

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 By showing up.

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 Right?

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 Don't you love when people don't only send gifts, but some of you are here this morning

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 because you have shown up face to face in the lives of those you love.

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 You've perhaps come a long way.

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 And don't we appreciate and receive that love all the more when we know how much it's

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 cost them to get there?

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 All they've had to sacrifice to be there with us because they love us.

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 In Jesus, God shows up to be Emmanuel.

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 God with us.

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 We've considered it over the last few weeks as light breaking into our darkness.

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 As God running toward our pain.

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 John says it this way in verse 14 of chapter 1.

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 And the word became flesh and dwelt among us.

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 You may know that word for dwelt, dwelt among us, is the word that in the Old Testament was

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 for tabernacle.

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 God's mobile home, the place he lived among his people, even while they wandered through

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 the desert and failed to trust him and obey him.

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 Here God lived in the tabernacle.

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 And so this verse is telling us that the word became flesh and tabernacled among us.

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 He shows up to demonstrate his love in person.

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 Not merely driving across the country to be with someone he loves, but reaching across

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 space and time, moving heaven and earth so that he can be with us.

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 So God didn't just give a gift, but he actually gave himself.

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 And one final demonstration, he doesn't just show up himself temporarily, but permanently.

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 This is not the obligatory 24-hour drop-in because it's the holidays and I don't want to get

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 in trouble with mom and dad.

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 No, the incarnation establishes, confirms our permanent relationship with God.

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 Verse 12 of John 1.

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 To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children

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 of God who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man,

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 but of God.

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 God gives not just life, not just eternal life, but he gave the right to live that life

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 as his children in relationship with him, with him as our father.

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 Born into God's family, given the right to be his child because we wanted it so badly and we worked so hard?

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 No.

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 By the will of God, it was his idea to have you in his family.

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 How much does God love you?

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 God demonstrates his love by not merely forgiving our deadly sins and giving us life,

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 by not merely entering into our world and our lives here and there from time to time

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 to help us out in tight spots,

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 but particularly by once and for all adopting us into his family forever.

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 You know that I love the image of the judge who says our penalty is paid in full by Jesus

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 and we are declared not guilty but righteous before him.

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 And that same judge in criminal court jumping out from behind his desk,

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 grabbing you by the hand, running all the way down the hall to family court

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 and adopting you as his child, becoming your father.

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 Behold what manner of love the father has for us that we should be called children of God

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 and that is what we are, 1 John 3.

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 How much must the heart of God be full of love towards you

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 that he would adopt you into his family?

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 How committed is he to this relationship with you?

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 How certain is he that he never wants to be separated from you?

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 To those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

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 born by his choice.

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 Behold what manner of love the father has given to us.

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 Now God's word has been challenging us and I've been pushing us a bit in the last few weeks

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 to consider how the incarnation challenges us

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 and how God sends us into the lives of others.

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 The darkness of the world, the suffering of those around us every day.

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 But today I have to admit and we have to remember that there's no way

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 we will sacrifice our comfort and our riches and our peace

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 to run toward pain unless we actually love.

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 You can't pretend that.

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 It's no surprise to you that God calls us to love others.

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 Right after that great definition of love in 1 John 4,

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 John says this,

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 this is how God loves.

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 He's loved.

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 He's loved us and sent his son.

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 Beloved, if God so loved us,

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 we also ought to love one another.

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 We are to love each other.

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 Our brothers and sisters in Christ,

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 elsewhere our neighbors,

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 and even our enemies,

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 we're called to love.

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 We are called to give sacrificially,

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 to show up in the pain,

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 to give of ourselves,

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 and consistently to be there for a relationship

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 that is outlasted only by the eternal relationship

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 they can know with their God.

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 We are called to love how?

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 Like God.

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 We are called to love as we have been loved,

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 as he has loved us.

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 Y'all, we better pray for God's heart

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 to love like God,

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 because we don't love like that naturally.

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 We ought to pray that we would actually,

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 truly love,

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 because there are a lot of people

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 hard to love in our lives.

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 Not just the ones we've talked about this morning,

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 like college freshmen,

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 family members at Christmas.

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 Don't raise your hand

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 if you've got hard people to love

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 sitting on the pew next to you this morning.

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 Just think it

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 and anticipate the next 24 hours together.

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 You can make it.

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 There are a lot of people

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 who are hard to love

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 that God is sending us

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 to show his love to.

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 But that's exactly what his love is like.

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 God's love is for the unlovely.

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 You know, that's what John 3.16 actually says

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 when it says,

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 God so loved the world.

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 Remember last week,

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 what we learned about the world?

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 It's a world in rebellion against him.

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 Who doesn't love him.

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 Who ignores him.

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 Who won't receive him.

00:19:34.039 --> 00:19:36.400
 And God so loved that world

00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:39.100
 that he sent his son into it.

00:19:39.620 --> 00:19:41.319
 He showed us his love

00:19:41.319 --> 00:19:42.700
 while we were yet sinners

00:19:42.700 --> 00:19:44.259
 and enemies of his

00:19:44.259 --> 00:19:46.039
 by being born in a manger,

00:19:46.700 --> 00:19:47.779
 living perfectly,

00:19:48.119 --> 00:19:49.460
 and then showing his love

00:19:49.460 --> 00:19:51.079
 to its fullest extent

00:19:51.079 --> 00:19:53.500
 by dying on the cross

00:19:53.500 --> 00:19:55.419
 in our place.

00:19:56.539 --> 00:19:58.859
 God's love is for those

00:19:58.859 --> 00:20:00.619
 who are against him.

00:20:01.079 --> 00:20:03.319
 It's love for the unlovely

00:20:03.319 --> 00:20:04.759
 that makes them lovely

00:20:04.759 --> 00:20:06.639
 because he loves them

00:20:06.639 --> 00:20:08.519
 rather than the other way around.

00:20:08.519 --> 00:20:12.960
 So if you feel unlovely this morning,

00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:15.859
 if you think your failures

00:20:15.859 --> 00:20:17.700
 and your shame

00:20:17.700 --> 00:20:20.000
 have made you hard to love,

00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:22.400
 perhaps have even put you

00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:25.259
 beyond the reach of God's love,

00:20:25.700 --> 00:20:26.480
 you need to know

00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:28.460
 that's not the case at all.

00:20:28.779 --> 00:20:30.599
 God's love is drawn to

00:20:30.599 --> 00:20:32.220
 and reaches toward

00:20:32.220 --> 00:20:34.019
 the most unlovely.

00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:37.639
 God, give us that love.

00:20:38.519 --> 00:20:39.960
 Love for the unlovely.

00:20:40.079 --> 00:20:42.279
 Love that is both deeply felt

00:20:42.279 --> 00:20:44.559
 and tangibly demonstrated.

00:20:48.079 --> 00:20:49.039
 Robert Benson

00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:50.319
 is the original author

00:20:50.319 --> 00:20:51.740
 of a Christmas story

00:20:51.740 --> 00:20:52.920
 that many have adapted

00:20:52.920 --> 00:20:54.539
 and I'm going to do that

00:20:54.539 --> 00:20:55.519
 as well this morning.

00:20:56.500 --> 00:20:57.200
 It's the story

00:20:57.200 --> 00:20:58.180
 of a homeless boy

00:20:58.180 --> 00:20:58.879
 in Chicago

00:20:58.879 --> 00:21:00.579
 on Christmas Eve.

00:21:01.339 --> 00:21:01.980
 I'll read.

00:21:01.980 --> 00:21:05.519
 It was a cold, dark night.

00:21:06.120 --> 00:21:07.480
 A blizzard was coming.

00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:08.920
 A little homeless boy

00:21:08.920 --> 00:21:10.079
 was selling newspapers

00:21:10.079 --> 00:21:10.839
 on the corner.

00:21:11.860 --> 00:21:13.120
 He finally walked up

00:21:13.120 --> 00:21:14.339
 to a policeman and said,

00:21:14.700 --> 00:21:15.519
 Mister, do you know

00:21:15.519 --> 00:21:16.400
 where a poor boy

00:21:16.400 --> 00:21:17.680
 could find a warm place

00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:18.579
 to sleep tonight?

00:21:19.420 --> 00:21:20.720
 I sleep in a box

00:21:20.720 --> 00:21:21.460
 in the alley

00:21:21.460 --> 00:21:23.259
 and it is very cold.

00:21:23.860 --> 00:21:24.559
 It's the night

00:21:24.559 --> 00:21:25.319
 before Christmas.

00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:26.039
 I sure wish

00:21:26.039 --> 00:21:27.299
 I had a nice, warm place

00:21:27.299 --> 00:21:27.839
 to stay.

00:21:27.839 --> 00:21:30.159
 The policeman told

00:21:30.159 --> 00:21:30.679
 the little boy

00:21:30.679 --> 00:21:31.740
 to go down the street

00:21:31.740 --> 00:21:33.059
 to the big white house

00:21:33.059 --> 00:21:34.539
 and knock on the door.

00:21:34.839 --> 00:21:35.579
 When a lady comes

00:21:35.579 --> 00:21:36.039
 to the door,

00:21:36.159 --> 00:21:36.980
 you just say,

00:21:37.339 --> 00:21:38.539
 John 3.16

00:21:38.539 --> 00:21:40.199
 and she will let you

00:21:40.199 --> 00:21:40.899
 in the house.

00:21:41.899 --> 00:21:43.039
 The shivering little boy

00:21:43.039 --> 00:21:43.839
 ran to the house.

00:21:44.099 --> 00:21:45.079
 He walked up the steps

00:21:45.079 --> 00:21:46.019
 and knocked on the door

00:21:46.019 --> 00:21:47.199
 and a lady came to the door.

00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:48.399
 He looked up and said,

00:21:48.639 --> 00:21:49.699
 John 3.16.

00:21:50.699 --> 00:21:51.419
 The lady said,

00:21:51.500 --> 00:21:52.559
 Come in, my son.

00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:54.859
 She took him inside

00:21:54.859 --> 00:21:55.619
 the warm house

00:21:55.619 --> 00:21:56.779
 and gave him a seat

00:21:56.779 --> 00:21:57.739
 in front of the fireplace.

00:21:58.859 --> 00:21:59.500
 The little boy

00:21:59.500 --> 00:22:00.479
 sat near the fireplace

00:22:00.479 --> 00:22:01.179
 and thought,

00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:02.859
 John 3.16,

00:22:03.059 --> 00:22:04.719
 I don't know what it means,

00:22:05.379 --> 00:22:06.319
 but it sure makes

00:22:06.319 --> 00:22:07.539
 a cold boy warm.

00:22:08.819 --> 00:22:09.799
 Later she asked him,

00:22:09.839 --> 00:22:10.439
 Are you hungry?

00:22:10.819 --> 00:22:11.500
 And he said,

00:22:11.699 --> 00:22:12.619
 Well, just a little.

00:22:12.759 --> 00:22:13.519
 I have not eaten

00:22:13.519 --> 00:22:14.619
 in a couple of days.

00:22:15.639 --> 00:22:16.639
 She sat the boy down

00:22:16.639 --> 00:22:17.519
 at the kitchen table

00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:18.439
 full of food.

00:22:18.559 --> 00:22:19.899
 He ate and ate

00:22:19.899 --> 00:22:21.079
 until he was full.

00:22:21.539 --> 00:22:22.259
 As he was eating,

00:22:22.259 --> 00:22:22.799
 he thought,

00:22:23.619 --> 00:22:24.839
 John 3.16.

00:22:24.839 --> 00:22:26.500
 I don't know what it means,

00:22:26.639 --> 00:22:28.059
 but it sure makes

00:22:28.059 --> 00:22:29.319
 a hungry boy full.

00:22:30.480 --> 00:22:31.399
 She took him upstairs

00:22:31.399 --> 00:22:32.339
 to a huge bathtub

00:22:32.339 --> 00:22:33.519
 filled with warm water.

00:22:33.899 --> 00:22:34.619
 She told him to take

00:22:34.619 --> 00:22:35.339
 a warm bath

00:22:35.339 --> 00:22:36.659
 and put on warm pajamas.

00:22:37.199 --> 00:22:37.939
 And as he soaked

00:22:37.939 --> 00:22:38.579
 in the tub,

00:22:38.639 --> 00:22:39.039
 he thought,

00:22:39.459 --> 00:22:40.559
 John 3.16,

00:22:40.919 --> 00:22:42.500
 I don't know what it means,

00:22:42.599 --> 00:22:43.579
 but it sure makes

00:22:43.579 --> 00:22:45.220
 a dirty boy clean.

00:22:46.699 --> 00:22:47.879
 Then she tucked him in bed

00:22:47.879 --> 00:22:48.379
 and kissed him

00:22:48.379 --> 00:22:49.039
 on the forehead.

00:22:49.220 --> 00:22:49.980
 The boy lay there

00:22:49.980 --> 00:22:50.480
 and thought,

00:22:50.879 --> 00:22:52.000
 John 3.16,

00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:53.319
 I don't know what it means,

00:22:53.319 --> 00:22:54.480
 but it sure makes

00:22:54.480 --> 00:22:55.799
 a tired boy rested.

00:22:57.399 --> 00:22:58.379
 The next morning

00:22:58.379 --> 00:22:59.619
 was Christmas Day

00:22:59.619 --> 00:23:00.879
 and the woman gave

00:23:00.879 --> 00:23:02.579
 the boy a big wrapped present.

00:23:02.899 --> 00:23:03.899
 He quickly pulled off

00:23:03.899 --> 00:23:04.359
 the ribbons

00:23:04.359 --> 00:23:05.039
 and opened it

00:23:05.039 --> 00:23:06.039
 and he was surprised

00:23:06.039 --> 00:23:07.319
 to find new clothes

00:23:07.319 --> 00:23:08.019
 and a Bible.

00:23:09.579 --> 00:23:10.799
 He happily thought again,

00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:12.099
 John 3.16,

00:23:12.259 --> 00:23:13.599
 I don't know what it means,

00:23:13.799 --> 00:23:15.240
 but it sure makes

00:23:15.240 --> 00:23:16.460
 a poor boy happy.

00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:19.179
 And the lady took his Bible

00:23:19.180 --> 00:23:20.840
 and sat down near him

00:23:20.840 --> 00:23:21.480
 and asked him,

00:23:21.759 --> 00:23:23.799
 do you know John 3.16?

00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:25.560
 And he said,

00:23:25.600 --> 00:23:25.960
 no ma'am,

00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:26.560
 I don't.

00:23:26.940 --> 00:23:28.279
 The first time I heard of it

00:23:28.279 --> 00:23:29.180
 was when the policeman

00:23:29.180 --> 00:23:30.320
 told me to use it.

00:23:31.500 --> 00:23:32.600
 She opened the Bible

00:23:32.600 --> 00:23:33.920
 to John 3.16

00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:35.120
 and he read,

00:23:35.120 --> 00:23:38.019
 for God so loved the world

00:23:38.019 --> 00:23:40.279
 that he gave his only son

00:23:40.279 --> 00:23:42.360
 that whoever believes in him

00:23:42.360 --> 00:23:43.840
 should not perish

00:23:43.840 --> 00:23:46.140
 but have eternal life.

00:23:46.140 --> 00:23:48.000
 And she said,

00:23:48.080 --> 00:23:49.360
 you are always welcome

00:23:49.360 --> 00:23:50.800
 in this house

00:23:50.800 --> 00:23:52.300
 and I would love for you

00:23:52.300 --> 00:23:53.759
 to be a part of my family

00:23:53.759 --> 00:23:55.940
 but even more importantly,

00:23:56.120 --> 00:23:57.780
 you are loved by God

00:23:57.780 --> 00:23:59.900
 and can be a part of his family

00:23:59.900 --> 00:24:00.900
 forever.

00:24:02.800 --> 00:24:03.900
 Now he understood

00:24:03.900 --> 00:24:06.380
 what Christmas really was about.

00:24:06.820 --> 00:24:07.780
 He held his new Bible

00:24:07.780 --> 00:24:09.960
 as he sat in front of the warm fire

00:24:09.960 --> 00:24:10.660
 and thought,

00:24:11.580 --> 00:24:12.680
 John 3.16,

00:24:12.900 --> 00:24:14.300
 now I know a little

00:24:14.300 --> 00:24:15.280
 what it means

00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:17.139
 and it sure makes

00:24:17.139 --> 00:24:19.200
 a cold boy feel warm inside.

00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:20.779
 It sure makes

00:24:20.779 --> 00:24:21.779
 a lonely boy

00:24:21.779 --> 00:24:23.259
 feel loved.

00:24:25.759 --> 00:24:27.339
 What a beautiful story

00:24:27.339 --> 00:24:28.859
 of love

00:24:28.859 --> 00:24:30.740
 for the unlovely

00:24:30.740 --> 00:24:31.980
 demonstrated

00:24:31.980 --> 00:24:32.980
 in word

00:24:32.980 --> 00:24:34.460
 and in deed

00:24:34.460 --> 00:24:36.339
 for God

00:24:36.339 --> 00:24:38.019
 so loved the world

00:24:38.019 --> 00:24:39.619
 that he gave,

00:24:40.700 --> 00:24:41.619
 that he gave

00:24:41.619 --> 00:24:43.059
 his only son

00:24:43.059 --> 00:24:45.139
 that whoever believes

00:24:45.139 --> 00:24:45.700
 in him

00:24:45.700 --> 00:24:46.940
 might not perish

00:24:46.940 --> 00:24:47.879
 but have

00:24:47.879 --> 00:24:49.740
 eternal life.

00:24:49.919 --> 00:24:50.779
 When God wanted

00:24:50.779 --> 00:24:51.599
 to show us

00:24:51.599 --> 00:24:52.559
 his love,

00:24:52.819 --> 00:24:53.899
 he gave.

00:24:54.639 --> 00:24:56.059
 He gave himself.

00:24:56.700 --> 00:24:57.980
 He gave himself

00:24:57.980 --> 00:24:58.779
 forever

00:24:58.779 --> 00:24:59.859
 to us

00:24:59.859 --> 00:25:01.299
 as our father

00:25:01.299 --> 00:25:02.500
 so that we,

00:25:02.839 --> 00:25:03.559
 though we be

00:25:03.559 --> 00:25:05.319
 completely unworthy

00:25:05.319 --> 00:25:06.879
 and unlovely,

00:25:07.659 --> 00:25:09.399
 would be his children

00:25:09.400 --> 00:25:11.580
 who know

00:25:11.580 --> 00:25:13.660
 and revel in

00:25:13.660 --> 00:25:15.220
 and delight

00:25:15.220 --> 00:25:16.480
 to share freely

00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:18.720
 his immeasurable love.

00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:20.220
 Let's pray.

00:25:24.259 --> 00:25:24.720
 God,

00:25:24.780 --> 00:25:25.580
 we worship you

00:25:25.580 --> 00:25:26.440
 for your

00:25:26.440 --> 00:25:27.380
 heart

00:25:27.380 --> 00:25:28.300
 of love.

00:25:28.299 --> 00:25:31.339
 we plead

00:25:31.339 --> 00:25:31.819
 with you

00:25:31.819 --> 00:25:32.220
 that you

00:25:32.220 --> 00:25:33.099
 would give us

00:25:33.099 --> 00:25:33.980
 your heart

00:25:33.980 --> 00:25:37.339
 that we might

00:25:37.339 --> 00:25:38.440
 truly love

00:25:38.440 --> 00:25:40.799
 in the way

00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:41.319
 that we have

00:25:41.319 --> 00:25:42.619
 been loved.

00:25:44.859 --> 00:25:45.440
 Father,

00:25:45.519 --> 00:25:46.059
 would those of us

00:25:46.059 --> 00:25:46.740
 who haven't

00:25:46.740 --> 00:25:47.919
 experienced that

00:25:47.919 --> 00:25:49.619
 love for ourselves

00:25:49.619 --> 00:25:50.759
 this Christmas

00:25:50.759 --> 00:25:51.680
 see a glimpse

00:25:51.680 --> 00:25:52.180
 of it

00:25:52.180 --> 00:25:53.879
 in a baby

00:25:53.879 --> 00:25:54.700
 in a manger

00:25:54.700 --> 00:25:56.019
 in a God

00:25:56.019 --> 00:25:56.980
 who would become

00:25:56.980 --> 00:25:57.860
 flesh

00:25:57.860 --> 00:25:59.799
 for us

00:25:59.799 --> 00:26:01.460
 because of

00:26:01.460 --> 00:26:02.620
 his great love

00:26:02.620 --> 00:26:04.200
 for us.

00:26:05.920 --> 00:26:07.079
 Do that work

00:26:07.079 --> 00:26:07.839
 in our hearts.

00:26:08.440 --> 00:26:09.420
 We ask

00:26:09.420 --> 00:26:10.599
 for Jesus' sake

00:26:10.599 --> 00:26:11.640
 and for the sake

00:26:11.640 --> 00:26:12.160
 of those

00:26:12.160 --> 00:26:13.079
 he would send us

00:26:13.079 --> 00:26:14.259
 to with his love.

00:26:15.700 --> 00:26:16.000
 Amen.

00:26:19.660 --> 00:26:21.039
 For more information,

00:26:21.420 --> 00:26:22.339
 visit us online

00:26:22.339 --> 00:26:23.620
 at southwood.org.

00:26:26.980 --> 00:26:40.759
 and

00:26:40.759 --> 00:26:41.880
 thank for