WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:03.879 Hi, I'm Rick Warren, and Merry Christmas. Christmas is going 2 00:00:03.960 --> 00:00:06.120 to be here very soon, and Jesus said in Luke 3 00:00:06.200 --> 00:00:08.640 fourteen twenty three, go out into the highways in the 4 00:00:08.640 --> 00:00:11.640 countryside and urge everybody you find to come in so 5 00:00:11.679 --> 00:00:12.839 that my house will be full. 6 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:15.560 Who are you thinking of to bring to your church? 7 00:00:16.039 --> 00:00:16.800 Whoever it is. 8 00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:19.760 I want to challenge you to be a light at 9 00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:23.199 Christmas and invite them to services. 10 00:00:22.679 --> 00:00:23.399 At your church. 11 00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:28.559 Merry Christmas Eve, everyone. 12 00:00:28.879 --> 00:00:32.880 This is Pastor Rick's daily hope, and on this holy night, 13 00:00:33.039 --> 00:00:35.920 we're going to celebrate the hope that entered the world 14 00:00:35.960 --> 00:00:40.359 through Jesus Christ. So, whether you're with family, alone, or 15 00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:43.359 somewhere in between, we're so glad you've joined us for 16 00:00:43.439 --> 00:00:44.640 this special moment. 17 00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:47.079 So let's join Rick with a. 18 00:00:47.039 --> 00:00:52.000 Very special message called enjoying a Fear not Christmas. 19 00:00:52.679 --> 00:00:55.600 Everybody has secret fears, I do you do. 20 00:00:57.200 --> 00:01:00.719 It may be the fear that if everybody the real me, 21 00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:05.000 they wouldn't like me. That's a legitimate fear a lot 22 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:08.480 of people have. Then there's the fear of insignificance, that 23 00:01:08.599 --> 00:01:14.799 my life really won't matter. There's the fear of dying alone. 24 00:01:15.239 --> 00:01:17.680 There's the fear that my secret will be found out. 25 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:22.040 There's a fear that I'll never ever really be loved 26 00:01:23.480 --> 00:01:28.239 or find true love again. It is a significant fact 27 00:01:28.400 --> 00:01:31.719 that at the first Christmas, four times the phrase do 28 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:35.400 not be afraid is used. The angels had to say 29 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:38.040 it to Mary, had to say it to Joseph, had 30 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:40.640 to say it to the shepherds, had to say it 31 00:01:40.680 --> 00:01:44.719 to a priest named Zachariah. Four times. In the Christmas story, 32 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:51.079 God says, don't be afraid. Now today we know the 33 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:53.599 news of the birth of Jesus Christ as good news 34 00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:57.640 because we know what's going to happen. But it wasn't 35 00:01:57.680 --> 00:01:59.640 good news to the people who heard it the first time. 36 00:02:00.120 --> 00:02:04.560 In fact, it scared everybody to death. Maybe you don't 37 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:07.000 realize this, but in the first story, everybody was afraid. 38 00:02:07.719 --> 00:02:13.319 Mary was afraid, Joseph was afraid, Herod's afraid, shepherds are afraid, zachariaser. 39 00:02:13.840 --> 00:02:14.960 In fact, the Bible. 40 00:02:14.680 --> 00:02:18.599 Tells us the entire city of Jerusalem panicked when the 41 00:02:18.639 --> 00:02:23.759 news that the Messiah had been born. Every one of 42 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:26.479 the main characters had to deal with a different kind 43 00:02:26.599 --> 00:02:28.360 of fear. And what was interesting is I reread the 44 00:02:28.439 --> 00:02:30.680 Christmas story this week, I was struck by the fact 45 00:02:30.840 --> 00:02:33.280 that you and I still deal with the same fears today, 46 00:02:33.680 --> 00:02:36.759 two thousand years later. You have the exact same five 47 00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:40.319 fears that they dealt with in the very first Christmas. 48 00:02:41.240 --> 00:02:44.439 And in many ways, it was a tough year. Everybody 49 00:02:44.520 --> 00:02:47.199 agree with that. I mean, you look at the headlines 50 00:02:47.319 --> 00:02:49.680 last year. It seemed like every week there's a terrorism 51 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:53.400 attack around the world. There's mass shootings in schools and 52 00:02:53.439 --> 00:02:57.439 other places, there's racial tension, there's injustice, there's violence in 53 00:02:57.479 --> 00:03:04.000 the street, there's civil wars in the Middle East, and 54 00:03:04.039 --> 00:03:09.800 then the biggest refugee crisis in our lifetime. Right now, 55 00:03:10.039 --> 00:03:13.159 millions and millions and millions of people will not be 56 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:19.199 home for Christmas because they'll be in refugee camps. And 57 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:21.879 so for millions of people, this Christmas is not a 58 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:27.039 merry Christmas. It's a scary Christmas. And what we're looking 59 00:03:27.080 --> 00:03:31.479 at for millions of people this Christmas holiday season is 60 00:03:31.520 --> 00:03:37.159 not a season of cheerfulness, but a season of fearfulness. 61 00:03:39.479 --> 00:03:42.479 But the message of Christmas is this, don't be afraid. 62 00:03:42.599 --> 00:03:44.800 God says it four times. I don't want you to 63 00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:47.560 be free. It is not God's will that you walk 64 00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:48.879 around being afraid of anything. 65 00:03:49.319 --> 00:03:49.759 It's just not. 66 00:03:50.840 --> 00:03:52.639 And so today I want us to look at the 67 00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:57.680 Christmas story and how to defeat the fears that holds 68 00:03:57.680 --> 00:04:00.599 you back, that keep you from being all well, God 69 00:04:00.639 --> 00:04:02.840 wants you to be. What I want to do is 70 00:04:02.879 --> 00:04:06.000 pretty simple. I want to quickly go through the five 71 00:04:06.240 --> 00:04:09.479 common fears that they dealt with at the very first Christmas. 72 00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:12.520 And then I want to ask you how does that 73 00:04:12.560 --> 00:04:14.879 apply to you? And then I want to show you 74 00:04:15.240 --> 00:04:17.879 the antidote to living with fear. I'm going to show 75 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:22.279 you the secret of being fear free based on what 76 00:04:22.399 --> 00:04:24.759 God told them to do at the very first Christmas. Now, 77 00:04:24.759 --> 00:04:27.519 first let's identify the fears that they had at the 78 00:04:27.560 --> 00:04:29.439 first Christmas. Let's start with Mary. You might write this 79 00:04:29.480 --> 00:04:32.439 down if you're taking notes. Mary had to deal with 80 00:04:32.759 --> 00:04:37.560 the fear of inadequacy. The fear of inadequacy. Now you 81 00:04:37.639 --> 00:04:39.680 know the story. One day an angel appears to this 82 00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:44.839 young peasant girl and Israeli no education, poor. And the 83 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:48.240 angel says to Mary, God is going to keep his promise. 84 00:04:48.279 --> 00:04:50.839 He's been promising to come to earth for thousands of years. 85 00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:55.040 The Messiah, the chosen One, the Son of God, is 86 00:04:55.120 --> 00:04:57.639 coming he's going to come as a baby, and by 87 00:04:57.680 --> 00:05:00.480 the way, you get to be the mother would create 88 00:05:00.519 --> 00:05:04.600 a fear of inadequacy in anybody's life. There at least 89 00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:09.000 a dozen reasons why she should fear inadequate. She's a teenager. 90 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:12.160 In those days, people married as early as twelve years 91 00:05:12.199 --> 00:05:13.920 of age. She was probably at the most fifteen or 92 00:05:13.959 --> 00:05:18.199 sixteen years of age. She's a teenager. Second, she's unmarried. 93 00:05:18.839 --> 00:05:21.800 She's a virgin. She's never had relationships with a man, 94 00:05:21.959 --> 00:05:22.800 so she doesn't. 95 00:05:22.519 --> 00:05:23.399 Know anything about this. 96 00:05:23.639 --> 00:05:27.040 Number Three, she's engaged to a guy named jos How 97 00:05:27.079 --> 00:05:30.560 is she going to explain this one to her fiance? Fourth, 98 00:05:31.319 --> 00:05:33.120 she is told that the child is going to be 99 00:05:33.160 --> 00:05:34.839 the promised son of God that put the fear of 100 00:05:34.920 --> 00:05:38.720 God in anybody. Okay, you're going to raise a perfect child. 101 00:05:39.279 --> 00:05:42.199 Then then, fifth, how do you explain this to your 102 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:45.399 mom and your friends? Now, if you were a mother 103 00:05:45.720 --> 00:05:48.439 and your teenage daughter comes to you and says, Mom, 104 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:54.399 I've never had sex, but I'm pregnant and God's the daddy, right, 105 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:58.920 would you believe that? Would you believe that? I don't 106 00:05:58.920 --> 00:06:03.079 think so. I'm gonna explain that. And then, because her 107 00:06:03.160 --> 00:06:06.720 fiance they're taking a census, a Roman census. Her fiance 108 00:06:07.079 --> 00:06:09.600 has to go to his birth town. And so the 109 00:06:09.720 --> 00:06:12.720 day before she delivers, the last day of pregnancy, she 110 00:06:12.800 --> 00:06:15.279 has to write a donkey on a long journey. I 111 00:06:15.319 --> 00:06:17.240 don't know any pregnant woman who'd like to do that 112 00:06:17.319 --> 00:06:20.680 on the last day of pregnancy, write a donkey on 113 00:06:20.720 --> 00:06:24.399 a long journey. Then she has to deliver her first 114 00:06:24.480 --> 00:06:26.600 child by herself. 115 00:06:27.639 --> 00:06:28.319 In a barn. 116 00:06:29.560 --> 00:06:34.120 No doctor, no mom, no sisters, no aunts, no midwife. 117 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:39.959 That would create inadequacy. And then the lifelong task of 118 00:06:40.040 --> 00:06:43.439 raising the son of God. All of these things would 119 00:06:43.480 --> 00:06:47.040 create a fear of inadequacy. Bible tells it like this 120 00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:51.000 in Luke chapter one. Confused and disturbed, Mary tried not 121 00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:54.160 to think, or tried to think what the angel could mean. 122 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:58.879 So the Angel said, do not be afraid you might 123 00:06:58.879 --> 00:07:02.519 circle at That's the first the four times, for God 124 00:07:02.600 --> 00:07:06.639 has decided to bless you and to use you. I'm 125 00:07:06.639 --> 00:07:10.519 sure she's thinking, no, thanks God, you will have a son. 126 00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:13.439 You're to name him Jesus. He will be the Son 127 00:07:13.480 --> 00:07:16.639 of God. His kingdom will never end. And then Mary 128 00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:21.279 asked a very natural question, how can this be? How 129 00:07:21.319 --> 00:07:25.000 can this be? A sense of inadequacy. You'd probably ask 130 00:07:25.040 --> 00:07:27.240 the same thing. I certainly would. It's not good news, 131 00:07:27.319 --> 00:07:31.839 that's intimidating news. Now, Joseph, for fiance faces a whole 132 00:07:31.879 --> 00:07:34.480 different fear, and you might write this down. Joseph faced 133 00:07:34.680 --> 00:07:39.800 the fear of disapproval, the fear of disapproval. So think 134 00:07:39.839 --> 00:07:44.319 about this. Imagine your fiance tells you she's pregnant. You 135 00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:47.560 know you've never had sex with her, and then she 136 00:07:47.639 --> 00:07:52.759 claims God made me pregnant and the baby is the 137 00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:56.879 son of God. Right, how are you going to explain 138 00:07:56.959 --> 00:08:00.000 that to the community. It's a small town. Everybody knows 139 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:03.439 everything in town. Gossip spreads quickly. How do you explain 140 00:08:03.480 --> 00:08:07.519 that to your business associates, to your friends. Imagine the ridicule, 141 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:11.439 the shame, the gossip, the criticism heaped on Joseph. That 142 00:08:11.560 --> 00:08:14.399 guy she's taken in for a ride. If he believes 143 00:08:14.399 --> 00:08:18.000 that story, he's nuts. I mean, she's just got him 144 00:08:18.040 --> 00:08:21.759 hook line and sinker. Sure, he's telling me that his 145 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:25.360 fiance is pregnant. He's not the dad. The dad has 146 00:08:25.439 --> 00:08:31.480 got Joseph's first reaction to Mary's story was actually disbelieved, 147 00:08:31.720 --> 00:08:34.200 and he was going to break off the engagement. You know, 148 00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:36.919 I love you, honey, but I'm not buying this story. 149 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:41.200 And he privately decided that he was going to quietly 150 00:08:41.240 --> 00:08:43.679 break off the engagement. He wasn't gonna embarrass her. He 151 00:08:43.720 --> 00:08:46.600 loved her, he didn't want to make a scandal, but 152 00:08:46.679 --> 00:08:49.120 he was just going to end it right there because 153 00:08:49.159 --> 00:08:52.399 of the fear of disapproval of other people. And the 154 00:08:52.399 --> 00:08:55.840 Bible tells it like this, Matthew, chapter one. Now, this 155 00:08:55.879 --> 00:09:00.919 is how Jesus Christ was born. His mother, Mary was 156 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:04.279 engaged to be married to Joseph, but while she was 157 00:09:04.320 --> 00:09:09.720 still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Now, Joseph, 158 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:12.639 her fiance, being a good and righteous dude. 159 00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:14.679 That's the word in the Greek there, that dude. 160 00:09:14.759 --> 00:09:17.919 He's a good dude, decided to break off the engagement 161 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:21.480 quietly so it would not disgrace Mary publicly. 162 00:09:21.480 --> 00:09:22.200 He's a good guy. 163 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:26.840 But after he had considered doing this, an angel, the 164 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:30.519 Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph, 165 00:09:31.159 --> 00:09:32.679 do not be afraid. 166 00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:33.360 There's a second. 167 00:09:33.399 --> 00:09:36.519 Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, 168 00:09:36.600 --> 00:09:41.639 because the child in her is really from God's Holy Spirit. 169 00:09:41.720 --> 00:09:43.919 So just like with Mary, God has to tell Joseph 170 00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:47.120 fear not. Now, let me ask you a question. Who's 171 00:09:47.159 --> 00:09:53.879 disapproval are you afraid of? Whose disapproval are you afraid of? 172 00:09:54.960 --> 00:09:57.320 Let me ask you another way, whose approval are you 173 00:09:57.519 --> 00:09:58.159 living for? 174 00:10:00.039 --> 00:10:01.320 Talk about that in just a minute. 175 00:10:01.399 --> 00:10:04.720 The Bible says that the fear of disapproval is a trap. 176 00:10:05.080 --> 00:10:07.480 In other words, the moment I start worrying about what 177 00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:09.039 you think of me, I'm dead in the water. 178 00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:10.519 The moment you start worrying. 179 00:10:10.279 --> 00:10:12.360 About what other people think of you, You're gonna miss 180 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:14.759 God's plan for your life everybody. God has a plan 181 00:10:14.799 --> 00:10:17.000 for your life, and so does everybody else. You got 182 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:19.399 to decide whether you're gonna be a God pleaser or 183 00:10:19.480 --> 00:10:20.639 an everybody else pleaser. 184 00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:22.000 You're gonna be a people pleaser. 185 00:10:23.240 --> 00:10:26.759 Joseph could have missed the greatest blessing of his life, 186 00:10:27.559 --> 00:10:30.039 getting to be the step dad of the Son of God, 187 00:10:30.639 --> 00:10:33.120 if he had worried about the disapproval of other people. 188 00:10:33.720 --> 00:10:35.559 But I don't really care about what other people think. 189 00:10:35.960 --> 00:10:37.919 I'm gonna do this because it's the right thing to do. 190 00:10:38.919 --> 00:10:40.320 But it was a fear he had to deal with. 191 00:10:40.559 --> 00:10:43.120 Now next, there's another group in the first story, called 192 00:10:43.159 --> 00:10:45.440 the shepherds. And if you want to write this down, 193 00:10:45.480 --> 00:10:50.960 the shepherds faced the fear of sudden change, the fear 194 00:10:51.639 --> 00:10:55.480 of sudden change. Now here's the picture. The shepherds are 195 00:10:55.480 --> 00:10:59.120 out in the fields watching their flocks the night Jesus 196 00:10:59.240 --> 00:11:01.720 is born. The shepherds are kind of an easy come, 197 00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:04.039 easy go. They're kind of like surfers, you know, they 198 00:11:04.080 --> 00:11:07.840 just take everything easily. It's not a real stressful job, 199 00:11:08.279 --> 00:11:11.320 you know, watching sheep. That night, they've put the sheep 200 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:13.440 down for the night. They're sitting around the campfire. They've 201 00:11:13.480 --> 00:11:17.080 had dinner. They probably playing cards and you know, just 202 00:11:17.080 --> 00:11:19.679 having a good time. All of a sudden, the skylights 203 00:11:19.759 --> 00:11:20.559 up brilliantly. 204 00:11:21.679 --> 00:11:22.879 And remember this is the. 205 00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:25.480 Day before electricity, electric lights and lasers, and they haven't 206 00:11:25.480 --> 00:11:30.679 seen anything bright at night. Ever, the skylights up brilliantly, 207 00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:35.000 and the sky is filled with angels singing loudly in 208 00:11:35.080 --> 00:11:37.960 a choir. Now they've never seen angels. For all they know, 209 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:43.240 this could be ets extraterrestrials. And anyway, it scared them 210 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:47.759 to death because their plans for a quiet evening were 211 00:11:47.799 --> 00:11:48.279 shaken up. 212 00:11:48.320 --> 00:11:51.399 There was a sudden change. And the Bible says this, 213 00:11:51.480 --> 00:11:52.039 and Luke too. 214 00:11:52.360 --> 00:11:55.360 That night, some shepherds were in the field outside the 215 00:11:55.440 --> 00:11:59.399 village guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, you might circle 216 00:11:59.440 --> 00:12:01.919 that word sudden, because this is the fear of sudden change. 217 00:12:02.440 --> 00:12:04.600 Suddenly, an angel. 218 00:12:04.279 --> 00:12:07.080 Of the Lord appeared to them, and the radiance of 219 00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:09.440 the Lord's glory flashed. I mean it's like boom, like 220 00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:14.879 an explosion flashed and surrounded them. This light surrounded them, 221 00:12:15.039 --> 00:12:18.919 and they were terribly frightened. Well, I guess so. So 222 00:12:19.039 --> 00:12:21.879 the angel said to them, do not be afraid third time. 223 00:12:22.360 --> 00:12:24.320 You like to be caught off guard. No, you like 224 00:12:24.360 --> 00:12:29.399 to have your plans changed? No. And the reason why 225 00:12:29.440 --> 00:12:33.279 is because when that happens, adrenaline shoots through your system 226 00:12:33.320 --> 00:12:35.320 and you get that fight or flight syndroment. It's not 227 00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:39.399 very comfortable having your plans changed suddenly. But I want 228 00:12:39.440 --> 00:12:41.279 to tell you this, I've walked with God now for 229 00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:42.240 over fifty years. 230 00:12:42.600 --> 00:12:43.559 I'm a friend of God. 231 00:12:43.879 --> 00:12:45.279 I know him better than I know you, if I 232 00:12:45.320 --> 00:12:48.240 talk to him all the time, more than I talk 233 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:51.559 to you. And yet, even though I've known God for 234 00:12:51.600 --> 00:12:54.720 over fifty years, sometimes when God shows up in your life, 235 00:12:54.799 --> 00:12:58.960 it's scary, it's unsettling. He just all of a sudden 236 00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:02.240 shows up and oh what was that all about? And 237 00:13:02.279 --> 00:13:05.720 that's what happened here. It was the fear of sudden change. 238 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:08.519 But God doesn't want to scare you. That's why he says, 239 00:13:08.559 --> 00:13:11.519 don't be afraid, don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Now, 240 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:14.679 there's another character in the story who had to deal 241 00:13:14.759 --> 00:13:18.440 with panic when Jesus' birth was announced, and his name 242 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:21.919 was Herod. Herod was the king of the Jews. He 243 00:13:21.960 --> 00:13:24.759 was actually king of Judea, and he was actually hated 244 00:13:24.759 --> 00:13:27.279 by the Jews because he wasn't even actually a full Jew. 245 00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:32.080 And Herod was paranoid of losing his throne. He was 246 00:13:32.120 --> 00:13:35.720 so paranoid of conspiracy theories. History tells us, not just 247 00:13:35.799 --> 00:13:39.840 the Bible, but the history books tell us that Herod 248 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:42.840 had his brother in law killed for fear of him 249 00:13:42.840 --> 00:13:45.759 taken over his throne, had his mother killed, had his 250 00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:48.559 wife assassinated, and had his two sons assassinated. 251 00:13:48.600 --> 00:13:49.559 That's pretty paranoid. 252 00:13:49.879 --> 00:13:52.799 When he hears that Jesus quote the king of the 253 00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:56.720 Jews is being born, he freaks out. 254 00:13:57.360 --> 00:13:58.080 He didn't want his. 255 00:13:58.120 --> 00:14:03.799 Throne, so he orders this is known history, orders the 256 00:14:03.879 --> 00:14:07.480 death of every baby in Israel under two years of 257 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:11.519 age to try to prevent Jesus from being born, and 258 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:14.039 actually Mary and Joseph are warned in a dream. They 259 00:14:14.039 --> 00:14:17.240 take Jesus to Egypt. Jesus fends his early years in Egypt. 260 00:14:17.240 --> 00:14:22.759 Then they don't return to Nazareth until Herod dies, but 261 00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:26.919 he was panicked. Matthew chapter two tells his story about fear. 262 00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:30.600 Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the time that Herod 263 00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:33.639 was the King of the Jews. And then some wise 264 00:14:33.679 --> 00:14:36.960 men these are probably scientific guys who studied the stars 265 00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:40.519 from the east, more likely Babylon to the probably Iraqis. 266 00:14:40.919 --> 00:14:43.240 It was the Iraqis who came to see Jesus before 267 00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:47.000 the Jews did. Then some wise men from the east 268 00:14:47.080 --> 00:14:50.120 came to Jerusalem and started asking where is the king, 269 00:14:50.679 --> 00:14:53.360 the child born to be king of the Jews. We 270 00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:56.399 saw his star in the east, and we have come 271 00:14:56.519 --> 00:15:00.840 to worship him. And when King here had heard this news, 272 00:15:00.840 --> 00:15:03.799 he was deeply frightened. As I said, it freaked him out. 273 00:15:03.799 --> 00:15:07.879 He's disturbed, and it says, and so was everybody else 274 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:12.000 in Jerusalem. You know, we at Christmas sing the song 275 00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:18.480 Silent Night, Holy Night, all this calm, but it wasn't 276 00:15:18.519 --> 00:15:22.600 calm for Jerusalem. It says the whole city got nervous. 277 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:28.720 Everybody's afraid. Mary's afraid, Joseph's afraid, the Shepherd's afraid, Herod's afraid. 278 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:32.720 The entire town of Jerusalem. What's just happened here? Some 279 00:15:32.840 --> 00:15:35.159 important people from out of the country show up and say, 280 00:15:35.159 --> 00:15:37.039 the king of the Jews been war? What's going on? 281 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:40.919 And finally there was an old priest named Zachariah. And 282 00:15:41.039 --> 00:15:43.120 Zachari had worked in the temple in Jerusalem for many, 283 00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:47.320 many years, and his wife was named Elizabeth. Now Elizabeth 284 00:15:47.480 --> 00:15:52.399 was the cousin of Mary. And so when Mary gets 285 00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:55.559 pregnant unwed pregnancy, they did what they used to do 286 00:15:55.639 --> 00:15:58.879 with unwed pregnant teenagers. They ship them out of town 287 00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:02.879 so she wouldn't have to deal with the stigma and 288 00:16:02.919 --> 00:16:06.519 the gossip for nine months. So Mary goes to live 289 00:16:06.600 --> 00:16:11.440 with her cousin Elizabeth and her husband, Zachariah. Now Elizabeth 290 00:16:11.480 --> 00:16:13.879 and Zacharia were good people, and they were now up 291 00:16:13.879 --> 00:16:16.000 in Asia, and they had prayed their entire life for 292 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:16.519 a child. 293 00:16:16.679 --> 00:16:18.120 They wanted a child so bad, and. 294 00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:19.840 They prayed and they prayed, and they prayed, and they prayed, 295 00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:25.120 but their prayer was never answered, and they are they've 296 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:27.919 finally given up hope because they're up in ears and 297 00:16:27.960 --> 00:16:29.720 they know we're not gonna have it. We're past child 298 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:32.320 bearing years and we're not gonna have a baby. And 299 00:16:32.360 --> 00:16:34.279 they had just given up hope and they were afraid 300 00:16:34.279 --> 00:16:38.240 to hope because they've been disappointed so many times. Now 301 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:43.000 this is the fifth fear. And Zachariah faced the fear 302 00:16:43.240 --> 00:16:47.600 of being disappointed, fear of being disappointed. 303 00:16:48.559 --> 00:16:51.000 Now this is a real issue. 304 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:55.480 One day, God shows up to Zachariah in the temple, 305 00:16:56.639 --> 00:16:59.759 sends an angel, and the angel says, hey, you know, Zacharai, 306 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:02.159 that prayer you've been praying all these years for baby, 307 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:05.440 and Zacharios yeah. He goes, well, it's gonna happen. Now, 308 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:08.240 you're gonna have a baby. It's gonna be a miracle. 309 00:17:08.519 --> 00:17:11.960 Boy late in life, you're gonna have your wife's gonna 310 00:17:11.960 --> 00:17:16.119 get pregnant. Zachari had been disappointed so many times. 311 00:17:16.920 --> 00:17:18.680 He just didn't believe it. He didn't believe God. 312 00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:21.880 He doubted because I don't want I don't want to 313 00:17:21.880 --> 00:17:24.200 trust again. I don't want to hope again. I don't 314 00:17:24.240 --> 00:17:27.599 want to believe again, I've been disappointed so many times. 315 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:30.759 Some of you can relate to the fear of disappointment 316 00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:32.240 that holds people back. 317 00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:33.480 Luke Chapter one. 318 00:17:33.559 --> 00:17:38.000 While serving in the temple, an angel appeared to Zachariah. 319 00:17:38.039 --> 00:17:42.559 And when he saw the angel, Zachariah was confused and 320 00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:46.880 overwhelmed with fear. But the angel said to him, what 321 00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:50.640 do you think. The angel said, yeah, don't be afraid. 322 00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:55.359 Do not be afraid. Your prayer has been heard. So again, 323 00:17:55.720 --> 00:17:58.400 God at the Christmas Story says has to say. 324 00:17:58.240 --> 00:17:58.640 Fear not. 325 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:00.640 Are you getting the point that God doesn't. 326 00:18:00.400 --> 00:18:01.519 Want people to be fearful. 327 00:18:04.039 --> 00:18:07.039 Whenever you're fearing something, you are not in God's will 328 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:11.000 at that moment. By the way, Zachariah's long awaited son, 329 00:18:11.319 --> 00:18:12.279 you may have heard of him. 330 00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:13.680 He grew up to be called. 331 00:18:14.319 --> 00:18:18.519 John the Baptist, John the Baptist, and John the Baptist 332 00:18:18.799 --> 00:18:21.599 was the forerunner, kind of the announcer of the Messiah, 333 00:18:21.599 --> 00:18:24.680 who said He's coming. Get ready, God's landing on earth, 334 00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:28.160 the greatest invasion in history. God is coming in human form. 335 00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:31.680 And that guy was named John the Baptist. Now, question, 336 00:18:31.960 --> 00:18:37.359 which of these five fears are holding you back this Christmas? 337 00:18:38.400 --> 00:18:40.720 The fear of inadequacy is one we can all relate to. 338 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:44.440 It's this thing, Am I good enough? Do I have 339 00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:48.039 the right stuff? Can I handle all that life throws 340 00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:52.319 at me? Am I up for the task? Sometimes the 341 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:55.359 fear of inadequacy becomes so big, I'm not even going 342 00:18:55.400 --> 00:18:57.519 to try for my dream because I know it won't happen. 343 00:18:58.759 --> 00:19:00.839 I'm not even gonna try. Going to give up the 344 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:05.039 fear of inadequacy that I can't handle it. I'm not 345 00:19:05.079 --> 00:19:07.920 as smart, I'm not as cute, I'm not as intelligent, 346 00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:10.759 I'm not as educated, I'm not as wealthy as somebody else. 347 00:19:11.880 --> 00:19:13.480 The fear of inadequacy. 348 00:19:14.119 --> 00:19:17.519 How about maybe you're struggling with the fear of disapproval 349 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:22.279 and you hate to be criticized, your thin skinned you'd 350 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:26.400 rather go along to get along. You hate the fear 351 00:19:26.839 --> 00:19:30.279 of rejection, and so you have become a people pleaser 352 00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:32.799 and you're not really living your life. You're not living 353 00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:35.720 the life God intended for you. You're living a life 354 00:19:35.720 --> 00:19:38.000 to please everybody else. Some of you are trying to 355 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:41.000 please your parents, and they died ten years ago, but 356 00:19:41.039 --> 00:19:44.400 you're still trying to prove I'm worthy, I'm okay if 357 00:19:44.440 --> 00:19:46.559 you didn't get somebody's approved by Now, I hate tell 358 00:19:46.599 --> 00:19:49.200 you this, you're not going to get it. But here's 359 00:19:49.240 --> 00:19:51.720 the good news. You don't need it. You don't need 360 00:19:51.759 --> 00:19:54.000 anybody's else approval to be happy. I don't need your 361 00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:57.079 approval to be happy. You don't need my approval to 362 00:19:57.119 --> 00:20:01.000 be happy. Happiness is a choice, and you choose. You're 363 00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:04.960 as happy as you choose to be. You know, Vince Lombardi, 364 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:08.960 that great coach of the Packers, once said, fear makes 365 00:20:09.000 --> 00:20:10.039 cowards of all of us. 366 00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:13.559 It's true. It does. The fear of disapproval. 367 00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:15.400 Some of you have the fear of sudden change and 368 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:17.880 you hate change. Well, I hate to tell you this. 369 00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:22.240 The only thing constant in life is change. And if 370 00:20:22.279 --> 00:20:25.200 you get stressed out by change, you're going to be 371 00:20:25.240 --> 00:20:31.119 stressed your entire life because everything changes day after day, week, month, 372 00:20:31.480 --> 00:20:34.000 year after year. You got to learn how to not 373 00:20:34.200 --> 00:20:38.920 be fearful in a time of rapid or sudden change. 374 00:20:39.039 --> 00:20:41.079 How about the fear of losing control. Oh that's a 375 00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:42.640 big one. 376 00:20:42.759 --> 00:20:42.880 You know. 377 00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:46.920 I don't want anybody messing with my plans. How do 378 00:20:46.960 --> 00:20:50.000 you know when you have the fear of losing control? Well, 379 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:52.960 there's a warning light that goes off. God put it 380 00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:55.240 in you every time you have the fear of losing control. 381 00:20:55.279 --> 00:20:58.640 You know what it's called. That warning light is called. 382 00:21:01.440 --> 00:21:02.799 Worry. 383 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:07.079 Are any of you familiar with this term worry? Worry means, 384 00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:10.200 at that moment you're playing God, you're trying to control 385 00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:13.960 the uncontrollable. You're worried about some Worry doesn't change anything. 386 00:21:14.039 --> 00:21:17.160 It can't control anything. Worry can't change the past. Worry 387 00:21:17.200 --> 00:21:21.599 can't control the future. All worry does is mess up today. 388 00:21:21.680 --> 00:21:23.720 How do you know when someone is filled with the 389 00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:27.160 fear of losing control, they try to control everybody else. 390 00:21:28.279 --> 00:21:31.599 The more insecure you are in life, the more controlling 391 00:21:31.680 --> 00:21:33.119 you will try to be of other people. 392 00:21:33.400 --> 00:21:34.559 So when you find. 393 00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:37.799 Somebody who's judgmental, they're judging you and everybody else, and 394 00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:41.279 they're perfectionists and they're calling you into account and they're 395 00:21:41.319 --> 00:21:46.599 trying to control you, they can't even control themselves. And 396 00:21:46.839 --> 00:21:51.440 the more insecure, the more fearful I am inside, the 397 00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:54.160 more controlling I will try to be of you. If 398 00:21:54.200 --> 00:21:57.160 I'm secure in my relationship to God, I don't need 399 00:21:57.200 --> 00:21:59.960 to control you. I don't need to control your opinions. 400 00:22:00.119 --> 00:22:02.240 I don't need to control your behavior. I don't need 401 00:22:02.279 --> 00:22:05.559