WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.240 --> 00:00:06.280 Hey, everyone, welcome to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. Well, we 2 00:00:06.360 --> 00:00:09.960 hope you have a joyful Christmas, and today is the 3 00:00:10.080 --> 00:00:13.480 perfect time to reflect on the true meaning of the season, 4 00:00:13.679 --> 00:00:15.560 God's gift of peace. 5 00:00:15.400 --> 00:00:19.239 Love and hope through Jesus Christ. Now let's join Rick 6 00:00:19.320 --> 00:00:23.640 as he brings a very special message called the Miracles 7 00:00:23.719 --> 00:00:24.640 of Christmas. 8 00:00:25.160 --> 00:00:27.559 What's so miraculous about Christmas? I mean, it's just the 9 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:30.519 birth of a baby, isn't it. Well, actually, there are 10 00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:34.520 four big miracles that happen at Christmas. The first miracle 11 00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:38.880 is who came at Christmas. The second miracle is how 12 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:42.600 he came at Christmas. The third miracle is who he 13 00:00:42.679 --> 00:00:46.679 came to and the fourth miracle is why he came. 14 00:00:47.240 --> 00:00:50.960 Let's look at these four aspects of the Christmas story. 15 00:00:51.359 --> 00:00:54.159 You know, Christmas is actually the celebration of an invasion. 16 00:00:54.679 --> 00:00:58.600 Two thousand and fifteen years ago. God invaded Earth and 17 00:00:58.640 --> 00:01:01.960 it split history into AD and to b C. And 18 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:05.000 it's never been the same since. So what's the first 19 00:01:05.079 --> 00:01:08.640 miracle of Christmas. The first miracle is that very issue, 20 00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:12.680 God came to Earth. God came to Earth. He said, Well, 21 00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:14.200 I thought it was just a birthday of Jesus well, 22 00:01:14.319 --> 00:01:17.079 Jesus is God. Let me show you some verses from 23 00:01:17.079 --> 00:01:22.239 the Bible. Colossians chapter one says, this Christ is the 24 00:01:22.319 --> 00:01:26.280 exact likeness of the unseen God. He existed before God 25 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:30.000 made anything at all, and in fact, Christ himself is 26 00:01:30.239 --> 00:01:34.560 our creator, who made everything in heaven and on earth. 27 00:01:35.079 --> 00:01:37.120 You know, some people think, well, I believe Jesus was 28 00:01:37.480 --> 00:01:40.680 a good man. The problem is he couldn't have been 29 00:01:40.680 --> 00:01:43.519 a good man, because no good man would claim to 30 00:01:43.560 --> 00:01:46.519 be God. You see, if I stood here today and 31 00:01:46.519 --> 00:01:48.799 I said Hi, I'm Rick Warren and I'm a good teacher, 32 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:50.959 you might say, yeah, okay, I might believe that. I 33 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:53.159 might even say hi, I'm a man of God. He said, well, 34 00:01:53.159 --> 00:01:55.040 I don't know about that, but maybe. But if I 35 00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:56.760 stood up here and I said, hi, my name is 36 00:01:56.840 --> 00:01:59.640 Rick Warren, I'm the son of God. I'm God in 37 00:01:59.719 --> 00:02:02.640 human in form, now you've got a decision to make. 38 00:02:03.000 --> 00:02:06.319 I'm either telling the truth or I'm crazy or I'm 39 00:02:06.319 --> 00:02:09.719 a liar. You cannot be a good man and claim 40 00:02:09.800 --> 00:02:13.159 to be God. Jesus was either who he was, or 41 00:02:13.199 --> 00:02:15.719 we should just close up everything and go home and 42 00:02:15.800 --> 00:02:18.879 forget Christmas and all the big celebration that's going on. 43 00:02:19.479 --> 00:02:21.840 And notice what Jesus said about himself in this verse 44 00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:26.000 John ten, verse thirty. Jesus said, we are the same 45 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:30.599 father and son, he and me, and I am in him. 46 00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:33.199 If you want to know what God looks like, you 47 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:36.400 look at Jesus. Now. The second miracle was not the 48 00:02:36.439 --> 00:02:39.240 fact that just God came to earth in human form, 49 00:02:39.560 --> 00:02:42.280 but it was how God came to earth. And what 50 00:02:42.360 --> 00:02:45.400 it was is he became a man. That's even more 51 00:02:45.599 --> 00:02:48.520 mind boggling. The Bible says it like this in Philippians 52 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:53.520 chapter two. Christ gave up his place as God and 53 00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:58.159 made himself nothing. He was born to be a man, 54 00:02:59.319 --> 00:03:03.120 and he became like a servant. This is God. And 55 00:03:03.199 --> 00:03:06.800 when he was living as a man, he humbled himself. 56 00:03:07.479 --> 00:03:09.360 Of all the ways God could have come to earth, 57 00:03:09.479 --> 00:03:13.319 he came as a baby. God entered the world the 58 00:03:13.400 --> 00:03:16.759 same way you and I entered the world. Everybody in 59 00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:20.159 the world ned the world by being born into it 60 00:03:20.680 --> 00:03:24.479 by birth. Now why did God come to earth as 61 00:03:24.520 --> 00:03:27.319 a baby. I'll tell you why. Because He came to 62 00:03:27.360 --> 00:03:31.599 save us, not to scare us. And nobody is afraid 63 00:03:31.639 --> 00:03:34.439 of a baby. When people look at a little baby, 64 00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:37.960 then they can they're not afraid. In fact, it's tenderizing, 65 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:41.759 it's loving, it's compassionate. You see, I can't relate to 66 00:03:41.800 --> 00:03:45.759 some impersonal force in the world, but I can relate 67 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:49.360 to God in human form. See. If God had wanted 68 00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:52.000 to communicate the birds, he would have become a bird. 69 00:03:52.520 --> 00:03:54.879 If he'd wanted to communicate to cats, he could have 70 00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:57.319 become a cat. He wanted to communicate the cows, he 71 00:03:57.360 --> 00:03:59.960 would have become a cow. But God wanted to communicate 72 00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:04.000 to humans, so he became one of us. This is 73 00:04:04.039 --> 00:04:06.879 the second miracle of how God came to earth. God 74 00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:10.879 became a man. Now, Jesus was a real man. He 75 00:04:10.919 --> 00:04:13.159 was real man, and he was real God. He was 76 00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:15.599 not a half and half. He was one hundred percent 77 00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:18.560 God and he was one hundred percent man. He's no myth. 78 00:04:18.959 --> 00:04:22.639 Did you know that in the Encyclopedia Britannica there are 79 00:04:22.680 --> 00:04:26.040 more pages on the man Jesus Christ than any other 80 00:04:26.759 --> 00:04:31.439 subject in Encyclopedia Britannica. The Bible says, in the amplified translation, 81 00:04:31.560 --> 00:04:35.079 he became like men and was born a human being. 82 00:04:35.600 --> 00:04:40.040 How was Jesus like you? How is Jesus like me? Well, first, 83 00:04:40.040 --> 00:04:43.680 as I said, he was born like us. No flashy insurance. Second, 84 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:46.680 he grew up like us. The Bible says, he grew 85 00:04:46.720 --> 00:04:50.360 in wisdom that's intellectual growth, in stature of physical growth, 86 00:04:50.519 --> 00:04:53.399 favor with God that's spiritual growth, and favor with man 87 00:04:53.439 --> 00:04:56.839 that's social growth. Same four ways you grow. The Bible says, 88 00:04:56.879 --> 00:04:59.040 he was born like us, he grew like us. He 89 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:01.360 was tempted like us. Us did you know that? The 90 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:04.040 Bible says, Jesus has been tempted in every way you have, 91 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:07.519 and yet he never sinned. And that's why he's not 92 00:05:07.560 --> 00:05:10.759 offended when you talk to him about your temptations. He understands, 93 00:05:11.160 --> 00:05:13.680 he knows what it's like. He can relate to your struggles. 94 00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:16.480 He experienced the same needs and the same drives and 95 00:05:16.519 --> 00:05:20.199 the same pressures, but he never sinned. And then not 96 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:27.199 only that, Jesus suffered like us. Jesus understands pain. God 97 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:30.720 understands pain. Why because he went through it. He felt pain. 98 00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:36.600 He felt disappointment, he felt loneliness, he felt betrayal, he 99 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:41.000 felt grief, He felt the nails going through his hands 100 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:44.600 and being stabbed in the side. He felt what it 101 00:05:44.680 --> 00:05:47.959 was like when he got tired. And so when you're tired. 102 00:05:48.040 --> 00:05:51.639 God understands how you feel because he's been there. Here's 103 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:55.319 the point, Jesus can relate to everything you're going through 104 00:05:55.480 --> 00:05:58.040 or will go through in the future because he's been 105 00:05:58.040 --> 00:06:00.439 there too. You see, God wants you to know him. 106 00:06:00.720 --> 00:06:02.879 And because he wants you to know him, he wants 107 00:06:03.319 --> 00:06:05.720 you to know that he knows everything about you. He 108 00:06:05.800 --> 00:06:08.759 knows every moment in your life. He knows everything that's 109 00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:11.000 ever happened, from the moment you took your first breath. 110 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:13.439 In fact, he saw you in your mother's womb. He 111 00:06:13.560 --> 00:06:16.199 thought you up. The Bible says God planned your days 112 00:06:16.519 --> 00:06:20.319 even before you took your first breath. Listen, you were 113 00:06:20.360 --> 00:06:24.319 designed for a relationship with God. If you want to 114 00:06:24.360 --> 00:06:26.560 know why you're alive right now, God made you to 115 00:06:26.639 --> 00:06:29.519 love you. He made you to have a relationship with him. 116 00:06:29.800 --> 00:06:31.839 You were not put here on this earth by accident. 117 00:06:32.120 --> 00:06:34.360 You were put here for a purpose, and the first 118 00:06:34.399 --> 00:06:38.319 purpose of your life is to get to know your creator. 119 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:40.920 Have you done that? If you haven't got to know 120 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:44.399 your Creator in a personal relationship, you've missed the very 121 00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:47.480 first purpose of your life. God did not put you 122 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:49.680 here on earth just to mark things off your to 123 00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:53.079 do list. Now, this is the second miracle of all, 124 00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:55.920 not only that God came to earth, but that God 125 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:58.920 came to earth as a human being so we could 126 00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:01.160 relate to him. We could we could see him, we 127 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:04.319 could feel him, and he could understand exactly all that 128 00:07:04.360 --> 00:07:08.639 we're going through his creation. Now here's the third miracle. 129 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:14.839 Jesus came to ordinary people. He didn't come for a 130 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:19.319 select few. He didn't come for the elite. He didn't 131 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:22.839 come for only the brightest and the best and the 132 00:07:22.879 --> 00:07:26.399 most righteous. No, no, no, no, he came for all 133 00:07:26.399 --> 00:07:30.439 of us. That's a miracle that God came to earth 134 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:32.920 for all of us. He didn't come for religious people. 135 00:07:32.920 --> 00:07:35.959 Did you hear that he didn't come for religious people. 136 00:07:36.560 --> 00:07:39.120 He came for all people. He came for people who 137 00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:44.000 don't even care about religion. That's a miracle. In fact, 138 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:47.279 the Bible says that Jesus said, I didn't come for 139 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:50.920 the righteous. I came for the unrighteous. So if you've 140 00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:54.040 ever done anything wrong, if you've ever sinned, if you've 141 00:07:54.079 --> 00:07:56.000 ever had any regrets in your life, if you've ever 142 00:07:56.120 --> 00:07:59.360 messed up, Jesus came for you. He said, I came 143 00:07:59.639 --> 00:08:01.800 for not the perfect people, And By the way, there 144 00:08:01.800 --> 00:08:06.439 aren't any perfect people, but Jesus came to ordinary common people. 145 00:08:06.639 --> 00:08:09.079 He shows us even in his original birth's where is 146 00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:14.639 he born. He's born in a barn, not in a palace. Okay, 147 00:08:14.839 --> 00:08:18.959 not on a bed of gold. And you know we sentimentalized. 148 00:08:18.959 --> 00:08:20.600 He said he was born in a manger. Do you 149 00:08:20.600 --> 00:08:23.920 know what a manger is. A manger is simply the 150 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:28.199 Old English word for a cow feed trough. You put 151 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:30.079 the grain, you put the hay in there in the 152 00:08:30.120 --> 00:08:33.919 cow eats the grain and slobbers all over it. That's 153 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:35.799 where he was born. He's born in a bond. His 154 00:08:35.879 --> 00:08:40.840 first visitors were not royalty shepherds, who were at the 155 00:08:40.879 --> 00:08:44.039 low end of the totem pole in social class. In 156 00:08:44.080 --> 00:08:47.600 those days. No political figures showed up at his birth. 157 00:08:48.120 --> 00:08:51.440 In fact, no religious figures showed up at jesus birth. 158 00:08:52.519 --> 00:08:55.039 There were some wise men from the east and philosophers 159 00:08:55.120 --> 00:08:59.440 who came. You know, today we treat the shepherds like heroes, 160 00:08:59.720 --> 00:09:03.679 but in those days they were really zeros. They were 161 00:09:03.720 --> 00:09:07.000 the least respected people because they smelled like sheep. They're 162 00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:09.519 at the bottom of the social ladder, they're the outcast 163 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:13.919 of society. They're considered dirty, they're considered uncouth, they're treated 164 00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:18.200 with contempt by the people in proper society. And yet 165 00:09:18.240 --> 00:09:21.840 that's who Jesus has the angels announce his birth due 166 00:09:22.120 --> 00:09:26.759 the improper people of society. The point is this, Jesus 167 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:30.559 came for everyone. Let me give you some Bible verses 168 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:34.320 John one fourteen. Christ became a human being and lived 169 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:37.919 here on earth among us. He lived among us. The 170 00:09:37.960 --> 00:09:41.279 message paraphrase, I love This says Jesus became flesh and 171 00:09:41.320 --> 00:09:45.080 blood and moved into the neighborhood. Now here's the good news. 172 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:49.960 Because we could not reach up to God, he reached 173 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:53.320 down to us. That's the whole message of Christianity. He 174 00:09:53.399 --> 00:09:56.200 came down to our level. He became a human being. 175 00:09:56.480 --> 00:10:02.159 He came to reach to you. And now anyone, anyone 176 00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:04.919 can have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Do you have 177 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:08.600 that relationship? The Bible says in Luke two seven, Mary 178 00:10:08.679 --> 00:10:12.679 gave birth and wrapped him in cloths and placed him 179 00:10:12.679 --> 00:10:15.440 in a manger that feed trough because there was no 180 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:19.399 room for them in the inn. And Luke two sixteen says, 181 00:10:19.559 --> 00:10:22.679 the shepherds ran to the village and found their way 182 00:10:23.039 --> 00:10:27.399 to where the baby lay. Now, just like those shepherds 183 00:10:27.759 --> 00:10:31.080 in the very first Christmas, you can come to Jesus. 184 00:10:32.120 --> 00:10:36.480 You can see his glory. He is inviting you this Christmas, 185 00:10:36.559 --> 00:10:40.080 just like he invited the shepherds the first Christmas. He 186 00:10:40.159 --> 00:10:43.200 invites you this Christmas to come and see him, to 187 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:46.080 come and know him, to come and learn to feel 188 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:47.679 his love and to be loved by him, and to 189 00:10:47.720 --> 00:10:50.480 learn to love him back. Now later on, wise men 190 00:10:50.600 --> 00:10:54.240 from the east, we know, probably from Babylon area in Iraq, 191 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:58.159 came to worship Jesus and bring gifts. The Bible tells 192 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:03.919 us that they brought gold representing his kingdomship, and franknsense 193 00:11:04.039 --> 00:11:06.679 and mrr Now frank and sense and merge. You know 194 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:10.559 what they are. They're spices that in ancient days were 195 00:11:10.639 --> 00:11:14.879 used to prepare a body for burial. They would use 196 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:17.879 frankensense and mr it's kind of an incense, and they 197 00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:20.159 would wrap strips of cloth kind of like a mummy, 198 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:25.000 and they would bury them in burial clothes. These gifts 199 00:11:25.720 --> 00:11:30.279 gold representing his kingdom and frank and sinson Mrrer representing 200 00:11:30.279 --> 00:11:33.000 his death, were actually for telling what Jesus came to do. 201 00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:36.639 He didn't just come to live on earth. He came 202 00:11:36.840 --> 00:11:40.799 to die for us. Now, the greatest miracle is not 203 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:45.200 how Jesus came, or even who he came to. But 204 00:11:45.320 --> 00:11:49.000 the greatest miracle is why he came. And this is 205 00:11:49.039 --> 00:11:52.960 the fourth miracle, is that he came for our benefit. 206 00:11:54.559 --> 00:11:56.840 He came for our minuit. The Bible says that the 207 00:11:56.840 --> 00:12:00.200 first angels announced that that first Christmas for us to 208 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:02.759 you is born this day a savior who is Christ 209 00:12:02.840 --> 00:12:05.720 the Lord. Believe me, if you didn't need to need 210 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:08.679 a savior, God wouldn't have wasted the time sending him 211 00:12:08.679 --> 00:12:12.120 at Christmas. He came for our benefit. What benefit? Well, 212 00:12:12.200 --> 00:12:14.000 let me just share with you some of the words 213 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:17.519 of Jesus himself. First, Jesus came to tell us the truth. 214 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:22.480 Jesus came to tell us the truth that you say, 215 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:25.919 what kind of truth? The truth about life, the truth 216 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:29.639 about ourselves, the truth about God, the truth about death, 217 00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:32.440 the truth about good and evil, the truth about your past, 218 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:35.080 the truth about your presence, and the truth about your future. 219 00:12:35.559 --> 00:12:39.320 You see, if you base your life on faulty information, 220 00:12:39.799 --> 00:12:43.159 then you've got an unstable foundation for your life. You've 221 00:12:43.200 --> 00:12:45.799 got to base your life on the bedrock of truth. 222 00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:49.879 Jesus said, the truth will set you free. And here's 223 00:12:49.919 --> 00:12:52.200 the truth. I want you to listen very closely. Here's 224 00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:57.200 the truth. You matter to God. It doesn't matter who 225 00:12:57.240 --> 00:12:59.799 you are, what you've done, how long you've done it, 226 00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:03.000 or who you did it with. You matter to God. 227 00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:06.440 That is the truth that God came to tell us. 228 00:13:06.519 --> 00:13:09.320 In John eighteen, verse thirty seven, this is in the Bible, 229 00:13:09.559 --> 00:13:13.960 Jesus says this. I was born for this purpose. I 230 00:13:14.080 --> 00:13:19.480 came to bring the truth to the world. So Jesus 231 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:22.440 came for our benefit. If you build your life on lies, 232 00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:27.120 you're going to have an unstable life, unstable emotions, unstable relationships, 233 00:13:27.200 --> 00:13:30.559 unstable finances. But if you build your life on the truth, 234 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:34.480 then you'll have a solid rock foundation. So many people 235 00:13:34.559 --> 00:13:36.399 will lie to you today. In fact, you even lie 236 00:13:36.440 --> 00:13:38.720 to yourself. You know, your emotions lie to you. Your 237 00:13:38.759 --> 00:13:41.399 mind lies to you all the time. Not everything you 238 00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:44.360 tell yourself is true. We lie to ourselves all the time. 239 00:13:44.399 --> 00:13:47.440 But God will never tell you a lie. Jesus will 240 00:13:47.480 --> 00:13:50.919 always tell you the truth. Second thing Jesus came to 241 00:13:50.919 --> 00:13:52.840 do is came not only to give us the truth. 242 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:56.039 He came to give us life, to give us life 243 00:13:56.200 --> 00:13:59.440 in all its fullness. John ten Verse ten says this, 244 00:14:00.240 --> 00:14:05.039 I came to give you life, life in all its fullness. Now, 245 00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:07.440 let me ask you a really personal question this Christmas morning. 246 00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:13.960 Are you living life to all its fullness? I mean, really, 247 00:14:14.080 --> 00:14:17.919 just be honest with yourself. You say, oh, yeah, there's 248 00:14:17.960 --> 00:14:20.799 nothing better than the way I'm living right now? Are 249 00:14:20.840 --> 00:14:24.360 you living life to its fullness? See? Most people really 250 00:14:24.399 --> 00:14:28.720 aren't even living. They're just existing. They just get up 251 00:14:28.759 --> 00:14:30.399 in the morning and go to work and come home, 252 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:33.200 watch TV and go to bed and maybe relax or 253 00:14:33.200 --> 00:14:35.639 go to a party on the weekend. They it just 254 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:38.879 the same routine over and over. They're not really living. 255 00:14:40.120 --> 00:14:43.080 You can be so busy making a living you forget 256 00:14:43.240 --> 00:14:46.200 to make a life. So many people regret the past, 257 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:49.279 they worry about the future, so you end up wasting today. 258 00:14:50.120 --> 00:14:52.679 Jesus that I came to give you life. The greatest 259 00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:56.440 tragedy is not death. The greatest tragedy is to go 260 00:14:56.639 --> 00:15:00.840 through life not knowing your purpose. God has a purpose 261 00:15:00.840 --> 00:15:03.279 for your life, and it begins by getting to know him. 262 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:06.080 You will never know the purpose of your life without 263 00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:09.240 getting to know your creator, because you can't tell yourself 264 00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:14.159 what your purpose is only your creator, your inventor, your God, 265 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:17.519 can tell you your purpose. Jesus said, I came to give 266 00:15:17.559 --> 00:15:20.720 you life in all its fullness. Now, the kind of 267 00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:23.480 life that Jesus wants to give you has three different dimensions. 268 00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:29.120 It's three dimensional life. My past can be forgiven, my 269 00:15:29.279 --> 00:15:32.200 present has a new purpose for it, and it can 270 00:15:32.240 --> 00:15:36.919 be managed. And my future is secured. God put a 271 00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:41.159 God shaped vacuum inside you, and nothing will fill that 272 00:15:41.279 --> 00:15:44.840 hole in your heart except God. Augustine said, Lord, you 273 00:15:44.840 --> 00:15:48.039 have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless 274 00:15:48.120 --> 00:15:51.519 until they find our rest in you. You can try 275 00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:53.639 to fill that hole in your heart with money. It 276 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:55.360 doesn't work. You can try to fill it with sex, 277 00:15:55.399 --> 00:16:02.679 it doesn't work. Status, it doesn't work. Salary it doesn't work. Passion, possession, position, pleasure. 278 00:16:02.840 --> 00:16:05.399 None of those things work. What you need is God's 279 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:09.720 purpose for your life. And that purpose is not found 280 00:16:09.799 --> 00:16:12.600 in a principle or in a pill. It's found in 281 00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:17.080 a person, the person of Jesus Christ. Now, he said, 282 00:16:17.120 --> 00:16:19.879 I came to give you truth. I came to give 283 00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:22.639 you life, and I came to give you here's a 284 00:16:22.639 --> 00:16:26.519 big one forgiveness and salvation, for unto you is born 285 00:16:26.600 --> 00:16:30.679 this day as Savior, who is Christ the Lord. You see, 286 00:16:30.759 --> 00:16:32.399 what do I need to be saved from? Oh, we 287 00:16:32.440 --> 00:16:34.320 need to be saved from a lot of things. We 288 00:16:34.360 --> 00:16:37.200 need to be saved from a sin, But we also 289 00:16:37.240 --> 00:16:40.159 need to be saved from ourselves. We need to be 290 00:16:40.200 --> 00:16:43.480 saved from the habits that mess up our lives and 291 00:16:43.519 --> 00:16:45.759 the hurts and the hang ups. We need to be 292 00:16:45.879 --> 00:16:50.320 saved from the lies we believe about ourselves that hinder 293 00:16:50.399 --> 00:16:53.960 ourselves and liberate. Don't liberate us that, in fact, they 294 00:16:54.120 --> 00:16:58.480 limit us in self impost prison. You see, if our 295 00:16:58.519 --> 00:17:02.840 greatest need had been education, God with a sonate teacher. 296 00:17:03.879 --> 00:17:07.759 And if our greatest need had been money, then God 297 00:17:07.799 --> 00:17:10.880 would have sent a banker. And if our greatest need 298 00:17:11.160 --> 00:17:13.640 had been just physical health, God with a sent a doctor. 299 00:17:14.359 --> 00:17:18.240 And if our greatest need had been you know how 300 00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:20.680 to succeed in life, God could have sent a consultant 301 00:17:21.079 --> 00:17:26.920 or a coach. But our greatest need is salvation and forgiveness, 302 00:17:27.559 --> 00:17:31.640 So we sent a savior. Now let me tell you this, 303 00:17:32.200 --> 00:17:36.000 You can't save yourself. In fact, God can't save you 304 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:40.559 until you stop trying to save yourself. Many years ago, 305 00:17:40.680 --> 00:17:42.680 when I was a young man. I was a lifeguard 306 00:17:42.680 --> 00:17:45.279 for three years, and one of the things that we've 307 00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:47.880 learned we're taught in Red Cross lifeguarding and I for 308 00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:51.599 three years as a lifeguard. When somebody starts to drown, 309 00:17:51.640 --> 00:17:53.559 you swim out to them in the ocean and they're 310 00:17:53.559 --> 00:17:55.880 flailing around, and you don't dare try to grab on 311 00:17:55.920 --> 00:17:58.359 to them while they're flailing around, because they may pull 312 00:17:58.400 --> 00:18:02.720 you under themselves. What you do is you wait until 313 00:18:03.160 --> 00:18:06.119 they give up. And when they finally just give up 314 00:18:06.160 --> 00:18:08.519 and they start to sink, then it's actually quite easy 315 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:11.440 to save them. You simply put your arm over their 316 00:18:11.799 --> 00:18:14.119 chest and under their arm, and you use your other 317 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:17.880 arm to row back to shore. So I'm back to short. 318 00:18:18.680 --> 00:18:20.839 But you can't save somebody as long as they're trying 319 00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:23.119 to save themselves. Have you been trying to save yourself? 320 00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:28.039 Have you been trying to save your marriage? Have you 321 00:18:28.119 --> 00:18:31.480 been trying to save your reputation or your career or 322 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:35.839 your investments? You know what, why don't you just relax 323 00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:40.559 this Christmas and accept the savior that God sent to you. 324 00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:42.799 You may have been pretending you didn't need God, but 325 00:18:42.839 --> 00:18:45.799 you really do. And then the deepest heart of your hearts. 326 00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:49.960 You know that's true. Jesus said this in John chapter twelve. 327 00:18:51.240 --> 00:18:54.640 I've come to save the world and not to judge it. 328 00:18:55.400 --> 00:18:57.359 Some of you think if you come to Jesus, he's 329 00:18:57.400 --> 00:19:00.000 just going to criticize you, condemn you, put you down, 330 00:19:00.039 --> 00:19:01.880 and give you a stern lecture, tell you all the 331 00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:04.599 things you're doing wrong. Listen to this verse again, John 332 00:19:04.680 --> 00:19:07.279 twelve forty eight. I have come to save the world 333 00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:12.839 and not to judge it. If you ever thought about 334 00:19:13.680 --> 00:19:17.119 why we give gifts at Christmas, you may have already 335 00:19:17.119 --> 00:19:20.039 opened all your Christmas gifts before service today, and maybe 336 00:19:20.480 --> 00:19:24.920 that you haven't opened yet. Why do we give Christmas gifts? Well, 337 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:28.440 the reason why is because God started the idea. God 338 00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:32.759 gave the original Christmas gift. He gave himself. He came 339 00:19:32.799 --> 00:19:36.079 to earth in the form of a human being, Jesus Christ, 340 00:19:36.680 --> 00:19:40.039 and he gave himself to you. And he died on 341 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:43.359 the cross for all of your sins so you don't 342 00:19:43.359 --> 00:19:47.559 have to pay for them. He was hung up on 343 00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:50.839 the cross. He was hung up for your hang ups. 344 00:19:51.279 --> 00:19:53.720 You can stop nailing yourself to the cross for all 345 00:19:53.720 --> 00:19:57.920 the things you feel ashamed of or regret, because Jesus 346 00:19:58.039 --> 00:20:01.960 Christ already paid for all your sins. Now, imagine if 347 00:20:01.960 --> 00:20:05.000 we had a Christmas service where people give you a 348 00:20:05.119 --> 00:20:07.839 Christmas gift and a year later you still haven't opened it. 349 00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:11.279 That would be offensive to the giver and it would 350 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:16.119 be no use to you. And yet many many people 351 00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:19.680 celebrate Christmas after Christmas, after Christmas after Christmas and never 352 00:20:19.799 --> 00:20:23.519 open the gift. They never unwrap the gift. God's gift 353 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:26.440 to you is the truth. God's gift to you is salvation. 354 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:29.079 God's gift to you is forgiveness. God's gift to you 355 00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:34.279 is a life, eternal life, purpose in life, abundant life, 356 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:37.119 a fulfilled life. These are the gifts God has for you. 357 00:20:37.400 --> 00:20:41.559 Will you open and receive that gift today? The Bible 358 00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:44.960 says this in Romans three twenty three. All of us 359 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:47.160 need to be made right with God by his grace, 360 00:20:47.599 --> 00:20:50.519 which is a free gift. That's God's gift to you. 361 00:20:50.559 --> 00:20:53.640 That's God's Christmas gift. All of us need to be 362 00:20:53.680 --> 00:20:56.720 made right with God by his grace, which is a 363 00:20:56.759 --> 00:20:59.359 free gift. We need to be made free from sin 364 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:03.160 through Jesus Christ. If you haven't done that, I want 365 00:21:03.160 --> 00:21:06.960 to invite you to receive God's Christmas gift today, and 366 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:08.640 in this service I'm going to ask it we all 367 00:21:08.680 --> 00:21:10.839 just bow our heads right now. Okay, just bow your head. 368 00:21:11.079 --> 00:21:13.480 You don't have to close your eyes, and I'm going 369 00:21:13.480 --> 00:21:16.519 to pray a simple Christmas prayer. I invite you to 370 00:21:16.559 --> 00:21:20.960 follow me in it right now, and if you'll sincerely 371 00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:23.160 mean it with all your heart, God will hear you, 372 00:21:23.799 --> 00:21:25.680 and this will be the starting point of a brand 373 00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:29.640 new relationship with God that gives you a new life, 374 00:21:30.400 --> 00:21:35.519 eternal life, and abundant life. Let's pray. Bow your head 375 00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:42.119 and I just say something like this. Dear God, Dear God, 376 00:21:42.400 --> 00:21:47.279 thank you for the miracle of Christmas. Thank you that 377 00:21:47.359 --> 00:21:53.000 you came to earth in the form of Jesus Christ. 378 00:21:53.319 --> 00:21:55.119 And thank you that you didn't just come for a 379 00:21:55.160 --> 00:21:59.519 few people, for the elite, for the super good, or 380 00:21:59.559 --> 00:22:03.799 the super rich, but you came for everybody, including me. 381 00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:09.519 And thank you that you came not to scold us, 382 00:22:10.079 --> 00:22:15.000 but to save us. Dear God, today I admit I 383 00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:19.319 cannot save myself. I can't even solve all my own problems. 384 00:22:20.039 --> 00:22:23.799 I need a savior. I need you in my life 385 00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:28.759 and I need you to give me the truth. I 386 00:22:28.839 --> 00:22:31.759 need you to give me the power to make changes 387 00:22:31.799 --> 00:22:33.480 that I want to change, that you want to see 388 00:22:33.559 --> 00:22:36.880 change in my life. And I need the power to 389 00:22:36.920 --> 00:22:40.279 be forgiven by what you did for me on the Cross. 390 00:22:41.079 --> 00:22:44.000 So today, as much as I know how this Christmas, 391 00:22:44.440 --> 00:22:47.920 Jesus Christ, I ask you to come into my life. 392 00:22:49.160 --> 00:22:52.240 I don't understand it all, but as much as I 393 00:22:52.279 --> 00:22:55.039 know how, I want to follow you. I want to 394 00:22:55.119 --> 00:22:58.079 learn to love you and trust you, and I want 395 00:22:58.079 --> 00:23:00.759 this to be the new direction for the rest of 396 00:23:00.759 --> 00:23:05.079 my life. And I humbly ask this that you invite 397 00:23:05.079 --> 00:23:09.079 me into your family and accept me in Jesus name. 398 00:23:09.119 --> 00:23:10.960 I pray Amen. 399 00:23:15.480 --> 00:23:18.000 Hey, if you've just prayed along with Rick to accept 400 00:23:18.079 --> 00:23:21.200 Jesus in your life, Rick would love to hear from you. 401 00:23:21.319 --> 00:23:25.240