Television is filled with dysfunction, and the world is drowning in it. Negativity has saturated people of all ages, fed by competition to the bottom on social media. What if someone new came along with a fresh operating principle? A person who has travelled the world, seen the worst of it but deals strictly with how to move forward. An honest and inspiring leader who has lived the full Christian life as a pastor and uses his wisdom to inspire others. Meet Allen Jackson.
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Allen Jackson Ministries | Allen Jackson - Christmas Eve | December 24, 2025
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- ♪♪♪
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- Allen jackson: we began allen jackson ministries
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- To strengthen the church.
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- Thank you for your partnership.
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- Together we made an impact in this nation, but we're not done.
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- In fact, in many ways i believe we're just beginning.
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- The status quo is not adequate any longer.
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- We can't sit in our churches and have our polite bible studies
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- And sing our favorite choruses while we watch
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- Darkness increasing in the world around us.
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- We have to have the courage to tell the truth to our culture.
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- A biblical worldview to engage current events in a way
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- To make what we believe apart of the fabric of our schools,
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- Our homes, our communities, our nation, and beyond.
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- We have invitations now from war-torn countries
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- In israel and ukraine to strengthen the churches there.
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- I want to ask you to make an investment with us
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- In allen jackson ministries
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- To make 2026 the most fruitful year we've ever had together.
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- God is moving in the earth.
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- We want to keep the pace.
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- We want to take new steps to make a new impact.
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- Your help makes that possible.
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- ♪♪♪
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- Allen: the title i've chosen is "gifts that are given and those
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- That are not."
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- A big part of our christmas celebration is about giving and
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- Receiving gifts.
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- Now, that didn't begin with our celebration of a holiday.
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- It began with god's gift of a son.
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- And isaiah describes it so poetically, so beautifully.
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- Hundreds of years before jesus's birth, in anticipation of the
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- Arrival of the messiah and the impact he would have upon the
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- Earth, isaiah said, "for to us a child is born, to us a son is
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- Given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
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- And he will be called wonderful counselor, mighty god,
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- Everlasting father, prince of peace.
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- Of the increase of his government and peace there will
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- Be no end.
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- And he will reign on david's throne and over his kingdom,
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- Establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness
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- From that time on and forever.
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- And the zeal of the lord almighty will accomplish this."
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- What a beautiful presentation of the messiah and his impact upon
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- This earth.
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- Many of us have imagined that our ultimate future is
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- In heaven.
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- But the scripture actually suggests to us that the king is
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- Coming back to the earth and he will reign in righteousness
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- And justice.
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- I would submit to you that to the degree to which we
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- Experience righteousness and justice in the earth, it would
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- Be because of the presence of the spirit of god.
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- Those things, they're not the result of governments or the
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- Organizations of humans.
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- And when they--when they are extended to us through those
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- Places, you will know it's because the spirit of god
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- Is present.
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- In john chapter 3 and verse 16, maybe the most familiar verse in
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- All of the new testament, it says that "for god so loved the
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- World that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes
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- In him shall not perish but have eternal life."
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- God's great gift to humanity was the incarnation, asking his son
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- To put on an earth suit and come to this world and ultimately to
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- Take the--exhaust the penalty for our rebellion and
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- Our godlessness.
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- So the motivation for our giving and receiving of gifts at
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- Christmastime was really initiated by god's great gift
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- For us.
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- And there's nothing we could give or receive that could ever
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- Match what god has done on our part.
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- Well, i would suggest that it's a primer, this story of mary and
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- Joseph and their responses to god.
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- A primer for understanding how to live as people of faith, that
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- Our own journey of faith will be strengthened if we will listen
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- More carefully to their report.
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- There are some things missing, in my opinion, things i would
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- Have expected to have been written into the narrative.
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- If i'd been employed as the screenwriter for this story,
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- There are some things i would have included that are just
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- Candidly absent.
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- There are some things not provided which i would have
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- Considered appropriate provision.
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- I'll start in matthew chapter 1 and verse 20.
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- It's a commentary that matthew provides us about joseph.
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- It says: "after he," joseph, "had considered this, an angel
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- Of the lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'joseph, son of
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- David, do not be afraid to take mary home as your wife, because
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- What is conceived in her is from the holy spirit.'"
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- Mary and joseph have been betrothed to be married.
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- It's a bit more of a binding agreement than our typical
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- Imagination currently of engagement.
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- But they've made that commitment for their future together with
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- All that was implied in that.
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- And we're not privy to all the details.
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- The conversation between mary and joseph is not recorded
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- For us.
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- But joseph has been informed that mary has been found to be
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- With child and he knows he wasn't involved.
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- So he's determined that he will quietly, out of respect for
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- Mary, dissolve the agreement, minimize the shame, and simply
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- Move forward with his life, when he has an angelic visit.
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- It's what we read.
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- And the angel says to him--the archangel says to him, "don't be
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- Afraid to take mary home as your wife.
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- What's conceived in her is from the holy spirit."
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- Now, we read that as if all the questions were just answered.
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- Well, it seems to me what is missing in this particular
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- Narrative is just a bit of advance notice.
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- Mary is pregnant before joseph is even read into the story.
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- I mean, candidly, i would have preferred to have had a little
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- Information earlier in the narrative if i was
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- Participating, wouldn't you?
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- I mean, we're told that the archangel gabriel visited mary
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- And said, "you are highly favored among all, that you're
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- Going to give birth to the son of god."
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- And she said, "how can that be?
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- Well, how could that possibly be?
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- I haven't been engaged in those behaviors."
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- And the angel said, "the spirit of the almighty god will come
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- Upon you."
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- Well, in my thinking, it wouldn't have been that big of a
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- Lift for the angel just to have stopped at joseph's house next.
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- It would have been much less stressful for mary, for joseph,
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- For the families involved.
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- Am i alone in that?
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- Y'all are looking at me kind of--i mean, again, i think that
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- It would have almost made the narrative more believable.
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- There's something missing.
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- There's a gift that i would have been looking for.
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- You see, i have discovered in my own journey, that god's sense of
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- Timing has often differed from my preference.
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- You know, i've talked to the lord and i said, "you know,
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- You haven't been listening.
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- I've been giving you an agenda.
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- Have you not been paying attention?
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- Have you been someplace where you didn't have good
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- Wifi reception?
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- Have you taken a break?
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- Have you been distracted?
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- What's up?"
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- In fact, my most consistent complaint with god through my
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- Journey to this point has been about his sense of timing.
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- To be completely fair, i have to tell you, at this point i
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- Believe god's correct.
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- I know he's relieved to have my affirmation.
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- But in all fairness, i'd have to tell you at many junctures along
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- The way, it seems he's been a bit delayed in his response.
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- And yet when i read the narrative, it's very clear, the
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- Urgency for joseph's understanding of what was
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- Happening didn't seem to be as significant in heaven as it
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- Would have been in my heart.
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- There's another gift that seems to be missing to me.
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- In luke chapter 2, in verse 7, it says: "mary gave birth to her
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- Firstborn, a son.
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- She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because
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- There was no room for them in the inn."
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- Luke tells us the birth narrative from mary's vantage
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- Point and he points out that mary gave birth in a barn.
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- Now, by this point in the story, they're 9 months into the
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- Journey, they're a long way past those angelic visits
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- In nazareth.
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- Mary's been great with child.
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- She has stretch marks.
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- Mary and joseph have both said yes, they have walked through
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- The months of gossip, of prying eyes, of whispered innuendo, of
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- All the awkwardness that would have come with being pregnant
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- And the timeline wasn't just quite right.
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- Nazareth was a small village at that point, maybe 1500 people.
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- It's been a difficult season at best.
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- And on top of that, there's simply been the wonder of what's
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- Happening for two teenagers to be in the midst of these
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- Supernatural circumstances.
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- We can't explain it 2 millennium later; i assure you it would
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- Have been a bit unnerving to have walked it out in real time.
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- ♪♪♪
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- Allen: god is moving in the earth
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- And at allen jackson ministries we're doing everything we can
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- To strengthen the church in our nation
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- And wherever god opens the door.
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- We don't intend to maintain the status quo
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- Or to gather at our churches for polite bible studies.
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- We're going to engage our culture with biblical truth
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- And give you the tools to do so.
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- We want our children and grandchildren to inherit
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- A church that's vibrant and vital.
- 00:09:40.696 --> 00:09:43.599
- And to do that we've got to make an investment.
- 00:09:43.599 --> 00:09:46.168
- Will you give generously to what we're doing
- 00:09:46.168 --> 00:09:47.703
- At allen jackson ministries?
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- Your partnership will make 2026 the most fruitful year
- 00:09:49.405 --> 00:09:52.274
- We've ever known.
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- Thank you.
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- Female announcer: at allen jackson ministries
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- We're committed to strengthening the church
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- And sharing the truth of god's word.
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- When you support this ministry with a gift of $75 or more
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- We'll send you the lead with faith esv journaling bible.
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- Your generosity will help us equip more people
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- With the biblical truth and encouragement they need
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- For the year ahead.
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- Give today at allenjackson.com or call...
- 00:10:15.131 --> 00:10:20.836
- Allen: there's a third gift that seems to be missing in this
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- Story to me.
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- In matthew's gospel, in chapter 2, it describes the scene at the
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- Stable in bethlehem.
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- They've had some visitors.
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- There was a group of rather excited shepherds and they were
- 00:10:32.882 --> 00:10:35.217
- Babbling something about the skies being filled with the
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- Heavenly host and good news of great joy which shall be to
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- All people.
- 00:10:41.791 --> 00:10:43.559
- Most of us have learned the christmas story but not from
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- The bible.
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- We've learned it from charlie brown.
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- Linus has read it to us for years, and this cast of
- 00:10:48.531 --> 00:10:53.102
- Characters shows up at the stable.
- 00:10:53.102 --> 00:10:54.837
- And then there's these wise men, these rather enigmatic nameless
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- Figures from the east, and they come with treasure and they
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- Worship the child.
- 00:11:01.444 --> 00:11:02.878
- When all the guests are gone-- says, "when they had gone," in
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- Matthew 2:13, "an angel of the lord appeared to joseph in
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- A dream.
- 00:11:09.518 --> 00:11:10.853
- 'get up,' he said, 'and take the child and his mother and escape
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- To egypt.
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- Stay there until i tell you, for herod is going to search for the
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- Child to kill him.'"
- 00:11:17.727 --> 00:11:21.564
- Okay, anger directed at the purposes of god is not new.
- 00:11:21.564 --> 00:11:26.402
- We find that in the opening chapters of genesis and it
- 00:11:26.402 --> 00:11:29.138
- Tracks with us all the way through the hebrew bible.
- 00:11:29.138 --> 00:11:33.008
- But in this particular case, i'm having a--i have a
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- Different expectation.
- 00:11:35.811 --> 00:11:37.179
- If you'd asked me to draft the first edition of this, i would
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- Have written this differently.
- 00:11:40.649 --> 00:11:41.984
- Mary and joseph have been--have been asked to parent god's son
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- And they've walked this through now for quite a season: an
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- Immaculate conception, there have been angelic visits;
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- Elizabeth and zechariah, family members, have conceived at an
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- Improbable time in their lives.
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- There's been a great deal of dramatic
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- Supernatural participation.
- 00:12:01.837 --> 00:12:04.206
- And now joseph has a dream and it says, "herod, the king
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- Intends to kill the child.
- 00:12:08.110 --> 00:12:10.412
- You need to run, you need to run."
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- It's not easy for me to process.
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- I can't imagine what it felt like for joseph.
- 00:12:17.520 --> 00:12:20.990
- I mean, after all, the theme of our bible is that god can do
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- What he wants when he wants, any way he wants.
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- God is sovereign.
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- That's what sovereign means.
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- When it was time for the hebrew slaves to leave egypt, god
- 00:12:31.066 --> 00:12:34.136
- Didn't go to pharaoh for a vote.
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- He said, "let my people go."
- 00:12:37.006 --> 00:12:39.675
- And pharaoh's reluctance to do so resulted in the total
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- Devastation of his nation.
- 00:12:43.012 --> 00:12:45.681
- Before those slaves left, not only was egypt completely
- 00:12:45.681 --> 00:12:49.084
- Devastated, they plundered the nation when they left.
- 00:12:49.084 --> 00:12:53.689
- Trapped against a rebellious pharaoh by the red sea, god
- 00:12:53.689 --> 00:12:57.259
- Parted the red sea.
- 00:12:57.259 --> 00:12:59.361
- God provided manna in the wilderness, water from a rock,
- 00:12:59.361 --> 00:13:03.499
- Shade when it was necessary, defense against their enemies.
- 00:13:03.499 --> 00:13:08.237
- When people grumbled against moses, the earth swallowed them
- 00:13:08.237 --> 00:13:11.373
- Up, thousands at a time.
- 00:13:11.373 --> 00:13:13.943
- When those closer to him complained, they came down with
- 00:13:13.943 --> 00:13:17.112
- Significant diseases.
- 00:13:17.112 --> 00:13:19.415
- God can do what he wants.
- 00:13:19.415 --> 00:13:21.984
- So when i'm reading this narrative, my expectation is
- 00:13:21.984 --> 00:13:25.321
- Herod better back up.
- 00:13:25.321 --> 00:13:27.923
- There's a plague coming to the palace, at least a little
- 00:13:27.923 --> 00:13:32.127
- Micro hailstorm.
- 00:13:32.127 --> 00:13:34.897
- Maybe god wants to just be a bit more personal: he'll get
- 00:13:34.897 --> 00:13:37.466
- The botch.
- 00:13:37.466 --> 00:13:40.369
- I expect god to do something, almost anything.
- 00:13:40.369 --> 00:13:44.440
- Do we really have to run for our lives?
- 00:13:44.440 --> 00:13:48.811
- Now again, if you read it from a removed place, as if you have no
- 00:13:48.811 --> 00:13:52.414
- Imagination, what that might be like, i suppose you could make
- 00:13:52.414 --> 00:13:55.517
- Some sense out of it.
- 00:13:55.517 --> 00:13:58.354
- But if you've chosen to honor god with your life and you've
- 00:13:58.354 --> 00:14:03.025
- Really tried to put some focused effort into that, maybe you said
- 00:14:03.025 --> 00:14:08.464
- Yes to the lord, like mary and joseph did, maybe you were
- 00:14:08.464 --> 00:14:11.500
- Mocked or made fun of or ridiculed or humiliated.
- 00:14:11.500 --> 00:14:14.937
- Maybe you made sacrifices.
- 00:14:14.937 --> 00:14:17.373
- Maybe you took your dreams and you put them in the shredder
- 00:14:17.373 --> 00:14:19.742
- Like they did, because the purposes and the plans for their
- 00:14:19.742 --> 00:14:23.412
- Lives haven't unfolded in the way they imagined.
- 00:14:23.412 --> 00:14:27.750
- And they've made it all the way to the delivery of the child and
- 00:14:27.750 --> 00:14:32.121
- The angels and the shepherds and the wise men and the
- 00:14:32.121 --> 00:14:35.024
- Entire narrative.
- 00:14:35.024 --> 00:14:36.358
- And now the message is, "run for your life."
- 00:14:36.358 --> 00:14:38.894
- Wait a minute, maybe i've invested in the wrong thing.
- 00:14:38.894 --> 00:14:48.437
- You see, my imagination is that a godly assignment comes with
- 00:14:48.437 --> 00:14:54.476
- Total and complete provision.
- 00:14:54.476 --> 00:14:57.579
- Maybe that's because the favorite verses for us to
- 00:14:57.579 --> 00:14:59.848
- Memorize are the verses of triumph.
- 00:14:59.848 --> 00:15:02.718
- "i can do all things through my god who strengthens me."
- 00:15:02.718 --> 00:15:06.889
- "if god is for me, who can be against me."
- 00:15:06.889 --> 00:15:10.659
- Maybe it's because professional christians like me teach us
- 00:15:10.659 --> 00:15:13.128
- Those verses first.
- 00:15:13.128 --> 00:15:16.031
- There's many explanations, but it's not the whole story
- 00:15:16.031 --> 00:15:19.702
- Of scripture.
- 00:15:19.702 --> 00:15:22.705
- And if we don't have the whole story, at least an awareness of
- 00:15:22.705 --> 00:15:26.275
- It, we'll stumble in our own journey.
- 00:15:26.275 --> 00:15:30.479
- See, i would submit to you that a godly assignment based upon
- 00:15:30.479 --> 00:15:33.449
- This particular narrative, even with supernatural assistance,
- 00:15:33.449 --> 00:15:37.219
- Will not remove us from the challenges of this present age.
- 00:15:37.219 --> 00:15:42.758
- We're not removed from the arena.
- 00:15:42.758 --> 00:15:45.995
- We still have opposition and resistance.
- 00:15:45.995 --> 00:15:49.231
- And as much as i would prefer to say that if god is involved with
- 00:15:49.231 --> 00:15:52.134
- Me, it'll be a journey that's totally divine by comfort
- 00:15:52.134 --> 00:15:55.104
- And convenience.
- 00:15:55.104 --> 00:15:56.472
- The reality of scripture suggests something else to me,
- 00:15:56.472 --> 00:16:00.509
- That at times i'll have to be willing to follow the lord when
- 00:16:00.509 --> 00:16:03.278
- It is both uncomfortable and inconvenient, but still say yes.
- 00:16:03.278 --> 00:16:09.818
- We have to adjust our thinking a little bit.
- 00:16:09.818 --> 00:16:12.788
- Some of you imagine that god has forgotten you or maybe even
- 00:16:12.788 --> 00:16:16.925
- Abandoned you or perhaps that you have followed him errantly
- 00:16:16.925 --> 00:16:21.864
- In some way, you misunderstood the assignment or the message or
- 00:16:21.864 --> 00:16:26.535
- The invitation because it's more difficult than you would like.
- 00:16:26.535 --> 00:16:30.606
- And there have been adversaries and opposition and resistance
- 00:16:30.606 --> 00:16:33.375
- And everything didn't come as easily as you thought it should
- 00:16:33.375 --> 00:16:35.978
- Have come if god were really involved.
- 00:16:35.978 --> 00:16:40.549
- Parents, you know exactly what i mean.
- 00:16:40.549 --> 00:16:42.117
- You believe god gave you those little blessings, but there are
- 00:16:42.117 --> 00:16:47.189
- Days you check the fine print to see if there's a return clause.
- 00:16:47.189 --> 00:16:55.764
- There's another gift that it seems to me is missing in
- 00:16:55.764 --> 00:16:58.100
- This story.
- 00:16:58.100 --> 00:16:59.468
- In luke chapter 2 and verse 42.
- 00:16:59.468 --> 00:17:02.371
- Jesus is a bit older now.
- 00:17:02.371 --> 00:17:03.739
- It says: "when he was twelve years old, they went up to
- 00:17:03.739 --> 00:17:05.707
- The feast."
- 00:17:05.707 --> 00:17:07.076
- From nazareth to jerusalem, three times a year, they were
- 00:17:07.076 --> 00:17:09.511
- Commanded to do so.
- 00:17:09.511 --> 00:17:10.879
- Jesus is old enough now to make the trip with the family.
- 00:17:10.879 --> 00:17:13.949
- It's a difficult trip, several days.
- 00:17:13.949 --> 00:17:17.186
- "according to the custom.
- 00:17:17.186 --> 00:17:18.520
- And after the feast was over, while his parents were returning
- 00:17:18.520 --> 00:17:20.689
- Home, the boy jesus stayed behind in jerusalem, but they
- 00:17:20.689 --> 00:17:25.627
- Were unaware of it."
- 00:17:25.627 --> 00:17:28.097
- Now again, you can read it pretty quickly and if you hurry,
- 00:17:28.097 --> 00:17:30.299
- It'll kind of slip past you.
- 00:17:30.299 --> 00:17:31.667
- But mary and joseph have been entrusted with the assignment of
- 00:17:31.667 --> 00:17:34.670
- Parenting the son of god.
- 00:17:34.670 --> 00:17:37.539
- I'm thinking that could be awkward.
- 00:17:37.539 --> 00:17:39.141
- Can you put him in time out?
- 00:17:39.141 --> 00:17:42.578
- And what if, when you do, he stops time?
- 00:17:42.578 --> 00:17:47.516
- I mean, there could be some awkward, at least some anxious,
- 00:17:47.516 --> 00:17:51.186
- Moments in the midst of that.
- 00:17:51.186 --> 00:17:52.654
- But in this particular circumstance, mary and joseph
- 00:17:52.654 --> 00:17:55.491
- Left the kid at the mall and they didn't notice for at least
- 00:17:55.491 --> 00:18:03.966
- A day and then they're a day away and there's a day back and
- 00:18:03.966 --> 00:18:06.435
- It says they looked for 3 days.
- 00:18:06.435 --> 00:18:08.170
- So for several days, they lost jesus.
- 00:18:08.170 --> 00:18:13.342
- I mean, grandparents, imagine you accepted the babysitting
- 00:18:13.342 --> 00:18:16.812
- Assignment or, parents, maybe you had somebody to watch over
- 00:18:16.812 --> 00:18:19.515
- Your children.
- 00:18:19.515 --> 00:18:20.849
- And when you had to give a report, you said, "well, we
- 00:18:20.849 --> 00:18:22.518
- Decided to go out for ice cream.
- 00:18:22.518 --> 00:18:25.053
- It was so wonderful.
- 00:18:25.053 --> 00:18:26.421
- It was so delicious.
- 00:18:26.421 --> 00:18:27.756
- I got so excited about my ice cream that i got in the car and
- 00:18:27.756 --> 00:18:29.758
- Drove home.
- 00:18:29.758 --> 00:18:32.661
- Well, i was so contented from the ice cream, i took a nap and
- 00:18:32.661 --> 00:18:35.330
- When i woke up i realized the kids didn't come home with me,
- 00:18:35.330 --> 00:18:41.270
- And that was several days ago."
- 00:18:41.270 --> 00:18:45.607
- Yeah, we kind of giggle nervously, hoping we never have
- 00:18:45.607 --> 00:18:48.076
- To answer such a question.
- 00:18:48.076 --> 00:18:49.411
- But mary and joseph did.
- 00:18:49.411 --> 00:18:52.381
- It's not what i would have imagined because, in my
- 00:18:52.381 --> 00:18:55.150
- Imagination, if god recruits someone for an assignment, and i
- 00:18:55.150 --> 00:19:00.455
- Think we could all agree, he recruited mary and joseph in
- 00:19:00.455 --> 00:19:02.758
- This narrative.
- 00:19:02.758 --> 00:19:04.293
- And he recruited them for something of primary importance,
- 00:19:04.293 --> 00:19:07.396
- A frontline assignment, that if those things were all true, then
- 00:19:07.396 --> 00:19:11.967
- God would give you everything you needed, all the unique
- 00:19:11.967 --> 00:19:14.903
- Abilities necessary to breeze through the project.
- 00:19:14.903 --> 00:19:18.207
- That's why you were recruited.
- 00:19:18.207 --> 00:19:25.080
- There's one more piece that's missing.
- 00:19:25.080 --> 00:19:27.516
- I know you're out of scriptures, but they'll put it on
- 00:19:27.516 --> 00:19:31.386
- The screen.
- 00:19:31.386 --> 00:19:32.821
- I have friends.
- 00:19:32.821 --> 00:19:35.490
- In john 19, we're gonna step forward a few more years.
- 00:19:35.490 --> 00:19:39.528
- Jesus is actually on the cross, very near the end of his
- 00:19:39.528 --> 00:19:43.465
- Physical life.
- 00:19:43.465 --> 00:19:46.368
- And from the cross, it says, "jesus saw his mother and the
- 00:19:46.368 --> 00:19:48.937
- Disciple whom he loved standing nearby, and he said to his
- 00:19:48.937 --> 00:19:52.140
- Mother, dear woman, 'here is your son,' and to the disciple,
- 00:19:52.140 --> 00:19:55.944
- 'here is your mother.'
- 00:19:55.944 --> 00:19:57.312
- And from that time on the disciple took her into
- 00:19:57.312 --> 00:19:59.581
- His home."
- 00:19:59.581 --> 00:20:03.118
- It's not what i expect of the narrative.
- 00:20:03.118 --> 00:20:06.054
- We started this story with mary and joseph and angelic visits
- 00:20:06.054 --> 00:20:09.057
- And an immaculate conception and the wonder of being selected to
- 00:20:09.057 --> 00:20:13.328
- Give birth to the messiah, the long awaited, the promise of
- 00:20:13.328 --> 00:20:17.733
- The people.
- 00:20:17.733 --> 00:20:20.202
- And i'm quite certain that mary and joseph did what i would have
- 00:20:20.202 --> 00:20:22.871
- Done or what most or many of us would have done.
- 00:20:22.871 --> 00:20:25.707
- They began to imagine the storybook ending of how this
- 00:20:25.707 --> 00:20:28.710
- Might play out, what it would look like.
- 00:20:28.710 --> 00:20:32.514
- Mary and joseph said yes to god when they were young, most
- 00:20:32.514 --> 00:20:35.284
- Likely teenagers.
- 00:20:35.284 --> 00:20:36.618
- They accepted god's invitation to this very unique role.
- 00:20:36.618 --> 00:20:40.822
- And i feel pretty comfortable in suggesting to you that they
- 00:20:40.822 --> 00:20:43.659
- Dreamt a bit about the outcomes.
- 00:20:43.659 --> 00:20:46.328
- They talked about it together.
- 00:20:46.328 --> 00:20:47.729
- That would be normal for two young people that are pledged to
- 00:20:47.729 --> 00:20:51.500
- Be married.
- 00:20:51.500 --> 00:20:53.068
- It would be helpful to talk about their anticipation of how
- 00:20:53.068 --> 00:20:57.639
- Their lives together will unfold and what they imagine the
- 00:20:57.639 --> 00:21:00.709
- Journey will look like and feel like.
- 00:21:00.709 --> 00:21:03.979
- In mary and joseph case, they had to talk to one another, no
- 00:21:03.979 --> 00:21:06.948
- One else would have believed them.
- 00:21:06.948 --> 00:21:09.751
- It wasn't like they had a peer group who understood, but they
- 00:21:09.751 --> 00:21:13.855
- Didn't have a storybook ending.
- 00:21:13.855 --> 00:21:17.192
- They said yes to the lord.
- 00:21:17.192 --> 00:21:19.728
- They raised their hands, they put their plans aside, they
- 00:21:19.728 --> 00:21:24.066
- Faced humiliation and shame and a whole host of other things and
- 00:21:24.066 --> 00:21:28.070
- They still didn't get a storybook ending.
- 00:21:28.070 --> 00:21:30.839
- Is that as surprising to you as it is to me?
- 00:21:30.839 --> 00:21:33.975
- Because in my imagination, when i say yes to the lord, and even
- 00:21:33.975 --> 00:21:37.479
- If--particularly, if there's something awkward or unwelcome
- 00:21:37.479 --> 00:21:42.617
- That comes along with that journey, then i'm expecting god
- 00:21:42.617 --> 00:21:45.587
- To cause what's next to be so remarkable that any discomfort
- 00:21:45.587 --> 00:21:51.626
- Or disillusionment will fade very quickly.
- 00:21:51.626 --> 00:21:56.998
- I'm quite confident mary and joseph imagined what it would be
- 00:21:56.998 --> 00:21:59.534
- Like to see their son when he was grown to adulthood and he
- 00:21:59.534 --> 00:22:02.904
- Began to minister and the people recognized him for who he was.
- 00:22:02.904 --> 00:22:08.043
- We see little glimpses of that when they're at a wedding in
- 00:22:08.043 --> 00:22:10.479
- Cana and they run out of wine and the bride and groom and the
- 00:22:10.479 --> 00:22:13.615
- Families are to be humiliated.
- 00:22:13.615 --> 00:22:14.983
- And mary takes the servants aside and says, "listen,
- 00:22:14.983 --> 00:22:17.619
- Whatever he tells you to do, you do it."
- 00:22:17.619 --> 00:22:22.357
- Jesus makes wine that day.
- 00:22:22.357 --> 00:22:25.660
- But in this scenario, joseph's gone, the record is quiet.
- 00:22:25.660 --> 00:22:30.499
- We don't know what happened to him.
- 00:22:30.499 --> 00:22:31.867
- Scholars suggest he died somewhere along the way between
- 00:22:31.867 --> 00:22:35.270
- Jesus at 12 and jesus's public ministry.
- 00:22:35.270 --> 00:22:39.074
- So they're not--mary is at the end of jesus's public ministry
- 00:22:39.074 --> 00:22:42.511
- And the pressure has begun.
- 00:22:42.511 --> 00:22:43.979
- They've stood in the streets of jerusalem and screamed, "crucify
- 00:22:43.979 --> 00:22:46.715
- Him," her son.
- 00:22:46.715 --> 00:22:50.118
- And now she's standing at the foot of the cross.
- 00:22:50.118 --> 00:22:52.220
- He's been tortured almost to death, barely recognizable.
- 00:22:52.220 --> 00:22:57.159
- And jesus from the cross says, "behold, your caretaker.
- 00:22:57.159 --> 00:23:02.531
- There's john."
- 00:23:02.531 --> 00:23:05.000
- That's not the storybook ending mary dreamt about.
- 00:23:05.000 --> 00:23:09.504
- No less god-inspired, no less supernatural, no
- 00:23:09.504 --> 00:23:12.441
- Less significant.
- 00:23:12.441 --> 00:23:13.809
- It's just not a storybook ending.
- 00:23:13.809 --> 00:23:17.546
- Now, i point that out because very few of our lives look like
- 00:23:17.546 --> 00:23:21.850
- Storybooks and it's very easy to become disillusioned or
- 00:23:21.850 --> 00:23:28.457
- Disappointed or angry or resentful or a whole host of
- 00:23:28.457 --> 00:23:33.628
- Other things that push you towards the sidelines.
- 00:23:33.628 --> 00:23:37.632
- Some of you have completely stepped out of the journey and
- 00:23:37.632 --> 00:23:40.936
- Said, "i won't follow a god that treats his friends that way."
- 00:23:40.936 --> 00:23:46.308
- Others of you have been frozen in place, reluctant to go
- 00:23:46.308 --> 00:23:49.344
- Forward anymore because of the painfulness of the journey.
- 00:23:49.344 --> 00:23:54.850
- And i'd just like to submit to you that from the story of our
- 00:23:54.850 --> 00:23:58.119
- Heroes, there's no question god is in the midst of this.
- 00:23:58.119 --> 00:24:00.989
- There's a remarkable resurrection coming, but it
- 00:24:00.989 --> 00:24:06.328
- Doesn't sweep away the sadness of joseph's absence and the
- 00:24:06.328 --> 00:24:10.799
- Rearrangements of dreams that have been rearranged so
- 00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:13.168
- Many times.
- 00:24:13.168 --> 00:24:14.536
- From the first time that angel visited in nazareth until
- 00:24:14.536 --> 00:24:16.771
- Standing at the foot of the cross, it's a consistent
- 00:24:16.771 --> 00:24:19.307
- Repetitive pattern of rearranging dreams.
- 00:24:19.307 --> 00:24:22.310
- Are you willing to allow god to write your story?
- 00:24:22.310 --> 00:24:28.116
- Or we've imagined--have we wrongly imagined that the
- 00:24:28.116 --> 00:24:31.219
- Objective of our faith is for god to do what we want, when
- 00:24:31.219 --> 00:24:34.155
- We want?
- 00:24:34.155 --> 00:24:35.524
- We've just found a power greater than ourselves
- 00:24:35.524 --> 00:24:36.858
- To help us get our way.
- 00:24:36.858 --> 00:24:39.594
- I don't believe that idea is informed by scripture, and i
- 00:24:39.594 --> 00:24:43.832
- Wanna invite you this christmas eve to simply begin to quietly,
- 00:24:43.832 --> 00:24:49.337
- But with determination, say yes to the lord.
- 00:24:49.337 --> 00:24:53.408
- Would you bow with me in prayer?
- 00:24:53.408 --> 00:24:56.545
- Father, i thank you that in your great love for us, you sent
- 00:24:56.545 --> 00:25:00.348
- Your son.
- 00:25:00.348 --> 00:25:02.050
- And lord jesus, i thank you for your provision in our lives that
- 00:25:02.050 --> 00:25:05.854
- You were willing to face the cross, to take the punishment
- 00:25:05.854 --> 00:25:09.624
- That we deserved, that we might have the blessings that you
- 00:25:09.624 --> 00:25:13.395
- Had earned.
- 00:25:13.395 --> 00:25:15.096
- And we come tonight in humility to recognize our own frailty, to
- 00:25:15.096 --> 00:25:19.935
- Ask for your forgiveness in our lives, for our own stubbornness
- 00:25:19.935 --> 00:25:23.705
- And self-absorption and rebellion against you.
- 00:25:23.705 --> 00:25:28.243
- And we ask for your grace to forgive those who have
- 00:25:28.243 --> 00:25:30.478
- Mistreated us.
- 00:25:30.478 --> 00:25:32.347
- We invite your power into our lives where we have great needs,
- 00:25:32.347 --> 00:25:36.484
- Physical needs, emotional needs, where we are weary and tired,
- 00:25:36.484 --> 00:25:40.789
- That you would bring life and health and strength.
- 00:25:40.789 --> 00:25:44.326
- We pray for the world around us.
- 00:25:44.326 --> 00:25:46.962
- You had promised that you delight in showing mercy even to
- 00:25:46.962 --> 00:25:49.764
- The wicked.
- 00:25:49.764 --> 00:25:51.166
- May our world be filled with the love and the majesty of a
- 00:25:51.166 --> 00:25:55.070
- Living god.
- 00:25:55.070 --> 00:25:56.838
- We thank you for what you've done for us,
- 00:25:56.838 --> 00:25:59.441
- In jesus's name, amen.
- 00:25:59.441 --> 00:26:01.710
- ♪♪♪
- 00:26:04.012 --> 00:26:09.050
- Allen: allen jackson ministries was created
- 00:26:09.117 --> 00:26:11.086
- To strengthen the church.
- 00:26:11.086 --> 00:26:12.554
- Your partnership has made this possible.
- 00:26:12.554 --> 00:26:14.656
- Thank you for your faithfulness and your generosity.
- 00:26:14.656 --> 00:26:17.459
- But the need is as significant as it's ever been.
- 00:26:17.459 --> 00:26:20.362
- Not simply in this nation, now we have invitations
- 00:26:20.362 --> 00:26:22.430
- Internationally to war-torn countries,
- 00:26:22.430 --> 00:26:24.766
- Into israel and to ukraine,
- 00:26:24.766 --> 00:26:26.334
- To come help strengthen the church there.
- 00:26:26.334 --> 00:26:28.637
- And with god's help and your help, we intend to respond.
- 00:26:28.637 --> 00:26:31.473
- Folks, it's a critical time, it's not just business as usual.
- 00:26:31.473 --> 00:26:34.943
- We can't gather in our churches and sing our hymns
- 00:26:34.943 --> 00:26:37.045
- And ignore what's happening in our world.
- 00:26:37.045 --> 00:26:39.247
- We have to take the biblical truth, the biblical worldview,
- 00:26:39.247 --> 00:26:42.250
- And share it with our culture, clearly
- 00:26:42.250 --> 00:26:44.352
- With determination, with courage.
- 00:26:44.352 --> 00:26:47.088
- We're creating tools to help you do that in your church,
- 00:26:47.088 --> 00:26:49.591
- In your home, in your community.
- 00:26:49.591 --> 00:26:51.593
- Together we're going to make an impact in this new year
- 00:26:51.593 --> 00:26:54.095
- Like we've never made before.
- 00:26:54.095 --> 00:26:56.164
- Will you make an investment in what we're doing?
- 00:26:56.164 --> 00:26:58.533
- Together we're going to join god in seeing the name of jesus
- 00:26:58.533 --> 00:27:01.569
- Elevated in the earth.
- 00:27:01.569 --> 00:27:03.204
- Will you pray?
- 00:27:03.204 --> 00:27:04.539
- Father, i ask for your anointing.
- 00:27:04.539 --> 00:27:05.940
- Give us a freedom to give and to serve like never before,
- 00:27:05.940 --> 00:27:09.644
- In jesus's name, amen.
- 00:27:09.644 --> 00:27:11.913
- God bless you and thank you.
- 00:27:11.913 --> 00:27:13.415
- ♪♪♪
- 00:27:14.849 --> 00:27:29.831
