1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,875 2 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,833 [music] 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:11,667 The biggest opportunity in the world 4 00:00:13,667 --> 00:00:16,208 is to be a part of God's people, 5 00:00:16,333 --> 00:00:21,042 God's family, his church, and what he is doing. 6 00:00:21,167 --> 00:00:23,250 There are some amazingly faithful people that have 7 00:00:23,333 --> 00:00:27,500 made this into a vibrant, growing family. 8 00:00:27,500 --> 00:00:30,542 I just couldn't look at anything without actually seeing 9 00:00:30,667 --> 00:00:34,167 that God was telling me that he loved me. 10 00:00:34,167 --> 00:00:36,750 If Jesus is ultimately important, 11 00:00:36,833 --> 00:00:39,375 then the people who love Jesus are critically important 12 00:00:39,500 --> 00:00:41,667 to us as well. 13 00:00:43,875 --> 00:00:46,667 Merry Christmas, Mars Hill! 14 00:00:46,667 --> 00:00:49,667 Merry Christmas! Yes, I said Christmas. 15 00:00:49,667 --> 00:00:52,375 I know you're not supposed to say Christmas, 16 00:00:52,500 --> 00:00:54,000 so I'll say it again. 17 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:55,542 Merry Christmas! 18 00:00:55,667 --> 00:00:58,333 This is our Christmas series. 19 00:00:58,375 --> 00:01:02,167 In my state, the People's Republic of Washington, 20 00:01:02,167 --> 00:01:05,375 on the same day recently legalized drug use 21 00:01:05,500 --> 00:01:08,250 and gay marriage, and here's my deep conviction: 22 00:01:08,333 --> 00:01:11,042 If I can marry a man while smoking a joint, 23 00:01:11,167 --> 00:01:13,875 I can say, "Merry Christmas." 24 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:20,375 So, Merry Christmas, Mars Hill, yes. 25 00:01:20,500 --> 00:01:22,875 And this is our Christmas series. 26 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:24,250 "He said it again. 27 00:01:24,333 --> 00:01:26,000 "I feel like he's gonna do it-- 28 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:27,708 yeah, he's going to do it again." 29 00:01:27,833 --> 00:01:29,167 Merry Christmas! 30 00:01:29,167 --> 00:01:31,500 This is our Christmas series, "He Made Us Family." 31 00:01:31,500 --> 00:01:33,500 There's a lot of places you go to 32 00:01:33,500 --> 00:01:35,542 and they won't say "Merry Christmas" 33 00:01:35,667 --> 00:01:37,750 because they try to take Christ out of Christmas. 34 00:01:37,833 --> 00:01:42,000 Christmas is about Christ, it's about Jesus Christ, his birth. 35 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,000 Early in the church's history, God's people didn't know when 36 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:47,875 Jesus was born because the Bible doesn't tell us when. 37 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,333 It tells us where and how. 38 00:01:50,375 --> 00:01:52,708 And there was a pagan holiday called Saturnalia. 39 00:01:52,833 --> 00:01:56,500 We had a few days off, so we just turned it into Christmas, 40 00:01:56,500 --> 00:01:58,375 and that's what we did. 41 00:01:58,500 --> 00:02:00,875 And now, today, people are trying to take Christ 42 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:02,875 out of Christmas. 43 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:07,167 They'll go to Xmas, which is just the Greek for Christ, so, 44 00:02:07,167 --> 00:02:08,542 oh, that didn't work. 45 00:02:08,667 --> 00:02:11,250 So then it's, "Happy Holidays, Happy Holidays." 46 00:02:11,333 --> 00:02:15,417 Yeah, like there's so many holidays during December. 47 00:02:15,500 --> 00:02:19,875 There's so many amazing holidays during December. 48 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,667 I went on the Internet because everything there is true, 49 00:02:22,708 --> 00:02:25,500 and I found out that there were some other holidays 50 00:02:25,500 --> 00:02:27,000 during the month of December. 51 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,875 So, December 2nd is Fritter Day. 52 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:34,375 Fritter Day, I like fritters, but--now, 53 00:02:34,500 --> 00:02:38,542 December 5th is National Ninja Day. 54 00:02:38,667 --> 00:02:41,000 Some of you say, "I didn't see that coming." 55 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:44,500 It's because it's Ninja Day. 56 00:02:44,500 --> 00:02:49,708 If you saw it coming, it couldn't be Ninja Day. 57 00:02:49,833 --> 00:02:54,542 December 16th is Chocolate Covered Anything Day, which, 58 00:02:54,667 --> 00:02:57,667 if there was a holiday that I was hoping would gain more 59 00:02:57,708 --> 00:03:00,750 traction, that would be it, because anything with chocolate 60 00:03:00,833 --> 00:03:03,208 is awesome, because you can suck the chocolate off 61 00:03:03,333 --> 00:03:05,167 and ignore the rest. 62 00:03:05,208 --> 00:03:08,208 Oh, that all of life were like that. 63 00:03:08,333 --> 00:03:14,167 December 18th is National Wear a Plunger on your Head Day. 64 00:03:14,208 --> 00:03:20,833 December 23rd is Festivus, for all of you "Seinfeld" fans. 65 00:03:20,875 --> 00:03:23,542 And some will say, "Oh, but what about Saturnalia, 66 00:03:23,667 --> 00:03:25,667 the great pagan holiday." 67 00:03:25,708 --> 00:03:28,167 Well, there were two guys that were gonna celebrate it, 68 00:03:28,167 --> 00:03:29,875 but then the "Twilight" movie came out, 69 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,542 and they decided to take the month off and just keep 70 00:03:32,667 --> 00:03:34,250 watching the movie instead. 71 00:03:34,333 --> 00:03:36,500 That's their pagan celebration. 72 00:03:36,500 --> 00:03:39,208 So, let me just say that this is not "Season's Greetings" 73 00:03:39,333 --> 00:03:41,000 or "Happy Holidays." 74 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,833 In fact, for us, it's all about a holy day, 75 00:03:43,875 --> 00:03:46,542 our holiday is the birth of Jesus. 76 00:03:46,667 --> 00:03:49,000 So, we're just taking a month, we're going through 77 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:50,750 the first few chapters of Matthew. 78 00:03:50,833 --> 00:03:53,542 We're looking at the fact that God came into human history 79 00:03:53,667 --> 00:03:56,167 as part of a family, and Jesus, 80 00:03:56,208 --> 00:03:58,667 he's the one who makes us family. 81 00:03:58,708 --> 00:04:00,708 So, today we're going to continue, 82 00:04:00,833 --> 00:04:04,750 and we're going to continue in Matthew 1:18-25. 83 00:04:04,833 --> 00:04:08,208 If you've got a Bible, go there, and we're going to look at 84 00:04:08,333 --> 00:04:10,500 the fact that Jesus is still with us, alright? 85 00:04:10,500 --> 00:04:13,167 And here's what I would just tell you: Say, "Merry Christmas." 86 00:04:13,208 --> 00:04:15,542 All these companies where you can't say Christmas, 87 00:04:15,667 --> 00:04:17,167 they take Christmas off the website, 88 00:04:17,167 --> 00:04:19,000 their employees can't say Christmas--I'm saying it 89 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:20,375 all the time. 90 00:04:20,500 --> 00:04:22,042 I go to the bank, "Happy Holidays." 91 00:04:22,167 --> 00:04:24,500 "No! It's Jesus' birthday! 92 00:04:24,500 --> 00:04:27,250 "You're going to hell, but he can save you! 93 00:04:27,333 --> 00:04:29,542 "I don't care how long the line is. 94 00:04:29,667 --> 00:04:32,667 "Everybody's buying gifts, I've got the best one of all. 95 00:04:32,708 --> 00:04:34,250 "You don't have to be kindling. 96 00:04:34,333 --> 00:04:37,375 Happy birthday, Jesus, right?" 97 00:04:37,500 --> 00:04:40,375 We're gonna talk about Jesus all month and we're really excited 98 00:04:40,500 --> 00:04:45,000 to make sure that Christmas is about Christ, amen? 99 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:47,000 And so we're going to open the Bible, 100 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:48,667 we're going to look at his family. 101 00:04:48,708 --> 00:04:50,542 Join me, Matthew 1:18. 102 00:04:50,667 --> 00:04:52,250 We're going to start with Mary. 103 00:04:52,333 --> 00:04:54,708 You like Mary, Jesus' mother, Mary? 104 00:04:54,833 --> 00:04:57,000 You're supposed to say yes, okay? 105 00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:01,667 Matthew 1:18: "Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place 106 00:05:01,708 --> 00:05:03,250 in this way." 107 00:05:03,333 --> 00:05:04,750 Let me just stop right there. 108 00:05:04,833 --> 00:05:08,000 So, there are lots of stories about Jesus. 109 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,375 Most of them, many of them, are just wrong. 110 00:05:11,500 --> 00:05:14,500 Somebody, educated beyond their intelligence with more degrees 111 00:05:14,500 --> 00:05:17,917 than Fahrenheit, will write some convoluted book about 112 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:21,167 Jesus' birth or his life, or he didn't die, 113 00:05:21,208 --> 00:05:26,167 or he got married and ran off to France or something crazy. 114 00:05:26,208 --> 00:05:28,667 Back to my pot smoking original point, 115 00:05:28,667 --> 00:05:32,750 these people will come up with various conjectured opinions 116 00:05:32,833 --> 00:05:37,000 about Jesus that are wrong, and they're fictitious, 117 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:42,500 but they're profitable, because the media loves, loves anybody 118 00:05:42,500 --> 00:05:47,542 who seems credible and says something crazy about Jesus. 119 00:05:47,667 --> 00:05:50,500 But here's what the Bible says: "Now the birth of Jesus Christ 120 00:05:50,500 --> 00:05:52,750 took place this way." 121 00:05:52,833 --> 00:05:55,750 Not a whole bunch of other ways, this way. 122 00:05:55,833 --> 00:06:00,167 This is how God came into history. 123 00:06:00,167 --> 00:06:03,708 "The birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. 124 00:06:03,833 --> 00:06:07,375 "When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, 125 00:06:07,500 --> 00:06:10,167 "before they came together she was found to be with child 126 00:06:10,167 --> 00:06:11,542 from the Holy Spirit." 127 00:06:11,667 --> 00:06:14,250 We'll unpack all of this and we'll look at Mary first. 128 00:06:14,333 --> 00:06:15,750 So, she's a young woman, okay? 129 00:06:15,833 --> 00:06:17,917 Do we have any teenage girls? 130 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:19,917 Teenage girls, okay? 131 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:22,708 Mary was probably a teenage girl. 132 00:06:22,833 --> 00:06:28,250 How many of you girls are not ready to raise God? 133 00:06:28,333 --> 00:06:30,417 You're like, "Raise God? 134 00:06:30,500 --> 00:06:33,750 I can't even drive a stick shift." 135 00:06:33,833 --> 00:06:40,375 Mary is as young as 12. 136 00:06:40,500 --> 00:06:42,750 Twelve. 137 00:06:42,833 --> 00:06:47,750 She's probably, at the oldest, in her early 20s. 138 00:06:47,833 --> 00:06:50,208 In that day, you could be betrothed by 139 00:06:50,333 --> 00:06:52,375 12 or 13 years of age. 140 00:06:52,500 --> 00:06:54,375 Now, I know some of you are thinking, 141 00:06:54,500 --> 00:06:55,750 "Well, that's very young. 142 00:06:55,833 --> 00:06:58,208 That's very concerning," because today we don't get engaged. 143 00:06:58,333 --> 00:07:01,500 If we do get engaged, until we're late 20s, pushing 30. 144 00:07:01,500 --> 00:07:04,167 People are waiting longer than ever to marry, 145 00:07:04,208 --> 00:07:07,167 and so some of you would say, "Oh, they were too young." 146 00:07:07,208 --> 00:07:11,333 Well, maybe you're too irresponsible and immature. 147 00:07:11,375 --> 00:07:12,875 Just something to consider. 148 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,042 I just throw it out as a possibility 149 00:07:15,167 --> 00:07:18,000 for your prayerful consideration. 150 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:20,042 You're welcome. 151 00:07:20,167 --> 00:07:22,667 "Is he going to do this for the whole sermon?" 152 00:07:22,708 --> 00:07:26,042 "Oh, he's just warming up. It's horrible." 153 00:07:26,167 --> 00:07:28,375 "Why did you bring me?" 154 00:07:28,500 --> 00:07:30,333 "I don't know, it was entertaining." 155 00:07:30,375 --> 00:07:33,000 Okay, so-- 156 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:35,667 "I was hoping you'd get saved, and get a job, 157 00:07:35,708 --> 00:07:37,042 and marry me." 158 00:07:37,167 --> 00:07:39,333 Okay, no-- 159 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:44,708 Yes, okay. 160 00:07:44,833 --> 00:07:48,375 So, she's a young gal, probably in her 20s. 161 00:07:48,500 --> 00:07:50,500 She lives in a small rural town. 162 00:07:50,500 --> 00:07:51,917 I've been there. 163 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:54,208 There's only one well, meaning it couldn't sustain 164 00:07:54,333 --> 00:07:56,250 a large population. 165 00:07:56,333 --> 00:07:58,250 Dozens of people, maybe hundreds. 166 00:07:58,333 --> 00:08:01,708 They're fishermen, farmers, far away from the big city. 167 00:08:01,833 --> 00:08:04,875 Think small town, 2,000 years ago. 168 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:07,542 The people there were, in large part, poor. 169 00:08:07,667 --> 00:08:09,333 This was not a rich community. 170 00:08:09,375 --> 00:08:11,375 It means that her home was, most likely, 171 00:08:11,500 --> 00:08:13,667 according to the archeological digs, 172 00:08:13,667 --> 00:08:16,375 about the size of a parking stall where we would place 173 00:08:16,500 --> 00:08:18,167 a vehicle today. 174 00:08:18,167 --> 00:08:20,667 A portion of that home was designated to the animals, 175 00:08:20,708 --> 00:08:23,875 so you're thinking very humble circumstances. 176 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:28,208 Mary walking to the well to get water for her family, 177 00:08:28,333 --> 00:08:32,167 that's the kind of life that she is living. 178 00:08:32,208 --> 00:08:34,542 That's the kind of life that she's living. 179 00:08:34,667 --> 00:08:36,875 But, she's coming up on her big day. 180 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:38,542 She's--we hear the word here, 181 00:08:38,667 --> 00:08:41,500 and it's a foreign word to us--betrothed to be married. 182 00:08:41,500 --> 00:08:43,500 Now, what does betrothal mean? 183 00:08:43,500 --> 00:08:46,250 Well, it's somewhere between engagement 184 00:08:46,333 --> 00:08:49,375 in our culture and marriage. 185 00:08:49,500 --> 00:08:53,042 It's more legally binding than engagement, 186 00:08:53,167 --> 00:08:57,417 but it's not as legally fulfilled, I should say, 187 00:08:57,500 --> 00:09:01,042 as a consummated marriage. 188 00:09:01,167 --> 00:09:03,208 Let me articulate it this way. 189 00:09:03,333 --> 00:09:05,667 According to the Bible, marriage is two things: 190 00:09:05,708 --> 00:09:08,375 covenant and consummation. 191 00:09:08,500 --> 00:09:10,333 Covenant and consummation. 192 00:09:10,375 --> 00:09:13,500 Betrothal is the season when you are covenanted, 193 00:09:13,500 --> 00:09:16,750 but have not yet consummated the marriage, 194 00:09:16,833 --> 00:09:20,000 and it was a legal state to where you were legally married, 195 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:22,875 but had not yet finished the marriage proceedings 196 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:25,208 to where you have a marriage ceremony, 197 00:09:25,333 --> 00:09:27,208 and you consummate your marriage, 198 00:09:27,333 --> 00:09:29,750 and then you live together as husband and wife. 199 00:09:29,833 --> 00:09:32,417 And it was legally binding. 200 00:09:32,500 --> 00:09:36,500 It was legally binding, and so she is betrothed to 201 00:09:36,500 --> 00:09:38,750 a man named Joseph. 202 00:09:38,833 --> 00:09:44,208 Now, Joseph is a young man, and he is likely in his teens 203 00:09:44,333 --> 00:09:46,750 or early 20s as well. 204 00:09:46,833 --> 00:09:49,750 The odds are good that they grew up together knowing one another. 205 00:09:49,833 --> 00:09:53,042 You think about it again: small town with dozens of people, 206 00:09:53,167 --> 00:09:56,042 maybe 100 tops, not a lot. 207 00:09:56,167 --> 00:09:59,000 There's not a lot of children, and the children 208 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:01,750 grow up together and they know one another. 209 00:10:01,833 --> 00:10:04,417 If you're from a small town, you know how this works. 210 00:10:04,500 --> 00:10:06,250 So, they likely grew up together, 211 00:10:06,333 --> 00:10:08,417 they likely knew one another very well, 212 00:10:08,500 --> 00:10:10,000 their families knew one another, 213 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:12,375 they worshiped in synagogue together. 214 00:10:12,500 --> 00:10:14,875 These are kids who, in every way, 215 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:17,500 have known in their hearts for a while that 216 00:10:17,500 --> 00:10:20,500 they're going to be together. 217 00:10:20,500 --> 00:10:24,167 It's like when I met Grace at 17, I told her within 2 weeks, 218 00:10:24,167 --> 00:10:25,667 "I'm going to marry you 219 00:10:25,708 --> 00:10:27,917 and spend the rest of my life with you." 220 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:30,042 You reach a point where you just know, 221 00:10:30,167 --> 00:10:31,875 "That's who I want to be with. 222 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:33,667 That's who I'm going to be with." 223 00:10:33,667 --> 00:10:36,208 And so this is this joyful season of her life 224 00:10:36,333 --> 00:10:37,750 where she is betrothed. 225 00:10:37,833 --> 00:10:39,917 That means that her covenant is in place, 226 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:42,042 her consummation is on the horizon, 227 00:10:42,167 --> 00:10:45,542 and her wedding is under preparation. 228 00:10:45,667 --> 00:10:50,000 Now, let me say this about Mary: Catholics make too much of her, 229 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:53,667 and Protestants make too little, okay? 230 00:10:53,667 --> 00:10:55,042 I grew up Catholic. 231 00:10:55,167 --> 00:10:57,750 For those of you here, welcome, my name is Father Mark, 232 00:10:57,833 --> 00:10:59,250 I hope you enjoy our mass. 233 00:10:59,333 --> 00:11:00,833 We'll have Communion in a moment. 234 00:11:00,875 --> 00:11:02,208 It's all very legitimate, okay? 235 00:11:02,333 --> 00:11:04,542 I grew up Catholic, and in the Catholic tradition-- 236 00:11:04,667 --> 00:11:06,875 and some Catholics are Christians who love Jesus, 237 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:11,042 and I wasn't one until I met Jesus at 19. 238 00:11:11,167 --> 00:11:13,500 But, in the Catholic Church, I believe too much 239 00:11:13,500 --> 00:11:15,500 is made of Mary. 240 00:11:15,500 --> 00:11:17,833 I remember as a little boy praying to Mary. 241 00:11:17,875 --> 00:11:19,417 "Hail Mary, full of grace." 242 00:11:19,500 --> 00:11:23,333 If you're Catholic, you just know where to go from there. 243 00:11:23,375 --> 00:11:27,875 Walking into church, there would be statues of Mary, 244 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:32,000 and she would be lifted up, in an exalted, venerated position. 245 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:35,542 That's too much. That's too much. 246 00:11:35,667 --> 00:11:40,042 Certain popes have called her co-mediatrix and co-redemptress. 247 00:11:40,167 --> 00:11:43,042 Co-redemptress, meaning she aids in the process of salvation 248 00:11:43,167 --> 00:11:45,042 along with Jesus. 249 00:11:45,167 --> 00:11:49,250 Co-mediator, that she also helps mediate between us and God. 250 00:11:49,333 --> 00:11:52,208 I think it's 1 Timothy 2:5 that says there's only one mediator 251 00:11:52,333 --> 00:11:54,667 between us and God, the man, Christ Jesus, 252 00:11:54,708 --> 00:11:59,417 and there's no footnote that says, "And his mom." 253 00:11:59,500 --> 00:12:03,750 So, Catholics make too much of Mary, too much of Mary. 254 00:12:03,833 --> 00:12:06,250 I believe it grieves the heart of Mary. 255 00:12:06,333 --> 00:12:09,250 I know that Mary, right now, she's in the kingdom of God 256 00:12:09,333 --> 00:12:12,500 with her son who's ruling and reigning. 257 00:12:12,500 --> 00:12:15,500 And I believe that when people pray to her or give glory 258 00:12:15,500 --> 00:12:19,542 and honor to her, I believe that grieves her, because she, 259 00:12:19,667 --> 00:12:22,333 right now, is worshiping her son. 260 00:12:22,375 --> 00:12:25,833 That being said, Protestants tended to make 261 00:12:25,875 --> 00:12:27,875 too little of Mary. 262 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:29,875 "Oh, we don't want to talk about Mary. 263 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,000 That's what the Catholics do." 264 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:34,542 Well, Mary's in the Bible, amen? 265 00:12:34,667 --> 00:12:39,542 And she is presented, arguably, as the most godly woman, 266 00:12:39,667 --> 00:12:45,167 maybe the most godly person in the whole Bible after Jesus. 267 00:12:45,208 --> 00:12:47,750 I mean, she is godly from beginning to end. 268 00:12:47,833 --> 00:12:50,167 There are stories of women like Esther, and Ruth, 269 00:12:50,208 --> 00:12:54,042 or Rahab that they were not godly women and then 270 00:12:54,167 --> 00:12:55,708 they became godly women. 271 00:12:55,833 --> 00:12:58,833 The portrait that we have of Mary is she was a godly 272 00:12:58,875 --> 00:13:02,542 little girl, and she grew up to be a godly young woman 273 00:13:02,667 --> 00:13:04,750 and a godly older woman. 274 00:13:04,833 --> 00:13:08,750 There's no indication of rebellion or unbelief. 275 00:13:08,833 --> 00:13:13,417 I mean, she is presented in the most godly, encouraging, 276 00:13:13,500 --> 00:13:16,750 exemplary way in the Bible. 277 00:13:16,833 --> 00:13:20,833 And what I believe is that Mary is more timely than ever 278 00:13:20,875 --> 00:13:24,500 for all women, but especially young women, 279 00:13:24,500 --> 00:13:30,750 and particularly single women, because she lives a life 280 00:13:30,833 --> 00:13:34,375 of holiness and chastity before marriage 281 00:13:34,500 --> 00:13:37,042 and fidelity in marriage. 282 00:13:37,167 --> 00:13:39,167 She's an amazing, amazing woman. 283 00:13:39,208 --> 00:13:42,250 And I think Martin Luther was on to something when he said, 284 00:13:42,333 --> 00:13:45,250 "Mary should not be our object of faith, 285 00:13:45,333 --> 00:13:48,250 but rather our example of faith." 286 00:13:48,333 --> 00:13:50,750 That's my paraphrasing of Martin Luther. 287 00:13:50,833 --> 00:13:53,542 She's not our object of faith, because Jesus is our object 288 00:13:53,667 --> 00:13:56,167 of faith, but she's our example of faith. 289 00:13:56,167 --> 00:14:00,375 She was a woman of great faith, and you'll see that as the story 290 00:14:00,500 --> 00:14:02,250 unfolds in Matthew. 291 00:14:02,333 --> 00:14:04,875 And I would encourage you to read the additional account 292 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:08,542 in the opening chapters of Luke's Gospel. 293 00:14:08,667 --> 00:14:10,750 Here's what she wasn't doing, ladies. 294 00:14:10,833 --> 00:14:17,167 She wasn't using her single years as an excuse to drink, 295 00:14:17,208 --> 00:14:21,042 to date losers, to sleep around, to live with her boyfriend, 296 00:14:21,167 --> 00:14:25,750 to rack up credit card debt, and do things that dishonor God. 297 00:14:25,833 --> 00:14:28,375 She's a great example. 298 00:14:28,500 --> 00:14:32,667 Instead, she spent her life preparing for a future 299 00:14:32,667 --> 00:14:35,250 that she was unaware of. 300 00:14:35,333 --> 00:14:38,250 And isn't it true that things still work like that? 301 00:14:38,333 --> 00:14:41,500 You and I, we don't know what the future holds. 302 00:14:41,500 --> 00:14:45,333 Mary did not know what her future held. 303 00:14:45,375 --> 00:14:49,542 She was not aware of her appointed position to be 304 00:14:49,667 --> 00:14:56,042 the mother of God on the earth until it was time. 305 00:14:56,167 --> 00:14:58,750 So, here is my question for all of us, 306 00:14:58,833 --> 00:15:02,875 but particularly for you women, especially you single women. 307 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:05,542 And again, I would say for those single women 308 00:15:05,667 --> 00:15:09,042 and those younger women like my own 15-year-old daughter, 309 00:15:09,167 --> 00:15:13,000 my hope, my prayer, my father's affection for you is 310 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,667 to, by the grace of God, 311 00:15:15,708 --> 00:15:17,917 follow in the example of Mary. 312 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,500 And if you have sinned and done things you regret, 313 00:15:20,500 --> 00:15:25,208 her Son forgives sin, her Son cleanses from sin, 314 00:15:25,333 --> 00:15:30,667 her Son will help you to be like her, by the grace of God. 315 00:15:30,708 --> 00:15:33,375 But, here's my question for you: women, 316 00:15:33,500 --> 00:15:36,375 are you preparing today for whatever God may have 317 00:15:36,500 --> 00:15:39,042 for you tomorrow? 318 00:15:39,167 --> 00:15:42,542 When Mary realizes, 319 00:15:42,667 --> 00:15:47,042 "I am going to give birth to Jesus Christ," 320 00:15:47,167 --> 00:15:50,000 it's not like she started obeying God, 321 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:52,750 started worshiping God at that moment. 322 00:15:52,833 --> 00:15:55,042 She had been for her whole life. 323 00:15:55,167 --> 00:16:00,208 Every indication is that she has been godly from her youth. 324 00:16:00,333 --> 00:16:04,000 Now, let me say this to all of us, 325 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:08,000 but particularly the ladies: we have no idea what tomorrow holds 326 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:13,875 for you, but prepare yourself today for whatever 327 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:16,250 tomorrow might bring. 328 00:16:16,333 --> 00:16:19,167 She was worshiping God, she was studying Scripture, 329 00:16:19,208 --> 00:16:24,208 she was obeying the Lord, she was maintaining chastity. 330 00:16:24,333 --> 00:16:30,542 And here's what she thought: "I'll marry Joseph, 331 00:16:30,667 --> 00:16:36,042 "we'll be poor, we'll live in obscurity in a small rural town. 332 00:16:36,167 --> 00:16:39,167 "I'll stay home with the kids and fetch water from the well, 333 00:16:39,208 --> 00:16:41,375 "and he's going to be a carpenter, 334 00:16:41,500 --> 00:16:43,667 "working hard to put food on the table. 335 00:16:43,708 --> 00:16:45,708 "Nobody's ever going to know about us. 336 00:16:45,833 --> 00:16:48,750 We're nobodies in the middle of nowhere." 337 00:16:48,833 --> 00:16:54,000 She didn't know, but she prepared herself for whatever 338 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,542 the Lord had for her. 339 00:16:56,667 --> 00:16:59,667 Some of you are waiting for the Lord to reveal the future 340 00:16:59,708 --> 00:17:02,917 so that you can then be motivated to prepare for it. 341 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,500 That's not how he works. It requires faith. 342 00:17:05,500 --> 00:17:08,500 Walk with the Lord, prepare yourself, by the grace of God, 343 00:17:08,500 --> 00:17:11,167 to be godly, and then whatever the future holds, 344 00:17:11,208 --> 00:17:14,542 you'll be ready for it, amen? 345 00:17:14,667 --> 00:17:16,875 That's Mary, okay? 346 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:18,750 We're looking at Jesus' family. 347 00:17:18,833 --> 00:17:22,042 We're looking at the fact that Jesus comes into a family 348 00:17:22,167 --> 00:17:24,208 and he makes us family. 349 00:17:24,333 --> 00:17:25,833 That's his mother, Mary. 350 00:17:25,875 --> 00:17:27,667 Let's look at his father, Joseph. 351 00:17:27,667 --> 00:17:29,208 And here's why I'm doing this. 352 00:17:29,333 --> 00:17:31,042 Some of you would say, "Pastor Mark, 353 00:17:31,167 --> 00:17:32,500 we're familiar with the Christmas story." 354 00:17:32,500 --> 00:17:36,667 Let me say to you, many people are somewhat familiar with 355 00:17:36,667 --> 00:17:39,542 the Christmas story, but haven't really investigated. 356 00:17:39,667 --> 00:17:42,250 We know bits, and pieces, and details, 357 00:17:42,333 --> 00:17:45,667 but I want us to walk through and reconsider. 358 00:17:45,708 --> 00:17:49,375 And just as they welcomed Christ into their family, 359 00:17:49,500 --> 00:17:52,333 during this season, I want us all to welcome Christ 360 00:17:52,375 --> 00:17:54,208 into our family. 361 00:17:54,333 --> 00:17:56,375 And I know some of you don't know Christ, 362 00:17:56,500 --> 00:17:58,542 and you don't know the biblical story of Christ. 363 00:17:58,667 --> 00:18:02,667 You only know a few scant details of the Christmas story. 364 00:18:02,708 --> 00:18:05,167 And it's my great honor and privilege to teach you. 365 00:18:05,167 --> 00:18:08,375 And I don't want to assume that we know things that we don't, 366 00:18:08,500 --> 00:18:12,167 and even if we know them, I want us to be able to articulate them 367 00:18:12,167 --> 00:18:14,417 to others, tell our kids, our family, our friends, 368 00:18:14,500 --> 00:18:17,167 our neighbors, our coworkers about Jesus Christ 369 00:18:17,208 --> 00:18:18,917 and the story of Christmas. 370 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,208 That's his mother, Mary; here's his father, Joseph. 371 00:18:21,333 --> 00:18:23,542 Matthew 1:19-20. 372 00:18:23,667 --> 00:18:26,708 "And her husband Joseph, being a just man." 373 00:18:26,833 --> 00:18:29,667 That means he's a good man, a godly man, a noble man, 374 00:18:29,708 --> 00:18:32,167 a humble man, a Spirit-filled man. 375 00:18:32,208 --> 00:18:35,000 He's a loving man, he's a kind man, 376 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:37,042 he's a faithful man. 377 00:18:37,167 --> 00:18:40,833 He's the kind of man that you would want your sons to be like. 378 00:18:40,875 --> 00:18:45,000 He's the kind of man you would want your daughters to marry. 379 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:46,875 That's Joseph. 380 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:49,750 Men, may you all be just men. 381 00:18:49,833 --> 00:18:54,667 By the grace of God, may we all be just men. 382 00:18:54,667 --> 00:18:56,833 We don't know a lot about Joseph, 383 00:18:56,875 --> 00:19:00,042 but if that's all we know, that tells us everything 384 00:19:00,167 --> 00:19:02,250 that we need to know. 385 00:19:02,333 --> 00:19:05,375 "Being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, 386 00:19:05,500 --> 00:19:08,167 resolved to divorce her quietly." 387 00:19:08,208 --> 00:19:10,500 We'll unpack that. 388 00:19:10,500 --> 00:19:12,208 "But as he considered these things, behold, 389 00:19:12,333 --> 00:19:15,333 "an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 390 00:19:15,375 --> 00:19:19,250 "'Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, 391 00:19:19,333 --> 00:19:23,875 for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.'" 392 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:28,875 So, the situation is this: Joseph has worked very hard 393 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:31,667 to prepare himself for marriage, because marriage, 394 00:19:31,667 --> 00:19:35,250 according to the Bible, is for men, not boys. 395 00:19:35,333 --> 00:19:39,417 This means that he has taken a job. 396 00:19:39,500 --> 00:19:43,000 This means that he has moved out of his mother and father's home. 397 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:47,375 This means that he has taken responsibility for himself. 398 00:19:47,500 --> 00:19:51,167 He's worshiping God, he's paying his bills, he's living his life. 399 00:19:51,167 --> 00:19:55,542 Even though he's a young man, he's a grown man. 400 00:19:55,667 --> 00:19:58,542 See, there is a myth in our culture. 401 00:19:58,667 --> 00:20:02,500 We'll say things like, "When I get older and wiser." 402 00:20:02,500 --> 00:20:07,917 Friends, you can get older and more foolish. 403 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:12,375 If you're young and humble, you can be wise. 404 00:20:12,500 --> 00:20:17,167 Joseph is a man who has maturity and wisdom. 405 00:20:17,208 --> 00:20:21,500 He's not excusing adolescence and immaturity 406 00:20:21,500 --> 00:20:24,542 as many young men do. 407 00:20:24,667 --> 00:20:27,167 He's not freeloading off his parents, 408 00:20:27,208 --> 00:20:29,917 he's not looking for a good time. 409 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:32,917 He's trying to make a good legacy. 410 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:36,375 He's looking for a wife, not just a date. 411 00:20:36,500 --> 00:20:42,000 He's looking for a family, not just a pleasure. 412 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,167 And this young man has taken upon himself 413 00:20:44,208 --> 00:20:48,875 a great responsibility. 414 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:52,000 He now is ready to be married. 415 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:54,375 This means that Mary's family approves. 416 00:20:54,500 --> 00:20:57,000 They've looked at him, and gotten to know his character 417 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,417 and his work ethic, and "we approve." 418 00:21:00,500 --> 00:21:03,167 This means that the congregation of God's people, 419 00:21:03,208 --> 00:21:06,042 of which they are a part, has approved. 420 00:21:06,167 --> 00:21:09,167 This means that Joseph has presented himself 421 00:21:09,208 --> 00:21:11,833 as a worthy man. 422 00:21:11,875 --> 00:21:17,375 This is a lot of responsibility and effort, men, is it not? 423 00:21:17,500 --> 00:21:21,042 Let's say he's 16, or 18, or 20 years of age. 424 00:21:21,167 --> 00:21:24,833 Does that not make it all the more amazing? 425 00:21:24,875 --> 00:21:30,708 And he's chosen Mary. 426 00:21:30,833 --> 00:21:34,417 He's probably known her since they were kids. 427 00:21:34,500 --> 00:21:37,875 He may have loved her since he was a little boy. 428 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:44,375 See her in synagogue, see her in town, that's Mary. 429 00:21:44,500 --> 00:21:47,542 His heart was inclined toward her. 430 00:21:47,667 --> 00:21:49,667 Perhaps one of the great motivations that 431 00:21:49,667 --> 00:21:51,667 he had to mature, and to grow up, 432 00:21:51,708 --> 00:21:54,167 and to take responsibility was so that he could get 433 00:21:54,208 --> 00:21:59,167 as many years with Mary as his wife as he possibly could, 434 00:21:59,208 --> 00:22:01,333 which meant that there was incentive for him 435 00:22:01,375 --> 00:22:04,750 to take responsibility and to carry himself as a man 436 00:22:04,833 --> 00:22:07,542 at a very young age. 437 00:22:07,667 --> 00:22:10,167 And he's done it. 438 00:22:10,208 --> 00:22:14,917 He's made that bold, courageous move of asking for 439 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,750 her hand in marriage, and receiving her blessing 440 00:22:17,833 --> 00:22:20,208 and her parents' blessing. 441 00:22:20,333 --> 00:22:22,917 So, now they are legally covenanted together as husband 442 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:26,542 and wife, and there is a date set for their wedding. 443 00:22:26,667 --> 00:22:28,667 And everybody knows that their wedding is coming; 444 00:22:28,708 --> 00:22:30,167 it's a small town. 445 00:22:30,208 --> 00:22:32,250 And Mary's making all the preparations, 446 00:22:32,333 --> 00:22:35,000 and sometimes their wedding celebrations could last upwards 447 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:37,667 of a week, and it was feasting, and celebrating, 448 00:22:37,708 --> 00:22:40,042 and it was more of an eastern tradition. 449 00:22:40,167 --> 00:22:42,167 I mean, you ladies that have gotten married, 450 00:22:42,167 --> 00:22:44,167 you know what this looks like. 451 00:22:44,208 --> 00:22:46,167 You ladies that are preparing for marriage, 452 00:22:46,208 --> 00:22:48,750 you know what this looks like. 453 00:22:48,833 --> 00:22:55,542 It's the most hopeful season of your life, 454 00:22:55,667 --> 00:23:00,875 and then Joseph gets the most devastating news: 455 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:04,542 she's pregnant. 456 00:23:04,667 --> 00:23:06,750 "Mary? 457 00:23:06,833 --> 00:23:10,250 "I see her sing to the Lord every Sabbath. 458 00:23:10,333 --> 00:23:14,250 "She's memorized huge sections of Scripture. 459 00:23:14,333 --> 00:23:18,500 "I thought she was the godliest girl I'd ever met. 460 00:23:18,500 --> 00:23:24,917 "I have been praying, and waiting, and striving for years. 461 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:28,000 "She's pregnant? I'm still a virgin. 462 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:31,375 "I have not laid hands on that woman. 463 00:23:31,500 --> 00:23:35,167 "We have not yet consummated our covenant. 464 00:23:35,208 --> 00:23:41,042 She's pregnant?" 465 00:23:41,167 --> 00:23:47,667 And this was 2,000 years ago in a very conservative, rural town, 466 00:23:47,667 --> 00:23:54,167 where everyone probably was Jewish. 467 00:23:54,208 --> 00:24:00,750 That makes it particularly scandalous and devastating. 468 00:24:00,833 --> 00:24:02,417 Now, what's Joseph going to do? 469 00:24:02,500 --> 00:24:05,500 Men, what would you do? 470 00:24:05,500 --> 00:24:08,542 He decides that he will divorce her quietly. 471 00:24:08,667 --> 00:24:11,667 Because they were covenanted together, 472 00:24:11,667 --> 00:24:16,833 to cancel the betrothal season and to nullify the forthcoming 473 00:24:16,875 --> 00:24:23,042 wedding, it actually required legal action and divorce. 474 00:24:23,167 --> 00:24:29,667 Joseph is looking at being divorced before he's married. 475 00:24:29,708 --> 00:24:33,167 And so what Joseph decides to do, because he's a godly man, 476 00:24:33,208 --> 00:24:35,750 and a humble man, and an honorable man, 477 00:24:35,833 --> 00:24:38,042 he doesn't want to be with her, 478 00:24:38,167 --> 00:24:40,542 but he doesn't want to destroy her. 479 00:24:40,667 --> 00:24:42,375 He doesn't want to be with her, 480 00:24:42,500 --> 00:24:44,500 but he doesn't want to shame her. 481 00:24:44,500 --> 00:24:46,375 He doesn't want to be with her, 482 00:24:46,500 --> 00:24:48,542 but he doesn't want to punish her. 483 00:24:48,667 --> 00:24:50,542 You see that, men? 484 00:24:50,667 --> 00:24:52,667 He's not getting vengeance. 485 00:24:52,708 --> 00:24:56,042 He's not ruining her reputation. 486 00:24:56,167 --> 00:24:57,833 And there were provisions in the law, 487 00:24:57,875 --> 00:25:00,667 Leviticus 20 and I think it's Deuteronomy 22, 488 00:25:00,708 --> 00:25:02,875 that said that even during betrothal, 489 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:06,000 if someone should commit adultery, 490 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:09,542 it was punishable by death. 491 00:25:09,667 --> 00:25:13,500 Now, that clause of the law was very rarely enacted, 492 00:25:13,500 --> 00:25:16,042 but it did mean that he had the legal right 493 00:25:16,167 --> 00:25:19,042 to potentially kill her, 494 00:25:19,167 --> 00:25:22,000 and instead what he wants to do is protect her, 495 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:26,042 though he doesn't want to be with her. 496 00:25:26,167 --> 00:25:28,250 And then something amazing happens. 497 00:25:28,333 --> 00:25:33,000 Joseph goes to bed, probably staining his pillow with tears. 498 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:36,750 He's a devastated man. 499 00:25:36,833 --> 00:25:40,042 And the Bible says that an angel showed up and spoke to him 500 00:25:40,167 --> 00:25:43,875 during his dream and told him that what was about to happen 501 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:49,542 with the conception and birth of Jesus was from the Holy Spirit. 502 00:25:49,667 --> 00:25:53,375 And what Joseph receives is miraculous. 503 00:25:53,500 --> 00:25:54,875 It's a revelation. 504 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:57,250 An angel comes. 505 00:25:57,333 --> 00:26:01,208 Angels are divine beings, created by God. 506 00:26:01,333 --> 00:26:04,833 They don't inhabit human bodies, physical bodies. 507 00:26:04,833 --> 00:26:07,333 They're spirit beings. 508 00:26:07,375 --> 00:26:12,417 They exist for the two functions of messengers and ministers. 509 00:26:12,500 --> 00:26:16,500 They speak on God's behalf and they serve on God's behalf. 510 00:26:16,500 --> 00:26:21,042 And so an angel comes to explain to Joseph that the Holy Spirit, 511 00:26:21,167 --> 00:26:24,542 that God himself has done a miraculous, supernatural thing, 512 00:26:24,667 --> 00:26:29,375 that the laws of nature are in pencil, not pen, 513 00:26:29,500 --> 00:26:32,500 that God can show up and do things that otherwise 514 00:26:32,500 --> 00:26:34,167 could not be done. 515 00:26:34,208 --> 00:26:37,250 Friends, this is why we believe. 516 00:26:37,333 --> 00:26:39,750 We believe that God can give sight to the blind, 517 00:26:39,833 --> 00:26:42,208 we believe that God can give hearing to the deaf, 518 00:26:42,333 --> 00:26:47,875 we believe that God can, if he so chooses, even raise the dead. 519 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:51,042 And we believe that God will do that for all of his people 520 00:26:51,167 --> 00:26:53,000 at the end of time forever. 521 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:56,417 We believe in the miraculous, we believe in the supernatural. 522 00:26:56,500 --> 00:26:58,417 And I know some of you would say, 523 00:26:58,500 --> 00:27:00,667 "This seems very uncommon and unusual." 524 00:27:00,667 --> 00:27:02,708 By definition, that's what a miracle is. 525 00:27:02,833 --> 00:27:05,708 That's why we call it a miracle and not a Tuesday. 526 00:27:05,833 --> 00:27:07,208 It doesn't happen all the time. 527 00:27:07,333 --> 00:27:09,208 It's very unusual. 528 00:27:09,333 --> 00:27:13,250 An angel shows up, says that a miracle has occurred, 529 00:27:13,333 --> 00:27:16,708 says that Mary is going to give birth to a son, 530 00:27:16,833 --> 00:27:22,250 but she has not sinned. 531 00:27:22,333 --> 00:27:25,667 Here's my question for all of us, 532 00:27:25,667 --> 00:27:29,875 but particularly for you men. 533 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:33,750 Men, will you love and lead the family God has given you, 534 00:27:33,833 --> 00:27:38,042 even if it's not the one you envisioned? 535 00:27:38,167 --> 00:27:42,750 This was not the family that Joseph envisioned. 536 00:27:42,833 --> 00:27:46,542 This is not the family that Joseph envisioned. 537 00:27:46,667 --> 00:27:51,667 His vision of his future: "I'm a virgin, she's a virgin, 538 00:27:51,708 --> 00:27:54,417 "that means she's not pregnant, we don't need to alter 539 00:27:54,500 --> 00:28:00,417 "the dress, nobody's whispering during our ceremony, 540 00:28:00,500 --> 00:28:04,208 "there's no questions about her integrity. 541 00:28:04,333 --> 00:28:08,417 "We get married, we live a simple life, an obscure life, 542 00:28:08,500 --> 00:28:11,667 the middle of nowhere, people don't talk about us." 543 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:20,917 Let me say this, men: most of the time, 544 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:23,875 the script you have written for your future and family 545 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:27,167 is different from the script that God will hand you, 546 00:28:27,167 --> 00:28:29,917 and you have a decision to make. 547 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:33,000 Will I read the script that he has handed me, 548 00:28:33,042 --> 00:28:36,417 or will I abandon this woman and go find another 549 00:28:36,500 --> 00:28:41,000 and hand her my script? 550 00:28:44,667 --> 00:28:49,208 Men, be very careful the vision you have for your family. 551 00:28:49,333 --> 00:28:51,833 Make sure that you are loving, glorifying, honoring, 552 00:28:51,875 --> 00:28:54,833 following the Lord, and that if he should hand you a script 553 00:28:54,875 --> 00:28:59,417 that is different than the one you have written, 554 00:28:59,500 --> 00:29:02,000 that you go with his plan and not yours. 555 00:29:02,042 --> 00:29:05,500 This was not Joseph's plan, because had Joseph been meeting 556 00:29:05,500 --> 00:29:08,708 with his life coach and putting together his 7-year plan-- 557 00:29:08,833 --> 00:29:11,667 "Where do you see yourself in 7 years, Joseph?" 558 00:29:11,667 --> 00:29:14,833 "Well, I see myself with Mary. 559 00:29:14,833 --> 00:29:19,417 "She's got a very great reputation and our son 560 00:29:19,500 --> 00:29:23,667 "is adored, and no one really knows who we are, and we live 561 00:29:23,667 --> 00:29:27,042 a quiet, simple, country life." 562 00:29:27,167 --> 00:29:33,833 "Well, Joseph, how about you marry a single mother? 563 00:29:33,833 --> 00:29:37,833 "How about even though she's godly and sinless insofar as 564 00:29:37,875 --> 00:29:41,208 "her sexual activity is concerned, 565 00:29:41,333 --> 00:29:44,667 "everybody's going to think she's a tramp? 566 00:29:44,667 --> 00:29:47,167 "And your wife's going to have a really bad reputation, 567 00:29:47,167 --> 00:29:51,167 "which is admittedly hard in a small town, right? 568 00:29:51,167 --> 00:29:54,500 "And your son, well, they're going to say horrible things 569 00:29:54,542 --> 00:29:58,167 "about him, and you're going to be the laughing stock 570 00:29:58,167 --> 00:30:02,000 "of the town because everyone's going to think it's a joke 571 00:30:02,042 --> 00:30:03,833 "that your wife cheated on you 572 00:30:03,833 --> 00:30:05,833 "and then told you it was the Lord, 573 00:30:05,875 --> 00:30:07,708 "and you're gullible enough to believe it 574 00:30:07,833 --> 00:30:10,167 and raise somebody else's kid." 575 00:30:10,167 --> 00:30:12,042 And that's what happened. 576 00:30:12,167 --> 00:30:16,042 The gospels tell the story that some come to Jesus when he's 577 00:30:16,167 --> 00:30:19,000 older and they throw out this phrase: 578 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:22,875 "At least we know who our father is." 579 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:26,042 It's a way of saying, "Your mom has slept with so many men, 580 00:30:26,167 --> 00:30:28,875 you don't even know who your dad is." 581 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:30,333 Jesus says a great line. 582 00:30:30,375 --> 00:30:33,000 He says, "Your father's the devil," 583 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:35,542 which is a great line. 584 00:30:35,667 --> 00:30:38,167 I just--bazinga. 585 00:30:38,167 --> 00:30:40,042 That's a good one. 586 00:30:40,167 --> 00:30:43,667 That's a good one. 587 00:30:43,667 --> 00:30:48,375 But men, would you agree that this is not the plan that Joseph 588 00:30:48,500 --> 00:30:52,375 had envisioned for his life, and his wife, and his family, 589 00:30:52,500 --> 00:30:57,750 and his son, but he accepted, as Mary accepted, God's plan 590 00:30:57,833 --> 00:31:00,667 for their life. 591 00:31:00,667 --> 00:31:04,917 For you single men, don't overlook the single mothers. 592 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:08,833 For you single men, don't take the path of least resistance, 593 00:31:08,875 --> 00:31:12,042 take the path of most glory to God. 594 00:31:12,167 --> 00:31:14,667 For you single men, don't write a script in pen, 595 00:31:14,708 --> 00:31:17,875 make sure it's in pencil. 596 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:21,000 And will you love and lead the family God has given you, 597 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:23,708 even if it's not the one you envisioned? 598 00:31:23,833 --> 00:31:26,042 Had I known that she would be like this, 599 00:31:26,167 --> 00:31:28,875 I would have not signed up for a lifetime. 600 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:31,250 Had I known that the kids would be like this, 601 00:31:31,333 --> 00:31:33,667 I would not have signed up for a lifetime. 602 00:31:33,708 --> 00:31:36,833 Had I known that they would get sick, or I would get sick, 603 00:31:36,875 --> 00:31:39,375 had I known what their extended family would be like, 604 00:31:39,500 --> 00:31:43,542 had I known the sins in their past that have haunted us 605 00:31:43,667 --> 00:31:46,375 in the present, had I known that they would betray me 606 00:31:46,500 --> 00:31:48,875 in this way or fail me in this way, 607 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:50,875 I never would have signed up for 608 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:52,375 a lifetime of this. 609 00:31:52,500 --> 00:31:57,042 And Joseph says, "That's fine. 610 00:31:57,167 --> 00:32:03,333 "It's going to be hard, but I trust the Lord, 611 00:32:03,375 --> 00:32:07,917 and his vision for my family is my vision for my family." 612 00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:10,667 And let me say this--let me say this to you men. 613 00:32:10,667 --> 00:32:12,375 I feel inclined to the Holy Spirit 614 00:32:12,500 --> 00:32:13,750 to press this point home. 615 00:32:13,833 --> 00:32:17,375 If God should give some of you men a difficult family, 616 00:32:17,500 --> 00:32:21,000 it's not a burden, it's an honor because God has entrusted to you 617 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:23,917 a great responsibility for the woman and children 618 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:25,542 that he loves very dearly. 619 00:32:25,667 --> 00:32:28,042 And perhaps he didn't give it to another man because 620 00:32:28,167 --> 00:32:31,042 he wasn't sure that his daughter would be loved well 621 00:32:31,167 --> 00:32:35,417 and that his children would be raised well. 622 00:32:35,500 --> 00:32:38,542 Now, had Joseph taken this as a burden, 623 00:32:38,667 --> 00:32:40,750 he would have become embittered against the Lord. 624 00:32:40,833 --> 00:32:43,167 "Why such a difficult lot for me?" 625 00:32:43,208 --> 00:32:45,875 Instead, he took it as a divine assignment from the Lord, 626 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:48,000 a great honor from the Lord. 627 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:52,333 "Someone needs to love Mary and someone needs to raise God. 628 00:32:52,375 --> 00:32:55,167 Sign me up." 629 00:32:55,208 --> 00:32:58,875 I want you men to know that sometimes God sends the best men 630 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:03,042 on the toughest missions, and just because God has given 631 00:33:03,167 --> 00:33:06,708 you a difficult family does not mean that he has 632 00:33:06,833 --> 00:33:08,917 any way burdened you. 633 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:12,042 He has blessed you with a tremendous opportunity. 634 00:33:12,167 --> 00:33:15,667 I appreciate that Joseph received it in that way. 635 00:33:15,667 --> 00:33:21,333 He doesn't say a lot, he just does a lot. 636 00:33:21,375 --> 00:33:24,667 That's Jesus' father, Joseph. 637 00:33:24,708 --> 00:33:27,333 So, then we now have Mary, his mother, 638 00:33:27,375 --> 00:33:29,375 and Jesus' father, Joseph. 639 00:33:29,500 --> 00:33:30,750 Here is Jesus. 640 00:33:30,833 --> 00:33:33,667 Matthew 1:21-23: "She will bear a son." 641 00:33:33,708 --> 00:33:37,042 Now, that is echoing all the way back to the third chapter 642 00:33:37,167 --> 00:33:38,750 of the Bible. 643 00:33:38,833 --> 00:33:41,375 When Adam and Eve, our first parents, sinned, the promise, 644 00:33:41,500 --> 00:33:44,333 the prophecy of God was given through the first gospel, 645 00:33:44,375 --> 00:33:47,250 the protoevangelion, God declared that 646 00:33:47,333 --> 00:33:49,500 through the seed of the woman 647 00:33:49,500 --> 00:33:52,750 would come a Son, and he would be a Savior. 648 00:33:52,833 --> 00:33:55,333 And so, from sin entering the world, 649 00:33:55,375 --> 00:33:59,000 people have been waiting the coming of a son, 650 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:00,917 and here he is. 651 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:02,708 "'She will bear a son, 652 00:34:02,833 --> 00:34:04,417 and you shall call his name Jesus,'" 653 00:34:04,500 --> 00:34:07,417 which means God saves, 654 00:34:07,500 --> 00:34:12,042 "'for he will save his people from their sins.' 655 00:34:12,167 --> 00:34:15,708 "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken 656 00:34:15,833 --> 00:34:17,375 by the prophet." 657 00:34:17,500 --> 00:34:21,917 So, he goes back 700 years prior and he quotes Isaiah 7:14. 658 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:25,042 "'Behold, the virgin shall conceive.'" 659 00:34:25,167 --> 00:34:29,417 The virgin, that's a young, unmarried, chaste woman, 660 00:34:29,500 --> 00:34:33,000 "'shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call 661 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:35,250 his name Immanuel.'" 662 00:34:35,333 --> 00:34:39,500 We see it on the Christmas cards, we sing it every year. 663 00:34:39,500 --> 00:34:42,250 "(which means, God is with us)." 664 00:34:42,333 --> 00:34:44,333 Okay, first of all, who is Jesus? 665 00:34:44,375 --> 00:34:46,333 We find out right here. 666 00:34:46,375 --> 00:34:49,250 He is Immanuel, God with us. 667 00:34:49,333 --> 00:34:51,333 So, I want you to know, Mars Hill, 668 00:34:51,375 --> 00:34:55,250 Jesus' life did not begin in the womb of Mary. 669 00:34:55,333 --> 00:34:58,250 Jesus is eternally God, he's Creator God, 670 00:34:58,333 --> 00:35:00,208 he's without beginning or end. 671 00:35:00,333 --> 00:35:01,833 He's God. 672 00:35:01,833 --> 00:35:05,333 He's God, and he came down to be with us. 673 00:35:05,333 --> 00:35:11,042 He humbled himself, Creator entering into creation, 674 00:35:11,167 --> 00:35:17,833 and he came to identify with us, to walk among us, to seek us, 675 00:35:17,875 --> 00:35:20,250 to serve us, to save us. 676 00:35:20,333 --> 00:35:23,667 Jesus Christ is Immanuel, God with us. 677 00:35:23,708 --> 00:35:27,000 Don't just sing the songs and enjoy the Christmas cards. 678 00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:28,875 Embrace the truth. 679 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:33,708 Jesus is God with us, not one of many gods, 680 00:35:33,833 --> 00:35:38,750 God with us, the only God. 681 00:35:38,833 --> 00:35:41,208 And not only does the Bible declare this, 682 00:35:41,333 --> 00:35:44,375 Jesus himself declares this. 683 00:35:44,500 --> 00:35:47,667 Friends, Jesus emphatically, clearly, repeatedly, 684 00:35:47,708 --> 00:35:54,042 unapologetically, unashamedly declared himself to be God. 685 00:35:54,167 --> 00:35:59,000 Don't just reduce Jesus to a good therapist, a life coach, 686 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:02,667 a motivational speaker, or a moral example. 687 00:36:02,667 --> 00:36:06,833 Jesus is God, and he's God among us, 688 00:36:06,875 --> 00:36:09,875 and throughout his life he kept saying that he was God 689 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:11,750 and the only God. 690 00:36:11,833 --> 00:36:14,542 The result was that they sought to put him to death. 691 00:36:14,667 --> 00:36:16,750 And on one occasion they came to Jesus, 692 00:36:16,833 --> 00:36:19,000 and they were seeking to kill him, 693 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:23,250 and he asked this very pregnant question: 694 00:36:23,333 --> 00:36:26,000 "Why do you seek to crucify me?" 695 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:29,375 And they said, quote, "Because you, a mere man, 696 00:36:29,500 --> 00:36:33,542 claim to be God," end quote. 697 00:36:33,667 --> 00:36:36,917 Why did Jesus die? 698 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:40,542 Because he said he was God, because he kept saying he was 699 00:36:40,667 --> 00:36:44,917 God, and when he rose from death, conquering sin and death, 700 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:49,667 that forever proves his claims to be true. 701 00:36:49,708 --> 00:36:51,500 Jesus is God. 702 00:36:51,500 --> 00:36:54,167 Mars Hill, Jesus is God. 703 00:36:54,208 --> 00:36:57,667 That's the bedrock of all that we believe. 704 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:03,542 That's who Jesus is. 705 00:37:03,667 --> 00:37:05,875 What did Jesus come to do? 706 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:09,042 This is such a magnificent line. 707 00:37:09,167 --> 00:37:10,833 "He," who? 708 00:37:10,833 --> 00:37:12,375 Jesus. 709 00:37:12,500 --> 00:37:15,167 There's no other saviors, there's no other salvation, 710 00:37:15,208 --> 00:37:18,542 there's no other name by which the Bible declares 711 00:37:18,667 --> 00:37:20,667 we must be saved. 712 00:37:20,708 --> 00:37:25,375 Other religions do not save, other philosophies do not save, 713 00:37:25,500 --> 00:37:28,167 other moralities do not save. 714 00:37:28,167 --> 00:37:31,542 I know it's not popular, but it's true. 715 00:37:31,667 --> 00:37:33,875 Jesus alone saves. 716 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:35,833 He saves. 717 00:37:36,708 --> 00:37:39,167 He saves. 718 00:37:39,167 --> 00:37:41,333 He saves from what? 719 00:37:41,375 --> 00:37:44,500 He saves from sin and death. 720 00:37:44,500 --> 00:37:46,875 He saves. 721 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:53,042 Here's the truth: we all need to be saved. 722 00:37:53,167 --> 00:37:57,375 My job is to tell the truth, your job is to make a decision. 723 00:37:57,500 --> 00:38:01,375 Jesus talked about hell more than anyone in the Bible. 724 00:38:01,500 --> 00:38:06,417 We are all, by nature and choice, sinners. 725 00:38:06,500 --> 00:38:12,833 It's the one truth that explains the whole world and our lives. 726 00:38:12,875 --> 00:38:16,375 It's so helpful, 727 00:38:16,500 --> 00:38:20,875 and it shows us the great need 728 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:25,208 for a Savior, for a Savior. 729 00:38:25,333 --> 00:38:27,208 We need a Savior. 730 00:38:27,333 --> 00:38:29,708 We can't save ourselves and we can't save one another. 731 00:38:29,833 --> 00:38:32,333 We need somebody to come in and save us. 732 00:38:32,333 --> 00:38:34,667 Well, that's Immanuel, God with us. 733 00:38:34,667 --> 00:38:36,708 God comes down to love his enemies. 734 00:38:36,833 --> 00:38:40,000 God comes down to save sinners. 735 00:38:40,042 --> 00:38:44,208 It says he will save. 736 00:38:44,333 --> 00:38:46,542 This is before Jesus went to the cross, 737 00:38:46,667 --> 00:38:49,333 this is before Jesus died in our place for our sins, 738 00:38:49,375 --> 00:38:51,708 so it's promising, it's foreshadowing, 739 00:38:51,833 --> 00:38:56,500 it's anticipating the death of Jesus in our place for our sins, 740 00:38:56,542 --> 00:38:59,917 that God would come and live without sin and that he would go 741 00:39:00,042 --> 00:39:03,500 to the cross and he would die for sin, 742 00:39:03,542 --> 00:39:07,667 and that he is Immanuel, God with us, that he is God for us, 743 00:39:07,708 --> 00:39:14,167 and that he will save his people from their sins. 744 00:39:14,167 --> 00:39:16,000 Let me say this very clearly. 745 00:39:16,042 --> 00:39:18,708 If you don't know Jesus, you are living in the path 746 00:39:18,833 --> 00:39:21,042 of the wrath of God. 747 00:39:21,167 --> 00:39:23,208 I don't mind if you have a Christmas tree, 748 00:39:23,333 --> 00:39:25,583 send out Christmas cards, enjoy Christmas gifts, 749 00:39:25,667 --> 00:39:30,833 and sing Christmas songs, don't miss Christ in Christmas. 750 00:39:30,875 --> 00:39:36,083 If you have not been saved from your sins, you are in grave, 751 00:39:36,167 --> 00:39:39,875 eternal, frightful danger. 752 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:42,000 There is a heaven, there is a hell. 753 00:39:42,042 --> 00:39:43,667 You are a sinner. 754 00:39:43,667 --> 00:39:46,833 Good news, there's a Savior. 755 00:39:46,875 --> 00:39:49,917 And in this season where we give gifts and receive gifts, 756 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:54,417 let me just beg you, give your sin to Jesus and receive 757 00:39:54,500 --> 00:39:56,917 the gift of salvation. 758 00:39:57,000 --> 00:39:59,333 Have you done that? 759 00:39:59,375 --> 00:40:01,708 Will you do that today? 760 00:40:01,833 --> 00:40:04,333 Some of you ask, "Are you trying to convert me?" 761 00:40:04,333 --> 00:40:05,833 Absolutely! 762 00:40:05,875 --> 00:40:08,542 That's exactly what I'm trying to do. 763 00:40:08,667 --> 00:40:10,917 I want you to meet Jesus. 764 00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:12,708 That's what I want. 765 00:40:12,833 --> 00:40:14,375 That's why we're here. 766 00:40:14,500 --> 00:40:16,042 That's why they brought you. 767 00:40:16,167 --> 00:40:20,750 That's why they didn't tell you this was going to happen. 768 00:40:20,833 --> 00:40:24,042 And God loves you, and God seeks you, and God knows you, 769 00:40:24,167 --> 00:40:25,667 and he's Immanuel, God with us. 770 00:40:25,708 --> 00:40:28,375 And I'll tell you right now, if this is ringing true 771 00:40:28,500 --> 00:40:31,708 in your heart, Jesus is with you. 772 00:40:31,833 --> 00:40:35,167 He's Immanuel, God with you, right now, saying, 773 00:40:35,208 --> 00:40:38,375 "Give me your sin, I'll give you my salvation. 774 00:40:38,500 --> 00:40:41,000 How about we make that our Christmas exchange?" 775 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:46,667 And it says, "He will save his people from their sins." 776 00:40:46,708 --> 00:40:50,167 Not all people are saved. 777 00:40:50,208 --> 00:40:54,542 Let me repeat this: just as all roads don't drive to the same 778 00:40:54,667 --> 00:40:59,917 destination, so all paths do not lead to the same salvation. 779 00:41:00,042 --> 00:41:05,208 Jesus saves his people from their sins. 780 00:41:05,333 --> 00:41:08,042 Are you among Jesus' people? 781 00:41:08,167 --> 00:41:10,167 Are you one of Jesus' people? 782 00:41:10,167 --> 00:41:12,000 Is God your Father? 783 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:13,875 Is Jesus your Big Brother? 784 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:15,375 Are we your church family? 785 00:41:15,500 --> 00:41:17,042 Has God saved you? 786 00:41:17,167 --> 00:41:19,167 Are you saved? 787 00:41:19,208 --> 00:41:21,667 If not, today is the day of your salvation. 788 00:41:21,708 --> 00:41:27,042 Today is the day where you come to the Lord Jesus Christ. 789 00:41:27,167 --> 00:41:33,667 There's Mary, there's Joseph, everything orbits around Jesus. 790 00:41:33,708 --> 00:41:37,042 And this is why, Mars Hill, I don't want you to just see him 791 00:41:37,167 --> 00:41:38,708 as a child. 792 00:41:38,833 --> 00:41:42,875 God became a man, but he grew up to be a grown man. 793 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:46,667 He's not just the babe who had 10 fingers and 10 toes counted 794 00:41:46,708 --> 00:41:52,250 by his mother, he had 10 fingers and 10 toes nailed to a cross. 795 00:41:52,333 --> 00:41:55,250 He not only had his first breath, 796 00:41:55,333 --> 00:41:59,708 he also had his last breath. 797 00:41:59,833 --> 00:42:03,833 And he will save his people from their sins. 798 00:42:03,833 --> 00:42:07,667 This is why, for us who are Christian, 799 00:42:07,667 --> 00:42:14,000 there can be no holiday without him. 800 00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:18,167 Now, looking at Jesus' family. 801 00:42:18,208 --> 00:42:24,167 Matthew 1:24-25: "When Joseph woke up from sleep." 802 00:42:24,208 --> 00:42:28,250 I love this. 803 00:42:28,333 --> 00:42:31,667 I think we have wrongly defined, in many regards, 804 00:42:31,667 --> 00:42:35,167 what a theologian is and does. 805 00:42:35,208 --> 00:42:38,167 I think Joseph is a great theologian. 806 00:42:38,208 --> 00:42:41,042 And some of you will say, "He doesn't say anything." 807 00:42:41,167 --> 00:42:47,208 Oh, that more theologians were like that. 808 00:42:47,333 --> 00:42:52,500 Sometimes, this issue of faith gets so theoretical, 809 00:42:52,500 --> 00:42:57,333 so theological, so complicated and nuanced. 810 00:42:57,375 --> 00:43:01,417 And what is Paul's definition of "pistis," which is faith, 811 00:43:01,500 --> 00:43:04,708 versus James' view of the same concept? 812 00:43:04,833 --> 00:43:06,708 And how does this fit into Abraham 813 00:43:06,833 --> 00:43:08,375 and the example of faith? 814 00:43:08,500 --> 00:43:12,542 And I like Joseph. 815 00:43:12,667 --> 00:43:16,667 Here's what faith looks like for Joseph: 816 00:43:16,708 --> 00:43:19,042 "He did." 817 00:43:19,167 --> 00:43:23,750 It doesn't go into an enormous inner dialogue: 818 00:43:23,833 --> 00:43:27,250 "And Joseph was considering all of the various words for faith 819 00:43:27,333 --> 00:43:30,000 "in the constellation of meaning and how it's used in 820 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:32,250 "the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, 821 00:43:32,333 --> 00:43:35,333 "and how it finds itself in the Midrash and the Talmud, 822 00:43:35,375 --> 00:43:37,750 "and how it's used in secular literature 823 00:43:37,833 --> 00:43:39,667 "within the ancient Greek civilization 824 00:43:39,667 --> 00:43:41,042 "of the Roman Empire, 825 00:43:41,167 --> 00:43:44,417 "and then he did a word study and he read 7 books on it, 826 00:43:44,500 --> 00:43:47,542 "and then he met with a counselor and therapist and he revised his 827 00:43:47,667 --> 00:43:50,333 life statement with his coach, and his 7-year plan of--" 828 00:43:50,375 --> 00:43:52,833 Here's what it says: "He did." 829 00:43:52,875 --> 00:43:56,208 Some of you think too much, do too little. 830 00:43:56,333 --> 00:43:59,250 Some of you say too much and do too little. 831 00:43:59,333 --> 00:44:02,000 Faith is an inward conviction that is demonstrated 832 00:44:02,042 --> 00:44:05,042 with an outward action. 833 00:44:05,167 --> 00:44:09,042 Now, might I submit to you that what Joseph is being asked to do 834 00:44:09,167 --> 00:44:12,375 is not easy, right? 835 00:44:12,500 --> 00:44:15,000 Marry the pregnant girl. 836 00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:17,042 Just how many of you would be like, 837 00:44:17,167 --> 00:44:19,042 "That's where I tap out, right there. 838 00:44:19,167 --> 00:44:23,708 We didn't even need to continue with the punch list of duties." 839 00:44:23,833 --> 00:44:28,667 Have a life in a small town, where your reputation, 840 00:44:28,667 --> 00:44:34,333 your wife's reputation, your son's reputation is destroyed. 841 00:44:38,708 --> 00:44:41,167 And raise God. 842 00:44:41,167 --> 00:44:44,167 Don't blow it, because we don't even know what's going to happen 843 00:44:44,167 --> 00:44:45,667 if you do, right? 844 00:44:45,708 --> 00:44:47,542 Don't drop him. 845 00:44:47,667 --> 00:44:49,750 I mean, there's just--there's a lot of variables here. 846 00:44:49,833 --> 00:44:55,042 We're just not sure what the outcome is. 847 00:44:55,167 --> 00:44:57,167 Read it with me. 848 00:44:57,208 --> 00:44:59,833 "When Joseph woke from his sleep, 849 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:04,167 he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him." 850 00:45:04,167 --> 00:45:06,875 Here's what I love about Joseph: he doesn't say a lot, 851 00:45:07,000 --> 00:45:08,833 but he does a lot. 852 00:45:08,875 --> 00:45:10,375 Some of you are like that. 853 00:45:10,500 --> 00:45:12,042 You're like, "You know what? 854 00:45:12,167 --> 00:45:14,167 "I am not the world's greatest theologian, 855 00:45:14,167 --> 00:45:17,167 but if the Lord says something, I just want to do it." 856 00:45:17,167 --> 00:45:19,667 You're a great theologian. 857 00:45:19,708 --> 00:45:23,667 So, often times, it's just, "I trust the Lord. 858 00:45:23,708 --> 00:45:26,833 "If he tells me to do something, that's what I want to do, 859 00:45:26,875 --> 00:45:29,833 and by the grace of God, that's what I'm going to do." 860 00:45:29,875 --> 00:45:31,750 That's Joseph, right? Don't you love that? 861 00:45:31,833 --> 00:45:33,833 Because here's a guy--here's what faith looks like 862 00:45:33,875 --> 00:45:37,917 for Joseph: toolbox in one hand, lunchbox in the other. 863 00:45:38,000 --> 00:45:41,667 "Mary, I'm going to love you and we're going to raise Jesus. 864 00:45:41,708 --> 00:45:46,250 I'm going to go to work now, because we need to eat." 865 00:45:46,333 --> 00:45:50,000 That's faith. 866 00:45:50,000 --> 00:45:52,250 And this dignifies the professions. 867 00:45:52,333 --> 00:45:56,875 Let me just say, that as the son of a drywaller, 868 00:45:57,000 --> 00:45:59,667 a guy with a lunchbox and a toolbox 869 00:45:59,708 --> 00:46:01,708 is as pleasing to the Lord 870 00:46:01,833 --> 00:46:05,083 if he walks in obedient faith as a priest or a prophet. 871 00:46:05,167 --> 00:46:08,875 And Jesus didn't come born of a priest or a prophet, 872 00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:11,542 but a guy who has a lunchbox in one hand 873 00:46:11,667 --> 00:46:13,542 and a toolbox in the other. 874 00:46:13,667 --> 00:46:15,875 And for the first 30 years of his life, 875 00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:18,542 Jesus goes to work with his dad, lunchbox in one hand, 876 00:46:18,667 --> 00:46:21,042 toolbox in the other, and he wasn't wasting his time. 877 00:46:21,167 --> 00:46:23,042 He was worshiping the Lord through his work. 878 00:46:23,167 --> 00:46:24,833 All work, when done unto the Lord, 879 00:46:24,875 --> 00:46:26,250 is pleasing unto the Lord. 880 00:46:26,333 --> 00:46:29,167 It glorifies the Lord, it honors the Lord, and it's worship. 881 00:46:29,167 --> 00:46:32,542 Work becomes worship done unto the Lord. 882 00:46:32,667 --> 00:46:34,667 I love Joseph, I love this picture. 883 00:46:34,708 --> 00:46:37,667 He doesn't show up a lot, he doesn't say a lot, 884 00:46:37,708 --> 00:46:39,708 but he does a lot. 885 00:46:39,833 --> 00:46:41,875 He does a lot. 886 00:46:42,000 --> 00:46:47,042 "He took his wife." 887 00:46:47,167 --> 00:46:48,875 Can you see it? 888 00:46:49,000 --> 00:46:51,542 At this point in the story-- you may not know this. 889 00:46:51,667 --> 00:46:53,500 Luke gives us additional information. 890 00:46:53,500 --> 00:46:56,375 Mary's 4 months pregnant at this point in the story. 891 00:46:56,500 --> 00:46:58,208 They get married a little while later. 892 00:46:58,333 --> 00:47:00,667 I don't know, is she 5, 6 months along? 893 00:47:00,667 --> 00:47:05,667 Here's what she is: showing. 894 00:47:05,667 --> 00:47:11,708 Here's Joseph... getting married. 895 00:47:15,208 --> 00:47:18,167 "He knew her not until she had given birth to a son. 896 00:47:18,167 --> 00:47:19,667 And he called his name Jesus." 897 00:47:19,667 --> 00:47:22,167 Why'd he call him Jesus? He was told to. 898 00:47:22,167 --> 00:47:24,167 "Call him Jesus." "Alright." 899 00:47:24,208 --> 00:47:26,208 "What's his name?" "Jesus." 900 00:47:26,333 --> 00:47:27,708 "How do you know?" 901 00:47:27,833 --> 00:47:32,667 "The angels said it. We're not going to vote." 902 00:47:32,708 --> 00:47:38,542 Simple, humble, obedient, quiet working man. 903 00:47:38,667 --> 00:47:41,042 Now, let me say something theologically, 904 00:47:41,167 --> 00:47:43,042 particularly for those of you who are Catholic 905 00:47:43,167 --> 00:47:45,042 in your history. 906 00:47:45,167 --> 00:47:48,042 How many of you have heard that Mary was always a virgin, 907 00:47:48,167 --> 00:47:51,875 never consummated her marriage covenant with Joseph? 908 00:47:52,000 --> 00:47:54,750 That comes out of the Second Council of Constantinople. 909 00:47:54,833 --> 00:47:57,875 I think it was in 533 AD, they got together and they declared 910 00:47:58,000 --> 00:48:01,417 Mary to be "semper virgo," ever virgin. 911 00:48:01,500 --> 00:48:04,542 And even certain Protestant teachers like Luther and Calvin 912 00:48:04,667 --> 00:48:06,708 came along and said she was ever virgin, 913 00:48:06,833 --> 00:48:09,917 meaning she never consummated her marriage with Joseph. 914 00:48:10,000 --> 00:48:12,375 That's not true. 915 00:48:12,500 --> 00:48:16,208 That's not true, but that is more of a religious ideology 916 00:48:16,333 --> 00:48:19,708 that says that sex is gross, so Mary could have never had 917 00:48:19,833 --> 00:48:22,667 a normal marriage with her husband. 918 00:48:22,667 --> 00:48:26,667 It's not gross, it's a godly, gracious gift when according to 919 00:48:26,667 --> 00:48:32,333 the Lord, chastity, marriage, fidelity. 920 00:48:32,375 --> 00:48:36,000 And what it says here is, "He knew her not." 921 00:48:36,042 --> 00:48:39,333 It doesn't say forever, 922 00:48:39,333 --> 00:48:41,667 but "until she had given birth to a son." 923 00:48:41,667 --> 00:48:45,167 Meaning after Jesus was born, then they consummated their 924 00:48:45,167 --> 00:48:49,708 covenant and they had a normal, loving, intimate marriage. 925 00:48:49,833 --> 00:48:52,333 And the Bible says elsewhere that Jesus had mother, 926 00:48:52,375 --> 00:48:55,417 brothers, and sisters. 927 00:48:55,500 --> 00:48:58,833 Some of you are like, "Where did the other kids show up?" 928 00:48:58,875 --> 00:49:01,833 Well, I can tell you what, they weren't all virgin-born. 929 00:49:01,833 --> 00:49:03,583 I can tell you that right now, 930 00:49:03,667 --> 00:49:06,250 because the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 is not, 931 00:49:06,333 --> 00:49:08,875 "And the virgin shall be with litter." 932 00:49:09,000 --> 00:49:14,208 It says, "The virgin shall be with son," one kid, okay? 933 00:49:14,333 --> 00:49:18,667 The other kids, they came in the normal way--normal way. 934 00:49:18,667 --> 00:49:23,333 So, Jesus had mother, brothers, and sisters. 935 00:49:23,375 --> 00:49:27,833 That means that Mary and Joseph had a normal, loving, intimate, 936 00:49:27,833 --> 00:49:32,542 healthy, godly marriage. 937 00:49:32,667 --> 00:49:36,667 "And he called his name Jesus," which means he saves his people 938 00:49:36,667 --> 00:49:39,417 from their sins. 939 00:49:39,500 --> 00:49:43,208 Now, let me say this, Mars Hill: this is a book that God wrote, 940 00:49:43,333 --> 00:49:47,333 it's all perfect and true, and when 700 years in advance 941 00:49:47,375 --> 00:49:51,542 through the prophet Isaiah, God declares a virgin will give 942 00:49:51,667 --> 00:49:56,833 birth to a son, his name will be Immanuel, he's God among us, 943 00:49:56,833 --> 00:49:58,875 and then Matthew makes that connection. 944 00:49:59,000 --> 00:50:02,333 Matthew is saying, "And here is the fulfillment of prophecy, 945 00:50:02,375 --> 00:50:04,417 because only God knows the future, 946 00:50:04,500 --> 00:50:08,833 only God declares the future, only God controls the future." 947 00:50:08,875 --> 00:50:11,500 Mars Hill, you can trust the Word of God. 948 00:50:11,500 --> 00:50:15,417 It's altogether true and it's all about Jesus. 949 00:50:15,500 --> 00:50:19,042 And God knew that he would send his Son born of a virgin, 950 00:50:19,167 --> 00:50:22,167 and here it is, all fulfilled, 951 00:50:22,208 --> 00:50:24,833 and Jesus is brought into the world. 952 00:50:24,875 --> 00:50:27,542 God enters human history through the womb 953 00:50:27,667 --> 00:50:30,833 of the humble servant, Mary. 954 00:50:30,875 --> 00:50:33,542 And we do not know a lot of Jesus' early years. 955 00:50:33,667 --> 00:50:35,667 They're called the lost years. 956 00:50:35,708 --> 00:50:39,542 Luke 2:52 tells us that Jesus grew in wisdom, and stature, 957 00:50:39,667 --> 00:50:43,833 and favor with men and God; that Jesus Christ 958 00:50:43,875 --> 00:50:46,542 was a godly, young child, 959 00:50:46,667 --> 00:50:50,542 a godly child, a godly teen, a godly young adult, 960 00:50:50,667 --> 00:50:54,250 a godly adult; that Jesus lived without sin; 961 00:50:54,333 --> 00:50:57,167 that he honored his mother, he honored his father; 962 00:50:57,208 --> 00:51:00,208 he studied the Scriptures. 963 00:51:00,333 --> 00:51:05,333 He was, I'm sure, a very good big brother, amen? 964 00:51:05,375 --> 00:51:06,875 Can you imagine that? 965 00:51:07,000 --> 00:51:09,083 You're Jesus' little brother or little sister, you're fighting, 966 00:51:09,167 --> 00:51:10,500 Mary walks in. 967 00:51:10,542 --> 00:51:11,875 "What happened?" 968 00:51:12,000 --> 00:51:13,708 Jesus is like, "Well, it wasn't me." 969 00:51:13,833 --> 00:51:15,333 We know that. 970 00:51:16,500 --> 00:51:18,417 We know that. 971 00:51:18,500 --> 00:51:23,167 I'm sure it was James' fault. 972 00:51:23,208 --> 00:51:27,167 And so I want you to see that Jesus can relate to children, 973 00:51:27,208 --> 00:51:29,042 and children can relate to Jesus. 974 00:51:29,167 --> 00:51:31,750 Same with all the other life stages up to adulthood. 975 00:51:31,833 --> 00:51:34,542 And God has identified with us 976 00:51:34,667 --> 00:51:37,250 so that we can identify with him. 977 00:51:37,333 --> 00:51:40,167 That means little kids can talk to Jesus about their stuff, 978 00:51:40,167 --> 00:51:42,333 and teenagers can talk to Jesus about their stuff, 979 00:51:42,375 --> 00:51:45,250 and young adults and adults can talk to Jesus about their stuff, 980 00:51:45,333 --> 00:51:48,375 and he understands because he's been there. 981 00:51:48,500 --> 00:51:50,542 He's been there. 982 00:51:50,667 --> 00:51:54,167 And then Jesus does save his people from their sins. 983 00:51:54,167 --> 00:51:56,167 He goes to the cross, and he suffers, 984 00:51:56,208 --> 00:51:58,500 and he dies in our place for our sins, 985 00:51:58,500 --> 00:52:01,667 and he declares in triumphant victory, "It's finished." 986 00:52:01,667 --> 00:52:04,667 He breathes his last, and he's buried in a tomb, 987 00:52:04,667 --> 00:52:07,833 and 3 days later he rises from death. 988 00:52:07,833 --> 00:52:10,875 This is what we're supposed to celebrate on Easter, 989 00:52:11,000 --> 00:52:13,333 not some egg-laying bunny, which I'm not even sure how 990 00:52:13,375 --> 00:52:15,875 the biology works on that. 991 00:52:16,000 --> 00:52:19,667 It's about Jesus' resurrection, and so all of human history's 992 00:52:19,667 --> 00:52:22,250 about the coming of Jesus: B.C., before Christ; 993 00:52:22,333 --> 00:52:24,875 A.D., anno Domini, the year of our Lord. 994 00:52:25,000 --> 00:52:27,917 Our big holidays: Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, 995 00:52:28,000 --> 00:52:31,250 Easter's about the resurrection from death of Jesus. 996 00:52:31,333 --> 00:52:34,250 It's all about Jesus. 997 00:52:34,333 --> 00:52:36,875 And ultimately, then, Jesus ascends back into heaven 998 00:52:37,000 --> 00:52:39,375 where he's alive and well, and ruling and reigning, 999 00:52:39,500 --> 00:52:45,375 and right now Mary is worshiping her son along with the angels. 1000 00:52:45,500 --> 00:52:47,333 And Jesus knew that when he departed, 1001 00:52:47,375 --> 00:52:53,167 we could get the impression that we had been an orphaned family, 1002 00:52:53,208 --> 00:52:57,375 so Jesus says in John 14 before he ascends back into heaven, 1003 00:52:57,500 --> 00:53:00,375 "I will not leave you as orphans. 1004 00:53:00,500 --> 00:53:03,500 "I'm going to send the Holy Spirit, 1005 00:53:03,542 --> 00:53:05,708 "the third member of the Trinity, 1006 00:53:05,833 --> 00:53:07,833 "and he will lead you and guide you, 1007 00:53:07,875 --> 00:53:09,833 "and he will teach you and convict you, 1008 00:53:09,875 --> 00:53:11,500 and he will be with you." 1009 00:53:11,500 --> 00:53:14,500 This is where Jesus says one of the final things he says 1010 00:53:14,500 --> 00:53:17,042 in Matthew 28:20 after he rises from death. 1011 00:53:17,167 --> 00:53:19,167 He says, "I will be with you always, 1012 00:53:19,208 --> 00:53:21,042 until the end of the age." 1013 00:53:21,167 --> 00:53:23,208 Mars Hill, we are not an orphaned people, 1014 00:53:23,333 --> 00:53:24,917 we are not an abandoned people. 1015 00:53:25,000 --> 00:53:28,500 Jesus is still Immanuel, God with us. 1016 00:53:28,500 --> 00:53:31,875 What that means is if you belong to Jesus and you're one of his 1017 00:53:32,000 --> 00:53:34,917 people that he has saved from their sins, Jesus goes home with you, 1018 00:53:35,000 --> 00:53:36,875 Jesus goes to work with you, 1019 00:53:37,000 --> 00:53:40,542 Jesus goes to the chemotherapy appointment with you. 1020 00:53:40,667 --> 00:53:43,500 It means that when we gather together as God's people, 1021 00:53:43,500 --> 00:53:45,375 Jesus is with us. 1022 00:53:45,500 --> 00:53:47,708 It means that when we gather in Community Groups, 1023 00:53:47,833 --> 00:53:49,167 Jesus is with us. 1024 00:53:49,208 --> 00:53:51,375 It means that when we gather in Redemption Groups, 1025 00:53:51,500 --> 00:53:52,750 Jesus is with us. 1026 00:53:52,833 --> 00:53:56,500 And it even means when we're all alone, and we're suffering, 1027 00:53:56,500 --> 00:53:59,833 and we're hurting, and we're frustrated, Jesus is with us. 1028 00:54:00,000 --> 00:54:02,208 And I just want to publicly thank Jesus 1029 00:54:02,333 --> 00:54:04,708 for always being with us. 1030 00:54:04,833 --> 00:54:08,333 When we started 16 years ago in the living room of our home with 1031 00:54:08,333 --> 00:54:11,542 just Grace and I and a handful of people, Jesus was with us. 1032 00:54:11,667 --> 00:54:15,042 For 16 years, as this church has grown by the grace of God, 1033 00:54:15,167 --> 00:54:16,708 one thing has never changed, 1034 00:54:16,833 --> 00:54:18,417 and almost everything else has changed. 1035 00:54:18,500 --> 00:54:20,375 Jesus has always been with us, 1036 00:54:20,500 --> 00:54:22,875 and this was the most fruitful year we've ever had. 1037 00:54:23,000 --> 00:54:25,667 In the grace of God, we grew by almost 3,000 people. 1038 00:54:25,708 --> 00:54:28,542 We baptized well over 1,000 people. 1039 00:54:28,667 --> 00:54:31,667 In the grace of God, we're not just celebrating the birth of 1040 00:54:31,708 --> 00:54:35,042 Jesus, we now have almost 3,000 children under the age of 10, 1041 00:54:35,167 --> 00:54:39,208 a bunch of other kids that Jesus loves and identifies with too. 1042 00:54:39,333 --> 00:54:41,500 This year, we were named the 3rd fastest-growing 1043 00:54:41,500 --> 00:54:44,167 and 28th largest church in America. 1044 00:54:44,208 --> 00:54:46,042 We tend to go into urban centers, 1045 00:54:46,167 --> 00:54:50,208 we tend to go after singles, we tend to focus on young men. 1046 00:54:50,333 --> 00:54:53,375 And when the media shows up and they ask, "What's the secret?" 1047 00:54:53,500 --> 00:54:55,917 There is no secret. Jesus is with us. 1048 00:54:56,000 --> 00:54:58,667 Mars Hill, Jesus is with us. 1049 00:54:58,708 --> 00:55:02,833 He's still with us. 1050 00:55:06,375 --> 00:55:09,042 And I just want to publicly praise God and thank you. 1051 00:55:09,167 --> 00:55:11,750 By the grace of God, we got to plant four new 1052 00:55:11,833 --> 00:55:14,542 Mars Hill churches this year, and Jesus is there. 1053 00:55:14,667 --> 00:55:18,542 He's there, he's there. 1054 00:55:18,667 --> 00:55:22,000 And this is our time of year where we reflect back on what's 1055 00:55:22,000 --> 00:55:24,708 happened this year and what we're asking Jesus 1056 00:55:24,833 --> 00:55:29,167 for next year, what we believe is his script for our life 1057 00:55:29,167 --> 00:55:31,042 together as a family. 1058 00:55:31,167 --> 00:55:34,250 And just as Mary and Joseph welcome Jesus and made room for 1059 00:55:34,333 --> 00:55:37,167 him, we always want to welcome Jesus into this church family 1060 00:55:37,208 --> 00:55:38,833 and make room for him. 1061 00:55:38,875 --> 00:55:41,542 I would ask you to pray, and care, and give, 1062 00:55:41,667 --> 00:55:44,542 and serve so that we can hit the next year really strong 1063 00:55:44,667 --> 00:55:46,167 and finish this year very well. 1064 00:55:46,208 --> 00:55:48,708 We want to relocate Mars Hill Downtown into a big, 1065 00:55:48,833 --> 00:55:51,167 epic building in what was previously the least-churched 1066 00:55:51,167 --> 00:55:52,667 city in America. 1067 00:55:52,708 --> 00:55:55,750 We want to relocate Mars Hill Everett into a permanent home. 1068 00:55:55,833 --> 00:55:58,708 You can pray for a permanent home for Mars Hill Orange County 1069 00:55:58,833 --> 00:56:01,417 and also for Mars Hill Federal Way, 1070 00:56:01,500 --> 00:56:03,208 and in the grace of God, 1071 00:56:03,333 --> 00:56:06,167 we'll open Mars Hill Tacoma and whatever else Jesus has for us. 1072 00:56:06,167 --> 00:56:09,167 And so I want you to see that churches are like brothers 1073 00:56:09,167 --> 00:56:11,500 and sisters, and when the family grows, 1074 00:56:11,500 --> 00:56:13,667 it's really something to celebrate. 1075 00:56:13,708 --> 00:56:16,167 And when people ask, "What is it all about?" 1076 00:56:16,208 --> 00:56:20,042 tell them this: "Jesus is with us. 1077 00:56:20,167 --> 00:56:23,542 "He's never left us, he's never forsaken us. 1078 00:56:23,667 --> 00:56:26,000 He keeps showing up and he loves us very well." 1079 00:56:26,000 --> 00:56:27,542 Amen? 1080 00:56:27,667 --> 00:56:30,042 Father God, we thank you for sending your only Son, 1081 00:56:30,167 --> 00:56:32,167 the Lord Jesus Christ. 1082 00:56:32,167 --> 00:56:36,542 Lord Jesus, thank you that you are Immanuel, you're God, 1083 00:56:36,667 --> 00:56:42,042 not just far away, distant, disinterested, 1084 00:56:42,167 --> 00:56:46,833 God with us, always with us, 1085 00:56:46,875 --> 00:56:49,708 with each of us, with all of us. 1086 00:56:49,833 --> 00:56:54,250 Lord Jesus, I pray for those who do not yet know you. 1087 00:56:54,333 --> 00:56:56,875 Maybe they're religious, or moral, or spiritual, 1088 00:56:57,000 --> 00:56:58,417 or traditional. 1089 00:56:58,500 --> 00:57:00,667 They know bits and pieces of the Christmas story, 1090 00:57:00,667 --> 00:57:03,167 but they don't know the Christ of the story. 1091 00:57:03,167 --> 00:57:06,333 I pray, Holy Spirit, that you would be with them right now 1092 00:57:06,375 --> 00:57:09,333 and give them the kind of faith that Joseph and Mary had, 1093 00:57:09,333 --> 00:57:11,917 the faith to trust and obey. 1094 00:57:12,000 --> 00:57:14,750 I pray, Lord, that none would hear this message during this 1095 00:57:14,833 --> 00:57:18,167 great season of giving without giving their sin to Jesus 1096 00:57:18,167 --> 00:57:21,167 and receiving salvation. 1097 00:57:21,208 --> 00:57:24,208 Lord Jesus, I pray for us all, that like Mary and Joseph, 1098 00:57:24,333 --> 00:57:27,333 we would make room in our lives and our family for Jesus, 1099 00:57:27,375 --> 00:57:31,833 even though his coming is always an inconvenience and makes life 1100 00:57:31,875 --> 00:57:35,208 more difficult and more wonderful. 1101 00:57:35,333 --> 00:57:37,708 Lord Jesus, I thank you for always being with this 1102 00:57:37,833 --> 00:57:40,750 church family and I thank you that you're with us right now. 1103 00:57:40,833 --> 00:57:42,333 Amen. 1104 00:57:43,167 --> 00:57:45,125 I'm going to share a testimony with you. 1105 00:57:45,167 --> 00:57:46,667 It's awesome. 1106 00:57:46,708 --> 00:57:48,958 We're a big church, 14 locations, 4 states, 1107 00:57:49,000 --> 00:57:52,083 30-some services, lots of people, 1108 00:57:52,167 --> 00:57:55,125 but I want you to see what it looks like when Jesus is 1109 00:57:55,167 --> 00:57:57,042 with us, and so I want to introduce you 1110 00:57:57,125 --> 00:57:58,667 to a great family from Mars Hill. 1111 00:58:04,667 --> 00:58:09,167 The Hernandez family, second- generation military family, 1112 00:58:09,167 --> 00:58:13,167 both Jose and Gena lived in 24 different locations 1113 00:58:13,167 --> 00:58:17,208 already as they've served our country, 1114 00:58:17,333 --> 00:58:21,250 and the rest of the story is really incredible. 1115 00:58:23,167 --> 00:58:25,917 Joey, gentle buddy. 1116 00:58:26,000 --> 00:58:28,833 Go get him, mom. 1117 00:58:28,917 --> 00:58:31,917 This is actually me inside the Aid Station 1118 00:58:32,000 --> 00:58:33,583 I was working at. 1119 00:58:33,667 --> 00:58:35,500 Always had to walk around with your weapon, 1120 00:58:35,583 --> 00:58:37,417 always within arms reach. 1121 00:58:37,500 --> 00:58:40,583 When we got back it took a long time--every time I woke up, 1122 00:58:40,667 --> 00:58:42,833 I was reaching for my rifle. 1123 00:58:42,917 --> 00:58:45,250 One of the times that Gena actually came up 1124 00:58:45,292 --> 00:58:49,083 from her base to see me. 1125 00:58:49,167 --> 00:58:54,250 "You will be in my heart and God will be in yours." 1126 00:58:54,292 --> 00:58:57,500 See, so God's grace when we didn't even recognize him 1127 00:58:57,583 --> 00:59:00,583 at the time. 1128 00:59:00,667 --> 00:59:04,208 Being away from family, being away from everybody 1129 00:59:04,333 --> 00:59:07,750 we pretty much knew, we pretty much had to grow together 1130 00:59:07,833 --> 00:59:09,708 in our marriage by ourselves. 1131 00:59:09,833 --> 00:59:12,333 A lot of personal issues, a lot of pride. 1132 00:59:12,375 --> 00:59:15,167 It just felt like we were more roommates than we were 1133 00:59:15,167 --> 00:59:16,917 husband and wife. 1134 00:59:17,000 --> 00:59:19,000 Gena wanted most of my attention. 1135 00:59:19,083 --> 00:59:22,083 She wanted help inside the house, raising our daughter, 1136 00:59:22,167 --> 00:59:26,250 and I was more caught up in fun, and going out, 1137 00:59:26,292 --> 00:59:31,500 and just basically not being there. 1138 00:59:31,583 --> 00:59:36,417 We met a lot of people who were guiding us down the wrong path. 1139 00:59:36,458 --> 00:59:40,083 "Oh, you should leave. Oh, you don't need this. 1140 00:59:40,167 --> 00:59:43,333 Oh, you could do better." 1141 00:59:43,417 --> 00:59:45,500 Army moved us down to Virginia 1142 00:59:45,583 --> 00:59:47,417 and the problems just continued, you know? 1143 00:59:47,500 --> 00:59:51,167 You could change the scenery but the problems still exist. 1144 00:59:51,250 --> 00:59:53,500 We never got around to talking about them. 1145 00:59:53,583 --> 00:59:57,667 We were separated for pretty much that whole summer. 1146 00:59:57,750 --> 01:00:01,917 It felt like if it doesn't work now, it's not going to work. 1147 01:00:01,958 --> 01:00:04,583 We need to just split ways. 1148 01:00:04,667 --> 01:00:07,500 Just constant arguing, constant conflict, 1149 01:00:07,583 --> 01:00:13,167 and I think I just hit a point where I didn't see any hope left 1150 01:00:13,250 --> 01:00:15,833 in the situation. 1151 01:00:15,917 --> 01:00:18,917 We had been going to counseling through social work. 1152 01:00:19,000 --> 01:00:23,583 I mean, you name it, we talked to everybody. 1153 01:00:23,625 --> 01:00:25,667 We posted a couple of things on Facebook, 1154 01:00:25,750 --> 01:00:28,833 and an acquaintance of mine at the time actually messaged me 1155 01:00:28,917 --> 01:00:31,833 on Facebook and kind of very randomly, 1156 01:00:31,917 --> 01:00:34,000 "Can I pray for you and your husband?" 1157 01:00:34,083 --> 01:00:36,250 And so, like, right there on Facebook, 1158 01:00:36,292 --> 01:00:40,000 she types out this prayer and then she mentioned Pastor Mark's 1159 01:00:40,083 --> 01:00:42,000 "Real Marriage" series. 1160 01:00:42,083 --> 01:00:45,250 So, I called him one night a couple days after that 1161 01:00:45,333 --> 01:00:48,083 and I was like, "You know, I started watching this. 1162 01:00:48,125 --> 01:00:50,250 I think we should watch it together." 1163 01:00:50,333 --> 01:00:52,500 It was--oof. 1164 01:00:52,583 --> 01:00:55,000 I, honestly, if I had to be honest about it, 1165 01:00:55,083 --> 01:00:57,833 I didn't even think that church was going to be enough 1166 01:00:57,917 --> 01:00:59,667 to save our marriage. 1167 01:00:59,750 --> 01:01:03,500 I think I was probably thinking that this was just an excuse. 1168 01:01:03,542 --> 01:01:07,500 By then, she had already went to Mars Hill Olympia, 1169 01:01:07,542 --> 01:01:10,000 and she tried to stay in the back, 1170 01:01:10,000 --> 01:01:14,375 and tried to not get noticed, and of course, she gets noticed. 1171 01:01:14,500 --> 01:01:18,833 By the time we went, they had already known Gena and my kids. 1172 01:01:18,917 --> 01:01:22,583 And of course I show up, and one of the first people is 1173 01:01:22,625 --> 01:01:25,583 Pastor Steve, and he's like, "Hey Gena. 1174 01:01:25,625 --> 01:01:28,833 You know, how's it going? Is this the husband?" 1175 01:01:28,917 --> 01:01:30,333 You know? 1176 01:01:30,417 --> 01:01:31,833 I'm just like, "How you doing?" 1177 01:01:31,917 --> 01:01:33,833 He was like, "Hey Jose, how you doing?" 1178 01:01:33,917 --> 01:01:35,250 You know? 1179 01:01:35,333 --> 01:01:38,250 I was like, "I didn't even tell him my name," you know? 1180 01:01:38,333 --> 01:01:40,250 You know, the military has a saying, 1181 01:01:40,333 --> 01:01:43,167 "Suck it up and drive on," where Jesus is saying, 1182 01:01:43,250 --> 01:01:45,500 "You don't have to suck anything up," you know? 1183 01:01:45,583 --> 01:01:51,000 "I love you no matter how bad you are or how good you are," 1184 01:01:51,083 --> 01:01:53,750 and that he'll help us get through everything. 1185 01:01:53,833 --> 01:01:56,583 Again, it just filled me full of hope. 1186 01:01:56,625 --> 01:01:59,000 Jesus knows what he's doing. 1187 01:01:59,083 --> 01:02:00,833 It saved not only our marriage, 1188 01:02:00,875 --> 01:02:05,917 but I think he saved us as individuals. 1189 01:02:06,000 --> 01:02:08,667 I am, without Jesus, a failure as a wife, 1190 01:02:08,708 --> 01:02:12,375 a failure as a mom, kind of a failure as a human being, 1191 01:02:12,500 --> 01:02:17,833 but with Jesus, we're just graced to be able to do 1192 01:02:17,917 --> 01:02:20,833 so many great things, I think. 1193 01:02:20,917 --> 01:02:23,583 So, you guys came to Mars Hill, met Jesus, 1194 01:02:23,625 --> 01:02:25,250 and you got baptized. 1195 01:02:25,333 --> 01:02:27,583 Tell me what that experience was like. 1196 01:02:27,625 --> 01:02:29,500 Short of the birth of our kids, 1197 01:02:29,583 --> 01:02:32,750 probably the most emotional experience that I've had 1198 01:02:32,833 --> 01:02:35,667 in my life, really, and probably, I think, 1199 01:02:35,750 --> 01:02:40,333 the closest moment we've had as husband and wife, truly. 1200 01:02:40,417 --> 01:02:46,667 He was always a great father, now there aren't words. 1201 01:02:46,750 --> 01:02:50,417 Seeing him pray with the kids, seeing him counsel the kids 1202 01:02:50,500 --> 01:02:52,833 and talk the kids through things, 1203 01:02:52,917 --> 01:02:56,833 instead of being such a strict authoritarian figure, 1204 01:02:56,917 --> 01:03:00,417 is really just amazing. 1205 01:03:00,500 --> 01:03:02,875 We start the day with praying. 1206 01:03:03,000 --> 01:03:07,375 I wake up, you know, 4:45 every morning, Monday through Friday, 1207 01:03:07,500 --> 01:03:11,042 and before I leave this house, whether I'm rushing, 1208 01:03:11,167 --> 01:03:15,750 whether I'm not rushing, we sit together and we pray. 1209 01:03:15,833 --> 01:03:18,083 I always like to pray over my wife. 1210 01:03:18,125 --> 01:03:20,167 It seems--you know, some people would say, 1211 01:03:20,250 --> 01:03:21,667 "Well, that's kind of redundant. 1212 01:03:21,750 --> 01:03:23,250 You're praying every morning." 1213 01:03:23,333 --> 01:03:25,917 Well, you know what, it's a new day, new obstacles, 1214 01:03:26,000 --> 01:03:28,583 and we don't know what to expect, 1215 01:03:28,625 --> 01:03:31,500 and we just pray for grace. 1216 01:03:31,583 --> 01:03:33,583 When we started going to Mars Hill 1217 01:03:33,625 --> 01:03:35,500 and we got involved with the Community Group, 1218 01:03:35,583 --> 01:03:38,333 it was still--I didn't know who these people were. 1219 01:03:38,417 --> 01:03:40,500 They seemed nice, you know? 1220 01:03:40,583 --> 01:03:43,250 Let's put on the smile and see where it goes. 1221 01:03:43,333 --> 01:03:46,167 And then Gena and I had an argument, 1222 01:03:46,250 --> 01:03:49,250 and she called our Community Group leader's wife, 1223 01:03:49,292 --> 01:03:52,667 and, like, just said, "Hey, this is what we're arguing about, 1224 01:03:52,750 --> 01:03:54,333 "you know? 1225 01:03:54,417 --> 01:03:57,667 I can't take it anymore," and just kind of let it out. 1226 01:03:57,750 --> 01:04:00,500 And next thing you know, you know, 1227 01:04:00,542 --> 01:04:04,208 Sean and Ashley are over at our house and this is going on 1228 01:04:04,333 --> 01:04:06,708 11 o'clock at night, you know? 1229 01:04:06,833 --> 01:04:08,875 So, obviously, our next Community Group, 1230 01:04:09,000 --> 01:04:10,500 that was brought up. 1231 01:04:10,500 --> 01:04:12,042 "How are you doing?" 1232 01:04:12,167 --> 01:04:14,917 And again, that was the first time that I felt like 1233 01:04:15,000 --> 01:04:18,167 I don't have to lie. 1234 01:04:18,250 --> 01:04:23,000 I can talk about it because now it's our family, 1235 01:04:23,083 --> 01:04:25,917 our spiritual family. 1236 01:04:30,417 --> 01:04:35,000 You walk past somebody who's not a Christian and, you know, 1237 01:04:35,083 --> 01:04:38,167 you ask them, "Hey, how are you doing?" 1238 01:04:38,250 --> 01:04:40,750 and they don't take you seriously, you know? 1239 01:04:40,792 --> 01:04:42,750 "Oh, I'm good." 1240 01:04:42,833 --> 01:04:46,500 When you walk past somebody in Mars Hill or a Christian 1241 01:04:46,583 --> 01:04:52,250 in general, you know, you get that sense of they care. 1242 01:04:52,292 --> 01:04:55,333 Even if there's nothing that they can do about it, you know, 1243 01:04:55,417 --> 01:04:57,333 they'll offer their prayer. 1244 01:04:57,417 --> 01:05:01,667 I mean, they just--they care. 1245 01:05:03,500 --> 01:05:06,417 Finding Jesus let us know that, I mean, 1246 01:05:06,500 --> 01:05:10,208 now you answer to somebody, now you're accountable. 1247 01:05:10,333 --> 01:05:13,000 Getting put with the church, having a pastor, 1248 01:05:13,000 --> 01:05:18,000 Community Groups, we better each other by staying together. 1249 01:05:18,083 --> 01:05:24,333 He died for our sins, that there is a solution, and it's him. 1250 01:05:27,250 --> 01:05:42,250 [music]