1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,759 Pastor Nate Gagne: Hey, good morning Restoration Church. 2 00:00:02,820 --> 00:00:06,900 My name is Nate and I'm the lead pastor of, uh, of the church here. 3 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:09,519 And if it's your first time here, I'm really glad that you're here. 4 00:00:09,629 --> 00:00:13,640 And we've been doing something the last couple of weeks called Holiday Gifts 5 00:00:13,670 --> 00:00:15,759 Giving Guide with Pastor Nate Gagne. 6 00:00:16,140 --> 00:00:21,870 And so I've been giving you, sharing with you either some great gifts that 7 00:00:21,870 --> 00:00:24,100 I've received or that I've given. 8 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:29,899 And so today's Gift is not very flashy, um, in fact, you would 9 00:00:30,039 --> 00:00:34,289 actually maybe be surprised that it's on our holiday gift giving guide. 10 00:00:34,669 --> 00:00:38,899 It is, um, you know, it, I think if people open it, they'd be 11 00:00:38,899 --> 00:00:42,069 like, oh, wow, until you use it. 12 00:00:42,379 --> 00:00:44,639 And then, it is life changing. 13 00:00:45,219 --> 00:00:48,179 Alright, this is your gift guide, alright, this is your tip. 14 00:00:48,199 --> 00:00:49,569 I'm telling you, you need to do this. 15 00:00:50,700 --> 00:00:53,780 It is a heated mattress pad. 16 00:00:54,230 --> 00:00:56,230 Heated mattress pad. 17 00:00:56,490 --> 00:00:56,830 All right. 18 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:02,069 I'm telling you, um, if you, uh, if you're married, it has dual zones, so 19 00:01:02,069 --> 00:01:06,370 you don't have to worry about your, about your partner, uh, sweating you out. 20 00:01:06,620 --> 00:01:12,400 But if you're hoping your marriage to move, um, from snowsuit to birthday 21 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:13,890 suit, this is going to help you. 22 00:01:13,930 --> 00:01:14,380 All right. 23 00:01:14,990 --> 00:01:17,390 This is going to help you in freezing cold winters. 24 00:01:18,234 --> 00:01:18,894 I'm just telling you. 25 00:01:18,924 --> 00:01:19,674 It is life changing. 26 00:01:19,674 --> 00:01:20,335 So here's what you do. 27 00:01:20,345 --> 00:01:24,224 You turn on that, that heated mattress pad about like half hour before bed. 28 00:01:25,245 --> 00:01:27,164 You can even take a shower before bed. 29 00:01:27,414 --> 00:01:30,765 And that thing is amazing. 30 00:01:30,815 --> 00:01:31,635 It is amazing. 31 00:01:31,635 --> 00:01:36,644 If you've ever gone grocery shopping in the wintertime, and then you get past the 32 00:01:36,645 --> 00:01:40,675 trays of heated food, and you're like, I'm just gonna stop here for a second, right? 33 00:01:40,675 --> 00:01:42,265 Because the grocery stores are so freezing. 34 00:01:42,395 --> 00:01:43,253 That's what it's like. 35 00:01:43,425 --> 00:01:44,275 The heated mattress pad. 36 00:01:44,275 --> 00:01:46,575 So there's your holiday gift giving guide. 37 00:01:46,725 --> 00:01:49,715 You can order it today through my affiliate link. 38 00:01:49,935 --> 00:01:51,715 And, I'm just kidding. 39 00:01:53,014 --> 00:02:01,090 Well, um As our pastors already said, we had 27 water baptisms last week, for 40 00:02:01,090 --> 00:02:03,740 102 water baptisms through the year. 41 00:02:05,020 --> 00:02:07,360 We celebrate that. 42 00:02:07,950 --> 00:02:11,159 We've got another five people that have signed up for next week, so 43 00:02:11,159 --> 00:02:13,530 we'll move beyond that for the year. 44 00:02:13,699 --> 00:02:17,200 It is a record breaking year for us, that in 78 years of our church's 45 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,635 history, It's the first year we've water baptized over a hundred people. 46 00:02:20,985 --> 00:02:28,225 And, beyond, I, I think, one of the, one of the things someone said to me 47 00:02:28,285 --> 00:02:34,434 was, um, Oh, it wasn't a fluke, because last year was a record breaking year 48 00:02:34,444 --> 00:02:36,304 for water baptisms for our church. 49 00:02:36,694 --> 00:02:41,825 And it broke the previous year, which was a water baptism's record for our church. 50 00:02:42,154 --> 00:02:47,245 So three years in a row, we've seen the number of people water 51 00:02:47,245 --> 00:02:50,485 baptizing increased more than we've ever seen in our church's history. 52 00:02:50,815 --> 00:02:58,124 And it is absolutely amazing to be a part of that, to share that, 53 00:02:58,134 --> 00:03:02,544 to witness that, to see you take your step through water baptism. 54 00:03:02,815 --> 00:03:05,454 And, uh, I'm just proud of you guys and church. 55 00:03:05,485 --> 00:03:06,864 I'm proud of you guys for it. 56 00:03:08,285 --> 00:03:11,075 And, uh, let's put our hands together for Jesus again. 57 00:03:11,295 --> 00:03:14,954 He's the one who's changed their lives and saved their lives. 58 00:03:18,284 --> 00:03:22,974 Some of the stories from last week, just a couple of them, because, 59 00:03:23,005 --> 00:03:28,315 again, I can't go through everybody's story, but Kay was invited by Kashim. 60 00:03:28,595 --> 00:03:30,925 Gavin was invited by his dad, Eric. 61 00:03:31,184 --> 00:03:33,875 Sam and Mason were invited by Benaiah. 62 00:03:34,115 --> 00:03:36,025 Amanda was invited by her mom, Tamara. 63 00:03:36,025 --> 00:03:39,035 Adalia was invited by her parents. 64 00:03:39,690 --> 00:03:41,590 Della was invited by her mom. 65 00:03:41,870 --> 00:03:43,680 Emma was invited by her mom. 66 00:03:44,150 --> 00:03:46,800 Kyle was invited by Jay and Heidi. 67 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:52,975 And as we work through our message today, Each of those stories, plus the names 68 00:03:52,985 --> 00:03:57,894 that, um, of the dozens of names and the hundreds, hundred names from this year, 69 00:03:58,644 --> 00:04:06,245 they are, they all have their unique testimony of salvation, of forgiveness, 70 00:04:06,434 --> 00:04:08,785 of healing, of transformation. 71 00:04:09,674 --> 00:04:10,445 Beautiful stories. 72 00:04:11,715 --> 00:04:17,404 Last week, last week after the service here in Dover, people come up to me, 73 00:04:17,415 --> 00:04:19,464 they're like, I cry every water baptism. 74 00:04:19,475 --> 00:04:23,244 This time, I didn't want to cry, but I cried through the whole baptism again. 75 00:04:23,724 --> 00:04:26,065 And it's, why is that? 76 00:04:26,315 --> 00:04:30,684 Um, because these are beautiful stories. 77 00:04:30,875 --> 00:04:35,255 For, for some of us in the room, we've served God for three, 78 00:04:35,264 --> 00:04:37,425 four, five, six, seven decades. 79 00:04:37,804 --> 00:04:42,395 And we can forget, it, it, the, the Christian life can become about 80 00:04:42,505 --> 00:04:47,895 church attendance, it can become about, about church activity and not 81 00:04:47,895 --> 00:04:52,644 about the Great Commission and not about the, the amazing, powerful work 82 00:04:52,814 --> 00:04:55,134 that Jesus does in people's lives. 83 00:04:55,714 --> 00:04:59,845 And every week when we see another person's life change, 84 00:05:00,045 --> 00:05:02,145 I mean, it, it moves me deeply. 85 00:05:03,260 --> 00:05:06,370 And it moves obviously so many of you where obviously you're sharing 86 00:05:06,370 --> 00:05:10,539 with me like I cry every bad, these are my favorite services and they're 87 00:05:10,550 --> 00:05:12,450 my favorite services as well. 88 00:05:13,540 --> 00:05:18,060 I want to thank you for, uh, and, and thank the people who 89 00:05:18,060 --> 00:05:19,229 were autobaptized last week. 90 00:05:19,230 --> 00:05:24,140 Thank, thank your, um, thank you for inviting your friends and your family. 91 00:05:24,155 --> 00:05:31,455 Church to hear about Jesus so that they could have the opportunity to 92 00:05:31,455 --> 00:05:35,665 experience what they've what has happened in their life I think that's 93 00:05:35,674 --> 00:05:38,894 kind of one thing that maybe we forget through every one of these baptisms 94 00:05:39,145 --> 00:05:41,575 What if that person didn't invite them? 95 00:05:41,865 --> 00:05:44,284 What if that person said I don't think they'd respond. 96 00:05:44,284 --> 00:05:47,955 What if that person thought well I don't think they'd be interested. 97 00:05:48,805 --> 00:05:53,680 They would have missed out on that moment last week Last week we talked, 98 00:05:53,750 --> 00:05:57,740 um, our series is for the person who has everything and we've been 99 00:05:57,740 --> 00:05:59,670 talking about a gift you can give. 100 00:06:00,250 --> 00:06:02,649 Last week we talked about the gift of the gospel. 101 00:06:03,239 --> 00:06:04,870 Today it's similar but it's different. 102 00:06:05,845 --> 00:06:08,265 To give the gift of an invitation. 103 00:06:09,335 --> 00:06:12,015 And we can look at these baptism stories last week and someone 104 00:06:12,095 --> 00:06:13,725 invited, Hey, come to church with me. 105 00:06:13,725 --> 00:06:15,554 Hey, why don't you come to this event with me? 106 00:06:15,555 --> 00:06:17,445 Hey, why don't you tag along with me? 107 00:06:18,104 --> 00:06:22,874 And through that, they had an opportunity to experience the presence of God. 108 00:06:23,185 --> 00:06:29,635 They had experience to, to participate in Jesus's bride, to participate in church, 109 00:06:29,825 --> 00:06:32,675 in meeting other people who follow Jesus. 110 00:06:33,664 --> 00:06:40,065 To, to have the opportunity to meet, um, a, a truer representation of Jesus, I mean 111 00:06:40,065 --> 00:06:43,765 not a perfect representation of Jesus, but a truer representation of Jesus than 112 00:06:43,774 --> 00:06:47,995 maybe they'd ever had through people who called themselves Christians in the past. 113 00:06:49,544 --> 00:06:52,444 If you have your Bibles, I want to invite you to open up to a 114 00:06:52,444 --> 00:06:58,444 famous passage of Scripture, famous Christmas story in Luke chapter 2. 115 00:06:59,704 --> 00:07:03,784 And ushers, could you just help me out in the back, that would be amazing, 116 00:07:03,795 --> 00:07:05,664 whoever is on duty for ushers today. 117 00:07:06,895 --> 00:07:09,545 Jump up right away and Respond. 118 00:07:09,545 --> 00:07:09,925 Thank you. 119 00:07:10,435 --> 00:07:14,575 So in, uh, in Luke chapter 2, the passage of scripture we're going to 120 00:07:14,585 --> 00:07:18,944 be reading, you've probably heard it before, but anytime that we have 121 00:07:18,974 --> 00:07:25,365 a famous passage of scripture, I'm always challenging the people who've 122 00:07:25,365 --> 00:07:26,655 gone to church for a long time. 123 00:07:26,885 --> 00:07:33,265 or we've heard it before, to put yourself in the place of wonder and 124 00:07:33,265 --> 00:07:38,024 curiosity, to put yourself in the place where you're not just thinking ahead, 125 00:07:38,075 --> 00:07:42,595 but you're trying to feel the emotion of what you, of what we're reading. 126 00:07:43,205 --> 00:07:48,045 What we're reading It is not a Christmas story like Scrooge. 127 00:07:48,225 --> 00:07:55,605 It's not a Christmas story like, um, uh, like, like Ralphie, alright? 128 00:07:55,655 --> 00:07:58,115 What we're about to read, it is a true account. 129 00:07:59,635 --> 00:08:05,074 Luke was a physician who wrote a historical document interviewing 130 00:08:05,074 --> 00:08:09,525 people, getting eyewitnesses accounts of what happened in the life of Jesus. 131 00:08:10,270 --> 00:08:15,390 So what we're reading is a historical account from a doctor, um, about, 132 00:08:15,830 --> 00:08:22,700 uh, who interviewed, uh, hundreds of people to, um, to write this account. 133 00:08:23,500 --> 00:08:26,690 So it's Luke chapter 2, and we're gonna start reading at verse number 8. 134 00:08:27,830 --> 00:08:31,570 And it says, That night there were shepherds staying in the fields 135 00:08:31,580 --> 00:08:34,059 nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 136 00:08:35,155 --> 00:08:38,275 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them. 137 00:08:38,304 --> 00:08:40,174 So, it wasn't a car sized drone. 138 00:08:40,335 --> 00:08:42,645 It's been happening up and down the East Coast this week. 139 00:08:42,955 --> 00:08:46,934 But it was an angel of the Lord, and the radiance of the 140 00:08:46,935 --> 00:08:49,005 Lord's glory surrounded them. 141 00:08:49,795 --> 00:08:54,724 The shepherds were absolutely terrified, but the angel reassured them, Hey, 142 00:08:54,724 --> 00:08:57,054 hey, hey, hey, hey, don't be afraid. 143 00:08:58,230 --> 00:09:02,220 I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 144 00:09:02,220 --> 00:09:04,810 And that's what we talked about last week, church. 145 00:09:05,190 --> 00:09:10,330 God loves you, sin enslaves you, but Jesus, He rescues you. 146 00:09:11,219 --> 00:09:14,580 The Savior, yes, the Messiah, the Lord. 147 00:09:15,030 --> 00:09:18,310 He has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David. 148 00:09:19,110 --> 00:09:21,150 And you will recognize Him by this sign. 149 00:09:21,820 --> 00:09:27,820 You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth lying in a manger. 150 00:09:28,750 --> 00:09:34,500 Suddenly, that single angel was joined by thousands of angels, the armies of 151 00:09:34,510 --> 00:09:41,150 heaven, filling the sky, praising God, and saying together in unison, Glory 152 00:09:41,399 --> 00:09:49,069 to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased. 153 00:09:50,279 --> 00:09:53,219 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to 154 00:09:53,219 --> 00:09:56,549 each other, What just happened? 155 00:09:58,675 --> 00:10:00,805 They said, let's go to Bethlehem. 156 00:10:01,215 --> 00:10:05,035 Let's see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about. 157 00:10:06,095 --> 00:10:09,204 They hurried to the village, and they found barren Joseph. 158 00:10:09,844 --> 00:10:16,595 And there was the baby, the one the angels spoke about, lying in the manger. 159 00:10:17,665 --> 00:10:21,655 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened, and what the 160 00:10:21,655 --> 00:10:23,745 angel had said to them about this child. 161 00:10:24,965 --> 00:10:28,145 All who heard the shepherd's story were astonished. 162 00:10:28,570 --> 00:10:32,880 But Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 163 00:10:34,110 --> 00:10:38,930 The shepherds went back to work, glorifying and praising God for 164 00:10:38,950 --> 00:10:40,780 all they had heard and seen. 165 00:10:41,250 --> 00:10:43,740 It was just as the angels had told them. 166 00:10:44,569 --> 00:10:45,119 Look up at me. 167 00:10:45,119 --> 00:10:47,670 It's an amazing story. 168 00:10:47,700 --> 00:10:49,170 I mean, just imagine yourself. 169 00:10:49,749 --> 00:10:53,719 Last night, Michelle and I, we got home from a family Christmas party, 170 00:10:53,889 --> 00:10:58,460 and we're unloading the car, and then, like, 45 feet in the woods, 171 00:10:58,460 --> 00:11:00,520 like this screeching owl was like, 172 00:11:02,700 --> 00:11:03,560 she's like, what was that? 173 00:11:04,260 --> 00:11:05,820 And I'm like, I think it was an owl. 174 00:11:05,820 --> 00:11:07,889 And, and it's like, but you stay out here. 175 00:11:08,540 --> 00:11:09,280 I'll go inside. 176 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:12,079 And just imagine, right. 177 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:13,110 And that's just an owl. 178 00:11:13,130 --> 00:11:17,740 Or maybe you've been out at a campfire and there's coyotes, or maybe you 179 00:11:17,740 --> 00:11:20,590 went to a church and some of the people who were turned, who were 180 00:11:20,590 --> 00:11:22,560 singing behind you a similar noise. 181 00:11:22,620 --> 00:11:26,410 And we, we have these moments where we're fearful. 182 00:11:26,450 --> 00:11:27,380 Imagine. 183 00:11:27,980 --> 00:11:34,530 being out in the woods, being out in the field and, and, and you've 184 00:11:34,530 --> 00:11:37,430 never seen, you haven't seen airplanes flying in the sky before. 185 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:40,400 You haven't watched UFO videos on YouTube before. 186 00:11:40,780 --> 00:11:42,140 You haven't, you haven't done it. 187 00:11:42,140 --> 00:11:44,290 You're just out there working like you always work. 188 00:11:44,619 --> 00:11:50,550 And suddenly with an immense brightness, is an angel above you. 189 00:11:56,520 --> 00:11:57,740 That's why the angel said, Hey. 190 00:11:58,835 --> 00:12:06,145 Don't be afraid, because they were afraid, afraid, freaking out, 191 00:12:06,835 --> 00:12:08,315 take the sheep, take the sheep, 192 00:12:10,334 --> 00:12:15,015 holding their shepherd's staff, just absolutely terrified. 193 00:12:17,154 --> 00:12:23,065 And they were not, if we're going to think about, predict, Jesus is coming 194 00:12:23,075 --> 00:12:24,925 back today, who's he going to go visit? 195 00:12:24,955 --> 00:12:27,955 Where's, you know, the most important person in history, who's 196 00:12:27,955 --> 00:12:28,855 he going to go hang out with? 197 00:12:28,875 --> 00:12:30,375 Who's he going to show himself to? 198 00:12:30,565 --> 00:12:34,100 We think maybe it's Maybe someone who's got a lot of influence, someone who's 199 00:12:34,100 --> 00:12:37,160 got a lot of, uh, social media followers. 200 00:12:37,340 --> 00:12:41,910 Because that way he could tell one person and they can instantly tell, you know, 201 00:12:42,190 --> 00:12:46,579 50, there's 56 million followers on Instagram and it would get right out. 202 00:12:46,969 --> 00:12:47,969 But he didn't do that. 203 00:12:49,110 --> 00:12:52,680 He didn't go to the social influencer, social influencers. 204 00:12:52,680 --> 00:12:54,050 He didn't go to the important people. 205 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:56,880 He went to people that no one even probably knew their name. 206 00:12:58,070 --> 00:12:58,810 Some shepherds. 207 00:13:00,660 --> 00:13:07,140 One thing that does for me is it reminds me Jesus came for me. 208 00:13:09,110 --> 00:13:09,860 I'm nobody. 209 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:12,120 I'm not known. 210 00:13:13,890 --> 00:13:15,350 No one follows my Instagram. 211 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:18,230 Oh, thank you. 212 00:13:26,740 --> 00:13:27,950 At Nathan J Gagney. 213 00:13:27,990 --> 00:13:31,840 And we, we, 214 00:13:34,689 --> 00:13:38,879 one of the things is Jesus shows up to these people who aren't known 215 00:13:39,680 --> 00:13:44,880 and every week he shows up to us. 216 00:13:46,460 --> 00:13:49,120 We're, you and me, we're regular people. 217 00:13:50,070 --> 00:13:51,000 We're normal people. 218 00:13:52,580 --> 00:13:53,779 But he cares about us. 219 00:13:55,429 --> 00:13:56,380 He cares about us. 220 00:13:57,215 --> 00:14:02,295 In the midst of our mess, in the midst of our life, He knows you, 221 00:14:03,485 --> 00:14:05,445 and He wants to show you who He is. 222 00:14:06,125 --> 00:14:10,015 He wants to, He, He, He wants to announce it to you. 223 00:14:16,494 --> 00:14:21,415 For, and one of the things that the angels did here that I, that we're 224 00:14:21,444 --> 00:14:24,705 going to look at and talk about, is the angels, they, they set an example for us. 225 00:14:26,715 --> 00:14:29,825 They show up, they talk about the gospel, we talked about that last week. 226 00:14:30,955 --> 00:14:33,815 But they give these shepherds an invitation. 227 00:14:35,745 --> 00:14:36,225 Hey! 228 00:14:37,730 --> 00:14:38,700 There's a baby born. 229 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:40,460 He's the savior of the world. 230 00:14:41,650 --> 00:14:44,930 And here are the evidences. 231 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:46,170 You need to go find him. 232 00:14:47,070 --> 00:14:48,520 You need to go search this out. 233 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:50,080 You need to discover him. 234 00:14:50,649 --> 00:14:53,700 Because if you take, if, we're going to share this with you, but if 235 00:14:53,700 --> 00:14:54,970 you, you can do whatever you want. 236 00:14:54,970 --> 00:14:56,170 You can stay here in the field. 237 00:14:56,629 --> 00:14:59,290 You can go put on dry clothes, because they peed themselves. 238 00:14:59,700 --> 00:15:03,290 Uh, you can, uh, uh, but there's an invitation here 239 00:15:03,290 --> 00:15:06,780 for you to go and find him. 240 00:15:08,099 --> 00:15:09,870 To see for yourself who he is. 241 00:15:10,915 --> 00:15:12,805 And they gave an invitation. 242 00:15:14,885 --> 00:15:19,415 This is something that we should be doing. 243 00:15:20,225 --> 00:15:23,905 Something that you have the opportunity to do. 244 00:15:24,315 --> 00:15:26,685 To give the gift of an invitation. 245 00:15:27,534 --> 00:15:31,534 I want to read a scripture, two scriptures here in Romans chapter 10. 246 00:15:31,995 --> 00:15:36,735 Um, and these are foundational scriptures. 247 00:15:36,795 --> 00:15:40,115 Important scriptures for you to, it would be important for you to memorize 248 00:15:40,115 --> 00:15:41,315 them, for you to understand them. 249 00:15:41,485 --> 00:15:43,295 The first is Romans 10, 14. 250 00:15:45,810 --> 00:15:47,760 But how can they call on him? 251 00:15:47,780 --> 00:15:50,440 So, the question here is about Jesus. 252 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:52,910 So Jesus has an opportunity. 253 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:54,889 Jesus rescues you. 254 00:15:55,510 --> 00:15:56,940 That's an important thing, right? 255 00:15:56,970 --> 00:15:58,180 It's part of the gospel. 256 00:15:59,079 --> 00:15:59,439 Important. 257 00:15:59,450 --> 00:16:00,760 Jesus rescues you. 258 00:16:01,770 --> 00:16:02,830 All you gotta do is call on him. 259 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:04,840 But how can you call on him? 260 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:05,870 How can you call on Jesus? 261 00:16:06,855 --> 00:16:09,475 For, to rescue you, unless you believe in Him. 262 00:16:10,475 --> 00:16:12,775 So you're not gonna call on Jesus to rescue you if you 263 00:16:12,775 --> 00:16:14,575 don't believe, believe in Him? 264 00:16:15,625 --> 00:16:18,404 And how can they believe in Him if they've never heard about Him? 265 00:16:19,045 --> 00:16:23,545 And how can they hear about Him, unless someone tells them? 266 00:16:24,425 --> 00:16:27,774 It's going through, yeah, all you gotta do, is when you hear 267 00:16:27,775 --> 00:16:30,895 the Gospel, is receive it. 268 00:16:30,895 --> 00:16:35,625 But you can't receive it, if you can't believe it, and you can't 269 00:16:35,625 --> 00:16:40,510 believe it, if you can't hear it, and you can't hear it, unless Someone 270 00:16:40,900 --> 00:16:43,430 has the courage to talk about them. 271 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:48,900 Verse number 17 says, So faith comes from hearing. 272 00:16:49,330 --> 00:16:53,020 That is, hearing the good news about Jesus. 273 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:55,509 Faith comes from hearing. 274 00:16:56,589 --> 00:17:02,820 And an invitation or a presentation of the gospel, the good news, gives someone 275 00:17:02,820 --> 00:17:09,520 the opportunity to hear about him and to hear about him can change someone forever. 276 00:17:10,375 --> 00:17:13,515 And I don't mean forever, like till they die, I mean forever because 277 00:17:13,515 --> 00:17:18,145 there's a life after this one in the presence and glory of God. 278 00:17:20,405 --> 00:17:26,095 One thing that the scripture tells us is that declaring our faith 279 00:17:28,165 --> 00:17:29,305 saves other people. 280 00:17:30,804 --> 00:17:35,635 Declaring our faith is the starting point for everyone's faith. 281 00:17:37,244 --> 00:17:41,095 Declaring our faith also is part of our faith that we must not forget. 282 00:17:42,105 --> 00:17:43,535 I saw this recently. 283 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:47,520 This, um, uh, on the, on TV, on the internet. 284 00:17:47,980 --> 00:17:53,190 It said, um, uh, not sharing my religion is against my religion. 285 00:17:55,299 --> 00:18:02,709 We have, in order to be obedient to our faith, in order to be obedient to the word 286 00:18:02,710 --> 00:18:04,689 of God, we have to share the word of God. 287 00:18:04,739 --> 00:18:07,800 It is not something that's optional for us. 288 00:18:08,830 --> 00:18:13,160 In Matthew 4, 19, Jesus talking, inviting others, and he was 289 00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:15,319 inviting others to follow him. 290 00:18:15,735 --> 00:18:17,125 He was giving them an invitation. 291 00:18:17,125 --> 00:18:17,875 He called out to them. 292 00:18:17,875 --> 00:18:21,745 He said, Hey, come follow me, and I'll show you how to fish for people. 293 00:18:21,975 --> 00:18:25,635 These were men who were fishermen by trade, and he's saying, Hey, there's 294 00:18:25,635 --> 00:18:30,664 a, if you decide to follow me, there's a new assignment for your life. 295 00:18:31,535 --> 00:18:33,694 Everybody water baptized this year. 296 00:18:33,865 --> 00:18:35,655 There's a new assignment for your life. 297 00:18:36,025 --> 00:18:39,195 Everybody who said, Yes, Jesus is my Savior. 298 00:18:39,225 --> 00:18:41,035 There's a new assignment for your life. 299 00:18:41,490 --> 00:18:48,320 Fishing for people, and giving people an invitation, giving people the gospel, 300 00:18:48,330 --> 00:18:51,750 giving people a chance to meet Jesus. 301 00:18:54,110 --> 00:19:01,489 Earlier this year, my boys got invited to an event in Missouri. 302 00:19:02,229 --> 00:19:04,989 So Michelle and I got to tag along as chaperones. 303 00:19:05,980 --> 00:19:12,085 And one of the things that they gifted the boys was a guided, um, um, a guided 304 00:19:12,325 --> 00:19:16,925 fishing trip with, uh, with the guide, like with a professional fisherman. 305 00:19:17,325 --> 00:19:19,215 And so this is in Branson, Missouri. 306 00:19:19,285 --> 00:19:22,865 So we went out, I don't remember how long we went fishing, um, but it's 307 00:19:22,905 --> 00:19:28,534 got one picture here of, uh, Benton here with one of the fish he caught, 308 00:19:28,565 --> 00:19:30,535 which was, which is a real fish. 309 00:19:30,555 --> 00:19:32,855 We didn't just pull it out for a photo op. 310 00:19:33,415 --> 00:19:36,635 He caught a fish, uh, I was on a boat with him and Asher. 311 00:19:36,655 --> 00:19:38,544 They both caught, uh, multiple fish. 312 00:19:38,885 --> 00:19:43,665 My other boys, they were on a boat with another guy, and another, um, 313 00:19:43,685 --> 00:19:48,035 Assemblies of God leader, and they, uh, they all got caught, they all 314 00:19:48,035 --> 00:19:49,655 got caught, they all caught fish. 315 00:19:50,005 --> 00:19:51,465 I didn't, I didn't catch one. 316 00:19:51,525 --> 00:19:55,094 Not a sunfish, not a weed, nothing. 317 00:19:55,395 --> 00:19:56,835 Not a goldfish, nothing. 318 00:19:57,674 --> 00:20:03,644 And so, there's this, just one idea here, is that, you know, 319 00:20:04,244 --> 00:20:06,054 who here has gone fishing before? 320 00:20:06,235 --> 00:20:08,075 Other locations raised your hand, gone fishing before? 321 00:20:08,365 --> 00:20:08,725 Yeah. 322 00:20:09,775 --> 00:20:10,375 Everybody can. 323 00:20:10,405 --> 00:20:11,245 Everybody goes fishing. 324 00:20:12,425 --> 00:20:16,885 Not everybody is good at fishing, alright? 325 00:20:17,685 --> 00:20:22,765 But the, the call for us and Jesus says, Hey, I'm gonna make you fishers of people. 326 00:20:23,065 --> 00:20:25,795 He's not calling us to be professionals. 327 00:20:25,795 --> 00:20:32,565 He's just calling us to grab the rod and real and to go out and participate. 328 00:20:33,115 --> 00:20:33,865 in what he's doing. 329 00:20:35,645 --> 00:20:37,375 Participate in what he's at. 330 00:20:37,385 --> 00:20:40,145 Some people are really good at fishing, but anybody can fish. 331 00:20:40,355 --> 00:20:42,585 Some people are really get right at inviting. 332 00:20:42,815 --> 00:20:48,055 Some people are really great at, um, leading others to Jesus, but everyone 333 00:20:48,325 --> 00:20:50,345 is called to be fishers of men. 334 00:20:50,834 --> 00:20:53,445 Everyone's called to participate in it. 335 00:20:53,935 --> 00:20:57,755 Some people have the spiritual gift of evangelism, but everyone 336 00:20:57,785 --> 00:20:59,735 is called to evangelize. 337 00:21:00,045 --> 00:21:02,515 It is an every person assignment. 338 00:21:03,125 --> 00:21:07,065 And don't be discouraged because other people have made a profession out of it. 339 00:21:07,065 --> 00:21:09,325 Because other people are experts out of, out of it. 340 00:21:09,325 --> 00:21:11,185 Because other people have a grace in their life. 341 00:21:11,685 --> 00:21:13,314 Or it's really easy for them. 342 00:21:13,965 --> 00:21:15,004 Just participate. 343 00:21:15,515 --> 00:21:16,165 Just celebrate. 344 00:21:16,174 --> 00:21:17,495 Just take the pictures. 345 00:21:17,835 --> 00:21:19,085 Like I did for the kids. 346 00:21:19,334 --> 00:21:22,514 Just take the pictures and enjoy the ride. 347 00:21:22,765 --> 00:21:25,355 And just keep sharing your testimony. 348 00:21:25,365 --> 00:21:29,515 Just keep passing out and handing out those invitations. 349 00:21:30,324 --> 00:21:32,645 Couple things about invitations. 350 00:21:32,645 --> 00:21:32,714 Invitations. 351 00:21:33,985 --> 00:21:35,825 Give the gift of, of an invitation. 352 00:21:36,305 --> 00:21:39,375 Invitations encourage investigations. 353 00:21:40,275 --> 00:21:43,799 And this is something that's, that is important. 354 00:21:44,830 --> 00:21:47,760 unique about Restoration Church compared to maybe other 355 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:49,590 churches you participate in. 356 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:53,330 We are a church that wants you to investigate Jesus. 357 00:21:53,360 --> 00:21:55,720 We're a church that wants you to investigate the Bible. 358 00:21:56,230 --> 00:21:58,819 And, uh, it's very important for you to do that. 359 00:21:58,819 --> 00:22:02,489 We give away Bibles for free every single week because we want you 360 00:22:02,499 --> 00:22:04,599 reading God's Word for yourself. 361 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:06,240 We want you finding Him for yourself. 362 00:22:06,510 --> 00:22:10,250 I'm not up here trying to get you to believe everything I believe. 363 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:11,770 I want you to believe the Word of God. 364 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:15,980 And if there's things I believe That other brilliant scholars don't 365 00:22:15,980 --> 00:22:17,430 believe, we're going to tell you that. 366 00:22:18,260 --> 00:22:21,830 Here, and, but here are the things that we know, here are the things that are true. 367 00:22:22,150 --> 00:22:26,249 But when we begin to talk, and we say, hey, you know, I've 368 00:22:26,249 --> 00:22:27,329 got to talk to you about this. 369 00:22:27,329 --> 00:22:28,380 I want to share this with you. 370 00:22:28,590 --> 00:22:30,550 People begin to investigate it. 371 00:22:30,550 --> 00:22:34,230 And that's what we saw the shepherds doing in verse number 15. 372 00:22:34,540 --> 00:22:38,020 They said, hey, the angels have told us that this baby has been born. 373 00:22:38,020 --> 00:22:38,820 It's the Messiah. 374 00:22:38,830 --> 00:22:39,730 He's in town. 375 00:22:40,245 --> 00:22:41,865 Let's go check this out. 376 00:22:43,305 --> 00:22:49,215 And when you have the opportunity to talk about Jesus, to send an invitation 377 00:22:49,215 --> 00:22:51,184 to say, Oh, you're a Christian. 378 00:22:51,185 --> 00:22:51,365 Yeah. 379 00:22:51,365 --> 00:22:55,075 Not only am I a Christian, but so are these three other coworkers. 380 00:22:55,344 --> 00:22:57,295 So are these 10 other students. 381 00:22:57,395 --> 00:22:57,605 Yeah. 382 00:22:57,605 --> 00:22:59,669 We're all going to this. 383 00:23:00,530 --> 00:23:03,250 Then they're like, really, you all are really. 384 00:23:03,250 --> 00:23:05,410 I thought you, I thought you're, you're also normal. 385 00:23:05,420 --> 00:23:05,710 Really. 386 00:23:05,710 --> 00:23:06,110 I thought. 387 00:23:06,360 --> 00:23:10,649 And so because they're able to hear, because you're able to give an 388 00:23:10,650 --> 00:23:15,640 invitation, they're able to show up and invest, investigate for themselves. 389 00:23:17,550 --> 00:23:23,600 Don't invite people to an argument, but invite them to investigate. 390 00:23:24,360 --> 00:23:25,940 Here's what Jesus did in my life. 391 00:23:27,470 --> 00:23:29,360 Maybe he could do the same thing for you. 392 00:23:30,189 --> 00:23:31,430 You know he can. 393 00:23:32,510 --> 00:23:33,329 I'm inviting you. 394 00:23:33,330 --> 00:23:33,920 You're not here. 395 00:23:34,029 --> 00:23:37,359 You're here today, but you've never made a decision to follow Jesus. 396 00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:38,969 I'm inviting you to investigate. 397 00:23:39,380 --> 00:23:40,629 Hey, he changed my life. 398 00:23:42,350 --> 00:23:43,579 He changed my wife's life. 399 00:23:43,589 --> 00:23:46,229 He changed the, the baptisms last week. 400 00:23:46,229 --> 00:23:49,870 He changed hundreds of people here, uh, around you. 401 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:53,979 If you investigate, maybe he could change your life too. 402 00:23:54,425 --> 00:23:56,035 Hey, I know he can actually. 403 00:23:56,745 --> 00:23:59,435 I want you to investigate it because I know what you'll find. 404 00:24:02,165 --> 00:24:05,765 John chapter 1 verses 45 and 46. 405 00:24:07,245 --> 00:24:09,224 This is about one of the disciples. 406 00:24:09,635 --> 00:24:12,095 He gets invited by Jesus to follow him. 407 00:24:12,470 --> 00:24:16,810 He meets Jesus, and he says, he says this, he said, Philip went to look 408 00:24:16,810 --> 00:24:20,690 for Nathaniel, his friend, and he told him, Hey, we found the very person 409 00:24:20,700 --> 00:24:22,460 Moses and the prophets wrote about. 410 00:24:22,650 --> 00:24:26,540 His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth. 411 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:33,820 Nathaniel responds, maybe like some of your friends would respond, Really? 412 00:24:34,930 --> 00:24:35,760 You're a Christian? 413 00:24:36,590 --> 00:24:37,960 You believe all that stuff? 414 00:24:38,370 --> 00:24:39,190 I'm surprised. 415 00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:42,220 But Nathaniel said, Nazareth, which was a town, Yeah. 416 00:24:43,415 --> 00:24:45,315 Can anything good come from Nazareth? 417 00:24:45,355 --> 00:24:48,095 So insert your town that you disparage. 418 00:24:48,185 --> 00:24:53,305 Uh, Uh, And so if you're from Summersworth, disparage Rochester. 419 00:24:53,305 --> 00:24:55,435 If you're from Rochester, disparage Farmington. 420 00:24:55,435 --> 00:24:58,165 If you're from Dover, disparage Summersworth. 421 00:24:58,185 --> 00:24:59,184 Just pick your town. 422 00:24:59,515 --> 00:25:01,554 Can anything good come from that town? 423 00:25:02,295 --> 00:25:05,705 And Philip said this, Come and see for yourself. 424 00:25:06,395 --> 00:25:07,445 Hey, come investigate it. 425 00:25:07,980 --> 00:25:09,150 I'm not gonna argue you. 426 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:11,040 I'm not gonna go back and forth with you. 427 00:25:11,250 --> 00:25:12,130 Just come see him. 428 00:25:12,570 --> 00:25:13,380 Just show up. 429 00:25:13,700 --> 00:25:14,360 Find out. 430 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:16,100 Take the time. 431 00:25:16,810 --> 00:25:19,990 And this is the posture that we try to take as a church. 432 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:23,830 This is the posture I try to teach you and lead you into. 433 00:25:24,919 --> 00:25:26,480 You know what he did in your life. 434 00:25:27,139 --> 00:25:30,080 You don't have to argue and try to convince people. 435 00:25:30,360 --> 00:25:34,090 Just invited them to check it out for themselves because if they 436 00:25:34,370 --> 00:25:37,600 investigate, They'll have the chance. 437 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:38,870 So Jesus invited Philip. 438 00:25:39,140 --> 00:25:40,480 Philip invited Nathanael. 439 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:45,610 John the Baptist, in another part, he invited two of his disciples, 440 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:47,660 Andrew and John, to go find Jesus. 441 00:25:47,910 --> 00:25:50,100 Then Andrew invites his brother Peter. 442 00:25:50,209 --> 00:25:52,680 Then John invites his brother James. 443 00:25:52,839 --> 00:25:59,490 And now, begin to see the disciples, um, they're coming to investigate. 444 00:25:59,630 --> 00:26:01,240 And when they investigate, what do they find? 445 00:26:01,360 --> 00:26:02,580 Oh yeah, I'm gonna follow him. 446 00:26:05,275 --> 00:26:06,545 Jeremiah 29, 13. 447 00:26:06,575 --> 00:26:10,305 This is a promise for anybody in the investigative stage. 448 00:26:10,905 --> 00:26:14,684 You're here today, there's some part of you that's saying, I wonder if God's real. 449 00:26:14,865 --> 00:26:16,104 I wonder if Jesus is real. 450 00:26:16,104 --> 00:26:17,104 I wonder if he can help me. 451 00:26:17,505 --> 00:26:18,994 This is a promise in scripture. 452 00:26:19,175 --> 00:26:25,174 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find. 453 00:26:28,564 --> 00:26:31,674 If anybody's investigating, they're not investigating Jesus, 454 00:26:31,704 --> 00:26:31,809 they're investigating God. 455 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:34,510 Although there are testimonies of people who are investigating 456 00:26:34,510 --> 00:26:37,900 Jesus to find out what's wrong with it, and they discover him. 457 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:42,800 Renowned physicist, um, the director of the Human Genome Project, you can 458 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:44,219 look him up, he wrote a book about it. 459 00:26:44,390 --> 00:26:50,590 But, ultimate brilliant scientist, begin to discover, begin to investigate Jesus. 460 00:26:50,729 --> 00:26:54,010 And, hey, I don't believe, I should find out why I don't believe, comes 461 00:26:54,010 --> 00:26:57,040 to Christ through his investigation. 462 00:26:57,500 --> 00:27:00,330 If you're trying to find answers of Jesus. 463 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:01,890 You'll find them. 464 00:27:01,990 --> 00:27:02,960 That's a promise. 465 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:08,050 Whether you've been investigating him for two weeks, or two months, or two years, 466 00:27:08,340 --> 00:27:09,840 keep searching him with your whole heart. 467 00:27:10,540 --> 00:27:11,340 You're gonna find him. 468 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:12,539 You're gonna find him. 469 00:27:12,549 --> 00:27:13,189 You're gonna find him. 470 00:27:13,190 --> 00:27:13,770 You're gonna find him. 471 00:27:13,810 --> 00:27:14,490 It is a promise. 472 00:27:15,525 --> 00:27:18,755 He's going to show himself to you and it will change everything. 473 00:27:20,145 --> 00:27:24,165 Next thing is that in invitations bring celebrations. 474 00:27:24,165 --> 00:27:27,624 Verse number 20, the shepherds went back to their flocks, 475 00:27:27,885 --> 00:27:32,695 glorifying God and praising God for all they had heard and seen. 476 00:27:33,405 --> 00:27:36,414 Listen, I've got dozens of nieces and nephews. 477 00:27:37,044 --> 00:27:37,974 I love them all. 478 00:27:38,944 --> 00:27:39,124 All right. 479 00:27:39,134 --> 00:27:41,265 Even the ones that don't love me, I love them all. 480 00:27:42,955 --> 00:27:49,595 And, um, I've, I've visited most of them at the hospital, uh, in 481 00:27:49,595 --> 00:27:52,174 their first couple days of life. 482 00:27:54,084 --> 00:27:56,795 And I was grateful. 483 00:27:56,795 --> 00:27:57,645 It's exciting. 484 00:27:57,725 --> 00:27:58,805 It's great to be an uncle. 485 00:27:59,635 --> 00:28:00,264 It's great. 486 00:28:02,075 --> 00:28:03,695 But I never left this way. 487 00:28:04,895 --> 00:28:07,745 Glorifying and praising God for all I had seen and heard. 488 00:28:07,825 --> 00:28:11,445 I wasn't like, I was like, Oh, poor kid. 489 00:28:11,455 --> 00:28:13,905 He's, his looks are like our side of the family. 490 00:28:13,945 --> 00:28:14,575 Poor kid. 491 00:28:18,300 --> 00:28:19,960 Hopefully he grows into that nose. 492 00:28:20,030 --> 00:28:22,020 My word, this one looks like an alien. 493 00:28:22,570 --> 00:28:23,010 Alright? 494 00:28:23,350 --> 00:28:28,620 Never did I, did I walk away like these guys when they saw a baby. 495 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:30,780 We've all seen babies. 496 00:28:32,950 --> 00:28:35,979 They walked away glorifying and praising God. 497 00:28:37,540 --> 00:28:39,989 Because you investigate and what do you find? 498 00:28:39,990 --> 00:28:43,480 You find Him to be who He says He is. 499 00:28:44,130 --> 00:28:48,200 Even in His meekest human form. 500 00:28:49,225 --> 00:28:53,235 And he was God in heaven, but became one of us, to rescue one of 501 00:28:53,235 --> 00:28:56,175 us, a covert mission to rescue us. 502 00:28:56,975 --> 00:29:07,044 Even in his infancy, the power of God was changing people's 503 00:29:07,115 --> 00:29:11,685 understanding, was giving people hope, was changing their lives. 504 00:29:13,585 --> 00:29:15,275 Why do we share Jesus? 505 00:29:15,855 --> 00:29:17,635 Remind yourself you're a follower of Jesus. 506 00:29:17,665 --> 00:29:18,475 Why do you share him? 507 00:29:18,705 --> 00:29:24,315 Remind yourself of the moment you met him put yourself back in that 508 00:29:24,434 --> 00:29:30,135 place where you experienced him Allow yourself to give thanks and 509 00:29:30,135 --> 00:29:31,994 glory to God again for that day. 510 00:29:32,045 --> 00:29:36,845 He changed your life Now for me, I've gone to church my whole life. 511 00:29:36,845 --> 00:29:41,185 I've shared this hundreds of times over, over my ministry here. 512 00:29:43,025 --> 00:29:45,255 You know, probably a week or two weeks old. 513 00:29:45,255 --> 00:29:48,085 I was in church and pretty, I mean, I've been in church ever since. 514 00:29:48,085 --> 00:29:49,965 I never walked away from Jesus. 515 00:29:50,115 --> 00:29:51,524 I never walked away from church. 516 00:29:51,524 --> 00:29:52,795 I've just gone to church. 517 00:29:54,034 --> 00:29:55,005 And I always believed. 518 00:29:55,005 --> 00:29:59,735 I remember being a first grader and praying, Jesus, I give you my life. 519 00:29:59,735 --> 00:30:01,674 Forgive me of my sins. 520 00:30:01,835 --> 00:30:04,305 Um, and. 521 00:30:06,325 --> 00:30:10,625 But, and always going to church, always believing, but being a 14 year old, 522 00:30:11,615 --> 00:30:17,895 and being in a church service, and experiencing the presence of God on the 523 00:30:17,915 --> 00:30:21,684 outside of my life, on the inside of my heart, for the first time in my whole 524 00:30:21,684 --> 00:30:29,415 life, and crying, and being shocked, and thinking, I always believed in God, 525 00:30:29,415 --> 00:30:31,245 but I had no idea God knew who I was. 526 00:30:31,275 --> 00:30:34,985 But here I am right now, in this moment, experiencing Him. 527 00:30:36,025 --> 00:30:38,064 And it changed my life. 528 00:30:39,190 --> 00:30:40,400 It changed my life. 529 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:43,040 I was never a kid who swore. 530 00:30:43,250 --> 00:30:45,460 I wasn't using chewing tobacco. 531 00:30:45,460 --> 00:30:47,680 I wasn't stealing from my mom's purse. 532 00:30:48,420 --> 00:30:51,379 I was a good church kid at that point in my life, who 533 00:30:51,380 --> 00:30:52,729 fought my brothers and sisters. 534 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:59,635 I was a good church kid, but the moment that That I met God it changed everything 535 00:30:59,635 --> 00:31:04,525 for me And that's one of the primary reasons that I'm a pastor because I want 536 00:31:04,615 --> 00:31:11,445 every Single one of you to experience Jesus like I did in eighth grade or the 537 00:31:11,445 --> 00:31:17,385 summer after eighth grade Every single one of you to experience Jesus just as I 538 00:31:18,805 --> 00:31:24,280 the reason we have fun in church to reason Why we do everything we do is, again, just 539 00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:27,650 kind of all setting the stage for you to feel comfortable to investigate Jesus, 540 00:31:27,670 --> 00:31:30,709 because I want you to try to find Him. 541 00:31:31,040 --> 00:31:36,180 I want you to experience Him like I did, because when you do, 542 00:31:40,990 --> 00:31:41,889 you're going to celebrate. 543 00:31:43,580 --> 00:31:44,510 You're going to celebrate. 544 00:31:46,730 --> 00:31:47,420 You're going to celebrate. 545 00:31:47,420 --> 00:31:48,660 He is so good. 546 00:31:49,439 --> 00:31:53,759 The last thing here is that invitations affect generations. 547 00:31:53,919 --> 00:31:57,640 Verse number 18, it said, All who heard the shepherd's story were astonished. 548 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:03,830 And for 2, 000 years now, The account of these shepherds has been shared 549 00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:11,300 around the world over and over and over and over and over again. 550 00:32:12,310 --> 00:32:15,729 We're still hearing about the angel's invitation to the shepherds. 551 00:32:16,030 --> 00:32:19,099 We're still hearing the shepherd's story about what happened to 552 00:32:19,099 --> 00:32:22,249 that night, to them that night. 553 00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:30,410 And the invitations that we share, it doesn't just change your friend. 554 00:32:30,890 --> 00:32:35,815 It changes their family, their future family, It changes far 555 00:32:35,815 --> 00:32:37,285 beyond you could ever imagine. 556 00:32:37,685 --> 00:32:42,635 Imagine Jesus in the scripture we read earlier, he said, follow me 557 00:32:42,635 --> 00:32:45,935 and I will make you fishers of men. 558 00:32:45,995 --> 00:32:47,315 This is another promise. 559 00:32:47,805 --> 00:32:52,115 I will make you a person if you allow me to. 560 00:32:52,115 --> 00:32:56,945 I will make you a person who affects other people's lives with my good news. 561 00:32:57,985 --> 00:33:02,335 I will make you a person who helps me on these rescue missions. 562 00:33:02,475 --> 00:33:06,325 I will make you a person who's a carrier of the good news. 563 00:33:06,475 --> 00:33:10,755 I will make you a person who carries the presence of God. 564 00:33:11,215 --> 00:33:12,895 This is a promise from Jesus. 565 00:33:13,025 --> 00:33:14,435 This is a promise from Jesus. 566 00:33:14,884 --> 00:33:16,735 You gotta, you gotta recognize this. 567 00:33:16,894 --> 00:33:17,764 This is important. 568 00:33:18,675 --> 00:33:26,500 Your life, every one of you, your life, It will produce spiritual life. 569 00:33:28,780 --> 00:33:37,590 Your life, your invitation, your, um, your, uh, um, confusing 570 00:33:38,269 --> 00:33:40,090 description of the gospel. 571 00:33:40,330 --> 00:33:41,420 You're like, I did not do good. 572 00:33:42,059 --> 00:33:42,990 I'm sorry, Lord. 573 00:33:43,229 --> 00:33:45,180 I did not do good trying to explain you. 574 00:33:46,430 --> 00:33:51,080 But every effort that you give, your life will produce spiritual life. 575 00:33:52,430 --> 00:33:54,590 It will change people for eternity. 576 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:55,670 Your life will. 577 00:33:56,499 --> 00:33:57,839 Your testimony will. 578 00:33:58,030 --> 00:33:59,350 Your invitation will. 579 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:04,950 It will change, not just there today, it will change there forever. 580 00:34:07,970 --> 00:34:10,290 I want to share with you a couple photos from last week. 581 00:34:10,300 --> 00:34:11,010 Just a couple. 582 00:34:11,060 --> 00:34:16,100 I mean, there's a bunch of photos, but some baptisms from Bethlehem and 583 00:34:17,475 --> 00:34:22,885 Another one, here's a baptism from Dover, uh, baptism from Plymouth. 584 00:34:24,395 --> 00:34:30,004 These baptisms are, I, you know, I shared with you earlier. 585 00:34:30,630 --> 00:34:34,320 about how they were, who they were invited by. 586 00:34:34,330 --> 00:34:36,050 It was an invitation. 587 00:34:36,580 --> 00:34:37,409 Hey, I'm going to church. 588 00:34:37,409 --> 00:34:38,510 You want to come to church with me? 589 00:34:40,050 --> 00:34:42,429 People said just randomly one day. 590 00:34:43,790 --> 00:34:44,469 Sure. 591 00:34:45,340 --> 00:34:45,500 All right. 592 00:34:46,018 --> 00:34:46,619 Sure. 593 00:34:47,299 --> 00:34:47,909 Okay. 594 00:34:48,748 --> 00:34:49,279 Fine. 595 00:34:50,110 --> 00:34:50,679 Yes. 596 00:34:52,320 --> 00:35:01,680 And now they are celebrating this in front of the whole church. 597 00:35:02,890 --> 00:35:04,020 Hey, I was invited to come. 598 00:35:04,050 --> 00:35:05,320 I investigated it. 599 00:35:05,730 --> 00:35:07,880 And now I'm celebrating today because he changed my life. 600 00:35:08,820 --> 00:35:10,500 He's not just their Lord and Savior. 601 00:35:10,500 --> 00:35:12,730 He's my Lord and Savior. 602 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:20,089 Some of the stories from last week, Della was invited by her mom, Amanda, 603 00:35:20,120 --> 00:35:23,110 who was invited by her friend, Heidi. 604 00:35:24,250 --> 00:35:25,930 Kay was invited by Kashin. 605 00:35:26,140 --> 00:35:27,820 Kashin was invited by Brian. 606 00:35:28,119 --> 00:35:29,780 Brian was invited by his mom. 607 00:35:29,900 --> 00:35:34,170 His mom was invited by people from the church who were doing an outreach. 608 00:35:36,300 --> 00:35:40,190 Gavin was invited by his dad, Eric, who was invited by his dad, Dave, 609 00:35:40,329 --> 00:35:41,899 who was invited by his friend, Max. 610 00:35:43,825 --> 00:35:47,275 Sam and Mason were invited by Benaiah, who was brought by Michelle 611 00:35:47,275 --> 00:35:50,775 and I, who were both brought to this church by our mothers. 612 00:35:53,715 --> 00:35:58,685 Adalia was invited by her parents, whose dad was invited by her mom, and 613 00:35:58,985 --> 00:36:01,665 whose mom was invited by Eric's dad. 614 00:36:06,045 --> 00:36:07,285 Something about that 615 00:36:10,464 --> 00:36:12,195 is so wildly beautiful to me, 616 00:36:15,925 --> 00:36:23,465 because we're not talking about a couple months, where it was the fad thing, the 617 00:36:23,465 --> 00:36:26,665 in thing to do, so a bunch of people, oh church is cool, let's all go to church, 618 00:36:26,745 --> 00:36:31,485 let's all get baptized, No, we're talking about, we're talking about decades 619 00:36:36,035 --> 00:36:39,505 that when Eric is 13, his dad brings him to church. 620 00:36:39,755 --> 00:36:43,214 Now when his son is 20, he's getting water baptized. 621 00:36:43,614 --> 00:36:46,984 That when I'm five years old, my mom signs me up for Wednesday 622 00:36:46,984 --> 00:36:48,385 night kids program here. 623 00:36:48,535 --> 00:36:56,224 And now, however many years later, I don't know how old I am, a long time later. 624 00:36:56,374 --> 00:36:59,054 Now, my friends are inviting friends. 625 00:37:00,490 --> 00:37:02,600 It affects generations. 626 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:03,160 Why? 627 00:37:03,390 --> 00:37:05,210 Because being religious is good? 628 00:37:05,660 --> 00:37:06,530 Heck no! 629 00:37:07,895 --> 00:37:12,905 The worst seasons of our church's 78 year history were the seasons 630 00:37:12,905 --> 00:37:14,445 about religious activity. 631 00:37:15,075 --> 00:37:16,135 Horrible years. 632 00:37:16,825 --> 00:37:18,345 Should I share some more stories? 633 00:37:18,724 --> 00:37:23,105 Bad years in our church because they came about being 634 00:37:23,105 --> 00:37:25,784 religious, not about the gospel. 635 00:37:29,084 --> 00:37:31,864 Beautiful, beautiful stories. 636 00:37:42,674 --> 00:37:47,594 As you, I've got this invitation I've been playing with, I apologize, I keep trying 637 00:37:47,594 --> 00:37:49,034 to hide it so I wouldn't distract it. 638 00:37:49,044 --> 00:37:50,274 This is a Christmas invitation. 639 00:37:51,995 --> 00:37:56,145 One of the reasons that we give out invitations, something I discovered long 640 00:37:56,145 --> 00:38:02,645 ago, is some of us are shy and some of us are, are just too introverted, we're 641 00:38:02,645 --> 00:38:07,695 too shy, even extroverts can be shy, but it's hard for us to share our faith. 642 00:38:08,555 --> 00:38:11,589 And one thing I discovered long ago is try to give tools to the introvert. 643 00:38:12,100 --> 00:38:15,940 A reason to talk about church, a reason to talk about Jesus. 644 00:38:16,380 --> 00:38:19,410 So what is one thing everybody is going to be asking each other at work 645 00:38:19,410 --> 00:38:23,640 and school for, for the next few days, uh, this week and, and next week? 646 00:38:23,940 --> 00:38:26,320 They're going to ask, hey, what are you doing for Christmas? 647 00:38:27,470 --> 00:38:28,989 Have this invitation on you. 648 00:38:30,099 --> 00:38:32,230 You can even start, hey, what are you doing for Christmas? 649 00:38:32,539 --> 00:38:35,969 Oh, we're going to, whatever it is. 650 00:38:37,450 --> 00:38:39,220 And then they say, what are you doing on Christmas? 651 00:38:39,270 --> 00:38:43,630 Well, Christmas, with my family, Christmas Eve, we go to Restoration Church. 652 00:38:44,140 --> 00:38:46,370 And we've been doing it for a lot of years. 653 00:38:46,380 --> 00:38:48,150 It's so much fun, whatever, whatever. 654 00:38:48,440 --> 00:38:51,250 Um, you should check it out. 655 00:38:53,930 --> 00:39:00,570 Who, especially here in New England, how many, how many people talk about 656 00:39:00,590 --> 00:39:02,340 going to church in a positive light? 657 00:39:02,770 --> 00:39:03,639 Not very many. 658 00:39:04,589 --> 00:39:05,339 I mean, it happens. 659 00:39:05,339 --> 00:39:08,760 Obviously there's great churches all over New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, 660 00:39:08,770 --> 00:39:12,690 Massachusetts, amazing churches, amazing pastors, amazing men, I want to know God. 661 00:39:15,060 --> 00:39:22,615 Uh, but when I was growing up, there was not a person in my school who talks 662 00:39:22,655 --> 00:39:24,895 positively about their church experience, 663 00:39:27,325 --> 00:39:29,045 including me until freshman year. 664 00:39:32,265 --> 00:39:35,955 So when you say, Oh, I love going, it's so much fun, whatever, whatever. 665 00:39:35,985 --> 00:39:40,005 And you begin to share, or even if you've never been before, I heard it's amazing. 666 00:39:40,715 --> 00:39:42,454 I'm going, just pastor. 667 00:39:42,485 --> 00:39:43,245 There's this guy there. 668 00:39:43,245 --> 00:39:45,974 Pastor Nate, unbelievably cool. 669 00:39:47,884 --> 00:39:50,955 He's got like a Instagram. 670 00:39:51,035 --> 00:39:51,845 Amazing guy. 671 00:39:54,525 --> 00:39:56,075 And give the invitation. 672 00:39:56,595 --> 00:40:00,475 You're not trying to convince them, you're, you're giving them the 673 00:40:00,475 --> 00:40:03,365 opportunity to investigate for themselves. 674 00:40:03,375 --> 00:40:06,815 Sometimes people say, I don't know, I don't have the answers. 675 00:40:07,415 --> 00:40:08,905 I'm afraid to share the gospel. 676 00:40:09,525 --> 00:40:12,215 Maybe you're, but you can share an invitation. 677 00:40:13,245 --> 00:40:16,735 Sometimes people say, I'm just too afraid. 678 00:40:16,735 --> 00:40:18,905 I'm afraid they're going to ask me a question I don't know the answers to. 679 00:40:18,905 --> 00:40:21,185 And I just want to encourage you not to worry about that. 680 00:40:21,185 --> 00:40:25,164 My, my middle schooler told me this week, he said, you know, kids 681 00:40:25,164 --> 00:40:28,055 been asking me all these questions about, about church and God. 682 00:40:28,055 --> 00:40:30,935 They asked me this week, is it a sin to marry your cousin? 683 00:40:33,120 --> 00:40:35,980 So he's asking me later, Dad, is it a sin to marry your cousin? 684 00:40:36,140 --> 00:40:39,160 And so we're having that conversation, and I said, Well, what did you say to the kid? 685 00:40:39,460 --> 00:40:43,300 And he said, uh, I said, Do you want to marry your cousin? 686 00:40:44,270 --> 00:40:46,700 And, like, why are you searching for the answer to that? 687 00:40:46,949 --> 00:40:48,300 Is it a sin to marry your cousin? 688 00:40:48,310 --> 00:40:48,720 Why? 689 00:40:48,730 --> 00:40:51,189 Are you, like, really attracted to your cousin? 690 00:40:51,259 --> 00:40:54,949 Is that something you're trying to get set up for the holidays here? 691 00:40:55,119 --> 00:40:56,639 A little mistletoe accident? 692 00:40:56,649 --> 00:40:57,599 A little bizarre? 693 00:40:59,855 --> 00:41:04,485 And so, listen, don't worry about what you don't know. 694 00:41:04,655 --> 00:41:06,305 Talk about what you do know. 695 00:41:07,015 --> 00:41:08,204 He changed you. 696 00:41:08,785 --> 00:41:11,724 The other thing that can kind of happen is, well, I don't have it all together. 697 00:41:11,725 --> 00:41:13,354 I, I'm a mess. 698 00:41:14,395 --> 00:41:15,125 Uh, uh, uh. 699 00:41:16,785 --> 00:41:17,995 Listen, it is okay. 700 00:41:18,715 --> 00:41:20,524 We're all from different places. 701 00:41:21,135 --> 00:41:24,425 We're all in different seasons of our life walking with Jesus. 702 00:41:26,185 --> 00:41:31,085 You're maybe not able to, to show how He transforms lives yet, but you're 703 00:41:31,085 --> 00:41:32,865 able to show how He forgives past. 704 00:41:34,015 --> 00:41:39,465 And you're at that starting point, you may not show, be able to show how he, how 705 00:41:39,465 --> 00:41:43,944 he changed his families for generations yet, but you're able to show how he's 706 00:41:43,945 --> 00:41:46,125 changed you today from yesterday. 707 00:41:47,094 --> 00:41:47,915 That's a great thing. 708 00:41:49,265 --> 00:41:51,685 We need people who are in the beginning part of their journey as 709 00:41:51,685 --> 00:41:54,575 well, because otherwise it feels like I could never fit in here. 710 00:41:55,545 --> 00:41:59,525 But when you get in and you, and you're able to see people where 711 00:41:59,755 --> 00:42:03,645 we're able to see, we're obviously all from different places of life. 712 00:42:05,210 --> 00:42:07,180 You've got some people you can see they have definitely 713 00:42:07,180 --> 00:42:08,850 served Jesus for generations. 714 00:42:09,040 --> 00:42:13,539 They just They just uh, like a have a fragrance of the presence of 715 00:42:13,540 --> 00:42:16,959 God You can definitely see in the parking lot when you're leaving. 716 00:42:16,959 --> 00:42:20,580 There's some people who haven't met the Lord yet We're coming 717 00:42:20,580 --> 00:42:21,690 from all different places. 718 00:42:21,720 --> 00:42:26,275 That is a beautiful thing Don't be embarrassed about where you've been. 719 00:42:28,215 --> 00:42:32,665 If you've ever recommended a restaurant to someone else, I'll 720 00:42:32,665 --> 00:42:34,004 recommend to you one right now. 721 00:42:34,005 --> 00:42:39,134 There's a Brazilian barbecue place in, um, in Manchester called Gaucho's. 722 00:42:40,154 --> 00:42:42,515 Brazilian barbecue, for those of you who've never heard of it, 723 00:42:43,005 --> 00:42:45,765 you have, uh, it's kind of like a game of red light, green light. 724 00:42:46,675 --> 00:42:49,714 And you have a card, literally a card, one side's red, one side's green. 725 00:42:49,954 --> 00:42:52,234 When you have it on green, you just put it green on your table. 726 00:42:52,384 --> 00:42:54,664 The waiters don't stop coming and bringing you meat. 727 00:42:54,665 --> 00:43:00,725 It's steak lamb, different cuts of steak, chicken sausage, as long as it's on green. 728 00:43:00,725 --> 00:43:03,685 They just come and they give you more, more more more. 729 00:43:03,715 --> 00:43:07,404 And then when you're when you're when you're like to full or to 730 00:43:07,404 --> 00:43:09,275 embarrass you flip it over to read. 731 00:43:11,305 --> 00:43:13,015 And it's amazing. 732 00:43:13,965 --> 00:43:14,835 Amazing place. 733 00:43:15,334 --> 00:43:21,665 Um we were like, um we had a deacon Christmas party there a 734 00:43:21,665 --> 00:43:23,365 number of years ago during COVID. 735 00:43:23,805 --> 00:43:25,335 We were like their first customers. 736 00:43:26,295 --> 00:43:27,235 since they opened back. 737 00:43:27,245 --> 00:43:31,275 So it was like the waiters were excited to finally get a tip again. 738 00:43:31,365 --> 00:43:34,595 I mean, it was a good, good night. 739 00:43:35,845 --> 00:43:38,695 But if you were to ask me, Pastor Nate, talk to me about that restaurant. 740 00:43:39,604 --> 00:43:40,605 What's the marinade? 741 00:43:42,155 --> 00:43:44,425 Where do they source their ingredients? 742 00:43:45,424 --> 00:43:47,384 How much do they pay their employees? 743 00:43:48,705 --> 00:43:50,124 I'm going to say, I have no clue. 744 00:43:50,574 --> 00:43:52,174 I don't have answers to those questions. 745 00:43:52,770 --> 00:43:59,870 But what I do know, but what I do know, let me tell you about what I do know. 746 00:44:00,780 --> 00:44:03,170 And when people come to you and they, and they're trying to put you, well, 747 00:44:03,170 --> 00:44:04,279 how could you believe the Bible? 748 00:44:04,279 --> 00:44:05,620 It's so full of contradictions. 749 00:44:05,620 --> 00:44:08,540 Like, I, how, what, can you even marry your cousin? 750 00:44:08,739 --> 00:44:10,179 And they're coming with all these questions. 751 00:44:10,260 --> 00:44:11,319 Like, I don't know the answer to this. 752 00:44:11,319 --> 00:44:13,790 Say, hey, I don't have those answers, but here's what I do know. 753 00:44:15,110 --> 00:44:19,930 And don't say this, but, but in your own words, I was lost, but now I'm found. 754 00:44:20,970 --> 00:44:22,770 In your own words, say, I don't know. 755 00:44:22,910 --> 00:44:28,400 I showed up to church because, because my crazy ex girlfriend made me go, and now 756 00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:30,499 she doesn't go, and it changed my life. 757 00:44:30,810 --> 00:44:35,350 I showed up to church because someone told me there was, uh, unlimited eggnog at the 758 00:44:35,350 --> 00:44:39,970 Christmas Eve, and so I went to go put that to the test, and then after I came up 759 00:44:40,040 --> 00:44:42,670 front for healing, and, uh, I got healed! 760 00:44:43,440 --> 00:44:46,130 Uh, you just share what you do know. 761 00:44:48,030 --> 00:44:50,030 Talk about what you do have. 762 00:44:50,030 --> 00:44:50,120 You're welcome. 763 00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:56,100 In 1 John, chapter 5, verse number 10, it says all who believe in 764 00:44:56,100 --> 00:45:00,480 the Son of God know in their hearts this testimony is true. 765 00:45:01,179 --> 00:45:04,700 You know what He's done in your life. 766 00:45:04,760 --> 00:45:09,070 It is just deeply profound, deeply unexplainable. 767 00:45:10,650 --> 00:45:13,189 But you're trying to create the conversation that others would 768 00:45:13,339 --> 00:45:15,560 investigate and find out what you have. 769 00:45:17,420 --> 00:45:19,750 Church, musicians, you can come up. 770 00:45:20,410 --> 00:45:22,300 I want to challenge you to be bold this week. 771 00:45:24,410 --> 00:45:25,320 To be bold this week. 772 00:45:25,320 --> 00:45:26,240 To invite someone this week. 773 00:45:26,240 --> 00:45:27,590 At the very minimum. 774 00:45:28,080 --> 00:45:29,530 Give out these invitations. 775 00:45:29,990 --> 00:45:31,060 There's some on your seats. 776 00:45:31,060 --> 00:45:35,985 There's some at the new here area grab some How many can you believe God for? 777 00:45:35,995 --> 00:45:38,535 God, give me the opportunity to invite one person. 778 00:45:38,785 --> 00:45:41,185 God, give me the opportunity to invite 10 people. 779 00:45:41,315 --> 00:45:42,955 How many can you believe God for? 780 00:45:44,655 --> 00:45:49,724 There are, we just don't know who's going to show up, who's going to experience 781 00:45:49,745 --> 00:45:52,714 what and how it might change their life. 782 00:45:54,055 --> 00:45:57,494 Will you close your eyes and let me pray for you. 783 00:45:57,954 --> 00:46:03,804 As your eyes are closed and bands figuring out what to do, I want to, um, 784 00:46:04,204 --> 00:46:05,965 I just want to give you an invitation. 785 00:46:06,690 --> 00:46:08,480 to give your life to Jesus right now. 786 00:46:10,150 --> 00:46:17,000 We read earlier in Romans chapter 10 in verses 14 and 17, but verses 9 and 787 00:46:17,000 --> 00:46:22,820 10 says this, If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord, and believe 788 00:46:22,820 --> 00:46:26,839 in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 789 00:46:28,040 --> 00:46:30,820 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with 790 00:46:30,820 --> 00:46:35,920 God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 791 00:46:36,860 --> 00:46:39,230 To believe in your heart, that you are made And to say it with your 792 00:46:39,240 --> 00:46:42,330 mouth, that I'm, that I follow Jesus. 793 00:46:42,980 --> 00:46:46,350 If your eyes are closed, even out of their locations, I'll 794 00:46:46,580 --> 00:46:48,180 ask you to respond the same way. 795 00:46:48,949 --> 00:46:53,190 But you've been coming to church, you want Jesus, you've convinced yourself 796 00:46:53,210 --> 00:46:54,720 maybe that He wouldn't want you. 797 00:46:55,810 --> 00:46:58,600 But you'd say, you know what Pastor Nate, that's it, I mean I believe it in 798 00:46:58,600 --> 00:47:02,560 my heart, but right now I'm gonna tell you, I'm gonna tell my location pastor. 799 00:47:02,900 --> 00:47:06,110 That, yeah, I'm giving my life to Jesus, and you just raise your hand up at me. 800 00:47:07,130 --> 00:47:10,990 Um, I'm, I, I, I believe it in my heart, now I'm saying it with my mouth. 801 00:47:11,130 --> 00:47:14,000 I follow Jesus, and just wave at me. 802 00:47:15,850 --> 00:47:16,280 Thank you. 803 00:47:18,200 --> 00:47:19,070 Anybody else? 804 00:47:21,470 --> 00:47:21,870 Yeah. 805 00:47:22,300 --> 00:47:22,640 Yeah. 806 00:47:23,109 --> 00:47:23,430 Thank you. 807 00:47:24,929 --> 00:47:25,349 Thank you. 808 00:47:29,170 --> 00:47:32,570 You've been investigating, and now it's your time. 809 00:47:34,320 --> 00:47:36,120 And what this verse says, it's right there. 810 00:47:36,120 --> 00:47:40,110 And I'm gonna lead you in a prayer that's putting this verse into your own words. 811 00:47:40,435 --> 00:47:43,475 But it says, declare that Jesus is your Lord, so let's pray that. 812 00:47:43,475 --> 00:47:50,685 And you say this, Jesus, you're my Lord, you're my God, you're my Savior. 813 00:47:53,824 --> 00:47:57,854 It says if you believe that He's raised from the dead, you'll be saved. 814 00:47:57,855 --> 00:48:01,374 And you say, you pray that right now, Jesus, I believe the Christmas story and 815 00:48:01,375 --> 00:48:05,495 the Easter story that it's true, that you came to earth and became one of us and you 816 00:48:05,495 --> 00:48:11,195 died on the cross to save us and that you were raised from the dead to rescue us. 817 00:48:11,505 --> 00:48:12,795 I believe that, Jesus. 818 00:48:13,895 --> 00:48:16,445 And in that moment when you pray that and you believe that. 819 00:48:16,755 --> 00:48:18,115 Your sins are forgiven. 820 00:48:18,145 --> 00:48:19,525 Your life has changed. 821 00:48:19,575 --> 00:48:24,365 You start a brand new life today in Jesus name. 822 00:48:26,305 --> 00:48:29,855 So the next step that you, if you prayed that to God, the next thing I 823 00:48:29,855 --> 00:48:32,634 want you to do is you raise your hand to me and I thank you for doing that. 824 00:48:32,634 --> 00:48:36,094 But tell your location pastor, tell the person you invited, just share with them. 825 00:48:36,094 --> 00:48:39,585 Hey, I made the decision to follow Jesus today. 826 00:48:40,345 --> 00:48:42,085 Thank you God for your word. 827 00:48:42,095 --> 00:48:44,385 Thank you for showing yourself to the shepherds. 828 00:48:44,385 --> 00:48:48,255 If you would choose them to show yourself to you, show us. 829 00:48:51,150 --> 00:48:53,260 Pour down your spirit in our services today. 830 00:48:53,510 --> 00:48:56,500 We pray that you'd go ahead of these invitations that we'd hand out. 831 00:48:56,860 --> 00:49:00,630 Let us bump into people while we're shopping, bump into people at school, have 832 00:49:00,650 --> 00:49:04,170 conversations with people about Christmas and have the opportunity to invite them. 833 00:49:04,235 --> 00:49:06,795 Jesus, we love you. 834 00:49:07,035 --> 00:49:10,645 Thank you for the baptisms and the salvations and the salvations today. 835 00:49:10,915 --> 00:49:11,755 You're still good. 836 00:49:11,915 --> 00:49:12,795 You're still good, God. 837 00:49:12,825 --> 00:49:13,954 You're still powerful, God. 838 00:49:13,955 --> 00:49:15,075 You still forgive God. 839 00:49:15,215 --> 00:49:16,814 You haven't given up on us, God. 840 00:49:16,965 --> 00:49:18,055 You're still after us. 841 00:49:18,284 --> 00:49:20,725 And you, even the people today are still wrestling. 842 00:49:20,934 --> 00:49:23,975 I just pray they won't stop searching for you. 843 00:49:24,015 --> 00:49:26,765 Because when they search you, for you, when they search for 844 00:49:26,765 --> 00:49:28,095 you, they're gonna find you. 845 00:49:28,315 --> 00:49:29,685 And we pray this in Jesus name. 846 00:49:30,105 --> 00:49:30,475 Amen.