Advent Exiles - Exiled From Slavery

Welcome to Pantano Church, it's so good to see you and worship with you. Would you stand with your feet today? Let's give God all we have today, just praise His name. Yeah. King of kings and Lord of all, Come on. Alleluia, our song forevermore. Sing holy, holy, holy is the Lord. Alleluia, all the praise is yours. Day and night it never stops. That ancient and eternal song. Heaven and earth will sing as one. To the one who was and is to come. The one who was and is to come. Alleluia, all the praise is yours. Alleluia, our song forevermore. Sing holy, holy, holy is the Lord. Alleluia, all the praise is yours. That ancient and eternal song. All right church, we get to lift up the name of Jesus. Sing Yahweh, sing the song. Praise Yahweh, praise Yahweh. Praise Your name now and forever. Now and forever. Hallelujah, all the praise is Yours. Hallelujah, our song forevermore. Hallelujah, all the praise is Yours. Hallelujah, our song forevermore. Sing holy, holy, holy is the Lord.

Hallelujah, all the praise is Yours. Praise Yahweh, praise Yahweh. Praise Your name now and forever. Praise Yahweh, praise Yahweh. Praise Your name now and forever. A little part of what Jesus told you just to find out The world's only good at letting you down ♪ Come to Jesus ♪ ♪ If the well that you draw from keeps running dry ♪ ♪ The water you're drinking won't satisfy ♪ ♪ Come to Jesus ♪ ♪ Come to Jesus ♪ ♪ There's room for us all at the foot of the cross ♪ ♪ Where perfect love made every prodigal's cause ♪ ♪ The Savior's waiting with arms open wide ♪ ♪ So leave what's behind you behind ♪ ♪ Come to Jesus ♪ ♪ Come to Jesus ♪ ♪ You don't have to clean up before you come home ♪ ♪ Put the power in the blood so your sin won't snow ♪ ♪ Come to Jesus ♪ ♪ Come to Jesus ♪ ♪ There's room for us all at the foot of the cross ♪ ♪ Where perfect love made every prodigal's cause ♪ ♪ The Savior's waiting with arms open wide ♪ ♪ So leave what's behind you behind ♪ ♪ Come to Jesus ♪ ♪ Come to Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh, there is there for now no condemnation ♪ ♪ For all that's found in Christ Jesus ♪

♪ Call His name, come be saved, come be saved ♪ ♪ Oh, there is there for now no condemnation ♪ ♪ For all that's found in Christ Jesus ♪ ♪ Call His name, come be saved, come be saved ♪ ♪ There's room for us all at the foot of the cross ♪ ♪ Where perfect love made every prodigal's cause ♪ ♪ The Savior's waiting with arms open wide ♪ ♪ So leave what's behind you behind ♪ ♪ There's room for us all at the foot of the cross ♪ ♪ Where perfect love made every prodigal's cause ♪ ♪ The Savior's waiting with arms open wide ♪ ♪ So leave what's behind you behind ♪ ♪ Come Jesus ♪ ♪ Come Jesus ♪ ♪ Come Jesus ♪ ♪ Come Jesus ♪ Amen. Jesus, your name, your name is above all names, Jesus. Lord, there's power in your name. We declare your name in this place today, Jesus. Lord, we speak freedom. Thank you, Lord. I just wanna speak the name of Jesus and over every heart and every mind. Cause I know there is peace within your presence. I speak Jesus. I just wanna speak the name of Jesus till every dark addiction starts to break. Declaring there is hope and there is freedom. I speak Jesus.

Your name is power. Your name is healing. Your name is light. Break every stronghold, shine through the shadows, burn like a fire. I just wanna speak the name of Jesus and over every heart and every mind. ♪ All anxiety ♪ ♪ To every soul held captive by depression ♪ ♪ I speak Jesus ♪ ♪ Your name is power ♪ ♪ Your name is healing ♪ ♪ Your name is life, yes it is ♪ ♪ Break every stronghold, shine through the shadows ♪ ♪ We're like a power ♪ ♪ Your name is power ♪ ♪ Your name is power ♪ ♪ Let me declare it now ♪ ♪ Your name is healing ♪ ♪ Your name is life, yes it is ♪ ♪ Break every stronghold, shine through the shadows ♪ ♪ We're like a power ♪ ♪ Shout Jesus from the mountains ♪ ♪ And Jesus in the streets ♪ ♪ Jesus in the darkness over every enemy ♪ ♪ And Jesus for my family, I speak the holy name ♪ ♪ Jesus, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Shout Jesus from the mountains ♪ ♪ And Jesus in the streets ♪ ♪ Jesus in the darkness over every enemy ♪

♪ And Jesus for my family, I speak the holy name ♪ Come on. ♪ Jesus, your name is power, your name is power ♪ ♪ Your name is healing, your name is life, your name is life ♪ ♪ Break every stronghold, break every stronghold ♪ ♪ Shine through the shadows, shine through the shadows ♪ ♪ Burn like a fire, burn like a fire ♪ Come on, the Spirit. Your name. ♪ Your name is power, your name is healing, your name is healing ♪ ♪ Your name is life, your name is life, your name is life ♪ ♪ Break every stronghold, shine through the shadows ♪ ♪ Burn like a fire ♪ I just wanna speak the name of Jesus. Over every heart and every mind. Cause I know there is peace within your presence. I speak Jesus. I speak Jesus. Holy Spirit, come on, come on, let's go. Shout it out, here we go. ♪ Shout Jesus from the mountains and Jesus in the streets ♪ ♪ Jesus in the darkness over every enemy ♪ ♪ Jesus for my family, I speak the holy name, Jesus ♪ Shout Jesus, Jesus. ♪ Shout Jesus from the mountains and Jesus in the streets ♪ ♪ Jesus in the darkness over every enemy ♪ ♪ Jesus for my family, Jesus for my family ♪ ♪ I speak the holy name, Jesus ♪ Shout Jesus. ♪ Shout Jesus from the mountains and Jesus in the streets ♪

♪ Jesus in the darkness over every enemy ♪ ♪ Jesus for my family, I speak the holy name, Jesus ♪ ♪ Jesus ♪ Woo! Come on, let's just sing that one more time, declare His name. Because Your name is power, Your name is healing, Your name is life. Your name is life, Lord. Break every stronghold, shine through the shadows, burn like fire. Jesus, Jesus. Hey, I don't know about you, but this time of year can be a little bit chaotic. We have a lot of things going on in our lives. We're ending the year, we're busyness of Christmas, maybe a finals or whatever's going on. But today, this opportunity right now is the perfect gift in the midst of a busy season, right? Because we came here today to gather, to worship God, to be encouraged, to be filled. And so let's take that opportunity today to do that. Just have a moment with God. Maybe you're feeling weary, maybe you're just feeling fatigued or there's any kind of heaviness. I just want to encourage you, let's just take a moment and just experience the peace of God. Jesus, we're so thankful that You know exactly what we need, what we're going through. And God, that when we don't have words to say or we're unsure how to navigate a situation, we know that we can just simply call on Your name, Jesus. And that name brings power, it brings peace, it brings comfort, it brings assurance, it brings salvation. So Jesus, today, this morning, we declare Your name, Jesus, in this place. We declare Your name over our lives, over our families. Lord, we just pray that You would just meet with us today where we're at. We thank You that the invitation is always open. Lord, that we can leave behind what's behind us and we can come to You fully abandoned, hearts opened. And You love us just as we are, just as we are today, right now. With all the hurts, habits, and hangups, You love us the same, God. So we thank You, Jesus.

We thank You, Lord. And God, as we go into this time of communion, we thank You, Jesus, that You came, Jesus, to pay for our freedom, salvation, so that we could have new life. We take the cup, the bread, the juice as a symbol of Your worthiness, Your holiness, that You were the perfect sacrifice, so that we could be in a right relationship with You, God. So we give this service to You, we give this time to You, we commit our hearts to You. We thank You that You invite us into communion with You. In Your mighty, precious name we pray, amen. Amen. You go ahead and take communion. Thanks for worshiping with us today. Amen. Amen. Amen. I'm Patsy, and I'm so excited that you're joining us today. We believe transformation happens best in community. When we walk through life together, we grow in our faith, discover our purpose, and experience God in powerful ways. If you're here in person, we invite you to stop by Next Steps after service. Our team would love to meet you and help you take your next step. If you're worshiping with us online, you're a part of our church family as well. Visit Next Steps online and complete our free to connect card so we can stay connected with you. You can also be encouraged during the week by following We Are Pantano on social media. There, you'll find updates, inspiration, and everything happening in our community. Christmas at Pantano is officially here, and I'm so excited.

Next week will be filled with joy, worship, celebration, and life change, and we don't want you or your loved ones to miss it. This is the perfect time to invite your family, friends, and your one to experience Christmas with you. For service times and details, visit Next Steps. We cannot wait to celebrate the reason for the season together. We will also be celebrating baptisms in service, and there's no better time to take this powerful step. Baptism is your bold yes to Jesus and a public declaration that your life has been made new. If you've been thinking about it, now's the time to dive in. Sign up today at Next Steps. Important reminder, our campus will be closed from December 25th through the 31st, and we will resume normal services the first week of January. We hope you have a blessed Christmas filled with family and friends, and we'll see you back here in the new year. And speaking of Christmas, for our Christmas giving initiative, Pantano is proud to be partnering with Feed My Starving Children. Your generosity helps to make a global impact by feeding children who are hungry in both body and spirit, bringing real hope to families around the world. To get involved or to give, visit our Next Steps page and click the Christmas button.

You can also give through your normal rhythm of generosity. Whether this is your first time or your hundredth time, simply drop your gift in a giving box, give online through our website, or text GIVE to 46356. Thank you. Together, we are making a lasting difference this Christmas. Thank you so much for joining us today. As we gear up for the Christmas season, we believe God is going to fill our hearts with his love, peace, and joy. Thank you. Pantano Church, how we doing? All right. I am so excited to be with you today as we continue to celebrate together this Christmas season. As you know, we take a moment every week to join those of you who are watching online. And of course, I wanna do that again today, but I have a couple of very special shout-outs. First of all, I want to welcome our Benson campus. Yeah. They are meeting today, and we are so excited to be with you. I also wanna give a shout-out to our friends at the Santa Rita unit. Yeah. For those of you that don't know, we have a campus in the Wilmot Prison right here in Tucson.

And guys, I just want you to know that even though you haven't been here in person on campus, that you are absolutely part of our Pantano family. We love you, and we are so grateful for you. God is doing some really cool things at the prison. In fact, this week we had over 35 baptisms. Yeah. It's been incredible. In fact, yesterday I was talking to a man there, and he was really not part of the service. He was kind of just walking by, and we make a little bit of a scene, as you can imagine. And he was walking by, and he was curious. And as him and I struck up a conversation, he said, it's been interesting to see the way that the yard has changed over the last several months. Yeah. It's pretty cool. It's pretty cool what God is doing. I have been serving. there for the last several months, and I just want you to know if you've been looking for a place to serve, to get involved, I hope you will consider the prison ministry. It is a great place to have a front row seat at what God is doing in our community. And so we're gonna put the Next Steps link on the screen. You can find out more information there and sign up to get started. So I wanna start today with a confession.

We'll call it Christmas Confession. Are you ready for it? No, well, ready or not, I'm gonna tell you, okay? Here it goes. I don't like Christmas music. I know, it's an unpopular opinion, but apparently I'm not the only one, am I right? Okay? Now here's why, because most Christmas songs feel cheesy and worn out, like they were written after too much eggnog and not enough theology, you know what I'm saying? Now, to prove my point, and I could use dozens of songs, but I just wanna give you a few examples of this. We've got songs where grandma gets hit by wildlife. Yeah. Songs where mom is cheating on dad with Santa. Entire ballads devoted to wanting two front teeth. Now that is not the Christmas spirit. That is a dental plan. And then every year, someone dusts off Santa, baby. Have you heard the lyrics of this song? She is definitely a gold digger, you know what I'm saying? She's like, Santa, this is my wishlist and my Venmo and my availability. But you know what the worst one is, in my opinion? The very worst one is Mary, did you know? I know, some of you don't wanna be my friend anymore. I get that. It is a beautiful song, but you guys, Mary knew.

Like, she definitely knew, okay? If you've read the scripture, if you've heard the Christmas story, I'm telling you, she was the first to know. Like, there's no question. I don't know why we're asking her. It is the dumbest song, okay? If that is your favorite song, you can do better. Every December, these songs fill the stores. The radio, the playlist, catchy, yes. Cheesy, absolutely. But here's what I know, that not every Christmas song is cringy. Because every now and then, in between the reindeer accidents and sugar daddy Santa, a song is a Christmas song. A song comes along that stops us in our tracks, that interrupts us. A song that doesn't just entertain, but instead, it speaks to the ache of the human heart. It's not just a Christmas song, it is an invitation to worship. Now, those are Christmas songs that I can get behind. And for me, that song is O Holy Night. O Holy Night is absolutely my favorite Christmas song. It doesn't rush, it doesn't sell anything, it doesn't ask Santa for new Christmas shoes. It simply stands still, and makes room for something sacred. And the lyrics slow us down long enough

to remember what Christmas is all about. My favorite line is this, a thrill of hope. The weary world rejoices. I remember just a few years ago, when I heard that song, and that lyric stuck out to me. It was like I was hearing it for the first time. I was in a service just like this. And you know those moments when you have this ache in your heart, your soul, but you can't quite put language around it? That was a moment where I realized that this song was different. That this song spoke to the ache. The weary world rejoices. Not the cheerful world, not the perfect world, the weary world, a world that's tired, that's lonely, that's overstressed. Over-stimulated, over-committed, scrolling at night hoping to feel something real. And that weariness, that's when Christ enters. It's not when we have it all together, but when we admit that we don't. That's when hope slips quietly into the story. And so Oh Holy Night doesn't point us to shopping lists or nostalgia, it points us to a savior. It reminds us that Christmas doesn't start in our strength, it starts in our surrender. And it is a beautiful call to worship. We are in a series right now called Advent Exiles. And the truth that we're exploring is that we were all exiles, separated from God, longing for home, searching for belonging. And Advent reminds us that Jesus entered our exile to bring us back.

From the garden to grace, God's story moves us from alienation to adoption, from scarcity to generosity, from longing to homecoming, from bondage and slavery to freedom, from death to life. Yeah. That's what we celebrate at Christmas. And so this season, I want to use the familiar lyrics of this song, Oh Holy Night, to explore what Advent means for exiles, exiles like you and me. Just as a reminder, exile is the state of being barred or removed. It involves separation, displacement, a sense of no longer belonging. And in scripture, exile refers to both a historical event and a spiritual condition. Exile means physical displacement, but it's also this idea of spiritual disorientation. Exile represents a time when God feels distant and your own identity feels uncertain. It's a waiting season where people ask, who are we now and where is God? Walter Brueggemann, one of the most influential Old Testament scholars and theologians of the 20th and 21st centuries, he calls exile the place where the promises of God feel suspended. It's such a poetic way to describe Advent and even the human condition. And so if you're here in person, if you're watching online in this Advent season, you feel disconnected, uprooted, lonely, misunderstood, stuck, lost, disoriented, displaced. I want you to know that you're not alone today, that today is for you. Will you join me as I pray for us? God, I thank you that your presence is here. You're moving, God, even now in hearts and lives. And we invite you to speak to us, to change us today. God, reorient our hearts around the true purpose of Advent, around the hope that we have in God, remind us that maybe we were once in exile or maybe we still feel like we are in exile, but God, you came to rescue and redeem us. And it is because of your love for us. In Jesus' name, amen. I want to give you a little background on the song, O Holy Night, because it has a fascinating history.

Any history buffs? Anyone love history? Okay, there's a couple of you. All right. Well, here's the thing. For the rest of you, here's what I hope, that you play like Trivial Pursuit this Christmas, okay? You're going to win a point or two because of this. O Holy Night began not as a hymn, but as a poem. It was written in 1843 by a French wine merchant and poet named Placide Capot. I'm certain I'm butchering that. The local parish priest asked him to write something for Christmas mass, and while Capot was not especially religious, he agreed. And he created what was then referred to as Midnight Christians. Capot asked his friend, composer Adolphe Adam, to set the poem to music, and in 1847, Adam composed the melody, and the song was first performed at a midnight mass on Christmas Eve that same year. Now here's where it gets really cool. In 1855, a minister named John... Sullivan Dwight translated it to English. And there was one line he especially loved. I'm gonna read this a little bit later, but I want you to know what that line is. It says, chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother. Here's why this was significant to Dwight. He was an abolitionist. And during the Civil War era, the song spread within the anti-slavery movement in the United States.

And the message of liberation and human dignity gave this song deep meaning beyond Christmas. It became both spiritual and political. Now here's a fun fact about the song. On Christmas Eve, 1906, radio pioneer Reginald Fessenden broadcasted the first ever voice and music over radio. He read from the Gospel of Luke, and then he played O Holy Night on his violin. Isn't that cool? It was the first song ever performed on radio, marking a technological and historical milestone. Now if you remember the lyrics of O Holy Night, you know that it is theologically rich. It is deep with meaning. There are so many themes, but I wanna speak specifically about three themes we see in the song O Holy Night. Themes that I think specifically speak to our state as exiles. And the first theme is this, incarnation. Incarnation, which simply means hope entered the world. Incarnation, the word incarnation literally means in the flesh, and just simply means that God took on human form. That Jesus left heaven to come to earth. One of the very first lines of the song says, long lay the world in sin and error pining. Now those are old fashioned words. We don't really speak like that anymore.

So what does it mean? We are in sin, yes, but it is more than just sin. It's the sense of longing. It's waiting. It's a quiet ache for something beyond survival. And scripture confirms this. We see as an example in Romans 8.22. It says we know that the whole creation has been groaning. It's describing this sense of desperation that humanity is not just sinful. It was tired. It was lonely. It was searching. It was pining. It was weary. And that very first Christmas, the world was weary, and that's when hope arrived as a newborn baby. And God announced it first to the shepherds, which is wild. Here's what it says in Luke two. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified, rightfully so. But the angel said to them, do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David, a savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord. That was good news then.

It is good news now. That is the hope that comes to a weary world. And Jesus wasn't just representing God. He was God in human form. John says it this way. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And so first and foremost, this song is a reminder this Advent season that God is not distant, that you are not alone, that when the world was weary, that's when God came, and God came close. The second theme I want you to see is that of human dignity, that worth and value were restored when Christ came. The lyric, till he appeared, and the soul felt its worth. This is not just poetic, it's prophetic, that Christ's birth is the restoration of human dignity, that God becoming human declares you are worth saving. You carry the image of God. Your life has value. So many of us know the scripture, John 3.16. Maybe we grew up quoting it, we memorized it. It says, for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Now don't let the familiarity of that scripture lose its power, because it was love that was his motivation. And the very next verse reiterates this idea. It says, for God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. When Jesus came as a baby, he was saying, you are.

are worth saving. And the gospel makes that very clear. And the Advent season is a reminder that you have value and you have dignity and you have purpose, that you are no longer in exile. You don't have to be in exile because Jesus came to rescue and redeem you. And so the first thing I want you to see is that Jesus came as a baby. God came in the flesh as a baby in a manger and in so doing, he restored your value, your worth, your dignity, your purpose. The next thing I want you to see is this idea of liberation. Chains being broken. I read this line earlier, I wanna read it again because it doesn't just describe Christmas, it declares its purpose. Chains shall he break for the slave is our brother. And in his name, all oppression shall cease. In the book of Luke, Jesus said it this way. He said, the spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and to set the oppressed free. This is how Jesus began his ministry, by quoting the scripture from the Old Testament. It was his announcement. I didn't just come to comfort, I came to liberate. That the world hoped for a king and God sent a liberator. If you feel like you are in bondage today,

trapped by sin, if you carry chains today, I want you to hear this, that those chains don't disqualify you. In fact, they are the very reason that Jesus came to set you free. And if all holy night is right, then we don't just wait for freedom. Freedom has already arrived. Whom the Son sets free is truly free. There is neither slave nor free, for all are one in Christ. And liberation from oppression, it doesn't mean that we won't face hurt and loss and hardship. It means that we were liberated from something greater than our circumstances. As we started today, I mentioned the Wilmont Prison and how God is moving there. And isn't that just like God? His habit of moving in unlikely places, in unlikely ways, and in unlikely people. And I want to share a story of how God moved in someone who was pretty unlikely. It's a story of a man named Wayne. This is a picture of Wayne. Wayne was once in exile, once in chains, literally, but has been set free. Wayne was in prison for over 15 years. And when Wayne shares about his life, he describes a pretty rough childhood,

as you can imagine. Full of drugs and gangs and evil and hate. In 1998, he was transferred to a maximum security prison for conspiring to carry out murder for the Aryan nation. And I want to be clear, as Wayne shared this part of his story, he was broken. He was tearful. Regretting the hate that had fueled him for decades. In fact, Wayne said this, he said, I should be in hell for the life I lived and the things I've done. I lived a nightmare. I lived in misery and pain and darkness and bondage. He said, I could literally feel the grip of hell on my life. But God. That's when hope enters the story. And it was when Wayne was in prison, when God got a hold of his life and changed his heart. He was 33 years old and God delivered him. He set him free while he was still behind bars. Wayne says it this way, he says, it was God who opened my eyes. I was not searching for what I found, it was Jesus. I didn't seek God, but God sought me and pulled me out of that mess, that misery and that torment. I was consumed with darkness and evil and a desire to hurt people, but God delivered me. And now Wayne is spending his life sharing what God has done for him

and how God has brought him freedom. Yeah. Wayne said, I have nothing in terms of earthly possessions, but I have a peace and a joy that comes from the Lord. And he was once in exile and now he has been rescued and redeemed. He was once in bondage and now He is free. Wayne shared his favorite verse, and I wanna read it for you. I think it's a beautiful description of what it means to be in exile and to be rescued. Ephesians 2, it says, "'As for you, you were dead in your transgressions "'and sins in which you used to live "'when you followed the ways of this world "'and of the ruler of the kingdom of air, "'the spirit who is now at work "'in those who are disobedient. "'All of us also lived among them at one time, "'gratifying the cravings of our flesh "'and following its desires and thoughts. "'Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath, "'but because of his great love for us, "'God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ, "'even when we were dead in transgressions. "'It is by grace you have been saved.'" Amen. Amen.

Amen. Amen. Wayne knows what it is to be in exile and then to be brought close by the love and the grace of Christ. And I wanna speak for a moment to those of you watching in prisons across the country via the Pando app. And I want you to know that Jesus came to bring freedom, to free you from sin's captivity, that this Advent season is about God breaking chains, and you can experience that today. Even behind bars, God can set you free. God has a plan and a purpose for you. You are loved. You are not too far gone. He has not forgotten you or abandoned you, and this invitation is for you today to experience the freedom that Christ offers. The rest of you watching online, those of you in the room today, I want you to know that Jesus is inviting you to experience that same freedom. And I know your story probably sounds a lot different than Wayne's, and yet I believe the ache of the human heart is the same. The weariness in our souls, the desperation to be free, to be made whole. And if you haven't made a decision for Jesus publicly, I just want you to know

that we're gonna have that opportunity. As our Christmas services kick off next week, you're gonna have the opportunity to say yes to Jesus and to get baptized. And I can't think of a better way to celebrate Christmas, to celebrate the liberator, the Jesus who came, the Savior who came to bring life. But if you have already made that decision, if you're here in the room, if you're watching online, I want you to know you're not off the hook. Because once you've made that decision, then our purpose becomes to join God in the work of setting others free. And so I wanna remind you today that there is a weary world in need of the hope that we have in Jesus, the hope that we celebrate at Christmas. And so this week, I just wanna encourage you to invite your friends, your family members, your one, because there will be an opportunity to experience the love of God, the hope of Christ. And we are believing, we are trusting and praying that God will do something incredible in each one of our Christmas services that so many people will discover in eternal hope. And so we don't want you to miss that. We're gonna put the Next Steps link again up on the screen. And at this link, you can sign up for baptism. You can find out more information about our Christmas services.

You can even join a group, get connected to community. And if you're in person, you can also visit Next Steps right after the service today. One of the most beautiful lines of this song is at the chorus. It says, fall on your knees. Oh, hear the angel voices. And as I've been reflecting on this line over the last several weeks, I realize how appropriate it is. Because the only response to incarnation, to Christ coming as a baby in a manger, the only response to our dignity and our worth being restored, the only response to freedom from slavery, from bondage, from being made new, from once being dead and now being alive, the only response to that can be worship. And there is no cross without first the manger. And so falling on your knees becomes this act of humility, of desperation, of surrender, and of worship. And so here's what I wanna do today. I just wanna invite you to stand. All across this room, those of you watching online, I wanna invite you to stand. Please. And we're gonna end with this beautiful song, O Holy Night, with an invitation to worship. But here's what I wanna do. I wanna open the altar.

Now, look, there's no formal altar up here. It's really just the front of the room. And there's nothing magical about the front of the room. I know that. But here's what I believe, that sometimes we have to take a step of faith, a step of obedience, a step toward God, and he will meet us in that act of surrender, in that act of obedience. So I wanna open this altar today. And if you're weary today, if you feel desperate, if you need to encounter the hope of Jesus, the freedom that Christ brings, I want you to know that there is an invitation here to fall on your knees and worship. Wherever you're at today, there's an opportunity to come forward and to be reminded of the hope that God has for you. That we have this Christmas season. And so this is open to you. If you need to meet Jesus today. God, I thank you for coming to a weary world. And I know so many right now who are weary, who are exhausted, who feel lonely. God, I pray that you would meet them in that today. God, those that feel like they're trapped in bondage, that they're a slave to sin, God, I pray that you would bring freedom today. I pray that you would free someone from their chains,

from the chains of addiction, from the chains of depression and anxiety. God, I pray that you would bring freedom today. God, we thank you that you are a liberator. We thank you that you are a savior, that you are a Messiah. God, that you saw a weary world and you came close. And so this Advent season, we're reminded of the opportunity to worship you, to fall on our knees in humility and surrender, and to recommit our lives to you. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. .

Oh, holy night! The stars are brightly shining. It is the night of our dear Savior's birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees. Oh, hear the angels' voices. Oh, night divine! Oh, night divine! When Christ was born O night divine O night, O night divine Truly He taught us to love one another His law is love and His gospel is peace Chains shall He break For the slave is our brother And in His name all oppression shall cease Sweet hymns of joy In grateful chorus raise we Let all within us praise His holy name Christ is the Lord O praise His name forever His power and glory evermore proclaim His power and glory evermore proclaim Fall on your knees O hear the angels' voices O night divine O night when Christ was born O night divine

And the angels cry Holy, all creation cries Holy, you are lifted high Holy, holy forever Hear your people sing Holy to the King of kings Holy, you will always be Holy, holy forever Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above them all Above all thrones and dominions All powers and positions Your name stands above them all Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above them all Above all thrones and dominions All powers and positions Your name stands above them all ♪ And the angels cry, holy, all creation rise ♪ ♪ Holy, you are lifted high, holy, holy forever ♪ ♪ Hear your people sing, holy, to our king of kings ♪ ♪ Holy, you will always be, holy, holy forever ♪ ♪ You will always be, holy, holy forever ♪ ♪ You will always be, holy, holy forever, never ♪ ♪ You will always be, holy, holy forever, never ♪ Thank you so much. God is so good. I hope you have been filled today

with the presence of God, been renewed, so we can go out into our communities, to our families, our workplaces, bring the peace of God, the love of God with us wherever we go, amen. Thank you so much for being with us today, worshiping with us. If you wanna continue having prayer, we have a prayer room across the courtyard or if you're on campus here, you can go pray with our prayer partners. If you're new with us, so glad you're here. We wanna get to know you, connect with you, so we have a spot across the courtyard called Next Steps. You can go connect over there or online. Thanks again for being here. Have a great rest of your weekend and week. Amen. Amen.