Christmas with Southeast

Well, Merry Christmas, Pando family. We are so excited that you decided to join us today of all days to celebrate our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and His birth and coming to earth. My name is Derek. I am a part of our online team. And again, we're so grateful that you decided to spend your day worshiping with us here at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. We would love this next week for you to take time to take out pen and paper and write us here at Southeast. I know that this season specifically throughout Thanksgiving and especially Christmas can be such a difficult time for each of you watching on Pando. Being away from your friends and family and being separated in this time, I know it's so difficult. And we would love to know how specifically we can be praying for you in the midst of this season. And so you can find the address to our church in the description of this video. But also we would love for you to subscribe to our Southeast Christian Church channel because when you do that, you will have joined 27,000 other people just like you that get our weekly worship services and our weekly podcasts and Bible studies that drop almost every single week. But y'all, but today we are going to have a very special message, a Christmas message from our senior pastor, Kyle Eidelman.

He's gonna be wrapping up our Jesus filter sermon series that we've been going through for just about the past six weeks, talking about what Jesus says yes to. So we've talked about saying yes to calm, saying yes to interruptions, saying yes to solitude. But today, Kyle's gonna be talking about what it looks like when Jesus says yes to you. Because that's what Christmas is all about. That's why it is good news that Jesus came. He came for you and for me. And today we get to celebrate that together. Y'all, so get ready, prepare your hearts and let's go worship together. In the beginning, there was the Word. He was there before stars burned, before breath filled lungs, before the world fell into darkness and sin. Through prophets and promises, generation after generation waited for a Savior to come. The world expected a kingdom to arrive in power with a throne and a crown. But what came instead was so unexpected, not born into a palace, but laid in a manger. The Word became flesh and in Him was the light of all mankind, the light that shines in the darkness. God gave us Jesus, a baby in a manger and He is our King. ♪ Arriving with the host of heaven ♪ ♪ In royal robe and crown ♪ ♪ The rulers of the earth are bowing down ♪

♪ Pretty you chose meekness over majesty ♪ ♪ Wrapped your power in humanity ♪ ♪ Glory be to You alone ♪ ♪ King who reigns from a manger thrown ♪ ♪ My life, my praise, everything I own ♪ ♪ To Jesus, the King on a manger thrown ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ You could have mustered all Your glory ♪ ♪ Into the heart of Rome ♪ ♪ Showed them splendor like they never know ♪ ♪ But You wrote a better story in humble Bethlehem ♪ ♪ Creator in the arms of common men ♪ ♪ You will die for our redemption ♪ ♪ And You'll rise so we can live ♪ ♪ Glory be to You alone ♪ ♪ King who reigns from a manger thrown ♪ ♪ My life, my praise, everything I own ♪ ♪ My praise, everything I own to Jesus, the King on a major throne ♪ ♪ From heaven to the cradle, from cradle to the cross, let heaven and nature sing, this is our King. ♪ ♪ But the grave couldn't hold Him, our God is overcome, so let heaven and nature sing, this is our King. ♪ ♪ From heaven to the cradle, from cradle to the cross, let heaven and nature sing, this is our King. ♪ ♪ But the grave couldn't hold Him, our God is overcome, so let heaven and nature sing, this is our King. ♪ ♪ So all hail the King, and all hail the King, and all hail the King. ♪ ♪ Glory be to You alone, King who reigns from a major throne. ♪ ♪ My life, my praise, everything I own to Jesus, the King on a major throne. ♪ ♪ My life, my praise, everything I own to Jesus, the King on a major throne. ♪ ♪ To Jesus, the King on a major throne. ♪ ♪ ♪ O 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 angel voices, oh night divine. ♪ ♪ Oh night when Christ was born. ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Truly He taught us to love one another, His law is love and His gospel is peace. ♪ ♪ Chains He shall break, for the slave is our brother, and in His name all oppression shall cease. ♪ ♪ Sweet hymns of joy, in grateful joy. ♪ ♪ Oh, chorus raise we, let all within us ♪ ♪ Praise His holy name ♪ ♪ Christ is the Lord ♪ ♪ Oh, praise His name forever ♪ ♪ Evermore proclaim His power and glory evermore proclaim ♪ ♪ His power and glory evermore proclaim His power and glory ♪ ♪ Evermore, evermore proclaim ♪ ♪ Fall on your knees while He reigns ♪ ♪ Hear the angel voices ♪ ♪ Oh, night divine, oh, night when Christ was born ♪ ♪ Oh, night divine, oh, night when Christ was born ♪ ♪ Oh, night divine, oh, night, oh, night divine ♪ Thank you. He's worthy to be praised, amen. ♪ O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant ♪ ♪ O come, ye, O come ye to Bethlehem ♪ ♪ Come and behold Him, born the King of angels ♪ ♪ Come and behold Him, born the King of angels ♪ ♪ O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him ♪ ♪ O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord ♪ ♪ Oh, we adore Him, we adore Him, we adore Him, yeah ♪ ♪ Oh, sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation ♪ ♪ Oh, sing, all ye citizens of heaven above ♪

♪ All ye citizens of heaven above ♪ ♪ Glory to God, oh, glory in the highest ♪ ♪ O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him ♪ ♪ O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him ♪ ♪ In Christ the Lord ♪ ♪ Oh, His name shall be wonderful, kind and fair ♪ ♪ All to love His name shall be wonderful, kind and fair ♪ He shall be everlasting Father. His name shall be the Prince of Peace and Mighty God. His name shall be Emmanuel. We'll praise Your name forever. Oh, we'll praise Your name. We'll praise Your name forever. The name above every name. We'll praise Your name forever. We'll praise Your name forever. Christ the Lord is done. His name shall be the Wonderful Counselor. His name shall be the everlasting Father. His name shall be the Prince of Peace and Mighty God. His name shall be Emmanuel. Amen, church. And not a sweeter sound than to join with the angels and adore Christ, the one and only King. Amen, church. Amen. You all can be seated. You know, Christmas is often associated with the word love. Like we see it in the lights and the tradition. We hear it in the music.

We feel it whenever we come together and we celebrate with friends and family. My wife and I have twin boys. They're three and a half years old. Pray for us. And this time of year, like it's kind of the first time that they have, you know, kind of been warmed to the idea of Christmas. Like when we pull into the driveway, like they're mesmerized by the lights. We walk in and they see the presents and they see the Christmas tree. The other day we woke them up from their naps and we opened the door and Knox looked at me and he goes, I love you, daddy. It's just like, there's just this idea of love and you don't even have to communicate it to the smallest of children. Like whether you're a believer, someone who trusts in Jesus or someone who doesn't, like every single one of us, like without arguing about it, just believe that love sits at the center of Christmas. You know what I'm thankful for? I'm thankful that love wasn't supposed to be a feeling. Like it's not that it's bad, like the lights and the experiences and the friends, it's great. But it's just a shadow of what truly it's pointing towards. Like love's not a feeling. Love is a person. John 1.14 says this, In other words, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life. He preached a message calling anyone who would hear him to be a part of a kingdom whose reign would have no end. He would build a bridge through his death, burial, and resurrection, and he would offer the opportunity for anyone who would trust in his name to have everlasting life.

That is what true love is. It's not a feeling, but it's a person. And that person is who we remember. It's who we celebrate every week as a church when we take communion. For those of us who are followers of Jesus, this is something that we do first of all because Jesus instructed us to do so. But second of all, because we need it. Like our hearts need to be reminded of the rhythms of grace. And so what we do is we take this little cracker that represents Christ's body that was broken for us. We take the cup of juice that represents Christ's blood that was poured out for us. And we remember the sacrifice of Jesus. The fact that that little baby became a man, laid down his life so that we could experience everlasting life. My prayer is this Christmas that yes, you would have all the feelings. You'd experience the warmth of Christmas, but I pray that it would lead you to the person who is love, Jesus Christ. We're going to worship here. You can take communion whenever you're ready. We're going to worship here. We're going to worship here. We adore You Lord. Come adore the Son of God who reigns forever. Oh come let us adore Him. Oh come let us adore Him. Oh come let us adore Him. Christ the Lord.

Sing for He alone. For He alone is worthy. For He alone is worthy. For He alone is worthy. Christ the Lord. And He is called Wonderful. And He is called Counselor. And the government is resting on His shoulders. He has a name Prince of Peace. And He has a throne King of Kings. And the government is resting on His shoulders. Come adore the Son of God who reigns forever. Oh praise the name of the Lord our God. Come on you sing. Oh praise Him. Just give Him your attention. Pour your affection towards Him. Come on. For in this day we receive your praise. Oh Lord, oh Lord our God. This is our hope. Sing He shall return. He shall return in robes of white. The blazing sun shall be the sunlight. And I will rise. ♪ Christ among the saints ♪ ♪ My gaze transferes on Jesus' face ♪ The chord is in my heart. Sing. ♪ Oh, praise the name of the Lord our God ♪

♪ Oh, praise His name forevermore ♪ ♪ For endless days we will sing Your praise ♪ ♪ Oh, Lord, oh, Lord our God ♪ ♪ Oh, praise the name of the Lord our God ♪ ♪ Oh, praise His name forevermore ♪ ♪ For endless days we will sing Your praise ♪ ♪ Oh, Lord, oh, Lord our God ♪ ♪ Oh, Lord, oh, Lord our God ♪ ♪ Oh, Lord, oh, Lord our God ♪ ♪ Oh, praise His name forevermore ♪ ♪ For endless days we will sing Your praise ♪ ♪ Oh, Lord, oh, Lord our God ♪ Sing. ♪ Oh, praise the name of the Lord our God ♪ ♪ Oh, praise His name forevermore ♪ ♪ For endless days we will sing Your praise ♪ ♪ Oh, Lord, oh, Lord our God ♪ ♪ Oh, Lord, oh, Lord our God ♪ Amen. Thank you. God, we thank you for what we just witnessed. New life. I thank you that we get to join with believers all around the world and celebrating you and worshiping you and praising you. God, we just recognize together that you alone are our source of freedom. You are the one who gives us strength when we're weak. You're the one who gives us grace when we are guilty. You're the one who gives us hope when we face despair.

God, I know that there are lots of people here today that are carrying some of that weight, some of that loneliness, some bitterness, some shame. I pray that they would experience you, that they would experience the true gift of Christmas and that we would leave here differently than we came in. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. You may be seated. A few years ago, I finished speaking to a group of men when a man named Adam came up to share his testimony with me. He told me he had spent some time in prison. He didn't tell me what he did to be convicted. I didn't ask. He told me, though, that when he went into prison, he was illiterate, couldn't read or write. Now, that's not that unusual. In fact, about 70% of inmates would be considered illiterate. But there was another prisoner in that prison who was a believer, met Adam, knew that Adam couldn't read and offered to teach Adam how to read. Adam accepted the invitation, and this believer taught Adam to read by using just the Gospel of Mark, the New Testament letter, or New Testament, rather, account of the life of Jesus. And so Adam learned to read by reading the Gospel of Mark from beginning to end, again and again and again. He read these stories about Jesus, and here's what happened. After enough time, he didn't just learn to read about Jesus.

He became a follower of Jesus. Adam surrendered his life to Christ. He became a Christian and was baptized there in prison. He's telling me the story. He tells me that when he gets out of prison, he finds a little church in this small town where he lives. And things seem to be going okay for him. He can't find work. He's having a hard time finding a job. But he was growing in his faith, and he had a community of believers. And then, well, there were some people in the church who found out about his past and had a problem with him being at that church. There was one family in particular, kind of a prominent family, long-time church members, one of the biggest givers in the church, who said to the pastor, hey, look, either Adam needs to find a new place to worship, or we're gonna find a new place to worship. And there were some other families. that were rumored to be going that same direction, and Adam thought, maybe it's best if I just leave. I'm not trying to cause problems in this church, I don't want to create a mess for this pastor to clean up, maybe I should just go. And Adam was dealing with a question, that church was wrestling with a question, that pastor needed to answer a question that I want us to focus on on this Christmas Eve,

and here's the question. It's the question of Christmas. Who did Jesus come for? Who did Jesus come for? Did he come for some people, or did he really come for all people? The last couple of months, as a church, we've been studying the Gospel of Mark, that same Gospel that Adam read again and again when he was in prison, and what we've seen in the Gospel of Mark is that Jesus had a heart for all people, not just a select group of people, but for all people. In fact, at the end of the Gospel of Mark, before Jesus ascends into heaven, he gives his followers an assignment, he gives them a mission, and he uses the word all several times. It is right at the end of his life, Mark 16, verse 15, Jesus says to his followers, go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation. Everybody's included, nobody gets left out of this good news of great joy. In fact, that same word all that ends his life on earth was also used at the beginning of his life on earth. In Luke chapter two, verse 10, an angel shows up to speak to a group of shepherds, and the angel says, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people, all the people. And I would just submit to you that that word all,

three letters, short little word, makes all the difference this Christmas. It matters, it matters to anyone who's ever felt like they're on the outside looking in. It matters to anyone who's ever wondered, does God really want me? It matters to anyone who directly or indirectly has been made to feel like they don't belong. And here's what Jesus does, he comes on the scene, he's born into this world, and from the beginning, he's handing out keys to people who had been locked out. See, a key represents access, a key represents belonging, a key represents that you're welcome, that you're wanted in, that you're free to come. And there are a lot of people, especially in that first Christmas, who would have been locked out, people who hadn't been given access, people, the religious leaders had kept the door shut on, and Jesus came and he started handing out keys to people who'd never had keys before. And so that first Christmas, as we study it, we just find this message that Jesus came for all people, and one of the ways we see that in that first Christmas is that that first Christmas was, well, it was kind of, it's kind of redneck, if you think about it. Kind of a redneck Christmas. Now I know for some of you, the term redneck feels maybe derogatory or a bit offensive.

I promise you it's not. If you call a redneck a redneck, they're not gonna be offended. It's a term of endearment. They're like, oh, thank you. That was so nice of you to call me a redneck. And I say that not as a redneck. I'm not accepted by this group. I'm not claimed by the rednecks. But I have tried to make some inroads with rednecks over the years. I live on a farm where animals outnumber people. I wear boots on occasion. Not often, but on occasion. I drive a truck. I sometimes listen to country music. When the mood is right, it's not usually right, but sometimes it is. And I'll listen to country music. Number of years ago, I really wanted to try to make some inroads into the redneck community, and so I decided the best way to do that was to go ride a bull. And so I got to show this video maybe five or six years ago, but I'm gonna show it again, because if I ride a bull, it's gonna pop up five or six years. I didn't ride a bull to not tell the story. So here's me trying to be a redneck. Ride in a bull, don't blink, or you will miss it. ["Hail to the Chief"]

["Hail to the Chief"] Yeah, yeah, you can applaud because it makes you feel better about laughing. And it's hard to call that riding a bull. Like even slowing it down, showing it five times is still not even eight seconds. Like I've had, I've honestly had sneezes that lasts longer than my bull riding. That dog, that yappy dog, it's just mocking me the whole time. Still shows up in my nightmares. Like, the rednecks don't claim me. But to be fair. There's people around here that have taken rednecking to a whole new level. A guy was telling me that he bought his wife, or got his wife, for Christmas a fur coat. Got her a fur coat. Sounds nice, except for the two adjectives that got put in front of fur coat. It was homemade, he got her a homemade fur coat. He made her fur coat, which begs the question, out of what? Coyote. He killed enough coyotes over a few year period to give his wife a homemade fur coat. And there's at least a dozen guys here right now who are like, what's wrong with that? Like, that seems romantic. It's not romantic, it's redneck.

That's what that is. And so we have some of that around here, but there was a lot of that going on on the first Christmas. And it's important for us to read the Christmas story through this lens because of what it teaches us. What we sometimes miss, it's not just that Jesus came, it's the way he came that gives us the message of Christmas. With that in mind, look at the Christmas story again. Luke chapter two, starting in verse eight. And there were shepherds living out in their fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David, a savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord, and this will be a sign to you. You will find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. And suddenly, a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth, peace to those on whom his favor rests. And when the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, let's go to Bethlehem and let's see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about.

So they hurried off and they found Mary and Joseph and the baby who was lying in a manger. And when they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary, verse 19 says, treasured all these things in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen which were just as they had been told. It's a beautiful story, but we've heard it so many times that we sometimes forget just how rough it was. Like we sing about it like it's a picturesque moment. We sing the cattle are lowing, but that means there's a cow in the delivery room. It's a pretty redneck. And we read about Jesus being born to this poor, unwed teenage mother after they make a difficult journey to Bethlehem. It's a 70-mile journey, but he's not showing up first class, not even coached. Mary's riding on a donkey for 70 miles. She shows up pregnant to her fiance's hometown. There's no place for them to sleep. Like God didn't call ahead and say, my son's coming in tomorrow. Maybe you could get the presidential suite ready. He's going from the throne room of heaven, so let's get the penthouse ready for him.

Like no, Jesus, the creator of the universe, spends his first night in a space reserved for animals lying in a manger. Now again, we read that in the Christmas story and it seems so beautiful, but it's a feeding trough, smelly, dirty feeding trough. But what made that first Christmas especially redneck was the presence of the shepherds. They just keep showing up in Luke chapter two. And it's the least likely people to get the keys. It's the least likely people to get an invitation to the first Christmas. Shepherds weren't allowed to testify in court. They weren't considered trustworthy in that way. Shepherds couldn't enter the temple. The religious leaders considered shepherds to be unclean. So they weren't even allowed to worship, and yet they're the ones who get the key to that first Christmas. They lived on the margins of society, and yet they're all over the Christmas story. And so we can just forget how rough that first Christmas was partly because of the way that we celebrate Christmas. We decorate our houses, we put up lights, and we listen to music, and we light Christmas candles that have like the smells of Christmas, and it's like apple cinnamon, and pine trees, and I saw this one candle that was for sale, and it said on it, I didn't get to smell it, but it said on it, nativity scented.

It wasn't. I know it wasn't, because that means it would smell like wet animals. If there was a line of candles that were really the smells of Christmas, it would be like shepherd sweat, and dirty donkey, and camel dung. Like that's the way it really was. And there's a deep theological significance in all of that. Like we step away from that story, and we say, okay, why? Why did God? not just leave heaven and come to a palace on earth. Like, why did he go so low? There's actually a theological term for this. The term is kenosis. It's the theological explanation for the redneck Christmas. It comes from Philippians chapter two, where it talks about Jesus emptying himself completely, making himself, Philippians two says, nothing. It's not that he just went from heaven to earth. He went from heaven to the lowest place on earth. Why? It's because he was making a statement that it's for all people. What we see in the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus, the truth of Luke chapter two, verse 10, that this is for everyone. It's not just for the well-educated and the well-behaved

and the well-dressed and the well-thought of. It's not just for those people with good reputations and healthy families. Like, Jesus was born in a stable and he was announced to shepherds and laid in a manger. From the very beginning, what was being made clear to all of humanity is that no matter who you are, no matter what you've done, no matter what you look like or where you're from, Jesus is for you. The circumstances around that first Christmas are shouting to some of you who need to hear this. Jesus came for you. God so loved you that he gave his only son. You are included in this. The challenge is that even though Jesus is a gift that's for everyone, he sometimes gets packaged in a way that leaves a lot of people out. There's some things like this. I was reading about some gifts that should be for everybody, but they get packaged in a way that most people don't get to be included. I have a few examples up here with me. This is a bottle of water. It's called Bling H2O, and this bottle of water is $75. It's the cheapest that they offer

in this line of bottled water. Goes up to $1,500 a bottle. You can get it on eBay. If you hurry. And I was reading the ad for this Bling H2O. Here's the ad. Bling H2O is not for everyone. Just for those that bling. Ordinary bottled water is for ordinary people, but for those who have a taste for the finer things, Bling H2O may be the perfect thirst quencher. Boop. It tastes like water. It's water in a $75 bottle. It's something that should be for everybody, but it gets packaged in a way that it's only for a select few. I've got another example up here with me. This is Renova toilet paper. Toilet paper. It's black toilet paper, Renova toilet paper. Here's what the packaging, or here's what the advertisement says. It's elegant, sophisticated, rebellious. Eternally fashionable. Black toilet paper isn't for everyone, but it is synonymous with sophistication and style. How much for one roll of Renova black toilet paper? $21.99. That is what you call flushing money down a toilet.

It's something that should be for everyone, but it gets packaged in a way that leaves a lot of people out, and this is what religion had done with God. It had packaged God up in such a way that a lot of people weren't being included, and this is what the church oftentimes has done with the good news of the gospel. We say it's for everyone, but then we package Jesus in a way that tends to leave a lot of people out, and we look at people, sometimes the way the religious leaders look at the shepherds, and we say, well, Jesus is for all people, but not you, and not here, and not with that past, and not with that addiction, and not with that divorce, not with those clothes, not with those politics, not with that record, and every time we do that, we're not protecting Jesus. We're betraying him, because he was born in a barn, and he was laid in a feeding trough, and he was announced to shepherds, and he was making a statement before he could even say a word. I've come for all people. I haven't come for the healthy.

I've come for the sick. I didn't come for those who have it all put together, but for those who have fallen apart. I didn't come for people who've deserved it and earn it. I came for people who are desperate for it. Now, whether you know it or not, you're sick, and life isn't always put together, and you're desperate for something, Jesus said, I've come for you. I've come for you, and the circumstances around his birth prove it. One of my favorite lines from a Christmas carol that we sang just a few minutes ago from O Holy Night says this. I love this. It says, he appeared, and the soul felt its worth. He appeared, he showed up, and we know that we're loved. When Jesus shows up, we recognize how God sees us, that he so loved the world, he gave his own. Son that there's nothing that could separate us from his love and and so in the time where we can often struggle with feelings of worthlessness like we compare ourselves to other people and and a lot of times our worth gets determined by what we can achieve and accomplish physical appearance it's it's talents Jesus says no no let me tell you what determines your worth let me tell you where you can find your identity it's it's in the Christmas story it's the links that God went to when he came to earth and so it's not just that Jesus

was born into this world it's the circumstances around his birth it's that again the theological term kenosis it's not just that that there's the incarnation it's the depth of the incarnation it shows us it's Jesus saying there's no distance I won't travel there's there's no pain I won't experience there's no lengths I won't go to for you and so Adam reading through the gospel of Mark and his prison cell begins to see the kinds of people Jesus handed out keys to and he begins to ask maybe that's true for me too and again he's just this is the first these are the first words he's ever read he opens up to Mark chapter 1 and he reads about Jesus saying yes to a man who's unclean Mark chapter 1 verse 40 a man with leprosy came to Jesus and begged him on his knees if you're willing you can make me clean and Jesus was indignant that were also translated he was full of passion or compassion and he reached out his hand and he touched the man I am willing he said be clean leprosy was a death sentence leprosy made it so that everybody around you would say no to you leprosy locked all the doors you couldn't go home you couldn't go to worship you couldn't be in the community and so this guy shows up and he says to Jesus if you're willing it's so interesting to me because you would think he would say something like well if you're capable if you can but he seems to know that Jesus can and so he says to Jesus if you want to if you want to and Jesus says yes I want to and Jesus touches the leper nobody touched lepers but when Jesus did he's handing the keys back to this man's life it's unlocking the door Adam reads this in his prison cell and he sees who Jesus said yes to he flips over to Mark chapter 2 and he sees that Jesus said yes to the outcast verses 15 and 17 when Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him eating with Jesus and his disciples for there were many who followed him and when the teachers of the law when these religious leaders who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with the sinners and tax collectors they asked Jesus disciples why does he include them why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners and on hearing this Jesus said to them it's not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick I've not come to

call the righteous but but sinners the religious leaders like why why is he giving them keys the door is supposed to be locked to people like that tax collectors were traitors they extorted their own people they were hated and despised sinners in this passage is like this catch-all phrase catch-all term for people who didn't couldn't figure out how to follow the rules people who'd made a mess of their lives who made bad choices and the religious leaders looked at those kinds of people and they said they don't belong they're not welcome here and Jesus says they're who I came for he didn't just tolerate them he ate with them he didn't just accept them he invited them into his life made them as friends Jesus said yes to the sinful and he called him to repentance called him to life change offered them a new beginning but he loved him Adams reading these stories in his prison cell and he thinks well maybe that's just the beginning of Jesus life maybe that's just how it started and so he flips to the end of the Gospel of Mark to Mark 14 tells the story of Peter denying Jesus three times this is Peter the disciple who promised he'd never leave Jesus who swore he'd die for Jesus but he just fails spectacularly when it matters most and now Jesus shows up after the resurrection and Jesus doesn't write Peter off he doesn't say to Peter hey you blew it I'm locking you out you're done Jesus doesn't cancel Peter and then post about it blog about it on the internet trying to turn as many people against Peter as possible instead he seeks Peter out and he restores him and he doesn't just forgive Peter he he pulls out the keys and says to Peter here's the keys to the early church Jesus said yes to failure and Adam reads enough of those stories in the Gospel of Mark and he thinks maybe Jesus says yes to me too I was at the mall a couple days ago. I was by myself, doing some last minute shopping, because, you know, that's what I do. And it was crowded, lots of people at the mall, and over the sound system, they played a familiar Christmas hymn,

Oh Come All Ye Faithful, and I just found myself listening to this hymn and watching the people, and I thought to myself, okay, yeah, like that's the invitation. Oh come all ye faithful, but it's not just that. Like, oh come all ye faithful, but also, oh come all ye broken. Oh come all ye faithful, but also, oh come all ye lonely, oh come all ye guilty, oh come all ye weary, oh come all ye desperate, come all ye faithful, but also, like, come all ye unfaithful. You're invited too. You get a key too. And I know that's hard for some of you to receive. Like, you've been told no enough times that you've kind of internalized rejection. You kind of accept that verdict for yourself. You think Jesus doesn't want to have anything to do with you, but he's holding out a key. He's been holding it out your whole life. And maybe this Christmas is the Christmas where you say, okay, okay, I believe it. I believe he says yes to me, and I'm gonna say yes to him. I don't want to forget to tell you about what happened to Adam. After being in prison, he tries to get plugged into this little church in this small town. Again, some of the people in the church, they weren't having it, and they go to the pastor

and say either Adam goes or we go, putting a lot of pressure on that pastor. And one Sunday night after the pastor finished preaching, but before church dismissed, the pastor called Adam out of the congregation and asked him to come up front. And Adam, as he's telling me the story, he says, I knew what was gonna happen. I knew what was gonna happen. He had found out about my crimes. He was gonna tell everyone what happened. He was gonna make me leave. And so Adam makes his way to the front with his head down. He's embarrassed and ashamed over what was gonna happen. And there were some people in the service who wanted Adam to leave, but they, I mean, this is awkward, and they wish the pastor would have just done this quietly instead of making a whole deal out of it. But still, they were glad it was happening. It needed to happen. Adam gets to the front. Pastor says he needs to talk to the church about a decision he's made. He explained that since being released, Adam had not been able to find a job, and the pastor said, I brought Adam up here because I wanted to offer him a job. Adam, I'd like to hire you to take care of our church facilities. And the pastor reached into his pocket,

he pulled out a set of keys, extra set of church keys, and said, Adam, you're gonna need these to open and close the church on Sundays. And as Adam is telling me this story, like tears are just running down his cheeks, and I'll never forget what he said to me. Here's what he said. He said, it was the first time I had ever had my own key to anything in my entire life. That is the message of Christmas. That is the gospel. I should mention where I met Adam. I wasn't speaking at a prison. I was actually speaking at a pastor's conference. Adam had been given the keys to that church six years earlier, but recently, he had been named the new pastor of that little church in that small town where every week, he stands up and he preaches the good news of great joy, and he makes sure everyone knows it's for you, too. It's for all people. One thing I have long loved about this church is that it's for all people. It's for shepherds and kings alike. So you may be redneck, you may be romantic, you might be a romantic redneck. You may be single, you may be married. You may be single and wishing you were married, and you may be married and wishing you were single.

You might be divorced or widowed. You might be living on food stamps or living off a trust fund. You might have your PhD, or you might be working on your GED, whatever your story is. Whoever you are, wherever you're from, no matter what you've done, Christmas is for you. So here's what I want us to do. I just want us to take a moment and bow our heads, close our eyes, go ahead and do that where you sit, and just take a deep breath, inhale, exhale. Just for a moment, set aside the busyness of the season, and with your eyes closed, see the stable in the back of the inn. It's just a shed, really, or maybe even a small cave about the size of a single garage, not what you would expect for a king. And you smell the odor of the animals and the hay, and of the shepherds too, they have them bathed. and weeks, and you hear the sheep and the goats, and you hear a baby crying, and you see the scene, and you just let it take your breath away. You see the new father, a strong carpenter, used to cutting down his own trees to work with, but he's so gentle with this new baby. And see Mary, she seems so young, and she looks exhausted as she lies down, but she also has that smile as she cuddles with her new baby, and see God in the flesh. See the baby Jesus.

What would it have been like to hold him, to touch his brow and think he will one day wear a crown of thorns, to see those soft cheeks, and to know that one day a soldier will spit in his face, to see those tiny shoulders and know that they will one day carry a cross, and with it every sin that you have ever committed. And you see those tiny hands, they will do wonderful things, they will touch the lepers and heal children, they will make blind to see, and they will be nailed to a cross. And I want you to say four words to yourself. He came for me. God, on this Christmas Eve, we thank you that you so love the world that you gave your only son. And thank you God that this is good news of great joy, not just for some people, but for all people. Thank you that you have said yes to us, and that we have an opportunity on this Christmas to say yes to you. Would you let us, God, receive this gift that you've given, that's for us, not because we've earned it, not because we deserve it, not because we're worthy of it, not because we get ourselves cleaned up first, but because you loved us. It's in Jesus' name we pray, amen. We're gonna end our service with a moment of lighting these candles. If you have a candle, you can go ahead and pull that out now. The light's gonna start on the aisles,

but it won't stay there, it's gonna spread from person to person, row to row, until every single person in the room of the age appropriate is holding a flame. No one gets skipped, nobody gets left in the dark, everyone receives the light. And that's the message of Christmas. It's not just a few people who get the light of Jesus, it's all people, it's good news of all people, all means all. So as the candle gets lit, turn to the person next to you and light their candle, or if somebody behind you hasn't been lit yet, go ahead and do that. It's for everyone, all of us celebrate together. We don't want anybody to stay in the dark. Everyone receives the light, it's for all the people. Let's all stand and sing together. ♪ Silent night, holy night, holy night, holy night, holy night ♪ ♪ All is calm, all is bright, round yon virgin, mother and child, holy infant so tender and mild ♪ ♪ Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace ♪ ♪ Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace ♪ ♪ Silent night, holy night, holy night, holy night, holy night ♪ ♪ Holy night, holy night, holy night, holy night, holy night ♪ Shepherds quake at the sight Glories stream from heaven afar Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia Christ the Savior is born Christ the Savior is born Silent night, holy night Silent night, love's pure light Radiant beams from Thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth Jesus, I am grateful for our Pando family. I am grateful for the thousands of people that are watching this right now that may be secluded from their family and in a place where they feel like no one else is for them. Lord, I pray that in the midst of this Christmas specifically you remind them that you have said yes to them, that you have chosen them, that you love them, that you care for them. And then in the midst of this season

that you comfort them with the peace of knowing that the almighty God knows them and loves them and cares for them. God, give them opportunities to be with people that know you, people that may love them. And Jesus, we trust all of these things to you and you alone and in your name we pray, amen. and in your name we pray, amen.