God Shows Up Where You Least Expect — Rich & DawnCheré Wilkerson

This year we're celebrating 10 years 10 years of God's faithfulness 10 years of prayers answered tears cried Hands lifted and miracles only heaven could orchestrate From our earliest Sundays at Jose de Diego to four thriving locations across Miami God's been writing a story far more beautiful than anything we could have dreamed But as we pause to remember we also lean in to what's ahead Legacy isn't accidental. It's intentional and every seed we sow becomes a chapter in the story God is writing through us as we close this year I want to invite you into our bricklayers offering a holy moment where we choose to build for generations Not yet created your generosity is lighting the path forward Slaying the foundation for VU so me a lighthouse. We pray will draw people home It's preparing the way for VU South Beach launching in 2026 stepping into a place many called dark Believing Jesus still brings the light and it's expanding Miami Gardens Making room for thousands more to worship and for our little ones to discover the love of Jesus what we give today Becomes the story someone else will thank God for tomorrow You can be a part of the miracle anytime at VU church com forward slash give Merry Christmas VU. We're so glad that you are in the house of the Lord today if it's your first time Welcome, we pray you felt at home from the moment you arrived Don tree and I we want to welcome all of our locations to church shout out to South Miami City Design District Miami Gardens church online If you're watching online right now Tell us where you're watching from of course all of the great gentlemen over at Everglades Correctional all the fine ladies at Homestead Correctional. Come on church. Let's welcome everyone to God's house We're so happy that you're here It has been such an incredible season here at VU church from our VU tree lighting to the toy bash that just took place We are blown away by all of you, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. But most of all, thank you to Jesus It's his faithfulness. That's marked every one of these moments We really are so grateful and over the last several weeks We've been unpacking our vision statement for this coming year for 2026 and that vision statement is Legacy work and what a fitting phrase for the Christmas season today. We aren't just looking at a story from the past

We're celebrating a living promise Emmanuel God with us. It's the day that we remember that God didn't stay distant. He entered into the story He rewrote all of our legacies forever. And as we step into legacy work I'm full of expectation for the year ahead for everyone who's already participated in our bricklayers offering We want to say a massive. Thank you. Thank you Thank you your faithful investment is helping to accelerate the vision that God has placed in our hearts and that vision is that a People not yet created would praise the Lord Yeah, we are so so grateful for your participation want to encourage you if you haven't given yet There's still time before the end of the year to help us accelerate the vision forward Today is Christmas Sunday. And of course this week we've got Christmas Eve candlelit services 4 p.m And 6 p.m. At all of our locations. Don't miss it. Bring your family to God's house It will make all the difference. But before we get there today, we want to reflect on the real reason for the season It's Jesus now just stop for a moment today Don't you and I we are in a beautiful home and we're thinking and considering and reflecting On all of the funny Christmas moments. We've had we've got a lot anybody out there Have you ever had a Christmas that did not go the way you Expected it to every parent here is thinking the same thing every single year You know, my dad spanked me one Christmas. Oh, yeah, I got disciplined. That's great I was unthankful with the gifts and he said rich come into the bedroom now Maybe you don't like that, but my dad really believed, you know spare the rod you spoil the child But I've never spanked any of my kids on Christmas praise God However last year I did buy this toy and maybe some of the parents out there you can relate The toy it had this little phrase some assembly required. Oh, man Have you seen this dangerous morning the sum there turns out to be you need 148 screws 12 decals instructions honestly written in ancient and batteries are they're never included ever why ever I'm two hours in sweating googling stuff rebuking demons I won't tell you which kid walked in but he walked in says is it done yet? I'm like, is it done? No, it's not done.

It's Christmas. Nothing is done. This is a perfect picture of Christmas in our house, maybe your house also. You have expectations, right? But then we have reality. You have a picture in your mind, but then you actually have the moment that you're living. Yeah, it's not just holidays, it's life. And maybe some of you today, if you come into VU Church or you're watching online, maybe you're in a place that feels so, I like this word, unexpected. It's not the place you prayed for. It's not the place you pictured. It's not the place you planned by this point in your life. Yeah, maybe this year brought unexpected loss in your life. The phone call, the setback, the diagnosis, the unexpected breakup, the unexpected financial squeeze that you feel right now in the midst of the holidays or that weight on your chest that you don't even really know how to name. Often it's times like Christmas or any holiday that can just put a magnifying glass, not on what's going right, but sometimes it can just show you and expose all that seems to be going wrong. And maybe that's where you're at today. Maybe you've come into church

and you're feeling a little bit disappointed. The word disappointed has always been interesting to me because I think I would define disappointment as the result of unmet expectations. An expectation, a thinking or a feeling or a desire or a vision. You thought it would look different. You thought they would act different. You thought you would feel different, but your situation doesn't match your expectation. God, where are you this Christmas? Is this really what my life is supposed to look like? Did I hear you wrong? Why am I here and not there? Here's my question today. What do you do when your expectation doesn't line up with your situation? It's always in that moment that you need a revelation. And I'm glad you're in church today because here is the Christmas revelation that we want to preach to you. God shows up where you least expect. Absolutely. Let's pick up the Christmas story, Matthew chapter two. I want to read this to you. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the East came to Jerusalem and asked, where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.

When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. In Bethlehem in Judea, they replied, but this is what the prophet has written, but you, Bethlehem in the land of Judah are by no means least among the rulers of Judah for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. What's going on here? The Magi have come looking for Jesus and they ask Herod, where's the one born King of the Jews? And then the answer comes back in Bethlehem of Judea for this is what the prophet wrote, that you Bethlehem, though you are small, out of you will come a ruler, Bethlehem. Now this is the very last place anyone in that time would have looked for a King. It's not the Capitol, it's not the palace, it's not the power center. Bethlehem was tiny, forgettable, unimpressive. It was just like a dot on the map, a place people pass through, not a place that people would have planned for. Yeah, and the reality of it is, is this is the very place that God chose. See, the first thing that we wanna show you today, that we wanna remind you, if you're taking notes, this Christmas revelation that God shows up

in unexpected places. Maybe you're in this season of life feeling so stuck, but Christmas is whispering to you, God will show up even in the unexpected place. Matthew in this text is quoting the prophet Micah, though you are small, out of you will come a ruler. I just wonder how many people in the room feel the same way. Though you are small, though this season feels small, though this opportunity in front of me feels small, though your finances feel small, your dreams might feel small, your hope might feel small, but Bethlehem, just Bethlehem, it's teaching us something. God does his greatest work in the places we least expect. Bethlehem wasn't glamorous. I just, I gotta try to teach it to you in the best way. Think Kendall, think Homestead, think Hialeah. It wasn't glamorous, but it was God's choice. And Mary. Mary and Joseph didn't plan to be there, but God was there. And maybe you didn't plan to be where you are today. You didn't expect this setback or heartbreak or even this version of life. But Christmas is whispering. Just because it's unexpected doesn't mean it's unplanned. God is working in the places you never would have chosen. See, Bethlehem is proof. Bethlehem literally means house of bread, which sounds pretty good to me. God brings the bread of life out of the house of bread. See, God shows up in unexpected places,

but secondly, God shows up in unexpected ways. Yeah, let's talk for a moment about the manger. If Bethlehem was an unexpected place, then the manger was an unexpected way. Because the Son of God doesn't belong in a manger. Maybe you're new to the Bible. Maybe you're new to the Nativity story, the Christmas story. But Jesus was born in a manger. That's a feeding trough, cold, dirty, unsanitary. And yet, that's where the King of Kings took his first breath, not in a cradle, in a stone trough used for feeding livestock. But here's what I want you to catch. Here's the unexpected thing here. Nothing about this was accidental. Not at all. In Bethlehem, shepherds raised lambs for the temple sacrifice, lambs that had to be without blemish. When these lambs were born, shepherds would wrap them in strips of cloth to keep them safe. So when Jesus is wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger, God's preaching the gospel before Jesus ever speaks. Jesus is the Lamb of God. He's born in the place where lambs sleep, wrapped like the lambs that would one day die for sin. But this isn't just symbolism. It's actually theology.

No, it's great theology. And you're preaching so good right now because just the very picture itself is a principle. It's a truth. What's taking place here is known as the doctrine of incarnation. John chapter one, verse 14 says, the Word, that's Jesus, became flesh and dwelt among us. The incarnation means God put skin on. God stepped into our story. He embraced our humanity. God chose limitation so that you would know he understands your pain. Listen, he didn't come floating on a cloud. He came crying in a manger. So that you would never ever say, God doesn't understand what I'm going through. See, God understands exactly what you're going through. Your exhaustion, your disappointment, your stress. Why? Because he understands the totality of humanity because he stepped into it. This is why the manger matters. He got low so he could lift you up. In the unexpected way he came, well, it's the reason we come to him today. For after all, Matthew chapter one reminds us, his name is Emmanuel. I've been teaching Wyatt and Wild what that means.

It simply means God with us. You see the revelation of Christmas is that it tells us God shows up where you least expect. He shows up in unexpected places. He shows up in unexpected ways. But finally, he shows up to unexpected people. Now listen, if I were writing the Christmas story with a PR team, the birth announcement, it would have gone to kings, influencers, celebrities, TikTok heads, and very least religious leaders, Dawn Cherie. The don't you love God? God sends angels to shepherds. Shepherds were the lowest social class, ceremonially unclean, not even allowed into the temple. Their testimony, it wouldn't hold up in court. This is a really big deal. These were the people everyone overlooked, but it wasn't an accident. It was all on purpose. Which is exactly why God chose them. Because Christmas is not about the deserving. It's about the willing. It reminds us that God shows up to unexpected people. It reminds us that God says, I see the ones that everybody else forgets. So maybe this year you feel unnoticed. You feel unqualified, undervalued. Today, we wanna shout the good news from the rooftops. God sends his message to shepherds on purpose

so that you would know he sends his love to you today, right where you are, on purpose. If you feel overlooked, you gotta know. Because of Christmas, you're the first. on heaven's invitation list. God wants to show up in the middle of your mess, in the middle of your chaos. You know, for Dawn Cherie and I, we have lots of Christmas traditions. I don't know what you have at your house. Hopefully you're pouring some eggnog. Sometimes it's hard to get in the Christmas spirit when it's 90 degrees outside. But one of the ways that we do that is we watch some of the old Christmas classics. I love Home Alone, I love Elf, but the classic that we tend to watch is called It's a Wonderful Life. Have you ever seen the film before? The story tells about a man by the name of George Bailey. George Bailey thinks his life is small and even insignificant, and he actually reaches a point in the movie where he thinks the world would be better off without him. He finds himself in an unexpected place. He's disappointed to say the least. He's discouraged. Yet God shows up for him. God sends an angel, and the angel merely comes and just shows him what his life would look like

had he never been born. He shows him all of the moments that appeared to be mundane. There was actually meaning in them. The moments he thought that nobody noticed God was actually working. The whole time he was actually making an impact. He just couldn't see it. That's the Christmas story. God shows up. Unexpected places, unexpected ways to unexpected people. So if you're looking for hope today, it's here. God is actually on the way. ♪ Silent 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 ♪ ♪ Silent night, holy night ♪ ♪ Shepherds quake at the sight ♪ ♪ Glory streams from heaven afar ♪ ♪ Heavenly hosts sing hallelujah ♪ ♪ Christ the Savior is born ♪ ♪ Christ the Savior is born ♪ Well, Merry Christmas, guys. How are we feeling? Good. Waylon, what do you want for Christmas?

Nothing. Nothing? Wow, miracle. Wild, do you want anything for Christmas? A Lego set. A what? A Lego set. A Lego set? Mom. We're working on it. Okay, Wyatt, anything on your Christmas list? A football set. Oh, okay, like flag football. Do you need shoulder pads or anything like that? No. Okay, no shoulder pads. You're not playing tackle. Yeah, you're smart. I think Wolfgang might walk this Christmas for the first time. Yeah, I'm hoping so. He thinks maybe he can. Can you walk, Wolf? Can you walk, Wolf? Not yet. So let me read you guys something from the Christmas story. The Bible says in Luke chapter 2, Wild, in verse 13, Suddenly, a great company of the heavenly hosts 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. Sleep in heavenly peace. ♪ Peace, sleep in heavenly, sleep in heavenly peace. ♪ I love that song, Silent Night. And in many ways, as you listen to that song, you are reminded of the Christmas story. But up until this point, we've been looking at the Christmas story through that lens of a silent night. We've been seeing it through Earth's vantage point, Bethlehem, a manger, shepherds in a field. But the scripture, what also gives us another angle, I call it the other side of Christmas, the side no nativity set ever captures. Because while Mary was laboring in Bethlehem, you've got to know heaven was thundering. While shepherds were watching their flocks, angels were waging war in the heavenlies. While the world saw a quiet night, the universe saw a cosmic invasion. I want to show you this passage. This is Revelation chapter 12. Let me look at verse one. Maybe you've never seen this before, but this is the other side of Christmas. Verse one says this. A great sign appeared in heaven. A woman clothed with the sun. She was pregnant and cried out as she was about to give birth.

Then another sign appeared, an enormous red dragon. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations. That's Christmas from heaven's angle. Not cute, not clean, not calm, but cosmic. You see, God didn't just sneak into the world. He stormed into the world. Christmas was not weakness. It was warfare. It wasn't merely a silent night, but a decisive strike of heaven into the darkness. And if God showed up there in that unlikely place in that unlikely way to those unlikely people, he can show up for you right now, right here in the place you least expect him. We want to encourage you today. Maybe your December feels like a battle. Maybe this past year has felt like a dragon that's been waiting to devour your hope. Maybe you're standing in a place that you never thought you would be. The good news still stands. The place you never expected are the places that God loves to invade. So catch the revelation today, the revelation of Christmas. If you feel small, that's when he comes close. If you feel unseen, I'm telling you,

he's calling you by name. When you least expect him, he shows up, not late, not early, right on time. This is Christmas. The King who comes out of nowhere to save you right where you are. I want to pray for you today. At all of our locations, would you bow your heads? If you're watching online, let's close our eyes. Let's get away with Jesus. Lord, we thank you today that on this Christmas Sunday, that Lord, we're invited into relationship with you. God, I thank you for every person at the sound of my voice. I pray that hope would meet them right where they are. Many are listening today in this season and they're disappointed. Their expectations are not lining up with their situation. Lord, would you give them a revelation today that you are close, that you are with them? God, would you begin to let faith rise up in their hearts? We're so thankful, Lord, that when we couldn't get to you, Lord, you came to us. Lord, we're so grateful that 2,000 years ago, in a manger in Bethlehem, it was a holy night as the Son of God, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, was born to a virgin. That little baby grew and rose, and today we call him Savior and Lord, and we worship you for who you are. We praise you that you are holy.

It's in Jesus' name we all said. Amen. Amen.