¤¤ 00:00:02.30\00:00:10.34 >> A blessed Christmas Day. Welcome to you. 00:00:12.41\00:00:19.11 I got to tell you, just seeing your shining 00:00:19.11\00:00:24.05 smiles sure adds some warmth to -- you got it -- 00:00:24.05\00:00:29.79 Christmas in Michigan. Can you believe this? 00:00:29.79\00:00:32.33 Rain and 50-some degrees. But we're glad you're here. Thank you for pushing away from 00:00:32.36\00:00:42.00 maybe even visiting family that say, "No, we'll stay at home and we'll watch on livestream." 00:00:42.00\00:00:47.24 But thank you for coming and being here. Want to welcome all 00:00:47.24\00:00:51.11 of you who are watching on livestream right now. I want to tell you something -- 00:00:51.11\00:00:54.18 I already know this -- you're in your pajamas. We can see it. 00:00:54.18\00:00:57.75 There's a reverse lens on this, and we can see. [ Laughter ] 00:00:57.75\00:01:02.02 But, anyway, be comfortable, and we're glad you are. And we're 00:01:02.02\00:01:06.46 glad you're here. We're here to worship. And we need the angel choir to just burst into song 00:01:06.46\00:01:12.47 above, and we'll be sending music heavenward in just a moment. But those words, what 00:01:12.47\00:01:17.71 are they in the Latin? "Gloria in excelsis Deo." "Glory to God 00:01:17.71\00:01:23.45 in the highest, and on earth, peace." Peace to all. But the Christmas Call -- so, 00:01:23.45\00:01:28.95 it's on the left panel of the "Worship" page, it's also going to be on the screen. 00:01:28.95\00:01:32.99 We're going to read this responsively together. Karen and 00:01:32.99\00:01:37.06 I will be reading with you. Karen will lead the congregation where it says "People." 00:01:37.06\00:01:42.00 And let us hear God calling us to this hour of worship with 00:01:42.00\00:01:48.47 Him. I read... "Break forth, O beauteous 00:01:48.50\00:01:51.61 heavenly light, to herald our salvation." 00:01:51.61\00:01:55.01 >> "He stoops to earth -- the God of might, our hope and 00:01:55.01\00:02:00.95 expectation." >> "He comes in human flesh to 00:02:00.95\00:02:04.55 dwell, our God with us, Immanuel." 00:02:04.55\00:02:07.96 >> "The light of darkness breaking, our fallen race 00:02:07.96\00:02:12.96 befriending." >> "O come, let us adore Him, 00:02:12.96\00:02:17.23 Christ, the Lord." >> "Amen." 00:02:17.23\00:02:20.90 Let us pray. 00:02:20.90\00:02:24.74 Dear Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus, we have come to worship You this Christmas Day. 00:02:24.77\00:02:31.78 Our mouths may be masked, but our hearts are wide-open. And with our hearts, we proclaim 00:02:31.78\00:02:39.25 our collective welcome. Come, Holy Child, and dwell with us this day and this hour of 00:02:39.25\00:02:46.16 worship. Receive our grateful praise, we pray, in Your 00:02:46.16\00:02:51.20 beautiful name. Amen. >> Amen. Invite you now to sit a 00:02:51.20\00:02:54.87 little bit higher in that pew. Get your vocal cords relaxed for a cycle of carols that our 00:02:54.87\00:03:03.35 minister of music has titled "Born to Save." We're delighted 00:03:03.35\00:03:08.55 to have Leanne Miller leading us, Byron Graves with the clarinet, and of course, our own 00:03:08.55\00:03:13.25 Minister of Music Ken Logan at the organ. Let's sing together. 00:03:13.25\00:03:19.13 [ "Good Christians Now Rejoice" begins ] 00:03:19.16\00:03:23.23 [ Instrumental music plays ] ¤¤ 00:03:23.23\00:03:35.58 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:03:35.58\00:03:54.20 [ Instrumental music plays ] ¤¤ 00:04:54.92\00:05:03.26 [ "Now Is Born the Divine Christ Child" begins ] 00:05:03.26\00:05:07.34 [ Instrumental music plays ] ¤¤ 00:05:07.34\00:05:15.48 ¤¤ 00:05:15.48\00:05:20.55 ¤¤ [ "O Little Town of Bethlehem" 00:06:39.53\00:06:49.20 begins ] [ Instrumental music plays ] 00:06:49.20\00:06:55.24 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:06:55.24\00:07:14.56 ¤¤ 00:07:14.56\00:07:24.14 [ "Angels from the Realms of Glory" begins ] 00:09:11.31\00:09:15.55 [ Instrumental music plays ] ¤¤ 00:09:15.55\00:09:27.73 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:09:27.73\00:09:45.95 >> Amen. 00:11:16.44\00:11:18.54 >> I'm going to invite my friend Ricky to come on up, and he's going to bring his buddy 00:11:21.81\00:11:25.98 Rich Aguilera. And, Ricky, it's good to see you again. 00:11:25.98\00:11:29.75 We don't get to see you enough. That's the problem. >> It's 00:11:29.75\00:11:33.79 great to be here. We're so excited 'cause it's Christmas! 00:11:33.79\00:11:36.49 >> I can tell. You got your red outfit on. >> That's right. 00:11:36.49\00:11:39.29 And we started really early this morning. 00:11:39.33\00:11:41.66 >> Oh, like, what time did you start? 00:11:41.66\00:11:43.87 >> Oh, well, we got up because there was something really 00:11:43.87\00:11:46.57 special we had to do. We got on the NASA YouTube 00:11:46.57\00:11:49.67 channel to see a rocket take off! 00:11:49.67\00:11:52.61 >> You did? >> Yep, yep, yep. NASA launched a brand-new 00:11:52.64\00:11:56.31 microscope into space. >> It was a telescope. >> [ Chuckling ] 00:11:56.31\00:12:02.28 Telescope. >> What's a telescope? >> Telescope? Come on, Ricky. You know what a 00:12:02.28\00:12:07.79 telescope is. It just zooms in on the stars in the universe. 00:12:07.79\00:12:11.73 But you know what? I got there just a little after you did. I got there about one minute and 00:12:11.73\00:12:16.06 40 seconds into the lift-off. Absolutely phenomenal, wasn't 00:12:16.06\00:12:19.43 it? Did you watch it for a few minutes. >> I did. 00:12:19.43\00:12:21.67 >> Come on, let's -- >> That's so cool. >> Let's put some 00:12:21.67\00:12:24.94 pictures on the screen. You okay with that? >> Got some pictures? 00:12:24.94\00:12:27.51 >> Get out of your way here. >> Cool. >> Let's go to, uh, this 00:12:27.51\00:12:30.45 picture, because everybody knows this picture. >> Whoa. 00:12:30.45\00:12:33.55 >> This is the famous Pillars of Creation. >> Wow. 00:12:33.55\00:12:36.22 >> And this is way out in space. And this was taken by the Hubble 00:12:36.22\00:12:39.95 telescope. >> That's the old one, right? >> That's the old one. It circles around the 00:12:39.95\00:12:43.29 earth. But now they just sent up today, this morning, while you and I were watching -- a million 00:12:43.29\00:12:49.36 miles away it's going to go -- that's the James Webb Space 00:12:49.36\00:12:54.70 Telescope. >> Wow. >> This is a picture that the Hubble can take because it's a reflector 00:12:54.70\00:12:59.81 telescope. It has to just have light in order to take a picture. >> Uh-huh. 00:12:59.81\00:13:04.28 >> But the Webb telescope is an infrared. Watch this. 00:13:04.28\00:13:07.48 So, this is the Hubble telescope. Now let's look at a 00:13:07.48\00:13:10.49 picture that simulates the infrared. >> That's a lot 00:13:10.49\00:13:15.42 better. >> Yeah. That's Hubble using infrared. So, this is nothing like the Webb that just 00:13:15.42\00:13:19.96 went up today. 100 times more powerful, by the way. >> Whoa! 00:13:19.96\00:13:22.80 >> But you remember where all those clouds and dust were -- they call it space dust -- where 00:13:22.80\00:13:27.00 stars are created? >> Uh-huh, uh-huh. >> Now they can look 00:13:27.00\00:13:30.04 right through that, so they can see anywhere where there's 00:13:30.04\00:13:33.31 infrared light. >> Whoa, that's so cool! >> Yeah, it's really cool. Let me show the mirror 00:13:33.31\00:13:37.91 that they constructed for this James Webb telescope. This mirror is 21 feet long. 00:13:37.91\00:13:43.75 So we're talking about the length of this -- yeah, 21 feet 00:13:43.75\00:13:46.65 long. >> That's huge! >> Mm-hmm. It's made out of these little 00:13:46.65\00:13:49.39 hexagons. There are 18 of them put together like a puzzle. 00:13:49.39\00:13:52.23 They're overlaid with gold because they found out that the gold is very sensitive to 00:13:52.23\00:13:57.00 infrared light? >> Real gold? >> Yep, real gold. 00:13:57.00\00:14:00.04 Only, it's only 1,000 atoms in thickness, so it's not very 00:14:00.04\00:14:03.61 thick. >> Oh, okay. >> So, they've covered that up. This is the camera, right here, 00:14:03.61\00:14:07.28 that will be pointed to outer space. >> Wow. 00:14:07.28\00:14:10.25 >> They're going to go places that no man has ever gone... >> 00:14:10.25\00:14:14.45 That's amazing. >> ...through infrared. 13.6 billion light-years away, they're going 00:14:14.45\00:14:20.49 to go. Maybe not quite 13.6 billion. But can you believe that? Look at this, Ricky. 00:14:20.49\00:14:25.36 When they're all done with this -- and so they had to make the big gold space mirror. 00:14:25.36\00:14:31.90 Then, they -- You see this little shiny blanket here? You see the shiny blanket? 00:14:31.90\00:14:36.04 >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> That's the sun shield. >> It's all 00:14:36.04\00:14:39.77 folded up, though. >> It's all folded up because this now is going to be -- this was what was 00:14:39.77\00:14:44.91 squeezed into that rocket we saw go up -- the Ariane 5 rocket. >> 00:14:44.91\00:14:48.28 Oh. >> Just squeezed. But the reason they need the space shield -- this is so 00:14:48.28\00:14:52.19 interesting -- because Hubble goes around the earth, but this telescope will go around the sun 00:14:52.19\00:15:00.10 with earth. So it will track the earth the whole time. 00:15:00.10\00:15:03.10 So the earth will be a shadow to protect it, because the temperature from the sun, 00:15:03.10\00:15:08.20 a million miles away -- what's the temperature? -- I got it written down here -- it's 00:15:08.20\00:15:12.41 260 degrees Fahrenheit. That is "ouch" hot. >> That's very 00:15:12.41\00:15:17.38 caliente. >> Mm-hmm. On the other side -- Hey, Ricky, on the other side, which is what 00:15:17.38\00:15:21.58 they're protecting this lens that we just saw, the temperature drops down -- and 00:15:21.58\00:15:25.79 it has to be this low -- minus-370 degrees. >> What? So, 00:15:25.79\00:15:31.03 wait a second. Wait a second. One side is super cold, and the other one is super hot? 00:15:31.03\00:15:33.90 >> You got that right. >> Freeze or fry. >> Freeze or fry -- 00:15:33.90\00:15:37.50 that's exactly the choice. >> Wow. >> Now, this is 00:15:37.50\00:15:40.54 interesting. The shield has SPF -- you know -- is it SPF that we... >> Yeah, when we go to the 00:15:40.54\00:15:45.61 beach. >> When we go to the beach? >> Of course. I always 00:15:45.61\00:15:47.78 wear it. >> Okay, SPF. And we usually wear about 50. You might 00:15:47.78\00:15:52.71 wear about an 80. >> Yeah. >> Do you know what? The value of this 00:15:52.71\00:15:56.22 is one million SPF. >> Whoa! >> That's how much of the 00:15:56.22\00:15:59.35 sun rays it can shield. Five layers of that. >> That's 00:15:59.35\00:16:03.59 amazing. >> Anyway, it's incredible. 10,000 people worked on this. >> How many? 00:16:03.59\00:16:07.50 >> 10,000 people. >> That's crazy. >> It cost $10 billion. 00:16:07.50\00:16:10.93 >> That's a lot of money. >> And it's going one million miles 00:16:10.93\00:16:13.97 away. >> That's a very far way away. >> Come on, you can't even 00:16:13.97\00:16:16.40 believe it. >> Wow. >> And it started on Christmas Day, today. 00:16:16.40\00:16:19.04 >> That is such a... >> In fact, there's the rocket. >> Oh, wow, 00:16:19.04\00:16:23.35 look at that! >> A French rocket, Ariane 5. >> And it's going up there right now. 00:16:23.35\00:16:26.55 >> It's on its way right now. And in fact, if you get your mom and dad -- do you have a 00:16:26.55\00:16:30.45 mom, too? >> Kinda. >> Sort of? Okay. 00:16:30.45\00:16:32.92 [ Laughter ] If you get your mom and dad to go to NASA.gov... 00:16:32.92\00:16:37.23 >> NASA.gov. >> ...there's some cool YouTubes that will show you 00:16:37.23\00:16:41.50 how this works. >> YouTube channel. >> Because I'm watching 00:16:41.50\00:16:44.07 this, and I'm thinking to myself -- One more picture. I'm thinking to myself, "These 00:16:44.07\00:16:47.64 are the guys that worked on just the mirror." >> Wow. 00:16:47.64\00:16:50.17 >> Dressed in white -- white masks like us here in church. They had to be just spotless 00:16:50.17\00:16:56.75 and perfect, no chance for one mistake, because you can't go out there and fix it. 00:16:56.75\00:17:01.12 >> Right. >> It's over. >> Wow. 00:17:01.12\00:17:02.85 >> So, look at them. When I saw this picture, you know what I 00:17:02.85\00:17:06.12 thought about, Ricky? >> What? >> I thought about God. 00:17:06.12\00:17:08.42 Here is man, building this $10 billion telescope so we can go out into space, and I thought 00:17:08.42\00:17:15.60 about God, who was preparing not just 10,000 helpers but 10,000 times 10,000 angels, 00:17:15.60\00:17:23.41 everybody in heaven. You thought this was intricate? They had to 00:17:23.41\00:17:29.14 follow a plan, you could not be off by one iota. >> Those guys look like angels, too. 00:17:29.14\00:17:33.62 >> They do. And that's what God had, because it has to be a 00:17:33.62\00:17:38.32 perfect plan. Not for God to go out into space; it's for God to come out of space into this 00:17:38.32\00:17:44.89 world. And that's why we have Christmas. >> Wow. 00:17:44.89\00:17:46.90 >> That's what we're celebrating. >> I have a 00:17:46.90\00:17:49.50 question, Dr. Dwight. >> You bet. What? >> So, all those 00:17:49.50\00:17:52.80 scientists did so much work to take that telescope out into 00:17:52.80\00:17:56.30 space. >> Yep. >> But -- But God also did so much work so that He could send baby Jesus to be here 00:17:56.30\00:18:00.51 with us. >> Yes, He did. That's the point. 00:18:00.51\00:18:03.51 >> But -- But -- But my question is, why? >> Why? 00:18:03.51\00:18:08.48 >> Why would He do that? That's such a big thing to do. >> Only one reason I can think 00:18:08.48\00:18:12.25 of, Ricky. >> Why? >> Because He loves us 00:18:12.25\00:18:15.09 to death. That's why. >> Oh. 00:18:15.09\00:18:18.29 And the kids, too? >> And the kids, too. >> That's awesome. 00:18:18.29\00:18:21.33 >> And you, too. >> That's super awesome. >> Yeah. 00:18:21.33\00:18:23.87 So, Ricky, a blessed Christmas to you. >> You too, Dr. Dwight. 00:18:23.87\00:18:27.10 >> Keep in touch. >> Yeah. >> I hope you come again. 00:18:27.10\00:18:29.74 We'll try this again. >> Sounds good. >> Alright. 00:18:29.74\00:18:31.91 >> I'm here. >> Merry Christmas. >> Do we have something for the 00:18:31.91\00:18:34.08 kids, too? >> Oh, we do! Thank you for reminding me. 00:18:34.08\00:18:36.38 Boys and girls -- >> Present time. >> Boys and girls, this is 00:18:36.38\00:18:39.11 present time. Wherever you are, in the balcony or in the back, 00:18:39.11\00:18:42.88 the organ will be quietly playing, but you come on up. We got ladies that are ready to 00:18:42.88\00:18:47.09 meet you and greet you and give you a Christmas gift. So, you 00:18:47.09\00:18:52.59 come on forward. We love you, boys and girls. And one of these days, we'll get back to 00:18:52.59\00:18:58.23 children's stories every Sabbath, right up front. God bless all of you. Come on down, 00:18:58.23\00:19:01.97 kids. Yep, good for you. 00:19:01.97\00:19:03.54 >> Happy Sabbath, and merry Christmas. 00:19:06.81\00:19:09.61 Today our Scripture reading is taken from the Gospel of Luke, 00:19:09.61\00:19:14.05 chapter 2, verses 1 through 7. 00:19:14.05\00:19:18.29 I'm going to read from the New King James version. 00:19:21.56\00:19:25.73 "And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the 00:19:27.83\00:19:35.04 world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing 00:19:35.04\00:19:41.91 Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own 00:19:41.91\00:19:50.12 city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the 00:19:50.12\00:19:57.13 city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 00:19:57.13\00:20:05.43 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with 00:20:05.43\00:20:12.27 child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be 00:20:12.27\00:20:19.71 delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and 00:20:19.71\00:20:27.49 laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in 00:20:27.49\00:20:35.66 the inn." [ "What Child Is This?" begins ] [ Instrumental 00:20:51.61\00:20:57.59 music plays ] ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:20:57.59\00:21:13.34 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:21:13.34\00:21:29.02 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:21:29.02\00:21:44.70 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:21:44.70\00:22:00.45 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:22:00.45\00:22:16.13 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:22:16.13\00:22:31.81 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:22:31.81\00:22:47.50 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:22:47.50\00:23:03.24 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:23:03.24\00:23:18.96 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:23:18.96\00:23:34.61 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:23:34.61\00:23:50.33 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:23:50.33\00:24:06.04 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:24:06.04\00:24:21.76 [ Applause ] 00:24:21.76\00:24:24.69 >> "What child is this, who, laid to rest on Mary's lap is 00:24:36.30\00:24:45.18 sleeping?" It's a question we ask at Christmastime. Such a plaintiff, beautiful 00:24:45.18\00:24:51.59 rendition. Betania Cañas, thank you. Beautiful. 00:24:51.59\00:24:55.86 Ken Logan, as well. 00:24:55.86\00:24:57.86 John Shea, in his book "The Hour of the Unexpected," shares this bit of free verse -- 00:25:04.07\00:25:12.94 whimsical, but perfect for right now. He titles it 00:25:12.94\00:25:18.08 "Sharon's Christmas Prayer." "She was five, sure of the 00:25:18.08\00:25:26.45 facts, and recited them with slow solemnity convinced every 00:25:26.45\00:25:30.09 word was revelation. She said they were so poor 00:25:30.09\00:25:34.30 they had only peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to eat and they went a long way from 00:25:34.30\00:25:38.60 home without getting lost. The lady rode a donkey, the man walked, and the baby 00:25:38.60\00:25:43.51 was inside the lady. They had to stay in a stable with an ox and 00:25:43.51\00:25:49.14 an ass (hee-hee) but the Three Rich Men found them 00:25:49.14\00:25:52.85 because a star lighted the roof. Shepherds came and you could pet the sheep but not feed them. 00:25:52.85\00:25:58.62 Then the baby was borned. And do you know who He was? Her quarter 00:25:58.62\00:26:07.46 eyes inflated to silver dollars. The baby was God. And she jumped 00:26:07.46\00:26:15.07 in the air whirled round, dove into the sofa and buried her 00:26:15.07\00:26:19.01 head under the cushion which is the only proper response 00:26:19.01\00:26:22.04 to the Good News of the Incarnation." The end. 00:26:22.04\00:26:29.55 Let's pray. The only proper way to respond to the good news of 00:26:29.55\00:26:36.52 the incarnation, God? Probably not. But, dear Lord, I don't 00:26:36.52\00:26:43.23 suppose a little whirly jig of joy would hurt us, we who have been... made somber by the 00:26:43.23\00:26:54.18 season of the pandemic. Look at us. But here we are. 00:26:54.18\00:26:57.25 It's Christmas Day, and you surely have a word for us. And if those angels could sing 00:26:57.25\00:27:03.12 over that stinky backyard stable, then surely we, too, will find reason... 00:27:03.12\00:27:10.03 to joy over the inestimable gift we call Jesus... in whose name 00:27:10.03\00:27:19.33 we pray. Amen. 00:27:19.33\00:27:21.54 So, which is greater? Picasso the artist 00:27:21.57\00:27:26.17 or the artwork of Picasso? My friend Clifford Goldstein, 00:27:26.17\00:27:33.45 who was assigned to write a series of studies for our faith 00:27:33.45\00:27:36.82 community, that we would read this fall, out of all books, 00:27:36.82\00:27:41.39 Deuteronomy -- in that series of studies, Cliff, who has this 00:27:41.39\00:27:47.00 penchant for philosophy, he makes this comment. 00:27:47.00\00:27:50.20 And I'm going to put is words on the screen for you right now. 00:27:50.20\00:27:54.20 "Now, it's a principle of existence: whatever conceives of and creates something must be 00:27:54.24\00:28:01.28 greater than, and transcend, what it conceived of and 00:28:01.28\00:28:06.58 created. Picasso is greater than and transcends an artwork by 00:28:06.58\00:28:12.55 Picasso." And we all nod our heads and say, "Right on, Goldstein. Good job." 00:28:12.55\00:28:16.36 But he goes on. "The God who conceived of and created our 00:28:16.36\00:28:23.50 cosmos must be greater than the cosmos, and transcend it, as 00:28:23.50\00:28:30.24 well." Hmm. And then he proceeds to drive his point home by running some numbers by us. 00:28:30.24\00:28:35.58 And by the way, these numbers will change when the Webb Space Telescope begins to 00:28:35.58\00:28:41.45 send pictures back, infrared, of the far reaches of this 00:28:41.45\00:28:46.15 universe. But here are the numbers. Cliff says, "Our universe, it is now estimated, 00:28:46.15\00:28:52.66 is home to 2 trillion galaxies." So, here's the number 2 00:28:52.66\00:28:56.13 trillion. That's what it looks like. 2 trillion galaxies. 00:28:56.13\00:29:01.07 Unbelievable. And each galaxy, he reminds us, by the way, approximately, contains 100 00:29:01.07\00:29:08.78 billion stars. So we'll put up 100 billion stars per galaxy. Now, we learned in arithmetic 00:29:08.78\00:29:15.28 that if you have all these zeros, you just have to multiply the two numbers there and then 00:29:15.28\00:29:19.55 count all the zeros and add them, correct? So, what's the 00:29:19.55\00:29:23.59 answer? Well, here it is. 200 with 21 zeros after it. What are you going to call that 00:29:23.59\00:29:31.43 number, huh? "200 with 21 zeros after it"? I had to go to 00:29:31.43\00:29:35.24 Google. I said, "Google, what's this number?" Pbht. 00:29:35.24\00:29:37.17 And Google says, "That would be 200 sextillion stars." 00:29:37.17\00:29:41.21 Yeah, you got million, billion, trillion, quadrillion, quintillion, sextillion. 00:29:43.35\00:29:50.42 You can't even fathom it. 200 sextillion stars. So, here's the 00:29:50.42\00:29:57.29 big question for you and me right now. Which one is greater -- the 200 sextillion stars or 00:29:57.29\00:30:04.23 the one Creator who shaped them all into existence? Oh, that's a 00:30:04.23\00:30:09.50 no-brainer. Of course it is. There's a beautiful little Christmas carol -- we noted them 00:30:09.50\00:30:14.98 last Sabbath, but this is the last one. This is an ancient 00:30:14.98\00:30:19.11 hymn -- we'll call it a Christmas carol -- tucked away. It's so short that we blow right 00:30:19.11\00:30:23.69 past it, and we miss it, I fear, to our great loss. So I'm going 00:30:23.69\00:30:29.16 to invite you to take that carol and put it on your lap right now. You got your Bible with 00:30:29.16\00:30:32.79 you. I saw it. You have it. Please turn to the New Testament, 1 Timothy 3. 00:30:32.79\00:30:38.63 This is a letter scribbled by the apostle Paul, who has been our hero that we tracked 00:30:38.63\00:30:43.81 all this fall. And he's writing to a young protégé pastor friend 00:30:43.81\00:30:48.71 of his, named Timothy. Alright? So, 1 Timothy 3. 00:30:48.71\00:30:51.25 Have you found chapter 3 in your Bible? 1 Timothy 3. 00:30:51.25\00:30:54.58 It's so short, you're going to blow right by it, so we'll just 00:30:54.58\00:30:59.65 slow it down. This is a one-line -- a one-verse retelling of the 00:30:59.65\00:31:08.23 Christmas story. Let's get -- Let's get the preamble. 1 Timothy 3:16 -- "Beyond all 00:31:08.23\00:31:14.07 question --" okay? -- "Beyond all question, the mystery --" Now, look, I hit the Pause 00:31:14.07\00:31:20.68 button right there and I inserted this word, because this is the Greek word, "musterion." 00:31:20.68\00:31:24.25 Well, you can tell, musterion is the basis for "mystery." So "mystery" is just a 00:31:24.25\00:31:30.09 transliteration of this Greek word. "Beyond all question, the 00:31:30.09\00:31:33.82 mystery --" the musterion -- from which true godliness 00:31:33.82\00:31:39.13 springs is great." And the Greek word for "great" is "mega." So, 00:31:39.13\00:31:43.26 what do we have? We have a mega musterion going on. And we haven't even gotten to it 00:31:43.26\00:31:47.44 yet, because now Paul says, "I want to teach you a six-stanza hymn that is so short, we can 00:31:47.44\00:31:52.84 say it in one breath." Here we go -- six lines. Count them. 00:31:52.84\00:31:56.85 Line number 1 -- stanza number 1, "He appeared in the flesh." 00:31:56.85\00:32:02.38 Ancient hymn sung by the 1st-century Christians. Stanza number 1 -- "He appeared 00:32:02.38\00:32:07.06 in the flesh." Stanza number 2 -- "Was vindicated by the 00:32:07.06\00:32:09.86 Spirit." Stanza number 3 -- "Was seen by angels." Stanza number 4 00:32:09.86\00:32:13.33 -- "Was preached among the nations." Stanza number 5 -- "Was believed on in the world." 00:32:13.33\00:32:17.27 And stanza number 6 -- "Was taken up to glory." Six terse 00:32:17.27\00:32:23.14 lines, and we know exactly whom they describe -- our beloved Lord Jesus, the hero of every 00:32:23.14\00:32:34.02 hymn we sing. No different in the beginning. And those six lines are summarized in those 00:32:34.02\00:32:40.79 two Greek words, mega musterion -- a mega mystery. Puh. We 00:32:40.79\00:32:48.86 understand that. What's a mega mystery? Well, the mega mystery is, He appeared in the flesh. 00:32:48.86\00:32:52.00 We just read it. So identifying this mystery is not the problem. 00:32:52.00\00:32:56.14 Trying to prove it, trying to grasp the mystery, that's a whole nother ballgame. 00:32:56.14\00:33:01.81 I mean, what is this capital-I "Incarnation." He appeared in 00:33:01.81\00:33:07.18 the flesh. The enfleshment -- that's what the Incarnation means -- the enfleshment of God. 00:33:07.18\00:33:12.22 Now, when the apostle -- the beloved apostle John comes along, the Christmas story has 00:33:12.22\00:33:17.63 already been written up. Matthew wrote it, Luke wrote it, but they're the only two. 00:33:17.63\00:33:22.10 Mark doesn't say a word about Christmas. John will include 00:33:22.10\00:33:26.80 just one majestic line, and Paul has given us three. Do you know why they're so short 00:33:26.80\00:33:33.14 on the Nativity? I'll tell you why. Because it's the ending to 00:33:33.14\00:33:37.11 the story that everybody in the 1st century was talking about. And that's why the Cross 00:33:37.11\00:33:43.99 looms high above the manger. Can't separate them. So, how did 00:33:43.99\00:33:51.16 John write it -- that majestic line? "In the beginning, was the Word," and "the Word became 00:33:51.16\00:33:56.10 flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the 00:33:56.10\00:34:01.84 Father, full of grace, full of truth." Paul wrote that line 00:34:01.84\00:34:06.94 first, and so he wrote it less. Less words. Paul's line -- "He 00:34:06.94\00:34:11.85 appeared in the flesh." Ah. What's up? That's why. 00:34:11.85\00:34:17.35 We already know this, but may I remind you, that's why Christmas, which has nothing 00:34:17.35\00:34:22.46 to do with the day, has everything to do with the way God appeared in the flesh. 00:34:22.46\00:34:30.03 That's the story. John Weborg -- C. John Weborg, in "The Covenant 00:34:30.03\00:34:39.24 Companion," injects some earthy, earthy humanness to the Incarnation with these words. 00:34:39.24\00:34:45.78 C. John Weborg, here we go. "There is --" We're watching 00:34:45.78\00:34:51.09 now. We're watching the couple heading to Bethlehem. "There is 00:34:51.09\00:34:56.32 God in the flesh, thriving in a placenta, protected by a water bag, bouncing on a donkey ride 00:34:56.32\00:35:03.40 to Bethlehem where his folks had to meet with the local IRS. No different than any other baby 00:35:03.40\00:35:09.20 at the time... God asked no human favors and got none. 00:35:09.20\00:35:12.94 When inns are full, they are full. Sleep where one can. 00:35:12.94\00:35:16.61 God deep in the flesh --" that's Martin Luther's line -- "God --" oh, I love that line -- "God 00:35:16.61\00:35:23.32 deep in the flesh became God deep in the straw. Mary, the mother of the Creator, 00:35:23.32\00:35:29.69 sustained the one who sustained all the living." Yep, 200 00:35:29.69\00:35:37.53 sextillion stars from His hand and mouth. My. How can it be? 00:35:37.53\00:35:44.24 How do you describe this? Just two words. Provocative words in 00:35:44.24\00:35:50.31 the Greek, provocative words in the English -- mega musterion -- 00:35:50.31\00:35:53.88 great mystery. What else can you call it? A great mystery. Mercy. 00:35:53.88\00:36:00.52 As Madeleine L'Engle -- was it last week? -- she described the moment -- and I like the way she 00:36:00.52\00:36:06.63 put it -- she said, "This God, who --" these are her words -- "went with all His love into 00:36:06.63\00:36:12.47 the womb of a young girl." As Weborg noted it, "thriving in a placenta, protected by a 00:36:12.47\00:36:22.51 water bag." Tell me the story. Mega musterion. We don't know. 00:36:22.51\00:36:27.62 We can't. 00:36:27.62\00:36:31.29 The 20th-century great apologist for Christianity -- 00:36:31.32\00:36:36.19 and you know of whom I speak -- C.S. Lewis -- in the book 00:36:36.19\00:36:39.86 "God in the Dock," described an imaginary conversation with 00:36:39.86\00:36:44.17 an atheist friend of his. Lewis, who himself had been an 00:36:44.17\00:36:46.74 agnostic, an unbeliever, but came to believe in Christ. 00:36:46.74\00:36:50.31 He describes it this way, and I'm going to just read his 00:36:50.31\00:36:53.74 description. "'Miracles', said my friend. 00:36:53.74\00:36:56.78 'Oh, come. 00:36:56.78\00:36:58.01 Science has knocked the bottom out of all that. We know that 00:36:58.05\00:37:01.78 Nature is governed by fixed laws.' 'For instance, take a story like the Virgin Birth. 00:37:01.78\00:37:05.65 We know now that such a thing couldn't happen. We know there 00:37:05.65\00:37:09.69 must be a male spermatozoon.' 'Modern science has shown that there's no such thing as a 00:37:09.69\00:37:14.20 virgin birth. So, there.' 'Really,' said I. 00:37:14.20\00:37:18.27 'Which of the sciences?' 'Oh, well, that's a matter of detail,' said my friend. 00:37:18.27\00:37:22.60 'I can't give you chapter and verse from memory.' 'Ah, but, 00:37:22.60\00:37:26.51 don't you see', said I, 'that science never could show anything of the sort?' 00:37:26.51\00:37:30.61 'Why not?' he retorted. 'Because science studies Nature. And the question is whether 00:37:30.61\00:37:35.15 anything besides Nature exists -- anything outside. How could you find that out by 00:37:35.15\00:37:41.52 studying simply Nature?'" Well, that's pretty good. He's right. 00:37:41.52\00:37:48.40 Science is unable to explain what it cannot examine. But does 00:37:48.40\00:37:53.00 that inadequacy consequently limit the universe of reality to only what science can examine? 00:37:53.00\00:37:57.77 No. So, Lewis asked his imaginary friend -- this is good 00:37:57.77\00:38:05.81 -- He said -- He asked him, "Listen, if the laws of arithmetic can prove that 00:38:05.81\00:38:10.95 putting a quarter in a drawer today, and then putting another quarter in the same drawer 00:38:10.95\00:38:18.16 tomorrow will guarantee that in two days -- would your laws of arithmetic guarantee that in two 00:38:18.16\00:38:23.87 days, I'll find two quarters in that drawer?" The friend says, "Yes, but of course, if someone 00:38:23.87\00:38:28.54 walks off with one of the quarters, it wouldn't work." Ah! 00:38:28.54\00:38:33.14 Now, I want you to read Lewis. I'll put him on the screen here. Ah, "The laws of arithmetic can 00:38:33.14\00:38:39.35 tell you what you'll find, with absolute certainty, provided that there's no interference... 00:38:39.35\00:38:45.69 Now, aren't the laws of Nature in the same boat? Don't they all 00:38:45.69\00:38:51.39 tell you what will happen provided there's no interference? If there was 00:38:51.39\00:38:56.40 anything outside Nature, and if it interfered, then events which the scientist expected wouldn't 00:38:56.40\00:39:02.10 follow. That would be what we call a miracle." It would be what Scripture calls 00:39:02.10\00:39:07.91 a mega mystery. 00:39:07.91\00:39:10.88 How could we ever possibly -- I'm talking about you and me -- grasp, with our puny minds... 00:39:14.55\00:39:23.19 this mega ministry. As Paul described it, "Beyond all question, the mystery --" 00:39:23.19\00:39:30.10 beyond question, without argument -- "the mystery from which true godliness springs is 00:39:30.10\00:39:35.87 great: He appeared in the flesh." Stepping outside of 00:39:35.87\00:39:43.98 capital-N Nature, into the very body and mind and soul of humanity, that's the miracle. 00:39:43.98\00:39:49.48 That's the mystery of Immanuel, God with us, Jesus. That's it. 00:39:49.48\00:39:58.19 But in the end -- come on, tell me if this isn't true -- in the end, the great mystery of the 00:39:58.19\00:40:06.23 season of Christmas, that it compels us to ponders, isn't so much that God could do it, 00:40:06.23\00:40:14.44 it is that God would do it. And why would He, knowing you and 00:40:14.44\00:40:23.18 me? A century ago, these words were written, trying to articulate, feebly, this 00:40:27.19\00:40:34.56 mystery. "The work of redemption is called a mystery, and it is indeed the mystery by which 00:40:34.56\00:40:40.44 everlasting righteousness is brought to all --" that everlasting salvation -- "is 00:40:40.44\00:40:44.44 brought to all who believe. The human race in consequence of sin was at enmity --" at war -- 00:40:44.44\00:40:51.01 "with God." Now here comes the striking sentence. 00:40:51.01\00:40:53.42 "Christ, at an infinite cost, by a painful process, mysterious to angels as well as to men --" and 00:40:53.42\00:41:02.06 women, you and me -- "assumes humanity. Hiding His divinity, 00:41:02.06\00:41:07.60 laying aside His glory, He was born a babe in Bethlehem." Explain that to me, will you, 00:41:07.60\00:41:15.47 please? Let's just take a look at this one sentence. 00:41:15.47\00:41:19.27 "Christ, at an infinite cost --" there's no way we can wrap our 00:41:19.27\00:41:26.51 minds around that. "Christ, at an infinite cost, by a painful process --" painful process? 00:41:26.51\00:41:34.49 What are you talking about? The angels don't know. I don't know. 00:41:34.49\00:41:41.60 Do you? "By a painful process, mysterious to angels as well as to men," women, and children, 00:41:41.60\00:41:46.70 he assumes humanity. What a provocative line. You know why? 00:41:46.70\00:41:54.81 Because how easily we crassly reduce the price of the Incarnation to Jesus having to 00:41:54.81\00:42:03.02 give up celestial breakfasts in bed and 24-hour angelic maid service -- "Aw, I'm not 00:42:03.02\00:42:09.39 going to have this anymore?" Wrong. What is this painful 00:42:09.39\00:42:17.80 process? What is this infinite price? How can we ever know the depths? Philip Yancey, the 00:42:17.80\00:42:25.41 American writer, he wondered the same. "It took courage, I believe, for God to lay aside 00:42:25.41\00:42:32.55 power and glory and to take a place among human beings who would greet him with haughtiness 00:42:32.55\00:42:37.92 and skepticism... It took courage to risk descent to a planet known for its clumsy 00:42:37.92\00:42:44.46 violence, among a race known for rejecting its prophets. What more foolhardy thing could God 00:42:44.46\00:42:49.90 have done?" G.K. Chesterton, the great English journalist and writer -- "Alone of all creeds, 00:42:49.90\00:42:55.97 Christianity has added courage to the virtues of the Creator." 00:42:55.97\00:43:04.98 It took courage, painful process we don't know. 00:43:04.98\00:43:07.08 "Desire of Ages" peels one more layer aside. "He not only became 00:43:09.68\00:43:15.52 an exile from the heavenly courts, but for us took the risk of failure and eternal loss." 00:43:15.52\00:43:23.53 And we sit around the tree and wonder, "Are there any more 00:43:27.17\00:43:32.57 presents, please?" And, "That was sure a great dinner. Can we 00:43:32.57\00:43:37.31 get seconds?" And Christmas has become, for us, a day of celebrating ourselves. 00:43:37.31\00:43:42.55 Oh, we love each other and we give these gifts, ostensibly out 00:43:42.55\00:43:49.29 of that love. Look at this mega mystery! And we have no clue! We just know it happened. 00:43:51.79\00:43:58.40 And so we worship. Like little Sharon, we dive into that sofa, 00:43:58.40\00:44:04.81 put our head under the cushions. And we shout for joy. But we 00:44:04.81\00:44:11.71 don't know why. Just that He came. "Beyond all question, the 00:44:11.71\00:44:18.42 mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh." In the 00:44:18.42\00:44:26.16 end, I repeat, could it be that the mystery is not so much "How could He?" but rather "Why would 00:44:26.16\00:44:33.47 he?" To answer that question, I have one of my favorite heartwarming stories that 00:44:33.47\00:44:39.27 Brennan Manning tells, is this one. It's a story about a little 00:44:39.27\00:44:42.61 7-year-old boy named Richard Ballinger in Anderson, South 00:44:42.61\00:44:47.68 Carolina. And it goes like this. It's the day before Christmas. Richie's mom is busy with 00:44:47.68\00:44:54.29 packaging, wrapping, and so she asks her young son if he would please shine her shoes. 00:44:54.29\00:45:02.80 And soon, with a proud smile only a 7-year-old can muster, he returns with shiny shoes 00:45:02.80\00:45:10.71 to his mother. Job well done, and she is so impressed, she 00:45:10.71\00:45:15.28 reaches down and grabs a quarter and gives it to him. "Thank 00:45:15.28\00:45:20.52 you." On Christmas morning, as she -- as she put on her shoes, she felt a strange lump 00:45:20.52\00:45:29.72 in one shoe. You were doing the same today. Christmas morning. 00:45:29.72\00:45:34.03 She turned the shoe upside-down, and out it came -- a quarter 00:45:34.03\00:45:42.67 wrapped in paper. And on the paper, in a child's scrawl, were the words, "I done it for love." 00:45:42.67\00:45:51.91 >> Aww. >> "You can have your quarter back. 00:45:51.91\00:45:57.82 I done it for love." That's it. 00:45:57.82\00:46:02.66 That has to be it -- this mega mystery. 00:46:02.69\00:46:07.86 How else shall we explain it? "I done it for love." 00:46:07.86\00:46:13.60 We rip the wrapping off of the very first Christmas gift in 00:46:13.60\00:46:17.17 history, and in that little backyard stable, and when the 00:46:17.17\00:46:21.11 wrapping is wrinkled but exposed, there, in God's 00:46:21.11\00:46:25.21 handwriting, "I done if for love." 00:46:25.21\00:46:29.42 Now, look, his grammar would be better, but he could not be 00:46:29.45\00:46:33.62 clearer. "I done it for love." Wow. "For God so loved the world 00:46:33.62\00:46:46.90 that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have 00:46:46.90\00:46:55.28 everlasting life." The mystery -- the mega mystery of divine 00:46:55.28\00:47:04.29 love... birthed in a box of feed... executed on a cross of wood... ascended on a cloud of 00:47:04.29\00:47:16.36 glory. The great mystery of God with us -- this God who says 00:47:16.36\00:47:25.64 He's coming soon. And that's the truth about Christmas. "I done 00:47:25.64\00:47:33.15 it for love." I have two Latin words scribbled here -- "divinum mysterium." It's the title to 00:47:39.29\00:47:48.53 the tune that Elizabeth Wilson is going to sing for us now. It's a -- It's a -- It's a 00:47:48.53\00:47:53.00 plaintive tune from centuries ago. The words are, "Of the 00:47:53.00\00:47:58.97 Father's love begotten." I want you to close your eyes as 00:47:58.97\00:48:03.78 Elizabeth sings. Just close your eyes and see if you can hear the 00:48:03.78\00:48:11.22 announcement, "I done it for love." 00:48:11.22\00:48:14.92 [ "Of the Father's Love Begotten" begins ] 00:48:14.96\00:48:19.96 [ Instrumental music plays ] ¤¤ 00:49:06.41\00:49:15.78 [ Instrumental music plays ] ¤¤ 00:50:00.76\00:50:08.87 ¤¤ 00:50:08.87\00:50:13.98 >> Amen. >> Amen. 00:51:08.70\00:51:12.70 >> Let's stand as we pray. 00:51:18.57\00:51:21.58 Of the Father's love begotten forevermore. 00:51:29.25\00:51:32.65 Oh, God, don't let us forget the Christmas truth, 00:51:32.65\00:51:39.96 "I done it for love." 00:51:39.96\00:51:42.63 What can we say, except, "We love You back very much." 00:51:42.66\00:51:50.51 Please come soon, dear Jesus. >> Amen. >> Amen. 00:51:50.51\00:51:56.24 >> Amen. >> Amen. Go with peace 00:51:56.24\00:52:00.95 and hope in your heart. We'll see you again next year. And may 00:52:00.95\00:52:09.06 God hold you close every step of the way. And don't -- don't forget the hot chocolate 00:52:09.06\00:52:13.86 at the back and at the front. You'll be ushered out. Our ushers will save you having 00:52:13.86\00:52:19.57 to face the crowd. You'll be able to move in an orderly pace. 00:52:19.57\00:52:23.14 Merry Christmas. 00:52:23.14\00:52:25.57 [ Indistinct conversations ] [ "In Dulci Jubilo" 00:52:25.61\00:52:28.04 ("In Sweet Jubilation") begins ] [ Instrumental music plays ] 00:52:28.04\00:52:34.78 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:52:34.78\00:52:52.13 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:52:52.13\00:53:09.58 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:53:09.58\00:53:26.94 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:53:26.94\00:53:44.35 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:53:44.35\00:54:01.77 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:54:01.77\00:54:19.15 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:54:19.15\00:54:36.50 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:54:36.50\00:54:53.89 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:54:53.89\00:55:11.31 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:55:11.31\00:55:28.69 ¤¤ [ Indistinct conversations ] 00:55:28.69\00:55:38.53 ¤¤ >> What is it about the holiday 00:55:43.14\00:55:46.14 season that has given you the greatest joy? 00:55:46.14\00:55:49.01 Is it the time spent cutting down the family Christmas tree 00:55:49.01\00:55:51.65 at the local farm, or maybe a special ornament 00:55:51.65\00:55:54.35 placed on that lighted bough? Or do you find joy in 00:55:54.35\00:55:57.65 contemplating the profound meaning of the carols we sing? 00:55:57.65\00:56:01.39 Maybe Christmas joy is found in the memories you make together 00:56:01.39\00:56:04.09 with friends and family, or the spirit of giving that 00:56:04.09\00:56:06.86 surrounds this season. As we reflect on these joys, 00:56:06.86\00:56:11.17 let's always remember the great light who guides us -- the one 00:56:11.17\00:56:14.74 who brings joy and meaning to life -- a loving Father who is 00:56:14.74\00:56:17.64 at the heart of all treasured relationships, and the wonderful 00:56:17.64\00:56:20.84 God who gave the ultimate gift in a newborn child. 00:56:20.84\00:56:25.41 Some of my joy this season comes in part from your letters, 00:56:25.45\00:56:28.62 your prayers, and your faithful giving of support to this 00:56:28.62\00:56:31.52 ministry, which reaches literally around the world. 00:56:31.52\00:56:34.49 If you've been blessed this year, I'd like to ask you to 00:56:34.52\00:56:37.23 join the many people who financially support this global 00:56:37.23\00:56:40.06 New Perceptions Ministry. 00:56:40.06\00:56:42.13 It's simple to do. Just call our toll-free number, 00:56:42.16\00:56:45.13 877 -- two words -- His Will. One of our friendly operators 00:56:45.13\00:56:49.87 will be happy to help you. You can also click the "donate" 00:56:49.87\00:56:52.41 link at the top of our website. Trust me, no gift is too small 00:56:52.41\00:56:56.38 for God to use to spread the good news of His love, 00:56:56.38\00:56:59.71 His sacrifice, and His future plans for our happiness. 00:56:59.71\00:57:03.52 Every gift, by the way, is entirely invested in our 00:57:03.52\00:57:07.29 mission to communicate God's good news to a generation who 00:57:07.29\00:57:10.53 needs the hope found in Jesus, which will bring them to joy 00:57:10.53\00:57:14.00 in life. So, once again, the number to 00:57:14.00\00:57:16.46 call is 877-HIS-WILL. 00:57:16.46\00:57:19.50 This season, my wish for you is that the Mighty God, 00:57:19.53\00:57:22.67 the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, 00:57:22.67\00:57:25.27 will be at the heart of the very best memories made together 00:57:25.27\00:57:29.54 with your family and friends. 00:57:29.54\00:57:31.45 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:57:31.48\00:57:47.46 ¤¤ 00:57:47.46\00:57:56.20 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:58:00.28\00:58:13.66 ¤¤ ¤¤ 00:58:13.66\00:58:26.87