Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Hey, guys, this is naive. And you've reached the Mosaic Church podcast. So excited that you're part of our listening community, and I'd love for you to be even more connected. So check out our website. There's more content there and there's more opportunities for you to get connected in our ministries and events as well. Also, love for you to share this content. If this is blessed you. I know that God wants to use you to bless other people with it, so share this podcast if you will. Lastly, would you consider supporting this ministry? This is made possible by other people's generosity, and I would love for you to pay it forward. Join us to reclaim the message and the movement of Jesus together. So would you consider giving to this ministry? I know that God is able to do immeasurably more through us when we come together. Thank you so much. God bless you and enjoy.
[00:00:56] That's hilarious. We've got some seriously talented people in this place. Or seriously bored people. Yeah, we do. We do. And I don't know if you guys know, but the teenager playing Micah was my daughter, Nura. And I was like, she's just playing herself. That's just. That's what she does. That's who she is. No, that's not true at all. She's the sweetest. She is the sweetest. So, friends, if you're first time here, we're week two of our series, and we're doing this series called Reporting on Christmas, because we're talking about good news that brings great joy. Not talking about what happened, but what this means, what has happened, and what this means to us. And so Pastor Mike kicked it off, first week, second week is me today. So I'm gonna be in the Luke chapter two. Luke chapter who? Two. And it's in your app. So if you wanna follow along, the notes are there or the verses are there. So as I was thinking about this talk, as driving here this morning, I was in the zone. You know, I was in the zone. And I'm like, I'm listening to stuff. I'm doing the thing. I'm.
[00:01:56] I'm in it. I'm in it, I'm in it. And then I notice right behind, I noticed in the rearview mirror, I notice there's a car trailing really close behind me. And I realize it is a police. It's a cop. Okay? It's a police car. Okay? And I'm thinking, oh, no. Oh, no. Now, question for you, question for you. Is it just me? But when a cop drives behind you, if a cop car trails You. I just want to confess. Like, I just. Guilt comes up. I don't even know. I don't even know what I did wrong. I just feel like they did something wrong. And this guy started. Just kept on going. Kept on for 10 minutes. He was on me. And I was like, I'm just. This is so much anxiety. I'm just going to pull over. I'm like, I did it. I did it. Okay, what's happening? Because I was in the zone. And when I'm in the zone, you know, I mean, I don't know how fast I'm going. I don't know. I don't know. Because my heart belongs to Jesus, my foot belongs to the devil. So I'm like, I don't know if I was going too slow, too fast. I'm not sure. And then I thought, man, out of all, come on, I can't get a ticket on my way to church. I can't. But then I realized I've gotten stopped by a police officer on my way to my wedding. Yes. Didn't get a ticket, though. That was good. I was like, I gotta get married, bro. I gotta get married, you know? Have you noticed, though, that there are things that happen in your life and you're like, it's just confusing. Like, why is it happening now? Like, why is it happening now? Like, I don't know about you, but as you read the Christmas story, I'm sympathizing right there. I'm like, it's like, what do you call that thing?
[00:03:32] Yeah, whatever. Oh, yeah. But I was like, ah, you read the Christmas story. You realize there are certain things that God has allowed as a part of the story that just don't make any sense. Like, why would God allow certain things to happen at this point in this person? Now, Mary and Joseph, we're told, the story starts off. We're told that they're gonna have. They're gonna give birth to the Messiah. I mean, Mary is going to be virgin birth. It's gonna be a big deal. It's a big deal because angel showed up and then Joseph got a dream. So obviously they're chosen. It's special. It's the Messiah. It's fulfillment of all these prophecies. It is a big deal. Now, I don't know about you, but when someone picks you for something, if God shows up, if an angel shows up and says, you are special, you are highly favored. You are all this thing, I'm gonna be like, hey, yes, I'm special. I should not get a ticket. You Know what I'm saying?
[00:04:25] Things should all work out for me or at least should move in the right direction. Have you ever been in your life where you feel like you're getting everything in the right direction and everything goes sideways? Like, even Christmas, you're like, okay, I gotta get everything settled. This is gonna happen. This is gonna happen. Have you ever fixed something? Like, set it up and then something just happens and you're like, why? I just got it settled. I just figured this out. My career, my relationship, my kiddos, I just figured this out. I'm in the right track. I'm going in the right pace. This is going the right direction. And all of a sudden, in one sense, your car breaks down. You know what I'm saying? It's like something happens and you go, God, why are you doing this? And you know how religious people even. Not even religious people will say this? They'll say everything. Everything happens. You know what I'm saying? Right? Everything happens for a reason. Everything happens for a reason. Everything happens. Do you like that? Yeah, exactly, right? I'm like, I don't know. I don't know if that's true. I mean, it sounds good, but everything happens for a reason. Something's just like, why? Why?
[00:05:31] What is going on? So when you read. When we get into the passage here, you're going to realize that there are certain things that you just wonder, why God? Are you allowing this to happen? So right before we get into it, are you in that place? Like, are you in a place where you're like, man, I don't know, Maneem. I don't know. Like, I just feel like things are happening, and I thought God and I were good. And then something. He allows this.
[00:05:57] I kind of feel like I've been doing the right things, but he's not really responding the right way. I feel, I don't know, frustrating with God. Let me just tell you something. Let me confess something. I love being with God, but it is so stressful living with him. Do you know what I'm saying? It is. It's so stressful, and he knows it. He knows it. I complain all the time. You're so frustrating, okay? You're so confusing. Cause you allow certain things in my life that don't make any sense, and there seems to be no reason for it, no reason to it. So what do we learn? What could God be doing? What's happening? What's the backstory in all of this? So let's jump in. Can we do that? Let's jump in. We're gonna put the first passage, the first verse for you. It's. We start off in Luke chapter two and verse one. And I chose this translation for a reason. So I don't know if you guys noticed, but some of you guys, like, what is the words right next to, like, when you use a passage like this one says nkjv, what is that? It's the new. Anybody know New for extra credit, New king. What? Yes. The only right one. The only word. No, no, no. Some of you guys like trigger. That was Trigger. I just got triggered. I just got triggered. Please. I thought Mosaic was good. No, I'm using this translation. I usually don't, but I love the way it starts off because it starts off and says, what? And it came to pass. Came to pass. If you don't get anything else, if you're watching this and you're like, I gotta go.
[00:07:26] I just want you to know that this moment, it's here.
[00:07:31] And it came to what Pass? You're not stuck in this. So you're not stuck in your sorrow. You're not stuck in this loss, you're not stuck in this confusion. You're not stuck in unemployment, you're not stuck in this career. You're not stuck. You're not stuck in this moment. Now, also, the good side, right? You're not stuck in joy or happiness as well. Things are just gonna happen because things come to what? They come to pass. They come to pass. So just want you to know that. So here the story is, it comes to pass. It happened that in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to all the world, that all the world should be registered, Right? Some of the world or all the world? All the world. You know what? These politicians are so dramatic, Honestly, isn't it? All the world.
[00:08:17] We're going to decree that all the world. Really? Really? All the world. Anyways, okay, so what this guy wanted to do was he wanted everybody to be accounted for so he could tax them more.
[00:08:29] That's it. That's the backstory. Okay? So here's what happens. What happens? So this happened.
[00:08:34] A census happened. That's what census do, right? So it says here the census first took place while. What's his face? What's his name? While who? I don't even care about him. Okay, okay. Was governing Syria. He was governing Syria. So all this all went to be registered, everyone to his own what city. So if you had moved, if you had moved, if you had moved from family, they're all going back. Everybody is getting together. It's like the biggest thanksgiving in the whole world. And they're all coming together. So what happens? So Joseph, Joseph, it says Joseph also went up from Galilee, right, To city of Nazareth, which is prophetic, right? Because Jesus is the guy from Nazareth. As the story unfolds and people say they make fun of the story and nothing good can be found in Nazareth. So it's kind of all coming together. He ends up there and says here in to Judea, to the city of David, which is called what? Bethlehem. So we find that that's how they ended up there. Because of taxes, because of a census, because of a Roman empire. They end up there. And he ends up there because what he was of the house of what, the lineage of what? David. David to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with him. Now, they had not been married. Okay, because you know how that whole virgin birth thing situation, right? It was quite, quite the story we heard about it, right? It was like, ah, she's pregnant, but she's not married. She's engaged. But he was going to break it off, but it's not going to happen. I'm not quite sure. Are they married? I'm not sure. I'm not sure. Are they together? They are together, but they have got a baby together. I don't know what's going to happen. What is that? You know, Joseph is like, I don't know. I don't know. People, his boys are like, oh, you're the baby daddy. No, I'm not. Like, I'm not the baby daddy. It's like, it's just so confusing. And now what do they have to do? They all have to go. They all have to take a long road trip. Could you imagine friends? Let's just talk about this.
[00:10:39] How many people. If you, if you could, if you, if you had to take a road trip with all your family.
[00:10:45] All of them.
[00:10:47] Yeah. That crazy uncle too. All of them. All of them. Her also. Okay, you're all going together. Can we take separate. No, no. You all have to. Here's the story. Just imagine you can't take separate flights. Everybody's in the same plane. How fast is the plane going down? That's what I want to know. Okay. Who's surviving that trip?
[00:11:10] I mean, it's one thing to travel, but it's a whole different thing to travel with what Relatives and family, whole different situation. So they had to do this because they all had to go to their place of birth or origin. And so what happens? The story goes on. It says so. It Was this is what happens. That while they were there, the days were completed for her. This is Mary to be. To deliver her baby. And she brought forth her firstborn son. So we know that story. And wrapped him in squaddling clothes and laid him in a manger. Friends, I have searched deep and wide and found the original. The original. If you guys can, you know, close up on this guy, okay? The original piece of how this all went down. Okay? I found this. It's a classic. I found it on the Antique Roadshow. You know, so it's legit. It's legit. Legit with the white Jesus. That's totally. That makes it legit. Yeah, yeah. So they end up in a manger because there was no room for them in the. And we know that story, right? You know that story. Now, let's just break that down a little bit. Break that down a little bit. So you just had a moment with God.
[00:12:38] Like, you know, maybe you can't relate to Mary and Joseph, but you had a moment with God, and you feel like you're going good. And then something amazing happens. Something amazing happens in your life. You're like, God favors you more than other people in a sense. Like, Mary and Joseph, angel shows up kind of thing. A moment happens, and then right after that, Right after that, you have to go on a road trip and you're pregnant. You're pregnant. Talk about terrible timing, right? Like, terrible timing. This is the worst time to do this. It's the worst time. Can I take this trip after I'm done? I mean, I've never been pregnant, so I can't understand. But I'll tell you what.
[00:13:21] My wife has been. And we've traveled. Do you know what I'm saying? Like, it's tough for her, but it's tough for everybody else, too. It's just tough. It's just everything is harder when you're pregnant. Everything's harder. I mean, there are certain people, right? You love them, but you hate to travel with them. Come on. Can I get an amen? You know. You know it. You love them, but you do not want to travel with them. No. My mom is one of those. Mom, I love you. Okay? So it's the same. I do not want to travel with her. No, don't want to do it. Love her, love her, love her. Okay? But now she is traveling pregnant with not ideal people. She's traveling with family, all of them who judge her. I want you to know this. Not everybody got a dream like Joseph. Hey, they're the one. This is Legit.
[00:14:09] No. Joseph got a dream. Not even an angel. Mary got an angel, then it went down to a dream. Other people are like, I don't even know. We don't know. So now they're in company, traveling. She's pregnant, they're traveling, and people are like, why are you together?
[00:14:25] What's happening? Do you think Joseph had a conversation with other people and they're like, I'm sure someone was like, dude, why are you with her?
[00:14:36] I had a dream, man.
[00:14:40] Go to bed again. What?
[00:14:42] You had a dream? Yeah, man. I had a dream and this happened. Did you have a real angel? No, I had a dream.
[00:14:50] Wow. Okay, okay, okay, okay. All right. You know, what do you think the grandmas are saying? Like, everybody's talking about them. Why? Because they're traveling together. Not ideal time. Not ideal people. And guess what? It's not even an ideal purpose on the trip. Like, you know this and I know this. Don't be honest. Okay? You would bear. You will bear. Not the best people.
[00:15:17] You would bear. Not the best timing. If the trip was all inclusive.
[00:15:25] We have done that. We have said yes to family because they were paying for it. We've done it. Okay? Not ideal people, not ideal timing. But you go, you know why? Because guess what?
[00:15:36] Yes.
[00:15:38] We've got purpose. They're not going for any fun thing. There's no, like, hey, listen, Mary and Joseph, we got a spot for you. It's amazing. Bethlehem. Woo.
[00:15:47] No, no, no, no. This is just. This is just for. This trip is for people in power to get richer.
[00:15:59] Oh, that's where we're going? Yeah. That's just so they can number you and then tax you.
[00:16:05] Oh, so there's no purpose? No good purpose? No, because I don't think she was connecting it to what prophecy was going to be. Like, no good purpose, not a great timing, not ideal people. What do you think is happening to their relationship with God? What would happen if God allowed something in your life after a moment where you were like, oh, God, this is amazing. And then he allowed just things to happen. They're just confusing. They're not even. They're tragic and they're full of other things, but they're just confusing to you. Like, God allows something and you're like, I thought we were good. Have you ever had that? I'm like, I thought we were good.
[00:16:45] I thought we were good. I really thought we were good. Are we not good anymore?
[00:16:50] Are we not good anymore?
[00:16:53] Could you and I relate to that? Like, God, now you're letting this fall apart. Now I just got this. Now you're doing this. You just told me. I just had a moment. And now you're letting all these things happen. And then to top it all off, they end up in a manger. In the manger, because there was no room for what for them. In the what? Inn. Now we know that story, but can I tell you because I'm reporting on Christmas, the truth is, it's not because they didn't have place in the inn. There are two words that are used that Luke, the writer, the gospels use to describe inn. Inn is a place where people pay and they go and stay. But then there's also another word called the guest room, the guest space. Or some of them, they call it the upper room. The upper room. And the two Greek words that Luke uses, one, I wrote it down here because I don't know Greek.
[00:17:52] Okay? One word is pen, bandachini, Chian, Pantachean. Pantichian is the word that was used, for example, in the Good Samaritan story. If you guys remember that the guy helped the guy out and then put. Put him in a inn. They put him in inn. Okay, that was not a guest room. That is an inn. That's the inn. That's the word for inn. Now, the other word that Luke uses is the word kataluma. And kataluma is the word. It literally says guest room. Guest room. So what we've done is we confused the story and we've said, oh, because there was no room for them in the inn.
[00:18:41] No, the real story is that Jesus was born in a manger because their family and relatives rejected and did not allow them in their family guest room.
[00:18:54] There was no room in the guest room. They had no room for them in their lives, emotionally, psychologically, and physically. They denied it. And so the manger is not just a sign of God being so humble. It's a sign of his humiliation, his rejection.
[00:19:20] So I just want you to know, after an experience like that, Mary and Joseph have they have this humbling, humiliating experience that even their family would not give up a guest room for them. Why? Because someone. I'm just going to say, I don't know this. So I'm making this up here. I'm assuming something here.
[00:19:44] I'm assuming that someone said, this illegitimate kid is not going to be born in my house, not in mine, under my roof. This whole cockamany story, oh, this is God's baby. Like, could you imagine someone telling you that? And you're like, no, I'm not doing that. We're not doing that. So they end up here. Now, what is happening to Mary's and Joseph's relationship with God when they're sitting there with cows and stables? Because here's the thing, back in those days, there were three layers of, like, the structure of houses. Some of them were two, most of them were two, some of them were three. So basically what happened was the ground floor was the living space for the family. The upstairs, they would have a room, a space. They would call it the upper room. It was the guest room. And then on down, ground floor, on the side, or sometimes underneath, there would be place for the animals to bring them in when it was really cold to bring them in, that's where they would hang out. So the family said, there's no guest room for you guys.
[00:21:01] You guys have got to stay with the animals. So that's where they stayed.
[00:21:07] Now all that rejection, I mean, at some point you're like, God, did I make this up? Maybe Joseph was like, you know what? I think I had a bad dream.
[00:21:15] I think that was not a good thing. I don't think that's true. I'm not quite sure. Because shouldn't things work out?
[00:21:23] Shouldn't things work out when you're with God, shouldn't things work out? Now, isn't it true though, that when bad things happen to us, we go, what do we do?
[00:21:32] What do we do? What's wrong? Because suffering is always a sign, isn't it? It's a sign. Like in religious circles, especially back in the day, if you suffered, if you had illness, if something tragic happened to you, if someone died in your life, if something major happen, it was because of the sin in your life. That's why the disciples were always like, so what did he do?
[00:21:56] You see that leper? What did he do? That blind dude, what did he do? You know, like, they were just like, what did he and Jesus like? Didn't do anything.
[00:22:04] Didn't do anything. Because back in those days, and even now, if bad things start happening, if bad things start happening to me, I'd be like, what did I do? How many of us have made so many, like, life shattering, not life shattering, life altering. Confessions and promises in the shower. God, if you would just let this happen. I promise. Oh, I promise. Oh, you don't know God. I promise, I promise, I promise. And then something bad happens. You're like, God, why?
[00:22:34] I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Or if you don't believe in that, you're like, karma came back.
[00:22:41] She mad?
[00:22:43] Yeah, she's coming back. She's doing this.
[00:22:47] So let me.
[00:22:48] If we as humans believe that suffering is a sign, what if suffering is not a sign for us?
[00:22:58] What if your suffering and my suffering, that what we're ever going through, I'm just going to call it suffering. What if suffering is not a sign for us? Maybe it's a sign for others.
[00:23:08] Maybe the way you go through suffering points to something. What if your attitude while you suffer points to the magnitude of your faith?
[00:23:27] Maybe, just maybe, the way you go through suffering points to the God you really claim to love and serve.
[00:23:38] Because you might be waiting on God, but people are watching you.
[00:23:50] People are watching you. The way you're going through this disappointment.
[00:23:55] Your kids are watching you, your family's watching you. The way you handle this complicated parenting that you find yourself in, people are watching you.
[00:24:09] The way you handle this divorce, people are watching you.
[00:24:14] The way you go through and live with the fact that now you are in a place where you're like, nothing in my life is working out. And I find myself claiming to tell everybody that it's God's baby, but it just happens to be born in a stable.
[00:24:32] And I have no way to prove to anyone that what I said was actually true.
[00:24:39] Because all of this points to the fact that I'm a loser.
[00:24:45] Because I can't even have a baby, my own baby, in a room, in a house, it's in a stable.
[00:24:57] But see, this manger was a sign.
[00:25:03] It was a sign because if you read the Christmas story, which we will continue next week, the shepherds were told, and you will be given a sign and you will find a baby. What, in a manger? And this will be assigned to everyone of the God has stepped into human history. See, in this point, she would not never realize like, this is happening. This would never like this moment. Because when we're in the middle of it, we don't go and see. Like, here's where we go. We go, God, God, where are you? Have you ever felt that?
[00:25:50] God, where are you? Where are you?
[00:25:52] Or we think or say things like, God, will you just show up?
[00:25:58] Could you just show up? Or you might say, I'm just waiting for God to what?
[00:26:04] Show up? Just show up. Just answer the prayer. Give me a sign, right? Just tell me, tell me, tell me, God, show up. And I want to say to you, I don't think that you ever need to wait on God.
[00:26:20] I think God is always waiting on you.
[00:26:23] Because when you think of Jesus, you think, oh, this is the moment where God stepped into human history. And then Jesus is proof that God loves us. And because of Jesus, now everything changes. And now everything has hope. But I want you to know, before Jesus, there was Christ.
[00:26:43] Even though in the English language we say Jesus Christ, it's actually Christ who became Jesus. Let me explain. In John, chapter one, John writes, and he says this in the beginning, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. And the Word was with God. And the Word was God. He was God. He was in there in the beginning. John continues to write and he says this. He says. He says that before anything else existed, there was Christ. Before anything else existed. Before Jesus, the person was born. Christ existed already. Now I know, it's like, what does that even mean? That means that the triunion God sent a part of himself who already was existed, sent him to be born into. So God basically smuggled himself into humanity through Jesus and put him as a baby. And then he was. He grew up. He says before anything else existed, there was Christ with God. He has always been what? Help me out. Been what? Alive and is what and is who he is himself. God. Then it goes on and says, he, He, Christ. He created everything. There is every moment, molecule, anything that points to a reality in your life. He created the very space that we inhabit. He created nothing.
[00:28:23] Nothing exists that he what didn't make everything.
[00:28:32] Eternal life is in him.
[00:28:36] Like this sense of like all of eternity moving and continue to move. It's in Christ.
[00:28:45] Not Jesus the human container, but in Christ. And this life gives light to what all mankind.
[00:28:57] And then he goes on, he says, his life. His life.
[00:29:01] His life. Like Christ coming into Jesus.
[00:29:06] His life is.
[00:29:08] Well, it blew Joseph away. First of all, Joseph fell in the spirit. That's what he did. That's what happens. Okay? There's no catcher there. Sorry.
[00:29:18] But his life is the light that shines through the darkness. Our darkness and darkness can never, what? Extinguish it. He goes on and says this, he says, let's go to the next. Yeah. He says Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. Everything was created through him and for him. Then he goes on, he says he existed before anything, anything. Like, we've already delivered this point. And then he says, he closes it up. He says, and he holds what? All creation together. So I just want you to know that maybe you're waiting on God to show up. I don't think God is ever not there. Like, I have to learn when I say things like, God, would you just show up? Would you just show up? Would you show up like, I'm waiting on you. It feels like God, I'm waiting on you to do this, to turn this around. I'm waiting on you to show up. I'm waiting on you. I'm waiting on you. I'm waiting on you. I feel like God sometimes says name. You're never, I'm waiting on you.
[00:30:29] I've always been.
[00:30:32] I've always been there. Like, you know, this idea of, like, there are people who are far away from me, that's not true.
[00:30:39] Because I hold what, everything together.
[00:30:45] So if you're in the middle of the crisis, if you're in the middle of a thing going, I don't know how I'm going to parent well, I don't know if this is going to work out. I'm not quite sure how we're going to get this paid for. I'm not quite sure how we're going to turn this around. I'm not quite sure what the future holds. I'm not, not quite sure about this marriage. I'm not quite sure about this job. I'm not quite sure about this country. I'm not quite sure. I'm not quite sure. I'm not quite sure. I just want you to know he holds everything together.
[00:31:09] He's got the whole world, what, in his hands. He's got all of us in his hands and he's not letting go.
[00:31:21] So if you find yourself in a place. I'm not quite sure, I'm not quite sure, I'm not quite sure. I just want you to know, if you find yourself in a manger because you have been rejected by the people and betrayed by circumstances and situations, if you felt all kinds of feelings of like, I'm in the lowest point. If you find yourself in a manger spot, sitting there with a baby, sitting there with something and being just like, wondering, yeah, this is supposed to be good, but it doesn't feel good. I don't know. I don't know. I just want you to know he's got the whole world in his hands and he's turning things around. God has been working. Do you know this very spot, this very spot right now is a church in the West Bank. In fact, I've got a picture of it. Maybe I can put it up for you guys really quick. The first picture. If you can put that up really quick, that'd be awesome. Tammy?
[00:32:17] Yeah, right there. I'm just looking at myself, I'm like, that's not him. All right. Yeah. So that is the. They built A church around it. It's a Greek Orthodox church that's built there. They built it about 400 years after the. After the movement of Jesus started. And it is. It is pretty interesting that they built a church around this place. But then they went ahead and marked the actual place of where Jesus was born. So now this manger scene has become. Let's show the next picture right here, really quick.
[00:32:48] Looks like this. Now, could Mary even wonder and think that that manger scene would look like that?
[00:32:55] And then what they've done here, the last picture here, you'll see that they've actually marked the space, the actual place where Jesus was born.
[00:33:04] You walk into this and you go, wow. Could you imagine if Mary could, looking down at this, going, oh, my goodness.
[00:33:14] Wow. This, my manger, my moment, my space of humiliation and rejection from my family and friends, from people who didn't understand me. My doubting God's favor and faith, years later, turns into something like this.
[00:33:37] What if you can get rid of that? What if.
[00:33:41] What if you and I. What if you and I need to just get a better perspective on what God just had in mind for us? So I want you to know this. If you find yourself in a place where you're like, I'm not quite sure. I'm not quite sure. I'm not quite sure. I'm not quite sure. I want you to know you're not done traveling with him. And if you find yourself in a place where I just don't feel this is ideal. God has the power to turn around and you have no idea what he can do. So I want to pray for us. Can we do that? I just want to pray for you. Let's stand together.
[00:34:19] Let's stand together. And if you would, if you can just close your eyes for a minute and just think of all the thoughts, allow your thoughts to run a little bit, but then focus in. Focus in on what God could be saying to you. What God could be speaking to you. What God could be, could be revealing in you and uncovering in you what God could be saying to you. Maybe God is saying, truly, truly. He's saying, I just need you to know that you don't have to wait on me. I've been there. I need you to know that I'm working. I'm working and I'm waiting on you.
[00:35:01] And I know that right now this moment doesn't feel good. It doesn't look good. I know this feels like a manger. It feels like a place that's far from ideal.
[00:35:15] It's got all. It's got all the. It's the wrong setting.
[00:35:20] This illness is in the wrong timing. I get that you're in this moment wanting to have this relationship with me, but you find yourself just surrounded by just the wrong, wrong people.
[00:35:38] God, I just pray that we would know in the middle of this, we never, we're never alone.
[00:35:47] We don't have to wait on you. You've been so committed to us. You've never left.
[00:35:53] In fact, you hold everything together. You hold our reality. Every moment, every molecule, every breath I take find refuge in that. Can we find rest in that? Can we remind our soul of that, that truly in life we never are alone, we never walk alone, we never travel alone, we never suffer alone, we never rejoice alone.
[00:36:27] God, you're with us.
[00:36:29] So God, I pray as we respond, some of us might light a candle, reminding ourselves about that that you are the light in our darkness.
[00:36:38] Others of us might go receive communion, reminding God that so much is so profound that when you took communion, when you serve communion for the first time, and you told us to do that, you used the same Greek word that said guest room, that the room that you were ejected to be born in is the guest room is a guest room that you gave your gave served us communion.
[00:37:16] God, what a profound thought that you would even turn your rejection to our redemption.
[00:37:27] Allow us to be reminded God.
[00:37:33] Let's respond. Thanks for listening to this message from Mosaic Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. For more audio and video content, visit us at Mosaic Church TV.
