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here Hey, Merry, Christmas Prairie Lakes really glad that you are here that we can start our week off this way and don't ever forget this. Okay? No matter who you are where you been what you've done or what's been done to you.

God does love you and you can go on the journey here. You don't have to be perfect. You don't have to have your act together because none of us do but we're really glad that you're here. So praise God, we're glad that we can do this together. Hey before I go any further your CP just talked about this but man, this is a terrific resource put out by our team. So proud of those gals and guys. It really is it really makes it frictionless for you'd be a good inviter for Christmas. So take advantage of this and and use it and pray about it and then go use it and get your invite on this Christmas. All right.

Here's what we know about this season. Okay for some of us for some of us, right? Here's what we know. We will right now that our Christmas gathering with our family is going to be crazy town family is messed up and you're already having palpitations about it. I know because I've talked to some of you are already going. Oh no. Oh no.

Okay. Now that's not all of us because for some of us, it's not my family that's giving me palpitations, but it's my work and my job that's going to be a complete clown show this season. And this calm picture right of you know, sitting in The Rocker with the fireplace glowing and this and the lights twinkling and some hot chocolate is about as far from your reality as you could get and you're already on this mode of saying I'll show you a silent night. Okay, so I know some of us are there and and for others right others, it's it's this it's the first Christmas without That's going to be hard or it's the first Christmas with.

Or it's the last Christmas that's going to be like this with our with our current setting. So listen, I know I know I know okay, but here's the goal for this weekend. Here's the goal. bringing a non anxious presence may be the best gift you give this Christmas just just sit there. Here's what it is. We're gonna spend the rest of our time together talking just about this bringing a non anxious presence.

Maybe the best gift you give this Christmas. If you ever experienced this a moments in my life where I experienced a non anxious presence from somebody that just lowers the temperature that UPS the confidence that that just calms the Seas. I have memories I have these These Memories that was thinking about it this week and I I have these and here my first one is this when I was a kid, we'd always go to Wyoming we lived in Iowa and I was little kid we'd go to Wyoming because my grandparents had a cabin in the mountains.

And it was great. But when I was by I must have been I must have been four or five or six years old. I was I was pretty little dude. And there's a there was a crick right through their property and we'd fish this Creek and wander down on my brother my dog my older brother and I want older brothers and I were walking when they were going down the creek and we were fishing and all the sudden we got down there and I looked up and I couldn't see the cabin.

And immediate Panic set in I can still remember that feeling of of looking around and the feeling of lost and my brother and I told my brother and he could see me starting to cry and my brother Doug. Put his hand on my shoulder. He must have been eight or nine years old at the time handed my shoulder and said don't worry.

I know how to get us home. Right? And the reason that sticks to me is my brothers. Beat me up all the time. One of my Fondest Memories as a kid. Is this my two older brothers Kevin the dog years they did. They really hog tied me. On our basketball court in our backyard. They hog tied me. Well my parents were gone and they put a pocket knife three feet away and they said to me if you can get the pocket knife and cut yourself free. You can be free. I cried there my parents that was back before. Let me tell you my dad took care of business when he got home after that. Okay. So I remember my brother though. So unusual this non anxious presence right?

When when Tom hold them and I were in a plane crash was some years ago now, I still never forget that that first EMT that just happened to be driving by that wasn't even on Tootie and and he comes comes running out and he kneels down beside us and I could just remember he just put his hand on my chest and he said it's gonna be okay.

I got it. Never forget that moment. I can still picture his his face and Ministry. There was this moment but Gosh, it must have been. 12 13 14 years ago something like that. Now when when we decided that we were going to do multisite. We were listening to God and we said this is the direction he wants us to go.

And and the elders voted and it was it was it was a big deal. We knew it was like a, you know game changer for us. So we new it. The next morning on my desk was a note from Pastor Chris Chris rig and I it was just beautiful. He said what a momentous decision last night by our elders.

You've got what it takes. To lead us through this. I tell you that is that that non-anxious presence right? It's there there was there was another one that I think maybe my most memorable because it kind of encapsulates all of this was when I was in seminary Kay and I were in seminary in Denver and her dad had just was our middle year three years.

We're in the middle year. We're pregnant with Ali our first daughter. Our first kid and and Kay's dad had just passed away from cancer. And and we're back at the campus and I can remember just feeling like I don't know what's gonna be next. I don't know how to handle this. I don't know how to mourn. I know how to help my wife were pregnant.

What's good? We don't know where we're going all those things and I walked by one guy's office. He was a professor and I just looked in and he said come on in and he got out from behind his desk. He sat down. put his hands in his lap and said How you doing?

And he just sat there and he just lowered everything. He lowered the temperature. He lowered the anxious right? That's a non anxious presence now, listen my friends. Imagine what could happen now? In your family or your with your kids or your classroom or your office or with your staff or your little, Iowa?

If you could bring the non anxious presence of Jesus. This Christmas if you could bring that gift and let's just sit on this sit on this there is someone in your little, Iowa. who needs to receive this gift from you this Christmas settle it now in your mind and your heart there is someone you are going to be Jesus with skin onto you're gonna be the one who brings this non anxious presence that calms the sea and lowers the temperature and brings the peace.

Someone your lie was going to need that you're gonna need that from you. So here's the question. How do we do it? Okay, so let's go to how do we bring it? So, how do we bring the gift of a non-anxious presence this Christmas? How do we do this? Right. So let's start walking. I'm going to give you four of these kind of four kind of steps kind of kind of spots that we just need to sit on and and walk through together. Okay. So how to bring it. Here's the first one with the start with this and this is the truth and this is really the Christmas story. Okay, let's go right to that story. And this is it. God is now near this is the message of Christmas.

To you not just over there or not just to them or not just to that group or not just to that country but to you to you. In fact, let's that's all turn it to the to the story in in Luke 2. Okay. So in Luke 2:8 through 12, right so grab your bible and and remember Matthew 1 and then Luke 1 and 2 are the only two places where the birth narrative where the Christmas story is told Mark doesn't doesn't touch it. He starts with Jesus older and so does John so they don't touch this story.

So we go to Luke 2 we've got this beautiful picture, right? We've got this beautiful picture and I've read this so many times and I just love it that one of the beauty of things about a beautiful things about the Bible is when you read it and you read it with kind of an open mind and an open heart and try to bring fresh eyes to it. God reveals things and that happened to me in this same old story that you know, we've read and I've taught on for for 32 years or whatever. It's been so in Luke Chapter 2. We have the the birth of Jesus. Okay, and then and then they go to Nazareth. They go to Galilee, right?

And and it says in first aid it says and there were shepherds living out in their fields nearby keeping watch over their flocks at night and an angel of the Lord appear to them and the glory of the Lord Shone around them and they were terrified. So there's the picture but what's most important is what do they say? And who do they say it to so catch this because this was just caught me, okay.

So in verse 10 it starts, but the angel said to them don't be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Okay. So there it is. This this God so loves the world that he gave right? So there's this there's this beautiful picture of this savior is coming this good news the gospel good news, and it's gonna be for the all of humanity, right the options there for everybody.

And then here's what they say though. today in the town of David a savior has been born. And listen the semicolon here would have been just fine. But that's not what the scripture recorded.

Today in the town of David a savior has been born. and the angel speaks to them to you Shepherds to you the cast out to you who are alone. Do you who are a work in the night shift to you who are out in the dark? He says the Savior and born to you. He is the Messiah the Lord and then he keeps going he says this will be a sign.

for you You will find a baby wrapped in Claws and lying in a Manger. Do you see that? I think it's so great that the Jesus came and died and he was born and died and rose again for everybody for all of humanity. But here's what the Christmas message is.

adds for everybody it's for you. For you no matter who you are or where you've been or what you've done or what's been done to you. This savior came. for you for you no matter what.

You can fight against that all you want you can say that's not true. But but here it is. This isn't a far away God. This is the now near God. You may have drifted from this this truth.

And for one reason or another this this idea that that he came for me or that I'm I'm not worthy but he did it for me or this. I'm too far gone, or I've done too many bad things. You may have drifted from this simple truth.

Or maybe you haven't discovered it yet. But this is the central message of Christmas. Emmanuel God With Us And in solidarity the Angels Proclaim to these Shepherds.

for you for you My friend you may not have made the decision yet. You may you may find this so hard to believe but I'm I'm just asking you if you would grab this truth and you would finally quit pushing away and you'd finally say, okay.

This Jesus came for me. This Jesus lived for me. This Jesus died for me. This Jesus rose again for me. Even me. If this is your moment to finally say, okay, we call that stepping over the faith line when you finally surrender and say I I've screwed it up. I'm the center. I can't fix it. I can't make fix myself. But Jesus your word tells me and Christmas tells me.

that you came for me when you finally surrender and decide that you step over the line just say okay Jesus. I don't have it all figured out. But boy, I trust that you're the one you're the only one who can fix it. The only one who can save me and you become a follower.

There are some of us right now in this moment that we've made that decision, but it's our time to re-surrender. It's time to it's time to go. You know what I've wandered far from that truth. I've believed lots of things and I haven't lived my life like he's he's with me and he came for me.

And it's time to have a re-surrender to that my friends. Listen the point of the Christmas stories that God is here now. for you for you And so so that leads us now that lead just kind of like so so what do we do with that then right. So, so he's near he's now near to you.

This next thing for us is then we we can receive it because we can't we can't bring the gift to our little Iowa or to our family or to those we care about the most are too a stranger. We can't give what we don't have. You can't give what you don't have. I can't give it I don't have so we've got to receive it. We've got to receive this once stay in our in our Bible to stay and in Luke and let's let's push ahead to kind of the the midlife Ministry of Jesus because there's this there's this story that that teaches this this lesson to us that that Jesus gives these kind of like clear expectations, right if you want to be able to to bring that gift, right? It's it's it's you've got to receive it first. So go to Luke 10 everybody and in Luke 10 starting in verse 38, there's the story. It's it's a familiar story to some of us.

And as Jesus when he's at the home of of Martha and Mary, okay, so these were friends of Jesus. They're they're mentioned another or two times in in the gospels, but they're friends of Jesus. And here's what it says in verse 38 so everybody get there, okay. It says as Jesus and his disciples were on their way. He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.

She had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. Okay, so so see the picture here two sisters. One Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to him which by the way broke all the taboos of the day.

Women didn't get to sit directly with the teacher and they didn't get to sit with the men with the teacher. But but here she is. but Martha it says but Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made and she came to him and asked Lord.

Don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself. Tell her to help me. Martha Martha the Lord answered you're worried and upset about many things. But few things are needed and catch this now or indeed only one.

Mary has chosen what is better? And it will not be taken away from her. Now listen, this isn't a this isn't a an argument about about personality types or people that have lists or the type A. People are aren't good or the people that are type B or no. This is nothing to do with that.

But my friends you and me we we're going to receive it. We have to receive it and Mary Mode not Martha mode because we get in Martha mode. We get Martha we get in the trouble. We need to choose right now. You can choose this season. If you're gonna bring it God is near me and I can choose either sit and listen, or I can choose to hurry and worry. It's a choice that we all have to make.

Things have to get done. Not the point. The point is what mode do you operate in? And what mode do you not operate in? this season Once you just to see this contrast between the two because it's It's fascinating to me it it's absolutely fascinating. So Martha mode is this and look what he says, right? He says it says but Martha was distracted by all the preparations have been made and then later he says to her. He said you are worried and upset about many things. So Martha mode is distracted word and upset and catch this now when you're in Martha mode, God becomes too small. What do I mean by that? We'll catch what catch what Martha does one of the things that Martha does is she says this Lord don't you care? Right? So she's so she's so she's bringing the god of the universe down to a figure in your life that could either love her or reject her or not care about her or not notice her and she makes this Jesus king of the universe a small small God.

It doesn't even care about her and he doesn't she doesn't stop there. She said don't you care and then she says look what it says. It says Lord don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself. Tell her to help me right when God's small you can tell him what to do. Okay, so so she does that and then and then when you're in Martha, well the other thing that happens is you become I could become too big right? So look what she says. I've got all don't you care that my sister left me to do the work by myself.

Tell her God this isn't fair to me. Right so so Martha Mode God becomes too small and I become too big. Okay, so so contrast that now with with Mary Mode So Mary did make a hard choice and look what Jesus remember what he said. He said he says but few things are needed and deed only one and Mary has chosen.

What is better now? This isn't about getting charged or not getting chores done get that throw that away. This is about your mode of operating. And Jesus says this there's really only one thing. That's needed. And it's to receive from me it's to sit and it's to listen.

It's to focus on his words she would sit and listen and it says she focus on is what she was sitting and listened to him. Speak she focus on his words. And Jesus says this he says received what can't be taken away.

She received it. He says and it's funny. He says there's indeed only one thing. And Mary has chosen what is better? And it will not. Be taken away from her. And the word is not temporary when you give him room and he speaks to you and you receive his presence.

It can't be taken away from you. It can't be and here's Jesus. He makes this he he puts this out there. He he makes this this picture that's really clear. My friends listen to most important thing one thing is needed and here's what it is.

to be in Mary Mode to have time to make the choice even if it's a hard choice. to sit and listen and focus on his words let him speak.

To receive his presence to receive it. And and it's a choice and think of it this way summarize the whole story with this. Martha tells Jesus what he should do.

Now most of us are bold enough to God you should do this, but all of us at times when we get in Martha mode. We think God isn't acting away. He should. He's not doing what I want him to do.

Right. So when Martha mode she tells Jesus what he should do, but check this out. Mary lets Jesus. Tell her what she should do. And my friends these are two different stances. Jesus says only one is needed this one is most important.

My friends hear me now. The message of Christmas is God is near. now to you no matter we can receive. We can sit and listen and we can literally receive the presence of God to be with us.

and in US can receive because here's the deal. if the best gift that you can give this Christmas is to bring this non-anxious presence this Jesus with skin on to someone your little Iowa, okay.

Not only is it near now? Not only should you receive it? But we need to bring it to others it these go together. These can't be separated. This is the this is the the how the kingdom works. There's the there's the both and when it comes to to this this walking with Christ and this receiving we receive it but receive for this reason to bring it go back to the story in Luke 2 go back to the angels and the and the Shepherds and it's fascinating to me when you when you see it again and you you read it afresh.

But but the Angels come and and they tell the go look and and check out what's happening and and they go see see this thing that's going on and the Shepherds did that and notice what happened? Right afterwards. Okay notice happened, right afterwards.

So they hurried off. And found Mary and Joseph and the baby who was lying in the manger and when they had seen him received this news received his presence they spread the word. Concerning what had been told them about this child and all who heard.

Were amazed at what the Shepherds said to them listen? when you receive presence of God when you receive his word when you receive his love. only thing we can do is It's it's they have to go together. They have to so they spread the word concerning him now. I want you to see something else here. Okay, I want you to see something else. Go back to the Marion Martha story in Luke 10.

Okay, now multiple times we talk about how context matters and and the authors put these stories together. Whether it's you whether it's who's the recipient of these these these stories or are they are they Jewish Heritage people are they are they non-jewish are they pagans that you know, they're they're putting an order for a reason.

So if you go to Luke 10 and go back, okay, and go to verse 25. Okay. Go back to Luke 10. And in 25 is the story of the Good Samaritan. I'm not gonna read the whole story, but you can read it this week. If you're not super familiar with I'm gonna give you this summary, okay?

So they came to Jesus and and they said well who basically who's my neighbor right? How do I how do I do it? Who who should I who's really my neighbor? And so Jesus tells a story of the Good Samaritan, right? So the story is this there's a there's a guy that's traveling on a road and he gets beaten and robbed to with an inch of his life.

And he's laying on the side of the road and a priest comes by and Crosses to the other side and it doesn't touch him. Then there's a levite who's another religious figure comes by sees him crosses to their side and doesn't touch him. The third guy that comes is a Samaritan and his Samaritan the Jews were enemies and if anybody would go to the side and not touch him. It was the Samaritan but what's the Samaritan does? He's the Good Samaritan and what he does is he goes and he picks the guy up and it says all the story about how he he binds his wounds and he puts oil on him and he brings him to the hotel and he says you take care of him all pay for everything. Even when I come back if there's more Bill all pay the bill and at the end of it at the end of it, right? Jesus asked the lawyer. Okay, let's look at this.

Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell on the hands of the robbers? and the expert the law replied the one who had mercy on him and Jesus told him I'll catch it now. go and do likewise So Hear Me Now Jesus tells this story.

Says go and do. the very next story ends with sit and listen go and do sit and listen sit and listen go and do.

My friends just just catch this with me. Okay? Jesus says go and do and sit and listen Sit listen, this is this is the the code of the Kingdom. Okay, if you just go and do if you just go and do.

You become a a busy martyr. But if you just sit and listen, you become a fat dumb unhappy Christian. So these are not to be lived out alone. You don't just sit. Listen, you don't just go and do but here's what Jesus says. Listen you sit listen, and you go and do you go and do and you sit listen these go together. That's the code of the Kingdom.

It's the cloud. And my friends this Christmas. You are called an I am called to sit and listen and receive his presence. Be with him. and take what you receive.

And bring that presence. To someone who needs to see and feel Jesus in you. my friends I know I know. to do this can be scary.

And right now I know some of you have this this large measure of of self-doubt right this large measure of I I I don't I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. So here's what I want to do. Okay, here's what I want to do. I want to just answer this question. So what's that look like? Okay. So what's that look like?

First and foremost, here's what it looks like. In the moment, right? So in the moment. With your neighbor with your spouse with your coworker with your boss with your employee with your friend. Whatever it is in that moment.

When you're bringing the non anxious presence, here's what it is just be. in the moment present listening undistracted I'll never forget that professor.

Who got out from behind his desk? Pulled the chair up. sat down folded his hand in his lap looked me in the eye and made me feel like I was the most important person in the world.

He was present. He listened. And he was undistracted and that made a difference in me in that moment. And that moment he was the presence of Christ for me. He was Jesus was skin on.

so so it looks like being the moment be present listening and attractive the second one is this Be trusting the author of the story. Okay be trusting the author of the story God's right in the story. Your job is to sit in that moment and trust that he's writing a story in their life trust that he's writing a story in your life. Trust that he's he's still writing the story and trust that he can rewrite somebody's story if he needs to you trust and the author of the story and then there's this one trust him to carry the moment trust God just to be in that moment. What am I gonna say? And how am I going to say it listen?

Sometimes just trust God to be in the moment. There's so many times in my life when I've I feel like oh, I've got to carry everything and every silent moment. I've got a fill with some words and and I've got to make sure they like me I got to make sure I seem smart and all of those things. But here's what I've discovered.

What I can be a non anxious presence. someone who's who's in a very difficult spot or a tumultuous spot in their spirit Best thing I can do is just listen.

Let the Holy Spirit speak let God do each other the presence of Christ do the job. And just let him go. Just just be there. and let the Holy Spirit prompt you My friends imagine. Okay Imagine This Christmas What your little Iowa starting with your family?

Your workplace your neighbors. imagine what your little Iowa how it could be blessed. if you Would have your head up your eyes open? And you could bring it.

a non anxious presence to somebody who needs it. Imagine what God might do. All right. So here's what we're gonna do right now all of us. In order for us to get there in order for us to even have our our hearts ready for that. We have to learn how to just sit and receive so I'm gonna do this just for a few minutes with you and then what's gonna happen is your campus Pastor your campus host is gonna come up.

And we're going to we're going to do communion together and remember communion is the picture. God is with us. Here's what Jesus did for us. his presence here's what he did.

And here's what it means. So here's I want us to do I want to practice receiving just for a moment. Okay, so do this with the staff all the time, and we just need to learn so all of us. Cross all the campuses put your Bible away. Put your pens down.

Your phone down just put it all away. And it wants us to sit with me. Get your feet in a comfortable spot. Okay, get them in a comfortable spot. Mine are right here. Put your hands on your your knees or your lap. Just get yourself comfortable.

I want you to just take a couple big breaths just Lower your shoulders down relax your neck. your jaw and your eyes just just be breathe while you're breathing just do a kind of a scan the top of your head the bottom of your feet relax your hands.

Your jaw your neck. your shoulders just go down your body and just be open to receive. And once you kind of shut down. and start to focus in you just speak to Jesus just say Jesus.

I'm here. I'm here. And I'll sometimes use a phrase like your love and doers forever. You are here now with me. I receive from you.

And let his presence just overwhelm you let his presence feel you. And when you can let his presence. Fill you and overwhelm you when you open yourself up. You can receive what he has for you. And you can bring it.

To those around you.