The Great Light Of Christmas by Kevin Allen December 5, 2023 · Centerpointe Apostolic Church (Murfreesboro, TN) Kind: sermon Scripture: Isaiah 9:1-2, Matthew 4:16, Matthew 1:21, Romans 6:23, Joshua 7:13, 1 John 3:4, 1 Kings 8:38, Zechariah 3:3, Zechariah 11:8, Ezekiel 20:43, Acts 17:28, Jeremiah 13:23, Jeremiah 9:5, John 8:36, Ephesians 2:12 Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/kevin-allen--the-great-light-of-christmas Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page. Free to copy and share with attribution. ------------------------------------------------------------ Oh, hallelujah. Thank you for worshiping. You can return to your seats. If you remain standing, I'll quickly read from the word of God. The prophet Isaiah, as he was being moved on by the Holy Spirit, in chapter 9, verse one, says: "Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Nepali, and afterward did more gri previously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the Shadows of death, upon them hath the light shine he." He was foretelling of something that was to come. We know it came to pass, because Matthew 4, and speaking directly about Jesus and what he was doing, recalls back the prophet. And it says, in verse 16 of chapter 4: "The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them that sat in the region of shadow of death light is sprung up." For a little while today, I feel, for our Christmas message, to preach on The Great Light of Christmas. God, I'm so thankful that you're here today, and that you're moving in our midst. And I feel, Lord, very strong, that your desire is to do more than just touch us, but change us. Change us today, God. I know the hurt and pain that's in the room, but unite us in hope and faith of what it is you desire to do. In the mighty name of Jesus, and amen. You may be seated. I do love this time of year. I love to teach and preach about the story of Christmas, and the characters that are there, that played a part, and how their lives were changed, and how he orchestrated so many things to fulfill his purpose and plan, that he had set forth from the beginning. Even in the busyness and the stresses that can come along also during this holiday season, everything is basically bright, and light, and cheery, and happy, for the most part — as long as you avoid Old Fort Parkway. The cards, and the movies, and all of the happy and joy that comes along with that, pictures into our mind a better time. Warm fires, and cozy, comfy PJs, and nice beds to be tucked into, and peace and good will towards men. We think about dinners, and hams, and turkeys, and pumpkin pie, and Carol sung by fire, and rosy cheeks, and presents for all. And all those things are well and good and right, and I like to partake in each and every one of those. But when we read about that first Christmas time, it was anything but that. It was about a dark, and a cold night, and some nondescript village in Palestine, where a lovely young lady was giving birth to a baby, in the most unsanitary and wretched of conditions imaginable, in the filth and the manure of a stable. It was about the ugliness of a man named Herod, who, because he feared the loss of his control and the power that he had, massacred all the babies of that region. That first Christmas story is a story about a people of Jerusalem who were totally indifferent to what God was doing. How that the religious leaders quickly grew to hate their own Messiah. Yes, the first Christmas was vastly different than the upcoming celebration that we have, to say the least. But there was something even darker about that first Christmas time. A very problem of gigantic proportions, that even today lurks behind every beautiful Christmas card, and every carol that is being sung. You see, when Jesus arrived into the world, people were sitting in the darkness of sin. The heart of Christmas is simply this: that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. To save sinners. The angel, speaking to Joseph, and informing him of the great thing that was going to come to pass, and the part that he was going to play, said this in Matthew 1, verse number 21: "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sin." That's why he was coming. He was not coming so that we would have pretty lights, and we would have presen to give. That's not why he was coming. All those things are okay, and we will celebrate and honor those things. But that was not the reason for him coming. He came to the dark, broken world, to save sinners from sin. Sin that wrecks every human life. Sin that dams every soul to hell. Sin that pollutes the entire world. It is because of sin that there are tears, and pain, and war, and fighting, and anxiety, and depression, and discord, and unrest, and fear, and worry, and sickness, and death, and famine, and earthquakes, and pollution. These are all the direct results of sin. Sin disturbs and disrupts every human relationship, whether between man, or between creation and man, or between God and man. Jesus Christ was not born so that we would have a beautiful story to dig out once a year, along with the decorations and the things we put into our home. That's not what this is about. It brings hope into a broken and lost world. That's why he came. That's why he did what he did: to bring a great light into the darkness. Jesus Christ was born to bring hope to the lost world. So for a moment today, let's stop hiding behind the glamour of the Christmas carols, and the songs, and the movies, and the cards, so that we can talk about the real reason for Christmas. So we can talk about a great light that came. It's because of sin. Sin is the evil from which there is no escape. All would die — from whatever, the disease, or cause, or war, or murder, or accidents, or old age, or whatever it is — they're all dying because of sin. The Bible says — in Romans, Paul writing to the church said, in chapter 6:23 — "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Every person on the globe will die, and the blame will lie at the feet of sin. The Bible says that Jesus Christ came to this world so that he could save us from sin. That's the reason he came. That's the reason he came. That's the reason he came. The sinful life of many years has so disfigured man's face, that the fair beauty of youth has been pushed away. And often times, we don't even realize all that's taking place. But I'm telling you, ladies and gentlemen, the fault falls at sin. It's constantly trying to pull us away. It is the degenerative power of the human bloodstream, that makes us susceptible to sin, disaster, illness, death, and hell. It is the reason for Christmas: this great light come, to mend the brokenness. Every broken marriage, every sickness, every disrupted home, every shattered friendship, every argument, every disagreement, every evil thought, every evil word, every evil deed, could be attributed back to sin. The Bible called it, in Joshua chapter 7, the accursed thing. "Sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourself against tomorrow: for thus sayith the Lord God , There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee." It is compared in scripture to the venom of snakes, in the stench of the grave, and everything sinister and powerful, that totally debilitating the entirety of human race, that God has to deal with, is because of sin. God's definition of sin is found in 1 John 3 and4: "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." Sin is anything that violates God's law. It doesn't matter what society has embraced. If it violates God's law, it is sin. He made a very black-and-white statement. Very much a clear picture of how we can determine what is sin. Anything that violates God's law. Sin is disobedience. It's living as say there was no God, or living above God, or there's no authority. There's no standard. That's what's going on in our world today, where things have changed so much, that everybody seemingly is a law unto themsel. That's the brokenness of sin. Everybody that says, "I'm just going to be true to myself" — I'm sorry, that's the brokenness of sin. What we're seeing is a repercussions, and the impact, that sin has had on the entirety of mankind. But I'm thankful that a great light came. I'm thankful that he didn't leave us to our own. But in the midst of all that is going on, he decided to come into the brokenness, and the hurt, and the ugly, and the pain of our world. There is no sane reason — you cannot make sin make sense. It never makes sense. If you sat down with your logical mind, and you took pen and paper, and you tried to give a good reason for why you've done the things you've done — when you begin to read it back, you would say to yourself, "That doesn't make sense." I know how I got where I got, but I can't tell you that it made sense, because sin never makes sense. It always goes contrary to what is right, and what is true, because sin is disobedient. All of God's law is for man's good. But man is like a horse who has a beautiful pasture to Graz in, and is constantly leaping over the fence into the mud. Sin is disobedient. Sin is defiling. It pollutes our very soul. It is the black stain on a white tablecloth. It is a rust on the fender of a car. It is a fly in your pumpkin pie. It is cancer to your soul. For first first Kings 8:38 tells us that the sin of a man's heart is compared to the oozing sores of a deadly plague. Zechariah 3:3 says it compared to filthy garments. Zechariah 11:8 says it makes God loath the sinner. And according to Ezekiel 2043, when the sinner seizes own sin, it makes him loathe himself. Sin constantly violates God's law and command. Sin is defiant. It's the gathering of your fist. It's hitting Jesus in the face. No matter what honor you may want to pay him at Christmas, sin strikes a blow on his face. It's sin that drives a nail in his hand. It is sin that crushes a crown of thorns on his head. It's sin that jams a spear into his side. It's sin that spits him in the face. It's sin that mocks him. It's sin that says, "I'll do what I want to do. I don't care who you say you are, or who you claim to be." That's what sin does. It's defiant. Sin is ungrateful. Acts 17:28: "For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also as your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring." But we are ungrateful for that, because of sin. Without God, we wouldn't be here. Without God, we wouldn't be here. Sin is in gratitude, because it seeks to dethrone and destroy the rightful one, who should be sitting on the throne of our life. Who is given us everything that we have. Our talent, our ability. Who has giv you the air that you're breathing in your lungs right now? Who set that heart beating, the moment there was conception inside your mother's womb? It's that God I talk about. But sin is constantly trying to destroy it, to come against it. We would like to pretend that we're really good at heart. That we don't live, at times, a pathetic and dark and broken life, when we ignore God. We tell that to ourselves. But that's because sin is ungrateful. Sin is incurable. Jeremiah 13 and 23 said: "Can the Ethiopian change the color of his skin? Can a leopard take away his spots? Neither can you start doing good, for you have always done evil." The answer to that question is rhetorical. No, you can't. It is in man's nature. We were born into sin. And then the prophet says, "that you may also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." Why would he say that? Because we were born into sin, and sin has broken us. There is nothing human beings can do for themselves, that can change the effect, or the outcome, of sin. Not all the resolution in the world. Not all the self-effort. Not all the self-help books. Not all the religions of the world. Sin is humanly incurable. Sin is leprosy of the soul. It can't be legislated out. It cannot be pushed out by self-effort. Sin is a disease cured by only one thing, and that is the blood of Jesus Christ, the only sinless one that has ever lived. Huh. That's the great light that came into darkness. He gave us hope. He came in a manger. He came in a way — if you think about it, there's no human mind that would have pinned the story the way it had been pinned we we we. We would not have told it that way. We would have come up with a different way of him bringing salvation. But he knew, in his great master plan, how it could be accurately done, how it could be adequately done. He knew that sin is hard work. All sin causes is pain. And yet people go through pain to do it. It's the strange compulsions that seem to be in our nature, that we give way to. Jeremiah 9:5 says, "They weary themselves committed iniquity." That is the essence of sin. How many of us have been tired in our lives, because of the effects of sin, and what we have done, and what we have committed oursel to? How many times have I spent in my office, with broken people, talking about the brokenness of their life, and to hear them utter the words, "I'm just so tired. I'm just so tired. I'm just so weary." What are they talking about? The impact of sin. The brokenness that sin brings to our lives. Sin is Bond. Sin brings us under the control of our enemy, Satan. People think that they are free, really, to do whatever they want. But they come to find out that they are not free. Not the way the world looks at freedom. Not the way the world describes freedom. They look often times that those who try to live committed lives, who try to live obedient to God's commands, and to align yourself with all the purpose and plan they discover that his word has for us, only to find people that are living outside of God's law, to say, "You're so bound up, and you're so legalistic." And then I find that statement to be quite interesting, because most often, those individuals are bound by sin themselves. No, no. I have found, in my life, committing myself to his commands has not brought with M chains. But it's that binding to him that has brought me liberty. John 8:36: "If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." Many in the room today know full well what that freedom feels like. You know full well what sin had done to you. You know full well what you had entrapped yourself, and entangled yourself, with. You know full well all the muck and the mire that you had gotten yourself into. The decisions that you had made. The things that had led you to be at rock bottom of your life. And it was in that moment, when he finally relinquished over to him, and allowed his redeeming love and power, and applied that blood to your life, that you — in the lowest moment of your life — you realize that the whole time, freedom was available through him. Not through your efforts. Not through you being good enough. Not through you doing all the things right. But because of what he did at Calvary. Because of what he did, and me accepting and receiving that in my life. Now I live an overcoming life. Now I understand what freedom is. Now I understand what itm, when the sun sets you free. You realize — it doesn't take long in living life — you realize that sin is empty. Oh, sin paints a beautiful picture, of a life of enjoyment and thrills. And I would be less than honest to tell you in this sanctuary today, that there are not some aspects of sin that are not fun. But what I found them to be, is empty. I found them to be very empty. Reminds me of — sometimes I've had the pleasure of eating at some really nice restaurants, and paying a really high price for that, only to leave empty. Anybody ever experienced that before? Yeah. You go in, and you see that picture. Anybody besides me ever looked at the picture on the menu, or the picture on the board, and what they brought you was not comparable to the image that is there? That's what sin does. It paints a life of fun. It paints a life of independence. It paints a life of fulfilling the aspirations and dreams, and going after all the pleasure are there. But what it doesn't show you is the other side of the story, when you're bound, and you're chained, and you're addicted, and you're broken. And everywhere you look as destruction. Sin doesn't show you the back door. It only shows you the front yard, of a moment of pleasure, a moment of being high. It doesn't show you what's going to happen on the other side, when everybody's left you, and you've broken every relationship, and you've abused your body, and all the Hur and the pain. It doesn't show you. Sin is empty. It is empty. Yet we buy into it all the time. Paul says, the sin of Adam has subjected the creature to vanity, and subjected the — just emptiness and uselessness, that something's missing. Solomon said, "Vanity of vanities" — emptiness of emptiness. It's all nothing. Vanity and vexation. Sin has torn man down from a place of honor, caused him to lose his dignity. There's no lasting joy. There's no hope. There's no peace. There's no meaning. There's something, as you advance in age, that you understand that the world can't give you — the world can't give you peace of mind. Oh, it can grave you fun for a little while. It can provide some stuff that can be entertaining for a while. But it can't give you peace of mind. It can't give you peace of soul. It can't give you those things. It can't give you — when things are down and out, and everything seemingly against you, the world never satisfies like God satisfies. It never meet you in those low moments like he'll meet you in those low moments. He'll never give you the answer like he can give you the answer. Because sin is empty. Sin, ladies and gentlemen, is hated by God. Sin is the only thing that God has eternal hatred against. God does not resist a man because he is poor, or because he is ignorant and unlearned, or because he is crippled, or because he's despised by someone, or somewhat limited in ability, and seemingly has nothing to offer. No. There's only one thing that alienates a person from God's, and that's sin. Sin separates us from God. So as I was thinking through the Christmas story — and after a certain number of years of pastoring and preaching, you learn that special special Cs and services can find you, after a few years, being somewhat limited, because you've already talked about this angle, and you've already talked about that angle. And you've already talked about this — and not that you have to recreate any of those things — but often times I find myself feeling a little bit of pressure. want to want to want to be obedient to God. I want to talk about these things. But I also want to come at it in a way that everybody's like, "That's — I've never thought about that." But there's only so many angles to the Christmas story. A virgin gave birth in a manger. Wise men came. Herod was upset. We know all these. And we may talk some more about that this month. But as I was praying for direction, a couple of months ago, I felt like God saying directly to me: "Don't forget the reason I came — is sin." It was sin. It was just one word that kept going over and over and over in my mind. It's sin. "I came to bring light into darkness. This sin was running rampant, and people had not realized what they were doing to themselves. So I came to shine a light into darkness. I came to show them that there is hope beyond themselves. That they don't have to live a life of brokenness, and betrayal, and hurt, and pain, and loss, and sickness, and death. They don't have to live that life. They can have a hope in the great light that I will bring. That there is something beyond sin. There is redemption. There is going to be bloodshed. There's going to be eternity that'll be weighed in the balance. And if they'll buy into what I'm bringing them, I'll give them a way out, and escape." So I begin to think about how to present that. I begin to put together what I going to use as my final thought for today. I knew today's message was not going to be long, so I'm going to go ahead and give you fair warning. We're going to start our approach to l. Stand. Give the musicians warning — they need to be ready to come. But I want you to listen specifically to the words I'm fixing to say to you, because I feel very deeply that God's desire is not for us just to hear a reminder, because it's Christmas time, that he came. Like, I hope we're hungry for more than just that. I hope there's a hunger today. I feel like there is. But maybe it's just my hunger. But I don't feel — I feel like there's a hunger here in this sanctuary today, for God to do something more than just remind us, but show us. Show us. I know, these past few days, that our church has rallied around praying for a very specific need. I'm so excited that so many of you took upon yourself to organize special things, prayer especially, for the family they're going through a time of loss. I love that the prayer room was packed out on Friday night, and there was no room to even get in that prayer room, as people were praying for three hours. And God was moving, and doing things. People in that room were experiencing healings in their body. I want you to know, it didn't just stay in that room. It spilled out. There was an impact going across our city, as we were at the hospital, and waiting in the waiting rooms. People's lives were being impacted by what was taking place. And though I don't understand — and though I do have some questions in my own mind, about God allowed things to transpire the way they did, and unfold — I don't understand. I got I got a list of my own questions. But I have to counteract my own questions against what I know to be true: he is a good, and a faithful, and a sovereign God. And I don't always know in the moment why things aren't going the way that I think they ought to go. But I can't limit God to my understanding, and my way of thinking, and my limited, one-dimensional scope of how I think things ought to go. At some point, I have to step back from myself, and say: "You are God of all. You are the great Creator. You are the great Physician. You are the great Healer. Maybe there's more at play in this aspect, than I really even understand." And I feel strongly that there's a move, a deep transition, that God is doing inside our community right now. And I feel like what took place over the past couple of days, by no means justifies the lost. But I'm telling you, there's a catalyst that was brewing, and something was going on inside our church. And I'm here to rally you around: don't give up on the hope of what God is doing. He came because of sin, and the brokenness in our world. And yes, because of sin, there is loss, and there is death. And a lot of it I can't explain away. But what I can tell you to be true, is: God loves me, and God loves you. And when it doesn't make sense, I go back to his love. It's there. It's a great light. There is nothing in most of our Christmas celebrations that can deal with sin. One of the primary purposes of the Incarnation of Jesus is to humble us, each and every one of us. Let me say it this way: only when we accept the very, very bad news of his birth, can we then accept the very, very good news of his birth. Please don't turn me off. Listen to me. Good news is only good news to people who need good news. 10 is an extremely good gift to someone who is broke. But to a rich man, 10 doesn't make any impact in his life. Jesus' birth is both the worst and the best news ever. Please let me explain. Please let me help you understand, cuz this will change your life forever. It is humbling to accept that God came to live the way that we were created to live, but would never live. I'm going to read it again, because don't misunderstand the words, please. That's very specific. Listen to what I'm saying. It is humbling to accept that God came to live the way that we were created to live, but would never live. To die the death that each of us deserve to die. And to raise out of the tomb, defeating sin and death, because there was simply no other way. He knew our conditions. He knew our circumstances. And he also knew what was at play. And he was desperate — desperate — to come to us, going to the extent of going all the way to the grave and back, to reach and rescue us. Ponder with me this simple fact: that God was willing to control the events of world history, to bring this world to the place where the conditions would be right, so that he could come. How great, and awesome, and amazing our God is, that he orchestrated all of these pieces together, that all the prophecies come into play, into fulfillment, just at the right time. It's not a coincidence. It's God. Humanity was so incredibly messed up, that there was only one solution. He had to come. He had to robe himself in flesh. He had to be born in a manger. He had to come, and suffer, and go through all the things that you and I would suffer and go through. He knew it was messed up. God knew that something lurked inside of all of us, that twists every thought, that diverts every desire, that shapes the direction of every choice, and controls every word and action. And he knew that, because this thing that was inside of us, and outside of us, we would never be able to conquer it on our own. So he came, not only to give us hope, but give us power to overcome it. And ladies and gentlemen, for all the beauty of his law, he knew that the law could only expose us. It could only guide us. It could only indict us. But it was never able to rescue us. It had never, ever been intended to rescue us. It was always meant to point to a rescue that was to come. A Redeemer who would come, lying in a manger, robed in swaddling clothes, coming in the most unconventional way that was ever possible, to a little imp parished little couple, in the most unconventional way. No man would ever thought it up that way. But redemption, ladies and gentlemen, did come. A great light shined into the darkness, because we so desperately needed it. And we still do. So the only hope for messed up, and desperate people, like you and I, was for us to be sent the ultimate Rescuer. And the reason the birth of Jesus is such a glorious, and it's such wonderful, amazing news, is that, in his birth, he offers you and me the only solution to the fundamental brokenness of sin, and at the core, tragedy, of every one of our lives. So it is, that by confessing our brokenness, is the only way we ever fully understand, and celebrate, the birth of Jesus. "I'm not good enough. I don't deserve him. I don't deserve him. I have never done anything in my life to have earned him. All I ever have brought him is brokenness, and failures, and heartache. But he took those things from me, and said, 'All I needed you to do is to be willing to accept what I want to do through you, and in you.' And he took the broken, shattered pieces of my life, and what he gave me back was redemption. He gave me redemption. This great light shone into my broken, shattered life, and it brought me hope, that there's something beyond my own ability, and my own reasoning, and my own thinking. Left to my own, I'm a pitiful, broken mess of a person. But he took the pitiful, broken mess of Kevin Allen, and when I put it in his hands, he gave me a life that I could have never imagine. It's not perfect, from the scenario that everything works out. But it is perfect, according to his plan for my life. Every high and every low works together for good in my life. Every high and every low works together for good. And I trust him. I trust him. I trust him. I trust him, because he's faithful, and he's good. And he didn't leave me by myself, but he came, and he met me in my darkest hour. That is the great light and hope of Christmas. Let me define the brokenness of sin. Sin leaves us hopeless. Since sin is a matter of the heart, and it is a condition of our nature, it is impossible for us to escape it on our own. We are under its destructive efforts and powers, and we can do nothing to help ourselves. The Apostle Paul said, in Ephesians 2: "Having no hope, and without God in this world." That was the condition before he came. But what he brought — and I'm ending — what he brought was hope. Lord, hope. Hope about what? Hope that I wasn't left alone. I wasn't left by myself. But he left the splendor, and the glory, and the majesty of heaven, to come walk the very same road I would walk, to experience the very same things I would experience: the brokenness, the loss, the sickness, the pain, the hurt, the heartache, the betrayal. He experienced every one of those things, so that when I cried out in my moment of desperation, he could look, and say, "I know what you're feeling." That he is touched with the feelings of our infirmities. Lord, that's the great light of Christmas. He didn't leave us. But he said, "I'll come, and I'll fill you with my Spirit." The beautiful news of Christmas is that God wasn't willing to leave us in the tragic and desperate state that we find ourselves in — that he had every right — please listen to me, in these last two sentences I'm going to say here — he had every right to make his final response to be one of judgment. But his love superseded, and said, "No." Because grace and mercy stood up, and said, "You can be the perfect sacrifice." And he willingly gave himself, so that you and I have hope and life beyond this. To understand the redemptive work at Calvary, it all started in a manger in Bethlehem. It all started there. The beautiful news of Christmas is, he didn't leave us there. He chose to respond in another way. Not because of what he saw in us, but because of what was in him. I'm trying to help somebody today. It's not about what he sees in you. It's about what is in him. At Christmas, we celebrate a God who is glorious in his abundant love, and patient, and mercy. He gives grace to those who need his deserved favor. He chooses to rescue those who could not help themselves. He chooses to forgive those who have rebelled again, and again, and again, and again, and again. He chooses to leave us not in our blindness, but to open our eyes in the glory. The birth of Jesus becomes even more glorious, when it is seen through the humbling lens of the desperate conditions for his reason for coming. To accept the very bad news of Christmas today, we do that, so that we can celebrate the even more joyful, wonderful news of what he gave. I don't know your story. I don't know where you're at. I don't know what you're feeling. I don't know what's going through your mind in this moment. But I do know this: there was a God who so desperate to reconcile you from the brokenness of this world, that he came as a babe, wrapped in swadding clothes, in a manger. He came in the darkness of humanity, to shine a light so bright, that you and I could see that there's hope beyond myself. What I feel in my spirit, as I end this sermon today, is to say: there are some of you who need that hope. You need that light to shine into your life. You need it desperately bad. So, when I pray in a minute, I want you to know, this altar is open. And if you need it, I promise, if you'll cry out, he'll fill you with his Spirit. And the greatest gift you could ever receive at Christmas is the infilling of the Holy Ghost. It's a greatest gift. But this is what I also know, is I feel — because of what started stirring a few days ago — that our God desires to do a miraculous work in this place today. I feel like there's healings in the room today. This is a preacher rhetoric and talk, to pump you up. I just feel — this is what I know. I said that, and somebody's spirit leaped in them. God wants to do something today. He is moving. We have touched his throne room, and God is moving. So here's what I'm going to do. This altar is open. I'm going to pray. It's open. But if you need a special touch, you need a healing in your life — whatever the circumstances is — I want the ministers right here, these four guys, I want them to come right down here. Make your way down there, guys. There's some oil over there. If you need a touch, and you want God to do a work, a miracle work, in your life — what you coming over? There's nothing special about these guys. They're just ordinary men. But they're going to be obedient. And if you'll step out in faith, I feel like you'll be very pleased with what God is going to do in this place. I'm going to pray right now. Will you mind closing your eyes, if you're comfortable bowing your head? God, my heart is heavy today. I'm tired in body. I'm tired in mind. But you are here. You are near. I can feel you here. And God, where you are, all things are possible. I'm so thankful that you brought your great light to shine in the broken darkness of humanity. That you didn't leave us to ourself, but you bring us hope, that there's something better than what I can do on my own. God, I know there are those in this room who are desperate to be filled with your Spirit. God, I pray you pour it out today on them. God, give them the courage to step out and take it — take a step of faith. Trust you, Lord. I also know that you desire to do a deep work in this place, very special, in some individuals. I feel you close. And I feel your healing power moving in this room. Lord, I don't do it. It's not up to me. I give all credit to you. I feel you want to do something special. So God, I pray, those who need a touch — God, you would give them a courage, too, to take a step of faith. And Lord, at this Christmas time, the greatest gift that was ever given was your gift of yourself to us. Let us receive it with joy and gladness today. Do a work that only you can do. In Jesus' name, we pray.