Holy Moments Part 4 // Nick Serban III

Holy _Christmas_ Moments [Part 4] __ Nick Serban III

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

moments, god, ponder, lord, today, life, mary, year, morning, children, birth, heard, process, promises, goodness, week, scripture, savior, talk, heather

Got our ushers this man right here? I mean, I don't mean I don't know if I can actually get those hands going, I was like, well, it's awesome. It's a new wave. It's a, I'm not necessarily saying that's what we're going to worship in the future. But that is our future. That's part of the church for the day. And so excited about excited about that. Before we get into the Word this morning, I just wanted to just in preparation for today, and this week, it was a Christmas Eve service we had years ago. And I use the scripture that said, in Luke chapter two, verse 13, and suddenly, there was with Angel among Angel, a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, goodwill towards men, in Luke chapter two, verse 13. And as I've just been pondering the scripture, and again, it's very simple. I want to even speak to simplicity, I think sometimes we make we make serving the Lord more complicated than it is. God wants relationship relationships, you know, sometimes they need work, obviously, we have to put time and effort into them. But when a relationship clicks, and he's willing to click, it's amazing what happens. And I just believed that this morning, even during our time together, these next these next few moments as we share the Word of God, that there'll be suddenly moments. And suddenly, I understand process, I don't like process, I'll be honest with you, I, you know, we need it, we have to have IT infrastructure process, but I just I just love miracles, I love moments. I love those those opportunities. And I just, again, Scripture tells us, be it according to your faith. And I just believe even this morning, even even the joy that was on this platform right now receive it received the joy ins when you wake up on Christmas, Monday morning, just get the arms going home and the joy, the joy, that her joy of the Lord. In Galatians, four, four, when the fullness of time had come God sent His Son. And I was talking to Richie Randazzo this morning and just talking about how a life is, if you haven't figured it out, it's kind of speeding by us. And those of you with children. I know that it's the moment you kind of wait for them to talk then then you kind of wait for them not to talk. There's kind of that process along and if you haven't experienced that yet, at some point you will. But as you get older, I mean, can you believe Christmas is next week? Can you believe I mean, we've been naming off, you know, it's 300 Days of Christmas, you know, it's 200 days, it's 100 days, and now it's right around the corner. And although it's just a day, I believe significantly, it's a day that we recognize the glory of our living Savior, the glory of God in our lives. And I encourage you as you make preparations again, just the quick infomercial about January, as we gather as we come together as we as we listen as we pray, let's watch God, it's believe it's expect God that in 2024, it'll be amazing. I think one of the one of the people use, I've heard the saying, you know more than 24 Maybe we'll come up with something different. I want to see his face in 24. I want to experience the glory of the Lord. And so purpose in your heart to kind of press in one last announcements. I think we've kind of gotten over this next week. What's that group coming? Who's coming next week? Flicka, Tina's come on third. And then the following week, it's going to be an online service only. It's going to be 10am gonna be able to tune in, it's going to be a, we've already recorded part of it, our worship team, they came a few nights ago, and I tell you what, it's going to be spectacular, spectacular morning, encourage you to spend time with friends and family. And then we'll be back on the seventh here at full life on that Sunday morning. But well, that was a great theologian. His name is Dr. Seuss. Have you ever heard of Dr. Seuss before? He says this, he says that sometimes you don't know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory. Sometimes you don't know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory. And this morning, we've been in the series called holy moments. And this morning, we wrap it up discussing we're going to going back to week number one and we're going to talk a little bit about Mary again, because he did some things, but in Luke chapter two, have you ever Bible Luke chapter two verse 10 through 12 It says this. Do not be afraid I bring you good news that will cause great joy Boy for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be assigned to you You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger. Have you heard last week we talked about the shepherds. I mean, you remember the shepherds and we we talked about them in the context of this was the main point they did not hesitate. And kind of the challenge when we left last week that we would not hesitate in our moments and opportunities to share about our living Savior, our opportunity to share about the love of God and even even Christmas. The Savior has been born the Savior has been born. But Luke chapter two verse 19, is what we're going to hone in on this morning. And it is very simple scripture and a very simple word and it says this, But Mary treasured up all these things, and pondered them in our hearts. I know we've read it before maybe we've never even spoken about it before. But for the next few moments want to talk about this idea of pondering every single word ponder. She pondered them in her heart. I went to the good Webster dictionary to snag a few definitions about the word ponder means to weigh in the mind to ponder chances of success or succeeding, to think about to reflect on to ponder the events of a day. Because sometimes you don't know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory, the power of memory. Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Those times, what did she ponder? What did she think about? What was the main thing on her on her mind? I think she punted the promises of God from the past, the peace of God in the present, and the power of the Lord, for the future. How do I know that? Because I went to Bible school. All right now. This morning, as we as we think about how she looked at the promises of the past God's promises from the past, have you taken notes this morning? She pondered a treasured in her heart. I'm not given birth, I did have a kidney, a couple of kidney stones. And but I've been in, I've been in the room four times with the birth of four children. And so I can't necessarily say I gave birth, but I was there trying not to say the wrong things. In in those moments. And, and it's risky to talk about the birth, it's risky to even talk about this birth, but God's promises of the past and here was this young girl who is going to give birth to Messiah. And she's got to, she got to understand and think about and go through the process of the promises of the the moments of the prophecies being fulfilled. Just take a moment, as we take a moment this morning. And we ponder the thoughts, the mystery, the moments of the birth of Jesus. I'm guessing at some point holding her a little baby She probably thought where are we right now? For the head of travel, quite aways, there in Bethlehem for that census. They probably remembered this, this prophetic word out of mica like a five two but you Bethlehem Africa, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel. Maybe she pondered that maybe she was thinking about how all this kind of lined up. You've ever been in a situation before where you're kind of past the moment past the moment, the time and you think, look how God orchestrated all these different pieces that this happened here. And this happened here, or I was delayed here. Remember a number of years ago, we took some students to Evangel University out in Springfield, Missouri, Missouri. And while we were there, there was this one young lady in fact, her her name is was Heather is Heather. And her last name was the nets Heather doughnuts. And Heather was one of the one of the most ambitious, talkative, encouraging, went from place to place. She had a lot of enthusiasm like the like the kids up here. I mean, she was just went a mile a minute. And on this one particular day, we were on our way back and at the time it was it was out of New York we were driving back from and so we had to leave Missouri and a In this moment, she was late. And she was always late. It was like, you know, looking around counting heads, where's Heather? And so I was aggravated, I'll be honest with you. I was it was kind of like we needed to get back. We're gonna get back at two o'clock in the morning, as it was, I mean, driving late to van full of students check it out the school. And so she finally showed up, she'd be like, an hour late in this process. And it is, yeah, it was horrible. I mean, so. And so we get in the vehicle and we start we start driving back. And you know, this is veers. This is this is 2530 years ago. And so we didn't have the cell service, the iPhones, the weather apps, the radar, but um, we had heard just through the radio that the storm was was blowing through. And as we drove, we happen happened to come across a spot where there were cars flipped over. And there were buses that were flipped over and there was ambulances and fire engines and you can see where a tornado had come through in the process. And I thought to myself, thank God for Heather's because God has a way of poignantly placing us in the place we need to be when we are serving him when we are longing for him when he's directing us. Ponder we have come so far, he has been so good when this to be interactive this morning as I share this, but can you ponder how far you've come? Anybody? Can I get a witness this morning, how far you have come? How God's hand has been upon you how he has led, how he's provided in those moments of desperation is when he felt you know what I can't go on anymore. And yet, once again, he shows up, he shows off, he leads us He guides us, we get the better report, we get the good report. And he leads us in these moments. I imagine in her thoughts. Maybe she had the woe is me moments. This isn't fair. I've got to travel all this way. I'm nine months pregnant. Again, just mentally make that shift. It was a distance you had to go. There wasn't a nice riding vehicle for her to go in. It was a journey of journeys. It was on animal it was on horseback camel donkey it was it was a very tenuous moment and trip that she needed to make a 10 day trip to net journey on paved roads. No Cracker Barrel is no Chick Fil A's. Not even Waffle House on this incredibly dangerous road where there were thieves where there was a moment where she had to protect. They had to protect themselves from unwanted intruders. There were lions, the Tigers and Bears. Probably not tigers, but there were lions are there were lions. And there were bears in this in this moment. And so they had to protect themselves. And yet she pondered the goodness of God. And Isaiah 714 reminded the Lord himself will give you the sign, look, the virgin will conceive a child, she will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel she would have known about this scripture she would have been in the moment where she's coinciding that this is me, this is the moment this is the angel. This is the prophecy. This is what God has, for me a manual which means God with us. A name was given to him that was you know, predisposed that, you know, he sometimes around if you knock three times on the ceiling, if you run around four times, if you march around seven times, know that he would be with us. He is with us right now. He is with us right now. Let that set in. Let that ponder. He is with us right now. God is with me now. And God has been with us every moment and every step of the way. I want to give you a chance to reflect on those moments through the years. The Rolodex of names. And we know what a Rolodex is. That's what we call a no contact list. How many remember the day we're over there words like name cards and they flipped? Anybody. You still got one? Hallelujah. Thank you Rita. All right. You got all these names? You know now we scroll through. Now we know who's calling us who to answer. Do not the answer Come on? Because you know you do it. And we have these moments of, of moments to reflect of the goodness of God. If it hadn't been for Jesus, where would you be? If it hadn't been for His grace and mercy over your life over my life? Where would you be? And for many that maybe are in this room or watching online, you need Jesus has mercy on your life and grace on your life and forgiveness in and on your life. But if it hadn't been for him, where would you be? God promises us for the past. Secondly, God's peace, in the presence, peace, peace, wonderful peace. Coming down, from the Father above, sweep over my spirit. Forever, I pray and fathomless billows of life. peace, the peace of God ponder, she treasured up these things. I'm guessing she might have looked at over Joseph and maybe seeing him in a different light. My goodness, this man has stood by me. You've heard it over the weeks, he could have put her out. He could have privately divorced her. He could have said this is all this is just too weird for me. I'm not going to do it. But you recognize God's peace in the presence. Let me speak this to you in the sound of my voice those online. The peace is for you. Peace is for you to embrace. Peace is a oftentimes a choice. Maybe she wondered about money. Maybe she wondered about how we're going to raise this child? How are we going to protect him? You know, there's there's this thing out that all the male child would be would be killed. Think about that. Think about that pressure. We're not fighting. We're not fighting a war. We're fighting the fact that we're gonna give birth and now there's a decree that they're all to be slaughtered all the boys maybe she was worried about money. But then she could say wait a minute, those Wiseman. I think she was kind of waiting for them to leave after the birth. You know, there's private moments. But the Wiseman brought frankincense and myrrh. And what else was the gold? Jehovah Jireh. Our provider God miraculously providing for them even when they didn't ask for God to provide. They were just kind of hoping they would directional prayer is purposeful prayer. And purposeful prayer will get you somewhere. Oftentimes, I think even even growing up I think oftentimes Lord just helped me today. I tell you what, the more specific you get that you're able to journal that you're able to focus learning your help in this area. I need your help in this area. You call it out you declare it Vinnie finances today. Call it out and declare before the Lord. We need healing today. We call it out we declare it and we believe for before the Lord. Maybe Mary said I would ever chosen this and it's not what I want it but God has always been faithful. Can it? Could anybody line up those words in your own life? I never wanted to quit like this. Never thought I had experienced it quite like this. Never thought I'd be in this situation. Come on somebody. But look what the Lord has done in my life. Look what he's done. Never thought was going to end up quite like this. I described I had just like graduated finished my junior year of high school. And I know if your bits and pieces of this but when I graduated when I finished my junior year of high school, for those of you who have gone through school or whatever, you know, it's kind of like, here you go through your freshman, sophomore and junior year so that you can be a what senior? Yeah. And like the school you were part of. And I had gotten asked to up and then over in the northeast, they had this thing called boy state, like this political deal for just prepping students that maybe would go into Congress or you know, the Senate and all that kind of stuff. And so have somehow I don't know how this happened. But I got picked to go to this thing. And my parents let me go. And it was, it was horrible and great at the same time. But I ended up going and was playing baseball. And I'm looking forward to my senior year of high school. I wouldn't necessarily say it was the big man on campus, but I had everything going for me, I had an incredible junior year, athletically, things were, it was your it was your senior year, I mean, that one moment in time here, right. And my dad, they happened to be visiting some family back in New Jersey, we lived in Connecticut at the time. And he they come home, and I'm in between working playing baseball doing Boys State, and he sits down with me. And he says, Hey, your mother and I have made a decision that we're moving to New Jersey. And hello, hello. And when I look back on the situation, of all the things I just told you about my senior year, and all these kinds of things, God had been preparing me prior of those moments at that time, and come to find out later they were they were actually willing to arrange that I could stay, try to figure out where I could stay with a family finished my senior year, which would have been detrimental. I can just tell you that it would, it would have changed the course of time and trajectory of what happened in my life. And I remember sitting there saying to him, I'm like, Well, okay, when we move in, when we leave in, can I play soccer down there. And so next thing I know, in the course of of camps, and all these things, they ended up pretty much moving the house down there, and I had to go early, because I was going to play soccer on this on the school now I'm from I went from I Academy, private academy. That's a long story. But I was at an academy, I go to a high school with 1500 students, you know, from 500 to 15 2000 students. And so it's kind of like, you know, you know, well, I haven't fit in here. Well, any this and this happened, I'm going somewhere with this everybody with me say I'm with you. All right. And so in this moment, I go to this, I show up, I show up for the first day of training camp. And they actually thought I was a coach, like the new coach on the on the team. And about two weeks in I actually made the team I had to run is why I get all excited about the turkey trot. I had to run a mile in under six minutes in order to make the team. And this guy did it. Just one time. I've done a one time my life. And that was it. I don't know if they were keeping good score or not. But I just made it and but I ended up being I end up getting to be a captain on the team. Now think about that I was in another state. And God orchestrated for me to be a captain on a varsity soccer team. Then I became a captain on the basketball team. Then I became a captain on the baseball team. And God orchestrated one thing after another after another after another effect so much so that if that move had not happened, I don't know if what I experienced with the Lord would have happened quite the way and now he is faithful. Don't Don't get me wrong. But it's amazing when we trust the process of our God. It's amazing when we trust and we say, Lord, I'm going to remember you in the past and I'm going to I'm going to receive peace in the presence. Now. I can tell you I was nowhere necessarily where I am now, biblically, of scripturally. You know, it's kind of like my dad spoke in tongues. I want to speak in tongues. You know, my dad prayed, My mom prayed. And I'm gonna pray that my parents took me to church, they drove me to church, I went to church, you know, Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, Friday night, we did all these things. But my relationship with the Lord began to take off trajectory wise when I heard his voice when he called me into ministry, after I graduated high school, and prepared me set me up. And I can tell you thing after thing where God gave me a scholarship to go to a college that I didn't want to go to. My dad once again talked me into going for one year. And because of that, one year, I went, I end up getting a scholarship for three more years. They owed me money when I graduated. Honest to goodness, and I happened to me, the woman of my dreams there and things would not have happened quite the way they happen. Number one, because there was someone willing to hear and there was someone else willing to listen and chose peace in the process. That's kind of the way it happened in a roundabout way with Mary and, and Joseph. But it's amazing when you just take this moment here. I mean, you're in Franklin, Tennessee. Somebody You, you were in California two years ago, some of you were in Wisconsin, or Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, in a foreign land. And here we sit today in 2023. Could God be a part of this? Is that not the way he works? But I can tell you and I want to remind you, pastorally and as your friend today, if you continue to complain where God has put you, if you continue to gripe where God is, you're going to miss the testimony. And you're going to miss the blessing in the process. Been there, done that got the t shirt, and I want to tell you today, don't do it. Love him and thank him and embrace him for where he is led you. Here this Christmas time, make this Christmas one of the one of the greatest Christmases you've ever had. How do you do that? availing yourself to the Lord, hearing from him, Be a giver. Love somebody grab some food on the way oh, by the way, every drink out there needs to go today don't get caught up in the god, why did you make this happen? We'll be able to say this again. I'll say today, a year ago, my mom passed today. And I can get caught up with Why did God did you make that happen? Why did why did it happen? Whether you allowed what however you want to theology? In your heart, try to why how knowing that God gives takes. There's a season for everything. Time for joy, a time for mourning. But even in those moments, when you embrace the goodness of the God. So what do I do I thank God for the years ahead with my mom. I thank God for the memories that go back memory lane with and then like a purpose in my life to get with my grandkids that was the one with the blue the blue glasses this morning. There was a pastor's kid, you know, I mean, I don't know the moves he had or whatever it was. I mean, this this whole thing I got I gotta I'm afraid my shirts gonna pop here. But let us rejoice. Ponder the goodness Mary pondered these moments, she thought about them. What do you think today? God's promises from the past God's peace in the present. And thirdly, God's power in the future. God's power in the future. Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple to dedicate met a prophet named Simeon. And in in this moment, I hope I've never done this before. If I have I apologize. And but here in this moment, I mean, can you imagine a baby did commit a great Baby, baby dedication last week, you know, in these moments, and so simian in Luke chapter two, verse 3435, says this, this child has been sent as a sign from God. But just so you know, many will oppose him. And by the way, verse 35, and a sword will pierce your very soul in the process. We tried to bring life and encouragement you know, and it is this find some goodness in this moment. But again, this was part of the prophetic, this is part of you may not have birthed Jesus. Get to on the way right here. But I tell you what, God will use you in the trajectory of those children. And God will use you as leaders as guide. We dedicate children, because we're all part of the process. And there will be mountaintop experiences Hallelujah. And sometimes with a mountain comes the valley. But even in the valley, praise him church, even in the difficulty praise him. When you think you don't have two pennies to rub together continue to praise Him. In those moments. Prophet looked at Mary and said those things and a sword will pierce your very soul. The sword will pierce your very soul. And it came through the world's greatest blessing and her greatest breaking of her son. And for those in the room here today, there are those that are suffering with protocols. Those who have turned from the Lord. There are those here in the room online. There do Dealing with those that are addicted to narcotics, or alcohol, or something that is pulled them down. Once they were the greatest blessing, and now it's the greatest breaking. But I want you to hear this morning, that I serve a God, and you serve a God that could turn any situation around. And maybe there's been a word, maybe there's been a prophecy, or maybe God just put something in your heart, I want to challenge you today, do not give it up. Hold on to the promise of the Lord. She stood by the cross, watched her son, innocent, suffer and die. When you walk with God, like Mary, you're able to say, I can trust him with my future. When you walk with God, you're able to say, I can trust him with my future. I can trust him with my economics. I can trust him with my heart. I can trust him in these moments. Because he's faithful. He's been faithful in the past. He's been good in the present. And we can trust Him with our future. She watched her son die on a cross. And she also recognized the resurrection of him three days later. The goodness, the Mercy, the directness, the fulfillment of God our Father. Sooner I challenge you today, the week before Christmas Eve. Take a moment and slow down. Take a moment, slow down in his presence. Reflect. Okay, reflect about the children you've raised. reflect about the moments that God ultimately hooked you up. Could this could have happened but this happened. I understand that there'll be opportunities. There'll be great opportunities figuring, you know, we go back to you know, how'd you get here, maybe God hear one way, but everything kind of changed when he got here. But it isn't amazing. How when you've serve Him. And when you honor him. And when you put him first. He works all things together for good. As Scripture tells us. Mary pondered all these things, the past, the present. And the future. The present part. You know, we talked about presidents we're going to be given presidents in a week or so. Think what? make preparation for the future? What can be different next year? What are you willing to allow to be different next year? Maybe it's a personal challenge is that you? You choose to grow. Choose to grow in the Word. You choose to give something up. You choose to get better for the Kingdom. I tell you what, it's unfortunate. But year after year, we have so many people get through another year. I've had I've had my moments too. So I'm not naturally if I point a finger and point them all at me. But I say what if you've not grown spiritually this past year from the year before. And there's other things that you want to refine and get better for this next year. They kind of just on a merry go round just going around around. But maybe God wants to put you on the roller coaster. Maybe that you say I don't like roller coasters. Neither do I. But a roller coaster goes forward and makes progress. Sometimes it's up. Sometimes it's down. Sometimes it's fast. Sometimes it's kind of hold on to your seat. But I wouldn't want it no other way. When Jesus is at the center of our lives, the center of your life. Look for God moments this next week. In conclusion, if you're hurting today He's a comforter. If you're afraid today, he's a help in time of trouble. If you're weak and overwhelmed, he will be the strength of your heart. If you you feel rejected, you're been to anybody if you ever feel rejected before he's a friend that will never leave you. If you're financially strapped, he is provider. You're sick. He's a healer if you're in sin, he's a forgiver. He is a savior God didn't send an economist. He didn't send a politician. But he sent a savior. His name is Jesus. And just like Mary, what a what a great day to be in church today. The innocence of children can't even do more. And the beauty for ashes. He's the God of turnaround church. So look for your holy moments. Look for the Holy moments. One side note, even though we're going to complete this series, the whole idea was to take it with you. Become cuz come January, you can find some holy moments. You can buy holy one with the restaurants. You can find holy moments in hospitals. You can find holy moments opening presents. You can find holy moments giving yesterday when there were 40 Plus families over the past week handing stuff out. There are people that receive the love of Christ. There's change that happens there. The enemy would come in and want you to have life all about you. It's all about you. And I understand obviously there's those and in difficult situations. But I want to believe and decree and declare today that there is hope beyond all measure. Because in a little town of Bethlehem, Christ child was born and he changes everything. Everything. It's not that complicated. Serve him. Live for him. become a better person. Change your language. Change your habits. Change your bad attitudes if you got one and do what he's called you to do. In Jesus name. Amen. Would you stay with me this morning?