00:00 Introduction to the Verses

01:16 The Promise to Abraham

02:10 Faith and Righteousness

05:22 Personal Anecdote on Faith

07:42 Application to Modern Believers

09:50 God's Promise to You

13:39 Understanding True Belief

16:24 Survival Shows and Fiery Serpents

17:36 Belief and Temptations

20:10 The Sin Problem and Righteousness

22:13 The Importance of Resurrection

23:54 God's Kindness and Repentance

26:10 Justification and Trespasses

29:31 The Promise of Salvation

33:07 Final Prayer and Encouragement

We'll be looking at these three verses that may not

2

initially seem related to Christmas.

3

It may not initially seem like Christmas

eve verses, but I am confident that

4

they will clearly help you understand

why we celebrate Christmas, and

5

specifically why we celebrate Jesus

this Christmas next Christmas.

6

All year round why we ought to do that.

7

So read with me and we're

actually gonna begin in verse 20.

8

So I want your eyes on these

verses as I read them aloud.

9

We're actually begin in verse 20, just

to give you some context that I think

10

is necessary and helpful for the verses

that we'll be looking at tonight.

11

So verse 20 says this, know unbelief made

him waver concerning the promise of God.

12

Who's him?

13

Shout it out.

14

Jesus.

15

Abraham Abraham, this whole

chapter has been about Abraham.

16

You got, you guys got the

Jesus, the Jesus Duke.

17

You know, the Sunday School Answer.

18

What's the answer to everything?

19

Jesus.

20

You guys got that, but

you got the wrong answer.

21

Okay.

22

Who is it?

23

No unbelief made him Abraham waver

concerning the promise of God.

24

What's the promise of God

specifically in this context?

25

You guys learned about it.

26

What's the promise to

Abraham in this passage?

27

Close.

28

Yeah.

29

That he would be the father of a nation.

30

Of a nation, right?

31

But he grew strong.

32

Abraham grew strong in his faith as he

gave glory to God, fully convinced that

33

God was able to do what he had promised.

34

That is why his faith was

counted to him as righteousness.

35

Okay, verse 23 is where

we're gonna be tonight.

36

Listen carefully.

37

But the words it was counted to him

were not written for his sake alone.

38

For ours also, it will be counted

to us who believe in him, who raised

39

from the dead, Jesus our Lord, who

was delivered up for our trespasses

40

and raised for our justification.

41

Christmas is worth celebrating.

42

It's worth celebrating because Jesus

was delivered up for your trespasses and

43

he was raised for your justification.

44

What is Christmas?

45

It's a celebration of Jesus.

46

His birth that would result in

this stunning possibility that

47

your faith here in 2025 could be

counted to you as righteousness.

48

If that doesn't amaze you, it should.

49

If you don't celebrate that, you should.

50

If, if you don't marvel

at that, you, you should.

51

That is an amazing truth, but it's

okay if you don't quite get it.

52

It's okay if you don't quite get it

because God is very kind to you to

53

bring you here tonight, to hear his

promise, to hear of his promise.

54

And there's some big words that

we need to make sure we understand

55

and there's some important ideas

that we're gonna unpack tonight.

56

So God has been kind to you

to give you his word and we're

57

gonna examine it together.

58

Sound good?

59

Alright, let's look at verse 23.

60

Verse 23 says.

61

The words it was counted to him

were not written for his sake alone.

62

Okay?

63

If we were just looking at this

verse, it would make no sense, right?

64

What is the it?

65

Normally, when you're reading your

Bible, sometimes these things are a

66

little bit harder to discover, but

thankfully in this passage, all you

67

gotta do is look at the verse above it.

68

What is the it?

69

Verse 22 says.

70

That is why his faith was

counted to him as righteousness.

71

So when we read verse 23 and

it says it was counted to him,

72

it's referring to verse 22.

73

There's two important words that I

know Lewis has already taught you on,

74

but are so critical to understanding

everything else that I wanna make sure

75

we're all on the same page and that

we have clarity about these two words.

76

Look at verse 22.

77

That is why his faith.

78

What is faith?

79

What exactly is faith?

80

Well, we're talking about Abraham's faith.

81

Paul has been talking about

Abraham Abraham's faith

82

through all of chapter four.

83

Well, largely throughout of chapter four.

84

God promised something radical to Abraham.

85

What did he promise him?

86

That he would be the

father of a great nation.

87

What was the problem with that promise?

88

At least what appeared to be

the problem with that promise?

89

Abraham was.

90

He was old.

91

He was old, he was too old to have kids.

92

His wife was also too old, but, but he had

faith in the promise of God that he would

93

indeed be the father of a great nation.

94

And in his old age he would,

he would be able to do that.

95

This promise didn't really make sense.

96

In fact, even somebody

laughed at this promise.

97

Who was that?

98

Who laughed at this promise, right?

99

Sarah?

100

She hears this promise and goes, what?

101

This is crazy, right?

102

Abraham?

103

Does he laugh?

104

No.

105

Abraham has faith.

106

And look at verse 20.

107

It says, no unbelief made him waver.

108

What does waver mean?

109

He's not shakeable.

110

He's not shaken.

111

Concerning this promise of God.

112

And verse 21, it says he was

fully convinced that God was

113

able to do what he had promised.

114

So what is faith?

115

Well.

116

When I was maybe six, I

dunno, maybe six, maybe seven.

117

I was just absolutely dead set on.

118

I was absolutely dead set on a gift.

119

This gift, I bet nobody will.

120

Nobody will.

121

Guess it was a toy cash register.

122

I don't know if you, I don't know

if when you were a kid, when you

123

were, when you were six or seven.

124

If you would just like hyperfocus on

a gift and it was like all you could

125

think about for the weeks leading up

to Christmas, maybe you still do that.

126

Maybe, you know, maybe.

127

Maybe.

128

But it was just all I could think

about was this toy cash register.

129

My parents were very

generous, giving us gifts.

130

We didn't always have a ton

of money, but they were always

131

very generous giving us gifts.

132

And I asked for it.

133

I asked for it.

134

Did I see them buy it?

135

Nope.

136

Did I happen to see it in the closet?

137

Nope.

138

And, and I didn't that year.

139

Look for it in the closet.

140

Did I see them wrap it?

141

No.

142

And in fact, in our family, our tradition,

at least when I was a kid, was that our

143

parents would put those big gifts under

the tree only on Christmas morning.

144

That way we couldn't

sleuth around too much.

145

So I didn't even see it until

Christmas morning, but I was convinced

146

that they were gonna give it to me.

147

Why?

148

Why?

149

I was convinced.

150

No evidence of the actual present

that they were going to give it to me.

151

In fact, they did.

152

In fact, they did.

153

The only indications that they were

gonna give it to me was the fact

154

that Christmas was a couple weeks

away and that my parents loved

155

me and that I had asked for it.

156

I didn't have anything else, but I was

convinced that I would get that present.

157

And I did Abraham in a similar way.

158

I mean, I believe in my parents,

but Abraham believes in God.

159

Abraham is fully convinced that God is

going to deliver his promise to him.

160

He's fully convinced that God is

able to and will even in fact, when

161

he had evidence to the contrary, all

the evidence I had when I was a kid

162

was that they would get it to me.

163

Abraham doesn't even have that.

164

He has evidence suggesting that it's not

possible that he's too old, that it's

165

not gonna be something that will happen.

166

Okay, so Abraham's faith is

counted to him as righteousness.

167

So his faith is counted

to him as righteousness.

168

What is, what does that mean?

169

So his faith is counted

to him as righteous.

170

Well, what?

171

What is righteousness?

172

What is righteousness?

173

Maybe you already know.

174

Maybe you already know.

175

Maybe this is simplistic, but just

to make sure we're on the same page,

176

I think I want you to think when you

hear the word righteousness, to hear

177

right in that word and specifically.

178

Right with God.

179

Righteousness is being right with God

as opposed to being wrong with God.

180

So what is this?

181

It's faith that is counted

to Abraham as righteousness.

182

This is also not the first time

you've heard this in this room,

183

but you have a big problem.

184

Many of you are believers and.

185

This problem is not a problem at

this point, but you were all born

186

with the problem and that problem

is that you were not righteous.

187

That you were not right with God.

188

You were wrong with God.

189

Your sin made you the bad guy, made

you the person who was the enemy

190

who made you, the person who was

at odds with God, not righteous.

191

And so what is happening here

is that the faith of Abraham.

192

Is being counted to him to solve

that problem, to solve that problem.

193

So we've been talking

about Abraham, right?

194

This whole passage

seemingly is about Abraham.

195

What does it have to do with you?

196

What does it have to do with you?

197

Well, Paul is actually extremely clear

about what it has to do with you.

198

Let's look at verse 23,

specifically at the, uh, as it

199

goes into verse 24, it says, but

the words, it was counted to him.

200

Were not written for his sake alone.

201

They were not just written for Abraham.

202

Who were they written for, but for

ours also, this promise is for you.

203

This promise is for you.

204

The idea that your faith can be

counted to you as righteousness is

205

a promise for you this very evening.

206

God has included this amazing

truth in the Bible so that you

207

can hear it this very evening.

208

I, I wish I could use all

your names in that statement,

209

that this promise is for you.

210

Hear your name as I say that and

begin to wonder, begin to maybe

211

even for the first time, be amazed

at what an incredible thing that

212

is, that this promise is for you.

213

Think about everything that it

took for you to get here tonight.

214

I know all your paths here to True

North are a little bit different.

215

But you know, you maybe you're

in your last class, your teacher

216

has to actually let you leave.

217

You might rebel if, if they didn't let you

leave, but they have to finish up class.

218

You have to walk to your car.

219

Your car has to actually still

be in the parking lot or the

220

bus has to actually be there.

221

You have to get in your car, you have to

get on the bus, you have to ride home, you

222

have to get there safely, not get in any

sort of car accident to go in the house.

223

There has to be food in the fridge, or

maybe your mom has food on the table

224

so that you don't starve to death.

225

I know what it's like

to be a high school boy.

226

It's possible that you would starve to

death, then you have to get ready to go.

227

You have to get back in the car.

228

You have to not get in an accident.

229

The doors to this building

have to be unlocked.

230

The building itself has to be standing.

231

There's a million things that you did

not think about that God cared about

232

to make it possible for you to be

here tonight so that you could hear.

233

These incredible words

and his promise to you.

234

Let me go even further to suggest,

to actually confidently say that

235

God has worked all of human history

so that you could be here today in

236

this music room to hear his promise.

237

Every king that's ever sat on a throne,

every law that's been passed, every

238

war, every famine, every victory

of the good guys, all of that.

239

Was cared for by God, was directed

by God, so that your parents would

240

meet so that they would have you, so

that you'd eventually make it here.

241

Don't think that that was a coincidence.

242

Don't think that that was just by chance.

243

That was God's love for you.

244

He loves you.

245

He cares for you, and he wants

you to hear his promise to you.

246

What is his promise?

247

What is his promise?

248

And we've already said

it, but we can't miss it.

249

We can't miss it.

250

Look, again, we're gonna read

23, but we're gonna read a

251

little bit further in verse 24.

252

Before I do that, lemme

give you the first point.

253

Um, I realize I, I missed that.

254

Lemme give you the first

point, uh, this Christmas.

255

You are to be, you should believe

in God to be right with God.

256

Believe in God to be good, believe in God,

to be righteous, to be a righteous person.

257

And that's the promise.

258

That is the promise that God has

given to you, that if you believe

259

in him, there is a hope for you.

260

So, okay, now let's look at verse 23.

261

Verse 23.

262

It says, but the words it was counted to

him were not written for his sake alone,

263

not just for Abraham, but for ours also.

264

It will be counted to us who believe

in him, who raised from the dead.

265

Jesus, our Lord God has protected

his word so that you can hear

266

these, these words this very night.

267

Okay.

268

Again, we need to make sure we

understand exactly what's going on here.

269

There's a word in here that maybe

you think you understand, but we

270

need to make sure we understand it

properly, and it's the word believe.

271

It will be counted to

us who believe in him.

272

What does it mean to believe in somebody?

273

Well.

274

I don't want you to turn there,

but I want you to listen carefully.

275

I'm gonna read a passage from the book

of Numbers, and this is an account

276

from the time of the people of Israel

when they were in the wilderness.

277

So they're under Moses as their leader.

278

They're in the wilderness

and listen to what happens.

279

Numbers 21 verse four says, from Mount

whore, they set out by the way to the

280

Red Sea to go around the land of Edem.

281

The people became impatient on

the way they became impatient.

282

So they sinned in their hearts.

283

Their hearts were rotten, their

hearts were not righteous.

284

And then they sin outwardly.

285

It says, and the people then spoke

against God and against Moses.

286

So they're impatient and then they speak

against God and they say, why have you

287

brought us up out of Egypt to die in the

wilderness for there is no food and no

288

water, and we loathe this worthless food.

289

Which is it?

290

Is there no food or is it worthless food?

291

I, you can see their heart

attitudes are not good.

292

Are not good.

293

Well, God is gonna judge them and

you're gonna be surprised unless

294

you know this how he judges them.

295

Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among

the people and they bit the people,

296

and so many people of Israel died.

297

And the people came to Moses and said,

we have sinned for we have spoken

298

against the Lord and against you.

299

Pray to the Lord that he take

away the serpents from us.

300

So Moses prayed for the people.

301

They don't quite get the answer

to the prayer that they want.

302

Listen, and the Lord said to

Moses, make a fiery serpent.

303

We're gonna find out.

304

It's made outta bronze.

305

Make a fire serpent and set it on

a pole, and everyone who is bitten.

306

When he sees it shall live, so he

doesn't get rid of the serpents.

307

Instead, he provides this solution.

308

So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it

on a pole, and if a serpent bit anyone, he

309

would look at the bronze serpent and live.

310

Imagine that.

311

Imagine you're one of the people

of Israel and this happens and

312

there's all of a sudden snakes

that are on fire all around you.

313

You're trying to get away from them,

but then one bites you on the arm.

314

What are you gonna do?

315

Get a bandaid?

316

No, you're not gonna get a bandaid.

317

What if, if you watch those

shows, those survival shows, are

318

you gonna suck out the venom?

319

That's what Sean's gonna do.

320

You gonna go find mom,

see if mom can help.

321

What are you gonna do?

322

They're also fiery serpents, so

you're probably also on fire, so

323

you're padding out maybe your clothes.

324

What are you gonna do?

325

Well, Moses provides a solution, but

it's a counterintuitive solution.

326

It's a solution that

doesn't make any sense.

327

If you think the solution to the

bite from the snake is to get a

328

bandaid or to find mom or to do

anything else, it's not gonna work.

329

You're gonna be looking down at your

arm, you're gonna be looking for

330

more snakes to that might bite you.

331

It doesn't make sense to look up.

332

Why would you look up when

the problems are down here?

333

You wouldn't look up unless you

believed that salvation would

334

come by looking up at the serpent.

335

The only way you would do that is

if you believed in God's promise

336

that that serpent on the pole

was the way that you were saved.

337

You believe in something.

338

I'm, I'm encouraged that many

of you have professed faith.

339

But if you haven't professed faith in

Jesus, you still believe in things.

340

And for those of you who are

Christians in the room, there's

341

temptations to believe in solutions

to problems that aren't godly.

342

Maybe some of you are lonely.

343

Maybe it's really hard to

go to lunch 'cause you don't

344

know who's gonna talk to you.

345

You don't know how awkward those

conversations are gonna be.

346

You don't know if your

friends are gonna abandon you.

347

Maybe you're lonely.

348

Maybe you think to yourself, the

solution to that is, if only I

349

had a boyfriend or girlfriend.

350

If I had a boyfriend or a girlfriend,

then problem solved, right?

351

If my friends abandoned me,

I have somebody to talk to.

352

I have somebody to text.

353

Right?

354

That thinking is a belief that.

355

A boyfriend or a girlfriend

will solve your problems.

356

Maybe that's not exactly something

that you face, but I think you

357

could probably relate to that.

358

Maybe you feel a lot of anxiety.

359

Maybe getting outta bed in the

morning is really difficult.

360

Maybe every time you leave your house

you feel just completely exhausted.

361

Maybe when you walk onto school

campus or you begin some sort of

362

project related to school, you feel

your tight, your chest tightening up.

363

You feel that anxiety in you.

364

And the only time you feel relief

from that is a couple times when

365

you've done really well in tests and

you feel, oh, it's finally over, and

366

I feel the relief from that anxiety.

367

And so you begin to work harder and

harder at your school so that you can

368

experience that relief that comes when

you've passed a test and done really well.

369

You put more and more faith into your

education, which is a good thing.

370

But that way of thinking is believing that

good grades are gonna solve your problems.

371

That is a belief.

372

I know you guys face real problems.

373

I know you face real problems, whether

that's anxiety or, or loneliness or, or

374

fears or depression or troubles at home.

375

I know those are real things.

376

Each of you faces

different facets of life.

377

There's different things that you each

struggle with, but there's one thing

378

that you were all born with and in fact

the Bible makes it very clear and Lewis

379

has preached very clearly on this.

380

You all were born with a sin problem,

and that problem is, is huge.

381

It's a huge problem.

382

We've already talked about how

that problem means that you are not

383

righteous, you are not right with God.

384

You need a solution to that?

385

What is the solution

to that righteousness?

386

What do we see here in Romans four?

387

It'll be counted to us.

388

Who believe in him?

389

Who raised from the dead?

390

Jesus our Lord.

391

What is the it?

392

It's the righteousness that you need.

393

A Christian doesn't have

anxiety disappear overnight.

394

When they profess faith and

they are saved, depression

395

doesn't just suddenly disappear.

396

God may relieve that may work through

your life to help you, but those

397

things don't just vanish overnight.

398

The problems that you have don't

just disappear when you become a

399

Christian, but there is something that

disappears when you become a Christian.

400

It disappears instantly.

401

It disappears immediately, and that

is the problem of righteousness.

402

That you have and have had since birth.

403

When you are saved, God

makes you righteous.

404

Does that mean that you continue

to sin or don't continue to sin?

405

We still sin as Christians in this

life, but we are made righteous

406

before God, once and for all.

407

Once a righteous Christian,

always a righteous Christian.

408

We do grow.

409

Christians do grow.

410

There's a big word.

411

We're not gonna dive into it, but

imagine many of you have heard

412

it, progressive sanctification.

413

That's something that happens

over the life of a Christian.

414

But when you become a Christian,

your biggest problem is dealt with.

415

Your biggest problem of sin is dealt with.

416

One Corinthians 1517.

417

A place where Paul helps us to

understand another important

418

element to the passage here.

419

One of the things that is clearly

articulated in this passage is

420

that Jesus is raised from the dead.

421

Raised from the dead.

422

We don't celebrate the

resurrection at Christmas.

423

We celebrate it at Easter, right?

424

The resurrection is

critical to understanding.

425

This reality.

426

So listen to, just don't turn there.

427

One Corinthians 15,

verse 17 says, says this.

428

And if Christ has not been

raised, your faith is futile.

429

So your faith is worthless.

430

Why is that?

431

Because you are still in your sins.

432

So we're dependent on the resurrection

of Christ because without that

433

resurrection, we are still in our sins.

434

Paul continues on and he says,

then those also who have fallen

435

asleep in Christ have perished.

436

So even if it was possible that you could

be a Christian in this life, but Jesus

437

wasn't resurrected himself, what hope

would you have of life after this life?

438

What hope would you have of

resurrection for yourself?

439

But no, Jesus has been resurrected.

440

He has overcome the grave,

and so we do have hope.

441

Just to make sure we're

not missing anything.

442

Paul continues.

443

He says, if in Christ we have

hope in this life only, we are

444

of all people most to be pitied.

445

We're very much dependent

on the resurrection.

446

For any of this to be possible,

447

you have a, a, a problem if you

are not a Christian, which is that

448

sin, reigns and rules in your life.

449

If you are a Christian, you

need to remember these truths.

450

You need to remember that God is kind to

you and you need to remember the gospel.

451

So this Christmas, believe in God

to be right with God this Christmas.

452

Look to the cross for the

hope that you can have.

453

There's nothing you can

do, but look to the cross.

454

Alright, does anybody

know what a warrant is?

455

If Mark Cogan has a warrant for

his arrest, who knows what that is?

456

Only two people.

457

Everybody else has no clue.

458

Who knows what a warrant for

arrest is if I have a warrant for

459

my arrest, what does that mean?

460

It means that some judge has sat in a

courtroom and looked at evidence and

461

said, that guy is guilty of a crime.

462

He needs to come in and see me.

463

He needs to be judged for his

crimes that he has committed.

464

Does that mean I'm in the courtroom yet?

465

It does not mean I'm in

a courtroom before yet.

466

When we're born, we all have

kind of a warrant for our arrest.

467

We have a sin nature, a sin problem that

God has issued a warrant of sorts for.

468

Does God issue a warrant because he needs

time for a police officer to bring you in?

469

No, he certainly does not.

470

He does not.

471

God has issued a warrant for your

arrest and he has not called you into

472

your judgment yet because he's kind

to you, because he loves you, because

473

he wants all to reach repentance.

474

As Peter says, God wants

all to reach repentance.

475

A judge in a courtroom needs

a police officer to go out and

476

arrest whoever it is who has the

warrant, but God is kind to you.

477

Let's look at verse 25.

478

Let's lurk at verse 25

to better understand.

479

This Verse 25 says, who was delivered up?

480

So who is the who?

481

That's Jesus.

482

He was delivered up for our trespasses

and raised for our justification.

483

So we have a warrant when we're born

for our arrest, but if we believe and

484

we have faith and the righteousness

is counted to us, what happens?

485

Does God call us in for that warrant?

486

No.

487

Who is delivered up?

488

Instead, Jesus is delivered up instead.

489

Instead, Jesus is the

one who pays the price.

490

What is that word?

491

Trespasses.

492

That word trespasses.

493

I suspect many of you kind of like

intuitively know what it means.

494

I, I think the easiest way to

understand it is that it's sin.

495

Trespasses is Paul's way, of course,

in the English of saying sin.

496

That word trespasses, I

think is really helpful.

497

What is a trespass?

498

Normally, if I get trespassed

from a place, what does that mean?

499

It means I went onto the

property of somebody else and

500

I broke their rules, right?

501

I made a scene, made a mess,

broke something, stole something.

502

And so what does the property owner say?

503

You broke the rules of the property.

504

You are no longer welcome on the property.

505

Trespasses for God work in a similar way.

506

God is the creator of everything.

507

This is his world.

508

Every inch of this world is his.

509

You are his.

510

And he has set up rules.

511

And when we break them,

we deserve punishment.

512

We deserve to be kicked off

the property, as it were.

513

But we have hope.

514

And we have hope because

Jesus is the one who is.

515

As Paul says, delivered

up for our trespasses.

516

Alright, there's another

important word here.

517

He doesn't just say delivered

up for our trespasses, right?

518

Jesus didn't just die, but

here's that word again, raised.

519

We already talked about

that, but an important word.

520

He wasn't just delivered up for our

trespasses put to death for our sin,

521

but he was raised for our justification.

522

Another big word.

523

Again, I think you probably intuitively

know what it means, but justification.

524

What word do you hear in there?

525

Think justice.

526

Justice, right?

527

The phrase justice is served,

probably comes to your mind.

528

Justification means what is good

and right, and just is done.

529

I know you guys probably been exposed

to many of the headlines recently about

530

some of the terrible things that have

happened in our world and in your heart.

531

I'm sure you desire justice to be done.

532

I'm sure you are alarmed at

it, but I also know that you

533

desire justice to be done well.

534

What is the justice that we deserve?

535

The Bible says that the wages

of sin is death, but, but there

536

was a baby born in a major.

537

There was a baby born in a major.

538

There was good news of great joy.

539

That will be for all people that

today in the city of David, a

540

savior is born, Christ is born.

541

And so you can be justified.

542

You can be made righteous before

God because of what Christ has done.

543

Notice here, what does Paul not

say, or another way of asking that

544

is, what role do you play in this?

545

Our final point for tonight,

546

0.2

547

of two is be amazed that God saves anyone.

548

Be amazed that God saves

anyone this Christmas.

549

Be amazed that God, who lived a

perfect life, who was born in a

550

manger, lived and died for you.

551

That's an incredible thing.

552

There's no law of nature that says

that that's something God had to do.

553

There's no, there's no law of physics

that says God had to save you, but he did.

554

There's nothing that mandates that

God loves you, but he does love you.

555

He was delivered up for our trespasses

and raised for our justification.

556

What part do you play in that?

557

It's your trespasses, right?

558

Where you delivered up for them.

559

Were not.

560

You are justified or you raised

up for that justification.

561

You are not.

562

What an incredible thing.

563

What an incredible promise from God.

564

What an incredible display of love

for you that he would do such a thing.

565

It's complete.

566

It's sufficient.

567

It's done.

568

Again, a Christian grows a

Christian sanctification that

569

happens day by day in their life.

570

But once a justified Christian,

always a justified Christian.

571

I'm not much of a football fan.

572

I'm a little bit better now.

573

I'm not too proud of this story, but in

high school, I started watching football.

574

I was really confused because at

the end of games, the clock was

575

still ticking down, but everybody's

cheering the like stadium is.

576

Cheering.

577

Everybody's happy.

578

Everybody's excited.

579

I'm like, well, wait a minute.

580

The clock is still ticking down.

581

What has happened?

582

Well, the reality is

a team had won, right?

583

The scorebook don't, didn't reflect,

and wouldn't reflect that a team had won

584

until that clock clicked down to zero.

585

But there was a final play.

586

There was a final touchdown

that sealed the deal.

587

It was done.

588

It would've actually been weird for the

stadium to wait until the clock ticked

589

all the way down to start cheering.

590

It would've been odd to to

wait for that to happen.

591

Jesus has sealed the deal.

592

He has done it.

593

He has completed it.

594

There is a time coming when Jesus

will return and the the score books,

595

the record books will be finalized.

596

For this moment here in

597

He has been victorious.

598

There's nothing the enemy

can do to undo his work.

599

There's nothing that can be un, there's

nothing that can undo his promise.

600

And so this Christmas, this Christmas,

you should celebrate what God has done.

601

You should be amazed that

God sent his son to die.

602

You should be amazed that a

baby was born in the manger.

603

You should be amazed that he has given

you this promise that if you believe in

604

him, righteousness will be counted to you.

605

Alright, let me pray for us

and we'll go to small groups.

606

Lord, thank you for Drew North.

607

Thank you for these students.

608

Thankful for those.

609

Who have professed faith.

610

I pray that they will be encouraged,

that they will be, um, excited

611

about what you've done, that they

will be reminded of the gospel.

612

For those here who are not saved,

I pray that tonight will be the

613

first night that they believe.

614

I pray that they will believe in you.

615

I, I pray that they will understand

the problem they have, but they

616

will understand how great a God

you are, how much you love them.

617

I pray that they will believe,

um, that they will be.

618

And their faith will be counted to

them as righteousness as you promise.

619

This is a good word for them and I pray

that, uh, it will work in their hearts

620

and their minds by the power of the

Spirit this evening as you see fit.

621

In Jesus name I pray, amen.

622

Alright, thank you guys.