Joy to the World
Pastor David T. Elms 12/7/2025
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40:32
Summary
Pastor David T. Elms explores the radical joy of Christ's arrival, contrasting the 'Joy to the World' message with the brutal historical realities of the Roman Empire. He encourages believers to move from the 'headlines' of world chaos to the 'good cheer' found only in the presence of Jesus.
Key points
- •Jesus was born into a historical context of extreme political chaos, mass executions, famine, and military mutiny, not a peaceful landscape.
- •The angelic promise of peace is specifically directed toward 'those with whom He is pleased' - those who seek Him and repent.
- •Christianity is defined by joy and the presence of the Bridegroom, contrasting with the somber legalism of the Pharisees or the asceticism of John's disciples.
- •Historical change (like the conversion of Ethiopia) often begins when the joy of Christ is expressed through song and praise in the midst of darkness.
- •Jesus repeatedly utilized the command 'Be of good cheer' to those facing paralysis, chronic illness, storms, and even death.
Scripture
Joy
Historical Context of Scripture
Peace in Chaos
Encouragement
The Nature of the Kingdom
Life application
This week, when you feel overwhelmed by negative headlines or personal crises, intentionally lift your eyes to Christ by singing a song of praise or speaking the words 'be of good cheer' over your situation.
Reflection questions
- How does knowing the violent and chaotic historical background of the first Christmas change your perspective on the 'peace' Jesus offers?
- Pastor Elms mentioned that the presence of Jesus makes every moment a 'honeymoon' for the church; how can you cultivate that sense of joy today?
- Which of the five instances where Jesus said 'Be of good cheer' resonates most with your current life circumstances?
- Is your spiritual life currently characterized more by the somber 'fasting' of the Pharisees or the 'wedding feast' joy of a disciple?
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Full transcript
0:00[Applause]
0:01Thank you for your kindness.
0:07Joy to the world.
0:11The Lord is come.
0:14Let earth receive her king.
0:19Let every heart
0:25prepare him rule.
0:32And heaven and nature sing.
0:36>> And heaven and nature sing.
0:40And heaven
0:42and heaven
0:44and nature.
0:47It was what the angels told the
0:49shepherds when they saw the star in the
0:51sky.
0:53But many times, because we are only
0:55locked into scriptural truth, we forsake
0:58the historical truths that were
1:00happening at the time that the angels
1:03said, "Joy to the world, peace on earth,
1:08good will toward men."
1:11Some take that verse and they read it as
1:13it is written in that verse without
1:15understanding that there is a nuance
1:17that if you have an ESV and NIV or a new
1:21translation of the Bible you will see
1:23you will find out that the angels did
1:25not say peace on earth good will to all
1:30men. It said according to the Bible,
1:33according to what the angels say, it
1:36said peace on earth, good will
1:40to those with whom
1:43he is pleased.
1:46Another translation, the NIB says it
1:48like this, peace among men of his good
1:53pleasure.
1:55So rather than this vague broad
1:58statement that the coming of Messiah
2:01would mean peace for everyone, that's
2:04not what the Bible says. And that's the
2:06reason you're here today.
2:08>> The reason you came to this place wasn't
2:10because of our music. Wasn't because of
2:12my loud jacket. It wasn't because we are
2:14funloving church. The reason you came
2:17into this place was because you know
2:19deep inside of you whether you know the
2:22Bible at all or none whatsoever.
2:25You know that sinners sin and people who
2:29want to please God repent.
2:32>> You know that the nar narrative of a
2:34carnal materialistic world always
2:38proposes that guilt is a plague and that
2:41all we need to do is forget sin. Just
2:43get rid of guilt. say that sin doesn't
2:46exist and that we just need to change
2:48the way we think about these things of
2:51falling away. These things that the
2:54Bible calls our sin. But when we hear
2:57the angels declare to the shepherds,
3:01peace on earth, good will or peace among
3:05those with whom he is pleased. We've got
3:09to stop and realize that the declaration
3:11of peace on earth happened in the
3:13context
3:14of chaos. Now, you and I are called to
3:18live in 2025. If I wanted to start
3:20talking modernday headlines with you,
3:23you'll be able to go with me. In just a
3:25moment, I will talk some that are very
3:27much in the last narrative of the last
3:29week. But if you think that just the
3:31Bible rendition of what was going on in
3:34the day of the Bible is all there is to
3:36report, then you are falling too short
3:39of an educated, literate mind. Because
3:42the thing that we've got to do is
3:44understand God came into a world that
3:46had context. It had chaos. It had order.
3:50It had governments. It had injustice. It
3:53had rich. It had poor. It had racial
3:55segregate segregation and angst. and it
3:59had all kind of cultural prejudices
4:01permeating the entire atmosphere.
4:05So for you and I to live in 2025 and
4:08have a church like this in the context
4:10of South Florida and America, we've got
4:13to not be ignorant of the way the world
4:15was when Jesus came. Because somebody
4:18can convince you that all of a sudden
4:20what we're facing in America now is
4:22brand new. RIGHT?
4:26>> WHAT WAS the world like when the angels
4:29declared joy to the world?
4:33What was going on when the angels said
4:36peace on earth?
4:39Are you blind?
4:42>> Angels, do you not know the modern-day
4:44algorithms on Tik Tok?
4:47Are you completely IGNORANT OF THE FACTS
4:50of what are going on in our culture?
4:53Let me give you just some facts. You can
4:55check me later. But these are facts,
4:57proofs, documents tested of the days
5:00when Jesus was born.
5:03Two weeks before Herod the Great died,
5:06who Herod the Great was around when
5:08Jesus was born that first year, two
5:10weeks before he died, there were two
5:12famous rabbis who had students go down
5:14because Herod had put a golden Roman
5:16eagle over the co top door of the
5:19temple. And so these two famous rabbis
5:21had their students go down and tear down
5:24that golden eagle from the fascia of the
5:27temple. And because of that, Herod took
5:30those two rabbis who were very famous
5:33and burned them alive in the temple
5:35precincts and executed 40 students
5:39inside the temple walls literally
5:44while the Christmas star was guiding the
5:47wise men to Bethlehem.
5:50What else is going on? Herod the Great
5:53ordered the slaughter of the infants in
5:55Bethlehem, which you know is a part of
5:57the Bible story. BUT THIS IS ALSO
5:59DOCUMENTED. It's not just Bible. See,
6:01those who think Bible is just myth, they
6:03need an education
6:05>> because it has been proven again and
6:07again and again archaeologically uh
6:09historically and with more discovers
6:11discoveries that are just happening now
6:14how accurate and truthful the Bible is.
6:17It's not an amalgamation of myths that
6:20are spoken by storytellers that are not
6:22attached to the truth.
6:24>> The Bible is the word of God, true,
6:27powerful, living, and it gives us how to
6:31live our life.
6:34Herod the Great ordered the slaughtering
6:36of the infants in Bethlehem. And then
6:38because of that, history tells us he
6:41tried to commit suicide and he botched
6:43it. He wasn't even successful in
6:45committing suicide. And so he changed
6:48his will three times in the last week of
6:50his life. Executed his son Antipettor
6:54five days before his own death. And he
6:57ordered 100 or hundreds of Pharisees
7:01to be arrested and killed the day he
7:05died. And the day he died, THEY KILLED
7:08HIM. WHY did he order this? So he said
7:11there would be mourning in Judea.
7:14This is the news reports
7:18of the day that the angels say,
7:22"GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST,
7:25>> JOY TO THE WORLD, PEACE ON EARTH."
7:30Are they blind?
7:33Is are they not following Tik Tok?
7:37Have they not got the algorithm of X?
7:41Are these angels completely ignorant of
7:43the headlines that they're being fed
7:45from Fox News?
7:47Do they not have a clue what CNN is
7:49reporting?
7:51ARE THEY NOT AWARE THAT GOOGLE NEWS
7:53always gets it right?
7:58>> YOU CRAZY ANGELS.
8:00DON'T YOU KNOW what's going on in the
8:02world? Due to a rebellion at that time,
8:05Rome had crucified two to three thousand
8:09people along the roads of Galilee. So,
8:11you couldn't even walk through the area
8:13when Jesus was born because of a
8:15rebellion that Rome decided they were
8:17going to squash. And they did it by
8:19putting crosses along the roads of
8:21Galilee with two to three thousand
8:23people hanging on them. That's the
8:26headlines. Now, I know in our minds many
8:29times we think Christmas star, boy, it's
8:31beautiful. There's lights everywhere.
8:32They've got Bethlehem decorated.
8:36Certainly, there are Christmas trees
8:37making the landscape beautiful. And
8:39certainly, this had to be an amazing
8:41thing because it's amazing in our
8:43Christmas.
8:45BUT THE FACTS are you've got to
8:47understand how it really was if you're
8:49going to know how to properly love the
8:50Lord.
8:53Romans, the Roman record tells us that
8:56there was a tremendous famine going on
8:59in the land at that time. This was the
9:03reason the taxes were so high. The water
9:05table had fallen massively in Judea and
9:08in Israel during this period and they
9:11were had a tremendous food shortage.
9:14The Roman grain records say there was a
9:17multi-year drought the year Jesus was
9:19born. Reports of people that were so
9:21hungry they were eating their own belts.
9:24Food prices were famine levels. Money
9:27was so low. Here's how low it got. that
9:29Herod in desperation of course you know
9:31he taxed EVERYBODY BUT WE DON'T hear
9:33what he DID HIMSELF HE HAD THIS massive
9:36golden plate that he had in his palace
9:38that he loved to celebrate its beauty
9:40but he was so desperate to feed his
9:42nation he melted it down turned it into
9:45revenue and sent it to Egypt so he could
9:48feed Judea
9:50this is all the records of the years
9:52that Jesus was born and little also
9:56during this time while the wise men from
9:58the east are coming from afar. The
10:00Romans eastern regions had had a mutiny
10:04and they were upset and had resisted
10:07Rome because of their pay and because of
10:10their living conditions.
10:12>> That was the news. Who has time to talk
10:16about a baby in a manger? DON'T YOU KNOW
10:19THERE'S a mutiny in the army? I know
10:22y'all have been talking a lot about I
10:23don't even know if it's Brazil or
10:25Argentina. Where's Maduro?
10:27>> Venezuela.
10:27>> Venezuela. Okay,
10:30>> I don't have my geography right. Don't
10:32hold it against me. Please forgive me. I
10:34KNOW Y'ALL KNOW ABOUT ALL THE PLANES
10:36DOWN THERE.
10:38Does anybody know that the ROMAN LEGIONS
10:40ARE TICKED OFF because they're underpaid
10:42and underfed and their living conditions
10:45are runchy and they're being a mutiny
10:46against Rome? SHOULDN'T WE BE TALKING
10:49ABOUT THAT? HEY ANGELS,
10:52you got the wrong headline.
10:56Peace on earth.
10:59Good will towards man. Don't you know
11:00you ought to be marching for the
11:02soldiers?
11:02>> Y
11:04>> peace on earth.
11:05>> Good will towards men. DON'T YOU KNOW
11:07YOU OUGHT TO BE OUT THERE because of all
11:09the people hanging across the roads.
11:12>> Good will towards men. Peace on earth.
11:15What else is going on? Well, the Roman
11:17intelligence reports that King Fryates V
11:21of Partha was massing 30,000 troops on
11:25the river Euphrates because they were
11:27going to come down and overtake the
11:29Middle East kingdom. So, the Magi to get
11:32TO BETHLEHEM HAD TO come through this
11:34mass of 30,000 soldiers that had already
11:36been buttressed against the Euphrates
11:39coming down through Babylon at that day.
11:41It's a modern day Iraq today, but they
11:43had already been amassed to come down
11:44and take over. Hey angels, don't you
11:47know we shouldn't be talking about a
11:48baby in a manger? What God, what silly
11:52God would ever think to send a baby in a
11:55poor man's manger to fix all this
11:58problem? Don't you understand? There's
12:00armies amassed. There's carrier groups
12:05situated on the Euphrates.
12:07Come on, angels, get a clue.
12:15And yet
12:17we cannot be naive when the angel said
12:20peace on earth because he was saying to
12:24know shalom
12:26to know true peace you have to know
12:29Jesus.
12:31You can know a lot of marijuana
12:33but you won't know peace. Can know a lot
12:36of wine but you will not know peace. You
12:40can know a lot of Tennessee whiskey, but
12:42you will not know peace. You can know a
12:45lot of Xanax, but you will not know
12:47peace. You can know a lot of quaudes,
12:50but you will not know peace. You can
12:52know a lot of pornography, but you will
12:55not know peace.
12:56>> You will know a lot of Wall Street, but
12:59you will not know peace.
13:00>> You can KNOW EVERY TAX BREAK THAT
13:03EXISTS, BUT you will not know peace.
13:05>> The only way, Holy Ghost, help me.
13:10Oh Lord,
13:12>> the only way you're going to know peace
13:14is by what some would SAY IS THIS CRAZY
13:17ASPECT UH THIS ABSTRACT IDEA known as
13:21Jesus of Nazareth,
13:25>> BUT HE CAME AS A BABY.
13:28>> AND THE ANGELS COULDN'T GET THEIR EYE ON
13:32THE CARRIER GROUP AT AT THE EUPHRATES.
13:35THEY COULDN'T GET THEIR EYE ON THE
13:37CROSSES ALONG GALILEE. THEY COULDN'T GET
13:40THEIR EYE ON THE MELTED GOLD PLATE THAT
13:42WAS SENT FOR funds to get food from
13:44Egypt. THEY COULDN'T GET THEIR EYE ON
13:47ALL OF THE PRIESTS, THE RABBIS THAT HAD
13:49BEEN BURNED IN THE TEMPLE MOUNT. THEY
13:52COULDN'T GET THEIR EYE ON THE 20
13:54STUDENTS THAT WERE BURNED ALIVE THERE.
13:56THEY COULDN'T GET THEIR EYE ON THAT. ALL
13:59THEY COULD SAY IS, "Look
14:01in that manger.
14:07We've never seen him like this.
14:10We know WHO HE IS. YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE A
14:13CLUE.
14:15>> You don't know who that is.
14:21>> YOU WISE MEN COMING FROM AFAR, YOU THINK
14:24YOU'RE FOLLOWING A STAR. NO. THE MAKER
14:27of the star
14:28>> is sitting LYING IN SWADDLING CLOTHES.
14:34WHAT YOU shepherds her angels SING AND
14:39SAY, "GLORY TO GOD in the highest, peace
14:42on earth, goodwill towards men." You
14:45bring all of your SONG AND JOY TO THIS
14:48MANGER. You don't have a clue
14:54who's in that manger.
14:58>> Peace.
15:00When peace like a river,
15:03attendeth my way. When sorrows like sea
15:08billows roll,
15:11whatever my lot,
15:14thou hast taught me to say,
15:20it is well.
15:24It is well in my soul.
15:30It is well.
15:34>> It is well
15:37>> in my soul.
15:44>> It is well.
15:48It is well
15:51in
15:53my soul.
15:58That was when he was born.
16:01>> But what are we doing with the text we
16:03read today?
16:05>> What is this crazy text? The Pharisees
16:08are already ticked off at Jesus. But the
16:10Bible says specifically in Luke 9 that
16:12the disciples of John, but you know,
16:14it's this John that baptized Jesus. It's
16:17this it's this John who said, "I must
16:18decrease, but he must increase."
16:21>> It's this John who told the disciples of
16:23Jesus, "Go away. uh he is the lamb of
16:27God that taketh away the sins of the
16:29world.
16:30>> THERE WERE SOME THAT STAYED WITH JOHN
16:32AND SO THEY FINALLY COME TO JESUS. So
16:34who you know they've got a completely
16:36different mindset about Jesus than the
16:38Pharisees do. The Pharisees are ticked
16:40that Jesus eats with sinners and
16:41publicans. They're so angry that Jesus
16:43has so much joy. And yet the disciples
16:46of John as this aeticism which means
16:49sacrifice all the time, always be der
16:52and down and heavy all the time. If
16:54you're going to please God, you always
16:55got to be sad.
16:59>> That's what a atheists think serving God
17:01is. Oh, this cursed Jesus who has turned
17:04all life gray. He's taken away all the
17:07joy, all my longings and desires, he has
17:10stamped out. That's what they say. But
17:14if they only knew,
17:18>> there is NO JOY LIKE KNOWING YOU GOT
17:20JESUS and his favor.
17:24THERE IS NO PEACE LIKE KNOWING YOU GOT
17:27THE MAKER OF THE SUN AND THE MOON and
17:29the stars.
17:34>> So as we dissect this text, then came
17:36they to him the disciples of John,
17:39Matthew 9:14, saying, "Why do we
17:43and the Pharisees
17:45fast often,
17:48but your disciples don't fast any?
17:54We got us a problem.
17:58We love you, but today we're in the same
18:01boat with the Pharisees.
18:03Y'all are walking around like there's
18:05nothing to be worried about.
18:11So, we want to ask you why.
18:14And Jesus said unto them,
18:20"Can the children of the bride chamber
18:24mourn
18:26as long as the bridegroom is with them?"
18:29I mean, Jesus is enjoying dinner. His
18:31disciples JUST EATING AND SPING and
18:34drinking and enjoying themselves. I
18:36said, "I want a drink in church."
18:39>> Don't think they're drinking alcohol.
18:41You learned last week what it saw, what
18:43Plutarch taught, and what all of the
18:45historical figures said was wine in that
18:48day. So don't be thinking you're
18:49drinking what you're drinking at the
18:50grocery store.
18:52>> All right? You got to have a little
18:53history in your truth.
18:56And so they're sitting there AND
18:59THEY'RE UPSET THAT JESUS IS SO HAPPY.
19:02And the Lord said essentially,
19:06"We're on honeymoon.
19:11You think I'm fasting on my honeymoon?
19:17All of you unhealthy marriages out
19:18there.
19:22>> Oh, I better move on. That's that I
19:23better not go there, should I? I better
19:26not get there.
19:28>> I'm just tired of people playing
19:29spiritual and yet they're not being what
19:31God says.
19:33>> We'll move on.
19:36>> Jesus is enjoying dinner with that
19:39disciples. That's funny. That was funny.
19:44And the Pharisees were already upset
19:46with the situation. But now the
19:48disciples of John are asking, "What's
19:51going on?" See, the Pharisees fasted
19:52twice a week, every Monday and every
19:54Thursday. They had to fast. On another
19:57occasion, the Pharisees complained
19:58because JESUS WOULD HAVE SO MUCH FUN
20:00WITH SINNERS. I MEAN, HE WALKED UP TO
20:02HIM AND DIDN'T DIDN'T JUDGE HIM WITH HIS
20:05EYES, you know? So they walked up to him
20:07and if you're really holy, shouldn't you
20:09when when somebody curses in your
20:10presence, shouldn't you say,
20:13"How dare you do that?
20:16Don't you know my ears are too holy to
20:18you?
20:21>> Go ahead and be a prude. Be a Pharisee.
20:24>> Go ahead and act like God sent you to
20:26share of his world."
20:28>> Because he didn't. He sent you to hold
20:32up the understanding. Everything's going
20:35to be all right. Everything's going to
20:38be all right.
20:41THE DISCIPLES OF JOHN THE BA BAPTIST
20:44ASKED AND JESUS SAID, "OH, MY DISCIPLES
20:47WILL FAST at the appropriate time. There
20:50will be days that they mourn and they
20:52pray, but when what I want you to know
20:55is the overarching of my kingdom is when
20:57I'm with my people."
20:59>> When that's the reason we got to have
21:01church with Jesus here,
21:02>> right?
21:03When I'm with my people, it's party
21:06time.
21:07>> IT'S HONEYMOON. IT'S ALL joy all the
21:10time.
21:12>> Now, this last little bit of uh American
21:14history, we have heard a lot about
21:15Somalia, unless you haven't paid
21:17attention to their news lately. What
21:19does this have to do with 2025 in this
21:22preaching, Brother Helms? Well, I want
21:23to tell you a little bit about Somalia
21:24and their neighbors. Somalia is an
21:27African nation and they are a nation
21:30that has a bigger border
21:33with Ethiopia than Texas has with
21:36Louisiana.
21:38Ethiopia is the neighboring country to
21:41Somalia.
21:42But Somalia is the most Muslim country
21:46in the world. Over 99% of Somalia is
21:51Muslim.
21:52The same trajectory was Ethiopia until
21:56about 400 AD when the king of Ethiopia
22:03had murder in his heart. He was ruling
22:07by a sword. His name was King Ella
22:10Atsbea.
22:12He was young. He was powerful. And he
22:15was reigning with fear and mayhem. This
22:19is truth and this is history.
22:22And because of that, his mother, they
22:24had not heard her laugh for years. It
22:28was just a reign of fear and terror.
22:31But because of the council of Calcedon,
22:35there were nine disciples of Jesus
22:37Christ who had to leave modern-day
22:39Christianity in that time because they
22:42would not give away their doctrine. They
22:45believe that Jesus Christ was one person
22:49but two natures. He was all man,
22:53but he was also all God.
22:57>> That's what we believe.
22:59>> HE WAS ALL MAN, BUT HE WAS also all God.
23:04>> But because the mass of Christianity
23:06didn't believe that, these nine
23:07disciples had to leave and go somewhere
23:10THAT WAS SAFE THAT was not the European
23:12edition and Assyrian edition of
23:15Christianity.
23:16So they go down to Ethiopia and they get
23:19near the palace and these nine disciples
23:22of the Lord Jesus Christ started singing
23:25outside the walls of that palace. This
23:29is the day that the Lord hath made. We
23:32will rejoice and be glad in it. This is
23:36the day that the Lord hath made. We will
23:39rejoice and be glad in it. Rejoice
23:44in the Lord.
23:48Boy, I'm a singing preacher. I'm still
23:49trying to win the favor of our music and
23:51arts director.
23:54>> And what happened?
23:56FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS, the mother
23:59started laughing. THE KING WALKED INTO
24:03HIS MOTHER, WHO HE HADN'T SEEN HER LAUGH
24:04AND SMILE IN YEARS, AND SAID, "WHAT'S
24:06GOING ON?" She said, "Do you hear that?"
24:11said, "What?" And he listened. And they
24:13were saying, "This is the day that the
24:16Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be
24:19glad in. This is the day that the Lord
24:22hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in
24:26it."
24:28And so the king put down his sword. HE
24:32WENT AND BROUGHT IN THESE NINE DISCIPLES
24:34and said, "What in the world are you
24:36thinking?" And they so moved him that
24:39the nation of Ethiopia became followers
24:41of Christ. And today, next to the most
24:44Muslim nation that has the most abuse,
24:48the most fraud,
24:51the most rape.
24:58Go visit
25:05next door.
25:07is Ethiopia
25:09who on every EASTER
25:11ALL THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES OPEN THEIR
25:13SERVICE.
25:16This is the day that the Lord had made.
25:19I will rejoice and be glad in it. WHY?
25:23BECAUSE CHRISTIANITY isn't one religion
25:26AMONG THE RELIGIONS. CHRISTIANITY IS
25:28JESUS WALKING IN AND SAYING, "I will
25:31bring joy, hope, love, peace, mercy,
25:35grace tenderness gentleness goodness
25:38ALL THESE THINGS I WILL BRING TO THE
25:41WORLD."
25:42>> AMEN.
25:43>> A people who had for years sacrificed
25:46their children to the gods as human
25:48sacrifices. Now we're throwing feasts
25:50for the poor and the wanting. There had
25:53been nothing but the silence of fear and
25:55death in THAT NATION. NOW THE NATION WAS
25:58SINGING IN the streets and Ethiopia
26:01sings and dances for Christ. Now where
26:03Christianity is still the number one and
26:06greatest religion in modernday Ethiopia,
26:11a neighbor to Somalia.
26:15Jesus, why don't your disciples fast and
26:17look somber? I'll tell you why. Because
26:21my kingdom is a honeymoon.
26:25Sermon on the mount. He said, "When we
26:27are persecuted,
26:29we are to rejoice in that day."
26:32>> He said, "If you're persecuted, rejoice
26:34and leap
26:37for joy."
26:39>> Why? Why, Lord, do you want us to leap
26:42for joy? Sometimes I leap just because I
26:44know this verse is in there. But why
26:46does HE SAY LEAP FOR JOY? Why do I get
26:49and do this every once in a while in
26:50church? I used to go higher. Don't
26:52laugh. Don't laugh. I used to have a lot
26:56more inches on my jump. I don't anymore,
26:59but it's still called a leap.
27:05>> WHY LEAP FOR JOY? BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE
27:08BATTERED AND bruised and persecuted and
27:10made fun of and belittled, when you
27:12don't have a place to lay your head like
27:14the son of man, foxes have hold, birds
27:16have nests, BUT THE SON OF MAN HAS
27:18NOWHERE TO LAY HIS HEAD AT. WHAT ARE YOU
27:19SUPPOSED TO DO? LEAP FOR JOY. WHY?
27:22BECAUSE GREAT IS YOUR REWARD.
27:29[Applause]
27:30>> When Jesus is persecuted, he's on his
27:33way to THE CROSS. THEY TRIED TO FIGURE
27:35OUT WHY. HE SAID HE DESPISED THE HE HE
27:38ENDURED THE CROSS, DESPISING THE SHAME
27:40for the
27:42>> joy that was set before him.
27:45>> I'm closing. Sister Elm's come. When
27:48Jesus was in the New Testament five
27:51times, whenever and wherever he was
27:54facing fear or paralysis or guilt or
27:59even death, he had a favorite saying.
28:03It's recorded exactly in these words
28:06five times in your Bible. He said,
28:10"Be of good cheer."
28:12Yeah.
28:13>> He was teaching in A HOUSE AND THEY
28:15STARTED BREAKING UP THE roof and he's
28:18like, "Oh my goodness, we're getting
28:20plaster in my hair."
28:22His his hair gel caught some of it.
28:26AND HE'S COMING DOWN. WHAT'S GOING ON?
28:30HE SEES GUYS with work gloves on
28:34pulling back the roof. Then one standing
28:37up there going like this and measuring,
28:40throwing a ruler out. They finally get
28:42it big enough and down comes a man on a
28:44bed. I don't know if you would have been
28:47in that room what you would have
28:48thought, but I would have thought those
28:49dudes are crazy. Don't they know the
28:52master's teaching? But when
28:58when that lame man came down
29:01in front of Jesus,
29:05he said to that paralyzed man,
29:09"Sir,
29:11be of good cheer."
29:13>> If I was in that bed, I might have been
29:15embarrassed. I I got the wrong guys. I
29:18mean, they're crazy. Good night. I'll
29:21come back. I don't like him making a big
29:24splash like that. You know, this guy, he
29:27got the wrong crazy guy. We got some
29:29people in our church like this, okay? We
29:31I'll warn you about them if you come
29:32very long at all. There's people I need
29:34to warn you about in this church,
29:35>> but there are those THAT WILL TEAR THE
29:37ROOF OFF TO GET PEOPLE TO HELP.
29:40>> AND THE WORDS THAT CAME OUT OF JESUS
29:43WASN'T, "LOOK AT THE MESS YOU MADE." OR,
29:46"WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING?" OR
29:48DON'T YOU KNOW YOU'RE INTERRUPTING ME OR
29:50CAN'T YOU SEE WE OUGHT TO BE WORKING AND
29:52AND SLAVING. NO, HIS words were
29:59be of good cheer.
30:02>> There was a woman WHO HAD GIVEN ALL SHE
30:04HAD to doctors and medicine and health
30:07insurance. She had tried every brand and
30:10off-brand
30:12things she could try. She tried holistic
30:15care. She had tried home remedies. She
30:17had even tried the Jamaican stuff.
30:23That means you put ginger in everything.
30:32Listen, don't mess with me. I I'm going
30:33to be straight lining some as soon as
30:35church is over. I got it. I'm taking it
30:38home.
30:41I I get brought some Jamaican juice.
30:43That's what I'm going to call it because
30:44nobody knows what it is.
30:47Every week chicken. See, that's another
30:50crazy one. Anybody you know called
30:52chicken, you need to be wary. You need
30:55to be wary. We have proper names here.
30:58His proper name is Eric Whitley. I will
31:01not put chicken in the church software.
31:04It's not going there. Will not do it.
31:11SHE HAD TRIED EVERYTHING AND YET THIS
31:13ISSUE OF the Bible calls it an issue of
31:15blood. She wouldn't stop bleeding.
31:21See, I know some of you all are going
31:23through things you won't tell anybody
31:24else about right now.
31:27Some of you won't even tell the one you
31:28love. You're just thinking, "Maybe,
31:30maybe I'll come through it. I'll try
31:33another soap. I'll try another filter.
31:35I'll drink something else. I'm going to
31:37try it. I'm going to try all these
31:39years. She gets down and cannot get to
31:43Jesus because of the crowd. She can't go
31:46high. So, she chooses to go low
31:49>> and she crawls
31:50>> and she touches his garment.
31:53>> Yes.
31:55>> And something happens in her and she
31:58tries to sneak away and Jesus stops the
32:01crowd and says,
32:04"Who touched me?"
32:06You know, Jesus sometimes asks some
32:08crazy questions.
32:11>> And Peter, he's kind of smart sometimes.
32:14He said, "Lord, that's one of those
32:15crazy ones. Uh, don't you see? We're all
32:18around you and everybody's touching
32:20you."
32:21And Jesus gave Peter the biggest eye
32:23roll you've ever seen.
32:27>> He said, "Peter,
32:31you're still not on the level that I'm
32:33getting you to.
32:35There's a level in this house right now
32:36that some of y'all are just still
32:38staring at my jacket.
32:45>> But there's some of you right now that
32:47the harp of your heart is playing on one
32:50string because every other string has
32:52been broken and you got one string left
32:56in the harp of your heart and you're
32:59hoping to hear, "Is there music here?"
33:03Jesus looked at this woman and said, he
33:05stopped and said, "Who touched me?" And
33:07he said, "Everybody's touching the
33:08Lord." He said, "No, no, virtue went out
33:11of me. Virtue went out." And the woman
33:14was embarrassed, but she said, "Oh Lord,
33:16I touched you."
33:19You know what he said to her?
33:22Woman,
33:24be of good cheer.
33:28All the disciples WERE OUT IN A STORM ON
33:30THE BOAT AND it was raining and the wind
33:32was blowing and THEY THOUGHT FOR SURE
33:34THEY WOULD DIE. AND TO ADD TO THE FACT
33:37THAT deer death was present,
33:41they see a ghost walking on the water.
33:43I'm out.
33:48And they think it's crazy right now. You
33:52know the first words that the Lord told
33:53his disciples,
33:55"Be of good cheer
33:58in his eye."
34:00He was going to cross the next day. He
34:04was about TO GO TO GETHSEMANE AND BE
34:05BETRAYED BY A FRIEND. They have broken
34:08BREAD AND DIPPED THE SOP, TAKE OF THE
34:11CUP and eaten of his body. They
34:13celebrated communion like all disciples
34:17do.
34:19So much so that JESUS SAID, "IF YOU
34:21DON'T do this, you won't have part of
34:23me." This this moment of washing of the
34:26feet and sharing of this moment.
34:30But you know what he said to his
34:31disciples that night
34:34in this world?
34:37You shall have tribulation,
34:40but be of good cheer
34:43for I have overcome this world.
34:52The fifth time in the Bible,
34:55the Lord says it.
34:58The Apostle Paul has labored. He's been
35:01blinded by light. He's been a tent tent
35:05maker for 14 years, forsaking forsaking
35:08the salary, the temple salary that was
35:11very robust. He had a corporate card
35:13that he could spend on all Ubers, all
35:15black car transportation. He got to fly
35:18first class everywhere he went. He had
35:20his own security detail from the FBI,
35:23Secret Service.
35:25Wherever he went, he had the entire
35:27treasury of the temple to back his going
35:30and his coming. He loses all of this.
35:33So, he has to work with his hands to
35:35make tents because the church won't
35:37trust him. I wouldn't trust him either.
35:42He has beaten the women of the church
35:43and pulled them by their hair out of the
35:45church. He has locked up the men
35:48persecuted even to the point of killing
35:50them. I said I wouldn't trust him
35:52either. He's done this for many years.
35:56Finally, he's proven, I love the Lord,
35:58and it's real. SO, HE GOES AND STARTS
36:00PREACHING AROUND. HE GOES to one city
36:04and preaches, but a mob rises up and
36:07beats him and drags him to prison and
36:11they lock him up.
36:14PRISON WAS BETTER THAN THE town though
36:17BECAUSE AT LEAST THE BARS could preserve
36:20him.
36:23Yet
36:25he had a visitor at prison
36:28because the Lord appears to Paul and
36:31said to him,
36:33"Be of good cheer, Paul.
36:36I got you."
36:39In this Christmas season,
36:45when the headlines try to grab your
36:47mind,
36:49the chaos of another
36:51shooting
36:53or another rape
36:56or another grooming gang from Somalia.
37:00I said it the way I want to say it.
37:03Another
37:06traumatic
37:08abuse of the vulnerable,
37:11the broken, and the poor happened.
37:16When corruption gets piled on top of
37:18corruption,
37:20here's what I need you to do. I need you
37:23to stop and get your eyes off the
37:24headlines.
37:26Lift your eyes to the star.
37:30[Music]
37:33peace on earth,
37:36goodwill
37:38toward those in whom he takes pleasure.
37:43Lift your hands.
37:47Don't come with all your titles.
37:49He's not impressed with your bank
37:50account or lack thereof.
37:54Just come.
37:56Don't bring all your accomplishments.
37:59Don't bring your beauty.
38:01Or maybe
38:03[Music]
38:09don't come thinking about that one ear
38:12that's bigger than the other.
38:16All your insecurities,
38:19all your flaws,
38:21ALL THE THINGS THAT PARALYZE YOUR
38:23EMOTIONS,
38:24[Music]
38:26all the PTSD that you claim to get your
38:29way.
38:32Yeah, I just said it right.
38:35And I have great respect for PTSD.
38:42Don't bring that to him.
38:45Just come
38:47lift up your hands and close your eyes.
38:48Forget about everybody around you. They
38:51can't save you. They can't do anything
38:53real for you. They can't wash you from
38:56your sins.
38:57>> They can't give you a brand new start.
38:58They cannot fill you with their spirit.
39:02>> You don't want their spirit. There's
39:05only one spirit you want. You want the
39:07Holy Ghost
39:08>> living in your heart. Shall we stand all
39:10across this building? I'm not sure who
39:12I'm preaching to, BUT I KNOW THE HOLY
39:15GHOST TOLD ME TO TELL YOU, GET YOUR EYES
39:18ON JESUS.
39:20Go with THE MAGI TO A Bethlehem star AND
39:26GO BOW BEFORE A baby that you don't even
39:31know who he is but you know be of good
39:35cheer
39:36>> for he has overcome the world. I'm
39:39opening this altar for anybody who wants
39:40to get closer to the Lord. If you want
39:43to just come and lift up your hands and
39:44be honest with God. Maybe your focus has
39:47been consumed by headlines and you need
39:50to shake them out. Maybe you have
39:52forgotten who Jesus really is. You need
39:55to come and open your mouth and pray a
39:58thoughtful prayer. Pray an honest
40:01prayer, not a fancy prayer, not a
40:03theological prayer, not a prayer with
40:06high sounding words. No, don't come with
40:08some prayer that you think really
40:10impresses those around you. Why don't
40:12you just come, close your eyes, and just
40:15say, "Lord, I want to repent of my sins.
40:18I want to ask your forgiveness for
40:21everything I've done that's wrong. I
40:23want you to wash me. Wash me with your
40:26blood. Wash me with your goodness. Wash
40:29me with your presence. Wash me with your