Christmas Eve 2019

[Music] [Music] [Music] hi my name is fable moss I'm a worshipper here at Pathfinder Church thank you so much for coming to our Christmas Eve service we're so glad you're here but will you do me a favor we're gonna start in a couple minutes but will you please go toward the center of your rows to make room for more people as they come in I'll give you a minute but while I have your attention I'd like to tell you about my school I go to st. John's School and I love that it has personalized learning that way I can learn at my own pace and study topics I enjoy and want to learn about I also like having the flexibility to plan my own day each morning I get to plan out my must use and my made is I also like having the freedom to sit in a comfortable place that helps me focus kids we're not meant to sit in rows all day one of my favorite things about st. John school is PBL or project-based learning as an extrovert that likes to collaborate I get to learn from other kids ideas not just my own I think st. John school is really great you should check it out [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] our Swiss by the [Music] and [Music] Chuck [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] yes [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] we put one foot in front of the other no time to slow down no time to enjoy the scenery keep your head down stay focused on the task one foot in front of the other that's the only way the last [Music] [Music] but what might be missing and living this right buried focused unaware [Music] the mystery too deep how desperately he wants [Music] what glorious transcendence might lie just above [Music] [Music] to lift our heads to behold what our God has done [Music] and there were Shepherds living [Music] keeping watch over there an angel of reward and the glory of the Lord shone all around them do not be afraid that will cause great joy for all today in the town of David a savior has been born to you he is the Messiah the law this will be assigned to you you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and saying glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to those on his [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] we hold [Music] [Music] see [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] joy Oh Oh [Music] Oh [Music] Oh [Music] wise up [Music] he said [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] [Music] gasps tea [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] his love [Music] [Music] [Music] thank you so much for singing with us and before you take a seat I invite you to say Merry Christmas to the people around you [Music] [Applause] Hey we are so happy to have you watching on our live free from wherever you are streaming we want to let you know that we stream every single weekend in case you don't currently stream with us we want you to be a part of the Pathfinder family year around we hope that you enjoyed the service Merry Christmas [Music] Wow you all are obedient you did it in town hey Merry Christmas Merry Christmas I wanna welcome you to Pathfinder Church my name is Dion and my name is Chris and we are so glad that you are choosing to spend Christmas with us today whether you're here in the room or online we're we're so glad that you're here it's gonna be we just got a taste of what we're gonna experience tonight it's gonna be a afternoon of worship of giving thanks for what God has done through Jesus and man we're just really happy that you chose to be here yeah and if you are here today and you're a guest with us maybe it's your first time maybe you come here on holidays from your visiting family it doesn't matter however you came today we are so glad that you chose to be with us and we hope that your worship is is just a time for you to relax and really enjoy being in God's presence yeah he ain't lyin that's what we hope for for you also in front of you there's a card that says new here and if you are new here and you want to take a next step with us go ahead and fill that out and drop that in the offering basket also I want to point out that maybe on the way in if not make sure you grab one on the way out that's right this next steps booklet there is a lot of great information in here we're we're so much more than a church here at Pathfinder there are all kinds of programs and events and care communities and small groups that we would love for you to know about so you can find out a lot of that information here you can also go to our website and find out more there yeah and weird shirts all about helping people find their way to a fuller life to a whole life the whole life that Jesus offers and if that's something that you want to know more about it we invite you back in January for our getting started orientation it's dedicated to that very thing we'd love to see you there or in any of our services in January we're gonna kick off a new series in January for the decided for the new year for the new decade even it's called 20/20 you and we're gonna talk about five essential success skills for the new decade but the crazy thing is is these are very ancient things that I think are becoming increasingly important in our very modern world so we invite you back for that series or anytime in between great well we are going to continue in our time of worship so Merry Christmas let's sing some more Ella sing [Music] snow what's the Sultan [Music] thank you [Music] on a cold winter's night [Music] [Music] [Music] that's [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] they No No [Music] No ah [Music] when the Angels had left them and gone into heaven the Shepherd's said to one another let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about so they hurried off and found Mary Joseph and the baby who is lying in the manger when they had seen him they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child and all who heard it were amazed at what the Shepherd's had said to them but Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart the Shepherd's returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen which were just as they had been told [Music] Oh little town still silence [Music] yeah dog Street sting [Music] [Music] the [Music] Oh and [Music] [Music] Oh [Music] boy [Music] Chris [Music] Oh [Music] ah Oh too Oh [Music] God we thank you so much for coming to earth to be with us God that you sent your son that you love to abide on earth with us God and not just on Christmas but God you are here for us every single day for the rest of our lives god I pray that we would remember that that you abide with us in us God in times of fear in times of struggle but not only when it's hard God that you would remind us that you are with us here on Christmas in times of joy and times of family and community God that we wouldn't forget that you are the giver of all of that in your name we pray amen [Music] well one of the things that people tell us they love about our church again and again are the messages and our pastors and other communicators have so much true to life content that they share on a weekly basis now if you don't worship here regularly I wouldn't necessarily expect you to know that and so we thought well maybe we will put together a highlight reel of all of this true to life content so check this out dust that old glove sauce an old hat is inedible by itself like mama said I went up to you so uh whistles a Susan left she sent her home and wait with trains it down with a whole diamond kazoo I haven't wrote Arabia before with wet socks yeah that's probably for you guys will you show me what do I want the garlic the bread the garlic the bread and I'm freaking out what I want is the bathroom right it's not just a barbaric dove and you can clean them so well weird all the time help us hit 1,000 bus drivers by bicycling on this strap below can't promise you won't lose a finger guys I propose we must have some of the Dolphins to run when it's safe life differently yeah [Music] yeah that sounds straight so I have this point this place serve for you to the paper of love I mean we have seen much power of the wet one so on the fish rolls are coming on in just breath gets the spice hi Becky thank you for joining us have you heard water filled whale fin out lobby yeah so probably will sneak some we have an assortment pre-chewed for you over there nibble whitetail ginseng love - Shh showered is love my paper toilet paper yep so the last thing I remember being that soft was English if I probably say that Triceratops kissed babies summer boy well so happens the more dolls for me remember third there way our doings fast may toes first it was a cow and then they try to sell a football movie to me yes maybe they might have certain power yeah it's Christmas oh boy well I mean I know you're just overwhelmed with wisdom coming from from the content that we have we are a church that likes to have a little bit of fun but the reality is we are a church that also has a deep desire to speak the truth of God in a way that is also true to your life we want to speak directly into your real-life situations because we believe Jesus came to bring hope and life to every part of you all of you and we're really grateful to play an important role in bringing hope and light to people as they are on their journey towards a whole life now if you're someone like me who could use some help with the stuff of life or if greater wholeness sounds like something you'd like to have I want to invite you back to Pathfinder I believe that this church could really help you find what your heart longs for I know it has done that for me for sure and finally if you're someone who just believes the world needs more influence like this I want to invite you to join me in just a moment is we have an opportunity to give towards what God is doing in and through this church pray with me please father today we thank you so much for the gift of Jesus God thank you that because of that gift we get to live a life that is full of hope God that we get to have life that is beyond anything we could ever imagine god I pray that you would be with each and every person in this room God at first that we would just be open and receptive to the love that you are giving to us and God then we would be people who would go out and we would share that love with others God we know and believe that because of Jesus and because of his love God that our lives are forever changed help us to show that to others so that they can experience the same and God now we asked for just your blessing upon this offering and everything that's given that it would go forward to to reach people not just within these walls but even more Lord outside of these walls in our city in our community in our world we pray this in the name of Jesus well this time some volunteers are gonna come forward to receive an offering if you'd like to give electronically you can do that at Pathfinder STL org /give [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] once there was a boy he was wide-eyed in full of wonder his heart was wild and he dreamed of spending his life exploring the wonders of this mysterious world while others dreamed different kinds of dreams he knew that nothing would ever satisfy his heart more than seeing far-off places places others were too busy or too dull to take note of one day while he was out on a great quest he saw an elf sleeping in the hollow of a great tree not wanting to disturb the creature but knowing he could not pass up the opportunity to behold him the boy crept close now the elf being a magical creature he sensed the boys approach and he jumped up with a start bumping his head at the top of the hollow the boy was filled with compassion for he did not wish to disturb the elf and also feeling much remorse for disturbing his slumber the boy apologized as a tear ran down his cheek now the elf had never met anyone with a heart so good and so he wanted to bless the boy he gave him the chance to have any desire of his heart fulfilled whatever he would ask for it would come to be now the boy knew right away what his heart desired more than anything else for he longed to see the wonders of this wild world to look upon them in marvel but being young he didn't trust himself and so we asked the elf for a little more time before he made his decision upon returning home the boy sought the counsel of others those who were older and wiser he told them the story of the elf and he asked for their advice unanimously they told him wealth in power are better for no place on earth we'll be out of the reach of a man who is truly wealthy and powerful choose wealth in power and you shall have it all now their wisdom made sense to the boy and so when the elf appeared later that night asking for his final decision the boy betrayed himself and he chose according to the wisdom of others at once something in the boy changed he became serious and astute and driven no longer did he have need for adventure exploration seemed like a waste of time no one invited him to play anymore for they knew he had no time he became serious and driven and devoted himself to the work of becoming wealthy and powerful and just as the elf had promised he was successful one success led to another one goal achieved revealed another just ahead and as his wealth and power grew he hardly even noticed that his world had become smaller and he had become very old one day as he was looking at his aged reflection in a mirror he spotted a small flicker of a dying flame long forgotten of course how could he forget all this was so that he could see the wonders of this wild world go to places be held by the eyes of very few look upon them and marvel he must go now but that's when he realized that his feet they had become heavy and slow not having moved swiftly in many years in his eyes having no need to see long distances they had lost their ability to his body had become curved in on itself from decades spent poring over his plans his hands had become Paul's heed after a lifetime spent controlling minut detail and although he had become wealthy and powerful just as the elf promised it had cost him greatly he had lost the ability to behold you know life pulls at us in a constant downward direction but something powerful happens when you look up I mean physiologically in our bodies right something changes when we look up are our shoulders relaxed our lungs expand we can breathe a little deeper our spine straightening that allows all that cerebral spinal fluid that healing stuff flowing through our nervous system it allows it to flow more freely it feels good when we look up it's not only our bodies that change but something powerful happens in our minds we're able to lose ourselves and the joy of observation and just for a minute we can shut off that that broken record playing in our minds that record of worry and fear and and dread on repeat over and over again I don't know about you but when I think about moments in my life where I've been most at peace most at rest they're often moments where I'm either on a beach somewhere just watching the horizon watching the water flow in or out or they're moments where I'm simply lying on my back looking up into the sky I think of a day last winter after a big snowfall my son Corbin begged me to go out side and go sledding with him and so we got all dressed up bundled up it was one of those big snows and we went out and we discovered the snow wasn't any kind of snow that you could sled in it was not successful so instead we took to making snow angels and there was this moment where we had both just made a snow angel Corbin smaller angel nested into mine and without even saying anything we both found ourselves just lying there in the snow looking up into the sky and that moment was so powerful for me in part because there I am was my boy but also the world was so quiet just as it is after snow falls where everything just is is quiet and still and there was something about the sky that day that we just both looked up into we were lost in the sky and I remember in my heart just feeling so full in so content and if I'm honest my heart doesn't feel that way many days but that moment reminds me of lots of other moments I have experienced in my life moments just like it lying on a picnic blanket Bluebird Park with my kids playing around me and just looking up at the sky watching the clouds or lying out on this was a exchange student my senior year of college and I was in the north of London and I was out in this horse and cow pasture there was a stone wall and I was laying on top of the stone wall it was like an old fence and there was a meteor shower that night and I remember this moment of just lying on that stone wall looking up at the stars in the sky watching meteors fall over London or I think about the time that my uncle called us because the Northern Lights had made their way all the way down to South Eastern Michigan where I grew up and he called us on the phone and he said get out into the yard and so he ran out into the yard and I've never seen anything like it it was cold outside and I didn't put on a coat before I went outside but I refused to go back in to get a coat no one would because we didn't want to miss a moment it was so powerful I honestly thought that Jesus might be returning in that moment as transcendence so peaceful and you see that's just the thing it's not only that looking up is good for our bodies or good for our minds but there's something spiritual that happens when we look up I mean why do you think for centuries those who designed great cathedrals made them so tall in great why do they put spires on the tops of churches other than to point our eyes up there something spiritual that happens within us when we look up I think we realize that we're small and all that may sound like a threatening idea it's it's a helpful idea when you think about who we are in the scale of the universe that our planet is but a speck in the greater universe and we are but a speck on that speck it reveals to us some truth that the Bible spoke centuries ago that says we are but a mist or a vapor that appears for a moment and then disappears you know so often we get twisted up in the things going on in our lives as if it matters so much and sometimes there's something so good about remembering that we're small and that even if life is hard if things are a mess these things are only momentary it's good to be dwarfed by the trees to be dwarfed by the clouds to realize that there are things that are so much greater than we are it's good to feel small not only is it good to feel small but in our spirits it's good to remember that our God is great he's the one who put all of this in its place and he's great in power he's great in love in mercy and compassion we hold these tensions these two things in tension as Christians that on one hand our lives are insignificant we don't matter much at all and yet we are the crown of God's creation we matter so much and those two things taken together are profoundly good for our spirits because they keep us from becoming bloated with self-importance and they keep us from becoming anemic with a sense that we don't matter those things are to be taken together you see there's something so powerful that happens to us when we look up but the pull of life is in a constant direction downward and that's why I find it fascinating that Isaiah Isaiah is the prophet who spoke more about the coming of the Messiah the coming of Jesus than anyone else I find it fascinating that one of Isaiah's favorite phrases was the phrase lift up your eyes lift up your eyes he says right arise shine all this this light is coming lift up your eyes and look about you then you will look and be radiant your heart will throb and you you'll swell with joy simply when you look up when you lift up your eyes it's like isaiah was trying to let us know that hey life will pull us down but if you don't look up he'll miss it and it's true we miss it it's true of those people living in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago Bethlehem everybody knew was to be the place the Messiah was gonna be born it was no secret that Bethlehem was the location Bethlehem was the City of David David was the great king the Messiah would come from the line of David therefore Bethlehem would be the birthplace of the Messiah everybody knew it was Bethlehem and yet you probably know the story that that night as Mary and Joseph are there giving birth no one notices how on earth do you miss a woman giving birth it's not a quiet thing right and yet in it no one notices what's happening they're too busy watching sportscenter I guess playing Words With Friends maybe watching reruns of friends tick tocking snapchatting I don't know what they were doing but they weren't paying attention right and we can judge them except we know that in our lives the same thing happens the pull of life is downward so often we're pulled down into the into the nitty-gritty of life into the dirt into the mud into partisan politics into arguing and infighting we get pulled into a limited vision so we don't see much we don't we don't behold what God is doing around us our vision becomes small we curve in on ourselves which by the way is what theologians have said for centuries is a great definition of what our sinful nature is all about you want to know if it means sinful nature it it means that we have this nature that is turned inward curved inward on ourselves and so what that means is that we end up living a life focused on our plans thinking they're so important achieving things that we think matters so much and in the meantime they don't matter as much as we think and in fact they cause us to miss things that are even greater and that's why we've spent a life stockpiling things that we think will bring us joy and they bring us joy temporarily but we get so focused on those things protecting those things securing those things replacing those things that we miss some of the greater things that God has put before us that don't require all of that work or energy or effort or protection in life we get pulled down in our relationships don't we into infighting ongoing conflict we refuse to forgive people for the stuff they've done it seems like such a big deal what they've done and even when it is a big deal we won't let go drinking that proverbial poison of unforgiveness hoping that by us drinking it it's gonna hurt the other person but here's the thing I want you to know about God that God knows us he sees us he knows us the way that we are that that we have a hard time pulling ourselves up and so God throughout the Bible going way back to Isaiah before Isaiah God is a God who is constantly calling us to lift up our eyes to look up you see if that night in Bethlehem God places a star in the sky and not everyone noticed is to start but some noticed the star right these these astrologers from the east from Persia or beyond they see the star in the sky and they know it means something and they're not sure exactly what it means but they follow it and they go to Jerusalem then they go to Bethlehem and because they looked up because they saw this star they didn't miss Jesus they had the opportunity to meet Jesus and it wasn't just for them then God put an angel in the sky over those Shepherds who were watching over their flocks by night outside ahem I'm not a shepherd but I imagine that night is the time you have to be especially vigilant right against predators against thieves vigilant against your own sleepiness you have to be hyper focused but God did not want them to miss what was happening in their city and so he puts an angel in the sky not just an angel then that angel is joined by a multitude of angels who start singing over them glory to God in the highest heavens makes you wonder with a whole choir of angels singing in the skies how did everyone else miss it I don't know but the Shepherd's didn't God called their vision higher he he called them to lift up their eyes and they did and I guess that's what I want to say to you tonight see here we are tonight and we've been running around like crazy people for a month right and maybe you've got a lot of running left to do today that's why you're at the three o'clock service you got a lot left and maybe for some of you the running has gone on a lot longer than a month maybe it's been a whole lifestyle for you tonight the same God who put a star in the sky so that the wise men could see who put angels in the skies of the Shepherd Shepherd's would have their their eyes looked up and they would not miss the miraculous in the midst of the mundane that same God is calling to you and he's inviting you to lift up your eyes to look up to stand up straight to to breathe he's calling you to behold to put away all of your lists all of the distractions all of your worries and your fears and your regrets and all the things that preoccupy your mind just to push those things away and to behold what our God has done that he has not only come down for us but he has become one of us insignificant us God has become like us so that someday we might become like him and he's done this for us and it's true all the time but how often do we sit God says not tonight not tonight don't miss it just look up and behold what I have done for you the the mystery of my love the mystery of my incarnation and my rescue for you tonight is the night where we lift up our eyes and we worship we worship a God who has done all of this for us see tonight is not just a worship service it's not just another Christmas service tonight is your wake-up call to break the yoke of all of the things that pull you in that pull you down that sucked the life out of you and and to lift up your eyes and to stand up straight in fact right now stand up straight stand up stand up straight lift up your eyes lift up your hearts take in the wonder of this moment that our God has come for us God has become like us although we are small our God loves us with an everlasting love behold the mystery and the wonder of this night and in worship the God who is worthy of it we've sung it once I want you to sing it with me now o come let us adore him o come let us adore him o come let us adore he him cry the Lord sing it again who comes at us adore him oh come let us adore him o come let us adore him Christ the Lord now pray with me Lord you did not come into a perfect world but you came into a world of conflict doubt and fear to a people weary with hopelessness lost in darkness in desperate need of direction you came humbly Lord born of a virgin to a simple family with the light of your glory seen only by Shepherds and sorcerers you came to a world in a manger and you left it on a cross I not join we pray this together lift up your eyes and pray this together now dear Jesus come again come into my fears and doubts make me your dwelling place make me humble so I can love and serve like you prepare a quiet place within me where peace and joy are born lift up my head to behold your mystery Wonder and beauty give me the gift of yourself and make me a gift to the world around me the world you love the world you came down to save for your name's sake amen [Music] Oh [Music] Oh [Music] right [Music] Oh Oh [Applause] [Music] [Music] sustained [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] and this is the moment the moment to marvel to behold what God has done to worship to make room in our hearts and our minds for the life that Jesus came to bring us see I don't know what your story has been throughout your life and what your story has been this year but in this moment Jesus who came down into Bethlehem He desires to come down into your life and to make you full and to give you rest and to give you life and to give you joy in tonight your moment before you go off to do other things at your moment to just throw off the yoke of everything else that is weighing you down and to let Jesus do in you what he came to do in the world and whether that's for the first time in your life that you open yourself up to receive Jesus in that way or whether it's just again this is your moment there's nothing more important that will happen tonight tomorrow or the next day then this moment simply to let Jesus do in you the work that he came to do and so tonight having seen and heard and experience the love of God again go with this blessing the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious unto you the Lord look upon you with his favor and give you his peace not a part in peace and serve the Lord Merry Christmas [Music]

Channel: Pathfinder Church

Views: 596

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: Pathfinder, PathfinderSTL, Church, Ellisville, MO, West, County, STL, LCMS, Lutheran, St., John, Ballwin, Wildwood, 3pm

Id: iRVmXIXZd9M

Length: 68min 19sec (4099 seconds)

Published: Tue Dec 24 2019