The microphone was invented in 1876 by a gentleman named Emile Berliner as well as help from Thomas Edison. And so Emile Berliner developed the first, uh, microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter. Well then Edison refined it and added this carbon button kind of microphone and then even Alexander Graham Bell also used it. And so the microphone has existed for about 150 years. It's what allows us to do things and, and speak in our phones and it allows me to speak right now from the stage and we've seen incredible improvements in technology over the last 150 years to where now we see wireless communication where sound can enter in through the microphone pick up is then transmitted, then received, and then amplified so that others can hear. Now, up on the stage here, I'm, I'm holding a second microphone that looks very similar to this one. Now, it's got a blue ring on it. This one's got a black ring on it, so it's not exactly the same, but you know, it's, it's made by the same maker, sure microphones. Its design is the same. The, the potential is the same. The purpose is the same. So on the outside, if you just look at these two microphones, you would not be able to distinguish the difference. And so what is the difference? The difference is that when I speak into this microphone. Really do think. I'm speaking to you and and and you're not hearing it through the sound system. In other words, The difference is that this microphone has no power. That is a very different experience. And what I'm saying to you now. To win. In the room, you can hear my voice a little bit. The online audience is super confused right. So it looks the same on the outside. But with no power. You can't hear my voice. I wonder If there are Christians. There are people in this room right now. You look the same You were created by the same maker. You're created with the same purpose. You were created with the same design. But some of you are trying to live the Christian life apart. The Christian life cannot and will not work apart from the power of the Holy Spirit. But what I love about the Holy Spirit. Is that when you embrace the very presence and the power of God in your life, that it's no longer about the strength of your own voice, but the power of God working through your voice. Here's what I mean. You're sitting in this room and if you're online and you can't tell because you don't see the audience, but there are thousands and thousands of people. In the room, right? OK, maybe not, but But there are a lot of people in the room, OK, and you can clearly hear my voice. And you're watching this at home or on your phone or on the TV screen, and you can also hear my voice, which is great. But the reason you can hear my voice is not because of the strength of my voice, but because of the strength of the amplification of my voice. And what I love about that. Is that even if I whisper. You can hear me. Some of you don't feel like you've got much to give to God this Christmas season. Some of you have come in to the room or or tuned in online and you feel like you're at the end you don't have a lot to give and I wanna encourage you that even the faintest whisper empowered by God is enough to share. The good news with the world around you. Because it's not about the strength of your voice. It's about the strength of his presence. You see, the presence of God amplifies your purpose in life. The presence of God amplifies your purpose in life. That when God works in, in you, when God works through you, that anything is possible. We're in week 4 of our series, God with us. Stems from that verse, Isaiah 7:14. Right. The prophecy of the virgin birth through the prophet Isaiah, Emmanuel, God with us. We talked about in week one how God is with us in obscurity. That the beauty of the nativity points actually to God's creativity. That he didn't come through the influencers of the day. He didn't come through the religious leaders or the political leaders or the wealthiest people in the day. He came through the most unknown, unlikely people. In the most unlikely, unexpected places that when no one saw them, God saw them. It was God who made the stable holy. It was God who made Mary. Who we honor today. This young teenage girl, an unknown carpenter there in this tiny rural village, that's not even in the place where you stay, but in the stable in the back. That it was there, God Emmanuel comes into the scene. And not only is God with us in obscurity, but he's also with us in our battles. That all throughout Scripture, through Joshua's battles, entering the promised land, we see over and over and over again, that we can be strong and courageous. Why? Not because of our feelings, but because of our focus. And then last week, Pastor Dan shared about how God is also with us in our valleys. That though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil. Why? Because God is with us. The fact is, is that God dealt with the substance of death, so all that remains is its shadows. And that whatever you're walking through, whatever dark night of the soul, God is still there. And so today, we move not just from difficulties, but also to our purpose, to our mission of why did God make us this way. And why do we need God's presence and God's power for us to fulfill our purpose? You see, the manger is not just a decoration for the tree. It is a declaration for our freedom. The Christmas story is an announcement to the world that I am here for you. And you are here for me. That he gives us purpose in our life, that he came, yes, he came in a cradle. But some of us are still singing praises to little baby Jesus, right? And, and if you had a movie quote pop into your head right now, two things. One, you need to pray for God's forgiveness and we can be friends. Little Will Ferrell action here. We pray to little baby Jesus, OK? And we think of him in here, and we think that it's just cute and it's there, but he did, he, yes, he came in the cradle, but he came for the cross. He came in a moment, but he came to launch a movement. I think it's important that whatever you're in right now, whatever you're walking through, to understand that God sees you. God sees you. Little kids spend half their days. Trying to get the attention of their parents, don't they? Hey, Mom, Dad, look at this. Wait, wait, wait, wait, what's this one. And some of you were nervous that I was going to injure myself with that jump. And I appreciate the support. And I think I just pulled my hip a little bit. But we'll move forward. The reality is we're always that way, right? Even as adults, we are act we act, we live, we spend. We speak in a way that we're trying to get people to notice us, don't we? But wherever you are right now, the fact that God is a manuel should encourage you. That he sees you, but not only does he see you in the battles, in the obscurity in the valleys, but he sees you because he's got a purpose for you. He's got a meaning for your life. He's got a job to do. He doesn't just set you free. To stand on the sideline. He didn't create you with all of this technology and intricacy so that you can sit here with the power off and walk through life like this no sound for the world to hear. You have to walk in the power and presence of God, but if you do that, even the smallest voice can be heard around the world. You know, Christmas, you look at the first story of Jesus' life, but let's go to the end of his earthly ministry today. Matthew 28, starting in verse 16 to set this up, Jesus rose from the dead, conquered death itself. He had now been around his disciples for 40 days. He appeared to over 500 people, different times of day, different places, different conversations, ate with them, drank with them, walked with them. Right, we get to these final moments with his disciples. Judas had betrayed him, so now they're down to 11. And so we have this story here in verse 16 and 17. Now, the 11 disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them, and when they saw him, they worshiped and some doubted. How cynical do you have to be to doubt in that moment? Do you ever think about that? They are on the mountain with Jesus, who just days ago rose from the dead. Who for 3, 3.5 years was walking on water, was raising people from the dead, was healing the sick, was feeding the thousands, was preaching the kingdom of God, the forgiveness of sins, and then showed that he has the power to feed sin itself by defeating death itself. So now the Roman Empire and the religious leaders To try to extinguish this movement known as the way, but your leader is now back from death. You saw him die on the cross. You saw him buried in the tomb. You saw him in the empty tomb. You are now with him for over a month, and you're on the mountain. I pictured the clouds parting. There's birds flying in the sky, and you're chilling on the side like, yeah, whatever. That that seems crazy, right? Except. For some people, it's never enough. Look, if there, if there are people that are gonna doubt Jesus days after he defeated death on the mountain with him directly. Then I guarantee you there are people in this room are watching online who are like, man. You know, a religion is nice for them. If people doubted Jesus, I know people are gonna doubt me and here's the thing, I know people are gonna doubt you. And that's OK. You can't control that, but don't be those people. Instead of doubting Jesus, what if you doubted your doubts? Right? And embrace the meaning of this season of, of the power that's available to you, of the intention behind this. If you found this microphone in the desert. You would not look at this microphone and go, wow, over millions of views. This cactus formed together, these form like, do you know what I'm saying, like the intention, you are way more complex than a microphone. And you were made on purpose for a purpose. And what is that purpose? Jesus, who defeated death is coming to his disciples saying, hey, I'm gonna leave in a moment. But before I leave, let me tell you why I did what I did, and let me show you what you are going to do next. So he says this here, it says when they saw him and in verse 18, and Jesus came and said to them, all authority in heaven on earth has been given to me. How do we know that we just defeated death. That's a pretty good resume. Right, like when you think about like turning in your resume and LinkedIn. Like Jesus' resume doesn't even have to put a description, he just goes, I am. I am. That's it. That's all you need. 3 letters, 2 words. I am. Right Like So all authority has been given. To me. Verse 19, go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you. So this is known as the great commission, make disciples. Baptizing the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. That's what we did just last Sunday. That's what we do throughout the year. It's awesome, love it. It's my favorite Sundays when people are going public with their faith. And we're teaching people to obey. What God's word is teaching us. But how is that possible though? I mean, they're not, they don't even. Not they're not even 11 for 11 on the mountain. Cause some doubt it. Right? It's possible why, he says, because behold, I'm with you always. To the end of the age. It's possible because I'm the power. The same power that created the world. The same power That allowed me to rise from the dead is what I'm giving you. That's how I know you can go into the all in the world, make disciples. All other places scripture. He shares the same idea. John 14. He just told the disciples that he was leaving. He says, Take heart, believe in God, believe also in me. He shows that I am the way, the truth in life. No one comes to the Father except through me. A few verses later, verse 12, he has these words. Jesus says, truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do. Greater works than these will he do. Because I'm going to the Father. Ask whatever in my name, and this I will do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. Says if you love me, you will keep my commandments. How is that possible? How could we do greater things than Jesus? I mean, he's Jesus. But yet here we are 2000 years later, in Cave Creek, Arizona, as a church worshiping a God with more Christians than ever at any point in the history of the world. Why are we doing that? Because God was just getting started. How is it possible for you to obey the commands of God? How is it possible for you to love and to serve your neighbors and to forgive and, and to help and and to to to overcome addiction and to overcome these things? How is it possible? It's possible. Why? Because he's gonna give you the same power that defeated death. He says, I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper to be with you forever. Even the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him. For he dwells with you and will be in you. He says, I'm going to give you the power. And he says, I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you. Do me a favor, just kind of underline or mark that word. Orphan for a moment we're gonna come back to that when we end this morning but can you just mark that says I'm not gonna leave you as orphans. Just just save that little word for in your file that away for a moment, OK? Let's keep going, we'll come back to that at the end. The next chapter, John 15, Jesus speaking. He tells his disciples in verse 5, he says, I am the vine. You are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me, you can do nothing. You know my daughter Chloe has, you know, the Barbies at home and the little plastic food kitchen sets, you know, those kind of fun things and you play, um, and I, let me just tell you like I, she's got me wrapped. I'm in trouble. OK, girl, girl dads understand, right? Like I can simultaneously in the morning just like. Good morning, sweetie, princess. Daddy loves you. It's gonna be a great day. Boys, it's time to get up. Right. And so I can be playing with my daughter, you know, we'll be having tea or or making little meals. Uh, but you know what I never have once done, I've never looked at the tiny little Vegetables or fruit. I'm like, I wonder if that tastes good. They have never once confused actual fruit for this little plastic thing. But some of us act that way with our faith, don't we? We come in and we're like, look at my fruit bearing fruit for Jesus. But you can't produce anything on your own. You put a stick in the ground. You water it Right, fertilize it. You know what you get a month from now? A stick in the ground. Hm. Because our job is not simply to produce fruit, it is to be connected to Jesus, who produces fruit through us. That is why it is called the fruit of the what? Spirit. That through the power of the Holy Spirit as we connect ourselves to Jesus, it changes everything. One of my favorite all-time vacations was we took family to Hawaii and uh and and I fully acknowledge that food just tastes better on vacation, right? But uh down there we're having some acai balls, uh, and they had some pineapple on there and it was like fresh Hawaiian pineapple from a little stand, you know. I was like, oh, so good. And then I was like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna recreate this. So I went to the store. I'm gonna get some, make it back in our little condo. I want to recreate what I got from the stand. So I go in and I buy this pineapple and I start cutting up and I take a bite. My God, this doesn't taste like what I had at the stands, you know, it was grown like right there and like cut and like and then I look at it and then this is pineapple from California. I'm like. Wait, hold on, that's not the stand. Like I want like cut like right there and then hand it over like they imported it from another state to try to recreate something that was fresh. OK, how many of us and our faith are trying to import like our parents' faith, our friends' faith, our boyfriend, or girlfriend's faith, like we're trying to import. I'm just gonna do what they have, like, you need the fresh stuff. You need the local. You need the fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit in your life that only comes from a personal relationship with Jesus. But this theme of God being with you on mission, of being connected to the vine of having true sustenance and life through knowing Jesus, through knowing God and the power of God being with you, runs all throughout scripture. Even in the Old Testament, Deuteronomy chapter 31, Moses is encouraging Joshua, and he says these words, he says, it is the Lord who goes before you. That he will be with you. I love that phrase, by the way. Do you know that the Lord has already been to 2025? We have no idea what's coming around the corner. Next year, do we? But God does. He's been there. So not only is he before you, he says that he will be with you. It will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. If you're walking with a child through a busy crowded space, a mall, a theme park, whatever, and they've never been there before, what do you say? Hold my hand. Stay with me. It doesn't matter if they've never been there before because you've been there before. It doesn't matter if they don't know where they're going because you know where you're going. And you're together. So you don't know what's coming around the corner in 25. But you do know that God Who's already been there And that God says, then I'm gonna be with you every step of the way. So you can be strong and courageous. Cuz I'm with you, I'm the power, I'm the source, I'm the direction. I don't need you to have a strong voice. So whatever you give me, I can work with that. Instead of going into 2025. And go on our own. In our own path We sound like this. And we get frustrated because we're not being heard. Stop being frustrated that you're not being heard and start tapping into the power that defeated death. David said this to his son Solomon when they were building the temple. 1st 1st Chronicles 28:20. And David said to Solomon, his son, Be strong and courageous and do it. I love that. He didn't just say feel strong and courageous. He says, Be strong and courageous and do it. Because courage isn't a feeling it's a focus and a focus that leads to action, right? Do not be afraid, do not be dismayed for the Lord God, even my God is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished. It says it won't be on the screen, but it says Philippians 16, right? What God began, what good work God began, he will be sure to bring it to completion. God's not done with you yet. Your story is not done. And when your story is done, It's time to go. And I don't know what that is. Very rarely do we ever know that get the heads up. God's not done with you yet. We got work to do. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:10, he says, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. Right, this microphone was designed with a purpose. It was, it wasn't an accident, you were not an accident. You were born into this moment in this family, and that job in this community at this time for a specific purpose. So what God has prepared for you before him, that we should walk in them. Church, we got work to do. We got good news of great joy that we're called to share and spread with the community around us. That whatever little voice you have with amplified power of the Holy Spirit, we can change the world. Jesus on the sermon of the Mount Matthew chapter 5 verse 13 to 16 says, You were the salt of the earth. I love that, maybe because I love chips and salsa. What's the purpose of salt real quick, right? Adds flavor. Not only does it add flavor, it actually preserves the good before they had refrigerators and things, right, it would preserve something for longevity. Right, it would protect. It would sustain. As Christians, what are we called to do? We're called to add flavor to life. We're called to preserve the good in this world that is decaying. Right? But what happens? It says, but what if the salt has lost its taste? How shall the saltiness be restored? Well, it's no longer good for anything. Except to be thrown out and trampled upon people's feet. Gives another picture says you are the light of the world. A city on a hill that cannot be hidden, nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house in the same way. Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Imagine walking into a dark room holding a lamp, and spending your day complaining about how dark it is in the room. Like yeah, it is dark and you're holding the lamp. Whatever darkness you're surrounded by or in. Understand this, that you are the light, that God is the light of the world, but because the power of the Holy Spirit is inside of you, that you also are the light of the world, and that light will always overcome darkness. So our job is to shine, baby. Where 1000 little crystal balls, disco balls, light of Christ. Yeah, we might be broken, but guess what? Broken mirrors still reflect. You know what I'm saying? Cracked mirrors still show a reflection. We don't have to be perfect. You know how we don't have to be perfect? Because the very disciples who were with Jesus on the mountain with him days after he resurrected still didn't believe. And got you, yep, I'm gonna use those guys. The ones who messed up time and time again. The uneducated. The political, the non-political, the Jews, the gentile men, women, the rich, the poor. The sick, healthy. I'm gonna use them Why? Because the presence of God amplifies your purpose in life. One of the mission trips I took to Mexico. We're doing some work down in Guadalajara and we're helping this gentleman named Hilario, who had a crazy testimony. A short version is he was in prison, was supposed to die, uh, gets let out of prison. It's saved so then because he was set free, he commits the rest of his life to help the least last and lost. OK, he starts this orphanage. Starts to imprison ministry. They're saving kids. They're going down. We've, we've been down there. Jose and Katie actually who were singing up here earlier this morning. They spent 3 years down in Mexico as missionaries. we can talk to them about this as well. And so we were going down and we had this group of teenagers and we were down there sharing the gospel, and I remember thinking like, man, God, are you even here? Like, how do we know this is gonna work, you know? We got some snotty nosed kids from Scottsdale. You know what I mean? Like, I'm just like, what I, how do I know your, your work? So I'm praying, processing, like, is this even effective? Like how do we know people are gonna respond? How do we know that God sees us down here, you know? And there's this little girl who's just happy as can be. You know, she's smiling, she's smiling, she's singing. I was like, what's your name? The Esperanza. So cute. And she was smiling and she was going with us everywhere. Even like prison ministry and like street ministry. I was like, man, that's, I don't know if it's safe for this little girl to be with us, but cool and she's happy and what's going on, you know, and I was like, oh, she's so cute. I mean, she's got such this loving family now and this orphanage, it's great. Hey, can you share with me her story? Say yeah, Hilario, one of the other leaders was saying, yeah, Hilario was out doing ministry on the street one day and heard a cry. And her and another guy like that's weird because we're not near our house. And they're preaching and talking and here's another cry. And they look around and they don't see anybody. And he walks over To a trash can And there was this infant girl. They had been left to die. And that little girl Was Esperanza. I said wow. What does Esperanza mean? Hope How do I know? and my mind switched in that moment. How do I know that I was gonna be with us in that moment? Because God saw Esperanza left to die alone in a trash can in Guadalajara. That now was with us where we were lit track with me here, it hit me in that moment that we were literally taking hope with us everywhere we go. Wherever you are in this life, I want you to know that God sees you. And you have a purpose greater than yourself. That God is with you in obscurity. God is with you in the battles. God is with you in the valleys, and I want you to hear me that God is with you on your mission, but you have to live with the power of God. And I want you to remember this 3 things, OK, as the band's coming up. Number one, I want you to remember who you are. I want you to remember whose you are. God made you Just was God was there with Mary and Joseph in the stable. In Bethlehem in Christmas with little Esperanza saved. From a trashy. God's with you. I think one of the most underrated Christmas stories I know it's track with me here, Toy Story. OK, track with me. Come on now. There's some great Christmas movies out of those 90s, OK. Right, Christmas, Woody, Buzz, the whole nine, love it. You know what brought them comfort in those times of trying to figure out their purpose? What did he do? He looked at the bottom of his shoe. Right, so Andy, oh, this is why I'm here. God's got his name written on your soul. Remember whose you are. Number 2, remember who you are. God made you on purpose. With a purpose. Your personality, your physical attributes, your gifting, your hang ups, your issues, your doubts, everything like he, he made you for a reason. And the third thing then is to remember what God has called you to do. This Christmas, when you remember who you are, God sees you, God knows you, God loves you. We remember who you are, that you are a son or daughter of God. And you remember what God has called you to do, to go and make disciples to be salt, to be light to the world, to go and share the good news of great joy for all the people. When we go to that church, God can take even the softest voice and change the world. God's with you. We got work to do. Let's serve Jesus this week. We pray. Dearly Father, just thank you for who you are. Yeah, just as you were with Mary and Joseph. Your name, Emmanuel literally means God with us, that you are here with us now, that you see us. In our pain and our doubts in our addictions and our struggles. Not only do you see us, but God, you give us your power, your strength, the same strength that defeated death itself and says, I want you to go. Shine Be sold, be light, make disciples to love and to serve the way that you have loved and served us. Let us go make a difference this Christmas. Let us remember that you are with us on our mission, that your presence amplifies our purpose in this life. We love you God, and he says, and we pray, amen.