Elevation with Steven Furtick - The Pajamas Are A Prophecy

Episode Date: December 10, 2023

In “The Pajamas Are A Prophecy,” Pastor Steven Furtick reminds us of God’s promises to reach us where we are, wrap us with His care, and raise us to life. If you’ve just made a decision for Christ, please respond HERE: http://ele.vc/tIepfr To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: http://www.elevationchurch.org/giving/ Scripture References: Luke 2, verses 7-12 Zechariah 4, verse 10 John 20, verses 5-6See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation Church, and this is our podcast. Be sure to subscribe so we can get you these new sermons every week. I hope you're blessed today. We praise you for who you are. We praise you because you came.

And because you came, we come to worship you, adore you, and give you glory. Christ, the Lord. Thank you for coming for us. Thank you for dying for us. Thank you for giving us this moment. We worship you, Almighty God. In Jesus' name, amen. I want to welcome you to a very special Sunday at Elevation Church.

Welcome to our eFAM around the world. A few minutes from now, we'll have the chance to give our offering, and that will be absolutely incredible. As we stand in the midst of so many miracles that God has done for each of us and so many miracles that He's done for all of us, I just invite you to bring your offering with joy today. And maybe your offering is a million dollars. We have had people give a million dollars in these offerings. And you would clap if they gave it to you in your bank account.

I don't know why you're not clapping because we can use that to help people. Yeah. But it might not be that much in terms of the finances of it, but we all get to stretch our faith together. So whether you're here in a building or watching online, I'm excited about the opportunity to give today. As you give, you will select one word or phrase. Some people make up really creative words.

Like my word for the year is trusting God even though I don't see his goodness. A lot of hyphens. But whether it's a sentence or a word, something that captures the spirit of what you're believing God to do in your life and we'll believe God with you and stand with you for that. And again, at the end of the sermon, I'll pray and we'll have that opportunity, which means that I've got to preach short today, which means that you've got to listen hard. So tell your neighbor, if we get out late, it's your fault for not listening. I can look and see how good you're listening.

If we do this right, I will have you home in time today to Watch the Panthers lose. Are the Panthers playing today? All right. That's a prophecy. Praise the Lord. I started a tradition a few years ago of giving you your Christmas sermon on the week you give the offering. So I'm going to continue that tradition today. I like to give it to you before you get so busy. The busier you get in this season, the less bandwidth you have.

So I want to give you the Christmas story and walk through it. together and see a few things that God would speak to us before things get extra hectic. How many would say it's already extra hectic? Pastor Stephen, you're about 35 years too late. Well, may this message find you and catch up with you wherever you are today. Remain standing in honor of the reading of God's Word. If you're joining us online today, let us know in the chat where you're watching from. And everybody just say, I trust in God. I trust in God. God. Are you a soprana? Luke chapter 2 versus 7 through 12. Luke chapter 2 versus 7 through 12. And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a

manger because there was no room for them in the end. They were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them. And they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. You will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Let's put our hands together and thank God for the gift of Jesus Christ. Look at that again with me.

Verse 12, you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. The title I want to give this message today is a little unusual, but stick with me and I'll make it make sense. The Lord told me to tell you, the pajamas are a prophecy. The pajamas are a prophecy. Now touch your neighbor and say, don't sleep through this sermon. This one's going to make sense in a minute. You may be seated. The pajamas are a prophecy.

Amen. Yeah, so when I think about this Christmas announcement to the shepherds and the Christmas story in general, it causes me to reflect and realize how many times in my life that rejection, or the fear of rejection, has kept me from receiving a gift that God wanted to give me. I don't like to admit that because I would like to pretend as if everybody else was to blame for the things I didn't get in life or that I'm just waiting on the Lord for everything I've prayed for. But this Christmas, in reflecting, I thought a lot about how rejection, and I'll break that down just a little bit for you right now. but first let me tell you a story. On Christmas Eve, my grandmother, on my dad's side, would always come to see us with my Uncle Russell.

And both of them are now in heaven. They both died within the last couple of years. I want to tell you about the last time that I saw both of them. They lived just about 200 yards apart on the same piece of land. My uncle called me to tell me that he was sick and that he didn't have much time. He'd kept it a secret. He didn't tell anybody. And I really loved this uncle, too.

He was my cool uncle. He didn't give me beer or anything like that when my dad wasn't looking, but he always had my back. When I called the DJ Jazzy Jeff 900 hotline, the Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff 900 hotline and ran up a $70 phone bill, he was the one to meet me out in the yard and let me know I was in trouble so I could prepare to go face my dad. And he had my back. So I went to see him, and it was really sad because he was already in the bed. Why didn't you tell us sooner? We could have come and seen you sooner, but as a very private person.

And going to seeing him with my mom, I figured while we were there, we would get to see my grandmother, too, who was also pretty sick. But something weird happened, and y'all, I didn't want to tell this story at the start of my sermon because it's going to sound heavy. But it's all right to laugh because it's kind of funny, and everybody's family is kind of crazy. And so don't feel bad laughing at this when I tell you, because it's kind of funny. We're sitting there with my uncle and my grandmama calls and they pick up the phone and we're sitting with my uncle and I hear my grandmama on the phone while my uncle's girlfriend is sitting there and she says, hey, hey grandma. And they had tension in their relationship too, but she was calling because he was very sick and probably days away from dying. And so she, I can't believe I'm telling y'all this. She goes, what are y'all doing?

And Sandy says, well, Faith and Stephen are here. And Grandmama goes, Faith and Stephen, oh, God. Now, I love my grandmama. It's not like we had some horrible relationship. Again, she would come every Christmas Eve. My grandmama was the one who would record the pay-per-view WrestleMania's for me when I was a boy, so I owe her a great debt of gratitude, love, and honor. Anyway, she said, Faith and Stephen, oh, oh God.

Then she goes, are they coming over here? She didn't know we could hear her. And Sandy said, I don't know, grandmama. And grandma goes, God, I hope not. I know. It's kind of like, right for Pastor Stephen. And so it was the weirdest thing. And we didn't go see her.

And I never saw her again. I never saw her again. And I don't know that I regret that. necessarily because, I mean, it was pretty obvious. We weren't wanted, but you know, my mom said something, and I fact checked this with her to make sure she actually said it this week. When we were driving away, we were like, what, that crazy? That we were like these unwanted aliens invading?

She didn't want to see us. And she goes, my mom goes, well, maybe it wasn't that she didn't want to see us. Maybe she didn't want us to see her in that state and the house in that state. And she had raised another girl after she had raised one of her son's daughters and then those kids were there. And so the house was always a mess. Maybe she wasn't rejecting us. Maybe she was protecting herself from being seen by us. The reason I mention that, as embarrassing as the story is, and as awkward as it is,

Merry Christmas, everybody. There's a heart-wrenching Christmas story to warm your spirits. We'll put some hot cocoa into communion cups of Christmas Eve and make it up to you, something like that. The reason I share it is because it made me realize. that a lot of times we reject blessings in our life because we don't accept the messes that come with them. And what I love about Luke chapter 2 and the way that God comes to earth

in the form of a baby born in a barn in Bethlehem is that it lets me know that God is very comfortable stepping into my mess. I want to say to somebody today whose life is a mess going into this holiday season. House is a mess. Mind is a mess. Marriage is a mess. Money is a mess. If I look long enough, I'll find a mess. Don't make me get up under the bed. I will fight. I'll open the doors in the closet in the room. You don't let anybody in. Everybody in here has a mess. And I think one of the greatest sins of the church is the cutification of Christmas.

I made that word up. Cutification. Little baby Jesus. You know, babies are only cute when you're waving at them. They're chaotic if you're raising them. I will repeat that again because you are a little slow today. Y'all came in on that dial-up modem spiritual setting. I'm going to say it again.

Babies are cute when you wave. Oh, look, have babies so cute. But when you're raising them, Jesus Christ, the baby becomes the perfect symbol of Christmas, because it teaches us that God is comfortable in our chaos. So don't wait until you get it all together to invite God in. Don't be like grandmama and think, well, if they saw how I was living,

the beauty of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, It's that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, and while we were in our lowly state, he came. Notice where he came. He came in a field to the shepherds. So it reminds me to know that God can reach me wherever I am. God can reach me wherever I am. Let's get that confession going. Say it out loud, God can reach me wherever I am. And this is why we sing the Christmas Carol, I've got friends in low places. The Christmas Carol.

Because it's good to know that this season you have some expectations for great moments and peaceful moments and wonderful reunions and wonderful gifts and all of that. But if you really want to have a blessed Christmas season, you know that you really want to have a blessed Christmas season, might I give you some unspiritual sounding advice? Lower your expectations, right? Set your expectations low. And you're like, but no, the Bible said, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy.

So in that sense, we expect blessings to come into our life. How many are expecting God to bless you before the year is over in a brand new, beautiful way? Well, don't be shy about it. You're not going to get it like that. Little timid Christian. How many are expecting God to bless you? Of course I am. I'm expecting for him to show up and provide for me.

I'm expecting for him to see me through with this peace. I'm expecting for him to create moments that I'll remember. I'm expecting him to visit in my life. And I need to stop screaming because this isn't the best part of my sermon. But God promised, number one, he will reach you. Notice that the angels came to the shepherds. And the reason I mentioned St. Garth Brooks is because, look at this verse. You've never seen this before in the Christmas story.

It said, and lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them. You missed it. While we're so busy looking for God to come from up here, from a high experience, While we're so busy waiting for God to come up here, the angel of the Lord came upon them, the Bible says, and lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them. So if you're looking for God in your life right now, looking for provision and protection in your life right now, I got a piece of advice. Look low.

Imagine heaven wanting to get the word out that the Savior of the world is. is born. And so heaven puts together an advertising agency, a marketing team. We've got to get the word out and let everybody know that the Savior is born, that the one who was prophesied is coming, that the one who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah is here right now. Today is born to you in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord. Who will we assemble to be the influencers that will spread this heavenly message. And so God looks at Silicon Valley and finds some tech startup billionaires, but he can't give them the message because they're too high for it.

And God looks at somebody else who has a perfect standing in society, some socialite, who is accepted by all, who has entree into every environment. But he can't give them the message because they're too high for it. And God puts together a search committee. We need to give somebody the message that the Savior is born and we can't find anybody except these shepherds You got to understand something about the shepherds the shepherds were the lowest people in the society of the day So when God get ready to shout got ready to give the highest announcement He picked the lowest people to give the highest announcement and I wonder is he looking for somebody to be

day who's been real low because he wants to show you something. I had to learn this, that the Lord looks low. Did you know that? The Lord looks low. Jesus said, I am lowly in heart. For all of those who are in a spiritual low today, he's looking for you. Tell your neighbor in case they're going through. Say he's looking for you.

He's looking for you. Hey, angels, over here, we're important. No, I'm not looking for you. Hey, angels, over here, I'm real smart. I'm not looking for you. Hey, angels, over here, I'm accepted by everybody. I'm not looking for you. I'm looking for a low person.

You say, well, does that mean if my life is going good that God won't bless me? It doesn't mean that at all. It just means that the only reason your life is going good is because he reached down when you were low. and some of us have forgotten. I'm going to give you 23 seconds to remember how he reached down low, how you didn't deserve for him to answer your prayer, how you had to pray for him to get you out of a situation that you got yourself into. Fake people on Christmas.

That's cute Christmas praise. I'm talking about he reached. down low. He reached way down low. The Bible said, lo, the angel of the Lord. Everybody sound low. Low. I got a friend in low places. That encouraged me. Look for God in the lows over the next 20 days. Look for the lessons he wants you to learn in the low. After all, if he chose lowly shepherds to reveal his son to, maybe he will choose your low moment to reveal the greatest lessons of your life. Now, I'm on a clock today, but that's not the only thing I wanted to tell you about. That's just one thing. The first thing I noticed is that God promises to reach you.

There are three points in this sermon if you choose to write them down. He will reach you. And then the second thing, what really got my attention? And y'all, I don't get tired of preaching the Christmas story. I don't know why. It's the same every time I read it, but I'm not. That's why we come back around to this again. It's the same, but I'm not.

I'm growing. I'm changing. I'm not staying a baby. Jesus didn't and he's in me. And so it's interesting, isn't it, that God would reveal himself to lowly people and reach them? What a strategy. I've got to point this out. The angel could have told everybody Jesus was born.

He didn't. He told the shepherds. They went to Bethlehem and saw it, and they told everybody. Because God wanted people to receive the word of his son through message. Messy Messengers. And that's a lot of what's going on in your life right now. God is speaking to you through messy messengers. But if you don't accept the mess, you reject the blessing.

So he promises to reach you. It's the contrast, isn't it? I wrote this in my notes, see if this makes sense to you. Jesus is in the juxtaposition. is in the juxtaposition. Because on one hand, I'm given a promise of great joy. On the other hand, I am told to look in a manger for a baby. There's nothing great about a baby, physically speaking. Now, I want to teach a little bit so we don't just have a sentimental Christmas. Let's really dig into this. the smallness of the body that God chose to inhabit

says something about the way he works in our lives if God being God could be born of a virgin then he could have skipped to the highest version of humanity to come to earth that would have been more efficient God chooses the least efficient way possible to save the world And the only way I can explain this to you is to tell you that God does not always work in the way that makes the least mess or takes the least time.

He works in the way that brings him the most glory. Y'all better help me preach. You better help me preach. This is the Christmas sermon. He looks for a shepherd. They're messy. They're in the fields when they go to see the baby. They didn't even get to wash their hands.

They were in the middle of their mess, and God shows up. You are in the middle of a mess, and God will show up. But how will he show up? Small. Small. You will find a babe wrapped in claws and lying in a manger. big enough to save the world, small enough to fit in a cradle. This is the juxtaposition of Jesus.

In the book of Zechariah chapter 4 verse 10, the prophet says, despise not the day of small beginnings. And this Christmas, you have to understand that some of the things that God gives you in your life are under wraps right now. They're big, but they're in a little package. The fact that Jesus came as a baby lets us know that there is a development process to everything that God does in your life. So you pray for something and get frustrated because what God gave you doesn't match what you asked for. The fact that he came as a baby lets me know that there is a part of God that I must grow into. I feel so anointed to preach this to somebody who has been a baby. who has been frustrated. You have been frustrated because you have been comparing your starting

place to somebody else's finished product. God says if you look for me, you'll find me as a baby. Just a small thing, just a small prayer. Holly, the other day, one of the men I met at the wrestling match said, I got a question to ask you. Elevation Church, right? I said, He could go either way. He could say my whole family got saved there, or he could say, I heard y'all pass out marijuana instead of communion bread. Is that true? I mean, people say all kind of crazy stuff about our church.

I've heard everything about our church. How many people have heard crazy stuff about our church before? I'm not looking because you hurt my feelings. I'm closing my eyes. Big church, that mega church. But here's what he said that blessed me. He said, I got a question I always want to ask you. Elevation Church, right?

And obviously, I'm kidding. I'm proud to pastor this church. I'm proud to pastor a church that would give millions of dollars and reach millions of souls and do amazing things and stand and serve and drive back darkness and shatter stereotypes and clothe the orphan and clothe the naked and feed the hungry and visit those in prison and proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord's favor. I said, yeah, Elevation Church. What?

Little edgy. He said, did y'all used to meet in a basement? And I had to think about it, because I barely remember that basement. But I said, yeah, actually we did in the basement of the Matthews Community Center. Give me my handheld, Mike. The Lord must want me to preach, preach. This is my teaching mic Let's go ahead and make the switch

Something's wrong I will not let a microphone Stop me from releasing this message Get this off me, Jared Come on Jared Everybody say Jared Take off the grave clothes

And let him go All right so he said Did you meet in a basement? I said yeah We actually did for a few weeks. That's where we started at the Matthews Community Center basement. He said, how long did you meet there? I said, not long, but it was the longest six weeks of my life.

I used to go in the bathroom in the basement of the Matthews Community Center, and I would stand over the toilet because every week I felt like I would throw up. Because I was pregnant. You ever had morning sickness for something God was doing in your life? No offense, I know it's just a metaphor, but I felt like that. I felt like I was carrying something big. Maybe that's why I wanted to preach about Mary. Because maybe I was standing over the toilet feeling like I was carrying something,

but I'm scared of something, but I'm carrying something, but I'm scared of something. And in that juxtaposition, are you there right now? You know God has given you a word. You know God has called you to do something. You know God has made you a promise. You know he reached down and saved you. You know he's given you a testimony. You know he brought you out of a miry pit.

You know he set your feet on the rock. But in that basement behind a closed door of a bathroom stall, I was privately petrified. Yeah, and I didn't think it'd be good if I threw up in front of my team. I didn't think that would be a good look for leadership. And yet, somehow, from that basement now, I'm preaching about a barn in Bethlehem and a basement in Matthews, but I'm really preaching about the low place in your life today. Whatever it is, the small beginning in your life today.

Because God said, not only will I reach you, I will wrap you. Think about Jesus. Come on, let's consider it. Before we get real cute with it and put money on our credit cards to tell Jesus, happy birthday, before we go into debt to show the Lord how much we appreciate all he's done for us. Before we get into all that chaos, let's take a moment and consider the Christ. born in a manger, laid in a manger. Why? Give me Luke 2-7. Because there was no room for him in the end. He was rejected. The Savior came, and he was rejected. He was rejected because they had no room. And so now I wonder, am I talking about Jesus or am I talking about you? Because maybe

you've been rejected not by a person, but maybe your dream has been rejected or denied or delayed or deferred this year. And in that place of rejection where you could not find room for yourself, could not feel at home in your emotions, could not see a solution through your red sea, could not see a way through your storm, could not find peace in your night, could not figure out your next step to take. In that place of rejection, watch this. You will find a babe in a main.

It wasn't Mary's plan to place him in a manger. It was not her preference to place him in a manger. Sometimes we end up in places we didn't plan to be. I didn't plan for my season to get ended early. I didn't plan for my job to go overseas or replaced by a computer. I didn't plan for my kid to come home and say, I need some money, I'm on drugs. I didn't plan for any of this.

But just because you did not do that, Because you did not expect it doesn't mean God hasn't covered it. To you whom this word is for, it is a specific word. You have been rejected by people, could not find anyone to help you, didn't get it from where you wanted to get it from. It didn't come through when you needed it to come through. Jesus was laid in a manger, but watch the Bible, put it back up. It says he's wrapped in swaddling clothes.

laying in a manger. The manger is a cold place. The manger is a strange place. But these swaddling clothes, see, these strips of linen that were wrapped around him were a symbol of his mother's care. How many would say, I was rejected, but God wrapped me. I was disappointed, but he wrapped me. I was lost and lonely. but he wrapped me. I was turned away, but he wrapped me. I was done wrong, but he wrapped me. This becomes the prophecy that the promise of God does not mean we will never find ourselves in a low place. It simply means that wherever life lays you, God has you wrapped. Say God has me wrapped. Say it again, God has me wrapped. In fact, right now I feel the ever-less life. Father wrapping his arms around somebody to let you know that you didn't plan to be here, but he planned for your arrival and he prophesied it. Joseph and Mary didn't think this was the right time to have the baby.

They were headed to Bethlehem, which wasn't even where their hospital was or their gift registry. A prophet had said, Micah, chapter 5, verse 2, from you, Bethlehem will come a ruler. So they had to be in Bethlehem at that exact moment So they could give birth to this king And the spirit wants you to know right now He's got you wrapped he's got you wrapped He welcomes you with your weird self He welcomes you with your weak self

I know it because of how he came He reached me He wrapped me I never paid attention to the swaddling clothes, never thought much about them. I was too busy trying to get to the frankincense and the gold and the myrr, the good stuff. But I found out sometimes God will allow you to be rejected and he will wrap you. And that sometimes people's rejection is God's protection. Don't assume God isn't doing it.

He's just got it under wraps right now. Don't assume it's insignificant. You will find the babe. Wrapped in swaddling clothes, long strips of linen that wrapped the Savior. He's got you wrapped right now. I can't get off of it, y'all. He's got you wrapped right now. Because it's cold in this manger.

It's cold in this divorce. It's cold in this condition. It's cold in this hospital. room. It's cold in this prison bed. It's cold in this loveless home. It's cold in this adolescent trial. It's cold in this court case. It's cold right now, but I'm covered. But I'm covered. Put it in the chat. It's cold, but I'm covered. Tell your neighbor is cold, but I'm covered. I shiver sometimes, but he came to the shepherds to let me know that I'll never go so low he can't reach me, that I'll never make a mess too bad that he won't step into it stop turning God away grandmama because your

house is a mess when he comes in he'll clean it up when he comes in he'll fix it up when he comes in he'll turn it around when he comes in he'll bring new wine when he comes in i got good angel can low i see god reaching down to the addicted today this christmas season the broken family the green family, the same in your heart. Everything that you want to use to keep him out, he said that's the reason I'm coming in. I came to save sinners. You're on it right now, Mr. We're on it right now.

And I realize, can I tell you one more thing? He said that he will reach you. Say he'll reach me. Number two, say he'll rap me. Maybe you need to tell your neighbor. Pretend like you're an angel for a minute. Make the announcement. Everybody say he'll reach you.

Put it on the line, say he'll reach you. Say he'll wrap you. He'll wrap you like a gift. How many know some of you have been taken for granted and you think you don't have a gift and you think you're not good at anything? You got it. You're just wrapped right now because when God gets ready to unwrap it, he's going to use it and he needs you to be mature enough to handle it. Yes, Lord, I feel no doubt that this is the message God wanted us to shout about. this Christmas.

Y'all keep clapping like an angel. Won't you shout like a separate one time? So I'll give you this. Was once a baby. His first breath. Sovereignty lay swaddled where the oxen slept. God was once a toddler taking his first steps. The carpenter of the cosmos.

wobbled on two legs. God once wore pajamas. You didn't know that God wore pajamas? He said you will find the bathe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. Now Isaiah said he'd be born of a virgin. Micah said he would be born in Bethlehem. But not one of the prophets told me he would be wrapped. In claws. That's because it was hidden. It is Christ in you the hope of glory. It is hidden. It does not yet appear what we shall be. Ah, but watch this. Although the pajamas were not directly prophesied, the pajamas are a prophecy. I told you it would make sense when I finished. Now let's preach. When Jesus comes in human form, we see him wrapped in strips of lips.

linen. The next time we will see strips of linen in the story of Jesus. Let me teach the Bible. The Bible says in John chapter 20 verse 5 that when Peter got to the tomb where the body of the Savior used to lay, he came following John and he went into the tomb and he saw lying there what you tried to say, Ferdick. I'm trying to say. He was going to say what used to hold it. He was wrapped in strips of linen. He was letting you know they're going to lay me in the grave with the pittery of your sin. But in three days, three minutes and I can finish, three days.

God lived in a body, laid down in a grave. Three days later, he was gone. Linen strips remained. The mystery, I figured it out. The mystery of the linen strips is that Jesus was born swaddled in linen strips. When he died, he was buried in linen strips. And when he rose, he left the linen strips to let you know. Let you know that he is Lord.

Lord of all in linen strips. And you will find. Stop looking up there to something better in the future. Ratt swaddling cloth. You keep telling me who left you. Start telling me how he held you when they left you. He wrapped me. He came to the shepherds to let me know he can reach me.

He came as a baby wrapped in. linen to let me know that he can wrap me and at the end of his life he rose from the dead and he left his linen strips to let me know he can raise me the pajamas were a prophecy y'all he was swaddled not only so he wouldn't shiver jesus was god he could have made his body a seat warmer even as a baby he was swaddled in strips. So you would know that he came to die for you and that whatever has died in your life will rise again in his name. And this is my Christmas message to you. This is the prophecy of the pajamas. Every Christmas my wife gives every member of our family pajamas.

It's a tradition. Every Christmas she gives us pajamas. pajamas on Christmas Eve. When the kids were little, they didn't like the pajamas, but they knew what the pajamas signified. It meant not many hours from now, we got something for you. We got something for you. Tell your neighbor, God's got something for you. God's got something for you. Because when they opened the pajamas, they can know, oh, it's Christmas Eve. It became like Pavlov's dog. They started to getting excited about the pajamas because of what the pajamas prophesied. I need you to start getting excited again about what God can do in your life. Despise not today of small beginnings. Linen strips are lying there.

An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives, not just a manger birth but an empty grave. Show my family in pajamas every Christmas Eve. Every Christmas Eve. What is going on with my hair? Every Christmas Eve. That's back when I used to preach 7,000 Christmas services. Look at my hair. It's a wonder I didn't end up in a rehab facility preaching that many Christmas services.

Oh, God. That was the year. You know what? I think this woman was when she gave them those pajamas with a dog on it. I just thought about this. She was prophesying To show up the other picture Dog for real

Now we got a dog For real The pajamas Were a prophecy I want you to get the picture in your mind one more time Of Christmas for real You can have your Christmas scented candles all you want If they really smelled like Christmas you wouldn't want to light them

Because it was messy, it was smelly It was rough you would light a candle to cover up the smell of the first Christmas. But from that came a Savior. So I give you this charge this Christmas. Expect a blessing. A blessing. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shown round about them.

Fear not for behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which shall be to all people. shepherds and sages all people billionaires and broke all people expect the blessing and accept the mess god accepts you i never saw my grandmother again because she wasn't expecting our visit we never had a moment because she didn't want to show her mess i know you keep pushing god out keep pushing joy out keep pushing the future out keep pushing peace out keep pushing it out because you're messy expect the blessing from the God who steps into your mess this is the Lord of the linen strips this is the prophecy of the pajamas God has you wrap wrap your arms around yourself right there where you are yeah yeah God I thank you that you got me covered

I thank you for covering my family I thank you for covering my special needs child I thank you for the soldier who's overseas and can't be with their family. I thank you, Lord. I thank you for covering me as I look at an empty seat. I thank you for covering me as I wish I could do more for people, but I can't right now. I thank you for covering those who are waiting for a breakthrough in their emotions. I thank you that they're covered. Even in the cold this Christmas, you said you'll find Jesus wrapped. Thank you, Jesus for wrapped. Lord of all in linen strips. Let's adore him now. Oh, come.

When you stand in reverence, the king of kings, glory to God in the highest. And on earth, peace in your low place. He alone. That's why we glorify. Say it again. Now I want every hand lifted in his presence. Say we give you all the glory, God. Thanks for joining us today.

We pray that God has spoken to you in a unique and powerful way through the message. Well, we are in our year and offering season as a church where we get the opportunity to reflect back on all the ways that God has been faithful to our ministry this year, but also to look ahead at what we're believing God for in the upcoming year. And each year as a church, we get to come around a special offering, an offering that contributes to both outreach efforts in local and global cities and as well as the expansion of our ministry, continuing to reach people all over with the hope of the gospel. And we'd invite you to take part and participate in our year and offering. To do so, you can go to Elevationchurch.org, just click the banner there at the top, and then you'll be able to see everything that you need to be a part of our year-end offering. You'll see two options. The first is to begin tithing.

Maybe you've been wanting to prioritize God in your finances, but you haven't taken that step to make a commitment to doing so. This is a great place to begin. Or perhaps you've been giving consistently. In this season, God may be challenging you to stretch above and beyond the tithe, to give a sacrificial gift to our year-end offering. If you're part of one of our physical locations, you can choose your campus there, or if you're part of our online ministry, of course, you'll choose eFAM or online,

and then enter the amount that you'd like to give. We are believing for all the ways that God is going to stretch our faith in this season through our year-end offering, and we can't wait to see what God does through you. God bless, and we'll see you soon. This is an IHeart podcast, Guaranteed Human.