Do You See What I See I Robert Madu I Social Dallas

Summary

Social Dallas Podcast: "Do You See What I See" with Robert Madu and Social Dallas Church

Release Date: December 9, 2024
Host: Social Dallas Church
Episode Title: Do You See What I See

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Introduction

In this heartfelt episode of the Social Dallas Podcast, Pastor Jabin and Pastor Taylor Madu delve into the profound theme of perception in faith, inspired by the Christmas story. The episode, titled "Do You See What I See," encourages listeners to recognize and seek the miracles and divine presence of Jesus in their daily lives. The pastors weave together biblical narratives, personal anecdotes, and interactive moments to engage the congregation and listeners alike.

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Main Message: Seeing vs. Looking

Pastor Jabin opens the discussion by emphasizing the difference between merely seeing and truly perceiving the presence of God. He references Hebrews 12:28-29 to highlight the church's annual focus on being "unshakable," urging members to remain steadfast in their faith.

• Notable Quote:
  "[00:05] Pastor Jabin: ...our word for this year is unshakable."

Pastor Taylor complements this by illustrating how God's miracles often go unnoticed amidst life's chaos. He shares the compelling story of Joshua Bell's subway experiment to demonstrate how context influences our recognition of beauty and value.

• Notable Quote:
  "[05:30] Pastor Taylor: ...there is a difference between hearing and listening to something."

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Biblical Insights: The Journey of the Wise Men and Shepherds

The pastors draw parallels between the wise men and the shepherds in the Christmas narrative, highlighting their distinct journeys in seeking Jesus. They emphasize that both groups, despite their different backgrounds and approaches, embody the idea of actively seeking and recognizing God's presence.

• Notable Quote:
  "[15:24] Pastor Jabin: ...they were seeking Jesus to find him."

Pastor Jabin challenges common misconceptions about the Magi, revealing that they were likely wise men or astrologers rather than kings. He underscores that their gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—symbolize Jesus's roles as King, Priest, and Savior.

• Notable Quote:
  "[28:19] Pastor Jabin: ...the frankincense, was what the priests would use...myrrh was what you would give and put on a body when it was dead."

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The Power of Seeking and the Process

A significant portion of the episode focuses on the importance of seeking God and trusting His timing. Both pastors discuss how God often works behind the scenes, preparing individuals through challenges and processes before fulfilling His promises.

• Notable Quote:
  "[11:10] Pastor Jabin: We're obsessed with outcomes. God is obsessed with the process before the outcome."

Pastor Taylor elaborates on this by referencing biblical stories such as Abraham and Sarah, and the Exodus, illustrating how God's purposes are fulfilled through enduring and faithful seeking.

• Notable Quote:
  "[12:00] Pastor Jabin: It was the process...God could have given us a building the day that we launched the church, but God said, no, there's a process."

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Interactive Worship and Community Engagement

Midway through the episode, the pastors transition to an interactive segment where congregation members are invited to participate in an offering dedicated to securing a down payment for the church's new home. This moment is likened to the wise men bringing gifts to Jesus, symbolizing the community's collective worship and investment in their spiritual journey.

• Notable Quote:
  "[34:18] Pastor Jabin: ...this is more than just an offering for us to get our own home. The home is important, but it's not as important as the one whose presence will be in the home..."

Pastor Taylor shares a personal story about her child's generosity, reinforcing the theme that giving is a reflection of one's heart and trust in God's provision.

• Notable Quote:
  "[33:17] Pastor Jabin: ...they were writing this person a thank you note for giving them that money. And it just blessed my heart."

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Prayer and Faith in Action

The episode culminates in a powerful prayer session where both pastors and congregation members pray over their offerings and the collective needs of the community. They emphasize that true worship goes beyond material offerings, focusing on honoring God for who He is rather than what He does.

• Notable Quote:
  "[15:24] Pastor Jabin: ...they worshiped with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They got to the house, the place after they worshiped."

Pastor Taylor highlights the significance of the posture of the heart in giving, stating that generosity reveals one's true intentions and trust in God.

• Notable Quote:
  "[34:18] Pastor Jabin: ...it reveals the posture of your heart."

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Conclusion: Trusting God's Timing and Presence

In closing, Pastor Jabin and Pastor Taylor reaffirm the episode's central message: the importance of seeking and trusting in God's divine timing and presence. They encourage listeners to continue believing in the miraculous, even when immediate outcomes aren't visible, and to remain faithful in their pursuit of a deeper relationship with Christ.

• Notable Quote:
  "[51:15] Pastor Jabin: May the Lord bless you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you, give you grace and peace now and forevermore. Amen."

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Key Takeaways

• Seek Actively: Genuine seeking leads to a deeper understanding and recognition of God's presence.
• Trust the Process: God's timing and methods may differ from our expectations, but His purposes are always for our good.
• True Worship: Worship is not contingent on what God does for us but is an acknowledgment of who He is.
• Community Engagement: Collective actions, such as offerings, symbolize the community's unity and shared faith journey.
• Heart Posture: Generosity and giving reflect one's trust and reliance on God, revealing the true state of one's heart.

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Conclusion

"Do You See What I See" serves as a compelling reminder to both the Social Dallas congregation and podcast listeners to remain vigilant and intentional in their faith journey. By distinguishing between merely seeing and truly perceiving God's work, the pastors inspire a community-wide commitment to seeking, trusting, and worshipping God with all their hearts.

Transcript

[Pastor Jabin]

Can we thank our worship team just for leading us so beautifully in the presence of God? His presence is here. But I'm so glad that you're here today. I just believe you're not here by accident, that God sovereignly orchestrated you being here today. Or if you are watching online, shout out, social, global family. You're not watching by accident. If somebody sent you this link and you're about to cut it off, don't do it. There's a setup. I believe that God is still speaking and he wants to speak to you today. Are you glad to be in this house? Do you still feel unshakable? Come on. If you're new to Social Dallas, you need to know that every single year, we come around a word. And our word for this year is unshakable. Y'all, we only got three more Sundays to be unshakable. You can be unshakable in 2025, but three more Sundays to declare our scripture of the year. Hebrews, chapter 12, verses 28, 29. I cannot believe we've read this every Sunday of 2024. It's amazing, and I keep teasing it. I already know the word for 2025 and the scripture, and so make sure you make it into next year. It's going to be good. But come on, let's read it as one big family with uplifted voices. You ready? Come on. One, two, three. Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom. And do you see how thankful for God is not. He is actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn until it's all cleansed. God. Him. You sound good. You sound good. Sound good. And then our scripture for today. And after I read this, you can sit down. But before you sit down, some of y'all like, I'm tired. You wore those shoes. Okay, before you sit down, I do want to. I do want to say this. I'm going to. I'm going to preach a shorter message. All y'all are like, how come he preached so long? I wish he would preach shorter. Merry Christmas. Today is going to be a shorter message because if you've been on this journey, at the end of the message today, we're going to be receiving our look offering that is going towards the down payment for our home. For our home. And so it's going to be a special moment. It's going to be a holy moment. And so I'm going to ask that you would not leave service today until we've concluded that. But just so you can even get prepared, because I know some of you have already been so generous and you've given online, but I still want you to participate today because on every single seat, you're going to see a card and it says, believing to see in our new social home. And I want you to take a moment sometime throughout this service. We'll have a little moment at the end, but I want you to write what you are believing God to see in a space that we haven't even occupied yet. And I want you to have one with you to keep praying. And I want you to bring one to the altar when we receive that, because we're going to pray over this. And I'm just crazy enough to believe that stuff you're writing down now. You are going to see in your future in the space and the house that God has blessed us with. So I just wanted to give you a heads up for that. If you don't have one of those, the ushers will get you one. But let's go to our text for today. Matthew, chapter two. Matthew, chapter two. Starting at verse number 10, when you're ready to read it, say, yeah, need some time. Say, hold up. Come on, y'all. It's the Christmas story. You know it, you know it, but I'll wait for you. And it says, when they saw the star, they were overjoyed. The day is the wise men. I love that. They started getting excited and overjoyed just when they saw the sign that God was up to something. They did not get overjoyed when they saw the child because they hadn't seen the child yet. But they got overjoyed just by seeing the sign that God was about to do something. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. Can you say Amen? I want to preach on this. Look. Offering Sunday from this thought. I'm not going to sing it, I'm just going to say it. Do you see what I see? Do you see what I actually I am going to see? Do you see what I see? I wasn't on key, but it was close. Would you bow your heads? Father, thank you for your word. Speak to us today. Amen. You may be seated in the presence of the Lord. Do you see What I see. In 2007, the Washington Post conducted what is now a famous social experiment in which they wanted to explore perceptions of beauty and the value that we place on art. So what they did was they got a violinist to dress in casual clothes, put on a baseball cap and go to the Washington D.C. subway station and play at rush hour for 45 minutes. This violinist played some of the most intricate and iconic pieces of classical music for 45 minutes. He meticulously played everything from Beethoven to Bach. When he finished playing for those 45 minutes, about seven people stopped and listened for a couple of seconds. Approximately 20 people put some money down that equaled $32.17. You say what's the point of that experiment? Well, that violinist was none other than the legendary Grammy Award winning Joshua Bell, who. Who the night before had played to a packed out Carnegie hall where the cheapest ticket in that Opera House was $400, y'all. When he played in the opera house, he was playing a $3.5 million violin. And when he finished, he got a two minute standing ovation. But when he played the same $3.5 million violin in a subway as thousands of people were walking by, only seven people stopped and didn't nobody clap and all he got was $32.17. What is the point of that story and that experiment? The point is there's a difference between hearing and listening to something. There is a difference between seeing something and actually taking the time to look at something. And here's what they deduced from that experiment. The experiment highlighted how context affects our perception of beauty and value. Because in a busy subway, even the finest artistry is overlooked when it is out of its expected setting. Ooh, I wonder if that's why you miss out on so many miracles in your life. Could it be possible that you are missing out on miracles not because they're not happening, but because you are too busy, your life is too noisy, you too busy with the hustle and the bustle and the tick tock of life that you don't even notice that there are miracles that are happening all around you, that God is doing the supernatural all around you. I'm telling you, you can miss a miracle while you are in the proximity of a miracle. And I wonder if that's the power of the Christmas story. The power of the Christmas story is that our Lord and Savior left heaven and came to earth. And how many know it was a whole lot of people who missed out on the miracle that was taking place when he came. And the reason they missed the miracle is because Jesus did not come the way they expected. He came in a different setting. He did not come to Carnegie Hall. He came to a manger.

[Pastor Taylor]

He disguised himself.

[Pastor Jabin]

I don't know if you noticed this yet, but this is how your God works. God has incredible, incredible gifts that he wants to give us. But have you noticed his wrapping paper is jacked up? God is the worst wrapper in the world. He will give you a good gift.

[Pastor Taylor]

But he will wrap that gift in the most jacked up wrapping paper. He will wrap purpose in pain. He will wrap patience in that co.

[Pastor Jabin]

Worker that you say, if they say.

[Pastor Taylor]

One more thing to me, I'm gonna lose my mind. He will wrap resilience in a year that it just seemed like nothing went your way. He will wrap trusting him in message from your boss saying, we going to have to let you go. Does anybody know what it's like to have God give you a good gift? But the wrapping paper was so messed up that it wasn't until you look back and say, oh, now I see what you are doing. Oh, now I see your purpose. I didn't see what you saw, but.

[Pastor Jabin]

Now I see it. This is how God works. He disguises his glory and his beauty in the most unlikely places. Have you noticed that where God shows up and when God shows up is rarely the way we expect him to. We used to sing this song and only the old school saints will know this. It's this old school song and it says he's an on time God. Yes, he is only old school. Whoa, hey. Yes, he is.

[Pastor Taylor]

Joe said it.

[Pastor Jabin]

But he'll be there right on top.

[Pastor Taylor]

What? That is the most jacked up lyric. Cause it's not true. He may not come when you want him, but he'll be there right on time.

[Pastor Jabin]

He's never on time.

[Pastor Taylor]

And he can't be in time because he does not exist in time.

[Pastor Jabin]

He exists in eternity.

[Pastor Taylor]

God is never on time. As a matter of fact, he is late on purpose. And being late on purpose is not for him.

[Pastor Jabin]

It's for you. Oh, I said I'm gonna be short, but I'm trying to calm down. See, we are obsessed with outcomes.

[Pastor Taylor]

Outcomes. God, just do it. Fulfill the promise.

[Pastor Jabin]

Do it. We're obsessed with outcomes. God is obsessed with the process before the outcome because he's always doing something before the promise is fulfilled. And many of us miss out on.

[Pastor Taylor]

What God is doing in the process.

[Pastor Jabin]

Because we're just waiting for him to.

[Pastor Taylor]

Hurry up and fulfill the promise.

[Pastor Jabin]

But the Christmas story should Tell you, God is always going to fulfill his.

[Pastor Taylor]

Promise, but he's always doing something in the waiting. He's always doing something in the process.

[Pastor Jabin]

God has no problem in making sure.

[Pastor Taylor]

That his promise will come to pass. But there's something that he's doing in the waiting. There's something that he's doing in the.

[Pastor Jabin]

In the seeking.

[Pastor Taylor]

I wish I had time to take you through.

[Pastor Jabin]

You know that God could have brought the children of Israel out of Egypt.

[Pastor Taylor]

He could have brought them right into the Promised Land once he got them out of Egypt. But there was something in the process of going through the wilderness that he was doing in them. Because I want you to appreciate the promise when you step into it. Some people got to die in your generation for you to appreciate what you're about to step into. God could have given Abraham and Sarah a child the day that he said it. But God said, I want to see if you'll really trust me, to see if the process will come to pass. And you're not going to try to make the process come your own way through a side check? No, I didn't lie, Abraham. It's going to come through you and through Sarah. It's the process. God could have given us a building the day that we launched the church, but God said, no, there's a process. I want to take you around the city and in different venues because it's bigger than a building. I want to show you that I'm starting a revival in Dallas because I love Dallas so much. And at the right time. Oh, I'll bring what you need.

[Pastor Jabin]

Y'all stop standing up.

[Pastor Taylor]

You gonna make me preach long.

[Pastor Jabin]

It's something in the process, and somebody who's waiting on something right now. You ought to thank God for what he's doing in the process. He can say, girl, he can get you a husband. He can get through that. That promise is easy. But there's something he's doing in the process. He's waiting for you to be happy with going on a date with just you. Because if you don't want to be with you.

[Pastor Taylor]

If you don't enjoy your.

[Pastor Jabin]

Company, why you want to bring somebody else along? Something that he does in the waiting. He could have. He could have sent his son right after Eve jacked everything up. But he waited 42 generations to come at the perfect time. It reminds me of Galatians, chapter 4, where Paul writes these words. Galatians, chapter 4, verses 4 and 5, it says, but when the set time had fully come, another version says, in the fullness of time. God sent his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law that we might receive adoption to sonship. In other words, it had to come at the right time for us to receive what? Adoption. If I had time, I'd preach adoption. Because I got three beautiful little humans and I love them. I do. You mess with them, I'll knock you out. Most beautiful kids. But I didn't pick them. They were given. Nobody adopts anybody by accident. If you're going to adopt somebody, you chose to adopt him. You paid a price to adopt him.

[Pastor Taylor]

And once you adopted them and it was legal on paper, they now have your name and they have access to everything that is connected to. To you. I'm trying to tell you what Jesus did. He adopted us in. He paid a price on the cross. So now we have access to everything that is in that name we were singing about.

[Pastor Jabin]

I'm adopted. Well, God does process. Why? Because there's something in the seeking. There's something in the seeking. This is why I love the story of the wise men. You know why? Because the wise men had to seek Jesus to find him. There's something in the seeking. Oh, seeking. Somebody say seeking? There's something that happens in the seeking and the looking. Who were the wise men seeking? Who were they seeking? Thank you, Jesus. When in doubt, shout Jesus out. They were seeking Jesus. It started with the star, but they were seeking Jesus. The wise men were seeking Jesus. Do you see what I see? They were seeking Jesus. They were seeking. They don't see it.

[Pastor Taylor]

Put the next slide up. Seek king.

[Pastor Jabin]

Sea king.

[Pastor Taylor]

Jesus. It came through the sea.

[Pastor Jabin]

King. I don't see Jesus as king or you see king. You won't see the king until you start seeking. They were looking for it, asking questions about it. Where is he? Where is. We're looking for the king. We saw his star, but the star was just a sign for us to seek him. Ooh. Have you ever. Don't do it. But have you ever compared the wise men's experience to the shepherd's experience? Don't do it. Cause it's messed up the way the Lord did it. The shepherds were watching the sheep at night and they get an angelic announcement. The heavenly host shows up at night and does a full on concert in the fields. And then it says all they had to do was go nearby to Bethlehem, y'all. All the shepherds did was a 5k1 to 5 miles just to go nearby to Bethlehem. Didn't even bring anything. But just showed up. The wise men came from the east, y'all. This is persia or Babylon 8. 300 to 1200 miles. Scholars tell us, y'all, this is a 40 day trip of seeking. How come shepherds get a 5K and wise men have to travel 800 to 1200 miles? I said, lord, that's not right. And that's not fair. And then they bring gifts. Shepherds didn't bring anything. God said, you're missing the message. You're missing the message to who I am. I'm trying to show you that since I arrived in Bethlehem, I've been showing the world that I am a gift to every single person. You realize the shepherds were the lowly class. The shepherds were on welfare, if you will. They couldn't afford to go far. So God says, I know you can't.

[Pastor Taylor]

Afford to go far. So I'm going to make sure that I show up to the least likely. I'm going to make sure I show up in close enough proximity to the ones who don't have to go far and the ones that have the money to go far because you got a camel. Guess what? I'm still going to make you seek. But whether you're five miles away or 800 miles away, everybody had to seek. Everybody had to leave the familiarity of where they were to get to this Savior. But thank God for Jesus for giving them a sign to make sure they knew you're right on the right track. Keep on coming. I got something for you.

[Pastor Jabin]

You don't see the miracle in the seeking. You ever played hide and go seek? You ever hid so well that you.

[Pastor Taylor]

Had to come out of hide and say, hey, I've been hiding a long time. Anybody gonna find me?

[Pastor Jabin]

That's what God does with us.

[Pastor Taylor]

He hides himself in such a way that you'll seek him, but he knows that you can't find him without him. That's why he had to have a star and that's why he had to have angels. How many know you have never found Jesus because Jesus never lost, but he had so much grace. He says, I'm gonna make sure you got a sign to follow me. I'm gonna make sure you got the right blues clue to know this is.

[Pastor Jabin]

Where I am and you won't get lost. So they went to seeking and they sought and they sought. And isn't it crazy that he did it through the star? I want to bust some Magi myths. There's a couple of them. One of them. Y'all get it from the song we three Kings? They weren't kings. They were wise men. They were scholars. They were scientists. They were astrologers, if you will. And they were already studying the stars. That's what they did. But one day, God invaded the thing that they were studying. They didn't know that God could speak star. Because God knows how to get your attention, and he knows what to speak through to get to you. So since they studied the stars, he spoke to them through a star. Has God ever spoken to you in a way that was so nuanced to you in an environment that it was just for you? Here you thought you got away from everything about the Lord. You're gonna live your life. And just that one day, you in the club, you run into a bartender that's like, hey, you know you ain't supposed to be doing that, right? Like, how did you know God knows how to get to you? Please don't think because you skipped out on church that he can't get a word to you.

[Pastor Taylor]

Please don't think because you ain't reading.

[Pastor Jabin]

The Bible, he can't get a word to you.

[Pastor Taylor]

The heavens are telling the glory of God. When God wants to speak to you, oh, he speaks in surround sound.

[Pastor Jabin]

He'll speak through whatever he wants to speak through. So he said, oh, y'all think y'all can get away from me by studying the stars? Okay, I'll speak through the stars. All of a sudden, they saw a star they had never seen shine quite like that. One of the most powerful parts in the Christmas story is when they're talking to Herod and they said, hey, we've come to worship him because we've seen his star. At first I thought it was just the stars, but since I've been seeking, I realize it's his star, that this is the God that created the stars. They followed the star, and where did the star lead them? To Jerusalem. So where did they go? To a manger? Did they go to a barn? No, they said, he's a king. He must be in the palace. So they went to a palace. Have you noticed God doesn't show up in the places you expect him to show up? They go to a palace and they meet King Herod. They say, hey, we saw a star. We're looking for the king. Fun fact. When I was in the Christmas play as a kid, I played King Herod. I was trying to find the receipts, but I couldn't find the footage I was going to show you. I played King Herod, and I wish I would have studied King Herod before I played King Herod because this dude. Whoo. Evil. I should have been a shepherd. King Herod was one of the most evil, insecure, jealous kings. Do the history on your own time. This man killed his wife, killed his sons, killed anybody that got close to him because he was that insecure. And he thought that they were going to be a threat to his throne and his power. He wanted to maintain control and power. So when they came talking about a king, he's like, oh, no, what other king is there? And can I tell you some unfortunate Christmas news? There is a Herod in all of our hearts, because Jesus is not just savior, he is king. And he refuses to be compartmentalized into one area of your life. When he comes in your life, y'all, he wants to take over your relationships, your money, your business, your mind, your emotions, your affections. He wants everything. And people don't realize that his throne is often a threat to the very thing that you want to keep control over. So Herod said, go, show me where this king is, because I want to kill him. And the wise men, they leave Herod and they follow the star. They follow the star as they're seeking. Put up verse number nine real quick. I want you to see something. It says, after they heard the king, they went on their way. And the star they had seen when it rose, when I of them. Until it what? Over the what? The star went ahead of them. Until it what over the what?

[Pastor Taylor]

That means the star was moving.

[Pastor Jabin]

It was mobile. And they were following it until it what over the what.

[Pastor Taylor]

Was the place?

[Pastor Jabin]

The manger. That's what I thought, too, because I watched all the Hallmark movies and I saw the Nativity say, but that ain't right. Verse 11. They followed the star, but it stopped over a place. What was the place? On coming to the. They saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. On coming to the. On coming to the. On coming to the. On coming to the. On coming to the. On coming to the. On coming to the. You mean to tell me that the star was mobile? It was moving from place to place.

[Pastor Taylor]

And all of a sudden it rested on one place. And that place was not a barn. It was not a stable.

[Pastor Jabin]

That place was a.

[Pastor Taylor]

You mean to tell me that somewhere in the Christmas story they went from a stable to a. They went from the barn to a. They went from Gillies to Strauss to Winspear Opera House to finally their own. Oh, God has always waited to set up a house, a place of worship. Can I Fix your myth about the Magi. They were not there when he was born. In the manger. Somewhere after the manger, Mary and Joseph got a permanent place. It was a house. And the star rested over the house. They went from the rejection of not having a place to stay to having some real estate in a house. And the star rested over the house. You know why God could trust him with the house? Because it was never just about the house. It was always about his presence. But God says, if you can worship me in a barn, I know I can trust you with a house. If you can worship me when you ain't got a venue, I know you're gonna worship me. When you get your own place, God wants to know, can I trust you to worship me? No matter the. I'm done.

[Pastor Jabin]

They worshiped at a house. It wasn't about the house. It was always about him. But God will often see if you can worship in a barn, if you can worship in a place that's uncomfortable, but you've got his presence, then he can trust you with another place. Y'all, they got a house and it stopped over the place. And they walk in and what do they bring? Gold, frankincense and myrrh. Can I mess up another Magi myth? Nowhere in the Bible does it say it was three of them.

[Pastor Taylor]

Rita, when you get to the crib.

[Pastor Jabin]

We assumed there were three because there were three gifts. Which means in our assumption, we believe that everybody brought something. We assume that in his presence, nobody came empty handed. But we don't know if it was three. We know that when they saw him, they worshiped the gold to represent that he is a king. His divinity, the frankincense, was what the priests would use. Remember Zechariah last week, they would put it on the altar as the incense would go up and represented the prayers of the saints. Because Jesus is not just king, he is our priest. But that myrrh messed me up. Because myrrh had medicinal value. And myrrh was basically what you would give and put on a body when it was dead. Who brings a baby embalming fluid? Somebody that says, this is not just king. This is not just priests. This is also Savior who's not being born just to be born. He's being born to die for the sins of the world. That ought to be good news. They bring him the gifts. He's actually not a baby. He's probably 2 years old. How do we know that? Because Herod sent out a decree to kill every baby two years and younger. They bring a toddler gold, frankincense and myrrh. Why? They said, do you see what I see? This is the king of the world. This is. Hear me. True worship. It's one thing to praise God when he does something for you. Most people only know about praise God gave me the house. Whoo. I'll give you praise God. You heal my body. Oh, I give you praise God. You opened up my blind eyes. Oh, I give you praise God.

[Pastor Taylor]

You opened up my womb.

[Pastor Jabin]

Oh, I give you praise. But when you're dealing with toddler Jesus.

[Pastor Taylor]

There is nothing toddler Jesus can do for you but just be there. That's why it says they not only brought the gifts, but they worshiped him. Praise thanks God for what he did. Worship thanks God for who he is. And I wonder if there's any worshipers in here that says, God, you ain't got to perform for me. I know who you are. I know that you're my king, you're my priest, and you're my savior. And so I'm bringing you worship. You do anything for me or not, you deserve my worship. They worship.

[Pastor Jabin]

Hear me. There are things in your life that will look ridiculous to other people, but it's worship. It looks ridiculous to give a baby.

[Pastor Taylor]

Gold, frankincense and myrrh to a toddler.

[Pastor Jabin]

But God says, no, that's worship. Because you see what you got. They worship last thing and I'm done.

[Pastor Taylor]

Y'all sit down.

[Pastor Jabin]

It's still short. They worshiped with gold, frankincense and myrrh. They got to the house, the place after they worshiped. Herod wanted them to come back and bring word of where the baby was. They didn't do that. God gave him a dream. And the Bible says they went home another route, another way. You know, you encountered God when you worshiped in his presence, and it made you go home different. It made you go home a different way. But then something else happens. God tells Joseph in a dream, I need you to leave Bethlehem and get to Egypt. Herod's trying to kill this boy. So they packed up, got to Egypt. Here's my question, Walt, and I'm done. How does Mary and Joseph afford to get to Egypt from Bethlehem, y'all? They weren't rich. They did not have a lot of money.

[Pastor Taylor]

Can you prove it in the Bible?

[Pastor Jabin]

Yep. Remember when they went to the temple? When you went to the temple, you would bring a lamb, but if you didn't have a lot of money, you could bring a pigeon or a turtle dove if you couldn't afford a lamb. They brought a turtle dove, which means they didn't have it like that to bring a lamb. How in the world did they get to Egypt when they ain't got no money? Oh, it's because God always brings provision for the vision. Thank God the wise man thought it.

[Pastor Taylor]

Not waste to bring gold, frankincense, and myrrh, because that would have been enough for them to get to the place that God directed them to go. Is there anybody in here that can testify that God always will give you provision for the vision that is in your heart? He'll make sure that you have what you need.

[Pastor Jabin]

So today, I hope that you know this is more than just an offering for us to get our own home. The home is important, but it's not as important as the one whose presence will be in the home will be in the space. But this is us saying, God, this is our worship. This is our worship. So in this moment, I'm going to ask my bride to join me on stage. The worship team is going to lead us in the song, and this is just as much a part of the service as the message, because today we're going to do what the wise men did. We're gonna bring our gift. I know some of you have already been generous and you've. You've given, but that's why I want you to bring what you're believing to see. What are you believing to see in this new space? Whatever it is, I want you to write it. Some of you are gonna write the name of somebody who's not even in this room, and you're believing in that space. They're going to be in the house of God. Some of you are going to write the name of a young person, a child that's been away from God. Some of you are going to write the name of somebody who's incarcerated, and when they get out, they've been watching on Pando. They're going to be looking for a space and a place. But I want you to write what you see, what you're believing to see in this new house that's going to be our home. And as the worship team leads us, after you've written what you're believing God to see, right now, our pastors are coming with these beautiful acrylic containers. And as the worship team leads us, this song, just when you feel ready again, we're gonna pray over this at the very end. So I'm just gonna ask that everybody just respect this moment. But if you're in this section right here, you can come to the bottom. Those of you in the section 200, we have ushers that are lined up in that walkway right there. Those of you at the very top, how y'all doing? Top, top, section 300, make some noise. Come on. Jesus comes back right now. Y'all get to he. We have ushers up there as well. And I want you, after you write what you're believing, to see. And then those of you have come prepared today to bring your gift. I want you to do that. And then once they've all been received, we're going to pray over this, and we're going to worship. Does that sound good? Look at your neighbor. Say, I see it.

[Pastor Taylor]

Come on.

[Pastor Jabin]

I see it. God is more than able, and I see it. Anybody in here trusting God? I said, anybody in here really trust him? We're going to pray over all those in just a moment, and then we'll. We'll be dismissed. That really is the most important question of life, is do you trust him? Do you trust God? And I love songs that encourage our faith like that. But how many know it doesn't always work out the way that song goes. I mean, it doesn't go, I sought the Lord and it hurt, and then boom. Don't you wish it was just like that? Sometimes it's, I sought the Lord and he heard, and he heard. I saw the Lord and did you hear? But there's something he's always doing in the waiting. There's something he's always doing in the seeking. You seek him with all of your heart. You will find him. And I want to speak to somebody who's been seeking. And today it's actually your sign that he heard you. He heard you. So even before we pray over this, I'm going to ask Pastor Taylor to come. We're going to pray over all those. Can we bring all those up here? But even before we do that, would you bow your head and close your eyes? I want to give somebody an opportunity to give him your life. This is a savior who was born for all the shepherds who felt like they were outcasts and nobody saw them. To the wise men who traveled far had resource. This is truly the savior of the world. He is for all people. One of the ear markers of this church is that we will be a church that loves all people. That is for all people. The people that Jesus died for. You don't get to pick who you want to put in the blank of who God loves. But God so loved the world. That he gave. So with heads bowed and eyes closed, even if it's just one person, I promise you're worth that. Maybe you need to respond today to this Savior you've been looking for a sign. This is it right here. God knows how to speak to you. He speaks star. He can speak through everything. So with heads, bowel, mouths closed, if you're here today and you say, hey, pr, I need to give him my life today, would you lift up your hand high enough and long enough to where I could see it? Yeah. This is what we're about. Say it all the time. It's social. You can always come home. Some of you lifting up your hand, you don't even know you are responding to a prayer, that somebody was praying for you. It's the power. This is not just the formality. That's the power of what we did in that moment, writing on those cards and continuing to pray over those cards. And somebody's going to be on the other end of those prayers, hands lifted high enough, long enough to where I could see it. Thank you, Jesus. Can we pray this prayer as one big family? Especially those of you who are responding right now, would you say this? Say, jesus, I need you. Thank you so much for loving me enough. Not just to be born for me, but to die for me. Lord, today I give you everything. Come into my life. Make me brand new. From this moment forward, I am yours, you are my savior and you are my king. I worship you and I serve you not just for what you do, but for who you are. In Jesus name, Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[Pastor Taylor]

Come on.

[Pastor Jabin]

If you meant what you prayed, would you give God praise? Come on, you could do better than that. Angels are rejoicing right now. Then, Pastor Taylor, I'm just going to ask you to join us and lead us in prayer as we pray over all of these cards and over this offering and over this moment.

[Pastor Taylor]

Yes, absolutely would be so honored. But I just want to first say how proud I am of you. As I stood back and just watched each of you come forward, it touches me. And the reason it touches me is because I can see that, you know, each of you have a story. Each of you are believing God to do something. And it was sacrifice after sacrifice after sacrifice after sacrifice that you brought forward. And money is a sensitive subject. People don't want to talk about it because it becomes something that I think it should have never been. But the reason money is important is it reveals really the heart of the person, and it's not that God needs our money. He doesn't need anything from us. But what it reveals to him. When you bring something so close to your heart forward, it reveals the posture of your heart. And so it truly is a sacrifice of praise. And so I just want to celebrate you as you did bring that forward today. And I really am believing for the miraculous to unfold in your life, not because of the amount that you gave, but because the posture of your heart that says, God, I want you more than anything. And so as you brought it, it brought something to my attention. Recently, one of my children, they were given money for their birthday, and it surprised me. It was $200, and they were excited about it. And then they. They came downstairs and asked me how to spell some words. And I was like, what? You know, what are you doing? And ends up they were writing this person a thank you note for giving them that money. And it just blessed my heart. It says, dear Pastor Jabin, thank you for that $200. I can't believe you did that. I'm super grateful for it. And it's my favorite birthday gift that I got. I went to my favorite store, Pottery Barn, and got a blanket that was on sale for $30, and I also got a dog pillow. And since a pastor gave me the money, I had to donate to St. Jude's Hospital. I'm gonna cry. And I had to get my siblings something, too. I got one sibling a nutcracker mug at Hobby Lobby. I got the other sibling socks for $4, and the rest of my money went to Tithe. Thank you so much. And I read that because as a mama, as a parent, I was so proud because it revealed the posture of her heart, that generosity in full motion, the gift that keeps on giving. It didn't just stop with that baby girl, but the generosity continued to bring impact. And what it revealed was that I can trust her with more. And so today, I feel like the father is saying, hey, he's so proud of you as you brought your sacrifice of praise. Also, your generosity doesn't stop today. It actually is impacting eternity and lives will forever. It's the gift that keeps on giving. It'll continue to make impact. And lastly, he can trust you. And so, Father, today I actually make myself, Lord, I get on my knees in desperation, God, for you to move on each person's behalf, God, the stories and the testimonies and the need. It is great. God, it's great. There are people that are desperate to see a loved one come back home to you. There are People and women in the room that are desperate for their wounds to be open, God. There are people in the room that desperately need a financial miracle. They need breakthrough in their marriage. They need breakthrough in their household. They need a breakthrough, God. And they come today, Lord, not knowing what the future holds, but knowing that you are God, you are Savior, and that is enough. And so today, God, as a house, as social Dallas, as every single individual today brought their sacrifice. I believe, Father, that you see them, the God who sees you, hear them. You hear when they lay their head down at night and they cry out, God, for the miraculous. They need a miracle. They're desperate, God, and they call on you because they know that you are the way. You are the truth. You are the life. We don't have a house right now, but, God, I will tell you one thing. I know that that social Dallas is gritty and we're desperate for the presence of God to rest wherever we step our feet. So, God, we will not go without you, God, wherever you call us to, to the next venue, wherever it may be, God, we will not go without you. So today, God, make your presence known and establish your glory as we continue to seek your face. We are believing for the miraculous. Marriages will be restored. That's not even a question. Marriages will be restored. Wombs will be opened. Bodies will be healed from cancer.

[Pastor Jabin]

Thank you, Jesus.

[Pastor Taylor]

Bodies will be healed. Mental illness will. Will have to flee. Depression, anxiety. They will find those that struggle with anxiety and depression and hopelessness will come and find life. God. They'll find joy. God, the gift of joy. The gift of joy. We thank you for joy. We thank you for peace. We thank you for grace. We thank you for love. We thank you for happiness. We thank you, God. We thank you that you're here, that if you don't do another thing, God, you've done enough. You've done enough. You are the gift. In the same way as PR just preached the most beautiful, powerful word, toddler Jesus, we come with zero expectation, and yet the most expectation because of who you are. We trust you, God. And so I bless every family. It doesn't just stop here. The story of Jesus, the story of the gospel, the story of healing, the story of salvation will echo throughout eternity. What a holy moment. What a holy moment. As your children came forward the same way, I was in awe of my own child. Giving and allowing generosity to continue is the same way, Father, that you are sitting up above saying, I am so proud. I am so proud. Look at them bringing their sacrifice. I can trust them. I can trust them. So today, God, we come with our big ask the impossible. Lord, these are impossible situations and we, we know fully that where, where it's impossible. You step in so that you and you alone can get all the glory, all the honor, all the power and all the praise. So we thank you for what you've already done. We thank you for these seeds today, God, that set it in motion. We thank you that our faith is being strengthened, that we're hoping again. Hope is on the way. It's what we've been declaring. Hope is on the way, God, get your hopes up. God is saying, get your hopes up. And so we say, thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. You and you alone are worthy, God, of all the glory and all the honor. Thank you, God that we're not where we were, God. Thank you, God that you've sustained us every step of the way that you provided and you've anchored us, God. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. We shouldn't be here, but we're here today, God, because of your grace, because of your mercy, because of your life, God, because of salvation, because of who you are, God, we are here today and we give you and you alone all the glory in Jesus name. Everybody said amen.

[Pastor Jabin]

Amen. Amen. To God be the glory for the great things he's done, but come on, for the great things that he's going to do. Come on. If you believe it, would you give God one more hand clap of praise today? Would you stand to your feet? If you want personal prayer, our prayer team is going to stay here. Please don't ever leave Social Dallas without getting personal prayer. If you prayed that prayer of salvation. Welcome to the family. Welcome to the family. Our connect tent is inside. Somebody say hallelujah. You can go there if you want to learn more about how to get connected and plugged in. Also, there's a Bible there for you. Next Sunday we're back here at 10am you should be here because if you.

[Pastor Taylor]

Keep showing up, if you keep showing.

[Pastor Jabin]

Up social, may the Lord bless you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you, give you grace and peace now and forevermore. Amen. Amen. We'll see you next Sunday.