The Open Word (Audio)

The prophecies of the Old Testament are woven together with their fulfillment like a beautiful tapestry. As Jesus walked on the earth, it was hard for many to see how He fit into what they expected of a Messiah. But, God was the one crafting and shaping everything that was happening. As Pastor David continues to examine the prophecies concerning the Messiah in today’s message, you will be reminded that God can see the bigger picture, and the way He works is mysterious, but perfect.

Jesus’ existence was an extremely improbable fulfillment of numerous prophecies found throughout the Old Testament. If you imagine that at various points through the past centuries, multiple men would have foretold the precise circumstances and events of your birth, life, and death, you’ll start to get a little better grasp at how impossible the odds were. Throughout today’s message, Pastor David will explore these prophecies and all the ways they point to our amazing Savior.

The love God demonstrated for us through Christmas is astounding. As you navigate this time of year with all of its get-togethers and festivities, don’t forget Jesus. He should be at the forefront of your mind – really all the time¬ – but especially during this wonderful time of year. As Pastor David will remind us in today’s message, God loves you deeply, and none of the short-lived happiness or pleasure that you might experience in this season can compare with the life-changing joy that can be found in trusting Christ.

We have a tendency in the modern Church to discount the Old Testament as being less relevant than the New. It seems to be a different era in God’s dealings with man, in which He operated more in wrath than in grace. Throughout today’s message, Pastor David will lead us on a journey through many accounts from before Christ’s birth that describe encounters between Christ and man. These interactions offer a foreshadowing or hint at the incredible love God would demonstrate by sending Jesus.

Christmas has been so greatly commercialized that Christ is the last person on most people’s minds during this time. But the familiar saying is true: Christ is the reason for this season. As Pastor David will remind us in today’s message, Jesus existed long before He came in the flesh. He is one with God and He has always existed. His appearance in the flesh is representative of His extreme love for humanity. He took on the pain, suffering and temptations you and I know and He died to redeem you into right relationship with God.

What would you do if you only had one chance to get your life back after years of hardship, disease, and ostracism? Most of us would answer with just two words: “Almost anything!” In today’s message, Pastor David teaches us that a desperate woman ignored cultural norms and disobeyed Rabbinical law in order to push through a crowd to reach out and touch the Lord’s garment. With that bold act of faith, Jesus’s power was unleashed, and she restored to full health.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. In the Gospel of Luke chapter 8, we meet a desperate woman who has been plagued by an issue of blood for many years. She has sought doctors and has spent all she has to find a cure to no avail. However, this woman had heard that Jesus could help her. In today’s message, Pastor David teaches us that the woman’s desperation propelled her through a raucous needy crowd. God saw and was moved by her fervor, for when she reached out and touched Jesus’s garment, she was healed.

When Jesus frees a demoniac in Luke chapter 8, the people of the town were terrified. Their fear did not stem from the loss of livestock or the shock at seeing a once crazy man in his right mind. What terrified them was the power of God put on display. Pastor David teaches us in today’s message that Jesus has glory, honor, and power over all things. At just the word of Christ’s mouth, demons must flea, roaring waves are silenced, and people are saved and set free.

In Luke chapter 8, Jesus gets out of a boat in the region of Gerasenes and is met by a demon possessed man. The Bible tells us that this tortured soul had supernatural strength, had no home, wore no clothes, and had legions of demons controlling his wild behavior. In today’s message, Pastor David navigates through the strange world of demonology. Most importantly, Pastor David will also reinforce the fact that even a legion of demons is no match for King Jesus. Christ is able to set even the most enslaved and imprisoned free.

In today’s powerful message from the Gospel of Luke, Pastor David encourages us to come to the Lord with our fears and worries and to tell Him the truth about how we are feeling. As we take our eyes off of the storms and anxieties of this life and train them on our Savior Jesus, His power and glory will swallow up our troubles. Just as the disciples were in awe of Jesus when He quieted the waves on the stormy Sea of Galilee, we too will be astounded at God when He quiets the turbulence our hearts.