Come As You Are: Advent Invitation to Jesus

I would like us to consider today. I would like you to consider today. That this is an invitation. The lyric itself, it paints a picture of an invitation. Oh, come. Let us adore him. The language that's used, it's invitational. Not to a tradition. Not to a season. Not to a feeling. But my friends, this morning, it is an invitation to come to a person. And here's the truth I believe we need to grab hold of today. Hope isn't a feeling. Hope is a person. And his name is Jesus Christ. And that is where Advent begins. [01:05:23] (61 seconds)  #AdventIsAnInvitation

We touched on this last week as we launched into Advent. And we're continuing today as we talk about Christ's love. We live in a world full of struggles. Life is heavy right now. Some are anxious. Some are numb. Some are carrying burdens that no one sees. But Jesus doesn't ignore our struggles, my friends. He enters them. Christmas is a declaration to this world that God didn't stay distant. And my friends, he's not staying distant from the struggles that you are facing right now in your life. [01:06:24] (50 seconds)  #GodIsNotDistant

I want to speak a moment of truth into your life this morning. That if that is you, if you feel empty this morning, I want to encourage you this morning in Jesus' name. And that God wants to fill you. That Jesus wants to fill your life, your cup this morning. And as he does, he wants to fill your life and your cup to overflowing. He does. He doesn't want you to stay dry. He wants to fill your life with his presence. With his goodness. With his peace. [01:08:58] (34 seconds)  #JesusFillsTheEmpty

``Christmas is God's saying. You don't have to pretend. You don't have to perform. You just have to come. And when you come, something beautiful happens. You forget the noise. You forget all the distractions that are going on around and about you. Something happens in our hearts, and our hearts begin to align. Your focus begins to lift. Because adoration isn't an escape. It's a reorientation toward the one who brings hope. You see, friends, we need to become reoriented. [01:10:31] (42 seconds)  #ReorientToJesus

And say, Lord, thank you for this opportunity to show your glory, to show your power, to show your victory in this situation in my life. I believe that God is looking for ways to demonstrate his power. And he loves to demonstrate his power to his children. We are not trapped by our past. With Jesus, you are not defined by your struggle. You are not hopeless in your present. [01:16:20] (41 seconds)  #GodWantsToShowHisGlory

When was the last time that you heard somebody say, I am the flu? Or, I am a headache. But yet we often will say, I'm discouraged. I'm depressed. I want to encourage you today that when you're feeling that way, to change the way that you phrase it. Because I believe that our words matter. And I believe that there's power in our words. [01:17:33] (35 seconds)  #WordsHavePower

So instead of saying, I'm discouraged. I'm anxious. I'm depressed. And don't get me wrong here this morning. I've experienced all of those. But instead of saying that, say, I am going through a season. I am going through depression. I am going through anxiety. And we're going through it with Jesus Christ. We're going through it with Jesus Christ. [01:18:08] (34 seconds)  #GoingThroughItWithJesus

Oh, come let us adore Him. Don't let that just be a lyric from now on. Come with your fears. He's not intimidated by our fears. Come with your burdens. Come with your sin. Some of you today you're going through valleys and you're carrying chains of sin that you were never meant to carry. And you need to lay those chains of sin down and walk out of here free people. [01:21:20] (41 seconds)  #BringYourChainsToJesus