1 00:00:32,259 --> 00:00:36,339 Like we ought to sing Go Tell it on the Mountain now, just pick 2 00:00:36,339 --> 00:00:39,899 it and let's sing it. All right. Open your Bibles, if you would, 3 00:00:39,899 --> 00:00:45,419 to Matthew, chapter one. Matthew, chapter one, and then Luke, 4 00:00:45,419 --> 00:00:48,539 chapter one. Just go ahead and mark both places. We'll be in both 5 00:00:48,539 --> 00:00:54,659 places as well as others. Mark, chapter one. Luke, chapter 6 00:00:54,659 --> 00:01:00,949 one. I wonder if you can count the number of times when fear really 7 00:01:00,949 --> 00:01:06,789 gripped you. I mean, there's nobody immune to it. Maybe it doesn't 8 00:01:06,789 --> 00:01:12,469 come as quickly or as easily to some, but people have been fearful 9 00:01:12,469 --> 00:01:15,269 at one time or another. I mean, gripped you, really gripped 10 00:01:15,269 --> 00:01:18,589 you. Might have been something you did or something that was done 11 00:01:18,589 --> 00:01:22,549 to you or a dangerous situation where you envisioned the 12 00:01:22,549 --> 00:01:27,239 worst possible scenario. I have been the victim of a violent 13 00:01:27,239 --> 00:01:32,759 crime when I was, I think, 17, maybe 18 years old. And that was 14 00:01:32,759 --> 00:01:36,119 the most frightened I've ever been in my life. I thought I was 15 00:01:36,119 --> 00:01:40,879 losing my life. I really did. But fear takes many forms. So I understand. 16 00:01:41,039 --> 00:01:46,319 Fear can grip you, man. I mean, grip you. And it takes many 17 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:50,959 forms, but it is real. Fear is real. It's a state of mind. And sometimes 18 00:01:51,539 --> 00:01:56,139 it's an irrational fear, but it's a fear nonetheless. And when 19 00:01:56,139 --> 00:01:59,659 I say irrational, here's an irrational fear. How many of you 20 00:01:59,659 --> 00:02:04,739 ever heard of the fear called dendrophobia? Dendrophobia? Anybody? 21 00:02:05,939 --> 00:02:12,659 You know what that is? It is a fear of trees. Dendrophobia. Fear 22 00:02:12,659 --> 00:02:16,259 of trees. I mean, I've never heard of it either until I read it. 23 00:02:17,709 --> 00:02:19,909 But there are some people who actually have a fear of Christmas 24 00:02:19,909 --> 00:02:22,389 trees. I've never met anybody who had a fear of Christmas trees, 25 00:02:22,389 --> 00:02:25,669 but that's what that is. Anybody ever. If you run into somebody 26 00:02:25,669 --> 00:02:28,509 who has a fear of trees, it's dendrophobia. It's an irrational 27 00:02:28,509 --> 00:02:34,309 fear as far as I'm concerned. But, you know, what do I know? So 28 00:02:34,309 --> 00:02:37,029 why am I talking about fear when I should be preaching a Christmas 29 00:02:37,029 --> 00:02:40,309 sermon? Well, I'm glad you asked. Go ahead and read with me. 30 00:02:40,309 --> 00:02:42,869 In Matthew, chapter one. I'm going to read verse 18 through 21. 31 00:02:42,869 --> 00:02:47,079 Now, the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise. Whenas mother Mary 32 00:02:47,079 --> 00:02:49,839 was espoused to Joseph before they came together, she was found 33 00:02:49,839 --> 00:02:53,279 with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph, her husband, being a 34 00:02:53,279 --> 00:02:56,719 just man and not willing to make her a public example, was minded 35 00:02:56,719 --> 00:02:59,199 to put her away privately. But while he thought on these things, 36 00:02:59,199 --> 00:03:02,959 behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, 37 00:03:02,959 --> 00:03:07,959 joseph, thou son of David, fear not. Fear not to take unto thee, 38 00:03:07,959 --> 00:03:11,479 Mary, thy. For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 39 00:03:11,959 --> 00:03:14,799 And she shall bring forth a son. And thou shalt call his name 40 00:03:14,799 --> 00:03:18,639 Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Look at Luke, 41 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:23,639 chapter one. Luke, chapter one, verse 26. Luke 1:26. And in 42 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:27,039 the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a 43 00:03:27,039 --> 00:03:30,639 city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin, a spouse to 44 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:34,479 a man, whose name was Joseph of the house of David, and the virgin's 45 00:03:34,479 --> 00:03:38,039 name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her and said, hail, 46 00:03:38,699 --> 00:03:41,939 thou that art highly favored. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art 47 00:03:41,939 --> 00:03:45,419 thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his 48 00:03:45,419 --> 00:03:48,259 saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should 49 00:03:48,259 --> 00:03:52,819 be. And the angel said unto her, fear not, Mary, for thou hast 50 00:03:52,819 --> 00:03:56,099 found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy 51 00:03:56,099 --> 00:03:59,779 womb and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He 52 00:03:59,779 --> 00:04:02,779 shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the highest. And 53 00:04:02,779 --> 00:04:05,339 the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. 54 00:04:05,889 --> 00:04:08,409 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever. And of his 55 00:04:08,409 --> 00:04:12,049 kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, how 56 00:04:12,049 --> 00:04:16,169 shall this be, seeing I know no man? And the angel answered and 57 00:04:16,169 --> 00:04:19,729 said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power 58 00:04:19,729 --> 00:04:22,769 of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that 59 00:04:22,769 --> 00:04:26,129 holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of 60 00:04:26,129 --> 00:04:32,019 God. Turn to chapter two. Look at verse eight. And there were in 61 00:04:32,019 --> 00:04:34,779 the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch 62 00:04:34,779 --> 00:04:38,299 over their flock by night. Verse nine says, and lo, the angel 63 00:04:38,299 --> 00:04:40,659 of the Lord came upon them. And the glory of the Lord shone round 64 00:04:40,659 --> 00:04:45,259 about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 65 00:04:45,259 --> 00:04:49,179 fear not. For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which 66 00:04:49,179 --> 00:04:52,339 shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the 67 00:04:52,339 --> 00:04:55,899 city of David a savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall 68 00:04:55,899 --> 00:04:59,259 be a sign unto you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling 69 00:04:59,259 --> 00:05:03,219 clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel 70 00:05:03,219 --> 00:05:06,419 a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, glory 71 00:05:06,419 --> 00:05:10,899 to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men. 72 00:05:11,779 --> 00:05:16,299 Did you see that? I mean, folks, what we consider to be the 73 00:05:16,299 --> 00:05:21,699 most wonderful time of the year. We consider this the most wonderful 74 00:05:21,699 --> 00:05:24,739 time of the year. The most festive, the most joyful time of 75 00:05:24,739 --> 00:05:28,929 the year, the most. But it was to the main characters of Christmas 76 00:05:28,929 --> 00:05:36,809 of the first Christmas. A fearful event, fearful so much so 77 00:05:36,809 --> 00:05:42,849 that God had to say to them, fear not. Now if I'm afraid of something, 78 00:05:44,689 --> 00:05:49,569 to me, if not to anybody else, it's a legitimate fear. May not be 79 00:05:49,569 --> 00:05:52,599 to anybody else, but if I'm afraid of something, it's a legitimate 80 00:05:52,599 --> 00:05:55,999 fear. And if somebody tells me you don't have to be afraid, don't 81 00:05:55,999 --> 00:05:57,839 worry about it, don't be afraid. Okay, if you're going to 82 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:00,679 tell me not to be afraid in the midst of my circumstance, I want 83 00:06:00,679 --> 00:06:05,319 to hear the follow up explanation as to why I shouldn't 84 00:06:05,319 --> 00:06:10,399 be afraid. Why should I not be alarmed? This is a real situation 85 00:06:10,399 --> 00:06:15,319 I'm in here and you're telling me don't be afraid. Why? Well, God 86 00:06:15,319 --> 00:06:20,409 does exactly that. Because the fear that their fear might be legitimate 87 00:06:20,409 --> 00:06:24,649 to them. But God tells them in the midst of their fear, fear not. 88 00:06:25,929 --> 00:06:29,809 But each one of these situations was a fearful event to 89 00:06:29,809 --> 00:06:34,609 them and they had to be told, don't fear. But that's not enough. 90 00:06:34,609 --> 00:06:40,609 Just don't be afraid. Well, why, why shouldn't I be afraid? That's 91 00:06:40,609 --> 00:06:46,699 what I want to know. Well, he tells them in the midst of their 92 00:06:46,699 --> 00:06:49,739 fear, not to fear. And then he gives an explanation as to why they 93 00:06:49,739 --> 00:06:53,459 shouldn't fear. And quite frankly, if you think about it, we 94 00:06:53,539 --> 00:06:58,539 live in potentially fearful times. I'm not given to television, 95 00:06:58,539 --> 00:07:01,339 I'm not given to the news. I don't like watching the news. If 96 00:07:01,339 --> 00:07:04,259 my wife's got the news on, I'll usually walk out. I don't like 97 00:07:04,259 --> 00:07:09,099 listening to the news and not like she focuses on it, but if it 98 00:07:09,099 --> 00:07:11,379 happens to be on, if she's watching the headlines or whatever, 99 00:07:11,779 --> 00:07:15,219 I just know, I don't even watch Fox News. I don't watch any 100 00:07:15,219 --> 00:07:18,659 news because they're all liars and they'll just. And if you just 101 00:07:18,659 --> 00:07:23,379 listen to them, man, it'll fill you with fear. You'll be fearful 102 00:07:23,379 --> 00:07:26,219 of the economy, you'll be fear of the political scene, you'll be 103 00:07:26,219 --> 00:07:32,539 fear of everything around you socially and the news. I've noticed 104 00:07:32,539 --> 00:07:36,979 they always give you nothing but bad news. Nothing but bad news. 105 00:07:36,979 --> 00:07:39,899 I mean the entire 30 minutes or however long, if it's not the 106 00:07:39,899 --> 00:07:43,139 weather, everything else is just bad news. And then they want 107 00:07:43,139 --> 00:07:45,819 to make you feel good at the very end. They want to sprinkle a 108 00:07:45,819 --> 00:07:48,259 little bit of sugar on it and say here's, here's something for 109 00:07:48,259 --> 00:07:54,299 us to leave you with a little nice dab of sugar at the end. I don't 110 00:07:54,299 --> 00:07:58,099 like the news, but if a person watches it enough and if they listen 111 00:07:58,099 --> 00:08:01,699 to talk Radio enough and if they listen to podcasts enough. Good 112 00:08:01,699 --> 00:08:07,119 night, man. We just want to go, you know, find a compound somewhere. 113 00:08:07,119 --> 00:08:10,399 We want to go off grid because we're afraid of the entire world. 114 00:08:11,999 --> 00:08:17,119 And as we consider the birth of Christ, we too are given the message 115 00:08:17,119 --> 00:08:21,439 to fear not. Remember, the word of God is written to us as well. 116 00:08:22,239 --> 00:08:24,919 And all scripture is inspiration of God. It's all inspired 117 00:08:24,919 --> 00:08:28,679 by God and it's written to us and it's written for us. And he said, 118 00:08:28,679 --> 00:08:32,319 fear not. Now the same message is as relevant and powerful today 119 00:08:32,319 --> 00:08:36,629 as it was on that first Christmas. So I want to look at why 120 00:08:36,629 --> 00:08:44,309 God said to them and us, fear not. Why not? Fear. Anxious, worrisome. 121 00:08:44,389 --> 00:08:48,629 And for some people, this time of year just brings nothing but heartache. 122 00:08:48,629 --> 00:08:52,429 It brings nothing but sorrow, brings nothing but anxiety and worry. 123 00:08:52,429 --> 00:08:56,029 And I mean, if it's not a sad time for some, it's an anxious time 124 00:08:56,029 --> 00:08:59,429 for others because they want to get gifts for people and they 125 00:08:59,429 --> 00:09:01,649 don't have any money and so they know they're going to put it 126 00:09:01,649 --> 00:09:03,969 on their card and they're going to end up with all these just 127 00:09:04,049 --> 00:09:07,169 anxious when it should be a joyful time of the year. It does 128 00:09:07,489 --> 00:09:13,609 have a tendency to lend itself to some people, just anxious, worrisome 129 00:09:13,609 --> 00:09:18,849 and fearful. But I want you to notice, why did God tell them and 130 00:09:18,849 --> 00:09:21,129 us fear not? Well, number one, I'm going to give you three things. 131 00:09:21,129 --> 00:09:25,009 Number one, because the birth of Christ shows us God's purpose. 132 00:09:25,489 --> 00:09:29,879 The birth of Christ shows us God's purpose. Joseph had reasons 133 00:09:29,879 --> 00:09:34,159 to be fearful and anxious. During the betrothal period, which 134 00:09:34,159 --> 00:09:38,439 is about a one year engagement, Mary became pregnant. 135 00:09:41,799 --> 00:09:47,999 What a shock. What a shock. I mean, by all indications, Mary had 136 00:09:47,999 --> 00:09:51,639 been unfaithful to him. Shame is about to come upon him. Shame 137 00:09:51,639 --> 00:09:54,599 is about to come on her. He didn't want that to happen to her. 138 00:09:54,599 --> 00:09:56,219 He didn't want that to happen to her family. He didn't want to. 139 00:09:56,289 --> 00:09:58,889 He didn't want it to happen to him and his family. But there it 140 00:09:58,889 --> 00:10:06,449 was. There it was. What a shock. He is going to be required 141 00:10:06,449 --> 00:10:11,729 to make a decision as to what would happen to her. This is a big 142 00:10:11,729 --> 00:10:15,969 decision, major decision. I mean, think about it. Major decision 143 00:10:16,049 --> 00:10:20,609 he was going to have to make. And while he thought on these things, 144 00:10:22,619 --> 00:10:27,059 we read Matthew 20 and 21, Matthew 1, 20 and 21. While he thought 145 00:10:27,059 --> 00:10:29,619 on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him 146 00:10:29,619 --> 00:10:33,859 in a dream saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not. Look, 147 00:10:33,859 --> 00:10:36,819 the angel didn't say that without reason. Joseph was afraid. 148 00:10:36,819 --> 00:10:40,219 He was fearful for everything that was about to happen. In his 149 00:10:40,219 --> 00:10:43,179 mind, he was creating worst case scenarios. Just like you would 150 00:10:43,179 --> 00:10:46,779 be. Just like I would be. And the angel came and said, fear not 151 00:10:47,429 --> 00:10:50,589 to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived 152 00:10:50,589 --> 00:10:54,869 in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son. 153 00:10:54,869 --> 00:10:58,389 And thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people 154 00:10:58,709 --> 00:11:03,909 from their sin. God revealed his purpose to Joseph and it centered 155 00:11:03,909 --> 00:11:08,989 on this baby, that same baby that was making him fearful. God 156 00:11:08,989 --> 00:11:12,669 said, this baby that you, that you're making these worst case scenarios 157 00:11:12,669 --> 00:11:17,529 in your mind about, about to do something amazing with this baby. 158 00:11:18,089 --> 00:11:21,169 And so I want you to take Mary to be your wife. Mary hadn't been 159 00:11:21,169 --> 00:11:24,729 unfaithful after all. Praise the Lord. He was so glad about that. 160 00:11:24,889 --> 00:11:28,049 In fact, it was her faithfulness to God that resulted 161 00:11:28,049 --> 00:11:33,289 in her being chosen to be the mother of the Messiah. Wonderful. 162 00:11:34,009 --> 00:11:36,929 He could lay that burden to rest. Why? He was fearful. And God 163 00:11:36,929 --> 00:11:39,529 said, don't be afraid. Why shouldn't I be afraid? Here's why. 164 00:11:40,539 --> 00:11:46,259 Oh, isn't that awesome? I mean, you stop and think about it. 165 00:11:46,259 --> 00:11:50,459 He had a reason to lay down that fear. Because God revealed an 166 00:11:50,459 --> 00:11:59,339 amazing purpose to Joseph. But the greatest revelation and the reason 167 00:11:59,339 --> 00:12:02,219 to not fear was that this child was going to save his people 168 00:12:02,219 --> 00:12:08,749 from their sins. Hallelujah. I like what Spurgeon said. I wrote 169 00:12:08,749 --> 00:12:12,589 this down. Christ is the central fact. Christ is the great 170 00:12:12,669 --> 00:12:16,029 central fact in the world's history. Now listen to what he says. 171 00:12:16,029 --> 00:12:20,269 Think about this. He is the great central fact in the world's 172 00:12:20,269 --> 00:12:25,029 history. To him, everything looks forward or backward. That was 173 00:12:25,029 --> 00:12:32,409 when they were still using AD and bc. Now it's BCE before the common 174 00:12:32,409 --> 00:12:37,729 era and whatever. What is a common era anyway? He said this. 175 00:12:37,969 --> 00:12:41,689 All the lines of history converge upon him. All the great 176 00:12:41,689 --> 00:12:45,369 purposes of God culminate in him. Now listen to this line. The 177 00:12:45,369 --> 00:12:50,249 greatest and most momentous fact which the history of the world 178 00:12:50,249 --> 00:12:54,889 records is the fact of his birth. Now you and I would say, well, 179 00:12:54,889 --> 00:12:58,009 what about the resurrection? Well, that's so argued today. They 180 00:12:58,009 --> 00:13:00,759 don't even. They don't. There's so much that says, well, 181 00:13:00,759 --> 00:13:04,279 we don't know that that's a fact. But one thing they don't deny 182 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:09,799 is his birth. That's a fact. The greatest fact that God ever placed 183 00:13:09,799 --> 00:13:14,918 in this world is the birth of Jesus Christ. And from the very beginning, 184 00:13:14,918 --> 00:13:18,799 God's purpose in sending his Son was to provide salvation for 185 00:13:18,799 --> 00:13:22,559 us. That was his purpose. Joseph didn't have to be afraid he 186 00:13:22,559 --> 00:13:26,769 didn't have to fear because God revealed his purpose. I feel 187 00:13:26,769 --> 00:13:31,369 sad for those who don't see their need for salvation. I really 188 00:13:31,369 --> 00:13:33,889 do. I mean, it breaks my heart. You know, there was a day 189 00:13:33,889 --> 00:13:38,729 when I first started soul winning, you know, a wasp, a small 190 00:13:38,729 --> 00:13:45,849 wasp, you know, full of stinger and no sense. I try to argue 191 00:13:45,849 --> 00:13:49,729 with people and, well, okay, if that's the way you feel about 192 00:13:49,729 --> 00:13:52,639 it, go ahead and go on to hell, then that's your. Your problem. 193 00:13:52,639 --> 00:13:56,199 Well, I don't think that way anymore. You know, the years have 194 00:13:56,199 --> 00:14:01,039 come. Wisdom, I hope, has taken in place of stupidity. And 195 00:14:01,599 --> 00:14:05,719 it breaks my heart when people truly cannot see their need for a 196 00:14:05,719 --> 00:14:12,919 savior, when they can't see their need for salvation. It's like 197 00:14:12,919 --> 00:14:18,399 they're swimming in an ocean and sharks are converging upon them. 198 00:14:20,149 --> 00:14:23,509 And because they can't see those sharks, they close their eyes 199 00:14:23,509 --> 00:14:26,629 and they close their mind to anybody trying to show them or tell 200 00:14:26,629 --> 00:14:32,869 them anything, and they end up destroyed. But for those of us who 201 00:14:32,869 --> 00:14:37,989 did believe those warnings, and we embrace that offer of rescue, 202 00:14:37,989 --> 00:14:43,349 we will be eternally grateful to the one or many who offered that, 203 00:14:43,909 --> 00:14:47,429 who offered that rescue to us. And we reached, and they reached 204 00:14:47,429 --> 00:14:50,009 down, and we reached up, we held, and they pulled us to safety. 205 00:14:50,559 --> 00:14:55,679 For me, It's David Lofty. 1984, April 18, 1984. He's the one 206 00:14:55,679 --> 00:14:58,159 that showed me, hey, look, you're on your way to hell. There 207 00:14:58,159 --> 00:15:01,199 are a bunch of sharks behind you in this water, and even though 208 00:15:01,199 --> 00:15:03,159 you can't see them, I'm telling you they're there. He helped 209 00:15:03,159 --> 00:15:06,559 me to see that truth, and he put that hand out for me in the way 210 00:15:06,559 --> 00:15:10,559 of the gospel, and I received it. I grabbed hold of that life, 211 00:15:10,559 --> 00:15:14,999 that safety vest, and I got to shore, and I'm saved because of it. 212 00:15:14,999 --> 00:15:17,769 Now, April 18th, and I'm telling you, most of my problems 213 00:15:17,769 --> 00:15:22,729 were fixed that day. Most of my worries and fears and anxieties 214 00:15:22,729 --> 00:15:25,449 all got taken away from that day. I like to tell people all the 215 00:15:25,449 --> 00:15:29,449 time, if you get saved, your greatest problem's fixed. Your greatest 216 00:15:29,449 --> 00:15:32,609 problem is. Your greatest problem is eternity. And if you'll 217 00:15:32,769 --> 00:15:37,689 trust Jesus Christ, that's taken care of. I like what Henry 218 00:15:37,689 --> 00:15:40,689 Bosch wrote. He wrote, jesus wasn't born to live. He was born 219 00:15:40,689 --> 00:15:46,379 to die, to live again. Amen. That was the only way he could save 220 00:15:46,379 --> 00:15:49,019 his people from their sins. What did Jesus himself say about 221 00:15:49,019 --> 00:15:52,179 his purpose? He said in Matthew 20, verse 28, even as the 222 00:15:52,179 --> 00:15:56,379 Son of man came not to be. Even as the Son of Man came not to 223 00:15:56,379 --> 00:16:00,539 be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom 224 00:16:00,539 --> 00:16:05,659 for many. Jesus said that about himself. Luke 19:10. He said, 225 00:16:05,659 --> 00:16:08,539 for the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. 226 00:16:09,399 --> 00:16:14,319 His purpose. John 3:17. For God sent not his Son into the world 227 00:16:14,319 --> 00:16:18,119 to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. 228 00:16:18,199 --> 00:16:22,519 I think sometimes we get lost. We lose sight of the true purpose 229 00:16:22,679 --> 00:16:26,919 of God in sending Jesus Christ. I mean, even in Christmas 230 00:16:26,919 --> 00:16:29,999 time, we still. We lose sight of it. We lose sight of the reason 231 00:16:29,999 --> 00:16:34,969 he came, the purpose of God. Paul wrote to Timothy in first Timothy 232 00:16:34,969 --> 00:16:37,489 one. He said, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all 233 00:16:37,489 --> 00:16:41,249 acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, 234 00:16:41,649 --> 00:16:46,929 of whom I am chief brother. I'm all for the songs. I like the 235 00:16:46,929 --> 00:16:51,529 songs to a point, you know? And I love the festivities of Christmas. 236 00:16:51,529 --> 00:16:54,609 I love the food of Christmas. I love the gift giving of Christmas, 237 00:16:55,489 --> 00:16:58,449 and I love the fact that your husband's going to be back for Christmas. 238 00:16:58,529 --> 00:17:01,979 Amen. I asked her today, when's her husband coming? She said 239 00:17:01,979 --> 00:17:06,659 Sunday. Yay. Exciting. What a gift, right? Great Christmas. Okay, 240 00:17:06,659 --> 00:17:09,979 where was I? Anyway, I love all of that. I love all the things 241 00:17:09,979 --> 00:17:13,219 about Christmas. I really do. But I think that, you know, we get 242 00:17:13,219 --> 00:17:16,699 around the. We get around the tree, maybe with our family and. 243 00:17:17,019 --> 00:17:21,779 And we thank God. We thank God for all that he's given us. We thank 244 00:17:21,779 --> 00:17:27,539 God for our family. We thank God for everything. But we have to 245 00:17:27,539 --> 00:17:33,419 stop and remember again, do we thank him for the fact that I was 246 00:17:34,139 --> 00:17:42,178 lost and on my way to hell? And it's easy. We can look at everything 247 00:17:42,178 --> 00:17:45,579 that we have in the trees. We can look at the flowers, we can look 248 00:17:45,579 --> 00:17:48,699 at the gifts. And we can make every single one of those speak to 249 00:17:48,699 --> 00:17:53,279 that fact that I was lost. Look at this gift. It's God's gift. 250 00:17:53,509 --> 00:17:55,589 Look at that tree and everything inside. I like trees. 251 00:17:55,669 --> 00:17:59,429 Look at everything on that tree we can speak of to Christ, right? 252 00:17:59,589 --> 00:18:03,709 I may not be biblical, but we can do it. And if it helps us to 253 00:18:03,709 --> 00:18:08,709 look to him and point to Him, I'm for it. So this is why I don't 254 00:18:08,709 --> 00:18:11,029 need to be fearful and anxious. This is why you don't need 255 00:18:11,029 --> 00:18:14,789 to be fearful and anxious. This year, God, God's purpose in 256 00:18:14,789 --> 00:18:18,789 sending His Son provided us with a way out. An escape from all 257 00:18:18,789 --> 00:18:23,279 the sin and the social corruption that abounds, the ungodliness 258 00:18:23,279 --> 00:18:27,679 that is in the world. And I feel sorry for some of you. In my 259 00:18:27,679 --> 00:18:32,479 ministry, church planning, I worked a Secular job more times more 260 00:18:32,479 --> 00:18:37,919 than I didn't work. And so I know I was sitting here just a little 261 00:18:37,919 --> 00:18:41,919 while ago and I was looking at some of your faces and I asked God 262 00:18:41,919 --> 00:18:48,349 to remind me of the fact that these folks work today. And seriously, 263 00:18:48,589 --> 00:18:51,989 they worked. Because it's easy when you're full time on staff and 264 00:18:51,989 --> 00:18:54,509 you're not out there working a full time job and you don't have 265 00:18:54,509 --> 00:18:57,789 to rub shoulders with a lost world, with an ungodly crowd that's 266 00:18:57,789 --> 00:19:01,589 putting your savior down all the time and laughing at every godly 267 00:19:01,589 --> 00:19:06,389 thing there is. You forget about that. It's easy to forget about 268 00:19:06,389 --> 00:19:09,069 what it's like. And I was sitting there a little while ago 269 00:19:09,069 --> 00:19:12,589 and I saw some faces and I said, boy, they really look like 270 00:19:12,589 --> 00:19:17,999 thee are hurting today. I wonder what's on their heart. I wonder 271 00:19:17,999 --> 00:19:20,439 what's on their mind. Some of them are just, they're just tired. 272 00:19:20,759 --> 00:19:26,719 They've worked all day. Well, I want to remind you that God had 273 00:19:26,719 --> 00:19:32,439 a purpose in sending Jesus Christ and that was to keep you from 274 00:19:32,439 --> 00:19:38,999 going to hell. And if there's. Listen, if you could clear your mind 275 00:19:38,999 --> 00:19:45,599 and just focus on that fact, I think you could wipe away the drudgery 276 00:19:45,599 --> 00:19:48,999 of the day just with that fact. Amen. I'm going to heaven. 277 00:19:48,999 --> 00:19:53,159 I'm not going to hell. I deserve hell. I'm chief of sinners. 278 00:19:53,319 --> 00:19:59,919 I'm ungodly. But in spite of it, Jesus saved me anyway. He reached 279 00:19:59,919 --> 00:20:03,759 down and saved me, pulled me out of that pit and set my feet upon 280 00:20:03,759 --> 00:20:10,109 a rock. God says I've got a purpose. And my purpose that through 281 00:20:10,109 --> 00:20:13,749 faith in my son, Jesus Christ, you can have eternal life, you can 282 00:20:13,749 --> 00:20:17,909 have abundant life, you can have all the riches in glory by Christ 283 00:20:17,909 --> 00:20:21,189 Jesus. He said that in Christ you might have to be in the world 284 00:20:21,189 --> 00:20:25,149 for a little while, but by faith you have victory to overcome 285 00:20:25,149 --> 00:20:29,589 it. Fear not. Fear not because the birth of Christ shows us God's 286 00:20:29,589 --> 00:20:32,469 purpose. You think about these guys, these people that we're talking 287 00:20:32,469 --> 00:20:37,199 about in this Christmas story. They. We look at this as a joyful 288 00:20:37,199 --> 00:20:40,399 time. It was fearful for them, and it might just be fearful for 289 00:20:40,399 --> 00:20:45,759 you tonight, but you don't have to fear not because the birth 290 00:20:45,759 --> 00:20:50,759 of Christ shows us God's purpose. Amen. What a day that will 291 00:20:50,759 --> 00:20:57,319 be when my Jesus I shall see. When he takes me by the hand, right. 292 00:20:57,479 --> 00:21:03,509 And leads me through the promised land. Amen. When I look 293 00:21:03,509 --> 00:21:05,949 upon his face I can't remember the words now I forgot the words 294 00:21:05,949 --> 00:21:12,069 but I sing it all the time. Yeah, what a day. Glorious day that 295 00:21:12,069 --> 00:21:17,069 will be. How about when we all get to heaven? What a day. Do we 296 00:21:17,069 --> 00:21:19,269 even think about the words when we sing these songs? What a 297 00:21:19,269 --> 00:21:23,709 day of rejoicing that will be. Most of us don't sing it. Most of 298 00:21:23,709 --> 00:21:26,109 us men don't sing it because we can't reach that high register. 299 00:21:26,699 --> 00:21:30,979 So we just leave it alone. I throw it out there, though. I don't 300 00:21:30,979 --> 00:21:33,499 have the greatest voice. But when I just throw it out there. Because 301 00:21:33,579 --> 00:21:38,219 when we all get to heaven, I just try to make it mad. I try to 302 00:21:38,219 --> 00:21:42,219 make it work. What a day of rejoicing that will be when we all 303 00:21:42,859 --> 00:21:47,659 see. I can't reach it either. See Jesus, I'll sing and shout the 304 00:21:47,659 --> 00:21:52,709 victory. I get excited about that song. I really do. One day we're 305 00:21:52,709 --> 00:21:56,629 going to heaven and brother, you know, you know, sister, you know 306 00:21:56,629 --> 00:22:02,069 I know it ain't far away. It's not far off. Oh, man, how can it 307 00:22:02,069 --> 00:22:07,389 be far off? I mean, just. Just take just. All the signs that we 308 00:22:07,389 --> 00:22:10,629 have and the knowledge. Remember, the Bible says the knowledge 309 00:22:10,629 --> 00:22:16,429 is going to increase exponentially. Can you keep up with 310 00:22:16,429 --> 00:22:19,309 it? I mean, they're the greatest of techies in here. I think 311 00:22:19,309 --> 00:22:22,559 about Sean, who. I think about the guys in the back. Can you guys 312 00:22:22,559 --> 00:22:27,079 keep up with the tech as fast as it's coming? It is amazing. It 313 00:22:27,079 --> 00:22:32,799 blows me away. Of course I'm old, but I've got an iPhone 11. And. 314 00:22:32,799 --> 00:22:36,759 Yeah, and some of you are like, that's a toy, man. I can't 315 00:22:36,759 --> 00:22:43,999 even. I can't even maximize its potential. Jesus is coming soon. 316 00:22:44,959 --> 00:22:48,519 I believe. He's got to come soon. The birth of Christ shows us 317 00:22:48,999 --> 00:22:51,679 God's purpose. Let me tell you a second thing here. The birth of 318 00:22:51,679 --> 00:22:56,999 Christ shows us God's promise. Look back at Luke 1, verse 26. In 319 00:22:56,999 --> 00:23:00,439 the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a 320 00:23:00,439 --> 00:23:05,039 city of Galilee named Nazareth. Verse 28. The angel came 321 00:23:05,039 --> 00:23:08,559 in unto her and said, hail, thou that art highly favored. The 322 00:23:08,559 --> 00:23:12,439 Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women. And when she saw 323 00:23:12,439 --> 00:23:16,009 him, she was troubled at his saying and cast in her mind what 324 00:23:16,009 --> 00:23:18,809 manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto 325 00:23:18,809 --> 00:23:24,289 her, fear not, Mary. Fear not Mary. Again, she was afraid. She 326 00:23:24,289 --> 00:23:30,729 was fearful. I mean, an angel came into and came into her room. 327 00:23:31,609 --> 00:23:38,329 Fear not, Mary. For centuries, the Jewish people had been waiting 328 00:23:38,329 --> 00:23:43,539 for the birth of the Messiah. Every Jewish mother hoped and prayed 329 00:23:43,539 --> 00:23:46,739 that her son would be the Messiah. The entire Old Testament 330 00:23:46,739 --> 00:23:50,219 is lit up with the preparation for Christ's birth, beginning with 331 00:23:50,219 --> 00:23:55,659 Genesis 3, 15 it's in there. I love teaching the temple. I love 332 00:23:55,659 --> 00:23:59,659 teaching on the tabernacle because everything in there speaks 333 00:23:59,659 --> 00:24:04,539 of Christ. I love teaching on it. And I love it when God shows 334 00:24:04,539 --> 00:24:09,369 me something through whatever means preaching or studying. When 335 00:24:09,369 --> 00:24:14,089 I see something in the Old Testament and it's a, aha. Oh, oh, 336 00:24:14,089 --> 00:24:16,769 that's awesome. And I see how it connects to the New Testament. 337 00:24:17,329 --> 00:24:21,729 And I love it when God shows me something from the Old Testament 338 00:24:21,729 --> 00:24:24,889 that I didn't quite understand. And I see it now in the 339 00:24:24,889 --> 00:24:28,089 New Testament and God puts it together. That's amazing. I love 340 00:24:28,089 --> 00:24:34,049 it when God does that. And the Old Testament is lit up with preparations 341 00:24:34,049 --> 00:24:38,879 for the birth of Christ. What God's message meant to Mary was this. 342 00:24:39,439 --> 00:24:45,079 Mary, I've given the world a promise that a savior would be born 343 00:24:45,079 --> 00:24:55,999 of a virgin. Guess what? You are that virgin. I mean, we read 344 00:24:55,999 --> 00:25:01,279 it and then we just read it. I'm a reader. I love to read. I read. 345 00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:04,119 I usually have two or three or four books going at one time at home. 346 00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:08,619 I love to read and I love to put myself right there. I get into 347 00:25:08,619 --> 00:25:16,339 it. I love to read, think about being Mary. Mary, you remember 348 00:25:16,339 --> 00:25:27,099 those Old Testament prophecies? That's you, that's you. 349 00:25:29,419 --> 00:25:34,469 You are that version. Your son will be the son of the most high 350 00:25:34,469 --> 00:25:39,709 God. I've promised that he would reign on David's throne forever. 351 00:25:39,709 --> 00:25:44,949 You, Mary, are to be the chosen conduit of that promise. Did 352 00:25:44,949 --> 00:25:47,669 Mary have reason to fear? Absolutely. Probably more than anybody 353 00:25:47,669 --> 00:25:52,669 else. I mean, it was her life that would be in jeopardy. But before 354 00:25:52,669 --> 00:25:56,869 her fears could get out of control and shake her faith, God 355 00:25:56,869 --> 00:26:01,449 gave her a reason not to fear. Even in the midst of her fears, she 356 00:26:01,449 --> 00:26:05,529 had to say she was afraid. And God said, fear not. The angel said, 357 00:26:05,529 --> 00:26:11,889 fear not. Well, I would follow that up with, well, why not? This 358 00:26:11,889 --> 00:26:15,208 is an incredible situation you're placing me in. Why shouldn't 359 00:26:15,208 --> 00:26:18,489 I fear worst case scenarios going around in her mind? Right. 360 00:26:19,609 --> 00:26:26,579 Why shouldn't I fear? He said, mary, I've got a promise to keep 361 00:26:26,579 --> 00:26:30,499 and you're going to help me do it. I've got a promise to keep and 362 00:26:30,499 --> 00:26:33,019 you're going to help me do it. And he spells out that promise in 363 00:26:33,019 --> 00:26:36,219 three parts to her. He says, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and 364 00:26:36,219 --> 00:26:41,139 bring forth a son virgin born. In verse 32 and 35, he shall be great 365 00:26:41,139 --> 00:26:44,659 and shall be called the son of the highest. Verse 32 and verse 35, 366 00:26:44,659 --> 00:26:48,259 he shall be called the Son of God. And again in verse 32, the Lord 367 00:26:48,259 --> 00:26:52,299 shall give him unto the throne. And the Lord shall give unto 368 00:26:52,299 --> 00:26:54,579 him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the 369 00:26:54,579 --> 00:26:57,739 house of Jacob forever. And his kingdom, of his kingdom there 370 00:26:57,739 --> 00:27:01,019 shall be no end. And Mary was no stranger to those promises. She 371 00:27:01,019 --> 00:27:04,379 grew up hearing them told and retold. Isaiah 7:14. Therefore, the 372 00:27:04,379 --> 00:27:08,099 Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive 373 00:27:08,179 --> 00:27:10,979 and bear a son, and his name shall be called Immanuel. She heard 374 00:27:10,979 --> 00:27:16,219 that all of her life. Isaiah 9, 6, and 7. Unto us a child is born. 375 00:27:16,219 --> 00:27:19,799 Unto us a son is given. And the government shall be upon his 376 00:27:19,879 --> 00:27:22,279 shoulders. And his name. I never get tired of hearing this. 377 00:27:22,279 --> 00:27:28,879 Do you? His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the mighty 378 00:27:28,879 --> 00:27:32,079 God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. I never get 379 00:27:32,079 --> 00:27:36,199 tired of hearing that. The Prince of Peace. Of the increase 380 00:27:36,199 --> 00:27:40,479 of his government and peace. There shall be no end upon the throne 381 00:27:40,479 --> 00:27:43,519 of David and upon his kingdom, to order it and to establish it with 382 00:27:43,519 --> 00:27:46,199 judgment and with justice, from henceforth and even forever, 383 00:27:46,199 --> 00:27:48,719 the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform. She could probably 384 00:27:48,879 --> 00:27:55,479 quote that she's heard that all her life. Well, that alleviated 385 00:27:55,479 --> 00:27:58,759 Mary's fears. But how does the fulfillment of God's promise alleviate 386 00:27:58,759 --> 00:28:02,239 our fears today? How is it that I can get through this season 387 00:28:02,239 --> 00:28:06,719 without worrying, without being anxious, without being fearful 388 00:28:06,719 --> 00:28:11,319 or anytime as far as that goes? Because Second Corinthians 389 00:28:11,319 --> 00:28:16,239 1, verse 19, says, for the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached 390 00:28:16,239 --> 00:28:20,759 among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not 391 00:28:20,759 --> 00:28:24,519 yea and nay, but in him was yea. For all the promises of God 392 00:28:24,519 --> 00:28:27,919 in him are yea, and in him, amen unto the glory of God by us. 393 00:28:27,919 --> 00:28:31,679 In other words, all the promises of God converge again in 394 00:28:31,679 --> 00:28:35,799 Jesus Christ. All the promises converge in Jesus Christ. All the 395 00:28:35,799 --> 00:28:39,959 promises of God are accessible through faith in Christ. Ours are 396 00:28:40,109 --> 00:28:43,069 on this side of the cross. They're spiritual in nature, but 397 00:28:43,069 --> 00:28:48,029 no less blessed. No more, no less glorious, no less marvelously 398 00:28:48,029 --> 00:28:52,589 rich. Okay, so you're not going to get that 20 acres you've 399 00:28:52,589 --> 00:28:56,909 been salivating over, okay? You're not going to get that new 400 00:28:57,309 --> 00:29:02,029 GMC that you've been hoping for. Don't get mad at God over that. 401 00:29:02,509 --> 00:29:05,749 God didn't promise that. He promised spiritual blessings. And 402 00:29:05,749 --> 00:29:09,389 brethren, we in this room, if you're saved, that ought to be more 403 00:29:09,389 --> 00:29:14,069 exciting to you than any gmc. Any spread of land, all that stuff 404 00:29:14,069 --> 00:29:18,149 is temporal. It's going to burn up. It's gone one day. But, 405 00:29:18,149 --> 00:29:21,589 brother, we live forever. We're an eternal soul. We will live 406 00:29:21,589 --> 00:29:25,789 forever with God. And how short is 70 years in comparison to 407 00:29:25,789 --> 00:29:32,229 eternity? I often think of that verse, prepare to meet thy God. 408 00:29:33,429 --> 00:29:36,029 Sometimes I see that or I think on it and I read it and I think 409 00:29:36,029 --> 00:29:40,919 on it and I wonder, have I really prepared myself? I mean, we're 410 00:29:40,919 --> 00:29:44,319 going to be with him for eternity. Have I prepared myself 411 00:29:44,479 --> 00:29:48,199 to meet? I. Well, let me ask. Let me see. Do I watch? How much 412 00:29:48,199 --> 00:29:52,919 TV do I watch? What kind of movies do I really enjoy? What kind 413 00:29:52,919 --> 00:29:58,119 of entertainment do I really. And go, what? What I really, you 414 00:29:58,119 --> 00:30:02,479 know, engulf myself in. You better answer that question and then 415 00:30:02,479 --> 00:30:05,649 ask the question. Have I prepared myself to meet God? The 416 00:30:05,649 --> 00:30:08,969 Word says, prepare to meet thy God. Not in judgment. We know that. 417 00:30:09,689 --> 00:30:14,769 But brother, I read in there somewhere where you have an opportunity 418 00:30:14,769 --> 00:30:20,489 to have rewards or lose them. I don't know how I got off on that. 419 00:30:20,489 --> 00:30:25,409 That's not even in here. But listen to Second Peter, chapter one, 420 00:30:25,409 --> 00:30:28,169 verse two and four. He says, grace and peace be multiplied unto 421 00:30:28,169 --> 00:30:31,209 you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, according 422 00:30:31,209 --> 00:30:34,919 as his divine power. Now we're talking this side of the cross. Now 423 00:30:34,919 --> 00:30:37,959 listen to what's yours. According to. As his divine power 424 00:30:37,959 --> 00:30:42,559 hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness 425 00:30:42,559 --> 00:30:44,999 through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and 426 00:30:44,999 --> 00:30:50,879 virtue. That means you got to read your Bible to know him whereby 427 00:30:50,879 --> 00:30:54,439 are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises. The 428 00:30:54,439 --> 00:30:58,559 Bible says those promises are exceeding great. Not just great, 429 00:30:59,049 --> 00:31:03,889 exceeding great and precious. That by these. Now, here's the kicker. 430 00:31:03,889 --> 00:31:06,489 Watch. You want to think you don't have anything this side of 431 00:31:06,489 --> 00:31:12,289 the cross, that by these you might be partakers of the divine 432 00:31:12,289 --> 00:31:19,689 nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through 433 00:31:20,009 --> 00:31:26,449 lust. Brother, do we read? Did you read what I just said? Listen. 434 00:31:26,449 --> 00:31:30,979 Through faith in Christ, we can become one with God. Not saying 435 00:31:30,979 --> 00:31:35,099 you can become God, but only by salvation do we become partakers 436 00:31:35,099 --> 00:31:40,179 of the divine nature. You have that in you. And sometimes we don't 437 00:31:40,179 --> 00:31:46,019 even. We don't even. We don't even take advantage of it. We live 438 00:31:46,019 --> 00:31:50,299 in so much turmoil and worry and anxiety and we never one time 439 00:31:50,299 --> 00:31:55,989 ask Jesus Christ, take care of this for me. Not like he's a genie, 440 00:31:56,309 --> 00:31:59,269 but I'm telling you, he's there with us. Let me continue on. 441 00:31:59,829 --> 00:32:02,709 The Holy Spirit of God. The indwelling Spirit of God. Listen. 442 00:32:02,709 --> 00:32:05,629 We have the mind of Christ in spiritual matters. The Holy Spirit 443 00:32:05,629 --> 00:32:09,109 of God indwells us. He guides us. He instructs us. He illuminates 444 00:32:09,109 --> 00:32:13,629 our hearts and our minds regarding the things of God. And 445 00:32:13,629 --> 00:32:17,109 if we as born again believers will avail ourselves to those promises, 446 00:32:17,509 --> 00:32:22,129 then we would know there's no reason to fear anything that life 447 00:32:22,129 --> 00:32:28,849 throws at us. No reason to get under the circumstances, no reason 448 00:32:28,849 --> 00:32:32,889 to dwell in depression or despondency. There's no reason to 449 00:32:32,889 --> 00:32:38,009 dwell in that. No reason to live in that. The problem is that 450 00:32:38,009 --> 00:32:40,969 so many born again believers don't abide in Christ and His word. 451 00:32:40,969 --> 00:32:44,209 We miss out on the benefit of embracing those promises by faith. 452 00:32:46,939 --> 00:32:50,539 William Carey wrote that a young Hindu priest went to his home 453 00:32:52,539 --> 00:32:56,739 in Serampori, India to ask him some questions. And in the course 454 00:32:56,739 --> 00:33:00,699 of their conversation the young man said, there are many things 455 00:33:00,699 --> 00:33:04,019 which Christianity contains that I can find in Hinduism, but 456 00:33:04,019 --> 00:33:07,459 there's one thing which Christianity has that Hinduism does 457 00:33:07,459 --> 00:33:10,939 not have. And William Carey asked him, what is that? And his 458 00:33:10,939 --> 00:33:14,709 reply illustrates the point that we're making here. He said the 459 00:33:14,709 --> 00:33:19,189 one thing which Christianity has that Hinduism does not have is 460 00:33:19,189 --> 00:33:27,349 a savior. A savior. Jesus is the promise of God to you personally 461 00:33:29,109 --> 00:33:32,829 so that by believing with all your heart that he came and died 462 00:33:32,829 --> 00:33:35,269 for your sins and was buried and rose again from the dead. And 463 00:33:35,269 --> 00:33:37,749 by confessing him as your Savior you can have eternal life 464 00:33:37,759 --> 00:33:41,069 and, and you can have that divine. You can be partaker of the 465 00:33:41,069 --> 00:33:46,389 divine nature and have the mind of Christ. How many of you like 466 00:33:46,389 --> 00:33:49,189 me? I mean, listen folks. Boy, I want to take this off. It's warm. 467 00:33:49,349 --> 00:33:55,509 How many of you are just tired of making dumb decisions that come 468 00:33:55,509 --> 00:33:59,709 back and just bite you? And it's probably more men than women, 469 00:33:59,709 --> 00:34:07,129 I'm sure. Man, I've made some bonehead choices. My ministry in 470 00:34:07,129 --> 00:34:16,249 my life, dumb. I've made some real blunders. And you know the reason 471 00:34:16,249 --> 00:34:21,169 for that? I did not take advantage of the mind of Christ. 472 00:34:22,049 --> 00:34:26,809 Clear as that. You want to stop making dumb decisions? You want 473 00:34:26,809 --> 00:34:36,419 to stop staying broke? Get God in on it. Fear not. Because the birth 474 00:34:36,419 --> 00:34:41,299 of Christ shows us God's purpose. Because the birth of Christ 475 00:34:41,299 --> 00:34:43,579 shows us God's promise. And then finally, let me give you this 476 00:34:43,579 --> 00:34:48,299 last one. The birth of Christ shows us God's presence. Now we have 477 00:34:48,379 --> 00:34:53,019 the shepherds In Luke chapter 2, the angel of the Lord, verse 9 478 00:34:53,019 --> 00:34:55,339 says the angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the 479 00:34:55,339 --> 00:34:57,989 Lord shone round about them. And. And they were, watch this one. 480 00:34:58,069 --> 00:35:02,829 Sore afraid. Sore afraid. We just read that. Sore afraid. That 481 00:35:02,829 --> 00:35:08,989 says nothing to us. Sore afraid. How about petrified? They 482 00:35:08,989 --> 00:35:12,789 were terrified. They were scared out of their Wits. I mean, 483 00:35:12,789 --> 00:35:14,749 you might get a better picture. I mean, think about it. 484 00:35:14,749 --> 00:35:17,069 You're in the field, you're watching sheep at night, and all 485 00:35:17,069 --> 00:35:22,029 of a sudden these bright angels come and reveal themselves 486 00:35:22,029 --> 00:35:27,639 to you. What would you do? Oh, hey, dude. You startled me. What? 487 00:35:28,039 --> 00:35:33,079 I'd be falling on my face. I'd be trembling. I might be wishing 488 00:35:33,079 --> 00:35:39,079 I'd have brought a change of clothes. It would have been bad. 489 00:35:40,119 --> 00:35:43,559 They were sore afraid. The Bible says they were sore afraid. 490 00:35:43,719 --> 00:35:52,189 And the angel said unto them, fear not. Just fear. Fear not. Why 491 00:35:52,189 --> 00:35:56,909 not? Right. You're telling me. Don't be afraid. What? Tell you why? 492 00:35:56,909 --> 00:36:00,269 Why shouldn't I be afraid? I've got man. Are you here to judge 493 00:36:00,269 --> 00:36:02,389 me? Are you here to bring God's judgment? What are you here 494 00:36:02,389 --> 00:36:09,709 for? I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all 495 00:36:09,709 --> 00:36:13,509 people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior 496 00:36:13,509 --> 00:36:17,709 which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. You'll 497 00:36:17,709 --> 00:36:20,469 find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 498 00:36:20,709 --> 00:36:25,029 And suddenly. I mean, I don't know if this alleviated their fears 499 00:36:25,029 --> 00:36:30,709 or thrilled them even more. Suddenly there was with the angel 500 00:36:30,709 --> 00:36:34,349 a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, glory 501 00:36:34,349 --> 00:36:38,309 to God in the highest. And on earth, peace, good will toward men. 502 00:36:39,429 --> 00:36:43,889 I mean, they're all confronted by the angel of the Lord, and they 503 00:36:43,889 --> 00:36:48,329 were terrified. So give me a good reason why I shouldn't be terrified. 504 00:36:48,329 --> 00:36:52,969 Because I bring you great tidings. A savior is born to you. 505 00:36:53,609 --> 00:37:00,049 God has come. They know this word. Emmanuel. Emmanuel. What does 506 00:37:00,049 --> 00:37:07,969 that mean? God with us. God is with us. And that was enough to alleviate 507 00:37:07,969 --> 00:37:14,519 that amazing fear that. That terrific, terrible fear that they 508 00:37:14,519 --> 00:37:18,479 had. They were sore afraid. We read that like they were sore afraid. 509 00:37:19,759 --> 00:37:25,159 That doesn't even begin to describe it, does it? They were sore 510 00:37:25,159 --> 00:37:29,079 afraid. In the Old Testament, God promised his presence to his 511 00:37:29,079 --> 00:37:32,119 people. And he told them that because of that, they didn't need 512 00:37:32,119 --> 00:37:36,599 to fear anymore. Listen to Isaiah 41. Fear thou not, for I am 513 00:37:36,599 --> 00:37:40,059 with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen 514 00:37:40,059 --> 00:37:43,939 thee. I will help thee. I will uphold thee with the right hand of 515 00:37:43,939 --> 00:37:47,979 my righteousness. And now that God has come in the flesh, nothing 516 00:37:47,979 --> 00:37:52,499 will be the same. Listen. It was wonderful when Jesus walked among 517 00:37:52,499 --> 00:37:55,419 men and when he worked miracles and he glorified the Father. 518 00:37:55,419 --> 00:37:59,299 While in the flesh it is no less wonderful now that he's with 519 00:37:59,299 --> 00:38:04,099 us and in us, in the person of the Holy Spirit. He's in me. Do you 520 00:38:04,099 --> 00:38:08,499 get that. He's with you. He's in you. Maybe we don't want to think 521 00:38:08,499 --> 00:38:12,819 about that when we're doing something wrong. Yeah. You know, 522 00:38:12,819 --> 00:38:15,979 I fear. I fear. This is what I fear. I fear God will come back. 523 00:38:16,219 --> 00:38:19,499 Jesus will come back and snatch us up right while I'm in the 524 00:38:19,499 --> 00:38:24,459 middle of doing something I know I shouldn't be doing. Now we 525 00:38:24,459 --> 00:38:28,259 laugh, but don't you have the same fear? I mean, that is not an 526 00:38:28,259 --> 00:38:33,149 irrational fear. That scares me. And I wish that that thought 527 00:38:33,149 --> 00:38:36,509 would always keep me doing right, but sometimes it just doesn't. 528 00:38:38,989 --> 00:38:44,309 But he's in us. So if he takes me up while I'm doing something wrong, 529 00:38:44,309 --> 00:38:46,909 that's one thing, but we have to stop to consider he's actually 530 00:38:46,909 --> 00:38:55,029 there. He's looking at what you're looking at. What are we exposing 531 00:38:55,029 --> 00:38:57,789 him to? What are we bringing the Holy Spirit? What are we bringing 532 00:38:57,789 --> 00:39:00,509 Jesus Christ into? Would Jesus Christ sit down and watch the movies 533 00:39:00,509 --> 00:39:09,029 we watch? He is. We still have his presence. We have his presence 534 00:39:09,029 --> 00:39:12,589 in the person of the Holy Spirit. And how much stronger. Think 535 00:39:12,589 --> 00:39:15,149 about this. And you know that. I gotta quit. Good night. I'm. I 536 00:39:15,149 --> 00:39:21,029 can't. That clock is mean. I'll say this, and I'll get down. 537 00:39:21,029 --> 00:39:24,189 I'll just blow through everything else and stop. Listen, 538 00:39:24,509 --> 00:39:29,469 how much stronger are you in Christ? How much stronger are you 539 00:39:29,549 --> 00:39:36,829 spiritually when you are cognizant of his presence? I mean, 540 00:39:36,829 --> 00:39:39,149 when you get up in the morning or when you pray at some point in 541 00:39:39,149 --> 00:39:41,909 the day and say, lord, I just want to walk in your presence. I 542 00:39:41,909 --> 00:39:44,109 want to know that you're there. I want to be aware of your 543 00:39:44,109 --> 00:39:46,709 eternal presence in my life. And you know that everything you 544 00:39:46,709 --> 00:39:50,319 do is Jesus is there. And when you stop to consider throughout the 545 00:39:50,319 --> 00:39:56,279 day, Jesus is never not there. How much stronger are you a stronger 546 00:39:56,279 --> 00:40:01,359 Christian when you are aware of the presence of God? Because you 547 00:40:01,359 --> 00:40:11,599 know he's never not there. Let me get down to this. I'll finish 548 00:40:11,599 --> 00:40:15,169 up with this. How many of you remember this? This comic strip, 549 00:40:15,169 --> 00:40:18,489 Hagar the Horrible? You remember that? Hagar the Horrible? 550 00:40:18,969 --> 00:40:22,249 One year, one of the years that Christmas fell on a Sunday, 551 00:40:22,249 --> 00:40:26,769 I read this Hagar the Horrible comic strip that day featured Hagar's 552 00:40:26,769 --> 00:40:31,729 son sitting on a boulder with a monk. And the son is looking at 553 00:40:31,729 --> 00:40:34,489 the people celebrating the Christmas holiday. And he says this. 554 00:40:34,489 --> 00:40:38,089 He says, I love this time of year. Everyone is so happy and kind 555 00:40:38,089 --> 00:40:42,299 and giving. Everything is so peaceful and it's like a whole different 556 00:40:42,459 --> 00:40:45,659 world. And look, the star. That star was never there. Before. 557 00:40:46,059 --> 00:40:49,419 And the monk looks and he says, oh, no, no, it's there all 558 00:40:49,419 --> 00:40:53,259 the time. It's just that most people can only see it at Christmas 559 00:40:53,259 --> 00:41:01,059 time. Isn't that true? It's amazing how different the spirit 560 00:41:01,059 --> 00:41:04,699 of people is during this time of year. Why not just continue the 561 00:41:04,699 --> 00:41:08,509 spirit all the time? Why not just always sing about the star of 562 00:41:08,509 --> 00:41:11,069 Bethlehem, that beautiful star of Bethlehem? I know that we only 563 00:41:11,069 --> 00:41:13,229 sing the Christmas. We shouldn't just sing the Christmas 564 00:41:13,229 --> 00:41:16,069 songs. I mean, I don't think we ought to sing them every week. 565 00:41:16,789 --> 00:41:21,229 Find me a new church. But I think that it's okay to sing them 566 00:41:21,229 --> 00:41:24,629 throughout the year. I love oh Come All Ye Faithful. I love that 567 00:41:24,629 --> 00:41:31,349 song. But when the trees are put away, when the lights are taken 568 00:41:31,349 --> 00:41:37,169 down, the manger scenes are put away, let's not let the awareness 569 00:41:37,169 --> 00:41:41,769 of Christ's presence be put in the closet with it. Let's maintain. 570 00:41:41,769 --> 00:41:45,329 Look, fear not. Because the birth of Christ shows us his presence, 571 00:41:45,889 --> 00:41:51,169 shows us his purpose, shows us his promise. Let's enjoy this Christmas 572 00:41:51,649 --> 00:41:55,809 and every day, really, for what it really is. Amen. Let's all 573 00:41:55,809 --> 00:41:58,569 stand. Father, we come before you this evening. We just thank you 574 00:41:58,569 --> 00:42:01,249 for the promise and the presence and the purpose of Christmas. 575 00:42:01,839 --> 00:42:06,799 Jesus Christ. And Father, I know it is easy for us to. Once we 576 00:42:06,799 --> 00:42:10,399 put. Once the holiday has gone and we've made it so. We've just 577 00:42:10,399 --> 00:42:15,039 put so much. We've included so much into Christmas that we just 578 00:42:15,039 --> 00:42:18,639 lose sight of it. So I pray that you would help us to focus on 579 00:42:18,639 --> 00:42:22,519 that for just a little while. If nothing else, the purpose, the 580 00:42:22,519 --> 00:42:26,079 promise and the presence of the birth of Jesus Christ. Lord, 581 00:42:26,079 --> 00:42:28,849 we love you. And we. We only love you because we know that you 582 00:42:28,849 --> 00:42:32,129 first loved us and you demonstrated it on Calvary. Thank 583 00:42:32,129 --> 00:42:35,609 you. For Jesus. It's in his name that we pray.