1 00:00:07,980 --> 00:00:09,900 Tonight I want to talk to you about the gift. 2 00:00:10,420 --> 00:00:18,740 The gift last Sunday morning. We've dealt with the background 3 00:00:18,740 --> 00:00:24,460 of the Bondi situation. I like what's going on in the 4 00:00:24,460 --> 00:00:27,380 background. I've always thought the best job 5 00:00:27,860 --> 00:00:33,840 I would love to have is to be in the movies, but to be the one 6 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:37,160 that arranges everything in the back background, you know, gets 7 00:00:37,160 --> 00:00:41,200 all the Spears and the swords and the guns and the armour and 8 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:42,960 all that sort of stuff. You're probably going that's, 9 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,720 yeah, good on you. But I think that would be, and 10 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:49,920 I'm always looking when I watch a movie, I'm always looking in 11 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:51,680 the background. I'm always watching to see what 12 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,760 goes on, who does what, how it's all prepared. 13 00:00:54,760 --> 00:01:01,000 We're going to look at the background of Bethlehem the 14 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:05,920 first Christmas Eve. No one expected God to enter our 15 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:11,720 world the way he did in little Bethlehem, Micah the prophet 16 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:14,080 said. But you all Bethlehem Ephratah. 17 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:19,120 Ever wondered what Ephratah is? Ephratah is the clan of Jesse, 18 00:01:19,960 --> 00:01:27,160 where the family of David was to come are only a small village 19 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,840 among all the people of Judah. Judah, tribe of Israel. 20 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:37,720 Yet a ruler of Israel, that's a king will come from you whose 21 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:40,400 origins are from the distant past. 22 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:45,480 We've been to Bethlehem. It's when you go to Israel, you 23 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,440 crossover, you change guards. Because we go to the West Bank, 24 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:55,360 Bethlehem is a little place. When you go there, you're 25 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:58,120 actually pretty disappointed with what you see in Bethlehem. 26 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:04,640 Bethlehem means House of bread. It's 8 kilometres South of 27 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:12,560 Jerusalem, 11 kilometres northwest of Nazareth where the 28 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:18,840 story of Ruth occurred. The location, the place near 29 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:21,520 Bethel where Rachel died and was buried. 30 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:27,680 In Bethlehem, we find the story and the theology of Christmas. 31 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:31,640 The angels. We read that as we started, the 32 00:02:31,640 --> 00:02:37,280 service said to the shepherds who were on break but still 33 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:41,000 working as they watched over the sheep in what's called 34 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:43,760 Shepherd's Field. We went to Shepherd's Field as 35 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:45,920 well. We know it's Shepherd's Field. 36 00:02:45,920 --> 00:02:51,720 It's the place where Ruth and Boaz occurred, the place. 37 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,080 The Shepherd's Field is also the only place that you can go to 38 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:59,160 because there's no other field around Bethlehem without rocks. 39 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:03,840 And so there's only one location, Shepherd's Field. 40 00:03:04,640 --> 00:03:07,840 And here the shepherd's were looking out over their flocks. 41 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:11,000 We read that the angels appeared. 42 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:13,920 The Angel of the Lord stood before them. 43 00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:16,880 The glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were 44 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:20,520 terrified. Then the Angel said to them, Do 45 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:24,000 not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings, good 46 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:29,880 news, great joy, for which will be to all people. 47 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:35,720 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a 48 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:39,640 Saviour, who is Christ, the Messiah, the Lord. 49 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:47,480 How will you identify this baby? As the Angel said, this will be 50 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:52,000 the sign to you. You'll find a babe wrapped in 51 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:55,120 swaddling clothes, living in a Manger. 52 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:58,840 Oh, sorry, lying in a Manger, it says. 53 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:02,800 Suddenly there was the Angel of around the Angel, a multitude of 54 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:07,000 the heavenly host, praising God and saying, glory to God in the 55 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,040 highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. 56 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:15,920 And so it was when the angels had disappeared, the shepherd 57 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:20,399 said to one another, Luke says, Let us now go to Bethlehem, see 58 00:04:20,399 --> 00:04:24,240 this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made 59 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,120 made known to us. And they came with haste, and 60 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:32,600 they found Mary and Joseph and the Babe lying in a Manger. 61 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:37,040 Now when they had seen him, they made widely known the saying. 62 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:41,000 They were the first evangelists which was told them concerning 63 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,440 this child. And all those who heard it 64 00:04:43,840 --> 00:04:47,520 marvelled at these, these things which were told them by the 65 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:51,680 shepherds. The sign of identifying the King 66 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:53,800 of kings, the birth of the King of kings. 67 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:58,680 What would you expect it to be? You find him in a palace, you're 68 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:02,960 going to find this this this this king in royal apparel where 69 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:05,480 there'll be everyone gathered around him. 70 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:11,360 Just just amazing scenes as the king of all kings has arrived. 71 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:17,760 Now the sign of identifying this child born King Messiah was. 72 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:22,320 You'll find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a 73 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:26,480 Manger. 2 things wrapped in swaddling clothes. 74 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:31,800 They are simply Pete long pieces of linen used in ancient times 75 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:36,040 to wrap babies strongly. They were also used when you 76 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:40,000 broke a leg or broke your arm to to bind the limb and they were 77 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:44,120 wrapped tightly around the input to prohibit a movement. 78 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:50,760 Second sign pretty keen and a key sign lying in a Manger. 79 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:54,920 Now we have in our in our mindset a wooden box, don't we? 80 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:59,800 Straw in it Really nice, you know, No, not in Israel woods. 81 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:06,000 Rare rocks are plentiful. And so it's a large stone 82 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:12,000 limestone and you just dug out a great hole out of it and that 83 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:16,560 became the feed through. So in that feed through is 84 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:22,480 straw, straw that they can find, clean it, put it in, and there 85 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:28,640 they laid the child Jesus. Now at Christmas, many of us 86 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:33,480 spend most of our time thinking about Joseph, about Mary, the 87 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:37,440 shepherds. And then two years later, then 88 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:41,400 would come the wise men from the East to seek and find he. 89 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:45,560 He was born king. But Paul in our text tonight 90 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:51,080 goes backstage. He goes before Bethlehem. 91 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:55,960 What happened before Bethlehem before the birth leading up to 92 00:06:55,960 --> 00:07:02,280 that first Christmas Eve behind the scenes as Christ the Son of 93 00:07:02,280 --> 00:07:09,680 God is about to step out of heaven, step off his throne and 94 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:14,760 head for a Manger in Bethlehem. So let's read this account now 95 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:19,720 Philippians chapter 2 verse 5 says let this mind be in you, 96 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:25,080 which was also in Christ Jesus. Now the scenes in heaven, who 97 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:29,680 being in the form of God, in other words, he's God, did not 98 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:33,000 consider it robbery to be equal with God. 99 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:37,760 Jesus did not think of himself being with God and saying, man, 100 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:40,520 I can't do this, I'm God. I mean, I am God. 101 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:42,920 I'm not going to go down and do this. 102 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:45,560 I'm equal with God. I'm God the Son. 103 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:51,960 No, he never thought about that. He laid that aside for he would 104 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:58,880 use this and he would step down gladly, laying aside his throne, 105 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:04,080 his robes, and to pay whatever price it would take for the 106 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:06,560 mission that his father was to send him on. 107 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:12,680 It says in verse 7, but made himself notice this is Jesus 108 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:16,320 doing this. He made himself of no 109 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:18,400 reputation. Now everyone wants to have a 110 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:21,120 reputation. These days we have what's called 111 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:23,640 influences. They're everywhere. 112 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:28,120 One just got belted beautifully in a boxing ring. 113 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:36,880 Influences. Christianity is the exact 114 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:43,240 reverse of being an influencer in that capacity of seeking fame 115 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:47,680 for oneself. The king of kings made himself 116 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:53,720 of no reputation, taking on the form of a bondservant. 117 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:59,240 Now a bondservant, that's the lowest rank and level of a 118 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:01,280 slave. There were about 60 million 119 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:04,000 slaves in the Roman Empire at that time. 120 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:10,680 And it says coming in the likeness of men, being found in 121 00:09:10,680 --> 00:09:14,520 appearance as a man. So God put on the body of a 122 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:16,920 child that would grow into a man. 123 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:21,600 He humbled himself. Notice he humbled himself. 124 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:25,960 He put himself down and became obedient. 125 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:30,040 How far did he obey to the point of death? 126 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:32,880 How far can you be obedient to die for someone? 127 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:39,880 Even the death of the cross? So you can picture, and I often 128 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:44,920 do the time that the angels are gathering, you know, we're going 129 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:49,120 to do the chorus, we're going to sing the, it's been 400 years 130 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:53,600 and John the Baptist is, he's formed now and Gabriel's been 131 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:57,640 down and given the message to John the Baptist Mum and dad, 132 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:01,280 he's coming, preparing the way. And, and now we're preparing, 133 00:10:01,680 --> 00:10:05,080 Jesus is about to be born and, and, and the angels and the 134 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:08,160 choruses are all gathering, thousands and thousands of them. 135 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:13,880 And then Jesus steps off the throne because the angels can't 136 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:18,040 work this out. I can't fathom why God would do 137 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:21,520 this. I don't understand salvation 138 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:27,040 like us. So Jesus takes off this robe. 139 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:33,720 His glory lies at the side. And they go, What's going on 140 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:37,760 now? And the next thing, the angels 141 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:41,960 are in the shepherd's field and there's a bunch of shepherds. 142 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:46,440 They were lower class citizens in those days, gathered around. 143 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:50,600 The curtain pulls back. Where's the crowd? 144 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:53,040 We've got half a dozen shepherds. 145 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:56,360 So where's the Lord going to be born? 146 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:00,680 Where's the palace? Surely it's Jerusalem, the 147 00:11:00,680 --> 00:11:09,000 Tabernacle. No, from verses 5 to 11, just 6 148 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:14,560 verses, Paul focuses on the events before Christ's entrance 149 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:18,200 into our fallen, sinful, violent, Dark World. 150 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:22,080 You and I need to be theologians. 151 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:27,400 We need to understand what the Bible says, and there are 6 152 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:31,240 verses here that are filled with great theology. 153 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:40,080 One, these 6 verses tell us the deity of Jesus Christ, He was 154 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:46,440 equal with God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. 155 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:54,120 1-2 Pre eminence, he existed. Jesus existed before Bethlehem. 156 00:11:54,680 --> 00:11:58,120 Bethlehem wasn't the appearance and oh he's Jesus, He's never 157 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:02,800 been around before. Three, He was equal with God the 158 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:05,520 Father. He was on the throne in heaven 159 00:12:05,680 --> 00:12:09,240 with the Father. He is equal God, God the Father, 160 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:10,880 God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 161 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:15,000 We're told fourthly, about his incarnation. 162 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:19,040 He was to put on the body of a man of humanity. 163 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:31,120 Five, His humanity would be in the form of a child, a slave. 6 164 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:37,640 He would voluntary die. That's the plan on the cross 165 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:40,320 already before he stepped out of heaven. 166 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:46,200 And seven, we would see, we're going to read the next couple of 167 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:49,640 verses, the permanence of his kingship. 168 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:57,440 He will rule and reign forever. The Bible tells us that Jesus 169 00:12:57,440 --> 00:13:00,000 existed before Bethlehem. That's important. 170 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:04,760 Before that first Christmas night, the apostle John tells us 171 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:09,480 in John chapter one, verse 3, all things were made through him 172 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:14,200 Speaking of Jesus and without him nothing was made. 173 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:17,920 That was made. Now back when I was a child 174 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:22,720 about 400 years ago, everything that you picked up was made in 175 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:28,240 one place, Japan. Now you pick something up. 176 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:33,600 It's made in China. China. 177 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:40,960 Wherever your eyes scan, wherever they focus, whatever 178 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:45,960 you look at, there is an invisible stamp on each piece of 179 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:49,480 creation. Every little bird, the ocean, 180 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:53,880 the beach, your children, yourself as you look in the 181 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:56,840 mirror. Made by Jesus. 182 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:02,280 Made by Jesus, as I said, including yourself. 183 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:10,120 Psalm 139 written by King David talks about how God viewed his 184 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:12,800 birth and every birth of every child. 185 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:19,200 In Psalm 139, verse 13, David wrote you made all the delicate 186 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:27,640 inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb 187 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:35,200 and we look up into the heavens. We see the sun, the moon, the 188 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:38,640 stars and they all have Jesus fingerprints on them. 189 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:48,400 Job in chapter 38, the book of Job Job said to was questioned 190 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:53,160 by God and God said to Job Job, do you know the ordinances of of 191 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:54,800 the heavens? Do you know what's going on? 192 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:59,640 When when I created heaven, can you set their dominion over the 193 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:01,800 earth, how they work, how they revolve? 194 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:08,200 In Psalm 147, verse 4, the psalmist says God counts the 195 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:12,640 number of the stars, but not only does he count them, he 196 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:19,000 calls them all by name. Now just one star and I forget 197 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:24,760 the pronunciation. Forgive me and I struggling even 198 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:26,680 now as I look at it. I practise it. 199 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:35,600 Beetle geese. It has a radius of 600 and 47164 200 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:42,480 times between six, 47164 times a radius more than that of the 201 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:47,040 sun. If it were at the centre of the 202 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:51,520 solar system, this one star, it's surface would lie beyond 203 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:54,800 the asteroid belt. It would engulf the orbits of 204 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:58,720 Mercury, Venus and Earth and Mars. 205 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:05,800 Calculations on beetle geese. It's mass ranges from slightly 206 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:11,840 under 10 to a little over 20 times the mass of the sun. 207 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:16,640 Now Jesus the Bible says simply spoke all these things into 208 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:21,000 existence in Genesis chapter one verse 3, and God said let there 209 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:23,760 be light and there was light there it is. 210 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:29,640 But as amazing to Paul as all this is with Christ the Creator. 211 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:34,800 Paul's focus in this text tonight detailing the events 212 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:39,840 before the 1st Christmas were on Christ, not the Creator, but 213 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:43,840 Christ the Incarnate. 1 Incarnate means putting on the 214 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:49,640 body of God, putting on the body of a man, Jesus, the one who 215 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:53,640 made everything, made of himself in Bethlehem. 216 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:59,040 Nothing. An infant, a newborn babe. 217 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:05,680 Jesus made himself an infant, incredibly dependent now on his 218 00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:10,960 earthly mother and stepfather. Jesus was the word of God, John 219 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:12,680 tells us. In the beginning was the Word. 220 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:15,240 The Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word 221 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:17,400 became flesh and dwelt amongst us. 222 00:17:17,839 --> 00:17:22,280 Jesus, the word of God, the baby born in Bethlehem, now can't 223 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:24,839 speak a word. Think of that. 224 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:27,640 He can't. He can't speak a word. 225 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:32,200 He could grow, make noises, can't speak a word. 226 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:39,200 Incarnate now as the Son of Man, He made himself relying upon 227 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:42,360 air. He needed to breathe oxygen, 228 00:17:42,360 --> 00:17:44,920 just like you and I breathe out carbon dioxide. 229 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:49,800 He placed himself now to have the capacity for hunger. 230 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:53,560 Remember, later on, he's going to be driven into the 231 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:58,240 wilderness. And there he would fast 40 days 232 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:00,680 and 40 nights. And the devil would tempt him. 233 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:02,800 So I could just turn a couple of rocks into bread. 234 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:09,320 Come on, He knew he would. He would learn of hunger, yet he 235 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:12,240 is the bread of life. Jesus said I am the bread of 236 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:19,520 life, He the water of life. The babe born in Bethlehem now 237 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:24,920 would know first, because on the cross one of the seven sayings 238 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:27,480 he would cry out would be what I first. 239 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:34,920 Yet he's the water of life. He would grow weary. 240 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:41,400 Imagine that tired. This the one whom Isaiah the 241 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:46,600 prophet says he's He's so powerful, so strong, so big that 242 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:52,000 his hand spans the universe. The span is between here and 243 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:54,320 here is the language in the Hebrew. 244 00:18:56,440 --> 00:19:01,280 He would have to be taught to walk now along with all 245 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:06,120 humanity. He would sense joy as we do, but 246 00:19:06,120 --> 00:19:10,640 as He would now as the Son of Man also sense other emotions, 247 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:16,240 He would weep. The shortest verse in English in 248 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:21,120 the Bible tells us when Jesus was at the tomb and the funeral 249 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:24,360 of his friend Lazarus. That says 2 words. 250 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:28,200 Jesus wept. You have thought about that. 251 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:38,400 A God who cries. He would know sorrow and his 252 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:46,080 tears, the tears of the God man, God Incarnate was salty, real, 253 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:50,320 like yours and mine. He would taste loneliness. 254 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:54,520 God taste loneliness. Yes. 255 00:19:56,120 --> 00:20:01,480 Matthew 2746. This is after the disciples of 256 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:04,200 all fled for their lives as he's arrested in Gethsemane. 257 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:10,680 It says about the 9th hour Jesus is hanging on the cross and he 258 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:15,080 cried out with a loud voice saying Eli, Eli labacs of that 259 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:18,560 tonight. That is my God. 260 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:22,920 First and only time he speaks to his Father in this way. 261 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:25,160 He doesn't say Father, Father, he says my God. 262 00:20:26,120 --> 00:20:27,840 My God, why have you forsaken me? 263 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:33,160 Because He had taken on ours, take on an house. 264 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:41,560 Christmas for Christ brought so much to us, but on Him it 265 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:46,880 brought what? And Isaiah 53 verse 3, He's born 266 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:50,080 as a baby in Bethlehem. So what did that bring with him? 267 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:58,760 Well, He was despised, rejected. He came unto his own, and his 268 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:03,840 own received him not. He was a man of sorrows, 269 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:12,640 acquainted with deepest grief. Jesus would live a life of only 270 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:18,040 33 years here on earth in the in that sense, as we read in the in 271 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:23,960 the Bible, he'd been born previously and he lives on. 272 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:29,640 But during the time on earth, 33 years was his mission carrying 273 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:34,800 out only what his heavenly Father commanded him to do. 274 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:39,080 It says in verse 8. And being found in appearance as 275 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:46,120 a man, he humbled himself, became obedient to the point of 276 00:21:46,120 --> 00:21:50,160 death, even the death of the cross. 277 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:53,400 It adds that because there's dying, but there's the death of 278 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:57,680 a cross, there's more. He took on the lowest possible 279 00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:01,080 place of human ranking. He could have come back as king 280 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:03,640 of Israel, couldn't he? I mean, he is the king of Israel 281 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:08,280 anyway. No, Jesus became that of a 282 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:12,480 servant when someone wanted to hang out with him. 283 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:15,080 Now live where you're living, Jesus. 284 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:18,760 He says, well, foxes have holes, but I've got nowhere to lay in 285 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:21,240 my head. And the only thing that he had 286 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:26,400 when they crucify him, remember, was the was the clothes on his 287 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:31,560 back, the robe. And the soldiers played dice to 288 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:33,280 get the robe so they didn't have to tear it. 289 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:34,760 That was the only thing he owned. 290 00:22:41,690 --> 00:22:45,010 Jesus became a servant. How far? 291 00:22:45,890 --> 00:22:49,050 Well, the disciples gathered to have a Last Supper with him. 292 00:22:50,290 --> 00:22:52,810 It's the night of his betrayal, the night that they would all 293 00:22:52,810 --> 00:22:55,280 leave him. What does Jesus do? 294 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:57,480 Hey, guys, I'm pretty upset tonight. 295 00:22:57,480 --> 00:22:58,960 And just be careful here. Talk. 296 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:01,160 I've got to fit, you know, there's a lot. 297 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:04,720 I'm doing all this for you, you know? 298 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:09,760 He gets up, grabs a towel based on the water. 299 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:15,920 He's going to be betrayed. He's about to be beaten, locked 300 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:19,360 up. But before that, he gets up. 301 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:26,360 A bowl, a towel, and he goes and washes everyone of the disciples 302 00:23:26,360 --> 00:23:39,490 feet, everyone of them. As he ministered, he healed all 303 00:23:39,490 --> 00:23:40,890 the sick that were brought to him. 304 00:23:41,810 --> 00:23:45,770 The lame that came seeing him. The Bible, the gospels tell us 305 00:23:46,210 --> 00:23:50,370 so many came to see him that there were times he did not have 306 00:23:50,370 --> 00:23:55,170 time to even eat. Remember when they're rowing 307 00:23:55,170 --> 00:24:01,600 across the Galilee and the storm comes and Jesus was where sleep 308 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:07,520 He was worn out. This is the servant. 309 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:15,800 It's this Christ that Paul speaks up here tonight. 310 00:24:16,120 --> 00:24:22,080 That's the Christ of Christmas that entered into a cave in 311 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:25,080 Bethlehem. You go to Bethlehem, the church 312 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:27,360 and Nativity. Then you go downstairs and you 313 00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:29,680 go underneath and there you walk. 314 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:33,560 And there's an area about this size and there's a cave that 315 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:38,760 comes out, Red rock, red rock. And that is The Cave. 316 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:42,040 They believe that Jesus was born in the stable. 317 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:46,840 He was born in a cave. Why? 318 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,600 Because when his stepfather went knocked on the door of the inn, 319 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:56,360 My my wife's about to have a baby. 320 00:24:56,400 --> 00:25:02,720 Now we don't have any room. There was no room for him. 321 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:08,200 I was born a king. He came as this child, newborn. 322 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:12,320 Now it's one thing we've had. We had four children. 323 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:14,560 Helen had. I just watched on. 324 00:25:17,120 --> 00:25:19,240 Then we have grandchildren, a couple of them. 325 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:20,240 I can't remember how many there are. 326 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:26,280 I just call them by numbers now. And there's every now and 327 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:28,600 there's a hey, you and whatever your name is. 328 00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:38,800 Yeah. But you know, there's something 329 00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:41,320 about you. I can't hold a newborn. 330 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:46,600 I mean, we do, you know, you go and you got to hold because I 331 00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:51,480 get cramped. They can't, they're too little. 332 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:55,080 They're too small. And I can do it for a little 333 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:58,080 bit, but you can see beads of sweat start to form on my 334 00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:01,640 forehead and my shoulders and my back start to cramp up. 335 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:04,960 I need them about this big so I can actually pick them up in 336 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:09,600 case I drop them. Anyone wants to have a baby 337 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:15,200 dedication just see me after I need to drop a couple. 338 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:21,800 Come on. But there's something about, and 339 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:25,840 I don't know about you guys, but when you bring your child home 340 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:30,280 first time, first one panic. Put him in the car. 341 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:34,840 You wish you had a Volvo, wish you had sponge around all the 342 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:36,080 things. And then when you put him in the 343 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:41,240 room, you stand by and you check they're breathing. 344 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:44,120 They're still breathing. I mean, I'm serious. 345 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:46,560 I do this. You say you're a bit weird. 346 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:48,200 Now. I'm sure other people have done 347 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:48,600 this. And you. 348 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:50,280 Yeah. OK. 349 00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:51,520 It's all. It's good. 350 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:59,600 Because that's so fragile and dependent, aren't they? 351 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:02,560 Upon Mum? Dad does nothing. 352 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:11,680 You see, God came as this child. Why He didn't come demanding 353 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:13,120 anything. You know, a lot of people have 354 00:27:13,120 --> 00:27:14,320 trouble. Maybe you eat tonight. 355 00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:17,080 You think, oh, I'm only here because I've been invited and I 356 00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:21,080 want to come. And God doesn't demand you to 357 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:25,160 know him. He invites. 358 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:31,200 He invites at this time in grace. 359 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:37,560 He came as an innocent newborn child to reveal and to display 360 00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:42,720 God's great love to each of us. The child is amazing. 361 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:46,720 John 316 that this child is different. 362 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:50,440 The Bible tells us God wrote this for God. 363 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:54,760 That's the Father so loved the world that you and I that he 364 00:27:54,760 --> 00:28:01,960 gave his only forgotten Son that whosoever and he is the hard 365 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:06,880 part not really believes in him should not perish, that is, be 366 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:11,320 separated from God forever in your sin, but have everlasting 367 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:14,280 life, that is, be forgiven and live with God forever. 368 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:19,560 In Isaiah Chapter 9 verse 6, you know the verse for unto us a 369 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:23,480 child is born. But what does it add about this 370 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:28,680 child unto us a son is given. Now I could not give my children 371 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:37,560 their lives for anybody else, but God so loved the world that 372 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:45,720 he gave His only begotten Son gift. 373 00:28:49,080 --> 00:28:53,840 Now when people would later mock him, laugh at Jesus, threaten 374 00:28:53,840 --> 00:29:00,640 him, abuse him, spit on him, he would not turn them to ash. 375 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:05,200 And he could have. But Peter tells us when he was 376 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:08,800 reviled, did not revile in return. 377 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:15,080 When he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself 378 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:18,440 to him who judges righteously. Father, you'll sort this out 379 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:25,160 now. He was to die, Paul says, 380 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:30,200 obedient unto death, a death that was savage. 381 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:34,120 He didn't just come and die of old age. 382 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:38,160 You know, I lived to late 80s, nineties. 383 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:40,000 Oh, that's lovely. Jesus came, he died. 384 00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:41,920 Oh, lovely, he just died. Beautiful old death. 385 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:45,960 And there he, he was a Carpenter and retired just we buried him 386 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:47,960 in Nazareth. It's lovely, lovely. 387 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:54,200 He's a lovely God just died. No, he was crucified. 388 00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:03,880 This child born in Bethlehem. He would be the sacrifice to pay 389 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:09,400 for the sins and debt we each owe, but we could never pay 390 00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:12,440 because we're sinners. In order for us to be 391 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:16,640 reconciled, to be able to have fellowship, stand before God 392 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:23,000 once again, this child born in Bethlehem would, at 33 years of 393 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:28,160 age, suffer willingly. Isaiah said He would be like a 394 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:32,480 sheep let off and a sheep. I've seen sheep let off. 395 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:34,560 They don't go. Oh, stop, stop, don't. 396 00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:39,040 Let's go along. And they grab him and they kill 397 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:44,040 him. Jesus didn't fight back. 398 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:46,320 Remember, he told Peter, Peter, put your sword down. 399 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:50,080 He let him take him. Volunteer. 400 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:58,360 He willingly suffered the cruellest, most agonising form 401 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:05,520 of execution. There was crucifixion, invented 402 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:13,160 by the Persians and really made powerfully worse by the Romans. 403 00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:20,040 It was a death that was only reserved for the worst of 404 00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:25,640 criminals, the lower class, especially slaves. 405 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:30,960 Crucifixion. The victim was tortured, 406 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:38,400 whipped, impaled on a wooden cross, run through with a spear, 407 00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:45,320 left hanging, naked, bloody, displayed for all to see. 408 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:52,840 And this was this babe, born in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. 409 00:31:54,400 --> 00:32:01,480 That's what he came to do. Yet when he was on the cross as 410 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:09,840 he was being murdered in a sense, but he gave his life as 411 00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:13,080 they were driving the spikes through him, What did he say? 412 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:19,680 Father, forgive them for? They know not what they do. 413 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:21,360 They knew what they're doing. What's he saying? 414 00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:24,040 No, they didn't know what was really going on. 415 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:27,560 Billy Graham, I love Billy Graham. 416 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:33,600 Any of his ministry, and Billy Graham said this because of the 417 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:38,720 way that Jesus prayed, who he prayed to and who he prayed for. 418 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:45,040 There is very great chance that those who nailed Jesus on the 419 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:49,120 cross will be in heaven because Jesus prayed. 420 00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:52,520 Father, forgive them for they know not what to do. 421 00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:57,560 Can you imagine that being a Roman soldier who nailed Jesus 422 00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:03,760 on the cross and you get saved? The victim was tortured. 423 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:09,840 So my question is because I always had this as a child. 424 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:12,200 You see, I thought I was a Christian when I was a kid 425 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:16,000 because I went to church, but I I couldn't understand Easter. 426 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:20,200 I love Christmas, but Christmas just made it worse for when 427 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:25,640 Easter came because I I couldn't understand why would the Son of 428 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:33,440 God come be born in this manner to make himself nothing? 429 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:35,640 Why? Why that trajectory? 430 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:42,560 Why would the king of Kings, creator of heaven and earth, 431 00:33:43,560 --> 00:33:49,200 lower himself to that of a lowly servant, the lowest pig on the 432 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:53,840 human tree? And why would he be born in a 433 00:33:53,840 --> 00:33:57,600 dirty stable? Why that far? 434 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:04,200 Why would God become a man and then die such a cruel death 435 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:11,639 after just 33 years? He came from the crown of glory, 436 00:34:11,719 --> 00:34:17,080 stepped up his throne in heaven to a Manger, Tada. 437 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:22,199 You see the purpose, and that's what I want you to understand, 438 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:27,320 and I think many of you do. The purpose of Christmas is a 439 00:34:27,360 --> 00:34:35,199 gift is that God would offer each of us his best. 440 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:38,800 You know one thing I hated about going to church when I was a 441 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:40,360 kid? They used to have jumble sales 442 00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:42,880 and fights. You know, I hated them because 443 00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:45,040 people took their rubbish to church. 444 00:34:46,199 --> 00:34:48,000 Well, it's got a three legged table. 445 00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:51,159 We can't take it down the tip. I would. 446 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:54,800 The church can use it. We got a fridge with a busted 447 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:58,760 door. Yeah, we can't sell it, but the 448 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:02,720 church will have it. And I, I had this vision of the 449 00:35:02,720 --> 00:35:08,200 church, that the church was a place that just dealt with junk 450 00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:10,640 and people took their junk there. 451 00:35:11,240 --> 00:35:15,920 How wrong is that? Because what we should give to 452 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:21,520 God is our best. We dedicate our children to. 453 00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:27,360 We pray for them when you get married in church. 454 00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:31,960 Why We want God's blessing upon our marriage. 455 00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:38,360 You see, the purpose of Christmas is that God would 456 00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:45,520 offer each of us his best and most cherished gift. 457 00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:50,360 His greatest gift, the most costly. 458 00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:56,880 He had the rarest gift, his only begotten son. 459 00:35:57,360 --> 00:35:58,880 That's just saying God gave his Son. 460 00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:06,720 It gave, says he gave his only begotten Son, but he offers his 461 00:36:06,720 --> 00:36:08,960 Son. And what's the price? 462 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:11,920 What's the price of Christmas? What's the price of the 463 00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:15,760 Christmas gift? It's free. 464 00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:21,840 It's free. Can't earn it. 465 00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:25,560 You can't buy it. It's free. 466 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:30,120 It's by grace. It's getting what you don't 467 00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:32,720 deserve. It's free. 468 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:37,720 The Angel Gabriel said to Joseph prior to Christ's birth in 469 00:36:37,720 --> 00:36:40,200 Bethlehem. These words the night that 470 00:36:40,600 --> 00:36:44,680 Joseph heartbroken Mary's told him I'm pregnant. 471 00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:47,560 He said yeah, OK, All right. I don't understand. 472 00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:52,280 He's heartbroken and he's working out how to divorce her 473 00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:54,920 and do it privately so she doesn't get stoned. 474 00:36:58,240 --> 00:37:03,440 And the Angel appears and says while he Joseph thought about 475 00:37:03,440 --> 00:37:06,120 these things, behold, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a 476 00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:10,920 dream saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take 477 00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:13,600 you. Marry your wife for that which 478 00:37:13,840 --> 00:37:18,600 is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit, and she will bring 479 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:23,240 forth the Son, and you shall call his name only one name, 480 00:37:24,280 --> 00:37:25,480 Jesus. Why? 481 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:29,800 For he will save his people from their sins, which is what Jesus 482 00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:33,120 means, God saving his people from their sins. 483 00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:39,400 Now back in Philippians verse 9, it says therefore based on all 484 00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:42,760 that God has done stepping out of heaven, coming to earth, 485 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:47,200 being born in Bethlehem, therefore God also has highly 486 00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:51,480 exalted Him because he died on the cross, rose from the dead 487 00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:55,400 the third day given him the name which is above every other name 488 00:37:56,840 --> 00:38:01,240 that at that name, the name of Jesus Christ, every knee should 489 00:38:01,240 --> 00:38:06,800 bow of those in heaven, those on the earth, that's everyone, 8 490 00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:10,360 billion, nine billion and all those under the earth, all those 491 00:38:10,360 --> 00:38:17,240 who have died and gone previously at this name everyone 492 00:38:17,240 --> 00:38:21,760 will bow. The question is, is it sooner or 493 00:38:21,760 --> 00:38:29,440 later verse 11 and that every tongue will confess. 494 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:34,760 Not only will you bow, but every tongue will confess what Jesus 495 00:38:35,040 --> 00:38:40,000 Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 496 00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:44,400 And everyone will say this child's name who was born in 497 00:38:44,400 --> 00:38:52,040 Bethlehem, the rich, the poor, black, white, Jew, Gentile. 498 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:57,640 A day is coming. Herod will bow. 499 00:38:58,760 --> 00:39:04,840 Caesar Augustus will bow. Caesar Nero will bow and say 500 00:39:05,080 --> 00:39:09,600 Jesus Christ is Lord. Pontius Pilate will bow and say 501 00:39:09,880 --> 00:39:15,960 Jesus Christ is Lord. Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler and 502 00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:28,520 Anthony Albanese will bow and say Jesus Christ is Lord, even 503 00:39:28,680 --> 00:39:39,760 the devil himself on that day. Billions will say Jesus is Lord. 504 00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:45,600 When Jesus took on the body of humanity in Bethlehem 2000 years 505 00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:50,360 ago, he then stayed in that body, now resurrected for all 506 00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:52,560 eternity. He didn't just say, oh, well, 507 00:39:52,680 --> 00:39:55,160 don't need that anymore. Going to heaven, back into the 508 00:39:55,160 --> 00:40:01,560 glory scene. No, it says he resurrected from 509 00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:05,800 the dead and that a man sat down at the right hand of the Father 510 00:40:06,240 --> 00:40:09,320 in heaven. So you might say as we close. 511 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:13,880 Well, Keith, yeah, good if you're in the theology and 512 00:40:13,880 --> 00:40:16,280 stuff. But what's that really got to do 513 00:40:16,280 --> 00:40:22,360 with me? December 24, 2025, here in 514 00:40:22,360 --> 00:40:25,200 Australia, Really what's where do I come into this? 515 00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:35,200 Well, over all the universe that Jesus created, and now at the 516 00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:39,840 right hand of the Father in heaven on his throne, there is 517 00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:45,360 the God man who was born in Bethlehem on his throne, and 518 00:40:45,360 --> 00:40:53,760 he's ruling the world right now. That infant body that he closed 519 00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:59,200 himself with on that Christmas Eve was born complete. 520 00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:05,560 No wounds, no scars, no blemishes, no imperfections. 521 00:41:06,240 --> 00:41:12,640 But because of the cross, just 33 years after his birth, those 522 00:41:12,640 --> 00:41:18,080 childish hands that grew into strong Carpenter hands now are 523 00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:23,200 permanently bare. The wounds, the holes made by 524 00:41:23,200 --> 00:41:27,560 the spikes, the nails that impaled him to the cross. 525 00:41:28,200 --> 00:41:32,320 His chest still bears a great wound. 526 00:41:32,320 --> 00:41:36,080 He offered to show it to Thomas. Thomas, put your hand in the 527 00:41:36,080 --> 00:41:40,480 wound. There's a large spear scar. 528 00:41:41,960 --> 00:41:46,640 Christmas 2025. We can come and bow down before 529 00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:55,680 him who is born King, or tonight we can ignore him, put him off. 530 00:41:56,480 --> 00:41:59,440 We can deny him, and we can resist him. 531 00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:06,000 But as certain as Christ birthed in Bethlehem and the Shepherd's 532 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:12,000 witness, As certain as his death on Calvary's cross inscribed 533 00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:16,200 with his resurrection 3 days later in history, you will 534 00:42:16,200 --> 00:42:20,560 eventually say Jesus Christ is Lord. 535 00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:26,720 But why wait? Why not do it now? 536 00:42:27,320 --> 00:42:33,760 You know, it's really easy to receive Christ as Jesus is dying 537 00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:36,000 on the cross. There was a thief. 538 00:42:37,600 --> 00:42:43,960 He was getting what he deserved and all he said was, Lord, 539 00:42:44,640 --> 00:42:47,040 Remember Me when you come into your Kingdom. 540 00:42:48,240 --> 00:42:51,280 What did Jesus say? You haven't been to church. 541 00:42:52,200 --> 00:42:55,600 Look at you, you're a criminal. You have to be baptised. 542 00:42:55,800 --> 00:43:00,000 You haven't read the Bible. Come on, Jesus said today, 543 00:43:00,880 --> 00:43:04,600 today, how amazing. Today you will be with me in 544 00:43:04,600 --> 00:43:10,720 paradise. This book is written and it's 545 00:43:10,720 --> 00:43:14,600 called Philippians. Paul and Silas were arrested, 546 00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:19,120 beaten, thrown into a gaol at midnight, they sang, an 547 00:43:19,120 --> 00:43:22,160 earthquake hit the doors open to the gaol. 548 00:43:22,720 --> 00:43:26,600 The gaoler rushed in, had a sword held to his stomach. 549 00:43:26,600 --> 00:43:29,040 He was going to kill himself. And they said stop, stop. 550 00:43:29,600 --> 00:43:32,160 And he said, what must I do to be saved? 551 00:43:32,320 --> 00:43:34,680 What did they say? Oh, man, look at the way where 552 00:43:34,680 --> 00:43:37,920 you, how you treated us? No. 553 00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:44,720 What must I do to be saved, Jesus? 554 00:43:46,200 --> 00:43:49,800 Paul said. Believe on the Lord Jesus and 555 00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:52,200 you'll be saved, you and your household. 556 00:43:52,880 --> 00:44:00,120 Why is it so hard? The Bondi massacre has changed 557 00:44:00,120 --> 00:44:01,920 our nation and our lives forever. 558 00:44:03,760 --> 00:44:05,040 Australia will never be the same. 559 00:44:07,720 --> 00:44:10,720 Jesus, when born in Bethlehem, did not come as a politician. 560 00:44:12,880 --> 00:44:14,000 They don't want a good job, aren't they? 561 00:44:15,760 --> 00:44:17,480 He did not come as a great educator. 562 00:44:17,560 --> 00:44:20,440 Man, our education, man we got we're really educated. 563 00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:26,720 Nor did he come as a soldier. Now we came for that which we 564 00:44:26,720 --> 00:44:29,200 all need today. Now more than ever, what do we 565 00:44:29,200 --> 00:44:32,800 need? We need a Saviour, We need 566 00:44:32,800 --> 00:44:38,600 saving, and he came to seek and save those who are lost because 567 00:44:38,600 --> 00:44:42,560 we're broken with grief. Our nation is broken, our world 568 00:44:42,560 --> 00:44:48,080 is broken. That's not just our my opinion. 569 00:44:48,440 --> 00:44:53,000 The Bible says all have sinned and fall short of the glory of 570 00:44:53,000 --> 00:44:56,280 God. Everyone's broken, for the wages 571 00:44:56,280 --> 00:45:01,640 of sin is death. But the gift, Christmas, the 572 00:45:01,680 --> 00:45:08,160 gift of God, his eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, the gift 573 00:45:08,160 --> 00:45:10,440 of God was the child born of Bethlehem. 574 00:45:11,760 --> 00:45:14,920 The shepherds tell us they've seen him tonight. 575 00:45:14,920 --> 00:45:20,000 You can know him, the gift. If you'd like to receive Christ 576 00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:23,720 tonight, we'd love to pray with you after the worship team come 577 00:45:24,040 --> 00:45:29,560 lead us in in song. And I know the Bondi massacre 578 00:45:30,240 --> 00:45:33,080 has troubled us all. It's troubled me deeply. 579 00:45:34,640 --> 00:45:39,080 Things aren't the same because the Bible tells us the things 580 00:45:39,080 --> 00:45:43,640 that are coming next. And I wish I could say things 581 00:45:43,640 --> 00:45:47,160 are only going to get better. But if you look at our past and 582 00:45:47,160 --> 00:45:50,320 look where we're heading, things aren't getting better, are they? 583 00:45:51,000 --> 00:45:53,120 They are certainly going to get worse. 584 00:45:53,920 --> 00:45:58,480 Christ came to give you a gift tonight. 585 00:45:59,720 --> 00:46:02,160 Leave here with the greatest gift. 586 00:46:02,960 --> 00:46:07,320 Just say to the Lord, Remember Me, Remember Me, Lord.