Good morning. Good morning.
And see morning been good to see you gentlemen.
To see you ladies. Everybody's looking Bright and
married today. So welcome.
Just look around your and see everyone here.
And then ask yourself who says people won't go to church on
Christmas morning. Amen.
Praise God for your attendance here today.
I'm glad that you're here. Happy to worship with you this
morning. If you have your Bible, you can
turn to Luke Chapter 2, Luke Chapter 2.
We're going to continue the theme that Alan and Patricia
have started for us. We're going to look at Christ,
who is glory in the highest? Amen.
And that will be good for us. Let me pray for us and then and
then we'll get into it today. Heavenly Father, we praise you.
We are eternally grateful, even if we don't recognize it yet for
the birth of your son and we are grateful Lord to be in one of
your houses on the Lord's Day worshipping Christ.
And so father, we pray now that as we've gathered that you would
be near to us that you would be close to us.
Today is, is a beautiful day. It's a day, that's filled with
joy. And in many ways, it's a day
that's filled with sorrow for so many.
And so, Lord, we ask for your help today, we ask Lord that you
be near to us that you be close that you strengthen our hearts
and Minds today and help us Lord to stand on the hope of Christ
and every moment of our lives. And so Lord, I pray that this
sermon contributes to that. It's in the hearts of these men
and women and these boys and girls what I pray that they walk
away today, glorying and Christ, the Savior who was born a savior
who came to died, our death and the Savior who gives to us his
own eternal life. And so we thank you for him.
It's in his name. We pray today, amen.
Amen. Well, it's been a, it's been a
really good few days. I think.
And I think probably for most of you as well.
This, you know, I mentioned at candlelight, the other night
that it's really part of the best 72 hours of the year, and
so many ways. And so candlelight service, kind
of kicks that off in my heart, and in my mind and kind of gets
the joy jump started. And then there's Christmas Eve.
And all of those Christmas festivities.
I will say, I don't know if there's any stories from the
dually Gathering last night that I can share in church, but just
know that we had a Good time. All right.
It was it was it was a good time now.
It's a it's a beautiful family and the Lord has blessed me
tremendously with them. And so I give thanks to him for
that. There are Traditions around this
time that come, right? It's just, it's the rhythms of
life that you enjoy traditions in your home, maybe, as you
start a home, I remember when Patricia and I were starting our
home, we we to sit down and read Twas the night before. - and
Luke to. It's something that my dad had
been doing for as long as I can remember, and it was a tradition
that I was set on continuing in my home on Christmas Eve.
And so, before we had children, it was something we committed
ourselves to and, and then with children, it's a real beautiful
moment and then there's today, right?
There's the giving and receiving of gifts, there's joy that fills
your home, big smiles, big laughs, all of the above.
There's so much good. Thing so many good things
happening over the last 72 hours and even today still yet remain,
right? And in the coming days as you go
and do Christmases with other folks.
Probably, and yet really, for all the joy that Christmas
brings. It's a difficult time as well as
it reminds us of loved ones who have passed.
And we remember them on this day, we remember Traditions that
included them, that no longer include them.
And we remember things the way they used to.
B and wish for those days at times.
Things that there are things that we don't yet have, right?
That we don't yet possess that we wish for as well.
We hope for like heaven and the joy that will never end and the
sorrow that will not be present any longer and there's so much
more. So Christmas is really full of
emotion. Christmas is full of highs and
lows and we've been I've been trying to highlight this through
the series that in Advent. What you have is the dawn of
inexplicable lights, among inexplicable inexplicable
Darkness, there was light of Hope and Promises.
Hope of those promises being fulfilled.
There was light of covenants and the prophecies, the Reliance of
foreshadowings and and things like that in the Old Testament
Old Testament. Believers looked forward to the
coming of Christ, but when Christ was born, things changed
forever. Things are never the same.
Again, it was the dawning of true lights, final lights, a
light that gives light to all Darkness.
I like that. The very darkest of Hearts can
run into and find light as well. Amen.
And so we're grateful to celebrate the Light of Christ
today. The dawning of light light has
Shone in the darkness and the Darkness has not will not ever
overcome it. Amen.
And that there's this this piece of Christmas that we can't
forget and all the traditions and in all the things, as we
look at the Light of Christ and it's easy to go through all
those Traditions. It's easy to walk through
candlelight service and even a Christmas morning service and
all of those things and detach ourselves from what we're
actually up to in those moments. And in these moments, what we
were actually up to is, we are Set my timer here.
So we get out of here at a certain time.
All right? No promises.
I won't tell you the time because I don't want to
disappoint you. Mama didn't raise.
No fool, amen. So, but just know it's there,
even if I fly right past it, it's still there.
All right, so there's this other piece that you can't forget, and
that is That these things are not just another part of your
life. They're not just some, there's a
purpose to it, there's meaning to it and what you're looking at
in the Christmas season, what you're looking at, in the, in
the Christmas lights, if you will, and then the trees and
then the eating in the being Merry, and the good cheer, and
all of those things, what you're looking at is the hope of
Heaven. It's what your heart is longing
for its. Why it finds so much joy in
these moments. There's nothing wrong with
finding joy in these things. But your joy will fall short of
anything lasting. If you don't roll that Joy up to
Christ. Amen.
Let him be the founder of your joy.
Let him be the beginning and the end of your joy.
And the truth is, if we don't intentionally start looking
beyond the traditions, we don't look Beyond the Lights.
Look beyond the gifts. Look Beyond those things, those
good things. And see The Giver of the good
things. Then we're going to sorely miss
the joy. We're going to sorely miss the
piece that this season, both brings to us and reminds us of.
And that is the joy and the peace that has come with Christ.
Our Savior has been born. Amen.
And so I imagine the same is true for you.
You must be intentional. I must be intentional.
We must be intentional. Look Beyond.
Those things. On that line of thinking,
Charles Spurgeon, offered this advice.
He said, when you hear the bells ringing out at Christmas, think
of the reason why Jesus was born dream.
Not that he came to load your tables and fill your cups, but
in your mirth look higher than all earth-born things.
Amen. And to that, I say we're getting
closer to the point getting closer to understanding, you
might not walk through streets that are filled with the sound
of ringing Christmas bells, although that looks amazing.
Every time I watch A Christmas Carol, right?
You might not refer to your cheerfulness as mirth, right?
You might just say I'm happy today.
But we are constantly surrounded during this season, by the
sights, and the sounds, the smells and the fields and the
taste of Christmas. It's why we love it so much.
It's why we love the holiday as much as we love the holiday, but
if we're not careful, then our cheer and our joy and our peace
will rest on. Those temporary happiness has
And I want you to have. A deep amount of great joy, an
unending amount of great joy. Want you to know the joy of
Christ today and I fully believe that all those things, The Good
the right sights and sounds and smells and feels and tastes of
Christmas. They're good and right?
They are sent from God for us to look to Christ.
But not only at Christmas and all of life.
There's so much to be grateful for right.
You crank, your car in the morning and go to work and be
grateful that the Lord has provided a vehicle for you to
get to work. When you eat a donut or drink a
cup of coffee that cost eight dollars, you can be grateful
that the Lord has provided you with the means to buy such a
silly amounts for a cup of coffee.
And then I've been there. but when you smell the coffee maker
in your own home in the morning, when you open the pages of your
Bible and you see the printed words of God before you What
Timothy, what Paul tells Timothy is the breathe out word of God.
You see that laying before you you have reason to be full of
joy. You have reason to exalt in
Christ that day. I don't care what else is going
on in your life. You can be joyous.
And so it's not just at Christmas.
It's in every moment of our life.
There are moments that if we'll look before, wake up and get
outside of our own navel gazing and look clearly you'll see that
the Lord has been oh so good to you. maybe you think well, it's
not in the way that I'd hoped I understand.
It's not the way I would have planned it. again, I and so many
here can tell you, we understand It's not what.
I thought it would have looked like, Amen, brother.
Amen. Sister.
What? The Lord has been good.
Amen. And so today on Christmas and
tomorrow on the day after Christmas, and next week in the
new year, Give yourself to being joyous in Christ alone.
Remember fully believe that. All of those things are good.
As I've said, God's gracious gift of his own son, the
promised Messiah born of a virgin in Bethlehem both fully,
God and fully man is a good gift and it changes the way, we look
at everything George Whitefield observes.
He says, Jesus was God, and man in one person that God and man
might be happy together again. Amen.
Simply worded. But also powerful, And this
might your church family and guests is the reason we
celebrate Christ today. It's the reason we show up on
the Lord's day on Christmas morning and we say thanks be to
God. And we glory in the highest with
Allen and Patricia. Anybody else get a little bit
nervous when Patricia says sing this with me.
I'm like girl I don't know about that, I'll do my best.
I think I know what she means. The point of this is that Christ
is the Fulfillment of God's promise is the Fulfillment of
the promise to Adam. He is the Fulfillment of the
promise to all Humanity that a man would be born one day.
Who would crush the Serpent's? There's another man who said
this, he said all of our hopes. All of our optimism are wrapped
up in the promise of a serpent. Crushing child bringing us back
to God. Amen.
So I'm going to read to you now. Luke 21 through 20, it's a bit
lengthy. I want to read it all for us
this morning. So we get the picture of all
that's going on. You can remain seated for this
for this one. But when I finish, This is the
word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Amen. In those days, a decree went out
from Caesar Augustus. That all the world should be
registered. This was the first registration
when quirinius was governor of Syria and all went to be
registered each to his own town. And Joseph also went up From
Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea to the city of
David, which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and
lineage of David to be registered with Mary, his
betrothed who was with child and while they were there, the time
came for her to give birth and she gave birth to her.
Firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid
him in a Manger because there was no place for them.
In the end verse 8, and in the same region, there were
shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock
by night, and an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the
glory of the Lord Shone around them, and they were filled with
great fear. And the angel said unto them
fear. Not for behold, I bring you good
news of great joy that will be for all the people for unto.
You is Born This Day in the city of David, a savior who is Christ
the lord and this will be a sign for you.
You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a
Manger. And suddenly there was with the
angel, a multitude of the Heavenly Host, praising God, and
saying, glory to God in the highest and on Earth, peace
among those with whom he is pleased.
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherd's
said, to one another, let us go over to Bethlehem and see this
thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us
and they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the
baby lying in a manger and when they saw it, they made known the
saying that had been told them concerning the child and all who
heard it wondered at what the shepherd's told them.
But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her.
Hearts and the shepherd's returned glorifying and praising
God. For all they had heard and seen
as it had been told them. This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God. A couple of things I want to
tell you about the birth of Christ.
First, the birth of Christ is for God's glory birth of Christ,
is for nothing. Less than the glory of God.
And so we see glimpses of this In this passage.
When the shepherd's saw, the angel of the Lord, they were
what afraid Filled with great fear.
This happens when man beholds, the glory of the Lord in any
capacity, even if it's an Angelic, servant, delivering a
message. This is what takes place you can
think back to Isaiah chapter 6. Isaiah gets a vision of the
throne room of heaven and he see Angels around the throne and
what does he say? He says woe is me.
I was undone he says I'm a man of unclean lips.
He's fearful, he's undone. He's brought to nothing.
And this is what happens when you observe the glory of the
Lord. In the gospels, we have the
accounts of the disciples in the boat with Christ.
Christ is sleeping. There's a storm raging on the
waters that they're traveling and they are terrified.
And they go and wake him up. What are you doing?
Sleeping. Come help us.
We're about to die. And so Jesus comes to the top of
the boat or to the deck wherever he was.
And he speaks to the storm. Peace be still.
And it was still. Once a raging Storm, terrified
disciples in the boat shaking Christ, awake Christ wakes up.
Peace be still and the storm ceases.
And then he chastises them a bit for their little faith.
Where is your faith or oh you of little faith and the disciples
respond? Maybe you remember.
I say what manner of man is this Well Brothers, is the god man.
Amen, you have seen the glory of the Lord in this moment and you
two are undone as Isaiah was This is what the shepherds are
experiencing in. This moment in the field,
watching their flocks by night, angel of the Lord appears, and
they are terrified. They're afraid.
Bright shining glory. And once he makes his
announcement fear, not guess what, more Angelic, host show up
and they begin to testify to the glory of the Lord as well.
So when the angel of the Lord announces to them, fear, not for
behold, I bring you what good news of great joy.
Good news of great joy, the word they're good news is the same
word we use for evangelism. It's Evangelical.
It's it's good news, it's the gospel pronunciation.
It's telling people of the gospel of Christ and this is
what is happening. This is the promise.
You know, we call I've mentioned to you that the promise that God
makes to Adam and Eve in the garden in Genesis 3:15 is the
Proto even jelly. Mm that is it's the very first
announcement of the Gospel that there will come one who's going
to crush the Serpent's this here I bring you Good news.
Evangelion, I bring you good news of great joy.
And he says, For unto you. Well first of all he says this
is great, good news of great joy that will be for just a few of
you. Be just for the Jews know before
all the people he says For unto you is Born This Day in the city
of David, a savior who is Christ, the lord, The Promised
Messiah Savior. And so what he means when the
angel announces his, what he means is that it is good news of
great, joy for the whole world that a savior has been born in
Bethlehem and his name is Christ, Jesus.
Christ. And he is the savior.
Our Lord. Amen.
And then just a few verses later the hosts of angels, again, they
appear and they announced what glory to God in the highest.
So again, we must make no mistake the birth of Christ.
The coming of the Lord is meant for first and foremost, the
glory of God, it's meant for us to look at God and praise him.
And they're declaring ultimate. Praise to God, glory to God in
the highest. Both where he resides in the
highest but glory to the highest amount.
Amen. All glory to God.
They're saying glory to God who in kindness and love plan, the
birth of the sun who would become the promised headcrusher
of the serpent. The saying glory to God for his
Plan of Redemption, I bring you good news of great.
Joy for all the people peace, Among men with whom God is
pleased. Well, if you've ever wondered
how do I please God? What does it take for me to live
a life? That's pleasing to the Lord.
John answers this for us and his gospel.
He says that the will of the of God for the people is that they
believe in Christ the son. That's it.
Because the believing in Christ, the son transforms your entire
life. But you don't have to focus on
all the extra curriculars of the transformation, you are simply
called to Believe In Christ. To place your faith in him to
trust him. I'll get some more of that in a
moment. As people who have been saved by
faith in Jesus work, we must never try to steal his glory.
We live for his glory. I love the way there's man old
Baptist guy Benjamin Keach wrote a catechism questions and
answers used to help you learn the faith.
Whether you're a new believer, old believer, young child,
they're helpful. But in question and answer
number two on there. He says, what is essentially,
what is the purpose of, man? And he says that man exists to
glorify God and to enjoy him forever.
Amen. Glorify God and enjoy him
forever. That's your purpose.
You do that by submitting to him and belief and let him work out
all the details to God, be the glory, and honor and power for
ever and ever, amen. When we ascribe all glory to
God, and our Salvation that we are filled with great joy, he
does the filling with the joy. You don't have to work up Joy.
Listen, it it's it would have been impossible impossible over
the last few months to work up Joy on my own in my life
impossible. And in the shadow of the death
of my daughter, there's no joy there. apart from those who have
apart from hiding yourself in Christ, that is But you believe
and you trust and you hope and what happens.
Well, one of the fruits of the spirit is joy. in Christ Fields,
you Feels you by his Spirit. Another is peace and Christ
fills you. He feels you by his spirit and
then you know these things we still have to work out the
details. You just trust God you go to
him, you lean on him, you beg, you plead, you ask and know that
he'll answer anything you ask according to his will But you
must pray according to his will salvation is for God's glory and
it's for your good and it's for your ultimate Joy.
It's what Jesus says in John chapter 15 is, he's telling his
disciples to obey his commands. As he has obeyed the father, and
he says that if you will obey my commands, my joy will be in you
and your joy will be complete. I don't know about you, but sign
me up for the joy of Christ. Amen.
I want that Joy. The second thing that the birth
of Christ shows us one is that it's meant for the glory of God.
But secondly, it's meant for our peace.
It's meant to bring peace. I've touched on it already but
let's get more explicit in what we're saying.
When the Angels say and on Earth peace among those with whom he
is pleased, they are speaking about nothing less than nothing
more than peace with God. But there can be peace between
God and man man who rebelled man who has gone his own way.
A man whose heart is defiled and desperately wicked as Jeremiah
17:9 says he can't even know the depths of the wickedness in his
own heart. That man you and me separated
from God, both by our birth and our action.
And so to you I say Merry Christmas.
You filthy animal. Because we are, but it is a very
Merry Christmas to celebrate the dawn of light.
The birth of a savior, amen. It's good news for filthy
animals, of which you, and I most assuredly represents When
we speak about being saved by faith in Jesus what were
ultimately talking about is the fact that in Christ we have
attained peace with God. Romans 5, Paul gets very
explicit. Therefore since we have been
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord,
Jesus Christ through him. We have also obtained access by
faith into this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in Hope
of the glory of God. Amazing.
By faith, we have peace with God through Christ.
Through Christ. We have also obtained access by
faith into this grace in which we now stand.
And so, we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
It's beautiful. And so through Christ, we have
been justified by faith. We've received, peace, meaning
that are filthy unrighteousness. Has been covered by Jesus.
Perfect righteousness. No longer a filthy animal.
Now. A spotless bride.
Amen! And that is the only way to be
at peace with God. It's the only way to be at peace
with God is to receive Christ by faith.
Through him, you're given access to Grace and in that Grace you
stand, even. Now it's Grace, that saves its
Grace that sanctifies. You meaning it's Grace that
helps you grow into the image of Christ and it's Grace that is
going to glorify you meaning it's Grace.
That will be responsible for you stepping through the Pearly
Gates, if you will, it's all Grace from beginning to end.
It's the grace of God, and it's seen in the birth of Christ.
So, what John says, in chapter one in Christ, we have seen the
glory of God. Yes.
But in him, we have received, he says Grace upon Grace.
That's the early writers. Way of saying unending Grace.
It's Grace upon Grace, upon Grace, upon Grace, stack from
here to heaven. And and it's yours in Christ.
That's good. News of great joy.
Amen. So you've been saved by grace
you stand in his grace, the birth of Christ marks the coming
of a savior, the death and resurrection of Christ marks,
the finished work of our savior. And so you, take part in the
send, conquering work of Christ when you place your faith in
him, when you receive Christ by faith, you receive all the
benefits of an air of Heaven, You're made a brother or sister
in the Lord. And you receive it by Faith by
faith. You go from an enemy of God, to
a friend of God by faith. You are transformed from one who
is spiritually, dead, and 21 who is spiritually alive.
As Ephesians. 2 tells us by faith, you are united to Jesus.
It Is by faith that you are hidden in Christ.
He is your Refuge and you now have peace with God.
This is the good news that the angel announces to these lowly
shepherds in the field terrified.
So when you hear such an announcement, there's only two
responses. You can either Believe it or
choose to disbelieve it. You can go on in the hardness of
your own heart pursuing, your own desires and your own way or
you can surrender your life to Christ.
You can receive him by faith. And so Scott's saving work and
books two responses. The first I want to talk to you
is about as faith and I'm going to urge you to receive Christ
today by faith. Whether you're already a
Believer or not a Believer receiving today Hebrews 11:6,
and without faith. It is impossible to please God.
For whoever would draw near to, God must believe that he exists
and that he rewards, those who seek him, Without faith.
It's impossible to please him. You must draw near to God, and
you must believe that he exists, you must believe that he
rewards, those who seek him, come to Christ and then throw
yourself on him. That's it.
It's the call of the Gospel is that you receive salvation in
Jesus by faith and what God has done, you throw the weight of
your life on Jesus every single day.
All of you showed extreme faith. Today I saw you, I watched most
of you as you came in and you went to your chair and there was
Faith, man, you talking about? Well, when you set down in that
chair, none of you looked under it to check the screws.
None of you check the backing to make sure it wasn't loose.
None of you, check to make sure it wasn't a cruel joke.
Your booty, trusted that seat and then you sat down.
And you're still sitting. That's a small.
Look at what faith is. Faith is It's planting your life
on Christ. It's sitting down on the
cornerstone, which is Christ and saying I'm building my home
here. Nothing else right here.
The world, I can have the world. I can have whatever their hearts
desire, but my heart desires Christ, and I'm building my home
right here on him. Amen.
You place the full weight of your life on whom you trust him.
He stopped trusting yourself. You're trusting Christ.
That's the free gift given to us by God and we receive it by
faith in the Lord. God does not accept expecting
you to clean up your life first. So this is a bit of a misnomer
in. I don't even really know where
this get started. I guess it's just legalism the
presence of legalism in churches but God is not expecting you to
get yourself. Cleaned up first to put on your
best robes, your best whatever. And then to come to Christ.
As one Theologian, put it. The only thing that you have to
bring to Christ worthy of his acceptance.
Is your sin. It's it, you bring to Christ
your sin, he brings to you a white robe.
His own blood. he washes, you Amen.
Again, you trust him you receive him.
You let him take care of the details.
You walk in obedience, but let him take care of the details.
He's not expecting you to clean himself up.
Jesus came from a line of people who were outcasts and
prostitutes and murderers and adulterers.
They were downright rotten centers.
When I say he came, I mean, he descended through Mary was born
of a virgin birth. Yes.
But through Mary and Joseph, as his adopted father, the family
line is Tainted. Just as yours is just as it will
be after you yes what you buy your faith in Christ are not
creating a perfect family line Beyond you either.
But hopefully what you're creating our faithful boys and
girls and grandchildren and great grandchildren who will
love the Lord with all their hearts and submit themselves to
it. Amen.
That's what you're building fathers and mothers.
And so do that. These people though as you see
across the Old Testament as it lays out his line for us and
Matthew on and in Luke You see that these people trusted in the
promised Messiah, the trusted God for their salvation.
And so, I said it the other night, I'll say it again, the
family that Jesus comes from anticipates, the family he came
for, he's coming for Sinners. He came to save, Sinners.
Everyone is welcomed into gods family by faith, not by their
good works. Not by their family line.
Not by any other Merit that they may muster.
John again, makes us abundantly clear for us in chapter 1, verse
12 and 13, it says to all who did receive Christ, who believed
in his name, he gave them the right to Become children of God,
who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of Flesh, nor of the
will of, man. But of god, let's not bother
lineage some other Heritage. It's not by their own works.
It's of God. It's by grace alone, through
faith alone, in Christ alone, according to the scriptures
alone for the glory of God Alone, that you are saved.
Amen. His work through and through,
and folks, if you haven't received the Son of God, if you
haven't received Christ by faith yet, and I beg you to do that
this morning, if you've wondered away from the Lord, if you've
messed up your life, you've committed Grievous sins.
But I'm asking you today to come back to Christ to trust him with
your life, to repent of your sins and believe in the Lord.
Today he saves to the uttermost all who draw near to to the
father, through him. Uttermost you don't have to have
any doubts. You don't have to wonder, you
can trust him. He's good.
Last thing that we see here is that the other response that
this invokes is if you'll receive Christ by faith and
there's another part to this, you must Proclaim him to all.
I won't spend as much time here. But our text says this about the
shepherd's after their encounter, with the angels and
Jesus says, and when they saw it, they made known the saying
that had been told them concerning the child.
So the Angels, make a pronouncement, the shepherd's,
then leave and go tell others. And it says in all who heard it
wondered at what the shepherd's told them.
The story of Christ. Invokes us to respond in faith,
either faith in Jesus or faith in yourself, but you're going to
have faith in something. I'm asking you to have faith in
Christ. But when you do have faith in
Christ, you are now since to proclaim the gospel, the
shepherd's became messengers of reconciliation between God and
man. Paul and second Corinthians 5.
Verses 17 through 21 is laying the South that you're a new
creation in Christ. And now you are a minister of
reconciliation because you have been Reconciled to God by the
father through Christ. And so now, you are to make
known that this reconciliation is available to all mankind.
It's amazed. It's amazing.
And in verse 21, he gives you the message that you preach.
It says to him, who knew no sin or in him, who knew no sin
became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God.
That's the message of reconciliation Christ.
Knew no sin and yet became sin for me so that I might bear the
righteousness of Christ on me and not know sin, any longer,
amen. So what you tell others That's
what the blind man in the gospels.
As saying when these being repeatedly asked who healed you,
how did he do it? Where is he from?
He's like, listen, I don't know all the answers to your
questions, but what I do know is that I was once blind and now I
see That's apologetics that's evangelism, right?
It's telling others of the Christ who saved you.
You don't have to work out all the particulars yet.
There's going to be questions, you're going to have fear,
you're going to Trimble, but tell others about the Lord, who
saved you until it boldly proudly.
Who knows you might lead. One of your family members this
week. May lead one of your friends
this week to Christ a stranger this week to Christ just by
simply telling What the Lord Has Done in your own life.
Christmas season is full of ways to tell others about Jesus,
literally everything with cheer doing in these this season.
Is a shadow of Christ. We give gifts in the remind us
of the greatest gift. We sing songs which are already
mostly explicitly about Christ already unless it's that awful
Mariah Carey song. Huh.
But even even in that the idea of joy, and the idea of singing
comes from the Lord, they were his first, the world's just
using them will eat. Well, drink will be married with
family and friends and what does that point to the points to
Great Fellowship? But it points to a greater
fellowship with God, and it foreshadows a final banquet in
heaven. Still to come.
Where were you? And I will rest with the king in
eternity and dwell with our brothers and sisters, in the
Lord and feast together. And so we can use these things,
we can use all sorts of things. Many other ways to have
conversations about Christ. We have reminded ourselves
through this advents series. That Christ is the light light
has Shone in the darkness. The darkness has not overcome
it. In John 8:12, Jesus says
explicitly. I am the light of the world.
Whoever comes to me, sorry, whoever follows me will not walk
in darkness, but will have the light of Life.
Christ is saying, I am the light of the world.
This is our savior brothers and sisters.
Unbelievers. This is the one who stands ready
to save you from your sins to draw you out of great darkness
and bring you into Marvelous Light.
The promise, a lot of life for people dead in their sins and
his birth is worth celebrating today.
His kingship is worth our submission.
His commands are worth our obedience.
But I pray that this Christmas you don't leave Christ in the
manger. The manger was the beginning of
his journey to the cross. And so we must see it as such
Christ was born to die for you and me was born to die for all
who would call on his name. That he might save them from
their sins as well. And so when we sing in a moment,
we don't sing to a babe in a Manger.
We seem to the foreground King of Kings, we sing to the Lord of
lords. We sing to the one who exercises
dominion and all the Earth, who rules and Reigns.
Who's government. There will be no end in peace.
Now Reigns on Earth in Christ. He's the one who's brought life?
To all who call on his name? We sing to the one who is able
to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before
the presence of his own Glory with great joy, Jude 24 says,
And so, therefore we ascribe to him today and him alone, all
glory and majesty and dominion and authority.
And we ascribe it before all time, and we ascribe it now and
we ascribe it forever. Amen.
He is ours. We are his want to read to you
prayer. About joy.
And then I'll I will pray. And the worship team will come
after that. It's tempting to start zipping
Bibles and that starts this like unending.
It's just it invokes a process that can't be stopped.
I'm going to ask you listen to the words of this prayer right
now. Oh Christ, all thy ways, of
Mercy, tend to and tend to and end in my Delights.
Now, did sweet sorrow suffer that I might rejoice.
For my joy, thou has sent the comforter X promises shown me.
My future happiness given me a living fountain.
Thou are preparing joy for me and me for Joy.
I pray for Joy. Wait, for Joy long for Joy.
Give me more than I can. Hold desire or think of measure
out to me my times and degrees of Joy at my work, my business
and in my duties If I weep at night, give me joy in the
morning. Sorry, that line always gets me.
Let me rest in the thought of thy love.
Let me rest in the thought of thy pardon for sin.
Let me rest in the thought of my title to Heaven, my future,
unspotted State. I am an unworthy recipient of
thy Grace. I often disesteem, thy blood and
slight vial of but Cannon. Repentance draw water from the
wells of thy Joy has forgiveness.
Let my heart leap towards the Eternal Sabbath where the work
of redemption and sanctification and preservation.
And glorification is finished and perfected forever, where
thou Will Rejoice over me with joy.
There's no joy like the joy of Heaven for in that state are no
sad divisions, unchristian corals contentions, evil
designs. Weariness hunger, cold sadness
in suffering, persecutions. Toils from work.
Oh, healthful place where none are sick.
Oh, Happy Land. Where all our Kings O.
Holy assembly were all our priest.
How free estate were none are servants.
Except to be, bring me speedily to the land of joy.
We pray for you, Heavenly Father, we thank you.
For good news of great joy peace on Earth to men and whom you are
pleased. Father, help us make us.
Men and women and boys and girls with whom, you were pleased
Grant to us belief in Christ and Lord, where we struggle to
believe. Would you help our unbelief?
Would you help us to be quick to repent?
Quick to seek your forgiveness quick to run to you.
Lord help us Escape our own Pride.
Help us. Lord, today, as we look into
such a wonderful passage to see the glory that lies in it.
It's tempting, Lord for us to be envious of shepherds watching
their flock by night, who gets to see angels Make an
announcement, the gospel. And then a host of angels.
Who praise your glorious name? It's tempting to be envious
Lord. And to think, man, if I could
just see that, I know that my faith would be so real.
But Lord, you have told us in your word.
Blessed are those who believe in you without having seen.
And so Lord, we want to trust your word today.
We want your word to be good news of great joy for us and so
would you transform our hearts and Minds?
Would you Enlighten Us by the power of your spirit?
To see Christ and Lord, once we've seen him, help us to take
hold of him. From now, until our final
breath. What?
I pray that you bid centers to come to you today and that they
hear your voice and they come. Transform Lord, where we are in
need of repentance. Help us to repentance lead us,
by your spirit, Now to respond in obedience to you wherever
that may be, whatever it might look like, Lord, we trust you.
We hide ourselves in Christ today and we worship you now
with hearts full of joy. We love you.
It's in the Name of Christ. I pray.
Amen.