December 20, 2009
Morning Service

WE ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF ONE JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH.  DECEMBER 25TH IS THE DAY WE HAVE CHOSEN TO CELEBRATE HIS BIRTHDAY.

 

I HAVE FAR TOO OFTEN, HERE OF LATE, OPENED A MESSAGE WITH THIS DIALOG, “WE ARE GATHERED...................”

 

HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF WHO’S LIFE WE ARE CELEBRATING THIS MORNING, WE NEED NEVER FEAR, NOR WORRY ABOUT DEATH AGAIN, THANKS TO GOD’S MARVELOUS PLAN OF SALVATION.   GOD THOUGHT IT RIGHT TO SEND HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON INTO THE WORLD, THAT THE WORLD  THROUGH HIM, MIGHT BE SAVED.

 

WE MIGHT SAY LIKE MARY, “HOW CAN THIS THING BE?” 

IN THE BEGINNING:

 

Gen 2:7  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

 

AT ONE POINT WHEN GOD SAW THAT MAN’S ONLY INTENT WAS TO DO EVIL, HE SAID THIS;

 

Gen 6:7  And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

 

GOD SAVED NOAH, AND HIS FAMILY FROM THE GREAT FLOOD.

 

MANKIND STILL HAD PROBLEMS OBEYING, AND MEETING GOD’S EXPECTATIONS, BUT GOD HAD ALREADY, FROM THE 

FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, DEVISED A PLAN THAT WOULD APPEASE HIS DISGUST WITH MANKIND.

 

Jer 31:31-34  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:  (32)  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband unto them, saith the LORD:  (33)  But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.  (34)  And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

 

THEN AS DAVID WAS SINGING ONE OF HIS INSPIRED SONGS:

 

Psa 40:5-8  Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to usward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.  (6)  Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.  (7)  Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,  (8)  I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.   ( HEB.10:7)

·          ALMIGHTY GOD, OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, YOU DO NOT DESIRE THE BLOOD OF BULLS, AND GOATS.  I KNOW THAT WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD THERE CAN BE NO REMISSION OF SINS.  BECAUSE YOU HAVE OPENED MY EARS, AND GIVEN ME AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOU WANT, I WILL GO, AND DELIGHT TO DO YOUR WILL, FOR YOUR LAW IS WITHIN MY HEART.

·          JOHN SAID; Joh 1:1-2  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (2)  The same was in the beginning with God. Joh 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

• PAUL THE APOSTLE SAID IT LIKE THIS;  1Ti 3:16  And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

 

HOW CAN THIS THING BE?

 

GOD REVEALS HIS PLAN TO US THROUGH HIS PROPHETS:

 

1.   Mic 5:2  But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

·          SO, GOD, YOU ARE TELLING US THAT SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN FROM EVERLASTING IS GOING TO COME FORTH FROM BETHLEHEM, TO BE RULER IN ISRAEL?     YES.

AND; 

2.  Isa 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

• SO WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS, A VIRGIN IS GOING TO GIVE BIRTH TO A GOD?  BECAUSE IMMANUEL MEANS “GOD WITH US”.          HOW CAN THIS THING BE?

Mat 1:18-25  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.  (19)  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.  (20)  But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.  (21)  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.  (22)  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,  (23)  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.  (24)  Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:  (25)  And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

 

PRAISE GOD THIS IS WONDERFUL.  JESUS WILL BE RULER IN ISRAEL, ALL PRAISE GOD.

• Luk 2:6  And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.  Luk 2:7  And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
• Luk 2:40  And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

AND THEN ONE DAY, AFTER HIS BAPTISM, AND TEMPTATION ON THE MOUNT, HE READ FROM THE SCRIPTURES, IN THE SYNAGOUGE;  Luk 4:18-21  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,  (19)  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.  (20)  And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.  (21)  And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.   

THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE MOST WONDERFUL MINISTRY THIS WORLD WILL EVER KNOW!  THE WONDERFUL THING IS, HE IS STILL MINISTERING TODAY, TO THOSE WHO WILL OPEN THEIR HEARTS TO HIM.

 

REMEMBER WHAT WAS PROPHESIED BY, AND OF HIM?

Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,  (8)  I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.,

·         Joh 4:34  Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

·         Joh 6:38  For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

·         Heb 9:11-15  But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;  (12)  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.  (13)  For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:  (14)  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  (15)  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Joh 6:40  And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.  “HAVE YOU DONE THIS?”

JESUS CHRIST, FROM OLD TO EVERLASTING!!

Joh 20:28  And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.  DO YOU BELIEVE?

HAVE YOU ACCEPTED GOD’S PERFECT GIFT TO MANKIND?