The Absolute Necessity: Why the Manger Was the Only Way to God

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Now today we're going to start a series, a three-part series, on Christmas, or leading up to Christmas.
[00:00:09] Today, the absolute necessity of Christmas.
[00:00:16] And we're going to be looking at many different passages, but to kind of set the stage and start off, we're going to be looking at Luke chapter 2, and you'll find here
[00:00:30] That the angels come to the shepherds.
[00:00:36] The angels come to the shepherds and they announce the wonderful sign, the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
[00:00:45] And so we're going to look at this passage in Luke chapter 2 verse 8 and following.
[00:00:51] Let's look there now.
[00:00:53] And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
[00:01:00] And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid.
[00:01:06] And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
[00:01:14] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
[00:01:20] And this shall be a sign unto you.
[00:01:22] You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
[00:01:27] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
[00:01:38] May God add his blessing and understanding to the reading of this, his holy word.
[00:01:44] The Absolute Necessity of Christmas, our message title.
[00:01:47] Not so much your celebration of Christmas, not so much the Christmas tree, certainly not Rudolph or Frosty, but the absolute necessity of what Christmas stands for, which is really the incarnation of God.
[00:02:04] God visiting humanity as a savior.
[00:02:10] God becoming man.
[00:02:13] This is something that we have to understand.
[00:02:15] Notice what the angels say.
[00:02:18] They don't say, well, glory to God, you know, a few people at Cornerstone might get saved from this, and I hope they appreciate it.
[00:02:27] No, they don't say that at all.
[00:02:28] What do they say?
[00:02:29] Notice the language.
[00:02:30] It's very grandiose.
[00:02:32] It's far-reaching.
[00:02:33] It excludes really no one in the language here.
[00:02:37] It says, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.
[00:02:44] Listen, people who are rejecting Christ, this is good news.
[00:02:48] They just haven't accepted it yet.
[00:02:50] We hope that they will, because this is good for all people, because all people on the face of the earth are under the same predicament, which is called sin, and the wages of sin is death.
[00:03:01] And so he says, this is good news.
[00:03:03] The gospel is good news.
[00:03:05] why notice it says to all people for unto you verse 11 is born this day in the city of david a savior which is christ the lord and look at verse 13 uh 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 good will toward men we want peace right everybody wants peace
[00:03:30] Well, it can only come through Christ.
[00:03:33] We can't have peace horizontally until we have peace vertically.
[00:03:36] We can't have peace with one another until we have peace with God in our hearts.
[00:03:41] And this peace and this message of Christ's coming is God's good will toward men, toward mankind.
[00:03:51] God is offering salvation to all who would believe.
[00:03:55] God commands everyone everywhere to repent and to believe on the Lord.
[00:04:01] It is goodwill towards men because before this people weren't sure whether or not they were saved.
[00:04:08] Even Jews were not sure.
[00:04:10] Every time that those who were following the Old Testament sinned, they had to go and follow the procedure outlined in the Old Testament to offer another animal sacrifice for their sins.
[00:04:22] And if while they're offering the sacrifice and they turn around, the same sin happens to come again, well, you better go find another animal.
[00:04:31] Sooner or later we're going to run out of animals, right?
[00:04:33] Everyone's honest.
[00:04:36] So praise God for Christ.
[00:04:38] He didn't come to save the animals, but I'm sure if they could say thank you, a lot of them would.
[00:04:43] The point is that Christ coming to earth, God becoming man, the Incarnation is good news to everyone.
[00:04:53] Even the unbelievers like to celebrate Christmas.
[00:04:57] Muslims have a Christmas tree.
[00:05:00] Pagan Americans spend a lot of money decorating and all kind of stuff and having special meals and giving gifts.
[00:05:06] They don't believe it, but it's still goodwill, isn't it?
[00:05:10] Being felt even in those people who are far from God.
[00:05:15] Christmas is a wonderful thing, but without it, there is no salvation at all.
[00:05:20] Let's take a look here.
[00:05:21] This predicament that we are in is common to all mankind.
[00:05:28] The real tool of the devil today is for people to think that God is like us.
[00:05:35] You know, it's okay.
[00:05:36] I mean, I'm better than so-and-so.
[00:05:38] I'm not as bad as so-and-so.
[00:05:41] So God gets me.
[00:05:42] It's okay.
[00:05:44] You know, my sin is, it's not as bad as the other guy, and God's a forgiving God, so it's okay.
[00:05:52] But you have misunderstood God if that is your view of Him.
[00:05:56] Your God is too small and you are too big, quite frankly, because God is so wonderful and high and glorious.
[00:06:04] We need to understand that Christmas is absolutely necessary because though we have a God of love and though we have a God who forgives, we also have a God who is holy, who is just, and who is righteous.
[00:06:18] And for that, we should give God praise.
[00:06:21] Because if we do not have a God that is holy and just and righteous, we do not have a God that we can trust.
[00:06:28] If you are being accused of some sort of crime that you haven't committed, and you go to the judge, and the judge happens to be friends with the one accusing you, and he slips some money out of the table and says, ah yes, you're guilty, you're going to jail for life, you're not very pleased with that judge, are you?
[00:06:44] Why?
[00:06:45] Because he is not just.
[00:06:47] He is not truthful and He is not righteous.
[00:06:50] But our God is the very definition.
[00:06:53] Or rather, He is what defines what is right, what is true, what is just.
[00:07:01] That's what's wrong with America today.
[00:07:03] We've departed from the very barometer or thermometer or the measuring stick to show us what is right and what is true and what is just.
[00:07:14] So everyone does what is right in his own eyes and are you surprised that every once in a while we're at one another's throats?
[00:07:21] God forbid.
[00:07:22] So God is just, God is holy, God is true.
[00:07:26] And so when mankind sins against God, it's okay, come on, bring your sin, bring your drugs, bring your alcohol, bring your hatred, bring your racism, bring all of your vices into heaven and somehow we'll have a heavenly aroma, scent, fragrance to kind of cover it over.
[00:07:48] No!
[00:07:49] Sin cannot dwell in His presence.
[00:07:51] Remember the garden.
[00:07:53] In the garden, man was created in God's image.
[00:07:56] Genesis chapter 1 and 2.
[00:07:57] Praise the Lord!
[00:07:58] What a high calling!
[00:07:59] This is another problem with American society today.
[00:08:02] We have lost the value of human life because we have forgotten that man is made in God's image.
[00:08:08] Not just the white man, but the black man.
[00:08:10] And not just man, but woman.
[00:08:12] Every human on the face of the earth has at least some
[00:08:16] Glimmer, however dim it may be for those who don't know Christ, of the image of God.
[00:08:22] And man originally was in the very image of God, holy, right, true, and just, and had perfect communion with God.
[00:08:33] Well, that's no big deal.
[00:08:34] Pastor Joseph, we're getting ready to have communion here later.
[00:08:37] Oh, it's a very big deal.
[00:08:39] Because, you see, that communion was broken by sin.
[00:08:44] How many sins?
[00:08:46] Just one.
[00:08:47] Is there anybody in here who has sinned at least once in your life?
[00:08:51] You can raise your hand.
[00:08:53] Oh, praise the Lord.
[00:08:54] I have some honest people today.
[00:08:58] I've done that before.
[00:08:59] People don't raise their hand.
[00:09:00] They say, wow, I want to meet you after service.
[00:09:04] I will tell you, I've sinned at least once in my life.
[00:09:07] And so, but it only took one sin.
[00:09:10] Only one.
[00:09:11] Can you believe?
[00:09:12] Only one.
[00:09:14] For man to be separated from God, Genesis chapter 3, and no longer allowed in his presence.
[00:09:22] And so if we're honest, if we're breathing, we've probably sinned more than one time, don't you think?
[00:09:31] And so how do we expect to have that communion with God when only one sin separates us from God?
[00:09:39] And so it's a very big deal.
[00:09:41] And there's only one answer.
[00:09:43] God has to make a way where there is no way.
[00:09:47] Because how many of us have descended from Adam and Eve?
[00:09:51] Well, if we're honest, all of us.
[00:09:54] As a matter of fact, those who don't believe the Bible embarked on a study in the 1990s about the Human Genome Project.
[00:10:06] Some of them may have believed the Bible, but if they really believed it, they wouldn't have wasted their money.
[00:10:10] Because at the end of this groundbreaking scientific project, they came to an amazing discovery.
[00:10:18] They said, after all of our study of the human genome, we've come to this startling fact that all of humanity probably started with just a handful of people, maybe as few as two.
[00:10:34] Wow, these scientists are so brilliant.
[00:10:39] I can do one up on you.
[00:10:41] I can give you their names, Adam and Eve.
[00:10:45] And I'll do it for free.
[00:10:47] Didn't have to cost billions of dollars.
[00:10:50] And so what we find then is that all of us have descended from Adam and Eve.
[00:10:54] None of us are born in God's presence.
[00:10:56] And so therefore we're separated from God by our sin.
[00:10:59] The Bible tells us so in Isaiah chapter 59 verse 1 and 2 and many other places.
[00:11:03] And so then how can we have communion with God?
[00:11:07] How can we experience peace?
[00:11:09] How can we experience the salvation and the love of God that we say that we cherish and yet have not?
[00:11:16] The only way is for...
[00:11:18] salvation to come but how can it come if we've been born of those who are outside of the garden of eden we are not born in the garden of eden we have inherited that sinful separation from god let's look at some scriptures to explain this and then let's look at the scriptures that explain the absolute necessity the only way that it can work you see that the dilemma is our god is not just like you
[00:11:45] The Bible says in Psalm 50, I believe it's 50 verse 21, You thought I was altogether like yourself.
[00:11:51] And that's the problem.
[00:11:53] God's not like you.
[00:11:54] He's not like, ah, well, it's cool, it's cool, don't worry about it, you're forgiven, let's go on.
[00:12:00] No, you can do that because it's cool to you for whatever pragmatic reason, but it's not cool to Him.
[00:12:04] And by the way, if you don't repent, it won't be cool for you for eternity, because there's going to be a problem, and that is, you see, God is holy, and He is just, and He is righteous, and He is perfect, and if He does not judge righteously, then He is not perfect.
[00:12:20] And by the way, I want a God that's perfect.
[00:12:22] How about you?
[00:12:24] Because if He's not perfect, He might make a mistake.
[00:12:27] We don't want a God that can make a mistake.
[00:12:30] I've studied Islam for years and years.
[00:12:32] I'm not a Muslim, obviously, I'm a Christian, but the God of Islam, Allah, if you study Him, He's capricious.
[00:12:38] He changes as He wills.
[00:12:40] Today He might like you and send you to Heaven, but tomorrow He might change His mind
[00:12:45] Not so sure about you, you're going to hell.
[00:12:48] And that's the false God of Islam.
[00:12:51] But this is so many other religions.
[00:12:53] And the God that we create in our minds, is it not just as false?
[00:12:58] I don't believe in a God that loving God would never send anyone to hell.
[00:13:01] That's not the Bible, folks.
[00:13:04] Would a loving, righteous judge ever send anybody to jail?
[00:13:08] Sure he would, because he's rightly following the law.
[00:13:12] So too the perfect judge, our Lord and Savior.
[00:13:15] Let's look at some scripture to understand.
[00:13:17] The dilemma is that if God is going to save us, how can he save sinful people?
[00:13:23] We have to have some man to come forward who's not sinful.
[00:13:28] Problem is we're all descended from Adam and Eve.
[00:13:30] We're all sinful.
[00:13:31] There is a dilemma.
[00:13:32] God cannot just give up his righteousness and holiness and grade by the curve.
[00:13:37] No.
[00:13:38] He demands perfect righteousness, perfect obedience.
[00:13:41] Who's perfect?
[00:13:42] None.
[00:13:43] Not one.
[00:13:43] Let's look at the scripture to see the dilemma.
[00:13:45] Remember in Genesis 3, the devil tempts Adam and Eve, tempts Eve.
[00:13:50] Eve succumbs to the temptation.
[00:13:51] And then there is this judgment, this separation in the end of Genesis 3.
[00:13:56] We've read it so many times.
[00:13:57] If you haven't seen that, go back and look for it yourself.
[00:14:01] In Genesis 3, the very end of the chapter, I'll just read one verse, the end of the chapter.
[00:14:05] If you're not familiar with it, go home, read the whole chapter, The Fall of Mankind.
[00:14:09] But look in Genesis 3.
[00:14:11] we see at the end and the Lord said verse 22 behold the man has become as one of us to know good and evil and now lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live forever therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken so he drove out the man and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubims
[00:14:34] Cherubims and a flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the Tree of Life.
[00:14:39] Interesting.
[00:14:40] Man is expelled and there is angels with flaming swords to keep him away from the presence of God.
[00:14:45] By the way, when Moses is instructed in the book of Exodus to construct the tabernacle, the veil between the holiest of all, the ark and the presence of God and the priest, in that veil is woven what?
[00:15:01] Two cherubims flaming fire.
[00:15:04] In other words, guarding the presence of God.
[00:15:06] There is a separation between man and God.
[00:15:09] And the very same thing hundreds of years later when Solomon builds the temple, there is a veil that is woven afresh between the presence of God and the priests and that holy of holies.
[00:15:20] And what's woven in there?
[00:15:21] Two cherubim.
[00:15:22] And so it's showing that there is a separation between sinful man and a holy God.
[00:15:28] And so this continues.
[00:15:29] Until, of course, a certain point that we'll see at the cross.
[00:15:34] Remember Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron?
[00:15:37] Let's just read three verses in Leviticus chapter 10.
[00:15:40] In Leviticus chapter 10, have you ever heard, you know, in church lingo, come as you are?
[00:15:48] You know, come as you are.
[00:15:50] That's alright, come as you are, that's fine.
[00:15:52] But don't expect that you won't be changed.
[00:15:56] Now, God has commanded a certain way for the priests to come, a certain way for the priests who are going to draw nigh Him.
[00:16:04] They have to take off their shoes, they have to wash their hands and their feet, they have to prepare themselves to go on to holy ground and to minister, and they have to do certain ways of taking fire from off the sacrificial altar and all of this.
[00:16:17] Well, Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, decided, we're going to try a different way.
[00:16:23] Let's try contemporary worship.
[00:16:25] No, I'm sorry.
[00:16:26] No.
[00:16:27] No.
[00:16:29] That's just a joke.
[00:16:30] Just a joke.
[00:16:31] They said, let's try something cool.
[00:16:33] Let's try something different.
[00:16:34] Let's do it a little bit different.
[00:16:36] Now, we don't know for sure.
[00:16:37] The scripture hints that they might have been drunk.
[00:16:40] Because to try this, they had to be, probably, something's wrong.
[00:16:43] So they go into the presence of the Lord, and they go in in a way where God said, that's not allowed.
[00:16:49] You have to do it this way.
[00:16:51] And they said, no, we're going to do it our way.
[00:16:53] And let's take a look what happens.
[00:16:55] Leviticus chapter 10, verse 1, And Adab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not.
[00:17:08] They said, we're going to do worship a different way than God has commanded.
[00:17:12] We're going to do it our own way.
[00:17:14] And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.
[00:17:23] Wow.
[00:17:25] If that happened today, would we have less population?
[00:17:30] Then Moses said unto Aaron, Now here's Aaron, he just lost two sons.
[00:17:36] You can imagine the grief and the horror.
[00:17:39] And what does Moses say?
[00:17:41] Moses said to Aaron, This is what the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me.
[00:17:49] And before all the people I will be glorified.
[00:17:54] And Aaron held his peace.
[00:17:57] This is a serious God, folks.
[00:17:59] And he's the same yesterday, today, and forever.
[00:18:02] We already mentioned in Psalm 50 verse 21, God says, One of the problems with you, my people, these were the Jews in the day of David, you thought I was altogether like you.
[00:18:13] It's cool.
[00:18:14] Don't worry about it.
[00:18:15] Sin's not a big deal.
[00:18:16] Run with it.
[00:18:17] It's no problem.
[00:18:18] No, this is a problem.
[00:18:20] God is not altogether like us.
[00:18:22] Remember in Genesis 2, verse 17, there was a covenant God makes with Adam.
[00:18:27] Look, he doesn't mention adultery, he doesn't mention stealing, he doesn't mention murder.
[00:18:32] All he says is, don't eat of this one tree.
[00:18:35] And in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely...
[00:18:39] And so this covenant was death, on the penalty of death, and of course Adam eats of it, and Adam and Eve die.
[00:18:47] They die spiritually, not physically.
[00:18:48] They will die eventually, physically as well.
[00:18:51] And so all of us are born in that separation, which is seen as spiritual death, if you will.
[00:18:59] Now, why doesn't God just simply forgive?
[00:19:04] You know, God can do anything, right?
[00:19:05] Can't he just forgive us?
[00:19:07] But remember, to do so would be to take away his holiness, his purity, his righteousness, his truth.
[00:19:17] What is true?
[00:19:18] Without God, we don't know what's true.
[00:19:21] That's what's messing up the, you know, some, well, abortion is good.
[00:19:23] No, abortion is bad.
[00:19:24] You know, homosexuality is good.
[00:19:26] No, homosexuality is bad.
[00:19:27] I mean, we have every kind of view in the world.
[00:19:29] We have a diverse spectrum of beliefs and understandings, and our culture is hemorrhaging and is convulsing.
[00:19:38] They don't know what's up or down even.
[00:19:40] I mean, they don't even know what a boy is or a girl is.
[00:19:44] Because we have departed from any kind of objective standard of what truth is.
[00:19:49] And it's not just the Bible, but it's the one who wrote the Bible, who inspired the Bible, who is God himself, who created the physical laws that you're subject to every day.
[00:19:58] If you want to go up on a tall building in Charlotte and test gravity, then you're free to do so.
[00:20:04] But unless you have a parachute or something else, I can tell you what's going to happen, because there is a law of gravity, you're going to fall, and it's not going to be good.
[00:20:12] And it's the same thing spiritually.
[00:20:14] God has put forth spiritual laws.
[00:20:16] And if we break those spiritual laws, the penalties will be similar.
[00:20:20] And so what we find is that God alone is the true judge and the true definer of what is good and right.
[00:20:28] Look at a few passages to explain this.
[00:20:31] Don't just take my word for it, please.
[00:20:33] Deuteronomy chapter 32, just a few verses there in the beginning of the chapter.
[00:20:38] Moses is describing God.
[00:20:40] He says in Deuteronomy 32 verse 1, Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak.
[00:20:46] And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
[00:20:48] My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass.
[00:20:56] Notice verse 3 and 4.
[00:20:59] Because I will publish the name of the Lord, ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
[00:21:04] He is the Rock.
[00:21:06] His work is perfect, for all His ways are judgment, that is, justice.
[00:21:12] We hear a lot about wanting justice today, but we don't even know what it is.
[00:21:16] God defines justice.
[00:21:18] God defines judgment.
[00:21:19] His ways are judgment, a God of truth, without iniquity, just and right is He.
[00:21:29] Very powerful.
[00:21:30] And again, if you want to look briefly, Psalm 9.
[00:21:33] Psalm 9, verses 7 and 8.
[00:21:36] Another beautiful picture of the attributes of our God.
[00:21:41] In order to appreciate Christmas, in order to appreciate salvation, in order to understand what God has done for us, at least in part, we have to know who He is.
[00:21:53] And knowing who He is, is the first step in knowing who we are.
[00:21:58] If we don't rightly understand Him, we can't rightly evaluate ourselves.
[00:22:03] And so we see here in Psalm 9 verse 7 and 8,
[00:22:08] But the Lord shall endure forever.
[00:22:10] He hath prepared His throne for judgment.
[00:22:14] He shall judge the world in righteousness.
[00:22:18] He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
[00:22:22] On judgment day, no one will stand with their fists shaking against God and say, that's not fair.
[00:22:29] They will be convicted.
[00:22:30] They will know that the judgment is right, that the judgment is true.
[00:22:37] Isaiah chapter 6, we see that when Isaiah first sees the Lord, this beautiful vision, you can study in the book of John, it actually says that this was the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, 700 years before Christmas, but Isaiah sees the Lord.
[00:22:52] And when he sees the Lord in this vision, look what he hears and look what he sees in these first few verses.
[00:22:59] Isaiah chapter 6, beginning in verse 1.
[00:23:01] In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
[00:23:09] Above it stood the seraphim.
[00:23:11] Each one had six wings.
[00:23:13] With twain he covered his face, with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
[00:23:17] And one cried unto another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.
[00:23:23] The whole earth is full of his glory.
[00:23:26] And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried.
[00:23:30] The house was filled with smoke.
[00:23:32] And what is Isaiah's response?
[00:23:35] Dude, that is so cool.
[00:23:37] Can you do that again?
[00:23:39] Forgive me, Lord.
[00:23:42] Can you crank up the smoke machine?
[00:23:43] I'd like to see that again!
[00:23:44] And Isaiah sees this, he hears this, he experiences this, and he says, Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips.
[00:24:00] I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
[00:24:09] This is what happens when we really come into contact with the God who created the heavens and the earth.
[00:24:17] This is very rare in our observation of Christianity in America today.
[00:24:23] It's very casual, kind of lazy sometimes.
[00:24:27] But when we come into contact with this God, ha!
[00:24:30] What reverence!
[00:24:31] What sacredness!
[00:24:33] What desire!
[00:24:35] You know, we think about people who get excited about the things they like.
[00:24:39] They go to football games and they hoot and they holler and they act the fool and sometimes they even miss church so they can go get drunk beforehand, God forbid, at the tailgate party.
[00:24:51] And it's like a religious ceremony.
[00:24:53] And hours and hours they'll spend.
[00:24:55] But the preacher preaches a few minutes too long,
[00:24:59] We've got to get to Golden Corral.
[00:25:00] The line's going to grow.
[00:25:01] It's going to be expensive.
[00:25:02] What are we going to do?
[00:25:07] If that's the way you look at church, why do you want to go to heaven?
[00:25:10] Guess how long the sermons will be in heaven?
[00:25:15] And you've got all eternity to listen.
[00:25:20] Lord have mercy.
[00:25:23] Job 15.
[00:25:24] Look at this God that we serve.
[00:25:27] What a picture.
[00:25:29] The book of Job, just before Psalms in 15, Job says this, verses 14 through 16.
[00:25:36] Job 15, verses 14 through 16.
[00:25:42] What is man that he should be clean, and he which is born of woman that he should be righteous?
[00:25:50] Because after all, we've all inherited sin through Adam and Eve.
[00:25:53] Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints, yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
[00:26:00] Say, once I get to heaven, everything will be great.
[00:26:01] They're only clean because of God.
[00:26:04] In of themselves they are created.
[00:26:05] They are not clean in his sight without him.
[00:26:07] He makes them clean.
[00:26:09] He makes them holy.
[00:26:11] And how much more abominable and filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like water.
[00:26:22] Well, that must be somebody besides me, right?
[00:26:27] I'm not giving you anything the Bible doesn't say, folks.
[00:26:30] But there is hope, even in the Old Testament.
[00:26:32] Yes, Malachi.
[00:26:34] That's the last book in the Old Testament, chapter 3, which looks forward to the... Well, it looks forward to Christmas, by the way.
[00:26:40] It looks forward to Jesus coming, God coming to earth.
[00:26:44] Malachi, chapter 3, there is this beautiful truth that is found in different places in the Scripture, including the New Testament.
[00:26:51] I, the Lord, change not.
[00:26:54] Malachi, chapter 3, verse 6.
[00:26:55] For I am the Lord, I change not.
[00:26:59] You say, well, is that good news, Pastor Joseph?
[00:27:02] Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
[00:27:08] So if he changes not and he demands sinless perfection and all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, we're all children of Adam and Eve, that's bad news because we can't be saved.
[00:27:18] Ah, but it's good news.
[00:27:19] God is saying it's good news because in this very chapter he begins to unfold the fact that John the Baptist
[00:27:26] is going to prepare the way for Jesus.
[00:27:28] Malachi 3 verse 1, Behold, I will send my messenger, John the Baptist.
[00:27:32] He shall prepare the way before me, Jesus.
[00:27:35] The Lord whom you seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant whom you delight in.
[00:27:40] Behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
[00:27:43] Praise God.
[00:27:44] He's looking forward to Christ who is coming.
[00:27:46] The answer to sinful man's condition and a holy God is not Led Zeppelin, not a stairway to heaven,
[00:27:56] Now we can't climb a stairway to heaven.
[00:27:58] We can't be good enough.
[00:27:59] We can't impress God with our works.
[00:28:01] We cannot.
[00:28:02] How can a finite human, no matter how brilliant, no matter how smart, no matter how cool, no matter how good looking, or rich, or whatever,
[00:28:11] How can a finite human traverse an infinite distance which has been created between holy, infinite God and sinful, finite man?
[00:28:23] It is impossible for a finite being to traverse an infinite distance.
[00:28:27] Does that make sense?
[00:28:28] You don't even have to go to calculus, you can figure that out.
[00:28:32] But, who can traverse an infinite distance?
[00:28:36] Only the Infinite One, because He's already there.
[00:28:40] Do you get it?
[00:28:41] An infinitely long distance can only be traversed by one who is infinite.
[00:28:45] So God has to save us.
[00:28:47] And praise God he does.
[00:28:49] And that's what Christmas is all about.
[00:28:52] Let's take a look, if you would, in actually, yes, Romans 5.
[00:29:00] Let's turn to Romans 5.
[00:29:03] Romans chapter 5.
[00:29:05] Two great truths are being presented.
[00:29:08] Romans chapter 5 verse 12 and verse 18 presents one of those truths.
[00:29:12] Let's take a look.
[00:29:14] Romans 5 verse 12.
[00:29:16] Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world.
[00:29:20] Who's that?
[00:29:21] Adam.
[00:29:22] Yeah.
[00:29:24] And death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.
[00:29:30] We understand that Adam was supposed to be the head of the family.
[00:29:35] He didn't do a very good job, and so anyways, the sin of Adam is passed on through procreation, but also through the federal head of the family.
[00:29:48] And that is supposed to be the man, the father.
[00:29:52] And so all of us have received this original sin, this separation from God.
[00:29:58] We are born and shaped in iniquity.
[00:30:01] David says so himself in Psalm 51.5.
[00:30:06] And so all of us
[00:30:08] Even if we don't actually sin, are born in sin and separation from God.
[00:30:14] This is what the Scriptures teach.
[00:30:16] Here we see in Romans 5.12, Therefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.
[00:30:25] Again, Romans 5.18, Therefore as by the offense of one, Adam, judgment came upon all men to condemnation.
[00:30:32] But here's the good news.
[00:30:34] Even so the righteousness of one, Jesus, the free gift,
[00:30:38] came upon all men unto justification of life.
[00:30:41] Isn't that wonderful?
[00:30:42] The free gift.
[00:30:43] We think of Christmas, we think of gift giving.
[00:30:45] Isn't that wonderful?
[00:30:46] By the way, whose birthday is Christmas?
[00:30:50] Jesus.
[00:30:51] What are you getting Jesus for Christmas?
[00:30:54] Isn't it customary to usually give a gift to the one whose birthday it is?
[00:30:57] Then how is it that we all come around and give gifts to one another but not to Jesus?
[00:31:03] How would you feel as a little child?
[00:31:05] You look forward to that birthday party.
[00:31:07] You got the cone hats and you got the birthday cake and all of that.
[00:31:09] And all of your friends come for your birthday.
[00:31:11] And when it's time to sing happy birthday to you and give you presents, they sing happy birthday to one another, ignore you and give presents to one another and have fun and then go home and forget all about you.
[00:31:25] Isn't that what happens on Christmas Day?
[00:31:28] Can we be honest?
[00:31:30] How are we celebrating this?
[00:31:32] And is it perhaps because we don't understand what it's really about?
[00:31:35] We have not recognized, we have not appreciated that this is joy and this is goodwill to all of mankind and the power that took to perform this wonderful salvation and the mercy and the grace and the forgiveness and the love that it took.
[00:31:55] Does God owe us salvation?
[00:32:00] Does He owe us life?
[00:32:03] Before you were born, did you have a discussion with God about the merits of your life to be and how important it would be that God would create you so you could be a blessing to humanity?
[00:32:14] Did you get a say in the matter?
[00:32:17] Your next heartbeat is a gift of God's grace and mercy alone.
[00:32:25] And so,
[00:32:27] We see also in Romans 3, verse 9, not only have we inherited sin, but the Bible tells us, if we're honest, most all of you raised your hand, the rest of you were ignoring me sleeping or didn't want to speak the truth.
[00:32:45] All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
[00:32:47] 1 John tells us in chapter 1, if any man says he has not sinned, he is a...
[00:32:52] Yeah, and so we see here in Romans chapter 3 that Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, brings this out in Romans 3 beginning in verse 9.
[00:33:05] What then?
[00:33:06] Are we better than they?
[00:33:07] Are the Jews better than the Gentiles because they first had the Old Testament?
[00:33:11] Are they the only ones going to heaven?
[00:33:13] Paul himself was a Jew.
[00:33:14] He's asking the question, verse 9, No, and no wise, for we have both proved, before proved, that both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin.
[00:33:23] As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.
[00:33:27] Not even Billy Graham?
[00:33:28] No.
[00:33:29] Not even the Pope?
[00:33:30] No.
[00:33:31] Not even fill in the blank?
[00:33:33] No.
[00:33:34] Not even Pastor Andy?
[00:33:35] Pastor Joseph?
[00:33:37] No.
[00:33:38] No, no, no.
[00:33:39] No, not one.
[00:33:40] There is none that understandeth.
[00:33:42] There is none that seeketh after God.
[00:33:44] They are all gone out of the way.
[00:33:45] Paul is simply quoting the Old Testament.
[00:33:47] They are together become unprofitable.
[00:33:50] There is none that doeth good.
[00:33:51] No, not one.
[00:33:52] Their throat is an open sepulchre.
[00:33:53] With their tongues they have used deceit.
[00:33:55] The poison of asps is under the lips.
[00:33:57] Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
[00:33:59] Their feet are swift to shed blood.
[00:34:01] Destruction and misery are in their ways.
[00:34:03] And the way of peace have they not known.
[00:34:06] Why is it so hard for us to find peace on this earth?
[00:34:09] The way of peace they have not known.
[00:34:11] What did Jesus say?
[00:34:12] I am the way, the truth, and the life, right?
[00:34:17] And there is no fear of God before their eyes.
[00:34:22] Now we know that what things soever the law, the Old Testament law saith, it saith to them who are under the law, for what purpose?
[00:34:29] Can we be saved by being good enough?
[00:34:31] No.
[00:34:31] That every mouth, verse 19, may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
[00:34:39] You can't accept and receive the good news until you've heard the bad news.
[00:34:44] The bad news is you're guilty.
[00:34:46] The good news is that God offers a pardon, free, purchased with his own blood and his own life.
[00:34:53] But most people's pride gets in the way of them ever getting to the first step and saying, yes, I am guilty, I am wicked, I am abominable, I am without hope, I am odious in God's sight.
[00:35:06] that that strikes at our pride that strikes itself and so we we try to create ways to get around that and make religion more palatable to our conscience and to our mind and our psyche and all this kind of stuff and in the end that's all tools of the devil we try to make god small he looks at our sin it's not a big deal make us big oh he just exists to bless me to save me to care for me and and i'm the center of the universe no god has to be magnified like john the baptist we must be able to say he
[00:35:36] We must increase, I must decrease.
[00:35:41] But in order for Him to increase in me, first of all, if you're full of yourself, where's the room for God?
[00:35:51] Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.
[00:35:54] Finishing up here in Romans 3 verse 20, Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
[00:36:04] Here is the absolute necessity of Christmas.
[00:36:06] You can't be good enough.
[00:36:07] There's nothing you can do to be good enough.
[00:36:09] Your works are as filthy rags before God.
[00:36:11] That's what it says in the book of Isaiah.
[00:36:13] Do you think God is impressed with some good work you've done for 6,000 years of humanity?
[00:36:19] Do you not think He's seen something like it before?
[00:36:21] Do you think anything that you do is a, Wow, I've never seen that one before.
[00:36:24] That's something else.
[00:36:26] No, of course not.
[00:36:27] No.
[00:36:28] We are all fall short of the glory of God.
[00:36:32] And so there must be an intervention.
[00:36:34] There must be a Savior.
[00:36:39] Notice Isaiah 59.
[00:36:41] We've mentioned it before.
[00:36:41] Just look at the first four verses here.
[00:36:45] Isaiah 59, verse 1.
[00:36:50] Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear, but your iniquities.
[00:36:58] What's iniquity?
[00:37:00] Your sins have separated between you and your God.
[00:37:04] Your iniquities, your sins have hid His face from you.
[00:37:08] Why won't He answer my prayer?
[00:37:10] Why don't you first begin to seek to repent and live a life pleasing to Him?
[00:37:17] Maybe he's not hearing because of our sin.
[00:37:20] They've hid his face from you and he will not hear.
[00:37:23] And then from verse 3 on it talks about all of the sins of mankind and how we all have been separated from God because sin cannot dwell in his presence.
[00:37:35] See the whole idea of going to heaven
[00:37:36] It has been sold short.
[00:37:38] It's not a bunch of people with gold harps on clouds just boring the rest of their life.
[00:37:43] No, no.
[00:37:44] This is a wonderful place.
[00:37:45] A wonderful place where we have purpose and that we have joy and we have peace.
[00:37:49] We have love.
[00:37:50] We have no sin.
[00:37:51] We have no malice.
[00:37:52] We have no hatred.
[00:37:53] We have no angst.
[00:37:54] We have no sickness.
[00:37:55] We have no fears.
[00:37:56] We have no problems.
[00:37:57] There's no need for mind drugs, nor is there a need for a doctor, nor is there a need for a lawyer.
[00:38:02] Praise God, no lawyers.
[00:38:04] And there's no need for any of that.
[00:38:06] You see, because there's no dentist in heaven, it's all right, you'll be taken care of if you're a dentist.
[00:38:10] But the point is, think of how wonderful, how glorious, and all of the things that we cherish most here on earth, even if they're perverted, even if they're sinful, there is something there, there is some kernel of right and good and true that somehow our sinful self has perverted, and so whatever we think we're going to miss here on earth, no, no, my friends.
[00:38:32] No, brothers and sisters, a far greater, the absolute perfect example and prime issue of that thought, of that act in heaven.
[00:38:46] For example, marriage.
[00:38:47] Marriage is so defiled on earth.
[00:38:49] Marriages is so undervalued and there are so many sins that break up marriages and cause distress and cause strain and yet in heaven we'll be married to Christ, the Bridegroom, in a perfect marriage, a pure marriage, who He has always faithful.
[00:39:06] He was faithful to us before we even knew Him.
[00:39:08] He's called us with cords of love.
[00:39:10] He's drawn us unto Himself and He loved us so much that even while we were blaspheming Him and refusing to live our life for Him,
[00:39:19] He spread forth his arms and said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
[00:39:25] He loved his bride, you and me, and he paid for the marriage dowry with his very lifeblood.
[00:39:31] Everything that is good and wonderful and lovely on earth is but a very faint, faint
[00:39:44] Echo or reflection of the true in heaven that awaits the true believer.
[00:39:51] God has not bought us a second-rate salvation, but far greater than we can hope, ask, or think.
[00:40:01] And so in this dilemma, there's only one solution.
[00:40:05] Christmas.
[00:40:07] Not Rudolph.
[00:40:09] Not Frosty.
[00:40:11] Not even Bing Crosby.
[00:40:14] Although I like his thing.
[00:40:18] Look in Isaiah 59 a little further down.
[00:40:22] We find that this sin has created such a problem of separation.
[00:40:27] It says in verse 14, And judgment is turned away backward.
[00:40:35] Justice standeth afar off.
[00:40:38] Truth is fallen in the street.
[00:40:41] Equity cannot enter.
[00:40:44] Yea, truth faileth, and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey.
[00:40:48] And the Lord saw it, and he displeased him that there was no judgment, or justice.
[00:40:56] And he saw that there was no man.
[00:41:01] And wondered that there was no intercessor.
[00:41:03] There was not one person on earth that could stand in the gap between God and man.
[00:41:08] There was not one man.
[00:41:09] There was no intercessor.
[00:41:12] None can save because all have been touched with the sin of Adam and Eve.
[00:41:17] All of us are separated from God.
[00:41:19] How is it that we can reconcile the only way is for the infinite?
[00:41:23] to traverse that infinite distance for God to become man and that's what he does right here in this passage written 700 years before Christmas.
[00:41:33] Therefore his arm, that is to say his own arm, the arm of the Lord, brought salvation unto him and his righteousness sustained him.
[00:41:43] When we couldn't save ourselves, when we were utterly hopeless, when there was not one woman, not one man on earth, the eyes of the Lord run to and fro over the earth to look for someone whose heart is perfect towards him, through whom he could show himself strong
[00:41:58] and relatively speaking he may have found some judges he may have found some kings but all of them had flaws and ultimately there was not one no not one and so instead of saying well the heck with them not one of them thousands of years i've had patience with these people not one let's just start over for god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son
[00:42:25] that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life and that refers he gave we think immediately to the cross but for the cross he gave to us the babe in swaddling clothes laying in the manger joy peace goodwill towards men a savior is born we had to have christmas we had to have christmas
[00:42:53] And so, here in Isaiah, verse 16, And he saw that there was no man, wonder that there was no intercessor.
[00:42:59] Therefore his own arm brought salvation unto him, his righteousness sustained him.
[00:43:03] For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head.
[00:43:08] He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.
[00:43:12] Can you imagine?
[00:43:13] Here's Jesus the Son eternal, and the Father eternal.
[00:43:16] They're having this discussion in heaven, and it's not going to happen here.
[00:43:21] The Father turns to the Son,
[00:43:23] Son, it's time.
[00:43:24] Yes, Daddy.
[00:43:25] And he suits up.
[00:43:26] Helmet of salvation.
[00:43:28] Praise good God.
[00:43:30] Breastplate of righteousness.
[00:43:31] And we know the armor that we've been given in Ephesians chapter 6, which is really this very same armor.
[00:43:36] And he's putting on this armor to do what?
[00:43:38] To enter into earth as a babe in the womb of the Virgin Mary.
[00:43:42] And yet that spiritual armor is there because he's coming to do warfare against the powers of darkness which have kept us in bondage
[00:43:51] All our lives, if you take a look with me in Hebrews chapter 2 quickly, this passage of which I never tire to resort to, a great blessing, a beautiful insight into the reason for Christmas.
[00:44:05] Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14, For as much then as children, children, that's you and me and all humanity, but especially children of God, are partakers of flesh and blood, that's us, everyone here, I don't see any ghosts here,
[00:44:20] All partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself, this is talking about Jesus, he also himself likewise took part of the same.
[00:44:30] You see, Jesus existed in eternity past, but he never had true human flesh until Christmas.
[00:44:35] But why?
[00:44:36] Couldn't he just show up as God and do it?
[00:44:39] No.
[00:44:40] He had to be human.
[00:44:41] Why?
[00:44:42] because the covenants that God has made is with mankind and Adam and then later Abraham and then Isaac and then Jacob and then of course David and of course Solomon and all the others and mankind continually breaks these covenants there has to be some man to keep the covenant otherwise the Old Testament is still in force and the answer is unless you diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord your God this day to do all that is written and commanded in the Word of God
[00:45:09] You're not going to make it.
[00:45:11] And the wages of sin is death.
[00:45:12] You have to follow every last one of the commandments.
[00:45:15] 613 is counted by the Jews in the Old Testament.
[00:45:18] I don't think any of us have memorized them yet.
[00:45:20] Is there a chance we might have broken one?
[00:45:22] And if you don't keep it perfectly, then you're under the curse.
[00:45:25] What's the curse?
[00:45:26] Death.
[00:45:27] And so,
[00:45:28] Mankind, someone from mankind has to fulfill the terms of that covenant, otherwise it's still binding upon us, and on Judgment Day that law will accuse us before God, we will be guilty.
[00:45:42] But the problem is there is no man that is perfect.
[00:45:45] And so God comes in the virgin womb of Mary.
[00:45:49] Why virgin womb?
[00:45:50] This is not just a divine polo trick.
[00:45:53] No, folks.
[00:45:54] There is a purpose here.
[00:45:56] Because the sin of mankind passes through the federal head of each family, each generation, through the Father, Jesus has no human father.
[00:46:05] and therefore he is born without sin.
[00:46:08] His conception is of the Holy Ghost, not of Joseph, his legal father.
[00:46:15] And so he alone, in all of the history of humanity, not even Muhammad claims to be virgin born, not Buddha or anyone else, he's the only one in all of humanity that from birth is qualified to be our sinless, spotless,
[00:46:31] Perfect Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world, and He is.
[00:46:37] That's what it says here in verse 14.
[00:46:39] For as much then as of Hebrews 2, the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also likewise took part of the same that, or so that, through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death, that's us, were all their lifetime subject to bondage,
[00:46:57] For verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
[00:47:04] Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
[00:47:15] For in that he himself has suffered being tempted,
[00:47:19] He is able to succor or strengthen or aid them that are tempted.
[00:47:23] And we find in Hebrews chapter 3, Hebrews chapter 8, I'm sorry, Romans chapter 8 verse 3, that Jesus is made in the likeness of sinful flesh.
[00:47:32] He's not made sinful flesh.
[00:47:34] Go back and read that.
[00:47:34] He's made in the likeness of sinful flesh.
[00:47:36] He takes on humanity.
[00:47:37] Why?
[00:47:38] So he can die on the cross for us.
[00:47:39] He can't truly die unless he first has life and is born.
[00:47:42] And by the way, he not only has to die and pay for our sins and receive the judgment that we deserve, but he also has to fulfill every last commandment of the Word of God actively in his life.
[00:47:55] He never sinned.
[00:47:56] He says, I did not come to abolish the law.
[00:47:58] Matthew chapter 5, I believe, verse 17 and following.
[00:48:00] I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
[00:48:03] I say unto you, not one jot or tittle shall pass.
[00:48:06] Heaven and earth will pass.
[00:48:07] Before all of this is fulfilled.
[00:48:10] The Word of God will not pass away until all is fulfilled.
[00:48:15] And Christ is the fulfillment.
[00:48:17] And that fulfillment is salvation for all who would believe.
[00:48:20] He does what we cannot do.
[00:48:22] In His perfect sinless birth, He is protected from sin.
[00:48:28] He lives a perfect sinless life in active obedience to God's command.
[00:48:33] And He also has passive obedience
[00:48:36] and allowing your sins and mine and all who believe to be placed upon him on the cross.
[00:48:41] He who knew no sin, never experienced sin, never was tainted with sin, 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21 says, became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
[00:48:51] Hallelujah.
[00:48:52] What a wonderful story of Christmas.
[00:48:54] Oh, I could preach another hour and a half too and then we'd see who really wants to stay.
[00:48:59] You hang in there because we're almost done.
[00:49:01] There's a couple more passages I want to come to before we come to the table.
[00:49:05] Christmas, what a beautiful thing.
[00:49:07] What God has done for us.
[00:49:09] Turn back again, if you would, to the book of Romans, chapter 5, just one verse.
[00:49:14] Verse 17.
[00:49:16] We saw that by one man sin entered the world, and by him death upon all.
[00:49:21] And yet Romans 5 verse 17, For by one man's offense death reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ.
[00:49:36] That's because He's come.
[00:49:38] He's come to give us, through His grace and mercy, the salvation that He has purchased for us, that He has wrought in and through His Son, Jesus Christ, for us.
[00:49:48] Again, in Romans chapter 3, if you look, beginning in verse 21.
[00:49:53] Romans 3, verse 21.
[00:49:55] But now the righteousness of God without the law was manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.
[00:50:01] This is why Paul says in Romans chapter 1 verse 16, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
[00:50:05] Praise God, we shouldn't be ashamed, should we?
[00:50:07] For it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes, to everyone, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, for therein, in the gospel, is the righteousness of God revealed.
[00:50:19] From faith to faith.
[00:50:21] And this is the dilemma of mankind.
[00:50:23] We can become righteous, perfectly righteous, not gradient on a curve, not I'm hoping and praying or skin on my teeth.
[00:50:29] No, praise God, we're perfectly and holily righteous because not of our works but the finished work of the cross.
[00:50:36] Jesus says it is finished when we believe His perfect righteousness is credited to our account.
[00:50:43] Our sins and wickedness and judgment have been placed upon Him.
[00:50:47] And that's why he cries out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
[00:50:52] Not because he sinned, but because he experienced the pains of our sins.
[00:50:56] He was bruised for our iniquities.
[00:50:58] The chastisement of our peace was upon him.
[00:51:01] By his stripes we are healed.
[00:51:04] Look what God has done for us.
[00:51:06] But in order to have that body to offer on the cross, he first had to get it honest.
[00:51:10] And he was born in a woman.
[00:51:13] Nine months in the womb.
[00:51:15] Just like the rest of us.
[00:51:17] True God and true man.
[00:51:19] Not 50-50, 100% God in spirit, 100% man in body, one Lord Jesus Christ who spanned the gulf of a holy, perfect, righteous God and sinful, wicked, helpless man.
[00:51:33] In the love of God manifest in the person and work of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
[00:51:40] We find in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 that Jesus Christ in his resurrection gives to us what Adam took away from us, if you will.
[00:51:49] 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 20 through 22, But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
[00:51:57] For since by man, Adam, came death,
[00:52:00] By man came also the resurrection of the dead.
[00:52:03] For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
[00:52:08] And then again in the same chapter, 1 Corinthians 15 verse 42,
[00:52:13] So also is the resurrection of the dead.
[00:52:15] It's sown in corruption.
[00:52:16] It's raised in incorruption.
[00:52:17] It's sown in dishonor.
[00:52:18] It's raised in glory.
[00:52:19] It's sown in weakness.
[00:52:20] It's raised in power.
[00:52:22] It's sown a natural body.
[00:52:24] It's raised a spiritual body.
[00:52:25] There's a natural body.
[00:52:26] There's a spiritual body.
[00:52:27] And as it is written, the first man, Adam, was made a living soul.
[00:52:32] The last Adam, Jesus Christ, was made a quickening, a life-giving spirit.
[00:52:38] Praise the Lord.
[00:52:40] Verse 47, The first man is of the earth, earthy.
[00:52:43] The second man is the Lord from heaven.
[00:52:46] As is the earthy, verse 48, such are they that are earthy.
[00:52:51] As is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
[00:52:53] And verse 49, And as we have borne the image of the earthy, Adam, a marred image of God, sinful, fallen,
[00:53:02] We shall also bear the image of the heavenly, the very image of Christ.
[00:53:06] And if you're born again, if you're saved, God is changing you.
[00:53:09] He's predestined you before the foundation of the earth, Romans chapter 8, to be conformed day by day, glory to glory, grace to grace, more and more to the image of Jesus Christ.
[00:53:19] And when we see Him, we will be like Him, and there is perfect communion.
[00:53:25] Sinless God with sinless man.
[00:53:28] Filled with love, filled with peace, filled with joy, God who is all of these things, now we too have them in our very being, in his presence.
[00:53:38] And what we're about to partake of is a foreshadow of that glorious communion that God gave to mankind initially and we foolishly gave away.
[00:53:47] And then God Himself had to come and pay the ultimate price with His own life, the very blood of God, so that we might be restored to an even greater communion in heaven for all eternity that can never be lost, but only grow in our appreciation for that which is perfect and infinite and wonderful and gloriously wrought in us through Jesus Christ, His Son, our Lord.
[00:54:14] I want to end in John chapter 6.
[00:54:19] John chapter 6.
[00:54:25] As you're turning to John 6, in John 14, 23, Jesus says, If a man abides in my words, and if a man loves me and does my commandments, my Father and I will love him, and we will come and make our abode with him.
[00:54:40] Isn't that wonderful?
[00:54:42] Talk about communion.
[00:54:43] That's now.
[00:54:45] If you're born again, God comes to us in the Holy Spirit and takes up residence in our very heart.
[00:54:51] Praise the Lord.
[00:54:52] And then one day he'll draw us to himself to be with him forevermore.
[00:54:57] And in John chapter 6, Jesus makes this connection.
[00:55:00] This is where I want to end.
[00:55:02] By the way, when Jesus was born, he was born a baby in a stable, cave, whatever you want to call it, but it's stable, the Bible says.
[00:55:12] And he was placed in what?
[00:55:15] A manger.
[00:55:17] And that word, manger, it's derived, what does it mean?
[00:55:23] Anyone here speak French?
[00:55:26] Parlez-vous français?
[00:55:28] Manger?
[00:55:29] Manger?
[00:55:30] You know manger?
[00:55:31] What is manger?
[00:55:32] It's the infinitive verb, to eat.
[00:55:34] What do animals do in a manger?
[00:55:38] And what are we supposed to do with Christ, spiritually?
[00:55:43] Unless a man eat my flesh and drink my blood, he has no part in me.
[00:55:48] Is it any coincidence he was placed in a manger?
[00:55:52] How wonderful, how glorious is our great God and King.
[00:55:55] John chapter 6.
[00:55:56] Let's finish up here.
[00:55:57] I want us to begin in verse 26.
[00:56:02] We find that Jesus has given an all-you-can-eat buffet for 5,000, and they love it, and they follow him.
[00:56:10] Socialism!
[00:56:11] Look at this!
[00:56:13] I don't have to work at all, I can eat forever!
[00:56:16] This is great!
[00:56:17] And they follow him.
[00:56:19] And they were ready for the next bread line.
[00:56:22] Well, there wasn't any lines, it just came to them.
[00:56:25] And Jesus says, wait, you got this thing wrong.
[00:56:29] John chapter 6, verse 26.
[00:56:34] We find that Jesus says,
[00:56:37] Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye seek me not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled.
[00:56:44] You don't care about me.
[00:56:45] All you care about is the next free meal.
[00:56:47] Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you.
[00:56:55] For him hath God the Father sealed.
[00:56:57] Then said they unto him, What shall we do that we might work the works of God?
[00:57:02] And Jesus answered.
[00:57:03] Everybody who wants to work your way to heaven, listen to what Jesus says.
[00:57:05] Here's what you've got to do.
[00:57:07] This is the work of God that you believe on Him whom He hath sent.
[00:57:12] There's your work that God gives us.
[00:57:15] Salvation, by grace, through faith, believing on Christ.
[00:57:19] And then they say, well, why don't you show us a sign?
[00:57:21] Hey, remember that thing about Moses and the manna from heaven?
[00:57:24] That was cool.
[00:57:24] Can you do that one?
[00:57:28] And Jesus says, verily, verily, verse 32, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven, but my Father gave you the true bread from heaven.
[00:57:34] For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth his life unto the world.
[00:57:43] But you see, before he could give his life, he had to come down from heaven, and that's Christmas.
[00:57:50] You see the absolute necessity of Christmas, brothers and sisters?
[00:57:54] Verse 35, I am the bread of life.
[00:57:57] He that cometh to me shall never hunger.
[00:57:58] He that believeth on me shall never thirst.
[00:58:01] But I say unto you that ye also have seen me and believe not.
[00:58:04] All that the Father giveth me shall come to me.
[00:58:06] And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
[00:58:08] For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
[00:58:14] And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing.
[00:58:19] but should raise it up again on the last day and this is the will of him that sent me that everyone which seeth the son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and i'll raise him up at the last day and then jesus says further you can read this whole chapter with great edification no doubt but he says in verse 47 verily verily i sound you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life i am the bread of life your fathers ate man in the wilderness and they're dead
[00:58:49] This is the bread which cometh down from heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die.
[00:58:54] I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
[00:58:56] If any man eat of this bread he shall live forever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world.
[00:59:05] Verse 53, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
[00:59:12] Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
[00:59:18] For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
[00:59:22] That's communion.
[00:59:38] Now before
[00:59:50] We go to our choir, blessing us with the song, the offering, and then the table, this last thought.
[00:59:59] There is nothing magic about this bread.
[01:00:03] This cracker does not magically change to become something that it is not.
[01:00:09] Christ is saying, the work that you are commanded to do is to believe on Him.
[01:00:15] And in believing on Him,
[01:00:18] He enters into us spiritually by His Spirit in our heart, and now we have perfect communion with Him.
[01:00:24] And it is His life, His lifeblood, His body and His blood that was first formed right in Christmas conception.
[01:00:33] that he finally gives for us that we commemorate and look forward to the day where our body is made perfectly whole like his in which we will worship and have perfect uninterrupted commune with him joys and highs that we can't even begin to imagine for all eternity and only get better and better so i don't know pastor that's the 10 times of watching my favorite christmas movie i'm tired
[01:00:59] this is why it's supernatural every time you look at christ it'll be better and better and better for all eternity something absolutely miraculous and wonderful and glorious and here is what god has given us to remember what he's done for us and what he's provided and prepared for us in heaven through the gift of christmas god taking on human flesh entering into humanity and by the way he still has human flesh right now
[01:01:30] He didn't come as an elephant.
[01:01:32] He didn't come as a, God forbid, a dog or a cow.
[01:01:37] He came as a human.
[01:01:38] He's forever blessed the human race.
[01:01:41] He's calling each and every one of us now to receive this wondrous gift of eternal life and to come to Him and believe and receive the greatest gift of eternity, the gift of Christmas, God dwelling with man, salvation,
[01:01:58] Bought and paid with the very blood of God through His Son Christ Jesus our Lord.
[01:02:02] Amen.
[01:02:03] To God be the glory.
[01:02:05] Hallelujah.
[01:02:07] We are going to be blessed I think now with a song.
[01:02:11] And as we are, we are going to give unto the Lord just a portion of what He's already given to us.
[01:02:19] In the service of worship, in the tithes and the offerings, let's give unto the Lord.

[01:02:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

[01:03:07] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Amen.

[01:03:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
This new remembrance of Thee In this space that together will be This new remembrance of Thee Till You come to my Kingdom
[01:04:11] Take and drink in remembrance of me.
[01:04:37] Schedule my rise up from death into a life everlasting.
[01:04:40] List you in remembrance of me.
[01:04:41] Amen.

[01:05:08] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Let's stand everyone.

[01:05:15] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
[01:05:21] Praise Him all creatures here below.
[01:05:26] Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts.
[01:05:31] Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

[01:05:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Amen.
[01:05:50] The Apostle John tells us in Revelation chapter 1 verses 5 to 8
[01:05:57] From Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, unto him that loved us and washed us from our own sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.
[01:06:21] Amen.
[01:06:22] Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him, even so, Amen.
[01:06:36] And Jesus says, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
[01:06:50] This table was prepared for us by the blood of the Son of God in Him coming and shedding His blood for us so that we could be forgiven of our sins.
[01:07:07] We could be washed clean.
[01:07:09] But we have to come by faith.
[01:07:12] That faith must dwell in our hearts for Christ.
[01:07:17] Or that, rather as Paul says in Ephesians chapter 3, that Christ would dwell in our hearts by faith.
[01:07:25] And when that happens, we have the very promises of God in Christ.
[01:07:33] As this table is open to all believers, to all who have professed faith in Christ, He calls us to come to Him in a worthy manner.
[01:07:47] To confess our sins.
[01:07:49] To repent.
[01:07:51] Because if we have not repented of our sin or a specific sin in our life, and we come and we take the elements which stand and symbolize for Christ's death, we can take it in an unworthy manner and bring judgment on ourselves.
[01:08:12] This is why God calls us to Himself and says, I will forgive you.
[01:08:17] My mercy is everlasting, but come to me and bow to me and you will know everlasting life.
[01:08:26] You will have hope.
[01:08:27] You will be filled with the joy that only Christ can bring.
[01:08:32] Let's look to the Lord in prayer.
[01:08:38] Oh Lord God, Lord we ask that as we come before you,
[01:08:45] As we take of these elements of bread and grape juice, Lord, that You will use them for our spiritual nourishment to bring us closer to Christ, that You might join our hearts with Him by the Holy Spirit,
[01:09:02] And Lord, as it has been shown for us in the Gospel of John, that we might feast on the Lord Jesus by faith.
[01:09:11] For even as Jesus said in John 15, I am the vine and you are the branches.
[01:09:17] Apart from me, you can do nothing.
[01:09:21] And so Lord, we come to Christ.
[01:09:23] We thank you that your forgiveness is so great.
[01:09:26] We confess our sins in his name.
[01:09:28] And Lord, we ask that you would...
[01:09:32] Continue your work within us in making us more like Christ as we remember the great work that He did for us and that our work in coming to Him is in believing in Him whom you sent.
[01:09:48] And so, Lord, we praise you.
[01:09:50] We ask all of these things in the name of Christ.
[01:09:53] Amen.
[01:09:55] On the night that Jesus was betrayed,
[01:09:58] He took bread, and when He had blessed it, He broke it, and He gave it to His disciples as I do ministering in His name.
[01:10:05] And He said, Take, eat, this is My body which is broken for you, this do in remembrance of Me.
[01:10:13] In the same manner after supper he took the cup, saying, This cup is the new testament, or the new covenant in my blood.
[01:10:21] Do this as often as you drink this cup in remembrance of me.
[01:10:25] For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
[01:10:34] So we would ask for