The Power of Christmas: From God With Us to Christ In You

[00:00:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Let's pray.
[00:00:02] Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for our sister Peggy, your daughter.
[00:00:06] We thank you, Lord God, for salvation.
[00:00:08] We thank you, Lord, for her husband trusting in you.
[00:00:12] And we've seen him here before.
[00:00:14] We know he loved you.
[00:00:15] And Lord, in this, we sorrow not as others who have no hope, but Lord, for that glorious hope of the resurrection.
[00:00:22] So Lord, we pray for your presence even now as we preach for Peggy and for all of us that we will know that truly, Emmanuel, God is with us, will never leave us nor forsake us, and will see us home to those of our departed loved ones who were born again and knew you, who are already worshiping in your presence, and we go to join them.
[00:00:46] Now, Lord, may we have a presage of that even in our midst through your holy word for your glory, honor, and praise.
[00:00:54] In Jesus' name we thank you.
[00:00:56] Amen.
[00:00:58] Amen.
[00:00:58] Praise the Lord.
[00:00:59] We're going to be in the Gospel of Luke chapter 1.
[00:01:01] We've had a three-part series on Christmas.
[00:01:06] Our first message entitled, The Absolute Necessity of Christmas.
[00:01:10] The second message entitled The Miracle and Wonder of Christmas and today's message The Power of Christmas.
[00:01:19] We want to talk about the power of Christmas and hopefully that we find that power in us.
[00:01:26] Now, we're not talking about the power of Christmas just in general over society.
[00:01:31] We see that all sorts of unbelievers celebrate some sort of Christmas.
[00:01:37] We have, as we've mentioned before, the secular aspect, all sorts of people, even people who aren't Christians.
[00:01:45] I even have known Muslims that have Christmas trees and say, well, we don't celebrate Christmas so much because we're not Christian, but we like the tree, we like the presents, and so this is what we do.
[00:01:56] You know, Neil Diamond has a great Christmas album out there.
[00:02:01] I remember from the 80s or early 90s, and they said, well, now, you're Jewish.
[00:02:05] How does this work?
[00:02:06] Oh, well, you know, I'm Jewish, but we always enjoy celebrating Christmas.
[00:02:10] Well, praise the Lord, you know.
[00:02:12] Christmas, you know, what would the retailers do without Christmas?
[00:02:17] I mean, you know, the whole economy is based on, you know, what is it, Black Friday after Thanksgiving, getting ready for Christmas?
[00:02:26] So there is a power of Christmas where even unbelievers like Christmas cookies and Christmas traditions and Christmas songs and whatnot.
[00:02:36] But we're talking about the real power of Christmas.
[00:02:39] Maybe that's a little after effect or an echo of the true power which we're going to find in the Word of God today in Luke chapter 1.
[00:02:48] And so as we look at Luke chapter 1, it's a long chapter, but I want to read the entire chapter to you because it's the story of the Nativity of Christ.
[00:02:56] Really, it's the story of the Nativity of John the Baptist in preparation for the birth of Jesus Christ.
[00:03:03] But I want you to focus on this thought throughout the message.
[00:03:06] We talk about oftentimes Christmas in light of the cross, and certainly Jesus was born to die.
[00:03:13] We talked about that in our first two messages.
[00:03:15] But today I want to focus on the power of Christmas itself.
[00:03:19] You know, not just the idea, oh, we've got presents, we've got traditions, we're going to have a fun time, the whole year is around Christmas.
[00:03:26] No, what is the very power of that which we are celebrating, remembering, the birth of Christ, the entrance of God into the space-time universe through the virgin womb of Mary?
[00:03:38] What is the importance of it?
[00:03:39] And we'll find the absolute essential, as we mentioned in the first message, the wonder, the miracle, but now the power of Christmas.
[00:03:48] that I hope you will be convinced of through this message.
[00:03:51] Not only convinced, but I pray by God's grace, possessing the power of Christmas.
[00:03:58] Let's look at it now, the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1.
[00:04:02] For as much as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed amongst us, even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things, from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed.
[00:04:28] There was in the days of Herod the king of Judea a certain priest named Zacharias of the course of Abia, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
[00:04:39] And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
[00:04:44] and they had no child because that Elizabeth was barren and they both were now well stricken in years and it came to pass that while he executed the priest's office before God in order of his course according to the custom of the priest's lot his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord
[00:05:03] And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
[00:05:07] And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
[00:05:12] And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
[00:05:16] But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
[00:05:25] And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth.
[00:05:29] For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink.
[00:05:33] He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
[00:05:36] And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
[00:05:40] And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just.
[00:05:51] To make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
[00:05:53] And Zechariah said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this?
[00:05:57] For I am an old man, and my wife is well stricken in years.
[00:06:01] And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God, and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee glad.
[00:06:07] these glad tidings and behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that thou that these things shall be performed because thou believest not my words which shall be fulfilled in their season and the people waited for Zacharias and marveled that he tarried so long the temple and when he come out he had come out he could they could he could not speak unto them and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple for he beckoned unto them and remained speechless
[00:06:37] And it came to pass that as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
[00:06:42] And after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
[00:06:54] and in the sixth month the angel gabriel was sent from god unto a city of galilee named nazareth to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was joseph of the house of david and the virgin's name was mary and the angel came in unto her and said hail
[00:07:09] thou that are highly favored the lord is with thee blessed art thou among women and when she saw him she was troubled at his saying and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be and the angel said unto her fear not mary for thou hast found favor with god and behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name jesus
[00:07:33] He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
[00:07:45] Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
[00:07:50] And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee.
[00:07:57] Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son
[00:08:03] of God.
[00:08:05] And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age, and it is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
[00:08:12] For with God nothing shall be impossible.
[00:08:16] Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word.
[00:08:19] And the angel departed from her.
[00:08:21] And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste into a city of Judah, and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elizabeth.
[00:08:31] And it came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.
[00:08:41] And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
[00:08:48] And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
[00:08:53] For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
[00:09:01] And blessed is she that believed, for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
[00:09:07] And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
[00:09:14] For he hath regarded the lowest state of his handmaiden.
[00:09:16] For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
[00:09:20] For he that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is his name.
[00:09:24] And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
[00:09:28] He hath showed strength with his arm.
[00:09:30] He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
[00:09:33] He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
[00:09:38] He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent away empty.
[00:09:43] He hath hope in his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever.
[00:09:52] And Betty abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
[00:09:58] Now Elizabeth's full time came that she should be delivered, and she brought forth a son.
[00:10:03] And her neighbors and her cousins heard how the Lord had showed great mercy upon her, and they rejoiced with her.
[00:10:09] And it came to pass that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they called him Zacharias after the name of his father.
[00:10:18] And his mother answered and said, Not so, but he shall be called John.
[00:10:23] They said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
[00:10:27] And they made signs to his father how he would have him called.
[00:10:31] And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John.
[00:10:36] And they marveled all.
[00:10:37] And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and spake, and praised God.
[00:10:44] Remember, he hasn't said a word in nine months.
[00:10:50] What's the first thing that he says?
[00:10:52] Verse 65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them, and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea.
[00:11:01] And all that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be?
[00:11:08] And the hand of the Lord was with him, and his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
[00:11:16] Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began, that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us
[00:11:44] that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life and thou child shall be called the prophet of the highest for thou shalt go before his face the face of the lord to prepare his ways to give knowledge of salvation unto the people by the remission of their sins to the tender mercy of our god whereby the day spring from on high has visited us
[00:12:11] to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death to guide our feet into the way of peace.
[00:12:18] And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel.
[00:12:25] May God add his blessing and understanding to the reading of this, his holy word.
[00:12:30] And so we read the whole chapter to show this preparation, God coming to Zacharias, God coming to Mary, and John the Baptist, who is the one to prepare the way for Christ.
[00:12:44] And the power of Christmas, I want you to hear this now, the power of Christmas can be summed up in one word, Emmanuel.
[00:12:56] God with us.
[00:12:58] That's the power of Christmas.
[00:12:59] It's actually mentioned here.
[00:13:01] They say, what's the first word?
[00:13:03] Now, some of you spouses are fantasizing about your spouse not talking for nine months.
[00:13:10] But after nine months, what do you think they might say?
[00:13:15] Well, notice what Zacharias says.
[00:13:18] After nine months, the very first thing that comes out of his mouth here in verse 68 of our text, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people.
[00:13:28] That's Emmanuel, God with us.
[00:13:31] Blessed be the Lord.
[00:13:32] Why?
[00:13:32] Because he's come.
[00:13:34] He has come and visited us and redeemed us.
[00:13:38] This is the first thing.
[00:13:38] This is the power of Christmas.
[00:13:40] Now, Jesus has not yet died on the cross.
[00:13:43] He hasn't risen from the dead.
[00:13:44] He hasn't done the first miracle.
[00:13:46] He hasn't even spoken intelligibly.
[00:13:48] He hasn't even been born yet.
[00:13:49] but John the Baptist is born and he is so excited because he knows that means the Messiah is about to be born and he and of course Mary came and so he knows all about Mary being with child Elizabeth has prophesied that this is the Lord the mother of my Lord and so he knows that Jesus is on earth in the womb of Mary just six months behind John and he's so excited and he's praising God and the most important thing is that God has come
[00:14:18] To man, Emmanuel.
[00:14:21] This is the power of Christ, the power of Christmas.
[00:14:25] If you would turn with me back to Matthew 1.
[00:14:27] We read just the end of Matthew 1 last week.
[00:14:30] Let's revisit it.
[00:14:32] In Matthew 1, verse 18, now the birth of Jesus Christ.
[00:14:38] 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 then Joseph her husband being a just man and not willing to make her a public example was minded to put her away privily
[00:14:53] 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.
[00:15:05] And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus.
[00:15:11] For he shall save his people from their sins.
[00:15:14] That's what Jesus means.
[00:15:15] Yehoshua, Yehovah, Jehovah, God of the Old Testament, will save.
[00:15:20] He's the God of the New Testament too.
[00:15:22] He will save his people.
[00:15:25] It means Jehovah saves Jesus, essentially Yeshua.
[00:15:29] And that's his name.
[00:15:30] Now all of this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying and he quotes Isaiah 7 14 which we read last week Behold a virgin shall be with child verse 23 and bring forth a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel which being interpreted means God with us well I thought they just said his name is going to be Jesus how can it be Emmanuel
[00:15:54] It's both.
[00:15:55] Listen, he has many titles.
[00:15:57] And here's the thing.
[00:15:58] Before the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God, could be named Jesus, before he could do the work of Jesus, which is Jehovah saves, he had to first be Emmanuel, God with us.
[00:16:13] God has to come before he can save.
[00:16:16] And that's Christmas.
[00:16:17] The power of Christmas.
[00:16:18] God with us.
[00:16:21] Amen?
[00:16:22] Christmas is a big deal.
[00:16:25] The wise men, those great Iraqis, they, or wherever they were from,
[00:16:33] Think about what was it that made just a star.
[00:16:37] All they saw was a star.
[00:16:39] And they put their life on hold for years.
[00:16:42] That's how long it would have taken to go to be there and come back over a year.
[00:16:46] Yeah, there they are.
[00:16:47] That's actual footage, right?
[00:16:52] But they put their life on hold, right, to go to Israel to seek after this king, but all they saw was a star.
[00:16:59] That's the power of Christmas.
[00:17:01] Or Simeon, Old Simeon, we read about last week.
[00:17:04] They come in, Joseph and Mary, on the eighth day to bring their baby boy, Jesus, to be circumcised at the temple.
[00:17:11] Simeon, who's a devout man looking for the consolation of Israel, sees this baby, takes him in his arms, and now says, Lord, let thy servant depart in peace, for I have seen thy sight.
[00:17:21] He sees a baby, and he's ready to die and go to heaven.
[00:17:24] That's the power of Christmas, the star, the baby.
[00:17:27] Let me give you another example of the power of Christmas, a negative one, but no less powerful.
[00:17:32] Think of Herod.
[00:17:34] The wise men show up and they ask Herod, where is he that is born King of the Jews?
[00:17:39] Well, Herod says, hey, I'm the King of the Jews, where you want?
[00:17:41] But, you know, that's the idea.
[00:17:42] And so Herod, it says, Herod was troubled at this saying, and all of Israel, all of Jerusalem with him, they were troubled.
[00:17:50] They were troubled by the idea of Christmas.
[00:17:53] The Messiah has come.
[00:17:54] We don't know about it.
[00:17:55] This is a troubling thing.
[00:17:57] He was so troubled, in fact.
[00:17:59] Here's this man, some 70 years old.
[00:18:02] And so this is the Messiah.
[00:18:03] He understands this to be the Messiah.
[00:18:05] He actually asks the scribes and Pharisees around him.
[00:18:07] He says, where's the Messiah to be born?
[00:18:09] They tell him Bethlehem.
[00:18:11] He's 70 plus years old.
[00:18:13] And what?
[00:18:14] He's afraid of a baby.
[00:18:16] Go kill them.
[00:18:17] Later he finds out, right?
[00:18:18] Go kill all the babies in Bethlehem and all the coasts there around.
[00:18:22] Slaughter every one of them so that that Messiah can't be a threat to me and my kingship.
[00:18:28] Well, he's 70 years old.
[00:18:29] This is a baby.
[00:18:30] He won't even come to adult years.
[00:18:31] The guy will probably be dead.
[00:18:32] Of course he was.
[00:18:33] But that, folks, is the power of Christmas.
[00:18:37] Most people don't think much about the power of Christmas.
[00:18:40] Even Christians, I think, look more to the cross, of course, which is absolute necessity, and the resurrection.
[00:18:47] But there is no cross and resurrection without Christians.
[00:18:52] By the way, I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that all of human history, from the time of the Garden of Eden and the Fall, all the way to this point right here, Christmas, everything in history, everything in history, pointed to that one event.
[00:19:12] As a matter of fact, that's what the text that we just read said.
[00:19:14] Look what it says back in Luke chapter 1.
[00:19:16] We just read it.
[00:19:17] Notice Zacharias is prophesying by the Holy Ghost.
[00:19:21] This isn't just his opinion.
[00:19:23] This is God speaking through him.
[00:19:25] And notice he says,
[00:19:29] Blessed be the Lord God, Luke 1.68, of Israel, that hath visited and redeemed his people, Emmanuel and Jesus, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began.
[00:19:49] Since the world began, the whole shooting match, if you will, is aimed to this one thing.
[00:19:56] All of his prophets, notice, all of his holy prophets, notice it says, by the mouth.
[00:20:00] It doesn't say by the mouths.
[00:20:01] By the mouth.
[00:20:03] They're all saying the same thing.
[00:20:04] If they're a holy prophet, they're saying the word of God.
[00:20:06] And all of it is pointing to the coming of Jesus Christ.
[00:20:10] That's the power of Christmas.
[00:20:11] Everything before is pointing, it says,
[00:20:14] To perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant.
[00:20:21] He spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began.
[00:20:26] Everything is pointing forward to this.
[00:20:28] Why?
[00:20:29] Pointing forward to what?
[00:20:30] Emmanuel, God with us.
[00:20:32] Why is that so important?
[00:20:33] Because guess what?
[00:20:34] Before, God was not with us.
[00:20:37] In the beginning, God creates the heaven and the earth.
[00:20:39] He creates a perfect world.
[00:20:40] He creates the Garden of Eden.
[00:20:42] Man and God are together.
[00:20:44] God is all around mankind.
[00:20:46] He's walking through the Garden and they hear Him.
[00:20:52] I think in a sense they saw him or they saw his glory at least.
[00:20:55] They knew of his presence.
[00:20:56] But then they sinned, right?
[00:20:58] And then they're expelled from the garden.
[00:21:00] And Isaiah 59 tells us and many other places that our sins have separated us from God.
[00:21:06] And that makes perfect sense because our God is a perfect God.
[00:21:09] He is holy.
[00:21:09] He is righteous.
[00:21:10] We have people in this world today that have a different God.
[00:21:14] A God that, how should I say, gets us.
[00:21:17] He hangs out with you.
[00:21:18] He drinks a beer with you.
[00:21:19] He, you know, it's okay.
[00:21:20] No problem.
[00:21:21] You know, just do whatever you want.
[00:21:22] Where it's cool, it's cool, it's cool.
[00:21:24] Folks, forgive me, Lord, this is not the God of the Bible.
[00:21:27] Thank God, our God is a righteous God, a holy God.
[00:21:29] He's far greater.
[00:21:30] He's far more holy, more perfect, more pristine.
[00:21:33] Even the heavens are not clean in His presence.
[00:21:37] You say, well, I don't want to believe in a God like that.
[00:21:39] You better, because he's the only one that's true and the only one that's able to save you.
[00:21:43] And he demands of you absolute sinless perfection as well.
[00:21:46] You say, well, I can't do that.
[00:21:48] No, you can't.
[00:21:48] Neither can I.
[00:21:49] And that's why Christ had to die on the cross, because he alone was perfect.
[00:21:52] But before he could die on the cross, he had to be born sinless of the virgin womb and without sin, because the only way to get God and man back together again, sinful, wicked,
[00:22:06] Stinking man and woman, sinful, back into the presence of a holy, pristine, perfect God, which we had in the beginning, but we sinned away of our own choice.
[00:22:17] Adam and Eve, they took part of the fruit.
[00:22:19] That's the only way they could have sinned and lost it.
[00:22:21] We've all lost it.
[00:22:22] How does God bring us back?
[00:22:24] Not by him lowering himself, except in the man Christ Jesus, yes, but not in any way taking sin into his own nature, except he who knew no sin, as was sung beautifully over there earlier, he who knew no sin, Jesus, he who was born without sin, the only one in humanity of the virgin womb without the sin of Adam and Eve, he who knew no sin,
[00:22:49] He took on our sins on the cross for all who would believe so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ.
[00:22:56] This is the power of Christmas.
[00:22:58] He had to come so we have been separated.
[00:23:01] We can't go to God.
[00:23:02] There is no stairway to heaven regardless of who sings the song.
[00:23:06] God has to come to us and God does come to us in Jesus Christ and that coming to us is Christmas.
[00:23:13] The power of Christmas.
[00:23:15] And so all of history up until the Old Testament is all looking forward to how do we get back in the presence of God?
[00:23:22] How do we see that which is broken repaired and that repairing is in the coming of God
[00:23:30] to Earth.
[00:23:31] And that's prophesied many times.
[00:23:34] First of all, in Genesis 3.15, talking about the serpent who has beguiled Eve.
[00:23:39] Remember, her seed and your seed, there's going to be enmity between the seeds.
[00:23:45] Her seed, Eve's seed, which is Jesus, is going to bruise the head of the serpent.
[00:23:49] That means he's coming.
[00:23:51] And from that point forward,
[00:23:52] God's people are looking for God, the seed, to come back.
[00:23:57] The Messiah, who is a divine, the God-man.
[00:24:02] We've talked about that in the first two messages, and he does show up in Christmas.
[00:24:07] But before that time, there are some times where God and man come close, but it never seems to stick.
[00:24:16] Is it God's fault?
[00:24:19] No.
[00:24:19] There's many pictures of this.
[00:24:21] Remember in the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire, God leads his people out of bondage?
[00:24:26] Isn't that interesting?
[00:24:28] God's people
[00:24:30] You know, went into... Joseph leaves Israel and goes down to Egypt to save Israel initially, right?
[00:24:40] Because Israel was starving and they end up coming to him to buy bread.
[00:24:44] So Joseph goes down to Egypt to save Israel.
[00:24:47] In the story of Jesus, Jesus the perfect Israel, when Herod is trying to kill the baby Jesus, Joseph takes the baby Jesus and his mother, Jesus, the true Israel, to Egypt to save him.
[00:24:59] Interesting.
[00:25:00] Anyways, that's a side thought.
[00:25:01] It's free.
[00:25:02] Let's get back to the sermon.
[00:25:04] There is this presence of the pillar of fire by day, the pillar of fire by night, the pillar of cloud by day.
[00:25:11] And then there's this idea of the tabernacle that God instructs Moses to make where God's presence will dwell in a visible way.
[00:25:19] But only certain people can come close to it, and only the high priest once a year can actually go in the presence, and that not without him sacrificing animals.
[00:25:29] And this tabernacle, this temple, there is this presence of God, and even the priests have to wash their hands, their feet, they have to sacrifice, they have to do all these cleansing procedures, signifying that there's still a separation.
[00:25:44] And then of course when Solomon dedicates the temple,
[00:25:47] We've preached on 2 Chronicles 7.14.
[00:25:51] In 2 Chronicles 7.1, the temple is sanctified, it's set up.
[00:25:57] Solomon prays this long prayer that God would hear the prayers of his people, that he would come and dwell in their presence.
[00:26:02] In 2 Chronicles 7.1,
[00:26:05] The Spirit of God falls and the glory of God fills the temple and the people cannot even stand to minister.
[00:26:11] Now that's something special.
[00:26:13] Nobody can go to sleep in that church service.
[00:26:15] Woo!
[00:26:16] Boom!
[00:26:16] You'll be dead just like that.
[00:26:18] You can't even stand up.
[00:26:20] The power of God's presence is so rich.
[00:26:23] Hallelujah.
[00:26:23] And so this is the coming.
[00:26:25] Now that's pretty powerful, right?
[00:26:27] I mean, well, just real quickly, let's read it.
[00:26:29] Some people here haven't heard it.
[00:26:31] We've preached on it many times, but 2 Chronicles 7 says,
[00:26:34] As soon as Solomon ends praying, look what God does.
[00:26:37] 2 Corinthians 7 verse 1, Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering, and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house.
[00:26:49] And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the house.
[00:26:55] And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house,
[00:27:01] they looked at their facebook marketplace on their phones no i'm sorry they looked at their feed or they texted their children or what no it says they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement and worshiped and praised the lord saying for he is good for his mercy endureth forever now that's true worship why because god showed up
[00:27:27] Well, how can we go to sleep now in service when the true God has come in person?
[00:27:32] A far greater revelation, Christmas, Jesus coming, God, Emmanuel with us.
[00:27:39] This is the way we should be, folks.
[00:27:41] If you get out of your seat and suddenly put your face to the ground and say, I'll just praise the Lord.
[00:27:45] Hallelujah.
[00:27:46] They just found out about Christmas.
[00:27:49] You see, in Ezekiel we have a picture of this.
[00:27:52] I don't want to get too far off, but in the whole book of Ezekiel,
[00:27:56] There's a recurring theme about the glory of the Lord.
[00:28:00] And Ezekiel is ministering after Judah has been taken captive for their sins.
[00:28:07] And the temple has not yet been destroyed, but it's going to be destroyed.
[00:28:11] And in the Holy of Holies, the glory of God is there.
[00:28:15] And we find if you read in Ezekiel, God is judging his own people for their sins.
[00:28:21] And read with me just briefly, if you would, in Ezekiel chapter 10.
[00:28:26] There's a judgment on His people because of their sin.
[00:28:29] Ezekiel 10 verse 4,
[00:28:32] As Ezekiel sees this vision, it says in verse 4, Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, from the Holy of Holies, and stood over the threshold of the house.
[00:28:44] And the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord's glory.
[00:28:48] Now this is kind of the reverse of what we saw in 2 Chronicles 7.
[00:28:51] 2 Chronicles 7, they're worshiping the Lord, they're praying, they're making sacrifice, they're honoring the Lord, His presence shows up.
[00:28:58] Now in Ezekiel, hundreds of years of sin and wickedness and turning away from God and refusing to do His Word.
[00:29:04] Now the glory of God is departing.
[00:29:07] You find it there, leaving the Holy of Holies.
[00:29:09] It's on the threshold of the house in Ezekiel 10.4.
[00:29:12] Go to Ezekiel 11.23.
[00:29:14] The next time you read of the glory of God, you'll find...
[00:29:20] in verse 23 and the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city now the glory of the Lord has departed from the from the temple from the city uh it's it's gone to the east it's over the mountains and we don't know where it goes but the fact is once again God and his people are separated by their sins and what a sorry picture that we have never name your child Ichabod
[00:29:47] We find the Ichabod back in 1 Samuel, which means the glory has departed.
[00:29:53] What a horrible name, but that's the word that describes this.
[00:29:57] And as we mentioned before, just two verses, Isaiah chapter 59 describes this very same scene spiritually, sums it up well in two verses, which really sums up the whole Old Testament.
[00:30:10] Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear.
[00:30:17] But your iniquities, your sins, yours and mine, have separated between you and your God.
[00:30:23] Your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear.
[00:30:28] People who are not yet cleansed, not yet born again, not yet filled with the Spirit of God, the glory of God, are not in communion with God and cannot expect Him to hear and answer their prayers, nor can they expect Him to hear their most earnest entreaty for salvation on Judgment Day, because our sins have separated us from God and from His glory.
[00:30:57] but praise the lord there are many promises in the old testament of god's coming coming in a permanent way first we have genesis 3 15 as we mentioned that there is a deliverer coming who's going to destroy the work of the devil uh which is uh the work of the fall and and the sin that is passed on all mankind and then there are some more specific ones if we would take a look at zachariah chapter 2 a very beautiful passage about the hope of the coming
[00:31:25] The God returning to be with his people.
[00:31:29] Emmanuel, God with us.
[00:31:31] Zechariah 2, beginning in verse 4, we find it says this,
[00:31:40] Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, for the multitude of men and cattle therein.
[00:31:47] For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about.
[00:31:52] I will be the glory in the midst of her.
[00:31:54] In the midst of the whole city, God's glory?
[00:31:57] Wow, when's this gonna be?
[00:31:58] Ho, ho, come forth, them that flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord.
[00:32:02] For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, saith the Lord, in the dispersion of the Jews because of their sins and wickedness.
[00:32:10] But in the future, He's going to bring them back.
[00:32:13] And he's going to be in their midst.
[00:32:15] Not just literal Israel, but all who truly believe.
[00:32:18] Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.
[00:32:21] For thus saith the Lord of hosts, After the glory hath he sent me into the nations which spoiled you.
[00:32:29] For he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
[00:32:32] For behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants.
[00:32:37] And you shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me
[00:32:40] Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion.
[00:32:42] Why?
[00:32:43] Because of Christmas.
[00:32:44] Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for lo, I come, I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord.
[00:32:51] What's that but Christmas?
[00:32:53] God says, I'm coming to dwell in your midst.
[00:32:57] That's Christmas.
[00:32:58] Praise the Lord.
[00:32:59] And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee.
[00:33:10] If you study that passage right there, that actually proves the Trinity.
[00:33:13] he is the lord who will dwell in the midst and he says and the lord is the one who sent me the father sends the son to dwell in our midst that is christmas so christmas is worthy of rejoicing and excitement and praise all by itself because therein lies the power the power of christmas the power unto you and me and to all who believe malachi chapter 3 prophesies this same great glory and
[00:33:40] Power in Emmanuel, God coming to his people, Malachi chapter 3 verse 1, Behold, I, the Lord, will send my messenger, John the Baptist, and he shall prepare the way before me, God, and the Lord, Jesus, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant whom you delight in.
[00:34:03] Behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
[00:34:05] It's a wonderful day.
[00:34:06] What day is that talking about specifically?
[00:34:09] When did he first come to the temple?
[00:34:13] A little baby, eight days old, in the arms of Simeon, to be circumcised.
[00:34:19] And Simeon says, Behold, now letteth thy servant depart in peace, for I have seen the glory of the Lord.
[00:34:25] Hallelujah.
[00:34:26] The joy, the power of Christmas.
[00:34:30] Remember in the Gospel, oh actually, Ezekiel, let's go back to Ezekiel, say, oh boy, that Ezekiel's really a downer.
[00:34:38] If you read the whole, yeah it can be, but if you read the whole book, there's excitement, there's encouragement, it doesn't end there.
[00:34:44] Because at the end of the book, it's very strange.
[00:34:46] I don't know, one day Pastor Andy can teach Ezekiel, it's so difficult.
[00:34:49] But the idea is this last section of Ezekiel, there's this temple, there's this new city, there's this huge temple that's never been built.
[00:34:58] We don't know that it ever will because the dimensions are really quite strange.
[00:35:02] They don't jive with the current geography of Jerusalem.
[00:35:05] But it almost seems to be talking about something spiritual, maybe the church, maybe how the Holy Spirit is going to work in us.
[00:35:12] It's a day coming that was not yet present for Ezekiel.
[00:35:16] I don't think it's a day coming.
[00:35:18] The question is, is it future to us or has it happened?
[00:35:21] What are we talking about?
[00:35:22] Remember the glory departed because of the sins of the people.
[00:35:25] But look what Ezekiel is prophesying now by the Holy Spirit later.
[00:35:29] Ezekiel 43, beginning in verse 1.
[00:35:33] Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate.
[00:35:36] Now remember, the glory of God left the old temple.
[00:35:40] Bless you.
[00:35:41] But now there's a new temple going to be built.
[00:35:43] A new temple?
[00:35:44] Where is it, Joseph?
[00:35:45] When is it going to be built?
[00:35:46] They've got to get that red heifer.
[00:35:48] Well, I'm not so sure.
[00:35:50] This seems to be like a spiritual temple.
[00:35:52] I don't know, but it's coming.
[00:35:54] And it says, here's this temple.
[00:35:56] And he looks towards the east.
[00:35:58] Why the east?
[00:35:58] Remember, that's where the glory of the Lord departed.
[00:36:01] Over the mountain to the east.
[00:36:02] Went away.
[00:36:03] God and man separated because of sin, but praise God, another day is coming.
[00:36:07] Look, verse 2, And behold, the glory of God, the God of Israel, came, He comes back from the way of the east, and His voice was like the noise of many waters, and the earth shined with His glory.
[00:36:20] Hallelujah.
[00:36:21] And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city.
[00:36:27] And the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar.
[00:36:30] And I fell upon my face, and the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate, whose prospect is toward the east.
[00:36:38] And so the Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court.
[00:36:41] And behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house.
[00:36:44] And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house.
[00:36:47] And the man stood by me, and he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel.
[00:36:57] I am going to dwell in the midst of the children of Israel.
[00:36:59] Who?
[00:36:59] God.
[00:37:00] Praise the Lord.
[00:37:00] That's the power of Christmas, folks.
[00:37:02] Forever and my holy name shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they nor their kings by their whoredoms, nor by the carcasses of their kings in their high places.
[00:37:13] Praise the Lord.
[00:37:14] God is coming.
[00:37:16] He's coming.
[00:37:16] The glory is coming back.
[00:37:18] But how does it come?
[00:37:20] In the beginning was the Word.
[00:37:21] John chapter 1, verse 1.
[00:37:22] In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
[00:37:27] And if you turn to the Gospel of John chapter 1, and you go on down to verse 14, and the Word became what?
[00:37:36] That's the Incarnation, isn't it?
[00:37:38] If you study John chapter 1, who's the Word?
[00:37:41] Jesus, and the Word becomes flesh.
[00:37:44] Jesus was eternal.
[00:37:46] He's existed in eternity past, the second person of the Trinity.
[00:37:49] And now when he's born, the Word becomes flesh, and then it says after that, and did what?
[00:37:54] Dwelt amongst us.
[00:37:56] The Greek word there is skeno, or skeno, whatever, and that means to tabernacle.
[00:38:01] It's the word for tabernacle that's used in the New Testament.
[00:38:04] God comes and tabernacles.
[00:38:06] Hallelujah.
[00:38:07] The glory has returned.
[00:38:08] Jesus says, destroy this temple in three days, I'll raise it up
[00:38:11] He is the presence of God.
[00:38:13] He's the whole package, praise the Lord.
[00:38:15] He's the glory of God that has returned.
[00:38:18] He's suddenly come to his temple, and now we see the glory returns.
[00:38:23] Jesus is the glory.
[00:38:25] This is why Zacharias is so excited, because God has come back to man.
[00:38:30] And when God comes, ah, here we go, the main event.
[00:38:33] Satan is going to be defanged, if you will.
[00:38:37] He came to destroy the works of the devil.
[00:38:41] Remember back in our text, chapter 1 of the Gospel of Luke, he comes for what purpose?
[00:38:46] He comes, verse 71 of Luke chapter 1, that we should be saved from our enemies.
[00:38:51] Praise God.
[00:38:52] What kind of enemies?
[00:38:53] Spiritual enemies.
[00:38:54] From the hand of all that hate us, the devil and everybody on his side, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers.
[00:38:59] What mercy?
[00:39:00] To remember his holy covenant.
[00:39:02] What covenant?
[00:39:03] The oath which he swore to our father Abraham.
[00:39:05] What?
[00:39:06] That he would grant unto us
[00:39:08] that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear praise God notice in holiness he makes us holy in righteousness he makes us righteous before him right smack dab in his presence all the days of our life now that's something to be excited about and that's why Zacharias was so excited the holy ghost giving him utterance
[00:39:39] So excited at the birth of a baby?
[00:39:41] He hasn't done anything yet.
[00:39:43] He showed up.
[00:39:45] And for Jesus, that's more than we can do in our whole life.
[00:39:49] All of us together.
[00:39:50] He showed up.
[00:39:52] And by the way, he doesn't remain a baby, as you know the story.
[00:39:56] In Malachi chapter 3, it says, the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.
[00:40:02] And then in Malachi chapter 4, it describes Christ again in the verse 1 and 2.
[00:40:09] In verse 2, but unto you that fear my name shall the Son, S-U-N, but it's talking about S-O-N, the Son of Righteousness shall arise with helium as wings and as he
[00:40:23] comes of age a 30 year old man and the meridian of his strength and power and the holy spirit comes upon him and the heavens are rent and a voice comes from above and a dove descends down this is my beloved son in whom i am well pleased right and then later on the man of transfiguration hear ye him because emmanuel god is now with us and this is the power of christmas
[00:40:52] You say, well, that's great.
[00:40:53] Jesus was here.
[00:40:54] That was exciting.
[00:40:55] I wish I was there in those days.
[00:40:58] That would have been exciting, but the Bible tells us it's more exciting right now.
[00:41:03] You don't look very excited, but I hope you'll catch it right now.
[00:41:07] Notice.
[00:41:08] Notice.
[00:41:09] Colossians chapter 2, when Jesus shows up, who is Jesus?
[00:41:15] In Colossians chapter 2 it says that the fullness of the Godhead, the fullness of who God is, Colossians chapter 2 verse 9, for in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
[00:41:32] Praise the Lord.
[00:41:33] So God's presence has returned.
[00:41:36] And of course, Jesus does mighty miracles.
[00:41:38] He raises the dead.
[00:41:39] He lives a perfect life.
[00:41:41] He fulfills the law that we couldn't fulfill.
[00:41:43] He takes the punishment that we all deserve on the cross so that all who believe on him might be blessed with the blessing of Abraham.
[00:41:50] Righteousness by faith, for it is written that Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness.
[00:41:57] But it seems so short, three and a half years, and then God with us, Emmanuel, leaves again.
[00:42:03] Why are you leaving us, Lord?
[00:42:06] Because Jesus tells him the night before he dies, I'm getting ready to go.
[00:42:11] How horrible!
[00:42:12] Christmas was so wonderful, and now you're going to leave us?
[00:42:17] But Jesus says this in John 16, listen carefully, verse 5.
[00:42:23] But now I go my way to him that sent me, and none of you asketh me whither goest thou, but because I have said these things, your sorrow has filled your heart.
[00:42:34] Now here, listen to this verse 7.
[00:42:36] Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away.
[00:42:42] Why?
[00:42:43] For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you.
[00:42:47] But if I depart, I will send him unto you.
[00:42:50] You see, in the garden, man had God all around him.
[00:42:54] How wonderful.
[00:42:55] But then he sinned, and now God is above and far away.
[00:42:59] But then God sprinkles His presence for the faithful in showing sometimes in the tabernacle, the pillar of cloud, the pillar of fowl in the temple.
[00:43:09] But then man sends that presence away, even that little bit.
[00:43:12] But then God comes, Emmanuel, in Christ, in Christmas, how wonderful, how glorious, and then
[00:43:19] for three and a half years he does this wonderful work of fulfilling the law that we couldn't fulfill dying on the cross for our sins raising from the dead what more could be but then of course he leaves he leaves he's going away says but it's better for me that i go away because even though you had god around you in the garden and then you were without god he was far from you now god is with you but guess what for you who believe
[00:43:48] God's getting ready to be in you.
[00:43:52] Now that's the power of Christmas.
[00:43:55] How many of you got it today?
[00:43:58] And that's why he says, just a couple chapters before, John 14, just one verse, 23, says, If a man loved me,
[00:44:08] He will keep my words, and my Father will love Him, and we, Jesus and the Father, will come and make our abode with Him.
[00:44:16] How?
[00:44:18] The Holy Spirit coming inside.
[00:44:19] The glory of God!
[00:44:21] The glory of God!
[00:44:22] The glory of God, the presence in the garden, how wonderful!
[00:44:24] The glory of God that came and everybody fell on their faces and wouldn't dare go to sleep or think about the Golden Corral or anything else.
[00:44:32] No, no, they were so focused on Christ and they were so a godly reverential fear in worshiping Him and yet that glory is now, not just, oh, if I could have just seen Jesus.
[00:44:44] Folks, if you're born again, He's right here.
[00:44:47] And I hope he's right here for each and every one of you.
[00:44:51] Remember in 1 Corinthians 3.16, Paul says, Ye, second person plural, are the temple of God.
[00:44:58] In 1 Corinthians 6.19, he says, You, singular, if you're a born-again believer, are the temple of God.
[00:45:04] The glory of God dwells in you.
[00:45:06] This is the power of Christmas, Emmanuel.
[00:45:09] In 2 Corinthians 6.16, he says this beautiful truth, the Apostle Paul, about you, if you're a believer.
[00:45:17] and it's the power of Christmas 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 verse 16 what agreement hath the temple of God with idols for ye church or the temple of God of the living God as God hath said and he quotes from Leviticus as well as Ezekiel I will dwell in them and walk in them I will be their God and they shall be my people praise God that's not just God with us that's God in us working in us
[00:45:47] That which is well pleasing unto him.
[00:45:50] Hallelujah.
[00:45:52] We're almost done.
[00:45:53] Back in Ezekiel, this book that has some hope now, right?
[00:45:57] Back in Ezekiel chapter 36, how do we get the power of Christmas?
[00:46:03] If you've got it, listen, this is what you've got.
[00:46:05] If you're not sure, this is what you need.
[00:46:07] Ezekiel 36, beginning in verse 16, God talks about the sinful state and what he's about to do as far as Christmas goes.
[00:46:15] Ezekiel 36, Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings.
[00:46:24] Their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.
[00:46:28] wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land and for the idols wherewith they had polluted it and I scattered them among the heathen and they were dispersed throughout the countries according to the way their way and according to their doings I judged them and when they entered unto the heathen whither they went they profaned my holy name when they said to them these are the people of the Lord and are gone forth out of his land but
[00:46:54] I had pity, God, for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen whither they went.
[00:47:00] Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God, I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for my holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen whither ye went.
[00:47:11] I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which you have profaned in the midst of them.
[00:47:17] And the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
[00:47:25] I will take you from among the heathen.
[00:47:28] and out of all of the countries will bring you into your own land yeah Israel but I believe this is talking about everyone who believes in Jesus Christ then I will sprinkle clean water upon you Presbyterian and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you God's going to cleanse us praise God a new heart
[00:47:51] Also will I give you a new spirit will I put within you.
[00:47:55] When?
[00:47:55] And I will take away the stony heart of your flesh, and I'll give you a heart of flesh, and I will put my spirit within you.
[00:48:04] That's Christmas.
[00:48:04] Emmanuel, the power of Christmas, my spirit in you, the spirit of God in me.
[00:48:10] That's what he says.
[00:48:11] I'll put my spirit within you.
[00:48:13] I'll cause you to walk in my statues.
[00:48:15] You shall keep my judgments and do them.
[00:48:17] You shall dwell in the land I gave to your fathers and you shall be a people and I will be your God.
[00:48:29] The very last verse of Ezekiel, very last book, last chapter of Ezekiel, the very last verse
[00:48:38] Remember, it's talking about this temple.
[00:48:41] We don't understand what it is.
[00:48:42] It has something to do with us.
[00:48:44] The Holy Spirit's presence, the church.
[00:48:46] I don't understand it exactly, but I understand this, the very last verse.
[00:48:49] Ezekiel 48, 35, this new city, this new temple, 48, 35, very last verse of the book.
[00:48:57] It was around about 18,000 measures, and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there.
[00:49:07] Jehovah Shammah all you need to know is the Lord is there that's Emmanuel that's the power of Christmas what more do you want to know two more passages and we're done Galatians chapter 4 well you want more Angelo Galatians chapter 4
[00:49:29] I got more, but I'll do this.
[00:49:32] Galatians 4 verse 1, Now I say that the heir, the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all, but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the Father.
[00:49:43] Notice, even so, we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.
[00:49:49] It's talking about the Old Testament, before Christ came.
[00:49:52] There's only so much you can do to honor God because He's distant.
[00:49:55] But, in the fullness of time,
[00:50:00] The fullness of time.
[00:50:02] Think of Mary.
[00:50:03] The fullness of time.
[00:50:07] Notice.
[00:50:07] In the fullness of time, when it was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.
[00:50:16] Why?
[00:50:17] To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
[00:50:24] Praise God.
[00:50:25] And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts.
[00:50:33] That's Emmanuel.
[00:50:34] Not just God with us, but God in us.
[00:50:37] Crying Abba.
[00:50:39] That's like Daddy.
[00:50:40] That's how close God has made us.
[00:50:44] Wherefore you are no more a servant, but a son.
[00:50:49] and if a son then an heir of God through Christ.
[00:50:53] Amen?
[00:50:55] That's the power of Christmas.
[00:50:58] And then finally, Colossians 1.
[00:51:02] Our final passage.
[00:51:07] Colossians 1 beginning in verse 19.
[00:51:12] For it pleased the Father that in him that is in Jesus, in Christ, should all fullness dwell.
[00:51:19] and having made peace through the blood of his cross you see we were a distance now he's made peace through the cross now we've been reconciled all things unto himself by him i say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven and you you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy
[00:51:48] and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight.
[00:51:52] If you continue in the faith, grounded and settled, be not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you have heard and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven, whereof I, Paul, am made a minister, who now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church.
[00:52:12] whereof I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you to fulfill the word of God even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations but now is made manifest to his saints through Christmas to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of his mystery among the Gentiles listen
[00:52:38] What is the riches of the glory of the mystery of God among the Gentiles?
[00:52:43] Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
[00:52:51] Christ in you, the hope of glory.
[00:52:55] This is the power of Christmas.
[00:52:58] Have you been born again?
[00:53:00] Is the Spirit of Christ inside of you?
[00:53:03] If so, you are a son, a daughter of God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth.
[00:53:10] And this is only possible because God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus.
[00:53:18] Yes?
[00:53:19] And whosoever should believe upon Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
[00:53:24] We think of the gave there.
[00:53:29] But he could not be Jesus, Jehovah saves us, until he was first Emmanuel, God with us.
[00:53:38] In the manger, some 2,000 years ago, God come to live in the midst of his people.
[00:53:45] Oh, don't leave here without knowing for sure that Emmanuel has come to you and is in your heart by faith.
[00:53:53] Praise God.
[00:53:54] The glory to God in the highest.
[00:53:57] And on earth, peace, goodwill toward men.
[00:54:01] Amen.
[00:54:01] Hallelujah.
[00:54:02] Praise the Lord.
[00:54:04] I think a fitting hymn after this message, O Little Town of Bethlehem.
[00:54:11] I believe it's number 178 in the hymnal, if the numbers are correct.
[00:54:15] Let's see.
[00:54:16] Is that the right number, John?
[00:54:17] 178.
[00:54:19] Let's stand and sing, O Little Town of Bethlehem.

[00:54:26] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
and more.