CMC - The God Who is With US

Series Intro - Christmas Made Clear

What is Christmas to you?

Seeing relatives you don’t get to see

24 hour marathon of the Christmas Story on TBS

Presents

A time of loneliness?

A time where you feel lacking?

A time where you feel full?

Maybe one of the only times you or those close to you come to church?

Christmas means many things to many people. This year, we’re going to explore its origins, why it was important then, and why it is important now.

Christmas Facts and definition

First recorded celebration was December 25th, 336 AD.

“Christmas” comes from old English word Cristes-messe, literally meaning Christ’s Mass. Without going to deep down the rabbit hole:

Christ is synonymous with Messiah, meaning “Anointed”

Mass meaning celebration.

Christmas is the celebration of the Messiah’s arrival

“Prophesy” definitions according to various dictionaries:

To utter by, or as if by divine inspiration

To predict with assurance, or on the basis of mystic knowledge

The foretelling or prediction of what is to come

Something that is declared by a prophet, especially a divinely inspired prediction, instruction, or exhortation.

Prophesy Statistics

Approximately 2500 prophecies appear in the Bible. About 2,000 have already been fulfilled, meaning about 500 still to be fulfilled

Jesus acknowledges prophecy testifying to His coming:

John 5:31-39 “31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true. 33 “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light. 36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,”

SERIES: Christmas Made Clear

· Main Idea: We need to have True Faith and Confidence in God because we can see his faithful fulfillment of prophecy throughout scripture and we should respond in action.

· A Branch of David  - Jeremiah 23:5-6 we know He is from the line of King David: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land … This is the name by which he will be called: the Lord our righteous savior.”

· Born of a Virgin - Isaiah 7:14 – Fulfilled in Matthew 1:21-23

· Born in Bethlehem (Micah, 5:2 Seen Matthew 2:4-6

· He will be called a Nazarene (Jer. 11:1-5; 53:3

o Matthew 2:23)

· Power of Elijah  - Micah 4:5-6 seen in Luke 1”16-17

· Son of the Most High – 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Isaiah 9:6-7 seen in Luke 1:31-33

· Abraham & his offspring – Gen. 12:3; 17:4-5; 22:18 Seen in Luke 1:46-47; 54-55

· Prepare the way of the Lord – Micah 3:1; 4:2; Isaiah 9:1-2; 40:3-5 seen in Luke 1:76-79

· The God who is With Us

o INTRODUCTIONS TO SERIES

§ In the past God spoke to the Prophets (Hebrews 1:1)

§ The Prophets desired to see the salvation they were prophesying about (1 Peter 1:10-11)

§ People of Faith throughout history desired to see the salvations that the prophets spoke about (Hebrews 11:13)

§ NOW in these Final Days, God speaks through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:2-3)

o https://empower.global/the-mathematical-probability-that-jesus-is-the-christ/

§ Share a few statistics in the article and the quote “Any man who rejects Christ as the Son of God is rejecting a fact, proved perhaps more absolutely than any other fact in the world.”

o The promises of God should produce peace, rest, trust, joy, etc. in your life.

§ Matthew 1:18-23

· Joseph was at a crossroads, he was concerned about his situation and didn’t know what to do.

· The angel quotes isaiah’s prophecy in Is. 7 and encourages you that “GOD IS WITH YOU!”

·

§ Isaiah 7:14 (NLT) - 14 All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).

· Give Context. When this prophecy was originally given Isaiah was speaking to King Ahaz when he was full of fear when Syria and Ramaliah were attacking Jerusalem.

o Isaiah 9:6-7

§ The government will be on his shoulder

§ Wonderful Counselor

§ Mighty God

§ Everlasting Father

§ Prince of Peace