Christmas Eve 2023

Intro: Is there any more joyous of a time then the birth of a child?

You do all you can to prepare for it yet you never seem to be ready. You find out it's gender and start to buy clothes, diapers, and toys then suddenly that time comes.

It has been said once you witness a birth you witness a miracle.

A lot of people pay special attention to what they name their baby because that's how they will be identified as for the rest of their life!

Today I want to talk to you about a special baby. One that no one was ready for yet, one who came at just the right time.

This child’s name is Jesus and He was born with a purpose. He was born to die. To die and save mankind from our sin.

Let’s read Isaiah 9:6-7

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

Names of this child

a.) Wonderful

1. Why did Isaiah call him wonderful?

The word wonderful means to be wonderous or to cause wonderful things to happen.

Have we lost that in our Christian walk?

Have we lost sight of the wonder of God, and if you don't have a relationship with God you are missing the wonder of who his Son is!

Our wonder for God should draw us to our knees in praise and thanksgiving and produce a real worship of who he is.

2. Illustration- Let me give you an example in my life. I was told at 12 years old I had a blot clot ...

b.) Counselor

We need to stop going to Dr. Phil and Oprah for Counsel and go to the wonderful Counselor.

We see his counsel in his life, in his teachings from the crib to the cross.

His ways are higher than our ways.

We need to go to the creator the heavens and the earth four council on every aspect of life.

c.) Mighty God

1. God as el Gibbor our hero-

Mighty and strong and who still performs miracles. is God your hero today?

He has been my hero several times.

He has saved me mostly from myself.

He helped me overcome a many things.

d.) Everlasting Father

1. A father who will never leave us

a.) God will never leave us. That is the constant that we can rely on when life gets crazy and everyone else has turned their back on us,

and we’ve lost our job or lost a loved one.

Emmanuel "God with us" will still be there.

e.) Prince of Peace.

1. Definition of peace- Not as the absence of problems but as the presence of God

a. Physchologists theory of peace- To block out negative thoughts but, those negative thoughts will always come back.

It is a counterfeit peace. Perfect peace is not the absence of problems but the presence of God.

All that is in Gods character is peace. His love, grace, mercy, justice, I can go on and on.

3. Application:

If you want your darkness turned into light,

if you want to trade your sorrow for his joy,

your sin for his forgiveness and

your hell for his heaven

and experience and know this great God who is

a wonderful counselor in times of loneliness,

who is a mighty God in times when you need a miracle,

who is an everlasting father who will never leave or forget you.

Who is a prince of peace who will calm the troubled waters of life and will give you a peace that calms the fiercest storms

then close your eyes and ask yourself this one question "If you died today do you know that you’re going to heaven?

I want to share a poem with every one to end tonights devotional....

T’was the night before Christmas, God glanced over the earth.

He looked to and fro, all over it’s girth.

They missed it again, He said with a sigh,

a real heavy heart and a tear in His eye.

I gave them my Son, so they could be free.

My greatest gift to them, from me. They traded me in for a man in red.

A little tree and a horse drawn sled. How do I save them and make them see,

my love is complete and my grace is free.

How do I help them, when all they know,

is a talking snowman and a box with a bow.

Maybe next year they will stop and see, the greatest gift of Christmas is the child sent from me.

No, I didn’t write that poem, but the poem got me pondering.

The only way a lost world will understand what Christmas is all about is if someone tells ‘em! Now, do me a favor, when you get a chance:

Go look in a mirror. Now who do you see. Why, that’s a somebody there, starring right back at me.

Is has two eyes, an ear and a chin And right about now has a big toothy grin.

Christmas is special, I know it so well.

It’s time for this somebody to find someone to tell.