The God Who Came

What does today I'm going to tell you what I'm going to ask these boys to move right over here on the front row. I think it's pretty neat. I think it's me this morning because as I was studying this as I was studying this week, I want to talk to you about the the Incarnation as I study there was so much stuff there. There's so many things going on so much stuff that happening and they're literally volumes and volumes of books that are written about the Incarnation in about the deity in about all of those things. And I was like, how do I put into a message? You know, how do we how do I take volumes and volumes things at doctors that have been written about for centuries and and put them in one message this week as we begin this Christmas season, And I prayed about it as I thought about it. I kept coming back to its really a story. It is a Christmas story. So today what I want to do is I want to tell you guys a Christmas story this morning as we focus on Christmas, you know, it's it's so much more than about Santa Claus and about the Grinch about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Frosty the Snowman in all the all the lights in the Christmas trees in the presents. It's so much more than that. I'm not antisocial anything like that, but I want to make sure that when we that when our world today has lost the understanding of what Christmas really is. We've lost the the The Wonder of it and there really is this wonder about Christmas until this morning. Maybe you guys met you girls didn't know about what I'm going to tell you about this morning. So I want to tell you guys a story you guys like stories. I'm going to tell you a great story and it's not just the kids story. It's the story for the adults as well. But it's a story that is it really covers more than more than history in more than from before. The earth was formed before the stars are in the sky before people were here before all of that stuff The Story begins in the stories are an amazing story every good story starts in the beginning right now. Have a beginning right in the beginning like all your story books when you were little you learned about the in the beginning, but but way back before there was time and space before the universe was created before Genesis chapter 1 God existed Where would he exists? I mean there was no space and there's no time. There was no Earth. There was like no place but the Bible says that he existed and he didn't just Exist by himself. He existed as the father Son and Holy Spirit.

This is really where Christmas began because as we're going to see as we read this morning. We're going to see some amazing things that happened God revealed this to John, you know, John was the disciple who was the closest he was like Jesus as best friend. So after Jesus died God revealed this to John and this is the first words that John wrote, Kind of lasers out for us that kind of begins a story. It says in the beginning was the word. I'll talk about that in a second. And the Word was with God and the Word was God.

He was with God in the beginning. And all things were created through him. And apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.

Life was in him. And that life was the light of men. Not like Schantz shines in the Darkness. Yet the darkness did not overcome it. Let's pray we come before you this morning. Got on a wintry day Lord on a day where I got just lots of things just seem to stop lord and God. I think that it's a perfect day to talk about this. What is a perfect day to think about you coming into this world and what that meant to us? Got our pray Lord. That is we share the story guy that you'll just help us to open our hearts and open our minds God open our imagination so that we can understand just how important this was. Gallup radio speak to our hearts this morning as we look in your word. We ask in Jesus name. Amen. John opens this book this gospel with the most profound truth in the universe that can be understood by a little child. But I can borrow the minds of the most learned people in the world.

It's truth beyond the ability of the greatest Minds in human history to grasp. That is the Eternal infinite and nipotent Powerful omniscient all-knowing God. Kman.

Do we celebrate Christmas and we think about this story this little baby being born, but I want you to know that it is so much more than that. It is about this child is being born but this job was different than every other child. That's ever been born. It's exciting when babies are born, isn't it? How many guys have brothers and sister little brother and sisters? It's neat when they come home and you get this you don't have a little brother. You got old big brothers.

You don't have sisters either.

But I mean, I want you to think about this the Eternal infinite God became man in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ the word became flesh that this baby we celebrated Christmas is none other than God, this is God who becomes man. He becomes human flesh. It's it's mind-boggling that the DD we talked about the DND that God is that Jesus is all God and all man and it is essential to our Doctrine. It's a non-negotiable turn about the Christian faith and I want to make sure that we understand with no uncertainty this Christmas that this is what the Incarnation is. It is God becoming man, but have you ever thought about why would God What would God become man?

Serious, he is. He has everything he knows everything and he has everything and he's got he is it says literally that Jesus spoke in the stars came out of his mouth and he spoke the world and all of this stuff right there. It says everything that was made was made by him. Why? Where would he go and become a little baby?

Why would God become man? I told you that this story covers all of history infected covers before all of history. But God had decided to create man a long time ago. When we read about jump when we read from John their God decided a long time ago that he was going to make man because he wanted someone that he can have a relationship with he was going to make men's different than everybody else. In fact, he was going to make him that he would be in the image of God doesn't mean that we necessarily just look like God because God is a spirit. We can't look like God, but we were going to be like God and this way that we have an intellect. We can think for ourselves we can reason we can make decisions. We have emotion wheel of people we feel emotion. We feel sad and we feel happy. And we have will we can make a decision we can decide to do something or not do something and then those ways we were made like God.

In order to ensure that man was free to love God. God put them in a perfect environment with everything that he needed. He created the Garden of Eden and then that Darlene was everything man would need he can live forever in that garden and you know what God would come down and he would walk with him and he would talk with him and he would tell him all he would I mean could you imagine getting up every morning and God comes down and wake you up and says, hey, let's go for a walk today. We shall walk with God. He starts telling you all the science about all the things that he made it starts telling you all the things in your learning all this stuff from God and the God who created you as walking with you and telling you about all this stuff.

The God made man because he loved us he wanted us to love him back. But in order to make sure that we love him back. You know what he didn't want just you know, what you guys have any of you girls have some dolls right? Little baby dolls. Can your baby dolls? Love you back. They just do what you make him. Do you guys have any GI Joe dolls or anything like that? You can you can make GI Joe do whatever you want. But he he he does everything you make him do but he can't do anything on his own he can't make a decision.

Took out that I want man to be able to make a decision. And God says I'm going to demonstrate my love to man and I want him to respond to my love. So God said the only way I can do that. I have to put some kind of boundary have to say this is the limit so God put the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil in the garden. He said of all of this stuff that I made it all for you and you can have all of it except this one tree you can't have

I don't know about you, but when somebody tells me you can't I can't have something. You know what I want to do. I want to have it needed says you can't have that chocolate and you know what I do. I hate how do you know?

But if you think about it without that one boundary, we would be nothing more than a little robots do just exactly what we are programmed to. Do you mass will what's wrong with that. Will God want us to love him because he loved us not because we are forced to love him. Do you want a man to respond to his love by his own free will he wanted us to be able to love him. He wanted to show us his love he gave us all this stuff. He said I just want you to love me, but if you can't if you don't have a choice, then you can't really respond to God's love. I'm sure by now you figured out who that man and woman were who that who were they? They were Adam and Eve. And guess what Adam and Eve did? Ate the fruit, huh? And you know what they saying that's called sin anytime. We do something against God's will that's called sin. Not sin is a problem that sin separated Mankind from God you see god is perfect and he's holy and he can't even look at sin. Every day he would get up and he would walk without him and stuff. But when Adam and Eve sinned he couldn't even walk with him anymore because he couldn't even look at them because they had sinned. And that's in separated man from God. That's a problem, right?

You see god is perfect and holy couldn't even look at since he couldn't Fellowship without him any longer because man it's end but God loved him to spite of what he had done got still loved Adam and he still loved even though they messed up even though they send God still love them. I'll tell you something about God. Nothing ever takes him by surprise. just know that you know that God wasn't surprised when Adam and Eve ate that fruit and they send in fact if we go back to John where in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God when they were talking in the beginning before all the stuff. They knew this was going to happen. They knew that Adam and Eve were going to send and that's 10 was going to separate them from God.

He already had a plan before he ever created man. He knew that man would sin. He also knew that the only way for man to be reconciled back to him. The only way to restore that relationship was going to be very expensive.

Not expensive for us. expensive forgot you ever want something really bad that you couldn't afford. It's kind of think someone you want something, but you can't really afford a cost too much.

See the payment for our sins. Because I send. Somebody had to die.

Because blood had to be shipped if I got covered it up for Adam and Eve. He killed a lamb and covered them up so they could be so they are there soon will be covered up. But that was just a that wasn't a full-time solution. He just did it for that time.

God put some Provisions in place in the short-term man to sacrifice a lamb to cover up his sin for a while, but that wasn't the permanent solution. No one could pay for their own sin, but all of us have sinned. Only way it can be taken care of was if man could live a perfect and sinless life. You see the problem? Can you guys live a sinless life? now none of us can

what was God going to do? He loved us? Remember God has a plan. So his plan was to give a gift. That's what Christmas is about. Why do we give gifts at Christmas? Because God gave a gift. It's the greatest gift. It's ever been. So fast forward go back to John one. Remember what he said in the beginning. This is before time before everything in the beginning was the word.

That word is understood that a John was writing to the Greeks and the Greeks understood this word. It was it says the word was with God and the Word was God. It was sort of like God and Jesus looking face-to-face facing each other how many conversations in the beginning was this word that the love of it is they understood it as face-to-face that God and Jesus were face-to-face. It wasn't like Jesus was just born when he was born by Mary. He has always been Jews understood at the logos the word they understood that this Jesus this person who was born was the same person. That was the word in the burning bush with Moses. It was the same. It was the same word that stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac when we talked about that last week.

It says in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

It says all things were created through him. Apart from him not one thing was created that has been created life was in him. And that life was the light of man and that light shines in darkness yet. Darkness did not overcome it. She God's plan from before time was to allow his son. To become a man and John when it says in the beginning Jesus and God were talking. It's saying that they made this plan from Before Time that Jesus was going to come that God and Jesus made this play. Movie. He would have to allow his son to become a man. I mean tell the one who created Universe spoke it into existence became a little baby. He humbled himself become a little baby be taken care of by and raise any never send out once he lived a perfect life, and he loved that perfect life. So that he could die on a cross to pay the penalty for your state of mind. For this baby that comes when we celebrate Christmas, it's not just about this baby. That was coming. This baby wasn't just any Ordinary Baby this baby was God who came? This was his plan from the beginning God came to this Earth for us.

Sinister gift in fact John 3:16. It says got for God so loved the world.

No boys and girls, you can take your name there for God so loved Tanner.

For God so loved Amy. For God so loved Chris. He gave his one and only son.

Whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.

Romans 5:8 it tells us that God demonstrated his own love toward us. Even though we were still sinners Christ died for us.

I love the rest of John chapter 1. It says later and John wants is this the True Light? Just like to everyone this God who is this guy who was in the beginning that created everything this guy who was like that the true life of gives like everyone was coming into the world.

He was in the world. And the world was created through him.

Adults try to wrap your mind around that for a little while.

Yet the world did not recognize him. I mean think about it. He created all of us and fight the Bible says before you were in your mother's womb. He knew you. Who you were going to be new your name new everything about you? You were the world that he created and the world that he created he came to them and they didn't even recognize them.

He came to his own his own people did not receive him.

But to all who did receive him he gave them the right to be children of God. To those who believe in his name. Who were born not of blood or by the will flasher by the will of man but of God? The word became flesh and took up residence Among Us. We observe this Glory the glory of the one and only son from the father full of grace and truth. I think about that for a minute. Jesus came to the very people that he created and yet we didn't receive him. He created Adam Levy created may need another since he let them grow and grow and then when he came to them man wouldn't receive them. They said they rejected him. Bible says Isaiah says he was despised and rejected among man.

Mary become so accustomed to sing. We didn't even recognize Jesus even the Jewish people who got it given a detailed plan. Didn't recognize mm. I said goddamn such a detailed plan that he told him where Jesus was going to be born. He told him that he was going to be born of a virgin. He told him all of the stuff later all of these things. I think there were 600-plus promises that God made an Old Testament are called prophecy told about Jesus. And even the people that have told and gave them all the details of them when Jesus came they rejected him. He came to his own and his own didn't receive him.

Got offered the greatest gift that's ever been given. And man rejected it.

I want you to know something the gift that got offers it's still available today. Do you know who is available to? It's available to anyone who receive it.

Result of the Incarnation the result of God coming to Flat coming into the world. We find him in John 1:4 14. It says the word became flesh and took up residence Among Us. We observed his glory the glory of the one and only son from the father full of grace and truth.

The results of God taking her own Humanity that is that mankind could be reconciled to God. I could have a relationship with God again. Remember when Adam and Eve sinned and God couldn't even walk in the garden with them anymore because that since separated them from from God, but now when Jesus came because Jesus because the god-man came and was born this earth now I can have a relationship with God again. But only through Jesus Christ only through him.

Melted realize that God understood our condition because Jesus Took a heart condition. He was fully man. He live he was sorry. He had hurts and pain. We know that he suffered pain on the cross. He was tempted just like you and I are he hadn't dealt with everything we've ever dealt with and yet he was without sin. He can relate to our condition about you, but that's pretty neat that God the God who created everything who spoke the world into existence. He can relate to the very things that I struggle with. How cool is that that God can relate to me.

Also, all Sim was paid for on the cross. God stands ready to everybody say impute. impute means Let's say I let's say. Let's say you went and bought something those really expensive and you were going to pay for the rest of your life. It was going to cost you every month. You have to pay all your allowance and all the money you ever going to rain yet in for that. But somebody came and imputed put all the money in it paid it off for you so you don't have to pay anything for it. That's what it means god imputed. He put his righteousness us if we'll just accept Jesus for what he's done.

Silver sin was paid for all the sin that I've ever committed in the past all the thing that I ever commit in the future it was paid for. Because God became man. I lived Among Us and he died on a cross for us and paid the penalty for our sin. You know what? That's it called. Grace. Grace is it is getting something that I didn't deserve. If you had that thing before whatever it was that you wanted and somebody paid for it. They didn't even know who you are. You don't even know who they were, but they came and paid for it. Did you deserve that now, but they did it anyway imputer that and God says God offered Grace to all of us. I didn't deserve forgot to save me. I didn't do anything to make him save me. I didn't do anything to earn that salvation. He just did it because he loved me. That's Grace. That's unmerited favor. Nothing that I deserved.

He said one time is God's riches at Christ's expense that I get to be God's son. I'm called God's son. Because Jesus came to this earth. You understand how big this Christmas present was understand how it makes every other Christmas presents pale in comparison. There's nothing no one no person could ever do anything that it was that great. It took God doing that for us. That's what Christmas is about. It is about God becoming mankind so that you can come back to God so you can have a relationship with him. And this message with a story that I think will help us understand just what God has done for us. The store is called the rich King.

Once upon a time there was a very rich. But very unhappy King. He was unhappy because he was all alone. He lived in that Palace all by himself and there was nobody around and he didn't know if people really like them or if they were just a servant so he was really lonely.

Ninja strong for a wife somebody you could share somebody who he could share his life with. Then one day he was up in the palace and he's looking out in the from the palace and he sees the most beautiful woman that he ever laid eyes on.

And she's riding through the streets and he started asking about her and he started finding out that at that. She was just a peasant girl, but the king's heart was captivated.

He would make sure every day that he rode past your house just in hopes it to catch a glimpse of her. Just so maybe by Ron by every time that every day. He'd ride by maybe she realize how much you loved her. But he was the king. She couldn't understand that.

But the king had a problem. How can I win her love pick a draw up a Royal Decree and command her to become his Queen? But would he ever be sure that she really loved him if he just made a decree and made her be as wife. Not really. He wouldn't never know if she really love them.

She be required to obey a Royal Decree, but that wouldn't be he would never know. She loved them. Maybe he could call on her and try to win her over and appear in all his Regal glory and sweep her off her feet.

But no money can never be sure whether she had married him for his money or his power or his riches. He just wouldn't ever be able to know.

Finally, he came up with a perfect plan. He would come to her as a peasant. That was really the only way he could ever really win her love. So the king let this castle and he left all his riches and he left all his money and all his power and he came and lived as a peasant and he work with the peasants and they celebrated their braces with the peasants and he danced with the peasants any work with him and he got to know this girl by being a peasant. And finally she fell in love with them. Finally he won her heart.

You know, that's what God did. Jesus became one of us. So we could love him. So that we could realize just what God has done for us. Does when we celebrate Christmas this year, I hope that we don't just think about Santa Claus and think about the gifts and think about the toys and think about all that because that's not what Christmas is about. Those are fun things that we can celebrate but that's not what Christmas is about. Christmas is about God becoming man. To show us that he loved us. I can't think of a better thing to celebrate at Christmas.

You know this story. include you Can we read stories? We read fairy-tales we read about all these things in there people that are far off in the we think that can ever happen to me. But this story it really does involve you you see you are the person that God loved so much that he sent his son to take on Humanity. Because he didn't want you separated from him forever. He said I want to have a relationship with you Titus. I want to have a relationship with all of you because I love you. It's really important that we recognize what Jesus did.

But you know what all he's done. He came to his own he came to humanity and you what his own received him. Not many people. They don't even know why we celebrate Christmas. They think we celebrate Christmas because of Santa Claus or because of some other thing but they missed out he came to his own he came to the people that he created and many of his own didn't even receive him.

But he said to them that received me to them that recognized the gift that got sent. I receive that gift as payment for their sin. Those can become Sons and Daughters of God.

That's the gift that God offers and I want you to know that God offers that gift to every person. It doesn't matter. If your child. It doesn't matter. If you're the oldest person in the world God offer that gift that free gift everyone. God paid the price for all of our sin. I Diamond that cross I come into the Earth being born of a virgin.

Maybe you're here this morning and you've never received that gift. I don't want you to know that that gift is available to you today. The whole reason why we're here today. The whole reason why we celebrate Christmas is because God became flesh and dwelt Among Us.

Maybe you haven't received what Christ has done is payment for your soon. I want you to know that he offers is still today.

This is simple as a b c admit the earth center.

You see just like Adam and Eve we send in our sin separates us from God then be believe that Jesus died on the cross and paid the penalty for sin. Nancy call on him the Bible says whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved if you just believe what God did and you accept what he's done as payment for your sin. You will be saved you will be reconciled to God.

Maybe you're here and you receive Jesus as payment for your sin. But you know what? Sometimes we lose the Wonder of Christmas, you know, we're just like the kids we get distracted by all the lights and buy all the tinsel and buy all the decorations by all the shopping and buy all the cartoons and buy all the other stuff. And we lose sight of what Christmas is really about.

It is all about Christ because he is God who came into the world.

Maybe this morning you just need to be reminded of that. So as we go through the rest of this Christmas season, you can share it with other people what God has done for you. I'm going to ask you to buy your head and close your eyes.

I don't know where you're at today. Maybe you're here. Maybe you've been coming to church for a long time. But maybe you never really understood with a Christmas story was about.

maybe today God spoke to your heart and you realized maybe for the first time that Jesus is God. And the reason that it came to this Earth was because he loves you. You wanted to make sure you would come back to him. Maybe this morning you need to ask Jesus into your heart and ask him to forgive you of your sins. I don't care if you're four years old or 40 years old or 400 years old. Same story still applies. God sent his one and only son for you. Maybe God speaking to your heart this morning. You say you know, what Pastor Chris I've never asked Jesus into my heart. Maybe I've been coming to Awana. Maybe I've been coming to church, but you know what? I've never really realized what God has done. Today, I want to ask Jesus into my heart.

You say you know, what Pastor Chris that's that's me today. I thought you was you just raise your hand so I can pray for you right where you're at. I won't call you. I don't want to embarrass you, but maybe your hearing you say, you know, what I've never asked you to send in my heart and today I want to ask him because I know that Jesus came down. He was God came down. He died for my sins.

That you say when you slip up your hands so I can pray for you right where you're at quickly. a man that's right now right where you at? You can put your hand down. I want you to say this to God God. I know that I'm a sinner. I know that you sent Jesus to come into this world and a diamond cross for my sin. Today right now. I want to ask you Jesus to come into my heart. And be my savior Lord, I want to receive the greatest Christmas gift. That's ever been given. I want to receive the payment for my sin.

Listen, if you said that prayer I want you to take your daddy's hand or your mom's hand and you tell him what you just did. Okay, cuz I want them to make I want them to know.

Maybe you're here. Maybe you're a Christian. Maybe been here for a long time. Maybe you asked you to send your heart. But you know what? It's so easy to get caught up in all the other stuff at Christmas. Maybe this morning you just needed to be reminded again of what Christmas is really about.

You said Chris. Can you pray for me? Cuz there's so much going on. Maybe it's the struggles in the financials and all the different things that are going on. But I just want to have the Wonder of what Christmas is really about again. I want to make sure that my family knows this year. I want to make sure that when I celebrate Christmas this year that that's what I'm celebrating. Can you pray that hot that man? I just want to make sure that that's right in my life. Can you pray for me if that's your part of this morning? We just lift up your hands so I can pray for you and man and man. Listen to just a moment. We're going to have an invitation.

If you ask Jesus into your heart, I want you to I want you to let your mom or dad know right now. I maybe you need to come to the altar with them and make sure that that you know that you asked you to send your heart. You just need to come and pray for your family that. God help us to have the Wonder of Christmas in our life again. What's Stanford prayer?

Are we come before you today? And we thank you God that you came into this world.

schedule a the side all of those things learned to come in the world. to live a humble life You humbled yourself even to death the death on the cross. God I'm so thankful that the story didn't end there Lord you Rose and conquered death and hell and the grave and God you reconciled us back to you. Lord I pray there's somebody here today that hasn't Trust You Lord today will be there day of salvation for all of us. We just need to come and pray. And make sure Lord that Christmas is about you and then we get the right perspective amongst. All the distractions are out there today. Thank you Lord for the for your word. Thank you. For this time. We had this morning I ask it in Jesus name. Amen.