Jesus is God above all gods and King above all kings.
Joy to the world • Sermon • Submitted
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Joy to the world, the Lord has come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing
And heaven, and heaven and nature sing
Joy to the world, the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy
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This is one of my favorite Christmas carols of all time.
This is one of my favorite Christmas carols of all time.
Christmas has become trivial and deeply generic.
Others, think of Christmas as the birth of Jesus the Christian God.
It has become a national holiday much like the fourth of July for many.
Just a reason to throw a party and hang out with friends and family.
For others they celebrate the birth of the Saviour, sing carols, and read the birth passages of Jesus.
But still, many have no understanding what Jesus has truly saved them from.
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Over the next three weeks I hope to show you in Scripture the wonder, beauty, and purpose of Christmas.
I want you to be able to sing with a heart full of hope and victory - JOY TO THE WORLD, THE LORD HAS COME!
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Why Jesus Came!
Why Jesus Came!
Jesus as King and Saviour to all Humanity!
To call sinners to repentance
To destroy the works of the Evil one
The problem is when we say King we often think of human rulers.
To proclaim God has become KING through Jesus.
True
Jesus is King above all human rulers! - Yes but it means even more.
When we think of Saviour we think of Jesus saving us from our personal sins.
Yes but it means even more!
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Luke 4:43
but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”
TO UNDERSTAND THE BIRTH OF JESUS WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE ANCIENTS VIEWED NATIONAL POWER!
TO UNDERSTAND THE BIRTH OF JESUS WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE ANCIENTS VIEWED NATIONAL POWER!
When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,
when he divided mankind,
he fixed the borders of the peoples
according to the number of the sons of God.
When the Most High assigned lands to the nations,
when he divided up the human race,
he established the boundaries of the peoples
according to the number in his heavenly court.
After God dispersed the people from Babel he assigned their lands to be governed by His Heavenly court - other elohim.
At some point these spiritual beings fell from grace and chose to be worshipped themselves.
Psalms 82
A Psalm of Asaph.
God has taken his place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
“How long will you judge unjustly
and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
they walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
I said, “You are gods,
sons of the Most High, all of you;
nevertheless, like men you shall die,
and fall like any prince.”
Arise, O God, judge the earth;
for you shall inherit all the nations!
God had promised to judge these fallen heavenly rulers - to destroy them.
And we are given a small glimpse of Christmas -
FOR YOU SHALL INHERIT ALL NATIONS!
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The ancient rulers of Egypt and the lands surrounding Israel thought of themselves as sons of a particular deity.
Their rule was legitimate because they were selected and influenced by a so called god.
Even Rome during the time of Jesus was lead by men who saw themselves as sons of a god.
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This seems weird, could this really be true?
This seems weird, could this really be true?
Influence through the priests
It is weird and it is true!
It is weird and it is true!
Creating culture that brings them worship
And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.”
Group think
Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
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Ok, Pastor, what does this have to do with Christmas?
This Has Everything to do with Christmas!.
JESUS CAME TO BRING GOD’S RULE OVER ALL NATIONS!
JESUS CAME TO BRING GOD’S RULE OVER ALL NATIONS!
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”
The purpose of Jesus was to proclaim God is King over all Nations.
Through Jesus God was taking back the nations from the fallen rulers, as His own inheritance.
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Six Powerful Christmas Truths of How Jesus Is Taking Back The Nations.
Six Powerful Christmas Truths of How Jesus Is Taking Back The Nations.
Jesus delivers us from the power and influence of these hostile spiritual powers.
Jesus delivers us from the power and influence of these hostile spiritual powers.
But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.
He frees our minds to see the world in a different way
He frees our lives from the grips of these powers to live in His freedom
He frees our passions and loves - worship him and to love others (enemies)
He disarmed the powers and put them to open shame. -
He disarmed the powers and put them to open shame. -
He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
While these powers still have influence and power they can not stop the spread of the Gospel of the Kingdom.
The Kingdom of Jesus is expanding in the hearts of people all over the world and there is noting these powers can do to stop it.
By defeating death Jesus disarmed them of their greatest weapon.
Jesus took back all power and authority
Jesus took back all power and authority
Col 2:9-10
For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
Matt 28:
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We can be in peace because Jesus has taken back all authority.
Death is no longer to be feared by those in Christ
No power human or otherwise can prevent Jesus from reclaiming this world and you for God.
God is revealing his wisdom and power through His Church to these territorial powers.
God is revealing his wisdom and power through His Church to these territorial powers.
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
God is using you, to show these powers God’s wisdom and plan.
Not only that but you will one day judge these fallen powers.
Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life.
Here is our Christmas Truth!
Jesus came to reclaim all power and authority.
To strip these ancient territorial powers of their influence over people.
To set humans free from the oppression of idolatry
To establish the rule of God and to claim the world as His inheritance.
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Christmas is more than a story of Jesus being born
It is the celebration of the day God began to take the world back
and set humanity at liberty.
Christmas is the celebration of God in Jesus becoming.
King above all Kings.
God above all gods.