Immanuel

Welcome

Thank you for joining with us this Christmas Eve. This is a time that we set aside as a celebration of the coming of Jesus, the Son of God, who was born of a virgin in the small town of Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. I hope that as we are gathered here this evening, you will be able to take these moments to focus or re-focus or be renewed in your understanding of our amazing God and King.

Prayer of petition- asking the Lord to make His presence known to us.

Songs of Celebration-

Scripture Reading

Matthew 1:18–24 ESV

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife,

Mt 1:1

Matthew 1:18–25 ESV

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Sing Carols of Praise-

Scripture Reading-

Luke 2:1–18 ESV

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

Luke 2:1–21 ESV

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Immanuel- God with us

The reality of the presence of God in our lives has been the focus of my thoughts and meditations since the beginning of the Advent Season.

God- Omnipresent is not limited by time or space. We ought not to limit Him by thinking of Him as we think of anything that has been created. All that is created exists in one time and in one place. Even the things are that are incredibly vast have limits. God however is not limited.

Psalm 139:7–10 ESV

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.

Hell is not the absence of God, in the sense that He is not present. Hell is the absence of

God is everywhere, in the sense that He is near all things, over all things, not constrained by time and space. Listen to how the apostle Paul, communicated this to the people of Athens, as they worshipped idols, even one named the “unknown God”.

Acts 17:24–29 ESV

24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ 29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.

Acts 17:

It is important for us to think properly about God.

Example:

The young man at camp that told me, “I’m pretty much done with God.” I had to correct Him. It isn’t our choice when we are done with God. If God wants us to be His, we cannot refuse His call on our lives.

We who believe in Him are called to abide in Him. Be with Him.

Example: Kurt used to say to me, “are you with me?” He wasn’t asking if I was there. He knew I was there, but he was making sure I understood his instructions and his desires and I was ready to work to accomplish his will, his way.

God, since creation has always been with us, but He wants to have us with Him.

He sent His Son, in the flesh, to reveal Himself to us in a way that we can better understand Him and He proved that He understands us in every way possible and therefore, sympathizes with us.

Immanuel- with us . . . is GOD.

We really need to correct our twisted thinking, twist it around and correct it- We must become small (as we are) and He must increase and be everywhere, in all aspects of our lives and recognized as being sovereign over all things (as He is).

He alone is worthy of preeminence in our hearts and minds.

Our mindset should be to ask ourselves, “Do I have room in my life for this or that as I exist in the presence of God today?”

We should plan our lives having the attitude in our hearts and minds to say, “As I go about my life with you Heavenly Father, this evening, tomorrow, every moment of every day I know that you are with me.

Rather than having the attitude, which says, “Where can I find room for God in my busy schedule, my job, my neighborhood, my school, my family, my thought life, my giving etc. . . ?”

As we trust in Him, believe Him and abide in Him, cognizant of His presence, He bestows upon us, His Hope, just as the Scriptures testify took place in the lives of Elizabeth and Zechariah, and His Peace existed in the life of Simeon as he saw the infant Jesus as He was presented in the temple.

When we are awakened to the reality of God with us joy fills our hearts and soul as it did to John the Baptist even while he was still in his mother’s womb.

All of this took place, because GOD is LOVE, and His love was shown to us in that He sent His Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

So I invite you to . . .

Practice the Presence of IMMANUEL- God with us!

Worship Him as He is- Savior, Redeemer, Lamb of God, Light of the World, Bread of Life, Living Water, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

God has graciously revealed Himself in a way that our finite minds can at least begin to understand.

THANK YOU, GOD OUR FATHER!