Dec 26, 2021 Sunday Morning Service

I'm at 9:36.

Glad you're here with us this morning. As we worship Our God together, thankful for your attendance, thankful for your devotion. And it's always good to be assembled with Brothers and Sisters in Christ were thankful for that. And before I get underway, let's go to God In Prayer.

Loving father in Heaven. We We thank you so much for your word. And as we consider your word, we understand that your son, Jesus. Our savior was called the word, the Lagos. That he came to show the world what you are like. it at He came to explain who you were.

But then, father, we know that the word. Who is Jesus also? Gave us the word teaching. We call the gospel. Baltimore, so thankful. For the word of Christ. Weatherby Christ himself. Or his word that he has provided for us through the scriptures. And father were thankful for both. We know without the one, there is not the other. The father, we thank you for the scriptures that you have provided. We know that you have told us. In your own word. That your word is living. And Powerful. That your word is life-giving. That your word is Faith giving. I know your word is life-changing.

Lord, we ask that you would help us all. To hunger. And thirst. For righteousness.

A truth. And as we study this morning, Father, we pray that our hearts and Minds who are settled here today. Be filled with the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ and father Wilde. The world. Emphasizes the birth of Christ at this time. Today and every Sunday every first day of the week, father. You have desired for us to remember his death until he comes. We know that Jesus was indeed born. In order to die for our sins. And not only for our sins, but the sins of the entire world and he had to do so on a cruel Cross of Calvary. Father. We thank you for your love. We thank you for your word and we thank you, Father, for always being with us in Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

As you can see her title of our lesson, this morning is gift-wrapped and I don't know about you, but you got a nice present for somebody, then he always want to kind of make it more special and you want to make it look nice and presentable. And so you by the pretty wrapping paper and you put it in the wrapping paper, but if you like me, you just give the store-bought bag to the person with the item because I cannot wrap presents to save my life course. They do make those bags and you can put them in a bag and I suppose, I could break down and buy those but What's the point? We'll just give him a gift from the store bought bag, but it is a time where we can be with our family and we can share with our family and friends. And it's so that's always always a good time when we could be with our family and friends at this time of year. And it's the time of expressing love. It's the time of expressing kindness toward others, the Christmas season as it's called first day of Christmas Day, and then there's Christmas season. And then you go back to the history and you'll learn that there's 12 Days of Christmas. But that wasn't good enough. So, he needed 30 Days of Christmas, you know, from the point of Thanksgiving on work. And then now you have 90 days out, 120 days of Christmas is beginning in July. As you can see, from all the TV shows on QVC and HSN where they have Christmas in July, but we learned because Christmas has become so commercialized, right? It's no longer the idea of Jesus, but it is about presents and it is about spending money on others and it's about spending the amount of money on the right gift to give to that individual. And so indeed has become commercialized. But as we consider the idea of Christmas Elvis, once said, why can't everyday be like Christmas. Why Can't This Feeling? Go on endlessly for if everyday could be like Christmas? What a Wonderful World? This would be? That's true. But, unfortunately, it's not just about December 25th, and it's not about the time. Between Thanksgiving and the 25th, and it's not about from September to December, and it's not from July to December, and it's not from January to January every day of every year. God desires that day to be a Christmas day. He desires us to show Jesus Christ to the world every day, and he desires us to show love, we are to love God and love others, not just on the Christmas day, not just in a Christmas season, not just in a particular. Of time, but every day, Everyday, it's so we are to give them ourselves. Not just monetarily, but of ourselves to others everyday, we are consider others better than ourselves. That's called humility everyday. We humble ourselves before God. You're better than me. That's the attitude that we are to have toward others and ourselves had it, right. It's not just a one-way Street and there was some reciprocation there and the world would be better off. And so it is our responsibility to teach others. The way to have that reciprocity, the way to have that two-way street because the only way folks are going to know it is when they submit to Christ. That's the only way we know it and that's the only way they're going to do it. And so we have to bring them Jesus Christ and not only through teaching. But also when our example, In our daily lives. People need to see who we are as children of God, and his followers of Jesus Christ, but regarding the idea of Christmas being commercialized and so forth about make a buck, make a buck. Well, I'm going to be your hero film clip from one of my favorite movies Miracle on 34th Street.

Thank you.

Make a buck, make a, but that's what it turns into. You know, that's the way religion has gone. And it's not do. We can see in the day of Christ. When Jesus went to Temple, what did happen. The religion of God, that turned into a money-making scheme in the Temple. And so, Jesus had to go over and turn out all over the tables in the money changers and show them that this was a brother in the house of God in a prayer. And so religion, along the way has been corrupted and the thought of Jesus. As also, the been corrupted and that we take the idea of the concept of the birth of Christ and turn it into a money-making Ponzi scheme. If you will, in about how we spend our money and tell her eyes were talking about gift wrap. What were talking about is the birth of Christ that was wrapped in promise. The birth of Christ that was wrapped in Scandal and the birth of Christ that was wrapped in love. And so, as we think about Wrapped in promise. You can't help but think of going back to the Book of Genesis. Where God, intervenes and begin speaking to the serpent, the devil and he says he says, but I will put enmity between you and the woman Eve between her seed. Her lineage and your seed. And he shall crush your head and you shall bruise his heel. And so right there's the first Messianic prophecy prophecy, the promise of a coming Messiah, whereby he would be victorious over death over sin over Satan. I never think about Isaiah chapter 9 in Prophecy. For unto us. A child is born For unto us. A son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and we should call his name. Wonderful, counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace Everlasting, father, that his government will know, no bounds but increase unto Everlasting. And so we find here those prophecies in the Old Testament. There's over 300 of those kind of prophecies found in the Old Testament pointing to Jesus pointing to his coming day. and then, of course, we coming to the the golden. Text of the Bible, John 3:16 for God. So loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever Shall Believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. A lot of people look at that first. And I think it's a one-time deal. Whoever believes in him once is saved. That is in a present tense and it means continuous action for God. So loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever continues believing in him shall not perish. But continue having everlasting life, continue having everlasting life is conditioned upon continue. Believing in the Son of God in Jesus Christ. And so would send forth his son. Don't win. When would God send forth his son. Galatians chapter 4 beginning of verse for. But when the fullness of the time had come sent forth his son, born of a virgin or a woman born under the law. So that was at that appropriate time. Now, you think about the history of the time? Yeah, the first Messianic Prophecy in the garden in Genesis chapter 3. Jesus is coming. And then God makes a covenant with Abraham and says, through your seed shall come the Messiah. And he will deliver his people and then to Isaac. He says the same sea promise given to Abraham is given to you from your seed, shall come the Messiah and then God for Nathan tells David that through his seed, the Messiah will come. And so, we go through all of that Old Testament, history up until the rebuilding of the new Temple and the coming of John, the Baptist, who would be the Elijah of all the way on the Messiah. And so we come into the New Covenant, the New Testament and then at the appropriate time at the right time or as the holy spirit says, at the fullness of the time, God sent forth his son to be born of a woman born under the law and we fine there for that. This gift the greatest gift that you can ever have in your life. Have the gift of Life, the gift of Grace, but all of that's a gift of Jesus Christ. And it was given to us at the exact moment in time that the father wanted to give it. And so we find here that the birth of Christ was wrapped in promise wrapped in promise. But also we learn that this gift was wrapped in Scandal. Skittle.

Two of the biggest things about Jesus Christ that caused people to be atheist, or one his Incarnation, and to his crucifixion. Because those people who have a secular religions like and I'm using sick of the religions in the sense that they don't believe in Jesus Christ, but they call themselves a church or religion. Now those people find it, reprehensible that God could be wounded.

Think about that. God could be wounded. How could God be wounded? How did God become flesh? How could God become through the, the birth canal, human being be born in the flesh? How demeaning?

How scandalous? Because that's not Majesty. That's not the guy that they understand. But God. Mourn for his people, God Mourns for his creation. And therefore, at his heart was wounded. And in his devotion and hurt. There was a plan devised to send Jesus to die for you. And for me, and for the entire world. And so God was wounded in the heart, but also when God became flesh. He also had to be wounded physically. Are to be beaten to a pulp. He had to suffer physical suffering. None of us one physical suffering. None of us want to die. Watching Gunsmoke, yesterday and I don't know how many Gunsmoke Story show. Some guy who's at the other end of a gun, and he doesn't want to die. No, don't kill me. Don't kill. Even the bad guy. Killed him dead. Think about Jesus. What's me like that? Wasn't like that when he was in The Garden of Gethsemane. When he was praying and dripping down worth, sweat like blood. And now he said, father. Father. Is there any way for you to take this cup from me? Is there any other way that it could be done. Can you send me this way? And not that way? Well, you know the answer. We had to follow through with the plan. So, Jesus, once again, in a scandalous way, was born to die. And again, I said before that people make an attempt to just believe, God or the Christians, God and attempt to just believe in Jesus based upon the Incarnation. Muslims find that reprehensible that God would leave his majesty in order to become one of us. That's exactly what God did. God, move to our neighborhood. We couldn't go to his neighborhood. So he had to come to ours. And so in the beginning was the word, the word was with God and the Word was God. And without him, the everything I was made with more than me, but he created everything. Jesus God. And then it says in verse 14 of the same chapter and he became flesh and dwelt Among Us. He became one of us there was trouble in order for him to understand fully what it was to be human. Did you experience it? And yet while experiencing his life as a human being in the flesh? He doesn't send completely seamless. And he did that for you and for me until the birth of Christ and Christianity, it's the only only religion in the entire world by God became man. For God became man. And every other religion is always about God or about man trying to reach God. In Christianity, it's about God, reaching man. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. That's the purpose of his coming and that was upon the establishment of his birth because of his birth. He was able to do that. And so God Live Like Us. It's another monkey wrench thrown into the into the machine. I guess some people would say is that well, what you're doing is your lowering Jesus and his majesty and his lordship, and his kingship, to a human level. Yes, we're not doing that works planning. What God did God did become human. He did become play. He did become one of us. Did have to eat. It did have to sleep. And guess what? Here's a dirty little secret. A dirty, little scandalous secret. Jesus had to go to the bathroom. He was one of us. He lived, like, you and me. A lot of us don't like to think about that because we don't want to make it seem Less dignified than it is, but that's the truth because you was human. He live like one of us having to do so and so God did more. God did. Give up his majesty to become one of us. He left his home in glory. Willingly, he left his home in glory to come to this earth, to become flesh and then he came to this Cesspool of a world. They came to our neighborhood. Just think about what that would have done to you and me you left your Mansion just picture yourself like a billionaire and you're living in his gold-plated mansion and you have everything at your fingertips and all the sudden you have to come to our neighborhood.

That's what Jesus did. And Jesus was willing to do so. And so, He is the one that brings about the idea of Scandal through his birth. But as you think about the Scandal associated, with not only his birth, but the cross and everything in between, we think about this Joseph and Mary. Joseph and Mary. No. Just picture yourself as Mary. Your Patrol. You're not yet married, but you're betrothed. In the betrothal. There's a year until the marriage day. And so, during this timeframe. She begins to show this baby bump. And she begins to walk around. And people begin to notice. And people begin to start calling her names. What's going on here? Scandal, perhaps No, good old Joseph, he knew what was going on and, you know, for one to be in such a situation. Would have been punishment by death punishment by stoning, but Joseph love Mary. And he protected her, he could have said she's guilty of this and that, but he didn't. But just think about Joseph now having to go through this. What do I do? She's been unfaithful to me. What am I going to do next? And all of a sudden, a voice from heaven. Don't worry, Joseph. Mary has been overshadowed by the Holy One of God. Could you imagine the relief? In his heart. Because he's an old voided the Scandal. Well, as we think about the Scandal. I want you to turn to John chapter 8. If you would the old-fashioned way, take out the Bible in front of you and turn over to John. The Gospel of John chapter 8.

Are you a chapter 8?

Who starred in verse?

First 34. Jesus answered most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin and a slave does not abide in the house forever.

That's something deep to think about.

Slave doesn't live in a house forever. What's he saying? He's saying a child of God does not sin, but if a child of God, find themselves in sin and living in sin. No longer a child but a slave, he's attached himself. Has become a servant to that, which separates him from God. And so he says, whoever keeps on committing sin is a slave of sin and a slave does not abide in the house forever. But a son abides forever. Therefore is the son makes you free. You shall be free. Indeed. I know that you are Abraham's, descendants, but you seek to kill me because my word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen, what I have seen with my father and you do what you have and you do what you have seen with your father. They answered and said to him Abraham is our father. Jesus said to them, if you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham, but now you seek to Show me a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God and bring him. To not do this. You do the Deeds of your father. Then they said to him, we were not born of fornication.

Or listen, well, the rumors up. About Jesus there, talking to Jesus and I turned to him and said, well, we're not like you, you're a born in fornication. See how the Scandal was perpetuating.

Mary's reputation was tainted. Joseph was laughed at. Jesus was scorned and ascribed things that did not belong to him. And so it was that when Jesus came to this earth to be born of a virgin at the exact time. God wanted him to be born. It was brought in promise and was brought in Scandal and it was Scandal all the way up until Jesus's time upon the cross. And also as we think about the idea of Jesus coming and being born that gift was wrapped in love, you know, you think about the manger scene Now you can look at, you can think of all the movies that you've ever seen in your past or I can think about the peanuts. And any think about Jesus in that made, you do what a Manger is.

It's not a barn. It's a feeding trough. That's a Manger. Now. It's a feeding, trough was in a barn. And so what they did was in this little feeding trough like a V, they put the hay and the cattle would come over and eat out of that feeding trough that that manger. Well, evidently the cattle were no longer feeding their was, hey, still in the feeding trough and they put the baby in the manger in that crib. and also, when you think about the baby in the manger, That's the Law. That's the word of God. And Jesus tells his people over and over again, that they are to eat of the bread of life that they are to eat. His body, eat his flesh. And what he was saying was you are to eat when I'm teaching you, you are tired, digested. You are to fill yourself with what I'm telling you. It was an appropriate that the word is in a feeding trough. The baby was wrapped in that Manger. The Bible tells us that he was wrapped in swaddling cloths, you know what that is? Milk Rags? Ever milk a cow that use those Rags as they pulled the others. And there's milk and stuff all over the rags. Well, your desire, the sincere milk of the Lagos, the word, all these imagery, all these different types of imagery, play a role for us as the scene unfolds and it points to Jesus. You think about the Old Testament? Every, every example of points, in the direction of Jesus Christ. And even as you get into the New Testament, you have signs and examples that point to a better understanding of who, this Jesus is, who this Messiah is the word, the Lagos who came to dwell among us. And so we find here some interesting things concerning the birth of Christ, but wrapped in love. Wrapped in love for God. So loved the world that he gave us his son at the exact moment in time. and Jesus comes in, he says, What I want to do is I want to wrap you in my love and I want to wrap you in my grace and I want to deliver you to my father and that'll be my present for him.

The Bible tells us that he's going to come back for us and then he's going to take us to his home on high call Heaven. And there he will, deliver the kingdom back to the father. He's going to have it wrapped in his blood. He's going to have it wrapped in his love and the father is going to accept the present your the present. Wrapped in a pretty bow. A Grace. You think about this wonderful time of year? And he think about the birth of Christ. It's significant. But Jesus said this, he said because of what I've done for you. Here's what you need to do for me. This is after his death. He's giving instruction not only to his Apostles, but to the entire world. He says he that believes and is baptized shall be saved. That's Grace. That's Love extended. That's grace extended. And he saying, listen, it's not about you doing things. It's about, you just accepting the conditions. I have placed upon my blood. You can't get to the blood unless you accept the conditions. He's offered at. He says, he that believes in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is baptized shall be saved, a promise. And a point of fact. and of course, we learned later that Peter would tell the Rhonda people's assembled on the day of Pentecost repair to let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins. And so I'm fine here. That immersion the water stands before the remission of sins and Grace, that it's a condition attached. It has nothing to do with earning anything. It has nothing to do with working anyting it just simply a condition of love. A condition that we say? Okay, I sent it. I know some of you may need that, some of you may need that present, that's wrapped in the words of Jesus. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. You can do that today. If you like, there might be others here who have done that, but perhaps the gift that you've accepted, kind of is tarnish. Now the papers all wrinkled up a little dirty. And Jesus says, all it needs is a little polishing, a little straightening up, be called that repentance. If that's your desire. This morning. What you come forward as together? We stand