(# 336) Romans 9 - Christmas is God’s Way of Making Significant the Seemingly Insignificant
Welcome To BARAH MINISTRIES a Christian Church Rory Clark Pastor-Teacher
Merry Christmas!
Welcome to Barah Ministries…a Christian Church based in Mesa, AZ…my name is Pastor Rory Clark. At Barah Ministries we worship the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We call Him Lord because He is 100% God. We call Him Jesus Christ because He is 100% true humanity, just like you and me. This is the time of the year when we celebrate His birth.
We begin with few announcements…
BARAH MINISTRIES ANNOUNCEMENTS
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! NO FACE-TO-FACE TEACHING December 25 and January 1
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! NEW YEAR’S LESSON January 4 at 6:00PM
DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE
Non-Profits…AZ
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON Christmas is God’s Way of Making Significant the Seemingly Insignificant
By most historical accounts, it was in the winter of 4 B.C. that the Lord, God the Son, invaded human history by taking on the form of a man. Jesus Christ, in true humanity, was born in an insignificant region called Lower Galilee…in a small, insignificant town just south of Jerusalem, called Bethlehem. The city name means “the house of bread,” a perfect place for the Significant One, hailed as “The Bread of Life,” to be born. In John, Chapter 6, Verse 35…
JOHN 6:35 Jesus said to the unbelieving crowd, “I am the bread of life…he who comes to Me will not hunger…and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”
On the day of His birth, Jesus’s mother, Mary, an insignificant woman, placed the Infant King in a manger…a feeding trough in a stable…perhaps the only clean place in the stable…an insignificant place to be born…and she placed him there because the guest room at the Inn where they were to stay was occupied with the significant people of the day…the people with money. I chuckle at the thought. I am a nobody from nowhere…the insignificant person that God has chosen to tell you His story…but I am Platinum Elite with the Marriott Hotel chain…a significant person in their eyes…and had Jesus, Mary and Joseph been with me on that historic night, if the Bethlehem Marriott was full, they would have bumped someone out of the hotel to get us in because of my elite status. Yet our significant King… our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His human family…were content on that night to be in an insignificant stable…a barn…and the birth of this Significant King was celebrated that night by his mother Mary, her husband Joseph, and a handful of insignificant shepherds who were working nearby.
How old are you? Whatever the number, subtract five from it. What’s the new number? That’s probably how many times you have heard the Christmas story and the account of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, especially if you are a Christian. You’ve probably really heard this story since you were five years old. Do you know the story so well now that it has no significance to you? When you hear the Christmas story, do you simply go through the mental motions as you listen to it? Well I’ll tell you something…every time I read the passages related to the birth of our Lord and Savior, every time I listen to the songs, I see and hear something new. God the Holy Spirit opens my eyes to another truth that I didn’t see the year before. So I invite you to come to this Christmas Celebration with new eyes and ears…I invite you to see and hear the significance of this story we celebrate. Second Corinthians, Chapter 9, Verse 15 echoes our hearts…
SECOND CORINTHIANS 9:15 Thanks be to God the Father for His indescribable gift! The gift of course, is the baby boy Jesus Christ, our Lord. He was born in an insignificant region, Lower Galilee…in and insignificant place, Bethlehem…He even grew up in an insignificant town, Nazareth…he was born to insignificant parents, Joseph and Mary, insignificant meaning there was nothing really special about them…they were no more special than you and I…He spent His first day on earth in an insignificant location, a stable… yet as the Uniquely Born One…100% God and 100% true humanity in One Person forever…His birth was one of the most significant events in divine history. Yet for most of the people celebrating Christmas around the world in this season, the significance of this Person, and His work on their behalf, is completely lost on them. Most people are so preoccupied with Santa Claus, and reindeer, and Christmas Trees, and Christmas presents, and food and frivolity, that they don’t even notice the significance of this time. The biblical stories are God’s way of reminding us of the significance of the seemingly insignificant…the birth of Christ.
Welcome to a place where we get to see what precious gems of understanding the Lord will unwrap for us, as we listen to the recollections of His birth. John, Chapter 1, Verse 14 illuminates the wonder of the season…
JOHN 1:14 And the Word (the Lord…God the Son) became flesh (Jesus Christ…true humanity), and tabernacled among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the uniquely born One from God the Father, full of grace and full of truth.
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
MARY, DID YOU KNOW? Clay Aikens
Do you think Mary knew the significance of this event in her life and in the lives of others…the birth of her firstborn son? Let’s listen to a song that asks the question…MARY DID YOU KNOW, sung by Clay Aikens.
MARY, DID YOU KNOW?
Mary, did you know? That your Baby Boy Would one day walk on water?
MARY, DID YOU KNOW?
Mary, did you know? That your Baby Boy Would save our sons and daughters?
MARY, DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know? That your Baby Boy Has come to make you new?
MARY, DID YOU KNOW?
This Child that you delivered Will soon deliver you!
MARY, DID YOU KNOW?
Mary, did you know? That your Baby Boy Will give sight to a blind man?
MARY, DID YOU KNOW?
Mary, did you know? That your Baby Boy Will calm the storm with His hand?
MARY, DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know? That your Baby Boy Has walked where angels trod?
MARY, DID YOU KNOW?
When you kiss your little Baby You kissed the face of God! Oh Mary did you know? Ooo ooo ooo oh
MARY, DID YOU KNOW?
The blind will see! The deaf will hear! The dead will live again!
MARY, DID YOU KNOW?
The lame will leap! The dumb will speak! The praises of The Lamb!
MARY, DID YOU KNOW?
Mary, did you know? That your Baby Boy Is Lord of all Creation?
MARY, DID YOU KNOW?
Mary, did you know? That your Baby Boy Would one day rule the nations?
MARY, DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know? That your Baby Boy Is heaven’s perfect Lamb?
MARY, DID YOU KNOW?
The sleeping Child You’re Holding… Is the Great I AM!
OPENING PRAYER Let us pray...
We’re grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…
Thank you, Father, for the indescribable gift of Your Son, our Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ…I pray that all the believers in Christ throughout the world might choose not to keep the gift of Your Son to themselves during this holiday season…but instead that they spread the gift to all men...asking their unbelieving friends to pray this prayer…
God the Father, I am a sinner and I need a Savior…I know I can’t do anything to save myself…I thank you for letting the Lord Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son, do the work of salvation for me…and right now, Father, I believe in Christ…and I want to live with You and Him forever…
Father we ask that this prayer and the resulting blessing be spread, during Christmas and always, through the power and through the convicting ministry of God the Holy Spirit…we ask this in Christ’s name...Amen.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON Christmas is God’s Way of Making Significant the Seemingly Insignificant
Did Mary know the significance of her baby boy? Yes, she knew. Isaiah, Chapter 7, Verse 14…Scripture that Mary had studied as a believer in Christ…had predicted the coming Messiah…
ISAIAH 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign…behold, a virgin will be with child and will bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.
Luke, Chapter 1, Verses 26 to 56 tells us what Mary knew…
LUKE 1:26 Now in the sixth month (of Elizabeth’s pregnancy) the angel Gabriel was sent from God the Father to a city in Galilee called Nazareth…
LUKE 1:27 …(and he was sent) to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David…and the virgin’s name was Mary (a married woman who had no sexual contact with a man).
In Israeli law and custom, the engaged were considered to be husband and wife, although they did not live together until after the wedding, sometimes as long as a year after the engagement.
LUKE 1:28 And coming in, the angel Gabriel said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
LUKE 1:29 But Mary was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of greeting this was.
FACT: Mary is no more favored than any woman listening to this lesson.
LUKE 1:30 The angel Gabriel said to her, “Do not be afraid (of what I am about to tell you) Mary…for you have found favor with God.” That’s true of all believers in Christ…especially obedient ones.
LUKE 1:31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.”
Then Gabriel gave five predictions about the coming Messiah…
LUKE 1:32 “Jesus will be great (1) and He will be called the Son of the Most High (2)… and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David (3)…”
He is to be a King…
LUKE 1:33 “…and (beginning in the Millennium) Jesus will reign over the house of Jacob (Israel) forever (4), and His kingdom (His reign) will have no end (5).”
LUKE 1:34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this (thing you are saying) be (true), since I am a virgin (since I don’t know a man sexually)?”
LUKE 1:35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you…and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.”
LUKE 1:36 “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age…and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.”
If there were any doubt in Mary’s mind about what the angel was saying, she could confirm by checking in with Elizabeth. Gabriel continues…
LUKE 1:37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
LUKE 1:38 And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave (doulos) of the Lord…may it be done to me according to your word (may it happen just as you have said).” And the angel Gabriel departed from her.
Obedience.
LUKE 1:39 Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah…
LUKE 1:40 …and entered the house of Zacharias…and Mary greeted Elizabeth.
LUKE 1:41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
LUKE 1:42 And Elizabeth cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you (Mary) among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb (Jesus)!”
LUKE 1:43 “And how has it happened to me, that (Mary) the mother of my Lord would come to me?”
LUKE 1:44 “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby (John the Baptist) leaped in my womb for joy.”
LUKE 1:45 “And blessed are you Mary, who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to you by the Lord.”
LUKE 1:46 And Mary said, “My soul exalts the Lord…”
The magic words of a believer in Christ…
LUKE 1:47 “…and my spirit has rejoiced in THE God who is my Savior (the Lord Jesus Christ).”
LUKE 1:48 “For the Lord has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave, for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.”
LUKE 1:49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me…and holy is His name.”
What a great thing to hear a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ understand and articulate the significance of who the Lord Jesus Christ is…a rare thing to hear in this world. Did Mary know the significance of this virgin birth? This insignificant woman knew in her heart, through the filling of the Spirit, the significance of this life event…yes…she knew.
LUKE 1:50 “And the Lord’s mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear (respect) Him.”
LUKE 1:51 “The Lord has done mighty deeds with His arm…He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.”
LUKE 1:52 “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble.”
LUKE 1:53 “He has filled the hungry with good things…and sent away the rich empty-handed.”
LUKE 1:54 “He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy…”
LUKE 1:55 “…as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
LUKE 1:56 And Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned to her home.|
Let’s take a music break as we listen to a song…an insignificant woman anticipating the significance of the birth of the Savior of the World…the song is O HOLY NIGHT.
MUSIC BREAK O HOLY NIGHT Nat King Cole
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON Christmas is God’s Way of Making Significant the Seemingly Insignificant
Welcome back!
Let’s listen to Dr. Luke’s account of the birth of the Savior of the World, the Lord Jesus Christ. Luke, Chapter 2, Verses 1 to 14…
LUKE 2:1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth.
LUKE 2:2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
LUKE 2:3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.
LUKE 2: 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David…
LUKE 2:5 …in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.
LUKE 2:6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.
LUKE 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son…and she wrapped Him in cloths (sparganoó), and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
LUKE 2:8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.
LUKE 2:9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them…and they were terribly frightened.
LUKE 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid…for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people…”
LUKE 2:11 “…for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is the Christ (the Messiah)…the Lord (God the Son).”
LUKE 2:12 “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
LUKE 2:13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying…
LUKE 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” God is please with those of us who accept the free gift of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Insignificant human parents having a significant birth…the virgin birth…a supernatural birth…shepherds…the smelly, insignificant workers, who lay down their lives for their sheep were the first to hear of the significant event…the significant Savior of the world laid down His life for His sheep, and it is one of the most significant things anyone has ever done for anyone. Let’s listen to a musical account of the event…Johnny Mathis singing…It Came Upon a Midnight Clear…followed by a song about one of the shepherds…THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY…sung by the Harry Simone Chorale.
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR Johnny Mathis
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY Harry Simone Chorale
THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY Come they told me Pa, rum, pum, pum, pum Our new born King to see Pa, rum, pum, pum, pum
THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY Our finest gifts we bring Pa, rum, pum, pum, pum To lay before the King Pa, rum, pum, pum, pum Rum, pum, pum, pum Rum, pum, pum, pum
THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY
So to honor Him Pa, rum, pum, pum, pum When we come
THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY
Baby Jesu Pa, rum, pum, pum, pum I’m a poor boy, too Pa, rum, pum, pum, pum
THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY
I have no gift to bring Pa, rum, pum, pum, pum That’s fit to give our King Pa, rum, pum, pum, pum Rum, pum, pum, pum Rum, pum, pum, pum
THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY
Shall I play for You? Pa, rum, pum, pum, pum On my drum
THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY
Mary nodded Pa, rum, pum, pum, pum The ox and lambs kept time Pa, rum, pum, pum, pum
THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY
I played my drum for Him Pa, rum, pum, pum I played my best for Him Pa, rum, pum, pum, pum Rum, pum, pum, pum Rum, pum, pum, pum
THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY
Then He smiled at me Pa, rum, pum, pum, pum Me and my drum
Here is Matthew’s version of the birth of Christ…Matthew, Chapter 1, Verses 18 to 25…
MATTHEW 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, before they had sexual relations, she was found to be with child (pregnant) by the (agency of God) the Holy Spirit.
MATTHEW 1:19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man (a believer in Christ) and not wanting to disgrace her (by having her seeming “sin” illuminated so that she would be stoned to death), planned to send her away (that is, divorce her) secretly.
MATTHEW 1:20 But when Joseph had considered this (thought), behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife…for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the agency of God the Holy Spirit.”
MATTHEW 1:21 “She will bear a Son…and you shall call His name Jesus…for He will save His people from their sins.”
MATTHEW 1:22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet (in Isaiah 7:14)…
MATTHEW 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”
MATTHEW 1:24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife…
MATTHEW 1:25 …but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son…and he called His name Jesus.
Let’s take a music break and hear a song sing by Nat King Cole…it’s a song about the messenger angels, the herald angels…led by Gabriel…HARK, THE HERALD ANGELS SING!
MUSIC BREAK HARK, THE HERALD ANGELS SING Nat King Cole
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON Christmas is God’s Way of Making Significant the Seemingly Insignificant
Welcome back! Of course God has an enemy…whose goal it is to turn the significance of Christmas into meaninglessness…into insignificance… Matthew, Chapter 2, Verses 1 to 23…
MATTHEW 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi (specialists in astronomy) from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying…
MATTHEW 2:2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
MATTHEW 2:3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem was troubled with him.
MATTHEW 2:4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes (the theologians) of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.
Herod…an insignificant unbeliever…knew the significance of the birth of the Messiah King.
MATTHEW 2:5 The theologians of the day said to Herod, “(The Messiah is to be born) in Bethlehem of Judea…for this is what has been written by the prophet…”
MATTHEW 2:6 “‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah…for out of you shall come forth a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.’”
The theologians of the day knew Scripture well enough to advise the king on the exact location of the birth of the Messiah…
MATTHEW 2:7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared.
MATTHEW 2:8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child…(Jesus is no longer an infant)…and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.”
MATTHEW 2:9 After hearing the king, the magi went their way…and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was.
MATTHEW 2:10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
MATTHEW 2:11 After coming into the house (not the stable) they saw the Child with Mary His mother…and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold (fit for a King), frankincense (for His Deity), and myrrh (for a corpse).
MATTHEW 2:12 And having been warned by God the Father in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.
MATTHEW 2:13 Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you…for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.”
MATTHEW 2:14 So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt.
MATTHEW 2:15 He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
MATTHEW 2:16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.
MATTHEW 2:17 Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled…
MATTHEW 2:18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children…and she refused to be comforted, because they were no more.”
MATTHEW 2:19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said…
MATTHEW 2:20 “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel…for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.”
MATTHEW 2:21 So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.
MATTHEW 2:22 But when Joseph heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee…
MATTHEW 2:23 …and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
Christmas is a time of significance for Christians, when we celebrate the birth of the Savior of the World. We celebrate that an insignificant man, Herod…used by the enemy of God, Satan…was neither able to thwart the significance, nor to snuff out the life of the Savior King.
Our God has come in human form…that’s what we celebrate…let’s listen to the song O COME, O COME EMMANUEL sung by Enja…to learn the significance of why the Lord came…
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
O COME, O COME EMMANUEL Enja
O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL
O come, O come, Emmanuel To free your captive Israel That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear
O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL
Rejoice! Rejoice! O Israel! To you shall come Emmanuel.
O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL
Veni, veni, Emmanuel Captivum solve Israel Qui gemit in exilio Privatus Dei Filio
O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL
Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel Nascetur pro te, Israel
O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL
(Gaude, gaude) (Gaude, gaude) (Gaude, gaude) (Gaude, gaude)
O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL
Gaude, gaude Emmanuel Nascetur pro te, Israel
O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL
Gaude, gaude Emmanuel Nascetur pro te, Israel
Isaiah, Chapter 40, Verses 1 to 11…
ISAIAH 40:1 “Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God.
ISAIAH 40:2 “Speak kindly to Jerusalem…and call out to her, that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed, that she has received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”
ISAIAH 40:3 A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness…make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.”
ISAIAH 40:4 “Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low… and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley…”
ISAIAH 40:5 “Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together…for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
ISAIAH 40:6 A voice says, “Call out.” Then he answered, “What shall I call out?” All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.”
ISAIAH 40:7 “The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it…surely the people are grass.”
ISAIAH 40:8 “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.”
ISAIAH 40:9 “Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news…lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah,‘Here is your God!’”
ISAIAH 40:10 Behold, the Lord God will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him.
ISAIAH 40:11 Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom…He will gently lead the nursing ewes.
You are significant to God. That’s why the Father sent His Son to die for you…He sent His Son to humiliate Himself so that the Father could have a relationship with you. Philippians, Chapter 2, Verses 5 to 11…
PHILIPPIANS 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus…
PHILIPPIANS 2:6 …who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God the Father a thing to be grasped…
PHILIPPIANS 2:7 …but instead He emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
PHILIPPIANS 2:8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a Cross.
PHILIPPIANS 2:9 For this reason also, God the Father highly exalted Jesus, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name…
PHILIPPIANS 2:10 …so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth…
PHILIPPIANS 2:11 …and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Unbelievers, won’t you please take the gift that is being poured out to you?
Believers, won’t you share the gift with those you love and face their rejection?
Merry Christmas…a time of great joy when the significant is not made insignificant!
GOD WANTS YOU! Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life
ACTS 16:30 “…the jailer asked (Paul and Silas), “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
ACTS 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”
ROMANS 10:10 …for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
SECOND PETER 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise of salvation, as some accuse Him of, but instead He is patient toward you unbelievers, not wishing for any to perish (in the Lake of Fire) but for all to come to repentance (a change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).
LUKE 19:10 “For the Son of Man (the Lord Jesus Christ) has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
CLOSING SONG JOY TO THE WORLD Mormon Tabernacle Choir
CLOSING PRAYER Let us pray...
Thanks for coming! Thanks for watching! Thanks for listening!
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