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December 1, 2020 8:00 am
We all could use some encouragement and will find it together today to the Bible-based reading of Dr. Don Wilton had a message on Christmas yes and here it is the beginning of December. Why not go ahead and begin to think about making these holidays holy days in 2020. This unique year, a little Christmas a little early is a good idea and today will head to Matthew chapter 1 verse 18 with Dr. Don Wilton as we think about how we celebrate these days together know we were together with you having to connect with you on our phone and 866-899-WORD or online as well. That's 866-899-9673 or online at tewonline.org. It's a brand-new side of the abdomen lightly. Come join us@twonline.org.
Now today's message the Christmas tree Dr. Don Wilton thank the Lord for this wonderful day of celebration.
Father, we are so grateful for Christmas time all around the wound.
People gathering to save the right and we understand that father. There are so many things that we do it Christmas time we shop and we give we meet with family and with friends and loved ones, but father, it's all about about Christmas and how grateful we all we do pray for one another. We do pray Lord that you, the one born in Bethlehem would become so real in each half in each life lives would never be the same. How can we ever be the same for our Savior is alive how much we pray Lord for those particularly at a time like this who have special needs.
For those who are lonely and hungry father, thank you for giving people. Thank you for churches just like this one, and all around the country where people gathering and giving Lord. It's so much more important to give than it is to receive because we receive the greatest gift of all.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
Father, we remember our men and women in uniform. Today we we honor them. We thank you for them. Those particularly that are deployed overseas.
Blessed today Lord in this week. They say families who all back care in the United States who miss them terribly watch over them all day will look forward, we are certain for a grand reunion.
So Lord bless us this morning as we study the word and as we celebrate the wonderful birth of our Savior, because it is is in his name that we pray these things to get a man well it's just lovely to see you today and rarely is talking about the Christmas tree today. How many of you got a Christmas tree at Christmas we we've always done this, even when my Robin Greg and Shelley would just two bricks in the ticking. That's about that big bad update about up to here let me see about right after about their that's two bricks in the ticking. Sorry you guys didn't see that that brought up to two bricks in a techie someone calls to comment over there in all we do, we go out we go and we buy a Christmas tree.
I mean we just go and find the look for it and we always inevitably get one next to me and then Jason is going to pull it through the door. Me, that's run and menu collecting through the door and then we put it.
And usually it's too big to slip in some way and then we put all things on Linux and all kinds of declarations and we have Christmas music.
We just have the time in the world and you get everything all right you not you don't want to have is everybody go to bed off you put it up and do all that work about 3 o'clock in the morning you suddenly hear the Christmas tree folds down right you don't that to happen. I thought today that I'm going to begin by reading you one of my favorite stories about the title of the three tree okay now I put a monitor update because you will use to watching monitors okay and I put a monitor update and you going to see some of those pictures so so it's going to be hard for me to walk around and show you the pictures all the time, but this is a story about three trees. Let me see what happened here. It is so very special I need to put that down there and open my book. It is cold and high heel of three trees, a wonderful traditional folktale once upon a mountain top. Three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become.
When they grew once upon a mountain top.
Three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become. When they grew up. The first little tree looked up at the stars twinkling like diamonds above him. I want to hold treasure. He said I want to be covered with gold and food with precious stones. I will be the most beautiful treasure chasing old wound well. The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by all on its way to the ocean. I want to be a strong sailing ship. He said I want to travel my T Walters and carry powerful kings. I will be the strongest sailing ship old wound.
The third little tree looked down, down into the valley below way busy man busy woman working in a busy town. I don't want to leave this mountaintop at all. She said I want to grow so tool that when people stopped to look at me. They will raise their eyes to heaven and think of God.
I will be the oldest tree in all the world well is caused by the rains came. The sun shone in the little trees grew toll.
Then one day you will never believe what happened three wooden cutters climbed up the mountain and each one of them had an ax in their hand. The first one looked at the first tree and said all this tree is so beautiful it is for me this was an associate with these acts down the tree and just went crashing down now shall be made into a beautiful chaste thought.
The first tree also hold wonderful treasure will guess what happened to the second tree.
The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said this tree is strong all it's perfect for me and what this will be shiny acts chop chop chop chop chop down went the tree. I mean just crash down like that. Now Marshall sailed my T Walters for the second tree. I shall be strong ship for King's well.
The third tree felt her heart sink when the lost woodcutter looked her way.
She stood straight and tall pointed bravely up to heaven, but the woodcutter didn't even look up any kind of tree will do for me. He mounted with us and us should be shiny acts. The third tree down and down went all three trees had been chop down. Well, the first tree was so happy when the woodcutter brought him to a carpenter shop but the busy carpenter was not thinking about treasure chests. Instead he's working on hand fashioned the tree into a box for animals not can you imagine that the once beautiful tree was not covered with gold or food with treasure.
He was coated with sawdust and food with me for hungry farm animals. Well, the second tree the second tree just smiled when the woodcutter took him to the shipyard but no Monty. Sailing ships were being made on that day and stayed the once strong tree was hammered and sold into a simple fishing boat too small and too weak to sail an ocean or even the river. He was taken to a little like every day he brought in loads of David's smelly fish third tree was confused when the woodcutter cutter interests strong beans and lifter in a lumberyard. The one once told tree wanted all I ever wanted to do was stay on the mountaintop and point to God while maiming many days and nights caused by the three trees nearly forgot about the dreams, but one night Golden Star light poured over the first tree is a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. I wish I could make a cradle for him. Her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shown on the smooth and sturdy wood. This manger is beautiful.
She said, and suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure over the world. Well, one evening, a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering threshing storm arose the little tree shouted. He knew he did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the wind and rain, the tired man awakened, he stood up and he stretched out his hand. Then he said he still the storm stopped as quickly as it had begun, and suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the King of heaven and earth well on Friday morning the third tree was sparkled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten wooden bar. She finished, she was carried through an angry jeering crowd, she started when soldiers nailed a man's hands to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel but on Sunday morning when the sun rose of the earth trembled with joy beneath her. The third tree knew exactly exactly what God that God's love had changed everything. It had made the first tree so beautiful it made the second tree so strong, and every time people thought of the third tree they would think of God that was Victor. Don't you think than being the tallest tree in the whole wide world I that is just so much fun to read that and to think about it you know it reminds me of the Christmas story you know the Bible tells us about the Christmas story in Matthew chapter 1 and verse 18 and I'm going to just read that for you this morning in Matthew chapter 1 in verse 18. The Bible says this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about his mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit because Joseph, her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her. He had in mind to put her away quietly but often he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and safety Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you want to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. Oldest took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet that the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means God with us.
What I'm going to do right now is I want to talk for just a minute about that Christmas tree that we been talking about because you know sometimes we have Christmas trees and we do all the wonderful things at Christmas and we have so much fun and so much loft and so much good food and we play outside and do all kinds of things and then maybe we just forget a little but don't you think about the real reason why we have Christmas and you know something every time you look at that Christmas tree.
It can help you to remember why we have Christmas you not look at the shape of the Christmas tree. It's got a top part and then it's got a bottom part like it and if you look at it.
It's kind of like an X triangle and you know it reminds me who God is, because it reminds me of God the father. It reminds me of God the son, and it reminds me of God the Holy Spirit. You know that the Bible tells us that God is three people in one person.
He is God the father. Then he son the Lord Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem and then he is the Holy Spirit who comes and he lives in our hearts and when you look at the Christmas tree you think than the shape of the Christmas tree you think about God and about who God is and that God would love us so very much that he would seen these only son to come to this earth.
And to be born in Bethlehem and then to grow up and administer the people and go out on the lake until even the waves to be quiet and to be still, and then he went to the cross and he gave his life and he was killed, but on the third day he rose up again did me a rose up, and then all three appeared to a whole lot of people. He went back up into heaven, and when he went up into heaven. Boys and girls even leave us by himself that he by ourselves that he he sent his Holy Spirit to come and live in our hearts that smart. God is with us.
Emmanuelle God with us. And so when I look at the Christmas tree I think of God the father and God the son God the Holy Spirit forgive the eruption.
Dr. Don wants us to take a break just to remind you were here for you were taking your call today at 66 a and meeting online@twonline.org a great place to discover wonderful resources and during this holiday time.
You know people are little more open to talking about Christ and the Christ of Christmas. Maybe this is the time to invite someone to tewonline.org GR website or to listen to the broadcast with you tomorrow and feel free to know that we are here to encourage you as you encourage them to pray for you to pray for your lost friends. Now let's go back to today's message on the Christmas tree with Dr. Don Wilton wonderful to think about who God is. But you know another thing I look at when I look at Christmas trees Occoquan help but think of the wood. A lot of wood on that Christmas tree is latte when I go to get a Christmas tree. I'm telling you, I say that Manley is giving me those Christmas trees.
Listen, you need to just wood a little bit so that the trees a little bit smaller for me. You know where they begin like grow them all over the place up in the mountains and rollover.
Then someone comes a woodcutter calms any chops down the would and we will know what would. Now we just had a wonderful story about three uses of the wood. What happened to the first tree. Someone cut it down and what became of the first tree what what they knew the word my editing to I manger wasn't that a beautiful thing to make what happened to the second tree made it into a boat and you know even today on the Sea of Galilee that boats just like that made out of wood like Jesus guarding to win the big storm came up. What happened to the tree.
What happened to her, made her into a cross and Jesus was crucified on the cross to know when you think about that. You know the wood on the tree. There's lots of things you can think about 10 Ya think about lots of things with Edward. You know, I think like the manger, especially at Christmas time. That wonderful manger that the little baby Jesus was placed into you know at wintertime, especially where we live and everything looks so dry and and all the leaves are falling off and we all have these wonderful green trees in our house. Have you ever seen someone with her dirty brown no leaf tea looking Christmas tree, okay what we've got one here okay but you know that most of us have green Christmas trees in our house and you know boys and girls. When I look at at the green leaves of the Christmas tree. Do you know what I think about.
I think about Evergreen I think about everlasting life.
I think about the fact that the love of the Lord Jesus never goes away. Always there, isn't that wonderful in that actually wonderful so We are looking at this Christmas tree. Ha look at the shape and I see God the father and God the son and God the Holy Spirit not look at the word and I think about the manger and I look at the leaves and I say you know that's exactly what the Bible tells us that God so loved the world that he gave his son the Lord Jesus, that whoever believes in him should never die, but should always have life and we know that that life is not an illness but it's always in heaven with the Lord Jesus. Well, there's another thing about trees that I just love you know it is someone guess what I'm thinking about my thinking about lights. That's what I'm thinking about thinking about the slides.
Have you driven around in some of the neighborhoods and seeing all the pretty lights. I wonder what lights remind us of you know what Jesus said when he came he said I'm the light of the world and that wonderful I am the light of the world and he said that when we trust him as our personal savior and Lord, that he comes into our hearts and he likes us up with these love he gives us joy because he forgives us of our sin, and he sets us free and his life chases away all the things that are dark and yucky and ugly that the Bible calls Colson. I love looking at lights of Christmas, but you know I think on Christmas Day when I wake up and when we have all kinds of things to do and a lot of fun. I'm in a look at those lights and I think I'm gonna say thank you Lord Jesus you are the life of the world. There's one more thing I have got to talk about. I'm just court remembered something special about Christmas trees. Let me think now there was one other thing we do at Christmas. I couldn't remember what it is. Someone help me what what what are we missing here.
Yes, putting up a star absolutely all right we we going to put up a stop. How many of you love to put the angel on top ends up that's pretty precious but there's something down here on I want to look through carefully because Armand know what it is but there is something down here that I think I might've brought do you know that the deacons gave me a couple of prisons and you will never guess what they gave me you know that I can almost guarantee you that I could hold the microphone around here.
I don't think anybody here would be able to tell me what this is.
It looks like a brolly but it ain't. You will never believe what the deacons gave me cricket this is a cricket bat. Did you know that is all over the world and do you know folks that would is even starting to introduce for Boys and Girls Club cricket in places like south Africa, far away. On the other side of the will and do you know that the deacons got me a cricket bat, signed by the South African cricket team that is like if I told you that at the World Series next year that the VP of the World Series next year who hit a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth to win the World Series signed a baseball and then got all the members of the world champions to sign them baseball and give you that by school, that's how much that means to me. I got a cricket but I do know happened. This gift will not leave this wonderful thing and we celebrate Christmas. To think that the greatest gift of all is that God gave to us.
The Lord Jesus, who became a tiny little fetus living person from the very moment of conception when the Holy Spirit came upon Mary life began, and that little baby began to live and little Jesus began to grow and on Christmas day that mommy reached full term, and she gave birth to a beautiful little baby boy and his name is Jesus. When I think about Christmas. Lots of things I'm going to think about when I look at the Christmas tree but the thing that I'm going to think about most of greatest gift of the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is indeed the greatest gift of all. But every gift has to be received. Have you received the love of Jesus Christ you have questions about this gift, let's talk about it.
Let's pray about it 866-899-WORD or let's go keyboard to keyboard on a website@twonline.org at 866-899-9673, not just now but anytime is Dr. Don would say would be happy to be one of your 2 AM friends were online@twonline.org for getaway, the receiving of that gift. That's what Dr. Don to talk about next are you ready you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God on that Jesus loves that he died on the cross today, I repent of my sin and I can face my sin to the Lord Jesus, and I give him the name from the giving your life to Christ and welcome you to the family gauge together because we are connected together for ever as believers in Christ in these last few moments you right along with Dr. Wilton.
Given your life to Christ.
Are you rededicated your life to achieve. We have wonderful unique resources. Dr. Wilton is prepared just for you absolutely free. Just call and let us know what God's doing.
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