R521 What Makes Christmas So Wonderful, Anyway?

We all could use some encouragement and will find it together today in the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton on The Encouraging Word today. Dr. Wilson continues in this season of Christmas messages this one.

What makes Christmas so wonderful anyway. Talk about that dive into God's word. Matthew chapter 1 just a moment, but I pray that you would know that were ready to dive into a relationship with you.

We will be a part of encouraging on a daily basis. For me it starts with the daily Encouraging Word email from Dr. Don. Every morning you can sign up on our website@cdwonline.org all you rather like my right have a physical copy.

Call this, it's free for the asking. At 866899 word that's 866-899-WORD 9673. Ask for the daily Encouraging Word Bible.now today's message with Dr. Don Wilton everyone take a copy of God's word and turn with me his gospel in chapter 1 Matthews gospel chapter 1 wonderful passage of Scripture Matthew chapter 1. I'm going to read from verse 18 of Matthew chapter 1.

This morning 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 be with child, because the Holy Spirit not because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her public disgrace had in mind to quietly but often he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home 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 was saying these people from Masons.

All this took place in order to fulfill Satan through the prophet virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel. Well, which means God with us now. When Joseph woke he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife but he had no union with her until she died to his son and he gave him the name Jesus.

I want to speak to you for a few moments on this? What is so wonderful about Christmas anyway makes Christmas so wonderful.

You know all over the world in almost every part of the world people celebrating Christmas. Can you just imagine all the things that were going on and we sing a song that goes like this. It's the most wonderful time of the year. What is it that makes Christmas so wonderful. Let me give you a couple of things to think about another one. Christmas is wonderful because I am known and understood people to die trying to find personal understanding. I think it is been a mad scramble all through the century for people to be known and to be understood. I made people and said to me from time to time.

Possibly the greatest difficulty I have in life is that people don't understand me.

Well, it's gone to John's Gospel turn with me to John chapter 1, I want to show you something very very special. John chapter 1 and verse one. Turn with me in your Bibles great to hear all those Bible pages turning in God's house.

John chapter 1. Listen to what the Bible says. The Bible says that in the beginning was the word is the word word is the Lord Jesus Christ and the Word was with God and the word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

Now listen to this. Through him all things were my how many things. Things were muddy and without him nothing was made that has been made in him was life, and that black was the light of man and that light shines in darkness and the darkness did not understand this theme and see how this all took place. John chapter 1 verse 14. The Bible says that Jesus Christ became flesh look with me just for a moment quickly. We got a manger. What is this manger represent. It's not just the baby Jesus.

It's the fact that became flesh listen what happened in verse 14 the Word became flesh, and he made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, glory as of the one and only the one who came from the father full of grace and truth means that God is so because I am so incredibly small that he was willing to be clean hands manger now what's this for a moment.

You folks, one of the greatest strivings of mankind is our desire to be no end to be understood only if only God could understand what I'm going through all I tell you I just feel so lonely in the world. I don't know what I'm going to do in the 21st century.

I don't know how I'm going to cope with life. I want you to think just a minute. God is the Bible says that God created everything in verse three of John chapter 1 through him. Things went by and there wasn't a single thing that was made outside of God was in the beginning God is the creator of the universe and everything he created everything he made everything he knows everything and he understands everything now what's this about God is so be it. God is so big is anything so big that God cannot deal with it.

I wonder if there is someone here this morning worshiping God and saying pasta. I have so many things that are so big I just have so many problems I have so many needs. I have so many decisions. It's just too big. I don't know whether I'm going to be able to cope with it when we think of Christmas I want to tell you why Christmas is so wonderful is because there's God. So I'm down to this, and there is no single this anything that God cannot handle my man, but then think of how small bodies can you imagine that a God who is so become so smooth that he would've allowed himself to be simulated in the body of a tiny little precious little baby boy.

Can you just imagine those little fingers can you just imagine those little toes. Can you just imagine a little baby born like that. The Bible says that the word became flesh and as a result of the fact that he became flesh, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten of the father.

The only time the only one who had the complete Dorothy of God dictating every matter pertaining to every need of human existence is not any solid big buddy became so small, so let me ask you a question. I wonder if there is anyone here today worshiping the Lord would say pasta mind means that I have also small. God surely wouldn't be interested in maybe there's something deep down in your heart and it's not a big deal.

It's small, maybe, maybe you signed yourself nobody else was concerned about me. What's so special about Christmas anyway. You know what it is. It's that I am known and understood. Because God is so big there's nothing that he cannot handle. And yet he became so small that he demonstrated to us that even the very gobbling and babbling of a little tiny incoherent baby is vitally important to him. He knows me and he understands me rise Christmas.

What makes it so special. Number two. It's so special because I can be forgiven. I can be forgiven makes Christmas so wonderful anyway.

What is this about the baby Jesus. It means that I can be forgiven. That's what so wonderful about this and what Jesus said himself. Listen, he says in Matthew chapter 1 verse 21 you want to give him the name Jesus, because he will save people from their sin in Romans chapter 4, the apostle talks about in verses 6 to 8 he talks about the forgiveness of sin. He says therefore we all justified through Jesus Christ.

That means it is just as if we had never sin means that because Jesus was born hands manger that God was Christ Jesus reconciling himself means that because of Jesus being on Christmas day means that even though I been sent by God from God through my sin that I now am once again because Jesus Christ is the one who forgives me for months while makes Christmas so wonderful anyway, what's all this about means I'm known and understood. It means I can be forgiven but it also means in the third place and I can have peace on like that. Chapter 2 verse 14 the Angels glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. And by the way, when the angel spoke about the favor of God. They were talking about the dispensation of the grace of God. Listen to what the Bible says. The Bible says that when Jesus Christ came down to the and he became man for us. He became sin for us that his life and death and resurrection up on the cross, that the grace comes to rest upon me, means that I have of receiving God's peace into my heart, wonderful thing that frames their own areas of peace that all should and interrupted by the presence of sin. Number one is my peace with God Bible says all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, no not one that the psalmist puts it like this. He says I was conceived in sin.

Think of.

I'm thinking that is the baby Jesus. That is why Jesus understands man. He is the God man. It is a complete understanding. It is not a partial understanding. It is a 100% identification.

Everything that Jesus did as the God man came in full accord with a complete identification of man because man is conceived in sin, he is in sin and as a consequence of the sin of Adam's relationship with God is using cannot take place in the manger and because of Christmas can have been reconciled to God. But you know I'm not only going to have peace with God, as Paul says in his letter to the Romans that I can have peace with God. I can have peace with my fellow man. It is not any sideways with God in heaven, and it works with one another upon this earth friend if there is one thing that we pray for time without number. It is a piece that meeting.

Peace talks between Israel and the Arab countries. There are peace efforts going on everywhere from Camp David to Kosovo in the Balkan states that all people striving for inner peace in their marriages. People sign I don't want to fight with my wife or my husband anymore.

I don't want to have conflict anymore. I want to live in harmony.

And God says listen I want you to just look to the Christ of Chris, my peace I bring to you well what makes Christmas so wonderful anyway I'm known and understood.

I can be forgiven.

I can have peace with God.

I can have peace with my fellow man. I can live in harmony. I had someone come to me some months ago inside me pasta. I don't want you to take the time about the peace and the harmony in the unity of first Baptist Church and I love this lady and I still love you and we took together nicely to my dear friend. I cannot stop talking about the peace and harmony and joy in the body of Christ because it is the heartbeat. It is the desire of God that we please God and we with one another and our fellow man named wonderful thing to think about this is wonderful. I know there is a lot of strife, something Jesus came to earth to establish starts with a personal relationship with like to talk to someone about that right in the middle the program were still available 24 seven. As a matter fact you have questions let's discover those answers got together at 866899 word. If you haven't done so jot that number down or stored in your cell. Let us be a contact 866-899-9673 is able 24 hours a day for us to connect with you and maybe connect you with resources to help you grow like to visit us online TW online.org is our website like great resources there. T EW online.org would love to meet you keyboard to keyboard there right now let's dive back into this remarkable message. What makes Christmas so wonderful anyway with Dr. Don Wilton but so did I. Can have meaning I can have meaning.

That's what Christmas means to me you consider man's meaning is search for meaning commerce and industry and hasn't given man, meaning money materialism has meaning free love from the hippie movement in the 60s, it hasn't given man meaning and purpose sensationalism human rights hasn't given man, meaning equal opportunities for equal people listen equal like us, he said in Romans eight verse 28. We know that things are working together for the good of those that love God and to those who are the called according to his in Christ Jesus. What is he saying he saying that because of Christ of Christmas. It doesn't matter what it doesn't matter where it doesn't matter how and it doesn't matter why God gives me meaning of folks I would pray for you. I would pray that in the 21st century, that God would bless you.

I pray that he would prosper you materially.

I pray that he would prosper you and your families and your loved ones.

I pray that he would prosper you and your marriage. I'm praying for you and your marriage, my friend, that God would give you a new meaning. I pray that God would bring you and give you and you loving your marriage and in your relationship. I pray that God would prosper you and your circumstances. I just pull himself out to you but guarantee that outside of the Christ of Christmas do not have meaning in your life. What is the Christ of Christmas bring brings me meaning I can have meaning, that means I'm known and understood means I can be forgiven of my sin, which is separated me from God. It means that I can have peace in my heart more than two mountains brought anger and that hostility lacks searching is God. It means that I can have. I can have meaning in life, but it also means that I can have hope I can never really listen to what the Bible says in chapter 2 in verse 39 earlier service today we dedicated Jacob Cameron to the Lord.

Precious little boy you go back and read about it in Scripture.

How that Mary and Joseph, the baby Jesus to Simeon in the temple in Luke chapter 2 and when Simeon took the baby Jesus and he dedicated him to God and he dedicated any thank God for this incredible gift.

Listen to what he said. He said my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people alike for revelation to the Gentiles and from your people Israel is he saying he signed listen that the Christ of Christmas gives me hope that when does he give me hope gives me hope while I'm still alive. You know most people say, well listen. Quite frankly, I'm looking forward to dying folks, I don't know when I'm going to drive you.

I don't know about the capacity to live until about 2015 or 2015.

I'm going to be in a bulky and if I'm still preaching going to have to help me up into the pulpit and that's just fine with me but I don't know.

I don't know how long I'm going to live folks I don't know but I'll tell you something while I'm waiting to die to go with Jesus Christ. I hope while I'm still alive. Why because Jesus put it like this in John 1010. He said I've come that you might have life and that you might have it all abundantly elected and makes me want to stop preaching this morning. I have come that you might have life and that you might have a more limited Jesus Christ gives me hope while I'm still alive.

It means that I can face tomorrow with confidence doesn't.

That means that even though I I look into the 21st century, and I shake my head and I say well I don't know how I'm going to handle maybe. Maybe your marriage is on the rocks maybe ascribing maybe financial you going no way maybe going around in circles. Maybe you've got everything but in your heart you got nothing. Maybe you wondering about your circumstance. Jesus Christ is listen to the Christ of Christmas. What is so wonderful about Christmas anyway you can have hope while you still alive. What's this you can also have when you die, you can have when you die. The Bible says this.

Listen Jesus said these words in John 11 in verse 25 he said I am the resurrection and the life.

He believes in me will live, even though he dies.

What a contradiction he believes in me will live, even though he dies and lives and believes in me will gonna hand this morning, now I think about this morning on this thing was in Christ Jesus the wound to himself. So what is so wonderful about Christmas anyway is just amazing, isn't it just amazing folks I have stood and applauded so many things I just thank the Lord.

But just think about the gift that God gave to us in Jesus Christ. What makes Christmas so special means that I'm known and I can be fully understood. Sometimes I don't feel like I'm on the student no means means that I can be forgiven means that I can have peace means that I can have meaning and purpose in life means that I can have hope I can have hope, while I live I can have hope when I die.

Jesus said, you know that passage in John chapter 11, the loss thing that Jesus Sadie said I am the resurrection and the life. He says listen you gonna live, even though you die and then he ends by saying this, he looks at us and he sees do you believe this, do you believe this.

How about you that's the question.

How about you today as the Lord stirred your heart to some questions that you need help answering. We have friends that are taking your calls right now with the Bible in hand, literally happy to talk with you. Pray with you at 8668. That's 866-899-9673 or we can connect online as well. On our website keyboard to keyboard@tewonline.org that's TE W online.org. I pray that you know that were available for you, not just now during the broadcast 24 hours a day, talk, listen, pray for connections resources right now.

It may not be because you need to talk to may become open your heart to Dr. Don Wilton shared are you ready to give your thoughts of life to the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm so happy to hear that wanting to pray this prayer dear God, I know that you love very very and I know that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross that I might be today.

I repainted my sin. I can face my sin and I'm like you coming tomorrow Jesus name I pray, if you prayed that prayer for me. The first want to welcome you to the family of this one. I hope that you know how much I'm trying out wonderful said that they just just, you know how saying I want to say. Maybe you coming home to Christ dedicating resources 6689 unit number 866-899-9673 keyboard keyboard. Sometimes that's the way to connect the website as well EW online.org that's TE W online.org and there are website you'll see a number of great resources but one were extremely excited about here in the month of December is the one called the spirit of God hears Liz with all the details you reflect upon your life that your friends and family members. Christ drifting away from God.

You this Christmas. Dr. Wilton wants to encourage you to make a commitment to meet Jesus every day and learn more about being able to live a life of trust. Here $30 and encouraging.

Ungodly leather bound devotional interest, including Dr. well you will find the last thing you read Scripture. Dr. encourage Mary and happy new year here at The Encouraging Word times gone for today would all what a great week of Bible study does been and I pray this week into the weekend. You would be looking for opportunities to gather together in perhaps the church you been in for all your life.

Or maybe you're just now saying you need to get back in the church. It could be different ways. It could be virtually visiting that electronically. But I prayed.

If your church is having some say socially distance opportunities together.

Dr. Don Wilton do not forsake the gathering together of for an opportunity will also have some video versions of our worship services. I don't find is online@twonline.org extremely excited at Sunday afternoon we have a television broadcast on the DayStar network again all the details ways to watch and connect on our website@tewonline.org.org