R312 Experiencing God Because Of Christmas

Welcome to The Encouraging Word. In today's message of God. Just a moment to Matthew chapter 2, but I will take you to our website GW online.org to find a wonderful emotional EW online.no are. I hope that you have your Bibles with you this morning if so please turn with me to Matthew's gospel in chapter 2 the gospel according to Matthew chapter 2 subject is experiencing God because of Christmas. What a wonderful time of the year.

This is and there is so much that we would want to talk about when it comes to Christmas. I wonder what kind of gifts they were going to be under the tree in your home. I have no doubt they going to be all kinds of things in a lot of excitement in your homes and how wonderful to have grandparents and moms and dads and uncles and aunts visiting friends and relatives the other day, a precious young lady gave me this Catherine Davis. She gave me this wonderful gift and I want to show to the choir so they can see it is will is not special. You know it it's got my name on it and says it's from Catherine Davis and I love the picture they because the pictures all about Christmas time and it has the baby Jesus in Marion, Joseph and the wise men and the shepherds in the stable way baby Jesus was born in a manger, but you know they something interesting because down on the bottom here. Recognizing that I need little sweetening up is something that we are all very familiar with, and that's what made this so very special to me from a special young lady, it's a candy cane and the United candy canes all over the place. I remember being told about candy canes but I had forgotten about candy canes you know they are special things because the candy cane represents one of the one of the oldest symbols of Christmas. It's in the form of a of a ship install by because the shepherds were among the very first people who witnessed the Christ of Christmas who experienced God because of Christmas and another thing that I've noticed about this candy cane is that it's got different colors and stripes on it and some of these stripes are big thick red stripes and others are just little things stripes and then there's also some white stripes and the and and the six stripes all their big wide red stripes represent the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says go with these stripes we are healed and then the narrow little stripes. Red stripes represent sacrifices the sacrifices and the giving that we might because the Lord Jesus Christ because of his sacrifice lives in our hearts. Then of course there's the white stripes well you know what represents purity doesn't and that's why Jesus was born in the manger. Jesus was born in the manger, because of purity because of God's holiness and the Bible tells us that when the Lord Jesus Christ was born in the manger.

He was born there for a purpose and that was that he would die upon the cross in order that the world could be purified through him, and having been made perfect and pure, because the Lord Jesus can forgive us. We are then able once again to be reconciled together with God, our heavenly father which is in heaven.

So this Christmas is you each will candy canes, boys and girls. I want you to think of the Christ of Christmas would you do that and would you not tell you what you might want to do. You might want to every candy cane that you get from today and tomorrow before you eat it. Off to lunch your knee. Please offer lunch, not only off to lunch to eat their moms and dads are not black.

Thank you. Off TV please offer lunch, what you need to do is you need to break it and you need to share part of your candy kind with someone else because when you break it you are remembering the Jesus body was broken for you and for me when he died upon the cross. And every time you share it with a friend talking during you are sharing this sweetness of the true meaning of the Christ of Christmas. Now wonder what Christmas means to you are subject this morning experiencing God because of Christmas. I want us to go to God's word today and to examine what God's word would teach us and he has what we going to do. We going to look at five different passages of Scripture. So you going to need your Bibles this morning.

I want everybody to have a copy of God's word in their if you didn't bring one with you. We provided one for you right there in the pew rack and you could just reach out and take one and turn with us to Matthew's gospel chapter 2 we going to look at five different people hearing God's word Christmas had particular significance and I made to say to you today that every one of these five different people experienced God because of Christmas and so I'm going to read a passage of Scripture with every one of these five different groups or individuals that we going to study this morning as we try to understand what it means to experience God because of Christmas. Number one before I give it to you. I want to say something I don't like this point. In fact, if I could have my way today. I would much rather not preach on this first point, it just doesn't kind of sound right to Christmas time. It just is one of those things that we want to try and avoid it.

It's one of those one of those things that bring us a lot of sadness in our hearts.

First of all there with those who hatred the Christ of Christmas.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the Bible teaches us that they were those who actually hatred, the Christ of Christmas.

How can these things be. Let's read together.

Matthew chapter 2 beginning at verse one. I'm going to read a long passage because it incorporates one of our other points in just a moment and I may stop once or twice. Often Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod magi from the East came to Jerusalem and lost where is the one who is been born King of the Jews.

We saw his star in the East and have come to worship him when King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, beloved friends.

The Bible tells us that there was a man who at the time of Jesus birth and because of the Christ of Christmas was disturbed in his heart and his name was Harry and you know that the Bible tells us that because of the sin of the world and because Satan will not tolerate the purity and holiness of God in Christ Jesus, that people today still hate the Christ of Christmas.

They want to have nothing to do with it and look what happened here, to Herod the Bible says in verse three when King Herod heard this, he was disturbed and all Jerusalem with him and when he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law. The stem where Christ was to be born in Bethlehem in Judea, they replied, for this is what the prophet had written they understood the Scriptures. In fact, I'm going to submit to you that from the moment that Jesus was born in Bethlehem's manger. It was the same religious leaders, all with Scripture who had a deep, profound understanding of prophecy of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was the same Pharisees and sadness ease that began to militate against the Lord Jesus Christ.

It was the same religious people who couldn't tolerate the purity and the holiness of Almighty God, and it was the same Pharisees and Sadducees who had an incredible time trying to do you with the Christ of Chris seems very sad, my beloved friends when you understand Scripture to understand that some of the greatest opposition to the Christ of Christmas does not come from without the church it comes from within the church. It comes from people being born and reared in a place like the United States of America. When we have freedom to proclaim the unsearchable riches of God when there are churches behind every bush where people understand the meaning of Christmas. The Bible says my friends even people who grew up in Christian homes can become man and woman. Sadly, who are those who hate the Christ of Christmas.

Look what happened. They quoted Scripture in verse four, verse six but you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means the least among the rulers of Judah for out of you will, ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel. Then Herod called the Magi secretly got something remarkable is going to happen here. In fact, it's a commentary of a modern day and age listen. He called the Magi secretly and he found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. You see what the Lord Jesus Christ is trying to teach us. My friends is that those who are opposed to the Christ of Christmas are so vehement in their opposition within the context of their religiosity that they are going to be absolutely precise and exact in everything they do to make absolutely certain that they can maximize their fate of the Christ of Christmas and look what he says in verse cite this bubbles our minds.

He sent them to Bethlehem and he said go and make a careful search for the child and as soon as you find him, and report to me so that I too may go and worship. The Bible says man looks upon the output appearance, but God looks upon the hall. Please forgive the interruption will be back with the rest of today's message with Dr. Don Wilton in just a moment, but it is amazing to think that the Lord would choose to send his son and our Savior to be fully divine and fully God and fully human. At the same time. Think about it it's how Jesus can some ways know what experience he understands both the highs and the lows and just the other day Dr. Don Wilton talking about how many people we been praying for that experience this Christmas holiday both as some of the best moments but also some of the most difficult moments know that you're not alone. God's promise never to leave you or forsake you and we hear as well 24 hours a day. If you call 866892 find one of us happy to talk or listen or pray with you. Jot the number down stored in your cell 86689673. Pray with you or connect with great resources like the daily Encouraging Word devotional that will help you grow in your faith you find all those points of contact on our website as well@tewonline.org.org that's T online.org.

Now let's dive back in today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton we have King Herod, my friends, who unapologetically was telling those around about that the reason he came to church on Christmas day was in order to worship God. Meanwhile God knew that the reason he came to church on Christmas day was to do anything but to worship God. It was because he hate to the Christ of Christmas. There's an old saying that is being used in military circles. If you can't beat them join them. It's a sad thing, beloved friends. When we understand the tremendous depths to which this man sank in order to try and erase the Christ of Christmas from the annals of antiquity, and yet what he didn't understand my frame was that he was dealing with the King of Kings was dealing with the Prince of peace. He was doing with the Omega, the beginning and the end of the loss. This was and is the Christ of Christmas. Look what happened in verse nine. Often they heard the king, and they went on their way and the star they had seen in the east wing ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was when they saw the star they were overjoyed and coming to the house they saw the child with these mother Mary and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of murder and having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to the country by another route when they had gone an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said get up he said, take the child and his mother, and escape to Egypt stay here until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him so he got up and he took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt where he stayed until the day's apparent and so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet out of Egypt. I have called my son and when Herod realized that he had been lifted by the Magi.

I love this part.

I love this part. I mean, I would've loved to been just a fly on the wall just to seen Herod, he didn't understand folks that he was just a mere mortal King he didn't understand how far removed he was from the sovereign outstretched hand of Almighty God.

Listen what happened when Herod realized that he had been acquitted by the Magi. He was furious and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Vietnam and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. There were those who hated who hated the Christ of Christmas, but let's move on. I don't want to. I don't want to spend time on that because that's the negative side of Christmas is that's a group of people who militate against nativity scenes do everything they can to remove the name of Jesus from everything that we hold dear and I believe that it is God in whom we trust not in these United States of America choose to accept the foundational principles of these United States of America which had been founded and grounded upon the unsearchable unapologetic word of the living God in Christ Jesus there with those.

The Bible says you who hated the Christ of Christmas, but move on number two there were those who accepted the Christ of Christmas.

Matthew chapter 1 and verse 18 through 25.

Mary and Joseph listen what the Bible says Matthew chapter 1. Please follow with me. There were those who accepted the Christ of Christmas.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about his mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit now because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to a public disgrace. He had in mind to divorce her quietly but often he had 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 will save his people from their sin.

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means God with us. When Joseph woke up, the Bible says he did what the angel of the Lord had come on him and he took Mary home as his wife but he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son, and he gave him the name Jesus dear lady in Tyler's South Carolina Mrs. Johnson sent me this article entitled Mary's dream. I'd like to just read it for you. Mary's dream I had a dream. Joseph I don't understand it.

Not really, but I think it was about a birthday celebration for our son.

I think that was what it was all about the people had been preparing for it for about six weeks. They had decorated the house and bought new clothes they'd gone shopping. Many times, and more elaborate gifts that it was peculiar though Joseph because the presence went for our son. They wrap them in beautiful pipe and they they tied them with lovely bows and they stack them under a tree. Yes a tree. Joseph right in the house. They decorated the tree also. The branches were full of glowing bowls and sparking ornaments.

There was a figure on top of the tree it looked like an angel might look. Oh Joseph, it was so beautiful. Everyone was laughing and happy and they were all excited about the gifts they gave gifts to each other. Joseph but not to our son. I don't think I even knew him. They never mentioned his name does not seem bothered for people to go to all that trouble to celebrate someone's birthday.

If I don't know him, I had the strangest feeling that if our son had gone to the celebration he would've been intruding. Everything was so beautiful Joseph, and everyone was so full of cheer. But it made me want to cry. How sad for Jesus not to be wanted to design birthday celebration. I'm glad it was only a dream, how terrible Joseph, if it'd been real. You know, there were those who accepted the Christ of Christmas and you and I ever begin to imagine what Mary and Joseph must've gone through with this experience we would've being accepting people as we are and understanding and loving. We would've been able to cope and overcome because we've learned so much about the Grayson and the forgiveness of God. But Mary and Joseph is presented to them and unbelievable predicament of immeasurable proportion and yet they were willing to accept the Christ of Christmas you see is those angels came upon Mary and revealed to her that what was in was the Christ of Christmas. I believe that what Mary did. She became the purest, the purest expression of what faith is all about. You see, my friends, she may not have understood. She may have had so many questions about this thing that was happening to her, and yet it was Mary the mother of Jesus who accepted the sovereign outstretched hand of God. Without question as the Joseph.

He followed the monuments, not because of blind faith, but because of spiritual fight. He followed God's commandments, not out of ignorance but out of deep and profound love and understanding because of his connectedness because this man understood what it meant to ask where God all because of the Christ of Christmas there were those who hated the Christ of Christmas there were those who accepted the Christ of Christmas, but I also want you to know that there were those who ritualize the Christ of Christmas. If you have a look with me in the passage I've already read in Matthew chapter 2 and I'm not going to read it again, but the Bible tells us they are intertwined with the story about Herod there with these three men called the Magi remarkable story. Historians tell us the Magi were remarkable man. I don't know all about them probably just as much as you do, but I know every time I see a portrayal or a dramatic presentation of what happened at Christmas there. The Magi, they decked out, they dressed up.

These were the men who had arrived they had lost full of gold and of diamond earrings and necklaces. They were the people who were the upper echelon of society. They were the astrologist and the scientists.

These were the men who were educated. These were the men who knew everything about everything and you anything about anyone, and you could divorce them, and I would've told you the Bible says that these men were the men who ritualize the Christ of Christmas.

You see, they came offering only what they knew best to do and that is to give of themselves and the Bible says they bought big gold and their frankincense and they murder they brought the ritual offerings before the Lamb of God, and I'm going to say to you, my beloved friends that what God's word teaches us about.

Please people is that there is nothing wrong with Rick visualizing and symbolizing the Christ of Christmas as long as the focus of the attention is not in the breadbasket it is not in the pot of gold.

It is not in the gift giving.

It is in the baby who is in the manger. I've heard people say from time to time fosters there's something wrong with the Christmas tree I can't find anything wrong with having a Christmas tree. We brought one. I intend to have one next year as well. I mean it's wonderful got black sonic and stop hanging all over.

I wouldn't be surprised if it's 6 o'clock tomorrow morning when bump on that all day long flying in tonight to join us. If we are not woken up at someone with some very precious little person who is going to get inside, daddy, daddy time, it's time and I'm going to say go to bed. All is great when you get around you pop the eggnog 9 o'clock in the morning. Who cares. And I mean you get it out there in this papers all over the place and streamers and lights and Christmas trees and I mean lots of food and more food and you just have a great time together. There is nothing wrong with symbolizing the Christ of Christmas.

He is the symbol of the Prince of peace, but I'm going to say to you my friend that these Magi into a personal one-on-one encounter with the living spirit of the living God, and I prostrated themselves before Beckley happens manger and the Bible says that with the joy of the living Christ and they asked God through the Christ of Chris before Christmas is to use a commercial brother, you're in trouble if all Christmas is to use what the bottom ball is going to mean to your business you're in trouble if Christmas all Christmas is to use what you going to get out of it, you're in trouble, my friends. The Bible says there were those who hated the Christ of Christmas there were those who accepted the Christ of Christmas there were those ritualize the Christ of Christmas, but I want you to note in the fourth place.

There were those who investigated the Christ of Chris Luke's gospel chapter 2.

They were those who investigated these were the shepherds. I love the shape it's not you. They must've been quite a group. I can just see them there. They were sitting out. The Bible says they were abiding in the field was standing over there their flocks at the Bible says that the angel of the Lord came down upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and these angels built the most unbelievable used to these these shepherds sitting out in the field. They immediately got up and the Bible says they went off to go and investigate who this Christ was the Christ of Chris, the Christ of Christmas and teaching and preaching, afraid you'd open your heart next wants to share.

Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why did you pray this prayer with me right here. God, I know that on and I know that Jesus died for me today. I painted Larson and Bob, I received Jesus, my friend welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting new love to hear from you TW online.org