The Stars & Scars of Christmas | Part 2

We serve a God with stars closely to the real Rogers are you hurting today is there pain is their problem. Listen to me, praying your will to Jesus. He understands he cares bring your wounds to Jesus than usual stars 40 welcome to love and worth finding featuring the powerful lessons and insights from beloved pastor and Bible teacher Adrian Rogers in the Nativity story. The star pointed the wisemen to Jesus, but we cannot have the stars of Christmas without the stars of Christmas we have to remember Jesus was born to die for our sins.

These stars show us that Jesus suffered as we do, and he sympathizes with our pain.

He knows he cares he did not have to suffer.

Yet he moved into our suffering and took it on himself so that we could be saved from our sins. If you have your Bible turned out of the gospel of John, chapter 20 verse 24 is Adrian Rogers concludes the stars and scars of Christmas. You know that the only man-made thing and have all the stars of Jesus Christ. Jesus visited her, and when I went back to heaven he took some souvenirs of his visit with him. Those souvenirs are the stars in his hand and the scar and aside, he has Those scars as a lasting memorial of his humanity through all eternity. When Jesus comes again. One of the ways that we will know that it is the dear Savior of the many ways the blessed scars putting a margin Zechariah chapter 13 in verse six and once will say to him what these wounds in thine hands they shall answer those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends when it comes again when he comes again he will bear those blessed scars so I want us to think about the stars in the skies of Christmas and the three things as we think about God in human flesh that I want to learn about the stars of the Lord Jesus Christ number one. The scars tell us that as a man, Jesus suffered now is very important to understand is that as a man, Jesus suffered in John chapter 20 verse 17 Jesus invited Thomas to examine those God they were brutal testimony to the fact that Jesus indeed was pierced with those hideous nails I is a big question why why would God Almighty who could do anything whatever he wants whenever he wants, why would he choose to suffer second point not only to the scars of Jesus tell us that as a man, he suffered with the scars of Jesus tell us that as a man, Jesus sympathizes that Jesus understands why going to home.

There's been a death the tragedy. The loss of a child or whatever. I try never to say I understand because it's an insult to the person who suffering they say no you don't understand in their right. Nobody really knows that her nobody really knows the pain in the human heart, except Jesus our Lord suffered in our Lord sympathizes and the pain that he allows us to have is really proof of his love the pain that he allows us to have is proof of his love after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. God said, cursed is the ground. I listen to this for your sake. He did say for punishment but for your welfare for your sake on synthesis would bring forth the God put a curse on the environment in which we live because the worst thing could happen to us, would be for us to have the sickness the infection of sin and to feel no pain, there is the prototype being purpose of paying thank God for pain.

It tells us something is wrong.

Pain as a unifying factor. What unifies a church suffering what brings people together suffering. The Bible says when one member suffers, all members suffer with Dr. Branson. I can tell the help of the human body by his reaction to pain. If it doesn't react to pain. There is something wrong you can tell the help of the church by his reaction to pain, how much does church care for the homeless, the sick, those with broken hearts and broken hopes and broken home church is unified by pain. Pain has a protected purpose.

Pain has a unifying purpose and pain has a correcting purpose. God allows pain to protect us and who work for the pain we would never know that we bring her you put your hand on a hot stove and is a message that goes immediately to your brain and says it's hot down here and brains is blue and move just like that now you'll realize you do it all at thinking what you're doing that because that pain says that you need to protect yourself. Pain comes in all kinds of phone there's physical pain.

There is emotional pain. There is spiritual pain and Americans want to kill pain at any cost. That's the reason we have so many sedatives.

That's the reason kids get on drugs to kill the pain as a reason some adults are own drugs to kill the pain. Now there is a legitimate use of medicine, but many are trying to dole their sensibilities. They don't get along with her parents and they turned to drugs and I would say when kids get on drugs they really don't care what their parents think they are in another world.

Some turned alcohol and it's kind of pathetic to see adults addicted to alcohol to sizing young people addicted to drugs.

Why, why do people turn alcohol so many times kill the pain.

A man's drunk. He says I'm feeling no pain is that I want to drown my troubles was troubles can swim. The Japanese have a proper first man takes a drink then the drink takes a drink and then the drink takes the man out why why we do this why people have an affair why they commit adultery. Many times trying to kill the pain of insecurity and loneliness. One of the biggest sedatives that we have Dave's television people watch television because they can't face themselves and they live in a make-believe world.

The problem is that many people take a sedative when they need a Savior, the pain is to tell us that something is wrong. Now Jesus gives us peace and joy, not primarily to remove the pain that will be done at the rapture but to help us to endure the pain. Now when we see scars in the hands of Bethlehem to be. They are a testimony to his humanity. Our God was God's. They tell us as God. He suffered as man he suffered as God he sympathizes as man, he sympathizes he knows how we feel. He understands and Jesus will hear the cries of a blind beggar before he hears the cries of a proud Pharisee. Now here's the third thing, not the scars of Jesus tell us that as a man, Jesus, and not the tell us that as a man, Jesus sympathizes with the scars of Jesus. Tell us as a man, Jesus saved that is so important that you understand this.

Why was he nailed that hellish cross. Why did he step out of glory. Why did he allow himself to be peers. Why were those nails put into his quivering hands and those precious feet, why the Bible says about shedding of blood is no remission of sin. I would remind you something from Jesus did not have to suffer. He could have refused the cross, Jesus said, no man take of my life for me. I lay it down of myself. Jesus was the only man who ever chose to die.

You say, what about a suicide he doesn't used to. He only chooses the time of his death is going to die anyway. New statistic out of that one out of one people died. Jesus was the only one who had no sin in himself. He could have refused death.

He said no man take of my life for me. I lay down on myself. It was not those nails that held them to the cross.

It was love.

He did not have to suffer, but he gets up master question. Those of you who have children and those children suffer those children are in trouble. Those children are in pain. Would you rather not know about it.

I would you rather know about it so you can move in and do something about. Suppose you and your wife are celebrating an anniversary you taking that once-in-a-lifetime vacation in your in a hotel in Hawaii and you have a child here left at home and I child is in an automobile accident? Would you want your vacation interrupted to know you child was in an automobile accident.

I mean after all. And nobody told you you did not when you just rather be over there in paradise, not knowing that your child was suffering because when you know your child is suffering. What does that do the vacation immediately pack you leave everything and go back home which of you would say well I had rather not know. I just rather live in my oblivious happiness. Of course, is not apparent is not a mother or father in this room would say if my child is suffering. I don't want to know that you see. Theoretically, you could say I'm going to Hawaii. Nobody called me about anything. I don't know that anything we just interested in our joy, our felicity are good time now. If you love somebody when they hurt you. Her and when you can do something about it. If you can. You want to and if you can't do anything about it. You still want to be there to hurt with them and suffer within the question I say is not why does man suffer. Why did God suffer. I'll tell you why God suffer for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but should have ever lasting life.

Isaiah 53 verse three he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are you obsessed there was a wayward boy who had so disgraced his parents and they give him chance after chance after chance, and he had failed embarrass them and hurt them and wounded them and refuse them and rebelled against them.

One man, this was his son was talking to another man there.

The man gave his suffering father. This advice he said I'll tell you what I would do if that were my son.

Here's what I would do. And this man giving advice to the brokenhearted father was telling him how he should just cast the sun often be done with him and see them all.

That's my son that's what I would do this. Father said yes and if he were your son that's what I would do, but is not your son is and I can't. He is my son and friend. God loves us.

There's no one here that God does not love there is no one that God does not want to save and see he's God in human flesh and the question is why does God suffer, we might say that he does suffer that he might be a sympathizing Savior, but he suffers that he might be a Savior, who sympathizes that he saves, but the Scripture down second rent is 519 to wit God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.

God was in Christ.

Why did God become a man. Our dominion was lost by man.

It must be legally regained by man. First Corinthians 15 verse 21 for since by man came – by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. You say why did vote for Adam.

I don't think ought to be held responsible for his sin you want to be so grateful dear friend that God not only counts the human race guilty in Adam also counts the human race by faith justified in Christ. I'm so grateful that I have in Jesus, a redemption that Jesus did for me what I could never do for myself and I had rather be a safe center than an innocent angel in Adam all die, but in Christ shall all be made alive.

Listen to this Hebrews to verse nine but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of bad, crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. The scars tell me that Jesus saves that Jesus save my first son was born. Steve, my pastor said to me, Adrian.

You will understand something different now about the love of God before you have a child of your own you think of the great love the Savior had when he died for the we have a child of your own you think the love of the father who gave his son that is so true that this is true for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, God was in Christ he was God. But it was man as God. He was sinless, but as a man he suffer because they needed to be a sinless substitute without shedding of blood is no remission.

Think not only of the stars of the scars of Christmas. Listen, Jesus came to earth, that we might go to heaven. Jesus was born of a virgin, that we might be born again. Jesus became the Son of Man that we might become the sons and daughters of God, Jesus, die that we might live the scars tell us that as a man, Jesus suffered the scars tell us that as a man, Jesus empathizes the scars tell us that as a man, Jesus saying hallelujah he'd now let me come to the conclusion of this message. I would lay several things upon your heart. Listen carefully now. Jesus had some scars and if you follow Jesus. So will you. God had only one son without sin. But he didn't have any son without suffering.

Philippians 3 verse 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering. If you think you're going to get out of this world unscarred you not going to do.

There's no fine print in the contract and there is the suffering that comes with serving the Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians chapter 6 verse 17 the apostle Paul says I bear in my body. The scars of the Lord Jesus and Paul could say that literally because the lash had been laid upon his back, but using the word is stigmata. I bear the nail prints in my body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, tell your friend listen carefully now.

Those of you who are going to a sedative rather than the Savior. Your scars may be your greatest ministry.

What was it that caused Thomas to believe Thomas said except I see this is all not really Jesus at all right Thomas put your finger here, put your finger here, put your hand that they know what a star is a star is a wound is healed and when Thomas saw the scar Thomas saw him crucified.

But now Thomas sees he is raised is victorious. He is overcome, and Thomas believe. Did you know that there people are going to believe in Jesus when they see your scars. Did you know that when you can testify that Jesus has healed me. Here are my wounds red and raw and bloodied. But Jesus has healed me.

I've seen it happen so many times as you know Joyce and I have little boy in heaven when our son died because it was like a crucifixion, and deep red was the wound but we carried it to Jesus and Jesus healing the first Scripture that I saw after our son died I never even noticed in the Bible for blessed be God, the God of all comfort. The father of all mercies who come forth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort others with the same comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted.

I've seen Joyce put her arms around mothers who lost little ones and give comfort to how she could do it with her scars with her scars with her wound that has been he are you hurting today is there pain is their problem is heartache. Listen to me.

Bring your wounds to Jesus. He understands he cares bring your wounds to Jesus and use your scars for Jesus.

Use your scars for Jesus that may be your greatest testimony not to sail through life without feeling any pain. Not that God is protected you as his own darling, but that God is been with you and we have not a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was all points tempted like as we yet without sin. I want you now in your mind imagine our risen Savior I want you to see him on the throne of his glory, and I want you to see in his hands, the print of the nails because he bears them for all eternity. And I want you to see those nail scarred hands reaching to you right now and if you've never done it. Would you not like to put your hand in that hand and say save me, Lord Jesus, thank you that you are the God man. Thank you. That is a man who suffered as a man you sympathize, and is a man who said he prayed for me.

I want to guide you in prayer and in this prayer, you can ask Christ to save you and I promise younger thought in the word of God that he will save you and he will keep you pray this prayer dear Jesus, thank you. That is a man who died on the cross for me, though God of very God did not have to suffer and get you did.

You chose to suffer because you love me and I receive you by faith as my Lord and Savior save me Jesus prayed me did you ask that brightest way. Thank you for doing Lord if you just give me the strength I'll make it public. I'll not be ashamed of you because you died for me, your holy name. If you prayed with Pastor Rogers just received Jesus Christ, I want to invite you are discovered. Jesus page of the website to find answers there. You may need about your newfound faith. We have a response section.

You can share your testimony you can tell us how this message has impacted your life just go to LWF.org/radio and click the tab that says Discover Jesus LWF.org/radio and click Discover Jesus welcome to God's forever family. We can't wait to hear from you today if you like to order a copy of today's message in its entirety: 1877 love God and order the stars and scars of Christmas. This message is also part of the powerful Christmas series God in human flesh for the complete collection. All four dynamic messages: number 877 love God or go to LWF.org/radio where you can write us to order at love worth finding box 38, 600 Memphis, TN 38183.

Thanks so much for studying in God's word with us today. Think not only of the stars, but the scars of Christmas. Jesus had scars and if we follow him. So will we let your pain point people to the gospel testify of how God if you suffering today.

Bring your wounds to Jesus. Use your scars for humans to be sure to join us next time.

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