Christmas 2011 sermon
God rest ye merry, gentlemen Let nothing you dismay Remember, Christ, our Saviour Was born on Christmas day To save us all from Satan's power When we were gone astray O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy O tidings of comfort and joy Tidings of comfort and joy....why is Christmas a season of comfort and joy?.....Why are we so jubilant!
Well one thing is for sure its a time for giving and receiving like no other time of the year, in fact we often push our financial budgets to the brink of breaking but no one out gives our lord Jesus Christ!
1. He gave Himself to us by putting all His divinity into the body of a human being and walked among us.
2. He gave us His word, the Holy Scriptures, everything He said and taught through the apostles, prophets and His own words.
3. He gave Himself on the cross of crucifixion to be a sacrifice for our sins, and by doing that He gave us the promise of eternal life, a passport to Heaven, a way to escape Gods wrath and judgment when we all come to the end of our time on Earth.
4. He gave us the church and the fellowship of all our brothers and sisters.
5. He gave us the communion table, the blood and body of our Lord Jesus Christ so that we could judge ourselves and not face Gods judgment.
6. He gave us His precious Holy Spirit to not only be upon us as in the days of old but to actually indwell us forever and so the Lord Jesus is always with us!
7. He gave us the gift of ministry through apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelist, and pastors.
8. And as Holy Spirit filled believers in Christ Jesus He has given us the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit .
And so much more for all of us on our own daily and personal levels, the challenge of course is to strive to see the cup half full and not half empty.
But what about the song verse I read this morning.
To save us all from Satan's power When we were gone astray
We must remember that our Lord Jesus Christ has come to also set us free from the bondage of slavery to sin and to the devil.
We must realize that the devil, Satan is a worthy adversary.
1 Peter 5:8
English Standard Version (ESV)
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
How bad is it...look at the gospel account at the time of Jesus' birth.
Matthew 2
The Visit of the Wise Men
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men[ a ] from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose[ b ] and have come to worship him." 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 "‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'"
7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
The Flight to Egypt
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt I called my son."
Herod Kills the Children
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more."
Satan working through an evil and wicked man, King Herod kills every baby male child 2 years and younger in an attempt to kill the lord Jesus.
Job 1
Satan Allowed to Test Job
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan[ b ] also came among them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." 8 And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?" 9Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." 12 And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
Luke 22
31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you,[ d ] that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." 33 Peter[ e ] said to him, "Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death." 34 Jesus[ f ] said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me."
Acts 26
(Paul)17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles-to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'
Jesus Christ is our Savior and He is also our deliverer, He is the one who sets us free from the bondage of sin and death and gives us freedom and eternal life in Him!
Galatians 5
Christ Has Set Us Free
1 For freedom... Christ has set us free; ...stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
remember saints Christ deliverance sets us free and the Christian disciplines and Gods Holy Spirit keeps us free!
So on this Christmas morning we celebrate Jesus Christ the one who out gives everyone and everything by pouring all His love, grace, mercy, and purposes into His creation.
We celebrate a lord who desires that we be free from Satan's hold and be free in Him.
We celebrate a lord who has made a way for us to be with Him forever for all of eternity in a place the scriptures call Heaven, and it is a wonderful and glorious place!
We celebrate today ....we remember....that it all started with a little baby born in a humble manger in a humble town by humble parents.
He did it all for us!
Happy Birthday Jesus!
