Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
The State of Christianity
The State of Christianity from Urbana 09 on Vimeo.
Click the title if you do not see a video box.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
E.M. Bounds: Prayer and the entire man
“Prayer has to do with the entire man. Prayer takes in man in his whole being, mind, soul and body. It takes the whole man to pray, and prayer affects the entire man in its gracious results.
"As the whole nature of man enters into prayer, so also all that belongs to man is the beneficiary of prayer. All of man receives benefits in prayer. The whole man must be given to God in praying. The largest results in praying come to him who gives himself, all of himself, all that belongs to himself, to God.
"This is the secret of full consecration, and this is a condition of successful praying, and the sort of praying which brings the largest fruits.”
"As the whole nature of man enters into prayer, so also all that belongs to man is the beneficiary of prayer. All of man receives benefits in prayer. The whole man must be given to God in praying. The largest results in praying come to him who gives himself, all of himself, all that belongs to himself, to God.
"This is the secret of full consecration, and this is a condition of successful praying, and the sort of praying which brings the largest fruits.”
Source: E. M. Bounds, The Essentials of Prayer
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Luke 1:26-38 - The Virgin Birth
It is called the Virgin Birth. And it has been an important-enough doctrine to be held with confidence by the Church for 1850 years and then important enough for Enlightenment liberals to vilify, negate, downplay, and impugn for the last 160. A main argument used against the Virgin Birth is its supposed insignificance and even irrelevance, but the fact that liberal theologians make it their punching bag betrays the reality that the Virgin Birth is important.
A 1959 Christianity Today editorial reads, “Many theologians, like Schleiermacher, have thought that they could accept a supernatural work of God without the Virgin Birth. Many others have tended to agree with Brunner that it is an unnecessary and inquisitive biological intrusion. Many would argue that they can confess the true deity and incarnation of Christ without it. Evangelicals often leave the impression that it is a kind of embarrassment which they are prepared to accept because it is in Scripture but which they do not find to be particularly significant or meaningful.”[1]
Besides an attack on the inerrancy of Scripture, which is serious enough, denials of the Virgin Birth are dangerous for many other areas. “Denial of the Virgin Birth almost invariably accompanies, or is accompanied by, a more basic theological defection in which the divine initiative, the inadequacy of man, the reality of original sin, the miraculous nature of regeneration, the primacy of the Word of God, and the importance of the faith which it brings are either abandoned in whole or part or drastically reinterpreted. . . . In itself the abandonment of the scriptural testimony may seem to many to be of little account. But quite apart from the serious impugning of the written Word, it is a conditioning and resultant sign of more widespread abandonment of evangelical doctrine. For the Virgin Birth itself carries by implication the sum and substance of the gospel.”[2] Let’s look at this vital doctrine today by reading the following passage.
Pray & Read: Luke 1:26-38
Key Truth: Luke wrote Luke 1:26-38 to teach believers that the Virgin Birth happened without the agency of a man, was free of the corruption of sin, established Christ’s Davidic ancestry, his identity as the Last Adam and the last heir to David’s throne.
Key Application: Today I want to show you what God’s Word says about the Virgin Birth.
Sermon Points:
WHAT THE VIRGIN BIRTH WAS: Jesus’ conception was
- Was without the agency of a man (1:35a)
- Was free of sin’s corruption (1:35b)
WHAT THE VIRGIN BIRTH DID: Jesus’ conception established
- His ancestry from David (1:27)
- His identity as the Last Adam (1:31)
- His identity as the last heir to David’s Throne (1:32-33)
Exposition: Note well,
1. Jesus’ Conception Was Without The Agency Of A Man (1:35a).
a. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you;”
b. The unique feature of Jesus’ conception was that it was supernatural, not of human generation. There is no magic here or fantasy or mere legend. This is fact. Mary did not conceive by way of a man (Matthew 1:18, 25).
c. Mary conceived by way of the Holy Spirit who fathered Jesus’ humanity (Matt 1:20; Luke 1:35)
d. Jesus’ prenatal development within Mary and birth were natural processes (Luke 1:57; 2:7), but his conception was radically different.
e. The Holy Spirit produced of Mary’s substance a complete human nature, consisting of body, soul, and spirit (Matt 26:12, 38; 27:50). Thus God the Holy Spirit was the father of Jesus’ human nature.
f. Jesus’ personhood did not begin at conception, for Jesus’ person and divine nature existed from eternity (Micah 5:2; Gal. 4:4; John 1:1; 8:42). Jesus did not acquire another personhood so that he was a combination of two persons, one divine and one human. Rather, he acquired at conception a human nature, so that they were united in Him, one Person, the nature of God and the nature of man. This acquisition made him the God-Man. This is why the angel says in 1:35 that which was conceived in Mary’s womb was “that Holy One/thing.” The gender is neuter, indicating that Mary gave Jesus only his human nature, not his personhood and his divine nature.
g. Mary bore a human male child who was already the Second Person of the Trinity. She was not the mother of God.
h. APPLICATION: “Just as Our Lord came into human history from outside, so He must come into me from outside. Have I allowed my personal human life to become a "Bethlehem" for the Son of God? I cannot enter into the realm of the Kingdom of God unless I am born from above by a birth totally unlike natural birth. "Ye must be born again." This is not a command, it is a foundation fact. The characteristic of the new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that Christ is formed in me. Immediately Christ is formed in me, His nature begins to work through me.[3]
i. Have you done that? Have you yielded yourself to Christ? If you have, then FEAR NOT!
j. If you haven’t, then you should have great fear for your eternal destiny. Today during the invitation I will give at the end of this message will a good time to give your life to Christ.
2. Jesus’ Conception Was Free Of Sin’s Corruption (1:35b).
a. “that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”
b. A sinner cannot pay the sin debt for another. He has his own sin debt which he cannot pay himself. Jesus’ conception preserved his sinlessness, qualifying him to make atonement for the sins of the whole world (Heb 2:9; 7:26-27).
c. Jesus’ unique conception prevented his receiving from a human parent the inherent corruption of sin (1:35) and from the father the imputed, federal guilt of Adam’s initial sin (Rom 5:12-19; Gen 5:3; 1 Cor 15:22).
d. Being absolutely sinless (1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5), Jesus was able to pay for us our terrible debt burden of sin (Rom 5:8; 1 Peter 2:24; Heb 9:26; 1 John 2:2).
e. ILLUSTRATION: “No, the point is that though the Son of Mary as such stands in solidarity with sinners, his real birth is directly from God, so that unlike all others he is not himself a sinner, but has come to bear their sin in God's own work of salvation. A man born in the normal way could have been one with sinners, but he could not have been the sinless sin-bearer. The sinless sin-bearer comes into the world in such a way that he is also one with man, yet there is a decisive break with the old humanity as well as continuity with it. He is not sinful man accomplishing in a more worthy representative his own salvation. He is the second man, the Lord from heaven, the Son of Man who is also the Son of God incarnate for us men and for our salvation.”[4]
f. So – did Jesus have Mary’s DNA, her genetic data? The short answer is yes, he did. There are two reasons. The more important one is Scriptural. One is scientific. He had to in order to fulfill Genesis 3:15: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring (seed) and her Offspring (seed); He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel.” Paul explains in Galatians 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. Galatians 4:4 “But when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to the regulations of the Law.”
a. The second reason is simply speculative science, because God is sovereign and can do whatever he wants. We do know from the field of medicine the natural processes involved in fertilization cause the father’s DNA never to be passed on to his children. Mitochondria are DNA passed only through the female from one generation to the next. Mitochondria enable the body to aerobically respirate and without mitochondria human tissue would be unable to sustain its metabolic pathway – it would produce so much heat that it would boil without the mother’s mitochondria.[1] Unless the Lord overruled this process, then Jesus carried Holy Spirit overshadowed DNA – what the theologians call human nature – from his mother.
g. APPLICATION: FEAR NOT! Because Christ’s conception was free from the corruption of sin, you can be confident in your salvation and eternal security.
3. Jesus’ conception established His Ancestry from David (1:27)
a. “to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.”
b. Jesus was a true descendant of David through his mother, Mary, and her ancestor, Nathan, a son of David (Luke 3:23-31; 1 Chron. 3:5; Rom 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:8). Luke gives Mary’s lineage through her father Heli (Luke 3:23). Matthew gives Joseph’s royal lineage through Solomon (Matt. 1:6-16) and shows Jesus’ legal connection to Joseph through Mary. Because of his legal connection with Joseph, the lineal heir to David’s throne, and his blood relation to David through his mother, Mary (Luke 3:23-31), the Lord Jesus is the last dynastic heir to David’s throne and the only one who can rule Israel with God’s blessing (Luke 1:30-33).
c. APPLICATION: FEAR NOT! Because Christ’s conception established his ancestry from David, you can be confident in the reliability of the Scriptures and the strength of God’s commitment to his own promises.
4. Jesus’ conception established his identity as the Last Adam (1:31)
a. “you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son”
b. By his Incarnation (coming in the flesh) Jesus became the Last Adam. Just as Adam was the leader, pattern, and federal head of the flow of sinfulness down into humanity, Jesus became the leader, pattern and federal head of a new humanity of saved people who have been redeemed from the pattern of the first Adam (1 Cor. 15:22, 45-49; 2 Cor 5:17; Eph. 2:10).
c. The purpose of this divine, creative work in believers is to make a people in the image of God’s Son (Rom 8:29; Phil 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2).
d. APPLICATION: FEAR NOT! Because of Jesus’ conception establishing his identity as the Last Adam, you can have confidence that your sins are paid in full and that by identifying with him, your punishment for sin is voided.
5. Jesus’ Conception established his identity as the Last Heir To David’s Throne (1:32-33)
a. “Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.”
b. Jesus’ virgin birth made it possible for Him to rule one day from David’s throne over Israel (Matt 2:2; 2 Sam 7:12-17; Luke 1:32-33). The Davidic Covenant (2 Sam 7:12-17) was transmitted through Solomon and his posterity (2 Chron 28:4-7; Matt 1:1-16, 20).
c. But a curse on the descendants of Jehoiakim stood in the way. King Jehoiakim burned the Word of God, and God decreed that none of his descendants would ever sit or prosper on the throne (Jer. 36:30). The curse was repeated to his son Jehoiachin (Coniah), the last king of Judah of David’s royal dynasty (Jer. 22:30).
d. By a virgin conception, Jesus avoided this divine curse and received full title to David’s throne through Joseph, his foster father. Jesus did not come under divine judgment because he was not Joseph’s biological son. But being Joseph’s eldest legal son, he inherited title to David’s throne.
e. APPLICATION: FEAR NOT! Because Christ’s conception established his identity as the last heir to David’s Throne, you can be confident in Christ’s Second Coming, the establishment of his eternal kingdom, and his setting right the injustices in this world.
Invitation:
[1] Christianity Today editorial, December 13, 2007, reprinted from December 7, 1959, http://www.ctlibrary.com/ct/2007/decemberweb-only/150-42.0.html.
[2] Christianity Today editorial, December 13, 2007, reprinted from December 7, 1959, http://www.ctlibrary.com/ct/2007/decemberweb-only/150-42.0.html.
[4] Christianity Today editorial, December 13, 2007, reprinted from December 7, 1959, http://www.ctlibrary.com/ct/2007/decemberweb-only/150-42.0.html.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
A Time for Disobedience?
"Is there anything which the government would compel you to do for which you believe it’s permissible to disobey? Even more, is there anything the state would require you to practice for which you would be obligated to resist?
"May you disobey the government? Indeed, must you defy civil authorities? For the Christian, especially, civil disobedience is not a matter of trivia. Christians understand the existence of government is not the result of man’s imagination. Like the family and the church, God created the institution of government. In their proper function, each institution enjoys a sphere of influence granted by God.
"As a divinely ordered reality, Christians are obligated to submit to governing authorities, including those which are undemocratic and pagan (see the Apostle Paul’s instructions to the church in Rome in the first century, Romans 13:1-7). The Bible’s instructions are unambiguously clear: government is to be obeyed, except in extraordinary circumstances.
"For some Christians leaders, extraordinary circumstances may soon be upon believers in our nation. Indeed, there are ominous signs that an increasingly unbridled state is threatening to impose its will over the God-ordained spheres of the family and church, causing us to need to draw the proverbial line in the sand.
"Here, we must stand. We can do no other.
"The Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience seeks to draw the line in the sand, putting the government on notice that there are certain matters on which the signers will not compromise, no matter the cost."
Friday, December 25, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel is a translation of the Catholic Latin text ("Veni, veni, Emmanuel") by John Mason Neale in the mid-19th century. It is a metrical version of a collation of various Advent Antiphons (the acrostic O Antiphons), which now serves as a popular Advent and Christmas hymn. Its origins are unclear, it is thought that the antiphons are from at least the 8th Century, but "Veni, veni Emmanuel" may well be 12th Century in origin.
The text is based on the biblical prophecy from Isaiah 7:14 that states that God will give Israel a sign of a virgin bearing a son who will be called Immanuel (Lit.: God with us). Matthew 1:23 states fulfillment of this prophecy in the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Source: Wikipedia
- O come, O come, Emmanuel,
- And ransom captive Israel,
- That mourns in lonely exile here
- Until the Son of God appear.
- Refrain:
- Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
- shall come to thee, O Israel.
- O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
- Thine own from Satan's tyranny;
- From depths of hell Thy people save,
- And give them victory over the grave.
- O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
- Our spirits by Thine advent here;
- And drive away the shades of night
- And pierce the clouds and bring us light!
- O come, Thou Key of David, come,
- And open wide our heavenly home;
- Make safe the way that leads on high,
- And close the path to misery.
- O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
- Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
- In ancient times once gave the law
- In cloud, and majesty, and awe.
Latin Original
- Veni, Veni Emmanuel!
- Captivum solve Israel!
- Qui gemit in exsilio,
- Privatus Dei Filio.
[Chorus]
-
- Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
- Nascetur pro te, Israel.
- Veni, O Jesse virgula,
- Ex hostis tuos ungula,
- De specu tuos tartari
- Educ et antro barathri.
- Veni, Veni O Oriens!
- Solare nos adveniens,
- Noctis depelle nebulas,
- Dirasque noctis tenebras.
- Veni, Clavis Davidica,
- Regna reclude caelica,
- Fac iter tutum superum,
- Et claude vias inferum.
- Veni, Veni Adonai!
- Qui populo in Sinai
- Legem dedisti vertice,
- In Majestate gloriae.
- Veni, O Sapientia,
- Quae hic disponis omnia,
- Veni, viam prudentiae
- Ut doceas et gloriae.
- Veni, Veni, Rex gentium,
- veni, Redemptor omnium,
- Ut salvas tuos famulos
- Peccati sibi conscios.
Come, Thou Unexpected Jesus
Come, Thou Unexpected Jesus
by Jenn Kipp (with apologies to Charles Wesley)
Come, Thou unexpected Jesus,
Interrupt our spending spree.
Shopping malls hold all that pleases;
Why would we then look for Thee?
In the midst of all the bustle,
We've lost the most important part.
Teach us that our lowly Savior
Is not found in a shopping cart.
Source: Christianity Today Leading Outreach
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Christmas Me-Be-Gone!
ME BE GONE from Two Rivers on Vimeo.
Click the title if you don't see a video box.Sunday, December 20, 2009
Luke 2:1-12 The Infant is Sovereign
Pray & Read: Luke 2:1-12
Key Truth: Luke wrote Luke 2:1-12 to teach believers that the Infant born in Bethlehem is Sovereign over all and is himself the Sovereign Good News.
Key Application: Today I want to show you what God’s Word says about the sovereignty of the Christ Child.
Sermon Points:
- The Infant is sovereign over government politics (2:1-4)
- The Infant is sovereign over family scandal (2:5-7a)
- The Infant is sovereign over embarrassing want (2:7b-8)
- The Infant is the Sovereign Good News (2:9-12)
Exposition: Note well,
1. THE INFANT IS SOVEREIGN OVER GOVERNMENT POLITICS (2:1-4).
a. A.T. Robertson: In regard to "Caesar Augustus had ordered all the world registered/taxed": It was for long assumed by many scholars that Luke was in error. But papyri and inscriptions have confirmed Luke on every point in these crucial verses Luke_2:1-7.[2] The World (tēn oikoumenēn). Literally, the inhabited (land, gēn). Inhabited by the Greeks, then by the Romans. Should be enrolled (apographesthai). It was a census, not a taxing, though taxing generally followed and was based on the census.
b. Ben Witherington: “At the time of the birth, Joseph and Mary are in Bethlehem, Joseph’s ancestral home, where the couple has traveled, according to Luke 2:1–5, to participate in a census. Much ink has been spilt on Luke 2:1–2, in regard to the apparent mistake of Luke’s suggestion that Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem to participate in a world-wide census conducted by Quirinius, governor of the Syrian province (which included Judea at that point). Suffice it to say here that it is perfectly feasible to translate here “this registration happened first, (before) Quirinius was governor of Syria.” While there may be some rhetorical hyperbole in the reference to “all the (known) world” being enrolled in Quirinius’ census, Augustus did pursue a policy of taxation right across the imperial provinces of the empire; Judea was part of an imperial province, so an enrollment is perfectly feasible.[3]
c. ILLUSTRATION: How ironic that on the week we celebrate the birth of an Infant Savior, we find our government engaged in a forceful move to fund the liquidation of innocent human beings whose only fatal flaw is that they have not eight inches to cold air.
d. APPLICATION: People of God, in days and years ahead, we cannot fall back on a confidence that our government will do things for our benefit or look out for our best interest or protect our consciences or rights. We now see the emergence of a way of governing which is of the rulers, by the rulers, and for the rulers. We will not be able just to accept what they tell us anymore as fact, to trust their reasons. Because their lives are no longer largely governed by the principles of a Judeo-Christian worldview found only in Scripture.
e. If Mary were pregnant in our nation today, she would be encouraged abort her baby, conserve the environment, and eliminate the baby’s carbon footprint and her own embarrassment. We must measure everything our government says by the Words and standards of Scripture, and follow that Rule above all others, even if it means detriment to our homes, to our families, and to our reputations and wallets. We must teach our children our spiritual heritage and to follow the Word of the Lord wisely, not the word of the government blindly. Without revival and wholesale spiritual awakening, we are moving toward a nation where we will remember what freedom was and be persecuted for adhering to that birthright.
f. APPLICATION: But The Infant is Sovereign over more government politics than just our petty national problems. The Infant is Sovereign over the politics of the Garden.
i. Over the shell game: “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:” (Genesis 3:1, 4).
ii. Over the blame game: “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat” (Gen 3:12).
iii. Over the shame game: “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons” (Gen 3:7).
iv. Since the Infant is Sovereign, he set the END GAME: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Gen 3:15). And in that Sovereign Infant in the midst of a government enrollment, the eternal Hope for Change arrived.
2. THE INFANT IS SOVEREIGN OVER FAMILY SCANDAL (2:5-7a).
a. Joseph and Mary are engaged, and Mary is pregnant. Engagement in early Judaism was as binding as modern marriage is today. It required formal dissolution to undo such a commitment. Jewish women were usually between 11 and 13 when betrothed, and the men were generally a bit older. Marriage in early Judaism involved a covenant between one man and one woman, and the commitment was intended to be a lifetime covenant, though men were allowed certain grounds for divorce.
b. What is important to remember is that in an honor and shame culture such as early Judaism it was a scandal to get pregnant out of wedlock or before marriage. Brides were absolutely expected to be virgins when they got married.
c. If Bethlehem was the town where Joseph’s relatives lived, then it is natural to expect that Joseph and Mary would have first sought accommodations with family. This appears to be what they did. It is not the case that Mary and Joseph were forced to stop somewhere beside the road because Mary suddenly went into labor. Rather, Luke 2:6 tells us that “while they were there,” that is, in Bethlehem, “the time came for her to deliver her child.”[4]
d. APPLICATION: Friends you can choose. Family you can’t. That has its good and bad sides. When you find yourself in an uncomfortable family situation, and we all have them, what do you do? You seek to treat them as Jesus would, in care, concern, grace, and lovingly holding to the Standard set by Scripture. Here was a family scandal. Joseph brought in his new wife who was ready to deliver a baby. And he supposed to be covering up the thing with stories about angels. Yeah, right. It looks bad. It is not what it looks like, but Mary and Joseph have to handle it with grace. The looks, the sideways comments, the cold shoulders, the silence, the exclusion. Family can be lonely at times. Family can hurt. But Jesus walks with us through those tough family situations and scandals. Will you let him lead you through yours this Christmas?
e. APPLICATION: The greatest family scandal of all is that The Sovereign Infant has provided a place in His Family for each one of us, but many have not yet responded. And God’s children are cutting missionaries from the field instead of sending more family members to call those outside the family in. For you the greatest family scandal would be that you would one day open your eyes in eternity and find yourself not in the Family of God because you never kneeled to the Sovereign who was once an Infant. Philippians 2 tells us that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, but unless you do it willingly in this life, you will suffer the eternal punishment that the Infant who is Sovereign has set up for His enemies. Today is the day you need to give your life to Jesus Christ and set yourself in your proper place in his family.
3. THE INFANT IS SOVEREIGN OVER EMBARRASSING WANT (2:7b-8)
a. Where did they stay in Bethlehem? Luke tells us that after the birth, Mary put the baby in a “manger,” or corncrib, because there was “no room for them at the kataluma” (Luke 2:7)—a Greek term he uses elsewhere to mean “guest room” (see Luke 22:11). When Luke wants to speak about an inn, he calls it pandocheion (see Luke 10:34). Thus, Luke says nothing about the Holy couple being cast out of an inn and Mary having to bear the child in a barn.
b. Historically, it is far more likely that Mary and Joseph had their child in the humble back portion of the ancestral home where the most valued animals were fed and, in the winter, housed, because the guest room in the family home was already occupied. In any case, Bethlehem was such a small village, on a minor road, that it is not even clear it would have had a wayside inn.[5]
c. John MacArthur: That verse is explicitly concerned with a lonely birth. There were no midwives, no assistance to Mary at all. The Bible doesn't even mention that Joseph was present. Perhaps he was, but if he was typical of first-time fathers, he would have been of little help to Mary. She was basically on her own. Mary brought forth the child; she wrapped Him in swaddling cloths; and she laid Him in a manger. Where usually a midwife would clean the baby and wrap Him, there was no one. Mary did it herself. And where usually there would have been a cradle or basket for the baby, there was none. Mary had to put Him in an animal's feeding trough. When Christ entered the world, He came to a place that had some of the smelliest, filthiest, and most uncomfortable conditions. But that is part of the wonder of divine grace, isn't it?[6]
d. APPLICATION: This year more than many in the last couple of decades, Christmas is coupled with embarrassing want for many around us. What our President calls “fat cat bankers” and what businessmen call “beastly politicians” have stolen from the little man and left many of us out here where life happens hurled in the ditch. Well, people, there is a Good Samaritan, and he was once an Infant born into embarrassing want. He didn’t have a midwife, not even a decent place to lay, nor even baby clothes that were sufficient, just swathing bands wrapped around him.
e. If you find yourself in embarrassing want this holiday season (and we know that you are not the only one here like this), this church stands ready to help you. Speak to me privately. Speak to a deacon, and especially if you are a member here, your need will be confidentially and carefully handled to protect and provide for your needs the best we can. Don’t suffer or let your children suffer because of the sin of pride. Let us have the joy of helping you. But also ask the Lord Jesus to miraculously provide for you. I stand here to tell you that I have seen him work scores of times in miraculous provision when I or our family was in need. We were specific in our prayers. We were determined to operate in integrity when the provision arrived, and we saw God move with power to protect and provide for us. Will you let him do that for you?
f. APPLICATION: But the most embarrassing want will be one day when millions find themselves without Christ. Might you be one of them? I asked a man at Nash County Jail the other day if something were to happen to him and he open his eyes in eternity if he knew where he would be. He said he really did not know. But the Infant who is Sovereign has provided an eternally secure way to know that you are saved – be forgiven of your sins, receive his salvation, and submit to his Lordship. Then that Sovereign Infant personally guarantees your eternal security. That inmate gave his life to Christ that day and secured his destiny. What about you? Do you need to do that today?
4. THE INFANT IS THE SOVEREIGN GOOD NEWS (2:9-12)
a. In these very fields where the shepherds bivouacked, David watched his sheep and killed the lion and the bear (1 Samuel 17:34).
b. “Do not be afraid,” the angel reassures the men, “for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah” (Luke 2:10–11). The angel emphasizes that the savior is born “to you,” the shepherds—that is, to the least, the last and the lost.[7]
c. I bring you good tidings of great joy (euaggelizomai hūmin charan megalēn). Wycliff, “I evangelize to you a great joy.”[8]
d. APPLICATION: Ladies and gentlemen, Jesus is the Good News. This sovereign King. He is the good news. You see, God created this world in perfection, but through the sin of the first man and woman, sin came into the world and all of us have followed in their footsteps in disobedience to God. Sin destroys the good, and it destroyed the relationship God had with us and brought perfectly eternal punishment on us all without exception. But He loves us so much that He made a way for us to escape that punishment called Hell. He sent his Son, his only Son, one of the three persons of the Godhead, to die as a sacrifice for us, fully human and fully God, that Infant in the story today. His sacrificial death that paid the penalty for us and his defeat of our last enemy, death, in his glorious resurrection brought us the exclusive avenue to reestablishing that relationship with God and having eternal life. If you have never received Christ Jesus as Lord, if you have never made him boss of your life, if you have never given the filthy rags of your life to him, then right now you can do that. Will you pray with me this prayer? It is in three parts. The first part is to admit that you have been disobedient – a sinner and ask the Lord’s forgiveness. The second is to ask him to save you, and the Bible says in Romans 10:13 that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. The third part is to give control of your life over to him to lead you, guide you, and direct your life from now on. Once you make that decision, Jesus Christ will save you from your sins and give you eternal life. Will you pray with me that prayer right now?
Invitation: If you prayed that prayer, then I want to invite you to walk down here to tell me about it while the music plays. If you know that this is the church the Lord is calling you to join and you just have not done it yet, and you’ve left the last several weeks regretting that you didn’t, today’s the day, at Christmas, to make this your church home. If you have a prayer need this morning, I am here to pray with you. If you want to come and pray at the altar, this altar is open. If you want to get a relationship right that’s been wrong, you want to apologize and pray with someone, this altar is open. If there is someone of the same sex as you or married to you whom you know would be encouraged by prayer, grab their arm and bring them down here and pray with them while the music plays. This is revival friends, when the presence of Christ, repentance, and prayer overwhelm us. The Infant is Sovereign. He is the Sovereign Good News. Welcome Him in your life and in this church today, won’t you?
[1] John MacArthur, “The Truth of the Nativity,” http://www.christianity.com/Home/Christian%20Living%20Features/11596373/.
[2] A.T. Robertson’s Word Pictures, Luke 2:1. See W.M. Ramsay’s books (Was Christ Born at Bethelehem? Luke the Physician. The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the N.T.).
[3] Ben Witherington, III, The Nativity According to Luke, http://www.bib-arch.org/e-features/nativity.asp. See the detailed discussion by John Nolland, Luke 1–9:20 (Waco, TX: Word, 1993), pp. 9–103 and all the bibliography there.
[4] Witherington, Nativity.
[5] Witherington.
[6] MacArthur.
[7] Witherington.
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