Emmanuel, God with Us

Morning. And Merry Christmas. You take your hymn books, turn with me to hymn number 91, and we'll begin with the Christmas carol this morning. The first Noel standing please if you can to sing with me. Hymn number 91, the first Noel.

Amen. Like to ask brother Ed Gruger if he would open our service in prayer. Amen. You may be seated but keep your hymn books out. Turn if you would to hymn number 93 over to Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

Hymn number 93. Amen. You enjoying the extra brass a little bit with the songs this morning? So, I think Joshua is even playing a little louder seeing he's gotta compete with his brother a bit. It's good to have David back.

This that's just a little taste of this evening. We have and we're going get to we're going go ahead and get to the announcements at this time. But you'll notice there, it says, about a third of the way down, please join us tonight at 6PM for our Christmas program, Jesus is His Name. And we have a Christmas program, concert of sorts lined up. We have some scripture readings and a lot of music tonight for you.

And I hope you can come back and join us tonight at 06:00 for our Christmas program, our Christmas concert. And we'll have a wonderful time praising the Lord. It's not just for you to hear, but there is some opportunity to participate in singing as well this evening. So I hope you'll come back and join us. And we will sing praises to the Lord and remember as we remember this evening, his incarnation and of course, his life and his death and resurrection for us on the cross.

So, this evening at 06:00, please come back and join us then. I hope you do have a merry Christmas and glad you're here with us today. We are going to this morning be begin in Matthew chapter one. We're going to read a verse there that's a quote from this one in your bulletin here, Isaiah seven fourteen. Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign.

Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel and we're going to just take a few minutes to talk about God with us today and how important it is that we put our faith in the God man, Jesus Christ. This coming week, we still have our Tuesday Bible study. So, if you can come on Tuesday at 11:00, maybe you have the day off from work because it's Christmas Eve and you like to come join us. We would love to have you. 11:00 on Tuesday this coming week, our normal Tuesday Bible study.

I asked them if they wanted the week off and they said no. So, we're going to have it. 11:00 on Tuesday. There is no midweek prayer service or joy club this Wednesday or the next on Christmas or on New Year's Day. So, please make note of that.

No Wednesday night midweek services on this coming Wednesday or the next coming Wednesday because obviously of Christmas and New Year's. And then I want to say a special thanks to all those who had a part in the church Christmas banquet. But by the way, we had a wonderful banquet, I think. We have wonderful attendance. Matter of fact, I think we have a decent crowd here this morning.

However, I think we actually had a better crowd for the Christmas banquet even that we had 65. And I don't think we have quite that many here this morning. Anyway, that was exciting to have that many show up for the Christmas banquet. And thank you, everyone that helped with that, either brought somebody with you or helped out with the food. I know many of you brought desserts.

We put out two eight foot tables. We said, well, that will be plenty for desserts. And we almost didn't have enough room on the foot two, eight foot tables for the dessert. So I don't think any of us went home hungry on Wednesday night. Anyway, thank you for that.

Also, thank you for the very generous Christmas gift you gave to me and my family from the church. I do appreciate that. Not only the the gift of of the the bonus or money or whatever but just the gift of your thoughtfulness and you're you're coming to the banquet and just your help and prayers throughout the year. I know as a pastor that there are many people praying for me every day and that is a great great blessing. A great blessing upon my family, a great blessing upon this church and I thank the Lord for you and look forward to what God is going to do this coming year in 2020.

So, again, thank you very very much. There is a note there. It says, updated church directories are available on the welcome table. Well, they were but now they're all gone, okay? So, we're going to have to make some more.

So, we will get on that. So, you can grab some updated ones if you don't have them and then mark your calendar. Fifth Sunday, next Sunday night is the fifth Sunday. We celebrate the Lord's supper and we have a song and testimony service in the evening service next Sunday night. So, please bring some finger foods for a time of fellowship also follow.

So, sometimes we have a fellowship after the Christmas program but seeing next Sunday night is the fifth Sunday, we're going to leave the fellowship till after that service next Sunday evening. So, please make note of that. Come and join us for a special service and come and fellowship with us afterwards as well and the next men's Bible study is in here also. Do have a couple other things I want to well, couple things want to mention this morning in the respect to prayer request. Chris, who we've we're glad to have back with us for a few weeks.

She keeps telling me she has to go back but I I won't believe it until she actually does. But she has a granddaughter named Juliana who's 18 years old in Kansas who appendix burst. You just got word of that. And so of course that's very dangerous when the appendix burst before you can get it out. And so she asked if we could pray for Juliana this morning.

Brother Steve Altman had a prayer request this morning as well for church that he is familiar with in the Atlanta area in the Orlando area. That is in great need this morning. And ask that we would have prayer for them also. So, we're going to take just a moment to pray for these before we continue. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for the privilege prayer.

Thank you Lord that Chris could come back and join us for a few weeks. We've been so blessed to have her around. Lord, we pray that you would bless her family and that you bless her also as she travels back to Kansas Lord, we pray now especially for Juliana. Lord, you know this dear girl and what she is going through at this time and Lord, we just pray that you would bring miraculous healing. We pray that you'd be with the doctors and all of her caregivers that they would do for her what she needs, Lord and that she might heal completely from this.

Lord, be with her family as they are undoubtedly greatly concerned for her at this time. Protect her Lord and be with her in the hospital. Draw her close to you and and heal her Lord. We pray and we pray for this church that is in need and hurting today and we pray Lord that you would meet the need of of that church in Orlando, the brother Steve mentioned that you would be with them and that you would give them direction, wisdom, and peace today and that you would provide for their needs also. Thank you Lord for the opportunity again to be here today and thank you Lord for your mighty work and and sacrifice of yourself on the cross for our sins.

For Lord, we don't just celebrate today the coming of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ but we also celebrate the sacrifice that Jesus gave for us that we might know you and be your children also through faith in you. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen. Alright, that's all the announcements I have today. So, we are going to move along and we're going to sing this chorus on the screen.

For God so loved the world, he gave his only son Christmas is about the gift that God gave. His only son to die on the cross for our sins. I like to think of this sort of as a Christmas carol. We're going to sing two verses that I have for it then we're going to go ahead and take up the offer. I'm not going to shake hands this morning because I and some others among us probably don't need to spread the wonderful things that we have received in the way of germs and stuff over this past week.

So, we'll hold off on the shaking hands today but we will sing. So, if you can stand with me to sing, for God so loved the world, he gave his only son. Amen. Amen. Brother David, would you lead us in prayer for the offering?

Father, we thank you for this privilege to be able to give to you and your work. Pray father cheerfully and generously as you instruct us to do in the Bible and Lord, we thank you that we can be in a place where the word of God's proclaimed and that we can be focused on Christmas at this time of the year and you're you're coming order to die on the cross for our sin and Lord and we just thank you again for this time. Thank you for providing for us so that we Amen. Amen. Thank you, miss Judy.

The hallelujah chorus and she made sure to play it loud enough we could hear at that time but you don't realize this this organ we've got. It's really nice organ somebody donated the church. The word, the the speakers don't point at us. The speakers point back at miss Judy. So, in order for you to hear it, she has to practically deafen herself but I'm so glad she she played loud enough so we could hear that.

Hallelujah. What a savior we have. Praise the Lord. We're going to sing something a little bit more subdued here now in hymn number 85 in your hymn books, Silent Night, Holy Night. You may remain seated as we sing.

85, Silent Night. Amen. Before the message this morning, David's going to play, come thou long expected Jesus on his trombone. Amen. Thank you, David.

Children can now be dismissed for children's church. Children can be dismissed for children's church. And if you would take your Bibles, turn to Matthew chapter one. Matthew chapter one in your Bibles. Matthew chapter one We are going to read verses 21 through 23.

This is the Lord's words. He's speaking to Joseph through an angel through a dream to Joseph. Joseph became aware that Mary, his espoused wife, was with child. And his immediate assumption which but he else would have assumed was that she had done something wrong in order for that to occur. And or Jewish law, one could be executed for such a breaking of the law for adultery and to be betrothed under Jewish law carried the same weight as adultery under marriage.

We'd like to associate betrothal with engagement being betrothed was a little more like actual marriage than engagement in our society. But Joseph did not want her to be publicly punished. So, he was going to quietly take care of it and release her from her betrothal but God came to Joseph in a dream and he told him that that which was conceived in Mary was of who? The Holy Ghost and that he should not be afraid to take Mary to be his wife. It says in verse 21 and she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins.

Now, all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying, behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel which being interpreted is God with us. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord again for your word. Thank you Lord for the opportunity to praise your name together here today to lift up the name of Jesus Christ, our savior and Lord and to be reminded of who you are and that you came to Earth to pay the price for the sins of mankind that we through faith in you might by the grace of God be saved and forgiven all of our sins. Lord, thank you that you are Jesus.

You are the Lord is salvation who came to save us. Lord, we thank you that you are God with us and Lord that you are even with us today who are your children through the power of the holy spirit that indwells each and everyone of us. Lord, we pray that as we preach your word and as we listen Lord today, that you would take the sword of the spirit that is the word of God and work in our hearts and in the hearts of others Lord who may be here today. Even those who may not yet have come to faith in Christ. We pray Lord that you would help them to understand, to see the need, and to put their faith and trust in you today.

In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen. Amen. My I have a cousin. Her name is Donna.

She wrote a song entitled Childish Questions and questions that came to her mind as a child. You know, questions that sometimes come to our mind as adults, you know. We've got answers to but yet we don't fully understand. Like, where did God come from? Now, we know the answer to that.

We know the answer to that is, well, God has always what? He's always been, he is eternal. He doesn't have a beginning and he doesn't have an end but yet, everything we know had a beginning. So, that's hard for us to understand to comprehend and very hard for children sometimes to get pass that. Some things are hard for a child to understand and there are still things which are hard for us to understand but nevertheless, Jesus said in Matthew nineteen fourteen, permit little children and forbid them not to come unto me for such is the kingdom of God.

Thank the Lord. He receives little children along with those of childlike faith for the many things, for there are many things that I may never understand but that will not stop me from believing or God from showing his mercy and grace to us. We will certainly never understand everything, at least not here on this Earth. I know there are some theologians that would like you to think that they understand everything but trust me, they don't and we won't until we reach heaven. But God does give us evidence so that we can by faith, believe, and experience that which we may not fully understand.

You know, you may not fully understand the godhead. How the God can be three in one. You may not fully understand eternity but we can still believe by what? Faith and God gives us evidence so that we may believe. He doesn't give us, he doesn't expect us to have a blind faith.

He's given us his word. He's given us his son. And all that he did. It's recorded here for us. We do have evidence that backs up the faith that we have in Jesus Christ.

And though we may not fully understand it. Still praise God. He accepts all those who come to him by what? By faith. One such thing that is hard for us to understand is that Jesus was both God and man.

That's what the name Emmanuel means. God with us. Not God just down here you know, with us but God actually down here as a man with us going through life with us. That's what Jesus did. He became a man.

He walked and talked. He grew. And all of those things just like other men do. Just like other people do. He was God with man in a very intimate, miraculous, and special way.

Thus, in Isaiah seven fourteen and here in Matthew one twenty three, he is referred to by this title, Emmanuel. Now, I want to ask you a question here this morning. I'm going ask you a few questions. Question number one, you don't have to answer. They're rhetorical sort of.

I'll answer them but question number one, what if the person sitting beside you claim to be God? What if the person was sitting beside you claimed to be God? What do you think your response would be? Well, you might say prove it. Prove it.

You might say, that's impossible. You can't be God. You might say, who do you think you are? You might say, quit being silly. Okay?

Of course, you're not God. And of course, we would be right to say all of those things. That's impossible. Who do you think you are? Quit being silly.

However, and you would not believe them to be God because God is not a what? He's not a man but he's who? He's God. He's a spirit. So, now, let's think.

What if you live February ago? And the boy, a carpenter's son, you played with as a child, claimed to be who? Claim to be who? God. Well, he did.

Did he not? He did claim to be God. Not just a a messenger from God, not just a special person, given with a special mission but actually, Jesus did claim to be who? He claimed to be God. Take your Bibles if you would.

Imma have you turn to a few passages this morning in your Bible. Luke 22 is the first one here. Luke 22 and I want to show you from God's word that Jesus did claim to be God. There are those who call themselves Christian out there and they might perchance knock on your door. That claim that Jesus is not God, that he is less than God, and that he did not claim to be God, that being the son of God does not make him God but something entirely different but we'll see from scripture, Jesus did claim to be God, to be equal with the father, to be one with the father.

Look if you would in Luke chapter 22 and we'll begin reading in verse 67 and read down through verse 71. Art thou the Christ? Tell us. And he said unto them, if I tell you, you will not believe. And if I also ask you, you will not answer me nor let me go.

Hereafter shall the son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God then they all said, art thou then the son of God? He said unto them, you say that I am and they said, what need we any further witness for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth. Jesus claimed to be far more than just a man. He claimed to be from where? From heaven.

He claimed to be going back to heaven because he's who? Because he's God and the son of God. Look if you would in John chapter 14. John chapter 14. And we'll begin reading begin reading in verse five.

John chapter 14 and verse five and we're going to read down through verse 11. Thomas say it unto him, Lord, we know not whether thou goest and how can we know the way? Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the father but by me. If you had known me, you should have known my father also and from henceforth, you know him and have what?

Seen him. Philip say it unto him, Lord, show us the father and it suffices or satisfies us. Jesus say it unto him, have I been so long time with you And yet hast thou not known me, Philip? In other words, Jesus, Philip says, Jesus, show us the father and Jesus who is one with the father says, have you been with me so long? And you don't know who I am?

He say it, he that hath seen me, hath seen who? The father and how say us then, show us the father because Jesus said, if you've seen me, then you've seen who? You've seen the father. Believest thou not that I am in the father and the father in me, the words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself but the father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the father and the father in me or else believe me for the work's sake.

Turn if you would to John chapter 10. Turn back a few pages to John chapter 10. We'll begin reading in verse 30. Verse 30, we'll read through 33 and then we're going to skip over to thirty thirty six. Verse 30, Jesus says, I and my father are one.

Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, many good works have I showed you from my father? For which of those works do you stone me? The Jews answered him saying, for a good work, we stone thee not, but for what? What's it say there?

Blasphemy. But for blasphemy, because that thou being a man, makest thyself who? God. They knew exactly what Jesus was claiming. They knew that Jesus was claiming to be who?

God. They simply would not believe it and so, for a man who was not God to claim to be God was blas phemy and because they did not believe they were going to stone him. Verse 36, look down to verse 36. He's and say, you of him whom the father has sanctified and sin in the world, thou blasphemous because I said I am the son of God. If I do not the works of my father, believe me not but if I do, though you believe not me, believe the works that you may know and believe that the father is in me and I in him, okay?

Jesus is very clear. Jesus claimed to be the son of God. Jesus claimed to be the same as God. Jesus claimed to be one with the father and he said, if you've seen me, you've seen the father. Jesus was quite clear.

Now, think again, imagine that you are there with Jesus. Imagine that you are from Nazareth and Jesus is claiming to be who? And Jesus is claiming to be God. What would your response be? What do you think the response of those people were?

Well, in John 10, we just read, they picked up what? They picked up stones. Many of them picked up stones to stone him. Why were they going to stone him? Because they didn't believe his claim.

That he was God. In Matthew five, in Luke chapter five and verse 21, they also called him the Pharisees called him a blasphemer. As they thought to themselves, after he forgave the sins of the paralyzed man and healed him. They thought to themselves, who does he think he is? Only God can want.

Only God can forgive sins and they obviously did not believe that Jesus is God but yet there are others who did believe. There was a centurion who stood at the foot of the cross As the ground shook and the cloud, the the sky went dark and as Jesus cried out, it is finished. Father, into my, thy hands, I commit my spirit. The centurion said, truly this was the son of God. Martha in John 11, said unto Jesus, thou art the Christ, the son of God.

Peter said in Matthew chapter 16, he said to Jesus, thou art the Christ, Messiah, the son of the what? The living God. In Thomas and John chapter 20, said, my Lord and my God. Now, it wasn't easy for Thomas. He wanted signs.

He wanted proof. Jesus gave him evidence but more importantly, Jesus gave him what? Faith. And he believed and cried out, my Lord and my God. Turn if you would with me to John chapter 20 if you would please.

Turn to John chapter 20. Look in verse 24 at Thomas Verse 24 of John 20 but Thomas, one of the 12 called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came When Jesus came to the first time to the disciples after his resurrection The other disciples therefore said unto him, we have seen the Lord but he said unto them, except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger in the print of the nails and thrust my hand into the side, I will not believe. After eight days, again, his disciples were within and Thomas with them then came Jesus, the doors being shut and stood in the midst and said, peace be unto you. Then, he say it, then say it he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, behold my hands, reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless but believing and Thomas answered and said unto him, my Lord and my God, Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are those that have not seen and yet, have believed.

Those early Christians we read about like Thomas and even us to great degree Why did why did they believe? Why why do we believe? Why do those who believe he was God believe him? Well, because Jesus gave them evidence and then Jesus gave them faith. Again, God does not ask us to have a blind faith.

God has given us his word and the record of his coming that we might read it from eyewitness testimony. Of who he was and is and what he did. On the cross. Jesus gave much evidence. Look, if you would in John 20 and verse 20 verse where we leave off.

Verse 20 verse 30. It says, and many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book. Verse 31. But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the what? The Christ, the who?

The son of God, and that believing you might have life through his name. And so John recorded as led by the Holy Spirit, the works of Jesus Christ and the words of Jesus Christ that we might know him through his word that we might believe in him and put our faith and trust in him. That we might be saved. And he gave much evidence. Particularly in the book of John.

The book of John records many what are called signs and wonders and miracles throughout the book of John. As John records these things to show, to give evidence that the one that he refers to as the word in John one who is God and who came and became flesh and dwelt among us is the Messiah, the son of God, and the only savior. What evidence did he give? Well, Jesus calmed the sea like that. With his words.

Words. He said, peace be still and the rough and tossed sea and the storm just went away. How could he do that? He is who? He is God.

Jesus walked on the what? He walked on the water. I've been on a ship on the Sea Of Galilee near about the area. Sea Of Galilee is not all that big. So, if you're on the Sea Of Galilee, you're in the area where Jesus walked on the water.

He fed thousands with five loaves and two fish. He healed thousands of people of every kind of disease there was. He read people's minds like the Pharisees when they thought in their minds who is he that he forgives sins and they thought it silently Jesus answered them audibly. Because he's God. He spoke with authority.

When Jesus preached from the Old Testament scriptures and taught in the synagogues and in the temple courtyard, People were astonished because he spoke as one having authority and not like the rabbis who debated. Well, this means this and that life. No, that means this. I think that means that. Jesus didn't do any of that.

He said, this is what this means, period. Why? Because he is the author of it. He forgave sins. He raised people from the dead.

He raised Lazarus from the dead. He raised a widow's son from the dead. He confounded their questions. Oh, they thought they were smart. They came to him with a coin and they said, Should we give taxes under Caesar or not?

And they thought they would trick him because if he said, Yes, give taxes under Caesar, his fellow Hebrews would say he was a traitor. If he said, Don't give taxes unto Caesar, then the Romans would say, He is sowing discord and going against the emperor. But Jesus said, here, give me the coin. Look at who's who's head is on the coin? And they said, Caesar's.

He said, okay, give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and give unto God the things that are God. The main problem was not them giving unto Caesar the thing that was Caesar's. The problem in their heart was they were not giving the things to God. That was God's. They weren't giving their faith, their trust, and themselves to him.

Out of unbelief. Jesus confounded their question. He turned water to wine. He appeared to Thomas here in John 20. He ascended up into heaven while they watched.

Who is Jesus? He is God. He is God the son. The second person of the trinity. Equal in every way with the father.

And with the spirit. Today, besides the the word that he has given us, the testimony of his coming We as Christians know that he answers prayer, does he not? We know that he comforts us. We know that he empowers us to do his service. He leads and guides us and gives us wisdom.

When we ask, he is still God. He is interceding on our behalf in heaven. He lives inside of our our hearts. He has given ample evidence of you here today. You have chosen to believe in him, to put your faith in him, and that he was who he said he was.

The son of God. How do you believe? You believe by what? By faith. Why did many choose not to believe?

Well, they chose not to believe because they couldn't explain it. They couldn't explain it. Well, how could this be? How can God be man? I can't explain that.

And so they refused to believe it because they couldn't, what, Explain it. Sad to say, some of the smartest people that are alive on this planet, scientists, and others refuse to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and believe in God because they simply cannot what? They cannot understand it. They cannot explain it and so they choose not to believe it. Some would not believe it because their hearts were hardened.

In their heart, there was no room for who? There was no room for Jesus. Room for other things, room for pleasures, room for money, and riches, power, and fame. But no room for Jesus because their hearts were hard like that Soil in the parable of the sower and the first first soil that the seed dropped onto the gospel, it just bounced off because it was rock hard like a sidewalk and the devil symbolized by the the birds came and just plucked it away, took it away. Their hearts were hardened.

Their eyes were closed. To believe. Some simply did not be believed because they did not want to. They did not want to accept that they were what? A sinner in need of a savior.

Despite all of the evidence, they simply would not believe because they did not want to because it requires humility to come to Christ. You can't come to Christ on your terms. You can only come to God on his terms and that is to repentance and faith. That it requires a humbling of yourself and a recognition that you are a sinner and that you need a savior. Or else you will die and spend an eternity in hell.

They did not believe because they lacked faith. For without faith, it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Without faith, it is impossible to believe. If you are waiting for God to prove it to you, you will wait sadly for all eternity.

God has already given you ample evidence in his word that Jesus is the son of God. You must receive it by what? By faith. It is not a lack of evidence that is the issue. It is a lack of what?

It is a lack of faith. That is the issue. And so many turn away because they lack faith. They just will not believe. And so because they will not believe, they will not receive.

Because they do not believe that Jesus is the son of God. Well, Jesus did claim to be God and he is God and he did die for us as God but he also died for us as a what? As a man and that's important also. You see, in order for Jesus to die in man's place, Jesus had to become a what? A man, okay?

Jesus had to become a man. John 114 and the word that's Jesus was made what? Flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory. The glory is the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. Jesus became a man.

That's called the incarnation. That's what we celebrate most of all on Christmas is the incarnation where God left heaven and became a man. Jesus Christ. And it's necessary It was necessary for our salvation that he do so because he had to become us that he might die for us because he had to suffer as one of us that he might die for us. Hebrews four and verse 15.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without what? Yet without sin. Jesus Christ was tempted just like Adam was in the garden. Adam failed. Adam succumbed but Jesus Christ succeeded.

Where Adam failed, Jesus Christ did not fail. He passed the what? He passed the test. And then he died for those who didn't. He had to become a man that he might suffer like we, that he might be tempted like we, that we might know that our God in heaven knows what it is like to be who?

To be a human being and he does. Now, more than that, he died for human beings and he suffered for us and he rose again from the dead. Therefore, the Bible says, and I think it's second Timothy. No, it's first Timothy two five. It says, for there is one God and one mediator between God and man and who is that?

The man Christ Jesus. There is one media. There's only one who is both God and and who? Man and that is Jesus Christ and he is our mediator. He is the one that intercedes for us.

He is the one who has made it possible that we may become may come boldly before the throne of grace is because of his sacrifice that the veil has been written to and we have been invited boldly to come in. To God's presence through faith. In Jesus Christ, his son. These are the ramifications of Jesus being God and Jesus being man. For he became sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Because Jesus is the God man. He was right in everything he said and did. We can trust in him. Because he is the God man, he could die for our sins. By trusting him, we can be saved because he is our mediator.

Because he is God and man, he has all authority over his creation. To save those who come to him by faith. To judge those who refuse. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. He that believeth in him is not condemned.

But he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. That's what Christmas is about. It is an invitation today. It is an invitation for you to come to God through Jesus Christ, the God man who came and died for you and rose again. Let's pray.

Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord. For this day, Lord, not only for this particular day that you've given us but for the day that we remember and we celebrate the incarnation when God became a man that he might suffer as we, that he might be tempted as we, that he might conquer sin in the grave, that he might die and sacrifice for our sins, that we might be saved through faith in him, that he might rise again to assure us who trust in him that we too have eternal life. Lord, we thank you for that today. The evidence that you have given us and the faith that you have given us that we might believe in your name and we pray Lord if there's one here today that's yet to trust you that has yet to place their faith in you that you would work in their heart by your spirit to open their eyes to give them the understanding that they need and Lord, to have faith, to trust you, that they might become the children of God. In Jesus name, we do pray.

Amen. If you take your hymn books, please stand to your feet. Let's sing 241 in your hymn books. 241 this morning. In your hymn books, if the Lord has spoke to your heart, if you're here today and you're not sure if you have a home in heaven, you're not sure that God has forgiven all your sins.

If you've never trusted Christ, if you can't go back to a moment and say, I know when I was saved, then maybe today needs to be that moment if you would come as we sing. 02/1941. Have you any room for Jesus? I hope you do today. Your heart's door widely open for pleasure, room for Christ the crucified not a place that he can the heart for which he died for Jesus king of glory Amen.

If you're singing in the program tonight, if you would please be here around 05:00 so we can finish tying up all the loose ends and and make sure we're ready and rest of you, I hope you'll plan to come tonight at six to join us for our Christmas program. Brother David, Vogue, would you close our service in prayer? Amen.