Emmanuel: God With Us

Genesis chapter three. Turn to Genesis chapter three. The other verses are going to be on the screen till we get there this morning but Genesis chapter three The sermon is entitled Emmanuel God with Us And that little phrase, God with us, which is what that name means, is a very important phrase. Because you see, God is not always with humanity the way he created it to be. But God wants to restore that in you and in this world and the way he's going to do that is through Emmanuel who is Jesus Christ.

So, an important name, an important phrase, and I hope something that describes your relationship with God today. If it does not, it can. It can. So, Matthew one twenty three again, it's up here on the screen. Matthew wrote, behold a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son and thou shalt thou call his name Emmanuel which being interpreted is God with us.

Now, Matthew was quoting from Isaiah seven fourteen. Where God told Isaiah, more than five hundred years before Jesus was born, that he would send his Messiah, born of a virgin, and that he would be described and given a title, Emmanuel. That means God with us. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord.

For being with us today. Here in this place as we worship and praise your name as we pray to you, as we read your word, Lord, you are with us. You are in us. Everyone who has come to faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior possesses the Holy Spirit that you whom you have given to us. And in a very special, dear, and personal way, God, today, you are with us.

We thank you that you sent your son to be with us. Over two thousand years ago, who has made all the difference for us and I pray as we look into your word for a few minutes this morning as we're reminded of this that we might be drawn closer to you. And if there be one here that's never trusted Christ as savior, that they might see their need today. For God to be with them also. In Jesus name, amen.

What is so important about this title attributed to Christ? Why does Isaiah foretell of it? Why does Matthew repeat it and emphasize it in his gospel concerning the birth of Jesus Christ? Why is being with us so important or so different? Because for millennia, God had been separated from man because of our sin.

And Jesus is the solution to that problem. See, in Isaiah fifty nine one and two, it says this, behold the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save. Neither is his ear heavy that it cannot hear. But your iniquities, that's another word for sin. Your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear you.

The problem is not that God is not able. God is able. The problem is not that God does not care. God cares. Problem is not that God cannot hear.

He hears. Problem is not that God does not know. He knows. Problem is not that God does not see, he sees. The problem is our what?

Our sin that has separated us from the blessings of our God, that has separated us from his love. His love is real. His love is there But our sins have separated us from him. So that he cannot bless us. So that he cannot do for us.

So that he cannot fellowship with us. Humanity. His creation the way that he desires to. Something has to be done to fix this problem. To bridge this gap, to do away with this barrier that keeps us from a personal relationship with our God.

That gets rid of that sin problem. In the garden, God and man, the Adam and Eve, were in perfect fellowship. God visited them and conversed with them daily in person, the Bible tells us. But sadly that all changed. Romans five twelve says, wherefore as by one man, that's Adam, sin entered into the world and death by sin, so death passed upon all men for that all have what?

All sin. What is death? Death is separation. It is separation particularly in this context from God. And the minute Adam and Eve ate of that fruit, that they were told not to, their fellowship with God was what?

Was broken. Genesis three tells us all about that. If you look in Genesis three verse one, now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made and he said unto the woman, yea, hath God said, you shall not eat of every tree of the garden. We know from scripture, the serpent was actually who? Satan, the devil and he came to Eve and said, you know, does God not allow you to eat of these beautiful fruit trees that he made?

You know, is he, yeah, holding back on you? Verse two, the woman said unto the serpent, we made of the fruit of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, you shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. She said, all we can eat of these trees. Well, all except for what? All except for that one right there in the middle.

We we can eat of everyone. We can't eat of that one because God said, if we do that one, we're going to what? We're going to die. Verse four, the serpent said unto the woman, you you shall not, you shall not surely die. For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be open and you shall be as gods knowing good and evil.

The problem wasn't knowing good. The problem was knowing what? Evil. Man did not need to know evil. There was no benefit in knowing evil.

But Satan knew evil and he wanted company. So, he lied. He told the woman, you know, God, God's just holding you back. God doesn't want you to experience your full what? Potential.

So, you'll see, you eat of that tree, you will be just like who? You'll be just like God. And so, what happened? Well, verse six, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, a a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also under her husband with her and he did eat and the eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves apron and the Bible goes on to tell us when God came down to the garden to commune with them that they were what? They were hiding and God said, why are you hiding?

Well, we're naked. Well, how do you know you're naked? Well, God said, did you eat of the tree I told you not to? Well, yeah, Adam said, the woman gave it to me. And he said to the woman, did you eat of the fruit?

Oh, the serpent beguiled me. The serpent deceived me and they started the blame game. And what happened? Well, God God had to cast Adam and Eve out of the what? Out of the garden and the fellowship between man and God was broken.

Adam and Eve were shut out of the garden and separated from their creator by their sin and spiritual as well as physical death came upon all humanity. Adam and Eve were blessed to have children. All how Eve rejoice when she had a child. And how sad when she came to realize that that child possessed the same sin nature. As she.

That child was born separated from God. That child was born with a proclivity to do evil. And not good. That child grew up and slew his own brother. How sad their lives had become separated from close fellowship with their creator, exiled from his presence and from his garden.

But God was not through with them. God did not throw in the towel. They may have been separated for now but not altogether and not forever. God had a plan. We soon meet a man named Enoch.

Genesis chapter five. He was described as a man who walked with who? Walked with God. In fellowship and in faith. Though he could not see God, his faith led him to believe and be obedient and God not wanting to be separated from Enoch any longer took Enoch straight where?

Straight to heaven. Hebrews eleven five and six up here on the screen. By faith, Enoch was translated. That mean he was taken straight to heaven. That he should not see death and was not found, not found on Earth because God had translated him.

For before his translation, he had this testimony that he pleased God but 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. Back in the Garden Of Eden, Adam and Eve saw God. They walked and personally talked with God. But once they were kicked out of the garden, that fellowship was broken.

Enoch couldn't see God but did that did that keep Enoch from believing in God? No, it did not. He believed, he prayed, he followed, was obedient, he still had fellowship with God despite the difficulties. Noah, Noah too found grace in the eyes of the Lord and despite the stain of sin, God communicated with him, warned him of coming judgment, and gave him instructions so that he and his family could escape the coming judgment. Noah even told others but sadly, others wouldn't wouldn't want.

They wouldn't listen. So, when the judgment in the form of a flood came upon the world, they died but not knowing his family, they were safe and secure in the ark. God was with him. Though unseen, he was still there. He hadn't abandoned his creation entirely.

No, not at all. God told Isaac, Abraham's son. In Genesis Twix twenty six three, sojourn in this land and I will be what? In in yellow up there. I will be with thee and will bless thee.

For unto thee and to thy seed, I will give all these countries and I will perform the oath which I swear unto Abraham thy father. God didn't stop there. Genesis chapter 31 and verse three, God said to Jacob, Isaac's son, and the Lord said unto Jacob, return into the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred and I will be with thee. I will be with thee, God said. Is that special?

Oh, that's very special. Very special. Sad to say that is not the common experience of most people in this world today. They don't know the presence of God. They do not have a relationship with God but God was with Isaac and God was with Jacob and if you're Christian today, God is with you.

God spoke to Moses from a burning bush. Exodus three twelve. God said, certainly, I will be with thee and shall be a token and this shall be a token of thee that I have sent thee When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this mountain. So, here's Moses. He's tending sheep on a mountain.

He sees a burning bush but the burning bush keeps burning and it's not burned up. So, he goes to inspect it. As he gets close, God spoke to him out of the bush. And God says, I will be what? I will be with thee and and you'll know it.

You'll know it. When you lead my people out of slavery in Egypt back to this very spot and he did. He did. How could he do that? One reason he could do that.

God was with him. Joshua was Moses' successor who led the children of Israel into the promised land to take it. God said this to Joshua in Deuteronomy thirty one twenty three and he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge and said, be strong and of a good courage for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into land which I swear unto them and I will be with thee. God said that several times to Joshua. Evidently, Joshua needed some encouragement.

Several times, God said to him according scripture, I will be with you. Don't be discouraged. Don't be dismayed. Don't be afraid because I am going to be with you. Was God with him?

Yes. Oh, yeah. He was. He, they went up to the first city, did what God said, walked around the city, blew the horns, and the walls what? And the walls of Jericho fell down and that was just the beginning of all of God's miracles he performed in giving the land of Canaan to the Israelites.

This reminds me of Paul's words in Romans eight. There it says, if God before us, who can be against us? Nobody. God said to Joshua, nobody will be able to stand before you. Because I will be what?

I will be with thee. And if God's with us today, if God's for us, who can stand? Who can be against us? In the book of Judges, there was a judge, a leader named Gideon. This is what God had to say to him.

Gideon was a fearful man. He was not the boldness, was not the bravest, but he was chosen by God to lead the people and the Lord said to him, surely, I will be with thee and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. He start out with an army of many many thousand. God whittled his army from many thousands down to 300. God wanted to prove a point.

You don't need a vast army, you need who? You need me. You need me. We need God. If God before us, who can stand against us?

Israel, the nation of Israel, God said to them in Isaiah forty three two, when thou passes through the waters, what? I will be with thee And through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned. Neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Say, that's an interesting promise God gave and I think back through to the Red Sea and I think about the Jordan River and when they came up to the floodwaters of the Jordan River, when they came up to the Red Sea and all was lost, the Egyptian army was coming upon them, God parted the waters and they walked through on what?

They walked through on dry ground. That was in Israel's past. But I do remember a story not long after Isaiah wrote these words about three Hebrew men who had been taken captive from Israel and been taken to Babylon. Their names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. At least that's their Babylonian names by which most of us know them.

They wouldn't bow to Nebuchadnezzar's idols. So, what did he do? What did he do? He threw them into the fiery furnace. He had heated it seven times hotter.

I think it was seven. Anyways, many times hotter than it was normally. This was a furnace that was used among other things to melt down stuff like metal, okay? The people that threw them into the furnace died from the blast of heat. It was so hot But as Nebuchadnezzar looked down into the furnace, he noticed the three men were still walking around.

And they were not wide. And they were not alone. And a minute or two later, he cried to them, come out and they walked out. The flames had no power upon them. Why?

Because they were not alone. And neither are we. And then we come to Jesus. The one who is called Emmanuel here. In Matthew chapter one.

This is what John had to say about Jesus in John one fourteen and the word, that's another name for Jesus. The word was made what? Flesh. He was given a body. A human body, and dwelt among us.

Like us. And we beheld his glory. The glorious of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth. God became a man. God took on a human body so that his disciples could see him.

So that his disciples could touch him. So that his disciples and those of that day could hear his words. His voice could know God in a way that no one had ever known God since way back there in the garden of what? In the garden of Eden. So, Jesus came to Earth.

God with us. A human body just like ours. But without sin, though not without human needs and limitations that Christ willingly took upon himself. So that he could be one of us. So that he could mediate between us and who?

God. So that he could restore that which was lost. It tells us Hebrews four fifteen, it should say 15 and not 12. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points time tempted or tested like as we are yet without sin. In Matthew chapter four, after Jesus baptism, the spirit drove him drove him into the wilderness where for forty days and forty nights, he did not eat and he was tempted by the devil and he did not give in.

Now, sad to say, we give in. All too often still. And before we knew Christ, we gave in even more but Christ did not and he was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin. He took on a human body we could see and touch. He revealed God to us in a way that God could not be revealed in mere words.

But he revealed the character of God and the love of God and the holiness of God, in the life of a human being that people could walk with and talk with and learn from. In Hebrews chapter one verses one through three, the writer of Hebrews says this, God who at sundry or various times and in different manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds, who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. So, you see, Emmanuel is a fitting name for Jesus Christ. For he was God revealed to us.

He was God with us in a way that God had not been with us since way back there in the garden. He was the best revelation and he is still the best savior and mediator. Jesus died then and he rose again that he might make a way for us to remain with him forever. First Peter three eighteen says this, for Christ also hath once suffered for sins. Whose sins?

My sins. The sins that kept me separated from who? From God. For Christ hath once suffered for sins, the just, that's him. For the unjust, that's me.

That he might bring us back together with who? God, because we had been separated by our sin. Being put to death in the flesh and quickened, which means made alive again by the spirit. Christ died on the cross for our sins, he bridged the gap, He mediated between God and humanity because he was the God and he was man and he suffered there for your sins and for mine. That through faith in him, we might be forgiven.

That through faith in him, our relationship with God might be mended and we could be with God and God could be with us. In a personal way and an eternal way and one day, in a way that we can look upon him face to face. That's why Jesus is called God with us. He is God come to be with us but he is God made who made the way for us to be with him. Again, he told his disciples not to be discouraged that he was leaving and going back to heaven because he was going there to prepare a place for them so that one day, he could come back and take them home where they could be with him forever.

John 14, he told his disciples, don't don't be dismayed. Don't don't be discouraged. I'm going away because if I go away, I'm going to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, there you may be also. He went back to heaven as he promised and he sent the Holy Spirit, another comforter, helper to be with them. He told them, don't be discouraged that I'm going away.

I'm going to prepare a place for you. Oh, and by the way, when I go back to heaven, I'm not going to leave you alone. I'm not going to leave you without my presence. No, I'm going to send you the Holy Spirit who will not just be with you but he'll be what? In you.

John fourteen seventeen. Even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but you know him, for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. And on the day of Pentecost, Christ kept his promise. He went back to heaven and then just a few days later, the Holy Spirit came and it filled the 120 in the upper room and it filled the 3,000 people that were there that day who trusted Christ as savior and he has filled your heart when you came to know Christ as savior. He has placed you into, baptize you into the body of Christ.

He is your guide. He is your helper. He is your strength. He is your teacher and he is with you. If you know Christ as savior.

And he will never leave you. Today, we who know Christ by faith are no longer separated to the same extent we once were. His spirit lives within us and we can talk to him in prayer and he has promised to never forsake us. Hebrews 13 says this, let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have. Why?

Why should I be content with such things as I have? Why should I not envy others? Well, because I have something so much better than most of them have. I have Jesus. And he has said, I will never what?

Leave thee nor forsake thee. God is with me and if you know Christ, he is with you today and he has promised, I won't leave you. I won't leave you. So, thus, we have no read, need to be envious, or covetous. We can be content.

We can have joy and security. We know that we are loved in Christ Jesus. We know that our sins have been forgiven. We know that he went back to prepare a place for us. We know that he will bless us as we serve him here.

And that he is with us to teach us and guide us along the way and one day, he is coming back as he said in first Thessalonians four seventeen, it says then, we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and how does it end and so shall we ever be with the Lord. You're going to be with Jesus. You're going to see him face to face just like his disciples did except it'll be better because you'll have a new body too and you won't have sin anymore and you won't have suffering and you'll have eternal life and you'll live with him forever. It'll be better. God with us.

In the new Jerusalem, our final abode with the Lord, where those streets of gold are that you hear so much about. It says this in Revelation 20 verse three, and I heard a great voice from heaven saying, behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God. In that city, we will be with him forever. He will be our God. We will be his people.

It calls it here in Revelation 21 a tabernacle. The tabernacle with God. What is a tabernacle? A tabernacle is a dwelling place. That's what a tabernacle was.

It's a dwelling place. It's a meeting place. The Garden Of Eden was sort of a tabernacle. It was a place where Adam and Eve dwelt. It was a place where they communed and they met with who?

God. But they lost that tabernacle, they lost that fellowship, they lost that close communion they had with God because of sin. So, when God led Israel out of Egypt, then he led them to Mount Sinai where Mo he had told Moses that he would take them. There, he told Moses to build a physical tabernacle, a mobile tabernacle that they could put up and take down and put up and take down and that God's glory would come and fill the inner part of that tabernacle and they could commune with God there as a people with him in their midst. It was special.

God was with his people. When they got to the land, eventually, they built a permanent structure. We call the temple. The temple in Jerusalem was built. God's glory filled the temple as it had the tabernacle and God met again with Israel there.

He was with them. That tabernacle was destroyed and then rebuilt by Zerubbabel. It was then embellished by Herod in Jesus' day. It was later destroyed and one day, it'll be rebuilt as this described in the book of Ezekiel. A place where God could meet and dwell with his people but in the New Testament, we're told this, you are the temple of the Holy Ghost who lives within you.

The temple today is not this building. This is not a temple. We don't call it a temple. We call it a church but really, the word church doesn't even apply to this building. It applies to you.

We're the church. This is the building where the church meets. But God isn't just here. God is with and lives in. Every heart of every believer in Jesus Christ and he'll never leave you and though we are commanded to come together to worship him collectively to serve him and to minister to one another.

You can pray and worship and talk and enjoy the presence of God every day, every minute of every day as a Christian because wherever you go, God is there. Why? Because of Emmanuel. Who came and died for you on cross on the cross of Calvary. So that you could be reunited with God.

The eternal tabernacle we see here in Revelation 21 is the new Jerusalem where we will dwell with God forever. All made possible through the coming and sacrifice of the one that Matthew calls Emmanuel. The one that Isaiah calls Emmanuel. God with us. The question this morning is, are you with him?

Are you with him? I can't see your heart today. Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart. God does know your heart and I think today you know your heart. Is God with you?

Are you with him? Have you dealt with your sin that separates between you and your God? Or is your sin yet to be dealt with? The only way to deal with it is through faith in who? Jesus Christ because he's the only one who can wash away sin.

Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy, he saved us. It is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast. For the wages of sin is death, separation, eternal separation from God but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, his son. Have you received that gift? God offers you that gift.

Jesus died to give you that gift to restore and mend your relationship with God so God could be with you again and you could be with him and you could have this blessed relationship and eternal promise of everlasting life in heaven. That's who Jesus is. God with us. Is he God with you? Have you received him?

If not, what? There's no better time than today. There's no better time than Christmas. To receive God's gift. And accept him as the Lord and savior of your life.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Have you told God? Have you put your faith in him? Have you told him in prayer? That you trust him as your Lord and savior.

I did when I was nine years old and I haven't always been the best example of an obedient child of God. But God has not forsaken me. And I believe he never will. Because he promised. Will you receive him today?

Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you dear Lord for Your word that tells us about this wonderful story of how the God of heaven who made us, who robbed of his of his precious treasure by Satan. Did not give in, did not give up made a plan, followed it through all the way to the death on the cross for our sins, who is our risen Lord and who offers all that are here today, eternal life, offers to be with them forever, to erase their sins, to forgive them, and to give them everlasting life and Lord, I pray if there's one here today that's never trusted Christ as we give this hymn of invitation that they would come. And receive you today and I pray Lord for us who know you as Lord and savior that we would recognize and be reminded today that we are so blessed that God is with us. And that we would fellowship with you, communicate with you love you, and serve you every day.

In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen.