The Greatest Story

I'm not sure that it makes a lot of difference, but I'm trying to get my watch where I can see it.

! Let's begin with prayer.

Our Father God, this morning as we open Your Word, we're mindful that it is settled in the heavens, that it is truth.

It is that which is profitable that the man of God may be completely furnished for all good work.

It is the word of life.

It is the means whereby we are, first of all, convicted of our sin

and drawn to recognize that there is no remedy in ourselves or in our efforts

and drawn by Your grace to the cross and understanding that apart from You, we have no good.

We're thankful that we have the Word in hand and that it is the focal point of our attention this morning,

both in our singing, that woven through all the songs that we have sung is the beauty of the Scriptures,

that as we listen to our pastor pray that we can hear the Word of God resonate in the truth of the prayer.

And then as we take this Word in hand, we're reminded of the fact that it will last forever.

We come with frailty, with ambitions and affections that are so easily distracted,

and yet with confidence in the enabling of the Spirit of God that this morning we who are Your children

would enjoy the privilege of Your work in our lives,

that we would have You open the Word, that we would see wonderful truths there,

and that, frankly, we would grow to be more like the Lord Jesus Christ

and that our ambitions and affections would be focused on eternity rather than here.

We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

I want you to turn your Bibles this morning to Luke chapter 2.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

Luke chapter 2.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

And as you are going there,

I would venture that there are a number of you that,

as we look at this passage this morning,

would say,

Oh, I've heard that before.

I remember that was one of the passages

that we read on an annual basis

on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning

when our family would get together.

And it's a passage that's very familiar to you.

I have to tell you that when something is very familiar,

there is a natural inclination to kind of,

I've heard that before, ain't no big deal,

and let it set aside.

And I would appeal to you that you don't go there.

That's not right.

When the Word of God is opened,

the children of God

should be actively engaged in appealing to the Spirit

who indwells the believer to say this,

Lord, open your Word

that it might have an effect on me

and that my heart might be warmed

by the beauty of who you are

and what you've done for me.

And that as a result of my attention

to the Word of God,

that I would grow in my love for the Lord Jesus Christ

and my understanding of the mission

that you've called me here for.

And I would appeal to you

that you who know Christ

consciously and deliberately do that.

I think we can multitask,

so let me read

and you pray with your eyes open.

Now that's complicated,

but let's give it a shot, okay?

Luke chapter 2, beginning there in verse 1.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

In those days a decree went out

from Caesar Augustus

that all the world should be registered.

This was the first registration

when Quirinius was governor of Syria

and all went to be registered,

each to his own town.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee,

from the town of Nazareth,

to Judea, to the city of David,

which is called Bethlehem,

because he was of the house and lineage of David,

to be registered with Mary,

his betrothed, who was with child.

And while they were there,

the time came for her to give birth.

And she gave birth to her firstborn son

and wrapped him in swaddling clothes

and laid him in the manger,

because there was no place for them in the inn.

And in the same region,

there were shepherds out in the field

keeping watch over their flocks by night.

And an angel of the Lord appeared to them,

and the glory of the Lord shone around them,

and they were filled with fear.

And the angel said to them,

Fear not,

for behold, I bring you good news of great joy

that will be for all the people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David

a Savior who is Christ the Lord.

And this will be a sign for you.

You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes

and lying in a manger.

I want us to look at this passage,

and as we start into the text,

the first thing that I ask that you pay attention to

is the setting,

because setting is important.

And I want you to recognize

that in the early verses that we've looked at,

particularly 1 through 7,

that the Scripture gives us

quite a bit of practical historical detail.

We know who ordered the registration.

We know who the governor of Syria was.

We know why Joseph and Mary went from

the place that they were living at that time

to Bethlehem,

and we know where Jesus was born.

Not the exact location,

but we know that he was born in a manger.

There's a little one over there, right there.

So we know the details.

And so I want you to think with me

just for a moment

about how carefully the Lord sees to it

that we are given all the information we need

to understand the particulars of this moment.

The Bible is actually quite generous

with factual and historical information

that is easily double-checked.

How many of you as parents have learned

that when your children come up from the basement

and there's been a little bit of tussle down there

and you ask them what happened,

the first giveaway that you need to drill down

pretty seriously is when they say,

nothing.

or not much.

The fact of the matter is

is that generally when there is a conscious

and deliberate focus on not giving information,

it's because the information that might be forthcoming

ends up being indicting.

And so one of the things that I want you

to appreciate about the Scripture

is that the Scripture is profoundly careful

to give you an abundance of information

information that you can actually check.

I remember at one point in my earlier days

having a person giving me the Pearl of Great Price.

Pearl of Great Price.

Does anybody know what that book is?

It is one of the trilogy of Mormon Scriptures

and I remember reading about the Lemonites

and the whatever else

and how there was this wonderful,

fantastical community developed out in the Southwest.

And the only difficulty with the entire story

is that there is no evidence whatever of its existence.

That's not the way it is with the Bible.

When the Bible says something, it can be checked.

Now at one point when archaeology

was kind of developing as a discipline

and an academic skill,

there was a time when people would say,

well, we don't have any record of, you know,

and they would generally speak in their ignorance

and their lack of understanding

and then slowly, sure enough,

someone would find evidence of,

well, there was a Caesar Augustus.

Lo and behold, just because we didn't know about him

here in the Midwest doesn't mean he didn't exist.

And there was an order

that taxation should take place

and everybody should be registered.

You can understand why they would do that.

They want to know how many people

to expect some money from.

And we also know who the governor of Syria was

and all these little details.

And so here, while we have over the years

many individuals who have tried to undermine

the authority of Scripture

by undermining the reality of its accuracy,

God has never backed away

from telling us what we need to know.

In fact, this is one of the things

that I really do like about our God.

He doesn't hide what we need to know

or what is helpful to us.

And I want you to recognize this morning

as you sit here under the teaching

of the Word of God,

no one will ever be able to say

in eternity,

I didn't know better.

The fact of the matter is,

is I was to my,

let me see how I say this right.

My wife says I say it wrong.

Endocrinology, am I right?

Kendra, where are you?

Wave at me so I get it right.

I went to my doctor.

How's that?

And my doctor was explaining,

just a wealth of medical information

and she was advising me on something

to do with my disease.

And I thought, I didn't know that before.

And if I had known that,

probably would have changed some things

earlier on in life

and probably lived to be a little,

maybe another six months.

Who knows?

You know, so the Bible can't be accused

of not giving us all the information we need.

And if you're sitting there

wondering about,

how does the story end?

What should I be doing today?

We find here just an illustration

of the fact that the Bible

goes out of its way

to tell us all that we need.

And so in addition to the historical facts,

I want you to recognize

that what we're dealing with here

is that we find that God chose

to bring this announcement

of the coming of His Savior,

our Savior, His Son, the Messiah.

He made the announcement to shepherds.

Now we have kind of idealized shepherds.

We think shepherds are the sweetest

and nicest thing ever going

and you're going to see shepherds tonight

that are going to be scared to death

when three lovely angels,

I think, is it three or four?

I don't know.

But anyway, they're going to come out

and they're, behold,

I'll give you a good tiding.

The shepherds are going to fall down.

It's well dramatized.

But I got to tell you,

in real life,

shepherds were not the kind of individuals

that you would have called on

if you wanted to make

an important announcement.

And the reason for that is this,

is that shepherds

were generally very unreliable,

irresponsible,

and disrespected bunch.

So much so that in Israel at the time

in which this announcement was made,

as a general rule,

shepherds were not allowed

to be witnesses in court.

Now that tells you something, doesn't it?

Generally, you know that

when you want someone to witness in court,

what you're looking for

is someone who has an adequate reputation

that their words should be believed.

Shepherds had such a lousy reputation

that it was generally,

hey, we're not just a shepherd

to tell us anything.

Let it go.

And so here, God comes,

and He gives the announcement

of sending His Son, the Messiah,

to shepherds.

Ask yourself the question,

why would God do that?

Is that a fair question?

Why would God send the message

of the coming of His Son

to shepherds in principle?

Why didn't He choose

the religious leaders of the day?

Why didn't He emblazon it

in the sky,

right over the horizon

of Jerusalem in particular?

Hello out there,

my Savior, my Son has come.

He is the Savior.

You better listen to Him.

Now by the way,

how many of you know

that the second time He comes

is going to be much more

undeniably clear, right?

The first time,

without fanfare,

sews up to the shepherds,

and you have to ask yourself

the question,

why would God do it this way?

Well, let me give you

a little hint

as to His purposes.

Turn over in your Bible,

if you will,

to 1 Corinthians 1.

1 Corinthians 1,

1 Corinthians 1:27–31

verse 27 through 31.

Here is the apostle

teaching the believers in Corinth

some of the basic principles

about God in His dealing with us.

There in verse 27,

he says,

but God chose what is foolish

in the world to shame the wise.

He chose what is weak in the world

to shame the strong.

God chose what is low

and despised in the world,

even things that are not,

to bring to nothing things that are,

so that no human being

may boast in the presence of God.

And because of Him,

you are in Christ Jesus,

who became to us wisdom from God,

righteousness and sanctification

and redemption,

so that as it is written,

let the one who boasts

boast in God.

I want you to think with me

just for a moment

why God chose to use the shepherds

is because He wanted carefully

for no other focus

to be attached to the information

other than on the news

of Christ's coming Himself,

and that was it.

He didn't want people arriving

and saying,

aren't you glad I have come

to give you this wonderful news,

and I am expected and appreciated,

and here I am.

You know, it's like,

no, shepherds were the ones

who were told.

Another interesting detail

of God's work

in announcing Christ's birth

is that the event,

ultimately, got lost.

And what I mean by that

is that it had some momentary traction

in the history of Israel,

but it soon faded off the page.

Turn, if you will,

you're there in 1 Corinthians,

go back to Matthew for a moment,

I want you to look

at Matthew chapter 2.

Matthew 2 · chapter mention

Let me read the passage to you

so you can follow with me here.

Now, after Jesus was born

in Bethlehem in Judea

in the days of Herod,

the king, behold,

wise men from the east

came to Jerusalem.

Now, what happened first?

Shepherds, wise men.

Shepherds.

And the announcement

of the shepherds

got kind of what?

Oh yeah, so what?

No big deal.

Shepherds.

They said,

here come the wise men,

saying,

where is he who has been born

king of the Jews?

For we saw his star

when it rose

and have come to worship him.

When Herod the king heard this,

he was troubled.

And by the way,

when Herod was troubled,

guess what happened

to everybody who was near him?

They got troubled.

Understandably.

It's a little bit like

the despot

over there in North Korea.

When he has a cold,

there are lots of people

that die as a result of it.

He is not a happy man

to be around.

Herod was like that.

And so here we find

that Herod was troubled

and all of Jerusalem

with him.

And as a result

of his concern

or his fear

of someone else

taking his place,

he had just a whole,

two years and under,

slaughtered.

The children,

the men,

the boys.

And so the thing

that I want you to recognize

as you're thinking

about the story

of Christmas

is here is

the Lord Jesus arriving,

born of a virgin,

born in a manger.

And the fact of the matter

is is that

most everything

that happened

was just kind of

looked over

and passed over

and people did not

pay much attention to it.

It reminds me

of what we read

over in John chapter 1.

John 1 · chapter mention

Let's go there

just for a moment

to frame that thought

in our minds.

John chapter 1

John 1:10

verse 10.

He was in the world

and the world

was made through him

yet the world

did not know him.

He was in the world.

The world was made

through him

and yet

the fact of the matter is

the world

did not know him.

Even though the announcement

was made,

even though the wise men came,

at the end of the day

the coming of our Lord Jesus

was something

that was largely overlooked

by almost everyone

that heard the news.

Without his background

I want to dive into the text

and think about it

a little more carefully

because the news

that is given there

is truly spectacular

and has application

to each of us

here this morning.

Go back, if you will,

to Luke chapter 2

Luke 2 · chapter mention

and pick up with me there

what we read in verse 9.

And the angel

and an angel

of the Lord

appeared to them

and the glory of the Lord

shone around them

and they were filled

with fear.

A little sidebar.

And I don't know about you

but I recognize

certain patterns.

I'm old enough

to see it happen

periodically.

Every five to ten years

someone decides

that it's appropriate

to write a book

about having been in heaven

or having seen God directly.

And very popular

and people make a lot

of money doing it.

90 minutes in heaven

da da da

you know

the little boy etc.

By the way

he recanted that

in case you didn't know.

But the idea

is that you see God

and you know

kind of get all

caught up in this

and we don't find

that illustration

in scripture.

Any individual

who has come face to face

with angelic announcement

generally pretty terrified

by it.

And here are the angels

the glory of the Lord

shone around them

and they were filled

with fear.

And the angel said

to them

fear not

for behold

I bring you

good news

of great joy

that will be

for all the people.

I want you to listen

to this encouragement

that the angel brings

to the shepherds

there in the field.

You can understand

the terrifying

experience that they have

but listen to what

he says.

He says

I bring you

good news

of great joy

that will be

for all the people.

I want you to think

about the exceptional news

that good news.

I'm not here to give you

a great deal

of Greek

but the word

that is used there

is the word

from which we get

the word gospel.

Euangelion

Euangelion

Euangelion

Euangelion

Euangelion

and it was a word

that was often used

I shouldn't say often

but it was generally

used to give

political

and exceptional

announcements

unbelievably exceptional

announcements.

Case in point

when the empire

saving battle

had been won

by one of the

Roman generals

that was called

good news.

It had political

ramifications

and it was

something that

kind of

changed the dynamics.

You could imagine

that if we

heard

on April

15th

that all

of our taxes

had been

forgiven

for the year

how many of you

would say

good news?

Would you say that?

Huh?

I'm not just

talking about

your federal taxes

I'm talking about

your city taxes

and blah blah blah

all the way

down

it's like

yes!

Well

the word

was used

to refer

to exceptional

moments

in history

when something

of tremendous

value

and import

had happened

and so here's

the angel

says

I have got

good news

for you.

It's interesting

actually

that there was

a stone carving

found somewhere

in Turkey

in which

the following

was written

about Caesar

Augustus.

Now who's

Caesar Augustus?

Hello?

in the text

here we go

okay

and so

here's what we read

since providence

this is what was

on the stone carving

since providence

which has ordered

all things

and is deeply

interested in our life

has set

in most perfect

order by giving

us Augustus

whom she filled

with virtue

that he might

benefit mankind

sending him

as a savior

both for us

and for our

descendants

that he might

end war

isn't that a nice

thought

he might end

war

and arrange

all things

and since

he

Caesar

by his

appearance

surpassing

all previous

benefactors

and not even

leaving to

posterity

any hope

of surpassing

what he's done

now how is that

for kind of

waxing eloquent

right

and not even

leaving to

posterity

there will

there will

never be

someone

even

anywhere

close

to being

as good

as him

right

okay

and since

the birthday

of the god

Augustus

was the beginning

of the good

tidings

that's the word

euangelio

okay

since

the birthday

of the god

Augustus

was the beginning

of good

tidings

for the world

that came

by reason

of him

now who's

this talking

about

a guy

who's

dust

today

who did

very little

to make

any difference

in anybody's

life

and here

boy that's

whoever the

speech writer

or poet

was that did

this did a good

job

you know it's

like oh man

exceptional news

you read that

and you think

who are they

talking about

they're talking

about a man

the angel

says

I've got

really good

news

good news

now the second

thing that the

angel said

he says

first it's

good news

but he said

and you mark

what it says

there

it says

that is of

great joy

great joy

the word

is talking

about something

that is

very emotionally

charged

the idea

is that

the news

was of

such a nature

that just

hearing it

brought on

an emotional

surge

I saw

a picture

last week

of a group

of workers

somewhere in

North Carolina

that over

the years

had pooled

their money

for lottery

tickets

don't

don't do

that

okay

but the

the picture

was of

all these

people hugging

each other

and just

crying

they were

overwhelmed

with the

prospect

I think

they won

18 or

whatever

million dollars

and here

they were

we're so

happy

you know

and they

were just

beside

themselves

with the

enthusiasm

for the

good news

the emotion

here's the

angel

the angel

says

I am

bringing you

good news

that is

of great

joy

let me ask

you a

question

how many

of you

remember

what you

felt like

after you

prayed and

asked Christ

to be your

savior and

you sensed

the freedom

and the

forgiveness

of having

all of your

sins taken

away

do you

remember

that

I was a

little boy

and I can

still remember

what it was

to listen to

my dad

having devotions

in our

family over

there in

India

and I

had been

in growing

conviction

for the

blackness

and darkness

of my

heart

and I

reached the

point where

I was

absolutely

despairing

of my

heart's

condition

and I

remember

breaking

down and

crying

in devotions

and my

dad said

what's

wrong

and I

shared the

burden of

my soul

and he

asked my

mom to

take me

into the

room

and she

explained

the gospel

further to

me

and I

can remember

praying

and asking

Christ to

save me

and I

can remember

the incredible

sense of

having my

sins forgiven

that's

great news

and great

news of

unbelievable

joy

and so

here's the

angel who

brings

exceptional

news

the angel

who brings

this emotional

news but also

the angel that

brings this

news about the

fact that this

is valuable for

the whole world

listen to what it

says in the

passage it

says here

today is born

I bring you

good news of

great joy that

will be for

all the

people

all the

people

not just for

the people there

in Bethlehem

not just for the

people there in

Jerusalem

not just for the

people in the

nation of

Israel but

good news for

all of the

people all

across the

world

will you turn

with me just

for a moment

back to a

passage in

Genesis chapter

Genesis 12 · chapter mention

12

go back

there if you

will

Genesis chapter

Genesis 12 · chapter mention

12

take a look

at that

text

in Genesis

Genesis 12 · chapter mention

chapter 12

we find

God giving

the Abrahamic

covenant to

Abraham and

listen to what

he has to

say

verse 3

I will bless

those who

bless you

and him who

dishonors you

I will curse

and in you

all the

families of

the earth

shall be

blessed

how is that

because through

Abraham's seed

would come

the savior

of the world

the one who

God would

send to be

our savior

and the one

who God

would send

to die for

us and to

pay the penalty

for our sins

that we might

have salvation

through his

finished work

and that was

the good news

that the angel

brought valuable

not only to

shepherds but

valuable to the

entire world

that's one of the

reasons why we

engage in

missions work

isn't that right

we want other

people to know

the good news

we want other

people to know

the blessing of

complete forgiveness

for all of their

sins and it is

woven in to our

daily life and to

our prayer and to

our interest

what is it that

I can do to

draw attention to

the need that

only Jesus can

answer and to

Jesus who is the

solution for the

deepest needs of

every man

well let's look at

the cause for the

great joy going

back there to

Luke chapter 2

Luke 2 · chapter mention

mark what it says

there for here's

the reason for

unto you is born

this day in the

city of David a

savior who is

Christ the Lord

as you think about

the cause for

great joy I want

you to recognize

first of all God

keeps his promises

God keeps his

promises when he

says for unto you

is born this day

in the city of

David a savior who

is Christ the Lord

God has kept his

promise I want you

to think with me

just for a moment

don't need to turn

to it but go back

if you will in

your thinking back

to Genesis chapter

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

3 after Adam and

Eve sinned God

comes on and

speaks with them

and what does he

promise the day

is coming when

the one who will

bruise Satan's

head will come

and that is the

first reference to

the fact that God

would provide a

savior who would

come through flesh

to be our

redeemer and so

here we have woven

into the very

beginning of the

gospel testimony

the Bible's record

of the work of God

on behalf of

fallen mankind

we find God

says I will send

a savior who

will come by

birth and he is

going to be a

blessing and the

one who redeems

you woven

throughout the

Old Testament

record over and

over again there

are little illusions

little statements

made about the fact

that the day is

coming when God

would send the

Messiah and he

would be born of a

virgin Mary over

there in Isaiah

and the picture

plays out for us

such that when

Herod asked so

where is he going

to be born they

could identify his

fact the fact that

he was going to be

born in the city of

Bethlehem and

recognize this is

according to

prophecy so I want

you to recognize

that if God can be

trusted to keep his

promise in the past

will he keep his

promise in the future

what's the answer

how many of you are

trusting his promises

today or are

profoundly anxious

living a life that

is not resting upon

the certainty of what

he has done and what

he has promised to do

God calls us as his

people in particular to

be people who live in

the light of his

promises who live in

the light of the

certainty of his

return I want you to

recognize something else

we find that God

provided a savior in

the passage it says

unto you is born this

day in the city of

David a savior who is

Christ the Lord

last week had the

opportunity to talk

with several individuals

just the course of

having lunch with them

and not not individuals

who part of our

fellowship and in the

course of conversation

we pretty much finished

up the meal and I say

let me ask you a

question they had

shared that they go to

church every Sunday

morning every Sunday

morning I said so let

me ask you a question

if you were to die

how many of you know

this question is coming

right if you were to

die tonight and God

were to ask you why he

should let you into

heaven what would you

say now we're talking

about people who had

already confessed we go

to church every Sunday

morning never miss I

said so God asked you

why he should let you

in what would you say

there are actually four

sitting there and one

who had already told me

they didn't go to

church at all he young

guy he said to the two

older guys he said that's

a good question yeah I

said so what would you

say one guy says I I

don't know I don't know

what I would say I'm

trying my best how many

of you really think

you're trying your best

look up at me and say

I'm trying my best

don't raise your hand

okay you're not in that

crowd the other guy says

I I don't know what to

say so they had just

also told me about their

their families and their

wife and I said so your

wife and you get married

in the church and as

you're walking down after

the ceremony your wife

says to you are we

married and you say I

don't know I don't know

I said I got to tell you

something about the God

that I know he is very

clear about the things I

need to know and the

scriptures make it

undeniably clear that I

can't save myself and

that God sent his son to

be my savior so when we

think about that little

word savior I want you

to recognize several

truths about that for one

it tells us that we have a

need for help from

outside ourselves do you

follow that why do I need

a savior because I can't do

it myself

the second fact that I want

you to focus on here is

that the reality of the

truth is that there is a

cancer on the soul of every

living person that makes it

impossible for them to save

themselves

sin has so corrupted our mind

and our logic that even in the

best of our deeds there is a

tincture that is deeply

offensive to God and there is

no work of righteousness that

any man may do that will ever

endure him to God you cannot

save yourself and the thing

that I want you to recognize

here is that this fact of

salvation that God makes very

clear in this passage is a

salvation that is certain

because of who has done the

work listen to the verse

again it says for unto you is

born this day in the city of

David a savior who is Christ

the Lord I love the fact that

woven into the beauty of the

gospel is the absolute

certainty of the eternal

destiny of the one who believes

in Lord Jesus why not because

man saves himself but but

salvation is the work of God

and here is the angel declaring

to those poor shepherds I want

to tell you something that God

has sent his son to be the

savior of the world one other

thing that I want you to mark

here in this passage is that God

has taken on human flesh verse

12 and this will be a sign for

you you will find a baby wrapped

in swaddling clothes and lying in a

manger you know I think I think

something this fantastic tends to

stretch our mind to the point that

we just kind of zone out and

don't really think about it very

often God the infinite holy creator

of this universe chose to take upon

himself human flesh and to be among

us to live to suffer to die and if

the reality of Christ becoming flesh in

the incarnation is not one that kind

of first of all just kind of overwhelms

you and then secondly just fills you

with thanksgiving my appeal to you

would be this that you need to think

more carefully about that fact God in

his love for us and in his sensitivity

to our frailty was willing to send his

son to come here and live on this earth

and to die and to rise again and for

all eternity to abide and dwell in

flesh with us so as we look at this

passage in closing I want you to

recognize that this tells us a

historical fact of about 2,000 some

years ago right it's a fact God sent

his son the Lord Jesus Christ in keeping

with promises he had made centuries

millenniums in the past and we who sit

here today who know the Lord Jesus

Christ have the blessing of being able

to celebrate look forward to his birth and

and just celebrate that fact with with

confidence and joy in the fact that we

who know Christ have had all our sins

forgiven and we are looking forward to

eternity when we are going to see him

face to face

I have no doubt there are some of you

here today that don't know Christ you

may have grown up in a church you may

have been like me and had a good

devotional life your parents read the

Bible to you you heard the Sunday

school stories but the fact the matter

is is you've never come to grips with

the sin in your heart and you've never

asked Christ to be your Savior I would

be remiss if this morning in the face of

the sweetness of the gospel I did not

plead with you to confess your sins and

believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in whom

alone is salvation you see the reason

Jesus came is because we can't save

ourselves and all you have in front of

you is the undeniable record of your

inability to do that which is of

eternal significance you can't change

who you are but God sent his son the

Lord Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for

your sins and to grant you salvation

through faith in him and I would plead

with you you do that now let's bow our

heads and pray our precious father we

are thankful this morning for the

sweetness of the gospel that makes it

clear to us that you sent the Lord

Jesus Christ to be our Savior he came

here to this earth he lived among us he

died for our sins and rose again that

all who believe in him might have

everlasting life and I would plead with

you this morning that those of us who are

here today that know Christ would have

our hearts lifted up and encouraged to

recognize you have done a great thing for

us that we could not do that our thank you

to you is live a life that is marked by

holiness in my humility by a genuine

affection and interest in the well-being of

those who don't know the Lord Jesus Christ

and those who are part of the family of

God I pray for those that are here today

that do not know you some who have grown

up in homes where they've heard the

Bible they've heard the scriptures they

have had Sunday school in Awana and the

fact of the matter is is their hearts are

stone cold to you this morning because

they've never come to faith I would plead

with you that you and your mercy would

draw them to the cross that they would

confess their sins and believe on Christ

that they would humble themselves and cry

out for salvation today I ask this in

Jesus name amen