A Promised Christmas: The Promised Child

Us today. If you have your bible's turned with me to the Gospel of

Matthew, Matthew chapter one, and we'll start in verse eighteen in just a

moment, Matthew chapter one. Now, just came back yesterday. We were

in Charlotte and spent some time with my family for and so it was good

to be with our family. And I don't know if you've done this at

Christmas, but we've done this in the passing our family. We've done this

gift exchanged called the White Elephant. I don't know if you've ever heard of

it. But the way we do it is we put all the gifts.

We everybody brings a gift to ten dollars gift, and we put all those

gifts in the middle. And then everybody takes a gift. And then once

you take your gift, everybody is given a number and then we open them

up according to number. And then as you open up your gift, you

have a chance. You have a chance to see what you have, and

then you look to see what everybody else has, and you can go take

someone else's gift, right, And so that's the way the game works.

And at the very end, whoever was the first number can take anything that's

out there, right. And so, but if you do that game,

you know one thing that you do when you get your gift. You want

to examine your gift and you will see if it's a gift that you like.

And if it's not, you want to maybe get something else, right,

or you take something else from someone else. But you have a decision

to make when you receive a gift. Do I keep this gift, do

I want this gift, or do I want to take something else? Right?

And so I got a gift one time and it was lotions and Burt

Bees, and I'm just telling you, not for me, chapstick and all

that stuff. Give me a good tool, right, and so, but

we all have that decision as we come to the passage of Scripture. Matthew

this morning, Matthew wants you and I to understand something. You and I,

all of us in the shroom, whether you're here in person, you're

watching on TV. The greatest gift ever was given was given up Christmas,

and his name is Jesus. And all of you must decide you must take

the gift of Jesus. You must examine the gift, and you must determine

what will you do with that gift? Will you keep it, will you

receive it, or you give it away, or you take something else in

its place. But all of us must determine what we will do with the

gift of Jesus. Matthew wants you and I the rest with that today.

The title my sermon is the Promised Child. And this Jesus is this promised

child from prophecies long ago. And he wants you and I to examine this

promised child to see who this promised child is. And he really wants us

answer two questions, why is Jesus the Messiah? And then secondly, what

will you do with Jesus? Those are the two questions that Matthew wants you

and I to examine today. Why is Jesus the Messiah? And what will

you do with Jesus? As we come to this passage. Last week we

looked at Matthew kind of starts to his book by declare, Jesus is the

Messiah, Jesus Christ. Matthew says, Christ, there is Messiah. Jesus

is the anointed one. He is the Messiah. And last week Matthew declared

he is the Messiah because of his genealogy, because he was born in the

lineage of David, because he was from the line of Abraham, because he

fulfilled the promise of Abraham, because he fulfilled the promise to David, he

is Jesus the Messiah. This week, as we come to this morning's passage,

he wants you to see why Jesus is the Messiah, because how he

fulfilled the promises, the promise of Scripture, the prophecies of Scripture. So

this morning, let us think about these questions. Let us examine this gift

of Jesus. Let's learn today why Jesus is the Messiah. And then secondly,

let all of us ask the questions, what will we do with this

gift of Jesus. Will you stay in Les's reg God were together. It's

Matthew, starting in verse I mean, starting in verse eighteen, Chapter one,

starting in verse eighteen, it says this, Now, the birth of

Jesus Christ took place in this way when his mother Mary had been betrothed to

Joseph before they came together, he was found to be with child from the

Holy Spirit, and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to

put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered

these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a

dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take

Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the

Holy Spirit. She will be bear a son, and you shall call his

name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. And all

of this took place to fulfill what the Lord is spoken by the prophet.

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call

his name Emmanuel, which means God with us. When Joseph woke up from

his sleep, he did as the Angel Lord commanded him. He took his

wife, but knew her not until she gave had given birth to a son,

and he called his name Jesus. Let's pray together, Father, I

thank you for this morning. I thank you for this passage scripture. God.

I thank you for those that you've brought into worship with us today and

those who are watching online or on TV. This morning. God, we

believe that you've brought everyone here for the purpose of worshiping you. Father,

say Lord, today we ask God, May you fill this room. May

you feel our hearts with your words today. May we examine Lord, your

son Jesus. And may we today just determine in our own hearts what we

would do with Lord, the gift of Jesus. Lord, we love you,

We thank you for this time of worship. Lord, I pray that

you would give me wisdom today. Declare your words. Lord, you know

what I've prepared. And Lord, I pray you would anoint me from the

top of my heads or the souls of my feet, that I might declare

your word my own today. So Lord, today I declare, as you're

a messenger. I need you so clear my heart, my mind, Lord,

that you might use me today. Lord, fill this place, and

may we respond to your word today. Lord, in your name, we

pray, Amen, you may be seated. So first, Matthew wants you

to see a very important piece from Matthew is why Jesus is the Messiah.

Go to verse eighteen. He starts off the verse by or this section by

saying, now, the birth of Jesus Christ. Now, if you take

that word birth there, it actually in the Greek means genealogy. It actually

means origin. If you go to verse one of Matthew Chapter one, Verse

one. It says, this the book of genealogy, So of who Jesus

Christ. Last week when Matthew started his writing, he started his letter,

his gospel. He's writing to unbelieving Jews, and he's saying, listen,

now, I'm going to give you the book of the origin or the genealogy

of Jesus Christ. And let me tell you that Jesus of Nazareth is the

Messiah. And why is he the Messiah? Because of who he was born

to, Because he's from the line of David, because he fulfilled the promise

of David, because he fulfilled the promise of Abraham's covenant. He is from

that line, and therefore he is the Messiah. And so he explains at

the very beginning in this whole chapter, Matthew's arguing that Jesus of Nazareus is

the Messiah based upon his genealogy. Now in the second section he again is

it kind of makes this declaration statement. He's declaring again, it's almost like

a billboard Jesus Christ. Now when you hear Jesus Christ, you just you

hear that that term is natural for you. You don't think it. You

maybe not absorb the whole power of that statement. But what he is saying

Christ, there is Messiah. He's saying, Jesus of Nazrus is the Messiah.

Now, if you start in verse eighteen, you take that. He

says, Now, this is the origin or this is the genealogy or or

the birth of Jesus Christ. And this is again he's saying, now,

this is the origin of Jesus the Messiah. This is why he is the

Messiah the beginning, because of his genealogy. Now, because how he begun,

and so here for Matthew a big part for what he wants the hears

to hear today and the readers of his gospel to hear. Why is Jesus

Messiah number one? Because of his divine conception. Look at the verse he

says, Now the birth or origin of Jesus Christ took place this way.

Now, he says, when Mary, when his mother Mary had been betrothed

to Joseph. Now, if you know a little bit about the history of

Jewish history and how things marriages happened then earlier, for in this time a

marriage starting what they called a betrothal period back then, it's different than our

society. Parents would choose the young woman that they would want their son to

marry, and that would be an arranged marriage, and then in that when

it would come together, it would be an official it would begin, I

guess the marriage would begin in what they call the betrothal period. The couple

would come together and they would make official arrangements. There would be a prenuptial

agreement before witnesses that they were going to marry one another. It was a

legal binding contract. It would not be it could not be broken unless legally

through the process of divorce. Matthew, won't you to understand that what they

would do, they'd come together and they would make their vows they were going

to marry one another. And then the husband would go to his home and

he would begin building a house for his bride, and the bride would go

to her parents' house and she would live. She would be getting ready,

she'd be getting things ready for the formal marriage ceremony. And that's where they

were. And Matthew, won't you understand when this is the process that they

were in part Also, another part of this process is that there was no

intimacy during this time. They were they would be there would remain pure for

one another. And so that was a huge part of this process. And

Matthews want you to understand that this was when did this happen? When?

When did this take place? Did birth of Jesus? It took place like

this. They were Mary was betrothed to Joseph. They'd made their promises to

one another, before their parents, before others. They made promises of purity

together and before the scripture, says he even he's he almost is saying this

over and over. It's almost redundant at times. If you read Matthew's account

at the beginning here he is saying over and over that Mary was a virgin.

He says this, they've been troped, they'd made vows of purity.

But look, before they came together, that's the imagery. There's intimacy now

all they've been betrothed, but before they come together, when they've had the

final marriage ceremony, then intimacy would come later. He's saying. Listen,

they were betrothed and before they came together. Listen to scripture. There in

verse eighteen, she was found to be with child. And where did the

child come from? Matthew's very clear from the what the Holy Spirit. And

then look at the scripture. Verse nineteen says in her husband, Joseph,

being a just man and willing to put her shame, resolved to divorce her

quietly. But Scripture says in verse twenty, and he just again, he

is saying this over and over. As she considered these things, behold,

an angel Lord have appeared. As he considered these things, an angel Lord

appeared to him in the dreams, saying, Joseph's son of David, do

not fear to fear to take Mary as your wife. For listen what it

says, for that which is conceived in her is what from the Holy Spirit,

Scripture says. He says that why they made their vows up here she

was found to be with child. Right, the child was what from the

Holy Spirit. Joseph doesn't understand this. He's debating whether he should marry him

or her. Scripture says, he found out she was pregnant, right it

came to knowledge to him. He's considering divorcing her, and we'll talk about

that in the later part of the sermon. Today, a angel comes to

him and says, what Mary is with child, and the child is what

from the Holy Spirit. So Matthew says they were pure right, she was

conceived by the Holy Spirit. Then the Angel declares that Mary is conceived by

the Holy Spirit. His scripture says in verse twenty one, and she will

bear his son, and you shall call his name Jesus, where he will

save his people from their sins. And all this took place of fulfilled scripture.

And then he quotes the past scripture. And I'm going to go into

that in just a little bit. But look again. In verse twenty four

he describes Matthew and when Joseph woke up from his sleep, and he did

as the Angel Lord commanded him. He took his wife. But look at

it again. He repeats it again. But he knew her not until he

had given birth to a son, and he called his name Jesus, Matthew,

over and over and over. It is saying Jesus was born of a

virgin. He wants you to understand that. Why is Jesus the Messiah?

Why Jesus from Nazareth was the Messiah first? Because of a divine conception.

Jesus was born of a virgin. Matthew knew her, not not even until

actor she gave birth. Scripture even uses this term that the child was conceived

by the Holy Spirit. Scripture throughout throughout the Old Testament describes the Holy Spirit

active in creation. It tells us in Genesis one two the earth was without

form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep, and

the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the water. Scripture says

in Psalm thirty three. By the word of the Lord, the heavens were

made, and by the breadth of his mouth all their hosts. Scripture gives

us the imagery that the Holy Spirit creates. It creates in things of nature,

creates life, and Scripture says in Psalm one four thirty. When you

send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of

the ground. Scripture says in Isaiah thirty two fifteen. Until the Spirit is

poured upon us from on high, the wilderness becomes fruit fulfilled, and the

fruit fulfilled is deemed a force. Scripture says that the Holy Spirit has a

role in the coming of the Messiah. Scripture says in Isaiah too, and

the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, and the spirit of wisdom

and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, and the spirit of knowledge

and the fear of the Lord. And Isaiah sixty one to one says,

the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has appointed me to bring

good news to the poor. He has sent me to blind up the broken

high hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, to open the prisons to

those who are bound. Scripture gives us imagery of the work of the Holy

Spirit in creation, creating things of creation, creating life, and bringing the

Holy Messiah. And here Matthew Is takes that and understands, listen, where

did this Messiah come from? Where did Jesus come from? It came from

the work of the Holy Spirit and the womb of the Virgin Mary. He

was a divine birth. Now it's important that you understand today that as we

come to this passage of Scripture, Matthew is saying, Jesus is the Messiah

because of this divine conception. But we live in a world today that most

world religions besides us today do not believe Jesus is divine. Do you know

today that Islam Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet that was sent by God.

To reveal his word. But they believe that Jesus was not He was

just a prophet. He was a wise teacher, but he was not God

and did not take who took human flesh. He was just a prophet like

Muhammad. They Hindus believed that that he was a holy man, that he

would maybe a spiritual guru, that who experienced oneness with God, but it's

not someone that you should worship. Buddhism believes that Jesus was a symbol of

knowledge and the apex of devotion of life or spiritual life, and that his

teachings could be practiced and may be admired, but he's not seen as the

only source of salvation. Mormons believed that he was the product of a divine

pro creation, that there was a God who made many other gods, and

and he was just one of the children of heavenly parents. But he was

not always before a time, and he will not always be. He's he's

not truly fully God, He's not pre eminent. Jeovah witnesses believed that Jesus

was born on earth as a mere human and not God in flesh. To

you today, as we come to Matthew it's very important that you and I

understand from Matthew's perspective, Jesus is the Messiah. Why because of the divine

conception he was born from God by the work of the Holy Spirit and Mary,

as you come to this pastor of scripture, he was knowing from Matthew

is why Jesus Messiah is notly because of his divine conception, but also from

Matthew, it's also because of his because he's the divine child. If you

look at the passage of scripture, he goes on and on to explain that

he is from the Virgin. But also a very important piece from Matthew is

that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. Look at it verse twenty two.

It says, and all of this took place to fulfill what the Lord has

spoken by the prophet. Matthew is actually in this section is actually narrating.

So the first time we see this in Matthew's account, he does this three

times in his entire gospel. Most scholars believe that Matthew have this called a

fulfillment formula, meaning he explains that Jesus is a fulfillment of a prophecy,

or he fulfills a prophecy. So he creates this formula and that says,

all right, this is how this fulfilled, and this is the prophecy that

it fulfills. So he names how something is fulfilled and the particular prophecy it

fulfills. So that's what he does. In verse twenty two, he says,

all of this took place? What is this? All of the virgin

birth Joseph, all these things that he just described, all of that happened

to fulfill what? And he quotes Isaiah seven here and here's the prophecy of

Isaiah. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they

shall call his name Emmanuel. For Matthew, this is very important. Matthew

understands that there was a prophecy that was given long ago in Isaiah Isaiah seven,

and then that prophecy that was over the potentially the coming Messiah. That

prophecy foretold that there would be a son that would be born of a virgin.

So one part of the prophecy is a virgin birth. The second part

of the prophecy is that the child would be named. Okay, those are

two parts. Matthew is saying, all of this happened to fulfill what was

taking place. What was the first thing, that the child would be born

a virgin. And then Matthew says, Jesus is that one. He is

that one who was prophesied a long ago. He's they said he would be

born of a virgin. Mary was a virgin. She was not intimate.

He goes all the time, on and on again to explain that before they

came together, during the betrothal, after she was gave birth, she was

a virgin. She fulfilled. Jesus fulfilled that prophecy. And so he wants

you and I to see this in this passage of scripture. He also wants

you and I to see that he is this and only this divine conception.

But Jesus fulfilled the prophecy because he is. Listen, he is a divine

child. Listen to what happens here. Another part of this prophecy was,

not only behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear his son right, but

they shall call his name Emmanuel. When the Angel comes to Joseph, look

what happens in the passage of scripture in verse twenty, and he's considered these

things. Behold that Angel of the Lord appeared to him in the dream,

saying, Jesseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as

your wife, for that which is conceived in hers from the Holy Spirit.

And listen what says and if you will bear a son, and listen to

this, and you shall call his name Jesus. So the prophecy said from

Isaiah that the version would bear a son, and you shall call his name

Emmanuel. Well, here the angel says the first fulfillment. She's virgin,

she was conceived by the Holy Spirit. She's going to bear a son,

the fulfillment of the first part of the prophecy. And you shall call his

name Jesus. Now Messiah. Thinking about the word Messiah, the word Messiah

comes from the Hebrew word Joshua. The word Joshua means ye always saves.

God saves. Right, listen to the words of the angel Joseph, you

shall call his name Jesus. Now listen what he says here, Joseph son

to David, do not fear Verse twenty one. She will bear a son,

you shall call his name Jesus. Now listen to this Jesus always says.

But listen to what he says here for what for he will save his

people from their sins. You want Matthew's wanting you and I to see Jesus.

Why is Jesus the Messiah? Because Jesus because of the divine conception.

Why is Jesus Messiah because he is a divine child. He is Jesus always

says, But he is Jesus, and he will save them from their sins.

He wants you to see that this divine child is the one who came

to save people from their sins. You know Jesus. As Matthew continues to

write his Gospel, he explains this in so many different times. You see

Jesus leading people, saving people from their sins. And Matthew three two through

six, Jesus says, or John the Baptis says, repent, for the

Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. For this is he who was spoken by

the prophet Isaiah, the voice one of the one crying in the wilderness.

Prepare the way of the Lord, make path, make his path straight.

Now. John wore garment of camel hair and a leather belt around his waist.

And food was his food was locust and wald hunting. Then Jerusalem and

all Judea and all the region of Jordan were going out, and they were

baptizing him by the river Jordan, confessing what their sins. Jesus came to

what saved them from their sins? Of Matthew six nine, I mean nine

to six. He says, But as you may know, the son of

Man has authority on earth to what forgives sins? And he said to the

paralytic rise, pick up your bed and go home. Matthew twenty six,

twenty eight, He says, for this is the blood of the Covenant,

which is poured out for the many. For what forgiveness of sins? Matthews

wanting us, why is Jesus Messiah because of the divine conception? Why is

Jesus Messiah? Because he is a divine child. He is Jesus the Messiah.

He will what save you from your sins. He came to save,

not only came to save. The prophecy would declare, and Matthew, as

we see Matthew one twenty three, behold the version shall conceive and bear's son,

and they shall call his name Emmanuel. Emanuel is what God with us

because of the divine conception, because he was fully God and fully man.

Scripture says it was God dwelling with his people, and John one fourteen says,

the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his

glory, the glory as the only son of the Father, full of grace

and truth. Jesus was God incarnate. It was God dwelling with his people.

Matthew twenty eight twenty shows us that as Matthew ends his gospel that Jesus

came to be with his people. Why did he come to be with his

people? Because he wanted to save you from your sins? Because he wanted

to be with you. But scripture declare that Jesus, at the end of

his last words to his disciples is what these words teaching them deserve all I

commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of

the age. Listen as you come and you examine this Jesus today. I

want you to understand this is just not no ordinary gift. This is a

divine gift, a gift that was given by God, a gift of God

incarnate that came for you. Why did he come for you to save you

from your sins? Why does Matthew want you to see. What does he

wanting all the Jews to hear today? This divine conception shows us there was

a divine God that came upon this earth to be with you now and forevermore,

that he might what save you from your sins. But here's the thing,

you and I must decide. What will we do with this divine child?

What will we do with this? Jesus Messiah, you know you're today.

You're not the first one to wrestle with this. Joseph wrestled with this.

Scripture says, as we come to this pastor of scripture, Joseph hears

that Mary's pregnant, She's with child. Scripture says, in this pastor of

scripture that Joseph was a righteous man. What does that mean? It meant

that Joseph wanted to live by the book, the book being the Bible.

He wanted to debey scripture. He wanted to live what scripture told him to

do. What the scriptures say well, and Deuteronomy says that in Deuteronomy twenty

two, if you want to look later on thirteen through twenty one or twenty

two, twenty three through twenty four, it said, if there was a

virgin who was betrothed and she's found to be with man, that her and

the one that she's found to be with would be brought into the city installed

according to the law that if someone broke their vows during the betrothal period and

was intimate that they would, they would they were to be brought into the

city and to be stone. Roman law came in and actually removed abolish Jewish

death penalties. And so for Joseph, the only course of action for him

to be obedient to what scripture says with then the divorce Mary. You know,

for Joseph, he could have he could have been very malicious if you

will, and says, you know what, because of what she did to

me, I really want to just disgrace her. And he could have publicly

brought her before the town and really made this is spectacle and really just smeirt

her. But that's not Joseph. Here a scripture says that in this passive

scripture in verse nineteen, and her husband Joseph being a just man or a

righteous man some translations will say, and unwilling to put her to shame.

He doesn't want to shame her. He resolved her divorce her quietly. He

wants to be obedient to what scripture says. He's not going to stone her.

He's only a course of action as a divorcer. So he's scripture says,

he's resolved to do that. He's resolved to do it quietly. That

means that he's probably gonna would bring her up before two or three witnesses and

divorce her. And ended. Scripture says. As he's debating this, scripture

says, an angel comes to him. What does the angel tell him?

Well, the angel tells him, just what you found out today. Number

one, this is a divine conception, Joseph. She was not unfaithful,

She was a virgin, and the Holy Spirit created a child in her.

And that child is what Jesus must say. It is God incarnate, God

coming to save. And so he hears these words, Joseph's son of David,

do not fear to take marriage your wife or that which is conceiving hers

from the Holy Spirit. And she will bear a son, and you shall

call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

Joseph hears those same things that you've heard this morning. Jesus. Why is

Jesus Messiah because there was a divine conception. Why is Jesus Messiah because he

is the divine child. Joseph hears those words from the Angel, and Joseph

must decide what would he do? Will he keep this Jesus, will he

receive this Jesus or where he says, not me. I want you to

understand in this passive of scripture, Jesus, Matthew is very clear to understand,

to explain that Jesus is not Joseph's son. Well, you see that.

Go back with me to in verse sixteen. As he goes to the

genealogy of Joseph, he says, all these different names, and we went

through many of those last week, last week, right, and he says

such and such fathered such and such, And we see that in verse sixteen

and Jacob father Joseph. Right, and we see that. If you read

the first sixteen verses, you will see this one fathered this one, this

one fathered this one. But as you come to sixteen, it says here

Jacob father Joseph, but it never says Joseph fathered Jesus. Why because Joseph

did not father Jesus, Jesus was fathered by what God himself, through the

work of the Holy Spirit. So that being said, listen, as the

Angel comes to Joseph, Joseph have to determine one whether I'm going to marry

Mary still or I'm going to divorce her. But if I do marry what

her, then that means I have to decide whether I'm going to father Jesus.

And how would you go about that? How would he go about adopting

by what naming the child? You see, the Angel tells Joseph, you

must name him Jesus. And by naming him Jesus, listen, he would

adopt Jesus as his son and he would become legal right father over I mean

Jesus. And therefore Jesus would be through the line of what David. If

Joseph did not father Jesus, then Jesus would not be through the line of

David. Do you see that? So this is huge. This is why

Matthew is showing you. Listen that God behind the scenes, in God's sovereign

power, God is sending the Angel to Joseph to tell Joseph that this child

is a divine conception. This is a divine child, and Joseph, you

must receive him, and Joseph has to decide what he's going to do.

And Joseph makes two's decisions here and the decisions that you and I must determine

in our own heart. What will we do with this Jesus. The first

decision that Joseph makes with this Jesus, he makes a decision to believe.

He makes a decision to believe that Jesus, this child is divine. This

child is born of a virgin. This child is the divine child, This

is the child of promise. This child is the Messiah. Joseph chooses to

make that decision. First, he chooses to believe. And then secondly,

today listen, he chose to receive. You think one of the most beautiful

parts of this passage of scripture is the ending right scripture said has listened just

the passage verse twenty four. When Joseph woke up from this sleep, he

did as the angel commanded him. He took his wife. Look at the

verse twenty five, but he knew or not until she had given birth to

a son. And here's the beautiful part of this passage. And he called

his name Jesus, and that short little section Shoseph shows us that Joseph made

a decision to believe, but he made a decision to receive Jesus, says

his son. He may have chosen to believe and to receive. Today,

here's a question for you. You may have believed in your life in the

past, You've may believed in you know what Jesus is the messiahs statistically tells

us the majority of Americans believe that Jesus is the Son of God ibably like

eighty percent of Americans' survey was done by a LifeWay two years ago. But

just because you believe that he is the son of God doesn't mean that you

received him. I heard the Remember the story of my grandpa tells the story

of how he came to the Lord Who's at a revival service and his grandmother

was there, and he said, that night the pastor was speaking and the

Holy Spirit was upon his heart, and he was convicted, but he would

not go up for it and receive Christ. And that night his grandmother came

up to him and put his arm around him and said, will you have

my Jesus? And I tell you that question. I tell you that story

because she understood something that day, and he also understood it. Just because

she had received it didn't mean that he had received it. It was a

decision that he must make himself of whether he would receive Jesus. And listen

to me today, just because you came from a family member who was a

believer who had received Jesus, doesn't mean that you've received it. Every individual

in this room today must determine for yourself what you will do with Jesus.

Whether it's not enough just to believe, you must receive, And today I

ask you. Scripture even tells us in John One, I'm eleven through thirteen

there are many people who will believe, but not all who will receive.

Scripture says, and he came to his own town, of his own people,

and they did not receive him. But to all who did receive him,

who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of

God, who were born not of blood, nor the will of the flesh,

nor the will of man, but of God. Listen. Scripture tells

us that Jesus came in among his own people, and not all did receive

him. I'd love to say that today, everybody that's in the sound of

my voice has received him. But the reality is that's just not accurate.

Billy Graham says that fifty of those in the church are not saved. They

have knowledge, they have belief, but they have not received. Was closed

with this illustration I never get. I was pastoring a church one time and

I got a phone call by a man and he said, Pastor, And

I not talked with this man ever before. He was a man who lived

in our community. His name was Robert Beckham. And he said, Pastor,

would you come and see me. I like to talk to you.

And I remember driving to his house and like I said, I had never

met him ever in my life. And I walked into his house. Mister

Robert had been worked in nuclear plants and he had had a very good life,

but he had had a hard life. He had a struggle with alcohol.

He had struggled with his marriage. He divorced his wife and that had

a lot of trouble. And at this time in his life he had health

issue and about killed him. And for the first time, mister Robert,

even though he believed in Jesus, he had knowledge of Jesus, he realized.

He realized one that he was a sinner and all the things that he'd

done in his life sit in between him and the God who loved him.

He realized that day because of his sin, he needed a savior. And

that day he looked at me and said, Pastor, today I need to

be listening to this. I need to be saved. His preacher, tell

me today how can I be saved? And that day I just let him

through receiving Jesus as his Lord savior. Listen, just simple today he had

the knowledge he believed, but listened his whole life. Even though he knew

about Jesus, he had never received him. That day he received Jesus as

his savior and as his Lord, and the very first time in his life,

even though he had knowledged, that day he really understood what it meant

that Jesus came to listen to save him from his sins. His whole life

with alcohol, with trouble, marriages, with trouble and finances and all that

stuff. He's trying to fix it himself, and he could not save himself.

He couldn't save himself from his physical health issues. He realized that day

that he needed a savior, and that day he received him. I ask

you today, very simply. It's very simple message. Why is Jesus Messiah

because of the virgin conception, because of the divine conception, because of the

divine child in the day. Very simple. You must answer the question,

what will you do with Jesus? Will you believe? Will you receive He's

come to you today? You've examined, you looked over the gift. Now

what will you do with Jesus? Will you pray with me? Father?

I thank you Lord for this morning. I thank you for this passage of

scripture and Lord this truth. When I pray today, that there would be

those that are here would consider Lord, what they have done with you.

What I pray today, we would understand just the greatness of who you are

and God, the longing that you came, Lord, you long that came

to save us from our sin, from our issues, from our struggles.

Lord, you came that you might be with us now and forevermore. Lord.

The longing that you have God for us is beyond our understanding. Lord,

Father, and Lord. Today I pray that be those that are here

today would hear that you came at Christmas that we might receive you. Today,

Father and Lord, I pray today we would not not be a day

that we would push you away, or we would give your way, or

we would say take something else in your place. Lord, But today would

be the day that Lord, we would receive you and the knowledge you Lord,

as our Lord and savior. Lord, begin a relationship with you Today.

Lord, we love you. I pray Lord, just this time of

invitation, I pray that Lord, we respond Lord according to your word.

I pray there's someone here here today that doesn't has not received you as Lord

and Savior. Lord. Today, I pray it'd be those who would believe

and receive Lord today that would confess, just like mister Robert did confess their

sins before you got and knowledge Lord that you came for them, or receive

you as Lord and Savior. Today, they would place their faith in you

today for salvation and Lord. Today, may your Holy Spirit as you worked

in the life of Mary. Today, may your Holy Spirit work and bring

in a new creation and a new birth in the heart of men and women.

Boys and girls. Today we love you. We thank you all for

today and your name. We pray Amen Jesus pain and all to Him