Advent | Week 4

Good morning. Good morning.

And see morning been good to see you gentlemen.

To see you ladies. Everybody's looking Bright and

married today. So welcome.

Just look around your and see everyone here.

And then ask yourself who says people won't go to church on

Christmas morning. Amen.

Praise God for your attendance here today.

I'm glad that you're here. Happy to worship with you this

morning. If you have your Bible, you can

turn to Luke Chapter 2, Luke Chapter 2.

Luke 2 · chapter mention Luke 2 · chapter mention

We're going to continue the theme that Alan and Patricia

have started for us. We're going to look at Christ,

who is glory in the highest? Amen.

And that will be good for us. Let me pray for us and then and

then we'll get into it today. Heavenly Father, we praise you.

We are eternally grateful, even if we don't recognize it yet for

the birth of your son and we are grateful Lord to be in one of

your houses on the Lord's Day worshipping Christ.

And so father, we pray now that as we've gathered that you would

be near to us that you would be close to us.

Today is, is a beautiful day. It's a day, that's filled with

joy. And in many ways, it's a day

that's filled with sorrow for so many.

And so, Lord, we ask for your help today, we ask Lord that you

be near to us that you be close that you strengthen our hearts

and Minds today and help us Lord to stand on the hope of Christ

and every moment of our lives. And so Lord, I pray that this

sermon contributes to that. It's in the hearts of these men

and women and these boys and girls what I pray that they walk

away today, glorying and Christ, the Savior who was born a savior

who came to died, our death and the Savior who gives to us his

own eternal life. And so we thank you for him.

It's in his name. We pray today, amen.

Amen. Well, it's been a, it's been a

really good few days. I think.

And I think probably for most of you as well.

This, you know, I mentioned at candlelight, the other night

that it's really part of the best 72 hours of the year, and

so many ways. And so candlelight service, kind

of kicks that off in my heart, and in my mind and kind of gets

the joy jump started. And then there's Christmas Eve.

And all of those Christmas festivities.

I will say, I don't know if there's any stories from the

dually Gathering last night that I can share in church, but just

know that we had a Good time. All right.

It was it was it was a good time now.

It's a it's a beautiful family and the Lord has blessed me

tremendously with them. And so I give thanks to him for

that. There are Traditions around this

time that come, right? It's just, it's the rhythms of

life that you enjoy traditions in your home, maybe, as you

start a home, I remember when Patricia and I were starting our

home, we we to sit down and read Twas the night before. - and

Luke to. It's something that my dad had

been doing for as long as I can remember, and it was a tradition

that I was set on continuing in my home on Christmas Eve.

And so, before we had children, it was something we committed

ourselves to and, and then with children, it's a real beautiful

moment and then there's today, right?

There's the giving and receiving of gifts, there's joy that fills

your home, big smiles, big laughs, all of the above.

There's so much good. Thing so many good things

happening over the last 72 hours and even today still yet remain,

right? And in the coming days as you go

and do Christmases with other folks.

Probably, and yet really, for all the joy that Christmas

brings. It's a difficult time as well as

it reminds us of loved ones who have passed.

And we remember them on this day, we remember Traditions that

included them, that no longer include them.

And we remember things the way they used to.

B and wish for those days at times.

Things that there are things that we don't yet have, right?

That we don't yet possess that we wish for as well.

We hope for like heaven and the joy that will never end and the

sorrow that will not be present any longer and there's so much

more. So Christmas is really full of

emotion. Christmas is full of highs and

lows and we've been I've been trying to highlight this through

the series that in Advent. What you have is the dawn of

inexplicable lights, among inexplicable inexplicable

Darkness, there was light of Hope and Promises.

Hope of those promises being fulfilled.

There was light of covenants and the prophecies, the Reliance of

foreshadowings and and things like that in the Old Testament

Old Testament. Believers looked forward to the

coming of Christ, but when Christ was born, things changed

forever. Things are never the same.

Again, it was the dawning of true lights, final lights, a

light that gives light to all Darkness.

I like that. The very darkest of Hearts can

run into and find light as well. Amen.

And so we're grateful to celebrate the Light of Christ

today. The dawning of light light has

Shone in the darkness and the Darkness has not will not ever

overcome it. Amen.

And that there's this this piece of Christmas that we can't

forget and all the traditions and in all the things, as we

look at the Light of Christ and it's easy to go through all

those Traditions. It's easy to walk through

candlelight service and even a Christmas morning service and

all of those things and detach ourselves from what we're

actually up to in those moments. And in these moments, what we

were actually up to is, we are Set my timer here.

So we get out of here at a certain time.

All right? No promises.

I won't tell you the time because I don't want to

disappoint you. Mama didn't raise.

No fool, amen. So, but just know it's there,

even if I fly right past it, it's still there.

All right, so there's this other piece that you can't forget, and

that is That these things are not just another part of your

life. They're not just some, there's a

purpose to it, there's meaning to it and what you're looking at

in the Christmas season, what you're looking at, in the, in

the Christmas lights, if you will, and then the trees and

then the eating in the being Merry, and the good cheer, and

all of those things, what you're looking at is the hope of

Heaven. It's what your heart is longing

for its. Why it finds so much joy in

these moments. There's nothing wrong with

finding joy in these things. But your joy will fall short of

anything lasting. If you don't roll that Joy up to

Christ. Amen.

Let him be the founder of your joy.

Let him be the beginning and the end of your joy.

And the truth is, if we don't intentionally start looking

beyond the traditions, we don't look Beyond the Lights.

Look beyond the gifts. Look Beyond those things, those

good things. And see The Giver of the good

things. Then we're going to sorely miss

the joy. We're going to sorely miss the

piece that this season, both brings to us and reminds us of.

And that is the joy and the peace that has come with Christ.

Our Savior has been born. Amen.

And so I imagine the same is true for you.

You must be intentional. I must be intentional.

We must be intentional. Look Beyond.

Those things. On that line of thinking,

Charles Spurgeon, offered this advice.

He said, when you hear the bells ringing out at Christmas, think

of the reason why Jesus was born dream.

Not that he came to load your tables and fill your cups, but

in your mirth look higher than all earth-born things.

Amen. And to that, I say we're getting

closer to the point getting closer to understanding, you

might not walk through streets that are filled with the sound

of ringing Christmas bells, although that looks amazing.

Every time I watch A Christmas Carol, right?

You might not refer to your cheerfulness as mirth, right?

You might just say I'm happy today.

But we are constantly surrounded during this season, by the

sights, and the sounds, the smells and the fields and the

taste of Christmas. It's why we love it so much.

It's why we love the holiday as much as we love the holiday, but

if we're not careful, then our cheer and our joy and our peace

will rest on. Those temporary happiness has

And I want you to have. A deep amount of great joy, an

unending amount of great joy. Want you to know the joy of

Christ today and I fully believe that all those things, The Good

the right sights and sounds and smells and feels and tastes of

Christmas. They're good and right?

They are sent from God for us to look to Christ.

But not only at Christmas and all of life.

There's so much to be grateful for right.

You crank, your car in the morning and go to work and be

grateful that the Lord has provided a vehicle for you to

get to work. When you eat a donut or drink a

cup of coffee that cost eight dollars, you can be grateful

that the Lord has provided you with the means to buy such a

silly amounts for a cup of coffee.

And then I've been there. but when you smell the coffee maker

in your own home in the morning, when you open the pages of your

Bible and you see the printed words of God before you What

Timothy, what Paul tells Timothy is the breathe out word of God.

You see that laying before you you have reason to be full of

joy. You have reason to exalt in

Christ that day. I don't care what else is going

on in your life. You can be joyous.

And so it's not just at Christmas.

It's in every moment of our life.

There are moments that if we'll look before, wake up and get

outside of our own navel gazing and look clearly you'll see that

the Lord has been oh so good to you. maybe you think well, it's

not in the way that I'd hoped I understand.

It's not the way I would have planned it. again, I and so many

here can tell you, we understand It's not what.

I thought it would have looked like, Amen, brother.

Amen. Sister.

What? The Lord has been good.

Amen. And so today on Christmas and

tomorrow on the day after Christmas, and next week in the

new year, Give yourself to being joyous in Christ alone.

Remember fully believe that. All of those things are good.

As I've said, God's gracious gift of his own son, the

promised Messiah born of a virgin in Bethlehem both fully,

God and fully man is a good gift and it changes the way, we look

at everything George Whitefield observes.

He says, Jesus was God, and man in one person that God and man

might be happy together again. Amen.

Simply worded. But also powerful, And this

might your church family and guests is the reason we

celebrate Christ today. It's the reason we show up on

the Lord's day on Christmas morning and we say thanks be to

God. And we glory in the highest with

Allen and Patricia. Anybody else get a little bit

nervous when Patricia says sing this with me.

I'm like girl I don't know about that, I'll do my best.

I think I know what she means. The point of this is that Christ

is the Fulfillment of God's promise is the Fulfillment of

the promise to Adam. He is the Fulfillment of the

promise to all Humanity that a man would be born one day.

Who would crush the Serpent's? There's another man who said

this, he said all of our hopes. All of our optimism are wrapped

up in the promise of a serpent. Crushing child bringing us back

to God. Amen.

So I'm going to read to you now. Luke 21 through 20, it's a bit

lengthy. I want to read it all for us

this morning. So we get the picture of all

that's going on. You can remain seated for this

for this one. But when I finish, This is the

word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Amen. 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 a Manger because there was no place for them.

In the end verse 8, and in the same region, there were

shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock

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

great fear. And the angel said unto 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. And suddenly there was with the

angel, a multitude of the Heavenly Host, praising God, and

saying, glory to God in the highest and on Earth, peace

among those with whom he is pleased.

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherd's

said, to one another, let us go over to Bethlehem and see this

thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us

and they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the

baby lying in a manger and when they saw it, they made known the

saying that had been told them concerning the child and all who

heard it wondered at what the shepherd's told them.

But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her.

Hearts and the shepherd's returned glorifying and praising

God. For all they had heard and seen

as it had been told them. This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God. A couple of things I want to

tell you about the birth of Christ.

First, the birth of Christ is for God's glory birth of Christ,

is for nothing. Less than the glory of God.

And so we see glimpses of this In this passage.

When the shepherd's saw, the angel of the Lord, they were

what afraid Filled with great fear.

This happens when man beholds, the glory of the Lord in any

capacity, even if it's an Angelic, servant, delivering a

message. This is what takes place you can

think back to Isaiah chapter 6. Isaiah gets a vision of the

Isaiah 6 · chapter mention

throne room of heaven and he see Angels around the throne and

what does he say? He says woe is me.

I was undone he says I'm a man of unclean lips.

He's fearful, he's undone. He's brought to nothing.

And this is what happens when you observe the glory of the

Lord. In the gospels, we have the

accounts of the disciples in the boat with Christ.

Christ is sleeping. There's a storm raging on the

waters that they're traveling and they are terrified.

And they go and wake him up. What are you doing?

Sleeping. Come help us.

We're about to die. And so Jesus comes to the top of

the boat or to the deck wherever he was.

And he speaks to the storm. Peace be still.

And it was still. Once a raging Storm, terrified

disciples in the boat shaking Christ, awake Christ wakes up.

Peace be still and the storm ceases.

And then he chastises them a bit for their little faith.

Where is your faith or oh you of little faith and the disciples

respond? Maybe you remember.

I say what manner of man is this Well Brothers, is the god man.

Amen, you have seen the glory of the Lord in this moment and you

two are undone as Isaiah was This is what the shepherds are

experiencing in. This moment in the field,

watching their flocks by night, angel of the Lord appears, and

they are terrified. They're afraid.

Bright shining glory. And once he makes his

announcement fear, not guess what, more Angelic, host show up

and they begin to testify to the glory of the Lord as well.

So when the angel of the Lord announces to them, fear, not for

behold, I bring you what good news of great joy.

Good news of great joy, the word they're good news is the same

word we use for evangelism. It's Evangelical.

It's it's good news, it's the gospel pronunciation.

It's telling people of the gospel of Christ and this is

what is happening. This is the promise.

You know, we call I've mentioned to you that the promise that God

makes to Adam and Eve in the garden in Genesis 3:15 is the

Genesis 3:15

Proto even jelly. Mm that is it's the very first

announcement of the Gospel that there will come one who's going

to crush the Serpent's this here I bring you Good news.

Evangelion, I bring you good news of great joy.

And he says, For unto you. Well first of all he says this

is great, good news of great joy that will be for just a few of

you. Be just for the Jews know before

all the people he says For unto you is Born This Day in the city

of David, a savior who is Christ, the lord, The Promised

Messiah Savior. And so what he means when the

angel announces his, what he means is that it is good news of

great, joy for the whole world that a savior has been born in

Bethlehem and his name is Christ, Jesus.

Christ. And he is the savior.

Our Lord. Amen.

And then just a few verses later the hosts of angels, again, they

appear and they announced what glory to God in the highest.

So again, we must make no mistake the birth of Christ.

The coming of the Lord is meant for first and foremost, the

glory of God, it's meant for us to look at God and praise him.

And they're declaring ultimate. Praise to God, glory to God in

the highest. Both where he resides in the

highest but glory to the highest amount.

Amen. All glory to God.

They're saying glory to God who in kindness and love plan, the

birth of the sun who would become the promised headcrusher

of the serpent. The saying glory to God for his

Plan of Redemption, I bring you good news of great.

Joy for all the people peace, Among men with whom God is

pleased. Well, if you've ever wondered

how do I please God? What does it take for me to live

a life? That's pleasing to the Lord.

John answers this for us and his gospel.

He says that the will of the of God for the people is that they

believe in Christ the son. That's it.

Because the believing in Christ, the son transforms your entire

life. But you don't have to focus on

all the extra curriculars of the transformation, you are simply

called to Believe In Christ. To place your faith in him to

trust him. I'll get some more of that in a

moment. As people who have been saved by

faith in Jesus work, we must never try to steal his glory.

We live for his glory. I love the way there's man old

Baptist guy Benjamin Keach wrote a catechism questions and

answers used to help you learn the faith.

Whether you're a new believer, old believer, young child,

they're helpful. But in question and answer

number two on there. He says, what is essentially,

what is the purpose of, man? And he says that man exists to

glorify God and to enjoy him forever.

Amen. Glorify God and enjoy him

forever. That's your purpose.

You do that by submitting to him and belief and let him work out

all the details to God, be the glory, and honor and power for

ever and ever, amen. When we ascribe all glory to

God, and our Salvation that we are filled with great joy, he

does the filling with the joy. You don't have to work up Joy.

Listen, it it's it would have been impossible impossible over

the last few months to work up Joy on my own in my life

impossible. And in the shadow of the death

of my daughter, there's no joy there. apart from those who have

apart from hiding yourself in Christ, that is But you believe

and you trust and you hope and what happens.

Well, one of the fruits of the spirit is joy. in Christ Fields,

you Feels you by his Spirit. Another is peace and Christ

fills you. He feels you by his spirit and

then you know these things we still have to work out the

details. You just trust God you go to

him, you lean on him, you beg, you plead, you ask and know that

he'll answer anything you ask according to his will But you

must pray according to his will salvation is for God's glory and

it's for your good and it's for your ultimate Joy.

It's what Jesus says in John chapter 15 is, he's telling his

John 15 · chapter mention

disciples to obey his commands. As he has obeyed the father, and

he says that if you will obey my commands, my joy will be in you

and your joy will be complete. I don't know about you, but sign

me up for the joy of Christ. Amen.

I want that Joy. The second thing that the birth

of Christ shows us one is that it's meant for the glory of God.

But secondly, it's meant for our peace.

It's meant to bring peace. I've touched on it already but

let's get more explicit in what we're saying.

When the Angels say and on Earth peace among those with whom he

is pleased, they are speaking about nothing less than nothing

more than peace with God. But there can be peace between

God and man man who rebelled man who has gone his own way.

A man whose heart is defiled and desperately wicked as Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:9

17:9 says he can't even know the depths of the wickedness in his

own heart. That man you and me separated

from God, both by our birth and our action.

And so to you I say Merry Christmas.

You filthy animal. Because we are, but it is a very

Merry Christmas to celebrate the dawn of light.

The birth of a savior, amen. It's good news for filthy

animals, of which you, and I most assuredly represents When

we speak about being saved by faith in Jesus what were

ultimately talking about is the fact that in Christ we have

attained peace with God. Romans 5, Paul gets very

explicit. Therefore since we have been

justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord,

Jesus Christ through him. We have also obtained access by

faith into this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in Hope

of the glory of God. Amazing.

By faith, we have peace with God through Christ.

Through Christ. We have also obtained access by

faith into this grace in which we now stand.

And so, we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

It's beautiful. And so through Christ, we have

been justified by faith. We've received, peace, meaning

that are filthy unrighteousness. Has been covered by Jesus.

Perfect righteousness. No longer a filthy animal.

Now. A spotless bride.

Amen! And that is the only way to be

at peace with God. It's the only way to be at peace

with God is to receive Christ by faith.

Through him, you're given access to Grace and in that Grace you

stand, even. Now it's Grace, that saves its

Grace that sanctifies. You meaning it's Grace that

helps you grow into the image of Christ and it's Grace that is

going to glorify you meaning it's Grace.

That will be responsible for you stepping through the Pearly

Gates, if you will, it's all Grace from beginning to end.

It's the grace of God, and it's seen in the birth of Christ.

So, what John says, in chapter one in Christ, we have seen the

glory of God. Yes.

But in him, we have received, he says Grace upon Grace.

That's the early writers. Way of saying unending Grace.

It's Grace upon Grace, upon Grace, upon Grace, stack from

here to heaven. And and it's yours in Christ.

That's good. News of great joy.

Amen. So you've been saved by grace

you stand in his grace, the birth of Christ marks the coming

of a savior, the death and resurrection of Christ marks,

the finished work of our savior. And so you, take part in the

send, conquering work of Christ when you place your faith in

him, when you receive Christ by faith, you receive all the

benefits of an air of Heaven, You're made a brother or sister

in the Lord. And you receive it by Faith by

faith. You go from an enemy of God, to

a friend of God by faith. You are transformed from one who

is spiritually, dead, and 21 who is spiritually alive.

As Ephesians. 2 tells us by faith, you are united to Jesus.

It Is by faith that you are hidden in Christ.

He is your Refuge and you now have peace with God.

This is the good news that the angel announces to these lowly

shepherds in the field terrified.

So when you hear such an announcement, there's only two

responses. You can either Believe it or

choose to disbelieve it. You can go on in the hardness of

your own heart pursuing, your own desires and your own way or

you can surrender your life to Christ.

You can receive him by faith. And so Scott's saving work and

books two responses. The first I want to talk to you

is about as faith and I'm going to urge you to receive Christ

today by faith. Whether you're already a

Believer or not a Believer receiving today Hebrews 11:6,

Hebrews 11:6

and without faith. It is impossible to please God.

For whoever would draw near to, God must believe that he exists

and that he rewards, those who seek him, Without faith.

It's impossible to please him. You must draw near to God, and

you must believe that he exists, you must believe that he

rewards, those who seek him, come to Christ and then throw

yourself on him. That's it.

It's the call of the Gospel is that you receive salvation in

Jesus by faith and what God has done, you throw the weight of

your life on Jesus every single day.

All of you showed extreme faith. Today I saw you, I watched most

of you as you came in and you went to your chair and there was

Faith, man, you talking about? Well, when you set down in that

chair, none of you looked under it to check the screws.

None of you check the backing to make sure it wasn't loose.

None of you, check to make sure it wasn't a cruel joke.

Your booty, trusted that seat and then you sat down.

And you're still sitting. That's a small.

Look at what faith is. Faith is It's planting your life

on Christ. It's sitting down on the

cornerstone, which is Christ and saying I'm building my home

here. Nothing else right here.

The world, I can have the world. I can have whatever their hearts

desire, but my heart desires Christ, and I'm building my home

right here on him. Amen.

You place the full weight of your life on whom you trust him.

He stopped trusting yourself. You're trusting Christ.

That's the free gift given to us by God and we receive it by

faith in the Lord. God does not accept expecting

you to clean up your life first. So this is a bit of a misnomer

in. I don't even really know where

this get started. I guess it's just legalism the

presence of legalism in churches but God is not expecting you to

get yourself. Cleaned up first to put on your

best robes, your best whatever. And then to come to Christ.

As one Theologian, put it. The only thing that you have to

bring to Christ worthy of his acceptance.

Is your sin. It's it, you bring to Christ

your sin, he brings to you a white robe.

His own blood. he washes, you Amen.

Again, you trust him you receive him.

You let him take care of the details.

You walk in obedience, but let him take care of the details.

He's not expecting you to clean himself up.

Jesus came from a line of people who were outcasts and

prostitutes and murderers and adulterers.

They were downright rotten centers.

When I say he came, I mean, he descended through Mary was born

of a virgin birth. Yes.

But through Mary and Joseph, as his adopted father, the family

line is Tainted. Just as yours is just as it will

be after you yes what you buy your faith in Christ are not

creating a perfect family line Beyond you either.

But hopefully what you're creating our faithful boys and

girls and grandchildren and great grandchildren who will

love the Lord with all their hearts and submit themselves to

it. Amen.

That's what you're building fathers and mothers.

And so do that. These people though as you see

across the Old Testament as it lays out his line for us and

Matthew on and in Luke You see that these people trusted in the

promised Messiah, the trusted God for their salvation.

And so, I said it the other night, I'll say it again, the

family that Jesus comes from anticipates, the family he came

for, he's coming for Sinners. He came to save, Sinners.

Everyone is welcomed into gods family by faith, not by their

good works. Not by their family line.

Not by any other Merit that they may muster.

John again, makes us abundantly clear for us in chapter 1, verse

12 and 13, it says to all who did receive Christ, who believed

in his name, he gave them the right to Become children of God,

who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of Flesh, nor of the

will of, man. But of god, let's not bother

lineage some other Heritage. It's not by their own works.

It's of God. It's by grace alone, through

faith alone, in Christ alone, according to the scriptures

alone for the glory of God Alone, that you are saved.

Amen. His work through and through,

and folks, if you haven't received the Son of God, if you

haven't received Christ by faith yet, and I beg you to do that

this morning, if you've wondered away from the Lord, if you've

messed up your life, you've committed Grievous sins.

But I'm asking you today to come back to Christ to trust him with

your life, to repent of your sins and believe in the Lord.

Today he saves to the uttermost all who draw near to to the

father, through him. Uttermost you don't have to have

any doubts. You don't have to wonder, you

can trust him. He's good.

Last thing that we see here is that the other response that

this invokes is if you'll receive Christ by faith and

there's another part to this, you must Proclaim him to all.

I won't spend as much time here. But our text says this about the

shepherd's after their encounter, with the angels and

Jesus says, and when they saw it, they made known the saying

that had been told them concerning the child.

So the Angels, make a pronouncement, the shepherd's,

then leave and go tell others. And it says in all who heard it

wondered at what the shepherd's told them.

The story of Christ. Invokes us to respond in faith,

either faith in Jesus or faith in yourself, but you're going to

have faith in something. I'm asking you to have faith in

Christ. But when you do have faith in

Christ, you are now since to proclaim the gospel, the

shepherd's became messengers of reconciliation between God and

man. Paul and second Corinthians 5.

Verses 17 through 21 is laying the South that you're a new

creation in Christ. And now you are a minister of

reconciliation because you have been Reconciled to God by the

father through Christ. And so now, you are to make

known that this reconciliation is available to all mankind.

It's amazed. It's amazing.

And in verse 21, he gives you the message that you preach.

It says to him, who knew no sin or in him, who knew no sin

became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God.

That's the message of reconciliation Christ.

Knew no sin and yet became sin for me so that I might bear the

righteousness of Christ on me and not know sin, any longer,

amen. So what you tell others That's

what the blind man in the gospels.

As saying when these being repeatedly asked who healed you,

how did he do it? Where is he from?

He's like, listen, I don't know all the answers to your

questions, but what I do know is that I was once blind and now I

see That's apologetics that's evangelism, right?

It's telling others of the Christ who saved you.

You don't have to work out all the particulars yet.

There's going to be questions, you're going to have fear,

you're going to Trimble, but tell others about the Lord, who

saved you until it boldly proudly.

Who knows you might lead. One of your family members this

week. May lead one of your friends

this week to Christ a stranger this week to Christ just by

simply telling What the Lord Has Done in your own life.

Christmas season is full of ways to tell others about Jesus,

literally everything with cheer doing in these this season.

Is a shadow of Christ. We give gifts in the remind us

of the greatest gift. We sing songs which are already

mostly explicitly about Christ already unless it's that awful

Mariah Carey song. Huh.

But even even in that the idea of joy, and the idea of singing

comes from the Lord, they were his first, the world's just

using them will eat. Well, drink will be married with

family and friends and what does that point to the points to

Great Fellowship? But it points to a greater

fellowship with God, and it foreshadows a final banquet in

heaven. Still to come.

Where were you? And I will rest with the king in

eternity and dwell with our brothers and sisters, in the

Lord and feast together. And so we can use these things,

we can use all sorts of things. Many other ways to have

conversations about Christ. We have reminded ourselves

through this advents series. That Christ is the light light

has Shone in the darkness. The darkness has not overcome

it. In John 8:12, Jesus says

John 8:12

explicitly. I am the light of the world.

Whoever comes to me, sorry, whoever follows me will not walk

in darkness, but will have the light of Life.

Christ is saying, I am the light of the world.

This is our savior brothers and sisters.

Unbelievers. This is the one who stands ready

to save you from your sins to draw you out of great darkness

and bring you into Marvelous Light.

The promise, a lot of life for people dead in their sins and

his birth is worth celebrating today.

His kingship is worth our submission.

His commands are worth our obedience.

But I pray that this Christmas you don't leave Christ in the

manger. The manger was the beginning of

his journey to the cross. And so we must see it as such

Christ was born to die for you and me was born to die for all

who would call on his name. That he might save them from

their sins as well. And so when we sing in a moment,

we don't sing to a babe in a Manger.

We seem to the foreground King of Kings, we sing to the Lord of

lords. We sing to the one who exercises

dominion and all the Earth, who rules and Reigns.

Who's government. There will be no end in peace.

Now Reigns on Earth in Christ. He's the one who's brought life?

To all who call on his name? We sing to the one who is able

to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before

the presence of his own Glory with great joy, Jude 24 says,

And so, therefore we ascribe to him today and him alone, all

glory and majesty and dominion and authority.

And we ascribe it before all time, and we ascribe it now and

we ascribe it forever. Amen.

He is ours. We are his want to read to you

prayer. About joy.

And then I'll I will pray. And the worship team will come

after that. It's tempting to start zipping

Bibles and that starts this like unending.

It's just it invokes a process that can't be stopped.

I'm going to ask you listen to the words of this prayer right

now. Oh Christ, all thy ways, of

Mercy, tend to and tend to and end in my Delights.

Now, did sweet sorrow suffer that I might rejoice.

For my joy, thou has sent the comforter X promises shown me.

My future happiness given me a living fountain.

Thou are preparing joy for me and me for Joy.

I pray for Joy. Wait, for Joy long for Joy.

Give me more than I can. Hold desire or think of measure

out to me my times and degrees of Joy at my work, my business

and in my duties If I weep at night, give me joy in the

morning. Sorry, that line always gets me.

Let me rest in the thought of thy love.

Let me rest in the thought of thy pardon for sin.

Let me rest in the thought of my title to Heaven, my future,

unspotted State. I am an unworthy recipient of

thy Grace. I often disesteem, thy blood and

slight vial of but Cannon. Repentance draw water from the

wells of thy Joy has forgiveness.

Let my heart leap towards the Eternal Sabbath where the work

of redemption and sanctification and preservation.

And glorification is finished and perfected forever, where

thou Will Rejoice over me with joy.

There's no joy like the joy of Heaven for in that state are no

sad divisions, unchristian corals contentions, evil

designs. Weariness hunger, cold sadness

in suffering, persecutions. Toils from work.

Oh, healthful place where none are sick.

Oh, Happy Land. Where all our Kings O.

Holy assembly were all our priest.

How free estate were none are servants.

Except to be, bring me speedily to the land of joy.

We pray for you, Heavenly Father, we thank you.

For good news of great joy peace on Earth to men and whom you are

pleased. Father, help us make us.

Men and women and boys and girls with whom, you were pleased

Grant to us belief in Christ and Lord, where we struggle to

believe. Would you help our unbelief?

Would you help us to be quick to repent?

Quick to seek your forgiveness quick to run to you.

Lord help us Escape our own Pride.

Help us. Lord, today, as we look into

such a wonderful passage to see the glory that lies in it.

It's tempting, Lord for us to be envious of shepherds watching

their flock by night, who gets to see angels Make an

announcement, the gospel. And then a host of angels.

Who praise your glorious name? It's tempting to be envious

Lord. And to think, man, if I could

just see that, I know that my faith would be so real.

But Lord, you have told us in your word.

Blessed are those who believe in you without having seen.

And so Lord, we want to trust your word today.

We want your word to be good news of great joy for us and so

would you transform our hearts and Minds?

Would you Enlighten Us by the power of your spirit?

To see Christ and Lord, once we've seen him, help us to take

hold of him. From now, until our final

breath. What?

I pray that you bid centers to come to you today and that they

hear your voice and they come. Transform Lord, where we are in

need of repentance. Help us to repentance lead us,

by your spirit, Now to respond in obedience to you wherever

that may be, whatever it might look like, Lord, we trust you.

We hide ourselves in Christ today and we worship you now

with hearts full of joy. We love you.

It's in the Name of Christ. I pray.

Amen.