We've Come To Worship Him | Pastor Daniel Batarseh | Christmas Day

if you were here last night, you know that, we briefly spoke

about The obvious theme of this weekend, the birth of Christ but

we looked at a certain vantage point about how the Holy Spirit

did not necessarily give us the precise date of the birth of the

Savior but he did in his wisdom provide us numerous detailed

accounts surrounding and leading up to that event and We examined

for just a few moments of one of those accounts, one of those

reports and it was the interruption.

If I can use that word of An angel and a Heavenly Host, who

appeared to a quiet group of men who are supervising their their

sheep. And they received an honor that

no caesar, no Pharisee, no priest would experience.

And that was the announcement of the, the Son of God, entering

into the world, and even the direction of how to witness it

with their own eyes. But this afternoon, I want us to

now look at a different angle from this.

I want us to look at a different group of men.

I want us to see what the The spirit has given us in terms of

instruction on a vast subject about what we can learn from

this event and it's not going to be on the specific night that

the Savior was born. We're going to, we're going to

fast forward a few months, we're going to fast-forward perhaps

even a couple of years when this baby was now an infant, and he's

no longer in a Manger. He is tucked safely in a home

with Earthly parents, who have been given the responsibility

to. Can you imagine it?

To raise up God himself. And so what I want to do now in

this in the segment is take you to the Book of Matthew and

chapter to read a few verses and then impact these verses for you

with the same intention that we had last night, that your heart

would come alive and that you would have fresh desired to

adore him. Love him, cherish him.

In light of the wisdom of his word.

Matthew chapter 2. beginning in verse 1, we read now, after

Matthew 2 · chapter mention

Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the

king, Behold wise men from the East came to Jerusalem 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 all

Jerusalem with him and assembling all the chief priests

and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the

Christ was to be born, they told them in Bethlehem of Judea for,

so it is written. By the prophet and you o

Bethlehem in the land of Judah are by no means least among the

rulers of Judah for from you shall come a ruler.

Who will Shepherd My People Israel.

No date, no date of when the Savior was born, but plenty of

details to tell us of the period in which he was born.

And in the first couple of verses, we have an understanding

of how problematic it was for Jesus to be born in these days

and that is highlighted by Matthew inspired by the Holy

Spirit. When he underscores in verse 1

of Matthew to that, Jesus was born.

Yes. And Bethlehem of Judea, Also in

the days of Herod, the King Herod the king now that is

reduced to just the mere historical fact, unless you, and

I have some kind of understanding of who Herod was

Herod, was a politician. He was someone who was raised up

by Rome who is oppressing the nation of Israel at this time to

be some form of a king, who would bring order and peace to

the inhabitants in the citizens of Israel.

He was not independent from the Louis of Rome, Rome designed

this man to fulfill their wishes and so he followed their orders

and he implemented what they desired.

And the people were subdued to a certain extent and this Herod

who was one of many succeeding herod's is identified as Herod,

the Great Herod the Great perhaps because of his great

achievements as a politician And he was known for many things,

but this man was a master architect.

He was able to create and Implement and establish many

things that was part of the flourishing of the Society of

the time. And one of those things was a

revamping of the temple for the Jews.

It was a renovation project like they have never known and he was

responsible for it. And according to John 2:20, it

John 2:20

took more than 40 years to accomplish and it was glorious,

it had passerbys just absolutely stunned by the beauty that this

man was able to generate with his power and his creativity.

But Herod, although he was great in that sense what's important

for us to know in this context was that he was not great

morally. This man was like many of the

rulers of his day constantly suspicious paranoid fearful that

someone would usurp his authority.

And because of this, he was responsible for many deaths,

even the death of his own wife and some of his sons.

When he felt, as though, they might conspire against him, this

Herod was unpredictable, he was cruel, and by the snap of a

finger, he can cause atrocities, not just great architectural

projects, X. And we get a hint of this man's

dark side in the very same chapter that you and I are in

today because when he discovers that, the king of the Jews would

be born and did not have the ability to find him out of Rage.

He calls for a charge to slaughter the children, all the

male Hebrew boys who were under the age of two.

A massacre. A gross despicable thing.

This is the kind of Herod that we are speaking about, and it

seems like a silly thought but let me present to you a thing to

meditate on for a moment, perhaps.

You might look at that and realize that I think to

yourself, how can it be that God would actually allow Jesus to be

born at this time. And just imagine for a moment

that you would be in his Divine Council was speaking about God's

Divine, Council of pertaining to the birth of the long-awaited

Messiah. What would be your

recommendation for when the Savior should be born?

When would you decide would it be a time of peace?

What would you clean things up? First before you would usher in

the one that would save his people from their sins?

What does seem reasonable to you that God In His Infinite?

Wisdom would choose for the Savior to be born and to become

a helpless baby under the rule of this wicked man.

This man who had no hesitation to liquidate the innocent to in

a moment. Even remove these helpless

babies from their mother's lap and to slaughter them.

Do they propose no threat at least in the time?

Was it a slip through the cracks of the Messiah was born Here and

Now Let it be known today. Let it be known this afternoon

with great confidence that the birth and the timing of the

birth of the Christ was not accidental.

It was totally planned perfectly planned.

It was a procedure that even the timing would make a declaration

of the mightiness of God of the strength of God, of the Majesty

of God. And it is this that he has never

been nor will he ever be intimidated by the resistance of

this world? There is no earthly system.

There is no diabolical force that ever presents, even a inch

of an ounce. Threat to the purposes of God

and every age. When you look at this book from

cover to cover and you study who God is and you realize what he

has done, you will come to this conclusion that he'd the lights

to Showcase his sovereignty by strategizing his advancements

purposefully and doing what finding a way to do.

So in the most unfavorable and perilous of circumstances, God

loves to Showcase his sovereignty when the opposition

is the strongest under so many examples of this.

What came to mind? This morning was how Hebrews

tells us that Abraham when he was as good as dead.

What a description for a man, when he was as good as dead,

that is when God chose to give him a son.

I think about God's Exodus from Pharaoh when he pulled out his

people and he purposely leads him to a dead end while pharaoh

and his army are chasing. The people only for that water

to split open and to create a walkway for them.

I think about so many of the Miracles that we see where there

seems to be a delay in timing, even during the ministry of

Jesus. But in that delay, God wanted to

display greater power and greater glory unto himself.

And so we see in this book that through obvious examples and

even through subtle nudges that God loves to display his power.

And to show that there is no strength, there is no hand that

can stay him and say, what have you done or what do you think

you're doing? One of my favorite examples is

actually found in a book that perhaps would not be very

fitting for Christmas but it's okay in Revelation.

Revelation 2 · chapter mention

Chapter 2 can I show this to you?

Go to Revelation Chapter 2, aren't you glad you came to

Revelation 2 · chapter mention

church? You're going to hear from The

Book of Revelation on Christmas Sunday.

But it's for good reason. Revelation Chapter 2, I want you

Revelation 2 · chapter mention

to look here in verse 12 when Jesus writes a letter to a

church, And he writes to the church in pergamum.

And it says, here in Revelation 2:12.

Revelation 2:12

And to the angel of the church, in pergamum, write the words of

him who has the sharp two-edged sword.

Imagine introducing yourself like that to the church.

Look at verse 13. I know where you dwell, where

Satan's Throne. Is you hold fast my name and you

did not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas was my

faithful witness who was killed among you where Satan dwells.

You and I just heard how Jesus was born when Herod was on the

throne and that was a dangerous, a dangerous thing.

But now we come to the end of the book.

And you know what, we read we read that this Jesus is speaking

to a church, a local church that was planted where Satan's Throne

was. Satan's Throne, get the cartoon

idea of hell. Out of your mind, Satan's,

Throne is not in Hell. Satan's headquarters is not in

hell. Hell is Satan's punishment.

We're told here that at one time in history, Satan's Command

Center was in a place called pergamum.

I find that fascinating, I found that exhilarating for many

reasons and let me tell you one of them in a moment we're not

given any explanation to why Satan dwelt here.

Can I translate that? That's where home was.

That's where you sent mail to his address.

That's where he was And this is where a church was and we're not

told why Satan felt so comfortable to be in pergamum

but if you know enough of his vile character, that it makes

sense that there was something about that atmosphere that made

him comfortable. That made him comfortable to

park there at least for the time being and to have his main

operations come out of pergamum. And so I know one thing based on

this, that pergamum must have been a place of severe blasphemy

and gross immorality. It must have been scandalous.

It must have been a place of heightened, evil, and heightened

persecution. Even as read that there was a

Christian who was murdered in those streets, And this is where

Satan chose to be, and I believe it's because he had special

influence there, he was able to maneuver things, he was able to

bring this city into an unusual level of iniquity.

But that's not the point. The point is yes, his throne is

there. Yes, Satan dwells there.

It's a very dark description for a city but it holds glorious

Revelation. Here's the Glorious Revelation.

Jesus said to a church, I know where you dwell, I know where

you dwell, you dwell where Satan dwells.

Same brother. What are you trying to get at?

Here's what I'm trying to get at even in the boundaries of

Satan's headquarters, Souls were being saved.

The Bible was being preached disciples were being made

prayer, meetings were happening. And even martyrs.

Were being produced. That's a that's a statement of

the power of the gospel and I hold that truth.

Very dear to my heart because it shows me that God can raise up a

Remnant, even in the midst of the most hostile and vicious

grounds. You live in Chicago.

Don't you have you lost hope? Have you lost hope for the city?

Are you tempted to leave? Because of the evil?

That is bleeding into the safety of even the suburbs.

Take this truth and hold it dear to your bosom Christ can still

make a Mark here. Even with the reputation that it

has for its violence and forts unbelief and for its immorality,

and Corruption Christ can make a Mark here.

He can raise up a faithful church and not just local

churches. He can raise up, the quality of

Christians, like this man Antipas, who is willing to have

his blood shed, In a place where there was little to no

allegiance to Jesus Christ. And the birth of Christ is often

associated with humility and lowliness.

And that is right. That is not a wrong assessment,

but let us also Rejoice with it. The mightiness of God, he was

born in the days of Herod when there was so much danger looming

and threats Christ came in, in the most vulnerable condition,

you can be in this life and still triumphed, because God was

the one who orchestrated such a plan.

And I find it humorous beyond that listen to this.

So you Herod, who is willing to kill babies and God chooses to

usher in the Messiah at that time.

And more than that, when you have the wise men coming into

Jerusalem, God in his Providence allows heretic, give them the

directions to find them. You realize that?

So you go to Luke to or Matthew to rather verse 8, and we didn't

read that verse. But we read that Herod.

He finds out as you heard where the Messiah was to be born.

He brings in the Magi and it says, in Matthew 28, and he sent

them to Bethlehem. Why is that significant?

Because they made it to Jerusalem but they got lost his

so knocking on doors and asking around.

Hey where's the king of the Jews?

And what a, what a, what a sad spiritual commentary on the

condition of the Jews of that day?

They didn't even know about the king of the Jews here, you have

guys who are Gentiles that are not even in close proximity to

sufficient prophecy. And they come to this place.

Asking the people of God for directions to where the king of

the Jews was born and they didn't know.

And in God's Providence, you have Herod, who hears, the news

brings them in says, you guys want to know where yet he's in

Bethlehem and when you go there tell him and tell me about

rather so that I can come and worship him as well.

So he's not curious. He wants to assassinate the

child. And here's the thing with his

desire and thinking that these are the first steps to

accomplish that God actually through Herod.

James gives the Magi a map. I mean it just the sovereignty

of God is all over this and it reminds me of a Psalm in Psalm

7610. Surely the wrath of man shall

praise you. Have you ever wondered what that

meant? Here's a clear example.

Surely the wrath of man shall Praise You.

In other words, even those who want to fight against the will

of God to try to destroy the message of the Gospel.

In the end, it will come to the praise and glory of God and

that's why the second part of the same verse.

It says the remnant of Wrath you will put on like a belt.

In other words, I'm going to use your wrath against my purposes.

As a tool, you can never escape the sovereignty of God you are

in subject to it whether you want to be or not.

So here's, here's the Messiah now, and we're told that he is

born in the days of Herod. And now the Holy Spirit turns

our attention to this group of men, the Wiseman that you just

heard me referred to in Matthew 22.

They come to Jerusalem, eager hungry longing.

And it says, in verse 2 of Matthew to 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.

Who are these wise men in the Greek?

There known as the Magi. And like many things, the holy

spirit in his wisdom discloses details about them, but it is

believed that they have come from most likely Persia and the

Book of Daniel helps us to know about some of their activity in

their Origins, these Magi who came from the East served as an

Advisory Board to the reigning king of their land.

They were experts in science and math.

They were experts in things like history and even the occult and

they would be referred to from T to either interpret things such

as dreams. We see that and Daniel or even

to predict the future they were they were guides for the

monarchy of their time. Here's the question, why are

they in Jerusalem? Therefore, in their Gentiles,

they serve their own Gods. They have their own plans to

have their own ideas. They have their own things to

deal with. And again, when you go to the

Book of Daniel and makes all the sense, right?

Because for these men that we know come from the East, surely

must have been influenced by Daniel.

In other words, Daniel, who is a high chief official exiled into

Babylon and after different kingdoms came and ruled Daniel

was in position for so long. And it could be that through the

prophecies. He received the same prophecies

that you read in the Book of Daniel were disclosed to these

Magi. And these men who are eager to

learn sat at the feet of this prophet and he revealed to them

of a coming Messiah, a Jewish King, who would save, who would

redeem, who would restore, who would rule the world.

And it's very likely, it's very possible that generation after

generation these Magi, these learned men pass down these

teachings that came from Daniel and it came to a point where

there is this, this boiling anticipation for the Messiah

even among Gentiles. There was this hunger we want to

know this God we want to know this Messiah and the time has

come, the time has come when God Reveals His Supernatural sign to

indicate to this generation of Magi.

He's here. He's here make your way and they

do and these men are intriguing but we don't know much about

them. We don't know their names.

Contrary to the nativity scene that is popular.

There could have been more than three of them.

We don't know the exact origins of where they came from.

But here's what we do know, according to Matthew, if there

is anything that the Holy Spirit wants to highlight, you ready

for this, it's their diligence to worship.

Their diligence to worship. Have you considered it?

The distance that they traveled. If they did come from Persia

they did come from that Babylonian region, we're talking

about Modern Day, Iran, modern day, Iraq.

Hundreds of miles to get to Jerusalem and guess what?

They didn't get on a flight to get there.

You have to understand that this journey included, undeniably

extreme weather conditions. The patients to travel on and

with animals. The danger of Bandits and

robbers on the sides of the road, ready to ransack, and take

their own possessions and even their lives.

If they had to, this was a dangerous track.

This is not easy. This is not convenient.

And yet they come, they come and they make their way to find this

child and to worship Him and add to that the threat of the

destination itself. Because once they do behold this

Divine baby, they are told by God.

God in a dream not to go back to Herod.

So they find a different way to head back home.

Why all the effort? Why leave the comfort of your

home? Why put yourself in danger?

Why make your way to this point? The holy spirit, gives one

reason and one reason alone to worship to worship Him.

I said this last night and it's been in my heart all week, so

I'll say it again, I do not mind repeating myself true worship.

Cost something. True worship.

Includes sacrifice. And if there was anybody who had

an excuse not to make time to worship the living Christ, it

was these men with all their practical hurdles.

But they worshipped because that's where their heart was at.

And strangely if you take your eyes, Off of this verse and you

look out into Christendom today. It breaks my heart to say that

generally costly worship has been replaced with convenient

worship. Convenient worship.

So worship looks nice, like giving God what you are able to

give him as long as it doesn't affect your personal pampering

or your temporal distractions. That was, that was not the case

for these men. Worship was a priority and

everything followed that. and even in a world today, where we

have so much religious freedom, so much comfortable

Transportation so much of a sheltered building and The

warmth of people and the warmth of even a government that allows

us to do, what we want to do, the diligence of worship.

The living Christ has been challenged and is being

challenged more than ever More than ever not by Harrods, not by

Bandits, not by dangerous Journeys, to get to a place

where you can worship and hear the word of God.

No by convenience. By convenience.

I can say more, but I'll stop. These men with their diligence

had dedication. They had dedication and they had

an eagerness verse 2, says one word in the beginning saying

saying, you know what that implies they kept inquiring they

did not give up, they were on a quest to discover.

Where is this King? What a tragedy would have been

if after a few I don't know, is they packed their bags and went

home? But that was not the case with

them. Because their diligence, their

persistence was anchored in something you want to know why,

it was that they were able to stay and remain and fight until

they realize the spiritual treasure one.

Simple thing, it's not a mystery, they had absolute trust

in the revealed word of God to them, Did you notice the

question when they came and asked?

Where is he didn't say? Is it is it actually true that

the king of the Jews is born here?

Is it a thing as we don't know? We're just, we're just curious

nothing of the sort they asked. Where is he?

Who has been born? It was a done reality.

It was, it was a fact to them. They believe that they absorb

that, they heard it and they concrete trusted in it.

And so they said, where is he? We know is here.

And here's the thing, they didn't see.

It didn't realize it, but they believed it.

And if you want to know the fuel to diligence, if you want to

know something of great spiritual success, if you want

to know how to be steadfast in your walk with the cry, it with

the Christ, then you need a complete trust in this world.

That's all you need belief in this word and active, obedience

to this word because you look at these Magi and I see something

else. I see it, tenacious

determination, which is a reminder of how steadfastness is

necessary in order to know spiritual success.

They would have failed that they've given up.

They would have failed. They would have missed out.

There's only one way to know great things in God.

There's only one way to graduate in godliness.

There's only one way to know from testimony to testimony.

That is this, you can't give up. You can't give up whether or not

you see the results now or tomorrow, you cannot afford to

give up. And the thing that will keep you

going is seeing this word and believing the god behind this

word that he does not lie, and he is faithful, and he is true

and he can be counted on. My heart.

My heart, this afternoon bleeds a little bit.

It bleeds a little bit because I I look out and I see little

honor for Christ. Thank God in this church.

There's so much of it but I'm talking about honor, just

serving the lord because he is Lord worshiping him just because

he is worthy to be worshiped being a devoted follower of

Christ. No matter the cost and

prioritizing Your Existence around that truth.

Oh, I long to see greater honor for Jesus Christ.

Oh, that we would see it. Oh, that we would be like these

men who came for what purpose to just Our ship him just to love

him. Just to give him.

What is due unto him? No hidden motives.

No hidden. Agendas.

Not trying to impress anybody. Not trying to get brownie points

with god. Oh just to worship Him.

I pray, you young men. Who will be fathers, who will be

husband's that you would be leaders in this one Pursuit?

I will live to honor Christ and my family will follow my lead to

honor Christ and to honor Christ Alone.

These men convicted me. And the joy and excitement of

the Magi is not the only instructive illustration before

us today. Look at what is said of Herod in

verse 3 in contrast to their attitude and verse 3 of Matthew

2. We read when Herod the king

heard this, he was troubled. He was troubled and all

Jerusalem with him. What an odd reaction, we

celebrate this truth. And here's his men, who is

agitated by this truth, why was Herod so alarmed?

Why was he so Disturbed? What was that?

His intelligence agency revealed to him that caused him to be

this way is very simple. It's not a mystery.

It's not hard to understand. If it is true that there was a

king who has been born. Then there was also born a rival

to the throne. And this man does not like this

news. He was Disturbed not because

there is a group of people who had this simple belief and

prophecy. This man was disturbed because

of the implications of this news on his own life.

It's no different today. It's no different today that

when people hear about the biblical Jesus Christ that it

troubles, many of them. And the reason why I troubles

them is for the same reason that a troubled Herod.

You have many people who hide behind science, Who hide behind

pseudo, philosophy Who hide behind all these strange

arguments. For their spirituality without

lordship. Or even just this cancellation

of the existence of God all together and they're very

passionate about it, the very passion and even angry about

their stance. And it's not because their

worldview is based on evidence. Or because what they have to say

or believe can contribute to human flourishing, the reason

why you have so many who don't have Christ but have a different

God or this disbelief in God, all together is because they

want to remain on the throne of Their Own.

Own lives. And their worldview, protects

that. That's what it is.

It's a simple as that. Yes, you have some who might

struggle with doubt and I'm not talking about those people.

I'm talking about the majority whose know of the truth who have

been exposed to the Divine Design, all around them and yet,

suppress it, why do they suppress it?

Is it because of their smart. Is it because they're persuaded

by something that is more convincing.

For a majority of them it's because like Herod they know

that if this biblical Jesus comes in, they have to get off

the Throne of their will and surrender it to him.

Yes, to accept this more. Jesus is to is to accept the

surrender, a surrender to self-righteousness a surrender

to sin surrender to subjective reasoning and ultimately a

surrender of your soul and you lay it at his feet.

Listen, the entrance of Christ into this world.

Wasn't a meaningless, stunt in history.

The entrance of Christ into this world was in preparation to

enter into the hearts of men. The hearts of men who are

willing to open their hearts and say I have room unlike that in

that had no room, my heart has room.

In fact, here's the title deed of my heart, take all of it.

This is what Christ came to do. And when that gospel is preached

as it is being preached, this afternoon that will either

excite people like these Magi or able trouble Souls like Herod.

So what does Hera do? With this news, about a King 1

verse 4, he gathers the religious leaders, he gathers

the scribes and he gathers, the experts of the law.

And he inquires about the exact location of the birth of the

Messiah. Where is this King supposed to

be born? And it seems Noble but it's the

beginning of an assassination plot.

He wants to hunt down the promised one and to cancel the

promise. And again, I can't help.

I can't help but compare Herod and compare, the wise men, here

you have these men who are willing to go to, Great Lengths

to worship. And here you have this other men

who is doing so much to prepare to go to war with him.

It may sound extreme but it's biblical.

What you see with Herod and what you see with the Magi are really

the two only options that every person has when it comes to the

response to the reality of Christ, only those two.

I know, I know people try to convince themselves of a neutral

Place with Jesus, but that doesn't exist in the economy of

God. There is only two responses and

their Illustrated beautifully through the Magi and through

Herod, you will either live to worship him or you will live.

To resist them and in that declaring war.

Against God. I know you're a blue-collar guy.

I know you just, you just pay your bills and you have a nice

family and you just trying to get along in life, but I want

you to see life through God's lens.

And what God sees, when he looks down on Humanity.

He sees only two categories to class of people, those who are

with me and those who are against me now, surely, there's

something in between, I'm sorry to break it to you.

There is nothing in between that is the spectrum that is the only

options. And you're saying, can you prove

it to me? Yes, I can prove it to you when

this baby became a man. He said something in Matthew 12,

30, he said, whoever is not with me is against me, he said it, I

didn't say it. I'm just the Mailman.

Take take it. Whoever is not with me is

against me and whoever does not gather with me, scatters.

What does that mean? When he says, whoever does not

gather with me scatters it, it means if you don't work for him,

you're working against him. But I'm not it's just it just

nothing, you know my thinking it's not even in my mind,

religion is not my thing. Let people do what they want,

you are against him. Because he is The Sovereign

creator of all things and he has the right to demand from his

creatures. What he wills and what he wants

from you is you What do you want from you out of love brimming.

Love is for you to realize his love and to surrender your

affections to him. And if you don't do that, then

in God's mind your against him. And if you are in that category

of people, if you're not with him, if you're not gathering for

him, if you are in that category where you don't want him and you

are fighting against them, whether, you know, it or not,

whether it's intentional or not, whether it's aggressive or

passive. Regardless, if you are may, I

may I suggest to you on this opportunity that I really have

only one time out of the year. That people come into these kind

of doors just to satisfy the Christmas and Easter conditions

to the religiosity. Do you realize what you're

standing up against? I want you to at least see what

you're standing up against. And what I mean by that is this

is real. This is really real.

This is profoundly real. This this book that I am

declaring to you is Supernatural it.

Vibrates with life and it holds so much power.

Not just in subjective experience button, historical

evidence and even prophetic fulfillment that I want you to

reconsider. Being against him.

So when Herod inquires of where the Messiah is to be born, they

pull out the ancient Scrolls that are actually tucked in

these pages that have been preserved by God and he reads

from the prophet. Micah, that's a book in the

Bible because the Bible is not just one book, it's a library of

books. And one of those books is the

Book of Micah, and this is what they read to Herod.

To give him the exact location of where the Messiah was to be

born. Well, when was this rinse

several hundred years before it happened?

So in verse 5 and 6 of Matthew 2, we read so they told them in

Bethlehem of Judea for. So it is written by the prophet

and you o Bethlehem in the land of Judah are by no means least

among the rulers of Judah for from you shall come a ruler.

Who will Shepherd My People Israel?

I want you to fathom. Yeah.

Somebody today today, predicting at some point that a ruler would

come into existence. Think about that, that a ruler

of a specific Nation would come and rule in a specific way.

That's audacious, that's that's crazy.

And yet, this is what this man does.

This is what Mike could does. She predicts with his veiled

understanding? It has been given a precise

amount of information of where it is.

Exactly this king is going to be born.

Now here's what's fascinating about that.

You have a lot of people today who claim to hear from God, and

I was just talking about within Christian talking about and all

different, spheres of life, you have people who pretend to to

tap into to this. Kind of spiritual Channel and to

predict the future and all these things.

Now, you have some crazy people who will set dates and times for

something to be, to be to be done.

And all you have to do is wait for it to come to pass and

realize that it's false, right? But you have other who are

smarter than that and here's what they do.

They make predictions. They'll read your hand or

they'll send you something that you send them some money about

your future, and they're very vague.

And they're very ambiguous and they're very general.

And that's strategic because what they want to do is in case

it doesn't come to pass, they have just a plenty of

explanations to give you of. That's not what they meant.

Or they miss, they misheard you. And so there's a lot of people

out there who are playing that kind of a game who just give you

enough to satisfy your curiosity or to impress you, but not

enough that it can be proven wrong.

The Bible doesn't play that game.

It doesn't. The Bible is bold, very bold.

So bold is the word of God that he will give you details.

Details about events to come and God in Isaiah.

Does that on purpose? So that for the generations that

will come to read this book. Will say there is no God like

this God you just got to take the time to study it.

So so don't go online and look for top-10 atheists.

Arguments against Christian. You're going to come up with

silliness when you with a heart of true desire want to discover

if this book is true Endeavor and set yourself in the place of

humility to understand what it is that this book has to say and

you will be blown away and I'll prove it to you.

Look how specific Micah is. This is just one example.

One of hundreds of prophecies that one man.

Fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we have to read slowly. 46 and you

o Bethlehem in the land of Judah.

Why did he say that? Why did Micah by the Holy

Spirit, say o Bethlehem in the land of Judah, can I tell you

why? Because in Joshua 1915 and a

list of names of cities. When the original group of

Israelites came into the promised land to have Conquest

over the land. And then there was a lot means,

given two different tribes, there is a Bethlehem not in

Judah. There's a Bethlehem in the

region of zebulun. So you have two different

bethlehem's. At least it's like the, the

named Springfield of different areas you have, you have two

different bethlehem's and yet when Micah is inspired by the

Holy Spirit, pending this Prophecy with laser Precision.

We are told Bethlehem, but not just Bethlehem Bethlehem in the

region of Judah. So the holy spirit makes an

effort to cancel any kind of contention or possible

argumentation against the how specific this is.

And this is just one of many, of the things that when you see all

the Prophecies of different men from different eras, different

times in history. All speaking about in concert

the same person. You cannot deny it.

You can't deny the supernatural source of these words.

You know, who couldn't deny it even a man who hated the idea of

a king of the Jews Herod. Harry, had this weird kind of

Faith. He believed in the Bible enough

to discover the whereabouts of the Messiah, but he did not love

the truth and that he submitted to it, he wanted to fight it

still Herod realized that there is a king of the Jew to come and

he wants to find where he is through prophecy.

And here's the sad state of even, even being confronted with

so much evidence like Herod, people will still not worship

Him. they still resistant, they still will take up arms and say

I will not I will not surrender my life to you.

I pray that would not be you this afternoon.

I pray that in this place today that through a weak attempt that

would be something of a softening of your heart to

realize. This is this is this is just

more than just history, this is more than just morals being

presented in a creative way. This is true.

I may not know the extent of it, I may not know all the details

about. I may not be familiar with every

Stitch of it. But something's happening to my

heart. And I'm not here trying to pull

on your emotions. I'm here trying to point you to

a book. A book that is accurate a book

that comes from God, a book that was authored by God.

And so today, my friends, as you prepare to go back home and

change into your pajamas and be with your loved ones.

Have you come to worship Him? Or are you a war with him?

with how this evidence has been provided to you and there's so

much more still Will it cause you to worship Him?

Or will you harden your heart and say I still won't give

myself? Damn, And here's the thing, I am

not convincing you of a tyrant. I am not convincing you to bend

the knee to a bully. This God loves.

And his love is so strong that he warns in his love.

And his love is so powerful that he has to get your attention and

many different ways and sometimes those ways are strong

and they cut but it's all from the place of love.

This Jesus came, not just to prove something of Prophecy

being fulfilled that God can predict the future.

It's more important than that. He came as you heard earlier to

save from sin so that he can save you for himself.

He wants you. Can you imagine that?

This future predicting. All powerful being who can stop

the plans of kings and armies. He wants you.

The only thing standing in the way is your sin, but he made a

way to get rid of that, too. He wants to wash you, cleanse,

you fill you with the Holy Spirit and guarantee and seal

you for eternal life. What must I do?

Then here's the gift of eternal life.

Repent, and believe turn from your sin.

What good is it anyway? It's only hurt you and harmed,

you. It's only kept you in bondage

and defeat. Get rid of it.

And come to the one who created you.

Come to the one who died for you.

Come to the one who will fill you and give you life.

Abundantly come to him. This is the Christmas message.

Christ has come not just into this world but he longs to come

into your life. As he knocks and perhaps he's

knocking. Now, don't ignore it.

Don't turn your back to it, open it swing wide those doors.

Fall on Your Knees and say yes to the lordship and the saving

work of Jesus. Let's pray.

Well, we ask that in this moment as we have been refreshed by the

word. We pray that.

Every soul in this house. Will be set on worshipping you.

Worshipping you. Not necessarily to get anything

from you just because you are worthy of worship, you have done

everything, you can in Jesus Christ and yet as a good father,

you still give good gifts. and so Lord, as we sit here, and as

we are ready to stand, we pray that we would not leave here.

With empty cups. That Lord your word in your

spirit would fill us. So that we would be those who

determined to honor you with our lives.

And Lord for the soul. That is troubled, troubled.

By the news. Of who Jesus is and what he

asked of us. Well, we just pray that you

would eliminate Every Lie from the evil one.

Every deception, every misjudgement misunderstanding of

what it means to follow Christ. And we pray that perhaps this

would be the beginning of a Pursuit Of Truth that will set

free. And so Lord.

Today. We thank you.

We thank you for the admonition. We thank you for the word.

We thank you for the power of the scriptures before us this

afternoon. May it really change Us by your

grace and we worship you now and Thanksgiving for it in Jesus

name. Amen.

Let's stand and Worship the Lord.