Why the Virgin Birth

Welcome to this week's message from the Church at Chelsea Westover.

Our core values are vibrant worship, intimate fellowship, fulfilling service, and clear biblical truth.

We pray that this message changes your life.

Let's tune in to today's message and see what God has in store for you.

And I want you to turn with me this morning in your Bibles to Matthew chapter one.

Matthew chapter one.

And again, I am I don't know about you, but I love this time of the year.

It's really my favorite time because it's a time that everybody is conscious of two things.

One, they're conscious of Christmas.

Even though a lot of people may not believe in Christmas the way you and I believe in Christmas, they're very conscious of Christmas.

And this year, the Christ of Christmas series, I want to deal with some issues that very few preachers deal with.

And I don't think they they don't deal with them because they don't agree with them.

I just think there's very little said about them, like Joseph.

There's little said about Bethlehem other than that was the place of the birth.

And there's really little said about the virgin birth, except that what?

Mary was a virgin, and she was conceived by the person and the power of the Holy Spirit of God, not by natural man conception, but by supernatural conception.

Can I get an amen?

And the importance of that.

So it's going to be, you've got to learn a lot.

That's why you take you, and uh, I was over a Viston with uh Rosemarie and Ival here a while back, and she takes every outline and not only fills it in, she puts it in a book.

I may need that book one after.

Uh in fact, I remember when I was David Wilson's pastor all those years at Open Door.

He had a little, back then we didn't have all this technology.

We didn't have iPhones, but he had a little spiral notebook, and he took every outline of every message, even though we had my bulletins and I'd give them an outline, but he would write out the messages.

And uh he had two or three of those notebooks when I resigned to go to liberty from open doors that he showed me, and I just thought, my, my, my.

Now that's someone that has a heart to learn the word of God.

Can I get an amen?

And that's why we come here.

We come here to have a great time.

We come here to praise him in spirit and truth.

And spirit we just did through the worship uh of all those beautiful songs.

But now it's time to worship him in truth.

And by the way, Rosemarie, it is gorgeous.

Is this not gorgeous?

Let's give Rosemary a hand.

Amen.

And her team.

I think her team's mostly I will sometimes.

But she is just phenomenal.

She's the interior decorator.

So if you ever need any interior decorating done, she we don't do anything without calling Rosemary.

In fact, it was funny.

We're getting ready.

Rosemary, what are you gonna do?

David said, well, I thought I'd take the cross down.

She said, No! David said, I don't think I'm gonna take the cross down.

She said, I've got plans for that cross.

And uh so we've learned real quick.

Uh yes, yes, we're gonna do what you say.

I will, you learned that a long time ago, didn't you?

38 wonderful years.

38 wonderful years.

Amen.

Amen.

How long is mine?

34, 35?

Something like that.

Anyway, let's get started.

I'm excited about this message.

Matthew chapter 1.

Matthew 1 · chapter mention

Starting at verse 18.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on the wise.

When as his mother Mary was his spouse to Joseph.

The word espouse there was an engagement, but it was a lot more serious than our engagements today.

You actually went ahead and signed a covenant when you asked for an engagement.

So it was as if you were married, except for two things.

One, you're not living together and you had not had the sexual relations.

But you were bound as a husband and wife, basically.

When I mean, they took being engaged serious business.

And boy, we need to get back to that.

Can I get an amen?

We really do.

So that's a powerful word within itself.

And we could do a message on it.

But to Joseph before Cain, together, she was found with the child of the Holy Ghost.

Then Joseph, her husband being a just man, a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately.

In fact, one of the reasons he didn't want to put her away back then, if you broke your engagement then, and there was a couple of ways to do it, one was being unfaithful, having sexual relations before you got married.

Well, back then, are you ready for this?

You read Deuteronomy, the law.

Not only did one of the reasons he wanted to put her away privately, but one of the reasons he wanted to put her away privately was she could be stoned to death.

Hello?

You're talking about keeping people pure, just reinstate that law.

And by the way, if you were the man that were involved, they stoned you too.

Hello?

Yeah, hello.

We didn't get a lot of amen on that one, did we?

Boy, that stopped immorality pretty quick.

Well, you have, yeah, yeah, we're just gonna stone you.

A little hard to take.

I understand, especially when that's all we see on TV today, right?

Amen.

I understand.

But they need to go back.

Hey, let me tell you, Hollywood needs to go back and read the word of God.

Can I get an amen?

And then the Bible goes on and it says that Joseph, her husband, being a just man, not willing to make a public example, was minded to put her away privately.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou art son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary, thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

That's the dream I'm going to preach about.

So I don't want to get, I'm about to get started sharing a little bit about what I want to teach next week, because it's so exciting when you really see that.

But verse 21, and she shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Jesus.

For he shall save his people from their sins.

Now, all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying.

And the prophet, there's Isaiah chapter 7, verse 14.

Isaiah 7:14

And here's what Isaiah chapter 7, verse 14 says.

Isaiah 7:14

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means, and interpreted, God with us.

Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife, and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus.

He did not touch her or have sexual relations with her until after the birth of Jesus Christ.

And that is very important.

And we're going to be looking at that.

But today, I want to pull back out as we looked at this.

And also Luke chapter 2, verse 11.

Luke 2:11

Powerful verse.

It talks about being born of a virgin.

Today, the title of the message is Why the Virgin Birth.

The virgin birth of Jesus is the most frequently attacked doctrine in the Word of God.

I mean, it is the most frequently attacked doctrine in the Bible.

The critics, the doctrine is not criticized just because it is in the Bible, but because, listen to me, Christianity rises or falls on this doctrine.

If there is no virgin birth, there is no savior.

And that's what I'm going to prove this morning.

If there was no virgin birth, there is no savior.

So, in the 11th century, there was a man, an English philosopher and theologian by the name of Anselm.

And he wrote a book titled, Why Did God Become a Man?

And in his discussion of that question, why did God become a man?

Ansalom listed four ways God has of making human beings.

Number one, the first way was through the union of a man and a woman.

Like you and I were procreated, and we were birthed into this world by our parents.

And in Genesis 1, he talks about that.

He talks about man should not be alone.

So he's going to create man and woman, and they're going to come together, and they shall be one for the purpose of what?

Multiplying the earth.

That's the purpose.

That's God's picture.

One man, one woman, to come together to what?

Precreate and make a dynamic children that will be raised under the instructions and teaching of the Word of God so that, as Psalm says, there'll be eras for the glory of God.

And they'll be shot out all over the world to evangelize the world.

That's the purpose, one of the purposes for a dynamic marriage.

So, but then there's a second way.

Second, without the union of a man or woman, as he did when he created Adam.

Remember?

In Genesis chapter 1 again, or actually Genesis chapter 2, verse 7, he decided that, hey, how was he going to create Adam?

Genesis 1 · chapter mention Genesis 2:7

He created him from the dust of the earth.

There was no father or mother that created Adam.

Adam was created directly by God from the dust of the ground.

And then, without the involvement of a woman there or man, but then there's a third way.

The third way is without the involvement of a woman.

That's when he took Adam's rib from the woman and made woman.

Adam saw the first woman.

Can you imagine that?

Let me tell you why that's so special.

Adam had been spending all the hours, long hours, naming every animal.

Do you realize every animal, the species that we have today, they were all named by Adam?

Can you imagine looking?

I happened to be at Disney World, took the safari little tour.

I saw giraffes, I saw elephants, I saw rhinos, I saw crocodiles, I saw all these things, and most of them stink.

Hello.

So here Adam is, and then God says, Well, Adam, it's not good for you to be alone.

So I'm gonna create you woman.

Wow.

Now, I understand why the where the woman comes from.

Because when Adam, after seeing all those animals and they stink and naming them and all, and all of a sudden God just presents this gorgeous woman.

Adam, he didn't name her, he went, wow.

Yes, that one's for me.

Woman.

So, ladies, you are powerful.

And you already know that.

So, here he goes, and we see God creates Adam from the dust.

He creates woman from Adam's rib.

My wife says that proves who we are.

One, men are dust balls, two, women are prime rib.

Just a thought.

So, and then Adam is used by God to create Eve.

But there's a fourth method by supernaturally empowering a man and woman who are beyond the years of childbearing to have children.

For example, God appeared to Abraham in Genesis 17, said, Abraham, I'm gonna give you a son.

And at the time, Abraham was 90 years old and Sarah was uh about 80.

And 10 years later they received that son.

In fact, it was when when Abraham told uh Sarah that they were gonna have a child, she laughed.

She said, Are you kidding me?

I'm 80 years old.

So for you that are old and thinking you're, hey, hey, you think it's over, you're retiring, you're quitting, it's time to give, hey, man, they just got started.

80.

Abraham was a hundred.

Now, when I was studying this, I did say to the Lord, please, not me.

I mean, I can't keep up with my grandkids, much less my own now at this age.

Amen.

So we see the fourth, four ways, but then there's a fifth way.

And that fifth way is where I'm gonna spend my time.

All of, by the way, all of uh Anselm's answers are biblically based.

I gave you scripture for every one of those examples.

They're biblically based, and you'll see why in a minute.

Well, there's a fifth one that we could add and which we're gonna study.

God could cause a child to be born without the involvement of a man, as happened when Jesus Christ was born of a virgin through the agency of the Holy Spirit Himself.

Wow.

The virgin birth.

And there are many Christians today confused about the virgin birth.

For example, a heretic philosophy came into being in 1858 called, and you've heard it.

It was called the Immaculate Conception.

There's nothing biblical about that.

The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is not a biblical doctrine, but was created by, listen to this, Pope Pius IX in 1858.

The doctrine says that Mary, the mother of Jesus, when she was conceived in her mother's womb, was without sin.

That is the immaculate conception.

That she was born sinless.

You know what my major problem is?

Number one, that's not what the Bible says.

Number one, the Bible says for all have food and come forth of the glory of God.

So death has passed upon all men, for all have sinned.

And that in that's a generic, when you say men, it also means women, for all have sinned.

Mary was born with a sin nature, just as you and I are.

Because if she was, that would put her in the category with Adam, Eve, and Jesus.

Those are the only three people that were born without a sin nature.

But because Adam and Eve chose to sin in the garden, we have inherited their sin nature ever since.

Amen.

That's very important you understand that because that's what the immaculate conception really means.

The virgin birth of Jesus, however, is clearly biblical.

But it has nothing to do with Mary being sinless or immaculate herself.

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

Well, some have called the virgin birth miraculous.

And by the way, it was.

But it's more than miraculous because there were some miraculous births.

And I've already told you.

Abraham and Sarah at 190.

Well, guess what?

Right before Jesus was born, guess who was conceived in old age?

Elizabeth.

And John the, yes, John the Baptist.

In fact, here's one, and don't even try to figure it out.

Don't try to study it out because you ain't going to find any answers.

How would you like to know that your son is filled with the Holy Spirit while he's in the womb?

Whoo!

I don't understand that one.

But the Holy Spirit, he leaped in the womb.

Wow.

Wow.

But anyway, so those were miraculous conceptions and births.

Okay?

So what makes the virgin birth so not miraculous?

But hey, write it down.

It makes the virgin birth supernatural.

It makes it supernatural.

And I wrote this down.

This is so good.

It is the only time the virgin birth, it stands alone in all human history as the only time a virgin has conceived a child without the participation of a man because Jesus was conceived by the person of the Holy Spirit of God, yet born of a woman.

He is the only person, now this is so good.

The only person ever to exist with two distinct natures, yet complete.

Human and divine.

That's a little heavy.

It may be heavy, but that's why he's God.

And that's why he can save you and he can save me.

Hey, he was as much man as I am man, but yet at the same time, he was as much God as God ever has been or ever will be.

He was the God man.

That's what makes it supernatural.

Can I get an amen?

Is that not good?

And that is why we must understand the virgin birth.

In fact, the virgin birth is better described as the virgin conception.

Amen?

The virgin conception, which made it supernatural.

The virgin birth of Jesus Christ has been attacked for 2,000 years by critics of the Word of God.

It has been attacked not just because it's in the Bible, but because the virgin birth is the keystone to the whole doctrine of salvation.

Without the virgin birth, listen, we have no salvation.

You must understand that.

And that's why it's so important.

And with that said, let's look at four things this morning about the virgin birth.

Number one, it is direct prophecy of the Old Testament.

It is direct prophecy of the Old Testament.

Look at Isaiah 7:14.

Isaiah 7:14

Boy, this is good.

Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign.

Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son.

And his name shall be called Emmanuel.

Now watch.

In Matthew, in his gospel account, Jesus says that this birth was a fulfillment of that prophecy.

Let me show you.

Matthew 1, verses 22 and 23 that we read.

Matthew 1:22

Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, and here's what he said.

Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted, hey, is God with us.

Powerful.

In other words, this was 700 years later.

God's word is true.

God's word is validated by the prophecies of the Old Testament being fulfilled in the New Testament.

That's why you can take this book to the bank.

You can't disprove it.

Go ahead, try it.

If you can disprove it, I'll throw mine away.

But I'm not worried about that.

What's going to happen if you really seek out.

The truth through the word of God with your hearts, you're going to get saved and you're going to be more radical now.

Hello.

Maybe not more radical.

I'd just like for you to join me.

Amen.

It's fun, it's exciting.

But listen, here's the truth.

Now, the two Hebrew, the Hebrew word for virgin here is Alma.

And it literally means a young woman that has not known a man.

She's pure, a pure woman.

Then you got a New Testament, and Matthew used the word in the Greek translated of the Old Testament, Alma.

He used the Greek word Parthenos.

And I'm not trying to impress you with my Greek skills.

I'm just, this is very important to understand.

You never hear this when people are preaching about Christmas.

All they mention is the virgin birth, but this is our foundation.

Without it, we have no salvation.

This is the most important doctrine we can have.

Now, what's this?

And one thing about CCW, you're going to be grounded in the word.

Can I get an amen?

We're not going to waver from the book.

We're going to teach the book.

And watch what he's what Parthenos means.

A woman who has not known a man.

She's a virgin.

And when Matthew wrote in his gospel account, he used Parthenos to translate his quote of Isaiah 7.14.

In all three cases, the word, hey, the words chosen mean virgin.

A woman who has never known a man in such a way.

That's important you understand that.

She was a real virgin.

Can I get an amen?

People say that's impossible.

Absolutely.

But guess what?

Luke 137 says, nothing's impossible with God.

It was impossible for man to be, hey, we can't create man from dust.

We can't create women from a rib, but God can, and God did.

Can I get an amen?

So it's so important.

You'll see the validity here.

So Matthew was completely convinced that Jesus' birth was the fulfillment of Isaiah 7.14.

I completely believe that Jesus' birth was the fulfillment of Isaiah 7.14.

And that proves the validity.

I'm about to have a running spell.

That proves the validity of the Word of God that every jot, every kittel is written by God, is God, and it will happen.

Woo! That's good.

That's good.

You cannot denounce this book.

It's the whole truth, nothing but the truth.

All scripture, second.

No, go there.

Second Peter.

Woo! One night, uh, 2 Peter 1, verses 19 through 21.

2 Peter 1:19–21

You know, when I finished my series on Jonah here a few weeks ago, and you remember what I said, every one of us are sitting here thinking, did Jonah repent?

Did Jonah repent?

You know, because I mean he's first chapter, he's he's running away from God.

Second chapter, he's running to God.

Third chapter, he's running with God.

Chapter 4 has a bad attitude and is running against God again.

And I had everybody, I just won't know about Jonah.

I don't know if he repented and what happened to him.

I do.

He repented and and fulfilled what God wanted him to do.

How do you know that?

Here's how I know it.

Right here.

We have also a more sure word of prophecy.

We have a sure word.

Say this with me.

We have a sure word, say it, church.

We have a sure word, a word that is true, absolute true, no errors, no fault.

It's the word of God.

A more sure word of prophecy.

We just saw the prophecy of Isaiah 7.14 proven and happen in Matthew chapter 1.

Matthew 1 · chapter mention

Whereunto you do well that ye take heed.

In other words, listen to the book, believe the book, do the book, be doers of the book, as unto a light that shines in darkness.

It's the word of God that keeps you on the lighted path instead of the wrong path.

Can I get an amen?

Is that not good?

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

Psalms 119, 105.

And then he goes on until the day dawn and the day star rises in your heart, knowing the first that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

This book, people say, it's nothing but a book written by men.

Absolutely not.

God used 40 men, but all he did was use them as the instrument.

He controlled the words, he controlled what they wrote, he controlled everything.

How do you know that?

And how do I know Jonah repented and became all that God wanted him to believe?

The next verse.

Men didn't have that will.

Men didn't, these were not men's concepts.

Now, it was some of the literature of the day and the vocabulary of the day.

Okay?

I mean, there were robots, but watch.

They were not by the will of men, but holy men, holy men, righteous men, men that walk with God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit of God, through men, wrote this book.

God wrote this book through the person of the Holy Spirit.

I want a hearty amen.

You see that?

Ival?

That's good, preacher.

Amen.

That's why Jonah repented.

He wrote the book.

Jonah.

Amen.

Now.

I told you it's gonna be good.

You say, yeah, but I was wanting jingle bells.

Well, you're not going, you can get jingle bells anytime.

You're getting the truth today.

Amen.

When you walk out here, next time you hear somebody say, Oh, I believe in the Immaculate Conception.

You say, I don't.

But before you say I don't, ask them this.

What does that mean?

They'll say, I don't know.

I just believe in it.

Why do you believe in it?

Well, mom and dad believe in it, I believe in it.

Well, can't can't is mom and dad going to hell, you gonna go to hell too?

Yeah.

Hello.

You need to know the truth.

You shall know the truth.

Say it with me.

And what?

Set you free.

Hallelujah.

Be free.

With that said, now look, this is good.

The doctrine is direct prophecy of the Old Testament.

Number two.

The doctrine is divine proof.

What's this?

Of the New Testament.

Oh yeah.

Matthew 1, right here in our chapter that we just read.

There are six different ways in these few verses in which the virgin birth is supported.

This is so good.

Number one, look at verse 18.

Before they had relations.

Verse 18 says.

Verse 18 specifically says that Mary's conception occurred.

Look at what it says, before they, Mary and Joseph, came together.

She was found with child of the Holy Spirit before they were married and had been joined together physically.

That is a tremendous proof right there of the virgin birth.

Number two, look at verse 18.

She was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

Found with child of the Holy Spirit.

There was no question that Mary had conceived a child before she and Joseph had been married or known one another physically.

Number three, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him.

Verse 20.

To Joseph in a dream to calm his fears about Mary's pregnancy.

I don't want to get too far because I but I can wet you appetite.

Can you imagine?

What if you were Joseph and your fiancé comes back after a three-month journey, spending with Elizabeth, talking, pondering the things that had happened to Elizabeth.

She being pregnant.

Now Mary's pregnant, she's pregnant with John the Baptist.

Mary's pregnant with the Son of God.

They had a lot to talk about.

No wonder it took three months.

Can I get an Amen?

Amen.

And that wasn't gossip.

And she comes back and she's three months pregnant.

She's showing.

Now you're the fiance.

You know you hadn't touched her.

Duh! Hello.

And then you got to listen to the story she's about to tell you what happened.

You're gonna say, What are you smoking?

Stay tuned for the rest of the story.

Next Sunday.

So here we see unbelievable, unbelievable right here.

The angel had to appear to Joseph and calm him down.

Look at the fourth thing, verse 23.

The virgin shall be with child.

The virgin shall be with child.

But let me point out the paradoxical nature of this statement.

How can a virgin be with a child when she's not had a human relationship?

Supernatural.

Amen.

Supernatural.

That's how.

And then number five, this should call his name Emmanuel.

That's what it says, verse 23.

Hey, now, the name Emmanuel, God with us, in the Old Testament, literally meant God being in their presence.

But in the New Testament, God with us means the incarnation.

John 1, 14, and the word of God became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory.

The hey, glory of the only begotten Son of God.

God became man through his son Jesus so that he could redeem us from our sins.

Hallelujah.

For the cross.

Hallelujah for Christmas.

And the importance of Christmas.

And then number six, he is the Son of God.

He was not the son of Joseph in a natural procreative way at all?

Not at all.

Instead, he was the son of God.

This fact does not deny his pre-existence with God.

Don't you forget that?

Before God was, hey, listen.

Before Jesus was born on earth, he was with God.

Amen?

He says, in fact, there's so many scriptures, and we'll be looking at some of them, that he was God.

In fact, I love Isaiah 9.6, you know it.

Unto us, Benji was singing, unto us, it says, a child is born.

Unto us, a son is given.

That one major statement identifies who Jesus is.

He's, hey, unto us a child is born.

He's human.

That was the birth of Mary through the conception of the Holy Spirit.

But he says, unto us a child is born.

What?

But unto us a son is given.

He had to be a son of a father before he could be given.

He was the son of God.

He was God.

An incarnation.

Wow.

Man, that's good.

I know that's heavy.

You can't understand it.

I can't either.

But I sure believe it.

And you say, well, how can you believe something you don't understand?

Well, you do that most of the time.

Just a thought.

My granddaddy died believing that we did not go to the moon.

He believed we went to a desert and that was all fake.

God became man for you and me.

Dr.

Harry Reimer, the book, The Magnificence of Jesus.

He was told about being a, well, he was asked to be a part of a committee, and he was interviewing this young preacher boy to be a pastor.

And it came out that the young man did not believe in the virgin birth.

Because when asked why he didn't believe, he said, it's only mentioned briefly by Matthew and Luke.

But it's not mentioned by Paul, John, James, and Peter.

Dr.

Reimer paused for a minute and asked the young man, Well, what part of the Bible do you believe?

He said, Well, I believe in the Beatitudes.

Oh, I really believe in the Beatitudes.

Jesus wrote the Beatitude.

It's all about Jesus.

Dr.

Reimer said, Well, I don't believe in the Beatitudes.

The young man looked at him and said, You don't believe in the Beatitudes?

You mean you don't believe in the writing in red?

Some of y'all didn't get that.

I mean, most of you didn't get that, but that's okay.

All right.

Hey, hey.

He said, You don't believe in the Beatitudes?

He says, No.

Dr.

Reimer said, I don't believe in the Beatitudes.

He says, Why can you not believe in the Beatitudes?

It's only mentioned in Matthew and Luke.

He went, You got me.

Folks, it doesn't matter how many times it's mentioned or how few times it's mentioned, if God says it, that settles it.

It's true.

It can be in there one time, it can be in there a thousand times.

It's true.

Not one jot, one tittle, that's the smallest part of the word of God shall pass from the law.

For this is good.

Till all be fulfilled.

Matthew 5, 18.

Amen.

What truth?

What truth?

What truth?

Number three.

The doctrine is critical.

The virgin birth.

The doctrine of the virgin birth is critical to understanding the gospel.

The gospel of salvation by Jesus Christ is totally and wholly dependent upon the virgin birth.

And here's why.

Well, this is good.

First of all, it determines our attitude toward the pre-existence Christ.

Why is it so important?

Why is it so critical to understand the gospel?

Because it determines our attitude toward the pre-existence Christ.

In John 8, verse 58, listen to what Jesus is.

John 8:58

In fact, he's encountered in John 8, described an encounter Jesus had with some of the Jewish leaders that were trying to confound him, who were challenging his teachings.

And he referred to their relationship.

That is, he and Abraham.

And the Jews couldn't understand the statement he made about their relationship when Jesus said to them in John 8, 58, here's what he said.

They said, no, wait a minute.

Whoa.

That can't be right.

Abraham's in the past tense.

Jesus is in the present tense.

How could you live with that, be with Abraham and be living right now with us?

And he said, Because I am.

I am God.

Before anything was, he was, and after everything will be, he still will be.

He's God.

Jesus is God.

Now let me tell you.

Let me tell you how to find when somebody let me tell you how to detect a false prophet real quick.

Real quick.

Two questions.

All you gotta ask is two questions.

Number one, what do you believe about the Bible?

Is it God's book?

Did God write it?

Or is it just another book?

If they say it's another book, they're lost.

They don't have a clue.

And most people that tell you they don't believe it have never studied it.

Okay?

Ask Josh McDowell.

Well, he went out, he he went and spent two years in Israel to disprove the Bible.

Halfway through, he got saved and wrote evidence demands a verdict.

One of the most dynamic Christian books, sold more copies than any other validity book on who Jesus is.

You should know the truth.

And the truth, what?

Shall set you free.

John 8 32.

Set you free.

Now what?

So Jesus did not begin when he was born at Bethlehem.

Jesus, get this in your mind.

Jesus did not begin when he was born in Bethlehem.

Amen?

He pre-existed before Bethlehem.

That's why Joseph could not have been his physical father.

Because if Joseph had been his physical father, that meant he would, his beginning would have been, hey, at the conception, nine months prior.

Couldn't happen.

Because he pre-existed before.

Look at the second thing.

Not only does it determine our attitude toward the pre-existence Christ, which means that we believe Jesus Christ.

And by the way, you got to read the prayer in John 17, Jesus' prayer.

He talks about, oh, that God, you will send glory and bless me and glorify me again as I as the glory that I had before the beginning when I was with you.

Throughout the Gospels, he mentions of his pre-existence with God.

Can I get an amen?

Throughout the whole book of John.

Now, with that said, look at the next thing.

It also determines our attitude toward the scriptures.

Regardless of how many times something is mentioned in the Bible, if we say we don't believe it, then we can't say we believe anything in the Bible.

We can't pick and choose what we believe.

Hello.

Boy, we're guilty of that.

I know some people they don't believe anything but the gospels because Jesus wrote it.

Again, that's the writing in the red.

Can't I say something?

Jesus wrote it all through the person of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

You can't chicken.

Hey, you can't pick and choose what you believe.

Don't you wish we could?

No.

You'd be a one-sided Christian.

And inside wouldn't be too pretty because it'd be your way.

Hello.

Amen.

O me.

It determines the validity of the scripture.

I like Psalms 108, 1199.

Listen to this.

Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.

You know what that means?

The word was, hey, existed before the beginning.

Before anything was, his word was.

After everything will be, his word still will be.

Man, that's good.

Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.

Isaiah 48, the the grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of God shall stand forever.

Man, that's good.

That's good.

All scripture was given by the inspiration of God, profitable for doctrine, for approval, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete and perfect and equipped to do what God's called him to do.

My granddaddy used to say, you know what that means?

All scripture's given by that?

That means God's word, hey, it means God's word is right, what's right, what's wrong, how to get right, and how to stay right.

What else is there?

I can still see Papa saying that.

And then number C, it determines our attitude toward Christ.

Remember?

I ask you two questions.

One, to reveal a false prophet.

What do you do with the word of God?

Number two, who's Jesus?

Who's Jesus?

Was he just a good teacher?

Was he a good rabbi?

Was he a famous person?

Or was he God?

Now some will say, oh, he's the son of God.

When somebody says, well, he's the son of God, ask this question.

Same way with the Immaculate Conception, what does that mean?

When they say he's son of God, what does that mean?

Well, it means God's His Father and He's the Son.

Yeah, but what does that mean?

Are you telling me that Jesus is not God and God's not Jesus?

Well, yeah, that's kind of what I'm saying.

Well, what do you do with John 10, 30?

I and my, when Jesus says four or four different times, I and my father are one.

You say, Well, I don't understand that.

Well, guess what?

That's some of the mysteries of God.

Hello.

Come on, help me here.

That's a good time to say amen, because that's true.

People all the time tell me, I don't understand God the Father, God the Son.

And God and the Holy Spirit, how they can all be three different personalities, but yet one.

You want me to help you with a country boy illustration?

Not my doctorate in theology.

Oh, they got all kinds of answers.

But let me give you a country boy answer that I help you understand.

God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

What is H2O?

Do you drink this water?

I thought that was good.

Okay?

Now that water right there is for drinking.

But if I take this water and I freeze it in a refrigerator, guess what I have?

What do you use ice for?

To keep something cold?

Or if you get burned, you really oh thank God for ice.

Bam, put the ice on the burn.

But it's frozen.

Right?

You can't drink it.

Okay?

Alright?

If I take this water and I really heat it to a high, I'm talking about it's hot and hot, and I've got the degrees.

Some of you chemists may be able to tell me.

It becomes steam.

In fact, we use steam in the early pioneer days of engines with stuff.

We did with a lot of steam, a lot of stuff.

Okay, now, but guess what?

Whether it's water to drink, ice to freeze, or steam to be used to move an engine or vehicle, it's all steel 3H2O.

Hello! That's pretty good, isn't it?

So how do I want to understand God it's Jesus and Jesus is God and they're both the Holy Spirit, but I tell you what, they all about woman, but yet they all like water, are these three distinct personalities?

Can we all say, preacher, that's good?

Thank you.

That now you may say, well, that's just an uneducated answer.

Well, guess what, Smarty Pants?

You give me a better one.

Amen.

That's what the book says.

The ways and the knowledge and the understanding and the judgments of God are past finding out.

Romans 11, 33.

That's why when bad things happen to good people, I always go to that verse.

I don't understand it.

But God's ways and his knowledge is far higher.

That's right, Darren, than ours.

Very much so.

Can we get an amen?

So, now listen to this.

Here's, I want to wrap this part up before we finish the last point.

If Jesus was not born by the Holy Spirit, he wasn't God.

He was just a man like me.

In fact, a worse man than most of us.

You know why?

Because he lied about his identity.

He claimed to be God.

That's pretty bad.

Can I tell you something?

If you ain't God, you better not claim to be God.

All the major doctrines in the Bible concerning Christ.

Watch this: his death for our redemption, his sinlessness, his deity, his status as high priest, stand and fall on the virgin birth.

All of it.

Summarized the implications of the virgin birth.

He said, if this biblical doctrine is not true, the Bible, listen to what he said, is robbed of its authority.

Mary becomes unchaste.

Joseph never claimed Jesus to be his son.

So if he wasn't Joseph's son, who was he?

Jesus' pre-existence is ruled out, which negates the incarnation of God in human flesh.

The explanation for his character and miraculous powers are lost.

He is not the second person of the Trinity and has no power or authority to forgive sins.

Wow.

I think I believe in the virgin birth.

Amen.

And then the last thing.

Number four.

The doctrine is critical in our lives.

It's critical in our life.

The virgin birth is not just a theological doctrine, it impacts our lives in practical ways in our Christian wall.

Here they are.

Or two good ones.

First of all, it's the plan of God for our salvation.

Can I get an amen?

It's the plan of God for our salvation.

Man, that's good.

In Romans 5, it's a great chapter.

It's the justification chapter.

We learn how salvation was brought to the human race.

Death and sin entered the world through Adam.

We talked about that.

And grace, and that's in verse 12.

In verse 15 in Romans 5, grace and salvation also entered through one man, Jesus Christ.

In a lot of your theological writings, Jesus is called the second Adam.

The first Adam brought sin and damnation and condemnation.

The second Adam brought grace, justification, and forgiveness.

If Jesus had been born of two human parents, he would have inherited Adam's sin and death along with the rest of us.

There would be no grace, there would be no salvation.

Aren't you thankful for the virgin birth?

Amen.

Is that not good?

And then I love this one.

The last one.

The plan of God for our advocacy.

Listen to what 1 Timothy 2.5 says.

And if a man also strive for mastery, yet is he not crowned.

That's not it.

I think that's second.

1 Timothy, not 2 Timothy.

Go to 1 Timothy 2.5.

Jason?

Talks about mediation.

Talks about one mediator.

And here's what it says: 1 Timothy 1.5.

For there is one God, I love that.

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

If Jesus Christ had not been born of the virgin, he could not be our mediator.

He could not intercede.

And by the way, the word mediator means he represents us before God.

He's our defense attorney.

Can I get an amen?

That's the only time I like to use the word attorney.

No, I'm joking.

He's my defense attorney.

Satan goes before God accusing you and me.

But aren't you glad?

And by the way, when Satan goes before God and he says, hey, guess what?

Danny Lovett, you're the most rotten, no-gooding preacher I've ever heard.

You have this, you're prideful, you have bad thoughts, you, you, you, you, and just goes down my list and of all my problems I have.

Uh-oh, you say, oh, preachers got problems.

I do, I do, I do, I do.

Help me.

I got problems.

Guess what?

You do too.

So why don't we just together?

Amen.

And when hey, accuses me before God, you know what?

And he just lets me heaven.

I'm saying, man, he's right, he's right, he's right, he's right, he's right.

And then all of a sudden, my advocate, Jesus, the king of kings, and the Lord of Lord steps up and he says, Yes, Father, he is guilty, dead eleven's guilty, and all of that.

But let me remind you 2,000 years ago on a place called Calvary on the Cross.

I died from Dead 11.

I took him sin, and sometimes you have no power over him anymore.

Him is finished.

You can't accuse, oh, you can accuse him, but it won't work.

Won't work.

No.

Because he paid for my sin.

Can I get an amen church?

Can we give him a clap offering for that church?

Wow.

The apostle John spoke as Jesus as our advocate with the Father.

Someone who can represent us before God.

Let me tell you why it's now watch this.

And I love this.

He knows what it is like to be a human being.

Do you know that?

Because he is as much human as he is God.

He knows how you feel when you're tempted.

Amen.

Huh?

Hello?

Come on with me.

Look at this real quick.

Go to Hebrews, I think it's up there.

It's Hebrews 2.18, or go to Hebrews 4, 15 to 16.

I'll use those.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, well.

Hey, say this with me.

We have a high priest.

And look what he does.

Which cannot be touched with the feelings of infirmities, but was in all points stipping like we are.

Those feelings of infirmities mean he knows every emotion, every hurt, every every pain, everything when we're at the lowest of the lowest when we're walking through the valleys, when we've just been crushed and knocked down, he knows how you feel.

He knows.

Therefore, come boldly into the throne of grace that we might obtain mercy.

And find grace to help in time.

I need you, I need you, I need you, I need you, I need you.

Lord, I don't understand why my husband just my wife just died in my arms.

I don't know why my little baby was born there.

I don't know, I need you.

Because it's only God who is human, who is human, can reach up to heaven in time of tribulation and trials.

Oh, and at the same time reach down to you and me on earth and bring heaven and God's grace and God's power and God's help to us.

Only God can do that.

And he does it because he is as much a man as I am.

But he is as much a God as God ever has been or ever will be.

He is the God man.

That's Christmas.

That's Christmas.

Thank God be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

Second Corinthians 9 15.

Every good gift, every perfect gift comes down from the Father of light.

Now watch this.

In whom there is no variableness.

There is no respecter of persons.

That's what I love about this church.

I look out.

See everybody, every race, every color, every academic, all the stuff, every social class, everything.

You know why we're all here?

One, here's why.

We love God and we love each other.

And let me tell you, it didn't matter who you are, what you got, all that junk.

Maybe it's not junk, but all that stuff.

Hey, hey, hey, it's all level right here at the cross.

When you walk in those doors, we're gonna hug your neck, love you.

People said, man, Pastor Danny likes to hug.

I do.

And I'm gonna hug you where you like it or not.

I will.

I see it.

Started.

Let me tell you another reason I do.

Susan.

We were at Highland Park.

There was a sweet little lady, loved me to death.

And I would do, the church was not used to the pastor.

Usually the pastor would wait till the last minute, come out, go up on the platform, preach, go back.

God bless you.

I'm gone.

Well, I've never been that way, and I never will be that way.

So I just walk around the whole church hugging people's necks, telling you I love you, trying to get to know you.

Sometimes I may call you a different name, but I still love you.

I recognize your face.

I'm getting better.

It's amazing.

I don't understand.

I I got half the New Testament or more memorized, but I can't remember my own daughter's names.

I was calling Stephanie Mary, Mary Stephanie.

Y'all have done that.

Now help me.

I can't rem uh Judy.

Yeah.

No, the lady.

Help me.

I want to call her name.

The lady that died the next day.

I want to call her, it wasn't Judy, it was Ida.

Ida May.

And she would say, Pastor, I love you.

Thank you for loving us.

Thank you for loving us.

And I hugged her neck, loved her.

I got a phone call the next morning at 5 30.

She had passed.

Died in her sleep.

So when I stood up and did her funeral service, the last thing I remember about Anna May was that I hugged her neck and she looked me in the eyes and I said, I love you.

So there's a reason for telling somebody you love them and meaning it.

It could be your last time.

You don't know that.

Amen.

You don't know that.

That's why all your differences really don't matter.

Most of our fighting is nothing but selfishness.

What we want.

The older I'm getting, I'm getting better not being quite as selfish.

I say quite as selfish, though.

I'm getting there.

I'm getting there.

Trying to get there.

It's a daily dying to self.

Amen.

Really is.

But folks, can I say this?

I love you with all my heart.

But Jesus loves you more.

And I don't understand how it can be that much.

As much as I love you and he loves you more, as much as I love my wife and my family, but he loves us more.

I can't understand that.

That's beyond my pay grade.

I don't understand that.

But I believe it.

Because of the cross.

And because of Christmas.

Jesus is the reason for the season.

You're gonna go out here believing in the virgin birth.

I have proven it to you.

Verse by verse.

It's real.

Every head bow, every eye closed.

Father, we thank you for your truth that never returns void.

Oh Lord, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

You may be here this morning.

I want to ask the question.

Do you know if you were to die today, you're sure you'll go to heaven?

Are you sure you'd go to heaven?

Because the Bible says you can know.

For sure.

You say, where's that?

1 John 5, 13.

These things have a written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life.

The Greek word there is OD or OD, either way you pronounce it.

And it means assurance.

You can be assured.

So let me ask you this morning.

If you're not sure, if you're to die right now, you're going to heaven.

Can I invite you to do what the thief did 2,000 years ago on a place called Calvary?

He turned to Jesus and he said, Jesus, will you remember me today?

He asked the Lord, he got saved, he turned, he said, I know our punishment we deserve, but you have done nothing wrong.

Lord, the Kiras, the total ruler and governor of my life, that's what the word means, Kuros.

He said, He made him Lord, he got saved, and he said, Would you remember me?

He said, I'm not gonna remember you, I'm gonna take you with me.

Today thou shalt be with me in paradise.

So, right now, right where you are, would you pray?

Would you pray this, what we call it the sinner's prayer, same prayer.

The thief prayed.

Would you pray it silently with me as I pray it out loud if you're not sure you're saved this morning?

Would you say, Dear Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner.

And I deserve my punishment.

I'm guilty.

But Lord, you love me enough to die for me.

Thank you, Lord, for dying for me.

And Lord, I ask you right now to come into my heart and to save me and to change me.

Thank you, Lord, for saving me.

And now, Lord, give me, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the power to live for you.

Thanks again for tuning into this week's message.

We pray that your life has been changed.

If you would like to find out more about us, visit us on our webpage at thechurch at cw.com.

You can also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at TheChurch at CW.

Need prayer or more information?

Send us an email at office at the church at cw.com.

We hope you have a wonderful day and again, God bless you.