HE CAME TO DWELL WITH US - Matthew 1:18-23

So, if you have a Bible, would you open

it up and meet me in Matthew chapter 1.

Matthew 1 · chapter mention

We're going to be reading verses 18 and

on.

Christmas Eve is a sacred moment. It is

indeed. It reminds us of the covenant

that God had established with his

people. a covenant that's not exclusive

to the New Testament, nor something

that's brand new to the biblical letters

that we see that Paul and others write,

but a covenant that was established way

back when. You see, the story of

Christmas is a story that begins in

eternity past

and God speaking creation into existence

and creation rebelling against creator.

And God, even then, out of his grand and

great love, would begin to set in motion

the very plans that we still celebrate

today.

We heard it read from John chapter 3

John 3:16

verse 16 that for God so loved the

world, he gave his one and only son that

whoever believes in him shall not perish

but have everlasting

life.

One of the stark and painful realities

of life is that death awaits us all.

One day this body will decay.

We experience it now. I'm only 41. And

let me tell you, my recovery time takes

a couple of days as opposed to when I

was in my 20s.

But it's a stark reminder that death

comes for every single one of us. It is

one thing that we cannot escape.

But the Bible talks about a second

death.

A death where there is an escape.

You see, while the body wither aways and

decays and eventually falls victim to

the limits and the chaos of this world,

there's a second death in which the soul

is separated for all eternity from God.

But that's a death that we can all

escape.

And we escape it through the gospel.

This is why Christmas means so much.

This is why realities that are painted

before us,

like here in Matthew chapter 1,

Matthew 1 · chapter mention

bear the mark of what it means to live a

transformed life. So, I want to

encourage us as we gather tonight. It's

not so that we can check Christmas Eve

candlelight service off of our to-do

list, but that we would remember

something eternal.

That God steps into humanity.

That God has come near to us to dwell

among us in your pain, in your sorrow,

in your sin, in the chaos that is often

our life. The gospel tells us that the

birth of Jesus is not accidental but it

is completely intentional.

God has plan and purpose in sending his

son Jesus so that we would not remain

distant from him.

But that as we gaze upon the beauty and

the miracle that is the babe in the

manger, we would recognize that the babe

in the manger is the Messiah, the lamb

of God who has come to take away the

sins of the world. And what you'll

recognize here in just a moment as we

unpack Matthew's gospel is that Matthew

is going to bridge the gap. He's

bridging the gap between Old Testament

promises and prophecies and New

Testament realities.

You see, Jesus is not God's plan B. God

did not stare at humanity and say,

"Oops, I messed up. Jesus, you now have

to go to the plate and you better hit a

home run."

No. God knew from eternity past your

heart and my heart.

And you know that in our heart of hearts

sits nothing but rebellion against the

holiness of God.

But even in our rebellion,

God expresses his love and showcases his

promises.

And the entire Old Testament

through its priests, prophets, and

kings, through its laws, traditions, and

rituals

serves as a huge blinking arrow, a

spotlight pointing to something, or

rather someone greater.

And Matthew bridges the gap between

those promises and prophecies and what

is the reality for us. So, Matthew

Matthew 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1, beginning in verse 18,

here's what through the inspiration of

the Holy Spirit. Matthew writes,

"The birth of Jesus Christ came about

this way. After his mother Mary had been

engaged to Joseph, it was discovered

before they came together that she was

pregnant from the Holy Spirit."

Surprise, Joseph.

So her husband Joseph being a righteous

man and not wanting to disgrace her

publicly decided to divorce her

secretly. Let me just pause here for

just a moment. We don't know a lot about

Joseph.

As a matter of fact, after Jesus is 12

years old and remains at the temple

teaching and having conversations about

theology and doctrine, you remember the

story his parents recognize they've been

traveling a couple of days. Jesus is not

with us. And so they travel back to

Jerusalem and they find Jesus there with

the teachers of the law. And they are

impressed that at such a young age he's

teaching as one who has authority.

That's the last moments that we read

about Joseph. There's not much that's

known about him other than this. He was

a righteous man. I'm going to go off

script for just a moment, but I think

it's worth mentioning. Amen.

Our goal in life is not to die and be

remembered for all the great

accomplishments that we have.

Now, my hats off to you if you want to

leave a legacy, but may it be a legacy

of faith that points to this. He was a

righteous man. What can be said about

your life?

Not that you were strong or that you

were intelligent or that you were smart

or that whatever put your hands to

succeeded or you were an overcomer.

Praise God for all of that. But it's all

for not if you were not righteous in the

Lord. And this is what we know about

Joseph. He was a righteous man. Let me

continue here. Verse 20. But after he

had considered these things, an angel of

the Lord appeared to him in a dream,

saying, "Joseph, son of David, don't be

afraid to take Mary as your wife,

because what has been conceived in her

is from the Holy Spirit." This is

incredible because Matthew is being

intentional.

his being intentional not so that then

it would be seen as God's power and

God's wonders and mir miracles moving

and working but that even now thousands

of years remove from when this moment

took place we would understand that this

is all done at the hands of God.

We gather to celebrate a movement of

God.

Which is why the challenge remains that

when we leave here that how God moves in

and through this place that he would

continue to move out there in your home,

in your living room, at the office,

in the classroom,

on the sales call, in that engineering

meeting

that God would continue to move. You

say, "Why? Why does it matter?" Well,

let's continue reading our passage.

She will give birth, verse 21, to a son,

and you are to name him Jesus because he

will save his people from their sins. If

you ever had a question about the role

and the purpose of Jesus, living, dying,

rising from the grave, ascending to

heaven, and now we live in that in

between moment from the first advent and

the second advent, awaiting his return.

What reason was it for? Matthew

settles a debate. To save his people

from their sins. Now, I'm jumping ahead

just a little bit, but let me challenge

you with this. Are you included in that?

Are you part of God's people?

Have you repented of your sins?

Or does the second death await you

to receive you

and welcome you into a kingdom

that you have no desire to be a part of

or through hope, faith, and trust in the

gospel of Jesus Christ through the

indwelling power of the Holy Spirit as

you call upon his name. Are you part of

his people? Verse 22. Now all this took

place to fulfill what was spoken by the

Lord through the prophet. Remember,

Matthew's bridging the gap here. And

what prophets is he quoting? He's

quoting the prophet Isaiah. Verse 23.

See, the virgin will become pregnant and

give birth to a son, and they will name

him Emmanuel, which is translated, "God

is with us." And all God's people said,

>> "Amen." Lord, would you bless your word?

Holy Spirit, would you stir our hearts?

There's so much to unpack here in

Matthew's gospel. And he's writing it

with a clear purpose.

The audience understood the covenants.

They understood the role of the

prophets. They could quote you prophecy

after prophecy. They could unroll the

scroll and begin to point you to how all

that was spoken in the Old Testament

all acknowledged the coming Messiah.

that this is the fulfillment of

everything God had declared.

This is exactly what he does here.

And Matthew is saying that this promise

has come true. And it's not just a

promise for then. We need to understand

that it's a promise for now.

And that's why this matters so much

tonight because what we read in verse 23

that his name shall be Emmanuel which is

translated God is with us.

It doesn't just tell us who Jesus is. It

points us to how God moves and works and

what he is like.

It tells us that God came near, that he

enters into our world and he invites us

to be part of his family. It means that

we are shown what it looks like to live

in light of his presence.

See, the Christmas story is more than

just lights and gifts and seasons of

cheer. Praise the Lord for all of that.

But it's rooted in something greater.

It sinks so much deeper beneath the

surface when we understand what is

taking place here on that Christmas

night.

As shepherds receive news, as they

glorified their savior, because at last

the God who prophesied that he would

come is now here.

And so tonight, I want to reflect on his

name

and I want us to go back to the passage

and I want us to see some truths that we

can draw out of it. Truths that are not

just evident for now,

but truth that would bring eternal

transformation for us. Here's the first

one if you like taking notes. You've

probably picked up on it already, but

here's the first truth. God has come

near. That's what Christmas is all

about. It's a demonstration

of God who is in heaven entering into

humanity. And here's why this is

important. Because it tells us God's not

distant. That God's not far and away

from his people, but he walks with us.

He leads us. He guides us. And in

moments, I know your story. You can bear

witness to how God carries us in moments

of need, in moments of desperation, in

moments of suffering.

And it also means, and I want us to

catch this, it means that whatever

you've brought in the room tonight,

whatever weight you're carrying,

whatever burden you're experiencing,

whatever season or circumstance that you

are enduring, God with us. The fact that

God has come near reminds us that we're

not alone,

that he embraces us, and that not only

do we have a church body, an extended

family that locks arms with us, that as

Paul declares in Romans 15, we weep with

those who weep and rejoice with those

who rejoice. But we have a father who is

in heaven and has demonstrated his love

through his son that has awakened in us

through the indwelling power of the Holy

Spirit to say, "You are not alone. I am

near and I am with you. So what does

that mean?

That means if you're tired,

God is with you.

That means if your marriage is on the

rocks, God is with you. That means mom,

dad, if you're dealing with a rebellious

child, God is with you. If you're having

questions about life and suffering and

pain, God is with you. If you're

enduring seasons of anxiety and

depression, God is with you.

And if God being with us is a reality,

then there's a question that we need to

confront. And here's a second truth that

we discover from the Christmas story

that if God is indeed with us, are you

living like God is with us?

Is God an active part of your life or is

he just a footnote in your story?

Is he the one who influences, guides,

and directs? Or is he just someone you

turn to in your time of desperate need?

Because the name Emanuel,

it invites us to reflect and to be

honest with this question that if God

truly is with us, am I living like I'm

his?

I pray the answer is yes.

But I know in a room this size, there

are some who may be answering no.

Now my question to you is why?

Because if you're not living like God is

with you, what it undoubtedly

demonstrates before the holiness of God

is that you love sin more than you love

his grace and mercy.

is that you prefer the pride of life and

the chaos of this broken and fallen

world than you do the rescue and the

redemption that he offers and he

provides.

Did you know it's possible to celebrate

Christmas? To enjoy all that Christmas

brings without ever welcoming Jesus

Christ into your life.

It's possible to admire Jesus without

ever surrendering to Jesus. And I pray

that this is not true for us. But here's

a painful reality that might challenge

some. I hope and I pray that your

experience of God with us is not

exclusive to this service. Is not

exclusive to Christmas Eve or Christmas

Day.

But that's a sad truth of so many.

Jesus is a part of our life and we're

all about celebrating the reason for the

season

so long if it's on December 25th.

But what does God desire from you? What

does God expect of you? What does God

command of you? Did you know if you are

a son or daughter of God? If you have

placed your hope, faith, and trust in

him, God has placed an expectation over

your life. I am blessed to be a father

of two.

I have a 19-year-old daughter and an 11

soon to be 12-year-old son.

In the contraas home, there are

expectations.

As I am sure, in your home, there are

expectations.

There are rules to be followed. There

are rules and responsibilities that

those in the household must abide by.

It's not because you're a killjoy,

and it's not because you want to ruin

someone's life,

but because you want them to experience

the greatest of joy, the greatest of

comfort, and the greatest of peace.

And that's what God desires for us.

The way that we grow, the way that we

thrive, the way that our affections are

deeper and grow for the Lord is when we

pursue the Lord. And pursuing the Lord

takes effort, takes work, takes

discipline.

You know, Paul says that working out the

body

physically

is good,

but working out the spirit

to raise your affections for the Lord to

grow deeper in your praise and worship,

that's what it's about.

How are you exercising the spirit so

that it is clear and indicative that God

indeed is with you?

I'll also say this before moving on

to call our savior God with us means

that his presence matters.

It means that it absolutely matters that

he's the one who is guiding, leading us

and influencing us. Whether you know it

or not, you are being influenced

heavily. There is something, a standard,

an ideology, a form of belief that

reigns and rules in your life. And if

it's not the gospel of Jesus Christ, if

it's not the presence of God, the

indwelling power of his spirit that

calls us to further obedience,

then it's the world. And the world does

nothing more than draw you away from

Jesus. The world does nothing more than

pollute, destroy, and adulterate. The

reason for the season, this is why it's

so important. I love to do this. This is

why it's so important that men

men stand firm and solid on the gospel.

That we don't lower standards for our

home, but that we meet the biblical

standard.

that we guide, that we direct, that we

love, and we point people to the gospel.

The presence of Jesus matters. It means

that he's not just part of our story

during the Christmas season, but he's

part of our story every single day. Let

me just say this. I share all that not

so that we would be burdened, not so

that we would feel shame. This is for me

as well. I preach to myself first and

foremost. It's not meant to burden us.

It's meant to awaken us.

It's meant to invite us in to the Savior

who provides rescue and redemption. And

if God has come near,

and if we're battling with this

question, are we living like God is with

us? Are we living like God is near? Let

me just say this. Would you receive the

gift of God with us?

As we gather here today, there are some

of us who know Jesus as Lord and Savior

and we are on fire and we're running

forward

and we've taken the torch of the gospel

and everything about our lives screams

worship.

And maybe there are some of us

who for whatever reason, whether it's

the busyiness of life, whether it's a

particular season where we're enduring

pain and suffering, we've taken a step

back

from the life we know that God has

destined for us.

Let me lean in here for just a moment.

Men, when you take a step back, your

family fails, your family falters.

There's some godly and amazing women who

will come alongside you and will pick up

the slack.

But God does something unique when a man

leads. That's not a

a macho or the patriarchy message.

That's a biblical one. And don't ever

get caught in the trap of interpreting

the scripture through a western lens.

Let's look at what God desires, what God

has commanded.

So this is why Christmas is incredibly

hopeful. That the God who is with us

invites us to be his. That the God who

came near came near to save us, to

restore us, and to dwell with us. So if

you've drifted, come home.

If you've been distracted, refocus.

If you've kept God on the edges,

invite him back into the center.

The Christmas story reminds us

of what God desires of us. And what he

desires of us is to call upon his name.

God is not distant. He came near. And

the God who came near invites you

to come near to him.

In a moment here, we're going to light

candles.

And I want to encourage us with this

that the lighting of candles is more

than a tradition. It's a beautiful

tradition. I am grateful for it. I'm

grateful that we're gathering together

to celebrate it. But more than a

tradition, it's a picture.

It's a picture of the light of our

savior

illuminating the darkness.

And John writes in his gospel that he

was the light of man, the light of

humanity. And the darkness, hear me now,

the darkness cannot overcome it. The

darkness does not have the final word.

Evil does not get the last say. Because

the light of the world came to

illuminate our life. came to show us the

way and point us to who he is.

And so our ushers are going to come

forward. Our worship team is going to

come as well.

And as we light the candle, we're going

to see a picture

of how the light of the gospel begins to

spread

in a room that is dark.

will begin to light up.

And in a moment when we can't see

or focus, what's around us

begins to become clear.

And so as you light your candle,

take that light and share it with the

person next to you.

And let this be a picture of what the

gospel does.

Jesus came into the world to shine his

light.

And the light of his life, the gospel

message is a light that continues to

shine today.

As we're lighting our candles, I'm going

to invite y'all to stand. And in just a

moment, we're gonna sing together.

Heat. Heat.

Let's

Silent

night,

holy

night,

all is home,

all is bright,

round, young virgin,

mother and child,

holy

in Oh tender and wild,

sleep in heavenly

peace,

sleep in heavenly

peace.

Silent

night,

holy

night,

shephers

wake

at the sight.

Glory

stream from heaven above.

Heavenly

host sing hallelu.

Christ the savior is born.

Silent

night,

holy

night,

son of God

loves your light.

Pray and be from thy holy days

with the dawn of redeeing

grace.

Jesus

Lord at thy birth.

Jesus

Lord at thy birth.

Silent

night,

holy

night,

wonderous

star

let by light

with the angels.

Let us sing

hallelujah

to our king.

Christ the Savior is born.

Silent

night,

holy

night,

all is called,

all is bright,

round, young virgin,

mother and child.

Holy

inant so tender and mild.

Sleep in heavenly

peace.

Sleep in heavenly

peace.

>> Oh, amen. Isn't God good, church?

>> Amen. I love that. Thank you so much for

joining us this evening and again for

making the grove part of your Christmas

Eve. I do want to let you know that as

you exit in the lobby, we do have

ornaments that are on the tree that is

our gift to you. For every family in

attendance, be sure that you grab one on

your way out. You can hang it on your

tree tonight. And as often as you look

at that ornament, would you lift up this

church in prayer and would you be

reminded that Jesus is the reason for

the season? Let us pray. Lord, we are so

grateful for the opportunity to gather

here this evening to remember

that the miracle of your birth

shares a light that we can never earn on

our own. It's a light that saves. It's a

light that rescues. It's a light that

redeems. And the songs that we've sung

and the scriptures that we've read and

heard, Lord, may it be lifech changing

to us. May we leave here transformed.

that whatever burdens that we brought in

here, any weight that we might be

carrying, would we turn to you, Lord?

Would we release it? Would we let go and

let God?

And would we continue to honor you in

all that we say and do? Jesus, thank you

for salvation. It's in your holy name,

the name that is above all names, our

King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It is

in your name that we pray. God with us.

And all God's people said,

>> "Amen." I love you, church. Merry

Christmas.

yourself.