“THE ‘I’ SERIES.” Luke 5:12b-13
“Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately leprosy left him.”
God is intently interested in the needs of our lives.
God has said: “I WILL BE WITH YOU.” “I will never leave.”
“I will give you power.” “I will help you, I will uphold you by my righteous hand.”
Matt. 28:20-I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
“I Believe in Christmas.”
Text: Luke 1:26-38
This is Christmas week, the Temke family will be spending our time with a traditional Christmas celebration.
-Our Tree came from Canada, the ornaments came from Hong Kong, the lights came from Japan, and the Wise Men are still coming from China, and the idea is from Bethlehem.
ILLUS.: 2 Men asked to go Christmas shopping with their wives, instead they went fishing on the Mississippi River.
“I tell you one thing, ..what’s that…this is a whole better than Christmas shopping.”
ILLUS.:A little girl was in line at Bass Pro Shops visiting Santa through the plexiglass: “She shouted out…’ Are you a politician?” No-Why do you ask?
“Because you always promise a lot more than you deliver.”
The Bible basis of Christmas is the Virgin birth.
There have been 4 momentous events in the history of the world:
- Creation – With His mouth, he spoke it.
- Virgin Birth –
- Death of Christ on the Cross-
- The Resurrection of Christ from the dead-
- The Rapture of the Church.
Defending the virgin birth is crucial to our belief in Christmas.
If Jesus is not the virgin-born son of God; then He is not God, and if He isn’t God, then there is nothing in the Bible that is true.
If the Bible isn’t true, then we are all deluded, and deceived because we have essentially staked our soul on the paradigm of the virgin birth.
-The Story of Christmas is one of the most important themes in Bible Theology.
Text: Luke 1:26-38
Let’s put the story in context:
Mary tells Joseph about the Angel’s visit. “Joseph, I am pledged to you. You will be my husband, but something has come up.” What is it, Mary? Well, I don’t how to tell you this. I have been faithful to you. I haven’t been with any man, but I am pregnant. Mary, what are you saying, Well God did it? -What? Have you lost your mind?
-This explains why Joseph wanted to put her away. He didn’t believe her. He probably wanted to have her committed.
–He goes home, and tells his parents, “Mary and I are not going to get married. She’s pregnant. How? Who? “By the word of an angel, no less.” “Oh really…..”-Well, son, we are praying for you.”
The Christmas story is more than trees, tinsel, toys, and Tylenol. Christmas is the story of Spiritual warfare.
I John 3:8, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. “
The Birth of Jesus Christ was God’s invasion of planet earth, in the form of a baby, in a manger, His name is EMMANUEL because He is with us.
EMMANUEL= God with us.
Jesus is God incarnate:
John 1: “In the beginning was the word, and the word was God, and the Word dwelt among us.” -That is Jesus Christ.
-He is called the Bright and morning star – the wise men followed that star to the residence where Mary and Joseph were living.
Wise men still follow the light of heaven, because only He has the answers to life. Jesus is the savior, He is the healer, He is the baptizer, and He is the deliverer.
Is. 9:6- “And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Christmas is the story of redemption:
The angel said: “You shall call His name Jesus because He shall save the people from their sins.”
-This is why Jesus came. Jesus didn’t come so our kids could celebrate a Mid-Winter holiday or sing about “Kwanza.” I have read the 7 principles of Kwanza, that isn‘t what Christmas is about. Christmas is about the virgin birth.
ILLUS.: I have been at several stores recently.
“Happy Holidays.” NO-NO-NO “Merry Christmas.”
The Fact is: Without Jesus, there is no reason to have Christmas.
-The first time He came He was the lamb of God. Slain from the foundations of the world, who opened not His mouth at the slaughter.
-The next time He comes back, He will be the Lion, from the Tribe of Judah. He will rule this blue marble called earth. There will be no political parties, no demagoguery, no politicians, but Jesus will rule with a ROD of Iron from Jerusalem.
-The first time Jesus came, He wore a crown of thorns.
-The next time He comes He will wear Crowns upon crowns. Given to Him from God Himself. He is the K/K L/L. WHY?
Rev. 11:15, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”
-The first time He came He was mounted on a Roman cross. The next time He comes He will sit on a golden throne, with His great, great, great, great, great grandfather King David, and His name will be called: “Wonderful, counselor, mighty God, everlasting father.”
-Kings, queens, prime ministers, Czars, Media Elites will bow before Him, WHY? Because-Every knee shall bow, and every tongue Shall confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God.
-We either bow in this life or you bow in the next life.
-The first time He came, He rode on a beast of burden into Jerusalem, according to Rev. 19, the next time He comes
“He will be riding on a Steamy White Stallion, followed by thousands and thousands of heavenly angels, and behind those angels will be the believers of the Old and New Testaments, you are I will be riding back to the battle of Armageddon, where the enemies of the world have gathered to take over the world.
Rev. 19:15, “Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations.”
–With His sword, He will obliterate the enemies of Israel.
He will place His foot on the Mount of Olives, and the mountain will split in two, going through the Messiah’s gate, then going across the Kidron Valley. His Kingdom will be established in Jerusalem with Jesus, David, and the 12 Apostles ruling and reigning, and of His kingdom, there will be no end.
-Some say Jesus was a good teacher, He claimed that He was more than that. He claimed that He was the son of God! Some will say that Jesus was a liar. Some say that Jesus is savior, some say that Jesus was a charlatan. Some say Jesus was God, some say Jesus wasn’t God.
If Jesus wasn’t God, then He was the greatest lunatic that walked across the stage of human history.
He can’t be both. He is either who He said He was or He is nothing. Some say Jesus is a good example. Good examples don’t hang around prostitutes and sinners. Good examples don’t get themselves executed by the Roman government.
Some say Jesus was a crazy man. Crazy men don‘t attract men like Dr. Luke, and St. Paul the former Pharisee (one of the most influential men of his day), who was saved when he was knocked off his horse, and Paul followed Jesus all the days of his life.
Some say, Jesus was a religious phony: Phonies don’t rise from the dead on the 3rd day as he promised He would. Then this phony presented himself 13 different times to over 533 people in the NT. You just don‘t do that when you are dead in the ground.
Some say Jesus is only a myth, but a myth doesn’t give His own flesh and blood to be crucified:
Hebrews 10:10, “We have been sanctified through the offering of Jesus Christ, once and for all.”
To the WEARY Jesus is WONDERFUL.
To the CONFUSED, He is a COUNSELOR
To the WEAK, He is the mighty GOD.
To the ORPHAN, He is the Everlasting FATHER.
To the TROUBLED, He is the Prince of PEACE.
To the HOPELESS, He is the God of all HOPE.
To the SICK, He is still the great PHYSICIAN.
To those in DARKNESS, Jesus is still the LIGHT of the world.
Jesus has the answer, He is the answer, He is the light of the world. I BELIEVE IN CHRISTMAS BECAUSE JESUS HAS COME, and He was born of a virgin.
ILLUS.: Martin Luther was the first one to put lights on the Christmas Tree. He is quoted as saying, “I wanted everyone to see that Jesus is the light of the world.”
Say this: To all the Atheists who are watching online, and you have Christmas lights on your tree, I sincerely thank you for giving the witness of Jesus to everyone who walks in your house.
HERE’S THE CONTROVERSY OF THE CHRISTMAS STORY:
Was Jesus really conceived by the Holy Spirit, and was Mary really a virgin or was Jesus just a by-product of fornication between Mary & Joseph?
Liberal Theologians love to say these 4 falsehoods:
- Jesus was not the Son of God.
- The word of God is not true.
- Miracles are a myth.
- Jesus was not born of a virgin.
POINT: If you are sending your children to a secular university, I promise you that sometime in their education, they will hear these radicalized theories trying to undermine what you have taught your children.
POINT: If Jesus was not the Son of God, then His teachings were not true. Scripture is not sacred, our faith is unfounded, our worship is misdirected, and we are of most men miserable.
POINT: If He wasn’t God, then Calvary was for nothing. Not 1 sin has been forgiven, and we are marching into a dark eternity.
Was Jesus born of a Virgin? -It is a big question.
If someone asks you to prove it-can you prove it? You can talk about God all the time, everyone believes in God, but not the Virgin Born Son of God. You can talk about God in the University until your lips are smacking blisters, but you drop the J word, and suddenly you are a wild person.
You need to be watched. You are dangerous.
JESUS IS HIS NAME!
Joseph: The angel is telling him, this is really of God. The grounds for belief and disbelief are the same as they were 2,000 years ago. Joseph could have chosen to disbelieve. There was a law of Moses that was very clear. “All young women who were not married and became pregnant got stoned to death.”
Now here is the angel telling Joseph, “Mary is expecting a child, and it is of God. Joseph is making a decision, do I want to be identified with her? Do I want everyone looking at me?
Point: Many people doubt God, and thereby kill the effect of Christ. The success of Jesus in your life is based on your faith in Him.
Joseph could have had Mary stoned. Joseph could have chosen to not believe the angel thereby putting Mary away and killing the baby inside her.
Many people have become the assassins of Christ by doubt and unbelief. Doubt, scorn, and pseudo-skeptical intellectualism that says He is dead to you.
Bible, “He that believes has life, and he that believes not is dead already.”
Mary was supposed to give birth to the savior of the world, and she said, “How can this thing be seeing that I know not a man.”
Luke 1:35, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”
“Be it unto me according to your word.” –If we would live that way, what a wonderful life we would have.
Nothing is impossible with God.
Nothing is impossible with your troubled marriage, nothing
Is impossible with your divided family, nothing is impossible with your prodigal children, Christ is the answer, today, yesterday…
Nothing is impossible for your health and healing. Nothing is impossible for your financial provision. He is the great shepherd. who provides where He guides. He owns the cattle on 1,000 hills. All the gold and silver belong to the Lord. It is the Lord your God that gives you the power to get wealth, and He shall plant you by streams of living water. You shall prosper in all you do as unto the Lord.
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE: Don’t be mastered by your insecurities, don’t be mastered by your fears. Don’t be mastered by your doubt and unbelief, nothing is impossible with God!!!
RE: If you are facing a mountain, ask God to move it. If God doesn’t move the mountain, then climb it, and when you get to the top, if there is a giant living there, kick him off the mountain, and tell him that this mountain belongs to you…
Nothing is impossible with God! WHY? I BELIEVE IN CHRISTMAS!
WHY DO I BELIEVE IN CHRISTMAS
“Jesus is enduringly strong, He’s entirely sincere, He’s eternally steadfast. He’s immortally graceful. He’s imperially powerful. He’s impartially merciful.
He’s God’s Son. He’s a sinner’s savior. He’s the centerpiece of civilization. He stands alone in Himself. He’s unparalleled. He’s unprecedented. He’s supreme. He’s preeminent.
He’s the loftiest idea in literature. He’s the highest idea in philosophy. He’s the fundamental truth in theology. He’s the miracle of the age. He’s the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously. He supplies strength for the weak.
He’s available for the tempted and the tried.
He sympathizes and He saves. He guards and guides.
He heals the sick, He cleanses the lepers. He forgives sinners, He discharges debtors, He delivers captives, He defends the feeble, He blesses the young, He serves the unfortunate, He regards the aged, He rewards the diligent, He beautifies the meek. Do you know Him?
Well, my Jesus is the king of knowledge, He’s the well-spring of wisdom, He’s the doorway of deliverance, He’s the pathway of peace, He’s the roadway of righteousness, He’s the highway of holiness He’s the gateway of glory, He’s the master of the mighty, He’s the captain of the conquerors, He’s the head of the heroes, He’s the leader of the legislators, He’s the overseer of the overcomers, He’s the governor of governors, He’s the prince of princes, He’s the king of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
His life is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous.
His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
Well. I wish I could describe Him to you.
Yes. He’s incomprehensible. He’s invincible, He’s irresistible. I’m trying to tell you, the Heavens cannot contain Him, let alone a man explain Him. You can’t get Him out of your mind. You can’t get Him out of society. You can’t outlive Him, and you can’t live without Him.
The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him. Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him. Herod couldn’t kill Him. Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him. That’s my king!
He always has been, and He always will be. I’m talking about He [who] had no predecessor and He [who] has no successor. There was nobody before Him and there will be nobody after Him. You can’t impeach Him, and He’s not going to resign.
Covid doesn‘t change Him. A mask won‘t stop him. A virus will not affect Him. Politics cannot legislate Him. Washington doesn’t understand Him, and Facebook’s algorithm doesn’t work.
We try to get prestige and honor and glory to ourselves, but the glory is all His. Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever, and ever, and ever, and ever. How long is that?
And ever, and ever, and ever, and ever, and when you get through with all of the forevers, then ‘Amen’.”
THAT’S WHY I BELIEVE IN CHRISTMAS!
Galatians 4:4, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law…”
It was a time when eternity stood to attention when history came full circle, God said that mankind had come far enough. Time was forever marked in that hour.