let's stand for the reading of the word
this morning as we are going to be doing
our final installment on what we're
calling it is Jesus and
um so today uh John chapter one we'll
read it together we'll go from John
verse or chapter one verses 1 to 4 and
then verses 9 to 14 I'll read the odd
number of verses if you'll join in
reading the even
John chapter 1 verse 1 in the beginning
was the word the word beginning here
means when the physical Universe was
created
in the beginning was the word the word
was with God and the Word was God
all things were made through him listen
and without him that's the word
everybody nothing was made that was made
that was the True Light which gives
light to every man or every person
coming into the world
verse 11. he came to his own
and his own did not receive him
[Applause]
who were born not of blood nor of the
will of the flesh nor of the will of man
but of God
that is the meaning of Christmas Father
we pray
that you would speak to us from your
word we rejoice in you today in Jesus
name and all God's people said
amen you may be seated everybody
it is Jesus
and um if you were here last week for
part one of this we considered the very
key passage of scripture that we reduced
down to Matthew Chapter 2 verses 1 and 2
where there the Bible says now after
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in
the days of Herod the king behold wise
men from the East came to worship him
saying where is he who was born King of
the Jews for we have seen his star in
the east and have come to worship Him
and out of that we looked at two very
very key arguments regarding Christmas
being all about Jesus
all about Jesus it's remarkable to me as
it is I'm sure to you to be watching the
things that are going on on TV the news
reports things like that and how many
times people have forgotten the fact
that Christmas is about Christ
about spending money about getting this
about getting that or the other thing
but it's all about him reduce it all you
know listen if the entire world right
now would be stripped away and cleansed
or purged from all of its physical
um benefits say that it's were reduced
to what we're wearing and that's it
maybe what's in our pocket
it doesn't change the reality of
Christmas one bit
if the market were to collapse it
doesn't change Christmas one bit
if if the world were to go to war it
doesn't change the reality of Christmas
one bit
it's absolutely awesome and we looked at
this last time regarding Jesus it's
Jesus Christ who stands alone we looked
at that in three ways we saw that he
stands alone from all other religious
conversations
and I'm not here to put down Islam or
Judaism or Hinduism or Buddhism but
church family let's be honest nobody's
got the message that the Christmas
message brings out of the Bible nobody
and we learned this from the Bible that
from the very eons of Eternity Christ
the Bible tells us has existed we read a
moment ago part of it in John theons
that is
eternity
where there is no time the Bible tells
us Christ existed
that Christ is the one that he's forever
we looked at the details to that
secondly we saw that throughout the
pages of History Jesus Christ is the
only one
laughs throughout the pages of History
and then we saw in closing of that first
argument is that Jesus Christ is the
only one in the revelation of time we
saw that the very very Bible itself
speaks in its entirety about one single
individual that individual has
manifested himself as a person and that
individual is Jesus Christ
the Bible remember I kind of made a
little jab a little joke about how some
of these guys these globalists they're
kind of upset at Christmas they're
declaring this week that Jesus uh is
fake news and God is dead and we talked
about these guys the Klaus Schwabs uh
had made these comments and stuff and I
just want to repeat it if you missed it
I think it's kind of fun to announce
those guys don't like competition
because they think they're God but the
main thing is no Bible was written about
them before they showed up
but it's true about Jesus the revelation
of time number two last time we saw this
that it's Jesus Christ who stands large
he stands large in three ways regarding
who we are as people
the Bible tells us that God created you
and I a body a soul and a spirit
ually you are somebody that will live on
in eternity forever spiritually
and full consciousness
the Bible tells us about this that this
life that you and I are living right in
the here and now at this moment is just
a whisper it's a vapor of the actual
life you will live for all eternity and
here is the punch line to the Bible you
want to make sure you live it in heaven
because to not live it in heaven is to
live a living death in hell that's why
Christ came
he came that we celebrate on this
Christmas morning to Deliver Us from the
power of the grave and the power of sin
and to purchase for us at the cross
Resurrection from the dead
eternity and he did that for us because
we are a a small
part of what he is enlarged that he is
Body Soul or we are Body Soul and Spirit
he is Father's son Holy Spirit and we
saw that number one that in the spirit
of man that God has come to us in Christ
Jesus and that he wants us to have hope
to renew us and to bring us into a real
living life the Bible says that
spiritually we need to become alive
Jesus put it this way Born Again
secondly we saw that we uh in the soul
need to be restored renewed in the
spirit restored in the mind Jesus Christ
fixes your mind he does that by the
power of the Holy Spirit my goodness
look around at what's happening in our
world today does not the world need a a
mind washing
a mind cleansing
been a lot of news this week I've had a
great joy of being part of it but our
good friend he'll be here uh in about a
month three weeks from now but Kirk
Cameron we've had a really great time
these last few years together we're
going to be doing a lot more things
together but uh Kirk Cameron has
produced you know these series of these
books teaching morality and ethics and
goodness and his books are being banned
by either uh school boards or public
libraries and uh so he's going on the
the offensive which that's Kurt Cameron
and uh and so it's it's hit it's lit up
a lot of news and why because there are
people who do not want your kids to
learn manners
the books about manners about being nice
to one another
listen our nation needs its mind to be
washed we need a brainwashing as a
country
and it seems as though all that's evil
ugly and mean and and uh debase it seems
to be elevated and exalted and what is
good and what is proper is being mocked
and ridiculed and I for one am I just
refuse to be mocked or ridiculed and why
because my God's on the throne
right and so we need to remember that
that what we're talking about here is
reality we're not doing religion today
if you're new to the church today we're
not about religion doesn't do anything
for you
it's all about meeting Jesus Christ
personally we have a spirit we have a
soul that is a mind the Greek word is
suke where we get the word psychology
and then we obvious obviously have a
body we we talked about how the Bible
says that in some day either the Rapture
could you imagine the Rapture could
happen today we don't know we don't know
when it could happen the rapture
we were talking one moment and the next
moment we're changed in that we don't
experience Resurrection in that we
experience change instantly the Greek
word is a metamorphosis
but those who have died believing in
Jesus they're resurrected from the dead
think about that
their body's going to come out of the
Grave someday the Bible says but listen
you remember this and I'm going to drill
it down on you again for the believer
right here right now for those of us who
are Christians our body may be buried
awaiting the day of Resurrection but if
we die today to be absent from the body
the Bible says is to be
present with the Lord why because of
Christmas
because Christ came so church we pick it
up here is our third argument there's
four total and it's this it's Jesus it's
Jesus Christ who stands Invincible I
love that Invincible I'm sorry but when
I I hear or see the word Invincible in
my mind I see all of these movie posters
of Iron Man
I see the Green Lantern I see Captain
America I see fill in the blank you know
what I'm talking about
these uh the world is searching for
Heroes you want a hero Jesus is
invincible
and he's proven it
[Applause]
in fact our friend Frank Turek wrote a
book about that that Hollywood is in
pursuit of trying to find everything
that Jesus offers
you notice that Hollywood wants a strong
man to rescue Gotham
Jesus is going to come back and rescue
this world
all of these players and all of these
things that the World wishes for the
answer is Jesus it's him alone but you
see he's a problem Jesus is a problem
because and this is what we're hearing
uh is that you you can't you can't
entertain Jesus because when you see
Jesus Christ the word Christ means
Messiah
and we don't like that because a messiah
means to save you from something
we don't like where this is going
if we have to be saved from something
then that doesn't mean we're wonderful
and if we're not wonderful then you're
going to make us look in the mirror and
try to figure out who we really are
and you see Jesus is offensive today to
people because he is the savior he is
the Lord he is the Messiah and the fact
of the matter is he's the only one that
can save you and thank God our savior
that we celebrate today is Invincible
listen I'm going to give you the
definition of the word Invincible it's
kind of cool uh the word means incapable
or unable to be overcome
be defeated or conquered the word means
incapable or unable to be subdued
arrested or held captive you see wait a
minute wasn't Jesus arrested yeah
well did wasn't he taken captive didn't
appear that he was conquered hey it
appeared like that but remember we're
only talking for the weekend here
in his resurrection or in his arrest and
his beating in his crucifixion and
resurrection and then also the word
means uh being incapable or unable to be
stopped to die or to be killed and I
love that again because everything in
the scripture announces to us that the
the Jesus of the Bible the one the
Messiah of Old and New Testament the one
that is truly the one that you want to
put your faith in Reliance in today he's
Invincible to the point that you don't
have to have any doubts about it this
one Jesus presents himself to all of his
attackers and all of his betrayers and
even those who would put him to death
and he's so Invincible that the Bible
tells us that in Revelation chapter 1
that it's Jesus Christ the Messiah who
lived who died and who rose again from
the dead and lives forever this is our
Christmas Jesus I hope he is your
Christmas Jesus as well he's Invincible
Mark it down if you would church this
way he's invincible by his power
he has Invincible power
Colossians chapter 1 verse 15 and 16
this is epic I love this he is Jesus
Christ he is the image of the invisible
God what does that mean you want to
watch and see and look at what God is
like that's why Jesus came why did Mary
give birth to baby Jesus in Bethlehem
that we celebrate today because he is
the image the physical manifestation of
the invisible God
if you wonder what the Holy Spirit
thought about a certain thing look to
Jesus what would the father do if
somebody was caught in the act of
adultery
oh
well look at Jesus
when God sees uh thousands of people
hungry
what what does God do look to Jesus are
you hearing me
Jesus revealed the invisible God the
firstborn or the preeminent one over all
creation you could say the governor or
director over all creation verse 16 for
by him that's Jesus all things were
created that are in heaven that are on
earth visible and invisible whether
Thrones or dominions or principalities
or powers that is all authority
including invisible Angelic hosts
all things were created through him and
here's what's amazing and for him
this is Jesus
he's the one
absolutely awesome Invincible power
the Bible makes it very clear that in
Romans 11 verse 36 that regarding Jesus
for of him and through him and to him
are all things to whom
be glory
forever
amen
the Jesus Christ of the Bible will be
worshiped forever because he's Eternal
he revealed to us personally the very
godhead the very nature of God which is
absolutely joyous if you think about the
fact that
Jesus who is the creator of all things
and said all things in motion
think about this for a moment
the movement of the Stars
you know I wish I had the math down I
should have wrote it down but
you know right now you and I were
sitting right here
and
our solar system is doing its business
right now right Mars is doing its
business Jupiter is doing its business
Earth's doing its business all around
the Sun
but guess what the sun's not standing
still
so watch this you got you got the Earth
doing its thing
everybody else doing their thing all
around the Sun take that package and put
it on the back of a of a train that's
screaming across the desert
and all of the stars around it the whole
thing
is moving
and I forgot the number please forgive
me in advance but it goes something to
the effect that right now where we're at
in 24 hours from right now our entire
entire solar system that you and I are
occupying will move down a course
now in 24 hours we will be something
like 14 million miles from where we are
at today in less than 24 hours
and it hasn't hit the wall yet
it hasn't gone out of the park yet
and it's fascinating to think God says I
hold it all in my hands he said that's
impossible it is impossible if your God
is a big man
but it's not impossible if your God is
Spirit who came into this world as a man
big difference
the physical universe is subject to
Christ and what blows my mind and I hope
you take this away today we should all
be concerned about the sanctity of life
because at one point in time God
inserted himself into the womb of a
woman and it just turns out that The God
Who inserted himself in the womb of a
woman was the god who made that womb
see you think you made your house God
made his womb
think of that well that's the house that
I build we put that addition on God of
the universe and creator of all created
Mary
and then moved into her womb for nine
months why did why would he do that for
you
to announce to you
that he's come to you
that he loves you
secondly under this invincible Authority
I love that
the authority of this world is
disgusting don't you don't you aren't
you sick of it the authority of this
world
it's forsaken it's Godly call and it's
now tyrannical and totalitarian
it's crazy not God
he has beautiful Authority
his authority is so cool that on Palm
Sunday the Bible tells us that Jesus sat
on a little donkey that had never been
ridden before the Bible says it had
never been written before you want to
know why the Bible says it had never
been written before
because go try to sit on a little donkey
that's never been ridden on before yeah
and but wait let us get our phones out
so we can watch you
because you're gonna go flying
God gets on his little donkey that he
made I wonder if that donkey knew
something
did Jesus sit on that little donkey in
Palm Sunday and go did that donkey just
go
I recognize that Voice or that presence
you it makes you wonder
his authority is sweet and beautiful
like that
his authority is love and his authority
saves and his authority his power yes
I urge you to believe in him now and to
trust him now when his pure holy
Authority will someday return
and great Vengeance and wrath upon the
Earth in judgment
which Jesus would you like to enjoy the
one that you can now at this moment
accept as Lord and Savior on this
Christmas day or the one that you would
say as they will in the future the Bible
says hide us from the Wrath of the Lamb
think about it
very important I'm going to give you
some verses real quick regarding his
authority Matthew chapter 28 verses 18
to 19 says and Jesus came and spoke to
them saying all authority has been given
to me in heaven and on Earth in verse 19
I'm just going to give you one word in
verse 19. after saying that he said go
I think that's I think that's how we
should end the service today
that you know basically Merry Christmas
God bless you guys and and go right I
don't know I'm assuming you've been
celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve
and some of you maybe this morning
really early so you know it's for a
service maybe your Christmas is this
afternoon with people whatever you do go
to them
tell them listen blame it on me blame it
on us at this church go to your family
gathering today all radical and pumped
up whoa Jesus is amazing oh my goodness
and people are going to say what's wrong
with you what are you drinking what did
you take
got my dose of Jesus this morning at
church
let them know about his precious
Authority let him know that it's Jesus
who said go go into all the world and
preach this gospel Revelation 19 verse
16. Jesus is going to come back someday
in his authority it says and he has on
his robe and on his thigh a name written
King of Kings
and Lord of lords I love that personally
so to you if you're a believer in Christ
that's awesome
you want the one that you're following
to have on his robe king of kings and
Lord of lords
so it begs the question who are you
following in life
who's your uh who's your Idol who who's
your hero who are you following who's
influencing your life the most
I I guarantee you this on their robe
they do not have King of Kings or Lord
of lords on that they may think so but
they don't
Philippians chapter 2 verse 9 says
therefore God has highly exalted him
Jesus and given him a name which is
above every name
that's who we're worshiping at Christmas
that's Authority what about this first
John 1 verse 7 first John 1 7 but if we
walk in the light as he is in the light
we have fellowship with one another
and the blood of Jesus Christ his son
cleanses us from all sin
think about that friends listen I don't
know all of you here today
you may be here because it's Christmas
I would love for you to be able to go to
a church and and do it uh as often as
you possibly can why not not to go as a
tradition but to go as a reality that
you know what Christ is such a major
part of my life that uh I can't live
without them
right so that's a really that's pretty
that's pretty
exaggerated statement there no it's not
listen listen take a deep breath all the
way
all the way out
what did you just do
what just went into you and out of you
how do you know how do you know air went
in and out how do you know that
see somebody's sitting here today well
when are you going to get done well
maybe I'm just getting started
think right now
I don't believe in God then what is it
that you just breathed in then breathe
out
it was there how do you know
did you see it
nope
did you
and if I ask you to explain it you can
tell me the molecules
but you've never seen them
just because you can't see Jesus doesn't
mean he doesn't exist friend
and there's a lot of things like that in
life
just remember this he is the ultimate
Authority he's invincible
and his his authority he reaches out
today in his authority and says I want
you to I want you to come with me
now look if that kind of authority that
he has was given to you and I do you
know what we would do we'd go around put
people in headlocks and and make them go
because you know humans don't do good
with authority
it always goes to her head we start
thinking stuff about ourselves well
aren't I something
and you begin to believe your own
propaganda
which is a form of going nuts by the way
and when you begin to think that you're
a legend in your own mind that gets
scary for the people around you
Jesus Christ came into this world
and he was maligned mistreated abused
crucified
risen from the dead
and you would think well that kind of
power he would make everybody believe
but because of the nature of the very
God that he is he won't do that
thirdly under this point is his
Invincible Grace that dovetails
perfectly into what I just said a moment
ago his grace
means unearnable favor
and this may upset some of you maybe uh
first most of us is going to comfort us
but for those of you who might get upset
by this I hope it leads you to um to
experiencing his grace God's grace
throughout the Bible and Theological
terms is something that is Holy and
solely reserved to God and God
distributes his grace at his will
he doesn't ask you for permission he
doesn't ask if you like it or not he is
Sovereign and he chooses
to whom he Reveals His grace to and
Grace I think Hal Lindsay is the guy
that coined this phrase made in it
making an acronym out of it Grace God's
riches at Christ's expense it means
unearnable favor in the Greek language
which the New Testament was written in
it means that you are favored for no
merit whatsoever you could be the worst
kid on the Block
and you're the kid that gets picked
you ever have to listen have you ever
thought this thought why do good things
happen to bad people
only bad things should happen to bad
people and why do bad things happen to
good people C.S Lewis said the reason
why bad things happen to good people is
because there are no good people
false sin the Bible says and fallen
short of the glory of God
isn't that a great line
why do bad things happen to good people
Lewis comes back and says there's no
good people that's why bad things happen
but
the Bible teaches that God would say to
you today I I I'm reaching out to your
life I want to I want to Grace your life
with my presence he said wait God do you
know who I am
do you remember when Jesus calmed the
storm in the sea and Peter said
Lord depart for me I'm a sinful man
God bless the sinful people
did you know that
he said how can he bless sinful people
what he does is he bestows his grace
upon them and the Bible says in the Book
of Romans it's the goodness of God that
leads a man to repentance has your life
been blessed listen in America I don't
care if you're poor in America you're
richer than most people in the world
God's blessed your life if you're a
Believer or not
understand this you are living and being
sustained by his Invincible Grace
God's goodness God's grace number four
our argument and our final one it's
Jesus Christ who stands eternal
he's eternal
and we see it this way he's unchanging
Jesus Christ the Bible says friend if
you don't know has an unchanging nature
his nature is unchanging
this is so good because listen
you and I in our life as humans we are
subject to instability and we don't like
it
we like things predictable
we like things calm
right oh my goodness was it last week I
mentioned something about an earthquake
and then the next day Northern
California had this big earthquake and
it made all the big news I mean I just
for the record I had nothing to do with
the earthquake
uh but it was weird that I made it as an
analogy that God shakes when he wants to
get your attention
and people's lives were affected
and what's interesting to me is the fact
that when things move you grab onto
things that you hope do not move correct
when life shakes you look for that which
is stable when a ship is tossed at Sea
it looks for a harbor why because the
harbor is a safe haven why is it a safe
haven because it's not subject to the
storm
imagine that in life right here right
now you can literally experience life
whereby you will go through storms but
you are actually held in place by the
presence of God in your life
that it's the Jesus Christ of Christmas
that sustains you
that he's not still in a Manger
he came as a baby he's no longer a baby
he came as a man but now he's the
glorified one who rose again from the
dead
and the Bible says that
he is the one and only that can
forgive us of our sins
who else would you confess to number one
just listen in your mind you know the
sins and the the shame and the guilt
that's in your mind maybe some people
don't know or maybe nobody knows but you
know where are you going to take that
where can you get that offloaded
and people run to confession and they
don't feel any lifting of the burden and
people go and do this thing they do the
Penance or they pay this or they do the
other and they still have to wait on
them after all of that
Jesus Christ came
technically
that as he's birthed out of Mary his
whole mission was to be as it were
birthed in you and what's called the
born-again life he wants to come into
your life and he does that by the Holy
Spirit the Bible says
an unchanging nature
this world is increasingly and shall
increasingly become more unstable you
need Jesus young man you need Jesus old
man
I get to say that because I'm an old man
we need them
frankly it's hell without him
my granddaughter recently was involved
in something here at the church I forget
what it was but she was
hearing from missionaries
and she said Papa
I want listen
somebody had just got done sharing about
Haiti
they they're a missionary in Haiti and
my granddaughter came home and said Papa
I want to be a missionary in Hades
and I said
you mean Haiti yes what I said Hades
it made me think
you know if you don't know people Hades
is another word for hell imagine
if the gospel could be preached again to
those in hell
you think they went out
I wonder how long it take them to decide
God doesn't want you there
is the unchangeable
Eternal God and he's unchanging in his
nature Malachi 3 Verse 6 tells us
Malachi 3 6 for I am the Lord I do not
change I love that it's like a mic drop
I'm the Lord I don't change boom
in a world that's constantly in turmoil
God doesn't change
the promises that he gives he sticks
true
and here's what's amazing
if you don't believe in his promises it
doesn't affect his promises
you just don't get to enjoy them because
you don't believe them
but I would submit to you what has he
ever done to you
that justifies you not trust in him look
we'll all agree with you
people have ripped us off people are
mean
let's be honest
and by the way when people are really
really mean they do things in the name
of God to cover their meanness
but he's never done anything to you
he's only blessed your life even in the
midst of the most darkest and ugliest
thing that you might have lived through
he's brought you to this moment right
now
and he's going to ask you today stop
whining about the past let's be done
with it how about that let's move on
because my nature is eternal and that
never changes
and isn't that what you need don't you
want to tie your boat as it were to me
secondly
is that he's the unchanging word
he is the unchanging word you read it a
moment ago in John's gospel in the
beginning was the word the word was with
God and the Word was God
and then it goes down to say in verse 14
and the word became flesh that's called
Christmas and lived Among Us
what an incredible statement
his unchanging word the Bible God's word
I love this you know again I do this all
the time but
in a world that's
constantly
just mean and
drifting and whatever it's doing
look at this old thing
this is still the absolute
truth revealed to man
the Bible tells us that this is the will
of God look at it this is the will of
God
do you know the will of God
the only way to know to know the will of
God is to get in and read about his will
and oh by the way when you find about
his will he leaves you'll find out that
he leaves you a last will and testament
and that is you can have eternal life
you can have salvation the Forgiveness
of Sins Not by human means oh no no but
by the means of God how so because Jesus
came and purchased salvation for you at
the cross that's why he was born
and when you look at him and read him in
the four gospels you're seeing the will
of God in sin
speaking
living teaching guiding
the unchangeable word and finally right
here
it's Jesus Christ Alone who stands
Eternal in his unchanging love
unchanging love un listen unchanging
Love Is this not the cure for the world
but the world doesn't even know it do
you guys I don't know if you were as bad
as a kid as I was growing up but
um I remember my mom who was an amazing
cook by the way I look back now I was
like oh man was I a dummy when when I
was a kid I would always complain I
don't want that your kids don't do that
stuff but when my when my mom cooked a
meal when my mom cooked the meal I I
don't want that I don't want
and it doesn't why did we do why
and I remember
my mom saying
this is not a restaurant
and uh back in those days a little
TMI right here all I'd have to do is
catch a glimpse from my dad I suddenly
had an appetite for whatever was in
front of me
[Applause]
but you know how kids are
honey you need to go to sleep and they
whine kick and scream they won't do it
but that's what they need
it's funny that in life things are
offered to us it's the very very thing
we need and we kick against it
I say to you God loves you and he wants
you to believe in him and trust him and
you push against him why why are you
pushing why push
what's going on
it's Human Nature
well I want to leave you with this
argument here and we're done
first John 4 7 says God
is
love
is amazing good
regarding this unchangeable nature is
the fact that God is love now I have to
to be fair to all of you guys okay
everybody right we're almost done you've
done very well so far
um I do have to be honest with you don't
think that don't think that God is weak
don't think that verse says God is uh
woke
don't think God is
when when the Bible says God is love
it's for us to find out what that love
is
now notice this notice what the Bible
says or notice what the Bible does not
say
love is not God
is love this is a huge statement right
now because you know everything's just
like
it's just if we love one another
but what does that mean
when the Bible listen the Bible already
beat you to the definition
I want to redefine it
you're too late
God says he is love
and what kind of love is that
the Bible tells us
that it's a
Selfless Love
it's a love that lays down its life for
another
right it's a love that looks to exalt
others around them
it's a love that doesn't gossip it's a
love that doesn't hurt it's a love that
doesn't Envy it's a love that doesn't
cheat
it's a love that's faithful
and the Bible says God is love
question to you
I'm sure God loves his creation I'm sure
God loves animals
but you do understand that when the
Bible says God is love you are the
object
you know how we love we love our dogs we
love you know I think Americans I just
saw this at Christmas time here uh
Americans spend billions with a Beat
of dollars at Christmas on their pets
uh
I was going to say something else too
pets and Vladimir zielinski that's
that's what we spend our billions
I'm sorry it's uh apparently you're all
so rich we don't need our money and
we're gonna
go
help some guy that is a comedian in his
country
a real bona fide actor but anyway
God God helped the Ukrainian people
and God please God put an end to this
war
but ladies and gentlemen listen
When God says he loves you
that love couldn't keep him wouldn't
keep him that love propelled him
to the manger
and 33 years later to the cross
and love is not weak love is not wimpy
Love Is Awesome
and love seeks the benefit of others not
yourself
and God loves you with that kind of love
Matthew chapter 27 verse 28 and they
stripped him and they put a Scarlet robe
on him Jesus and when they had Twisted a
crown of thorns they put it on his head
and with a reed they hit his uh with
with the right hand and they bowed the
knee before him and they mocked him
saying hail King of the Jews then they
spit on him and took the Reed and struck
him on the head and when they had mocked
him notice how many times it mocked him
mocked him mocked him they took the robe
off of him and put his own clothes on
him and led him away to be crucified why
did he do that why didn't he defend
himself he was God in flesh he had
already told the disciples don't you
know I can call down 12 Legions of
angels if I needed help
if somebody was doing that to you and I
don't you think we would have called
down help from Heaven I would have
smoke them
you would have too don't tell me you
wouldn't this is a manifestation of
divinity and skin
he didn't open his mouth the Bible says
he didn't say a peep
when they were mocking and beating him
love
he was canceled
and he didn't cry
he was thirsty John 19 28 after this
Jesus knowing that all things were now
accomplished this is awesome and that
the scriptures might be fulfilled said I
thirst he's quoting from Psalms
22 a thousand years before Jesus was
born can you imagine hanging on the
cross you've been there for three hours
or six hours six hours now it's all done
everything's done
and Jesus utters Bible from his mouth
from the Old Testament
he was thirsty
love came to this world and he suffered
being canceled love came to this world
and he suffered being thirsty
why these are the things we experienced
he was exhausted John 4 verse 6. now
Jacob's Well was there Jesus therefore
being wearied from his journey set thus
by the well and it was about the sixth
hour can you imagine the Eternal Son of
God in skin was exhausted why because
you and I get exhausted
he understands
we know from John 8 he was misunderstood
John 8 42 Jesus said for I proceeded
forth and came from God nor have I uh
come of myself but he sent me why do you
not understand my speech and then he
answers because you are not able to
listen to my words he was misunderstood
what do you feel like when you're
misunderstood
the Bible says in Matthew 4 he was
hungry
Satan came and tempted Jesus in the
wilderness and he says since you are the
Son of God why don't you turn these
stones into bread
but Jesus as hungry as he was after
starving for 40 days did not listen to
the tempter but he laid his life into
the hands of the father
and then we know from John 11 35
shortest verse in the entire Bible two
words Jesus wept
have you ever wept
he knows
I'm going to ask you right now this
morning to prepare your heart for prayer
and to make a decision today
it's Christmas
I can't think of a better day
you say Pastor can you hurry up because
since church is over we're going to go
open up gifts
where where are you going to find your
gifts where where are your gifts
at home are they at home
yes
see kids think alike I got them
they said it that's the answer you hear
those kids under the tree
there's presence under the tree okay
listen isn't it interesting that the
Bible calls the cross a tree because it
was made out of wood a tree there's a
present to be placed at the bottom of
the tree guess what the present is you
no no not Jesus
you
I'm going to ask you to Bow your head in
prayer
and I'm going to ask nobody moves
the gates are closed the ushers have
locked the doors
your car's been disabled
guns are set to tase
let's all pray as Believers but listen
right here right now I'm going to ask
you
that if you today want to become a
follower of Jesus Christ
I guess I should say this it's not be
coming a member of this church we don't
have membership you come and you go
that's your business before God
we're not going to ask for your name to
sign up on something
we're not asking you for money
notice there was no offering today
see some of you might have come here
today saying oh they're going to ask me
for my money
well guess what
you keep it
God doesn't want your money he wants
your entire life
and he wants to start by offering you
salvation in Jesus Christ because that's
why the baby was born to grow up to be
the man who would die on the cross who
would be resurrected from the dead
and you'll not find any message in the
entire universe that compares to this
one but here's what it requires you have
to understand to recognize that you're a
sinner
just like me up here just like every one
of these people in the worship group
just like everybody around you
you have to be a sinner to get saved to
go to heaven you have to be very aware
that you're not worthy of it
and Jesus said unless you become like a
little child you will not enter the
Kingdom of Heaven which means you have
to be honest
to say I I need I need his salvation
well heads are bowed and eyes are closed
Christians be praying interceding for
those around you
will you lift your hand right now if
you're saying Jesus I'm presenting
myself to you this Christmas
I want I want to live reality here I'm
celebrating Christmas and I just heard
more truth just now about you than I've
heard in my entire life
and I give you my life
raise your hand if that's you today
God bless you a few of you
is there any listen in your heart are
you saying I I need to do this I didn't
I didn't expect this but this just this
truth I tell you what here's what we're
gonna do put your hands down we're going
to sing this song and I'm going to ask
some it just takes one person to be
honest and brave enough to get up and
come forward and just stand right here
listen I will not I won't talk to you I
won't bother you I won't embarrass you
but everybody that Jesus invited into
heaven he invited publicly
and I'm going to invite you to come if
you're going to accept Jesus today if
you're going to read receive his gift of
eternal life and present yourself as a
present to Jesus today
if you understand this that he died on
the cross for your sins you can't go to
heaven without him
but to acknowledge the fact that he did
that is eternal life
As we sing this song you just be brave
you get up and you come forward you
stand right here and in a moment when
we're done we'll all pray together but
you come
Heavenly Father we come before you and
these standing here right now
lord inside of them
there has been this remarkable thing
that we call Salvation as their will
their very will their mind has been
affected by truth
I thank you God that they're not
responding to some promotional thing
some 1-800
some.com Fang some some uh get a prize
at the end of the day deal
it's just them and you
[Music]
and so father I pray that as they are
about to pray this prayer
that God that you would so come upon
their lives and so transform them Lord
as they live their life from this moment
forward they would experience what most
all of us in this room have already
experienced and that is you taking
control
[Music]
dear friends we're going to pray in a
moment and I got to tell you right now
sometimes when God takes control you'll
feel it some of you may feel it and some
of you may not
many people you can't you can't pick and
choose it it's just and and I just want
to give you some Assurance the feeling
is irrelevant some of you may have this
overwhelming sense of of going from what
feels like 200 pounds to 100 pounds
where you just feel lighter
some of you like me when I got saved no
feeling at all
just no feeling I just knew that I had
just heard truth
[Music]
the key is this if you pray this prayer
to him
he will see the sincerity of your heart
church family will you pray it out loud
with them to encourage them those of you
standing will you pray this prayer dear
Lord Jesus
I invite you into my life today
wash me of my sins
remove me from my past
make me your child
as I today
[Music]
Proclaim Jesus Christ
risen from the dead
my Lord and Savior
in his name we pray
amen
amen Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
[Applause]