TH121220/The Promise of Christmas/Isaiah 7:14

Harvest messages are brought to you by harvest partners receive free email daily devotions or to become a harvest partner, please visit us online@harvest.org. Well, the title of my message of the promise of Christmas. What would a prayer of father we pray that you'll bless this time as we look at your word and as we honor you and the gift of your son to this world and in our lives.

Help us to understand the real meaning of Christmas.

We would ask in Jesus name, amen.

This is been a very hard Christmas season this year. Of course I think for all of us, in light of this tragedy that is happened in Sandy Hook. I in this this needless horrible thing that took place with these little children and you know our hearts go out to these folks and and when something like this happens the question that is always asked is why why would God allow this to happen and you know I don't know that that can be answered in a satisfactory way of trying to answer the question of why is there tragedy. Why are there accidents of why our lives cut seemingly short of these are mysteries in this world.

There been some even Christian leaders who of applying for this is God's judgment on our nation.

He's withdrawn his tender protection and this is why it happened and quite frankly I would differ with those people.

I don't really think you can say that affordably Jesus brought up an interesting issue. I am the chapter toward 13. He talked about a tower that fell in a group of Gentiles are nonbelievers in the us a rhetorical question with a the with were sinners in Jerusalem know I tell you that unless you repent you will parents and the context of that statement was the disciples were talking with them about cause and effect, and effectively. Were they were think see bad things happen to bad people and if something bad happens. That means your back.

Jesus is saying excuse me unlimited tower that fell in the Gentiles within the worst sinners.

In other words, you think that happened because they were worse sinners than anyone else. He said no. Unless you repent you will perish as a crisis thing. Guess what bad things happen and often their inexplicable good things happen to bad people, bad things happen to good people. There are mysteries in this life, and so the point Jesus was making this you don't know and live full and so be ready be ready to enter eternity and I think the better question instead of asking why is what what you do what you do is you turn to God the time like this.

And I pray that those folks in that community of Newtown, Connecticut will turn to God because I have some good news for that. I believe that every one of those children are in heaven right now because Jesus said, let the little children come onto me, and forbid them not for as such is the kingdom of heaven, and I believe that those parents and grandparents and family members and other friends and loved ones will commit their lives to Christ they can have the hope of reunion with those children.

As David said when his son died, he cannot come to me.

I will go to him. There is the hope of reunion.

And speaking of sad things. My friend Frank Castoria went to be with the Lord this last Monday. Some of you may have heard this already, but the Frank is the host of the Africa story showing KTLA and that he's been a great ally of the harvest Crusade for many years leading us in prayer at Angel Stadium and dodger Stadium in I've been a guest on the show many times in I always appreciated how Frank would ask me to preach the gospel on the show and then give an invitation for people to come to Christ and Frank and I hung out together. He was just a great guy kind of a larger-than-life character, former pro baseball player and just a lot of fun to be with for the great love for God a great passion for the gospel. He had a fantastic mind. He was in intellect. He was an apologist in I'm really going to miss and you know when he had this motorcycle accident and he was in a coma for a month so I went to see them. A couple of weeks ago in and out.

He looked like he was just taking a nap and mean he is vital signs were good. There was no swelling in the brain they had done an MRI and they said everything was fine, he just needed to wake up and so we were praying for him to wake up.

I was actually same. Frank wake up that one was a pretty good you can hear me twitch arrive. It is, I quit and I was there was the Woburn used to be our youth pastor at Argus Riverside and not causes the church in LA and my son Jonathan. I said I see that we all thought forcing Frank wake up and Frank woke up. Not there. He's not woken up and not here. He woke up in heaven. Yet heaven is real and eternity is real and in eternity.

And in the heaven. There is a final court of judgment for people like this young man that did this wicked thing and there is also a time when wrongs are going to be righted and rewards again to be given out and I have no doubt that Frank is probably already heard the Lord Stadium. Well done, good and people servant enter into the joy of your Lord but you know when said things like this happen. Or maybe some of you have lost a loved one is we have a Christmas can be really hard tented, especially because it's just so filled with memories and so many of those memories are triggered and when you see other people having fun it can actually bring a lot of sadness to you. In fact you can even bring you to the point we would just like to skip Christmas all together and so I pretty much decided that this year I am canceling Christmas is officially canceled as of now is a no mom does a great canceled Christmas medical investor grade from now on no understand. I'm not saying cancel the celebration of the birth of Christ. I'm not seeing him sing your lights and put away your presence. I'm just saying let's cancel that version of Christmas that has no place for God.

Let's cancel that version of Christmas at happy holidays instead of Merry Christmas. Let's cancel that version that's just endless-activities without any thought of Jesus. Let's get back to what Christmas really in what is will. It's a celebration of the birth of Jesus general I like Christmas actually and I think at its very best Christmas is a promise, honey. What is Christmas at its best bullet enjoying time with family and friends, meals, laughing together, exchanging gifts, worshiping together and I think all of these are a glimpse of things to come, and what is that it's really a promise of heaven, a promise of something better. Here's what I think is really exciting Frank is having his first Christmas and have you know and you know you look around is only worse.

My love one is not with me down there with the Lord.

I wish they could see that they are looking at twinkling lights in mid really, you think put their scene is not a little bit better than what you're saying you know you're looking at a cutout Angel they're looking at the holy Angel, you know your you're having your your temporary pleasures but but they're in the presence of God seen the Lord in all of his glory. See that's what it is you know, ever since I've been little boy I believed in the promise of Christmas believe that Christmas spoke of something greater something more important, infected, and pretty much sum up your life by the stages of Christmas starting with Santa Claus. I did a little drawing here that I brought along.

I don't know if you know I used to be a cartoonist. Obviously not a very good one, but so I this is called the four stages of Christmas and so basically stage number one you believe in Santa Claus, that's me as a little kid.

Here's number number two phase number two you don't believe in Santa Claus, that's me as a teenager looking cynical number three you become Santa Claus.

This is me now and then, finally, you look like Santa Claus down here that's me in two days.

Okay so you know when I was a kid, I was one of the family, but I never had one number one Christmas with my mom.

Not far from where we are right now in Newport Beach. We were living in a hotel and zygotic Christmas morning all excited to open my present.

My mom was passed out from a night of drinking in the room smelled of alcohol and stale smoke. There was one of those artificial white trees with a little colored thing, turning slowly. You know on the tree, and I look around and I thought it's got a get better than this and see. I believe that the Christmas spoke of something greater, and what it really speaks of is what we can have in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

I mean really, what is the primary message of Christmas that God came to us.

You will call his name Emmanuelle, which means God is with us the message of Christmas is not let it snow or leather shop. It's lettuce worship. Why, because God is with us the first Christmas gift was not the gifts of the wisemen to their child.

But they were the gift from God to us of Jesus Christ. For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have ever lasting life. It's all about Emmanuel. It means this will never be alone in life again. Jesus said in John 1423 if any man loves me will keep my word and my father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him. That's an amazing statement God the father and God the son start say they want to make their home with you and me.

Jesus said low. I am with you always, even under the end of the world and not by the way is not just a promise for shorter people low. I am with you.

It's for all disorganized like okay sir, but it's a promise to all people that will never be alone again.

Wife because Emmanuelle God is with us Jesus said I'll never leave you or forsake you. If you were to translate that from the original language it would come out to something like this.

I will never know never known never leave you or forsake you.

Listen. Christmas is about undoing loneliness. He's going to be with you in the happy days. He's going to be with you and the sad days to be with you on the hard days will be with you through all of your days and then he'll be waiting for you on the other side to welcome you in to glory so you don't have to be afraid because God is with you know, maybe you're having a hard Christmas this year. Maybe your marriage fell apart, and you're all alone, let me tell you something, God is with you.

Maybe your kids are forgotten about you this year.

Well, God hasn't forgotten about you. Emmanuelle God is with you. Maybe your parents have forgotten about you. Will God, your father is not forgotten about you in a sentence. People vastly know how you get through the holidays.

If you lost a loved one is there a book I could read my answer is you don't need a manual you need Emmanuelle you need to know that God is are you need to lean into him because that's the essential message of this holiday season that God came near, as Bill was saying a little bit earlier. He came to this earth, he breathed our air. He lived our life, he died our death but yet for many of the holidays can be very sad. There's a song that is often sung. This time of the year. I heard the bells on Christmas Day. You know that song truly one of the most beautiful out there in the story behind it is quite interesting. It was written by the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in the 18 in the year 1860 he was really quite optimistic at this point Abraham Lincoln had been elected president giving hope to many things turned dark for America as a civil war broke out, and then after this war started. Longfellow's own wife died in a tragic accident in their home. He obtained severe burns in his hands and face trying to save his wife. He was so badly burned. He could not even attend her funeral service. So when is diary on Christmas Day of 1861 he wrote these words how inexpressibly sad all the holidays. In 1862.

The toll of war dead from the Civil War began the mount in this diary for that year, Longfellow wrote a Merry Christmas say the children, but that is no more for me when 1863 by his son run away to join the Union army was severely wounded return home in December.

There's no entry.

Longfellow's diary for that Christmas, Longfellow wanted to pull himself out of his despair. So we wrote wrote down these words on a piece of paper I heard the bells on Christmas Day. The old familiar carols play and wild and sweet.

The words repeat of peace on earth, goodwill to men. Then he thought about how bleak things were in the country how hard things were in his own life and and then he wrote these words in despair I bowed my head. There is no peace on earth. I said for heat is strong and mocks the song a piece under goodwill to men with engaging in eternal perspective, sort of thinking of it from a biblical angle. Longfellow then writes these words then keel the bells more loud indeed.

God is not dead, nor does he sleep the wrong shall fail the right prevail.

Peace on earth, goodwill to men. So I best filters sing the song for us right now I listen to these lyrics in light of the story is creating Christmas Day oh can see through his fees on good and and sped and is known to be shown the a strong foot on the and of the hello those words, God is not dead, nor deathly wrong shall fail the right prevail for one day in heaven, all the wrongs will be righted all the questions will be answered. One day the promise of Christmas will be people will be fulfilled in heaven, and I think if we put too much in the holiday itself were going to be disappointed because you know Christmas can't deliver on its promise as of the bulk of Christmas per se.

It's really our fault we build up so much in mind that no single event could ever deliver what we really want Christmas cannot bring harmony to your home.

Christmas cannot bring peace on earth. Christmas cannot bring happiness, but Christ can do all of this and more tears were longing for deep down inside, not Christmas, but Christ, not Mary meant, but the Messiah, not goodwill, but God not presence but his presence in our life anyone or anything short of this will disappoint know sometimes in the holidays people in despair will turn to drugs or maybe filter to drinking. Listen, you don't need the spirits and the holiday you need the Holy Spirit. That's what this is all about. We all need to be looking to Jesus because what's the message of Christmas Emmanuelle God is with us and he is here for you right now.

Melanie clarified that God is not really with everyone in abroad since God is omnipresent, which means everywhere you go. He's there when I see God being with the person and really what I'm saying in effect is Christ living in a person.

I'm only talking to the Christian you're not automatically a Christian just because you're in America that's to come a moment when you ask Christ to come and live in your heart. You see this beautiful baby in the manger came with an express purpose and that purpose was to die for this sin of the world. The incarnation was for the purpose of the atonement, the birth of Jesus was so that would be the death of Jesus, and ultimately the resurrection of Jesus. He was born to die, that we might live in. If we really want God with us, and more specifically if we want Christ living in our hearts we must turn from our sin and believe in him and I mentioned earlier, the pain of losing a child. I know this pain personally, I think, for a parent. There is no greater pain than losing a job, I think, for a parent it's a fate worse than death.

Listen, God knows all about that he knows what it's like to lose a child we talk about that sacrifice of Jesus and justly so coming to the certain laying aside his privileges involuntarily going to across in time for the sin of the world.

Let's not forget the sacrifice of the father who watches son come to the CERT you know Isaiah sums it up perfectly unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given in your call is a wonderful counselor of the mighty God, the everlasting father, the Prince of peace. That gives you both the perspective of heaven and earth from Earth's perspective, unto us a child was born. And that's what we celebrate at Christmas. Listen from heaven's perspective unto us a son is given see a child was born, but his son was given the son left the glory of heaven to come to this earth. Father sent the son and heart that must've been for the father to want to son be insulted and watch them with his son and then to watch them crucified his son and then they have to place all the sin of the world on his son but he did this because he loves all of us because he wants us to have the ultimate gift, the gift of eternal life. The only gift that keeps on giving. And I think as you get older you get a greater appreciation of this gift as it begins to unfold and reveal itself and I wonder if you have that in your life right now. Do you know with absolute certainty that if you were to die, you would go to heaven. You know my my friend Frank pestering actually the day of this accident, was finishing his radio broadcasts.

We was talking about the soul and just kind of as a sidebar. Frank and I had many discussions on this topic together because he was very supportive of us when our son went to be with the Lord, and he was there with us every year at the Christopher Lori Memorial Golf tournament.

He would do is radio show remote. From there, we talked about my son.

We talk about eternal things that will a lot of conversations on the air and off the Internet and there's no question Frank believed in heaven.

We talked about that and it just so happened the day of his accident.

He he said in the show. You know I write a motorcycle. He said those listeners and it's possible that I could be writing home and someone would cut in on the slain on the carpooling that I write in and it and I could die, he says, but I want you to know I would still be alive and loosely paraphrasing and actually that's exactly what happened that day someone cut in on the carpooling and I don't know that he died that that think you probably did not know it when he was in that hospital room. I eyed you know when a person is in a coma you don't know what's really going on with the soul. I mean because I spoke with people were in comas to have told me afterwards that they heard everything I said so I visit someone in the hospital room in Tacoma. I talked to them as though they can hear me because I believe they made maybe hearing every word I'm saying. I don't know Frank was in heaven. Hearing me say this appears here and earth waiting to go to heaven about her wanting to be was in heaven unsay wake up and come back. Be like say you wake up and come up here. You know what's wrong with you.

This is one of those things will never know. I maybe when I get to have an awesome about it but but I know the moment. He took his last breath on earth. Whenever that was. He took his first breath in heaven that's on because Frank was a great guy had a radio show. That's because he believed in Jesus Christ and asked God to forgive them of the sin and I know is with the Lord.

Because of that, and I wonder if you've done that yet and if you haven't wanted to do it right now in a moment I want to pray and give you an opportunity to ask Christ to come in your life and opportunity to be forgiven of all of your sin and opportunity to get right with God and get rid of the guilt in your life and fill the void in your life you been trying to build with all these other things that will never fill it. Jesus, who was born Jesus, who died Jesus and rose again from the dead is here with us right now sitting at the door of your life, and he is knocking, and he says if you hear his voice and open the door and come in. Have you asked them in yet. If not, why didn't you do that right now.

Let's all bow our heads and let's all pray father I pray for any here now that may not yet know you did not ask for your forgiveness. They need Jesus Lord, would you help them to see their need for you and help them to come to you right now we ask our heads about her eyes are closing were praying together. How many of you would say today or tonight rather Greg pray for me. I want Jesus Christ in my life. I want to be forgiven by sin I don't want to go through life alone anymore.

I'm ready to ask Christ to come in and I want to go to heaven when I die. Pray for me. Listen if you want your sin forgiven, if you want to know that you will go to heaven when you die if you want your guild taken away if you want that void in your life filled by Jesus which you lift your hand up right now and let me pray for you. Lift your hand a pregnancy. In the pray for you. God bless you slip your hand me pray for you tonight to bless you there in the back of bless you anybody else with your hand bless you and you will bless or hearing the side. God bless you.

I can see you in the overflow room but time and ask you to raise your hand as well. If you want to make this commitment to Christ.

Raise your hand up right now there in that room watching on the screen, slip your hand. I'm confident some of you are maybe some of you would say you know I've fallen away from the Lord. There was a time I walk with him, but I push God out of my life I've kind of forgotten about you.

Here's the good news. God is not forgotten about you and he misses you and want you to come back to him if you would like to make a recommitment to Jesus tonight whether to raise your hand up right now.

Let me pray for you. You want to come back to the Lord. God bless you appear in the front of bless you and you anybody else accomplished. Bless you there and that overflow room you raise your hand to. You need to make a recommitment to Christ publicist father, I think you know for each one of these help them to take the next step receive all that you have for them, for we ask it in Jesus name, amen