Christmas-The Right Person - Part A

Somebody once said of Christmases when God came down the stairs of heaven with the baby in his arms to beautiful thought, that's not the whole story Christmases when God came down the stairs of heaven save you will see there was nothing significant or special about Jesus Bible says any other man today on connect with Skip Skip shares when Jesus was right to redeem you and give you eternal life. Knowing what to tell you about a resource relationship with God to a new level.

As you stated in his work.

19 pandemic has caused the reevaluation of priorities like choices and the path forward. This aluminate question might want out of life care skip. I think with some thoughts on priorities.

Don't we all want the life with a happy ending a life marked by growth life marked by productivity and refreshment in God's touch of blessing and prosperity and maturity. Here is our special offer for this month for them to support outreach daily… By Skip messages on significant stomach 2022 daily… And they're both hardly think you give $30 today to help more people connect with God's part, 819 to go online to connectwithskip.com sample from scant you pursue him. When you pursue holiness, happiness tags along: 892 1888 to give or connectwithskip.com okay in Galatians chapter as we join Skip Heitzig to December 17, 1903 is a date. You remember you don't remember the date that you remember historically as I tell you the story.

There were two young men from Dayton, Ohio who found their way to the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina and decided to try out there heavier than air machine.

They called the bicycle shop in Ohio and they put together this contraption because they had a dream that man could fly in on that date. They succeeded with the very first flight is a part of their dream.

They flew get this for a long time.

12 seconds I was the airplane ride 12 seconds hundred and 20 feet. Was it but it was so exciting that they sent a wire back to their sister Catherine in Dayton, Ohio, and the wire said we have actually flown 120 feet and in the says we will be home for Christmas while Catherine got the wire ran down to the newspaper showed it to the editor supposing he would be as excited as she was. This was historic. This was monumental and he looked at the wire and said how nice the boys will be home for Christmas.

Wyatt's just overlook the most historic news of that time mankind had found it was the news of the century, and he didn't pick up on, you know, that happens every year. The rear Christmas time people overlook the real meaning of Christmas. That's nothing new to us. They overshadow the news of the century. The news of all history. Jesus Christ, God son was born into this world to atone for our sins, we have commercialized the holiday.

We know that we made it all about giving gifts. We made it all about having office parties. We made it all about fat man in the red for a suit may Santa Claus that's what it typically is all about was Christ and where is he with us in our thinking at this season there was a family who got every year this season and look at all the Christmas displays in town. There was always this church. I like the best nativity set upper they went by this nativity set this year was beautiful and grandma mom and daddy all the marked up loud, a beautiful and magnificent and not awesome.

The shepherds of the wisemen in the poem altogether major scene and a little granddaughter said yeah it's nice grandma but why is Jesus the same size this year as he was last year and then she gave a very astute follow-up question when will Jesus grow up. Here's my question. When will Jesus grow bigger in our thinking in our hearts as believers. That's why this year. Last week this week and next week we decided to look a little bit differently at the Christmas story, not mangers and shepherds and angels and wisemen with gold, frankincense and myrrh.

We've done all that in years past with all of those stories, but two problems adapts a little bit deeper and give you more history and more theology and give you the underpinnings of this monumental truth, so that by Christmas Day you'll not only understand it, but greatly appreciated. We been considering Christmas to the lens of Galatians chapter 4, which were to get to in just a moment. Galatians chapter 4 Paul tells us here is that this is the news of the century. This is the news of all history.

Galatians 4 verse four in the fullness of the time, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law. No one and I mean no one influence the world by Jesus Christ. Aristotle taught for 40 years.

Plato taught for 50 years. Socrates taught for 40 years a aggregate of 130 years of Greek wisdom and knowledge. Jesus taught three maybe 3 1/2 years when he is so influence the world more than all of those guys put together, he so important that Encyclopaedia Britannica in their article treating Jesus Christ devote 20,000 words to Jesus that significant a lot of literary real estate that is more than they wrote for Aristotle, Alexander the great Buddha, Caesar, Cicero, Confucius and the prophet Mohammed put together they recognize this man singularly is influence the world. Somebody once said, is Christmas is when God came down the stairs of heaven with the baby in his arms to beautiful thought, but that's not the whole story.

Christmas is when God came down the stairs of heaven with the Savior in his arms, and so we bring our focus our attention upon that great truth. We decided as our theme this year to explore red Christmas that's our thing to read Christmas and happy will, because there is to that best-selling song we mentioned last week. I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, but in God's economy. It takes red to get wiped the blood of Jesus Christ. God son cleanses us from all sin is the only detergent God ever gave to deal with the real problem. It's a red Christmas and the term of Isaiah chapter 1 verse 18, now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them as white as snow like the book of Leviticus without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.

Melanie just give you a little context. I did a little bit last week you a little more this week. In the book of Galatians, Paul the apostle has been looking back and surveying the history of the Jews. The Jewish nation the nation of Israel, especially in their relationship to God through the law of Moses, and he basically says that was good that served its purpose, but that's over now that's done.

Now it's time to graduate into a whole new relationship with God. And the reason he does. That is, there were a group in the church were very legalistic there in every church there always around there. The legalists there really is no joy in their life. There certainly is no grace in their life and they always want to bring people back under the law.

So Paul says the law was good, now get over it. It's time to graduate is time to grow up and leave the bondage get into the freedom of Christ that was kindergarten stop. Now we look at Galatians chapter 4 verse one. Now I say that the air as long as he is a child does not differ at all from a slave, though he is the master of all but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Even so, we when we were children were in bondage under the elements of the world.

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his son into your hearts, crying out Bob father therefore you are no longer a slave but a son and of the son and heir of God through Christ. Last week we looked at just one portion of verse four. Do we not, we looked at the fullness of time when the fullness of time, so we divided last week this week and next week it with three part series Christmas. The right season, the fullness of time this week. Christmas the right person and next week, Christmas the right reason all out of this verse.

So I want to talk to you about the right person at the right season God sent just the right person and there's three things that you need to note about this right person.

This right person was sent by God.

Notice the wording, the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth his son to notice it doesn't say in the fullness of time, God created his son or God made a son in the fullness of the time, God sent forth his son, that applies preexistence you're sending somebody who is with you in your presence out from your presence, that's the idea, God sent forth his son, metalworker sent forth as a single word in the original language as I say unto you, you're gonna recognize the word you're familiar with is the word ask Castello X opposite Stella we get the word apostle. From that X opposite Stella means to send out or commission or infuse as an ambassador from our presence on a mission.

That's the idea to start out this way Jesus Christ was in the presence of the father is the second person of the triune God then at just the right time, the fullness of time, he came forth from that presence on a mission to the earth is the amazing God.

Jesus Christ is the only one who ever lived before he was born. Try that one on for size. Just let that one wash over you for a moment Jesus was the only one who ever lived before he was born he preexisted with the father at the right time. He was sent out. He came forth from the father. Now that is hinted at when Jesus prays in John 17 member.

The prayer father restore him to be the glory that I had with you before the world was that was also predicted by the prophet Isaiah. We caught out every Christmas season unto us a child is born and was a son is given preexistence then Jesus stated it very very plainly when he confronted his enemies. In John chapter 8 verse 42, he said, I proceeded forth and came from God. I did not come of myself, but he sent me again in John chapter 6, verse 38 I've come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me, so the right person was sent by God. He existed with God. He knew he was sent out from God. Now it's hard to get our minds around that. But have you ever heard of culture shock if you never talk to a missionary or if you've ever been on the mission field. You know what culture shock is the shock of going into a culture that is so totally different than your own experience that when I lived in the Middle East for a period of time and it was like I was living in the slums of India but it was pretty primitive but I mislike I went air conditioning. I don't have a refrigerator.

I don't have a car and I remember the stress the cultural stress I felt. And then I came back to America we call reverse culture.

Stress said in my refrigerator and I went while babies mind even though I was only renting.

I thought that was pretty cool.

Okay now just and you can only imagine it leaving having the glories of the father and coming to earth. Talk about the ultimate culture shock. He was sent the right one was sent by God.

There's a great old story that comes to us from Persia from ancient Iran that is often used to illustrate there was a candy shop who was fond of putting on Tennyson close workman's close going among his people and talking to them and just sort of listening to what they were like and what they needed.

He loved to do that on one occasion he went to the lowest worker in his palace, the one who tended the furnace down the basement and with the close of an ordinary peasant. He sat with this man had a relationship with them. Over time, ate food together shared stories and background. All the while the king didn't reveal who he was. The peasant body was just another present another worker come to tend the fires. One day the king revealed himself as his cane.

Shaw and he said to this newfound friend. This peasant worker down in the basement now. Do you realize who I am. You realize what I can do for you I can make you rich. I can make you famous. I can give you a city I can make you a ruler the tender of the furnace bowed his head slightly. He said you left the palace of your glory to come visit me in this dark and dreary place you brought me joy to my heart to others you make in your gifts to me. You have given yourself. Which reminds me of that old hymn, the words which say out from the ivory palaces into a world of wall at just the right time. What Paul calls the fullness of the time, God sent just the right person. In fact, the only one God ever sent into this world is a safe.

He didn't send us Donald Trump that I have anything against Donald Trump but I like to be like a friend of Donald Trump guidance in this hymn because that wasn't our greatest need. He didn't send as Albert Einstein because he was in our greatest need. He didn't send her some Grammy-winning actor because I was in our greatest need in the words of a Christmas card.

I got several years ago that I still If our greatest need. Would've been information God would've sent us an educated if our greatest need. Would've been technology God would've sent us a scientist. If our greatest need. Would've been money. God would've sent us an economist. If our greatest need.

Would've been pleasure God would've sent us an entertainer but our greatest need was forgiveness so God sent us a Savior, the right person was sent by God. Number two. Notice also in our text the right person was the son of God, not to sent by God sent by God. One was the son of God, for it says, God sent forth his son, now we are diving headlong into the mysteries of what we call the incarnation of God becoming man.

I call it mysteries of incarnation. That's what Paul said positivity great is the mystery of godliness that God has been manifested in the flesh Eagle. How does that work skip. How does God become an don't ask me that.

It's funny how we love ask questions that are unanswerable no man knows the day the hour when you think Jesus is coming back here Paul says the only one that God sent was his only begotten son, that we clarify something we see the term, the son of God understand that term means deity implies he's God I have a son fact that only begotten son one and only son never had any other child but Nate.

We wanted more is one God gave us five and only begotten son.

He has the same nature that I do.

He's a very different person than I am, but he shares my nature. He's human on human the son of God implies he shares the same nature with his father. His father is deity Jesus Christ as the son is also deity. So when you see the phrase son of God in the singular. It speaks uniquely of Jesus Christ who was God in the human body make no misunderstanding about that.

Even Jesus enemies knew that in the Gospel of John. It tells us the Jews sought to kill him because he said Jesus said God was his father making himself equal with God.

Jesus Christ is the son of God in that unique sense that is deity, that's the term I'm using it. That's the term the Bible uses not in the Oprah sense on the bill. All children of God.

Dr. Phil said were all children of God.

This is the unique son of God, Jesus Christ, and people are confused about that, the son deals now with his position in his incarnation, he is submitted to the father. Listen carefully for consultants. Jesus was in the form of God, and he didn't think it robbery to be equal with God.

So there you have Jesus who is equal with God, but he emptied himself, he poured himself out. He came to this earth as a human being and he surrendered submitted himself to the will of the father as his son is the Best Pl. in Scripture to get it all put together. The first chapter of John. In the beginning was the word the word was with God and the word was God's we have Jesus. He's God Skip down to verse 14 and the word became flesh, that the incarnation dwelt among us. We beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. We go down a couple more verses to verse 18 no one has seen God at any time, but the only begotten son who is in the bosom of the father. He has declared him. So there you have Jesus. He never became God he was God. He was God. He was deity pre-Bethlehem pre-married three major he was God before he was born he was God, after he became man, but he became the son of God. When he came into this world and he took on the body of flesh. The word became flesh, and we beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the father so and we talked about it every year in the Christmas story. Typically, when the angel came to Mary and told her what's coming down.

By the way you're pregnant I cannot be had never had sex with any man, and then the angel explains how it was possible. The angel said to Mary Lou chapter 1 verse 32 he will be great and will be called future tense the sun of the highest verse 35. The Holy Spirit will come upon you the power of the highest will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one who would be born will be called the son of the highest questions why did God sent his son God have to send his son a vehicle like time is in a send someone why his son is the answer because God wanted to reveal himself the best way to reveal himself as with the son God sent his son into the world because God wants to reveal himself to the world. He is Emmanuelle which means God with us is God with us. Somebody once said Jesus Christ is God spelling himself out in a language we can understand. That's important because the ancient Greeks with all this was written in the Bible.

The ancient Greeks believed whatever God's or singular God existed, he was or they were unknowable. Plato said God and man can never meet when Jesus comes on the scene and he says that blue their mind. If you have seen me, you have seen the father. In other words, if you want to know what God is like.

Just check me out.

Watch me listen to me. I am body the will of my father in heaven. That's powerful. That means when you see Jesus healing a blind man you are seeing a compassionate God. When you see Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, nursing a broken heart of God.

When you see Jesus teaching a crowd you're seeing a concerned God concerned that people know truth when you see Jesus dying on the cross you are seeing. I determine determine to do something about the sin that has plagued this world seemingly seen the father Skip the message from the series to Skip with an important message for Christianity centers on one thing the cross of Jesus Christ. When we look to Jesus by faith we are healed and forgiven of our sins. That's what it's all about. Our goal is to get this good news. The greatest news to more listeners like you considered giving generously today to keep these biblical messages on the air and to help reach more people with the gospel.

Here's how to give visit connectwithskip.com/donate to give your gift today that's connectwithskip.com/donate: 800-922-1880 809 two 218 to him again tomorrow. Skip Heitzig six years while so God sent his only son to use in encouraging truths about God so Skip presentation of connection communications changing truth