Christmas-The Right Person - Part B

When you see Jesus healing a blind man you are saying a compassionate God.

When you see Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, piercing a broken heart of God. When you see Jesus teaching a crowdsourcing sign God concerned the people. When you see Jesus dying on the cross you are seeing time and sin like this. Parents letting go of her child is one of the hardest things that could ever do, yet it's something God himself did for us today on connect with Skip Heitzig Skip shares what was so important for God to send his only son, and reveals to you some encouraging truths about God's to tell you about a special opportunity you have. To take your knowledge of the Bible to a deeper level personal and small Bible study is a great way to learn about God and his word. What if you want a big evening word about the Bible's inspiration inerrancy and interpretation when you take the history of authenticity of the Bible at Calvin College to increase your knowledge of the Bible and your confidence of its authority, education and biblical studies will impact your spiritual life of the rest of your life. Classes start January 10 sulfite today@calvarychurchcollege.com will in Galatians chapter 4 as we dive into our study with Skip Heitzig, missionary, or if you've ever been on the mission.

You know what culture shock is that the shock going into a culture so totally different than your own. I experience that when I lived in the Middle East for a period of time.

It wasn't like I was living in the slums of India but it was pretty primitive when I'm at site Island air conditioning. I don't have a refrigerator. I don't have a car and I remember that stress the cultural stress I felt.

And then I came back to America.

What we call reverse culture. Stress said and I looked in my refrigerator and I went while that baby is mine. Even though I was only renting I got 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 story to come to us from Persia from ancient Iran that is often used to illustrate there was a candy shop who was fond of putting on peasant close workmen's close going among his people and talking to them and to start listening to what they were like and what they needed 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 peasant, another worker come to tend the fires. One day the king revealed himself as his cane.

The 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 very place you brought me joy to my heart to others you may give 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 low 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 but I didn't send this hymn because I was in our greatest need. He didn't send as Albert Einstein because he was in our greatest need. He didn't send us 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 have 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 just sent by God sent by God. One was the son of God, where 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 becoming that don't ask me that. It's funny how we love to 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 now, 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 innately wanted more. He's the one God gave us Ivan only begotten son. He has the same nature that I did. He's a very different person than I am, but he shares my nature. He's human. I'm 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 through 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. Philippians tells us 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 there. 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, Sir, 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 flash 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. Hey 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 will be born will be called the son of the highest question why did God send his son.

Why did I have to send his son a vehicle like time is going to 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 wants that Jesus Christ is God spelling himself out in a language we can understand. That's important because the ancient Greeks when 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 this 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, piercing 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 a determined God determined to do something about the sin that has plagued this world you see me using the father powerful bass means that we not only have a God who is up in heaven, aloof and apart from all of our tragedy, looking down at us going all those poor humans. They got so bad, but here I am up there pretty nice appear that they see going up the music on all those poor things that we we have a God who feels our pain. He came to this earth. He knows everything we go through but he also has all the resources that have been to deal with what we go through so the right time God sent just the right person the right person was sent by God, the right person was the son of God. And here's the third and final one. This right person was surrendered to God. But the rest of verse four God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, take a moment to focus on Charlie now emphasizing that the deity, but the humanity of Jesus that he was God in the preexistence state of the same nature of the father, but that he was born in our world that he came in our world that he had a human birth is not only 100% God. He was 100% human, so to put it all together at just the right time at the appropriate time in the fullness of the time culturally spiritually, politically, prophetically, God sent just the right person who was God, and who is man larger than the universe confined to the womb of a woman. My mind was diffuse just goes out at this point God as a side note, fertilized day God is an embryo. God is a fetus. God is a newborn baby that's mysterious. Philip Yancey wrote imagine for a moment, becoming a baby again.

Imagine giving up language and muscle coordination. Imagine losing the ability to eat solid food, and control your bladder God is a fetus or imagine yourself becoming a sea slug. That analogy is probably closer on that day in Bethlehem, the maker of all that is. Took the form of a helpless dependent newborn now. I beg your attention closely for just another moment in order for Jesus Christ to be a Savior. He had to be had to be both God and man. If he wasn't were doomed were damned were hopeless. He had to be God, and he had to be manner. He had to be God for his sacrifice to have any infinite value that is for his sacrifice to have enough value to atone for sin, he had to be God.

Only God is the power to deliver us from the power of sin and death and hell Jesus Christ was not God that Jesus Christ was not perfect. Jesus Christ was not perfect. Then he can impute any righteousness to us. He has none to give.

And when he dies he can only die for himself not for anybody else and we have none to receive from him. So we are all doomed and hopeless. If he is not God. But Jesus must also be man because only a man can substitute in death for another man feeling what it is like going through all of those sessions during that time of pain to be an adequate substitute. He must be a man supported in a nutshell, he had to be God, to have the power of salvation.

He had to be man have the privilege of substitution is what Paul puts it this way.

It's very neatly put and theologically put he was born of a woman. Interesting. There's no mention of a man because Jesus wasn't born of a man was he was born of the Holy Spirit. This was a virgin birth.

And it says this, born under the law. What does that mean means he was just born a man. He was born a Jewish man was circumcising a day like Jewish boys were. He was also dedicated in the temple as many Jewish boys were during that time he was raised in a home. Reading the Koran and the Tanakh. The Old Testament, he was raised in a home praying to the God of Israel attending the synagogue services. He was born of a woman, born under the law, like every Jewish man. He had a responsibility to obey God's law, but I and unlike any other man. He obeyed it perfectly healing the perfect life. We could never live so wrap it all together this week at just the right time, in the fullness of the time, culturally, spiritually, politically, prophetically God in heaven sent forth the one who preexisted in his presence in this world was both God had to be God and man had to be man and Jewish had to be Jewish. It says in verse five to redeem those who were under the law will get the more that next week. Bottom line, God sent his son got sent a Savior. God didn't send a Santa. He sent his son, who is the Savior now. Honestly, I have nothing personal against Santa Claus. He never did me any wrong except he made a lot of threats as he was checking the list prices.

If I was naughty and nice and you know what his threats really didn't pan out because even when I was knotty I still got gifts that I have nothing against Santa Claus. In fact, I told you before that there was a real historical person that Santa Claus centric losses.

He was called in Dutch came from, but there was a man in history named Nicholas who was the bishop of my right was a pastor of Myra in ancient Anatolia, which is a part of Asia minor turkey. He was a man was generous and passionate Dave especially to the poor developed a reputation of giving gifts in the name of Christ to people who needed him more than just a nice guy who gave gifts Juno that Nicholas was at one of the most significant church councils in history called the Council of Nicaea, from whence comes the Nicene Creed, which we still hold to in 325 A.D. historic conference took place and there was a division. Some people believe Jesus Christ according to Scripture was God of very God like we believe, but there was another group of heretics under the name of a guy named Darius who denied the deity of Christ, and during that heated counsel when area stood up and said Jesus Christ is not God. Good old St. Nick Nicholas of Myra walked over to him and slapped him in the face for blasphemy. Yeah, my kinda guy loving Jesus passionately in love with him and called a spade a spade a spade.

You sir are a blasphemer so good old St. Nick Santa Claus was more than a fat guy in a red suit given gifts to God who love the Lord Jesus Christ. So so when you tell the story to your kids. Tell them as Paul Harvey says the rest of the story that the rest of the story and I suppose if Santa Claus would've had a prayer it would sound something like this essay was all packed the reindeer were fed, but Santa still knelt by the side of his bed, dear father. He prayed with me tonight. There's much work to do in my schedule is tight. I must jump in my sleigh and straight to the sky, knowing full well that a reindeer can't fly. I will visit each household before the first light will cover the world and all in one night with sleigh bells are ringing a land on each roof amidst the soft clatter of each little hoof to get in the house is the difficult part. So I'll slide down the chimney of each child's heart.

My sacral hold toys to grant all their wishes. The supply will be endless like the loaves and the fishes. I will fill all the stockings and not leave a track I will eat every cookie that is left for my snack. I can do all these things Lord only through you.

I just need your blessing that it's easy to do all this to honor the birth of the one that was sent to redeem us your most holy son, so that all of my friends list your glory. I Rob, please, Lord, remind them who gave me this job well to be honest, we've given them this job. If anyone has exalted a man of history to play a part that he never really played, and to forget the real role that he did play is wrong because the real Santa Claus pointed to Jesus worshiped Jesus we've given him the job bringing joy every person, that's a myth.

This is reality, as we pray when you to consider your life what you consider where you're at this Christmas season.

You know, for a lot of people.

Christmas is like not happy.

It's an empty time tragedies happened in the past. The loss of a loved one Christmas is is a downer.

It's a reminder about your it simply really empty. It accentuates the emptiness they felt all year long. Comes out very very poignantly at this time friend I want you to think about your life and ask yourself this question, do you personally know Jesus Christ the Lord of heaven and earth.

I didn't ask you, do you know facts about him. I didn't ask if you're willing to come to a church and learn about you may come to church, but you may not come to Christ, you may not personally surrender to him Islamic religious person at the bomber that is a bummer because it's keeping you from the truth of the reality of a person risen from the dead, active and dynamic is in the business of changing lives and he wants to change her life will knock at the door but he won't kick it in. He needs you to open it up that you never really surrendered your life to Christ. Or maybe you had some experience in the past that was years ago, but you're not walking with them now and want to come back to him just tired of waking up every day like Groundhog Day. Same thing saying that Brian no happiness, no satisfaction. Give your life to Christ that works of Skip Heitzigs message from the series of Christian want to share about a resource that will help you grow closer to the Lord stay plugged into his work. 19 pandemic has caused the reevaluation of priorities like choices and the path forward this question to my life here.

Skip I think on priorities. We all want the life with a happy ending life marked by growth life marked by productivity and refreshment in God's touch blessing and prosperity and maturity. Here is our special offer for this month. For those who support the claim list significant 2022… And they're both anything you give $30 to help more people connect with consequent treatment to go online cleanly sample from skin you pursue him.

When you pursue holiness, happiness tags along, 819 seemed to give or connectwithskip.com to him tomorrow as Skip Heitzig six years. The white reason for celebrating Christmas and how it impacts your life significantly. Certainly, Jesus is the answer to the longing of mankind were pleased poorly about presenting him sometimes we don't always get it right because sometimes we forget that the Bible has one central theme that is so presentation of connection communication changing truth ever-changing time