Let's Start Before the Beginning, Part 3

On the very first Christmas day, Jesus appeared on the world stage unlike any other human before or since. The apostle John said this about Jesus in the beginning. The word already existed. The word was with God Word was God.

What is John's mysterious statement mean what are the implications for you and me on December 16, 2020 today on Insight for living trucks. One dog will examine the first chapter of John. This passage will surprises as John magnifies the origin of Christmas miracle. Chuck titled his message.

Let's start before the beginning in getting the word.

John's favorite name for Jesus is log on us in the beginning, which really never has a beginning eternally existed Lagos. The word was with God the Word was God Leslie be confused. We will use the word deity.

Lagos was deity. He existed in the beginning with God. In fact, God created everything through him, apart from him. There is no life, and it adds people apart from him. There is no light. Jesus, the original architect of it all and you thought he just began as a baby in the manger not know the baby in the manger held the universe in place so Lagos became human. Never before in all of history. Never before has such a transition to complete God while remaining God now becomes truly human unique God man theologians call him the fee and tropic person playoffs anthropologists. This is the fulfillment of the prophets words, the child will be born son will be given here is God in flesh. Verse 14 says he was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. How true, how magnificent.

But look for example at what Paul wrote Colossians 115. Christ is the visible image of the invisible God, how beautiful to write it like that.

He's visible we could see him, but in fact in him there is the nature of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation. Of course, the creator is supreme over the creation. He is that Paul goes on through him God created everything verifying what John wrote in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see all he saw it all designed it all in the immensity of space. If we could travel the speed of light. Last time I checked that's 186,000 miles a second if we could take a direct trip trajectory from Earth into the spaces. None of the orbiting just go direct would be at the moon and one and one third seconds how long it would take us to get to the first star just the first star in our galaxy four years. That's just the first star. I love it that when Genesis records the making of the stars. It says half verse two Mrs. 116 he made the stars also. For forget he put the stars there to love you can laugh, it's okay. You know I would laugh because we can't imagine we laugh because it is beyond our comprehension. He existed before anything else.

He holds all creation together. He is the head of the church which is his body, is the beginning the supreme over all rise from the dead is first in everything in it please the father to reconcile everything to himself as he comes to the cross, by the way he died upon a cross of wood, but he had made the hill on which it stood. He's the creator, the Savior of ours. He's no happen along child, Mary of Nazareth. He's the perfectly designed human form. God took upon himself and lived on this earth 33 years. John writes he came into his own things. Verse 10, but his own ones did not even recognize that you know it's interesting to think about forward thinking in our vehicles here when he walked on the hill that he had made it when he sailed the lake to put the lake in place when he netted the fish from the lake. He had made the fish when he stilled the storm hit made the class, the prophet writes the clouds are but the dust of his. This is our Savior.

This is our Lord.

He who came to Bethlehem's manger and that nativity scene as you look at that baby understand what you're looking.

What is remarkable is what you cannot see and that is what he represents not coming from heaven to earth was a shocking dissent. Think about it while he is in the infinity of eternity past. While he has all the prerogatives and blessings of heaven. He is the worship of myriad of angels every comfort one can even imagine beyond imagination is his own authority all rule he made all the kingdoms all those spaces there. He put together when he said yes to the father's will.

He began a journey of dissent.

Philippians chapter 2 tracks the journey turn there now open open your map here to Philippians 2 verse six here we go, though he was God. So Paul begins where John ins. His statement he was God, though that's true. We did not think equality with God something to cling to. Paul is getting ready to describe the process of moving from heaven to earth. He didn't cling to the prerogatives of deity hold onto being coequal, coeternal in coexistent with the father in the spirit.

Let it go.

He was willing to release it to surrender it for time.

What else. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges. Not really a great translation. The Greeks says simply. He emptied himself, is probably the most important part of his incarnation, what does that mean he certainly didn't emptied himself of his deity for his stilling storms and healing the sick and raising the dead, causing the waters so what does it mean listen carefully. He willingly set aside the independent voluntary use of his divine attributes and personal prerogatives while earthbound again.

He willingly set aside the independent voluntary use of his divine attributes and personal prerogatives while earthbound as a human being. He didn't act independently members words.

I do always the things that please the father that was never true before became a man he was coequal with the father remembered eternity past, coequal, coeternal coexistent but we became a man he willingly bowed to the will of his father. He submitted himself to the father's will is sin of remaining Creator designer.

He became a humble servant on this earth.

That's what it says here he took upon himself the humble position of the servant born as a human being.

He appeared in human form and humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on the cross. Wonderful journey we've had will will end our tour but were not true with the journey will be on it for a while, we thought together about where from infinity eternity past the creation to nativity to Calvary to the resurrection where you gain victory over death's in the grave. So we've dealt with lawyer we've also addressed who and our focus is been on the second member, the Lord Jesus was chosen. Originally the designer and the creator of all things. Now comes as the servant to give himself for us. What we haven't addressed why, why would the father send us his son.

Once the wire around the Christmas story. It said 14 letter word love now God so loved the world that he gave us his one and only son, he proved his love to us in that while we were yet sending Christ died for us.

It was love back behind the scene from eternity past where there is love, all the way through time all the way to the nativity to his childhood, his ministry is suffering and death is love.

As he reaches out to us, just like his father. He so loved us and gave himself for us that calls for a response so that whoever believes in him would never perish, but have everlasting life.

That's that's the why and that's what makes our response so important, not just sitting and listening with our arms folded, learning new things about theology were preparing ourselves for response. I know a man who was a very keen thinking individual. He's an author of a number of books on one occasion he decided to make his own study of Jesus of Nazareth. All he'd been raised in a home where he heard the name of Jesus. He was a part of a church, for they had talked a lot about Jesus. He went to a college were Jesus was often mentioned but he never really felt he knew the real Jesus. So as part of a book he wrote which he titled the Jesus I never knew.

He includes these words listen to the thoughts of Philip Yancey. It is almost beyond my comprehension. And yet I accept this. Love is the key to understanding Christmas and is in fact the touchstone of my faith as a Christian I believe that we live in parallel worlds, one world consists of hills and lakes and barns and politicians and shepherds watching their flocks by night. The other consists of angels and sinister forces somewhere out there places called heaven and hell. One night in the cold and the dark among the wrinkle hills of Bethlehem. Those two worlds came together at a dramatic point of intersection. God, who knows no before or after entered time and space. God knows no boundaries took on the shocking confines of a babies skin. The ominous restraints of mortality.

He continues, he is the invisible he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. And apostle would later write.

He is before all things and in him all things hold together but the few eyewitnesses on Christmas night. Saw none of that. They saw an infant struggling to work. Never before used loans could be true. Couldn't be. This Bethlehem story of a creator descending to be born on one small planet. If so, it is a story like no other. Little wonder acquire of angels broke out in spontaneous song disturbing not only a few shepherds but the entire universe having guided you through this part of the tour, you may not be disturbed or what you have heard because for the first time perhaps you've heard more about the story than you've ever heard before, but you've never responded to the story. You've only listen to it. This is a story that calls for response. Would you accept the father's love. Will you accept the Savior's death on your behalf when you acknowledge that you need the Savior to find your eternity that will be without time or ending. Once you have died, the offer of salvation is made available to us today. Today is the day to respond not only to hear the story to take it personally believe it.

Embrace because just as his life is transformed, he will transform yours as well.

Please bow your head just sit there with your eyes closed and imagine for a moment the day you're taking your final breath. You're not going to pass into nothingness.

In spite of what your college prof may have told you you're going to move into another whole realm of life called eternal life for you spend that would depend on what you have done with Jesus while your life is no second chance. There is no purgatory.

There is no such thing as being prayed out of a bad place into a good place after your goal in all the printing all the believing is limited to now. Right now, as many who receive Christ to each one came gave them the power to become children of God, even to those of us who believe in his name. I invite you to believe in him now. Right now, if you find it hard we're here to help you believe to help you make that journey. I'll be glad to be your tour guide in that process as well. Thank you, dear father for the journey. Thank you for sending your son for us.

We didn't deserve him.

We don't deserve what he gave us his life. All the blessings of life eternal. But we clean them by faith because of your grace speak directly to those who never come to know your son and give them no peace or rest till they find that through Jesus Christ. I asked this thing, everyone's a man completing his first message in a brand-new holiday series you're listening to the Bible teaching of Chuck Swindoll.

He titled today study in John chapter 1. Let's start before the beginning to learn more about Chuck Swindoll in this ministry.

Visit us online@insightworld.org which is in the studio today prepared to share some personal comments just for our radial family. The first is important to remind you that time is running short.

To take advantage of the Christmas shopping opportunities at Insight for living there's no better gift to share on December 25 than one that includes spiritual encouragement and the insight for living online store is filled with wonderful opportunities. For instance, you find the Swindoll study Bible comes in a variety of cover preferences. There's an assortment of creative children's books 2 and Chuck has just completed the entire New Testament commentary series in 16 hardbound volumes. So while there still time to receive your purchase before Christmas. Be sure to go online today. Our web addresses Insight.org/store if you're listening in the United States and you prefer to call. Here's the number 1-800-772-8888 is hardly a nation in the world and hasn't suffered from the complications of this coronavirus the 2020 pandemic spread like wildfire has become truly global. The insidious blog is crossed every border broken every barrier humanity is placed in its way. In spiritual terms.

Clomid has spread like humans sinful nature without prejudice.

The diseases violated every continent on the globe justice in courses through the veins of every man, every woman, every child in this world well at Insight for living ministries were painfully aware of the collateral damage caused by the pandemic of man's sin, let alone the global suffering caused by the coronavirus, but in both cases, we know that God is neither surprised nor stymied God as the answer is not the problem, and our greatest calling is to point our suffering world to the one who is able to save us remarkably while churches in much of our economy were obstructed through 2020 Insight for living never missed one day a Bible teaching. Not one.

In fact, our mission to reach all 195 countries of the world through vision 195 moved ahead without hindrance, and if the compounding events of 2020 taught us anything, it's certainly true that our lives are fragile. Our times or volatile in our need for Savior's origin.

So let me ask, won't you join me in giving generously to the mission of insightful living ministries.

Think about that question. But teaching God's word. We will serve as a calming voice of stability you could have a part in that as we point people to the Savior in every corner of the world you can do that with us. So let's do this together. Let's do this now while there's still time and people are hurting so deeply. Jesus said we must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us for the night is coming when no one can work.

Thanks for hearing me I'm speaking today from my heart. I look forward to receiving your hearing gift that generous gift you send and send to us soon, and here's how to respond to Chuck Swindoll right now if you're listening in the United States call this number 1-800-772-8888 or go online to Insight.org when Jesus came to earth as an innocent baby. He came to be the gospel and we take delight in linking arms with men and women like you to bring the good news about Jesus to a world that's craving to hear the truth. It might be easier for you to use the convenient insight for living mobile app, just click the donate button and follow the simple instructions or if you prefer the old-fashioned way. Living in the US. Our phone number once again is 1-800-772-8888 or go online to insight.or Swindoll invites us to witness a troubled romance in Nazareth. Listen Thursday to Insight for living. The preceding message. Let's start before the beginning was copyrighted in 2019 and 2020 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2020 by Charles or Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited