What Child is This? - Why did He Come?, Part 2

I don't know about you, my schedule is filling up like crazy with Christmas activities and then that looming pressure buying presents is what I want to ask you when's the last time you asked so why did this Jesus come and why is a baby if you really want to get focused on Christmas at your mind and heart in the right direction to stay with us today. Thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge tripping trips are vital to this international discipleship program that I'm in this program to continue the series.

Is this asking a question. If God really did, why did he go now this may be a vestige of what is your friend after the teaching of if your Bible city open about the Colossians chapter 1 is message.

Why did he come remember Maya my oldest son was being mentored by guy. This was years ago and he was talking about this amazing time with this guy house helping him. He was newly married at the time in making such a difference in that he shares a story this guy that was mentoring him and helping him every morning, this guy got up and made coffee and brought it to his wife in bed and my sons telling me this, and I'm thinking at the time I been married in a like 28 years. How many times I done that I that I thought are you kidding me and then I thought will why not and I thought try on a fairly regular basis. I started doing that and you know what it is you know the delighted is to see someone's eyes open up and just realize you please pencil needs to walk in a manner worthy is not about this rule or that rule. Of course we keep the rules out of love and obedience. But it's pleasing him, and better motivation. But notice that it's it's how we relate to people bearing fruit in every good work in our series on doing good. That's it. That's our exact word.

It is the way you walk in a manner that's where that you're good to people. Your kind people.

Your generous the people you put them first level and you doing real actions, says that's how you walk worthy and then in your relationship got increasing in the experiential knowledge of God. He says when you walk worthy. It's not like okay thank you for forgiving me.

I'm doing my own thing. You become the kind of person that says you know I'm not just trying to figure out should I read a chapter a day to keep the devil why I want to know you want to talk to you you and whatever speaks to your right. A little card you memorize it and you begin to pray in the car and you look for opportunities and pretty soon you're interacting with God and your growing in the real intimate experiential knowledge and gives you these little thoughts and subtle promptings in time to convict you, but that's how you walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. And as you do that you realize that it's based on not your strength but supernatural power strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might underline if you will, strengthened, and the word power same root word he's really trying to make a point. We get our word dynamite. The Greek word is dualistic in here.

He says there's a super natural power of the Holy Spirit is taken up residence in you and walking worthy, pleasing him these good works that a lot of you try to be a good person. They flaw you abiding in Christ and seeing others through the lens of Jesus and sing God. I want you to live your life through me, and his spirit empowers and strengthens in them by his glorious might, his exceeding Majesty and then he says this produces something, is the real test of walking worthy isn't when things are going well. The real test of walking worthy and pleasing God is when it's really really hard and so uses two words.

One is endurance. The other is patients in the adjective behind is with great endurance and great patience. Great endurance hoopoe meadow being under pressure, it means putting up with impossible situations, circumstances, difficulties, health issues economies going upside down unfairly being fired just situations, you know, the brother-in-law, the sister-in-law, the parent who view I mean difficult situations. God gives you grace by his power as you're walking with him and and one data time. You just you endure. You persevere and two things happen one people can understand how you do it and the other is you in the midst of that pressure cooker become more and more like Christ. You become more gentle, more sensitive, more understanding and is not just impossible situations with impossible people. The word patiences is different from the word endurance. It's with. We learned this earlier macro broad Plumas member, you know if her strength is 13 where you absorb the blow. Give a hug but this this is that word were you absorb the blow you your reactions impossible.

People difficult people. People that you punch in the neck is so mad and you ask God for the grace and the strength to love them away. Jesus loves them through you and so what you have here is these are graphic pictures and Jesus would say to you need. This is why I left heaven I left heaven to give you a hope that would never disappoint and I left heaven to show you something I wanted to show you exactly what the father's perfect individual plan is for you because when you live this life it's pleasing to him. It's amazing what happens and you. It's amazing what happens around you.

We did what was called her first prime movers group and it's kind of a Bible study for some executives and some people to come and done well in life that are asking what I do with the rest of my life and with the first was the very first one is an experiment. I literally did it in the basement of my house in Atlanta and there was a young guy there named Michael and everyone else was older, had grown. Some companies are run. Some companies are built. Some companies are sold. Some companies, and they had time affluence and influence than they really wanted to be used for God and so we spent 24 hours talking about what that would look like in the number of them went on for six months and met and talked about how could that happen and know this guy.

At the time was like late 30s he found did some sort of thing with the medical device and it went public and he ended up being part of the team and got a bunch of money from burden and he was like this driven overextended you know.

Up early, up relate to small kids and as we went through the time his marriage was completely out of whack as kids were being neglected. He wasn't getting much sleep.

He was this type a driven, I mean over the top and so we had this time were you were sharing each guy had to share sort of what was can happen. And it wasn't like someone's leading the group actually sort of helps one another will most guys are really high capacity have never been in a group with other very very high capacity people and so number one no is intimidated and we got lots of zeros or letters or you do whatever makes you superduper and so became this really safe place and he starts talking and making all the excuses in these older guys.

I still remember literally, I mean, these grown men some of her crying in my basement and there looking at him of sin. Michael 10 million 20 million mean squat. If you lose your marriage.

It cost me mine. I was an idiot I was sounding just like you right now. To me they were just coming to. I just stepped back about a month and mess with this one… Guys thought you know and Michael went on a journey for the next six months with with the group. He started getting his marriage little by little and couple steps forward few backward make some progress. And then what often happens when you're the guy that takes some public and you know you're the guy that has the invention. Whatever was in the know goes public in a higher board and then someone else gets to run it and they let you know they don't need you anymore. What happened to Michael and so he was given you know your two of severance and I think a pretty good sum of money to leave any so I spent that whole year getting reacquainted with my wife and what's God's holy ambition. What's his perfect plan for me and what is he want me to do and he and I were talking on the phone Thursday and just some came up but got us on the phone.

I said what are you doing, he said should let us have to tell you it's probably mid 40s now this is the sweetest season of my life. I said why he said I have peace like a never experienced my wife and I are at a place we've never been.

It's rich, it's good and I said how that coffee thing go to see Connor shifted his years and this idea that you know all the free trade coffee and all how that goes. And these farmers are kinda getting ripped off and so he created this thing went around the world and so he created this brand. He said well we sunk most of our money into that I got from the last deal and we got down to almost nothing, but we did it together as a couple.

We felt like it was really God's will and he said last week, and I can't tell you who it is. But last week one of the major chains fast food chains. He said this summer. We will supply coffee for all of their chains all across America and on every cup will have our logo and or have a website where people can go when and help out these guys. He said you know whether that happened or not is immaterial. He said I would never want to go back to where I was living you want, Michael learned God revealed his perfect plan for Michael and it wasn't about money and it wasn't about impressing. It wasn't about getting ahead. It was about being a man who walks were the God.

And when you do that is described here and you endure as we all will great difficulty in circumstances and people then you experience you get to experience what we sing every Christmas joy to the world, the Lord is come, let Earth receive her King, let every heart prepare him room in heaven and nature sing in heaven and nature sing in heaven nature sing joy to the world that the Earth receive her. You know what this passage says that little baby grew up fully man and fully God, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess he's the King of Kings is the Lord of lords, and when he is the Lord now of your life when you live in a way that the knowledge of his will and what that means, and he is the king of your life. Heaven sings and earth sings in circumstances a line doesn't mean it's easy, but it means there's peace means there is joy, it means all that anxiety and all that stuff and all those hopes and all those people and all that frenzy that we live with dissipates. That's why he came. Reason number three is Jesus left heaven to rescue us from the power of darkness. I put the passage writing your notes. He joyously gives thanks to God the father, Paul, still praying he says I want you know God's will. Why show God's will.

Because of this hope we can never disappoint. And now I'm joyously giving thanks to the father and they talk about what the father has done through the son who qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light who rescued us from the dominion of darkness, who brought us and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. I just want to make the point.

He rescues us from this domain or power of darkness, and I just want to remind you that you live in a very, very dark world you live in a day where there is corruption and greed and evil and darkness and its corporate and it's embedded in business and government and churches it's embedded in families is embedded in individuals and it's dark and what's scary in the words so timely of Nelson Mandela and someone asked him how could you come out of prison and do what you did and forgive and bring about reconciliation. He said everything I did, I learned in 20 years by myself.

You should read his book. He said it was in 20 years all by myself in that cell that what I understood was all the evil in the world also resided in my heart was in my heart and all the evil in all the tragedy and all the anger and all the bitterness and all the things I would do back to other people they've done to us is in my heart. And if we were in power we probably would've done the same thing and I realize what needed to happen was I needed to change and no one can bring about change until they change and I want to know that he came to rescue not just the world but you from the evil in your heart. What you're capable of and what I'm capable of. Given the right circumstances in the right way at the right time, underline the word qualified to circle one rescued to circle around dominion put a box around brought us in another box around redemption to go too fast. Yes okay underline qualified underlying inheritance circle around rescued circle around dominion box around brought us in the box around redemption. So how did he rescue us. This is so exciting he qualified you this word means he made you fit in other words, the evil in your heart to send the debt you have before God.

What Christ did on the cross and the resurrection. He qualified you.

He made you competent. He made you fit by what he did on the cross. It's a picture of your account has been approved.

You know you like go for long. You know you want you want to buy a house or something and you submit all your stuff and they look at you and they go get your approved what when you try and submit a loan to heaven.

No one is approved on their merit. But Jesus says because of what I've done. Your approved and what did he qualify you for. He named you as an heir urine as well.

Your air in the saints of light. The moment you turn from the kingdom of darkness. He rescued you out of darkness he could put your faith in him places you in the kingdom of light and now he says you are an heir.

Everything that is true of Jesus becomes true view he is raining his power his blessing his forgiveness his place.

His heaven, his purpose, he says you are an heir.

You're in my will. He died the will is open. It's called a testament, we call it the new will for the new testament, and all the promises. There are who whosoever would believe and trust in him, so he defeated sin and death and Satan to the cross and resurrection.

That's how we did it. That's how he rescued you. There's an enemy evil is real. Sin is real.

Death is real energized by the enemy, Satan, and he says that little phrase you put a box.

He brought us litter. The word is transferred, he brought us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light that little work brought us. You can write were transferred in your notes in the ancient world. This Greek word was used of someone who would conquer a people and he would transfer them from this city.

This colony over to this other city in the spirit of God takes that and says that's what happens to every single person because of what Christ did in your place if you by faith have believed the declaration of the gospel that reality is true and the result is you are redeemed, he defeated sin and death and Satan, and number four he purchased you out of the slave market of sin and released you from your sins. That word redeemed comes right out ancient world.

If you are downtown and the ancient city on any given day, there would be a small platform and there would be slaves in chains.

Sometimes family sometimes individuals and you could walk in and sale give you $50 for that one or $20 for that one and you would buy them out of slavery to be your slave, and the word used for buying a slave out of their is the word redemption and then so you don't miss it. He goes the forgiveness of your sins.

Literally, the release, the sending the way of your sins that God hold you accountable for because he's holy and he says as far as the east is from the west, so far, God has removed your sins from you if you're in Christ and that's the declaration of the gospel. That's why he came he came to give you a hope that would never disappoint. He came to reveal God's perfect plan for your life, and he came to rescue you, literally. It's a picture of you ever seen the documentaries about the little girl to rescue out of prostitution like in Thailand have a friend who runs a ministry that does that and he says will go in there and will find out what all the laws are in you know most of more ever. Capt. will work with the legal people there then will set up a sting operation and then will go in and we will rescue 10 1112-year-old little girl's that are locked in room some of them hang themselves.

And he says we rescue them. We deliver them of that.

But once we do that what we realize. That's just the beginning that we have homes for them and they need to know their valuable because they been hurt and abused and they need to be loved and we teach and they have value.

We teach them the skill we give them a new life. That's what God has done for you what he's done for me.

So the question why did he come the answer. He came because he loves you and want you to have a personal, intimate relationship with him forever. So I can slightly celebrate the baby. Oh come all ye faithful, joyful, and triumphant. I never saw that before your triumphant you delivered from darkness in the domain and the power of death and sin and Satan. So come and behold him, your king was we wrap up the Christmas story you know you can tell it through a lot of different eyes.

But this seems like there's a couple big responses when some shepherds here about this baby. They leave everything to the low people on the totem pole.

There the social you know like as long as it gets vocationally and they leave the sheep and they come and see, and they worship end of the first to go share or if you're a wise man there sort of the upper crust, a lot of resources, they realigned their life and their time to go on a journey, whatever it takes so they can see and find in worship this new king and they do it. And then there's the innkeeper and is just another day. Just a young couple.

It's a census and I wish you had room but I don't.

She looks real pregnant.

But a lot of people get pregnant.

God bless you too. There's no room in the end, and so the creator of the world is born in a manger and every year when I read the story.

I realize I'm either a shepherd, a wise man or innkeeper in the question I have for you is there room in the end of your heart, not just for that baby but for the risen Christ who has a hope that won't disappoint who has a plan that he wants you to follow and wants to rescue you never been rescued out of darkness for my experiences as a lot of us that even after we come to know Jesus. We get trapped in this let me ask like you to quiet your mind and quiet your soul begin to think very carefully and clearly with me. Have you been redeemed, not are you religious not even do you go to church not are you spiritual. Have you been redeemed.

Have you received the purchase price given for you that that baby that grew up lived a perfect life.

The died upon the cross has paid for your sin, to redeem you to buy you back to relationship with the father. Have you receive that gift or are you still in darkness. It is so easy I spent the first 18 years of my life being semi-religious even going to church up until 16 or 17 and having no idea that the God of the universe wanted a personal relationship with me, but I need to be born again.

I need to trust him personally and asked him to come into my life have you done that and if not, do it right now. Right where your head. God can even hear your thoughts cry out in your heart, Lord Jesus, forgive me, save me.

I believe today come into my life and for many of you who have had seasons like I've had in my life where yes I'm redeemed. The answer was yes but are you walking in the light or are you walking in darkness this Christmas season turned from the darkness. Get with people to walk with God, get back into God's word find a church that teaches the Bible find one or two friends that you know worked the kind of Christians you want to be and say to the Lord Jesus. You redeem me now I want to walk in a way that's pleasing to you make the decision today until one person what you've done in your new journey will begin. If you prayed with Chip. I hope you'll take a minute and call us at AAA 83336003. We love to hear your story and get a free resource in your hands that'll help you understand what it means to become a Christian and give you a couple of next steps that resources also available. If you go to the new believer staff on our website LivingontheEdge.org or tap special offers on the chipping remap one more thing about the app is a great way to share any of these messages you think are especially helpful as we close today's program. I want to remind you because we seen this happen that nearly a million people were here what we just said and hundreds if not thousands of people because it's the gospel it's not me. It's the word of God will turn from darkness to light and spend eternity in heaven. Countless others will make a major decision in their life to come out of darkness to walk into the light and families and marriages and workplaces and communities, and churches will never be the same. And this happens because faithful prayer partners and faithful financial partners give to Living on the Edge so that this broadcast is on this station at this time. Thank you very very much and if you have not given to Living on the Edge and you're receiving benefit. Can I encourage you as we close today's program where you help us continue to help others. Thank you in advance for all the God leads you to do.

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