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

I don't know about you but my schedule is filling up like crazy with Christmas activities and then that looming pressure buying presents just 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. Set your mind and heart in the right direction. Stay with that's today. Thanks for joining us for this monthly addition of living on the shipping trip serves as our Bible teacher of the stately international discipleship program today. Trip continues a series what Child is this by asking the question. If God really did visit the planet.

Why did he come this may be a message you want to share with teaching give you an easy way to pass it on if you have your Bible, handing out opener to Colossians chapter 1.

Let's join Chip for part two of his message. Why did he come remember my my oldest son was being mentored by guy Vincent 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 have I done that I that I thought are you cheating 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 delight it 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 your good to people.

Your kind people. Your generous the people you put them first life on and you're doing real actions, says that's how you walk worthy and in your relationship got increasing in the experiential knowledge of God, because 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 try to figure out should I read a chapter a day to keep the devil will know you want to talk to you know 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 convince 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 Dumas. You can hear. 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 saying God I want you to live your life through me, and his spirit empowers and strengthens and then 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 and 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, parenthood 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 Dumas member, you know it. 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 you need.

This is why 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 are kind of done well in life that are asking what I do with the rest of my life and with the first's very first one is an experiment.

I literally did in the basement of my house in Atlanta and there was a young guy there named Michael and everyone else was older and Connor 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 that this guy 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 it and and he was like this driven over extended. No upper leg up late 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 know were sharing because 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 know 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 got 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 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 the guy that has the invention. Whatever it 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. Will that happen 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 with 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 that 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 in and help out these guys and 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, as 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. And Heaven and nature sing, and Heaven and nature sing, and Heaven and 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 asking 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 did I go too fast. Yes okay underline qualified underlined inheritance circle around rescued circle around dominion box around brought us, and that a 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 all yeah your approved well when you try and submit alone 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 in all the promises. There are who whosoever would believe and trust in him fair. 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 you put a box. He brought us litter. The word is transferred, he brought us out of the kingdom of darkness in the kingdom of light that little work brought us. You can write the word 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 $120 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 away 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 but 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 and you know most of more ever. Capt. will work with the legal people there and then will set up a sting operation, and then we'll go in and we will rescue 10 1112-year-old little girl's bitter 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. Then we have homes for them and they need to know they are valuable because they been hurt and abused and they need to be loved and we teaching 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.

What ever it takes so they can see and find in worship this new king and they do it. And then there's the. 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 the 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. If you've never been rescued out of darkness, my experiences as a lot of us that even after we come to know Jesus. We get trapped in darkness before we go on today. 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 that 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 ask 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 and tell one person what you've done in your new journey will begin.

If you just prayed with Chip.

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Thank you in advance for your generous support will tomorrow on Living on the Edge triple continuous series of what child is this so be sure to join us in courtship and the entire team. This is the thing.

Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge