Live with Lon-God's Plan of Salvation - Part 1: The Virgin Birth and Switching Races

Will you live with long and as you know, all we've been going through the Gospels together. We just began last week and that's our plan to march to the Gospels together and if you missed our message from last week on a little bit of introduction as well as so some words about fulfilled prophecy and the power of fulfilled prophecy really encourage your faith, I urge you to go back and listen to last week's message today were going to go on and talk about the virgin birth and the member we agreed last week that were not going to do tall Bible study and remarkable ground, a Bible study were going to affect the Bible study and the appraisal more.

That's what I have with me for you today. Before we did.

Again, I think were all aware of the coronavirus issue and of what's going on not just here in America but around the world and it is the Army I don't even have a word for overwhelming on a discouraging depressing are scary. I don't know that all these words apply and yet we remember that our God is in complete control and although we don't know why God has determined that the he would do this at this time. He is our God, and he doesn't make mistakes, but we need to pray, we need to bring our fears. I need to bring my fears. We need to bring our discouragement. We need to bring our concern and we need to lay it before of the Lord Jesus. So I want us to take a moment before we dig in.

The word and the let's quiet our hearts and lay our cares. At the foot of the cross. Let's towel our heads together and let's take a moment to bring all that are anxiety, all of our care is wonderful song bring to the mercy seat, leave it there never a burden. He cannot bear. Never a friend like Jesus. So friends take a moment and bring all those burdens and anxieties to the Lord and let's give them to him.

Let's leave them at the foot of the cross with his help, Lord Jesus, for all of us.

This is a very scary time in our lives and in the history of our country and our planet and Lord. There is reason for us to be concerned for older loved ones for children with disabilities in adults with disabilities with whom we know for our relatives and our friends and our coworkers and even for ourselves and God. I want to thank you that we have the absolute confidence that you are in charge that this is not an accident.

What is happening to our world and father even though we do not know why you are doing this or what your ultimate plan. Lord we submit to you our fears or anxieties, Lord, are our concerns and Lord change our hearts more changes from praying thy will be changed to thy will be done, but we do ask for mercy. Lord we ask for mercy for our world. We asked for mercy for our nation. We asked for mercy for our aging parents or our children with disabilities or our friends and neighbors and ourselves.

Dear Jesus, we ask you to stop displaying the way you stop the plague in David's time by simply saying the word or Lord to stop it by helping us discover quickly something that works against this virus and reduces its danger. Jesus, we come to you. We have no strength against this virus as Jehoshaphat. Neither know we want to do, but our eyes are upon the second Chronicles 20 so Jesus please intervene and have mercy on us, Lord, both personally and as a human race, and we wait upon the dear Jesus, and we ask all of this in Jesus name in all God's people said a man okay so will leave the coronavirus to the Lord and now we will begin to his word. I want to talk to you today about the virgin birth and the virgin birth is found the description of it into passages in the Gospels in Matthew's gospel chapter 2, and in Luke's gospel chapter 1, so why don't we begin by reading those two passages and I'm reading of course from the new King James version of the Bible, but you can use any version that you like, but I recommend bringing a Bible to the study so that you can follow along.

So here we go right now were in Matthew chapter 1.

Actually, I said to that I met a live you know why that happens. Okay here we go. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this after his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together that is sexual in marriage, she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit and Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make a public example out of her, was minded to put her away secretly but while he thought about these, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit and she will bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus banana with Jesus's name comes from other word you see what comes from the Hebrew word meaning salvation you will call his name Jesus, for he will save there's the connection his people from their sins. Now all of this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet Isaiah. The whole the virgin will be with child and will bring forth a son, and they will call his name Immanuel, which is translated, God with us. Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife and did not know her sexually till she brought forth her firstborn son and he called his name Jesus. Now we go to Luke chapter 1 where we have also the virgin birth are described to us. And here we find it in our chapter 1 of Luke's Gospel verse 26 and in the six month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth to virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David and the virgin's name was Mary and having company in the angel say, etc. her hail highly favored one, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women when she saw him she was troubled in his say and consider what manner of greeting this might be in the angel said to her, do not be afraid.

There for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus.

He will be great and will be called son of the most time and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Then Mary said to the angel, how can this be, since I do not know a man in the angel answered and said to her, the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you therefore also the holy one was to be born will be called the son of God form with God. Gabriel said nothing will be impossible, Mary said, behold, I am the May of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word and the angel departed from her. While what to great passages of Scripture and in an interesting that the angel told Joseph in Matthew's gospel don't be afraid anytime Mary in Luke's gospel don't be afraid because friends that's the most common phrase in the Bible that God uses when he addresses us as human beings as his children in Christ, he says to us more than any other single thing. Do not fear. Do not be afraid when it comes to the coronavirus. Do not fear when it comes to the world looking like it's all falling apart. Do not fear when we lost our job and we don't know how were going to take care of our family. Do not fear when it comes to people all around us doing social distancing and whatever they're calling it now. Do not fear. Do not fear because I the Lord, and with you and I the Lord have this whole thing under control. Do not fear. We have to simply believe God.

It's hard not to fear because the things are scary were humans but Jesus again and again says to us, do not fear… You and I got this and that's exactly what he said to Joseph, that's exactly what he said to Mary do not fear Joseph to take this woman is your wife. Don't fear the rumors. Don't fear the gossip.

Don't fear the V.

The what other people are going to say don't fear and he said the mayor.

Mary don't fear of the fact that people can ostracize you and look at you as though you were a prostitute nor a woman with cheap moral values don't fear God says God and I'll take care of so Mary is told by Gabriel and Diane angel. We don't know if it was Gabriel told Joseph that Mary was going to have a child that was going to be conceived in her womb by the Holy Spirit. And I love the fact would Mary says, how can this be for I've never known a man sexually.

I love the fact Gabriel doesn't try to really explain this to her. She would not understood and we would not understand either. This is a supernatural work. I love the fact that would Mary said how can this be, I love the fact that the angel said very simply, the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high God will overshadow you, Mary. That's all you need to know. You don't even know how it works. You just need to know that this is from God and he is going to take care of it, much like so often when we say God what's going on.

God says you don't need to know all the details if I explained until you wouldn't even understand. Just trust me. I God and that's what he says to Mary now.

We commonly refer to this as the virgin birth because Mary here says I'm a virgin in Luke's gospel. I've never known a man and their people talk about this why it's right that of the translation is correct. Virgin, but folks there may be many, many people who don't want to believe in the virgin birth about there can be nobody who says that the Bible doesn't claim a virgin birth.

For the Lord Jesus Christ. If they don't want to accept that that's fine but please don't tell me the Bible doesn't proclaim that the Bible proclaims it clearly in both Gospels, Matthew and Luke and claims that it is a fulfillment of one of the 30 some messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. Isaiah chapter 7 where Isaiah says the virgin in Hebrew, not a virgin, not just anybody but the virgin the one God has picked out the definite article is used on the word virgin the virgin in Matthew's gospel says the virgin because it was Mary picked out from time immortal that God had in mind, the virgin shall conceive and have a child. Now let's talk about this a little bit because if you done any reading at all of among scholars or whomever you probably run into this event that they will claim that the word that is used here in Isaiah chapter 7 the word Allah in Hebrew does not mean virgin and the rather it means young woman and her maiden and that it was a twisting of that prophecy by the apostles to make a virgin birth And will a moment with them.

Talk about why the virgin birth so important… First talk about is that what the Bible predicted and what it claims for the Lord Jesus.

Well, let's talk about Isaiah chapter 7 the word all my they're translated virgin is a word that comes from the Hebrew root on a lamb which means to be hidden or to be concealed and and it's referring to a woman who's been hidden or concealed sexually. It's very interesting. Also, in classical Greek that this root word was used also to apply to ships and in the very same route talking about a ship that was a virgin ship that is and had never sailed before. This was its maiden voyage, and this is what the Bible claims for Mary that she had never had sexual relations.

No bones about it. This is what the Bible claims.

Now there's lots of other words in Hebrew, the Bible could have used if it simply meant young woman he could've used his shop was just as a general word for a woman. It could have used… Which is a word for generally a younger woman.

It could use not, which is a word for maiden orbit through bitumen which is a word for a marriageable age young woman could use any of those words, but it shows how a world woman who had been concealed and hidden offense sexual behavior, and we know that that was the interpretation of the rabbis before Jesus came into the world because we have a translation of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint the Septuagint was a translation into Greek of the Old Testament done in Alexandria, Egypt. Around 200 BC and the reason it was done was because Alexander the great had swept through the whole Middle East and most of the known world, and with him. He brought the Greek language and the Greek language became the lingua franca I became the language of commerce and trade as a result of these contrast of Alexander and so fewer and fewer Jews, even spoke Hebrew conversationally, or Aramaic conversationally because they spoke Greek.

Instead, and so inner in an attempt to get the Old Testament into the hands of more Jewish people who can understand it.

There was a project around 200 BC to translate the Old Testament into cloisonné every day, Greek, and we call this the Septuagint it's very interesting that in the Septuagint. This Hebrew word Allah is translated by the Greek word Parthenon's which means virgin.

There are other words in Greek. Also, it could have been used if all it meant was a young woman in Greek.

We could have used the word Korea, which means a young woman you could use the word in the honest which means a young woman you could use the word brunette Which means a young woman, but none of those words were used the word Parthenon was the word for virgin is used by the translators at 200 BC. So we know that a 200 BC. The rabbis in the Jewish leaders understood this word Allah to mean virgin you say well what happened, how come it down now today were hearing people say it doesn't mean virgin folks, this is polemic after Jesus was born of a virgin, and after that became a major verse that people like Paul would use to to prove, among other messianic prophecies that Jesus was the Messiah and the Jewish leaders wanted to change that and to take the word all my the virgin connotation away and just simply put in a young woman but that is not how they understood 200 BC and I'm here to tell you that's not even how they understood it in the time of the New Testament the word all my men and the work Parthenon's which translates it meant virgin say how can you be so sure that well I can't because I can take it in acts chapter 21 of verse nine where a fall is on his way to Jerusalem. And he stops by to meet with Philip the evangelist Alyssa what the Bible says in verse nine, abstract 21 it says now this man Philip who lived in Caesarea have for daughters who were virgins parked annoying Parthenon's the Greek word for virgin same word used to translate all my Septuagint you say yeah but maybe their adjustment young women you know WHY would you say that a man had four daughters who were women.

That makes no sense if there daughters of course there women why in the world would Luke write down now. He had four daughters and they were women low.

Of course they were women. The only reason for him to write something like that. If all Parthenon managers, women that's crazy.

But if Parthenon's means virgin then to say that Philip had four daughters who were Parthenon virgins. Okay well now. That adjective makes sense.

So there is no doubt at the time of Jesus and for centuries before this prophecy in Isaiah chapter 7 is talking about, not just virgin but the virgin who was named Mary that God picked out before time began to bear the Lord Jesus Christ. We said on okay I understand what you're saying but listen up, so important, I mean look that with the really important part here is that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead and went back to heaven and is coming back together. I mean if the virgin birth didn't really happen.

I mean, it's not that big a deal right wrong is a huge deal. My friends, the virgin birth and let let's talk about one of Romans chapter 5. One of the greatest chapters anywhere in the Bible talks about what happened when Adam and Eve sick and I won't read to you several verses there you may be familiar with these but maybe not.

It says, Romans chapter 5 verse 12.

Therefore by one man sin entered the world. Now, who without one man be. According to the Bible, of course.

Therefore, as by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin.

There was no death before Adam disobeyed God and thus death spread to all men because in the sight of God. All sin. Adam was the head of the race of men. We find this very clearly explained in first Corinthians 15. There are people who are in Adam and there are people who are in Christ.

There are two races that God sees among the human race and ureter in one or you're in the other ureter in Adam or you're in Christ everyone of us is born in Adam and when we are in Adam everything our federal head. Adam did good or bad is imputed to us as his descendents as members of his race. I often compare this to Jimmy Carter of selling the Panama Canal, the president of the United States is the federal head of America whenever he does, we as American citizens are stuck with it good or bad. Frankly, I didn't want to sell the Panama Canal. Like the Panama Canal. I wanted to keep the Panama Canal doesn't matter.

Jimmy Carter sold it. I have to live with that will, in the same way. Those of us who are members of Adam's race is the federal head of our race. If he sinned and brought death upon himself. He brought Jeff up on his old race that is exactly what the Bible is saying. Sometimes this is called the doctrine of original sin. Don't let that confuse you.

All it means is that every body who was in Adam dies and that's what the Bible goes on to say, listen, death reigned from Adam to Moses and from there on that point is made because between Adam and and Moses people didn't have specific laws of God to break like Adam had gossiped only that was a specific law animate unto Moses is given the law there. There were no rules for people to break and nevertheless people died anyway proving that people don't die because what they do they die because they're in a race where death rules. Everyone in that race now. Romans five goes on for by one man's offense meeting. Adam many.then he goes on to say verse 18.

Therefore, by one man's offense.

Adams judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation from a holy God. Verse 19 for as by one man's disobedience, Adam. Many were made sinners, folks, the Bible is clear in Romans chapter 5 in another passages that when we come into this world as members of Adam's race. We come into the world as sinners in the sight of a holy God and with a death penalty on us condemnation on us as members of his race. Now the Bible also says in first Corinthians 15 there's another race.

People can be in Adam which will restart everybody starts there or we can be Christ and this ranks get all the benefits of what gets federal head did Jesus cry. I didn't say we get any of the disadvantages because our federal head in Christ didn't do anything to disadvantage a what he did is he brought life. So, as in Adam all die. Romans chapter 5.

So in Christ all shall be made alive. Praise the Lord. First Corinthians 15 so salvation my friends, among other things, is a matter of changing races you don't do it God. When you trust Jesus and what he did on the cross moves you from Adam's race into Christ's race and therefore you are no longer responsible for all of the disadvantages.

Adam purchased for you when you disobeyed God. We are now credited with all the advantages that our Lord Jesus Christ, the risen Lord of glory purchased for us on the cross Guyana hallelujah come on now.

Praise the Lord right but in order for Jesus to establish a new race. He could not have been originally from Adam's race to start a new race he had to be something Adam wasn't, which is sinless and this is what the virgin birth is all about. It's about creating a body for the Lord Jesus Christ, a real human body, but one that did not have the sin nature that every member of Adam's race inheritance on all of us inherit that sin nature that Adam purchased for us 20 disobeyed God and Jesus.

What is Hebrews chapter 4 say was tempted in all ways. Like we were but without sin without sin. And that's why his death on the cross is efficacious for us because it's not just some other similar dynamic cross if the sin last son of God giving his life in place of our life, substitutionary atonement he atoned for us by being our substitute on the cross, but to do that he has to be sinless. First Corinthians 5 says Christ our Passover sacrifice for Jesus was the ultimate Passover lamb and remember what God said that the Passover lamb when I see the blood on the door post of the Passover lamb.

I will pass over you and judgment. However, the Passover lamb had to be blemished less if it had blemishes of any kind of a broken leg. You know a broken back. I don't know whatever and I'm missing. He couldn't be the Passover lamb for your family, your family had to have a perfect lamb because the Passover lamb is symbolic of the ultimate Passover lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ who had no blemishes at all, but I live a sinless life he could not have the Lord Jesus. The sin nature.

Nobody with the sin nature can live a sinless life.

No one I mean with the sin nature. We've already seen before even know what sin is as little children tell our parents know and disobeying in all kinds of thing Jesus the only way he can be the sinless Lamb of God was to be born with no sin nature of real human body. Yes, but no sin nature and the only way for that to happen is he could not be in Adam he could not be part of Adam's race and this is the whole beauty of the virgin birth.

God made a body for the live living son of God, the second person in the Godhead, but it didn't have a sin nature so he could live a sinless life so he could die on the cross as a blemishes lamp so that when he rose from the dead. He established a new race so that when we moved to that new race.

We are not accountable to God for what Adam did for Violet what Jesus did in his blood covers us from God's judgment and, as in Adam all die, so in Christ all shall be made alive. Then T praise the Lord. Maybe it don't get no better than that. This is why the virgin birth is central to our faith if we give up the virgin birth, then the life of Jesus equipment and sinless than the death of Jesus on the cross couldn't of been redemptive. Then we don't belong to a new race and we are in Adam and we are destined to die and there's nothing anybody can do about it. But that's not true because the virgin birth really happened.

All right. So as I said a minute or so ago, a person may not believe the virgin birth, but there is no way they can claim that the virgin birth is not what the Bible claims and chemistry. One other little place where were we get a little tinge of this I'm in John chapter 8 when my favorite chapters in the Bible and here Jesus is arguing with the rabbis about you, who is their father and and they say Abraham's our father and listen to the pickup at the very end of the argument okay here here's what we see Jesus said to him, to them, rather, Jesus said, most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word he shall never see death images setting up now we know God and even now we know you're crazy. Abraham is dead and the prophets are there, and yet you say, if anyone keeps my word he shall never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham, who was yet in the prophets, who worked at the rabbis setting him. Make yourself out to be is the whole point in and Jesus answered he said it is the father who honors me if I honor myself. It's nothing yet you do not know my father, but I'm going and if I say I don't know I might be a liar like you, and then he says this. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day and he saw at and was glad.

And then the Jews said to him you were not even 50 years old and you seen Abraham and Jesus said, before Abraham was, I am now. That was their big fight their big argument that they were having an earlier in chapter 8 there of John's Gospel when they were starting this argument, I love what happens. They said to Jesus, Abraham is our father and Jesus said to them, if Abraham were your father you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me, a man was told to the truth.

Abraham never did that and they said to him, we were not born of fornication.

We have one father God. Now why did they say that Jesus, we were not born of fornication will friends this is a cheap slap if a reference back to the virgin birth to the fact his mother wasn't what wasn't. Mary when she got pregnant and that she had Jesus in a sense because of fornication, and not because of being married to her husband because she was pregnant and soon the rabbis could tell 987654320 and that's why they say we want born of fornication like you were friends.

This is a reference to to the virgin birth that they understood. Mary got pregnant before she has sex with anybody. Supposedly, and it's a it's a slap in Jesus, but even here we see a little sliver of the virgin birth that these rabbis understood that Mary was pregnant, not by her husband, but some other way. Now they didn't believe it was by the spirit. But we know that it was okay while that's a lot. So now were to the end of our expositional studies.

So we need to ask our most important question and so are you read we go, now gone to fray baby. How sweet it is okay say saline while okay man, I think I got that you choked me with with with the Venti today and the theology, but I mean how does this really relate to my everyday practical life. Well, much in every way. To quote the King James go back to chapter 1 of Luke's gospel and read you what the Gabriel said.

Now listen the Bible says and Gabriel said to her, for with God nothing will be impossible.

That was Gabriel's answer as to how this can be with God nothing is impossible. This reminds me of course of the story in Genesis 18 when the three strangers came to visit Abraham. Remember, God promised Abraham a son, and Abraham had been waiting 25 years of the sun to his wife Sarah and and they had not had a son, and so Abraham was 99 years old now and Kevin and Sarah was 90. The point is, the two of them having a baby was impossible not unlikely or improbable, it was impossible. So, here come these three strangers. We learn later that two of them are angels who go on to Sodom and Gomorrah in the store the city and save lot, but we learn the third one.

The Bible calls the third visitor Yahweh uses the tetra grandma Tonya Goldhaber pay the name of God himself. This was God taking on a human form to appear to Abraham and anthropomorphic appearance of God was at the Lord Jesus was God.

I don't know how to know, but it was definitely the Godhead in this body and and this person says to Abraham, I will return to you at this time next year and your wife Sarah will have a child now where was Cheryl. This time, we know her. Sarah was she was outside the tent eavesdropping nothing straight and so yeah that's where she was in the Lord and she was there and when she heard this, she did what she do we all know what you do if you know the Bible.

She laughed. That's right, she's like my being sold and I and in my Lord Abraham beings all work and I have a baby when I have the sound of a baby in her tenancy F and at end of the Lord came out and and confronted her and said Sarah wanted to laugh and she said I didn't laugh. She was scared and and the Lord said, oh yes you did.

You did laugh, and then he says this to her.

He says Sarah is anything too hard for the Lord, that beautiful is anything too hard for the Lord Jeremiah 32.

I am the God of the universe of the maker of all mankind is anything too hard for me.

The Lord says I am Gabriel here says, for with God nothing is impossible, and Jesus himself said the things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

While the virgin birth among many other things is a wonderful example to us that we should never ever say anything is beyond the capacity of our living God to do. He can inject himself into this world any time he feels like it, and he can do anything he wants to spend the laws of nature make the sun stand still for a day make an accent float open up the red see us for the Israelites to march through have Jesus walking on the water raise Lazarus from the dead, the on and on and on and on. He can do it all and this has much to do with our lives. Because so often friends we know this in her head theologically, but so often we live like we don't believe it. We limit God who we place restrictions on him and what he can do and can't do what he will do what he won't do in our puny minds before we ever even give him a change to show us what he might want to do. Ephesians chapter 3 says God can do exceedingly abundantly more than you can ask or even imagine folks I can imagine a lot in the Bible says God can do more than that easily. So this means that we need to be very careful that we don't come to God, having already put artificial limits on what we think he will and won't can and can't do. We need to come to God with a completely open slate of Psalm 78 verse 41 says that the Israelites after God opened the Red Sea and brought manna from heaven, and brought water from a rock and drop quail all over them and all of this stuff had the ground opened up and swallowed David in a Byron they still did not believe God and the pain they they hurt him in his heart. God is insulted by our unbelief. After he's done so much and he it hurts to see us limiting him so does this have practical ramifications for us. Of course it doesn't means whatever we need whatever problem we got. We come to God and we don't put limits on sale God please intervene to to something miraculous here, Lord, do something, even if it looks impossible, God, and if you say no, you don't want to, I'll accept that. But only because it your will.

I'm not going to decide that you're not going to do this or you can't do this.

Jeremiah 33 three. This is been one of my favorite verses in my life calling me and I will answer saith the Lord, and I will do great and mighty things for you that you know not if you don't come already presuming I can't call in the mid-and I will answer you and I will show you great and mighty things you know not what I have found in her eyes close, permitted, you know, I can't imagine that everyone of us here, especially those of us who know Christ don't have something that were praying about or something that will worried about that looks the odds look terrible and the obstacles look huge and we're tempted to say God with those obstacles in diameter I'm not even asking for Lord because I don't even don't friends don't do that to them must take a moment and let God be God exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask her for I will show you great and mighty things that you know not so take a moment and give God these things with no limits, no predetermined decisions about what he will and won't. Let's just leave him free to be God whether he answers this week or this month or next year. Let's let them be God. Take a moment, Lord Jesus, thank you for a lesson on the virgin birth today.

Thank you for teaching us that with God nothing is impossible is anything too hard for the Lord.

The things that are impossible with man are possible with God and Lord Jesus I pray that you would make us the kind of folks who come to you with all of the limits removed Lord with all boundaries removed of our own puny wisdom and just allow you to be God as the Bible says help us to simply stand still and see the deliverance of the Lord help us to stand still and let God be God.

Be still and know that I'm God and Lord. If you decide to say no to us we will accept as part of your divine plan. But God let that be the only reason for which you are forced to say no, not because of our unbelief. So Jesus we lay before you, our troubles are cares our worries remind us what you said. Courage often call unto me, says the Lord, and I will answer you and I will show you great and mighty things that you know not. May that be the way we live in Jesus name we pray for all God's people said a man okay next week say the same time same place live a long going to continue in our study of the Gospels and can't wait to see you next week and I hope this week. Jeremiah 33, three: the me about Nancy and also a great mighty things Nono life is not the rest