I Believe In Christmas

Worship the word pastor and Merry Christmas. We pray we experience God's peace, joy and many blessings this Christmas season. Today's message is titled. I believe in Christmas and in it Pastor Robert discusses essential truths about Christmas.

It is a really eye-opening message. So let's tuning with pastor Robert Arnold you turn your Bibles to two passages will open the Matthew chapter 1 and then put a marker at Isaiah 7 so open your Bibles to Matthew chapter 1 and then put a marker at Isaiah chapter 7 and then you'll be able to flip over there quickly. Matthew one and Isaiah 7 title of the message today is I believe in Christmas. I believe in Christmas and the reason why I decided to put it in the first person I is because I want each of you as you take notes as you remember this message. I want you to like the same declaration in each of the points will begin with I I believe in Christmas. One of the reasons I'm saying this is there is a concerted effort today to take Christ out of Christmas and I just want to boldly declare it is not seasons greetings.

It is not. Happy holidays. It is Mary Christmas Merry Christmas. It is the celebration of Christ birth. The word Christmas comes from two words obviously Christ.

The Greek word and then mass is a Latin word which means celebration on festival. It is the celebration of Christ and solace to go through the story and talk about to trues about Christmas that we need firmly established in our lives.

So Matthew chapter 1 verse 18, Matthew one, verse 18 now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows after his mother Mary was betrothed or engaged, would be another word for that word today to Joseph, before they came together in numbers before they were married.

She was found with child of the Holy Spirit underline those words so we can come back to those and talk about then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly, or in other words break up with her secretly, not make a public deal out of this, but Wally thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is not underline them again. These words conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit and she will bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins, which is what yes Sheila. In the Hebrew means God's salvation so all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuelle which is translated God with us that when he says the prayer. This is according to what the prophet said his home at Isaiah 40 flip back to Isaiah chapter 7 I want to read this prophecy, Isaiah chapter 7. Beginning in verse 10. Moreover the word of the Lord spoke again to Ahaz. Ahaz is the king of Judah say as a sign for yourself from the Lord your God, ask it either in the depth or in the height above but Ahaz said I will not ask nor will I test the Lord.

Then he this is Isaiah now speaking for the Lord prophetically said here now, O house of David emphasizes that this is a prophetic word to the house of David is a nice small thing for you to weary man, but will you weary my God also there for the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuelle.

That's the prophecy the score the Matthew chapter 1 about Jesus only give you a little background on this Ahaz is the king of Judah, and at this time. He is not a godly king. He is not a godly man he never was. And at this time. Syria is besieging or attacking Judah coming against Judah as even got Israel involved in this to come against the tribe of Judah, and so Ahaz is afraid about this and Isaiah comes to him of the prophecy you backup just nobody's telling God's will take care of your God is going to protect his people, and then he says this asked to sign. Ask the Lord sign is what God sets me aside. I will give you a sign, and Ahaz says I'm not going after five. Lord, I will not test and milking changes in the work camp and attempt God and it sounds like a very spiritual answer, but it's not spiritual at all because you have to remember he was not a godly man is matter-of-fact at the very time this happened. While Syria is besieging or coming against them, setting their battle forces, and in array against him. Ahaz has made under the table behind the scenes deal with the king of Syria to different nations Syria coming its name Syria. He makes this deal with them behind the scenes and him since the deal if he's going to sell the people of Israel as slaves to the king of Assyria so that he might save his own life.

He doesn't want to test our trust God.

He doesn't want to do it God's way.

He wants to manipulate and do it his own way here.

This piece is on the test… It wasn't that he didn't want to test God it was that he didn't want to trust God.

He wanted to trust the way he could work it out way he could put things together in his own ability and God says you know what give your son and then he gives a messianic prophecy. The word messianic means of Scripture in the Old Testament that refers to the Messiah which we know Jesus Christ. But here's what God says is, I will give you sign a virgin will conceive and bear a son, and you will call him Emmanuelle which means God with us. How would that be a sign to Ahaz because this was 740 years before the birth of Christ. How would that be aside, here's the site. The other member. He's the king of Judah of the house of David, this is the lineage of Jesus is the lineage of the Messiah.

Here's what he saying don't you remember the Messiah is coming through the house of David through the tribe of Judah.

The sign Ahaz is that the Messiah has not come yet. Therefore, there's no way that anything could happen to you because the Messiah hasn't come yet God has a plan and a purpose for the people of God. That's the sign there's there's no way the enemy can prevail against you because your God's people, and God has a purpose for your life. Listen to me carefully. That's the same sign that we have today is the same sign because were the people of God, and God has a purpose and a plan for our lives. When the enemy comes in and says I'm going to get you can remember know you can get me as I'm a child of God, and God has a purpose and a plan for my life and this prophecy Emmanuelle God with us. There are two truths in this prophecy that we must have firmly establishing us as believers, as followers of Christ in solitary those two trees right.

Here's number one, number one, I believe in the virgin birth. I believe in the virgin birth. There are many who don't think it's that important to believe in the virgin birth is extremely important to believe in the virgin birth and let me tell you why, because since Jesus was born of a virgin. It means that he was fully God when he was on this earth know me just remind you the Scriptures. Verse 18, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit verse 24 that which is conceived in her is of the holy spirit. Do you realize why there is an attack against believing in the virgin birth because he wasn't born of a virgin if he was conceived by man that he wasn't God.

The only way he could be God was to be conceived by the Holy Spirit and he was God alone this earth. Emmanuelle means God with us not representative of God. God himself with us to see the date it said the Bible says the iniquities of the fathers are passed to the children about what doesn't say the iniquities of the mother piano simulator thing and yeah I can see addendum.

I knew they got all that for him. Okay, so this is the iniquities of the fathers are passed to the children God use the bag overwhelming the sea came from God. He wasn't conceived by the seed of a man. Therefore, he did not have a sin nature. It is important for us to believe in the virgin birth because it helps us to understand that Jesus was God. He was and is God fully God only certain Jesus is God. Jesus was not a messenger from God.

He was God with the message it was God himself with a message. I remember hearing a message when I was a teenager.

Actually Debbie and I were dating at the time and this guy talked about the greatest gift and after the message when you walked out. Debbie said I wish I had remembered that I'd written it down as I was really good nestling take what he said he made such an impression on me.

Use John 316 and this I give it to you. He said for God, the greatest lover so loved the greatest degree the world the greatest company that he gave the greatest act is only begotten son, the greatest gift that whosoever the greatest opportunity believe it. The greatest simplicity in him the greatest attraction should not perish the greatest promise. But the greatest difference have the greatest certainty everlasting life. The greatest possession is that God gave the greatest gift I can actually remember when I told Debbie that I just rattled off to a different one time and never forget. She knew I was not a believer at the time I was attending church but was an early Christian and member. She said that's amazing how you can remember that you want to be a preacher so apparently she was right. Here's the thing that we need to understand about God with us. God didn't send someone to redeem us. He came himself know I was talking to a friend about a while back that the judge and he told me the story. He said that one of his friends came to him had gotten a ticket, and that he said them. Hey I got this ticket can you take care of it for me and so he said yeah I'll take care of it. A few weeks later, he saw his friend and his friend said hey thanks for dismissing that ticket for me and my friend the judge said I didn't dismiss it and he said well I thought you said you take care of it for me is that I did like your face.

It will if you didn't dismiss it. How did you take care of it. I said I painted yes and all I did. I didn't want you pay for the ticket I meant. You know would you do your your judge thing you know, my friend. The judge said to him, were you guilty or you guilty and he said well yes I was in my friend said the injustice demanded that the penalty be paid and he said if I'm a righteous judge, I can't dismiss it. The penalty has to be paid in many people believe that God, the righteous judge just dismissed the charges against us, but he didn't because he's a righteous judge, he paid the penalty himself so very important to believe in the virgin birth because it helps us to understand that God God is with us that God paid the price for our sins but Jesus was fully God will assert here's the second church from this prophecy. I believe that Jesus came in the flesh. I believe that Jesus came in the flesh. These are two truths that I want you to always hold in your heart. I believe Jesus came the flesh in the same way that there is a war raging against the virgin birth. There's a war raging. It's did he come in the flesh and in the virgin birth again declares that he's got, you realize it's the same argument that they were having 2000 years ago Jesus said who do men say that I am I said, well, some say one of the prophets, some say a good man you realize that's what people today say. But Jesus still say why believe Jesus was a good man on this site.

I believe he was a prophet but the answer today is the same as it was 2000 years ago.

You are the Christ, the son of the living God. That's why it's important for us to believe is in the virgin birth, but it's important for us to believe. He came in the flesh only read if you Scriptures John 11 says in the beginning was the word that the word refers to Jesus Christ or we know that for many other passages.

Watch this carefully and the Word was with God and the word was God. So that's the first record, he he he was God on the CERT but watch verse 14 John 114 and the word became flesh and dwelt among us. The word became flesh. It's important to understand that Jesus became a man, a human first John chapter 4 verses two and three by this you know the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flask is not of God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and is now already in the world. Second John verse 74. Many deceivers have gone out in the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Why is it important to understand that Jesus came in the flesh is important to believe these two truths that he was fully God and that he was fully God became man. Let me tell you what's important because if he did not become a man. Then he didn't die and if he didn't die and our sins are not atone for he had to die to pay for our sins, he had to become the flesh related to this way in Hebrews to read out the new living translation because it's easier to understand. Hebrews 214 says because God's children are human being made of flesh and blood. Jesus also became flesh and blood by being born in human form for only as a human and lonely as a human being could he die, and only by dying pretty break the power of the devil who had the power of death, you need to know that Jesus broke the power of death.

Every one of us, unless the Lord comes back before are going to face death, but the great news is our Lord has already faced and overcome it.

It is true, my Lord, my Lord's supper my Lord lead and guide my Lord, died on the cross for me, but here's the truth and my Lord rose again.

And he rose from the gray everyone of us are going to go through death. Normally, unless he comes back before then. You heard about a guy a while back that send out an email and it said my wife is that death doorway and the doctor is doing his best to pull her through you asked someone about that later but just don't think that was the best wording is one of the great truths about this is that Jesus became a man he became a human being and what you think about this.

Everyone of us have had a loved one to die. We've all lost someone close to us. It's tough. It's very, very tough to watch someone that we love suffer and die what you need. Remember is that I was talking to someone a while back who had a loved one who was dying and I told him yes I said you know, God knows how you feel. Many people just forget about this because Jesus became a man and was subject to their God watched his child. He watched his own son nine and I told Mrs. Gunness that God God knows how you feel and he said to me in a meeting minute wrong. He said, but God knew he would rise again and I said to him, so do you. So you but it's still tough.

But even though it's tough because Jesus rose from the grave. We have the victory.

We know that these truths are so important. We believe in the virgin birth because it tells us that God was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus was conceived by the Spirit, which means he was fully God and the world wants to attack that truth, the virgin birth because if they can bring that down. Then he wasn't really God, but he was gone. And then we need to understand that he came in the flesh that he became a man and as a man, he suffered as a man, he died.

There's a very famous another famous messianic scripture in Isaiah. Isaiah is has the most messianic prophecies of any book in the Bible. And this is one that you see on Christmas cards. It's very it's a great I want you to think about what I'm saying Jesus was fully man and fully God.

This verse says that and maybe you've never put it together this way. What watch the fully man in the fully God. Isaiah 9 verse six says, for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given is unto us a human human being a child, a baby is born fully man, but also unto us a son is given, the son of God. He was born as a man, he was given as the son of God, you think about something to counter wraps up to make Christmas all the way back in the beginning. Let's just say that Adam had not been with Eve when she sent and we know that Adam was there that he didn't protect his wife that he also send you off. What if Adam had not. What if Adam had been across the garden. When Eve ate the fruit, then a conversation similar to this would have happened. God would've gone to Adam and said, I'm so sorry to tell you this son, but the bride that I made you has sand and because she is sent. She is going to die and I know that didn't happen, but cannot tell you what did happen God the father had to go to his son and say son I am so sorry to tell you this, but the bride that I made for you has sand and she is going to die and our Lord and our Savior's all for die so that my bright we want you to take a moment to think about what Pastor Richard today and really listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you if you want to connect with us or check out some of Pastor Roberts other messages and visit Pastor Robert.com if you haven't already, go follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter so we can be a part of your community. Thank you again for listening and with us today. We hope you have a blessed Christmas season and a happy new year