Christmas Eve Service – “Love Came Down”

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he 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 conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

I’m sure the kids are probably getting more side in a more cited as the day goes on closer to the hour. Again welcome. And let’s pray that God will bless you. If you have a Merry Christmas and just a wonderful wonderful New Year. Let’s begin saving with it were prayer Heavenly Father we thank you and praise you for your mercy in your grace. Thank you father that you. Bless us with your Holy Presence we thank you that you came down that first Christmas morning Father that you became became man became one of us the greatest gift we just thank you and praise you. Thank you Lord. Sankey for your presence in our lives each and every day through your Holy Spirit pray to a guide and direct a symbologist pray that you would be with us this evening as we worship you. As we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And God dispraise just every day that we would celebrate celebrate your presence celebrate your love and we just again just sank you for all things in Jesus name Amen. My message the saving that I prepared a titled Love came down and love didn’t keep did indeed come down. My script or comes from Matthew Chapter one Verse is eighteen through twenty three and Luke Chapter two. Beginning with Matthew. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. And I like the way that’s worded. It was as follows. It is a matter of fact a matter of fact way this is how it happened. It’s like this is the historical account of how it happened. We believe it with all of our heart it’s not it’s not just fictional thing. This is how it happened after his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph before they came together. She was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband being a just man and not wanting to make her make her a public example was mindful to put her away secretly. But while he thought about. He sings 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 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. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet same behold a virgin shall be with child and Vera sun nation are called his name. The man you well which is translated God with us and then from Luke Chapter two. And it came to pass in the day those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered this census of the first took place while Cornelius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered each to his own continent city. Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into this into Judea to the City of David which is called Bethleham because he was of the house and then he just David to be registered with Mary his betrothed wife who was with child. So it was that while they were there the days were completed for her to be delivered and she brought forward forth. Her first born son wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the end. Jesus was not of this world. He was not born out of this world but came into this world you know as I was thinking about what the preach on the night preparing a message and I thought you know Christmas again every Christmas we preach about the same thing. Subvert the price we either preach from Luke as I just did and as Karen did this morning or Matthew Chapter one or we may even go to Isaiah to. The prophetic message of the Christ but every year you know same thing say I was thinking you know how my going to put a new spin on it or how am I going to come up with a new idea of a new way to present the birth of Christ and as I was pondering and thinking about these things the Spirit revealed to me you don’t need to put a new spin on it. The birth of Jesus does not need a new spin. Because the message of the birth of Christ is the greatest love story ever shared We don’t need to fluff it up. It’s already a great message. It reveals to us. It reveals to mankind the unmeasurable love of God how much he truly loves each and every one of us. It is the gospel message without the birth as Karen said this morning there would be no hope of eternal life without the birth there would not have been a resurrection there would have been no forgiveness of sin. I found a story to share that really reveals this truth. It’s titled The original love story in this story was shared by Reverend Bill Adams and the stories about a theologian named Karl Barth he was a swith reformer theologian who was often regarded as the greatest part Protestant theologian of the twentieth century the stories shared how Cora was asked to be a guest lecturer at the University of Chicago Divinity School at the end of a captivating closing lecture. The president of the seminary announced that Dr Barth was not well and it was very tired and though that he thought that Dr Barth would love. To be open to all kinds of questions. He knew that he was just too tired so he shouldn’t be expected to handle the strain of it. So the president said there. For I will ask just one question on behalf of all of us. So he turned to the renowned theologian and I ask. Of all the theological insight that you have ever had. Which do you be wished you consider to be the greatest of them all. It was a perfect question. For a man who had written literally tens of thousands of pages of this of some of the most sophisticated theology ever put into print. The students held their pencils right at their pads ready ready to write down the premier insight of this great theologian. Carr Barth Surely he was tired he closed his eyes as he stood there and he thought for a minute and then he got a smile on his face he opened his eyes and he said to these young seminarians he said the greatest theological insight that I ever had. Is this. Jesus loves me this son for the BIBLE TELLS ME SO. And that wonderful. I’m not a great song leader but help me out. Jesus me the old me the just imagine that one of the greatest theologians of the twentieth century. And that little song we learned as a child. It’s some of the greatest the ology known to me to know that Jesus loves me to know that he loves him so much that he came you know when Adam in need sinned in the garden. You’ve heard it described a created this great separation between God and man disgraced golf this great spans. However you want to say it but they did create a break in the relationship between God and man but you know what God did not completely withdraw himself from mankind did he did not withdraw all communication and all interaction with man we know that. Because we’ve all read much of the Old Testament and the new and the Old Testament we know that God visited or spoke to many of the patriarchs of all we know that rest of the Jacob Jacob wrestled with God God touched his hip and gave him my limp. We know that he spoke to Moses on the mountain and Moses was able to see God’s backside and he come down off that mountain with his face aglow we know that he spoke through many of the prophets like the lodge and he lived and Isaiah and Jeremiah We know that he spoke to Joseph we know that he spoke to know instructed him to build an ark and aren’t we. So thankful tonight that God did not give up all mankind. Yes. Hallelujah can end by same end of that God did not give up on us. You know God could have said you know man is so inherently wicked that I’m just going to destroy him I’m done with them but he did not. Instead he chose to do for us what we could not do for ourselves we could not live a perfect life. We could not save ourselves by our own righteousness because our righteousness is as filthy rags. I know you’ve heard that said many times. But that’s what our righteousness is if we could put all of our goodness and all of it all. Our Righteousness in a box and handed to God it would just be a box of filthy rags because it’s not bar righteousness. It is HIS righteousness. He did for us what we could not do not only did he not give up in a up on us but he stepped into humanity in the most humble of circumstances to come as a tiny baby not into the royal palace not born to an earthly king. But to lowly people poor people in his care circus morning in a stable place where animals are born or animals graze and feed a humble humble man. A humble child a humble family. This he did to stretch to demonstrate his great love for us John three sixteen and seventeen says For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life for God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved. How do you. Danger said to Joseph he will call the baby Jesus because he will say save his people from their sins the name Jesus means Savior and comes from the Hebrew name Joshua which means Jehovah is salvation. The word Christ means anointed and it is the Greek equivalent of Messiah. He is Jesus the Messiah Jesus is his human name Christ as his official title and in man you well describes who he is God with us. God with us. Isaiah fifty nine one thru two. Reveals how sin separated man from God. Behold the Lord’s hand is not shorten that it cannot save nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear but your iniquities have separate. Did you from God and your sins have hidden his face from you. So that he will not hear. We know that there is a prayer that God will hear and that is the prayer of repentance when a sinner realizes they need a savior. But sin has separated us. If Asians one three through six so blessed be the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the War of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him and love having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good plays are of his will to the praise of the glory of His grace by which he made us excepted in the beat of a day before the foundation of the world before God created the world. God knew you know we can’t think that God did not know because he knows all things he is all knowing he is on the present mission in the science is all powerful He knows all things he knew that man was going to sin. It did not take him by surprise but he had already in plan that which he had planned to do it would save man from their sins. If men would believe on Jesus Jesus is the healer. He is the mentor of that broken relationship between God and man he is the one that sets us free from our sins. It is in him by which he made us accepted in the big love that made us acceptable to God in Jesus Christ. Philippians two five through eight says Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God did not consider robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation. Taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men and being found in appearance as a man He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross. He became man became one of us that is the and body meant of his love a found another story that I thought really really an interesting story. Richard Armstrong wrote this article and he tried to make your life worthwhile. He shared this story about a man in Wales who sought the wind the affection of a certain lady for forty two years before she finally said yes. The couple both seventy four years old recently became Mr and Mrs. Though for more than forty years the persistent but rather shot a man slipped a weekly love letter under his neighbor’s door but she continually to refuse to speak and man the spat that had parted them many many years before. So after writing two thousand one hundred eighty four Love letters without ever even getting a spoken or written answer. The single hearted old man eventually summoned up enough courage to present himself in person she was probably thinking it’s about time. But finally after forty two years he presented himself in person. He knocked on the door of the reluctant lady and asked for her hand to his delight and surprise she accepted because you imagine after forty two years. She said yes. So imagine God’s dilemma. Doesn’t that reveal God’s dilemma with mankind. Time and time again God tried to get his message of the love of love to human to human creation. With very little response. Time and again I mean read the Old Testament how he time and again try to get his message to the people of Israel and to then to all the nations with little response but found when there was no other way. He stepped into humanity. Just as that old man had to go knock on that door in person. God wrapped his message in the person of Jesus Christ didn’t he. That is what he did. So are we going to respond like the lady and say yes revelations three twenty Jesus says Behold I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice and opens the door. I will commend to him and I’m with him and he with me. He stand at the door and knock. Jesus the one who became man is knocking on your door on the door of your heart. Are we going to open that door in leave it open. Let him come in. Are we going to say yes and I like this illustration with the old man and the woman because she is now his bride. When we open that door to the bridegroom we get married with him. We have that union with Him that oneness with him. You know there’s a day come and the bridegroom is coming back. He’s coming back for his bride and bride is the church those who believe in Jesus Christ who accept this wonderful gift that came down from heaven love came down is your heart open is your heart softened towards him. If your heart’s been hardened you open that door and he can soften the heart. If your heart’s been broken you open that door and he can mend that heart because love came down at first Christmas. This morning for you and I and that’s I’ve got demonstrated his wonderful amazing love to each and every one of us. Those heavenly Father just thank you for your presence father we just thank you so much. And that’s really all we can say is THANK YOU THANK YOU that you allowed your son to come and be born in that lowly stable. Nor is we saying that which is probably my favorite song Silent Night I just wonder if whenever Jesus came into the earth the word of things just came into a hush because a king was born. We thank you Lord just sank you for your amazing love and what I just knew Thank you that you did not give up on us. You know did not give up on any man. But you loved each and every one I was so much that you came. We thank you. We praise you we worship you and God may we serve you may your spirit be upon us board help us help us to love you to rejoice every day help us to share your amazing love. And just pray that your angels would watch over us and keep us in Jesus’ name on them.