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The True Meaning Of Christmas

Sunday Night 12/18/22 – Pastor Eric Davis

We understand the true meaning of Christmas. Why we celebrate Christmas is because God the Father sent God the Son to die on a rugged cross for the sins of mankind. Aren’t you glad of that? I don’t serve a babe in a manger, and I don’t worship a man on a cross. I serve a risen savior. And he was dead. He was buried, but he’s alive today, seated at the Father’s right hand in heaven. And he’s coming back one day. Turn with me, if you will, to Hebrews chapter number 20, verse 25. Hebrews twelve, verse 25. John 316. I believe one of our shepherds started that verse off. You may know it. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The greatest gift ever given was given 2000 years ago when God the Father gave the Son. It can be received, it can be refused. I believe that Jesus died for the sins of all mankind. The Bible teaches that no one left out. But it’s up to each individual person to decide whether they’re going to receive that gift and receive everlasting life or reject that gift. Hebrews chapter twelve, verse number 25. Hebrews talks about Jesus being better. Everything better. Verse 24. To start there, actually, let’s back up verse number 18. For you are not coming to the mount that might be touched. He’s going to give us an Old Testament illustration. Remember when Moses received the Ten Commandments at the voice of God on Mount Sinai in the wilderness there he said that you are not coming to the mount that might be touched. The physical mountain and that burned with fire, nor into blackness and darkness and tempest and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words. Which voice that heard and treated that the words should not be spoken to them anymore. No doubt that was a sight to see. I would have loved to have seen what they acted out tonight. Would you? When you get to heaven one day, have the Lord show us, maybe hit rewind and show the events that took place. See what the expressions on the shepherd’s faces were when the angel stood there. Then all of a sudden, suddenly there was a great host with the shepherds and they were all praising God. I’d like to see that. I’d like to see this. When the Mount Sinai was on a smoke, it was smoking and God descended upon the mount and God set bounds around the mount. He said, if anybody even touches the mount, they’ll die. He said, I’m that holy, I want to set bounds. Nobody but Moses come up. And so they did that. And the sound of a trumpet in the voice of words, which voice they heard and treated that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. Verse 20. For they could not endure that which was commanded. And if so much as a beast touched the mountain, it shall be stoned or thrust through with the dark. And so terrible was the sight that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake. The man of God, moses himself, when he saw that site, said, I’m afraid, and I’m quaking. Okay, he said, but you’re not coming to that physical mouth. He said so much more. We’re facing a holy, righteous God. Okay, he said, but you are coming to Mount Sion and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels. Think with me, if you will, as if we’re standing before a holy, righteous, living God. See, it’s not like the religions of the world where they pray to statues that don’t answer, don’t hear. I serve a living God when I pray, and by my head and pray under my Father in heaven. I’m speaking to someone that hears my prayers, someone that sees my need and is able to help and to deliver. I have a living god. He’s in heaven right now. God the Father and God the Son is in heaven. And who else is in heaven? It says here, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. To an innumerable company of angels. I think we had four or five, probably of some of the prettiest angels I think you’ve ever seen. But there’s a whole innumerable company of angels in heaven. To the general assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all. You realize God is the judge of all. You might say to someone, you can’t judge me, but God can judge you. And God will judge me and you all of us, into Jesus sorry. Into the spirits of just men made perfect. Into Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, into the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel. And here’s the text, verse verse 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. When Moses was, it went up into the mount, Mount Sinai, to receive the commandment of God, the children of Israel. While he was up there, they they made a molten calf to worship the molten calf. Writer of Hebrews here is saying, you come into much more holier ground than Mount Sinai. We’re coming into the presence of God, and God is speaking from heaven. Say? Is God speaking today? He is. He’s speaking. He’s calling your name to repent of your sins and to trust him as your savior. He’s calling you to serve him faithfully, to follow him. What is God calling us to do? Well, let’s just keep reading for it. If they escape not who refused him that SPAC on earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven. There is. Act 1730 says this in the times of this ignorance, God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. It’s a universal call. Mark 1615 god gave the commission go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. No one’s excused. No one’s left out. Jesus wants the world to know that he came to save their soul. But each individual has to respond to that individually. Now we know what things so ever the law saith. Romans 319 it say to them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. When we get to heaven one day, we’re going to be without excuse. We’re going to stand before a holy, righteous, living God who’s going to be judge of me. Judge of you? And the Bible says that my righteousness does not measure up to him. All our righteousness is as filthy rags. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Listen, that’s not good news. When I meet God, I’m going to fall short of his standard. But we do have good news. This is why we celebrate Christmas, because Jesus came to this earth to remedy that situation. Titus 211 for the grace of God that bring us salvation hath appeared to all men. Just want you know it’s to everybody, to me, you, everybody that’s ever lived, everybody that will live. But it’s up to them to make that choice. It’s a call to repentance to God. What’s repentance is a change of mind. Realize that you’re a sinner. Listen, if I were to ask you how many of your children have ever done something wrong, how many of you would raise your hand? So if you were honest, all of you raise your hand, right? And if I said grandchildren, you might have some fibers in here, like this morning, right? Nobody ever did anything wrong. Grandkids. If I were to ask the kids how many of them ever did anything wrong, there’d be some who’d be honest, right? Most of you would be honest, right? We know that we’ve sinned against God. And because we’ve sinned against God, we’ve fallen short. We sin because we’re sinners by birth. We’re born into this world as sinners. So repentance is knowing that that you’re a sinner and wanting to change, turning from that and turning from your dead works and turning unto God. There are words like faith. Neither is there salvation any other, because there’s none of the name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Faith in Jesus Christ. What does faith mean? Well, some Bible words. Look. Isaiah 45 22 look unto me and be ye save all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is none else. He said, look and live. That’s where our song comes from. Look unto me and be ye saved. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, but for us also to whom it shall be imputed. Romans 424 says the righteousness of God is imputed is put to my account. Listen, I don’t have much in my bank account. What I do have goes out quickly. It’s like a revolving door comes in, goes out, and then wait until the next round to come through, right? Much like yours. And I didn’t have any righteousness. There’s no goodness in me except for what God has imputed to my account, because I put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Not my good works, not because I’m a preacher, not because of any other reason, but what Jesus did on the cross of calfry. And trusting, looking, believing, trusting that’s faith in Jesus Christ. And look up here. It’s more than just knowing about Jesus. It’s having a heart change, putting your faith in Him. All of you had faith in the pew that you’re sitting in, because you’re sitting in the pew, you sat down. I didn’t see anybody test it out. You just plopped right down. You believe that it would hold you up. Similarly, we trust in Jesus Christ. We say lord, I know I’m a sinner. I can’t save myself, and I’m sorry for my sins. I believe you die on the cross for my sins. Would you come and save me by your blood? And we’re putting our faith and our trust in him. And the Bible says, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It’s even the faith of a little child can turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. Wouldn’t that be the wonderful, most wonderful, precious gift that you could give your family this year, was for you to finally accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, and then you would have that influence in your home, be a Christian home, be the home that it ought to be. There’s a possibility that you can refuse him. There’s a danger in refusing him. I believe we in America are in great danger. Even those that have not heard the Gospel, how many opportunities do they have to go to a church to pick up a track, to listen to the Gospel message that Jesus saves sinners? The greater the privilege, the greater the sin in rejecting the message. There’s many things we could say, but I would just simply say this. I hope that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is your Savior. I know just me personally, I know myself that I’m going to heaven, not because anything good that I’ve done, I have my parents here with me tonight who could tell you plenty of bad things that I’ve done over the years, but they’re not going to amen. We’re not going to COVID that. But they could spend probably hours and hours telling all those things. It’s not my goodness that’s getting me there. My goodness would have me fall short. It’s what Jesus did on Calvary. Listen, every boy, every girl, every man, every woman has to place their faith in Jesus to be saved. When you do, there should be a heart change, desires change. You want to go to the house of God. You want to do what is right, what God calls you to do. If there is no change, you need to make sure that you truly got born again, saved. Amen. Romans 323 all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Let me read you just a few more verses. One Corinthians six, verse nine says no, you not. Let me turn there. You don’t have to turn there. You can turn there later if you want. One Corinthian six, verse number nine. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Now just listen to this list. Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor Revivors, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. Well, who’s left? Just about every category there one of us falls into. And verse eleven says, and such for some of you. But ye are washed, ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. It’s not your past, it’s what Jesus has done with your life. Has he forgiven you of your sins? The wages of sin is death. Romans 623. But I like Romans five eight. You that know it, like it too. But God commendeth his love toward us. He showed us his love, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That’s why Jesus came. And God the Son stepped into his creation, took upon Him the robe of flesh. Grew up as a baby, as a little boy that never did anything wrong as a grown man, that never sinned, never was there any fault found in Jesus. And then the Jews and the Romans, they didn’t crucify the Lord. He willingly gave his life. They they may have nailed his hands, but he laid them out there for them to nail his hands. He left his feet there. He could have called ten thousands of angels, but he willingly laid down his life because of his love for me and for you. God commended his love toward us. And that while we’re yet sinners, Christ died for us. What great love God has for us, the wages of sinner’s death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. How easy is it to be saved? Well, let me show you. Romans, chapter ten, verse number nine, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus shall believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. So do I have to give any money to have to join a church? To have to be baptized? No. All those are good things, but those won’t get you to heaven. But it says with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Like we said earlier. Just say, Dear Jesus, I know that I’m a sinner in need of salvation. I believe you die on the cross for my sins. You were buried, you rose again. And Lord, I’m asking you to forgive me my sins and to save me by Your blood. If you mean that from the bottom of your heart, say, can it really be that simple? Listen, Jesus paid it all. There’s nothing left to bring. He accomplished what you and I could never in a million years accomplish on the cross of Calvary. It is that simple. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It’s that simple. And yet so many people, year after year after year reject, refuse Him that’s speaking from heaven. Listen, he’s calling you. If you’re not saved, he’s calling for you to turn to Him. Don’t reject him. Don’t refuse him. Romans, chapter number 21. Sorry. Revelation, chapter number 21. The last book of the Bible. Almost the last chapter of the Bible talking about when heaven, the new heaven, comes down. And we that are sad, we enter into that heaven and the gates of it. Heaven shall not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. But listen, heaven is a wonderful place. Somebody said there’s going to be no snow in heaven. I don’t know. I like snow. But some of you don’t like snow. It’d be no snow in heaven. Maybe, I don’t know. Or if it is, it’ll be a perfect 70 degrees and still snow and maybe in the mountaintops or something, I don’t know. But listen, there’s something that won’t be in heaven. And I want you to listen to this verse number 27. And there shall in no wise enter into it what heaven? Anything that defileth neither whatsoever worketh, abomination or maketh a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Listen, the Lord is going to take the Lamb’s book of life. The Lord, the risen Lord, the one that died on the cross, risen. And he’s coming again. Those nail pierced hands are still there in heaven today. He’s going to take that Lamb’s Book of life. He’s going to look and see if your name is written in it. How do you get your name in there? You got to come to Jesus. You got to humble yourself, say, Lord, I know I’m a sinner. I can’t save myself. I’m tired of tried it on my own. I’m tired of living on my own. Lord, I believe you. Will you save me? The moment you do that, your name gets inscribed in that book and it’s there to stay. But make sure your name is there. Don’t refuse him that’s speaking from heaven. God is the judge. He will judge one day. Believe judgment has already happened to America for a number of reasons. It is happening now. And don’t be mistaken what’s the remain. So with that shall he also reap. Judgment Day is coming. Don’t refuse Jesus the greatest gift that’s ever been given. Be foolish for us to turn it away, wouldn’t it? I hope you know you’re saved. If not, please don’t leave here without doing that tonight. Okay? Let’s stand our head bound and eyes closed with Eddie. Come play something softly on the piano. I just want to ask you just a simple question. Do you know that your name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life? If you don’t know that, would you do something for me? Not for me. Do it for you. Would you make sure of that tonight? Just slip up your hand, say, Brother, I’m not sure that I’m saved. And I’ll pray for anybody like that. I’m not sure that I’m saved. You can put it up. Put it right back down. Let me ask you this. How many of you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that your name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life? And just raise your hand. You put it down. Put it down. That’s the testimony between you and God that there’s been a moment in time that you’ve asked the Lord to save you. Listen. I want you to listen carefully. My soul, my entire life and existence is depending on the fact that Jesus is true to His Word. I have no other hope. I have no backup plan. I don’t need one. Don’t believe the Lord would tell us a lie. I’m trusting him fully, holy, completely. Are you? That’s the only way you’ll get there. It’s the only way. You’ll have your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. It’s not something to mess with. I hope you know that. Many of us have loved ones that don’t know that. Listen, we all had to come the same way. We’ve all been there. Let’s pray for our loved ones. Let’s pray for our neighbors, pray for our family that they would hear the gospel, respond to it and receive it. Heavenly Father lord, I pray that you take this simple message. Touch our hearts with it, with the truth found in your word, Lord to help us to see the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross of Calvary clearly would help us to see his nail pierced, hands hanging on the cross. His bruised and battered body, the crown of thorns placed in his head. The nail Prince in his feet, writhing in pain because he took my place. He who did no sin suffered for me so I could go free. Lord, I remember the day when I turn to you and I trusted Jesus as my Savior. Lord, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my name is written up there in heaven in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Not because of anything that I’ve done, Lord. You know I’m nothing but because of what Jesus did for me. And there was one day that I asked Jesus to apply that to my account, Lord. For someone here that needs to be saved, Father, would you help them be convicted so strongly that they won’t sleep tonight, Lord, but they’ll toss and turn and see that they are on their way to the devil’s hell place a torment forever and ever. And they had an opportunity to trust you, Lord. Help them to do that for us eternally, everlastingly. Too late. In Jesus name we pray. And Lord, thank you for the the kids that they were in the program tonight and the singers that sang. And Lord, I believe they did their very best and and Lord, I’m proud of them. And Lord, I pray that they would know too. Just because they participate in the play doesn’t mean that they’re saved. They have to come to you and trust you. I would help them to do that when I pray that this would be the greatest Christmas that somebody knows this year because they’ve trusted you as their Lord and Savior. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

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