It's the. Big. It's the. Father. God thank you for this wonderful time of year. Lord thank you that you. In eternity past decided that you would send forth your son born of a Virgen Lord to be our Savior Lord thank you that we celebrate Christmas Lord according to your word Lord that we love the power the peace the joy and the glory that you bring to us through your son or thank you that Lord even though we live in the midst of a dark and deprived world already even though it does seem like there's much peace lord there's peace in the hearts of those who know you and one day there will be peace forever when the Prince of Peace comes and Father I pray you will bless our time together this morning hard as we sing these ancient carols as we rejoice over the. Newborn baby who one day would be a risen Savior Father help us to. Experience that in in our hearts and our minds and our souls may we rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ in His name we pray Amen it's good to see you here this morning we have several visitors and so why don't we stand for just a moment to greet each other in the Lord. Stamets Few weeks ago some dear friends of mine said. We've got a song that you need saying. At the studying up on us yeah so this morning I'm supposed to be singing and whenever I woke up this morning I could even speak so we're doing pretty good now. Oh Dave. Says that I could see. There were no. Signs it was very easy. For this guy. There. Was a christmas cd. Of. Those shopping. No. Just one big star. Below. The get into. This most cd Oh. That's. So. Much more than sit. for BUSY then. So the. Words can say. The good the love was a zone that 1st Christmas day. Oh day. No phase. That's. The. Goal. That. Was some. This. Deck that wonderful book in your hands and opened the Gospel of Luke chapter one. Luke chapter one this morning we're thinking about. What Christmas is really about when God came when God came Luke one beginning in verse $26.00 now in the 6th month. Let me make a little word of explanation there we read that usually and just don't think you think about it in the 6th month the Angel Gabriel was sent by God. The 6 month awat Well you have to go back to the previous passage is talking about Elizabeth and Elizabeth. I was in her 6th month of pregnancy with John the Baptist somewhere in that context in the 6th month the Angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin but wrote to a man whose name was Joseph of the House of David the virgins name was Mary and having come in the angel said to her rejoice highly favored one the Lord is with you blessed are you among women but when she saw him she was troubled at his saying and considered what manner of greeting this was then the angel said to her Do not be afraid Mary 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 and He will be great and will be called the Son of the highest 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 wind then Mary said to the angel How can this be since I know not of man and the angel answered and said to her the Holy Spirit will come upon you in the power of the highest will overshadow you therefore also that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God Now indeed Elizabeth your relative has also conceived to son in her old age and this is now the 6th month of her who was called barren for with God Nothing will be impossible then Mary said Behold the maidservant of the Lord let it be to me according to your word and the angel departed from her now verse 26 is one of the most fundamental statements made in the Bible it says in verse 26 it says that God sent an angel by the name of Gabriel said he was sent by God and so. The messenger the end Gelug message that Gabriel was giving to the Virgin Mary was a divine message from God And so that's how Christmas is important that's why Christmas is important it is the incarnation it is God becoming human flesh and it came from God It starts with God and the angel was sent by God Christmas has no real meaning without God you take God out of the equation and Christmas is no more important than any other day let me say it again Christmas has no real meaning without God Now Christmas is about the creator of the Universe think about that God spoke the universe into existence and you know the fact of creation is is question is doubted and is denied by so many people and yet the Bible tells us that God created the heavens and the earth that's a very 1st verse in the very 1st book in the very 1st chapter in the Word of God and God created the heavens and the earth and so Christmas is about the creator of the universe and what he did was he is moving himself into the universe that he made and what makes it even more remarkable is that the personal part of that universe the moral part of that universe which is you and me is in rebellion against the Creator and God who made the universe. Moves into the universe in the form of a son to save a people who are in rebellion against the creator he came to save us in fact one of the great verses in the Bible is 1st Timothy 115 it says Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and that would be you and me. Christmas is about something that God initiated Christmas is about something that God did in history and it has to do with how he relates to you and me and how we relate to Him God is the is a being who is absolute He had no beginning and he has no ending he simply is who he is in fact in the Old Testament in Exodus chapter 3 verse 14 God simply said this when Moses said Who shall I say sent me. And God said I am that I am he just is he always has been he is now he always will be so what is Luke telling us here what is Luke in the 1st chapter of his gospel what is they saying to us well he's going to he's going to ask and answer some questions the 1st question that we're going to ponder this morning we're going to try to answer is how did Christmas happen all of this thing that we've been making such a big deal about for so many years both secular and Christian what is it all about how did Christmas happen the 2nd question we're going to we're going to ask and answer is. Made it happen. And then that the answering the how and the Who will bring us to a final conclusion and it is this quat difference does it make in our lives. How did it happen who made it happen and what difference does it make Let's look at that 1st question how did the creator enter the universe that he made How did this absolute God the sign and invade and break into his universe to save sinners like you and me well for things number one. He entered the universe by doing the impossible now you talk about you know if you don't believe that God is God and that God can do anything he chooses to do You won't believe that he's the creator of the universe and if you don't believe is the creator of the universe you're not going to believe that there's anything else he can do that supernatural but God is the creator of the universe and he entered the universe by doing that which is impossible look at verse 37 now if you don't believe this you're going to you're going to struggle you're going to have problems all your life until you come to a place where you know God as your personal savior Here's what it says in verse 37 The angel said to Mary for with God Nothing will be impossible there that nothing nothing that answers the creation question that answers the Incarnation question that answers the resurrection question anything God did that supernatural he can do because nothing is impossible with God Gabriel said this to Mary and it's the bottom line answer for any rejection any unbelief that anybody would have this truth remains nothing will be impossible with God and God had been preparing the world for thousands of years for this very event Genesis 1814 listen to what the Old Testament says that this nothing shall be a possible with God that's in the New Testament what about the old has been how was God preparing the world for himself Genesis 3. Genesis 1814 listen to it. A question and it's almost flipped backward from the question are the statement in Luke is anything impossible for God is anything impossible with God Listen to. Job 422 I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted there's nothing God can't do the job knew that Jeremiah knew that Jeremiah 3217 Ah Lord God it is you who made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm nothing is too hard for you and so time and time again God is revealing himself to a lost world and saying I am God and there is nothing that I cannot do and so it is it is this God who enters his creation enters his universe that he made without ceasing to be God Himself So number one how did the creator of the universe he entered it by doing that which was impossible 2nd thing got into the universe through a virgin when we talked about that at some length a couple weeks ago. Notice in verse 26 and 27 in the 6 month the Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee name Nazareth verse 27 Who is he said to a virgin a virgin and there are so many today that deny the virgin birth will guess what their lost they don't believe in the creation they don't believe God created the heavens and the earth they don't believe that Jesus rose from the dead they don't believe anything because it's supernatural it is supernatural because God is supernatural even God can do anything that he wants to do and so he can a virgin conceived look at verse $31.00 he said you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and she had a real question about that like any of you would have if God had chosen you to be the mother of his son you would have had questions like Mary head 1st 34 she said how can this be since I know not a man. She says How can this be since I'm a virgin she says and she says you know I know no man I never had sexual relations I'm a troth I'm not married Joseph and I have not slept together this is what she's saying in our modern vernacular. She saying how can this be this was God's choice to be born of a virgin it was God's way of breaking into the universe and he did it this way why did he do it that way look at verse 35 is the angel answers Mary's question 1st 35 and the angel answered her the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the highest will overshadow you therefore the child to be born will be called holy the Son of God. So he answers her question and she believed and then she accepted her her glorious appointment to be the Mother of God. So God chose to enter this universe by doing the impossible he entered chose to enter this universe verse by by entering through a virgin and he is the he is the Son of God not the son of Joseph he has a heavenly Father not an earthly father. He is the son of the most high he's divine is God's son. He's divine as God's son he's human as Mary's son he is the God man 3rd thing 3rd reason how God entered this universe got entered by choosing a human father listen. Who would be an heir of David Joseph was not the earthly was not the human father of was not the the biological father of Jesus but he was the the step father he was the only earthly father that Jesus ever knew and notice it says in that in verse 27 or verse 26 he came to a virgin but wrote to a man whose name was Joseph of the House of David Now those are kind of words that we read the Christmas story we just kind of go through Yanna blah blah blah blah blah House of David son of the House of David but that's really important the Jesus is in the line of David and for for 2000 years all the way back to Abraham Isaac and Jacob all through the Old Testament God God kept prophesied through His prophets that that Jesus the Messiah would come from the root of David. Over and over again and then finally at the end of the Bible last chapter Revelation chapter $22.00 verse 16 Jesus says this I G.'s and the root and the offspring. Of David. The Bright Morning Star see how the Old Testament the New Testament fit together and you only know you only understand that if you only as the Holy Spirit teaches you the Word of God and is not going to teach you if the Holy Spirit doesn't live in you you're not even going to believe the Word of God So it's important so he came into the universe not as a generic human being but he came as a as a baby and that baby was a Jew. That little boy was a Jew and fulfillment of 2000 years of covenant promises with this real and he came to glorify God's fulfillment of prophecy to the Jews Jewish nation and to and to the nations the Gentiles to glorify God for the mercy he would show them in salvation. On a plan what a what a divine plan God had and then he was the Son of God the Jews to the Jew to vindicate a promise and to the Gentiles too so they could identify with his love and His grace and His mercy and there's 4th reason. God entered by sending His Holy Spirit with divine power His Holy Spirit look at verse 34 again the question how can this be since I'm a virgin. And then he says here's how you want to know how well here's how. The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of God the power of the most I will overshadow you and therefore the child to be born we called holy the Son of God So how is Mary going to be impregnated supernaturally by God the Holy Spirit the Spirit of God the power of God the power of the most high God will come in not a human father but he will come with pure. In Pyramus in virtuousness in holiness he will be unsane he will be miraculous and God the Holy Spirit will impregnate Mary the Mother of God. Why does Luke tell us this why is this important this is this is this is doctrinal this is truth and you know we live in such a shallow world today that anything that smacks of doctrine or teaching or or just absolute truth when you were not interested. You have to be interested in this you have to me. This is how Christmas happened. 2000 years ago we wouldn't even be here there wouldn't be a church we wouldn't we wouldn't have salvation had this not happened. God the one we call God the one we worship the one we sing to the one we pray to this God entered this Universe 2000 years ago in the form of his son he took on human flesh and dwelt among us and he did it by doing the impossible he did it by entering through a virgin he did it by choosing an earthly father who was the. In the line of David he did it by sending His Holy Spirit. That's how Christmas happened now the 2nd question. The who brought Christmas who made it happen who brought all this into existence Well let's start with verse 32 and 33 now let's start with a very controversy all topic now listen to me. 2000 years ago on that 1st Christmas night in that manger in that animal stable there was Joseph and Mary and little baby Jesus you know we like to we like to glamorize all that and you know the little little in the little baby Jesus now when he was a baby he was just the baby and he had he cried and he he was hungry and he had dirty diapers just like any other baby. And this baby he was God and he would be a king. He would be a king the hold on to that now look what the scripture says in verse $32.00. So the Lord God will give him the for own of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of His Kingdom there will be no way and now that one verse tells us that Jesus is a king 3 words never one look at the word throne. He will get God the Father will give to God the Son the throne of his father David what are kings do. They set on their throw kings after oh. Second word reign he says that he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. So what are kings do they set on thrones die reign they rule they have power. And then the 3rd word is Kingdom and of His Kingdom there will be no in what is a king you have a King sits on a throne a king rules and reigns over his what his kingdom this baby the moment he was born he was kidding. All right now. Here's where we have a little problem with this is Christians in 21st century America. We don't think kingdom. We don't have a kingdom mindset we don't think about kings because America is a democracy. We don't have a king we don't live in it taking them we live in a nation that has a democratic form of government so when you start talking about things and kingdoms I mean we're thinking about what Hitler did in about what Saudi Arabia today we don't like that kingdom stuff with a with a dictator you know why. Because every king. That's ever sat on the throne every king is ever reigned in ruled every king that's ever ruled over rectangle has been eye center. That's why do you ting them so don't work because they're the dictator the desperate is a center. There's no a c. S. Lewis said want to pull one quote out of what he said about this he said the real reason for democracy is mankind is so fallen that no man can be trusted with unchecked power over his fellows. There's no there's never been a human being on this earth that was capable and qualified to be a king. And the only legitimate reason that that kingship is attractive to us is because in this age in this world the only kings available are finite and some fall and we see that in every key you go to the Old Testament you find as you go through the pages the kings you find and this man did evil in the sight of the Lord and this king did that which was good the side of war but even the ones that did that which were good the Son Lord were still centers. They just did their job a little bit better than the rest but listen friend that's why Jesus being the little king was so important because he is he that that King he's not just King he's king of kings and he's more of Lords and when Jesus comes in power and glory he will rule he will have a throne He will reign and he will have a kingdom and everybody you say will be ended and will be safe in the kingdom with the king because it's King Jesus. Say a lot of things that don't make sense make sense when you look at it through the lens of the Word of God All right if he's a king he is a king he has wisdom and power and goodness and he is wise enough to lead us and protests that we live in a very. Very dangerous world every day we hear about some maniacal killer somebody who's died in a Godly way but one day when we're in the kingdom of God There will be no sand not even the presence of said not the power of sin not the possibility of sin. And Jesus will be our ruler. And we'll finally have. World peace. That we so often yearn for we pray for peace on earth it on earth as it is in heaven well that prayer won't be answered in till Jesus comes. Is the king he is the kind of king Izzy for things Number one he's holy he's a Holy King Notice in verse $35.00 The Holy Spirit will come upon you in the power of the most I will overshadow you and therefore the child be born you shall be called holy. This is a holy child that means without sin that means pure it means good means without the fact without deficiency without any blot whatsoever he'll be the son of the highest of the most high and means that God broke into this universe and he became both divine and human. He's king of kings and Lord of Lords he he is holy He's also the Son of God Notice in verse $35.00 The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the Holy Spirit the most I will overshadow you in there for this child to be born shall be called holy the Son of God. Now I think having son a son is great thing I have 3. Many of you in here have a son or 2 sons or 3 sons or maybe 4 sets. God just had one. He just had one and let me tell you something God the father loved his son far more than you and I are ever capable of loving our sons or daughters and God loved his son so much but he loved you and me so much that He gave His Son so that you and I could be say. He loved us. And he gave His Son to die in our stead. Number 3 he's Jesus. He's Jesus he's holy he's a son of God Look at verse 31 and behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name. Jesus I agree with Bill Gates or there's just something about that name. It's it's above and beyond any other gods that I will give him a name that is above every other name and at the name of Jesus every need shall battle at every turn can fasts that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father and listen every person who's ever lived will will will call him Lord and God But for those who have never received him in this why it will be too late. But one day even the the darkest pagan with Mitt and Jesus is Lord now this word Jesus Matthew 121 in Matthew's Christmas Story says You shall call his name Jesus. Why because he will save his people from their sense now Jesus in Greek the Greek word here in the New Testament is yes use and that is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Yes sure which we call we've Anglicized Joshua Joshua the Old Testament character Joshua His name is the same as Jesus in the New Testament. And so you've got yes there's a great you got your Should Joshua in Hebrew and all of those mean Savior. Jesus is our savior Jesus came to see and to save that which is lost. And who did he come to say. Centers. And that's everyone. Not everyone will be saved but he died so that all could be saved. Jesus died for the sins of the world. But only those who who repent of sand and come to Jesus and faith. Will be saved will be blood but will be born again well enter into the kingdom of God 1st Timothy $115.00 again says Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners so in His holiness and his deity and and His power all of that culminates in His mercy. You know why he did all this for you and for me because he's a merciful God. He's a loving God he's a gracious God. No one else no one else ever has not my parents not any of none none of my best friends none of no one in any of the churches that I've pastored ever loved me like she says no one will ever love you like Jesus and God did all of this for you. And that's what Christmas is about. This king this little king born in a manger he was holy. He was a Son of God He's Jesus they told him they then get the pick is name you don't like you my grandkids you know I've learned to love their names now that there are. There are no babies anymore they're grown up and I've got used their number but when my kids 1st told me what they were naming their kids off what. Where did that come from there's not a I'm not name that none of my grandkids are named after me none of them I don't understand why they can't call one of their sons Eugene I just don't get that. And Robert what's wrong with Robert. But we have one named after Darla. And we have one named after Troy. I don't know. I did some wrong somewhere. Last thing he's not only holy he's not only the Son of God He's not only Jesus. He's forever he's forever look at verse 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob what forever how long is that. Say God has no beginning and no ending. Jesus said I am the Alpha and Omega he is the beginning and the ending of these all the letters in between. But Jesus Christ was Coke eternal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit in eternity past and he will be any turning to future. Salvation is forever and of His Kingdom there will be no end. You know every 4 years we go through this. We go through this electing a president. I mean it used to be when I was a kid that same sample. In the fifty's you know where you got Eisenhower and whatever that guy's name was they ran against him and you know they didn't seem to hate each other and the Republicans and Democrats are just kind of you know they had a few differences on the economy but other than that they got along pretty well but now it's like civil war from the from the time the election is made until the next time. Let me tell you the one of the greatest things about heaven. No more elections. No more presidents. Jesus will have any successors. There will be any party. All the Republicans will be in heaven. To just kid. Asked me after church if I'm kid. And probably this is probably one of the few churches in the country where the pastor can say that from the pulpit. Last question. How did Christmas happen God did it. Who made it happen. God did it. He had he had a supernatural plan in mind and he fulfilled it. To the utmost but here's the most important question. What difference does it make. To you. Now there's millions and millions of people in America and around the world who don't know this but don't know Jesus. So what he did. Made it possible for them to have a life change and have a an eternity change. But they haven't he they haven't trusted him they haven't come to him they haven't come in brokenness and humility and and admitted they're lost in this and their sin against God and trust in him. Why don't. You god made it so easy. John in his Gospel said. But as many as received him. So we're all going to receive with this Christmas to a lot of people just about receiving despite receiving and getting what I get for Christmas what I want for Christmas we teach our kids that there know when they make out these Santa Claus lists what you want what you want to get what you want to receive or do that come from. Came from God. But the gift is not something you can buy it's something you received by faith. But as many as received Him He is the gift Jesus is the gift but as many as received Him to them gave the power to become the children of God. See only had one son. But gotten so. But when we come to him we're all sons and daughters of the cage. To those who believe in this name. Paul put it this way Romans he have a son you know you we talk about good news in the gospel is good news but it's not good until you know the bad news and so Paul and in Romans said for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Romans $323.00 for all have said for all everyone who's ever been born. For all have sand against God and we fall short of His glory His standard but then the good news is well he gives a little bit more bad news and Roman $6.00 The wages of sin is death. For all of sudden come short of Glory of God The wages of sin is death what we're going to get paid one day for just being alive and being sent for and never trusting Jesus is death eternal death physical death eternal death spiritual death. But then there's a some a whole in there there's a semi-colon don't think punctuation is not important it is for the wages of sin is death but. The what the gift the gift of God. God even has a gift for you Christmas. Has a gift. You need to receive it and you need to open it and find out how wonderful it is and realize that this can't be purchased and you wouldn't want to take it back. Because it's eternal life. And it's forgiveness how many how many of you you don't need to raise your hand but just think about this how many of you have ever done anything that you're ashamed of you wouldn't want anybody to know maybe no one does know. Except you and God and you feel so much shame over it you feel so much guilt over it listen that's the kind of people Jesus died for. Centers. Like you and me would you trust him today would you receive God's greatest gift greatest gift ever given greatest gift ever received. Heavenly Father God thank you. For Christmas but thank you more for the christ of Christmas. Lord help us not to get so caught up. In all the trappings of the holiday that we don't see. The glory of your son and Lord all of the bright lights in the Christmas tree and the gifts wrapped those those all those those all represent what Christmas is about Jesus is a light in the world. He's the greatest gift so all of those things are the are not wrong they're only wrong when we get our priorities out of order. And we're focusing more on. Receiving. And giving that perfect gift. Rather than just glorifying the gift of God. Or to help that one who's still filled with Shea still filled with guilt because of past sins present saying we're all going to have future set. To receive the only one. Who can wash it all away. With his own blood. And then nor. Will be filled with joy life and we feel with peace life will be filled with purpose and meaning. Because where we are now that which you have created this to be. To come to you by faith to trust your son. To be sons and daughters in the kingdom of God. God will love you we praise you of what you're going to do in the 7th ation work in our hearts help us not to quench the spirit. But to allow you to do your perfect work in Jesus name a man must stand together as we say Silent Night. Too bad you had to close your eyes for just a moment I want you to just cut across circle around yourself. And I want you to just think. About your savior. I want you to think about. Why he came. To how he came. Who he came for. Came for you and me. That prayed that if there's a man a woman a boy or girl in this room that is unsafe. For what better time. Greater opportunity would you ever have. To let go of your sin. And to trust the Savior. Today. Rather I pray. God we would let go of our pride. That which holds us back that which keeps us from walking down the aisle that which keeps us from coming to the cross. Lord help us to be wise enough not to wait till it's too late. To receive your gift. Today today. It will harden our hearts. Now is accepted time. To respond.