The Message of Christmas

tonight Luke 2 8. and there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock By Night hello the angel of the Lord Came Upon them and the glory of the Lord Shone round about them and they were so afraid and the angel said unto them fear not for behold tonight my message is going to be on the message of Christmas and here it is I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people I want to speak to you from this passage and the Christmas story and other scriptures on the message of Christmas God bless you please be seated thanks so much again for being so faithful to the Lord in every way amen the message of Christmas well these stories and messages overlap because the stories are intertwined and last Wednesday night I spoke on the Miracles plural of Christmas because there were so many and one of those Miracles was this Angelic visitation to the Shepherds who were keeping watch by night over their flocks now some people question the dating of the birth of Christ was it really December 25th it could have been what was it early spring it could have been what were shepherds doing watching their flocks by night at that time of year but sheep destined for temple sacrifice were watched in the outdoors all year long Alfred edersheim says in his amazing book about that thick on the Life of Christ Mary and Joseph in Nazareth 90 to 100 miles away from Bethlehem and it's amazing how new spread then to move Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem I think that's part of one of the Miracles of Christmas that I spoke about last week the decree by Caesar Augustus and I can imagine Joseph you know knowing they've got to go and telling Mary I know that the baby's due any day now they know the name it's going to be a rough Journey I don't know how you're going to do it but we have to go we can't afford this trip he's a carpenter of when the sacrifice is offered after the birth of Jesus is two turtle doves it's the offering of the poor we don't have a place to stay you're in no condition to travel expecting baby Jesus any day I don't understand it but we're just going to have to trust God because we have to go back to the city of our birth both of them were of the lineage of David So Mary the submitted one that pondering person that I think is an amazing lady the one who had already said be it unto me even according to thy will said okay let's go and so go they did fulfilling that prophecy of Micah 5 and 2 that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem and when the wise men come and ask questions from the theologians that heroda symbols they find out that it's going to be Bethlehem so now here they are in God in his sovereignty can move whatever he needs to move to fulfill his will and I spoke about that quite a bit last week about God's Will and through the centuries how God has always had his way with pharaoh and Egypt and Cyrus in Persian Caesar Augustus and Joseph takes his betrothed wife marriage has not been consummated a rugged journey of several days down to Bethlehem Luke 2 4 5. and Joseph also went out From Galilee out of the city of Nazareth unto Judea under the city of David which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife being great with child verse six and so it was that while they were there it doesn't say on the first night but while they were there the days were accomplished that she should be delivered she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped them in swaddling clothes and laid him in a Manger there was no room for them in the end the Christmas story the good news is how God reduced himself to a single cell to enter the womb of Mary Christ to be born in Bethlehem and how would anyone know that this had taken place without this Angelic announcement this miracle of Christmas again that I talked about quite a bit last week a virgin has conceived an emperor has issued a free Mary is in position in Bethlehem wise men are planning a trip from the East they've seen his star probably at the time of his birth by the time they arrive in Bethlehem Jesus is a young child in a house not in the barn Mary's there Joseph is probably off working but they're now planning this big trip this is time for a really big announcement from heaven but it's not going to be to anybody you would think you know it's not to Caesar not to all these famous people it's going to be to these lowly blue-collar Shepherds people much like many of us and how we were raised this powerful this powerful a message this announcement and I think I talked about this a little bit but Shepherds were somewhat looked down upon you remember when Joseph is talking about his family to Pharaoh he tells them we've always been Shepherds and the Bible said that shepherds are an Abomination to the Egyptians when you talk about look down upon by the non-jewish people in the world Shepherds were despised class of people so they're watching their flocks by night near Bethlehem uh divided into ships no doubt and on this lonely Hillside a single Angel appears and makes this announcement to the Shepherds Luke 2 and 9. lo the angel of the Lord Came Upon them the glory of the Lord Shone round about them and they were sore afraid last week I spoke about the glory it was in this message but I didn't really want to take a lot of time except to tell you that the glory of God that has always been and always will be shown on that Hillside that day the glory that Abraham and it was in the Tabernacle and in the temple that joins us when we gather together in the name of Jesus Christ That Glory shown round about them and they were shaking in their sandals that day the angel said to them verse 10 fear not I bring you good tidings good news of great joy which shall be to all people for unto you this day and this is Born This Day in the city of David a savior who is Christ the lord and then it's interesting that he says this is going to be a sign unto you now I don't want to take a lot of time to talk about swaddling clothes but obviously this was not something that they would have expected an angel a savior and now we're in a stable we're in a feed trough he's lying in a Manger he's going to be wrapped in swaddling clothes the maybe the infant wrap of the poor strips of cloth wrapped around this baby this is going to be a sign to you you shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a Manger with all this Fanfare you would think that Jesus you know the king of the world would be born in a palace and of course or not but this is the infant where of the poor swaddling clothes and and that was going to be the sign to them that this was God in flesh a savior born that he would be wrapped in his cloth he would be lying in a manger and we know from the story there was no room for them in the end I was trying to explain to Camden our grandson what swaddling clothes were this week just in a random conversation he heard it and he said swaddling clothes except I don't think he calls them swaddling clothes but he tries and but I could tell that he was not in a very spiritual frame of mind he was he was in the flesh he was not in the spirit and I just quit I just gave up and I decided I would save the swaddling clothes sermon for another day verse 12. lying in a Manger I tried to explain to Canada what a Manger was but once again he was not in the spirit like he was on Sunday so I gave up on that but Camden a Manger is where the animals come and eat and it's nasty and dirty and I'd already given up about this point and they slobber but I didn't say that and he said they put hay in there I said yes they we hope they did put hay in there but to us the major sounds sweet in 2022 but then we know exactly what it was and we should never forget how Jesus Christ came and then there's this Angelic host that joins the this single Angel and then they speak to them I wish they were singing but it doesn't say they are saying verses 12 and 13 glory to God in the highest verse 14. I'm going all the way there and on Earth peace Good Will toward men peace on Earth Good Will toward men thousands of angels visible to the Shepherds and on this earth that is full of trouble there will be peace and there will be good will toward men that's the story that the Shepherds heard and after they saw Jesus that's the good news that they would spread to everyone but tonight I want to talk to you about the message of Christmas that it is good news of great joy for all people it's good news of great joy for all people good news great joy all people now I know that you know news is Big Business and bad news is good business right reporters say if it bleeds it leads if a story is Glory it will make a really good story it will sell and there's a reason for bad news several years ago I was thinking about good news and bad news and studied and spoke about this but I thought I want to look at this again so there's a 2020 study and it says that across National studies suggests that consumers around the world have stronger psychophysiological reactions isn't that a great Wednesday night bible study word when negative news is told rather than positive news so they did a study in countries around the world and they found that it is not just a North American phenomenon that we tend to listen to pay attention we tend to react emotionally even your skin is affected they say when they've done these tests by bad news we have a bias toward negative content and we think it's more important so now that affects what gets reported because human beings tend to be affected by this disease so they they thought there was maybe just an anglo-american thing so they did this sixth continent study examining the negativity bias on a cross-national level in this experimental study they ran this in 17 different countries involving 1156 participants and participants would watch seven BBC British Broadcasting news stories while physiological responses were measured via skin conductance and blood pressure volume pulse so they did these tests and they found that people you know their heart rate varied more and so bad news sells okay bad news cells and if you're like me I like to check the news by my personality you know when I went to Bible College you were kind of cut off from the whole world and unless you went to the library to read the single newspaper that was there but I've tried to make sure I stay in touch this is my city our country and I want to know what's going on but you don't have to take long you can take just five minutes and don't do it right now please and scroll through your phone and you know that most of the headlines are going to be stories that bleed they're going to be stories of negative things we're affected more by those negative stories in New Testament times if you would have read the news surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ if you've read the Jerusalem Post way back then you would have found all kinds of bad news the Roman government government killing devout Galilee and Jews a tower in Salome collapsing the news of that day was slavery is up human rights are down divorce is up marriage is down all kinds of prejudices up and love is down superficial religiosity is up and pure religion is down that is a world into which Jesus Christ came and then the big news of this executive order issued by Caesar Augustus to go back to your original town and pay a Hefty tax that was the news of the day and so when the angel spoke to the Shepherds and he said behold I bring you good news of great joy which shall be to all people it was a powerful word that every one of us have been changed by ever since then Luke 2 and 10 again the angel said unto them fear not for behold I bring you good tidings good news of great joy which shall be to all people the birth of Jesus Christ was good news for one supreme reason and they are found in these words that is going to bring good news of great joy when Mary was expecting the baby and Joseph this just man is appeared to by an Angel the angel says to Joseph do not fear to take Mary as your wife that was just conceived in her as of the Holy Ghost and then the angel said to Joseph Matthew 121. and she shall bring forth a son Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins the good news is that Jesus Christ brought more than just a little bit of Hope or a word that you could share but he brought the power of the Gospel so this good news of great joy for all people is not just an encouraging word it is a power that comes to our life that Jesus Christ will save us from our sins Romans 1 and 16 for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek Paul wrote to the Thessalonians in first Thessalonians 1 and 5. for our gospel our good news came not unto you in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much Assurance as you know what manner of man we were among you for your sake that power can only come through the Gospel of Jesus Christ so tonight I want to remind every one of us what we all know that Christmas time the birth of Jesus Christ the good news is that the Holy Ghost can change your life that the gospel we preach to repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost that good news is what our world desperately needs and it is more than a word it is power that changes lives amen that is the main thing I want you to get about this point of good news as that this good news is a power it is life-changing amen now there are a lot of organizations that work with well-meaning people and their well-meaning organizations and they they teach them behavioral modification when January rolls around everybody's going to tell you how to lose weight how to get your house straight how to establish new habits in your life and all of us can modify our behavior and we can be better Disciples of Jesus Christ but you cannot be a saint without the Holy Spirit cannot serve god without the spirit of God at work in your life and for all the well-meaning organizations that try to help people they tell them that you're just one bad decision away from falling back into your old patterns again they will tell them once an alcoholic always an alcoholic and for all the good things that they try to do those organizations do not have the power to make them a new creation in Jesus Christ so everybody that has been through a course like that has this fear hanging over their head that what they used to be they still are just trying to stay away from a bad decision or a trigger of depression or something that would cause him to fall back into a cycle of defeat and I'm not saying this is a criticism I'm only saying this to tell you that the good news that we've received and the good news that we preach is more than that it is a power that makes him something different Hebrews 2 14 not on the screens but speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ for as much then as the children people like you and me are partakers of Flesh and Blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetimes subject to bondage we should never forget that regardless of how a person comes to God the the spirit of God this good news has a power to deliver them amen it can deliver them out of a destructive relationship it can deliver them out of an addictive habit that they're in it can change their life forever it will deliver them in the same way that God's people the Israelites were delivered out of Egyptian bondage something they cannot get out of on their own the power of the Gospel delivers Sinners out of the power of sin it is good news amen that's what this good news says that we preach a power that will change your life you will not be the same as you used to be amen God will give you the power to embrace the promises of God and power to change your life amen again Romans 1 16 I won't re-read it it's the power of God unto salvation amen second Corinthians 5 17. I know you know this verse but this verse amazes me therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation the word is new species it's like Paul under the anointing of the Holy Ghost writing to describe what happens to a dead sinner when the life of Jesus Christ comes in them Christ in you the hope of glory and the word that the spirit of God gives Paul is a new creation a new species something that is never existed in the history of the world Amen when you have the Holy Ghost you are a new creation and all things have passed away behold all things have become new now I want to pause right here this is really not part of my notes but I understand the process you understand the process that when God Saves you he doesn't erase your memory you've got to deal with your memory and there's the work of the spirit and the work of the word of God and there's choices that you make to change your life but I want to emphasize tonight that it is a power of the Holy Ghost amen that gives you the ability to change from what you used to be to what you are now and what you will be in the future amen this good news is the news that delivers a power into your life to change you amen I know that it's not all and just kind of feeling the presence of the Lord and speaking in tongues but it is getting in the spirit and speaking in tongues and letting the Holy Ghost work in you and through you amen purging out your old nature it is building up your most yourselves on your Most Holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost it is the Holy Ghost that is this good news that comes into your life that changes you forever second Corinthians 6 9. new King James do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God do not be deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters or adulterers or homosexuals nor sodomites nor thieves or Covetous or drunkers nor revilers nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God now I know we live in a culture of complete tolerance of every lifestyle and all the gender identity issues that people are facing in this world it is one thing for a person to have a problem with sin sin has existed all the way back to the Garden of Eden and all types of sin in the Old Testament God dealt with all types of sin but it is when right becomes wrong and wrong becomes right it's when justice has fallen in the streets when people instead of addressing sin condone sin they try to make sin approved and the Bible will never change for anyone's Behavior amen verse 11. and such were some of you so it does not matter what you used to be that this good news changes your life amen it changes you from what you used to be and that long list you can go back and read it but once a fornicator not always a fornicator what's an idolater putting everything ahead of God but now Changed by that was an adulterer but now changed was a homosexual but now delivered wants a sodomite but now delivered wants a thief but no longer a thief all of these things the drunkard he says but now such were some of you amen there's a lot of people that believe that you're stuck with yourself that even though you're saved you're still a sinner but I do not identify as a sinner I identify biblically as a child of God a born again believer that has the word of God abiding in me the seed of eternal life amen and we all know that you can go back you can backslide you're not eternally secure from a human point of view you can be disinherited by leaving the The Father's House amen but this good news is a power that delivers people amen this good news is that condemnation is gone because the record has been erased amen there's a there's amazing ways the Bible says this he's put his sins behind our back he's buried them in the depths of the sea as far as the East is from the West so far has he removed our transgressions from us he took them out of the way nailing them to his cross and that's why Paul could write in Romans 8 and 1. there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and of death this good news delivers people from darkness and sin amen and I thank God for this good news amen and while there is always a pull of gravity of sin in our lives the spirit of God is like the law of aerodynamics that that allows an eagle to soar that allows a Christian to overcome the power of their past and the pull of sin in their lives amen this is good news that gives us the desire to do right and the power to do the right thing it is good news and this good news produces great joy behold I bring you good news Good Tidings of great joy amen so the world I told you that good news sells but the world is also a sad world sad World several years ago I did a study same thing and I there's a sadness pull so this is a report that is dated at Gallup report September 8 2022 and it's called gallup's negative experience index now I want you to get ready to get depressed here just for a couple minutes this is a composite measure of people's daily experiences of sadness stress worry anger and physical pain higher scores on the index being a population is experiencing these emotions most of the countries are looking at countries with the highest scores on the negative experience index we're contending with some type of economic or political instability in 2021 this is when the study was taken and then released and talked about in September of 2022. but here's this is what struck me about this is that unhappiness continued to rise worldwide in 2021 as the world overall became a sadder more worried and more stressed out place even after the covid stuff of 2020 2021 it was like the world according to this study didn't break out of that funk the doldrums that they were in two countries Afghanistan and Lebanon say that it's the saddest two countries that were rated on this chart interesting Scandinavian countries ranked as the most happy countries and I think the United States semi-notes are like 17 down on the list a little ways but these countries they said are living in more misery than anywhere else on the planet and the second year of the pandemic people were living with even more uncertainty than the previous year with people dying from covid-19 despite to roll out fall of the vaccines yet the pandemic they said is not entirely to blame for the increase in these negative emotions gallup's data show that the world has been on a negative trajectory for a decade now when I read that I thought about you know when I talked earlier about the world into which Jesus Christ came and negative news and all of the darkness of that world you know the Bible said that he came into the darkness right the light shine in the darkness and the world into which Jesus came the first time was a world of incredible spiritual Darkness and the world in which Jesus Christ will return is trending to be a world of incredible spiritual Darkness but this good news produces great joy great joy not just Joy but great joy and this great joy comes when you know that your record of sins has been erased this great joy comes when you know the penalty which is hell a lake of fire when the penalty of sins has been removed this great joy comes when you know that you've been reconciled to God and have peace with God that you're no longer enemies you're no longer estranged from God but you are in a right relationship with him now the Bible said if our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts we know that Satan is the accuser of the Brethren my experience in Ministry and as a human being is that there's plenty of stuff in life to try to make us feel unworthy undeserving we can't quite measure up to what we ought to be the bar seems to always be raised a little higher but tonight I want to remind you that it is the good news that produces great joy in our lives amen and if you will put your focus on what you have which is salvation and not on what you don't have if you will put your eyes on what is right and not on what is wrong you will find a reason to rejoice it will pick you up amen we we used to sing a song when I was a kid Lift Me Up Above the Shadows amen our world needs a little good news and people like you and me who have received that good news we need to rejoice in our Salvation that God has redeemed Us by his blood it is good news of great joy praise God your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life fill the power of the Holy Ghost Paul would write that the kingdom of God is righteousness Romans 14 17 righteous is Right living peace and joy in the Holy Ghost that's what the kingdom of God produces in your life not meat or drink not a physical Kingdom it's a spiritual Kingdom and it produces in your life these attributes of right living right with God peace in your spirit and joy that is in the Holy Ghost amen now I know sometimes people get a little cynical of the old-timers who talked about you know all those Pentecostals they just want you to speak in tongues well I can tell you that you need to speak in tongues a lot Paul said I thank my God that I speak in tongues more than you all and when you speak in an unknown tongue you edify yourself you build yourself up like Jude 20 says building up yourselves on your Most Holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost I know it's not all in speaking in tongues but it's not all praying with the understanding either Paul said I do both amen so I want to encourage you that it is the Holy Ghost it's righteousness peace and joy that is in the Holy Ghost a lot of in fact all I guess non-Christian religions in the world somber serious down depressing you can't quite measure up but our gospel our good news is rooted in the resurrection of Jesus Christ in his empty tomb that Jesus Christ was dead and He Is Alive forevermore and because I live he said You shall live also Our Gospel changed our Eternal destination from Hell To Heaven and our life has been restored From Ashes to Beauty it turned our mourning into dancing and our sorrow into Joy amen that's why Luke 2 10 fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy of great joy which shall be to all people great joy the Apostle Peter would write about a season of suffering that these people were going through but he said even all of this that you're going through if need be you're in suffering but you're going to receive the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls Amen in the middle of that he said about Jesus Christ who mean whom having not seen you love in him though now you see him not yet believing you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of Glory someone should write a song about that number 33 in The Red song book in case you don't know first Thessalonians 1 and 6 not on the screens and became followers of us Paul wrote and of the Lord having received the word of God in much Affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost see how does joy and affliction coexist with the Holy Ghost this is good news of great joy power To Tread on serpents and scorpions and the disciples came back from a little missionary journey the seventy did and they were so excited and they told Jesus about all the power that they had and he told him this is great but don't rejoice in this but I want you to Rejoice that your names are written in heaven sometimes when I'm speaking to ministers and some type of a leadership setting I say to them you know there are days when you feel like the devils are coming out and everything is bowing down at the name of Jesus as you speak it but then there are some days that you feel like that's just not happening and Jesus knew there would be days when you felt like it wasn't all power and glory and so that's the day he said you don't Rejoice because the devils are subject to you but you rejoice that your name is written in heaven and then it doesn't matter what is going on in your life what hell you may be facing on Earth there is heaven we look forward to my name is written there and the Lord will never take it out of there as long as I stay in a right relationship with him good news of great joy which shall be to all people this is the message of Christmas all people have had the privilege of traveling a few places in the world not not everywhere but I remember we went on a Minister's trip to the Soviet Union right after you could go to the Soviet Union and the people there were so sad standing in long lines for Commodities and wherever we would go even in worship they have been so oppressed 300 people in a church receiving communion with a common cup not an experience that I really was looking forward to but the only time I was glad it was not grape juice kill those germs in Jesus name but the colors are drab and the people just seemed down I've been places where it looked like the the human being that they're they're the people were just like there's a depression a heavy cloud of depression that hung over them I thank God that we have good news of great joy there shall be to all people that it crosses every border every bloodline every continent every people that it doesn't matter where you are that you can be changed by this good news that produces great joy in your life I've told about my family many times I'm not going to share that tonight but I thank the Lord that I was raised in the church and my testimony is the Lord kept me from so many things that I could have been involved in my father my grandfather on both sides they don't have that same story but we deal with people every week in our church they come from a past that is regrettable that has made them have the feeling that they don't qualify for salvation but the angel said to the Shepherds this is good news of great joy and it is for all people we have to remember that this gospel can reach anyone anywhere it doesn't matter the depth of sin it doesn't matter if they've never heard the name of Jesus Christ this gospel can change them John 7 37. in the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink he that believeth on me as a scripture has said out of his belly out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of Living Water a little side note there are sincere people who accept Christ as their personal savior that doesn't sound to me like rivers of living water flowing up out of them those sincere people need to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost came in to have these rivers of living water flowing up out of them and I know some Pentecostals that need to let that River flow again in their life to wash out some of the depression and help them know that the lord loves them this is for all people second Peter 3 and 9 the Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness but his long-suffering to us word not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance the Apostle Peter was quoting Joel in his famous sermon on acts in Acts chapter 2. when he said I will pour out my spirit upon All Flesh sons and daughters and servants and handmaidens well I pour out of my spirit in those days the Apostle Paul in Romans 10 writing to help these Roman Christians understand that there's no difference between the Jews and the Gentiles Romans 10 and 12 Paul said for there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is Rich unto all that call upon him for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Acts 2 and 5 when the Holy Ghost was poured out there were devout men out of every nation under heaven and when you get when we get to heaven Revelation 5 five and nine I sung a new song saying Thou Art Worthy to take the book and open the seals thereof or thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and nation and people Revelation 7 9 after this I be held in low a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and kindreds and peoples and tongues stood Before the Throne and before the lamb clothed with white robes and Palms in their hands not my message but white Robes of righteousness and Palms in their hands symbolic of Victory amen not of defeat salt a a palm out of Psalm but a palm in their hands and then the Bible ends like this toward the end revelation 22 17. the spirit and the bride say come and let him that is that heareth say come and let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will that's the qualification do you want to go to heaven do you desire good news of great joy for all people in this gospel is for whosoever will the message of Christmas there are a lot of Miracles of Christmas but the message of Christmas is a message of good news of great joy for all people