The Christmas Story

would you pray with me right now lord jesus thank you for the cross of calvary thank you lord for your birth in a manger today lord we gather in this room to draw closer to you you are god you're exalted one more time lord i make myself available to you i desperately desperately need you today lord we as a people as a church we're hungry for you we're thankful that truth prevails dear god no matter what we honor you and love you lord and ask for your glorious power and spirit to move in our hearts speak to us through your word today lord i pray in the name of jesus can you love him for one more moment i love you lord and i thank you i believe you jesus i honor you great king hallelujah hallelujah somebody say amen amen you may be seated if you feel like you need to again i welcome all of you out today i welcome our guests to cornerstone apostolic church i welcome those online watching as well come on aren't we glad that people are joining with us i want you to know the spirit of the lord is real and it's for you thank you to all of those that are working hard our singers musicians of the workers in the entry our video folk everybody that's involved it's a great great thing that you do and i thank you for that amen i know that your investment in the kingdom will reap eternal rewards everybody say heaven everybody say heaven so i want to go yeah amen amen well we we make one more time to the most cherished time of the year huh yeah now every day is a blessing from the lord every week every month every year that passes you you tend to grab a hold of the things of god and let him work in you and you decide the memories that you make the blessings that come that they really have value that takes you through your whole life amen so at this time of year this time of year we call it christmas time of course we don't we're not going to take the time today i would do challenge you to do your homework and figure out where the christ mass comes from it's an incredibly interesting interesting story of history and it might help you understand better where we are today but i will tell you this that in this time of year there there can be a sense of secrecy and wonderment the gifts that maybe you buy from somebody or or you're hopeful you'll get from someone else the family and friends that get together and and join together to make memories even more so it's a truly joyous time of the year now it might not sound like it today right now for some children but it's a joyous time of year somebody say amen it's a joyous time of year wrapped in this activity of this time of year there is love there is giving and receiving of gifts there is interaction one with another and it can feel many times that every day we should have this kind of joy every day we should have this kind of connection to the things of god every day we should be able to live according to the word of god amen and to love one another and love through what god is doing can somebody say amen can somebody say amen the track the fact of the matter is simply this that you get time off from week from work you get weeks off from the classroom and what is virtual now because of the day and age in which we live you get to take a break from it and you get to enjoy each other's fellowship and companies everybody's still okay understand this is the most wonderful time of the year what would you trade for what just happened it's a wonderful time of the year life determination in humanity you know all the bad you want to the fact is it's a gift from god that all right now you know who to pray for today not mom the most wonderful time of the year the end of the year this year especially has been chock full of just things right maybe unexplainable things sickness separations missing work deadline shortage of toilet paper and household cleaners the list goes on and on and truly i've said this before even the last few weeks you know if you were to get to ask somebody for a great gift what would it be many of you would just simply ask for the madness to end you just want to bypass and go forward but i'm here today in in this christmas spirit if you will in this christmas service today this being the week that we celebrate it i'm here to tell you today that the church is fine we remain together there are some that are out today because of sickness physical mental problems things going on in their lives but through that the church family remains in love with jesus and keeping the faith trusting that god's plan is unfolding in every single one of us is anybody today thankful for the church the body of believers that can come together join forces if you will in prayer and and going to heavenly places magnifying the king of glory i am thankful that the church is okay and just fine i would admonish someone today that even though you're struggling or things are going on in your life keep the faith hold on to his plan and keep him first in your life amen of course this time of year this moment in fact we are happy to reflect on that particular moment where it all began according to the historians and the writers we can see this in luke chapter two verse number one this is what the bible says it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from caesar augustus that all the world should be taxed or counted well okay with that counted numbered if you will this taxing was first made when cyrenius was governor of syria and all went to be taxed counted everyone into his own city joseph also went up from galilee out of the city of nazareth into judea under the city of david which is called bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of david to be taxed with counted with mary his espoused wife being great with child and so it was that while they were there the days were accomplished that she should be delivered and she brought forth her firstborn son wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for him in the end and there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock by night and lo 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 verse 10 says fear not for behold i bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people for unto you is born this day in the city of david a savior which is christ the lord this shall be a sign unto you ye shall find the bay wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger and suddenly verse 13 says there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising god and saying you ready for it glory to god in the highest and on earth peace good will toward men came to pass stay with me as the angels were gone away from them into heaven the shepherds said one to another let us now go even to bethlehem and see the thing which has come to pass which the lord hath made known unto us and they came with haste and found mary and joseph and the babe lying in a manger and when they had seen it they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child verse 18 and all they that heard it wondered at things that those things which were told them by the shepherds but mary kept all these things pondered them in her heart and the shepherds returned glorifying and praising god for all the things that had they had heard and seen and it was told unto them verse 21 says this and when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child his name was called jesus which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb we call this that i read to you i know 21 verses lengthy maybe i do hope that sometime this coming week you will read this in your home and you'll fill your home with this story of christmas one that is worthy of repeating many times during the year in the good times you need to remember that jesus came in the bad times in the lost times and any time that you're going through a situation you remember jesus came to save us this jesus this child would change all things time would now start with his connection to the world the bc and the a.d we realize that the mission and the ministry of god's word wrapped in flesh was come to change and to alter the mindsets of people listen to me carefully there will be wars that would be fought over the name of jesus many would be falsely accused because of the name of jesus many would unrightly use the name of jesus to pursue selfish goals hear me some would even come into the world simply to try to destroy the name of jesus but through every fire and every flood through every catastrophic event though the winds and the waves and the destructive desires of many have tried to stop it the name still remains the most powerful name ever to be written or spoken the name jesus there's no other name like the name jesus the meaning behind this meaning simply is that god had established his plan from the architectural establishment and the design of our created world why because when day and night was established the earth the water the light the darkness the trees the animals in the midst of those plants was jesus salvation that would come to humanity this jesus child would come to establish the ways and the means for all of creation to have an opportunity to spend eternity in heaven with its creator i don't know about you but i'm still looking for that place called heaven i still hunger for the right things that god has for each and every one of us the bible tells us very specifically that as humans every single one of us would be in a position that we would need salvation and so john wrote it this way in chapter 1 verse 14 the word was made flesh hear it dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth god's word made flesh living here in 2020 we still have to remember in this time of year specifically and every time of the year he came and he dwelt he lived he abided in the midst of humanity his name would be jesus jehovah has become salvation for all who would call on his name for those who would follow his plan for those who would yield and submit to what he has done and what he chooses to do i've come today to tell you in believing we would submit to his name in faith we would trust his name to cover us in action we would be baptized in his name for the remission of our sin in confirmation of the covenant being fulfilled he would fill us with his spirit and we would speak with new tongues in life and in living every day the lord god will allow us to hear the spirit speak and to move and to manifest itself in us why because it was the plan of god the savior would come and he would come for you and for me all because of the name of jesus born in a manger in bethlehem declared by the angels sought after by the wisest and the lowest worshipped as divine and destitute as close as simply saying his name he walks beside you every day he speaks directly to you every day he loves you in spite of yourself why because it's part of the plan of god you and i need a savior as we come to this time of year we are repeatedly reminded it is all about him and less about us now again a challenge that we face in 2020 has simply been how do we remain joyous and glad in the midst of all the stuff i tell you get your eyes off the stuff and put your eyes on him come on you can give this testimony to anybody you know in their roughest toughest of moments you can simply breathe and name jesus and this whole story comes to life you can go into the hospital room you can go into a castle anywhere into the king's palace you can go down into a prison cell and breathe the name jesus and the activity is the same you can tell your neighbor about jesus and their life can be changed hear me you can tell the president of any nation about jesus and their hearts can be changed you can talk about the things to come in the name of jesus and all of life situations can be altered i don't know what you do i don't know how you do it in this time of year but as i mentioned many times from this desk when i wake up in the morning i want to talk to him first jesus i love you and i thank you for another day why because if i include him in my day my day is better i have also learned if i exclude him from my day my day is often worse come on you ever go through your day real life you know what i didn't i ain't said jesus enough today and you're stopping back up and just say it multiple jesus jesus jesus jesus jesus jesus i need you lord i need you lord and somehow in the midst of that and all your cantankerousness and all of your stuff that you're going through the spirit of god begins to work you want to know why because it's his word that's wrapped in flesh and now it lives inside of each of us and when we call on that name it doesn't matter what we're going through or what's going on here in this christmas season there's a story that unfolds that leads us to understand and comprehend that he has come with a plan and a purpose and it did not end in the city of bethlehem it's not over today in 2020 but it is still there it's a place called heaven where we can go and be with him for eternity repentance baptism in his name receiving his spirit that is still the plan for humanity come on don't listen to the lies of the world they're trying to minimize all of religion and all of godliness why because they know that godliness righteousness doing the right things it exalts a nation it'll it'll lift up a nation you can read multiple times in old testament days when they figured out who the people of israel really were oh you you don't want to mess with them you you don't want to come up next next to them you can try to attack them if you want to you can try to come up against them if you want to but i refuse why because there is such a power in that name god's people are blessed people you don't believe it you ask daniel you don't believe it you ask the three hebrew boys you don't believe it ask me i can tell you you don't believe it ask some of these elders in here that have walked in the fire itself and come out with their hands up saying god was with me in the fire you need to know it's the name of jesus that you need to plead over your children every day it's the name of jesus you need to call on in every one of life situations whatever the trouble whatever the mess the first thing needs to be jesus lord i know you can take care of covid i know you can heal cancer i know that you can raise the dead i still believe the cross of calvary can make the difference in any tribe and in any tongue why because when jesus came he came to bring salvation and it's never ended no matter what anybody says it is all in him so on this christmas week would you come brother drunk on this christmas message i've come to tell you that there's a plan that is still actively moving today it hasn't stopped it hasn't ceased it's not changed its direction it is still all in him right now in this place we have called on the name of jesus through our worship and song through our prayer time through our going to the word i want you to know friend that that wasn't haphazard now what does happen many times if i may as i bring this to a close is there are times where we ask a miss we simply throw it there and we expect for somehow god to reach out and grab it i don't mind telling you that if my finances are in trouble i call on the name of the lord god and i mention my finances there have been multiple times that i've had to lay out my checkbook if you will before the lord and say see when my child was burning up with a fever i didn't go somewhere in a room and say lord if it's if it's your good will flip a coin and say yeah or nay but i went and put my hand on their forehead and said lord i got you got to do something why because they're burning up with a fever and i know that in your name there's healing over my child i i know that you don't believe it that's fine you you can walk every way you want to go i don't mind but i don't mind telling you in a hospital room when my wife was laying there i didn't know what else to do but call on the name of jesus and believe and trust that in whatever happened whatever happens tomorrow or in the future lord i believe your name is still more powerful than anything and whatever circumstance you're going through in this season you cannot afford to turn loose of the purpose of the birth of the christ child he came so that you could live all of the wise men all of the shepherds all of the kings all over all the story that's wrapped around luke chapter 2. it all points to a plan and something very specific for humanity and that is god so loved the world he loves you he cares about you the blood that was shed on calvary was for every single one of you he knows what road you're on he knows the troubles you're facing and the thing you can do today in this season is recognize the plan god you came to live and to die for me you came so that i could go with you there's a there's a christmas carol a song that's sung many many times oh come let us adore him oh oh come let us adore him come let us adore him i invite you to stand with me right now if you can if you want to if it if if it works for you would you come and adore him would you come to an altar and adore him your plan is real your purpose is right the story that's told time and again year after year it still points to you jesus it's still all about you jesus come on we've come to adore him today don't leave this place without blessing and praising his name come on adore him you know how to adore someone you're telling you love them you let them feel the emotion from your heart and your spirit i've come to adore you i've come to wrap my arms around you i've come to connect with you come on he is christ the lord adore him i love you jesus i love you jesus i need you jesus come on that's right some of you just need to feel his arms wrapping around you today as you adore him i trust you savior i trust you you know where i am lord but i've come to lift you up jesus come on adore him call out on his name jesus that's right call out his name jesus come on would you adore him lift your voice too i love you jesus i bless your name jesus i adore you lord i adore you now christ the lord for he alone is worthy he alone is worthy he alone is worthy or he alone is worthy come on that's right it's jesus christ the lord come on with voice lifted high oh come let us adore him oh come let us adore him oh come let us adore him lord jesus we love you and we thank you for our time together today your word became flesh dwelt among us jesus jesus your anointing lord your unction right now is in this place i pray lord for every family and every individual jesus i pray every home and every heart that's represented in this room online today watching from their homes or their jobs i pray the word of god would reach to them in the name of jesus deliverance can come to them healing can reach them right now salvation can be revealed to them right now in the name of jesus thankful lord for this time of year family and friends making memories one with another lifting up your name talking of your goodness and grace great is your name great is your name jesus come on before you go home one more time could you lift your hands and your voice to the lord that's right come on adore him i love you lord you are christ the lord to me you're my savior i love you today i need you today worthy is your name worthy is your name worthy is your names you are glorious lord yes you are thank you sweet jesus thank you mighty god i thank you hallelujah so good to see all of you out today don't forget talk about jesus the challenge is always this that i say every year before you open gifts or sit around the table and laugh and have fun get your bible out read the christmas story let it feel your home your heart kids grandkids they need to hear it friends neighbors they need to know this was god's plan amen i love you all wednesday night we're back here at seven o'clock i want to invite you to come because next sunday back here as well for worship uh that'd be the last sunday of 2020 yeah you made it love one another be kind to somebody this week share the love of christ i love you shake hands be friendly till next time god go with you all in jesus name