Bro Gary Sunday Morning 12/25/11

Bro Gary Sunday Morning 12/25/11

Luk 2:1  And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

Luk 2:2  (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

Luk 2:3  And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

Luk 2:4  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

Luk 2:5  To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

Luk 2:6  And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

Luk 2:7  And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luk 2:8  And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

Luk 2:9  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

Luk 2:10  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Luk 2:11  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Luk 2:12  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

Luk 2:13  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Luk 2:14  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luk 2:15  And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

Luk 2:16  And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

Luk 2:17  And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

Luk 2:18  And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

Luk 2:19  But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

Luk 2:20  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Verse 7: There was no room for him in the inn.  This was no problem for Jesus even though He was and is the Son of God.  He was glad to be born in a humble manger.  Each of us finds a beginning with Him in a humble way.

Verse 9: The shepherds were on a hill side and the glory of the Lord shown around about them.  They were afraid and the angel spoke.  When fear grips your heart God will send an angel.  The angel said, “I bring you good tidings of great joy.”

Everyone needs good tidings of great joy.  As blessed as you are in this audience this morning, you have a need of good tidings of great joy.  It is to all people.  The greatness of God and His Son, of His Holy Spirit is encouraging because the design of God is that this good message that brings great joy would be to all people.

He is the savior, He is the Christ, and He is the Lord. 

Jesus is a savior.  He gives hope.  The father who had only one begotten son chose to send Him as a Savior.  This shows the need of mankind.  All of us in this audience this morning are challenged.  It is a privilege to be alive and to be challenged.  We are not alone in having needs. 

There is only one savior that has the authority to give real hope.  There is hope in Christ.  If you are in sin, He is here to give hope this morning.  There is hope for individuals in sin.

I was reading about life in Cambodia.  When you realize what is being done to exploit children three years and up you would pray for them.  You would also pray, “God help America.”  What gives dignity to life is the strength of virtue and valor that only comes from the Divine. 

Every one of us here is contested against that which is right.  There is an eternal God in Heaven that gave a savior and He will give us strength of virtue.  He will give us strength of valor, the ability to face the battle and realize that the savior is with us.

The savior gives life and life more abundant.  He is given for everyone that would need deliverance.  Jesus came to deliver.  In a world that wants no restrictions and yet they open themselves up to bondage and more bondage.  Jesus Christ gives real freedom.  The man that is free is the man that Jesus Christ sets free.  That is real freedom.

He gives protection.  I don’t know what might be out there that would try to destroy you.  I know a savior that came to give protection to all men and to all women. 

He isn’t there just to help us; He is the giver of eternal life. 

He is the Christ, the anointed one from eternity.  There is something wonderful in going back where we were before and seeing how God protected, led, and provided for us.  There is one that inhabits eternity, ordained and anointed of the Father, that fulfilled all the prophecies given in the Bible. 

He is the anointed one who came from heaven to earth so that your and my life could be influenced by Divine influences.  I’m glad that there is a resource besides looking into my empty self and trying to find something that would satisfy.  Wherever you would be thinking to look for satisfaction besides in Him is all passing vanity.  But there is a Christ that came from Heaven this morning with the anointing of God to deal collectively or individually with whatever our needs are.

He is supreme, He is Lord, and He is above everything.  It is a wonderful thing to have Him speak to us, direct us, and influence our lives.  Many will give you free counsel even when you don’t want it.  It is wonderful to have counsel from one that is above.  Those that would give you counsel without you seeking it is seeing things from a horizontal view. 

This savior wasn’t just given to the rich, He was given to all.

He is the revealer, He reveals everything.  He identifies with our need and then he produces the solution.  One way that you can know that it is God dealing with you is that He is always exact with two things.  He first reveals the need and then through His word He reveals the solution.

He reveals truth.  We are blessed this morning because this Lord reveals truth and when you hear error the Spirit will help you know that it is not truth.

The angels told the shepherds that they would give them a sign, a miracle.  They’d find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Jesus was visited by one angel in the scripture.  Yet often, as with the shepherds, the angels come with a host.

When the shepherds knew what God wanted them to do they moved hastily.  They didn’t think, “It’s not in my schedule.”  When God speaks you and I need to have a consecrated schedule and say, “This wasn’t planned by me but it was planned by the scheduler.”

They went and saw that it was just like the angels said that it would be and they couldn’t be quiet about it.  Mary kept all these things and pondered it in her heart. 

Verse 20: The shepherds returned to the sheep.

Isaiah was given promise of a miracle, a virgin would have a son and He would be named Immanuel. 

What God has planned for every one of us is that God be with us. 

When does God begin to be with us?  Many of us can go back to our hungering for God as a child, those times that we asked our mother and father about God.  The bible teaches that the babe leaped in Elizabeth’s womb because of hearing the voice of the mother of Jesus.  God spoke to Jeremiah, I knew you when you were in your mother’s womb. 

God with us before birth, God with us at birth, God is with children.  May God help you and me to realize what is really important in life.  We are happy for every parent that is represented here.  God is with parents.  Immanuel, God with us. 

You ask, “What season of parenting is the most difficult?”  I’m not going to answer that, but God has designed that He would be with you no matter where you are at today.  There are some seasons that are heartbreaking.  God has designed that He’d be with parents and with grandparents.

The church needs to pray that God would be Immanuel in the thought of God leading men and women to Godly sorrow.  Godly sorrow is past what any does to another human being.  It is realizing that Jesus suffered for my sin.  It takes God being with an individual to have Godly sorrow. 

Seldom will you meet a man or woman in sin that doesn’t blame someone else for where they are.  The entire plan of getting saved, of getting baptized, of the ordinances, of Bible Sanctification is having God with us.

Only God can make it real to you of having God real in your childhood.  It is only God that can put it in the children’s heart to not, when they feel God checking them, investigate what they don’t know about.  When people begin to play with sin it will only lead to an addiction to a bigger sin. 

The design of God is for the Immanuel to be with you in the great joys of life.  I’ve reached the age where I’m not young anymore.  The best of the times that Karen and I have had are because of God.  We look forward to good times in enjoying the family of God, in being parents and grandparents, in working to rescue the perishing.  We want God with us.

The other side is that we will all face trials of life.  There will be temptations; we need God with us to ever remember that nothing is worth losing Jesus over.  If God allows me to have another week to live I guarantee that there will be disappointments.  The Immanuel will be there with us, He will not fail.

Among the greatest disappointments in life are your own failures.  Whatever the failure was, clear it with God, and if you owe someone an apology, then make it a good one. 

Those things that are in the past, let the Immanuel come and let the past be in the past and be energized by the Almighty God to have strength of virtue and strength of valor.

God in our prime: Some of you are so young and strong.  Your career is just beginning.  You have the financial maze in America figured out.  We need God, Immanuel, in our prime.  When I think of how good God has been!  I personally believe that everyone in this audience was visited by God in the womb. 

He has a marvelous design that His Son would be Immanuel.  He’s gotten us from where ever we were to where ever we are 12/25/2011.

Some are past their prime.  Some are seeing the sunset.  Have God as your Immanuel.  When our steps begin to get feeble and they will.  When you reach that stage where it is easier to fall than it used to be:  Immanuel, God with us. 

One of these days you are going to be somewhere and the death angel is going to be dispatched, have Immanuel with you.  I echoed these words to my sister for a year, “Joanne leave a testimony to your children that you are saved.” 

I’d rather leave the testimony to my children that God hasn’t failed me and I haven’t failed Him than to leave whatever can be amassed in the state of Montana.

When they begin opening those books that contain all you’ve done with what you’ve been entrusted with, you don’t’ have to fear if you’ve lived with Him beside you.

Immanuel, God with us for all eternity.  I’ve never traveled abroad; I don’t really care to get more than a day’s drive from Montana.  One of these days in eternity nothing will matter except, have I been with Immanuel?  I will only be with Him then if I have lived with Him here.