The Sermon Christmas Eve Candlelight Service by David McGee
Dec 24, 2011
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (19:05)
Referenced Scriptures: Luke 2:1-15
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The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Luke 2:1-15
1) Now it happened in those days, that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.
2) This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3) All went to enroll themselves, everyone to his own city.
4) Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David;
5) to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being great with child.
6) It happened, while they were there, that the day had come that she should give birth.
7) She brought forth her firstborn son, and she wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8) There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock.
9) Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10) The angel said to them, "Don‘t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people.
11) For there is born to you, this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12) This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough."
13) Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14) "Glory to God in the highest, On earth peace, good will toward men."
15) It happened, when the angels went away from them into the sky, that the shepherds said one to another, "Let‘s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."
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At Christmas Eve. Are you ready for Christmas and a erratic. Now already that's good, good younger where and hurrying around the house and cleaning and cooking in getting everything together, watching football games and the Steelers won, so that was a good thing, but in all of a few weeks ago, Joel Steen used a an illustration and he said he talked about the scaffolding of our lives, and an interview know what scaffolding as I was trying to find a picture of the Statue of Liberty, and whenever they were repairing it. And if you maybe you saw some of those pictures they had scaffolding from the base. The whole way up to the crown and up the arm and add scaffolding that was around the outside of the Statue of Liberty in which they were able to refurbish the end you. I think they were refurbishing the entire statue in my reading I came across that the material. The copper that is used on the Statue of Liberty is less than the thickness of two pennies, so that the gown and the clothing that are in that than in the arm and all that that are on the Statue of Liberty. It's thickness is less than two pennies, so it's the inner structure that holds the poles. The statute together but it was the scaffolding that was used on the outer outer portion to refurbish the Statue of Liberty while in our lives. We have scaffolding and sometimes that scaffolding is our job and sometimes it's our titles. Sometimes it's considered what we would be only recall ourselves pastor, father hi dad, you know, grandfather, now husband on whenever you went whatever those things are in and in reality they are scaffolding as it were, on the outer part of our life, but very few things in our life ever a fact the internal person. The internal person isn't the scaffolding. Scaffolding is what goes on the outside, but everything that is life inside of you is is that person is the person you are and that's the person that Jesus Christ is come to touch to change it to make a difference, so Jesus Christ is not about scaffolding, Jesus Christ and the coming of Jesus is about change on the inside and coming outward with it. How many times people say why you know Christians innocent Christians that that's the scaffolding. What we do know how that went is on the inside where the changes if there's no change on the inside. They were just rearranging the scaffolding rearranging the outer appearances and trying to fix up the beat me all the outer appearances by the inside. If it doesn't change. It doesn't make a difference in so in our lives. Sometimes the scaffolding changes jobs change age in all of it was I talking to someone said that Jan can't believe I'm this old and you dollars. We were the same age and death, and death and we were talking about this. This whole idea in a story about a Vista scaffolding it out because it's what's on the inside that makes the difference and the coming of Jesus Christ is a is is what this is all about about changing on the inside, Luke chapter two in those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while client quiet whenever his name is a universe you pronounce his name cry when he has there. Whenever the NES was governor of Syria. And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house on the line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. And while they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn son, firstborn, a son and she wrapped him in clothes and placed them in a manger, because there was no room for them in the end, and there were shepherds lying out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night an angel of the Lord appeared to them in the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord. And this will be assigned to you, you will find the babe wrapped in closing line in the major and suddenly a great company of heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. As we think of Christmas scene and the purpose of our Christmas that Christ is the heart of the whole situation. Christ is the heart of Christmas. Now the phrase Jesus Christ. Christ is not his last name. Okay, so you may be disappointed and that will let Jesus 's name of Jesus Christ. What is less than Christ. Now it is in Christ, Jesus Christ. Antichrist is not his last name. Christ comes from the from the Greek word Christos, rendering the Hebrew word Messiah, which means the anointed one. So Jesus the anointed one is the Christmas to celebrate the Christ of Christmas is the long-awaited Messiah that was predicted in the Old Testament, Jesus the Christ the anointed of God has come to be with us. He is the one in the Old Testament prophets spoke of Matthew records it this way. All this took place to fulfill what they had said through the prophets, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call his name Immanuel, which means God with us. So we have Christ the anointed one, we have the menu while God with us, and this presenting to us what the prophets had said, and in this evening I am looking at this Christmas Eve and the and then the message that were talking about and looking at it from a perspective that Jesus didn't just show up on the scene that if we look at and if you are a history buff and a historical person will look at this and we will see what the prophets had foretold, and how that they had spoken on the Messiah and that they had prophesied about what this Messiah would be what he would do Hollywood, where he would be born Hollywood live Hollywood die, how he would be raised in the day and we look at this and there is an overwhelming evidence about the coming of Jesus Christ, the anointed one God with us. So Jesus even spoke after the resurrection, he says, and he was right. He was walking on the road to a management to the two to disciples to the note is not said who they were, but he began and spoke to them, and this is a Moses and all the prophets, Jesus explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. He began to speak on what had been written about him in the centuries before and what this prophecy, and what these centuries before profits had been speaking up. They were foretelling of events and in the name represents one of the most powerful proves I'm a divine origin and him them him the biblical authenticity. We don't celebrate Christmas because of tradition. We have traditions and agent all traditions mean certain things, and I'm glad Rhonda brought it up about the Swedish tradition, I know, it results tonight after after masturbation with the mass because there haven't seven fish out the results on evening out on antiaging seven fish on Christmas Eve so if you're Italian. My getting on and I'm a vegan and are not, but they haven't seven fish meal tonight. Afterwards so that I don't have that tonight. You're all invited Brad seasons communities are cooked afterwards that that is writes that the idea. Ha ha. So about a album. We all have traditions we have these traditions allow about no certain events. The birth of Christ is not a tradition Christmas the birth of the coming of Jesus Christ, the anointed one is not a tradition. It is an event in history that we celebrate. And because we celebrate it, we can say it's a tradition, but we celebrated because the need of an event in the event was foretold thousands of years before, and in numerous ways. Jesus, the very born of a virgin, laid in a manger didn't just happen it did not. And Jesus after he born did not set out to prove that he was Messiah, the prophets spoke and Jesus came according to what the prophets had had foretold. At the appointed time, the Scripture says Jesus was born. The prophecies regarding him outnumber all others. All other prophets and all other all other names. All other major religions. All the others came by an individual, saying they were inspired in God somehow spoke to them Jesus and be in, we look at the Old Testament are Old Testament, the Jewish Hebrew Scriptures. It talks about the coming of a Messiah, the coming of the Messiah and that Messiah would come the anointed one of God would come to redeem the people the world from their sin. Many of these prophecies would have been impossible for Jesus due to fulfill. He is a descendent of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob 's birth was in Bethlehem. Micah chapter five. This crucifixion was with criminals Isaiah fifty three, the piercing of his hands and feet. Psalms twenty two. The soldiers gambling for his clothes. Psalm twenty two, the piercing of his side, and the fact that his balls were not wrote Zechariah chapter twelve in Psalm thirty four. His burial among the rich Isaiah fifty three. The events. Jesus could not have any way of arranging these things fulfilled prophecies. Perhaps the most beloved prophecy is from Isaiah eight hundred years before it became for to us a child is born. Colossus son is given, the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, Prince of peace, eight hundred years before of Virgin shall be with child as we look at the Christ the anointed one of Christmas, we are assured that the Scriptures give us historical certainty of the Christ coming in the flesh, and NAR rooted in history to Ray Josephus in your reader has the historical fact that his Nestorians of the dog of Judaism. You will find in speaking of this, Jesus, and if you go back and through the early and the other church history and the church records. You will find that there were actual people on Peter and Paul and James and John. These were literal individuals who influenced the world at that time, the Lamb of God who lived the perfect sinless life, a human life. He died for sinners. The death on the cross to be the atonement that we might have everlasting life. The Virgin birth, Emmanuelle God with us, Christ the anointed one, as God he came to be the sacrifice, the redemption of man to buy us back so the last lost humanity might have forgiveness and that we might be change, not scaffolding to somehow rearrange our outward appearances and show up in church and do these things and somehow rearrange it. We are on the outside. Jesus Christ came as the anointed one of God, to purchase our salvation that we might be saved in our sins, might be forgiven and all that part of us on the inside that God would clean us up from the inside out. As man he did what the first Adam failed to do. Paul says it this way. For just as through the disobedience of the one man, Adam, the many were sinners, so also through the obedience of vest. One man, Jesus many will be made righteous. It's a change that has come about because of who, with who Christ is and how that Christ has changed us on the inside alternate rent in says as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive. The birth of Jesus Christ speaks many things to us. It speaks of God 's love for us. He loves us in our sometimes we forget this, God has never had one bad thought about you. He's never had one bad thought about you no matter what we've done and what was said he's never had one bad thought about us because he loves us that much that he desires only the best for us in God 's goal is to touch our lives in such a way that from the inside out. We can become that person that we were created to be that from the inside out Christmas would be about the Christ who has come to love me and change my life for an eternity, the Christ to us, to give me life here and now and to give me life eternal, Philippians, chapter two, says your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus my attitudes. My perspective, I should be able to have the perspective of Jesus, not by scaffolding, not by trying to rearrange the scaffolding and rearrange how I how I would think or feel lower or raise the circumstances now my attitude should be the same as price for being in the very nature of the God did not consider equality with God a something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant. He was born in a manger, a servant poverty being made in all human likeness. He became man, born of Mary and being found in the appearance as a man. He lived his life in view of human history, he humbled himself and became obedient even to the death. The death of the cross. Therefore God hath exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name, a name that is above every name, that the very name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under beer and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord the glory of God the father. What did the Angels say glory to God in the highest and peace among men. The glory of God. Jesus lived from the very announcement of his birth throw his life. He did not come to do the will of his. He did not come to do is only health became to do the will of his father and his his life was lived to the glory of God the father, and as we are here this evening we can, as it were, declare about Jesus Christ glory to God in the highest. Why, because Christ has come, Christ is with us. Christ is in us. Christ has forgiven us him our sins glory to God in the highest and what piece and goodwill to us. That's what God gives us, not by the scaffolding, not by putting up different scaffolds, but by allowing God the Christ child who live his life and has this man became a living sacrifice to come into our hearts and change us from the inside out that the peace of God was proclaimed on that first Christmas day at first Christmas Eve, the Christ child glory to God in the highest and peace and goodwill to you. That's what Christ is to us. That's what the birth of Christ is about his peace, but we do that, and chirpy, to be with you, shake hands, the peace of God be with you and goodwill, thinking nothing but the best for your life this ChristmasAt Christmas Eve. Are you ready for Christmas and a erratic. Now already that's good, good younger where and hurrying around the house and cleaning and cooking in getting everything together, watching football games and the Steelers won, so that was a good thing, but in all of a few weeks ago, Joel Steen used a an illustration and he said he talked about the scaffolding of our lives, and an interview know what scaffolding as I was trying to find a picture of the Statue of Liberty, and whenever they were repairing it. And if you maybe you saw some of those pictures they had scaffolding from the base. The whole way up to the crown and up the arm and add scaffolding that was around the outside of the Statue of Liberty in which they were able to refurbish the end you. I think they were refurbishing the entire statue in my reading I came across that the material. The copper that is used on the Statue of Liberty is less than the thickness of two pennies, so that the gown and the clothing that are in that than in the arm and all that that are on the Statue of Liberty. It's thickness is less than two pennies, so it's the inner structure that holds the poles. The statute together but it was the scaffolding that was used on the outer outer portion to refurbish the Statue of Liberty while in our lives. We have scaffolding and sometimes that scaffolding is our job and sometimes it's our titles. Sometimes it's considered what we would be only recall ourselves pastor, father hi dad, you know, grandfather, now husband on whenever you went whatever those things are in and in reality they are scaffolding as it were, on the outer part of our life, but very few things in our life ever a fact the internal person. The internal person isn't the scaffolding. Scaffolding is what goes on the outside, but everything that is life inside of you is is that person is the person you are and that's the person that Jesus Christ is come to touch to change it to make a difference, so Jesus Christ is not about scaffolding, Jesus Christ and the coming of Jesus is about change on the inside and coming outward with it. How many times people say why you know Christians innocent Christians that that's the scaffolding. What we do know how that went is on the inside where the changes if there's no change on the inside. They were just rearranging the scaffolding rearranging the outer appearances and trying to fix up the beat me all the outer appearances by the inside. If it doesn't change. It doesn't make a difference in so in our lives. Sometimes the scaffolding changes jobs change age in all of it was I talking to someone said that Jan can't believe I'm this old and you dollars. We were the same age and death, and death and we were talking about this. This whole idea in a story about a Vista scaffolding it out because it's what's on the inside that makes the difference and the coming of Jesus Christ is a is is what this is all about about changing on the inside, Luke chapter two in those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while client quiet whenever his name is a universe you pronounce his name cry when he has there. Whenever the NES was governor of Syria. And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house on the line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. And while they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn son, firstborn, a son and she wrapped him in clothes and placed them in a manger, because there was no room for them in the end, and there were shepherds lying out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night an angel of the Lord appeared to them in the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord. And this will be assigned to you, you will find the babe wrapped in closing line in the major and suddenly a great company of heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. As we think of Christmas scene and the purpose of our Christmas that Christ is the heart of the whole situation. Christ is the heart of Christmas. Now the phrase Jesus Christ. Christ is not his last name. Okay, so you may be disappointed and that will let Jesus 's name of Jesus Christ. What is less than Christ. Now it is in Christ, Jesus Christ. Antichrist is not his last name. Christ comes from the from the Greek word Christos, rendering the Hebrew word Messiah, which means the anointed one. So Jesus the anointed one is the Christmas to celebrate the Christ of Christmas is the long-awaited Messiah that was predicted in the Old Testament, Jesus the Christ the anointed of God has come to be with us. He is the one in the Old Testament prophets spoke of Matthew records it this way. All this took place to fulfill what they had said through the prophets, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call his name Immanuel, which means God with us. So we have Christ the anointed one, we have the menu while God with us, and this presenting to us what the prophets had said, and in this evening I am looking at this Christmas Eve and the and then the message that were talking about and looking at it from a perspective that Jesus didn't just show up on the scene that if we look at and if you are a history buff and a historical person will look at this and we will see what the prophets had foretold, and how that they had spoken on the Messiah and that they had prophesied about what this Messiah would be what he would do Hollywood, where he would be born Hollywood live Hollywood die, how he would be raised in the day and we look at this and there is an overwhelming evidence about the coming of Jesus Christ, the anointed one God with us. So Jesus even spoke after the resurrection, he says, and he was right. He was walking on the road to a management to the two to disciples to the note is not said who they were, but he began and spoke to them, and this is a Moses and all the prophets, Jesus explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. He began to speak on what had been written about him in the centuries before and what this prophecy, and what these centuries before profits had been speaking up. They were foretelling of events and in the name represents one of the most powerful proves I'm a divine origin and him them him the biblical authenticity. We don't celebrate Christmas because of tradition. We have traditions and agent all traditions mean certain things, and I'm glad Rhonda brought it up about the Swedish tradition, I know, it results tonight after after masturbation with the mass because there haven't seven fish out the results on evening out on antiaging seven fish on Christmas Eve so if you're Italian. My getting on and I'm a vegan and are not, but they haven't seven fish meal tonight. Afterwards so that I don't have that tonight. You're all invited Brad seasons communities are cooked afterwards that that is writes that the idea. Ha ha. So about a album. We all have traditions we have these traditions allow about no certain events. The birth of Christ is not a tradition Christmas the birth of the coming of Jesus Christ, the anointed one is not a tradition. It is an event in history that we celebrate. And because we celebrate it, we can say it's a tradition, but we celebrated because the need of an event in the event was foretold thousands of years before, and in numerous ways. Jesus, the very born of a virgin, laid in a manger didn't just happen it did not. And Jesus after he born did not set out to prove that he was Messiah, the prophets spoke and Jesus came according to what the prophets had had foretold. At the appointed time, the Scripture says Jesus was born. The prophecies regarding him outnumber all others. All other prophets and all other all other names. All other major religions. All the others came by an individual, saying they were inspired in God somehow spoke to them Jesus and be in, we look at the Old Testament are Old Testament, the Jewish Hebrew Scriptures. It talks about the coming of a Messiah, the coming of the Messiah and that Messiah would come the anointed one of God would come to redeem the people the world from their sin. Many of these prophecies would have been impossible for Jesus due to fulfill. He is a descendent of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob 's birth was in Bethlehem. Micah chapter five. This crucifixion was with criminals Isaiah fifty three, the piercing of his hands and feet. Psalms twenty two. The soldiers gambling for his clothes. Psalm twenty two, the piercing of his side, and the fact that his balls were not wrote Zechariah chapter twelve in Psalm thirty four. His burial among the rich Isaiah fifty three. The events. Jesus could not have any way of arranging these things fulfilled prophecies. Perhaps the most beloved prophecy is from Isaiah eight hundred years before it became for to us a child is born. Colossus son is given, the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, Prince of peace, eight hundred years before of Virgin shall be with child as we look at the Christ the anointed one of Christmas, we are assured that the Scriptures give us historical certainty of the Christ coming in the flesh, and NAR rooted in history to Ray Josephus in your reader has the historical fact that his Nestorians of the dog of Judaism. You will find in speaking of this, Jesus, and if you go back and through the early and the other church history and the church records. You will find that there were actual people on Peter and Paul and James and John. These were literal individuals who influenced the world at that time, the Lamb of God who lived the perfect sinless life, a human life. He died for sinners. The death on the cross to be the atonement that we might have everlasting life. The Virgin birth, Emmanuelle God with us, Christ the anointed one, as God he came to be the sacrifice, the redemption of man to buy us back so the last lost humanity might have forgiveness and that we might be change, not scaffolding to somehow rearrange our outward appearances and show up in church and do these things and somehow rearrange it. We are on the outside. Jesus Christ came as the anointed one of God, to purchase our salvation that we might be saved in our sins, might be forgiven and all that part of us on the inside that God would clean us up from the inside out. As man he did what the first Adam failed to do. Paul says it this way. For just as through the disobedience of the one man, Adam, the many were sinners, so also through the obedience of vest. One man, Jesus many will be made righteous. It's a change that has come about because of who, with who Christ is and how that Christ has changed us on the inside alternate rent in says as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive. The birth of Jesus Christ speaks many things to us. It speaks of God 's love for us. He loves us in our sometimes we forget this, God has never had one bad thought about you. He's never had one bad thought about you no matter what we've done and what was said he's never had one bad thought about us because he loves us that much that he desires only the best for us in God 's goal is to touch our lives in such a way that from the inside out. We can become that person that we were created to be that from the inside out Christmas would be about the Christ who has come to love me and change my life for an eternity, the Christ to us, to give me life here and now and to give me life eternal, Philippians, chapter two, says your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus my attitudes. My perspective, I should be able to have the perspective of Jesus, not by scaffolding, not by trying to rearrange the scaffolding and rearrange how I how I would think or feel lower or raise the circumstances now my attitude should be the same as price for being in the very nature of the God did not consider equality with God a something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant. He was born in a manger, a servant poverty being made in all human likeness. He became man, born of Mary and being found in the appearance as a man. He lived his life in view of human history, he humbled himself and became obedient even to the death. The death of the cross. Therefore God hath exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name, a name that is above every name, that the very name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under beer and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord the glory of God the father. What did the Angels say glory to God in the highest and peace among men. The glory of God. Jesus lived from the very announcement of his birth throw his life. He did not come to do the will of his. He did not come to do is only health became to do the will of his father and his his life was lived to the glory of God the father, and as we are here this evening we can, as it were, declare about Jesus Christ glory to God in the highest. Why, because Christ has come, Christ is with us. Christ is in us. Christ has forgiven us him our sins glory to God in the highest and what piece and goodwill to us. That's what God gives us, not by the scaffolding, not by putting up different scaffolds, but by allowing God the Christ child who live his life and has this man became a living sacrifice to come into our hearts and change us from the inside out that the peace of God was proclaimed on that first Christmas day at first Christmas Eve, the Christ child glory to God in the highest and peace and goodwill to you. That's what Christ is to us. That's what the birth of Christ is about his peace, but we do that, and chirpy, to be with you, shake hands, the peace of God be with you and goodwill, thinking nothing but the best for your life this Christmas