WEBVTT 00:01.516 --> 00:04.176 Welcome to the Valley Baptist Church sermon podcast. 00:04.896 --> 00:12.016 We're so glad you're here, and we hope this message inspires you, builds your faith, and moves you toward a deep relationship with God. 00:12.576 --> 00:17.836 Today, you'll find great insight into the Bible and learn how you can apply it straight to your life. 00:18.216 --> 00:20.396 So welcome and enjoy the message. 00:21.196 --> 00:26.056 If you have your Bible, please open it with me to 1 Timothy chapter 3. 00:26.056 --> 00:27.351 1 Timothy 3. 00:27.352 --> 00:32.972 1 Timothy 3, verse number 16 is a verse that is not very well known, 00:33.132 --> 00:35.412 but I have fallen in love with it. 00:36.032 --> 00:39.012 It's actually an early Christian hymn. 00:39.653 --> 00:44.953 And because the first line of the song refers to the incarnation of Jesus, 00:44.953 --> 00:50.333 I'm taking a little liberty today in calling the message the first Christmas carol. 00:51.093 --> 00:55.053 Now, it's certainly possible there were Christmas carols before this one. 00:55.533 --> 00:59.953 So this might not be the first, but it certainly was one of the first. 01:00.053 --> 01:02.613 So let's read it together to begin. 01:03.553 --> 01:08.036 It says, 01:08.037 --> 01:20.477 God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory. 01:21.419 --> 01:27.159 First Timothy is a letter from the Apostle Paul to a young pastor by the name of Timothy. 01:27.639 --> 01:35.799 And in chapter three of the letter, Paul has just been sharing with Timothy about how church leaders must be godly. 01:36.019 --> 01:44.799 And then right here in verse number 16, he says, here's the mystery of godliness, the secret of godliness that's now been revealed. 01:45.128 --> 01:47.067 It's Jesus. 01:47.068 --> 01:49.448 You see, godliness isn't earned. 01:49.928 --> 01:51.447 It's given. 01:51.448 --> 01:52.828 And then it's received. 01:53.628 --> 01:58.028 Godliness is the mystery of Christ that is revealed to mankind. 01:58.808 --> 02:03.788 Now, there are six short lines in this magnificent Christmas carol. 02:03.788 --> 02:09.788 And each line tells us something more about Jesus and what Jesus is. 02:09.513 --> 02:14.273 has done for us. So first of all, the line, the first line says God was manifested 02:14.273 --> 02:19.513 in the flesh. So here's our principle. Jesus revealed God in human flesh. 02:20.380 --> 02:24.780 hundreds of years before Christ was born in Bethlehem, 02:24.780 --> 02:28.380 Isaiah the prophet prophesied that the coming Messiah 02:28.380 --> 02:33.060 would be called Emmanuel, which means God with us. 02:33.060 --> 02:36.120 And really, that's what Christmas is all about. 02:36.120 --> 02:38.260 Oh, we get caught up in the glitz 02:38.260 --> 02:39.640 and the glamor of the holidays, 02:39.640 --> 02:42.420 but Christmas is really about the fact 02:42.420 --> 02:46.460 that the eternal Son of God stooped down from heaven 02:46.469 --> 02:49.129 and came to the earth and became a man, 02:49.889 --> 02:54.309 manifesting or revealing the true nature of God. 02:54.869 --> 02:58.129 Now, it's important to understand that the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem 02:58.129 --> 03:01.289 wasn't the beginning of Christ's existence. 03:01.909 --> 03:04.509 Now, that's hard for us to grasp sometimes 03:04.509 --> 03:07.069 because none of us existed before we were conceived. 03:07.989 --> 03:08.996 I mean... 03:08.997 --> 03:11.677 Before we were in our mother's womb, we were not. 03:11.897 --> 03:14.837 We didn't exist, but it's different with Jesus. 03:15.477 --> 03:19.517 John chapter 1 says, in the beginning was the Word, a name for Jesus, and the Word was 03:19.517 --> 03:21.857 with God, and the Word was God. 03:22.177 --> 03:26.977 The Son of God has existed for eternity past as God. 03:27.257 --> 03:34.177 And Christmas is all about how the Son of God became the Son of Man. 03:34.175 --> 03:38.075 Now, it's not that Jesus just looked like a man. 03:38.495 --> 03:41.495 He was a man in every sense of the word. 03:42.055 --> 03:51.335 Many throughout the years have denied the humanity of Jesus, saying that, well, it just looked like he had a body, but his body was actually more like a phantom body. 03:51.595 --> 04:02.595 That if the disciples had been watching very carefully as Jesus walked along the Sea of Galilee, they would have noticed that he left no footprints behind because God can't have a body. 04:03.436 --> 04:06.316 Well, that's not at all what the scriptures teach. 04:06.636 --> 04:11.096 It says here that God was manifested in the flesh. 04:11.916 --> 04:15.216 Jesus was born of the seed of the woman. 04:15.216 --> 04:21.056 He took on the flesh of Mary, and at that moment, he forever became known as the God-man. 04:21.756 --> 04:24.376 Colossians 2, verse 9, it says, 04:24.536 --> 04:30.216 For in him, that's Jesus, dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. 04:31.280 --> 04:36.260 bodily. The angel told Mary that the Holy Spirit's going to come upon you, and the Holy One that's 04:36.260 --> 04:42.580 going to be born of you shall be called the Son of God. It's the Holy Spirit of God who fashioned 04:42.580 --> 04:51.280 a body for our Lord Jesus within the womb of Mary. The eternal Son of God became a baby having flesh 04:51.280 --> 04:56.920 and bones, assuming what is ours so that we may inherit what is His. 04:57.571 --> 05:00.471 Charles Spurgeon, I think, said it well when he said, 05:00.471 --> 05:03.091 Man is royal now that Christ is human. 05:03.691 --> 05:06.731 Man is exalted since Christ is humiliated. 05:07.291 --> 05:11.291 Man may go up to God now that God has come down to man. 05:12.067 --> 05:16.247 Now, the second line of this great hymn says that he was justified in the spirit. 05:16.847 --> 05:19.967 Now, justified means to be declared righteous. 05:20.587 --> 05:30.067 And when we think of sinners like ourselves being declared righteous, that has to do with them being made righteous, which means a change of status, right? 05:30.707 --> 05:33.367 But with Jesus, this word doesn't mean a change of status. 05:33.367 --> 05:36.907 It means a confirmation of status. 05:36.907 --> 05:42.607 Now, people have long argued over whether this little phrase refers to the Holy Spirit 05:42.607 --> 05:45.347 or the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Jesus. 05:45.347 --> 05:46.807 And we don't really know for sure. 05:46.807 --> 05:49.047 Both are theologically accurate. 05:49.047 --> 05:55.027 If it's the Spirit of Jesus, it's referring to the sinless life that Jesus lived, which 05:55.027 --> 06:00.307 the principle would then be that Jesus lived a perfect life that was without sin. 06:00.307 --> 06:05.147 And we certainly know that to be true, but if it's a reference to the Holy Spirit, it 06:05.155 --> 06:12.315 It's referencing the confirming witness of the Holy Spirit upon the life of Jesus concerning his righteousness. 06:13.415 --> 06:15.215 I tend to think that's what it's referring to. 06:15.555 --> 06:16.814 So here's our principle. 06:16.815 --> 06:20.735 Jesus was declared to be God by the Holy Spirit. 06:21.575 --> 06:25.435 Now, the Holy Spirit declared who Jesus was all throughout his life. 06:25.515 --> 06:27.595 And guess what? He's still doing it today. 06:27.595 --> 06:31.915 It started when he was just a baby born in Bethlehem, when he was conceived. 06:32.075 --> 06:34.115 Even before that, when he was conceived by a virgin. 06:34.275 --> 06:39.175 And Matthew said that Mary would be found with child of the Holy Spirit. 06:39.895 --> 06:42.635 It continued as Jesus grew up. 06:43.015 --> 06:45.275 That confirmation of the Spirit, he was then baptized. 06:45.635 --> 06:49.635 And the triune God was on display in one moment of time. 06:52.822 --> 06:57.301 And bless the Son. 06:53.135 --> 06:57.302 The Father spoke. 06:57.302 --> 06:58.522 The Son was baptized and the Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove, 07:01.582 --> 07:05.361 declaring Jesus to be the Son of God. 07:05.362 --> 07:08.061 The Holy Spirit declared who Jesus was also through the resurrection. 07:08.062 --> 07:12.061 We know that from Romans chapter 1, verse number 4. 07:12.062 --> 07:17.721 It says, and declared, talking about Jesus, to be the Son of God with power, 07:17.722 --> 07:27.192 according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 07:27.193 --> 07:32.012 And then some 50 days later, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit blew himself upon the disciples with a mighty rushing wind. 07:32.013 --> 07:39.332 And the tongues of fire fell upon the disciples and they spoke other languages. 07:39.333 --> 07:49.137 A sign miracle or a declaration miracle from the Spirit of God of who Jesus really is. 07:49.138 --> 07:55.437 Still today, the Holy Spirit is confirming and declaring who Christ is as he breathes new life into those of us who trust in Christ and were born again. 07:55.438 --> 08:00.462 And our lives are radically changed, confirming the person and work of Jesus in our lives. 08:00.463 --> 08:04.222 He was justified, he says, by or in the Spirit. 08:04.223 --> 08:06.202 But then it says that he was seen by angels. 08:06.203 --> 08:09.862 Jesus was seen by angels. 08:09.863 --> 08:14.082 Now, I want to camp out on this point for a while. 08:14.083 --> 08:16.042 Since it's Christmastime and the angels are very active on our mind, 08:16.043 --> 08:22.602 they're very active within the Christmas story, 08:22.603 --> 08:23.716 that led me this week to ponder this one little phrase a whole lot more than I ponder one little phrase normally. 08:31.816 --> 08:35.935 When we think about the Christmas story, most of the time we think about it from the perspective of Mary and Joseph, 08:35.936 --> 08:40.275 or maybe the shepherd's perspective, or maybe the wise men's perspective. 08:40.276 --> 08:44.647 But how often do we think about Christmas from the angel's perspective? 08:44.648 --> 08:48.767 Think about all that the angels saw in the life of Jesus. 08:48.768 --> 08:53.507 Now, it actually started long before he was ever born in Bethlehem, 08:53.508 --> 08:58.007 when they beheld the glory of the Son of God in heaven, in all of his glory. 08:58.008 --> 08:59.587 Now, we know that angels, just like human beings, are created creatures. 08:59.588 --> 09:00.687 They're not eternal like God is. 09:00.688 --> 09:03.552 We know that from... 09:03.553 --> 09:09.472 Partly, Colossians chapter 1, verse 16. 09:09.473 --> 09:13.672 It says, for by him, that's Jesus, all things were created that are in heaven and they're on the earth. 09:13.673 --> 09:17.732 Visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. 09:17.733 --> 09:25.732 All things were created through him and for him. 09:25.733 --> 09:35.733 We see here that just like you and I and everything else, the angels were also created by Jesus and for Jesus. 09:36.972 --> 09:43.771 I just imagine that in the very first moments of their created consciousness, as they opened their eyes for the first time and were aware for the first time of their own existence, 09:43.772 --> 09:46.511 they also became aware of the presence and the glory of Almighty God, the Son of God who made them. 09:46.512 --> 09:50.406 And we know from Isaiah chapter 6. 09:50.407 --> 09:53.986 We've got this glorious vision of the throne room of God. 09:53.987 --> 09:58.426 I actually think it's a vision of the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ. 09:58.427 --> 10:01.386 And Isaiah sees the Lord sitting on a throne, high and exalted. 10:01.387 --> 10:02.927 The train of his robe is filling the temple. 10:02.928 --> 10:06.147 And there's these seraphim. 10:06.148 --> 10:08.087 These are these powerful, angelic creatures who stood. 10:08.088 --> 10:09.847 And with two wings, they covered their eyes. 10:09.848 --> 10:14.387 And with two wings, they covered their feet. 10:14.388 --> 10:17.087 And they flew, singing, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. 10:17.088 --> 10:20.307 The whole world is full of his glory. 10:20.308 --> 10:22.907 You see, the angels, they saw the Son of God. 10:22.908 --> 10:27.747 They saw Christ before he ever became a man. 10:27.748 --> 10:32.706 And then God, one day, instructed some of them. 10:32.707 --> 10:38.366 to go down to earth and announce to Zacharias, to Mary and to Joseph 10:38.367 --> 10:43.126 that the glorious son of God would be born of Mary, a peasant girl. 10:43.127 --> 10:46.506 Now, at that point, did they realize that the plan of God 10:46.507 --> 10:51.326 was for Jesus to be born in order to die? 10:51.327 --> 10:55.486 I don't know if they fully understood all the details, but they certainly knew 10:55.487 --> 11:00.624 that the son of God was coming on a rescue mission to save the world. 11:00.625 --> 11:03.624 And then in Luke chapter 2, when Jesus was finally born on that evening, 11:03.625 --> 11:06.664 an angel appeared to the shepherds announcing his birth. 11:06.665 --> 11:11.004 And then a whole host of angels joined with that shepherd, 11:11.005 --> 11:13.844 and they declared, singing, glory to God in the highest and on earth, 11:13.845 --> 11:23.845 peace, goodwill to men. 11:27.397 --> 11:36.876 It's as if when the angels were singing that glorious song, they were doing their very best to share with the shepherds about the magnitude of what had just taken place in Bethlehem. 11:36.877 --> 11:42.676 That the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the Lord of all creation who was and is and is to come, the infinite one became an infant. 11:42.677 --> 11:45.856 The eternal one has confined himself to time and space. 11:45.857 --> 11:48.836 The angels saw Jesus at his birth, 11:48.837 --> 11:53.376 but we also know they saw Jesus as he grew up 11:53.377 --> 11:55.156 and he was in the desert being tempted by the devil, right? 11:55.157 --> 11:58.716 Now they didn't know him as the devil. 11:58.717 --> 12:02.356 They knew him for a long, long time as Lucifer in heaven. 12:02.357 --> 12:04.716 This most beautiful of all of God's angels 12:04.717 --> 12:06.776 who in pride rebelled against God 12:06.777 --> 12:10.169 and God cast him out of heaven. 12:10.170 --> 12:14.709 They saw Lucifer, that cunning serpent. 12:14.710 --> 12:17.089 They saw him attack Jesus with temptations over and over again, 12:17.090 --> 12:21.089 much like he did with Adam and Eve in the garden. 12:21.090 --> 12:23.029 But what Adam failed to do in the beautiful garden, 12:23.030 --> 12:26.289 Jesus did in the deserted wilderness. 12:26.290 --> 12:28.032 Jesus stood toe-to-toe with the enemy. 12:35.032 --> 12:40.991 And the Bible says that after that temptation was over, that the angels came and ministered to our Lord. 12:40.992 --> 12:44.991 Think about how exhausted he was, spiritually speaking, but also physically. 12:44.992 --> 12:49.956 I mean, he'd gone for 40 days without food. 12:49.957 --> 12:52.096 which led Pastor Phil to say that he thought how they ministered to him was a meal. 12:52.097 --> 12:56.836 Leave that to Pastor Phil. 12:56.837 --> 12:58.836 I think maybe that's how I'd want to be ministered to if I'd gone 40 days without food, 12:58.837 --> 13:01.476 that maybe they made Jesus a meal. 13:01.477 --> 13:10.867 I don't know, but they ministered to him. 13:10.868 --> 13:18.147 Now, another important scene in Scripture where the angels saw Jesus, as they recorded for us, is in the Garden of Gethsemane. 13:18.148 --> 13:22.227 Jesus, on the night before he was crucified, he gathered with his disciples in the upper room, and they broke bread. 13:22.228 --> 13:26.267 And he turned that meal into what we now call communion or the Lord's Supper. 13:26.268 --> 13:28.967 And then when they left the upper room that evening, they traveled through this community. 13:28.968 --> 13:31.407 gates of Jerusalem, across the Kidron Valley, 13:31.408 --> 13:34.107 to the little Garden of Gethsemane there, 13:34.108 --> 13:37.727 right at the base of the Mount of Olives. 13:37.728 --> 13:39.167 It's there in that garden that Jesus prayed all night 13:39.168 --> 13:42.607 in great agony. 13:42.608 --> 13:45.627 You see, Gethsemane literally means olive press. 13:45.628 --> 13:47.907 And it was there that Jesus was pressed 13:47.908 --> 13:49.867 by the overwhelming thought of what he was about 13:49.868 --> 13:52.807 to go through on the cross the next day 13:52.808 --> 13:56.227 to pay for the sins of the world. 13:56.228 --> 14:00.100 And so he sat there under immense pressure, 14:00.101 --> 14:06.340 The weight of the world literally upon his shoulders. 14:06.341 --> 14:11.840 In fact, he was under so much pressure and so much agony that he began to sweat drops of blood. 14:11.841 --> 14:15.360 And under all of that pressure, Jesus prays to the Father. 14:15.361 --> 14:23.980 And he says, Father, if it's at all possible, 14:23.981 --> 14:30.714 if this, let this cup of your judgment pass from me, nevertheless, not my will, but yours, O Lord, be done. 14:30.715 --> 14:31.979 And Luke says that after he prayed that, that an angel appeared to him and strengthened him. 14:37.639 --> 14:46.658 Now, surprisingly, we don't have record of any angels seeing Jesus on the cross, but I assume they did. 14:46.659 --> 14:56.659 We do know that when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, that Peter took out a sword and he swung that sword and he chopped off one of the soldier's ears. 14:57.599 --> 15:00.598 So Jesus knelt down beside the soldier and he picks up the ear and he places it on the soldier's ear as he was breathing in pain and he heals the man's ear. 15:00.599 --> 15:04.189 Then he said to Peter, he said, put away your sword. 15:04.190 --> 15:08.269 Do you not know that I could pray to the Father 15:08.270 --> 15:09.389 who would send 10 or 12,000 angels to me? 15:09.390 --> 15:13.349 What Jesus was saying, he said, 15:13.350 --> 15:15.549 just know I have this massive army of powerful angels. 15:15.550 --> 15:17.229 They're just waiting on me to call 15:17.230 --> 15:19.169 when I'm choosing not to. 15:19.170 --> 15:20.829 You see, Jesus didn't go to the cross 15:20.830 --> 15:23.989 because he lacked power. 15:23.990 --> 15:25.229 Jesus went to the cross because he was overflowing 15:25.230 --> 15:26.829 with love. 15:26.830 --> 15:32.719 So I just imagine, 15:32.720 --> 15:38.639 That as Jesus was crucified that day, that all of heaven, all the angels of heaven, 15:38.640 --> 15:44.199 they watched in horror as the glorious Son of God that they had worshipped for all of their existence 15:44.200 --> 15:47.719 was falsely accused and beaten and mocked and scourged and then crucified. 15:47.720 --> 15:49.574 I think just maybe the angels... 15:49.575 --> 15:54.754 Some of them, they got armed up. 15:54.755 --> 15:59.554 They're ready to come down, chomping at the bit to rescue the Lord of glory from that terrible cross. 15:59.555 --> 16:05.894 But they were held back, I think, by the will of God the Father and the will of God the Son. 16:05.895 --> 16:07.315 So they watched as Jesus breathed his last and he died. 16:11.875 --> 16:13.094 But then on the third day, God sent one of them down. 16:14.374 --> 16:16.973 And we're told that when he came down, 16:16.974 --> 16:19.333 there's actually an earthquake that took place in the stone. 16:19.334 --> 16:21.813 He rolled the stone away from the tomb. 16:21.814 --> 16:23.433 And the Bible says that after he rolled the stone away, 16:23.434 --> 16:25.633 that he sat on the stone. 16:25.634 --> 16:26.573 I love that little detail. 16:26.574 --> 16:27.607 So I'm thinking. 16:28.487 --> 16:30.106 Why did he sit down? 16:30.107 --> 16:32.206 Well, we don't know for sure why he sat down. 16:32.207 --> 16:35.186 Maybe he wanted the best seat in the house 16:35.187 --> 16:38.246 as the son of God was about to rise from the dead. 16:38.247 --> 16:40.506 We don't know exactly, but he rolls the stone away 16:40.507 --> 16:43.106 and he sits down on top of the stone. 16:43.107 --> 16:45.106 And then the women, they come to the tomb 16:45.107 --> 16:47.646 to see the body of Jesus. 16:47.647 --> 16:50.026 And he says, why do you seek the living among the dead? 16:50.027 --> 16:51.704 He's not here for he is risen. 17:00.524 --> 17:10.524 The angels, they saw his resurrection, but we also know that lastly they saw Christ's ascension into heaven, into glory. 17:10.744 --> 17:16.983 Psalm chapter 68, it tells us that when Jesus ascended back up into heaven, that thousands of angels escorted Jesus from earth to heaven. 17:16.984 --> 17:18.215 So just as they saw the Son of God leave heaven to come to earth, now they have seen Jesus. 17:20.595 --> 17:25.154 the Son of God returned back to heaven. 17:25.155 --> 17:28.934 And can you imagine the reception that our Lord got in heaven? 17:28.935 --> 17:31.694 The God-man, the one who had humbled himself 17:31.695 --> 17:35.294 and paid the price for the sins of the world, 17:35.295 --> 17:38.794 who provided salvation for mankind and whipped the devil in the process, 17:38.795 --> 17:42.034 now he returns as a victorious king, 17:42.035 --> 17:43.394 and he sits down at the right hand of the throne of God. 17:43.395 --> 17:48.205 In the book of Revelation. 17:48.206 --> 17:53.605 The very end of our Bible tells us the angels keep on singing. 17:53.606 --> 17:58.105 Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts and the redeemed of all the ages. 17:58.106 --> 18:03.225 We shall join them someday, singing worthy is the lamb who was slain 18:03.226 --> 18:05.025 to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory 18:05.026 --> 18:10.565 and blessing. 18:10.566 --> 18:12.525 So there's thousands of angels who welcome Jesus back in to glory. 18:12.526 --> 18:15.060 But there were two angels 18:15.061 --> 18:17.820 who we know from Acts chapter one, 18:17.821 --> 18:21.240 who apparently missed the parade of heaven. 18:21.241 --> 18:23.560 Because Acts one tells us that as soon as Jesus 18:23.561 --> 18:26.720 was taking up into the clouds, 18:26.721 --> 18:29.260 that the disciples, they stood looking up into heaven, 18:29.261 --> 18:31.580 sort of like, what in the world has just happened? 18:31.581 --> 18:33.480 Jesus has just left us. 18:33.481 --> 18:36.440 And we pick up the story in verse number 10, it says, 18:36.441 --> 18:37.640 and while they looked steadfastly towards heaven 18:37.641 --> 18:40.644 as he went up, 18:40.645 --> 18:43.204 behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 18:43.205 --> 18:45.564 who also said, men of Galilee, 18:45.565 --> 18:48.824 why do you stand gazing up into heaven? 18:48.825 --> 18:51.684 This same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven 18:51.685 --> 18:52.748 will so come in like manner as you saw him go. 18:57.528 --> 18:59.747 Someday there's going to be a great shout that the whole world shall hear. 18:59.748 --> 19:05.447 It's going to be the shout of an archangel. 19:05.448 --> 19:10.027 And then the trumpet of God will sound and Jesus will return to the earth riding on the clouds. 19:10.028 --> 19:14.707 And he tells us in Matthew that when he returns to judge the world rightly, 19:14.708 --> 19:19.267 all the angels of heaven will accompany his return. 19:19.268 --> 19:26.636 Paul says he was seen by the angels. 19:26.637 --> 19:30.896 And then he says he was preached also among the Gentiles, that is, among the nations, all the peoples of the earth. 19:30.897 --> 19:32.437 You see, the word Gentiles refers to anyone and everyone who's not a Jew. 19:39.677 --> 19:40.877 You see, Jesus came not only to save the Jews, he came to save people from every tribe, every nation, and every tongue. 19:45.537 --> 19:50.062 Now, the Jews had a hard time accepting that fact. 19:50.063 --> 19:51.122 I mean, have you ever heard of a Jewish missionary trying to convert people to Judaism? 19:51.123 --> 19:52.082 I haven't. 19:52.083 --> 19:58.382 Why? 19:58.383 --> 20:00.082 Because for the most part, they're okay keeping their heritage and their religion to themselves. 20:00.083 --> 20:03.062 But Jesus isn't okay with that. 20:03.063 --> 20:07.742 Jesus came for all people. 20:07.743 --> 20:11.742 He was preached among the Gentiles just like he commanded us to do. 20:11.743 --> 20:15.562 But then the fifth line says that Jesus was believed on in the world. 20:15.563 --> 20:21.954 He was received by many in the world. 20:21.955 --> 20:25.994 Now the Jews of Christ's day largely rejected him. 20:25.995 --> 20:30.854 We see that from John chapter 1, verse number 11. 20:30.855 --> 20:37.834 It says, he, that's Jesus, came to his own, and his own did not receive him. 20:37.835 --> 20:40.474 But as many as did receive him, to them he gave the right to become the children of God, 20:40.475 --> 20:42.689 to those who believe in his name. 20:50.489 --> 20:51.629 At Christmas time, we celebrate the fact that God gave the world the gift of his son. 21:00.569 --> 21:01.649 But like any gift that is given, it's of no value to that person until it's received, right? 21:04.369 --> 21:14.356 Jesus must be received. 21:14.357 --> 21:18.756 And the way that any of us receive him is by believing him, trusting him, receiving his presence into our life. 21:18.757 --> 21:20.856 And when we do that, the Bible says we are saved. 21:20.857 --> 21:23.741 Saved, rescued. 21:23.742 --> 21:29.481 Now to go back to the angels for just a moment. 21:29.482 --> 21:32.121 Did you know that salvation is something that the angels can't quite get their minds around? 21:32.122 --> 21:34.101 Now there's a lot of things they understand better than we do. 21:34.102 --> 21:39.521 I mean, they've seen the very face of Jesus. 21:39.522 --> 21:43.101 They know a little bit more about the glory of heaven and the details that are awaiting us there. 21:43.102 --> 21:46.501 They know about those things, but there's one thing that we've got on them today. 21:46.502 --> 21:49.721 As Christians, we know what it's like to be saved, 21:49.722 --> 21:52.221 to be forgiven of our sins. 21:52.222 --> 21:53.941 We've experienced the grace of God, 21:53.942 --> 21:56.541 something the angels have not done. 21:56.542 --> 22:00.261 So much that Peter says, speaking of our salvation, 22:00.262 --> 22:02.961 that these are things that the angels desire to look into. 22:02.962 --> 22:06.621 They long to look into this whole salvation thing. 22:06.622 --> 22:08.441 In other words, they're mesmerized by the grace of God 22:08.442 --> 22:11.174 because while they certainly, 22:11.175 --> 22:13.834 have experienced all of God's love. 22:13.835 --> 22:15.474 They've never experienced it displayed through grace. 22:15.475 --> 22:18.894 Think about it. 22:18.895 --> 22:22.894 I mean, the angels in heaven, they've never sinned. 22:22.895 --> 22:24.374 But the Lucifer and the fallen angels who did sin 22:24.375 --> 22:25.954 and they rebelled against God, 22:25.955 --> 22:29.127 they were not offered grace. 22:29.128 --> 22:30.827 I mean, Jesus didn't take on angelic flesh. 22:30.828 --> 22:34.027 He took on human flesh. 22:34.028 --> 22:38.347 Those of us that were made in the very image of God, 22:38.348 --> 22:43.507 we are the objects of his love, of his mercy, and of his grace. 22:43.508 --> 22:49.569 The angels, they're in awe of what we get to experience with Christ. 22:49.570 --> 22:51.089 Now, the last line says that Jesus was received up in glory. 22:51.090 --> 22:55.469 Now, here's our last principle. 22:55.470 --> 22:58.449 We already touched on it, but it's that Jesus ascended up into heaven, 22:58.450 --> 23:05.649 and he was received in glory. 23:05.650 --> 23:07.770 And right now, right now, he awaits word from the Father. 23:10.050 --> 23:11.392 Something like, son, it's time. 23:20.532 --> 23:22.332 It's time for you to return and to gather all of our people together to judge the world rightly and to establish your everlasting kingdom. 23:30.672 --> 23:31.751 I've got three quick points of application in the form of questions for you to be able to reflect on your personal time with the Lord. 23:31.752 --> 23:37.911 Here's the first question. 23:37.912 --> 23:38.171 Will you join the angels in worshiping and ministering to Jesus? 23:38.172 --> 23:39.877 Yes. 23:47.417 --> 23:51.436 See, day and night, the angels never cease worshiping and ministering to the heart of our Lord. 23:51.437 --> 23:56.756 I mean, every time we see the angels in the Gospels, they're ministering to Jesus. 23:56.757 --> 24:06.757 They minister to him at his birth, at his temptation, in the Garden of Gethsemane, at his resurrection. 24:07.197 --> 24:08.876 And then when he ascended up into glory and they worship him now and they worship him before that, after that, that's all they do. 24:08.877 --> 24:13.812 They worship the Lord. 24:13.813 --> 24:16.772 we would do well to mimic the angels. 24:16.773 --> 24:18.233 You see, the angels are the pinnacle of God's heavenly creation. 24:18.913 --> 24:22.281 You and I. 24:22.282 --> 24:28.701 We're the pinnacle of God's earthly creation. 24:28.702 --> 24:34.041 So humans and angels alike, we have this wonderful calling from God upon our life 24:34.042 --> 24:37.161 that we were made by Jesus, but we were also made for Jesus 24:37.162 --> 24:42.221 to worship and minister to the heart of our Lord. 24:42.222 --> 24:44.061 Will you join the angels in worshiping and ministering to Jesus? 24:44.062 --> 24:45.723 Now here's the second question. 24:50.743 --> 24:52.363 Are you making the good news of Jesus known to everyone around you? 24:54.003 --> 24:56.003 Or are you keeping it to yourself? 25:01.443 --> 25:03.242 It's hard for me to imagine someone who's really, they really truly believe in the Christmas story. 25:03.243 --> 25:05.562 They've had all of their sins forgiven. 25:05.563 --> 25:08.722 They have a personal relationship with God. 25:08.723 --> 25:10.683 It's hard for me to imagine them keeping Jesus all to themselves. 25:14.283 --> 25:15.980 I suppose it happens, but what a shame. 25:16.520 --> 25:17.540 What a shame. 25:22.880 --> 25:24.939 Listen, as Christians, we are to share Jesus with the world, who he came to save. 25:24.940 --> 25:28.479 See, our church has one aim. 25:28.480 --> 25:32.959 It's to preach Christ and him crucified. 25:32.960 --> 25:33.819 From the cradle to the cross, we declare Jesus. 25:33.820 --> 25:34.699 That's what we do. 25:34.700 --> 25:40.359 That's who we are. 25:40.360 --> 25:43.439 Now, sometimes people will come to us as pastors and they'll ask us to preach a little bit more prophecy 25:43.440 --> 25:48.644 and tie current events into prophetic scripture. 25:48.645 --> 25:51.764 Or sometimes people will ask us to talk more about politics or social justice issues 25:51.765 --> 25:56.164 or split hairs on particular doctrinal issues. 25:56.165 --> 25:58.124 And while we may touch on all of those issues from time to time, as Scripture does, 25:58.125 --> 26:02.384 we have one main aim. 26:02.385 --> 26:05.324 And it's not politics or prophecy or Christian sectarianism. 26:05.325 --> 26:06.904 It is to make known the name of Jesus. 26:06.905 --> 26:12.804 That's why we exist. 26:12.805 --> 26:16.216 That God sent, amen, God sent his eternal son to the earth. 26:16.217 --> 26:18.636 He took on flesh and blood, our flesh and blood. 26:18.637 --> 26:22.236 He lived a perfect life we've all failed to do. 26:22.237 --> 26:23.536 And he died on the cross paying for the sins of the world. 26:23.537 --> 26:26.156 And then he got up. 26:26.157 --> 26:27.776 He rose from the dead. 26:27.777 --> 26:32.276 That's the focus of our church. 26:32.277 --> 26:35.967 So let me ask you, is that the focus of your life? 26:39.887 --> 26:42.266 Is Jesus the focus of your life? 26:42.267 --> 26:43.626 That's what Scripture says, that you were made by him, 26:43.627 --> 26:46.347 but you were also made for him. 26:51.187 --> 26:54.126 And do you love people enough to share with them 26:54.127 --> 26:55.687 about how awesome Jesus is? 26:57.687 --> 27:02.006 Last question, I think it's the most important. 27:02.007 --> 27:04.233 Have you personally received Jesus? 27:06.093 --> 27:08.973 as your Savior and as your Lord. 27:09.633 --> 27:10.893 Have you? 27:14.153 --> 27:15.172 See, Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. 27:15.173 --> 27:16.812 That's what he said. 27:16.813 --> 27:21.872 He said, I came to seek and to save the lost. 27:21.873 --> 27:25.172 Those who, because of our sin, have been separated from God. 27:25.173 --> 27:26.593 And some of you are still in that condition. 27:30.953 --> 27:33.981 You're listening to this message and you're thinking, wow, I know about God, but I don't personally know him. 27:33.982 --> 27:35.681 I know they say I can have my sins forgiven. 27:35.682 --> 27:38.421 I've never felt my sins be forgiven. 27:38.422 --> 27:40.722 I've never experienced the grace of God. 27:43.862 --> 27:48.621 And you're contemplating those things. 27:48.622 --> 27:53.241 You're listening to the word of God and the truth of God and how much he loves you. 27:53.242 --> 27:56.641 Some of you have not yet received Jesus personally as your Savior and your Lord. 27:56.642 --> 27:58.701 And it's my prayer and it's my belief that Jesus is coming for you. 27:58.702 --> 28:00.578 He's after you right now. 28:01.838 --> 28:03.057 His word is being declared. 28:03.058 --> 28:04.717 His truth is being declared. 28:04.718 --> 28:08.317 It's piercing your heart. 28:08.318 --> 28:11.277 If you're honest, if you're open, you're being convicted of your sin. 28:11.278 --> 28:14.237 You're in awe of his love and his grace. 28:14.238 --> 28:18.397 You're thinking, man, this sounds too good to be true. 28:18.398 --> 28:20.997 Could he really love me enough to forgive all that I have done? 28:20.998 --> 28:25.437 Yes, he absolutely can, and he does. 28:25.438 --> 28:26.870 You see, the gift of Jesus, I'm doing my very best to give it to you. 28:28.070 --> 28:29.669 I'm wanting to give it to you. 28:29.670 --> 28:31.189 God's wanting to give it to you. 28:31.190 --> 28:32.869 But you've got to take it. 28:32.870 --> 28:34.249 You've got to receive it by faith. 28:34.250 --> 28:38.629 There's only one way. 28:38.630 --> 28:40.109 The Bible says, whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 28:40.110 --> 28:42.669 You must believe on him. 28:42.670 --> 28:44.249 You must receive him personally as your Savior. 28:44.250 --> 28:48.909 He'll transform your life. 28:48.910 --> 28:51.871 So I just want to call upon you right now, if you don't know him, to receive him today. 28:51.872 --> 28:54.131 Believe on him. 28:54.132 --> 28:55.391 Rely completely on his grace. 28:55.392 --> 28:58.051 You can't do it. 28:58.052 --> 28:59.211 If you could have done it, you would have already done it. 28:59.212 --> 29:00.791 You can't. 29:00.792 --> 29:04.931 Jesus did it for you. 29:04.932 --> 29:07.131 So just receive his mercy and his grace and his love. 29:07.132 --> 29:08.411 Believe on Christ today. 29:08.412 --> 29:09.552 Amen? 29:11.632 --> 29:17.528 Let's bow together in an attitude of prayer. 29:19.928 --> 29:24.588 This is a holy moment in the life of our church. 29:26.488 --> 29:27.888 In just a moment after I pray, 29:29.628 --> 29:32.307 we're going to stand up to our feet. 29:32.308 --> 29:36.207 As a congregation, we're going to sing a song together. 29:36.208 --> 29:38.088 And there's going to be pastors and other leaders all across the front here. 29:42.968 --> 29:46.452 And we're just going to ask you to come as God leads. 29:50.012 --> 29:56.471 The Bible says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, 29:56.472 --> 29:57.592 that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. 30:02.592 --> 30:04.712 Let me ask you, are you experiencing life today? 30:09.672 --> 30:14.650 Jesus offers eternal life, but he also said he offers abundant life. 30:16.770 --> 30:20.849 I want to invite you to experience it today. 30:20.850 --> 30:23.729 Maybe you're a Christian and you have been forgiven. 30:23.730 --> 30:27.529 The grace of God has come upon your life. 30:27.530 --> 30:28.530 You have a relationship with him, but for whatever reason, 30:31.990 --> 30:36.129 if you're honest with yourself today and you're honest with God today, 30:36.130 --> 30:38.530 that relationship is not very sweet. 30:44.230 --> 30:49.396 Maybe it feels broken and distant or cold. 30:51.496 --> 30:58.835 Here's the truth and the facts of the matter. 30:58.836 --> 31:01.616 If your relationship with God as a child of God is distant and cold, it's not God's fault. 31:03.636 --> 31:06.696 God doesn't walk away from his children. 31:11.176 --> 31:12.876 The truth is sometimes as God's children we can drift from him though. 31:14.376 --> 31:15.676 But here's the good news. 31:18.576 --> 31:19.990 That Jesus is a loving Savior. 31:21.290 --> 31:22.470 God is a loving Father. 31:24.290 --> 31:26.349 He's not going to ever give up on you. 31:26.350 --> 31:27.730 He's pursuing you. 31:30.530 --> 31:33.530 My guess is He's pursuing you right now. 31:35.330 --> 31:37.050 You can be restored today. 31:40.290 --> 31:45.049 You can have your relationship rekindled 31:45.050 --> 31:47.389 in a moment of heartfelt prayer and confession and repentance. 31:47.390 --> 31:51.479 You can be restored. 32:01.179 --> 32:04.898 Now, there's a whole other group that's listening to this message that may never have ever experienced the grace of God in their life. 32:04.899 --> 32:12.198 You've known about God, but you haven't personally known him. 32:12.199 --> 32:15.338 You've known about Jesus, but you haven't personally trusted in him at a heart level. 32:15.339 --> 32:16.439 I want to invite you to do that today. 32:18.639 --> 32:20.690 There's nothing like it in all the world. 32:24.650 --> 32:27.190 to be fully loved and fully accepted. 32:29.950 --> 32:32.729 We're not accepted by God based on our goodness. 32:32.730 --> 32:34.110 We're accepted based on Jesus' goodness. 32:37.730 --> 32:40.214 I want to invite you to be accepted today by God who made you. 32:41.854 --> 32:43.933 Just a moment when we stand. 32:43.934 --> 32:47.393 These pastors are going to be lined up here at the front. 32:47.394 --> 32:50.333 I'm just going to ask for you to step out and come and give your life to Christ. 32:50.334 --> 32:52.253 You can walk down one of these aisles or one of these staircases 32:52.254 --> 32:55.413 and take one of these leaders by the hand and say, 32:55.414 --> 32:56.474 I want to trust Jesus as my Savior today. 32:58.154 --> 32:59.755 They'll know exactly how to help you. 33:04.155 --> 33:06.714 Maybe you say, I want to be baptized like many others today are doing and have done. 33:06.715 --> 33:09.514 And we'd love to visit with you about that. 33:09.515 --> 33:10.735 Help explain the meaning of baptism to you. 33:12.055 --> 33:13.974 Set up a time for that. 33:13.975 --> 33:18.394 Or maybe you want to join our church family. 33:18.395 --> 33:22.175 Or maybe you just want to come and have someone pray for you. 33:26.675 --> 33:28.554 I recognize that Christmas time is a really hard time for people. 33:28.555 --> 33:30.350 It really is. 33:37.750 --> 33:40.289 It's supposed to be a joyful time and a peaceful time and all of those things, 33:40.290 --> 33:44.069 but man, the enemy is at work. 33:44.070 --> 33:49.989 He's trying to distract us every which way, and there's stresses, 33:49.990 --> 33:52.290 and there's bickering with family sometimes, and sometimes there's grief. 33:55.930 --> 33:59.830 As we think about loved ones who are no longer around the tables, 34:06.270 --> 34:10.169 and our heart can almost feel a sense of despair in those moments, 34:10.170 --> 34:12.270 I want to invite you to be comforted by the great Comforter. 34:16.750 --> 34:21.309 To experience truly his peace in the midst of this chaotic world 34:21.310 --> 34:22.470 and his light in the midst of darkness. 34:24.410 --> 34:24.929 Why don't you give your life to Christ today? 34:24.930 --> 34:28.129 Let's pray. 34:28.130 --> 34:31.167 Father, thank you for loving us so well. 34:38.987 --> 34:42.726 Thank you for revealing yourself in human flesh so that we could identify with you, 34:42.727 --> 34:44.727 so that you could be our perfect substitute. 34:50.347 --> 34:53.341 Thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and being raised from the dead. 34:59.341 --> 35:03.580 I pray, Lord, that Holy Spirit, that you would go beyond words that are written on a page, 35:03.581 --> 35:05.592 that you would bring them to light and life in the hearts of people. 35:11.112 --> 35:12.132 Please do something spiritual, miraculous today. 35:13.732 --> 35:18.451 Please draw people to yourself. 35:18.452 --> 35:24.271 Give them the courage that it's going to take to step out and come and give their lives to you. 35:24.272 --> 35:26.511 Give them a nudge, Lord, to move forward as you lead. 35:26.512 --> 35:27.884 We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 35:28.924 --> 35:30.763 Thanks for listening today. 35:30.764 --> 35:34.123 We hope you enjoyed this message. 35:34.124 --> 35:36.883 And if you did, we would be so grateful if you left us a review. 35:36.884 --> 35:39.763 Also, go ahead and subscribe to the podcast 35:39.764 --> 35:43.483 if you would like to be notified when a new sermon is released. 35:43.484 --> 35:47.363 If you feel the Lord calling you to take the next step in faith 35:47.364 --> 35:51.101 through salvation, service, or giving, don't wait. 35:51.102 --> 35:53.721 reach out to us by texting podcast to 88988. 35:53.722 --> 35:56.661 That's podcast to 88988 35:56.662 --> 36:00.441 or connect with us on one of our social media platforms. 36:00.442 --> 36:02.421 You can also visit our website, valleybaptist.org 36:02.422 --> 36:04.781 to find even more great resources. 36:04.782 --> 36:06.321 No matter where you are in your journey, 36:06.322 --> 36:07.741 know that we love you. 36:07.742 --> 36:10.761 We're praying for you 36:10.762 --> 36:20.762 and we can't wait to see what God will do in your life.