Sermon Transcript:Well, I want to add my welcome to you live church. My name is Pastor Brent Moore, I get the privilege of being the senior pastor here at Life Church. And thank you so much Alfredo and others who have been a part of the worship service so far. Alfredo left out some things in his story, just like we all do, we have an opportunity. But one of the things is that, since his time in the service for last several decades, he lives in perpetual pain and has to have all kinds of things that help alleviate that, which it never really does. He always has a low level of pain, we weren't even sure he was able to make it this morning. That's why he needed a seat and all those things, he's going to have surgery, mid December, to maybe potentially alleviate some of that pain, some experimental surgery. And so we're gonna pray for him. And I want you to pray for him as well that the Lord would use this to give him many, many, many more years of life. There's been so many times when the doctors and everybody else said, there's no hope. And you know, they've called family in several times whether it was because of this perpetual pain or cancer, previous pastor, as I've been his pastor, and but he's still here, and God's not done with him yet, and he's not done with you, wherever you're at in your journey. Also want to make note, as you have seen up here, Shane, Shane is helping us out with his expression of faith working itself out in love and, or the idea that God loves us. And we're going to journey to Bethlehem today. And so I love this Christmas season. I love the love that the father bestows upon us. And so we're going to look for that in the passage, as we read today, we've already seen it through worship, through the Advent, through the testimony through the painting, and now we're going to see it through God's word. And so if you have a Bible, you can turn to it. If not, we're going to look at the birth narratives from the three gospels that significantly speak to it a mark goes right into Jesus's adulthood. So we're going to start with the book of Matthew. And we're going to see that love comes from the incarnation. And that's a big word. But it's the idea that, that God came down and took on flesh that the act itself is an act of love. And so we'll begin right here in the book of Matthew. Now one of the things I've done, which is kind of unique is that I have underlined and put in red, those that are passages or highlights phrases of how I think God loves us, then I've underlined in white aspects that you see of faith. And so keeping those color schemes, I know, you could argue that it's all love or all faith, I get that. But I saw when I read these passages, just some specific instances where you can see the love of God for us, and then the obedience of faith for Mary and Joseph and those in the narrative. This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. So right here in the book of Matthew, one of the recordings that we celebrate, and we read at Christmas time, his mother, Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph, so we understand what engagement is not quite married, but Botros are engaged, they're going to get married. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Now, again, I've underlined that, and I put that in red, because I see that as an instance of God loving us in the story in the narrative in the Christmas journey, Joseph, to whom she was engaged, he's already been brought up. Matthew really does give Joseph's perspective. He was a righteous man, and did not want to disgrace her publicly. So he's already got sort of a foundation of some sort of wisdom or righteousness that is not his own. So what does he do? He decides to break the engagement quietly, he's not going to humiliate her. He's not going to bring her before the court, possibly even in that culture and time that could have been a stoning. Doesn't do any of that doesn't desire any of that. So this in and of itself, is an act of faith in their journey. He decided to break the engagement quietly, as he considered this, though, an angel the Lord appeared to him in a dream, Joseph, son of David. Now, those aren't throwaway words, we understand that, that Jesus Himself comes from the lineage and the line of David that Joseph himself is in that line, that lineage, the angel said, Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child within her was what conceived by the Holy Spirit, love itself. God come down, we can see this right here in the passage, and she will have a son and Yorgen name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Now all the time we think, Oh, wait a second. I got bigger problems even when Jesus was walking around.On Earth, if you notice time and time and again, people would come to him with sickness or ailments, or, you know, I've got this kind of problem or this kind of problem where I can't walk, right, and Jesus would often look at them or touch them or engage them or talk to them. And he would say something along the same lines of your sins are forgiven. He thinks, oh, wait a second, their biggest problem is, maybe here's his finances, or you can't walk or you have a terrible marriage, or you have a terrible, whatever you want to get married to your singleness, whatever. But what we see is Jesus coming what is our biggest problem, our biggest problem is that we need our sins forgiven. And that's what Jesus has come to do. This in and of itself is why it's an act of love. All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message to the Prophet, we've already read from Isaiah, this is coming from Isaiah as well. Look, the virgin will conceive a child, she will give birth to a son. And they will call him what we sang about this, a manual, which means, here's love again, God is with us. Beautiful. Sometimes the manual is with an eye, sometimes it's with an E, same, same word. Same idea, here, passage from the Old Testament brought forward in the new. When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife, again, these faith based decisions that Joseph is making. And you're going to see in the next passage that Mary's going to make these come out of a heart that knows that God is with them, that God has his best for them. But he did not have sexual relations with her until when, until they had Jesus was born. And Joseph named the boy what he had been told, which was Jesus. First point I want us to see this morning, is that God is with us. Now again, I just took that straight from the phrase of Emanuel what does that mean that he's with us that he came, and that he very much wanting to be with his people with his creation, you're gonna see that he was there in the beginning, when he looked at the book of John here in a minute. Again, I've already mentioned that this is from Josephus perspective that Jesus could have come a lot of ways if there's a God in the universe, if there's a deity that wishes to engage humanity, it could have occurred in a lot different ways. God did it in this way, so that he could be known, and that we can know Him and that he could come again, mentioned Isaiah, the fulfillment of prophecy, it is something to be meditated on, not a truth to remain at a distance. But the idea that he was brought nearer to us, it's not just a truth, it is an actual what it's a person. The implications are salvation from sins and make keep in mind, and we're looking at the book of Matthew, this idea goes all the way through to the end of the book, when we get the Great Commission. Remember the great commission when he sends his followers out. He says, What lo or Behold, or wake up, I'm with you always, even unto the end of the age, we're seeing the love. And we're seeing the love from the Father. And we're seeing how it works itself out first in the faith, of Mary and Joseph and the Christmas narrative. But then ultimately, for us, let's continue to look at these passages, these Christmas stories this morning, Luke. So we've already been a Matthew, Mark, as I told you really enters in to Jesus's adulthood at those opening chapters. Luke has a narrative that is from Mary's perspective, in the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, who's Elizabeth, Elizabeth is the cousin of Mary. And you can go and read that story about even her miraculous birth in old age. God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth an act of love. Why? Because he sends messengers that he speaks and engages with humanity, US, a village and Galilee to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph summer we've already learned a descendant of King David, we've learned that that's important. Gabriel appeared, who's that? An angel, a messenger from God appeared to her and said, Greetings favored Woman, The Lord is with you. You see the love and the narrative here, the Lord is with you, confused and disturbed, right, which is what happens when you have these sort of angelic moments. Whether you're afraid or confused or disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean, don't be afraid, Mary, the angel told her for you have found favor with God, You will conceive and give birth to a Son and you will name him Jesus. Again, I saw that as an act of love, he will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor, David, this lineage that they've been waiting for this redemption, and he will reign over Israel forever. His kingdom will never end. So it's not just a nation and a land state that God has comemeaning to redeem, but it's the whole world, and it's in a kingdom that will have no end. This is love, love for you and for me, Mary asked Angel, but how can this happen? Some of those go I'd be a miracle because why I'm a virgin Angel replied, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, God himself and the power the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. Love What's more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant. in her old age, people used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son more miracles more miraculous, and now is in her six month for the Word of God will never fail. Boy that's love. Some verses would say, verses, one, verse 37, that for nothing is impossible with God, Mary responded, there's a response here, I am the Lord's servant. That's an act of faith, May everything you have said about me come true, an act of faith. And then the angel left her. Boy, I know we're familiar with this passage. But hopefully, some of the aspects that I've highlighted this morning, or if you're listening to this later, maybe it brought new meaning and new hope for you and me this day, leads to the second point that I want us to see in our lives, God will come through God will come through, it doesn't feel like it. Sometimes it doesn't seem like it at times when we have trouble at work, or we have concerns about maybe our nation, or whatever it is, that is vexing us. But it's just that whole idea that we understand that God will come through that even the Israelites themselves at this point in history had had not heard from God or had Prophets for hundreds of years. And yet they are told here in Luke narrative, and that nothing is impossible with God that He will do what he says he will do, he will come through that is the key. What God says not what you and I want, or what I think right? So don't take these kind of verses are these kinds of truths, you know, and then you decide what that means. No, it's what God says. It's about his truth. We don't use the scriptures. We don't believe the scriptures or some sort of modern day rabbit's foot where we decide what we want. And then we bring it to God and ask Him to bless it or give it to us. No, it's the whole idea of what has God promised you in His Word. Think about Alfredo's testimony that he gave, that is true for any of us, because it's straight from the book of James, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God and he will freely and generously give you all things. So it's that whole idea that that that is something we can ask for and expect God to come through. Not cherry pick our list. So it's what God says not what you and I wonder what I do. And I think it's also in God's timing. You know, a lot of times we just think, man, instant gratification, or I just, this isn't working out the way I wanted it to work out. So I'm out. I'm gonna take my ball and go home, I'm going to quit, I'm going to tap out. And what we see time and time again in the scriptures is it is about God's timing, not my timing and not my way. And this takes faith. This takes faith not blind faith, not stupid faith, but real faith to understand that we are tied to the God of the universe, and it is about his way, not ours, but he will come through rest assure he will come through our deliverer is coming. Alright, third and final passage I want us to look at this morning is from the book of John Bucha. John is more philosophical in some ways, he goes all the way back. So you see a Matthew, we skipped over, we could have looked at the genealogies which is really tracing that heritage or lineage from David or even further back to Adam and Eve. But John goes even further back in what he calls Jesus is what the Greek calls the Lagace was really just a fancy way to say he was there in the beginning, capital W capital, Word, in the beginning, the word already existed. Jesus Himself, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Now this is again, we see in the in the Christmas narrative, a Trinitarian sort of idea what I mean, I'm not trying to use big fancy words, Trinity Father, Son, Holy Spirit, we've seen all the Godhead in display in the Christmas narrative. We see it here, the Word was with God, and the Word was God, equality with God. He existed in the beginning with God, God created everything through him through through Jesus, and nothing was created, except through him and I realized I could have underlined all that and put it all in red. But I chose to highlight this passage. The word gave life to everything that was created in his life brought light to everyone. Boy, that's huge, right? This idea ofWhat's happening here in the Christmas there to the Christmas season the Christmas story, the light shines in the darkness. And the darkness can never extinguish it. It may seem like, but it's not true. God sent a man John the Baptist, I see this as love to because it's a messenger to tell about the light, underlined in white, because why here's our faith, so that everyone might believe because of his testimony, we often think over and over again, I would believe in this God, or Jesus, or maybe my aunt would or maybe my uncle watermain, my cousin would, or maybe my childhood, if some sort of sign would show up. And we see over and over again, that it's been given to us everything that we need for life and godliness, everything that you and I need, as humans to believe has occurred. It can't occur any more. It is obvious. And so everyone can believe because of the testimony of John, there was a pointing there was all kinds of pointing where the Old Testament and then there was the reality that Jesus took on flesh and came, John himself was not the light. He was simply a witness to tell about the light, the one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone was coming into the world. So this again, who was Elizabeth's child, John the Baptist, he was the one preparing the way. Miracle upon miracle. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize Him, He came to His own people, and even they rejected him. And again, you can see this over and over again that he came as a Nazarene He came as a Galilean, he came tangibly, as a baby in a manger, but to all who believed him, here's the faith aspect. Here's the journey to Bethlehem that we're on, but to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God, new birth, they are reborn, not with a physical birth, resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. What love that we have that God Himself does this so that the Word became human and made his home among us he was full of unfailing what are these two words we've been talking about all morning? love and faithfulness? Where does it come from? I mean, that's what's so interesting is you might say, I don't even have the faith or the grace to get out of bed in the morning, or to believe this or to do this, or to walk this out this Christmas, because the heartache of whatever, losing a loved one or the heartache of just the drudgery of life, or my work, or my school, or whatever, or my lack of friendships, or just to the betrayal that's occurred. And what he's saying here is that where do you think this even comes from? Jesus himself became human and made his dwelling his home, his tabernacle among us, he was full of unfailing love and faithfulness, that even the faith in the grace that you and I need, and that you and I have, that in and of itself comes from God. It's all God. And it's all grace. And it all comes from Him. Last thing I want us to see here in terms of our response in our faith, and we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only son. That's our response. And that leads to the third and final point that's straight from the scriptures this morning, and that is that God made his home among us. Now, we've already seen I thought we already had this point with the incarnation and the fact that, that he took on flesh. Yes, that was part of it. That whole idea, but now we're being told something even more intimate and personal, that he decided to dwell among us. Now that word dwell we don't really use that very often. Sometimes we use it in legal terms when you have a document and you have to say this is a dwelling that lies on this lot, or this area, or this place. But that whole idea dwell I remember the first time I ever heard this word I I grew up watching the 10 commandments with Charlton Heston. I remember that when he came to Jacobs, well, as he was leaving Egypt, he said, I will dwell here and that was the first time I understood that that was harder that he was saying, I'm going to live here. This is someplace that I have found that is worth dwelling worth living. We're staying around the idea that is the same idea of that I will tabernacle or tent here. Remember what the tabernacle was, or we understand what Tinting is now, right? When you go to a site, he's I'm going to set up shop here. I'm going to I'm going to live here, I'm going to dwell here, what are you saying? You're saying that I'm gonna camp with you? I'm gonna be right here with you. So not only did he take on flesh and sort of wave, sort of see us for a little while. Do some feelings, do some all kinds of ministry but that he stayed that he, the Son of Man says he had no place to lay his head but yet he had a place among us where people could actually live with him. And why did he do this? And what was he full of when he did this?last passage, I told you, it would come back. It's the two key words we've been using all day. And that is that he did this because he was full of love. And he was full of faithfulness, that he walked it out, to show us away, and to be the way that's so fascinating that he does it. That's why we worship this Christmas season. We've tried to do that in all the elements that we could think of it we could pack into service and be faithful to God. And that's why we pray. And so that's what we're gonna do. We're gonna continue to worship and we're gonna continue to pray. And then we'll close the service. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for Your Word. We thank you how you have been with us already this morning, that you have worked in all of our hearts in various ways, and just the fact that you can do that. Just the fact that you can bestow love upon us and that you can bestow faith upon us.Father, I pray for those in the room that are struggling to believe struggling to walk out the faithfulness that you have already gone. I just pray, pray for those who need to be healed. And pray for those who are sick. I pray for those who are discouraged. Pray for those who are doing well. That you would continue to be wind in their sails as they walk out their journey with you. We ask this in Christ's name, Amen.

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