R415 The Christmas Message Pt.2

God has an encouraging word for you and me today through the Bible-based teaching of Dr. Don Wilton and a delightful Christmas message.

Here we are just a few days ahead of Christmas, and as we gain more insight on who we are as Christ followers here at Christmas, I want to remind you about some special tools that help us become better Christ followers in 2022. It's called Heaven, Life, and the Resurrection, a powerful daily devotion that's available right now at www.tewonline.org, a wonderful blue leather-bound book that will help us gain insight from Dr. Don Wilton and other pastors opening God's Word on a daily basis in 2022. Again, you'll find that and many resources on our website at www.tewonline.org.

That's www.tewonline.org. Now today's teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. Perhaps somewhat in my own heart I may have an inkling as to the nervousness of King Herod, don't you think? The uncomfortableness of the Roman garrison. Perhaps in my own human heart, my own sinful heart, perhaps I have a renewed sense of the urgency of the shepherds who watched over their flocks by night, and the wise men who were endowed with all the riches and wealth of this world and yet made track and a beeline to kneel at the feet of this sweet little baby boy.

And so Caesar Augustus issued a decree, did he? What is the message of Christmas? Perhaps, beloved friends, this morning, ladies and gentlemen, perhaps this Christmas we need to have a fresh understanding that this verse in John chapter 3 and verse 16 makes up the constellation of the Redeemer in the firmament of divine revelation. Oh, I love the Word of God. You can go back into Genesis chapter 1 and verse 1 and you're going to find a summary of the creative work of God. And you can page through the beautiful pages of this book and get into Exodus and you're going to move from a summary of the creative work of God to the book of Exodus and see a summary of the legislative work of God. And then you come headlong into John chapter 3 and verse 16 and here we find a succinct summary of the redemptive work of God in Christ Jesus.

Why? Because God's redemptive plan is embodied in the Christ of Christmas. Amen? Just think about it for a moment. God was in Christ Jesus reconciling the world to himself.

How can this be? And so Caesar Augustus issued a decree. All of a sudden the ballot box pales into insignificance.

All of a sudden party affiliation has no grounding. All of a sudden the White House becomes darkened in a pit of oblivion. All of a sudden all the aspirations and the dreams and the directives placed upon mankind by their own human intuition begins to dissolve within the face of God's marvellous redemptive plan because this is the Christ of Christmas. This is the Christmas message for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but will have everlasting life. Isn't that great? Isn't that great?

Isn't that great? What was it about God's reconciling man to himself in Christ Jesus? What is it about the Christmas message? May I submit to you this morning that if we really understand and if our hearts are opened to the illumination of the Spirit of God within our hearts and souls, we're going to understand first of all that the Christmas message has both God the Father and God the Son standing side by side in the Christmas manger. God the Father and God the Son standing side by side at the birth of Jesus.

Just think about it for a moment. God, are you serious? Are you telling me that God was in Christ Jesus reconciling the world to himself? God eternal self-existing uncreated member of the Godhead, who is God? Who is this God that would allow himself to become a man? Who is God? God the Son, God the Father, for God so loved the world that he gave this eternal one, self-existing uncreated, having need of nothing, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, Elohim. Jehovah Jireh Adonai has revealed himself by many names, but now reveals himself by love, for God so loved the world. What is the message of Christmas for you and for me today? God, now wait a minute theologian, wait a minute church, wait a minute Bible. God, you saying to me that God was born in Bethlehem's manger, he who sits high and lifted up, worshipped by adoring angels, by cherubim and by seraphim, and in whose presence they hide their wings behind their wings and cry holy, holy, holy, and from whose presence even the prophet Isaiah fell to his knees as the doorposts began to shake and cried out woe is me, for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. What is the message of Christmas? And so Caesar Augustus issued a decree, did he?

That all the world should be taxed and the world jumped at his command and they obeyed his decree. Just think of it, God the Father and God the Son, because God was in Christ Jesus reconciling himself to the world. On the one hand you have the giver of life, on the other hand you have the very gift of life, on the one hand you have the author of life, and on the other hand you have the finisher of life, and here they are in a manger, he who gazes upon galaxy after galaxy, so that even the stars and the moon and the winds and the waves obey his voice.

But Jesus said to his disciples not once but repeatedly, never forget that I and my Father are one. You're listening to Dr. Don Wilton, our teacher here on The Encouraging Word. Don't go away, he'll be back with the rest of today's message in just a moment, but he wants you to know this is not just a presentation, it's a conversation. Over 135,000 people have shared with us how God is moving in the ministry of The Encouraging Word through online communication, whether it's text or phone, you need to know we're here for you. You'll find all the ways to connect at www.tewonline.org. That's www.tewonline.org. And one special way, many people are sharing how God is moving in The Encouraging Word with Dr. Don directly. If you'd like to email him, his email is don at www.tewonline.org. And while you're on our website, you'll see great resources like The Devotional for next year, the book that Dr. Wilton wrote about his time being the pastor of Dr. Billy Graham for over 20 years, so many more resources are right there for you at www.tewonline.org. Now back to today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. What a fresh glimpse of the sovereign act of God.

The message of Christmas. I wish this morning that I could come and present to you something new. I wish that I could change names and dates so as not to offend any parties concerned. I wish that I could vote along with the ACLU to eliminate the name of Jesus from our schools and remove prayer from the very fabric of our understanding. I wish that I could join with the millions around the White House who are fleeing away from the very holiness of a righteous God.

I wish that I could do the popular thing and become tolerant and I wish that I could become a compromiser and I wish that I could change the name of Bethlehem to New Babylon just to make the Antichrist happy. And I'm going to say to you friends that God was in Christ Jesus reconciling the world to himself. This is the message of Christmas.

But it seems to me that we must go further. We cannot sit back in our couches of comfort and stroke ourselves as we congratulate the depth of our understanding. It seems to me that despite our willing perspective on the lack of importance of Caesar Augustus, that when God established his preeminence and prominence in the baby who came and was born in Bethlehem's manger, that God Almighty from before the foundation of the world said to us, Men and women and boys and girls, I have an announcement to make to you because it is because of God the Father and God the Son standing side by side in Bethlehem's manger that we must move on to phase two. The Christmas message has loved and gave standing side by side. Both expressions in the manger loved on one hand and gave on the other hand for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. Perhaps your beloved friends, we have the two-fold revelation of the benevolence of Almighty God. Right here in this passage, we have the two-fold revelation of the benevolence of Almighty God. He loved us and because of his love he gave. I love that, don't you?

I don't want you to think I'm bragging. But my heart is so filled with joy at Christmas time when I see the very epitome expression of the love of God through giving as expressed in the heartbeat of the people of this congregation and so many others in our community. There's so many things that go on, I wish that I could tell you all about it. You see friends, when Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem's manger, he placed both loved and gave. Together he juxtaposed them together.

They are inextricably intertwined into the person and work of the Godhead, God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, the very expression of the Godhead who dwelled fully and bodily upon this earth in order that you and I might have life and have it more abundantly. Yes, love is the prerequisite of such a gift and gave is the proof of such a gift. In other words friends, there must be a prerequisite before the proof is delivered. Why do we do what we do? Because we love. Why do we go and minister to needy people? Why do we give to missions?

What's this all about? Lighting a whole lot of lamps and taking up a hundred thousand dollars. Why do we minister? Why do we have a social ministry? Why do we give to others? Why do we have an angel tree? Why do we support Samaritan's person and wrap up gifts that can be delivered to Bosnia and to India and to Africa and all over the world?

Why? Because of the prerequisite that God established when he reconciled the world to himself. God so loved that he gave. He gave. You see beloved friends, this is the ultimate glimpse of the message of Christmas.

It's the heart of God. That's what we're dealing about with a manger. We're not dealing with a pomp and ceremony. We're not just dealing with a Christmas show that people turn up to. We're not just dealing with the magnificence of a choir or an orchestra or the profundity of a public orator who presents the message of the cross. We're dealing with the very fact of the incarnate God embodied in Jesus Christ that God was in Christ Jesus reconciling the world to himself. God the Father, God the Son standing side by side, loved and gave co-existing in the very heart and holiness of Almighty God. What a message of Christmas.

But it seems to me that we must dab and dig just a little dab further. It seems to me that perhaps Almighty God is trying to get us to ask the same perplexing question that Nicodemus asked in the preceding verses of John chapter 3 and verse 9. How can this be?

Nicodemus asked. Can you imagine that? How can this be? Surely this must go beyond the confines of mixing and mingling in the malls of society. Surely this must go beyond the television advertisement. Surely this must go beyond Christmas gifts and giving. Surely there must be something more to the Christ of Christmas. May I present to you ladies and gentlemen that the Christmas message is both the world and whosoever born in the manger standing side by side. Just look at that verse. God so loved the world and He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him. The world, yes all people universally without distinction or exception and whosoever each person individually precious to the Lord Jesus Christ.

How do we know this? How can God juxtapose the individual on a global view of mankind? Well the Bible tells us that Jesus knows His sheep.

He knows every one of them by name and in fact the Word of God says, listen I know you so well that I've numbered even the very hairs upon your head are numbered in my presence. What an incredible joy. What an astounding thought. What a theological understanding. What a transforming notion that God would have us to understand that we need to step way beyond the confines of modern dictates related to Christmas that has become nothing more than an X in Christmas and I hope there is nobody listening to me today that ever has the audacity to write Christmas with an X. Not under any circumstance if you love Jesus. How can you eliminate the name of Christ from Christmas? And the paucity of your expression extends to the very heartbeat of God my friend. You have a major conversation that you need to have with the Christ of Christmas.

Why? Because He came, He came unto His own and His own received Him not. They put an X in Christmas but to as many as did receive Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God even to those that believe on His name. Don't put an X in your Christmas.

Don't put an X in your Christmas. But you see friends, I believe that God would take us much further than that. The Christmas message not only has the world and whosoever but the Christmas message has believe and have standing side by side. Just look at this verse with me.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish. Here it is. You ready for this? But has. This is marvelous.

This is marvelous. This is unbelievable that God would do this for men and women and boys and girls who are dead in their trespasses and in their sins. The message of Christmas has believe and have standing side by side the significance. Yes, believe is the hand of faith stretched out in confidence to the giver. Have is the hand of faith drawn back in spiritual contentment having been possessed by the Spirit of the living God. This is where our assurance of salvation comes from.

So many of us ask many times how can I know that I know that I know that I know that I know that I have. My dear friends, remember that the message of Christmas has believe and have standing side by side together. You must believe, pistillo, the word of faith. Faith means that I don't necessarily understand why or how God could ever love me or how or why God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. But because I exercise my faith in Him according to His word, I have eternal life. I am possessed by eternal life. I am overcome by the Spirit of the living God. And I know that I know that I know that I know that my Redeemer liveth. You have eternal life. You don't think you have it. You just got it, brother.

You got it. If you've expressed and exercised your faith in Christ Jesus, by faith Abraham walked with God and it was counted to him for righteousness. But there's one final thing. We've got to move beyond believe and have. You see, believe, my friend, is the trust. Have is the transfer of that trust.

It is the assurance. We've got to move beyond that because the message of the cross has both perish and life in the manger. Perish the unutterable lostness of those who die in their sins. And life, the unending life of those who receive the Savior. Isn't that incredible?

Listen to it. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but will have everlasting life. This is the message of Christmas. This is the Christ of Christmas. You know something?

I've got good news for you today. What Jesus has done for me to do the same thing for you. And what better time than during these wonderful holy days of Christmas to settle that decision forever. You've heard Dr. Wilton from the pulpit as he's been preaching and teaching now.

Open your heart to what he wants to share next. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ? I'm so happy to hear that. Why don't you pray this prayer with me today. Dear God, I know that you love me very, very much. And I know that the Lord Jesus Christ came and died on a cross so that I might be forgiven of my sin. Today I repent of my sin.

I confess my sin to you. And I invite you to come into my heart and into my life by faith. In Jesus' name I pray. If you prayed that prayer, let me be the first one to welcome you to the family of God.

This is wonderful. I hope that you know how much I'm going to be praying for you and how very important this is for me. Call us so that we can talk to you and connect you in the right place so you can begin this wonderful journey.

And in just a moment I'm going to come back with a final word. Perhaps you were praying along with Dr. Wilton moments ago to give your life to Christ or rededicate your life to Jesus. We want you to know we're so excited and want to celebrate with you. We want to pray for you in the next steps. And Dr. Wilton has prepared wonderful resources that will help you take those next steps and grow in your faith. Call us at 866-899-WORD and share with us your decision and we'll send you that information absolutely free.

That's 866-899-9673. Wonderful resources that will help you grow in your faith. You can also connect with us online at www.tewonline.org. While you're there you'll probably see this wonderful exciting news about a matching challenge.

Here's Dr. Don with the details. Wow! God has done incredible things again this year through the Encouraging Word broadcast ministry. Do you know that over 135,000 people have called us telling us what this ministry means to them in their spiritual life.

And so many are coming to know Jesus. A friend has just given a $200,000 challenge gift to this ministry. And we are asking, as he is asking, that our listeners will give an additional $300,000 to this ministry by December 31st so that God's Word can continue to go out across the world. In London recently someone came up to me and said, Thank you for the Encouraging Word and for what it means. Would you help me do this? If all of us participated, even a $2 to $3 to $4 each, God will help us to reach this goal together. Yes, we can do it! If the Lord's leading you to give, call us now at 866-899-9673 or visit us online at www.tewonline.org. There is a wonderful opportunity ahead as we each do our part in this season of giving and challenge. Again, 866-899-9673 is the number to call or meet us online at www.tewonline.org.