Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world so that all may know Christ. Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church, located in Kernersville, North Carolina. Our subject today is. entitled Through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through our Lord. Jesus Christ. I am. If you notice, and by the way, no props today. I broke the prop tree last week, okay?
We had our whole. Platform full of props last week. Nick was up here. We had all kinds of things up here on our props last week. And uh I was up here as a Roman soldier and things, so No props today.
It's Christmas Eve, and I just want to remind you during this season, what's interesting, Pope Julius I. Authorized December 25th. to celebrate the birthday of Jesus. And he did that in AD 353. And look what Christmas has become now.
Then in 1832, Professor Charles Foland lit candles on the first Christmas tree in America, and look what that's become. Human beings can take something and absolutely ruin it. We can commercialize it. We can reprioritize it. But today, Christmas Eve.
We want to be reminded that as Jesus came, we want to be reminded. what we are offered. and what we are given through Jesus Christ our Lord. Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6, obviously a well-known prophetic passage. We want to connect Isaiah chapter 9 and Romans chapter 5 today.
It won't be real long. I do understand it's Christmas Eve, but there is no service tonight. Let me remind you, there is no service tonight. There is no midweek service this week. We will see you next Sunday morning.
Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6. For unto us a child is born. And unto us a son is given. And the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Romans chapter 5, verse 1, before we pray, it'll be on the screen here for you.
Therefore. being justified by faith. We have Peace with God. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for being here today.
Did you notice when Frank tells a joke, if it doesn't go over, he always blames someone else for it? It's always, he tells it, if they laugh like crazy, that's it. That's the end of it. But if there's just a little smattering of laughter, he's like, oh, Chris told me that on the way up, that's how a person always covers himself. Oh, well, so-and-so told me this week's, you know, blah, blah, blah, blah.
It's just despicable. I can't believe it. I've trained you better than that. I do it all the time, too. I can't say I do the exact same thing.
All right, let's pray. Lord, we love you. Thank you for joy in serving you. And thank you for every person here today. We do earnestly pray that they have a good Christmas.
that not only do we celebrate it, but that we celebrate you. And Lord, I pray you'd bless your word today. It never returns void. And so, Lord, we're going to simply. Expose your word today.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6 is an interesting prophetic verse. It says that his name shall be called. I'm just going to give you this quick outline.
First, his name shall be called wonderful. That means he is the supernatural one. This word wonderful means he's beyond comprehension. It's supernatural. It means it's beyond what is natural.
And that's who he is. He is wonderful. Notice this. He is counselor. Not only is he the supernatural one, he's the supervising one.
This word counselor means to advise, to counsel, to purpose, to devise, to plan. The Hebrew word here, that's what it means.
So he is the supernatural one. He's the supervising one. Notice this. It says he is the mighty God. That means third, he is the sovereign one.
He is the one who is strong, who is mighty, who is invincible, and he is the one who rules. He's the mighty God. Notice this also. It says he is the everlasting Father. That means he is the sustaining one.
As Father, He not only produced us, created us, He generates us, He sustains us by His power. Through His power, we are His children, which means we are His responsibility. Do not forget if you're saved and you're a child of God, that means you are His responsibility. How many of you know God does not parent like some of us?
Now I'm not picking on anybody here because I have found that my kids would pull stuff in front of people that they would never do at home. When my boys were little, it's like they would never do something at home. You get in front of people, they think, oh, dad's not going to get on me because other people are here. And did they have that wrong? One of my boys was playing basketball one day.
We were at a gym in Lexington. And he wasn't young, he was older, and he was on the bench running his mouth. And before I knew it, I was sitting on the top row of the bleachers on the other side of the gym. And before I knew it, it just I saw it and I hollered out, and I hollered out at him. I said, You shut your mouth!
And right about that time, the entire gym was quiet. And all you heard was a crazy parent up in the back. You shut your mouth, kind of a thing. And listen, I don't care who's around. I'm going to correct my kids, kind of a thing.
But may I say something A lot of times you see that parents don't really take up the responsibility of caring for their kids, watching their kids, controlling their kids. God's not like that. If you're his child. You're his responsibility. He's going to take care of you.
Amen. Yes, sir. At Christmas time, especially, where some have it so rough, remember: because you're a child of God, if you're a child of God, then you are his responsibility. He is the ever Lasting Father, the sustaining one, the supernatural one, the supervising one, the sovereign one, the sustaining one. But notice this, he is the prince of peace.
This is the satisfying one. What does it mean, prints? Of peace.
Now, and I wanna focus on that because we're gonna connect this with the New Testament fulfillment of Romans chapter 5. The name Prince of Peace is literally the Hebrew word shar-shalom. It means, listen to this. the one who removes all Peace disturbing factors. Anything that won't cause peace.
It means he removes that. He secures Peace.
Now, I know you don't fully understand this yet, but I want you to start trying to digest this. This instantly sets Jesus apart from all other human rulers. Because their reign, their power, depended on bloody conquest. His power, his rule, is built on a bloody sacrifice. All other those in power are in power because of a bloody conquest.
But Jesus has his power. Because of a bloody sacrifice. What a contrast to biblical kings such as Nebuchadnezzar, even David. Their rule was established by power. Jesus's rule is established by peace.
He's a different type of king. He's not king because he pushes people around. He's not king because he conquers people. He's not king just because he has power. His rule is established.
On peace. The name Peaceful Prince Prince of Peace. explains why Jesus disappointed his own disciples. They wanted a monarch who would annihilate Roman rule. But that wasn't who Jesus was.
So let me ask you this. The Bible has a couple different things to say about this. How can Jesus be the Prince of Peace? Luke 2:14 says, Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. That's great.
But Matthew 10:34, Jesus said, Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. He said, I came to bring a sword.
So, wait a minute.
Now, first it says that, you know, Jesus brings peace on earth, goodwill to men, but then it says Jesus himself says, I didn't come to bring peace, I came to bring the sword.
So, how do we rectify that? How can this be reconciled if Isaiah said he is going to be the prince of peace?
Well, the New Testament has the answer. Romans 5:1 is literally the beginning of The answer. Yes, he is the prince of peace.
Now, notice this. I want you to see this in Romans chapter 5. And we have to answer this question. We're going to get right into it, and we'll be done. But notice in Romans chapter 5, beginning in verse 1, this is the fulfillment, literally, a connection to Isaiah.
Notice in chapter 5, verse 1, first, we see that we have forgiveness. Therefore, being justified by faith.
So that means we have forgiveness. This word justified. We are justified by faith. Look at me, you are not justified. This verse does not say you're justified by good works.
It doesn't say you're justified because you've been in church your whole life. It doesn't say you're justified because mom or dad went to church or grandpa was a preacher. We are justified by faith, but justification means we are forgiven. It's as if we've never sinned.
So we know first through Jesus Christ. Notice this verse. Therefore, being justified by faith, and what is the end of it? Through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So we are justified through Christ. We are given forgiveness, but notice secondly, we don't just have forgiveness, we have peace. Look at Romans 5:1. We have peace with God. Through our Lord Jesus Christ.
This verse does not necessarily say, look at me. This verse does not necessarily say, Because of Jesus Christ, you will have peace with all men. Doesn't say that. In fact, this verse does not say because of Jesus Christ you're going to have peace with this culture. The claim here.
is one thing. that through Jesus Christ, you and I have peace with God. What is the importance of the name Prince of Peace? Those who trust Jesus Christ as their personal Savior are given the assurance because of that relationship that we don't find later peace with God, but we immediately have peace with God. You see, when Jesus came, the prince of peace, the first thing he came to do was to provide an opportunity for you and I to have peace with God.
You're not necessarily going to have peace in this world. This is a sin-cursed world. You're not necessarily going to have peace with all people. You're not going to have peace with all circumstances. You're not going to have all that.
Jesus came to provide peace with God, and that's the only one that matters. See, here's what's interesting. Pretty soon, Jesus is going to come again. The trumpet will sound. The dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds. That's when Jesus comes back. He doesn't come to the earth, he comes back for us. We meet him in the clouds. But guess what?
After we are in heaven, there comes a time. in prophecy. that Jesus comes back to earth with us. He comes on a white horse. We come and he rules and reigns for a thousand years.
Look at me. That is when peace will be on earth. Only at that time. Don't think that right now, because Jesus Christ, there should be peace all over this earth. You're not going to have peace all over this earth.
But you can have peace. With God.
So I want to ask you something today. Do you have peace? With God.
According to the passage of Scripture, he is the prince of peace. He came to allow you to to have peace With God. We have forgiveness, being justified by faith. We have peace with God. Yeah.
May I say number three? According to Romans chapter 5, because of the Lord Jesus Christ, because He came, because He was born, He not only provides forgiveness, He not only provides peace. But notice, third, we don't just have forgiveness, we don't just have peace, but we have access. According to this passage. Look at the verse.
By whom also? We have Have Access. To what?
Now, let's just be honest. It should be enough to us that through Jesus Christ we have opportunity for forgiveness, that through Jesus Christ we can have peace with God. And may I say something, dear friend? Many of us in this building, there could be some people that there is this great tension in your life that you don't necessarily know or feel that you have peace with God.
Now, I'm talking to those who have professed Christ, who know Jesus as your personal Savior. I know probably in this room there are some, a number of folks that maybe have never trusted Christ as their personal Savior, but I'm saying just right now, to those of you who are saved, there is still a tension in a lot of Christians' life. They think that they have to somehow perform for God, that somehow they have to kind of He's angry at them unless they act a certain way. And can I say something? That verse dispels all that.
In Jesus Christ, you have peace with God. He loves you. He accepts you. He he are you here? He's preparing a place for you So many Christians think they have to perform for God to love them more.
No, through Jesus Christ, it doesn't say you will find peace with God. It says you have. Peace with God. But if that wasn't enough Through Jesus Christ, who we're celebrating at Christmas, we have access. do some things.
Let me show these to you, and we'll be done this morning. Number one, I want you to see that we have access first by faith. He says, by whom also we have access by faith. What did the first verse say? Therefore, being justified by faith.
We don't have access to God by our works. We don't have access to God by our education. We don't have access to God by our ability. We don't have access to God because of good things that we do. The only reason you and I have access to a holy God, the only reason that we can access the throne of God any moment we wish to, is because of Jesus Christ.
And because we have put faith in him. Through. Our Lord Jesus Christ. We have access by faith, but notice secondly, we have access to grace. By whom also we have access by faith, notice, into this grace.
wherein we stand. Grace is all of God's riches that we now have access to. God's riches at Christ's expense. May I say something, you and I, we couldn't exist here without God's grace. What I love about this verse, listen to me.
Without God's grace, we have nothing to stand on. Notice this: into this grace wherein we stand. Listen, we can't stand on our works, we can't stand on our abilities, we can't stand on our talents. All we can do is stand. On God's grace.
And we have access to God's grace. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ. who was coming. to be the prince Peace. Peace with God.
brings access. To grace. Notice next, it brings access to joy. Notice this: into this grace wherein we stand and Rejoice. That's joy.
You have access to joy because of Jesus Christ. Can I tell you something? Before Jesus Christ, all you had access to was happiness. and you have to have something happening to be happy. Joy is different than happiness.
Happiness is a result of circumstances. Joy is the result despite the circumstances. It means this: that now, because of Jesus Christ, we don't just have forgiveness, we don't just have peace, but we have access to God's grace, and we have access to the one thing that is the strength of our lives. It's the joy of the Lord. Matthew Henry is Commentator that every once in a while I'll use and look in his commentary and make sure maybe I understood a passage correctly.
I found this last night. I was talking to my wife about this. about having joy. I thought this was interesting. Matthew Henry.
years ago was attacked and robbed at gunpoint.
Now The robber took all of his money. And it would have been understandable if he'd have been mad or angry or bitter, but. He put an entry in his diary that night. And I wanted to read it to you. I wonder if you would handle things this way.
I wonder if you have happiness or if you really truly have. Joy. Matthew Henry said, After what happened today, Lord. Let me be thankful. First, I was never robbed before.
Second, although he took my purse, he didn't take my life. Third, although he took all I had, it wasn't that much. And then he said forth. Lord, thank you that I was the one being robbed. and not the one doing the robbing.
Do you have that kind of joy? You have access to it. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Notice this, we have access.
Next to hope. Look at verse 2. in hope. of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope.
Do you get what this verse is saying? Through Jesus Christ you have hope. And even when bad circumstances happen, even when trials come, notice this verse. Please get this. In hope of the glory of God, we have hope in Christ.
But Only so, but we glory in what? Tribulations also. It means we have hope because of Jesus Christ. But that hope we can have even when things go bad. Because when tribulations happen, when things go adversely, knowing that that tribulation will work patience, and that patience will bring experience, and that experience, because of that tribulation, will end up bringing hope.
No matter how you look at it, you have hope in Jesus Christ. Even when things go bad, those bad things bring hope into your life. What in the world? Are we doing walking around acting as if we don't know what we're doing and we're just miserable and serving God is so rough? Listen, even in tribulation, it leads to hope.
You have access to hope today. Do you have hope? How many of you have ever heard of the hymn writer Ira D. Sankey? How many of you know him?
He has written so many songs. that we know Being Christmas time, I thought it was good to share this. I shared this years ago, but Ira Senke was a hymn writer and a song leader. He was basically the song director for D.L. Moody and all of his revivals.
One Christmas Eve he was on a steamboat And he was traveling across the Atlantic and Some of the passengers knew who he was, and they requested because of Christmas Eve. that he sing a song.
So Irisanke got to the piano and he sang a song called the Shepherd's Song. And as he did so, a man on that boat came up to him. and began to Just ask question after question. Where are you from? What's your name?
Did you ever spend time in the military? He just began to ask all these questions. And this man finally asked: Did you serve in the Union Army during the Civil War? Were you ever on picket duty in 1862? Ira Sankey began to answer these questions.
Well, yes, I was. Yes, I was. Yes, I was. And as the questions got more specific, that man revealed that He was a sharpshooter in the Confederate Army. Ira Sankey was a member of the Union Army.
One night this man had seen a Union soldier in He got him in his sights. He was a sniper and was going to shoot him. But all of a sudden, it was on Christmas Eve, and this soldier leaned up against the tree and began to sing a song called The shepherd's song. The music touched his soul as he watched that soldier sing, and he didn't shoot him. that night.
He said, I'm on this boat. Your voice.
sounds really Familiar. Sure enough. That soldier laying against that tree singing that song. was Ira Sankey as a young man. That man hadn't heard the song and he hadn't heard the voice.
And by looking back here, that shows, look at me. that no matter what, even in the middle of war, you have Hope. Through Jesus Christ. Our Lord. Can I give you one of the biggest ones?
I want you to notice, lastly, we have access to the Holy Spirit. Look at verse 5 in Romans chapter 1. This all started with the prince. Of Peace. Peace with God.
brings forgiveness, it brings peace. It brings access. Notice, if you would, verse 5: And hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. which is given unto Us. You know what?
Because of Jesus Christ. We have access. Through the Holy Spirit. In fact, Jesus here on earth, when he ascended back into heaven, he said, Listen, I'm not going to leave you comfortless, and it's expedient for you that I go to heaven and give you the comforter.
so that he can minister to you. And now you and I have access. to the Holy Spirit. Through Jesus Christ. our Lord.
Do you understand what Christmas means? Christmas means that he was the only chance you and I had. at peace with God. And he decided to establish his rule not on power, but on peace. He decided to use not a bloody conquest, but a bloody sacrifice.
The song that they sang today. I thought it was fantastic. It says, come, Jesus is your offering. He's the Prince of Peace. Therefore being justified by faith.
We have peace. With God.
And you and I have access. To the Holy Spirit. I want to finish this, the last couple verses, and we'll be done. I just want to read them to you, verse 6, 7, and 8 of Romans 5. Listen to this.
For when ye were yet without strength in due time, Christ died. for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Being from North Carolina, you all know the story of the Wright brothers.
And I uncovered this story a while back. I thought it was pretty good. In 1903, after a lot of attempts, the Wright brothers were finally successful in getting what they called their flying machine off the ground. and they flew 120 feet.
So they're all excited, and so they telegraphed. a message to their sister Catherine. And the telegraph had said this. We actually flew 120 feet. We'll be home for Christmas.
The greatest news that anyone can receive is the news of the free gift of salvation found in Jesus Christ. It is our desire for you to know him personally. Would you take a moment to hear this to-day? Every man is born with a sin nature. Romans 3:23 says, For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
No matter how hard we try, We're not good enough to obtain God's glory. or to get to heaven. Because of that sin carries the penalty of death. Romans 6.23 says, For the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life for the through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The wages of our sin, or the payment of our sin, only equals death and separation from God. But it's only through God's gift salvation through Jesus Christ that we can accept Him as our Savior. Jesus Christ paid for your sin debt. The Bible says in Romans 5:8, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. All you have to do is receive Christ.
by faith as your Saviour. Romans 10.9 says That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Verse 13 continues, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It's as simple as admitting that you're a sinner believing that Jesus is the only way. and calling upon his name.
Bible says whosoever that's anyone can call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. Have you accepted Christ as your personal Savior? There is no greater day than today to take care of this. Would you accept Christ as your Saviour? If you have any questions, please give us a call at 336-993-5192 or visit our website at Crowin Baptist Church.
Dot com. or visits that person at one of our three service times. We hope you have a great rest of your day. God bless you. Mm-hmm.
