WEBVTT 00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:13.919 Ministering to the heart of Western Arkansas's River Valley for over 165 years, welcome to Chapter and First, the Bible Teaching Ministry of Fort Smith's First Baptist Church. 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:19.359 You'll find sermons and teachings from Pastor Greg, our ministry staff, and guest speakers. 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:21.280 Thank you for listening. 00:00:21.679 --> 00:00:23.440 Thank you, Gary and Dixie. 00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:32.640 And we are grateful for that opportunity to have those Advent moments each week and read those through the course of the week. 00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:43.439 And we're going to spend a moment and read through the Christmas event together. 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:54.159 And then after that, we'll have a time at the end of the service where we'll do some more singing and worshiping together, and we'll light the candles and all of that. 00:00:54.640 --> 00:01:02.560 But we wanted to take just a minute right here where we could talk about in a final way the meaning of Christmas and the joy of Christmas. 00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:14.959 We've been talking about the joy of Christmas all along, and what is a joy for us is that this time is a real time and it's built on the truth that Jesus came to be our Savior. 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:16.400 Here's what the Bible tells us. 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:19.599 You're in Luke 2, but just listen to this setup in Luke 1. 00:01:19.840 --> 00:01:28.560 Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us. 00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:35.840 And the author of the book of Luke is telling us listen, I am compiling a history of these events. 00:01:36.159 --> 00:01:45.280 He says, this, just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us. 00:01:45.599 --> 00:01:47.519 This is not a story. 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:58.959 This is the eyewitness verified historical account of Jesus being born and coming to be our Savior. 00:01:59.120 --> 00:01:59.840 It's incredible. 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:03.359 Now, Christmas time is a wonderful time for a lot of reasons. 00:02:03.599 --> 00:02:07.439 And we all love the make-believe parts of Christmas. 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:11.039 There's a lot of Christmas that's fun, is filled with joy. 00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:12.240 It's incredible. 00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:17.759 And there are a lot of stories that happen at Christmas time that we know are just that. 00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:18.879 They're stories. 00:02:19.039 --> 00:02:30.240 I mean, there's a moment, at least one moment, in every one of those Hallmark Christmas movies that you guys are binging where you go, okay, there's no way that would ever happen. 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:31.360 Give me a break. 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:32.639 I mean, come on. 00:02:32.960 --> 00:02:40.800 And there just aren't that many small towns in America that have toy factories that need to be saved in them. 00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:45.520 So you just know there has to be some make-believe involved in that, right? 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:51.120 And then I had someone tell me this week that global warming was the result of the heat miser. 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:53.680 Oh, come on. 00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:56.400 Some of y'all don't know who the heat miser is, right? 00:02:56.560 --> 00:03:07.360 And of course, my response to that, from all people who actually know Christmas movies and stories, understand that his brother, the snow miser, balanced all of that out, right? 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:08.960 You guys got that. 00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:16.639 There probably wasn't still some magic in that old silk hat they found. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:23.360 Now I do believe that Snoopy did shoot down the Red Baron. 00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:24.879 Now, I do believe that. 00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:30.800 But the rest of those stories, I'm sure, are Christmas magic stories. 00:03:30.960 --> 00:03:40.240 They're things that we love to share, they're things that we love to tell, that we enjoy the make-believe and the imagination of that. 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:48.000 But when we tell the message of the birth of Jesus, it is not an imaginative story. 00:03:48.960 --> 00:03:52.719 It is an actual historical fact. 00:03:52.960 --> 00:04:00.719 It occurred, it occurred as all of the eyewitnesses who were there testified that it occurred. 00:04:00.960 --> 00:04:22.160 We know that it is true because it was written and verified by historians like Luke, and they rooted it in the eyewitness testimony, and those who were preaching Jesus, like Peter and John and Paul, and they affirmed the truth of those as they preached the gospel. 00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:32.480 It is historically accurate, it is theologically accurate, and we can count on and depend the truth of what happened at the birth of Jesus. 00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:53.600 Luke then goes on to say, it seemed good to me, since I've carefully investigated everything from the very first to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed. 00:04:53.839 --> 00:05:05.839 This was written to us so that we can know there are other Christmas stories, but what we share, what we preach, what we believed in is not a story, it is an event. 00:05:06.399 --> 00:05:12.639 And since it is a true event, it calls certain response to us during this Christmas time. 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:27.759 It's why we've been talking all along through the joy of Christmas series we've been doing this month about the meaning of being in a relationship with God that happens because Jesus came to be our Savior. 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:36.399 It's why we've built that Advent opportunity for you to share each day and focus and hear from the Lord and have some times that are spiritual in that moment. 00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:42.000 Because the fact that this is true calls us to certain responses. 00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:53.759 And as we read, as Luke says, the events that happened, we are told a couple of responses that I want to highlight for you today. 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:59.600 So here you are in Luke chapter 2, and let's read the events that occurred at the birth of Jesus. 00:06:00.720 --> 00:06:15.439 The Bible says in Luke chapter 2, verse 1, in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered, and they were taking a census and a tax at the same time. 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:24.959 The Bible says this first registration took place while Quirenius was governing Syria, so everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:39.439 So you went home where you were born, where your lineage is, and that way they could make sure as best they could that they were tracking all of the people through all of the families in that census, and they could also make sure that all the taxes were paid and all of that. 00:06:39.680 --> 00:07:03.120 Verse 4, and Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line or lineage of David, and that's David the king, to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. 00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:17.360 And Scripture there is very clear, it's affirming that when we talk about the virgin birth of Mary, it's affirming yet again that this was a fact, and so it's telling us that they are betrothed, but they are not yet married. 00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:21.839 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 00:07:22.079 --> 00:07:34.959 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him snugly in cloth and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them at the lodging place or at the inn. 00:07:35.199 --> 00:07:40.959 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:48.720 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 00:07:48.879 --> 00:08:04.959 I mean, you just can't imagine the shock in the night sky of this explosion of light, and angels, these beings that they have never seen before, and the sky opens up, and God prepares to speak to them. 00:08:05.199 --> 00:08:08.959 But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. 00:08:09.439 --> 00:08:16.000 For look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people. 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:25.920 Today, a Savior, who is the promised Messiah, Messiah the Lord, was born for you, for you as shepherds, and for all those people. 00:08:26.240 --> 00:08:29.759 Kings were not born for the people in that day. 00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:34.320 But the King of kings and the Lord of Lords was born for all. 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:46.879 And the angels tell them, look, because you are a part of so many people that God loves and promised a means of salvation born for you in the city of David. 00:08:47.919 --> 00:08:49.919 This will be the sign for you. 00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:55.279 You will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough. 00:08:55.600 --> 00:09:04.960 And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host, with the angels praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on peace on earth to people he favors. 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:13.279 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Is it time to eat? 00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:14.879 No. 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:18.399 You would have said exactly the same thing they said. 00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:21.440 Man alive, can you believe that? 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:23.840 Let's go straight to Bethlehem. 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:25.039 Let's not wait. 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:30.320 Let's go and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us. 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:37.360 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough, just as they had been told. 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:44.159 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherd said to them. 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:49.200 But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:58.480 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard just as they had been told. 00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:25.840 We know all of that to be true based on the testimony of Luke and the testimony of all those eyewitnesses that he interviewed and that he used in the compiling of this history of the theologians and the preachers of the day who were preaching the gospel just as Paul preached to the church in Corinth, and he wrote in that letter in 1 Corinthians 15, Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, just as it was written in the scriptures. 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:29.840 And he carefully structured all of that and he put all of that together. 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:38.320 And these eyewitnesses, many of them who formed the testimony that Luke wrote, they died for their faith or were imprisoned for their faith. 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:50.080 So the credibility of their testimony to Luke and the credibility of the factual events that he is building this narrative on is without challenge. 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:58.559 And since we know that this is a true event of history, it demands certain responses from us. 00:10:58.799 --> 00:11:09.519 So here I just want to look just for a moment at three things that we are called to do because of the truth of the birth of Jesus. 00:11:09.759 --> 00:11:11.919 The first is to listen. 00:11:12.159 --> 00:11:14.639 I want you to listen, listen. 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:31.039 In every event surrounding the birth of Jesus, when the angels came and spoke to Zechariah and to Elizabeth, when they came and spoke to Joseph, when they came and spoke to Mary, when the angels, as we just read, spoke to the shepherds. 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:35.200 Last uh two weeks ago, we talked about the man Simeon. 00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:53.919 And if you read on in Luke chapter 2, you'll find out when they took Jesus to do all the things that they're supposed to do in their religion and consecrate him and all of that, the Holy Spirit had told this man that he would see the Messiah, and then he sent him to the temple, and then he showed him the baby Jesus who was the Messiah. 00:11:54.080 --> 00:11:58.240 In all of those events, every person listened. 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:02.799 They listened because God spoke to them. 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:08.080 He spoke through an angel or he spoke through the Holy Spirit, but he spoke. 00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:16.320 And in this Christmas season, we need to be reminded that Jesus came because God is the God of love. 00:12:17.279 --> 00:12:21.600 And he wants to be in a relationship with you. 00:12:22.080 --> 00:12:24.240 He wants to speak to you. 00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:29.039 He wants to reveal to you the plans that he has for you and for your family. 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:32.720 He wants you to know how to be saved, and he wants you to know the joy of that. 00:12:32.879 --> 00:12:36.559 And he wants you to know the good news of what it means to have your sins forgiven. 00:12:36.799 --> 00:12:38.559 He wants to walk with you in life. 00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:40.159 He is the God of love. 00:12:40.480 --> 00:12:48.240 Jesus said in the Gospel of John, for God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. 00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:57.440 When Paul is writing to the Roman church, he says, God demonstrated his love towards us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 00:12:57.679 --> 00:13:04.320 John wrote later in one of his letters in 1 John, not that we loved him, but he first loved us. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:12.080 And you need to listen because God wants to tell you how much he loves you. 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:21.200 Jesus came so that we could be in a relationship with him, so that we could literally hear from the Lord. 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:26.559 He would talk with you and guide you and walk with you through life. 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:32.960 And if there was ever a time that we needed to listen, it's in Christmas. 00:13:33.200 --> 00:13:35.600 Now I know it's fun, I know it's exciting. 00:13:35.840 --> 00:13:40.480 I've already eaten 9,000 calories this weekend alone, right? 00:13:40.799 --> 00:13:42.720 I'm totally with you, right? 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:46.240 We were thinking like how we dress for church this morning. 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:51.200 I don't know that I can wear my sweats and you know baggy t-shirts and stuff at church. 00:13:51.360 --> 00:13:52.399 I know that we're doing all that. 00:13:52.480 --> 00:14:01.759 You're opening presents, you're so excited, there the tree is filled, you got all this going on, people are going, people are coming, people are driving, you're driving, all that's going on. 00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:15.519 But listen, if you're celebrating the birth of Jesus, you're celebrating the fact that the God of love wants to speak to you and to be in your life. 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:18.000 He wants to speak to your family. 00:14:18.320 --> 00:14:19.759 He wants to talk to you. 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:23.440 Every person stopped and listened. 00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:25.279 They listened. 00:14:25.519 --> 00:14:27.519 Now here's an interesting deal. 00:14:27.759 --> 00:14:31.200 For us, it can be shocking when God speaks to us. 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:39.279 It can be an amazing thing when he steps into your life, or when he convicts you of sin, or when he gives you a new direction, or when he calls you to something. 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:53.440 There's something in us because of our sin nature that often we recoil when God speaks to us, or we're afraid to listen to him because we think, oh, I know I got this in my life, and I know this is sin, and I know he's going to want to talk about that, and I don't want to deal with that. 00:14:53.519 --> 00:14:55.360 And you see that story here. 00:14:55.600 --> 00:15:04.240 When God, in the beginning of this part, when he sends Gabriel the angel in chapter 1, and he speaks to Mary, and he shows up in Mary's life. 00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:07.679 Mary's like, oh, an angel, this is scary, what's happening? 00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:12.159 And then he says, You're going to give birth, and she says, There's no way that can happen. 00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:13.919 I don't understand that. 00:15:14.720 --> 00:15:23.120 And yet, because she heard the loving voice of God and the loving message of God, she stopped and listened. 00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:27.279 The angel said, Do not be afraid. 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:33.519 You have found grace in God's heart and sight. 00:15:33.919 --> 00:15:40.799 When the angels appeared to the shepherds, as we just read, man, all of this, and they're shocked, and they've never seen anything like this. 00:15:40.879 --> 00:15:42.480 And the Bible says they were afraid. 00:15:42.559 --> 00:15:46.240 And if you and I had been there, we would have been in shock and awe and fear also. 00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:54.159 But the angel begins with the message because he wants them to hear, he wants them to listen, he wants them to understand that God is talking to them. 00:15:54.320 --> 00:16:01.919 He stops and he says, Listen, do not be afraid, because I bring you a message of great joy. 00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:04.159 Listen to me. 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:15.840 So at Christmas time, we are called to listen because of the truth of Scripture and the reality of Jesus' birth. 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:22.960 We're called to listen because God is the God of love, but we are called to listen because He is the God of salvation. 00:16:23.279 --> 00:16:31.200 They tell, the angel tells Mary in chapter one, your son will be the Savior. 00:16:31.440 --> 00:16:42.080 The angels tell the shepherds in chapter two, listen, today a Savior who is Messiah, the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:49.279 The Bible says, if you read on and find that man Simeon again, that he, the Bible told him, You will see the Messiah. 00:16:49.440 --> 00:16:53.759 And then he called him, get up and go to the temple because I'm going to show you the Messiah. 00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:59.200 And Simeon said, You can take me home now because I have seen the Messiah. 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:03.039 You see, this whole thing is about salvation. 00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:07.680 It's about the fact that sin has separated us from the Lord. 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:11.759 And because he is the God of love, he becomes the God of salvation. 00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:24.160 And because he wants that relationship with us and he loves us and he desires to be with us and guide us and forgive us and heal us and all of that, when he speaks to us, he speaks as the God of salvation. 00:17:24.720 --> 00:17:29.680 If you've never trusted Christ as your Savior, in just a moment, I'm going to give you a chance to do that. 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:30.480 Why? 00:17:30.720 --> 00:17:33.759 Because that's the whole reason Jesus came. 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:46.000 It's the whole point of this event and why we're told in such specificity who he would be and why he'd come and those that identified him. 00:17:46.720 --> 00:17:58.079 And so listen, if you've never trusted Christ as your Savior, listen to the call of God and the message of salvation. 00:17:58.480 --> 00:18:08.720 If you are saved, brothers and sisters in Christ, listen, we don't get saved and then go on back off to whatever the dessert and the second helping of turkey is. 00:18:09.759 --> 00:18:18.480 When we are saved, we are now in that relationship and we know how much God loves us and we understand the truth of being forgiven. 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:26.079 So we should always be listening to the one who saved us. 00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:29.200 What does he have for you in this new year? 00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:31.599 What does he want to do with your life? 00:18:31.920 --> 00:18:34.079 What is he trying to grow in there? 00:18:34.559 --> 00:18:35.200 Listen. 00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:38.640 Not only do we listen, but we need to trust. 00:18:38.799 --> 00:18:40.000 We need to trust. 00:18:40.240 --> 00:18:45.519 Everyone in this story trusted in the word and the work of God. 00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:57.119 When you go back and you read as Gabriel talks to Mary in the first chapter, she finally, after processing all of that, says, I am your servant. 00:18:57.440 --> 00:18:59.920 I trust you and do with me what you will. 00:19:00.160 --> 00:19:02.480 I love the picture of the shepherds here. 00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:10.880 The Bible says, After the angels had spoken to them, this is one of my favorite things. 00:19:11.119 --> 00:19:14.960 It says in verse 16, after they've had this discussion, let's go see. 00:19:15.440 --> 00:19:17.519 They hurried off. 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:19.440 I mean, wouldn't you? 00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:22.160 Oh my goodness, I've just seen these angels. 00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:23.359 Oh, good grief. 00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:24.319 All this has happened. 00:19:24.880 --> 00:19:26.559 Like, what are you waiting on? 00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:29.119 Drop your stuff and let's go. 00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:40.400 It's awesome to see that picture of them hurrying to follow and trust in the word of God that came to them. 00:19:40.640 --> 00:19:56.720 It's incredible to me, as we talked about a few weeks, to think about later on in chapter 2, this man, Simeon, when the Holy Spirit wakes him up at the dinner or talks to him at the breakfast table or whatever time of day it was, when he spoke to him, he said, Simeon, let's go to the temple. 00:19:56.960 --> 00:19:59.440 I'm going to show you the Messiah, he's there. 00:19:59.759 --> 00:20:07.519 Man, you wouldn't be lollygagging around and trying to figure out what you're going to wear and what fit and do I look good in this now and all this kind of stuff. 00:20:07.759 --> 00:20:11.359 The Holy Spirit tells you the Messiah is over there, you're going to get up and go. 00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:15.359 Just put on a hat, get in a truck, and get there as fast as you can. 00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:20.160 You want to be there because you trust what God has told you. 00:20:20.960 --> 00:20:28.640 The first act of trust that all of us make with the God of love and the God of salvation is to trust Jesus as our Savior. 00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:43.759 And then once you've accepted Him as your Savior, the rest of your life is a walk of trust when you listen to the Lord and the word He has for you, then you follow and believe in what He's asked you to do. 00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:53.519 When He wants to take something out of your life, when He wants to put something in, when He wants to guide you in a direction, you can trust His direction. 00:20:53.920 --> 00:20:54.480 Why? 00:20:54.720 --> 00:20:56.160 Because He's the God of love. 00:20:56.319 --> 00:20:57.839 He's the God who saved you. 00:20:58.079 --> 00:20:59.359 You can trust. 00:20:59.680 --> 00:21:04.799 He wants to speak, but He speaks so that we'll listen and follow. 00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:06.880 I want to ask you a question. 00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:07.759 Just a moment. 00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:14.160 We'll move into a time of worship and we'll sing and light the candles and we'll do all of that. 00:21:14.720 --> 00:21:19.519 But if you've never accepted Christ as your Savior, that's just music. 00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:21.759 It's not worship. 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:26.000 It becomes worship when you have realized that God loves you so much. 00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:28.480 He sent Jesus to live a sinless life. 00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:30.640 That Jesus lived a sinless life. 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:35.119 He lived the same life in all the major issues that we do. 00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:44.400 Friends, face temptation, family, making a living, going through hardship, the physical body that we live in, all of those struggles. 00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:50.000 Jesus lived all of those things just like we do, with one major difference. 00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:51.839 Jesus never sinned. 00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:59.519 He would never have had to die as a human, as a man, because he had never sinned and there was no judgment to his life. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:04.559 And yet he voluntarily went to the cross because that was the plan. 00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:06.720 It was the plan from the beginning. 00:22:07.119 --> 00:22:12.400 They told Mary and Joseph, name him Jesus, because he will be the savior of his people. 00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:17.920 He told the shepherds, listen, a savior, Messiah the Lord, is born for you. 00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:22.640 He told Simeon, listen, you will see the Messiah, the Savior. 00:22:22.720 --> 00:22:27.680 And then he said, get up and go to the temple because the Savior is there. 00:22:28.400 --> 00:22:29.359 He is there. 00:22:29.839 --> 00:22:31.839 Jesus came to be the Savior. 00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:35.759 So in an act of love, we will never fully understand. 00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:53.440 He set aside his holiness as God and He took all of His self as a man and He went to the cross and He allowed Himself to die there under that terrible death, taking on the spiritual reality of all of the sins of all of us. 00:22:53.839 --> 00:23:04.160 He took the full wrath and punishment of God on the cross, and there he died so that his death could be a substitute for ours. 00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:13.200 So that he could take the punishment for God and offer us a means to allow his death to pay the price for ours. 00:23:13.920 --> 00:23:21.759 And then he rose again, conquering death and sin to offer us a life of eternity that had conquered death and sin. 00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:38.480 And the Bible tells us in order to be saved, in order to access that salvation and forgiveness, that the way that happens is if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:53.440 So it begins with first trusting Scripture and the historical event that happened of the virgin birth, the sinless life, the death of Jesus, the resurrection, coming back from the dead, and conquering death and sin. 00:23:54.000 --> 00:23:56.799 It means trusting that that is true. 00:23:57.440 --> 00:24:03.920 And then it means trusting that the spiritual effect of that is Jesus came to do that for us. 00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:15.599 If you will believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, that's that trust in the historicity of Jesus and the facts that he is who he says he is and he did what he said he did. 00:24:15.839 --> 00:24:25.680 But here's what he says: if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and what that means is you acknowledge and trust that Jesus is the Son of God. 00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:28.160 He is the King of kings and the Lord of the Lords. 00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:32.480 He is the one who is the only one qualified to die for our sins. 00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:35.119 He is the one who conquered death and sin. 00:24:35.519 --> 00:24:40.319 And he demands our trust with all of our life. 00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:52.480 If you will confess that he is Lord, it means taking everything that you have been, that you are, and that you ever will be, and trusting all of that to him as the Lord of your life. 00:24:52.720 --> 00:25:00.480 You see, when you give your life to Jesus because he gave his life for yours, you don't own any more of your life. 00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:05.519 It is an incredible act of trust to give your life to Jesus. 00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:12.160 You are trusting him with your future, with your heart, with your relationship, with your money, with your time. 00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:17.039 When I was a nine and a half-year-old boy, I trusted Jesus as my Savior. 00:25:17.200 --> 00:25:22.720 I took my life, everything I'd been, I was at that point, and everything I ever would be, and I gave it to him. 00:25:23.039 --> 00:25:30.880 And when I was 30 years old, he showed up in my life and he said, This career that you're enjoying, I'm gonna change that, and I want you to become a preacher. 00:25:31.119 --> 00:25:33.440 I said, I really don't want to do that, Lord. 00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:36.319 And he said, Whose life is it? 00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:42.640 And when I was nine and a half years old, I trusted him with the Lordship of my life. 00:25:43.599 --> 00:25:46.240 But friends, I want you to know, hear me. 00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:51.680 If you will trust him with your life, he will do more with your life than you could ever imagine. 00:25:53.519 --> 00:25:56.480 I want you to bow your heads with me for just a moment. 00:25:58.000 --> 00:26:04.960 And in a minute, I'm gonna pray, and then we'll set up the worship and we'll close with worship. 00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:16.319 But right here in this moment, I want to invite you, if you've never trusted Christ as your Savior, to listen to the words of Scripture that He loves you and Jesus came to be your Savior. 00:26:16.799 --> 00:26:21.200 And I want to invite you to trust the Lord Jesus as your Savior. 00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:29.680 When we sing in a few moments, it can be worship and thanksgiving if you'll give your life to him. 00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:38.000 If you're watching online this morning, right there in your home, you may have your family around, you may be cooking Christmas Eve dinner or whatever. 00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:46.000 Listen, I want you to just stop for a moment and listen to the Lord tell you that he loves you and he has salvation for you. 00:26:46.799 --> 00:26:50.480 And I want you to trust him as your Savior. 00:26:50.880 --> 00:26:55.119 Again, it's a simple thing, but it is profound in its meaning. 00:26:55.599 --> 00:27:00.559 You recognize that this is not a story, it is true. 00:27:01.200 --> 00:27:09.839 Jesus was born to be our Savior, He lived to be our Savior, He died as our Savior, and He rose again so that He could save us. 00:27:10.720 --> 00:27:18.319 If you've never trusted Christ as your Savior, I want you just right there where you are, in your home, or if you're in the room, right here, just bow your heads. 00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:20.799 We're not going to do a come forward thing this morning. 00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:22.240 But here's what I want you to know. 00:27:22.319 --> 00:27:31.440 After the service is over, I'll be here at the front of the stage over on my left, and I'll want to talk to you, celebrate with you, pray with you, help you get started. 00:27:32.319 --> 00:27:37.039 But right there where you are, if you've never accepted Christ, I want you to trust him as your Savior. 00:27:37.119 --> 00:27:38.160 How do I do that, Pastor? 00:27:38.240 --> 00:27:39.119 Help me through that. 00:27:39.279 --> 00:27:40.079 It's very simple. 00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:42.880 We're going to follow what the scripture told us. 00:27:43.119 --> 00:27:47.279 In your heart and in your mind, I want you to just say this in your own words. 00:27:47.440 --> 00:27:51.359 There's no magic, it's not an incantation or something weird. 00:27:51.519 --> 00:27:55.440 It's just you talking to the Lord who has spoken to you. 00:27:55.759 --> 00:27:57.759 Lord, I know I'm a sinner. 00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:03.759 Lord, I know my sin has to be judged. 00:28:06.319 --> 00:28:12.480 Lord, I believe that Jesus is exactly who the Bible says he is. 00:28:13.440 --> 00:28:15.440 And he came to save me. 00:28:17.680 --> 00:28:20.079 Ask him to forgive your sins. 00:28:24.640 --> 00:28:30.079 Now I want you to give him the keys to your life. 00:28:30.559 --> 00:28:32.000 Lord, it's yours. 00:28:32.240 --> 00:28:33.519 It's now yours. 00:28:33.759 --> 00:28:37.039 Trust him with it as the Lord of your life. 00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:40.559 And now I want you to close this way. 00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:45.680 If you've prayed that prayer, listen on the authority of Scripture, not because I said so, but because of what Luke said. 00:28:45.839 --> 00:28:46.880 Look, this is real. 00:28:47.039 --> 00:28:48.000 This is the truth. 00:28:48.160 --> 00:28:49.200 This is what happened. 00:28:49.279 --> 00:28:50.480 This is who Jesus is. 00:28:50.640 --> 00:28:52.240 And he promises to save you. 00:28:52.319 --> 00:29:03.039 And if you've prayed and asked him to be your savior, if you've trusted him with your life this morning, I want you to say, Jesus, thank you for saving me. 00:29:08.799 --> 00:29:14.960 If you're already a believer, listen, I want you to make a commitment that this Christmas season. 00:29:15.200 --> 00:29:18.000 Say, Lord, I hear you and I want to hear you. 00:29:18.960 --> 00:29:23.680 I know you love me, so talk to me, and I will listen. 00:29:25.039 --> 00:29:31.519 And then tell the Lord you trust him for what he wants to do with you this year. 00:29:32.480 --> 00:29:34.640 Just make that commitment to him. 00:29:37.759 --> 00:29:44.319 Lord, we thank you that you have made it so abundantly clear how to be saved. 00:29:44.559 --> 00:29:50.079 And that you sent Jesus to be our Savior and you accomplished all of that for us in your love. 00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:52.079 And Lord, we trust you. 00:29:52.720 --> 00:30:00.720 Lord, I pray that anyone here or watching online or television, they've accepted you as their Savior. 00:30:00.880 --> 00:30:03.359 Thank you for speaking to them through your word. 00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:10.160 Those of us who are saved, we say, Lord, help us to hear you this Christmas season. 00:30:10.640 --> 00:30:14.960 We want to listen because we trust you and trust what you have to tell us. 00:30:15.680 --> 00:30:22.720 We thank you for salvation in Jesus' name and what that means to us today and all God's people said. 00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:23.920 Amen. 00:30:24.319 --> 00:30:25.680 And here's the third thing. 00:30:25.839 --> 00:30:34.000 We've talked about listening, we've talked about trusting, and finally, I want you to treasure or ponder the joy of Christmas. 00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:35.839 Here's what the Bible says. 00:30:36.079 --> 00:30:37.119 That's not a problem. 00:30:37.200 --> 00:30:38.960 Don't let it distract you. 00:30:39.680 --> 00:30:47.359 The Bible says Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. 00:30:47.599 --> 00:30:52.319 I want you to take a few moments and prepare yourself to worship. 00:30:52.400 --> 00:30:55.680 In just a moment, we're going to sing again together and we're going to worship. 00:30:55.839 --> 00:31:00.640 And hopefully what it'll do is it'll be filled with joy and the candlelights and all that'll be beautiful. 00:31:00.799 --> 00:31:04.319 And I want you to really concentrate on the words. 00:31:04.559 --> 00:31:05.839 Worship as you sing. 00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:08.559 Ponder and treasure the truth of salvation. 00:31:08.720 --> 00:31:16.000 And I want that to really set up for you and for your family the tone over the next few days in this coming week. 00:31:16.240 --> 00:31:22.799 I want you to make a commitment to have some time where you ponder the truth and the joy of salvation. 00:31:23.039 --> 00:31:31.200 I told somebody before the service this morning, I got a chance, and I told y'all mentioned a minute ago, I got a chance to feed my grandson this morning breakfast. 00:31:31.359 --> 00:31:38.720 And I'm sitting there and I've had my quiet time and he's woken up and I'm feeding, and my daughter says, Dad, would you feed him? 00:31:38.960 --> 00:31:41.119 Would you really be willing to do that? 00:31:41.440 --> 00:31:42.240 Like, really? 00:31:42.480 --> 00:31:42.960 Of course. 00:31:43.119 --> 00:31:44.400 Like that's what we do, right? 00:31:44.559 --> 00:31:52.079 And so I'm sitting there and I'm holding him and I'm feeding him and I'm looking at him and I'm thinking about the baby Jesus. 00:31:52.720 --> 00:31:56.480 He begins to groan and go and stretch that leg out. 00:31:56.559 --> 00:31:59.279 And I thought, I wonder if baby Jesus did that too. 00:31:59.920 --> 00:32:02.960 I thought, I wonder if baby Jesus smell like that? 00:32:04.880 --> 00:32:18.640 I'm pondering all those things, but it's such a joyous moment because as you just stop and take a minute to think, as a parent or a grandparent, how much God loves you as your heavenly father. 00:32:19.519 --> 00:32:25.119 I'm looking at little Killian, I'm thinking, he is depending on me for everything at this moment. 00:32:25.599 --> 00:32:31.279 I'm thinking, I am so dependent on my Heavenly Father for everything. 00:32:31.839 --> 00:32:42.400 And in the same way, one day he's going to be glad and know that I hold him in his arms, just like I know that God holds us in his arms. 00:32:43.279 --> 00:32:45.759 I think about the gifts as we're giving gifts. 00:32:45.839 --> 00:32:48.720 I wrapped a few gifts this morning and put them under the tree. 00:32:48.799 --> 00:32:50.960 And you think about the gift of salvation. 00:32:51.039 --> 00:33:12.880 And in all those moments, I want you to just stop and take a moment, whether it's by yourself or with your family around the tree as you read the Christmas story or as you talk at dinner in your quiet time, treasure in your heart these moments where you hear God speak to you and it and it connects you with the joy of what it means to be saved. 00:33:13.680 --> 00:33:24.559 When you're sitting there as a mom or dad and your house is loud and everybody's crazy and they're shooting nerd guns and knocking stuff off the counters and all that stuff that goes on. 00:33:24.880 --> 00:33:35.440 I want you to listen to the joy in your house and think that's the pleasure that our Heavenly Father takes when we fill his house together. 00:33:37.200 --> 00:33:50.640 So as we worship together this morning, as we close in this time of worship, I want you to ponder and treasure the joy of salvation. 00:33:51.039 --> 00:33:53.440 It comes because Jesus came. 00:34:01.759 --> 00:34:09.199 Send an email to contact us at fsfbc.org and let us pray for you and help you in any way we can. 00:34:09.519 --> 00:34:15.840 Thank you for listening to Chapter and First, the Bible Teaching Ministry of Fort Smith First Baptist Church.