Joy to the World: Christ has Come

Good morning and welcome to this year’s Christmas Cantata. My name is Rob Green and I serve as one of the pastors here at our East campus.

Thank you for choosing to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with us.

For those who are normally part of our church family … thank you so much for serving this Christmas season.

• We know that many of you have spent hours serving with CFE, Living Nativity (our last night is tonight), our choir and orchestra, and various other ministries. You might be tired this morning. It is a good tired. A tired that comes from knowing that you are seeking to do all you can for the cause of Jesus Christ.

• Thank you for making serving others an important part of your Christmas tradition.

We have several in our church family that would appreciate your prayers. They include …

• MM Requests here

If you are visiting with us this morning, then thank you for being here. We hope that you will be encouraged as we celebrate the birth of Jesus in song and in our study of the Bible. We would appreciate the opportunity to learn more about you.

• Connection card

• Meet us in the foyer

• Faith Church App

Please pray with me and then the choir and orchestra will begin their ministry to us.

1. Thank the Lord for CFE, the 1,100 children, and the families they represent.
2. Thank the Lord for LN, the servants, the thousands who have come through, and for those that will come tonight.
3. Ask the Lord for travelling mercies.
4. Ask the Lord to comfort those who have experienced loss this year. This is the first Christmas without a parent, a spouse, or even a child. We ask for grace.
5. Ask the Lord to continue to help us place Jesus at the center of our Christmas season despite how busy it is.
6. Ask for grace for those who experience physical challenges (MM issues here)
7. Ask for strength for our choir and orchestra as they serve during these 3 services.
8. We pray for us. Our faith would be strengthened. That those who struggle to believe would understand the truth, repent, and believe. “Today is the day of salvation”
9. Thank you for sending Jesus who came as a baby in a lowly stable, lived a sinless life, gave up his life on a cruel cross, and is returning in power and judgment.

Sermon Title: Joy to the World: Christ has Come

Luke 2:1-21

Introduction.

The choir and orchestra completed the first half of the Cantata. They will return shortly to sing the remaining songs.

Their last number focused on Joy to the World. Christ has come. Let earth receive her king! That is the title of the message this morning.

Christmas commemorates the coming of the Lord Jesus, The Son of God. The one who would live a sinless life and offer himself on a cruel cross so that people could be rescued from their sin.

This portion of the story is dependent on knowing what came before. God created the world.

• He created Adam and Eve, he destroyed the earth with a global flood, and called a group of people, starting with Abraham, to be his own.

• He rescued them from Egypt and established a covenant with them putting them in the land of Israel.

However, through time it was clear that human beings could never live up to their part of the covenant. The 10 commandments were not just hard to keep, but impossible.

• Human beings could never, ever be good enough for God.

What would that mean for humanity? Were we all doomed to failure and an eternity away from his presence?

God promised a new covenant. He promised a Messiah (a savior and deliverer) would come. For hundreds of years, God’s people waited. Jesus came as that Messiah.

• He was who the world had been waiting for.

Why is the good news of Christ’s coming joyful news?

This morning I want to share Three Reasons the Birth of Christ Brings Us Joy

The text will be on the screen, but you may also turn in your Bibles to Luke 2:1-21. That is on page ____ of the Bible under the chair in front of you. Please follow along as I read the Word of the Lord.

“Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. ² This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.

⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, ⁵ in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.

⁶ While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. ⁸ In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.”

This may not sound like the birth of anyone important. That was the point. The OT explained that Messiah would come in humility the first time. He came to give his life not to execute judgment. He came to seek those who were lost.

We clearly see how he came in humility the first time. Rather than be born in a palace with all the fanfare, Jesus was born in a small town.

• Bethlehem was less than 1,000 people. Imagine going to Flora. There was no room for them, so they found a manger, a feeding trough for animals.

• Rather than royal robes, he was wrapped in cloths.

• Rather than royal proclamations with all the important people of society we will learn that shepherds were the first to hear about Messiah’s birth.

We know from Matthew’s gospel that Mary and Joseph were required to give him the name Jesus because he would save his people from their sins. We know he had a second name, Immanuel, to show that God was with us.

Christ’s birth brings us joy because …

I. He is the promised Messiah who is humble (v. 1-8)

These first eight verses emphasize the humility of Jesus. The Son of God took on flesh and dwelled among us – with sinful and lowly humanity.

It is all perfectly orchestrated by God.

Caesar Augustus issues a decree that a census be taken so that all the inhabited earth would report to their birth city…

• This is no coincidence. The OT said Messiah would come from the line of Judah and he would be born in Bethlehem.

The Lord ensured that Joseph and Mary (his fiancée) travelled 80 miles from their home in Nazareth to Bethlehem “to register for the census, each to his own city” at the very time Mary was due to deliver.

The Old Testament book of Micah said …

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity.” Micah 5:2

Messiah’s goings were from eternity past. But he would come the first time in humility. That is why Isaiah wrote about the coming of Messiah …

“Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.” Isaiah 52:1-2

The joyfully surprising message of the good news of Jesus Christ is that the strength of God’s power will be shown through the humility of the Son of God becoming man for our salvation.

God planned that Jesus would show his incomparable glory not through pomp and pageantry and parades, but through his incomparable humility and love.

• Instead of celebration, his birth is largely unnoticed.

• Instead of being received and revered, his life will be marked by ridicule, rejection, and horrific death where crowds will revile him.

• Instead of a glorious upbringing with conditions and resources fit for a king, he is born in unfavorable conditions and raised as a “tender shoot…a root from the dry ground” whose life emerges in the most undesirable conditions.

• Instead of “stateliness” he has “no stately form or majesty that we should look on him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.”

…A man of sorrows…acquainted with grief…

This type of humility for a king can’t be matched. Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God came in, lived in, and died in humility.

It is difficult to imagine all the depths of the humility demonstrated by the eternal Son of God who upholds the entire universe by the word of his power choosing to humble himself to take on a human nature and live as a servant to the point of death on a cross to save us from our sins.

While difficult to imagine, the NT authors continued to think about it and how it should impact lives. Philippians 2:5-11 says …

“⁵ Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:6-11

Our Messiah’s humble birth proclaims to us that Jesus loves and cares for humanity because he became human. It also reminds us that after his death, his humility was replaced with power and glory.

Before I go further, let’s consider a couple of the joyful implications connected to Christ’s humble birth.

• You can have joy knowing that Jesus fulfills the OT promises. What the Bible says is true. The Joy of Truth.

• Each one of us must determine which sources of information we believe. The fulfillment of OT prophecy validates that this is the correct source of truth.

• We are free to be in right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

• The Bible says, “For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”

• This reminds us of the Joy of Help.

That is not all. Christ’s birth also brings Joy knowing that …

II. His birth is good news because he is the Savior of the world (vv. 9-14).

There is no mention of the city’s response, of crowds, or of royalty. On this night the heavens rejoiced and shared their joy with some shepherds. Luke 2 continues …

“⁸In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; ¹¹ for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” Luke 2:8-14

I imagine the shepherds thinking tonight is like a lot of other nights. They settle their flocks and prepare for the night. Maybe they discuss a few challenges of the day or their struggles with the Roman government, or maybe the hope of Messiah. In other words, their nights might have been a lot like ours.

Suddenly, a host of angels appear. There may not be a lot of excitement in Jerusalem, but “a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest.”

They were frightened. Even when you long for something to happen, it can be surprising when it does. The message is clear.

A Savior has been born…the one that God promised who would be born in Bethlehem the birth city of King David. This is Christ the Lord.

Remember I said earlier that Jesus’ birth occurs in a point in history. A history of human failure to live up to God’s covenant. That is why we needed a savior. The Bible does not teach that we live, die, and then cease to exist. It teaches that at death our physical body separates from our soul. At that time, we face judgment before God.

• As Philippians 2 said, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

• We can do so willingly with Jesus as our savior or

• We can be made to do so with Jesus as our judge

Jesus came to save. He came to seek and to save those who are lost. That is a reason for great joy. You might be here this morning yet to have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. You think of him no differently than George Washington --- as a really important historical figure who did cool stuff.

Friends, that is not what the Bible calls for. The Bible challenges you to admit that you are a sinner in need of someone to save you because you cannot rescue yourself. It calls you not merely to intellectual assent … but to genuine belief and trust.

“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” Romans 10:9-11.

This is a tall order for some. You need to trust that Jesus died for you and God raised him from the dead.

If the Lord is convicting you and stirring your heart that you need a savior, then do not delay in making that decision. The Bible says, those who do so, will not be disappointed.

Friends, those who know Christ … isn’t it amazing that we can experience the joy of God being pleased with us.

• We can have peace with the God that we have dishonored can be completely saved from all our sins if we turn to Jesus and trust him.

All the promises and plans of God have been pointing to this moment when the fullness of time had come that God the Father would send God the Son to be born of a virgin so that he would redeem his people.

God wants you to be assured that today.

Jesus is not coming to suffer and die again, but to return in glory to take the nations as his inheritance, consummate his reign from the throne of David, judge the living and the dead, and make all things new.

• Today is an opportunity to bow willingly before the one who came the first time to seek and save those who are lost.

• Tomorrow you may be required to cower before your king suffering away from his presence acknowledging he is exactly who he said he was.

For those who know the Lord, may we share this message with those in our circles this Christmas season.

Finally, we see …

III. His birth proves every detail of God's word is true (v. 15-21)

God gave the shepherds a sign to find and identify the Savior of the World. How will they know who this Christ child is?

The lowly and humble details of the birth identify Jesus as Christ the Savior, it’s a sign.

In verse 12, “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Now verse 15…

“¹⁵ When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

The Lord spoke to the shepherds, and they believed and obeyed…to see the Christ. When they saw the child…they made known the words that God had told through the angel.

Because they listened to God’s word and followed, they saw what was true, the Christ, the Savior of the World was born…and they leave glorifying and praising God like the multitude of angels did before them for all that they heard and seen…JUST AS HAD BEEN TOLD THEM.

Christians…Every Word of Our God proves True…By Faith the Shepherd listened and followed, and were filled with joy to see God keep his word just as had been told them.

This gives us assurance that Jesus is the Messiah, and gives us confidence to trust the King of the Universe at his word.

There is great joy in the birth of Jesus.

• The joy of truth

• The joy of salvation

• The joy of forgiveness

• The joy of help

It is all there.

Conclusion - Do you believe in this Christ?

After I pray the choir and orchestra will continue the presentation in song.