Presentation

We see in Luke 2:22-24 the baby Jesus being presented in the Temple.

    When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

The example being set here is one of wisdom. We are told throughout the Bible to fear the Lord and be obedient. Out of respect and willingness to do things God’s way Mary and Joseph went to the temple with their firstborn.

We need to approach the Lord with pure hearts and sacrificial lives. 1 Corinthians tells us to present our bodies as living sacrifices.  Christmas may be over, but we still need to let others see Christ in us.

Amen?

Share the News!

The Good news about Jesus' birth is something to be shared!

We need to Go tell it!

Go, tell it on the mountain, Over the hills and everywhere

Go, tell it on the mountain, That Jesus Christ is born.

While shepherds kept their watching o’er silent flocks by night,

Behold, throughout the heavens, There shone a holy light

The shepherds feared and trembled, When lo! above the earth,

Rang out the angels chorus, That hailed our Savior's birth.

Down in a lowly manger, The humble Christ was born

And God sent us salvation, That blessed Christmas morn.

What do we need to do?

Tell our story of how Jesus saved us, and God’s story that salvation is available to everyone who calls on His name!

It’s the best after Christmas gift you could ever give.

Christmas Revelation

My fourth and last sermon for the Christmas Grace series – The Reason for Christmas is The Revelation of Jesus! Below is the study outline starting with a prophecy. 

A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God^. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.  And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Isaiah 40:3-5

 

What would you expect God to do after reading this verse?

 

The revelation of Jesus (as Messiah) Matthew 1:18-25

Discuss Joseph’s reactions in the following verses;

1. Joseph’s distress (Matthew 1:18) He is heartbroken, assuming his fiancé has been unfaithful.

2. Joseph’s decision (Matthew 1:19) Not wanting to disgrace Mary, he determines to break their engagement secretly.

3. Joseph’s dream (Matthew 1:20-25) He receives a message in a dream concerning:

- The purity of Mary (1:20) Joseph is reassured that Mary’s pregnancy is caused by the Holy Spirit.

- The person within Mary (1:21) The Angel of the Lord tells him that mary will bare a son and that he shall be named Jesus.

- The prophecy about Mary (1:22-23) This son; conceived without the aid of a human father, is the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14. Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel

4. Joseph’s discernment (1:24-25) Joseph takes Mary to be his wife.

How should we show discernment for what God has revealed?

I want you to know, brothers and sisters that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:11-12

What do you think God expects us to do after reading these verses?

We are to receive this “revelation” and share the reasons for Christmas with the world around us.

What are some ways you can share the reasons for Christmas this week?

The Real Christmas story

¹In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ²(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)³And everyone went to his own town to register.

⁴So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galileeto Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴  “Glory to God in the highest,

      and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke chapter 2

Merry Christmas Everyone!

One Solitary Life

This has been around for a long time, and I don’t know who wrote it. It always makes me think about Jesus’ impact on the world. Enjoy!

He was born in an obscure village,

Earthly riches were not important to Him

He did not travel extensively, only once did

He crossed the boundary of the country in which He lived,

In infancy He startled a King, in childhood He amazed Jewish leaders,

He worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty.

He then became an itinerant preacher.

He never held office.

He never had a family or owned a house.

He didn’t go to college.

He had no credentials but himself.

He healed multitudes without medicine,

He made no charge for His service,

He never wrote a book, and yet all the libraries of the world could not hold the volumes that have been written about Him,

He never wrote a song, and yet He has furnished the theme for more songs than all the songwriters combined,

He never founded a College, but all the schools put together cannot boast of having as many students,

He never practiced psychiatry, and yet has healed more broken hearts than all the Doctors far and near,

He was only thirty-three when the public turned against him.

The devil tried to destroy Him, but the grave could not hold Him.

His Name stands highest of the heavenly glory, acknowledged by angels and feared by devils

Nineteen centuries have come and gone,

And today he is the central figure of the human race.

All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed,

All the parliaments that ever sat,

And all the kings that ever reigned

 have not affected the life of man on this earth

As much as that one solitary life.

Merry Christmas! Have a good Godly day.

Christmas Gift

My family has a tradition on Christmas day to be the first to say, Christmas Gift! to another member of the family. It started years ago but it helps us to remember that the greatest Christmas gift is offered to us all byJesus.

   On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”  By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. - John 7:37-39

God made us for an intimate relationship with Himself, and we cannot get our deepest needs met anywhere else but in Him. Jesus offers the only satisfaction for spiritual thirst. In verse 38,from within them refers to the innermost recesses of the body.

Just as it was a miracle of God for water to flow from a rock in the Old Testament (giving life) it is greater miracle of God to have the Holy Spirit flowing from His people and eternal life.

Praise be to God for this gift!

Amen?

Christmas Mystery

Recently I preached on Christmas Grace – The Reason for Christmas and The Mystery of Jesus as found in  Luke 1:26-38. The following are notes from the study. The message can be found on our website: www.fbcredbank.com 

An angelic visit to Mary, concerning the birth of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38)

1. The salutation to Mary (Luke 1:26-37) She receives a heavenly visit.

a. The messenger (Luke 1:26-28) The angel Gabriel appears to this virgin girl in Nazareth. Mary is engaged to Joseph the carpenter.

b. The message (Luke 1:29-33)

- Gabriel’s assurance – He comforts Mary, saying she has found favor with God.

- Gabriel’s announcement – Mary will give birth to Jesus, the Messiah, whose kingdom and reign over Israel will never end!

c. The mystery (Luke 1:34) Being a virgin Mary is perplexed, wondering how this can be accomplished.

d. The method (Luke 1:35) Gabriel tells her that the Holy Spirit will father the baby!

e. The miracle (Luke 1:36-37) Mary now learns that her aged relative Elizabeth is already six months into her pregnancy!

2. The submission of Mary (Luke1:38)

“I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants”.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51:10-12

Are you a willing servant of God?

Will you accept what you don’t understand (a mystery) by faith?