Christmas Joy Series

In the Manger: Love

Luke 2:1-20

Good morning everyone-welcome to those who are listening online.

We have lite all 4 Advent candles as we celebrate the final Sunday of Advent.

Hope, peace, joy and this morning looking at God’s great love for us.

Tonight Christmas Eve will come in wither we are ready or not. If you do not have all the presents bought, all the food prepared, all your presents wrapped- you are in for a long night.

The one thing you cannot do, the one thing you or I had nothing to do with was we cannot save ourselves. We are the recipients of His great love.

We just part of the Christmas story of the great love that God the Father had for us in sending His Son Jesus here for us.

Sinners in need of a savior- a perfect God willing to come for sinful mankind.

If Jesus never came, He could have never went to the cross, and if He never went to the cross, we could not experience salvation for our sins.

You cannot have one without the other.

The plan of Almighty God and the love that He has for us cannot be put into just words, it was shown by His actions.

Paul Trip says

“Allow yourself to be confronted by the Christmas story’s message of desperate need. It is the only explanation of why Jesus had to come.”

Love came down from heaven for you and I

The plan of God was to use a willing Mary and Joseph.

Joseph of the bloodline of David according to prophecy.

Mary a virgin so that it would be an immaculate conception-

Conception not brought by two humans procreated but by the virgin birth where Jesus was supernaturally conceived in the womb by the power of the Holy Spirit and born without sin.

God had a plan and the plan was perfect and the plan has shown His great love for mankind.

To be in Bethlehem at the perfect time for the census

To experience no room in the inn

To the angels appearing before the shepherds.

God’s love and His plan of redemption.

If you think that was a coincidence, then you probably believe that we evolved by freak chance of evolution instead of creation by an all powerful God who cares, loves, and desires to be a part of our lives..

God’s plan played out to shepherds- God what were you thinking?

The lowest on the food chain of the time.

The ones that the religious hated because they were unclean to even step foot into the great temples.

He chooses them, “those people” to show the greatness of God coming to earth.

For them to be able to be in their fields when all heaven breaks out in song and praise for the coming King!

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The highest heaven! Heavenly angels begin praising God for putting His plan in action!

And the favor of God rested on the shepherds- ones the world despised, the unlikely choice by the well to do! The peasants by the world’s standard had found favor with God!

What did the shepherds do once they experienced these things with God?

Where life suddenly changed and they had to respond one way or another

Let’s go see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.

They hurried off and found baby Jesus!

They found the baby lying in a manger just like the angels said- and they worshiped Him! They experienced Him for themselves.

“When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.”

They found Jesus and they spread the good news!

You will never be able to say you don’t know what to do with Jesus or I do not know what my purpose is- it is to share the good news!

Experience the love of God and go tell it on the mountains that Jesus Christ is Lord!

They were never the same again! You cannot experience God and be the same! His love is unending and all powerful!

Illustration

A True Definition of Love

Too many people believe and sometimes teach that love is a feeling or an emotion. Yes, feelings and emotions are involved in love but the greatest part of love is action oriented.

Love is a verb (what you do) more than a noun (a feeling).

Many marriages, even among Christians, are failing because they value feelings over actions.

I have counseled couples who say that they don’t feel the love that they once did for their mate. They fell “out of love” You fall out of love by choice.