Matt 1:22-23 Immanuel – God With Us 28 Dec 2008 1796
There are many names given to Jesus in the Bible.
• Each one gives us a clearer & fuller picture of who He is and what He means to us.
• His name JESUS means “God saves!” He is God’s salvation for us.
• He is the Messiah, the Christ, meaning “Anointed One” – He is our King and Lord.
• Another name given is IMMANUEL, meaning God is with us.
This is His desire. He wants to be with us, not separated from us.
• When God created Adam and Eve, He was with them in the Garden of Eden.
• He walks with them and commune with them, until one day Adam and Eve hide from Him.
• God did not hide from man; man first hides from God, because man is guilty. They disobeyed and sinned against God.
• God was the One calling out to Adam and Eve, “Where are you?” (Gen 3:9)
The message of the Bible is not about the desire of man to be with God.
• It is all about the desire of God to be with man.
• Moses tells the people, “If …you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deut 4:29)
THE FATHER’S LONGING (from John Ortberg’s book God is Closer Than You Think)
A pastor was once travelling onboard a place. A businessman sat beside him, with a laptop switched on. The screensaver was the picture of a sweet little boy. The pastor got to know that was his son, his only child. It was taken 3 months earlier, when the boy was 11 months old.
The businessman went on to talk about his son, with great excitement. He talked about his first steps, about his first words. He showed the pastor pictures of the boy on his mobile phone, and then more pictures from the computer. He displayed them one at a time, given commentary to each one. The pastor was getting bored. Some pictures were quite ordinary.
“I can’t wait to get home to him,” the man said. “In the meantime, I could look at these pictures many times a day. They never get old to me.” The pastor was getting tired actually.
Why was this man so preoccupied with this boy? Was it because the boy’s achievements were so impressive? No. Millions of children at his age learn to do the same thing. (In fact, the pastor felt that his own boy looks cuter and can do better than his. Of course, he did not say it out.)
The man was so excited about the child because he looked at him through the eyes of a father. Everything the boy did was seen with wonder and joy. It did not matter that other children do the same things. “That’s my boy!”
The pastor said, “You obviously miss your son. How long ago did you leave home?”
“Yesterday.”
One day away from his son is one to many.
• He wanted to get home fast, to be with his boy.
• He did not want to love his son from a distance. He wanted to be with him.
• This is the father’s heart. This is our heavenly Father’s heart for you today.
We are on God’s ‘screensaver’, so to speak.
• The tiniest details of our lives never grow old to him.
• The Bible says, “Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” (Matt 10:30)
God says, “I am WITH you.” This is God’s most frequent promise in the Bible.
• He was with Adam and Eve in the Garden. In Gen 5 we read “Enoch walked with God” (Gen 5:22).
• God made the same promise to Noah, to Abraham and Sarah, to Jacob and Joseph and Moses and David and Mary and His disciples, to Paul, and the list goes on.
When God asked Moses to go back to Egypt and free His people, Moses was hesitant but the Lord says, “I will be with you.” God was there with him.
• When they entered the desert, the Bible says in Exo 13:21-22 “By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.”
• When Joshua took over the leadership, he was younger and inexperience but the Lord said, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Josh 1:9)
• Jesus last words with His disciples, after giving them the great commission, were: “Surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.”
This is God’s promise to us today – Immanuel, God with us.
• Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit, who now dwells in our heart.
• Wherever we are, He is there with us. God is with you all the time.
• You may not feel His presence, but that doesn’t make it any less true.
No one can say he is abandoned in life. God will never abandon you.
• You don’t have to face anything in 2009 by yourself. You can if you don’t invite Him into your situation. If you want to walk on your own.
• But you don’t have to. You invite Him into your situation each time you pray.
• You can choose to walk with Him every day of this coming new year.
In tough times, when you lose your job or face financial difficulties, the Lord is still there with you.
• David says in Psalm 9:9-10 “The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. 10Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.”
• Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…”
If He is Immanuel, it means you can never be alone. God is with you all the time.
God is very determined to stay with you, and be our Companion in life.
• The big question is, “Are you willing to let Him?”
• God will respect you. He will not force Himself into your life.
• Not everyone loves His presence. Some would prefer to walk their own way. Others are simply not interested.
(The following illustration taken from John Ortberg’s book God is Closer Than You Think.)
Michelangelo did a brilliant painting called ‘The Creation of Adam’.
• Thousands queue up for hours at the Vatican to view his painting of God and Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
• If you look carefully at the painting, you see that the figure of God is extended toward the man with great effort.
• He twists his body to move it as close to the man as possible.
• His head is turned toward the man, and his gaze is faxed on him.
God’s arm is stretched out, his finger extended straight forward, reaching out to the man.
• You can sense God’s great desire to close the gap between Himself and this man.
• He can’t wait. His hand comes within a few inches from the man’s hand.
• Apparently, Michelangelo wanted to express God’s determination to reach out to and be with the person He has created.
• God is as close as He can be. But having come that close, He allows just a little space, so that Adam can choose. He waits for Adam to make his move.
And then you look at the picture of the man.
• His body reclines in a lazy pose, leaning backward as if he has no interest at all in making a connection.
• His arm is partially extended toward God. All he would have to do is lift a finger. But he looks indifferent, not interested.
Michelangelo wanted to make the point – it is not that man loves God and seeks Him. God loves man and seeks him. God is the One making the effort. Christmas proves it.
This is God’s desire. He wants you to draw near to Him. Will you?
• God is closer than we think. He is never farther than a prayer away.
• Every moment, even right now, when we pray, He hears. He is right here.
• Pray and He is right there listening.
When we feel distant from God, guess who moved? We moved.
• The Lord says to the church at Laodicea: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Rev 3:19-20)
• Jesus was talking to believers in the church. They have left Him outside their ministry and life.
Philip Yancey (in his book PRAYER) says, “When I am tempted to complain about God’s lack of presence, I remind myself that God has much more reason to complain about my lack of presence.”
• In order words, I am the one who leaves Him. God is always there for me. We are the ones that have gone away.
• We did not keep our appointment with Him. We have not been worshiping Him regularly on Sundays; seldom talk to Him about our problems; we did not hear what He has to say to us in the Bible.
• We distant ourselves from Him because we are distracted by many things, by our work commitments, by our busy lifestyle.
The problem is not on His side, it’s on our side.
• So remember not to leave Him out of your life. Talk to Him every day.
• Share your life with Him. Let Him guide you and bless you.
• He is still reaching out to you today – wherever you are – in church, at home, in your office, in the hospital room, in the car…
• He is at work all the time, in every place.
• We can face 2009 with confidence, because His name is Immanuel. And He has not changed.
Dear friends, God is like a loving Father waiting for his child to come home.
• Are you home today? Or are you still wandering on your own, unsure of where to go and what you ought to do?
• Don’t let sin comes in between you and God. Don’t let self-righteousness comes in between you and God.
• Come home. Invite Jesus into your life.
