Sermon preached by Pastor Larry C. Brincefield on 12/19/2004 at Belleview Church of the Nazarene
Title: Advent 4: Jesus the Savior is with us
Text: Luke 2:11; Hosea 13:4-6
Introduction
1. This has been a wonderful Advent season!!
We’ve looked at Jesus as Creator…
And how He is still taking the chaos of our lives…
And bringing order.
We’ve looked as Jesus as Sustainer…
And how He continues to work and minister to us even today.
We’ve looked at Jesus as Sin-Bearer…
And how His humble beginnings in the cradle…
To His tragic death on the cross…
Has paid the price for our sins.
2. This morning, I would like for us to look at Jesus, as our Savior…
Read Text: Luke 2:11; Hosea 13:4-6
1. The Savior provides salvation to the people of Israel.
A. You are all very familiar with the story of the Children of Israel…
And their bondage to Pharaoh and the Egyptians…
It is a story that has been dramatically told down through history…
And even Hollywood has gotten on board…
And shown the story of Moses..
And how God used him in the deliverance of the Israelites….
And the dramatic crossing of the Red Sea…
God saved the people from bondage…
And led them to freedom.
God was with them…
In Hosea, God says, “I am the LORD your God, [who brought you] out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me.
But we all know how the people would frequently get caught up in what was going on around them…
And they would be led astray into idolatry…
And forget all about God, their savior.
B. God was the One who brought them to freedom…
God was the One who took care of them in the wilderness…
God was the One who miraculously provided water and manna…
God was with them…
As Hosea writes, “I cared for you in the desert, in the land of burning heat. 6 When I fed them, they were satisfied”
He provided for their every need…
C. But Hosea also writes, “when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me.”
And that’s exactly what happened…
Even though God took care of their every need…
God was with them…
Caring for them…
Loving them…
Sustaining them…
They forgot God
2. Jump ahead about 1500 years to 6 BC, the Savior provides salvation for all mankind.…
A. An angel appears to some shepherds on a hillside…
He told them that a Savior was born.
And then, a whole bunch of angels came out of nowhere and began to proclaim:
Glory to God in the highest…
Peace on earth…
Goodwill to men.
B. Jesus, became Emmanuel…
God with us.
Only this time, God wasn’t providing salvation from Pharaoh and Egyptian bondage…
This time, God was providing salvation from sin and death.
Jesus was with them…
Performing miracles amongst them…
Sustaining them…
Comforting them…
Teaching them…
C. But as can often happen…
People got their eyes of Christ…
And got caught in the politics of the day…
And many people turned their back on Jesus…
And as was God’s plan from the beginning…
Jesus died on the cross to salvation from sin….
Freedom from the bondage that sin enslaves upon people.
D. Jesus came as the Savior for the world…
But many people turned a deaf ear…
And embraced the things of this world…
Instead of embracing Christ.
3. Jump ahead about 2000 to 2004. The Savior provides salvation for you and for me.
A. Jesus is Emmanuel…
Our Savior is with us!
He is feeding us…
Like He did with the manna in the desert…
And with the loaves and the fish…
He is sustaining us…
Loving us…
Ministering to us…
He is here today…
He is here, hallelujah…
He is here, Amem…
He is here, listen closely…
Hear Him calling
out your name;
He is here,
you can touch Him.
You will never be the same!1 ( Kirk Talley “He Is Here” ©1990.)
B. But I want to caution you as well.
Down through history…
As God has been Emmanuel…
He has been with us…
And yet, we have turned away…
We have become distracted by the things of this world…
It happened in the wilderness…
It happened in Jesus day…
And it continues to happen even today.
C. Jesus is our Savior, and He is with us today…
But Christmas has, in some ways, become a distraction…
So much so that many schools will try to avoid any mention of the word Christmas or Christ or Jesus…
And there is a very real danger that what happened…
As recorded in Hosea…
That “they forgot God”.
And the danger is that the same thing is happening today…
People are forgetting about Jesus..
Our Savior…
He is here…
But so many people don’t care…
And don’t want to have anything to do with Him.
Conclusion
1. Let me show you something interesting that I found in my research for this sermon.
Definition of Savior:
1. Webster’s 1828: One that saves or preserves; but properly applied only to Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, who has opened the way to everlasting salvation by his obedience and death, and who is therefore called the Savior, by way of distinction, the Savior of men, the Savior of the world2 (http://65.66.134.201/cgi-bin/webster/webster.exe?search_for_texts_web1828=savior)
2. Webster’s 1913: 1. One who saves, preserves, or delivers from destruction or danger. 2. Specifically: The (or our, your, etc.) Savior, he who brings salvation to men; Jesus Christ, the Redeemer. 3 (http://machaut.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/WEBSTER.sh?WORD=savior)
3. Webster’s Today: 1 : one that saves from danger or destruction
2 : one who brings salvation; and then, as if it is in an afterthough, it adds: specifically capitalized : JESUS 4 (http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=savior)
If the Lord tarries another hundred years…
I wonder what the dictionary of that day will say?
2. The world is trying so hard to forget Christ.
And even Christians, or others who are sympathetic to Christian ideals…
We may be willing to SAY “Merry Christmas”…
But, by our own actions…
we might as well say be saying “Merry X-Mas”…
Because we are forgetting our Jesus Christ…
Many Christians can go days or weeks without spending any time with Him…
Let us not forget Christ…
He is Emmanuel…
Our Savior…
And He is with us today
(show video “A Brief History of Christmas” from Sermonspice.com)
I was inspired for this sermon by “The Herschel Hobbs Commentary” by Herschel Hobbs. Oct-Dec. 1995
