The Arrival of the King: Why does God come as a Baby?
Medley of Carols with worship songs
Ron and Worship Team 10 minutes
Welcome to guests.
Intro: Corbin’s birth – cute little nose; lips; smell; warmth; delicate
Powerful
Mysterious
Endearing
Vulnerable
We all have a similar experience when we visit the newborn! AWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Includes interrogative: Why does God come as a baby?
1. God’s greatness could keep us from seeing his heart of love.
a. Brennan Manning describes him as “The one whose glory appears as a light so brilliant that he is rendered invisible by his brilliance. It is beyond our ability to comprehend the intensity of his holiness, power, and grandeur.”
b. I Timothy 6:16
He’s the only one death can’t touch, his light so bright no one can get close. He’s never been seen by human eyes--human eyes can’t take him in!
c. Sun’s brilliance
2. God comes as a baby so we can experience His heart of love.
a. Story of Christmas.
b. John 1:14
14The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.
c. Emma is coming to read a story to help us understand what happens at Christmas…
5 minutes:
Once upon a time there was a magnificent king, a king like none the world had ever known. His radiance was like a rainbow breaking through the clouds, and his glory was well known throughout the kingdom. His realm extended across the earth, and there was no place where men and women were not subject to him.
At times the King seemed good and compassionate; other times it seemed that his laws were unfair and were made to keep the people from freedom. The punishment for disobedience was death.
As a result, the people of the land feared the King and preferred that he keep his distance.
Now there was a peasant maiden in the kingdom. She was not particularly beautiful, but when the King saw her, he saw hidden beauty in her eyes, and he fell deeply in love. More than anything else, he wanted to make her his bride.
Although his royal servants did not understand his choice, they congratulated him. “She will be honored that you, the King, have chosen her,” they said. “She would not dare refuse, your Lordship, for you are a glorious king and she is but a humble maiden.”
He sighed. It was true. He knew he could command her hand in marriage, and she would come. He also knew that he could lavish gifts on her and she would consent.
He did not want her on those terms. He desired that he see beyond his glory and into his heart. He desired that she know him and understand his absolute love for her. More than anything, he desired that she know him and love him, not because of his majesty, not because of his power, and not because of his riches.
He wanted him to see his heart and love his heart. Only then would she be able to give him her heart and her love.
And so the King left his throne and his power and his glory in order to win the maiden’s love, and he entered her village as a peasant like her.
The king determined that he would immerse himself in the world she knew. He would work with his hands, and he would experience hunger, thirst, sorrow, rejection, and pain. She would see his heart as he walked through the perils of her world, and in such a way, she would know his heart.
But would she accept his love, and would she give him her love in return?
3. We must make a choice to enter into a love relationship. – 5 minutes
John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. NIV
What does Belief mean? The ramifications of this choice…Like marriage
Contemplation of the decision
