| Sermon Notes can be found Below R-Kids curriculum |
Click Here to watch on our Vimeo Channel
If you have a question, need a bible, want to check out one of our community groups, and/or need prayer FOR ANYTHING, send us an EMAIL!
Announcements
This Sunday, December 26th
Even though our Christmas Eve Service is online, our regular Sunday services will be meeting outside in the field THIS Sunday. You are invited to join us at 10 am. We have tents set up with social distancing and an FM radio transmitter if you want to join us and stay in your car, and we live-stream our services if you don’t feel comfortable meeting in person.
Preschool Video
Elementary Video
Sermon Notes
Merry Christmas! My name is Bobby and I am one of the Pastors at Restoration Church. Please turn to the Gospel According to Matthew 1:18, that’s on page 807 in the Bibles we provide.
If you are visiting us online, and don’t have a bible, send us an email with your address at info@r-church.org and we will get you one!
While you are turning there, here’s a quick update. We are meeting online because our family has been quarantined with COVID. Silas has recovered fine, Trina is still pretty sick and I have started to come down with symptoms so Christmas looks a little different this year… 2020, am I right?
Even though our Christmas Eve Service is online, our regular Sunday services will be meeting outside in the field. You are invited to join us at 10 am. We have tents set up with social distancing and an FM radio transmitter if you want to join us and stay in your car, and we live stream our services if you don’t feel comfortable joining us. Dana is teaching on prayer this coming Sunday and Rick will be teaching on our identity in Christ on Jan. 3rd.
Please join me in a word of prayer.
The Christmas story is a miraculous and beautiful story. Most of the time I preach this message I focus on the beautiful mystery of the birth of our Lord. And why not?
The stars align, a humble maidservant in a barn, Angels singing, shepherds running, wise men visiting, 100s of years of prophesy being fulfilled in a moment… What a wonder!
But, let us not forget, there is tragedy surrounding his birth. It’s a reminder that in a sinful world of sinful men, Jesus comes, so that we can say, God is with us.
Read Matthew 1:18 / Read Luke 1:26-35
Matthew 1:23 we see the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
The Gospel of John’s account says
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1 & 14
God has come!
An angel meets with Shepherds and says,
“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11
The angels break out in song,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:14
They run to see the wonder, yet in the background evil is at work. Like the story of the Lord of the Ring, the shadow seeks to extinguish this light for our Lord appears in a sinful world of sinful men.
Read Matthew 2:1-3 & 7-8
King Herod- This baby born king was a threat to his kingdom. And while stars appeared and gifts were given, darkness grew in his heart.
The wise men were warned to not go back to Herod, for his sinful heart was being exposed, Joseph has a dream to escape to Egypt with his family and Herod, given to the wiles of the evil one, determines to extinguish the light that has come to save the hearts of men.
Read Matthew 2:16-18
This is why Jesus came. He came to a sinful world of sinful men.
Like Herod, have we not established our own kingdoms? Is not the Light of Christ a threat to our darkened hearts?
Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. John 3:19
BUT, Here’s the hope we have, Jesus came to a sinful world to save sinners like you and I. To dethrone our earthly made kingdoms, to expose our dark hearts, and to bring light!
The wonder and mystery of his birth is only the beginning!
33 years later, the same sinful world of sinful men once more tried to extinguish light.
BUT, much like the wonder and mystery of his birth, men given to the wiles of the evil one could not see that God had a plan.
In his body he bore the punishment for us. In his resurrection our sinful hearts found life! And now, we can know by faith that God is with us!
Today, yes, today, even right now, God still appears in the midst of our sinful situations that we may never be without hope!
Jesus Christ comes to our sinful world of sinful men so that we can say, God is with us.
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10,
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20b
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). Matthew 1:23