2023.12.24.Sermon.Christmas Eve, Morning Service
The Real Christmas Story
William Akehurst, HSWC
The Real Christmas Story (Message)
Arranged by William Akehurst, Pastor of HSWC
BIG IDEA:
We celebrate the birth of Christ,
the only HOPE for this world,
who gave his life for all mankind
to rescue them from sin and death.
And to everyone who believes in HIM,
to them HE gives the promise of eternal life.
Scriptures: John 1:1-5, Genesis 1:1-5, Genesis 1:26-28, Genesis 2:15-17, Genesis 2:18, Genesis 2:23, Genesis 3:1-4, Genesis 3:6, Genesis 3:14-15, Micah 5:2-3, Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 11:1, Isaiah 9:2, Isaiah 9:6-7, Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-38, Luke 2:1-20, Matthew 2:1-12, John 1:10-14, Colossians 2:9, Isaiah 53:3-8, John 19:16-18, John 19:30, John 19:40-41, Matthew 20:1, Acts 1:9-11, John 14:3, John 11:25-26
In The Beginning
John 1:1-5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
Genesis 1:1-5
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Genesis 1:26-28
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Genesis 2:7-8
7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden…
Genesis 2:15-17
15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eats thereof thou shalt surely die.
Genesis 2:18, 23
18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
23 And Adam said, … she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
The Fall
Genesis 3:1-4, 6, 14-15
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
6 …she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, …
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
The Prophetic Word
The prophets of old spoke of a Messiah coming.
Born in Bethlehem
Micah 5:2-3
2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. 3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
A Sign - Born of a virgin
Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
From the Line of David
Isaiah 11:1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
HE was…before the World began
John 1:1-4 (KJV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Unto Us a Child is Born
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Joseph
Matthew 1:18-25 (JOSEPH)
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Mary
Luke 1:26-38 ( THE VIRGIN MARY)
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
SONG 29: OH LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM
Bethlehem - Just as it was foretold
Luke 2:1-5
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
SONG 39: AWAY IN A MANGER
Born in a Manger
Luke 2:6-7
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
SONG 32: HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING
The Shepherds and Angels
Luke 2:8-14
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
SONG 33: ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH
Luke 2:15-16
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
SONG 38: SILENT NIGHT
And when they had seen him
Luke 2:17-20
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
SONG 28: AS WITH GLADNESS, MEN OF OLD
Alternate: GOOD CHRISTIAN MEN REJOICE
2 years later…Wise men came from the East
Matthew 2:1-12 (about 2 years later…)
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
SONG 36: OH COME ALL YE FAITHFUL
HE was in the world, but they knew him not
John 1:10-14 (KJV)
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
The fulness of the Godhead, bodily dwelling in a babe in a Manger
Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Stop and ponder that thought. The fullness of the GOD and Creator of the Universe, lay as a babe in the manger a feeding trough. But it didn't stop there…
JESUS grew up and showed us how to live and love GOD, and others.
But it didn't stop there…
Isaiah 53:3-4
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:
and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:
yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But it didn't stop there…
Isaiah 53:5
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
But it didn't stop there…
Isaiah 53:5-8
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation?
for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
But it didn't stop there…
John 19:16-18
16 Then Pilate delivered him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. 17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: 18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
But it didn't stop there...
John 19:40-41 (KJV)
40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.
But it didn't stop there...
Three days later, an empty tomb, Jesus was seen by Mary and the Disciples having risen from the Grave.
as described in Matthew 20
But it didn't stop there...
After 40 days he ascended into heaven, and the angels told the apostles that HE would come back the same way he left.
Acts 1:9-11
But it hasn't stopped there...
GOD'S WORD IS TRUTH, and when JESUS said, I go to prepare a place for you, and will come back to take you there, HE meant it.
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
JESUS is coming soon for all who believe. HE is the Way, the Truth and the Life and has asked a question that everyone in the whole world must answer. "Do you believe this?"
John 11:25-26
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
The REAL Christmas Message isn't over as we are waiting for the RETURN of JESUS as foretold in scripture.
We are living in the End Times according to scripture. And NOW is the time to make your decision.
So, there’s one simple question that you must answer…
DO YOU BELIEVE?
Conclusion
As we celebrate Christmas, remember that GOD Loves you and desires for you to know HIM. So much so, that HE sent HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST, as SAVIOR to rescue you…to set you free from your sin and the sin of this world, and that through HIM, you can have eternal life.
This Christmas, we continue to look onward, awaiting HIS return to gather those who believe.
Take Time this CHRIST-mas to Celebrate, Enjoy and Experience the Fullness of the Savior Jesus Christ.
And Remember, GOD has given us HIS Gift of Salvation, and all that is required of you and me, is to receive it.
My prayer for you is that you will know and receive Him, and have His Peace this coming year.
God Bless You this Christmas Day…
And Have a Very Merry Joy filled Christmas!
Be blessed and be a blessing.
Pastor Bill
Harford Senior Worship Center (HSWC)
SONG 27: JOY TO THE WORLD
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