WHAT IF JESUS HAD NEVER BEEN BORN ?
GALATIONS 4:4-7
MOST OF US HERE THIS MORNING HAVE SEEN " IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE " WITH JIMMY STEWERT. HIS CHARACTOR NAME WAS GEORGE BAILY, AS A YOUNG BOY HA HAD DREAMS OF GROWING UP AND ONE DAY SEEING THE WORLD. IF YOU HAVE SEEN THE MOVIE THEN YOU NO THAT GEORGES DREAMS NEVER CAME TO PASS.
INSTEAD HE GOT THE HONOR OF TAKING OVER THE FAMILY BUSINESS. THIS WAS NOT A PART OF HIS DREAMS.
AS THE SHOW GOES ON HIS UNCLE MISPLACES 8,OOO DOLLARS. AFTER A FRANTIC SEARCH TO FIND THE MONEY TO NO AVAIL, GEORGE DECIDES THAT HE BE BETTER OF DEAD THAN ALIVE.
GEORGE WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HOW THINGS WOULD HAVE BEEN IF HE HAD NEVER BEEN BORN. ( IN JOB CHPT. 3, JOB, IN HIS AFFLICTION AND SUFFERING CURSES THE DAY THAT HE WAS BORN. JOB FELT THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF HE HAD NEVER BEEN BORN, OR AT LEAST DIED AT BIRTH.) SOME OF YOU AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER MAY HAVE SAID, I WISH I HAD NEVER BEEN BORN! BUT THE FACT IS WE TOUCH SO MANY PEOPLE LIVES WHILE WE ARE HERE ON THIS EARTH, AND WE SHOULD BE THANKFULL TO GOD THAT WE HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY. THINK ABOUT THIS, NO ONE IN HISTORY AS EVER MADE AN IMPACT ON THE WORLD LIKE JESUS.
AS AN INFANT, IN SPITE OF POVERTY AND OBSCURITY, HE ALARMED A KING.
AS A MAN, WITHOUT EVER PRACTICING MEDICINE OR WRITING A PRESCRIPTION, HE HEALED MORE THAN ALL THE DOCTORS.
WITHOUT EARNING A DEGREE OR FOUNDING AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING, HE HAD AND HAS MORE STUDENTS THAN ANY COLLEGE THE WORLD HAS EVER AND BECAME THE SUBJECT OF THE WORLDS GREATEST BOOK.
HE WAS UNIQUE AND PERFECT-- BOTH MAN AND GOD. AS MAN HE BECAME TIRED. HAS GOD, HE SAID," I WILL GIVE YOU REST."
AS MAN HE BECAME HUNGRY; AS GOD HE SAID," I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE."
AS MAN HE THIRSTED; AS GOD HE GIVES LIVING WATERS.
AS MAN HE PRAYED; AS GOD HE ANSWERED PRAYER.
AS MAN HE WAS TEMPTED; AS GOD HE WAS WITHOUT SIN.
WHEN JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD , HE MADE ONE GREAT AFFIRMATION: " I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME" ( JOHN 14:6 )
WHAT IF JESUS HAD NEVER BEEN BORN !!!!!!!!
I. WE WOULD HAVE NO INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD!
A. WE WOULD NOT KNOW GOD AS OUR FAITHFUL COMPANION: ( GOD IS WITH US ).
MT. 1:23 BEHOLD, A VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND SHALL BRING FORTH A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME EMMANUEL, WHICH BEING INTERRETED IS, GOD WITH US.
ABOUT 700 YEARS BEFORE THIS ISAIAH PROPHISIED
IS.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.
B. WE WOULD NOT KNOW HIM AS OUR HEAVENLY FATHER.
ROMANS 8:14-15 FOR AS MANY AS ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, THEY ARE THE SONS OF GOD. FOR YE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF BONDAGE AGAIN TO FEAR; BUT YE HAVE RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION, WHEREBY WE CRY, ABBA, FATHER.
MATTHEW 6:9 AFTER THIS MANNER THEREFORE PRAY YE: OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE THY NAME.
AS OUR FATHER GOD IS OUR PREIST, OUR PROTECTOR, OUR PROVIDER AND OUR PHYSCIAN.
IF JESUS HAD NOT BEEN BORN, WE WOULD NOT HAVE THE INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AS OUR FATHER. BUT, THANK GOD, THAT IN THE FULNESS OF TIME JESUS WAS BORN. WE DO KNOW GOD AS OUR FATHER.
C. WE WOULD NOT KNOW HIM AS THE FORGIVER OF OUR SINS.
1 JOHN 1:9 IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS, AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.
IT IS EXCITING TO KNOW THAT WHEN OTHERS WANT FORGIVE YOU GOD WILL. SOME PEOPLE WILL HOLD A GRUDGE AGAINST YOU ALL OF YOUR LIFE. NOT GOD, HE SAY’S IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US AND CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS,
II. THERE WOULD BE NO IDENTITY WITH US!
IF JESUS HAD NEVER BEEN BORN, WE WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND HOW HE COULD RELATE TO US. OUR MINDS WOULD BE PLAGUED WITH THE QUESTION, " HOW CAN GOD RELATE TO FLESH AND BLOOD?
JOHN 1:1 IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD, AND THE WORD WAS GOD.
JOHN 1:14 AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, AND DWELT AMONG US, ( AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY, THE GLORY OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER,) FULL AF GRACE AND TRUTH.
MATTHEW 1:23 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.
A. JESUS CAN IDENTIFY WITH OUR FRUSTRATIONS OR DIS APPOINTMENTS
B. JESUS CAN IDENTIFY WITH OUR LIMITATIONS...
JESUS EXPERIENCED HUNGER, THIRST, PAIN, HIS BODY GOT TIRED. HE NEEDED SLEEP AND REST.
JESUS UNDERSTANDS OUR LIMITATIONS, HE KNOWS THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN THING THAT WE CAN’T DO. HE KNOWS THAT THERE ARE PROBLEMS THAT ARE IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO HANDLE. OUR IMPOSSIBILITES BECOMES GOD’S POSSIBILITES.
C. JESUS CAN IDENTIFY WITH OUR TEMPTATIONS.
THE WORD OF GOD TELLS US THAT JESUS WAS TEMPTED IN ALL POINTS AS WE ARE,.
HEBREWS 4:15 FOR WE HAVE NOT AN HIGH PRIEST WHICH CANNOT BE TOUCHED WITH THE FEELING OF OUR INFIRITIES; BUT WAS IN ALL POINTS TEMPTED LIKE AS WE ARE, YET WITHOUT SIN.
THE LORD JESUS FULLY UNDERSTANDS YOUR WEAKNESS AND TEMPTATIONS, BECAUSE HE FULLY SHARED IN THOSE TEMPTATIONS, BUT HE NEVER GAVE IN TO THEM.
THEREFORE, HEBREWS 2:18 FOR IN THAT HE HIMSELF HATH SUFFERED BEING TEMPTED, HE IS ABLE TO SUCCOUR ( HELP, ASSIST, RELIEVE ) THEM THAT ARE TEMPTED.
BECAUSE THE LORD JESUS WAS BORN, HE IS ABLE TO IDENTIFY WITH US IN OUR FRUSTRATION, LIMITATIONS, AND TEMPTATIONS. WE JUST NEED TO STAND STEADFAST IN THE FAITH THAT WE HAVE IN HIM.
III. THERE WOULD BE NO VICTORY OVER THE DEVIL.
1 JOHN 3:8 HE THAT COMMITTTETH SIN IS OF THE DEVIL; FOR THE DEVIL SINNETH FROM THE BEGINNING. FOR THIS PURPOSE THE SON OF GOD WAS MANIFESTED, THAT HE MIGHT DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL.
THE WORD " DESTROY " IN THE GREEK IS A POWERFUL WORD. IT MEANS TO BREAK, DISSOLVE, LOOSE, MELT, OR TO PUT OFF THE DEVILS WORK.
THE WORD FOR DEVIL MEANS " ONE WHO SHATTERS."
JESUS WAS BORN TO BREAK, TO DISSOLVE, TO MELT, TO PUT OFF THE ONE WHO SHATTERS.
IV. THERE WOULD BE NO HOPE OF HIS SECOND COMING.
IF THERE IS NO SECOND COMING THEN THERE IS NO CHRISTIAN HOPE.
WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO. BUT THANKS BE UNTO GOD, JESUS WAS BORN AND THERE IS A SECOND COMING. HE’S COMING BACK IN POWER, GLORY AND HONOR. HE’S NOT COMING BACK TO A CRADDLE OR A CROSS.
HE’S NOT COMING BACK FOR THE CRITICS OR THE CLOWNS THAT MOCKED HIM AND REJECTED HIM. HE’S COMING BACK FOR THE CHURCH, THE CHRISTIANS, THOSE THAT HAVE COMMITED THEIR LIVES TO HIM IN FAITH.
CONCLUSION: THANK GOD JESUS WAS BORN. HE HAS GIVEN US THE INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, HE CAN IDENTIFY WITH US, THERE IS VICTORY OVER THE DEVIL, AND HE IS COMING BACK AGAIN. THE QUESTION IS WHICH GROUP OF PEOPLE DO YOU BELONG TO. THE CRITICS AND CLOWNS THAT MOCKED AND REJECTED THE SON OF GOD. OR, THOSE THAT HAVE COMMITED THEMSELVES TO HIM IN FAITH. IF YOU HAVE NOT ASK THE LORD INTO YOUR HEART TO SAVE YOU, YOU CAN DO SO THIS MORNING.
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