God With Us — Jeffrey Khoo

The Birth of Jesus Christ and Emmanuel

Let us turn to Matthew chapter 1 which is our text for this morning. Matthew chapter 1 verse 18 to 23. Matthew chapter 1 verse 18 to 23. I Shall read for you now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise When as his mother Mary was exposed to Joseph Before they came together.

She was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband Being a just man and not willing to make her a public example Was minded to put her away privilege. 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 under thee Mary thy wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost and She shall bring forth a son and thou shall call his name Jesus.

For he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled Which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying 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.

Let us pray Almighty God our gracious Father in heaven. How we thank thee this day That thou has shown thy great love for us in Sending thine only begotten Son the Lord Jesus Christ To come into this earth in this world To save us from our sins.

We thank thee Lord that year after year. We can commemorate this holy event By saying all these Christmas carols. By reading these portions of prophecy and scripture that Jesus was promised to come and He had indeed come to save us from our sins.

How great thou art and How great thy love is for us? That you should sacrifice Thine only begotten Son on the cross For our sins. Oh Lord, we pray that this morning you will cleanse our sins once again.

Wash away all our sins by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That we might be whiter than snow. Oh Lord, we pray for anyone here who? has still to believe the Lord Jesus and To accept him as their Lord and Savior.

Oh Lord may this day be a meaningful one to them. May you speak to their hearts? That they might know what is the meaning of Christmas and To have Jesus born in their hearts to be born again. We thank the Lord for this country of Singapore that we live in you have indeed bless us with peace and with prosperity and we pray for our governors.

You have asked us to pray for our Kings and So we pray for those who rule over us that even at this Christmas time they would Take into consideration What Christmas is all about? That the good news that they Will hear and have heard would speak to their hearts.

That they might also believe So that they might rule this country and rule us with the fear of God in their hearts. We pray Lord for their good health and strength and We pray that you may grant them the wisdom to rule this country with fairness with benevolence with justice and So Lord how we pray Continually that you might bless us with thy peace and with the freedom of worship and The freedom to practice what you have commended us in the scriptures.

So that thy good news may truly go forth not only here in our country, but to all the world. Lord we pray for true life. BP Church That thou has established Keep us Lord faithful to thy word and we pray O Lord for the session you will grant us Lord the wisdom to Decide on important matters so that all things will be done in accordance to thy will and to the glory of thy name.

We pray for our beloved pastor Reverend, dr. Timothy told that you may continue to bless him with good health and strength and Strengthen him also in his faith and in the spirit. May you grant him a double portion of thy spirit even in this old age that he's in that he may continue to be on fire for thee as in the beginning and Grant him also the physical strength to do thy work to be faithful even unto the very end and so Lord bless him and his family and We pray O Lord for our elders.

We thank thee Lord for elder Mahadevan that thou has kept and may you continue to keep him in good health and Lord that the medication that he continues to take will Be of good effect. To get to give him the strength and to grant him healing in his body.

Heal him with Thy mighty hand. We thank thee Lord for elder Cole who is with us this morning. And we thank thee for the successful eye operation that he went through. Pray for all those Who are in hill in ill health and bedridden?

May you watch over them and Grant them comfort and encourage them and may they seek thee in prayer and trust in thee all the time. And may you heal them physically? So that they might be restored and may return to the service of the Lord and Lord we pray also for the watch night service on on Saturday this coming Saturday as we Conclude this year may we end this year with thee in the final hours.

That we will be found in thy house in this sanctuary to worship thee and to usher in the new year. To resolve in our hearts to live at a higher spiritual plane and So Lord gather thy people in and be with thy messenger dr. Toe.

To speak thy word to us and as we look into the holy scriptures this morning Speak to us Lord and may thy spirit work in our hearts. Especially those who are still outside thy kingdom to convict their heart that they might come To saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and be one into thy kingdom in Jesus name we pray.

Amen, what is Christmas all about? What is the meaning of Christmas? Well, the world has its own brand of Christmas, which is all merry-making. But for us who are Christians we come with worship in our hearts.

For Christmas is not about Santa Claus, but about Jesus Christ. Christmas is not about Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. But about the virgin-born Son of God who came into this world. Jesus is not about jingle bells, but silent night holy night Peace on earth goodwill to men.

Christmas as the Gift of Salvation

Christmas is all about Emmanuel God with us the Lord Jesus Christ as we read in Matthew chapter 1 verse 22 and 23. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophets saying 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.

So the meaning of Christmas can really be summed up by one word. By one name and that is the name or the word Emmanuel and This word is from the Hebrew Emmanuel. Emmanuel meaning with us El Elohim God God with us.

These three words God with us our most powerful words and they are good news To the world. They are words of love. They are words of joy. They are words of peace. They speak of the love of Christ. They speak of joy to the world.

They speak of peace with God. And we know John 3 16 very well, don't we. And John 3 16 It's not only a gospel verse. It's a Christmas verse. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.

That whosoever believeth on him should not perish But have everlasting life. For God so loved the world that he gave. Christmas is about giving and I'm sure you have received many Christmas gifts or presents and That tells us of the first Christmas gift the greatest of all Christmas gifts.

The gift of God the gift of his Son the gift of salvation the gift of good news. For God so loved the world that he gave that he gave. He gave his only begotten Son. Do you know this only begotten Son of God born of the Virgin.

This Christmas message is for those Who are still not believing? And there may be some here in our presence who still do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. And For us who are Christians, I think it is good to remind them to remind ourselves What Jesus had done for us and what Christmas is all about this morning.

Christmas is all about God with us and So I speak this word this morning to all those who are still unbelieving. And For us who are believers. Let us remind ourselves why we have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and we consecrate ourselves to him.

This day the Christmas message is for the atheist. The word Emmanuel speaks to the atheist the atheist who says God does not exist. Are you one of those who say God does not exist? While Christmas has a message for you.

God Revealed in Christ

And The word Emmanuel tells us that God exists. God with us begins with God. God was with men in history and He came down to earth to live amongst us. John 1 verse 1 and verse 14 tells us in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and The Word was made flesh and the Word is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ the second person of the Holy Trinity.

The Word was made flesh and Dwelt among us and we beheld his glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the Father Full of grace and truth, but there may be some who say I do not believe that God exists.

I Don't see him. I Can't see him and unless you prove to me and unless you show me God right now. I Will not believe. Are you an atheist? Do you think like this if you say show me God right now? God will tell you I I have already shown myself to you.

God is creator and he has created this whole universe and this whole creation shows his design and You look yourself in the mirror that is designed is there not. And If there's a design there must be a designer.

The whole creation shouts the existence of God. And God will tell you how dare you say I do not exist. Well, I've spoken very clearly from the creation from nature itself. That I exist if there's design there must be a designer and Even if God does not reveal himself to us We have no right to demand of him that he must show himself.

Right now we have no the no right to demand from God anything. For he is created and we are but creatures. Yet God has humbled himself. God has made himself very low and as indeed shown himself Visibly to us in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

God who is a spirit became Man came in the flesh and He dwelt amongst us and we beheld we saw his glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. God humbled himself the great and powerful Almighty.

God humbled himself before men and how can we be so proud to tell God? That he has not revealed himself and that he does not exist. God humbled himself to become man. Look at the Lord Jesus Christ Who being the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God?

But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and Being found in fashion as a man. He humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross.

When we think of Christmas, please don't just think of the manger. Think also of the cross for the manger leads to the cross. That was why Jesus was born. He was born to die for our sins. Christmas is also about the cross and If you say and if we say God does not exist God wants us to know that he certainly exists and He was with us.

He was with us the perfect eternal God became Perfect and hundred percent man in the flesh and he came two thousand years ago. Born of the Virgin Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and such a birth Only happened once and will never happen again it is a unique birth the birth of our Lord and Savior and Only the Lord Jesus Christ is born without sin.

All of us were conceived in our mother's womb conceived in sin. Born in sin and are now sinful. Have we not sinned against God? Only the Lord Jesus Christ is sinless born without sin conceived without sin born without sin and Only he the perfect son of God who became the perfect son of man can save us from our sins and be our substitute be our representative.

Take our place. Save us from our sins. What a marvelous truth. What a miracle that God should come down to earth to become man and that's why Paul tells us in first Timothy 316 and Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness.

God was manifest in the flesh justified in spirit seen of angels preach under the Gentiles believed on in the world received up in the glory and Not only the infallible inerrant historical records of the scripture.

Tell us that God exists and that Jesus is God. Even the world's history books talk about this historical figure called Jesus of Nazareth. I remember when I was in primary school in Studying world history we read and studied about the person of Jesus Christ.

Nobody can deny that Jesus walked on this earth and we know that Jesus was not only a man He was also the Son of God God himself, and it is a historical fact that he lived on this earth. He was born into this world he lived on this earth.

He walked and talked with men and finally went to the cross to die for our sins was buried and on the third day rose from the grave and Nobody can ever dispute this fact of the life of Christ, and if you want to really study the life of Christ Please come.

The Life of Christ and the Invitation to Study

Attend the night class Monday nights from 730 to 930 beginning next semester January. We will be studying the life of Christ and the life of Christ will be taught in two parts. So it'll be two semesters one whole year of study whole lot of study.

And I'm sure we will not be able to exhaust all the things About the life of Christ even through the study of the four Gospels, but we can study enough To know who he is what he is and how we might be saved through him.

No more about the Lord Jesus as the choir sang. We have to tell. Go tell it in The mountains from the mountains that Jesus Christ is born. Well, do you know who Jesus Christ is what he is what he has done for us?

No more about him so that you can tell more about him and so I urge all Members of this church and all visitors and friends come and study the life of Christ Monday nights from 730 to 930 at the Far Eastern Bible College 9a Gilstead Road.

If you need that brochure and Registration form it is available outside at a table. It is a fact that God exists and Jesus Christ is God and if we still say that God does not exist God has only one word for us.

If you say God does not exist. God says you are fool. It's not what I say this is what God says you are a fool. The fool has said in his heart. There is no God. Psalm 14 verse 1. So do not be a fool dear friend be wise this Christmas be like the wise men from the East Who came before?

The baby Jesus. Knowing that he is God and knelt before him to offer him all those gifts this gifts of worship that come that precisely confess him as Lord and God and Creator and Savior. Believe on Lord Jesus Christ this day this Christmas Day and may Jesus be born in your heart.

Worship him. Now some of you may say yes, I believe God exists, but I don't believe that there's only one God. There are many gods. Are you a polytheist. A Polytheist is one who believes that many gods and all gods are the same and they all lead to the same place.

One God and One Savior

Do you believe that there are many gods? Well Christmas has a message for you because Emmanuel God with us tell us that there is only one God. It is God with us not God's. The word is in the singular God with us.

Only one God the living and true God who is a spirit Infinite eternal and unchangeable in his being wisdom power holiness justice goodness and truth. This is the true God the God of the holy scriptures the God of the Christian religion.

Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 4 tells us very clearly. Here O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. In fact in the emphasis in the original the emphasis on the number one Our Lord The Lord our God the Lord is one only one God not many and This God has come to be with us and there is but one God and You can be saved from your sins by owning this one God who was Emmanuel God with us.

In Matthew 1 21 the angel said. The angel tells us that his name is Jesus. And the angel said and she shall bring forth a son and thou shall call this name Jesus. What does Jesus mean? Jesus Simply means Savior.

He is Savior. God with us to save us. Emmanuel God with us. Jesus Savior for he shall save his people from their sins. First Timothy 2 verse 5. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus.

Only one Savior and that is Christ. John 14 verse 6 Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life. No man cometh under the father, but by me. Acts chapter 4 verse 12. Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men.

Whereby we must be saved only one name counts. Only one name can get you to heaven. Only one name can you find the forgiveness of sins and that is the name? Emmanuel God with us the name Jesus Savior only one God only one Savior.

And so if you are worshiper of many gods. Forsake all your gods and embrace and believe on only one. Well, why should you trust in Falsehood. You should trust in the truth and the truth is this. Jesus says I am the way the truth and the life.

You walk in this way, you will find this truth and this truth will lead to eternal life and that is Jesus Christ. Worship only one God worship only the true God worship Jesus Christ. You say yes, I believe That there is God.

God Made Known to the Agnostic

God exists and then yes, there may be only one God but God cannot be known. God is very far away. God has hid himself and If there is a God He cannot be known. We cannot know who he is. That is the agnostic speaking.

Are you an agnostic? God cannot be known. Well Christmas has a word to you old agnostic. Emmanuel tells us That God has made himself known and God wants to be known. God wants you to know him. God is not hidden.

God is not playing hide-and-seek with us. God is not far away. God is very near us and God wants us to know him for he is Emmanuel. God with us. God with us. If God cannot be known and does not wish to be known then he would have hidden himself and make himself scarce but no God Makes himself very visible and very accessible.

He was with us and hear what the psalmist says. Be still and know that I'm God. God wants us to know him. I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us.

The God of Jacob is our refuge. You say you want to see God you and know him you must believe first. For the Christian faith. Christian religion is a religion of faith. It's not seeing that is believing but believing that is seeing and you will know him When you seek him.

Problem with the world is that it has become too busy and too noisy. To think about God and know who he truly is, isn't it? It's not that God cannot be known by men. But man simply does not want to know God.

Is this not reflected in the spirit of merrymaking in the drinking and dancing during Christmastime as celebrated by the world. And it's a sad thing that even Christians When they celebrate Christmas celebrate it like the world.

Dancing away. I heard that it's a Christmas party out in Orchard Road organized by by several churches. And you're dancing away even in Bare body in in bare bodies half naked. Oh How Christmas? This Christmas spirit the true Christmas spirit is lost in the world of merrymaking and Entertainment.

Christmas is a season to be jolly. They say so we sing eat drink and be merry. Who cares if tomorrow we die? That's what the world thinks, isn't it? I'm not bothered whether there is a God or not or whether he can be known or not.

I live for the here and now enjoy life. Why worry? Just be happy drink away dance away. Well, this is not the spirit of Christmas that we want to have remember Emmanuel God with us. God has come to be with men.

But man the problem with man is man does not want God in his life. Man wants to stay far away from God. Church today is bearing witness of the true light of Christmas. And I thank the Lord that you are found in this house and not outside in a pub on a club somewhere.

And if you seek the Lord you will find him you will know him. You will know the truth and the truth will make you free. Make you see. But the world will not hear and believe. John 1 9 to 11 says Jesus is the true light which lightest every man that cometh into the world.

He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not so it is not because God cannot Be known and Jesus cannot be known. He can be known but the world refused to know him if you agnostic.

You are rebelling against God. God has made himself known and you can know him, but you refuse to know him. Please do not refuse if today you have heard his voice do not harden your heart. He has made himself known in the Lord Jesus Christ know him truly in your heart and those of us who Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

What a wonderful promise the Lord has given to us, but as many as received him to them gave him power. Gave them power. To them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name.

Believe on his name his name is Jesus. He is Savior. Believe on his name. His name is Emmanuel God with us. Are you a deist? Who is a deist? What is a deist. A deist is someone who says that God does not care and Has nothing to do with what happens in the world today.

God’s Care and Rule in History

That is a deist. Are you a deist? Emmanuel God with us tells us that God cares God with us. God is with us because he cares and That's why he left heaven's throne to come down to become a slave a servant for the Lord Jesus Christ came not To be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.

Christmas tells us that God Cares. Who says God doesn't care and God is still working. He is still ruling over this earth over ruling the affairs of men. God is still in control and God intervenes in the affairs of the world today as he did 2 ,000 years ago.

For Galatians 4 verse 4 tells us. But when the fullness of the time was come God sent forth his son made of a woman. Made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Last Lord's Day we heard our pastor preaching from Genesis 3 15. Which records for us the first Christmas message who was the first preacher of the gospel none other than God himself and God in Genesis 3 15 promise this virgin born son of God who will come and die for us to save us from our sins and This promise in Genesis 3 15 the first Christmas message was preached 6 ,000 years ago, and you know what God kept his promise.

The promised Savior came in the fullness of time God with us. God promised that he will come down. He will be with us and he fulfilled his promise. He came to be with us In the fullness of time at the most opportune time at the right time in his perfect time he came born in 5 BC.

That's about 2 ,000 years ago. To be precise 2 ,010 years ago, this is the 2010th anniversary of the birth of Christ and Please take note of Genesis 3 15 again let me read to you and I will put amity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed and Shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel.

And I just want you to take note of the word seed. Her seed as our past explains speaks about his virgin birth not his seed, but her seed and I want to emphasize that the word seed is in the singular.

Not in the plural in a singular. Because this seed refers to one person and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. This promise was also made not only to Adam and Eve Made also to Abraham for in Genesis 17 verse 7 We read and I will establish my covenant between me and thee and I seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant to be a God under thee and that I seed after thee and Galatians 3 16 Paul gave the inspired interpretation and commentary on Genesis 3 15 and Genesis 17.

For in Galatians chapter 3 Paul says now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made and he said not and to seeds as of many not plural seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed singular which is Which is Christ Emmanuel God with us.

The Preservation and Authority of Scripture

Every word of the Bible is important. Every letter of the Bible is important and the Bible is always true the Bible always stands the Bible is unchangeable the Bible is incorruptible and that's why God says I will preserve my words to the jot and the tittle to the last iota and That's why we take the oath that the Bible is perfect.

Even today every chapter Every book every chapter every verse every word Every letter every syllable is the direct utterance of the Most High seed promise 6 ,000 years ago fulfilled precisely so seed Jesus Christ Emmanuel God with us 2 ,000 years ago is fulfilled and 2 ,000 years later it reads precisely so and it is a fact that he is still Emmanuel God with us if only you will believe on him and He is a God of history.

He rules in history. He intervenes miraculously in the events of history and he wants to intervene today Miraculously in your life in my life. If only we will bow down to him and say Lord Jesus. I confess you are Emmanuel.

You are Jesus my Savior. Come, please save me from my sins and You will be born again, and you will have eternal life and you will know the good news and the good news Will make you free. Have you received this gift?

This church stands for the 100 preservation of the scriptures and I let me share with you What dr. Arthur Steele in his Christmas message to me? He wrote a card and he wrote these words, which I trust would encourage your hearts.

Also. The Lord is with us. The most wonderful of Christmas gifts is our Lord's loving presence. He's God with us. If we do not have the Word of God we are disarmed. What God gave us is the Word of God.

Exactly as he first gave it true settled pure and preserved. The gospel is indeed good news precisely because we have his perfect word with us today God with us and his perfect word is also with us Today and that's why we can know him in a perfect way.

To have perfect salvation in him and only him God with us and So Emmanuel is speaking to us today. God with us tells us that he exists. He is one and only one and he can be known that he is in control of World events and he wants control of our lives if we will surrender our lives to him for he will be our Savior the author and finisher of our faith put your trust only in him and God wants you to know him and he wants to take control of our lives and Guide us into heaven.

This is the good news Emmanuel God with us. Let us pray our father how we thank thee for this beautiful name the name of Jesus Emmanuel God with us. Oh Lord We pray that Jesus Might be born in our hearts this day forgive us Lord of all our sins and Lord Jesus, please save us and We pray O Lord as children of God.

We might live a Holy life for thee walking in the way of our Savior. For he showed how we ought to live our life for him to deny ourselves to take up our cross and to follow him Emmanuel God with us in his name.

We pray Amen.