Sunday, December 19, 2021 AM

Good morning, everyone.

Good morning. Glad, Merry Christmas to you all. Glad that you're here on this

Sunday before Christmas. It's always a good service Sunday before Christmas that we can have here at Sunnyside Together.

We've got plenty of worship, carol singing going on this morning. Just wanna start with a few announcements.

Looking ahead to this evening, we've been looking forward to it for a while, our carols and candlelight service, along with the kids'

Christmas program going on tonight. That's gonna start at 5 .30, but if you're participating in the service tonight, you need to be here no later than 5 p .m.

That especially goes to all the kids who have to get their costumes and things together. Miss Lori gave me a little note that when all the kids get their costumes on, they need to go straight to the fellowship hall.

We'll get some pictures in there before the program, and then we'll be ready to participate in that starting at 5 .30,

so be here no later than 5 p .m. if you need to get all dressed up for the program.

And then we'll look forward to a cookie fellowship together after in the fellowship hall when we're done with this evening.

Also on Wednesday, we will not be having our normal services that evening, as well as the following Wednesday.

So this Wednesday, December 22nd, as well as December 29th, no evening services on those

Wednesdays. And then looking ahead to next Sunday, December 26th, we'll have communion in the morning together there.

Our final verse for this week, we're continuing in Psalm 23, verses three and four.

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

There is, for everybody in the church, family, individual, or couple, if you look, there's a little

Christmas present from the church back on the back table. You can find your name on that and take that, wishing you a

Merry Christmas this year. And we're continuing to put out the announcement about Q &A or topics to give to Michael and his team for the new

Sunnyside podcast that's gonna be debuting very soon as well. All right, any other announcements that I might have missed before we get started?

Okay, we're gonna have a time to prepare our hearts for worship this morning. And then when we are done doing that,

Dwight will come up and open us in prayer. Our father in heaven, how blessed we are to be able to call you our father.

And how you gave your only son who willingly came, was born in Bethlehem, and lived and died and rose again, and ascended back to you.

And all of this out of your great love for us. Father, how so richly blessed we are in your son, the

Lord Jesus. We thank you, we praise you for your son, the

Lord Jesus, our savior, who gave his life for us, that we might have life, life abundant, life eternal.

And may we live that life for your glory and your honor in ways that are pleasing to you.

Bearing fruit in every good work, pointing others to Christ, building your kingdom, and rejoicing in you.

Help us this morning to express our love and adoration for you in worship, for you are worthy.

You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power.

I thank you again for your son, the Lord Jesus, in his name I pray. Our last song in the prelude this morning, some of you might recognize it,

I know Brother Brian recognized it, was Wonderful Name, and that is the name of Jesus Brother Dwight was just praying.

Also, if anyone noticed our bulletin this morning, thank you for Jenny and the ladies in the office that put together our bulletins.

Glory to God in the highest. And we're gonna be reading and singing about that.

Would you stand with me for our call to worship this morning? Our passage this morning, we're finishing up chapter 72 in the book of Psalms.

So we'll be finishing verses 18 through 20. Read with me together. Blessed be the

Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever.

May the whole world be filled with his glory. Amen and amen.

The prayers of David, the son of Jesse are ended. And we're gonna sing this very song in our

Psalms for Worship hymnal, page 72C. And we'll sing verses 11 and 12.

72C, 11 and 12. 72C, 11 and 12.

72C, 11 and 12.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Blessed be the

Lord, the God of Israel, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, All other deeds excel,

His works all other deeds excel.

And may his name of glorious worth Receive his praise eternally.

And may his glory be revealed beyond all men,

All men to me.

Regular hymnal is page 150.

O hearken ye. We'll sing all three verses. Receive glory of David.

The mighty Lord of heaven and earth. He's your trouble searching now.

may cease. Gloria, gloria, in excelsis

Deo. For Bethlehem's cradle you shall find

God's healing grace for all mankind. Gloria, gloria, in excelsis

Deo. O Lord, can you long for love and turn your song of wonders till still love in us dwells?

Gloria in excelsis

Deo. Scripture reading this morning will be

Isaiah chapter 10 verses 20 through 34. Isaiah 10 20 through 34.

Here is God's Word. And it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel and such as have escaped of the house of Jacob will never again depend on him who defeated them but will depend on the

Lord the Holy One of Israel in truth. The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty

God. For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them will return.

The destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness, for the Lord God of hosts will make a determined end in the midst of all the land.

Therefore, thus says the Lord God of hosts, O my people who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the

Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you in the manner of Egypt.

For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will my anger in their destruction.

And the Lord of hosts will stir up a scourge for him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb.

As his rod was on the sea, so will he lift it up in the manner of Egypt. It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck.

And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil. He has come to Aeth. He has passed

Migron. At Migmesh he has attended to his equipment. They have gone along the ridge.

They have taken up lodging at Geba. Rama is afraid. Gibeah of Saul has fled.

Lift up your voice, O daughter of Gollum. Cause it to be heard as far as Laish, O poor

Anathoth. Madmina has fled. The inhabitants of Gibbon seek refuge.

As yet he will remain at Nob that day. He will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

Behold the Lord. The Lord of hosts will lop off the bow with terror.

Those of high stature will be hewn down, and the haughty will be humbled. He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by the mighty one.

This is God's word. Would you pray with me? Father, you are the one whose will it is for us to be saved, to be reconciled to you through your

Son, Jesus Christ, who was born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those under the law.

You have done all this, Lord. You have caused desolation of the enemy and of death itself, and you have made peace with us,

Lord. Peace between God and the sinner. And now we can trust in you,

Lord. We can have faith in you. Experience new life and new joy in the Lord and Jesus Christ, and it's in his name we pray.

Amen. You may be seated. Our next two songs will be in our regular hymnals, so if you would, turn to page 151 and also 156.

We're going to, we'll sing the first, we'll sing all three verses.

Part 151, Good Christian Men Rejoice. Rejoice with heart and soul and voice.

Give ear to what we say. News, news, Jesus Christ is born today.

Hark! soon as before him bow, and he is in the manger now.

Christ is born today. Christ is born today.

Good Christian men rejoice with heart and soul and voice.

Now we hear of endless bliss. Joy, joy, Jesus Christ was born for this.

He has opened heaven's door and man is blest for evermore.

Christ is born for this. Christ is born for this.

Christ is born for this. Jesus Christ was born to save the world. Jesus Christ was born to save the world.

And our last song is in our

HMA Hymns Modern English Hymnal, page 36, Glorious Light.

Yes, light, see the dawn of salvation.

And tell His glory to God in the East to make order.

Come and adore Him with wonder.

Christ, Lord of heaven and earth.

Long has the world loved the song of the angels.

Heavenly music is found by the morning world.

Yet hope burns the light that shatters the night.

Turn your heart, turn your calm glory. Glory to God in the highest.

Peace to men on earth.

Come and adore Him with wonder. Hallelujah.

Let's go to the Lord together in prayer. Father, we thank you for this day.

What a wonderful day to come together and rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, raised on the first day of the week.

And the day also to remember your gift of your Son to us,

Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Christ, the Son of the living God, fully

God and fully man. Emmanuel, born of the Virgin Mary as Savior and King.

We give you praise today. We ask for grace today to worship you and to rejoice in you.

We ask for great help today as we hear your word. Help us to get a clear view of your

Son, Jesus Christ, that as we look at Him in this word, we will look like Him in this world, and that you will be greatly glorified in this.

We pray all of these things, looking to Jesus Christ, the one with whom you are well pleased. Amen. Well, Merry Christmas.

Seems a little odd since it's the 19th Sunday. The 19th is our first Sunday before Christmas.

And next time, Lord willing, we'll gather on the 26th, the day after. So Merry Christmas rather early.

I invite you to open your Bibles to the New Testament letter of 1 John. 1

John, we'll be looking at verses 1 through 4 this morning. The title of the sermon is Glad Tidings.

Glad Tidings. There is no dearth of passages suitable for Advent season.

The greatest challenge, I think, is narrowing down one's focus. The Incarnation is the central fact of all of Scripture and the central fact of the entire universe.

The entire Bible resonates with this theme, the Incarnation. So we could go a lot of different places.

But I find the introduction of 1 John to be especially helpful in preparing us for the celebration of Advent.

Because here we consider who we are to celebrate, what we are to celebrate, and how we are to celebrate.

So an immensely helpful passage. If you will please stand with me as I read God's word.

Let us give honor to Christ, our Savior. 1

John 1, beginning in verse 1. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled concerning the word of life.

The life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and declare to you that eternal life which was with the

Father and was manifested to us. That which we have seen and heard, we declare to you that you also may have fellowship with us.

And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you, that your joy may be full.

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. You may be seated. We wish you a

Merry Christmas. We wish you a Merry Christmas. We wish you a

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Glad tidings we bring to you and your kin.

Glad tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year. Merry Christmas celebrations, joyous Advent feasts are not actually built upon wishes, even when invoked three times.

Happiness for the new year, a bright outlook on the future is also in the same boat.

Wishes vacant of all but volition, the fairy dust of positive thinking will not cut it.

But glad tidings, glad tidings are what we need.

Glad tidings for us personally and for all men. And these most particular and genuine glad tidings are those which make for a truly

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. And those glad tidings are found throughout the scripture.

How beautiful are the feet of those upon the mountains of him who bring good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, your

God reigns. That's glad tidings. I think

Gabriel had some beautiful feet because he brought glad tidings to Zacharias, to Mary, to Joseph.

And the angelic choir brought the glad tidings to the shepherds. And Jesus himself went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.

And the twelve were with him. That's in Luke 8. Jesus went everywhere bringing glad tidings, glad tidings of the kingdom.

Your God reigns. The same glad tidings went forth throughout

Judea and Samaria and the uttermost parts of the Roman world. We read of Paul in Acts 13 declaring glad tidings, namely, that promise which was made to the fathers, fulfilled, realized in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

We have glad tidings. And these glad tidings bring joy and hope.

The kind of glad tidings that bring joy and hope are the glad tidings of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Glad tidings we bring to you and your kin. How are we going to have a joyful Christmas? Hope for the new year.

Glad tidings of Christ. And we see this in 1 John 1 -4.

We begin with who we celebrate. We have to know who we celebrate.

Who are we going to celebrate on Christmas? How else are we going to have a merry Christmas and a happy new year?

Everything depends on knowing who we celebrate. Lasting joy and hope depends on who we celebrate.

About whom does John write? And we have the focus here at the end of verse 1. You see it concerning the word of life.

He's writing concerning the word of life. Our celebration should concern the word of life.

And this is a wonderful name for Jesus Christ. A wonderful name for Jesus Christ. He is the word of life.

John writes concerning the word whose divine attribute is life.

He is the life. And this is not the only occasion upon which John has used this kind of language.

John 1 -4. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was

God. He was in the beginning with God. All things that were made were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. So when it comes to the word who possesses life itself, who has been from the beginning, we know who that is.

We know who that is. Because the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory.

He was seen and heard and touched. But preacher, some of you ask, why then does

John in his epistle write with terms like that and which rather than terms like who and whom?

If John is really talking about a person here, then why is he using these odd pronouns?

How do we really know from this text we're talking about Jesus Christ? As usual, you guys are a sharp bunch.

You pay close attention. Asking the tough questions. Well, I'm glad to tell you that John is doing something here very similar to what he does in John 1.

He's building up to a big reveal. He does it in three verses here. He does it in 18 verses in his gospel.

But there is a layered profile being built. As you read verses 1 through 3, it culminates in the revelation of what was in the beginning.

This word of life, the manifested life, the eternal life, which was with the Father is none other than Jesus Christ, the

Son who was with the Father. Do you see how it builds the parallels? So we know we're dealing with a person here, but why the particular language?

Why does John use this particular way of writing the which and the that? He's writing comprehensively.

He wants his readers to freely associate in their minds both the who and the what of glad tidings.

The goal is not to deny the person of the message, but to identify both the person and the message as closely together as possible.

Because the word of life possesses the message of eternal life, and this message is embodied in this person and work.

Now, and especially remember this, that John, who was graced to see

Jesus Christ and to hear him directly and to touch him physically, that blessing was not available to all men.

But nonetheless, knowing Christ is still a promise of God, a gift of God, one that we know through the message.

And so the message and the man, the Savior and his gospel are brought together in close association, and we see that it's been from the beginning, that which was from the beginning.

The Logos, the word who was with God and who is

God, who possesses life in and of himself. He is from the beginning. Here's a ponderable.

There never was when he was not. Concerning the Son, concerning God the

Son, concerning the word of life, there never was when he was not.

From everlasting to everlasting, he is God. He is God the word.

He is the word of life. And this is who we celebrate. We think about beginnings.

We think about beginnings. We often reflect upon our own beginnings. We think of our birthdays when we were born.

We think about perhaps when we are born again. We reflect upon redemptive beginnings.

The conception of Christ in the womb of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit. The birth of Christ is being announced to the world.

We think of the new covenant that Jesus Christ ushers in through his death and resurrection.

The truth of the matter is the glad tidings which give us joy and hope in this season are inseparable from the word of life who has been from all of eternity.

And that tells us something else. The joy of Christmas is not the intersection of principles or forces.

The happy happenstance of intersecting inertias. Christmas is about a person making good on a promise.

In fact, an eternal person making good on an eternal promise.

And it is in this way that our hope and joy are adorned with wonder and awe.

As we recognize that the gift, the promise is none other than eternal life.

That eternal life which was with the Father, we read. So that which was from the beginning, the word of life manifested among men, is indeed the eternal life which was with the

Father. Who was with the Father? The combination of this which and the who, the what and the who of the gospel.

Think with me about John 17. Jesus is praying to the Father in John 17 verses 1 through 3.

And this is how he prays. Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son that your

Son may also glorify you. As you have given him authority over all flesh, that he should give, here's the gift, that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him.

And this is eternal life. This is very important. Please don't miss this.

And this is eternal life that they may know you, the only true

God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. That is eternal life.

We're not given a principle. We're given a person. And knowing him and knowing the

Father through him is eternal life. So this is who we are celebrating.

God's Son, Jesus Christ. Notice at verse 3 it says, that our fellowship is with the

Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. His Son is with him even today at the right hand of the

Father. This is who we celebrate. This is the central character of the story. He is the subject matter of the glad tidings.

He is the reason for our joy and our hope. The word of life from the beginning who is eternal life in and of himself.

He is God the Son who is with the Father, and his name is Jesus the Christ. So, when you watch

Miracle on 34th Street, please watch the 1947 version. It's much better than the newer one.

Just keep in mind that we're not celebrating Santa Claus. Nor even the virtues of the historical

Saint Nicholas, his generosity and his righteous anger toward heretics. When you watch, it's a wonderful life.

Remember that we're not celebrating the meaningfulness of human life. Or for that matter, the triumph of each according to his ability, to each according to his needs, over the misery of that capitalist all bound up in his wheelchair.

When we gather this season, we reflect and we worship

Christ. A person. He is our life.

He is our eternal life. And it's his glad tidings that give us joy and hope.

Now, what do we celebrate? I know who we celebrate, but what? Namely, his manifestation.

The fact that this person was made manifest. That the person was revealed.

At Christmas, we celebrate the fact that he was revealed. And that particular revelation in the person of Jesus.

Unless God had made his son, the word of life, manifest to us, we wouldn't have anything to celebrate.

We would never have known the eternal life, which was the father, unless he was manifested to us.

And God has made him manifest. At various times and in various ways throughout the old covenant,

God manifested his son through promise and shadow and type. But in the last days of the old covenant,

God manifested the son himself who brought the new covenant. And he was revealed as the brightness of his father's glory.

And as the express image of his person. And he upholds all things by the word of his power.

And when Jesus Christ had by himself, notice, by himself, purged our sins.

He sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. These are glad tidings.

These are glad tidings. And these were manifested to us.

Notice it says in the text that the life was manifested, verse 2. Verse 2 also says, that eternal life which was with the father and was manifested to us.

This manifestation means a clear identification. It wasn't hard to figure out.

The people weren't upset in Jesus' day because they couldn't understand what he said.

They were upset because they could understand what he said. It was a clear manifestation.

This was not the grueling discovery of men using some kind of scientific or critical method.

The manifestation of Jesus Christ is the gracious revelation of God. God made

Christ manifest in history at a particular time. Not all men receive this direct manifestation.

Very few in fact, relatively speaking. But he really was made manifest.

There was a special revelation specific in time and person. It was

Jesus of Nazareth. We do not receive glad tidings. We do not receive the revelation of the word of God.

The revelation of the word of life. We do not receive the revelation of the son of God through the stateliness of trees.

Or the fluffiness of bunnies. Or the depths of the heavens.

God has manifested eternal life in the person of Jesus Christ, the son of God. We do not here and now audibly hear, optically see, or physically touch him.

But he was heard. And he was seen. And he was handled. For instance, by his mother

Mary. As she comforted him and watched over him. And held him close as an infant.

This initial revelation to the world. The public unveiling of the incarnation through the birth of Christ.

That is what we celebrate. That the eternal life was made manifest. So what we have this season is to celebrate that.

To rejoice in the manifestation of the eternal life. Who was with the father and was given to us.

Consider these words. Heard, seen, and handled. So we see that in verse 1.

That which was from the beginning. Which we have heard. Which we have seen with our eyes. Which we have looked upon.

And our hands have handled concerning the word of life. The life was manifested and we have seen.

John is speaking here for himself and for his fellow apostles. Everybody who walked and talked with Jesus.

And sat around tables and feasted with him. And felt his embrace. And saw in his life, death, and resurrection.

The reality of who he was. Now recall that Jesus, even after his resurrection.

When he appeared to his followers. They heard him and they saw him. But they still were afraid. They were still concerned.

That he was some kind of ghostly apparition. What did he say to them? Luke 24 and 39.

Here's what he said. Behold my hands and my feet. That it is I myself. Handle me and see.

For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have. They heard and saw and touched him in his life.

And they heard and saw and touched him. After he was risen from the dead. And this is very good news.

There were many, many first -hand witnesses to the miraculous reality of the incarnation. Both in his birth and in his resurrection.

Christianity is not built upon a mythical principle. Upon a manifest person.

So also, Christmas is not about myths, principles, ideas, or virtues.

Christmas is a holy celebration for a person who was heard, seen, and handled.

And even now, sits enthroned at the right hand of God. With a voice that is heard in heaven. And will be heard again on earth.

With a bodily form that is seen in heaven. And will be seen again on earth. Whose nail -pierced feet are made of the dust of earth.

And they shall stand again upon this earth. As our savior and our sovereign.

God the Son has taken upon himself the fullness of our nature. As we can be seen and heard and felt.

He was seen and heard and felt. Hebrews 2 .14 says, Inasmuch as the children have partaken of flesh and blood.

He himself likewise shared in the same. That through death he might destroy him who had the power of death.

That is the devil. This is good news that Jesus Christ was seen and heard and felt.

Because that means that he took upon our nature upon himself. So that he would be our most excellent high priest.

And stand in for us as our substitute sacrifice. And intercede for us now at the right hand of God as our mediator.

For the sake of God's children the Son was conceived in the virgin by the Spirit. And she brought forth a son.

And we call his name Jesus because he saves his people from their sins. As Emmanuel, as God with us.

He brings us into fellowship with God forever. That is what is meant by eternal life.

Consider this fellowship that we see here in the text. Verse 3.

That which we have seen and heard we declare to you. That you also may have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with the

Father. And with the Son Jesus Christ. Do you know how it is that John and the apostles have fellowship with God?

How does anyone? They commune with, have relationship with God.

According to, notice, his manifestation in Jesus Christ.

They would not know God or fellowship with him. Unless they had the eternal life manifested to them in Jesus Christ.

The way Jesus said it. Is that he is the way, the truth and the life.

And no one can come to the Father except through him. He said to Philip. If you've seen me you've seen the

Father. If we've seen the Son then we've seen the Father. If we confess the Son we have the

Father also. But we're not like Philip who sat there with Jesus. In his presence seeing him and hearing him.

But the message. The message of the person and work of Christ is declared to us.

That we too may believe. And that believing we have life in his name. A little later on in 1st

John chapter 2 verses 23 through 25. This is what the apostle writes. Whoever denies the

Son does not have the Father either. He who acknowledges the Son has the

Father also. Therefore let that abide in you which you had heard from the beginning.

It's the message. That which was from the beginning. That which you heard in your beginning.

Hold on to that. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you. You also will abide in the

Son and in the Father. The manifestation of the eternal life who was with the

Father. That declaration, the glad tidings. Let those glad tidings abide in you.

And if they abide in you. Then you will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he has made to us.

Eternal life. Because if the message abides in us. Then we abide in the

Son and with the Father. And of course knowing him is eternal life. The gospel consists of the glad tidings of Christ.

To bring us joy. And bring us hope. We know who to celebrate at Christmas.

We know what to celebrate at Christmas. The fact that the who was made manifest. Now what about the how?

How then shall we celebrate? How we celebrate the manifestation of the word of life matters a great deal.

The proper worship filled faith informed obedience.

Centers on in this text. Bearing witness. Declaring. Spreading the word of the word.

The good news of Jesus Christ. Notice first of all this phrase. We bear witness.

The life was manifested and we have seen. And bear witness. And declare to you that eternal life.

Which was with the Father and was manifested to us. Consider that phrase. Bear witness.

It's one word in the original. And you'll hear one of our words when

I sound it out. Martereo. You'll hear the word martyr. Now this is not the kind of word that says

I read an article online. And I'm trying to remember the details. But here's the gist of it.

Not that kind of bear witness. It's not the kind of bear witness where you say well so and so says such and such.

But I'm not sure if I really agree. It's not that kind of relaying of information.

This bearing witness means that John and his fellow apostles were so shaped by what they heard.

What they saw with their eyes. What they looked upon. And what they handled with their own hands.

That they bore witness to the manifestation of eternal life. They were so shaped by what they had experienced and what they had come to know.

That to know them was to know their message. To know them was to know their message.

There was no possible way you could know John and Peter and the rest of them without coming away knowing their message.

That's what that word means. Martereo. To bear witness. That you're so shaped by the message of Christ that nobody can know you and not know that message.

For example, in Acts chapter 4, we come upon a scene where Peter and John, you may recall the hour of prayer, went to the temple.

And they came by the gate beautiful. And there was a lame man who had been lame almost his whole life.

Or his whole life. He'd been sitting there for decades. By the gate beautiful. A beggar.

People would give him things that he would have what he needed for the day if they were merciful toward him.

And when Peter and John come by, he asks, expectantly looking to them saying, do you have anything?

And Peter says, silver and gold, I do not have. But what I do have, I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ, rise and walk.

And the man did rise. And he did walk. And he went leaping and dancing and praising the Lord throughout the temple.

And everybody said, wait a second. That's old cripple. First of all, he's not even supposed to be in here if he's maimed.

But wait, he's whole. And look at him. Look at him go. What happened? And then Peter and John proceeded to preach for hours in the temple about this

Jesus Christ in whose name this man was healed. The reward for this was being arrested by the ruling

Jews and placed into prison to be dealt with on the following day. When they were brought forth, they were questioned and accused and maligned.

But Peter preached the word. In verses 11 through 13, as he's responding to the accusations and to the civil magistrate, this is what he says to the civil magistrate of his time, this

Sanhedrin ruling council who were in charge. Speaking of Christ, he says, this is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.

Nor is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Now, when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled and they realized that they had been with Jesus.

So it means to bear witness. They were uneducated and untrained, but they were so shaped.

By their time with Christ. That it was clear.

Come into contact with John and Peter was to come into contact with the message of Christ.

They verbalized it. And it would be hard to stop them from doing so.

Verse 18, the civil magistrate doesn't like the disruption going on.

So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus.

But Peter and John answered and said to them, whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.

For we cannot but speak. We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

This is the same John in Acts 4 who writes here in 1 John of bearing witness of what we have seen and what we have heard.

Now, you know, people like this. But on other topics and you will probably encounter some of them at your

Christmas celebrations. Something good happened to them and we can rejoice in that, you know.

Perhaps they had cancer, but they went on a special diet and got cured. And now all they can ever talk about is about how everybody needs to restrict their diet to peach pit smoothies poured over alligator eggs.

And they won't be quiet about it. But what about you?

Don't you have glad tidings? Don't you have glad tidings to bring to neighbor and kin?

Have you been saved from the fiery pits of hell? Have you been raised from sin's death?

Have you been set free from your slavery and guilt? Have all your transgressions been done away with?

Are you born again? And that even is not actually the good news.

That's the fruit of the good news. The glad tidings, the good news is that Jesus Christ was born.

God the Son took upon human flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary and he lived a perfect and righteous life as the fulfillment of all of God's character, all of God's law.

And he lived a perfectly righteous life in our place and for our sake. And he died upon the cross, the

Lamb of God, taking away the sins of the world. And he rose from the dead the third day.

And he ascended to the right hand of the Father and he is reigning there even now.

And he will return in victory. Those are glad tidings. Those are glad tidings of the kingdom.

And that should be what we have to talk about. Our lives are to be so shaped by this message that to know us is to know these glad tidings.

I mean, this is something that we can't help talking about laughing or crying. And throw me out of the party if you have to, but all the merry and happy goes with me.

Right. That should be our approach to this Christmas feast upcoming. Notice also how

John says we declare unto fellowship. Verse three, that which we have seen and heard, we declare to you that you also may have fellowship with us.

And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. I think most of us at some point will be celebrating

Christmas with fellow believers. Well, notice how John's fellowship with those he's writing to, toward those he's identifying throughout the letter as fellow believers.

Notice how their fellowship is coordinate with their fellowship with God.

Right. It's not merely a horizontal fellowship. It's not that they have some common interests, but their fellowship is with God himself.

And that this fellowship is entirely dependent upon their adherence to contemplation of and believing in the message.

See, our fellowship, our relationship, our communion is according to the manifestation of the word of life in the incarnation.

There is fellowship between the firsthand witnesses, the apostles, and so on.

Fellowship between them and those who only heard the message of the apostles. And there is fellowship between those firsthand hearers of the apostles and those who heard their message.

This fellowship, you see, was not based on the particular experience of seeing

Jesus in the flesh with your own eyes, of hearing Jesus in the flesh with your own ears, or laying hold of him in loving embrace personally and directly.

The fellowship was not in that personal experience, but in the message.

That which was from the beginning, that eternal life, which has been manifested to us.

This fellowship, by the gracious working of the Holy Spirit, is fellowship by faith in these glad tidings, in the good news, in the gospel.

And this is actual fellowship and actual communion with God the Father, through and with God the

Son, Jesus Christ. 1 John 5 verse 20, And we know that the Son of God has come and given us an understanding, that we may know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his

Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. We need to be really clear on our fellowship and our communion.

How are we brought together? The fellowship, you see, is not in the recitation of creeds, although those can be very helpful.

The fellowship is not in rallying to a cause, though there are righteous causes we should be involved in.

Our fellowship is not in a creed and not in a cause, but in Christ.

No one and nothing else belongs to the right hand of the Father, and no one and nothing else belongs at the center of our communion.

It's Jesus Christ, our trust in him, our life in him.

That is the basis of our communion. We are greatly blessed, even if, like John, we have not yet seen

Jesus with our eyes. Not yet seen Jesus with our eyes. Not yet heard him with our own ears.

Not yet touched him with our own hands. Remember Christ's words to Thomas. John 20, verse 29.

Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed, do we believe our Lord and Savior Jesus?

Do you believe your shepherd? Blessed, happy, graced upon grace are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

How blessed we are. How graced of God we are. We've not seen

Jesus Christ in the flesh, and yet we still believe. And we build one another up upon this most holy faith by declaring to one another the manifestation of eternal life.

I love to tell the story to those who know it best. The old, old story.

Why even celebrate Christmas at all? Why even celebrate Advent? Spurgeon has a funny line that he says, based upon everything that we can see, most certainly the one day that Jesus was not born on was

December 25th. So why celebrate at all? Right? Why rejoice at all?

Because we need to take every advantage all the more to stir one another up, to hold fast to the confession of our faith, to fellowship in Christ.

Notice the last thing he says in verse 4. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. Now John is pretty clear throughout his epistle as to the reasons why he is writing to his fellow believers.

He talks about holiness and forgiveness of sin and confidence in their faith, rejoicing in their victories and warning them about deceivers.

But all of those reasons are tangential to the main reason. That they would know all the more and abide all the more in Christ.

And thus, communing with God, their joy would be full, complete, filled to the brim.

So celebrating Advent should look like bearing witness, declaring unto fellowship, and specifically laboring for the joy of others.

Serving one another. Just like Jesus taught us. So what can you do? What can you do knowing from this passage and others about the glad tidings of Christ?

What can you do to increase someone else's joy? Good news, some of you have already been pretty busy.

What did John do? He says, these things we write to you that your joy may be full. Some of you have been busy writing glad tidings to each other.

So thankful for the Christmas cards. So thankful for our big mailbox where we can exchange

Christmas cards. Why in the world are we writing to one another stuff we already know about?

Yeah, I know it's Christmas. I know what Christmas is about. Yes, he was born in the manger. Why are we writing that to each other?

Because we are laboring for one another's joy. We're serving one another to increase one another's joy.

Communing and fellowshipping around the person and work of Jesus Christ. And one of our families so graciously donated a different mailbox.

Not as big as that one. It's a little bit smaller. But it's still back there throughout the rest of the year.

Why? Because this is not a one -time thing. Once a year. We don't have to reduce our writing to one another.

Our particular laboring for one another. For one another's joy.

We don't have to limit that to Christmas. We have a mailbox back there. We can send each other particular messages.

Laboring for each other's joy. The glad tidings of Christ. And we have mailboxes outside of our houses.

In which we can put letters where we labor for one another's joy. And we have mailboxes on our devices.

From which we can particularly send messages. Laboring for one another's joy.

Bringing our attention to where it should be in our communion. The glad tidings of Jesus Christ.

So we know who we worship. We know what we are celebrating. And we know how to go about it.

Praise be to God. Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for the sufficiency of your word. And the gift of your

Holy Spirit. Who illumines the text to our hearts.

And brings about the resonating amen to the truth of your word. I ask that you would indeed bless this

Advent season with grace -filled celebrations.

Help us to be clear on who we are celebrating. This wondrous reality of the incarnation made clear to us in your word.

And that we would indeed bring forth your message to the forefront of all that we do.

We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Would you stand with me for our song of benediction?

Just as Brother Michael was encouraging us to do. To declare the gospel of the

Lord Jesus Christ to others. We're going to sing, Go Tell it on the Mountain. Go Tell it on the

Mountain. And the grace of the

Son. And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Be with us all. We are dismissed. Come back tonight for more celebration.