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Sermon Notes: notes.cornerstonesj.org
Worthy To Be Called “Christ"
Good morning We are gonna get started this morning I might even be a minute early, but we're gonna get started if you could stand with me.
We're gonna sing a song together Joy to the world
The Lord is come Let earth
Receive her King Let every heart prepare
Him room And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing And heaven and heaven and nature sing
Joy to the earth The Savior reigns
Let men all their songs employ
While fields and floods Rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders of His love
You may be seated Merry Christmas Merry Christmas Do you realize, and I love the way
Pastor Jeff brought our attention to the fact This is the most amazing birthday celebration in all of the world
And if you have relatives in another part of the country, in another country, in another continent
We're all being able to celebrate the exact same gift that has been given to us
The gift of our child Do you know this was promised from the very beginning, even as Pastor Jeff said
All the way back in the garden This was a promise and foretold And did you know that even before the creation of the world
God had already foreordained that this would happen And it's given to us as a gift
I want to read out of Isaiah 9, verse 2 The people who walk in darkness will see a great light
Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine upon them
This is a description of the transition that God provides Because the world under the bondage of Satan is walking in darkness
And that darkness cannot be resolved by anything that humans will do
No matter how hard they tried They tried at one time to build a tower that would reach to the heavens
We know how that worked out There's nothing that can be done by man
But because of the great love of God There is a light shining in the world
And we all get to rejoice into it Spiritual death is that darkness that can only be resolved by God So today we rejoice celebrating that great light
And I also like Jeff the way that you A few weeks ago I came up with the phrase, reclaim the rainbow
That's God's covenant That's not what's going on in the world today But I like the way
Jeff highlighted the fact that You can walk through the communities, drive through communities And see hundreds and thousands of lights
And you can either say, wow, those are really pretty Or you can say, the light of the world is shining
So let's take that as our claim today I have just a couple of announcements First of all, next
Sunday is New Year's Day We will be meeting for both services We will be meeting for 930 and for 1045
And this evening we are reserving it as a time for family To be in fellowship together
So we are not having the prayer meeting tonight But we do encourage you to celebrate the birthday of our
Lord As a family tonight I have a really amazing announcement to make
A year ago we were excited at how God Was working in Ranconcas Woods The church had already been planted
And the life of that church was growing And just the provision of that building
And the calling for Pastor Ben Was not something that we orchestrated, but that God did
And God is blessing that ministry out there So that they are exploding the seams of the building that they are in And for those of you who have been there
You know the conditions that they are in And the building has problems And they don't really have the financial wherewithal to fix it
But isn't God amazing? We can announce today that next Sunday Will be the initial worship service
That The Rock will have on Arc Road A building currently known as Bible Baptist Church Has been donated to The Rock I think for $1
This stuff can only happen through the sovereign power and love of God So we continue to support
Pastor Ben And the church that's out there It's also cool that God gave them a building
Just right around the corner from where they are right now So that it still feels like Ranconcas home
For those who worship there So we just praise God for that Let's turn to prayer
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light Those who live in a dark land
The light will shine upon them Lord on this glorious day
As we celebrate the coming of Messiah The fulfillment of a promise that you made way back in the garden
And that you foreordained way back before the time of creation Has come to be We praise
God because the light has come And we praise God because that true light
It guides and it reveals into our very hearts The truths that we need to see
This is a gift Lord represented It's all sufficient It's life changing and it never ever fails
We praise God for the gift of your son that we celebrate today Came for the payment for my sin
Lord we pray as the grace Has come into our hearts So that we turn to you
And submission to you We become adopted children in your family
Today Lord as we rejoice at your coming We remember and we look forward with hope To an eternity that we will spend with you
We thank you Lord for giving light For giving your son, for giving us eyes to see
And with the prophet Isaiah we proclaim those words The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light
Those who live in a dark land The light will shine upon them Open our hearts today
Lord to hear the good news Pastor Jeff prepares to bring it to us
Speak through him we pray in Jesus name, amen Can we stand together again and sing
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the new born king
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled Joyful all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic hosts proclaim Christ is born in Bethlehem Hark the herald angels sing
Christ by highest heaven adored
Christ the everlasting Lord Late in time before him come
Offspring of the virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see Hail the incarnate
Deity Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus our Emmanuel Hark the herald angels sing
Hail the heaven born Prince of Peace Hail the
Son of Righteousness Heart and life to all he brings
Risen with healing in his wings Mild he lay his glory by Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth Born to give them second birth
Glory to the new born king You made me see that.
Let's pray. Father, every good and perfect gift comes from you.
So we want to thank you that you have provided from your sovereign hand a church building in which the church plant, the rock, is able to meet.
This is a good gift from our sovereign Lord. Thank you, God. You have provided this building where we are able to gather this morning.
And you have provided land on Phillips Road that we could build a larger place to meet.
In all of these things we say, thank you, Lord. You've provided our families.
You've provided the sun to warm us when the winter cold takes over. God, you have provided everything we need for life and godliness.
But this morning, we say thank you for the greatest gift of all. We say thank you that you have sent your own son born of a woman, born under the law.
The word made flesh dwelling among us. The child who is born.
The son who is given. Thank you, God, that you have given us your son. And also to take away our sins and rise from the dead.
We thank you for Jesus Christ in whose name we pray. Amen. Well, has anybody noticed that the
Christmas season tends to be busy? A lot to do, right? And we live in a very action -oriented culture.
Do, do, do. And sermons very often can fall into the same trap of here's what you need to do.
Do, do. But the gospel message is not what you can do, but what
Jesus has already done. And so there's rest in him. In fact, the great need of the
Christian is not for more moral instruction because we had that in the law with 600 commandments that we were unable to keep.
What we need is to look upon the one who was pierced. We need to see
Jesus. Martin Luther was troubled by his sin, of course you know. But he came to understand faith in Christ to be the key.
And so when he believed in Christ, he was set free. Well, Martin Luther has a great quote that I want you all to remember this
Christmas. Martin Luther said, when he looks at himself, he cannot see how he could be saved.
Pause right there in the thought. When you look at yourself, you cannot understand how you could possibly be saved.
There's too much sinfulness, too much folly, too much rebellion against the
Holy God. But listen to the second part of Martin Luther's quote. He said, when I look at myself, I do not see how
I can be saved. But when I look at Christ, I cannot see how
I could be lost. That's gospel truth. Robert McShane, he only lived till 29 years old.
He was a Scottish pastor. Loved the Lord with all his heart. And ministered in a small
Scottish town. At age 29, he got called to the mission field. Well, at 28, he just went on a mission trip for a year.
And after sowing so much seed of the gospel, while he was gone, some younger guys stepped into the pulpit.
Okay, if I ever go on a mission trip, Jack, Jacob. They got in the pulpit, and while McShane was gone, revival broke out in Scotland under their preaching.
All the young men were preaching. McShane was gone. And then when he came back, he got to experience a taste of that revival.
Guys, we have seats near the front here and there along. Praise God for a full house on Christmas Day.
They told us we should cancel, right? Why would you cancel Christmas service on Christmas Day?
Christmas is about Christ. Well, Robert McShane said this, and it was a great life lesson, very similar to what
Martin Luther taught us. He said, learn much of the
Lord Jesus. For every look at yourself, take 10 looks at Christ.
Let your soul be filled with a sense of the excellence of Christ. That's another one to remember.
For every time you look at yourself, take 10 looks at Christ. And so reading that McShane quote,
I got to thinking about what to preach this Christmas. And we were in a very unique situation. I think it doesn't happen again until 2034, where Christmas Eve is on a
Saturday, and then Sunday morning is Christmas Day. So it set itself up perfectly for a two -part sermon,
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Part one would be Matthew chapter one, and part two would be
Matthew chapter two. So we come to Matthew two today, if you would turn there.
But I bring up McShane because we are taking 10 looks at Christ.
10 looks. In Matthew chapter one, we see him, first of all, as the son of David.
Five prophecies in the first chapter of Matthew. Second Samuel chapter seven, verse 13, that a son of David would always sit on the throne.
And then Genesis 12, three, that the seed of Abraham would bless all the families of the earth.
Then we looked at Genesis 3, 15. The seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent.
Then we looked at Isaiah 7, 14. Behold, to you a sign is given. The virgin shall be with child and shall give birth to a son.
And they shall call him Emmanuel, meaning God with us. And then lastly, we saw
Isaiah 9, 6. A child is born, a son is given. The government shall be upon his shoulder and he shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Five looks at Christ.
You ready for five more? Matthew chapter two. And we'll preach as we go because it's a lot to read and I've been told
I only have 20 or 30 minutes, so now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem saying, where is he who has been born king of the
Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.
First point, the head crusher, the son of David, the son of Abraham, the virgin born, the
Wonderful Counselor is also number six, the brightest star.
How would these wise men, maybe living in Japan or China or who knows where, know that the
Messiah was born? Well, clearly something supernatural in the heavens signaled it. It was a star.
And this star became to them, perhaps they were astrologers and God in his mercy would even have mercy upon Gentiles who practice divination and astrology because the gospel will go to the
Gentiles as well, which is why at the end of the book of Matthew you see the disciples sent out to all the nations.
Matthew is the most Jewish of the gospels and yet even the book of Matthew is focused on the gospel going out to the unreached peoples of the world.
So they see a star, but did you know that Christ was prophesied as the star?
Turn with me to Numbers chapter 24, verse 17. Here is the story of Israel about to enter the promised land and one named
Balaam was sent to curse them. This hired sorcerer went to curse
Israel, but when he tried to do it all that could come out of his mouth was blessing on Israel.
And one of those blessings that he spoke refers to the Messiah.
Numbers 24, 17. I see him, but not now.
I behold him, but not near. A star shall come out of Jacob and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.
It shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth. Now that's interesting because Moab is paying him to curse
Israel. And instead he prophesied that there's one coming. Not yet.
Still yet thousands of years away. Not near, still far. But this one will have the scepter and like the language of Genesis 49, 10 the scepter does not depart from the hand of Judah.
The scepter belongs to the king, David's son. And here the word scepter is used of the one who will rise out of Israel.
Notice this language, to crush the forehead. Sound like Genesis 3, 15?
Crushing the enemy under his foot. Psalm 2, he dashes them to pieces like pottery.
He's the victor, he's the champion, the king. But we are told here that he is also to be referred to as a star.
Why did God choose to put a star to herald and bring in the wise men? It was in accordance with this prophecy that we would know that of all the bright lights in the heavens including the sun in our sky that all the light of the world pales in comparison to the brightest star.
The star of the universe. The one whom the universe revolves around Jesus Christ.
He is the creator of all things and he is the light of the world. Here, even a pagan, just like the wise men from the east, these guys are to the east,
Balaam is prophesying a star. And so the wise men come.
Turn back with me to Matthew 2 because we have a lot of territory to cover and four more visions of the son of God.
Matthew 2, verse 3. When Herod the king heard this he was troubled and all
Jerusalem with him. He made problems when he was angry. What you do not want to have is an angry king.
He has power to do ungodly things and terrible things. Verse 4.
And assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people he inquired of them where the
Christ was to be born. They told him in Bethlehem of Judea for so it is written by the prophet and you
Bethlehem in the land of Judea are by no means least among the rulers of Judea for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people.
Last night we focused on the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's no coincidence that the calendar has been devised, the
Gregorian calendar with reference to the birth of Christ. So when we say 2022 going on 23 we're saying how long it's been since Messiah was born.
When the world is lit up with Christmas lights that's no accident of history. All of it points to the glory of Christ.
But I'll tell you what, when I was in college I had a wicked professor who doubted the words of this book.
And the problem with him was he was very funny and I really liked him. And I sat in a religious studies class and I began to doubt whether this book was true or whether it was just something that my parents indoctrinated me to believe.
So I went back to my college dorm and I was really shaken up in my spirit for a period of time. But the way the
Lord set me free was through Micah chapter 5 verse 2. I said
God if this is real if this book is real show me and I just let the book fall open. And there
Micah 5 2 was highlighted because when I was young I highlighted it. And it was also underlined because I had come back to it another point in my life maybe as a teenager and underlined it.
And it had stars next to it because I was really reminding myself. And as that book fell open and my eye fell to the page it said but you
Bethlehem though you're small among the tribes of Judah yet out of you will come forth the me the one to be ruler whose goings forth are from everlasting to everlasting.
And when I read those words I knew without a doubt that this book is true. Because only
God can tell the birthplace of the son. And Jesus could have controlled a few things trying to fulfill prophecy but he couldn't have controlled his own birth.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem. And that prophecy says that his goings forth are from everlasting to everlasting.
Who but Jesus existed before he was brought conceived and brought into the world.
Jesus is the son of God who always existed. Everlasting to everlasting. The prophet
Micah wrote these words so that we would know that it's true. Born in Bethlehem.
Continue on with me verse 7. Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.
And he sent them to Bethlehem saying go and search diligently for the child and when you have found him bring me word that I too may come and worship him.
Such a liar. After listening to the king they went on their way and behold the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.
When they saw the star they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. Just pause there for a minute.
No prophetic point here but just notice that he could have just said I got this from John Piper because John Piper loves joy.
He said it could have just said joy. It could have just said exceeding joy.
It could have just said exceeding and great joy. Or it could have said as it does they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
The point needs to be emphasized. If we have the Son of God given to us yes we have problems in this life.
Jesus said, right? In this world you will have trouble but take heart I have overcome the world. But if you have the
Son of God who died for your sins and now indwells you by his Spirit and is saving you and preserving you for that day how can we help but being joyful people?
We should be beyond joyful. We should be greatly joyful.
Beyond that we should be exceedingly greatly joyful. No, we should rejoice with exceeding great joy.
Do you see the point? Christ is born. That's what Christmas is.
If we have him God will give us everything that we need for life and godliness.
Going on verse 11 And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother and they fell down and worshipped him.
Then opening their treasures they offered him gifts gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
I don't know what you got for Christmas this morning but what matters more is the disposition of your heart to bring him your best.
And as great as gold frankincense and myrrh were to him they were prophetic picturing him in his burial him as a king.
I don't know what the other one would be someone can tell me later but the point is these are physical gifts to him that would be useful in his life.
He would be on the run to Egypt and this would fund his existence. God was providing. But what
God doesn't need from you is gold, frankincense, or myrrh. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills.
What he desires from you according to the scripture my child give me your heart.
He wants you to come and worship him today. Maybe you haven't done that yet. To just get alone get on your knees and spend some time praising him giving thanks to Jesus Christ the king.
Let's see the third one. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod they departed to their own country by another way.
Now when they had departed behold an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said rise take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt.
And remain there until I tell you for Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him.
Now there's something very prophetic and interesting happening. Do you remember the promises that the
Messiah will come through Abraham? But would he come through Isaac or Ishmael?
Isaac, we all know that. But in Isaac through his wife there were two born
Jacob and Esau. They struggled in the womb. Genesis chapter 25 verse 22 you can turn back there quickly.
Genesis 25 22 Rebecca notices that there's something wrong.
There's some strife between the children inside of me. They're struggling they're fighting in the womb.
Now this is quite opposite when in the womb John the Baptist and Jesus came into the presence of one another and John the
Baptist leapt for joy. What does that tell you about life in the womb? It's alive.
The child is alive in the womb. This is a living person made in the image of God. Sermon for another day.
But here Genesis 25 verse 22 the children struggled together within her and she said if it is thus why is this happening to me?
So she went to inquire of the Lord and the Lord said to her two nations are in your womb and two peoples from within you shall be divided the one shall be stronger than the other the older shall serve the younger.
The older was Esau and the nation that came from Esau was
Edom. Edom was destined to be destroyed and to constantly be an enemy of Israel when they should have come to Jacob's aid to Israel's aid.
Instead they scoffed and they sat on high the book of Obadiah talks about this they didn't rescue they mocked and laughed and ultimately they themselves would be destroyed.
But here's the salient point for Matthew chapter 2 Herod is one of the last of the
Edomites. Isn't that interesting? Herod the
Edomite is raging against the true seed of God. The seed of the woman the seed of the serpent
Herod the Edomite desires to kill the Christ child because he's a pretender to Christ's throne.
He's sitting on Israel's throne but he's an Edomite. And so what happens? Verse 14 He rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod.
This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet Out of Egypt I have called my son.
When did the son come out of Egypt? Well Israel was called the son of God.
God's son figuratively as a nation they belonged to God they were his child his special child and they were brought out of Egypt.
In the same way the true son the pure son the faithful son would likewise go down into Egypt to fulfill the prophecy
Out of Egypt I have called my son. So far we've seen then four amazing prophecies all in Matthew chapter 2.
The brightest star Numbers 24, 17 The heavenly bread
I called him heavenly bread there because you know what Bethlehem means? House of bread.
Jesus born in Bethlehem bread from heaven manna from heaven. Micah chapter 5 verse 2
Genesis 25, 22 Why is this happening to me? The Edomite and the Israelites struggling in the womb pointing to Christ and Herod the murderer and we saw
Hosea 11, 1 Out of Egypt I called my son. But to me the most striking is the fifth and the last.
What unfolds at this point is horrible shows the struggle between the offspring of the woman and the offspring of Satan.
But notice here this morning that it shows the parallel between Moses and Jesus.
The great promise of the Torah where it leaves off in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 18 and then again reiterated in 34 is that there would come one like Moses from among your people an
Israelite and you must listen to everything he has to say. One like Moses.
So let's read. Then Herod when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men became furious and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem.
And in all that region who were two years old and under according to the time that had been ascertained from the wise men then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet
Jeremiah a voice was heard in Rama weeping in loud lamentation.
Rachel weeping for her children she refused to be comforted because they are no more.
The terrible wicked intent and horrible genocide of these children parallels what
Pharaoh did to the baby boys. Remember Moses the decree that the babies the baby boys needed to be killed his mother refused to obey that command of course and the midwives themselves refused to obey.
Turn with me to Exodus 4 19 but keep your finger where you are. Exodus 4 19 God's word is perfect.
It's got one author. It is a perfect unity and it affirms itself by the glory of the unity and the consistency of what
God says from cover to cover. Here the parallel is striking Exodus 4 19 and the
Lord said to Moses and Midian go back to Egypt for all the men who are seeking your life are dead.
Similarly keep reading with me into verse 19 and 20 but when
Herod died behold an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt saying rise take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel for those who sought the child's life are dead.
Sound familiar? Exodus 4 19 you see the parallel between the slaughter of the innocence under Pharaoh and of Herod and then the rescue of Moses.
If we had time we would see how that word ark the ark of Noah is only used again of the ark that rescued
Moses as he floated on the Nile and that ark is Christ. It prefigured
Christ who would be the ark of our salvation. There's a reference to that in 1 Peter 3 in an allusion.
We are brought safely through the water. So a few other points about Moses and then we'll be done.
Moses brought the old covenant Jesus brought the new covenant.
Each is a covenant giver. Most importantly the story of Moses is the story of deliverance.
God's people caught in slavery in Egypt but brought out by the deliverance of almighty
God led by Moses. Well there's a greater Moses and he doesn't just bring a nation out of captivity to another nation he brings you individual who's caught in sin and a slave to sin out of the prison of your own slavery and he delivers you into the promised land which ultimately we call heaven.
Jesus is the greater deliverer but Moses prefigured him a foreshadowing until the fullness had come.
Moses brought manna in the wilderness and fed the people for 40 years but you who eat of the bread of heaven which is
Christ himself, his body the bread, his blood the wine he himself will satisfy you and save you and provide for you for all the days of eternity.
He's the true bread of heaven greater than what Moses brought but I think the perfect picture of Moses as an archetype of Christ is in Exodus chapter 32 read it when you have time
Moses is up on the mountain receiving that covenant and when he comes down he discovers that the people have fallen back into their idolatry they've made a bull idol and they're worshipping in very grotesque and improper ways and God is intent to destroy the entire nation he tells
Moses I will start fresh with you I will kill them all and you will be the head of Israel a new wife, a new life and a new nation we're starting over but Moses the mediator
Moses the intercessor begins to pray and he pleads with God the
Father and he appeals to the glory of God what would the
Egyptians say and what would this do for your name's sake so the glory of God is highest and the intercessor
Moses even offers his own life for Israel but he's not the substitute he only points to the substitute
God accepts that intercession he forgives the people after Moses grinds the bull idol and makes the people drink it
Moses is a picture of the intercessor that is Christ Jesus and you want to know what
Christmas is really all about your mediator, your priest, your intercessor has come and he pled for you before the
Father and he interceded for you at the cost of his own blood he did die that was the only way for us to be set free from our sin so he is the greater
Moses and Matthew 2 presents him that way in closing this
Christmas I'm not asking you to do anything nothing you gotta go and do only look
Charles Spurgeon was likewise caught up in this cycle he was a pastor's son and his grandpa and great grandpa they were all pastors and he had all this pressure but he didn't have any love any joy in the gospel and so on a cold snowy day he tried to go to church but he got snowed in and walked into this old primitive
Methodist church where the preacher was uneducated turned out to be just a like a carpenter or something the preacher couldn't make it he was snowed in and this old
Methodist man got up and he said son you look miserable and he told him to quit striving and he said look to me all you nations of the earth and be saved look that's all you gotta do is just look and it opens
Spurgeon's eyes to the gospel that the gospel is about Christ look at yourself you'll be discouraged look at Christ you'll be saved believe in him you'll be saved that's what
Christmas is all about so this morning let's all just bow our heads maybe there's somebody here you always assumed that Christmas was merely just a tradition and there's other traditions in the world know this morning hear the word of God that the message of Jesus born to a virgin who lived a perfect life was crucified buried and rose from the dead this message is true and you must repent and believe in order to be saved so let's all bow our heads and maybe this morning you'd like to pray just in the quietness of your own heart pray something like this
God I am a sinner I deserve to die and the second death of going to hell but I believe in Jesus he was born to the virgin lived a perfect life that he died in my place that Jesus rose from the dead so Jesus this
Christmas morning I look to you here
I am save me the sinner the chief of sinners save me from my sins
I ask in Jesus name amen awesome let's stand and let's worship
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh in Excelsis Deo in Excelsis Deo in Excelsis Deo to Bethlehem and see
Christ who's birth the angel sing come adore on bended
Christ the Lord, the newborn
King. Gloria, in excelsis
Deo. Gloria, in excelsis
Deo. We'll go in peace with Simeon's blessing.
Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word.
For my eyes have seen your salvation, that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples a light for revelation to the