The Gift of God

Christ Redeemer Church

Media

The Gift of God

Matthew 1:18-25; December 25, 2022; Ryan Bouton

December 25, 2022 • Ryan Bouton • Matthew 1:18–25

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION

“The [Christian] message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity – hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory – because at the Father’s will Jesus became poor, and was born in a stable so that thirty years later He might hang on a cross.”

~J.I. Packer, 1926-2020, Theologian, cleric, and author

“Let us always love each other

Lead us to the light

Let us hear the voice of reason

Singing in the night.

Let us run from anger

And catch us when we fall

Teach us in our dreams

And please, yes please bless us one and all.

Bless us all with playful years

With noisy games and joyful tears

We reach for you and we stand tall

And in our prayers and dreams we ask you

Bless us all.”

~“Bless Us All” by Paul Williams, from The Muppet Christmas Carol

“The central miracle asserted by Christians is the incarnation. They say that God became man. If the thing happened, it was the central event in the history of the world.”

~C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) in Miracles

SERMON PASSAGE

Matthew 1:18-25 (ESV)

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

And His Name Shall Be Called…Everlasting Father

December 18, 2022 • Don Willeman • Isaiah 9:1–7

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION “Life has no meaning the moment you lose the illusion of being eternal.” ~Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980), French existentialist philosopher “To be always relevant, you have to say things which are eternal.” ~Simone Weil (1909-1943), French philosopher, mystic and political activist “[T]here is, finally, no intelligible (much less persuasive) secular version of the conviction that every human being is sacred; the only intelligible versions are religious.” ~Michael J. Perry, legal scholar at Emory School of Law, in The Idea of Human Rights (Oxford Press, 2000) “The creation of the world was a very great thing, but not so great as the incarnation of Christ. It was a great thing for God to make the creature, but not so great as for the Creator himself to become a creature. Many great things were accomplished between the fall of man and the incarnation of Christ: but God becoming man was greater than all.” ~Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) in A History of the Work of Redemption “Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge, fitter to bruise than polish.” ~Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672), American Puritan poet “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” ~William Shakespeare (1564-1616), in As You Like It “Yeah. After the first 20 years of toiling, sure. Then it was overnight.” ~James Brown, host of The NFL Today on CBS, after being told he was an “overnight success” “Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper the Lord is your shade on your right hand.” ~Psalm 121:4-5 (ESV) SERMON PASSAGE Isaiah 9:1-7 (ESV) Isaiah 9 1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah 40 27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 41 10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 53 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Isaiah 63 16 For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.

Prince of Peace

December 11, 2022 • Abrm McQuarters • Isaiah 9:6–7

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION “Peace comes when there is no cloud between us and God. Peace is the consequence of forgiveness, God’s removal of that which obscures His face and so breaks union with Him.” ~Charles H. Brent “If God be our God, He will give us peace in trouble. When there is a storm without, He will make peace within. The world can create trouble in peace, but God can create peace in trouble.” ~Thomas Watson “God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.” ~C.S. Lewis “We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God.” ~Thomas Merton “The Bible is full of God’s promises to provide for us spiritually and materially, to never forsake us, to give us peace in times of difficult circumstances, to cause all circumstances to work together for our good, and finally to bring us safely home to glory. Not one of those promises is dependent upon our performance. They are all dependent on the grace of God given to us through Jesus Christ.” ~Jerry Bridges “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” ~1 Thessalonians 5:23 “He came the first time to die; He is coming again to raise the dead. When He came the first time, they questioned whether He was King; the next time the world will know that He is King of kings and Lord of lords. The first time He wore a crown of thorns; the next time He will be wearing a crown of glory. The first time He came in poverty; the next time He is coming in power. The first time He had an escort of angels; the next time He will come with ten thousands of His saints. The first time He came in meekness; He is coming again in majesty.” ~Adrian Rogers SERMON PASSAGE Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV) Isaiah 9 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Philippians 4 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. Matthew 28 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

And He Shall Be Called…Mighty God

December 4, 2022 • Don Willeman • Isaiah 9:1–7

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION “The central miracle asserted by Christians is the incarnation. They say that God became man. If the thing happened, it was the central event in the history of the world.” ~C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) in Miracles “…a stable once had something inside it that was bigger than our whole world.” ~C.S. Lewis in The Last Battle “It’s a startling idea, of course. My guess is that the whole story — that a virgin was selected by God to bear His Son as a way of showing His love and concern for man — is not an idea that has been popular with theologians. It’s a somewhat illogical idea, and theologians like logic almost as much as they like God. It’s so revolutionary a thought that it probably could only come from a God that is beyond logic.” ~Harry Reasoner (1923-1991), journalist known for his work on “60 Minutes” “The dignity of human nature, fashioned in the divine image, is such that God can take it for himself—and keep it.” ~Dr. Nigel Cameron, bioethicist and writer “For whatever reason God chose to make man as he is— limited and suffering and subject to sorrows and death—He had the honesty and the courage to take His own medicine…. He has Himself gone through the whole of human experience…. He was born in poverty and died in disgrace and thought it well worthwhile.” ~Dorothy L. Sayers (1893-1957), English writer and poet “He is a king of the most unparalleled…grace…. He is exceedingly gracious in the manner of his ruling his people by sweetly and powerfully influencing their hearts by his grace: not governing them against their wills, but powerfully inclining their wills.” ~Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), New England pastor and theologian “Christ refuses no one because of their weakness and accepts no one because of their greatness.” ~paraphrased from Richard Sibbes (1577-1635) in The Bruised Reed SERMON PASSAGE Isaiah 9:1-7 (ESV) Isaiah 9 1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah 10 20 In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.