Emmanuel: God With Us
December 25, 2023 • Ps Anthony Liebenberg • Isaiah 7:14, Romans 5:8, Psalm 121, 1 Timothy 1:13, Matthew 1:18
For this blessed Christmas, join Pastor Anthony as he teaches us about the God who is with us: Emmanuel. It's very important to understand the power of the God who is with us and what the significance of His name, Emmanuel means to us.
Jesus's birth was promised to us as we see in Matthew 1 verse 21 but we see the prophecy of His birth in Isaiah 7:14. That’s because it was not by coincidence.
It Was Not A Surprise.
Jesus’s birth - His coming was not a surprise. It was foretold long before Mary gave birth to Him. That’s because whatever God speaks is always consistent. We see this in His word and through the birth of Jesus. So,. even though there are a lot of prophecies that have been fulfilled in the Bible, some are still yet to be fulfilled. That’s because God's word is consistent, it doesn't change and it is not a surprise. This also applies in our lives. What He says He will do, He will surely fulfill. Whatever He promises us, He will surely do.
God Took The Initiative.
God is always there and He is always involved. We see this in Jesus's coming and in His dying for us. He always takes initiative. He came to seek and save us, He initiated transformation - He took initiative to die for us when we were sinners. He did it all first and that’s why we can come to Him, that's why we can follow Him.
God Does Not Want Us To Live In Darkness.
God wants to be invested in our lives because He doesn't want us to live in darkness and confusion. He wants us to be free. He is our light. He has given us light and clear instruction as to how we should be. He is the light that calls us out of darkness. He cleanses us and walks with us, therefore in Him we don’t have to fear anything. In Him, darkness is defeated.
The truth is, God is watching but we are not. That's because we are distracted by the things of the world, we are ignorant. However, God can give us the power, capacity and authority to live life to the fullest. So, for us to get to the point of living a life focused on God is always a heart issue.
Jesus came to give us clarity because He is the light of the world. So we need to fix our hearts on Him and follow Him.
He Is Jesus - Emmanuel - God With Us
We never have to walk alone, we are never left destitute because He is Emmanuel. He came so that we can have life in abundance. He is always there. This is confirmed by the Psalmist in Psalm 139 verse 7 - 10 and we see it in Jeremiah 23 verse 23 - 24. We cannot hide from Him, there is nowhere where we can go that He can't see or touch. He is always with us.
Therefore, we need to stop making God a pop up genie. We need to stop looking for Him only when things are bad or when it's Christmas, we need to look for Him always.
Jesus Chose The 12 Disciples To Be With Him.
God is calling us to be with Him. He is Emmanuel - God with us but we also need to be with Him. He sent out an open invitation and we need to respond to His invitation. He is not only God with us but He is God in us.
So are you with Him? Have you made the decision to allow Him into your life?
