THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT

Program Air Date – 5-9-10

LESSON TITLE: “THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE: THE DAY OF CHRIST;S BIRTH”

WELCOME

“…Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,” 1 Corinthians 15:58! How about it, are you standing up for God? Are you standing strong in His will and promises? And are you always abounding in His work!

I welcome you as fellow laborers this day in the service of our God. I furthermore thank all of those who have joined us, who have not yet fully submitted to the will of God. My hope and prayer this day is for you and your obedience. As God said, “Today is the day of salvation.” Are you willing to submit to the things of God and obey?

What better way to begin our time together this morning, that in speaking with our God in prayer. Will you bow with me at this time!

(PRAYER)

I hope everyone is ready to worship God in song at this time! We will begin today with a hymn which focuses our thoughts on the precious care of Jesus. That fact is, we are never alone when God is on our side. So, won’t you join in with the congregation at this time as we sing together, “Does Jesus Care?”

(SONG # 1)

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

As we look around our world today, we really don’t find a lot of humility anymore. On the other hand, the ungodly pride, arrogance, and puffed up spirit of many in our day, is certainly in direct opposition to what God has commanded through His Word. In fact, in the great love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13, we find that true Godly love does not demonstrate such types of attitudes.

No doubt this is why we read such teachings from Jesus Himself. One such verse is found in Luke 14:11, there we read, “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Jesus makes this statement after giving an example of how that our human nature often causes us to desire to go to the best seat or to get the most visible place at the wedding feast. The sad reality is, too many of us are more worried about appearances and keeping up with the Jones’s, than in really humbling ourselves before others in this world.

But I might also ask, just how important is this principle? Well, read with me the words of Jesus to His disciples found in Matthew 18:3-4. There we read, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” What is it that the Kingdom of Heaven consist of? Here the verse confirms that the humility of Children exemplifies that attitude and characteristic of one who is worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.

So how about it, do you want to go to heaven? Well, we all better learn to do a better job in humbling ourselves before the throne of God, as well as before the people of this world - “For such is as in the Kingdom of God!” As far as our study, we will be continuing our important discussion entitled, “This Is The Day That The Lord Has Made.” The specific lesson of the day is entitled, “The Day Of Christ’s Birth!” So stay with us and after our next song together, I will be leading us in the main thoughts of the day. But for now let’s join together in our second song of the morning. The name of this hymn, “The Great Physician.”

(SONG # 2)

LESSON

By Ray Sullins

In Isaiah chapter 9 beginning in verse 6 we read, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and a government will be upon His shoulders and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end and upon the throne of David He will come and be over His kingdom.”

As we read the statement made here by the prophet Isaiah, how significant that he is referring to a day, a day when a new king would come. I believe you know who that king was and who it was that came to the world for your sake and mine- Jesus Christ. How beautiful that passage is there that teaches us about the day that Jesus was born. We might ask: “What day was ever greater or could be greater than the day that Jesus Christ took on form of the flesh and was born and brought into this world of the Virgin Mary? And what greater day could there be than that hope that came about because of His birth, and that through Him all nations might be saved and all people might have hope which had previously not been the case?”

As we think about these things then this morning, we want to talk about the greatest day of the birth of Jesus Christ. Considering the seed of woman, the seed of Abraham and the seed of David that was prophetically promised and revealed to us again there in Matthew chapter 1 and verse 1 as according to the plan of God the Father, “Jesus Christ came in the flesh,” John 1 and verse 14, “and dwelt among men that we might have that hope of eternal life.”

And so that day that Jesus was born was a great day, and many of the things surrounding the day were great in and of themselves. For instance, we already made mention briefly of the concept of the mother Mary and the idea of her being a virgin. This was not something that just came about and is spoken of in the New Testament. You know there are several denominations today that actually deny the virgin birth of Christ, therefore denying His deity. Isn’t it interesting that the same Isaiah there in Isaiah 9 that spoke about the coming of the Christ and the reference is to His coming and setting up a kingdom that most accept is the same Isaiah that back in chapter 14 of his book also clarified for us this in verse 14? “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign, behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call His name Emanuel.”

As we think about that now we turn over to the New Testament and we begin to have revealed to us clearly the concept that Christ was truly brought to this earth by and of God and as God and it was done so in a very miraculous way. How could we deny such a thing that really is a part of the heart of everything that is revealed to us here in the text itself?

Well if you’ll turn with me then to the New Testament, we want to begin to look at several passages that help us to see these precious promises of God that help to fulfill the prophecies that are spoken there and encourage us to understand that this Jesus is truly the one that was born according to prophecy and to fulfill the Will of God Almighty.

As we think of the seed of woman, certainly we are reminded there in the book of Luke chapter 1 beginning in verse 26 that actually an angel came and spoke to Mary, and he spoke, as you’ll notice there in verse 27 it says, “to a virgin who was betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.”

As we look at the situation and we see it transpire, how significant that Mary then asks a very important question of the angel. In verse 34 notice what she says. Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be since I do not know a man?” Mary is saying, “I have never been physical with a man, so how can I have a baby without having the seed being planted?” And then the angel answers in the next verse, verse 27, and says, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the highest will overshadow you and therefore also that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” Sound familiar? The idea that Isaiah spoke of. Emanuel, God, With Us, The Son of God, Born not of man, not of flesh, but through a woman, the seed being placed by God Almighty Himself, therefore proper and perfect for the God that would come, Jesus, for Jesus Himself also was perfect.

We further see this idea through the concept of some relatives of Mary. In fact you might recall there in Luke chapter 1 we also read about two people, a husband and wife, Zacharius as well as Elizabeth. Elizabeth again being confirmed as being possibly someone related, as we look down into verse 36, but what is significant is that when they met one another and Mary was with child and Elizabeth was with child, what happened in verse 41 of chapter 1 in Luke says, “And it happened when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary that the babe leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” Guess what she begins to do. To prophecy, to speak about that child that is within Mary, that child that is the seed of God directly, not the seed of a man, and that child that would be the fulfillment of all prophecy and would bring hope and light to the world. And so therefore we read what a wonderful, wonderful woman Mary was and how proper she was as a virgin to fulfill the plan that God had.

Now we want to move over to the book of Matthew and chapter 1 because Jesus was also born to an earthly Father, although Joseph was not the one who planted the seed within Mary, he was still the adopted father, the earthly father that Jesus lived with until He began His ministry somewhere around age 30.

In Matthew chapter 1, we see this, that he was a very devout and just man. In fact if you’ll notice in verse 19 it clarifies such that he was one who was just and when he found out that Mary was expecting or pregnant, he was so just and noble that he was going to put her away thinking that she had been with someone else, and he was going to do it secretly or quietly. That’s what verse 19 says. Why would you do that other than the fact that you didn’t want to make a spectacle of her, that you did love her and care about her and you didn’t like what she did but you weren’t going to make a big deal about it? Well you see, he was just going to look for someone who truly was a virgin. Well guess what God came and said to Joseph later and clarified something that again many in this world today, many even in the denominational world reject and will not accept. God confirms the fact that Jesus was born of a virgin and the seed placed within her was from none other than the Holy Spirit Himself.

If you’ll look down in verse 21, He begins to tell Joseph about why it is that Mary is pregnant. Let’s go back to verse 20 about halfway through. It says this, “The angel then said to Joseph, ‘Son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit and she will bring forth the Son…” There it is capitalized obviously because it is Christ. “And you shall call His name Jesus for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled that which was spoken by the prophet. Who? Isaiah! And here he quotes that, “Behold the virgin shall be with a child and bear a Son and shall call His name Emanuel which means ‘God with us.’ And Joseph being aroused from sleep did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took her to be his wife…” But now hear verse 25. “But did not know her until she had brought forth her firstborn son and His name was called Jesus.”

Joseph never knew her physically. She was a virgin. This is one of the paramount concepts of the foundation of the belief and our faith in Christ that has to be there. If you don’t believe it, you’re wasting your time following God. For the miraculous concept of Jesus being the Son of God and the seed directly of God shows us He was deity that He was God, and not just from God, He was God in the flesh and did not feel it wrong to be equal with God. You see there, Jesus the One Born, the Christ, the Messiah, the Longed For, the Waited For One, the Individual that so many longed to know of before and whom now look back with joy and happiness and know that God has certainly blessed us all. So yes, Jesus did come to the world. He came and was delivered there as we well know in Luke chapter 2 in the city of Bethlehem. We recall that Joseph was there for a census. In fact, they were counting the people. No doubt most likely for taxation during that period. And when Joseph went there, it was then that Mary went into labor. When they looked for a place to stay, they found nothing except as we well know, a manger. Then when the baby was born, we begin to see some things unveiled that prove to us yet again the wonderful day that Jesus was born.

There in chapter 2 again of the book of Luke we see the praise that is mentioned there of the angel. We see the obvious elements as well of those who are known as the wise men, those who in Matthew chapter 2 are related to us as individuals who came from the Far East and who were looking for the Savior who they had been told by God was coming finally according to prophecy and they wanted to see that King. And we see the shepherds that were called there in a sense in the field that also came to Bethlehem and the manger and they saw the great star again and all these things again confirming the great and glorious day that Jesus was born. But perhaps one of those that stands out foremost to me is someone who really was not a follower of Christ and someone who may not have even been that good with Jewish law, although he liked the Jews and that is Herod himself. What was it that Herod was trying to do when he heard that the king of the Jews had been born? He was trying to kill Him. He was trying to kill all the babies. And why? Because he believed the prophecy. He knew what the Jews had been waiting for and he knew what prophecy said and he wanted to kill that King of the Jews so that he would remain the king of the Jews. Well you see there yet again another great confirmation proving to us the great day that Jesus came to the earth, the day that He was born, and the day that all things were fulfilled through Him that we might know that not only was the Savior coming, but that a Savior did come and was born to us in the city of Bethlehem exactly as God had planned even before He created the world.

And so my challenge to you today is to consider the truth of God Almighty. Are you willing to accept all that the Bible has to say? You know I am saddened that in our day and time so many want to pick and choose and they say, “I like this idea or I don’t like this, or I think I can believe in that but I don’t have the faith to believe in something else,” and we pick and choose what we want to follow. Do you believe in God? Because if you believe in God you have got to put Him first and you have got to have the faith to know that God is able and powerful enough to do anything and if He made you and me in our flesh and made all of the world, why could He not plant the seed in a virgin and bring forth a child? He is the Creator anyway! Oh the importance of our faith. Oh the importance of our belief that we might glorify God in everything because it is because of our faith and belief that we prove to God and the world that we are submissive to Him, thus saving ourselves and hopefully helping others to know God and obey God and save themselves as well.

So will you submit to the belief of such today as the coming of Christ? Will you believe that He is your Savior and will you act in such a way that you will secure your place in heaven knowing that you can live eternally with your God in the end?

(SONG # 3 - “Burdens Are Lifted At Calvary!”)

CLOSING COMMENTS

Thank you again for choosing to be with us today, in giving this time to God. I hope and pray that our time and sacrifice has been according to His will. We invite you back every first day of the week at 7:30, as we commit ourselves to the wondrous truths of our God!

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Thanks be to God for His saving grace, which was made available through the coming of Lord to this world. May we all look to Jesus and believe that truly He is the Christ and that He will deliver us in the end.

(Program closing)