Somebody Loves You
The Beauty Of Christmas
What is the real purpose of celebrating Christmas? To me, as I answer that great question, is that God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to die for you and to die for me. That's the reason for the real season that we celebrate even here tonight. I am falling, I am falling enough, I am falling enough, I am falling in love. Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, The Bible Teaching Ministry of Role Race in Diamond Bar, California. Concluding our focus on Jesus' world-changing birth, Role will share some final reflections about that miraculous night and will inspire us to look to the future with unshakable hope. You'll see that Jesus arrived humbly and quietly in a backwater town, but his mission was to bring salvation to the world. Join us in Matthew chapter 1 beginning in verse 21, With the message The Beauty of Christmas, here's Role Race. There are so many people today that still do not understand why Jesus Christ came into the world. I talk to people all the time and it's amazing when you talk to them about Christ, you talk to them about Christmas, we go back in history and we know that Christmas was not really in December, but it was sometime around October. And what's incredible about Christmas is that it is a holiday that has been given to those people that are worshipers of Christ. And yet there are people that when they celebrate Christmas, they get so caught up with the glamour of Christmas, the glamour of television, the glamour of ads and malls and news advertisements, and the philosophy of the world is always this, you deserve it, so buy it. You need to get it because you deserve it. And when you think of that philosophy of the world, yet the advice that is given to us through the Word of God is that this young man by the name of Jesus, coming out of all eternity and coming down to this little place called earth so that he could become the Savior of the world. So it's really not about just celebrating just a day, but it is a time not only historically. This is now close to 2,000 years since the first coming of Jesus Christ. And the question that I have for you tonight is what is the real purpose of celebrating Christmas? To me, as I answer that great question, is that God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son, Jesus Christ, into the world. To die for you and to die for me. That's the reason for the real season that we celebrate even here tonight. Listen to Matthew what he says as he takes the gospel of Matthew. You know, when people get saved and they become Christians, I always like to tell the new believer, "Cancers, don't tell them to read the book of Matthew 1. Tell them to read the book of John." Now the reason is because when you have a New Testament and you open to the book of Matthew in the first 17 verses, it's the genealogy of Jesus Christ. He be got who, and he be got who, and he be got, it's a bunch of names. And then about verse 18, he begins with the story of the birth of our Lord in Savior Jesus Christ, how a young woman by the name of Mary was chosen by God to become the mother of God. I mean, God has always existed, he's always been. And yet in Matthew chapter 1, verse 21, I love what the Scripture says there. It says this, "And she will bring forth a son, and you will call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." In the coming of our Lord in Savior Jesus Christ, there was a great problem on the earth. The problem was what? Sin. In the Old Testament, when you go backwards to the Old Testament, from the book of Malachi, which is the last book of the Old Testament, and you go all the way to the book of Genesis, which is the first book of the Old Testament, 39 books. It's interesting that in Genesis chapter 3.15, he begins with the story of a Mashiach coming and a woman that would bear that child, and that she would be a virgin. And that Satan himself would be put down and would be crushed. And when you think of what Matthew here, the Levite, the one that was a publican, the one that was hated by his own people, the Jews, because he was ripping off people, and he was sharing with the government of Rome the monies they were taking from the poor people. And whoever thought that Jesus would come by one day and call Matthew to become his own personal disciple. So for me, it's incredible to be able to read the history of the birth of our Lord in Savior Jesus Christ. Because at the time that Jesus came into this world, it's important that we understand that going back into history, there were four major empires that had ruled the world, the Egyptians, the Assyrians. But then, of course, the Babylonians, and then the meats and the Persians, and then Alexander the Great, and then the Roman Empire. You see, the Babylonians only ruled for 70 years, and they came to an end. The meats and the Persians ruled for 200 years, and then the Greeks by Alexander the Great leading, they ruled for 200 more years, but the greatest of all of them was the Roman Empire. They ruled the world for 1500 years. Think about that, historically, secularly, and biblically, we understand that. And when you look at the beginning of time, and you begin to look at the beginning of the Savior, the first coming of Jesus Christ, right before the second coming of Jesus Christ, the second time before He comes, guess who's going to be ruling once again the revived Roman Empire, with 10 major nations of the world? Interesting. At the time when the Roman Empire began to rule, and when Christ came into this world, there were 138 million people that were governed by Rome. And at the same time, the period of peace, known as the Pax Romana, admired all the way through history that it lasted only 200 years. And then it came to an end. In 444 BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated on his throne, and he went not only to his throne, went to his great-grand nephew, but he was also given the title Caesar Augustus, one of the major, major titles. And what's incredible to me is I read the Gospel's Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In the Gospel of Luke chapter 2, verse 1, it says, and it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. That decree that was given by Augustus was a decree that took Joseph and Mary from the Sea of Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to bring them down to Jerusalem, and eventually, as she was pregnant with a child, to have Jesus, what baby Jesus, in Bethlehem, the house of bread, where the prophet Isaiah chapter 7, 14, and Micah 5, 1, says what? That he would be born in the city of Bethlehem. When Jesus Christ came the first time, he fulfilled out of 500 prophecies, 300 prophecies himself, at his first coming. The last 200 will be fulfilled at his second coming very soon. So to me, history is incredible when I read it, when I study it. Because also in the Gospel of Luke, as you continue to read in chapter 2, verse 7, "As Mary and Joseph were coming to pay taxes, the Holy Spirit leading the whole time, God had a plan. She was pregnant, she was nine months already pregnant, she was getting ready to have this baby, and she didn't come in a car, she came on a donkey, and it says this, "And when they got to Bethlehem, she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him up in settling cloth, and laid him on a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." When they went to the hallelujah, not like our hallelujah's inn. In those hallelujah's inn, there was just a little cubit place, no ceiling, you slept on the floor, and the dirt. And when she wanted to get a room, there was no room for her. But think about it spiritually, when Joseph and Mary came, it says that there was no room in the inn for them. As we look back 1900 years to the present time today, think of how many people even tonight as they will be visiting family members, friends, and there will be many people that will celebrate Christmas, but not the way those that truly have been born again of the Holy Spirit. It's a real different type of worship. Why? Because people today still do not have room in their hearts for Jesus Christ. They have room for everything else except Christ. It's important that we understand how important Christmas is to us. This is Somebody Loves You Radio with Rollewries. We're here to help you confidently step into the coming year with faith and hope in God's provision of our Lord Jesus Christ. Visit us at SomebodyLovesYou.com to browse our full selection of resources and to order this series titled He Shall Be Ruler. Now back to the conclusion of our study. Check this out. This is so beautiful. Because as we look at Matthew chapter 1 verse 21, our text, it says, "And she will bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. For he, check this out, shall save his people from their sins." Three things I see here. Number 1, the person chosen to carry the son. Who's that? Mary, the human. 16 years old, 17 years old, we really don't know how old she was. She was a young maid, a virgin, never had been with a man. She became pregnant by the Holy Spirit in that culture in that time. If any young girl, any young woman would ever become pregnant or would have sexual encounters with a man, both parties would be brought before the city gates with the judges and the judges with their own parents. They would judge their children and they would pick up stones and they would stone their children to death. That was the law of God in the Old Testament. And now you see when you read the Gospel story about Mary, she was concerned because she was pregnant and she had no husband. She was engaged to Joseph. And Joseph was very concerned. And then secondly, the person naming the son is who? The father sending his only begotten son. He says, and you shall call his name Jesus, which means what? He will save you. The Savior of the world. And what's amazing to me in the third part of the Scripture, he says, first of all, the person Joseph was who? Mary carried the son. Secondly, the naming of the son by the father. And thirdly, the person saving the world, who's that? He says, for he Jesus will save his people from their sins. Wow. Jesus, the Savior of the world. The first thing that I caught eye to in this is that God loved man so much that he sent his only begotten son. John 3.16, everybody can quote that Scripture. It says, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son notice, that whosoever believe it in him should not perish but have everlasting life, the free gift of life by coming to the person of Jesus Christ. Secondly, God sent his son. And he was in submission to his father's will. Are you in submission to the father's will? For Jesus Christ today, check this out, what he says. In John 638, he says, for Jesus said, I have come down from heaven not to do my own will. In other words, not to do my own thing. He says, but to do the will of the father who sent me. Is that neat? Jesus aligning himself with the perfect will of God the Father in great submission. Thirdly, Jesus came to save sinners from Satan and hell. As I told you before, in Luke 19, 10, an amazing Scripture. It says, for the son of man, which is his human name, notice his human title, he says, has come to seek and to save that which was lost. What does he mean by lost? You're in the darkness. You don't know Christ. We're all born in sin. Because of Adam and Eve, our first parents in the Garden of Eden, when they ate of the fruit of the tree, they were not to eat of what happened. They found out they were naked and they were kicked out of the Garden of Eden. God gave them an opportunity by sending 2nd Adam. Romans chapter 6 talks about this. 2nd Adam is in chapter 5 of Romans. He says, first Adam, sin. Second Adam came to do what to redeem as Jesus Christ. He came 100% human, 100% God, to die for the sins of the world. And that's why these scriptures are so important for me. As a person, as a believer. Fourthly, Jesus also came to destroy the works of the devil. Saying, say, defeat a foe, he's not going to win, he's already lost. It's time is short. That's why the world is in such conditions as today. According to John, 1 John 3, 8, it says, "He who sins is of the devil, for the devil had sin from the beginning, for this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." Jesus Christ came and conquered the devil. Fifthly, Jesus came to fulfill the Old Testament scriptures, those 300 scriptures of prophecy. According to Matthew 5, 17, he says, "To nothing that I came to destroy the law or the prophets, I did not come to destroy, check this out, but to fulfill the scriptures." He came to fulfill. And sixthly, Jesus came to give his life, John 10, 10 to 20, and he says, the thief does not accept, come to steal, to kill, to destroy that Satan. But I, Jesus, have come that they may have life, that they may have it more abundantly, and I will give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. I love that. Nobody can snatch me out of God's hand. I am his, and he is mine. And then finally, he says seventh, that Jesus came to give us eternal life. I like that, eternal life. In 1 John 5, 13, he says, "These things I have written to you, who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God." Isn't that incredible? To continue to believe in the Son of God. You say, well, now, what do I have to do in order to become a follower of Christ? Number one, you need to believe that God exists. And that he came into the earth in human form, and he was called Christ Jesus. According to Romans chapter 10, verse 9, it says this, that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in your hearts that God is raising from the dead, you will be saved. Secondly, you need to accept God's free forgiveness. How? To the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 8 through 10, says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. It's not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. Not of works, as anyone should boast. Everybody's trying to get the heaven through works. Works are of no value apart from faith in Jesus Christ. Faith, period. And he says this, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we should walk in them." And thirdly, we need to switch to God's plan for our lives. Not to keep doing our own thing. We need to switch. That is, according to 1 Peter 121, 22, he says, "Who through Jesus Christ, believe in God, who raised Christ from the dead, and gave Christ glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit of sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart. Have him been born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible through the word of God which lives in abides forever and ever and ever." I love that. The word of God, the Bible. And then fourthly, express desire for Christ to be the director of your life. According to Scripture, in Matthew 7, 21 to 23, remember on the Sermon on the Mount. He's coming to the end of it. And he says this, "Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven." But check this out, "He who thus the will of my Father in heaven." Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? Cast out devils in your name, done many wonders in your name. We see that on television all the time. Phony, baloney people, they use the name of Christ. He says this, "And then I, Jesus, will declare to them, I never knew you. In part, for me, you who continue to practice sin, you can't get in." Well, it's our prayer that no matter what lies ahead for you in the coming months, your heart will find an anchor in the finished work of Christ on the cross. You're listening to somebody who loves your radio with rural race. Today's lesson was titled, "The Beauty of Christmas." If you'd like to get an unedited version, just call us at 800-634-9165. And for a donation of $5 or more, we'll send one to you. Now, we'd also like to tell you about Rawls' entire series titled, "He Shall Be Ruler." It's a 12-part study that's available on both CD and flash drive. In each lesson, you'll learn more about the miraculous night in Bethlehem that changed everything for the world. As you meditate on Jesus' selfless choice to leave heaven with your salvation in view, you'll see why you can entrust your future to His care. Visit somebodylivesyou.com or call 800-634-9165 to order Rawls' 12 lesson series, "He Shall Be Ruler." We'll send you the CD set for $20 or the thumb drive for just $15. That phone number again is 800-634-9165. You can also order this resource by writing us that somebody loves you radio, post-office box 4440, Diamond Bar, California 91765. For podcasts of all of these programs, browse iTunes and Spotify. Our app also provides helpful connections to Scripture with live-streamed Bible teaching and online group reading through God's Word and much more. If you'd like Rawls to pray with you to begin a saving relationship with Jesus or to provide clarity on any Bible questions you might have, you can email him at pastorrol@somebodylivesyou.com. Somebody Loves You Radio with Rawls Reese is fully listener supported. We're grateful for the partnership that enables us to keep sharing the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ. It would be our joy to share the first day of the new year with you. So join us next time as we begin a series exploring what it looks like to walk closely with the Lord in surrendered communion and undivided devotion. Now with a closing comment, here's Rawls once again. And then lastly, we need to build on a solid foundation which is so Christ, period, not religion. A personal love relationship that only comes to Jesus Christ our Lord. According to, again, Matthew, Jesus speaking, he says there's two types of buildings you can build. Check this out. Therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine and obeys them and does them, I will liken him to be a wise man who built his house on a rock. He says, and when the rains come and the floods come and the winds begin to blow and be upon that house, it never fell because it was built and founded. Check this out on the rock. Who's the rock, Jesus Christ. But if you build the wrong foundation, listen to what it says. But everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them. He's like a fully stupid man who built his house on the sand, no foundation. And when the rain comes and the floods come and the wind begins to blow and beat on that house, it fell down and check this out. He adds this and the fall of that house was great. Why? Because there's no Christ as a foundation. Jesus Christ is the only way, the only truth in the only life. That's what we're celebrating tonight. ♪ I am falling in love with you ♪ This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California. (upbeat music) You
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