WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.419 All of us have special thoughts and happy memories 00:00:04.419 --> 00:00:07.820 that flow into the meaning of Christmas for us 00:00:07.820 --> 00:00:12.359 and for our families. Christmas is a time of 00:00:12.359 --> 00:00:17.280 celebration for all Christians. So much so that 00:00:17.280 --> 00:00:19.879 an atheist is said to have once complained to 00:00:19.879 --> 00:00:23.280 a friend of his that Christians have their holidays 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:26.899 to celebrate like Christmas and Easter. He said 00:00:26.899 --> 00:00:29.780 Jews have their days to celebrate like Hanukkah 00:00:29.780 --> 00:00:33.359 and Passover, but he said we atheists don't have 00:00:33.359 --> 00:00:37.420 a recognized holiday for us. It's unfair discrimination. 00:00:38.859 --> 00:00:42.259 To which complaint his friend replied, why don't 00:00:42.259 --> 00:00:49.100 you celebrate April 1st? It is true that the 00:00:49.100 --> 00:00:52.539 Christian's day of celebration has been usurped 00:00:52.539 --> 00:00:56.990 by the world and transformed into a commercial 00:00:56.990 --> 00:01:00.909 bonanza. But let us who know Jesus Christ not 00:01:00.909 --> 00:01:05.269 fail to celebrate Christmas. Don't allow the 00:01:05.269 --> 00:01:08.250 meaning of the season to be robbed from your 00:01:08.250 --> 00:01:12.129 heart. As I pondered the meaning of Christmas, 00:01:13.569 --> 00:01:16.310 I thought it might be interesting to approach 00:01:16.310 --> 00:01:19.709 our Christmas messages from that theme. What 00:01:19.709 --> 00:01:23.780 does Christmas mean? And to follow this approach 00:01:23.780 --> 00:01:26.120 in the Word of God, to follow that theme as it 00:01:26.120 --> 00:01:29.159 would unfold within those pages, I'd like for 00:01:29.159 --> 00:01:31.819 us today and for the following four Sundays, 00:01:31.959 --> 00:01:34.680 the Lord willing, to talk about what Christmas 00:01:34.680 --> 00:01:41.640 means to God the Father, to God the Son, to God 00:01:41.640 --> 00:01:46.480 the Holy Spirit, to the angels, and finally to 00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:51.040 the world, for all participated in Christmas 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:54.000 originally. What is the meaning of Christmas 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:57.219 to God the Father? That is our thought for this 00:01:57.219 --> 00:01:59.859 morning. I invite you to open your Bible and 00:01:59.859 --> 00:02:04.359 turn with me to Luke chapter 2 as we begin reading 00:02:04.359 --> 00:02:10.719 in verse 25. What this records actually takes 00:02:10.719 --> 00:02:14.020 place a few days, eight days after the birth 00:02:14.020 --> 00:02:17.879 of our Lord, and it took place not in Bethlehem 00:02:17.879 --> 00:02:20.159 but in the temple in Jerusalem. for they had 00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:24.259 taken Jesus to be circumcised. And it says in 00:02:24.259 --> 00:02:27.659 verse 25, Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem 00:02:27.659 --> 00:02:33.139 whose name was Simeon. And this man was righteous 00:02:33.139 --> 00:02:37.219 and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel. 00:02:38.039 --> 00:02:41.099 And the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had 00:02:41.099 --> 00:02:44.340 been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that 00:02:44.340 --> 00:02:48.689 he would not see death before he had seen the 00:02:48.689 --> 00:02:53.250 Lord's Christ. Think of what an amazing revelation 00:02:53.250 --> 00:02:57.250 that was. How thrilled this man's heart must 00:02:57.250 --> 00:02:59.969 have been that with his very eyes he would see 00:02:59.969 --> 00:03:04.129 this anointed one whom he had been expecting 00:03:04.129 --> 00:03:08.229 for the long years of his life. Before he died, 00:03:08.449 --> 00:03:13.490 his eyes would look upon this one. And he came 00:03:13.490 --> 00:03:19.219 in the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents 00:03:19.219 --> 00:03:22.719 brought in the child Jesus to carry out for him 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:26.400 the custom of the law, then he, Simeon, took 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:31.900 him into his arms and blessed God and said, Now, 00:03:31.900 --> 00:03:35.620 Lord, thou dost let thy bond -servant depart 00:03:35.620 --> 00:03:40.819 in peace according to thy word. For my eyes have 00:03:40.819 --> 00:03:44.280 seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared 00:03:44.280 --> 00:03:47.860 in the presence of all peoples. A light of revelation 00:03:47.860 --> 00:03:53.099 to the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel." 00:03:53.099 --> 00:03:55.060 And his father and mother were amazed at the 00:03:55.060 --> 00:04:00.419 things which were being said about him. And then 00:04:00.419 --> 00:04:03.080 if you would turn with me please to 1 John chapter 00:04:03.080 --> 00:04:13.740 4 verses 9 and 10. By this the love of God was 00:04:13.740 --> 00:04:18.600 manifested in us. that God has sent His only 00:04:18.600 --> 00:04:21.699 begotten Son into the world so that we might 00:04:21.699 --> 00:04:27.399 live through Him. In this is love. Not that we 00:04:27.399 --> 00:04:31.079 loved God, but that He loved us and sent His 00:04:31.079 --> 00:04:37.800 Son to be the propitiation for our sins. We want 00:04:37.800 --> 00:04:40.339 to think today regarding the theme, what Christmas 00:04:40.339 --> 00:04:44.829 means to God the Father. Before we do that, it's 00:04:44.829 --> 00:04:47.470 necessary for us to talk briefly about the nature 00:04:47.470 --> 00:04:53.310 of God as Trinity. Although that word, Trinity, 00:04:53.550 --> 00:04:57.709 is not used in the Bible, it describes how God 00:04:57.709 --> 00:05:02.209 has revealed Himself, that is, that He exists 00:05:02.209 --> 00:05:08.069 in three eternal persons, the Father, the Son, 00:05:08.550 --> 00:05:13.649 and the Holy Spirit. Each person is distinct. 00:05:15.149 --> 00:05:19.550 In other words, the Father is not the Son and 00:05:19.550 --> 00:05:23.649 is not the Holy Spirit. Each of them is distinct. 00:05:23.810 --> 00:05:25.990 The Son is not the Father. The Son is not the 00:05:25.990 --> 00:05:30.430 Holy Spirit. Each is distinct. And yet, they 00:05:30.430 --> 00:05:35.889 are one in essence. And they are equal in every 00:05:35.889 --> 00:05:40.269 respect. That's what the Bible teaches about 00:05:40.269 --> 00:05:44.730 the triunity of God. This is not the same as 00:05:44.730 --> 00:05:48.490 tri -theism, which teaches that there are three 00:05:48.490 --> 00:05:52.490 gods, and we Christians are accused of that by 00:05:52.490 --> 00:05:55.730 some, that we teach there are three gods. We 00:05:55.730 --> 00:05:59.430 do not. There is one God who eternally exists 00:05:59.430 --> 00:06:05.050 in three persons. This is neither the same as 00:06:05.050 --> 00:06:08.899 Unitarianism. Unitarianism teaches that there 00:06:08.899 --> 00:06:13.139 is one God without any distinction of persons. 00:06:14.279 --> 00:06:16.500 Indeed, modern -day Unitarians, if they weren't 00:06:16.500 --> 00:06:19.420 liberal enough already, usually talk about one 00:06:19.420 --> 00:06:24.199 God with a small G on it. What we're saying about 00:06:24.199 --> 00:06:27.800 what the Scriptures teach concerning God is not 00:06:27.800 --> 00:06:32.379 Unitarianism. The triune nature of God is difficult 00:06:32.379 --> 00:06:35.660 to understand, if not impossible to understand. 00:06:36.269 --> 00:06:39.449 But of course, that difficulty does not mean 00:06:39.449 --> 00:06:43.310 that it's untrue. There are many analogies that 00:06:43.310 --> 00:06:46.870 have been offered to help get us past the mental 00:06:46.870 --> 00:06:53.290 difficulties of this concept of God's one and 00:06:53.290 --> 00:06:58.550 threeness. None of these analogies is perfect. 00:06:59.910 --> 00:07:02.910 They all break down at some point, but they help 00:07:02.910 --> 00:07:06.290 us to begin to understand, perhaps, what the 00:07:06.290 --> 00:07:08.829 Scriptures mean when they teach that God is one 00:07:08.829 --> 00:07:13.610 and yet three. For example, any given object 00:07:13.610 --> 00:07:17.509 has three dimensions to it, height, depth, and 00:07:17.509 --> 00:07:21.850 length. They cannot be separated from each other, 00:07:21.910 --> 00:07:26.370 for they all are a part of the one object. Another 00:07:26.370 --> 00:07:28.930 analogy that has been pointed out is time. Time 00:07:28.930 --> 00:07:32.889 has three modes to it, past, present, and future, 00:07:33.290 --> 00:07:38.029 and yet it's all time. And perhaps the most familiar 00:07:38.029 --> 00:07:41.910 one is the three parts of man's nature, that 00:07:41.910 --> 00:07:45.230 we are, as we understand it, body, soul, and 00:07:45.230 --> 00:07:50.189 spirit. We are tripart beings, reflecting in 00:07:50.189 --> 00:07:53.970 that sense the trinity of God. And yet we are 00:07:53.970 --> 00:07:59.129 one person, though we have body, soul, and spirit. 00:08:00.649 --> 00:08:03.189 Donald Cold writes, the idea of the trinity is 00:08:03.189 --> 00:08:07.089 somewhat overpowering. I think that's an understatement. 00:08:07.910 --> 00:08:10.069 But then he goes on to quote J. H. Large who 00:08:10.069 --> 00:08:14.589 says, one cannot meditate on the awesome and 00:08:14.589 --> 00:08:18.670 insoluble mystery of eternal and infinite being 00:08:18.670 --> 00:08:22.269 without being made to realize that any inquiry 00:08:22.269 --> 00:08:26.350 into the nature of God and the mode of His existence 00:08:26.350 --> 00:08:30.430 must be entered upon with reverent caution and 00:08:30.430 --> 00:08:33.309 utter dependence upon what God has been pleased 00:08:33.309 --> 00:08:38.450 to reveal. God has revealed Himself as Father, 00:08:39.269 --> 00:08:46.889 Son, and Holy Spirit. Now today, with deep and 00:08:46.889 --> 00:08:51.509 profound reverence for the Trinity, we want to 00:08:51.509 --> 00:08:56.169 isolate God the Father in our thinking and think 00:08:56.169 --> 00:09:00.429 about what Christmas meant and means to Him. 00:09:02.350 --> 00:09:05.830 It seems to me that to God the Father, The meaning 00:09:05.830 --> 00:09:10.029 of Christmas would include at least these three 00:09:10.029 --> 00:09:16.629 aspects. Revelation, relationship, and redemption. 00:09:18.649 --> 00:09:20.649 Now I'd like you to jot those words down because 00:09:20.649 --> 00:09:22.850 those are going to become the focus of our thinking 00:09:22.850 --> 00:09:25.509 this morning as we think about what God the Father, 00:09:26.289 --> 00:09:29.409 what Christmas means to God the Father. We're 00:09:29.409 --> 00:09:31.769 going to think about Revelation, relationship, 00:09:32.070 --> 00:09:36.350 and redemption. To God the Father, Christmas 00:09:36.350 --> 00:09:41.710 in the first place involves the fullness of His 00:09:41.710 --> 00:09:48.350 self -revelation to mankind. I repeat, as we 00:09:48.350 --> 00:09:51.470 think about what Christmas means to God the Father, 00:09:52.230 --> 00:09:55.649 first of all let's consider that it involves 00:09:55.649 --> 00:10:01.610 the fullness of His self -revelation to mankind. 00:10:02.700 --> 00:10:06.399 Turn over a few pages to the Gospel of John and 00:10:06.399 --> 00:10:10.220 the first chapter. I want us to look at the last 00:10:10.220 --> 00:10:13.039 verse of the prologue of the Gospel of John, 00:10:13.320 --> 00:10:18.860 verse 18. Where the Apostle John draws the line 00:10:18.860 --> 00:10:22.899 and he says this, no man has seen God at any 00:10:22.899 --> 00:10:27.299 time. Now he is not counting here the theophanies. 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:32.779 What are theophanies? Those are Old Testament 00:10:32.779 --> 00:10:37.740 appearances of God when God assumed a body form 00:10:37.740 --> 00:10:42.159 and became visible as in the angel of the Lord 00:10:42.159 --> 00:10:46.740 in the Old Testament. What John is saying here 00:10:46.740 --> 00:10:51.019 is that no man has seen the essence of God at 00:10:51.019 --> 00:10:54.490 any time. We have seen only a form in which God 00:10:54.490 --> 00:10:56.950 has revealed himself but he says no man has seen 00:10:56.950 --> 00:11:00.350 God in his essence. Why? Because God in his essence 00:11:00.350 --> 00:11:05.889 is spiritual. Now we think of that which is spirit 00:11:05.889 --> 00:11:10.230 as being rather unreal because it's intangible 00:11:10.230 --> 00:11:15.090 and we can't touch it, we can't see it. But that 00:11:15.090 --> 00:11:19.169 which is spirit is every bit as real as we are 00:11:19.169 --> 00:11:22.889 indeed in some ways perhaps more real. than we 00:11:22.889 --> 00:11:28.490 are in our physical bodies. God is spirit, which 00:11:28.490 --> 00:11:31.450 means that he is very real, but he has not been 00:11:31.450 --> 00:11:36.309 seen in his essence by any man. But he goes on 00:11:36.309 --> 00:11:41.590 to say, the only begotten God, some translations 00:11:41.590 --> 00:11:45.129 put it, the only begotten Son, because it's talking 00:11:45.129 --> 00:11:48.210 here about the Word, who's been talked about 00:11:48.210 --> 00:11:51.080 earlier in the chapter. The only begotten God 00:11:51.080 --> 00:11:56.700 who is in the bosom of the Father, he has explained 00:11:56.700 --> 00:12:01.480 him. He expresses the fact that the only begotten 00:12:01.480 --> 00:12:06.559 one is in the bosom of the Father, which is the 00:12:06.559 --> 00:12:11.379 place of closest identification and affection. 00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:16.899 That one who can be said to be in that closest 00:12:16.899 --> 00:12:20.460 of intimate relationships to the Father. That 00:12:20.460 --> 00:12:25.000 one who is the only begotten, Jesus Christ, the 00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:32.519 Son, it says, he has explained the Father. The 00:12:32.519 --> 00:12:35.019 word explained there in the original language 00:12:35.019 --> 00:12:40.019 is where we get our word exegete. We try to practice 00:12:40.019 --> 00:12:43.259 in our church what we call expository teaching. 00:12:44.139 --> 00:12:47.080 which involves exegeting Scripture, which means 00:12:47.080 --> 00:12:52.159 explaining what the Scriptures say. That's exegeting 00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:58.419 Scripture. What does this mean? Now what John 00:12:58.419 --> 00:13:03.720 1 .18 says is that the only begotten one, Jesus 00:13:03.720 --> 00:13:09.519 Christ, has exegeted the invisible God. He has 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:15.009 declared Him to us. He has interpreted. God to 00:13:15.009 --> 00:13:22.889 us, or He has explained God to us. In other words, 00:13:24.850 --> 00:13:29.029 that first Christmas, when God the Son came into 00:13:29.029 --> 00:13:34.850 the world, to the Father what it meant was, now 00:13:34.850 --> 00:13:42.070 He was about to be fully explained, fully exegeted. 00:13:42.730 --> 00:13:48.750 fully revealed to mankind. That was the essence 00:13:48.750 --> 00:13:52.350 of Jesus' ministry in his life. He came into 00:13:52.350 --> 00:13:58.570 the world that we created human beings might 00:13:58.570 --> 00:14:03.149 begin to grasp what our invisible creator is 00:14:03.149 --> 00:14:07.909 like. He came to explain to us the nature of 00:14:07.909 --> 00:14:13.940 God. Did he do that? Of course he did. In John 00:14:13.940 --> 00:14:16.679 chapter 14, we have the discussion with Jesus 00:14:16.679 --> 00:14:21.820 and his disciples in the upper room. You'll recall 00:14:21.820 --> 00:14:24.679 his promise of coming to receive them to himself. 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:28.440 You recall that he says to them on that occasion, 00:14:28.539 --> 00:14:30.840 I am the way, the truth, and the life. You recall 00:14:30.840 --> 00:14:34.320 that discussion, don't you? Just drop down a 00:14:34.320 --> 00:14:37.720 couple of verses beyond that in John 14 to verse 00:14:37.720 --> 00:14:45.750 8. Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father, 00:14:46.730 --> 00:14:51.389 and it is enough for us. Philip was saying, Lord, 00:14:52.289 --> 00:14:56.669 reveal to us, expose to us, manifest to us the 00:14:56.669 --> 00:15:00.970 Father, and that's all that we want. And notice 00:15:00.970 --> 00:15:05.750 Jesus' profound words in verse 9. Have I been 00:15:05.750 --> 00:15:10.169 with you, or so long with you, and yet you have 00:15:10.169 --> 00:15:15.960 not come to know me? Philip. He who has seen 00:15:15.960 --> 00:15:19.799 me has seen the Father. How do you say, show 00:15:19.799 --> 00:15:23.480 us the Father? There's a mild rebuke from Jesus 00:15:23.480 --> 00:15:27.960 to Philip because Jesus says to him, have I been 00:15:27.960 --> 00:15:30.559 with you so long and yet you have not seen the 00:15:30.559 --> 00:15:35.100 Father, Philip? If you have seen me, if you have 00:15:35.100 --> 00:15:38.039 heard my teaching, if you have seen my life, 00:15:38.409 --> 00:15:42.269 then you have come to see the Father Himself. 00:15:43.690 --> 00:15:47.950 Jesus is saying that He is the fullness of revelation 00:15:47.950 --> 00:15:53.070 with respect to God. Now the fact is that God 00:15:53.070 --> 00:15:57.590 cannot be known by mere natural means apart from 00:15:57.590 --> 00:16:02.450 His own self -disclosure. We have natural means 00:16:02.450 --> 00:16:07.070 of discovering truth. One means is that of science. 00:16:08.340 --> 00:16:14.240 In science, we discover by research. Through 00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:18.360 experiments and hypotheses, we seek to come to 00:16:18.360 --> 00:16:21.759 a greater understanding of the truth about creation 00:16:21.759 --> 00:16:26.080 or nature, as the world says it. That is one 00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:28.919 means of natural discovery that God has given 00:16:28.919 --> 00:16:32.320 to us. But science cannot discover God because 00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:36.379 God cannot be put in a test tube. We do not discover 00:16:36.379 --> 00:16:41.840 God by research. Another means that we have of 00:16:41.840 --> 00:16:45.360 discovering truth is philosophy. Through philosophy 00:16:45.360 --> 00:16:50.799 we discover by reason, through theorizing and 00:16:50.799 --> 00:16:56.139 rationalization, men seek to come to some grip 00:16:56.139 --> 00:17:02.679 with the truth. No man seeks, rather claims to 00:17:02.679 --> 00:17:04.579 fully understand it, but seeks to get a little 00:17:04.579 --> 00:17:09.359 hold on the truth that exists by philosophy. 00:17:09.829 --> 00:17:13.150 A natural means of discovery, but we can't understand 00:17:13.150 --> 00:17:17.230 God by philosophy. Man's knowledge of God is 00:17:17.230 --> 00:17:22.589 limited to what he himself reveals to us. Now 00:17:22.589 --> 00:17:26.750 God has revealed himself by several means. Look 00:17:26.750 --> 00:17:39.789 over in Romans chapter 1 and verse 19. The apostle 00:17:39.789 --> 00:17:42.349 explains that God's wrath is revealed against 00:17:42.349 --> 00:17:46.009 all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who 00:17:46.009 --> 00:17:48.670 suppress the truth and unrighteousness. Verse 00:17:48.670 --> 00:17:54.630 19, because that which is known about God is 00:17:54.630 --> 00:18:01.309 evident where? What does your Bible say? Within 00:18:01.309 --> 00:18:05.190 them, something like that. That which is known 00:18:05.190 --> 00:18:09.009 about God is evident within them. for God has 00:18:09.009 --> 00:18:14.730 made it evident to them." Notice those two statements, 00:18:15.150 --> 00:18:21.329 within them and to them. God has put within the 00:18:21.329 --> 00:18:26.329 conscience of every man the intuitive awareness 00:18:26.329 --> 00:18:32.369 that he exists. God is placed within the consciousness 00:18:32.369 --> 00:18:37.289 of every man within him. The intuitive awareness 00:18:37.289 --> 00:18:44.710 that He is, that couples with creation, where 00:18:44.710 --> 00:18:47.710 God has made it evident to us, not just within 00:18:47.710 --> 00:18:50.390 us, but to us, and He explains that in verse 00:18:50.390 --> 00:18:54.329 20. By the creation of the world, His invisible 00:18:54.329 --> 00:18:58.549 attributes, His eternal power and divine nature 00:18:58.549 --> 00:19:03.430 have been clearly seen, being understood through 00:19:03.430 --> 00:19:06.759 what has been made. so that they are without 00:19:06.759 --> 00:19:12.359 excuse. Who? Everybody. Even that pagan person 00:19:12.359 --> 00:19:14.400 in the most remote part of the world who's never 00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:18.400 heard a word of the Bible has this kind of revelation 00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:20.960 available to him and he is responsible to God 00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:24.839 for it. And because of the darkness of his heart 00:19:24.839 --> 00:19:29.319 and his rejection of it, he's condemned. On the 00:19:29.319 --> 00:19:31.440 other hand, I believe that if he responds to 00:19:31.440 --> 00:19:35.410 it and desires more, Which response would be 00:19:35.410 --> 00:19:38.490 the grace of God working in his life? God will 00:19:38.490 --> 00:19:40.710 get additional truth to him that he might believe 00:19:40.710 --> 00:19:45.009 on Christ and be saved But make no mistake about 00:19:45.009 --> 00:19:49.529 it that God can be known at least in two respects 00:19:49.529 --> 00:19:53.089 to all men everywhere in the respect that he 00:19:53.089 --> 00:19:59.710 exists and that he is powerful Those two truths 00:19:59.710 --> 00:20:02.369 about God are available to all men throughout 00:20:02.369 --> 00:20:06.799 the earth Because God has made it known to us 00:20:06.799 --> 00:20:12.140 and within us. God has revealed Himself by several 00:20:12.140 --> 00:20:16.319 means. By our own consciousness and by the creation. 00:20:17.859 --> 00:20:19.859 But there is another means by which God has made 00:20:19.859 --> 00:20:23.079 Himself known and that is the Old Testament revelation 00:20:23.079 --> 00:20:25.900 of Himself. Go with me now to the book of Hebrews 00:20:25.900 --> 00:20:35.559 chapter 1. The very first verse. God, after He 00:20:35.559 --> 00:20:39.799 spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets 00:20:39.799 --> 00:20:46.720 in many portions and in many ways. Here is another 00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:49.180 way in which God has revealed Himself. It is 00:20:49.180 --> 00:20:53.220 to the prophets of old. He speaks here specifically 00:20:53.220 --> 00:20:57.900 regarding Old Testament revelation. And He says 00:20:57.900 --> 00:21:01.400 concerning that revelation that it came in many 00:21:01.400 --> 00:21:07.539 portions in many ways. What does that mean? Well, 00:21:07.539 --> 00:21:11.519 as he describes the many portions, he is saying 00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:16.720 that it came part by part, or piece by piece, 00:21:17.220 --> 00:21:21.960 fragment by fragment. Here, some revelation, 00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:25.980 and there, some revelation. Here, again, some 00:21:25.980 --> 00:21:29.180 revelation, and there, some revelation. That's 00:21:29.180 --> 00:21:33.079 the way God did it in the Old Testament. And 00:21:33.079 --> 00:21:36.200 he spoke not only in many portions, but in many 00:21:36.200 --> 00:21:39.559 ways. Consider the fact that he spoke through 00:21:39.559 --> 00:21:44.420 visions. He spoke through dreams. He spoke directly. 00:21:45.079 --> 00:21:48.700 He spoke through theophanies. He spoke through 00:21:48.700 --> 00:21:52.400 rituals and ceremonies. He spoke through institutions. 00:21:54.180 --> 00:21:58.420 God in the Old Testament spoke to prophets in 00:21:58.420 --> 00:22:02.309 bits and pieces and did that in many different 00:22:02.309 --> 00:22:06.750 means and ways. But all of these that we've talked 00:22:06.750 --> 00:22:10.490 about, the consciousness within, the creation 00:22:10.490 --> 00:22:13.710 without, and the Old Testament, all of those 00:22:13.710 --> 00:22:17.289 are only partial. They are not full in their 00:22:17.289 --> 00:22:22.390 disclosure of God. It was in the coming of His 00:22:22.390 --> 00:22:29.079 Son that God fully revealed Himself to us. It 00:22:29.079 --> 00:22:33.039 goes on to say here in Hebrews, God who spoke 00:22:33.039 --> 00:22:40.299 this way in ages past, in these last days has 00:22:40.299 --> 00:22:49.599 spoken to us in the sun. When it says that he 00:22:49.599 --> 00:22:52.759 has spoken, the tense of the verb means that 00:22:52.759 --> 00:22:56.859 he has spoken and he has now finished. God has 00:22:56.859 --> 00:22:59.740 said fully what He is going to say to us through 00:22:59.740 --> 00:23:03.940 the Son. Notice it says about Him, whom He appointed 00:23:03.940 --> 00:23:07.440 heir of all things, through whom also He made 00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:10.680 the world. The word world there literally is 00:23:10.680 --> 00:23:14.200 ages, and what it encompasses is everything. 00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:22.900 Time, space, matter, it all came into being. 00:23:23.069 --> 00:23:26.029 through the Son. He is the agent of creation 00:23:26.029 --> 00:23:28.609 and he is the heir of creation, verse 2 tells 00:23:28.609 --> 00:23:33.269 us. And now verse 3 goes on to say, and he, the 00:23:33.269 --> 00:23:38.650 same one, is the radiance of his glory, of God's 00:23:38.650 --> 00:23:43.690 glory. In the life of Jesus Christ we see the 00:23:43.690 --> 00:23:49.670 outshining of God's glory. The glory that has 00:23:49.670 --> 00:23:53.410 been veiled because we could not look upon it, 00:23:53.710 --> 00:23:57.789 is made visible in Jesus Christ. And it says 00:23:57.789 --> 00:24:01.809 further about him that he is the exact representation 00:24:01.809 --> 00:24:09.109 of God's nature, God's essence. The word representation 00:24:09.109 --> 00:24:13.230 here is our word character, like the character 00:24:13.230 --> 00:24:19.079 on a typewriter key. By the impressed of the 00:24:19.079 --> 00:24:23.500 life of Jesus Christ, we are able to see by what 00:24:23.500 --> 00:24:28.079 is left the very nature of what God is, the very 00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:31.359 essence of His person. And it goes on to say, 00:24:31.559 --> 00:24:36.000 He upholds all things by the word of His power. 00:24:37.779 --> 00:24:40.980 When He had made purification of sins, He sat 00:24:40.980 --> 00:24:43.420 down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. 00:24:44.019 --> 00:24:46.619 That position being the one of acceptance, the 00:24:46.619 --> 00:24:50.519 one of supreme authority, When it says that He 00:24:50.519 --> 00:24:52.940 sat down, it does not mean that He sat down to 00:24:52.940 --> 00:24:56.980 rest. He sat down to go to work. Just as some 00:24:56.980 --> 00:25:00.799 of us sit down at a desk to go to work on Monday 00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:05.019 mornings. So our Lord sat down, it says, at the 00:25:05.019 --> 00:25:08.079 right hand of God, there to begin His work of 00:25:08.079 --> 00:25:14.779 intercession on our behalf. The Lord Jesus Christ 00:25:14.779 --> 00:25:18.509 is the fullness of God's revelation. And we have 00:25:18.509 --> 00:25:24.250 in the New Testament a propositional, permanent, 00:25:24.509 --> 00:25:28.589 written record of that personal revelation of 00:25:28.589 --> 00:25:32.970 Christ. What does all this mean to us? Well, 00:25:32.970 --> 00:25:36.170 it means that we must bow in worship of Jesus 00:25:36.170 --> 00:25:42.349 Christ the Son, who is deity Himself, come in 00:25:42.349 --> 00:25:47.089 human form. He has been sent by God the Father. 00:25:47.279 --> 00:25:55.539 so that we might fully know Him. Therefore, Jesus 00:25:55.539 --> 00:25:59.619 Christ is worthy of our total devotion. And we 00:25:59.619 --> 00:26:02.220 ought to give to Him complete obedience because 00:26:02.220 --> 00:26:06.839 He is God Himself come in the flesh. And a further 00:26:06.839 --> 00:26:09.039 means regarding this book that you and I have 00:26:09.039 --> 00:26:12.099 in our hands this morning, that we must approach 00:26:12.099 --> 00:26:16.380 the Bible with reverence. not worshiping it as 00:26:16.380 --> 00:26:19.920 an object, but worshiping the God and the Christ 00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:24.859 whom it reveals to us. For this book is an infallible 00:26:24.859 --> 00:26:30.319 revelation of God in written form. Rather than 00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:33.700 making it an end in itself, we are to make it 00:26:33.700 --> 00:26:39.299 a means to the end that we might know Him. The 00:26:39.299 --> 00:26:41.819 Bible is not given to us that we might master 00:26:41.819 --> 00:26:47.660 its trivia. It is given to us that we might worship 00:26:47.660 --> 00:26:52.539 our God. What does Christmas mean to God the 00:26:52.539 --> 00:26:55.980 Father? Well, in the first place, it means revelation. 00:26:57.539 --> 00:27:00.599 It means that when Christmas came, God was fully 00:27:00.599 --> 00:27:04.119 disclosing Himself to us in that babe in the 00:27:04.119 --> 00:27:07.740 manger, who grew up then to live a sinless life 00:27:07.740 --> 00:27:11.160 and offer Himself on the cross as a propitiation 00:27:11.160 --> 00:27:17.680 for our sins. God wants you to know Him. God 00:27:17.680 --> 00:27:19.940 has done the most incredible thing that you might. 00:27:21.079 --> 00:27:25.319 He has sent His Son into this world to live in 00:27:25.319 --> 00:27:28.920 humanity like yours and mine, yet without sin. 00:27:30.039 --> 00:27:34.660 That we might see Him and know Him and trust 00:27:34.660 --> 00:27:43.539 Him and worship Him. What does Christmas mean 00:27:43.539 --> 00:27:45.740 to God the Father? Well, in the second place, 00:27:47.359 --> 00:27:51.180 I believe that Christmas involves this meaning. 00:27:52.799 --> 00:27:56.279 That it marked the initiation. Now listen to 00:27:56.279 --> 00:28:00.799 me carefully. It marked the initiation of a new 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:09.109 relationship between himself and his son. A new 00:28:09.109 --> 00:28:11.970 relationship is involved here because of Christmas. 00:28:14.769 --> 00:28:18.309 First we have to understand that the names father 00:28:18.309 --> 00:28:27.769 and son do not connote generation. That is, as 00:28:27.769 --> 00:28:31.549 we use it in an earthly sense. When one is the 00:28:31.549 --> 00:28:35.349 father and one is the son on the earth, it means 00:28:35.349 --> 00:28:39.539 that the father has generated life to the Son, 00:28:40.200 --> 00:28:42.960 so that the Son came into being because of the 00:28:42.960 --> 00:28:47.480 Father. That is not what it means in the Bible 00:28:47.480 --> 00:28:53.240 when God is called Father and Son. Nor do those 00:28:53.240 --> 00:28:59.640 terms imply any inferiority of the Son to the 00:28:59.640 --> 00:29:06.279 Father, for they are equal. Rather, those names 00:29:06.279 --> 00:29:10.440 are chosen to focus on the relationship between 00:29:10.440 --> 00:29:14.160 them or the function, actually, that each of 00:29:14.160 --> 00:29:18.380 them has. They are the very same in substance, 00:29:18.460 --> 00:29:22.819 but they are not the same in duty with regard 00:29:22.819 --> 00:29:27.900 to creation and redemption. Please understand 00:29:27.900 --> 00:29:32.460 that the Son did not become the Son of God at 00:29:32.460 --> 00:29:38.779 Bethlehem. or for that matter at any point, because 00:29:38.779 --> 00:29:47.839 He is eternally the Son of God. So that the second 00:29:47.839 --> 00:29:50.960 person could always rightly address the first 00:29:50.960 --> 00:29:58.799 person and call Him Father. However, the incarnation 00:29:58.799 --> 00:30:02.839 initiated a new relationship between the Father 00:30:02.839 --> 00:30:06.759 and the Son, as the Son united Himself to humanity. 00:30:08.740 --> 00:30:12.180 This is evidenced, for example, in what is said 00:30:12.180 --> 00:30:14.480 in John chapter 20. I'd like you to turn there 00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:18.619 and look at this. Some of you have never thought 00:30:18.619 --> 00:30:24.619 about this before. In John chapter 20 and verse 00:30:24.619 --> 00:30:29.420 17, Jesus says to Mary, after His resurrection, 00:30:31.819 --> 00:30:36.740 For I have not yet ascended to the Father." Now 00:30:36.740 --> 00:30:40.480 how long could he call the Father by that name? 00:30:42.319 --> 00:30:48.940 Forever. That was always the right title. The 00:30:48.940 --> 00:30:51.640 Son could always address the first person as 00:30:51.640 --> 00:30:57.799 Father. So Jesus goes on to say, I ascend to 00:30:57.799 --> 00:31:02.829 my Father and your Father. and, this next phrase 00:31:02.829 --> 00:31:08.549 is the significant one, and my God and your God. 00:31:11.210 --> 00:31:16.309 It was only after the incarnation that God the 00:31:16.309 --> 00:31:22.470 Son could address God the Father as God, as His 00:31:22.470 --> 00:31:28.369 God. There are two distinct relationships between 00:31:28.369 --> 00:31:32.039 Christ and the Father. And here they are observed 00:31:32.039 --> 00:31:38.700 in this one verse. When he calls God my Father, 00:31:39.660 --> 00:31:42.420 he points to the eternal relationship that he 00:31:42.420 --> 00:31:48.880 had as the Son. But when he calls Him my God, 00:31:49.819 --> 00:31:53.579 he points to his new relationship to God after 00:31:53.579 --> 00:31:59.099 the incarnation as perfect man. For it is man 00:31:59.240 --> 00:32:07.539 the creature who calls him God. It is Jesus in 00:32:07.539 --> 00:32:11.660 his humanity crying out at the cross, my God, 00:32:11.920 --> 00:32:21.539 my God, why hast thou forsaken me? It is in his 00:32:21.539 --> 00:32:25.460 humanity there that he speaks. What does this 00:32:25.460 --> 00:32:30.240 mean to you and me? Well, obviously you and I 00:32:30.240 --> 00:32:34.559 address God as God, and all people can and should 00:32:34.559 --> 00:32:40.859 because we're all His creatures. He is the deity. 00:32:41.099 --> 00:32:45.880 He is God. But you and I, because we have trusted 00:32:45.880 --> 00:32:50.680 in Jesus Christ and are now united to Him by 00:32:50.680 --> 00:33:00.519 faith, we can also address God as Father. We 00:33:00.519 --> 00:33:02.960 can address Him indeed with such an intimate 00:33:02.960 --> 00:33:09.240 term that the Bible calls it Abba. Daddy. Why? 00:33:10.539 --> 00:33:14.180 Because He has caused us to be born again that 00:33:14.180 --> 00:33:17.759 we are His child. Not just His creature. Any 00:33:17.759 --> 00:33:22.420 creature can call Him God. But we who are saved, 00:33:23.460 --> 00:33:32.819 we can address Him as Father. because He has 00:33:32.819 --> 00:33:39.319 caused us to be born again. That new name by 00:33:39.319 --> 00:33:43.299 which we address Him is possible only because 00:33:43.299 --> 00:33:48.519 we have a relationship with Him based upon Christ's 00:33:48.519 --> 00:33:53.380 saving work at Calvary. Can you address God as 00:33:53.380 --> 00:33:58.180 your Father? Jesus came into the world that He 00:33:58.180 --> 00:34:05.059 might address God as God. as perfect man. But 00:34:05.059 --> 00:34:08.179 He came that He might die as perfect man and 00:34:08.179 --> 00:34:12.260 become sin for us. He came that He might be raised 00:34:12.260 --> 00:34:17.320 from the dead, gloriously alive as man and God 00:34:17.320 --> 00:34:22.119 forever. So that then we through Him and through 00:34:22.119 --> 00:34:27.099 His resurrection life might come to God and we, 00:34:27.380 --> 00:34:31.710 the creatures, call Him Father. because we're 00:34:31.710 --> 00:34:36.289 redeemed for His children. Isn't that great that 00:34:36.289 --> 00:34:38.929 God has done that for us? What does Christmas 00:34:38.929 --> 00:34:42.670 mean to God the Father? It means that He is now 00:34:42.670 --> 00:34:45.690 establishing a new relationship with the Son 00:34:45.690 --> 00:34:53.309 so that He might redeem lost mankind and through 00:34:53.309 --> 00:34:56.730 the Son allow those lost but redeemed people 00:34:56.730 --> 00:35:05.679 to address Him as Father. And finally, what does 00:35:05.679 --> 00:35:10.559 Christmas mean to God the Father? It means this, 00:35:10.639 --> 00:35:14.679 that His plan of redemption was on schedule. 00:35:15.840 --> 00:35:18.300 God's plan of redemption was on schedule. That's 00:35:18.300 --> 00:35:21.840 what Christmas means. Turn again to the Gospel 00:35:21.840 --> 00:35:24.699 of Luke in the second chapter as we go back to 00:35:24.699 --> 00:35:34.190 the text where we started. I remind you again 00:35:34.190 --> 00:35:39.110 that Tussimian was made the promise that he would 00:35:39.110 --> 00:35:44.150 see the Lord's Christ. By the way, notice in 00:35:44.150 --> 00:35:50.469 verse 26, the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, and the 00:35:50.469 --> 00:35:57.650 Lord's, the Father, Christ, the Son. Now, Tussimian 00:35:57.650 --> 00:36:01.500 was the promise made And he recognizes the fulfillment 00:36:01.500 --> 00:36:04.320 of that promise as he holds the Christ child 00:36:04.320 --> 00:36:09.079 in his arms. And he says in verse 30, for my 00:36:09.079 --> 00:36:14.460 eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast 00:36:14.460 --> 00:36:19.840 prepared in the presence of all peoples. And 00:36:19.840 --> 00:36:23.059 then he specifically mentions the Gentiles as 00:36:23.059 --> 00:36:27.929 well as Israel. God had declared and designed 00:36:27.929 --> 00:36:32.230 the plan of salvation for all men from before 00:36:32.230 --> 00:36:35.989 the creation of the world. And from the time 00:36:35.989 --> 00:36:39.090 of creation onward, he began working out this 00:36:39.090 --> 00:36:43.710 great plan. We see it in Genesis 3 .15 as he 00:36:43.710 --> 00:36:49.969 designates the woman's seed as being the source 00:36:49.969 --> 00:36:53.809 of the coming Savior and Redeemer. We see him 00:36:53.809 --> 00:36:57.849 further working in history as he protects that 00:36:57.849 --> 00:37:02.289 seed and the line of the Redeemer from the pollution 00:37:02.289 --> 00:37:06.789 that Satan tried to bring to the human race before 00:37:06.789 --> 00:37:12.510 the flood. And yet he saved a family through 00:37:12.510 --> 00:37:15.030 that flood that he might save the line for the 00:37:15.030 --> 00:37:18.210 Redeemer. We see him further working in Genesis 00:37:18.210 --> 00:37:22.349 chapter 12 when he calls out the family. through 00:37:22.349 --> 00:37:25.610 which the Redeemer eventually would come, the 00:37:25.610 --> 00:37:29.550 family of Abraham. We see him working throughout 00:37:29.550 --> 00:37:32.610 the Old Testament, preserving that line, going 00:37:32.610 --> 00:37:35.429 from generation to generation to generation, 00:37:35.889 --> 00:37:38.710 choosing the one through whom eventually the 00:37:38.710 --> 00:37:43.730 Christ would come. And then when he seemed silent 00:37:43.730 --> 00:37:47.570 for those hundreds of years after Malachi laid 00:37:47.570 --> 00:37:52.849 down his pen, God was still working. as he prepared 00:37:52.849 --> 00:37:57.230 the world for the arrival of his Son. The Apostle 00:37:57.230 --> 00:37:59.769 Paul captures that in Galatians chapter 4 when 00:37:59.769 --> 00:38:03.829 he says, but when the fullness of time was come, 00:38:04.469 --> 00:38:08.510 God sent forth his Son. What does that mean? 00:38:09.590 --> 00:38:12.269 Well, it means that in every respect God had 00:38:12.269 --> 00:38:15.550 prepared the times for the coming of Christ. 00:38:16.750 --> 00:38:19.789 He had caused empires to be raised up and to 00:38:19.789 --> 00:38:23.090 go down. He had caused cultures to be transferred 00:38:23.090 --> 00:38:25.889 from one place to another. He had caused the 00:38:25.889 --> 00:38:29.329 mix to be such that the time was just right for 00:38:29.329 --> 00:38:31.570 the coming of his son. What did Christmas mean 00:38:31.570 --> 00:38:34.590 to God the Father? It meant that the plan of 00:38:34.590 --> 00:38:39.730 redemption was right on schedule. And he moved 00:38:39.730 --> 00:38:42.989 toward the consummation of that plan by sending 00:38:42.989 --> 00:38:45.969 his beloved son into the world marked for death. 00:38:48.079 --> 00:38:53.860 The manger seen with its intimacy, glory, mystery, 00:38:54.360 --> 00:38:59.659 and beauty was overshadowed by the cross with 00:38:59.659 --> 00:39:05.940 its agony, cruelty, rejection, and death. He 00:39:05.940 --> 00:39:10.440 did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him 00:39:10.440 --> 00:39:15.460 up for us all. The fact is that for His plan 00:39:15.460 --> 00:39:19.260 of redemption to be accomplished, God could not 00:39:19.260 --> 00:39:23.940 spare His Son, and He did not. And so He handed 00:39:23.940 --> 00:39:30.619 Him over to death for the sake of the world. 00:39:35.260 --> 00:39:42.659 A number of years ago, a family went on a little 00:39:42.659 --> 00:39:48.920 trip to participate. in a family reunion as was 00:39:48.920 --> 00:39:54.599 their custom each summer. And on that day at 00:39:54.599 --> 00:39:59.360 that park beside the lake they gathered from 00:39:59.360 --> 00:40:04.239 here and there across the upper Midwest to see 00:40:04.239 --> 00:40:13.880 each other again as family. A 16 -year -old boy 00:40:15.030 --> 00:40:17.269 and a friend of his that he had brought along 00:40:17.269 --> 00:40:23.489 to that reunion, went out into the lake. And 00:40:23.489 --> 00:40:27.010 as they were there in the boat, they both fell 00:40:27.010 --> 00:40:31.110 over into the water and neither one of them could 00:40:31.110 --> 00:40:38.369 swim. The father of that 16 -year -old boy saw 00:40:38.369 --> 00:40:42.570 what happened. And he dashed into the water to 00:40:42.570 --> 00:40:49.690 go save. those that he could. And as he swam, 00:40:49.829 --> 00:40:52.869 he realized that he was going to be incapable 00:40:52.869 --> 00:40:58.130 of saving both his son and his friend, his son's 00:40:58.130 --> 00:41:02.789 friend. And he had to make a choice. What would 00:41:02.789 --> 00:41:12.670 you do? That father chose first to grab his son's 00:41:12.670 --> 00:41:16.730 friend. and he pulled him back to shallow water 00:41:16.730 --> 00:41:20.230 and then swam quickly out again to where his 00:41:20.230 --> 00:41:24.530 son had been. But in those seconds, his son had 00:41:24.530 --> 00:41:31.349 gone down for the last time and drowned. That 00:41:31.349 --> 00:41:40.010 father gave his own son over to death and spared 00:41:40.010 --> 00:41:48.900 his son's friend. Jesus said, no greater love 00:41:48.900 --> 00:41:51.179 does a man have than he gives his life for his 00:41:51.179 --> 00:41:58.420 friend. The Father spared not his own son, but 00:41:58.420 --> 00:42:02.599 handed him over to death, that you and I might 00:42:02.599 --> 00:42:06.360 be saved. That's what Christmas means to God 00:42:06.360 --> 00:42:11.820 the Father. I have wondered, do they celebrate 00:42:11.820 --> 00:42:17.429 Christmas in heaven? I believe without question 00:42:17.429 --> 00:42:22.909 they do. And I believe that they celebrate Christmas 00:42:22.909 --> 00:42:27.690 perpetually. They celebrate the gift of God the 00:42:27.690 --> 00:42:32.929 Father in sending His Son. I believe that that 00:42:32.929 --> 00:42:36.269 is the talk of the universe and that it will 00:42:36.269 --> 00:42:40.389 be throughout all of eternity. I guess the question 00:42:40.389 --> 00:42:44.150 for you and for me boils down to this. Can we 00:42:44.150 --> 00:42:48.369 truly celebrate Christmas this year? I do not 00:42:48.369 --> 00:42:50.969 speak of the stockings or the family gatherings 00:42:50.969 --> 00:42:54.449 or the tree with gifts or even religious services 00:42:54.449 --> 00:42:57.710 that we might attend, but have we celebrated 00:42:57.710 --> 00:43:02.909 Christmas by receiving the gift that the Father 00:43:02.909 --> 00:43:08.269 gave? Do you understand this morning that to 00:43:08.269 --> 00:43:11.489 God the Father Christmas means that he gave his 00:43:11.489 --> 00:43:18.090 Son for you? Have you then received that gift, 00:43:18.710 --> 00:43:22.510 that love gift from the Father? If not, will 00:43:22.510 --> 00:43:25.010 you this Christmas season take that gift for 00:43:25.010 --> 00:43:29.650 yourself? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Make 00:43:29.650 --> 00:43:39.769 Him your own. Let's pray. Father, I pray that 00:43:39.769 --> 00:43:41.750 this morning there would be some friend here 00:43:41.750 --> 00:43:49.500 who would do that. May none of us understand 00:43:49.500 --> 00:43:54.699 what Christmas means to you, Father, in terms 00:43:54.699 --> 00:43:58.360 of revelation and relationship and redemption. 00:44:00.019 --> 00:44:04.739 And then turn away from the tree, the cross, 00:44:06.239 --> 00:44:13.199 where that gift lies, waiting to be taken. Thank 00:44:13.199 --> 00:44:17.460 you that that gift is there for each of us. May 00:44:17.460 --> 00:44:22.019 someone receive it today. Receive Him, Jesus 00:44:22.019 --> 00:44:28.699 Christ, and be saved. We pray this in His name, 00:44:28.960 --> 00:44:33.500 Amen. Would you open your hymnal, please, to 00:44:33.500 --> 00:44:38.900 number 306. As we sing this closing hymn, we're 00:44:38.900 --> 00:44:41.099 going to extend a public invitation this morning 00:44:41.099 --> 00:44:46.849 for any who today would receive God's gift, Jesus 00:44:46.849 --> 00:44:52.690 Christ. If you have not placed your faith in 00:44:52.690 --> 00:44:56.510 Him, we invite you to do that this morning. And 00:44:56.510 --> 00:44:59.389 to give public profession of that faith in Christ 00:44:59.389 --> 00:45:01.530 by walking the aisle and coming and taking my 00:45:01.530 --> 00:45:04.389 hand and saying, today I am receiving Christ 00:45:04.389 --> 00:45:08.070 as my Savior. I want to take the Father's gift 00:45:08.070 --> 00:45:12.329 for me. And it may be that you've done that already 00:45:12.329 --> 00:45:15.369 in private, but you've never made a public profession 00:45:15.369 --> 00:45:18.610 of your faith. Jesus wants you to make it public, 00:45:18.789 --> 00:45:22.349 my friend. All of His disciples He called publicly 00:45:22.349 --> 00:45:26.230 before others. And today, before believers for 00:45:26.230 --> 00:45:28.710 the most part in this service, I invite you to 00:45:28.710 --> 00:45:32.730 come and to make a public profession of your 00:45:32.730 --> 00:45:35.449 faith in Christ. Perhaps it's been days or weeks 00:45:35.449 --> 00:45:37.940 ago, or even longer than that, but you've never 00:45:37.940 --> 00:45:41.179 publicly professed Christ as your Savior. Will 00:45:41.179 --> 00:45:44.099 you today do that? I invite you to come as we 00:45:44.099 --> 00:45:46.900 stand together and sing just as I am. I'll be 00:45:46.900 --> 00:45:49.000 waiting here at the front. I urge you to slip 00:45:49.000 --> 00:45:51.900 out from wherever you are and come quickly here 00:45:51.900 --> 00:45:53.559 to the front where I'll be standing to greet 00:45:53.559 --> 00:45:53.900 you.