The promise of heaven begins with Advent and its Unexpected Purpose and Message brings hope, joy, and peace to a life filled with the unexpected. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The Unexpected at Advent
TEXT: Luke 2:14
TITLE: An Unexpected Message
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. The Unexpected Purpose of Christmas
2. The Unexpected Promise of Christmas

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Our Advent series has focused on the unexpected: Lowly local shepherds. Gentile magi from afar. A Jewish virgin girl. A blip on the map called Bethlehem. The Unexpected at Advent. The irony is we tend to fear the unexpected. We like our worlds ordered. We find comfort in well-laid plans. No surprises, please. We can even struggle with something good that comes unexpectedly. The Unexpected is unavoidable, and times unimaginably difficult.”

“When the angels celebrate the first Christmas, they don't begin with you and me; they start with God—his glory, not ours. John Piper describes God's glory as—the public display of God's infinite beauty and worth. And that is precisely what the angels are responding to on this first Christmas—the public display of God's endless beauty and worth—IN A MANGER!“

“Above all things, angels were created to continually magnify and declare God's glory. For this, they have a front-row seat in heaven. But they have never seen God's glory displayed in this way. In the Incarnation, God was physically present with man—his grace, love, and power in the flesh. Throughout Scripture, we find angels worshipping, magnifying, and glorifying God. But they never saw His glory like this—Glory in a manger—and they could not contain themselves.”

“We have something in common with the angels: We, too, were created to the praise and glory of God. Our existence is meant to be upward. Our highest motivation in all that we are is God's glory. Our greatest goal in life is God glorified in and through us. Like the angels, we exist for God's glory.”

“But in the Garden, something awful happened—Adam and Eve exchanged the glory of God for the glory of self. Since then, we have been trying to rip glory from God's hands. We tend to forget God's glory. Instead of living upward, we live inward.”

“Peace is the deepest longing of the human spirit. Peace in the home. Peace in my marriage. Peace in our politics. Peace in the world. We long for peace because we were created to live in peace. We tend to think we can fulfill our innate desire for peace. Peace through strength. Peace through tolerance. Peace through pacifism. Peace through understanding. Peace through political revolution. But the peace we were created for is not horizontal; it's vertical.”

“This peace proclaimed by the angels transcends time, human relationships, political hostilities, and life circumstances. This peace is the most basic human need—an inward and eternal peace with God.“

“JUSTIFICATION is the precious doctrine that is at the heart of Christmas. It means God looks upon you just as if you had never sinned but perfectly obeyed. On account of Jesus' righteousness, God declares you righteous in His eyes. That means no sin to judge. Instead, you have eternal peace with God. The death of Jesus has removed the sin that put you in conflict with God, and his righteousness is credited to you, and the result is—Peace with God!“

“This is the Unexpected Promise of Christmas: No matter who you are, where you’ve been, or what you’ve done, in Christ Jesus, all fear of God's holy wrath is gone. This baby boy in a manger is not only the glory of God revealed but the means of the sinner's peace with God accomplished! The good news for lowly shepherds, elite Magi, and US!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Colossians 1:19
Hebrews 1:3
John 1:14
Philippians 4:6-7
Isaiah 26:3

QUOTES:
J.C. Ryle - “Let all true Christians remember that their best things are yet to come. Let us count it no strange thing, if we have sufferings in this present time. It is a season of probation. We are yet at school. We are learning patience, longsuffering, gentleness, and meekness, which we could hardly learn if we had our good things now. But there is an eternal holiday yet to begin. For this let us wait quietly. It will make amends for all.”

Charles Spurgeon - “God is glorified in every dewdrop that twinkles to the morning sun. He is magnified in every flower that blossoms. God is glorified in every bird that warbles on the spray. Do not the fishes in the sea praise him? From the tiny minnow to the huge Leviathan, do not all creatures that swim the water bless and praise his name? Do not the stars exalt him? Do not the lightnings adore him when they flash his brightness in arrows of light piercing the midnight darkness? Do not thunders extol him when they roll like drums in the march of God's armies? Do not all things exalt him, from the least even to the greatest? But sing, sing, oh universe, till thou hast exhausted thyself, thou canst not afford a song so sweet as the song of Incarnation.”

Paul Tripp - “We have a glory problem. All of us are in the midst of a glory war. We all have moments of glory confusion. We all have times when we want the creation more than we want the Creator.”

Raymond Ortlund Jr. - “Why is the world in such a mess? You and I are the problem. Our good intentions are not strong enough to control our evil impulses. We need a Savior to rescue us from ourselves.”

Paul Tripp - If you would for a moment, reflect on your last couple weeks, you will recognize, brothers and sisters, that you and I still have a glory problem. We don't always get glory right. Recognize that we have a peace problem; we don't always care about peace with God. We don't always have peace within. We surely don't always experience peace with one another. And so the work of that grace is as needed by us this morning as it's ever been. The angels announce your hope. The angels announce your redemption. The angels announce to you grace; grace of a life lived, grace of a death offered so that you may live for His glory, and you may experience in all the ways possible, His peace.”

APPLICATION:
As we await our eternal holiday in heaven, may our song be the angel’s song—Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those whom he is pleased!

To my non-Christian friend, Luke wrote these verses and the entire gospel to a man named Theophilus. His reason, according to 1:4: Theophilus would be certain of Jesus. You are here. You have heard the purpose and promise of Christmas. Will you believe? Luke and the rest of the Bible is God's story of saving sinners to himself. And this Christmas, you can become a part of it. Believe in Jesus today.

To my fellow Christian, are you anxious about the future? Are you discouraged about life? Are you angry at God about circumstances? All these sinful attitudes rob you of the full benefit of God’s peace. In their own way, each one is an expression of trying to wrestle God's glory for yourself. The answer: turn your heart back to God and trust Him. 

The Advent of Jesus is the greatest news of all time! A three-message Christmas mini-series may at first seem insufficient to proclaim THE GOOD NEWS of the Advent of the Savior, but it does have the power to grab our attention again and refocus our minds and hearts on truths that have become all too familiar to us. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The Unexpected at Advent
TEXT: Luke 2:1-12
TITLE: Wise Men From Afar
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: The Good News of the Savior and King, Jesus, has come to the unexpected who are far off.

POINTS:
1. They Were Directed by God
2. They Were Used by an Evil King
3. They Worshipped the Savior

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Because of misinterpretation in religion and culture over 2,000 years, these [wise men] can be misunderstood, and the point of them being invited can be completely missed.”

“The ESV Study Bible notes that [the ‘wise men from the east’, literally ‘Magi’] were ‘...priests and experts in mysteries in Persia and Babylon’. The Magi were well-educated counselors, wise men, and they served kings through their knowledge, interpretations, and 'wisdom, speaking into difficult and everyday matters. …The closest thing we have to these guys in the U.S. would be presidential advisors - cabinet members.”

“The Stars belong to God and this star compelling the Magi to the west was HIS DOING. God was directing every single detail and that includes the heavens above and the earth below. His Star is what moved them!”

“While some have described this star as supernova, a comet, or the aligning of planets, Verses 2 and 9 reveal that something more supernatural is occurring - coupled with no one else mentioning it. …God uses Bethlehem’s star as His unique and gracious invitation to the star-led magi.”

“The Magi would have likely been familiar with some of the Old Testament, (the Prophet Daniel in particular) including the promise of the coming Jewish king (See Vs. 2). “His star” that drew their attention westward toward Israel would likely have driven them from studying this star to studying the Israelite Scriptures as they sought to understand what was happening.”

“All of this - the magi and their entourage, the star, and the message they came proclaiming about the birth of a new king - was deeply troubling to Herod. And if Herod was troubled, then all whom he ruthlessly ruled were troubled.”

“Herod ruled through violence and manipulation. He was known for his bloodthirst. Emperor Augustus was quoted as saying, “It is better to be Herod's pig than his son.” As a Jew, Herod refused to kill pigs but killed three of his sons, along with many others, including one of his wives and a number of her family members. AND, like Pharoh of old, under the threat of being replaced by another king, he sets out to find and kill this newborn king.”

“The Gospel reveals that this is the pattern - the Jewish leaders will reject Christ and seek to kill Him but the Gentiles will believe in Christ and be saved according to God’s word!”

“All of this…is completely unexpected! The very ones whom the Messiah came from and came to, they seek to kill him! But, from these unexpected ones who were far away from Him, Jesus would receive extravagant worship… worship fueled by EXCEEDING rejoicing and with GREAT joy!”

“[These Gentile Magi] are on God’s invite list of the birth announcement of The King of the Jews, Jesus, to make it clear that the Savior has come for SINNERS, and this includes sinners LIKE YOU AND ME!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 8:3
Matthew 2:16-17
Matthew 23:37
Ephesians 2:12-13

QUOTES:
 Daniel M. Doriani - “...God… chooses to speak to stargazers through a star. Stars had significance for these men. God descended to the Magi’s level to communicate with them. Stars got their attention, so God used a star.”

APPLICATION POINTS:
- Everything is God’s doing. What is going on in your life? It is God’s “invisible hand” directing and guiding it all!
-Satan is at work right now deceiving whoever will listen and follow him (Ephesians 6:12, John 15:18)

Unbeliever
Whether or not you are aware, you are lost in this world, but the Savior has been born unto you and me!
Q. Are you a sinner? The Good News is that You are invited! There is no place where the Gospel cannot reach. There is no sinner who is too far off that the Gospel cannot reach. COME, BEHOLD THE CHILD, JESUS, THE SAVIOR!

Looking into the unexpected people and events God uses can help us not just guard verses mindlessly walk through this Christmas season, but deepen our awe and appreciation of these historical and objective gospel events. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The Unexpected at Advent
TEXT: Luke 2:8-20
TITLE: Shepherds In The Field
PREACHER: Tim Lambros

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Our Christmas series is titled “The Unexpected at Advent.” Advent means “arrival” and typically Christians take a few weeks each year to celebrate and remember afresh the events of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. I think this sentence captures our  approach this year - It’s a time to reflect on the unexpected nature of Jesus’ humble birth.” 

“What makes this story so stunning is all the unexpected people and events that occur. Let’s explore together the unexpected first recipients of this profound birth  announcement.”

“In one of God’s providential movements of people and nations, Caesar Augustus dictates there will be a census, all of Israel is seriously inconvenienced and once again reminded of Roman rule and oppression. Even if you’re 9 months pregnant, you are required to register in your home town. Yet Augustus and the local governor Quirinius are simply unsuspecting tools in God’s hand. God uses these secular leaders to fulfill yet another OT prophecy. Micah 5:2 states 700 years prior to this day that the One who would rule Israel would come out of  Bethlehem. God is directing people and nations. ” 

“Luke states that in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch  over their flock at night. We can be quite confident these shepherds were not prepared for what was about to happen. For us, 2000 years later, to grasp the depth of  shock and surprise, we must know a few things about shepherds in Christ day.”

“These are unnamed shepherds in the field. We have to be careful in a number of places during the Christmas story because we tend to bring our rendition of who the players are and what the culture was like. 

• Shepherds lived in the fields, could not keep the ceremonial law so they were  treated as unclean  

•They were regarded as liars and thieves and their testimony was inadmissible in a  court of law. 

• Shepherds did not enjoy a very good reputation in their day.”

“The most important announcement in all of history, anticipated for centuries and it comes to these  UNNAMED shepherds working their mundane, dirty, boring job are the recipients! Now listen to the content of the announcement – GOOD NEWS, GREAT JOY ….Not just any news but GOOD news. Not just joy but GREAT joy. Not just for some  people but for ALL the people …”  

“Let’s not be romantic about these manger scenes that populate our homes and public places. The Christ came into this world and lay in a feeding trough.. Jesus is born and is laid in a feeding trough for animals in a barn that stinks of animal smells and sounds. Of all the babies born during the census period, the Shepherds would find Jesus in a barn, looking like every other newborn and drawing no attention  to Himself.”

“God is a speaking God. The revelation of Himself in creation speaks. The revelation of Himself in the OT speaks. But they are like whispers compared to the  Incarnation. This is God shouting! This is the highest revelation of Himself. God sent His Son to take on flesh. We can gaze upon the exact imprint of God. We can see the radiance of the glory of God in that manger! To truly grasp Christmas, we must grasp what a monumental moment this truly is!“ 

“The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity - hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory - because at the Fathers’ will Jesus Christ became poor and was born in a stable so that thirty years later he would hang on a cross.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Galatians 4:4
Hebrews 1:1–3

QUOTES:
Phillip Ryken - “Shepherds were despised. With the exception of lepers they were the lowest class of  men in Israel.”
”The shepherds would not find the child couched in royal splendor, as they might have expected, but lying in poverty. This was the humiliation of the incarnation, that the Son of God humbled Himself to save us.“

J.I. Packer - “It is here, in the thing that happened at the first Christmas that the profoundest and most unfathomable depths of the Christian revelation lie. The Word became flesh. …The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets. Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as is this truth of the Incarnation.”

APPLICATION:
1. An unexpected event creates a monumental turning point
To truly grasp the real meaning of Christmas, one must be in awe at God working His redemptive plan. Each time we look at a manger scene, it should move us to awe and humility.
QUESTION – What do you see when you look into the manger?

2. An unexpected audience for profoundly good news  
Why did God appear to these unnamed, lowly shepherds? The answer lies in verse 11.
QUESTION – In what ways does the Incarnation of Jesus Christ help you see your need for a Savior?

Where there is prayer, there is power because when we pray, the power of God is unleashed. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

TEXT: James 5:13-18
TITLE: A Passion For Prayer
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: A prayerful church is a powerful church.

POINTS:
1. Prayer is Powerful
2. Prayer is Effective

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”As we begin the new year together, my goal is not to tell you HOW you should pray, WHEN you should pray, or WHAT you should pray for. My PRAYER as we begin the new year is that God would rekindle and refresh a fresh passion, perhaps for some a new passion, to be a person and a people of prayer. Whether your prayer life is robust as ever, on life-support, or non-existent, God wants to stir our hearts to more sweet communion with Him.”

“Everything in this text is connected to prayer. James is trying to persuade his readers that faith-filled prayer is always the truest and most powerful response in life.”

“The truth is, we are too weak not to pray. We are too needy not to pray. We are too busy not to pray. Whatever else we do, prayer is always the best response for a believer.”

“Let’s be honest, there is a mystery when it comes to prayer. Prayer is not magic. Prayer is useless apart from God’s power. It’s God who delivers. It's God who heals. It's God who is working all things according to His perfect purposes. The God of boundless and endless resources does not stand in need of our prayers. Yet, Scripture stresses repeatedly that the release and experience of God’s effective power comes through humble, faith-filled, God-centered prayer.”

“When we depend on God through prayer, we get what God can do!  We get the God who can do more than we can ask or imagine. We get the God of infinite mercy, and grace, and power who avails Himself to us in the most intimate, all-caring, all-powerful way.”

“In times of unanswered prayer we should not grow doubtful of or weary in prayer but continue to pray as we trust in the mercy of God and His promises that in Christ he will never forsake us and His mercies are new every day and His grace is always sufficient for every situation.”

“We should continue to pray knowing the God we pray to has made it clear His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). This means he may not answer our prayers the way we would like or in our timing.”

“This promise that our prayers are powerful and effective is for everyone who believes in Christ. What qualifies you as righteous is not what you do or how you do it. It’s who you know.”

“That’s the promise of Hebrews 4:16. We can draw near to God through prayer assured we will always find mercy and grace from God because we come in the name of Jesus who is our eternal high priest who has secure this promise and privilege of prayer for us.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Acts 4 - Under strict orders not to evangelize, the early church gathered to pray for boldness and they were immediately filled with the Spirit and continued to do the will of God which was to boldly preach the gospel under threat.
2 Chronicles 7 - The Lord said when my people humble themselves and pray, then I will work in their midst.
James 1:5 - Take something as practical as wisdom
When it seems as though we face so many unanswered prayers, we are in good company: 2 Samuel 12, 2 Corinthians 12, Luke 22
There is always mystery involved, but James gives us reasons for unanswered prayer:

• Absence of faith— James 1:5-8

• Prayer not in accord with God’s will—James 4:3

• Absence of humility— James 4:6

• God has a better plan—The life of Joseph

QUOTES:
Charles Spurgeon - “My own soul’s conviction is that prayer is the grandest power in the entire universe, that it has a more omnipotent force than electricity, attraction, gravitation, or any other of those secret forces which men have called by name, but which they do not understand.”

Robert Murray McCheyne - “O believing brethren!  What an instrument is this which God hath put into your hands!  Prayer moves Him that moves the universe.”

Charles Spurgeon - “Because God is the living God, He can hear; because He is a loving God, He will hear; because He is our covenant God, He has bound Himself to hear.”

J.A. Motyer - “That is part of the wonder of the way of prayer. Those who by grace have been given the status of righteousness in God’s sight have been brought into the realm where effective prayer operates and have been given the right to exercise a ministry of prayer.”

APPLICATION:
1. Create time to pray your way
2. Resolve to put a few words of prayer between you and whatever you do
3. Replace I will pray for you this week with Let me pray with you right now
4. Plan to pray with your church

• Pre-service prayer 9:30

• 5th Sunday Prayer/Worship nights a priority (Jan 29)

• Attend CG with a heart ready to pray

5. Grow your understanding of prayer—Blog series, A Passion for Prayer

This is no mere birth announcement. In it we discover our true hope and ultimate purpose. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Who Would Have Dreamed?
TEXT: Luke 2:10-14
TITLE: A Cosmic Christmas Announcement
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. Our Hope has Arrived
2. Our Purpose is Revealed

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”It’s easy to casually read this angelic proclamation. But this is the first time in Scripture we see such powerful and consequential terms strung together in reference to Jesus: 1. The angels recognize baby Jesus as the Christ: The title Christ means this baby is the anointed one, the promised Messiah, the deliverer of God’s people. 2. Christ the Lord: The title Lord conveys everything that is implied in the OT name of God, Yahweh. This baby is God Incarnate. God in flesh. Immanuel. Mighty God with us! 3. But the angel also describes this baby as Savior reminding us that Jesus is the most relevant person in history, giving us exactly what we need.”

“This is the “good news of great joy” of Christmas—God Himself has become a man to save His people. The one the priests foreshadowed, the prophets predicted, and the people prayed for, was none other than God Himself in human flesh.”

“The prospects for 2023 may be promising. You may feel like you are doing just fine. Christmas reminds us no one is doing fine. Before the Christmas story is good news of great joy it is bad news of great grief. Christmas exists because we need a Savior. We need someone to rescue us. It’s a BIG blow to the ego, but it’s true.”

“Your BIGGEST problem is not your spouse. Health. Circumstance. Boss. Government. Parents. Pastor. It’s you. It’s me. We are sinners. It's not that we are guilty of a few sins, at our very core we are sinners. That’s why we sin. That’s why each one of us are utterly helpless to help our situation. We need someone to do what we cannot do for ourselves—save us. We need a Savior.”

“The angels got it right: Christmas begins with God’s glory not man’s good. John Piper defines God’s glory as the public display of God’s infinite beauty and worth.”

“We see His glory in the smallest flower. We see it in the vastest universe. We see it in the highest mountain. We see it in the imago dei—human beings created in the image of God.   But nothing reveals God’s glory more than the riches of His grace, the depths of His mercy and the boundless nature of His love shown through this baby boy Jesus, whose reconciling life brings eternal spiritual peace to sinners who put their faith in Jesus.”

“This peace the angels proclaim transcends time, human relationships, and national hostilities. It’s not a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine or Republicans and Democrats. It’s not an absence of personal trials or culture wars. The Christmas peace is an eternal inward tranquility that comes from knowing that in this baby boy our dread of death and fear of God’s wrath turns to the praises of angels.”

“It’s in these words our ultimate purpose is revealed. To be redeemed by the blood of this baby and have our existence—our motivations, affections, thoughts, words, and behavior increasingly inclined upward for the praise of another is the highest meaning in life. Nothing glorifies God more than the His Son, our Savior, being brought low so that we could be brought high with praises of His glory!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 1:21

QUOTES:
Raymond Ortlund Jr. - “Why is the world in such a mess? You and I are the problem. Our good intentions are not strong enough to control our evil impulses. We need a Savior to rescue us from ourselves.”

J.C. Ryle - “Let all true Christians remember, that their best things are yet to come. Let us count it no strange thing, if we have sufferings in this present time. It is a season of probation. We are yet at school. We are learning patience, longsuffering, gentleness, and meekness, which we could hardly learn if we had our good things now. But there is an eternal holiday yet to begin. For this let us wait quietly. It will make amends for all.”

APPLICATION:
To my non-Christian friend - This morning you are hearing about Jesus from Luke so you will believe. Luke and the rest of the Bible is God’s story of saving sinners to himself. And this Christmas you can become a part of it. How? Believe in Jesus.

To my fellow Christian, are you weary, discouraged or weak in your faith this Christmas? As you enjoy your Christmas festivities today, allow them to point you to what JC Ryle calls the eternal holiday yet to begin.

If Christmas brings tidings of hope, joy, and peace, then WHY is life so difficult? Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Who Would Have Dreamed?
TEXT: Revelation 12
TITLE: The Greatest Christmas Story Ever Told
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
Scene 1 - A Defeated Dragon
Scene 2 - A Victorious Boy
Scene 3 - A Protected Woman

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”This woman is symbolic of God’s people from beginning to end. From the Garden to the church, this woman represents the faith-filled community of God.”

“The dragon is easy to figure out. He is the serpent we met in the Garden last week. Satan himself according to verse 9-12. His description in verse 3 reminds us he is destructive, cunning, powerful, and influential, all of which are demonstrated in 4 where he swept away a third of the stars from heaven with his tail.”

“The messianic reference from Psalm 2:9, rule with a rod of iron, makes it clear—the boy is Jesus.”

“Ever since that moment in the Garden, this dragon has been trying to keep Genesis 3:15 from happening. At the first Christmas, he thinks he finally has his chance.”

“Christmas deals the first blow to the dragon. The Messiah is born. The one who would rule the nations with a rod of iron has come. And instead of being devoured by the dragon, he is exalted to the heavens, with God, where He is seated in the place of all power and authority and dominion.”

“This is why Christmas is so central to redemptive history. 

• Christmas is the beginning of the destruction of the dragon

• Christmas is the inauguration of God undoing what happened in the Garden and making all things new and right

• Christmas is a cosmic demonstration of God’s sovereign power and unfailing faithfulness”

“The dragon is defeated by the boy. In Revelation, the boy is the Lamb. He is the Lamb of God that was slain. The One who is worthy to break the seal and open the heavenly scroll that reveals God’s plan of redemption. His blood shed on the cross covers the sinner’s sin. His blood purchases the sinner away from the dragon whom we all once belonged to.”

“Passages like Romans 3&5, Ephesians 2, and Titus 3 teach us that at one time we were all little dragons. We talked and thought and acted like dragons at war with Christ in our hearts.”

“The manger gave way to the cross. At the cross the dragon was decisively defeated because Christ’s death and resurrection nullified our accuser’s accusations because, in a crucified and risen Savior, we are justified—made right—before God! Not because of anything we did or would do but wholly on the basis of Jesus blood and righteousness. And when his substitutionary sacrifice is our faith-filled testimony, we are saved.”

“There is no gift under your tree more satisfying than eternal salvation.”

“And this is the answer to our opening question—WHY, even with Christmas that brings joy, peace, and hope, is life a struggle?  ANSWER: We live in the age of dragon rage.”

“Christians don’t fight the good fight for victory, we fight the good fight out of victory. We have a taste of heaven here, but heaven is not yet here and so the dragon rages on with his lies and deception desperately trying to destroy God’s people. …But God is protecting His church.”

“We live in the now and the not yet. Regardless of your circumstances, this is what makes your Christmas a Merry Christmas.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Genesis 3:15
Ephesians 2:1-3
Revelation 20:10
Revelation 21:1-5

QUOTES:
G.K. Beale - “The death and resurrection of Christ have banished the devil from this privilege [accusing us] formerly granted him by God, because Christ’s death was the penalty that God exacted for the sins of all those who were saved by faith.”

Charles Spurgeon - “The devil is not afraid of a dust-covered Bible.”

Charles Spurgeon - “I know what the devil will say to you. He will say to you, ‘You are a sinner!’ Tell him you know you are, but that for all that you are justified. He will tell you of the greatness of your sin. Tell him of the greatness of Christ’s righteousness. He will tell you of all your mishaps and your backslidings, of your offenses and your wanderings. Tell him, and tell your own conscience, that you know all that, but that Jesus Christ came to save sinners, and that, although your sin be great, Christ is quite able to put it all away.”

Charles Spurgeon - “The preaching of Christ is the whip that flogs the devil. The preaching of Christ is the thunderbolt, the sound of which makes all hell shake.”

APPLICATION:
How do we live out of victory in the wilderness? The text gives us three ways in verse 11:
- Preach the gospel to yourself
We conquer Satan when we cling to Christ. Living by the blood of the Lamb means we stand in the gospel. We process every aspect of life, the good days and the bad days, through our identity in Jesus Christ.
- Tell others about Jesus
The dragon wants us to be silent because our silence is his temporary victory. But we defeat him every time we speak out about Jesus.
- Persevere to the end
We live in the victory of Jesus when we die to self to live for him in every way of life:

• Honesty instead of deceit

• Love instead of hate

• Purity instead of compromise

• Patience instead of anger

Here is something I know for certain—what Christmas is truly about: God graciously pursuing sinners—God condescending to mercifully save hell-deserving sinners. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Who Would Have Dreamed?
TEXT: Genesis 3:1-24
TITLE: The Beginning of Christmas
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
I. A Funeral in a Garden
II. Our Hope in a Manger

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Genesis 3 records the darkest day in human history. It has been referred to as mankind’s funeral. Ironically, it’s at this funeral that hope springs forth in the first promise of Christmas.”

“The effects of sin and its curse are everywhere and our life experiences affirm it. But there’s an even deeper problem. What we see in verses 14-19 are just symptoms of humanity’s real dilemma—read verses 22-24. Because of their sin and guilt, Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden. Severed from God’s presence. Banished from His Paradise.  Their fellowship with Him was broken and they became spiritually dead.”

“Through Adam we have inherited a sin nature that leads to our personal sin and guilt, making us like Adam, separated from God and spiritually dead and under the wrath of God like the rest of mankind. That’s the great human dilemma that is the dark side of Christmas.”

“I love this picture: The moment Adam and Eve fell into sin, God pursued them with these words: Where are you?  The question does not reveal a lack in God—It reveals the love of God. It demonstrates the wonder of God’s love for and His grace toward sinners. Man runs and hides from God, but God calls and pursues.”

“Verse 15 is known as the Protoevangelium—first announcement of the gospel. In the middle of mankind’s funeral, the hope of life appears!”

“God says to Satan, who has seemingly destroyed God’s perfect creation, I will defeat and destroy you. Think of it as the three C’s of Satan’s demise:

1. Christmas: The first blow to Satan, as we will see in Rev 12 next week, is when Jesus was born into this world to inaugurate God’s promised plan of redemption.  

2. Consummation: The final blow to Satan will be Christ’s return according to Romans 16.

3. Cross: The DECISIVE blow that crushed and defeated Satan was at the cross.”

“The cross removed Satan’s one certain weapon against us—his accusations before the throne of God that we are guilty sinners that deserve to perish along with him—and he’s right. But Christ’s death and resurrection nullified those accusations because in a crucified and risen Savior, we are justified—made right—before God! Not because of anything we did or can do but wholly on the basis of Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”

“Christmas is the beginning of the fulfillment of this glorious promise made in the darkest hour of human history. In the manger lay Jesus, a fully human baby boy, yet still fully God, who came into this world to redeem sinners from the curse by becoming a curse for us. He was born in a manger, grew up in sorrow and grief, and died on a cross to destroy Satan and liberate sinners from his bondage, just as the Christmas angel proclaimed.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Romans 5:12-21
Isaiah 59:2
Ephesians 2:1-3
Romans 16:20
Colossians 2:13-15
Hebrews 2:14
Matthew 1:21
Hebrews 9:22

QUOTES:
John Piper- “It’s a season [Christmas] for cherishing and worshipping this characteristic of God-that he is a searching and saving God, that he is a God on a mission, that he is not aloof or passive or indecisive. He is never in maintenance mode, coasting or drifting. He is sending, pursuing, searching, saving. That’s the meaning of Advent.”

APPLICATION:
UNBELIEVER: This Christmas, in the words of God to Adam and Eve in the Garden—Where are you? Are you hiding from God? Guess what, you don’t have to hide this Christmas. Only BELIEVE:

• BELIEVE, not in the spirit of Christmas, but in the Christ of Christmas. 

• BELIEVE, not in the goodwill of humanity, but in the infinitely good mercy and grace of Christ.

• BELIEVE, not in yourself, but in in the person and work of Jesus that provides righteousness and forgiveness of your sins.

• BELIEVE, not in the power of your believing, but in the promise of God that all who believe in him will be saved.

CHRISTIAN: I ask you the same question this Christmas—Where are you? 

• Are you spiritually parched?

• Are you feasting on secret sin?

• Are you battling besetting sin?

• Are you paralyzed by sinful anxiety?

• Have the distractions of this world left you spiritually apathetic?

Is that where you are? Wherever you are, God mercifully calls you to return to the true JOY and HOPE of Christmas. Irrespective of your circumstances, this is possible if you look to Jesus.

Relish the present - By that I don’t mean you have one life to live so live it to its fullest. I mean in a season characterized by the question—What do you want?, we must remember what we have already been given. There is no greater gift than eternal salvation in Jesus.

Focus on the future - We spend so much time preparing for the future practically. The Christian hope is in Christ’s return, not the prospects of life getting better in 2023. God has promised that the cross will give way to a new heaven and a new earth. One day this child will return as the risen Lamb and make all things new and right! There will be no more broken promises, no more suffering, no more sin. As far as the curse is found, Jesus will bring eternal blessings!

“Jesus is the reason for the season!” How many times have we heard that phrase?!

Every year, amidst the joyfully hectic hustle and bustle of December, we gather together as a church to pause and remember the birth of Jesus. We don’t do this simply to remind each other, our friends, and neighbors of a cute story about a baby in a barn. But to remind us of where our hope and joy truly belongs, not only in this season but in all of life - THE GOSPEL. The life and death of our precious Savior. A baby in a barn is only a piece of that story!

This year will be no different! And we invite you to join us this Christmas Eve at 6:00 PM for our annual Candlelight Service. There will be paper invitations for you in the lobby on Sunday, however, feel free to screen-shot the image below to share the details that way! The Gospel will be preached!