Pastor Robert and TaQuaris Smith
Robert: Praise the Lord. What are you guys trying to do to a preacher today? You got this great praise and worship music going on. You got testimonies going on. Don't y'all know that's just fire? That's firewood for a preacher boy. Woo.
TaQuaris: Awesome, awesome.
Robert: It's your fault. I'm going to tell you ahead of time, praise to God, I'm so excited too about Adrian. Man, I'm so excited about that. I've known Adrian for 22 years, and I remember the week here to go on dialysis. I've known Tammy not too much less than that. There is been many, many, many, many, many, many years, many, many praises, many, many sorrows, many, many ups and downs. And we've shared them together at some point. We are related in many ways too, so I'm rejoicing with them, especially it hits home dear to me someone who many of you don't know. I have chronic kidney disease because of diabetes.
Praise God. So far in these years, I haven't had any complications. Praise the Lord. But I also have a mother who has dialysis three times a week, and she had a first step in the miracle that she got accepted to be on the donor's list. That was a challenge, especially her dealing with some cancers and some heart issues too. I didn't think she would make it that far to be on the list. Praise God. I have a family member that's down at Mayo to do testing, to be a donor and all kinds of things. So she was excited for Adrian. We are excited. We are continuing to pray and this hope and inspiration for all of us. Amen. Paula, you sing this song, and the worship team, y'all sing this song, y'all almost had me change my message today. I'm not going to change it. I'm not going to do that to my wife today, but I am going to give you just some meditation of my thoughts, uh, kind of as an entryway into what I want to speak about today.
That song when you say is they are rooming your heart for God to write his story, and maybe pastor, there will be a message because God just downloaded something in my spirit, in my heart during that song because about three or four years ago-- you know, I'm a teacher of the word, and God put a burden in my heart in my teaching, to focus on what we call the whole narrative of the Bible, the whole story. Because oftentimes when we see people stumble at the mention of Jesus is because they don't have the whole story.
Our holidays as they are separated really doesn't help in that matter, because let's take for instance, Christmas for a lot of people in other religions, the fact that of a virgin birth, and even God coming in the flesh is a big stumbling block because they only getting a snapshot during Christmas time. They are only getting a snapshot of God's story. And so it's important for us, the Lord put on our heart years ago, a few years ago, it's important for us, even for Christians, even for believers, to understand the whole story. Christmas didn't begin at Christmas time. Easter didn't begin at Easter time.
The whole story as far as what was revealed to us, Christmas was revealed to us way back in the book of Genesis. Easter, the resurrection was revealed to us way back in Genesis, who Jesus is and who he will be to us has been revealed from Genesis through Revelation. Just as the world needs to know that many of us as believers need to know that. I'll tell you, the many years I've been teaching the Bible, I can tell you not many of us believers know the whole story 55:00. My message is my teaching methodology, the things that I get, is centered around that us telling the whole story, God's story as it relates to his relationship with us as mankind.
That brings me to this message today, which to the traditionalist, sorry, ahead of time. But this message really speaks to that about the whole story. God gave me the title of not just the baby and the manger. And I'm like, okay, here we go. Paula sang this song, Mary, did you know, kind of speaks to this title, to this message that I'm, we are going to bring today that Jesus is not just a baby in a man. I have a question for us, and it may be a question for us as believers in the church, but I know it's definitely a question to the world. And it's, do you worship the babe in the manger, but reject the Christ of the cross? Do you worship the babe in the manger, but reject the Christ of the cross?
No, I'm not going to be Grinch today. I'm not going to be Ebenezer Scrooge. No bah humbug. I don't want to damper the Christmas spirit. Christmas time is a joyful time, and it should be. But what do want to do is kind of shape the perspective for the reason for our joy. Now, Christmas is a time we celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Savior, the Christ, the anointed one. But many somehow forget that he didn't remain a baby. It's kind of the message of the song, "Mary, did You know" that it goes beyond him just being a baby. I drive around in the neighborhoods and I see all the nativity scenes. It's interesting as many nativity scenes that I see in people's yards. I've never seen a cross during Easter time. I guess the Easter Bunny is just too popular during that time. Okay, let's go on.
But see, we forget that this baby grew up. He made disciples, he taught, and my Lord, did he teach. He performed miracles, but he was crucified. He was rejected from folks that not too far between him being praised and honored and welcomed. There was many that were on that road that rejected him. He was spat upon, crucified. He died, but he rose again. It is important for us to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It is very important for us in understanding the whole story. The fact that Jesus came in the flesh. Being a human being is very important, but just focusing on Jesus as a baby minimizes his whole purpose in coming.
After the birth of Jesus-- Jesus' birth in itself, even in the definition of a miracle, was a miracle. But I dare to say it wasn't the greatest miracle. The greatest miracle to me is what he came to do. That was the greater miracle. You see, without Jesus' death and resurrection, there is no salvation. As we revere the baby, we have to understand it was Jesus demand's sacrifice on that cross that paid the price for the debt we owed to a holy God. But it's Christmas and we do celebrate the birth of this baby. And it's important in understanding the whole narrative, the whole story of the Lord, the God's redemptive plan. It's important for us to understand about Jesus's birth. So we are going to talk about that because it is important and it's necessary to talk about his birth, to understand why he was born. His birth is of historical record. We have it in the gospels, but it has an historical accountant. We get an understanding from the gospel that there is historical record of Jesus' birth. We can read about it in Luke's gospel in chapter two.
TaQuaris: At that time, the Roman Emperor Augustus decreed, a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. This was the first taken when Quirinius was governor as Syria, our return to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him married to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger because there was no lodging available for them.
Robert: It's important for us to have this record. It's important for us to validate the story of Jesus. This is important for us when we come under attack and scrutiny from other so-called religions. And even in our witnessing to people. It's necessary when we understand what was prophesied way back in Genesis. And what I grew in learning in seminary was called the Promised Seed. That's a whole study in itself. And those in the building blocks of faith, you'll get a series one of these days on teaching on the promised seed and everything that was done to protect this promised seed. That's all a part of the Christmas story that you never hear about.
It's important for us to understand how Jesus came into the earth. So we are, thank God for the gospels that give us this historical account. But this historical account was also prophesied. It's an event of prophecy. We were told in another gospel account that an angel had even came to Mary and told her that she would conceive a child of the Holy Spirit. And it was God's will for her to do this and to carry this child.
TaQuaris: Matthew 1:18-22, this is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph, but before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. Joseph, son of David, the angel said, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet.
Robert: Now you see that word fulfilled. Jesus came to fulfill prophecy. Everybody in the house and online say that: Jesus came to fulfill prophecy. And so now, Matthew is actually quoting a prophecy that came from the prophet Isaiah.
TaQuaris: Isaiah 7:14. All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign, look, the diversion will conceive a child. She will give birth to a son and will call him Emmanuel, which means God is with us.
Robert: God is with us. It's very important in the story of Jesus and the reason why he came, and the reason why he came the way he did, and it's fulfillment of prophecy. When this baby was born, and it came with the announcement of angels to the all of shepherds in the field, we often wonder what was going on in their minds. You know, even we inquire in these songs like Mary did. You know? Now, I don't think that the, the shepherds or even Mary knew the full extent of what would become of Jesus. But I do know, especially for those shepherds, that there was anticipation of Jesus because of prophecy. They had been waiting for Messiah. It was prophesied that the Messiah would come and it was prophesied that there would be a sign. And so there was great expectations of this birth.
It wasn't an ordinary birth. This wasn't an ordinary baby. How many babies do you know are announced by Angels? So yeah, it's important. The birth of Jesus is very important, but it's the reason. It's the way that it happened. One of my favorite songs I listened to during this season is that, why such a strange way to save the world, why did Jesus come the way that he did? That question stems from meditating on the magnification of who he is. When you realize who Jesus is, you have to scratch your head and say why did he come in this lowly manner? You know, one of the lyrics of one of the songs says, "You didn't come as you deserve." Because now we have the perspective of who Jesus is, as Christ, as king, as Lord, as God.
Can you imagine when you really think about that? But God had a reason for that. Pastor was saying today, Pastor Jeff, Pastor Brian, we are talking about, isn't it just how our God would do to come contrary to how we would introduce Jesus, that no matter what state you are in, if you feel like you are at your lowest state, God is still for you. God thinks of you. God runs after you to encourage you, to inspire you, to love you. That's God's whole motivation. His cry out to the lost and the lonely and the burden and the hurting and the rejected is that he love you.
And the answer to the question is, why would he do this? Why would Jesus come this way? It is because he wanted to relate to you even as your lowest state, that yes, I could have come as the king of the universe that I am. I could have come in a grand processional, you know, grand birthing. But no, he wouldn't relate to the lowest person on the earth that way. And so because your God loved you, he came in the most humbling way that he could.
He had to grow up. He had to walk this earth as a human being. And that was for a reason too. He walked just like we did. He grew up just like we did. We are reminded in the gospel, Luke, concerning Jesus' humanity. Luke chapter two.
TaQuaris: When Jesus' parents have fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. There, the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God's favor was on him.
Robert: He grew up just like any other human being. He matured both physically and mentally. He grew up in all the physical ways. He learned in the way that we learned. He increased in his earthly knowledge. He experienced life on earth just like any child, just like any teenager, just like any adult, just like any other man. He was not born instantly knowing how to walk. He had to learn how to walk. He didn't instantly know how to speak. He had to learn how to speak. He learned as children learned; he grew as children grew. That was important. For him to be who he was called to be. He had to go through the, throw the go through the process.
I always tell people, we like to skip the process, don't we? Sometimes the Lord gives us these prophetic utterances and words and he tells us about the end of the story, but somehow, he leaves out the middle, and so we jump to the end of the story. And we forget that there is a middle, there is the process. We don't like the process. The processes work. We don't like it. There is pain in the process. There is sacrifice in the process.
Jesus was no different. The purpose for Jesus' birth and eventual death was known before the heavens. Jesus knew the process in the heavens. Jesus knew the process. That's the beauty of it, that God was still willing to go to the process because of his love. But looking at Jesus, anybody that witnessed this child growing up knew that there was something different about this child. The gospels attest, especially Luke. We get an indication of how special Jesus was. We get an indication of the anointing that was on his life and the favor that was on his life. Even at one glance, what he was doing, what he was learning, what he was saying was astonishing. It was not like everybody else. Luke 2:52.
TaQuaris: Jesus grew up in wisdom in his stature and in favor with God in all the people.
Robert: Luke, he applies these words to Jesus' life. Before Jesus started his public ministry, we don't have a lot of information of those years before his public ministry. We are left with our imaginations and people have come up with written accounts and films and stories to fill in the blanks of those years. It's good for imagination and you know, but we don't have historical fact or information on it. With all the information that we do have from the gospels, we can infer that from Jesus' life during these young years that he was favored. He was anointed. There was something special about him. It's okay. My religious mind about 15 years ago we are like, ah, you know, but we can fill in the blank. Because he was anointed.
I can imagine him doing certain miracles and things that people have gotten creative about. I don't think it takes away from the holiness of Christ, or I don't think it verges on blasphemy or anything like that. I think that from the little that we are told, I think it's logical. It's okay to be logical. Because we are spiritual. As pastor AJ say, we don't have to throw out our brains. We still have a very powerful brain, creative imagination. And we can make inference.
This child was not like any other child. There was something special about him, and he was favored by God. He was favored by men. He said, astonishing things. He was in the temple at 12 and 13 years old, expounding upon the scriptures, and they are all looking like, who is this child is? This is the carpenter's son? Something was not right. It is not just in his teaching of-- he had to do miraculous things with his hands and just the way that he went about his day because he wasn't just a babe in the manger. He didn't just stay a baby. He grew up. He walked amongst us. He's not just that. He didn't remain just that baby in the manger. He's the savior of all mankind. That was recognized even at his birth. Luke chapter two.
TaQuaris: That night, there were shepherds staying in the fts nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified. But the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid," he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior, the Messiah, the Lord has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David."
Robert: And that's what we sing about, right? During Christmas times, we sing about this baby who was born in the city of David, about the angels announcing about the sky being filled with the glory and, and lighted up. We have these things about the north star, and we have the teaching of the wise men and bringing of the gifts and the announcement that here is the Messiah that's being born. And we get all fuzzy, right? We cheer and we laugh and we, we hug and we cry tears of joy. But all of this points to the fact that because he was born to be the savior of mankind, it points to the fact that Jesus was born for sacrifice. He was born to die.
He was born to die because there had to be a price that was paid for the sins of mankind. And when we understand the whole story, that's why we’ve got to start all the way back in Genesis and read through all the books in the Old Testament to read and understand how God put in a system, put in a plan, put in something to bring us back to him. It didn't just start in the New Testament. It started way back in the Old Testament. Everything that was in the Old Testament pointed to Jesus. Jesus even said himself in the gospels, all the prophets, all the law was written of me. Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus is the fulfillment of all prophecy. Do you understand that? Jesus is the fulfillment of everything the Old Testament talked about. It's Jesus.
The fact that in the suffering songs of Isaiah spoke of Jesus, that there was a suffering servant that had to come to redeem mankind. That's Jesus. His birth pointed that he would be this sacrificial gift from God. 1st Timothy 1:15.
TaQuaris: This is a trustworthy saying and everyone should accept it: Christ Jesus came until the world to save sinner.
Robert: That's what he came to do. He didn't just come to be a baby. He didn't just come to be adorn in that way. He came to save sinners. That was the only way for that to happen. He had to die for the sins of the world. He was going to do it willingly. That was the whole point of him coming as a baby, as him coming in, what we called being incarnated into human flesh. It was the whole point that he was a willing sacrifice. God was willing to come robed in the flesh, to be Emanuel, to tabernacle with us, to walk among us, to fellowship with us. He was willing to do that.
The important thing about Christmas is not the fact that he came, but why he came. We rejoice in the fact that the process started, that he came. But salvation was not in his birth. That's why I said we have to have the complete story. Jesus lived a sinless life, but that in itself was not going to save us. It was a prerequisite for him to be qualified for that sacrifice. So all of this, like I'm saying, it's important for us to understand and know that all of these things happen. But all of those things would fall short if Jesus did not fulfill the plan of God.
Jesus had the greatest teaching known to mankind because Jesus is truth. No other truth greater than Jesus would ever be revealed to man. But the revelation of Jesus in itself was not going to save man from his sins. You see, there was a price to be paid. Someone had to die. Lambs, bulls, turtle doves, pigeons, and all the other countless animals that shared their blood was no longer going to atone for the sins of mankind. That system, at the birth of Jesus, became obsolete. There had to be a greater sacrifice, one that the scriptures revealed would be an eternal sacrifice that no longer that old system was being destroyed. There would no longer be a daily or yearly sacrifice to atone for man's sin. There had to be a holy sacrifice, the holiest lamb that there would ever be. Because in heaven he was known as the lamb of God that would be slain before the entire world. That lamb to be slain was born in the why we celebrate Christmas Day.
Jesus was the only one that could fit the requirements for this sacrifice. In Jesus's coming to us, I believe is stated in his own words. He came to reveal who God was through him. So we understood, we saw God when we saw Jesus. He came to teach truth. He came to fulfill the law. He came to offer his kingdom. He came to show us the way to live. He came to reveal God's love. He came to bring peace and goodwill towards men. He came to heal the sick. He came to minister to the needy. But all those reasons are incidental to his ultimate purpose. Why would you say that, Pastor? Well, as revealed in the Old Testament, he could have come as the angel of the Lord. He didn't come in the Old Testament in human flesh. And he still performed miracles. He still delivered people, right?
He could have done this without being born as this baby that we adore during Christmas time. He could have done all of this. He could have just simply appeared. He could accomplish all these things without actually becoming a human being in the flesh. But he had a reason. You see, our God is just God. He's the same yesterday, today and forever. And he had already had a redemptive plan. God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, all in perfect union together, co-equal, co eternal, determined before the creation of man, that God, the Son would come to do this, to be robbed in flesh, to walk as one of us, to relate to us, to show us the way. See, Adam failed. That's why Jesus is known as the second Adam, the new Adam, to show us how the relationship of man should be with God. That's why he came the way he did, to show us this the way. But he also came because there had to be a sacrifice.
We kind of mirrored in the earthly kingdoms back in ancient days when a king made a decree. That was it. There was no going back from that decree. If he spoke a decree that said something had to be done, no matter what he could have, oops. I didn't mean to say that it was a done deal. But in the holy sense, God was the same way. God already made a decree that this holy God, when it came to sin, there was no remission of sin without the shedding of blood. And there was no adequate sacrifice. That was created to pay the ultimate price for sin against this holy majestic God. So God in his love for us, knew that that would be only way to do it. He had to give of himself. I don't know any greater love than that, that this God would say-- you know, God could have said, you know what? This man is not worth it. Just let him die. God could have said, I'll just destroy everything. I'll do it all over.
But see, way back in Genesis, God, after everything he created, he said, this was good. But when he created man, he said this was very good. His love, his creation, what he created in us was complete. And in our language, he said, "You are worth dying for. That's how much I love you. But there is nothing on this earth that would satisfy as a sacrifice. So the only way that I can do this is if I become one of you and be perfect in all his ways, to be innocent and to shed my eternal blood so that you can be eternally redeemed and be with me."
This is not often told during Christmas time, people say, oh, this is an Easter message. There is no Easter without Christmas. Pastor, what do you want us to get out of there? Well, when you look at the nativities in the neighborhood, when you look at the pictures of baby Jesus, when you see those little hands and those little feet that look so cute, remember those are the same hands that would be pierced. Remember those hand, those little feet would one day grow up and stagger carrying a rugged cross that was leading to a place of death, that that baby that was tightly wrapped in pieces of cloth would one day be wrapped to be laid in a tomb. And that that little cute baby that we see in that manger will one day have his body ripped open and torn apart.
Jesus is not just a baby and a manger. He's the sacrificial lamb that was slain before the world. So when we look at this baby, that would be called Emmanuel. Let's rejoice in him being born. But let's revere him for why he was born and for that, Merry Christmas.
Brian: Thank you Pastor Robert. I'm going to be 72 in February, and I cannot remember one Christmas that I didn't look forward to and that I anticipated and enjoyed fully. But statistics say that this time of year depression is higher than at any other time of year. And there are more people committing suicide at this time of year than at any other time of the year. One of the things that we can do as a congregation is to bring hope to people. I'd like to receive a benevolence offering this morning because there is still needy people that we can help minister to this Christmas season. And if you are watching on livestream today, you can participate in this. Just go to text to give or special. You can give them the kiosk as well. I'd like the ushers to come. Pat, would you get this ready to come?
This is such a wonderful time of the year to be Jesus to people. Isn't it such a wonderful time of the year to represent how God really is, for God's to love the world that he, what? He gave; he gave. And because we love, we will give too. I just encourage you to do what you can do. There are needy people that we know personally that their Christmas will be a lot different because we can come to their help.
So Father, I thank you that the Christmas story doesn't end in the manger, that you did come for a purpose. And that purpose was to give your life a ransom for many so that we could be redeemed, that we could be forgiven. We didn't have to live a life full of oppression and guilt, that we could have hope in our hearts, that even though there are all sorts of challenges around us, whether they be health challenges or relational challenges, struggles with just trying to make ends meet that Lord, you are the reason to have hope, for you said you would never leave us, you'd never forsake us. But you don't leave us and you don't forsake us because of how we who have your spirit inside of us, how we live our lives, and how we can bring you and how we can be actually Jesus to people who are in need.
I pray that today you had multiplied this offering as you did the loaves and fishes. And even though we are not a large congregation, including all the people that watch on livestream, we are not that big. But Lord, with you all things are possible. I just pray that you would empower us to do, and to be you here at this Christmas season. This we pray, Jesus, in Your name for your sake. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you so much for being here today and thank you for giving. Thank you for your participation here at Hope. You have something to share. Yeah. Come on up.
Speaker: Well, many years ago I was practicing to lead worship at Christmas time and Christmas carols aren't so easy to play on the guitar.
Brian: It's not easy to play on the piano either.
Speaker: So the Lord gave me a Christmas carol, and it fits right in with Robert's sermon today. Sure. So I'll sing it. [singing1:35:29 -1:36:56 ]
Brian: Thank you, thank you, thank you. That's like the whole story right there. That's like the whole story right there. Hallelujah. Well, let's stand together. Don't forget to pay a visit back at the table. We have our Russian friends here today with a bake sale. Just make sure you, at the very least, go take some pictures of all this stuff that they have. It's really good. But buy some of it, even if you are not going to eat it yourself. You can always give it as a wonderful gift to somebody. Oh, let's raise your hands together. Oh, by the way, thank you Chris, our new drummer for Hope Community on Sunday morning. God bless you. Good to have you here today. Thank you, Chris. Let's raise our hands together.
And now, may the Lord bless you and may the Lord keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn his face towards you and give you his peace. And may you enjoy the whole story of Christmas this year. We pray this in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, amen. Amen. God bless you. It's great to have you here today. God bless.
For those of you who want to have communion, Dave and Lou will be here to serve communion for you today. If you need prayer as well, we'll have people that pray for you at the altar. God bless you.
Transcript taken from the Sunday morning service 12-18-22. If you would like to watch the full service, click the link below.