But I do want to say Merry Christmas. And the word Merry means joy and happiness, doesn't it?
Many of the hymns that we sang this morning, did you notice that it had the words rejoice and,
you know, this is a time that I really love at the end of the year.
Not only is it the fact that we spent time to celebrate Christmas and many times people have
time off work, either forced or they ask if they can take time off work, usually more ready to be
able to meet up with family and friends and organise a lunch or a dinner together.
People are driven for some reason to attend church. You know, in most churches across
Australia you're going to have the highest attendance ever, like for the whole year on
a Christmas day or an Easter or something like that. But I just love the end of the year as a
general thing because people are on holiday season, they're having a good time, even as
Christina was out shopping, some last minute Christmas shopping the other day, she said to me,
everyone just seemed really nice, everyone was happy and, you know, everyone was very polite
and gentle and not like the usual days, we just get out of my way, I'm going about my business.
People are generally in a better mood at the end of the year, which I think it's wonderful. So it's
the holiday season, it's a time off work, it's celebrating Christmas for a lot of people. It's
also the coming of the new year, just looking back at the end of the year 2024, thinking about
the things to be thankful about, you know, it's a time of rejoicing. Many times people also start
thinking about New Year's resolutions. And you know, New Year's resolutions has a bit of a bad
stain, doesn't it? You know, you often say, well, you know, people get excited, they get it, you
know, New Year's coming around, it's a time to press the reset button. And they're motivated,
they set some goals. And by the way, those are good things to do. Like in general,
pressing the reset button, putting some goals in place, trying to reach some milestones,
those are good things to do. And often the turn of the year brings that in mind. And we often
mock the New Year's resolution, because we look at the end of the year, we say, how did you go
with your New Year's resolutions? And usually it's like, well, I didn't get it done. I didn't get
really through January before I quit. But you know, just as a general thing, it's actually good
to set some goals, it's good for your mental health. And so you know, it's just a good time
of the year, to be happy, to be rejoicing, to think about the end of the year, what you can
give God thanks for, you know, looking forward to the New Year to come. And that truly is the
kind of attitude and mentality God wants us to have. When we think about Christmas, when we
think about this time of the year, look at Luke chapter two, Luke chapter two, and verse number
13. It says, and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising
God and saying, glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men.
Now, when these angels are rejoicing and celebrating the birth of Christ,
we know the verse, the first words in verse number 14, glory to God in the highest, of course,
we want to glorify God and praise Him, He is the highest. But then we also want to think about the
earth. You know, what does God want us to be thinking about on this earth? On the earth,
peace, goodwill toward men, peace, goodwill toward men. And so we often sort of think about Christmas
and say, well, Christmas is a time to think of peace and goodwill toward men, or God's peace
and God's goodwill toward men. And yes, that's how we ought to be thinking about Christmas. But,
you know, we always be thinking like that every single day of the year, peace and goodwill toward
men. And of course, that goodwill is the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ that came to Bethlehem's
manger. And we know why He came, we know that He came to die for our sins. And so I really,
you know, the title of the sermon this morning is peace and goodwill toward men,
peace and goodwill toward men. And I really want you to be a people of joy. I want my
church members at New Life Baptist Church to be known as people of peace and goodwill,
of rejoicing, of thanksgiving. That's kind of the general demeanor that I want to see
my church members have. Now, you know, being a Christian for most of my life, attending church
for most of my life, you know, I've attended many different churches and, you know, come across
many different kinds of kinds of believers. And so what I'm about to say, I don't want you to
necessarily think that I'm painting my church this way. And, but like, if this is you, it's you. So
just if the shoe fits, wear it, it's about you. I don't know, maybe the Holy Spirit knows that
it's about you. But just over the years of just being a believer and being amongst church people,
you know, I would say and again, this isn't like, it's not like I've done a survey and I know these
figures to be 100% correct. But just top of my head, just I would say that about 10% of believers,
10% of Christians are just miserable, miserable people. And I never really understand why that's
the case. All right, 10%, not like one out of 10 people, one out of 10 believers just seem to be
miserable. What do I mean by that? Just every week, cast down, depressed, worried, you know,
about many, many kinds of things. They might be cast down about their own performance as a
Christian. They might be like, oh, I've sinned again. I've messed up again. I'm such a loser,
you know, and I just can't seem to achieve anything. I'm not a good enough Christian.
There have been people that just constantly cast down like this and just constantly miserable
and think of themselves as a failure. And I, you know, sometimes I just want to grab these people
and say, look, peace and goodwill toward men. You know what I mean? God loves you so much.
God saved your soul, right? You've got eternity to look forward to. And you say, pass over. I mean,
what are you saying? Are you saying that nine out of 10 Christians are never cast down? No, no.
I'm saying that 10 out of 10 Christians are going to have times that they cast down and depressed.
And I can look back in 2024. There've been times that I've shed tears. There've been times that
I've been cast down, I've been discouraged or whatever it is. And I'm sure you can say the same.
And I promise you this 2025, you're going to have more tears. You're going to have more sorrow.
There's going to be sadness. There's going to be depression in your hearts,
even in the coming year to come. But you know, that's, that's like 10 out of 10 Christians.
Like if you don't say pass, I never feel that you're, you're some other extreme. I don't know
what you are, but you know, you are going to have hardships in, in, in life. And there's been
hardships in this year and there's been going to be hardships next year. I promise you that.
But there are some that are just, I don't know if you know what I'm talking about.
Just it's like their constant default setting is depressed and cast down. And the Christian life
is just too hard. I'm such a failure. It's like just forgetting all the great things that God
wants in your life. The great mindset that God has put within us. He's given us a sound mind,
right? He's given us a rejoicing heart. He's given us a new man by which we can live by.
He's given us His Holy Spirit that indwells each believer. I mean, He's given us so many great
to be happy and rejoicing. And you know, I hope that my default position is joy.
I hope my default position in life is peace. I hope my default position in life is good will,
but like 10% of believers that I come across generally are just so cast down. Okay.
They might see themselves as a failure and look, I do too. You know, when I sin against the Lord,
guess what? I failed again. I ought to have a broken and contrite heart, but I'm going to
carry that broken contrite heart every single day of the year. Like just, just, just constantly cast
down. Every moment you come across me, I'm just broken and contrite. No. When I have a broken
and contrite heart for the sins that I commit, you know what I do? I run to my Lord savior,
say, God, I messed up again. I'm sorry, Lord, you know, my failings, you know, the weakness of my
flesh helped me to do better. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. And then guess what? I know that I'm
forgiven instantly. I know I'm in the light of Christ and I can rejoice in his lights.
That's my default position that I'm rejoicing. And I'm happy that I'm thankful for what God has
done for me. But at the moments that I'm cast down, of course there are. There are some
Christians that are just constantly cast down. And I don't know. I mean, maybe, maybe for some
people they love misery. I don't know. Like some people, I think they just love misery.
They're just constantly upset, right? They're either cast down about their performance
as a believer. They might be cast down, depressed, or just like hypersensitive about every little
issue of the earth. Like any little thing. Like you might do something that is not sinful,
but they don't approve of it. And they're just like, Oh, you did that. You saw that you,
you heard that you know, the sky's about to fall. Like, why are you so miserable?
Why are you so cast down? All right. I mean, I don't want to give call. Like I'll give this one
example because I don't want to give many examples. Cause then maybe you know what I'm talking about
here, but just as a general thing, like I've given you the example where I might've invited a
brother in the law to go and watch a soccer game, right? Watch a game of soccer at the stadium.
Oh, but people drink alcohol there. Yeah, but we don't have to drink alcohol.
We can stay far away from that. Right. Oh, but there's, there's worldly music being played.
We can talk and we can fellowship. We can have fun. We can laugh. We can talk. We don't have to
sit there dancing and, and, and drinking the alcohol. Right. You know,
we can actually have a good time. We can have like enjoy each other's company.
If you don't watch a soccer, let's do something else. I was like the world. Everything's
just wicked. Like, dude, just, I know the world is wicked. I know that,
but we don't have to participate in the wickedness of the world.
There are people like this, you know, or just constantly, you know, the government's just
trying to kill us. You know, it's just death. It's just, it's all about to happen. You know,
the anti-crisis around the corner, that's the mark of the beast. And it's all, you know,
and there are people like this or believers like this, believe it or not, you know,
the first believer that I ever came across that was a post-tribber.
I thought I didn't want to be a post-tribber. Okay. First of all, I thought he wasn't in the
Bible, but I just like, oh, you know, the tribulations around the corner, my wife and
I, we decided to have no kids because we don't want to bring our kids into the great tribulation.
It's like, dude, the Bible says be fruitful and multiply. You know, if you, I mean, I believe it's,
I believe in post-trib as well. I do now, but guess what, if God wants to bless me more kids,
so bring on the kids, right? Because the kids bring joy. It brings, it's a blessing in the
house of the Lord. It's a blessing in your own house. You know, to raise children and
nurture admission to the Lord, it's just joy in these things. There's always like one in
10 believers that are just so miserable, so afraid of everything. And yet the Bible tells us when God
sent his son, he says, look on earth, peace and good will toward men. Let's pick it up a little
bit earlier in that chapter, Luke chapter two, verse number nine. Brethren, if that's you,
I don't know if you're a miserable, but you just love misery. There's always negative,
always cast down. Then this is the sermon for you. All right. And if you're joyful,
that's your kind of default position. You're rejoicing the Lord. Praise God. Keep it up.
But Luke chapter two, verse number nine. It says, and lo, the angel of the Lord came
unto them upon them. That's the, upon the shepherds and the glory of the Lord shone
round about them. And they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, fear not,
but behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
That's what I love Christmas. That's what I love about it. It's great joy for all people.
There's something about the season, right? There's something about that, that just puts people in a
good mood. And look, I don't fully comprehend it because most of the world is just interested in
getting presents and taking time off work. Most of the world really aren't thinking about Jesus,
but there is something about the holiday season. Just when you throw Christ in the mix,
that it does bring joy to the world. And this is like, you know, the angels come,
they shine the glory of, you know, of God's light upon the shepherds and the shepherds firstly,
afraid, like, oh, scared. I understand where they're coming from. Like if I had an angel
just appear out of nowhere, there's a great light of their glory that appears here. I'd be fearful,
but I want you to understand that the angels are like, Hey, rejoice. This is a time of great joy,
not to be afraid. And this is great joy given to all people. Verse number 11. This is why,
for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger. I was like, what? You're sending me a Saviour. This is a time of great joy for all
people. This is God's peace upon the earth. This is his goodwill toward man. And it's coming in
the objects of a baby, a baby in a manger in swaddling clothes. And I love that, you know,
as I said, title of the sermon this morning, it's peace and goodwill toward man. What is goodwill?
We know what peace is. I've preached on peace. I'm not going to go into labor on the topic of
peace today. You know, peace is obviously like, if you're fearful, you know, you're not at peace.
If you're constantly worried and downcast, you're not at peace. You know, God wants you to be at
peace, but he also wants to shine his goodwill toward us. And he has, and he has shown his
goodwill toward men. And you know, what God gives us, God wants us to shine that to other people.
Like if you have the peace of God today, God wants you to share that peace to other people.
You know, if you feel and have God's goodwill toward you, then God wants us to manifest that
goodwill toward others. You know, everything that God gives us, his love, he wants us to give that
love to others. The words that he gives us, he wants us to give those words to others.
The comfort that he gives us, he wants us to give that comfort to others. Now, goodwill, I looked
up the definition for the word goodwill. I looked up a few places and, you know, there is a kind of
one fixed definition that's kind of consistent. There's a few, let me read them out towards you.
Goodwill is kindness or friendliness. So this is God's goodwill toward men, toward great joy to
all people. This is how God shows his kindness to this world. You know, his friendliness toward
this world. Another definition is charitable interest in others. This is how God shows his
interest in us. He's interested in us. He's interested in people. Another one is wishing
well to another. Another one is being helpful or cooperative. That's showing goodwill towards
someone. God showing his help. Being cooperative in our lives. Wanting to be invested in our lives.
Gracious toward others. Being gracious toward others. Of course, we know that we're saved by
God's grace and that grace, of course, is in the form of Christ. Another definition for the word
goodwill is approval and support. Approval and support. We know, you know, we can say that,
well, God does not approve of our sins. All right. There must be justice and judgment and punishment
for sins. But he approves man in a sense that he recognizes that man is a sinful creature
and he gives us his support by saying, hey, you can't save yourselves. Let me send you my son.
Let me show you goodwill. I want the best for man. I want the best for the world.
I want the world to be at peace. I want the world to be in joy. So he sends his son, the Lord Jesus
Christ. God manifest in the flesh. It's amazing God's goodwill in the form of a little baby,
a little baby born in Bethlehem's manger. Can you come with me to Isaiah, please?
Obviously another very famous verse that gets read during Christmas. Isaiah chapter nine,
Isaiah chapter nine, Isaiah nine. I know, you know, probably off my heart,
but turn to it anyway, if you can. Isaiah nine, Isaiah nine in verse number six.
This is God's goodwill. This is God's peace toward men.
I want you, as I said, brethren, in this new life of the church, I want you
to be in joy. I don't want you to be miserable people. Okay. Again, there's a time for everything.
There's a season for everything. As I said, you're going to get cast down this coming year. You're
going to get upset. You're going to get depressed. You're going to get backstabbed. You're going to
get betrayed. It's all going to happen. All those negative things are going to happen to you.
But I want you to remember that God wants or expresses his goodwill toward you. He wants you
to be at peace. Okay. And again, it's good to remember in Christmas, but this is something
you need to remember all the time. Okay. Now look at Isaiah nine, six, for unto us, a child is born
unto us, a son is given. We know this is of course, speaking prophetically of Christ.
And the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called wonderful.
Is that how you think of Jesus? Wonderful. Full of wonder. He blows my mind. He's so great. I can't
even comprehend his great love that he has toward me. His great sacrifice. Like even that blows my
mind. Like I appreciate what Christ has done for me. I just don't fully comprehend it. Like what
God would die for me. God would suffer for me. God would take my place. God would take my sin
upon himself. And it should blow your mind. It's like, who can love me so much? How do you even
love like that? Like God teach me how to love. If that's your love that you have toward man,
it's amazing. Wonderful counselor. Man, people spend a lot of money going to psychologists
and you know, yeah, counselors, right? I've got the best counselor and he's free.
Doesn't charge you anything. Counsel. Any help I need, any questions I need answered,
any direction that I need to make a decision of, you know, in life, I can go to my counselor
and say, give me some counsel, Lord. He cares enough to know every detail of my life.
The mighty God, the mighty God, not just a God, Jehovah witnesses, the mighty God is Jesus.
That baby in Bethlehem is manger. Innocent, right? Could be destroyed by the hand of Herod.
That's why Joseph had to, you know, leave and go into hiding Egypt. That baby is the mighty God.
Doesn't that blow your mind? How can God become a baby? You know, does he love me that much to
be born and become like man? Wow, the mighty God, the everlasting father. I've told you this
before, that's not a reference to God the father, that's a reference to his authority in the
millennium. In the millennium, he'll be a father upon this nation, upon this world. He'll be the
one with the highest authority. He's everlasting though. And the prince of what? The prince of
peace, peace. And it's amazing, the prince of peace. Who's in charge of my peace? Who do I go
to? Who's my boss? Who gives me the peace? It's Jesus. Jesus, you are my peace. You give peace
toward me. So when I read about this is God, this is the baby born in Bethlehem is manger,
how can we not rejoice? How can we not be happy? How can we not experience his goodwill upon our
lives? Why are there so many cast down Christians in Christmas? Well, anytime of the year, just
that constant state of misery, I don't understand it. You say, well, maybe not saved. I guess it's
a possibility. But I'm pretty sure most of the people I've spoken to over the years that have
had this misery are saved. I don't know. There's some kind of disconnect that needs to be fixed.
They need to run to their counselor saying, help me.
Now, when we read Isaiah 9 six, it begins with four, four, which is, you know,
it's not the beginning of a, you know, of a new thought. It's continuing the thoughts of old. So
just very quickly, look at Isaiah nine verse number one.
Nevertheless, the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation. When at the first,
he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun, the land of Neptune, and afterward did more grievously
afflict her by the way of the sea beyond Jordan in Galilee of nations. Now verse number one might
not seem connected to verse number six, but in fact, verse number one gets repeated for us,
I can't remember which gospel, but it's when Christ walked into Galilee, came into Galilee
of the nations, Galilee of the Gentiles. And this verse gets brought up as a fulfillment
of Isaiah nine one. Now, if you go back to the time of Isaiah, when he wrote these words,
it's because the nation of Judah was very far gone. Like the nation of Israel was very far gone.
It would be soon destroyed by the Assyrians. And instead of loving and worshiping the Lord God of
the Bible, they had turned toward idols. And so God afflicts them. God brings an affliction.
And it said there in verse number one, and afterward did more grievously afflict her
by the way of the sea beyond Jordan in the Galilee of nations.
Grievously affliction. So Israel, the northern kingdom there had been grievously afflicted.
It was suffering. It was suffering. Again, primarily if you go back to the previous chapter,
because they had turned to idols, they had turned to false gods. Look at verse number two,
the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light.
They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them have the light shined.
Now that should make more sense to you. What is that light that has shined? That's the light of
Jesus, right? In that land of Galilee. So we've got people that are grievously afflicted, a nation
that's been grievously afflicted. We have people that are walking in darkness also that dwell in
the land of the shadow of death. That's a term that the Bible uses, you know, to speak of a fear
of death. It's not death necessarily, but the shadow of death is a need death or a fear of
death, right? A focus on death. And so, you know, we talk about a people that needed Christ.
And look, I don't know, maybe it's you this morning. Maybe you say, pastor,
I've been grievously afflicted. I'm suffering affliction. You talk about being joyful,
rejoicing, but I am a miserable Christian. I am being afflicted, pastor. Don't you know?
You might say, well, pastor, I'm walking in darkness. I'm far from the Lord.
Maybe, yeah, I don't know. Hope not. I hope not. You say, I've got a fear of death.
I'm in the shadow of death. You know, I've thought of suicide.
I feel like everything's going to kill me. The governments are seeking to kill me.
I'm just worried about death all the time.
You need the light of Christ to shine on you is what you need.
And obviously the ones that are not saved and feel this way, they need to be saved. But
like I said, Christians can be like this, just in misery, in whoa, constantly, constantly,
not one week and I'll pray for you, brother. I've got your back. Let me know if you need any aid.
I'll be there for you. But I don't know how you go week after week after week and month after month
and year after year in misery. You need the light of Christ in your life. You need to remember that
Christ has been born in Bethlehem's manger for you. This is God's goodwill towards you.
Look at verse number three. There has multiplied the nation.
So the nation has been growing in numbers of people and not increased the joy.
You would think more people, more joy. God says more people, but the joy doesn't increase.
Why is that? They joy before thee according to the joy in harvest. And as men rejoice
when they divide the spoil. You see what had happened to the nation of Israel,
instead of rejoicing in the Lord, their joy is in the joy of harvest.
So they find joy and contentment when prosperity comes, right? Oh, I made some big bucks today.
And that's all right. We can rejoice in that. But that's all they find joy in, in prosperity.
Nothing else. No joy in families or joy in children or joy amongst God's people or joy
just remembering and focusing on God. The reason that the joy had not increased
is because all they are focused on is prosperity, money and gains.
And it says here, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. When do men divide the spoil
in the Bible? When they win wars, when they're victorious over other nations, right?
So we see the state of Israel at this point in time. This is the state of Israel during
Isaiah's time. This was the state of Israel before Christ was born as well.
This might be your state today. I don't know. Okay. Greatly afflicted in darkness,
in the shadow of death, not an increase in joy or joy in the wrong things. All right.
You know, the other way you can look at this is that the harvest, there's more people,
but the harvest is not growing. So there's a, you know, a lack of prosperity on the land.
The fact of them having a great national strength and dividing the spoils of others,
they're being taken for granted. Maybe that's how you feel today. Like I just can't get ahead in
life. I just don't seem to prosper, pastor. It seems like everybody else is taking advantage of
me. I'm being taxed to death. You know, my spoils have been taken by others and I'm left with
nothing. These are all hardships that, and sorrow and hurt that people can experience.
And this is the state of Israel. God looks down and we won't read verses four and five.
If you want the context, it's about Gideon and his 300 men that took out the Midianites
and they did it by the power of God. They didn't have to fight the battle.
If you know the story they had, they went at night with their torches and their trumpets,
they made a great noise and the Midianites all panicked and ran away. They started to kill each
other even. But then, you know, God speaks about how he's been able to deliver God's people
through some miraculous ways. And then he gets to the most miraculous way that he delivers his
people. He gets to verse number six. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given,
and the government shall be upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called Wonderful Counsel
of the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. So God says, look,
if you're afflicted, you're in misery, you're suffering afflictions and greatly afflicted,
and you're in darkness, and you've got the fear of death, right? And you're not prospering,
and you're not joyful. God says the answer is Jesus, a babe, a son is given, right?
It's amazing. For unto us a child is born. And I know what that's like. I know, I've done it
12 times. I mean, there's a lot of hardship to bring that child in the world.
There's a burden on the mother's body. There's a lot of pains to go through, you know,
that all that hardship, all the sorrow that we face, you know, we can stop and just rejoice in
our Jesus Christ, our Savior, the light to the Gentiles. I'm glad he spent most of his ministry
in Galilee, the Galilee of the Gentiles. That stupid teaching, I came for the Jews only.
Then why do you spend so much time with the Galilee, in Galilee?
It's the Galilee of the nations, the Galilee of the Gentiles.
He came for Jews and Gentiles. It's joy for the whole world. It's a Savior for the whole world.
That's why I like Christmas. Say, pastor, don't you know December 25, the Roman Empire,
sun, God, celebration, mix it with Christianity. And it's all commercialism.
Pastor, don't you understand the Christmas tree is an idol. And just take your misery over there.
I'm focused on Jesus.
But you know, when you get the presents from under the tree, you've got to bow your knees,
which is worship. You're worshiping a tree, pastor. I bend my knees a lot of times.
These legs are made to bend. It doesn't mean every time they bend, they're worshiping something.
I've got to bend these knees to get in the car. I'm not worshiping the car, am I?
Take your misery away. God doesn't want you to live like this.
Like you say, pastor, I just choose not to celebrate Christmas. Fine.
You don't have to esteem one day above another. We know the teaching.
But you don't have to be miserable.
Treat December 25 like, in fact, that's how much of my life is.
Honestly, I love the idea of Christmas. I don't believe he was born December 25.
I don't believe that for a minute, to be honest with you.
Okay. But I love the concept that we can spare. I don't care what it was.
If it's March the 5th, right? March the 5th is the day that we remember Christ coming to the world.
All right. Praise God. I'm going to rejoice in Christ.
But, you know, I just want to be very clear that I want my church,
I want new life of the church, blessed hope, crown Baptist. I want believers,
especially believers, to rejoice when they remember that our father sent his son.
What a joy. What a blessing. To die for me. That's why he came. To die for me. To die for you.
He came to suffer. Wow. Amazing. Come with me to Psalm chapter 8, please. Psalm chapter 8.
Psalm 8. Psalm 8. And while you're turning to Psalm 8, I'm going to read to you from 1 Timothy 3.
You go to Psalm 8. Psalm 8. I'll read to you from 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse number 16.
1 Timothy 3 16 says, And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness.
The Bible says this is a great mystery. This godliness. What is this mystery?
God was manifest in the flesh. God in the flesh. That is a mystery.
That's like, whoa, that's a great mystery. Why would God do this?
Why would God be manifest in the flesh? It continues, justified in the spirit,
seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Great is the mystery of godliness. It blows my mind that God became man, became flesh,
manifest in the flesh. Look at Psalm 8. This is what the Psalmist says about it.
He says, When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars,
which thou hast ordained. Let's stop there for a moment. The Psalmist says, you know,
sometimes I just go outside and I just look at the heavens. I just look at the sky. I look at
the work of your fingers, God. You made the clouds and you made the sun and the moon and the stars.
Then he says this about himself, verse number 4. He goes, What is man that thou art mindful of him
and the son of man that thou visitest him? When he looks at creation, he looks at the heavens.
He says, What am I? What am I in comparison to the great creation that God has made?
What am I that you are mindful of him? God, you think about me. I'm on your mind.
Mankind is on your mind. How? Like he's blown away by it. This great God, this great creator
thinks about you and me and the son of man that thou visitest him. He goes, God, you can't even
visit us. You know, you're going to leave your throne and you're going to visit us.
And then we get the famous passage repeated a couple of times in the New Testament.
For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels and has crowned him with glory and honor.
We know that's a prophecy of Christ. I think it's mentioned twice in the book of Hebrews.
Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels. That's Jesus Christ who left his throne,
came lower than the angels. He visited us. We were on his mind. God was thinking about you and me.
And then I think about how can I be miserable when my God thinks about me? I'm on his mind.
And I think, you know, I don't know. I don't know what the answer is to this misery that I
see sometimes, but maybe, just maybe, got to get off the internet, get out of the house,
get out in the open, look at the night sky, all right, see some shooting stars whiz by,
look at the constellations. I enjoy the constellations sometimes, especially on the
sunny coast. It's so much better than Sydney. It's much clearer. You know, look at the sun,
the sunset, the sunrise, the moon, and the moon phases, and you just look up.
And sometimes you see some crazy things like a comet or something like that.
You just stop and just think about the Creator. Stop thinking about your misery and think about
creation and the Creator. And you go, boy, what am I compared to God?
Like what am I compared to creation? Almost nothing. What am I to God though?
And then you remember, hold on. He thinks about me. He visited me. He came as a babe.
That's how much God loves me. That should blow your mind. The mystery of godliness,
God manifest in the flesh for me. That should bring great joy. That should just lighten your
life. The most important being anywhere thinks and loves and cares about you and wants you to be at
peace and shines his goodwill towards you. That's the message of Christmas. It's amazing. My God.
And then I think, what do you need from me, God? Turn up to church once in a while,
a couple of hours in a week, pray to him, serve him, right? Seek him, follow his ways.
Lord, you don't even ask me all that much really to love my brethren.
You know, to put your kingdom first and your righteousness.
And you know that I fail even when I do that, Lord. You still think of me. You still love me.
You still want thoughts of peace toward me. Oh man, what a great God. What a beautiful
saviour that we have. Can you come with me to Hebrews chapter two? Hebrews chapter two.
While you turn to Hebrews two, I'll read to you from Philippians two. All very familiar
passages this morning, right? Philippians two, verse number six. You got a Hebrews two.
Philippians two six, who've been in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.
So Jesus is equal with God. It's not robbery to think that way. It's just, that's who he is.
All right, the form of God, that's who Jesus is. Verse number seven, but made himself of no
reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men.
When that baby is born in Bethlehem's manger, it's like, God said, I'm going to make myself
of no reputation. Any reputation I have, the creator or the great God, his glory, his honour.
He says, I'm going to empty myself of all of that. I'm going to take my reputation,
move it aside so I can be made in the likeness of men.
It's crazy. He took upon him the form of a servant. He says, you know what? Instead of
having men serve me, I'm going to serve mankind. Verse eight, and being found in fashion as a man,
he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
God humbled himself. I can't even understand that. Can you understand? I don't understand it,
brethren. I know it happened. I know God, of course he had to humble himself. He died for me.
He's my servant. He served me and he served me with his life. He humbled himself so low
that says this little innocent baby is going to die for you, Kevin.
That's how I'm going to serve you with my life. Oh, I can't even understand it.
Blows my mind. All right. I can't even comprehend the love of Christ. You would leave your throne.
You would leave your reputation for this sinner and for that sinner for you.
Why am I going to be miserable? What? Why am I going to be miserable in 2024?
Why am I going to be miserable in 2025 when I have a God who loves me so much?
He would give his life for me. He would become a man who would visit me and die for me. What?
What? I don't know about you, but everybody blows my mind. I just don't get it.
Could I die for an enemy of mine? I couldn't do it. Could I sacrifice my son for someone that
hates me and is offensive toward me and is below me? It's a very great sacrifice. Good will toward
men. You're in Hebrews 2. Look at Hebrews 2 verse 14. For as much then as the children are partakers
of flesh and blood, that's like the generations that go, right? When we're born, we're all
partakers of flesh and blood. He also himself, likewise, took part of the same. That's flesh
and blood. This is why that through death, he might destroy him that had the power of death.
That is the devil. And deliver them and deliver them through fear of death.
We're all their lifetime subject to bondage. The reason Christ became flesh for us is that
he would deliver us from death and deliver us from the fear of death or the shadow of death,
as we saw earlier. Okay, the fear of death. And look, we're all their lifetime subject.
Your whole lifetime before Christ was subject to bondage. We all had a life sentence before
he came to Christ. We all found guilty in the eyes of God, life sentence for you, death forever,
the power of the devil over our lives. So God says, you know what? I'm going to do something
good for mankind. I'm going to die for them. I'm going to come in the likeness of flesh for that.
Look at verse number 16. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels,
but he took on him the seed of Abraham, lower than the angels, right?
People say, oh, salvation can't just be believing on Christ, because even the angels believe.
The angels believe he did not come in the nature of angels.
Jesus was not born some angel, did not die an angel's death, did not deliver the angels or the
fallen angels, did not die for their sins. He died for man, the seed of Abraham.
Verse number 17, wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren.
To be behooved him is like he found it necessary. God said this needs to be done.
That he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God.
Look at this. He might be merciful, faithful. This is your savior. This is the babe born in
Bethlehem's manger, merciful and faithful toward you. To make reconciliation for the sins of the
people. So you say, pastor, I'm saved. Good. But not just that. Verse number 18, for in that,
he have suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.
To succor is to help provide aid, to be close by you in a time of difficulty.
So brethren, I want you to remember this, you know, like, I don't know how you,
because we're all different. I don't know how you think of Christianity. I don't know how
you think of your life. You're believing like you're saved life. You know, I don't know if
you think of, well, I got saved 10 years ago, whatever. Right. And that's over there. That was
10 years ago. And that's kind of like separate now from my life. I mean, it is separate in the
sense that position before God, you know, you're righteous, you're in the righteous of Christ.
And now you're walking, you know, in the Lord, you're walking in the new man,
in that way, it is different. But it's not completely disconnected.
Because Christ came and was born, saved you, didn't just save you, but he felt all the
temptations that we feel as human beings. All of the difficulties, all the trials that we go
through in life. Jesus understands it more than ever after becoming man. He took our sins.
So he suffered. He knows our sins. He knows what we've done wrong. Right. He's felt the pain,
the punishment for our sins. I often say not just our sins, but the consequences of sin. Right.
The sorrow it brings. A man of sorrows is a title given to Jesus. The pain that sin brings,
the consequences that sin brings. Right. Death, which sin brings. Jesus has gone through it all.
God knows through Christ, Jesus, the weaknesses and the failings of men.
God knows why we fail. God knows why we disobey. God recognizes that. He knows the weakness of men.
And because of that, he is able to succor them. He's able to help provide age when you are being
tempted. So instead of being miserable, I failed again. Again, there's a time for that.
All right. You failed again. Good. Be broken about it. Then you go to the one that can
succor you. The one that can help you. The one that can provide you age. The one who's always
there by your side. Say, Jesus, help me. I'm sorry. Let me be walking back in your light.
Let me press the reset button right now. And he goes, yep.
I will. Like Jesus is not turning around and says, no, you failed me one too many times.
I'm done with you. I'm through with you. No. We can go to Christ over and over and over again.
He knows. He knows why you failed. He gets it. He became man.
He was born in Bethlehem. He's made an innocent child.
He's paid for all of your sins. He's felt the pain that you felt
and the pain that we all feel because of sin. And that's the like, how can I be miserable?
Not only has my Lord saved me, but now he helps me. He knows me.
Every step of my way, he knows how I'm going to fail him again in 2025.
And he's ready to help me. He's got the solution. He's got the answer. He's got the way.
He's got goodwill toward me, good intentions, kindness, friendliness.
He's got a charitable interest in me. He's helpful. He's cooperative. He's gracious toward us.
He approves. He supports us. You know, he wants us to see us succeed in our Christian life.
He wants us to see us succeed on this earth. You know, and when we succeed, we give him all glory.
We give him all thanks. We give him praise because it's through him that we can do anything.
Title of the sermon this morning was, Reverend, Peace and Goodwill Toward Men.
I want you to be at peace. I want you to have the goodwill of Christ upon your life.
I want you to know that you're important to God.
You don't need to be miserable every day of your life. You don't need to be cast down.
It's Christmas. Happy holidays. Merry Christmas. Happy New Year.
Take that mentality and just have it all year long, though.
Why wait till the end of the year or the start of the year? Have it all year long.
Because nothing's changed. God hasn't changed. Not like God's friendly to you at Christmas,
and then he loses his, you know, doesn't care about you anymore once January 2nd hits or
something. It's like, now I've lost interest in you. No, no, no. It's peace and goodwill toward
men, you know, at all times. So I don't know, brethren, I'm looking forward to the coming year.
I'm looking forward to the coming year. I'm looking forward to walking with my Lord,
knowing him more, you know, doing better for him, serving him more, putting his kingdom first.
But I want you to just spend time this Christmas and enjoy your presence, whatever you do.
If you don't do anything, well, enjoy your day anyway. All right. I want you to have a good time.
I want you to reflect on Christ. I want you to know just how much the creator of this universe
cares and thinks and loves you and is ready to help you. And you're such an important person in
the eyes of God. You received his son. You're now his son because of Christ Jesus. And not only
does he want to help us in this life, God wants to spend the rest of his eternity with us.
Amazing. That's an amazing God that we serve and worship. All right, let's pray.