(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

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Good singing. We'll have the guys come up and help us with the offering at this time, and after that we'll have the choir sing for us. Let's go ahead and bow our heads and have a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, Lord, we do thank you for allowing us to gather together on a Thursday night, Lord, on Christmas Eve night. Lord, we pray that you would bless the offering, we pray that you'd bless the choir as they sing, and the preaching afterwards, and the fellowship afterwards. Lord, we pray that it would all bring glory and honor to your name. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] Now we're going to have our choir sing for us. ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] And I'd like you to look at these very familiar verses, John chapter 1 and verse 1, the choir and the orchestra. The orchestra sounds good as well. John chapter 1 verse 1 says this, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. I want you to notice these words in verse number 4. The Bible says this, In Him, and the Him there is referring to the Word, In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. Over the last several weeks as we've been leading up towards Christmas, I've been preaching a series of sermons on Sunday mornings entitled Shine as Lights, and we've been learning about this idea of being the light of the world. Tonight, I'm concluding that series with this short Christmas sermon entitled The Light of the World, because Jesus is the light of the world. In John chapter 1, we read here about the Word, and that's Jesus, of course. Later on in the chapter, we'll see it. We're told that the Word was made flesh, and that's what Christmas is all about, the fact that the Word was made flesh, the fact that God was manifest in the flesh. And in verse 4, we're told that in Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And all throughout the Bible, we find this idea that Jesus is the light, and Jesus is the life. You're there in John chapter 1. Just flip over with me, if you would, to John chapter 8. John chapter 8 and verse 12. And I want you to notice what Jesus said about Himself in John chapter 8 and verse 12. The Bible says this, then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, John 8, 12. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, notice these words, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the light of the world, and that light is connected to life. That's why in John 1, 4, it says, in Him was life, and the life was the light of all men. If you'd flip over just a few pages to John 14 and look at verse 6, you'll see these well-known words that Jesus said. John 14, 6 says this, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Jesus is the life, and Jesus is the light. And if you would, make your way back to John chapter 1. And when I think of the Christmas story, and I think of the beginning of the New Testament, the inception of the New Testament, you think of the characters of the Christmas story, and you think of the men and women that were living during the time in which Jesus was born into this world. And I don't have time to preach the entire story of Christmas tonight, but when you think of the characters like Elizabeth, and you think of Zacharias, when you think of Simeon and Anna, when you think of Joseph and Mary, when you think of these individuals that were alive during the time in which Jesus came into this world, the story that we called the Christmas story, when the Word was made flesh, you have to consider the fact that Jesus was born into a very spiritually dark world. It was a very dark time. In fact, if you would, I'd like to just read to you real quickly just a few notes I have here in regards to overviewing the time before the New Testament. Because when you and I read the Bible, and you finish the Old Testament, you flip a page over, and you go from the Old Testament into the New Testament. But this was not the case in real life. There was a time that had passed between the Old Testament and the New Testament. There was time that had gone by, and there was time of darkness and time of silence. I'll read to you this quickly. It says this, the last prophets mentioned in the Old Testament are Haggai, Zachariah, and Malachi, all of whom lived at the end of the 70-year exile. The years of silence, as they are commonly referred to, which most people agree are around 400 years, referred to the time between the Old and the New Testament during which God did not speak to his people. What happened after Malachi had ceased his prophesying and the canon of the Old Testament closed? That is, the books of the Old Testament were fulfilled, and the inspired prophets ceased to speak. During this time, much of the world power structure changed. The earth's governmental power shifted, and when the New Testament begins, there is an entirely new setting. Towards the end of the Old Testament, the center of the world power began to shift from the east to the west. Up to this time, Babylon had been the major world power, but this was soon seceded by the Medo-Persian Empire. At the height of the Persian power, there arose in the country of Macedonia, which we now know as Greece, north of the Black Sea, a man by the name of Philip of Macedon, who became a leader in his own country. He united the islands of Greece and became their ruler. Philip of Macedon's son was destined to become one of the great world leaders of all time, and you and I know him as Alexander the Great. In 330 BC, a tremendous battle between the Persians and the Greeks entirely altered the course of history. In that battle, Alexander, as a young man, only 20 years old, led the armies of Greece in victory over the Persians and completely demolished the power of Persia. The center of world power then shifted further west into Greece, and the Grecian Empire was born. The Greek Empire eventually came and went, and the next world power to the stage was the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire existed for about 500 years as a republic, which was against having a king and went about dethroning kings. This Roman Republic was eventually altered and destroyed by a man named Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar's grandnephew, Augustus, became the first emperor of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire now held control over the area, which was once known as the kingdoms of northern Israel and southern Judah. For about four centuries, God had not spoken, the spirit had not moved, the world had lain in darkness, and this is the world context that Jesus was born into. When you and I read about Elizabeth and Zacharias, when we read about Mary and Joseph, when we read about Simeon and Anna, we read about people who were believers, who were followers of God, but yet God had not moved, God had not spoken, nothing had happened, the world had literally changed, and it could seem to some as though God had forgotten and maybe even forsaken his people. But a light was about to come on. In John chapter 1 and verse 5, we read these words. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. When we read about the Christmas story, when we celebrate the Christmas story, when we have a special day like tonight or like many of you will have tomorrow, where we celebrate the birth of Christ, we should remember that the context that Jesus was born into was a dark world, was a different world, was a spiritually dark place, and Jesus was the proof that God had not forgotten, and that God had not forsaken, that God was still moving, and that God was doing something in the world and for the world. Notice there in verse 10 of John chapter 1, the Bible says this, he was in the world, and the world was made by him. Imagine that. God, who made the world, inserted himself into the world. For the first time, as a human being, the author of creation, wrote himself into the script, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave you power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Notice verse 14, and the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And we know that this is, of course, the Lord Jesus Christ. If you would turn with me to the book of Matthew, Matthew chapter 4. When the choir sang tonight, there was a line in that song, that was a beautiful song, there was a line in that song that said this, there is more light in this child than darkness in the world. And the truth is that Jesus came to be the light. Jesus came to bring the life. Jesus came to show that God was still at work. Matthew chapter 4 and verse 13. I want you to notice what the Bible says about Jesus and the ministry of Christ. And again, just to kind of understand that context in which Jesus was born into and came into and ministered. Matthew chapter 4 and verse 13 says this, and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum. This is talking about Jesus. He left Nazareth and he came to Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast in the borders of Zebulun and Nephthalim. Notice verse 14. That it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet. This was a prophecy that Isaiah had given hundreds of years earlier. Notice what it says, saying, verse 15, the land of Zebulun and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. Verse 16, the people which sat in darkness saw great light, and to them which sat in the regions and shadow of death, light is sprung up. Jesus came into this world, a dark, spiritual world, to be the light. Go to Luke, if you would, Luke chapter 2. And of course, we know Luke holds the most famous account of the Nativity story in Luke chapter 2. And we will actually take the time to read this passage tonight as we close. But in Luke chapter 2, you have more than just the Christmas story. You also have an account that happens a week later after the birth of Christ. You have an account that happens 12 years later as Jesus is a child. But I want you to notice in verse 25, we read about Jesus coming into the temple in order for the sacrifices to be offered for his birth and the different purifications and things of that nature. I want you to notice in verse 25 the Bible says this, And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and the same man was just and devout, waiting, waiting. Now this man had been waiting his whole life, but God's people had been waiting for 400 years, wondering if God had forgotten, wondering if God had forsaken, wondering if the things that God had said he would do were still going to be done. The Bible says waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law, then took him up in his arms. Imagine that, Mom. Some stranger just walked up and grabbed your baby, took him in his arms, and blessed God and said, Lord, now let us thou, thy servant, depart in peace according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people. And don't miss this in verse 32, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of the people of Israel. Go to 2 Corinthians chapter 5, if you would. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. I don't really understand why most so-called, quote-unquote, Christians celebrate Christmas. Because the truth is that based off the theology of what most Christians believe, the birth of Christ is not really needed. The death of Christ is not really needed. Actually, Christ is not even really needed. I mean, most people think, and most religions teach, and most services that are honoring the birth of Christ tonight or doing something special tomorrow have people sitting in them that are told and that believe that if you just do enough good things, if you keep the commandments, if you keep our laws, if you, and all these religions all have different ideas and different thoughts, whatever it might be, whether it is you need to get baptized, whether it is you have to speak in tongues, whether it is you need to repent of your sins, whether it is you need to go into a confessional booth, whether it means that you have to light a candle, whether it means that you have to walk down an aisle, whether it means that you have to join a church or get baptized in a church or give to a certain denomination, they all have these ideas that I can make my way to heaven by living a good life and trying to do good things. But the Bible teaches that God came into this world to save us because we could not save ourselves. We are as blind men groping in the darkness, and the light came into the world. One of my favorite Christmas passages, and it's not a Christmas passage at all, but it's a passage I often think of during Christmas season, is 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 18 and 19. The Bible says this, And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation. Notice these words, verse 19, to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath commissioned unto us the word of reconciliation. I don't know if you understand this, I don't know if we can really comprehend this, but when we celebrate Christmas, when we celebrate Christmas, what we celebrate is that light came into darkness, that life overcame death, and that God was in Christ doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. And then the Bible says this, that he has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that we might go into this still dark world with the light of the world, which is Jesus Christ, and tell people God was made flesh, God was manifest in the flesh, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, because there really was more light in this child than darkness in the world. If it's okay with you, I'd like to just finish tonight by reading the Christmas story, and if you turn with me to Luke chapter 2, we'll read it briefly, not the entire chapter, just the nativity scene. Luke chapter 2 and verse 1, the Bible says this, And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed, and this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria, and all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be taxed with Mary his espouse white, being great with child. And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered, and she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. There were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, 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. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherd said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child, and all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. I believe that what the shepherds were telling the world, the same message you and I are to tell the world today, is that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. Let's bow our heads in our word of prayer. Father, Lord we do thank you that we could take some time to recognize, to celebrate the birth of Christ. Lord help us not to cheapen it by making it about gifts, by making it about things that don't matter. Help us to always be conscious that what we are celebrating is that God the author of creation inserted himself into the story. That God was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory. Lord we thank you for being born in order to die, for sending your son to die on the cross. In the matchless name of Christ we pray. Amen. Why not brother Matt come up and lead us in a final song. I just want to remind you that we would love for you to stick around and fellowship with us. We've got hot chocolate and desserts after the service and we do have a special gift for every family in attendance tonight. And we'll have the guys go through and pass those out as we sing our final song for tonight. Why brother Matt come up. We're going to song four hundred and thirty one. Four, three, one. Song four hundred and thirty one on the first. Silent night, all is calm, all is bright. All is well, all is rich and well and gentle. All is peaceful, tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace. Silent night, all is calm, all is bright. All is calm, all is bright. All is sweet, from heaven above. Heavenly hosts sing hallelujah. Christ the Savior is born. Christ the Savior is born. Silent night, all is calm, all is bright. Range and beach from thy holy face. With the dawn of redeeming grace. Jesus, Lord of my life. Jesus, Lord of my life. Silent night, holy night. Christ the Savior is born. Silent night, holy night. Christ the Savior is born. Silent night, holy night. Christ the Savior is born. Jesus, Lord of my life.