Christmas – 2021 – The Day After Christmas

                                             Christmas – 2021 – The Day After Christmas

Subject – Looking at the Day After Jesus Was Born

By Rick Welborne

Luke 2:1-7 (NKJV)
¹  And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
²  This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.
³  So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
⁴  Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
⁵  to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
⁶  So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.
⁷  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 

--Many times this year we have heard so much about the birth of Christ and rightfully so. We have been celebrating the birth (His birthday) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

--As I meditated on this beautiful story and was trying to look ahead to what was happening on our church calendar, I noticed this Sunday was the day after Christmas. How profound!

--As my mind began to think about the birth of Jesus and noticing today would be the day after Christmas, I started wondering what it must have been like for Mary and Joseph the day after Jesus was born.

--All of you who have ever had children will be able to relate to the things that I will share. Joseph and Mary, I am sure had wonderful mixed emotions about this Christ child.

1. Imagine Joseph and Mary gazing into the face of Jesus.

--I have said for years that it is hard to understand the heart of God and His love for us until you have your own children. 

--Joseph and Mary, I am sure like every parent just held on to Jesus and gazed into His beautiful loving face. You feel such love that it is almost unexplainable. Kind of like how God loves us.

--I started thinking about Jesus’ mom and dad gazing into His face and holding on to Jesus, and of course, my mind went to what we should be doing. What did David say was his one thing he wanted to do?

Psalm 27:4-8 (NIV)
⁴  One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
⁵  For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.
⁶  Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.
⁷  Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.
⁸  My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek. 

--Joseph and Mary and David had a common desire that should be in every one of our hearts. To spend time with Jesus and to gaze upon His beauty. 

--They had heard so many things about Jesus and I am sure they were holding on to Him as if He was their very lives. How many of you know He is our lives? He is the Way, the Truth, and hear it, the Life! Hold on to Him.

Philippians 3:12 (NKJV)
¹²  Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

Hebrews 10:23 (NKJV)
²³  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

--We must hold on to Jesus and gaze upon His face. 

2. Imagine Joseph and Mary thinking about Jesus’ future. 

--It is virtually impossible when you have a child to not think about what that child’s future will be. I remember Jeremy and Joshua’s births being so traumatic and thinking God had a great plan.

--I think about Stephanie being born literally as Tricia was laughing and just imaging what joy she was going to bring into the lives of many. Our minds and hearts are racing with thoughts.

--I am sure Joseph and Mary could not help but think about those things that was said about this beautiful son. As Joseph struggled about marrying Mary because she was pregnant:

Matthew 1:18-24 (NLT2)
¹⁸  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.
¹⁹  Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.
²⁰  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.
²¹  And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
²²  All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:
²³  “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
²⁴  When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 

--Think about Mary…this poor teenaged girl being chosen by God and the words she heard about Jesus.

Luke 1:26-38 (NLT2)
²⁶  In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee,
²⁷  to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.
²⁸  Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
²⁹  Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.
³⁰  “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!
³¹  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.
³²  He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.
³³  And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
³⁴  Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
³⁵  The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.
³⁶  What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month.
³⁷  For nothing is impossible with God.”
³⁸  Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. 

--Mind blowing for sure. But it was not all good news to Mary.

Luke 2:34-35 (NLT2)
³⁴  Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him.
³⁵  As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

--What could all this mean…what would be the future of Jesus? A sword will pierce my own soul. I am sure she had such mixed emotions…extreme joy and apprehensive sadness.

3. Joseph and Mary probably started remembering the ancient prophecies of the Messiah. (The Word)

Isaiah 53:3-7 (NKJV)
³  He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
⁴  Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
⁵  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
⁶  All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
⁷  He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 

Isaiah 9:6‑7 (NKJV)                                                                                                                                                6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.                              7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. 

--What an amazing overview of the prophecies about Jesus and about life. Yes, Jesus would have suffering but He would also be the Savior of the Word. The Messiah. Immanuel – God with us. 

--Take heart my brothers and sisters…life will have bad times and it will have wonderful times.

John 14:1-6 (NKJV)
¹  "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
²  In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
³  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
⁴  And where I go you know, and the way you know."
⁵  Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"
⁶  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 

--We need to gaze on the beauty of the Lord, we need to think about our future with Jesus, and we need to remember all the prophecies about Jesus. He is coming again. 

Christmas – 2021 – Fasting and Praying

                                                 Christmas – 2021 – Fasting and Praying

Subject: Connecting Christmas with Fasting and Prayer

By Rick Welborne

Luke 2:36-40 (NIV) 

36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 

37 and then was a widow until she was eighty four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 

38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. 

39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 

40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. 

–As I began to look at the new year I was very aware that it is Christmas time and keenly aware that we will be challenging you to fast with us Jan.1. 21 days.I felt that God wanted me to tie Christmas and fasting together.

–I feel at the beginning of 2022…if we can give our first fruits to the Lord…the first of our prayer, the first of our time, the first of our passion, the first of all we are and hope to be, blessings will come!

 

–I felt that He spoke to me and said...fasting and prayer is the push on the door that will swing open the door (actually the double doors) that we are praying for. The dreams we are believing God…growing to 1000.

–Also I felt He spoke to me and said that our previous fasting, prayers, and persevering have accumulated before Him and He was about to reveal His great love and presence to us…Himself! Back to Anna.

Luke 2:37-38 (NIV) 

37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 

38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. 

–In these two verses I see three things that will help us to get ready for Jesus (the double doors for us) to come and we will see what Anna did as she waited.

1. To be ready for Jesus to come Anna had a dedication to God’s House...She never left the temple. 

Luke 2:37 (NIV) 37…She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 

--Church was not optional for her because she had a passion for God’s house.

Psalms 69:9 (NLT)    9 Passion for your house has consumed me… 

--Let me encourage you in this coming new year to make God and His House a dedicated and faithful priority.

--Anna was expecting the Messiah to be revealed and she knew the temple would be the greatest place for having an encounter with Him. The same for us!

--I am calling for a solemn assembly during our week of prayer...Make it a major priority for you to be here...we all say we want Him to come...let us come seeking and with great expectation!

Hebrews 10:23-25 (NKJV)
²³  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
²⁴  And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
²⁵  not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

--With everything being shaken that can be shaken...get to God’s house...His refuge for us! What could be more important than spending time with God?

--If you are going thru a tough time, if you have a prodigal, if you need a break through...get to church and remember Simeon and Anna had an encounter with Christ at the temple.

2. To be ready for Jesus to come Anna made a choice to worship God night and day. 

Luke 2:37 (NIV) 37…She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 

--Just an observation: those who make the choice to worship God night and day, thru the bad and good, thru blessed times and rough times...those individuals have peace with God and experience Him more often!

--It just stands to reason that if we have a love for God and His House and we worship Him continuously that everything will be alright! Let me remind us all!

Psalms 34:1 NKJV) 1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

--Don’t miss it...Anna saw Jesus because she was a worshiper. Who wants to come to Life Church and cast your eyes on the King of kings and the Lord of Lords?

--Anna cried out and the Lord heard her…she saw the deliverance that she had prayed for all those years. She prayed for Messiah to come! Even so come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Luke 4:18-19 (NKJV)
¹⁸  "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
¹⁹  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." 

--The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart…those who approach Him in prayer and worship with a humble attitude.

--If you have many afflictions…many physical, spiritual, emotional, financial needs come and worship Him…He is ready and willing to proclaim liberty and recovery of sight to the blind…healing.

3. To be ready for Jesus to come Anna fasted and prayed.

Luke 2:37 (NIV) 37…She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 

--Your pastor and church leadership are admonishing you to join with us in fasting and praying beginning January 1. Could it be that 2022 will be your year! Our year!

2 Chronicles 20:1-4 &12 (NKJV)
¹  It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat.
²  Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar" (which is En Gedi).
³  And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
⁴  So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
¹²  O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." 

--We are asking you to do a true biblical fast...fast food...you can fast TV, FB, watching sports, watching the news, or other stuff but fast food in some way. Crucify your flesh!

--We know some of you have to be careful and some of you may have to check with your doctors but all of us can fast something for 21 days. You can do a Daniel fast…fruits and vegetables. 

--We are asking for 100% participation...we are asking for you to especially join with us starting Sunday January 2 for our Annual week of Prayer.

--We are asking everyone who can to come out every night that week and join us in seeking after God for a sovereign move of His Spirit! For dreams to become reality!

--We believe that as we are unified in this fasting and praying that God will reveal Jesus to us in a greater way. Isn’t that the purpose…Jesus to be revealed! Look at the biblical results of fasting and prayer.

 

Isaiah 58:5-14 (NIV)
⁵  Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?
⁶  "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
⁷  Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
⁸  Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
⁹  Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
¹⁰  and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. 

¹¹  The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
¹²  Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
¹³  "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
¹⁴  then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken. 

Christmas 2021 – Thrill of Hope

                                                         Christmas 2021 – Thrill of Hope

Subject – Exciting Good News that Brings Hope

By Rick Welborne

Luke 2:8-18 (NIV)
⁸  And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
⁹  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
¹⁰  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
¹¹  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
¹²  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
¹³  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
¹⁴  "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
¹⁵  When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
¹⁶  So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
¹⁷  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,
¹⁸  and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 

--The Thrill of Hope…can you imagine these poor shepherds…verse 9 says they were terrified. Well yes! But their terror would soon turn into a thrill of hope. 

--"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Even shepherds. Being a shepherd was not considered as one of your Fortune 500 Companies or Careers. 

--The shepherds like many of us were just going through life doing the same ole same ole and then, someone confronted us with Good News.

--Each of us respond differently to the good news…I know when my cousins started telling me about Jesus being born of a virgin how I laughed and made fun. A man had to be involved somewhere.

--We heard God’s Name and Jesus’ Name a lot in our house but it was never with reverence or fear…just a part of curse words. But we did have one of those 50 pound Bibles on the coffee table next to the ash trays.

--Even though I was lost I did believe the Bible was somehow God’s Word and that it was truth. People kept telling me about the truth and the good news so finally I did like the shepherds:

1. Come and see.

Luke 2:15 (NIV)
¹⁵  When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." 

--Instead of thinking they had just been around sheep too long or had a little too much wine they decided to investigate. Before you completely brush Jesus off do like the shepherds…Come and see!

--I understand you may not be totally convinced (I have been there) but don’t stay where you are without at least checking out this beautiful story. As you come and see you may discover the thrill of hope.

2. Good News of Great Joy

Luke 2:10 (NIV) ¹⁰  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 

----Think about that statement…Good News of Great Joy! When was the last time you turned on the news and heard good news or great joy?

--There is a wonderful message to the world and these angels were declaring the glory of the Lord and this good news but here is the best news…good news for all the people.

3. A Savior is Born.

Luke 2:11 (NIV)
¹¹  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 

--I love how the Word of God is so specific. This is not just a savior…this is the Savior…the One and only Savior…Christ the Lord! This is how detailed God is:

Acts 4:10-12 (NKJV)
¹⁰  let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.
¹¹  This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.'
¹²  Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

--The shepherds found or discovered the Thrill of Hope and you can to. It is wrapped up in Jesus…the Savior of the World. Today is your opportunity.

--As we approach Christmas time why not receive the greatest gift of all, the thrill of hope, Jesus Christ?

John 1:12 (NKJV)
¹²  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

Christmas 2021 - Worshiping the Christ of Christmas

                                     Christmas 2021 - Worshiping the Christ of Christmas

Subject - Lifting Up Jesus!

By Rick Welborne

Isaiah 9:6‑7 (NKJV) 

6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. 

–As we draw close to the time we celebrate the birth of Christ I want to make sure that we are worshiping Him.

It is so easy in a materialistic society to concentrate on the gifts we get or give and to focus on who we will see. 

–Don’t misunderstand me...I think giving is the heart of God and I also think getting together can be a wonderful thing if we do not forget the Christ of Christmas.

–There was a time in my life that Christmas was so dreaded for me...I was lost without hope, bound by all kinds of addictions, in conflict with family...I was so messed up!

–Something happened and I had an encounter with Jesus Christ and I found out His name is called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

–As I attempt to magnify Christ today I want to take these words from Isaiah and share what an incredibly awesome God we serve.  Please celebrate and worship with me.

1. Jesus is to be called Wonderful!

–How many of you with a shout will say that you believe Jesus is wonderful? The main reason I believe that Jesus is wonderful is this:

Psalm 40:1‑5 (NKJV) 

1 I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. 

2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. 

3 He has put a new song in my mouth‑‑ Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD. 

4 Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 

5 Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered. 

–He is wonderful because He listened to my cry. He is wonderful because He brought me out of a horrible pit...shout to Him! But, Pastor Rick, I am in a horrible place. Cry out to Him and let Him bring you out!

–He is wonderful because He has established my steps and He set me upon a rock! He is wonderful because He has put a new song in my mouth...a song of praise to our God. Many will see it and accept Christ also!

–He is wonderful because He has done wonderful works for us! Count them, Life Church. He is wonderful because of His thoughts (plans) toward or for us! Shout He is Wonderful...He is Wonderful!

2. Jesus is to be called Counselor!

Isaiah 41:27‑28 (NKJV) 

27 The first time I said to Zion, 'Look, there they are!' And I will give to Jerusalem one who brings good tidings. 

28 For I looked, and there was no man; I looked among them, but there was no counselor, Who, when I asked of them, could answer a word. 

Isaiah 41:27 (NLT) 

27 I was the first to tell Zion, ‘Look! Help is on the way!’ I will send Jerusalem a messenger with good news. 

–Listen, Life Church, help is on the way. Unto us a Child is born...Immanuel...God with us! The Counselor is here! How do we get counsel from this Counselor...From His Word and from talking to Him.

–Jesus is our Counselor because he is the living Word of God. He made it all and in Him is life...why do we run to other sources...He is our source. Listen to the Counselor through His Word!

–The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Jesus Christ and He is our Counselor.

John 15:26 (NIV) 

26 "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. 

–When you have problems...before you run to everyone else...run to Jesus...run to Holy Spirit...to the Word. 

3. Jesus is to be called Mighty God!

–Unto us a child is born...unto us a Son is born...and the government shall be upon His shoulder. Who else can handle the govt. being on His shoulder other than the mighty God...Jesus Christ!

Jeremiah 32:17‑18 (NKJV) 

17 'Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. 

18 You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them‑‑the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts. 

–I am telling you that this Christ child has become our Mighty God! Talking about Joseph:

Deuteronomy 10:17-18&21 (NKJV)
¹⁷  For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.
¹⁸  He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. 

²¹  He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.

–He is our Mighty God...shout and give Him praise!

4. Jesus is to be called Eternal Father!

–Maybe some of you did not have a good example of a father or maybe you did not have a father at all. This God child has been born so that gap in your life can be filled.

–My father was abusive and hateful and my image of a father was not good! This Eternal Father is the great gap filler...He can pick up where man failed.

Psalm 68:3‑6 (NIV) 

3 But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. 

4 Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds‑‑ his name is the LORD‑‑ and rejoice before him. 

5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. 

6 God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun‑scorched land. 

–Maybe before Jesus you did not have a good example but now that you have found the Eternal God he can love you and show you how to love.

–When we had Jeremy I struggled so much against the spirit of my father but one night I fell on my knees before my Eternal Father and cried out to Him and He set me free.

–God used me to lead my father to Christ. Now that is transformation! The curse was broken:

Galatians 3:13‑14 (NKJV) 

13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), 

14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 

What is the blessing of Abraham for us?

Genesis 22:15‑18 (NKJV) 

15 Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 

16 and said: "By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son‑‑ 

17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 

18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." 

–I will bless you...I will multiply you...Our kids will possess the gate of their enemies...Nations will be blessed!

He is our Eternal Father...shout to Him!

5. Jesus is to be called Prince of Peace!

–Pastor Rick, I have anything but peace today. I tell you run to the Prince of Peace!

Psalm 29:10‑11 (NKJV) 

10 The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood, And the LORD sits as King forever. 

11 The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace. 

–The Lord will bless His people with peace!

Psalm 119:165 (NKJV) 165 Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble. 

–Your peace has been made available at a great price...This God child came to give Himself for us so we can have peace.

Isaiah 53:5‑6 (NKJV) 

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 

Christmas 2021 - The Quest of the Magi

 Christmas – 2021

Subject – The Quest of the Magi

By Rick Welborne

Matthew 2:1-12 (NIV)
¹  After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
²  and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
³  When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
⁴  When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.
⁵  "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
⁶  "'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"
⁷  Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.
⁸  He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
⁹  After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.
¹⁰  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
¹¹  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
¹²  And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. 

--Nobody knows who the Magi were, though everyone’s heard of them. They embody the quest for truth, meaning, and purpose in life. 

--We assume they were men, and tradition tells us they were wise, but all we know is the direction they came from (east), and that one day they turned up at the palace of Herod. 

--Self-acclaimed “the Great.” Herod was not born a Jew, much less a king. He was an Edomite, historically one of the greatest enemies of Israel, now made king by the Romans.

1. Quest for Truth

--One day Herod’s court is disturbed by the arrival of these foreign dignitaries who come asking to meet the king of the Jews. They meet Herod and tell him sorry but this is not the right address to deliver their packages.

--These truth seekers had followed the clues that drove them west. They see the palace was not the destination but a detour that could be a distraction, so they didn’t stay there. They kept following until they found Jesus.

--There was a move in the church over twenty years ago to become “seeker friendly or seeker sensitive”. The intentions were noble, the shift usually was helpful but not always. 

--Music changed, drama skits performed, and regular clothing worn, to bring the church closer to connection with ordinary people who were looking for God and had written off the church as a place to find Him. 

--But what do you do when you’re a truth seeker—and you find it? Or rather you find Jesus, Who is “The Way, The Truth and the Life”?

--Christ is not an abstract claim among competitors to bring “a truth.” He is truth embodied. What you do when you find him is the test of whether you’re really a seeker or a perpetual wanderer—still lost.

Churchill - People occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off again as if nothing had happened.

2. Quest for Meaning

--Sometimes when people do come in contact with the church they are encouraged to make “a decision” for Christ. 

--Again that idea of crossing the line of faith in prayer contains a helpful kernel of truth but Christ himself called us to make disciples, not decisions. 

--I have made so called decisions about many things that made no lasting difference, but when you become a disciple, everything changes. That’s the difference. 

--Maybe you made a decision once as part of your spiritual journey in life. But that may not mean you’re a disciple. How do we know which is which?

--Here is it is. Verse 11 says when they found Jesus, “The Magi bowed down and worshipped Him.” 

--That was what they wanted to do from the start, they set out to follow the star but the quest was not the point, they already told Herod they knew that the end of their journey was the beginning of true worship.

A. Some people won’t bow down because they worship themselves.

--Of course Herod would not bow down and as the years went by he ordered the death of every boy born in Bethlehem. The spirit of abortion was alive back then too.

--Around that time he killed his mother, his wife, his sons—when he felt his throne and title were threatened by them. He encouraged the Magi to “search diligently,” but all he was looking for was how to keep his crown.

B. Some people won’t bow down because they worship science.

--Of course there’s no real dichotomy between science and faith, unless you put all your faith in science. The Magi were astronomers in an age when that line was blurred with astrology more than it is today for us. 

--Astrology falsely states that the position of the stars at a child’s birth determines their destiny. But the Magi found that the position of where Christ was born determined the position of the star!

--The Bible says “knowledge puffs up.” Some people having devoted their lives to the study of astrophysics 

--They are deluded enough to believe that the tiny amount of understanding they gain to write a PhD about the black hole somehow makes them qualified to teach everyone else how everything they know works.

C. Some people won’t bow down because they worship theology.

--Theology has been called “the queen of sciences” because the knowledge of God is the beginning of knowledge. 

--What a shame that the ecclesiastical, expert scholars in Herod’s court looked into their scrolls and the ancient prophecies and knew where the Messiah would be born, but never went there.

--I was taught New Testament at University by a published theologian who was also an atheist. An expert Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic—spent his life examining words of Jesus—but had no interest in finding him. 

--Because when we do, when we find the true King, we must bow down. Jesus said of the Pharisees that they diligently searched the scriptures that spoke of him, but refused to come to him and have life. 

--It’s like looking at maps and guide books of a place and becoming an “expert” in a place you never go.

3. Quest for Purpose

--The Magi let what they saw going on in their times and their world take them on a journey, but they did not define themselves as lifelong seekers. 

--When the meteor or conjunction of planets or the star got them where they were meant to go, they stopped. They bowed down. They were overjoyed. Because when they met Jesus, the search was over!

--They started as seekers, but when they found him, they became worshippers.

--They brought themselves, the very best that they had, and literally “offered it” to him. Their gifts represented not so much who they were—because this was no longer about them—but who He is.

A. Gold was given because of his royalty.

--They saw the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. They were important dignitaries for sure, representing the nations and rulers of the earth in all its splendor, but Jesus’ majesty outshines them all. 

--The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the silver is mine and the gold is mine says the Lord, so whatever we give to him we only give back.

B. Frankincense was offered because of his deity.

--He has always been God. When their quest was over they saw God the Son. The word for offering that is used here is used seven more times in the New Testament, and alway as an offering of worship. 

--Now we are called to lay our lives before him and become a living sacrifice, acceptable because he not only made us, but bought us with the most precious substance in the universe, his own blood.

C. Myrrh given because of his humanity.

--He who has always been God, became human. When the Magi’s quest was over they saw a Son of man. By the time they get to Bethlehem he is a “young child.” 

--He knows what we are like, because he has become like us in every way. Yet without sin. The Word became 

--When you discover these truths, how can you not bow down and worship? It’s sad if people hold onto their own crowns and the temporary gifts of this life like Herod did.

--A bigger tragedy is when people waste their whole lives going from one place or person to another—searching for meaning and truth, yet when they find it all in the only One who embodies it, they walk away.

--As you travel through life, with all its questions and clues, ups and downs, the problem may not be that you haven’t found the truth, but that you’re unwilling to bow down. 

--You will worship something, but you’re not willing to worship the One who made it all, yourself included.

--Are you willing to say today, “I’m going to call off the search, because God has come and found me. So I will give Jesus—who owns everything—what he wants from me.” If so, let’s bow down and pray to him now:

--Lord take the gold, everything I have, as an offering to your majesty. Jesus forgive my idolatry and take my worship, all of me—as an offering for your deity. 

--Savior take my imperfect life as you took on life and death for me, so that I can be not only a seeker but a finder, your follower, forever. Amen.

Give Us This Day - 12

                                                                 Give Us This Day - 12

Subject – Thanksgiving and Compelling Them to Come In

By Rick Welborne

Matthew 6:9-15 (NKJV)
⁹  In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
¹⁰  Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹  Give us this day our daily bread.
¹²  And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
¹³  And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
¹⁴  "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
¹⁵  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 

--Today I want to share with you a modified sermon of what I shared with the Village campus on November 6. Thankful hearts are the hearts of servants.

Luke 14:16-23 (NKJV)
¹⁶  Then He said to him, "A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,
¹⁷  and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.'
¹⁸  But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.'
¹⁹  And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.'
²⁰  Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'
²¹  So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.'
²²  And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.'
²³  Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

--It has been on my heart for years for Life Church to grow to one thousand plus and I still do. Sometimes dreams or visions come quickly and sometime you have to wait. But when the time is right:

Habakkuk 2:1-3 (NKJV)
¹  I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected.
²  Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.
³  For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. 

--The vision, if it is God’s vision, will show up at the appointed time and it will be fulfilled. Though it takes some time, keep waiting for it because it will surely come.

--A thankful heart will trust the One Who said He would build His church.

--Back when God initially spoke to me about growing to one thousand plus we did not have a Spanish ministry or a Village Campus. Those dreams were on the horizon.

--Of course God in His sovereignty saw these two ministries and He began the process of building His church in a way that would bring Him glory.

--Our Spanish Ministry, La Vida Church was birthed and because Satan hates when the church advances, he tried to destroy the work of God. Jesus can take care of His church.

--When it looked like La Vida Church was on life support and surely about to die, God breathed new life into the church and it was revived and resurrected. 

--La Vida Church will be a major part of God building Life Church into a thriving ministry of over one thousand plus. Pastor Neftali and his team are being faithful to see the vision fulfilled.

--Four years ago this past August at General Council God spoke to me about a campus in the Villages and I was nervous about it but extremely excited at the same time.

--Again the dream or the vision seemed as though it would never happen and the thoughts of the campus seemed to be fading away. But God had a plan.

--Because we did not have the time or the energy to do the ground work to get a campus going, we brought Pastor Bob and JoAnn back from Wyoming (actually delivered them) to be our campus pastors.

--They prayed and feverishly went to work trying to find a place (a campus) for us to meet and for us to see the vision come to pass. They did more in a few months than we had done in a few years.

--God was expediting His vision and at the appointed time the campus was birthed. First, at Brownwood Hotel and now, at this location, First Christian Church. The church is growing and we give God the glory.

--Okay, Pastor Rick, thank you for the history lesson of what has brought us to this moment in God’s Kingdom, but where do we go from here? We must compel them to come in. 

Luke 14:23 (NKJV)
²³  Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

1. To see Life Church, the Village Campus, and La Vida Church grow, we must go.

--We must be convinced that there is an invitation from the Master, from Jesus, that is worthy enough for us to go into the highways and hedges. Plenty of streets and hedges to go into.

--No where do I get the idea from Jesus that His word to “Go!” is optional or just a pretty good suggestion. My assessment of what Jesus has said is that it is a commandment. The Word bears this out.

Mark 16:14-20 (NKJV)
¹⁴  Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
¹⁵  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
¹⁶  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
¹⁷  And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
¹⁸  they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
¹⁹  So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
²⁰  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. 

--Because we call Jesus Lord, because He has the authority in heaven and on earth, we are commanded to go. We see they obeyed…they went out and preached everywhere. Lord, help us do the same.

2. To see Life Church, the Village Campus of La Vida Church grow, we must find Jesus worthy.

 Luke 19:10 (NLT2)
¹⁰  For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

--Please understand our hearts and vision for these ministries. This is not just another option for the people who are already saved to attend church or to have a free Sunday to play. 

--We are not starting our Spanish ministry and the new campus just because it seems like the trend in growing churches today. We are starting a campus here in the Villages because people are lost and they need Jesus.

--If our only purpose of investing into these ministries is just to provide Christians another choice for their worship experience, we have missed the boat.

--I don’t know about you, but I believe Jesus is worthy of us being obedient to go into our Jerusalem seeking and wanting to see saved those who are lost.

--Being with Him at His banquet, being with Him in heaven, should be our motivation for wanting to invite people to church, whatever campus it is. It is not just about more and more numbers.

--I am definitely okay with going after numbers and numbers are important to Jesus (A book of the Bible – Numbers) but it must be numbers of lost people. When you count church growth, count the lost being saved.

--Yes, it is okay for people who move to the area to find us or we find them and get connected but again it must be a campus with a vision to reach the lost.

--Jesus is worthy of our effort, heaven is worthy of our effort, salvation is worthy of our effort, the banquet is worthy of our effort. We must go because the banquet is ready and there is room at His table.

3. To see Life Church, the Village Campus, and La Vida Church grow, we must compel them to come in. 

Luke 14:23 (NKJV)
²³  Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Compel - to force or drive, especially to a course of action: to secure or bring about by force. to force to submit; subdue. To urge toward an action.

--What this is saying to me is this; Jesus is not playing when He tells us to compel them to come in. The Great Commission was never intended to be the great suggestion. 

--We get excited to hear about end-time events and we all acknowledge we believe Jesus is coming soon don’t we? If that is true, where is our urgency and obedience to compel them to come in?

--Question: Does Jesus take His invitation serious? Is it Life or Death? I think so.

Luke 14:23-24 (NLT2)
²³  So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.
²⁴  For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’”