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Biblical
references in Gahanna-Jefferson Church of Christ's nondenominational sermon
outlines are linked directly to text of the King James version of the Bible.
Bible quotes you hear in the streaming audio may be from the New King James
version of the Bible.
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Introduction:
1. The virgin birth of Jesus is a central truth of Christianity.
2. The fact that God relinquished heaven to come to the earth and live as a man
is captivating to say the least (John 1:1,14).
3. While the facts surrounding the birth of Jesus are firmly rooted in
Scripture, the special celebration of his birth is a man made event. It
wasn’t until 354 A.D. that the Bishop of Rome decided to observe December 25th,
formerly a pagan holiday intended to honor the 'god' Saturn, as a celebration of
the birth of Jesus.
4. This evening, I wish for us to focus on the Jesus beyond the manger.
Body:
I. As a Baby, He Was Helpless – As A Man, He Was All Powerful
A. As a Baby, he was totally dependant on others for survival.
B. As a man, we became totally dependant on him for survival.
E. This sort of power demands our respect.
II. As A Baby, He Was Loved – As A Man, He Was Hated
A. While it is true that Herod hated Jesus when he was born (Matthew 2), most
people love a baby.
B. (John 15:18-20) Jesus was different and thus hated.
C. By his light, he exposed the darkness and the shame in others (John 3:19).
III. As A Baby, He Made Demands Of His Mother – As A Man, He Makes Demands Of
Everyone
A. Every parent knows from experience the taxing demands of an infant.
B. But as Jesus grew, so did the scope of his demands.
C. He began to call all men to repentance and a change of lifestyle (John 8:11;
Luke 13:3;
Matthew 16:24).
IV. Jesus Was Born To Die So That We Can Be Born To Live
A. Christianity is full of paradoxes.
B. It was God’s plan from before the creation of the world to send Jesus to the
earth to die (Revelation 13:8;
Luke 24:46-47).
Conclusion:
As important as the birth of Jesus is, we must look beyond the manger; beyond
the babe; and see the Christ of the cross who has all authority, who makes
demands of your life, but who also promises everlasting life.
Don Treadway,
02/15/2004 |
