Pastor Pete Hartwig

Christmas 2018 sermon

SLIDE: Luke 1:32-33. He will be great… The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

All church reads from large screen.

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

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 that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, 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 heaven,
and on earth peace to those 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. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

STORY:  Church truck. F 250. Stop light.

Maserati  Levante

is a wind that blows across the Mediterranean, transforming from benign calm to gale force in an instant.

590 hp and 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds

SLIDE: In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to their own town to register. Luke 2:1-3

Caesar Augustus = HE IS the KING!

SLIDE: She wrapped Jesus in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:7

A royal birth?

David was a shepherd.  His birth.

IT SEEMS RATHER small AND YET… HUGE!

SLIDE: 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.”

NOT a good strategy.  Talk to the TV.

SHEPHERDS.  ANGELS SHOULD HAVE STAYED!

SLIDE: FEET TO YOUR FAITH

SLIDE: but Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ 

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Treasured up.  Pondered.

Glorifying and praising =. JESUS

2 honest God honoring responses.

SLIDE: In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to their own town to register. Luke 2:1-3

Month of August.  DIVINTY IS GONE!

2,000 years Christ is still declared the king of kings and Lord of Lords