Christmas – 2024 - The Incarnate Word

Temple Baptist Church - 12-8-2024

John 1:1-14

 

Introduction:

Matthew 1:23-25  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.  (24)  Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:  (25)  And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

 

A.  The four Gospels each portray Christ is four different ways.  When reading all the Gospels, we get the complete description of Who Christ was.  God has always been with and communicated with man in one form or another.

 

B.  In John’s Gospel, which reveals the Divinity of Christ, the description of Jesus Christ is found in the first few verses.

 

1.  The Eternality of Christ – “In the beginning was the Word”

 

2.  The Equality of Christ – “and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.”

 

3.  The Work of Christ – “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” 

 

4.  The Life of Christ – “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

 

5.  The Incarnation of Christ – “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. 

 

C.  The word "made" expresses something that could not naturally occur with someone making it.  For Jehovah God to become flesh while remaining His sinlessness, perfect, and all power is something that He alone could and did do.

 

D.  This month, we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Emmanuel, God with us.  The Incarnation?  What Christ did and does:

 

1.  He sacrificially bought us.  The price of our redemption has been paid in full!  Nothing else needed nor required.  Salvation is all of God, a gift to be received, not earned.

 

2.  He tenderly sought us.  An old song says,

 

"He came to me, O, He came to me.

When I could not come to where He was, He came to me.

That's why He died on Calvary,

When I could not come to where He was, He came to me.

 

He came to me when I was bound in chains of sin,

He came to me when I possessed no hope within,

He picked me up and He drew me gently to His side,

Where, today, in His sweet love I now abide."

 

3.  He lovingly convicts us. 

 

“A Sinner’s Prayer”

By Doyle Kuykendall

 

Take me in your hands, Oh blessed Lord,

          And hold me close to you.

For I’m so tired of this kind of life,

          I don’t know what to do.

I know I’m asking for a lot,

          But, God, I need your help.

So take my hand and lead me on,

          And show me where to step.

I brought all my sorrows on myself

          Dear God, I know it’s true,

But I’m just too weak to help myself,

          So, God, I’m asking You.

I know your home’s in Heaven, Lord,

          Away up in the sky,

And this is just a sinner’s prayer,

          And won’t get very high.

Well, I end this little prayer, Lord,

          I’ve done the best I can;

And if I die before I wake,

          Carry me to your promised land.

4.  He progressively illuminates us.  He is that Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.  He is the true Light.

 

5.  He absolutely convinces us.  Paul said, "I know whom I have believed!"

 

6.  He graciously saves us.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved!

 

7.  He completely forgives us.  As far as the east is from the west, He removed our iniquities.  Behind His back and into the sea of forgetfulness, He cast our sins, never to be remembered again. 

 

8.  He marvelously keeps us.  He has given to us eternal life and we shall never perished, sealed by the Holy Ghost of Promise, the Earnest of our redemption.  I am His and He is mine.

 

9.  He sweetly abides within us.  The Holy Ghost of God, the Spirit of Christ Jesus.  I have Somebody with me to bear my heavy load.

 

10.  He sovereignly works through us.  God could have sent an angel to do His work and it would have been done perfectly but God chose to send us.  "Here am I, LORD, send me."

 

11.  He continually protects us.  The horse is prepared against the day of battle, but safety is of the LORD.

 

12.  He fully provides for us.  Every good gift and every perfect gift come from the LORD and is to be received with thanksgiving.

 

13.  He perfectly guides us.  But he knoweth the way that I take.

 

14.  He patiently succors us.  Unto a perfect man.

 

15.  And, one day, He is coming for us to take us home!  And that, my friend, will preach!!

 

Conclusion:  This is what Christmas is about: Man sinned, God loved, Christ promised and given, salvation finished, repentant sinners who believe saved, and heaven our home!

The Eternality Of Christ

Temple Baptist Church - 2-5-2014

John 1:1-3

 

Introduction:

A. As with John’s Gospel, the Holy Spirit begins the First Epistle of John with a statement concerning the eternality of the Lord Jesus Christ. God has many attributes concerning His Person. We are not here to study them but one of them is that He is eternal.

B. Man lives in temporal time or time that has limits both past and future. Everything in temporal time is measured from a point of reference: "past, present, future, before, after, simultaneous, always, later, next year, forever, at 6:00 p.m., etc." Time requires limits but God has no limits.

C. God exists outside of time. God's eternality entails that he has always existed and always will exist; that he has no beginning and no end. Therefore, temporal terms have no significant application to God. If God existed in time when He created all, there would be one thing that He did not create: time! God understands time because He created it. One of the cardinal errors that man makes when think of time and eternity together is that the eternal God is placed in temporal time. God does not exist in temporal time nor is He limited by it.

D. John begins 1 John as he began John’s Gospel with the eternality of Jesus Christ. These two portions of scripture are consistent with the Genesis account of creation found in Genesis 1:1.

1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (Eternality of Christ)

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (Eternality, Deity, Equality, and Creator: Jesus Christ)

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Eternality, Deity, Equality, Creatorship)

Colossians 1:15-17 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (17) And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

1 Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Hebrews 1:10-12 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: (11) They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; (12) And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

E. The timelessness or eternality of God is the biblical foundation for creation found in Genesis 1:1. This verse declares that “the earth was without form and void” which indicates that creation was ex nihilo, a Latin phrase meaning “out of nothing.”

F. Genesis 1:5 refers to the initial acts of creation as taking place on the “first day.” This is not just the “first day” of creation but the “first day!” Time as we know it began with the first act of creation. This first day was a literal 24 hour period and was described as “the evening and the morning were the first day.” The day began with darkness and ended with light, just the same as our 24 hour day. Our day begins in darkness at 12:00 AM and actually ends at 11:59 PM while God’s day began at app. 6:00 PM in the evening, the same as the Jewish day became. The first day of creation began with darkness on the face of the deep and God declaring, “Let there be light” toward the end of the day.

G. Some great theologians had this to say about the eternality of God:

A. W. Tozer: “In God there is no was or will be, but a continuous and unbroken is. In Him history and propechy are one and the same. Whatever God is His is infinitely.”

Stephen Charnock: “The eternity of God is nothing else but the duration of God, and the duration of God is nothing else but his existence enduring.” It is indeed a high and holy mystery to contemplate that God existed before He created anything. Time dwells within God. He causes, affects, and controls it, and yet does so without time exerting any control or hold on Him. Everything about God is "always" and "I Am". No hour glass can be turned over for the Creator of time, for He is not subject to time!

C. H. Spurgeon: “God’s nature is without beginning and without end, free from all succession of time. God dwells in eternity. Eternity is not just “extended time” but rather is existence above and apart from time. God contains in Himself the cause of time! Time has no control over God and He does not have to work within the strictures of time unless He so pleases. Being eternal, He is free to bestow eternality on His creation in His good pleasure. All of God’s attributes bask in His eternality. Since eternity neither wears out nor runs out, neither do His attributes. The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. Man's life is short and the universe too is perishable but God is eternal. Be encouraged dear suffering saint. The night is almost over and your day is at hand. Take heart, for you will soon spend eternity with the Eternal God! God, being the Author of time, is in no way conditioned by it. He is free to act in relation to time and is equally free to act outside its limitations. Acting in time He said to Abraham,

“Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life and Sarah shall have a son” (Ge 18:14).

Thus, again

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son” (Gal 4:4).

Anyone existing before time began at the creation is eternal. And only God is eternal. God was, when nothing else was. He was God when the earth was not a world but a chaos. If God himself were of yesterday, he would not be a suitable refuge for mortals. The eternal existence of God is here mentioned to set forth, by contrast, the brevity of human life."

Norm Geisler: “The Bible declares that God is eternal. He was before time, and he created time. Hence, he cannot be a part of time, though he can relate to time as its Creator in the way a cause relates to its effect. Many verses of Scripture support God’s eternality: “God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am’ ” (Ex 3:14)..."The theological grounds for God’s eternality are found in several other attributes. For example, immutability implies eternality, for an immutable being cannot change. But whatever is in time changes. Hence, God cannot be in time. God’s eternality can also be inferred from his infinity. An infinite being has no limits, whereas a temporal being has limits. Hence, God is not a temporal being. Pure actuality is also a ground for eternality. Pure actuality has no potentiality, but whatever is temporal has potentiality. Hence, God is not temporal but eternal."

Warren Wiersbe: “There is a difference between being immortal and being eternal. Man is immortal—that is, his soul will never die; but God is eternal—He has neither beginning nor ending. God existed before the mountains (the most durable thing known in Moses’ day); in fact, He gave birth to the mountains. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we become a part of eternity and possess eternal life."

Dr. Henry Morris: “To the skeptical question as to who made God, the only answer that satisfies all the facts of both science and human reason is that God is "from everlasting." He is the Creator of time as well as space and all things that exist in time and space. This is beyond our mental comprehension, but there is no other rational explanation for our existence, and it is surely compatible with the intuitions of our spiritual comprehension. God satisfies the heart regardless of difficulties conjured in the mind.”

h. Thus, God was preexistent to the first record of time and, therefore, timeless. I want to look at a few verses in order to better get a better comprehension of the incomprehensible. That is an oxymoron for sure! Eternity is God’s signature: it is who He is!

1. Jehovah God Declared Himself To Be Eternal - Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

a. This verse speaks of God’s eternality. It is not “I WAS” but “I AM.” God is a “present tense” God. The sense is of this title for God is not only I am what I am at present, but I am what I have been, and I am what I shall be, and shall be what I am.

b. This verse also speaks of God’s immutability. Every time you find or perceive God, He is always the same. Finite man is subject to change but an infinite God is not because the constancy of His name.

c. This verse speaks of God’s self-existence. Not “I want to be” or “I should be” or “I need to be” or “I will be” but I AM! From before recorded time, Jesus and His Father were one in essence, and sharing equally in the attribute of eternality.

2. Jesus Declared Himself To Be The Eternal Jehovah God. John 8:57-59 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? (58) Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. (59) Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. (These verses make it clear that Jesus was claiming to be God in flesh because the Jews, upon hearing this statement, tried to stone Him to death. To the Jews, declaring oneself to be the eternal God was blasphemy worthy of death [Leviticus 24:16].)

3. John Declared Him To Be The Eternal Jehovah God. John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (This is a statement of fact, not a subject set forth for argument. The Holy Spirit placed our Lord Jesus with God before time, called Him God, and the Creator of all things in the beginning.)

4. The Heavens Declared Him To Have Both Eternal Existence And Eternal Power - Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Being understood shows the glory of God in His creation fully revealed to mankind. These things cannot be random or by accident as their eternal design require eternal intelligence.)

5. The Word of God Declares His Eternality Throughout - Psalms 90:1-2 Psalms 90:1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

a. Who He Was. Psalms 93:1-2 The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved. (2) Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting. (Jesus Christ, as Jehovah God, has always existed! John 1:1 corresponds with Genesis 1:1. Jesus Christ was the Potentate of the universe: Designer, Creator, Master, Ruler, and Sustainer!)

b. Who He Became. Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. (This reference can only be applied to the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ thus declaring that Christ is Jehovah God and He is eternal.)

c. Who He Remains. Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. (God has always existed and will always exist: He is eternal. In Isaiah 57:15, the Bible declares that God “inhabiteth eternity.” The word “inhabiteth” is in a continuing sense and means to perpetually reside or to abide. God does not live in time. In the midst of eternity, God created 7,000 years of time with eternity stretching both before and after. One day soon, time will be no more as the Eternal God will continue to inhabit His eternity!)

Never Forget Who You Serve!

Temple Baptist Church - 3-24-2013

 

1 Timothy 6:13-16

 

Introduction:

A. As we get toward the end of the Book of 1 Timothy (one of the Pastoral Epistles), we find a doxology. Paul gives doxologies in several of his epistles. A doxology is an expression of praise, sometimes spoken as it is in this epistle or set to music and used in a worship service.

B. This particular expression of praise deals with certain attributes and titles given to God alone.

1. These are often hidden from the eyes of the world because of unbelief. Not being experiential, we find that faith is essential in seeing God as He is. The world denies the attributes and position of God though His “fingerprint” is everywhere.

a) Nature declares the glory of God on every hand. The perfection of the universe is found in its precision. The balance found nature as every plant, animal, bird, insect, and bacteria are essential.

b) The very existence and makeup of man declares the glory of God. Fearfully and wonderfully made are the words given in the bible to describe him. I stand amazed when I watch the wonder of conception and birth. The DNA that so intricately forms each individual is beyond comprehension. I sat the other day observing two of my grandchildren play and saw the absolute perfection in every detail of their makeup: the same and yet completely different in every aspect.

2. Paul is writing to young Pastor Timothy because of the possibility of forgetting just who and what this great God is that he served.

a) Circumstances often shroud His person. In times of trouble or perplexity, it is easy to lean upon our own strength instead of “tapping” the unlimited resources found in God alone. We row and bail while the Master of our “seas” remains in the ship un-approached.

b) Business often shrouds His person. It is so easy to be so busy serving that we forget to spend those invaluable minutes with Him.

C. These verses are a reminder to the pastor of the church as well as to the saints. Never forget who and what He is! Paul does not set forth all that is God in these verses, but gives a short reminder in two areas.

1. He Is Sovereign.

a. He is the ONLY Potentate! “mighty ruler” The Lord is not a ruler, He is the Ruler. He made it all, He sustains it all, He owns it all! He has no rival in the universe. Do not worry about Him being overruled or overpowered.

b. He is King of kings. He rules and overrules in the affairs of men.

Ephesians 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Colossians 1:15-17 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (17) And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

c. He is Lord of lords. He is pre-eminent. He is Lord of all.

Acts 10:36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)

Philippians 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

2. What He is. He is eternally the same.

a. Immortality – “deathlessness” Eternal in life. John 1:4 “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” The Lord does not have life, He is life! “I am the way, the truth, and the life!” He neither diminishes nor dies. “I AM THAT I AM” gives the biblical description of Jehovah God. “I AM” means to “continue to exist” and comes from a word meaning “to breathe.” Therefore, the Lord not only exists continually but that existence is a living one. Something inanimate can exist. He is not only eternal but also eternally the same.

b. Purity and Holiness. God dwells in an inapproachable light. 1 John 1:5 “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” Absolute in purity; absolute in holiness; absolute in righteousness; absolutely just in all His ways and decrees! He is the Standard of all that is right; He is the Benchmark from which all are measured; and He imputes holiness and purity to you and me! Oh, what a Saviour!

Conclusion: Let us never forget who He is; who we are by faith; and who we serve!