The Sacrifice Of Christmas

Let me cook. We're here today to the Worship. The Lord, we are here today to celebrate his birth. What we going to do, and we are also here today. To draw closer to the Lord. So before we even begin the sermon today, and I want to thank Richard Myrna and Justin for singing, wonderful music is always good for a preacher to hear good music before he gets up the free because it he did it just fires him up you know so I like that. But if you're here today and you know, Christ as your savior I just want to say that you don't know how rich you are. And if you're here today and you don't know Christ as your savior, you've never invited him into your heart. You don't know how rich you can be. When you leave here this morning and I'm going to try to explain that today about the riches that we have. And if you'll take your Bibles and let me tell you, now we're going to look at three scriptures today but the main scripture that we're going to look at it 2nd Corinthians chapter 8 and verse 9. So if you'll take your Bibles and turn their 2nd Corinthians 8, And verse 9. And what I want to do today is I want to talk about the sacrifice of Christmas. You know, when we think about Jesus sacrifice, we think about Easter, we think about Jesus, sacrificing his life, the ultimate sacrifice. He gave his life for us and, of course, that's true. But today I want to take maybe you may think it's something unique, but I want to look at the sacrifice that Jesus made. To come to this Earth as a man. The sacrifice that it took. A matter of fact, when you leave here today, I hope that if someone ever asked you how to spell Christmas that you may say sacrifice, sacrifice, that's how you spell Christmas. So I want you to look at 2nd Corinthians 8:9. For, you know, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. That though he was rich. yet for your sakes, he became poor That you through his poverty might become. Rich. Could you put that up on the screen Vicki? Let's read that again for, you know, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich. When it says he was rich, what is talkin about was when he was in heaven before he came to Earth, he was rich. And we're going to talk about that today. How rich he was yet for your sakes, he became poor. And we're going to talk about how he became poor that you through his poverty. Might become rich. You know, this is kind of that's a paradox of scripture. How do you become rich from someone that's poor? You know, if if I want, if I want an inheritance, it better come from someone that's rich. I mean, that's how you going to get an inheritance, someone that's rich. That's how are you going to be rich? But yet the Bible says here that he became poor, and through his poverty, we might become rich. So we're going to explain all that today, but I just want to say thank the Lord. Thank God for the birthday of the Lord. Jesus Christ that we celebrate today. And have you ever thought about this? If it were not for his birthday today, what would your birthday mean? And I'm asking this talkin to a Christian. What would your birthday mean? What would the cards? What would the candles and the cakes? All mean on your birthday? Let me tell you what it with me. Here's what it would mean apart from his birthday. Your birthday would mean that you're one year closer. The death and judgement. That's the only thing you would have to celebrate right there. If you're here today and you've never accepted Christ on your birthday. The only thing that you have to celebrate is that your one year closer to death and judgment, but because of his birthday, every birthday that we have is Christian's. We're one year closer to Glory with one year closer to seeing the Lord. Jesus with one year closer to going to our Heavenly home, having Heavenly fellowship. And we're going to see him face to face because of his birthday. Because he came to this earth. Well, there's three wonderful trews. I want to show you tonight or today rather. Jesus was rich. Jesus became poor. And at the end, I'm going to show you how you can become rich today. That's what Christmas is all about. Well, so let's get into this. And let's talk about how the Lord was rich. As the Bible, says here in 2nd Corinthians 8:9 in the first points on the back of your bulletin is the Lord's. Glorious possession. We going to look at what he possessed in heaven. Wow, why? He was so rich. Now to do that we're going to have to turn to a scripture that tells us now you don't have to turn in your Bible because we're going to put it up here on the screen. But I want you to look at Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 9:6. And I think that I have with me today, I do my laser pointer. You don't I don't break that out often, but I'm going to break it out today and I want you to look at Isaiah 9:6 For unto us. A child is born. Speaking of Jesus's birth 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, and Prince of Peace. Let me tell you how rich Jesus was, cuz you going to have to understand this. If you going to understand how you can become rich, number one, Jesus was rich in his person. Look, What? Isaiah says here and 96, he says, and the government will be upon his shoulder, his name will be called, wonderful, counselor, Mighty God. What's the net worth of everlasting? Father, he was rich in his person. What did Jesus say when he was on Earth? He said, if you have seen the father, you have seen me. He said, in John, I and the father are one. What is he saying? He saying I'm rich in person because Jesus Christ. Listen to this carefully. Jesus Christ is the Eternal God. Jesus Christ was God, he was in heaven with the father 33 in one. God, the Father God, the son, God the spirit, but it's one. God, Jesus was God. He's the Eternal God is beginning, did not begin in Bethlehem matter fact, he never had a beginning. He's always existed from eternity past. There was never a time when Jesus was not. He's always been. And when he was born, that little baby laying in that feeding trough that Christmas morning, I want you to listen to this. He was as old as his father. And he was older than his mother. I'm delighted to be born and be older than your mother. It not a paradox. He was old. He was, he was the same age as his heavenly father, but he was older than his mother because he has existed and Eternity pack. He is God, he is rich in his person, by the way, there's some people who will say today. Well, I don't believe that Jesus is God. I just believe Jesus was a good teacher and a good man. My friend, you can't have it that way. You can't say that. Because listen, if Jesus is not God, then Jesus is a liar because he said, I'm got. You see me? You seen the father? If Jesus is not God, Jesus is a fraud. He come to this earth and he's just a fraud, no sense in trusting him him for anything. And let me ask you this with a good person, be a liar and a fraud know if he's a liar and fraud, he's not a good person. But see that's not the case by his own words. Remember what Jesus said? He said, why do you call me? Good. He was talking to the Pharisees. Why do you call me good? He says, there's none, but good, but one God, Why did he say that? Because he was God, you see, Jesus was saying because I'm God, I am good. Jesus was rich in his person. Let me say, say this. He was also rich in heaven in his position. Look what the Bible says here. It says For unto us. A child is born. A son is given and the government will be upon his shoulder. He's rich. And not only who he is, but what he is? You say, what is he? He's king of kings and Lord of lords. He's The Sovereign God righteous. Holy God of this universe. That's his position. You can't go higher than Jesus. He was given a name above all names. You can't go higher than he is his high. He holds the highest position that could possibly exist in the universe because the Bible says that God has given him a name above every name. Don't you love that. We're here this morning, and we're celebrating his birthday with worshipping, the name of Jesus. When you worship Jesus, you are worshiping the highest name in the universe. It's that great. The highest named he's the Everlasting father, because he was rich in his person, he is rich in his position because Bible says, the government will be upon his shoulders. He will uphold this world. Why? Because he created this world rich in his person rich in his position. Well, let me tell you another way, he was rich. He was rich in his power. Look what the Bible says here. And his name will be called wonderful counselor. What's that Mighty God? You know what? That word? Mighty God. Those two words mean Almighty. He's the great Almighty rich, in his power, in what he can do, remember what Jeremiah said. He said he made the Earth by his power. He established the World by his wisdom, and he has stretched out the heavens by his understanding old. What power Jesus has. He has, so he's great in this person. Everlasting father, great in his position, in the government will be upon his shoulders. He is great in power because he is the almighty. He is the Mighty God, but he's also, he was also rich in his possessions. You see. Everything was made by him, everything was made for him, and friends is all coming to him. You look at Art you to watch the news every night which I don't watch the news anymore because I get angry. When I walk it, you see all the evil going on, you see all the bad going on and you just sit back and you throw up your hands. You say, what's the world coming to the world's coming to Jesus is what is coming to? Coming to Jesus, you see, he is Rich. And if you go on and look at Isaiah 97, we won't put it on there, but it says upon his throne upon his kingdom. He will establish it forever and ever remember, when Satan took Jesus out to the Wilderness to tempt him? Remember, what one of The Temptations was he says, I'll give you the kingdoms of the world, what is too bad? He said to have a call Jesus, cuz you don't have to give them to me already on them. They're already mine, I created them. He was trying to give Jesus something that was already his G. The Lord is rich in his possession, everything belongs to him. And like we said in our prior series, we don't own anything, he owns the cattle on a thousand hills. I don't care how much money you have in your bank account it all belongs to Jesus. He can take it away just like that. It All Belongs to him. So we're just stewards everything belongs to him. So Jesus was rich when he was in heaven, rich in his personal accounts, Everlasting God rich in his position because the government will be upon his shoulders. He's Sovereign rich in his power because he's Mighty God, he can do what he wants to do, and Rich and his possessions because he created everything to be created the universe, it was created for him. It was created by Him and everything is coming to him. That's how rich Jesus was. Now, let's turn back and look at our main verse again. 2nd Corinthians 8:9. for, you know, For, you know, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. That though he was rich well. Now, we know how Richie was he was rich in this person. His possession, his power and his possession. But look what it says that though he was rich. yet for your sakes, he became poor And that brings us to the second point which is this, the Lord's. Great poverty. The Lord's, great poverty. How did he become poor? He was God, he controlled it all. He created it all he created mankind. He created everything on this Earth, everything in the universe, the Sun, the moon, the stars, the mountain, the ocean, he created it off. How did he become poor? Well, there's a scripture that tells us we're going to put it up on the screen right now to lithium 2:5 through 8. If you want to know how he became poor, it's going to be through the same way that he became rich in his person. in his position in his power and in his possessions, he became poor look at what Philippians 2:5 through 8 says Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Who being in the form of God. Now that word form, that means shape It means that he was the very essence of God. He had the divine nature that God the father had, that's what that means. That means shape. Who being in the form of God. Did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. You say what, what in the world does that mean? Consider it robbery. Let me explain what that means. That means this, then when Jesus was in heaven, he was God the same. Very nature is God, the father, but he didn't consider it robbery. That, that phrase means that he didn't see that is something to hold onto to latch to, to keep to himself. If I was in heaven and the in the father said to me, would you want to go down to earth and live among these sinful people? Would you want? I say I know I'm fine exactly where I am. I like heaven a lot that the here. He did not consider it robbery to be equal with God even though he was God himself to answer the divine nature of God, he didn't consider it. Something that he would have known, he was willing to give it up. That's what it means. All right, next verse But made himself. Of no reputation the literal meaning behind that is that Jesus emptied himself. He emptied himself, you say, well, what did he emptied himself from certain Divine prerogative and privileges that he had in heaven that he did not have on Earth, why not? Because he took the form Of a bond servant against not taking not talking about shape is talking about who he was. He came to this earth, not as God. He came to this Earth as a slave and as a servant and coming in the likeness of men, and then verse 8. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of his cross. I will show you how poor he was, he was poor. First of all, in his person you say well, how do you, how do you see that? Because he ain't in heaven, he was almighty God and he took human flesh upon to five through eight Vicky. If you would look what you said being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal. That wasn't something that he was going to hold on to He what he let go of that and he became a man. I understand how dust would want to be deity. Why would deity want to be dust? You want to play? Why would he sacrifice heaven to come? And be like dust. I mean, that's what you know, we're made of we're we're made of duct, but Jesus laid aside the splendors of Heaven. He became poor in person. What that means god became, man, he became poor, he was deity, he became man, the incident became an infant and he was born and a smelly stable laid in a feeding trough in. He did that so that he could redeem us. He didn't think it was robbery to be equal. He didn't say, I'm holding on to this, I'm keeping. No, he didn't emptied himself. He gave away certain prerogatives and privilege so that he can come to this Earth as a man. Or as a server, he was pouring this person God became man for his person. He was touring in position. What was the positioning at the government shall be upon his shoulders. He was Sovereign over everything, but now it says he took the form of a servant or a slave, he had no reputation he laid it aside, he became a server, the monarch of Heaven.

Was put in a Manger, you have a sovereign becoming a servant. Can you imagine the Lord washing the smelly feet of these disciples? He's smelly fisherman and yet he wash their feet. He was pouring his position, he was sober. He created this universe and he came to live on us. He was also pouring power. He late, I've already said that he laid aside some of their prerogative that he had as God. He left that in heaven and came to this earth. He became a servant, he humbled himself, he became obedient humble himself, even to the death of the Cross. Jesus Christ. Had power over death and yet he died. You see he gave some things up and when he performed his miracles do you know how he did that? Not through his own power as God, he didn't he threw it, he did it through the Holy Spirit, the power that God gave him because he said in John chapter 5, the son can do nothing of himself. He depended on the Lord remember and some of the prophecies they ask Jesus when, when will be when will the second coming be when you coming back? He said the angels in heaven knows even the son of man don't know. Only the Father in heaven knows he didn't know that while he was on Earth, he was still a hundred percent deity with chelate emptied himself of those prerogative and he didn't have full knowledge and he didn't have full power on earth like he did in heaven. So he Empower and then, let's let me say he was poor in his possessions. He was pouring person because he became a man. He was pouring position because he became a servant. He was poor in power because he was limited to what the father would do through him. And he became poor in possession because he died a horrible death on the cross, having absolutely nothing. Where was he? Born to born in a nice room? Know he was born in a stable. Where was he placed in a feeding trough that the animals would eat out of when he wanted to pay his taxes? Where did he get the money? A coin from a fish's mouth. That's where he got his money. You remember what he said? The birds have Nest. The foxes have holes, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head, he didn't even have a rock to Leo. That's how poor he became when he wanted to come into Jerusalem. What did he ride on? Not just a donkey, a borrow donkey, not his when he died, they placed him in a tomb. What type of moon was it? It was a borrowed tomb. Didn't even have anywhere to bury. God himself. Jesus Christ. New absolute poverty. He was rich in heaven before he came to Earth but by coming to Earth, he became poor in all four areas. His person, his position, his power, his possessions, he became poor for, what does that mean for us? How do I become rich? Because he became poor. Well, let's go back to our main text. 2nd Corinthians 8:9 for, you know, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich. yet for your sakes, he became poor that you through his poverty. Might become rich that brings us to our last point in that is simply this the Lord's gracious. Provision. Through his poverty, that we might become rich. Why Christmas? Why did Jesus leave heaven? Let me tell you why this morning. Because he wanted to make you rich. You say, why I'm all about that? How in the world? Can I leave here today, Rich? Well, I'm getting ready to tell you right here and friends is have nothing to do. How much money you have in the bank. No matter how much land you on how many homes cars memberships. That has nothing to do with it. Gold silver, it doesn't matter. Listen.

if you don't know Christ, if you've never accepted him as your savior, you are sitting here this morning

Spiritually, poor and spiritually bankrupt.

Spiritually speaking, you are worth nothing. Because you're dead. You're dead to spiritual things but I'm not talking about. He's going to make you rich in any monetary style or anything. But if you're here and you've never accepted Christ, you are separated from him and your poor, if you know Christ. I don't care how much money in the bank, you have, you are rich in the spiritual things. Well, how can I be rich? We asked, well, let's say this. If you know Christ, you share the riches of his person, you know, the four areas that we're going to go to hear you share the riches of his person. Look what the Bible says. In 1st. John 3 1, look at this. Behold? What manner of love? The father has bestowed on us. Those of us who are saved that we should be called children of God. We're call children of God in and not only that were members of his As we are in Christ, we are safe and Christ is in us. How is he in us when we are saved? He puts the holy spirit in our heart. We are in Christ. Christ is in us and we have Union, we have fellowship with a Bible said that we have been accepted. Well, who's the Beloved? The Beloved is Jesus. What did God say about Jesus? The father. This is my beloved Son in whom I am. Well, pleased. So, where am I? I am in Christ and if I'm in cry, friends, let me say it is. I am rich in my person. I am rich and Christ and it is, if you're here this morning and you Christ as your savior, when God, the Father looks at Jesus, he sees you And when God looks at you, he sees Jesus. That's how rich you are in your purse, but not only that because of his death on the cross, because we've accepted that and invited him into our hearts for the forgiveness of sin. We share the riches of his position. Do you know where you are right now? Well, you're in Jesus, and where is Jesus? Well, all we have to do is look at the features to five and six. Look what this says this tells us where we are even when we were dead and trespassing, God has made us alive together with Christ by Grace. You have been saved and watch this next verse and raised us up together and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus you get that. You say why I'm sitting in church this morning. Would you maybe but spiritually speaking, your in glory you are seated with Christ in Heavenly places. That's where you are in friends. Listen. Even though we were dead in our trespasses and seeing that Paul says here and Paul, I want you to know he wrote this from a prison cell, but with the read Ephesians, you think to yourself with, it doesn't smell like a prison to me hear, there's a Heavenly Breeze blowing in everything that Paul, right. I may be here, I may be going through tribulation on this Earth, but I'm really up in glory. I am rich, I'm rich and my person cuz I'm accepted in the Beloved. I'm rich in my position because I am seated with Christ in Heavenly places. That's how he sees, you friends, you're rich, you rest in your person. You're rich in your possession but we also share the riches of his power. What did Paul say?

I can do all things through Christ. Who, what? Who strengthens me? Think of the power that we have, we have God living on the inside of us in the person of the Holy Spirit, anything that he calls you can to do, you can do, you can complete it, he will enable you, he will give you the grace to get through it. We have the power of God in us in the fission says, we've been strengthened by his spirit in the Inner, Man, what riches we have, what power we have. The Bible says, greater is he who is within you than he? Who is within the world. We are rich in the power of God. But then, lastly, let me say this We share the riches of his possessions, what the Bible say in poor so that I might become rich. Let me give you a wonderful verse that where I'm going to put up on the screen here and I want you to see it. Don't ever forget this Romans 8, verse 17. I don't know. And if children, then what then, heirs Heirs of God and Joint heirs with Christ. Now, I want you to just think about what that means. The Bible says that we are heirs with God joint heirs with Christ. Well, lawyer on Earth, could tell you want to join areas, adjoining areas, someone who shares and shares a lot. Let me just say this think of everything that Jesus owns that belongs to him, what I say, everything. It belongs to you. Europe, you a joint Heir with Christ. It is yours. All the blessings. It is yours. It belongs that you are an heir of God, you are rich in your person. You are rich in your position, you are rich in your power. You are rich in your possessions because we are joint heirs with Christ and not a wonderful Christmas message. I mean, how rich we became rich, Because he became poor. If he had decided yes. Yes, I'm going to let go of my Divine Essence. I'm going to let loose of it. I'm going to empty myself and I'm going to come to Earth as man. Not just think about that. What? Grace? What sacrifice think of it. From Heaven to Earth. From glory to shame. From Eternal to temporary. From God to man, from Master to Servant. From servant to death from Death to Resurrection from Resurrection to Ascension and from Ascension to coming back again, the Christmas message, What A Savior Weser, he became poor. Limited in power and knowledge. Subject to human limitations sleepy hungry, angry. He became poor just like us. So that we might become rich because we can receive from his poverty, forgiveness of sin salvation and eternal life, friends, listen, that is the sacrifice of Christmas and that is what Christmas is all about, amen. All right, here's what I'm going to do now. I want to have a time of invitation when I asked John to come, if he would and play something Softly. and I won't everyone here just for a brief moment, if you would just about your head, And close your eyes.

and think about what we talked about today,

the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. That though he was rich. That he owned it. All he was God himself.

He has Altima power. He created it all. He had all possessions, though, he was rich. For your sake, he became poor. He came to this earth. As a man.

He had nothing. No possessions didn't have anywhere to lay his head.

Beat crucified on a cross. But because of that, if we trust in him through his poverty, we can have it all. We can be rich. I wonder if there's anyone in here today. That does not know Christ and maybe you're thinking yourself. Well, I've been thinking about this and I don't know if decision I need to make I hope this message has spoken to your heart with heads bowed and eyes closed. No one looking around. If you're here today and you've never accepted Christ, would you just slip up your hand? I'm not going to call you out. I'm not going to call your name. I'm just going to pray for you. Would you just raise your hand if there's anyone in here? All this never accepted Christ. I just want to pray for you.

We want to ask the Lord this morning to speak to our hearts. We want to thank him for his birthday. We want to thank him this morning. Never calls, even though he was rich, he became poor so that we might become rich. You say, what if I accept Christ a day? What am I going to tell my family? What, what do I tell my friends? Can I tell him? I tell you what, you, tell him, you tell him this, but on December 25th, 2022, I got up. And I went to church separated from God and spiritually. Poor in 2 hours later. I came home a joint Heir with Christ and spiritually rich. That's what it is. That's the decision we need to make today. If you're here today and you are saved, would you just raise your hand if you're thankful that Jesus? Although he was rich, he became poor so that you might become rich cuz I see those hands.

Anyone at all?

All right, you can look this way. Well, thank you for being here. Today. I'm going to ask everyone to stand. We going to have our offertory song and I'm going to