Good morning Welcome to Lakeshore Assembly of God
Let’s pray – Lord we come into agreement with the prophecy, promises, and truth of you Word today, in Jesus Name. Amen.
Birth… is really important, can you say that to the person next to you, birth is really important. Christmas is about a new birth. The new birth of Christ….and it’s also about a radical new birth within all of God’s people.
Let’s see what the Bible has to say, Please DuckDuckGo search or preferably open your actual Bibles to to The Old Testament Book of Isaiah chapter 7: 13 & 14 ,friends we have Bibles in the pews you’re more than welcome to join us by using them, and it’ll be page 982 if you’re using one of the Bible in the Pews.

Here at Lakeshore Assembly of God we don’t just look at the Bible, we look through the Bible, Like a Lens, and that’s how we view the world around us. It allows us to have Peace in times of turmoil, hope in the midst of tragedy, and Joy in the face of a decadent - decaying culture.
The Word of God doesn’t need to be progressed nor does it need to be progressive, it needs to be obeyed! The Word of God is the only perfect thing in and on this earth, and that Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 NIV
That began in human history with the prophecy of Messiah’s Virgin birth located right here in Isaiah 7:13-14 New Living Translation 13 Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn’t it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well? 14 All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).
Can you imagine that prophecy being fulfilled? Actual Fact- the prophecy of Messiah’s birth was given around 740 years before Christ was born, during the reign of Ahaz king of Judah.

That prophecy is verified in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew Chapter 1: 22-23 - All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel” (which means “God with us”). Can I ask you a question Why Did Jesus need to come?
I want to be specific, my question isn’t, “did a man named Jesus who claimed to be the Son of God, the Messiah of the World, live and exist.” Because, all ancient texts both religious and non-religious, and in all 3 of the written languages surrounding the land:

Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic, agree over and over that Jesus in fact did exist, He was here on this earth – But my sincere question is this - why specifically did Jesus need to come here to help us? Why did Jesus need to empty Himself to become one of us?
I remember this well – It was the summer of 1994, in a small way it was weird to me, but in a much bigger way to me it was heroic to see how my Mom saved the lives of 3- baby Robins that year.

If you live in Mentor, or Ohio for that matter you’re rather familiar with the common sight of the American Robin. Known for its distinctive orange Chest and for their beautiful songs. These are the birds often seen hopping along lawns searching for worms.
Well this summer a baby Robin started hopping too early, and he hopped right out of his nest, landing on the concrete pad below the light fixture that held his nest in place.

My Mother, seeing this, went and grabbed a Newspaper, and with a great deal of effort and care scooped the poor little guy up without touching him with her hands at all. Then, she gently placed that little guy back into the nest with his two other siblings.
Of course, as a 9 year old I was confused, “Mom,” I asked, “why didn’t you just pick the bird up and plop him back in there?’ She told me this fact, “If I touch the bird or the nest with my hands, then the Mama bird will smell my scent and her natural instinct will tell her to abandon her nest and the babies inside, so I had to use the Newspaper as a scoop so the Mama bird wouldn’t reject what I was doing.”
“Well, you we’re only trying to help,” I protested. “Why won’t she let you help her and her babies?” And my Mother looked at me and said, “Well Michael, if I myself, somehow had the power to become a bird like the Mama bird… than maybe, just maybe… I could explain to her why she needed my help”. [Pause}
This is precisely why Jesus came to earth- so He could explain to you and I why we need his help. But, couldn't Jesus just have come as a man, unzipped the skies and entered our understanding of time?

Because Jesus didn't just want to be viewed and seen, He wanted to be united to us, His creation, in the deepest most profound way, at the level of Koinonia -a maximally connected relationship. Now that's radical!
See, the Concept of an Almighty Transcendent Messiah Emptying Himself to enter into our Existence of Space-time is Radical! But friends, it gets even better. Because Jesus didn’t just descend from the Holies and say Here I am.
He, listen, “He went Fuuurther. How far did Jesus go? A man? – Further, a teenager – Further. A boy? – Further. A Baby? Further. An embryo.
Jesus did this because....one reason.... He wanted to be united to us, His creation, in the deepest most profound way, at the level of Koinonia -a maximally connected relationship to embrace the whole of humanity, that's you and I, in spite of how broken and fallen and ornery we are.
Jesus did all of that....To say, hear me, To say, “I am with you!” This is why His name is Emmanuel. This is why Christmas is celebrated, despite it being well known that this isn't the actual or literal time....we're not celebrating a day....no,non,no my friend, we're celebrating GOD with us.
See Jesus knew, that if He became flesh, and dwelt among us, then maybe, just maybe, Jesus could explain to mankind, why we needed His help.
That's the key which unlocks “the promise of Christmas....are you familiar with the promise of Christmas? The promise of Christmas is simple. Jesus has come to an unwelcoming world, and He’s does it because He loves a disconnected and dying creation. For in that manger, in that trough… holiness and loves has come down and come to confront, to save, set free, adopt, and redeem you and me.
The promise of Christmas is this, Jesus is coming whether we expect Him to or want Him to because remember like the old Christmas Carol says, He’s not just King or Lord at His birth, He’s King and Lord always and forever, period!”
And the reason Heaven and nature sing is because nothing and no one in creation can stop Jesus when His mind is made up. That’s called Sovereignty. And the outworking of Jesus’ magnificent promise is the transformation of the world, it’s not about comfort, but it’s about radical change and peace. And the radical change and the peace is always marked by this 3 letter word: Joy.
Every Promise of Jesus is Miraculous, and Each Miracle of Jesus Teaches Us Something About Jesus. So tune in friends, because if you don’t pay attention you’re going to miss something.
Jesus is the Great: Promise Maker, Problem Solver, and Peacemaker.
1. & That’s why you need to listen – See, Jesus Is the Great Promise Maker That’s the reason We can store Jesus’s messages of Christmas up in our hearts during the Christmas season and for all eternity.
-2. Jesus Is the Great Problem Solver, but it's going to take less of you and more of Him…If you keep the door shut, you’re going to forfeit Jesus’s desire to gove you all the help you need...to cast out, redeem, and gove you a gift of radical change today and for all eternity.
3. Lastly, Christmas happen best when you remever that Jesus Is the Great Peacemaker…Friends, here you and I are...at this strange point in history where a lot is at stake.
Does it feel like you're living through a culture war...just watching society collapsing all around us. Thays why chose Jesus, the Great Peacemaker – His promises are the ultimate gift.
Did you know Jesus's Great provisions of peace, joy and radical change are prepared and ready for receiving?
We’re going to Talk about the Greatness of Jesus, but first, I’ve got to know one thing. Is it better to give or receive....?
Well, if it's better to give then receive can I ask "What are you going to give Jesus for Christmas? Have You ever thought of that,…you’ve already got your grandmother, your grandfather, your father, your mother, your husband, your wife, your kids, all 17 grandkids something” – and maybe even that secret Santa gift at work…..But, what are you going to give Jesus?
I don’t think you even know….and it’s fair to think this -, “well Smart guy - what can I give Jesus?” Have you ever thought that through….What can I give God, well what can you give Him? Here's a suggestion - this one's free and This is something that has completely renovated my life.
Agter discovering this, I'm now a biggest advocate of the phrase it is better to give than to receive, and so here is what I gave to Jesus, and I invite you to do the exact same…..

I gave Jesus my sins, “Try your sins, give Jesus your sins, after all, that’s what He came for!..... I gave Jesus my heart... Try your heart, friends He knocks upon the door, have you received Him in, give Jesus your heart that’s what He wants.
Give Jesus your unforgiveness - so Jesus can forgive and release you.
Best of all, I gave Jesus my free-will...Try your will, oh the hardest thing of all is to surrender all to Jesus. Give Jesus your will… that’s what He’s after.”
This Christmas morning when you wake up, try to give Jesus yourself. Can you do that? After all, it's better to give, Than Receive.
But how are you going to give Jesus anything if you don’t Prepare to invite Jesus where you're at now?
Have you invited Jesus to your work, to your house, to your daily commute...or your life in general this Christmas season?
See if you haven’t prepared to meet Jesus with Great Expectations don’t expect to experience the Great Promises of Jesus this Christmas Season.
Let’s Open Our Bibles to the very beginning, where we see the prophecy of Jesus the Messiah coming from the seed of a Woman. Genesis 3:15 – if you’re using our in-house Bibles that’s page 4. Genesis 3:15 New Living Translation And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Here we're seeing the beginning
“In the Garden of Eden, after the serpent tricked Eve into eating the forbidden fruit, God told the serpent—who was really Satan—‘Because you have done this, cursed are you! I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel.’ Don’t you see?

The Messiah on the cross—that’s the serpent striking His heel. And the Messiah rising from the dead and ultimately defeating Satan’s plan—that’s the serpent’s head being crushed.
God’s Great Promise Entailed the Promise of redemption through Jesus. God’s love would cause Jesus to become a willing Savior in the form of a suffering servant for sinners like us, allowing those who don’t deserve salvation to receive it.
“Isaiah tells us in Isaiah 53:5 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.
‘By His stripes we are healed.’ What does that mean—‘By His stripes’—by His wounds—‘we are healed’?—Just as the Messiah’s blood was shed for the salvation of the spirit, His body was broken for the healing of the body.

The crown of thorns, the scourging, the nail and spear wounds—they were all to atone for your infirmities. The Messiah saved your souls with His blood, but He also purchased healing for your bodies with His sufferings. To save your bodies, it took His body.”
That’s why God promised a Savior in human form to mankind in Genesis 3:15. And that’s why God announced the coming Redeemer Jesus with the virgin birth. That’s Why we celebrate the Promises of God fulfilled in Christ Jesus during the Christmas season.
2). Jesus Is the Great Problem Solver… As we arrive and enter into the heart of this Christmas season what problem are you wanting Jesus to solve for you?

- Emotional Immaturity

- Direction in your life

- Purpose in your heart

- A Body of Image Bearers to Connect with?

Those we’re just a few of the problems Jesus has solved for me, feel free to start with mine. Let me ask you this first - Do you trust Jesus’s ability to cast out, redeem, and create radical change in the uncomfortable parts of your life?
Why do we hesitate to trust Jesus's promises? Jesus is prepared to meet with us, but we seem to only schedule the appointment after weeks, years, or even a lifetime of trying in our own strength. Jesus's cousin had good advice for God's Children on trying too much in our own strength, John the Baptizer said, " I must decrease, and Jesus must increase.
I'm reminded of the Little Boy who needed A Little less of himself and more of Jesus.
A young boy was trying very hard to lift a heavy object when his father came into the room and asked, “Are you using all your strength?”
“Yes, of course I am!” the boy impatiently exclaimed.
“No, you’re not,” his father answered. “You haven’t asked me to help you!”
So it is with Jesus and us. Often, a little less of us getting in the way, gives Jesus the open door to give us all the help we need. Like forgiving that person, or family member who doesn't deserve it, but you deserve to be free from it.

Or how about the help we need when a trusted colleague or employee all of a sudden goes left on you, slandering your family and the fruit of your labor - labor you've dedicated unto the Lord.

Or how about the help we need when we haven't had a Christmas the way we've wanted for years and the joy if the season has begun to fade as another year passes by.

It takes a little less of us getting in the way to open the door enough for Jesus to give us all the help we need.
May I share this prayer form Maria Fontaine, an international Ministry Leader.
Maria prays- Jesus. You’re the greatest problem solver. You came to solve mankind’s biggest problem—our need for salvation, to be freed from having to pay the price for our sins. But You didn’t stop there.

During Your earthly life You solved so many other problems. When there was no wine at the wedding, You created more wine.
- When people came to You with their health problems, even ones they’d had for many years, You healed them.
- When there was no food for the multitudes You were teaching and everyone was hungry, You multiplied the loaves and fishes.
- When the adulterous woman was about to be stoned, You had a big problem on Your hands, but with great wisdom, humility, and love You put the hypocrites in their place and not only saved but changed the woman’s life.
- And every day You make Yourself available to help me solve my problems. Thank You for that! I know that I’m a mess. I’m only human. I make mistakes. I say and do the wrong things at times. Sometimes I hurt others without meaning to. That’s why I need Your help so much.
Please help me to see problems as challenges, not as dead ends or disasters, knowing that You’re there to help and that no problem is too big for You.

Thank You for how You manage to turn every problem and difficulty I face into a steppingstone to greater progress. Jesus, You alone have the power to solve the problems I face today, so I call on that power now.
That's great prayer.
Third and finally, Jesus Is the Great and Worthy Peacemaker… His promises, provision, and peace are prepared and ready for receiving.
Personal peace comes through full surrender to Jesus – Take a peak at Philippians 4:5-7
NLT 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Christmas happens best when you Come to Christ in Faith and Find Jesus’s Peace
Consider this gift: Peace on Earth and goodwill towards men - Collectively Peace on earth will come when Christ returns to reign – Consider Isaiah 9:6-7 KJV
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Christmas happens best when you Come to Christ in Faith and Find Jesus’s Peace.
All right, I’m going to Wind this Thing up but I’ve got to get you these final 2 little points.
First is: Jesus is worthy, did you know Jesus is worthy?
“ What Good is the Christmas story if it’s void of God and [all] His Glory? What’s the worth of the Words “Peace on Earth” unless they are rooted in the Truth of Christ’s Birth. He is WORTHY.
What benefit is there for us to discuss the Joy of the season unless we fix our hearts and Minds on the principle reason. Christ has atoned for us. He is WORTHY.
See Christmas is more than a story, of a baby born in a manger, more than a poor fiancé engaged to a humble teenager. He is WORTHY.
It’s worth more than gifts of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh, More than this narrative of a nativity scene, so MUCH more had Occurred. He is WORTHY.
It was the coming of the Messiah the fulfillment of all Old Testament Promises, the Prophecy of a suffering servant and all His accomplishments He is WORTHY.
It was the second person of the Trinity…Comissioned to abandon His Divine position and set aside the independent exercise of His attributes in Full submission. He is WORTHY.”
Worthy is the Lamb, who was Slain, Holy Holy is He. And it's Jesus's Holiness, that is imputed onto your account and mine that gives us Personal Peace. That looks like full surrender to Jesus.
Second is: I want this year to be your best Christmas possible, the best one you've had in 20 years!
Can you imagine being given a Christmas gift and not opening it for 20 years? Well, that’s exactly what I did. Year after year I unwrapped all of my other gifts and enjoyed them for a few minutes or a few months before I lost interest or outgrew or wore out each one.

I don’t know why I never got around to opening that one gift. When I was small, my other gifts all looked more fun, I suppose, and as I grew older, I thought I knew what was inside and wasn’t interested. Most years I didn’t even notice it.
Then one evening I bumped into an old friend on the street, and he handed me, of all things, that Christmas gift I’d ignored all those years. I opened it mostly to please my friend, who was clearly quite excited about it and seemed convinced that it was just what I needed.

To my astonishment, he was right! Suddenly the other Christmas gifts of 20 years paled by comparison. This gift was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. It was intangible, yet more real than the ground I was standing on.

I can only describe it as love—love in its richest, deepest, truest sense, overwhelming and boundless love, unconditional and unending. And it was mine! Definitely mine! For a moment I felt foolish for having waited so long to open it, but then I realized that no longer mattered. It was mine!
And it gets better. This gift is for everybody. If you haven’t unwrapped yours yet, let this be the Christmas you do. It’s the one that bears this note: “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
As we give gifts to one another this Christmas season, I don’t ever want us to lose sight of the greatest gift of all. It’s the Gift of Radical change, it’s the gift of peace, it’s the gift of joy.

It’s the gift of Jesus when He confronts our short comings, sins, and our selves head-on, to save, set free, adopt, and redeem you and me.

I don’t ever want us to lose sight of the greatest gift of all. It’s the gift of Salvation, it’s the gift of righteousness, It’s the gift to finally forgive that person who so deeply wronged you, It’s the gift of relationship, it’s the gift of eternal life, it’s so many things.

And, I don’t ever want us to overlook the Greatest Gift of All the freedom to choose Jesus, the freedom to give our selves this Christmas season to Jesus.
The Greatest gift of all shows you how as a Child of Christ you can see hope in the middle of the difficult circumstances. The name Emmanuel means….God….with….Us. He will be a light for the Nations. Jesus is the suffering servant, and Jesus will be JOY for all people.

For some of you your find yourself in a place where you can admit, that you’re broken, maybe it’s because of your sin,

maybe it’s because of your mental health,

maybe it’s because of how people have treated you or responded to you,

maybe people have left you,

and I want you to know Jesus isn’t shocked that your struggling with something.

He Doesn’t withdraw Himself or His promises because of our total lack of follow through to live up to those promises. Jesus doesn’t withdraw Himself or His promises because you’re struggling.

Jesus expects and wants you to draw your strength from your reliance upon Himself and His promises to you. Jesus came to this earth, He has made Himself available to you,

Because of Jesus we have all access to the throne of His Grace to find radical change and joy to walk in peace in the middle of the most difficult, trying, and tiring circumstances.

A person who doesn’t think they’ve done anything wrong or doesn’t think that they’ve messed up their life isn’t looking for radical change,

but a person who will be honest and say, “you know what I have messed up my life you know what I have done some things that I wish I could take back, you know what I have done some stuff and made some mistakes that I’m ashamed of….but….this time, instead of the long road, I bring it to you Lord.

Here is what I can offer you Lord. Jesus I give you my sins, my heart, my unforgiveness, my will – because that’s what changes everything.

That’s what changes your life in a way that’s so radical it sends a shiver down Satan’s spine…..and that’s why all of us should see ourselves in need of Jesus’ promise of redemption through radical change.

And thank God it’s a promise of redemption and not a promise of what you and I actually deserve.
Jesus’s gift is a Joy, it’s not comfortable all the time, it doesn’t always fit the way it should, but that’s because Jesus's love is supposed to radically change all of the hidden things about you.

Are you hiding anything today, is that thing stealing your joy, robbing you of peace? Are you feeling a tug that you didn’t necessarily invite in starting to pull you to a place of needing to take action, if that’s you raise your hand,

if you’re needing to take action and begin unwrapping the radical change of redemption that bring God’s promises center stage in your life through the gift of a relationship with Jesus, raise your hand, if you feel even the slightest inkling of that tug of war –

that’s Jesus offering you a gift…don’t leave it on the shelf for 20 years, now is the time to unwrap that life changing Gift.
Thank you. Lord for those who raised their hands, and for those who raised them internally, where You saw , and even for all those who should’ve

I pray a blessing of burden upon their souls to get active within a True Blue Body of Believers who authentically follow you Jesus. And I pray that the gift you provide, The Greatest Gift ever given, begins to peel away the hidden layers of guilt, shame, anger or anything else that is not of You Lord.

Because, while You can change everything over night – and sometimes You do change everything over night – most of the time you allow us, your children to see the details, and subtitles, and nuance of that journey se we can then take that experience with us into what You have for us moving forward.

Today marks the moment that the renovation begins or begins afresh in the lives of every Believer who has responded to your gift today Jesus.