Creflo Dollar - Ten Reasons Why Jesus Was Born
Good morning and Merry Christmas, everybody. There is nothing like when the spiritual family comes together in honor of Jesus Christ. And if you ever wanted to know what a real church looks like, look around. Look around. We could have all remained in our circle and I'm not throwing any shade at people who are not here, but what I am saying is that there's something supernatural that is released when he is made priority. He's not asking for a whole lot of time, but when you just put him first, the Bible says seek ye first Jesus, the kingdom of God, Jesus, the kingdom of God and all these things you need, seek his kingdom, remind yourself you're righteous, and all these things you need will be added unto you.
Today is not a day where you're going to be stressed out over what you need and what you don't have. Today is going to be a day where we're going to focus on Jesus and the fact that we are righteous, and all these things will be added unto you. Come on, let's give the Lord a big hand clap of praise. Hallelujah. Amen. In honor of him, let's receive our communion this morning. We honor Jesus Christ as we celebrate his birthday today. But, you know, we also want to thank God that Bishop Ken Fuller was born the same day Jesus was. Would you please give Bishop Fuller Happy Birthday? God bless you.
Take the bread which represents the broken body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, his body which was broken for you and for me. Don't ever forget that whatever is broken in your life, Jesus was broken in his body so that you can be made whole. Wholeness is your destiny. Being whole in every area of your life, spirit, soul, and body, that's your destiny. Well, why would he recommend for us to do this as often as we can in remembrance of him? Well, one of the reasons is that we continue to remind ourselves that no matter how desperate things appear in life that our destiny is wholeness. And whatever is missing and whatever is broken in your life, your destiny is wholeness. Whatever may be kind of messed up or maybe you don't understand, your destiny is still wholeness.
And thank God for Jesus that allows us to remember that. Take the bread. This bread represents the broken body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For as often as you eat of this, do it in remembrance of him. You may eat. Take the cup which represents the blood of Jesus. Oh, thank God for his blood. What can wash away our sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What makes us whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. For as often as we drink of this cup, we do so in remembrance of him. You may drink. I need you to turn to three people... ooh, that wine had a kick to it. Woke me up. Merry Christmas. Turn to two or three people and say to them, say to them, "All is well with you and your house. All is well with you and your house".
Father, thank you for this enough opportunity to minister to these, your precious sheep. Thank you, Lord, that we are gathered here today in honor of you, Jesus. We saw fit that it was important enough for us to do something to say we recognize what this day is all about, and we will not allow the world and all that they think to rob us of our celebration of you. Bless us today. It's my prayer. In Jesus's name we pray, and everybody said amen.
Matthew chapter 1, verse 21. I just want to share real quickly ten reasons why Jesus was born. Now, this title may change. It might be five reasons why he was born, but I want you to understand that this goes so much farther than the tradition that the world has created. It's so much bigger than, you know, the traditions even we've set up in our lives, and people have the different beliefs. But I think about the number of millions of people around the world who are celebrating this day and they don't even believe in Jesus. Think of that. It's been reduced down to the traditions that they have made, and the Bible says, "Your traditions have made the Word of God of no effect". So real quickly I want you to take a list of the reasons why Jesus was born.
Number one, to save us from our sins. Matthew 1:21 he says, "And she shall bring forth a son. Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins". So if Jesus was never born again, think of it. We would not have the salvation from our sins. If you look in the book of John chapter 1 and verse 29, it's not that he just, you know, made salvation available to people who are at church today, but he's made salvation available to the whole world. Think of this. If a person were to die and go to hell, they will only discover that salvation was available to them. All they had to do was sign for the package.
Look at St. John chapter 1 and verse 29. And in St. John chapter 1, verse 29 he says, "The next day John seeth Jesus cometh unto him and saith, 'Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the whole world.'" So Jesus has taken away your sins, past, present, and future, which simply means if you'll just invite him into your life, you have accomplished everything necessary in order to get to heaven. You don't go to heaven because you're good. You go to heaven because you believe in Jesus. Amen?
Number two, the second reason why Jesus was born, to redeem us that were under the law so that we can be adopted as sons. To redeem us who were under the law so we can be adopted as sons. Galatians chapter 4 and verse 5. Take a look at that. Now notice redeem, that means something was paid. He redeemed us from the law. So the Law of Moses said you had to do this and if you didn't do it, you would be judged. You had to do this. If you didn't do it, you would be cursed. You had to do this and if you didn't do it, bad things will happen. And nobody could keep the law.
And so Jesus showed up to redeem, to pay the price, the ransom so that we can be free from the law and be adopted as sons and daughters of God. Had he not been born, that would not have been possible. Galatians 4 and 5 says that he came to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. If you're a woman, say, "I'm a daughter". If you are a man, say, "I'm a son". Go. Say it.
Number three, the third reason Jesus was born was to fulfill the Law of Moses that we could not fulfill, to fulfill the Law of Moses that we could not fulfill. You know, the Bible says if you break one of those laws out of 613, you're guilty of breaking them all. Who can do that? Who can keep 613 of all of the laws? Nobody but Jesus could. So Jesus knew we couldn't do it. So he had to be born so he could do something that we could not do. Because people died under this. The curse came over them because they could not keep the law, but thank God for Jesus's birth. And because he was born, he did what no other man could do and we crowned him today as our champion. Amen?
Number four, the fourth reason that Jesus was born, to be a mediator of a better covenant. Hebrews chapter 8 and 6. So we couldn't keep the covenant of the law. So another reason Jesus was born is to mediate a brand new agreement, to be the mediator of a brand new covenant, one that we could keep and one that would make us extremely successful. Hebrews 8 and 6 says, "But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant". Somebody shout, "Better". "Which was established upon better promises".
So you're no longer under the covenant of the law, something that you can't keep and if you break just one of them you're guilty of the whole thing. Jesus says, "I'll do that covenant and I'm going to give you a better covenant that you can do and you got better promises". I praise God today that I celebrate a Jesus who loved me enough to be born so that I can live under a better covenant. Amen?
Number five, Jesus was born so that he could bring to us, oh thank God, grace and truth. St. John chapter 1:17, "Jesus came. He was born so he could bring to us grace and truth". Now most people think, "Well, he gave us grace and then he turned around and gave us truth". No, they're the same. One side of the and is in connection with the other side of the and. Grace is the truth that makes men free. It's not grace and truth. Grace is the truth that makes men free. What is grace? It's unmerited, undeserved favor of God. It's you getting from God even when you didn't deserve it. It is not God doing something because you've been good. It is God doing something because he is good.
And today as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we celebrate a Jesus who is a good God, and the Bible says his goodness will cause a man to change his mind. His goodness will cause a man to repent. I know it's not New Year's, but get ready. 2019 while the world is going through one thing, you're going to be walking in the unmerited, undeserved goodness and favor of the Lord. Somebody shout about that right quick. Amen?
Number six, number six, the sixth reason why Jesus was born, to pay the peace offering or the payment of our sin. Somebody had to pay it. This was expensive, and nobody could afford to pay the ransom where your sin was concerned. In fact, if you look at 1 John 2 and 2, Jesus was the peace offering. Had he not been born, there would not been a payment. Not even hell was enough to pay off that debt. There was a sin debt, and Jesus was born to pay that sin debt. The Bible says in 1 John 2 and 2, "And he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world".
So Jesus came as the propitiation or the peace offering. He was the sacrifice. He was the payment. He was the peace offering. So every time you think about Jesus, think about Jesus as the payment and the peace offering for all of your sins. For you to go around and sweat like a sinner as if nothing has been done about it is for you to deny the payment that has already been paid. And had Jesus not been born, your payment would not have shown up to pay your bills. How many of you know they'll turn your lights off if they don't get the payment for your electric bill? Amen? But I'm telling you, I'm glad that Jesus's payment wasn't late. It was right on time. Amen? Praise God.
Number seven, the seventh reason why Jesus was born, so that we can have everlasting life. Everlasting life is so important because right now those of you who are born again your everlasting life has already started. Please understand something. Now that you're born again, when you die, you just go from glory to glory. When you die, you slip out of the physical body into a spiritual body. When you die, you get out of a physical realm into a spiritual realm.
Here's the good news. You can never defeat a born-again Christian. We've been called to live in faith and we've been called to die in faith. But please I want you to understand, just because somebody died physically doesn't mean they lost the battle. They just transitioned on into eternal life where there is no time. Right now we have time. But praise God when you got born again, you stepped out of time into eternity. And if it were not for the birth of Jesus, you wouldn't have that opportunity.
Bible says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him", say out loud, "I believe in Jesus", "Should not perish, but have everlasting life". Don't you let somebody convince you that you're going to perish because you missed the mark or you missed that mark. Jesus is taking care of all of that, and the Holy Ghost is working on the inside of you and the things you used to do you ain't going to want to do no more.
Some of you are going to find out in 2019 the stuff that you just did all the time with addicted behavior, Jesus is going to snatch it away and he's getting ready to give you a new desire to do new things. Praise God. And you got to tremble and shake wondering if he's going to do it once again. Because you have the Holy Ghost working on the inside of you. Because when Jesus showed up...
Number eight, number eight, the reason why Jesus was born, no more condemnation, but salvation is now available through him. I said no more condemnation. Turn to two people and say, "No more condemnation". St. John 3:17 and 18. You know what it means? Condemnation deals with the issue of not enough. And I'm telling you right now, no longer will you have to deal with not enough. Listen to me carefully. Condemnation, like we condemn a building. The building has been declared that it's not fit to be used. It's not fit to be lived in. And I am telling you, I don't care what's going on in your life. Don't you dare hear the words of the devil to tell you that you're unfit.
I am telling you, because of Jesus there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, and I'm telling you right now that Jesus is enough. No matter what's going on in your life, Jesus is enough. No matter what's happening in your marriage, Jesus is enough. No matter what's going on in your pocketbook, Jesus is enough. No matter what's going on in your emotions, Jesus is enough. No matter what's going on in your job, Jesus is enough. I am calling the body of Christ in this upcoming year to dismiss all of the things you're trying to do to try to make it enough and look at Jesus.
Number nine. Verse 17 says, "For God sent not his Son into the world to", what? "Condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved". Stop condemning people. If God's not condemning you, you stop condemning people. Let me say it like this. If God can give you a second chance, quit holding stuff against people that happened a year ago. Are you understanding, 'cause God's not holding it against you.
If you were to go to God, say, "God, remember what I did last week"? He would say, "Wait, wait. We don't have this on record". Why? Because he took your sins and he cast them as far as the east is in the west. And then when it finally landed, it landed in the sea of forgetfulness where he remembers it no more.
Who do you think you are this Christmas bringing up what somebody did last Christmas? Let that junk go. It ain't worth it. Your love is going to be greater. Your love is going to be greater than your condemnation. Your love is going to be greater than your hurt. It's going to be greater than your pain. Quit walking around hurt. Quit walking around depressed. Quit walking around sad. Walk around in love, and the love will lift you above all those other things. Jesus was born so you can have enough.
Number nine, he made the Holy Spirit available to all humankind. He was born so he can make the Holy Spirit available. Acts chapter 2, verse 32 and 33. He was born to make the Holy Spirit available. How many of you know you can't live this life without the Holy Ghost? Oh, you will know it this upcoming year because everything you think you know and everything you think you've learned and all the degrees that you have right now you're going to need some supernatural help.
The good news this Christmas is you have him. I didn't say it. I said you have him. While the rest of the world is trying to figure it out, freaking out, and in panic, you're going to be in peace, you're going to be in faith, and you're going to be walking with your unseen invisible partner as he begins to lead and guide you as a barefooted priest. And as you walk, your steps are going to be ordered by the Lord. And when it's all over with it, they're going to ask you, "How did you get here and I'm still struggling"? And you'll tell them, "I got an unseen partner".
I don't know what you're looking at. But when system start failing, when finances start failing, when things start falling, it shall not come near you. They didn't have enough straw to make brick in Egypt, but they had more than enough in Goshen. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Goshen. Verse 32 says this: "Jesus hath God raised up". Why? "Whereof we all are witnesses". Thirty-three, he says, "Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth this, which you now see and hear". You're getting ready to see some stuff...
Number ten, number ten, number ten. Last one, he provided the promised seed of Abraham. You remember in the book of Genesis chapter 22 and 18 he promised that a seed would come. But then in Galatians chapter 3, verses 14 through 16 he says, "I'm not talking about seeds as in many, I'm talking about seed as in one, Christ Jesus".
Look at these last three Scriptures with me. Galatians, 3:14 and 16 says, "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith". Fifteen, he says, "Brethren, I speak after the manner of men. Though it be a man's covenant yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth or addeth thereto". Sixteen, he says, "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds as of many, but as of one. And to thy seed", come on, "which is Christ". Jesus was born to be the promised seed. Ladies and gentlemen, you better be glad that today we celebrate the birthday of a Savior.