Greg Laurie - Immanuel: God Is with Us (01/04/2018)
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Pastor Greg Laurie reminds us in Luke 2 that the real heart of Christmas isn't shopping or gifts—it's Emmanuel, God with us. Through the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem's manger, God stepped into our messy world to be near us, especially when life hurts. The message hits home: no matter your pain or loneliness this season, God hasn't left you—He's right here.
The Greatest Story Ever Told
Let's turn in our Bibles now to Luke chapter 2. The title of my message is, "Emmanuel, God Is with Us." Luke chapter 2. Let's pray together. Now Father, as we come to the greatest story ever told—the story of the birth, of the arrival of Jesus Christ on planet earth—may we see it in a way that we have never perhaps seen it before. May we grasp the significance of it not only for the world, the planet, but for us as individuals: that God has come to us. Emmanuel. God is with us. So speak to us from Your word. We ask it now in Jesus' name. Amen.
All right. Well, Christmas is clearly here in full force, isn't it? How are you all doing in your Christmas shopping? I read in the paper the other day that more people are shopping earlier, causing some merchants to be concerned that they won't shop all the way through December. So just a quick poll. How many of you have already finished your Christmas shopping? Raise your hand. Wow. More than in the first service. There are slackers in that first service. Okay. How many of you are still in process? Raise your hand. Okay. How many of you have not even started? Raise your hand. Why is it all men? I understand that. How many of you don't care at all? Just raise your hand. Grinch back there. Okay. Fine.
The Chaos of Christmas Shopping
Well, you know it is problematic because first of all, going anywhere near a mall is just such a hassle, isn't it? It is ridiculous. Parking spaces are at a premium. And so you pull in and every space is taken of course. And then there is the one guy that parks in two spaces. So I like to key those cars personally. I have never done that. I am just kidding. But in my heart I have. In my heart I have. And so you are driving around waiting for a space and along comes a person carrying you know just handfuls of bags. Oh good. So you kind of get behind them. And you go very slowly. Almost like you are stalking them with a car. And you have your turning signal on as you are trying to figure which way they are going to go. And they finally get to their car. And they open up the trunk and they very carefully and slowly put all the boxes in. And you have got your signal on. Don't even think about it. This is my space. And you wait. And then they close the trunk and can go back to shop somewhere. Right. I always try to wave people away. Like sorry. I am not leaving. And so you finally get the space. And you go and you have got your list. You are checking it twice. You get gifts for everyone you can think of. You are glad it is finally done. You are getting in your car. You put them away. And you drive out. And in the moment of course it is after you leave the space you just remembered one more thing to get. Right.
So you find another space and the process repeats itself. But finally it is done. But then that gift comes in the mail. You didn't expect this gift in the mail. It is actually a pretty nice gift. So now you must reciprocate. Right. Or someone comes along and says I got this for you. And you say oh great. I got something for you too. Haven't bought it yet. But in principle I have got something for you. And so you have to get them that gift. And then there is the challenge of re-gifting. You know what that is. Right. That is when you get something you don't want and you give it to someone else. The only thing with re-gifting is you have to keep track of what is what. Because if you are not careful you might receive what you gave two Christmases ago. Sort of like fruitcake. My theory is there is one fruitcake on the face of the earth that is perpetually re-gifted over and over again. Actually maybe there is two. And I have them both here.
Fruitcake and Holiday Humor
Here they are. Here is my microphone. Just dropped it. Ok. But I have two fruitcakes. Ok. I am giving these away today. Because I want you to know we are generous. The guy in the yellow chair. Do you really care that much about it? I mean both. Ok. Come get your fruit. You get it. I mean anyone. Here. Just give that to them. Anybody that is that excited about a fruitcake you get it. Sir do you like fruitcake? Do you like fruitcake? Sir. Do you like fruitcake? Yes I do. Ok. I hate it. Who else wants a free fruitcake? This guy. Sir. Ok. Here is the next guy. Could you come back and help me? Who helped me? Could you help me? You guys actually look alike. Are you related? Ok. This guy over here in the blue shirt waving me away. Give him the fruitcake. Sir. Sir this is for you. That guy right there. Yeah. That one. Yeah. That is for you. Hand it down to him. Would you please eat that fruitcake now? I just want to... No. He is like me. He is like me.
Well you know the studies have found that when men go shopping their blood pressure literally goes up. A study was done that revealed that shopping is hazardous for men's health elevating their blood pressure. So guys here is the plan. When your wife asked you why you didn't get her anything for Christmas say, What do you want me to have a heart attack? Interestingly the same study revealed that women's blood pressure remained unaffected by holiday shopping. Go figure.
Missing the True Meaning of Christmas
Maybe you are hoping you will get what you want and you have made a list. And I heard a story about a little boy who wrote a letter to God asking him for things for Christmas. He said, "Dear God, I have been good for six months now." And then he thought about it and thought this is God I am writing to and God knows everything. So he crossed out six and wrote three. "I have been good for three months now." And he thought about it and he thought, Not really true. He crossed that out and wrote, "I have been good for three weeks now." Then he put the pencil down and walked over to the nativity that his mom had set up, took the little figurine of Mary, brought it back and wrote these words, "Dear God, if you ever want to see your mother again."
So that is the way things work. But with all of the things of Christmas, the shopping, the hassles, the fruitcakes, the gifting, the re-gifting, it is very easy to miss the whole point of it. So that is where we come back to the gospel. And we are going to look at that wonderful story of Jesus. Now we already pointed out the family tree of our Lord. How amazing it was. It traces through both Mary and Joseph. In Luke's gospel we have the family tree of Christ through Mary. In Matthew's gospel we have the family tree of Christ through Joseph. Both go back as the root and the offspring of David. We saw the unsavory characters that were included in the family tree. Including two prostitutes and an adulterer and a pagan woman. Included in the most exclusive genealogy in human history.
Not a Fairy Tale – A True Historical Event
But what I appreciate about the Christmas story is it does not begin with the words, "once upon a time." Because it is not a fairy tale. It is actually a true story. A factual, historical event. It has all of the pageantry, the pathos, and the magic if you will of the best fairy tales. We have shepherds bowing, wise men worshiping, and angels singing in a brilliant star. But yet it is greater than the fairy tales because those only give glimpses of something to come. But this is a true story. And as a matter of fact as the story unfolds we see it starting in heaven and unfolding on earth.
One wonders about a potential conversation that may have taken place between the Father and the Son. Because we know the Father sent His Son to the earth. But we know the Son willingly came. For we read in Isaiah 9:6: "Unto us a child is born." That is the earthly perspective. "Unto us a Son is given." That is the heavenly perspective. And you wonder if the Father said to the Son, "Will you go to the earth and be born there and live and die there for the sin of the people?" And the Son says, "I will go." The Father says to the Son, "If you go I will have to turn my back on you for a time as you hang on the cross and bear the sin of humanity. I will turn my back on you so I will not have to turn my back on them." The Son says, "I will go." And so the Son comes to this earth.
The Announcement to Mary and Joseph
And now in the middle of nowhere in an obscure little town known as Nazareth the angelic message arrives. And Mary is told that she is going to be the mother of the Messiah. "Greetings Mary. You have been favored among women. And you are going to bring forth the Son. Don't be afraid." Mary is willing to obey. She is willing to comply. But there is a problem. She has espoused or engaged to a man named Joseph. And back in those days espousal was a big deal. It wasn't like going steady. It was even more important than being engaged. It was like you were already married. In fact if you were unfaithful during the espousal that was defined as adultery though you had not yet consummated the relationship.
You would be espoused by your parents. Your parents would decide who you were going to marry. By the way I think we should bring that back again. Don't you? Right? Come on. The kids are like no. No. But so you could even as a little boy look at that other little girl and say well that is my wife. One day we are going to be married. Takes all the mystery out of it. So they were espoused. It was a big thing. And now Mary is with child. How is she ever going to convince Joseph this is true.
But the angel comes to him and tells him, "Joseph, Joseph, that which is conceived in Mary is from the Holy Spirit." God says to Joseph in Matthew 1:23, "the virgin will be with child and bear a son. And they will call his name Emmanuel which is translated God with us." Joseph, not only is that child in your betrothed wife's womb not illegitimate. It is God. Joseph, your wife is the virgin the prophet Isaiah spoke of 750 years ago. Her child is going to be the Messiah of Israel. Wow.
Mary Did You Know?
Did even Mary fully understand what was happening. I think to a degree she did. But I don't think Mary fully got it until the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. There is a song that is sung a lot this time of the year that I really like. "Mary Did You Know." You heard that song. "Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water. Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters. Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new. The child that you have delivered will soon deliver you."
Would you like me to sing that song for you? I have a better idea. Would you like the Katinas to sing that song for you? (singing begins) This child that you've delivered will soon be loved by you. Oh Mary, did you know? Mary, did you know? Mary, did you know? Mary, did you know? It's your baby boy... (performance continues with lyrics about miracles, walking on water, healing, and the face of God) Thanks, guys.
The Birth in Bethlehem – Luke 2
Alright. Let's turn now to Luke chapter 2. And we are going to read a few verses together. The Christmas story is given to us by Dr. Luke. "And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered or taxed. This sentence first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea to the city of David which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. And so it was while they were there that days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn."
Now we will stop there. Luke is very meticulous in his reporting. Though his gospel is written with a certain poetic flair, we have to also add the fact that Dr. Luke was a stickler for the facts. Understand, Luke was not an eyewitness of the life of Jesus as were Matthew and John who both wrote Gospels. He was a physician who came to faith from a non-Jewish background. So it was Luke's desire to tell the story of Jesus in an accurate and historical way that would be understandable to those outside of the Jewish faith and culture.
Historical Context – Caesar Augustus
Hence, Luke begins with historical characters. He speaks about Caesar Augustus and Quirinius. So this pinpoints his story in time. So we go to historical records to learn about those individuals to find out a little bit more about them. We know that this individual identified as Caesar Augustus was actually known as Caius Octavius. Caesar Augustus was a title, not a name. Of course Julius Caesar was the first Caesar of the Roman Republic. And his great nephew was Octavius. And so Octavius clawed his way to the top. And when he came into power, that is when Rome changed from being a republic to an empire with Caesar in control. And so he gives himself a new name. Caesar, a tribute to his own relation, and now Augustus, is a title that means of the gods.
This is when Caesar worship came into being. And you remember this became a big issue to the early church because if they would not say Caesar is Lord, they would be put to death. And millions were. So now it is Caesar Augustus, Octavius, who says, "You are to worship me. You are to revere me." Another interesting little twist from the historical records is they have found an inscription from this time that describes Augustus Caesar as the savior of the whole world. So not only does this crazy guy think he is a deity now, he is saying, "I am the savior of the whole world. I am king of the world." Right? Not exactly.
In the Day Man Thought He Was God, God Became Man
In the day when man thought he had become a god, God became a man. This is when Jesus arrived on planet earth. Giving you insight to the statement of Luke chapter 2 when it says, the angel speaking, "Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. This will be the sign to you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger." Here is what the angels are saying. Look, Augustus is not the savior of Rome. Jesus is. And for that matter, Augustus is not the savior of anything. But Jesus is the savior of the whole world. And the true savior is not a monarch draped in gold and silk. But a baby wrapped in rags.
Jesus does not have a rags to riches story. Rather he has a riches to rags story. He left glory to come to us. He gave up everything. So God moved Caesar to accomplish his purposes. Oh sure Caesar thought we need more money in the coffers. I have an empire to run. It is time to tax everyone. So everyone must go to their hometown to be taxed. But he was just a pawn in the hand of God. Reminding us that history is His story. God is in control. Emperors come and go. Kings and queens come and go. Prime ministers come and go. As do presidents and governors and all the rest. But God is ultimately in control.
It has been said, "History swings on the hinge of the door of a stable in Bethlehem." Well because Joseph was a descendant of David as we discovered in the family tree as was Mary. They journeyed back to Bethlehem. The boyhood town of the first king of Israel. But as the story unfolds it tells us there was no room in the inn. There in verse 7. No room in the inn.
The Innkeeper and No Room for Jesus
Now what is the deal with this innkeeper? Here is a woman who was obviously late in her pregnancy ready to give birth at any moment. Where was his heart? How could he be so cold? Well here is an interesting twist on the story. What was the inn? I mean I don't know what kind of a mental picture you get when you think of Mary and Joseph arriving into town. But maybe you see a bunch of hotels. There is the Bethlehem Holiday Inn and the Bethlehem Hilton. And all the no vacancy signs are on. You know. It wasn't quite that way.
An inn back in these days was primitive by our standards. But at least it was a roof over your head. It would be a place where you could come. There might be an open fire to gather around. There would be some kind of food. Possibly entertainment. Some water. A place to put your animals. And you could get a good night's sleep. That was one word used for inn in the Bible. The other word used for inn describes basically an enclosure. Not unlike a corral. It is just basically just a wall that you would bring your animals into. There was no roof over your head. There was no food. No fire. No entertainment. Probably some water. Very primitive.
This is the inn that is used here. And this is the inn that Mary and Joseph were turned away from. Not a cozy little place to spend the night. This guy wouldn't even move a couple of animals to let them sleep out in the open air. What a heartless man. How could he be this way? Well I will tell you how. He is like a lot of people. There was no money in it. And if there is no money in it he doesn't care. And that is how a lot of people are at worship. This is just a time to cash in. To make a lot of money.
The Real Message of Christmas
But the essential meaning of Christmas is not let it snow or let us shop. The message is let us worship. But this guy missed the point all together. And it is so easy in Christmas to forget all about Christ. And ironically it is attending events that sort of reference him more or less. You know endless parties and plays and functions and all the things that we are expected to go to. People say, well I just don't have time. I am too busy. I can't go to church. I can't go to a worship service. I have shopping to do. I have trees to decorate. I have lights to string. I have to celebrate the birthday of Jesus. So why should I go to church and pray to Jesus? Yeah. Good question. We can be this way.
You know a lot of churches put nativity scenes out. And one of the problems that has happened lately is, I don't know why these thieves do it, but they keep stealing the baby Jesus. And this has happened so often. Now they are making nativity sets, and I am not making this up, with built-in GPS and the Jesus figure. And there was an article about this. And a representative of a church in Old Bridge, New Jersey said that now that there is GPS in the Jesus figure, he said, quote, "there has been no attempt of theft since we announced we are tracking our Jesus." Jesus, okay. I am so glad the real Jesus can't be stolen, or he can't be lost.
The Humble Birth in a Manger
So here we have this scene. It is a manger. And even that has been romanticized along with everything else. Basically a manger was a feeding trough. This is where you poured the food for the animals. The actual stable was a barn at best. Probably a cave. The worst environment for a child to be born in. It was cold. It was damp. There were animals there. Quite frankly the smell of urine would have been in the air. You are going to have a baby there. But it symbolized his whole life from cradle to the cross.
Jesus could have been born in the most elegant mansion on the ritziest boulevard of Rome. He could have had aristocratic parents boasting of their pedigree or college degrees. He could have had the finest clothes from the most exclusive shops. He could have had legions of angels as an army of servants responding to his beck and call. But he did not. He laid that all aside for us. We are told in 2 Corinthians 8:9 though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that through his poverty you might be rich.
And think about baby Jesus arriving into our world. The first sensation of the tender skin of that baby would have been of the rough torn cloth he was wrapped in. Perhaps of the pricking straw in the manger. When the baby eyes of Jesus opened for the first time they see the dingy outlines of a stable. Those tiny little ears heard the munching of hay by an ox or a donkey in the same stable. What a rude awakening.
No Room Then – No Room Now
But that very statement, "there was no room in the inn," became indicative of the treatment he received throughout his entire ministry. One telling passage in the Gospel of John says, "Everyone went home to his own house. But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives." You see Jesus didn't really have a home. He slept out in the open air with his disciples, sometimes spending the night in prayer. Jesus said, "Birds have nests and foxes have holes, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."
Ironically the one that there was no room for went on to say, "In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." So though we didn't have room for Him, He has many rooms for us. But here is the message. God had come. Emmanuel, God is with us. And that is what we must not lose sight of in the holiday season. That God is with us.
Why is this important? Because for some people Christmas is one of the hardest times of the year. You say, But why? Because they have lost a loved one. And when you have lost a loved one that was with you last year and they are not with you this year, getting through Christmas is like walking through a minefield. A minefield filled with memories. And songs trigger those memories. Places trigger them. And so when you are gathered together and everybody else is having a great time you might be really hurting deep down inside.
Comfort for Those Who Are Hurting
I know this from experience. I am telling you. That when you have a loved one die, especially a child, all of those times that used to be happy suddenly become sad. Thanksgiving, certainly Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, they are sad. And so now, instead of enjoying them, your mission becomes getting through them. Now, with the passing of time it gets a little better. But it is still very difficult to deal with. You feel cheated. You are hurting. So what is the answer for a person like that? More presents? No. It is His presence. That is the message of Christmas. His presence. Emmanuel, God is with us.
When you have lost someone, there is no book that is going to fix it. I have had people come to me, many, who have lost loved ones, especially children. They say, Greg, is there a book I should read? There is no manual. But there is Emmanuel. He is there for them. He is there for us. He is there for you. And He is the one that you need to lean into. There is nothing I can say to make it better for them, just as there was nothing someone else said that made it better for me. But God is there. And God will be there. And that is what Christmas is all about. And we must not lose sight of it.
Disregard all this hype and get down to the bottom line message. Here is what we need. Not merriment, but the Messiah. Not goodwill, but God. Not presents, but His presence.
A Song of Hope – I Heard the Bells
A familiar song we hear this time of the year is "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." You know that song? And that was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It was the year 1863 and Longfellow was at the peak of his success as a poet. Abraham Lincoln had just been elected president, giving hope to many. But things quickly turned dark for the United States and for Longfellow personally. The Civil War broke out with a brother fighting brother, sometimes even father fighting son. And then Longfellow's own wife died in a tragic accident in their home. She actually burned to death. In his attempt to save her, he was severely burned and was not even able to attend her funeral.
So in his diary for Christmas Day 1861, he wrote these words, "How inexpressibly sad are the holidays." In 1862, the toll of war dead began to mount. And in his diary that year Longfellow wrote these words, "A merry Christmas, say the children, But there is no more for me." In 1863, his son, who had joined the Union Army, returned home from war severely wounded. There was no entry in his diary that particular Christmas. And he wanted to pull out of his despair. So he decided to try to capture the joy of Christmas in verse.
So he wrote these words, "I heard the bells on Christmas Day, The old familiar carols play, And wild and sweet the words repeat, Of peace on earth, goodwill toward men." But as he came to the third stanza, he was stopped by the thought of the condition of his beloved country. The Battle of Gettysburg had recently taken place, where many lives were lost, and days looked dark. And so he went on to write these words, "In despair I bowed my head, There is no peace on earth, I said. For hate is strong, and mocks a song, Of peace on earth, goodwill to men."
But then, catching an eternal perspective, he writes these words, "Then peal the bells more loud and deep, God is not dead, nor doth he sleep, The wrong shall fail, The right prevail, With peace on earth, goodwill toward men." See, Longfellow had to capture the essential message of Christmas again. And the essential message is, You are not alone. The essential message is, Emmanuel, God is with us. And for those that are hurting, this is a very important message.
Undoing Loneliness at Christmas
Now, maybe you haven't lost a loved one, but maybe you have lost a spouse through divorce. And when you are entering your first Christmas as a divorced person, this is especially painful. You know, all those memories, what do you do with them? Some people will try to erase those memories, and get rid of all of the pictures, get rid of all the photos of that one they were married to, who maybe betrayed them, or was unfaithful to them, or walked out on them, or whatever it was. And if you are really vindictive, you get the scissors out, and cut them out of all the photos. But it is painful. It is hard. And here is everybody else gathered together with their family, and you are all alone.
One counselor said, Christmas is a time to be home with families that are intact, doing cheerful and happy and fun things. And it is a time of cheer. But for others it is a time of great pain, separation, anxiety, and loneliness. Well here is my message for you. You are not alone. Christmas is about Christ coming. Emmanuel, God is with us. Listen to this. Christmas is about undoing loneliness. And Jesus knows all about loneliness.
Let me say something that might surprise you. Jesus Christ was the loneliest man who ever lived. You say, what? Oh yeah. It is true. Therefore He understands your loneliness. He lived a life of loneliness. Isaiah 53 says, "He was despised and rejected of men. A man of sorrows." He was abandoned by His own disciples. He was betrayed by one of His closest friends. And even as I said earlier, the Father Himself turned His back on Jesus for a time as He hung there on Calvary and bore the sin of the world. Causing Christ to say, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Therefore, when you talk about loneliness, you have a God that knows what you are going through. And He is here for you. And He has promised to never leave you or forsake you. If no one else understands you, He does. If everybody else fails you, He will not. Jesus said, "Lo, I am with you, even unto the end of the age." That is not just a promise for short people. Lo, I am with you. That was a joke. Oh, tough crowd. Okay. I get no respect. But He is with us, no matter what we are going through.
Make Room for Jesus Today
People will turn to a lot of crazy things, especially in the holidays. They will turn to drugs and alcohol. You do not need the spirits. You need the Spirit. That is it. One of the most remarkable teachings in all of the Bible is that when a person believes in Jesus, God takes residence in their heart. That is not true of any other belief system or religion. That God comes and lives inside of us. Jesus said in John 14:23, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."
He makes His home with me. He is there with me. I am not alone. Even when your children forsake you, He is there. Maybe some of you are estranged from your kids today. There is a lot of tension in the relationship. They have done things that you don't approve of. They have made decisions you don't agree with. Maybe you haven't talked to them for quite a while. You are alienated from them. Even if your children forget about you, God doesn't forget about you. You are not alone.
So lean into Christ in this holiday season. Don't expect Christmas to make you happy. Let Christ meet the deepest needs of your life. That is what it is all about. A Savior is born. God says in Isaiah 43:2, "When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up. The flames will not consume you."
Are you going through a river of difficulty this Christmas? Are you in the fire of oppression? God is there with you. We like to sing that song around this time of the year. "O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lowly exile here until the Son of God appears. Rejoice, rejoice. Emmanuel has come to thee, O Israel."
Oh, we like that. But do you want Emmanuel to really come to you? Do you want him to be with you not just in the Christmas season, but all year long? Listen, Christmas will soon be behind us. And I don't know about you, but when Christmas is over, for me, it's over. Now I'll admit to you, I'm one of the first people to play Christmas songs. It drives my wife crazy. Because I start them in August. No, not that early. But truthfully, I'll start them right around Halloween. As far as I'm concerned, the game's on. And I like to get them going and I'll play those songs and start singing them. And we had our lights up before anybody else in our neighborhood. It was completely obnoxious. Everybody's house is dark at night and there's our house. You know, now a lot of others have their lights up as well.
The True Purpose of the Incarnation
And so we got our tree really soon and even before Thanksgiving. I have to admit to you, I know I'm breaking all the rules, right? But here's the thing. When it's done, tree comes down, lights come down, I don't want to hear another Christmas song. It's in my rearview mirror. That's the way I look at it. I start early and the day it stops, I'm done with it completely. The lights are thrown into the box to be brought out next year. That pretty wrapping paper you spent so much for as it's in the trash. It's long gone. Those new toys, well, they're broken, discarded, or forgotten about.
But you know what? If you have Emmanuel, what does it matter? That's what it's all about. We love Jesus in the manger. So sweet. So little. So quiet. But the incarnation was for the atonement. The birth of Jesus was so there would be the death of Jesus. Red is the color of Christmas. You might say, why red? Because Santa wears red? No. Because I go in the red after I spend all that money on Christmas? No, not really. Because we have red bulbs on our tree. No, no. Red is the color of Christmas because Jesus came to shed His blood on the cross.
The real Christmas tree, if you will, was not the tree that we hang our ornaments on. It was the tree that Jesus hung on. The Bible says, I am an American, aren't I? Well yeah I guess you are. But you know that doesn't make you a Christian. There has to come a moment in your life where you say, "Lord come and forgive me." Just like that innkeeper didn't have room for Mary and Joseph. You need to make room. The old Christmas song says, "Let every heart prepare him room." You need to prepare him room.
Alright Lord I am opening the door. Come in. Jesus says, "Behold I stand at the door and knock and if you will hear my voice and open the door I will come in." Is Christ living in you right now? Listen. All of the hoopla and celebration of Christmas is not going to fill a void in your life. But Christ can and will. If you will turn from your sin and receive him.
Invitation to Receive Christ
So if you have not done that yet. If you have not asked Jesus to forgive you of your sin yet. If you don't know what it is to say with certainty, "I know that I am a child of God. And I know that I am going to heaven." I am going to give you an opportunity to get right with God right now. So we are going to bow our heads and we are going to pray. And then I am going to invite you to put your faith in Jesus Christ and receive the gift of eternal life.
Let us pray together. Father, I pray now for everyone that is here, listening, watching, hearing. I pray for each one that does not know you. And I pray that this would be their wake up call today. That they would see their need for Jesus. That they would see how much you love them. And that they would open their heart up and receive you as Savior and Lord. Help them to do that we ask. And while our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed and we are praying together.
How many of you would say today, Greg pray for me. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life. I want Him to forgive me of my sin. I want to know that when I die I will go to heaven. I want this void filled. I want this guilt removed. Pray for me. If that is your desire wherever you are. If you want Christ to come into your life to be your Savior and Lord. I want you to stand to your feet and I am going to lead you in a prayer. Just stand to your feet wherever you are. And I am going to lead you in prayer. A prayer of asking Christ to come inside. Again, you want His forgiveness. You want Jesus to come into your life. Stand up right now wherever you are. We will pray together. God bless you. Just stand up. Outside in the amphitheater, you stand to your feet. Up in the court building, you stand up. Harvest at Orange County. Just stand up and I am going to lead you in this prayer that you will pray out loud right where you stand.
A prayer of asking Christ to come into your life. Anybody else? Stand now. God bless you guys. Stand up. You won't be alone. Others are standing. So this is really a decision. Do you want God's forgiveness? Do you want Christ to come into your life? Here is a way to say yes. Just stand and we will pray together. Anybody else? Stand now. God bless you. Stand up now. God bless you up there in the balcony. There at Harvest Orange County. You guys just stand to your feet and pray this prayer. Orange Crest. Stand outside of the amphitheater up in the court building. Stand now. And we are going to pray. One more moment. Anybody else? You want Christ to come into your life. You want His forgiveness today. God bless you. Just stand up. Anybody else? Stand now.
All right. You that are standing, I want you to pray this prayer out loud after me. This is where you are asking Christ to come into your life. Again as I pray, pray this out loud after me if you would. Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. But you died on the cross for me. And rose again from the dead. Now come into my life. And be my Savior. And my Lord. And my God. Thank you for loving me. And calling me. And forgiving me. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.