His Return - Is It Time To Reconsider Christmas?

Real life presents the Jack Hibbs podcast with intention and boldness to proclaim truth, equip the saints and impact our culture. Man has run from God. That's why there's a Christmas. Think about the severity of Christmas. We think about the Jolly and the Ho Ho Ho. The severity of Christmas is that God would come into the world for a very great reason. It was a rescue mission. You can get the outlines of this podcast by going to jackhibbs.com slash podcast. Today, if this podcast lifts you up and encourages you to live a more fulfilled life in Christ, then make sure you leave us one of those five star ratings. To us, that's like saying amen or yes, then that rating will encourage others to listen. Now, open your hearts to what God's word has to say to you. Here is Jack Hibbs. It's not the greatest story ever told. It is the greatest message ever preached. There's a big difference. Our faith according to the Bible is founded upon fact. A lot of people don't think about that. When we open up our Bible, there is a real real Bethlehem. There is a real Israel. There's a real Roman Empire. There's a real Persian Empire. The Bible is a book of reality, not stories. You have to remember that. But God made a great promise and the Christmas message that God has given us is a missionary journey. It's an announcement that according to the hymns and according to the Bible itself is to bring great joy into the reality of anybody who's searching. So number one, it's a promise and he's promised to return and market down this way, if you would, it's a promise deeper than what we'd ever thought of. It's a promise much deeper. I wonder if you know this. It is the first prophetic verse in the Bible. It's the first, what's called, so theoretical. It's the first verse of Bible prophecy and the first verse regarding the doctrine of salvation. It's the first verse that speaks of the incarnation. It's the first verse that speaks about God becoming flesh among mankind. See, what? It's all in one verse. It's one verse that causes the breaks to slam if you're listening. And here it is. It's Genesis chapter 3, verse 15, The truth of God's promise of his return starts in Genesis 315, remarkable passage. My Jewish friends listen up, Moses wrote this, God is speaking, I will put enmity, the word enmity is warfare between you Satan and the woman, even her descendants. And between your seed, that's creepy, right? Satan has offspring. Satan has a family, the Bible says. By the way, how you get into his family is just stay right where you're at. Never come to faith in Jesus. And Jesus says that if you do not believe in him, then you are of your father, the devil, he says. That's to the point, isn't it? Jesus said, listen, I'm going to, or the, the Bible says, God is speaking regarding the fall to Adam and Eve and Satan in the garden. I'm going to put warfare between you and the woman between your seed offspring and her, look at the capital S, her DNA, her sperm, her sperm. That's right. He shall bruise your head. You shall bruise his heel. It says that he shall bruise your head. The word in Hebrew is, I don't know why the English says bruise, but the Hebrew word is, and he shall crush your head and you will crush his heel. Let me ask you something. If you had to get crushed, would you rather get crushed in the head or in the heel of your foot? The word, or the term heel of your foot means that Satan is going to inflict pain upon this one who is going to be the seed, the Messiah. Oh, but don't worry everybody. The Messiah is going to crush Satan's head. You can walk away from a heel crush, but you can't walk away from a head crush. And I love that. What a powerful statement. So yes, I want to reinforce. It's no story, but it's a tragedy. That mankind was once perfect in his created state of living, of life. Adam and Eve were created perfect. They walked with God in perfection and making the case about his return. Think of this. They sinned against God and the garden. They willfully disobeyed him. Now you think about that for a moment. You see, Jack, why did he give them the ability to choice? For the same reason why you love your ability of choice. God built within you and I, the free moral agency of being able to choose what we will do and not do, who we want to love, who we don't want to love, what we want to experience or not experience. God gave that to you and you love it. It's no story, but it is a tragedy that you and I have that choice that God is embedded within us in the human psyche. Every day we choose hundreds of choices, maybe thousands every day, but God made you like that. It's no story, but it's a tragedy that mankind would decide to ruin his own generations by his own decisions. Every single one of us right now are in this particular state of life at this point in time. We've arrived on a long train of decisions that we've made over time. And we're not blaming anybody, by the way, that doesn't work. And the worst conditions ever given you that worst cards ever dealt to you, to me, God can overcome them. But if that's not your victory, it's simply because you've not let Christ take control of those horrific things that were done to you or against you. So there's no excuse in this. This is not a story. If Christ coming into the world was a story, then you'd better stick to Humpty Dumpty or something. This is a story of eternal consequences because it's not a story, it's a fact. And yet many treated as a story and they draped it and cloaked it with a big man walking around with a red suit and black boots. It's a fact. Think about the severity of Christmas. We think about the Jolly and the Ho Ho Ho, the severity of Christmas is that God would come into the world for a very great reason. It was a rescue mission. It was a missionary journey to deliver a man from his condemnation. The Bible says in Philippians chapter 2 verse 5, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who, being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. Jesus didn't have to try to pull anything off. But made himself of no reputation taking the form of a bond servant, listen to this, and coming in the likeness of men are mankind. Look, you and I came into the world just like our mom and dad. God had a choice. Is that awesome? God had a choice to come here. Now personally, after Eden, I would have wrapped the whole thing off and just flicked it into outer space and said, I'll just start over. He could have. He could have erased it. There could be like an ant going across your kitchen table and you just go with your thumb. He could have. Why didn't he? Why would he go through all of this? Because my friends, his love for you was real, his commitment to you is true, and his plan is redemption. He wants to buy you out of the slave market, so to speak. And so he came into this world as a human being. That verse goes on to tell us that being found in the appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him. It's Jesus. And given him a name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, both those in heaven and those on earth and those under the earth, that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father, and all God's people said, amen to that. Secondly, under this point, this is the promise of his return is that it's a promise unique beyond all chance. Unique beyond all chance. And what I mean by that is this. The Christmas message is impossible to miss unless you want to miss it. There's no getting around it. Yes, I mentioned a moment ago that it's the most celebrated holiday in the world. But you can still miss it. You can dress up like Santa yourself at Macy's and still miss it. You can be in the pulpit and preach the gospel and still miss it. You can be in America and grow up all your life with all the traditions of Christmas and still miss it. Why? Because it's not an it. It's a him. You can miss him. The meaning of it all. But beyond chance, my friend, is absolutely awesome. Are you ready for this? It's Isaiah 7 verse 14. Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son. And shall call his name in manual. Isaiah 9 verse 6. For a child is born. Technically, that's no big deal. Children are born all the time. But unto us, a son is given. Listen, the reason why Mary had her little lamb by the name of Jesus was because the son was given. Are you tracking with me? A child unto us a child is born. Unto us a child will come. Certainly special. But just at the opening part of the verse, that's all it says. A special one will come. An anointed one will come. That's still not enough. The second statement of the verse is a son is given. It presupposes that whoever the child is has pre-existed. He was gifted. He would come through a virgin into this world. Never having existed in the flesh before took on flesh. In fact, being the creator of all things became flesh. So says the Bible. What a remarkable statement. What a tremendous truth. And the Bible goes on to tell us in Isaiah 9-6. And the government will be upon his shoulder. His name will be called wonderful. Counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, Prince of Peace. The word everlasting father is the father of time. Have you ever heard of somebody say father time? Write in stories or in books or in thoughts or in poems. Father time. Father time is actually a reference to Jesus Christ being the governor of time and eternity. He controls it. What an amazing thing that is. So unique beyond all chance. You've got to find somebody throughout all of human history that we celebrate at this Christmas. The everyday reality that he's God that has come into the world in human skin. That's why you and I are to never think that our lives are meaningless or without purpose. He loved you so much that he would do this. The third thing is this anticipation. According to God's word, God will answer every human need that you and I have. You know what our problem is? The biggest problem in your life in my life is you for you and me for me. I am my biggest problem. Why? Because I get impatient. The Bible says something and I think it should happen in my time. God has designed you and I and life itself to be answered by this book, the manual, the Bible. Psalm 141. You guys okay? Because I'm yelling at you. Pretty good here. 141 verse 1. Lord, I cry out to you. Have you ever been in that place? Lord, I cry out to you. Make haste to me. Give ear to my voice when I cry out to you. Let my prayer be set before you as incense. That's a beautiful picture. It speaks of the incense rising in the Holy of Holies before the Lord. The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. God, I'm coming to you and I have this human need. I need to have this experience in my life. I need to have this answered in my life. I have to have this pain dealt with. I can't take it anymore. Listen, so many times. It's the holidays. Yes, it's true. Listen, ministry and law enforcement have these things in common. First responders, ministry and first responders, the holidays. It starts right around Thanksgiving and it doesn't end until mid-January. What am I talking about? People who lose hope and commit suicide because they've got their eyes focused on something that is not of God. And their eyes get off of God onto something else like Peter getting his eyes off of Jesus and start sinking in the waves. This world is evil. It will consume you and it will eat you alive. Yet God has given the answer for us to keep our eyes fixated on him because why? Because he has engineered the answer for every human need. And the danger for you is to hear this and to say, yes, I understand what you're saying, but you don't know my situation. Did you know that's everyone's response? Including mine. That's how wrong we can be. We take something that is painful, hurtful or wrong, or something that controls our lives and instead of letting him answer that human need, we wind up enshrining the thing and making it something that is insurmountable. We'll never get over this. It's just the way it's going to be. Well, thank God he can be anticipated upon. Do you expect God to do great things in your life? You should. If you don't, I don't know what you're doing. Next thing is this. Point number two is the purpose of his return. There's a reason for his return. You think about this for a moment. You've got Adam and Eve walking in the garden in the cool of the day, walking with God. Perfect fellowship. Adam and Eve sent against God. Fellowship is broken. They're expelled from the garden. And then the Bible tells us that God would redeem. God would eventually rescue mankind. That he would do it through the promise of a Messiah. How do we know? Genesis 315, right at the start. When we talk about his purpose of his return, just know this everybody. You can be confident in this Christmas message because all along the way from the beginning, God has kept his part of the deal. God has been true. God has been faithful. In Luke chapter 2, verse 6, the Bible tells us, and so it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. So she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes. That's an amazing study. We did this last year, but if you're interested, circle the word swaddling. They wrapped Jesus in strips of linen that were reserved for the sacrificial lambs that would be offered up at the temple. I don't know where Mary and Joseph got these things. I don't know if an angel just made sure there's a basket of these wrappings or the very place they went into because there was no room in the end. That's all that they had. We don't know. We just know this. That the sacrificial lamb had to come out of McDowell eater and had to be wrapped in swaddling clothes because once a lamb was inspected to be perfect, they did the equivalent of our bubble wrap. When you bubble wrap something, you're protecting it against everything. This is an announcement that this is the one come into the world that's perfect. He's the Redeemer, he's the one, and he's bubble wrapped. There's no flaws in him. He's perfect. What a remarkable hint. They laid him in a feeding trough. A manger. Because there was no room for them in the end. There was in the same country, shepherds living out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night and behold an angel of the Lord stood before them. There's just one. This one angel pops up and the glory of the Lord shown around him that had to be amazing. They were greatly afraid. The shepherds were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people or all nations. For there is born to you this day in the city of David. It's important. A Savior who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you. Watch. You will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lined by a manger. You see it's a sign. It's odd. You're going to find a baby. He's going to be wrapped in swaddling clothes at a manger. So who wraps their babies in swaddling clothes? This one lays him in a manger of feeding trough. This is the one. And an angel announces it. That's impressive. Well, verse 13 says, and suddenly it's almost like heaven couldn't handle itself. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly house praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth, on earth peace and goodwill toward men. The great Christmas announcement. How awesome is that? There's a purpose. And here's what that purpose is. That purpose gives answers. Jesus Christ is the purpose. Jesus Christ gives the answer. The answer is Jesus. I know, listen, I know you've seen that on a bumper sticker. Jesus is the answer. But what's the question? Yes, it's true. He's the answer. But what is your question? Whatever your question is, it is true. He is the answer. God not only tells us, and I'll just paraphrase it in Jeremiah 31-31, that he's going to change your life by moving inside of you to establish his real kingdom. The Christmas Christ is coming again. His return is near. Are you ready? God bless you. 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