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[ Silence ] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] ♪ Praise God and glory to His name ♪

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♪ Praise God and glory to His name ♪ ♪ Praise God and glory to His name ♪ ♪ He is the Savior of the world ♪ ♪ Praise God and glory to His name ♪

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♪ Praise God and glory to His name ♪ ♪ Praise God and glory to his name ♪ ♪ He is the savior of the world ♪ ♪ Jesus came to be born in Bethlehem ♪

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♪ Was born in a manger ♪ ♪ As a weak and lonely child ♪ ♪ When the angels heard this ♪ ♪ They glory to his name ♪

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♪ For he is the savior of the world ♪ ♪ Praise God and glory to His name ♪ ♪ Praise God and glory to His name ♪ ♪ Praise God and glory to His name ♪

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♪ He is the Savior of the world ♪ ♪ There was a king who saw the shining star ♪ ♪ Who had led him to a place where thousands had gone ♪ ♪ There God's been loved, let's give glory to His name ♪

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♪ For He is the Savior of the world ♪ ♪ Praise God and glory to His name ♪ ♪ Praise God and glory to His name ♪ ♪ Praise God and glory to His name ♪

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♪ He is the Savior of the world ♪ ♪ Praise God and glory to His name ♪ ♪ Praise God and glory to His name ♪ ♪ Praise God and glory to His name ♪

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♪ He is the Savior of the world ♪ - Amen. Hear this word. It's recorded in the book of the prophet Isaiah.

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Moreover, the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying, ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God. Ask it either in depth or in the height above. But Ahaz said, "I will not ask,

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"neither will I tempt the Lord." And he said, "Hear ye now, O house of David, Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign.

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Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel. And the gospel according to Saint Matthew first chapter verses 22 and 23. Now all this was done

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that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying behold a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel which being interpreted is God with us. The subject God with us. We want someone to be with us as a source of comfort and strength in all of our strivings.

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We are encouraged when we know we are not alone. When we have someone to share with us in our sorrows as well as in our joys, our victories as well as our defeats. And they said that misery loves company.

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So we would like for that which is good, that which is strong, that which is beautiful, that which is the best of all possible worlds to be identified with us.

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is what Christmas is all about. It may be summed up in one word, the name Emmanuel, which means God with us. This is an awesome thought. It may strengthen and sustain us or it may aggravate or agitate us in the stress and strain of human existence. But the truth of the matter is, though we often fail to

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realize it, it is the good news, it is the glad tidings available to all that God is with us. The name Emmanuel is omitted in most of the demonstrations and proclamations, celebrations of this season. Ours is a pluralistic society.

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We seek not to propagandize our religious beliefs. For fear we may offend someone. There is a movement on today that makes it difficult for that makes it difficult for cities to have decorations that really emphasize the Christmas theme.

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And it is becoming more and more the case that we are trying to celebrate Christmas without Christ. We honor Christmas as a holiday rather than a holy day. And more and more people are saying, "Happy holidays." During this season when we celebrate the peace of the world as it comes to us through Jesus Christ,

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we dream of a day when every person is free to sit under his own vine and fig tree, and there is none to make him afraid. We are experiencing many changes in our world. We are witnessing a new wave of freedom in Europe

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and in Asia, Africa and the emerging nations of the world, as well as some of the old established nations. But where is the sign of Christmas? Where is the blessed assurance of the divine presence in the human struggle?

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There is a dismal darkness that overshadows us. There is a crisis in the land. And now, here in our country, we are concerned about the recession, and the fact that thousands of people this Christmas are unemployed, out of a job.

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And we witness divisions among God's people. But we are comforted by the fact that there have been recent moves in the Middle East toward peace. We are comforted by the fact that the hostages have been released.

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And now as we celebrate Christmas in 1991, here is this ancient event in the life of the people of God. It was a time when there was a crisis in the life of Judah as a nation. Ahaz was king and he had been approached by Syria and Israel to join with them in the

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struggle against Assyria was moving forth as a great and mighty conqueror. And they were exerting political pressure upon Ahaz to join in a coalition with them against Assyria and while Syria and Israel were putting pressure against Judah to join them against Assyria, Ahaz was inclined to give in.

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He was inclined to go along with what they were suggesting. After all, they were putting him under considerable political pressure. And it is at this strategic moment that the Prophet Isaiah appears upon the scene and he says to Ahaz, "Ask God for a sign." The king said to the prophet, "I'm not gonna ask God for a sign. I'm not

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going to worry God with this matter. And so often that's the way we are. We say, "Well, I'm not going to worry God with this. I'm not going to take it. I'm going to handle this myself." And Isaiah says to him, "Well, you worry men with the problems that you have. Why not worry God?" He's certainly in better shape to take care of the men, huh? He said,

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I'm not gonna ask for a sign. And so the prophet Isaiah says to King Ahab, "Well, God will give you a sign anyhow." Anyhow. And this is the sign. A virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel which being interpreted is God with us. It's a time of crisis. It's the time of crisis in our land today and

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And so the word is ask God for a sign, ask him for a sign. And there is hope that appears on the horizon. While this word comes to the king as a word from the Lord for him to take heed, be quiet, do not be afraid,

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Trust in the Lord because Syria and Israel are on their way out. They are like smoldering stumps. Trust God. His gift to you is revealed through his presence and power.

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This is the sign. God is with us. Well, can't you hear the king say, "Well, Isaiah, that sounds good. That may make good preaching."

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I hear what you say, Isaiah, but how can I know that God is with me? Well, the prophet gives the answer. You will know it by his sign. Challenge the Lord.

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Ask him for a sign. So Christmas is the challenge to trust God for his word, for his goodness, for his presence, for his power. Ask God for a sign.

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Well, this is the word that comes to us in the here and now because Christmas comes no matter what. is say well I'm not gonna ask God for a sign. Well the prophet's answer is God's gonna give it to you anyhow. So the good news of the gospel is that Christmas

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comes in spite of all of the contradictions of history, Christmas comes in spite of all of the contrary circumstances that we may face in our lives. Christmas comes anyhow. God gives us a sign. No matter how dark may be the clouds hovering over us, that there is a note of hope on the horizon. Christmas

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comes anyhow. Behold, look, look! A virgin shall conceive and bear a son. They shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us. God with us in our struggle though we may not be aware of it, God is with us. There is a sign! Look! Look up! God is with us. God gives us a sign at Christmas time. "Look up there is a star in the east and

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that star guides us on our way." God gives us a sign anyhow. There is a star in the sky. He gives a sign anyhow. And who can take away the star when God gives the He gives us a sign of hope, he gives us a sign of encouragement, he gives us a sign of his presence with us to guide us through the maze of life.

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God gives us a sign. That's the good news, that's the good word. As we celebrate Christmas this year, he gives a sign that he is with us. A young maiden shall bear a son, and his name will be God with us, Emmanuel.

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The Christian community sees the fulfillment of this word of prophecy in the eternal son of the Father. We sing, "Word of the Father, God in flesh appearing." And Matthew, many years later, picks up the refrain, saying, "Behold, a virgin shall

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conceive. name is Mary. This is not Joseph's action. It's absolutely and unequivocally God's action. A virgin shall conceive. In other words, that humankind, mankind, humankind, nothing to do with salvation. It's God's action.

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God will deliver Judah. No matter what may be the power of Syria and Israel, God will deliver Judah. God gives himself! He is our gift. God himself is with us in in the struggle. There's a story of on a cold wintery day when birds

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were dying because their wings were getting wet with, and the wings were being frozen to ice, and they were falling one by one. And the man went out to try to get them to

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come into his barn. He opened the barn door, and he tried to get the birds to come into the barn where it was warm, but the birds didn't seem to understand. And it suddenly dawned on him that if he could just become a bird and lead those birds into the barn where they could be preserved. Well that's what

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God does. He wraps himself in human flesh. If we want to know how to live the good life if we want a model for living the abundant life he gives it to us in Jesus Christ. He wraps himself in the form of a babe and is born into the world. He says to us I am with you. God comes to be with us. He's involved in the human situation.

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Our God has a human face and so often we forget that. That when we look into the face of others, we also look into the face of God because each one of us here is made in his image. Our God has a human face.

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So, Emmanuel means that God is there himself. When we pass through the dark valleys, that God is there himself. He is present, reconciling the world unto himself.

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God is with us in our sufferings. When we moan and when we groan, and the pains that we bear, God is there. God is with us in our sorrows.

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He is with us. He carries our griefs. He bears our sorrows. He is with us in our sickness.

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When the nearest and dearest of kin leave us, when we have to leave them in the waiting room. You know, so often when I go to the hospital, You know, you go and you have prayer with the person,

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and the doctor has prepared everything for surgery, and the family is left in the waiting room, and you're taken into the room for surgery. That's as far as the minister goes, the waiting room,

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and the family is left in the waiting room. That's as far as they go. But there's someone who can go all the way. who goes with us as you go into that operating room,

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there is God there, he's there and he's able to guide what is done there, you can't shut him out. In spite of what may happen, he gives the sign. Anyhow, he gives his sign, God is with us.

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The wise men come looking and they wonder where it is that this new babe is to be born. And they sort of lose track. No doubt they thought that maybe it would certainly

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be in Jerusalem, a metropolitan center. But they received word through the prophet and it's Bethlehem. And in Bethlehem, they say, well, we don't have any room.

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Yeah, here comes this peasant woman with her husband and they need room, the child is to be born. We have no room, but God comes in spite of, in spite of our objections,

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in spite of the fact that we make no room, he comes anyhow, knocks on the door, so we don't have any room for you here, but he goes around to the back door,

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and the blessed son of God is born and placed in a manger, stable shed, most humble surroundings. God stoops to let us know that he is with us. He gives us the sign.

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So my brothers and sisters, this is the sign of Christmas. God is with us that we are never alone. Father and mother may forsake us, sister and brother, friends may forsake us,

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but God is with us. He is with us all along the way. I don't know a better word than that. That when we get into the lion's den,

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in the midst of all of the troubles of life, that God is with us in the lion's den, that's good news. That when we find ourselves in the fiery furnaces of human existence, that God walks with us in the fire.

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That's good news. That's good news. Though the heathen rage, Do not fear because God is with us.

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Though the ground on which we stand is shaken and though mountains are pushed into the midst of the sea, do not be afraid, God is with us. Though the waters be troubled, don't let it upset you.

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Our God gives peace in the midst of troubled waters. God is with us. Kingdoms may be moved, political structures may be changed, the economy may suffer from recession,

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but the Lord of hosts is with us. God of Jacob is our refuge. So he is with us to deliver us. He's with us to reconcile us.

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So be still. Don't go to pieces. Be still. That's what he says, "Be still and know that I am God.

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"Be still and know that I have control." God is in charge. That's the message of this Christmas season. God is in charge.

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He has control of this world. He hasn't made it and thrown it out there to exist without his presence. But he's in the world.

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This is my father's world, oh let me never forget, although the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet. He is with us.

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So we come now to the hymn of invitation. It's the privilege to accept Jesus Christ as Lord of your life. Sign of God's presence, sign of His power.

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Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Door of the church is open. ♪ Joy to the world, the Lord is come ♪ ♪ Let our angry sea forgive ♪

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♪ Let the free world repent and prove ♪ ♪ That heaven and nature sing ♪ ♪ That heaven and nature sing ♪ ♪ That heaven and heaven and nature sing ♪

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♪ Joy to the world the Savior reigns ♪ ♪ Let men their songs employ ♪ ♪ O fields and floods ♪ ♪ O hills and plains ♪

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♪ Repeat the sounding joy ♪ ♪ Repeat the sounding joy ♪ ♪ Repeat, repeat the sounding joy ♪ ♪ O goodnesses and sorrows ♪

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♪ For God, deftest God, God ♪ ♪ He comes to make His blessings come ♪ ♪ For as the curse is come ♪ ♪ For as the curse is come ♪

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♪ For as the curse is come ♪ ♪ For as the curse is come ♪ ♪ He proves the world with truth and grace ♪ ♪ And makes the nations prove ♪

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♪ The glories of His righteousness ♪ ♪ And wonders of His love ♪ ♪ And wonders of His love ♪ ♪ And wonders, and wonders of His love ♪

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[Music] [BLANK_AUDIO]