Osceola Sermon: Advent Simple Prophecy Advent 2012; November 25th / Pastor Bob Vale Simple Christmas / Simple Prophecy Biblical Focus: Micah 5:2

MIC 5:2

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

Scripture Lesson: LK 2:1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register. LK 2:4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. LK 2:8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." LK 2:13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, LK 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." 8:30 a.m. Service: Hymn of Praise: # 98 To God Be The Glory Prayer Hymn: # 174 His Name is Wonderful Hymn of Response: # 211 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. 11:00 a.m. Solid Praise Music:

See music picked by Matt Boggs

Today I we are taking a look at Biblical prophecy. This is where God foretells what will happen many years from now. God foretold the birth of His son Jesus Christ, a thousand years before it occurred in Bethlehem. God knows the future as He does not live in time. The Bible says in Revelation 1:8, “I am the Alpha & the Omega, the beginning and the end.” It is interesting to note that America is eager to know the future. We are actually crazy about knowing what is coming next. In many ways our financial strength is built upon the stock market, where if one can predict the future of stocks their can become millionaires.

We want to know such things as: 1. What is the next clothing style? 2. Which teams will win the next Super Bowl, NBA and World Series championship? 3. What is the latest hot stock to go through the roof? 4. Christians want to know, when will Jesus return to earth? A story is told of an avid golfer, who went to a fortune teller to ask an important question. He asked the fortune teller, "Are there golf courses in Heaven?" The fortune teller quickly replies, "I have good news, and I have bad news..." The avid golfer asked, "What's the good news?" Fortune Teller: "The good news is that Heaven's golf courses are beautiful beyond anything you could imagine!" Golfer, "How could there be any bad news with that?" Fortune Teller: "You have a t-time booked to start at 8:30 tomorrow morning."

Wouldn’t it be interesting if we could look into our future 10, 50 or 100 years from now? What would we see? Let me give you some food for thought: These things could happen in our future. 1. The Postal Service raises the price of a first class stamp to $17.89 and reduces mail delivery to Wednesdays only. 2. Unlike any other study that has ever been done, there has been a new 5-year study, costing tax payers $75.8 billion dollars, to help us understand that Diet and Exercise are the keys to weight loss. 3. Presidential hopeful, George Z. Bush says he will run for President again in 2058. 4. The Supreme Court rules that the punishment of criminals violates their civil rights. 5. The Average height of NBA players is now up to nine feet, seven inches tall and the basketball goal has been raised to 11 feet. 6. The IRS lowers the federal tax rate to only 75 percent. 7. The Cubs finally win the World Series……in fantasy baseball. *We all want to know the future……only God knows! Most of us have probably heard the story of the birth of Jesus, but what some may not realize is that His birth, right down to the last detail, was a fulfillment of hundreds of Old Testament prophecies. These Old Testament prophecies were written between 1450 BC and 430 BC. It would be difficult enough to predict something 5 years away, let alone 4-15 centuries, especially with the degree of detail and accuracy given to us in the scriptures. Did anyone here accurately predict the outcome of the 2012 election? It was so close between Mitt Romney and President Obama; not even the experts could make an accurate call on the winner.

It would also be impossible for someone to plan to fulfill all the prophecies concerning the birth of the Messiah. The prophecies speak of timing, location and circumstances of birth. Who but God alone could plan such things? Today I want to share with you how some of these Old Testament prophecies connect to the New Testament, which was written many years later.

Top 5 Old Testament Predictions of Jesus arrival on earth & Fulfilled in the New Testament: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

1.

Born of a Virgin Born in Bethlehem Born of the house of David Worshipped by Shepherds He is the Son of God

Born of a Virgin: Predicted in the Old Testament: Isaiah

7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Fulfilled in the New Testament: Matthew 1:18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Significant point: Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was a virgin. Prophesied Years Earlier: The prophet Isaiah predicted 700 years before Christ.

This is perhaps the most controversial doctrines of the scriptures to a non-believing world; The virgin birth. How could this take place? What we know today about biology and human reproduction tells us this cannot take place. What’s up God? Why a human birth at all? Why not just bring God’s son down to heaven without a process of birth? 1. He was to become one of us as a human. a. To understand humility from going from God to man. b. To understand his perfection and sinless life as a frail human. c. To experience all the temptations we do, yet not sin. d. To be real among us; he knew hunger, thirst, needed sleep, he laughed, loved, cried, and mourned. e. To experience the reality and inevitability of true human death and the miracle of raising himself from the dead. f. He was one of us!!!

2.

Why a virgin birth rather than a normal birth from a mother & father? The reason for the virgin birth is a miraculous entrance into the world by fulfilling prophecies. 1. Jesus could not have been conceived by a human father; or he would carry on the spiritual sinful nature of sin through the father; (spiritually speaking). a. Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned” (Original or imputed sin.) b. I Corinthians 15:22 “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” c. Hebrews 4:15 (Jesus is without sin) “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin.”

d. Since the spiritual aspect of a sinful nature is passed down from

father to child….the father’s sinful nature element needed to be taken out of Jesus physical sinless presence.

2. Born in Bethlehem: Predicted in the Old Testament:

Micah 5:2 MIC 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

Fulfilled in the New Testament: Luke 2:4-7 “So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Significant Point: Where Christ was born. Prophesied Years Earlier: 700 years before Christ.

Map:

Bethlehem: 1. Five miles south of Jerusalem. 2. You can see the dead see from the city. 3. Bethlehem means, “House of Bread.” (Jesus is the Bread of Life.) 4. It is where King David was crowned King of Israel, and is know as the city of David. 5. Today 25,000 people live there, where a majority are Muslim and Palestinian Christians. Their main industry is Christian tourism and making crafts. 6. The Church of the nativity is in Bethlehem. (Show pictures of our trip)

This is what we think of when we visualize Bethlehem. A small city set in time 2,000 when Christ was born on the earth.

The city has a huge wall and guard towers all around the city.

There is great tension between Jews and the Muslims. Can you read the lettering on the wall? “To exist is to resist.”

Door of humility. You have to bend over the get into the Church of the Nativity. You cannot walk in tall and proud. Jesus was born in humility and hardship.

Inside the chapel of the church of the nativity. You can see Jim and Linda trader in the center of the picture.

built in 529 A.D., this is the original Constantine floor, which is a beautiful stone mosaic. (1,500 years old.)

Jim & Joann in the church of the nativity where Christ was born.

Our group is ready to share in Holy Communion at the church of the nativity. This is an altar to honor the coming of the wise men to see Jesus.

Basic Information about the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem: The Church of the Nativity in the heart of Bethlehem marks one of Christianity's most sacred sites - the birthplace of Jesus Christ. The Church of the Nativity is the oldest church in the Holy Land still in use. It is located on Manger Square 5 miles from Jerusalem. The Church of the Nativity is built over a grotto where the Virgin Mary is said to have given birth to the Lord Jesus. For centuries, the Church of the Nativity was one of the most fought over holy places. It was seized and defended by a succession of armies - including both Muslim and Crusader forces. It is now controlled jointly by three main Christian denominations - the Armenian Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Greek Orthodox Church. The "Grotto of the Nativity" contains the manger that is believed to be the place where the baby Jesus was laid after he was born. The grotto is encased in white marble and the site of His birth is marked by a 14point star on a marble stone. The main access to the basilica is by a very small entrance which you must stoop over to enter. It is called the "Door of Humility. It give a sense of humility to enter where Christ was born bowing rather than pridefully standing tall. The present Church was built during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor, Justinian. In 529.

3.

Born of the House of David: Predicted in the Old

Testament: Jeremiah 23:5-6 "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. JER 23:6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness. Fulfilled in the New Testament: The genealogy of Jesus as mentioned in Luke 31b- 32a “the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz. Significant point: Jesus had an interesting genealogy: Noah was a drunk Abraham: A liar Jacob was a scam artist Ruth was a homeless beggar Rahab: was a prostitute David: was a major sinner. (Adulterer, Liar, Murderer) In the 42 generations from Adam to Jesus, there were some great and faithful ancestors, and some not so great ancestors. The point about the people I mentioned above are, even though the Bible records some failures in their lives; all of them were counted for doing wonderful things for God. Perhaps this is our story? Perhaps we have had a slip up or two in our lives; which some of our friends could give us a title…..but God looks at the whole picture of our lives; plus any of the blemishes, which we have sought forgiveness are not even in the picture. In this life and moving into eternity…..God remembers them no more. We are clean, forgiven, whole, counted as righteous because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. That is something to celebrate.

4. Worshipped by Shepherds: Predicted in the Old Testament: Psalm 72:9a “The desert tribes will bow before him LK 2:8

Fulfilled in the New Testament: Luke 2:9-16 “

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." LK 2:13

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, LK 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." LK 2:15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." LK 2:16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. Significant Point: The Lowly Shepherd were the first to both hear, see and tell of the birth of Christ. (The first evangelist.) Prophesied Years Earlier: 1,000 years before Christ. The great meaning of this point is that the “Good News” is for everyone; Rich and poor alike. If we remember the story of Christ birth, Jesus is worshipped by both the wealthy wise men and the impoverished shepherds. God was letting us know right off of the bat, the first to hear and worship were the masses. (You and I.) Even today the door is open to worship Jesus with the masses. However, so many have turned a deaf ear to worship Jesus. We worship other things today.

We tend to worship: 1. Our possessions. 2. Our bank accounts. 3. Our hobbies. 4. Our career’s 5. Our pride, thinking we can get through this life without God’s help. 6. Our intellect, stating there is no God and we are left to our own power and understanding of life. 7. Ourselves. 8. Some worship other deities. (Muhammad, Buddha, and Scientology)

*Who or what do you worship today? 5.

Son of God: Predicted in the Old Testament: Psalm 2:7 “I will

proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” This is a messianic text talking about God’s son. This is the first time the word son is mentioned in the Old Testament, when referring to God’s son; Jesus. In the King James version of the Bible, the word Begotten is used, as also in the same way referring to Jesus as “Begotten of the father.” John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Fulfilled in the New Testament: Mark 1:11 “And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Significant Point: Jesus is called the Son of God in both testaments. Prophesied Years Earlier: 1,000 years before Christ.

Application: John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (This is called the Incarnation.) “People came early one Christmas Eve for the 11:00 pm service at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, in New York City. Among them was a recovering alcoholic, six months sober, who slipped into the eleventh row of the church sanctuary. This was his first Christmas since having lost his family because of his difficulty with drinking. A family of four sat down two rows in front of him. Seeing them together was crushing. He decided he couldn’t handle it — he had to have a drink. As he moved from the sanctuary to the narthex, he ran into Pastor Thomas Tewell. ‘Jim, where are you going?’ the pastor asked. ‘Oh, I’m just going out for some Scotch Whiskey,’ Jim replied. ‘Jim, you can’t do that,’ the pastor responded. He knew that Jim was a recovering alcoholic. ‘Is your sponsor available?’ Jim replied, ‘It’s Christmas Eve. My sponsor is in Minnesota. There’s nobody who can help me. I just came tonight for a word of hope, and I ended up sitting behind this family and feeling guilty. If I had my life together, I’d be here with my wife and kids too.’ Pastor Tewell took Jim into the narthex of the church to talk with a couple of other church leaders. Then he slipped into the sanctuary, having no idea what to do. He whispered a prayer: ‘O God, could you give me a word of hope for Jim?’ He welcomed everyone to the Christmas Eve service and made a few announcements. Then he said, ‘I have one final announcement. If anyone here tonight is a friend of Bill Wilson — and if you are, you’ll know it — could you step out for a moment and meet me in the church narthex?’ Bill Wilson, better known as Bill W., was a cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous. From all over the sanctuary, women, men, and college students arose and made their way out to the narthex. ‘And there while the pastor was preaching in the sanctuary about the incarnation of Christ,’ ‘the Word was becoming flesh in the vestry.

One man was experiencing hope.’” Jim experienced the friendship of Jesus Christ through the people who had been touched by him and in whom he lived. I believe that is part of the heart of Christmas and the Christian faith. It is the ability to take the Christ in your flesh and share it with others.

Today I want to ask you a question about your life. I am not asking about your spouse, your neighbor or your boss. I want to know about you! 1. What is the prediction of your life? 2. What does your future hold? 3. Is God in the picture of your life? I mean really in the picture? 4. This Christmas season….will you be a person of generosity, love, hope, peace, and grace? Or will your life just be the same old thing? (Does something need to change?) 5. What does your eternal future hold? Do you believe in eternity? Is your eternal future with God or without God? I guess I might as well be blunt….does your future involve Heaven or Hell? 6. Jesus Christ came to earth 2,000 years ago and the people of Bethlehem had no place for him to stay. Do you have a place for the savior to stay in your life? Let’s Pray.

Words of Wisdom: If you don’t have any love in your heart this Christmas season….you have the worst kind of heart trouble….and a doctor can’t fix that. Benediction: This Christmas & Advent season: "May you be filled with the wonder of Mary, the obedience of Joseph, the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the determination of the magi, and the peace of the Christ child. Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit bless you now and forever."

Pastor Bob’s Sermon Notes

Top 5 Old Testament Predictions of Jesus arrival on earth: 1. Born of a Virgin

2. Born in Bethlehem

3. Born of the house of David

4. Worshipped by Shepherds

5. He is the Son of God