Thomas Schreiner - The King in His Beauty

Isaiah 7:14 

Hymn written by Charles H. Gabriel

I stand amazed in the presence Of Jesus the Nazarene. And wonder how He could love me, A sinner, condemned, unclean.

How marvelous! how wonderful! And my song shall ever be: How marvelous! How wonderful! Is my Saviour’s love for me!

God has done many wonderful things for us in and through Jesus Christ.

Ex 3:20, “I will stretch out my hand & strike Egypt w/all the wonders that I will do in it

Ps 9:1 “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.”

Is 25:1 “O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.”

Is 28:29 “This also comes from the Lord of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom”

Mt 21:15 “...the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did”

Ps 119:18 “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things out of your law.”

Three WONDERFUL aspects of Christ

1. Wonderful is His greatness that grants grace to us

Consider what He gives to us

a. Greatness is seen in His incarnation (His presence) - John 1:14 & Luke 2:11 

b. Greatness is seen in His communication (His promises) Hebrews 1:1-2 & John 14:25-26 

2. Wonderful is His majesty that extends mercy to us 

Consider what He takes from us

We live in an age when people seek miracles. And expect blessings constantly.

a. Majesty is seen in His taking of sin and sorrow

I stand amazed in the presence —Charles H. Gabriel

He took my sins and my sorrows, He made them His very own;

He bore the burden to Calv’ry, And suffered and died alone.

Jesus was sinless AND took your sins and place it on Himself!

With a majestic march toward the cross & the tomb He took your sins to the grave

What do you need God to take away this Christmas: Anger, depression, doubt, addictions, procrastination, pride, distractions

b. Majesty is seen in His taking us to Heaven

John 14:3 

[Verse 1] Majesty - Worship His Majesty, Unto Jesus - Be all glory, honour, and praise

[Verse 2] - Majesty - Kingdom authority, Flow from His throne - Unto His own - His anthem raise

[Chorus] - So exalt, lift up on high - The name of Jesus, Magnify, come glorify - Christ Jesus the King

[Verse 3] - Majesty - Worship His majesty, Jesus, who died, now glorified - King of all kings

3. Wonderful is His power that shows patience to us 

2 Peter 3:9 and Romans 2:4

Is He wonderful to you?

How wonderful is this Christ-mas to you?

A beautiful Christmas worship celebration led by Dr. Tad Hardin along with the WLBC Choir and Orchastra.

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The greatest gift to be received this Christmas isn’t found in a store.

The greatest gift is from God Himself, the gift of Jesus, God’s only begotten Son.

Unfortunately, even during Christmas, Jesus is merely God’s only forgotten Son.

Who is this Child? Who is this Son that God has given?

4 truths about the Gift of Jesus

1) God has given us a Son who is supernatural.

● He was given supernaturally through the Virgin Mary.

● Those who reject the virgin birth, also explain away Christ’s miracles and deny His resurrection... leaving only a pale, powerless, and pathetic Christ who has no power to save a sinful race.

2) God has given us a Son who is sinless.

Heb. 4:15 

● Christ refrained from all willful transgression.

● He was the very essence of personal purity

● Even the verdict of the Roman governor Pilate Luke 23:14, You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him.

● At the time of Jesus’ baptism, a voice from heaven expressing complete, divine approval of Christ (Matt. 3:17).

● This divine approval happened again at the transfiguration (Matt. 17:5).

3) God has given us a Son who is a suffering substitute.

When Jesus rose from the grave, it was a public demonstration of the divine acceptance of His substitutionary death on the cross.

● The prophet Isaiah foretold the substitutionary death of the suffering servant of God (Isa. 53:5–6). 

● The angel told Joseph that the unborn child of Mary was divine (Matt. 1:21) 

● When John the Baptist introduced Jesus to his disciples and declared (John 1:29) "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

Jesus defined his objective for coming into the world (Mark 10:45). 

● Jesus described Himself (John 10:11).

● Paul declared that while we were still rebel sinners against God, God loved us (Rom. 5:6).

● Peter believed (1 Peter 3:18). 

● God revealed to us as unrighteous people (2 Cor. 5:21).

4) God has given us a Son who is a satisfying Savior.

● He pardons your PAST forgiving every sin Psalm 103:12

● He provides your PRESENT with every need

● He prepares your FUTURE with an eternal home with God John 14:1-3

1 Thess 5:18, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

3 Reasons Gratitude Matters

1) Gratitude Eliminates Arrogance (Romans 1:21)

Luke 17 - the ten lepers

James 1:17 - Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above...

2) Gratitude Encourages Action (Colossians 3:17)

3) Gratitude Expands Adoration (2 Corinthians 9:15)

Psalm 7:17 I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.

Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

Count Your Blessings (1897)

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

  Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your blessings, see what God has done!

Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly, And you will keep singing as the days go by.

  Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your blessings, see what God has done!

Max Anders, “Self-control is the ability to resist immediate gratification for the sake of a higher goal.”

Stephen Alford “We will manifest the fruit of self-control, in the God-given ability to harness natural passions for redemptive purposes.”

2 Timothy 3:2-5

Self-Control is Expressed in 3 Ways

• Elimination - What you abstain from 

• Moderation - What you do with caution (entertainment, work, leisure, “the Devil never takes a day off”)

• Sanctification - What you do to grow

2 Peter 1:4-7

How to Live a Life of Self-Control - 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

1) Live with Desire (9:24)

2) Live with Discipline (disciple) (9:25) - Proverbs 13:4

3) Live with Direction (9:26) - Joshua 1:7

4) Live with Determination (9:27) - Hebrews 12:1-3

3 ways to be disqualified: False start – cheat - quit

My football coach used to say – “Keep running until the whistle is blown.”

Psalm 60:12 (NIV), “With God we will gain the victory…”

Only 2 people are called “Gentle” in the Bible

Old Testament MOSES (Numbers 12:3) - New Testament JESUS (Matthew 11:29, Matthew 21:5)

3 Truths About Becoming a Biblically Gentle Person

* God provides. James 1:5

* We pursue. 1 Timothy 6:11

* Gentleness is produced. 2 Cor 10:1

Gentleness is demonstrated in how you…

1) Receive the Word - James 1:21-22, Hebrews 5:11, Matthew 13:13

2) Respect the Position - 1 Peter 3:1-6

3) Reply to the Curious - 1 Peter 3:15

4) Restore the Fallen - Galatians 6:1, 2 Tim 2:25, Matthew 11:29

"I’ve been unfaithful."  "I’ve failed." "I’ve not honored my promises and vows." You’ve heard these words from pastors, politicians, athletes, celebrities, and even those people you personally know. Unfaithfulness, a lack of trustworthiness, is too common in our culture.

Unfaithfulness destroys families, careers, bank accounts, etc.

Faithfulness – pistis = reliable, dependable, trustworthy.

When we consider having faith in God, we 1st consider if He is faithful. 

Is He trustworthy?

* We call God, Our Father.  But many do not have a faithful earthly father

* We proclaim, “God Loves You”, but many people say that and then leave us

Deuteronomy 7:9 & 1 Corinthians 1:9

Are we faithful to our faith?  Faith produces actions

James 2:17-18 & 3 John 3-5 

8 Areas Where Faith Must be Faithful

1) Faithful with Your Words - Proverbs 25:14 & Eccl 5:5 & Mat 5:37 

2) Faithful with Your Marriage - Hebrews 13:4 

3) Faithful with Your Gifts/Talents - 1 Peter 4:10 

4) Faithful with Your Time - Ephesians 5:15-16 & James 4:14 & 17

5) Faithful with Your Friends - Proverbs 17:17 & Prv 27:6

6) Faithful with Your Money - Luke 16:10 & 2 Cor 9:6:7

2 principles: 1) Pray before you pay.  2) Budget before you blow it!

7) Faithful with Your Work - Titus 2:9-10

8) Faithful with Your Church - 2 Timothy 2:2 & Ephesians 4:16

Rev 2:10, “…Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Marathon - 1st place – Last place - 1968 Olympics

A reporter interviewed last place John Stephen Akhwari, Tanzanian runner.

"My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race."

Most people in this world are looking for the Good Life

Genesis 1 is the first place we see the word “good” Gen 1:4,10,12,18,21,25,27,31

GOOD means that God created for a purpose…and fulfilling that purpose is considered good.

We are created for good, for God’s purpose.

The BIBLE uses two terms to describe something. Something or someone is either good or evil

Ask the avg person “Are you good? Most would affirm they are good. But is this based on a comparison to others OR based on God’s holiness?

Our condition: Isaiah 53:6, Romans 3:10-12, Romans 3:23

So now what? If we were created good in the garden, but are now NOT GOOD

Jeremiah 13:23

Are we fulfilling God’s purpose for why He created us?

John 1:46, Mark 10:18

We are not good… but God is good…

Psalm 34:8, Psalm 86:5, Ephesians 2:8-10

We are not good… but God is good… He made us for His good works!

Phil 1:6, Titus 3:14

We are not saved BY good works… but are saved FOR good works! We were saved for usefulness!

Five Ways to Grow in Good Works (this is not exhaustive)

1) Seek and Savor our Good God

2) Search the Scriptures. Psalm 1, Psalm 25:8-9

3) Sharpen Your Mind. Phil 4:8, Psalm 119:37

4) Strengthen your convictions. 1 Peter 2:19-20, 3 John 11

5) Serve with the Church. 2 Tim 3:1-3, Romans 12:9, Hebrews 10:24-25

Phillip Keller, “Kindness involves finding ways to brighten & cheer the lives of others.”

Stephen Grellet, “I shall pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”

Kindness is a gift - Galatians 5:22-23

Kindness is a choice – Col 3:12

Kindness is a command – Eph 4:32

God’s expression of kindness - Titus 3:4, Romans 2:4

William Barclay, “More people have been brought into the church by the kindness of real Christian love than by all the theological arguments in the world.”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “Kind hearts are the gardens, Kind thoughts are the roots, Kind words are the flowers, Kind deeds are the fruits, Take care of your garden And keep out the weeds, Fill it with sunshine, Kind words, & Kind deeds.”

Kindness starts with the gift in your heart that is expressed through your life in your home, your workplace, your church, your world

Kindness takes practice.

Martyn Llyod Jones, The way the dead leaves of winter are removed from some trees is not that people go around plucking them off; no, it is the new life, the shoot that comes and pushes off the dead in order to make room for itself. In the same way the Christian gets rid of all such things as bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking and all malice. The new qualities develop &  the others simply have no room; they are pushed out and they are pushed off.

Focus on the new nature and you will eliminate the old nature.

1) Be Perceptive - Philippians 2:4, Romans 12:15-16

2) Be Redemptive - Prov 10:32, Prov 15:4, Eccl 10:12, Joseph Gen 50:20

3) Be Corrective - Prv 27:6, 2 Tim 2:24-26

4) Be Impulsive - Gal 6:10, Eccl 11:4

Galatians 5:22-23 - Patience is More Than Waiting