Sermon: “Let’s Go Over to Bethlehem and Find: ‘The Promise of Christmas'”

Sermon Notes
Scripture: Matthew 1:16-25
“Let’s Go Over to Bethlehem and Find: ‘The Promise of Christmas'”

“Immanuel” — God is with us!

Examples:

• Moses caught between Pharoah and the sea — God was with him!
• David battling Goliath — God was there!
• Christ on the Cross — God was with His Son!
• Deepest valleys of in our lives — God is with us!

When we trust and believe that God is with us it will absolutely change our lives.  Who can stop us?  Who will defeat us?  No one, because we know where home is, and God is with us!

We can claim the promise of God with us when:

• We are frightened —  Jesus talks about being paralyzed by fear.  Today we battle it also.
• We are lonely — “I will be there for you.  You are not alone”.
• We’re in sorrow — God is always close when we hurt.

“Footprints in the Sand”
Mary Stevenson, 1936

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”

The Good News of Christmas is that God is there when we are frightened, lonely, and in sorrow.  Let God be with us this Christmas.  Accept him into your heart!