Drawing Water from the Wells of Salvation

This is the manuscript of the Christmas Day sermon as we celebrate the birth of Immanuel...God with us.

Isaiah 12:3 NIV With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

The challenge of our text is very personal in application. You must do your own rejoicing in the Lord, and all of us must draw our own water from the wells of salvation. To not draw from the wells of salvation is not wise. 

We draw water from the well of forgiveness ourselves.  With the living water of salvation, we also draw from the well of our new relationship with God. We draw water from the well of the indwelling Spirit.  We draw water from the well of assurance that you have a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens 

So let the Christ of Christmas come into your heart and bring you the living water of life so that you draw water from the wells of salvation forever.   

Scripture Reading: 

Isaiah 12:1‭-‬6 NIV In that day you will say: “I will praise you, Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

Introduction

Text 

Isaiah 12:3 NIV With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

If the scripture Jean read earlier sounds familiar it should. It was the same one that we read two weeks ago when I said that through Jesus God became our salvation.  

When I ended that sermon, I said that Isaiah could say, “God has become my salvation” because he had come to a point of faith and commitment when God’s salvation became real to him.

Some say, “Education is my salvation.” Some say, “Marriage is my salvation.” Some say, “My family is my salvation.” Some say, “My money is my salvation.” Some say, “My government is my salvation.” With God in your life through His Son Jesus Christ, He offers salvation from the past, the present, and the future.

Christmas is a time for rejoicing, the time of the year when we are reminded over and over that our God is great and that He offers salvation to all people everywhere through faith in Jesus Christ.

 Salvation produces Joy.

During this Christmas season we can say along with the psalmist who wrote in the 105th Psalm:

Psalms 100:1‭-‬5 NIV Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

When Christ was born, his birth was announced by an angel and followed by an angelic choir. 

Luke 2:8‭-‬14 NIV And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Jesus came to produce joy in the hearts of those who would trust and obey him. 

It was Jesus who said;

John 15:9‭-‬11 NIV “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Last week I talked a little about John chapter 17 which is known as Jesus' great High Priestly Prayer. In it He prays for Himself, He prays for the apostles, and He prays for all of us who will come to Him by faith. 

In a part of the prayer which I didn’t read last week Jesus talked to the father about the joy that he desired for his disciples:

John 17:13 NIV “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they (His disciples) may have the full measure of my joy within them.

You’ve heard me say this before, Joy is defined as "the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation." 

With this definition, we could say that "happiness" and "joy" are interchangeable. But that’s not biblical joy. 

Happiness is usually dependent on circumstances. If everything goes well, I'm happy. If things don't go well, I'm not happy.  

Our joy, the joy of salvation that we get through Jesus, should rise above circumstances. This joy is not produced by something external that makes me feel happy. It is the supernatural result of a life filled with the Holy Spirit of the living God. 

Galatians 5:22-26 (HCSB)22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.25 Since we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.26 We must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. 

Jesus’ birth was then and still is an occasion for joy. The kind of joy expressed in the familiar Christmas carol Joy to the World.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come

Let Earth receive her King

Let every heart prepare Him room

And Heaven and nature sing

And Heaven and nature sing

And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing

But joy is just one of the wonderful things that God provides through Jesus Christ. The exceptional volume or quantity of the things that God provides can be compared to wells of living water in a hot, dry country where water is scarce. 

To identify with the metaphor of living water, let's go to the Old Testament. 

When the Israelites left Egypt under the leadership of Moses, God provided the people with fresh water as they traveled through the desert.  

Exodus 15:22‭-‬27 NIV Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.” Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.

There are other examples of God providing the people with fresh water in Exodus Chapter 17 and in Numbers Chapter 20.  

In the New Testament Jesus described the gift of the Holy Spirit in terms of a fountain of living water that would be within the heart of the believer.

John 7:37‭-‬39 NIV On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Now God is not a cistern 

His supply is not limited. He provides all the living water we will ever need.

A cistern is a tank used for the collection and storage of rainwater. They are used in many homes in Hawaii. We have a friend who lives in the Virgin Islands, and she told us that they use cisterns to collect rainwater for bathing and cleaning. In some instances, a cistern is a bottle-shaped tank chiseled out of solid rock. In other instances, it is dug out of the ground, and then the walls are coated with a type of rock or cement. 

Here’s the difference between a cistern and God.

Cisterns are constructed by human effort. God has always existed. He is the creator. We know the creation story as written in Genesis 1 & 2.

Cisterns are limited in both quantity and capacity. God is unlimited in both quantity and capacity.

Cisterns are subject to leakage and destruction. God’s grace and mercy has no measure and is eternal. His grace and mercy can’t be destroyed.

So you see that the living water that God provides is eternal and without measure.   

Take a look at what Jesus said to the woman at the well 

John 4:10‭-‬14 NIV Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Look at John 7:37 and 38 again.  

John 7:37‭-‬38 NIV On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

Jesus made this statement during the Feast of Booths/ Tabernacles which was one of the annual feasts that God required the Jews to attend in Jerusalem.

This feast marked the end of the agricultural year, during the harvesting of grapes and other summer crops. The feast provided an opportunity to express thanksgiving for God's bountiful provision of the material needs of his people.

 It was during this feast that Israel remembered God's miraculous intervention during their time in the wilderness. As part of the celebration, priests would carry water to the altar in the temple, recalling God's provision of water from the rock which is found in Exodus 17. On the last, and most important day of the festival, priests would circle the altar seven times with a container of water. This is the moment Jesus makes this claim, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 

These words continue a theme Jesus has used before, including with the Samaritan woman at the well and one other time to a crowd of people near the shores of Galilee. If you remember it was part of the “I Am” series that I did not long ago.

John 6:35 NIV Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

I also want to draw your attention to another scripture, this time one from Revelation.

Revelation 22:1‭-‬2 NIV Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

This internal spring, or stream, is indicative of the Holy Spirit, which comes to live inside all who come to faith in Christ. 

Salvation is what brings this water of life, and it is

• always fresh.
• always in abundant supply.
• is always free.

Here is a crucial point that I want to make sure that we understand, “We all must draw the living water of salvation for ourselves.”

When it comes to the matter of salvation, each of us must draw our own water. 

We must recognize and respond to the resources God makes available.

We must not seek our joy or security in the wrong way or in the wrong place. Love, joy, peace, and hope are to be found only as we draw water from the wells of salvation. To neglect the wells of salvation is to rob ourselves of joy, peace, and hope, and the privilege of helping others.

We draw water from the well of forgiveness ourselves.

What I said last week is worth repeating

Ephesians 1:7‭-‬10 NIV In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

Colossians 3:13 NIV Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

As I said last week, God, offers the gift of forgiveness. Our part is to repent and turn from a life of evil and self-destructiveness.

We only receive forgiveness when we acknowledge our sin, repent, and put our faith and trust in Jesus.

With the living water of salvation, we also draw from the well of our new relationship with God.

In Jesus Christ we can all rejoice in the privilege of being a part of the family of God. Like I also said last week. With salvation we receive the gift of adoption into the family of God

John 1:12‭-‬13 NIV Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

There is a poem written by Harriet E. Buell which says.

My Father is rich in houses and lands,

He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands! Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold,

His coffers are full, He has riches untold. I’m a child of the King, a child of the King:

With Jesus my Saviour, I’m a child of the King.

Yes, God is our loving Father and we are His children.

We draw water from the well of the indwelling Spirit. 

We read earlier in John 7:37-39 that Jesus spoke of the gift of the Holy Spirit as being a river of living water that wells up from within the heart of the believer.

The Holy Spirit has come to be our Companion, our Helper, our Teacher, our Guide, our source of spiritual energy. 

John 14:15‭-‬17 NIV “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

We draw water from the well of assurance that you have a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens 

John 14:2‭-‬4 NIV My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

2 Corinthians 5:1‭-‬5 NIV For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Conclusion

We are to draw living waters from the wells of salvation with joy. The words of our text should bring us great personal encouragement. 

Isaiah 12:3 NIV With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

The challenge of our text is very personal in application. You must do your own rejoicing in the Lord, and all of us must draw our own water from the wells of salvation. To not draw from th wells of salvation is not wise. 

So let the Christ of Christmas come into your heart and bring you the living water of life so that you draw water from the wells of salvation forever.   

I usually end my sermons with a prayer but today I want to end with lyrics from a song. The song is I've Got Joy. It was written by Kyle Wayne Lee / Philip David Wickhan and Recorded by Cece Winans 

I've got joy in the struggle
I've got peace in the storm
I've got strength in the battle
I don't fear anymore
I'm a child of heaven
And my hope is secure
I've got joy 'cause I've got Jesus


He gave me beauty for ashes, turned my life around
He broke my chains and now I dance on solid ground
For all He's done to save me, I will raise my voice
I've got Jesus, so I've got joy

He bore all of my burdens
Yeah, my debt has been paid
Then He said to my dry bones
Rise up out of that grave
He has all of my worship
All the honor and praise
I've got joy 'cause I've got Jesus

He gave me beauty for ashes, turned my life around
He broke my chains and now I dance on solid ground
For all He's done to save me, I will raise my voice
I've got Jesus, so I've got
Joy like a river running through my soul
Joy all around me everywhere I go
Even in the desert still it overflows
Oh, I've got joy
Yeah, I've got
Joy never-ending 'cause He called my name
Every breath I breathe, a testament of amazing grace
Oh, hallelujah everything has changed
Oh, I've got joy
Yeah, I've got joy

He gave me beauty for ashes (ooh, yeah) turned my life around
He broke my chains and now I dance on solid ground
For all He's done to save me, I will raise my voice
I've got Jesus, so I've got joy
Joy like I'm river running through my sou
Joy all around me everywhere I go
Even in the desert still it overflows
I've got Jesus
So glad I have Him
I've got Jesus
So I've got joy

In Jesus name I pray

Sermon Audio

Christmas Gifts and Christmas Giving

This is the manuscript of the sermon of the second Sunday of December as we begin the celebration of the birth of Immanuel...God with us.

Matthew 2:11 NIV On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of giving. We read that the wise men brought gifts and presented them to the newborn King of Israel. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

Gold is the king of metals and is an appropriate gift for one born to be the King of mankind. This new King was to rule not by force but by love. His throne was to be a cross.

They brought a gift of frankincense, which is a gift appropriate for a priest. The Christ was to be the high priest who would open up the way to God for sinners. He was to build the bridge by which we could come into the presence of God and by which God in love would enter our lives.

The wise men also brought a gift of myrrh, a spice that was used to anoint the bodies of the dead. Even at the beginning of Christ’s life there was an indication of a cross at the end of the way. 

The wise men also brought a gift of myrrh, a spice that was used to anoint the bodies of the dead. Even at the beginning of Christ’s life there was an indication of a cross at the end of the way. 

The wise men were not the ones who started the practice of giving gifts at Christmas.  The one who started the gift giving was God Himself.

John 3:16‭-‬17 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

It is appropriate for us to take note of the Magi's gifts for the King but let’s not forget the great gifts the King gives to us.

There are some gifts given through the King and there are some gifts given for the King

 Scripture Reading: 

Matthew 2:1‭-‬12 NIV After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Text: 

Matthew 2:11 NIV On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Introduction

The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of giving. We read that the wise men brought gifts and presented them to the newborn King of Israel. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

Gold is the king of metals and is an appropriate gift for one born to be the King of mankind. This new King was to rule not by force but by love. His throne was to be a cross.

They brought a gift of frankincense, which is a gift appropriate for a priest. The Christ was to be the high priest who would open up the way to God for sinners. He was to build the bridge by which we could come into the presence of God and by which God in love would enter our lives.

Hebrews 4:14‭-‬16 NIV Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

The wise men also brought a gift of myrrh, a spice that was used to anoint the bodies of the dead. Even at the beginning of Christ’s life there was an indication of a cross at the end of the way. 

There was another incident later on in preparation for Christ's burial.   

Matthew 26:6‭-‬13 NIV While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Jesus Christ was to be the true King, the perfect Priest, the supreme Savior.

Isaiah 9:6‭-‬7 NIV For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

The wise men also brought a gift of myrrh, a spice that was used to anoint the bodies of the dead. Even at the beginning of Christ’s life there was an indication of a cross at the end of the way. 

John 3:16‭-‬17 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

It is appropriate for us to take note of the Magi's gifts for the King but let’s not forget the great gifts the King gives to us.

There are some gifts given through the King and there are some gifts given for the King.

1. There are some gifts given through the King.

The Christ of Christmas was born to be the King of our hearts. Christ was born and lived a sinless life on earth for the kingdom of God,

2 Corinthians 5:20‭-‬21 NIV We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

And as we read before

Hebrews 4:15 NIV For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

For the kingdom of God, Christ prayed and performed miracles and taught his disciples. For the kingdom, he suffered the darkness of Gethsemane and endured the awful agony of the cross. For the kingdom, he arose from the dead and lives to make intercession for those who come to God through him.

Romans 8:31‭-‬35 NIV What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

1 John 2:1‭-‬2 NIV My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

1. Through Jesus Christ our King, God  offers us the gift of forgiveness. 

Ephesians 1:7‭-‬10 NIV In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

Colossians 3:13 NIV Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

God, offers the gift of forgiveness. Our part is to repent and turn from a life of evil and self-destructiveness.

Mark 1:14‭-‬15 NIV After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

We only receive forgiveness when we acknowledge our sin, repent, and put our faith and trust in Jesus.

After Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost the people asked what they should do.

Acts 2:37‭-‬39 NIV When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

2. Through Jesus Christ our King, God also offers us the gift of eternal life. 

Romans 6:22‭-‬23 NLT But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

3. He also offers us the gift of adoption into the family of God

John 1:12‭-‬13 NIV Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Ephesians 1:4‭-‬6 NIV For he chose us in him (in Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

4. He gives us guidance through the difficulties and perplexities of life 

John 8:12 NIV When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 16:33 NIV “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

5. Through Jesus Christ our King God assures us of fruitfulness and significance if we will abide in Him, in Jesus.

We talked about this a few weeks ago.  Jesus offers not only eternal life but true success, true happiness, true love, genuine security, and healing for body and soul. When your relationship is in line with your faith in Jesus, you have a more secure chance of real success. Jesus is the guideline for ethical behavior. He is the foundation of good government. Jesus is the true vine—he is the true fountain of all that is good and wholesome about life.

John 15:5‭-‬9 NIV (Jesus said) “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

6. The King wants us to be with him forever (John 17:24).

I want you to read all of John Chapter 17, which is Jesus’ prayer in which He prays for Himself, He prays for the apostles, and He prays for all who will come to faith in Him. This morning I will only read verses 20-24, which is  the part of His prayer where He is praying for those who will come by fath to Him.  In it He includes His eternal existence and His desire that all who come to Him will be with Him for eternity.   

John 17:20‭-‬24 NIV “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

7. He has also given us, through our King,the Holy Spirit to be our guide. 

The Holy Spirit will be our Teacher and Helper throughout  our earthly life.

John 14:15‭-‬19 NIV  “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

These precious gifts of God that come to us through his Son are perfect, precious, permanent, and personal.

2. As i said earlier there are gifts through the King and there are Gifts for the King.

The wise men brought rich gifts and presented them to the Christ child while he was still a baby. They could not possibly know the joys of his salvation as we know them today. If they brought the best they had, we should bring even greater gifts to the One who God has appointed to be our King.

1. First let's give Jesus Christ the throne of our hearts. 

Satan wants to be enthroned in our hearts and be the sovereign of our lives. But Satan’s greatest rival for this position is our own selfish selves. We have an ungodly desire to put ourselves above all persons and things. So instead of giving self the throne rights of our lives (which means giving them to Satan by the way), let's give them to Jesus Christ.

1. Jesus deserves to be King because of who he is.

2. Jesus deserves to be King because of what he has done for us.

3. Jesus deserves to be King in our lives because of what he will do in us and through us.

2. Next Present your body as a gift to God in gratitude for his great mercies to you 

Romans 12:1‭-‬2 NIV Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

That was what Paul wrote to the church in Rome and he taught the believers at Corinth that their bodies were the temple of the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

He further declared that their bodies belonged to God because they had been purchased by God in the act of redemption.

1 Corinthians 6:18‭-‬20 NIV Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

In reality Paul was encouraging them to let God so abide within their bodies that others would be reminded of his gracious presence in them.

3. We should bring the gift of thanksgiving and give God the praises of your heart.

Through the psalmist God declared, that the person who brings thanksgiving as their sacrifice honors Him. 

Psalms 50:23 NIV Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me, and to the blameless I will show my salvation.”

To remain silent when we can give praises to God for his goodness is to rob God and at the same time to deprive others of the blessings this testimony could bring. To give a joyful testimony about God’s goodness before nonbelievers is to encourage them to trust God with their lives. This is the greatest gift we can give to an individual, and it is the greatest joy we can bring to the Father.

Conclusion

At this time of year, a lot of people get excited about what will be waiting for them under the Christmas tree, thinking that these things will somehow bring them fulfillment.

But how many of us remember what we received last Christmas? A few months after this coming Christmas, we probably will also have forgotten about many of the gifts we will open on Christmas day. Christmas is really not about gifts under a tree; it’s about a relationship with God. Jesus came to give us life in all its fullness.

Jesus said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT). 

Jesus came to this earth to bring us a meaningful life, a life with purpose. Medical science may add years to our lives, but Christ adds life to our years. He gives us a life that’s worth living.

Jesus also came to give His life as a ransom for many. He was born to die so that we might live. Jesus came on a rescue mission. He came to die on a cross. As a matter of fact He said of himself,

 “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45 NLT).

Jesus was born in a manger so that we could come into a relationship with God through Him. And He offers us the gift of eternal life. The Bible calls this the indescribable gift.

2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of giving. God initiated this spirit by giving his Son to be our Savior. To become our Savior, Jesus became our substitute. He bore our sin by dying on a cross, and God raised him from the dead to show his great love for us.

Because God loved us first, we should love him. Because God gave his best, we should give our best back to him. True worship is bringing the best we have to God, who has already given his best to us.

2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV (says) Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Why does God love a cheerful giver? It is because God is a generous giver. God loves in a special way those who have responded to his love and become the channel through which his love reaches others.

The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of giving. Let us become givers of ourselves to God, to our family, and to others.

Prayer

In a world where worry, not peace, prevails, stir up that good news again. This Christmas, make it real in our hearts. Never have we needed Your joy and peace more than now. Thank You for the gift of Jesus, our Immanuel, the Word made flesh. Forgive us for forgetting—that Your love never changes, never fades, and that You never abandon the purpose for which You came: to save us from our sinful condition, and to give us life eternal, the joy of relationship with a holy God. Your birth—and Your death—sealed Your promise to us forever.

Amen

Sermon Audio

God is My Salvation

This is the manuscript of the sermon of the second Sunday of December as we begin the celebration of the birth of Immanuel...God with us.

Isaiah 12:2 NIV Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”

In our text Isaiah declares that “God is my salvation.” This Christmas season let’s focus our attention on the great salvation that is offered through Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ, “God has become our salvation.”

That Jesus came to save is the essence of His message. His first impression! Christ’s first step toward us is not as our Creator and King. It’s as our loyal, merciful, loving Savior.

Jesus Christ was born to be our Savior. He died on a cross to save us from the penalty of sin and from the separation from God that sin brings. Jesus Christ arose from the dead triumphant and victorious to be our Savior. 

We miss the real meaning of  Christmas if we can’t say with the prophet, Isaiah, that “God is my salvation.”

Scripture 

Isaiah 12:1‭-‬6 NIV In that day you will say: “I will praise you, Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

Text:

Isaiah 12:2 NIV Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”

Introduction

In our text Isaiah declares that “God is my salvation.” This Christmas season let’s focus our attention on the great salvation that is offered through Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ, “God has become our salvation.”

The angel told Joseph that Mary’s child would be a savior.

Matthew 1:20‭-‬21 NIV But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

The angel also made the announcement to the shepherds of a savior.

Luke 2:8‭-‬12 NIV And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

If first impressions count for anything, then the personal name God gave His Son is paramount. That’s right. Neither Mary nor Joseph chose the name. 

Of all the prestigious names God could have chosen from the annals of Israel’s history, He chose Jesus—a shortened form of Joshua—which signifies:

SAVIOR

That Jesus came to save is the essence of His message. His first impression! Christ’s first step toward us is not as our Creator and King. It’s as our loyal, merciful, loving Savior.

Jesus Christ was born to be our Savior. He died on a cross to save us from the penalty of sin and from the separation from God that sin brings. Jesus Christ arose from the dead triumphant and victorious to be our Savior. 

We miss the real meaning of  Christmas if we can’t say with the prophet, Isaiah, that “God is my salvation.”

Our world needs God’s salvation. We need salvation from:

1. Ignorance.

2.      Fear.

3.     Anger and hate.

4.     Rashness and harshness.

5.     Greed.

6.     Arrogance and pride.

7.     Wickedness and ungodliness.

8.     Selfishness and hard-heartedness.

All of these things are sinful things and outside the will of God for us, and we know that the penalty of sin is death, or eternal separation from God.

Romans 6:23 NIV For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Yes, we need a savior and Jesus is our Savior.  We not only need Jesus Christ as the Savior from the penalty of sin, but we need him as our Savior from the power and practice of sin.  When you are under the power of sin you are a slave to sin, so you practice sin.

Romans 6:16 NLT Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.

People can become slaves to sin without: realizing it. Sin can manifest itself in attitudes, actions, or ambitions. 

But Jesus Christ is the way out of slavery to sin.

Sin not only enslaves; it also separates people from God, and other people. Jesus is the only one who can deliver a person from slavery to sin. All of us need pardon from past guilt and deliverance from the power and practice of sin.

Romans 6:6 NLT We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.

Romans 6:17‭-‬18 NLT Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

Jesus is the way out of failure and the waste of sin. 

Without salvation people are failures throughout eternity; it doesn't matter if they led an international corporation, led a nation, or had millions or even billions of dollars while living on earth. 

Mark 8:36 NLT And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

Only Jesus can pay the price of our sin and deliver us from spiritual death and eternal torment.

In his sermon of the Day of Pentecost Peter said;

Acts of the Apostles 4:11‭-‬12 NLT For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

Jesus is the way out of the disappointment of sin. 

Faithless living always disappoints. No one would want to go bankrupt, yet every person who goes through life without God follows a way that brings big disappointment in the end.

But Jesus is the way out of the disappointment of sin.

Romans 9:33 AMP As it is written and forever remains written, “Behold I am laying in Zion a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offense ; And he who believes in Him [whoever adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] will not be disappointed [in his expectations].”

Romans 10:11 AMP For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him [whoever adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] will not be disappointed [in his expectations].”

Jesus Christ, who was born in Bethlehem and who conquered death and the grave, lives today to help you experience God’s full salvation.

Let's go back to our text.

Isaiah 12:2 NIV Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”

Because God was his salvation, Isaiah was able to declare, “I will trust, and will not be afraid.”

We too can declare that we trust and are not afraid  because through Jesus God has become our salvation. 

God who forgives our sin fully and freely and forever.

Ephesians 1:11‭-‬14 NIV In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Romans 8:37‭-‬39 NIV No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We can trust and not be afraid.

Jesus Christ is alive, and in the Holy Spirit he dwells within us as close as the very breath that we breathe. He wants to fill our hearts with the love of God. He wants to guide us with the wisdom of God. He wants to help us control ourselves by means of the Spirit of God.  Because he lives we can face anything.

Because He lives

I can face tomorrow

Because He lives

All fear is gone

Because I know

He holds the future

And life is worth the living

Just because He lives (He lives)

Those are some of the lyrics from the song "Because He Lives"

We can trust and not be afraid of the future. 

As we approach the end of the year, there is always speculation about the future. None of us can know what the future holds, but in Jesus Christ, we know him who holds the future.

Hebrews 13:8 NIV Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Christ has conquered death and the grave. He has promised us the life that endures beyond the curtain that people call death. We can count on him for his presence with us always. 

Psalms 23:6 NIV Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

As revealed through Jesus Christ, God as my Savior is the source of my strength. 

Philippians 4:12‭-‬13 NIV I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Here are some lyrics from another song that are appropriate here. The song is "God Is" which was written years ago by James Cleveland. 

God is the joy and the strength of my life

(God is) He removes all pain misery and strife

(God is) He promised to keep me

Never to leave me

He'll never ever come short of His word

(God is) I've got to fast and pray

Stay in this narrow way

(God is) Keep my life clean every day

(God is) I want to go with Him when He comes back

I've come to far

And I'll never turn back

God is

God is

God is

God is

God is my all and all

Conclusion

Isaiah could say, “God has become my salvation.” Isaiah had come to a point of faith and commitment when God’s salvation became real to him.

Some say, “Education is my salvation.” Some say, “Marriage is my salvation.” Some say, “My family is my salvation.” Some say, “My money is my salvation.” Some say, “My government is my salvation.” With God in your life through His Son Jesus Christ, He offers salvation from the past, the present, and the future.

If you will truly let God become your salvation as he has revealed himself in Jesus Christ, you will be able to join with the prophet who said, “I will trust, and will not be afraid.”

Prayer 

Father, thank You for loving us so much that when Jesus shed His blood on the cross, You freed us from our sins. We reaffirmour faith in You and give You praise for the gift of salvation. Thank You that we don't have to earn it. We accept Jesus' sacrifice for us and receive your forgiveness and cleansing. We rejoice in knowing that we are Your children, Father. Help us obey Your Word and each day to acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus in our lives. Amen.