The Incarnation of Jesus Christ

God wants to bring the advent of Jesus through His church.

Summary

The advent of Jesus that we celebrate this Christmas season is a big deal.  God Himself took on flesh, was born of the virgin Mary and walked among us as a man.  That news is revolutionary in every way, yet there is something even more revolutionary for the world, which is the advent of Jesus through His church.  Bishop Ron Rhea explains how it is God’s desire to come to the world through the church.  God’s desire is that all who walk in darkness would see the light of Christ through His people on earth.

Outline

1. The Advent
   1. Traditionally begins 4 Sundays before Christmas.
   2. Advent means “coming” – we begin celebrating the coming of Jesus.
   3. Christmas is cultural – it helps define who we are.
   4. We are a Christian nation because it was founded on Christian principles.
   5. An equivalent word is “preparation” we prepare ourselves for His coming.
   6. When we celebrate the birth of Christ, we not only celebrate His first coming, but also His second coming.
   7. Without the virgin birth, the whole gospel falls apart.
   8. If you know something is coming, you can make preparations for it.
   9. Light in scripture is analogous to prophesy because it enlightens us.
   10. If you do not know something is in the way and you are in darkness, you will stumble.
2. John 8:12 – Jesus is the light of the world, those who follow Jesus will not walk in darkness.
   1. We all need God’s word hidden in our hearts.
3. Lk 2:28 – Simeon – He got a prophetic word about seeing Messiah 40-50 years before it actually happened.
   1. True prophetic words get in us and never leave us alone.
   2. Simeon never let the prophetic word go, he maintained it and eagerly waited for the Lord.
   3. Do not grow weary in doing good for in due time it will appear.
   4. God’s word buried in our hearts gives us peace.
   5. When you are going through a dark moment, God’s word is a light to us.
   6. If God puts a seed from a prophetic word in us, it grows when we water it – we need to cultivate the word God has given us.
   7. When good seed is sown, the weeds will want to choke it out, we need to daily pull out the weeds.
4. Lk 1:38 – Mary got a prophetic word and believed that she would become impregnated with the Word of God.
   1. We are impregnated with the word of God and carry the savior of the world to the world.
5. Prophetic words build a family and a kingdom of God.
   1. God’s word in our lives are nurtured and manifested in relationship with the church.
6. We need to be sharing the light of salvation with other people.
   1. We are the carriers of the light, we should not stumble in darkness.
   2. We need to pray for our leaders to get the light of the world into their lives.
   3. We need to pray for the salvation and truth in our nation.
   4. If you hear the word of God and it doesn’t stir you up, you are dead.
   5. What we have today in this season of terrorism is hopelessness, but we carry hope to the nations.
7. We need to judge ourselves so that we are not judged.
   1. The hope of glory, the prophetic word that is in us is the light.
   2. Timothy was told to stir up the gift that he had received.