WEBVTT 00:00:00.420 --> 00:00:05.639 Good evening everyone. I wish I could say it was great to see you here this evening because I can't see anyone. 00:00:05.799 --> 00:00:09.800 You are out there. I hope you haven't fallen asleep in this light. 00:00:10.779 --> 00:00:17.100 One of the things I love about Christmas is the carols that we sing and the amazing scriptures that we read 00:00:17.100 --> 00:00:23.359 and the amazing truths that we get to hear from churches at this time of the year. 00:00:23.859 --> 00:00:29.400 But as Christmas is just around the corner, we would expect to see pictures of what Christmas is all about, wouldn't we? 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:37.259 That's kind of the way things work. But sadly, in shop windows today, the things that we see most are signs like this, 00:00:37.299 --> 00:00:44.060 which say Christmas sale now on. Or you see displays of tons and tons of toys under Christmas trees. 00:00:45.579 --> 00:00:50.560 And so you can imagine the shock on Thursday as my wife Sabina was walking past a shop in Cameron Toll 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:57.939 and was taken aback because this particular shop didn't have any of these signs, but instead it had a nativity scene. 00:00:57.939 --> 00:01:02.399 And there was a text box on that nativity scene which said this. 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:08.519 We wish each of you a happy Christmas. Pictured here is the first nativity. 00:01:09.299 --> 00:01:14.680 We remember the reason for the season, the birth of Jesus. 00:01:15.819 --> 00:01:20.979 Now nativity scenes, these are the pictures that we should be seeing around Christmas time, aren't they? 00:01:20.980 --> 00:01:24.920 Now you know what they look like. They look something similar to this. 00:01:25.000 --> 00:01:30.820 You have Mary and Joseph, baby Jesus who never actually seems to be crying, so I'm not sure how realistic that is. 00:01:31.460 --> 00:01:36.600 You see shepherds, you see wise men, animals hanging around in the background. 00:01:37.560 --> 00:01:40.080 And they're all looking at this little baby in awe. 00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:45.259 And so naturally, when we think of the Christmas story, we think about the little baby, Jesus. 00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:49.620 But for the next few moments this evening, I want us to think about Jesus, 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:53.299 but I don't want us to think of him as this little baby in a manger. 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:59.039 Instead, I want us to think about Jesus as our everlasting father. 00:01:59.819 --> 00:02:04.420 Now don't worry, I'm not going to play the game everlasting father versus Father Christmas, 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:06.019 as tempting as that may be. 00:02:06.019 --> 00:02:14.819 But in the book of Isaiah, in the Bible, in chapter 9, we see that Jesus is described as an everlasting father. 00:02:15.359 --> 00:02:18.419 This verse which is read out every Christmas time. 00:02:19.379 --> 00:02:25.479 To us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders, 00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:32.659 and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 00:02:32.659 --> 00:02:39.439 And this evening, I want us to think very briefly about the idea that Jesus is an everlasting father. 00:02:40.219 --> 00:02:43.199 Now the question that's probably running through your mind is, 00:02:43.740 --> 00:02:48.379 how can Jesus, this baby, be an everlasting father? 00:02:48.500 --> 00:02:51.219 And secondly, what does everlasting father even mean? 00:02:52.479 --> 00:02:56.400 Because it's a bit of a strange phrase, we don't use it in everyday language, 00:02:56.419 --> 00:02:58.259 or at least I don't use it in everyday language. 00:02:58.259 --> 00:03:06.179 But the description that Isaiah is bringing out is that Jesus is our father forever. 00:03:06.899 --> 00:03:08.579 Jesus is our father forever. 00:03:09.579 --> 00:03:13.859 Isaiah uses the word everlasting to show that Jesus is the son of God. 00:03:15.079 --> 00:03:19.599 Jesus was with God in the beginning, as was read from John's gospel in chapter 1. 00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:23.280 Jesus has no beginning. 00:03:24.180 --> 00:03:25.819 Jesus has no end. 00:03:25.819 --> 00:03:27.780 Jesus is everlasting. 00:03:29.159 --> 00:03:32.900 He has always been, and he will always be. 00:03:34.099 --> 00:03:38.400 When the Bible speaks about father, it's usually referring to God, but not in this case. 00:03:39.379 --> 00:03:47.479 Instead, Isaiah is saying that Jesus is our father because he's showing us who Jesus is. 00:03:47.759 --> 00:03:51.659 It's not a name, but it's a description of what Jesus has done. 00:03:51.659 --> 00:03:55.979 So instead of using the term everlasting father, because it's a bit clunky maybe, 00:03:56.240 --> 00:04:01.079 I'm going to use the phrase that Jesus is our father forever. 00:04:02.199 --> 00:04:07.120 But still, how can this little baby lying in a manger be described as our father forever? 00:04:07.800 --> 00:04:09.859 What did he do to be given that description? 00:04:11.340 --> 00:04:14.139 Well, just think for a few moments with me. 00:04:14.139 --> 00:04:19.279 What are the two characteristics that we expect most from fathers today? 00:04:19.279 --> 00:04:27.859 I think to when a father brings up a small child, you'd expect him to love that child dearly, wouldn't you? 00:04:28.379 --> 00:04:33.039 You'd expect him to forgive that child every time they disobey what he says. 00:04:33.739 --> 00:04:39.739 And I think those are the two most important characteristics in fathers, love and forgiveness. 00:04:39.740 --> 00:04:45.780 But as many of you probably already know, this isn't a given in today's world. 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:48.800 Maybe some of you didn't know your father. 00:04:49.699 --> 00:04:52.300 Maybe some of you didn't have a good father. 00:04:53.019 --> 00:04:55.100 Or maybe on the other hand, you had a great dad. 00:04:55.220 --> 00:04:58.120 And at this time of year, you're reminded just how much you miss him. 00:05:00.300 --> 00:05:03.100 But I think all of us can say that earthly fathers aren't perfect. 00:05:03.500 --> 00:05:05.519 They all do things wrong. 00:05:05.519 --> 00:05:10.399 They show love, they show forgiveness, but it is tarnished by sin, by wrongdoings. 00:05:11.419 --> 00:05:18.859 But in Jesus, our father forever, we see perfect love and we see perfect forgiveness. 00:05:19.719 --> 00:05:21.159 So let's look at those two points. 00:05:21.240 --> 00:05:24.439 How do we see perfect love in Jesus? 00:05:25.339 --> 00:05:30.479 Well, I think we see true and perfect love in Jesus because his love is sacrificial. 00:05:31.459 --> 00:05:33.419 Now, how many of you recognize this man? 00:05:33.420 --> 00:05:36.400 I would say a show of hands, but I can't actually see. 00:05:37.800 --> 00:05:41.180 So this man, for those of you who don't know, is Rick Moranis. 00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:42.699 Now, I was reading about him this week. 00:05:43.400 --> 00:05:47.680 And he was an actor who was at the height of his career in the 90s. 00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:53.759 Some of the movies that he's in, just to name two of them, is Ghostbusters, the old Ghostbusters, the real good Ghostbusters. 00:05:54.759 --> 00:05:56.220 And Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. 00:05:57.020 --> 00:05:58.100 So they're great movies. 00:05:58.580 --> 00:06:00.819 Go watch them this Christmas if you haven't seen them yet. 00:06:00.819 --> 00:06:08.040 But in 1997, sadly, Rick's wife passed away at a very young age. 00:06:08.459 --> 00:06:10.279 And they had two small children. 00:06:11.719 --> 00:06:15.639 And Rick decided that he was going to walk away from his passion. 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:21.060 He was going to walk away from his vastly growing, successful career so that he could be a stay-at-home dad. 00:06:22.180 --> 00:06:24.399 Rick saw that his children needed him. 00:06:24.399 --> 00:06:29.939 And out of a sacrificial love for them, he walked away from Hollywood to be a dad. 00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:36.819 But the love that we see in Jesus is far more sacrificial than that. 00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:44.599 See, we see true and sacrificial love in Jesus because he came down from heaven and was born in a manger. 00:06:44.600 --> 00:06:48.400 The very event that we have gathered here to celebrate this evening. 00:06:49.960 --> 00:06:52.900 The Bible states that Jesus is the Son of God. 00:06:53.520 --> 00:06:57.960 That Jesus was in heaven with God in a place of glory and a place of honor. 00:06:57.959 --> 00:07:10.019 And out of perfect, sacrificial, unfailing love, he humbled himself and left that behind so that one day we could be exalted. 00:07:10.879 --> 00:07:24.259 He came and was born in an animal feeding trough to a poor family in an occupied land to save a people who would ultimately cry, crucify him and nail him to a cross. 00:07:24.259 --> 00:07:28.439 That is true sacrificial love. 00:07:30.219 --> 00:07:34.240 And whilst Jesus was on earth, he loved people so much that he healed them. 00:07:34.659 --> 00:07:37.659 He taught them about their need to be forgiven by God. 00:07:37.740 --> 00:07:40.279 He told them how they needed to be made right with God. 00:07:41.639 --> 00:07:47.199 And when they didn't listen, when they scoffed and they turned their back on him, he wept for them. 00:07:48.259 --> 00:07:53.219 As a father weeps for their child when they see them going down the wrong path in life. 00:07:53.220 --> 00:07:57.740 So Jesus wept for mankind because they were rejecting their Savior. 00:07:59.380 --> 00:08:04.100 That is true and perfect love of a father forever. 00:08:06.260 --> 00:08:11.680 He gave up his place in heaven to be humbled so that one day people could be exalted. 00:08:12.620 --> 00:08:13.860 That is true love. 00:08:15.080 --> 00:08:18.600 Jesus has compassion on his children, on those who fear him. 00:08:18.600 --> 00:08:24.420 And secondly, we see true and perfect forgiveness in Jesus. 00:08:25.540 --> 00:08:31.340 Now as many of you probably already know, my wife and I go to Vienna for Christmas. 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:32.399 That is where my wife is from. 00:08:32.700 --> 00:08:34.620 And we have some really, really good friends in Vienna. 00:08:34.740 --> 00:08:36.639 And we often go to their house for Christmas. 00:08:36.639 --> 00:08:44.939 And in their apartment, you sit on their couch and you can see in the corner, in the corner of their living room, they have this really nice, beautiful tree. 00:08:45.439 --> 00:08:49.159 And it's so beautiful because it's decorated so elegantly. 00:08:49.559 --> 00:08:50.659 It's got lovely decorations. 00:08:51.100 --> 00:08:54.259 And some of those decorations are glass Christmas baubles. 00:08:55.679 --> 00:08:59.799 And the problem is, not the problem, the blessing is that they also have a two-year-old. 00:08:59.799 --> 00:09:03.379 Yeah, the laugh says you know what's coming. 00:09:04.120 --> 00:09:09.039 So a few years ago, we were sitting on their couch and our little goddaughter, who was two at that time, 00:09:09.639 --> 00:09:14.839 she knew, and she was told many, many times, that she was not allowed to touch the Christmas tree, 00:09:14.939 --> 00:09:19.379 or even go near the Christmas tree, because of these glass Christmas baubles. 00:09:21.459 --> 00:09:25.379 What would you expect a two-year-old to do when they hear that they're not allowed to do something? 00:09:25.379 --> 00:09:31.360 Exactly. So we were sitting on the couch, and the room is probably a little bit bigger than this stage. 00:09:31.799 --> 00:09:33.919 So we're sitting here, and you see her going from there. 00:09:34.379 --> 00:09:36.919 And she starts inching her way over the room. 00:09:37.399 --> 00:09:39.159 And she gets closer and closer and closer. 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:43.860 And her mother is sitting there going, Charlotte, no, no, no. 00:09:43.939 --> 00:09:45.580 But with every no, she gets closer. 00:09:45.779 --> 00:09:47.320 With every no, she gets even closer. 00:09:47.659 --> 00:09:50.460 Until she's at the point where she knows she can touch the tree. 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:54.940 And staring her parents down, she reaches out her little arm. 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:59.439 And then she reaches out her little finger, and she touches her bobble. 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:01.559 Now what do you think her parents do? 00:10:01.620 --> 00:10:06.120 Well, of course, they take her, they explain the rule again, that you're not allowed to touch the tree. 00:10:06.320 --> 00:10:09.980 They tell her off, and as she cries, they comfort her, and they forgive her. 00:10:10.820 --> 00:10:14.939 And, as you know with any toddler, that wasn't the last time they had to do it. 00:10:14.939 --> 00:10:17.659 I think three to five more times that evening. 00:10:17.860 --> 00:10:19.019 But they showed forgiveness. 00:10:19.019 --> 00:10:27.559 Now, if earthly, imperfect parents, like our friends, can show forgiveness time and time again, 00:10:27.620 --> 00:10:29.259 how much more can our Father forever? 00:10:29.259 --> 00:10:38.000 As many of you, well, as all of you know, the nativity scene, the nativity story isn't the whole of Jesus' life. 00:10:38.179 --> 00:10:39.759 He didn't stay a baby. 00:10:40.500 --> 00:10:42.899 He grew up, taught people about the truths of God. 00:10:43.080 --> 00:10:46.279 He taught people about who they really were at their core. 00:10:46.279 --> 00:10:51.759 And he told people of their need to be forgiven of their wrongdoing, so that they could be made right with God. 00:10:52.959 --> 00:10:57.980 See, the Bible teaches that mankind, every single one of us, is naturally sinful. 00:10:58.220 --> 00:11:01.600 Each and every one of us naturally rebels against God. 00:11:01.659 --> 00:11:04.480 We choose to reject God and live for ourselves. 00:11:05.699 --> 00:11:08.639 We do things wrong, but Jesus, like our Father forever, 00:11:08.639 --> 00:11:13.019 Jesus offers us forgiveness so that we can be made right with God. 00:11:13.879 --> 00:11:16.720 And Jesus is the only one who can offer us true forgiveness, 00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:20.039 because only him, being the very Son of God, 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:24.899 could take God's punishment for the sins of the world on the cross. 00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:31.199 Jesus shows true and perfect forgiveness because he died on the cross. 00:11:32.519 --> 00:11:38.439 Taking the punishment and wrath of God so that people can be offered the greatest gift in the world, 00:11:38.639 --> 00:11:42.240 the right to be called children of God. 00:11:44.100 --> 00:11:48.039 In Jesus, our Father forever, we see true and perfect love, 00:11:48.539 --> 00:11:53.259 and true and perfect forgiveness that never, ever goes away. 00:11:55.080 --> 00:11:59.039 But in light of these truths, we have a question to ask. 00:11:59.799 --> 00:12:01.019 What does that make us? 00:12:02.019 --> 00:12:04.659 If Jesus is described as a Father forever, 00:12:04.759 --> 00:12:07.639 the one who shows true love, true forgiveness, 00:12:07.639 --> 00:12:09.740 then who are we? 00:12:11.500 --> 00:12:15.759 See, Isaiah doesn't give this description of Jesus with a question mark at the end. 00:12:16.259 --> 00:12:18.659 He's not asking us if Jesus is a Father forever, 00:12:18.740 --> 00:12:20.080 but he's stating the fact. 00:12:21.259 --> 00:12:23.659 But that means that we have a decision to make. 00:12:25.639 --> 00:12:31.199 We choose, we get to choose whether or not we want Jesus to be our Father forever. 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:36.060 This Christmas, when you see the typical pictures of Jesus as a baby, 00:12:36.060 --> 00:12:38.400 which aren't wrong, they're great pictures to see, 00:12:38.780 --> 00:12:41.620 but I want you to think about Jesus as a Father forever. 00:12:42.379 --> 00:12:45.720 And then ask yourself the question, well, if he's a Father forever, then who am I? 00:12:45.720 --> 00:12:51.899 And the decision that Christmas and Jesus offers us is this. 00:12:52.800 --> 00:12:55.220 Will you accept Jesus as your Father? 00:12:56.240 --> 00:13:00.600 Receive his love and his forgiveness and believe in him? 00:13:00.700 --> 00:13:05.019 Or will you reject his offer to become a child of God? 00:13:05.500 --> 00:13:08.580 That's the decision that Jesus puts before us. 00:13:08.580 --> 00:13:14.639 When you think about a child and how they relate to their parents, 00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:16.840 what are the first two things you think of? 00:13:17.920 --> 00:13:22.800 Well, I think the two most obvious, or one most obvious and one maybe later on in life, 00:13:22.920 --> 00:13:25.980 is trust, which is the obvious one, 00:13:26.520 --> 00:13:28.600 and obedience, which comes later on in life. 00:13:29.500 --> 00:13:31.520 And that's why when a child is crying, 00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:35.940 when a child is upset, they want to hold their parents' hand. 00:13:35.940 --> 00:13:42.980 There is nowhere safer in a child's mind than in the arms of a loving parent. 00:13:43.640 --> 00:13:46.100 When a child's upset, when a child is scared, 00:13:46.580 --> 00:13:51.260 even hearing the voice of one of their parents can make them feel at ease. 00:13:51.960 --> 00:13:55.260 They have unfaltering trust in their parents. 00:13:56.320 --> 00:13:58.980 Now, the obedience might take a wee while, 00:13:59.440 --> 00:14:02.860 especially if they're in their twos, threes, fours, five, six, seven, eight. 00:14:03.080 --> 00:14:03.920 We'll keep going with that. 00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:05.639 But as children get older, 00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:09.439 they find out that their parents have given them rules for a reason. 00:14:09.939 --> 00:14:10.899 It's for their own good. 00:14:11.419 --> 00:14:14.500 And so they obey, obey eventually. 00:14:16.019 --> 00:14:18.959 And that is what it means to have Jesus as our father forever. 00:14:19.199 --> 00:14:21.559 That is what it means to be a child of God, 00:14:22.120 --> 00:14:24.740 to live a life in obedience to God's will, 00:14:24.740 --> 00:14:30.440 to live a life in utter surrender, submission and trust to our father, 00:14:31.060 --> 00:14:34.379 the one who knows us, the one who loves us, 00:14:34.740 --> 00:14:38.019 and the one who has given up everything so that we can be forgiven. 00:14:40.019 --> 00:14:44.560 As we think about the person of Jesus this year at Christmas, 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:48.859 as we think, as we see the nativity scenes and the, 00:14:48.939 --> 00:14:51.379 these pictures of a manger, 00:14:51.379 --> 00:14:54.579 as we sing amazing carols with amazing lyrics, 00:14:55.579 --> 00:14:57.439 remember who Jesus is. 00:14:58.719 --> 00:15:05.579 Remember that he is our everlasting father who shows true and perfect love and true and perfect forgiveness. 00:15:05.580 --> 00:15:11.320 Jesus is the one who has given us the right to be called children of God. 00:15:11.400 --> 00:15:14.020 Will you accept that invitation of Jesus? 00:15:16.020 --> 00:15:19.000 A modern version of the carol that we've already sung this evening, 00:15:19.120 --> 00:15:20.660 O Holy Night, says this. 00:15:20.659 --> 00:15:25.120 Come then to him who lies within the manger. 00:15:25.779 --> 00:15:28.839 With joyful shepherds proclaim him as Lord. 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:32.360 Let not the promised son remain a stranger. 00:15:32.360 --> 00:15:36.159 In reverent worship make Christ your adored. 00:15:36.740 --> 00:15:39.360 Eternal life is theirs who would receive him. 00:15:40.019 --> 00:15:43.779 With grace and peace their lives he will adorn. 00:15:44.120 --> 00:15:45.439 Fall on your knees. 00:15:45.879 --> 00:15:47.759 Receive the gift of heaven. 00:15:47.759 --> 00:15:51.500 O night divine, O night when Christ was born. 00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:55.879 O night, O holy night when Christ was born. 00:15:57.019 --> 00:15:59.759 Let's not just remember Jesus once a year at Christmas. 00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:03.819 But instead let's see him as he truly is. 00:16:04.220 --> 00:16:08.080 The son of God who came into the world to give us life. 00:16:08.600 --> 00:16:10.059 And life in its fullness. 00:16:11.419 --> 00:16:14.340 Let's pray together as we close. 00:16:14.340 --> 00:16:20.320 Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for your son, Jesus Christ. 00:16:21.660 --> 00:16:30.060 We thank you that you sent him into this world so that mankind can have the greatest gift that is ever and will ever exist. 00:16:30.700 --> 00:16:33.320 That we can have the forgiveness of our sins. 00:16:34.560 --> 00:16:36.899 And that we can be reconciled to you. 00:16:36.899 --> 00:16:42.120 Jesus, we pray that you would receive all of the glory this year. 00:16:42.659 --> 00:16:44.299 Because you alone are worthy. 00:16:45.980 --> 00:16:50.360 Lord, we thank you that you humbled yourself and were born in Bethlehem. 00:16:50.459 --> 00:16:57.679 So that we, one day, will be exalted and live for an eternity with you, our Father, forever. 00:16:57.679 --> 00:17:02.739 Lord, we ask that you would bless us this Christmas time. 00:17:02.839 --> 00:17:06.339 And remind us of who it is that we are celebrating this year. 00:17:06.940 --> 00:17:09.319 Help us remember your son, Jesus Christ. 00:17:10.099 --> 00:17:14.139 And it is in his mighty and powerful name that we pray. 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:15.440 Amen.