WEBVTT

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 I want to speak to you from Matthew's Gospel. I don't know if you've ever read a Gospel.

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 You don't even know what a Gospel is. It is an account of the life of Jesus Christ.

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 There's four of them. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. And we've got copies over here. We'd love

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 you to take one away. And I've tried to read through Matthew's Gospel this week. It's 78

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 pages. It takes about an hour. Maybe a little bit more depending on how quick a reader you

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 are. But I wonder whether you've ever read a Gospel. And one of the interesting things,

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 as I read through Matthew's Gospel, which I've done quite a bit of work in over the past year,

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 the start of Matthew's Gospel, it speaks about the birth of Jesus Christ. And Matthew really

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 only has one thing to say. He has one thing to say. His only point really is this. That

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 the Lord Jesus is a supernatural child. The child in the manger is a supernatural child.

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 Now you might not agree with that. But that is, undisputably, the message of the Gospel.

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 That he's a unique child. He's a child long promised. That's why we have these readings

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 tonight that have gone through parts of the Bible. That Jesus is a child who was promised,

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 right the way through the Old Testament. He is a child with a worldwide universal mission.

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 And that he's a divine child. All these things are sure. And the evidence that Matthew brings

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 forward for these tremendous claims is the evidence of the virgin birth. The virgin birth

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 is often apologised for by church leaders. And even maybe people who call themselves Christians

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 when you've been in churches like that. But Matthew is not embarrassed in the least.

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 And at every point that he makes in the few verses that he gives us, nearly every verse

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 is about the virgin birth. It talks about the horror of Joseph when he finds out that his fiancée

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 is with child before they've slept together. It talks about Joseph's resolve to divorce her

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 quietly. It talks about the extraordinary message of reassurance that Joseph received from an angel

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 that all was well. And that the child had actually come from God. It's about the steady obedience

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 of the silent Joseph we never hear speak. It's about the consummation of the marriage between

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 Joseph and Mary after the birth of the child. And there's the naming of this child with the

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 strange name Jesus which means deliverer or saviour or rescuer. And it always seems odd to me that

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 there are people who live 2,000 years after the event today who are quite sure that that event

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 was not true. Whereas Matthew and Luke who were there at the time, who were the eye-witnesses,

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 who lived close to the event, who wrote near the time when people would have known Jesus,

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 they are quite sure that it was true. Strange isn't it? We live so long afterwards and we throw

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 doubt on something on which those at the time were quite certain. Those who knew Jesus face to face

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 and at first hand experience and witnesses to turn to. And I think and I hope it's not too bold

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 to say that actually I'm going to argue that the very of birth is common sense. It suggests,

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 doesn't it, to us that Jesus is different. That he is very God of very God. He's light of light.

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 He's begotten and not made. He's of one substance with the Father. All those tremendous phrases that are

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 found in the Nicene Creed. That Christians have confessed for generations and centuries after

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 century. If he is indeed very God of very God lying in the manger. If he is really God lying in the

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 manger. Then I think it's no surprise. It's no surprise to me. I don't think it should be a surprise to you

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 as well. If his entrance into the world and his exit from the world are startling to be unique.

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 Would you expect the entrance of the God-man to be normal? Would you expect him to enter into this world

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 like any normal, ordinary human being? Would you expect him to leave this world like that? A normal human being

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 being turned into ashes? No, he enters in a supernatural way. And he leaves the tomb, doesn't he, by a mighty resurrection

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 according to the Gospel writers. As I tried to ask myself this week, why is it that so many sincere

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 sincere church leaders and writers and journalists have soft paddled the supernatural parts of the Christmas story?

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 Why is it that they're embarrassed about a virgin birth? When Christmas comes around and we read and we sing around

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 about the virgin birth, but actually there are many people who call themselves Christians who are slightly embarrassed by it.

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 And I'm sure they're sincere, but I'm also sure they're mistaken.

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 I believe the reason why lots of these people are deeply embarrassed and they've soft paddled the miraculous and the supernatural

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 in this Christmas story is because they want to make it easier for you to believe.

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 They want to make it easier for you to believe. And so what has happened, isn't it, is miracle after miracle.

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 It's kind of jettisoned. Because they say they can no longer be defended.

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 And they talk about the moral values of Christianity.

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 But actually are silent on the miraculous.

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 That God has come in the person of his son, Jesus Christ.

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 But what's happened in that experiment?

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 Well in 150 years, the church has lost its grip on the real Christ, hasn't it?

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 Long years of decline

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 have started because of that policy.

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 Archbishop William Temple wrote this.

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 He said, the only Jesus for whom there is any evidence

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 is a supernatural figure

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 making stupendous claims.

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 Let me read that to you again.

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 It's a striking sentence, isn't it?

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 The only Jesus for whom there is any evidence

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 is a supernatural figure

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 making stupendous claims.

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 And that is the Jesus we believe in here in this church.

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 Because we believe that the evidence

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 that Matthew and Mark and Luke and John present to us

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 is that of a supernatural child.

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 And through that child

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 you can know God.

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 So let me give you two final comments

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 before we sing again when I sit down.

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 Because as we look at that child in the manger

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 we have to say this

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 we have to say that no one ever stopped

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 at the cot of the infant Jesus

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 and said

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 doesn't he look just like his dad?

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 Nobody said today

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 like we say to a newborn baby

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 nobody says we should go to his father's nose

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 because dad's eyes

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 You know what it's like

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 when you see a new baby

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 you're desperate to say something positive

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 But on the certain evidence

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 of the New Testament

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 no one says

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 to the infant Jesus

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 in his cot

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 you don't look just like your dad

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 It's the mirror image of his father

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 Because he was not like Joseph

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 Because Joseph was not his father

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 But what was so amazing

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 is that later on in his life

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 when this child had become

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 a full grown teacher

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 he kept saying

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 in different ways

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 and in all sorts of places

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 for those who care to listen

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 I'm just like my father

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 you know

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 I'm just like my father in heaven

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 Well one of his friends

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 Philip

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 comes to him and says

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 Lord please show us

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 the father

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 And the extraordinary reply

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 that Philip receives

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 is

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 Philip if you've seen me

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 you've seen the father

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 Yes

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 No one saw the likeness

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 of Joseph

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 in the infant Jesus

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 But ever since

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 for 2,000 years

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 the universal church

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 has seen the likeness

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 of God

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 in the face

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 of Jesus Christ

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 So that as we

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 rediscover Jesus

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 we discover

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 his father too

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 That's my first comment

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 Secondly

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 lots of people

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 at that time

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 I knew I'm guessing

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 because we're not told

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 but I think I must be right

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 lots of people

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 peeped into that cot

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 and this manger

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 and they heard

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 about this strange name

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 what's his name

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 his name is what

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 Jesus

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 this strange name

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 that the baby's been given

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 at the command of the angel

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 this name of deliverer

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 or rescuer

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 or saviour

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 and as they peeped

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 into the cot

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 and they said

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 to his mother

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 is this really

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 the deliverer

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 that God

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 has raised up

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 to save us

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 from the Roman

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 oppressors

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 our hated occupiers

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 is this the deliverer

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 that our nation

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 has been praying for

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 for so long

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 is this the

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 freedom fighter

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 who's going to

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 fix my life

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 and the answer

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 from Mary

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 this very faithful woman

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 the answer is no

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 he is not Jesus

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 the freedom fighter

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 he doesn't come

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 to save people

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 from their grim

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 present problems

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 but he is

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 Jesus

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 the divine deliverer

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 who has come

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 to save his people

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 indeed

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 all that will come

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 to him

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 from a far

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 far worse plight

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 than being occupied

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 by a foreign power

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 like the Romans

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 from the plight

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 of eternal death

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 very famous word

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 isn't it

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 for you shall call

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 his name Jesus

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 for he will save

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 his people

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 from their sins

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 I hope you understand

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 that phrase

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 what it doesn't mean

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 it doesn't mean

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 that Christians

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 are sinless

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 in fact stay around

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 you every about

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 20 minutes

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 and you'll find that out

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 it means that

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 we are saved

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 from the judgment

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 that would be otherwise

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 on our lives

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 and from our sins

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 and if you will

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 forgive the crudity

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 of my language

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 he came to save us

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 from hell

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 I've done a lot

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 of work in Matthew's

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 gospel

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 I'm actually preaching

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 through it

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 on a Sunday morning

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 and I found myself

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 thinking about

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 eternal death

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 and hell

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 to try to imagine

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 the awfulness

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 of such a fate

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 and such a future

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 I watched a clip

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 this week

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 of Les Mis

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 with Jean Valjean

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 you know the story

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 it's a brilliant story

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 so if you've got me

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 to see the musical

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 go see it

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 Jean Valjean

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 is in prison

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 for 19 years

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 for stealing

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 a loaf of bread

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 and yet in that prison

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 Jean Valjean

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 never lost hope

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 he had hope

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 he was never

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 without hope

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 that he would escape

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 and he did escape

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 but when the Bible

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 teaches us

00:11:44.820 --> 00:11:45.800
 about eternal death

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 it says that

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 to die

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 unforgiven

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 but to die

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 without Christ

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 to die

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 having paid

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 no attention

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 to the offer

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 of salvation

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 that God

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 has brought

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 into this world

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 at Christmas

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 is to die

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 not only without God

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 but without hope

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 and for me

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 and probably for you

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 if you're willing

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 to think about it

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 that is an

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 unimaginable thing

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 to have no hope

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 for the future

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 to know that

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 there is no escape

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 and no return

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 and no end

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 but that faith

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 need not be ours

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 because the Christmas

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 story is about

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 love isn't it

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 the Christmas story

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 is about love

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 finding a way

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 about divine love

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 finding the way

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 it is God

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 the Father

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 saying

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 my son

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 I want you to

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 go to earth

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 and I want you

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 to share human life

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 I want you

00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:47.080
 to be perfectly

00:12:47.080 --> 00:12:48.100
 obedient to me

00:12:48.100 --> 00:12:49.040
 in a world

00:12:49.040 --> 00:12:49.860
 that is disobedient

00:12:49.860 --> 00:12:52.100
 and I want you

00:12:52.100 --> 00:12:52.960
 to offer yourself

00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:53.760
 as a pure

00:12:53.760 --> 00:12:54.720
 and blemished

00:12:54.720 --> 00:12:55.400
 sacrifice

00:12:55.400 --> 00:12:56.400
 for the sins

00:12:56.400 --> 00:12:57.620
 of my people

00:12:57.620 --> 00:12:59.160
 you see

00:12:59.160 --> 00:13:00.440
 the glory of Christmas

00:13:00.440 --> 00:13:01.040
 is that love

00:13:01.040 --> 00:13:01.780
 found a way

00:13:01.780 --> 00:13:03.560
 for God

00:13:03.560 --> 00:13:04.540
 so loved the world

00:13:04.540 --> 00:13:05.300
 that he gave

00:13:05.300 --> 00:13:06.180
 his one and only son

00:13:06.180 --> 00:13:07.600
 that whoever

00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:08.220
 believes on him

00:13:08.220 --> 00:13:08.900
 will not perish

00:13:08.900 --> 00:13:09.940
 but have eternal life

00:13:09.940 --> 00:13:12.060
 yes love

00:13:12.060 --> 00:13:13.060
 did find a way

00:13:13.059 --> 00:13:15.419
 and I can't

00:13:15.419 --> 00:13:16.000
 imagine anything

00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:16.659
 more foolish

00:13:16.659 --> 00:13:17.419
 or wicked

00:13:17.419 --> 00:13:19.699
 than to turn

00:13:19.699 --> 00:13:20.739
 away from

00:13:20.739 --> 00:13:21.719
 the solution

00:13:21.719 --> 00:13:22.959
 that God

00:13:22.959 --> 00:13:23.500
 gave

00:13:23.500 --> 00:13:27.219
 let me ask you

00:13:27.219 --> 00:13:27.599
 to do three

00:13:27.599 --> 00:13:28.059
 things

00:13:28.059 --> 00:13:29.539
 let me ask you

00:13:29.539 --> 00:13:29.779
 firstly

00:13:29.779 --> 00:13:30.379
 take one of

00:13:30.379 --> 00:13:31.000
 these gospels

00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:32.119
 there's a Luke's

00:13:32.119 --> 00:13:33.159
 gospel or a Matthew's

00:13:33.159 --> 00:13:33.399
 gospel

00:13:33.399 --> 00:13:34.399
 if you've never

00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:35.119
 read it

00:13:35.119 --> 00:13:36.500
 what's the harm

00:13:36.500 --> 00:13:37.179
 in reading it

00:13:37.179 --> 00:13:39.079
 read it

00:13:39.079 --> 00:13:40.359
 ask the Lord

00:13:40.359 --> 00:13:41.179
 if you're there

00:13:41.179 --> 00:13:42.799
 if it's true

00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:43.359
 show me

00:13:43.359 --> 00:13:44.599
 and read it

00:13:44.599 --> 00:13:45.259
 and see

00:13:45.259 --> 00:13:47.719
 if you live locally

00:13:47.719 --> 00:13:48.519
 we'd love to

00:13:48.519 --> 00:13:49.259
 welcome you back

00:13:49.259 --> 00:13:51.359
 we'd love to

00:13:51.359 --> 00:13:52.139
 welcome you back

00:13:52.139 --> 00:13:53.199
 come let's hear

00:13:53.199 --> 00:13:53.579
 the Bible

00:13:53.579 --> 00:13:54.039
 explain

00:13:54.039 --> 00:13:54.839
 maybe lots of

00:13:54.839 --> 00:13:55.139
 us tonight

00:13:55.139 --> 00:13:55.639
 it's completely

00:13:55.639 --> 00:13:56.299
 new and foreign

00:13:56.299 --> 00:13:57.439
 or go to a church

00:13:57.439 --> 00:13:57.979
 which teaches

00:13:57.979 --> 00:13:58.519
 the Bible

00:13:58.519 --> 00:13:59.839
 and we'll show

00:13:59.839 --> 00:14:00.679
 you the truth

00:14:00.679 --> 00:14:02.459
 and thirdly

00:14:02.459 --> 00:14:03.039
 you can pray

00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:04.399
 I don't know

00:14:04.399 --> 00:14:04.839
 your life

00:14:04.839 --> 00:14:05.419
 I don't know

00:14:05.419 --> 00:14:06.079
 your problems

00:14:06.079 --> 00:14:06.500
 I don't know

00:14:06.500 --> 00:14:07.179
 your concerns

00:14:07.179 --> 00:14:07.519
 and say

00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:07.819
 whether you

00:14:07.819 --> 00:14:08.079
 don't know

00:14:08.079 --> 00:14:08.279
 mine

00:14:08.279 --> 00:14:08.740
 but tonight

00:14:08.740 --> 00:14:09.339
 you can cry

00:14:09.340 --> 00:14:09.759
 to God

00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:11.320
 and he will

00:14:11.320 --> 00:14:11.920
 hear you

00:14:11.920 --> 00:14:13.060
 we're going to

00:14:13.060 --> 00:14:13.560
 step apart