аЯрЁБс>ўџ ,.ўџџџ+џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС@ №ПЗjbjbТТ $ЈdЈdЗџџџџџџlжжжжжжжъъъъъ іъЕЖrtttttt,k ‹’ ж ŠжжŠŠŠ.жжrŠъъжжжжrŠмŠfжжf  §Е­ПъъDFff ЕЕf Š fŠУхJoy to the World Luke 2:1-20 Introduction: Caesar Augustus, Quirinius, Governor of Syria. The life of Jesus Christ is a fact of history. Bethlehem, (We are reading about this ancient city in our daily news.) Shepherds were the ones that received word of the Saviour’s birth, perhaps as a foreshadowing of the Saviour’s role as a shepherd. I. Good tidings of great joy! Good tidings are very rare today. Most of the news we get is bleak and dismal. We hear of hatred and violence and selfishness and deceit. We hear of war and poverty and catastrophe. We hear of divorce and suicide, drunkenness and drug addiction etc. But echoing down through the centuries and rising above the bad news, is the good news of a God who loves the world and has provided a solution to man’s misery. II. All People (Abraham is channel of blessing for all the world. Salvation is of the Jews. Pope’s latest proclamation in light of this statement!) III. Saviour (Men need a deliverer, one who sets free from all inward and outward ills, and brings all outward and inward good). IV. Christ For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. Isa 9:6-7 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist. And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious." Isa 11:1-10 Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, my Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged, till He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands shall wait for His law. Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high… Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. V. Lord “The birth is the birth of “the Lord”. We cannot give any but the highest meaning to that sacred name, which could have but one meaning to a Jew. It was much that there was born a Saviour- much that there was born a Messiah… But that last word, “the Lord”, crowns the wonder and the blessing, while it lays the only possible foundation for the other two names. If, on the one hand, man’s Saviour must be man, on the other, He must be more than man; and nothing short of a Divine man can heal the wounds of mankind, or open a fountain of blessing sufficient for their needs. Unless God become man, there can be no Saviour; nor can there be any Christ. For no mere humanity can bear the full gift of the Divine Spirit, which is Messiah’s anointing for this office, nor discharge that office in all its depth and breadth. Many in this day try to repeat the angel’s message and leave out the last word, and then they wonder that it stirs little gladness and works no salvation. Let us be sure that unless the birth at Bethlehem was the Incarnation of Deity, it would have called forth no angel songs, nor will it work any deliverance or bring any joy to men. A God in the sky will never satisfy men and women upon earth. God on the mountain will never suffice man of the plain. True, it is much very much, to know that God is in heaven, “The high and lofty one that inhabits eternity”, above earth’s petty discords and changing views and selfish passions. But this falls short, pitiably short of man’s demands. It is, at best, an icy creed, and not, by itself, the warm loving creed of the Christian. For it leaves a gulf between God and man, with no bridge to pass over. What-so the heart will ask-is the good of a God “above the bright blue sky,” when I am down here upon earth? What intimacy can there be between “the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity” and an earth-born being such as I am? How could the missionaries persuade men that such a God loved them, cared for them felt with them: How, indeed, could God Himself so persuade men, save by coming and living among them, sharing their lives, experiencing their temptations, drinking the “vinegar and gall” which they drank, suffering in the flesh as they suffered? There was no other way. Hence the Incarnation. “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” Close: Tidings of great joy to you! ,-Yst    Є Њ Б В & ' + 1 3 6y}‚’“™ЏЕЗћљіѓяѓѓяѓѓяѓѓљьѓяѓѓяѓяѓCJ5CJCJCJ$55CJ$UV  Є Ѕ & ' 3 h – е ћ = г д 67€Э'nњјјјјјјјјјјјііііііііііјјјјјј$a$UV  Є Ѕ & ' 3 h – е ћ = г д 67€Э'nryz’“ЗќќќќќќќќќќњїєёюышхтЦќџџЭ§џџ*ўџџ+ўџџбўџџџџџrџџџПџџџ"ryz’“З§§§§§§Аа/ Ар=!А "А # $ %А i8@ёџ8 Normal5$7$8$9DH$CJmH 0@0 Heading 1$@&CJ<A@ђџЁ< Default Paragraph FontЗ$џџџџЗЗЗ>GЩЬ* - ЙIQn p l m  LbЙ:::::џџ Skip HeitzigHC:\My Documents\Sermons\The Life of Christ\Good Tidings of Great Joy.docBrian Brodersen]C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\AutoRecovery save of Good Tidings of Great Joy.asdBrian BrodersenHC:\My Documents\sermons\The Life of Christ\Good Tidings of Great Joy.docBrian BrodersenHC:\My Documents\sermons\The Life of Christ\Good Tidings of Great Joy.docBrian BrodersondMacintosh HD:Users:brianbrodersen:Documents:SERMONS:The Life of Christ:Good Tidings of Great Joy.docЙџ@€8`}pp| З@ @GTimes New Roman5€Symbol3 Arial"qˆаhУ“'ЦБЭ›І„LЦŸ$ч ƒ&д„ЅРxx€20ќ€„џџџGood Tidings of Great Joy Skip HeitzigBrian Brodersonўџ р…ŸђљOhЋ‘+'Гй0 ˜ Фашє (4 P \ h t€ˆ˜'Good Tidings of Great Joy.ood Skip Heitzigof kipkipNormaliBrian Broderson4iaMicrosoft Word 10.1@zH6@ВщѓОgР@j™5 ВН@{UђХ$чўџ еЭеœ.“—+,љЎ0 pxˆ˜ Ј АИРШ а і'Calvaryˆ& ќ Good Tidings of Great Joy Title ўџџџўџџџ !"ўџџџ$%&'()*ўџџџ§џџџ-ўџџџўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџRoot Entryџџџџџџџџ РF€<€ђХ/€1TableџџџџџџџџWordDocumentџџџџџџџџ$SummaryInformation(џџџџDocumentSummaryInformation8џџџџџџџџџџџџ#CompObjџџџџџџџџџџџџXџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџўџџџџџ РFMicrosoft Word DocumentўџџџNB6WWord.Document.8