Christmas changes everything and we're coming into the Christmas season and I'll tell you what,
the world is on edge. Everywhere we look we see the world just going crazy.
Right now we're spending billions of dollars in Ukraine with a war going on there. On October 7th
we saw Hamas come across the borders of the Gaza Strip into Israel and kill 1,400 Israeli men,
women, and children in that area. The Middle East is under wars and rumors of wars
and right now we have an American fleet right in the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean
possibly being utilized for military strikes. I mean we have a world that's going crazy
and we as humans have created an environment that is bringing turmoil and it's always been
true. I'm old enough now to look back over these years and just tell you that the
the wars and rumors of wars is always going on, not always in the Middle East, but a lot is in
the Middle East. Ever since Israel became a nation in 1948 they've been through seven wars and the
Six-Day War being the most famous in 1967. So international conflicts are happening all over
the place. Even in our southern border right now is crazy. Over eight million illegal immigrants
have come across the border in the last two and a half years. This is unprecedented. So on the one
hand we are sending billions to Ukraine to enforce their borders and we can't even enforce our own
borders here in America. So Americans are frustrated. We've been through COVID. It's just
been a crazy time and I'm telling you this Christmas, don't forget this, Christmas is the answer to
everything. God actually designed human beings to need God, to need Christmas in their life. The
great philosopher, French philosopher Blaise Pascal once said, what else does this craving
and this helplessness proclaim? But there was once in man a true happiness in which all that
now remains is an empty print and trace. This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him,
seeking in things that are not there. This help he cannot find in those that are, though none can
help. Since this infinite abyss or this hole can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object,
in other words, by God himself. So men and women, you can have the most beautiful Christmas tree
with all the lights on it right now and you can have, hey, you could have a four toast toaster.
You can have a 98 inch Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, flat screen TV, but if you don't have the
electricity, it means nothing. Christmas is about the power, the power that can come and change our
lives. Man makes a lousy God. Well, I want to tell you that Christmas was announced not first to the
shepherds, not first to the angels, not first to a virgin in Nazareth named Mary, not even through a
dream to Joseph. The first time Christmas is mentioned is in Genesis and it's spoken to the
devil. The devil's the first one who heard about Christmas and he knows that Christmas is the
answer to everything. He knows it better than anything that Christmas is the answer to everything.
So in Genesis 3, we have the story of Adam and Eve living in the kingdom of God on earth, Garden of
Eden, and Eve sins. She brings Adam into sin. Then God shows up and Adam blames Eve. Eve blames the serpent
and God judges the serpent and listen to what God says because it's his first announcement
of Christmas. So the Lord God said to the serpent, which is Satan in the serpent form,
because you've done this, you're a curse more than all cattle and more than every beast of the field
on your belly you shall go and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity
between you and the one.
and between your seed and her seed and he shall crush your head this is when
Christmas begins God saying I'm coming I'm coming from heaven to earth to crush
your head and I'm coming through a woman I mean I'm coming through a seed I'm
coming through a seed of a woman and that person who shall be born in the
years ahead in the future will crush your head the interesting head in the
Hebrew is the word Rosh R-O-S-H that's the way we'd spell it in English Rosh
which means authority supremacy head or chief here's what God's saying at
Christmas I'm coming and I'm going to crush your authority I'm gonna crush
your power I'm gonna crush your headship Christmas begins here Jesus
came to destroy the works of the devil and Isaiah 9 verse 2 we have this great
prophecy 700 years before Jesus came the people who walk in darkness have
seen a great light those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death upon
them a light has shined in other words we're living in darkness we're still
living in darkness in our world we're living in darkness in the Middle East
we're living in darkness on our southern borders we're living in darkness in our
in our urban cities but we shall see a great light that's Christmas men and
women Christmas is coming Christ is coming he's come to bring his light to
those people us who live in darkness verse 6 of Isaiah 9 for unto us a child
is born and as a son is given and his government will be upon his shoulder and
his name will be called wonderful counselor mighty God everlasting Father
the Prince of Peace of the increase of his government and peace there will be
no in upon the throne of David and over his kingdom to order it and establish it
with judgment and justice from that time forward and even forevermore the zeal of
the Lord of hosts will perform this Jesus is coming Jesus is coming the
Messiah is coming coming into our murders our wars our drugs our stealing
he's coming Christmas changes everything first sermon Jesus preached
he said repent for the kingdom of God is come that's the government that's what
Isaiah is proclaiming 700 years before he's saying the government shall be on
his shoulders and the increase of his government will not end and the zeal of
the Lord will do this that's Christmas men and women Jesus came at Christmas
bringing the kingdom of God his government a government that is
increasing all over the globe all over the globe wherever the kingdom of God is
proclaimed it takes over where the kingdom of God gets proclaimed people
get healed people get set free people find happiness and joy when they didn't
have it before they find peace where they had depression and turmoil the
prince of peace has come the increase of his government is come that's
Christmas that's the message of Christmas don't forget that because we
get the means we worship the means and we forget the end the purpose of
Christmas is that Christ came to crush the head of Satan on this earth and so
we have our Christmas trees which is great we have a Christmas tree at our
house we have gift-giving we do that at our house gift-giving is great we we
have a special Christmas Eve service candlelight service we have advent wreaths
all of those though are pointing toward the end they're all pointing toward the
purpose the purpose of Christmas that changes everything is Jesus and he came
to crush the head of the enemy in your life too that's what he came to do don't
get caught up in the means and forget the end shopping gift-giving all that's
great but the purpose of Christmas is that Christ came to destroy the works
the devil and to set the captives free Isaiah 7 says therefore the Lord himself
will give you a sign behold the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son and she
calls name Emmanuel you know what Emmanuel means it means God
God's with us, it means the presence of God is with us, it means God's here, not religion.
You see the means to an end is always religion, religion is worshipping the means instead
of the end, true worship is worshipping the end and that's Christ, Emmanuel, God with
us.
So in Matthew 1.18 we read, now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows, after his
mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with a child
from the Holy Spirit, this is interesting, let me say it again, she was found with a
child of the Holy Spirit, of the Holy Spirit, no sperm of man, this is from the Holy Spirit,
God doesn't want the DNA of man in his created being in Jesus, he didn't need the stuff,
we mess up everything, we come in and we create the internet and then we spy on ourselves,
we create this drug that's going to solve all our problems and then we find out there's
12 other issues that come with the drug, we're constantly in turmoil.
So when God was forming the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ to come, the Messiah to
come, he didn't need the DNA of man, he didn't even need one of our children, it's our children
that build gangs, it's our children that build bombs and create war, no, this child was going
to come from heaven to earth, she'll bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus
for he will save his people from their sins, what do we do?
We kill people for their sins, only Jesus comes to save us from our sins, that's Emmanuel,
Emmanuel is God with us, the Savior of the world, Jesus coming to us.
So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet
saying behold the virgin shall be with child and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel
which is translated God with us.
The greatest mystery of all history, the greatest mystery of all history is Emmanuel, that God
became man to save us from our sins, to save us from ourselves.
So why does Christmas change everything?
Why does Christmas change everything?
Let me give you seven reasons why Christmas changes everything, number one, Christmas
changes everything because humanity needs a Savior, we long for a Savior, man cannot
save himself, as a matter of fact we're destroying ourselves, Christmas changes everything because
humanity needs a Savior.
Number two, Christmas changes everything because earth needs help from another place, we're
not doing too good at trying to figure it out on our own, we need help from an entirely
different place and Christmas is about heaven coming down to earth, God's solutions are
from heaven.
Number three, Christmas changes everything because it brings hope and courage, I mean
if you go to any third world country right now and you mention Christmas and they know
a little bit about Christianity and they know a little bit about Christmas, it brings hope
because in their poverty there's that hope that something better might come through Jesus
Christ and it brings hope and it brings courage.
Number four, Christmas changes everything because earth needs a new government, have
you looked at any of the governments lately on this globe?
Have you looked at socialism, have you looked at communism, have you looked at democracy?
America is the number one nation in the world in democracy and we have more drug addiction,
we have more psychologists, we have more counselors, we have more depression, democracy is not
the answer men and women, the kingdom of God is, the government shall be on his shoulders
and it will increase, the kingdom of God sets the captives free, it means the rule in the
reign of God, we need a new government.
Number five, Christmas changes everything because we need new leadership on the earth,
he came as a king and ruler, do you remember?
Matthew chapter 2, which I'm not going to read right now, but that's...
That's where Herod finds out from these magi,
oh, this king of the Jews is coming.
And Herod is worried because he understood a new king.
Are you kidding me?
A new king is coming?
Herod understood we need the leadership
of Jesus on the earth today.
Number six, Christmas changes everything
because peace cannot come from earth,
but to the earth from heaven.
There's no peace on this earth.
Men and women, on your own, you have no peace,
but the prince of peace has come.
Peace only comes through Christ.
We have more police, we have more soldiers,
we have more security, more, more, more.
We're looking for peace.
We're looking for political peace.
We're looking for military peace.
Everybody's looking for peace,
but there's a prince of peace.
And that's Christmas, that's Christ coming.
He's the prince of peace.
And then number seven, Christmas changes everything
because the creator pursues his created.
All the religions of the world
are about man pursuing God.
Only in Christ did God the Father
send his son to pursue us.
He pursues you because he loves you.
You don't have to find God, he finds you.
So where are you at this Christmas?
Where's your heart at this Christmas?
Did you realize that Christmas can change everything?
If you're going through financial turmoil,
if you're going through a divorce,
if you're going through depression,
if you're going through suicidal ideations,
whatever your struggle is,
I'm telling you, Christmas can change everything.
Christmas can change everything.
Invite Christmas into your life.
Invite Jesus into your life.
He's the one who gives you strength and courage.
He's the prince of peace.
He's the one that can come and set your captivity free,
take you out of your own self-imposed prison.
He's got the key.
It's called the key of the kingdom of God.
He can unlock that gate.
He can unlock that door,
and his spirit and his power can be poured into your life.
So I challenge you this Christmas
to realize that Christmas changes everything.
Let it change everything in your life.
If you've never given your heart to Christ,
now's the time.
Open your heart to him.
If you're driving in a car right now,
if you're sitting at a desk,
if you're working in a kitchen,
whatever it is you're doing,
if you've never ever given your heart to Christ,
do it now this Christmas,
because Christmas changes everything.
Just stop and pray a prayer like this.
Lord Jesus, I need you.
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins.
God, I need your kingdom in my life.
I want you to be the ruler.
I want you to be the prince of peace.
I want you to be Emmanuel.
I want you to be my king and my ruler.
Come and change me from the inside out.
He'll come.
He's pursuing you.
You're listening to this right now
because God's pursuing you
because you know in your heart it's true
that Christmas changes everything.
So give yourself to him.
Surrender everything to him.
You may consider yourself a Jesus follower,
but you're way off from where you wanna be.
Then re-surrender.
Do a restart this year.
Same prayer, same thing,
except what you say is,
God, I know you're in my life,
but I need to surrender these things
that have gotten in the way of you living
and working in my life.
So give it to him.
He loves you.
He's there for you.
You don't have to bench 300 pounds.
You don't have to fast and pray.
You don't have to do anything.
What you have to do is accept and receive his grace
because he unconditionally loves you.
So men and women, Christmas changes everything.
Receive his love this Christmas
and have the best Christmas you've ever had before.
God bless you.