Bulletins - Fishkill Baptist Church

- - Romans 5:6ESV
- - Psalm 102:19–22NIV2011
Hark the Herald
He Has Come For Us (God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen)
- - Matthew 6:9–13ESV
- - Romans 7:6ESV
- - Colossians 1:11–14ESV
Emmanuel God With Us
Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)
Doxology
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.)
One of the most familiar Christmas characters today is the Grinch. He lives high above Whoville, alone and guarded, convinced that distance is safer than connection. His heart is closed off because opening himself up to people—feels dangerous.
For the Grinch, isolation feels safe. Engagement feels risky. Staying hidden protects him from disappointment, rejection, and pain.
But of course, that safety is an illusion. The Grinch doesn’t find peace by hiding—he only finds himself more isolated than ever. It’s not until he steps out of hiding, releases control and opens himself to something he can’t manage, that everything changes. The freedom he was longing for was found on the other side of surrender.
That story resonates with us because it exposes a tension we all feel—especially when it comes to faith:
Obedience often feels risky, and fear feels safer.
Following God can feel like opening ourselves up to loss and rejection. And so we’re tempted to protect ourselves—to hold back, to redefine things on our own terms, to keep control rather than trust.
Which leads us to a question we all face, whether we realize it or not:
How do we walk by faith when obedience feels risky and fear feels safer?
That’s not a question we can answer by looking inside ourselves. It’s a question God answers by revealing who His Son truly is. — The King that God promised and was anticipated for centuries.
So let’s turn now to Matthew 1:18–25. As we read, listen for how God meets fear with revelation, calls for obedience instead of control, and shows us where true freedom is found.
Scripture
So, grab your Bibles and turn with me to Matthew 1:18-25. If you need to use a pew Bible, you’ll find today’s text on page 959. Once you’re there, please stand with me if you are able and follow along with me as I read...
Matthew 1:18–25 ESV
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
This God’s Word!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, as we spend time in your word this morning, melt away the false ideas of who we think Jesus is and open our hearts to see Him for who He truly is, in all his beauty and glory. We ask this in Christ’s name — AMEN!
Intro: Formal (give context to passage, setting the scene, big idea)
Matthew tells us the story of Jesus’ birth from a particular angle. He doesn’t linger on the details of the manger or the shepherds. Instead, he zooms in a fixes our attention on Joseph—a man caught between what God is calling him to do and what fear tells him would be safer.
Joseph has every reason to step back. Obedience here would cost him his reputation, his plans, and his sense of control. And yet, in the middle of that fear, God speaks. He reveals who this child truly is, gives Him a name, and calls Joseph to respond—not by reshaping the situation, but by submitting to what God was doing.
That brings us back to the question we asked earlier:
How do we walk by faith when obedience feels risky and fear feels safer?
Matthew’s answer is clear, and it’s not complicated—though it is demanding:
True freedom is found in submission to the name of Jesus.
In this passage, we’re going to see that freedom doesn’t come from protecting ourselves, controlling outcomes, or redefining reality to make obedience easier. It comes from receiving Jesus for who He truly is and ordering our lives underneath that reality.
So as we walk through this text, we’ll be guided by three movements—three temptations we face, and three gracious responses God calls us to:
When fear tempts us to disobey, we are called to choose obedience (v. 20).
When pride tempts us to redefine Jesus, we are called to submit to His name (v. 21).
When sin tempts us to hide, we are invited to receive a new name (v. 21).
Now as we walk through these together, my prayer is that we would see not just Joseph’s obedience, but the gracious King who is revealed—and that by submitting to His name, we would experience the true freedom He came to bring.
When Fear Tempts us to Disobey, Choose Obedience
Often when God enters our lives, He doesn’t immediately make things easier—He makes them more complicated. Joseph learned that firsthand.
Verse 18 tells us that Joseph is betrothed to Mary. They are engaged—but before they come together as husband and wife, Mary is found to be pregnant. And from Joseph’s perspective, there is only one logical explanation. Mary has been unfaithful. There must be another man.
You can almost hear the questions racing through Joseph’s mind: What are people going to think? What will this do to my reputation? How will this affect my future?
And yet, verse 19 tells us that Joseph is a just man. He still cares deeply for Mary. He doesn’t want to shame her publicly.
But we need to understand just how serious this situation was.
In Joseph’s day, engagement was not a casual arrangement. It was legally binding. An engaged couple was considered married in every sense except that the woman still lived with her parents and the marriage had not yet been consummated. This period typically lasted about a year.
So any sexual unfaithfulness during this time was considered adultery. And under the Mosaic Law, adultery was punishable by death—stoning, after a public trial involving witnesses and religious authorities. This is exactly what the Pharisees did in John 8 when they brought a woman caught in adultery before Jesus.
If Joseph went through with the marriage, people would assume they had been intimate before the proper time. His reputation would be ruined. His name would be permanently stained. And so verse 20 tells us plainly: Joseph was afraid to take Mary as his wife.
Joseph’s only merciful option, then, was to divorce Mary quietly. To say nothing. To step away. To protect both her life and his reputation.
And it’s right at that moment—when fear is loudest—that God intervenes, sending an angel to say…
Matthew 1:20 ESV
“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
In other words: Joseph, don’t let fear make this decision for you. Obey the Lord.
And make no mistake—this was a massive ask. Who would believe this story? “A divine miracle.” “A child conceived by the Holy Spirit.”
Fathers—put yourselves in the place of Mary’s dad. Are you buying that story? Probably not. And neither would the rest of the community.
It’s interesting that in John 8, where the Pharisees were arguing with Jesus, they say to him in verse 41…
John 8:41 ESV
“We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.”
It’s possible that this was an indirect insult towards Jesus based on skeptical attitudes about his virgin birth that still existed in his society!
So, if Joseph obeys, he will become a social outcast. Shame is almost guaranteed. His name would be tarnished.
And yet, obedience here was critical—because God’s redemptive plan was at stake.
Notice how the angel addresses Joseph in verse 20 as “son of David.” That’s not minor inconsequential detail. Matthew has spent the opening verses of his Gospel tracing Jesus’ lineage through David, and that lineage runs right up to Joseph.
Understand what this means… If Joseph walks away, and does not make Mary’s son his own, then Jesus would not be legally descended from David. And if Jesus is not from the line of David, He cannot be God’s promised Messiah and King.
So Joseph stands at a crossroads: Protect his name and reputation—or obey the Lord. Choose fear—or choose faith.
And verse 24 tells us what he did: Joseph obeyed.
He obeyed in the face of fear. He obeyed when obedience looked costly. He obeyed when the safer option was to walk away.
And now the question to us.
What fears tempt you to disobey the Lord?
Do you fear being honest about a mistake at work—afraid it might cost you a promotion?
Do you fear confessing a hidden sin because of what it might do to your name, your reputation or relationships?
Do you fear being open about your faith at school or at work, speaking about Jesus, because you worry about what that will do to your reputation?
The same God who spoke to Joseph speaks to us today: Do not fear. Obey.
So, Joseph obeys, but Matthew doesn’t linger on Joseph. He moves us immediately to something more important in what the angel says next. Because obedience in the face of fear only makes sense if we understand who this child actually is. And God makes that unmistakably clear. He does not by leave this open for interpretation, so God gives the child a name.
Let’s unpack this in my second point…
When Pride Tempts us to Redefine Jesus, Submit to His Name
One of the great privileges parents have is the privilege of naming their children. Names are given today for all kinds of reasons. Some are chosen because of family tradition. Others are named after famous historical figures or professional athletes. Some, simply because we like how they sound.
But in the Bible, a name is far more than a label. Names carried significant meaning. A name spoke to a person’s character, calling, and identity. To name someone was, in a very real sense, to define them.
So when God tells Joseph what to name this child, something significant is happening. Joseph is being asked to surrender a right that would normally belong to him as a father. God is making it clear that Joseph does not get to define this child—God does.
Pride could have been a serious temptation in this situation. To name the child was to exercise the rights of a father. So for Joseph to accept God’s name is to submit to God’s authority.
And this is about far more than a name on a birth certificate. This is about who gets to say who Jesus is.
Verse 21 shows us that God removed that decision entirely from Joseph’s hands. And verse 24 tells us once again: Joseph obeyed. He laid down his right to define and submitted himself to God and to the name He had chosen.
The temptation to define Jesus on our own terms—did not end with Joseph. It has followed Jesus from the moment He entered the world.
Later in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus asks His disciples a revealing question:
Matthew 16:13 ESV
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
And the answers come quickly: John the Baptist. Elijah. Jeremiah. One of the prophets.
In other words, everyone has an opinion about Jesus—but most of them fall short.
And nothing has changed.
Today, many are still trying to redefine Jesus. Some say He was only a prophet. Others say He was a good moral teacher. Some see Him as a social justice warrior. Others dismiss Him as a myth altogether.
Why do people do this—especially when the Scriptures are so accessible today and the evidence is so compelling?
They do it for the same reason sin entered the world in the first place: fear and pride.
You see, if Jesus is who He says He is—Lord, King, Son of God—then we are accountable to Him. And that’s terrifying. So, instead of submitting to His authority, people reshape Him into something safer…something manageable…something less than who He truly is.
And this fits exactly with what’s happening in our text.
Also, in the Bible, the act of naming implies an exercise of authority. We see this all the way back in Genesis, when God gives Adam the task of naming the animals. This wasn’t because God ran out of ideas. This was a God-given act of stewardship and authority.
Later, Adam names his wife Eve.
But here in Matthew 1, Joseph is not given that right. Why? Because Joseph will not be the one to exercise authority over this child. Jesus does not stand under Joseph’s authority—Joseph stands under Jesus’.
So, from the very beginning of Jesus’ time on earth, He would be our authority. And God would not allow Him to be defined by human fear or pride. God alone would name Him.
And this brings us back to Jesus’ conversation with His disciples. After asking what others think, Jesus turns the question directly on them:
Matthew 16:15 ESV
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter rightly answers:
Matthew 16:16 ESV
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
And Jesus responds by saying something remarkable:
Matthew 16:17 ESV
“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”
In other words, no one arrives at the true identity of Jesus on their own. It must be revealed by the Father.
And the same is true for every one of us.
None of us are Christians because we were smart enough or good enough to figure Jesus out. We are Christians because God has revealed His Son to us—through His Word, by the Holy Spirit—and by His grace, we laid down our pride and submitted to the name of Jesus.
So the question for us is not whether we believe in Jesus, but whether we have submitted to His name — to who He truly is.
This is a good place to pause and ask ourselves some honest questions:
In what ways are you tempted to redefine Jesus to make obedience easier?
Do you embrace Him as your Savior only but resist Him as your King?
Do you celebrate His grace while quietly ignoring His authority in your life?
True freedom is not found in shaping Jesus into our image—but in surrendering ourselves to His name. — To who He truly is.
And here’s the good news: submitting to the name of Jesus doesn’t diminish you—it redeems you. Because the moment you stop redefining Him, He begins redefining you.
And that brings us to our third point…
When Sin Tempts Us to Hide, Receive a New Name
For many of us, when we really stop and consider who we are—deep down inside—we struggle to accept ourselves. We all carry things we’re ashamed of. Past sins. Hidden sins. Names we hope no one ever discovers.
We’re still sewing fig leaves—just like Adam and Eve in the garden.
Sin brings shame. It brings condemnation. And because of that shame, we learn to live with an identity we work very hard to hide. But it’s right there—right in that shame—that God speaks His grace.
The angel tells Joseph in verse 21:
Matthew 1:21 ESV
You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
That word save matters.
Remember when we looked at Genesis 3 a few weeks ago — we saw that sin is the root cause of everything broken in this world. It’s why creation groans. It’s why marriages fracture. It’s why families hurt. And most importantly, it’s why we stand condemned before a holy God.
If we die in our sin, we will spend eternity separated from God and all His goodness.
But God did not leave us there.
The name Jesus literally means, “The LORD saves.” That is who He is, and that is why He came. As Paul says to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:15:
1 Timothy 1:15 ESV
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
God knew that the only way for us to enjoy His presence again—to walk with Him like Adam once did—was for sin to be dealt with fully and finally. The penalty for sin is death, and it must be paid. God can’t just ignore it and give us a do-over…that would make Him unjust.
So Jesus came to pay it for us.
As Jesus Himself said:
Matthew 20:28 ESV
The Son of Man came…to give his life as a ransom for many.”
And the Apostle John puts it beautifully:
John 3:16 ESV
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
This gift is freely given—but it must be received. And it can only be received by faith, by trusting in Jesus as He truly is.
A counterfeit Jesus shaped by our preferences cannot save you! Eternal life is found in knowing the true Christ:
John 17:3 ESV
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
We must submit to His name.
And when we do, something incredible happens.
Our old name—the one marked by guilt and shame—dies with Jesus on the cross. And He gives us a new one.
Never again are you defined by your sin. When you stand before the Lord, He does not call you condemned—He calls you forgiven:
Romans 8:1 ESV
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
He calls you His child:
John 1:12 ESV
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
He calls you new:
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
He calls you family:
Ephesians 2:19 ESV
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
Do you see God’s heart in this? His desire is not merely to forgive you—but to be with you.
That’s why Matthew tells us Jesus is also called Immanuel—God with us. And it is Jesus—the Lord who saves—who makes God with us a reality.
In Christ, your old identity is gone. He makes you into who you were always meant to be.
But to experience that freedom, you must do what Joseph did—you must submit to the name of Jesus. And when you do, your old name dies with Him, and He gives you a new one.
Some of you here today have been carrying around the heavy burden of a name you are ashamed of — A name that maybe you’ve been able to hide pretty well from others but a name that God knows fully.
Hebrews 4:13 ESV
No creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Today is the the day to stop hiding — come out into the light and receive Christ as the Savior He came to be.
Acts 4:12 ESV
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
And for those of you who are already in Christ—some of you have quietly picked up your old name again. You’ve gone back to living as though guilt still defines you, as though shame still owns you.
Lay it down.
Repent. Believe. And walk in the freedom of the new name Jesus has already given you.
Because true freedom is not found in hiding from who you were—but in living fully in who Christ has made you to be.
Conclusion/Response (Gospel & Repent/Believe)
Let’s go back for a moment to where we began—with the Grinch.
The Grinch lived at a distance because distance and control felt safe. Staying hidden felt safer than opening himself up to something he couldn’t manage. And for a long time, he mistook that isolation for freedom.
But as the story unfolds, we see the truth: hiding didn’t protect him—it imprisoned him. His heart didn’t grow because he clung tighter to control. It grew as he finally let go. When he stepped out of hiding. When he surrendered.
And that’s the tension we’ve been wrestling with all morning.
How do we walk by faith when obedience feels risky and fear feels safer?
Matthew’s answer is clear:
True freedom is found in submission to the name of Jesus.
We’ve seen that played out in Joseph’s life.
When fear tempted him to disobey, Joseph chose obedience. He trusted God over fearing for his reputation.
When pride could have tempted him to define Jesus on his own terms, Joseph submitted to the name God had given. He accepted that Jesus would not stand under his authority—he would stand under Jesus’.
And when sin tempts us to hide in shame, remember this is why Jesus came — to save you from your sin. And when He does He gives you a new name. A forgiven name. A redeemed name.
Joseph didn’t find freedom by protecting himself. He found freedom by surrendering.
And neither will we.
Some of you today are standing right where Joseph stood—at a crossroads. You know what obedience looks like, but fear is whispering that it’s too risky. That it will cost too much. That staying hidden feels safer.
Others of you are tempted to reshape Jesus into something more manageable—a Savior who isn’t your King — who offers grace but without authority.
And some of you are still carrying an old name—marked by guilt, shame, or failure—when Christ has already given you a new one.
The good news of Christmas is this: God didn’t come to meet us at a distance. He came near. He sent His Son. He gave Him a name.
And when we submit to that name—the name of Jesus, the Lord who saves—we don’t lose ourselves.
We finally find ourselves.
So don’t stay on the mountain like the Grinch, holding tightly to fear and control. Don’t keep hiding behind fig leaves that can’t save you.
Step into the light. Submit to His name. And walk in the freedom from sin that Christ came to bring.
Because God with us is not something to fear—it is the greatest gift you could ever receive.
Prayer
Closing Song: Good Christian Men Rejoice (#151)
Closing Words:
Church family, we’ve just sung, “Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice.” That song calls us to joy—but not a shallow joy. A joy rooted in truth.
Because the reason we rejoice is not sentiment or tradition—it’s a name.
The Name of Jesus. The Lord who saves. Emmanuel — God with us.
Before we leave today, I want to give you one final opportunity to respond to what God has shown us in His Word.
Final Gospel Call:
Some of you here today know that you’ve been keeping Jesus at a distance. You’ve admired Him, maybe even believed some things about Him—but you’ve never submitted to His name. You’re still carrying a name marked by guilt, fear, and shame.
Today, you can lay that down.
You don’t have to hide anymore. You don’t need to clean yourself up first. Just come to Jesus as He truly is—and receive the salvation He came to give.
If that’s you, I want to encourage you to come talk with someone up front here after the service. Let us pray with you and help you take that step.
Next Steps:
Now Church, remember: faith always leads to obedience—and obedience always leads to action.
Maybe your next step is baptism.
Maybe it’s repentance—laying down an old name you’ve quietly picked back up.
Maybe it’s finally becoming a member of our church or taking your faith more seriously by plugging into a discipleship group.
Maybe it’s serving somewhere around here where we have needs.
Maybe it’s committing to give a little more to advance the mission of our church — Helping people discover their greatest joy in the good news of Jesus Christ!
Maybe it’s simply asking for prayer.
If you want help taking a next step, just fill out an orange Next Steps card, and someone will follow up with you.
Missional Charge:
Now as we go, remember this: The name we’ve celebrated today is not meant to stay within these walls.
This week, you will walk into workplaces, neighborhoods, and family gatherings filled with people who are hiding, fearful, and searching for freedom.
Know that you don’t go alone. You go bearing the name of Jesus.
So live under His authority this week. Speak of Him. And invite others to experience the freedom found in submitting to His name.
Benediction: (2 Corinthians 13:14)
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” — AMEN… go in peace.
- - Matthew 1:18–25ESV
- - Matthew 1:20ESV
- - John 8:41ESV
- - Matthew 16:13ESV
- - Matthew 16:15ESV
- - Matthew 16:16ESV
- - Matthew 16:17ESV
- - Matthew 1:21ESV
- - 1 Timothy 1:15ESV
- - Matthew 20:28ESV
- - John 3:16ESV
- - John 17:3ESV
- - Romans 8:1ESV
- - John 1:12ESV
- - 2 Corinthians 5:17ESV
- - Ephesians 2:19ESV
- - Hebrews 4:13ESV
- - Acts 4:12ESV
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.)
Last week we began our Advent series I’m calling, “Let Earth Receive Her King,” by going all the way back to the beginning—to the garden in Genesis 3. We were reminded that the reason our world feels broken, confusing, painful, and dark is because our sin has ruined God’s good world. But we also saw that the very moment humanity fell, God made a promise: a King would come—born of the woman—who would crush the serpent, undo the curse, and restore what sin ruined.
Advent invites us to slow down and feel the weight of that promise. To sit honestly in the tension between the brokenness of the world and the hope God has spoken into it.
And that tension is something we feel in our bones this time of year. We feel it even in our weather as the days grow increasingly cold and dark.
And if we’re honest, many of us feel that tension not only in the world—but in our relationship with God. Some of you know what it feels like to feel far from God.
To pray and wonder if He hears.
To sit in a service and feel strangely disconnected.
To stumble again into a sin you thought you had overcome and feel ashamed to draw near.
To look at your life and think, “Why would God want to be close to someone like me?”
Even our Christmas stories capture this tension.
Think of It’s a Wonderful Life, with George Bailey standing on a snowy bridge, feeling completely cut off from hope.
Or A Christmas Carol, where Scrooge is forced to face the chasm between who he is and who he should be—yet he feels powerless to change.
Christmas stories are filled with this theme because they capture something we all know is true: there is a gap—something is broken—that we cannot fix on our own.
These stories resonate with us because they echo something spiritually true: there is a gap inside all of us—a sense of distance—that we cannot close on our own.
Scripture teaches us that sin creates that chasm between us and God—
one we cannot cross,
Cannot fix,
Cannot bridge by effort or sincerity—
This is the very tension the returning exiles carried home from Babylon —wondering if God would ever draw near again. It’s why the author of 2 Chronicles showed them and us, King Solomon wrestling with that very question. And it’s the question our own hearts still whisper:
“When our sin creates a chasm we cannot cross, how can God ever dwell with us again?”
With that question in our hearts, let’s turn now to God’s Word as we read 2 Chronicles 6:18–21.
Scripture
Grab your Bibles and turn with me to 2 Chronicles 6:18-21. If you need to use a pew Bible, you’ll find today’s text on page 426. Once you’re there, please stand with me if you are able and follow along with me as I read...
2 Chronicles 6:18–21 ESV
“But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built! Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you, that your eyes may be open day and night toward this house, the place where you have promised to set your name, that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. And listen to the pleas of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen from heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.
This God’s Word!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, may we, like Job, treasure Your words in these moments more than our portion of food…even the rich food we taste during the Christmas season. May Your words increase our delight in Your Son Jesus, our Savior and our Lord. We ask this in His name — AMEN!
Intro: Formal (give context to passage, setting the scene, big idea)
As we step into this passage, it helps to remember who first received it. First and Second Chronicles were originally one unified work in Hebrew and it was written for God’s people returning home from exile in Babylon—people who knew what distance from God felt like. They were rebuilding their lives, their identity, and their worship, and they needed to be reminded of how God bridges the gap their sin had created.
That’s why the Chronicler takes them back to this moment in Solomon’s life—the dedication of the temple. And he doesn’t rush past it. In fact, he slows everything down. In fact more space is given to Solomon’s prayer than to the actual construction of the temple!
And this prayer sits at the very center of the story of Solomon’s life. It’s as if the author is saying, “This is the heart of everything I’m writing. Don’t miss what’s happening here.”
What’s happening is that Solomon is wrestling with the same question every generation must ask: “When our sin creates a chasm we cannot cross, how can God ever dwell with us again?”
And the answer this text gives—the answer the returning exiles needed, the answer we still need—is this: Only God can close the chasm our sin created; He does so by drawing near through Solomon’s temple, which anticipates Jesus, the true and better Temple.
That’s the message of this passage, and it forms the framework for the rest of our time together. We’re going to walk through it in three movements:
The Chasm
The Initiative
The Fulfillment
With this map in front of us, let’s dig into the text.
The Chasm
Picture the scene. All Israel is assemble together. The priests, the elders, the nation—standing outside this magnificent new temple.
Solomon steps onto a bronze platform; behind him the altar and the building that had taken nearly seven years, 150,000 laborers, and an unimaginable amount of gold and precious stone. It was breathtaking—an architectural wonder.
If there were ever a moment to boast, this was it. If there were ever a moment to say, “Look what we’ve built,” this was it.
But what does Solomon do? Verse 13 says he kneels—the king of Israel, the wisest man alive—kneels with hands out stretched toward heaven. And instead of praising the work of human hands, he turns all the attention to God and praises Him for his nature and mighty works and pleads for God to continue being faithful to His covenant.
Then comes this most amazing statement in verse 18:
2 Chronicles 6:18 ESV
“But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built!
Solomon is overwhelmed by the transcendence of God. Surrounded by all the glory of this temple, he suddenly remembers: the God who the highest heavens fail to contain, could never be contained by human craftsmanship.
We humans are so easily impressed.
Years ago, I took the youth group to the Creation Music Festival — it was one of the largest outdoor Christian music festivals in the country. One evening was quite impressive — Stage lights flashing, speakers pounding, tens of thousands singing along. It felt enormous! And then—I remember looking up. There, quietly blazing above the smoke machines and the stage lights, were the stars. And in an instant the whole concert felt… tiny. The sky — God’s creation — completely dwarfed this concert that seemed so impressive just a moment ago.
That’s Solomon here. Standing before Israel’s greatest work, and he looks up—spiritually speaking—into the vastness of God. And the question rises almost like a gasp: “Can this God really dwell with us?”
Every word of Scripture affirms Solomon’s instincts. The prophet Isaiah wrote:
Isaiah 57:15 ESV
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place…
The psalmist declares in Psalm 113
Psalm 113:4–6 ESV
The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
Today, billionaires pat themselves on the back for shooting themselves into orbit on rockets declaring, “Look how far we’ve come!” And I imagine God chuckling like a father admiring his child’s first stick figure drawing… “Aww… that’s so cute.”
Solomon is wrestling with a holy, infinite God who is utterly unapproachable by human effort or achievement.
Today, some of you feel far from God because you think it’s your responsibility to close the gap. We think we must build something impressive—a better routine, a more moral life, a more devoted heart. We think if we work hard enough, pray long enough, perform well enough, maybe we can bridge the gap.
But that’s not how a transcendent God works.
Years ago, at a conference I was attending, New Testament scholar, D.A. Carson shared about a time when he was invited to meet with a group of Muslims and share his perspective on Islam. He was asked during a time of Q&A, what surprised him most about Islam. Carson answered, “I’m surprised by how low a view of God you have.”
They were stunned—Islam prides itself on revering God — submission and obedience to God. So Carson went on to explain: If you think human effort or devotion can lift you up to God, then your God must be very small. A God you can climb your way to isn’t very high at all.
That’s the heart of Solomon’s question. If God must be reached, we are doomed.
Christianity alone stands on this truth: The true and living God is too high for us to reach, so He must come down to us. That’s grace.
Every other world religion — just like Islam — only gives you rules, rituals, and practices. Only Christianity offers you grace. Let’s explore this in my next point…
The Initiative
C. S. Lewis once said that looking for God the way we look for an object—like looking for a lost set of keys—is a category mistake. It’s like imagining the character Hamlet could find Shakespeare (the author) by searching the attic of his castle. Hamlet can search every room, every drawer, every corner… and never find the author. Why? Because Shakespeare is not a character inside the story. He exists at another level entirely.
Lewis’s point is profound: We cannot discover God by human effort. The Author must write Himself into the story.
And that is exactly the problem our sin creates. Not only are we unable to reach up to God, as we saw in Point 1, but we are also estranged from Him—cut off, banished, spiritually exiled. We need knowledge, yes—but we also need reconciliation.
And both are impossible unless God makes the first move.
And that’s what the temple was: God’s initiative. God’s idea. God drawing near.
We sometimes read this story as though Solomon dreamed up a place to house God. And that God was somehow obligated to forgive us. But verse 6 makes it clear: God chose Jerusalem. God chose to place His name there. God designed the system of sacrifice and worship. God wrote Himself into the story.
The temple isn’t a human achievement—it’s a divine invitation. It is God saying: “You cannot climb up to Me. So I will come down to you.”
This is grace on display yet again, here in the Old Testament.
The Temple Was also a Place of Access—Not for the Elite only, but for Everyone
Solomon’s prayer is stunning in its inclusiveness. Notice the progression:
Verse 20–21: Solomon asks God to hear the king’s prayers.
Verse 22: Solomon says any individual Israelite who sins may come.
Verses 32–33: Even foreigners—people outside Israel’s story—are welcomed to pray.
This is God’s way of saying…
“If you draw near to My house, I will hear you. Every person matters. Kings matter. Common people matter. Outsiders matter.—YOU matter!”
This means:
You are not too insignificant for God’s attention. Your prayers are not too small. Your sins are not too great. Your distance is not too far.
When the Israelites sinned, Solomon didn’t say, “Try harder. Fix yourself. Make up the gap.” No—he said, “When You hear, forgive.”
That’s grace.
Imagine a little child who wakes up terrified in the middle of the night. They don’t clean themselves up before calling for mom or dad. They don’t rehearse a speech. They don’t worry if their request is too small. They simply cry out, “Mom! Dad!”
And the moment the parent hears that voice, they’re out of bed and moving toward their child.
This is the God of the temple—the God who hears the cry of His people, no matter who they are or what they have done.
But Hearing Is Not Enough—Forgiveness Requires Sacrifice
Standing in front of the altar, Solomon knows that for sinners to be reconciled, prayers must be accompanied by sacrifice. The blood of an offering was the visible reminder that sin separates and atonement is costly.
But as Hebrews tells us in the New Testament:
Hebrews 10:11 ESV
Every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
So what was the point?
The sacrifices were not the ultimate solution—they were a signpost. They couldn’t really cleanse the human heart—but, they pointed to the Savior who would.
Every lamb, every goat, every bull, every sacrifice whispered the same truth:
“Someone greater must come. A perfect sacrifice is needed.”
The temple shouted God’s nearness, but it also whispered our need for a perfect Redeemer.
And that leads directly to the final question: If the temple reveals God’s nearness and the sacrifices reveal our need, then how is the chasm between us and God finally closed?
Solomon’s temple could only point forward to a true and better temple —
One in which God’s presence would dwell more fully and more perfectly with man on the earth.
A temple that would actually how the power to forgive sins.
The New Testament reveals this mystery…Jesus is the true and better Temple.
Let’s look now at how Jesus fulfills all that Solomon’s temple anticipates.
The Fulfillment
Up to this point, Solomon’s temple has exposed our problem—we cannot reach up to God. And the temple has revealed God’s gracious initiative—He comes down to us. But the question still hangs in the air:
How can a holy God truly dwell with sinful people? How can sinners be fully, finally, and forever forgiven?
The answer is not ultimately found in a building. The answer is found in a person.
Jesus Is the Fullness of God Come Down to Us
Paul says in Colossians:
Colossians 1:19 ESV
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
Colossians 2:9 ESV
For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
Meaning: If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. If you want to hear God speak, listen to Jesus. If you want to draw near to God, draw near to Jesus.
Jesus is not merely from God—He is God, fully, completely, flesh-and-blood among us.
When Jesus says in John 2
John 2:19 ESV
“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
He is claiming to be the true Temple—the dwelling place of God on earth. He is saying, “You no longer meet God in a building. You meet God in Me.”
This is why the Christian faith has no sacred geography:
No mountain you must climb
No city you must visit
No building you must enter
Because God has come to us in Christ. Jesus replaces the temple with Himself.
Imagine spending your life climbing a staircase to reach God—ten thousand steps of effort, discipline, rules, rituals, sacrifices.
And then one day, the staircase disappears… because God Himself walks down and stands beside you.
That is Jesus. He is God come down the stairs.
And only Jesus offers you what Solomon’s temple could only point you to…
The old temple offered symbols. Jesus offers substance.
The old sacrifices could point to forgiveness. Jesus’ sacrifice actually provides it.
Hebrews says:
Hebrews 10:12 ESV
Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins…
Hebrews 10:14 ESV
For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
One sacrifice. One Savior. One finished work.
This is why the cross is not just moving or emotional—it is effective. Your forgiveness does not rest on your tears, your promises, or your performance.
It rests on His blood, shed once and for all.
And now, because of this, Jesus Makes God Accessible to All Who Call on Him
This is the breathtaking conclusion of Solomon’s prayer: Anyone—king, commoner, or foreigner—could approach God through the temple.
And now, in Christ, that door stands even wider.
Paul writes:
Romans 10:13 ESV
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Everyone. Not “everyone who cleans up their act.” Not “everyone with a good track record.” Not “everyone with a religious background.”
Everyone who calls.
So, if you are here today and you do not know Christ—everything Solomon longed for and everything the temple pointed to has been fulfilled for you.
You don’t have to earn your way up to God. You don’t have to fix yourself first. You don’t have to be religious enough, good enough, or spiritual enough.
You only have to call out to Him in faith.
Just as the Israelites cried out toward the temple, today you must cry out to Jesus—the true Temple, the final sacrifice, the perfect Savior.
Call on Him today. Trust in His death and resurrection. And you will be forgiven.
—————————————————-
Maybe you’re here today and you’ve been a Christian for a long time but feel distant from God? He is not waiting for you to climb the stairs back up to Him. He came down the stairs. He came all the way—into flesh, onto a cross, out of a tomb.
So come to Him again. Call on Him. Confess your sins. Rest in His finished work.
You don’t need to go to a special place. You do not need special words. You do not need a spotless record.
You need only Jesus.
Conclusion/Response (Gospel & Repent/Believe)
So let’s return to the question that has hovered over this whole passage—Solomon’s question, the exiles’ question, and, if we’re honest, the question many of us carry quietly in our hearts:
“When our sin creates a chasm we cannot cross, how can God ever dwell with us again?”
We feel that question most painfully when God seems far away. When prayers feel like they hit the ceiling. When shame whispers, “Not you—not after what you’ve done.”
It’s the same tension we see in our Christmas stories.
George Bailey standing on that snowy bridge, convinced he’s alone… Scrooge staring at the emptiness of his own heart, terrified of what he cannot change…
Both men feel a chasm inside that they cannot close. Both know something is wrong, but neither has the power to fix it.
This is the human story — our story
But into that ache, God speaks. And the whole sweep of 2 Chronicles 6 has been His answer.
First, Solomon showed us the chasm—that God is infinitely above us and uncontainable, far beyond anything our human effort could ever reach. If God had left us there, our story would end the way George and Scrooge feared—in despair.
Second, we saw the initiative—the breathtaking grace of a God who does not wait for us to climb up to Him, but who chooses to come down to us. The temple was God’s idea, God’s invitation, God’s promise: “You cannot bridge the gap. But I can—and I will.”
Third, we saw the fulfillment—that everything Solomon prayed for, everything the temple symbolized, finds its yes and amen in Jesus Christ. He is the true and better Temple—God in flesh—who not only draws near but actually closes the chasm by His own blood.
So how can God ever dwell with us again?
Here is the unshakeable, joy-giving answer of Christmas: Because God Himself has crossed the chasm. Because the King we long for has come down.
In Jesus, God walks onto the bridge where George Bailey trembles. In Jesus, God steps into the cold room where Scrooge faces his own helplessness. And in Jesus, God comes to you—wherever you find yourself this morning.
Not asking you to climb. Not asking you to fix yourself. Not asking you to earn His nearness.
But simply calling you to come—to trust, to receive, to rest in the One who has already done everything necessary to bring you home.
Because the good news of Christmas—the good news of Solomon, the temple, and the gospel—is this:
Only God can close the chasm our sin created. And in Jesus, He has.
Prayer
Closing Song: O Little Town of Bethlehem
Closing Words: Church, what a fitting song to end with—because Bethlehem reminds us that the God who dwells in the highest heaven has stepped into our little town, into our little lives, in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the true Temple, God-with-us, the One who crossed the chasm we never could.
Before I close the service, maybe you feel that distance from God… maybe you have wondered whether He could ever dwell with you again. Hear this good news: because of Jesus—His death, His resurrection—there is forgiveness, there is welcome, and there is a way home. If you’ve never trusted Christ as Savior, today can be the day you call upon His name and are saved.
And for those who have trusted Him, maybe your next step is greater obedience—baptism, joining a discipleship group, or pursuing membership here at the church. If the Lord is stirring your heart in any of these ways, I want to invite you to fill out a Next Steps card and drop it off at our Welcome Counter in the foyer. We would be honored to walk with you.
Finally, as we leave this place, remember that God came near not just to save us, but to send us. You will meet people this week—family, friends, coworkers, classmates—who feel the distance from God. Know that He has placed you in their lives to point them to the One who closes the chasm. So go with courage, go with compassion, and go ready to share the hope of Jesus.
Benediction
2 Corinthians 13:14 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
Good Christian Men Rejoice

Romans 5:6ESV

Psalm 102:19–22NIV2011

Matthew 6:9–13ESV

Romans 7:6ESV

Colossians 1:11–14ESV

When Fear Tempts us to Disobey, Choose Obedience

When Pride Tempts us to Redefine Jesus, Submit to His Name

When Sin Tempts Us to Hide, Receive a New Name

Matthew 1:18–25ESV

Matthew 1:20ESV

John 8:41ESV

Matthew 16:13ESV

Matthew 16:15ESV

Matthew 16:16ESV

Matthew 16:17ESV

Matthew 1:21ESV

1 Timothy 1:15ESV

Matthew 20:28ESV

John 3:16ESV

John 17:3ESV

Romans 8:1ESV

John 1:12ESV

2 Corinthians 5:17ESV

Ephesians 2:19ESV

Hebrews 4:13ESV

Acts 4:12ESV

The Chasm

The Initiative

The Fulfillment