Antioch Odessa
Christmas Eve

      • Luke 2:1–14ESV

  • Angels We Have Heard On High (Gloria)
  • Go Tell It on the Mountain
  • Away In A Manger
  • Well Good Afternoon. I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and we are so glad that you have taken some time to gather together with us as we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. In Paul’s letter to the Galatians he tells us in chapter 4 and verses 4-5 some wonderful news.
    Galatians 4:4–5 ESV
    4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
    At just the perfect time in history God fulfilled His promise to give us His Son. And what a wonderful gift that we have in Jesus. We know that as Jesus came to earth God fulfilled His promise that He would send His Son to be the Savior, the Light of this World. In fact, we see that there were many times throughout the Old Testament God is called light.
    Psalm 27:1 ESV
    1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
    The prophet Isaiah tells us that God promised to send us light through His Son Jesus so that we would not have to walk in darkness.
    Isaiah 49:6 ESV
    6 he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
    So, this afternoon we are so very thankful that God gave us the Light of His Son Jesus. The reason why we need to take time to understand this is because we live in a dark world. Everyday we can look around us and see the desperate condition of men and women. We see so many folks today struggling. There are many who are stumbling around looking for truth and are desperate for answers. But because of their spiritual blindness, they only stumble deeper into the gloom and darkness of sin. There are so many folks who are ensnared and trapped by idolatry and immorality which are as Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 11 tells us, the unfruitful deeds of darkness.
    Into this sin plagued world Jesus came as the Light that shines in the dark paths. Jesus himself dealt with this sin problem and here is what he had to say about things.
    John 3:19 ESV
    19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
    Men and women would rather stay in darkness than come to the light and have their sins exposed. They would rather continue to hurt themselves and others around them then to turn to the Light of Christ. This is the problem church, and we so desperately need to come to Jesus. Why? Because men and women need to be rescued from the domain of darkness.
    So there is good news and we need to know this today. Peter tells us about this good news as he tells us why Jesus came.
    1 Peter 2:9 ESV
    9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
    Jesus came to call men and women out of darkness and into his (Gods) marvelous light. In John chapter 8 we see what this light is all about. Jesus tells us in fact that He is this very marvelous light. Turn with me to John chapter 8
    John 8:12 ESV
    12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
    ​
    Here is our Lesson = “The Affirmation of Christ.”
    There are 3 Things that I want you to know about the Lords “I Am Statement.” Jesus affirms to us that He is the Light of the World. One of John’s favorite descriptions of Jesus in his Gospel is that Jesus is light. John describes Jesus this way 22 times in this book. One of the first things that we need to understand here in this statement is that Jesus is not only telling people that He is the light of the world, He is also helping people to understand that He is the Messiah.

    1. This Affirms that Jesus is Messiah.

    The light of the world is a clear messianic title. When people heard Jesus make this statement they should have remembered that the Messiah would come as a light for the nations who would bring God’s salvation to the ends of the earth.
    Isaiah 42:6 ESV
    6 “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,
    So when Jesus stands up and calls out to the crowd that day, “I am the Light of the World,” He is identifying himself as the Christ, the Messiah, the one who fulfills God’s promise to help those who are living in darkness of sin. Jesus Christ alone brings the light of salvation to a sin-cursed world. In a world full of falsehood, Jesus lights up the way so that people can know the truth. In a world full of ignorance, Jesus came to light the way for people to see wisdom. In a world full of sin, Jesus came to be a light of holiness and righteousness. In a world full of sorrow, Jesus came to show us the light of what true joy and peace are all about. Let’s take a look at the second affirmation of Christ. When Jesus tells us that He is the Light of the World this also affirms that Jesus is God.
    ​

    2. This Affirms that Jesus is God.

    The second affirmation by this statement that Jesus is the Light of the World does more than just identify Jesus as the Messiah. It also identifies Jesus as God. By claiming to be the Light of the World Jesus was clearly claiming to be God. The prophet Isaiah said this.
    Isaiah 60:19 ESV
    19 The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
    The analogy of light, as with the Lord’s earlier use of the metaphor of living water back in John chapter 7 was very helpful in regards to the Feast of Tabernacles. There was of course a daily water-pouring ceremony that took place, but this Feast also had it’s nightly counterpart in that of a lamp-lighting ceremony. In this court where Jesus was speaking to the crowd there would have been 4 very large candelabras that were lit so that this whole area was very bright. But why was this so? This served as a reminder during this Feast to help the people of Israel remember a time where God guided them in the wilderness by a pillar of fire. It was against this backdrop during this ceremony that Jesus made the stunning announcement that He is the true light of the Word.
    But unlike the temporary candles that were lit that night for this special ceremony, Jesus came to be our light that never goes out. He is the light that we must look too, and follow. Notice the last part of verse 12.
    John 8:12 ESV
    12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
    Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Are you following Christ? Or are you still walking in darkness? Do you have any joy in your life today or is there just heartache? Has Christ truly changed your life? If not than come to Christ and watch how your life will be changed. Here is that last affirmation that we see in the Lord’s I am the Light of the World Statement.
    ​

    3. This Affirms that we are to follow Him.

    When Jesus tells us that He is the Light of the World He is also commanding us to follow Him. Jesus says that the one who follows Him will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. This light produces spiritual life. Jesus is telling the people who gathered there that the only way for them to leave the slavery of sin is to submit to Christ. And in this context the meaning here means a complete submission to Jesus as Lord. God does not accept or desire a half-hearted commitment to follow Jesus. Either you will continue in sin to be ruler of your life, or Christ will be ruler. The only way for these people or our world today to come out from the slavery of sin is to submit your life to Jesus and follow Him all of your days. He is our Light.
    C. S. Lewis once said, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
    By claiming to be the light of the world, Jesus is saying here, that apart from me nothing in this world will make sense. Until the light of the world in Jesus changes your life, you will never make sense of the things of this world.
    In other words, the Light of Christ can help you see that our world is desperately lost and broken. The root problem is SIN. Our hope is not in a better job, or a new car, or a change of location, or all the presents under the Christmas tree. Jesus came in the fullness of time and He came to defeat Satan, Death, and our sin. Church, Jesus is the Light of the World, and by following Him we can see.
    (Close in Prayer)
    (Lead and Explain Communion)
    At this time I am going to have our men come forward as we prepare to take the Lord’s Supper. As our men pass out the bread and the juice, in just a moment we will take these elements all together. The celebration of the Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of the greatest blessing that the world has ever known. The sacrament really is just a visible sermon.
    You may be here tonight and wonder why do we do this? Why is the Lord’s Supper called the communion of the body of Christ as we see in 1 Corinthians chapter 10? This is because in the right celebration of it we truly have a sweet and wonderful communion with Christ.
    So, today as we come together once again as the body of Christ the Lord’s Supper is meant to be taken only by those who have professed Christ as their Savior. If you are here today and are not a Christian than we kindly ask that you do not partake. Also Scripture gives us very clear direction that we need to take a time of self-examination as believers in order that we do not bring any judgment on ourselves. So, let us take a moment for some self-examination.
    Scripture tells us:
    1 Corinthians 11:23–26 ESV
    23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
    Please be seated while we watch this short video.
    Video = “Silent Night”

      • Galatians 4:4–5ESV

      • Psalm 27:1ESV

      • Isaiah 49:6ESV

      • John 3:19ESV

      • 1 Peter 2:9ESV

      • John 8:12ESV

      • Isaiah 42:6ESV

      • Isaiah 60:19ESV

      • John 8:12ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:23–26ESV

  • Silent Night
  • Go Tell It on the Mountain
Antioch Odessa
acc.it@antiochchristian.org
432-366-5617
http://www.antiochchristian.org
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