2022 Worship Guide

Page 18 2022 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 1, 2022 By Pastor Ray Pepple First Baptist Church The celebration of Christmas is a celebration of God’s Love toward man. The baby in the manger is far more than just a tiny child. He is the image of God, the Prototokos. Jesus Christ took on a body of a human so that He would bear in that body the sins of the world. He made the eternal gift of eternal life a reality. And that is the bottom line of the Christmas message. But do not get lost in the magnitude of it all. The incarnation of God in Jesus is nothing if it is not personal. God loves you personally; He knows you better than you know yourself, yet He loves you. He came into this world, took on human flesh, and died on a cross to bear our sin, to pay the price for our iniquity, to remove our guilt. He did it so that you might enter into His presence. But you must respond personally. He calls us to respond in faith. Turn from your sin to Him. Believe in Him and trust Him with your life. The One who created everything will make you a new creature, made in His image, with a new heart and new desires. And your life will never be the same. So, this Christmas can really be a time to celebrate, because you will have the greatest gift you can ever receive. And this Christmas, take another look at the manger. Try to look beyond the tender scene, and see what Jesus knew before He came – that He was born to die. You know, Jesus died for you. He bore our sin. He paid the price for our salvation. He guaranteed our sanctification. Jesus Christ destroyed our enemy. And now He is our sympathetic high priest. Right now, He is seated next to the Father in heaven, ready to make intercession for us. This is the greatest gift ever! The Eternal Gift of God