Immanuel--God With Us

Sunday evening Timmy Ray lead our sanctuary choir, musicians, narrator, and A/V staff in a masterful way which helped us worship God through the presentation of the Christmas program “How Many Kings.” The program used some great songs of the faith of days past combined with some new pieces by some of today’s leading songwriters.  As we closed out the time together I challenged us to think about the meaning of Isaiah 7:14 where the prophet gives us the words of God in saying, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.  Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”  (ESV) After sharing the verse I expounded on the meaning of Immanuel which means God with us.  The principle part of that word Immanuel gives us the essence of what God wanted to do for His wayward creation.  He wanted to reconcile or restore His creation to the rightful place in creation, by His side in an intimate relationship with Him.  There were four words which I used to describe His process of reconciliation:  fellowship, feel, fight, and forgive.  I want to expound and expand on that thought for a moment.
 

God remembered His reason for the creation of mankind was in order to have fellowship.  God longed for the fellowship with His creation.  He missed that time of intimacy such as He had in the Garden of Eden.  The fellowship had been broken when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and follow the deception of God’s enemy Satan.  Therefore as God looked down on the state of man He felt for their waywardness and their sinful state.  He knew that mankind could not handle the necessary punishment for their disobedience therefore He initiated a plan to bring about the reconciliation.  That plan included the birth of His Son in human form to become their substitute for the punishment necessary.  However, because Satan recognized God was seeking to restore the severed intimacy with man he decided to mount an “all-out assault” on God’s creation.  He knew his fate was eternal punishment; therefore, he made plans to take as many of God’s chosen creation with him.  God chose to fight for each of us.  He would not let the enemy have His prized possession.  Satan’s “M.O.” is to “steal, kill, and destroy.”  God said I will fight for what is rightfully mine.  To cap off this plan God then turned to mankind offering forgiveness for their disobedience toward Him. 

 

This final step of God’s plan of “Immanuel” leaves the proverbial ball in our court.  God has initiated the step of redemption and reconciliation by offering a plan to us for fellowship again.  This Christmas we will fellowship with family and friends.  Why not fellowship with our Father?  He has provided every opportunity to for us to have that deep, intimate, and abiding fellowship rekindled.  Will you seize the golden opportunity?  Will you make this a time of “Immanuel” where God is with you in a fresh and new way?  Will you deepen the fellowship to a greater magnitude than ever before?  The God who created you and redeemed you longs for just that, a fellowship of deeper proportions than ever before.

You can have that today by simply stopping to offer yourself to God as He has offered forgiveness to each of us.  This Christmas give the gift that will benefit you for eternity, a gift of a renewed relationship with your Creator and Sustainer, Immanuel.  He is waiting for you today.

Merry CHRISTmas,

Pastor Ric,