The Non-Negotiables

0:07 So much drama, so much money being spent. By the way, Christmas is not about what's under the tree. It's about what happened on the tree. Amen. Thank all five of y'all for that rousing amen. I want to spend some time and talk about Matthew chapter 1. If you have your Bibles, turn to Matthew chapter 1. I want to talk about... As a matter of fact, if I was to Tyler this message, I would call it the non-negotiables. Somebody say the non-negotiables. There are some things that are not negotiable. That's what I want to talk about. I want to talk about it because I think it's important that you understand, that you comprehend and understand and have a conviction about some things that we will not compromise on as Christians.

1:11 I've spent a lot of time in the course of my life debating and arguing with people on various topics and subjects from when is the rapture and how long is a millennial going to last? Who's going to be in a millennial? Who's going to be here when the millennial happens? And we talk about all kinds of subjects people want to debate about. But there are some things that are not debatable. We're not going to argue or discuss. And I think it's important that you understand what those elements are. And for the few moments that I have, I think I'm going to preach for about 15 minutes.

1:47 Y'all don't mean that. Stop lying. You don't mean that. Just for a few minutes, I want to talk about and make sure you understand what those some of these keys. This is not a full list of non-negotiables, but I want to talk about the things that are non-negotiables that are around the Christmas celebration. and you know different churches and different organizations and different religious institutions believe different things everybody does not believe like traditional Christians believe the Mormons don't believe what we believe the Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe what we believe the Muslims don't believe what we believe these are these are distinct things that we hold to be truths that we will not compromise on. And that's what I want you to understand that thing. So in chapter one of Matthew, it talks about the birth of Jesus. As a matter of fact, I got just three points today.

2:41 I could have 20 non-negotiables, but I'm just going to focus on three key things that center around Christmas. The first one deals with, somebody say the first one deals with. The pregnancy. That's point one, the pregnancy. Now this is a very important deal, the pregnancy of how Jesus came. It's about, it is a, point one is about his miraculous conception. He was, here's what verse 20, Matthew 1.20 gives us some insight. Here's what it says, verse 20. Let me start at verse 18. I'm sorry, let me start at verse 18. I'm going to focus on verse 20. Verse 18 says, now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. After his mother Mary was betrothed, that word betrothed means engaged, was engaged to Joseph before they came together. Somebody say before they came together.

3:39 Just for those who don't know what that means, that means before they had sex. she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly, to end the engagement secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying, Joseph, son of Mary, do not be afraid to take to you Mary, your wife. For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. This is a big deal. It's a big deal because it distinguishes Jesus from you and I. Amen.

4:32 You here because your mama and daddy did it. Go ahead, tell your neighbor. That's why you got here. you're here today because of the interaction between a man and a woman but that was not the case with Jesus his pregnancy was unique and different and it puts him in a separate category he's not like the rest he's not like any of us he is unique in that way and it's important that you understand that. By the way, let me slow, can I slow down? Somebody say, slow down, Pastor. You know, the thing that's great about being a Christian is this. God says he will change your life and empower you to live a spirit-filled life solely based on what you believe in.

5:27 You put your faith in Jesus Christ and God says when you believe in him, he will empower you to live holy. He will empower you to live a victorious life. He will empower you to be free from guilt and sin and shame when you put your faith in the Lord. Everybody does not believe that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. But that's what the scripture tells us. We put our faith in this, that that which was in Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit. It is the unique pregnancy that he came into the world through the means of the Holy Spirit in planting the seed of Jesus in the womb of Mary. And when we put our faith in that, it makes all the difference in the world of how you live your life.

6:15 I'm not talking about you just put credence in it. I'm not talking about you just saying it happened. I'm saying you believe to the core of your being and into the bottom of your heart that Jesus Christ came from heaven, conceived by the Holy Spirit. He's unique. He is uniquely God. I wish I had an amen right there. I'm coming right there. I'm trying to tell somebody that Jesus is a unique person. Lean over and tell your person, your neighbor, tell that joker, tell that whoever it is sitting next to you that the pregnancy of Jesus was unique and special. Unlike you. Go ahead, tell them, unlike you. It was a divine impartation. It's a divine impartation. And we just blow it away like it's no big deal. It is a big deal.

7:10 it's a huge deal it's a special deal it's not Jesus was not conceived by the effort of what a human being did not by the effort of what a man did it's special because it was the work of the Holy Spirit can I get an amen like that it was a miraculous conception that's point one here's number two here's my second non-compromised thing Number one, I don't negotiate about the birth of Jesus, his practice, the pregnancy of Mary with Jesus. The second thing I don't compromise on is the purpose of why Jesus came. Somebody say the purpose. Verse 21 says, and she, verse 21, will bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins. Don't sleep this point because here's something I know about everybody in here.

8:20 You have sinned. Go ahead, look at the person next to you. See if you can figure out how big of a sin that they have been. Did y'all figure it out how big of a sinner? Here's the deal is there's no difference between the big sinner and the little sinner. Every sin will send you to hell. But the great news about the purpose, the whole reason Jesus came, I love this, is that he came to save his people from their sin. Now, I want to shout about that, but hold up. I feel tension in the room because it says he will save his people. Now, he was a Jew. Jesus was a Jew. I know people want to debate if Jesus was black, Jesus was white, Jesus was this, Jesus was that. All I know is he was a Jew.

9:16 come on look at your neighbor I don't know if he was a don't matter to me his blood was red y'all say amen right there his blood was red he said he will save his people that relegates to the Jews so how do we claim it because when the Jews rejected Jesus he did something spectacular he opened up the gates of heaven for Gentiles which means that's you and I when the Jews rejected him, when the Jews crucified him, when the Jews didn't believe in him, God opened up the door of opportunity for you and I to be able to accept and receive Jesus as our personal savior. And he, God opened up this opportunity for us to be able to have a relationship with God. I don't know where y'all are, but I'm thanking God that he opened up the windows of heaven to let us in. We were aliens. We were on the outside. We were not being considered a part of the house of God, but God opened up the windows and the doors of heaven and gave you and I, Gentiles, jacked up jokers, an opportunity to have a relationship with God.

10:27 Somebody ought to thank God that God opened up that door. the scripture says in John 1 12 he came unto his own and his own received him not they didn't receive him but thanks be to God they didn't because when they didn't it gave you and I an opportunity to have a personal relationship with God and you know what that means? That means he made us his people.

11:01 Go ahead, look at your neighbor and say, you his people. You're a part of his family. He opened up the door for you and I to be saved. I'm giving God the praise. I'm thanking. I'm running around this building. I'm giving God the glory because he made us his people. I'm a child of the most high God. I am a servant of the living God. I am an instrument of the almighty God. My life, I'm an instrument of God. I am his servant. I don't deserve to be here. I didn't get here. I didn't get to do what I do because I dotted every I and crossed every T. The truth of the matter is I missed the mark. I messed up. I failed to be what God wanted me to be. But thanks be to God, he reached down in the hell hole that I was in and pulled me out of that hell hole and gave me life and forgave me of my sins and made me his child. I am his child.

12:01 And so are you. Somebody say, so are you. I don't know who I'm talking to, but somebody here today feels like they're so far past God being able to deliver you. But I got good news for you. I don't care what you did, when you did it, how recently you did it, how often you did it, who you did it with, where you did it. I got great news. There's a bomb in Gilead that will wash away your sins. There is hope for you. If you put your faith in Jesus, he will forgive you of your sins. Amen. High five your neighbor and say, I believe that. I put my trust in that.

12:43 I'm almost finished. I told you I only got three points. It's the shortest sermon you'll ever hear me preach all day today. This will be it right here. I'm thanking the Lord for the purpose of why Jesus came, for he will save his people from their sins. whatever your sins are whatever you got addictions for whatever issues you have in life he will deliver you from those addictions all it requires is you to put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ amen can I get an amen right there from anybody here's my third and final point y'all notice ain't nobody say take your time right there for that third Thank you. Thank you. Amen.

13:33 It's in verse 23. Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is translated God with us. My third point that's non-negotiable is the person of Jesus. his nature let me give you another word the personality of Jesus did y'all notice I had all peas in my all my points started with a P go ahead and say preach pastor go ahead preach pastor the person of Jesus what is the person the person is this he is God with us everybody don't believe that jehovah's witnesses don't believe that jesus is god the mormons don't believe jesus is god the the Muslims don't believe jesus is god I'm going down the list of people but we believe that when jesus came it was god coming to dwell among us john 1 14 says and the word became flesh and dwelled among us I don't know where y'all are but I'm glad about the fact that God left his seed in glory and came down through 42 generations, was born of a virgin, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and hung out with us. That's what's so special about Christmas is when God came and hung out with us. That's great news. And guess what? He didn't stop hanging out with us when he was born in a manger. He hangs out with us when he came into your heart and life. When you called out on him, he came and took residency in you.

15:19 That's, oh, y'all don't get the point of how powerful it is. That's such a special thing that God would dare hang out with you. That God would dare be with you and go with you wherever you go, when you get there, Jesus is right there with you. So y'all don't need to be stressed out about your troubles or your trials or your issues. Don't get worried about who's in the White House. Our God is greater than any politician. I wish I had a praying crowd with me. The God we serve fights your battles. The God we serve looks out for you. The God we serve is a deliverer. The God we serve cares about you. No weapon formed against you can prosper. No plan of the enemy that the enemy comes with, comes out with, can defeat you.

16:13 You know why? Because God is with us. every step of the way he's with you hallelujah and i give god the praise he is with me i look back over my life and he's with you even when you ain't even calling on him he with you some of y'all should have been dead long time ago but he kept you alive some of you should have been defeated the devil tried to take you out you should have been taken out but god took care of you Thank you. Do I have a witness anywhere in this camp? I want those who know what I believe, just help me pause and give God praise for being with us every step of the way. Hallelujah.

17:14 I thank you, Jesus. Thank you. Thank you for being with me. Thank you for fighting my battles. Thank you for waking me up this morning. Thank you for keeping me when I should have not been kept. Thank you. Hallelujah. I thank God. Here's what's special about Christmas. The pregnancy, his purpose in coming, and the person of who he is. Amen.