Covenant of Hope Ministries Sunday Sermon_12_22_2013
Good afternoon, and
welcome to this Sunday Sermon for Covenant of Hope Ministries. I am Elder Cal
Jennings. Find us posted on Sundays and studies on Wednesday. Our locations are
online only:
Our Main
Video Feed: Covenant_of_Hope
We have email (instant
messenger if you need me) through Facebook every day. These are now extremely
variable. We, Elder Cal Jennings and Rev. Laura A. Neff would still be working
this out between the two of us as to what will happen. We will inform you
further regarding changes. These changes were made due to health reasons. The
sermon length has shortened dramatically. We are unsure as to when there might
be video presentations.
Prayer List: We have many on our prayer list. Some wish to remain anonymous, and others only wish to have their first names mentioned. Our prayer list has grown from last week. This is our current prayer list for this week.
- Continue
your prayers for Phoebe Fair’s family as they continue to grieve her loss.
- Please
keep Elder Cal Jennings in your prayers as his health doesn’t know where it
wants to be.
- Please
pray for my friend Teresa’s sister who is in stage four cancer. Keep Teresa and
her daughter in prayer for many other things that have been weighing down on
their hearts, minds, and spirits.
- Please
keep others known by any of us up in prayer for whatever they might need.
- Please
keep my friend Heather in prayer for patience and safe haven.
- Let us
keep another friend, Jeff, and his family in prayer after a disappointment that
has them searching for answers.
- Please
keep my whole family in prayer for the pain, suffering, and chaos we are going
through.
- Please
keep a child from my sister’s classes who lost his mother. He is nine years
old. The family is devastated and needs prayers for solace and understanding.
- Pray that
the adversity and the pain we have seen around the world would be relieved, and
swept away. May we find common ground in many ways, even if we start with just
one step.
- Remember
those who have been lost either violently or peacefully this week.
- Keep the
ministry in your thoughts, each member, no matter their location, their
circumstances, because a group of friends, a ministry, should support one
another.
- There are
many in our ministry who are searching for more in regard to our presence with
my health, and with the health of others. We pray that there would be health
found once more, and that we have answers to all and for all.
- Please
pray for our travelers during this holiday and on through the New Year that
they may be safe and reach their destinations.
- Please
also pray for those who are alone this holiday, that they realize they are
loved.
Prayer: Father in heaven, we thank You for this day and for these who
are here to share it with us. We are blessed with Your love in the birth of
Jesus and the gifts that You brought with Him. We thank you for the gifts of
hope, faith, and love, the gift of peace. We pray that all would hear the voice
of peace, have faith, and hope, and share the love within them. We pray that
pain and strife would cease, hunger would do the same. We are thankful that You
can help each of us to do so. We pray all of these things in Your Holy Name,
through Jesus Christ our Savior, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so
it shall be.
Opening Song: What
Child Is This? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brmRUlKbF7g
Sermon: Since Christmas time is nearing, I thought it might
be appropriate to give the accounts of Jesus' birth. Rev. Laura and I have
worked together on this particular sermon, as it is quickly nearing that
celebrated event of Jesus and His birth in Bethlehem. There are many
similarities and differences between the two gospels, Luke and Matthew in the
accounting of His birth. We’ll start here in the Gospel of Luke 2:1-20 – New International Version (NIV)
2 In
those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the
entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius
was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph
also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the
town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He
went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was
expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to
be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in
cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available
for them.
8 And
there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their
flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of
the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said
to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for
all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to
you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will
find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
15 When the
angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,
“Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has
told us about.”
16 So
they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the
manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what
had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed
at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these
things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which
were just as they had been told.
Now here we see
where the Spirit has brought faith away from the ‘sin’ people believed that
Mary had committed with her expecting Jesus. As we know, in the days of Jesus,
being with child before marriage was considered punishable by stoning, adultery.
Here we see Joseph with faith in God’s angels in the Gospel of Matthew 1:18-25 – King James Version (KJV)
18 Now the
birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to
Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then
Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public
example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while
he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in
a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy
wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she
shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save
his people from their sins.
22 Now all
this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the
prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a
virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call
his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 Then
Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and
took unto him his wife:
Here in these next
verses we see the fear of Herod. The faith of Joseph, Mary, and the wise men
from the east is obvious. They not only follow the star to Jesus, they run when
God’s angel says not to go back to Herod. It takes a lot of faith to consider
ignoring an authority figure, like the king, and leave without telling him
anything about the importance of Jesus’ birth. The beauty of this is that they
LISTENED and also HEARD the truth and the fact that it would put the Savior in
danger, as well as they themselves. Look as the Scriptures shares this in the Gospel of Matthew 2:1-12 – King James
Version (KJV)
2 Now when
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there
came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying,
Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the
east, and are come to worship him.
4 And when he
had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he
demanded of them where Christ should be born.
6 And thou
Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda:
for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod,
when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time
the star appeared.
8 And he sent
them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and
when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him
also.
9 When they
had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the
east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
11 And when
they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother,
and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures,
they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
12 And being
warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed
into their own country another way.
As with everything
in Scripture, there is always something that leads up to an amazing event.
Well, in the case of the birth of the Savior Jesus, there was the birth of His
cousin, John, son of Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin. We see this promise found in the
Gospel of Luke 1:26-38 – King James
Version (KJV)
26 And in the
sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named
Nazareth,
27 To a
virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the
virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the
angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord
is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when
she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner
of salutation this should be.
31 And,
behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call
his name Jesus.
32 He shall
be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall
give unto him the throne of his father David:
35 And the
angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the
power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing
which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And,
behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and
this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
38 And Mary
said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And
the angel departed from her.
Now that’s something to
think about as we pray in the prayer Jesus taught us saying: After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in
heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom
come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day
our daily bread.
And forgive us
our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the
power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew
6:9-13 KJV)
Closing Song: Silent Night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGjByOI9Iqw
Love, Hope, Peace, & Christ Be With You,
Cal-el
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Our mission for Covenant of Hope Ministries and
Poetic-Expressions is not to exploit fear, but to conquer it, and overcome all
that is created through fear together as the rainbow in the darkness.
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