Luke chapter number two and Galatians chapter number four. You pray for us this morning and we'll try to share with you what the Lord has placed upon our heart. Luke chapter number two and Galatians chapter number four. Once again remember Our fellowship supper tonight and Christmas supper, we're doing this all together and we would love to have you. If you've not been coming, we've only had one, but if you've not been coming to those, we'd love to have you come and eat with us and enjoy the fellowship. I will say this, some of us are the seniors. I'm not a senior yet. I was a senior in high school one time, but I'm not a senior anymore, okay? I still got a few more years. We had a great trip this week. It was Wednesday. We had the privilege of going out to eat with some of our seniors. And man, that was just, or Tuesday, we just had a great time, grand old time in the Lord there in Dahlonega. And if you put it down the second Tuesday, we'll do something in the evening of the second Tuesday of January. And so you put that down, go ahead and put that down on your calendars. We'll do something in the evening. And we're just going to try to get together and have some fellowships with our seniors. And young people, I'm not leaving you out. So just, uh, uh, we're going to do some, we're going to work on some things and that too, but Galatians Luke chapter number two in Galatians chapter number four, I want to begin reading first in Galatians chapter four. And then I want to go to Luke chapter two. And, uh, you do know that in the, the book of Luke in chapter number two, their greatest story ever told. as you'll find in Luke chapter number two, the greatest story ever told. Behold, the Bible says, and the angels said, good tidings of great joy. Behold, unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. The greatest story ever told was the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, that a Savior was born into this world Let's look in Galatians chapter number four, verse number one. Bible says this, now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all, but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Verse number three, even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. Brother Jack, here's your word. But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God has sent forth..." Man! I hope it becomes as real to you as it just become to me. that one day God put it into my life. Hallelujah. Well, glory. I'm going to have myself time this morning. I'm going to enjoy what God's done for me in my heart. How did he change my life? Made me a new creature. Old things has passed away and behold all things have become new. Why? Because of what happened in Luke chapter number 2. A virgin conceived and brought forth a son. You do realize that I don't know that it happened on December the 25th. I don't know what day it occurred. But God help us all to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. and what it means and all by the way let me say this to you uh... we're going to have a more in service next sunday morning they will be eleven o'clock we are partaking of the lord's supper next sunday morning okay after service he said his office you do this to do this in remembrance of me and what we're more more fitting of a time than to be reminded of what he did for us and to do it in remembrance of him than that which we celebrate his birth to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father, wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son. And if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Father, I love you. Thank you, Lord, for this day. Thank you, God, for the privilege, Lord, that you give us this morning. And I pray that, Lord, God, that you would ever make these words come alive to our heart, our mind. I pray God for anointing. God, unsend a priest that my speaking and my preaching would not be of enticing words of man's wisdom, but God in the demonstration of spirit and of power. Lord, I pray you'd anoint the ears of this congregation. Lord, I pray the Spirit of God would speak to their heart. Lord, help us, God, to remember that Jesus is the reason for the season, that one day, Lord, God, we found ourselves with a problem, Lord, but you budded in. Lord, I sure am glad for that day as an 18-year-old boy that, Lord, you budded into my life. Lord, I was ascended on my way to hell, but, Lord, God, that day, Lord, you made a new creature inside of me. Lord, I love you. Lord, I thank you today for all that you've done. In Jesus' name, I humbly pray. Amen. Look in verse number 3, we have a problem. We have a problem, all right? I don't know which spaceship that it was or spaceship or which space trip that it was, but they came back and they said, Houston, we have a problem. May I say to you today, world, we have a problem. What's that problem? Well, let's look in verse number three. Even so, when we were children, we were in bondage under the elements of the world. Now you do realize today, if you'll look there also in Ephesians or Galatians chapter 3 verse number 13, you'll see that we were not only under bondage from the elements from the world, but we were also cursed because the Bible says in verse 13, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." Well, why were we in bondage? Why is the world in curse? Why is the world under a curse? Why is the people in bondage? Well, we know the story of Genesis chapter number 3, that where God cursed the world, Man brought himself under the bondage of sin. Romans 5.12, Wherefore is by one man sin in the world, and death by sin, so that death passed upon all men. May I say to you today that one time I was in bondage, but I have been made free. And beloved to whom the Lord has set free is free indeed. But church, I want you to understand The world has got a problem. The world had a problem in this day. The world had a problem there as the dispensations, as the good doctor talked about this morning, the different dispensations of time, how that God dealt with man. The world had a problem and that problem was sin. That man was under the bondage of sin. That man was under the curse of sin. And there was a problem in this world, and may I say that problem still exists, but thank God for verse number 4, the very first part of that verse where it says, but. Beloved, there is a problem, but God made a difference. Beloved, God made a change. But God entered into this situation. And beloved, there it says, but God. I'm thankful for the day, for the times in my life that God butted in. I hope you are. Because I want you to understand, next Monday as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I want you to be reminded that God butted into this world's problem. Look at what he says right here. But, but, there's a plan that was in place. There's a plan that was in place. What was this plan? when the fullness of time was come. Let's go back to Luke chapter number 2 verse number 1. I want you to look at the timing of this. You understand that the children of Israel was under Roman rule and Roman bondage and their children were being took as slaves and the Lord had been silent for 400 years. There had been no prophecies. They did have some manuscripts of the Word of God, but God had not spoken. They were wondering if God was ever going to intervene and fulfill the prophecies of the Messiah coming. Think about that just for a moment. Think about the bondage there that they were under, the rule that they were under, the extreme oppression that the children of Israel there was under. God had cut his voice off. There was no word coming from heaven. And for 400 years of silence from God, they was wondering, does God really care about my bondage? Does God really care about my situation? The Roman rule is coming in and taking over my families and they're taking my children and they've took everything that I have. Does God really care? Well, let's look here in verse chapter number two. Look at this timing. Verse number one, and it came to pass. Why did it come to pass at this time? Well, according to Genesis chapter four, verse number four, the fullness of time was come. That's what the Bible says. I don't understand it, but all I know is this, that when the fullness of time was come, beloved, in Luke chapter number 2, it came to pass. And beloved, I'm glad today that when God butts into our life, and beloved, it may not be today. not be tomorrow, but there's a day coming, beloved, in your life. There was a day coming in my life when I was lost and on my way to hell. Beloved, that it came to pass that God stepped out of the heavens and walked down in the bowels of my soul and made me a new creature. Beloved God, and it came to pass when the fullness of time was come in my life. But I'm talking about the fullness of time of this world. When the fullness of time was come. You do realize that this Timing of this was not by accident. I mean, it was prophesied of. Isaiah 7, 14, Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Immanuel. Being interpreted, God with us. Revelation chapter 13 verse number 8. And all they that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. You do realize, church, that before God ever spoke the first word there in Genesis, I'm there where it says, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. I'm before the first bird ever sunk. I'm the first grass ever came forth out of the ground. Before the first tree ever produced fruit, that Jesus Christ, that God had a plan to send His only begotten Son into this world, to make a difference, to redeem them that was under the bondage of sin, to redeem them that was under the curse of the law, and that it was a perfect time to plan. See, God had a plan. We had a problem. But God had a plan. I'm glad to know that when I do have problems, God's always got a plan. 4,000 years before it ever happened, God had a plan. Not only the timing of this plan, but I want you to notice the theme of this plan. Go back to Genesis chapter, or Galatians chapter number 4. Let's look at the theme of this plan. but when the first number five but when the fullness of the time was come god sent forth his son made of a woman made under the law here's the thing with the plan to redeem to redeem to buy back to purchase now i've got a question i'm thankful that i my wife loves me okay i'm thankful that my children loves me But I do not understand. I have never been able to explain, as y'all sung about the song. I know why, but it does not mean that I can explain it. Why that the God of heaven, from whose face the heavens and the earth fleet away, why that the God of heaven would take interest in someone like me. As wicked and as undone as I was, that he would purchase me. On the auction block of sin as there in the book of Hosea and as he bought her back I wondered Lord why would you buy me? Why would you purchase me? Why would you redeem me? And as we go into this Christmas season, and I still tell you, I can't explain it. I can tell you why, but I can't explain it. May the Lord help us to remember that the theme of Christmas is redemption. But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under a law. Not only the theme. I want you to notice we've got the problem, we've got the plan. I want you to notice the provision. Look at this. What did God do? God sent forth His Son. God sent forth His Son. It's the provision. Genesis 22, Abraham and Isaac was going up the mountain. Abraham had left the three men and he said, I and the latter go in yonder and worship and will come again unto you. And Isaac said, my father, here's the fire, here's the wood. He said, but where's the land? Genesis 22, Abraham said, son, will provide himself a lamb. You do realize today, let's go back to the fact that God butted into your life. And the reason that God butted into your life and that God butted into my life and that God butted into this world is because there was a problem that we had that we could not fix. that we could not control, that we could not make better, but God provided Himself a lamb. Beloved, He didn't go looking for somebody else to provide it for Him. He provided His own. And beloved, as He was a lamb slain before the foundation of the world, John 3, 16, for God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life, for God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. I'm glad that God had a plan. I'm glad that God made the provision. I'm beloved, but I'm glad today that there are some people that chose to participate. You say, why do you mean? Well, look at this. God sent forth His Son, what? Made of a woman. Why was he made of a woman, not made of a man? Dr. Webbs can tell us. I'll tell you why he's got that in there. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sin. Why does it say that he was made of a woman? Do you know that never, never ever, and know that one of them things I cannot explain, never ever while that child is in the womb does blood pass from woman to child. It always comes through the male seed. Always comes through the male seed. See God was providing himself a lamb. He wasn't waiting for a man to provide him one. Why? Because man was cursed. Man had a problem. But he was made of a woman. That's why it said, Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Immanuel. And because, beloved, you and I have cursed blood going through our veins. Beloved, but the blood that the Lord Jesus Christ had was God's blood. And there she was conceived by the Holy Ghost of God. And, beloved, as we go into this Christmas season, help us, God, help us to remember, beloved, that when that virgin conceived, that it was God's Son that was being born. It was God's son. There was participation. Remember, he came to Mary and she said, Lord, I've not known a man. He said, the Holy Ghost will overshadow thee. You can go look in Luke 1, 26 through 38. I'm not going to go there. But when the angel first came, she said, Behold, thy handmaiden of the Lord. She was willing to do whatever God wanted. Willing to do whatever God wanted. Not knowing. the outcome of the situation but could you imagine and I'm not Catholic by no stretch former imagination and I don't pray to Mary and Mary's not my mother Peggy Cantrell Nix is my mother okay Mary's not my mama and I ain't praying to her but she was the mother of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and could you imagine can you imagine that young lady and the glory of God that was inside of her. Think about this just for a moment. But yet not even knowing the full outcome of what was going to take place. And God walked out into her life and said, I want to make you a part of this. I'm going somewhere. You do realize and understand that in God's plan of salvation, that it takes also your participation. Just as Mary was willing, just as Mary was willing to be used by God and for God to do what He wanted to do in her life, I'm going to say this to you this morning, you must participate in your redemption. You say, what do you mean? Well, listen to me. God's not going to force himself on nobody. I'm not Calvinist. God didn't predestine some to go to heaven and some to go to hell. All right. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son for whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. But Brother Bobby, I did have to participate. I had to repent of my sin, and I had to place my faith and my trust in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and that Word of God that He would give me to heaven. And when I did that, when I participated in my redemption, I became a new creature in Christ. But not only that, let's look at this, let's look on a little forward. Let's see, here we see that He was made of a woman, He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, But what does all of this do for you and I? What does all of this mean? Look in verse number 5. Why? Why did God but in? We see man's problem in verse 3. We see God's plan in verse number 4. We see God's provision in verse number 4. We see the woman's participation in verse number 4. But let's look at what the privileges we have because, listen to me, God budded into our lives. I'm going to say that again, listen to the privilege. First of all, you do understand and realize that it's a privilege that God ever budded into our lives. For by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. And yes, God was bound by his word, because the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. But beloved, he appeared to me one time, but I was as lost as a ball in the high weeds. I made a false profession of faith, and he never did have to come to me again. But I was privileged. Are you listening to me? I was privileged. He came back by and he said, you're a liar, but I still love you. I still love you. And I still want to redeem you. You do realize that redemption is a privilege. It's a, it's a, it's a privilege. Thank God for redemption. Thank God that He redeemed me. Thank God that He bought me back. And as I kind of preached my point a while ago when I got ahead of myself, but thank God that He purchased me off the auction block of sin. See, when you purchase something off the auction block, you buy what you want. Okay? Sometimes if You buy things online, you don't always get what you pay for. Right? We've experienced that this week, haven't we, Dr. Wiggins? You don't always get what you pay for. You don't always get what advertised. But God being the all-knowing God that He was, when He's seen me in my sin, and He's seen me in my curse, and He's seen me in my brokenness, and He's seen me in my burden, He knew all about it. And he said, I want that one. I want that one. I know what he's all about. I know what he's going to be. I know the future of him. But I still want him. And man, what a privilege to think that the God of heaven would be interested in somebody like me. Me! I mean, sometimes I understand why He loves some of you, but I never understand why He loves me. But a privilege of redemption, in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sin. For as much as you know, you are not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversations received by the tradition of your Father, but with the precious blood of Christ. as of a lamb without spot and without blemish. Not only the privilege of redemption because understand this I mean think about this privilege of redemption and as Dr. Williams this morning talked this morning about and if I understood this to say there's 6,000 languages that don't have a Bible 5,000 languages that don't have a Bible. And yes we know that from Romans chapter number one that the invisible things of God that he's revealed himself to them so that they're without excuse. Okay? But think about this just for a moment. What if you weren't born in the Bible Belt? What if you was born in the backside of the jungle somewhere where there was no missionary and there was no Bible I'm talking about a privilege I'm talking about a privilege that we can go we can drive within our we can drive with 10 minutes from any one of our houses and hear Bible preaching 10 minutes from where any one of us lives, we may not like, may not agree with our music, and Dr. Williams, they may not even preach out of the right Bible, but there's still some truths in that adulterated word. Okay? But think of the privilege that God has laid out for you and I in our redemption. All because one Christmas. One Christmas. Not only the privilege of redemption, but look at this one. The privilege of adoption. Look at what happens in verse number six. And Verse number 5, "...to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." Privilege of adoption. I love Him, okay? But as ugly as He is, I had no choice. Are you listening to me? I had no choice, Brother Bobby, because he was mine. He was born to me and my wife. You understand that? I didn't have no choice in choosing him. And I can't say that he's ugly because he looks like his daddy, but I had no choice. It's by birth. Are you following me? but adoption brother Ray, you get to choose. Adoption gets to choose. Do you understand that? You go to the adoption agency and you choose. Well, I don't like that one. I don't like their hair color. I don't like her eye color. I like everything about her so I'll take her. That's adoption. And you bring them into your home. You make them part of yours. Do you understand what I'm saying? Adoption is a privilege. Adoption is a privilege. Birth is a right. Adoption is a privilege. And when He redeemed me, He adopted me into the family of God. And now, not only am I an heir of God, but I'm a son of God. I've been adopted into the family. And guess what, ladies? You're a daughter of God. We are sons and daughters that God not only bought us off the auction block of sin, but He walked through the orphanage of sin and He said, I like that one and I want to take him home with me and I want him to be my boy and I want to be his father and I want to love him and I want to provide for him. That's the one I want. I want that one. I want that one. I'm talking about a privilege. That God would choose me. What is it about me that God wants? What is it about me that God's attracted to? I was cursed. I was in bondage. I didn't have nothing to offer Him. I had a problem. But He budded into my life. And He budded into this world. All because one Christmas. All because, and it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria, and all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. And Joseph also went up from the city of Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into the city of David, which is called Bethlehem because he is of a house in lineage of David to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife. And so it was that while they were there the days were accomplished. The days were accomplished. Why? Because the fullness of time was come. That she should be delivered and she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. And there was in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them. And they were so afraid, and the angel said, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Aren't you glad that God butted into your problems? Aren't you glad that He made a difference in your life? But not only the privilege of redemption, listen to me, not only the privilege of adoption, look at this one and I'm closing. Verse number seven, wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son. If a son, then an heir of God through Christ. There's a reception that's coming. You say, what do you mean? Well, an heir receives an inheritance. You understand? An heir receives an inheritance. One day there's a reception coming. One day I'm going to receive an inheritance that's incorruptible and fadeth not away. Why? Because He budded in to my life. I mean, Brother David, it would be fine that He redeemed me from hell. Think about that just for a moment. that He redeemed me from the punishment of my sin, from the bondage and the curse that I was under, that would have been great and wonderful and would have been enough. Because understand this, the day I got saved, I didn't go looking for heaven. I'm honest. You're looking at one, I wasn't thinking a thing in the world about heaven. You know what I was thinking about? Going to hell. I wouldn't look for heaven. I was looking for a way to get out of hell. That's all I wanted. I didn't care if He gave me heaven. I didn't care. I said, Lord, I don't care. You don't have to take me to heaven. Just don't. I don't want to die and go to hell. But look what He gave me when He saved me from hell. Think about it. Look what God gave me when He saved me from hell. See, He redeemed me out of hell. But man, what a privilege to be adopted by Him and be taken as part of His family. But get to this. Think about this. There's a reception coming. I've not received my inheritance yet. I'm an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. Everything that Christ receives, guess what? I receive. Well, I don't understand it. I don't either. but I'll tell you all about it when it happens because it's going to happen it's going to happen one of these days it is going to happen I'm going to receive my inheritance there will be a reception day and all I wanted was somebody to save me from hell but you know All of this happened because Luke chapter 2 verse number 1, and it came to pass. It came to pass. Could you imagine being born in the first dispensation? Or even the second one? The dispensation of conscience? What about this? Could you imagine trying to keep the law? Think about it just for a moment. That your faith in the law was what got you to heaven. But yet you had to keep it. Right? Am I correct? That's what the Bible says. You had to keep it. I mean, every little thing that you done wrong, you had to bring an offering. And it had to be the offering that God described. but man what a privilege to be born in this dispensation of grace that when the fullness of time must come God sent forth his son born of a woman to redeem them that were under the law and to sum it all up that we might receive the adoption of sons that's what Christmas is all about so as we go into this week And as we sing continually, joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her King. Hey, He came first as a Savior. He's coming back as a King. But we can still sing joy to the world, the Lord is come. Alright? And as we sing, hark the herald angels sing, glory to the newborn King. I pray this week that it gets from here to here, and you'll be reminded of what Christmas is all about. Miss Evelyn is coming to the piano. She's going to play some verse of invitation. We're not singing. I don't know how to give an invitation this morning. Maybe you just want to come and say, thank you, Lord. Maybe the Lord spoke to your heart about something else. But I'm glad that God butted into our problems. And may I say to you today, if you're here this morning, and you're still under that bondage, and you still feel under that curse, He's wanting to butt into your life today. And He's wanting to make a difference in your life. He wants to redeem you off that auction lock of sin. He wants to adopt you into His family. Because He's got an inheritance for you that's uncorruptible and fadeth not away. And the Bible says, according to 1 Peter, that it's reserved. It means it's got your name on it. And that it's kept. Read 1 Peter chapter number 1. That it's reserved and it's kept for you. And maybe all you thought Christmas was all about was Santa Claus. It's not about Santa Claus. It's about a Savior who came to save sinners. We're standing all over the house. This altar is open. I