It was Christmas Day, 1935, and Ben lay dying on the floor. The 86-year-old body of a mountaineer that had fought its way through so many struggles over the decades had done all the battling it could. Pneumonia was ravaging, and he had little time to live. When word in Hazelwood came to his son Lee by way of his sister-in-law Julie, She said, if you want to see your pa, you better go today. He's apt to not make it. Lee was immediately concerned because he didn't know where his pa stood with the Lord. He stopped by the pharmacy where Doc McCoy came in on his day off and mixed up some medicine so Uncle Lee could take it up Plot Creek Road. And when he got to the old home place, there was his pa lying on the floor in front of the fireplace, the one place he could be warm on a cold December day. He offered him the medicine. Ben Winchester had never had a doctor in his whole life and he wasn't about to start then. Lee told him it didn't come from a doctor. Doc McCoy was just a nickname. He was just a pharmacist. He said, well, set it on the floor. I might. And then Lee asked his Paul what he came to ask him. Because he'd never known him to go to church. He said, What I want to know is, is everything all right between you and the Lord? Do you have peace? Old Ben looked thoughtfully up toward the rafters, thinking back over the many years. One of the scenes that he recalled as he related to his son Lee was that December day in 1861, when he found out that his brother James was coming back home after going off to war. but he was coming home in a coffin. And he saw his ma cry and his pa turn his face away. He remembered when his beloved little girl, Laura, who would stand beside him at night while he took his supper because she loved to be next to her pa, on one particular night in early December, 1879, suddenly started coughing. She spiked a fever. And by morning, her paw was holding her in his arms when she passed from this life. Decembers were hard. But in those moments, as his son with love and an understanding that can only come by the grace of God, shared with him again the words that he had known from his childhood, that the Lord Jesus came into the world to save sinners. There in those moments, in the depths of illness, Ben Winchester assured his son that all was well and that he trusted in the Lord. So two days later when he breathed his last and one of the heaviest snows fell that Haywood County had ever seen and they had to draw the body out to the old cemetery on a horse drawn sled. Lee Winchester was able to give thanks to the Lord because he said he knew he would see his Paul again. Christmas is God's way of reminding us that he says what he means and he means what he says. When humanity had plunged itself into sin and disobedience in the garden so very long before when a serpent had deceived Eve and she took of the fruit and ate it and gave some to her husband who was with her and he ate as well. And that act of disobedience as we all wonder where it all started right. Every school shooting every atrocity every murder every act of injustice we wonder where did he go wrong when the question is where did we go wrong how did this ever get started. Acts of disobedience begin small just like deception can and we build Our woven webs of deception and deceit to cover over one mistruth after another until it is grown into something that is deadly. The poison of sin has infected this world. And it began not with a serpent striking and its fangs emitting poison, but by human beings saying we want to be like God. And suddenly, we find the essence of all of our disobedience. Every little white lie, every deception, everything that displeases God, it's our stubborn way of saying we want to dethrone him and enthrone ourselves. But in the midst of that act of disobedience, God made a promise. Because you have done this, he said to the serpent, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field and on your belly you shall go. And dust, you shall eat. Or in the case of the southwest Florida swamp, it might be something more moist than dust, but nevertheless, on the belly, they continue to crawl. All the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring. He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel. There is a ray of good news in the middle of the darkness. There'll be a separation. There'll be an enmity between the offspring of the woman and the offspring of the serpent. What the woman will produce ultimately will prevail. What Satan will produce ultimately will be defeated. That's the promise. And we read those words and we wonder, bruised ahead, perhaps crushed ahead is more like it. and bruise his heel. Interesting, isn't it, that among the wounds caused by nails driven through the limbs of the Savior on Calvary that day 2,000 years ago, among the wounds received we know would have been those caused when a spike was driven through the feet and the heel indeed was wounded. But the head of Satan is crushed. Now, in between the promise and the fulfillment. Is centuries of warfare. Satan's vain attempts to oppose what God promised would happen. And when you read the Old Testament, indeed, when you look at the news today, you are continuing to witness that ongoing warfare of the evil one against the work and the plan of God doing everything imaginable to thwart it. Now, though he is defeated by way of the cross, there is no animal more deadly than one who is mortally wounded. He continues to rear his ugly head. The warfare continues in every attempt to thwart the purpose of God. But do you know what Christmas says to us? In spite of all of that opposition, social, political, spiritual, fill in the blank. There is absolutely nothing that can keep God from doing what he's promised he will do when he said that the offspring of the woman would try out the offspring of the woman has been victorious for in the fullness of time. God sent forth his son born of a woman born under the law to redeem those who were under the law When Paul pins those words in Galatians that many centuries removed from the events in the garden, he is proclaiming the fulfillment of God's promise that the Son of God has come and the Son of God has triumphed and absolutely nothing could prevent his arrival. Herod. As Keith pointed out, can't you hear the cynicism in those words, bring me word that I may go worship him also. We know he wanted to kill him and we know that his actions immediately following the birth bear that out. Every child two years of age and younger born in the region to be put to death. But there is no amount of opposition political or otherwise that can thwart God's purposes. And you and I need to know on this Christmas Eve that God's promises continue to be fulfilled and that absolutely nothing can prevent that promise from being fulfilled in you. When you turn from what you know is wrong, you know it. You don't need a bald-headed preacher standing up in front of you to tell you, pointing his finger at you when he's got more pointing back at him. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We all are in this predicament. We are all in the pit and we can't get ourselves out. They said years ago in the mountains A fresh grave had been dug in a cemetery. And a man was staggering his way through because he. May well have imbibed some of Grandpa Ben's corn that was sold by the jar. And staggering through the cemetery, he fell in to the freshly dug grave. It had been dug deep. He tried to get himself out and he couldn't. Unbeknownst to him there was someone else who had previously fallen in in like circumstances. Who was crouched over in a dark corny corner exhausted himself being unable to extricate himself from the pit. And after watching this man struggle for some time spoke from the darkness and said it's no use you can't get out. But he did. We're in a dark, deep pit. And we can't get out. The cycle continues, the bad news is amplified every day. But there is rescue. While we cannot extract ourselves, you see, one has come into the pit. suffered the consequences that he didn't deserve. In order to accomplish. Our extraction. And nothing can thwart God's purposes. Not governments 2000 years ago and not now. Not the naysayers 2000 years ago, nor now. With all of the opposition that was marshaled against the coming of Christ in both religious and political, they could not prevent that act wherein Joseph took his bride Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem, so that the promised child would be brought forth at just the right place and in the right time. And all of the opposition that the world had to marshal against that impoverished little couple could not prevent what God promised would happen. And we continue to rejoice. So I want to remind you this evening, Christmas is all about God doing what he says he will do. He means what he says. He says what he means. And when he promises you and me. That whoever. Will come to him, he will in no wise cast out when he promises that when we repent of our sins and trust in the Lord Jesus, we have everlasting life. Nothing can thwart that. And I'm thankful. Because I don't have the means to fight all of the political opposition. I don't have a microphone that will allow me to speak much beyond this building. I don't have the means of conducting the warfare necessary to rescue a depraved humanity from the predicaments it's in. But God, who reigns from heaven, has all power and might and all knowledge. And in His wisdom, He has brought forth In this world, His only begotten Son giving Him in order that the rescue might be performed. And so all of those voices that might still be proclaiming, it's no use, you can't get out. There is one who says, come unto me, you who are weak and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. There is one who says, I have come to seek and to save that which is lost. And if it's Christ the Lord who has come to seek and to save, There is no one who can successfully oppose him. And so it was. Fifty six years later to the day. That Ben's grandson lie in a hospital. And there was absolutely nothing the doctors could do. But having trusted in Christ, In the very year that his grandfather had passed away, in the middle of the night, he cried out, take me home. Take me home, father. And his grandson got to take him by the hand. And say, father. If it be your will. Take my path all home. Because I know we'll be together again. And now in 2024, on this Christmas Eve, I still believe that. Because God means what He says. And He says what He means. And we can believe Him. May God bless you to know Him. O Father, grant to us, O Lord, to believe these things we sing about. These stories from Your Word that we read, to know that they're true. They're not fables and mere poems created by artists with talent to put words together. No, these are words that have been established in heaven have come from you that are an accurate record of things that have really taken place, foretold before they happened, and recorded so that we now, looking back, may have every confidence that you have fulfilled what you've promised. And inasmuch as nothing could prevent the first coming of Christ, nothing will prevent His return. So that we gathered here, trusting in the One who died, We believe in the one who also has been raised and who is seated in glory and whose return we long for, knowing that you've promised it and it will happen. So, Lord, give us confidence. Give us peace. Give us joy. Grant that we may to fall down and worship Christ the Lord. Silent night, holy night All is calm, all is bright Round yon virgin O Israel, your tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace Silent night, holy night Love's pure light Radiant beams from Thy holy face With the dawn of purity we praise Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth I'll pronounce the benediction and then we'll have the hymn of response. And those who would like to take your poinsettias, you may. Thank you for beautifying this sanctuary with them. But I pray that as you go, you may go forth with hope and love and joy in your heart to know that Christ our Savior has been born to you. Bless his name. May grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit be with and abide with you all both now and forevermore. And everyone said together, Amen. The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled. Joyful all ye nations rise, God the Triumph of our skies! Christ is born in Bethlehem on the hill called Angels' Hill.