This sermon concludes the three-week series "God Our Home," connecting the longing for God's presence with the reality of Christmas. We recap that God's desire to dwell with His people is the entire storyline of the Bible—from Eden to the New Creation. However, significant barriers like disobedience, shame, lies, and God's holiness keep us from experiencing this intimacy.

The Good News of Christmas is that Jesus came to address every single barrier. He is the "obedience of the one" that makes many righteous. He clothes our shame so we can hide in Him rather than from Him. He reveals the true nature of the Father, dispelling lies. He comes full of grace and truth to make us holy, paying the entrance fee we could never afford. And He empowers us to forgive by first forgiving us.

Scripture References

• Revelation 21:3: "I will be your God, you will be my people, and I will dwell in your midst."
• Psalm 22:3: God inhabits the praises of His people.
• Deuteronomy 8:10-14: A warning not to forget God in times of plenty.
• John 8:28-29: Jesus' perfect obedience to the Father.
• Romans 5:19: "For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous."
• Colossians 3:3: "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."
• Hebrews 4:15: We have a High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses.
• John 14:6-9: Jesus reveals the Father: "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father."
• John 1:14: The Word became flesh, full of grace and truth.
• Matthew 6:9-15: The Lord's Prayer, emphasizing forgiveness.

Key Points

1. Jesus Addresses Our Barriers
   • Disobedience: Jesus' perfect submission overthrows our rebellion. His obedience is credited to us, making us righteous.
   • Shame: Instead of hiding from God in shame, we can hide in Christ. He clothes us in His righteousness, fully knowing and fully loving us.
   • Lies: Jesus reveals the true nature of the Father, dispelling the enemy's lies about God's character.
   • Holiness: Jesus doesn't lower the standard; He pays the price. He comes full of grace and truth to make us holy and blameless in God's sight.
   • Unforgiveness: We are empowered to forgive others because we have been forgiven a debt we could never pay.
2. How to Not Miss His Presence Like the characters in the first Christmas story who did experience God, we must:
   • Worship: Adore Him to gain perspective and crush comparison.
   • Ponder: Like Mary, treasure God's work in your heart. Be curious and wonder about Him.
   • Seek: Like the Wise Men, actively pursue Him. Don't assume His presence; hunt for it.

Conclusion

We don't have to live separated from God. Jesus, Emmanuel, has come to bridge the gap. He has dealt with our sin, shame, and separation so that we can once again stand in the presence of a holy God—not with fear, but with boldness and joy.

Calls to Action

1. Invite Someone: 80% of people are willing to come to church if invited. Use this Christmas season to invite someone to the Fox Theatre service.
2. Worship & Ponder: In the busyness of the season, take time to worship and ponder what Christ has done to bring you near.
3. Come to the Table: As you take communion, reflect on the cost Jesus paid to remove every barrier between you and the Father.

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This sermon explores the deep longing for God's presence and the obstacles that obscure it. While we often associate God's presence with emotional experiences—tears or goosebumps—He is a constant reality. "Emmanuel" (God with us) is not merely a seasonal Christmas theme; it is the entire storyline of the Bible, from the Garden of Eden to the New Creation. God's relentless pursuit is defined by the promise: "I will be your God, you will be my people, and I will dwell in your midst." However, significant barriers often keep us from experiencing the face of God.

Scripture References

• Genesis 3:1-13: The Fall, introducing disobedience and hiding.
• Psalm 51: David's plea not to be cast from God's presence.
• Isaiah 6:1-5: The confrontation between human sin and God's holiness.
• Luke 2:41-52: Jesus' parents losing Him by assuming He was in the crowd.

Key Points

1. The Narrative of Presence The Bible is bookended by God dwelling with man. It begins in Eden, moves through the Tabernacle and Temple, finds its fulfillment in Jesus, continues in the Church through the Holy Spirit, and culminates in the New Creation where no temple is needed.
2. Seven Barriers to Intimacy
   • Disobedience: Sin naturally creates distance.
   • Hiding & Shame: Guilt says "I did something bad"; shame says "I am bad," causing us to hide from God.
   • Lies: The enemy deceives us about God's character and the severity of sin.
   • Holiness: God's unapproachable light exposes our darkness (Isaiah 6).
   • Unforgiveness: Jesus teaches that holding grudges hinders our prayers.
   • Busyness: Prosperity often leads us to forget the God who blessed us.
   • Presumption: Like Mary and Joseph, we can travel days assuming Jesus is with us in the "religious crowd" without actually consulting Him.

Conclusion

During the holidays, we celebrate God being with us, but the pressing question is: Are we with Him? It is dangerous to assume His presence while living distracted, disobedient, or unforgiving lives. Jesus came to remove every barrier—sin, shame, and separation—so that we could once again walk face-to-face with God.

Calls to Action

1. Stop Hiding: Come out of isolation. Confess your sin and let God cover your shame.
2. Check Your Assumptions: Don't assume God is with you just because you are at church. Actively seek His face daily.
3. Release Unforgiveness: Let go of grudges that block your experience of God's nearness.

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*Summaries and transcripts are generated using AI.
Please notify us if you find any errors.

This sermon addresses the deep ache for "home" we feel during the holidays—a longing for the permanent and perfect that the world cannot satisfy. This desire points to the central theme of Scripture: Emmanuel, God with us. This is not just a Christmas slogan; it is the entire storyline of the Bible, from the Garden of Eden to the New Jerusalem.

Scripture References

• Genesis 1-3: Eden, the first temple where God walked with humanity.
• Exodus 25:8 & 29:45: God commands a sanctuary be built so He may dwell among His people.
• 1 Kings 8:10-11: The glory of the Lord fills Solomon's Temple.
• John 1:14: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."
• 1 Corinthians 3:16: "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?"
• Revelation 21:1-27: The New Creation, where God dwells with man permanently.

Key Points

1. The Journey of God's Presence The Bible traces God's dwelling place through history:
   • Eden: The original design where God walked with man.
   • The Tabernacle/Temple: "Mini-Edens" where God's glory dwelt, guarded by boundaries.
   • Jesus: The true Temple; God in the flesh.
   • The Church: Today, the Holy Spirit fills believers. We are the temple of God.
   • New Creation: The final stop where heaven and earth merge, and there is no temple because God's presence is everywhere.
2. You Are a Priest on Duty Just as Adam was called to "work and keep" the garden, and priests were called to minister in the temple, believers are a "priesthood" called to keep and cultivate the presence of God. Every believer houses the Holy Spirit and has a ministry to the Lord that will last forever.
3. Longing for Home is Longing for God Our holiday homesickness is actually a spiritual longing for the New Creation. Earthly pleasures are just appetizers (or "little pink spoons") meant to arouse our desire for the real thing: face-to-face communion with God.

Conclusion

We are currently living as temples of the Holy Spirit, the "embassies" of the coming Kingdom. The next event on God's timeline is the return of Christ and the establishment of the New Jerusalem, where we will finally be "home" with Him forever. Until then, our purpose is to house and cultivate His presence in a world that desperately needs Him.

Calls to Action

1. Cultivate His Presence: Ask yourself, "How am I tending to the presence of God in my life?" Make time for "face time" with Him amidst the holiday busyness.
2. Be Filled with the Spirit: Instead of being filled with wine, fear, or greed this season, intentionally ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).
3. Clean House: Remember you are God's temple. If there are habits or thoughts that grieve the Spirit, clean them out to honor His presence.

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*Summaries and transcripts are generated using AI.
Please notify us if you find any errors.