We welcome you to our family carol service. We want to take a reading from Matthew chapter 1. Just to commence our time together, Matthew's gospel, the chapter number 1. We'll read from the verse number 18 together. Matthew 1, verse 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. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man, not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. While he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thy son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost, and she shall bring forth She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 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. Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did, as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took on to him his wife, I knew her not until she had brought forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus. We come to worship our Lord and Savior this evening, and so we're going to take our hymn books and we'll sing the carol number 79. The carol number 79, O come, all ye faithful, joyfully triumphant to Bethlehem, hasten now with glad accord. We remain seated as we sing our praises this evening. So hymn number 79, page 207, and we'll remain seated as we sing the four verses of this hymn. Peace on earth. Peace on earth. We'll seek now the Lord for his help and his presence and prayer and so let's unite together as we come before the great God as we consider Him even this evening. Our loving Father and our good and gracious God, we humble ourselves, we bow our heads, our hearts before Thee, the great God of glory, the eternal, the everlasting, the omnipotent, the omnipresent One, the One who holds all things, up by the word of his power. We bless thee that we approach thee through the only mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. No other one could interpose himself between us and God, but he who is God and he who is man, perfect God and perfect man, truly God and truly man, the God-man, the man Christ Jesus, we come to worship thee. in thy sacred persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We come to laud and to extol our God. We come to list thy praise. We come, dear God, with ever-thankful hearts for the sending of thy dear Son into this world. We bless thee that, living, he loved me. Dying, he saved me. Buried he carried my sins far away. Rising he justified freely forever. One day he's coming, O glorious day. We thank thee for the reminder of thy dear son coming into this world. He who was the infinite becoming an infant there in Bethlehem. And we bless thee that he grew in stature with God and with men. We bless thee, dear God, that he subjected himself to all the rigors of the law. We thank thee that he fulfilled all righteousness and died that death that none of us could ever die, whereby he became the curse for us. He who knew no sin would become sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. And as we consider him tonight, as we hear, dear God, of the great miracle of the incarnation Your souls go out to him in love and in gratitude. Grand Dear Father, thy blessing upon all who will participate. Help, Lord, we pray. Stand with them, encouraging and strengthening them. We pray for those who join with us via online means. We think, Dear Father, especially of her clerk of session, continue to be with thy servant, Mr. Logan, and grant, dear Father, soon that he'll be found among us once again. We pray, Lord, that you'll bless his dear wife. And, Lord, we pray for the whole family of God. We pray for those who find themselves in hospital, those who find themselves in nursing care, those who are isolating. We pray thy hand will be upon them all. Lord, may we know thy blessed presence. very much in this meeting. Lord, glorify thy son. That's all we desire, Christ alone to be glorified. We say with the angels, glory to God in the highest. Lord, may it be so as we render praise and worship to thee this evening. And so answer now these, our petitions. We pray this in our savior's precious and worthy name. Amen and amen. We're continuing to read the narrative of the Christmas story, the narrative of the incarnation, and our brother Mr. Alistair Brown is going to come to read from Luke's gospel and the chapter number two. Please follow along as God's servant reads the word. Luke's Gospel, Chapter 2, reading verses 1 through to 7. 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 Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, onto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, wife being great with child. And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished 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. We thank our brother for reading the word of God. Now we're going to have a trio, maybe more than a trio this evening. We're going to have the Stewart family singing, and they're going to sing just at this time, and they're going to sing that favorite children's carol, Away in a Manger. We're going to stand down here, guys. Okay, I'll get a microphone fixed for you. in a manger, no crib for a bed. The little Lord Jesus laid on his sweet head. The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay. The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. The cattle are awake, the baby awakes. But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes. I love thee, Lord Jesus, the dawn from the sky, and stay by my side till morning is nigh. I think we could sing the last verse, be near me, Lord Jesus. near me, Lord Jesus. I ask thee to stay close by me forever and love me, I pray. What a blessing that was. Bethany, Naomi and Grace, we thank you. Thank you for being so willing. to take part this evening, and what a blessing to hear our children sing these carols and these songs, and we trust that soon we'll all get back together and singing in groups, but we're very thankful for the Stewart family singing. Going to have another reading, and the reading continues on in Luke chapter two, and our brother Mr. Stephen Thompson is going to come and take the reading from the verse number eight of Luke chapter two. Luke chapter 2, verses 8 to 20. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks 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 sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 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 saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill towards men. And it came to pass as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, let us now go even on to Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told, concerning this child, and they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. Amen. Thank you, Brother Stephen. We're going to just have a little musical part now at this time. We're very thankful for Sister Mrs. Strong who plays for us on a weekly basis and for others are now who have come to join with us and help us out. And her sister, Mrs. Strong, reluctantly, but then willingly, said that she would do something for us. And so she's going to play a trio here of songs, beginning with Silent Night, Joy to the World, and then ending with How Great Thou Art. Thank you, Mrs. Strong. you do do Heimreiter said, and when I think that God his son not sparing sent him to die, I scarce can take it in that on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, he bled and died to take away my sin. Thank God that he'd spared not his own son, but he freely gave him up for us all. Thank you, Mrs. Strong. We really appreciate your faithful ministry down through these many years, and may the Lord continue to give you many more years to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in this way. We know that your ministry is greatly appreciated by all within this congregation. Our brother, Mr. David Junkin, is going to come. He's going to take a reading from Matthew chapter 2, and so let's turn there, and our brother, Mr. Junkin, will come to read the scriptures. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen a star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet, And thy Bethlehem in the land of Judah art not the least among the princes of Judah, for out of thee shall come a governor that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had heard Privilege, called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 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. When they had heard the king, they departed, and lo, the star which they saw in the east went before them till they came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. When they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him. When they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. Amen. Wise men, they followed a star. And we're going to have a solo just at this time. And we're going to ask Abigail to come. And she's going to sing a twinkle, twinkle Christmas star. And so Abigail's going to come and sing. Thank you. Twinkle, twinkle, Christmas star. Wise men follow from afar. To the place where Jesus lay. In a manger full of hay. Twinkle, twinkle, Christmas star. Wise men follow from afar. Like the wise men come today, do not tarry, don't delay. Christ, Christ as your Saviour King, down to heaven you he'll bring. Like the wise men come today, do not tarry, don't delay. Well, thank you, Abigail, for singing, and may the words be the most important thing. Like the wise men, come today, do not tarry, don't delay, crown Christ as your Savior King. Then to heaven you he'll bring, like the wise men, come today, do not tarry, don't delay. May you do that even this evening. We welcome one and all in our Savior's precious name. All those parents can take a deep breath, and now as we come to the announcements, we warmly welcome you. If you're visiting with us, thank you for joining us in the Savior's precious name. To remind you just of Tuesday night, our calendar distribution. Already some calendars have went out. We deliver a thousand of them. into the community, and so there are numbers still to be delivered. Tuesday at 7 p.m. here, the church will go out to deliver those calendars. Wednesday night, 8 p.m., Bible study and prayer time, deputation by Miss Joanne Greer, so remember that and come prepared to give to the work of God, even for Sister Joanne. Saturday is Christmas Day, and we trust that the Lord will bless you as you gather with your families together, I want to just wish you a very blessed Christmas, a Christ-centered Christmas, keeping the Lord at the very heart of it all. And we trust that you'll enjoy your time together as a family. Then we meet for our services at the normal times on Boxing Day. The 12 noon family worship, 6.30 the gospel service. The times of prayer are at the normal times at 11.15 and at 5.45. And I'll preach the word of God in the will of God. It is the last Lord's Day of the month and so it will be building funds. offering Sunday, and those in the church car park can give their gifts and their tithes into the work of God. Just again, thanks to all those who helped wrap those Christmas presents for the children. We really appreciate your help in doing that. There are some feature devotional magazines there in the hallway table. And also there are cards, if you weren't here this morning, Christmas cards, if you didn't get one for your family, then please pick up one of those. They're on the hallway table and so it's really for you to take them this evening. So if you didn't get a card, please take one from our family to your family. Just to remind those of our children's meeting, there are Rodas and Bible lessons that are available there for the new term in the will of God. We'll begin again. in the month of January, and so please take them. You'll find them on the hallway table. The freewill offering envelopes will be available next Lord's Day in the church hallway, and we'll put them out in the will of God. We're going to sing a couple of verses of the number 91, hymn number 91, Tell Me the Story of Jesus. Write on my heart every word. The carol number 91, we'll sing the first and the last verse only of this hymn, hymn number 91. you. friends from the congregation who are serving the Lord Jesus Christ in Tavistock, and they've sent a little update, and I thought, well, what better time could we show it than at our carol service? It is only three minutes long, and so you'll be able to just see a little update of the work, so maybe our brother Mr. Brown could put out the lights if that is possible, and I trust that everything will run very smoothly here just at this time. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day, the night cometh when no man can work. These words of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, regarding his ministry on earth are a great challenge. We have a limited time to fulfil the work God has given to us. Like the Saviour, we must endeavour to be earnest and active in our day. These words are also an encouragement. The Saviour's finished work means that we have the message of salvation through his blood to present to a dying world. It is a great privilege to be called of God to preach his word and in his goodness God has opened this door for me to preach the gospel in the southwest of England. Ruth and I left our home in Northern Ireland on the 1st of September to begin our journey to Tavistock in Devon. A new start always brings a mixture of nervousness and excitement. But we arrived at our new home with the assurance that the Lord was with us, directing the way that we should go. We were warmly welcomed to Tavistock by the congregation on our first Sunday and we enjoyed a fellowship together over lunch after the service. And over the past months we have enjoyed getting to know the people better and we're encouraged by their support and their faithful attendance and their help in the work of the Gospel. As we have settled into the area The Lord has given many opportunities to meet people and to invite them in to our services. In particular, we have made an effort to advertise and make known our carol service with the prayer that unsaved people will be gathered in. Please pray for us as a congregation that the Lord will use our efforts in preaching the gospel to call lost sheep to himself. Thank you for your prayerful support for the Lord's work in Tavistock. Continue to pray that we will know the power of the Holy Spirit, His wisdom, of his guidance in making Christ known in the southwest of England. I trust that that will inform us concerning God's servants as they continue to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in Tavistock. Continue to pray for them. This will be their Christmas away from home and from family, and so let's remember them earnestly in our prayers. We're turning to 2 Corinthians and the chapter 8 tonight. 2 Corinthians chapter 8. We'll begin reading at the verse number 1. Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia, how that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty aboundeth unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power I bear record, yea, and beyond their power, that they were willing themselves, praying us with much entreaty, that we would receive the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord and on to us by the will of God, insomuch that we desired Titus that, as he had begun, so we would also finish in you the same grace also. As ye abound in everything in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. I speak not by commandment, but by occasion, to the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor. ye through his poverty might be might be rich and herein I give my advice for this is expedient to you who have begun before not only to do but also to be forward a year ago now therefore perform the doing of it And as there was much readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have." We'll end our reading at the end of the verse 11, and let's stand briefly for a brief word of prayer. Our gracious Father, we now seek Thy blessing, the help of Thy Spirit in the preaching of Thy Word. Grant, dear Father, Thy hand to be upon the entire meeting, Lord, as it continues, we thank Thee for all who have taken part. May great glory have been brought to Thy name and to Thy name alone. And so we now seek help in the ministry of the Word. We offer prayer now in Jesus' precious name. Amen. You may be seated. The Christmas season reminds us of that great event in world history when Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, left the glories of heaven behind and came to live in this sin-cursed world, that journey. from highest heaven to earth's depths, is beautifully pictured for us in the second verse of Cecil Francis Alexander's carol, once in Royal David City. This 19th century Northern Irish hymn writer penned the words, he came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all. The shelter was a stable and his cradle was a stall, with the poor and mean and lowly. lived on earth our Savior holy. While the ungodly they focus on other things at this time of the year, their parties, their entertainment shows and their feasting. The Christian's mind is taken to the town of Bethlehem and to the squalor of the place where the Christ child was born. The ultimate purpose of His coming was to purchase salvation for all those who would trust alone in Him. That salvation would require Him going to the cross of Calvary because it was to die that He came. We must never forget that beyond the manger there was the cross upon which the Prince of Glory would die in order to secure eternal redemption for His people. For a few moments, I want us to consider the great journey that the Savior took in order to save His people from their sin. And in so doing, we want not only to consider where Jesus Christ came from and where He came to, but we also want to think about why He came. Why did He come into this world? My text for this evening is found in the ninth verse of this chapter that we have read together. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. If you want a title for this message, it's simply those words in the middle of the text. For your sakes he became poor. For your sakes he became poor. As we consider the Son of God and the great journey that He took, when we consider how the Son of God became poor for our sakes, I want us to think firstly about the plentitude that He forsook. The plentitude that He forsook. For our text says, for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, Now, if you had have arrived in Bethlehem the night that Jesus Christ was born, and you had have made your way to the place where the Christ child lay, the surroundings would not have suggested to you in any way that he was rich. No marble floors paved the ground. No chandeliers were hanging from the ceiling. No oak doors were hanging on the door frames. but rather it is the poverty of a building that houses mere animals and the brute beasts of the field that surround the Son of God at his birth. Luke records in his gospel that Mary, she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room, no room for him in the inn. And so if we do not view the Son of God's riches in Bethlehem when He was born, where do we view them? Well, the obvious answer is that this statement in 2 Corinthians chapter 8 takes us back to a time before He was born, because this statement transports us back into eternity and the eternal riches that the eternal Son of God possessed back then. wants to consider a number of things about how rich he was. And then that will demonstrate to us the great depths to which he plunged, the great condescension of our Redeemer, and what he came and where he came from. I want you to think about first the position that he held in eternity past. You see, before the angels were ever created and before the planets were ever put into orbit, Before the sun and the stars were ever flung into space, before man was ever fashioned from earth's dust, the Son of God existed in happy and sweet and blessed fellowship with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. The Son of God was the object of the Father's love, appointed to become the heir of all things and was seated upon the very throne of heaven. This exalted position, enthroned in majesty and in power, was the position that Christ took up in eternity past. How can I be dogmatic about that? We all remember the vision that Isaiah saw within the temple that he records for us in Isaiah chapter 6. Let me read that account to you. It says that in the year that King Uzziah died, I also saw the Lord sitting upon the throne, high and lifted up on his tree, and filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim. Each one had six wings, with twain he covered his face, with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. Have you ever wondered who Isaiah saw that day? Have you ever thought about who this one is that he sees upon the throne? Well, we're not left to speculate who it is. Because John, in his gospel, in John chapter 12, in the verse 41, having taken words already out of Isaiah chapter 6, he now says these words, these things said Elias, or Isaiah, when he saw his glory and spake of him. Of Christ he's speaking of here. He saw the glory of Christ and he spake of Christ in Isaiah chapter 6. So Christ is on the throne, towering above the nations, his triune of robes, they fell the entire temple. I'm told that the majesty and the greatness and the riches of an earthly monarch was measured by the length of the triune of their robe. And here we have not a robe simply going down the steps of the throne, but this robe is so grand and this robe is so great that the very train of the temple is filled to capacity with the very robes of this one who sits upon the throne to demonstrate the wealth and the majesty and the greatness of the one who sits upon the throne. There he sits in supreme majesty. There he reigns in unrivaled authority as the eternal Son of God. The highest place that heaven affords is occupied by the eternal Son of God. His position points me to his riches. Not only the position he held, but I want you to think about the possessions that he possessed. the possessions that he possessed to show us how rich he was and the riches that he left behind. I want you to think about heaven. I want you to think about the beauty of that place. I want you to consider with me the very building materials that were used to construct the home of the blessed. Gold paves its streets. Jasper walls tower above the very mansions that are prepared for his redeemed ones. Those gates within the city are made of a single pearl. The jasper walls, they stand upon a foundation stones that are decorated with jewels such as sapphires and emeralds and beryl. Such does these building materials, such does it demonstrate to us the riches of the Son of God, if He could employ and use such building materials to construct a heavenly home. What house do you know? has a gold driveway? What house do you know has jasper walls built upon foundations of sapphires and emeralds and beryl? What house do you know that has got a door that is made of a single pearl? Such was the riches of the eternal Son of God. Then I want you to think about the wealth that exists in this universe. I was reading NASA again this week. Reading NASA last week for our message on Wednesday night. But according to NASA, the minerals that lie in the belt of asteroids between Mars and Jupiter alone, we're told that they hold wealth that is equivalent, now listen to this, $100 billion for every person on Earth. So for the 7 billion people that exist on Earth, for every one of those individuals, there is wealth within that asteroid belt with regard to the minerals that is equivalent to $100 billion for every individual on Earth. 75 million pounds worth of minerals exists there between the asteroid belt. You'll be going home and starting to build a spaceship to go and try and mine them. Such is the wealth. And how was it created? God spoke it into existence. By the word of His power in that creation week, He created all things within this universe. Consider how the Creator furnished it with and her with wealth. Consider the gold deposits, the diamond fields, the oil reserves that He placed on earth's crust. Think of the veins of ore that are packed with silver and platinum and precious jewels. Just accumulate, just calculate the wealth of the world and surely that you would have to admit that He was rich. He must have been rich if He could have placed such things in this world and here on earth. Whether we look at heaven, whether we look at the universe, whether we look at earth, we find untold riches present in all such locations, all placed there by the One who spoke all things into existence and all belong to Him. We think as we consider not only the position that He held and the possessions that He possessed, when we consider the plentitude that the Savior forsook when He left heaven to come to earth, we think about the praise that He inspired. Before the Son of God came into this world, He was the song of the seraphim. He was the anthem of the angels. He was the chorus of the cherubim. Heaven's symphonies were arranged with him being the very central theme of their entire compositions. Every voice in heaven, whether angelic, whether human, was raised in worship to him who was eternally rich. John saw and heard. and recorded the strain of heaven's choir there in Revelation chapter five, the verse 11 and 12. And I beheld and heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts and the elders, and the number of them was 10,000 times 10,000, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. Oh, the song and the praise that was inspired, and that He inspired, what heights the Savior occupied before He came into this world, what heights He descended. in order to seek and to save that which was lost, what riches He forsook in order to do the Father's will and to delight even in doing that will. Does it not amaze you? Does it not amaze you to think that the Son of God left all this behind in order to redeem you and I from the curse of the law? I would have to agree with what one preacher said. He said these words, ever started out so high as Christ. How rich! As rich, he says, as the glory of God, as rich as the majesty of the Lord above. No one ever began, no one ever started out so high as the eternal Son of God. As we continue to think But how God the Son became poor for our sakes. I want you to think secondly about the poverty to which he stooped. The poverty to which he stooped. Our text informs us that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor. The Gospel writers informs us to the depths of economic poverty. that the Son of God stooped to when He came into this world. Because as we read through those Gospels, we see, first of all, that in His birth He was poor. As we've already stated, Luke tells us that Christ was born and placed and laid in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. There is nothing that speaks more to the poverty of Christ at His birth than the fact that the very king of kings, the very prince of life and the prince of peace was placed in a manger. No ornate, no expensive, no custom-made hand-carved cradle was provided for him. Rather simply, the animals feeding trough They became, and it became, the sleeping arrangements for the Christ child. Behold his poverty. And then when it came to his clothing of this newborn, There are no clothes, new clothes to dress the Son of God, no crushed cotton sleep suit to keep that little one warm, just simply long strips of torn and frayed cloth entwined around this body of flesh that Christ has now taken to himself. There is certainly no doubt in my mind that in birth, He became poor. And then we read his life throughout the Gospels, and we find that in his childhood he was poor. After spending some time in Egypt, the earthly family of the Lord Jesus Christ, they return to Israel and they settle down in the city of Nazareth. The very name Nazareth, it suggests insignificance. It suggests meanness. Nobody wanted really to live in Nazareth. It was a deprived, underprivileged suburb of Galilee. It was so mean a place that Nathanael, who was a Galilean himself, questioned if any good thing could ever come out of Nazareth. He would sarcastically say to Philip, can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Whenever Nathanael came and said that he had found the Christ of God, can any good thing come out of Nazareth? The town in which he lived points to his poverty. And then we consider the family in which he was born into. His earthly father was not a doctor, not a lawyer, not a great businessman as such. He was simply a man of tools and saws and hammers. He was a mere carpenter. He etched out and carved out, excuse the pun, he carved out for himself a living as a carpenter. And then whenever Mary comes to bring the Christ child in before the temple and when her days of purification are ended, Mary doesn't bring a lamb. No, the lamb was for those who had money. The wealthy could bring a lamb, but Mary brings no lamb. Mary brings birds. There was a stipulation in the law of God that if a person were too poor to bring a lamb that they could bring two turtle doves or two pigeons. That's what she brought. Mother scraping together her living, trying to meet or get ends to meet, as it were. And this is all that she could bring. His earthly father, a simple carpenter. His mother couldn't even bring a lamb, but simply some little birds. It shows us that in his childhood, he became poor. And in his adult life, It became no better for him, economically speaking. The possessor of heaven and earth, he never owns a property or a home. He said in Matthew 8, verse 20, that the foxes have holes and the birds have the air of nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head. Word of God records in John chapter 7, 53, that every man went to his own house. And then it goes on to say that having left the Savior alone and having gone to their own homes, John then 8 verse 1 tells us, and Jesus went into the Mount of Olives. That was his home. The Gospels also inform us that it was really because of women, out of their substance, that the Savior was able to be supported in his earthly ministry. He was dependent on the wealth of women. In order to get him through every day, he became poor. His poverty, I believe, is heightened by the company that he kept. His disciples were not chosen from the rich or from those great philosophers. They weren't chosen from the courts of Herod or the plush surroundings of the temple, but rather his followers were from the shores of Galilee, poor. unpolished, unsophisticated, uncultured fishermen. Those were his disciples. He became poor. He had to borrow a donkey to ride into Jerusalem. He had to hire a furnished upper room to hold the Passover feast. In these matters, we see that he became poor. Aye, and in his death, he became poor. He died in poverty. He had no title deeds to lands or property to leave to his mother, no money to divide to his family or friends. All he had left was the clothes on his back, and they became the property of gambling soldiers. He would be taken down from the tree and laid not in his own tomb that he had purchased, but laid in a borrowed tomb. tomb of another, Joseph of Arimathea, and death, we see that he became poor. In material terms, in economic terms, the Savior became poor. However, the greatest poverty Christ entered into, I believe this being the poverty that Paul is speaking of here, was not economic poverty. but rather the poverty associated with his taking on our humanity. That's how pure he became. He became a man. God becomes man. There's the poverty. that Paul is speaking of, not as economic poverty, not the material poverty, but rather the poverty of he who is eternal, now becomes a creature of time, and now is constrained and confined to the freedom of human flesh. When he was born of a woman, he was made in the likeness of sinful flesh. When the Word became flesh, he was made a little lower than the angels. And this is when he became poor. Paul writes of this great stoop. He says there in Philippians 2, verse 7 and 8, that Christ made himself of no reputation. And he took upon himself the form of a servant. and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Oh, the poverty that Christ entered into when he became a man. If you want to try and picture what that would be like, I was trying to think, what would that be like? How could I best describe that to you, of the poverty to which Christ descended into? It would be like us becoming a worm. Like us becoming a worm. That's how great the journey would have been. This is how far the Son of God descended into poverty. What a stoop when the Creator took on the nature of the creature. In condescension through the incarnation, Jesus Christ became poor. Poor. But why did He become poor? Why would He descend from the highest to the lowest? Why would the Son of God descend from such heights and plunge to such depths when it wasn't for His sake? It wasn't for His sake. No, Paul tells us that He did it for our sake. Note the text. You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for your sakes, your sakes, he became poor that we, through his poverty, might be rich. We thought about the plentitude he forsook. We thought about the poverty to which he stooped. Finally, the purpose he undertook, the purpose he undertook, Christ became poor. for the sake of fallen humanity. Before sin ever entered this world, mankind was rich toward God. Adam enjoyed that sweet unbroken, unrivaled fellowship with his God and with his maker. The first man had no fears, no worries, no anxieties, no family problems, no sickness, no heartaches, no pain, no sleepless nights. Adam was indescribably rich in Eden's paradise, and yet he was divested of all of those riches the day that he willfully and consciously committed sin in Eden's garden. He plunged himself into spiritual bankruptcy. He partook of the forbidden fruit. He was divested of all those riches. And ever since that day, mankind has been born spiritually bankrupt before God. However, God through Christ. This is the gospel message. This is the message of this season. that it was through Christ God provided a way back from sin's poverty for the sinner. Because through faith in the person and the work of Jesus Christ, God, who is rich in mercy, He takes the bankrupt sinner and He pours into that desolate soul all of the riches of His grace. Listen what Hannah said. Hannah said these words, 1 Samuel 2 verse 8, He raiseth up the poor out of the dust. and lift up the beggar out of the dunghill, to set them among princes, to make them inherit the throne of glory through Christ's poverty. All those who trust in Him for salvation, they become eternally rich. That act of enrichment is an act of grace. Paul says it, for ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is grace. This is the unfolding of grace in the coming of Christ down to this world, leaving the glories of heaven and stripping to such a deep and a miserable existence here on earth. This is the display of the grace of God. Christmas, the incarnation, is a display of grace. Grace. We who are spiritually poor and bankrupt, thank God through saving grace, can become the recipients of the riches of his grace and the unsearchable riches that are in Christ Jesus and the riches of his glory. The purpose, the purpose Christ undertook to accomplish in his coming was to make the poor sinner rich, not materially rich, but rather spiritually rich, rich in salvation, rich in forgiveness, rich in joy, rich in assurance, rich in peace, rich in life, and rich in death. This is why he came in light day and of all that he did. liked it all that he did to save us from our sin, we must then acknowledge how he must have loved us, how he must have loved us to leave all heaven behind, to leave it all behind for a time, to die upon a cross of sin and shame, how he must have loved us, grace of God, that he who was eternally rich became poor so that we no longer have to be spiritually poor. What love! Is that then not reason enough for you tonight to turn from your sin and place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ just now? The story is told of a Persian monarch who reigned many years ago in great splendor and magnificence. Although blessed with tremendous wealth and prosperity, the king had a heart for the poor, and so he decided that he would dress himself in rags and descend from the lofty heights of his splendor down to the commonest man that he could find within his realm. He would find such a man living in his own palace, That man lived down deep in the basement off the palace. It was his responsibility to continually keep the fires burning within the palace. He found that man among the ashes and the soot and the smoke and the filth of the palace's basement. And so having divested himself, disrobed himself of his royal robes and clad upon his body some rags, the Persian king descended the dark and the damp cellar stairs and came down to where the man was. At mealtime, the poor man gave the king, not known to him as the king, he gave him a little bit of coarse bread and a little bit of water and they ate together and they drank together and day after day, the king continually did this, never identifying himself as the very monarch of the realm. The friendship was struck up, and it came to the moment within the king's life that he thought to himself, I can't keep this up any longer. I need to tell the man who I really am. And so in doing that, he said, I will offer the man whatever he desires. Whatever he asks for, I will give him. And so the king, he said to the poor man one day, I'm not as poor as you think I am. He says, I am your emperor. What would you like from me? The king expected the man to petition him for some great thing, but the man just sat staring and gazing at the monarch and the emperor. The king said, did you not understand what I've said to you? I can make you rich. I can give you whatever you want. What do you want from me? The poor man, he eventually spoke and he said, yes, my lord, I understand. But what is this that you have done, to leave your palace and your glory, to sit with me in this dark place to partake of my coarse bread, to care whether my heart is glad or sad or sorry? He said, even you can give nothing more precious than that. On others, you may bestow rich presents, but to me, you've given yourself. It only remains for me to ask one thing, and that is that you will never withdraw your friendship from me." Beloved, this is what Jesus Christ did for us. Heaven's King came down and He dwelt among men. in order to give them life and to enrich them with his friendship, I, and with his forgiveness. He gave himself for me. That tells me how much he loved me. That tells me how much he cares. Bless God the friendship I have with him. will never be broken, for I am forever His, and He is forever mine. O what heights He came from! O what depths He stooped to for the purpose of saving us, because it was for your sakes He became pure. Oh, let us marvel, and let us stand in adoring wonder, and if we know him not, let this Christmas be the time of our salvation. May God enrich you with his salvation this evening. Let's bow our heads in prayer together. Let's pray. If there is a seeking soul here this evening who desires to speak to us about spiritual things, maybe you're watching in. It's nice to have people watching in, individuals watching in from Scotland today. Maybe you're there, maybe you're somewhere else in the world. Whether there are means that you, whereby you're watching, that you can make contact with us, we'll be glad to speak to you about spiritual things. Don't leave without the Savior, and may we be lost in the wonder of it all, that He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor, that we through that poverty might be rich. And we are. Child of God, we're rich tonight. sins are forgiven, we've got peace with God, and heaven is our eternal home. Our everlasting Father, we come to thee through the eternal Son and by the Spirit of God. We come praying for those who know not Christ. We find themselves purr, so purr, Oh, they may have the best of gifts waiting at the bottom of some Christmas tree. They may have great wealth to their name, but oh, how poor they are spiritually. Bankrupt. Oh, we pray for such. May they turn to Him who is the very epitome of the riches of God. We thank thee that he is the pearl of great price, the one who is worth abandoning all for, in order that we might, that we might obtain him and his salvation. O may sinners leave the poverty of their sin behind, and may they come to trust in the Christ of God. And so part us with thy blessing, and in thy fear. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen and amen.