Hour Of Decision - The Mystery of Bethlehem(1955?)

Where are you? [Music] Greetings, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to another hour of decision. We're delighted to have the privilege of coming back into your home again today to bring you a message that we trust will change your life. I'm praying that this hour will be really an hour of decision for you. I'm going to speak in a few moments on a mystery, the greatest mystery in the history of the world. It's the mystery of Bethlehem. In a few days, it'll be Christmas. And here on the hour of decision, we're in a holiday mood. Everybody's thinking about Christmas and talking about Christmas. And Bev and Cliff are over here decorating the Christmas tree now. How you getting along, Cliff? Just about have it. Bev, how's the nativity scene coming? Just fine, Cliff. Just fine. This star, I believe, needs a little straightening. Is that about right? Well, I'd put it a little more to the right there. Don't know which way you mean, but that's Well, over this way. All right, fine. I think that'll have it. That's fine. By the way, Billy, there's another bag of or there's a package of tinsel to put on if you want to. Did you fellas know that the uh Christmas tree, unlike many of our customs and ceremonies, is only come into use during these recent years. Legends of course take it back to the time of Christ. But the first actual historical record we have of the Christmas tree, it gives it a date of 1600. German writers tell us that the custom originated with Martin Luther. And Martin Luther used to bring the tree into the home and with the children gathered around, they'd place candles on the tree that were to represent the stars that shone so brightly that memorable night. You know, little did the surrounding country in the little town of Bethlehem realize that prophecy was being fulfilled with the birth of the Christ child. The beloved Christmas story is so known to us all states in Luke 2 these words. 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, good will toward men." And it came to pass when the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, "Let us now go unto 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. [Music] Oh little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie. Above thy deep and dreamless sleep. The silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark street shineth the everlasting light. The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee. [Music] The time now. Christmas. The place. Hometown USA. Perhaps this is your living room. The stockings carefully hung over the fireplace. Everything seems to be there in its proper place. Yet, for some reason, even so significant a season as Christmas fails to penetrate the atmosphere. Something is missing. Or should I say someone is missing. Have you any room for Jesus? He who bore your load of sin as he knocks and asks admission. S won't you let him in? Room for Jesus, King of glory. Hasten now his word. Obey. Swing the heart widely open. Did him enter while you may room for business, room for pleasure, but for Christ the crucified, not a place that he can enter in the heart for which he died. Room for Jesus, King of glory. Hasten now his word. Oy. Sling the heart door widely open. Did him enter your man? [Music] Yes, someone was missing. The one about whom the prophet Isaiah wrote, "For unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [Music] You know, there is a mystery connected with Bethlehem. I want you to go back some 2,000 years ago to that beautiful night when the wise men were coming out of the east to bring their gold and their frankincense and their myrr to do homage and to pay tribute to the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. These wise men had come probably from over in Babylon and they had read all the prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the coming of the Messiah. They knew that Jesus Christ was to come. They knew that he was to be born in a manger. They knew that he was to be born in the city of Bethlehem. And they had been watching for 600 years for the coming of Jesus Christ. And they'd handed it down from generation to generation. And now when they saw his star in the east, they started on their long journey to come to see Jesus. And they came into the stable that night. And I can see that scene as Mary and Joseph are there. And there in the little manger is Jesus. He's just a normal baby. He probably had brown or blue eyes, and he probably had fat cheeks. We don't know exactly how he looked, but he looked like any other baby. And I imagine that those wise men wondered to themselves, can it be true that this little baby right here in this manger, this stable, is that the king of kings? Is that the creator of the universe? Is that God of very gods? They could hardly believe that this was the great mediator. This was the great reconciler. This was the one that was to bring the human race back to God. Because the Bible teaches, ladies and gentlemen, that we are separated from God. And the Bible teaches that the only way back to God is through Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the father but by me." There are four things that I want you to see about this mediator. I want you to see first of all that this mediator is the mediator of world creation. And in Colossians 1:6, it says this, "For in him has everything been created which is in heaven and on the earth." In other words, Jesus Christ created the whole universe. He flung those stars and planets out from flaming fingertips, the suns, the Milky Way. All of it is his creation because Jesus Christ existed before time began. Before Bethlehem's manger, Jesus Christ existed in eternity. Jesus Christ was God of gods. He scooped the valleys and built the mountains and hung the leaves on the trees. He created you. He's the God of creation. And then the second thing about Jesus Christ, he is the mediator of world preservation. I want you to see this verse of scripture in Colossians 1:17. Listen. In him all things hold together. In Christ all things hold together. He is the great cohesive power. this desk, everything about us here in your room, that television set that you're watching right now, would all fly into a thousand pieces were it not for the cohesive, holding, preserving power of Jesus Christ. These clothes that I wear, hold together by the power of Christ, the Bible says, if Jesus Christ would take his hands off this world, for one moment, we would fly into millions of atoms and be completely destroyed and disintegrated. It is the power of Jesus Christ. And then the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is also the mediator of world redemption. The Bible says in Colossians 1:20, listen to this. Through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. Do you know why Jesus Christ came to this world? Jesus Christ came not to be born. Now, in about 10 days, we're going to make a great deal of Christmas and the birth of Christ, and that's natural and right. But Jesus Christ did not come for the purpose of being born in order that we might have a great holiday. Jesus Christ came for the purpose of dying. That was his mission. He looked over the battlements of heaven centuries ago and saw this world lost and doomed and separated from God. And he said, "I'm going down to save that world." And Jesus Christ threw off his royal robes. He left the royal rooms of heaven. He left the angels. He left God the Father. And he came to this earth. You know, one day I was walking along and I stepped on an antill. And I thought to myself as I saw those dying ants, I wish I could go down and be just an ant for just a moment to talk to those ants and tell them that I didn't mean to. That's the way it was with God. God looked down over the battlements of heaven. And God said, "How can I tell men that I'm a God of love, that I'm a God of mercy, that I'm a God of longsuffering? The only way I can do it is to become a man." And that's exactly what happened, ladies and gentlemen. Jesus Christ became man. He was God. God became man and God lived among us and God walked among us. And Jesus Christ, the son of God, lived among men. That's the great mystery of the manger of Bethlehem. That's the great mystery of the incarnation. And it's the only way of personal salvation. Because if you could have been saved any other way. If you could have gotten to heaven any other way, Jesus Christ would have never come. But thanks be unto God, he did come and he's become salvation to everyone that will put their heart, they'll put their trust in him. And then last of all, Jesus Christ is the Lord of world judgment. The Bible says the father hath committed all judgment unto the son. Jesus Christ is someday going to judge the world. Yes, that little babe in Bethlehem's manger that grew up to be a carpenter's son that died on a cross that rose from the dead. That son, that person is going to judge the entire world. And he's going to judge you someday. Unless you come to Jesus Christ now. He's your savior now. He wants to save you now. If you'll put your trust and your faith and your confidence in him, if you will commit and surrender your life to him, he'll save your soul right now. But if you don't, someday he's going to be your judge. And the Bible says he'll have no mercy then. Your one chance of being a Christian. Your one chance of saving your soul. Your one chance of getting to heaven is here and now through the life and person of Jesus Christ. Now I'm going to ask if you will accept Christ right now. Will you bow your head and let me pray for you? I want to pray for you right now that you might accept Christ and become a true Christian. Shall we pray? Our father, the most wonderful time to become a Christian would be at this holiday season, this Christmas season, when thousands of people are thinking about the birth of Jesus Christ. We pray that that person that has listened to this message, whether he's old or young or whether she's beautiful or homely, whoever they are, we pray that they will come to know Jesus Christ as personal savior and lord right now. For we ask it in his name. Amen. My Jesus, I love thee. I know [Music] thine. For thee all the fies of sin. I resign. My gracious redeemer, my savior, art thou. [Music] If ever I love thee, my Jesus is now. [Music] Oh little child of Bethlehem, be born in us tonight. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] What? What? [Music]