Book: Luke
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Luke 19:10                        The Purpose of His Coming
                                    To Save the Lost
Intro. Crowds have been filling the malls, lights are strung on the eves
       and the front yards of many houses. The decorations are out and
       preparations are in full swing. What is all the fuss about?

I. A child that was born in Bethlehem almost 2,000 years ago.
        A. We recognize immediately that this was no ordinary child.
                1. Cards reminding us of His birth are sent with words of
                   love and greetings.
                2. We see the nativity sets of the mother and Child, with
                   the adoring shepherds and we read the stories of the
                   wise men, coming from afar to worship Him.
                3. What does it all mean? Who is this Child, what makes
                   Him so important that wars have been stopped for a day
                   to acknowledge His birth?
        B. The Bible tells us that this Child is the Son of God, the
           promised Messiah.
                1. John declared, "In the beginning was the Word and the
                   Word was with God and the Word was God, the same was
                   in the beginning with God, all things were made by Him
                   and without Him was not anything made that was made.
                   And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we
                   beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
                   full of grace and truth."
                2. The angel in announcing to Mary that she had been
                   chosen by God to bring His Son into the world declared,
                   "That holy One that shall be born of thee, shall be
                   called the Son of God."

II. Why would God send His Son into the world?
        A. Because He loved the world.
                1. The world that He loved was not as He created it, parts
                   of it that were once covered with vast forests are now
                   frozen waste lands.
                2. Where once there were beautiful lakes with dinosaurs
                   roaming along the shores, there is now barren deserts.
                3. His love was not for the physical world, but for man
                   who lived in this world.
                4. But man was not as he was originally created.
                        a. God did not create man to hate and destroy one
                           another through wars, and fighting.
                        b. God created man that he might know God and
                           know the sheer delight and joy of
                           fellowshipping with God.
                        c. God did not intend that man should seek to
                           take by force that which belonged to someone
                           else.
                        d. God did not intend that man should be ruled by
                           his greed.
                        e. Mankind was lost and far from fulfilling the
                           purposes of God.
        B. So God sent His Son to seek and to save those who were lost.
                1. In Luke 19 we read how that as Jesus was passing
                   through Jericho one of those who was so lost, a man
                   hated by all was curious to see Jesus, but because he
                   was small and could not safely mingle with the crowd,
                   climbed a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus.
                2. Jesus came right up to that tree and called him to
                   come down for Jesus wished to come to his house to
                   dine.
                3. When the religious leaders saw that Jesus was going
                   to his house for dinner, they murmured against Jesus
                   saying that He was going to be the guest of a man who
                   was a sinner.
                4. In response to their complaint Jesus said, "The Son
                   of Man has come to seek and to save that which was
                   lost."
                        a. On another occasion Jesus said, "Those who
                           are well do not need a doctor, but those who
                           are sick."
                        b. Again Jesus on still another occasion said,
                           "I did not come to call the righteous but
                           sinners to repent."
                5. Paul writing to Timothy said, "The Messiah Jesus came
                   into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief."
                6. Before Jesus was ever born the angel told Joseph that
                   the child that Mary was carrying was conceived by the
                   Holy Spirit and he was to name Him Jesus for He would
                   save His people from their sins.
        C. So that when we think of this Child and celebrate His birth,
           we must always remember why He came into this world in such a
           unique way.
                1. He came to seek and to save men from the lost world,
                   He came to call the sinners to change from their 
                   empty futile lives to a life that was rich and
                   fulfilling.
                2. He came to restore man back to the image of God so
                   that the original intent of his existence might be
                   fulfilled.
                        a. You can use something for purposes other than 
                           for which they were made.
                        b. Trucks are made to haul things in but you can 
                           use them as flower pots. In the front yard of
                           a house in Kuiai there is a rusted truck with
                           no tires that is filled with dirt and 
                           a flower garden growing in the dirt.
                           It works as a flower pot, but it is not
                           fulfilling it's original intent for being
                           created.
                        c. You can use your bodies for many things, but
                           you are only abusing your body and not
                           fulfilling the reason why you were created.
                        d. God gave you a mind so that you might know 
                           Him, a voice so that you might praise Him.
                           Eyes so that you could see the glories of His
                           creation so that you would be drawn to worship
                           Him. You can use your body for many things,
                           but until you use it to bring glory to God
                           you are not fulfilling the purpose for which
                           it was made.
                3. It is only proper that we celebrate His birth with
                   great rejoicing, singing, and worshipping God such as
                   we are doing here today.
                4. Paul said, "Thanks be unto God for His indescribable
                   gift." So we give thanks.

III. Jesus told Nicodemus, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His
     only begotten Son that whosoever believed in Him would not
     perish, but have everlasting life."
        A. Can you think of any greater love?
                1. Paul said that for a righteous man one would scarcely
                   die, if you had a truly good man some might dare to
                   die for him, but God commended His love towards us in
                   that while we were yet sinners Christ died for the
                   ungodly.
                2. John said, "In this was manifested the love of God to
                   us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into
                   the world that we might live through Him.
                3. Love is often measured by it's gifts. Note the gift
                   that God gave to us because of His love for us.
                4. A gift is measured by what it cost the giver.
                        a. Some gifts may be very expensive, but did not
                           cost the giver very much.
                        b. Often times after a funeral the people would
                           say to me do what you want with the flowers,
                           so I would take home bouquets to Kay that
                           cost several hundred dollars, but it was not
                           meaningful because it didn't cost me anything.
                5. To show His love God could have given you diamonds,
                   but that would not be very meaningful because He
                   could make galaxies of diamonds. The same is true for
                   gold or silver.
                6. To show His love He was willing to give His only Son.
                7. Now I could see giving His Son to reign over man in 
                   power and glory, every soul being subject to Him and
                   worshipping Him. Seeing His Son thus exalted I could
                   understand Him giving Him.
                8. But He gave His Son to suffer and die for our sins.
                   That kind of love is beyond my ability to comprehend.
                9. He so loved the world, to the extent that He gave His
                   Son to save those whose lives were ruined by sin, to
                   restore them again to His original intent, to give
                   them a life full of meaning and purpose.
               10. That little child in the manger will change the course
                   of history.
                        a. Not only will He die for mankind, but in the
                           years after His death, millions will die for
                           Him.
                        b. Doctors will give up lucrative careers to work
                           in far off jungles to save the lives of the
                           hurting people, just for the opportunity of
                           sharing with them that Jesus loves them.
                        c. Millions will give up their lives of comfort
                           in their homelands to live in foreign
                           countries with different cultures to share
                           the story of this child who can transform a
                           savage cannibal into a loving neighbor.
                        d. We have watched Him change drug dealers, and
                           gang leaders into ministers.
                11. He has not just changed the history of the world, but
                    He wants to change your life, He came to seek and to
                    save those who were lost, and if you do not know Him
                    as your Savior, you are lost.