Sunday Sermon
WHAT CAN THIS MEAN?
Date: December 16, 2007
Speaker: Pastor Gerry Gregoire
Scriptural Reference: Genesis 3:15
Listen to Audio Sermon

GENESIS 3:15
15And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel

THE ANGELS HEARD THIS PROMISE AND PROBABLY COULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING LIKE THIS, “WHAT CAN THIS MEAN?” ADAM AND EVE COULD NOT HAVE KNOWN THE IMPACT OF THOSE WORD. THEY HAD JUST DISOBEYED GOD’S COMMAND AND NOW THIS GOD THAT THEY KNEW WAS TELLING THE TEMPTER THAT HE WAS GOING DOWN BIG TIME AND THAT HIS TIME WOULD BE LIMITED. BUT WHEN GABRIEL SPOKE THESE WORDS TO MARY IN LUKE 1:26-38 –
26Now in the sixth month [after that], the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth,
1. 27To a girl never having been married and a virgin engaged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28And he came to her and said, Hail, O favored [one endued with grace]! The Lord is with you! [x]Blessed (favored of God) are you before all other women!
29But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled and disturbed and confused at what he said and kept revolving in her mind what such a greeting might mean.
30And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace (free, spontaneous, absolute favor and loving-kindness) with God.
31And listen! You will become pregnant and will give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus.
32He will be great (eminent) and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His forefather David,
33And He will reign over the house of Jacob throughout the ages; and of His reign there will be no end.
34And Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I have no [intimacy with any man as a] husband?
35Then the angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a shining cloud]; and so the holy (pure, sinless) Thing (Offspring) which shall be born of you will be called the Son of God.(H)
36And listen! Your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is now the sixth month with her who was called barren.
37For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.
38Then Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be done to me according to what you have said. And the angel left her.

THE ANGELS NOW MUST HAVE BEEN GETTING THE PICTURE, A FULFILLMENT OF THAT PROMISE IN GENESIS 3:15
MARY HAD AGREED WITH THE ANGEL GABRIEL BUT WE DON’T GET HER PERSPECTIVE UNTIL...

LUKE 1:46-56 –
46And Mary said, My soul magnifies and extols the Lord,
47And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48For He has looked upon the low station and humiliation of His handmaiden. For behold, from now on all generations [of all ages] will call me blessed and declare me happy and to be envied!
49For He Who is almighty has done great things for me--and holy is His name [to be venerated in His purity, majesty and glory]!
50And His mercy (His compassion and kindness toward the miserable and afflicted) is on those who fear Him with godly reverence, from generation to generation and age to age.
51He has shown strength and made might with His arm; He has scattered the proud and haughty in and by the imagination and purpose and designs of their hearts.
52He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of low degree.
53He has filled and satisfied the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty-handed [without a gift].
54He has laid hold on His servant Israel [to help him, to espouse his cause], in remembrance of His mercy,
55Even as He promised to our forefathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.
56And Mary remained with her [Elizabeth] for about three months and [then] returned to her [own] home.

THIS TELLS US SOMETHING ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF MARY. SHE KNEW A LOT ABOUT THE GREAT DEED OF THE GOD THAT HAD CHOSEN HER AND WAS A PERSON OF GREAT HUMILITY.

THESE REQUIREMENTS STILL EXIST TODAY FOR GOD TO USE US. WE MUST KNOW HIS WORD AND BE A PERSON OF GREAT HUMILITY

WHAT DID THIS MEAN TO HEROD? LOOK AT MATTHEW 2:3
3When Herod the king heard this, he was disturbed and troubled, and the whole of Jerusalem with him.

HEROD DID NOT LIKE THIS NEWS, IT WAS BAD NEWS FOR HIM BECAUSE HE DID NOT WANT HIM TO REIGN IN HIS PLACE.

THERE ARE MANY HEROD TYPES IN THE WORLD TODAY, THEY DON’T WANT JESUS TO REIGN IN THEIR PERSONAL KINGDOMS OF ME AND MY.

AS A MATTER OF FACT WHEN JESUS WAS BORN, HEROD HAD ALL CHILDREN 2 AND UNDER SLAUGHTERED. SOME PEOPLE TODAY WANT JESUS DEAD. SOME CULTS SAY THAT HE WAS A BROTHER OF SATAN AND JUST A LITTLE GOD, A WELL INTENTIONED PROPHET BUT NOT THE ALMIGHTY GOD OF

ISAIAH 6:9
6For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace.
7Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from the [latter] time forth, even forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
WHAT A PROPHESY! THE EVENT THAT TOOK PLACE SOME TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO WAS THE FULFILLMENT OF THIS PROMISE. BESIDES BEING OUR MIGHTY GOD, IT SAID HE WAS WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, EVERLASTING FATHER AND PRINCE OF PEACE. WAS IT ANY WONDER THAT THE ANGELS GOT EXCITED ON THAT DAY IN THAT LITTLE CITY OF BETHLEHEM. RELATED TO US

IN LUKE 2:8-15 –
8And in that vicinity there were shepherds living [out under the open sky] in the field, watching [in shifts] over their flock by night.
9And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord flashed and shone all about them, and they were terribly frightened.
10But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people.
11For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is Christ (the Messiah) the Lord!
12And this will be a sign for you [by which you will recognize Him]: you will find [after searching] a Baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. [I Sam. 2:34; II Kings 19:29; Isa. 7:14.]
13Then suddenly there appeared with the angel an army of the troops of heaven (a heavenly knighthood), praising God and saying,
14Glory to God in the highest [heaven], and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased [men of goodwill, of His favor].
15When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing (saying) that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.

THE ANGEL WERE EXCITED , THE SHEPHERDS WERE EXCITED, THE HOST OF HEAVEN AND MARY WAS EXCITED.

NOW LOOK AT LUKE 1:39-45 –
39And at that time Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country to a town of Judah,
1. 40And she went to the house of Zachariah and, entering it, saluted Elizabeth.
41And it occurred that when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit.
42And she cried out with a loud cry, and then exclaimed, Blessed (favored of God) above all other women are you! And blessed (favored of God) is the Fruit of your womb!
43And how [have I deserved that this honor should] be granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44For behold, the instant the sound of your salutation reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
45And blessed (happy, to be envied) is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her from the Lord.

NOW ELIZABETH WAS EXCITED AND SO WAS THE CHILD SHE CARRIED IN HER WOMB (JOHN THE BAPTIST).

REMEMBER WHEN THE GOOD NEWS WAS PROCLAIMED, YES HAPPINESS WAS ALL OVER BUT ALSO PRESENT WAS THE MANIFESTATION OF SATAN THROUGH HEROD. THAT SAME SPIRIT THAT WAS IN HEROD IS ALSO IN THE WORLD TODAY. THE CULTS THAT DENY HIS DEITY AND EVEN SOME CHRISTIANS KILLING OFF THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT BECAME AVAILABLE AS A RESULT OF THIS EVENT WE CALL THE CELEBRATION OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST.

WHAT DID THIS BIRTH MEAN FOR YOU? IS IT JUST OH WELL! OR DO REALLY COMPREHEND WHAT REALLY HAPPENED , WHAT REALLY STARTED IN THAT MANGER THE ONE NIGHT SO VERY LONG AG0.

BECAUSE OF THIS BABY’S BIRTH, LIFE, DEATH AND RESURRECTION WE HAVE SUPERNATURAL POWERS THAT CAN AFFECT THE WORLD AT LARGE. THIS BIRTH BROUGHT EVERLASTING GRACE INTO YOUR LIFE.

IF YOU LOOK AROUND THESE DAYS, WE SEE MORE OF SANTA, REINDEER, SNOWMEN, CANDY CANES, PRESENTS AND AN OCCASIONAL REFERENCE TO THE MANGER THING!

BUT BIRTH OF JESUS IS WHAT CHRISTMAS WAS ALL ABOUT. ALL THOSE ANGELS, HEAVENLY HOST, MARY, THE SHEPHERDS, THEY ALL UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS WAS A FULFILLMENT OF THE PROMISE IN GENESIS 3:15 —

15And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her ]Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel.
WHAT JESUS WAS TELLING THE SERPENT WAS, YOU ARE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS. YOU MESSED WITH MY CREATION ONCE TOO MUCH. THE DAY WILL COME WHEN THEY WILL RULE IT OVER YOU.

IT’S NO WONDER THE ANGELS SANG AND DECLARED THE GLORY OF GOD AND PEACE TO ALL MEN ON THE EARTH.

THIS BIRTH TURNED THE TIDE OF WHAT WAS TO HAPPEN ON THE EARTH. THE CELEBRATION OF THIS BIRTH WAS AND STILL IS AN OFFENSE TO SATAN. IS IT ANY WONDER THAT HE HAS TRIED WITH SOME SUCCESS TO GET PEOPLE’S MINDS OFF OF THE BIRTH OF THE SAVIOR AND UNTO THINGS OF THE FLESH. REARRANGE THE LETTERS IN THE WORD SANTA AND WHAT DO YOU GET? SATAN. IS THAT JUST A COINCIDENCE OR IS IT A DIABOLICAL SCHEME?

SATAN DOES NOT WANT GOD TO GET THE GLORY. REMEMBER HE WANTED HIS THRONE TO BE RAISED ABOVE THAT OF GOD. HE WANTS THE GLORY, ALL OF IT.

IT’S TIME FOR THE CHURCH TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED AS THE BODY OF CHRIST THAT CANNOT BE DUPED. I DO BELIEVE MOST CHRISTIANS WANT TO GIVE GOD ALL THE GLORY DURING THIS TIME WE CALL CHRISTMAS, BUT IT’S SO EASY TO GO ALONG WITH THE FLOW OF THE WORLD.

IN THE NEXT WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS WHAT DOES THIS DAY REALLY MEAN TO YOU? HAVE YOU REALLY RECEIVED HIM AS ALMIGHTY GOD, WONDERFUL COUNSELOR . HAVE YOU RECEIVED HIM AS YOUR EVERLASTING FATHER AND DOES HIS PEACE REIGN IN YOU LIFE. HE HAS ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A FATHER TO US. HAVE YOU LET HIM BECOME THAT TO YOU? AND DO YOU HAVE HIS TRUE PEACE IN YOUR LIFE.

THIS IS A DAY OF COMMITMENT AND ONE WHEN WHAT THIS DAY MEANS TO YOU BECOMES SOLIDIFIED IN YOUR SPIRIT.
IT NOT JUST ANOTHER HOLIDAY, IT’S THE CELEBRATION OF THE DAY WHEN CHRIST CAME TO THE EARTH TO MAKE REAL HIS LOVE FOR YOU. TODAY WE NEED TO MAKE REAL WHAT OUR COMMITMENT TO HIM MEANS.

LET US PRAY, FATHER MAKE IT REAL TO US THIS YEAR. OPEN OUR UNDERSTANDING TO RECEIVE THE FULL IMPACT OF WHAT CHRISTMAS REALLY MEANS TO OUR LIVES.