The Lord's Prayer

Bill Bryan encourages us with the promise of eternal life and the power of prayer in glorifying God.

Introduction:

• Constitutional and religious rights compared
• Common themes in Nativity sermons

Christmas Sermon Focus:

• Usual Christmas passages (Matthew, Luke) versus prophetic ones
• Jesus' own words from John 18 as this year's sermon topic

The Scene Before Pilate:

• Jesus' trial before Pilate
• Events leading up to the trial, including the Passover supper and the betrayal by Judas

Pilate's Reluctance:

• Pilate’s attempts to avoid condemning Jesus
• Legal restrictions for Jews during Passover and their insistence on Jesus’ execution

Hypocrisy of Jewish Leaders:

• Legalistic practices versus moral contradictions (e.g., not entering the Praetorium but demanding Christ's death)

Jesus’ Dialogue with Pilate:

• Jesus’ response to Pilate about his kingship
• Distinction between earthly and heavenly kingdoms

Jesus as King:

• Biblical prophecy about Jesus as King
• The dual nature of Jesus: born a baby, yet born a King

Jesus’ Purpose and Mission:

• His birth and coming into the world to reveal the truth
• The truth as both special and general revelation

Truth in a Deceptive World:

• The world system’s deception by Satan
• Importance of scripture in discerning truth

Responses to Truth:

• Pilate's cynical response: "What is truth?"
• The Jewish crowd’s and soldiers’ mocking rejection of Jesus as King

Jesus’ Crucifixion and Kingship:

• The irony of Jesus’ kingship being acknowledged through mocking
• Jesus’ kingship fulfilled through his death on the cross

Call to Salvation:

• Invitation to accept Christ as King and Savior
• Christmas as a reminder of Christ’s offer of eternal life

The Christian Life:

• The challenge of making Christ king over all aspects of life
• The contrast between nominal faith and fully surrendering to Christ's kingship in daily living

Closing Call to Worship:

• Worship Jesus as both the babe in the manger and the crucified King
• The complete picture of Christ as Savior and King

*The above summary is AI-generated, so discrepancies may exist. Please refer to the audio or video file to verify accuracy.