Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church,
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. I'm going to be speaking to you
today from Matthew chapter 1, if you would like to follow along.
Matthew chapter one, verse 21 says, and she shall bring forth
a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save
his people from their sins. Now in a message recently, we
looked together at Matthew chapter one and we saw who exactly Christ
came to save. It says that he came to save
his people. We looked at who Christ came
into this world exactly to save, and we saw that it was sinners,
sinners, his people, meaning those that God the Father gave
to Christ. Every soul that God the Father
selected and on purpose gave to Christ. Those that God the
Father on purpose sent Christ to accomplish the work for. Those
that God the Father covered in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ
that he shed. That's who Christ came to save.
And we saw that every one of those people in a, you know,
almost a shocking way. Every one of those people, all
of them were and are sinners, absolute sinners before God.
I mean, through and through sinners. But we saw that the glorious
news of the gospel is CHRIST CAME INTO THIS WORLD TO SAVE
THOSE PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS, FROM ALL OF THEIR SINS. VERSE
21, SHE SHALL BRING FORTH A SON, AND THOU SHALT CALL HIS NAME
JESUS, FOR HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS. WHAT I'D LIKE FOR US TO LOOK
AT TODAY IS WHO IT IS EXACTLY THAT CAME TO SAVE. Recently,
we saw who it is exactly that he came to save, who the saved
ones are. Now, I'd like for us to look
at who the Savior is, the Savior himself, who exactly this Savior
is. We talk about him. Everybody
talks about him. We say that he came to save his
people. When we refer to him, the whole
world knows his name. You think about that. The whole
world knows his name. The whole world knows of his
coming. The whole world may not believe
it, but the whole world knows what is told about his coming.
The apostle Paul said, have they not all heard? Haven't they all
heard? Men and women know about his
mysterious birth. This very mysterious birth, this
mysterious conception. And they know about the humble
and even disgraceful place that he was born. Do you know where
he was born? A barn. That's where Christ was born,
a barn. And men and women know that because
there was no other place to lay him, they laid him in an animal
feeding trough. That's what a manger is. You
say, well, they laid him in a manger and that sounds like such a sweet
crib for his bed. In reality, a manger is a slop
trough. It's where you throw food for
animals to come and eat him. His entrance into this world
was one of shame. If you really think about it,
it was one of shame. He was conceived in a woman who
was not married. He was born in an environment
that no one would want their baby to be born in. No one. Everybody knows about this. Everybody
knows about this, but even though the world knows about him, I fear that many, many people
in this world, I sincerely fear that many people in this world
do not really know who he is. They may know about him, But
I fear that many do not truly know who he is. For that reason this morning,
I want us to look at who he really is. Now, somebody came. Who is it really that came? Really. Somebody saved. Who is it really
that saved? His name is Jesus Christ. Well, who is Jesus Christ really? I mean, really, who is this savior? Verse one in Matthew chapter
one immediately begins describing him to us. It says, the book
of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, who was the
son of Abraham. That sounds like it's saying
that Abraham had a great, great, great, great grandson named David,
and he did. And it sounds like it's saying
David had a great, great, great, great, great grandson named Jesus,
Jesus Christ, and he did. He did. But is that all that
that verse is saying? Is that all that this chapter
is saying? Is that all that this book is
saying? Well, look with me, if you would,
at Matthew 22. I would encourage you, if you do have a Bible,
I believe you'll enjoy seeing some of these things. But in
Matthew 22, verse 41, it says, while the Pharisees were gathered
together, Jesus asked them, saying, what think ye of Christ? I'm gonna tell you, that's the
question. That's the question of all questions.
What think ye of Christ? He went on to say, whose son
is he? Everybody thinks he's somebody's
son. Everybody does. When you say
the son of God, you say the son of man, you say, when people
naturally think of him, they think he's somebody's son. And that's where their mind stops.
They think, well, he's somebody's son. Well, our Lord said, what
think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? They say unto
him, the son of David. Verse 43, he saith unto them,
how then doth David in spirit call him Lord? Saying, and he's
quoting Psalm 110 right here. He said, why did David then say,
the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand till I
make thine enemies thy footstool. He said, if David then call him
Lord, How is he his son? And no man was able to answer
him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him
any more questions. This is not David's son. This is not just David's son. Did he come in the line of David's
sons? Yes, he did. Yes, he did. But this is not merely David's
son. He did not begin that night in
a barn, laid in a manger, AS ONE OF THE SONS OF DAVID. TURN
WITH ME, IF YOU WOULD, TO REVELATION, CHAPTER 22. IN REVELATION 22,
THIS IS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST SPEAKING. VERSE 16, HE SAID,
I, JESUS, HAVE SENT MINE ANGEL, AND THAT WORD MEANS MESSENGER,
TO TESTIFY UNTO YOU THESE THINGS IN THE CHURCHES. I AM THE ROOT
and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star."
What he's saying right there is, I made David. David didn't make me. I made
David. I'm David's maker. And I made myself to be David's
son. I made myself to be in the likeness
of David's sinful flesh. He made himself to be the son
of David, the son of Abraham. Our Lord said to some Pharisees
one time in John chapter eight, he said, Abraham rejoiced to
see my day. Abraham rejoiced when he saw
me. And they said to him, you're
not even 50 years old and you've seen Abraham. He said, before Abraham was,
I am. That's how he always referred
to himself. I am. When he was, I am. While he is, I am. When he will
be, I am. I am. I am Abraham's God. I made Abraham and I loved Abraham. And I chose Abraham and I made
a covenant with my father concerning Abraham and his seed. I didn't take on the nature of
the fallen angels. You know, some angels fell into
sin just like man fell into sin, but he didn't redeem those angels.
He said, I didn't take upon myself the nature of angels, but I did
take upon myself the likeness of the fallen seed of Abraham. I made myself to be born of a
woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the law,
that they might receive the adoption of sons. Now, that's who this
is. That's who this savior who came
is. He said right here in verse 16,
I am the root and the offspring of David. Is he David's God or
David's son? Yes. He said, I'm the root and
the offspring of David. And then he said, I am the bright
and morning star. He said, I'm the bright star. You know, the sun at high noon,
at its brightest, when the sun is at its brightest, that sun
just beats down judgment on the earth. You can't even look at
it. You cannot look into the face of the high noon sun. But in the morning, when that
morning sun arises with healing in his wings, with warmth, with
beauty, AS THAT SAME SUN COMES DOWN AND TOUCHES THE EARTH, WHILE
IT'S SITTING THERE ON THE HORIZON, TOUCHING THE EARTH, YOU CAN LOOK
STRAIGHT INTO THE GLORY OF THE VERY SUN ITSELF. SAME SUN. AND THAT'S WHAT HE'S SAYING,
I AM THE BRIGHT STAR AND THE MORNING STAR. I'M THE JUST GOD
AND THE SAVIOR. ME, SAME ONE. I'M THE JUDGE OF
MAN AND I'M THE JUSTIFIER OF MAN. SAME ONE. Now that's who
came. That's who came. That's who was
laying in that manger. Abraham's maker was laying there. David's maker was laying there. The Virgin Mary's maker was laying
there. I Am was laying there. Not I Am's son, I Am. God is three persons. One God. You say, I can't, my mind, my
simple mind can't understand that. Well, mine can't either,
but my heart believes it by faith. I pray God will give us faith
to trust and believe His word. God the Father, God the Son,
God the Spirit, they said we are one God. I am. One God, three persons. All the
fullness of the Godhead is seen in this one person who came. 1 Timothy 3 verse 16 says, Great
is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. God, there's only one God in
the heaven. only one god and that one god
that very god was manifest in the flesh can we enter into that
the god is the one who came turn with me if you would to isaiah
chapter 7 over in isaiah 7 this is the sign OF THE PROMISE THAT
WAS GIVEN CONCERNING CHRIST COMING. HE, THE WHOLE OLD TESTAMENT SAID
HE'S COMING, EMMANUEL'S COMING, CHRIST IS COMING, AND HERE'S
THE SIGN OF HIS COMING. THIS IS THE PROMISE OF HIS COMING. ISAIAH 7, VERSE 14, IT SAYS,
THEREFORE THE LORD HIMSELF SHALL GIVE YOU A SIGN. A virgin shall conceive and bear
a son and shall call his name Immanuel. That was the sign of
his coming. A virgin is going to conceive
and bear a son and call that son Immanuel. That's the sign.
All right. Now, this was the announcement
of who exactly that was. WHO WAS COMING. IF YOU LOOK AT
ISAIAH CHAPTER 9, JUST A COUPLE OF CHAPTERS OVER, ISAIAH 9, VERSE
6, AND THE HEADING AT THE TOP OF MY PAGE IN MY BIBLE SAYS,
THE CHURCH'S JOY IN CHRIST'S BIRTH AND KINGDOM. THAT'S WHAT
THIS IS ABOUT, THE BIRTH OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. SO ISAIAH
9, VERSE 6, IT SAYS, FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN unto us a
son is given this child this son that was to be conceived
in a virgin and born in a barn and laid in an animal's feeding
trough who was this who is this child all right listen
to this isaiah 9 verse 6 unto us a child is born unto us a
son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder all
decision all law all rule all judgment the government shall
be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called wonderful
counselor the mighty god who's laying there Now, wait a minute. Who is that in the manger? The
mighty God, the everlasting father. Who is that laying there? That's
the everlasting father. Now, wait a minute. Whose son
is he? That's the mighty God. That's
the everlasting father. That's the prince of peace. I
thought you said that was the Christ coming, bringing peace. It is. That's the prince of peace.
But that's the father. Yes. He said, I and my father
are one, not two. I have a father. He and I are
two, we're not one. But Christ said, I and my father
are one. He said, if you've seen me, you've seen the father. Can our minds enter into this? Our hearts believe it. By faith,
may God give us faith to believe. Who is this that came? Wait a
minute, who is this that came? The mighty God, the God, one
God, eternal past, eternal future. The great I am, Moses said, who
should I say sent me? I am. Jesus Christ before Abraham
was I am the mighty God, the everlasting father, the prince
of peace. That's who came. That's who came. All the fullness of the Godhead
came. The scripture says, all the fullness
of the Godhead, the fullness of the father, fullness of the
son and fullness of the spirit, all of the fullness of the Godhead
dwells in him. All the fullness of the Godhead
dwelt in that child that laid in that manger. God himself saved
his people. Does that do anything to your
heart? That just blesses my heart. That touches me so much. God
did not send an errand boy. God did not send a servant. God
himself came and saved his people. There's only one God. And God
himself is the one who redeemed his people. God gave his life
for his people. God shed his blood for his people. God did. God died for his people. How can God die? In the glorious person of himself,
God became a man. The father of God, the son of
God, the spirit of God, gloriously devised the only way that man
could be saved from his sin. God made himself to be the substitute
for man, never left his throne. He was still on the throne while
he laid in that grave. I'm telling you that the fleshly
mind cannot fathom this. But this is the glorious truth.
God was manifest in the flesh. Now, I want you to read this
with me. If you do have your Bible, turn to Acts chapter 20. This is a wonderful verse of
scripture. Acts chapter 20, verse 28. It says, take heed therefore
unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost
hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath
purchased with his own blood." That says God purchased his church. God purchased his people with
his own blood. That was God's own blood that
was shed. God shed his own blood. Now, I'm sure you know this song.
This is a song that we love to sing all the time. There is a
fountain filled with blood drawn from whose veins? Immanuel's veins. Immanuel's veins. Who is Immanuel? God with us. God is the one who made himself
to be in the likeness of sinful flesh. Never did he commit what
his people committed, but he made himself to be in the likeness
of their sinful flesh so that he could take their sin upon
his perfect flesh, his spotless flesh. God is the one who made
himself to be in the likeness of sinful flesh and in that flesh
laid the sin of all of his people upon himself. And with that sin
covering him, God is the very one who hung himself on the cross
of Calvary and died as the substitute for all of his people. He did
that to save them from their sins. He took their sins away
and saved them from their sins. God himself is the very one who
did that. Now that is what the true hope
of salvation is built on. My hope is built on nothing less.
It's built on that right there. That is how you can know that
the one who came to accomplish salvation actually accomplished
it. That's how you can know God himself
was the savior who came. Knowing that, that's what brings
absolute assurance to the hearts of God's people. Knowing that. All right, now go back to our
text one more time. Matthew chapter one, verse 21,
it says, and she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call
his name Jesus. And that name means savior. for he shall save his people
from their sins. He shall. The word shall means
shall. It means shall. It means no questions
asked, no ifs, ands, or buts. He on purpose successfully shall
save his people. That does not say he is going
to attempt to save his people. It does not say he is gonna offer
a partial salvation if they will finish what he starts. It does
not say that he will come and beg people to let him save them. And as long as they're willing,
it says he shall save his people. His people, this is God Almighty
we're talking about. And when he came, he came on
purpose. To accomplish a purpose. For a particular people. And that's what he did. That's
exactly what he did. God himself saved his people
from their sins. Now verse 22 says, 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 unto him his wife, and knew her not till she had brought
forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus. That's who the Savior is. Aren't
we glad? I pray the Lord will make that
a blessing to our hearts. You have been listening to a
message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport Sovereign Grace
Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like a copy of this
message or to hear other messages of Sovereign Grace, log on to
our website at ksgctn.org. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 10.45 a.m., and 6 o'clock
p.m., Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. Please tune in next week for
another message of God's free and sovereign grace.