https://www.bible.com/events/49187894

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

God With Us – Always

He is always with you, so you are never alone.

Throughout this Christmas Season we have been seeking to understand the power and meaning of the name given to Jesus in the Christmas Story- Immanuel: God with us.

The Christmas story in a word is “Presence”.

The essence of Christmas is the presence of God with us in Christ. His presence changes everything. This is the amazing promise we find in the story of Christmas.

Matthew 1:20-23

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

We need Christmas to be more than just traditions, carols, candlelight, gifts and gatherings.

We need Christmas to be about His presence because we’ve never needed the presence of God more than we do right now.

Loneliness is pervasive throughout our society today:

-At least a third of Americans say that they feel lonelier than ever before.

-20% more people report feeling lonely at Christmas as compared to other times of the year

-It impacts every generation, in fact, Gen Z (38%) and millennials (37%) feel the loneliest compared to other generations

-many have suggested a disconnected digital world is driving pervasive loneliness. We are “50% human and 50% technology.”

We are living in a world that is increasingly disconnected, anxious, and lonely.

The arrival of Jesus describes God’s presence in Matthew 1. But the final words of Jesus in Matthew 28 also points to the power of presence.

Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

So the same one who began as Immanuel, ‘God with us’, now proclaims ‘I am with you always.’

Bottom Line:

He is always with you, so you are never alone.

For Further Study & Reflection:

Exodus 33:13-16

Deuteronomy 31:6

Joshua 1:5

Psalm 23:4

John 14:16

Hebrews 13:5

Updates on the new Waynesboro campus

God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!

Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.

Waynesboro

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org Thank you for your partnership in building the Kingdom of Christ as you impact others!

Giving

https://www.bible.com/events/49186160

Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

God With Us – Always

Christmas Eve 2023

Throughout this Christmas Season we have been seeking to understand the power and meaning of the name given to Jesus in the Christmas Story- Immanuel: God WITH us.

If we wanted to try to boil down the Christmas story into just one word- it would have to be Presence.

The essence of Christmas is the presence of God with us in Christ. His presence changes everything. This is the amazing promise we find in the story of Christmas.

Matthew 1:18-23

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

When the Angel instructs Joseph to name the baby Jesus- The mission of this child becomes clear-

“…and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Jesus came not because we needed a celebration, but because we needed a savior. We needed a rescuer from the power of sin and death.

Matthew doesn’t leave his audience in suspense either- He makes it clear in telling the Christmas Story-This is Immanuel-This child is God with us.

These two names together express the real meaning of the story of Christmas. God is with us- present with his people. His actions are aimed at rescuing his people.

This is Christmas, this is the story of Jesus. His presence changes everything.

At Christmas we celebrate the coming of Jesus. There is great reason to celebrate and remember this event.

But Easter brings us the promise of His permanent presence in the hearts of those who are for Him.

This is the promise Matthew concludes his gospel with in Chapter 28. Literally the whole story of Jesus in Matthew is bookended by Presence.

After Jesus, that baby in the manger, grew up. He performed miracles. He showed us what it was to love like the Father, serve like the Father. And then he died, a criminal’s death on a cross. And after 3 days, he rose again. He conquered death and now, the resurrected Jesus is about to go back to heaven. And before he does, He tells his disciples – his closest followers – something that we need to remember today:

Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The promise of Presence

God with us at the beginning, God with us Always.

The beautiful thing about the Christmas story is that the ultimate gift that lasts forever has your name on it- It’s for you. Will you receive it?

Don’t let Christmas rush by this year without that reality taking root deep in your heart.

God Himself, is WITH us. And, if you choose, will ALWAYS be.

Updates on the new Waynesboro campus

God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!

Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.

Waynesboro

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org Thank you for your partnership in building the Kingdom of Christ as you impact others!

Giving

https://www.bible.com/events/49183288

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

God With Us – In the obscurity

Christmas proves it: There are no invisible people.

Today we continue our Advent series entitled “God with Us”.

Christmas, in a word, is about presence. You can’t talk about the significance of Christmas, the most life-changing story in human history, without talking about presence.

One of the most extraordinary things about the Christmas story is how otherwise unremarkable the people and situations of the nativity are. For one of the most extraordinary events in human history the birth of Jesus is surrounded by the ordinary.

Long before the arrival of Jesus, the promise of God was of a Savior, but the picture we get is not what you might expect.

It’s the picture of a Savior who Himself seems insignificant, alone, invisible, and obscure.

Micah 5:5

And he will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses. We will raise against them seven shepherds, even eight commanders,

So it shouldn’t surprise us, that as we learn the details of Jesus’ arrival, He arrives in obscurity.

Luke 2:1-14

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Obscure town? Check

Obscure birthplace? Check

Then the most obscure of people – shepherds who were literally obscure out in their fields – are the ones who see the very Glory of God.

This is the story of a Savior arriving in the midst of obscurity

And the question is: why?

Because God knows you. And He knows how often we feel pretty obscure.

And if that’s you, if it’s ever felt like you, God wrote the story of redemption with you in mind.

This story is an emphatic declaration in the family of God, there is no such thing as obscure. In reality, you can make the case that it is the “unmajestic” He cares for first. That His eyes fall first on the obscure.

The bottom line:

Christmas proves it: There are no invisible people.

Verses for further study/reflection:

Psalm 138:6-8

1 Corinthians 1:27-32

1 Peter 5:5-6

Matthew 21:21

Updates on the new Waynesboro campus

God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!

Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.

Waynesboro

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org Thank you for your partnership in building the Kingdom of Christ as you impact others!

Giving

http://bible.com/events/49181108

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

God With Us – In the Uncertainty

The question is not can I trust Him. But…will I?

Today we continue our Advent series entitled “God with Us”.

Christmas, in a word, is about presence. You can’t talk about the significance of Christmas, the most life-changing story in human history, without talking about presence.

The presence of God with us is such a foundational part of Christmas, and this week we focus specifically on how we can experience His presence in seasons of uncertainty.

The story of Christmas challenges us to see that living in the will of God does not mean the absence of uncertainty. Living in the will of God often means trusting His plan in the face of great uncertainty.

Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Mary chose faith in the face of immense uncertainty. With her answer, Mary literally put her life on the line. Remember she is legally married, betrothed to her husband. To be found pregnant made her guilty of adultery, punishable by death. Her family would likely disown her.

Matthew 1:18-25

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Can you imagine the uncertainty that crashed onto the shore of Josephs life when Mary came to him with a baby bump and the story of Gabriel? What was he supposed to do? He loved Mary, he loved the Lord, how could this happen?

Joseph’s dreams were seemingly shattered by the mayhem of uncertainty.

But the promise of Presence in the midst of uncertainty changed everything for Joseph.

One of the hardest things in uncertainty is all of the questions that happen in our minds:

What’s going to happen?

What should I do?

Am I going to be okay?

Are the people I care about going to be okay?

What is God doing?

What am I missing?

Did I make a mistake?

And so many more ….

Can you relate?

We all have questions. In the midst of uncertainty, we all face questions.

The ultimate question in the midst of our uncertainty is this:

Can God be trusted?

Two powerful truths in the midst of uncertainty:

1. God keeps his promises

2. God is with us, even in uncertainty

Bottom Line:

The question is not can I trust Him, but will I?

Verses for further study/reflection:

Proverbs 3:5-8

Mark 9:24

Acts 17:24-27

James 1:5-8

Jude 1:22

Updates on the new Waynesboro campus

God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!

Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.

Waynesboro

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org Thank you for your partnership in building the Kingdom of Christ as you impact others!

Giving

https://www.bible.com/events/49179748

Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

God With Us – In the Uncertainty

Living in the will of God often means trusting His plan in the face of great uncertainty.

Today we continue our Advent series entitled “God with Us”.

Christmas, in a word, is about presence. You can’t talk about the significance of Christmas, the most life-changing story in human history, without talking about presence.

This week we begin by understanding why the presence of God with us is such a foundational part of Christmas, and how we can experience His presence in seasons of uncertainty.

The story of Christmas challenges us to see that living in the will of God does not mean the absence of uncertainty. Living in the will of God often means trusting His plan in the face of great uncertainty.

Today, Christmas season 2023, will you trust in the one called Immanuel, God with us?

The story of Christmas may be the best evidence that we can trust his plan, no matter what.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭38‬‬

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Mary chose faith in the face of immense uncertainty. With her answer, Mary literally put her life on the line. Remember she is legally married, betrothed to her husband- to be found pregnant made her guilty of adultery, punishable by death. Her family would likely dis-own her. She could be shunned, kicked out of the house. Unwelcome at home or at church.

And what about Joseph? He certainly got thrust into his own set of uncertainties, didn’t he?

Matthew records his wrestling with it all.

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬-‭24‬‬

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

Can you imagine the uncertainty that crashed onto the shore of Josephs life when Mary came to him with a baby bump and the story of Gabriel? It had to sound suspect, Joseph knew it wasn’t him. What was he supposed to do? He loved Mary, he loved the Lord, how could this happen?

Joseph’s dreams were seemingly shattered by the mayhem of uncertainty.

But the promise of Presence in the midst of uncertainty changed everything for Joseph.

By all accounts we have, Mary and Joseph were both living for the Lord. They knew is word, they trusted in him, they ordered their lives around following the Lord- but none of that shielded them for facing immense uncertainty.

We think it’s easy because we know how it ends, but there had to be times when the uncertainty was terrifying for this young couple.

The story of Christmas challenges us to see the truth that living in the will of God does not mean the absence of uncertainty. No, rather in Christ you can be sure, even when everything is swirling around.

That’s Immanuel. That’s God with us.

That’s the promise for those in Christ today.

What would it look like for you today to trust God in your uncertainty today No, we don’t know the future. But we can be sure of one thing: God is there

Updates on the new Waynesboro campus

God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!

Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.

Waynesboro

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org Thank you for your partnership in building the Kingdom of Christ as you impact others!

Giving