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[0:00] And if you don't want your Bibles back to that passage that we read, Luke chapter 2, and I want to speak of Jesus' birth. And it's a really, really familiar story. And there are three things about Jesus' birth. So children, I think, normally I speak to the adults with the eyes of the children, and this morning I'm going to try and speak to the children with the eyes of the adults.

[0:22] But there's three things. The first thing is that it is a real birth. It's a real birth. And I'm sorry if that feels really obvious, but as I've been preparing, I've been struck by how much detail that Luke goes into.

[0:42] So he introduces Jesus' birth. We know from right at the start of Luke's Gospel that when Luke wrote his book, he didn't write it in a kind of random way.

[0:53] He didn't sit down and think, oh, what do I remember about Jesus? And then I'll begin to write those things down. No, he wrote it in a really orderly way. He wrote it in a planned way. He's writing an orderly account of Jesus' life so that you can investigate it directly.

[1:14] He's heard about it from people who'd been with Jesus and people who'd seen Jesus. And so it was an eyewitness account. So that you and I, this morning, 2018 years later, we can be certain of what we read. We can be certain about Jesus' birth.

[1:34] So he wants you to know that it is a real birth. Do you remember that? Let me read to you the first four verses, alright? And I want you to think, and I want you to notice all the details that there are, that Luke includes, that show you it was a real birth.

[1:50] Let me read you.

[2:20] Of David. Do you see? There's masses of details on that, aren't there? It tells you who was governor, when it happened, and where he was from. It tells you where they went to be registered, each to his own town.

[2:34] It tells us where Joseph was from. It tells us where Joseph was going to. It tells us that that place in Bethlehem was called the city of David. Loads of details. And that helps us to see that Jesus' birth was a real birth.

[2:46] So it happens when we're going to do a quick quiz. And the quiz is called real birth or fake birth.

[2:57] Real birth or fake birth. And how we're going to play this quiz is, if you think it's a real birth, you put your hand up. And if you think it's a fake birth, you keep your hand down.

[3:12] Do you understand the rules? It's very, very easy. If you think it's a real birth, hand up. If you think it's a fake birth, hand down. Okay, let's start off.

[3:23] The Queen. Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen Elizabeth II was born on the 20th of April, 1926.

[3:35] Alright, remember the rules? Hands up, real birth. Hands down, it's a fake birth. 20th of April, 1926. The Queen. Real birth, hands up. You've got to put your hands up properly, come on.

[3:50] All the Americans are looking round. The Queen was born on the 20th of April, 1926. Alright, those of you who had your hands up.

[4:00] Okay. Well done, give yourself a point. Okay, second person is Fristel Voinikov. Mr. Joe, I'll stand up and turn around just so people can see you.

[4:15] And Fristel was born on the 10th of February, 1965. 10th of February, 1965.

[4:28] Stand up again, Mr. King's son. 1965. Real birth or fake birth? Hands up, hands up, hands up, hands up. Hands up, hands up. That's a fake birth.

[4:41] Fristel was born on the 10th of February, 1960. No. 90% Okay. Next one.

[4:54] James Bond. You know, 007? James Bond films, 007. James Bond was born, according to his official biography, on the 11th of November, 1920.

[5:05] On the 11th of November, 1920. James Bond, 007, was born on the 11th of November, 1920. At true birth or fake birth?

[5:17] Hands up. If you think it's true birth. Hands up. Hands up. James Bond is a fictional character. Two of my elders. I mean, that is remarkable.

[5:35] So despite that being in the 11th of February, it is a fake birth. My birthday, okay? 28th of September, 1976.

[5:47] Let me just repeat that. 28th of September. Keep that in your minds. 1976. True birth or fake birth?

[5:59] That is a true birth. We understand, don't we? All of us understand, don't we? The difference between a true birth and a fake birth. You know the difference, don't you?

[6:10] Some of you do. Jesus' birth is a real birth. It's not a fairy tale. It's not Disney. Despite what plenty of modern, sophisticated people in Britain might say, it was a real birth.

[6:24] There is plenty of evidence. You can look at it. We've read it this morning. There are audio witnesses that tell you that Jesus' birth was a real birth. And Luke includes all the details to show us that Jesus was really born in Bethlehem in the first century.

[6:41] Second thing I want you to notice this morning is Jesus' birth is a royal birth. It's a royal birth. Look down to what they say in verse 11. Here's what the angel says.

[6:53] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord. Christ the Lord. Megan is pregnant, isn't she?

[7:09] Princess Megan. Duchess. I don't know how she's called. And she is expecting a baby with Carrie. But there was a royal birth this year. You might have missed it. There was quite a big hullabaloo in the press.

[7:21] You can go on to Google and you can put in a royal birth. Do you know who it was? Anybody know who it was? Prince Louis Arthur Charles.

[7:34] And he was born on April 23rd, 2018. He is the fifth in line to the throne. And when he was born there was a media announcement.

[7:45] You can go on to the BBC website. You can see. Come on. Someone stand. And they read out the statement that was released by the palace. It was a big media announcement. They were not sophisticated as that to have a media announcement.

[8:02] But this announcement is the announcement to end all announcements, isn't it? The angels announce it. The royal birth in Luke chapter 2 of Jesus is announced by angels.

[8:14] Hosts of angels. A company of the heavenly hosts. Who tell the shepherds that Jesus is born in the royal town of Bethlehem. He's born of a royal life.

[8:27] The life of David. And he's born with a royal title. The royal title is Christ the Lord. It wasn't that there was Joseph Christ and Mary Christ.

[8:39] And they had a little baby called Jesus Christ. No. Christ is his title. He is the promised king. So way before Jesus was born. Hundreds of years before.

[8:50] God promised that he would send a king. A perfect king who would rescue God's people. And rule God's people. In an everlasting kingdom. So the baby in the manger.

[9:02] A savior is God's promised king. A real birth. A royal birth. And lastly. A rescuer's birth. Look at verse 11.

[9:16] For unto you is born in this day. In the city of David. A savior. Who is Christ the Lord. And a savior is just somebody who rescues.

[9:29] I'm just trying to think of a brilliant rescue story. A story that has happened this year.

[9:39] A remarkable, unbeatable rescue story. And I couldn't think of one. So I thought we would take the risk of playing a game. Which is unheard of. But it is Christmas Day.

[9:50] All right. And so children. Will you come up front. Join me there. And we're going to play at the game. And I also would like. Would our students. Who are here. Would our students. Come.

[10:01] And join me. Just sort of. Yeah. And I wonder. Could we just move those trenches. Back in orange. So children. If you sit down. You're not actually going to play the game. All right.

[10:11] But you're going to watch. And you're going to see you in the right places. But our students. I'm going to come. Isaac. I'm going to come. I'm going to come. I'm going to come. So. Do I really. Yes.

[10:22] He's there. Right. Okay. What we're going to play children. Okay. Can you go see this. We are going to play.

[10:36] Stuck in the mud. All right. You know that view. So. Let me just. Let me just. Let me just. Let me. You know. So. So. When the. Boys.

[10:46] Catch the girls. And we'll add some more people in. They'll stand. With their legs. At that time. All right. In fact. We'll get the girls. And the boys. It'll be easier.

[10:58] And. How do you get. Rescues. When you're. Suck in the mud. How do you get. Rescues. Tresher. Yeah. That's a politically. Correct. Correct. Vision. We're not going to do. That. I'm going to do.

[11:09] What do you do. Do you. Crawl under their legs. Which is easier. Throwing. It's always. No. It's everything. Okay. So. We've got caught. All right. And. So. We've got one person.

[11:19] On it. Hello. All right. And. You have to catch these people. And then. If any of them get rescued. You have to cheer. All right. Because.

[11:31] When something's rescued. That's something. We'll be the cheer. All right. So. All you. You four. The area is. Well you've only got. Can't stop. All right.

[11:43] Wayne's very great. Right. So. We've ridden them. We've got to do. So. How does it. How does it. Do you. Go and pass it a little more. Otherwise. That'll ruin the installation. Is that what we're doing?

[11:57] Okay. So. Go. Go. Go. Go. Go. Go. Go. Go. Go. Go. Go. Go. Go. CONGREGATIONS CONGREGATIONS Okay, well done everyone.

[12:37] That is just one. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. So children, you see, what happens is that when people are rescued, that is a wonderful thing.

[12:48] That's a silly illustration really, isn't it? It's not silly. I would be able to do this. But when someone is rescued, it is a really, really wonderful thing. The Bible tells us that Jesus came to be a rescue of sinners.

[13:03] Much people like me. People like me who say things are sufficient. Do things are sufficient. And think things that they don't want anyone to know about.

[13:16] And even on Christmas Day, you all look really wonderful. I've seen you every one more day. We're still sinners, aren't we? And the wonderful news about the Lord Jesus is He came as an uptangling baby.

[13:31] Grew onto a man. He died on the cross. And He paid the penalty for our sins. He took the punishment for our sins.

[13:42] So that we can know God as our Father. And so I want you to remember this today. So there's lots of things to do. Lots of things to do. How great do you think? I hope you have a really, really lovely Christmas.

[13:54] But there's three things. What's the first star? Jesus' birth is a real birth. What was the second thing? Jesus' birth was a royal birth.

[14:06] And the third thing is Jesus' birth is a rescue birth. Do you know, imagine they'd say I don't want to be rescued because they just stood there like that for ages.

[14:21] And we all got home. They'd sit stuck in the mud all day on Christmas. You're really silly to do it, but you're really, really silly. Because it's a wonderful thing to be rescued. And I think that you know about being rescued and you may be today you may be need to ask God I need to be rescued.

[14:41] Do you know my big brother? I've got a big brother he's 12 years older than me. He's taller than I am but about three times a size. He was a little boy like he was like he's about 8 or 9 years old.

[14:52] And on Christmas Day he asked God to rescue him lots and lots of years ago. And so every Christmas Day he remembers Christmas Day as the day that God rescued him.

[15:04]  And he asked Jesus to save him. And I get to some of you who maybe you need to do that today. Let's pray.