To Have God With Us
Pastor Tan Thai · Dec 1, 2012
This Christmas evangelistic sermon presents the meaning of Emmanuel — God with us — and the single condition for receiving that priceless gift. Pastor Thai Quang Tan challenges each person to ask whether there is room for God in their life, and calls the congregation to open the door of their heart to welcome Christ.
The sermon opens with the familiar image of Christmas gifts that are received and soon forgotten, then pivots to the central theme: the priceless gift God gave humanity is Emmanuel — God truly and physically present among people. Pastor Thai Quang Tan explains that Isaiah's prophecy, written more than 700 years before the birth of Jesus, was fulfilled when Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem.
The sermon reconstructs the historical context of the first Christmas night, emphasizing that the key figures — Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds — all experienced genuine fear and anxiety, in stark contrast to the serene images on Christmas cards. The pastor points out that God does not require perfect faith; He speaks to every anxious heart with the words 'Do not be afraid,' and invites all to come and receive the good news.
Two contrasting images form the theological core of the sermon. The manger and stable represent the humble, dark heart that is ready to welcome Christ; the inn with no room represents lives too full of material concerns and busyness to make any space for God. The fact that Jesus was born while the world was preoccupied with Caesar's census is presented as an intentional message: do not let the demands of the world crowd out the voice of God.
The pastor holds up Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the Magi from the East as examples of people who made room for God in their lives. He quotes the apostle Paul's declaration that 'what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal' to encourage the congregation to invest in the spiritual life alongside the material one.
The sermon closes with a dual call to action: those who have never trusted Christ are invited to open the door of their heart so that He may be born within them; believers are challenged to examine whether any room in their life remains locked and closed to Him. The pastor uses the biblical image of Christ standing at the door and knocking to underscore that God does not force entry, but waits for each person to open the door willingly.