- The Unexpected Visit
- More than a Mall Display
- It’s Your Turn
Read at beginning of service:
Philippians 2:1-11 (NIV)
1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
INTRODUCTION
READ JOHN 1:1-18
PRAY
A Mid-Western family in the early days of the Depression were struggling to make ends meet. They were unable to afford any of the so-called luxuries in life. The father simply made enough to keep bread on the table and pay the rent on his house. One day the news came to the community that a circus was coming to town and the entry fee would be $1.00. The little boy came running home from school excited and eager to get the money from his dad. His father, unable to provide that luxury, regretfully told his son that it would be impossible for him to attend the circus. However, he told the boy, if he went out and worked on odd jobs he might make enough money so that he could purchase a ticket on his own. His father agreed that for every nickel he earned he would match it with a nickel.
Having never been to the circus before, the little boy worked feverishly and hard to earn the money to buy a ticket. A few days before the circus came to town the boy emptied his bank and found that he had raised enough money to pay for half of the entry fee. His father gave him the other 50 cents and the boy ran off downtown to buy his ticket to the circus.
Excitedly, he waited for a couple of days until the circus came to town and eagerly clutching his ticket in his hand, he rushed down to the main street and stood on the curb as the circus parade went by. The clowns, the elephants, all of the performers in the circus thrilled him as he watched them go by. A clown came dancing over to him and the boy put his ticket in the clown’s hand. He eagerly stood there on the curb as the rest of the parade went by on its way to the circus tent. The boy rushed home after the parade was over and told his father that he had been to the circus and how much fun it was.
The father, surprised that he was home already, asked the boy to describe the circus to him and the boy told of the parade that went by the main street of town. The father pitifully took his son in his arms and said, “Son, you didn?t see the circus, all you saw was the parade.”
This boy is typical of so many people at Christmastime. All they see about Christmas are the Christmas trees, the lights, the toys, the decorations, and the Christmas carols. They don?t really see Christmas which is the Christ Child being born as a babe in a manger. All they get to see is the parade and they miss the real meaning of Christmas.. (Autoillustrator.com, INCARNATION)
We wouldn?t ordinarily think of searching for the Christmas story in the gospel of John ? yet it is here that we find the core truth of what Christmas is all about ? “The Word became flesh”?(elaborate)
Christmas is not about mall displays?Christmas is about God making Himself known to man in a way that could never be topped or matched by anything anyone ever has or will do (including God Himself)!
Last week I began the series of messages entitled, Christmas ? when the Unexpected Happens?and if there is ever anything that is unexpected about the Christmas story it is this very fact that an all mighty, all powerful, all knowing, all seeing, eternal Creator would choose to enter the world as a baby! Now this poses an interesting questions, “Why would God choose to do this? And why would He come to Earth this way?”
This leads to another interesting question ? “If you were God (what a ridiculous and scary thought), how would you have done things?” Would you have even bothered in the first place ? would you have left your rebellious creation to their own fate ? knowing that you would be forever separated from them because of their sin? Say you loved your creation as God does and decided you would enter the world to show the way of salvation. How would you have done it?
Well, a little over 2000 years ago we find a bunch of angels? share parable “Angelic Spin“
How would you send Jesus (the Word) into the world?
But no matter how we imagine Christmas would be if we had done it our way we?re still left with the facts of how God did it and the question remains?”Why did God choose to come to Earth this way?” While I don?t profess to know the full answer to this question, what I do know is what can be uncovered in God?s word?
Fulfillment of Prophecy ? God said He would do things this way!
The Old Testament, written over a one-thousand-year period, contains nearly three hundred references to the coming Messiah. All of these were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and they establish a solid confirmation of His credentials as Messiah.
Some Examples:
Born of the Seed of Woman
Genesis 3:15 (NIV)15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Galatians 4:4 (NIV)
4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,
Matthew 1:20 (NIV)
20 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.
Born of a Virgin
Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Matthew 1:18 (NIV)
18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 1:24 (NIV)
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
Matthew 1:25 (NIV)
25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
(see also Luke 1:26-35)
Born at Bethlehem
Micah 5:2 (NIV)2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
Matthew 2:1 (NIV)
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
(see also Matt. 2:4; Luke 2:4-7; John 7:42)
Presented with Gifts
Psalm 72:10 (NIV)10 The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts.
Matthew 2:1 (NIV)
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
Matthew 2:11 (NIV)
11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
Application:
The main point here, friends, is that what God says He does. What God promises ? He fulfills. What God plans ? He completes!!! The Christmas story happened the way it did first of all because God said it would happen that way, He promised it would happen that way, He planned it to happen that way!!!
Psalm 145:13 (NIV)13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.
Now what I understand from this is that since God demonstrated this 100% reliability in the fulfillment of prophecy when it came to the birth of Jesus Christ then I can be sure that every other promise of God in the Bible is true. That means when God says?
John 6:35 (NIV)35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
John 11:25 (NIV)
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;
John 3:16-18 (NIV)
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Then there was the promise of the Holy Spirit!
Acts 1:4-5 (NIV)4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 2:38-39 (NIV)
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off–for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
And what about the greatest promise the promise that Jesus Christ will come again? Only this time He will come in glory and majesty as King of King and Lord of Lords ? listen to what the Apostle Peter wrote hundreds of years ago about that promise?
2 Peter 3:3-14 (NIV)3 First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.
A man named Simeon understood this about the promises of God?
Luke 2:25-32 (NIV)25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”
Lay a hold of the promises of God and rest assured that He is faithful!!!
God did Christmas the way He did in fulfillment of what He said He would do and?
To show that with God nothing is impossible!!!
The events surrounding the birth?
A virgin conceives a child? Impossible?yet it is done. It is interesting to note that as the angel is announcing to Mary her impending pregnancy he also makes mention of how Elizabeth, Mary?s relative, is going to have a child in her old age and that she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. Then the angel makes this profound statement?
Luke 1:37 (NIV)
37 For nothing is impossible with God.”
What about the star that hovered over the place where the Baby Jesus was and guided some wise guys hundreds of miles to Bethlehem?
What about the escape from King Herod?s awful massacre of children in Bethlehem. (That a simple Carpenter could lead his new wife and family to Egypt without being discovered by Herod?)
What about the very fact that all the events surrounding the Birth of Christ happened exactly as foretold by Old Testament prophets!!
Application:
With God nothing is impossible
Certainly any self-claimed follower of Christ and student of the Bible would proclaim this statement is true. But is this really evident in your life, in your choices, in your faith? Any careful study of the Bible and particularly the life of Christ would reveal the incredible impossibilities that God overcame in the form of miracles and demonstrations of His power. Jesus healed the sick, the blind could see, the lame could walk, the leprous were made whole. Jesus spoke to storms and the wind would die down and the waves would become calm. Jesus cast out demons and silenced the Pharisees. Jesus fed 5000 with five loaves and two fish. Jesus walked on water. Jesus raised the dead and rose Himself victorious from the grave and yet, and yet?Jesus said to His disciples?
John 14:12-14 (NIV)12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Listen here folks?what does this mean? Listen? did you hear what Jesus said to his disciples ? what He promised ? This is His promise to all who have faith in Him?
- You may think that you are in so deep of a financial hole that there is no way you will ever get out ? I tell you, have faith in God, trust in Him, obey His word and God will fill it in
- You may think that your marriage is beyond repair, that your wife or your husband has shut the door on any chance of reconciliation, that you are headed for a divorce ? I tell you, turn to God, pray, let God turn your heart inside out, have faith in Christ, lay your marriage before Him and let God bring reconciliation, let God restore your marriage!
- You may think that there is no way in Hades your loved one is ever going to be saved. That theirs is an impossible case ? that their beyond redemption ? that they?ve got ears as small as pinholes and hearts as hard as a bachelor?s meatloaf – well, let me tell you something with God nothing is impossible and He can work a miracle in their life and He can turn their heart and He can put the fear of hell in them as He convicts them of their sin. Lift your loved one up to God, travail before the Lord in prayer, Cry out to God for their salvation and have faith that with God nothing, nothing, nothing is impossible!!!!
To demonstrate that His salvation is offered to anyone who would receive!!
Before the cross could take place the manger was needed
Before Golgotha could be enacted, Bethlehem had to be done.
Folks, Jesus was born to die. This reminds me of a song – “The Final Word” by Michael Card.
You and me, we use so very many clumsy words.
The noise of what we often say is not worth being heard.
When the Father?s wisdom wanted to communicate His love,
He spoke it in one final perfect Word.
He spoke the Incarnation, and then so was born the Son.
His final word was Jesus, He needed no other one.
Spoke flesh and blood so He could bleed and make a way Divine.
And so was born the baby who would die to make it mine.
And so the Father?s fondest thought took on flesh and bone.
He spoke the living, luminous Word, at once His will was done.
And so the transformation that in man had been unheard,
Took place in God the Father, as He spoke that final Word.
You see Jesus was born to die ? through His death Man could know the forgiveness of sins, the grace of God and be reconciled to Him. Through His resurrection we can know His life. Yet in His birth God did something significant ? God the father was making Himself accessible through Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself said,
John 10:30 (NIV)30 I and the Father are one.”
John 10:38 (NIV)
38 But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”
John 14:7 (NIV)
7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
John 14:10 (NIV)
10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.
If Jesus had been born in a palace surrounded with the riches and resources of the world at His disposal would many people know about Him. Sure ? lot?s of people would hear about Him and maybe even see Him. But not too many people would get to know Him. The whole point of Jesus? birth was to make the Father more accessible to mankind. Through Jesus we could know God. Through Jesus we could encounter deity. Through Jesus we could actually have a relationship with the creator of the universe!!
Notice the events that bear witness to this observation?
- The birth of Jesus took place in Bethlehem instead of Jerusalem.
- The birth of Jesus was in a stable not a hotel or a hospital.
- The birth of God?s son was announced to lowly shepherds and rich wise men.
Both rich and poor were received in the presence of the baby.
Both natives and foreigners were received in the presence of the baby.
Not only in His birth but also during His whole earthly life ? Jesus demonstrated the desire of the Father to be accessible by everyone. Jesus taught men and women, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, rulers and commoners, soldiers and civilians. All could know the Father through the Son and all could receive salvation through Him. However there is one important thing that needs to be mentioned. Just because God made Himself accessible through His son does not automatically guarantee us access. Did you hear me? (repeat) Even though the birth of the baby was announced to the shepherds and the star caught the attention of the wise men ? they still needed to respond and receive. That is the key difference between those who know God?s salvation and those who don?t, that is the key difference between those who know life and those who continue in death, that is the key difference between those who know about Christ and those who actually know Him. Until you respond and receive Christ you will never have access to the Father ? ever! But God did Christmas the way He did because He wants you and I to have access to Him!!
CONCLUSION
Friends, Christmas is more than a mall display! (repeat) Do I hear an amen? Christmas is all about that statement in John 1:14
John 1:14 (NIV)14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. ?
Now I want to ask you this morning what does that statement mean to you? Maybe it means?(go over each point and reiterate the application?)
- That you can lay a hold of the promises of God for your life and have faith that God will carry out His word?
- That you can believe God for the impossible in your life?
- That you will recognize the access you can have to God and respond and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
If any of those things apply to you this morning will you stand, right now, right where you are, stand ? come on get out of your seats. (Do this for each statement.