Archive for the ‘Christmas’ Category

Joseph’s Courage

Sunday, November 19th, 2006

This entry is part 1 of 4 in the series The Nativity Story

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INTRODUCTION
When I viewed a documentary in the fall on TLC that told the story of the tragedy of the World Trade Center I was struck with just how courageous the rescuers were in the days following 9-11. In the documentary story they told of how when everyone was running out of the buildings firefighters and rescue workers were running in. This documentary also focused on the incredible courage of many of the people who helped each other in escaping the building. There was one group of office workers who ran into a heavy-set guy going down the stairs who was giving up because of the distance. Two gentleman decided to stay behind and help this guy get down even though it risked their own safety in the unknown circumstances of their escape. At any moment the massive building above and around them would topple, trapping or killing them as well.

Then there were the courageous rescuers who made their way through the rubble of the collapsed trade towers looking for survivors and doing anything they could to pull them out. They descended into perilous caverns that could collapse at without warning. They new that even the smoke and dust in the air was hazardous to their help.

And yet they did their duty. They did what they had been trained to do and what the trapped people needed them to do. The nation was right to honor them for their courage even though many of their stories may never be told.

There is a story of courage that is told every Christmas season. But it is a story we often miss because the hero of the story is usually in the background. In nativity scenes he stands silently next to the manger in which the baby Jesus is laid. His name is Joseph and he seems to play a secondary role in the nativity story. He is not even given a single line to speak! Then he disappears completely from the narrative after the teenage years of Jesus.

And yet, the courage of Joseph was what made it possible for the child to be born in Bethlehem and to survive the life-threatening early years of his life. Joseph was the man to whom God entrusted the task of protecting the mother and her child from the time she conceived Jesus. He was the rugged and brave man who led Mary safely along the dangerous roads to Bethlehem, to Egypt and eventually back home to northern Israel.

God selected this man to protect the infant Jesus in the dangerous first years of his life and as we look over the span of Joseph?s life we see that he had the courage to:

? Live a morally upright life in an immoral world
? Marry a pregnant girl who was not carrying his child.
? Protect his wife and son in their flight to Egypt and then again upon their return to Nazareth.

I believe that the Holy Spirit has included the story of Joseph in scripture to encourage each one of us to live courageously, even if it means living dangerously, in doing God?s will. Before we study his courage, we must remember that Joseph was not some kind of super being. He was an ordinary, flesh and blood man.

Joseph: Man of COURAGE

An ordinary man?
In the midst of this story of the miraculous birth of Jesus, one that features visitations from angels we find this ordinary man called Joseph. One of the themes of the Bible is that God uses ordinary people to do his work ? people like you and me.

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things–and the things that are not–to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (NIV)

This is one of the reasons why one of the frequent sayings we use around Hanover Pentecostal Church is that we are ordinary people who are part of an extraordinary plan!

Joseph was the kind of man God could trust to be strong in the midst of a crisis. He was strong and resilient enough to protect his family during hazardous journeys to Bethlehem and Egypt, before they were finally able to return home to Nazareth years later. The reason Joseph had such courage was because of his relationship with God:

?who lived a morally upright life?

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. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
Matthew 1:18-19 (NIV)

Joseph was known as a righteous man. This means that he had such a strong relationship with God that he became like God in character. This means that Joseph was courageous enough to stand up against his own sin nature. He had disciplined himself to live the way God wanted him to do, not out of duty but because it was what he wanted to do.

Joseph was courageous enough to live a moral life in a corrupt culture. He grew up among people who were very religious but not very righteous. Even the religious leaders of the day were corrupt men, more interested in politics, power and possessions than in living for God. Friends, truly righteous people make the rest of us uncomfortable. Just by the way they live they make us aware of our shortcomings. So the people had never treated righteous men very kindly. They killed the prophets. They would later reject Jesus.

Even today, moral purity is sneered at. An example is how the movie ?The 40-Year-Old Virgin? made fun of the idea that a man could live to such an age and be sexually pure. The long line of business leaders who have gone to jail over accounting fraud and insider trading during the past few years lets us know that ?business ethics? is all too often a buzz word rather than a corporate code.

Joseph was an unusual man. The kind of man every child would wish for: a father who knows the right way to live and who follows the right way no matter what the cost!

The movie ?Cinderella Man? tells the story of a man like Joseph. He is a boxer who has lost everything and whose family is starving. His son steals a loaf of bread to help his starving family. The father rebukes his son and makes him apologize to the storekeeper from whom he stole it. This God-fearing father may not have been able to fill his children?s stomachs but he nurtured their spirits! How many of us can say we have the courage and integrity of this father?

Joseph was a man of moral courage?a moral courage born out of his Godly character.

Joseph was a man of GODLY character.
Joseph courageously restrained his anger and chose to treat Mary with love.
I can only imagine what Joseph felt when he found out that Mary was pregnant. The only way he would have been able to explain her pregnancy, since he and Mary had not consummated their marriage, was that she had been unfaithful to him with another man. That left the understanding that she was an adulteress!

Any man under such circumstances would probably respond with:

? Shock! Joseph thought Mary was a pure and chaste girl. He must have been shocked to the core!
? Deep sorrow. His dreams of marriage to this young girl now seemed to be forever shattered.
? Anger. Joseph must have felt betrayed. His manly pride would have given rise to the desire to punish somebody! No one would have blamed him if he had caused a terrible scene in the village.

But Joseph?s godly character enabled him to rein in his anger. His love for Mary, even under these circumstances, compelled him to seek for a way to protect her. Love covers over a multitude of sins!

The apostle Paul teaches that God the Spirit empowers us to do the same. When we live in the Holy Spirit?s power, the fruit of the Spirit always trumps uncontrolled human emotion, even anger and rage. And the Holy Spirit empowers us with supernatural love (Galatians 5).

Joseph faced down his own emotions and courageously chose to forgive Mary. But he also had to face down the society in which he lived?

Joseph resisted the pressure of the WORLD he lived in.
As Mary?s pregnancy became obvious to the people in their small town, Joseph knew that he also would be publicly embarrassed. To save face, Joseph would have been justified in publicly divorcing Mary. In fact, the society he lived in expected him to express outrage and to punish Mary.

But because of his godly character Joseph decided to divorce her privately and protect her from public disgrace. Then, after an angel explained to him that Mary was pregnant because of a miracle, Joseph changed his mind and decided to marry her.

Joseph obeyed God and took Mary home to be his wife.

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 be with child and will 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 had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Matthew 1:20-25 (NIV)

When the angel told Joseph that the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit, it is possible that Joseph would have though of the role of the Spirit of God in creation?

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Genesis 1:2 (NIV)

By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
Psalms 33:6 (NIV)

But even now, with the Scriptures and an angel to direct him, Joseph had to make a courageous decision. He had to take for his wife a woman who was not bearing his child and, in so doing, share in the unjust shame that was heaped upon her. He would also be undertaking to provide for the child and function in a fatherly role as he raised him.

Joseph chose to do what the angel commanded him. Joseph?s faith in God was what enabled him to overcome the stigma of becoming the husband of Mary and to accept the responsibility of the child.

The writer of Scripture adds a comment that displays the integrity of this man. Although he had the legitimate right to it, Joseph didn?t have sexual relations with Mary until after Jesus was born. And this simple fact underscores the truth of the virgin birth of Jesus!

It takes courage to say no! We tend to treat our sexual urges as if they have some kind of overwhelming power. But, for the higher purposes of God, Joseph was able to restrain himself. The fact that they did have sexual relations after the birth of Jesus models that within the boundaries of real marriage, sex is a pure and beautiful gift of God.

Joseph?s courage was tested again after the child was about two years of age. Wise men from the East had visited the family and had worshipped Jesus. After the wise men had departed Joseph was again visited by an gel who commanded him to take the child and flee to Egypt for Herod was seeking to kill him.

Joseph courageously protected the child whenever His life was in danger.

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
Matthew 2:13-23 (NIV)

Having heard from the wise men that they were seeking for the one who had been born to be King of the Jews, Herod commanded that all boys under the age of two were to be killed.

An angel of the Lord commanded Joseph to take the child and his mother first to Egypt and then later back to northern Israel. This meant months of dangerous travel over hostile terrain. Joseph probably walked most of the way! But God knew that Joseph was courageous enough and strong to handle the task.

CONCLUSION
Next time you look at a Nativity scene and see Joseph standing in the background, think of the courage and ruggedness of this man. Remember that he was a courageous man because of his belief in God. Remember he demonstrated this courage when, despite personal embarrassment and in the face of social ostracism, he believed God and married the pregnant girl who was not carrying his baby. And also, remember how he continued to show this courage in protecting the mother and child during the life-threatening years of Jesus? childhood.

What do we learn from Joseph?

1. Courage shows up when we least expect it and when we most need it.
Joseph had no idea that his tranquil life was going to be thrown into upheaval. But because of his relationship to God and the righteous character that was a fruit of his life, courage was nurtured in his being and was there when he needed it. How do we cultivate the growth of courage?

2. Courage is cultivated by learning that God is more powerful than any threat that may come our way!
King David learned about God from nature, from history and from Scriptures while attending his father?s sheep. That?s why he was able to fearlessly face up to Goliath, confident that the commander of the armies of heaven was with him!

Joseph had cultivated his relationship with God and so he was ready when the day of testing came.

3. Children need courageous Dads and wives long for courageous husbands!
Children want to be able to boast ?My Dad?s bigger than your Dad!? It gives them security to know that their Dad is brave enough and strong enough to protect them! One of the greatest statements of a husband?s love is when he protects his wife regardless of the cost to himself.

I want to conclude the service this morning by sharing the story of a husband and wife who display the incredible courage of Joseph as they care for their much beloved child. If anything shows the love of Christ and the courage God gives those close to Him ? this is it?

{show the clip ?The Smith Family? from Sermonspice.com}

Tags: Christmas, courage, joseph, love, nativity, The Nativity Story
Posted in Christmas, Podcast, Sermons, Sunday Morning Service | No Comments »

The Incarnation Message

Sunday, December 25th, 2005

This entry is part 4 of 4 in the series Christmas: Divine Design Causing Change

Read at beginning of service:

John 1:1-14 (NIV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

I want to begin this morning with a short Christmas quiz.

Q: On December 24^th, what was Adam?s wife known as?

A: Christmas Eve

Q: What do you call an opinion survey in Alaska?

A: North Poll

Q: When the salt and pepper say, “Hi” to each other, what are they passing on?

A: Season?s Greetings

Q: What do you call a holy man with no change in his pockets?

A: St. Nickleless

Q: What do Spanish sheep say when they wish each other a Merry Christmas?

A: Fleece Navidad

(taken from the message, “A Savior is Born: God?s Christmas Message by Brian Bill”)

One reason things are funny, or punny, is because words are powerful. I want to suggest this morning that the message of the incarnation (what we are to remember in celebrating Christmas), is often misunderstood because we don?t pay enough attention to the words. Many of us get a bit sentimental during this season as we skim right by on a superficial level, missing the magnitude of what happened on that holy night.

I want to begin by asking some questions: “Who was this Jesus? What did He come to do? Why did He come to earth? What child was this?” If we can figure out the answer to these questions, we will come to the conclusion that this message does in fact change everything.

Congregational Singing? “What Child Is This?”

In order to understand more about who this child was, and who Christ is, we?re going to look at Luke 2:10-11:

Luke 2:10-11 (NIV)

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

One of the best ways to fully understand the identity of Jesus and the impact of His message is to focus on the What, When, Where, Who, Why and the How of Christmas

The “What” of Christmas

As the angel appears to the shepherds who are just out doing their jobs, his first concern is to calm them down because they are terrified. As we learned in my previous message in this series, God wants us to move from fear to faith. The reason the shepherds did not have to tremble was because the angel was about to announce the “what” of Christmas: “I bring you good news?” This phrase means to “announce, declare, or show” the evangel (good news), which is where we get the word “gospel” from.

In the midst of that dark night, and into a world filled with bad news, God is ready to reveal some good news. Notice that this news is “of great joy.” The word “great” here is the word megas in the Greek. It has the idea of “mega joy” or super-sized “cheerfulness.” This good news is exceedingly exciting because God is bringing about the solution to the sin problem. And this good news is “for all the people.” God?s mega message was never intended to just be for one group of people in one part of the world. The “what” of Christmas is God?s good news, which is “joy to the world.”

The “When” of Christmas

Verse 11 begins with the word “Today.” The birth of the baby had taken place that day and now they were given the announcement of His arrival. The timing of the Incarnation was impeccable. Galatians 4:4:

Galatians 4:4 (NIV)

4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,

Everything came together at last for God to make a visit by sending His Son to redeem us from our sins. The world system was ready, people were searching for meaning, prophecies were fulfilled and the Christmas characters were prepared. God was in no hurry, but when the time was right, He moved into action! The incarnation (the birth/death/resurrection of Jesus) is the hinge on which the door of history swings. We live on a visited planet and that visit happened at a precise point in history. Friend, you can count on Christmas being true because of this fact. We don?t celebrate a fable; we commemorate the birth in the stable.

The “Where” of Christmas

The “what” is the mega message of amazing news. The “when” was a specific time in history. The “where” of Christmas is in the “town of David.” This is a reference to Bethlehem. This little village was called David?s town because it was where his grandpa Boaz and his father Jesse were from, and where David grew up. In fact, David used to take care of sheep just like the shepherds were doing the night the angel showed up.

It was no accident that the baby was born in Bethlehem. This fulfilled a 700-year old prophecy found in Micah 5:2. After Jesus was born, Matthew 2 tells us that a group of astrologers from the east came to Jerusalem because they wanted to find the one who was born king of the Jews. They had followed a star but now they needed more specific directions. They knew when he was born but they didn?t know exactly where.

Herod, who was the king in Judea, was very disturbed and threatened by the news that a king had been born so he called together all the chief priests and the teachers of the law. He had one very specific question for these experts: “Where is the Christ supposed to be born?”

I want you to notice how quickly they answered his question in Matthew 2:5. They didn?t have to talk about it, or even consult their official documents. No one even needed to open the Old Testament:

Matthew 2:5-6 (NIV)

5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’”

These religious guys knew it in their heads but they didn?t know Him in their hearts. It?s quite possible to be so close to Jesus and still be far away from His impact. They held the truth but they didn?t allow the truth to hold them! It?s not what you know, but what you do with what you know that makes the difference.

The “Who” of Christmas

The next phrase in Luke 2:11 actually reads, “Has been born to you Savior, Christ, Lord.” When Luke penned these words, he didn?t use any articles in front of these three titles. Each of these words is extremely important.

Savior.

This word means, “deliverer.” Jesus came to set us free from sin, and to deliver us from the dominion of the devil. His role as Savior was spelled out to Joseph in Matthew 1:21:

Matthew 1:21 (NIV)

21 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.”

Someone has said:

If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator.

If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist.

If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist.

If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer.

But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior.

Because we?re sinners, we need a Savior. This title would have caused the people of that day to be startled because they knew that God alone was their Deliverer. Isaiah 43:3:

Isaiah 43:3 (NIV)

3 For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior?

To call Jesus “Savior” is to acknowledge Him as God and to admit guilt before Him, and thus the need for forgiveness.

Christ.

This is the Greek word for “Messiah,” which means, “the anointed one” and is used over 500 times in the Bible. The nation of Israel always lived in the future as they waited eagerly for the anointed One, who would bring salvation to them. We hear this expectation from the mouth of John the Baptist when he wondered if Jesus was in fact, the Messiah in Matthew 11:3:

Matthew 11:3 (NIV)

3 to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”

Later, when Jesus was wanting to find out what his followers thought of Him, Peter spoke up in Matthew 16:16:

Matthew 16:16 (NIV)

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Ultimately, Jesus was anointed to suffer and then die as substitute for the sins of the world.

Lord.

This amazing title is reserved in the Old Testament for God alone. The angel here is declaring that Jesus is Yahweh. Jesus is not just from God; He is God Himself. Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians 8:6:

1 Corinthians 8:6 (NIV)

6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

God had become man! The infinite had become an infant. As Lord, Jesus is Master. He?s in charge. He?s supreme. And as such, I must bow before His supremacy. Philippians 2:9-11:

Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV)

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.

In the third verse of “Silent Night” we sing of his Lordship as a baby. This baby was a normal baby in terms of his humanity yet truly was Lord in his divinity.

The “Why” of Christmas

The Christian church has adopted Christmas as calendar event for one reason. To celebrate the incarnation ? the coming to earth of God as man, the birth of Immanuel ? God with us. He was holy and human, right from the start. The baby in Bethlehem was born to die on the cross. As important as everything is I?ve said so far, Christmas must become a personal confession in order for it to make a difference in your life. Notice the two words tucked in the middle of verse 11: “to you.” The shepherds did nothing to deserve the privilege of hearing the good news of great joy. They were just out doing their jobs. It was by grace that God announced the news that would change their life: “A Savior has been born to you.” And when they heard this, verse 16 says that they “hurried off?and found the baby.” The proclamation from the angels went into their ears, down into their heart where they personalized it, and then out to their feet as they responded in faith.

Friends, the Savior can never save you until you cry out, “Christ came for me and then died as my sin substitute. I accept the anointed one into my life and I surrender to His Lordship.” Martin Luther once said,

“Of what benefit would it be to me if Christ had been born a thousand times, and it would be daily sung in my ears in a most lovely manner, if I were never to hear that he was born for me and was to be my very own.”

The “How of Christmas”

Let?s look now at the “how” of Christmas. After the one angel appeared to the shepherds, suddenly an entire army of angelic messengers filled the sky with an outpouring of adoration in verse 14: “Glory to God in the highest?” They couldn?t help but break into praise because Savior-Christ-Lord had been born. Their praise then led them to declare a message of peace: “?and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.” It all starts in heaven with God?s perfect plan and it arrives on earth where peace comes to those who personalize the message.

In the Old Testament, “peace” is the word shalom, and is a state of wholeness and harmony that is intended to resonate in all relationships. When used as a greeting, shalom was a wish for outward freedom from disturbance as well as an inward sense of well-being. To a people constantly harassed by enemies, peace was the premiere blessing. In Numbers 6:24-26, God gave Moses these words to use when blessing His people:

Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)

24 “‘ “The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”‘

The New Testament describes at least three spheres, or planes, of peace:

Peace with God ? that?s the vertical dimension

Peace of God ? this takes place internally

Peace with others ? when we have peace with God and we experience the peace of God, we can then extend peace horizontally

Peace with God.

Before we can understand this first dimension of peace we must come to grips with the state of our relationship with God apart from Christ. While God loves us and cherishes us, He is also repulsed and filled with indignation because of our sinfulness. Romans 1:18:

Romans 1:18 (NIV)

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

Romans 5:1 gives the good news:

Romans 5:1 (NIV)

1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Because of what Jesus Christ did on the Cross, you and I can now be at peace with God. This word can also mean, “to set at one again.” God the Father poured out His wrath, fury, and indignation on His Son, who died in our place, as our sin-substitute. Colossians 1:20 says that Jesus reconciled Himself to all things “making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.”

Listen carefully. We don?t deserve this peace to men on whom His favor rests. In fact, what we deserve is death and eternal punishment. But, because of God?s great love, He provided a way for us to be set at one again with the God of the universe. God?s joy and His justice converge on the cross of Calvary. His love and His law find full satisfaction through the sacrificial death of His Son. God is both just and the justifier. His anger is fully absorbed in the sacrifice of His Son.

Peace of God.

In order to have the peace of God internally, we must first experience peace with God vertically. The upward dimension must be taken care of before inward peace can permeate our lives. Those at peace with God can experience the peace of God.

Shortly before Jesus died, He declared in John 14:27:

John 14:27 (NIV)

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

This inner peace is a gift from Jesus and comes to us as a key element of the fruit of the Spirit. We will experience this peace in proportion to the room we give the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Peace with others.

Peace with God enables us to have the peace of God. Christ as Savior brings peace with God; Christ as Lord brings the peace of God. Another way to say it is that we can?t have the peace of God until we know the God of peace. When we?re at peace with God, and we have internal peace, we can then be at peace with others.

Jesus put it this way in Matthew 5:9:

Matthew 5:9 (NIV)

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

I find it interesting that Jesus didn?t tell us to be “peacekeepers,” but instead “peacemakers.” This could be translated as “peace workers.” It takes effort to bring conflict to an end. When we work at preventing contention and strife we are doing what God does. We?re called to make peace when we?re involved in conflict. Romans 14:19 lays out our responsibility:

Romans 14:19 (NIV)

19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

The only way to have peace with God, to have peace inside, and to be at peace with others, is to personalize the message of the Incarnation. Peter summarizes the essence of the Incarnation when he declares in Acts 10:36:

Acts 10:36 (NIV)

36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

CONCLUSION

Let me summarize.

The what of Christmas is “the good news of great joy for all the people.”

The when of Christmas is “today.”

The where of Christmas is in the “town of Bethlehem.”

The who of Christmas is “Savior, Christ, Lord.”

The why of Christmas is “to you.”

The how of Christmas is “Glory to God?and peace to men?”

Is Jesus your Savior? Is He your Christ? Is He your Lord? This baby was God?s own Son and He came to change the world. Has He changed your world? Instead of trying to figure out a pun, put your faith in the Son. Some day God will give each of us an exam. It will have one question on it: “What have you done with Jesus?”

Possibly play or sing the song “The Final Word”

Tags: bethlehem, Christmas, Christmas: Divine Design Causing Change, freedom, grace, incarnation
Posted in Christmas, Sermons, Sunday Morning Service | No Comments »

Supernatural Happenings with Angels

Sunday, December 11th, 2005

This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series Christmas: Divine Design Causing Change

Read at beginning of service:

Luke 1:26-38 (NIV)

26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon 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. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

INTRODUCTION

How many of you have ever heard a sermon on angels before? In my recollection I don?t think I?ve ever preached a message regarding the ministry of angels before.

In recent years, Angels have become quite popular. The Wall Street Journal carried an article in 2003 that stated, “After a hiatus of almost 300 years and much skepticism, angels are making a comeback.” From lapel pins to Angel Cards, people can?t seem to get enough of the celestial world. Just this week I typed in the word “angel” on Google, and came up with 73.9 million hits! According to the Angel Collectors Club of America, the hands-down champion of angel collectors is a woman from Beloit, Wisconsin. Her home is stuffed with 10,455 different angelic artifacts!

Even TV talk shows devote hours to people with “angel stories.” Several years ago, Oprah Winfrey chided a guest for being “in denial” about an angel experience. Major bookstore chains sometimes have whole sections devoted to books involving angels ? of course a small percentage of those books present angels in a biblical light.

While the Christmas story is saturated with the supernatural, some of us miss the meaning because we just skim by this season on a superficial level. I want to suggest this morning that we must see the mysterious and miraculous elements surrounding the birth of Jesus.

In his book called, “Rumors of Another World,” Philip Yancey writes, “The Bible presents a?view of reality that encompasses both the familiar visible world and an invisible world that coexists as a kind of parallel universe” (Page 165). The supernatural star that led the wise men to Jesus gave way to a divine dream that warned them to go home by another route. In addition, angelic pronouncements permeate the landscape, appearing first to Zechariah, then to Mary, Joseph and finally to the shepherds.

2 Corinthians 4:18 challenges us to move our minds from this transitory world to the real world that we have a difficult time seeing: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” We live in one place but we believe in another dimension. I?m reminded of the story in 2 Kings 6 when an angry army surrounds Elisha and his servant. The servant starts to flip out so Elisha says in verse 16: “Don?t be afraid, those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” I picture the servant looking around and not seeing anyone but innumerable enemies. Then Elisha prays in verse 17: “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see. Then the LORD opened the servant?s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” Friend, I believe that if we could pull back the curtain on the spirit world, we would see that this room is filled with intelligent, powerful beings.

My prayer is that the Lord will open our eyes so that we will see what is ultimately important this morning. Angels appear in more than half of the books of the Bible, with over 300 total references. They have three primary responsibilities.

They magnify God. The number one job of angels is to adore God. Nehemiah 9:6: “You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.” One of the most vivid pictures of praise is found in Revelation 5:11-12: “Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand?In a loud voice they sang: ?Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!?”

They are messengers of God. The word “angel,” as used in the Bible, literally means messenger. Their job is to do what God wants them to do. Angel messengers basically convey two types of messages. Sometimes it?s good news like announcing the birth of Christ. But, other times they bring bad news. When they serve in this capacity, they are not cute little cherub dolls that look like ornaments we hang on our Christmas trees. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7: “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.” The Book of Revelation is full of prophecies regarding the role of avenging angels and it is anything but pretty.

They minister to people. Hebrews 1:14 puts it best: “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” Most of the time angels are not seen; they minister invisibly behind the scenes. And yet, on occasion, they break into our world, appearing for a short time to accomplish a specific purpose. The Bible mentions that when they do appear, they often look just like humans. Listen to Hebrews 13:2: “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” It?s quite possible to be face-to-face with an angel and not even know it

Phillip Yancey refers to a concept called, “thin places,” where the natural and supernatural worlds come together at their narrowest, with only a thin veil between them (“Rumors of Another World,” Page 45). As we read the Christmas story, there are many of these thin places, particularly when messengers from the angelic world make an appearance into our world.

Not surprisingly, every time an angel shows up in the Advent Adventure, human beings become very afraid. They?re terrified by the messenger and are left tottering by the message. When an angel appears in Scripture, a sense of fear and wonder blasts through the blas? and predictable. Actually, that?s one of the functions of angels. This awe-inspiring element was built into the very worship fabric of ancient Israel. The Ark of the Covenant had two cherubim carved into it. The idea is that God is surrounded by powerful beings. Prophets like Isaiah came face-to-face with seraphim who cried out in Isaiah 6:3: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” With the doorposts shaking, and the temple filled with smoke, Isaiah cried out in fear, “Woe is me!”

My guess is that many of us are afraid about something this morning. On 65 different occasions, the Bible tells us to “fear not.” Let?s see how these messages to Mary, Joseph and the shepherds can minister to us today. (Insights for the following come from Pastor Leith Anderson www.wooddale.org).

Let?s look at three different angelic encounters that intersect the Christmas story in order to help us see that which is ultimately real.

1. Don?t be afraid of God?s purposes.

The first messenger was one of the big guns of the Bible. His name was Gabriel and is one of only two named angels in the Bible, the other one being Michael. His first assignment that we know about came when he was called on to interpret a dream for the prophet Daniel (see Daniel 9:21). Gabriel then disappears from the scene for six hundred years, until he appears to a young teenage peasant girl named Mary.

As we read the familiar story let?s try to imagine what Mary might have felt during this angelic encounter. Luke 1:26-38 (read at beginning of service):

Luke 1:26-38 (NIV)

26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon 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. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Gabriel had the privilege of announcing the most astonishing news ever! God was going to send His Son to earth. I wonder if Gabriel questioned why God would want to accomplish His purposes through such an unlikely person. She was young in a culture that respected older people. She was poor. She lived in an isolated village. Don?t you love how God chooses to use people who we might not pick?

But Mary is terrified. She?s agitated at this announcement because she doesn?t understand why God would want to accomplish His purposes through her. I think she was probably afraid of this mighty messenger and dumbfounded by his message. Gabriel must have seen the fear in her eyes and so he said, “Don?t be afraid.” He knew that her fear could keep her from responding in faith and so his first task was to tame her trembling heart. He then explained what was going to happen as best he could. Mary asked a very natural question and Gabriel responded with the mystery of how a virgin could become pregnant with the Son of God. Mary didn?t understand this any more than we can explain it.

Gabriel reminds Mary of the miraculous pregnancy of Elizabeth and then makes a statement that we still need to hold on to today: “For nothing is impossible with God.” As Mary?s eyes are drawn to the power of God and away from her situation, she is able to respond with faith in verse 38: “I am the Lord?s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” Mary was ready to respond, choosing faith over her fear.

What about you? Perhaps God has revealed something to you in this past year that you?re afraid to fully submit to. What fear is keeping you back? Friend, because nothing is impossible with God He can do the improbable with insignificant people like you and like me. ?ordinary people who are part of an extraordinary plan?

2. Don?t be afraid when everything seems to go wrong.

Joseph needed some divine intervention after he found out Mary was pregnant. He knew he wasn?t the father. He had wanted to settle down into his carpentry business, get married, build a home, and pass on his trade to their children. But now things were falling apart and his plans were blown up. His reputation was on the line. And his fianc? had let him down. What was he going to do? Because he was a righteous man, he determined to end the engagement as quietly as he could. Instead of trying to get even, he wanted to do what was right. He?s in a daze, probably wanting to crawl into a hole.

In the middle of his misery, Joseph gets a visit. Let?s look at Matthew 1:20-24:

Matthew 1:20-24 (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. 21 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.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.” 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

This unnamed angel fills in some of the blanks for Joseph but first he settles Joseph?s anxious heart by saying, “Do not be afraid.” Amazingly, he is being asked to raise a child that is not his. And, he?s given a glimpse of the glory of this child as the angel tells him that this boy will be the Savior, fulfilling the prophecy from Isaiah 7:14. Joseph then moves from fear to faith when we read, “he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.”

Does your life seem out of control right now? Have some things happened that have caused you to lose sleep? Maybe your dreams have been destroyed and your problems seem insurmountable. Does everything seem to be going wrong? Friend, hold on to hope. Immanuel will be with you always, no matter what happens. God will work everything out for His glory and for your good. Romans 8:28 is still true: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” What God wants from us is to be obedient like Joseph was. He wants us to serve Him in the midst of the storm, to love Him even when we feel like we?ve lost everything, and to trust Him during our trials.

Joseph actually had two more encounters with angels, and like the first time, he chose faith over fear. Look at Matthew 2:13-14:

Matthew 2:13-14 (NIV)

13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,

Joseph had some “get up and go,” didn?t he? He response was identical some time later after another angelic encounter, in which he was told to go back to Israel because Herod had died. We see his obedience again in Matthew 2:21: “So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.”

Friend, don?t be afraid when life throws you a curve. Choose faith over fear. And when God makes it clear what you?re supposed to do, and you?re sure that He?s the one speaking, then “get up and go.”

3. Don?t be afraid of the good news.

The final exhibit of angelic intervention takes place when God rocks the routine of some guys who are just out doing their job. Luke 2:8-20:

Luke 2:8-9 (NIV)

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

In the midst of the mundane, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared. Into the darkness of a silent night came the brightness of the glory of the Lord. I?m sure they were rubbing their eyes and shaking in their sandals. In fact, the word “terrified” means that they were alarmed and agitated.

“But the angel said to them, ?Do not be afraid.” Once again, an angel has to tell humans to chill out. The reason they did not need to be afraid is because the messenger was bringing “good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.? As the shepherds are trying to handle the message from this one messenger, they are taken aback again. “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God?” The word “suddenly” means that the heavenly host came unexpectedly. I imagine the sky filled with a multitude of messengers. The phrase “heavenly host” refers to the Lord?s army in other passages of Scripture. Then the angels say, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

After witnessing this incredible display of unbridled adoration and praise, the shepherds knew that they had to move. “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ?Let?s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.? They discussed what they should do and were unanimous in their decision to head to Bethlehem. I love verse 16 because it shows that their fear had been replaced with faith and then their faith went to their feet: “So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.” There was no delay. The word “hurried” carries with it the idea of speed.

The shepherds then became messengers of the message they had received from the angel. “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” With hearts filled with gratitude, these men broke out into praise: “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

Friend, God may be trying to break into your ordinary routine with the message of good news. He loves you and has sent His Son to be your Savior. How long will you continue to ignore Immanuel? When will you hurry to the Holy One? He wants to bring you joy in the midst of all the junk going on in your life. Will you receive what He has done for you? Will you put feet to your faith?

There are angels everywhere and I believe they are still doing God?s work today. But whether we see or hear an angel today doesn?t really matter. What matters most is that we get God?s message and that we respond not in fear, but in faith. Since it?s important to understand the role of angels in the Bible, let me briefly mention three things that good angels never do:

Angels Never Take the Place of the Bible. When they give messages from God, angels never supersede Scripture or contradict the Bible. Angels had a part in delivering sections of the Bible; therefore they would never say anything against it. Deuteronomy 33:2 tells us that myriads of holy messengers came down on Mount Sinai when God gave the Law to Moses and the entire book of Revelation is most likely the result of angelic messages. Revelation 1:1: “?He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John.” Then, in the last chapter of Revelation, a curse is pronounced on anyone who adds or takes away from the words of the book (Revelation 22:18-19). Friends, don?t look to angels, or anything else for that matter, to provide you with new messages from God. Everything that God wants you to know is found in this book!

Angels Never Take the Place of God the Father. God?s good angels refuse to be worshipped. In Revelation 22:8-9, the Apostle John is overcome by all that he has heard and seen: “I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel…But he said to me, ?Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!?” Good angels never draw attention to themselves. They can get our attention, but they always do it for God?s sake, not their own. When Biblical angels discharge their duty and deliver their tidings, they withdraw from human contact. They don?t stay long because they don?t want us to focus on them; they want us to worship God. One other thought in this regard. Angels are not to be prayed to. They may help deliver answers to prayer, but the Bible never suggests that we should direct our requests to them.

Angels Never Take the Place of Jesus. Angels are not the go-between for us. 1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” In the whole scheme of things, Jesus is center stage; angels are just the supporting cast. Like fans of a famous actor, 1 Peter 1:12 says that “angels long to look into the things” that Jesus has accomplished. The picture here is of angels bending over, trying to peer into the truth of salvation through Jesus. They?re intrigued by the whole idea of redemption.

Christmas cannot be explained apart from the thin places. Ray Pritchard puts it strongly: “If you take the supernatural out of Christianity, all you have is a religious book club.” Let me summarize what we?ve learned today.

CONCLUSION

1.Don?t be afraid of God?s purposes.

When Mary got the news about God?s purpose for her life she said in Luke 1:38: “I am the Lord?s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” Are you ready to surrender to God?s purposes right now?

2. Don?t be afraid when everything seems to go wrong.

Joseph?s world was being wiped out and yet he chose to hold on to what was true and to do what God was asking him to do. Matthew 1:24: “He did what the Lord commanded.” Matthew 2:14: “So he got up?” Matthew 2:21: “So he got up?” What are you going to do? Are you going to stew? Or are you going to get up and do what is right?

3. Don?t be afraid of the good news.

God is giving you a gift this Christmas and He wants you to respond by receiving it. The shepherds could have ignored the good news but they were so moved by the majesty of the glory of God that they had to move. Did you know that angels like to party? I used to think of them as boring and a bit predictable. They certainly don?t seem very spontaneous or very fun. Don?t they strike you as a serious bunch? After all, if their job is to magnify God, serve as His messengers and minister to people, how could they have time to do anything else? Luke 15:10 describes how this all comes together: “…I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Whenever an individual repents of sin and receives Jesus into his life, the angels break out into a wild party! They magnify God and minister to us in far greater ways once we respond to the message of good news of great joy.

Friend, what about you? The angels are cheering you on this morning. They want you to surrender your life to Christ?s leadership. All the plans are set for a big celebration. They?re just waiting for you to respond to the invitation. Angels are watching every move you make. They know the spiritual condition of your soul. And they are anxious for you to repent and to receive Christ for salvation before it?s too late. You see, they know what lies ahead for all of us. They understand the joy and rewards that await those who put their faith in Christ; and they know the harsh reality of hell for those who choose not to receive Christ.

Do you want a party thrown in your honor in heaven? Do you want the angels to rejoice? Then, engage your will and receive the free gift of Jesus. Then, not only will know more about the “Angels Out in the Field,” you will have Jesus in you, Immanuel who will always be with you.

J. B. Phillips wrote a wonderful story called, “The Visited Planet” to help us shed the limitations of earthbound thinking and to allow the supernatural to break over us afresh (see www.ccel.org).

Once upon a time a very young angel was being shown the splendors and glories of the universes by a senior and experienced angel?Finally he was shown?a small and rather insignificant sphere turning very slowly on its axis. It looked as dull as a dirty tennis-ball to the little angel, whose mind was filled with the size and glory of what he had seen.

“I want you to watch that one particularly,” said the senior angel, pointing with his finger. “Well, it looks very small and rather dirty to me,” said the little angel. “What?s special about that one?” “That,” replied his senior solemnly, “is the Visited Planet.” “Visited?” said the little one. “You don?t mean visited by ——–? “Indeed I do. That ball, which I have no doubt looks to you small and insignificant?has been visited by our young Prince of Glory.” And at these words he bowed his head reverently. The little angel?s face wrinkled in disgust. “Do you mean to tell me,” he said, “that He stooped so low as to become one of those creeping, crawling creatures of that floating ball?” “I do, and I don?t think He would like you to call them ?creeping, crawling creatures? in that tone of voice. For, strange as it may seem to us, He loves them. He went down to visit them to lift them up to become like Him.”

The little angel looked blank. Such a thought was almost beyond his comprehension.

“Close your eyes for a moment,” said the senior angel, “and we will go back in what they call Time.” “Now look!” And as the little angel did as he was told, there appeared here and there on the dull surface of the globe little flashes of light, some merely momentary and some persisting for quite a time. “Every flash and glow of light that you see is something of the Father?s knowledge and wisdom breaking into the minds and hearts of people?Not many people, you see, can hear His Voice or understand what He says, even though He is speaking gently and quietly to them all the time.”

“Why are they so blind and deaf and stupid?” asked the junior angel rather crossly.

“It is not for us to judge them. We who live in the Splendor have no idea what it is like to live in the dark. We hear the music and the Voice like the sound of many waters every day of our lives, but to them – well, there is much darkness and much noise and much distraction upon the earth. Only a few who are quiet and humble and wise hear His Voice. But watch, for in a moment you will see something truly wonderful.”

The Earth went on turning and circling round the sun, and then quite suddenly, in the upper half of the globe, there appeared a light, tiny but so bright in its intensity that both the angels hid their eyes. “I think I can guess,” said the little angel in a low voice. “That was the Visit, wasn?t it?” “Yes, that was the Visit. The Light Himself went down there and lived among them; but in a moment?the light will go out.” “But why? Could He not bear their darkness and stupidity? Did He have to return here?” “No, it wasn?t that,” returned the senior angel. His voice was stern and sad. “They failed to recognize Him for Who He was – or at least only a handful knew Him. For the most part they preferred their darkness to His Light, and in the end they killed Him.”

“The fools, the crazy fools! They don?t deserve —-” “Neither you nor I, nor any other angel, knows why they were so foolish and so wicked. Nor can we say what they deserve or don?t deserve. But the fact remains, they killed our Prince of Glory while He was Man amongst them?Watch now, but be ready to cover your eyes again.” In utter blackness the earth turned round three times, and then there blazed with unbearable radiance a point of light. “What now?” asked the little angel, shielding his eyes. “They killed Him all right, but He conquered death. The thing most of them dread and fear all their lives He broke and conquered. He rose again, and a few of them saw Him and from then on became His utterly devoted slaves.”

“Thank God for that,” said the little angel. “Amen. Open your eyes now, the dazzling light has gone. The Prince has returned to His Home of Light. But watch the Earth now.” As they looked, in place of the dazzling light there was a bright glow, which throbbed and pulsated. And then as the Earth turned, little points of light spread out. A few flickered and died; but for the most part the lights burned steadily, and as they continued to watch, in many Parts of the globe there was a glow over many areas.

“You see what is happening?” asked the senior angel. “The bright glow is the company of loyal men and women He left behind, and with His help they spread the glow and now lights begin to shine all over the Earth.” “Yes, yes,” said the little angel impatiently, “but how does it end? Will the little lights join up with each other? Will it all be light, as it is in Heaven?” His senior shook his head. “We simply do not know,” he replied. “It is in the Father?s hands. Sometimes it is agony to watch and sometimes it is joy unspeakable. The end is not yet. But now I am sure you can see why this little ball is so important. He has visited it; He is working out His Plan upon it.” “Yes, I see, though I don?t understand. I shall never forget that this is the Visited Planet.”

Tags: angel, angels, bethlehem, Christmas, Christmas: Divine Design Causing Change, servants, signs
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His Timing is Perfect

Sunday, December 4th, 2005

This entry is part 2 of 4 in the series Christmas: Divine Design Causing Change

Read at beginning of service:

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 (NIV)

1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. 9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

INTRODUCTION

As we continue in our series called, “Christmas: Divine Design Causing Change,” we?re going to build on the truths that we learned last week. The Majesty came down into our mess in order to create a mosaic of His grace. Because our glory has faded, in the midst of the secularization of the season and the loss of doctrinal truths, we must “see Jesus.” In the mystery of the Incarnation, Jesus fulfilled Psalm 8, becoming Savior, Substitute, and Sovereign. By the way, the idea for this series came from a series of messages I read by Pastor Brian Bill, who Pastors Pontiac Bible Church in Pontiac, Illinois.

This morning I?m going to zero in on the Christmas truth that God works in all circumstances to accomplish His purposes. God?s timing is always perfect and beautiful. He is the God of every situation, who is able to work out everything to accomplish His purposes.

There?s this guy who was really funny. All he had to do was get up and say, “Joke Number 52″ and everyone laughed. After people stopped guffawing, he shouted out, “Number 110″ and people rolled in the aisles. Not to be outdone, someone else jumped up and said, “Remember Joke #12?” This was followed by dead silence. He turns to the crowd and says, “Why aren?t you laughing?” To which someone in the audience replies, “Because you have lousy delivery and no sense of timing.”

(quoted in the message, “No Crib for a Bed: The God of Every Circumstance” by Brian Bill.

A salesman from the Chicago area was in Miami when he called his manager. He explained the difficult situation saying: “I?m stuck here in the middle of a hurricane. All of the airports are closed, the airlines don?t know when the next planes will take off. The highways are flooded and the busses and trains aren?t even running. What do I do?” The boss came back immediately with: “Start your two-week vacation as of this morning” (autoillustrator.com, “TIMING IS EVERYTHING”)

A pastor was speaking about heaven, about eternal bliss and the joys that are awaiting each person on “the other side”. He paused for effect and asked, “How many of you here want to go to heaven?” All hands were raised except for an eight-year-old boy sitting in the front pew. The minister asked, “Don?t you want to go to heaven, too, son?” The boy replied, “Yes, but I thought you were making up a load to go right now.” (autoillustrator.com, “TIMING IS EVERYTHING”)

You?ve probably heard the phrase many times, “timing is everything.”

Timing is important when dealing with people. Most of us know to not ask someone for a favor when they?re in a bad mood. Timing is key when you?re cooking, so that salmonella doesn?t send you to the hospital. In the area of finances, I?m told that buying a stock at the right time is very important, as those who bought Microsoft many years ago can attest to. Timing is critical when it comes to taking medication. If we skip a dose, the prescription isn?t very effective.

Did you know that God has a perfect sense of timing? Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 is the most profound statement about time ever written:

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV)

1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

In verse 11 we read, “He has made everything beautiful in its time?” God is never late, and He is never early.

When Jesus lived on the earth, He operated according to the Father?s timetable as He lived with an acute awareness of divine timing. Speaking to his earthly mother in John 2:4, Jesus said,

John 2:4 (NIV)

? “My time has not yet come.”

Responding to His brothers? sense of timing in John 7:6, Jesus said:

John 7:6 (NIV)

?”The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right.

On another occasion, in Mark 1:15, Jesus gets the green light from God the Father:

Mark 1:15 (NIV)

15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Later, in His prayer for His disciples before He died in John 17:1, Jesus cried out,

John 17:1 (NIV)

?”Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.

Paul picks up on this theme of God?s terrific timing when he writes in Romans 5:6:

Romans 5:6 (NIV)

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

Then, looking ahead to the return of Christ, Paul declares in Ephesians 1:10:

Ephesians 1:10 (NIV)

10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment–to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

As we think about God?s sense of timing, we must remember that He is eternal. Time is one of the gifts that He has given to us, but the clock does not control Him. The great “I AM” of Exodus 3:14 can be translated, “I am the God who always is.” While He is above time, He is working everything out according to His divine date-book. And amazingly, because we are a visited people, He leaves nothing to chance, as He uses circumstances and people to accomplish His purposes. He has made everything beautiful in its time.

This morning we?re going to see that the timing of the Incarnation was impeccable. Please turn to Galatians 4:4:

Galatians 4:4 (NIV)

4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,

The phrase, “had fully come” is a very eloquent expression in Greek. It literally means, “The fullness of time had come.” The idea is that something is complete and fully developed, like ripe fruit ready to be picked. The expression is also used of a pregnant woman feeling labor pain, as she gets ready to deliver her baby. The stage was perfectly set for the Savior to be sent. Every detail was prearranged; every circumstance was perfect, and every event happened on cue.

The idea is that everything has come together at last for God to make a visit by sending His Son to redeem us from our sins. While our Christmas plans often become hectic and hurried, God perfectly planned how everything would transpire that first Christmas. He was in no hurry, but when the time was right, He moved into action! When time itself was pregnant and ready to deliver, God sent forth His Son. If we stand back and look at what was happening behind the scenes, we can see how God?s timing was perfect. I?d like to suggest four ways that God pulled everything together in preparation for that first Christmas.

1. The World System Had Shifted

Hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, Alexander the Great conquered the known world and Greek culture brought with it philosophy, art, drama and literature. The Greek language united that part of the world and could be read and understood by almost everyone. In 280 B.C. the Old Testament was translated into Greek and people started reading the record of God?s work of redemption. Later, the New Testament would also be written in Greek and become widely dispersed.

The next world power to come on the scene was Rome, and at the time of Christ, enjoyed what was called, “Pax Romana,” or world peace. What an appropriate time for the “Prince of Peace” to come! I want to come back to this in a few minutes, but Luke points to the fullness of time when he writes in Luke 2:1, “In those days Caesar Augustus?” Augustus means, “majestic” and he was a gifted administrator who set up systems that would eventually help promote the propagation of the gospel. The Romans built roads that linked the entire empire, much like the highway system covering Canada and the US today. This enabled the gospel message to quickly spread to all parts of the world.

2. People Were Searching for Spiritual Meaning

There were so many gods in ancient Greece that one writer called that country one large altar. While things looked peaceful on the outside, in actuality there was great searching taking place on the inside. Ray Pritchard writes,

“Athens was in the late afternoon of its glory. The gods of Greece and Rome no longer could command the blind allegiance of the masses. Education, philosophy and great art created desires they could not fill. Athens could produce Aristotle and Socrates?Rome produced Seneca and Julius Caesar. But the best man could do was not enough?all of it taken together could not provide meaning to life, or point the way to lasting forgiveness, or offer an answer to the three questions we all must answer: Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going?” (From a sermon called, “The First Christmas Miracle,” 12/19/99).

Because the Roman system was morally bankrupt, and could provide no answers that would affect lasting life change, people became very superstitious, extremely immoral, and totally corrupt. Paul described this situation graphically in Romans 1. Because they had ignored the true God, and turned to idolatry, they were given over to paganism and perversion. In short, it was a world of broken promises, broken dreams, broken homes, and broken hearts. Historians tell us that there was a great expectation and feelings of profound unrest at the time when Jesus was born. The ancient religions had lost their luster, the old philosophies were empty and spiritual hunger was everywhere. It?s into this darkness that the light of the world was born.

Not only were the Gentiles groping for meaning, the Jewish people were also restless. For 2000 years God had been teaching and training His people in truth. He gave them the Law, which included the 10 Commandments and over 600 other laws. These laws were never intended to perfect people. Instead they were given to prepare people.

We see this in the second half of Galatians 4:4 and the first part of verse 5:

Galatians 4:4-5 (NIV)

? God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, ?

One of the reasons the Book of Galatians was written was to clear up the confusion about the purpose of the Law. Listen to these verses:

Galatians 2:16 (NIV)

16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Galatians 3:10-11 (NIV)

10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”

Galatians 3:23-24 (NIV)

23 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.

The phrase “put in charge” was a term used for a tutor. This person was a servant who accompanied a schoolboy to make sure he didn?t get in trouble on the way to school. The Israelites continued to stray, so God sent the Law in order to keep them in line. The Law however, was never intended to save, but to point out sin and the need for a Savior. We see this in Romans 3:20:

Romans 3:20 (NIV)

20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

I like how J.B. Phillips paraphrases this verse: “The straight edge of the law shows us how crooked we are.”

The Law prepared people. There?s one other big thing that got God?s people ready for the Redeemer. God used the system of sacrifice to prepare them for Christmas. Through years of repetition, they knew that their sin spelled trouble and that sacrifice was needed in order to satisfy God?s justice. Among other offerings, a lamb had to be sacrificed each year in order to roll back their sins. God?s people always looked back to Passover, when the blood of a lamb placed on their doors provided them with pardon. After years of bloody sacrifices, the time was now ripe for them to understand that Mary?s little lamb had come as the final sacrificial substitute. Shepherds who were tending sheep about to be sacrificed were allowed the privilege of seeing the Lamb of God, nestled safely in straw. The Old Testament system of sacrifice was an object lesson for what Christ would do on the cross.

God?s people were longing for a final sacrifice that would once-and-for-all pay the price for their pardon. The writer to the Hebrews captures this when he writes in Hebrews 10:11-14:

Hebrews 10:11-14 (NIV)

11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Gentiles who searched for fulfillment through philosophy came up empty. And Jewish people were ripe for redemption as they realized the impossibility of keeping God?s Law and the necessity of continuous sacrifice. In addition, God?s people had just come through 400 years of silence from the time of Malachi to Matthew, in which they had migrated to every part of the world, and built synagogues wherever they went. According to Matthew 1:17, the timing was also right as it related to the counting of generations:

Matthew 1:17 (NIV)

17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.

God?s redemptive calendar pointed to this exact time. The people were ready for God to speak. They were prepared for Him to make a visit. Even though they didn?t know the song, the cry of their heart was something like this:

O come, O come, Immanuel, And ransom captive Israel That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear.

The world system had shifted and things were ready both culturally and politically. Along with this, both Gentiles and Jews were searching for spiritual meaning. This leads to a third way that God worked in order to accomplish His purposes.

3. Predictive Prophecies Were Fulfilled

Did you know that God had been predicting all along exactly what was going to happen? These prophecies, made hundreds of years in advance, have been fulfilled with precision and in stunning detail.

After Joseph found out that his fianc? was pregnant, he decided to call everything off. He knew that he wasn?t the father and he frankly didn?t know what to think when Mary told him what had happened. Before he could pull the plug, an angel told him in Matthew 1:20 that Mary had conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. This was unheard of! How could a virgin be pregnant? We?re let in on an important prophecy that was written about 700 years earlier by Isaiah in Isaiah 7:14. Look at verses 22-23:

Matthew 1:22-23 (NIV)

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.”

Let?s look next at Luke 2:1-4:

Luke 2:1-4 (NIV)

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register. 4 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.

There are lots of people called “Caesar” in history and I?m not sure which one had a salad named after him! This Caesar was the grand nephew of Julius Caesar and he enjoyed wide acclaim. A month of the year (August) was even named in his honor.

This emperor encouraged local autonomy in administrative matters and allowed customs and culture to flourish throughout his empire. Now picture this. Caesar is sitting in Rome, 1500 miles away, enjoying his Caesar salad, when he decides to issue a decree to have a census taken so that he could figure out how to get more taxes out of people. It?s fascinating to me how God arranged all the pieces on His chessboard in order to get Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to a little town called Bethlehem, located 60 miles away.

Why is this so important? Because, get this, 700 years earlier, the prophet Micah predicted that the Savior had to come out of Bethlehem in Micah 5:2:

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.”

Bethlehem was the city of David, and since the Messiah had to come from the line of David, he had to be born there. This fulfills another prophecy found in 2 Samuel 7:13:

2 Samuel 7:13 (NIV)

13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

With all that was happening around his empire, the events taking place in Judea had little interest for Caesar. But God was looking at the big picture and was at work behind the scenes, moving an exalted emperor 1500 miles away to issue an edict that would bring Joseph and the very pregnant Mary on a 60 mile journey to Bethlehem in order to fulfill a 700-year-old prophecy. Either that, or God knew that Caesar would issue this edict and so whispered this prophecy 700 years earlier to the scribe who faithfully recorded it.

Now, turn back to Matthew. Serving under Caesar in a faraway district was a hated man named Herod. While he reconstructed the Temple in Jerusalem, he was a murderer by nature. When he found out that the birth of Jesus was a potential threat to his throne, and that the prophet Micah had specified the town he would be born in, he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem who were two years old and under. Even this outrageous and hideous slaughter of innocent children was predicted in Jeremiah 31:15 almost 600 years earlier. Look at Matthew 2:17-18:

Matthew 2:17-18 (NIV)

17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

Writing approximately 700 years before the events surrounding the birth of the baby in Bethlehem, another prophet predicted with absolute accuracy that God?s Son would be called out of Egypt. Hosea 11:1 is fulfilled in Matthew 2:14-15:

Matthew 2:14-15 (NIV)

14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

These are just some of the prophecies about the birth of Christ. There are myriads more that have to do with His life and death.

? Isaiah 53. The Messiah would be despised and rejected. He would then be “pierced” for our transgressions as He took our punishment and our iniquity on Himself. When He was afflicted, He would remain silent, making intercession for those who had sinned against Him. After dying with criminals, the Messiah would be buried in a rich man?s tomb.

? Psalm 41:9. A trusted friend would betray him: “Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.”

? Zechariah 11:13. The betrayer of Jesus would receive a reward of 30 pieces of silver.

? Isaiah 50:6. He would be beaten, mocked and spit upon.

? Psalm 16:10. The resurrection was predicted when David wrote, “You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let the holy one see decay.”

In his book called, “Science Speaks,” Dr. Peter Stoner suggests that the odds of one person accidentally fulfilling 8 of these detailed prophecies is 1 in 10 to the 17th power. That amount of silver dollars would cover the state of Texas to a depth of two feet. Now, let?s suppose you took one of the silver dollars and marked it with a red dot and then dropped it from an airplane. Then, you thoroughly stirred up the entire mass. You then find a friend and blindfold him and tell him he can go anywhere in Texas and reach down and try to pull out the coin with the red dot on it. Dr. Stoner says that those are the same odds of 8 of these prophecies being fulfilled in precise detail by Jesus. Now, get this. Josh McDowell has listed over 300 Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled with precision by Jesus Christ (Josh McDowell, “Evidence That Demands a Verdict,” Vol. 1, pp. 144, 167)!

Friends, if you ever doubt that God is control, study fulfilled prophecy. If you ever wonder if God will keep His Word, look at how He?s done it in the past. If you ever question whether God is in control of your circumstances, ponder the wonder of what He?s already done.

4. People Were Personally Prepared

If you still need evidence that God was at work in the circumstances that led up to the first Christmas, consider how He prepared people to experience the Incarnation. We?ve already discussed how he used two pagan rulers, Caesar and Herod, to expedite His purposes. Now, let?s look briefly at His perfect timing for four other Christmas characters.

? Mary. The Lord obviously had a plan for Mary?s life and when the time was right, sent the angel Gabriel to her in Luke 1:31-33:

Luke 1:31-33 (NIV)

31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

That?s quite a message to mull over, isn?t it? But Mary was prepared, even though she didn?t understand all the details. I love her response in verse 38: “I am the Lord?s servant?May it be to me as you have said.” Mary accepts God?s assignment and submits to His timing.

? Joseph. Joseph was having a difficult time understanding God?s plan for his life so he needed some help. After an angel gave some more details, Joseph responds in Matthew 1:24:

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.

? Simeon. After Jesus was born, his parents followed the Law and presented their son to the Lord in the Temple and offered a sacrifice. It?s at this point that we?re introduced to a righteous and devout man named Simeon. I want you to notice that according to Luke 2:25, he was “waiting for the consolation of Israel.”

It was somehow communicated to him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord?s Christ and so he kept on waiting and wondering if the time had yet come. I love verse 27-28 because it shows us again how God positions people exactly where he wants them for His purposes: “Moved by the Spirit?Simeon took him in his arms and praised God?” God?s Spirit moved him right where He wanted Him at the exact time Jesus was coming into the Temple!

? Anna. After Simeon astonished Joseph and Mary by blessing the baby, they came face-to-face with a prophetess named Anna. God had prepared her as well. She spoke about Jesus to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Israel. I want you to notice the first part of Luke 1:38: “Coming up to them at that very moment?” The Majesty moved her so that she could speak about the Messiah at that exact time! Not a minute earlier or a minute later.

God does the same for us, doesn?t He? His timing is perfect! If He can change the course of culture and history, if He can prepare both Gentiles and Jews for the coming of Christ, if He can fulfill hundreds of prophecies to remove all doubt about what He is doing, if He can prepare people for Christ, then He is working in your circumstances to accomplish His purposes right now, at this exact time, in this precise place.

CONCLUSION

I?d like to suggest three ways we can apply this message.

Look for God?s perfect sense of timing in the Christmas story.

Read the first two chapters of Matthew and the first two chapters of Luke this week and worship God for how He weaved everything together at exactly the right time. Ponder the wonder of how the words in Luke 2:6: “And the time came for the baby to be born” relate to Galatians 4:4: “But when the time had fully come?” The birth of Jesus is the hinge on which the door of history swings.

Chose to trust God?s work in your circumstances.

Just as He worked out His plan perfectly at Christmas, He is wonderfully working out His purposes in your life right now. Since He foreknew and worked in the details surrounding the birth of the Savior, can He not do the particulars in your life? Maybe your circumstances don?t look very good right now. Will you trust His timing anyway? Perhaps you?ve been angry with God because you don?t like what?s happening. It?s time to surrender to the Savior right now just like Mary did when she said, “May it be to me as you have said.” It?s time to trust His timing. Charles Spurgeon once said, “There are no loose threads in the providence of God?the great clock of the universe keeps good time.” When the time had fully come, God sent His son. And when the time is fully come, He will keep all His promises to you.

Receive the gift of Jesus right now.

God?s perfect timing must come down to the personal level. Galatians 4:4 declares that at the right time, God “sent forth” His Son. That means that He was moving toward us while we were moving away from Him. I can say with complete confidence that it is no accident that you are here today. This is your appointed time to accept what Jesus has done for you. 2 Corinthians 6:2: “I tell you, now is the time of God?s favor, now is the day of salvation.” Friend, don?t put off the most important decision of your life. Decide right now to receive Jesus into your life.

Don?t delay. Don?t procrastinate. Do it now. Vince Lombardi used to say, “We didn?t lose; we just ran out of time?” Actually, when you run out of time, you will lose. One day it will be too late.

Jesus was born in the fullness of time. That means that there was an exact moment of time when he came to earth. And the timing was perfect. In a similar way, you were born at a precise time in history. Just as each of us has a birth date when we were born physically, in John 3:3, Jesus tells us that we must be born again spiritually at a specific time: “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” This may be your day. Are you ready for this to be your birthday?

I want you give you the opportunity right now, at this time, and in this place, to do some business with God.

? Will you read the Christmas story this week? If so, would you please raise your hand?

? Are you ready to submit your circumstances to Christ and trust His perfect timing? If so, would you please stand?

? If you?re prepared to receive what the Redeemer has done for you, and be born again, I?d like to lead you in a prayer of salvation….

While God does have a sense of humor, His perfect timing is no joke. When we submit our circumstances to Him, we will experience the joy that only Christmas can bring

Tags: Christmas, Christmas: Divine Design Causing Change, God, Gods-perfect-timing, purpose, time, timing, trust
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He Had to Come!

Sunday, November 27th, 2005

This entry is part 1 of 4 in the series Christmas: Divine Design Causing Change

Read at beginning of service:

Psalm 8:1-9 (NIV)

1 O LORD , our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. 2 From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. 3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: 7 all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. 9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

INTRODUCTION

Well, once again the hanging of lights, the change of store displays, and the yearly parades are an indication that once again Christmas season is upon us.

During this time of the year, doesn’t it seem like more people are interested in bargains than in the baby born in Bethlehem? How often do you see references to the birth of Christ when you are out shopping? But then again any such references just wouldn?t be politically correct would they? In an article on Belief.Net called “Out of this World”, Cal Thomas questions whether we should even keep Christmas anymore because the original cast of Jesus, Mary and Joseph has been “replaced by the road show of reindeer, winter scenes and elves…no room in the inn has been replaced by no room in the parking lot” (“Out of this World”, a column by Cal Thomas on Belief.net).

Concurrent with the secularizing of Christmas, there is a dangerous dismantling of biblical doctrine taking place in our culture today. Perhaps you’ve heard of the book called, The Da Vinci Code. I read it two years ago. The last time I checked, this fictional thriller has been on the New York Times Best-Seller List since April 2003. It was the topic of a prime time special on ABC and plans are underway to turn it into a movie that will be released in May 2006. I don’t have time to go into a complete critique of the book but suffice it to say that it is filled with historical inaccuracies, conspiracy theories, and blasphemous pronouncements. While the book is a work of fiction, the author very cleverly creates a character that serves as an “expert” on historical matters. The narrative is driven by the ancient quest for the Holy Grail, which in Brown’s universe is a search for Mary Magdalene’s tomb, which supposedly contains the true “gospel.”

I can’t even verbalize the scandalous premise of the book because it literally makes me sick to my stomach. It also grieves me greatly to know that millions of people are blindly accepting the author’s assertions. At its core is a rejection of the Incarnation. In what is really an old heresy that is just being recycled for modern times, Brown’s motive is to undermine the deity of Jesus Christ.

While we should lament the secularization of the season, and be alarmed by outright attacks on the core doctrines of Christianity, we must also admit that there is a rising tide of biblical illiteracy within the church. Gene Edward Veith, writing in a recent issue of World Magazine (12/6/03), quotes a Barna poll that contains some disturbing news:

26% of evangelicals believe that all religions are basically equal.

35% of evangelicals do not believe that Jesus rose from the dead.

50% of evangelicals believe that good works will get you to heaven.

While noting that these statistics it wouldn?t surprise me to learn that the Canadian picture would be much worse. One has only to look at the recent trend of “hot” issues in our society to understand this.

In another study from December 2003, I was stunned to read that according to research by the Barna Group, only 9% of born again Christians have a biblical worldview (www.barna.org, “A Biblical Worldview has a Radical Effect on a Person?s Life”).

As I process all of this, I hold to my faith and belief in the premise that the Christmas (the popular term for the biblical account of the incarnation of Christ) is really a crucial component of the Divine Design Causing Change. I’m struck with the realization that Christmas Changes Everything. We often tend to sentimentalize this season of the year when we ought to see the birth of Christ as the single most astonishing event in world history. All the elements of a Christian and biblical worldview are in the Christmas story. Because the coming of Christ altered history–literally, from BC to AD–we aren’t straining things to say, “Everything is different now that Christ has come to the world.” In the next few weeks, my goal is to help us lay a foundation for seeing Christmas as the basis for all that we believe. While I understand Cal Thomas’ frustration, I’m not so sure that we should change Christmas; rather, we should let the Christ of Christmas change us.

Quoting Isaiah 7:14, Matthew records a compelling fulfillment of prophesy in Matthew 1:23:

Matthew 1:23 (NIV)

23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.”

In the midst of examining the amazing implications of Immanuel dwelling with us we must also admit that there is a mystery surrounding the manger. I think Paul had this in mind when he asked believers to pray for him in Colossians 4:3 so that he could “proclaim the mystery of Christ?”

Ravi Zacharias challenges us to “ponder the wonder” of what God has done for us: “wonder interprets life through the eyes of eternity while enjoying the moment, but never lets the momentary vision exhaust the eternal” (“Recapture the Wonder,” Page 20).

The book of Hebrews helps us ponder the mystery of Christ. In chapter 1, the emphasis is on the deity of Christ. Let me just read verse 3:

Hebrews 1:3 (NIV)

3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word?

In chapter 2, the focus is on His humanity. Jesus is fully God and fully man.

Please turn in your Bibles to Hebrews 2:5-9:

Hebrews 2:5-9 (NIV)

5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6 But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 7 You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor 8 and put everything under his feet.” In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

This passage describes both our dilemma, and our destiny.

Our Position (6)

The argument in verse 5 is that Jesus Christ is far superior to angels. In verse 6, the author is quoting from Psalm 8: “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?”

The idea here is that in comparison to the Majesty of God, human beings are a mess. Why in the world would God care about us? The word for “man” here is the word that means “weak and frail.” Our lives are like a vapor, here one moment and gone the next. And yet, God is mindful of us, meaning that He remembers us. This is a covenant term, indicating that He is committed to us and because He is faithful, He will never forget us. We matter so much to Him that He can’t stop thinking about us and He can’t stop helping us. Job asked a related question in Job 7:17:

Job 7:17 (NIV)

17 “What is man that you make so much of him, that you give him so much attention,

The word, “care” in the last part of Hebrews 2:6 has a rich meaning. It literally means, “to go and visit.” Because God treasures His creation, He looks for ways to come and get close to us and to visit us with His blessings. That’s exactly what happened at the first Christmas. Because we are weak and wounded, we are in need of a visit from God. Zechariah uses this word in his prayer of praise in Luke 1:68:

Luke 1:68 (NIV)

68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.

Referring to Jesus in Luke 7:16, the people were filled with awe and declared,

Luke 7:16 (NIV)

… “God has come to help his people.”

Not only are we frail, the phrase “son of man” indicates that we are fallen. This means that as descendants of Adam our very DNA is tainted by transgressions. Our position before God is one of insignificance because of our iniquities, and yet God’s purpose has always been to make us extremely important because we are made in His image.

God’s Purpose (7-8a)

Verses 7-8 tell us that we were created to rule over the earth. In rank, we are made just a little lower than the angels and God has crowned us with brightness and splendor. Our intended destiny is to have dominion over the earth. This goes all the way back to Genesis 1:28:

Genesis 1:28 (NIV)

Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

We were made for greatness, chosen to serve as kings over creation. According to Psalm 8 and this passage in Hebrews, God has put “everything under our feet….

Our Problem (8b)

Friends, while we might have been made to rule, because of our rebellious hearts, our glory has faded. When we disobeyed, we died on the inside, and then we started dying on the outside. Instead of being conquerors, we are more like carcasses. G.K. Chesterton said it well,

“Whatever else is true, this one thing is certain–man is not what he was meant to be.”

(G.K. Chesterton)

Look at the last part of verse 8: “Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.” The word “yet” communicates that this is not how things are right now but God has not changed His plan. The King James Version renders it this way: “But now we see not yet all things put under him.”

This leaves us feeling a bit unsettled because we know that while we can ride a horse and catch some fish, all of God’s creation is definitely not under our feet. Earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, fires, cancer, and death are a stark reminder that our world is out of whack. Mike Hays writes:

“Something has gone wrong. We know in our hearts that things are not right. There is an emptiness that we cannot fill. There is a sadness that cannot be escaped….an anxiety that cannot be stilled. We are drinking from the cup of chaos and confusion that our forefathers have handed down to us and the water is bitter” (“Paradise Regained,” www.sermoncentral.com).

We can heal and we can harm. We both educate and exterminate. We can overflow with humanitarian help and then explode in inhumanity to others. John MacArthur gives a good perspective on this:

“The earth was originally subject to man, and it supplied all his needs….then, tempted by Satan, man sinned, and his tempter usurped the crown. There you see the change in the chain of command. Man fell to the bottom, and the earth, under the evil one, now rules man….with all our modern technology, we must constantly fight against the earth for our survival”

(MacArthur, “Commentary on Hebrews,” Page 56).

And there’s one big thing we don’t have dominion over. Do you know what it is? It’s ourselves. Humans have never learned to subdue sin. It was unleashed into the human bloodstream by Adam and Eve and it continues to infect lives today. That’s the root of the human dilemma. We’re image-bearers of God and yet we’re marred by the magnitude of sin. In short, we’re a mess. Instead of living out our glory and splendor, we find ourselves in the gutter and in shame.

God’s Provision (9)

Is there any hope? Do we have anywhere to turn? Thankfully, Hebrews 2:9 gives us God’s provision:

Hebrews 2:9 (NIV)

9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

That’s our challenge this Christmas season, and our only hope — we must see Jesus! We must gaze upon His glory, recognizing that the Son in the straw came in order to be crucified on the cross, and now He is crowned and reigning over the entire universe. Interestingly, this is the first time the author of Hebrews uses the name “Jesus” in the book. This would have immediately caused those from a Jewish background to think of the word “Messiah,” for that is what the name means. This title emphasizes His humanity. He is crowned with glory and honor and as such is the first one to be restored to the magnificent destiny of Psalm 8.

In the Book of Revelation there is a scene where John is mesmerized by the Majesty seated upon the throne of the universe while unbridled adoration and protracted praise is offered to the One who alone is worthy. In Revelation 5:2, a mighty angel then proclaims in a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” I like how Ray Stedman describes the scene

“A search is made through the length and breadth of human history for someone wise enough, strong enough, and compassionate enough to open the seals but no one can be found”

(Ray Stedman, www.pbc.org).

When John realizes that there is no one qualified to open the book with seven seals, which is the title dead to earth, verse 4 describes how he felt: “I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.” In verse 5, he is told to stop weeping. In a phrase that brings us back to Hebrews 2:9, we read, “…See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” In verse 6, John does what he’s told and gazes at the glorious one: “Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne…he came and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.”

Friends, its time for us to see Jesus! He alone has broken the barrier of sin and death. Stedman suggests that death does not simply take place when our heart stops beating. It includes uselessness, waste, and futility. Death has decimated the human race, and it all goes back to Adam and Eve’s deliberate disobedience of God’s command in Genesis 2:17: “But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” In a real sense, death pervades all of life and our funeral is but the final straw.

Jesus took on the form of a man in order to taste death for us. The word “taste” has the idea of chewing on something so much that its flavor permeates the entire mouth. Jesus didn’t just smell death; He tore into wholeheartedly so that we might be set free. He faced death head on, and in so doing He took our place. He did all this, according to verses 14-15 in order to “….destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil; and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” We no longer have to fear death because He has conquered it.

Implications of the Incarnation

Let me mention three truths from Hebrews 2:9 that we must hold on to in the midst of our shopping and running around.

1. Jesus is Savior.

He was made a “little lower than the angels.” The Majesty was born into our mess, in a smelly stable, in an obscure village, unwanted by the world. He became like us in order to save us. This is further explained in Hebrews 2:17:

Hebrews 2:17 (NIV)

17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

2. Jesus is Substitute.

By dying in our place, He “suffered death.” In order to be fully human, he had to taste death. 1 Peter 2:24:

1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)

24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

Only by dying could He give us life. Jesus experienced death in order to defeat it.

3. Jesus is Sovereign.

Jesus is “now crowned with glory and honor.” 1 Corinthians 15:45 refers to Jesus as the “last Adam.” He came to reverse the curse and is now ruling the universe. And one day those who believe in Him will share that glory with Him.

What we’ve been talking about so far gets right the heart of what happened at Christmas.

I want you to notice the first two phrases of Isaiah 9:6: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…” The Incarnation is found in this ancient text, written hundreds of years before the birth of Christ.

“For to us a child is born” This refers to the humanity of Jesus.

“To us a son is given” This refers to the deity of Jesus.

A child was born in Bethlehem and a son was given from heaven. Do you see the distinction? God the Father gave His eternal son, who was born as a child. What a mystery! He was begotten not made. Here’s another way to say it. The Majesty came down into our mess in order to make us into a mosaic of His grace. God entered our world in flesh and blood so that He might save us from sin and deliver us from death. The God up there came to join us down here.

Our ultimate problem is that there are at least two gaps between God and us. First, God is so far above us that if He is to be known, He must take the initiative to reveal Himself to us. This is the gap of separation. The second one is the gulf that our guilt has created. We are unable to counter our sins and satisfy God’s justice on our own. Friends, listen. God came near when He sent His son to visit our world and He provided forgiveness for sins when His Son died as our substitute.

He was just like us . . . and yet, He was nothing like us.

He walked among us . . . and yet, He came from God above.

He grew up in Nazareth . . . and yet, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

He is our friend . . . and yet, He is our Savior and Lord.

Little children love him . . . and yet, He baffles the greatest minds.

He was called “son of Mary” . . . and yet, He is given by God.

A mother went Christmas shopping with her two children. She spent many hours looking at row after rows of toys and everything else imaginable. After countless cries from her children asking for everything they saw on the many shelves, she was exasperated as she finally made it to the elevator.

When the elevator door opened, there was already a crowd inside. She pushed her way in and dragged her two kids and gifts with her. When the door closed, she just couldn’t take it anymore and shouted, “Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be strung up and shot.” From the back of the elevator came a soft voice, “Don’t worry; we already did that when we crucified Him!” For the rest of the trip down the elevator was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

CONCLUSION

There are at least 4 responses that we can have this morning.

We can complain about how our culture has secularized Christmas.
We can lament the loss of doctrinal truth.
We can let Christmas change us by recapturing the wonder of the Majesty coming into our mess.
We can receive the gift of Jesus.

We don’t have to shop for the perfect gift because its already been given. God wrapped His gift in swaddling clothes and said to the whole world, ‘This is my Christmas present to you. Will you receive Him?”

In a book called, “Life Is Commitment,” J.H. Oldham writes,

“There are some things in life, and they may be the most important things, that we cannot know by research or reflection, but only by committing ourselves. We must dare in order to know. Life is full of situations to which I can respond not with part of myself but only with commitment of my whole being.” (Life is Commitment, J.H. Oldham)

As C.S. Lewis has said with penetrating insight,

“The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.” (C.S. Lewis)

I don’t want you to miss this. It’s possible to skate right through this season and overlook Immanuel. It’s not enough to just hear the message. It’s not enough to just know a little about the real meaning of Christmas. You must receive Jesus by faith in order to be saved from your sins and to be set free from the fear of death. Listen to these penetrating words from Hebrews 4:2:

Hebrews 4:2 (NIV)

2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.

You must dare in order to know. The only way the message of Christmas will have value to you is if you combine it with faith. Are you ready to receive Him right now? I dare you to do so.

Tags: Christmas, Christmas: Divine Design Causing Change
Posted in Christmas, Sermons, Sunday Morning Service | 1 Comment »

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