"The Lord is With You"

Luke 1:11-13, 17-20, 26-38

Fourth Sunday of Advent/ 12-23-07

Introduction: Most people tend to believe in the existence of angels. In fact, there are many, many books about angels, and these books are often on the best-seller list. But in general, people don’t think too much about angels, and they really don’t understand much about the power and presence of angels in our lives (although hopefully since we did a series on them back in May of this year, you might have a little better perspective).

When people do think about angels, their perception is usually on the idea that angels are winged creatures, or little round, half naked cherubs who carry a harp. Even still, during Christmas, people might think of an angel like Clarence in the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life.” Clarence has to do a good deed to earn his wings.

But the truth is that angels are spirits, which sometimes can take on the shape of a human; and angels don’t do good deeds to earn wings, but rather they are servants of the Lord and play a large part in God’s work.

Angels are mentioned in 34 out of the 66 books in the Bible. The word angel appears more than 250 times in the Bible. Both in Hebrew and Greek, the word for angel means “messenger.” Angels do exist, and they do play a part in our lives. (from Angels Around Us, by Douglas Connelly, pages 13-16).

I. The Lord Responds- (Luke 1:11-13, 17-20, 26-38)

a. Gabriel- Illus., Amusing Grace, #717, p. 205- In the play “You’re

A Good Man, Charlie Brown,” Charlie Brown explains why he hates lunchtime:

“I think lunchtime is about the worst time of the day for me. Always having to sit here alone. Of course, sometimes mornings aren’t so pleasant either, waking up and wondering if anyone would really miss me if I never got out of bed. Then there’s night, too—lying there and thinking about all the dumb things I’ve done during the day. And all those hours in between—when I do all those dumb things. Well, lunchtime is among the worst times of the day for me. Well, I guess I’d better see what I’ve got.” (He opens the bag, unwraps his sandwich, and looks inside). “Peanut butter.” (He takes a bite and chews). “Some psychiatrists say that people who eat peanut butter sandwiches are lonely. I guess they’re right. And if you’re really lonely, the peanut butter sticks to the roof of your mouth.”

This season of Advent and Christmas is supposed to be a joyous one; a season of hope, and joy, and love, and peace. But for some, it is a time when they are very lonely. And the truth is, you don’t have to be alone to be lonely. You can be in a crowded room and still feel alone. This feeling may come from not feeling loved or appreciated. It may come because your thoughts are far away. It may come because you feel your prayers are not being answered in the way you had hoped.

As we look at the Christmas story, we’re not sure, but it is possible that Mary and her cousin Elizabeth were feeling a little lonely. Elizabeth was unable to get pregnant, and both her and her husband Zechariah were advanced in years. But then an angel comes to visit Zechariah to tell him they will get pregnant. This wasn’t just any angel, this was Gabriel. Now there are only 3 angels in the Bible that are given names: Michael, the archangel; Lucifer, the rebellious angel; and Gabriel, whose name means “mighty one of God.” Gabriel is described as “one who stands in the presence of God.” Gabriel’s most common responsibility is to bring messages of great importance to God’s servants. And so we’re told in Luke 1:11-13, “Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹²When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. ¹³But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.”

Zechariah and Elizabeth were not alone and didn’t need to feel lonely. They discovered that God was indeed with them. They discovered that God had heard their prayers. They had been visited by an angel, and blessed by his message. They were given great peace through this knowledge and experience!

b. Highly Favored- But Gabriel comes again and makes a visit to

Mary. Listen again to Luke 1:26-28, “In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. ²⁸The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”/ Now, let’s take a step back and reflect on this for a moment. Try and put yourself in Mary’s place. You are a young, unmarried girl. You are poor, and living in a forgotten, and depressed part of the world (Nazareth, in the town of Galilee). One day you are greeted by a man, dressed in white, who tells you that you are going to have a baby!

The Bible says in verse 29 that Mary was “greatly troubled.” This is an understatement. What it probably should have said is that Mary was scared to death by this thought. In fact, it was probably more like what was said of Zechariah, in Luke 1:12; “gripped with fear.” When Mary realized that it was an angel who was speaking to her, it calmed her a little, but it still was troubling. Knowing that it was an angel, meant that what was said was probably going to come true; God was going to do something new and great, and God was asking Mary to be a part of it.

So Mary asks: “Why am I being asked to do this?” Answer: “You are highly favored of God.” Mary wonders if this is the true, or is the angel just stroking her ego to get her to go along with it? Mary: “How will this be since I am a virgin?”

Answer: “By the Holy Spirit. For nothing is impossible with God.” Then Mary is frustrated, thinking: “The angel would have to say something like that. How can you argue with “nothing is impossible with God?”

Illustration: "A Cup of Coffee," A group of alumni, all highly established in their respective careers, got together for a visit with their old university professor. The conversation soon turned to complaints about the endless stress of work and life in general...Offering his guests coffee, the professor went into the kitchen and soon returned with a large pot of coffee and an eclectic assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal- some plain, some expensive, some quite exquisite. Quietly he told them to help themselves to some fresh coffee...When each of his former students had a cup of coffee in hand, the old professor quietly cleared his throat and began to patiently address the small gathering..."You may have noticed that all of the nicer looking cups were taken up first, leaving behind the plainer and cheaper ones. While it is only natural for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is actually the source of much of your stress-related problems." He continued, "Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In fact, the cup merely disguises or dresses up what we drink. What each of you really wanted was coffee, not a cup, but you instinctively went for the best cups... Then you began eyeing each other's cups...

You see Mary felt initial stress by the thought of what she was being asked to do. She was questioning God about choosing her (Who am I that He should choose me? she asked. She was comparing herself to others who might be greater than her); she was concerned that she was young, and she was concerned that she was a virgin. All of this was out of her authority, and yet she still allowed it to concern her and to take away the peace that God had for her in this experience.

II. The Lord is With You- (Judges 6:12; Hebrews 1:4, 14)

a. Insecurity- One of the amazing aspects of being a father, is what I

learn about my relationship with God. As I relate to my children, it helps me to understand, in a small way, how God relates to me. I know that sometimes my children feel a little insecure. In those times, they want reassurance from me, or maybe they want to sit in my chair with me and be close to me, or maybe they just want a hug. They want to know that everything is okay, and that I love them.

There are times in our lives when we are feeling a little insecure; when we need a little extra love. There are times when we feel alone or afraid, or when we are struggling to believe in ourselves. There are times when we doubt that God could ever do anything in and through our lives. IN THESE TIMES WE NEED TO KNOW THAT GOD IS THERE.

In the Old Testament, in the book of Judges, we read in 6:12- “When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said: ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.’”

Here we have a mighty warrior, Gideon, who needed reassuring. Sometimes, just because we are human, we need some reassurance. It is hard to feel confident, and to venture out to do God’s work, when you are insecure.

Example- Many people have low self-esteem. And if you were to draw what they felt, it would be the picture of a person who is bowed over; a weary traveler. They would be holding over their shoulder a mile-long chain, and attached to this chain are many pieces of metal. Each piece of metal is inscribed with the details of past humiliations, failures, embarrassments, and rejections. This weary traveler could let go of this chain, and be free from this heavy burden, which immobilizes and exhausts him. But he chooses to hang on; he chooses to struggle to take each step as he pulls this baggage along. Paralyzed by the weight, he plods along, feeling like there is no other choice; this baggage has become a part of who he is! (taken from …The Tardy Oxcart, by Chuck Swindoll, p. 510). Insecurity comes from not believing in yourself because of your past. In this, you keep from believing that God would do something wonderful in your life, or through your life. Your past keeps you from realizing how God is present.

Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary all realized that the Lord was with them because of God’s angel being with them. It took a visit from an angel. But not only did the angel Gabriel deliver the message to them, but he was visibly present with them, and by his presence, brought the presence of God to them. And while most of us will not have a visit from an angel in visible form, God’s angels are with us, and God’s presence is with us. We need to believe this. With this faith, we have great peace.

b. The Lord is there- Whether you feel alone right now, or not, we all

need to know that the Lord is with us. It would be nice if it could be so dramatic, like the visit from an angel. But it will probably come in a way that is less dramatic. Maybe it will be an unsolicited hug and kiss from my daughter; maybe it will come from an unexpected gift; maybe it will come in a note of encouragement.

EX. A few months ago I was feeling a little down, a little frustrated, when I got an encouragement card in the mail. On the front of the card you see a person going under the water; his hands are outstretched; the only part that is out of the water is from the forearms up. Then you open up the card, and it says: “Not to worry…I have everything perfectly under control.” And it is signed, GOD.

To me, this IS a visit from God. To me, this is something where God makes His presence known. This is something that should lift our spirits, and break the feelings of insecurity. And if we allow ourselves to be aware, we will see God visiting us in these ways all the time. Why do you think Jesus so often said, “To those who have ears to hear and eyes to see?” It is because we close ourselves off from the voice of God and the presence of God in our every day lives.

Hebrews 1:4, 14 says- “So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs… Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”

First, there is no greater name than Jesus. Angels are in no way superior to Jesus; they are not to be worshipped. They are servants of the Lord. Christ is above the angels. Second, angels are called to minister to people and to bring them closer to God. Third, scripture tells us that they are sent to help those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. Angels bring peace into the world by this ministering and helping. When we understand this, then we can take the events that happen in our lives, and understand them in the context of how God is constantly reaching out to us by the presence and the working of His angels.

As I was writing this sermon last Monday, I had an unexpected visitor. Juliet chose to interrupt me, and I invited this visitor into my office. I hadn’t seen this friend for a while, and it was great to chat with him. As he left, and I sat down to finish my sermon, it struck me that this visit just might have been a reminder of how God uses angels to touch our lives. As I thought about it, I believe that this person had an angel touch his mind, and cause him to come and visit me. I was very encouraged by the visit and the conversation. With eyes to see, I could receive this blessing from God!

Conclusion: This fourth Sunday is the advent Sunday of PEACE. People search for peace in their lives; they search for it in trying to have a problem free life; they search for it in having a conflict free life. But that just doesn’t exist.

Story: There is a true story of a retired couple that was alarmed at the threat of nuclear war. So they decided to study the world and what was going on in the world. Their goal was to find a place where they would least likely be affected by a nuclear war. They were looking for a place of ultimate security. They studied, and traveled, and traveled and studied. Finally, they felt they had found the place; the Falkland Islands. They believed that this was their “paradise.” However, this paradise was soon turned into a war zone by Great Britain and Argentina.

War can happen anywhere, unrest can happen anywhere, because people don’t know how to get along. Jesus tells us in John 14:27: “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.” As you leave here this morning, I encourage you to remember that even though we find peace in Christ, Christ Himself was born with turmoil all around. Know, that Christ can impart to you PEACE, even in the midst of struggle, turmoil, and insecurity. Open yourselves up to receive His peace. Amen.

"Have You Been Touched By God?"

Isaiah 9:2-6; Third Sunday of Advent; 12/16/07

Introduction: Story- “The Kiss,” Stories for the Heart, p. 53. There is a story of a young woman, who was lying in a hospital bed. Her husband was right beside her. The woman had just had surgery, and her mouth was all twisted. The woman looked at her mouth in the mirror, and then asked the doctor, “Will my mouth always be like this?” “Yes,” the doctor answered. “It is that way because I had to cut the nerve to remove the tumor from your cheek.” The woman nods and is silent. The husband sensing his wife’s concern looks at his wife and says: “I like it. I think it’s cute.” Then he leans down to kiss her, and as he does, he twists his lips to accommodate hers, and to show her that their kiss still works!

Who are the people in your life that touches you? Who are the ones who can encourage you and lift you up when you’re down? Your spouse? Your parents? Your children? Your grandchildren? A good friend? Maybe even your pastor? These people are the ones who loves us and who challenge us to be better.

Today is the advent Sunday of “Love.” And I want to talk about how God loves us.

I. How Does God Touch Us? (Isaiah 9:2-6; Matthew 11:28-30)

a. What God gives- In our scripture passage that was just read,

Isaiah 9:2-6, we heard some wonderful news about what God gives to us. Let me break down the passage, and point it out to you. Verse 2- “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light…” Verse 3- “…You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy…” Verse 4- “…You have shattered the yoke that burdens them…” Verse 6- “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…”

In each of these verses, we are told how God reaches out to touch His people. First, we are told that He gives us light to see. Now the light that is referred to is not so much the physical light of the sun (although this is a gift to us from God). But what is talked about in verse 2 is how God gives us the ability to see better how we should walk in our lives, and what we should do. By having this wisdom, we can make better decisions that will keep us on the right path for our lives. Without the light of God, we get confused, and distracted, and will tend to make decisions that lead us away from God and God’s will for our lives.

Next, we are told that God increases our joy. In verse 3 of Isaiah chapter 9, we see that the joy comes to Israel by their nation being enlarged. Israel’s nation was enlarged by God freeing them from captivity. Once free, they were able to live for God and serve God and seek to become who God had created them to be. By again being God’s people in this way, they experienced great joy.

The same is true for the church. When we realize that we are not captives, but are free to live for God and serve God, then we can begin to dream about what God has for us. We have been doing this all the more the last couple of years through our re-focusing process, and through our understanding of how to be an externally focused church. As we live for God in this way, we will have great joy.

Then Isaiah talks about God shattering the yoke that burdened the people. God does not want us to live in slavery. I talked last week about how God has redeemed us, or paid the price for us, so that we would no longer be slaves to our sinful desires. We must live like people who are free. We must live with purpose and meaning. We must live out the passion that God has given us. Only then can we be free from our burdens. / But even more, God breaks the yoke of our burdens by taking our burdens from us. Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

God fully reaches out to touch us by giving us His son. This of course is the story of Christmas; the birth of Jesus Christ. This is what the advent season is all about. This is the culmination of what we are talking about each week. This is why we can have hope, and joy, and love, and peace in our lives. This is how God can be in a personal, intimate relationship with us. It is about giving us His Son.

b. How do you see him?- In the book “A Gentle Thunder,” by Max

Lucado (p. 163), Lucado challenges us with this question: “Suppose Jesus came to your church. I don’t mean symbolically. I mean visibly. Would you recognize Him?”

That is an interesting question, isn’t it? We think that we would recognize Him; we think that we would receive Him. But what if Jesus, as the Savior, came to our church, like he did back when?

Lucado goes on in this chapter of his book to cause us to think. He tells us that it might be difficult. Jesus didn’t wear religious clothes in his day. So it is doubtful that He would wear them in our day. If he came today to our church, he’d wear regular clothes. Nothing fancy; maybe just a jacket and a tie. Maybe not even a tie. He would have a common name. Jesus was a common name in Jesus’ time. So maybe he would have the name Bob, or Terry, or Joe. He wouldn’t be from Nazareth, he would be from somewhere local: perhaps Lakewood, or Long Beach, or Marina del rey. And he’d be a laborer. He was a carpenter in his day; no need to think he’d change. But if he did, he might be an electrician, or a painter, or a plumber. God in the flesh; a plumber?

And one day he shows up in our church. He sits in the back. After a few songs he moves forward. Then after a prayer he walks up to the front and says: “You are singing about me. I am the Son of God. I am the bread of life.” Bob, the plumber, tells us that we are singing about him! Then he lifts up the bread and says that it is his body; and he lifts up the cup and says that it is his blood. And he invites us to celebrate with him. Would you do it? Bob the plumber is saying this. What would you think? Would you be offended? Would you be interested? Would you take him seriously? Would you believe him?

It is easy for us to criticize those in Jesus’ time who doubted him. But would we do much better if we were in the same situation? Jesus didn’t fit their conception of the Messiah. Jesus didn’t come to them in the way they expected. And the challenge for us today, as we talk to people about Christmas, is that Jesus doesn’t fit into their concept of what a savior should be and how a savior should come.

And so we think about this concept of God touching us, and we sometimes wish that God were here with us, to physically touch us. We wish that Jesus would be with us, so that we could have someone to talk to us; someone to challenge us; someone who can physically show us how to live, and how to talk, and how to love. But I think it would be harder to let God touch our lives if He were physically here. I think that we would be less likely to receive God, and listen to God. I think we would struggle to allow God to be a part of our lives. I think we would be swayed by the doubts and concerns of all of the people around us.

But the good news, is that there was a time when God was here; there was a time when God took on flesh and lived among us…

II. When God Was Present- (Matthew 1:18-25; 2:1-2)

a. And Mary gave birth- Now that we have a clearer sense of the

challenge it would be to have God the Son come into the world, we can maybe understand the challenge it was for Joseph to believe that Mary was pregnant with the Son of God. Joseph, who was pledged to be married to Mary, decided that he wanted to release her from this pledge, because he found out she was pregnant. Knowing that it wasn’t his baby, Joseph no longer wanted to have anything to do with Mary and the marriage… I would like to show you 2 clips from “The Nativity Story.”

Clip 1- Joseph breaking off the pledge with Mary. Clip 2- Joseph’s dream..

And the scripture tells us that Joseph did stay with Mary, and they traveled to Bethlehem, where Mary gave birth to Jesus. And the shepherds came to praise Jesus; and the wise men came to worship Jesus. And they were touched by God!!

b. “A Celebration of the Star”- [(by Fay Angus) from “A Christmas

Greeting from Guideposts; copyright 1992, 1996, 1999].

In a more contemporary setting, there is a story of a small girl who was watching the other children take their turns whacking away at the piñata at the PTA’s annual school Christmas party. She nervously twisted her fingers on the corner of her dress. One of the mother’s saw that she wasn’t participating, so she went over to talk to the girl. “Don’t you want a turn?” the mother asked. “I’ll go with you.” But the girl only stood there and continued to watch. A noise got both of their attention, as they turned to see another girl splitting open the star. It crashed to the floor and candy and trinkets flew all over to the delight of all the children. While the other children were going after the candy, this shy, small girl suddenly darted across the grass to pick up the star. She clutched it closely to her heart and shouted: “Look. I got the star!”/ It was reported by her mother later on, that she took this star home, and hung it on her bedpost. And she kept it there for several years.

Matthew 2:1-2 tells us, “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’” The star should remind us of Jesus; the morning star; our guiding light. The star reminds us that God was present, in human form, and came to touch His people.

Conclusion: It is because of the birth of Jesus Christ that we can be touched by God in the personal way that God touches us. The words Jesus spoke; the things He did, the way He shone His light, were all meant to show us God’s love and to give us God’s touch. YOU KNOW HOW YOU CAN TELL IF YOU HAVE BEEN TOUCHED BY GOD? You are changed. You are changed in how you think, in how you love, in how you forgive others, in how excited you are about life. Those who have been touched by God want to share that excitement with others. They want others to experience the hope of God, the joy of God, the love of God, and the peace of God. As we celebrate this Sunday of love, let us let God touch us with His love; a love that transforms us into people who care, because they have significance. Amen.

"Jesus is Here"

Isaiah 63:7-9

Second Sunday of Advent- 12/9/07

Introduction: As December comes upon us and we think about Christmas, many thoughts come to mind: decorations, food, preparation, parties, Christmas cards, gifts… It can be a challenge in our world to remember that Christmas is really about the birth of Jesus Christ. This season is supposed to be joyous, but is often overwhelming. That is why it is good to come to church, and remember why Jesus came here to earth. In the birth of Jesus Christ, we remember that Jesus came to be with His people; to love them and to be an example for them. But even more, Jesus came to bring joy by suffering, and by becoming our savior. We don’t like to think about this, but it is true. Jesus knew what He was here to do, and what was going to be coming His way.

I. Jesus the Sufferer- (Matt. 2:13-15; Hebrews 2:10-13, 18;

1 Peter 1:6-7; Mark 14:34-36)

a. The hardship of suffering- So, let’s first look at Jesus’ role of

sufferer. You would think that when God chose to take on flesh, and come into the world, He would create for His Son a wonderful experience. But this isn’t how it was. Jesus didn’t have a soft, cushy, easy life. From the very beginning, it was challenging, and there was suffering.

It started when Mary, Jesus’ mother, had to give birth to Jesus in a stable. This was not the place anyone would expect the Son of God to be born. Why not a palace? Why not in a safe and protected setting? Because Jesus was born to suffer on our behalf, and to show us that in life there is suffering.

Think for a moment about the stress of Jesus’ life; the travel to Bethlehem, the birth in a stable, and then having to travel to Egypt.

1. Egypt- Why did they have to go to Egypt? Well, Jesus’ life was in

danger the moment King Herod heard about Jesus. Herod heard that Jesus was the answer to the prophecy about the birth of a savior. Egypt was outside of Herod’s jurisdiction, so God led Mary and Joseph to Egypt. More traveling; more danger; more stress; more worry. We read about it in Matt. 2:13-15, “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." ¹⁴So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, ¹⁵where 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.”

2. Galilee- Mary, Joseph and Jesus stayed in Egypt until Herod’s

death in 4 b.c. After Herod’s death, Joseph again received a message from God through a dream. We read about it in Matthew 2:19-23, “After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt ²⁰and 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." ²¹So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. ²²But 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, ²³and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: ‘He will be called a Nazarene.’” Joseph is told to take Jesus back to Israel. No one is sure how long Mary and Joseph were in Egypt, but it could have been 4 or 5 years while they waited for things to change; while they waited for the danger to lessen.

But the suffering still wasn’t over. For on their way back to Israel, they heard that Herod’s son Archalaus was now the King, and that he was worse than his father. So Joseph led his family to Galilee.

WHAT A FIRST FEW YEARS JESUS HAD: ONE OF

STRUGGLE, HARDSHIP, TRAVEL, AND DANGER.

3. Turmoil- As I said before, it is easy to ask why Jesus’ life had to be

a life of such turmoil. Why didn’t Jesus have a more peaceful life? But the answer to this question lies in the understanding of the affect Jesus has on people:

· We see in the Bible that many people reacted to Jesus, Jesus’ life,

and/or Jesus’ words with anger, hurt, bitterness, and other negative emotions.

· While others reacted to Jesus with feelings of love and acceptance.

Because there were many who reacted with anger and bitterness, Jesus was always dealing with danger and turmoil in His life. We have to understand that we react to Jesus in one of these 2 ways. Sometimes we feel love and acceptance towards Jesus. But other times we are angry and bitter at Jesus because of what He calls us to do; it can seem challenging, limiting, and judgmental.

However, if we remember how Jesus suffered, and that God was there to watch over Him and protect Him, then, maybe we will accept the suffering of our own lives and know that God is there to watch over us and protect us.

b. Made perfect through suffering- In Hebrews 2:10 we read, “In

bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.” We read these words together, “perfect,” and “suffering,” and it doesn’t make sense. How can suffering cause one to become perfect?

Think about a pearl. Pearls are formed inside the shell of certain bivalve mollusks. As a response to an irritant inside its shell, the mollusk creates a pearl to seal off the irritation. Pearls are formed by the suffering of irritation.

Or how about gold? Gold is refined in a hot fire to burn away its impurities. The suffering of the heat causes the gold to be more perfect. As we are told in

1 Peter 1:6-7, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

EX. Or, in a more real life situation, there is a renowned concert organist named Happinessce Jones. But she didn’t start out being an organist. She started out only as a pianist. At age 16 she was a piano major at the University of Texas. But she suffered a severely sprained wrist that caused her to not be able to play the piano for six weeks. Not wanting to waste time, she began to learn how to play the pedals of an organ with her feet. Because of this, a new career was born.

Sometimes our suffering leads us in a new direction. Sometimes our suffering gives us new insight. Sometimes our suffering teaches us an important lesson. But if we allow God to be there with us, and we seek to persevere, suffering always makes us stronger.

God allowed Jesus to suffer so that all could be saved. But Christ’s suffering also have Him a more complete understanding of what we experience when we suffer. In this way, Christ is here for us in our time of suffering.

c. Suffering helps us in our temptation- But the book of Hebrews also reminds us that Christ suffered in the temptations that He faced. In the Gospels, we read about the distress that Jesus was in, when He faced His temptation of not going through with the crucifixion. Mark 14:34 (Jesus tells the disciples as He goes off to pray alone)- “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” And then in Mark 14:36 we hear Jesus praying: “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me./ Yet, not what I will, but what You will.”

Do you hear the struggle? Do you hear the distress? There in the garden, the Bible tells us that Jesus sweated blood as He agonized over this decision. We read of its affect on us, in Hebrews 2:18- “Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.”

Have you ever tried to help someone who was struggling, but found it difficult because you couldn’t relate to what they were going through? This is not the case with Jesus. Jesus has been there; He has experienced temptation. He knows what you and I are going through when we suffer in our temptations. And He is here to help! Our confidence can be directly related to the fact that Jesus has been tempted, but had the ability to overcome, and has the power to help us overcome.

In the midst of our weakness, we have One who is strong,

and who can make us strong.

II. Jesus the Savior- (Hebrews 2:14-17; Isaiah 63:7-9)

a. Redeemed by Jesus- So we come to understand that there is a

reason that Jesus went through this suffering, and why He chose to come here and be with us. The reason is so that He could be our Savior. Hebrews 2:17 tells us, “…that He might make atonement for the sins of the people.” And Isaiah 63:9 says: “…In His love and mercy He redeemed them.”

EX. “A Picture of Atonement,” p. 34, Illustrations Unlimited, #1.

It was a one-room school house, in a time where severe discipline was used, to keep students from getting rowdy, and to keep students in check. It was just after lunch and the teacher was interrogating the class about the disappearance of Sally Jane’s lunch. A small cry was heard; it was little Billy; a thin, undernourished boy. His family was the poorest of the poor. “Did you take Sally Jane’s lunch?” demanded the teacher. “Yes, sir,” Billy struggled to say through his tears. “I was hungry.” “That is no excuse,” replied the teacher. “You stole the lunch, you must be punished. The teacher ordered Billy to the front of the room as he went to get the leather strap. Billy’s shirt was removed, but just before the teacher hit Billy a shout came from the back of the room. “HOLD IT TEACHER. LET ME TAKE THE WHIPPIN’ FOR HIM.” This comment came from big Jim. The teacher reluctantly consented. So big Jim took the whipping, and Billy never forgot it.

ATONEMENT is the sacrifice that Jesus made to free the people from the penalty of our sins. REDEMPTION is buying a slave out of their slavery. So in our case, Jesus’ sacrifice paid the penalty for our sins and bought us out of our slavery from sin. Without Christ, we would be forever slaves to our sinful nature. And just as Billy remembered what big Jim did for him, so we should never forget what Jesus Christ did to pay the price for our sins.

b. Jesus lifts us up- But Jesus goes even further than that, as the

Scriptures tells us in Isaiah 63:9- “…He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”/ As our savior, He doesn’t just take care of our punishment for us, He also carries us throughout our life. EX. If you have ever try to climb a rock climbing wall, you know how challenging it is to move from one small rock to the next. You know how difficult it is to keep your footing and keep hold of the rocks as you slowly move up, and as you take the time to decide where to move your hands next, and where to move your feet next, all the while hanging there and getting tired. And you know how grateful people are when they slip and fall, and yet they don’t fall far, because they are being held by a rope that is attached to a harness and secured by the Guide. And so even if you make it up almost to the top, because you were saved by the guide, you give thanks to the guide who kept you secure. Then you can swing back to the wall, and continue on in the climb.

That is what Jesus does for us. Jesus is our GUIDE, here for us to help us when we fall, and to lift us up when we stumble, and to carry us when we are too weak and tired.

c. What should our response be? We should never speak of Christ,

His purpose, His mission, without thinking about how we should respond. To talk about it only/ is merely information without action; reason without purpose.

SO, what should our response be?

Our response is not only to be grateful, but it should also be one of action as well. Most of all, our response of action should be to talk to people about Jesus, the One who has come to make a difference here in our lives; the One who makes a difference in this world. We should be telling others of His love, mercy, and sacrifice. We should tell them how Jesus came to suffer and be tempted, so that we could have One who is able to help us in every way. We should tell people that Jesus is the One who has made it possible for us to live eternally with God in heaven.

Story: There is a story about a Mr. Johnson, a businessman from Wisconsin, who went on a business trip to Louisiana during the heat of the summer. When he arrived at the hotel, he sent an e-mail to his wife to let her know that he was there. Unfortunately, he got her e-mail address wrong, and instead of sending it to his wife, he accidently sent it to a Mrs. Joan Johnson of New Jersey. Joan Johnson was the wife of a preacher who had just passed away. The preacher’s wife took one look at the e-mail and promptly fainted. When she was finally revived by her daughter, she simply pointed to the computer. The daughter went over and read the messaeg, which said: “Arrived safely, but it is sure hot down here.”

We laugh, but we forget that Jesus made it very clear in the Bible that those who do not have Jesus Christ as their Savior will not have eternal life in heaven. It is important for us to tell others about the life that is found in Jesus Christ.

Conclusion: Illus. “Legend of the Taj Majal,” The Applause of Heaven, by Max Lucado, p. 131.

There is a story of the legend of the Taj Mahal. The story goes that the favorite wife of the emperor Shah Jahan died. The emperor was devastated at this loss, and so he resolved to honor her by building a temple that would serve as her tomb. Her coffin was placed at the center of where the tomb was to be constructed, and the temple was begun around it. The place was to be magnificent, no expense spared. But weeks turned into months, and the Shah’s grief was replaced by a passion for the project. It no longer was about being a memorial to his wife, but it was about the magnificence of the temple. One day while walking the site, his leg bumped into a wooden box. Angry that he had been injured by this box, he ordered for the box to be thrown out. Without realizing it, he had ordered the disposal of his dead wife’s coffin. The one who was to be honored, had been forgotten.

Jesus is here. But do we remember that He is the reason why Christmas exists? Do we worship Him as He deserves? Do we allow Him to be here in our lives? Today is the Sunday of Joy. It is the day to remember the Joy we receive because Christ was born. Because of Christ’s existence, He suffered so that we might have Joy; He became our Savior so that we might have Joy. The Joy of Christmas is in honoring the One who is here for us. Let us never fail to do this. Let us give ourselves over to Christ, this day and forever. Amen.