"Her Firstborn"
Christmas Day, 12/25/11
Luke 2:1-7; Colossians 1:15-20

Introduction: I remember when Tami was pregnant with Tyler and the day came when it was time for her to give birth. Actually, it was on a Sunday. She woke up about 5:30 a.m. and realized she was starting to have contractions. However, it was the busiest Sunday of the year for me. I had 2 services at church. I had new members joining at both services. I had a baptism. So we went to church. She seemed okay in between services and so I went to the second service. After the second service we went to the hospital. Tyler wasn’t born until 6:30 p.m., so there was much anticipation all throughout the day!

Mary and Joseph had a long anticipation too. They were trying to find a place to stay. The Inns were packed! They finally found a stable where they could go and find shelter. Then the time came for Jesus to be born! JESUS. THE SON OF GOD. THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD. IT WAS TIME!

I. Gave birth to her firstborn-

For Mary this experience would be like none other. Not only was it her firstborn, but it was Jesus Christ. This child was the fulfillment of prophecy; God in the flesh; the Messiah come to save the world from their sins!

It is not too often we celebrate Christmas on a Sunday. It is not too often that we have church on Christmas Day. We need to appreciate this day. We need to really seek to understand the significance of this day. It is too easy to start opening presents and get together with family and eat the food.

It is too easy to forget that there is an important reason why we celebrate this day. It is the birthday of Mary’s firstborn. Jesus Christ. Our Savior!

Let me just highlight for a moment, remembering from Colossians 1:

1. Jesus is before all things. Jesus came to be our Savior AND our Lord. He is to hold first place in our lives. He is to be more important to us than our relationships and our possessions.

2. Jesus is the one who holds all things together! He guides us in our lives. He makes our relationships better. He allows us to enjoy what we do have in life. He helps us to understand how we are to live our lives.

3. All things are reconciled through Jesus. Our sin is removed. We are given new life. We are restored in our relationship with God. We are given the Holy Spirit. We are filled with new gifts.

II. No room for them-

So the question is, do we have room for him? The fact that there was no room

for Jesus in the Inn is a profound one. During Jesus’ time there were many who did not have room for Jesus in their lives. The religious leaders, the Pharisees, did not have room for Jesus in their religion. During Jesus’ life there were many who did not follow Him; many who did not give their lives over to Him; many who did not pick up their cross and follow Him. They had no room for Jesus.

This is still true today. So many people do not have a place for Jesus in their lives. They think that there are more important things in life. They forget that they would not even be here without God. They don’t understand that they have no eternal future without Jesus. They don’t want to ‘mess around’ with Jesus because He will complicate their lives. But aren’t people’s lives terribly complicated now? Are people’s lives so wonderful that they don’t have room for Jesus?

It doesn’t make sense to me.

This Christmas Day is to be a time we celebrate Jesus. Listen to this song “I Celebrate the Day,” by Reliant K. You will find an insert of the lyrics in your bulletin (3:05).

And with this Christmas wish is missed
The point I could convey
If only I could find the words to say to let You know how much You've touched my life
Because here is where You're finding me, in the exact same place as New Year's eve
And from a lack of my persistency
We're less than half as close as I want to be
Chorus: And the first time, That You opened Your eyes,

did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever
And so this Christmas I'll compare the things I felt in prior years
To what this midnight made so clear
That You have come to meet me here
To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me
In the hope that what You did
That you were born so I might [ really ]live
To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me
And I, I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life

Conclusion: Christmas day is about realizing that Jesus Christ is our Savior, come to change the world forever. Christmas day is about opening up the gift of Jesus and finding that He is here to save you. Christmas day is about really receiving Jesus like you never have before and committing yourself to Him.

Christ has given you a gift. He has given Himself as Your Savior. He has given Himself as the one who removes your sin. There is no greater gift than this. On this Christmas Day would you give Him a gift? The gift of your heart? Pray with me: Jesus, we praise You for this day; this Christmas day. The day of Your birth. The day You came into this world to change it forever for me. I receive Your gifts of lift and love, hope and joy, peace and forgiveness. I give You back a gift. MY HEART. Please receive it this day. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.

"You Have Found Favor"
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Luke 1:1:11-13, 17-20, 26-38

Introduction: In looking over the scripture passage this last week I noticed that angels played a prominent role in the Christmas story. Yet, I don’t think people think too much about angels, and they really don’t understand much about the power and presence of angels in our lives (although I did preach a series on angels back in May of 2007).

Angels are servants of the Lord and play a large part in God’s work. An interesting fact is that 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.” We see here in our passage that the angel Gabriel comes as God’s messenger to Mary. And the message is that she has found favor with God!

As we think about the fourth Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Peace, it is important to note that we will have peace in our lives if we have the favor of God upon us. And if we can know that God’s angels are here to bring God’s favor to us, then that should comfort our minds and hearts all the more.

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. They are not at peace in their lives because they are lonely. The truth is, you don’t have to be alone to be lonely. You can be in a crowded room and still feel lonely. 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 like God is not there for you and your prayers are not being answered in the way you had hoped. It may come because you have unrest in your life.

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 not alone. They were given great peace through this knowledge and experience!

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

visit, this time 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," http://www.Spiritual-Short-Stories.com

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups have been taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live.

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, others who she thought were more capable); she was concerned that she was young, and she was concerned that she was a virgin. This all concerned her and initially took 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; they want a word of encouragement, 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 struggling to believe in ourselves. There are times when we doubt that God could ever do anything in and through our lives. There are times when we don’t believe God loves us. 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. And when we are insecure we will not feel God’s favor, even though it is there in our lives!

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. Your past causes you to think that God would not show you His favor.

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, he was visibly present with them when he delivered it, 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. We need to believe that God’s favor is with is. With this belief, 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. We all need to know that when we seek out God and follow God’s will, His favor will be upon 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 from a friend. Maybe it will come in an e-mail 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.

EX, 2- Last week I knew someone was down and so I sent them a word of encouragement. I got an e-mail back from them saying, “You put a smile on face helping me to know that God is speaking through you to me.”

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 so often close ourselves off from the voice of God and the presence of God and the favor 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 and favor 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.

There are many times in my life when I get this sense of unexpected peace. Nothing particular has happened, but I feel a sense of peace. In my life I try to pray continually throughout the day. I recite memorized scripture throughout the day. And I believe that because of this constant seeking of God’s presence, this sense of peace might be God’s messenger of peace coming into my life!

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.

"You Have Found Favor"
Sunday, December 21, 2011
Luke 1:1:11-13, 17-20, 26-38

Introduction: In looking over the scripture passage this last week I noticed that angels played a prominent role in the Christmas story. Yet, I don’t think people think too much about angels, and they really don’t understand much about the power and presence of angels in our lives (although I did preach a series on angels back in May of 2007).

Angels are servants of the Lord and play a large part in God’s work. An interesting fact is that 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.” We see here in our passage that the angel Gabriel comes as God’s messenger to Mary. And the message is that she has found favor with God!

As we think about the fourth Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Peace, it is important to note that we will have peace in our lives if we have the favor of God upon us. And if we can know that God’s angels are here to bring God’s favor to us, then that should comfort our minds and hearts all the more.

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. They are not at peace in their lives because they are lonely. The truth is, you don’t have to be alone to be lonely. You can be in a crowded room and still feel lonely. 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 like God is not there for you and your prayers are not being answered in the way you had hoped. It may come because you have unrest in your life.

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 not alone. They were given great peace through this knowledge and experience!

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

visit, this time 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 Cup of Coffee- There is a story of a group of alumni, all highly established in their respective careers, who 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… W hen each of his former students had a cup of coffee in hand, the old professor quietly cleared his throat and began to patiently address his old students... ''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, others who she thought were more capable); she was concerned that she was young, and she was concerned that she was a virgin. This all concerned her and initially took 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; they want a word of encouragement, 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 struggling to believe in ourselves. There are times when we doubt that God could ever do anything in and through our lives. There are times when we don’t believe God loves us. 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. And when we are insecure we will not feel God’s favor, even though it is there in our lives!

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. Your past causes you to think that God would not show you His favor.

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, he was visibly present with them when he delivered it, 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. We need to believe that God’s favor is with is. With this belief, 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. We all need to know that when we seek out God and follow God’s will, His favor will be upon 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 from a friend. Maybe it will come in an e-mail 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.

EX, 2- Last week I knew someone was down and so I sent them a word of encouragement. I got an e-mail back from them saying, “You put a smile on face helping me to know that God is speaking through you to me.”

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 so often close ourselves off from the voice of God and the presence of God and the favor 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 and favor 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.

There are many times in my life when I get this sense of unexpected peace. Nothing particular has happened, but I feel a sense of peace. In my life I try to pray continually throughout the day. I recite memorized scripture throughout the day. And I believe that because of this constant seeking of God’s presence, this sense of peace might be God’s messenger of peace coming into my life!

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 Seen A Great Light"
Isaiah 9:2-6
Third Sunday of Advent, 12/11/11

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 touch 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 me as your pastor? These people are the ones who love us and who challenge us. Today is the advent Sunday of “Love.” And I want to talk about how God loves us, and how He has accommodated Himself for 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 some of the ways God reaches out to touch His people; how God shows us His love. 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 being restored as God’s people they experienced a realization of God’s profound love for them.

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. As the pastor I try to make sure Session is constantly thinking about what God wants for us. Each month we have devotional time together before our Session meeting as we try to keep in our minds what God has for us. When we think about our stewardship theme, we try to do it with God’s will for our church in mind. As we live for God in this way, we will experience God’s love all the more.

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. This is how God can instill His love in us.

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 in the first century?

Lucado goes on to say: “It might be difficult to recognize Jesus. 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 Jim. 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 contractor. God in the flesh; a contractor?…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.” Jim, the contractor, 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? Jim the contractor 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 who doubted Jesus when Jesus was here. 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, so that we could really experience His love. 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.

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.

Matthew 1:18-19 tells us, “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” So here is the situation. Joseph gets engaged to Mary, which in those days was binding. People were considered to be married for all intensive purposes once they were engaged. But then Joseph finds out Mary is pregnant. I’m sure Joseph was hurt by this; confused by this; probably angry at this. Joseph had a time when he no longer wanted to be Mary’s husband. Yet because of his love for Mary he did not want to embarrass her, so he was going to divorce her quietly.

Joseph had trouble believing that Mary could be pregnant any other way than the natural way of getting pregnant. Joseph had trouble believing that she could become pregnant by an act of God’s Spirit. So Joseph was going to walk away and try to come up with a plan B for his life!

Because Joseph was a very important part of God’s plan, in fact Joseph was the one who was in the line of King David, God acted by speaking to Joseph in a dream. It doesn’t say an angel appeared to Joseph in his dream, but the Lord Himself! And this is what the Lord said to Joseph in Matthew 1:20-21, “… ‘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.”

This dream gave Joseph a calm about how Mary had become pregnant, who the baby was, and the role Mary and Joseph were to play in Jesus’ life. Joseph began to understand the great love God has for His people as He let the words of God become real to him.

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 with God’s love.

Story: Last Sunday, after church, I was told that there was a man who wanted to talk with me. Usually this means that someone wants me to give them money. I have to confess that was my first thought. So, as I began to talk with him that was what was on my mind. I could find myself wanting to end the conversation even before it began. He told me that he had just moved into the area, and that he and his girlfriend had been talking about Christmas. “Here it comes,” I thought, “he’s going to ask for some money for Christmas gifts.” But then I was surprised by what he said next. He told me that they were looking for an opportunity to serve, where they could give of themselves to those who were in need. Did we have any opportunity for that at our church?

Christmas season isn’t about what presents we will get, rather, it is about under-standing God’s love. It is about receiving God’s love. It is about giving God’s love!

Conclusion: This third Sunday of Advent is about focusing on the love of God. Yet so many struggle to be able to focus on God’s love, even during the Christmas season. I believe this is because people’s minds are clouded with too many worries and concerns and problems. People’s minds are too busy to see clearly. In essence, they are walking in darkness.

Our scripture passage today, Isaiah 9:2-6 starts out with these words, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light…” This light has come to them because of God’s presence among them. Christmas is about God’s presence being seen in the most profound way. 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. Amen.