Sunday Messages

We must learn this New Year the secret to getting more out of life by creating space to live the life God intended for us.

It’s time to come back from the edge and build some margin into our lives as we close out an old year with anticipation for the New Year. We’re overloaded, maxed out. Our culture encourages us to live as if we have no limits. So we fill up our schedules and empty our bank accounts. We do as much as we can, spend as much as we can, and acquire as much stuff as we can—all in an effort to get as much as we can out of life.

Over the past few years, television programmers have stumbled across an intriguing quirk of human nature: we love to watch people test their limits. First came the X games, which basically takes all our childhood dares from the playground and molds them into professional sports. And if those physical tests weren’t enough, next they invented a genre called “reality TV” to test the mental and emotional limits of willing contestants. Now a new crop of money shows have emerged in which wild and crazy contestants seek to beat the odds with games like Deal or No Deal, 100 to 1, Show Me The Money, and Identity.

There’s just something inside us that wants to explore what it’s like to live on the edge. It’s human nature to see how close we can get without going over. In fact, the trend of our culture is to encourage us to max out financially, relationally, morally, and in our schedules. Whatever, it is, just go for it!

But in the real world, that style of living is not sustainable for long. It’s not what God has in mind for our lives. Sooner or later as we follow Jesus, he is going to lead us toward a life with margin…where relationships thrive, financial pressures dissipate, and peace reigns. The reason is that God has created us for “margin” in each of our lives.

Margin =

An amount available beyond what is actually needed; the extra, the reserves.

Margin is the space between our current liabilities and our limits. When margin begins to shrink, our stress levels go up, schedules narrow, and relationships suffer. Space happens in margin.

Sue and I opened our townhouse a few years ago to our daughter, son-in-law, and two granddaughters. They had just purchased a fixer-upper house in Upland, and were going to completely remodel it. From floors, walls, lighting, plumbing and wiring, they took on one challenging project. So they lived with us for five months. The intended stay was three months, but we all know what happens when we take on a remodeling job. It usually takes more time, more money, and makes more mess than intentionally planned.

When they moved into our townhouse with all their “stuff” we were pushed to the max with available space. They moved in themselves, their children, and their children’s world. One day John came to me and said, “You really have a small townhouse don’t you?” I replied, no we really have a quite comfortable townhouse for Sue, Janay, and me.” See, our house was the same size. It was just one-third as crowded!

Some of us have lives like our crowded townhouse—so crowded that we are running out of space! Actually, we all have the same amount of "space" in our life - the same seven days, 168 hours in a week. But some of us have packed so much into our lives—maybe too much—there’s no room left for an emergency, a crisis, a breakdown, an illness - or even to give God and the people we love the time they should have.

It’s time to come back from the edge and build some margin into our lives. We’re overloaded, maxed out. Our culture encourages us to live as if we have no limits. So we fill up our schedules and empty our bank accounts. We do as much as we can, spend as much as we can, and acquire as much stuff as we can—all in an effort to get as much as we can out of life. We must learn to create “margin” in our lives.

As we close out another year and walk into a New Year, God has a thought-provoking challenge for us over-busy folks in 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12. Here's the challenge:

9 Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, dear friends, to do so more and more, 11and make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Paul extends to the believers in Thessalonica, first an affirmation and then moves to an exhortation; probably addressing the conduct that he felt needed correcting. This is a good model to follow. Regularly, our reaction to constructive criticism depends on how it is given. There is no better way to confront and to correct than by beginning with affirmation.

God is calling us to a life that is characterized by simplicity ... by clear priorities that act as a filtering system for what we say yes to and what we say no to ... by peace and focus.

Less is More

God created us with limits. The closer we approach our limits, the less margin and greater potential we have to burn ourselves out—as well as those around us. So for the life of the Jesus-follower, “less is more” in the New Year.

As we face a New Year, opening up room in our lives won't just happen. It takes three crucial things from Paul’s words of exhortation:

1. We make room for some candid evaluation

11 and make it your ambition to lead a quiet life…

Paul tells the believers that the best way in which they could live their lives in anticipation of Jesus’ return was that he should find them quietly, efficiently, and diligently doing their daily job. The believers were to make room for some candid evaluation in their lives to discern whether or not they were living within the limits of their time, skills and abilities.

Today the message is all around us: Be all you can be! Take it to the limit! Just do it! Our culture encourages us to push the limits physically, emotionally, and experientially. Success, it seems, is determined by how much we can squeeze out of each and every opportunity in life.

Using a scale from 1 to 10, we can candidly evaluate the average level of our stress we feel in each of the following categories of life. We can write a “1” if we feel little or no stress, a “5” if we feel moderate to significant stress, and a “10” if we feel totally frazzled.

Schedule ______

Finances ______

Relationships ______

Spirituality ______

Career ______ 

Kingdom service ______

We can add up the five numbers to calculate our score. How did we score? Higher than a 10, 15 or 25?

If we continue to say “yes” to everything that comes our way, our relationships suffer. Most people are really efficient at one or two things. Of all the things that are expected of us, only a couple make a real difference in our life and ministry.

“I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.” –Jennifer Yane.

We make room for some candid evaluation.

2. We make room for some courageous discipline

11…You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you.

Paul instructs the believers that the best way in which they could live their lives in anticipation of Jesus’ return was that he should find them minding their own business, and working with their hands. The believers were to make room for some courageous discipline in their lives to discern whether or not they were living within the limits of their time, skill and abilities.

Today it’s easier to butt into another person’s business than it is to take care of our own business. Our culture pushes us to live outside the responsibilities that we have been given by God and to hold people accountable for things we want them to do for us. And by the way, we want them to do it our way and in our time, according to our satisfaction.

Of all the areas of life where we can create margin, none has a more profound effect than in our work. Professional margin, if we can create it, has a ripple effect on every other area of our lives. Work is the least negotiable part of our schedules. Work also paints our financial picture. Therefore, margin on our calendar and in our finances is largely dependent on our ability to achieve margin in our work life.

Most of us have a sweet spot at work and in ministry—a skill, gift, or function that makes us indispensable. Unfortunately, we can spend vast portions of time doing other things, even butting into other people’s work responsibilities. So we need to mind our own business by spending time performing the skills that make us indispensable and refrain from spending time on mundane or meaningless routines.

“Even when the urgent is good, the good can keep you from your best.” --Helen Keller.

We make room for some courageous discipline.

3. We make some room for commendable action

12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Paul teaches the believers that the best way in which they could live their lives in anticipation of Jesus’ return was that he should find them commending Christianity to the outsider by the diligence and the beauty of their lives. The believers were to make room for some commendable action in their lives to discern whether or not they were living within the limits of their time, skill and abilities.

Today our culture is looking for authenticity. People desire to be part of life that is real, not fake or fabricated. It is our duty to live with the respect of outsiders. A tree is known by the fruit it bears; and a faith is known by the kind of people it produces. The only way to demonstrate that Christianity is the real and not a fabrication is to show that it produces the best of all people.

The outside world may never darken the doors of our church to hear a message on faith, but it sees every day outside church; and it is our lives as Jesus-followers which must be the messages to win people for Christ. As we seek to win the respect of outsiders, no man or woman of the humblest nature can really be strong, gentle, pure, and good without the culture around them being better for it, without somebody being helped and comforted by the very existence of that goodness.

Bill Hybels related a story of setting the right example in Leadership Magazine. It illustrates proper humility in a leader. One evening I stopped by the church just to encourage those who were there rehearsing for the spring musical. I didn't intent to stay long, so I parked my car next to the entrance. After a few minutes, I ran back to my car and drove home.

The next morning I found a note in my office mailbox. It read: A small thing, but Tuesday night when you came to rehearsal, you parked in the "No Parking" area. A reaction from one of my crew (who did not recognize you after you got out of your car) was, "There's another jerk in the 'No Parking' area!" We try hard not to allow people -- even workers -- to park anywhere other than the parking lots. I would appreciate your cooperation, too. It was signed by a member of our maintenance staff.

(This man's) stock went up in my book because he had the courage to write to me about what could have been a slippage in my character. And he was right on the mark. As I drove up that night, I had thought, I shouldn't park here, but after all, I am the pastor. That translates: "I'm an exception to the rules." But that employee wouldn't allow me to sneak down the road labeled "I'm an exception." I'm not the exception to church rules or any of God's rules. Exemplary conduct means encouraging others to imitate us, even in the small matters.

“Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.” –Mark Twain.

We make some room for commendable action.

So on this last day of the year, all of us need to take a giant step back and see if we've stuffed our life so full that it's actually shrunk our life rather than expanded it. This would be a great time to reprioritize—to set some boundaries—to make some space; plan for some margin in our overcrowded lives

There are a couple of practical steps we can take to get more control of our lives in the New Year.

Step one is to sort out our plentiful commitments.

We need to begin to limit ourselves to the things that only we can do. No, we don't just start bailing out of commitments that we've made, but we start making new commitments—and renewing old commitments—with new priorities.

Step two is to place in perspective our glorious intrusions.

We can begin to place in focus how God’s constant presence can bring peace, perspective, and healing into the puzzling and even chaotic circumstances of our lives. We return our calls at a scheduled time, to protect our time with God and with our families. We call these non-negotiables. It also helps to deliberate commitments before we make them. We take time to pray over them, to seek the counsel of the important people in our lives.

Also, we build in some "Murphy" time - we know, time for things to go wrong. We schedule our commitments with room for margin. And we remember to put our timeouts and our family times in our calendars like we do all our other important commitments.

We may liken a lot of our lives to a glass that is full to the brim—it only takes a drop to make it spill. We need to be emptying out our glass a little so we've got room, some margin for all those unexpected things, those emergencies, and those surprises that life constantly throws at us.

We don't have to keep tripping over things in that room called our life. This New Year, God is calling us to a life that is characterized by simplicity ... by clear priorities that act as a filtering system for what we say yes to and what we say no to ... by peace and focus. So when we entertain family or even outsiders, we will not only win their respect, but there will finally be room to move around and enjoy it. Amen!

We can focus upon three symbols this Christmas Eve which enable us to illustrate the real meaning of Christmas—the Gift of the Father’s love.

No other news ever delivered to human beings can approach in happiness the simple statement of a birth…For unto you is born this day a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. The Scripture says that his name will be called Emmanuel, which means—God with us. This is the heart of the Christmas message that Almighty God abides with us.

What a glorious truth! God who rolled back the curtain of the night as the dawn of creation, God who hung the stars in spangled glory upon the skies, God who sets the sun in motion, and the planets according to their orbits, the eternal everlasting Creator and Ruler of the ends of the earth—God, according to this story, is with us. This is the only wonder of the world.

How do we really describe this only wonder of the world? Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:15…

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

People from all walks of life have tried to express this indescribable gift of the Father’s love. Those who have come to love and serve God, have learned how practical are his teachings, how never failing his help, how ever dependable his advice and directions. But they have never really captured the essence of the true meaning of birth of a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

So in humility, let’s seek to describe the indescribable. Let’s attempt to describe the only wonder of the world to came to save, to redeem us from our sins, and to show us how to live.

There are three symbols which describe Christmas—the birth of a Savior. The real meaning of Christmas is threefold:

Christmas means a cradle to hold our hopes and fears

There, in Bethlehem, were cradled the hopes and fears of a dying world. We sang this evening the beautiful carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”

O Little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by.

Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting Light;

The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee tonight.

Those chubby little hands that clasped the straw in his manger crib were soon to open blind eyes, unstop deaf ears and still the troubled seas. That cooing voice of a vulnerable baby was soon to teach followers of the Way and to raise the dead. Those tiny feet were to take him to the cities and villages where he would preach, teach, and heal those who were sick and needy.

What hopes and fears are we allowing Jesus Christ to cradle in our lives on this Christmas Eve?

Christmas means a cross to carry our lost world to God

That manger crib in remote Bethlehem became the link to a cross that would carry a lost world to a loving God. The same God that created the wood to be formed into a manger also created wood to be fashioned into a cross. There were both light and shadow on that first Christmas. There was joy with overtones of sadness, for Jesus was born to die.

Jesus, approaching the cross, said,

To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world.

To Jesus-followers the joy of Christmas is not limited to his birth. It was his death and resurrection that gave meaning to his birth. It is in the cross that the world can find a solution to its pressing problems of war, hunger, and distress.

How are we allowing the cross of Christ to carry us to God on this Christmas Eve?

Christmas means a crown to herald the radiance of splendor to our dullness

Jesus was crowned with a crown of thorns and enthroned on a cruel cross, yet his assassins did something, perhaps unwittingly. They placed a superscription over his cross in three common languages—Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: “This is the King.”

Yes, Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, and he is coming back a second time someday. Jesus will come not as a baby in Bethlehem’s manger. The next time Jesus comes it will be in a radiance of splendor and he will be crowned Lord of all.

Where do we need the radiance of splendor to touch our dullness on this Christmas Eve?

This evening—this minute—we open our hearts and embrace this indescribable gift—not only to reap abundance and joy and health and happy fulfillment, but also for the cancellation of our sins—then this is the greatest welcome we can give to the Christ Child. For this is the reason Jesus came.

May We Keep Christmas

in Our Hearts

Because of the Father’s Gift of Love…

In a world that seems only to be changing, but even to be dissolving, there are millions of us who want Christmas to be the same…with the same greeting “Merry Christmas” and no other. We long for the abiding love among people of good will which the season brings…Believing in this ancient miracle of Christmas with its softening, sweetening influence to tug at our heart strings once again.

We want to hold on to the customs and traditions because they strengthen our family ties, bind us to our friends, make us one with all people for whom the Child was born, and bring us back again to the God who gave us his indescribable gift.

So we will “keep” Christmas—keep it as it is… from cradle, cross to crown…

in all the loveliness of its ancient traditions.

We will light candles of hope that they might turn our turmoil into moments of silent peace. May we keep Christmas in our hearts that we may be kept in its hope.

Cradle—cross—crown. Let them speak to us. Let the power of Jesus who came to us at Christmas grip us, and he will surely change our lives. Amen!

The Father’s gift of love is heaven—a place and presence reserved for God’s children who are born again, inheriting all Jesus’ riches and glories.

This is Christmas Eve morning—we’re entering the threshold of Jesus’ birthday celebration. Christmas is all about a baby—Jesus born in a manger. God is disclosing in his Word this wonderful gift given to us in his Son during this Advent season. The Father’s Gift of Love is a message series that unfolds the gift of God’s Son in four dimensions: the gift of humility, the gift of happiness, the gift of hope, and the gift of heaven. Some people today search for each of these gifts, but each of us has an empty void that only the Father can fill. After all, God made us that way. This final message in our series will highlight the gift of heaven.

Christmas is the time for gift-giving. Most of us have completed our Christmas shopping. But before we take a look at some of the top-selling gifts of the season, listen to the following on-line internet message from a virtual store…

Welcome to my virtual store, Ultimate Decorations and Gifts. Come in and relax. Enjoy a shopping experience where there are no lines, no traffic, no waiting, and no pushy sales people. I love to surround myself with beautiful things, and I want to give you the opportunity to do the same. All without ever leaving your home. I invite you to come and explore all the decorations and gift items that I have personally chosen to share with you. It is all so easy, just browse our selection and after you make your purchase, it will be delivered right to you. No worries about gasoline or traffic or finding the time to go shopping. Let me do the work for you. If you need gift suggestions or decorating ideas, just email me and I'll be glad to help you choose just what you need. Ultimate Decorations and Gifts is here to make your life easier. I am always adding new items, so visit often and watch me grow, you'll be glad you did!

Many of us by-passed this easy option of shopping didn’t we? We decided to indulge in the full experience of shopping with lines, traffic, waiting and pushy sales people. We chose to burn the gas, fight the traffic, and spend the time to find the ultimate gifts for our loved ones.

What gifts did we buy this season? Let’s note a few of the top-selling gifts of the season:

Children’s Toys: TMX Elmo – tickle me Elmo; Kid Tough Kid’s Digital Camera; Barbie MyScene Bling Bling Styling Head; Power Rangers Megazords; Lego Mindstorms NXT; Speed Stacks Stackpack; Digi Makeover; Bratz Forever Diamondz; Wii (we) from Nintendo; Butterscotch My Furreal Friends Pony.

High-Tech Toys: Interactive FLY Pentop Computer; 30 GB iPod video Black; Plasma Televisions; Power Shot A540 Camera.

Assorted Gifts: On a Diet: The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management; Pirates of the Caribbean—Dead Man’s Chest DVD; James Taylor at Christmas CD; and when it comes to automobiles—Pick-up Trucks are outselling SUV’s, Sedans and Sport cars.

What is interesting is that each of these gifts all center around the Big Five of American Christmas: music, decorations, trees, food, and Santa Claus. What all these deal with are certain moods that Christmas gives. Many people are enticed into finding the ultimate gift by advertisements right after Thanksgiving, but the mood of Christmas unfortunately ends immediately after the Christmas presents are opened.

I read an article recently in USA today entitled, Imagine a World of Givers. The article was a commentary on giving and the holiday season between Cal Thomas, a conservative columnist and Bob Beckel, a liberal Democratic strategist. As longtime friends, they can often find common ground on issues that lawmakers in Washington cannot. Bob and Cal agree on one thing: our culture of greed has transformed the holidays into a shopping-obsessed season of gluttony. In a world torn apart by hunger and war, the perfect salve might be charity and generosity.

In response to a world torn apart by hunger and war, there is an organization called FixMas.org. They promote fixing Christmas by wiping out poverty. They claim that last year Americans spent $400 billion on Christmas. One.org estimates that we could end “extreme poverty” in the world with only $30 billion. So as Jesus-followers we need to consider our gift giving in the future. Perhaps we can limit our giving to one gift per person, and write a check to FixMas.org. or another charitable organization.

However, with all this spending, there are many people who seem to be having a hard time getting in the Christmas mood. Things are far from ‘perfect.’ We may sing the songs, see the lights, trim the trees, eat the food --- but it still leaves us empty. We need to hear this message. Christ has a perfect Christmas in store for us --- and we don’t need gifts immersed in the music, the decorations, the trees, the food, and not even jolly ol’ St. Nick. A perfect Christmas begins and ends with us gearing our minds on the fact that Jesus came!

Let’s turn our attention away from the traditional Christmas story and turn our hearts toward the coming of Christ from a different perspective.

The apostle Paul writes about the coming of Jesus in Galatians 4:4-7…

4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." 7 So you are no longer slaves, but God's children; and since you are his children, he has made you also heirs.

Jesus Came!

We can observe from these verses three important perspectives of Christmas in the coming of Jesus:

1. Jesus came for us at the perfect moment

4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son…

God is an on-time God. God never operates too soon or too late. God orchestrated all of time and eternity to bring everyone to this one point: God sent his Son.

A.W. Pink said it well: “God’s knowledge of the future is as complete as is his knowledge of the past and the present, and that, because the future depends entirely upon himself.”

Of all the gifts that were ever given in the history of our world, the gift that God gave of his Son far surpasses them all. The phrase ‘sent his Son’ (Gk. Ekapesteilen) holds with it the idea that Christ was commissioned with authority and purpose.

And the phrase ‘when the set time had fully come’ means completion --- and in this case, the way that God orchestrated and arranged for Christ to come into the world was absolutely no accident, but the timing was perfect because God’s will and way is absolutely perfect. When God plans something, he does it fully and completely. And when we consider the circumstances when Jesus came, we will be even more amazed.

When Jesus was born, everything was prepared religiously, politically, culturally, and spiritually. When Christ came, the land of Israel belonged to the Roman Empire. In fact, all the land that bordered the great Mediterranean Sea belonged to Rome. For the eight hundred years that the Roman Empire existed (400 B.C. - A.D. 400), they were constantly trying to expand or defend their borders, meaning that battles and wars were continually taking place.

Yet, the history books tell us that there was a period of time called the Pax Romana (or “Roman Peace”), lasting from 28 BC until 190 AD, in which very little fighting took place and there was relative peace. Notice that it was during this window of time that not only did Jesus begin his earthly ministry, but also that his followers over the next few decades were able to spread the Gospel of Christ without having to be concerned with war.

Also, since the Roman Empire extended so far and was under one ruler, the language of the common folk was the same --- Greek. So Christ’s followers could travel the entire Empire only having to know one language, which made it much easier to spread Christ’s message. Spiritually, the people of Israel were tired of the Roman presence in the Holy Land and were anxiously awaiting the coming Messiah. But God did not send the Messiah on their timetable, but on His. And we can be glad.

Now, Christmastime or not, we need to hear this. We as Jesus-followers need to realize that God’s timing is best. God’s timing is called kairos—holy timing. We run on chronos—imperfect calendar timing. We need to be patient and wait on God’s perfect timing. The Psalmist asks in Psalm 13,

“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?”

Maybe we are dealing with feelings such as these? Maybe things in our lives are chaotic and we feel we have no control. But worse, maybe we feel that when we call on God to deliver us or to give us some relief, that our prayers don’t even reach the ceiling --- that God does not hear us. But God does hear us. In fact, by the end of Psalm 13, he says, “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.” (Psalm 13:5-6)

God’s timing is best so we must be patient. If God’s timing is so perfect that he can send the Son of God into the world at just the right time, then he is fully able to handle the timing of our lives as well.

2. Jesus came for us in the perfect manner

4…born of a woman, born under the law, “

So not only is God’s timing perfect, but God’s plan is perfect as well. The way that God brought Jesus into the world was perfectly done. If we were writing this story, we would have had the King of kings come into the world delivered by angels from heaven in a king’s palace to a family of privilege and status. We would have had the orchestra playing and 1000-voice choir singing, letting all the world know that the true Son of God was born into the world, so everyone had better pay him the respect and honor due him. But that was not how Jesus came into the world. He let go of his heavenly home and heavenly majesty and put on the flesh of humanity (Philippians 2:5-11).

The Bible tells us that Jesus was “born under the law.” Fourteen hundred years before Jesus’ birth, God’s Law was given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. This law revealed God’s holiness, for his ways and commands and statutes are absolutely perfect. This law also reveals how unholy we are! We have a standard staring us in the face that says, “Holy!”—and that standard can also say, “Unattainable.” But God gave us his commandments to teach us his ways so that they may point all those following his commands to receiving the gift of his promised Son.

So, in the absolute perfect manner and design, Jesus came. All people everywhere have been born from a woman. All people everywhere have been born under the obligation to keep the moral law of the Ten Commandments. And here, Jesus the God-Man was born in the likeness of human flesh who identified with humanity on every level.

It’s perfection. Again, there is no way any human mind could have dreamed this up. No one could have concocted this perfect plan.

3. Jesus came for us with a perfect motive

5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." 7 So you are no longer slaves, but God's children; and since you are his children, he has made you also heirs.

These verses give us the motive, the reason, why Jesus came.

Step one of the result is redemption. Jesus was ‘born under the law to redeem those who were under the law.’ The holy Son of God came and died upon the cross, becoming a curse for us. We sanitize the Christmas story, looking at the cute little Baby in a manger—not realizing that the cross awaits this little One.

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) gives his understanding of the perfection of Christ’s redemptive work and the great design therein:

The redeemed are dependent of God for all. All that we have-- wisdom, the pardon of sin, deliverance, acceptance in God's favor, grace, holiness, true comfort and happiness, eternal life and glory--we have from God by a Mediator; and this Mediator is God. God not only gives us the Mediator, and accepts his mediation, and of his power and grace bestows the things purchased by the Mediator, but he is the Mediator. Our blessings are what we have by purchase; and the purchase is made of God; the blessings are purchased of him; and not only so, but God is the purchaser. Yes, God is both the purchaser and the price; for Christ, who is God, purchased these blessings by offering himself as the price of our salvation.

Step two is adoption. The Son of God became human flesh so that we might be sons and daughters of God. And as a result, we become an heir, inheriting all the things that God has provided for us in Jesus. And that is based upon God sending his Spirit, who puts his seal of ownership upon us (Ephesians 1:13).

Ranchers make it their practice to round up all their year-old calves each spring for branding. The calf is held down, the branding iron is heated red hot, and the brand is placed on its flank. The brand is the rancher’s mark of ownership. No one can dispute that the calf belongs to him. In the same way God has placed his mark of ownership on us by sealing us with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God’s mark of ownership, authority, and security over us. No one can remove us from his ownership until the day of redemption. And what a blessing that is!

And that is the hope we have thanks to God at the right moment, in the right manner, and for the right motive sent his Son that first Christmas. It was a ‘perfect’ plan that will bring us through any storm and last for all eternity.

So Jesus came with one key thought in heart and mind: to give us heaven! But if we would really ponder for a moment the ultimate gift of the season, it would lead us back to a manger in Bethlehem, where a baby was born. The name of this ultimate gift was Jesus because he would rescue us from our sins. It’s the Father’s gift of heaven. Jesus was born for basically one reason: to open up heaven for all those who believe in him.

Nearly nine out of 10 people in the United States say they believe in heaven, according to a recent ABC News poll. But what exactly do people think of when they think of an afterlife and what do they believe is required to get there? What do we know about heaven?

Heaven is an afterlife concept found in many religions or spiritual philosophies. Those who represent Christianity generally hold that Heaven (or Hell) is the afterlife destination for all humans. The popular belief of most faiths is that one enters heaven at the moment of death. The Bible refers to heaven as a place of… unspeakable glory where those who have received the salvation of God through Jesus Christ live with one another in the immediate presence of God and of the Lamb and where they behold him in all his glory face to face. It is a place where the curse of sin and all of its effects have been removed forever from all who dwell there; they, being made joint heirs with Christ, inherit all things and live with unmixed joy in a state of perfect happiness incapable of being described or exaggerated forever and ever.

In his book entitled, Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller writes…I want to tell you something about me that you may see as weakness. I need wonder. I know that death is coming. I smell it in the wind, read it in the paper, watch it on television, and see it on the face of the old. I need wonder to explain what is going to happen to us when this thing is done, when our shift is over and our kids’ kids are still on earth listening to their crazy rap music. I need to be somewhere else after I die, somewhere with God, somewhere that wouldn’t make any sense if it were explained to me right now.

That wonder is heaven. It doesn’t make sense to us right now, but how we need the gift of heaven that comes to us in Jesus Christ this Christmas. How we need to wonder about things of eternity. Do we have a wonder about the future that draws us to a place called heaven?

There is a song entitled “O Come, Be Born Again.” It describes how we desperately need to open our barren and broken hearts to God ,and receive this ultimate gift of Jesus Christ this Christmas season.

"A Present? For me?" That's what small children ask whenever someone walks in with a wrapped box in their hands. No matter how old we are, we still like gifts that have our name on them. That's actually the deepest meaning of Christmas—which God has a gift with our name on it. Jesus' birth announcement said, "Today, a Savior has been born to you, Christ Jesus the Lord" (Luke 2:11). Jesus came to be a Savior for us to do the dying for all the wrong things we've ever done.

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.

Heaven is the most expensive gift God could ever give us - it cost God his Son! All our goodness will never be enough to buy that gift. Only Jesus' death could do that. So if we're trusting in anything other than Jesus to get us to heaven, we won't make it.

Yes, our sin nature separates us from God and we deserve an eternal punishment in a place called hell. But when God sent forth his Son, there was another option that he provided by his grace. It is called heaven, a place and presence reserved for a child of God who is born again, inheriting all the riches and glories of Christ Jesus. Won’t we come and make this a ‘perfect' Christmas season by receiving the ultimate gift—Jesus Christ, as our Lord and Savior?

The Father’s gift of heaven can be simply stated in the following words:

For God so loved the world—that's Bethlehem.

That he gave his one and only Son—that's Calvary.

That whoever believes in him might not perish—that's Salvation.

But have eternal life—that's Heaven. Amen!

Jesus’ birth awakens our inner need for hope as we confidently wait with expectant stillness for God’s silence to unpredictably break through into our lives.

Christmas is all about a baby—Jesus born in a manger. God is disclosing in his Word this Advent season this wonderful gift given to us in his Son. The Father’s Gift of Love is a message series that is unfolding the gift of God’s Son in four dimensions: the gift of humility, the gift of happiness, the gift of hope, and the gift of heaven. We have already considered the gifts of humility and happiness. We now turn our attention to the gift of hope.

Years ago an S-4 submarine was rammed by a ship off the coast of Massachusetts. It sank immediately. The entire crew was trapped in a prison house of death. Every effort was made to rescue the crew, but all ultimately failed. Near the end of the ordeal, a deep-sea diver, who was doing everything in his power to find a way for the crew's release, thought he heard a tapping on the steel wall of the sunken sub. He placed his helmet up against the side of the vessel and he realized it was the Morse Code. He attached himself to the side and he spelled out in his mind the message being tapped from within. It was repeating the same question. The question, from within was: "Is…there…any…hope?"

We are living in a world where people young and old alike are asking from within “Is there any hope?” We discovered in our last message through the writings of Jonathan Addison that three essential inner needs must be met in our lives for us to experience happiness; even to function with any regularity: the need for something to do—affirmation; the need for something to love—acceptance; the need for something to hope for—assurance. The Father’s gift of hope through the birth of his Son brings to completion the fulfillment of these inner needs.

When we are facing suffering, discouragement, and failure, it seems that the hardest thing in the world to do, especially this Advent season, is to find hope again. The Father knows how necessary hope is to living up to our full potential.

Hope =

The desire that gives Jesus-followers the assurance

needed to look forward with confidence or expectation

How vital is that confidence or expectation! Without confidence or expectation, students get discouraged and drop out of school… athletic teams fall into a slump and continue to lose… addicts return to their habits…marriage partners decide to divorce… artists, entertainers, even pastors, lose their creativity. Hope isn’t merely a nice option that helps us temporarily clear a hurdle. It’s essential to our survival.

Two frogs fell into a deep cream bowl, One was an optimistic soul but the other took the gloomy view, 'I shall drown he cried, 'and so will you.' So with a last despairing cry, he closed his eyes and said, 'Good-bye.' But the other frog, with a merry grin, said, 'I can't get out, but I won't give in! I'll swim around till my strength is spent. For having tried, I'll die content.' Bravely he swam until it would seem his struggles began to churn the cream. On the top of the butter at last he stopped and out of the bowl he happily hopped. What is the moral? It's easily found. If you can't get out--keep swimming around!

Hope is a wonderful gift from the Father, a source of strength and courage in the face of life’s harshest difficulties. Let’s note ten of the harsh realities of a culture that asks “Is there any hope?” What influence does hope have on these harsh realities?

When we are trapped in a tunnel of distress, hope points to the light at the end.

When we are overworked and exhausted, hope gives us fresh energy.

When we are discouraged, hope lifts our spirits.

When we are tempted to quit, hope keeps us going.

When we struggle with a lingering health need, hope helps us persevere.

When we fear the worst, hope brings reminders that God is still in control.

When we must endure the consequences of tough decisions, hope fuels our recovery.

When we misplace our focus, hope dulls the edge of panic.

When we are forced to sit back and wait, hope gives us the patience to trust.

When we encounter the fading of our dreams, hope helps us go the distance.

Let’s now move on deeper into the Christmas story with this understanding of hope. The shepherds have gone back to their sheep and Joseph and Mary return to Nazareth. We can imagine Joseph putting up with irate customers in the carpenter shop while Mary was washing diapers. The glamour is gone and life is basically back to normal. We pick up Luke’ narrative with Mary and Joseph going through the ritual activities, taking their baby to the temple in Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice.

Let’s look again at God’s Word as recorded in Luke 2:21-32…

21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. 22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel."

These verses reveal the fact that Joseph and Mary were proceeding with all the usual Jewish customs in connection with this most unusual infant. In addition, the Holy Spirit was upon a man named Simon, and he recognized this baby with hopeful expectation as the Lord’s salvation to the Gentiles and the people Israel.

Eyewitness to God’s Majesty

The apparent craziness of hope in a hopeless generation can be summarized in a single word: silence. Many times when we place our hope in God, there’s no immediate response. So often God seems silent. However, when God doesn’t seem to respond to our hopes and dreams, it may not be because he’s chosen not to speak; it may be that his answer is on the way.

The Jews of the first century were familiar with God’s silence. For 400 years after the prophecies of Malachi, God did not speak corporately to his people. It also can be figured that it was 430 years until the baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan from the time of Malachi. It is interesting to note that 430 years is the same time period the Israelites spent in Egyptian bondage until their exodus to freedom. God would be breaking his promise (see Galatians 3:17). In essence, 430 years from slavery to freedom; and 430 years from silence to joy. So among those waiting for the Messiah were a priest named Simeon, and prophetess named Anna. We will limit our discussion to Simeon in this message. Simeon spent decades hanging around the temple—the holiest place he knew—hoping for a savior. And year after year, no savior came. We must not pretend to know precisely how Simeon handled this apparent lack of response. Yet we can’t help but believe that—at least once or twice, perhaps in some rare moment when the crowds in the temple court subsided—Simeon wondered whether God would ever respond to his hope for a savior.

Of course, the Messiah didn’t arrive in the way his people assumed he would. Who would have believed that a girl with one foot still in puberty could have the other foot in motherhood without placing either foot in a man’s bed? And although her baby was from the house of David, he certainly didn’t enjoy royal wealth. According to Luke, Mary and Joseph sacrificed a pair of birds when they dedicated Jesus at the temple, presumably because they couldn’t afford a lamb (see Leviticus 12:8). The baby wasn’t very well equipped to wipe out Israel’s enemies either; he was too small for armor, and he couldn’t handle a sword. Yet his arrival made it apparent—at least to Simeon who was quiet enough to notice—that God had not been silent after all. The answer had just not reached him yet. The same is often true in our lives as Jesus-followers.

So how do we learn to wait for and recognize God’s gift of hope? Let’s take an in depth look at Simeon, learning a crucial lesson and a practical application on hope.

Lesson: We embrace the apparent silence of God with expectant stillness

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah.

Thousands of worshipers came to the temple the day Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to be circumcised, yet Simeon was an eyewitness to God’s majesty. He was the one who recognized the young Messiah. Why was he able to see past the unbelievable packaging and identify the presence of God in this baby? Perhaps it was because he had learned to embrace the apparent silence of God, not with anger or impatience, but with expectant stillness. He experienced the holding of God’s promise in his own arms. Simeon anticipated God’s future response while rejoicing in his present circumstances.

Simeon was an old man when he received a very special promise from God. The promise? It had been revealed to Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ—the coming of the Messiah. So he waited for…months? Years? Decades? Yet his stillness was not listless or lonely. Simeon was patiently hoping for the consolation of Israel while enjoying the immediate presence of the Holy Spirit. Simeon faithfully anticipated God’s response to his requests for redemption.

Although God seemed unresponsive, Simeon continued to hope and wait for the Messiah. So when the long-awaited answer—the child who had been on his way since God first kissed this planet with his grace—reached the temple courts, it was the worn-out priest who recognized him as God’s response to his hopeful expectation. The stillness Simeon modeled is the birth canal of authentic hope.

Application: We acknowledge our deepest needs in the depth of our expectant stillness

29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel."

Like Simeon, it is in the pangs of God’s apparent silence that we become aware of our deepest needs, and it is in the depths of our stillness that we find the space to recognize God’s answers when they arrive.

The Bible tells us our God is so trustworthy that we are to throw our confidence on him, not leaning on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). God has already shown how much his love can be trusted by the sending forth of his Son to be born to save us from our sins. Is this enough? Well, not for me. Most often I want to be on the inside looking out—sitting with the Lord up in the control tower instead of down on the confusing ground level. God cannot be trusted unless I am there to oversee things. Wow, what a low view of my Master and Creator that I have at times. How can I even dare to assume that almighty God owes me explanations. Do I think that because I have done God the “favor” of serving in ministry, he must now check things out with me? Is the Lord of the universe under obligation to show me how the trials of every human being fit into the tapestry of life? Have I not read Deuteronomy 29:29, “There are secrets the Lord your God has not revealed to us” (TLB)? What makes me think that even if God explained all his ways to me I would be able to understand them? It would be like pouring million-gallon truths into my one-ounce brain. So, like Simeon, I need to get over the fact that God works at times in silence awaiting my hopeful expectation.

However, God delivers; God breaks through the silence. Simeon’s need for seeing a savior—the consolation of Israel—is met by God when he sees Jesus in the temple. He is a man led by the Spirit of God, taught by the Word of God, and obedient to the will of God. Therefore, he is privileged to see the salvation of God. He can praise God by saying, “Now dismiss your servant in love.” His hope has been met, his expectation with confidence achieved.

In his beautifully written, insightful book entitled Immanuel, Michael Card shares his very personal journey through Christ’s life, a journey which also inspired the beloved album trilogy The Life. He writes a song that describes the experience that Simeon encountered in the temple when he held Jesus in his arms. We all enjoy holding babies. They extend to us so much hope.

Let’s note the message in the words…

“Now that I’ve Held Him in My Arms”

An old man in the temple, waiting in the court,

Waiting for the answer to a promise, and all at once he sees them

In the morning sunshine a couple coming carrying a baby.

“Now that I’ve held him in my arms my life can come to an end.

Let Your servant now depart in peace. I’ve seen Your salvation.

He’s the light of the Gentiles, and the glory of His people Israel.”

Mary and the baby come. And in her hand five shekels,

The price to redeem her baby boy. The baby softly cooing,

Nestled in her arms. Simeon takes the boy and starts to sing.

“Now that I’ve held him in my arms my life can come to an end.

Let Your servant now depart in peace. I’ve seen Your salvation.

He’s the light of the Gentiles, and the glory of His people Israel.”

And now’s the time to take Him in your arms,

Your life will never come to an end.

He’s the only way that you’ll find peace, He’ll give you salvation.

He’s the Light of the Gentiles, And the glory of His people Israel.

Eventually God’s answer will arrive for us too. What do we hope for this Christmas? How will God’s hope break the silence for us? As we embrace the apparent stillness of God in expectant silence, we will acknowledge our deepest needs as well. How important, in the fulfillment of our hopes, that people all around us see God’s salvation this Christmas. We can joyfully praise God that we have been privileged to see the Lord’s Christ.

Our problem is not so much that God doesn’t give us what we hope for as it is that we don’t know the right thing for which to hope. Max Lucado, in his book entitled God Came Near, writes…hope is not what you expect; it is what you would never dream. It is a wild, improbable tale with a pinch-me-I’m dreaming ending…Hope is not a granted wish or a favor performed; no, it is far greater than that. It is a zany, unpredictable dependence on a God who loves to surprise us out of our socks and be there in the flesh to see our reaction.

So in the stillness of our souls, we see God’s fulfillment of our hopes. In that moment, we realize that the circumstances we questioned and even cursed were part of an answer that God was forming long before we even knew the words to make an appeal before God. Knowing that God’s response is on the way may not make hoping into the silence seem any less crazy, but it does make it easier to wait for it with expectant stillness.

One night at dinner a man, who had spent many summers in Maine, fascinated his companions by telling of his experiences in a little town named Flagstaff. The town was to be flooded, as part of a large lake for which a dam was being built. In the months before it was to be flooded, all improvements and repairs in the whole town were stopped. What was the use of painting a house if it were to be covered with water in six months? Why repair anything when the whole village was to be wiped out? So, week by week, the whole town became more and more untidy, more in a state of disorder, more despairing. Then he added by way of explanation:

“Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present.”

There is “faith in the future that produces power in the present” because of the Father’s gift of hope this Christmas. Our predicament today as Jesus-followers is not a lack of faith, but a lack of expectation. Our requests to God are limited to what we can imagine. However, God will always break the silence by working beyond our imagination.

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

Now, that’s the Father’s gift of hope! Amen.

I would like you to think back over this last week, how many times do you think someone has asked you the question, “How are you?”

Maybe 20 times.

Maybe 10 times in a week?

And what has your response been? Was it honest? Or was it your quick answer that shoots out of your mouth before you have a chance to think about it?

We know we do this, and yet it’s a hard habit to break. Someone will ask, “How are you?” and we respond with-

Fine

Good,

Those are the expected answers, they are positive but don’t really tell us a whole lot. And there is an equally short list of tolerated negatives.

Busy

Tired

And my favorite I’ve heard lately, is to not even answer the question but to just bounce it back…”How are you?”---How are YOU?

This week I caught myself. I was giving a fast negative. My response of late has been Busy. It’s almost like that’s a good thing. I certainly don’t want someone to think that I’m lazy (though, some days that’s true). That busy response acts as an excuse to, why we haven’t called, to the “It’s been so long since we’ve talked—tone.”

Our culture has become very adept at the pat answers. We’ve perfected the Good, Fine, Tired, Busy. You might have your own pat answer, but there are certain things that we just don’t expect.

How are you?

Perfect

Bitter

Frustrated

Content

Gleeful

Melancholy

Overdrawn

Happy

This morning I want you to be able to leave this sanctuary and answer that question with a resounding Joy. To say, “I’m Happy.” And mean it. To say, “JOYOUS” and know that it is not a lie.

Happiness, Felicity, Blessedness, Bliss. N. Happiness is generic, and is applied to almost every kind of enjoyment except that of the animal appetites; felicity is a more formal word, and is used more sparingly in the same general sense, but with elevated associations; blessedness is applied to the most refined enjoyment arising from the purest social, benevolent, and religious affections; bliss denotes still more exalted delight, and is applied more appropriately to the joy anticipated in heaven.

JOY, n. Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness.

I have heard that the distinction between Happiness and Joy is circumstances.---However, now that I’ve percolated on the idea, I’m not sure that’s true. I think Happiness is a choice made easier by circumstances.

The great essentials for happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for." Jonathan Addison.

Happiness is elusive. We don’t always know what to do with it. We wish it to people on their birthday. It apparently resides permanently in Anaheim and Orlando (However this one is a marvel to me) And we pursue it with all we have.—in fact some would call it the American Dream.

In fact releasing in theaters this weekend is a movie about just that. The Pursuit of Happyness starring Will Smith as Chris Gardner. This is a true story about a father who will go to extremes to provide for his son. In the 80’s Gardner found himself homeless and providing for an 18 month old. He would bath his son in the sink of the BART station in San Francisco. Through sheer determination he succeeded at landing a prestigious internship with Dean Witter. In seven years Chris Gardner went from being a homeless single dad to start his own brokerage firm. Today his firm is international and Chris has achieved success others have only dreamed of. Chris has said,

“Money is the least significant aspect of wealth. It’s more important to do something that makes you happy.”

“Find something that you love. Something that gets you so excited you can't wait to get out of bed in the morning. Forget about money. Be happy.”

This story gives us a glimmer into the life of a man that ruthlessly pursued the happiness that he sought so long for in his life. This morning I want to look at Happiness in the Christmas story and see the way that the magi, Mary and particularly the shepherds exhibited happiness.

These are the characters that marvel at the birth of Christ. They come and worship. And in that worship and response they experience happiness that is uncontained.

I would like you to think about your crèche, or nativity that you have at your home, or perhaps one that you are familiar with. We have the Holy Family, the Shepherds, and The Magi.

1. Magi

In our home we actually have 2 vignettes set up. One that portrays the Matthew account with the Magi and one with the Luke account that was read for us this morning. The two accounts are different and eventhough traditionally we think of these characters arriving together…a juxtaposition of class, status, and wealth..they weren’t there together.

I love how in the Matthew account it records this for us in Matthew 2:9-11

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

They were OVERJOYED. How are you? “I’m overjoyed.” This star that had intrigued them to travel far distances finally rested over a home. So specific that they know once they reach it they will find inside what they have been long journeying for. It wasn’t the star itself that caused them to rejoice—it was it’s location. They pursued this star and found JOY and Happiness beyond comparison. This star drew them to the Christ child. Do we need to be led to the Christ child this Christmas? Are we pursuing something that has led to Jesus? Are we pursuing Jesus?

Their Happiness stemmed from the chance to worship and give Him gifts. That is true Christmas spirit. What a gift! We get to worship the one and only Christ—who Humbled himself, as we learned last week, and who willing took the cross for us so that we could have life. Not only that, we are blessed to worship and give gifts this Christmas Season without persectution. That is tremendous. That is cause for Rejoicing. Happiness comes from the chance to worship & give gifts.

2. Shepherds

On another shelf we have another set that has two shepherds, one young boy carrying a lamb and a beard shepherd with a staff. They come with no gifts, just wanted to respond to the great news that has been told to them. Here’s what I’m so excited to share with you. It was a year ago this weekend that I sat in service like you and this passage came alive to me. Even throughout the year I have thought about this in different circumstances. The shepherds have many reasons to be Happy, but before we look at the I want to be certain that we are all on the same page. Let’s look at this passage more closely.

Luke 2:1--- The census displaces everyone—not just Mary and Joseph.

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 their own town to register.

So not only are Mary and Joseph without a room to rent but other’s as well. They weren’t the last to arrive in town and just missed out. This was a problem of overpopulation.

So any shepherd that was from the tribe of Judah, clan of David would have come to Bethlehem.

David himself was a shepherd on these very same hills…While Samuel was inspecting his brothers he was in this same spot centuries earlier tending sheep. 1 Sam 16:11

Bethlehem is about 7 miles from Jerusalem. And some scholars have suggested that these might be the fields where the temple flock was raised for sacrifices. This would have also been significant since it was the town of David—it’s fitting because the Jews had great respect for him.

So if we have shepherds from the temple, and shepherds in town for the census. Look at verse 8—it says that the Shepherds were living out in the fields, keeping watch over their FLOCKS. This is not the small crowd that we see in our nativity set. It would have been like a shepherd convention.

Now I wanted to really have a good picture of what this would have looked like in my head.---And I don’t really know a tremendous amount about sheep. So I called an agriculture professor from Cornell University. Which was quite a funny start to a phone call. “Hello, do you run the sheep program?, yes. Can I ask you a question about sheep?, yes. After the awkwardness was over I was able to find out from this gentleman. I wanted to know how many sheep were in a flock. I think I stunned him with my ignorance. A flock can be anywhere from 2-10,000 sheep. This really narrowed it down for me. His suggestion would be that a flock then would have been between 10-100 sheep depending on the wealth and skill of the shepherd. Perhaps more.

Shepherds were not always the most sophisticated of people. This job was reserved for younger sons, for solitary people. In fact this was actually one of the first trades in the culture that would have been hired. If you were a wealthy farmer you would hire someone else to take care of your flock. So these men were solitary much of the time. And yet the Angel of the Lord chooses to come to them. They would have been so honored.

What would the difference between verse 14 and 15 been?

"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

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."

Heavenly hosts, filling the sky and fields of shepherds and sheep just stunned in amazement, and then in a moment---stillness, darkness, and that loneliness again. Of course they were going to go and find the baby. They wanted something to allow that heavenly moment to continue.

So they hurry off, and their happiness arrives in when they can no longer keep silent. They tell each person they meet about this amazing night. About the angels, and the baby. And then people responded with great respect. And then in verse 20 something so great happens…

Not only are these shepherds returning to the fields outside Bethlehem, but they are returning throughout the entire realm of Herod. Touching the whole region with the news of Christ’s birth. And they were Glorifying and praising God.

For the shepherds their happiness came through sharing the message. Telling the good news. And in response living lives of praise. Are we living that same life? Are we telling others? Happiness comes from telling the story.

3. Mary

She is the introvert in this story. Mary’s happiness is seen in verse 19.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Mary is appreciative of the joy others are sharing in the birth of her son. That people are amazed, that angels would announce Jesus. That is quite a birth announcement. Mary’s Christmas Happiness is lasting. Because she is treasuring it in her heart. It’s almost as if, she’s scrap-booking these events. Maybe she would have saved a scrap of cloth, or a piece of straw. Or a small pebble from the bottom of the stable, just to remember in the future the events of that night.

For us we can learn from Mary because she is finding Happiness by being in the moment. Are we rushing through Christmas? Are you kids 3 years older than the last Christmas you remember—because you blazed through the last 2? Mary savored the moment and really lived it. And I’m sure that she often went back to that night in her mind to remember the blessing that God had given to her.

I think if after these events if you were to ask to Magi, or the Shepherds, or Mary---“How are you, they would have responded---HAPPY! OVERJOYED! FULL OF PRAISE!

We should do the same.

Jesus in the helpless form of a baby entered a world filled with a me-first mentality so that we might become more transparently humble.

Christmas is all about a baby—Jesus born in a manger. God will disclose in his Word this wonderful gift given to us in his Son during this Advent season. The Father’s Gift of Love is a message series that unfolds the gift of God’s Son in four dimensions: the gift of humility, the gift of happiness, the gift of hope, and the gift of heaven. Some people today search for each of these gifts, but each of us has an empty void that only the Father can fill. After all, God made us that way. May The Father’s Gift of Love lead as to true humility, happiness, hope, and heaven—Jesus Christ!

The Advent season is a time of preparation as we celebrate the anniversary of a cosmic event. It’s an event which concerns, not power, but humility. This event carried no clout at the time; aside from a few shepherds, no one paid any attention at all to the birth of Jesus 2,000 years ago. “Powerful” certainly isn’t an adjective one would have used to describe either the baby or his parents. They had so little influence they couldn’t even secure a hotel room, not even with Mary being nine months pregnant. And so they slept in the barn with the livestock. They had so little money that when the time came for Mary to make an offering at the temple for her newborn son, they couldn’t afford the usual sacrifice of a lamb, and could only offer a couple of pigeons.

Let’s look at the account as written for us in Luke 2:1-7…

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 their 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. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

These verses acquaint us with the opening account of the Christmas story. Now the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was about 85 miles. It's tough for us to imagine an 85-mile journey, walking and riding on the back of a donkey. It's especially difficult when we appreciate the pain and discomfort of making that trip nine months pregnant. But Mary knew that this was God's plan, and she knew that it was God's timing in order to deliver God's indescribable gift. Luke’s account also helps us consider the Father’s gift of humility. The coming of Jesus Christ into the world is a model of radical humility. This radical humility can be an example for us as Jesus-followers. This is especially important for us today, because we live in an age when humility isn’t respected. Instead, it’s held in contempt. Anyone who tries to exercise humility is scorned as a weakling or a fool.

The role models of our society are not the humble, but the selfishly ambitious, the proud, the arrogant. The people that our society looks up to – sports heroes, actors and actresses, singers, entertainers – they all tend to have one thing in common: a very high regard for themselves, and a great talent for self-promotion. Sometimes it seems that every time we turn on the television or open a newspaper, all we see and hear is “Look at me! Look at me! Look at me!” The one exception is politicians. Not that they’re especially humble, but at least they know it doesn’t look good for them to be constantly talking about themselves, so they hire press secretaries to do it for them. They even hire assistants to find all the dirt on their opponents so they can talk about their shortfalls.

We’re getting close to the NFL playoffs which lead to the hype of another Super Bowl game. Now when I was a kid, a pro football player would just run off the field after making a touchdown, or maybe spike the ball. Today, we have a moment of arms raised with index fingers pointed to the sky, ten minutes of high fives, and moonwalks, and break dancing, and chest bumps, and jumping around, and taunting the other team – just an orgy of self-congratulation. We can’t really blame those men much. They’re just doing what their culture has taught them to do. But Christ points us in a different direction.

Humility =

An attitude of dependence as Jesus-followers

recognize that all we possess in life is a gift of God.

Humility expresses a genuine dependency on God and others. Humility recognizes that we live the Christian life in the same manner we become a Jesus-follower—by the grace of God which is a free gift. God extends his grace to the humble person, but God resists the proud as affirmed in James 4:6. Humility is an attitude of the heart. When God see humility, he sees someone with whom he can entrust his grace. God responds to the humble. Humility rests in the attention of God.

So with this understanding of humility, what do we expect to get at Christmas time this year? What do we expect to give at Christmas time this year? The best gift of all is Jesus. Paul tried to put into words that feeling when he said in 2 Corinthians 9:15, "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift." Often times we're attracted by things that glitter. That's what stands out when we look at the Christmas presents. So much so, we often overlook that which is meek, yet majestic. It's important for us to remember that the first Christmas gift came wrapped quite simply in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.

We may recall when Jimmy Carter was President, on one occasion he spent the night at an Iowa farmhouse with a farmer and his family. It made headlines to think that the most influential person in America would visit an ordinary farm family and would stay there for one night. That was rather dramatic and the media had a heyday with it. But, that was nothing compared to the fact that God came to this earth to a peasant people, and spent his first night on earth in an obscure village. Most kings are on a throne in a palace, but not that first Christmas. Jesus was born in a barn and he ruled from an animal's feeding trough.

James Lane expressed the incarnation of Christ in rather unique language when he said, "Jesus took off his scarlet robe and he hung it up in the wardrobe of eternity. He bought a ticket at the depot of time. He rode the train down forty-two generations and disembarked at Bethlehem. He cried like a baby; healed people like a doctor, fed people like a supermarket, spoke like an orator, and died like a mighty God. He was God in the flesh."

The name Emmanuel is a Hebrew name, which literally means "God with us." It's a promise of incarnate deity. We tend to focus our attention at Christmas on the infancy of Jesus. And yet, the greater miracle is the fact that Jesus is God at the same time.

Let’s look at another passage which relates closely to Jesus’ birth in Philippians 2:5-8…

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same attitude of mind Christ Jesus had: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.8 And being found in appearance as a human being, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Even though its years later, it's tough for us to look at a wooden manger without looking ahead to see a wooden cross because that's why Jesus came in the first place. Jesus came to bear the cross. Not only did he enter this life in humility, but he lived, died, and arose with humility. Got Humility?

Humility is slippery. We don’t really know how slippery until we try to be humble. The tighter we squeeze, the more it slips out of our grasp.

There is the example of the college student who liked to introduce himself in the following way: “Hi, I’m Donnie. I used to be stuck-up and really vain, full of pride and arrogance, but now I’m a really modest fellow that everybody likes and I know you will too.” The big grin on his face made it clear that he knew how silly that was. Nonetheless it points up the dilemma of trying to be humble: humility is best when it is not part of conscious awareness and striving; yet if we are not conscious of our motives and our striving, pride easily insinuates itself.

The best way to become humble is not to try to be humble at all, but to find the most humble person we know and just try to be like him or her, in every way. So we look to Jesus as the example of the Father’s gift of humility.

1. Humility means we let go of our position to exemplify the submissive mind of Jesus

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same attitude of mind Christ Jesus had: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage.

We consider the humility of the incarnation itself, the second person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God, taking on humanity with all of its limitations, with all of its pain and sorrow and suffering. Paul describes it in 2 Corinthians 8:9… “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” What does that mean, “he became poor”? It means that Jesus gave up his honor and glory, he let go of his position, and he relinquished all of the riches of heaven, in order to become one of us, in order to save us from our sins. He gave up that glory in order to become a human baby. Not even an adult. That would be humility enough, to give up the glory of heaven to take on human flesh. But instead he became a helpless little infant.

But let’s think about it: the baby Jesus, completely at the mercy of Mary and Joseph. Unable to feed himself, unable to move about, to communicate. Unable to do anything except eat and sleep and dirty his diaper. And here’s the irony of it all. He is dependent upon the man and woman he made to now take care of him. If they had only known who he really was, Mary and Joseph would have bowed down and worshipped him, just like the shepherds. But instead, Jesus had to rely on them. Those hands which had formed galaxies and set the stars in place, those hands that had spun the earth on its axis, now just waving around, ineffectually. The mouth that had spoken the universe into existence, now just babbling and cooing. The sovereign Lord of creation, had now become the very picture of weakness and powerlessness and inability – a little baby. Not even a royal baby, not the son of a king; not a wealthy baby, the son of money and privilege. But instead, a peasant child born to poverty and want, raised in very humble circumstances. Surrounded not by God’s holy angels and the glory of heaven, but instead surrounded by sinful, fallen human beings and a stinking, dirty barn.

Let’s think about it: when people are struck with a serious illness, something progressively debilitating, so that they know over time they’re going to become less and less able to care for themselves. One of the things they fear most is losing control. Becoming dependent on someone else, at first needing someone to drive them places and perhaps prepare meals for them, and then eventually having to rely on other people for the basic necessities of life – to dress them, and feed them, and bathe them. Yet Jesus voluntarily took on this kind of complete helplessness, the kind that we fear so much.

Here’s a question for us: Have we ever had to submit to someone in authority whom we were convinced was our inferior? Parents who didn’t understand? A supervisor at work who had obviously been promoted beyond his ability; a police officer or judge who seemed extremely incompetent; a spouse whose ignorance was matched only by stubbornness? Then we take heart from Christ’s example. Everyone he came into contact with truly was his inferior, including his own parents. Yet he never grumbled or complained, he never rebelled. Instead, he humbled himself and willingly yielded to their authority over him. He respected their authority, not because they necessarily deserved his respect. But because it was the right thing to do, because God the Father had placed him in a position of subjection to them. If Jesus could do it, then so can we. By his power, we can show respect and honor to those in authority over us, even when they don’t deserve it, even when we’re convinced they’re wrong.

But Christ’s humility didn’t end with his birth or his childhood. It continued throughout his life. Just as Jesus humbled himself by becoming a helpless human infant, just as he humbled himself by honoring and obeying his parents, and ultimately, as he humbled himself by dying on the cross for our sins; so we are to humble ourselves in our relationships with one another. Humility means we let go of our position.

2. Humility means we let go of our privilege to embody the servant nature of Jesus

7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Second, humility means we willingly giving up our ‘rights’ in order to serve others as Jesus gave up his rights; not grudgingly, but thankfully. The re-enactment of the life of Jesus, in every detail, is the living song of respect and adoration to the servant King. That means not only reliving the external life of sacrifice and self-denial but also the hidden, perhaps more unique, inner life of humility and preference for others.

What is most incredible about the meekness of a manger and the majesty of the cross is not that a man would willingly be born and give his life for a cause, or even for a person, but that Jesus, in the fullness of deity, knew that his life was to be a ransom for those who despised him. It is the motive that has not and will not be matched in all of human history.

It means that we consider it a benefit to give up our time, and resources, and energy for our brothers and sisters in Christ. It means that instead of walking around expecting everyone else to serve us, as if we deserved to be catered to, as if we had a right to have our needs met; instead we treat others as if they deserved to have us serve them. It means that we consider their needs and interests to be as important and urgent as ours, even more so. Humility is not condescension, reaching down to serve someone inferior to us. Humility is recognizing that, before God, we are all of equal worth. Therefore, serving one another isn’t just a duty or an obligation. It’s a great honor. It’s an honor to serve God’s people with the resources and abilities he gave us.

During the winter of 2003, Senate Majority Leader Bill First paused from his busy schedule to help five victims of an SUV crash. The surprising thing about his act of kindness wasn't that he stopped to render aid, especially since Senator First is a medical doctor; the surprising thing is the way he did it. He helped and then moved on without trying to make any political hay out of his Good Samaritan act. Florida's Broward County Fire Rescue Captain Ken Kronheim said, "He sneaked out before he could get any thanks or glory -- a true hero."

This illustration compels us to insert one note here: there’s a difference between serving out of duty and obligation, and serving out of love and humility. If we’re just serving out of duty, we’re serving our convenience. We make ourselves available according to our schedule. But if we’re serving out of humility, we serve at the other person’s convenience, according to their need. Humility means we let go of our privilege.

3. Humility means we let go of our pride to exalt the superlative sacrifice of Jesus

8 And being found in appearance as a human being, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

The third point, then, is no matter what Jesus possessed, it didn’t induce him to a prideful spirit. The more Christ possessed the more he was tempted to be proud. But it's not just quantitative possession; it is qualitative possession that inclines to pride. Jesus’ highest possession was his divine nature. In the midst of that holiness, he was able to empty himself and become obedient to his Father. And the highest possession we can have is holiness before God. Dear God, how can we stay humble and grow in holiness? This was the greatest temptation of Jesus. We don't possess the close union with God that Jesus enjoyed with his Father without being tempted by pride.

Humility means recognizing that all of our gifts and abilities—quantitative and qualitative—come from God. So our abilities or achievements are no reason to puff ourselves up or act as if we somehow deserved to be honored and praised for them. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 4:7…“For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?”

Pride is at the bottom of a great many errors and corruptions, and even of many evil practices, which have a great show and appearance of humility. --Matthew Henry

Humility was the inward character of Christ, expressed in outward acts of sacrifice and self-denial; not self-absorption and pride. Human beings have never had a problem imitating sacrifice. The challenge, of course, is to keep from exalting ourselves in the experience. False humility longs to be seen. Once we recognize the wonder and glory of the humility of Jesus, we can label it a virtue, a characteristic to be achieved and added to one’s repertoire, and it then becomes yet another potential source of pride for us—which not only undermines the process of attaining it, but also destroys what little humility we might have. This is what makes humility so elusive.

A young college graduate joined a small Japanese company as a clerk in the 1960s. The young clerk would often contact company headquarters pointing out problem areas within the organization and offering his suggestions for correcting them. For ten years, the young clerk's ideas seemed to go unnoticed. One day as he was leaving work, an executive from corporate headquarters stopped the clerk. He was taken to the president's office—a place he had never been before. In the meeting the man learned the company was about to implement one of his ideas. The president expected this idea would keep an entire division from filing bankruptcy. A few months later, the clerk's suggestion did keep the division solvent. The young man eventually became chairman of the firm that once ignored his observations. His leadership changed the entire company. Today, individuals who challenge the status quo are encouraged, and sometimes celebrated. The company is Canon—a multi-billion dollar producer of cameras, copy machines, printers, and fax machines. We never know how God wants to use us.

So we cannot boast in ourselves. However, whatever our gifts and abilities we possess, we rejoice in them! They are gifts from God! We give God the praise and glory! But, we might be tempted to say, “I worked hard to develop these skills. I worked my way through college. I practiced the piano for hours a day. Or I studied Greek and Hebrew grammar for three years.” True enough. But who decided that we would be born in a country, where we would have the opportunities we had? Who gave us the capacity to reason? Who decided we would have the good health and financial resources to develop those skills? The answer is obvious. God did. Even if we worked hard to get where we are today, we were only taking the raw materials that God gave us, and applying the strength and intelligence God gave us, to get there. Humility means we let go of our pride.

Respond to the Gift

Let’s carefully watch for opportunities during these days of Advent to receive the Father’s gift of humility. Here are a few suggestions:

We focus in our family on what we can do for others, rather than ourselves. As a family, we adopt somebody—say, an elderly homebound or a lonely college student—for the holidays. We invite someone extra to share in the festivities of our home.

We bow down and serve the members of our own family in tangible ways this Christmas. This means more than volunteering to dry the dishes after the big meal, although that might be a good place to start.

We do something for someone else in our church that is really going to cost us in terms of time, involvement, and money. The possibilities are endless—we use our imagination within the body of Christ to lift up Jesus this Christmas!

Meekness and Majesty

The gift of humility emerges when a wooden manger mingles with a wooden cross. Meekness mingles with majesty. There is a song entitled, Meekness and Majesty, which helps us to see the contrast of Jesus’ birth and the bearing of a cross.

Meekness and majesty, manhood and Deity, in perfect harmony, the Man who is God.

Lord of eternity, dwells in humanity; Kneels in humility and washes our feet.

O what a mystery, meekness and majesty; Bow down and worship, for this is your God.

Father’s pure radiance, perfect in innocence; Yet learns obedience to death on a cross.

Suffering to give us life, conquering through sacrifice; And as they crucify prays, “Father, forgive.”

O what a mystery, meekness and majesty; Bow down and worship, for this is your God.

Wisdom unsearchable, God, the invisible; Love in destructible in frailty appears.

Lord of infinity, stooping so tenderly; Lifts our humanity to the heights of his throne.

O what a mystery, meekness and majesty; Bow down and worship, for this your God.

--Graham Kendrick

The Church of the Nativity stands over the spot in Bethlehem where it's believed Jesus was born. But we can't just walk right in. Years ago, they shrank the door so invaders' horses couldn't ride in. The door is so small that we have to bow to get in. If we refuse to bow down, we'll never see the Jesus-spot. That's appropriate. If we refuse to bow down, we'll never see JESUS. We like Jesus - we go to Jesus' meetings - we agree with Jesus - but we refuse to abandon all faith in our religiosity and personal goodness just to bow before him and say, in the Bible's words, "Lord, save me" (Matthew 14:30).

Jesus really is our only example of true humility in a powerful and prideful world. Because of the eternal price required for the sinful running of our own lives, it’s a price only Jesus could pay. And Jesus did—from a manger to a cross. We'll never be able to walk through the gates of heaven unless we have bowed before Jesus in humility and faith. The day we BOW DOWN to Jesus is the day we BELONG to Jesus.

Humility means letting go of our position, privilege, and pride, accepting God’s love and forgiveness as a gift of grace. It means recognizing that there’s nothing we can do to earn or deserve God’s love. All we can do is receive it as a free gift. We can never repay God, and he doesn’t want us to try. Once we truly understand God’s grace, once we’ve humbled ourselves to accept God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, then we are better able to freely give to one another and receive from one another, knowing that everything we have is a gift from God.

That’s the ultimate lesson of humility in approaching the birth of Jesus. It’s the only way to get to the manger. Yes, the day we BOW DOWN to Jesus is the day we BELONG to Jesus. Amen!

[As we close out this first message of our Advent series, we will reflect for a moment on the Father’s Love Letter which is scripted on the following page. It is an expression of God’s heart featuring paraphrased verses from Genesis to Revelation compiled in the form of a love letter. This special message from God the Father has touched millions of hearts around the world. This love letter is designed to help us find the love we have been looking for all our lives.]