More to the Story

Good morning and Merry Christmas. Thank you for coming and spending part of this special weekend to celebrate Christmas together with us!

This really is the best time of the year and it makes it even better to spend it with you.

Have you ever looked at something before and said, there has to be more that that story??

(show a couple funny pics)

I have a permanent mark on my neck. On the surface there is a scar, but beneath the surface there is more to the story.

(tell the story of hanging lights with hot glue, I have CLT - Christmas Light Trauma)

Christmas is similar. On the surface we know its about Jesus being born through Mary who was still a virgin. Because there was no room for them as they were travelling Jesus’ first crib was a manager. And then there was shepherds and wise men around…

And we can know this story and we remember it every year along with all the gifts, and egg nog, and cooking, and waiting for Santa, and the Greatest Story Ever Told can get…can get a little lost.

But deeper,

It’s not just a story about something someone else did one time a long time ago. It is his story, but It’s also our story. It’s my story.

There is so much more to the story.

I love the book that John wrote and his telling of the Christmas story. He starts from a different place than the birth of Jesus so that we can grasp the magnitude of his birth.

John 1:1 (NIV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

In the beginning..

We’ve heard of long story short, but this seems like short story long!

Can you imagine someone stating a story of something that happened to them that day and they began with, at the beginning of time…

But to understand the Christmas story we need to more that there is too it.

In the beginning, God began his story with a word, like any story begins. But unlike most, God’s word isn’t just spoken or written it’s active and alive. It goes on to tell us that Jesus is actually this living word of God, from the very beginning.

John 1:2–4 He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

In the beginning God created, we know the story.

And the pinnacle of his creation was mankind.

Genesis 1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

This isn’t just any story. It’s a picture story.

Come on let’s be honest, we all like a book with a lot of pictures. I remember when I was younger that is how I’d decide on a book, how big are the words and how many pictures.

This is a story of God creating a picture. A picture and likeness of himself in his creation of mankind.

WE ARE GOD’S CREATED IMAGE

As mankind were to look at themselves they would see a reflection of who God is. There would be a constant reminder of who they were, why they were created, they would reflect perfect relationship like God.

They would rule and reign over the earth reflecting and revealing the nature of God everywhere they went!

It was a perfect creation with God’s perfect image implanted on his created people.

But we all know that we don’t like like this do we?

Where our very image and reflection brings confidence and hope and perfect communion with God and others. Where we see the constant reminder of God’s goodness and purpose. Where we see God clearly. Actually mostly when we see our own reflection its usually the opposite.

what happened?

Pretty quickly God’s perfect creation chose against him.

using their free will, Adam and Eve chose the one thing God instructed them not to do because the serpent convinced them that somehow, even though they were perfect, they would become even more. That act of disobedience destroyed the perfect creation of God.

(break the glass)

THE IMAGE WAS BROKEN

The right picture of how man was created as now fractured.

Genesis 3:7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

In one instant the way they saw everything changed and so they covered up. This sinful act destroyed the image they were supposed to see, and separated them from seeing the one they were created for.

John 1:10–11 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

God came to the earth, and the ones who were created to reflect him didn’t even recognize him.

Now this fractured, broken, covered, image affects every one of all and every bit of us.

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

Ever saw a piece of abstract art, you turn your head, squint your eyes and try to see something. Or you just make up what is supposed to be.

So life can be. Everyday living and writing a new page of our stories and looking trying to make sense of it.

We can live wandering around and wondering what life is really meant to be.

The very lives that are meant to reflect purpose and hope and joy and perfect relationship, meant to reflect GOD

now reflect pain and hurt, discouragement, disappointment, regret……

But God made a promise that he would restore what was broken. Even though man did it to themselves, they couldn’t repair what was broken. (record player taken apart story)

so God created a plan to repair. And no matter how bad history got, he constantly gave reminders, i’m sending help, I will fix what is broken.

Isaiah 7:14 (NLT)

The Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).

God would come and be with people again.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The same word that began the whole story, now has come, put on flesh and blood, to be one of us, to be with us because it was the only way to fix the brokenness.

John 1:17–18 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

JESUS REVEALED THE IMAGE

That image that has been broken and fractured, Jesus came to show us again.

Colossians 1:15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. God’s presence is revealed through Jesus.

He didn’t come just as a baby, he came as the image of God to show us again who he is. So we can see his love, purpose, his hope, his nature, his goodness, his grace, his mercy.

Jesus revealed why he came. He went to a synagogue and read a prophecy of a promise God made in Isaiah of him coming.

Luke 4:18–19 (NIV)

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

He put on flesh and blood, became one of us, and began to clean up the mess. Pick up the brokenness, the pieces that can’t make sense of. Repair the fracture and the damage.

HE CAME TO BE WITH US!

It’s not just a story of a baby, but of presence of God coming to us.

In his presence all fear leaves, In his presence we find peace, in his presence there is hope. When we see him, he changes what we see. His presence, God with us, changes everything!

It’s in his presence that his ultimate promise for his people is revealed.

John 1:12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

JESUS RESTORES THE IMAGE

Jesus didn’t just come to give us a day to celebrate, and believe me it is worth celebrating! He came to restore the image that was broken so long ago.

You see he didn’t stay the baby in the manger. He lived and willing laid his life down on a cross and was the sacrifice to pay for the sin that had broken and separated us all. Sin that we all committed but that he paid for. (Someone else picked up the tab)

2 Corinthians 3:16–18 (NLT)

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

Now, because of Jesus, what was broken is restored and what has separated us is gone! (remove the cover) We can see and reflect him. We can become more and more like the image that he had created us to be!

now I can stand here and see not just my failures and mess ups and not good enoughs. through him I’m redeemed. Set free. Purposed. Through Jesus I can see who I am meant to be, I can stand with confidence, Others differently, I can see who God is, my life can begin to reflect God to the world around me.

I don’t have to keep searching and wandering… When we turn to and look to Jesus, He restores the picture! Thats the story of Christmas!

I am so grateful for the baby in the manger. But there was so much more to the story for us to understand why it is the greatest story ever told.

CONCLUSION

What image and picture in life are you living?

is it one that’s still fractured and broken?

You see someone that’s never enough and not good enough - it’s true, but Jesus is enough for you. Are still living with broken pieces of your past and pain - Jesus restores. Are you struggling to see any hope or joy - Jesus presence is with you and for you. Are you still searching and looking for some point and purpose in life - He is your purpose, He is your why.

This isn’t just a random story of someone at some time. But it’s his story. It’s all of our story.

IT’S MY STORY.

(share quick story of my life)

Response:

pray take out phones

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