Ladies' Night Out

Good evening! Before we head into what I have brought to say, let’s say a word of prayer.

Lord Jesus, we commit this night to you. I ask that you would use these words that I feel you’ve given me to touch hearts, that you would speak to each lady where they are at, to draw them nearer to you and to allow our hearts to focus on you. May each person walk away with something tonight that you spoke to her, whether I say it or not, and let each of us be transformed by hearing your Word. In Jesus Name, Amen.

When I was first asked to speak and started trying to write my message for today, I really struggled. I thought, since the theme is Christmas begins with Christ, I should do something related to that play on words. So I started looking into the history of Christmas and then I got bogged down. I found myself typing and deleting and typing and deleting much the same idea several times - Christmas didn’t start with Christ, but yet it also did. Confusing, right? Where did I get the idea that Christmas didn’t start with Christ? Well, in my research on the history of Christmas I was reminded that there has long been a winter holiday celebrated. Actually before Christianity decided to celebrate Jesus in December. But in a time of prayer I was reminded of something so simple, but so important. It doesn’t matter that there was a winter celebration before Christmas. The holiday that we celebrate came about to celebrate the birth of Christ, and it is named Christmas for that reason. I got so bogged down in the history of celebrations in the middle of winter that I almost forgot that our theme is a true statement. The word Christmas does begin with Christ, and the holiday of Christmas began with Him too. So tonight I’m going to share some thoughts with you about that night so long ago, when the light of the world pierced the darkness. Ironically, in prayer I felt I was supposed to focus on Mary and her role in the birth that we celebrate. So let’s read in Luke 1:26-38 and hear about the beginning of Christ and then Luke 2:1-21 for the beginning of Christmas.

Luke 1:26–38 NASB95

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36 “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Luke 2:1–21 NASB95

1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. 6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” 15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. 21 And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

What a wonderful story full of times when the hand of God worked miraculously to bring about His plan for salvation!

Obedience opens us to God’s purposes. (talk, not a sermon. Start with story. )

Humility

Submission

Reverence

All of these characteristics or heart postures boil down to one thing:

Jesus is the center of the story.

Knowing that we are not the center of the story, but Jesus is, allows us to step back from our human desire to be the center of the world and instead shift our focus to Him. We know that any worth that we possess is only ours because God created us and declared us worthy. This creates humility. We know that God is sovereign and if we have declared Him to be our Lord as well as our Saviour, then we find submission and obedience to be necessary responses to whatever He wills. And finally, if we recognize that Jesus is the center of the story - the focal point - the one to whom all things point and are purposed for, then our hearts must be moved to awe-filled reverence. There is truly no one like our God, and to imagine that God the Son would step down out of glory and take on our muck… His love knows no bounds. We can join with the Psalmist and say “blessed be the Name of the Lord”. (Psalm 113:2)