Greatest Party Ever
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How many have been to at least one Christmas party so far this year?
How many have been to 2, 3, 4, 5
While sometimes the most casual of gatherings is great because their chilled out and relaxed, when effort and detail, and thought are put into a party, it makes it a night to remember!
Well, I want to talk about the Greatest Christmas Party Ever. In some ways it was low key, had a real mixed crowd, and was small and intimate - but in other ways it had this biggest wow factor ever!
This party was 2 phased and even had an after party!
Luke 2.1-
1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.
2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census.
4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.
5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.
7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.
9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified,
10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.
11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!
12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.
17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.
18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished,
19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.
20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking,
2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”
3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.
4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’ ”
7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared.
8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”
9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.
10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!
11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
That is right - THE NATIVITY was the GREATEST PARTY EVER!!!
Let’s talk about some of the elements that made this party amazing!
1. The Details
1. The Details
How many are aware that the God we serve is a DETAILED GOD!
Just look at creation and the intricacy of the universe, creation, the eco system of land and water and atmosphere and we see that God is a great designer!
The Tabernacle and worship of the Israelites was all part of a great design and depicted the picture of who Christ would be and the salvation He would bring.
That same design and planning went into the coming of Christ the Messiah to earth!!!
11 But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.
That is good to know, because “Christmas” did not just occur - it was part of his detailed plan to save mankind!
Just like a great party does not “just happen” - there is a plan and details to bring all things together and accomplish a goal or purpose to the event.
CBN published an internet article that states:
The Old Testament, written hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, contains over 300 prophecies that Jesus fulfilled through His life, death and resurrection.
Mathematically speaking, the odds of anyone fulfilling this amount of prophecy are staggering. Mathematicians put it this way:
1 person fulfilling 8 prophecies: 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000 (ONE QUADRILLION)
1 person fulfilling 48 prophecies: 1 chance in 10 to the 157th power
1 person fulfilling 300+ prophecies: Only Jesus!
It is the magnificent detail of these prophecies that mark the Bible as the inspired Word of God. Only God could foreknow and accomplish all that was written about the Christ. This historical accuracy and reliability sets the Bible apart from any other book or record.
In Jesus birth alone Jesus fulfilled numerous prophecies - here are NINE!
Being born in Bethlehem…AND to the tribe of Judah
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.
Being born to a virgin...
14 All right then, 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’).
Being born in time of trouble...
15 This is what the Lord says: “A cry is heard in Ramah— deep anguish and bitter weeping. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted— for her children are gone.”
Jer 31.
Born to the line of Abraham… AND to the House of David
18 And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”
5 “For the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
6 And this will be his name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’ In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.
Genesis
Worshipped by Shepherds
9 Desert nomads will bow before him; his enemies will fall before him in the dust.
Brought Gifts by Kings Men
Brought Gifts by Wise Men
jer 23.5-6
10 The western kings of Tarshish and other distant lands will bring him tribute. The eastern kings of Sheba and Seba will bring him gifts.
A descendant of Jacob
A descendant of Jacob
17 I see him, but not here and now. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel. It will crush the heads of Moab’s people, cracking the skulls of the people of Sheth.
Talk ABOUT THE DETAIL...
12 But God told Abraham, “Do not be upset over the boy and your servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.
Also in the event...
God CHOSE a VENUE...
Simple, modest, some argue a stable, others say the outer or upper rooms of an inn, or part of the house where animals and people both resided...
Whatever it was, it was simple… a place where one would not expect a King to come, and that was because this party introduced the King of hearts and souls of mankind. One who came to serve and who humbled Himself in His arrival. Therefore this venue was quite befitting a servant.
God chose the Music...
Choir of angels proclaimed His birth
God chose the guests...
Shepherds for the first party and the Wise Men/Kings for the after party
God CHOSE THE CENTER OF THE PARTY - the Christ child - Jesus - Immanuel, God with us - the Savior of mankind!
Why, it was all part of HIS PLAN - HIS DESIGN!!!!
Just like a party on earth has venue, a guest list, entertainment/ music, a theme or whom it is for --- that first Christmas was a party for the ages, planned for thousands of years to declare the entrance of the KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS arrival on earth --- thought it was hidden away from the masses of mankind, there was a heavenly distinction to the ARRIVAL OF CHRIST ON EARTH!
IF God is so concerned with the details I have to ask say He must also be concerned with the details of our lives!
30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.
8 You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.
5 You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer.
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
God is concerned with every detail of our lives, our emotions, and how each day of our lives are lived out...
If we can take away something from the DETAIL of the HEAVENLY CHRISTMAS PARTY WHEN CHRIST ARRIVED - is that
God cares about the details… and He cares about the details of your life!!!
We cannot say that He is unaware of even the small things in our lives, for He knows every detail.
He knows our thoughts, our feelings, our needs...
32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.
20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.
Know today that God is aware of your life and has a plan! A DETAILED PLAN!
2. EXTRAS
2. EXTRAS
Extras - you know - the party favors, the swag bag! The give aways, the little extra food item that just says wow, the pinata or the bounce house!
Everybody has certain things they expect at a party, but its the extras that grab the attention!
I think the biggest extras at the Christmas Party 2000 years ago came at the after party when the Kings showed up with the gifts!!!
WOW!
GOLD
FRAKINCENSE
MYRRH
Costly gifts brought to a baby in a simple house in a simple town. Yet of such great value!
We know the gold symbolized his Kingship, the Frankincense His Deity and the myrrh His death --- all part of that detail we have been talking about...
But the value of such treasure brought from such a distance.
Sometimes the extras at the party have to do with how far someone will go to make that something special happen!
I think even more so than the gifts was the STAR that led those Kings from a far away land - to travel a year or two in time to find the Christ child! There is an extra!
17 I see him, but not here and now. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel. It will crush the heads of Moab’s people, cracking the skulls of the people of Sheth.
Many believe the Magi - astrologers - were aware of the prophecy from the time of Israel being in Captivity in Babylon/Persia. They may have acquainted with the prophecy and noticed the appearance in the heavenlies. Some say it was the Shekinah glory of God radiating and not a real celestial body…
Regardless, Scripture tells us of the appearance and the direction it gave these Kings, Wise Men, Magi — who brought these gifts.
Gifts that not only signified who this child was, but would also make it possible for Joseph, Mary and Jesus to flee to Egypt due to the sorrow brought on by Herod killing the children for fear of this king rising up.
Thus:
15 This is what the Lord says: “A cry is heard in Ramah— deep anguish and bitter weeping. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted— for her children are gone.”
Thus
Until a second angel appeared to Joseph saying it was safe to return.
Here is the reality of this:
GOD WANTS TO DO EXTRA IN OUR LIVES!!!!
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
WHo believes that we serve the God of the extra!!!
He does not just give us our daily bread, but He brings abundance in our lives.
10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
God wants our lives to be fulfilled! Our needs to be met, but something that goes beyond our expectation
God wants our lives to be fulfilled! Our needs to be met, but something that goes beyond our expectation
That first Christmas - had the extra! God wants to put the extra in our lives as well...
3. ENJOYMENT
3. ENJOYMENT
What good is a party of people do not ENJOY IT!!!!
Isn’t that the ultimate goal - to have people walking away remembering all that took place.
17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.
18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished,
19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.
20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
Wow, the shepherds were wowed by all that took place, and in all reality - so was Mary!
SHe kept these things and pondered them in her heart..
It was a moment in time she would deeply remember and return to, a memory that would take her through the difficulties her life would face, especially when they would crucify that same son!
I am sure the enjoyment and richness of the moment was intended to give strength in the days that would be struggles.
10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
It is true, the enemy will seek to rob and destroy our joy in our life...
Jesus came to bring TRUE JOY in our life...
TO make our lives RICH AND SATISFYING!
Does that mean difficulty won’t arise --- NO --- but we can stop a remember the ENJOYMENT of our ENCOUNTER WITH CHRIST like the shepherds in those difficult moments....
like Mary could remember the truth about her Child’s birth - I am sure a confirmation to all she endured as a VIRGIN having a child!
SOMETHING that would take her through the difficulty.
Often when people walk through loss, they stop to remember the enjoyment in life with the person lost to fill the void.
God brought great JOY to the shepherds, to Mary - and to the WISE MEN who lept with great joy when the star had reappeared to take them to the Christ child!
May we look to the ENCOUNTERS WITH CHRIST - THE SUPERNATURAL MOMENTS FROM THE ALTAR OR SEASONS IN PRAYER to REMIND US of the JOY we have in JESUS!!!
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
SOOO,
When we stop to remember the GREATEST CHRISTMAS PARTY EVER we can walk away with a few lessons for our own lives....
God is about the details - and He has a detailed plan for each of us
God is about the extra - wanting to exceed our expectations
God is about the enjoyment - the joyous moments that help us remember in the difficulties the truth of our encounter with Christ
If you are struggling with wondering where God is, if He cares, with questioning if He will move on your behalf - return to those moments of great joy when He saved you or met you in a supernatural way and remember HE CARES!
41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.
39 But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.
40 If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too.
41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.
42 Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.