The Misfits and the Message

Misfits

Who remembers this guy?

He’s the Charlie-in-the-box from the island of misfit toys in Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Not a Jack, but a Charlies. A misfit.

Goes along w/ the Cowboy who rides an ostrich, the bird that swims, the spotted elephant, and the train w/ square wheels on its caboose,.

These misfit toys were exiled to this island because nobody wanted them.

Then, Santa comes along and discovers them w/ Rudolf’s help, and knowing all the kids in the world, he knew which child would want each toy.

So he delivered them where they’d be appreciated and played with.

Santa saw a young, misfit reindeer that had a shiny nose then found a place for him to fit in at the lead of the other 8 tiny reindeer.

Of course, it took the storm of the century and the threat of canceling Christmas for him to realize there was a place for Rudolf.

One of the main themes of Rudolf is that even misfits can fit in. We all have something to offer.

The other side of that is who of us has never felt like a misfit?

Everyone of us. Junior high? High school? After a divorce? After you were fired? Widowed?

I was the only kid whose parents divorced.

That made me different.

Raised by a single mother, we didn’t have much.

Small house, didn’t wear the clothes.

Real or perceived, everybody had more than I did.

I didn’t fit in that crowd. I certainly wasn’t going to insert myself where I didn’t feel welcome.

Real or perceived...

Too short? Too tall.

Too poor? Too rich.

Not attractive enough?

Too heavy? Too skinny?

Too dumb? too smart.

Too busy. Too lazy.

Not athletic. Dumb jock.

Cheerleader. Airhead. Nerd.

Geek. Goofball. Wallflower.

Can’t carry a tune in bucket. Too artsy fartsy.

Your legs? Your hair? Your hobbies? Your house?

We all felt it. One of these, or something like it.

And, we compensated for it, usually making matters worse.

The geek that tries to fit in and embarrasses himself.

If we just came up with the right plan, changed the right thing, everything would be different and we’d fit it w/ everybody else.

But, everybody feels like misfit sometime.

In fact, I’ll bet most of us here this morning, if we’re being completely honest, feel like a misfit of sorts today.

Who are you trying to fit in w/?

And, as I say this, I’m sure more than one of you said something to the effect of, “Right! Everybody’s a misfit. I’m the only one who doesn’t fit here.”

Understand that for what it is. That’s your pride speaking to you.

That you believe you are so uniquely horrible that you alone are the worst in the room. Everybody else fits where you don’t.

Beginning to see some of the problem?

What’s the solution? Jesus.

But, we have problems w/ His solution, too.

This is story of Christmas. God provided a way for misfits to fit in. He used misfits in the message then used them to communicate the message.

We’re all messed up misfits living out our illusions. And, God, in all His wisdom used other misfits to communicate this message to us.

B/C misfits can relate to misfits.

But, we don’t want to relate to misfits. We want to fit in.

This morning we are looking at . This is the story of the Misfits and the Message.

The Problem

We live in a broken world filled w/ broken people. And each one of us is one of the broken ones.

We aren’t victims of the broken world. We are active participants in the brokenness.

The issues we have are not b/c we didn’t get hugged enough by our fathers or didn’t get breastfed by our mothers.

The problem stems from the fact that we have rebellious hearts. And, we have them at birth. This is not learned behavior.

Our hearts are broken. And, as a result, we break things.

We can’t fix what’s broken.

Science, education, economics, politics all develop plans to fix everything. And, yet, every developed plan reveals that the developers hearts are broken, rebellious, wicked.

Every culture has recognized this in its own way.

Ancient Greeks had a myth. Prometheus saw that man was always cold and getting sick from eating raw meat so he gave man fire.

Zeus was furious w/ Prometheus b/c all man did was burn himself. Man is incapable of using fire for good. So, Zeus punished Prometheus.

We have a bent toward systems that will always reveal our rebellious hearts. Every new discovery.

Man developed a great idea and solution to insulate everything w/ asbestos. And one inhaled particle can cause cancer.

Another great idea to use lead to hold paint together so it will cover a wall. But, ingesting paint chips is poisonous.

There are simple meds that will save the lives of hundreds of thousands around the world but we cannot get those meds to the ppl who need them b/c of the greed and corruption of the human structure in place.

Bottled water has solved a huge part of the problem of clean drinking water in 3rd world countries. Dissentary kills more children than any other disease. But now we learn that plastics are leaching into the water and the empty bottles are clogging our waterways and polluting the oceans killing the fish we need to eat.

The structures are in place but the brokenness of men’s hearts keep us from the ability to see our romantic notions of solving the world’s problems come true.

So, God intervened in our brokenness to offer a solution to the root problem. Solve that one, then all the other dominoes will fall and every other problem will get resolved.

Eventually, it will lead to a new heaven and new earth at Jesus’ second coming. No more problems like these b/c the root problem will get solved.

Just like the story of Santa who shows misfits how they fit in, Jesus shows us how we fit in.

God sent a Savior to save the world and solve our root problem.

Jesus is the solution. And Christmas is the time when it happened.

The Solution

Luke 2:1–7 NIV

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. 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. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 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.

Luke 2:1–8 NIV

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. 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. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 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. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

3 things about this passage:

First, we have the ability to prove this actually happened. The Romans kept great records. Caesar Augustus decreed that he wanted everyone in the Roman world to be counted.

That way the gov’t would know how many people lived there.

From this, the tax structure was adjusted. They needed to know how much tax to levy against every adult to pay for their military and infrastructure.

Once again, God is not limited to accomplishing his plans only using people of faith.

He didn’t panic when Micah had predicted the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem and a 9-month pregnant Mary was in Nazareth.

“Oh, thank you Caesar Augustus. I didn’t know what I was going to do.” Right.

God uses governmental authorities to accomplish His purposes in Persia (Iran), Babylon (Iraq), Rome, Washington DC, Phoenix, and Coconino Co.

Second, God promised to intervene in our broken world and provide a solution. All the promises of God are finding their ‘yes’ in the arrival of Jesus.

Isaiah 9:2 NIV

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

These are the ppl in Galilee when Jesus was born.

Micah 5:2 NIV

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

This is the passage King Herod the Great’s advisors referred to sending the Magi to Bethlehem.

These are just 2 of the promises God kept in the arrival of Jesus.

God is a God who keeps His promises even the small ones that don’t seem to matter very much.

Who really cares where Jesus was born!

Nazareth could have worked just fine.

But, it didn’t.

Then, third, Joseph, Mary and Jesus were poor.

A dad who’s a broke carpenter from a ghetto little town that’s been burned to the ground hundreds of times.

A mom who’s a 15-year old maid.

This is a high-honor culture. “Yes sir. Yes ma’am.”

Those in positions of honor get honored, wealthy, powerful, elderly.

Those who aren’t don’t.

If Joseph had a grain of respectability there would have been a room somewhere. Someone else of lesser honor would have been kicked out of their room to make room for them.

If you’ve ever worked w/ animals, you know feeding troughs are nasty.

This was not a hay loft where hay was stored until it was to be used. This was a place where used hay lied around haphazardly.

Livestock saliva and other bodily fluids saturated the hay around the room.

We have the ability to distract ourselves from from how fragile we are. We buy stuff.

We’re not poor.

We’re educated.

We live under the constant illusion we are in total control.

Mary had a plan for her life. Joseph had a plan. I have a plan, and so do you.

Our plans are influenced by the notion that if we plan it, then God will do it.

If I plan my exercise, diet, take vitamins and get my flu shot I’ll never get sick and I’ll live longer.

That’s just not true. I’ll still get sick. And, sovereign God has already determined the number of my days. I can’t change that.

These things are all good. And, I’ll stay healthier. But, I can’t do anything change how long I will live.

I can’t fix my death problem.

One of the reasons we argue so vehemently about politics.

If my candidate, from my party, w/ my economic plan is president and both houses of congress are controlled by my party then we can fix everything that’s wrong w/ the country.

Likewise, if the other party is in control we’re toast.

B/C, we are living in the illusion that we can control everything and fix everything. This is the source of the intensity of the arguments come from.

As I said earlier, we have a heart problem so any human structure put in place won’t solve our problems. It will only further expose our problem.

We can’t solve the problem.

God sent the solution to our problem to be swaddled in a nasty, least-likely to find a Savior place b/c his earthly parents were so poor.

They couldn’t hide it.

Jesus heals broken our hearts and holds us all together until the time when we all get to enter the new heaven and new earth.

This all presents problems for us.

Why did God choose such poor parents? Misfits?

What do we do in the meantime?

Problems with the Solution

Luke 2:8–20 NIV

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “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.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

God is doing exactly the opposite of what we would do.

We live under the constant illusion we are in total control.

Mary had a plan for her life. Joseph had a plan. I have a plan, and so do you.

Our plans are influenced by the notion that if we plan it, then God will do it.

If I plan my exercise, diet, take vitamins and get my flu shot I’ll never get sick and I’ll live longer.

Putting a team together to start an international organization we’d look for the best of the best.

That’s just not true. I’ll still get sick. And, sovereign God has already determined the number of my days. I can’t change that.

These things are all good. And, I’ll stay healthier. But, I can’t do anything change how long I will live.

I can’t fix my death problem.

President, CEO, board and marketing team.

One of the reasons we argue so vehemently about politics.

God chose Joseph and Mary. Is that the best He could do?

And, shepherds. They are the first to hear, first to see, and first to tell about.

Shepherds are the lowest of the low rung of the social ladder. They never get invited to anyone’s house. They don’t fit in anywhere.

Typically, they were thieves. When they weren’t herding the sheep they were stealing stuff.

So, when the angels showed up in the middle of the night you bet they were scared. They thought they were busted.

God showed up to expose them for their misfittedness.

The angels are the only one who fit in this story. Glory of God.

Who knows what kind of immoral unethical activity they were involved in when the angels showed up. A normal night for them.

The sheep are penned. They are drinking, smoking, gambling, who knows what in the dark.

And, the angel shows up and exposes them.

God’s MO is to choose and use undesirable, unlikely, unhealthy misfits and make them fit in.

In fact, being super strong might DQ you from being used by God.

Why? B/C God brings glory to Himself by being the power, wisdom, authority, and presence by which all things happen.

That’s why He calls the weak, broken misfits b/c He gets all the glory.

So, when the angel showed up, surrounded by the glory of God and declaring glory to God in the highest, he implied that the shepherds were going to help confirm and spread the glory.

Joy for all people. Peace on earth.

If there are 3 things shepherds lacked, it was glory, peace and joy.

That is, until the angel showed up. They were changed when they believed the message the angels shared w/ them.

And, maybe, for the first time in their lives they experienced these things.

They hurried off to Bethlehem. They knew the mangers well. They searched until they found the one.

They shared their story, misfit to misfit. Mary and Joseph had seen their own angel. They bought it.

But, who else would buy anything from a pack of thieves, lowlifes.

But, God assigned them to be the first evangelists to spread out and tell the story about what happened that night.

Why did God choose a bunch of misfits for this story and to be His messengers.

B/C, this way, He gets all the glory.

Besides, misfits don’t change anybody. The power to change is in the message, not the messengers.

All the messengers had to do was tell their own story about how the angel showed up, they believed, and God changed them.

And, since that night, everyone who believes the message that God intervened in our broken world to provide a solution to their broken, rebellious heart, regardless of who delivers it, will be saved.

God has chosen to use misfits in the story and to deliver the message. For every misfit who believes the message God makes us fit in.

Likewise, if the other party is in control we’re toast.

Joy to the world.

B/C, we are living in the illusion that we can control everything and fix everything. This is the source of the intensity of the arguments come from.

Peace on earth.

Glory to God

As I said earlier, we have a heart problem so any human structure put in place won’t solve our problems. It will only further expose our problem.

Applications

Herald

“Hark, the herald angels sing.”

Become a herald, like the angels and the shepherds.

Don’t buy into the lie that you have to have all the answers.

One of the main reasons why we don’t share the message of Jesus is b/c we’re afraid they’ll ask a question we can’t answer.

First of all, all you have to do is tell your own story. You know all the answers to your own story. That’s enough.

And, second, if they do ask a question you can’t answer let me give you a magic, 3-word reply.

“I don’t know.”

Then, I’ll help you find the answer so you can get back to them.

You don’t have to have all the answers to all the tough questions of the faith to be a herald.

You just have to have a story and be willing to share it.

Misfits Anonymous

We are a gathering of misfits anonymous.

Every one of us in this room either feel like it, or have recently, that they don’t fit in.

All we really want to do is fit in. Be one of a crowd of something.

When you believe, Jesus makes you fit into the Church.

Sometimes local gatherings don’t do such a great job of letting people in. But, we try hard.

You do fit into God’s kingdom.

Telling your story, being a herald, doesn’t make you a misfit, uncool, looked down upon by others.

Trust me, they already do.

By accepting your misfittedness and not worrying about being rejected by people, you give them the possibility of fitting in w/ you.

Welcome to the group.

My 5

Write the names of 5 people whom you regularly cross paths w/ and commit to praying for them daily until Christmas.

If you know of something going on in their life, pray for it.

Don’t be afraid to ask if there is anything you can pray for them.

Otherwise, believer or not, just pray that this season they would take a step closer to Jesus.

He’s easy to relate to. He’ll fix the root problem.

This is story of Christmas. God provided a way for misfits to fit in. He used misfits in the message then used them to communicate the message.

We’re all messed up misfits living out our illusions. And, God, in all His wisdom used other misfits to communicate this message to us.