The Plot Twist

Introduction

I built my lesson this morning off of a topic that we discussed in our youth group this past Thursday

And I thought, “This would be a good message for all of us to hear.”

Its simple, not very long

I hope that it speaks to you as it has to me

The title of my message this morning is “The Plot Twist!”

How many of you like a good movie?

Something to inspire or pull at the heartstrings, or make you laugh?

Let me share you one of the most annoying things when trying to watch a good movie.

I’ll be honest I’m this person sometimes, I don’t mind doing it to others but I hate when it’s done to me

Person walks in on the movie halfway through the movie, and asks all sorts of questions.

Who’s that? The main character

Did I miss anything good? The first half of the movie

What just happened? Let me pause this and explain everything to you

You could give you the best plot summary ever, but unless you just saw the whole movie yourself, it won’t make total sense.

Those triumphant moments won’t be as triumphant

Those emotional moments wont connect with you

Those crazy plot twists won’t awe you, because you missed the first half of the movie.

When you don’t see the whole context, then certain parts lack in power

Its like going to Youtube and watching a clip of a movie

You can youtube the funniest movie moments, the most emotional, the craziest plot twist scenes.

But it won’t move you like just seeing the whole movie

One of the most iconic movie plot twists has to be when Darth Vader, tells Luke Skywalker that he is his father

“Luke, I am your father!”

If you saw the movie leading up to this scene, it blows your mind! You are like “what!!!!!”

But if you saw this scene in Youtube clip without any context, your attitude would be “so what?”

It wouldn’t have any meaning to you

Or if you’ve ever seen Captain Phillips

It’s this movie where where Richard Phillips (portrayed by Tom Hanks) vessel is taken over and Captain Philips is held hostage by Somali Pirates who are after ransom money.

There are Navy Seals who are sent to rescue him, and it just builds up to this moment when he is finally rescued, and the moments right after his rescue you can see the trauma, and the emotion as Captain Phillips starts to realize that its over, and he is safe again.

Tom Hanks does some incredible acting in that scene.

But if you were to try and watch that scene without the rest of the emotional tension and buildup of the movie, it would have very little impact on you.

When you know how the story begins, you can better understand and identify with the decisions, failures, plot twists, and victories and the emotions that come later.

Christmas Story

So where am I going with?

We are two and a half weeks away from Christmas

Our Christmas Around the World Production is next week

If you are like my wife, you have had your Christmas tree up since before Thanksgiving!

Some say it is the greatest story ever told

We are familiar with the shepherds

Wise men

Mary and joseph

Baby Jesus

And its this nice, cute story that we love to tell and retell every Christmas

My family and I had a tradition every year of reading on Christmas day. Some may read Matthew 1.

It is a time of year where we reflect and remember the birth of our Saviour

As a matter of fact, let me read a part of Scripture for us, (Read)

Its easy to read this and be like, “ah thats nice!”

But here is what I want us to understand. The coming of Christ, as a baby in a manger, and all the shepherds and wise men, and gifts and Mary and Joseph

That is not the story! The coming of Christ is the plot twist in a much bigger story!

If the Christmas story is the only part of the story we are familiar with, it loses some of it’s awe and power.

It is liking watching one of the most powerful movie scenes, out of context of the broader story.

This Christmas story is the most glorious and climactic moments in history, and what I want to do this morning is to summarize the major moments leading up to this part in history.

We are going to watch the whole movie this morning!

Now me retelling it isn’t the same as just reading it ourselves from the Word of God, but I only have 30 minutes, and I’m sure most of you would probably walk out on me half way through Genesis.

So I’m just going to summarize some major points

And then we are going to read that passage again in light of the history, and narrative leading up to it.

Are you ready?

We are going to go through thousands of years of history in 10 minutes.

History

The Beginning

The beginning of the story tells us that God created everything from nothing

On the 6th day he creates something special. something he called “very good”

he created mankind and breathed his breath of life into us

And man has a unique and special relationship with God

and he lived in paradise in the garden of Eden

Its the start of a wonderful, dreamy story!

But it doesn’t take long for things to change

Its the start of a wonderful, dreamy story!

In something happens

This serpent is introduced into the narrative

begins to call God’s word into question

Adam and Eve both disobey God as they eat of the one fruit they were commanded to leave alone

They listened to the lying voice of a serpent, rather than what God told them

And as a result, sin separates them from their creator, and they are kicked out of the garden of Eden.

and as a result of sin, death

A wonderful story cut way too short.

Then things start to go downhill very fast

Cain kills his brother Abel, and becomes the first murderer

Mankind becomes so evil that God destroys every thing on earth with a flood except for one righteous man, Noah and his family, and a few animals.

And through Noah, man begins to populate the earth again

o God created the world and everything in it.

Then you get to the tower of Babel where God confounds the language of the people who are aspiring to build a tower to heaven and be like God.

o He created the first man and woman (Adam and Eve) and set them up in paradise (The Garden of Eden).

Finally you get to Abraham, where the covenant of God starts

and he calls him to be separate from the rest of the nations, and promises that he is going to bless all the nations of the earth through his descendants.

o But then there’s a major mix-up involving a serpent and a piece of forbidden fruit.

But then his descendants over a period of time end up in slaver in Egypt

For over 400 years, they wait to be delivered, and finally God send a man named Moses who delivers his people

There are a bunch of miracles as God sends 10 plagues into Egypt and parts a Red Sea, and completely delivers his people to lead them to the promised land

But because of doubt and unbelief they don’t inherit this land right away.

After wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, finally God brings his people into the promised land

Finally happily ever-after!

Then after they get delivered

The Middle of the Story

God’s people end up worshipping idols and forsaking God.

So then we get to the book of Judges that recounts all the judges that God sent to rescue his people. But it doesn’t work. They end up back into their troubles.

Then God gives them a King that will keep the people in line, but that doesn’t work either.

o Humanity gets evicted from paradise and sin enters the world. (In short, sin is anything that goes against God.)

o Things start to go down hill. Fast. There's murder, a flood, and a whole mess at Babel.

Then God send them his prophets and they don’t even listen to them

o Then Abraham comes on the scene. (You know, "Father Abraham, had many sons . . . I am one of them, and so are you . . . .") Abraham is God's chosen guy. Through Abraham and his future children, God says He's going to do something new and amazing in a new land.

But the prophet Isaiah prophesied that a virgin would bear a son and call his name, Immanuel (God with us) There was this promise of a Messiah

God’s people find themselves swept up into idolatry again and again, taken captive by other nations again and again, waiting for God to deliver them again and again.

This never ending cycle of sin repent, bondage and freedom, idolatry and debauchery

Then we get to the end of the OT, and its just silence. In between Malachi and Matthew is over 400 years of silence.

o God sends a guy named Moses to get His people out of there.

You don’t hear of judges, you don’t hear of kings, you don’t hear of prophets, no word from God. Just silence, and waiting.

But with a promise that God would send a messiah to rescue His people

Jesus Birth

o There are a bunch of miracles like the Red Sea parting and food raining down from the sky.

Then you get to , and now let me read this passage again ()

After 400 years of waiting, silence, and anticipation, God spoke again.

But this time things were different, oh so differetn

· After 400 years of humanity waiting for God to send rescue, God did. But He did it in a way no one expected. The great and holy, but distant and untouchable God we thought we knew said, "Hang on, I'm just going to come to you."

This time he didn’t send judge, or a king, or a prophet, as they had known it.

He came Himself, not in a display of power and majesty, but as a humble baby, born in a barn. Talk about a plot twist!

He will save his people from their sins

But his birth and coming to earth, was not the end of the story

Jesus went on to go to a cross so that he could pay the penalty of our sin and death, so that we that trust in Christ could find forgiveness and have a relationship with God.

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Jesus went on to go to a cross so that he could pay the penalty of our sin and death.

So we could find release from the shame that torments us inside

We could find forgiveness and reconciliation with God!!!

But his death was not the end of the story

He went on to rise again after three days so that He could have the final word over death and sin! Death couldn’t hold him down. Sin couldn’t stop him!

We don’t worship a dead God, but a living one!

And believe it or not, His resurrection was not the end of the story.

He said that when He must go away but is going to send the Holy Spirit to live inside of us, that will be there to comfort us, to guide us to all truth, to change us from the inside out.

· The birth of Jesus was God declaring, "I'm with you. And I'm here to save you." It was unexpected. And it was a demonstration of God's incredible grace.

And you get all the way up until this very moment as I’m standing before you, and we are still not at the end of the story

You and I are a part of the story!!

Where does the coming of Christ as a baby in a manger have application in your life?

Even though I’ve been likening the Biblical narrative to a story, its much bigger than that. Its much more than that.

It’s not a movie that gave some sort of entertainment value

Every area of our lives are affected by this babe in a manger.

Conclusion

Maybe you feel unloved, or struggle believing that God could love you

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

You might say, “you don’t know the mistakes I’ve made! I can’t even love myself!”

Or maybe your earthly family and friends failed you, and you struggle to even see your own worth.

says

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

says

Romans 5:8 ESV

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God didn’t come for those who had life figured out

God came knowing every wrong you would ever do, and said “I love you enough to die for you!”

Through the coming of Christ, God has put an exclamation point on His love for you!

Maybe you feel hopeless

Hopeless to your despair

o After 40 years of wandering, God’s people finally enter the land God promised them.

Hopeless to your situations

Hopeless to your consequences

Hopeless that you’re ever going to find rest in your mind

Hopeless that theres never going to be a light at the end of your long, dark tunnel

says

1 Peter 1:3–6 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,

1 Peter 1:3–6 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,

Because Christ came, your struggle will not be the end of the story

Your pain will not be the end of the story

Your anxiety will not be the end of the story

Your depression will not be the end of the story

Your confusion and questions will not be the end of the story

The end of the story is that God wins, death, sin and the devil lose, and those who are found in Christ find forgiveness, acceptance, eternal life.

Where does the coming of Christ as a baby in a manger have application in your life?

It means everything to us!

Let this Christmas season, remind you of God’s love for you

Let this Christmas season be a reminder of the living hope that we have in Jesus Christ.

If you are here this morning, and you’ve never surrendered your heart to Christ, you can do that this morning

Admit your a sinner in need of saving

Believe in Jesus that he died for you

Confess Jesus as Lord of your life

You don’t have to do anything special

You don’t have to come to this altar

Right where you are at, you can say a prayer

This is everything, this is the gospel message. This is our hope in the Christmas season

Lets stand together, and I’m going to pray for you!

o God's people are still sinning, but God is faithful, so He moves to Plan B. God sends kings to rule and keep them in line. They don't work either. He sends prophets! Neither do they.

o So they wait. And they keep waiting. And they wait some more. For 400 years, God's people wait. For 400 years, there are no judges, no kings, no prophets, no word from God whatsoever. There is just silence. And waiting. For 400 years. But then . . .