06PM December 3 Various Verses
December 3, 2006—Evening Worship
What Christmas Really Means – Part 2
Come, Your Hearts and Voices Raising
Reflections that Lead to Rejoicing
Various Verses
Intro: In the 1996 movie, “Jingle All the Way,” Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a workaholic father named Howard Langston, who can't find time for his family. The Christmas season seems to be his best chance to redeem himself, & so he promises to buy his son the popular "Turbo Man" action figure. But little does he know how difficult a task that will be. Finding one of these action figures brings out the worst in everyone, thus establishing a "take no prisoners", "search & destroy" mentality in holiday shopping.
Most of us have experienced the negative side-effects of shopping for Christmas gifts. From the parking-lot to the cash register, gift giving can become dangerously competitive. & many people miss Christmas b/c they don’t know what Christmas really means. They're so caught up in the retail rush that they're exhausted & perhaps depressed by the holiday pressures. We know depression rates & suicide numbers increase during this season. But as we read through the Christmas story as Luke presents it in the 1st 2 chapters of his Gospel, we find 7 distinct people (or groups of people) who celebrated that 1st Christmas. They all had exactly the same response to the tremendous events of that day. & the response we have to Christmas should be the same response they had so many years ago on that 1st Christmas.
Let’s begin tonight by reflecting on…
1. Elizabeth's Response (READ Luke 1:3942).
1. Luke's Gospel begins, not w/the birth of Christ, but w/the birth of the forerunner of Christ, John the Baptist.
2. Zacharias & Elizabeth, an older couple, were given the promise of a child.
3. When Mary came to visit to share her own news, Elizabeth was "filled w/the Holy Spirit" & "spoke out w/a loud voice" (Luke 1:41, 42).
4. I imagine Mary & Elizabeth might have given each other some little gifts as tokens of their love; they may have crowded into the kitchen & cooked a feast.
5. But the giving of gifts & the eating of food wasn't their main concern.
6. They were full of praise & thanksgiving at what God was doing in their lives in sending these 2 babies into the world & so they worshiped & praised God
Now, let’s reflect on…
2. Mary's Response (READ Luke 1:46-47).
1. It was Mary's turn to be full of praise & thanksgiving
2. & here we have a wonderful hymn of praise, the Magnificat (Latin for magnify)
3. [A magnifying glass actually makes things appear larger—But when you magnify something, you don't really make it larger—but you do make it larger in your own eyes or the eyes of others]
4. Notice that Mary’s response was to the Lord (Owner, Ruler, Master)
5. & her spirit; her inner self; rejoiced in the God of her salvation
6. So all of Mary’s attention was on God; her Lord; her Savior
7. No wonder she found favor or grace in the eyes of the Lord (just like Noah)
8. His unmerited favor; undeserved, unearned, unbelievable grace!
9. She was dedicated to worshipping God & to following Him
But now let’s reflect on…
3. Zacharias' Response (Luke 1:67-68).
1. Sometime after Mary had returned home, Elizabeth gave birth to John
2. At that time Zacharias' mouth was opened (READ vv. 67-68)
3. Zacharias’ initial response had been one of doubt & disbelief
4. Therefore, his mouth had been shut until after the baby was born
5. Many of us would probably have felt the same way, “It’s impossible!”
6. But what is impossible w/man is possible w/God
7. Not only did God release Zacharias from a mute tongue, He also revived his rebellious heart & filled him w/the Holy Spirit so that he prophesied about his son & the coming Christ.
8. So Zacharias worshiped the Lord & praised Him & magnified Him
Let’s now turn our attention & reflect upon…
4. The Angels' Response (Luke 2:13-14).
1. The first 7 verses of Luke 2 describe the birth of Christ & then the scene shifts to the shepherds' field.
2. The Bible says about the angels (READ vv. 13-14)
3. The angels worshiped God & praised Him b/c at long last the men of earth could experience something that up until now only angels could know
4. Men of earth could now experience the peace of God through the presence of God
5. Angels had known that from their creation but men, since Adam’s sin, had been separated from God & could not know God unless He revealed Himself to them
6. & so the angels rejoiced & praised God for the long awaited promise was now fulfilled
7. Ladies & gentlemen, we ought to feel the same way about others as angels feel about us – we ought to thank God & praise Him for revealing Himself to those in the darkness of sin
8. I think about those in Romania who have come to faith in Christ b/c God worked through this church to build a church in Magesti
9. I think about how every one of us are credited w/every one of them b/c we gave to help them know Christ
10. But I also think about the countless hundreds & thousands right here in our own town that need to be reached w/the gospel—it’s up to us to be the herald angels of today—proclaiming the good news of Jesus
11. If you notice in this verse we are not told how many angels there were in this multitude—but I can tell you exactly how many there were that worshiped—b/c I believe that not only those in the multitude did but all the angels of glory were praising God & honoring Him & worshiping Him
& since these angels were talking w/the shepherds, let’s reflect on…
5. The Shepherds' Response (READ Luke 2:20).
1. In the presence of the angels the shepherds were afraid & you would be too
2. In the presence of the Christ child the shepherds were humbled & quiet & U2
3. In the presence of others the shepherds were evangelistic & U should be too
4. In the presence of themselves as they traveled back to their flocks they were excited about what God had shown them
5. v. 20 says that they glorified & praised God b/c everything that they were told & everything that they had seen were a perfect fulfillment of God’s word
6. & I want you to know that Christians ought to be excited about what God is doing!
7. We ought not to keep silent b/c if we do the rocks will cry out & praise Him!
8. The shepherds got it right – they experienced true worship – even in a field full of sheep & even in what probably was nothing more than a small cave where animals were kept – all b/c they had heard & seen God’s promise & they believed & worshiped
As Luke relates this story, many days now pass & now we are to reflect upon…
6. Simeon's Response (READ Luke 2:2529).
1. Approximately 40 days after Jesus’ birth, Mary & Joseph took Jesus to the temple to present Him to the Lord.
2. Now this of necessity took place in Jerusalem b/c that’s where the temple was
3. In Jerusalem was a godly man named Simeon
4. The Spirit of God had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Christ
5. & so this man knew that the time was near & he watched everyday waiting for God’s anointed to be revealed
6. & on this day b/c of a divine appointment from God Simeon was sent to the temple just at the time Joseph & Mary arrived w/Baby Jesus
7. READ vv. 28-29 again
8. So again we see that God is the promise keeper & that the natural response of a true believer is to worship Him b/c His word is true
9. Our natural response ought to be praise; worship; adoration & celebration as God works in us – around us – & through us
Simeon’s response leads us to reflect upon…
7. Anna's Response (READ Luke 2:3638).
1. According to v. 38 Anna comes in just as Simeon is blessing God & hears all that he said about the Child
2. & she then gave thanks to the Lord & began to talk up the fact that the Messiah had come
3. But notice that she only tells those who are looking for redemption
4. At this point, the good news of Jesus’ birth would have been meaningless to a non-believer
5. W/o any knowledge of God’s word or His promises to redeem His people, the unbelievers would not have grasp the truth or the importance of it
6. The Bible says that faith comes by hearing & hearing comes by the word of God
7. So this godly woman who continually served God shared the good news w/those who would appreciate it – but left the convincing of others to the Lord Himself
8. The important aspect here though is that in doing what she did, she was worshiping the Lord her God
Conclusion: We’ve seen how that, 7 times, different people were exposed to the coming of Christ at Christmas in Luke's Gospel, & all 7 times they worshipped. All 7 times their hearts were filled w/praise & thanksgiving. All 7 times they blessed the God of Israel & magnified the Lord.
So, based on all that, what should our response be to Christmas?
A. We must worship Him personally w/whole-life praise.
1. The worship that came from all these people did so b/c their whole lives were given to God.
2. For example, look at the description of
a) Zecharias & Elizabeth in Luke 1:6
b) Simeon in 2:25
c) Anna in 2:37
3. Their entire lives were doxologies of praise.
B. We must worship Him publicly w/whole-church praise.
1. Mary could have worshipped in private, but she needed someone w/whom to share her joy, so she sought the one special person w/whom she could share the news—her relative Elizabeth—& they praised the Lord together.
2. The news of Christmas is too great to enjoy alone.
3. The angels worshipped in great celestial multitudes, & the shepherds praised the Lord in a joyful little assembly of their own.
4. We need to worship w/our fellow believers.
C. We must worship Him privately w/whole-hearted praise.
1. Luke 2:19 says: "But Mary kept all these things & pondered them in her heart."
2. Sometimes we need to take time to ponder these things in our hearts, just as Mary did.
I encourage you w/the words of hymnist Paul Gerhardt, as he put it so long ago:
Come, your hearts & voices raising,
Christ the Lord w/gladness praising,
Loudly sing His love amazing,
Worthy folk of Christendom.
Invitation: You know in the animated special “A Charlie Brown Christmas” Charlie Brown was fed up w/the crass commercialism of Christmas. My heart’s desire for all of us this Christmas season is that we would not be overwhelmed w/the retail rush, but that we would take the time to ponder just what Christmas really means. & then that we would share the meaning w/those closest to us.
In that animated special, it was Linus quoted (READ) Luke 2:1-14. & then Linus said, “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”
& that is what Christmas really means. That’s why we celebrate. That’s what we celebrate. That’s what Christmas really means.
Prayer: Father, I pray in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, that if anyone is here tonight w/o a personal relationship w/You, that You would grant them the gifts of repentance & faith & that they would come to You by faith.
Lord, if there is anyone here tonight who has allowed the true meaning of Christmas to escape them & they’ve been caught up in all the worldly frenzy, I pray You would claim their spirits & open their eyes to what You have done through Jesus Christ. Draw them back to Yourself tonight.
& Lord, finally tonight, I pray that You would help us to live lives of worship that those around us might see Your life through ours & be drawn to You & I pray it in Your name.
If God has spoken to you & revealed to you your need tonight, would you come in an act of worship & give yourself to the One who gave His all for you?
Hymn 98 I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day