Ghost of Christmas Past

Advent

Advent Lighting

Latin word adventus (Ahd-ven-toose): meaning coming

Advent celebrates the coming of Christ! It is the real meaning of the season

We have 5 candles that help us count down the days until Christ is come

The candles represent Christ being the light of the world

There are four, representing the four centuries between Malachi and the birth of Christ

The colors are purple and pink

Purple for royalty, and pink for joy

The wreath symbolizes God

Its circular shape is infinite like God’s eternity and mercy

LIGHT THE CANDLE

The first candle represents hope

Also called Prophets Candle

Hope and Prophets are all about people in the past looking towards the future

Introduction

A Christmas Carol

The story of Ebenezer Scrooge begins at the death of his friend Jacob Marley

They were partners who were obsessed with making money

7 years after Marley died, his ghost visits Scrooge to give him a change at reclamation

He shows up in chains connected to keys, ledgers and cash boxes

He explains he must travel the entire world non-stop

As he does, he sees all the pain in the world that he could have done something about

But he never did...

Then Scrooge speaks up (as if to comfort him), telling him he was a good man of business

Marley says, “Business? Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business! At this time of the rolling year I suffer most. Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode! Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me!”

Marley has a tortured existence - constantly mourning the fact he never helped anyone

Fortunately for Scrooge, he gets a second chance

Marley arranges for 3 ghosts to visit Scrooge - Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come

Each one takes Scrooge on a tour

What he sees in his past, present and future ultimately changes his heart

As we begin our new series at Christmastime, I want to follow something in that same vein

We will look at the real Christmas from perspectives of past present and future

What does it mean for all of mankind, that our Savior was born?

Let’s take a little trip to the past to find out

YouVersion: Ghost of Christmas Past

We’re in Romans 1:18-23 and Isaiah 9:6-7

Romans 1:18 (ESV)

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

Ever since man came on the scene, we’ve had a problem

1. Our past is a story of sin

Our sin earns God’s wrath

This can be hard for us, because human wrath comes from an imperfect vengeance

But God’s wrath is from perfect righteousness

What we need to know is that the good news of the gospel isn’t just a nice thing...

For us, it’s a necessary thing! It’s something we desperately need!

Without it, all that’s left is God’s wrath!

Why? Because we suppress the truth!

What is the truth? Let’s look::

Romans 1:19–20 (ESV)

19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

God has made it plainly clear what the truth is, He has shown His attributes

From day 1, God has made it clear that He is here, clear who He is, and clear who we are

And yet mankind fights and fights and fight to distort that truth - to make our own truth

We should know better because of everything around us, even the things He has made!

I could totally see myself becoming an atheist… except for one major problem...

We’re HERE - that is the greatest miracle in history!

If there was no God, how did anything come to be...

Nothing in nature makes it clear

Actually, nature just makes it more difficult to answer the question with anything other than one answer… God

Most of you know I’m a bit of an apologetics guy

Apologetics: “reasoned arguments or writings in justification of something, typically a theory or religious doctrine.”

I’ve told you before about the bombardier beetle

It has 2 glands inside

One has hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinone

Other has a mix of enzymes with catalases and peroxidases

When it mixes in their abdomen, the hydrogen peroxide mixes and converts to oxygen and water

Then the oxygen mixes with the hydroquinone and forms benzoquinone

That reaction builds oxygen so fast that it heats the water and benzoquinone to boiling (212 degrees) instantly

Then, it shoots it out of it’s butt at any attacking predators

It can shoot 20 times before running out

Usually plenty of time to open it’s wing covers, unfurl it’s wings and take off

Watching whatever animal it left behind squirming in his booty juice

Is that something that could have evolved from nothing

Which trait did it evolve first?

The hydrogen peroxide? no evolutionary advantage

Hydroquinone? Same problem

Maybe both at the same time? Still needs the catalases and peroxidases

Maybe all four?

It would need two separate chambers in the right order and a turret to shoot it out!

Yeah, that all happened at once by a random mutation

Come on… we haven’t even mentioned that it’s body needs to handle the boiling point of water yet!

Is it more likely this came about by accident, or divine engineering...

What about DNA?

Most efficient data storage ever!

Amazon has millions of square feet

So does Google, Microsoft, Apple, NSA… on and on for data storage

Millions upon millions of square feet for data storage

Yet scientists are looking to use DNA for data storage

All that info - every video, image and document would fit in the back of a pickup!

Intelligent humans have been intentionally working to create data and storage for thousands of years

From papyrus to libraries to floppy disks to mass storage

And we’re supposed to believe the efficiency of DNA - available in the simplest life - was an accident?

Nope - I think it’s evidence of God...

I read articles every week about how science changed it’s mind about this, or doesn’t believe that anymore

It’s probably because we’re doing everything we can to not believe in God!

You might think, “If God would just show His face!”

If He would do His miracles, I would believe!

Except Jesus did a million wonders

Know what He’s upset about in Matthew 11?

Woe to you Chorazin and Bethsaida - If the miracles I did were in Tyre and Sodom, they’d repent!

These people who already believed in God saw miracles and refused to believe

You think we’re any different? I guarantee we’re not

I think what Paul is saying here is right - all of creation reveals just how powerful God is

2. God gives us every reason to believe in Him

So Paul says we are without excuse

God has made His power so clearly evident, we have no excuse to not worship Him

But we just can’t help ourselves - so we do this:

Romans 1:21–23 (ESV)

21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

The problem with man isn’t that we never knew God as God

Actually, the problem is that we DID know Him and CHOSE not to view Him as God

In the Garden of Eden, why did Eve eat the fruit?

Did she not know what God had said? No, she knew!

Satan deceived her - God’s lying, He doesn’t want you to be like Him!

Eve put herself in place of God, and then Adam did the exact same

Then people came along and made images and idols that looked like man and animals

Little gods, claiming they did it because they had special knowledge

Today, we do the same thing

We may not make eagles out of silver and fall down

But we have our own scientific theories, philosophies on morality, spiritual beliefs

And in the end, we claim to be wise...

The famous humanistic atheist:

Richard Dawkins: “There is something infantile in the presumption that somebody else has a responsibility to give your life meaning and point… The truly adult view, by contrast, is that our life is as meaningful, as full and as wonderful as we choose to make it.”

You don’t need God to have value, YOU make your own value!

Sounds like it’s straight out of Genesis 3!

If you believe in God, you’re immature!

If you wanna be a grown up, be an atheist!

Don’t let God trick you! It’s YOUR life, not His!

What’s the problem, sin!

Later, Paul says:

Romans 3:23 (ESV)

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

This is the story of humanity, and for thousands of years it’s all we had!

This is the Christmas past of mankind - the entire past of mankind

Hopelessness, failure, sin and loss

Then, about 2,700 years ago, Isaiah spoke about what was to come

He wrote about the day when all that we have done would change

He wrote this:

Isaiah 9:6–7 (ESV)

6 For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

3. God has always had a plan for sin

Isaiah writes about the birth of a baby boy, the Son of God

There are many things we learn about what Christmas would eventually become

6 For to us a child is born,

Christmas would be a gift for us

Not something we earn, and not meant for anyone except the world that God loved

to us a son is given;

He would be a man

Not just an angel, not a God without the experience of humanity

But someone just like us

However, He would also be the Son of God

Is there a greater gift, than God’s own Son?

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

Jesus is the King of the World

Eventually, that will be true in the literal government we picture

But today, He is King of our hearts

The Kingdom is already established in the changed hearts of His followers

and his name shall be called

Wonderful

Not just wonderful - a word we throw around

But actually full of wonder

Incomprehensible - above understanding

Can we ever really fathom the Son of God coming to earth as a tiny human

And yet He stands above all others - supreme in every attribute

Counselor

Jesus came to save, but He also came to teach

He reveals the mind of God to us

Imagine everything in the NT we wouldn’t know if Jesus never came

Mighty God,

Although Jesus is 100% man, He is also 100% God

Colossians 2:9 (ESV)

9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,

Make no mistake, Jesus is God

Everlasting Father

Better understood: “Father of Eternity”

He is not God the Father

But rather the Father of all things in creation

Jesus is the creator

Prince of Peace.

Jesus came to bring peace

As He rules the nations, He brings peace

As He rules in our hearts, He also brings peace

How much peace? How much authority?

7 Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

What a beautiful picture of hope!

Because of our past, God made a plan for the future!

We had brought the ugliness of sin into creation, and God chose to do something about it!

What is it? What did that hope look like?

John 3:16–17 (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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

There has never been anything more important to the world - EVER!

Our sin separated us permanently and impossibly from God

All there was was hopelessness, darkness and doom

But God chose to send us the Christ - our Savior!

4. God has delivered our hope

I think about the story of Ebenezer Scrooge

Jacob Marley wanted Scrooge to have a second chance - a chance at hope

He sent Spirits to look at Scrooge’s past, present and future

But he began with a look at the past

Scrooge saw that as a young boy, he faced a cruel father

His dad sent him to boarding school, left him there alone

He finally returned, only to go to work

But even in the midst of his struggles, he worked for a man named Fezziwig

Fezziwig showed him kindness and generocity

A willingness to set aside profit and gain for the sake of others

In fact, it was at one of Fezziwig’s parties that he met the girl he would become engaged to

However, as time went on, his love meant less and less

Finally, she left him and he let her go

Not because he wanted her to, but because he wanted money more

From then on, Scrooge’s life was about money

He had no friends, no family, no joy - just money

He didn’t even know his own sin just made him more and more miserable

The past represents the things that brought us to where we are

5. Our past brought us to a need for a Savior

As Scrooge’s story goes, his past reveals why he would be put into chains like Marley

That’s the first step in salvation - realizing the need to be saved and turning to repentance

Coming back to our candle

A look into the past - how the prophets promised us hope in spite of our failures

What can the past tell us about Christmas? What were they waiting for?

Isaiah 7:14 (ESV)

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

God with us

What a name

Not God against us, not God hates us, not God abandons us...

God WITH us

He was to come as a helpless baby, here to change the world

This week, let’s look at our own past - all the years before we knew Jesus

All the times we failed even though we know Him

And let’s be thankful that our past also comes with a future

A future that is filled with hope because our Savior was to be born

Immanuel - God with us

Prayer