Down To Earth Series

DOWN TO EARTH

John 1:14-18

S: Incarnation

Th: Christmas: It’s About Jesus

Pr: JESUS CAME FOR US.

?: How do we know?

KW: Steps

TS: In John 1:14-18, we will find five steps that lead us to discovering how God reveals Himself.

The ____ step that leads us to discovering how God reveals Himself is…

Inductive

I. INVISIBILITY (18)

II. MORALITY (17)

III. HUMANITY (14)

IV. REALITY (14)

V. GENEROSITY (16)

RMBC 12/24/00 AM

INTRODUCTION:

When Christmas rolls around, have you ever felt things weren’t quite right?

I recently came across some new Christmas carol titles for the psychologically challenged (which is probably all of us).

ILL Notebook: Christmas (psychologically challenges)

SCHIZOPHRENIA:

Do You Hear What I Hear?

MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER:

We Three Queens Disoriented Are

GRANDIOSE:

Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me

MANIC:

Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Trees and Fire Hydrants

PARANOID:

Santa Claus is Coming to Get Me.

OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER:

Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock...

TRANSITION:

Well, if I didn’t spoil Christmas for you with that, let me ask you another question…

1. Is Christmas your favorite holiday?

It is mine.

How can it not be?

The time is special with the opportunity to be with family and friends.

There is a fresh newness that comes with gift-giving and the receiving of gifts.

And, in so many ways, it is a time for miracles.

Listen to this miracle:

ILL Notebook: Christmas (miracle)

After giving birth to her fourth child, Patti White Bull, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, lapsed into a coma for 16 years. But on Christmas day of the 16th year, she awoke and resumed normal day-to-day activities: able to dress herself, walk without support, and talk in complete sentences. Unlike most coma patients, who awake gradually, White Bull spontaneously, and many doctors say miraculously, became fully conscious and showed no signs of mental or physical handicap.

While experts are still at a loss to explain White Bull’s sudden healing, her family and friends vow that it was a Christmas miracle.

That is some miracle, but there is an even greater one.

For…

2. There is a sense of wonder that comes with the Christmas story.

When you think about it, it is a fascinating story, isn’t it?

It is filled with the mystery of angels and human impossibilities.

It contains the scandal of an unmarried pregnant fiancée and her future husband taking responsibility for her though he knows he is not the father of the child.

It involves an announcement of the Messiah being born to those that were on the lowest social stratum.

It is a wonderful, miraculous story.

And do you know why it has happened the way it has?

It is because…

3. God wants us to know Him.

A few weeks ago, we began a study of the first chapter of the gospel of John.

John’s approach to describing what we call the incarnation is much different than say the gospel of Luke.

What takes Luke 2,500 words to describe, John does with four.

In one short, shattering expression, John unveils the great idea that is at the very heart of Christianity.

He writes, “The Word became flesh…”

The Word (Jesus) became flesh because God wants us to know Him.

And because God wants us to know Him, He has chosen to reveal Himself to us.

So…

4. In John 1:14-18, we will find five steps that lead us to discovering how God reveals Himself.

(14) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (15) John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’” (16) From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. (17) For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (18) No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.

Now, I must issue a warning this morning.

Our study is less exegetical than usual.

I usually try to touch on every phrase of the text during our studies, but I will not be doing that.

Instead, I have chosen to follow this theme of God revealing Himself as it weaves its way through this text.