Christmas Is Coming

We are not very patient people

+ Esp. when we want something done = Out of our control

+ "It’s coming..." = "So is Christmas"

+ Anxious anticipation for the something we want = Can’t hardly wait for it

+ As with Christmas = Christmas is coming = Can’t hardly wait for it

+ Sights, sounds, smells, tastes = Foods, friends, fellowships = Gifts = Perhaps even the Gospel = Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Well, folks = It’s Dec 2 = AND CHRISTMAS IS COMING

+ In O.T. = God had an anxious anticipation for Christmas to come as well

+ For that first Christmas to come when the Saviour of the World = His Saviour = Christ the Lord would be born

+ And so throughout the OT He sprinkles prophecies of the coming Messiah

+ And with each prophecy it’s like God is saying,

"Christmas is coming, and I can’t hardly wait for it" = And for all that it will mean = Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Do we fail to appreciate this aspect of Christmas = Prophetic nature of it?

+ Certainly, we can look back to that first Christmas

+ And we can read the Christmas accounts in the Gospels

+ And we can certainly see how the baby Jesus was God’s Messiah

+ But we can never look forward to Christmas like they could in the OT

+ And we can never experience that first Christmas like Mary and Joseph and Herod and the Magi

+ And I think that’s in part because we don’t take time to appreciate the prophetic aspect of Christmas

Maybe because we don’t have modern connection with prophecy like they did

+ And they did = Matt. 2 = Wise men looking for the King = And they don’t mean Herod

+ Guess what? = The chief priests and scribes knew exactly where to look!

+ Maybe it’s because prophecy really gets a bad rap today

+ Who are our prophets? = Miss Cleo! = Jeanne Dixon (enquiring minds) = Johnathan Edwards (Crossing over)

+ Either those of their ilk play a good shell game = Or when they might get something right = demonic

+ Either way, scary = Leading people astray = Open to satanic influence

+ Satan surely has a stake at discrediting prophecy

Or maybe it’s because we’re just too familiar with them

+ Especially if you’ve been saved for any number of years

+ I mean, let’s face it = Christmas comes but once a year

+ But it comes EVERY year

+ And there are only so many Biblical texts which you can preach about the birth of God’s Messiah

+ "Familiarity breeds contempt" = Perhaps not here = But perhaps familiarity drains out some of the color and excitement

Let’s consider Micah 5:2 = Perhaps THE best prophecy in all of the Word of God to prove the claims of Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah

+ We know it = Perhaps we can quote it

+ But have you ever wondered why here, why now?

+ That is, Why THIS prophecy in THIS little book of Micah?

+ Why did God give this prophecy at this time in the history of Isreal?

+ If I was a betting man, I’d bet NO = Before I thought about this message, neither had I

So this morning let’s examine this prophecy, and let’s see, Why here? Why now?

Mic. 1:1 = "Micah" = "Who is like God?" = File that thought away = We’ll come back to it

+ Contemporary of Isaiah = With some important differences

+ Unlike Isaiah = Micah was only prophet sent to both N & S Kingdoms

+ The last prophet sent to N Kingdom before her fall

+ Where Isaiah was a court preacher = Micah just a simple country preacher

+ Our church can appreciate that, can’t we?

+ Doesn’t mean that he was ignorant

+ Does mean that he was plain spoken = Didn’t mince words

+ Doesn’t beat around bush = Doesn’t waste any time

In fact, first 3 chapters are basically 3 sermons = Consider his message

+ [1:1-5] = God’s judgment for the sins found in Samaria and Jerusalem = The nation’s capitals

+ [2:1-3] = God’s judgment for those who devise evil within the nation = Including those who would try to shut down / shut up / turn away the people from God’s true prophets [2:6]

+ [3:1-4] = God’s judgment against the leaders who should know better but DO worse (evil) = Especially against the false prophets ("men of God") = [3:5-7]

And what is God’s judgment? = [3:9-12]