Hope When I Feel Unworthy Series

Years ago, a champion chess player named Paul Morphy visited a museum and saw a picture called: “One more move.”

As a champion chess player this picture stopped Morphy in his tracks. You see, the picture was a piece of art that showed a man playing chess with the devil; assumedly as a game for his soul. Somewhat like Johnny who competed with the devil for his soul in the song: “The devil went down to Georgia.”

As Morphy looked at the picture, he retrieved a chess board and set up the board exactly as a the art constructed the pieces.

Morphy studied the board intently and finally made his move and finished the game with one last move that took the devils king and snatched the victory from the devil.

Transition:

Prior to Christmas, it appeared that the devil had the upper hand when it came to the hope and future for mankind. It appeared that because of our sin, the devil had won the victory; He had mankind doomed to death and eternal lostness without God.

Yet, God had one last move. In a stroke of grace and goodness, Bethlehem happened. Today, we celebrate the move that God made. We read the amazing story of Christmas as read the most popular Christmas passage in scripture that says: “Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth....” and because of this; everyone was on the move.

Verse 3 reads: “And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.”

Joseph and Mary were on the move. In verse 4 we read: “Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem...”

Yet the joy of the story is that God was on the move as Jesus moved out of heaven and came forth from His mother’s womb as we read: “And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloth, and laid Him in a manger...”

Yes, God was moving and His radical move from heaven to earth communicates how valuable we are to Him. speaking, providing and communicating to all of us how valuable we are to Him.

Nothings communicates how valuable we are to God more than He was willing to come from heaven to earth, the Creator become a creation, the God who made man becoming a man communicates our worth to God in monumental ways.

I must admit, I don’t feel worthy of such love but that does not change the fact that in God’s evaluation; you and I were and are worth sending Jesus, moving heaven and earth, and providing this miraculous birth for you and me.

On this day, Christmas Eve, we pause to consider our worth to God even when we feel unworthy.

Transitional Sentence: From the recorded story of Jesus birth we learn that God communicates our value through:

I. Becoming Like Us

Luke 2: 1-7- “She gave birth to her firstborn son; and wrapped him in clothes and laid him in a manger.”

Explanation:

In our church, one of our core values reads as this: “We see everyone the way Jesus does.” I love that this is a pillar of the purpose of our church.

Do you know why? What really matters in life is not how others see us; what matters is how God sees us.

The Bible tells us in Genesis how we were made. The Bible says in Genesis 2:7: “Then the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul.”

Materially, I like to tease and say we’re a bunch of dirt bags. Yet, aren’t you glad that we are a whole lot more than that to God.

God tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:7: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay...” Materially we are just a common ordinary vessel. We’re like a clay pot. We’re like an old stale piece of pottery that was shaped by a potter on a spinning wheel.

Yet, that was before God’s grace showed up. You see, when God shows us grace shows up. The Bible declares Him to be a “God of grace.”(Psalm 103:8) The Bible even says “He is the God of all grace.” (I Peter 5:10).

In other words, if you are going to find grace; it will be found where God is.

In the Bible the word “grace” is mentioned 171 times in reference to God. God is obsessed with grace. He’s a graceful God.

One of the greatest evidences of His grace and value of us is that God moves into and upon people.