Merry Christmas Mr. Grinch!

Hebrews 1 ...Merry Christmas Mr. Grinch

Introduction –

If you enjoy Christmas movies you have likely seen the classic move, "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas."

listen to a few lines from the song, "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch."

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch

You really are a heel

You're as cuddly as a cactus, you're as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch

You're a bad banana with a greasy black peel!

a foul one, Mr. Grinch

You're a nasty-wasty skunk

Your heart is full of unwashed socks, your soul is full of gunk, Mr. Grinch

The three words that best describe you are as follows, and I quote

"Stink, stank, stunk!"

another classic is "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens (1843)

Here is how Dickens describes Mr. Scrooge...

"The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice."

Dickens further describes Scrooge as "a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint... secret, self-contained and solitary as an oyster."

“Scrooge” used this now famous catchphrase, "Bah! Humbug!" and even today its used to remind people that Christmas is about generosity.

Now today God’s word is going to turn you from Scrooge to Saint! ... admit it – you’re a scrooge... say it... “bah humbug!”

Read text here: Hebrews 1:1-3

transition... how does God speak to us?

1. God Speaks In The Bible/Prophets; v. 1

The bible is a Love story. Deut 6...

Inspired word – 2 tim 3:16

Alive... powerful...authoritative – not opinion

Reliable + trustworthy text

Prophets/preachers call Israel to obedience to covenant – cov of love; OT is about loving God with all your heart – never to be about rules.

People in the OT had close encounters with God – Moses/David/ Elijah

But people turned to idols/false gods.

Christmas means you matter to God!

God did more than send you a Christmas card... he sent you his son!

Christmas means God speaks

Christmas means God speaks – so we can sing!

So God spoke louder – by sending his son - God incarnate

Yes, indeed – the OT showed us God... the covenant of blessing in Gen 12 was given to Israel... the prophets called for obedience/repentance – Israel was called to be a kingdom of priests ... but they messed up again and again...so a greater revelation was needed!

2. God Speaks In Nature – v. 2 (thru whom he made the universe)

Psalm 19 – the heavens declare the glory of God...

Rom 1 - 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Our galaxy has 250 billion stars//100 billion more galaxies. how many stars are in the Milky Way? "It's a surprisingly difficult question...You can't just sit around and count stars " said professor

But Nature is not enough... it's only the beginning...

***Nature itself can result in a poor understanding of God...

• Pan-theism

• Poly-theism

• Agnosticism

• Deism

• Theism

• Mono-theism

• Jesus of Nazareth; son of God; son of Abraham.

We need a greater and fuller revelation.

3. God Speaks In Jesus – Esp. In His Death And Resurrection!

The miracle of the Incarnation -

“Who being in very nature God ...made himself nothing... and humbled himself...”

Consider Jesus words...

I am statements (8)

Luke 4:18-19 declaration ( freedom...good news...)

Consider Jesus actions - healing...casting out demons...

Jesus promise—Matt 7:25ff. ... put my words into practise.... you can handle life’s storms.

• Creator - my image

• Sustainor – peace I give you

• Radiance – revelation... best/ultimate revelation of God

Contra false gods/false religions

**Religion is about working our way up to God – Christianity is about God coming to us!

• Exact representation – no substitutes – no equals *** no room for pluralism/relativism here

4. Purification For Sins! verse 3b

Only Jesus has the solution to the sin problem!

? Created good/very good ... created in God’s image – for relationship and partnership

? Rebellion

? Sin entered the world through Adam

Jesus comes as the new Adam

ROM 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—....19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

Sitting down .... Rt Hand/Throne = work is done!!!

• Where – at the Father’s right hand = approval/exaltation

5. God Keeps On speaking... He Speaks to you by the HS !