IN CHARGE RIGHT FROM THE START
John 1.14
S: Incarnation
C: Christmas
Pr: HUMBLY EMBRACE JESUS!
?: Who? Who is He?
KW: Description
TS: In our study, we will discover who Jesus is and why we should embrace Him.
Type: Propositional
The ____ description of Jesus is He is an/the…
I. INTRUDER
II. SAVIOR
III. RULER
PA: How is the change to be observed?
• Recognize His presence – He is not going away, he still intrudes, atheism may want to discredit him but they can’t, he will endure
• Recognize Your desperate need of salvation – sin, purposelessness, something greater in store for you
• Submit to his loving leadership – does not Lord, but he knows best; direct our paths, not a killjoy
Version: ESV
RMBC 02 December 07 AM
INTRODUCTION:
1. What do you do like to do with babies?
I remember the precious moments that I had in holding my children for the first time.
Probably holding JJ was the most memorable because as I looked into his eyes, I realized I had just become a dad.
I also did the normal thing that a lot of dads do.
They like to hold their babies high in the air.
The problem with babies, though, is that if you jiggle them too much, they tend to spit up, and it ends up on your face (remember always to keep your mouth shut when that happens).
I also liked toss my children high in the air.
I remember that I once was tossing JJ, and I kept going a little higher and higher.
He was laughing and laughing.
But then I tossed him a little too high and I kept waiting for him to come down.
It’s a good thing CPS wasn’t about as I certainly would have been charged with child abuse.
But you know what my favorite thing to do with each of my infant children?
It was just to hold them close.
It was just to embrace them.
Is that true of you as well?
The story of Jesus begins with Him as a baby.
And I want to encourage you to do the same thing with Jesus.
Embrace Him!
But even more…
2. HUMBLY EMBRACE JESUS!
As I mentioned last week, we live in a culture today that has forgotten the true meaning of Christmas.
The gulf has become so great that some think we are interrupting their holiday with all this religious stuff.
In recent years, our culture has been arrogantly pushing out Jesus.
So much so, it has become politically incorrect to say “Merry Christmas!”
But no matter how hard that is tried, it just can’t be done.
Christmas will always have its foundation in Christ.
We must not…we cannot…we will not forget about Jesus.
For…
3. Jesus’ birth is a defining moment in history (John 1.14).
Have you had defining moments in your life?
Like when you got the starting role on the team or in the play…
Or when you graduated from high school or college…
Or when you asked her to marry you and she said yes.
Your life was forever changed.
There is a time when our world was forever changed.
John describes it like this:
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Word became flesh.
The Word, Jesus, became human.
He who had lived eternally, was now coming to live with us.
In theological terms, we call this the incarnation.
There have been many Christmas hymns that speak of this great mystery.
We want to make note of one carol in particular today.
For…
4. The beauty of the incarnation is captured well in Silent Night, Holy Night.
ILL Christmas (S)
In 1818, a roving band of actors was performing in towns throughout the Austrian Alps. On December 23 they arrived at Oberndorf, a village near Salzburg. There they were scheduled to perform the story of Christ’s birth in the Church of St. Nicholas.
Unfortunately, the St. Nicholas’ church organ wasn’t working and would not be repaired before Christmas. (Note: some versions of the story point to mice as the problem; others say rust was the culprit) Because the church organ was out of commission, the actors presented their Christmas drama in a private home. That Christmas presentation put assistant pastor Josef Mohr in a meditative mood. So, instead of walking straight to his house, Mohr took a longer way home. The longer path took him up over a hill overlooking the village.
From that hilltop, Mohr looked down on the peaceful snow-covered village. Reveling in the wintry night’s majestic silence, he gazed down at the glowing scene. His thoughts about the Christmas play caused him to remember a poem he had written a couple of years earlier. That poem was about the night when angels announced the birth of the long-awaited Messiah to shepherds on a hillside.
Mohr decided those words would make a good carol for his congregation the following evening at their Christmas eve service. However, he didn’t have any music to which that poem could be sung. So, the next day Mohr went to see the church organist, Franz Xaver Gruber. Gruber only had a few hours to come up with a melody which could be sung with a guitar. However, by that evening, Gruber had managed to compose a simple musical setting for Mohr’s poem. It didn’t matter that the organ was broken. They now had a Christmas carol they could sing without it.
On Christmas Eve, the little Oberndorf congregation heard Gruber and Mohr sing their new composition to the accompaniment of Gruber’s guitar.
Weeks later, well-known organ builder Karl Mauracher arrived to fix the St. Nicholas church organ. When he finished, Mauracher stepped back to let Gruber test the instrument. When Gruber sat down, his fingers began playing the simple melody he had written for Mohr’s Christmas poem. Deeply impressed, Mauracher took the music and words of "Silent Night" back to his own Alpine village, Kapfing. There, two well-known families of singers -- the Rainers and the Strassers -- heard it. Captivated by "Silent Night," both groups put the new song into their Christmas season repertoire.
Once these families had sung it, it spread in popularity, so much so, all over Europe and then in the United States.
I bring before you this story because the words of Silent Night are a powerful expression about Jesus.
OUR STUDY:
The first description of Jesus is He is an INTRUDER.
5. Jesus is an intruder.
But He is a friendly one!
Note the words with me…
Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
This little baby, Jesus, came into the world in very strange circumstances.
Born of a virgin…
We say it so often.
We forget how profound it is.
Has anyone told you that this is impossible?
If your daughter told you that she was having a baby and was still a virgin, would you believe her?
Of course not.
But this is the story we celebrate.
ILL Christmas (S)
A fellow by the name of Bret Harte has written a book called, "The Luck of the Roaring Camp."
Roaring Camp was the meanest, toughest mining town in all the West. It was a horrible place to live, inhabited entirely by men, and one woman of questionable character. Her name was Cherokee Sal, and one year she got pregnant and died while giving birth.
Those men took that baby and put it in an old box with some rags in it. One of the guys said he didn’t think that looked very good, so he jumped on his horse and rode 80 miles to buy a rosewood cradle.
The cradle helped, but those rags still looked kind of nasty, so one of the guys rode into Sacramento and bought some silk blankets. Before too long someone noticed that the baby probably wasn’t too safe on that old dusty floor, so a few of the guys got on their hands and knees and scrubbed that thing spotless. It wasn’t long before the windows were cleaned, the porch was clean, the walls and ceiling were washed, and one of the guys had put some curtains up.
One night over diner one of the guys suggested they start watching their language around the baby, and have their wild parties somewhere else rather than the house. Those who observed the whole thing been noticed the guys were bathing more often, and even shaving on a regular basis.
The point of the story is this – that baby changed everything!
Babies change everything.
And this was certainly true of Jesus.
For…
6. Jesus is the presence of God.
This baby is the one we embrace, for the Word became flesh.
This is how God came – in the midst of these tainted circumstances.
Very God became very flesh.
And He dwelt among us.
ILL Christmas (S)
In his book The Life of God in the Soul of Man, Henry Scougal, the seventeenth-century Scottish minister, said:
“God hath long contended with a stubborn world, and thrown down many a blessing upon them; and when all his other gifts could not prevail, he at last made a gift of himself.”
So this brings us to…
The second description of Jesus is He is the SAVIOR.
7. Jesus is the Savior.
Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!
These verses remind us of Luke 2:8-12:
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
For unto you is born…a Savior…
8. The beginning story of Jesus leads to a profound story of grace and truth.
Jesus did not come just to be a cute baby.
He was on a mission.
He was on a mission to speak the truth about sin.
Simply, the sinner dies, because sin deserves death.
But here is the grace.
He went to the cross to take the penalty of your sin and mine.
And then He offers us life as a gift, if we will receive it.
That grace – yes, that’s what I need.
That’s what I appreciate.
That’s why I humbly embrace Jesus.
CHALLENGE:
Do you know what we learn about God from that first Christmas?
We learn that God is humble.
As Philip Yancey has said:
The Maker of all things became a tiny cell barely visible to the naked eye and was finally born in a stable and laid in a feed trough.
We also learn that God is approachable.
Babies are not scary.
Instead, we go right to them.
The coming of Jesus shows that He wants us to experience Him.
Another matter we learn is that God is for the “little guy” (I especially take this to heart).
Look what happens in this story…
There is an unwed pregnant girl;
There is a couple having to travel a great distance with the wife about to give birth;
This same couple looks for shelter while traveling to meet taxation demands by a foreign government.
And yet, God’s provision was evident, in very surprising ways.
The great thing about this story is that it is still not done!
You see…
9. Jesus still desires to lovingly intrude into your life.
Jesus is still very much about.
He is not going away.
He still knocks at our heart’s door, ready to come in as soon as we invite Him.
Over the past few weeks, we have noted that there are many that are trying to discredit Him and shame those that would believe Him.
But they can’t.
He will endure!
So…
10. Welcome His presence!
Humbly embrace Jesus.
And note this…
Just as babies bring joy, so does Jesus.
It is a joy that refuses to bend in hard times.
It is a joy that holds its ground against pain, heartache, and disappointment.
So, why not welcome Him into your life and…
11. Receive His gift of purpose.
We are slowed down in our lives by something called sin.
We don’t use that word much anymore, but it still describes us just the same.
Sin is anything that we do, or we do not do, that is wrong.
The trouble with sin is that it keeps us from having a relationship with God.
Not only that, it leaves us in a state of constant purposelessness.
This breaks God’s heart, for He has something greater in store for each one of us.
Our lives are to have significance.
But when we dwell in wrongdoing, we are rejecting Jesus, not embracing Him.
So…
Humbly embrace Jesus!
If you have not embraced Jesus…
If you have not welcomed Him into your heart…
If you have not received the gift of His salvation…
You can this very moment, for Christ the Savior is born!
If that describes your heart, with heads bowed, pray something like this…
Lord, I want Christmas to mean something more this year.
I want to humbly embrace this baby Jesus, for this is You, O God, humbly appearing in the flesh.
I recognize my need of a Savior, so please come into my heart, as I give my life to You.
Amen.
COMMUNION:
If you are a believer in Jesus and follow Him…
If you have embraced Jesus…
Then our time of communion is for you.
We come together at this time as a community that shares this one thing in common.
We love Jesus.
We embrace Him.
And we remember Him.
He died for us.
He paid the penalty of our sins by dying on the cross.
So we take a few moments today, to say thanks to our Lord for doing for us what was impossible for us to do for ourselves.
We rejoice in His grace and mercy.
We are united together because of the work of Jesus.
Those of us that know Jesus are invited to share in the elements of the table.
If you are a member of the body of Christ, please join us.
We practice “communion” because we are to remember the death of the Lord Jesus.
We take the bread to remind us that it was by the body of our Savior that our salvation came.
He died in our place.
He became our substitute.
[Think great thoughts about Jesus
and jot them down.}
Being led in prayer by _______________________, let us take a moment and thank Him for favoring us with his mercy, love and kindness.
The apostle Paul writes, "The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."
Let’s partake together.
We take the cup to remind us that it was by the blood of our Savior that our salvation came.
He died for our sins.
He became our sacrifice.
____________________ will now come and lead us in prayer.
Again, the apostle Paul writes, "In the same way, after supper he took the cup saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
Let’s partake together.
OUR STUDY:
The third description of Jesus is He is the RULER.
12. Jesus is the ruler.
Let’s consider that third verse…
Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love’s pure light;
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.
Lord at Thy birth.
You see, this baby, Jesus, was in charge, right from the start.
That little baby was no ordinary baby.
That was very God in very flesh.
And that baby would not be defeated.
For…
13. Jesus will never fail.
Martin Luther understood this when he wrote A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.
One of the verses reads this way:
And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.
That word…
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us…
CHALLENGE:
After Jesus had gone to the cross, His followers finally realized what they had in Him.
Mary Magdalene said, “I have seen the Lord!”
“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked?” rejoiced the two Emmaus-bound disciples.
It was Thomas who cried, “My Lord and my God!”
“We have seen his glory,” would be John’s testimony.
Peter, though, said it best, “We were eyewitnesses of His Majesty.”
Their testimony was consistent – Jesus was worth following.
So I encourage you today…
14. Follow the loving leadership of Jesus.
Humbly embrace Jesus.
This baby we celebrate at Christmas is still worth following.
You know, following Jesus is a decision I have never regretted.
Why?
Because the directions He takes you are never wrong.
He never gets lost.
He gives us the best paths.
And He is no killjoy.
Our greatest joy is found in fulfilling the purpose we were made with.
So how does one follow Jesus?
It is not about growing long hair and beards.
It is not in wearing robes.
Though we have had a lot of that this past weekend in the Pilgrimage.
It is not about wearing black suits and carrying big black Bibles.
It is not living a list of dos and don’ts.
It is not about being judgmental and looking stern and grim all the time.
Following Jesus is a choice.
It is a choice you make.
It is giving up being your own master, and recognizing that Jesus will lead in a superior way.
It comes in studying Jesus and following His ways.
It is giving a drink of water to the thirsty.
It is offering a ride to the weary.
It is being kind to the hurting.
It is looking out for your neighbor.
It is exhibiting patience when standing in line.
It is putting others before yourself.
It is telling the truth about God and yourself.
It is speaking and being good news.
It is being Jesus to those that have never understood Him.
So, will you follow Him today?
Will you humbly embrace Jesus?
For Further Study: John 1.1-5, 14.9; Philippians 2.6-8; Colossians 1.15-19; Hebrews 12.18; II Peter 1.16; I John 1.1-4
BENEDICTION:
Jesus is an intruder…but a most friendly one…so welcome His presence…invite Him into your life because he will give your life the joy you have been missing.
Jesus is the Savior…so turn from your sin…and believe in Him…let Jesus give you purpose that is much bigger and greater than you could ever think up on your own.
Jesus is the ruler…He is Lord, and He has been in charge, right from the start…so follow Him, for this is the way to impact the world.
Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
RESOURCES:
SermonCentral:
Cote, Robert Divinity in Human Form
Creasong, Johnny Keeping Watch: One Divine Moment
Laughlin, Terry Catching the Miracles of Christmas
Lawrence, Dennis God to the Rescue
Malone, Steve The Gift of Seeing Him
Nelson, Joey A Jesus We Can Grab On To
Stacy, Rick A Greater Miracle than the One on 34th Street
Yap, Victor The Word Became Flesh
Other:
Collins, Ace. Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001.
Culbertson, Howard. The Story Behind "Silent Night". Southern Nazarene University, Accessed 01 December 2007. Available from http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/silent.htm.
Yancey, Philip. The Jesus I Never Knew. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995.
