Stephen N. Collins
Millville - 12/07/08
simplechristmas
Part 2: Worship More, Spend Less
Icebreaker: After assessing the cost of Christmas presents during the economic downturn, Larry called for a family meeting. He lined up his children and explained, "It’s too late to make adjustments for this Christmas, but it would really help us out financially if you kids could be bad this next year." Houston Chronicle, 1/8/7, p.E9
Intro: Nothing wrong with presents, but when we put such an emphasis on the “stuff” of Christmas, we’ll always end up disappointed.
-Ultimately you have to make the choice of what Christmas is going to mean for you this year.
-You’ve all probably heard the terrible story out of New York about the Wal-Mart greeter who was trampled to death this past Black Friday. Is this really what we’ve turned Christmas into? Is this really what we want out of this time of year?
-We get shocked when we hear stories like this one, but it’s nothing new. You know what’s really makes us uncomfortable in stories like that one? It’s that we can see ourselves in it. We can see the part of us that was in those people who trampled over that poor Wal-Mart greeter to get a great deal on a TV set. Because we’ve all fallen prey to the temptation of greed and consumerism before. And while we’d like to think that we’d never be capable of such a terrible thing, the fact is…the same frame of mind has taken root in many of us, this morning.
-It’s not anything new. It’s been around for a long time. Did you know there was a tragedy that happened that was far, far worse than the one in New York? We’re going to read the news clipping from it this morning and examine the root cause of it. And this morning, I pray that you’ll see any root of this that might be ingrained in your heart today…and that you’ll make the decision today to snuff it out.
-We’ve made sure today that you’ve actually got the news clipping of this tragedy in front of you so we can read it together. It’s in Matthew chapter 2. Let’s read it today. (Read Matthew 2:1-18)
-You know, in every tragedy there are heroes that come from the most unlikely places. So today, we’re going to compare and contrast the villain of this news story and the heroes.
(Prayer)
3 Kings Who “Got It” and One King Who Didn’t
Let’s look at the King who didn’t get it, first.
Kingdom of Herod
1. Interested in Appearances
Statement: Herod was a ruler who was always building new palaces and continually erecting more impressive structures. Fountains, gardens, sculptures, you name it, Herod built it. But his motive wasn’t to better society. His motive was to display his own grandeur. Herod wanted his citizens and everyone in every country everywhere to know his power. He wanted people for generations to come to know his legacy. So you can imagine how his ego was challenged a little bit when news came to him of a the birth of a new king in the land.
-If what these Magi were telling him was true, then the attention of his people could be shifted away from his splendor to this new king. Even though the new king was just a baby, Herod felt that his magnificence was being threatened. I mean, what if people started building buildings or statues in this new king’s honor? What if the new king demanded that people pay taxes to him, too? What if this new king’s palace was bigger than Herod’s? Herod could never stand for something like that!
2.Interested in Self-Preservation
-Another reason Herod didn’t “get it” when it came to this new king is because He interested in Self-preservation. Herod was a notoriously ruthless ruler. History records how he would routinely kill anyone and everyone he felt might be threat to his throne. He would rather just kill you than investigate whether or not you were really a threat. He was so paranoid about keeping his throne that he would not hesitate to have his own family member murdered in cold blood by some of his henchmen. And you thought Scrooge didn’t have any Christmas spirit!
-So you can imagine how much it must have shaken him up to hear of a new king who was born somewhere in the West. And in his warped mind, he devised that instead of trying to forge an alliance with this new king, he would get rid of him while he was at his weakest…while he was just an infant. Hey, life’s not fair. As long as it didn’t hurt King Herod, what did he care?
3.Interested in Self-Rule
-This was really reflective of another problem Herod had. He was only interested in Self-rule. He was king, no one else. It was tough luck for the kid, but Herod was looking out for numero uno. And get this: he even called in all the chief Jewish priests who knew about the ancient prophecy and asked for their council. But instead of really listening to what they were telling him, Herod was just looking for how he could advance his own interests. Instead of seeing these Magi who came to him as intelligent and powerful men in their own right, he saw them as pawns he could use to do his dirty work.
-And instead of listening to the Word of God in the prophecy, he chose to ignore it and do what was best for him. He placed himself on the throne of his own heart and not even God was going to dethrone him. Even if the Word of the Lord said that this new king was to be the King of all Kings, Herod would have none of it.
4.Interested in Hoarding Gifts
-One more thing Herod was interested in. All his interest in appearances…all his interest in self-preservation…all his interest in self-rule…points to the one thing Herod did more than anything else. He hoarded his gifts. His material wealth, his power and influence, his heart and soul…he hoarded them all for himself.
-Not only did he impose a strict census and tax on his citizens to fulfill his own selfish ambitions, in what may be the most chilling act of cruelty imposed by any dictator in the history of civilization, because he doesn’t know that location of this new king, he orders his soldiers to murder any boy in his kingdom under the age of two. Stealing the most precious gift of all, the gift of life, from others so that he could maintain what he had. What a tragedy. Herod was the epitome of selfishness and pride.
-Now, let’s break right here for a second. Consider your own life. I know none of you would kill for your own gain. But think about the things that drove Herod to such lengths. Is there evidence of any of this in your life? Can I tell you a secret? Chances are, there is. What pushed Herod over the edge? What pushed those people in New York who trampled the Wal-Mart greeter over the edge? It was the same characteristics. You see, we like to read the story of Herod like it’s just a history lesson. It’s not just a history lesson. It’s a spiritual lesson.
-Think about your life. Are you interested in keeping up appearances? Are you worried about self-preservation at the expense of others? Who’s on the throne of your heart? Would you rather keep all of your gifts to yourself than share them?
-The good news is that Herod’s not the only example we have in this lesson. Think about the Magi.
Kingdom of the Magi
1. Instead of Appearances, Interested in Authenticity
-The Magi were extremely intelligent people. They were the scientists of their day. When they saw the star in the sky, they knew it was unlike any they had seen before and they wanted to search out its meaning. They didn’t care what others thought about their quest. They knew that something special was happening and they had to be a part of it! They believed a new king had risen in the west and they wanted to honor him and bring him gifts. In fact, the way I read the story, they were a little short with King Herod when they met him. “Yeah, yeah, we know you’re a king and all, but we’re looking for the REAL king. We saw his star. We’re following it to him. You’re not him, but can you help us find him?”
-They couldn’t have cared less about Herod’s majesty and splendor, they wanted to see the real king! And they really didn’t care what Herod thought of them, either. They knew that he probably thought they were crazy star-worshippers from the East, but they didn’t care if he approved of them or not, they had come to see the real king! The only person’s approval they cared about was the King of the Star they had been following. His Glory was the only glory they wanted to experience. They so wanted to be in his presence that they overlooked the so-called Kingdom of Herod. They were after the real thing!
-Notice, too, that when they found the baby Jesus, what they did? What did they do? He couldn’t have been what they were expecting. A poor, Jewish carpenter and his teenage wife raising a dirty little boy? But they knew that He was the authentic King they had been looking for. So they gave him authentic worship and praise. They “rejoiced with exceeding great joy” and bowed a paid him the respect his deserved.
-What if, this Christmas, you focused more on authenticity than on appearances? What if you and your family simplified things this year? What if your focus turned completely to worshipping Jesus? Would things be different?
2. Instead of Self-Preservation, Interested in Self-Sacrifice
-Think about the sacrifices the Magi had to make in order to find Jesus. They left the comfort of home. They left their high status behind. They were powerful, rich men. They left all that behind to go and find this new king, whom they had never even seen. They left behind all they knew to journey out into the unknown.
-Instead of being threatened by the prophecies like King Herod, they were interested in discovering the truth and hope behind them. There was no promise that they would return alive. But they were willing to sacrifice even their lives for the sake of discovering the true meaning of that first Christmas. When was the last time you thought of Christmas as an opportunity for self-sacrifice? What would you be willing to give up to truly experience Jesus for all that He is?
3. Instead of Self-Rule, Interested in Obedience to God
-Think about their journey of discovery. Everything…everything…was an act of obedience to God. They could have just written off the star as a coincidence. They could have stayed home. They could have balked at the conditions they found the infant king in. They could have withheld their gold, frankincense, and myrrh, knowing that Mary and Joseph were probably too poor and uneducated to appreciate their significance. They could have ignored the dream God sent them to warn them not to return to Herod. But they didn’t do any of those things. Instead of doing what they thought was best, they did what they believed God wanted them to do. They simply obeyed.
-So here are 2,000 years later. And the call is still the same. Believe and obey. Consider the difference in Herod’s life and the Magi’s lives. Big differences, right? Why? Hey, this morning, who’s in charge of your life? Have you made yourself king of your life? Are you more interested in self-rule or obedience to the real king?
-Think about it while we look at the final characteristic of the Magi.
4. Instead of Hoarding Gifts, Interested in Giving Gifts
-Their time, their talents, their treasure…they held nothing back in their pursuit and worship of their new king. You see, the Magi gave more than just gold. They gave more than just perfume. They truly gave of themselves to please Jesus. They could have hoarded their abundance like Herod. They could have given just a pittance to the infant king. But they didn’t. Out of their abundance they gave the best they had. They dedicated their time to find Jesus. They dedicated their power and influence to spread the word about Him. They dedicated their material things to bless Him. They dedicated their lives that first Christmas to worship Him.
-What are you giving Him this Christmas? Is He getting your best? Is he first in your thoughts and heart right now? Or are other things cluttering your focus? Is He first in your time, your talents, and your treasure this year? Or have you been hoarding things to yourself so far?
-It’s easy to do. You know why? Because the difference between Herod and the Magi all comes down to the Kingdoms they served. And those two kingdoms are still pulling at our hearts today. We all still serve one or the other.
One Kingdom is the Kingdom of the World. The interests of people who serve this Kingdom are completely temporal. It’s all focused on the here and now. It’s the same Kingdom Herod served, but we have different words to describe it today.
1. Materialism (Appearance) – When was the last time you were jealous of something someone else had? Their car? Their salary? Their home? When was the last time you purchased something you didn’t really need so that you could impress people? This Christmas, do you find yourself feeling like you have to buy a certain, expensive gift for someone to please them? That’s a sign of being trapped by materialism.
2. Consumerism (Hoarding Gifts) – Have you found yourself wandering around the mall this Christmas season just dying to buy something? Why? It’s that hoarding mentality creeping in. Is your spending limit for the holidays a little beyond what you can afford? Are you relying on credit cards that will take you months to pay off to purchase your gifts for people? You’ve become a slave of consumerism.
3. Convenience (Self-Rule) – Have you ever bought something just because you felt like you “deserved it?” The last time you went out to eat and didn’t get great service, did you treat the server poorly in return? Why do we love convenience so much? I doubt much about the Magi’s journey to find Jesus was convenient. Are you more concerned with your personal comfort than obeying God? Many people never make a commitment to Jesus because they know that it will be uncomfortable. They know it will be inconvenient. How about you?
4. Luxury & Entertainment (Self-Preservation) – Could you just never make it without your “creature comforts?” Are you the kind of person who just has to have the latest and greatest of everything? Are you eating out so much that it’s straining your budget? Would you rather let your kids or grandkids play video games than bother you to play with them? Am I getting too close for comfort? Realize that I’m not condemning any of the little luxuries and entertainment that we all enjoy. But I am saying that if those things start taking the place of our family, we’ve got a problem. If those things start taking priority over our relationship with God, we’ve got a problem.
-“Ooo, I’d love to help you kids build a snow fort, but I’m online right now...” Man, come back to it later!
-“Oh man, I know I need to spend some personal time with God in prayer and studying His Word, but my show is on...” Dude, Tivo it!
-“Oh, I would like to be more involved in church, but it’s too cold this week...” You said it was too hot in the summer! When are you going to stop making excuses? We’ve got to step up and be the men and women God has called us to be. Which Kingdom has priority in our lives?
Conclusion/Response
-To wrap this up today, I want to let you know that there is still a better way to live your life. There is still a better allegiance for you to forge. There is still a greater Kingdom for you to serve.
-It’s the Kingdom of God. And whereas the Kingdom of the World is interested only in temporal things, the interests of God’s Kingdom are eternal. In fact, they haven’t changed…well, ever! The same things the Magi were interested in are the things that the person who want to please God is interested in. What are they?
1. Authenticity
2. Self-Sacrifice
3. Obedience to God
4. Giving Gifts
-So here’s the big idea for you today: Which Kingdom are you serving? The Kingdom of this world, with all its self-centeredness and selfishness, or the Kingdom of God, that seeks to live outside of self? Are you living for the Kingdom of the Appearances or the Kingdom of Authenticity? Are you living for the Kingdom of Self-Preservation or the Kingdom of Self-Sacrifice? Are you living for the Kingdom of Self-Rule or the Kingdom of Obedience? Are you living for the Kingdom that hoards its gifts or the Kingdom that gives its gifts away?
-The choice can only be made be you. (Bow heads)
-Do you want this Christmas to be different? It can be. I don’t know why you came today, but God knows why He wanted you here. He brought you here this morning for a purpose? Has he spoken to your heart today? Will you listen to Him? Will you obey Him?
“Jesus, I’m sorry for what I’ve let Christmas become in my own life. I’m sorry for being obsessed with appearances. I’m sorry for being interested in my own self-preservation and self-rule. I’m sorry for hoarding my gifts from you. Forgive me, King Jesus. I pray that you would take the first place in my life today. Come into my heart to rule and to reign. I step down from the throne in my heart that is rightfully yours and ask you have complete control of my life. Thank you for what you have done in my life today, and thank you for what you are going to do. I love you today, Jesus. Amen.”
-So, let’s do this, together. This Wednesday night we’re going to be having a special family night in lieu of our regular Wednesday evening service. Bring your kids and grandkids. Let’s do something different together, this year. Let’s buy one another one less gift than we usually would, and let’s make a gift for one another Wednesday night instead.
