FBMB
November 29, 2009
Sunday Morning
Making Room for Christ at Christmas
Luke 2: 36-38
Intro.: I have a big announcement to make this morning. No it’s not about someone being pregnant, it’s not about a sports team going to a bowl game, it’s not a new stimulus package, it’s not about the potential of a white Christmas in SW Louisiana. It’s this – THERE ARE ONLY 26 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS.
How many of you already knew that? How many of you are worried that’s not enough time? For some of you, you already knew that, probably most of the female population. Others of you didn’t know that and you still don’t care that there are only 26 days left until Christmas.
It’s been said that Christmas is more for the little or common people. This line of thinking actually began in the Bible. In reading about the birth of Jesus, we realize the Generals didn’t know anything about it. The Roman Caesar didn’t know anything about it. The Jewish high priest nor the Greek philosophers knew anything about the birth of Jesus.
There’s a overlooked story in the Bible that describes a lady that waited, and waited and waited for the first Christmas. The Bible speaks about an elderly woman named Anna, and her story is told in Luke 2:36-38.
Her name means “grace” or “favor.” Anna may have been one of the “little” people in the birth and life of Jesus, but she is really a spiritual giant. Why? Because HER ATTITUDE OF HOPE SET HER APART – a hope so remarkable we still speak of it today in the church. Her hope though is really the result of her faithful preparation.
With only 26 days left until Christmas I want to help prepare us all for Christmas. Not the house decorating, tree trimming or gift buying, gift getting, party attending, family traveling that many times we associate with Christmas. But the PREPARATION of the CELEBRATION of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of mankind. Yes indeed, Jesus is still the reason for the season.
I. Intentionally Be READY for Christmas
A. Now don’t miss the obvious.
1. Unfortunately I cannot speak 100% from experience on this but I can speak from the perspective of being married to one who does her best to be ready for Christmas.
2. Christmas around our house starts November 1 with Diana playing Christmas music.
3. In an ironic way our retail world may help us get ready for Christmas more than we realize.
4. Every year they start just a little earlier moving out their merchandise to the shelves.
B. Ladies see if this doesn’t fit your nature, personality.
1. You start talking to your kids in August about what they want for Christmas.
2. Then you go on your scouting expedition for ads, the Internet, visiting stores, comparing prices.
3. At the RIGHT time and at the RIGHT price and at the RIGHT store you bag that bargain and take it home and hide it.
4. After all the gifts are purchased you wrap them and neatly place them under the Christmas tree.
5. Then you do the most amazing thing: You wait for the time to come for people to open their presents in surprise because they actually got something that they wanted and could use.
6. The way most of the male population gets ready for Christmas is to allow themselves about 24 hours -- 22 to psyche themselves up to go and the other 2 to do the actually shopping.
7. I dare say there are a lot more of us who will fall prey to a 24 HOUR Christmas readiness rather than a 24 DAY readiness.
8. My question – “Should this be so for believers?”
9. Should this be so for the church?
10. I intend to argue from the negative.
C. The single greatest reason Christ gets CROWDED out of Christmas is that we are not prepared.
1. We are not prepared mentally, physically and certainly not spiritually.
2. We are not intentionally prepared for the real meaning of Christmas to stir us down deep.
3. We are not prepared to celebrate His birth again.
4. We allow all kinds of things to fill up our calendar so that we have to put off the most important thing until it is an afterthought.
5. Three or four days before Christmas we start thinking I wish Christmas would get here and be over.
D. If we are going to make room for Christ and not miss the celebration of the coming of the Messiah we must be ready.
1. Illus.: # 1 Lady sending out Christmas cards.
2. It would be horrible to wake up on Christmas morning and realize that our lack of preparedness caused us to miss celebrating Jesus’ birth.
3. The one event that divided history.
4. The one event that has changed lives for over 2000 years.
5. Satan has not only BUSIED our holiday schedule that we have become blinded of the true meaning of Christmas he has also DIMINISHED our hope in the true meaning of Christmas.
II. Intentionally RENEW Your Hope for Christmas
A. A HOPE THAT WAS UNDAUNTED (v. 37).
1. Anna’s hope never wavered, never disappeared.
2. She lived everyday in hope – in hope of seeing the Messiah in her lifetime.
3. She waited all her life – estimated she was 104-105.
4. Here was a senior adult, widowed mother and career woman that possessed a youthful, undaunted attitude of hope.
5. She knew well the pain of grief, loss, and being alone yet none of those diminished her bright hope for the Messiah.
B. A HOPE THAT REVEALED (v. 38).
1. Luke 2:21-22.
2. Joseph and Mary are approaching the temple with their eight year old son Jesus.
3. Anna is there, she has been waiting at the temple all these years – giving her service to the Lord as a prophetess.
4. At the exact moment Simeon was pronouncing his blessing upon the parents -
5. “(Anna) came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Israel.” (v. 38).
6. Biblical hope = referring to that which though CERTAIN, yet not fully REALIZED.
7. She recognized that the hope for all Israel had come and was now being revealed in the flesh.
8. Anna believed for many, many years in God’s promises that a redeemer would come.
9. Now, before her feeble eyes and frail body she saw the precious treasure being revealed that others were missing.
C. A HOPE TO PROCLAIM (v. 38 b)
1. She did not and could not stay silent about God’s fulfillment to send a redeemer for all people.
2. Her joy in seeing the Promised One, the Messiah could not be contained.
3. Anna knew that she had captured the true meaning of that first Christmas.
4. All these years that she had prepared she had been making room for the Savior of the world and now she not only welcomed Him she also began to proclaim Him.
5. Anna was TELLING her story.
6. She knew that the Messiah had come – and she was speaking out of the overflow of joy that comes from such realization.
7. Like a small child opening up a present on Christmas morning that he/she had hoped for.
8. Anna had opened up her heart to the greatest gift of all.
Conclusion: Anna had a hope that was undaunted, revealed and worth proclaiming. Her hope came as a result of her faithful preparation for the Messiah. Her story teaches me that preparation for Christmas has been going on for over 2000 years.
Yet every year, more and more people, believers like you and I have lost hope in many things, unfortunately even in Jesus, because we have failed to prepare for Christmas in ways that proclaim the true meaning of Christmas.
Making room for Christ at Christmas requires these two shopping tips. 1) Intentionally get ready, be ready to embrace the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. 2) Intentionally renew the hope that is only found in the Christ-child. Not in an economy, administration, not in a new year, not in a health system. Renew your hope that has been undaunted, been revealing and has been proclaimed for over 2000 years.
Invitation Responses
1) Those to come for the very first time and put your hope and faith in Christ alone.
2) Others to renew their hope and faith in Christ alone.
Illustration # 1 Christmas Cards
A lady waited until the last minute to send her Christmas cards. She rushed into a store and bought a package of 50 cards without really looking at them. She rushed home, signed and addressed 49 of them without really looking at them.
On Christmas Day when things had quieted down somewhat she found a leftover card and finally read the message she had sent with the 49 other cards to her friends. Much to her dismay, it read: “This card is just to say – A little gift is on the way.”
Suddenly, she realized that 49 of her friends were expecting a gift from her – a gift that would never come.
