Please Don’t Come For Christmas – Part 4
4 reasons why Jesus shouldn’t have come
Celebration Church – December 20, 2009
We’ve come to the end of the series, please don’t come for Christmas and apparently that’s what happened last week, people stayed home. Well some braved the weather and we had a wonderful service. Hey what’s a little ice?
Now our prayer is that not only will Jesus come, but that God will visit us and move in powerful ways helping people to be released from the grip of fear, frustration and failure. It’s our prayer that today you will experience freedom!
Now to recap, we’ve said humanly speaking since Jesus wasn’t really accepted if He were you or me, He should have just stayed in heaven…
Reason #1 - He wasn’t wanted by the ruling authorities
Reason #2 – He wasn’t welcomed by His own
Reason #3 – He wasn’t worshipped by the people
Today we come to the last reason why He shouldn’t have come and it’s the very reason why we needed Him to come!
Reason #4 – We’re not worthy
There’s not a person here or that has ever lived that could stand in heaven before God and say, I’m here because I earned it and I deserve it. No, that’s not going to happen. We don’t deserve heaven, or God’s love for that matter.
Many people today think, I’ll figure this whole eternity thing out on my own. I’ve got a good head on my shoulders. I’m smart, I’m capable. Well the only problem with that is, is that no matter how strong you are, no matter how smart you are, no matter how much you own or have – if you’re falling into a pit, the result is going to be a sudden stop at the bottom of the pit and all your strength, wealth, beauty and resources will not help you during your fall. No matter what you know or who you know will make a difference.
Prov 16:25 (NIV) “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”
The problem we’re faced with is that we judge things by what we see and what we think. Look at how we make judgments…
Humans judge worth by externals:
Appearance - They ask: "How do I look? The better I look, the more I am worth in people’s eyes."
For some it’s all about the look. It’s about how they are perceived. Reality nothing, how do people perceive me and that’s what matters to some.
Yes not only appearance but also…
Achievement - They ask: What have I accomplished? "If I am successful, then others will accept me."
For many their significance is attached to their performance. This is a deadly trap because let’s face it, you may not always be able to perform at the same level. No matter how well you do something, no matter what you are honored with, all the achievements in the world will not address your ability to get into heaven or experience God here and now. That’s not what attracts God.
Still others have a doormat mentality and they throw themselves at everyone in hopes of finding some approval.
Approval - They ask: "How well am I liked? If people like me, I must be okay."
Some people spend their whole lives trying to prove to their parents that they are someone. Listen to me, there are over 6 billion people in the world and if two of them don’t approve of you, it’s OK.
Don’t attach your significance to what others think about you. If you do, your life will be directed by what you think, they think about you.
So not only appearance, achievement and approval, people also judge based on…
Affluence They ask: "Do I have enough toys?
Let’s face most people act differently around those who have a lot of money. Maybe it’s because money is power in this world, or maybe it’s because people hope to get some of their money… I don’t know, but people do act differently. Wouldn’t it be great to just treat everyone the same regardless of what they have?
In our world, it seems the more you have, the more you want and the more others are envious. That seems to be the game.
Now man looks at these outward things and they all seem benign, innocent but what’s behind them are the MOTIVES OF OUR HEARTS. Truly we want to have significance and know that our lives mattered to someone.
Prov 16:2 (NIV) “All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.”
So while man’s way is to look at the outward, which by the way is always the most obvious and since none of us can truly see the inward it’s all we have. Still God can see past all your pretence all our phoniness and see our hearts which is the true revealer of who and what we are.
GOD LOOKS AT THE HEART
God is not impressed by externals, God is impressed by internals
1 Sam 16:7(NIV) “… The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
In the Christmas story, after the baby Jesus the person that stands out is the mother of Jesus, Mary. Mary was a young girl probably 15 or 16 years of age. She had no prominence, no education, no wealth to speak of, nothing by the world’s standards to say choose me for some great thing, yet she is chosen by God for an amazing part in human history.
Here’s her statement after some shock and dismay, she says…
Luke 1:46-48 (NIV) “And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant...”
Now circle the word humble. It’s one of those words that you wouldn’t think you can say about yourself without losing it. If I say I’m humble, well then I’m drawing attention to myself in an act that looks like pride.
Here what Mary is saying, (and BTW, she was probably a very humble person in spirit.) Here she’s saying the God of all, creator the supreme authority of all is looking down on someone of incredibly low estate. She’s saying God is willing to use me and I have nothing to offer. In this world, she’s saying she’s at the bottom.
Great news for people like you and me – God uses anyone who is willing!
God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things!
So ordinary people like you and me can get in on God’s plan. Well how does that happen? We want to share 4 simple things today.
EXTRAORDINARY THINGS HAPPEN WHEN I
SURRENDER
Luke 1:38a (NIV) "I am the Lord’s servant, Mary answered…”
The first thing Mary does is to surrender to the Lord’s will. She could have declined. She could have said, well ya know God, this doesn’t fit with my plan, I’ve got my career to think about, I’ve already laid out my life and this just doesn’t fit.
Circle the words “the Lord’s servant”. Many people serve but it’s not because they are doing what God has asked them. They are still serving out of one of those malformed notions we mentioned earlier. They do it for recognition or appreciation or acceptance.
MARY SAYS HERE, I’m serving for your will not mine. There were only incredibly difficult things ahead for Mary if she chooses this way for her life and yet she does and look at the outcome of her life now.
I wonder if in the back of his mind if Jesus was thinking of Mary at some level when He said these words…
Luke 14:27-28 (NIV) “… anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple…estimate the cost”
So we see that Mary surrenders to what God wants. She able to do this because she has already a trust for God within her.
TRUST
Elizabeth mentions something here that gives us a little insight into who Mary was. Elizabeth says, God chose you because He knew that you would believe. There was already a solid faith within Mary.
Luke 1:45 (LB) (Elizabeth to Mary) “You believed that God would do what He said, THAT IS WHY he has given you this wonderful blessing.”
Now I just have to say, God will never do extraordinary things through you till you believe He not only can, but will!
Elizabeth calls this a wonderful blessing. I wonder how many of these wonderful blessings you and I are missing out on because we just can’t seem to trust God. O we’ll trust Him for someone else, but not for ourselves.
We often think, O ya God you’ll do it for someone else but I know that you won’t do it for me.
GET THIS – GOD MADE YOU TO LOVE YOU. HE ALSO WANTS FOR YOUR LIFE TO MATTER AND COUNT. When you can begin to trust Him, He can begin to use you!
So let’s say you’re surrendered and you’re trusting. Picture it this way, your arms are up in the air and your saying OK God you do it! Go ahead God, make it happen. Anytime God… Guess what? It’s not going to happen!
Nothing happens till we obey.
OBEY
Obedience isn’t believing, Obedience is behaving. There’s a difference between belief and behavior. Your belief will affect your behavior and your behavior will reflect your belief.
If you say, I belief something and never act in a way that supports that, well guess what? You truly don’t believe it. NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY IT’S ALWAYS YOUR BEHAVIOR THAT REVEALS YOUR CONVICTIONS.
What’s the old saying? Your actions speak louder than your words!
Can you say what Mary said?
Luke 1:38b (NIV) (Mary) “... May it be to me as you have said.”
David struggled with many things, yet look at what he said to God…
Psalm 40:8 (David) “I desire to do your will, O my God…”
Our behavior begins with a desire, but we still have to do it!
The last piece of this puzzle is actually pretty profound. It a refocusing of life’s priorities. It’s saying OK God I’m gonna recognize that all good things come from you and even the stuff that doesn’t look to good right now, well you can take it and make it something good.
PRAISE
Luke 1:49-50 (NIV) “… the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.”
Can you thank God for what He’s done for you? He’s done so many things. Just sending Jesus as a babe was for you and for all humanity.
God has a hand of love extended toward you. Even though you’re not worthy, He wants to do something awesome through you to affect this world. Can you surrender to that? Can you believe it? Can you obey what He says to do and can you praise Him right in the middle of it?
Now as we close this Christmas series let’s remember why Jesus came…
1 John 5:20 (LB) “Christ, God’s Son, has come to help us understand and find the true God.”
Without Christ we are all lost and away from God. Jesus came to connect us to God.
So while the rest of the world is leaving Jesus out why not invite him in this Christmas?
TIME OF COMMITMENT:
Salvation Prayer: Dear God I know that I am unworthy of your gift of Jesus, but I thank you for him. Today I say yes, please come into my life, save me. I surrender to your will, I am willing to follow your ways, I will obey and live a life of praise. Jesus your death, burial and resurrection were for me on the cross, thanks for that. Thank- you that you rose from the dead and will return one day soon to the earth for me. In Jesus Name A-men!
