There are several biblical pictures of the Christmas story: there is the picture of Wise men coming to worship the Christ child, there is the picture of the righteous man Simeon who was waiting to behold the Consolation of Israel, there is the picture of the aged saintly woman Anna, who was walking in such a devoutness to God, she made her abode in the Temple. There is the picture of celestial beings breaking out in Holy bedlam to the Shepherds in the field watching over their lambs. The Christmas stories are our Christian story of the coming of the Christ child. And these various pictures teach us as a church and individuals lessons and principles about the Christian story. For us, Christmas is about Joy, it’s a joy that transcends what one has or does not have. While the absence or lack of things may get in the way, when you allow the Christ of Christmas to be real, and His joy to abide, it helps you to rise above the idea of lack and absence. It’s about Patience, the presence of the Christ will help you to wait for that deliverance to come, the Christ of Christmas will give you the assurance that deliverance is coming. The Spirit of Christmas is about hope, a hope rooted in the promise and providence of God. That God ultimately keeps His word and does only what a God like this can do. And even next week you will hear another aspect of the Christmas story. But today, I want to deposit in your mind, in your heart, and perhaps in your spirit, that Christmas is equally a time to praise. This world has invested heavily on the secular and the mercantile emphasis of Christmas, their message is clear, convicting, compelling, and convincing (go through any neighborhood social structure). The church needs to understand that strategy, which we ought to be passionate and persistent about our story. We have a clear, convicting, compelling, and convincing message of our faith. And we really do have it; we just do not have our sales persons with spiritual energies and excitement, and carrying the brand with enthusiasm. We just do not have sales persons with the right spirit of the company.
In a world of recession, in a state of decline, with a Governor who seems detached from the common day experiences of the marginalized, the disenfranchised, and the unemployed, with a legislative body in Washington who apparently would rather try to resists and reject the leadership of one man and cause all in this country to be in the wilderness, you (We) still have a lots to praise him for. You need to remember it’s the Christian job to give praise; it’s the church’s job to give praise. Praise in Christmas time will not necessarily come from the secular or the merchants, praise must come from praisers. Praise must come from that section of the world who can say, through the dangers, toils and snares we have come through, through the decline we have come through, through shaking times and unsettling economy, we have come through. Through some fears and scares we have come through, through some moments of uncertainty and pain, we have come through. Through some heartaches and headaches, we have come through. And some have not come through, they are yet going through, they are still in the tunnel of uncertainty, but let me remind you, if you keep moving forward there is an exit of that tunnel. There is some light ahead. And so, one can still say Lord I thank you, that you kept me upright, when life had me uptight. You kept me on my feet when my path became slippery, and when it got dark, You gave me a little light to find and figure out the way. And when You allowed no light on my journey, You allow me to stand still in the darkness (and You stood there with me) to learn how to trust in a no light situation.
The redeemed of the Lord are the ones entrusted to give praise, and don’t be so righteous that you negate the surfaces symbols of Christmas. It is about Rudolph the red nose reindeer, jingle bells, chestnut roasting on an open fire, the guy and the red suit, trees, lights, presents, and bulbs, those are the symbols and earthly addendums of something for us that is deeper and more substance than the surface. These aspects would not even exist if it was not for the story of the Christ child. Don’t be so spiritual that you can not join the frolic, but you must remember you are children of the King; you have something to praise God for. And if you are silent, the rocks will cry out.
A European king worried his servants and immediate attendants by often sneaking out of his chambers without any one knowing. He would go walking among his people in the villages, in the rural, in the market places, in the streets, and he would do it incognito. He would return to the palace and they would beg him not to do those things, and they told him how foolish and dangerous it was. When he was asked not to do that by his security guards for his own security sake, he replied, “I can not and could not rule the people, unless I knew personally how they lived”. We have a Christ who understands how we are living.
He came down to earth to experience life on earth, so that we could go up to experience life in heaven. I praise him for that! He came down to be like men, so that men could learn to be like God. I praise him for that! He came down to live in the flesh, so that I may in my flesh live in His faith. I praise Him for that!! He came down and gave up life, so that we might have life and have it more abundantly. I praise Him for that!! He came down to suffer, so that when I suffer, He understands me as a Savior who suffered. I praise Him for that!!! He was content with a stable at birth, so we could have a mansion at in death. I praise Him for that!!!
In this gospel story in Luke 1:46-56, Mary is in an attitude of Praise! It’s actually called “Mary’s Magnification”! She visits her cousin Elizabeth and they both discovered that they are carrying two special babies, Elizabeth is carrying John the Baptist the forerunner of Christ, and Mary has the Christ child. And Mary praises God that God’s choice of her would give her a blessed name for all eternity and that she was usable as a vessel to the Kingdom of God. But it’s really in chapter 2 verses 8-14 that I want to lift up the emphasis on Christmas: The Spirit of Praise!
I. First, We Praise Because The Savior Has Come! vs. 11. (Brief comments on shepherds and flock in the field).
The good news the Angels brought to the shepherds, the Savior has come. One has come who will and can, and wants to save His people.
You have experienced salvation this year, I do not mean coming out of lostness, some may have… I mean salvation in the broadest term, salvation is a broad term, but it has specific compartments to the word. That is the ministry of this Savior, whatever the components or compartments of your life that needs saving, He can do it. He’s not limited to just handling your lostness.
So we praise Him because:
A. He is a Personal Savior:
The phrase “for you or unto you” is often in the bible. When Jesus met people, He often wanted to know, “what do you want me to do for you? What do you want? Do you want to be made whole? He was concerned abut them personally. He is concerned about you personally. When He instituted communion He said, “this is my body, which is given to you’. When He was preparing the disciples for His departure, He said, “and I go to prepare a place for you’. When He departed He said, “My peace I leave and give to you”. When they were trying to figure out the deeper meaning of Christ washing their feet, He said, for I have given you an example that you should do as I have done.
He is a personal Savior, He cares about you, He loves you, and He wants to bless you. The Old Testament says this about God, He knows and has a plan for you, and His plan for you is not a plan of disaster and destruction, but of a future and a hope. The enemy wants to destroy you, the enemy wants to defeat you, and the enemy wants to drown you. But He wants the best for you, He wants to bless you. He is a personal Savior!
B. He is a Passionate Savior:
The Savior that the Angels herald is passionate about His purpose and providential in His power.
He is so passionate about His purpose if you are hooked on something that is detrimental, demonic, and dangerous, He wants to unhook you, and He has that power.
If you are bound by a habit that has you incarcerated with the idea of no freedom, He can loosen the shackles, and unlock the cage.
If you are caught in a narrow place of life, and the path is just about squeeze the life out of you, He can step in and deliver you to a way that leads to fruitfulness and newness of life.
If you are weary, worn, and tired, He can give you a new energy and a new outlook, and a new spirit.
If you have been crushed by the cruelty of others, and feel as if you are isolated by the injuries and insults of individuals, He can give you a new sense of being, and He can cause you to rise above the idiosyncrasies and ignorance of the idiotic attitudes.
If you are laden in a heavy layer of sin and guilt, He can wash you, cleansed you, give you a fresh start.
He is so passionate about reconciliation, redemption, restoration, repentance, He humbled Himself, surrendered His divinity, became human, vacated His home in glory, abode in a home on earth.
C. He is a Purposeful Savior
The text says in that verse that He is Savior, Lord, Christ, that clearly identified His purpose. His title serves as His mission statement. We know what kind of Savior He is: He is Personal and Passionate.
1. He is Christ (that’s the Angel’s words): That is a word of Anointment. As Christ He has been anointed to have that role. Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, and he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.
And since He has an anointment upon Him, He pours that anointment upon you. It’s not an anointment that one can always see; it’s not an anointment that gives you spiritual gifts. He anoints you with a peace that passes all understanding, He anoints you with a power that encounters your weakness, and He anoints you with a strategy for your struggles, He anoints with persistence when you want to give up.
2. He is Lord, He is owner, He is master, and He is ruler.
He just wants to possess someone who let’s Him be the proprietor, He just wants someone to submit that He might be master, He just wants someone to be a servant that He might rule.
II. Secondly, We Praise Him because He is The Savior. He is Sovereign and in control. vs. 13-14
How appropriately this term is applied to Him. It’s a Kingdom word, it’s a word that is associated with royalty, thrones, kingship, and it’s a word that implies Authority, self-sustaining, autonomous, independent, power. It’s a governmental term in the arena.
These earthly Kings or Queens are looked upon as Sovereign, and they are in terms of their kingdom.
But our Christ is so Sovereign that He is:
A. Incomparable Sovereign
No one is greater –
No one is bigger –
No one is better –
No one is more powerful -
If our greatest need was information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need was technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need was money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest need was pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest need was forgiveness, so He sent a Sovereign Forgiver.
Time – Age Him. Eras – outdate Him dispensation does not outlive Samuel Isaiah. His ways are higher His thoughts are higher.
1. No one could ever compare to Him…
Hebrews says, He was greater than Moses (exceeds Moses – law giver), greater than Aaron (surpasses Aaron – His help), greater than Angels, greater than any gift and sacrifice.
Many babies have been born; no baby born caused the angels to leave the balcony of glory and form a celestial choir in the heavens and sing a hallelujah chorus.
B. Immaculate
He is pure, He is spotless, He is stainless, He is unsoiled, He is born by the Holy Ghost.
He was made holy to help the unholy.
He was sinless and became sin to save.
The angels sang – Glory to God in the Highest.
He is pure and perfect, that is why He can forgive you.
He is patient in his plan – Wait upon you.
He is perfect in peace – precious provision.
Persuasive in His power predominant purpose.
The Angels got happy – stood in the heavens – all they could say – Glory to God – Hallelujah – He reigns – Hallelujah – He reigns. Kings heard!
John P. Kee wrote a song:
Sovereign, Sovereign
The Lord my God is Sovereign
He can do whatever He wants to do
He can do whatever He wants to do
When He wants to
God can do whatever He wants to do, How He wants to
Because He's sovereign, God is God
Who am I, to question His wisdom ( I am nothing)
Who am I, to question God's judgment ( I am nothing)
Who am I, to be offended by His ways
By word He allows to be
I must realize that my God is (sovereign)
The Lord is (sovereign)
Sovereign (The Lord my God is sovereign)
He is sovereign
*chorus
God can do whatever He wants to do
God can do whatever He wants to do, when He wants to
God can do whatever He wants to do, when He wants to
How He wants to
Because He's sovereign
Because He's sovereign
Because He's sovereign
Because He's sovereign
Because He's sovereign
God is God!
