It’s the 2nd Sunday of Advent - it’s just 17 days to Christmas Day.
So let me ask you:
Are you ready for Christmas?
“Are you ready for Christmas?” ....
What question am I really asking you this morning..
When I ask are you ready for Christmas?
Do you think I’m asking: have you done all your gift shopping yet?”
Do you think I’m asking have you put your tree and decorations up yet?
Do you think I’m asking if you have ordered your Turkey, Goose or Vegetarian NutRoast?
When I ask “Are you ready for Christmas?”
What I am really asking is:
Are you ready to remember the birth of the Messiah.
Are you ready to remember the one who was born to die in your place?
Are you ready to celebrate the real reason for the season?
You see in all the busyness of getting ready for Christmas, the decorating, the shopping, the cooking, often the thing that so many in the world today ignore, is that Christmas is meant to be a time to celebrate the coming of Jesus into this world.
We can be so busy buying presents that we forget the greatest gift of all.
This morning I want us to take a journey back to that first Christmas, to refocus our thoughts on what and who Christmas is supposed to be about.
I want us to take a little reality check and rediscover the truth about Christmas.
To focus our thoughts lets consider Luke 2:1-7
At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
When you think about the Christmas story
maybe you picture the manger scene,
with angels hovering, shepherds watching,
animals gazing, clean straw,
a strong looking Joseph,
a vulnerable yet invincible baby,
maybe a halo over Mary’s head,
a beautiful star in the evening sky…
everything a perfect scene
But the reality was quite different wasn’t it.
The events leading up to the birth of Christ were eventful to say the least.
It’s life in the raw, better than any reality TV show or TV soap.
Mary, the non-married pregnant young woman is engaged to Joseph.
Joseph, now Joseph knew he wasn’t the father but God had made sure Joseph knew what was really going on.
Then the journey, what a journey!
From Nazareth to Bethlehem- it’s a very long walk
A walking holiday, maybe that’s Maureen’s idea of a good vacation.
But Mary and Joseph were not heading off on a final pre-birth holiday,
they had to take the journey to pay their tax bill.
A 50 mile walk when your 9 months pregnant,
thats not exactly a good way to start Christmas is it.
And of course no telephones,
or internet to pre book a nice little hotel, with 5 star reviews on tripadvisor
Joseph could not call ahead and make a reservation.
So after a long and tiering journey,
in need of a place to rest,
it looks like they are going to be homeless at least for the night and maybe the whole of the trip.
Still somehow they find their way to a stable – probably a cave of some type,
maybe a little drafty,
maybe a little noisy,
maybe a little smelly,
after all its where the animals live.
And there, in that cave, after a 50 mile walk that would test the strongest of people,
Mary goes into labor.
No sedatives, no Gas & Air, no epidural,
no doctor on hand,
and she gives birth to a son – the Son of God,
the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
The first bed for our Savior was a manager,
a feeding trough for animals… unsanitary,
smelly, not very private…
yet that is where God choose to initiate a new relationship with His creation…
a “get-down-to-where-we-live” kind of relationship
Then when you think the Christmas story could only get better,
we discover that crazy King Herod, has ordered all the boys who are age 2 and younger to be killed in an attempt to assassinate Jesus Christ…
so Joseph and Mary and little Jesus are go on the run as fugitives in Egypt.
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Same story, two very different pictures:
One that glamorizes Christmas into a picture of perfect peace and the other the Real story.
Does your life ever feel like that?
Is the ideal picture of your Christmas different from the reality of what Christmas will really be like for you this year?
Everyone has dreams, everyone has hopes,
probably each of us has at least one unaswered prayer that we are waiting for God to answer in His time. That is the reality of life.
Life - Real Life is what Mary and Joseph experienced.
Real life is what you and I face every day, and for those of us who are in a real relationship with Jesus, we do not face it alone.
Emmanual, God is with Us!
And He will be with us beyond this life, We will be with Him for all of Eternity. PRAISE GOD!
Our journey through this life may seem difficult,
everyday life can be hard,
maybe along the way there have been a few tears, maybe some broken dreams,
maybe some missed opportunities,
maybe some disappointments,
But each of us have great Opportunities,
life is not always bad is it?
Why do we focus on bad days and forget the good?
Why do we find it so easy to forget the multitudes of blessings, the gifts God bestows on us everyday.
I’m pretty certain Mary spent less time complaining about the fact she gave birth in a stable than she did praising God for the birth of Jesus.
Life - real Life can be hard, but in the scale of eternity it is only for a moment
and maybe if we spent more time seeking God’s guidance,
if we spent more time trusting Him,
if we spent more time listening to Him,
Maybe the picture of our lives would show more of the reality of the presence and power of Jesus.
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Let me share a five simple truths with you:
The 1st truth is God is involved in the lives of people who listen to Him.
Things would have been very different if Mary or Joseph had been unwilling to listen to God’s plan for them.
Think back to Luke 1, when Joseph & Mary are engaged to be married and God sends an angel to Mary.
And the angel says “Mary, Guess what? You’re going to get pregnant before you get married!”
And Mary said “No I’m not”
And the Angels says, “Oh yes you are”.
“I will not! I’m not that type of girl. I’m a Virgin & will be until my wedding night.”
“Mary, you don’t understand. If you are willing and if you say yes to a Miracle from God, you will give birth to the Saviour of the world. Mary - and - you will still be a virgin.”
Then as Mary tries to comprehend what the Angel was telling her – the Angel speaks again and says: “Mary, listen to me: You have a heart for God and He has decided to show His favour to you in a special way:
He has chosen you for an incredible miracle. In just a short time you will be miraculously and instantly pregnant with the Son of God - who will save His people from their sins.”
Maybe, Mary had a few doubts, perhaps even until the obvious signs of pregnancy began to show and confirm what the angel said.
Then there is a tough part, convincing Joseph about what was really happening.
Let’s think about Joseph for a moment.
In Matthew chapter 1 – When Mary finally tells Joseph, he was Shocked – he was Angry – he was Hurt – he was Mad – he was depressed - he was disappointed...
Joseph even decided to break off the engagement and walk away – it would be embarrassing & tough to do…
but he couldn’t trust Mary after this – especially that bit about the angel appearing,
Yeah right.
Then God also speaks to Joseph through an Angel.
And there’s something within Joseph that believes what the angel says.
His shock melts away,
his anger dissipates,
his hurt is healed,
his depression turns to hope.
Friends, God still gets involved in the Lives of People who Listen to Him today.
It’s when we Listen to God and accept His truth, that God can do Miracles in us, for us and even through us.
But we have to Listen to Him –
we have to listen to His Word –
and we have to let His Word, His Truth change us.
We need to let Him make us more like Him.
When we do that, there is no limit to what God can do in and through us.
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2nd Truth. God has a long term plan that involves us trusting Him.
It was prophesied in the Old Testament 700 years before Jesus was born in Micah 5:2 that Bethlehem would be the birth place of The Christ.
Humanly speaking Joseph and Mary may never have chosen to travel there by choice -
So God uses a Tax Bill to get them there!
God planned the events to make sure it happened. What were the key parts of that plan?
The people involved,
the angelic announcements,
the exact timing of the pregnancy and the birth,
and the government tax policy.
God is so good at coordinating history and the events that affect peoples lives for good.
What is it that He planned for your life?
What is He coordinating in your life right now that will bring about good?
What does God want to do in you so you can accomplish His will?
What is He willing to do – naturally or miraculously – to bring about what is the best in you and for you?
Will you trust Him?
Will you cooperate with Him?
Are you willing to follow His Plan?
When we Trust God and Submit our thoughts and our plans to Him He does amazing things!
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3rd Truth. God loves and uses all types of people when they respond to Him.
Think about the Shepherds for a moment
simple workers, ordinary people, not respected rich leaders.
Yet God choose to invite the Shepherds to go and see Jesus before anyone else went…
not the King, nor the Governor, not the rich & well off people of Bethlehem.
Can you imagine how special that made these ordinary shepherds feel?
These men who were looked down on by most people of the day - they were given a special invitation by a host of Angels to go and see the Son of God hours after His birth.
If you ever feel worthless, this part of the Christmas story shouts out that ordinary people are valuable to God!
The Shepherds were important and You are Important! – You are worth something!
You are so valuable to God that He sent His son to die for you - to pay the penalty for your sin.
You, ordinary you, God loves you more than you can ever fully know.
How do you respond to His love for you?
Do you depend on Him?
Do you live a Godly life?
Are you a good example of someone who has respond to God’s call?
Do you walk the walk, talk the talk, are you serving God faithfully?
Are you impacting your family, your friends, your community?
4th truth - Jesus saves everyone who trusts Him as Lord and Saviour.
Think about The Wise Men for a moment - those who travelled longer and farther than Joeseph and Mary. Wise Men, Magi, Kings, Scholars, Wealthy men.
They could relate to what God was doing…
they understood the need to search and find Spiritual Truth.
The Eternal Salvation Jesus is not just for one kind of people- it’s not just for the poor, or uneducated, or just for the rich, or just the eductated.
It is for everyone that will believe.
Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No ne comes to God the Father except through me.”
Have you fully placed your trust in Him?
Is He your Lord and your Saviour?
5th Truth - God is still God.
Despite what the circumstance, situation or problem may look like - God is still God, and He will accomplish His plan and His purpose in your life.
Joseph, Mary and Jesus had to flee to Egypt because of King Herod.
They were Fugitives in a foreign country.
It was a terrible time, a family on the run, hiding, looking over their shoulders, they had to trust God.
They prayed for God’s protection,
they depended on Him,
they trusted their Heavenly Father,
they submitted themselves to God’s Will.
And God Overcame all of those problems & trials & circumstances
And God is still God and He can do the same today in your life and mine.
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Will you look beyond the baby in the manger this Christmas?
The story does not end with the birth of Jesus,
the baby became a boy,
the boy became a man,
the man spoke spiritual truth to those who would listen.
He healed the sick, the lame, the deaf,
He gave sight to the blind,
Even the dead were restored to life,
then at the right time, He went to the cross...
He willingly died on the Cross so our sins could be forgiven.
And still the story did not end there!
Three days later He rose from the grave,
He conquered sin, He defeated death,
and He is alive today!
And in Him you have the power and the ability to live the way God wants you to.
To God it does not matter whether you are rich or poor.
Whether you are a success or a failure.
Whether you look like a beauty queen or a slob.
Whether you have a clean slate or a criminal record twenty pages thick.
Whether you have a clean home or a messy home.
Whether you have everything in order or your life is a complete chaos.
Whether you are always on time or habitually late.
In fact many of the standards we put in place, distract us away from God.
They can distract us away from God’s blessing if we put too much effort in them.
There is only one thing that matters to God.
Do you trust Jesus as Saviour and Lord?
Jesus can relate to the toughest things you go through.
Jesus is the one that can give you Hope.
Jesus is the one that can bring change into your life
Jesus is the one that gives us purpose
Jesus is the one that makes this life worth living.
I started with the question Are you ready for Christmas?
Let me rephrase the question:
Are you ready for Christ this Christmas?
Will you listen to Him?
Will you respond to Him?
Will you submit to Him?
Will you follow His Teaching?
Will you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour not just for Christmas but for eternity?
