Hebrews 1 ...Merry Christmas Mr. Grinch
Introduction –
If you enjoy Christmas movies you have likely seen the classic move, "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas."
listen to a few lines from the song, "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch."
You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch
You really are a heel
You're as cuddly as a cactus, you're as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch
You're a bad banana with a greasy black peel!
a foul one, Mr. Grinch
You're a nasty-wasty skunk
Your heart is full of unwashed socks, your soul is full of gunk, Mr. Grinch
The three words that best describe you are as follows, and I quote
"Stink, stank, stunk!"
another classic is "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens (1843)
Here is how Dickens describes Mr. Scrooge...
"The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice."
Dickens further describes Scrooge as "a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint... secret, self-contained and solitary as an oyster."
“Scrooge” used this now famous catchphrase, "Bah! Humbug!" and even today its used to remind people that Christmas is about generosity.
Now today God’s word is going to turn you from Scrooge to Saint! ... admit it – you’re a scrooge... say it... “bah humbug!”
Read text here: Hebrews 1:1-3
transition... how does God speak to us?
1. God Speaks In The Bible/Prophets; v. 1
The bible is a Love story. Deut 6...
Inspired word – 2 tim 3:16
Alive... powerful...authoritative – not opinion
Reliable + trustworthy text
Prophets/preachers call Israel to obedience to covenant – cov of love; OT is about loving God with all your heart – never to be about rules.
People in the OT had close encounters with God – Moses/David/ Elijah
But people turned to idols/false gods.
Christmas means you matter to God!
God did more than send you a Christmas card... he sent you his son!
Christmas means God speaks
Christmas means God speaks – so we can sing!
So God spoke louder – by sending his son - God incarnate
Yes, indeed – the OT showed us God... the covenant of blessing in Gen 12 was given to Israel... the prophets called for obedience/repentance – Israel was called to be a kingdom of priests ... but they messed up again and again...so a greater revelation was needed!
2. God Speaks In Nature – v. 2 (thru whom he made the universe)
Psalm 19 – the heavens declare the glory of God...
Rom 1 - 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Our galaxy has 250 billion stars//100 billion more galaxies. how many stars are in the Milky Way? "It's a surprisingly difficult question...You can't just sit around and count stars " said professor
But Nature is not enough... it's only the beginning...
***Nature itself can result in a poor understanding of God...
• Pan-theism
• Poly-theism
• Agnosticism
• Deism
• Theism
• Mono-theism
• Jesus of Nazareth; son of God; son of Abraham.
We need a greater and fuller revelation.
3. God Speaks In Jesus – Esp. In His Death And Resurrection!
The miracle of the Incarnation -
“Who being in very nature God ...made himself nothing... and humbled himself...”
Consider Jesus words...
I am statements (8)
Luke 4:18-19 declaration ( freedom...good news...)
Consider Jesus actions - healing...casting out demons...
Jesus promise—Matt 7:25ff. ... put my words into practise.... you can handle life’s storms.
• Creator - my image
• Sustainor – peace I give you
• Radiance – revelation... best/ultimate revelation of God
Contra false gods/false religions
**Religion is about working our way up to God – Christianity is about God coming to us!
• Exact representation – no substitutes – no equals *** no room for pluralism/relativism here
4. Purification For Sins! verse 3b
Only Jesus has the solution to the sin problem!
? Created good/very good ... created in God’s image – for relationship and partnership
? Rebellion
? Sin entered the world through Adam
Jesus comes as the new Adam
ROM 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—....19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.
Sitting down .... Rt Hand/Throne = work is done!!!
• Where – at the Father’s right hand = approval/exaltation
5. God Keeps On speaking... He Speaks to you by the HS !
o Living presence
o Hear his voice
o I’ve heard his voice...
Call to ministry
I’ve also heard him say no
I’ve heard him say wait
Gifts of the spirit
Pentecostal at it's core is not an organization that we are loyal too – though that is good --- it is God’s abiding “living presence in God’s people.”
6. And now...God Speaks Thru His People – God Is Making His Appeal Through Us!
o Ministry of reconciliation.
o Preaching
o Witness
o Living examples
o Acts of kindness
*** think about this – God speaks through you!!! – not an original word – but a derivative word... a word of commentary and affirmation... a word of witness... a word that says yes, he’s alive – I know him! He’s real.
7. Now Because God Speaks We Are No Longer Stuck As Sinners or Scrooges – Now We Sing!
? We worship
? We have joy
? We have peace
? “he has put a new song in my heart”
? I’m always amazed at the songs the church has written
? I’m amazed at the singing of the church
? I’m amazed that every 7 days we come together and one of our main activities is singing!
? We can only do that if we have something to sing about!
** Let’s be a singing people... a church that knows how to celebrate Christ!
“The act of worship is a rehearsal for what lies ahead. Heaven is introduced into the present. It ...conserves the past and acts as a stabilizing force, but it's dynamic function is anticipation: ...the church at worship is centered and gathered at God’s throne, receiving the revelation of Christ, singing the great hymns, affirming and being affirmed. P. 70.
Application...
• God did more than send you a Christmas card... he sent you his son!
• You are a Christmas card to someone!
• You are now a representative of God...
• We represent him...What will you say?
• What is your Christmas message?
• Scrooge gospel or grace gospel?
• From scrooge to a singing saint...
Conclusion – we have a God who communicates... a God who makes himself known
God speaks... we sing!
**God speaks... God did more than send you a Christmas card... he sent you his son!
