INTRODUCTION
A. Where did the celebration come from
1. Origin of the festival is unknown
2. Derived in part from rites held by German and Celtic people to celebrate the winter solstice
3. Christmas festivals have been observed by Christians since the 4th century
4. Incorporate, as many of our other celebrations, pagan customs such as the use of holly, mistletoe, Yule logs
5. Use of Christmas tree began in France in earth 17th century and spread to Germany and then northern Europe, then Great Britain and finally U. S.
6. Dutch brought to the U. S. the custom of celebrating St. Nicholas’ Day on December 6 and St. Nicholas’ Eve when gifts were given to children (British took over this as part of their Christmas Eve celebration)
B. What does Christmas mean now
1. Time for stores to make more money than they do at any other time
2. Time for stores to lower prices to encourage shoppers to spend
3. Time to get off work ( in a Christmas Carol, Scrooge shows his disdain over giving Bob Cratchet a day off and having to pay him for no work) (my brother’s plant closes for 2 weeks during Christmas)
4. Time for families to get together (getting more difficult as families scatter, this will be our first year in many years that all our family will not be together)
5. Time to help the poor and needy
6. Time to be good so Santa will bring you presents
7. Time to go in debt (my grandmother used to charge so much that it would take her the entire next year to pay it off)
8. Time for vacation and travel
C. What Christmas means for Christians
1. We have mixed the sacred with the secular
2. Some noting the pagan background for the celebration choose not to decorate (some I went to college with did this)
3. Many of our holidays have pagan backgrounds
4. We get caught up in the hoopla
5. It becomes about Santa Claus, getting presents, shopping, spending money, being good
6. Also focus on helping and the birth of Christ (probably was not born in winter since shepherds were in the field)
7. Celebrate more than his birth-his life, death and resurrection (his birth alone would not have helped humanity with our sin problem)
D. Story of wise men is familiar
1. It too is mixed with tradition (that they were kings and that there were three of them and that they came when Jesus was in the manger)
2. There was an expectation throughout the world of a coming redeemer
3. Eastern magi (variously considered as magicians, astrologers or sages)
4. Magi carries the meaning of greatness
5. Originally a priestly caste among the Medes and later recognized as teachers of religion and science among the Medo-Persians with special interest in astrology and medicine
6. Bringing gifts for a king was normal
E. To be wise we must recapture the true meaning of Christmas
1. Don’t you sometimes think after Christmas is over or during all the hoopla that this is not what it’s all about?
2. We are not often wise in our celebration of Christmas
3. It’s like the Lord’s Supper-we just tack our emphasis of Christ’s birth on at the end
4. Wise men were wise because of what they did with their knowledge
F. John Masterson’s Unwise Decision
1. Lead tenor has to quit the choir and they had an audition just a short time away
2. Andy was familiar with Barney’s singing but John wasn’t
3. Barney mentions to John that he has taken voice lessons and is a tenor
4. Soon finds out Barney can’t sing and looks for a way to get him out of the choir
5. Changes the place of choir practice, try to make him think he is sick
6. Finally Andy introduces a powerful microphone (no power) and tells Barney to sing low and they have someone else sing the solo part while Barney mouths
I. LIVE WITH EXPECTANCY
A. The wise men lived with expectancy
1. Much of the world lived with expectancy of a world redeemer
2. This motivated them to seek the child
3. They told Herod they had seen his star while still in the East
4. Could have just noted it in their journal or recorded it for posterity
5. Wanted to see for themselves, they were filled with anticipation
6. Men on a mission filled with hope
7. So filled with hope that they would find this King that they brought gifts (ever thought about that before?)
B. Children are filled with expectancy during the Christmas season
1. Mom and Dad are coming to our house this year and already Ethan just can’t wait
2. Usually have this when the weekend or birthday comes
3. Can’t wait to grow up, get out from under their parent’s control
4. Want to be a fireman, doctor, athlete, scientist, teacher, nurse
5. Children are normally filled with expectation toward the future
C. We need to live with a sense of expectancy
1. Do you really expect God to do anything in your life
2. Do you really expect God to use you in his Kingdom work
3. Do you really expect God to be there for you in all that you will face
4. We must have this expectancy to even enter the Kingdom (expect that God will forgive when we ask and expect that he has a place in heaven for us)
D. What happens when we don’t
1. Live with a negative and cynical attitude
2. Scared to check out possibilities in life, just don’t take adventures
3. Focus on what has been not on what can be
4. Dare to dream-involves living with expectation
5. The wise men expected to see the King of the Jews, they dreamed and then set out on an adventure
E. Experiment by psychology department of Duke University
1. See how long rats could swim
2. Placed one rate in container where there was no possibility of escape
3. Swam a few moments and ducked his head to drown
4. The other rat placed in container and given the hope of escape
5. Swam for several hours before giving up
6. Common conclusion: not “As long as there is life, there is hope” but “As long as there is hope, there is life”
F. God has this sense of expectancy-he hopes that humans will come to love him and enter a relationship with him
WILLINGNESS TO TAKE RISKS
A. Wise men took risks
1. Surely was some risks involved in the journey itself
2. Risk that they were right and that the star signified the birth of the King of the Jews
3. Had to hitch up their camels and start across the desert
4. Cliché- “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
5. Jesus, “Seek and you will find.”
6. Put their faith to the test of action
B. God took a risk on us
1. Took the risk that his Son would follow his plan (cross)
2. Risked the fact that Mary and Joseph would respond properly to his plan
3. Took a risk that people would actually believe in him and serve him
4. Risks his honor on us (we can damage his reputation by the way we act)
5. God wanted to destroy the Israelites in the wilderness for their disobedience but Moses reminded him that his reputation was at stake
C. Risk is faith in action
1. It is easy to talk about our faith but risk comes in when we put it in action
2. Peter stepping out of the boat on the water when Jesus told him to
3. Moses believing God would part the Red Sea when Pharaoh was pursuing
4. Abraham being willing to sacrifice Isaac his son
5. Joshua marching around Jericho
6. David facing Goliath
7. Daniel in the lion’s den
D. Faith in action leads to spiritual growth
1. Risk stretches our faith and lets God use us
2. Takes us out of our comfort zones
WORSHIP
A. Expectancy and risk led to discovery and worship
1. Fell down and worshipped the child
2. Part of that worship was presenting expensive gifts
B. Herod was different
1. Pretended to want to worship him also
2. Wanted no part of Jesus and was threatened by him (another king)
C. Actions show what worship truly is
1. Bowed in reverence and gave of their treasures
2. God deserves and expects this type of response to him
3. He says come in boldness but we come in humility recognizing he is responsible for our every breath
4. Acknowledged Jesus for who he was and by their actions demonstrated their allegiance
5. True worship is surrendering to him
OBEDIENCE
A. Wise men’s actions
1. Warned not to return to Herod (he was not sincere)
2. Went back another way and risked Herod’s wrath
B. Obedience is the choice God gave humanity
1. Adam and Eve in the garden and everyone since
2. Believe what Christmas is about and points to or ignore it
C. Obedience is the only wise choice
1. Put God’s truth into practice
2. Live in the grace and glory this babe came to bring
3. We are here to glorify God with our lives
CONCLUSION
A. Expect God to do something in your life, expect him to use you
B. Risk your faith (who do you know who needs to hear the Gospel, take that unpopular stand that you believe is right, follow the leading God is giving in your life)
C. Worship him (quality and quantity, most Christian weaknesses can be traced to a poor devotional life)
D. Be obedient
E. Jeannie Williams and the manger without a baby Jesus
1. Displays one each Christmas as a reminder of a past holiday when she purchased a broken set
2. Bitter that year because parents were divorcing and got depressed
3. For the children’s sake, she joined the last minute shoppers
4. Small nativity scene fell to the floor in front of her shopping cart
5. Stopped and put it back on the shelf
6. Decided to leave because of the long line but heard a loud voice
7. “Sarah! You get that thing out of your mouth right now ‘fore I slap you.”
8. Then the argument back and forth between a Mom and daughter
9. “But come look, Mommy. It’s all broken. It’s a little manger and the baby Jesus got broked off!”
10. Listened from the next aisle and wanted to see the little girl
11. Four or five and dressed raggedly
12. Mother was shabbily dressed and not paying any attention to the little girl
13. Little girl, “Mommy! Can we buy this here little baby Jesus? We can set him on the table by the couch and we could-“
14. Mom, “I told you to put that thing down! You get yourself over here right now or I’m gonna give you a spankin’. You hear me?”
15. Mother went over and hugged child and child apologized for wanting baby Jesus
16. Mother, “I’m sorry too, honey! You know I don’t have enough money to buy anything extra right now, and I’m just crying ‘cause I wished I did-it being Christmas and all-but I bet come Christmas mornin’, if you promise to be a real good girl, you just might find them pretty little play dishes you been wantin’, and maybe next year we can get us a real Christmas tree. How about that?”
17. Child, “I don’t really need this here little baby Jesus doll anyhow! You know why? ‘Cause my Sunday school teacher says Jesus really lives in your heart! I’m glad he lives in my heart, aren’t you, Mommy?”
18. Other woman picked up the nativity scene and quickly purchased it
19. Had a clerk give the baby Jesus to the little girl
20. Where is baby Jesus? He is in my heart
