When Christmas Isn’t What It’s All Cracked Up To Be
(Christmas In The Real World Series) 2 of 3
December 8, 2002 FBC, Chester, Illinois Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction:
A Someone pondered what the first Christmas might have been like if wise women had come from the east instead of wise men.
a They would have asked for directions, made it to Bethlehem on time, helped with the delivery, cleaned up the stable, made a decent meal, and brought some practical gifts.
b A lot different!
B Today’s message is "When Christmas Isn’t What It’s All Cracked Up To Be."
a *Magi (Wise men) were the ancient equivalent of Jedi Knights.
(Superb knowledge of math, science, astronomy, history, agriculture, & the occult. Historians believe that you didn’t become king in Persia w/o a mastery of the scientific and religious disciplines of the Magi, approved and crowned by them)
*The prophet Daniel dealt with the Magi in Babylonia. Probably why the Magi were looking for one who has been born king of the Jews. Matthew 2:1-12 (NIV)
MT 2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem [2] and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. [4] When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. [5] "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 6 " `But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’ " 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. [8] He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. [10] When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. [11] On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. [12] And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
b The wise men were satisfied with their Christmas. (ETS)
C You can have a better than usual Christmas. (ESS)
a I hope you’ll decide to pursue the things of Christmas that can’t disappoint you. (Objective)
b How can you make this Christmas better than usual? (P.Q)
T.S.: Let’s look at two things we can do that can help us have a better than usual Christmas.
I The FIRST thing we can do that can help us have a better than usual Christmas...SEEK THE RIGHT THING.
A What do you want out of Christmas? What would make it wonderful?
(Snow? Family together & happy? Holiday Spirit? Finding the perfect present? Getting the perfect present?)
a *Show clip of "A Christmas Story" with the scene of the Little Orphan Annie Decoder Ring. "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine." A crummy commercial?! Sometimes you just don’t feel like you get what you asked for.
b We’ve all been disappointed by Christmas because it didn’t deliver what we were looking for.
(Christmas wasn’t the problem. It’s our expectations. Were looking for the wrong thing!)
B The wise men show us how to make this Christmas better than usual by showing us the right thing to look for. (vv:2)
a The wise men came to Jerusalem looking for an opportunity to worship Jesus. (Opportunity to Worship the King of kings, Lord of lords.)
*The wise men not only looked for the right thing, they looked in the right place. (vv:5/6) The Bible!!!
b If were looking for satisfaction from....family, snow, presents, perfect meal, feeling we can be/will be disappointed.
*Jer. 29:13,14a
" [13] You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. [14] I will be found by you," declares the LORD,...."
C A middle-aged woman posted her Christmas wish list on the refrigerator for her husband to read. Rather than list certain items of desire, she simply requested "something that will make me look sexy and beautiful."
a When Christmas rolled around she expected to open a package with some fancy lingerie inside. To her surprise, he gave her an exercise bike instead.
b Seek the right thing (opportunity to Worship) at the right place (Word of God) and you won’t be disappointed.
T.S.: Seeking the right things are great...but what is Christmas without gifts?
II The SECOND thing we can do that can help us have a better than usual Christmas is....GIVE THE RIGHT THING.
A The Magi came to Jesus’ house with a bunch of gifts (appropriate actually)
a Interesting thought: The wise men came to worship and a part of their worship including giving. (vv:11)
b The gifts.....
Gold was a gift for a king. (Jesus was and is the King!) Royalty
Frankincense was a gift for a priest. (Used in ceremonies. Jesus is a priest that brings us to God)
Myrrh was a gift for the dead. (Fragrant ointment that was used to anoint a body before burial. John 19:39/40 Jesus’ own body would be anointed with Myrrh. Jesus had come to die for the sins of world! Myrrh was appropriate.)
*If our greatest need......
had been information, God would have sent us an educator.
had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist.
had been money, God would have sent us an economist.
had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer.
But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior.
B We ought to give an appropriate gift this Christmas. (Not talking about material gifts, more important than that!)
a Showing love and kindness to our family, friends, help to the hurting, forgiveness to those who have hurt us. (GIVING THE RIGHT THING!!!)
b Giving these kinds of gifts result in a joyous and meaningful Christmas!!! No Disappointments!!!!
C Chad was a young, shy outcast. At the end of the school day when other children would walk home together, Chad was left to himself. For this reason his mother was deeply concerned when Chad told her he wanted to make a Christmas for every child in his class. Nevertheless, she purchased all of the supplies for him to fulfill his desire. With paper, glue, and crayons, Chad spent three weeks making thirty-five Christmas Cards. On the morning of the class party, Chad was overflowing with excitement. He carefully collected all of his Christmas Cards and headed out for school, but his mother was not so enthusiastic. She knew her son might not receive a single Christmas Card and wondered if he could handle that level of hurt. To compensate for the pain, she baked his favorite cookies and had them ready when he walked through the door. The afternoon silence was broken by the sound of children walking down the street. As usual, the other kids were laughing as they walked together and Chad was all by himself. She noticed his hands were empty and tears started to fill her eyes. When the door opened, she choked back the emotions and said, "Mommy has some warm cookies and milk for you." He barely heard a word. His face was glowing and his chest was about to burst with pride as he said, "Not a one . . . not a one. I didn’t forget a one, not a single one!"
a The greatest joy in life is reserved for those who are more interested in giving than receiving.
b The best gift this Christmas we can give....is ourselves.
Conclusion:
The wise men were satisfied with their Christmas. (ETS) You can have a better than usual Christmas. (ESS)
A We’ve looked at two things we can do that can help us have a better than usual Christmas.
a SEEK THE RIGHT THINGS (Opportunity to Worship Jesus)
b GIVE THE RIGHT THINGS (Give of ourselves)
B I hope you’ll decide to pursue the things of Christmas that can’t disappoint you. (Objective)
a Seek satisfaction in snow, family, presents...they will not deliever.
Seek to worship Jesus...comes through everytime.
b Give things that have a price tag, moving parts, wrapped in a bow..don’t last.
Give of yourself. Love, kindness, forgiveness...best part of you.
C How can you make this Christmas better than usual? (P.Q)
a In 1994, two Christian missionaries answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics in a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. It was nearing Christmas and they decided to tell them the story of Christmas. It would be the first time these children had heard the story of the birth of Christ. They told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger. Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they
listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word.
When the story was finished, they gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins that they had brought with them since no colored paper was available in the city.
Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia, were used for the baby’s blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt which the missionaries had also brought with them.
It was all going smoothly until one of the missionaries sat down at a table to help a 6 year old boy named Misha. He had finished his manger. When the missionary looked at the little boy’s manger, she was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, she called for the translator to ask Misha why there were two babies in the manger.
Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed manger scene, Misha began to repeat the story very seriously. For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger.
Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending. He said, "And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don’t have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn’t, because I didn’t have a gift to give him like everybody else did.
But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good gift. So I asked Jesus, "If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift" And Jesus told me, "If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me." "So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him-for always."
As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him-FOR ALWAYS.
b How can you make this Christmas better than usual?
***Notice: I have used Sermon Central sermons for a VERY long time. If this or any of my sermons are similar to a sermon that is already on Sermon Central by another pastor or teacher....chances are I have used it. Actually, there is probably absolutely nothing in this sermon that hasn’t been preached before! If I used your sermon and haven’t given you credit, please write me and I’ll give you credit by name. I have in no way intentionally withheld credit to any work I’ve used/borrowed from. PLEASE NOTE THAT IF I HAVE "USED" YOUR WORK IT WAS BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU HAD A SUPER SERMON! I prefer to preach with an outline and just rearranged your sermon. My intent is to make sermons relevant and easy for outline guys to use. If you use MY work, feel free to claim it. I do not care!! Simply realize that I have borrowed from other preachers, too.
Mike Fogerson, Pastor, Chester’s First Baptist Church
