THREE CHRISTMAS GIFTS WE NEED
LUKE 2, MATTHEW 2
(Read Luke 2: 1-20)
Is Christmas merely a ritual for you? Or is it a Relationship? For many people, Christmas is tradition. We use the same type decorations our parents did when we were children.
We go to the same places to shop every year. It’s like a playing a tape that we’ve heard over and over for years.
And I hope that these quiet, precious truths that we’ll talk about this morning will just fill our hearts and take an important place in our lives, here at Christmastime.
There are three GIFTS we need at Christmas to bring about the real, living, dynamic dimension of Christmas that is so often lost in the celebration of it. Three things to make this a time of spiritual renewal and spiritual growth.
1. FIRST OFF, WE NEED THE GIFT OF A NEW SONG WE CAN SING
THERE are hundreds of Christman songs including the variations "THE FIRST NOEL", "SILENT NIGHT" "O HOLY NIGHT" (one of my favorites) and many many more. They are recognizable to us the moment the piano or organ plays the intro. There is just something electrifying about Christmas that GIVES itself to these glorious melodies and gentle rhymes of praise and worship to the Lord.
And, of course, the greatest Christmas song of all is the song the shepherds out there on that Judean hillside heard; The song of the angels: "GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST AND ON EARTH PEACE, GOODWILL TOWARD MEN! And folks, that is a song that we need to sing, not just at Christmas, but throughout the entire year.
I READ THIS ILLUSTRATION RECENTLY:
During World War II, an air strip was built on a small tropical island, way out in the South Pacific. And the chaplain and some others were trying to tell the natives about our Christian faith. Then the orders came to move out on Christmas of 1943. And just before they left, the Americans gave a farewell party with their makeshift gifts, and they tried to explain the beginning of Christmas and the true meaning of the Christmas spirit. A few years later, that same chaplain was on his way to a Far East assignment, so he stopped at this little island. The natives recognized him and met him with excitement and they took him to see the little church that they had built. And over the door was a sign that had these crude but readable words carved on it. "THIS IS OUR CHURCH, BUILT ON FAITH AND BROTHERLY LOVE." The chaplain was so impressed he decided to stay for a worship service. There were no seats, they sat on the floor. And all of the songs they sang, were Christmas songs. After the service the chaplain asked one of the natives why they only sang Christmas carols. The native replied, "After you left, we built the church to worship Jesus. We worship Him with the only service we know; Christmas, the day He was born. EVERY DAY IS CHRISTMAS HERE. Every day the Christ child is born anew. Our gift is love. So our church, we call it the Christmas church!"
O MY. Is that not what we need dear friend? THE GIFT OF SONG FOR A CHRISTMAS CHURCH!
2. SECONDLY, WE NEED THE GIFT OF A SIGN TO FOLLOW!
There is a bumper sticker I love which simply says: "Wise men still seek Him." They saw that shining star; and were compelled to follow it. You know, it may be that the greatest need of our time and our generation is to find a star-- that is, a one, true, singular goal, or objective, or ideal, upon which we can fix our gaze and move together in that direction. I believe one of the tragedies of our time is that people are pulling in so many different directions that instead of moving TOWARD the kingdom of God, we seem to pull against each other and go NOWHERE!
The wise men were pulled toward Bethlehem be their tradition and training. Let me ask you this morning, "What are you following; What’s pulling you?"
You spend 20 years or more getting educated, another 20 years raising your children, and suddenly you wake up and ask, "What for? To what goal? What is my star?"
The star went before the wise men. God is always going before. God went before Joseph into Egypt. God was in the desert calling the Jews out of slavery. God was in Bethlehem drawing the wise men to the place where the Christ-Child lay. God was calling them to turn their backs on OLD THINGS for a NEW EXPERIENCE.
He’s calling us today for the same goal. WE NEED A stable STAR TO FOLLOW from on high. We need a vision of a better world that we can live and work in.
Lord Jesus, please give us the gift of a STABLE SIGN to guide us to you.
I READ RECENTLY THAT There was a church on the coast of England that was destroyed by a hurricane. Well, it was a small church and the congregation didn’t feel that they could afford to build it back, and so it lay there in ruins for a while. Then one day, a representative of the British government came and urged them to rebuild. And he told the people that if they didn’t rebuild it, the government of England WOULD. "Because" he said, "That church spire is an all of our maps and charts. It is the landmark by which the ships of the seven seas steer their course."
Folks, there is no doubt that the very basic decency and honesty of Christmas is a part of the God’s Kingdom. Our stressed out, inflated society is SEARCHING for something to believe in. It wants to know if our immoral, drug-crazed, alcohol soaked, standard of living is the best we have to offer; or if the high ethical standards and traditional values of the past are STILL ALIVE and still relevant to our age! And it’s up to us. They look to the church to put that star back in the heavens!
That’s the second thing we need this Christmas: a star to follow!
3. But here is the final and most important thing to be said; WE NEED A SAVIOR THAT WE CAN WORSHIP!
I read about a palace in Rome which has a huge, high dome. Inside that dome, way up high, there is a painting known as the CAWN, painted by Guido Reni. In order for visitors to see this masterpiece, they put a table directly under the dome, and on that table they laid a mirror. And when someone looks into that mirror, he sees that majestic painting high up above.
You know, that’s what the incarnation is all about, isn’t it? Jesus of Nazerath is the mirror image of God. The Christ child didn’t stay in that manger. He fled to Egypt and later went back to Palestine. And then He taught and preached and healed and worked His miracles and He showed us what GOD is like!
Then, after His ministry and crucifixion and resurrection He was let loose to go back to the throne of glory, where He waits to come back for the second advent to gather His church, and let it loose from all the sin and evil in this world!! Do you remember the famous parable of the birds, by Louis Cassels? It was Xmas Eve & the man’s wife & children were getting ready to go to church. But He wasn’t going! And he said to wife; I simply can’t understand what X-MAS is all about.
It had been snowing all day & it was beginning to snow harder as the man’s family rode-off without him to church. And he pulled up a chair & started to read the newspaper. A few minutes later there was a thudding sound at the kitchen window. When he went to see what it was he found a flock of birds out in the back yard. They had been caught in the storm and in a desperate search for shelter were trying to fly through the kitchen window. Well he was a good man; a kind man; so he tried to think of something he could do so the birds wouldn’t freeze. So he put on his overcoat & boots & stomped out thru the deep snow thinking to himself; "The barn, that will give them a nice shelter". So he opened the barn door & turned on the lights; but the birds wouldn’t go in. So then he thought food will bring them in. So he tromped back to the house; got some bread crumbs & sprinkled a trail with them on into the barn. But the birds ignored the bread crumbs & went right on flopping around helplessly in the snow.
So he started walking around & waving his arms, trying to shoo them into the barn, but they scattered in every direction except into the warm, lit barn. So the man thought to himself; "they find me a strange & terrifying creature & I can’t seem to think of anyway to let them know that they can trust me". And so puzzled & out done he thought about that fact for a little. Then he thought, "If only I could be a bird myself for a few minutes I could lead them to safety".
If only I could be a bird myself.....
Just then the church bells began to ring sending out the glad tidings of Christmas. That man stood silently for a minute & then sank down on his knees in the snow. And he looked toward the sky & he whispered "now I understand! Now I see why you had to become man...to show us the way...to save us from the storm.
Folks, you & I need to see that reflection of God’s goodness & love this morning. The whole world needs to see it before it will be able to sing, "Peace on earth & good will to all man". It needs it before it will even recognize & follow the star of high value & lasting salvation. It needs a Savior that it can worship.
And folks, that’s our greatest need, too: to kneel down before the manger of Bethlehem & pray: "Come in to my heart, Lord Jesus". So on this Sunday before His birthday, let Him go before you to lead you the right way; the only way to home, to heaven, to glory.
And folks, when we’ve done that, we’re gonna ... Hear the song; Behold again the Star; & then we’ll have the Savior who makes us His own.
And unless you do claim the song, the star & the Savior ...You will not have a real Christmas.
I want each one of us; all of us to have all of the true Christmas.
If you have a thousand times; or if you never have, won’t you say "Come into my heart, Lord Jesus" right now?
And Do it Publicly. He was born publicly for YOU in a stable.
He Died publicly for YOU on a cross.
Surely no matter what the circumstances, You can claim Him publicly.
You come! Have Christmas this year not just for the Day or Week, or Season...but Forever & Ever & Ever.
Have a song & a star & a Savior this Christmas; ALL YOURS!
