Getting Past the Glitter
#4 - "Living" Differently about Christmas
Romans 12:2, Philippians 2:3-8
December 26, 2004
Introduction
Two young boys were spending the night at their grandparents’ house the week before Christmas. At bedtime, the two boys knelt beside their beds to say their prayers. The younger one began praying at the top of his lungs:
"I PRAY FOR A NEW BICYCLE..."
"I PRAY FOR A NEW NINTENDO..."
His older brother leaned over, nudged him and said, "Why are you shouting? God isn’t deaf." to which the little brother replied, "No, but Grandma is!" (SermonCentral.com. Contributed by: Joel Vicente)
My original intent was to give this message last week, but my untimely illness a couple weeks ago pushed it back, but the more I thought about it, the better I think it fits for this week, as we fill the trash bins with the wrapping paper, and make plans to hit the customer service counters at the stores for exchanges.
And, after all, it’s only the day after Christmas, so it’s really not so out of place at all, is it?
My theme verse for the Christmas season has been Romans 12:2, and I’d like you to read this aloud with me, as has been our custom these past few weeks:
Romans 12:2 -
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The premise of these messages has been that if Christians celebrate Christmas the way the rest of the world does, then it’s not honoring to God, because there’s no room for Christ, other than the occasional polite reference to the baby Jesus.
So far we have looked at thinking differently about Christmas, speaking differently about Christmas, and "doing" differently about Christmas. My apologies to all my grammar teachers throughout history. And today our topic is "living" differently about Christmas.
I’d like to visit about how we can go about living a Biblically accurate Christmas attitude throughout the entire year.
To do that, I would like us to look at a passage that at first glance doesn’t look like a Christmas passage, but it really is.
Please follow along as I read Philippians 2:3-8 -
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!
My intention today is to give you three ways to "live" Christmas differently than the rest of the world, with the hope that as others see what God is doing in you, they will become hungry and thirsty for the God you serve.
1. Set aside selfishness.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit...
Boy, this is a hard one. It’s hard to not be selfish, at times, maybe even most of the time, isn’t it?
We feel we deserve one thing or another, whether it be a material thing, or respect, or maybe just some rest.
This is hard for me, let me tell you. Many are the times I’ve had to fight the battle of "I deserve this - it’s been a hard week." And I can justify and rationalize with the best of them.
Our culture tells us that we are to look out for number one, and they’re right! They’re just mixed up about who number one is!
Jesus said we’re to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. I’m kinda of the opinion that if that’s really where your priority is, then it’s kinda hard to be so stuck on yourself.
And the second part of that verse applies as well, to love your neighbor as yourself, which provides a super-nice segue into the next way to live differently about Christmas, and that is to...
2. Lift up others.
...in humility consider others better than yourselves.
Here’s how the Message paraphrase puts it -
Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead.
But I really like how the New American Standard Bible puts it -
...regard one another as more important than yourselves...
What I want to discuss is the way we talk others up and try to increase their worth in their own eyes and in the eyes of others, either to their face or behind their back.
Gale Sayers, Hall of Fame running back for the Chicago Bears was also known for his friendship with a fellow player, Brian Piccolo, who was battling cancer as Sayers was coming back from a rather serious knee injury.
The movie, Brian’s Song was based on that friendship, and it typified what I’m trying to talk about today.
Each had their own struggles to get back to the game, and in Brian Piccolo’s case, the struggle was for his life.
They constantly pushed each other, lifting each other up when they were down, and putting aside their own agendas for the sake of the others.
In one particular incident, Gale Sayers brought up Brian’s name. I’m quoting now from his book, I am Third.
At the end of May I came into New York to attend the Professional Football Writers annual dinner and receive the George S. Halas award as the most courageous player in pro football. I had wanted Brian to attend with me if he was strong enough, but the day I arrived in New York was the day Brian and Joy left the hospital to go back home. He had finished a series of cobalt treatments and the doctors said he could spend a few weeks at home, then return to the hospital for more treatment.
One reason I wanted Brian with me at the banquet was that I intended to give him the trophy right there. But at least I was able to tell the audience something about Brian Piccolo.
"He has the heart of a giant, "I said, "and that rare form of courage that allows him to kid himself and his opponent, cancer. He has the mental attitude that makes me proud to have a friend who spells out the word courage twenty-four hours a day of his life."
I concluded by saying, "You flatter me by giving me this award but I can tell you here and now that I accept it for Brian Piccolo. Brian Piccolo is the man of courage who should receive the George S. Halas award. Mine is tonight, it is Brian Piccolo’s tomorrow ... I love Brian Piccolo and I’d like all of you to love him, too. Tonight, when you hit your knees, please ask God to love him ..."
From "I am Third" by Gale Sayers with Al Silverman. Copyright (r) Gale Sayers and Al Silverman 1970 and 2001.
By the way, the title of the book, I am Third, is based on Gale Sayers credo, "The Lord is first; my family and friends are second; and I am third."
It’s hard to be selfish when you’re third. And it’s hard to be selfish when you’re considering the needs of others before your own. Make the effort to lift others up.
Take a moment to examine yourself about this by asking a few questions:
* Am I a person who could be characterized as concerned with the well-being and success of others?
* Am I a person who is genuinely excited about the successes of others, or am I constantly using "one-upmanship" to prove I am just as good or better than another person?
Do you understand what I mean by that? No matter what someone says they have or done, you can think of something you have or have done just a little better.
Third question:
* Can I be a second-stringer when it comes to recognition? Am I happy to let others have the spotlight, even if it was my efforts that got them there?
And there’s a related question: if you are the one in the spotlight, are you quick to recognize publicly those who have helped you?
To not do so smacks of pride and ungratefulness.
Brian Piccolo was not a first-string player, and was not the standout that Gale Sayers was, but Gale would have given his own life for Brian’s if he could have, and he wanted the world to know that without Brian, he would not have been able to come back from that injury.
To "live" differently about Christmas, we need to set aside selfishness and lift up others. The third way to live differently about Christmas is to...
3. Emulate the example of Christ
Look again at verses 5-8 -
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!
I find three lessons we can learn from Jesus in learning to emulate Him, to imitate Him in a meaningful way. The first is that...
* He volunteered.
It says that He made Himself nothing. There is nothing in the passage, nor in all of Scripture that gives the idea that Jesus was forced to come to earth.
He volunteered for service.
He knew what was coming, and He said, "I’m up for this, Father. Let me do it."
What’s the point? Just that when we get opportunities to shine for Christ by our actions, our attitudes, our words, or whatever, that we’ll say, "I’m up for this, Father. Let me do it."
Volunteer.
The second lesson we can learn from Jesus is that...
* He became relevant to those He was trying to reach.
I’m going to camp here for a bit.
One of the greatest mysteries in all the world is why Jesus chose to become a man. Why He chose to take on the form of a helpless little baby, born in the elements, just so He could be ridiculed, scorned, and ultimately killed by those He came to save.
He became like us to save us, but my question is WHY?
He didn’t have to do that. He could have just let us have our just desserts, but He chose to act on His love for us by becoming involved.
Erwin McManus, a pastor in a Los Angeles church called "Mosaic," says this:
"The incarnation of Jesus Christ is God’s undeniable evidence that relevance to culture is not optional."
Jesus took on a form that was easily recognizable. He became a man, with flesh and blood, emotions, and even temptations, according to the Bible.
And He spoke the language of the people. He could have spoken some heavenly language and left it up to us to figure out that He was the only way to God, and what it meant to have a Biblical faith.
But no. He chose to speak the common language of the people, so they could understand Him. He even employed their own linguistic devices such as using metaphors and stories.
He was also relevant in who He hung out with. While it’s very true that He spent most of His time with the twelve apostles, He was certainly not living in an ivory tower away from the majority of people.
He hung out with people who needed Him. Listen to Luke 15:1-2, one of my favorite passages in the Bible -
Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
The religious leaders thought this was a bad thing, Jesus thought it was a good thing. Jesus was relevant and He was accessible to those who needed Him.
Does this mean that we should just adopt everything the world does so we can fit in? No. There are plenty of things the world does that are not fitting for followers of Christ. And when the Bible addresses these things directly or through principle, we need to be obedient to that.
But often, God calls people to become like the people we are trying to reach.
Listen to the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 -
Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
I am called to reach out to those who for some reason feel that Jesus, Christianity, and the church have no relevance to our society.
And so I generally dress like the majority of people I’m trying to reach, and I use the language of the people. I don’t speak 17th century English, because none of the people I know do!
I am not called to have a full time ministry to skate-boarders and Goths. If I were, you would see me dressing differently, and I probably wouldn’t be pastoring this church, because many, if not most of that subculture won’t even come to a church, so I would need to be among them, trying to reach them within their own culture and terminology.
And if I tried to be something God has not called me to be, then I am being inauthentic, and it will actually hinder what I’m trying to do.
Just listen to how this sounds, coming from me: (Put cap on sideways)
"Hey yo, what’s goin’ down, homes?
I’m just glad I know how geeky that looks before I tried it. And I can guarantee you my daughter, Danielle’s really glad!
At the same time, I certainly don’t reject those I don’t relate to, because I want them to see that even if I can’t relate perfectly, I love them and want them to find the truth of Jesus.
My point here is that if you really want to have the attitude of Christ, it means making decisive efforts to be relevant to those Jesus died for.
Jesus didn’t give them the attitude that, "Hey, get with the program or don’t bother coming to Me." He said, "Hey, you come to Me, and let Me transform you."
Jesus was relevant to those He was trying to reach, and we need to be relevant as well.
Here’s the third lesson we can learn from Jesus in this passage.
* He was obedient to the will of the Father.
What were His words in the Garden the night He was betrayed and arrested?
"Not My will, but Yours be done."
He went through with it, and I hope you’re thankful that He did, because we would have no hope if he hadn’t.
If we want to be people who do more than talk about loving Jesus, then we need to emulate His obedience, even when it’s tough and inconvenient.
Remember, we are to love God and others above ourselves, and Jesus said we’re to deny ourselves if we want to follow Him.
His obedience was rewarded! And the Bible says we will be rewarded for our obedience as well.
To live differently about Christmas, we need to emulate His example.
Conclusion:
Have you heard anything new today? Probably not. Has any of this been stuff that can only apply to the Christmas season? Nope. At least I hope not.
I think you have seen over these past few weeks that I’m not a big fan of "seasonal" Christianity. I want people to live for Jesus all year long.
And my hope is that you will take seriously the point I want to stress in this last part of the message, and that is this:
* Move on from the manger.
Matthew 2:21 -
So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.
Luke 2:39-40 -
When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
Here’s what I mean.
Get past the baby Jesus, and into His whole life, including His death and resurrection.
There is much more to His life than the manger, as wonderful and awesome and amazing as that is. But move on.
Get past an infant’s grasp of Jesus and what it means to follow Him. The writer of the book of Hebrews says that we should be eating meat, not just living on milk.
But many Christians have never matured in their walk with Christ, have never matured past the infant in the manger. It’s time to move on.
Here’s my...
Main point: Jesus didn’t stay in the manger, and neither should we. We need to take Christmas with us through the year.
Are you willing to make the decisive, intentional effort this will take?
Are you willing to spend real time with God on a regular basis, reading His Word, praying over it, and asking Him to transform you into the likeness of Christ like never before?
My intention is to help you do that all I can. The intention of the leadership of this church is do all we can to help you with that.
We want to be a place where you can go from being a spectator to being a participant.
Please, please, please. Don’t just pass Him off again this year. Move from the manger and take the message of Jesus with you, from the manger to the empty tomb.
And let it impact you to a depth you’ve never thought possible before.
Live differently about Christmas, starting today.
