Dividends From Bethlehem
Money Matters – part four
Show Sermon Spice Video, ‘The Prophecies’ (3:20)
Over 700 years before Christ came to the earth, 2 prophets Isaiah and Micah talked about that first Noel…
The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel--`God is with us.’ - Is 7:14 (NLT)
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6 (NLT)
But you, O Bethlehem…are only a small village in Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past. – Micah 5:2 (NLT)
Prayer…
Yesterday millions of people around the world celebrated Christmas. Think about it… All over the world, all over America, all over Georgia, all over Gwinnett County family and friends gathered in homes…
They ate lots of food (ham, turkey, roast, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, apple pie) They hung out, they laughed, they played… Family members caught up on stuff… They passed out and opened gifts.
YES – Christmas is a very big deal in a lot of homes around the world… AND – though it all took place just yesterday… I AM SURE – that in every home, there was a whole lot of planning and work that took place long before December 25th. I MEAN – I don’t think anyone here, woke up yesterday morning without any preparation and said, okay let’s have Christmas. Christmas takes planning…. AND – all of that planning and work is; unwrapped, out of the box and covering the floor in about 20 minutes…
AND LISTEN – just as Christmas 2004 took a lot of prior planning on your part to pull off (a least for moms…I know how most dads are, like me)… There was a lot of planning that went into Christmas 01.
UNDERSTAND – God did not wake up that first Noel 2,000 years ago and say, ‘hey I have an idea, let’s send Jesus to the earth to be born of woman.’ [Tim…] - long before God even created the world, long before He set the stars in place, long before He breathed the breathe of life into Adam & Eve… GOD - was planning for that first Christmas in Bethlehem. How do I know, because I’m smart! Just kidding… I know because the bible tells me so... YOU SEE - John in his revelation writes; the Lamb… was slain from the creation of the world... (Rev 13:8)
THAT MEANS – before God said, let there be light’ … HE KNEW – that one day He would be sending the true light into the world. Before the fall of man… GOD – had a plan to pick him back up.
YES – that first Christmas in Bethlehem took a lot of planning… PLANNING – that began long before Christmas…
IF – you have been reading the news this year… You’ve probably notice that there seems to be more talk than usual about putting Christ back in Christmas… AND - there also seems to be a lot more attacks against the true meaning of Christmas…Last Sunday the following article appeared in a Kentucky newspaper.
Political correctness has stepped in once again and to no surprise it is aimed at those who celebrate Christmas. Unbelievable. Some examples:
In Denver, a Christian float was banned from the annual Christmas parade. In New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg refers to the tree at City Hall as “the holiday tree” instead of a Christmas tree and nativity scenes have been banned at some New York public schools. A New Jersey school canceled a field trip to see “A Christmas Carol.” Another outrageous attack occurred this week in New Port Richey, Fla., where officials banned Christmas trees from public buildings because they were considered religious symbols.
Government schools and libraries everywhere are banning Christmas Trees and carols, and a Kirkland, Washington high-school principal even nixed a showing of Dicken’s classic “A Christmas Carol.” His reason -- Tiny Tim’s celebratory prayer, “God bless us, everyone.”
A Kansas newspaper actually ran a correction for referring to the “Community Tree” at Wichita’s “Winterfest” as -- gasp -- a “Christmas Tree.”
YES – the true meaning of Christmas is under attack… AND – I think it always will be… BECAUSE – darkness has always hated light.
NEVERTHELESS – I think that putting Christ back in Christmas is a great idea… AFTER ALL - it only makes sense… I MEAN - where did Christmas come from any way? Taking Christ out of Christ and still celebrating it… would be like celebrating New years day but not talking about the past year or the upcoming year… Realizing this absurdity is why so many today prefer to say happy holidays and holiday tree… It’s crazy….
BUT LISTEN – not only is Christmas about Christ… BUT – so is all of human history… IN FACT – the bible the most amazing book ever printed… IS – built, anchored & centered on one theme; the coming of Christ… AND – that is what I want to talk about today… Christmas 2004… The coming of Christ (the most planned event of all time) in a message I’m calling dividends from Bethlehem… (A dividend is basically an ongoing payment or investment that you receive from a past investment…)
AS – I like to say the bible is really just one book with one title ‘The Coming of Christ’ and 3 chapters…
• OT – Christ is coming
• Gospels - Christ is here
• NT – Christ is coming again… The Message of the;
Old Testament – Christ Is Coming!
In The Book Genesis - His Coming Is Revealed…
IN - the beginning God created the World and everything in it. He created Adam and Eve, and put them in charge of the garden. Adam and Eve lived in a garden paradise -- they had an intimate and close relationship with God… I MEAN – God would come to the garden and just hang out with them… It was an awesome place and way to live)… THEY - had only one restriction, one command… AND - that was not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. WELL - you know the rest of the story… THEY - were tempted and deceived by Satan who appeared to them in the form of a serpent… AND – they blew it, they disobeyed God… They ate the fruit, they sinned.
AND - in Genesis 3:15 we find what many call, "the Gospel in the garden." God says to satan; From now on, you and the woman will be enemies, and your offspring and her offspring will be enemies. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
YOU SEE - even though man had turned his back on God and sinned -- God did not turn his back on man... LIKE - we read in II Samuel 14:14, God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.
[Tim…] – Our God is all about bringing people back to Him… HE – is all about restoring relationships….
AND – that is the reason for Christmas… UNDERSTAND – Christ came to bring mankind back into a relationship with God. AND - in Genesis 3:15, God reveals 3 things:
• That Satan & his plan would ultimately be destroyed…
• That the agent of this destruction would come through the seed of woman - He will crush your head
• That the victory over Satan would only be possible through suffering on the part of Christ you will strike his heel
AND - for centuries Gen 3:15 was the only star of hope that God’s people had, and they clung to it ever so tightly. THEN - after the flood, in Gen 9:26,27, God gives Noah another star of hope… AS HE -- reveals that one day God, He would come down and dwell in the tents of men… God tells Noah that one day He would live and walk among mankind..
AND - a little over 2,000 years before Christ’s birth, God called Abraham (to leave his homeland, his family and to become God’s people)… WE - read about this in Gen 12. AND - in this call God reveals that a descendent of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’s, would one day bless all of the nations of the earth. That descendent IS Jesus.
AND - as God’s first book to his people nears it’s end, God reveals that one day a rest bringer would come from the royal line of Judah (one of Jacobs sons).... AND - God says that many will give their allegiance to this Rest Bringer...and that he will bring about a time of great abundance, rest and blessings....
"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh (rest Bringer) comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. "He ties his foal to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes.
– Genesis 49:10,11 (NASB)
IN – Genesis Christ coming is revealed… AND FROM;
Exodus-Esther; We Read Of The Preparation For His Coming
AND – in these 12 books we see God prepares His people for Christ’s coming in 4 ways.
First He prepares them by delivering them
AS – the book of Exodus opens up, God’s people had become slaves in Egypt.. And while in those shackles they were taught that they needed a deliverer (that they could not free themselves)... And it was God himself who would be that deliverer.... He worked mighty miracles (hail, frogs, Nile to blood, death of Egyptian 1st born, parting of Red Sea)..through his servant Moses, bringing mighty Pharaoh to his knees -- delivering His people -- winning their freedom, breaking the chains that bound them.
God further prepared His people by giving them His law
YOU SEE - because God had delivered them... the Israelites were not there own... And God therefore had the right and He had the power to expect something from them... And God prepared His people (by teaching them about sin, obedience, His Holiness… and how to love God and treat people)… AS - His servant Moses brought down from thundering Mt. Sinai the laws and commandments of God.
Then God instructed the people as follows: "I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from slavery in Egypt. "Do not worship any other gods besides me.
- Exodus 20:1-3 (NLT)
God also prepared His people by fulfilling His promise
In Joshua we read of God’s new leader Joshua conquering Canaan and establishing God’s people in the land that God had promised to their father Abraham over 700 years earlier. God in doing this was teaching His people that He is a God who keeps his promises.
And lastly in these books,
God further prepared His people by establishing the Royal Throne of David…
Through whose blood line the true King (Jesus Christ) would one day come.
God prepared his people for the coming of Christ. He taught hem…
• that they needed a deliverer
• that God requires obedience,
• that God keeps His promises and
• that A True King is coming. AND;
In The 5 Books Of Poetry We God’s People Longing For The Coming Of Christ
In the Book of Proverbs the longing is for perfect wisdom – and this wisdom is found only in Christ… In Ecclesiastes Solomon exposes the futility of life without God. He tried women, wine and wealth and came up empty. YOU SEE - Solomon discovered that true meaning and true happiness was not to be found in anything under the s.u.n. BUT - rather, it was to be found in the person of the SON, THE SON OF GOD, Jesus Christ.. In the Song of Solomon, Solomon longs for perfect love and commitment -- which is found only in Christ.
AND - in Job and Psalms we have many direct references to the coming of Christ.
JOB; longed for a divine mediator that would stand between him and God. And he looked forward to the coming of his redeemer. He says in Job 19:24, "I Know My Redeemer Lives!!"
David the psalmist longed for the coming of:
• God’s glorious Son (Ps 2
• The Davidic King (Ps 89)
• The Great parable teller (Ps 78)
• Christ the trailblazer (Ps 16)
• The Royal Priest (Ps 110)
David and the other poets longed for the glorious reign of the Messiah… AND – in the final section of the Old Testament;
The Prophets – Looked To The Future With Expectation of His Coming
YOU SEE - the OT prophets lived during a time when God’s people, had turned their back’s on God and His Word. They were bowing down and worshipping false gods. The people and the leaders were rotten and decaying both spiritually and morally. Wrong had now become right... and God was reduced to a distant far off deity and worship had become nothing more than heartless religion. AND – eventually this growing corruption would lead to the destruction of the Jewish nation by foreign powers…. UNDERSTAND - it was during these difficult, dark and ungodly times, that the Prophets lived (in the midst of a society that was coming apart at the seams both morally and spiritually) Therefore they looked forward to, and they clung to, with an unwavering hope the coming of a New and Better Kingdom. In chapter 9 of His book Isaiah writes;
1Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever… there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.
2The people who walk in darkness will see a great light--a light that will shine on all who live in the land where death casts its shadow. 3Israel will again be great, and its people will rejoice as people rejoice at harvest time. They will shout with joy like warriors dividing the plunder. 4For God will break the chains that bind his people and the whip that scourges them…
THEN Isaiah paints a picture of what life will be like in the NEW Kingdom… AND UNDERSTAND what was future for Isaiah… IS – reality for us… The kingdom is the church.
5In that day of peace, battle gear will no longer be issued. Never again will uniforms be bloodstained by war. All such equipment will be burned.
LISTEN – there is no need for fighting in this new kingdom… BECAUSE – all that people fight for in this world, each and every person in the church already ahs… (acceptance, value, meaning, significance, riches, a secure future, )
AND – what brings about this change… What is it, that is to change everything?
6For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David. The passionate commitment of the LORD Almighty will guarantee this! - Isaiah 9:1-8 (NLT)
AND - in the 53rd chapter of his book, Isaiah looked forward to the Coming of Christ and the healing he would bring:
…He was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! 6All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the guilt and sins of us all. -Is 53:5,6 (NLT)
YES - the prophets looked forward to a time when Christ would come and heal the deep and deadly wounds of sin... THEY – looked forward to the day when God would make the ‘Ultimate investment’ that would take care of the un-payable debt of sin… AND - as Jeremiah writes in Jeremiah 31:31ff that they were looking forward to a new and better relationship/a new and better covenant with God.
31"The day will come," says the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife," says the LORD.33"But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day," says the LORD. "I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their family, saying, `You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will already know me," says the LORD. "And I will forgive their wickedness and will never again remember their sins."
THEY – looked forward to Christmas and to the day when they would truly know the Lord…
The Message of the Old Testament is that Christ IS coming!
Gospels – Christ Is Here!
The plane touches down on the run way.
The last line is thrown from the ship to the pier.
The car pulls into the drive way.
AND - all the energy and emotion of anticipation now shifts to an eruption of joy. The band is playing -- The Cameras flashing -- The flags are waving.... A Husband embraces his wife -- A teary eyed dad holds his little girl has never seen... A mother hugs her son who has become a man...
WE - have all felt these emotions, the joy can be overwhelming.. The wait is over.. they one we’ve been longing for, our loved one is here!! AND…..
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:14
Christ is here! The King has come. THIS – is the message of the Gospels.
Birth
UNDERSTAND - the wait that began 1,000’s of years ago in the garden was over! The crusher had come, the Savior was here!
8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” - Luke 2:8-14
Ministry
AND - the baby grew and became a boy. Jesus laughed, he ran, he played with his friends, wrestled w/his brothers and worked with his dad in the carpenters shop. And at the age of 12 he sat down at the temple among the teachers listening and asking them questions,
And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
– Luke 2:47
AND - the boy grew to be a man and scripture says, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” – Luke 2:52
AND - at the age of 30 Jesus began his ministry: and what a ministry it was… It was the very ministry that this world desperately needed and still does…
ONE - Saturday 2,000 years ago (man, I would have loved to have been there) Jesus walked into a synagogue in His home town of Nazareth. A scroll was handed to Him and he stood and read from Isaiah 61…
I want us to read that together right now… It really paints an awesome picture of what Christ came to do… AND – of what He has asked you & I (His church) to keep on doing… THESE THINGS - in Isaiah 61 are the ongoing dividends from the Father’s investment at Bethlehem…
1The Spirit of the LORD God has taken control of me! The LORD has chosen and sent me to tell the oppressed the good news, to heal the brokenhearted, and to announce freedom for prisoners and captives. This is the year when the LORD God will show kindness to us and punish our enemies. The LORD has sent me to comfort those who mourn, especially in Jerusalem. He sent me to give them flowers in place of their sorrow, olive oil in place of tears, and joyous praise in place of broken hearts. They will be called "Trees of Justice," planted by the LORD to honor his name. Then they will rebuild cities that have been in ruins for many generations.
NOW – those are some serious dividends from God’s investment at Bethlehem… AND LISTEN – through the church they are STILL being paid out 2,000 years later…
LISTEN UP – It is God’s desire to have His spirit take control of C.C.C. AND WHEN – the Spirit takes control of us… TWO THINGS – will happen…
FIRST – the dividends from Bethlehem will be pour out from this place.
• We will tell the oppressed the good news
• We will heal the broken hearted
• We will announce and set free captives
• We will comfort those who mourn
• We will give joy to people in place of tears, sorrow and broken hearts… AND-
• We will rebuild lives that have been in ruin for years…
AND SECOND – when the Spirit takes control of CCC… (and this is where money matters… comes in) Money and resources for the continuing dividends of Christ will not be an issue… LOOK – at paints in the next few verses of Isaiah 61…
They will hire foreigners to take care of their sheep and their vineyards. But they themselves will be priests and servants of the LORD our God. The treasures of the nations will belong to them, and they will be famous. They were terribly insulted and horribly mistreated; now they will be greatly blessed and joyful forever. – Isaiah 61:1-7
YES – when the Spirit has control off CCC
• The dividends of Bethlehem will pour out from this place
• And resources for the work here will not be an issue (we will think differently about money, we will store treasure in heaven, we will get a grip on His cash)
The ministry of Christ was incredible… Jesus healed; the lame, the blind, the lepers… HE - raised the dead. HE – changed water into wine, calmed violent storms and multiplied food. AND HE – spoke words of wisdom, hope, truth and life…
One time when some temple guards were sent to arrest Jesus and bring him back to the chief priests, they came back empty handed. And the only response they could offer for the failure was: "NO ONE EVER SPOKE WORDS THE WAY THIS MAN DOES." (still true today) True no one ever spoke the way Jesus did, and no one ever died the way Jesus died.
Betrayed by a friend.. Abandoned by His disciples.. Put through a mock trail.. Beaten.. Spit upon.. Laughed at... Scourged .. weak and bleeding.. forced to carry His own cross... Huge spikes driven into His hands and feet. YET - on the cross Jesus still thought of others -- His mother Mary.. and even His enemies, “father forgive them”
He was innocent -- the Jewish leaders knew it -- Pilate knew it -- Yet, Jesus did nothing -- said nothing to free himself... UNDERSTAND – He could have called 10,000 angels to destroy the world and set him free… BUT – Christ choose to die alone for you & me.
Jesus died and was buried in a borrowed tomb.. And on the 3rd day he rose from the dead appearing to the disciples and 500 others over a period of 40 days... Jesus is alive!! The tomb is empty death could not hold our King,,,
LISTEN - the victory has been won, the serpent had been crushed… death has been destroyed… The kingdom of heaven and… AN - eternal kind of life is now available!.
The Rest Of N.T. – Christ is Coming Again…
UNDERSTAND – throughout the book of Acts and the letters to the churches, God’s people (including us) look forward to Christ coming again…
Paul in writing to the Church at Philippi writes;
we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use to conquer everything, everywhere.
LISTEN - the church (that’s us), look forward to the day when Christ will return. To the Day, when our weak bodies will be transformed into glorious bodies… Bodies that will live forever in God’s presence. AND - we look forward to the time when every tear will be dried; every sorrow ended… AND – every pain and disease erased for all eternity…
In Col 3:4 Paul writes; When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory….
AND LISTEN - we should find it comforting and encouraging as we live in a rough and some times very dark world -- to set our sights on the future glory that awaits us, as God’s people... this world is not our home we’re just passing through Jesus Christ is coming again!!! AND – finally in;
Revelation – Christ Coming is FULLY Realized
NOW – the word revelation means unveiling…. AND – that is what the book of Revelation is – It is an unveiling of the Lord Jesus Christ in all His glory... YOU SEE – in Revelation God pulls back the curtain and allows us to see the Glory of Jesus. AND - one thing becomes evident as the curtain is pulled back -- when Christ comes again (and he will) it will not be like his first coming... Where he was : mocked, beaten, spit upon, pushed, shoved and crucified on a cross -- clothed only in the precious blood that poured form his suffering body.
Men will not: beat Him anymore, they will not mock Him anymore… THEY – will not do anything to him anymore…
UNDERSTAND - when Christ returns He will seated on a great white horse… AND – He will be clothed in power & glory... AND - all the earth will see Him… LISTEN – there will be no more separation of Christ from
AND - on his robe and thigh he will have this name written KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. His eyes will be like a blazing fire and on His head will be many crowns -- and following all riding white horse and clothed in white linen will be all the armies of heaven...
AND - every knee in heaven and on earth will bow down and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. AND - those who have rejected him… those who have mocked and ridiculed Him.... those who have refused His gift and Lordship… BE THEY - kings, princess, generals, rich or poor, they will hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains And they will call to the rocks and the mountains,
“Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
BUT - the righteous will rejoice… AND - with good reason!
3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. – Rev 21:3-7
The Bible is about the coming of Christ!!!
Genesis - the seed of woman
Exodus - the Passover Lamb
Leviticus - our great high priest
Numbers - the bronze snake lifted up with healing
Deuteronomy - a prophet like Moses
Joshua - the captain of our salvation
Judges - our Savior statesman
Ruth - our kinsman redeemer
Samuel - the faithful prophet
Kings/Chron - the king of the nation
Ezra - the faithful scribe
Nehemiah - the re-builder of our broken lives
Esther - the SAVIOR of the nation
Job - is the divine mediator
Psalms - God’s glorious Son
Proverbs - source of wisdom
Ecclesiastes - He gives Life meaning
Song of Solomon He is our true love
Isaiah suffering servant
Jeremiah the shoot of David
Lamentations the weeping prophet
Daniel the 4th man in the fiery furnace
Ezekiel the rightful King
Hosea the second David
Joel the stronghold of His people
Amos our burden bearer
Obadiah LORD of the KINGDOM
Jonah the great foreign missionary
Micah the Savior from Bethlehem
Nahum the avenger of His adversaries
Habakkuk the VICTOR over satan
Zephaniah the RIGHTEOUS LORD
Haggai God’s signet ring
Zechariah the pierced one
Malachi Son of Righteousness
Matthew the royal KING
Mark servant of God
Luke Son of man
John the word become flesh
Acts the ascending Lord
Romans our justifier
Corinthians our sanctifier
Galatians our ROBE of righteousness
Ephesians unity of the church
Philippians our source of joy
Colossians all the fullness of God
Thessalonians the soon returning Lord
Timothy the faithful preacher
Titus our glorious hope
Philemon the friend that sticks closer than a brother
Hebrews the blood that washes away our sin
James the tamer of our tongue
Peter the chief Shepard
John’s letters the love of God
Jude the one who can keep us from falling
Revelation the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
