A Christian Carol
Sunday, December 18, 2005 – AM
By Pastor Jim May
Let us take a journey this morning. It’s a journey that will begin right where you are now, for where else can we really begin? Today I want us to think of one of the greatest works of literature, penned by Charles Dickens, and known by each of us as “A Christmas Carol”. It is one of my favorite stories based upon the time of Christmas, and in it you can see all of the reasons that Jesus came to this earth as a baby in a manger.
Galatians 4:3-7, "Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."
Is there anyone here this morning that can identify with old Mr. Scrooge? Please don’t raise your hand. It isn’t necessary because there is no doubt in my mind that every one of us can relate to this character. Let me explain what I mean.
When this story begins we can find Mr. Scrooge, sitting in his place of business, pouring over his books with a scowl on his face. He only lifts his eyes from the columns of figures long enough to glance over at his accountant, Bob Crachit, with a distrustful eye, wanting to make sure that he was getting his work done. There was no charity in Mr. Scrooge. He expected a full day’s work for the money he paid and he would see to it that he would get all he could.
I don’t know exactly what Scrooge’s business was. I’ve seen the movie several times and read the book, but I don’t think it was ever really clearly stated. I assume that he was into banking, or the loan and finance business. Whatever his business was, Scrooge was known by everyone as the biggest miser in town. No one like him and he didn’t seem to like anyone else.
I have always imagined him as a sort of loan shark. Perhaps that’s the reason that he had become so cynical over the years. There is nothing in the world that will ruin friendships or destroy relationships any quicker than the borrowing and owing of money.
1 Timothy 6:6-10, "…godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
I believe that I can say that all of us here love money to some degree. Oh, you can say that you don’t love it, but I don’t think that there would be a single person here who would turn down the gift of a bundle of cash if it were offered to us with no strings attached. Some of us might try to skirt the issue by saying, “I don’t love the money. I love what it can buy.” Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news for you, but there’s no difference between the money and the material things it can get for you.” The fact is that you could substitute “ worldly, possessions, and the desire for a better lifestyle” in the place of “money” and the meaning would be the same. It’s not the money per se, but the desire for something other than God. Anything that we desire more than Him becomes our God. Money just happens to be the medium by which we can have all the other things we want in life.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I know that we all need money and there’s nothing wrong with seeking a better life, as long as those things don’t come between the Lord and us. And, while I am on this subject, let me also say that if you really hate your money and you want to get rid of it, let me know and I’ll take it off your hands and dispose of it for you very quickly so that it won’t be a source of temptation for you.
Take a good look at Mr. Scrooge this morning and realize that, but by the grace of God, that could be you.
This story begins on Christmas Eve. Old Scrooge didn’t have any of the joy of Christmas in his heart. There was no spring in his step, no love for people, no angel choirs singing, and no regard for the suffering of his fellowman. He was a totally self-centered man, caught in a web of loneliness and sadness, and had hardened his heart to the point that he hated everyone.
Can I tell you that we were all that way at some point in life? Here is a picture of a man caught in a lifestyle that he really didn’t want, but he couldn’t seem to overcome his hate. He couldn’t break free from the bonds of distrust and his desire for wealth and power.
The scriptures that we read in Galatians said, “ Even so we, when we were children, (we) were in bondage under the elements of the world.” So just like Scrooge, we couldn’t break free from the sin that had us bound.
Scrooge sat alone, night after night, in a cold, dark and depressing environment. He had all the trappings of success but he was an absolute failure in living and enjoying life. He built no fire because he was unwilling to pay the price for the coal to burn. He had no friends because he was too unhappy to care. His own heart and nature had locked him into an iron cage and without some power greater than himself he couldn’t break free and enjoy life again.
That’s a picture of what our life was like before we met Jesus. We were locked into a life of sin and darkness, cold hearted and alone. Some of you may think that you could never be compared to Scrooge, but let me tell you upon the authority of the Word of Almighty God, that you were in the same place as Scrooge. You can put on a façade of love for mankind, and I don’t doubt that you care. You can put on a façade of being happy all the time, but deep inside you know that something is missing. And you can dedicate your life to building wealth and lifestyle, but when it’s all over, what will you really have gained?
Matthew 16:25-26, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
Let me tell you that before Jesus comes into your heart, you are Scrooged! It doesn’t matter what you think. What matters is what God has to say.
Romans 3:10-11, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God."
Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…"
Now that we have established the fact that all of us have a “Scrooge” nature before Jesus comes into our heart, let us continue on.
I’m sure that you will remember the storyline of Charles Dickens’ story. During the course of the long Christmas Eve night, Mr. Scrooge is visited by three “spirits” or “ghosts” representing Christmas past, Christmas present and Christmas future. They come in an effort to get Scrooge to change his life and heart before its too late.
Can I tell you that there is a Spirit that comes to each of us as well? I believe that the Holy Spirit comes to every man in an attempt to bring him into right relationship with Jesus Christ. It is God’s desire that all of us should be saved and that none should perish, so He comes to each of us, one by one, to try to persuade us to turn back to God.
First there comes the “spirit of Christmas past”. That spirit brings Mr. Scrooge into various times and Christmas days that have passed into the pages of time and history, as a way of showing Mr. Scrooge how things were and how much he has changed. He is shown a few times that were happy, but then he is also shown where his heart became cold and dead.
What is it that comes to each of us in the same manner? How do we learn of where we came from and where we are right now? Is it not through the Holy Spirit leading us into all truth as we examine the Word of God?
Galatians 3:23-24, "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."
The Holy Spirit brings us to our face our past. He reveals to us just how much we have been disobedient to the “perfect law of liberty”. We can see where we have broken God’s Law and God’s Commandments. Have we ever stolen anything – even a minute of time that we owed our employer like Bob Crachit did? Have we ever told even a little “white lie”? Have we ever used God’s name in vain? Have we ever failed once?
The Holy Spirit shows us that mankind had a perfect relationship with God, but because of the lusts of our own heart, we have become trapped in sin. We are locked in an iron cage and there’s no way for us to be free without God’s help.
The first step towards knowing that baby in the manger, Jesus Christ, is by realizing what we have lost, and what we once were, to let us know that there can be a better life if we want it.
Then there is a second spirit that came to Ebenezer Scrooge, the “spirit of Christmas Present”. “Come Scrooge, let me show you the reality of where you are right now. Things are not what they appear to be and you need to see the truth.”
That is what is happening to you right now. The Holy Spirit, through the Word of God and the voice of this messenger, will reveal your true condition to you right now if you will allow Him to do so.
What is the condition of your relationship with Jesus?
Are you sold out to Him, or are you still holding on to the world like a miser counting his gold?
Are you burning with the love of God, or is your heart growing cold because of the lack of investing time and energy into stoking the fire of God in your heart?
Are you trying to keep up a façade of happiness, and independence, but down deep inside, the Holy Spirit is revealing to you that you are lost, insecure and lonely, without God in your heart?
Does everything appear to be right with you, but if we were to look deeper, would we see the twins of “Want” and “Fear” hiding under the covers of your smile?
Deep inside there is a fear that all of your efforts will end in failure because you can’t always control your circumstances.
Deep inside there is fear of tomorrow. What will it hold for me?
Is there something more that I need?
James 1:22-25, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."
As the Holy Spirit, “the Spirit of Christmas Present” reveals the true condition of your heart and life right now, what do you see? Are you happy with the reality of what’s there? Maybe you are, but maybe there are some things that you see that need to change.
The third and final “spirit” to come to Mr. Scrooge is the “spirit of Christmas future”. This is the most fearful and powerful “spirit” of all. Mr. Scrooge doesn’t want to face what the future holds. He is frightened by what lies ahead. It carries only a foreboding message of death and despair, for he now knows what kind of man he truly is. He is not who he thought he was; he is not who he had hoped to be and he could not face the truth of who he would become.
This morning, the Holy Spirit will become your “Spirit of Christmas Future”. He has come today to reveal to you what your future holds and what may soon come to past.
Are you ready to face your future right now? What if your life were to end right now?
Lead us on Holy Spirit. Though it may be unpleasant to see, we must know, for what we see may be what we really need to change.
Hebrews 9:27, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"
Ebenezer Scrooge was lead by the dark spirit to see the things that would come. There he saw that he was going to die. He would see that all the things he had were divided among people who despised him and hated him. He would see that those who he really cared for, but would never admit it, would die also. All that remained of his life on this earth was a tombstone. Everything else was gone. None of it meant anything to him now.
My friends, the Holy Spirit is leading you now to know your future and what will transpire shortly for you. There are two paths that He walk you through, but for most of mankind, there will be only one way that it can all end.
Revelation 20:11-15, "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Mr. Scrooge only saw a grave, and how people really felt about him, and what they really thought about him, and what happened to everything that he loved in this world, but that’s not the end of the story for you, and it’s certainly not the worst thing that will happen. What happens after the grave is far worse for the man or woman who is not ready to meet God.
The truth is that every one of us must face judgment for what we do about Jesus in this life. The final decision for your soul is based upon what will you do about that baby that was born in the manger so long ago.
That baby grew up, lived a perfect life, died on across, and then rose again from the grave, just for you. Jesus paid the debt for your past. He gives you grace for your present. And Jesus gives you hope for the future, if you will only embrace that hope.
At the end of the story, Mr. Scrooge realizes that the “spirit of Christmas past”, the “spirit of Christmas present”, and the “the spirit of Christmas future” have shown him the events of his life as they are and will be if he didn’t change. But then he also begins to see that if he were to change, then the future will change as well. At that moment, when he learns the lessons that the “spirits” have tried to teach him, his life is changed forever.
When he awakens the next morning, he is a new man. He is happier, more joyful and his love for people comes alive once again. It is said that Mr. Scrooge became a man who really knew how to celebrate Christmas for that day on.
That’s my message to you this morning. Once you know that baby in the manger and you allow Him to live in your heart as the Lord of your life, then your future will change too.
Not only will Jesus be with you and help you through every trial and test of this life, but He will be with you in the world to come beyond the grave.
2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
Like Mr. Scrooge, once you have met Jesus and He changes your heart, the whole world will see the difference in you. It will be truly said that you are a man or a woman after God’s own heart. It will be said that you knew how to keep the “Spirit of Christmas” alive and well, not just at Christmas time, but every day that you live. Your life will count for something and when you leave this world, the world will have been a little better place because you lived for God and made a difference in the lives of other people.
Have you met the baby in the manger? Have you seen him as the crucified and risen Savior? Have you given your heart and life to Him?
Let the Holy Spirit lead you this morning, to reveal to you your “Christmas past”, “Christmas Present”, and “Christmas future”. Let the Holy Spirit lead you to the foot of the cross and change your life forever.
