WHAT IF JESUS HAD NEVER BEEN BORN?
LIFE WITHOUT BEAUTY
Exodus 31:1-5
S: Jesus’ Importance in all of Life
C: The essentiality of the Incarnation
Th: What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?
Pr: WE ARE INSPIRED BY JESUS TO DO THE BEAUTIFUL.
?: What? What are we inspired to do?
KW: Creative abilities
TS: We will find in our study four creative abilities certain ones have been given in order to make the beautiful.
Type: Propositional
The ____ creative ability is…
I. ARCHITECTURE
II. ART (PAINTING, SCULPTURE)
III. LITERATURE
IV. MUSIC
PA: How is the change to be observed?
• If creative, be creative to the glory of God.
• If not creative, encourage the gifts of creativity.
• To all, enjoy the story that inspires creativity.
Version: ESV
RMBC 25 December 05 AM
INTRODUCTION:
Our series this December has been asking this question…
1. What if it was always winter and never Christmas?
The movie, and the book that inspired it, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, makes a striking statement…
ILL Narnia – no Christmas
Lucy describes what the White Witch has done to the land of Narnia to her siblings, saying:
“She has made an enchantment over the whole country so that it is always winter here and never Christmas.”
Throughout this month, we have been thinking what our world would be like if we suffered from the same problem.
What would it be like if Christmas never happened?
What would it be like if Jesus never came?
What would it be like if we were left without the most wonderful and awesome example of gift-giving?
If Jesus had never been born, this would be a dull world indeed.
For the story of Jesus encourages us and gives us hope.
He is a difference maker.
For over the last two millennia, Jesus has inspired the best out of humanity.
In fact, when we truly appreciate the grace and new life Jesus gives us, it motivates us to give of our best.
2. WE ARE INSPIRED BY JESUS TO DO THE BEAUTIFUL (Exodus 31:1-5).
I want us to note this Christmas morning that God has gifted certain individuals with amazing talents.
This was evident, even in Old Testament times…
The LORD said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.”
Notice how Bezalel is described…
…filled with the Spirit
…skill
…intelligence
…craftsmanship
…expertise.
It is fair to say, I believe, that this passage demonstrates that God is very much into art.
And it makes sense.
God’s creation is full of beauty.
And we, being created in His image, have been also given the ability to create.
This means that we make a mistake to not emphasize the fine arts.
It is a mistake that the evangelical church too often makes, for as Franky Schaeffer once stated, we are “addicted to mediocrity.”
When Jesus came to earth, new inspiration came to those that were gifted in the arts.
For temporarily, the Infinite became finite and observable to the human eye.
And art has never been the same.
So…
3. We will find in our study four creative abilities certain ones have been given in order to make the beautiful.
OUR STUDY:
I. The first creative ability is ARCHITECTURE.
As the church grew in the first millennium, they moved out of their houses and built public places of worship, not unlike what the Old Testament believer had done with the temple and synagogue.
First there were the basilicas, and then the cathedrals.
The idea was always to demonstrate the unearthly splendor of God.
These became marvelous achievements in stone and glass that were extremely elaborate.
Whenever you go into a cathedral, you realize the architecture has one purpose.
In delighting the eyes and senses, every day they point toward God.
Visually, they communicate the splendor and grandeur of God.
Our building is not a cathedral, and our sanctuary is not detailed.
In fact, the architects made its design and simple to direct our thoughts to the priority of God’s Word and direct our hearing for a fullness of sound with the music.
Yet, if you walk into the room, there is a solemnity involved if you will pause to receive it.
II. The second creative ability is ART (PAINTING, SCULPTURE).
When the Renaissance period made its way onto the scene during the 16th century, it became the golden age of art.
And its most frequent subject was Scripture.
Michelangelo was doing marvelous pieces of sculpture that many of us can just picture as soon as they are mentioned: David, Moses, and the Pieta (that is the crucified Christ in the arms of His grieving mother).
But he was much more than a sculptor.
He also painted St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, where high above in the ceilings, where human eye could never see, is exquisite detail.
Michelangelo painted the whole story of Scripture, from creation to revelation.
Other artists were also at work.
Raphael gave us over 300 paintings of the Madonna.
Leonardo da Vinci painted the Last Supper, St. John the Baptist, and the Adoration of the Magi.
Rembrandt’s painting of the Prodigal Son is another important work.
Each of these artists was inspired by the greatest themes that can be found.
Jesus came, and made the difference.
III. The third creative ability is LITERATURE.
One author has said, “Literature and gospel are bosom friends.”
Note the authors who have made a tremendous impact on western civilization: Dante, Chaucer, Donne, and Dostoevsky.
They were all clearly influenced by their faith.
One cannot truly understand William Shakespeare unless one knows the Bible.
Biblical themes and allusions are a constant in his famous writings.
John Bunyan has written the most popular novel of all time, Pilgrim’s Progress.
It ranks second, only to the Bible.
John Milton captured the imagination of what heaven might be like and the personality of the Godhead in Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained.
Charles Dickens was another that was greatly influenced by his faith.
You cannot truly understand his writings without an understanding of biblical themes, especially of redemption (note A Christmas Carol and A Tale of Two Cities).
Then we can start adding others like Alfred Tennyson, Hans Christian Andersen, Leo Tolstoy, and T. S. Eliot.
And let’s not forget others who have captured our imagination – the Inklings – Charles Williams, Dorothy Sayers, J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis.
They have given us timeless classics that reflect the timeless themes of Scripture.
They echo the bigger story!
IV. The fourth creative ability is MUSIC.
The first millennium was filled with chants, but as time evolved, it was able to move beyond it.
It was in the church that music found its form by a monk in the 11th century.
He developed the scale that we are familiar with today (do, re, mi…).
As soon as this was done, and written down, the ability to compose became possible.
It became apparent that music had order, rules and logic.
And it became apparent that two different notes sung at the same time could sound really good.
We know it as harmony.
Soon, four-part harmony was developed – soprano, alto, tenor and bass.
And at first, all music of this kind was exclusively church music.
When the Reformation came, Martin Luther fully encouraged the embracing of music.
Then classical music hit its full bloom, during the Baroque period of the 17th century.
They are names we should be familiar with.
Vivaldi was known for “Gloria.”
Handel was known for the “Messiah.”
Bach was known for “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.”
And Bach was known for his unsurpassed genius.
These were all men of great faith, but none was more dedicated to the cause of Christ that Johann Sebastian Bach.
All throughout his music are initials that reflected his faith: SDG – Soli Deo Gloria; INJ – In Nomine Jesu; JJ – Jesu Juban.
Bach’s influence spread to some other names you might recognize: Beethoven, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Chopin, Wagner, and Brahms.
All credit him for motivating them.
He gave all the credit to Jesus.
He made the difference.
APPLICATION:
1. If God has blessed you with creativity, use it to the glory of God.
Do not hide your talent under a basket.
Use what You have been given for the glory of God.
Use it, because we have a message to tell about the Babe of Bethlehem, and it must be told with every means that we given to do so.
2. If creativity is not your ability, be sure to encourage those who have it.
Don’t let the gifted hide their talent.
We need to encourage them to express what they have been given.
The church is hurt and hindered if these expressions do not have the opportunity to tell the story of the Incarnation, of the Infinite becoming finte.
For this is what we are about.
Jesus has made the difference.
Today, we celebrate Him.
Today, we worship Him.
So…
3. Let’s all celebrate the story that inspires.
It inspires us to worship.
It inspires us to action.
It inspires us to tell others that Jesus Christ is born.
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
Now may the God of peace equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
RESOURCES:
Books:
C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
D. James Kennedy, What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?
