MATCHLESS MARY
#207 MATCHLESS MARY
Scripture Luke 1:26-33, 2:41-58; John 19:25-28 NIV Orig. Date 12-24-1961
Rewr. Dates 12-1975; 9-16-1990
Passage: Luke 1:26-33 The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Luke 2:41-48 The Boy Jesus at the Temple
41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
John 19:25-28
25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,[a] here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
The Death of Jesus
28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”
Purpose: Continuing a Sunday evening series on New Testament characters, here describing the mother of Jesus.
Keywords: Biography of Mary Devotion Christ as Saviour
Timeline/Series: New Testament characters
Introduction
Back in 1981 we witnessed by means of television, the wedding of Charles and Diana. Thirty-four years prior to that (1947), some of us, through the medium of news reels at the picture show saw similar ceremony when Charles’ father and mother were wed. It was a remarkable time for England.
Not only were the British people in a festive mood, dignitaries from around the world were on the scene. Among these important people were representatives of royal families. One monarch present was King Faisal II. Back when Iraq ad a king, he was then the twelve-year-old sovereign.
The processional was underway. People lined the street from the palace to Westminster Abbey. King Faisal was one of those looking on. Though dressed the part, and attendants were at his side, few knew who he was. His interest was not in the nuptial couple, but in the horses pulling their carriage. As the carriage approached, he stepped through the line of policemen to see better. Doing so, one of the policemen grabbed bodily for the young king and thrust him back into the crowd.
How do you apologize for the abusive treatment of royalty? The English people were stunned. Newspapers for days carried accounts, and efforts to make amends not only to young Faisal, but to the Iraqi people as well. What they were attempting to say was, “King Faisal, we didn’t know who you were!”
It puts us in mind of another apology. That which rings out so clearly in the old spiritual, “Sweet little holy child, we didn’t know who you was.” Do you wonder how Mary knew?
I. The First Consideration is of the benefit of Maidenhood. Luke 1:38 “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.”
She is clearly a young woman of virtue and self-esteem. She was already spoken for in marriage. Joseph had claimed her in contract that only infidelity could break. Oliver First: “When a girl ceases to blush, she has lost the most powerful charm of her beauty.” Not only the maids, but the men also planned for the eventuality of marriage.
In addition, the angel had spoken to her. The angelic message must have been received with wonder and question. How would Joseph respond to the question of a baby? She surely must have suspected the response of the community. Why she went to Elizabeth’s.
In addition to this self-worth, she was apparently known for her faith/allegiance. She lived in open acknowledgement of God’s unique plan for her life. Make no mistake, God chose the best there was. Our study of Balaam didn’t suggest he must have been the best at that time. How much she knew of that plan? Her baby the “son of God,” but then, aren’t we all in one way?
Were thoughts conjured up of the Jewish Messiah? Did she understand that her baby would have no human father? The consummation of her marriage to Joseph was only weeks away. She understood the need, now, as never before, of obedience. A word is needed relative to virgin birth. Some well-meaning people reject. Jesus was God’s son (monogena), not because of Mary, but by the Holy Spirit. Tracing genealogy to Joseph is for convenience only. (Matthew 1:16 and Luke 3:23).
It is the submission of Mary that establishes choice. Luke 1:38 “Be it unto me according to thy word.” There would be other, normatively born, but this is not one of them. “Firstborn” Matthew 1:25/13:55.
II. Our Next Consideration is of the Burden of Motherhood. Luke 2:35 “Yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Though [he was] the son of God, Mary is not spared any of the agony of childbirth. I heard a medical critique that women experience more pain in childbirth than men experience in a lifetime. Probably the most important person at a birthing is the grandmother. I have been in the waiting room at many of these. My own and my daughter’s. With fathers joyous at prospect. In the city hospitals, I’ve seen them who grumbled through it.
She would be the major factor in childrearing. At some point, she had to carry on as a single parent. She gave birth to six other children. Mark 6:3 “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joseph, and Judas, and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us? Parenting is always difficult, made especially so by the uniqueness of the child. Imperfect parents—perfect child. God, in the flesh.
Susanna Wesley, mother of John, spent an hour every day praying for her children. She took each child aside for one hour each week for the purpose of discussing spiritual matters. Oh, yes, it is important that you know that there were seventeen of them. John, and his brother Charles, would be figureheads of protestant religion in America during the 18th Century. She was known by the people around her. Not as the mother of God, but as a woman trying to do right.
III. Finally, We Must Consider the Blessing of the Mediator. John 19:26f “And he sayeth to his mother, woman, behold thy son. Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy Mother.”
The great heart of Jesus reaches out to Mary in a special way, and that John did not burden the gospel with tidbits re: childhood and youth of Jesus! We know His special affection for John. For practical spiritual reasons, Jesus chooses for His mother to be in John’s care. This may be in part for John.
The consideration given her is in keeping with the degree of her own faith. Obedience was the cardinal virtue. She expresses her faith in submissiveness. Luke 1:45 Elizabeth to Mary: “You believed that God would do what He said; that’s why He has given you this wonderful blessing.” She bore God’s own son. John 1:4 “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.”
Understand one final word. Mary needed Jesus as her own redeemer. At the last He no longer calls her “mother.” “Woman, behold thy son.” She, like the rest of us, stands empty before God. I Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ.”
Conclusion
Not knowing who He was should no longer be our excuse. The evidence is clear enough for one who seeks it out. H.D.M. Spence’s poem tells a different story.
“They opened their treasures, the wise men old,
And prostrate they fell on the ground;
Exultant in spirit, they worshipped the Lord,
For Jesus, the Saviour, they’d found!
The treasure of heaven in Bethlehem lay,
Incarnate was God from above;
No wonder their treasures they opened to Him—
Their feeble expressions of love!
We may not have treasures of glory or gold,
Nor perfume to pour out at His feet;
Though if we but knew the true worth of the Christ,
We’d give Him our homage complete.”
THE LAMB OF GOD
#227 THE LAMB OF GOD
Scripture John 1:29-34 Orig. 4/4/1968
Rewr. 12/14/1988
Passage: 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”[a]
Purpose: To preach a Christmas message relating the birth of Christ to the salvation offered.
Keywords: Christ as Saviour Lord’s Supper Communion Christmas Salvation
Timeline/Series: Nature of Christ Revival Christmas
Introduction
The Book of Exodus tells us the story of the Hebrew Passover. Thus, we learn the story of the place of the LAMB in the traditions of these ancient people. In fact, Passover is the oldest, continuously observed festival known to mankind. (N25p77). It commemorates the occasion (14 Nisan-M./A.) when, “at midnight, by the light of a full moon, the Israelites were able to leave Egypt,” “free at last.”
The lamb (sheh: sheep/goat) played a vital part. On 10th Nisan the lamb was acquired, kept with family until the day of the 14th. It was then killed. It furnished a meal for the family, and blood was to be placed on the outer door of the family dwelling. It would be this blood that the death (Passover) angel would use in assessing the faith of the family residing within. When there was no blood, the first-born sons of those homes were smitten.
Imagine the consternation of the children within those homes. Lambs were brought among the family. For three days they were like pets. Abruptly, they were taken and slaughtered for food and sacrifice. The father would, of course, try to help the children understand that the lamb must die to protect the integrity of that family in relation to God. Don’t lose sight, however, that this was a means to finalize the release of the Israelites from Egypt.
Thus, John’s opening chapter does not describe the birth of Jesus. He presents Christ, full-grown, but still, “the lamb.” John will later record that the crucifixion takes place about 3:00pm on the day of preparation, the eve of 14th Nisan, when the lambs for Passover were dying. So the LAMB, born to sinlessness, come to cleanse, strong to save, is now on the scene, no longer a forlorn hope, but a very present reality. See G. Campbell Morgan.
I. Born the Lamb, the Sinless Jesus: “The Lamb of God.” Galatians 4:4 “God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” Hebrews 4:15, “. . . but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
The first guideline for the selection of a lamb was “without blemish.” Not much care is given to such concerns. People are more picky about Christmas tree.
The need for such a perfect sacrifice stood in human sin. The creature has denied the sovereignty of the Creator. There is the factor called “original sin.” Romans 5:19 “As by one man’s offense, many were made sinners.”
But of greater consequence is the sin of commission. Romans 3:19 “What the law says, it says to those under the law, that . . . all the world may become guilty before God.”
Man’s sin has violated the righteousness of God. Do we presume that righteous, holy God will do nothing? Parents are expected to admonish and punish their children. Honesty testifies that we learn more from applied punishment. It becomes abuse only when administered without a potential to learn. God’s purpose is not vindictive, but that we may learn. Should He then overlook the travesty of sin? We generally think not until it is our own sin in question. When the moral order violated is godly perfection, the punishment must match the offense,
Thus, only a perfect sacrifice for such wrong can bring restoration. Hebrews 10:12 “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.” The depth of man’s sin is plumbed. The height of God’s righteousness is vindicated.
The manner of appeasement is God’s own Son. Electronic devices are used today, but in the old country store we could see this application writ large every day. Goods were bought in bulk, measured against a weight of certified volume.
II. Born the Lamb, Come to Cleanse: “The lamb of God that taketh away sin.” The picture of the lamb is so accommodating. Sin seems almost to have us in its power. We are as vulnerable to the wolf of sin as the lamb to the wolf of flesh. Child can’t put back what they tear down.
Jesus played out in so many real ways this condescension to humanity. Romans 8:3 “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.”
Thus it is that Jesus speaks to the need in all of us: The lamb who takes the cares of the world upon himself; the lamb, to whom a learned Hebrew came seeking His wisdom; the lamb, to whom sailors on a foundering ship came, seeking His buoyancy; the lamb, who at a Samaritan well offered His living water to a thirsty soul; the lamb, down from the mountain, who puts His hand where none would and cleanses the leper.
He who would cleanse must be himself clean. He was the lamb who knew the gnawing hunger of destitution. (Forty days in the wilderness.) He knew what it was to seem to be weary, alone, without hope. “He was bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh.” He was the lamb, cast aside of men, but taken up of God. He was the lamb who faced the terror of God-forsakenness, that we might not.
III. Born the Lamb, Strong to Save: “The lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.”
A salvation unique in all the world, imputed by God Himself: it will never be deserved, it cannot be reversed. Ephesians 2:8f “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.” It is a transaction of grace given impetus by the love of God.
A salvation that is of Christ. Man’s standing before God is the problem. Consider Matthew 5. Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit/ they that mourn/ the meek/ those who hunger and thirst after righteousness/ the pure in heart/ the peacemakers/ those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. “You are the salt of the earth” v13. “You are the light of the world” v14. “Your righteousness must exceed the scribes and pharisees” v19-20. Taking a life is sin, but so are anger and hard-heartedness v21. Not only adultery but lust v27. They are admonished (v38) to go the “second mile” in v43 “to love their enemies,” and in v48 counselled to “be perfect, . . . as their Father in heaven is perfect.”
Thus come the options we are given. In Christ, by grace through faith, earned by the merit of perfection. Romans 4:4f “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,”
Conclusion
So, in the fullness of time, God brought the sacrificial lamb, Christ, into His own house. For a brief time, He made His presence known. The children of faith were drawn to Him, loved Him. But the Father, to provide meat of spiritual nourishment, and blood to stay the hand of the avenging angel, had to take the lamb and slaughter it. It is so simple it is almost complicated. The blood must be placed above the door of the human heart. Have you done so? Do it now!
LET THE GOSPELS SPEAK
#206 LET THE GOSPELS SPEAK
Scripture John 1:14 NIV Orig. 10/8/1961; 12/1974
Rewr. 12/3/1986
Passage: 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Purpose: To allow the different points of view of the gospels to stand out in a single message on the birth of Jesus.
Keywords: Birth of Christ Incarnation Christmas
Introduction
Some of you watched the Billy Graham crusade this past week. We have watched this faithful evangelist for many years. We have heard him share some moving anecdotes of tribute to our Lord, and praise for some example of faith.
Mr. Graham went to Korea when there was a war going on there. He went with a military chaplain to a place called Heartbreak Ridge. It was Christmas Eve, and he and the chaplain came upon a dying soldier. The chaplain attempted to minister to the young man. “May I help you, son?” the chaplain asked. They both heard the soldier say, “No, it’s all right.” They were both moved by his tranquility in the face of death, that is, until glancing down they noticed a New Testament clutched in his hand. Taking it up to read, the chaplain found it opened, and marked by a finger at the place where Jesus said, “My peace I give to you,” (John 14:27). Thus they knew the basis for the dying soldier’s confidence.
What a different point of view was expressed by Lord Grey, the British statesman, as World War I began. “The lamps are going out all over Europe, and we shall not see them again in our lifetime.”
O. but how beautifully expressive are the words of the song “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”
“O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the son of God appear.
O come, thou dayspring, come and cheer, our spirits by thine advent here,
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
O come thou wisdom from on high, and order all things far and nigh,
To us the path of knowledge show, And cause us in her ways to go.
O come desire of nations, bind All people in one heart and mind.
Bid envy, strife, and quarrels cease, Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.”
I. Luke Addresses the Humanity of Christ. Luke 2:7 “And she brought forth her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
We will see later that Mark, who wrote the earliest gospel had other things in mind. But the humanity of this circumstance is undeniable.
- Born of very human parents: We see them respond to the law of the land. (Joseph went to Bethlehem for taxes; also to the law of God.
- Born to very poor parents: Wrapped in swaddling clothes; laid in a manger; “no room” may mean that Joseph could not afford anything else.
- But, undoubtedly, born to very loving parents: Great difference in ages; Mary chose to be with Joseph on this journey.
At some time during the Christmas season, we may see or read, O. Henry’s “Gift of the Magi.” It is a truly marvelous love story. A very poor, young couple, deeply in love, Jim and Della. Della’s pride was her beautiful, long hair. As Christmas approaches, they decide only thing they can do to have a gift for the one the love. Della sells her hair to have money to buy a fob for Jim’s watch. Jim sells the watch to buy a silver comb for Della’s hair.
How much clearer we see man, seeing Christ as man. Mencken “The cosmos is a gigantic flywheel making 10,000 RPM. Man is a sick fly taking a ride on it.”
II. Matthew Intones the Religious Heritage of Jesus. Matthew 2:1,2: “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from the east, to Jesus, saying, ‘Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East, and are come to worship Him.
These were superstitious men, but religious ones. They had come from far-away Persia. They had come in response to a star-format. On a journey of some weeks, they brought gifts of adoration. Remember what the Russian Cosmonaut said. “This sublime new star may bring to pass what the star of Bethlehem promised in vain, peace on earth.”
The Jews knew better of His coming. The manner of birth was foretold. Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call His name Emmanuel.” His messianic link was proclaimed. Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
Harold Cook Phillips said it well. “We need Christmas. Christmas is like a beautiful island rising from the turbulent waters, with man looking for a place to land.”
III. Mark Has no Time for the Birth Story, but Great Praise for the God Who Makes It Happen. Mark 1:14-15 “Now, after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God, and saying, the time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand.”
He saw Jesus come to fulfill every word of God. There had been a promise that all would be blessed in Abraham. There had been a covenant through Moses that was for the good of all.
Christ came to make plain the way of salvation. How often they had been on track. How readily their sin dispelled their hope. Christmas has come and gone, but it is not of our making. It cannot be bought across the counter. The Christmas bell is not the jingle of the cash register. It cannot even be found in the warm glow of charity.
Christmas is not what we have done, but what we have had done to us. “Unto us a child is born.”
IV. Finally, John Centers His Attention on the Holiness of Jesus. John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
We thus see, the One who had perfect Oneness with God: “glory, as of the Father.”
There are lots of human adaptations of the way Jesus looked, perhaps. But nowhere is there a more exacting one that that of Isaiah. Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born . . . and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”
At One with the Father, He became at one with us: In His life, “Tempted as we are, yet without sin;” in His death: at the behest of men, in a way despised by men, amongst men, as an example to men, for men.
Ephesians 1:7-10: “7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.”
Conclusion
A story is told of a wealthy merchant whose friend and acquaintance of many years had come to a destitute condition. The merchant was moved with pity at the plight of his friend and wanted to help. He chose a trusted servant and sent him with gifts, and with a sealed envelope.
The destitute man was out, and his wife received these offerings of friendship. The gifts she applied to the household where they were most needed. The envelope she placed in a secret place with her husband’s private papers.
Months passed and the merchant, an elderly man, died. As they discussed the time he had helped them, the wife remembered the envelope. Inside they found a blank check, signed by their friend. But now the account had been closed.
THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST (December 1990)
#574 w 878 THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST
Scripture John 1:1-14 NIV Orig. Date 3/11/1979
Rewr. Dates 6/1985, 12/9/1990
Passage: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Purpose: To share a message on the incarnation at Christmas-time, reminding my people of the importance of this Christly intervention.
Keywords: Incarnation of Christ Incarnation Doctrine Word of God
Timeline/Series: Christmas/Sequential
Introduction
A little six-year-old girl was going to her first Sunday School Christmas party. Her mother, remembering some of the joys of her own childhood, wanted the little girl to have similar experiences. She did everything she could to prepare the child for the party. She explained more in detail about Christmas as the time of the birth of Christ. “It is Jesus’ birthday,” she told the little girl, “and you and your friends will be helping Him to celebrate that happy day.”
By party day the expectation and excitement were all she could talk about. Finally, the little neighbor, with whom she was going, came to pick her up, and off she went to the party.
She returned home a few hours later. Her mother asked her about the party. She replied, “Well, it was a very nice party, mother. There were lots of children there, and we had fun. But, mother, Jesus never showed up.”
The essence of the incarnation is that God threw a party, and Jesus was the guest of honor, and, believe it or not, He was there. He did appear! Some may disclaim it, and doubt it, but it did happen. God’s own Son came to live amongst us, and, more important, to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
I. The Incarnation Unfolded. V1 “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.” The scripture gives us a clear definition. The essence of God became man. Words are used to communicate reality. That which was not earthly became earthly.
Jesus’ name gives us insight also. Jesus/Joshua: “God is my salvation.” Incarnation means that God intervened to do for me what I could not do for myself.
Scripture open with creation, and its attendant revelation. Ten times (Genesis 1) is the phrase “and God said.” (3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 28, 29). It is a threefold message. It comes from God’s hand. It is intended to bless. Man’s will is the one thing out of God’s control.
We came to the 20th Century to discover the impact of genes on the life of man. Loss of life forms is the loss of genes. New evidence of genetic impact on disease. But it is not genetic mutation that is a threat, it is man’s will.
But in Christ, what had been essence now takes bodily form. To say He is the “word” is to say that He is the creative force of God exposed. Keep in mind that Jesus was the Son of God before He became Jesus of Nazareth. He gave specific personality to word patterns describing God. Active: “My word is like a fire . . . like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces.” Jeremiah 23:29. Passive: “Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.” Psalm 119. Of 176 verses, only five do not refer to God’s law, word, commandment.
“Last eve I passed beside the blacksmith’s door, and heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;
Then, looking in I saw upon the floor, old hammers worn with beating years of time.
‘How many hammers have you had,’ said I, ‘to wear and batter all these hammers so?’
‘Just one,’ said he, and then with twinkling eye, ‘The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.’
And so, thought I, the anvil of God’s Word, for ages skeptic blows have beat upon.
Yet though the noise of falling blows was heard, the anvil is unharmed, the hammers gone.”
II. The Incarnation Understood. V4f “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.” Early, of course, there was a lack of understanding. There was a theory of incarnation called adoption.
Acts 2:36 “Let all the House of Israel know that God hath made . . . this Jesus, . . . both Lord and Christ.” (Peter).
Romans 1:3f “declared to be the Son of God with power.”
Acts 13:33 (also in the Psalms) “You are my Son, Today I have begotten you.”
Then emerged a theory called kenosis. The word means “emptying.” Philippians 2:7 (verb) “Made himself of no reputation, but himself emptied, the form of a slave taking.” Deity surrendered His divinity as if He could not be both.
Kenosis begins above (God to man).
Adoption begins below (man to God)
A third theory was called docetism. Means “to seem.” Jesus only appeared to be human. It was the gnostic error, explaining away His humanity.
Understanding dismisses all here for what they are--“misguided theories.”
Jesus was not adopted, He is the Son.
He did not surrender His deity, we have been visited by God. Light and darkness exist together. The light is so pure, the darkness so remote, that they do not mingle. The darkness cannot fathom light. V5 “the darkness comprehended it not.”
Thus, God came in the flesh of DARKNESS. V14 “The word was made flesh and dwelt among us (“and we beheld His glory”). Jesus came to enable the creatures of darkness to comprehend the light. V12 “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the children of God.”
III. Finally, the Incarnation Unfettered. V14 “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Ultimately, only one thing commends us. There are things that earn prominence: professional status, intellectual accomplishments, social consciousness, wealth. These things can all be disavowed by one character flaw: Many sins of the flesh can be overcome. A person who does not keep their word cannot be trusted.
It is in that sense that Jesus is called the Word. He is the ultimate description of all that God is. His coming to flesh is for man’s benefit. His spoken message is eminently important. His bearing, equally so.
He came as the light in man’s darkness. Think of the inkiest blackness, a cave where lights were briefly turned off. James Weldon Johnson: “Blacker than a thousand midnights down in a cypress swamp.”
Conclusion
Donald Miller, in his book, The People of God, delivers a searing indictment of far-too-many religious people today. “The sentimentalized Jesus of our time is not one before whom men would fall on their faces, and certainly, He would frighten away no devils! He is one whom nobody would crucify, and for whom few, if any, would be willing to die. He could not have brought the church into being, nor could He have sustained it through all the tortuous course of the long centuries.”
The Christ of the New Testament gospel claims our fullest devotion. He is the incarnate One, God in human flesh. He is still in charge. “I am the way, the truth, the life. No man cometh to the Father but by me.”
THE EXCELLENCE OF GOD
#120 THE EXCELLENCE OF GOD
Scripture Psalm 8, NIV Orig. 2-28-62
Rewr. 12-22-76
Passage: 1 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens.
2 Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?[c]
5 You have made them[d] a little lower than the angels[e]
and crowned them[f] with glory and honor.
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their[g] feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
8 the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Introduction
Psalm is a Christmas Cantata and Easter program rolled into one. It is the highest expression of all that the Psalmist feels. The entire congregation seems suddenly to have been made aware of what God is really about.
It is the wonder of the shepherds as they become aware, not just of the angels, but of the message being proclaimed. It is the wise men, who, having for weeks followed a star, suddenly discovered that it was leading to more than they ever imagined. It is a young Hebrew man and his wife, who believed in each other when no one else did, and who now reap the reward of their trust.
It is that marvelous discovery of what Christmas is all about. The realization that something wonderful has happened, and that it has happened at a time and place when my life is affected by it.
I. His Excellence is Seen in His Divine Imperative. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth. (Thy glory is recognized as far above the heavens as the heavens are above the earth.) He brings to the earth a being not strange to himself, with the potential to deliver personality, character, and integrity. The world is waiting for these signs of life to be communicated.
Elton Trueblood writes in The New Man for Our Time “The Christian faith cannot perform a redemptive role in the modern world unless it gives strong leadership on the central issue of faith. If the members of the church are primarily interested in erecting a new building or buying a new piano, they will not even begin to meet the need that modern seekers so deeply feel."
Additionally, it is the purpose of God to transmit His own holiness into the being of His creation. There is one irrefutable argument for our faith—a life lived in holiness.
II. His Excellence is Seen in the Majesty of His Creation. When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man that Thou art mindful of him? We do not project the image of something in mass production, but that which is carefully, tenderly made. How many of us remember those simplistic toys of childhood that meant the more because they were turned out by the loving hands of a parent?
The concept of visitation is messianic, as in “visiteth” or “care for.” Christmas was the literal visiting of God to the things of earth. Luke 1:68 “At the birth of John, Zechariah prophesied ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people.’” Vv. 78-79 “The dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness.” Acts 6:3 “(Look ye out) among you seven men of honest report.”
There is redemptive purpose in this creation. There is discovery of praise. There is the blessing which results. How many people want the same results from worship that they seek in the marketplace—the most for the least?
III. The Excellence of God is Seen in the Honor Extended His Creation. “Yet Thou has made him little less than God, and dost crown him with glory and honor.” We are capable of dominion, of maintenance of physical control over the physical universe.
We have mental comprehension. Take into consideration what man has been able to understand of outer space. He had to know what to expect before men would be sent on the moon journey.
We have spiritual uniqueness. “A little lower than the angels” (Elohim). Luke 20:36 “For they are equal unto the angels.”
Conclusion
From Thomas Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”:
“Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid
Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire—
Hands, that the rod of empire might have swayed,
Or waked to ecstasy the living lyre.”
A MISSIONS MANDATE
#098 A MISSIONS MANDATE
Scripture Psalm 96:1-13 NIV Orig. 12-3-61
Rewr. 11-28-79
Passage: 1 Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
4 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.
9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of his[a] holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
12 Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
13 Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in his faithfulness
Purpose: To call my people to the high goal of response to the nobility of the task found in missions, and doing all that we can to further His cause.
Keywords: Missions God’s Word Jesus the King
Timeline/Series: Lottie Moon
Introduction
A pastor friend here in the city share a counseling burden through which he had recently gone. It had to do with a 22-year-old mother of two children, whose husband had tired of the boredom of relationship and went off looking for his thing. Her inability to cope with this situation, the responsibility, the loneliness, the inequity, brought her finally to her pastor’s study.
Before the hour had passed, He knew that she was facing far more than just this debilitating circumstance. He recognized that this young woman’s life was in jeopardy. Somebody was going to have to do something, and soon. Discovering that there was no one else who would help, my pastor friend went to the Orleans Parish coroner’s office. There he was advised to secure the services of a lawyer who could appeal to the courts for this woman’s admission into a mental health unit. This in turn would enable the Court to order the appropriate agencies to take action on behalf of this young woman.
Before this process could be secured, my friend’s counselee took her own life. I do not know what happened to the young husband, and I must honestly say I do not care. I do not know what happened to the two small children, bereft first of their father, who did not love them, and then of their mother, who most assuredly did. But for them I do care. Our responsibility in missions is facing up to the fact that we are living in a world fraught with the burdens of broken relationships; destitute with the inequities with which some people brutalize other people. We are living in a world where we Christians are the only ones who have the answer. Our responsibility is to heed “A Missions Mandate” for the world’s sake. The world, like this desperate young woman, cannot long cope with what is happening to it. We American Christians are spending our time trying to find a negotiated answer, which will permit someone else to do the dirty work, when the only answer is in the giving of ourselves.
I. A Missions Mandate Declares the Purpose of Missions. V3 Declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people. The principal purpose is to reveal God’s love. This aspect of God’s character has taken a beating. Only its truth has enabled this love to break through the barriers of human pretense.
I surely do not need to do more than remind you of the injustices carried out in the name of Jesus. The Arab, Khomeini, is not the first of his kind to preach his gospel of hate, and murder, in the name of God. God will deal with him and his kind appropriately, but we best be ready to stand by our guns. This present crisis may yet involve us all. Perhaps it is an appropriate time to remind you that Muslim faith was under the gun of its founder, Mohammed, who conceived it as a mixture of Jewish, Christian, Greek, and Roman influences. Of all of the great prophets, he passed himself off as the greatest, even the Holy Spirit promised by Christ.
How many people do you know about whose lives would be very, very different if there were just one person to show them love? In that purpose inspired by love is the offer of salvation. It is an offer made unconditionally. It is an offer made irrevocably. My insurance company sold me a policy to protect my car. They didn’t tell me at the time, but part of that policy was conditional and revocable. The coverage on breakage becomes deductible after I file a couple of claims.
It is an offer made through Jesus because only in Him is God’s love fully measured.
Involved with that purpose is the understanding that we who follow Him must declare His glory before all people. Nothing else portrays His love as Jesus does. The Jews had failed as a people to respond to this love. Amos 3:2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.
II. A Missions Mandate Proclaims the Message of Missions. V10 Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved. Our principal message is to tell the world that the Lord reigns. No greater service can you render your king than to let him reign in your heart. No greater gift can be given from the human heart than to announce yourself subject unto your Lord.
Years ago, an English king went to hear a little-known minister. As the scripture was being read, the King whispered something to his consort. The minister turned from the scripture and declared: When the lion roars, the other beasts are silent; when the kings of the earth speak, then all others become quiet; but when the King of Glory speaks, even the kings of the earth shall keep silent and listen.
To say that our Lord reigns is to acknowledge that He has the temper of human history under His hand. In 1812, Adoniram Judson went to Burma, paid for, by the way, by the offerings of other people. He labored there for six years before he had his first convert. He spent untold numbers of hours translating the Bible into the Burmese tongue. In all of his ministry there, part of which was spent in jail, he witnessed only a few hundred conversions. How many of us, knowing such rigors, would have advised him that it wasn’t worth it to spend his life that way. Yet, because they have the message, because one man’s life stood under the Lordship of Christ, there are hundreds of thousands of believers in that place today. Can you think of one place where, because you lived there, there is one person who has become a believer?
Can you think of one place where, because you lived there, one person became a believer who otherwise would not? We are bearers of a seed that will propagate itself. We are to see that it gets to some. They then must see that it is taken to others.
Those through whom you heard and believed were faithful. Will those who wait for you be so fortunate? In the library at the Prague, there is displayed a triad of medallions dated 1572. On the first. Wycliffe, the Bible translator, can be seen striking sparks from a stone. On the second, the great martyr Hus is seen kindling a flame from the sparks. The last contains the image of Martin Luther holding high a flaming torch. They were an Englishman, a Bohemian, and a German, united in faithfulness.
III. A Missions Mandate Elicits a Picture of Our Victory Through Missions. V12f Let the field be joyful and all that is therein; then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord: for He cometh, He cometh to judge the earth; He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth.
Make no mistake about it, God’s offer of salvation is offered to all mankind. Are you inclined to doubt your ability and capability? So am I! It was for this very reason that the disciples heard their Lord, and they looked at the multitudes around them, and observed the handful of loaves and fishes. John 6:9 “What are these among so many?”
The same One who strengthened the faith of those first disciples offers us His strength today. There is that most-quoted of verses Philippians 2:10f That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, . . . And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
It is unquestionably the destiny of the people of God. Habakkuk viewed this destiny when he declared, “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah proclaimed it when he wrote “The wolf will dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together; and the little child shall lead them.” Micah believed it. “And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not rise up against nation, neither shall they study war anymore.” And John in Revelation gave a final testimonial. “After this I looked, and beheld a great multitude, which no man could number, from every nation and from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb.’”
Isn’t it time for you to give your life to Jesus? Isn’t it time to stop playing religious games when so much is at stake?
GOD’S ROAD TO REDEMPTION
#089 GOD’S ROAD TO REDEMPTION
Scripture II Peter 2:4-9 NIV Orig. 12-16-62
Rewr. 8-3-77
Passage: 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,[a] putting them in chains of darkness[b] to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.
Purpose: To remind men that God’s Word establishes the reality of His judgment, but that out of that judgment are the first rays of hope and salvation.
Keywords: Salvation Judgment
Introduction
Most of us who have spent any time at all singing in Baptist churches are familiar with the music of John Newton. We have enjoyed such favorites as “How Tedious and Tasteless the Hours” and “Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken.” We may know very little, however, about his own Christian experience.
When he was still only a boy, he left his native England to go to sea. The day he left home, his mother hold him that she would pray every day that he would become a Christian. (Has it ever occurred to you what might happen in the lives of your children if they knew your spiritual concern for them?) Many years passed, and that prayer went unanswered. As if to aggravate the sorrow that his mother knew, the life of John Newton turned to depravity and decay. He became, eventually, a slave trader, plying the waters between West Africa and the American South. He had come finally to moral and spiritual ruin.
It was in that depravity, however, that God convicted him of his sin. After his experience of repentance, at which time he turned to Christ in faith to save him, John Newton wrote, as an expression of his own life and transformation, a song that became one of the best-loved songs in Christendom, “Amazing Grace.”
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come,
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.
I. The Condemnation. V9 “The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and . . . to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.”
CONDEMNATION IS DESERVED. The examples of our text show that the angels were not spared, but were cast into mystical “Tartarus,” a holding area awaiting judgment: not gehenna (hell), mentioned at least 11 times by Jesus; not sheol (Old Testament), a region of departed spirits. Revelation 6:8 “. . . a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.”
There was a prior world judgment by flood upon the ungodly. Deliverance was through the preaching of righteousness.
There was a judgment of limited scope upon the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. It was to serve as a warning to others. As the judgment was limited, even so there would be the righteous “living among them” who would be delivered.
There is also the evident displeasure of God with contemporary humanity. Our age is an age of indulgence. Judges 17:6 “In those days . . . every man did what was right in his own eyes.” Did you catch the article in the paper this week? A St. Bernard parish political figure reminded a reporter that questionable funds were not a kick-back, but a campaign contribution.
Paul found it necessary to remind believers in Ephesians 5:18 “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be ye filled with the spirit.” Proverbs 14:9 “Fools make a mock at sin.” Luke 18:11 “I thank Thee, that I am not as other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers.”
God’s truth concerning condemnation covers all the ages of man. Genesis 3:17 “cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow thou shalt eat of it all the days of the life.” I Kings 21:21, Elijah said to Ahab “I have found thee because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord.”
I looked with dismay at a Times Picayune article, June 7, 1977, about a 13-year-old and a 16-year-old facing indictment on 4 counts of murder. One said, “I’d rather be sailing.” Those two boys lived in somebody’s community with the gospel. Are there any like them in our community? What to do? As a member of Riverside Baptist Church, what do you do? Leave it to the staff! As a Christian, a Baptist, live in indifference? It’s just temporary.
II. The Judge. V4 “For if God spared not the angels that sinned . . . , to be reserved unto judgment.”
He is the judge who cannot be mocked. Have you ever thought to consider what you taught your small children about Santa Claus, and later about God?
You’d better not pout, you’d better not cry
You’d better be good I’m telling you why…
You used a fairy tale to bargain your child into better behavior, getting them committed to a myth. That is not wrong in itself, but when you fail to teach them the true meaning of Christmas and their ultimate responsibility to God, then you are mocking God.
To live in atheistic disbelief is not to mock God. Martin Luther tells of the time when “I hated God and was angry with him.” But by his own reckoning that state of mind and heart spoke badly for himself and not of God.
Even Madeleine Murray O’Hare claims to believe in a god of nature. But, you see, she wants a quiet god who makes no claims or demands. One who sits around like the three monkeys with eyes, ears, and mouth covered.
Galatians 6:7 “Be not deceived. God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
He is the judge who cannot be other than just. He will not turn his back to ignore sin. Psalm 90:8 “Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of the count.” Jeremiah 32:19 “. . . Thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.”
In the Orleans Parish Criminal Court record of one Richard Norman Glover, self-accused rapist and murderer of 17-year-old Cynthia LeBoeuf, confessed in June 1972. In October 1972 he was ruled insane and unable to stand trial. He was committed to East Louisiana State Hospital. In March 1975 he was ruled synthetically sane, and able to stand trial. In February 1976 his admission of guilt was allowed (5 to 2) by State Superior Court. Eleven months later they reversed themselves and Glover was free.
III. The Promise. V9 “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation.”
It is a promise which cannot be earned. Romans 3:24 “Being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ.” Understand, please, that we may stand convicted of sin, and sincerely want to change our ways. But the power for justification is not in ourselves, but in Christ. Satan’s last foothold occurs when God convicts us of sin and he, Satan, tries to make us think that we can change ourselves.
It is a promise which can only be believed and received. It is more than a mere fresh veneer. Matthew 23:27 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are like unto whited sepulchres, which appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead men’s bones.”
It is the new birth, an inner change, wrought by God alone. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
NOTE by Rev. Skinner: Verse 4 contains a reference to God in judgment. Verse 9 completes this in reference to the Lord in that through Him there is the promise of deliverance.
***THE CONCLUSION OF THIS SERMON HAS BEEN LOST***
THE MESSAGE OF CHRISTMAS
#065 THE MESSAGE OF CHRISTMAS
Scripture Luke 2:1-20 NIV Orig. 12/24/61
Rewr. 12/18/75, 12/9/76
Passage: In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Keywords: Christ Birth Christmas
Timeline/Series: Christmas
Introduction
One of the most beautiful of all of the stories that have to do with Christmas, is a story that many people have never heard. It is the story of The Shepherd Who Stayed. I don’t remember who wrote the story, or even where it can be found.
There was simply another shepherd who fell to his knees that night on the Judean hillside. A man who was moved with the glory of the moment. A man who, like other men, was overwhelmed at what he saw and heard. This shepherd, however, rejected the angels’ invitation to see. “You will find the babe,” the angel had said.
Our shepherd friend was keeper there in the Judean hills to only a hundred sheep, but they were his responsibility, and he intended to stay at his post. I hear more than words when he gives his reason for not going to “the City of David.” God is at work in Bethlehem, he reasoned, and one shepherd less would not make a difference. But a shepherd in the hills could make a great deal of difference before this magnificent night is over.
I. The Message of Christmas is One of Fearsome Revelation. 2:15 Let us . . . see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. It is beyond everything else, God’s message to his people. You remember that it was the Word of God that brought this universe into existence. “And God said, ‘Let there be light’ and there was light.”
You also remember that it was the same Word of God that adjudged the world. “And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good.”
It was God’s Word which introduced man to taint an otherwise perfect place. But this perfection meant nothing without someone being capable of comprehending it. It would have to be a being capable of destroying it. Now it is God’s Word seeking to redeem the earth’s most irredeemable subject. V11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
The Revelation becomes more fearsome when we discover that it is from the Sovereign. There is the evidence of authority. “The angel of the Lord came upon them.” “A multitude of the heavenly host praising God.” “The babe lying in the manger.”
There is the signature of design:
“There is no art without an artist, no building without a builder,
no history without a patriot and his dream.
“Nor can there be a planet without a planner, a plant without a planter,
nor even yet a man without a Maker of this scene.”
The revelation becomes burdensome if we acknowledge man’s accountability without God’s trustworthiness. Every individual capable of self-comprehension is responsible for his choices and his actions. One of the critiques of our age is upon the misuse of alcohol, drugs—prescription and otherwise, tobacco, sex, and the health burdens that are left in the wake of their use.
You may have heard about the emaciated man who went to his doctor about his general health. The only thing the doctor turned up was that he smoked too much. “You must follow my advice. Your trouble is your smoking. Cut out all cigarettes except after meals.” Two months later he was back for a checkup. He looked better. He had gained weight. “I don’t know how long I can eat 15 meals a day.”
This self-responsibility passes over into even those areas of stress that we do not control. There were reasons why the shepherds could be reassured by the angel: The teachings of their fathers; the physical accommodations of the evening; conversations that such a night invoked; a star like no other star. While they were stricken with fear, their stress was abated by what these men were before the angel appeared.
II. The Message of Christmas is One of Joyful Exultation. There was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Joyful exultation is the result of faith. They believed in a God of love whose purpose was to be known by his creation. It was in the disciples’ fear of the unknown that Jesus said in Matthew 10:26 “Fear not, therefore, there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, nothing hid that shall not be made known.”
It was acknowledging God’s sovereignty over the unknown which caused Paul to write in Ephesians 1:9 “Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself.”
Joyful exultation in faith culminates in understanding. The story is told of Heinrich von Dannecker, great German sculptor of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In his early years he won a name for himself in sculpting Ariadne and other Greek goddesses. As he felt he was in his prime, he committed himself to what would be his major work. It would be a colossal piece featuring the Christ. He twice failed, but held to his purpose. Finally, the work of a lifetime was complete. It was all that he wanted it to be. He later was approached by Napoleon to do a statue of Venus for the Louvre. His answer was simple, “Sire, the hands that have carved the Christ can never again carve a heathen goddess.”
Similarly, Lew Wallace, Civil War general, later governor of New Mexico, began work on a novel. It was to contain an atheist’s view of Christ. The novel was Ben Hur. The author became a Christian in his efforts to write such a novel.
And understanding, when it is finished, brings fulfillment to the Christian life. V20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
The shepherds believed a believable word and acting on such faith were rewarded for it. They came to comprehend the involvement of God in the sameness of their lives. They knew that God had appropriated to Himself, a message that would change their lives. While they went back to the same sheep on the same hillside, their lives would never know sameness again.
There is likewise given to us a believable word, but the reward of faith awaits the believer’s response. How many of us have the gift of eternal life because we have believed? Romans 6:23 The gift of God is eternal life. John 1:12 As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God. Matthew 7:11 If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Though near to faith, how many are there who are yet victims of self-condemnation because they have refused the believable WORD? John 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him; the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”
We have been given life that we might find the Saviour. The angelic light penetrates the blackness of our somber nights announcing, “Christ is born . . . go ye . . . and ye shall find . . . Glory to God. When they had seen it . . . they returned, glorifying and praising God.”
Closing
I was reminded a few days ago of the testimony of a young Japanese student who was at Southwestern when I was there. The war years had been tragic. His brother-in-law dead in a kamikaze (divine wind) raid. His sister takes her own life. His parents had been in diplomatic service in Europe, but would not survive the war. His conversion came as a student in Germany after the war, when he was given a portion of a German New Testament. He tells of the time, at the start of the war, when they were given one hour to pack one suitcase, to then be extradited to their homeland. He remembered watching his mother trying to make the decision about what to put in that suitcase. She would put in objects of gold and silver, then ancestor-honoring porcelain, of great worth. Finally she loaded the suitcase with woolens and foodstuffs.
*THE REMAINDER OF THIS SERMON HAS BEEN LOST*
REFLECTION, attached to this sermon in Rev. Skinner’s file
Henry W. Longfellow
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th’unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.”
Till, ringing, singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
WHEN GOD BECAME MAN
#012 WHEN GOD BECAME MAN
Scripture Matthew 2:1-6 Orig. 12-19-71
Rewr. 12-14-76
Passage: After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Introduction
To contemplate the birth of Jesus, one must also consider that earlier birth of a planet, and birth of the generic man upon that planet. Back in the day when pollution was unknown, and ecology was unnecessary, man lived in what was a veritable Garden of Eden.
Of the little that we do know about that place, there is this fact about man’s beginnings. Around him were many trees. Of two of these we know the names—the tree of life, and the tree of knowledge. Imagination tells us what might have been names of other trees—virtue, strength, love, faith, obedience, trust, fidelity, honor. It was the tree of knowledge that man was disallowed any access.
You must be aware that there is a suitable recourse to knowledge when life is adequately lived. By having life, man can achieve knowledge. To have knowledge, however, is never any guarantee for life.
Thus, when man chose knowledge and rejected life, a rerouting of man’s priority became necessary. That rerouting ordered by God is declared in the story of the birth of Jesus. “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sin.”
And in His birth it is again declared—“I am come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly.”
The birth of Jesus, then, was not an historical declarative, but a contemporary imperative. And it was more. It was when God became man.
I. When God Became Man, There was Submission to the Limitations of the Flesh. He experienced extreme physical privation. A prince born in a cattle stall—the wise men honored a king; the priests looked for a king; The Word foretold a king. But even earthly kings are not so treated. I remember the birth of England’s Prince. The throngs waited amid regal glories for the natal hour. I remember when the College of Cardinals elected a Pope. I remember election night 1968. I remember last evening, when the winning democrat pictured himself elected.
Was such privation necessary for the “Tiny King?” You remember, I am sure, that Satan promised Jesus the kingdoms of this world if Jesus would worship him. But you must remember that this is a betrayal of trust. The kingdoms of which he spoke were those of the King of Kings, and not Lord of Lords. This KING, and no tiny king is HE, came to help man find His way back to God. The king must be One with the subject who will honor Him. Hebrews 4:15: “We have a high priest who feels our infirmities.” His life and His ministry were to make it easier for man to believe—to reroute his priorities.
This privation experience is necessary for us as well. We must die to the flesh, live unto God. Matthew 18:3 “Except you become as little children, you shall in no wise enter the kingdom of heaven.”
II. When God Became Man, There was Surrender of All of the Divine Attributes. The power of God did not cease to be operative in the universe. But in Jesus, God Himself, became the deliverer, the sin bearer, the rerouter of man’s priorities.
Let’s be sure about our concept of a deliverer. Television and movies have given us what is a poor substitute for the real thing. There is always the same plot. The father can’t or won’t pay the rent, the damsel won’t agree to the landlord’s proposal (it used to be one of marriage), so he ties her to the railroad track to await the hero sweeping in to deliver. May I call your attention to the Biblical concept—He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquity. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him. With His stripes we are healed. Even with His manliness, there was no compromise with purity and virtue. Hebrews 4:15 In all points He was tempted as we are, yet without sin.
III. When God Became Man, There was Subordination to the Holy Spirit. It was as Jesus accepted the fact of God’s Will that He was empowered to accomplish it. The hard fact of Jesus’ life was that He was willing to pay whatever price necessary to honor His heavenly Father—not human parents; not national heritage, not unborn multitudes; certainly not the human blood suckers who demand that we be like they are or a little worse. It is in the context of our willingness to honor our heavenly Father that we may be empowered for our task. May. May. May… The doubt is not in God’s ability, but in our will. John 14:12 “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these because I go to the Father.”
Conclusion
I read recently an account of a lady in the frontier days of the old west who came to the attitude of dependence upon the Holy Spirit. She lived with her husband in a mining town when gold fever was very high.
Someone told of an old prospector who lived alone in a shack back of town in the hills. He was dying. But about such a mean and vile man, no one cared. She went to him when no one would even go with her. He cursed her for coming. At the mention of mother, he cursed her. At mention of wife, he cursed her. After several visits she despaired to go again. Her little boy said “You didn’t pray. Have you given up? Has God given up?” She spent a night agonizing in prayer. She started visiting with a neighbor and her daughter. The little girl’s laugh became the key to the old man’s heart.
Our trouble is that we get bleary eyed and beatific over the birth of Bethlehem’s babe. Then after Christmas, we just revert to our old thinking about living among all of those agnostics and we are afraid to let them know that Christ is out of the manger and in our hearts.
THE SEVENTH ANGEL SOUNDED
#009 THE SEVENTH ANGEL SOUNDED
Scripture Revelation 11:15 Orig. Date 12/9/73
Passage: 15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
“The kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
and he will reign for ever and ever.”
Introduction
When Jesus went into Jerusalem shortly before His death, there came out to greet Him hundreds of interested and curious citizens. They prepared for His coming simply by placing palm branches along the way. They stood there shouting their “hosannahs” as He passed by. All of the outward signs were signs of acceptance and belief, but only a few days had passed before Jesus faced death at the hands of an angry mob.
Within the lifetime of many of us, we have had a similar event. About thirty years ago American and other Allied soldiers moved back onto the continent of Europe. Citizens of European countries, which had been under “der Fuhrer’s heel,” were free again. As these allied troops began the trek across Europe, time and again they were greeted by masses of people. They waited on the outskirts of their towns and villages for their liberators. It would not be long, however, before the scars of war would have healed and the brave deeds of courageous men would be forgotten.
But we are quick to point out that the Nazarene has not been forgotten. In fact, for the next few weeks, we are going to be very busy remembering. The next two Sunday nights, many of us will be here in the sanctuary rejoicing at the sounds of Christmas music. The preacher will stand to preach, and his messages will center themselves around the birth of Christ. And that’s not all. Some of us have already put up our trees. They are standing there with or without lights, gaily decorated, saying to all who enter, “We celebrate the birth of Jesus here.” Underneath the tree, either there are or there will be the gaudily packaged gifts of friendship and love. Is this not proof enough that we hold with the One who taught us that it is better to give than to receive?
Yes, we remember these brave soldiers of thirty years ago, and we remember the Galilean of two thousand years ago. Let it be noted, however, that we await only the sounding of the seventh angel’s trumpet, and all that will be remembered will be the Christ and His Kingdom, and His efforts to bring us into it.
I. The Seventh Angel Signals the End of This World’s Kingdoms. Be reminded of the kingdom of self. When the seventh angel sounds, the kingdom of self will be no more.
Little description is needed. We know it well. There are many who serve in this kingdom. It doesn’t make brothers of us. The Christian has no fetish to keep him from paying homage to this dissolute regent. This is the one place in the human spectrum where Satan is satisfied with second place.
It was this regard for self that drove Adam out of Paradise, Lucifer from the throne room of God, Saul from the seat of majesty as one of the great kings of Israel, Haman from the court of King Ahasuerus, and Judas from the brotherhood of Jesus.
Be as well reminded of the kingdom of sin. When the seventh angel sounds, the kingdom of sin will be no more.
Again, little description is needed. We all know the image of the picture which sin provides.
“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
“Your righteousness is as filthy rags.” Isaiah 64:6
We all know how capable we are in detecting sin in the lives of others. But we also know the scathing denunciation of Jesus upon those who would set themselves up as judges. “Thou hypocrite, if you really want to acknowledge the speck of dust in your friend’s eye, then first get the boulder out of your own eye.” Matthew 7:5.
I am inclined to think that we may miss the point of the matter. Whether the analogy of the sin in our lives is speck or boulder, splinter or log, the point is, we can’t do anything about either. When we knowingly enter the kingdom of sin, we can never be sure where it will end.
There is a third kingdom of which we must be forewarned—the kingdom of service. When the seventh angel sounds, the kingdom of service will be no more.
While many of us know all about the kingdoms of self and sin, most of us know little about the kingdom of service. Be reminded that it is difficult to isolate the true ideals of service. The vice president resigns. The president-elect of C. of C. is indicted. Even paragons of virtue have feet of clay.
II. The Seventh Angel Signals the Consummation of the Kingdom of Christ. His kingdom is the kingdom of love. Love is the language of communication there. “God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him.” I John 4:16.
It is the kingdom of Christian experience. “Though I speak with the tongues of men, of angels even, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a clanging symbol.” I Corinthians 13:1. Noise alone asserts neither style, nor skill, nor depth of feeling.
It is the kingdom of change by growth. I have not been able to establish unquestioned authenticity, but I have read that there is a disease called “marasmus,” that is said to be “the disease of being not loved.” It is a gradual wasting away of the body, especially in infants and elderly people.
It is the kingdom of peace. Longfellow wrote one of the most beautiful of all Christmas poems. Having been set to music we enjoy it during this season as one of the most popular songs of Christmas.
I heard the bells on Christmas Day, their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat, of “peace on earth, good will to men.”
I thought how as the day had come, the belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head, “There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men.”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep, “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep.”
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men.
Till ringing, singing on its way, the world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime, of peace on earth, good will to men.
So be here reminded that this kingdom is the kingdom of eternal values.
III. In Addition to the Kingdom, There is Also to be Considered the Capabilities of the King. In His providence He transforms. He didn’t start over (though there were times when He had cause to): In the garden with Adam; In the wilderness with the Hebrew nation; In the divided kingdom with Jeroboam and Rehoboam; In Rome with the Holy Catholic Church; In America with the evangelical church. He MADE over.
In His love, He redeemed. The Hebrew nation in Jesus’ day looked for a redemption from God. It was based on hope and faith. It was a false hope however, for it anticipated an earthly king. In what king of redemption have we put our trust? A babe in Bethlehem. In Him whose name shall be called “wonderful, counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace.”
In His power He sustains and keeps the believer.
Closing
You may have recognized the words of our text as being a part of the most famous of all Christmas oratorios, Handel’s Messiah. The message so stirred a king, George II, that he stood to salute the majesty of the work.
This composition which took Handel only twenty-five days to prepare, has stood for 230 years as the human mark of the excellence of that coming kingdom. The music has outlasted the crown and the scepter of the one who acclaimed its genius. But justice cannot be done to the kingdom itself in the words and music of men. When the seventh angel sounds the trumpet, the “kingdoms of this world will become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.”