December 25, 2016 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Galatians 4:4-5 “JESUS: GOD’S GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING!”

CHRISTMAS DAY

December 25, 2016

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Galatians 4:4-5

“JESUS: GOD’S GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING!”

1.     Jesus gives patience.

2.     Jesus gives trust.

3.     Jesus gives blessings that last.

Galatians 4:4-5 (NIV 1984) “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law ⁵to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”

          This year the Christmas service prepared by our Early Childhood students was titled “The Best Gift of All.” To introduce the service I asked those present what would make something the best gift, what makes some gifts better than others? I ask you that today. Think of gifts you received. What about them makes some better than others? Well one reason might be the joy that a particular gift gives you. As a child I remember going through the Sears and Penney’s Christmas catalog and circling my favorites. I remember the joy when I got what I wanted. Maybe, though, you are more on the pragmatic side. So for you it is when you get a useful gift, something you really need, that tool or kitchen appliance that will make your work easier. This year a snowblower! Socks or underwear usually don’t make that list but I remember a time when they did. When you are a grade school boy going to school at a time when you have to change in the locker room with all the other boys for every gym class and practice and your mom accidently washes your white underwear with a deep maroon fringed bedspread with the result that all your whitey tighties  have now turned pink there is great joy in getting some useful new white underwear for Christmas. I guess the best gifts that we receive are the ones that bring joy and are useful. Today I’d like to add one more characteristic for a great gift. It’s one that keeps on giving, that doesn’t wear out, that lasts and keeps providing more and more joy. The only gift that fits is Jesus.

          Brothers and sisters, if we ponder Christmas all year long we’ll see that Jesus keeps giving us patience. Paul reminded the Galatians, “But when the time had fully come.” What made the time when Jesus was born the right time? Some people have looked back at history and tried to get into God’s mind and guess a little bit. For instance they note it was a time in history where there was a common language. After Alexander the Great had conquered much of the western world it became cool to be like the Greeks. Greek influence spread and Greek became the common language of commerce. That would make it easier to communicate the good news of great joy that would be for all people. They also note that at that time the Roman Empire was in charge and they built good roads and were ruthless in stamping out crime so there was relative peace and safety for travel. That all may be part of the big picture looking back but the real answer to why it was the right time was God said so. He knew. He knows all things.

          He knows all things in your life too. There are some things in life that God puts into our control, some timing issues we are in charge of. If you get an assignment at school like a research paper you are expected to get it done. Deadlines at work are like that too. But there are many things in life that are out of our control. God has reserved control of those things for Himself. Don’t sweat the timing. You don’t have to stress out about what is out of your control like when a job you wanted falls through or someone else buys the house you wanted. You don’t have to get all upset if some of your plans don’t happen because something out of your control stopped it. When the time had fully come, Jesus was sent. God knows for the big things and little things. Remember that about Jesus and get patience. Jesus keeps giving.

          The gift of Jesus also keeps giving us trust. “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law ⁵to redeem those under law.” But why? Have any of you ever gotten into one of those discussions with a younger child? The one where no matter how you answer or what you explain they just keep asking why? Did you ever do that with God’s plan of salvation? But why? Why did God do it that way? Why did God’s Son become a man? Why did He have to die? In the few words I just read to you from Galatians 4 we get that glimpse of the glory and wisdom and power of God. He sent His Son. His one and only Son. While there are and have been billions of people there is only one true Son of God. Value. Born of a woman, born under law. That one and only Son of God became also fully truly human. This was no fake, no shell game. Jesus started in the womb and by natural birth saw the world outside the womb for the first time, drew his first breath, ate and grew like every other human being. By so doing Jesus was under law, that means subject to the law, obligated to obey God’s laws for mankind just like every other human being. And to what the Devil thought was his delight able to die like every other human being.

          What was God doing here? To the Devil this didn’t make sense. But God’s plan was perfect. He is God and one aspect of being God is that He is just. When He says something, He means it. The guilty get punished. The innocent go free. How could God remain just about the soul that sins shall die and in love spare the people He loves so much? A substitute. Someone would have to be punished to maintain God’s justice. Someone would have to be perfect. In a brilliant exhibition of His love and wisdom God came up with a plan to redeem those under the law. He wrapped His Son in human flesh and lay Him in a manger so that He could live a perfect life as our substitute and then get wrapped in cloths and laid in a tomb after giving his life as our substitute. Brilliant. God knows what He’s doing.

          And that’s another way that Jesus is God’s gift that keeps on giving. As we look at what God did with Him we keep getting trust. How will this ever work out? A loved one falls and breaks a hip. A loved one is diagnosed with cancer. The layoff notice comes. Look at Jesus. Learn to trust. See the helpless baby lying in a manger. Do you doubt God’s wisdom? He is so vulnerable. No, He’s part of God’s plan. See He walk to the cross. Watch Him suffer in silence and refuse to come down. Look at Jesus. Learn to trust. God’s plans are perfect and they always work out for the good of those who love Him just as He promised.

          Jesus is God’s gift that keeps on giving. He provides blessings that last. Most gifts we receive don’t last. Clothes wear out and don’t fit anymore. I asked the 8^th grade students about how long a new video game that just came out and every had to have would hold their attention. Answers ranged from a couple of months to a week. They don’t last. Even if you got that brand new Lexus with the red bow on top, it wouldn’t last. Door dings, corrosion from salt all take their toll. Eventually that new car smell goes away and even the new car air freshener can’t really match it.

In Jesus we receive gifts that last. Paul put it this way:  that we might receive the full rights of sons.” To the ears that first heard this people who thought they could never inherit and could never be any more than slaves or third class citizens this was exciting news. Full rights of sons meant protection, legal rights, inheritance. God is pointing out that by giving the gift of Jesus we have blessings that last. We have the right given by God to call him Father, Abba, and to know that he hears and answers our prayers always and only for our good. We have the right to the protection of his guardian angels, ministering spirit sent to serve those who will inherit salvation. We have the inheritance of heaven awaiting us. Heaven where the best this earth has to offer pales. What are gold and diamonds worth in heaven? Who needs a new car or money? Heaven where nothing wears out and our bodies work perfectly and where we enjoy eternity with all be believers around the throne. Heaven where we see Jesus face to face and we won’t have to ask “But why?” because we’ll know.

Our gift giving at Christmas is meant to be a reminder of what God gave us. I hope you receive some things that you need and things that you want. Some things that will give you joy and that joy will last beyond a day or two. But when you are saying or writing your thank yous, remember to thank God for Jesus, His gift that tops them all, His gift of which the others are just pale reminders, His gift that keeps on giving. Amen.

November 30, 2016 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Luke 1:46-55 “GET READY FOR CHRISTMAS!” LIKE MARY DID WITH MEANINGFUL PRAISE.

MIDWEEK ADVENT 1

November 30, 2016

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Luke 1:46-55

“GET READY FOR CHRISTMAS!”

LIKE MARY DID WITH MEANINGFUL PRAISE.

1.     It comes from a humble heart.

2.     It focuses on the great things God has done.

Luke 1:46-55 (NIV 1984) “And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord ⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, ⁴⁸for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, ⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is His name. ⁵⁰His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. ⁵¹He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. ⁵²He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. ⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. ⁵⁴He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful ⁵⁵to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as He said to our fathers.”

          Important events require preparation. If you hosted the Thanksgiving meal this year you just went through it. If you are planning on getting married you are in the midst of it. Even all the secular or extras of Christmas, the parties, the presents, the decorating calls for proper preparation. It’s even more true when it comes to celebrating the real message of Christmas. This year for our Midweek  Advent services we will focus on getting ready for Christmas by looking at the ways some of our more well known fellow believers did so in the past: Zechariah, Joseph and today we begin with Mary.

          Mary had something to get ready for, the birth of her first child. I’m guessing there were no gift registries for her to fill out, no prenatal doctor’s visits. I wonder if they didn’t have something like a baby shower. But Mary’s preparations for Jesus’ birth were very meaningful. When the angel Gabriel had told Mary she would be the mother of the Savior, he also told her that her relative Elizabeth was also pregnant with John the Baptist. Mary hurried to see her. When Elizabeth saw Mary by the Holy Spirit’s power Elizabeth recognized the Mary would give birth to the Savior and greeted her that way.

          That’s when Mary responded with the words of our text. They are more well known as the Magnificat, Mary’s song of praise. Now when the Holy Spirit chooses to write down a song of praise in Scripture we should take note. It’s important and God pleasing.  All praise is not. For instance one strategy to help children and adults alike to learn to speak nicely to each other is to require what are called three build ups for every one put down. So if a child says to another, “Your hair looks funny.” That is a put down. Next would come three build ups, three praises. A child who wasn’t really into the spirit of things might say, “You’re lucky to have me in your class.” Yeah, that doesn’t really cut it. It’s not meaningful praise.

          What does Mary’s song of praise teach us about meaningful praise? First for praise to be meaningful it needs to come from a humble heart. Mary had one. “My soul glorifies the Lord ⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, ⁴⁸for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, ⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is His name.” Mary knew who she was. She was a sinner. She needed God to save her from her sins and so she calls Him Savior. She realized she deserved nothing good from God. She calls herself His servant. She realized that every good thing she received from God was a privilege, not earned or deserved. Certainly being chosen to be the mother of the Lord was a great privilege and honor. This praise from God that flowed from her mouth started in a humble heart.

          Brothers and sisters, this is how we can get ready for Christmas. Make sure we have humble hearts. Like Mary let’s understand who we are, sinners deserving God’s punishment whose only chance to avoid that punishment is the Savior, Jesus. And that we are servants whose very relationship to God is a privilege. Now apply that to worship. Why are you here? Did you have to go to church? Do you really think that God can’t keep church pews warm without your behinds on them? Does God need your worship? Will He die without it? During Holy Week Jesus reminded the Pharisees who wanted Jesus to stop people from praising Him that the very stones would cry out. No, God doesn’t need us. We need Him. Our heartfelt praise pleases Him. A humble heart is grateful that God accepts our presence in His house. It doesn’t “have” to be here. It sees the extra worship of God this time of year as blessing not burden. As you do all your other preparations get ready for Christmas with a humble heart. Know yourself. A sinner deserving punishment. A sinner who sees that every good think in life is a privilege, not an entitlement. Meaningful praise comes from a humble heart.

          Now let’s move on to the content of our praise. Mary shows us that meaningful praise focuses on what God has done. “His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. ⁵¹He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. ⁵²He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. ⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. ⁵⁴He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful ⁵⁵to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as He said to our fathers.” What has God done? He extends mercy. He brings down those with arrogant hearts who think they run things. He lifts up those who are humble. Those who are hungry, in this context it means those who realize they lack what God requires, he blesses. But the rich, those who think they don’t need God, go empty. He remembers His mercy to Abraham and his descendants forever. Here is the heart of the matter. It revolves around the Savior, the promise made to Abraham and to Isaac and to Jacob and to the rest of the descendants all the way down now to Mary. A Savior would be born, the one through whom all the nations of the world are blessed.

          Mary’s meaningful praise focused on what God had and would do through Jesus. This is a big book. There is a lot in it. It tells us very clearly what God expects from us. It helps us see where we sin. It instructs us on holy living. But it’s first and foremost focus is on Jesus, on what and why God did what He did. As Mary’s meaningful praise reminds us it begins with God’s mercy. God sent Jesus because He is so good not because we are so good. He loves us in spite of our sins. God sent Jesus because He is faithful to all His promises even though we are not. He sent Jesus because we need His help. He doesn’t need ours.

          But He loves our meaningful praise. As you get ready for Christmas keep making the time to focus on what God has done in Jesus. Focusing on ourselves is kind of like the kid whose build up is “You’re lucky to have me!” Doesn’t cut it. “God, I’m blessed to have you!” does. Whether this is your first Christmas focusing on the real meaning of Christmas or your 91^st, like Mary, savor what God has done for you. Then you can praise Him for it. You’ll be ready for Christmas. Amen.