WEBVTT 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:01.520 Hello, friends. 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:02.799 This is Pastor Creighton. 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:06.080 Thank you for tuning in to Newsong Church's Sermon Podcast. 00:00:06.240 --> 00:00:13.279 At Newsong Church, we want to see Jesus lifted high in Port Perry, Ontario, as we worship, grow, and serve. 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:18.719 You can learn more about us and find contact info at newsongportperry.ca. 00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:24.800 This is the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:27.440 Glory to you, Lord Christ. 00:00:28.480 --> 00:00:35.759 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:40.640 This was the first registration when Corinius was governor of Syria. 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:44.399 And all went to be registered each to his own town. 00:00:44.640 --> 00:01:00.159 And Joseph also went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:13.439 And while they were there the time came for her to give birth, and she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:28.239 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night, and an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 00:01:28.640 --> 00:01:48.400 And the angel said to them, Fear not, for I behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord, and this will be a sign for you. 00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:53.599 You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. 00:01:54.000 --> 00:02:07.519 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased. 00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:19.680 When the angel went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us. 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:25.599 And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. 00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:36.000 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child, and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 00:02:36.319 --> 00:02:40.560 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 00:02:41.039 --> 00:02:49.840 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen as it had been told them. 00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:53.120 Saints, this is the gospel of the Lord. 00:02:53.439 --> 00:02:55.520 Praise to you, Lord Christ. 00:02:58.159 --> 00:03:03.360 Behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 00:03:03.759 --> 00:03:10.319 Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. 00:03:10.639 --> 00:03:16.479 Heavenly Father, I give you thanks for this great gift of a Savior. 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:21.599 This great gift of this newborn Lord of all. 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:26.560 Lord, would we not miss the wonder? 00:03:27.439 --> 00:03:40.240 Would we not miss the marvel that it is to behold you wrapped in swaddling cloth, entering into our situation, entering into our world. 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:50.800 Lord, grant your Holy Spirit to work in our hearts such that we come and adore you. 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:52.960 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:54.159 Amen. 00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:56.240 Please be seated. 00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:07.599 I'm increasingly confident of the fact that uh it's a rite of passage. 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:17.600 You know you've become an adult when uh when Christmas time rolls around and the thing you're excited most about is the socks waiting for you under the tree. 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:22.720 I think that's a rite of passage because when you're a kid, what's the last thing you want to receive for Christmas? 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:24.560 You don't want socks. 00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:27.360 You know, socks is just taking up space. 00:04:27.759 --> 00:04:33.120 But when you become an adult, suddenly that first Christmas, I remember that first Christmas opening up socks, thinking, yes. 00:04:33.839 --> 00:04:37.680 Because they were the kind of socks I was looking for, and I thought, something's wrong. 00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:44.720 See, when you're a kid, of course, the usefulness of socks isn't it's not apparent, is it? 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:50.160 I mean, you'd rather a plastic toy that you're gonna play with for five minutes and then forget about. 00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:54.319 Some gifts don't immediately show you their value. 00:04:54.480 --> 00:05:05.439 I remember when I was young, uh, one of the most thoughtful gifts I ever received was from my godmum, and uh wrapped in a very small box was a golden ring with my initials uh engraved in it. 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:07.600 And what an amazing, thoughtful gift that was. 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:11.680 But the problem was I was six, and I was thinking, what do I do with this? 00:05:12.399 --> 00:05:15.360 And it was anyway, I I think about that ring often. 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:18.560 Let me tell you about one of my favorite uh Super Bowl commercials. 00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:22.560 I might have already told you about this, but it's worth telling again if you've heard it. 00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:27.199 One of my favorite Super Bowl commercials is a number of years ago, shortly after Castaway came out. 00:05:27.279 --> 00:05:28.720 You remember that movie Castaway? 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:31.600 You know, Tom Hanks gets stranded on the desert island. 00:05:31.680 --> 00:05:34.800 He's a he's a UPS guy or FedEx guy, something like that. 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:46.399 But he he washes up on the shore with a bunch of these FedEx packages that are left undelivered because the plane had crashed, and the whole movie is a harrowing journey of survival and his return to civilization, everything like that. 00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:50.079 But the movie ends, I'm gonna spoil the movie, it's been out for a while, so you should have seen it. 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:52.399 The movie ends with him uh arriving home. 00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:56.240 There's one package that's been left unopened this whole time. 00:05:56.639 --> 00:06:01.439 And uh, and this package has been something like it's a symbol of his his will to go on. 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:03.519 He's going to complete this delivery. 00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:09.439 Doesn't matter how long it takes, he's gonna get back and he's gonna deliver this package to its address. 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:10.560 And that's what he does. 00:06:10.720 --> 00:06:17.199 When he gets back to civilization, he has a shave and then he takes this package to its uh to its delivery address. 00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:26.800 Now, the Super Bowl commercial, I mean, that's sort of where the movie ends, but the Super Bowl commercials imagine what happens next when he knocks on the door and hands the package and he's thanked. 00:06:26.959 --> 00:06:32.079 And then as he turns to leave, he turns back and he says, you know, just because I'm curious, he's never opened this package. 00:06:32.160 --> 00:06:35.360 I'm just because I'm curious, what's in the package, by the way? 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:38.079 And the lady open, you know, sort of is opening up package. 00:06:38.240 --> 00:06:39.920 So, well, no, you know, no no no big deal. 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:46.800 Just a GPS and uh and just some seeds and uh, you know, a flare gun and uh, you know. 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:53.199 And I just love that because everything he needs, of course, to survive has been in this box the whole time. 00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:59.920 You know, here is here is a m a gift that is most needed, but so overlooked. 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:02.800 At least this is how the commercial imagines it, right? 00:07:02.959 --> 00:07:12.720 Sometimes the greatest gifts are those gifts whose usefulness or value or or just the sheer necessity aren't immediately apparent to us. 00:07:12.879 --> 00:07:16.399 We might, if we're not careful, gloss right over them. 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:19.360 And we are talking about a gift tonight. 00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:22.240 Our gospel reading is all about a gift. 00:07:22.399 --> 00:07:27.199 And the key words we should notice is the angel's announcement in verse 10. 00:07:27.519 --> 00:07:28.720 Unto you. 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:30.959 That's where gifts are given. 00:07:31.040 --> 00:07:32.480 That's giving language. 00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:33.519 Unto you. 00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:35.519 This belongs to you. 00:07:35.680 --> 00:07:37.920 This is being given to you. 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:41.040 We have gifts being given. 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:45.519 We have a great gift being given in our gospel reading today. 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:57.519 And what I want us to consider is the sheer incomprehensible value and wonder and sheer need of this gift. 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:02.399 This is the greatest gift God could ever give us. 00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:07.040 And the surprising thing about this gift is not that it's a cute, snuggly baby. 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:08.160 That's wonderful. 00:08:09.199 --> 00:08:13.839 The wonder of this gift is it's God giving himself to us. 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:19.120 This is gift God's greatest gift to us is Himself. 00:08:19.680 --> 00:08:21.839 That's what we see in our gospel reading today. 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:37.440 I just want us to have a look at what the angel announces to the shepherds, because the good news announced to the shepherds on that first holy night is the news announced to us today, if we would receive it by faith. 00:08:37.679 --> 00:08:40.639 Let's look at verses ten and eleven. 00:08:41.840 --> 00:08:43.840 The angel appears to the shepherds. 00:08:44.159 --> 00:08:46.639 Gosh, I gotta wonder what they're thinking at that point. 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:48.399 Well, I think we know what they're thinking. 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:50.159 The first thing the angel says is, Fear not. 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:51.120 There you go. 00:08:51.440 --> 00:08:53.759 The angel or the shepherds are shaken. 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:54.879 Fear not. 00:08:55.120 --> 00:08:58.720 I'm not here to terrorize you, I'm not here to scare you. 00:08:59.200 --> 00:09:00.879 In fact, quite the opposite. 00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:13.519 Behold, I bring you good news, an evangelion, good news of great joy that will be not just for you, but for all people. 00:09:14.879 --> 00:09:17.679 There is good news today, and what is that? 00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:25.039 Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 00:09:25.279 --> 00:09:27.840 Let's just take that apart piece by piece. 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:31.759 Born this day in the city of David, the angels announce. 00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:34.399 The city of David is really significant to us. 00:09:34.559 --> 00:09:38.879 Maybe you've been to Sunday school, and maybe you remember King David and his battle against Goliath. 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:48.639 The city of David is not just pointing to uh this one episode of David, it's pointing to some of the something of the broader story of the Bible up to this point. 00:09:48.799 --> 00:09:56.080 I mean, we have to be honest, we're walking into Luke chapter 2, we're walking in about halfway through the story of the Bible, and the Bible is a story. 00:09:56.240 --> 00:10:03.679 So imagine walking, you know, into a movie for the very first time and just catching a scene in the middle, you're probably going to be a little bit disoriented. 00:10:03.840 --> 00:10:09.600 You probably need a little sense of what came before to understand what's happening now, to understand what will happen next. 00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:22.399 And this announcement that born this day in the city of David means that God is doing something that is fulfilling a promise that he has made to his people. 00:10:22.879 --> 00:10:25.200 The story is moving forward. 00:10:25.919 --> 00:10:33.919 Bethlehem is the city where King David is born, that's true, but even more key than that is God's promise to King David. 00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:40.480 God makes a promise to David as he reigns as king centuries before Christ is born. 00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:51.440 God promises David this I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 00:10:51.759 --> 00:10:57.840 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 00:10:58.320 --> 00:11:09.440 This is a kingdom of justice, a kingdom putting the world to rights, and God is saying to David, I'm committed to bringing this kingdom to pass through your royal line. 00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:16.480 So if we wonder why the gospel reading is making such a big deal of the descendant from David, well, this is it. 00:11:16.879 --> 00:11:27.120 God's fulfilling this promise that He's made centuries before to King David and what he's doing today, because born this day is a promised child. 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:29.360 That's what we read from Isaiah chapter 9. 00:11:29.519 --> 00:11:33.759 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:36.240 God is fulfilling his promises. 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:37.840 That's what's being signaled here. 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:40.559 Born this day in the city of David is what? 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:45.279 A Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 00:11:46.399 --> 00:11:48.080 Christ is not a last name. 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:50.080 Jesus wouldn't sign his name Mr. 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:50.879 Christ. 00:11:51.759 --> 00:11:53.440 Christ is actually a title. 00:11:53.919 --> 00:12:06.799 It's a Greek rendering of this Hebrew word Messiah, which it's hard to capture the significance of this word Messiah in English, but it would be something like this: God's anointed and appointed Savior. 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:28.639 This is the one that God is going to work his will through such that the world is restored to the way it should be, that his people will be delivered, that we'll be rescued from sin and death and this condition of waywardness that has plagued the human race since our first parents departed from the Lord. 00:12:28.960 --> 00:12:37.120 God is going to work something marvelous through this Messiah, a work of restoration, a work of renewal, a work of hope. 00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:39.759 And that's who's been born this day. 00:12:40.080 --> 00:12:45.360 A Savior who is Christ, the Lord. 00:12:46.159 --> 00:12:53.120 Greek word is curios, and it's true that that Greek word is often used, you know, in a similar way to English. 00:12:53.919 --> 00:12:57.759 We might refer to a lord as a landowner if it was Old English, I suppose. 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:00.000 Landlord, I guess that's a contemporary term. 00:13:00.159 --> 00:13:00.559 How about that? 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:02.480 I stumbled into that right now. 00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:18.080 So it's it's true that that title can refer to certain people in authoritative roles, but this is a really crucial term because this is how the Greek word for God's covenant name gets translated in the New Testament, kurios. 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:21.679 Yahweh is the name that God gives to his people Israel. 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:23.120 It's his unique name. 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:30.159 By this name, you are going to know me uniquely as not just a God, but your God, the God who is for you. 00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:40.080 And so when the claim here is that, born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord, we're saying more than just this guy is really, really important. 00:13:40.799 --> 00:13:50.080 We're saying something like this God has given you the greatest gift he ever could, and that gift is Himself. 00:13:50.799 --> 00:13:57.279 God has taken on flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory. 00:13:58.559 --> 00:14:00.799 That's what's being signified here. 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:03.519 And friends, this is good news. 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:06.639 The angel's announcing good news, by the way, not good advice. 00:14:06.799 --> 00:14:07.840 Did you notice that? 00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:10.879 Hey, I've got some good advice to share with you, shepherds. 00:14:11.279 --> 00:14:24.799 Let me share with you some shepherding techniques, or let me show you what, you know, really pleases God, what you can do to pull up your bootstraps and live in such a way that, you know, he's he's uh well, he's gonna want to throw you some bonuses from here and you know, from time to time. 00:14:25.039 --> 00:14:28.159 It's not good advice that the angels announce to the shepherds. 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:30.159 It's good news. 00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:36.480 Friends, it is good news that God has taken on our human nature. 00:14:36.799 --> 00:14:40.799 If God does not have skin on, then there is no good news. 00:14:41.039 --> 00:15:00.159 Then all that we can offer, if God is only idea, if he's if he's an abstract, if he's out there somewhere, then the best we could hope for is some philosophical or moral or or ethical kind of way to really pull ourselves together this time and do a better job. 00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:04.320 And that's good advice, but that's not good news. 00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:10.159 Good news is not good advice is about here's how you succeed in your quest for God. 00:15:10.399 --> 00:15:14.879 Good news is here's how God has succeeded in his quest for you. 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:19.360 He has entered into your situation, he has become human. 00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:21.279 Why did he become human? 00:15:21.519 --> 00:15:22.240 I love this. 00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:25.279 I just gotta share one of my favorite quotes from all of church history. 00:15:25.360 --> 00:15:31.039 This is a dude named Athanasius, which is an incredible name, but he's also an incredible thinker. 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:38.879 And Athanasius is reflecting on the profundity of what we call the incarnation, God who has become human in Jesus. 00:15:38.960 --> 00:15:39.919 And he says this. 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:42.159 Here is why the incarnation happened. 00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:49.840 He says, the Son of God became human so that we might become united to God. 00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:52.320 Let me say that again. 00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:59.039 The Son of God became human so that we might become united to God. 00:15:59.200 --> 00:16:01.200 It might be the angels announcing good news here. 00:16:01.360 --> 00:16:02.080 That's okay. 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:12.559 Do we catch that though? 00:16:12.799 --> 00:16:15.120 There's an incredible exchange happening here. 00:16:15.279 --> 00:16:20.240 God is taking on human nature so that we can partake, as it were, in the divine nature. 00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:27.679 Reconciliation is happening, a union is happening, and Jesus is right in the middle of that Venn diagram. 00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:29.759 Humanity has been wayward. 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:39.919 God is uh holy, and we have no hope in our all our moral striving to make our way to God, and yet God has come into our world. 00:16:40.639 --> 00:16:42.320 That's good news. 00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:46.480 And if God doesn't have skin on, then there's no good news. 00:16:47.679 --> 00:16:49.519 This is an incredible gift. 00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:56.480 It's the gift of Himself, and that's what we receive on that first Christmas. 00:16:57.440 --> 00:17:08.559 God doesn't give us an idea, He doesn't give us a moral system, He gives us Himself, a person who is known and loved, even as He knows and loves you. 00:17:09.759 --> 00:17:10.880 That's Christmas. 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:13.680 God has given us Himself. 00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:19.039 Maybe I can make a few suggestions of what this means for us. 00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:28.000 Number one The fact that God is given to us Himself means that God wants to be received. 00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:36.880 He's not the box and the castaway commercial that remains unopened and set aside. 00:17:37.359 --> 00:17:40.000 God wants you, as it were, to open him up. 00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:42.640 Open up your heart and receive him. 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:51.359 Number one, God wants to be received, but number two, God wants to be received where he gives himself to us. 00:17:51.680 --> 00:17:53.279 And that's key. 00:17:53.599 --> 00:18:07.680 Because did you notice when the shepherds announce the good news, pardon me, the angels announce the good news to the shepherds, they don't just say, Here's good news of great joy, here's how you think about God, and almost make him, as it were, to sort of appear in your mind. 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:09.119 What do they tell them? 00:18:09.359 --> 00:18:10.640 Go to the manger. 00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:13.759 Go to where God has made himself known. 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:16.240 He's lying there in the stable. 00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:17.680 Go and see him. 00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:22.480 The shepherds had a manger to go see. 00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:24.799 The wise men followed the star. 00:18:25.440 --> 00:18:26.799 But where do we go? 00:18:27.119 --> 00:18:28.480 We don't have a manger. 00:18:28.880 --> 00:18:30.079 We don't have a star. 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:34.000 Where do we go to find Christ? 00:18:34.319 --> 00:18:40.240 I think we go to somewhere as ordinary, as easy to overlook, as a stable. 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:45.359 We go to where God has committed himself to give himself to us. 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:47.039 Two places. 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:48.799 Let me read some quotes. 00:18:49.759 --> 00:18:54.400 Number one comes from one of my favorite, well, two of them are from my favorite heroes of the faith. 00:18:54.480 --> 00:18:55.440 I'm quoting them a lot tonight. 00:18:55.519 --> 00:18:56.400 How about that? 00:18:56.720 --> 00:18:58.079 Martin Luther, number one. 00:18:58.240 --> 00:19:03.839 He's writing an introduction to the Old Testament, and this is his reflection on the scriptures. 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:11.599 He says, Here in the scriptures, you will find the swaddling cloths and the manger in which Christ lies. 00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:15.440 When we come to God's word in scripture, we're not just reading words on the page. 00:19:15.599 --> 00:19:25.920 We are encountering the living word, the word who spoke creation into existence, the word who became flesh, the word who illumines himself to us by his Holy Spirit. 00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:30.319 We come to scriptures, as it were, to encounter the child in the manger. 00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:32.000 We don't worship the manger. 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:34.240 We come to worship the child. 00:19:34.400 --> 00:19:40.319 And so when we open up scriptures, we're ready to encounter the living word, Jesus. 00:19:40.640 --> 00:19:44.000 But God also makes an even more tactile commitment. 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:47.759 He says, Here's where you're going to find me if you're looking for me. 00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:53.680 This is another one of my heroes named John Calvin, and this is a bit of lengthier quote, but hang in there, because I think it's worth it. 00:19:53.920 --> 00:19:59.440 Calvin is reflecting on verse 12 in Luke chapter 2, and he says this. 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:07.039 He's talking about how remarkable it is that the angels pointed the shepherds in the most unremarkable direction towards the stable. 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:17.359 He says, this method of proceeding, which might appear to the view of men absurd and almost ridiculous, who expects to find God in a smelly stable? 00:20:17.759 --> 00:20:19.599 This thing we think is almost ridiculous. 00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:23.440 The Lord pursues toward us every day. 00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:42.400 Sending down to us from heaven the word of the gospel, he enjoins us to embrace Christ crucified, and holds out to us signs and in earthly and fading elements, which raise us to the glory of a blessed immortality. 00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:50.079 Having promised to us spiritual righteousness, he places before our eyes a little water. 00:20:51.279 --> 00:20:58.160 By a small portion of bread and wine, he seals the eternal life of the soul. 00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:26.319 But if the stable gives no offense whatever to the shepherds so as to prevent them from going to Christ to obtain salvation, or from yielding to his authority while he was yet a child, no sign, however mean in itself, ought to hide his glory from our view, or prevent us from offering to him lowly adoration, now that he is ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. 00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:29.759 That's a lengthy quote, but did you catch his meaning? 00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:35.599 He's saying that God commits himself to us in really ordinary and unremarkable ways. 00:21:35.759 --> 00:21:42.640 If we want to go find God, just like the shepherds, we have to go to where God has promised to give himself to us. 00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:50.240 And for us we go to the scriptures, and for us we go right here to the font of baptism, and we go to the Lord's table. 00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:51.039 Why? 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:59.279 Because God has committed Himself, He has committed all of His benefits, all of His promises to us in these simple signs and seals. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:12.480 Set them aside for us to say, here is where I am, here is where you enter into union with me, here is where you are nourished, as it were, by you in union with me. 00:22:13.119 --> 00:22:19.599 We come to the table, we come to the font, because here is where we meet our Lord, as it were, in the stable. 00:22:20.319 --> 00:22:27.839 One of my favorite Old Testament stories is from uh 2 Kings chapter 5, and this is a story about Naaman the Syrian. 00:22:27.920 --> 00:22:33.440 And I know you're all excited to hear about the baby Jesus tonight, but I know you're also secretly thinking, it's Naaman the Syrian. 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:34.880 I'm really excited to hear about. 00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:42.720 Naaman the Syrian is um, let's call him the last person you would expect God to show up to, right? 00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:52.720 He is uh a military man, he is uh he is not an Israelite, he's a Syrian, so he leads Syria's army against, who do you think, God's people, Israel. 00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:58.160 This is not who you'd expect God to show up to if you're an Old Testament believer. 00:22:58.640 --> 00:23:02.160 But Naaman has a debilitating skin disease. 00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:08.559 And Naaman hears that there is a prophet in Israel who may be able to heal him, named Elisha. 00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:11.440 And so he makes the journey to go see Elisha. 00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:15.200 And when Elisha sees him, he says, Here's what you're gonna do. 00:23:15.359 --> 00:23:16.720 This is a word from the Lord. 00:23:16.880 --> 00:23:18.240 You're gonna go and wash. 00:23:18.400 --> 00:23:22.559 Go to the local river and give yourself a bath, and the Lord will heal you. 00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:24.400 And Naaman, you know what he does? 00:23:24.640 --> 00:23:26.559 He walks away furious. 00:23:26.880 --> 00:23:29.119 He says, I can't believe this guy. 00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:30.160 He turns to his servant. 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:31.119 I can't believe this guy. 00:23:31.200 --> 00:23:35.359 I thought he was just gonna wave his hand, and away was going to be my disease. 00:23:35.440 --> 00:23:41.920 Or maybe, maybe he was gonna ask an exorbitant sum of money, which is why I brought all these buckets of money with me. 00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:45.759 I wanted to do something huge so that God would do something huge for me. 00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:47.599 And you know what his servant says to him? 00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:54.319 His servant says, Master, if he had told you to do something great, you would have done it without thinking. 00:23:54.480 --> 00:23:59.759 So why, when he asks you to do this ordinary simple thing, do you refuse? 00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:05.680 And so Naaman goes and he washes, and Naaman experiences the Lord's healing. 00:24:06.079 --> 00:24:09.200 And friends, I gotta think sometimes my heart's a little like Naaman. 00:24:09.279 --> 00:24:14.640 Sometimes I expect to experience God in the largeness and the bigness and the mountaintops of life. 00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:16.720 And sometimes that happens. 00:24:16.960 --> 00:24:21.599 But where God has committed himself to us is right here in the ordinary. 00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:27.279 It's in the promises in his word, it's right here in baptism, it's right here at the Lord's table. 00:24:27.359 --> 00:24:34.960 These are the ordinary means by which God gives us the greatest gift we could ever receive, and that is Himself. 00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:46.480 The third thing we should bear in mind, when we come to receive Him where He gives Himself to us, we ought to remind ourselves that we walk away changed. 00:24:46.799 --> 00:24:48.960 What do the shepherds go away saying? 00:24:49.599 --> 00:24:58.079 They go away saying in verse 20, pardon me, they returned glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen as it had been told to them. 00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:00.880 They're now echoing the language of the angels. 00:25:01.039 --> 00:25:06.559 So if we go and encounter the Lord, we should be ready to be changed by our encounter. 00:25:07.599 --> 00:25:09.359 I love what the good Bishop J.C. 00:25:09.519 --> 00:25:10.400 Ryle says. 00:25:10.559 --> 00:25:13.680 He says, The shepherds went to Bethlehem in haste. 00:25:13.920 --> 00:25:17.759 They soon returned, glorifying and praising God for what they had seen. 00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:23.759 The journey that is begun in faith will generally end in praise. 00:25:24.799 --> 00:25:29.440 Friends, in a few moments we're going to witness our brother Aidan's baptism. 00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:35.200 This is a journey of new life and new birth. 00:25:35.599 --> 00:25:42.799 Just as Jesus was born to give himself to us, so too, through the gift of baptism, are we born again. 00:25:43.119 --> 00:25:46.000 Do the promises that he gives us become ours? 00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:51.359 And that's what we're going to celebrate and witness, bear witness to in Aidan's own life. 00:25:51.599 --> 00:26:05.519 These remarkable promises might not be immediately apparent, but if you hear these words and you have been baptized, even if your baptism service looked nothing like ours tonight, all of these baptism promises belong to you. 00:26:05.599 --> 00:26:07.519 And do you know why they belong to you? 00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:09.839 Because they're promises from God's word. 00:26:10.400 --> 00:26:12.640 And he's committed himself to them. 00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:17.119 So we celebrate Aidan's baptism and we remind ourselves of our own. 00:26:17.359 --> 00:26:24.240 We are born again by God's grace, just as Christ is born on that first Christmas night. 00:26:24.799 --> 00:26:26.160 Christ is born. 00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:32.160 We are born again because God has given us the greatest gift himself. 00:26:33.119 --> 00:26:34.960 Glory to God in the highest. 00:26:35.279 --> 00:26:35.920 Amen. 00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:39.119 Thank you for listening today. 00:26:39.359 --> 00:26:44.799 We worship a generous God who calls us to follow Him in giving willfully, cheerfully, and sacrificially. 00:26:45.039 --> 00:26:51.519 Newsong Church's mission and ministry is one hundred percent funded by the generous gifts of those worshiping and journeying with us. 00:26:51.680 --> 00:26:59.200 If you'd like to offer a gift towards Newsong's ministry, please visit newsongportperry.ca slash giving for more information on how to do that. 00:26:59.440 --> 00:27:02.319 May God bless you and keep you today and every day.