WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:01.679 Well Merry Christmas. 00:00:01.760 --> 00:00:15.279 Welcome whether you're one of our regular folks or uh you're here visiting or you're family of somebody and you you ended up here and I also know that's very possible that you might not want to be here and you were just told by your family that you were coming. 00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:18.559 And we'd love for you to know that we love that you are here. 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:23.920 So at least you have that during these painful 15-minute sermon that you're about to get. 00:00:24.160 --> 00:00:25.679 We're glad you're here. 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:38.159 The past few weeks, our family's been getting Christmas cards, like so many of you, and our girls, what we do is our girls take the Christmas cards and then put them, tape them up on a door in our den, and so we can see them over the weeks. 00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:44.159 And uh we'd love to see the very popular family beach pick, you know, is a popular one, and we'd love to see that. 00:00:44.240 --> 00:00:51.280 And our family, we went the very popular route of uh in the field with the autumn leaves behind us. 00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:53.039 That was our card this year. 00:00:53.119 --> 00:01:01.039 Uh, but one card beat everybody else's card, if it was a competition, which some of us know it sort of is, but we won't admit it. 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:08.319 One card beat everybody else, and this is the card, at least, that came to our house that beat everybody else's card, right? 00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:10.319 Because this card just has good news. 00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:15.359 I mean, this is just a good news card, and a baby's gonna beat uh, you know, you know, autumn leaves. 00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:16.799 I mean, it's a baby was born. 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:17.840 This is amazing. 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:23.359 So, Ben and Sarah, a young couple in our church, they had their first baby, baby Trey. 00:01:23.599 --> 00:01:26.400 And so this is his announcement. 00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:28.000 It's good news. 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:30.239 I mean, I know your son plays club soccer. 00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:31.519 That's fantastic, that's amazing. 00:01:31.680 --> 00:01:32.400 That's amazing. 00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:34.079 That's amazing information. 00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:37.280 I love learning that this Christmas. 00:01:37.760 --> 00:01:40.480 But a baby does win. 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:44.560 I mean, a baby born is amazing, amazing. 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:46.239 It's just good news. 00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:49.040 A baby announcement is something that's already happened. 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:49.920 That's what news is. 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:52.239 It's an announcement of something that's already happened. 00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:56.239 This baby happened to the world, is what happened. 00:01:56.480 --> 00:02:00.640 And we come today to remember a baby that happened to the world. 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:03.359 And that's just good news. 00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:05.760 A gift that happened to the world. 00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:08.960 Our reading today was Luke 2, 1 through 14. 00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:13.759 I'm going to reread just verses 8 and 11 as we ponder our text. 00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:21.280 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over the flock by night. 00:02:21.439 --> 00:02:27.520 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. 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:35.599 And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:42.159 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:45.439 Let's pray quickly before we try to make some sense of this. 00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:47.439 God, we come before you in these moments. 00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:49.280 Open our hearts, soften our hearts. 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:58.080 For so many of us, we come in from a busy day, a lonely day, maybe a complicated day, and we have busy hearts. 00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:05.280 And so would you just help our hearts to quiet in these moments that we might hear something from you? 00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:10.000 And would you have mercy on us, especially the one who speaks. 00:03:11.120 --> 00:03:11.759 Amen. 00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:16.400 Point number one is this the story of Jesus is good news for weary souls. 00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:21.599 Now, if you're around our church, you know that's pretty much one of my three points every single Sunday. 00:03:21.759 --> 00:03:24.159 It's just like one point is just repeated over and over again. 00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:27.039 The story of Jesus is good news for weary souls. 00:03:27.280 --> 00:03:30.319 The beginning of the Christian faith, that's what it was called. 00:03:30.479 --> 00:03:31.039 Gospel. 00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:33.759 Gospel means good news. 00:03:34.159 --> 00:03:34.960 That's just what it is. 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:37.840 You've heard good news, you got the job. 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:40.319 That was amazing news when you heard that. 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:42.159 You you passed the class. 00:03:43.439 --> 00:03:46.479 The boy likes you, the girl likes you, you remember that. 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:48.879 That's amazing news. 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:54.879 And because it was good news, great joy rose up inside of you. 00:03:55.120 --> 00:04:07.599 Now, it's also possible that you've been in churches, maybe you've been around Christians, maybe you're handed a Christian book and you read that book or you went to that place and you finished it and you thought to yourself, that doesn't seem like much joy. 00:04:07.759 --> 00:04:13.360 In fact, I feel pretty beat down, feel exhausted, maybe even feel condemned. 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:24.480 It's all very possible if we receive any sort of message like, if only you get a little bit better, then God will accept you or love you. 00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:32.160 If only you could perform a little bit more, you might also be worthy or whole or a good Christian. 00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:39.120 Rather than good news of great joy for all the people. 00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:44.480 The news is good for our weary souls because it's news, not advice. 00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:46.560 It's not something for us to do. 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:50.480 It's something done and accomplished outside of us and given to us. 00:04:50.639 --> 00:04:52.480 This is the act of the incarnation. 00:04:52.720 --> 00:04:56.720 God pursuing us, God coming toward us when we haven't merited anything. 00:04:57.040 --> 00:04:59.759 A baby happened upon the world. 00:05:00.879 --> 00:05:09.439 This frees us from being performers and pretenders, and it frees us to learn to become receivers and worshipers. 00:05:10.480 --> 00:05:15.279 The beginning of verse 10 calls us to move from fear to behold. 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:18.879 Fear has been our response to God since the beginning. 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:24.000 In the garden, you remember in Genesis, Adam and Eve they rebelled, they chose their independence from God. 00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:28.160 And then they saw that they were naked, where I'm from, it's naked. 00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:31.759 I don't know if you're from the same place I'm from, but it's naked where I'm from. 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:35.199 They were never ashamed before this. 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:37.519 And all of a sudden everything changes. 00:05:37.839 --> 00:05:40.560 And the questions begin in their heart and their mind. 00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:42.800 Questions that you and I still have today. 00:05:43.519 --> 00:05:50.480 If God knew me, if God saw me, if he really knew me, could he possibly love me? 00:05:51.199 --> 00:06:00.879 And so they respond to that and they go and they make their little jungle book clothes and they clothe themselves up, and they go on to run and hide from God. 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:13.120 My mentor Scotty Smith, he says this apart from the garments of God's grace given to us freely in the gospel, we'll reach for the rags of some feudal covering. 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:20.000 Shame has to do with being seen, and we are convinced that being fully seen by God would destroy us. 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:24.000 To be seen as we really are is just too much to fathom. 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:28.319 Our guilt and shame demand a payment we can't pay. 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:33.040 And that's why we need the garments of God's grace to us. 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:35.040 We need a gift. 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:43.519 All of a sudden, those two they heard the Lord walking in the garden, and you remember what happened, something that had not happened earlier, and that was that they ran and they hid. 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:48.720 They hid from the one who loves them, they hid from the one who wants to provide for them. 00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:53.920 And the Lord pursues them in the story, and the Lord says, Where are you? 00:06:54.560 --> 00:06:55.759 Where are you? 00:06:56.000 --> 00:07:01.360 So he's pursuing them, and they are covering, and they are running and they're hiding. 00:07:01.680 --> 00:07:10.399 So it's no surprise when the Lord shows up to these shepherds in the field, an angel has to say, Fear not. 00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:11.199 Behold. 00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:14.160 Like you don't have to be afraid of God. 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:17.680 Remember, last week we talked about the word behold. 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:26.959 Behold is to pause, gaze, not just get to work for God, but be astonished by God and His love for you. 00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:28.959 Point number two, two-point sermon. 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:30.639 It's my Christmas gift to all of you. 00:07:30.800 --> 00:07:31.920 Two-point sermon. 00:07:33.199 --> 00:07:42.000 By the gift of Christ, we transform from hiding in fear to treasuring in peace. 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:47.040 From hiding in fear to treasuring in peace. 00:07:47.920 --> 00:07:51.920 My favorite gift as a kid, I still remember getting this Christmas gift. 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:54.079 Maybe you have that one gift you remember as a child. 00:07:54.160 --> 00:07:57.439 Well, this is that one gift I received as a little boy. 00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:02.319 I received a battery-powered policeman motorcycle. 00:08:02.480 --> 00:08:03.920 My mom dug out the pitcher. 00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:04.720 There I am. 00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:08.560 And I loved that motorcycle. 00:08:08.879 --> 00:08:11.680 Oh, I can still remember that motorcycle. 00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:14.639 You couldn't take me away from that gift. 00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:16.879 I mean, that gift transformed me. 00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:17.519 It did. 00:08:17.759 --> 00:08:21.680 I wasn't just a I wasn't just a like a little boy in suburb America. 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:25.600 I was a powerful motorcycle man. 00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:27.439 As you can tell, I mean, look at me there. 00:08:27.519 --> 00:08:29.680 I'm intimidating. 00:08:30.319 --> 00:08:32.240 The gift did this to me, right? 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:34.159 The gift was so lavish. 00:08:34.559 --> 00:08:36.720 I mean, that gift was so lavish. 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:38.720 So powerful. 00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:43.039 It didn't demand anything of me, and yet it changed everything about me. 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:46.320 This is the power of grace. 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:50.799 This is what the gift of Christ is to us. 00:08:51.440 --> 00:08:53.919 The gift was put upon us. 00:08:55.279 --> 00:08:57.759 Do you remember the in Christ list we've been looking at this year? 00:08:57.840 --> 00:08:59.120 We've looked at it three or four times. 00:08:59.200 --> 00:09:02.480 And I want us to just ponder how lavish this gift of Christ is. 00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:04.240 I'm going to read over this list. 00:09:04.399 --> 00:09:06.399 People love when I read lists in the middle of sermons. 00:09:06.480 --> 00:09:07.120 They just love things. 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:09.840 It's fascinating, fascinating sermon material. 00:09:10.159 --> 00:09:13.120 Listen how lavish this gift is. 00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:17.759 In Christ, we are always forgiven and always righteous. 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:20.320 Jesus is your righteousness. 00:09:20.639 --> 00:09:24.879 In Christ, we have secure, forever acceptance and peace with God. 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:26.960 Jesus is your peace. 00:09:27.279 --> 00:09:30.480 In Christ, we are never alone and have endless companionship. 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:32.480 Jesus is your friend. 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:38.559 In Christ, we are liberated from performancism to live by the Spirit and freedom and love. 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:40.879 Jesus is your freedom. 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:46.799 In Christ, we are relieved of judgmentalism and empowered to live with love toward others. 00:09:47.120 --> 00:09:49.120 Jesus is your source of love. 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:53.840 In Christ, we are both deemed godly and becoming godly. 00:09:54.480 --> 00:09:57.440 Jesus is your empowerment toward holiness. 00:09:57.840 --> 00:10:03.600 In Christ, we have a heavenly home prepared for us when our days on earth are over. 00:10:03.919 --> 00:10:06.080 Jesus is your home. 00:10:06.639 --> 00:10:08.080 What a lavish gift. 00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:10.639 That all begins with a baby born. 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:12.960 A gift that happened to the world. 00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:26.320 Carl Barth, a Swiss theologian in the early 1900s, in a writing called The Miracle of Christmas, he reminds us that Joseph contributes nothing to Jesus' coming, which is very typical if you think about it. 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:38.159 My wife, over the last six weeks, she has hunted down and bought like 78, 93 presents, I don't know, somewhere in that range. 00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:40.159 Wrapped them all. 00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:45.039 I bought two and had my nine-year-old wrap them. 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:46.639 So I haven't wrapped any presents yet. 00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:53.279 I'm just keeping that streak alive, and probably very similar to the balance of uh input going on in many of your marriages. 00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:55.200 Contributed nothing. 00:10:55.919 --> 00:10:57.600 Joseph contributes nothing. 00:10:57.679 --> 00:10:58.799 He's just kind of absent. 00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:02.639 Joseph is absent in causing Jesus. 00:11:03.039 --> 00:11:06.799 Jesus happens to him, to his life. 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:11.200 Here's how Bart words it: The miracle is done upon man. 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:18.000 It is man who is the object of sovereign divine action in this event. 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:21.519 God himself and God alone is master and lord. 00:11:21.679 --> 00:11:28.879 This cannot be stated strongly enough, exclusively enough, negatively enough against all synergism and even monism. 00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:34.080 Grace is always despite and not because of the human condition. 00:11:34.399 --> 00:11:39.919 God's gracious action is never consequently, but always nevertheless. 00:11:40.559 --> 00:11:49.120 It is life from the dead and the justification of the ungodly, not the reward of the righteous. 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:52.320 Which is amazing news. 00:11:53.039 --> 00:12:00.799 If you've ever been beat down, you're exhausted or worn out or broken or just messed up. 00:12:01.279 --> 00:12:02.879 Or you can't get it all together. 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:04.639 It's amazing news. 00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:07.440 Last Sunday the World Cup ended. 00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:09.120 Remember that was the big soccer tournament. 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:09.759 Remember that? 00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:11.200 Last Sunday it happened. 00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:14.799 Argentina beat France to win. 00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:16.320 So I hear. 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:18.080 I was in church. 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:22.720 And a penalty shootout at the end of the game. 00:12:23.039 --> 00:12:27.519 It was tied three to three, and then the shootout happened, and Argentina won four to two. 00:12:27.679 --> 00:12:35.360 And the team's leader and hero, all-time great, is it Lionel Messi? 00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:36.480 Lionel? 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:39.279 Before I front, Lionel. 00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:40.799 That's what that's Southern. 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:43.360 Lionel Messi is the hero. 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:45.919 And he he's the hero, right? 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:50.639 I mean, the team, the fans, the world, I mean, we are exalting this guy. 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:53.919 He's an all-time great, this guy. 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:56.080 I mean, what a victory. 00:12:56.960 --> 00:13:01.279 Now, I found myself thinking back about the 2020 Eurofinals. 00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:04.080 I know you were thinking about that same game this week. 00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:06.000 England versus Italy. 00:13:06.240 --> 00:13:08.799 It also went to a penalty shootout. 00:13:08.960 --> 00:13:18.639 And 19-year-old Sokka, S-A-K-A, he misses a crucial kick at the end of the game, causing England to lose the game. 00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:25.279 And at the end of the game, when the game's over, England's manager, he walks on the field. 00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:27.679 And this is what he does. 00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:32.000 He wraps him up and he holds him. 00:13:32.480 --> 00:13:38.720 A guy who has merited nothing receives this sort of grace and love. 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:45.840 Now, I would love to always be the winner and the hero. 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:47.840 But I'm not. 00:13:49.919 --> 00:13:50.799 None of us are. 00:13:51.039 --> 00:13:53.039 None of us always have our acts together, right? 00:13:53.360 --> 00:14:00.720 I can't quite live up to my own standards and hopes, and I certainly don't live up to God's standards and hopes, and can't quite hold it all together all the time. 00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:04.799 I'm just not where I thought I would be at age 43. 00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:17.919 It's like we say every single week in our church, we are more broken than we originally thought, but we are more loved by God and Jesus than we ever dared to dream. 00:14:19.039 --> 00:14:21.600 And we see it in incarnation and his birth. 00:14:21.919 --> 00:14:25.519 God's action toward us as we are the object. 00:14:25.840 --> 00:14:27.840 He is happening toward us. 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:29.840 He breaks into our need. 00:14:29.919 --> 00:14:31.519 It's exactly what we need. 00:14:32.320 --> 00:14:35.200 We need a pursuit, God's pursuit of us. 00:14:36.159 --> 00:14:44.799 A pursuing God who breaks into our need and he wraps us up even when we lose the game, not just when we win the game. 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:48.639 Out of mercy and grace, God moves toward us in the gift of Christ. 00:14:48.720 --> 00:14:52.480 And this gift is so lavish and so sufficient. 00:14:53.360 --> 00:15:05.200 This life of Jesus to fulfill the law, all the righteousness we don't live up to, the work of the cross, our sin put upon him who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of God. 00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:08.399 That gift is put upon you. 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:16.799 So we get to become receivers and worshipers. 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:22.240 Let's pray together as I pray the historic colic prayer for Christmas. 00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:23.440 Let's pray. 00:15:27.519 --> 00:15:35.200 Oh God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ. 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:52.960 Grant that we who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer may with sure confidence behold him when he comes to be our judge, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:53.919 Amen.