Dustin Blumer Sermon 310 - Matthew 1:39-56 Celebrate Like No Other

Hey all, Merry Christmas. You ever need someone to be what you need? Like this is going on I just need you to be strong. I’m hungry I just need you to make a meal. I come saying I desire to be what you need, what your soul needs, what your spirit needs. Not so you can look at me, not so you can even look at this church, but so you can look at the greatness of God and say he gave me what I needed this Christmas. He showed up when it seemed silent. He gave grace and love when I needed it. Would you pray with me and ask God to bless this message. Heavenly Father, give us what we need. The perfect sight and the prepared heart to receive your Son our Savior Jesus. Let us live with that vision of his perfect love, of your eternal goodness, and so change our lives by His story. In the Christ of Christmas we pray it. Amen. It’s an emotional time isn’t it. Christmas. I’m not sure I get through a Christmas without a few tears can I say that among manly men, some are on one side and others on the other. I don’t know about you, but it’s like someone turned up the dial on my emotions. Like this Home Alone 2, got sick kids watching Home Alone, Kevin turns up the dial on the bad guy. Didn’t end so well for the sticky bandits. So someone has turned up the dial in my heart and there is range in which everything is all out. There is Sadness, and Madness, and Gladness, and Tiredness, and Excitedness, and all out Craziness. And if I could pick one and hold on to it, I know which one it would be. What about you. For me it is gladness. Yes, I want it. You know what I’m talking about. I want it to overwhelm me this Christmas. To cover me like a blanket by the fire. You know what I’m talking about. How many here wouldn’t mind some gladness this Christmas Eve. Well, you came to the right place. See we’re having the merriest Christmas at Amazing Love, and this because of the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus who is greater than a man, who is more than a teacher, more than a father, more than a brother, he is the Savior. He didn’t come to show is the way, but to declare to your heart and into your life that he is the way. The way to the Father, the way to eternal life, the way for true peace and tonight the way of gladness. This is the Jesus who for any and for all, laid down his life so that every sin could be forgiven, every heart could have hope, every life could be changed forever by him. Are you ready to hear more about him? Our story teller tonight is the mother of God Mary, and we get to hear a song that she sings about the privilege of bearing the Savior of the world. Let’s get into it and read from Luke 1. So there it is a celebration like no other - may God so bless and guide you this Christmas Eve. Wanted to know, we have kids in here. Excited to open presents. If so say yeah! And how many here love to play video games. Is it alright if I show you one of my favorite video games? It’s called Bubble Bobble, and it’s amazing just about in every way. Here’s a video, great sound track great game play. Don’t worry I think you can down load it to your Wiis. Great game. And you get the concept. There are enemies coming, but you shoot the bubble at them and they are no match for that bubble. The enemies even turn into fruit, and all is well. Here’s what you need to know about Mary this Christmas. She has real enemies and hardships standing in her way this first Christmas. It’s possible that she went to go see Elizabeth her relative because she has so much trouble in her life. See she is probably hated in her town. It seems everyone knows she is pregnant, and everyone knows it wasn’t Joseph who she was engaged to. So she may be getting away to sort out the very hard details of her life and make a plan. Joseph is even considering calling off the marriage. It’s not an easy Christmas for Mary. Here’s what I know about Christmas, it’s complicated. Could you say that with me it’s complicated. I know there is the cocktail of emotions that isn’t always so easy to swallow. There are the people we miss, the hardships we endure whether family tensions or sickness or financial scenarios, there are crazy parties, and the off base comments. Here’s what I know even though I have not met you, there’s an onslaught of difficulty that could bring you down if you let it. But Mary shows us the way. You see it’s the midst of her difficulty she finds the solution. And what is the source of joy? v.47. It’s in her Savior. See Mary’s found a bubble, that swallows up every other source of pain or strife. She found a bubble in a baby. The baby and Savior born to her, the Messiah. He’s the solution. He’s the one pulling her heart strings and inspiring her voice. Nothing else. He’s the one to consume any other problem she might encounter. Here’s what I know about the Savior. He too can be that bubble for you. You want the Merriest Christmas? Then you let your celebration of the Savior swallow up everything else that is going on in your life right now. You may have sickness, you may have heartache, you may not have enough money, you may have worries, you may have problems, but the Jesus bubble is one that can consume them all. When we tie our hearts to that joy, we find a reason for all consuming celebration. Let him loom so large in your life and your hearts he consumes and guides and gives peace about everything else. But here’s the temptation my friends and it’s not a new one. It’s for something else to be the main cause of celebration. Kids there’s a temptation to celebrate presents more than Jesus. There’s a temptation to make it all about our families and not about the one who placed us in a family. A temptation to be celebrating because of food, or time off of work, or a trip. But none of those reasons for celebration will work for lasting gladness. They will all fall short. Except for that one, the one able to consume every other - our Savior Jesus. That’s what Mary found as she celebrated in the midst of her difficulties - celebration attached to a Savior. This night I tell you and maybe some for the very first time - make Jesus your main source of celebration tonight and for the rest of your life And to what degree should we celebrate him? You ever have this moment with children when they look at you as if to say, “Dad, you’re weird.” A had a moment this passed week. I recently won my fantasy football pool, and I had a moment when a player I needed to come through did. And I was running around, shouting clapping, and making noise. When I get the look communicating Dad you’re weird. Which is surprising to me because this child obviously doesn’t understand the significance of a digital trophy. Talk about immortal glory. :) She wanted me to tone it down a bit. Tone it down. NFL players have to do this - you know if you celebrate too much after a touchdown or interception you might get a taunting penalty. Tone it down that’s what I think when I see the Carleton dance - lot going on there. Ok maybe he doesn’t have to tone it down - I like it. Here’s what I love about Mary’s celebration - it is great because she doesn’t tone it down. When it says she rejoices it literally means she was celebrating or rejoicing exceedingly. I love it. That’s a good model for our own lives. Maybe we don’t have to celebrate Fantasy Football wins we can tone that down, but may we never tone down the celebration our lives and our hearts and our voices give out about the one who came out of love to save us. May our celebration be consummate and all-consuming. Let’s even be willing to be weird to celebrate him that much. By the way we follow his ways, by the way we talk about him, and by the way our our whole lives communicate his goodness. Don’t tone it down, turn it up. Let’s look more about what Mary was excited about. v.49. Done great things for me. Now what is that. She knows right now the greatness of what she has bestowed upon her. She will be the mother of the Son of God, not because she chose to be, not because she pulled the winning ticket, but because of the grace of God to show her favor. And she knows all generations will call her blessed. Not sure if she would know 2000 years later we would still be talking about her, but she knows the great things God did for her. Here’s where I want us to dwell. What are the great things God has done for us? We don’t have the privilege of being the mother of God, but because of faith in that Savior we have the privilege to be the children of God. Not because we chose to be, not because we pulled a winning ticket, but because God brought us in maybe through the waters of baptism, or through a friend who invited us to church, or maybe that is what God is working in your heart right now as you hear his Word. He’s bringing you in to a good family, an eternal family, filled with celebration and praise. I’m hoping this Christmas you’re thinking one of the great things God did for me was to bring me to faith in the baby of Bethlehem. But maybe God’s grace for you goes even further. Maybe on top of the spiritual blessings, God has also worked out some great things for you. You have a family, you were able to buy presents, you’re feeling pretty healthy, you’re car is running or your heat is working. Tonight let celebration consume you as also remember these more minor but significant things in your life. Celebrate the one who watches over you so closely. Let the gifts you give and receive be a reminder that every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of the Heavenly Lights. Let the great things God has done for us be reason for celebration. But that’s all that we look back on, that’s the reason for celebration right now. But what if we looked into the future and asked, What great things will God do for me? You know there is one famous musician named Mark Lowry who asked that of Mary. He was trying to create filler for his churche’s Christmas play and was in the mind of Mary. He asked questions about what would happen, and the great things of God to come. And the song he created was called Mary did you know. I remember singing this song in choir, and it is just awesome to consider. It’s hauntingly beautiful. Well, Recently, there has been a rendition done by a vocal group called Pentatonix, is it ok if I share with you this Christmas song? Awesome song right. Mary knows the great things of right now, but there will be greater things still in her life. Bethlehem is just part of the picture. Let’s pick apart that song. She will be there to hear of his ministry and witness the first miracle. She will be there to hear people chanting his name. She will be there and look into her Son’s eyes as he pays the price of sin on the cross. And she will be there to see a resurrected Son and Savior. Yes, this is just the beginning of the great things she would be a witness to when it comes to celebrating Jesus. There would be much much more she could say in the future about the great things God did for her, and for all people. Do you know about the great things God can and will do in your life? Let’s talk about our earthly lives. I know right now some if not many of you are in tough circumstances. But I’ve seen God work. I’ve seen him work in my own life and in the lives of others. He’s the God who specializes in pulling people out of the pits, out of dangers, out of difficulties, all as they cling and look to him. Consider the words of David who said, “(He) redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.” (Psalm 103:4) Follow his ways, trust in him. For he is the God who has this ability to make all things work for our good and who promises never to leave us or forsake us. Though I don’t know what my future brings or your future here brings I do know God will give us reason to celebrate as he continues to work in us and through our lives. But then consider the great things that will be our spiritually. We right now are gathered to gaze upon a manger through the eyes of faith. We weren’t there and we did not see, oh but Christian did you know? Did you know the day is coming when the trumpet will sound and the angels will gather. Did you know about the new heavens and the new earth. The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, and with perfect bodies the dead will rise again. The angels will shout, and the saints will sing, the praises of the Lamb. Christian did you know that there is coming a day when you will not need the eyes of faith to see your Savior, but you will see him with your own eyes. For the one who came this night will come again, Christian did you know? And what should we do in view of all this. We know how to react when witnessing greatness. The final shot to win the game, the last touch down, that perfect piece of music, that perfect performance. We rise to our feet and shout and clap. We match the emotions of our heart to the great things we have witnessed. May your life so do that in view of this Christ of Christmas - and may he grant to you this Christmas a celebration like no other. Amen.