1 December 20, 2015 AM Pastor Ken Hepner “Have a Mary Christmas
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December 20, 2015 AM Pastor Ken Hepner “Have a Mary Christmas” Luke 1:26 – 38 Introduction: This Christmas Sunday morning, I invite you to take some time to reflect with me things that really matter in life. I want to begin by looking at what the shepherds heard the angels say and then sing to them, Luke 2:8 – 14. Their message was a word about Loving people deeply and Peace on Earth, good will toward humankind. What culture has done with its message about loving others and peace in our relationships is really remarkable. We are all able to sit here this morning completely at ease in this wondrous season of joy, peace, giving, and good will toward humankind. The reason we feel so rested and inwardly refreshed is that we have spent our last number of days in quiet, peaceful, and restful enjoyment of life. We are so grateful for the stress free lifestyle we are living. The message the angels sang to the shepherds abiding in the fields watching their flocks was “Peace on earth, good will toward men.” What we have done with this spiritual message, of peace on earth in and through the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, is quite often a pretty far cry from what the angels had in mind as they sang. Our culture’s message blares at every one of our senses, with astounding regularity. The message is “Tis the season to be jolly, to express joy through getting, to be festive and indulge ourselves at parties.” Christmas is about shopping so that, on Friday as our children open our presents to them, the message of peace on earth through what Jesus has come to do for us all will be loudly proclaimed by our celebration. People who have bought into culture’s mirage of Joy through material Attainment have embraced an illusion that material things really bring about deep inner contentment. There are those who have been absolutely wearing themselves out and spending themselves out in order to give people they care about, “a good Christmas.” Honestly, not many of us will long remember the latest fads of toys and clothing, but we will remember people. We all will cherish memories of things we did for someone that touched our heart or someone’s heart whom we love. We will remember kind and thoughtful words of affirmation and encouragement. Honestly, I don’t remember a single thing my grandma Hepner ever gave me for Christmas. But I do remember how much she loved me! As Christians our message of what really does bring Inner Contentment is wrapped up in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ our Lord who “Came into this world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief.” “God demonstrates his own love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 1 This Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as we experience our family celebrations, may I ask you to consider asking yourself and your loved ones a series of personal questions? What is the real message I am sending my loved ones if I expect my material gifts of things to speak of my love for me, without any verbal expression of my heart? What is the real message I am sending my family if they get everything on their wish list? Will the Spirit of Jesus really show up at our home if our only expressions are giving and receiving material things? The real message of Christmas is the Son of God came to earth and offered Himself to God as the sacrifice for our sins. Because of the reaching and straining love of God that is made available to us in Christ Jesus, we can both Know and be Known by the Father God. The message of Christmas is that God has broken into human history. He has come to our rescue, when we were helpless to save ourselves: Hebrews 2:9 – 15 “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons to glory it was fitting that God… should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers… Since the children have flesh and blood he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is the devil – and free those who all their life were held in slavery to fear of death.” God sent His one and only Son into the world for one specific purpose. He came to change people’s lives by doing a work of grace and mercy in our hearts. He came to bring us the gift of salvation. The word “to save” comes from the root word sodzo’ in the Greek language, meaning, “to salvage worth from what was lost.” The profound nature of what God has done for us is seen in what took place that night in the stable at Bethlehem. God Himself took the very nature of humanity in the form of His One and Only Son. Jesus decided to take humanity, to experience human life because the plan of salvation required the sacrifice of a perfect lamb. Jesus laid Himself down for us as that Sacrifice to pay the Ransom Price for us. “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” One thing that really touches me deeply about the Christmas story is the human vehicle God chose to Birth His Son here on earth. Mary was a young virgin girl, approximately 14 – 17 years old, living in Nazareth, betrothed to a poor carpenter named Joseph. She is not nobility by any stretch of the imagination. What touches me about her is that this unschooled and ordinary girl is the chosen one, out of all of the women of human history. She is the one who gets the divine visit and in a relatively short dialogue with God’s messenger her life is changed forever! What is so special about this teenage girl from Nazareth that she is the one? The text answers the question. Luke writes in verses 28 and 30: “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you… Do not be afraid Mary, you have found favor with God.” 2 She was chosen to be the one because she had a Heart to Know and Walk with God. She faces the angelic visitor, and the incredible news she has heard about her life’s calling, with Faith. This girl has been in conversations with God before because her natural fears and doubts are met head-on with faith and trust. Her mind no doubt flashed to the penalty for being found to be pregnant before marriage. It was common knowledge that some of her friends had been brutally treated by the Roman soldiers from just down the road at the garrison at Megiddo. Yet Mary faced the social disgrace and ostracism with courage. She faced the fact that Joseph probably would divorce her because he thought she was unfaithful to him. In the face of all of these issues what we hear Mary speak back to the angel is tremendous and touching, Luke 1:38 “I am the Lord’s servant, Mary answered, may it be to me as you have said.” Mary models something for us that is absolutely awesome regarding the true nature of what it means to be a Christian. When God asked her to permit Him to put something in her life, which He wanted her to bear and birth for Him, her response was “Yes Lord!” It is my deep longing to live like Mary lived, which means I have to have a heart like Mary’s heart. She desired God’s will and plans for her life. I want to have a Mary-like heart in prayer. I want to go through life as a man who walks with God in fellowship with Him, “to keep in step with the Spirit.” My heart’s desire for your life and mine is that we will have a Mary Christmas, that God will put something in our hearts He wants very much to do, and wants us to join Him in accomplishing! I. Mary had a Heart for Private Worship: Luke 1:46 – 55 The first thing we had better face if we are going to have a heart like Mary’s heart after God is to choose to walk with God daily as Mary did. Please grasp and be gripped by this interaction that took place in the space of a few moments. Her life is absolutely changed by this encounter with God. She was able to make these choices as a teenager because she walked with God, having made similar choices daily. The angel said, “The Lord is with you.” When one walks with God one is, by definition, a Private Worshipper – one whom the Lord has heard as we have expressed how we feel about Him as our God. Secondly, she is able to make this choice to follow God’s will for permanent changes in her life – becoming the mother of the Son of God, because she had a Heart of deep and Reverent Love for God.