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THE MAN WHO MISSED CHRISTMAS
Luke 2:8-20
I. Are you in or out of Christmas?
A. An effective way to get out of
Christmas.
Sometime back, MOODY MAGAZINE told
the story of a guy named
George Mason.
His life was consumed by his work.
He lived alone, which only
contributed to his work addiction.
Although he had few friends, each
Christmas he received
several
invitations to spend Christmas Day with a family.
He always declined the offers.
This particular Christmas was no
exception.
On Christmas Eve, after all his employees
left, George Mason
went
into the office vault to get a little extra cash.
To his shock, the heavy door of
the walk-in safe shut
behind
him.
Desperately, he pounded on the steel
door, but no one was
around
to hear.
Even the custodian had left early
to do some last-minute
Christmas shopping.
The lonely miser consoled himself,
"I can make it alright
until
morning."
But suddenly he recalled, the next day was Christmas.
No one would be coming in for
TWO DAYS.
He panicked as he tried to figure
out if there would be
sufficient
oxygen.
Then he remembered: The vault had
recently been installed and
was
supposed to have a safety air-hole built in somewhere.
He felt around in the dark and
eventually found the emergency
feature
in a corner near the floor.
On the day after Christmas, early
in the morning, the chief
cashier
arrived.
As was his routine, he unlocked
the vault but didn't bother
opening
the door.
George Mason, exhausted, faint,
hungry, and thirsty, exited
the
human-size safe without being spotted.
And by the time he went home,
showered, dressed, and returned
to the
office, no one suspected a thing.
Life went on as usual - except for
one thing: George Mason
had
missed Christmas.
Can you believe it? He missed Christmas because the door to
the
safe closed on him.
He's the only person I've ever
heard of who had that happen.
But do you know what is more
common?
People who "miss"
Christmas year after year.
You understand what I mean by
that, don't you?
People who buy and receive
presents
and decorate their homes and
trees
and make an appearance at the
appropriate number of parties
and church programs,
but who miss the opportunity to
savor the splendor and
contemplate
the mystery of God's love made visible.
B. Lock the world out, not Christmas.
1) Shutting the door on the
outside world so we can fully
experience
the blessings of Christmas.
2) Get back to that child-like
enthusiasm.
3) Discover the deeper meaning of
the season.
National Public Radio
commentator talked about Christmas
music
this week.
He grew up in a anti-religious family.
There were no Christmas
celebrations.
But due to school and other
social gatherings, he
discovered
the hymns and carols of Christmas.
The newer, hipper songs
leave him cold:
"I saw mommy kissing
Santa Claus."
"Grandma got run
over by a reindeer."
It was through the sacred
music this man found out
Christmas is truly
special.
C. How can we really experience
Christmas?
II. The essence of Christmas -
encountering God.
A. Many people back then had a vague
awareness something was up.
1) Only a handful experienced it
first-hand.
2) Shepherds. The people in town they told. Later, Magi.
B. Same true today?
1) Vast numbers claim to believe
in Jesus.
According to statistician
David Barrett, the world
population
grew to 5.804 billion in 1996.
The church continues to grow
rapidly:
Of the 1.782 billion church
members, 1.302 billion are
"practising Christians."
These numbers have grown from
1.159 billion and 905 million
in
1970.
2) How many are really saved?
a) Most in this church? Only a handful?
b) Where do you put yourself?
1> Where does your pew
neighbor put you?
C. Encountering God is not
"politically correct."
1) George W. Bush mentioned his
relationship with Jesus in
a
recent debate.
Any one
looking for a good indication of how secularized
America has become got a
very good indication during
Monday night's
Republican debate.
When asked to identify the
thinker who had the greatest
effect
on his life, George W. Bush named Jesus Christ.
-because, as he put it,
"He has changed my heart."
The uproar was fast and
furious.
You would have thought Bush
had invoked the Marquis de
Sade,
or perhaps Larry Flynt.
The New York Times found a
Bishop to denounce Bush's
choice.
Superlawyer
Alan Dershowitz went on television to complain
that
Bush's answer was totally out of line.
The chorus of critics sang
from the same hymnal.
Bush had spoken the
forbidden name in American politics.
The single most important
thing you can know about anyone
is
the priorities he sets for himself in life.
What does he value most?
Knowing that a man or woman is
a believer in Jesus Christ
tells
you about his or her priorities.
It gives you the most crucial
information about that
person.
2) Jesus can indeed change a
person's heart.
a) He can change yours.
III. Shepherds
have a close encounter with angels.
A. Angels are "hot" these
days.
1) TV, jewelry, etc...
2) Often presented as sanitized
spirituality, painless
salvation.
B. What Christians should know about
angels.
1) Real angels are scary
creatures.
a) People feel like dying in
their presence.
b) They have to say,
"Fear not" all the time.
2) Angels are not dead humans
with wings.
a) Contrary to TV shows (like
Touched by an Angel) and
movies (like Angels in
the Outfield), angels are not
dead humans who've
earned (or are trying to earn)
their
"wings."
b) Angels are a separate
creation from humans. Ps 8:4-5
3) Don't call them for help -- or
for anything.
a) Angels have a habit of
showing up when they want to
show
up (or at least when God wants them to).
b) But nowhere in the Bible
do we find individuals
calling
on angels for help or guidance.
c) On the other hand, we see
tons of examples of God's
people
going directly to him for the help they need.
C. Angels are never to take the place
of God.
1) Most important, angels are not
to be worshiped. Col 2:18
2) Their purpose is to deliver
messages from God.
a) The word "angel"
means "messenger."
b) In same way,
"evangelism" means "good message."
3) Other things angels can do:
a) Angels are known for saving
people from harm. Ps 91:11f
b) Carrying out God's wrath
and judgment. Rev 16:1
c) Praising God. Rev 3:6-8
IV. Shepherds had to make a decision.
A. They had to decide on priorities -
work or miracle?
1) There is a story about a
little boy with a learning
disability.
He worked really hard to keep
up with the others in his
classroom, but because of
his unique challenges, he
kept
falling behind.
As a result his backpack was
crammed full with homework
every
night.
There was no letup.
He no longer could play
outside with his friends after
school.
By the time he had made a
swipe at all his school work,
it
was time for bed.
The parents consulted with the
elementary school
guidance counselor and
decided that their son needed
to
be placed with a class of slower learners.
It quickly became apparent
that the right decision had
been
made.
The third grader got his
childhood back, complete with
after-school play, positive
self-esteem, and grades
that
matched the front end of the alphabet.
After several weeks of asking
his dad if they could
play together after dinner,
he grew weary of the same
response:
"I'm sorry, buddy, I have
a briefcase full of work I
have
to do."
One day the boy simply said, "Well,
Dad, can't they just
put
you in a slower class too?"
2) Genuine spirituality has to
have a claim on our time.
a) Not enough to be
interested, or dabble.
b) Someone has tragically
observed that our generation
worships our work,
works at our play,
and
plays
at our worship.
B. How to find God for yourself.
1) Spend special time meditating.
a) (light candle in church,
or quiet room)
2) Commit to studying one
spiritual issue in depth.
a) Angels, voice of God,
meditation.
3) Read through a book of the
Bible this month.
a) Isaiah or the Gospel of
John would be excellent choices.
4) Commit to doing a ministry
that's out of the ordinary.
a) Volunteer at Dover Soup
Kitchen, or Morristown Mission.
b) Adopt a family or
individual and serve them for a month.
c) Write to a missionary and
ask one thing you can do
for
them.
V. Prepare to meet your God.
A. God still speaks to people.
1) Will you be listening?
B. Look for the wonder.
1) Like George Mason, shut out the static,
lock in the spirit.
Accept Jesus as
your Personal Lord and Savior Today.
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