Ghost of Christmas Past
Ghosts of Christmas • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 9 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Advent
Advent
Advent Lighting
Latin word adventus (Ahd-ven-toose): meaning coming
Advent celebrates the coming of Christ! It is the real meaning of the season
We have 5 candles that help us count down the days until Christ is come
The candles represent Christ being the light of the world
There are four, representing the four centuries between Malachi and the birth of Christ
The colors are purple and pink
Purple for royalty, and pink for joy
The wreath symbolizes God
Its circular shape is infinite like God’s eternity and mercy
LIGHT THE CANDLE
The first candle represents hope
Also called Prophets Candle
Hope and Prophets are all about people in the past looking towards the future
Introduction
Introduction
A Christmas Carol
The story of Ebenezer Scrooge begins at the death of his friend Jacob Marley
They were partners who were obsessed with making money
7 years after Marley died, his ghost visits Scrooge to give him a change at reclamation
He shows up in chains connected to keys, ledgers and cash boxes
He explains he must travel the entire world non-stop
As he does, he sees all the pain in the world that he could have done something about
But he never did...
Then Scrooge speaks up (as if to comfort him), telling him he was a good man of business
Marley says, “Business? Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business! At this time of the rolling year I suffer most. Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode! Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me!”
Marley has a tortured existence - constantly mourning the fact he never helped anyone
Fortunately for Scrooge, he gets a second chance
Marley arranges for 3 ghosts to visit Scrooge - Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come
Each one takes Scrooge on a tour
What he sees in his past, present and future ultimately changes his heart
As we begin our new series at Christmastime, I want to follow something in that same vein
We will look at the real Christmas from perspectives of past present and future
What does it mean for all of mankind, that our Savior was born?
Let’s take a little trip to the past to find out
YouVersion: Ghost of Christmas Past
We’re in Romans 1:18-23 and Isaiah 9:6-7
Romans 1:18 (ESV)
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
Ever since man came on the scene, we’ve had a problem
1. Our past is a story of sin
1. Our past is a story of sin
Our sin earns God’s wrath
This can be hard for us, because human wrath comes from an imperfect vengeance
But God’s wrath is from perfect righteousness
What we need to know is that the good news of the gospel isn’t just a nice thing...
For us, it’s a necessary thing! It’s something we desperately need!
Without it, all that’s left is God’s wrath!
Why? Because we suppress the truth!
What is the truth? Let’s look::
Romans 1:19–20 (ESV)
19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
God has made it plainly clear what the truth is, He has shown His attributes
From day 1, God has made it clear that He is here, clear who He is, and clear who we are
And yet mankind fights and fights and fight to distort that truth - to make our own truth
We should know better because of everything around us, even the things He has made!
I could totally see myself becoming an atheist… except for one major problem...
We’re HERE - that is the greatest miracle in history!
If there was no God, how did anything come to be...
Nothing in nature makes it clear
Actually, nature just makes it more difficult to answer the question with anything other than one answer… God
Most of you know I’m a bit of an apologetics guy
Apologetics: “reasoned arguments or writings in justification of something, typically a theory or religious doctrine.”
I’ve told you before about the bombardier beetle
It has 2 glands inside
One has hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinone
Other has a mix of enzymes with catalases and peroxidases
When it mixes in their abdomen, the hydrogen peroxide mixes and converts to oxygen and water
Then the oxygen mixes with the hydroquinone and forms benzoquinone
That reaction builds oxygen so fast that it heats the water and benzoquinone to boiling (212 degrees) instantly
Then, it shoots it out of it’s butt at any attacking predators
It can shoot 20 times before running out
Usually plenty of time to open it’s wing covers, unfurl it’s wings and take off
Watching whatever animal it left behind squirming in his booty juice
Is that something that could have evolved from nothing
Which trait did it evolve first?
The hydrogen peroxide? no evolutionary advantage
Hydroquinone? Same problem
Maybe both at the same time? Still needs the catalases and peroxidases
Maybe all four?
It would need two separate chambers in the right order and a turret to shoot it out!
Yeah, that all happened at once by a random mutation
Come on… we haven’t even mentioned that it’s body needs to handle the boiling point of water yet!
Is it more likely this came about by accident, or divine engineering...
What about DNA?
Most efficient data storage ever!
Amazon has millions of square feet
So does Google, Microsoft, Apple, NSA… on and on for data storage
Millions upon millions of square feet for data storage
Yet scientists are looking to use DNA for data storage
All that info - every video, image and document would fit in the back of a pickup!
Intelligent humans have been intentionally working to create data and storage for thousands of years
From papyrus to libraries to floppy disks to mass storage
And we’re supposed to believe the efficiency of DNA - available in the simplest life - was an accident?
Nope - I think it’s evidence of God...
I read articles every week about how science changed it’s mind about this, or doesn’t believe that anymore
It’s probably because we’re doing everything we can to not believe in God!
You might think, “If God would just show His face!”
If He would do His miracles, I would believe!
Except Jesus did a million wonders
Know what He’s upset about in Matthew 11?
Woe to you Chorazin and Bethsaida - If the miracles I did were in Tyre and Sodom, they’d repent!
These people who already believed in God saw miracles and refused to believe
You think we’re any different? I guarantee we’re not
I think what Paul is saying here is right - all of creation reveals just how powerful God is
2. God gives us every reason to believe in Him
2. God gives us every reason to believe in Him
So Paul says we are without excuse
God has made His power so clearly evident, we have no excuse to not worship Him
But we just can’t help ourselves - so we do this:
Romans 1:21–23 (ESV)
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
The problem with man isn’t that we never knew God as God
Actually, the problem is that we DID know Him and CHOSE not to view Him as God
In the Garden of Eden, why did Eve eat the fruit?
Did she not know what God had said? No, she knew!
Satan deceived her - God’s lying, He doesn’t want you to be like Him!
Eve put herself in place of God, and then Adam did the exact same
Then people came along and made images and idols that looked like man and animals
Little gods, claiming they did it because they had special knowledge
Today, we do the same thing
We may not make eagles out of silver and fall down
But we have our own scientific theories, philosophies on morality, spiritual beliefs
And in the end, we claim to be wise...
The famous humanistic atheist:
Richard Dawkins: “There is something infantile in the presumption that somebody else has a responsibility to give your life meaning and point… The truly adult view, by contrast, is that our life is as meaningful, as full and as wonderful as we choose to make it.”
You don’t need God to have value, YOU make your own value!
Sounds like it’s straight out of Genesis 3!
If you believe in God, you’re immature!
If you wanna be a grown up, be an atheist!
Don’t let God trick you! It’s YOUR life, not His!
What’s the problem, sin!
Later, Paul says:
Romans 3:23 (ESV)
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
This is the story of humanity, and for thousands of years it’s all we had!
This is the Christmas past of mankind - the entire past of mankind
Hopelessness, failure, sin and loss
Then, about 2,700 years ago, Isaiah spoke about what was to come
He wrote about the day when all that we have done would change
He wrote this:
Isaiah 9:6–7 (ESV)
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
3. God has always had a plan for sin
3. God has always had a plan for sin
Isaiah writes about the birth of a baby boy, the Son of God
There are many things we learn about what Christmas would eventually become
6 For to us a child is born,
Christmas would be a gift for us
Not something we earn, and not meant for anyone except the world that God loved
to us a son is given;
He would be a man
Not just an angel, not a God without the experience of humanity
But someone just like us
However, He would also be the Son of God
Is there a greater gift, than God’s own Son?
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
Jesus is the King of the World
Eventually, that will be true in the literal government we picture
But today, He is King of our hearts
The Kingdom is already established in the changed hearts of His followers
and his name shall be called
Wonderful
Not just wonderful - a word we throw around
But actually full of wonder
Incomprehensible - above understanding
Can we ever really fathom the Son of God coming to earth as a tiny human
And yet He stands above all others - supreme in every attribute
Counselor
Jesus came to save, but He also came to teach
He reveals the mind of God to us
Imagine everything in the NT we wouldn’t know if Jesus never came
Mighty God,
Although Jesus is 100% man, He is also 100% God
Colossians 2:9 (ESV)
9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
Make no mistake, Jesus is God
Everlasting Father
Better understood: “Father of Eternity”
He is not God the Father
But rather the Father of all things in creation
Jesus is the creator
Prince of Peace.
Jesus came to bring peace
As He rules the nations, He brings peace
As He rules in our hearts, He also brings peace
How much peace? How much authority?
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
What a beautiful picture of hope!
Because of our past, God made a plan for the future!
We had brought the ugliness of sin into creation, and God chose to do something about it!
What is it? What did that hope look like?
John 3:16–17 (ESV)
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
There has never been anything more important to the world - EVER!
Our sin separated us permanently and impossibly from God
All there was was hopelessness, darkness and doom
But God chose to send us the Christ - our Savior!
4. God has delivered our hope
4. God has delivered our hope
I think about the story of Ebenezer Scrooge
Jacob Marley wanted Scrooge to have a second chance - a chance at hope
He sent Spirits to look at Scrooge’s past, present and future
But he began with a look at the past
Scrooge saw that as a young boy, he faced a cruel father
His dad sent him to boarding school, left him there alone
He finally returned, only to go to work
But even in the midst of his struggles, he worked for a man named Fezziwig
Fezziwig showed him kindness and generocity
A willingness to set aside profit and gain for the sake of others
In fact, it was at one of Fezziwig’s parties that he met the girl he would become engaged to
However, as time went on, his love meant less and less
Finally, she left him and he let her go
Not because he wanted her to, but because he wanted money more
From then on, Scrooge’s life was about money
He had no friends, no family, no joy - just money
He didn’t even know his own sin just made him more and more miserable
The past represents the things that brought us to where we are
5. Our past brought us to a need for a Savior
5. Our past brought us to a need for a Savior
As Scrooge’s story goes, his past reveals why he would be put into chains like Marley
That’s the first step in salvation - realizing the need to be saved and turning to repentance
Coming back to our candle
A look into the past - how the prophets promised us hope in spite of our failures
What can the past tell us about Christmas? What were they waiting for?
Isaiah 7:14 (ESV)
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
God with us
What a name
Not God against us, not God hates us, not God abandons us...
God WITH us
He was to come as a helpless baby, here to change the world
This week, let’s look at our own past - all the years before we knew Jesus
All the times we failed even though we know Him
And let’s be thankful that our past also comes with a future
A future that is filled with hope because our Savior was to be born
Immanuel - God with us
Prayer
Prayer