I live in Taiwan
and pastor a church here. It’s very
difficult to get the “Christmas Spirit,” because we don’t see any public
Christmas displays, (except a few stores, downtown.) The radios aren’t playing Christmas music 24/7. In fact, very few people wish you Merry
Christmas, or Happy Holidays or anything.
Frankly, it’s because Christmas is not a part of Taiwanese culture. It isn’t really celebrated. December 25 is just another workday for most
Taiwanese people. The problem with
that, is that it has bled over into the church. The people in our church don’t celebrate Christmas, either. I asked several people if they had Christmas
plans and only one family, besides mine, even celebrates Christmas.
If you look at
Philippians 3:20:
Philippians 3:20 (NKJV)
3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
We’re citizens of Heaven, and as citizen’s of
Heaven we have a culture of our own that overrides our earthly national
culture. We’re Christians and we should
live within the traditions of Christian culture. Christians celebrate Christmas.
As a result of
living within my Christian culture, I preached a Christmas sermon. This is something I do every year but I took
a little different take on it this year.
This year I looked at three people who were affected by the birth of
Jesus and their reactions to His birth.
The Innkeeper
Luke 2:1-7 (NKJV)
2:1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
This was a very
busy time for the innkeeper. The census
was taking place. People were traveling
to their family homes to be counted. Bethlehem
like many other places was inundated with visitors. All of them needed a place to stay. The inn was full. There’s
no room there for Joseph and Mary.
This is a picture
for our generation of a man who couldn’t fit Jesus into his life. “There’s no more room.” “I have so many other considerations. I have other guests to be worried about. I
can’t make room for even one more person.”
We can be like
that, can’t we? “I don’t have room for
all the things that go with having Jesus in my life. How can I do all the things I’m doing and be art church or Bible study?”
Christians often
think they are too busy to do the things that are a part of serving God. Some say that they can’t come to church
services on Sunday night because they have to work on Monday morning. Sometimes they say they can’t make it to
Bible study on Wednesday because they’re too tired. They tell me that the reason they can’t come to outreach is that
they have to rest up for work.
That's Innkeeper Thinking!
But this kind of
thinking also affects people who haven’t yet made a decision for jesus. You have no idea how many times after
witnessing to someone and inviting them to church I’ve heard these words: “I’ll try to come to church…if I have time.”
I was much the same
way before I got saved. I was busy with
my career. I was busy with my social
life. I thought I had no time for
Jesus. In some ways it was just pride
talking, “I’m too important to take time out for church.” It was also a way to tell someone I didn’t
want to go without being rude. I was
just like the innkeeper. “There’s no
room in my life for Jesus.
The innkeeper put
them in the stable. He sent them back
out of the public places in the inn to the hidden area. He put them in the background so they weren’t
seen.
I’ve seen
Christians do that, too. Jesus doesn’t
have a prominent place in their lives.
They don’t want others to know that they’re Christians. There was a thing going through the church
world for a while. People would say, “Shhhh,
I’m a secret agent for Jesus. I’m God’s
James Bond.” The problem with that is
that Jesus doesn’t have secret agents.
His command was, “Go and preach the Gospel.”
But we’re often
like those “secret agents” without being cute and saying “I’m a secret agent.” Instead we just say nothing at all. I’ve had people in my church profess
Christianity, but later tell me, “My friends at work don’t know I’m a
Christian.” Sometimes they say, “I don’t
talk about Jesus at work, I don’t want to offend my co-workers. They don’t want to hear about Him.” They keep Jesus in the hidden rooms of their
hearts. “He’s in the back room. He doesn’t come into the main areas of my
life.”
That's Innkeeper Thinking!
I wonder about this
innkeeper, sometimes. How did Jesus
wind up in the stable? Mary was VERY
pregnant. Obviously, the innkeeper
could see that. The best he could do
for this woman was a stable? I think
the problem was that he didn’t want to be bothered.
How do you look at
your salvation and involvement in the church?
Do you think that it’s the pastor’s job, or do you think if you don’t do
it, someone else will take up the slack?
That’s innkeeper thinking.
As Christians we’re
called to reach people. We’re all part
of the body of Christ. We were placed
into the church we were placed into for a reason. Your strengths overcome someone else’s weaknesses and their
strengths overcome yours. So we can
help each other to build His church.
Not the pastor’s church…Jesus’ church.
King Herod
Matthew 2:1-4 (NKJV)
2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
Herod was the king
of Israel. The Romans put him in place
as they dominated and oppressed Israel.
His mother was a Jew, his father an Idumean (Edom). He knew the Jewish prophecies. He understood the religion. He was the king.
When the wise men
came and asked about where the new King of the Jews was born, Herod became
troubled. When the king is troubled…everybody
under the king is troubled.
Herod had the
power. He didn’t want to lose the
power. It’s almost as if he’s saying, “This
is my life. I’m the king and there won’t
be any other kings.” You can see his
fear of losing control, because of the way he reacted when the wise men came to
him. As soon as they left him he began
to plot how to get rid of Jesus:
Matthew 2:16 (NKJV)
2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.
We’re like King
Herod, when we don’t want to be committed to the will of God for our
lives. When we want to jealously hang
onto the power we have over our own lives.
I was a lot like
Herod. I was a mover and a shaker. I thought I was in control over my own
life. I had all the power over my own
decisions. Nobody was going to tell me
how to live, especially not Jesus.
People would talk to me about Jesus and I would cut them off and drive
them away. I was the king of my life…then
I got saved. There was a dramatic
change in my thinking. I gave control
over my life to the will of God. If you
look at my life it’s looks like I don’t have any control over it. I’m out of the business that made me a great
living and gave me power. I’m not a
hotshot executive any more. I don’t
even live in my country anymore. I have
a new king.
We’re like Herod
when we don’t want to live the will of God for our lives. We say things like, “I know what the Bible
says, but this is what I’m doing.” “The
Bible says that behavior is sin, but it’s I think it’s all in how you interpret
it.” “I can be a Christian and sleep
with my girlfriend, too.” “I control my
own life.” These are examples of King
Herod thinking. We all want a savior,
but we don’t want a KING.
If we allow Jesus
to be king then we have to admit that as king He has a right to have
expectations. The problem with letting
Him be king is that sometimes He expects us to do things that are
difficult.
Remember He asked
Abraham to sacrifice his only son to test his faith. He sent Joseph into slavery and prison to prepare him to lead
Egypt. He asked Moses to risk his life
and go before pharaoh to demand God’s people be released so that he could lead
them to the Promised Land. Jesus interrupts
lives and we don’t want interruptions. We want to be in control over what
happens in our lives.
That’s King Herod Thinking!
We hate
authority. We’re not going to let the
preaching affect us. “I hear what’s
being preached, I even know that what’s being said is right, but I’m going to
continue to do what I have always done.
I don’t care if it’s right or wrong.”
That’s King Herod thinking. You’re
thinking like Herod, “I don’t want another king in my life.”
Simeon
Luke 2:25-30 (NKJV)
2:25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 29 "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
Simeon was an old
man. He was looking for the “consolation
of Israel.” He was waiting for the one
who would redeem Israel. He was looking
for the Christ, the Messiah: The salvation of mankind. His life was given over to the will of
God. He knew Jesus had come to a
savior. He knew that His salvation
would change lives.
Do you know why I
became a pastor? I remember what my
life was like before salvation. I had
given up hope. I was lonely and
isolated. I drank myself to sleep every
night. I suffered from severe
depression and wanted to kill myself. But Jesus saved my life. He changed me. The Gospel ignited hope in my life. I was transformed by it.
I became a pastor because I wanted to see that same hope change other
people’s lives.
It has been a
powerful thing to look at people in my congregation and see the change in
them. It’s amazing to look at how they’re
living and know that Jesus has changed their lives. Some of them are grasping the life-changing power of the
Gospel. That’s why I became a pastor to
see that miracle take place in people’s lives.
These are people
who’ve stopped thinking like the innkeeper.
These are people who’ve stopped thinking like Herod. They’ve begun to think like Simeon.
Simeon didn’t have
any doubts that Jesus was the answer.
He made room for Him in his life. He put Him in the main rooms of his
heart. You could see Jesus in him.
He made Jesus the
king over his life, even though Jesus had just been born. Simeon’s whole life had been given over to
seeing the salvation that Jesus brought into the world. He saw the hope and
promise contained in Him.
That’s Simeon Thinking!
When you look
forward to being in the House of God:
When you look forward to being in the presence of God. When you have desire to be abut the business
of God: When you want to see others
receive the hope that you've received, then you've begun to think like
Simeon.
Simeon thinking is
when you’ve turned your will over to His will, “God I want what you want.”
Jesus in the garden
of Gethsemane saying, “Not my will but yours.”
John, while standing at the foot of the cross and accepting Mary to
care for as his own mother. Ananias
taking the risk in going to visit Paul after all of his persecution of the
church, and Paul after praying three times to have the thorn removed from his flesh
accepting the words, “My grace is sufficient for you.” These are examples of Simeon thinking.
Are you looking for
Jesus’ influence in your life? Are you
looking for His will for your life? Do
you have room for Him in your life? Are you looking for a Savior AND a king? If the answer to these questions is yes,
then that’s Simeon thinking.
One final
thought:
It’s Christmas time
and all over the world people are preparing gifts for their loved ones, but I
want you to see something. This is the
real gift of Christmas:
Romans 5:16-18 (NKJV)
5:16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17 For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.
Through one man’s
righteous act the free gift came. That
one righteous act is Jesus obedience and death on the cross. The free gift that came through is
salvation: Eternal Life.
“The very purpose of Christ’s coming into the world was that He might offer up His life as a sacrifice for the sins of men. HE CAME TO DIE.”
– Billy Graham.
Take some time and
read the Christmas Carols like God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman. Those carols are about Jesus defeat of sin
and Satan on the cross. They’re about
Him coming to set us free of sin. That’s
the real gift of Christmas.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
