Sermon Illustrations for Christmas 1
Illustration
Object:
Isaiah 61:10--62:3
I'm sure we delight in the Lord or we wouldn't be here on Sunday morning, but do we delight "greatly"? That is the question. The New Testament tells us that we should delight in the Lord even more than we love our family. Jesus must come first. Those are hard words to take.
I like the comparison of bridegroom and bride. Love can fade over the years, but the excitement and fresh love we feel on our marriage day can be the strongest we feel in all our married life.
Our newest converts on the mission field were the most enthusiastic about their love for their Lord. They are rich, fertile soil, and as a result their garden is full of sprouts. One of their important sprouts is bringing others to the church to meet the bridegroom. It is because of that that the righteousness and praise spring up in Nepal and the church there is exploding in growth. Telling others about it can help them become more fertile soil also. It can strengthen our faith to see God working wonderful things in others. Hopefully we will also want to be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hands.
It may be more difficult in churches here in this country, where our church relationship may go back generations. I saw a picture of my great-grandfather on my mother's dressing table. She always held him up as a great example of faith. He had come to our country as a missionary from Denmark right after the Civil War. His ancestors were also Christian all the way back. (Mother jokingly said, "Back to Adam and Eve!")
She prayed that I might someday be a pastor and missionary like him. It does not happen instantly. It took many years before the Lord lighted a candle of delight and enthusiasm in me. I was about thirty before God arrayed me in his robe of righteousness. God's timing is not our timing, but if we are patient and pray asking for it, he will give it to us.
My one son who is now about fifty had wandered about into alcohol and drugs. It took him until he was over forty before the Lord lighted that candle in him. As a result he was able to counsel many others who had also fallen as he had and bring them to a new life of hope where they met the bridegroom. So never give up praying and -- expect a miracle! It will come.
We also know that we are close to Christmas and are still excited about our great experiences with loved ones, not to mention the gifts we may have received. It is still fresh in our minds. It still has that freshness as of a bride and groom just after their wedding day.
We need to keep our faith fresh in our hearts and minds and we need God to help us keep it fresh.
Bob O.
Isaiah 61:10--62:3
The Menno-Hof Amish/Mennonite Museum in Shipshewana, Indiana, relates the life of Menno Simmons, a Free Church leader. His sixteenth-century theology focused on separation from this world, and baptism by repentance symbolized his faith.
Simmons wrote: "For true evangelical faith... cannot lie dormant, but opens itself in all righteousness and works of love; it... clothes the naked; feeds the hungry; consoles the all the oppressed; returns good for evil; serves those who injure it; prays for those who persecute it" (Why I Do Not Cease Teaching and Writing, 1539).
Anyone caught offering hospitality to Menno was arrested and (in at least one case) executed. Those who offered Menno a cup of cold water understood that as Christians we are a team, and all of us are supportive players participating with others even if it means persecution in this world; but we have eternal rewards as a result of this participation!
Jesus came into this world to bring righteousness into the lives of people. As his followers we grasp the eternal life that is to come makes us better citizens of this world by showing compassion. Right living with God is right living with people.
Derl K.
Galatians 4:4-7
Ellen Medar wrote a newspaper article about growing up feeling ostracized because her mother, "a hilarious, smart, gorgeous, tall, blond, beloved attorney named Alice" committed suicide when Ellen was five years old. Ellen never knew how to answer when people inquired about her mother, only to say that she "was no longer with us." Ellen felt ostracized because of the "deep, dark secret" she had to keep. She went on to say in her article that we need to take depression "out of the shadows of society" so people are willing to seek treatment and family members are not forced to hide a deep, dark secret.
Application: God came to us, born of a woman, so we would know that he experiences life as we do and so doing we can become his children.
Ron L.
Galatians 4:4-7
Paul says that in Christ we are no longer slaves to sin. This slavery was well described by American social worker and philosopher Eric Hoffer: "The individual who has to justify his existence by his efforts is in eternal bondage to himself. One seeking to prove himself or herself by her performance is an addict."
Christ sets us free from this slavery in several ways. He and the Spirit lead us to relate to God as Father. To be somebody's child, the child of a loving Father, is to be free. The child need not stress over care. The child receiving care is freed from material anxieties, free to play.
Life as play: That is a compelling image for Christian living. Of course, it takes some of the glamour, the pious importance, out of living the Christian life. It makes the works of a Christian cheap in appearance, not much different from that of an upright human being (Luther's Works, Vol. 26, p. 376).
Mark E.
Luke 2:22-40
As Mary and Joseph enter the temple they encounter two people who have been anticipating the coming of the Messiah. They would discover a personal hope and a worldwide hope for a supernatural life and redemption.
The Jews desperately wanted to believe that the sovereign God would deliver them from the Romans so that one day they would be masters of the world and lords of all nations. Many believed that a supernatural champion would arrive on the scene to take the nation to the fullest extent of power... even if force was involved. The messiah would lead armies with all the drama that heaven would provide. They could hear the shouting of hallelujah and amen reverberating throughout the world because their God provided their champion.
By contrast to the "hawks" of the nation, there were the "doves," known as "Quiet of the Land" according to William Barclay. He observed that "they had no dreams of violence and of power and of armies with banners; they believed in a life of constant prayer and quiet watchfulness until God should come. All their lives they waited quietly and patiently upon God." Simeon was one of them. He was a man of prayer, worship, expectation, and hope.
When Mary and Joseph walked into the temple with Jesus, Simeon's heart gave a leap as he recognized that this baby was the anointed king sent by God to save Israel and the world.
A prophetess by the name of Anna then arrives on the scene, and like Simeon, she too had a hope centered in God. As a widow she had dedicated herself to fasting, praying, and worshiping in the temple for decades. She patiently waited decades to catch a glimpse of the redeemer and now he had come. She rejoiced, knowing that the deliverer of Jerusalem (and the world) had arrived on earth.
Thirty-three years later this child would die on the cross at Calvary to redeem the world. Is it any wonder that a sword would pierce the heart of his mother?
Have we recognized that the baby Jesus who would die on the cross for our sins is the anointed king sent by God to save us? He truly is the redeemer of life!
Derl K.
Luke 2:22-40
A mother had to wait forty days after the birth of a son before she was considered clean enough to enter the temple. That was for Mary's purification. They obeyed the laws of Moses. They also had to bring sacrifices, like a pair of doves, for his consecration.
Mary and Joseph obeyed these commands of Moses, and they were in the temple when they ran into a man named Simeon who was righteous and devout. He came faithfully and expectantly to the temple waiting for the messiah who was to be the consolation of Israel. Even the priests in the temple were waiting for that day. Even today, the Jewish people are waiting for the messiah to come. They don't realize that he came 2,000 years ago. One of our jobs is to let them know, but we have to do it gently and patiently.
When someone stops me at an airport and asks me when I was saved, I tell that person "2,000 years ago, but I didn't realize it until recently."
Simeon had an open mind, but even more important, he had the Holy Spirit in his heart to guide him. Those two things are essential. The first is in our hands -- having an open mind -- but the second is a gift of God, which only comes to those who have an open mind and are ready to receive what God has for us. There is one more item: a person should try to live a godly and devout life (as some might say, "just in case!").
I tell those who call themselves agnostics that as long as their mind is open and they are still honestly searching, the Lord will honor that (if their search is genuine) and one day give them his Spirit, and only this Spirit can convince them. As long as they keep their mind open to God, he will come in.
In Simeon's case, it was God's Spirit that revealed to him that this baby in Mary's arms was the messiah he had been waiting for, so he picked Jesus up and hugged him! That must have been a surprise to Mary and Joseph, even though the Lord had revealed it to them before Jesus' birth. It was like a confirmation -- if they had any doubts.
Now Simeon could die in peace because his prayers had been answered. We have to ask ourselves if we are ready to leave this world once it is clear to us that Jesus is Lord of all! Maybe if we are older and suffering, but what if it is revealed to us when we are still younger? Do we respond, "Not now, Lord. I have a few things to do first"? Doesn't every one of us have a few more things to do?
As if that were not enough, there was a second case of recognition by Anna -- another confirmation! Maybe God knew that Mary and Joseph needed more assurance before even they could believe what was happening to them.
That was enough for them. Is it enough for us? We may have to ask God for some assurances -- some confirmation in our heart. We hope that confirmation comes every Christmas when we feel the excitement of God's coming to us as a babe. We hear all the promises of what is still to come. Don't give up. It will come. Even if this season hasn't given it to you, God will give you the faith as he gives us every year. Pray that it will always be fresh in your heart.
Bob O.
I'm sure we delight in the Lord or we wouldn't be here on Sunday morning, but do we delight "greatly"? That is the question. The New Testament tells us that we should delight in the Lord even more than we love our family. Jesus must come first. Those are hard words to take.
I like the comparison of bridegroom and bride. Love can fade over the years, but the excitement and fresh love we feel on our marriage day can be the strongest we feel in all our married life.
Our newest converts on the mission field were the most enthusiastic about their love for their Lord. They are rich, fertile soil, and as a result their garden is full of sprouts. One of their important sprouts is bringing others to the church to meet the bridegroom. It is because of that that the righteousness and praise spring up in Nepal and the church there is exploding in growth. Telling others about it can help them become more fertile soil also. It can strengthen our faith to see God working wonderful things in others. Hopefully we will also want to be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hands.
It may be more difficult in churches here in this country, where our church relationship may go back generations. I saw a picture of my great-grandfather on my mother's dressing table. She always held him up as a great example of faith. He had come to our country as a missionary from Denmark right after the Civil War. His ancestors were also Christian all the way back. (Mother jokingly said, "Back to Adam and Eve!")
She prayed that I might someday be a pastor and missionary like him. It does not happen instantly. It took many years before the Lord lighted a candle of delight and enthusiasm in me. I was about thirty before God arrayed me in his robe of righteousness. God's timing is not our timing, but if we are patient and pray asking for it, he will give it to us.
My one son who is now about fifty had wandered about into alcohol and drugs. It took him until he was over forty before the Lord lighted that candle in him. As a result he was able to counsel many others who had also fallen as he had and bring them to a new life of hope where they met the bridegroom. So never give up praying and -- expect a miracle! It will come.
We also know that we are close to Christmas and are still excited about our great experiences with loved ones, not to mention the gifts we may have received. It is still fresh in our minds. It still has that freshness as of a bride and groom just after their wedding day.
We need to keep our faith fresh in our hearts and minds and we need God to help us keep it fresh.
Bob O.
Isaiah 61:10--62:3
The Menno-Hof Amish/Mennonite Museum in Shipshewana, Indiana, relates the life of Menno Simmons, a Free Church leader. His sixteenth-century theology focused on separation from this world, and baptism by repentance symbolized his faith.
Simmons wrote: "For true evangelical faith... cannot lie dormant, but opens itself in all righteousness and works of love; it... clothes the naked; feeds the hungry; consoles the all the oppressed; returns good for evil; serves those who injure it; prays for those who persecute it" (Why I Do Not Cease Teaching and Writing, 1539).
Anyone caught offering hospitality to Menno was arrested and (in at least one case) executed. Those who offered Menno a cup of cold water understood that as Christians we are a team, and all of us are supportive players participating with others even if it means persecution in this world; but we have eternal rewards as a result of this participation!
Jesus came into this world to bring righteousness into the lives of people. As his followers we grasp the eternal life that is to come makes us better citizens of this world by showing compassion. Right living with God is right living with people.
Derl K.
Galatians 4:4-7
Ellen Medar wrote a newspaper article about growing up feeling ostracized because her mother, "a hilarious, smart, gorgeous, tall, blond, beloved attorney named Alice" committed suicide when Ellen was five years old. Ellen never knew how to answer when people inquired about her mother, only to say that she "was no longer with us." Ellen felt ostracized because of the "deep, dark secret" she had to keep. She went on to say in her article that we need to take depression "out of the shadows of society" so people are willing to seek treatment and family members are not forced to hide a deep, dark secret.
Application: God came to us, born of a woman, so we would know that he experiences life as we do and so doing we can become his children.
Ron L.
Galatians 4:4-7
Paul says that in Christ we are no longer slaves to sin. This slavery was well described by American social worker and philosopher Eric Hoffer: "The individual who has to justify his existence by his efforts is in eternal bondage to himself. One seeking to prove himself or herself by her performance is an addict."
Christ sets us free from this slavery in several ways. He and the Spirit lead us to relate to God as Father. To be somebody's child, the child of a loving Father, is to be free. The child need not stress over care. The child receiving care is freed from material anxieties, free to play.
Life as play: That is a compelling image for Christian living. Of course, it takes some of the glamour, the pious importance, out of living the Christian life. It makes the works of a Christian cheap in appearance, not much different from that of an upright human being (Luther's Works, Vol. 26, p. 376).
Mark E.
Luke 2:22-40
As Mary and Joseph enter the temple they encounter two people who have been anticipating the coming of the Messiah. They would discover a personal hope and a worldwide hope for a supernatural life and redemption.
The Jews desperately wanted to believe that the sovereign God would deliver them from the Romans so that one day they would be masters of the world and lords of all nations. Many believed that a supernatural champion would arrive on the scene to take the nation to the fullest extent of power... even if force was involved. The messiah would lead armies with all the drama that heaven would provide. They could hear the shouting of hallelujah and amen reverberating throughout the world because their God provided their champion.
By contrast to the "hawks" of the nation, there were the "doves," known as "Quiet of the Land" according to William Barclay. He observed that "they had no dreams of violence and of power and of armies with banners; they believed in a life of constant prayer and quiet watchfulness until God should come. All their lives they waited quietly and patiently upon God." Simeon was one of them. He was a man of prayer, worship, expectation, and hope.
When Mary and Joseph walked into the temple with Jesus, Simeon's heart gave a leap as he recognized that this baby was the anointed king sent by God to save Israel and the world.
A prophetess by the name of Anna then arrives on the scene, and like Simeon, she too had a hope centered in God. As a widow she had dedicated herself to fasting, praying, and worshiping in the temple for decades. She patiently waited decades to catch a glimpse of the redeemer and now he had come. She rejoiced, knowing that the deliverer of Jerusalem (and the world) had arrived on earth.
Thirty-three years later this child would die on the cross at Calvary to redeem the world. Is it any wonder that a sword would pierce the heart of his mother?
Have we recognized that the baby Jesus who would die on the cross for our sins is the anointed king sent by God to save us? He truly is the redeemer of life!
Derl K.
Luke 2:22-40
A mother had to wait forty days after the birth of a son before she was considered clean enough to enter the temple. That was for Mary's purification. They obeyed the laws of Moses. They also had to bring sacrifices, like a pair of doves, for his consecration.
Mary and Joseph obeyed these commands of Moses, and they were in the temple when they ran into a man named Simeon who was righteous and devout. He came faithfully and expectantly to the temple waiting for the messiah who was to be the consolation of Israel. Even the priests in the temple were waiting for that day. Even today, the Jewish people are waiting for the messiah to come. They don't realize that he came 2,000 years ago. One of our jobs is to let them know, but we have to do it gently and patiently.
When someone stops me at an airport and asks me when I was saved, I tell that person "2,000 years ago, but I didn't realize it until recently."
Simeon had an open mind, but even more important, he had the Holy Spirit in his heart to guide him. Those two things are essential. The first is in our hands -- having an open mind -- but the second is a gift of God, which only comes to those who have an open mind and are ready to receive what God has for us. There is one more item: a person should try to live a godly and devout life (as some might say, "just in case!").
I tell those who call themselves agnostics that as long as their mind is open and they are still honestly searching, the Lord will honor that (if their search is genuine) and one day give them his Spirit, and only this Spirit can convince them. As long as they keep their mind open to God, he will come in.
In Simeon's case, it was God's Spirit that revealed to him that this baby in Mary's arms was the messiah he had been waiting for, so he picked Jesus up and hugged him! That must have been a surprise to Mary and Joseph, even though the Lord had revealed it to them before Jesus' birth. It was like a confirmation -- if they had any doubts.
Now Simeon could die in peace because his prayers had been answered. We have to ask ourselves if we are ready to leave this world once it is clear to us that Jesus is Lord of all! Maybe if we are older and suffering, but what if it is revealed to us when we are still younger? Do we respond, "Not now, Lord. I have a few things to do first"? Doesn't every one of us have a few more things to do?
As if that were not enough, there was a second case of recognition by Anna -- another confirmation! Maybe God knew that Mary and Joseph needed more assurance before even they could believe what was happening to them.
That was enough for them. Is it enough for us? We may have to ask God for some assurances -- some confirmation in our heart. We hope that confirmation comes every Christmas when we feel the excitement of God's coming to us as a babe. We hear all the promises of what is still to come. Don't give up. It will come. Even if this season hasn't given it to you, God will give you the faith as he gives us every year. Pray that it will always be fresh in your heart.
Bob O.
