God With Us
12/20/09 | Tim Schaaf
What’s the best present you’ve ever received?
"Thanks for the harmonica you gave me for Christmas," Johnny said to his Uncle Rodney the first time he saw him after the holidays. "It's the best Christmas present I ever got."
"That's great," said Uncle Rodney. "Do you know how to play it?"
"Oh, I don't play it," Johnny said. "My mom gives me a dollar a day not to play it during the day, and my dad gives me five dollars a week not to play it at night."
What does it mean for God to be “With Us?”
That’s an odd question … but I think it’s worth asking.
- Man proposing to his future wife.
- I want to spend life with you
- Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking every other, keep to her only as long as you both shall live?
- I __take you __ to be my wedded husband/wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God’s Holy ordinance: and therto I pledge myself truly with all my heart.
What will it look like?
- Paying the bills
- Chores
- Children
- Day-to-Day life together
We do pre-marital counseling to try to unravel these questions before the first, ugly year explodes.
If we do that much work for a relationship that will only last 80 years or so … shouldn’t we do some of the same work for a relationship that will last into eternity?
What do you expect from life with God?
What will day-to-day life with Jesus look like?
Christmas is the time of year we remember that He came to do life with us.
Immanuel (Matthew 1:23)
““Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). ” (Matthew 1:23, ESV)
Worthy of Worship (Matthew 2:10-11)
“When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. ” (Matthew 2:10–11, ESV)
- Mac last week, Worship = To Ascribe Worth
1. “God With Us” Humbled Himself To Teach Us Humility
Quote from Augustine:
Maker of the sun, He is made under the sun.
In the Father he remains, from his mother he goes forth.
Creator of heaven and earth, He was born under heaven.
Unspeakably wise, he is wisely speechless.
Filling the world, he lies in a manger.
Ruler of the stars, je nurses at His mother’s bosom.
He is both great in the nature of God, and small in the form of a servant.
- Saint Augustine of Hippo 354-430
A. Jesus Humbled Himself
B. Life with Jesus (God With Us) Means Growing In Humility
1) This shouldn’t be difficult … life itself should humble us every day.
Story – Hitting My Head
The story is told of Teddy Roosevelt entertaining guests at his Sagamore Hill estate on Long Island. After a late dinner, he invited his guests outside to walk beneath the brilliant nighttime sky. After a silent, reverent stroll Roosevelt said, "I guess we've been humbled enough now. Let's go inside.
2) Becoming a Christian Is A Big Step of Humility
The fundamental explanation of our conversion was not that we were wiser or morally superior to others in choosing God, but that God chose to have mercy on us and intervened in our lives, revealing our need for His provision of the gospel. Our salvation is owed completely to the sovereign grace of God. — C.J. Mahaney, Humility
C. Pride Points to Places Where We Are Ascribing Worth (Worship) To Something Other Than Jesus.
- The big problem isn’t that you have pride.
- The problem is “WHERE” your pride is.
- Where you pride is, you’ll find your worship.
- [Jesus said it better – “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ” (Luke 12:34, ESV)]
The real issue here is not if pride exists in your heart; it’s where pride exists and how pride is being expressed in your life. Scripture shows us that pride is strongly and dangerously rooted in our lives, far more than most of us care to admit or even think about. — C.J. Mahaney, Humility
2. “God With Us” Give Life Hope
Preaching on Isaiah 7:14,
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. ” (Isaiah 7:14, ESV)
C. H. Spurgeon closed with this flourish:
“God with us.” It is hell’s terror. Satan trembles at the sound of it; the black-winged dragon of the pit quails before it. Let him come to you suddenly, and do you but whisper that word, “God with us,” back he falls, confounded and confused. “God with us” is the laborer’s strength; how could he preach the gospel, how could he bend his knees in prayer, how could the missionary go into foreign lands, how could the martyr stand at the stake, how could the confessor own his Master, how could men labor, if that one word were taken away? “God with us” is the sufferer’s comfort, the balm of his woe, the alleviation of his misery, the sleep which God gives to his beloved, their rest after exertion and toil. “God with us” is eternity’s sonnet, heaven’s hallelujah, the shout of the glorified, the song of the redeemed, the chorus of angels, the everlasting oratorio of the great orchestra of the sky.
3. “God With Us” Takes a New Approach To Our Need
The way we look at a problem tells us a lot about ourselves.
- Problems are Places That Need More Discipline, Action
- Problems are Places Where I’m out of Control, Need Help
- Problems are Opportunities for Growth
Jesus’ Approach
- The problems of life are a time to find a substitute.
During WWII a bereft father lost his son. IN this time of tremendous greif, the father was comforted by his pastor. But as often happens when someone is hurt so deeply, he said some things he didn’t mean. This father was angry over what had happened to his son and angry with God that He had let his son die. The nearest person he could find to God was his pastor, so he let him have it.
“Where was your God when my son was killed?” he shouted at the pastor as tears rolled down his cheeks.
With understanding and compassion, the pastor quietly answered, “In the same place He was when His own Son was killed.”
Conclusion:
A few years ago READER’S DIGEST had a great story. Ruth Dalton of Silver Springs, MD writes about her chronically ill toddler who often found herself missing out on activities and adventures her brother and sister could participate in. Trick-or-Treating was ruled out. Easter egg hunts were too damp. The only “Big Event” she could look forward to was sitting on Santa’s lap.
For weeks she babbled about her upcoming visit, and the family prayed for a Santa that might live up to their daughter’s expectations.
On a relatively healthy day for her, Ruth took a chance. She went to the mall, just as it was opening, hoping to avoid lengthy lines. They walked in just as Santa was settling into his big chair.
Suddenly, the toddler saw him . “Santa Clause!” she squealed, and with ponytails bogging, she trotted past a few elves and held out her arms. The slightly startled Santa smiled and swept her into his lap. She snuggled in, gazed at him adoringly, stroked his beard and finally uttered an amazed whisper: “Santa!”
For about a minute the two sat there, speechless — both oblivious to the small crowd now drawn in by the innocent magic of the moment. Just then, a man edged over to Ruth and, to her surprise, she noticed that his eyes were as moist as her own. “Is that your little girl?” he asked quietly.
Ruth nodded. Then, with a catch in his voice, he said, “Santa is my son.”
That is the message of Christmas. A Father sending his son out to sweep a crippled world into His Lap.
Grace given freely love offered willingly. A relationship waiting for willing hearts to embrace, a passion waiting for willing minds to own.