Sermonhelp.Com | Full Text Sermon | Discussion and Reflection on the Texts | Worship Helps | Sunday December 19, 1999 ~ 4th Sunday of Advent 2 Samuel
7:1-11, 16 Luke 1:47-55
or Psalm 89:1-4,19-26 Romans 16:25-27 Luke 1:26-38 The Actions of Christmas "This is impossible!" You have likely said that at one time or another in your life haven't you? Maybe you've said it a lot of times. It might have been, "This is impossible," as in, "I simply can't do this!" Or perhaps is was, "This is impossible," as in, "This shouldn't be happening to me!" Not to worry. You are not alone when the impossibilities of life wring this cry from your lips. "This is impossible!" Abraham and Sarah said it when they were told they would become parents at an age that is well past retirement. Indeed, Abraham was right at that "mandatory withdrawal" age for his IRAs. I would suspect that not many of us would envy Abraham and Sarah at this "impossible" moment. Israel said it collectively when they found themselves between the rock of Pharaoh's armies and the hard place of the Red Sea. King Saul of Israel said it when a giant named Goliath marched up and down in front of the armies of Israel demanding a fight to the death for the right to reign. "Impossible!" "Never happen!" "Not in my lifetime!" You’ve been there. Too much month left at the end of your check. Too much left to do at work and you haven’t seen the kids this week. You know the bible tells you to love your neighbor as yourself, but your neighbor has this dog that barks right outside your bedroom window every night from about 10:00 p.m. until midnight. And those are the easy ones! There is the grief that will not go away, the love that was lost, or the bitterness that won’t give way to forgiveness. *** In spite of all the impossible situations you and I have ever faced, I’m thinking the greatest, "Impossible!" of all time has to be the one from our scripture today. Is there anyone who could not identify the person who asked this question: "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" If the idea of a child born to Abraham and Sarah was impossible, the idea of a child born to the young woman named Mary in our scripture would require a miracle. The question Mary asks is so obvious isn't it? Would you not have had the same response as Mary? "How can this be," she says, "Since I am a virgin?" And if you think Mary had a hard time believing this angelic message, Joseph would certainly have none of it. Matthew tells us Joseph’s, "Impossible!" led him right to his lawyer’s office. "Obviously," Joseph is thinking, "She’s been unfaithful." It was clear that divorce was the only option. And being a caring and righteous man, he would accomplish the divorce quietly so as not to bring public disgrace on Mary. Is there any power on earth that could crack such impossibilities? It would take a miracle. To be sure, there have been times in my life and I am sure in your life when you thought a miracle would be required to surmount your circumstances. But, the idea of Mary the virgin having a child takes us into authentic, supernatural miracle territory -- don't you think? But we have not yet arrived at the central point in this story. The significance for you and me lies beyond the announcement of a miraculous intervention of God in Mary's life. When the impossible hits – and when the impossible thing has impacted our lives, broken our hearts and shattered our dreams, the message comes to us, "...nothing shall be impossible with God." *** Can you let these words fall gently on your spirit as the snow flakes fall gently and silently to the ground? And then let them cover your soul as a fresh dusting of snow seems to make the ground new once again. Listen: (Say the words slowly)"Nothing… Did you hear that? You probably heard the words in a technical sense, but I am wondering if you heard the message. Please indulge me as I ask you to do something. This message is such an important tool in dealing with our impossible circumstances that I am anxious to really have it touch us deep within. Would you simply allow yourself to get still and quiet inside. Tell all those nagging little voices to stay quiet and that you will attend to them at another time. Simply take a deep breath and listen once again: ( Say the words even slower this time)"Nothing… *** There is a process with three steps that occurs in the gospel story today. A process that can help us build our life of faith. We’ve encountered two of these steps so far. 1. First the impossible situation comes. This is where most people give up. Where Joseph calls his lawyer, Saul surrenders the kingdom, and Israel appoints a "Return to Egypt Committee." This is where we throw up our hands in defeat or crash in despair. This is a world without Christmas… a life without Christ. 2. The second step takes place when we hear – really hear – the good news. Which is… (Say it with me)"Nothing… Ah! But there is more to this process than simply hearing the news. There is one final step that smashes through the barriers of the impossible. One more thing has to happen. And that one more thing is not something God does, but something we do. Something Abraham and Sarah did or there would have been no Nation of Israel. Something Moses did or there would have been no liberation from Egypt. Something David did or there would have been no sovereignty for Israel. Something Mary did or there would have been no birth of the Christ child. Something we need to do or there will be no birth of Christ within us. That is to say… there is something we need to do or there is no authentic Christmas for us. 3. The third step in this process of moving from the impossible to the miraculous is contained in Mary’s response to the news that nothing is impossible with God. Listen carefully once again, for her words ushered in the incredible miracle of incarnation.
The key that unlocks the miraculous action of God in Mary's life is believing. It takes a listening spirit to hear the good news of God. It takes a believing heart to actually receive the good new of God. Believing is the thing that makes God's heart glad above all other things. In believing the good news, we not only listen, but we decide to trust the word of God’s good news. "Let it be," Mary says, "According to your word." Believing is not the simple intellectual acceptance of a creed, but the joyous receiving of God’s promises – God’s word – as though the thing were already accomplished. Mary does not say, "Well this all sounds pretty far fetched to me – but we’ll see what happens – seeing is believing." It was exactly the other way around with Mary. Believing is seeing!" *** As we stand at the threshold of Christmas 1999 – ready to begin the twenty first century, the world of Mary and Joseph and angels singing to shepherds seems so very far removed from us in some ways. Yet, the ancient truth that opened the door for the incarnation of the Son of God is the truth that continues to open the door for the entrance of Christ into our lives today.
In a few days, Christmas Eve and Christmas day will come. And then they will go. My hope and prayer for all of us is that in the midst of the hustle and bustle of this season, we will take the time to:
The heart of Christmas is indeed receiving. Not the receiving of the gifts we give to each other and to our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, friends and neighbors. Although that kind of giving and these kinds of gifts are significant. But the central Gift to be received is the Gift God has given to us in Christ. Though the season of Christmas will retire to the end of the calendar once again, I pray that the heart and the Gift of Christmas will remain. I pray that through believing we will continue receiving the hope, strength and courage that takes us through those times others would call… "Impossible!" Discussion and Reflection on the Texts Connections in the Texts Collectively, the texts deal with the issue of the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant. The throne of David shall be forever and the New Testament writers affirm that the coming of Christ secures this throne for time and eternity. Our sermon focuses on the issue of belief or trust in God, but relates to the theme of the surety of the Davidic covenant. God is trustworthy and the covenant is sure. To believe is to trust the One who covenants with us to provide a Ruler who can care for us. This image of the "Shepherd-Ruler" is quite unique in the world. There are tyrant rulers, despot rulers, uncaring rulers and even benevolent rulers. But he "Shepherd-Ruler" speaks of a whole new kind of ruler. One who serves instead of being served. One who comes in a manger instead of a palace. One whose strength is rooted in sacrificial giving instead of selfish accumulation. The response we make to the affirmations of the texts is to believe -- to place our trust in the Ruler who comes to care for us as a Shepherd. Luke (1:26-38) "Don't be afraid." The words are spoken here to Mary and will be spoken to the Shepherds. When the angels come with a message, people tend to be afraid. In fact, many of us grew up with the idea that "fearing God" (a good spiritual quality - the beginning of wisdom Proverbs says) meant somehow to "be afraid" of God in the way we might be afraid of the neighborhood bully. Mary discovers, however, that when God sends a message our way, it is a message of hopefulness - one that brings joy not fear. There is a message in the issue of who Mary is as a young peasant girl and who Mary is as a young peasant girl in God's hands. There is an implication in her submission to the Lord that she had a choice to not submit. "Let it be to me..." could conceivably have been, "No way am I going to do this thing!" Key point: Our significance is rooted in the act of placing our lives in God's hands. Another important element in this text is that God accomplishes the divine plan through human servants. And this is done without regard to social position or influence. Shepherds, carpenters and peasant girls are the key persons in the lessons for today. Indeed throughout scripture the truth of Paul's statement that God is "no respecter of persons" comes through. If you and I were planning an event like the fulfillment of hundreds of years of waiting for the one who would come to occupy the throne of David... think about it -- who would we put on the invitation list from the town we live in? And where would we hold such an event? Because we know the end of the story, we loose some of the "shock" of the truth that Jesus was "born in a barn." (A truth most of us would leave off our resumes -- yes?) [One effective way to do this reading if you use it as the sermon text is to have three persons who read well. One reads as a narrator, one reads the part of Gabriel and one reads Mary's part.] 2 Samuel The lectionary text includes verses 1-11 and then verse 16. God will establish the throne of David and that throne will be established forever. The time will come, of course, when this earthly throne of David's will cease to be a worldly power. From our perspective, the fulfillment of the promise God makes here through the prophet Nathan, is accomplished in the birth of Christ. We understand that Jesus' kingdom is "not of this world." But think about this whole issue from the perspective of a faithful Jew who lived at the time of the fall of Jerusalem. How absolutely amazing the news would be to a young Jewish peasant girl that she would be the mother of the One who would be called "Son of the Most High" and who would, "...reign over the house of Jacob" forever. Verse 8 is followed by some
amazing declarations from God to David: Simply read through the "I"
's of the following verses. Write it down: When you finish verse 11 you discover the action is all of God -- directed to someone who like Mary put his life into the hands of God. The throne of Israel is not the throne of "Saul" or the throne of "Solomon" -- but the throne of David. And David is no "Mr. Clean" -- is he? Key point: It is not who we are in our own strength that counts with God, but who we are in the hands of God. Especially who we are in the hands of God as a repentant, forgiven person! David had some radical failures in his life, but his relationship with God was finally rooted in his "believing" God. We make the point in our full text sermon -- believing is the thing that makes God's heart glad above all other things. It is believing and trusting and responding to the word of God that allows God to use us. "Let it be to me according to your word," Mary says. David's radical failure are overcome by the radical grace of God which can forgive, renew and restore -- if we will believe / trust. Romans Paul's benediction actually pulls the texts together. The whole purpose of God is to "...bring about the obedience of faith..." for all people everywhere. This calls to mind the words of Second Peter 3:9, "{God } is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." The message of the coming of the Son of David who would be established on the throne of David was the "Good News" for all of God's people. Israel should have rejoiced to see his day. Once again, we know the end of the story -- "he came to his own and his own did not receive him." But the good news is for all who will receive it. "Anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." The message that we are made whole through believing is the good news for all people. Nevertheless, in answer to all who complain about Paul's message of Grace, he completes his letter to Rome with the strong message that the whole purpose of God -- throughout the ages -- the mystery that was "kept secret for long ages," which has been disclosed "through the prophetic writings" -- is intended, by the command of God, "to bring about the obedience of faith!" Interestingly, the word for "faith" is the word for "belief" -- "pistis". So there you have it -- the central action of Christmas -- the things that makes it happen after the waiting, preparing and rejoicing is believing! A Call To Worship (Adapted from Psalm 89 Leader: God has promised to love us
forever and ever! A Prayer of Dedication O Lord God of our lives, we stand in awe before you as we A Pastoral Prayer Lord God of love and grace, we are very close now.
Close to the celebration Help us to celebrate. To enjoy every moment of
fellowship and tender hearted Help us to have joy. To have joy in the giving and
receiving of gifts... in the laughter Help us to entertain and be entertained. To visit our
friends and receive our friends... We have been here before. We have celebrated
Christmas, gone to the parties, And we confess that very often we have missed it. We have missed your call to join shepherds and kings,
beasts and angels as they So slow us down. Stop the endless chattering of our minds. Still the incessant demands on our time. And bring us finally to the place where Christ is born. Not the place he was born way back when -- but the place he
will be born even today, "Unto you... Save us, O Lord and love us forever because we believe and receive the Son of your love. Amen.
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