A Rescuer is born!

Today we are going to talk about the birth of our rescuer, Jesus Christ, and shed some light on what that means for us.

First, let’s enjoy this fun video from Southland Christian Church in Lexington Kentucky. This is Christmas according to kids in their congregation.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suowe2czxcA

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Comments……..

If you remember, two weeks ago we talked about the incarnation of God in the person of Jesus. He gave up so much. He did what needed to be done to rescue us from ourselves and our sins.

Because after all that IS what Jesus did, he came to RESCUE us, and boy do we need rescuing!

Jesus, who in the beginning already existed, who was with God and who was God stepped away from His fellowship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit to become man. We as humans really cannot fully grasp what that means, but I am pretty sure, as we talked about before, it was a huge sacrifice.

In the children’s moment two weeks ago we talked about what it would be like if the kids had some goldfish in a tank that they loved very much. We talked about how they would go about telling the fish that they loved them.

You could yell at them, jump up and down waving a sign near the tank, but really none of that would get your message across now would it?

How would we be able to tell the fish that we loved them?

To that as a human, and if it were possible, we would have to give up our humanness and become a fish so that we could get face to face with the fish and tell them how much we loved them in their own language.

This would require giving up much more than just walking around on two feet and being able to breathe outside of water. We would have to give up our friends, our families, as well as the ability to talk to them. We would give up our favorite foods, the beds we sleep in, going to school, playing sports and even getting presents at Christmas time.

That’s a lot to give up. And yet it pales in comparison to what Jesus had to give up to be born as a man to do the same for us.

Not only is it a lot to wrap our minds around, but how one could be both man and God at the same time is absolutely mind-boggling.

So, the fact that Jesus was both fully man and fully God remains at the same time, a truth and a mystery.

Scripture ALSO calls the fact that Jesus was of two natures God and man a mystery.

In 1 Timothy 3:16 we read…
16 Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith:

Christ was revealed in a human body
    and vindicated by the Spirit.
He was seen by angels
    and announced to the nations.
He was believed in throughout the world
    and taken to heaven in glory.

The arrival of Jesus as the Messiah was such a big deal that, as we discovered last week, God chose John the Baptist to go ahead of Jesus heralding his arrival.

 John was so special to God that he, John, was born to his mother in her old age and was already filled with the Holy Spirit. This is a pretty big deal as most of those in scripture who received the Holy Spirit did so after baptism.

The beginning of God’s plan for the rescue of His sinful and broken children was most certainly nothing short of miraculous.

Last week we looked at the conversation between the angel Gabriel and father of John the Baptist, Zechariah. It was quite the conversation. But it wasn’t the most amazing conversation that Gabriel would have. Next on his list was a conversation with Mary, a teenaged virgin.

In Luke chapter one the angel Gabriel explains to Mary that she will become pregnant and have a baby as a virgin. This event, if true, is huge.

Luke chapter 1:26-38

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 37 For the word of God will never fail.”

38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

Southern California pastor, Greg Laurie, made some great points when he talked about the virgin birth. Here is what he said…

Famed CNN interviewer, Larry King once said that if he could choose one person to interview from the course of human history, he would choose to interview Jesus Christ.

King said that he would like to ask Jesus "if He was indeed virgin-born." He added, "The answer to that question would define history for me." Larry King understands that the Virgin Birth is a big deal.

If you are a Bible-believing Christian, then you can't dismiss what the Scriptures teach on this topic. I would even take it further and say that if you don't believe that Jesus was supernaturally conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary, then you can't really be a Christian.

This is an essential part of Christian doctrine. If Christ was not conceived in the womb of Mary by the Holy Spirit, if His biological father was indeed Joseph, then He was a sinner. And if He was a sinner, then His death on the cross did not atone for my sins or yours.

The fact is that because Jesus was supernaturally conceived in Mary's womb, He was fully God, yet He was also fully man. Jesus said, "Unless you believe that I AM who I claim to be, you will die in your sins" (John 8:24). In other words, "If you don't believe that I am God, then you are not really a believer."

I AM is God's own statement about Himself. When Moses wanted to know what to say when people asked who had sent him, God told him, "I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you" (Exodus 3:14).

That is why the Virgin Birth is such an essential teaching. Christ was not God because He was virgin-born; He was virgin-born because He was God.

(That’s so important I want to say it again…..Christ was not God because He was virgin-born; He was virgin-born because He was God.)

That being said I would also say that the birth of our Savior happened just as it was supposed to.

God doesn’t leave things to chance. If He didn’t want things to go a certain way, they wouldn’t. Jesus was being sent on a rescue mission. He was coming to save all of us. God had a plan and I gotta say I doubt that it was a plan that you or I would have ever come up with.

But then again this is the God that has a history of doing some pretty amazing things in ways that we would never think of, like marching around a walled city 7 times with your army before stopping to blow horns and yell to bring the walls down, or parting the Red Sea providing an escape route from a pursuing army, or even closing the mouths of lions to keep your prophet from being eaten.

But I digress….

Let’s read what God did in Bethlehem…

The Birth of Jesus
Luke 2:1-20

2 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14
“Glory to God in highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

And there is more to the story. Wisemen came to worship Jesus and showed up more than likely a year or more after He was born. King Herod upon hearing of the birth of a baby who would be the King of the Jews ordered all children 2 years old and younger to be killed.

And there is more…but what I want to focus on is that Jesus came for a reason. What is that reason?

The reason is found in what arguably is the most widely quoted piece of scripture of all time. It is the Gospel all wrapped up into one verse.

I like the way the NIV version puts it…

John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

I want you to read that with me.

Now I want you to read it one more time but this time let’s change it up. We’ll call it the NBT (the New Bryan Translation).

“For God so loved me that He gave His one and only Son, that if I believe in Him I will not die, but I will have eternal life.
And let me continue on in the NBT to read verse 17 as well.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn me, but to save me through Him.

This is the message of Christmas.

It is what God has given to us through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus later shed some more light upon the reason that He came in John 10:10 once again in the NIV. He said, “10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

So when we read these two passages we see that God’s love for us is so great, sacrificially great, that He was willing to give His one and only Son to not only come and live among us but to die for us.

Sending Jesus to earth as a man was the greatest rescue operation of all time and the really cool thing about it is that it continues on even now more than 2,000 years after it first happened! Because of what Jesus did, people continue to be rescued each and everyday.

In 2006 a movie staring Kevin Costner came out and it continues to be one of my favorites it is called “The Guardian”. The movie also stars Iowa boy, Ashton Kutcher. In the movie Costner is a veteran Coast Guard rescue swimmer and Kutcher plays the self-absorbed newby that Costner has to train.

Now if you don’t know about what a Coast Guard rescue swimmer does, let me tell you. They climb into helicopters and fly out in the worst weather to jump into the ocean and rescue people from sinking and/or disabled boats and ships.

In this movie Kutcher as the new young ego-filled is obsessed by the numbers of people that swimmers have rescued. He sees how many people rescue swimmers who had gone before him had saved and believed that he would make a name for himself by setting a record for the number that he would save over his career.

Along these lines he then asked Costner’s character what his number was after several decades as a rescue swimmer. Costner kept putting him off and putting him off when he’d ask, then finally he said that his number was 22.

Kutcher’s character with a very confused look on his face says “22? You have only saved 22?” Where Costner then says, no… but that 22 was the number that he was unable to save over the years. That was the number that meant the most to him not the number that he did save.

I think that while we read in the Bible that all of heaven celebrates when even just one of us claims that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, God is devastated by the those that have been lost.

So when we look at the Christmas story we need to understand that God’s gift to the world is His Son and that this gift came at a great cost.

For it is what Jesus did on the cross for you and me that shows the value of this gift.

Approximately 700 years before the birth of Christ Isaiah foretold of His coming and what His value would be to all who believed.

Isaiah 53:2-6

2
He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
    and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
    nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3
He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

4
Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
5
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.
6
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

Think of it like this.

One of the gifts that has become increasingly popular over the years is that of gift cards. I can give you a gift card and once you get it, it is up to you to actually go out and use it. You don’t use it you get no benefit from the gift card.
God’s gift of His only Son is like that. God has given us that gift and now it is up to each of us to decide if we are going to do what needs to be done to get the full value of this gift.

We can leave it alone and never cash it in …or we can get absolutely everything out of it possible and receive all that was given to us.

The difference between the two however, is that in the case of a gift card, you can partially use it’s value.That isn’t possible in our receiving the gift of salvation. We either take the full value of the gift or nothing at all. There is no part way, no way to partially use the gift, though many try to live as though there is.

So when we think about the gift that we have been given, the gift of a rescuer who brings eternal life, we need to remember also that He is our King and one that leads by example.

Jesus gave up a great deal for each of us and that is something we should keep in mind not only on Christmas morning but every day of the year.

Let’s do things a little different this year and let’s do our best to live every day of the coming year in the context of the Christmas story.

And why should we do that? Because we have been given the greatest gift of all time and we have the ability to share it every day of the year with others who don’t know anything about it. As a matter of fact, we are commanded to do just that.

Now, that kind of attitude will change us, our neighborhood, our town, our state, our country and our world if we let it.

Let’s let it.

Who knows, we may just be the answer to some else’s prayer.

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Watch this video....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VumKim-tWIk

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Comment on the video and a prayer….

Merry Christmas!

John the Baptist's Dad

John the Baptist
Luke Chapter 1

A voice in the wilderness…


 An elderly woman had just returned to her home from an evening of church services when she was startled by an intruder. She caught the man in the act of robbing her home of its valuables and yelled, "Stop! Acts 2:38 (Repent and be baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven.)  The burglar stopped in his tracks.  The woman calmly called the police and explained what she had done.

As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar, "Why did you just stand there? All the old lady did was yell a scripture to you." "Scripture?" replied the burglar.  "She said she had an ax and two 38’s!"

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Last week we talked a bit about the incarnation of Jesus Christ. We talked about what it looked like for Jesus to step away from His divine fellowship with the Holy Spirit and God the father to be born to Mary and live among men as a man.

We also briefly mentioned a fella by the name of John the Baptist. Today we will take a brief look at John the Baptist in the context of the interaction between Zechariah and the angel Gabriel.

We know from Scripture that the angel Gabriel is a messenger who is entrusted to deliver several important messages on God’s behalf. Gabriel appears to at least three people in the Bible, first to the prophet Daniel, referenced in Daniel 8:16; next to the priest Zechariah as we see here to foretell and announce the miraculous birth of John the Baptist (Luke 19:19); and finally to the virgin Mary to tell her that she would conceive and bear a son, referenced in Luke 1:26-28.

Now, after many years of not having a child, the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah. Zechariah was a rather run of the mill priest in the temple he was married to Elizabeth who was from a family of priests. Luke tells us that they were both righteous in God’s eyes and had obeyed the Lord’s commandments and regulations. And at this point they were also very old.

Then one day while Zechariah was on duty at the Temple, he had been chosen by the casting of lots, to be the one to enter the Temple and burn incense. While he was in the sanctuary fulfilling his duties an angel of the Lord appeared to him.

Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear. In Luke 1:13-17 we read, “But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife Elizabeth will give you a son, and you are to name him John. You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”

Wow!

First off….Does this remind you of anyone else?  It should, in the book of Genesis Abraham and Sarah were also promised a son in their old age. There are other similarities.

Let’s continue on with scripture. Luke 1:18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”

Doesn’t this also remind you of the way things went for Abraham and Sarah. They were also having a hard time believing that they would have a baby so late in life…

In Genesis 18:10-15 we read, 10 Then one of them (an angel) said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”

Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”

13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

15 Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.”

But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.”

Arguing with the Lord? Not a great idea. Ha!

Zechariah found that out too. We read in Luke 1:19 “Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was He who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”

Oh snap!

Basically here Gabriel is say….”Uh, dude…do you know who I am and who sent me?”

Now this brings back memories for me of being punished for saying things that I shouldn’t have or laughing when things were actually serious.

It is the reason that I spent a good deal of sixth grade sitting in the hallway at school. Mostly it was in Mrs. Dewald’s math class, but it wasn’t the only class. I found that there were consequences for my actions much like Zechariah did. As much as Mrs. Dewald would have loved it if the Lord had made me silent, He didn’t and I just kept ending up in the hall.

It was almost like every time my friend David Little and I would get our uncontrollable laughter going we’d look up and see Mrs. Dewald standing there as if to say, “I am your teacher, I stand in the very presence of the principal.”

Back to Zechariah…

So then he went out from the Temple and many people had been waiting on him and wondering why it was taking so long for him to exit. When he did come out and he wasn’t able to speak the people realized by his gestures that he must have seen a vision while he had been in the sanctuary.

Then later, after Zechariah’s week of service was over, and he returned home, and sure enough, things started to happen like the angel had said it would and Elizabeth became pregnant. 

So what can we learn from what Zechariah and Elizabeth experienced?

Both Zechariah and Elizabeth and Abraham and Sarah had not been able to have the son that they so desperately wanted. In both the time of the Old Testament and the New it was very important to have a son to carry on the bloodline and the family name. If a woman was unable to have a son, or any child for that matter she would feel as if she were cursed. So this was a pretty big deal. And after so long it only makes sense to give up on the chance to have a child.

In the case of Abraham and Sarah they took matters into their own hands when Sarah gave Abraham her maidservant so that they could have a son. That led to a whole ‘nother bit of drama which is another sermon for another time.

But what is interesting here is what the angel Gabriel said to Zechariah. He told Zechariah not to be afraid. I see this as God saying be at peace, this is all going to workout. The angel had also called Zechariah by name. I imagine that after 400 years of silence from God that for an angel to appear to a common priest such as Zechariah who was not a member of the priestly elite and know is name?…it would certainly be a bit unnerving.

He said in verse 13 “God has heard your prayer.” This leads us to our next truth. God is listening. After all the time that Zechariah and Elizabeth must have been praying, God was hearing their prayers. I don’t know about you, but there are times when I wonder about that. God are you listening? I would imagine that both couples, Abraham and Sarah as well as Zechariah and Elizabeth were thinking that God had either not heard their prayers or had denied them.

Neither was true. What a great thing to come to understand. If we are hanging in there with God and living lives that point to Him, He does hear our prayers and we shouldn’t give up when it comes to what we have asked.

Because you see…God’s delays are not necessarily God’s denials. Both couples due to their advanced ages had more than likely stopped praying that they would have a child. In the case of Zechariah and Elizabeth, when Gabriel said that God had heard their prayers I think he was talking about prayers that had been prayers much earlier. I have to admit, I find that pretty encouraging to know that God continues to have prayers that I prayed some time ago still on the books.

Let’s look a little more at the things that Gabriel had to say about what was to come as far as John the Baptist was concerned.

Verse 14 says….You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,
Here, it is God who is predicting that Zechariah and Elizabeth would have great joy and gladness which just by itself is such a terrific promise, but then He goes on to say that many will rejoice.

Sure sounds like a party to me! I’m pretty sure that there were not many who rejoiced at my birth, more than likely it would have been limited to close family and for sure my mom who said that when I was born I showed up at lunchtime and she missed her meal.

A good portion of the rejoicing may have come because of the fact that after such a long wait, Zechariah and Elizabeth were blessed with a son as well as the fact that it was evidence to all concerned of God answering prayer.
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Verse 15 says…for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.


“Great in the eyes of the Lord.”  Isn’t this something that every one of us would like to be able to say? Personally I think that if I were to be considered great in the eyes of the Lord and then to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant” I would consider my life a success. How about you? Sure! What believer wouldn’t? Not only that, but for the angel of the Lord to say that about your son? The one you haven’t even had yet…Wow! That sure would take a load off wouldn’t it?

The angel alludes to the tradition of Numbers 6:1-12, indicating that John will be a Prophet dedicated to the Lord as a Nazirite. He will thus refrain from intoxicating beverages, cutting his hair, and all contact with the dead. He actually couldn’t eat anything that came from grapes, whether fermented or not; he couldn’t even eat raisins. All in accordance with the Angel who announced his birth.

And how absolutely amazing to be chosen of God in such a way as to be Spirit-filled even before birth. This is certainly a very special baby to be born.
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Verse 16 says… And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God.

John was coming to explain to the Jews that the Messiah that they had been waiting for, for generations was coming. This would have been very welcome news to those who would believe it. To explain that to the non-Jewish crowd would have meant very little or nothing as they were not expecting a messiah in the first place. Gentiles would be brought into the fold later. Peter and Paul would play significant roles in leading Gentiles to a relationship with Jesus.

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Verse 17 says….He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”

Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary on the Bible says about John, “He shall be carried on in his work, as Elijah was, by a divine spirit and power, which shall crown his ministry with wonderful success.’

It also goes on to say that in turning hearts of the fathers to their children that, that statement is in reference to the Jews as the fathers and the Gentiles as children.

Hereby he shall make ready a people prepared for the Lord, shall dispose the minds of people to receive the doctrine of Christ, that thereby they may be prepared for the comforts of his coming. Note, First, All that are to be devoted to the Lord, and made happy in him, must first be prepared and made ready for him. We must be prepared by grace in this world for the glory in the other, by the terrors of the law for the comforts of the gospel, by the spirit of bondage for the Spirit of adoption. Secondly, Nothing has a more direct tendency to prepare people for Christ than the doctrine of repentance received and submitted to. When sin is thereby made grievous, Christ will become very precious.

And in reference to the rebellious the commentary says, “And he shall turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that is, he shall introduce the gospel, by which the Gentiles, who are now disobedient, shall be turned, not so much to their fathers the Jews, but to the faith of Christ, here called the wisdom of the godly.”

Gabriel is explaining that John has been selected by God to herald the coming of the Messiah. Maybe not on the same level as John, but haven’t we been called to work to point our lives to the cross?

Here’s a story about one guy who does just that…


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VIDEO….Fox Surprise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-35IxePoZ0
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While Greg Zanis may not be exactly like John the Baptist, there are similarities that I want to point to. He travels all over the country going to communities where tragedies have occurred and when he arrives he brings the cross.

In the clip Mr. Zanis said that he wants to shed a light on a dark time by bringing the hope of the cross to those who are hurting.

He opened his heart to those who are hurting by saying I will put up a cross for anyone anywhere, all you have to do is ask….people started asking.

Zanis said “I’m a man on a mission, bringing the hope of the cross and that God is in America, God hasn’t abandoned us.”

Greg Zanis is pointing people to Jesus. That’s what the Angel Gabriel was telling Zechariah that John the Baptist would be doing. He proclaimed that the Lord was coming and that it was going to change everything.

If we look at Isaiah 40:3-5 we see that the angel Gabriel wasn’t the only one who was predicting what John the Baptist would be doing… 700 years earlier the arrival of John the Baptist had been foretold through the prophet Isaiah.

We read…

Isaiah 40:3-5
3
Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,
“Clear the way through the wilderness
    for the Lord!
Make a straight highway through the wasteland
    for our God!
4
Fill in the valleys,
    and level the mountains and hills.
Straighten the curves,
    and smooth out the rough places.
5
Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.
    The Lord has spoken!”

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So what does all this say to us?
Shouldn’t we live in a way to clear the way for the return of the Lord?  How can we do that? What does that look like?

Spiritual Warfare and Christmas

Spiritual warfare and Christmas
Dec. 3

Two 6 year olds struggled with the problem of the existence of the devil.

One boy said, "Oh, there isn't any devil." The other, rather upset, said, "What do you mean, there isn't any devil? It talks about him all the way through the Bible!"

The first replied, "Oh that's not true, you know. It's just like Santa Clause, the devil turns out to be your dad." 

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You know, that joke really isn’t that far from the truth when it comes to how the world sees Satan. Hollywood and countless advertising agencies would have us believe that Satan is just a myth, a guy dressed in a red suit with horns on his head and holding a pitchfork.

But don’t you believe it! Satan is real! He is very, very real.
How real is the enemy?

In the Gospel of John chapter 10 verse 10 we read the words of Jesus who said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
Your version may say “that they may have life and have it to the full.”

Who is Jesus talking to? What is a thief? What do they do? Who is Jesus talking about? Back up to 10:1….

Luke 11:23 New Living Translation
"Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me.

So if the enemy can work against Jesus through those around Him, I’m pretty sure he can do it to us too!
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And what better time of year for Satan to ply his trade of deception and destruction than during the Christmas season?

During this time of year the enemy works to distract our focus from giving glory to God. That is one of his main goals all year, but during the Christmas season it seems as though he does everything he can to turn us to other things instead of the celebration of the birth of our Savior.

So this morning I want to talk about this. I realize that there are still three weeks until Christmas, but that is why this is a good time. I want to encourage you to be on guard and to understand that we are in the midst of a spiritual war, especially this time of year.

Each of us is under attack. Satan is doing all that he can to turn us away from God and cause us a spiritual defeat. What I am talking about here is an all out war for our hearts and souls!

Satan often mounts his attacks just a little bit at a time. He can be very subtle, he plants seeds of doubt, frustration, greed and anger that can grow into all out sin if left unchecked.

Scripture tells us that we as Christians are just visitors to this world while as Jesus says in John chapter 14(:30) that Satan rules over it. And as that ruler, he is doing everything he can to bring about our Spiritual fall. You see if we align ourselves with the values of the world we then have put ourselves in direct opposition to God. For that which is of the world is just temporary where the values that point to God are eternal.

While Satan continues the battle for souls he knows that he as already lost the war because of Christ’s work on the cross. He also knows that if we are walking with God we are safe from his attacks. It is our knowledge of this, however, that can also cause a problem for us.
It is easy to get complacent in the knowledge of the victory that Jesus has had over Satan. If that were to happen it would give the enemy the opportunity he is looking for to launch an attack.

Satan will do everything in his power to block our walk in Christ and His victory. He makes use of deception, and lies to entice us away from Christ. The devil unleashes a barrage of attacks on our thoughts, desires and emotions in nearly inconspicuous ways to seduce us and trick us into believing his lies.

There are many Christians who live in defeat today because they have succumbed to the attacks and the lies that Satan is spreading. This defeat is keeping these believers from experiencing the joy that God intends for them.

While the attacks from the enemy are very real, he is certainly not hiding behind every tree or bush. If we believe that is the case we then can find ourselves living in fear of Satan and that would also be a win for him.

Theologians tell a story to illustrate how Christ's triumph presently benefits our lives: Imagine a city under siege. The enemy that surrounds the city will not let anyone or anything leave. Supplies are running low, and the citizens are fearful. But in the dark of the night, a spy sneaks through the enemy lines. He has rushed to the city to tell the people that in another place the main enemy force has been defeated; the leaders have already surrendered. The people do not need to be afraid. It is only a matter of time until the besieging troops receive the news and lay down their weapons. Similarly, we may seem now to be surrounded by the forces of evil -- disease, injustice, oppression, death. But the enemy has actually been defeated at Calvary. Things are not the way they seem to be. It is only a matter of time until it becomes clear to all that the battle is really over. 

That victory begins with what the Bible tells us in James 4:7: "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

That being said, Satan has not given up on you or me. He will continue his attacks on believers and churches. So we need to be aware that we are in his crosshairs especially during the Christmas season.

Christian Author Debbie has listed seven ways that Satan is trying to sabotage Christmas as well and scriptural answers for each. She makes great points… Let’s have a look.

 1. Distraction / Busyness

Our enemy is deceptive……. Revelation 12:9 says, This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.(Revelation 12:9).

He’ll try hard to exhaust our days with busyness and distraction. He loves it when we have no room in the schedule for God, or we’re too busy to pray. If he can just keep us endlessly spinning our wheels at a hurried, frantic pace, he knows we’ve lost our influence. He’ll distract us with endless activity, full calendars, and even top media headlines. Anything that will draw our attention away from Christ, even seemingly “good” things, is all part of his plan. We find ourselves overwhelmed, over-extended, pressured and stressed.

 But God gives us the awareness that He came to set us free, He brings peace. He gives us wisdom and the strength to put Him first.

The Remedy: Remember Matthew 6:33. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.



2. Comparison/Jealousy

The enemy is a liar…… John 8:44 says… For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44).

Satan’s great at whispering “you’re not enough.” We may find ourselves looking around at what everyone else is doing, what they’re buying, what they’re getting. We notice how others seem to “have it all together” – perfectly decorated houses, perfect families, perfect photos, perfect lives. And we keep feeling like we’ve come up short. Jealousy sets in. Wanting what others have. We’re too busy looking around us wondering why we’re not more like “them,” to ever notice what God might be wanting to speak to us. Yet He reminds us where our true value is found. Our security and joy are found solely in Him.

Remember John 10:10

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)  As we saw earlier, this verse talks about what the thief does, it also explains what Jesus has come to do. What a promise, what a great hope our Savior is!

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3. Discontentment/Temptation/Greed

The enemy is a tempter…….. Matthew 4:3 Says, During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.(Matthew 4:3).

The Christmas season can stir up many emotions, and the quest for more stuff to fill our aching hearts can be a huge temptation for many. We want, we “need” something to help satisfy a void that’s deep within. We listen to the enemy’s lies that money and stuff will somehow soothe the loss we feel. We’re lured towards sin, we’re tempted by the desire for the things the world can offer. But God gives us the discernment to see through that trap. We can set a guard over our hearts, and trust Him for wisdom in making the best choices.


Remember 1 Corinthians 10:13

“13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure..” (1 Corinthians 10:13)  This is where there has been some confusion. This verse talks about us having no more temptation in our lives than we can handle. Some have come to say because of this that “God won’t give us more than we can handle.” Or that He won’t allow it. That just isn’t true and nowhere in scripture doe it say that. God often allows us to experience things that we cannot handle on our own so that we will turn to Him.


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4. Unforgiveness /Resentment

The enemy is a schemer….… Ephesians 6:11-12 says Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.(Ephesians 6:11-12).

Maybe you thought you’d forgiven that wrong, that hurt, from months ago. You thought you’d laid it to rest. And yet the holidays, parties, and time with family and friends just stirred it all up again. You can be sure the devil’s at the heart of it, he doesn’t want you to forgive and move forward. He loves it when we stay stuck in our pain. Recognize who’s at the root of deception, push past his lies, step over his traps. Know that God’s heart is for you. His healing is huge and His love covers all.


Remember Ephesians 4:32

“32 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. .” (Ephesians 4:32)

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5. Worry/Fear

The enemy is looking for someone to devour…… 1 Peter 5:8 says, Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.  (1 Peter 5:8).

And he’ll often target those who are hurting or feel weakened with fear. This is one area that Satan works the hardest. It’s a powerful weapon that he’s used over many of our lives. If your heart is set on worry and fear, he has you right where he wants you. Don’t let him win this battle. Stay aware of his traps and this endless cycle of worry. It can be fierce to struggle through, but don’t give up. Give God your every fear and worry, fill your heart with the Truth of His Word, meditate on what He says and choose to believe His words, that we “don’t have to be afraid.”


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Remember Isaiah 41:10

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand..” (Isaiah 41:10)


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6. Loneliness/Broken Relationships/Disunity

The enemy is a manipulator…… Genesis 3:1-5 says, The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”

4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”(Genesis 3:1-5).

He loves to stir up controversy, especially division among believers, and destruction in our own families. He rejoices in hatred and strife. He cheers on riots and violence. If you’re in a season of loneliness or are struggling through feelings of rejection and hurt, don’t stay stuck there. Bring those needs and relationships to Christ, every single one, because He has the ability to heal and restore. He is, after all, a Redeemer.

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Remember 1 Peter 4:8
“8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)

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7. Despair/Depression

The enemy is an accuser…… Revelation 12:10 says, Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,

“It has come at last—
    salvation and power
and the Kingdom of our God,
    and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters
    has been thrown down to earth—
the one who accuses them
    before our God day and night.(Revelation 12:10).

It’s not a surprise that the holidays are times when depression and suicide are on the rise. Or defeat, despair, addiction, and deep darkness of the soul. The enemy loves us to dwell in all these places. But God alone can offer the healing and the power to rise above these things. He is our hope giver. Nothing else can lift us from these dark places like God can. Don’t give up. Don’t succumb to the enemy’s lies. Cling to God and know that He cares about you, more than you could ever realize. Christ came to set the captives free.


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Remember 1 John 4:4

"4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world." (1 John 4:4)

(Content taken from the article, 7 Ways the Enemy is Trying to Sabotage Your Christmas, written by Debbie McDaniel.)



A little boy came to his father looking much in earnest, and asked, "Father, is Satan bigger than I am?" "Yes, my boy," said the father. "Is he bigger than you are, Father?" "Yes, my boy, he is bigger than your father," The boy looked surprised but thought again, and asked, "Is he bigger than Jesus?" "No, my boy," answered the father. "Jesus is bigger than he is." The little fellow, as he turned away, said with a smile, "Then I'm not afraid of him.”

So as we move through this Christmas season and into the new year, remember that God has the answer for all of Satan’s attacks. The answer is for us to get closer to Him both in His living Word and through prayer. And remember that no matter how difficult things may seem our hope is in the one who has defeated death, Jesus!