Impacting our world with the Word of God and the love of Christ
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Impacting our world with the Word of God and the love of Christ |
BackWHAT CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT Every year I tell myself that I should keep a list of all the things people say Christmas is supposed to be about—because every year it seems the descriptions get a little more off track. You hear it on talk shows, in Christmas specials, in office conversations, in political speeches, and on and on. You know what I mean. They say things like: "Giving—isn't that what Christmas is all about?" Or, "Helping the unfortunate—isn't that what Christmas is all about?" Or, "Being with family—isn't that what Christmas is all about?" The best one I've heard (or the worst, depending on how you look at it) was found in one of Jay Leno's Headlines books. It shows an advertisement in a local newspaper placed by the "Center for Dental Implants." The ad says, "The Gift of Chewing Is What the Holidays Are All About." That solves the mystery, doesn't it? You wonder why we put up trees, decorate our houses, wrap presents, close our businesses, and travel great distances to see relatives? It's so people can chew. This might come as a surprise, but the Bible has a different idea regarding the meaning of the Christmas season. That's what we'll look at today. In the book of Micah, the prophet foretold Bethlehem as the birth place of the Messiah. He said... (v. 2-3) But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will for me one who will be ruler over Israel. This is a reference to Christmas. He's saying that Christ would be born in Bethlehem. He goes on to say... (v. 4-5) He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace. These two simple verses teach us what Christmas is all about. They tell us why Jesus came into the world, and what he expected to accomplish here. Micah says that Jesus came to be a shepherd to his flock. He came to take care of us. To lead us. To protect us. To save us. He came to be our shepherd. What does that mean—that Jesus is our shepherd? Today we'll look at three ways he wants to be your shepherd. First of all... 1. He Gives You Strength. Micah said... "What Christmas is all about" is that you don't have to live life in your own strength. You don't have to handle it on your own. You have help. You can turn to God for strength, and he will give it to you. While attempting to rescue a fellow soldier, Bob Wieland lost both his legs in Vietnam. He had dreamed of being a professional baseball player after the war, but that dream was gone forever. Many men in this situation are overcome with bitterness, but Bob wasn't. He said, "I lost my legs, not my heart", and he continued his quest for athletic achievement. He walks on his hands now, and has completed a three year Walk Across America. He has participated in the Race Across America on a custom-made bicycle, and in the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon. He can bench press an amazing 507 pounds. How does he do it? He said that he learned to cast all his cares on Jesus (1 Peter 5:7), and he learned how "the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength." (1 Corinthians 1:25) In his words, "I do the best I can to apply the Word of God to my life, because I know it works." That's the kind of strength Jesus offers. No matter what happens, we can depend on him to get us through. Our lives don't have to be characterized by failure, or bitterness, or missed opportunities. He will give you the strength to face whatever comes your way. That's what Christmas is all about. It means you are not alone. You are not a victim of the circumstances life throws your way. You have a shepherd, and you can live in his strength. Are you facing challenges right now that are bigger than you are? Are you in a battle that you don't have the strength to win on your own? You don't have to face it alone. God will be your strength. In fact, trying to live your life in your own strength, without God's help, is a recipe for disaster. Isaiah says, But see here, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves from your own fires and not from God's; you will live among sorrows. (Isaiah 50:11) Trying to live life in your own strength, according to your own light, is futile. It leads only to sorrow. Jesus came into the world to take away that futility. He came to give us strength for daily living. That's what he wants to do. Secondly, he wants to give you... 2. He Gives You Security. Let's face it: We live in an insecure world. Neither certainty nor safety exist, even though we spend our lives trying to find both. We look to the government, or our employer, or our investments, or our relationships—and none of them can provide us with the security we need. The things we turn to most often simply don't have the ability to offer true security. Like Bob Wieland learned in Vietnam, our world can come crashing down on us at any moment. One simple word can change our lives forever—a word like "divorce" ...or "cancer" ...or "downsizing." We hear that word and suddenly the world doesn't seem so safe anymore. The fact is, we don't know what will happen tomorrow; we don't even know what will happen later today. We can't depend on the world to offer security, because it doesn't have it to give. There's only one place we can find security. Micah said... (v. 4) And they [his flock] will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. Jesus offers the security of knowing that he is control, and he has the power and ability to take care of us. That's what a shepherd does, and that is what he wants to do for you. Listen to these words from Ezekiel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak...(Ezekiel 34:15-16) What's he saying? He's saying "I will take care of you. You are safe with me. I will tend to you. If you're lost, I will find you. If you stray, I will bring you back. If you're injured I will strengthen you. I am your shepherd. I will take care of you." God made this promise to us: he said, Jesus also said, You want security? Jesus offers it to you. That's why he came into the world...that's what Christmas is all about. He offers a kind of security the world cannot offer—security based not on things and circumstances, but based on his never-ending love for you. And his greatness, Micah says, reaches to the ends of the earth. He's saying, "There is no place you can go, or nothing that can happen, that extends beyond the power of God to take care of you." Sheep find no safety in themselves. They can't protect themselves from the enemy, and they can't take care of themselves on their own. They need a shepherd, and so do we. We need protection from the world. We need protection from the enemy. We need protection in the midst of disaster, and only Jesus can give it to us. That's why he came: to give you security. Thirdly... 3. He Gives You Serenity. Have you seen the Seinfeld where George's dad, Frank Costanza, learns the relaxation technique of saying "Serenity Now"? Frank's doctor told him every time his blood pressure starts to rise, simply say, "Serenity Now." Only, he doesn't say it, he screams it. And it doesn't work. No matter how much he bellows out "Serenity Now", he's never able to get a grip on it. George's friend, Lloyd, who used to be in a mental institution tells him, "Serenity Now doesn't work. That's what put me in the institution. It's 'Serenity Now,' insanity later." It is just a little insane to think we can find peace by shouting out "Serenity Now", and that's about how foolish some of our other attempts at finding peace are. We try to find peace of mind by drinking alcohol, or over-eating, or working, or jumping from relationship to relationship, and it simply doesn't work. We don't live in a peaceful world. Most people don't have inner peace, and you only have to glance at the headlines to remind yourself that external peace is a rarity also. There has always been fighting between nations; it is one constant of civilization. Leonard Levinson said that peace-time is "the white space between the chapters in the history books." Jesus came to bring peace to all who follow him. His birth was foretold by Micah with the words, Micah said... (v. 5) And he will be their peace. His birth was announced by the angels, who said... "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men...(Luke 2:14) And as Jesus was approaching death, he said to his disciples... Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you....Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27) Jesus came to give us peace. Even when we can't experience peace in the world around us, we can experience his peace in our inner world. Jesus came into the world to take away all the things that destroy our peace. He wants to carry your burdens; he wants to lift your anxieties, he wants to take away your sins. Those things that tend to make your life miserable are the very things Jesus came to take care of. That's what he wants to do. He wants to be your shepherd. He wants to give you peace. CONCLUSION It's humbling to admit we can't take care of ourselves, but that's exactly what we must do. In the Bible, we've been compared to sheep, and it's not exactly a flattering comparison. Sheep aren't industrious; they don't work for you. They don't protect the family; no one ever has a "guard sheep." Neither are they particularly bright; you never see a sheep in a circus act. The one thing sheep can do, by nature, is follow the shepherd. They're good at following. They're good at trusting. And that's what God wants you to do: he wants you to follow him...he wants you to trust him. He sent Jesus into the world to be a shepherd to all who would follow him. He will take care of you. You can cast all your cares and concerns, all your worries and anxieties, all your sin and unbelief on him, and he will take them all away. That's what Jesus came to do. Remember the words from Ezekiel... I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak...(Ezekiel 34:16) Jesus came into the world to be a shepherd. He wants to help you live each day in his strength; he wants to give you the kind of security this world simply cannot offer; and he wants to fill you with peace. Jesus came into the world to seek and save the lost, so that all who
follow
may experience life in all its fullness. That's what Christmas is about. |