December 14, Third Sunday of Advent

Lessons: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Luke 1.47-55

Sermon Title: Here Is Your God!

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INTRODUCTION

Church Sign (1)

A church was preparing for Christmas services. The pastor decided he wanted a banner made for the entryway and had a parishioner call the sign company.

The parishioner told the man on the phone the message he wanted and the dimensions needed for the entryway.

The sign came back a few days later... "Unto Mary Jesus was born, six feet long and two feet wide."

    1. Well, that's a hoot.

    2. It may be better that the results that the director of the Christmas Pageant had with a five-year-old.

Villager (2)

I was casting kids in our church for our annual Christmas play, and I was giving out choices, such as Shepherd, Lamb, Villager.

One 5-year-old couldn't decide, so I said, "Luke, you can be a Villager." He said, "OK," and ran over to his parents.

Very excited, he said to them, "Guess what! I get to be a mini-van!"

  1. So, what we have here is a failure to comprehend the situation.

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MAIN BODY:

  1. That's not so much different that the failure that exists in comprehending Christmas.

    1. One of the songs of the season contains some significant elements of faulty theology.

    2. It is Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (3)

      1. "The famous Christmas song Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer started life as a poem created by an American advertising executive called Robert May.

        1. He was requested to produce a poem that could be given away to children by the Santa Claus employed by Department Stores at Christmas!

        2. Working as an Advertising Executive Robert May had a natural flair with words and was able to compose the Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer poem which was specifically designed to appeal to children.

        3. This marketing ploy was a massive success and approximately 2.5 million Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer poems were given away in the first year of its publication!

      2. In 1949 the singer Gene Autry recorded a musical version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer composed by Johnny Marks.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

You know Dasher and Dancer
And Prancer and Vixen,
Comet and Cupid
And Donner and Blitzen.
But do you recall
The most famous reindeer of all?

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw him,
you would even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer
used to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rudolph
join in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say:
"Rudolph with your nose so bright,
won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

Then all the reindeer loved him
as they shouted out with glee,
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,
you'll go down in history!

    1. This has something significant to say about love.

      1. Love is fickle

      2. Love is a game.

      3. Love is only to be given when someone or something, in this case, Rudolph, does something important.

    2. We have to be careful that Rudolph does not take the place of God.

      1. You say, "That's never going to happen!"

      2. What theology does the song promote?

  1. To get us back on track, ask your self "Why did Jesus come into our world?"

    1. The obvious answer is given by John the Baptist in John 1.29.

The next day he (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29, NRSVA).

      1. Jesus came as the sacrificial Lamb.

      2. This is true but there is much, much more.

    1. Jesus does not come to condemn.

      1. We are familiar with John 3.16.

16"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

      1. But, what about verses 17 and 18?

17"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God, (John 3:16-18, NRSVA).

    1. Jesus does not come to criticize.

    2. Jesus does not come to control.

    3. Jesus comes to each us how to love God.

    4. Jesus come to teach us how to love one another.

      1. A six-year-old girl observed: (4)

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."

      1. After a geography class studied the Seven Wonders of the World, the students were asked to list what they considered were the Seven Wonders of the World.

      2. They voted for:

        1. (1) Egypt's Great Pyramids

        2. (2) Taj Mahal

        3. (3) Grand Canyon

        4. (4) Panama Canal

        5. (5) Empire State Building

        6. (6) St. Peters Basilica

        7. (7) Chinas Great Wall.

      3. A girl took some extra time with her list, then told the teacher, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are: (5)

        1. (1) to touch

        2. (2) to taste

        3. (3) to see

        4. (4) to hear

        5. (5) to run

        6. (6) to laugh and

        7. (7) to love.

    1. Where would the world be without love.

      1. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

        1. The title of the book refers to the story's main antagonist, the Dark Lord Sauron (sarn), who had in an earlier age created the One Ring that rules the other Rings of Power, as the ultimate weapon in his campaign to conquer and rule all of Middle-earth.

        2. Sauron is the epitomany of evil and in him there is no love.

      2. In Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling has a character Voldemort.

        1. In the series, Voldemort is the archenemy of Harry Potter, who according to a prophecy has the power to defeat him.

        2. He is described as "the most powerful Dark wizard who has ever lived", and aims to conquer not just the Wizarding world, but the Muggle (non-magical) world as well.

        3. He is so feared, that almost no one uses his real name referring to him, instead, by saying "You-Know-Who" or "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

        4. Even his followers only refer to him as the "Dark Lord".

        5. He is evil and destructive.

      3. Both of these characters might be based on Lucifer who attempted to seduce Jesus into sin.

        1. Lucifer is the originator of sin.

        2. In John 8, verses 42-44: 42Jesus said to them (the Pharisees),

"If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me. 43Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot accept my word. 44You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies, (John 8:42-44 NRSVA).

        1. He is the tempter and in him there is no love.

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  1. We need to learn to love.

    1. Henry J. van Dyke wrote: Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.

      1. It has been set to the: "Hymn to Joy."

    2. Henry J. van Dyke wrote this hymn while staying at the home of Harry A. Garfield at Williams College, Massachusetts. He was a pastor and English professor, who wrote the poem with Beethoven's Ninth explicitly in mind.

    3. In describing his work, Van Dyke wrote:

"These verses are simple expressions of common Christian feelings and desires in this present time--hymns of today that may be sung together by people who know the thought of the age, and are not afraid that any truth of science will destroy religion, or any revolution on earth overthrow the kingdom of heaven. Therefore this is a hymn of trust and joy and hope."

    1. Do you know the words to Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blessed,
Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, all who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the happy chorus, which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o'er us, brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward in the triumph song of life.

    1. The third verse of the hymn highlights the theme of love:

"Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blest,
Well-spring of the joy of living,
Ocean-depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,
All who live in love are Thine:
Teach us how to love each other,
lift us to the Joy Divine."

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  1. Teach us how to love each other.

    1. Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11: What Does the Text Say? (6)

      1. The voice in this text, the "servant" of several Isaiahic passages, says that the spirit of God has anointed him for specific tasks, a phenomenon experienced by a number of O.T. figures.

      2. In this case, the "servant" has been empowered to:

        1. 1) bring good news to the oppressed,

        2. 2) bind up the brokenhearted,

        3. 3) proclaim liberty to the captives,

        4. 4) release to the prisoners,

  1. 5) proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,

        1. 6) comfort all who mourn, and

        2. 7) provide for those who mourn in Zion.

      1. These activities are offered on behalf of the "oppressed," the "brokenhearted," the "captives," the "prisoners" and "all who mourn."

      2. The speaker is identified as the "LORD" in verse 8 and the rationale for these ministries is based on what the Lord loves and what the Lord hates.

        1. The Lord loves justice, but hates "robbery and wrongdoing."

        2. In the end, the "LORD God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations" (v. 11).

    1. The song in Luke 1:46-55 is often called the Magnificat, the first word in the Latin translation of this passage.

      1. Mary's song has often been used as the basis for choral music and hymns.

      2. Mary glorified God in song for what he was going to do for the world through her.

      3. In Mary's song, God is pictured as a champion of the poor, the oppressed, and the despised.

      4. God is a God of love as well as holiness.

    2. If you really want to know the content, meaning, and purpose of love, follow Jesus.

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CONCLUSION:

  1. It is not Rudolph, it is Jesus?

    1. Jesus is born to teach us how to love.

    2. Here is your God.

    3. Listen to him!

Amen.

1. forwarded by Scott Sanderson. Mikey's Funnies [funnies-owner@lists.MikeysFunnies.com]

2. Pastor Tim [posts@cybersaltlists.org]

3. Retrieved from: http://www.carols.org.uk/rudolf_the_red_nosed_reindeer.htm

4. Six-year-old girl, via Lowell Yoder, Holland, OH

5. Via Lois Ward Gleamings

6. Retrieved from: Homiletics Magazine, The Least-Reinforcing Scenario December 14, 2008

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