SPECIAL DAYS: Fourth Sunday in Advent

December 22, 2002 - Lessons: 2 Samuel 7.1-11, 16; Luke 1.26-38

Sermon Title: Timeless Story, Timely Told

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INTRODUCTION:

A couple had two little boys, ages 8 and 10, who were excessively mischievous. They were always getting into trouble and their parents knew that, if any mischief occurred in their town, their sons were probably involved.

The boys mother heard that a clergyman in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The clergyman agreed, but asked to see them individually. So the mother sent her 8-year-old first, in the morning, with the older boy to see the clergyman in the afternoon.

The clergyman, a huge man with a booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly, "Where is God?". The boys mouth dropped open, but he made no response, sitting there with his mouth hanging open, wide-eyed. So the clergyman repeated the question in an even sterner tone, "Where is God!!?" Again the boy made no attempt to answer. So the clergyman raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boys face and bellowed, "WHERE IS GOD!?"

The boy screamed and bolted from the room, ran directly home and dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him. When his older brother found him in the closet, he asked, "What happened?"

The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied "We are in BIG trouble this time, dude. God is missing - and they think WE did it!"

MAIN BODY:

  1. Where is God?
    1. There are times when it seems that God is missing.
    2. The writers of the Old Testament cried out to the hidden God.
      1. 1Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Psalm 10:1 (NRSVA)
      2. 1How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? Psalm 13:1 (NRSVA)
      3. 46How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? Psalm 89:46 (NRSVA)
      4. 15Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior. Isaiah 45:15 (NRSVA)
      5. It is as if God were playing an old childhood game with us.
      6. Let's play hide and seek.
    3. But then there is an important question that arises: Is it that God is hidden from humanity or is this an illustration for the sin-filled human condition that is unable to see God?

The rush of the Christmas season carried Mary along its demanding way when tryouts for the Christmas program were announced. (1)

Certain that the whole church clamored for her six-year-old Billy's great talent, she looked forward to teaching him Joseph's part. When he came back as a prophet, she decided he would be the best looking prophet in a pageant. Cramming designing and sewing the costume into an impossible schedule, she frantically finished it, complete with bushy, fake-fur beard.

The pageant was magnificent, especially Billy, and especially all the beautiful carols the children sang. Mary praised Billy to the stars for singing them all.

Then the director announced a new wardrobe closet was beginning. Would the children donate their costume? Mary urged Billy to donate his, which he did. Except for the beard, which he continued to wear. Pressing him to hurry so they could go on to the next thing on their schedule, he refused to give it up. "Why, Billy?"

"Mom, you know those songs? I never learned them. With this beard, I could just move my mouth and nobody knew."

Mary said, "That was when it hit me. I was going through the motions of Christmas when I didn't know the song."

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    1. Is it true that people are going through the motions but don't know the song?
      1. The ancient prophet Isaiah in speaking about the promise of a Messiah wrote of the condition of people. He described it this way:
        1. 2£The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness--on them light has shined. Isaiah 9:2 (NRSVA)
        2. The people do not know and they do not know that they do not know.
        3. When the light came they did not recognize it.
        4. John wrote in John 1.10, 10He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him, (John 1:10, NRSVA).
      2. In answering the disciples question of why he spoke in parables, Jesus said:
        1. 10Then the disciples came and asked him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" 11He answered, "To you it has been given to know the secrets£ of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 13The reason I speak to them in parables is that 'seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.' 14With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says:
        2. 'You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. 15For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn--and I would heal them.' 16But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it, Matthew 13:10-17, NRSVA).
  1. God can be found but you have to know what you are looking for.
    1. "When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the LORD..." (Jeremiah 29:13-14a, NRSVA).
    2. The Apostle Paul puts the process of finding God in the proper order.
      1. 14But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? 15And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" 16But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" 17So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ, (Romans 10:14-17, NRSVA).
    3. Are we in any doubt that we need to find God.
      1. The clergyman's question was a great one: "Where is God?"
      2. It is not God outside of ourselves with whom we are most concerned, but it is God within us that is of vital importance.
      3. In our quest for God let God find us.

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  1. If you let him, If you are open to his revelation, If you are receptive to his message, if you are accepting of his truth, he will find you.
    1. This is the story of Christmas.
    2. This is the "Timeless Story, Timely Told."
  2. It is a message that is found in Nathan's revelation to David in 2 Samuel 7.16.
    1. "Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever," (2 Samuel 7.16, NRSVA)
    2. This is the story is continued in Luke 1.26-38.
      1. This promise is so profound and extraordinarily fulfilled in Jesus.
        1. Jesus is God--God in human from, The God-Man.
        2. This is directly stated to Mary.
        3. She will have a son who is described as--well pick up the story in Luke 2.26
        4. 26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." 29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
        5. In verse 31 comes the description:
        6. 31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."
          1. He will great
          2. He will be called the Son of the Most High (God)
          3. He will be given the throne of his ancestor David.
          4. He will reign over the House of Jacob forever.
          5. Of his kingdom there will be no end.
    3. Then Mary asks the most important question.
      1. It is most important not only for her understanding, but also for ours.
      2. 34Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"
      3. The angels answer puts our doubts and fears to rest.
      4. 35The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.
        1. Do you see the process?
        2. Do you realize the implications?
        3. Do you accept the results?

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CONCLUSION:

  1. The boy in the story of the clergyman was afraid.
    1. He went and hid.
    2. His conclusion for him was accurate.
  2. Where is God?
    1. Read again the "Timeless Story, Timely Told."
    2. Allow faith to grow.
    3. The light of God will dissipate the darkness.
  3. Where is God?
    1. He is right here! (2)

During the Christmas season the first thing Joe Szloboda liked to do on his shift was to go to the front of the store and inspect the nativity scene that was set up there. It was just inside the big set of revolving doors that opened onto the street, and often careless shoppers would have tossed scraps of paper and other litter among the figures of Mary and Joseph, the animals, the wise men and the shepherds. Once Joe had found a pop can in the cradle. So he liked to clean these things out and dust off the figures. It was a way of reminding himself that whatever work he might engage in, his real task was to do everything as if for the Lord himself, to be caretaker in the house of his God.

One night he stood before the stable scene and thought of the Lord's first earthly home. This night in particular the scene in front of him with its life-sized characters began to seem so vivid that he might have been there himself, just one more of the humble figures gathered around the cradle in Bethlehem, adoring. To have leapt back over two thousand years, and yet to be in the present, in the presence of Eternity Himself--this was an indescribable sensation, passing understanding. Yet all at once an even stranger sensation came on top of this one, and Joe actually put his hand up to his hair because there seemed to be static electricity coming out of it, effervescing all over his head. At the same time his attention was diverted by something in the creche, something that appeared different about it. His entire body tingled now with expectation vibrant as a thrummed cord. And then Joe's mouth fell open in astonishment.

"Jesus!" he whispered.

And then, "Oh, my precious Lord!"

And just as if his own name were being called, out Joe Szloboda stepped forward and walked right into the center of the creche and knelt down beside the cradle. Joy was welling up inside him, a great bolt of pure, bounding joy, energetic and muscular like a huge fish leaping out of the water into the sunlight. For as Joe gazed into the cradle he knew beyond any doubt that what he was seeing there was real. It was the incarnation of God and he was seeing it with his own eyes and it was real. There was no question of how real it was.

1. Davis Carothers, Salem-Friendship Union Hill United Methodist Church, MS

2. Mike Mason, THE MYSTERY OF THE WORD (San Francisco: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1988), pp. 33-35.

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