MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER
RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
(REVISED: 2015)
(PowerPoints used with this message are available at no charge. Just email me at mnewland@sstelco.com and request #281)
TEXT: Luke 2:15-19
A. Have you ever had a day that was so special, so filled with wonderful things, that you wished time could stand still & that day last forever?
ILL. Maybe it was when you got your first bicycle. Do you remember the sense of freedom you enjoyed, feeling the breeze in your face, riding as fast as you dared? Maybe that was a moment you never wanted to end.
Maybe it was when you first fell in love, & experienced that emotion which no one can completely describe. Your head was spinning, & you couldn't see clearly, but it was such a wonderful feeling that you wanted it to last forever.
Maybe it was when you got married & the two of you stood together, looking to the future with all its promise & challenges. You knew that somehow it would all work out just fine because you really loved each other.
Maybe it was some special Christmas when you went to grandma's house, & the rooms were filled with such love & joy. That memory still lingers on, & you never want to let it go.
B. Well, in a few days it will be Christmas again, & children have been waiting anxiously for it to come. Do you remember that feeling? You waited & waited, & it seemed like it would never get here.
Then it finally does, & it's rather sad because in just a few minutes you unwrap all the gifts, & all the surprises are revealed, & it's over. Dec. 25th ends & time marches on.
We can't stop time, can we? Sometimes we wish we could, but we can't. One day follows another, & one week, one month, & one year. But there are certain things we can hold on to, certain things that time cannot take away.
Mary must have experienced that the night when Jesus was born. Now, Mary probably didn't want to remember everything that happened. Some of it was unpleasant. But memory has a wonderful way of screening out unpleasant things & preserving the pleasant ones.
The journey had been a hard one for Mary. She & Joseph were traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The last day especially had been long & her body was weary, & she was beginning to experience labor pains.
Finally, they arrived in Bethlehem & went from place to place seeking someplace to stay. But there was no room for them anywhere.
Then they were told of a stable, a very humble place where animals were sheltered from the elements. But it was better than nothing. It was a place where they could rest. Then the labor pains intensified & soon the child of promise, this very special baby, Jesus, was born.
Well, you know the story. You know about the shepherds on the hillside, the announcement by the angel, & the heavenly host glorifying God. And you remember these familiar words of Luke 2:15 19.
"When the angels had left them & gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem & see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.'
"So they hurried off & found Mary & Joseph, & the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, & all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
"But Mary treasured up all of these things, & she pondered them in her heart."
The shepherds leave, & Mary holds the child in her arms. As she looks into His face & ponders all that had happened that night, she must have thought, "I wish time could stand still. I wish I could hold Him & love Him like this forever."
Yes, there are moments we wish we could hold on to forever. But such is not our privilege. However, there are Christmas treasures that we can keep. And Luke mentions that in vs. 19 when he writes, "But Mary treasured up all of these things, & she pondered them in her heart."
PROP. So I would like for us to think this morning about some treasures that we can keep, Christmas treasures that time cannot take away.
I. WE MUST DECIDE OUR PRIORITIES
A. But before we can consider the treasures, we need to consider our priorities. You see, I think that one of the hardest things we face in life is to determine what is really important to us.
There are so many voices vying for our attention, so many differing philosophies saying, "This is what is really important."
1. We go to work, & the corporate world says that the only thing that counts is success: "Make the sale, climb the ladder, get the promotions, make more money, walk over people if you have to, but get to the top. That's the only thing that counts"
2. Then you come home to your family, & you hear that family ties are more important, & that maybe you shouldn't work so hard, but spend more time at home, & do the things that are family things to do.
3. Along comes Christmas, & that makes it more confusing than ever. On one side are Santa Claus & reindeer & bags of toys & excited children. We start asking our children & grandchildren, "What do you want for Christmas?" And the list gets longer, & their little eyes want more & more.
4. Then we go to church, & hear about a baby & a virgin birth. We talk about miracles, & a God who loves, & promises that are kept, & salvation that is available.
B. So we wonder, what really counts? What should our priority be? Do we neglect our family? What's most important in the long run? Then we hear these words of Jesus in Matthew 6:33, "But seek first His kingdom & His righteousness, & all these things will be given to you as well."
God does know what is best for us, & He has set the priority so that we might have life, & have it abundantly. And He has given us of the richness of His treasures, both for now & for all eternity.
II. TREASURE OF GOD'S PROMISES
A. What are those treasures? What were those things Mary treasured in her heart?
Well, I think the first one is the treasure of God's promises. Mary was a young Jewish woman. With all of her nation she realized that God had made a wonderful promise to them.
Hundreds of years before God promised that He would send the Messiah. And every year they prayed & waited for the promise to be fulfilled. I'm sure they grew weary of waiting, & oftentimes must have wondered if God even heard their prayers, if God would ever keep His promise.
APPL. One of the hardest things we have to deal with in life is God's time frame, realizing that His ways aren't our ways, & His schedule is not the same as ours.
We know His promises. We know that He has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us. We know that He has promised that one day He will come for us & take us to be with Him forever & ever.
We know that He has promised that even while we're here that He will work all things together for good to those who love Him & are called according to His purpose.
But sometimes we wonder, don't we? We pray for peace in our world, & hostility seems to increase. We pray for generosity so that financial needs might be met, & greed seems to grow. We pray for mothers with small children, & yet they still die.
We say, "God, do you hear? Do you even care? Why don't you reach down & sweep away all the sadness & pain that's here? Why don't you make our world a better place? Why can't we see the light?"
And like Mary & all the children of Israel, we grope in the darkness & we wonder & we pray & we ask, "Does God still keep His promises?"
Then the light of Christmas comes, & we sing the songs & remember the story. We remember Mary & all her kinsmen as they waited, generation after generation, for hundreds & hundreds of years.
Finally the silence was broken, & God kept His promise, & we realize that we worship a God who keeps His promises. His timing may not be the same as ours, but He always keeps His promises. That realization is one of the Christmas treasures we can keep.
III. TREASURE OF SALVATION
A. There is another treasure, the treasure of salvation. The angels announced to the shepherds, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior who is Christ, the Lord."
When you think about it, there is nothing we need more than a Savior. And here is the reason: because we are separated from God by our sin. God created us in His image. He created us with the ability to live pure & righteous lives. But we have rebelled against Him, broken His law.
The 6th chapter of Genesis talks about how every man was giving in to his own inclinations & every thought & imagination was only evil continually. So God repented that He had made mankind. Finally, He sent the flood to wipe man's rebellion from the face of the earth.
And now we're going the same direction again. So the Bible announces, it warns, it shouts as loud as it can, "You must realize that the wages of sin is death, & you are dying in your sin."
B. But then comes the bright light of Christmas. Then comes the announcement that a Savior has been born. Then we hear the words of John the Baptist, "Behold, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29)
Through Jesus Christ God has prepared the way back to Himself. And there is the promise & the hope of forgiveness & peace. As surely as the wages of sin is death, the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus, our Lord.
And because Jesus, who was miraculously born, came into the world to be our Savior, we have the treasure of salvation that is ours, & that no one can take away.
ILL. Sara hurried to get her children fed & dressed. It was a cold December day, & they had a long way to walk. Sara cleaned houses 5 days a week; it was the only work she found that would allow her to take care of her three girls at the same time.
She would drop the older two off at the elementary school & take 3 year old Becky with her - then be able to be back home again before they got out of school.
"Becky" she called, "hurry; we're all ready to go!" Becky ran to the door, a ragged doll cradled in her arms. "I'm ready, Mama, but we forgot to dress Charlie."
Sara glanced at the clock & back down at her daughter's smiling face. Quickly she dressed the doll, wrapped it in its blanket, & handed it back to Becky. Then the little family went out into the cold morning air.
"Mama," Laura, 7, & the oldest, took Sara's hand "I'm sorry I forgot Charlie. Are we awfully late?" "No, Laura, we're not awfully late."
"I don't know why we have to dress that stupid doll of hers anyway," complained Cindy. Since she was 6 & in the first grade, she thought of herself as all grown up & to her, Charlie was a big waste of time.
Two years ago Sara might have agreed with her. They had been well off then. One day everything was fine, & the next day her husband was gone. All he had left behind was a wife, three small girls, & an empty bank account.
As soon as the shock had worn off, Sara had to start a new life, but it was so hard. Now she was cleaning houses to keep the girls fed. Their clothes were handed down from her employers' children. Most of all she regretted having to make them walk so far every day, especially in the cold.
As for the radical change in lifestyle, the girls had just accepted it as part of life. Laura & Cindy helped as much as they could & tried not to complain. Becky found happiness in her doll. Charlie was her whole world. She never quit smiling as long as she had Charlie.
He was always to be dressed & then wrapped in the precious blanket. It was just an old scrap of a blanket that somebody dropped in the parking lot. Becky found it there, Sara washed it, & now it was Charlie's.
Was Charlie a waste of time? No, Sara decided; he was Becky's happiness, & that most certainly was not a waste of time.
As they neared the school, the girls hugged Sara & then ran in. Farther down the street, Sara turned in at the Little's Monday's house. The Littles were getting ready for Christmas, it seemed, because there was a wreath on the door with a big red bow. Sara expected to see all the fancy trimmings inside. Becky didn't.
"Ooh, Charlie," she whispered as if afraid that her voice might disturb the splendor, "look at what Mrs. Little got." The room was gaily decorated, & in the corner stood a huge Christmas tree. The star shining on the top almost touched the ceiling, & underneath was a mountain of parcels wrapped with ribbons & bows.
Sara took Becky's coat & hung it up. The little girl just stood there looking at the tree. "Becky, I have to get to work now. Promise you won't touch anything.' "I promise, Mama."
She crawled into a big easy chair, & there she stayed for the entire morning, pointing out the pretty ornaments to Charlie & guessing what might be in each of the packages.
Laura & Cindy came in at lunch, but they hardly looked at the tree. It hurt to look at it. They knew there would be no tree for them just like last year. Money was not to be spent on anything they could do without. They knew it, but it still hurt.
The day replayed itself on Tuesday at the Johnsons', Wed. at the Harrises', Thursday at the Krebbs', & Friday at the Fishers'. But on Saturday they were home.
After spending a week in the various houses all decked out in glorious holiday fashion, Becky suddenly seemed to realize she was missing out on something. "Why does everyone have a tree in the house, Mama? Why are there so many presents? Is it somebody's birthday? Why don't we have a tree?"
Sara had known the question would be asked. Laura & Cindy looked up from the floor where they were playing, waiting for her answer. Sara put away her mending & pulled Becky up onto her lap.
"You're a very smart girl, Becky. It is somebody's birthday, & I'll tell you all about Him. His name is Jesus, & He was born on Christmas Day.” And Sara told the girls how it happened & why there is a Christmas.
Becky hugged Charlie close, "Oh, the poor Baby. Was it cold in the stable? I wouldn't want to sleep in a stable; would you? I wish I could see it, though." "We can see it," Sara said. "Girls, get your coats on. We're going for a walk."
Down the street was a church. Every Christmas a large manger scene was set up. There was a wooden stable full of straw & large ceramic figures. High above hung a star. The girls were awed by the simple but beautiful scene.
It was just as Sara had said it was from the story in the Bible. Becky didn't want to leave even when the cold seeped through her clothing & made her shiver.
The next week was just as hard for them. Everywhere they went, it seemed that the world was taunting them with a Christmas that wasn't to be theirs. In the malls carols played, & parents loaded up with the latest toys & games.
As Sara picked out economy packs of socks & underwear for the girls' gifts, she tried not to look in the other carts. At the grocery store she whipped through the express line with one lone pack of spaghetti for their Christmas dinner.
She laughed at the long lines of people with their carts full of turkey & fixings. But the laugh was hollow, because she would have loved to be one of those standing in line.
Somehow, when you are an adult, you can take things in stride & make the best of a situation. But oh, how different it is when your child is hurting! Nothing hurts a mother more than the sorrow of her child. And that's how it was with Sara.
So the bitterness grew in Sara from the heartache of her girls. Every carol & decoration seemed to make her colder. Every Christmas card or call of "Merry Christmas" made her hate the season more.
Laura & Cindy developed the same attitude. Only little Becky was immune. She rocked Charlie in her arms & told him again & again about Baby Jesus, who was born in a stable.
She begged the girls daily to take her to the church so she could see the story "for real." They would take her grudgingly & drag her back home long before she was finished looking.
Christmas morning came in a flurry of snow. Laura & Cindy woke up cold. They ran into Sara's room & burrowed under the covers with her to warm up. Sara cuddled them close & kissed their foreheads. "Merry Christmas," she said. "Merry Christmas, Mama," they echoed.
"I'm afraid there aren't a lot of gifts for you girls, but you go wake up Becky, & you can open what there is," she said sadly.
The girls jumped out of the bed & ran to get their sister while Sara got up & dressed. Too soon, they were back. "Where is she, Mama? We can't find her!"
The words hit Sara like a truck. The three raced through the house calling her name, checking every closet & corner. They checked the yard & the neighbor's yard. No Becky! They must have missed her when they searched the house, Sara thought. She never goes off alone. They searched the house again.
Then she noticed Charlie. He was carefully positioned in a chair facing a window. Sara's heart raced. Charlie was never out of Becky's sight. And where was his blanket? Becky always insisted that his blanket be wrapped tightly around him. Suddenly she knew!
"Stay here!" she told the girls as she flew out the door into the snowy morning. Down the street she ran, until she could see the church. Then she slowed, & tears of relief ran down her face as she caught sight of Becky.
The star hanging above the scene was shining down on the manger where Becky had climbed in & was busily covering the Baby Jesus with the old scrap of a blanket. As she neared, Sara could hear Becky talking:
"You must be cold. I knew the snow would be falling on You. This is Charlie's blanket, but we will give it to You. He has me to keep him warm."
She looked up when she heard the footsteps. "Oh! Hi, Mama." Becky smiled her beautiful innocent smile. "I was afraid He might have thought we forgot about Him on His birthday."
Sara plucked her out of the straw & held her tight, the tears now falling unchecked. "I did forget, Honey...Dear Lord, I'm sorry I forgot." Then she tenderly carried her daughter home, filled at last with Christmas joy.
With Christmas carols to cheer them on, they hung the ornaments & popcorn strings on Sara's tallest house plant. A star made of tin foil perched on the top. They put the presents underneath, & there was just enough to fit nicely under the little tree.
And best of all, Sara made a birthday cake. With their hands joined around the table, they all sang "Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus, happy birthday to you..." As for Charlie, cradled tightly in Becky's arms even without his blanket, he was warm.
INVITATION
