This week, I read an article in USA Today, in which various celebrities were asked to name their most memorable Christmas present. These were A-list celebrities; people with money and fame; people who can have pretty much anything they want. Catherine Zeta-Jones, for example. You may know her as the woman in those irritating cell phone commercials, where she snaps her fingers and everyone freezes. Now, this is an actress who gets around $7 million a picture. Her husband, Michael Douglas, gave her an engagement ring worth an estimated one-to-three million dollars. A ten-carat diamond. I imagine she’s received some pretty expensive and exotic gifts. And yet, her most memorable Christmas present was a pair of white roller skates that she got when she was nine years old. Another movie star quoted in the article, George Clooney, said this:
"I remember a bicycle when I was like 10 that was about the greatest thing I ever saw in my life. It took my breath away. When you’re a kid, coming down and underneath the tree there’s a bike . . . "
Have you seen those commercials for Lexus and Jaguar (or "Jag-u-ar" as they say it)? It’s Christmas morning. The man hands his wife the keys to a new car; she runs to open the door, and there it is, sitting in the driveway! A new luxury automobile, with a big red bow on top! She’s thrilled beyond words! And I’m saying, "yeah, right". They run these commercials during shows like "Everybody Loves Raymond", in between the ads for socket wrenches and video games. Now, I ask you, what percentage of the men who watch "Everybody Loves Raymond" can afford to buy their wives a $50 thousand dollar car for Christmas? It’s insane! I could maybe afford that little mahogany box that the Lexus keys come in, but a new car? They might as well suggest a Learjet as a Christmas present, or a helicopter, or a yacht. Or maybe a small island in the South Pacific. What are these people thinking?
Well, what they’re probably thinking is that we will want to be like the people in the commercial – wealthy, attractive, happy. And they’re thinking that in order to pursue that fantasy, a lot of people will be willing to take on a lot of debt. I expect they’re right. But the ironic thing is that the people who really can afford to buy a Lexus as a Christmas present – or a jet, or a helicopter, or a yacht –
those folks name a pair of skates or a bicycle as the best present they ever received. I’ll bet it’s the same with you. The most memorable gift you ever received probably wasn’t the most expensive. It might have been an electric train, or a dollhouse, or a chemistry set. Or a BB gun; maybe even a "Red Ryder Carbine Action Two-Hundred Shot Lightning Loader Range Model Air Rifle," like in the movie, "A Christmas Story". But for most of us, nothing will ever compare to the presents we received as children. As Catherine Zeta-Jones and George Clooney have apparently learned, nothing money can buy will ever match the joy, and wonder, and excitement that we experienced as children, when we came down the stairs and saw, sitting under the tree, the one thing we wanted most in the whole world.
Why is that? Why is it that, as we grow older, we seem to lose that ability to rejoice over a gift, like a child does at Christmas? I think one reason is that, as we grow up, we learn a hard truth about gifts. Which is that they break. They get old and beat-up. They fail to live up to their promise. As the years pass, we find, over and over again, that they don’t really do for us what we thought they would. They don’t satisfy the deep longings of our heart. They may give us a great deal of pleasure. And for a time – for years, even – they may be everything we hoped for. But eventually, the appeal fades. The joy dissipates. We outgrow the bike. We finish all the experiments in the Science Kit. We get tired of practicing the guitar. We lose interest in building model airplanes. And we’re on to the next thing. But each time, we’re a little less hopeful and excited than we were before. The sense of anticipation isn’t quite as keen. Because in our heart of hearts, we know it won’t be enough to make us happy. Even if we get exactly what we thought we wanted, eventually we’ll be disappointed. And so a new car, even a Lexus, becomes just a means of transportation, a machine that has to be washed, and filled with gas, and taken to the dealer for maintenance. We may like the car very much; we’re glad to have it And we don’t really mind changing the oil. But it’s lost its ability to thrill us; it no longer has the capacity to fill us with joy. It’s not the "stuff that dreams are made of". It’s just a car.
In fact, the same could be said of anything in this world – people, things, experiences – as much as we may enjoy them, somehow they all fall short. The author, C.S. Lewis, puts it this way in his book Mere Christianity:
"Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise. The longings which arise in us when we first fall in love, or first think of some foreign country, or first take up some subject that excites us, are longings which no marriage, no travel, no learning, can really satisfy.
"I am not speaking of what would ordinarily be called unsuccessful marriages, or holidays, or careers. I am speaking of the best possible ones. There was something we grasped at, in that first moment of longing, which just fades away in reality. I think everyone knows what I mean. The wife may be a good wife, and the hotels and scenery may have been excellent, and chemistry may be a very interesting job but something has evaded us."
That’s true, isn’t it? Children can long for something intensely, and they can exult and rejoice over it on Christmas morning, partly because they haven’t lived long enough to realize the joy won’t last. And that’s the way it should be. That’s part of the innocence of childhood. There’s nothing sadder than a nine-year-old who’s already jaded and cynical.
But where does that leave us, who can no longer be thrilled by a new doll, or a bicycle? What do we do? Give up? Become like Scrooge, a bitter old man muttering under his breath at all the "foolishness" and "nonsense" of Christmas? No. Far from it. What we need to do is consider the joy which Christmas brings to children, all the wonder and excitement, and then remind ourselves that this is what God has in store for us. There will come a day when we all rejoice like that, both children and adults, everyone who has trusted in Christ. And that joy will not fade away. It will not diminish with the passage of time. It will last, for ever and ever. You see, the problem isn’t that our desire for joy is illegitimate. On the contrary, God made us to rejoice, and to sing, and to celebrate. The problem is that nothing in this world is sufficient to sustain our joy. It all eventually disappoints.
What we must do, then, is look forward to the day of Christ’s return; the day when all of God’s promises will be fulfilled. On that day, we will rejoice, like children on Christmas morning. But there’s one crucial difference. We will never say, as children sometimes do after the presents are opened, "Is that all there is?" Because we will never come to the end of all that God has prepared for us. Instead, we will find that, as the Psalmist testified, "in your presence [O, Lord] there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." – Psalm 16:11, ESV. What I’m trying to convey to you is that the joy and wonder of a child at Christmas is only a dim shadow of what we will experience on the day Christ returns – and on every day after that, throughout eternity.
". . . to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. – 1 Peter 4:13, NAS
"And now, all glory to God, who is able to keep you from stumbling, and who will bring you into his glorious presence innocent of sin and with great joy." – Jude 1:24, NLT
When Christ returns, all the angels of heaven will sing, "Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready." – Revelation 19:7, NIV
Now, why does this matter? Looking forward to that day; anticipating the joy which awaits us – why is it so important? Because in order to persevere in faith; in order to keep trusting, and obeying, and following Christ, we have to be convinced that it’s going to be worth it. There is an unbreakable link between our faith in the promises of God, and our faithfulness in living for God. We must be convinced that the joy to come will far exceed any pain or struggle we experience now.
For example, when we are tempted by greed or covetousness, we need to believe that the treasures God has stored up for us are far greater than any material good. When we’re tempted by lust or gluttony, we need to be convinced that the pleasure of knowing God will be far more satisfying than the temporary pleasures of sin. And when we’re tempted to give up, when we feel as if we’ve come to the end of our ability to persevere, we need to seek God’s strength, knowing that he will fully compensate us for all our pain and sorrow, and far more besides. Our faith in "future grace" is essential to our spiritual health, and happiness, and holiness. To put it another way, God has given us dozens and dozens of beautifully wrapped boxes, many of them labelled, "Do Not Open Until Christ’s Second Advent". He’s told us that they are full of beautiful gifts; magnificent treasures, things wonderful beyond imagination. Things worth waiting for; things worth giving up all we have for.
The question is whether we believe Him, or whether, instead, we suspect that the boxes are empty, or filled with worthless junk. And the answer to that question is what makes all the difference.
How do we do that? First, by knowing the promises. You can’t rely on a promise you’ve never heard of. So read your Bible. Memorize promises. Write them on 3x5 cards and tape them to the bathroom mirror, or the dashboard of your car. To get you started, let me suggest a few that I’ve found helpful:
". . . what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later." – Romans 8:18, NLT
"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." – 2 Corinthians 4:17, NIV
". . . No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." – 1 Corinthians 2:9, NIV
"And Jesus replied, ’I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return, a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property--with persecutions. And in the world to come they will have eternal life.’" – Mark 10:29-30, NLT
Verses like these assure us that no matter what difficulties we may experience now; no matter what losses or deprivations we may suffer; no matter what the cost of discipleship may be, our reward will be far greater; so great, in fact, that it is literally beyond our ability to imagine. It will be Christmas morning times a thousand, and it will never end.
But as precious and encouraging as theses verses are, I think we need a little more. These are general promises; general assurances that following Christ is worth the cost. But we don’t live a general life; we live a specific life. We make specific choices, every hour of every day. And when we do, we need to know that this specific act of obedience, or self-denial is worth it. We need to know that every act of faithful obedience, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, will be rewarded. For example:
I need to know, in the middle of this specific conversation I’m having with my wife, that it’s worth it to speak with grace instead of harshness; that God will reward this choice I’m making right now to curb my tongue.
I need to know, as I’m sitting and watching this television program, that it’s worth the cost to get up, turn off the TV, and read the Bible instead. I need to know that God will reward this specific act of self-discipline.
I need to know that it matters whether I choose to tell this little lie to my boss, that it’s worth it to pay the cost of being truthful in this specific case.
We all make dozens of choices every day. We need to know that every one of those choices matters; that God will reward every single act of obedience. And the Bible gives us that assurance.
". . . the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free." – Ephesians 6:8, NIV
". . . if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded." – Matthew 10:42, NLT
The enemy, of course, wants us to believe differently. He would have us think that the so-called "little" things don’t really matter. He wants us to think it means nothing, for instance, how I treat the person serving me coffee at Starbucks; or whether I nurse a grudge against someone at work; or whether I apologize to someone I’ve offended. He would have us believe that none of these small, everyday choices really matters. But that’s what life is made of – those small, everyday choices. The sum total of these choices is who we are. Not only that, but when we do face a big decision, we will tend to conduct ourselves just as we have in the small, everyday things. As Christ said,
" He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much." – Luke 16:10, NIV
And so our small, everyday, choices really do matter, every one of them. Don’t let yourself be deceived into thinking otherwise. Every choice to obey God; every choice to be faithful to Christ and to deny yourself, will receive its reward. And the reward will be far greater than the cost.
What I’d like to do now is build on those truths, and challenge you to examine your life. Have you been letting some area of sin continue in your life because it just didn’t seem all that important? Or because the benefits of rooting it out seemed small, compared to the pain of changing? Perhaps it would cost you some embarrassment, or some pride, or some time or money. It seems easier just to "let sleeping dogs lie". But the problem with sleeping dogs is that they eventually wake up. In the long run, it’s always worth it to obey God and turn away from sin, no matter the cost. As Paul writes in his letter to the Galatian church:
"Don’t be misled. Remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow! Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. – Galatians 6:7-8, NLT
As we come to the end of the year, I’d like to suggest that you spend some time in prayer and self-examination. Look back over the twelve months past. Think about your relationship with God. Think about how you’ve conducted yourself toward other people. Think about the choices you’ve made. Is there something you need to repent of? Something you need to confess? Some relationship you need to mend? And then, as you look forward to the New Year, think about how God might be calling you to serve him; how he might be calling you to change. And keep reminding yourself of His promises, so that you’ll have the courage and strength to change. Let me give you a couple of examples.
Perhaps you’re losing heart; perhaps you’ve struggling to serve and obey God this year but you haven’t seen much apparent fruit. You’re tempted to give up. If that’s the case, then lean on these promises:
". . . don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters." – Galatians 6:9-10, NLT
"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." – 1 Corinthians 15:58, NIV
Your labor is not in vain. You will reap a harvest at the appropriate time, the time God has chosen.
Or perhaps, as you look back over the year 2002, you see a need to change how you relate to people; a need to be more loving, and gracious, and patient, and kind. Perhaps there are incidents you need to repent of and ask forgiveness for. If that’s the case, then encourage yourself with this promise:
"And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God’s commandments live in fellowship with him, and he with them." – 1 John 3:23-24a, NLT
What is John saying? That if you want to know God and experience His love, then you need to love God’s people. Do good to them. Forgive them when they sin against you. Don’t judge and criticize them, but rather serve and encourage them. If you do that, then you will have fellowship, not only with other believers, but with God Himself.
Perhaps, as you look back, you will conclude that you’ve neglected your spiritual life this year, that you need to pay more attention to your relationship with God. If that’s the case, then here’s a promise for you to claim:
"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." – James 4:8, NAS
I could go on. Because for every need we have, God has given us a promise. But I’ll leave it to you to search the Scriptures. Instead, I’ll close with this thought. The gifts we open on December 25th may be quite wonderful. But they can’t compare to what God has waiting for us, for those who will follow Him and trust in His promises. If we do that, we will someday experience a joy that never comes to an end, a joy greater than any Christmas morning. Won’t you do that today? Won’t you put your trust in Christ, and decide to follow him?
(For an .rtf file of this and other sermons, see www.journeychurchonline.org/messages.htm)
