SERMON SPOTLIGHT * 12/24/23
The promise of heaven begins with Advent and its Unexpected Purpose and Message brings hope, joy, and peace to a life filled with the unexpected. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.
SERIES: The Unexpected at Advent
TEXT: Luke 2:14
TITLE: An Unexpected Message
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
POINTS:
1. The Unexpected Purpose of Christmas
2. The Unexpected Promise of Christmas
SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Our Advent series has focused on the unexpected: Lowly local shepherds. Gentile magi from afar. A Jewish virgin girl. A blip on the map called Bethlehem. The Unexpected at Advent. The irony is we tend to fear the unexpected. We like our worlds ordered. We find comfort in well-laid plans. No surprises, please. We can even struggle with something good that comes unexpectedly. The Unexpected is unavoidable, and times unimaginably difficult.”
“When the angels celebrate the first Christmas, they don't begin with you and me; they start with God—his glory, not ours. John Piper describes God's glory as—the public display of God's infinite beauty and worth. And that is precisely what the angels are responding to on this first Christmas—the public display of God's endless beauty and worth—IN A MANGER!“
“Above all things, angels were created to continually magnify and declare God's glory. For this, they have a front-row seat in heaven. But they have never seen God's glory displayed in this way. In the Incarnation, God was physically present with man—his grace, love, and power in the flesh. Throughout Scripture, we find angels worshipping, magnifying, and glorifying God. But they never saw His glory like this—Glory in a manger—and they could not contain themselves.”
“We have something in common with the angels: We, too, were created to the praise and glory of God. Our existence is meant to be upward. Our highest motivation in all that we are is God's glory. Our greatest goal in life is God glorified in and through us. Like the angels, we exist for God's glory.”
“But in the Garden, something awful happened—Adam and Eve exchanged the glory of God for the glory of self. Since then, we have been trying to rip glory from God's hands. We tend to forget God's glory. Instead of living upward, we live inward.”
“Peace is the deepest longing of the human spirit. Peace in the home. Peace in my marriage. Peace in our politics. Peace in the world. We long for peace because we were created to live in peace. We tend to think we can fulfill our innate desire for peace. Peace through strength. Peace through tolerance. Peace through pacifism. Peace through understanding. Peace through political revolution. But the peace we were created for is not horizontal; it's vertical.”
“This peace proclaimed by the angels transcends time, human relationships, political hostilities, and life circumstances. This peace is the most basic human need—an inward and eternal peace with God.“
“JUSTIFICATION is the precious doctrine that is at the heart of Christmas. It means God looks upon you just as if you had never sinned but perfectly obeyed. On account of Jesus' righteousness, God declares you righteous in His eyes. That means no sin to judge. Instead, you have eternal peace with God. The death of Jesus has removed the sin that put you in conflict with God, and his righteousness is credited to you, and the result is—Peace with God!“
“This is the Unexpected Promise of Christmas: No matter who you are, where you’ve been, or what you’ve done, in Christ Jesus, all fear of God's holy wrath is gone. This baby boy in a manger is not only the glory of God revealed but the means of the sinner's peace with God accomplished! The good news for lowly shepherds, elite Magi, and US!”
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Colossians 1:19
Hebrews 1:3
John 1:14
Philippians 4:6-7
Isaiah 26:3
QUOTES:
J.C. Ryle - “Let all true Christians remember that their best things are yet to come. Let us count it no strange thing, if we have sufferings in this present time. It is a season of probation. We are yet at school. We are learning patience, longsuffering, gentleness, and meekness, which we could hardly learn if we had our good things now. But there is an eternal holiday yet to begin. For this let us wait quietly. It will make amends for all.”
Charles Spurgeon - “God is glorified in every dewdrop that twinkles to the morning sun. He is magnified in every flower that blossoms. God is glorified in every bird that warbles on the spray. Do not the fishes in the sea praise him? From the tiny minnow to the huge Leviathan, do not all creatures that swim the water bless and praise his name? Do not the stars exalt him? Do not the lightnings adore him when they flash his brightness in arrows of light piercing the midnight darkness? Do not thunders extol him when they roll like drums in the march of God's armies? Do not all things exalt him, from the least even to the greatest? But sing, sing, oh universe, till thou hast exhausted thyself, thou canst not afford a song so sweet as the song of Incarnation.”
Paul Tripp - “We have a glory problem. All of us are in the midst of a glory war. We all have moments of glory confusion. We all have times when we want the creation more than we want the Creator.”
Raymond Ortlund Jr. - “Why is the world in such a mess? You and I are the problem. Our good intentions are not strong enough to control our evil impulses. We need a Savior to rescue us from ourselves.”
Paul Tripp - If you would for a moment, reflect on your last couple weeks, you will recognize, brothers and sisters, that you and I still have a glory problem. We don't always get glory right. Recognize that we have a peace problem; we don't always care about peace with God. We don't always have peace within. We surely don't always experience peace with one another. And so the work of that grace is as needed by us this morning as it's ever been. The angels announce your hope. The angels announce your redemption. The angels announce to you grace; grace of a life lived, grace of a death offered so that you may live for His glory, and you may experience in all the ways possible, His peace.”
APPLICATION:
As we await our eternal holiday in heaven, may our song be the angel’s song—Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those whom he is pleased!
To my non-Christian friend, Luke wrote these verses and the entire gospel to a man named Theophilus. His reason, according to 1:4: Theophilus would be certain of Jesus. You are here. You have heard the purpose and promise of Christmas. Will you believe? Luke and the rest of the Bible is God's story of saving sinners to himself. And this Christmas, you can become a part of it. Believe in Jesus today.
To my fellow Christian, are you anxious about the future? Are you discouraged about life? Are you angry at God about circumstances? All these sinful attitudes rob you of the full benefit of God’s peace. In their own way, each one is an expression of trying to wrestle God's glory for yourself. The answer: turn your heart back to God and trust Him.