COLERAINE INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH
SUNDAY 8 DECEMBER 2024 pm – MR GEOFF FERGUSON
LUKE 2 VERSES 1 TO 14
Hope. We could
ask the question – what is hope? It is a
term we use so easily from day to day – “I hope that this will happen”, “I hope
we can go to do this or that.” The hope
that we read about in scripture is much more than simply hoping something will
happen. Hope of the nation of the entire
world. We often see this image every
year. The promise and birth of a Saviour. Imagine the hope they were filled with on
that night when the shepherds heard the message from the angels. Their entire religious life was based on the
hope that the Saviour would arrive. They
knew he was coming and now this was the moment.
Luke 2 verses 8 to 11. Here we
see that that moment they hoped for, waited for, had finally arrived. What they had hoped for had finally
come. Not based on possibility. Maybe will happen or maybe not. Hope based on God who would keep his word and
this thing would come to pass. In the
Old Testament the people had seen God’s great power. They had seen him at work. God would fulfil the hope given, certain that
one day God would act. The birth of
Jesus represented hope of a redeemer, the fulfilment of a prophecy longed
for. That is the same Saviour we have
today. We have that hope and assurance now,
that one day we might reach heaven.
Expectant hope we put our faith and trust in because of Christ. We can have that hope. Do you have that hope? Is it based in the assurance we know we are saved?
Christ himself offers hope.
Peace. This
world longs for peace. We see battles
and wars around the world. They strive
for peace but it is difficult to maintain.
One country fighting with another.
Countries tried to work hard together to bring peace and stability but
it doesn’t always work out. There is
always problems. Perhaps we lack peace
in our families and in our work places, in our churches, maybe even in our
souls. The definition of peace is to
stop conflict. The word used in the Old
Testament is so much more than that Hebrew word Shalom. It describes the cessation of war. Also develops in the picture of health and
wholeness. It denotes harmony. Isaiah 9 verse 6. The Prince of Peace – that is who our Saviour
is. What a wonderful day when the Prince
of Peace came. He brings fulfilment into
each of our lives, brings contentment and fulness into each of our lives. It means the offer of contentment, of having
Christ as Saviour. He brings peace to
our souls. Not temporary solution but it
eternal. Forever peace between us and
God. How does God fulfil this title? Prince of Peace brings peace between God and
man. Without Christ we do not have peace
because of sin. We have been separated
from God. Sin came through Adam. We cannot have fellowship with God. There is one called the Prince of Peace who
came into the world. He fulfils the
requirements required. He is the one who
makes peace between God and man. In the
end Jesus will come and make all things right, make all things new. That is the peace Jesus offers. Luke 23 verse 33. Christmas points to Adam where the Saviour
would have to die. Through his work on
the cross peace is made possible. He
went to the cross so we could have peace with God. When he comes again some day this world will
come to an end. Revelation 21 verses 4
to 6. We see there is an idea of peace. One day Jesus will bring in a time of
blessing in heaven. There will be a day
when all of this comes together. We have
peace now as Christians but we long for the day when every trial will be wiped
away. We should remember his birth but
also what is still to come. The first
time when he came into the world as a baby, one day he will come again and take
believers home to be with him for ever then we will experience peace for
evermore.
Joy. We can
maybe take a look at it and say “what do we mean by that word?” A feeling of great happiness. Maybe children bring joy as they grow
up. It brings joy to see them growing
and developing. Maybe our joy is through
sport or through a husband or wife or through our work. Various things can bring joy. Does being a Christian bring you joy? Do you have joy in your heart Knowing you are a child of the king of
kings? In the psalms we read of how
joyful the psalmist is to know Christ and following after him. Each of us have different natures, we have
joy in different things. Joy does not
depend on people or our reaction to circumstances. It is knowing we have been restored to be the
person designed to be. The connection
between God and man broken through sin is restored through Jesus. He has given us the opportunity to be made
right again. That should bring us joy –
to know we can have fulfilment in our selves.
This baby born to Mary and Joseph could bring so much joy – Luke 2 verse
10. Why was the message full of
joy? Verse 11 – a Saviour of the world
has been born. That in itself is enough
for us to be joyful. That God chose to
send us a saviour. When we think on that
we begin to realise how much God loves us and we mater so much to him. We matter so much. He was willing to send his son into the world
to live and die, to be crucified for our sins.
The birth of Jesus brought joy to all levels of society. The shepherds were there in their work
clothes. They didn’t have time to wash
and clean up. The wise men had great wealth. They were buying beautiful clothes and
brought expensive presents. Two
different types of people, united in one person – the Lord Jesus. He doesn’t have any preferences. He is not worried about wealth or how much
education you have. He is not wanting
any expensive gift. He wants you to come
as you are to him. This is the joy the
Saviour brings to us. Come as you
are. You don’t need to meet any
requirement. He will restore you back to
the person you were meant to be.
Love. 1 John 4
verses 9 to 11. Christmas is a time when
we like to show our love to one another.
We do it through giving and receiving gifts. We also meet up together, eat together,
spending time in each others presence.
We all like to receive presents.
Maybe asked for one specific thing.
Maybe we receive a surprise.
Maybe something big or small.
Maybe you are happy or disappointed with the present given. How do you judge a present? Do you judge it by wealth, size, weight,
cost, usefulness? How do you measure
God’s present to you? God’s gift to us
was his Son. He was given to be the
Saviour of the world. We can measure
this gift by it usefulness. We can see
straight away the usefulness is that we might have life, that through his
salvation we might love. Verse 9 that is
the usefulness that we might have this life Jesus is talking about. John 10 verse 10 what a promise. Not just life but life abundantly. That life has meaning, is eternal, has
benefits. We could measure it by its
cost. Sometimes we can do that with the
presents given at Christmas. God knew
what had to be done. There was a price
to be paid. He knew what it would
cost. He sent the best – his firstborn
as a child for the salvation of the world.
Can think of God’s gift by effectiveness, purpose for something. This is what we can see about the love of God,
it was intended to change you and I.
Verse 11. We ought to love God.
We are changed because we have been taken from darkness into light. That light is the light of the gospel. God wants to keep loving the world. As we begin to share the gospel the message
of the gospel can be spread. Matthew 5
verses 14 to 16. Does God’s love affect
you? Affect those around you? It changes us into compassionate living. People caring for the needs of those around
us. The Lord can use you to show his
love to others. Are ou willing to let
his love change you and be shared with others?
4 things to help us remember the true meaning of Christmas
and each day of our lives. If you have
never trusted Christ you can do so now. Ask
the Lord to take away your sin. Trust in
Christ for his salvation, to change your life.
Christmas will be more special for you as a result. A time when you can say Jesus is your own
personal saviour. When you can look back
to the time when you trusted him as Lord and Saviour.
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