The scripture reading was from portions of Luke 21. Open the drop down box to follow along. Pastor Jim read from the Living Bible (or “Life Application Bible”)…
Luke 21
Verses 8-11…
8 He replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you. For many will come announcing themselves as the Messiah,[a] and saying, ‘The time has come.’ But don’t believe them! 9 And when you hear of wars and insurrections beginning, don’t panic. True, wars must come, but the end won’t follow immediately— 10 for nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, 11 and there will be great earthquakes, and famines in many lands, and epidemics, and terrifying things happening in the heavens.
Verses 25-28…
25 “Then there will be strange events in the skies—warnings, evil omens and portents in the sun, moon and stars; and down here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. 26 The courage of many people will falter because of the fearful fate they see coming upon the earth, for the stability of the very heavens will be broken up. 27 Then the peoples of the earth shall see me, the Messiah,[e] coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 So when all these things begin to happen, stand straight and look up! For your salvation is near.”
Verses 34-36…
34-35 “Watch out! Don’t let my sudden coming catch you unawares; don’t let me find you living in careless ease, carousing and drinking, and occupied with the problems of this life, like all the rest of the world. 36 Keep a constant watch. And pray that if possible you may arrive in my presence without having to experience these horrors.”[g]
The green holly leaves remind us of the crown of thorns. The red berries take us to the Garden of Gatheseme and remind us of the drops of blood.
Holly can help prepare us for Christmas… and for Easter.
“Tradition” tells us that Mary placed rosemary in the manger. The green of rosemary can remind us of the new life available in Jesus. The new life from a Baby. Rosemary is also known as a Friendship plant. Jesus called us His friends in John 15. Abraham was called a friend of God.
Green is soothing. It reminds us of Life. Jesus said in John 10:10 that He has come to give us life.
The wreaths on our doors remind us that we are always welcome. Contrasted to the Innkeeper in Luke 2:7, when we see the wreath on our door we are reminded that Jesus is welcome here. He is welcome in our hearts. We are prepared and there is room.
But what part in money does God have? Where does our focus on money take us… towards God or away from Him?
We need to use our money to glorify God. But the world uses money to make more money and to glorify self.
1: Look Out!
Watch and pray, always. Don’t put it on cruise control. All of a sudden Christmas will come upon us and we won’t be ready. We always need to be prepared to meet the Lord; we never know when God will touch us through the Holy Spirit. So use things as reminders that God is here and that Jesus will come again. Even the hurricanes, storms and earthquakes referenced in this passage can serve as reminders of God’s power and control. These things continue to happen throughout history. Use events like this as a catalyst to watch and pray. Christmas decorations and yes- even colors- can be used as reminders.
2: Look Up!
Look Up- when we look down and focus on ourselves we get lost in fear. Many people are lonely and fearful. But we don’t have to be like that. In John 16 Jesus said that troubles would indeed come, but He also told us to take courage. Take courage because Jesus has overcome. Psalm 121:8 tells us that the Lord will protect you on your journey… from now until forever. God is faithful. This is the character of our God! Take courage and look up!
In verse 28 Jesus told us to “lift up our heads.”
Dr. Charles Stanley said, if you’re flat on your back it isn’t the worst place to be. Because when you’re on your back there’s only one place to look. You look up!
Jesus never went around downcast and grumpy. He was focused on the Father.
3: Look Through Deception!
During Christmas, the world bombards us with deception. False ideas about God. False frustrations with gifts and parties. And deceptive ads. They focus on the green of money instead of the green of a fresh life through Christ.
- “Start your holidays off on the right way” (Christmas starts with Jesus!)
- “Ring in the holidays and save!” (only Jesus saves!)
- “Save on these picture perfect gift ideas… extended warranty available”
(if it’s perfect, why do you need a warranty?) - “Her Christmas won’t be complete unless she finds this under the tree.”
- “Every man in the block will have this under his tree. Don’t let your man be left out”
Always challenge these falsehoods. Ask yourself, “Where does God fit in?” Look for God. Don’t ask “How can I get this thing?”
4: Look at the Real Gift!
Think about the characters in the Christmas story. The innkeeper. He didn’t get it. He was focused on the busyness and on the business. Money. And what about the Romans? They were focused on the census. Without the census they couldn’t collect taxes. They missed the gift that came into their midst, because they were focused on money instead of Messiah.
But the shepherds, others who were anticipating the messiah- they got it!
This very special Christmas Gift from God relieves fear, provides hope. “Because He lives I CAN FACE TOMORROW.” Because Jesus came and dwelt among humans, we don’t have to be afraid. Peter told us to “cast all of our fear upon God.”
Watch. Look up. We can do this by reading the scriptures, getting involved, giving back. When we do these things, our focus is taken off of us and drawn to God. Be ready for any opportunity to look at the gift.
But all of a sudden the day of the test arrived and he realized he wasn’t ready. Time was up. It was time to take the test. When the paper was passed out he couldn’t get any of the questions. Out of fear and frustration, he simply wrote on his paper “Only God knows these answers. Merry Christmas.” and handed the paper in.
The professor graded the test with the remark, “God gets a 100; You get a zero. Happy New Year.”
Just as there are 26 days until Christmas, God has given us a limited time to be prepared for His coming. To be prepared for those moments of grace where God comes to us. Are you ready in your homes? Are you ready in your hearts?
Quiz Time!
As you reflect on what you’ve just heard/read, give this quiz a try. If you don’t understand an answer (or if you disagree with the “correct” answer, post a comment…
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