Making Much of Jesus

All right, please take your copy of God's Word and turn to the Gospel of Mark, chapter 3, and join me in prayer.

Mark 3 · chapter mention

Father, we praise you for this day that we have been granted to come together and study your Word.

I pray, Father, this morning that you will use our frailty and that you will maximize the preaching of your Word by its transforming power to make us more into the image of your Son for your glory.

And I pray this in Christ's name. Amen.

So as a general habit together here at Christ Family Church, we preach verse by verse, expositionally.

And there's a number of reasons that we do that that I won't get into in their entirety.

There have been many faithful preachers throughout history that have done this differently, not always preached in this fashion.

An example of a fairly dogmatic verse-by-verse preacher is John Calvin.

In fact, when he was driven out of Geneva for a time, he had left off, I believe he was in the book of Leviticus at the time.

Forgive me if you know when I'm getting that wrong.

Came back a couple of years later, was rehired, so to speak, back at the church that he was leading.

And he picked right back up at the verse that he left off at a number of years prior to that.

Charles Spurgeon, said to be the prince of preachers, thought that preaching verse by verse actually quenched the Spirit

because a pastor wasn't required to search God for what he would have to say to the people for that week.

And so I always try to find a healthy balance in that.

While we preach through a book together, that's kind of the normative pattern, but each week I ask,

God, is this what you would have me do?

Is this the text before me that I ought to preach to this people this day?

And so this week I've been preparing Mark chapter 3, verse 20 through 35,

Mark 3:20–35

pretty fervently for what's commonly called the unpardonable sin.

How about that for a week before Christmas sermon for you?

We get that from verse 29.

Jesus says, but this is an eternal sin.

And I prepared for it.

I had it all prepped and ready to go.

And guess who changed my mind this morning about preaching such a sermon?

So I have half a page of scribbled notes on a piece of notebook paper.

And we're going to look at an entirely different text and text together today.

And so I want you to start by turning to Revelation chapter 1, verse 8.

Revelation 1:8

And I have to tell you this morning that I come to you to preach with a pretty heavy heart.

I'm grieving a bit in my heart.

And the reason for that is last night we attended a great event that Sam's family does every year.

Sam's mother's side of the family, she has five siblings.

There's six of them, and they all have kids who now have kids.

And so it's quite a troop.

I have no idea how many we number in total, but it's a clan to be sure.

We call it Puckett Family Christmas, and it's always the Saturday before Christmas.

And last night was that very event.

It kind of kicks off the season for us.

And there's lots of good food and cute kids in their Christmas sweaters and the like.

Presents to go around and things of this nature.

And in previous years, this has happened, and it happened again last night.

There's suddenly a great excitement in the room because a particular jolly character arrives at the house.

who's been hired in the past.

This year it was Uncle Buster wearing an elaborate costume.

I'm going to speak in code just in case.

I don't want to burst any children's bubbles this morning.

I'll let you do that at some point.

But you know who I'm talking about.

Shows up, and the house just lit up.

Adults and children alike.

I mean, just the excitement level in the room went from a 2 to a 10.

And all the cameras came out, and everyone was so excited.

One of her adult cousins came to me and said,

I'm having flashbacks of being a kid.

And then kept on going.

I'm like, what is happening in this room right now?

It almost seemed as if they were drugged.

I mean, really, like the super excitement came on the room.

And I started out a bit frustrated, just, you know, the kind of typical,

this isn't what Christmas is about kind of frustration,

which I've experienced in years past at this event.

I'll tell you later if you'd like to know.

I'll give you three clear reasons why we ought not do the Jolly Man.

But my frustration really quickly turned to sadness.

And that's really what I want to talk about today.

Because I realized, and it was when Cademan ran up to me,

jumped up on the couch, I was sitting on the back of the couch,

came up to me and said, Dad, I just saw Santa Claus.

And I went, yeah, buddy.

And he hopped down.

And I just, this sadness came over me because that kind of joy is infectious.

Like, there's no way.

Like, we've been very clear with Cade on this particular issue.

And there's no way by what we've been teaching him

that he should have been that stoked about it.

But the whole house was really, really excited.

I mean, kids who were apparently afraid of this costumed man,

creepy-looking guy, were being, like, drugged to go meet him, right?

Like, kicking and screaming to go see this character.

There was much, much excitement.

And I realized all in kind of one moment that we as a Christian people,

and myself personally, we don't get that excited about Jesus.

That we don't look for opportunities to make much of him

in all of the various settings.

This was an elaborate costume.

I mean, it was well done, right?

He had to leave, change, come in, the whole thing.

He planned it out in order to make much of this particular character.

And I hadn't even given a thought to that evening

to how I was going to make much of Christ with Sam's family, right?

I was going for food and Christmas sweaters

and maybe some presents along the way.

And we do the same thing with our church.

We come together 52, 53, if you count our Christmas Eve service,

times a year as a congregation

to make much of Christ together.

And we do some things certainly to be deliberate about that.

But is it infectious?

Do our kids see what we do and go,

what is going on in that place?

Right?

And I thought about some of the reasons

why that's a challenging thing to do.

I don't think it'd be really appropriate

for us to hire somebody to dress up as Jesus

and show up at our Christmas parties.

I just, that would feel weird to me.

So, how do we make much of Christ?

And the thing I really came to realize

is that we must make much of Him in our preaching.

And I labor to do that,

but I don't know that I do that incredibly well.

I don't know that people leave here

excited about our Savior, right?

Wanting to run around.

Wanting to be really stoked about who He is.

And so I want to talk a little bit this morning

about who He is

and why we should celebrate Him properly this year.

Christ Himself is God.

We've seen that case made to us already in Mark.

He Himself has proclaimed it a number of times.

The great accusations that are being railed against Him

is that He's speaking blasphemy.

Which He would be if He weren't in fact the Lord.

Revelation 1, verse 8.

Revelation 1:8

God the Father says this of Himself,

I am the Alpha and the Omega,

says the Lord God,

who is and who was and who is to come.

The Almighty.

In the Greek alphabet,

Alpha is A and Omega is Z.

Right?

There's nothing that existed before me.

There's nothing that will exist after me.

I am everything.

This is a more elaborate way of Him saying,

I am who I am,

which is the name He gave to Moses.

I am the Alpha and the Omega,

who is and who was and who is to come.

The Almighty.

But turn, if you will,

to the end of the book of Revelation.

Revelation 22:13

Chapter 22, verse 13.

And here we see Jesus speaking,

and He says,

I am the Alpha and the Omega,

the first and the last,

the beginning and the end.

In this time of year,

we very readily forget

that Jesus who came in the form of a baby

was in fact God Himself,

incarnate amongst us.

Right?

I think sometimes in our minds

we celebrate the little baby Jesus.

Right?

Like we have in our mind

the picture in the manger

of us standing around

inside Northeast Georgia room

and we all kind of like

take turns holding the baby

and pass them on.

Oh, a cute baby.

Snap a photo.

Right?

This was God Himself

who came down off His throne

and dwelt amongst us.

And we can see some encounters.

When we see encounters

of the people have with God,

they lay prostrate on the ground.

One of my favorites

is in Exodus chapter 34.

Exodus 34 · chapter mention

Turn there if you will with me.

After Moses has gone back up on the mountain

for the second time,

he comes down the first time

and the people are worshiping

the golden calf

and he breaks the tablets.

He goes back up on the mountain.

God gives him tablets once again.

Chapter 34, verse 29.

It says,

When Moses came down from the Mount Sinai

with the two tablets of the testimony

in his hand,

as he came down from the mountain,

Moses did not know

that the skin of his face shone

because he had been talking with God.

He actually was illuminated.

Right?

He had a countenance about him

that brightened

what people were seeing

to be true of who he was.

And we see later in this text

that he actually begins to veil himself

because this brightness

was a fading brightness.

So he would veil himself

because it was going away

and then he would unveil

to go meet with the Lord again

and he would get bright once again.

And we see some commentary on this

in 2 Corinthians 3.

Bible drill.

Go with me to 2 Corinthians 3.

Paul here in 3, verse 6

has talked a bit about the law itself.

This law that Moses brought down

on these tablets of stone.

And it said,

For the letter kills,

but the Spirit gives life.

And what he means is that the letter,

the law itself,

simply brings the conviction of sin.

It cannot deliver us from it,

but it simply makes us aware

that it exists.

So the letter kills.

And then in verse 7,

he says,

Now if the ministry of death,

carved in letters on stone,

came with such glory

that the Israelites could not gaze

at Moses' face

because of its glory,

which was being brought to an end,

will not the ministry of the Spirit

have even more glory?

For if there is glory

in the ministry of condemnation,

condemnation,

the ministry of righteousness

must far exceed it in glory.

Indeed, in this case,

once once had glory

has come to have no glory at all

because of the glory

that surpasses it.

The glory,

the gospel of grace

that surpasses the law.

Verse 11,

For what was being brought

to an end came with glory.

Much more will what is permanent

have glory.

Since we have such a hope,

we are very bold.

Not like Moses

who would put a veil

over his face

that the Israelites

might not gaze

at the outcome

of what was being brought

to an end,

but their minds were hardened.

For to this day,

when they read the Old Covenant,

that same veil remains unlifted

because only through Christ

is it taken away.

Yes, to this day,

whenever Moses is read,

a veil lies over their hearts.

But when one turns to the Lord,

the veil is removed.

Now the Lord is the Spirit,

and where the Spirit of the Lord is,

there is freedom.

And we all,

with unveiled face,

beholding the glory of the Lord,

are being transformed

to the same image

from one degree of glory

to another.

For this comes from the Lord,

who is the Spirit.

You see what he's saying there now?

Is that we now have

this full revelation.

We have looked

into the face of Christ.

And as such,

we have a greater glory,

a surpassing glory.

And we don't experience

this glowing skin

that Moses had going on.

But what we do experience

is the transformation

of our hearts

and therefore our actions.

There has to be something

that comes out

of a devotion to Christ.

If we can't worship Christ

properly during this season,

it's probably because

we don't know him that well.

If we know him at all,

we don't know him that well.

He is a surpassing glory.

If you look down

in chapter 4, verse 6,

Paul writes,

For God who said,

Let light shine out of darkness.

This all-powerful God

who said,

Let light shine out of darkness

has shown in our hearts

to give the light

of the knowledge

of the glory of God

in the face

of Jesus Christ.

That is who we behold.

He is more excellent

than anything in this world.

Certainly more excellent

than Santa Claus.

Who is an omniscient judge

of some sort.

Who hands out rewards

to those who have earned it

and who punishes those

who haven't.

If we are totally honest

with our story,

none of us are getting

any gifts this Christmas at all.

But Jesus instead comes

and he pours out eternal wrath

on those who have stood

in opposition to him.

The things that are just

and do them.

But by grace,

by grace,

not by our works,

not by the good things

that we could have

ever possibly earned,

but by grace,

he gives to us

eternal life.

Reward in him.

Adoption into his family.

Jesus is more excellent

than Santa Claus.

What else are your kids into?

Probably a million things.

We have a lot of young ones in here.

I couldn't think of an analogy

with Thomas,

the tank engine.

But Jesus is more excellent

than Superman.

Would have been a great character

of my day.

If you recall some of the

Superman movies,

there was a movie where

he turned the earth backwards

and therefore turned back time.

You guys remember that one?

By his great strength,

if you recall,

this was a big feat for Superman.

He flew around the earth

so quickly in the opposite direction

that he got it rotating

in the other direction.

Jesus holds the earth

in its rotation

by the power of his word.

Superman can't stand

against that.

Jesus is more excellent

than Superman.

In fact, he's the Lord of time.

Knows all things

from the beginning

to the very, very end.

Jesus is more excellent

than Iron Man.

Who forsook the glory

of being God.

Came down as a humble servant.

It's the opposite of that character

we see in the movie, isn't it?

He came as a humble servant

and emptied himself

and served us

to the point of death

that we might have life in him.

He traded his glory

that we might have glory one day.

He is more excellent.

Why?

Why in our homes

do our kids love these things

and they don't love Christ?

The very name of Jesus

ought to move us

in some way in our hearts.

We hear somebody say the name Jesus.

Has it become just

commonplace to you?

Is it blasé in your life?

It ought to perk your ears.

It ought to get your heart

motivated and open and warm.

This One,

this Jesus Christ,

salvation from God,

the Messiah,

it should warm us.

It should want us

to engage in conversation.

It should be the very thing

we want to talk about

in all places

at all times.

Turn to Philippians 2.

God has given this name

to Christ.

Chapter 2, verse 9,

Therefore God

has highly exalted him,

Jesus,

and bestowed on him

the name

that is above every name.

So that the name of Jesus

every knee should bow

in heaven and on earth

and under the earth,

and every tongue confess

that Jesus Christ

is Lord.

To the glory of God,

the Father.

Turn to Psalm,

Psalms 66 · chapter mention

chapter 66.

So what happens

when I scribble notes?

You've got to go with me

to the text.

Psalm 66,

beginning in verse 1.

Shout for joy to God,

all the earth.

Sing the glory of His name.

Give to Him glorious praise.

Say to God,

how awesome are your deeds.

So great is your power

that your enemies

come cringing to you.

All the earth worships you

and sings praises to you.

They sing praises

to your name.

This should be our heart

during the Christmas season,

and it should be such

that it is infectious.

We should look

for opportunities,

deliberate chances

to make much of Christ.

Christ.

We have such limited time

together.

As I said before,

53 services

that we'll have

this next year.

Many of you will get sick.

I know I do.

You'll go on vacations.

So let's give you 48.

Times we get to come together

into this holy assembly,

this thing that has been

specifically set apart

to honor Christ in.

Do we come?

Do we even come prepared

to do what we do together?

Do we simply roll out of bed,

hit the car,

get here,

go through the motion,

and take off?

Do we really devote time

and energy

to seeing how it is

we can exalt Christ

in our meetings together?

And I know you're thinking,

that's kind of your job.

You put together

the service aspect of it.

And yes, I agree.

It is.

And it's a labor

that I have got

to put my nose to.

But you play a part

in it as well.

The condition of your heart

matters.

You start coming to this place

ready to exalt Christ,

you will find yourself

exalting Him

in all sorts

of unique ways.

In your meeting beforehand,

in your meeting after,

in the singing of praises

to His name,

even just in your listening.

You want sermons to matter

and mean something to you?

Set your mind

to exalting Christ

as you come together

with the people of God.

How are we going

to treat Christmas?

Those of you with kids,

those of you without kids

who may have kids

someday,

those of you who have

some influence over kids

in some way.

Are you more excited

about Christ

than all of the other

trappings that come

along with Christmas?

And those things

aren't bad and evil

in themselves.

I say out-give the world

but point people to Christ.

I say out-decorate the world

but point people to Christ.

Out-eat the world

but point people to Christ

in all of that.

Show the world

that this is a lesser joy.

Right?

That it's just a simple,

I mean,

a tiny, minute shadow

of the greater,

more excellent joy

that is found in Christ.

Let's pray together.