The Trouble with Christmas

Our scripture today will be from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 1, verses 18 through 25.

Matthew 1:18–25

Hear the word of the Lord.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.

When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with a child from the Holy Spirit.

And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which she has conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

She will bear a son, and shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet.

Behold, the virgin shall give, shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God with us.

When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.

He took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son, and he called his name Jesus.

It's the word of God for the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

Good morning, church family.

You've probably never heard of a guy named Peyton Manning, but occasionally Peyton Manning would go to the line of scrimmage and say, Omaha, Omaha, he would audible.

And I'm mindful that there are times when the Holy Spirit leads us to an Omaha.

That's audible.

I'm mindful that as the Blessing class served us this morning through the Advent reading, how rare it is that they have the opportunity to hear their church family take a moment and just love on them and bless them.

So I'm going to ask Blessings class, would you mind standing this morning?

Church family, would you just put your hands together and express your love and appreciation?

Amen.

Thank you all for serving the Lord and the body of Christ so beautifully this morning.

Pray with me for a moment.

Lord, we pray that in these emerging moments you would put verbiage with your glory.

And we pray it in Jesus' name.

Amen.

I want to talk with you for a few minutes this morning around the topic, the trouble with Christmas.

Now, the trouble I want to focus on this morning involves the risks that are associated with Christmas.

So think with me for a minute.

You can't live without taking risks.

I mean, think about it.

You land your dream job, there's a risk it may not be as dreamy as you thought.

You uh want to take a vacation and yet it might rain.

You love somebody, there's a risk of rejection.

You start a new business, there's a risk it will fail.

We even make a big deal about risk in our culture.

There are companies that are founded and labor to make a profit around the whole realm of risk management.

There are insurance policies that are available to humanity in case your reputation takes a hit.

There is an entire industry called risk management used by the military, NASA, engineering firms, and many reputable stock brokerage funds for the sake of their clients.

There are industries that develop strategies to manage threats, uncertainties associated with potential negative consequences associated with risk.

There's even a board game called risk.

Life is full of risk.

But the question is, which risk will we take?

And more specifically, what risk will we take for God?

And as the Christmas story kicks off with a description of risk, more specifically, a risk for God, and even more specifically, a risk regarding reputation.

We open this morning with the scripture of Joseph and Mary.

Mary is carrying a child, yet she's a virgin, and we are aware that's full of risk.

There's the risk of being highly criticized.

There's the risk of being misunderstood.

There's even, the text tells us, there's a deep risk of rejection because the word divorce comes up.

You know what in the text, verse 19.

Her husband Joseph, being a just man, unwilling to be and put to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

Someone said, and I don't remember who originally said this, throughout history, to be right with God often involves being in trouble with people.

And so what I'd like to spend a few minutes with you around is really looking at some vulnerabilities that are associated with the Christmas story and the reality of how it relates so clearly into our own lives.

And so here's the first vulnerability I want us to examine together this morning based upon the scripture.

First of all, note this the fear of the opinion of people.

Just make a note of that.

Now, let's affirm that the Bible actually has a lot of instruction around the development of our character and the development of a good name in light of the development of our character.

We see that cited in Psalm 23, 1, where the scripture says a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches.

And we need to take note of that.

But what if, like Joseph and Mary, God chooses to move in our lives, not necessarily with a virgin birth, but in some manner where it is God, but it's going to affect your reputation in the eyes of some people in a less than complimentary way?

Is it possible to stand for God, to be misunderstood by some people, and yet experience vast blessing from God?

Is it possible for us too, as followers of Christ, to be free from fear as we follow God?

And let us note the following.

Joseph got free, Mary was free, and maybe the question for us this morning is this how was that possible?

Now, before I answer that question, let me just say this to keep it real.

I know that when you sit in church and a pastor's preaching, there's certain things you just expect a pastor to say.

Sometimes I call that preacher talk.

There are just certain things that we expect a preacher or pastor to say.

And what can happen is that we can go into auto mode and we don't think about the depth of what's being said or if there's a reality behind what's being said.

So I'm aware that there's a risk, even when I am about to say what I'm about to say, because a lot of you can just check out.

But here is why Joseph and Mary were able to move forward with God with the risk of knowing that they potentially are going to be or would be misunderstood.

Here it is.

They had a greater revelation of God than they had of people.

And many Christians get tripped up right there.

Because many Christians have a greater revelation of people than they do of God.

And because of that, it freezes or it puts a believer in a place where they do not have the opportunity to thrive fully as God intended.

Look with me at a passage of Scripture out of Proverbs.

The fear of man, the fear of what people think, to transliterate, the fear of people's opinions lays a snare.

In the Hebrew, that word snare literally means a trap.

In other words, the fear of people's opinions, the fear of what people think of you will control you.

And it will control you in a way that it will hinder your flourishing in the person of Jesus Christ.

The fear of people lays a snare.

But whoever trusts in the Lord, you're safe.

Now, the antithesis of that was captured by the psalmist, where the psalmist once wrote this in their heart being aligned with God.

The Lord is on my side.

And one of the things that happens, a symptom of that, I will not fear.

Now, loved ones, many of you know of a man named John Wesley.

And John Wesley was the founder of Methodism.

But what a lot of us overlook, even though he is extremely popular throughout history, John Wesley, if you go back to his day and time, was also extremely unpopular.

He was out of favor with the clergy in the Anglican church and the majority of people who attended the Anglican church.

He was not well liked.

And the point is that he was actually despised by most people and most clergy in the Anglican church.

And yet John Wesley labored faithfully for renewal of the church through starting and birthing Methodism.

And one of the anchor points in John Wesley's life that made him so effective is that John Wesley had a greater revelation of God than he did of the opinions of people.

And because of that, it not only set him free, but that reality in the heart and life of John Wesley has affected every man and woman in this room because you got up this morning and came to worship at a Methodist church.

Every morning when I drive into the office and I come down Poplar Avenue, there's a place on Poplar Avenue where the traffic backs up.

Backs up a lot.

Yep, you got it.

Chick-fil-A.

And I'm aware, and you're aware, that if you study the story of Truett Cathy and the founding and establishment of Chick-fil-A, they've made some choices through the years that aren't necessarily popular with everybody.

I mean, think about this.

Let me read to you the mission statement of this corporation.

This the mission of Chick fil A is to glorify God.

Sounds like a church, doesn't it?

To glorify God by being faithful stewards of all that is entrusted to us and have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.

My pleasure, sir.

And maybe that mission statement, but not only with the realization that's a bit counterintuitive to culture in general, but we're also aware that Chick-fil-A made the choice years ago not to be open on Sunday.

And to give their staff a day to rest, to worship, to be with their families to refuel sounds familiar to many of you, I'm sure.

Do you realize that the studies indicated the Chick-fil-A was open on Sunday?

It would actually result in two billion, not million, billion dollars in additional annual revenue.

Huh.

Think about the boardroom discussions around this decision through the years.

And all I'm citing is that there are times where God leads individuals, movements, even companies and corporations, in a Godward way where it may not be popular in all the culture, but yet beneficial because his way works.

What about our sisters and brothers among the persecuted throughout the earth?

That in their village, they uh when they become Christian, they may not be able to own property or educate their kids at the government-sponsored school and a whole list of other things, but yet in their minds and hearts they've resolved that they're willing to be misunderstood, that they're willing even to pay a price and not be popular with everyone for the sake of the love of God in the person of Jesus Christ.

What about their reputations?

Is it possible?

Loved ones, is it possible that we can even make an idol out of what other people think?

A.W.

Tozer once said this an idol of the mind is as offensive to God as an idol of the hand.

It's happened to me before.

Want to be honest with you.

When I was 29, 30 years old, let me put it this way.

I've shared with you before, I'm a cradle Methodist Christian.

My on my mother's side, the Methodist heritage goes all the way back to England.

I mean, it's it's in my blood.

And I grew up in fairly formal United Methodist churches.

And when Missy and I had the opportunity to be a part of a first church plant, and as I've shared with you before, there were people in the church that started reading their Bibles.

And they noticed things.

There are a lot of first generation Christians in that church.

And they noticed, as I've shared with you before, that a lot of the prayers in the Bible that people prayed were prayers to advance the kingdom.

Colossians 1, Ephesians 1.

We could go on and on.

And there were all these little prayer groups that began springing up in the church.

And we began to notice something.

The more the people of God prayed, the more things began to happen that we couldn't explain.

Things like on an Easter Sunday, when a video played of an eagle flying with the words of Isaiah, they who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength, they'll run and not grow weary, that there was a young man in the church, this is his real first name, his name was Chris, shared that in that moment he came to know Christ.

Nobody preached.

People began raising their hands during worship songs.

I grew up in a very formal or two formal United Methodist churches.

I didn't know what I thought about that.

Now I know that please understand, I was 29, 30, hadn't been out of seminary very long.

But I would read my Bible and I would come across these little passages, and I did not say that as if raising your hands is some kind of prescriptive thing.

I just noticed that there were passages where there's references to posture in worship.

And I started noticing that.

And God began dealing with me about some things, and it came to a culmination one day in the parking lot outside that church.

It was a church plant where storefronts and retail businesses existed.

And I walk across the parking lot, and I want you to know I am in touch.

What I'm about to say feels a little bit out there, but I'm going to share it with you.

And I just want you to know the reason I'm validating this a little bit out there is I just want you to know that I know that.

Okay?

As I've said to you before, well, at least our pastor's self-aware.

But here it is.

I I didn't hear God audibly, but I in my heart I felt like I was hearing God.

Here's what it here's what it was.

I'm walking across the parking lot, and this impression worship me, Paul.

And so I was like, Why, yes, Lord.

And I began to sing a worship song.

And the Lord, once again, Paul, worship me.

Lord, I am worshiping you.

I'm just singing blessed assurance to you.

My mom used to sing that to me when I was a baby.

I'm worshiping you.

Paul.

Stop right where you are.

Kneel and worship me.

God.

There are people going in and out of stores right here.

People will think I'm a fool if I fall and kneel and worship you right here in public.

And then this impression came.

And that's the problem, Paul.

You think more, you value more what people think of you than what I think of you.

And I went to my knees right there in public.

And I sang a worship song to God out loud.

And I lifted my hands to the Lord in a public space.

Now I am not saying that that's prescriptive for you.

All of our journeys are unique and individual as well as corporate.

But I know what needed to die in me that day in order for him to live more fully within my life.

And that was to die to the opinions of people, love people, but not be controlled by what people think.

And that's what Joseph and Mary, in their own way, navigated as well, church family, that they were navigating space with God where they knew that in light of the leading of God, that there was clearly they were going to be misunderstood by some.

They were not, they were going to be criticized by some, and yet they were able to rise above the fear of the opinion of people and honor God.

So we recognize that one vulnerability around the Christmas story for all of us is to literally be controlled by the opinions of people, the fear of the opinion of people.

But loved ones, there's another side of the coin.

It's deeply related.

It's like a cousin of the fear of the opinion of people.

And secondly, what that would be, the second vulnerability would be the love of the praise from people.

Now, there's nothing wrong with a well-timed compliment, both given and received.

In fact, it's biblical.

We know that in the scripture that there are numerous passages of scriptures that talk about encouraging one another, spur one another on to good works, pray for one another, love one another, bear one another's burdens.

And let's remember that the spiritual gift of encouragement is very that, a spiritual gift.

God desires that we encourage one another.

So let's make much of that.

Let's not minimize that.

But when a man or a woman is afraid to speak up for Christ in order to bring witness to God's reality because, and they're afraid to do so because they will no longer be a part of a mutual admiration club, are we not at risk of becoming approval addicts?

Now please understand, I know I'm your pastor's not trying to be harsh.

That's not that is not your pastor's heart.

I love you.

But you see, that was a problem in Jesus' day.

There's nothing new under the sun.

That was a problem in Jesus' day.

And he lovingly, the scriptures lovingly warn us.

Let me just quote one passage, John 14, or excuse me, 1242.

Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees, they did not confess it.

Now note that that's the first side of the coin, the first vulnerability, fear of what people think.

Then, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue.

And here comes the other side of the coin.

For they love the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

I love to be praised by people.

And out of that love of being praised by people, they're being controlled and not flourishing in the person of Christ because they become approval addicts.

There's an old chorus that sometimes we sing in Christian circles.

It goes like this, and I will not sing it because the sanctuary would empty.

Let me just quote the words, Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart.

In my heart.

Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart.

That's a worthy song to worship the Lord with.

Sometimes we pray as followers of Jesus things like this.

Here's my prayer, Lord.

Lord, make me like Jesus.

That's a good thing to pray.

It's a biblical thing to pray.

Romans 8.29 tells us that that's ultimately what God is seeking to do in all of our lives, to conform us into the image of Jesus.

And that's God honoring.

But I want to remind you of what the Apostle Paul wrote when he's talking about Jesus in Philippians 2, 6 and 7.

Hear the word of God this morning, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation.

And what that tells us is that as we're being conformed to the image of Jesus in this lifetime, that a part of that conformity is the burning up of our reputations in the eyes of some people.

And it's an imperative that we not only hear that, but embrace that truth with our hearts.

We're not shocked.

When this happens in light of the saltiness in your life.

Remember what Jesus said?

Beware when all people speak well of you.

Be salty enough that there is a sense of standing out to some degree in a healthy way.

John Bevere once said, if you desire the praise of man, you will fear man.

But if you fear man, if you fear man, you will serve him, for you will serve what you fear.

Now, I once knew a dear woman, very precious to Missy and I, who lived with constant nagging feeling that people are going to reject her.

That a nagging feeling that people, if she expressed what she thinks, that somehow people are going to be angry with her, she would disappoint them.

And in light of that, she lived a life of, for many years, as what we would call a chronic people pleaser.

Now, she eventually got set free.

I will tell you that story another time.

But isn't it true that it is incredibly painful to be under the bondage of fearing the disapproval of others?

It will emotionally paralyze a person.

It will still your joy in Christ.

This is a part of why Proverbs, the writer of Proverbs, writes this: Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting in the Lord means safety.

I love how the amplified Bible puts it.

The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in and puts his confidence in the Lord will be exalted and is safe.

So let me give you an axiom.

Some of you like to write things down.

So you might want to consider this, but here it is.

The fear of man is a snare because the fear of man is a false God.

But the fear of the Lord is safe because he really is God.

Now, this is a passage that gets misunderstood.

Proverbs 14, 17.

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life.

Why would God tell us that the fear of the Lord actually is life-giving, like an artesian well that bubbles up and satisfies your thirst?

Well, the reason is the fear of the Lord is not rooted in being afraid of God.

Fear of the Lord is rooted in reverential awe of God, where I live my life as a follower of Jesus for an audience of one.

And as I live for an audience of one, of seeking to honor and please the Lord with reverential awe, with my heart, my life, my lifestyle, then the fruit of that is I'm set free from earthly fear, the fear of people's opinions, or getting in the trapped bondage of people pleasing.

Now, the question we would ask is how is this possible?

Well, we're aware that these truths must have been operating in the life of Joseph and Mary, because they were able to follow the Lord faithfully even when they're criticized, not able to please everybody and to be misunderstood, but yet follow the Lord faithfully, and we see that not only were their blessed, but all of humanity was blessed through their obedience.

But notice where the text takes us, verse 20, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

And as Joseph and Mary experience, again, revelation from God, the word of God being spoken over their lives, and they respond.

Notice what is stated in the emerging verses.

Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God with us.

Now, this is what you expect your pastor to say.

Here it is.

This is amazing news.

And that's true.

And some of us can hear this and go, well, okay, Marge, we went to church today, and pastor said what I expected him to say.

You know, the birth of Jesus is amazing.

But loved ones, I want to invite you to think about why it's amazing.

And there are a thousand reasons, but if God is with us, the implication is that not only God is with us, God can be in us.

God can be in you.

And that's the game changer.

That's the power in us that sets us free from the dimensions, these vulnerabilities that we're looking at this morning and more.

I love people of all ages, really do, but I treasure time at times when I can sit with people that are older, because I'm always aware there's a treasury of wisdom in the heart and life of a person that has decades on me.

And so I treasure moments like this.

And I remember when we started going into COVID-19, I thought I need to get around some older people because I want to hear their perspective on a pandemic.

And so when I began talking to some of the older people in Birmingham at that time, these are the things I would hear.

Paul, we have been through pandemics before, and we will get through this one.

And they began telling me stories of polio outbreaks and the way their families navigated that, the way their communities navigated that, and the eventual discovery and development of a vaccine and affirmations that we will develop vaccines to deal with this.

And uh they begin even talking about herd immunity before it was mainstreamed in the news.

And as I'm talking listening to the wisdom of those who are older, I'm I'm recognizing that they they have a perspective and understanding of things that are very life-giving and hopeful because of their experience.

And so we recognize just like the good news of a vaccine has been made available, whether it's smallpox or COVID-19 or polio, the vaccine is only good if you take it.

And what I would say to you is just like a vaccine is only good if you take it, the loved ones, getting set free from the vulnerabilities that we've covered today that Joseph and Mary experience is only good if you take the cure.

Jesus is the cure.

Not being in church, that's not what I'm saying, but being in Christ.

That is what I'm saying.

And as E.

Stanley Jones, the great Methodist missionary, used to say, there's a big difference between being in church and being in Christ.

You know, only then will he be not only God with you, but with you in a way that he's in you.

John 1.12 tells us that in order for God to be with you, you have to receive him.

And he's willing to do this.

We covered this a couple of weeks ago.

John 1.12, as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God.

And when you've received him, you can begin to say, like with that old hymn that we sing sometimes, he walks with me, he talks with me, and he tells me I am his own.

Can I lovingly submit to you not to take the truths of that old hymn for granted?

Because as a follower of Jesus, you you want him to be with you, and you want him to be in you.

I once knew of a person who was regular in church.

And one day this hymn was being sung, and as this hymn was being sung, and he heard the phrase, sang along with the phrase, he walks with me and talks with me, and he tells me I am his own.

And he realized, it just hit him all of a sudden.

He went, you know what?

I'm not walking with him.

I'm not talking with him.

I'm not sure that I am his own.

And the disconnect between what he was singing and his own experience really hit him.

And he began to wrestle in a good way, in a Godward way.

And in that worship gathering, that man surrendered his heart and his life to the person of Jesus Christ.

And to listen to him share it, he stated that from that day on that he knew that Christ was dwelling in him.

And he noticed in his company, in his corporation, that while he loved his colleagues more, but even as he loved his colleagues more, that he was more free not to be molded necessarily by what people thought of him, his identity was strong in the person of Jesus Christ.

And as his identity in the person of Christ bloomed, he found that he flourished more, he was freer more, that he again loved more deeply his wife, his family, his colleagues.

He found that instead of Christianity being oppressive in some way, he found that Christ is liberating, that he is what he says, he's life.

And so, loved one, maybe you need to do the same thing today.

Maybe you're a Christian already, but you've allowed fears to just incrementally get a toehold in your life, where worry and anxiety is choking out the gift of the life of Christ in your life.

Or maybe you're like the man who's never surrendered to the person of Jesus.

And you sense that even as your pastor's talking to you this morning, that there is something happening that transcends the two of us, that the Spirit of God Himself is tugging at your heart and drawing you into the love of God through his Son Jesus Christ.

I just encourage you, sister or brother, whether you're 12 years old, 32, 52, 82, or beyond, it's not his desire that anyone should perish.

It is his heart to draw you to himself.

And if you will allow the tenderness of your heart to move with him and to rise above the fear of what someone else may think or people pleasing and surrender to him, he will bring you into a flourishing life for his glory.

In a minute, I'm going to lead us in prayer, but before I do that, I want to invite you.

I'm not going to invite you to an altar call or anything like that.

I want you to know that.

But what I'm going to invite you, in your mind's eye, it may be a worry or an anxiety or something that's been weighing you down.

Scripture says, cast all anxiety upon the Lord, for he cares for you.

I want to encourage you this morning in your heart, the mind's eye of your heart, to literally hand those things to Jesus, believer.

And if you've yet to come to faith in him, then I want to encourage you to pray a prayer of faith, pray a prayer of surrender and invite him into your life.

Let's pray together.

And so, Lord, we thank you that you are present right here.

We thank you that you love us, and we thank you that you're merciful.

And we pray, Lord, that the riches of your mercy would reign upon us, Lord, in our understanding and our experience.

And so, Lord, the body of Christ, we bring you our anxieties, our unknowns this morning, and lay them at your feet.

But Lord, as we do, we also come to you individually and corporately in a spirit of surrender.

We surrender.

We turn our back on what is in the past that needs to be let go of, forsaken, or repented of, and we surrender to you, Lord Jesus.

And we invite you to come in and reign in our hearts individually, corporately, and we confess that you are the Lord and you are Savior.

And we pray these things, knowing that as we draw near to you, you draw near to us.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.