Treasuring Jesus In Our Hearts

Let's join together again in prayer. Let's call upon the Lord.

O Lord, our God, as we once more come before you to seek your blessing and to give you thanks,

we do come before you, O Lord, as those who confess our need,

that your Spirit would once again work in our hearts and minds,

that we may be stirred up in our souls to magnify and bless the Lord,

that we might find our dependence upon you increased,

that we might grow too, O Lord, in the love of your name and in the service that we owe to you.

Bless us then, we pray today as a congregation of your people.

We pray, Lord, that you would bless each and every family represented here,

each and every family belonging to us, even if they're not able to be out here this morning.

We ask your blessing for those who are watching online and participating that way in the service.

We give thanks, Lord, for the technology that enables people who cannot come physically out,

that they would nevertheless find a means by which they involve themselves in the service as it proceeds.

We pray especially that the preaching of the gospel might today come to be blessed to those who hear it,

either here or online.

We thank you, Lord, for the many encouragements that you give us in relation to people's comments

with regard to your word and how they prize it and how it remains to them a precious, precious gift from God.

We pray today, Lord, for each one of us here.

You know our needs and you know our concerns.

You read our hearts and you're able to deal with us as no other can.

We thank you today, Lord, for that, for the way that it brings to us encouragement,

that we can bring all our concerns to God, even if we at times ourselves, Lord,

feel unable to express them and put them adequately into words.

You are able to read our thoughts and read our hearts.

You are able, Lord, to read all that we experience in our inmost soul,

the pains of our heart, the joys of our heart, our confessions of sin and shortcoming.

We pray that as we come to you today, Lord, we may know anew of your blessing,

of your hand upon us and of those rich things of the gospel being blessed to us once again.

We ask, Lord, your blessing today for those who are ill or in other ways unable to be here with us today.

We pray that you bless us in our families, in our family circles.

We pray that whatever our circumstances, Lord, in life may be,

help us to realize that they are ordered by your providence.

As we look to you and seek your blessing,

so you are able to bless our events of our lives to us as well,

the providences in which we are involved.

For you have ordered them and you have patterned them according to your wisdom.

We pray, Lord, as we go through from day to day in life,

that we may learn more and more to place our confidence and our trust in the hands of the Lord.

Lord, bless those who are ill at this time.

We pray that your blessing will reach them in their time of illness.

We pray for your good hand to be upon them.

We pray for their recovery.

We pray that you bless their families.

We pray especially, Lord, for those who are seriously ill

and ask that you bless them whether at home or in hospice or in hospital.

Graciously provide for them, we pray,

and for all who care for us.

During these times, we ask, O Lord, for thankful hearts,

that you continue to remember us with those to whom you have given the skills

that are able to deal with us and to nurse us,

whether we are physically or mentally in need.

We pray for those who have mental health issues at this time,

and we commend them to you also.

We ask, O Lord, that we may constantly bear them before you,

and that you are able to deal with us in our minds as well as with our physical needs,

that you would graciously, Lord,

provide for them at this time your own healing and supporting touch in their lives.

We pray, too, for those who are lonely and those who are isolated at this time

when many people are able to be together to enjoy so much at this time of year.

Lord, we recognize that there are others of whom this is not true.

We pray for those who are on their own,

for those who feel the time long,

for those who don't have family members to call and visit them.

We pray for those, Lord, caught up with various types of addictions.

We pray for them and ask that you would, O Lord,

that you would come into their lives powerfully and deliver them.

And we pray that you would bless those who seek to give them counsel and advice and help.

We pray, too, Lord, for those who experience the difficulties and trials of old age,

for those whose memory is beginning to fail or has failed already.

Remember them, Lord.

Remember the trauma, the families for whom the trauma of these things is very real each day.

We pray for those who today feel exhausted with looking after others.

And we feel themselves, Lord, that their health is declining

because they so willingly and lovingly give of their time to look after others.

Remember them, Lord, we pray.

And grant to continue to remember us as a people, as a community, and as a nation.

Gracious One, remember us, we pray,

with the power of your Spirit.

Bless the gospel amongst us and make even these times when Jesus is probably more often spoken of

than at other times.

We ask, O Lord, that your word as it goes forth, even as it is read,

might prove to be a blessing to many.

Remember, we pray, the world at large as well.

Lord, we are so conscious of how the peace that is often mentioned at this time of year

is very much lacking in different parts of the world.

O Lord, remember these nations and peoples of the world

who are embroiled in war, in hatred, in violence, in strife.

And I ask, O Lord, that your word may go forth with power

to bring many people out of such situations,

and even in these situations, to know yourself.

And we pray for days of increasing peace in our nations and throughout the world.

And we pray that the peace of the gospel especially

will come to permeate the hearts and minds of many people,

to lay aside hatred and violence,

and come to follow the Lord himself as the Prince of Peace.

And Lord, we ask that we may find better days to come

than we see in these present days.

And we pray that you would bless us now as we continue to wait upon you here.

Bless your word to us especially.

Open up our hearts and our minds to receive the teaching of your word.

And graciously receive our thanks.

Cleanse us from all our sin.

And we ask it freely in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Well, if we turn now to the gospel of Luke, chapter 2.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

We're going to look, as we said already, at verse 20 for a little time.

Luke, chapter 2, and verse 20.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

And I'm dividing the sermon into two just to make it a bit easier,

maybe for the young ones to listen,

so that they're not such a stretch of mind for them to listen.

So we're going to have two main points,

and in between we'll sing another psalm,

as it is on the outline of the service in the bulletin.

So our text for today is Luke, chapter 2, and verse 20.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

Verse 19, sorry.

But Mary treasured up all these things,

pondering them in her heart.

A loving mother never forgets any detail of her children's lives,

if she can help it at all.

Everything affecting her children for a loving mother

is always remembered, always thought upon,

always things that she tries to work her way through in her own mind.

She remembers when they were born.

She remembers before they were born.

She remembers what they were like when they were born.

She remembers their early days.

She remembers their school days.

She remembers their sufferings, their times of illness.

She remembers many other things about them and what they said.

She remembers them growing up.

She remembers what was said of them by other people.

And all of that she keeps in her mind.

All of that she goes over from time to time, if not on a daily basis.

Because to a loving mother, what is more precious than her children,

apart from the Lord himself?

That's how it is with Mary in verse 19 of this chapter.

Mary is trying to put all of that together.

Because what she's doing, as we'll see,

is taking the things that she has seen and the things that she has heard,

and putting all of that together, or trying to put all of that together in her heart and her mind.

And as she's doing so, we read here that she treasured up all these things,

pondering them in her heart.

In her heart.

So Mary is really noting the things that she had seen, the things that she had heard.

She's trying to put all that together.

Remember, this is a very early stage in the New Testament.

Jesus has just been born.

She had heard prophecies about him.

She knew prophecies from the Old Testament scriptures about the Messiah who was coming.

And as we'll see, she had been told by the angel, and now by the shepherds, things about this child.

And as she tried to put all that together, we read here that she treasured these things in her heart,

and she pondered them.

She thought deeply about them.

And you notice the word, but, at the beginning of the verse,

but Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

And that little word is always very important.

Because what it's saying is, here is Mary, who is somewhat different to the others that are mentioned.

We read that all who heard it, in verse 18, wondered at what the shepherds told them.

They were amazed about it, but it doesn't really say that it affected their lives very much,

apart from the fact that they wondered at it.

They were amazed at it.

But it didn't seem to change their lives in any way.

But Mary pondered these things in her heart.

Most of the people who heard the shepherds, who heard these things being told,

it was interesting for the moment.

They wondered at it.

They filled them with a sense of amazement.

But it seems to have just dissipated very quickly after that.

And so it was throughout the whole ministry of Jesus.

But Mary treasured these things and pondered them in her heart.

And so especially about Mary.

And the first point I want to make is that Mary's treasuring and pondering is a treasuring and pondering of the good news.

Of the news of Jesus, the news that is, in fact, the gospel itself.

We'll look at that.

Mary's treasuring and pondering of the good news.

Then we'll have a wee break for our singing.

And secondly, we'll look at the benefits for ourselves of treasuring and pondering the things that God has brought us in the gospel.

So, Mary's treasuring and pondering the good news.

Well, it says here, she treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

And the question in your mind possibly is, what things?

What things is the verse speaking about?

She treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

Well, literally, the verse actually says words.

In the Greek text of the verse, I should say, Mary treasured up all these words or sayings, pondering them in her heart.

And you've got to go over the first part of Luke's gospel in order to actually see from chapter 1 and verse 26.

There's Gabriel, the angel sent from God to a virgin, to this Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph.

And then it goes on to tell what the angel said to Mary.

So, there's the beginning of things, of the words, of the information that God sent to Mary, to this young woman.

And then you find later on in chapter 2, later on in chapter 1, that you find Mary coming to visit Elizabeth,

a cousin who was going to give birth to John the Baptist.

And you find a conversation that took place there as well.

And the words of Elizabeth especially about the child that Mary was going to have.

So, that was something that was significant and important for Mary to take with her.

Words of the angel, words of Elizabeth.

Now she comes here again to hear from the shepherds about what they had experienced and what had been told them,

especially what you find in verse 14 there.

Glory to God in the highest.

On earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.

Or peace and goodwill to all men, as it's translated elsewhere.

And the message then came in the shepherds as they told the things that they had been told themselves by the angel.

So, here at verse 19 you find Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

So, all of these things that she was told, the information, the revelation from God,

especially about this child that she had now given birth to in chapter 2,

she treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

And these two words go together in a very important way.

Treasuring it and pondering it.

They belong together.

And in fact, we'll see that something you really treasure in your heart is something you're going to be thinking about often.

And that's exactly what you have.

Mary was treasuring the things in her heart that she heard.

And as she was treasuring them, so she pondered them.

She considered them further.

She thought about them.

She was trying in her mind to just get to grips with all that had been said.

And treasured is an important word.

Let's look at the two words separately, although they're joined together, as I said, in a very important way.

Mary treasured up all these things.

It really means to keep very carefully something that is precious to you.

Think of something like precious jewels, for example, items of precious jewelry.

Very often they're kept together, especially ones that are most precious to you.

They're kept together, and they're kept carefully.

And very often you ponder them in your mind or think about them as well, because they're precious to you.

That's how we can look at God's words to Mary.

But more than that, God's words in the whole of the gospel message.

God's words, indeed, in the whole of the Bible.

That's what you really have in your Bibles today, friends.

That's what you have, a collection of these precious jewels that God has given us.

These jewels of truth, these precious items, these precious words of God that you find set out in this collection in the Scriptures.

What do you have in the Bible?

You have statements from God.

You have promises from God.

You have commands from God.

You have exhortations from God.

You have different kinds of invitations from God.

Various other types of passages that you have all the way through the Bible, which we regard rightly as the Word of God,

come to be put together over all of these centuries, but now freely in your possession and mine,

as these precious spiritual jewels that God has given us in this collection box of the Bible.

What are they for?

What is this for?

Why has God revealed all this to us?

Why are we today on Christmas Eve worshiping God here and using the Bible as a central feature,

if not the central feature of our service, of our worship?

Well, because these words of God are to be treasured.

They're to be looked after and prized in our hearts as Mary prized the words that came from God,

whether it was from the angel or through the shepherds.

She regarded them as God having given her this information.

This information about Jesus.

Are we treasuring the incarnation today?

Are we treasuring the truth and the fact of the Son of God coming into this world to be born as a human,

taking our human nature to himself?

Are we treasuring it today in the way that you find others in the Bible described as treasuring the words of God?

You go through that great Psalm, Psalm 119, which is really about the Word of God and responses to the Word of God

and attitudes to the Word of God, different words used there for the Word of God.

Statutes, precepts, words, commands, comes to the same thing.

That's what you've got packed into your Bible.

And in that one of the verses there in Psalm 119, verse 162 says,

Psalms 119:162

I prize your word as one that finds great spoil or great treasure.

As if he had come across the most precious jewels that you could ever see in this life.

That's what he says about his word.

I prize your word.

I prize your commandment.

I value them so highly.

As someone who has come across great spoil.

Is that what the incarnation is to yourself and to myself today?

Is the coming of Jesus something you prize deeply as your most precious jewels?

Is the truth about Jesus given that place in your heart and my heart today?

So we find her treasuring.

These words.

And then also pondering.

She treasured up all these words, pondering them in her heart.

Now pondering is another interesting word.

Because it literally means to gather things together.

Or to assemble things together.

That's really the background meaning, if you like, of the word.

And it's developed different meanings and nuances from that background meaning.

She was pondering.

Something she went on doing.

That's the language that used shows.

This is something that she went on doing.

It wasn't something that just came to her for a moment.

She didn't just ponder it for a few brief moments and then forget about it and move on to something else.

Because the verses really put in such a way that Mary treasured up all these things and went on pondering them in her heart.

She kept on assimilating, putting together these great truths that she had come to be spoken to by God.

So it means really bringing things together, comparing things, weighing things up.

Now here we are today and we're in a way like Mary because this word of God, this truthful word of God is reliable.

When you read about this event, this particular event itself, it's really because you can trust the word of God as being accurate.

It's really taking you back.

It's just as if you were there.

It's just as if you were there before the manger.

As if you were there kneeling in front of the manger with the infant Jesus in it.

Are we pondering it?

Are we trying to bring together today everything that's revealed about this Jesus for our benefit?

Are the things of the Old Testament, the things that we find in the New Testament Gospels,

the things that Paul wrote and Peter wrote and John wrote,

these are all the precious jewels.

These are all the wonderful jewels of truth.

And here is Mary as she finds all of these sayings and these statements and these words.

What is she doing?

She's bringing them together.

That's essentially what Bible study is.

It's not just coming to church once in a week or twice in a week or whatever and listening to a sermon.

Good though that is.

Important though that is.

Significant though that is.

Beneficial we hope though that is.

It's something that you follow up by putting together, by assembling together each and every day the things that God has revealed.

And especially as we're here today focusing on the coming of Christ.

All the things that have to do with His coming.

All the things that have to do with the Son of God and this wonderful, amazing fact that He took our human nature.

It's for our thinking of.

It's for our thinking of.

For our weighing up.

You see Mary you could say here is exercising her memory, her mind and her heart.

All three elements of her person, if you like, of her soul are engaged in this treasuring and in this pondering.

It's something that affected her emotionally.

She's using her heart is in it.

It's not something just formal and stiff and distant.

She's caught up in it.

Her mind obviously is caught up in it.

Her memory is caught up in it.

She's remembering the things she heard.

Her mind is trying to work through them.

She's thinking deeply about it and is moving her heart.

All of that is in exercise at the manger of the Lord.

And we're at the manger of the Lord today.

Where's my heart?

How is it with my heart?

Is it hitting my emotions?

How is it with my mind?

How is it with my will?

Has it made me more aware of my need to depend upon Christ?

To love Jesus?

To talk about Jesus?

To commend Jesus?

As I kneel in front of the manger today,

what is it with my heart?

And my mind and my memory?

Am I treasuring this?

Am I pondering the incarnation, the coming of the Lord?

Is it something that in the exercise of my mind?

And am I saying from today onwards,

this is something that I will have to do every day.

It's something I want to do even for a few moments.

At the beginning or at the end of a day or both.

I'm trying throughout each day that I live

to exercise my mind, my heart, my memory

and gather together as I go along through life

those things that have to do with Jesus.

The things that have to do with the truth of God incarnate,

God in the manger,

God coming into this world,

God the Savior,

God the Redeemer,

the Lord Jesus Christ.

So Mary's treasuring and pondering the good news.

She treasured up all these things,

pondering them in her heart.

Treasuring them as you keep precious jewels together

and pondering them as you try and bring together

all of these truths about the Lord

and how you not just store them in your heart

but work your way through them

and the relationship between

each and every part of the truth about Jesus

as they're brought to you in the Bible.

So we'll pause just for a moment now

and sing.

And this time we're singing

from Psalm 119

and from verse 33,

that's on page 159.

Verses 33 to 40.

Teach me to follow your decrees

then I will keep them to the end.

Give insight and I'll keep your law

with all my heart to it attend.

We'll sing the four stanzas down to verse 40.

To God's praise.

Teach me to follow your decrees

then I will keep them to the end.

In this I count by being pure law

with all my heart to it attend.

With me endure

the man's breath.

For there, O Lord,

delight I find

and guide my heart

to war to loss.

from selfish gain

from selfish gain

reset my mind.

O turn my eyes

from worthless things

give life according

to your word.

To me, your servant

keep your flesh

so that you may be feared, O Lord.

remove from me

the shame I dread

your loss

excel

in uprightness

O how I long

for your decrees

deserve me

in your righteousness

well the second point

we want to spend a little bit of time over

is the benefits for ourselves

of treasuring and pondering

the truth about Jesus

or the things of the gospel.

We've seen Mary's treasuring

and pondering

and something of what these words mean

what benefit is it to ourselves

to treasure

and to ponder the things of Christ

the things of the gospel.

Well, three things

I'm going to mention

first of all

it helps us grow

in our understanding of Jesus

helps us grow

in our understanding of Jesus

who he is

that he is indeed God

that he is God

having come into this world

he didn't cease to be God

he was still the creator

and the upholder of the universe

mysteriously and wonderfully

even in becoming human.

He didn't lay aside his deity

he didn't lay aside

any of the attributes of godhood

when he came into this world

and became man.

So as we bring together

the truths of the gospel

and of the Bible together

in understanding Jesus

we grow in our understanding

of who he is

and it's important

we always ask

who is this?

Luke's gospel asks that

a number of times

we find passages

where the question

is asked by various people

who is this man?

And it's such an important question

who is he?

Not just what has he done

but who is he?

He is the Son of God

that's his person

the Son of God

who took human nature

the human nature

does not describe

in itself entirely

who he is

because he is

the person of the Son of God

who took this nature

this human nature

we have to himself

and it helps us grow

in our understanding of Jesus

not only who he is

but why he became human.

Our last study

remember the words

you shall call his name Jesus

for he will save

his people

from their sins.

Why did he come

into this world?

Why did the Son of God

why did God

in his Son

come into this world

to take out human nature

to place himself

as he placed himself

in a situation

of being deprived

of so many comforts

a situation

of being tested

of being tempted

of suffering

a situation

where he ultimately

came to suffer

the death of the cross

and die

the death of the cross

the death

that you and I

deserved

for our sins.

Why?

Why did the Father

send him into the world

to such a situation

and such a death

as he experienced

and accomplished

at Calvary?

Well it's so that

you and I

would be saved

or could be saved

he shall be called Jesus

for he will save

his people

from their sins.

It's not so that we

would have nice stories

about him at Christmas time

it's not so that we

would know formally

the things the Bible

tells us about Jesus

it's not so that we

become accomplished

theologians

not that that's a bad thing

it's so that we'd be saved

so that we come to

possess him

and embrace him

and take him

as he's offered

in the gospel

as the catechism says

as our savior

he is offered

as God's gift

don't leave that gift

unwrapped

this Christmas time

if you haven't

already unwrapped it

what I mean by that

is taking the gift

of God

that Jesus himself

is

and making it

your gift

God's gift

to you

making it personally

your gift

God's gift

to you

your acceptance

of that gift

you would never leave

the most important

and precious gift

given to you

at Christmas time

or any time

and just leave it

unwrapped

and just keep

looking at it

formally

and just leaving it

and ignoring it

and pushing it

into a corner

well some people

sadly do that

with the greatest

gift of all

it's not that they

absolutely

don't care

but they just

don't want to

commit their

whole life

to him

they think

that's just

going too far

that you don't

need to become

as people think

religious

remember

there's a big

difference

between religion

and Jesus

religion

and salvation

religion

itself

is a formal

thing

I know we talk

about the Christian

religion

but sometimes

people think

being a Christian

is just having

religion

and having a Bible

and having a set

of rules

that you value

that you

maybe try

and keep

but no

salvation

is not the same

as religion

salvation

is faith

in Christ

bringing that

salvation

into our

possession

salvation

is being

saved from

our sins

from the

consequences

of our sins

from the guilt

of our sins

I think we saw

that last time

when we saw

the name

Jesus

he will save

his people

from their sins

that's why

he became human

and it helps us

our understanding

of Jesus

but not only

in that sense

to save us

from our sins

but even through

the course of life

we learn about

Jesus

and the benefits

of treasuring

and pondering

the truth about him

is that he will

we will know

his companionship

through life

we will know

that he's with

us through life

we will know

that he stands

beside us

as we go through

the different

experiences

and the difficulties

especially

of life

Hebrews chapter 2

Hebrews 2 · chapter mention

and verse 18

you remember

finishes

in that way

he had made

in every respect

like his brethren

that's like

ourselves

human beings

for because

he himself

has suffered

when tempted

he is able

to help

those who are

being tempted

and that word

help means

come to their aid

come alongside

them

and come to

support them

it means

a strengthening

it means

an encouragement

it means

all of the things

that you find

inside that word

help or strengthening

that's why

he came into the world

that's why

he came to die

the death of the cross

that's why

he took out humanity

we don't have

a priest

as Hebrews

elsewhere says

we don't have

a high priest

in heaven

as the high priest

of his people

who is unable

to sympathize

with us

in our weaknesses

doesn't matter

what you have

to confess

today

about yourself

about your concerns

about your worries

about your troubles

about your illnesses

about your state of mind

about your loved ones

you know

that there's someone

today

on the throne

of heaven

who has been

through all of that

himself

and who as the

son of God

in our nature

is now able

to help

to succor

as the AV puts it

to strengthen

to give you

the help you need

that no one else

can give you

that's why

you treasure

and ponder

the truths

about Jesus

because as you

gather them together

you begin more

and more to understand

this savior

is for me

you begin to understand

how can I possibly

go on without him

how can I face

the issues of life

without him

how can I die

without him

how can I go to face

God without having him

as my savior

it helps you to grow

in your understanding

of Jesus

but

secondly it helps us

to grow

in our

appreciation

of Jesus

and once you treasure

and you ponder

the truths

that you find

about Jesus

in the Bible

so as you do that

just as it was

for Mary

there's an increase

in your love

your affection

your regard

for this Jesus

you increase

in your thankfulness

thankfulness to God

for him

thankfulness to himself

for all that he's done

for you

and for who he is

thankfulness for his

perfection

thankfulness for his

faithfulness

thankfulness for everything

the Bible tells you

as you bring all us

you gather us

you ponder these things

and it helps you as well

to add to

your dependence upon them

which you and I

certainly at times

have to confess

it's not as it should be

but the more you find out

about him

and the more you put

these truths together

about Christ

well the more you

add to your dependence

the more you add to

your willingness

to serve him

the more you add

to the concern

to make him known

to your fellow human beings

it's as you find out

more about him

as you treasure

and ponder the truth

about Jesus

in your heart

so you're constrained

all the more

then the more you find out

the more you appreciate that

the more you ponder that

the more you say

I have to tell other people

about this

I have to tell them

where they can find salvation

I have to tell them

about this Jesus

like the woman

of Samaria

in John chapter 4

John 4 · chapter mention

come and see this man

is not this the Christ

he told me all the things

that ever I did

and what did they do

they went out

from that town

they went out

to meet Jesus

they flocked out

to meet him

and then they said

to the woman

eventually after Jesus

had been with them

for a time

now we believe

not for your word

for we have heard

him ourselves

and know that this

is indeed the Christ

the savior of the world

is that not

where you are today

is this not

the most wonderful thing

in your own experience

that God has given you

the benefit of treasuring

and pondering Jesus

to increase your understanding

of him

and who he is

and what he's done

but to also

grow in your appreciation

because all of these things

as you assimilate them

you see

like Mary

what they will do

is just fill

your praise of God

you'll begin

more and more

just to fill

all of these things

into and fit

these things

into your praise

think of the psalmist

Psalm 116

I love the Lord

because he has heard

my prayers

and listened

to my voice

he speaks then

about

how he was

in such a predicament

how the Lord

heard him

how the Lord

rescued him

and came to his aid

1 Peter chapter 1

1 Peter 1 · chapter mention

and verses 8 and 9

tells us about

Jesus we don't see

physically

here is Peter

writing to

these people

scattered through

all the regions

he mentions

and what's their situation

they're being

persecuted

some of them

for their faith

they're certainly

suffering greatly

for what they believe

for their faithfulness

to Jesus

and they don't see him

they can't see him

physically

like they did

in the days

of the apostles

and these disciples

here

in the gospels

what does Peter say

whom

though not seeing

you love

and in whom

though now you see him

not yet believing

you rejoice

with joy

unspeakable

and full of glory

what is Peter saying

it's saying

the more you put together

in your heart

the more you treasure

in your heart

the more you ponder

in your heart

the things

of the Lord himself

the more it will add

to your sense

of appreciation

and thankfulness

to God

and dependence

upon him

and the more it will

enlarge

your determination

to praise the Lord

to have your mouth

filled with praise

because what Peter

is really saying

is

the more you get

to know about Jesus

and the more you get

to know Jesus himself

especially

not just knowing

about him

but knowing himself

the more you do that

the more you treasure

and ponder these things

the more you have

a foretaste of heaven

because that's what

Peter is saying

you rejoice

with joy

unspeakable

and full of glory

where is that?

where is that in perfection?

it's in heaven

but it begins

to flow into your heart

the more you know

this Jesus

the more you treasure him

the more you ponder him

the more you value him

the benefits

of treasuring

and pondering

well it helps us grow

in our understanding

of Jesus

it helps us grow

in our appreciation

of Jesus

and thirdly finally

it helps us prepare

for meeting with Jesus

the incarnation

was the beginning

of his life

as a human being

the end of it

the crowning of it

end of it

in that sense

is in his return

he's gone to glory

he's sitting at the right hand

of God

he's presiding over the universe

but he's going to return

and on the day of his return

he will be seen

not as he came

the first time

as an infant

in a manger

dependent on his mother

being nursed by his mother

being helped by his mother

he's not going to come

then in his humiliation

and in his dependence

upon other human beings

he's going to come

in his glory

he's going to come

in the majesty

of his kingship

he's going to become

he's going to come

decked out

in all the garments

if you like

of his glorious kingship

he's going to be accompanied

with an innumerable

company of angels

the whole world

will know

here is the king

blow the trumpet

he's arrived

you know

in 1st Thessalonians

there's a passage

among others

that tells us

how grand

this will be

what an immense

moment this will be

what an awesome

thing it will be

when Jesus returns

1st Thessalonians 4

verses 16 to 17

for the Lord himself

will descend from heaven

with a cry of command

with a voice of an archangel

with the sound

of the trumpet of God

and the dead in Christ

will rise first

then we who are alive

who are left

will be caught up

together with them

in the clouds

to meet the Lord

in the air

and so we will always

be with the Lord

what a moment

what an event

what a glorious sight

what an indescribably

great coming

this is

not a helpless

babe

in a manger

but a king

of glory

in all his splendor

and how do you

prepare for that

well you bring

together in your heart

you ponder

you treasure

all the things

that are spoken

about him

you placed your

trust in him

you ask him

to look after you

when you come

through every issue

of life

and through death

and when you come

to meet him

in eternity

you see what it's saying

in verse 18

of that passage

in 1 Thessalonians

therefore

encourage one another

with these words

because these words

we don't just

assimilate them

and gather them

together

and ponder them

and treasure

in our own hearts

just for our own

personal benefit

as we gather

together

we're gathering

together

as a people

who have the same

truths of God

prized surely

and treasured

in our hearts

and it's not just

for our own benefit

we don't keep it

to ourselves

the apostle said

encourage one another

with these words

you remember

at Christmas time

how

as children

we treasured

and pondered

what Christmas

was going to be

to us

we looked forward

to opening presents

whether they be

many or few

it was always

an exciting time

and so it is

for the children

who are here today

and thank you

for being here today

it's great to have you

and it's great

to be here

at Christmas time

in church

worshipping the Lord

with your parents

or grandparents

or other adults

there's nothing

we like better

than having

children here

and hearing

children's noises

and children's voices

it doesn't disturb us

at all

it encourages us

it gives us

a great thrill

so you're looking

forward to Christmas

Christmas day

aren't you

looking forward

to opening your presents

looking forward

to actually

whether or not

you get the things

that you asked for

looking forward

to just

that moment

when you open up

those presents

and these thoughts

right now

in your mind

what are you doing

you're treasuring that

they're precious to you

you're pondering it

you're thinking about it

your mind

and your heart

are engaged in

thinking about

these presents

and opening these presents

and being

having a good time

well that's what

we do with Jesus

we treasure him

we ponder him

until that great day comes

when he himself

has the greatest gift

will arrive before us

in his glory

and until that day

here's our privilege

friends

our privilege

to gather together

and also

for ourselves

individually

to treasure

and ponder

in our hearts

the truth

about Jesus

let's pray

Lord our God

we thank you

for your word

we thank you

we thank you

for all that it

contains

we thank you

especially that it

brings to us

that good news

that great message

of a saviour

who was born

in the city of David

a saviour

who is Christ

the Lord

we thank you

Lord for

all that you are

in yourself

that you have been

from all eternity

as God

we thank you

for all that you

came to be

in taking our humanity

to yourself

we thank you

for the prospect

of your coming

having accomplished

all that you did

in this world

oh Lord

we thank you

that your people

look forward

to your arrival

yet on the last day

prepare us

we pray for that

and give us daily

to think

and to ponder deeply

and treasure

in our hearts

all that is revealed

about you

hear us now

we pray

for Jesus sake

Amen

our final psalm today

is psalm number 4

we're singing

in the

Sing Psalms version

of Psalm 4

that's on page 4

and the last

three verses

from verse 6

oh who can show us

any good

I hear so many say

oh Lord

shine on us

with your light

show us your face

I pray

you filled my heart

with greater joy

than others

may have found

as they rejoiced

at harvest time

when grain and wine

abound

I will lie down

and sleep in peace

my heart will rest

secure

for you alone

oh gracious Lord

will keep me

safe

and sure

these verses

oh who

can show us

any good

I hear so many say

oh Lord

shine on us

with your light

with your light

show us

your face

I pray

you filled my heart

with greater joy

than others may have found

as they rejoice

whose ancestors

could run

and love

who can hold

can increased

and youth

more behind

how and the months

in heaven

I will try

earth

should to run

through me

For you alone, O gracious Lord, will keep me safe and sure.

If you allow me to get to the main door, please, I'll see you there after the benediction.

Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father,

and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you now and always. Amen.

Amen.