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.
Well, if we turn now to the gospel of Luke, chapter 2.
We're going to look, as we said already, at verse 20 for a little time.
Luke, chapter 2, and verse 20.
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.
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,
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.