It's fantastic to be here this morning.
Let me add my welcome to Steve's.
It is so glad that you are here.
This is a big day for us as a church.
We've got the extravaganza afterwards.
It's very exciting to hear that we have over 200 people
going to be on this site throughout 4.30 to 7.30,
hopefully to hear the gospel spoken to their life,
maybe for the first time.
Isn't that wonderful and fantastic?
We're going to pray now before we hear God's word,
so please join me in prayer.
Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for the news
that this afternoon that you're going to have
all these people here on site to hear your word,
maybe for the first time.
And Lord, that's so exciting that your word is so powerful
and it can change lives forever.
And so Lord, as we sit here this morning,
let us be excited that we get to hear from your word,
a word that might be quite familiar to us,
but nonetheless, that is just as exciting,
just as powerful because it's you who speaks to us.
It's a word that whilst what might have been written
thousands of years ago, it is still speaking to us today.
It is living and active.
And we pray, Lord, as we hear you this morning,
would you change our hearts and our minds
to love and to serve you,
to be excited about Christmas
and what it truly is all about.
We pray these things in your son's precious name.
Amen.
It's less than a week till Christmas.
Are you all excited?
Yes.
Ah, yes.
The kids are excited.
Christmas is generally an exciting time.
I don't know about you,
but I've always felt pretty excited around Christmas
and I've always felt an anticipation
about the day that comes.
Everyone is in a very good mood.
People are throwing Christmas parties all over the place.
Everyone's winding down for the year.
People are just more relaxed and happy.
Carols are playing in shopping centres,
if you like carols.
People are cheerful and joyful.
It is the season, right?
There's so much expectation at Christmas time.
Everyone looks forward to this one day.
But why?
What exactly is it about this day
that everyone looks forward to?
Is it because work shuts down for a whole week or so
and everyone gets a holiday?
Is it because we have an excuse to eat
as much as we possibly can
without any kind of regret or self or shame?
Is it because of all the carol events we can go to?
The main, last night.
Is it because of actually not Christmas Day,
but the Boxing Day test the next day?
And we're all looking forward to watching that.
Is it because of all the presents
we're hoping to receive on the day?
I imagine your kids,
and if our kids are still here,
that is probably what's most exciting about Christmas Day.
I'm still hoping one Christmas
that Stance will bring me my new surfboard
that I've been asking for for quite some time now.
I've sent into the dimensions to him in the North Pole,
but I'm still waiting on a reply.
There's so much to look forward to at Christmas time.
But does the hype and the expectation last?
No.
As soon as Christmas rolls through,
we're no longer excited about it,
no longer thinking about it or talking about it
or singing carols anymore.
I know for myself that after the hype dies down,
I feel a bit drained and a bit empty,
totally drained by the expectation I put on the day itself.
So much energy and time,
preparation goes into this one day,
and it comes and goes like that.
The thing is, we know that.
We're actually quite aware of that.
We are not unaware of the hype
and how it fizzles out very quickly once it's all over.
So how do we in the Western world deal with this issue
when the hype is all over?
We make another event to look forward to.
Boxing Day sales.
A day where those of us who are a little let down
by our Christmas presents
can have a second chance at redeeming the excitement
we lost or didn't get on Christmas Day
with a good gift for ourselves.
But again, Boxing Day hype doesn't last very long.
It only lasts one day.
And so how do we try and keep the hype going
and the excitement coming?
Another event.
New Year's Eve.
A night out on the town where we celebrate
and try to forget,
either try to forget the year that happened
or we celebrate the year that happened
and we look forward to the year that is to come.
But again, New Year's Eve comes and goes
and the excitement dies down
as many people wake up the next day
maybe not remembering the excitement of the night
but certainly its consequences.
And so once the excitement passes away
and the new year rolls in,
how do we continue to make life exciting?
How do we continue the hype to keep going?
Another event.
Australia Day eventually comes along.
Do you see where I'm going here?
Our world is aware enough to realise
that hype doesn't last.
They know that the excitement generated
at Christmas time by presents and food and holidays
and family hangouts dies down eventually.
And so we deal with that by constantly having events
after events after events to look forward to,
to fill out our lives with stuff to do,
to keep us happy and distracted,
to keep the hype going,
to keep our lives exciting.
We keep looking forward to the next thing,
the next adventure,
the next purchase,
the next holiday.
But is that enough?
As we get older,
there is less and less we can do
until eventually one day
we pass from this world
and we can no longer do anything.
As a 25-year-old,
the world tells me
that the solution to this problem
is to not waste your life now,
to live life full,
full of venture and excitement,
to give it my best shot
and hopefully it will be fulfilling enough.
As I reflect back on my 20s and 30s,
I'll be able to say
in my late 70s and 80s,
I lived a good life
and I'm satisfied and content.
But therein lies the issue
and the irony.
It's not going to be fulfilling enough
because as the world is aware,
hype and excitement
about anything doesn't last.
I can live the most exciting,
fulfilling life in my 20s and 30s,
but the moment that it begins to slow down,
I'll be longing for more.
The past excitement won't be there
to comfort me
and keep me content and fulfilled.
No, what will happen
is that I will end up
in a vicious, depressing cycle
of trying to seek fulfillment in my 20s
and when I'm let down by that outcome,
I'll be left unfulfilled, unsatisfied.
Our world, particularly in the West,
is trapped in this unending cycle
of trying to seek fulfillment,
of pursuing the exciting life,
yet our expectation
is never satisfied.
Our anticipation
or what we hope for
is never fully realized.
It's not that we don't do enough
or don't have enough
or the opportunity to enjoy life.
It's just that the hype
and excitement of material things,
of experiences,
don't last.
We are always left
longing, longing for more.
So what's the answer then?
Do we resign ourselves
to nihilism?
Do we try and disconnect from the world
not to get too attached to anything,
otherwise we're disappointed in the end?
No.
Whilst the direction
our modern world
wants us to head in
is destructive,
a destructive cycle,
it does get one small thing right.
Christmas is exciting.
Very exciting.
However,
the excitement the world focuses on
is shallow and cheap
compared to the real reason
why Christmas is exciting.
Christmas is not exciting
because of food
and presents
and holidays
and family,
although they're great things.
Christmas is exciting
because the creator
of the universe,
the all-powerful God,
holy and magnificent,
gives us something
that is more valuable
than all else.
He gives us something
that will last,
something that is eternal.
Not something
that loses excitement,
not something that will rust
or fade away,
but something that will continue
to fill our hearts
with joy
and keep us excited
to love and follow him.
The world
was on the right track,
but this morning
as we continue
in Matthew's gospel
looking at the story
of Christmas,
we're going to see
why Christmas
is actually truly exciting.
As Sam spoke
about last week,
Matthew starts
with a genealogy
in order to testify
to who Jesus is,
that he is a real person
who comes from a line
of people
going back to Abraham.
There are many people
in the family tree
that you might not expect
to be in there
if you wanted to impress
or show your significance
in the world.
But Matthew does include
these people
because he wants to show
that our God
works differently
to the way
we might expect,
that God uses
broken people,
people with rough edges,
people with skeletons
in their closets
in order to achieve
his perfect
and glorious plan.
This big generational
picture view
that proves
Jesus' historicity
is there because
he did not appear
out of nowhere.
That's what Matthew
wants to intend to do
and now Matthew
will go on
looking,
going from that big picture
to a narrow scope.
Still trying to do
the same thing though.
He says in verse 18,
this is how the birth
of Jesus,
the Messiah,
came about.
So whilst the scope
has been narrowed down
from this big generational view
to now looking at
the account of Jesus,
Matthew wants to show
that the Christmas story
is historical.
That everything
that we read here
is true.
It happened.
It happened for a reason
and every detail
is important.
Sam mentioned last week
a woman who commented
on an online article
saying that the Christmas story
didn't really happen.
It's just a story
to show how much
God loves us.
But that does not do
justice to Matthew's
strong opening here.
This is how the birth
of Jesus,
the Messiah,
came about.
Came about.
Matthew intends
to talk about
the historicity,
the story,
the historical account
of Jesus' birth.
He did not just
waste time
going through
every single
or most names
in his generational line
to then talk about
an allegory
of God's love.
An abstract,
undefined,
substance-less
allegory
of God's love.
No, he
has that lineage there
because he wants
to show us
that the birth
of Jesus is real.
And when we look
at the historical account
of Jesus' birth,
we see there
God's love,
truly.
So let's look
at the first bit
of it.
Verse 18.
This is how
the birth of Jesus
Christ came about.
His mother Mary
was pledged
to be married
to Joseph.
But before they
came together,
she was found
to be a child
through the Holy
Spirit because
Joseph, her husband,
was a righteous man
and did not want
to expose her
to a public disgrace.
He had a mind
to divorce her
quietly.
But after that,
he had considered
this,
an angel of the Lord
appeared to him
in a dream
and said,
Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid
to take Mary home
as your wife
because what is
conceived in her
is from the Holy Spirit.
She will give birth
to a son
and you are to give
him the name Jesus
because he will save
his people
from their sins.
This story
can't simply be
about God's love
in a general,
abstract,
undefined sense.
No, this story
whilst is characterized
by the love of God
is one about redemption.
Is it about salvation?
The length required
for God
to save his people.
Indeed,
it's the historical nature
of this account
that gives substance
and definition
to God's love for us.
The account
of Jesus' birth
teaches us
something about humanity.
Matthew records
the angel saying
Jesus was sent here
to save us
from our sins.
We learn that we are
a lost
and broken people.
We need to be saved
from our sins
but the only way
for our sin
to be dealt with
was by sacrificial death.
Someone had to die
in our place
in order to stop
the eternally
devastating effects
of sin.
the expectation
would be that
this baby
wouldn't just remain
as a baby.
He would grow up
to become a man
who would eventually
take our place
and face the punishment
of sin
by dying for us.
So much more
is going on here
than a simple
allegory
of God's love.
In fact,
the allegory
means nothing
and has nothing
to stand on
without its historical
accounts.
God's love for us
is the reason
he must send
his son to die
in order that
our sins
will be paid for.
He cannot love us
without dealing
with the issue
of sin first.
But this death
would be like no other.
In order for Jesus
to be a sufficient
sacrifice
for the whole world,
he had to be
more than just a man.
He had to be
God.
The historical account
puts it like this,
that he was born
of the Holy Spirit.
Otherwise saying
that he,
unlike any other man
who was born,
this man
was born
as a divine person.
Jesus
is the God-man.
Fully God
and fully man.
And it's this
mystery
and the glory
of the incarnation,
God taking on flesh,
that really shows us
how desperate
we are
and how much
God loves us.
That he would take
on the likeness
of sinful flesh,
make himself nothing,
humble himself,
and be obedient
to death.
What we begin
to see
by looking
at the historical
account of Jesus
is more than just
an allegory
of God's love.
Indeed,
turning
the historical
account
into an allegory
of God's love
only serves
to weaken
and cheapen
the love of God,
which is clearly
seen in the account
itself.
Let me clarify,
though,
the Christmas story
is a story
of God's love,
but it's not
a story told
to make sense
of a love,
of God's love,
that is otherwise
abstract,
or in general,
or can't be defined.
No,
God's love
is not abstract.
It is not undefined.
It expresses
itself
in history
through the birth
of our Lord Jesus
and in his death.
God's love
is not explained
and defined
by the use
of allegories
or made-up stories.
No,
God's love
is what is driving
the narrative here.
The narrative
of Jesus' birth
doesn't give us
an idea
of God's love.
it itself occurs
because God
loves us.
That's why
it has to be
historical.
He sent
his son
to be born
of a virgin
and to die
on a cross
in order that
we might have
life.
This happened
in history
because God
loves us
and his love
moves him
to intervene
and act
in history.
At Christmas time
we are reminded
of this
saviour
who came
and died
and rose
again
in order
we might live.
At Christmas time
we are reminded
of the gift
of salvation
that Jesus
has saved us
from our sins
that this
happened
in history
because God
loved us
so much.
the question
is however
what are we
saved for?
What's the
point of God
saving us
from our sins?
What do we do
now?
Is it just
to simply
avoid judgment?
Or is there
something else
going on here?
There is
something more
going on here.
You see
salvation
is not the
end goal
of the Christmas
story.
And dare I say it
salvation is not
even the greatest
gift
that we have
at Christmas time.
The greatest
gift at Christmas
comes through
salvation.
And that gift
is that we
get God.
We
get
God.
Look at
verse 22.
All this
took place
to fulfill
what the Lord
had said
through the
prophet.
The virgin
will conceive
and give birth
to a son
and they will
call him
Emmanuel
which means
God
with us.
the great
and wonderful
gift at
Christmas time
is that
the God
of heaven
the creator
of all things
comes down
from heaven
to earth
with his
mission
and intention
to dwell
and to be
with his
people.
That God
would be
with us
and that we
would get
to enjoy
his presence
and to be
with him.
Is that not
incredible?
There is no
other religion
in the entire
world
in history
where God
comes down
and spends
time with
his people
except ours.
The holy
and most
powerful
and so
other
to us
would come
and dwell
amongst
sinners.
The God
whose love
for us
is unconditional.
The God
who pours out
his love
and mercy
on us
each day.
The God
who sustains
us in this
life
and keeps
us focused
on him.
He has
come down
in the
form of
a baby.
And that's
what we get
for Christmas
himself.
And this
has always
been the
plan
that God
would dwell
with his
people
since the
very beginning
where Adam
and Eve
enjoyed God's
presence
in the
garden
where he
walked
with them.
As such
that presence
was soon
corrupted
by sin
and sin
created a
gulf
between
us
and God.
But then
the whole
Bible
after that
is a
story
that
anticipates
this
Christmas
story
here
in
Matthew
1.
To the
day
Emmanuel
would come
into the
world
to save
us from
our sins
in order
that we
might get
to enjoy
the presence
of God.
That we
would get
God
the most
valuable
and precious
gift
that we
can have.
He will
never fade
away.
He will
never leave
us.
He will
never fail
us.
He is
God
and we
get him.
This
means that
we get
to enjoy
the confidence
that throughout
our life
God is
always with
us.
In the
good times
and in
the bad
he is
always
with us
sustaining
us in
his love
and mercy
and showing
us the
way
forward
by his
word.
He dwells
with us
right now
by his
spirit
who has
been sealed
within us
who believe
and so
therefore we
know he
can never
forsake us.
Again,
this is a
historical
reality as
Matthew quotes
from Isaiah
the prophet.
What was
foretold
has now
come to
pass.
God
has entered
into history
coming
down from
his royal
throne
to the
dirt
to the
lowly
to us
who are
unworthy
of him
and that
he took
himself
lower
by dying
on a
cross
for us.
God
with us
Emmanuel
is the
end goal
of our
Christian
life
that we
would glorify
him
and enjoy
him
forever.
To
summarize,
God is
the gospel.
Jesus'
death and
resurrection
is the
means of
which we
can connect
to God
and be
in relationship
with him.
Certainly
we are
amazed and
we praise
God for
his works
and acts
in this
world which
include his
death and
his resurrection.
But we
don't worship
the death and
resurrection
itself.
We worship
God
and who
he is
and he
has given
himself
to us.
Matthew
started his
book with
this great
gift,
telling us
about Emmanuel,
that he
has come
and he
is with
us.
And he
also ends
his book
reminding us
of the
reality of
this first
Christmas
that began
to institute
this presence
when Jesus
said to his
disciples,
Matthew 28,
surely I
am with
you always
to the
very end
of the
age.
God's
presence
with his
people is
here to
stay.
And this
began the
first Christmas
and in this
Christmas that
is what we
continue to
celebrate,
to remember,
to be
thankful for,
that God
did not
choose to
leave us
on our
own,
but he
came to
be with
us first
as a
man.
then by
his
spirit,
and then
once again,
face to
face.
The question
I want to
leave you
all with
is how
do you
see
Christmas?
What is
it to
you?
Is it
about
presents,
hanging out
with family,
holidays?
If that's
the case,
is that
really enough?
is it
possible
that you've
been brought
into this
cycle of
excitement
where you
have to
constantly
be going
to the
next thing,
to the
next event,
to be
finding joy
and exciting
things,
trying to
sustain your
joy and
excitement by
looking forward
to each
event?
Such will
only leave
you disappointed,
unsatisfied,
in the
end.
And such
a view
of
Christmas
is
profoundly
shallow
compared to
what it
really is
all about.
Indeed,
what we
celebrate
at
Christmas
time,
what we
celebrate
at
Christmas
time
is the
end
of this
depressing
cycle
the world
would have
us existing.
At
Christmas
time,
we don't
constantly
look forward
to the
next thing
to give
us any
kind of
hope.
We look
back.
to the
hope that
came into
the world,
Emmanuel,
in the
Son of
Jesus.
And as
we look
back then,
we look
forward to
the future
when we'll
get to dwell
with God
in perfect
harmony
forever
and ever.
At
Christmas
time,
we are
reminded of
Emmanuel.
And that
great joy
it is to
know that
we have a
Saviour who
has dealt
with our
sin so that
we can enjoy
God with us
right now.
At
Christmas
time,
we are
reminded that
the greatest
gift we've
ever received
is God
himself.
And so in
a world full
of chaos
and disruption,
we get to
enjoy peace
with him
in the midst
of that
chaos.
In a world
full of pain
and suffering,
we get to
enjoy the
comfort and
security that
God is
sovereign and
he is not
far away,
he hasn't
abandoned us,
but he is
with us
in the midst
of that.
In a world
full of
hopelessness and
fear,
we get to
enjoy hope,
excitement and
anticipation about
our future that
cannot be affected
or changed by
anything in this
world.
Our hope is
based upon the
fact that Emmanuel
is with us.
In a world that
is constantly
running in this
cycle of hype and
pursuit of
excitement and
happiness,
we get to enjoy
great contentment,
excitement,
excitement and
a joy that
will never run
dry because
God is with
us.
We get to
enjoy all these
things because
of Emmanuel,
God with us.
That is the
greatest gift of
Christmas and
that is what
Christmas is all
about.
Amen.