The Arrival of Hope

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>The Arrival of Hope</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id421.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Pointing To The Hope"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id423.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="God With Us, God Like Us?"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>"The Arrival Of Hope," </B><A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Luke+2:1-20" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U><B>Luke 2:1-20</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, December 21, 2003</B></div> <bR> <div>      One hundred years ago, in December 1903, after many attempts, the Wright brothers were successful in getting their "flying machine" off the ground. Thrilled, they telegraphed this message to their sister Katherine: "We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas." Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper and showed him the message. He glanced at it and said, "How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas." He totally missed the big news-man had flown! (Our Daily Bread, 12-23-91.)</div> <div>      How easy it is in the busyness and selfishness of the holiday season to miss the big news -the Savior is born. God came to earth to become one of us, to save us from our sins and from eternal death. This fall a TV show debuted on Fox called "The Simple Life." Two Hollywood rich girls moved in with a family in a small town in Arkansas. Talk about a change in culture. These two girls who have everything handed to them are out in the middle of nowhere, driving around in an old pick-up truck, working on a farm, doing the chores, having people tell them what to do. Apparently it makes for entertaining TV. It is kind of funny to see these two spoiled rich girls working a farm in the middle of Arkansas.  </div> <div>      But it is nothing compared to the fact that God came to earth to become human, just like us.</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. </B><A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Luke+2:1-7" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U><B>Luke 2:1-7</B></U></A><B>: The birth of the King.</B></div> <div> A. Vss. 1-5 - The historical setting (going to register to <U>pay taxes</U> - of all the humiliating things!).</div> <div> B. Vss. 6-7 - The humble birth of the King, the Savior of the world - born in an animal stable.</div> <div> C. The humble circumstances of the birth of Christ make human pride seem ridiculous (through the lens of heaven). </div> <div> 1. We are concerned with status, with looks, with appearances, with impressing people, with getting ahead by any means possible. It is our wealth or our status or our job or our neighborhood that makes us seem important on earth. How ridiculous in the light of God coming to earth as a baby, born in the humblest and most dependent of circumstances.</div> <div> 2. Darrell Bock wrote of this account: "Importance is not a matter of one's environment or the supposed status that things bring. Rather, importance is a function of one's role in God's work" (Bock, <I>Luke</I>, NIV Application).</div> <div> 3. Philippians 2:5-11 (NLT) tells us, "Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross.  Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. </B><A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Luke+2:8-20" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U><B>Luke 2:8-20</B></U></A><B>: The first to hear the news.</B></div> <div> A. Vss. 8-14 - The announcement to the shepherds. </div> <div> 1. Common average people were the first recipients of this good news (it is for <I>all</I> the people). The offer of God's love and salvation is not <I>exclusive</I> to certain groups of people.</div> <div> 2. The good news, vs. 11 - The Savior has been born.</div> <div> B. Vss. 15-20 - The shepherds' response. A response of faith:</div> <div> 1. They believed and went to see for themselves (vs. 15).</div> <div> 2. They shared the message (vss. 15-19).</div> <div> 3. They offered praise to God (vs. 20). Faith - things were as it had been said.</div> <div> C. What about you? </div> <div> 1. We live in a time when we know much more of the story than the shepherds ever knew. Jesus himself declared that his going away to heaven for a time would <I>benefit</I> us, because of the coming of the Holy Spirit. We in many ways are more privileged than they are. Even if we don't meet angels like they did, we have the Word of God and we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit!</div> <div> 2. Offer a response of faith:</div> <div> a. Experience the message for yourself. Believe and trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and receive the eternal life he offers because he died in your place.</div> <div> b. Praise God. Be a worshiper of his. Be thankful to him.</div> <div> c. Tell others. We have the message of Hope (Part One) in history - but hope is not yet complete, not yet fulfilled. We also have the message of Hope (Part Two) in the future - the return of Jesus to this earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. There is still time to experience for yourself and tell others about it.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2003, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>