The Good News of Christmas

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The Good News of Christmas

Luke 2:10-11, Proverbs 12:25, Proverbs 25:25; December 24, 2024; Don Willeman

December 24, 2024 • Don Willeman • Proverbs 25:25, Luke 2:10–11, Proverbs 12:25

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION

“When the Father’s Wisdom wanted to communicate His love

He spoke it in one final perfect Word.

“And so the Light became alive, and manna became Man

Eternity stepped into time, so we could understand.”

~Michael Card, musical artist

“‘Evangelion’ (that we call the gospel) is a Greek word, and signifies good, merry, glad and joyful tidings, that makes a man’s heart glad, and makes him sing, dance and leap for joy.”

~William Tyndale (1494-1536), English, scholar, reformer, and Bible translator

“Many people visualize a God who sits comfortably on a distant throne, remote, aloof, uninterested, and indifferent to the needs of mortals, until, it may be, they can badger him into taking action on their behalf. Such a view is wholly false. The Bible reveals a God who, long before it even occurs to man to turn to him, while man is still lost in darkness and sunk in sin, takes the initiative, rises from his throne, lays aside his glory, and stoops to seek until he finds him.”

~John R.W. Stott (1921-2011), Anglican priest and theologian

“The Son of God did not want to be seen and found in heaven. Therefore he descended from heaven into this humility and came to us in our flesh, laid himself into the womb of his mother and into the manger and went on to the cross. This was the ladder that he placed on earth so that we might ascend to God on it. This is the way you must take.”

~Martin Luther (1483-1546), German reformer

“For whatever reason God chose to make man as he is— limited and suffering and subject to sorrows and death—He had the honesty and the courage to take His own medicine.… He has kept His own rules and played fair. He can exact nothing from man that He has not exacted from Himself. He has Himself gone through the whole of human experience, from the trivial irritations of family life and the cramping restrictions of hard work and lack of money to the worst horrors of pain and humiliation, defeat, despair and death. When He was a man, He played the man. He was born in poverty and died in disgrace and thought it well worthwhile.”

~Dorothy L. Sayers (1893-1957), novelist and playwright

SERMON PASSAGE

Luke 2:10-11, Proverbs 12:25, Proverbs 25:25 (ESV)

Luke 2

10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Proverbs 12

25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down,

but a good word makes him glad.

Proverbs 25

25 Like cold water to a thirsty soul,

so is good news from a far country.

Wisdom and Emotions: Sorrow and Joy

December 29, 2024 • Ryan Bouton • Proverbs 1:10–13, Proverbs 15:13–16, Luke 2:8–11, Psalm 37:4, Proverbs 12:25

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION “It is a Christian duty, as you know, for everyone to be as happy as he can.” ~ C.S. Lewis in A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken “Perhaps his purpose is simply to draw us closer to himself in conscious communion with him; for it is often the case, as all the saints know, that fellowship with the Father and the Son is most vivid and sweet, and Christian joy is greatest, when the cross is heaviest.” ~ J. I. Packer, Knowing God “Man’s happiness was never meant to be determined by his circumstances, and that is the fatal blunder that we all tend to make… We must come back to the soul and to God who made it. We were made for Him, we are meant for Him, we have a correspondence with Him, and we will never come to rest until, like that needle on the compass, we strike that northern point, and there we come to rest – nowhere else.” ~ Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981), Welsh minister and medical doctor “The mass of men have been forced to be gay about the little things, but sad about the big ones. Nevertheless (I offer my last dogma defiantly) it is not native to man to be so. Man is more himself, man is more manlike, when joy is the fundamental thing in him, and grief the superficial. Melancholy should be an innocent interlude, a tender and fugitive frame of mind; praise should be the permanent pulsation of the soul. Pessimism is at best an emotional half-holiday; joy is the uproarious labor by which all things live.” ~ G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy “But in this world everything is upside down. That which, if it could be prolonged here, would be a truancy, is likest that which in a better country is the End of ends. Joy is the serious business of Heaven.” ~ C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer SERMON PASSAGE selected passages (ESV) Psalm 37 4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Proverbs 12 25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. Proverbs 13 9 The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out…. 12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 14 10 The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy. 11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. 12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. 13 Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief…. 30 A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. Proverbs 15 13 A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. 14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly. 15 All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast. 16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it…. 30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the bones. Proverbs 25 25 Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. Luke 2 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. John 16 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

The Wisdom of God and the Scandal of the Cross

December 22, 2024 • Noah Crane

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION “Now it is not sufficient for anyone, and does him no good to recognize God in his glory and majesty, unless he recognizes him in the shame and humility of the cross.” ~Martin Luther, 16th century German theologian and reformer “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” ~1 Corinthians 2:2 “If thou hast but a spark of true faith in Jesus Christ, it is better than a whole volcano full of worldly wisdom.” ~Charles Spurgeon, 19th century British Preacher “O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, has a wondrous attraction for me; for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above to bear it to dark Calvary.” ~“The Old Rugged Cross” by George Bennard SERMON PASSAGE Proverbs 3:7, Proverbs 16:2, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 (ESV) Proverbs 3 7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. Proverbs 16 2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. 1 Corinthians 1 18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

The Duty and Delight of Wisdom

December 15, 2024 • Proverbs 8

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION “…wisdom is the spring of joy, for the joy breaks out whenever and wherever the Creator’s wisdom is exercised.” ~Derek Kidner (1913-2008), British Old Testament scholar “You are happy when God blesses you, but not as happy as God is.” ~C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), famed London preacher “People don’t get depressed when they face threats collectively; they get depressed when they feel isolated, lonely, or useless.” ~Jonathan Haidt in The Anxious Generation “To me there is in happiness an element of self-forgetfulness. You lose yourself in something outside yourself when you are happy; just as when you are desperately miserable you are intensely conscious of yourself, are a solid little lump of ego weighing a ton.” ~Joseph Priestley (1733-1804), English chemist, philosopher, and educator “There cannot be done so great an injury and displeasure to almighty God our Father, as to tread underfoot Christ, His only-begotten and well-beloved Son. All other sins in the world, gathered together in one, be not so heinous and detestable in the sight of God. And no wonder, for in Christ crucified, God doth show Himself most noble and glorious, even an almighty God, and most loving Father, in His only dear and chosen blessed Son. And therefore I count myself one of the most wicked and miserable sinners, because I have been so much contrary to Christ my Savior…. “But, now, what maketh me so bold and hardy, to presume to come to the Lord with such audacity and boldness, being so great a sinner? Truly, nothing but His own Word: for He saith, ‘Come to me all ye that labor, and are burdened, and I shall refresh you.’ What gentle, merciful, and comfortable words are these, to all sinners! What a most gracious, comfortable, and gentle saying was this, with such pleasant and sweet words to allure His enemies to come unto Him! Is there any worldly prince or magistrate that would show such clemency and mercy to their disobedient and rebellious subjects…? I suppose they would not with such words allure them…. But even as Christ is Prince of Princes and Lord of Lords, so His charity and mercy surmounteth all others.” ~Katharine Parr, the final wife of Henry VIII, in “Lamentations of a Sinner” “Only the unconditional love of God for sinners will inspire sinners to love God more than their sin.” ~Dr. John Ashley Null, English Reformation scholar SERMON PASSAGE Proverbs 8 (ESV) 1 Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? 2 On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; 3 beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: 4 “To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man…. 22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. 23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. 24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth, 26 before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. 27 When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, 29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, 31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man. 32 “And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways. 33 Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. 34 Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. 35 For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord, 36 but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.” John 1 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.