Rev. David Holwick Christmas Eve
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
December 24, 2007
Luke 2:10-11
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I. Joy at birth of baby.
A. Lots of babies have been born in our church this year.
1) How many of you were ugly babies? [show of hands]
a) My children were all "coneheads."
b) A predictable result of natural childbirth.
2) In reality, there are no ugly babies.
a) They always elicit joy.
b) We think of their potential.
B. No baby has had more potential than Jesus.
1) Announced as the King of Israel, even as an infant.
2) More than this, he is the Savior of the whole world.
C. The only rational reaction is joy.
1) The lowly shepherds felt it.
2) When they proclaimed it in the town, those felt it too.
II. Joy certainly marks this season.
A. My experiences as a young kid.
1) The whole Santa routine.
2) A Christmas candle with days, that burned down soooo slowly.
3) The fever pitch of Christmas Eve.
a) We had a big meal.
b) Then we opened presents from family members.
4) Was it joy, or unbridled greed?
a) The only evidence is a home movie from 1963 that shows
me doing somersaults upon receiving a $20 bill.
B. The dictionary's definition of "joy."
1) "The emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune."
III. Christian joy is different. #21953
A. Our joy does not have to hinge on external circumstances.
1) After all, when Mary was told she was pregnant, she was
unmarried and probably about to be shunned by the
community, yet she expressed joy to God.
2) Our joy hinges on what God has done, or will soon do.
B. Our joy has an eternal perspective.
1) When Jesus is your savior, you know that you are forgiven
for whatever you have done.
a) There is no penalty or fear, only gratitude.
b) What is more, God has promised great things for us.
c) Jesus will look after us for all eternity.
2) If you really believe this, how could you feel anything
than joy?
Dr. James Brown rolled the five-year-old girl into the MRI
room, and tried to imagine what she must be feeling.
Her name was Mary, and she had had about as much bad luck
as any 5-year-old could.
She had been hospitalized for treatment of a brain tumor.
She had suffered a stroke that left half of her body
paralyzed.
And she had recently lost her father, her mother and her
home.
Everyone in the hospital staff was wondering how little
Mary would react.
Mary went into the MRI machine without the slightest
protest, and they began the exam.
At that time, each imaging sequence required the patient to
remain perfectly still for about five minutes.
This would have been difficult for anyone - and certainly
for a five-year-old who had suffered so much.
They were taking an image of her head, so any movement of
her face, including talking, would result in the image
being distorted.
About two minutes into the first sequence, they noticed on
the video monitor that Mary's mouth was moving.
They even heard a muted voice over the intercom.
The doctors halted the exam and gently reminded Mary not
to talk.
She was smiling and promised not to talk.
They reset the machine and started over.
Once again they saw her facial movement and heard her voice
faintly.
What she was saying wasn't clear.
Everyone was becoming a little impatient, with a busy
schedule that had been put on hold so they could perform
this emergency MRI on Mary.
They went back in and slid Mary out of the machine.
Once again, she looked up at them with her crooked smile
and wasn't upset in the least.
The technologist, perhaps a bit gruffly, said, "Mary, you
were talking again, and that causes blurry pictures."
Mary still smiled as she replied, "I wasn't talking.
I was singing. You said no talking."
The doctors looked at each other, feeling a little silly.
"What were you singing?" someone asked.
"Jesus Loves Me," came the barely perceptible reply.
"I always sing 'Jesus Loves Me' when I'm happy."
Everyone in the room was speechless.
"Happy? How could this little girl be happy?"
Dr. Brown had to leave the room for a moment to regain his
composure as his tears began to fall.
Many times since that day, when feeling stresses, unhappy
or dissatisfied with some part of his life, he has
thought of Mary and felt both humbled and inspired.
Her example made him see that happiness is a marvelous
gift - free to anyone willing to accept it.
#4793
IV. Are you feeling it?
A. Christmas can be pretty draining.
1) The guys are pretty contented, but the women are pooped
right now.
2) Don't let the hectic schedule rob you of God's best gift.
B. Believe in Jesus and give glory to his Father in heaven!
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
# 4793 "The Crooked Smile," by James C. Brown, M.D., Internet Chicken
Soup Of The Day newsletter, September 7, 1999.
#21953 "True Joy Is More Than Well-being Or Success," by Claude Thomas,
Baptist Press, http://www.baptistpress.org, December 9, 2001.
These and 30,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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