The Christmas Message this morning at NRN

100% chance of snow

Welcome to Christmas Sunday at NRN. It’s always one of my favorite Sundays of the year, and today is no exception. We continue in our teaching series: Let It Snow and will conclude this series on Thursday evening at our 5:00pm Christmas Eve service.

The entire series comes from one verse in the Old Testament book of Isaiah. In Isaiah 1, the prophet Isaiah wrote:

 “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.”         Isaiah 1:18, NLT

God is all about snow. He wants to make it snow in our lives. He wants to make our sins as white as snow. He wants to forgive us and free us. But like we’ve been saying throughout this series, we get to decide whether we will let it snow or not. God has invited us to come to Him, but we get to decide if we’ll attend the meeting. He’s waiting. He is desperate for us to come to Him. But the next step is ours.

Today, we’re going to talk about what happens when we do attend the meeting. God told us, “Come now, let’s settle this.” Today, we’re going to talk about what happens when we accept that invitation. When we do come to God, there is a 100% chance of snow. When we accept God’s invitation, when we do come to Him, snow isn’t just in the forecast. It’s guaranteed. It is going to snow.

Let’s go back to our verse in Isaiah 1. And we’re going to focus in on one word. 

“Come now, let’s SETTLE this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” Isaiah 1:18, NLT

God’s invitation is to come and settle things, once and for all. If we accept His invitation, He said, “I WILL make your sins as white as snow. I WILL make them white as wool.” There’s no hesitation. There’s no hint that it might not happen. It’s definitive. If you come to God and fully surrender to Him, He WILL make your sins as white as snow. The matter is settled.

And it is settled because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. 

In Hebrews 10, it says, “And by [God’s] will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”             

                                                                                Hebrews 10:10, NIV

Jesus died once for all. Once for all time. Once for all people. Once for all sin. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the game changer. It settles the matter. Today I want to draw from the very first Christmas and show us what a difference it makes when Jesus comes into our lives.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;  For out of you shall come forth a Ruler  Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

                                                                                        Matthew 2:1-11

Christmas ought to be a season of worship. That's what was done at the first Christmas. The foreigners came to worship Him in attitude, gratitude, posture and praise. We think of the magi as Wisemen.  And it is true today that wise men still follow Him. During the month of March this year I preached from a series entitled Awakening - Living a life of worship:

• Having an attitude of humility.
  The Wisemen were men of importance and significance, but they came to worship the One more important than themselves.

• Being intentional.
  The Wisemen traveled to worship God. They knew God had come and they wanted to see Him.

• Following God's lead.
  The Wisemen followed the star. We have the Holy Spirit to guide us

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.                                                                                     John 16:13

In life and worship, we ought to follow after and listen to God “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.                                                               John 4:23

• Using expression.
  When the Wisemen worshipped God, they fell down in humility. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.                      Matthew 2:11

What is worship?     Worship is an encounter with the One who loves you. It's a relationship with God. It's a change in perspective, priority and purpose.

When do we worship?  Worship happens when we fix our minds and hearts on God. If we are going to be worshippers, we need to be humble and follow God.

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."                                                          Romans 12:1

Closing: When poet Charlotte Elliott was 46 years old, an elderly man approached her at a dinner party and asked if she was a Christian.  She considered him rude and unkind, and that his question was inappropriate. After the man walked away, Charlotte could not get his question out of her mind so she went to find the man, and to ask how to become a Christian. That night she received Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Soon thereafter she wrote the words to the song Just as I Am as a testimony to her new found faith, and as a tribute to the man who had told her that she could come to Christ, “just as she was”. Over the remainder of her life Charlotte  wrote 150 hymns.

Just As I Am

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!