‘Tis the Season for. . . Loneliness
‘Tis the Season • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
so many Christmas songs have to do with relationships
“I’ll Have a Blue Christmas”
I’ll have a blue Christmas without you
I’ll be so blue just thinking about you
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Won’t be the same dear, if you’re not here with me
“All I Want for Christmas Is You”
I don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is you
“My Only Wish (This Year)”
Santa, can you hear me?
I have been so good this year
And all I want is one thing
Tell me my true love is here
“Merry Christmas Darling”
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
“Last Christmas”
Some are creepy - “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” - nice rizz
The reality is that during this season there is a focus on relationships
This message is for:
Those who are now alone this Christmas
Single, and wanting to not be alone this Christmas.
Those who are not alone but would fear being alone.
God gives us his love in the presence of Jesus.
Which means:
The greatest gift for the lonely this Christmas is the presence of Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-23
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
Immanuel = Im Anu El = “With us, God”
The claim here is that Jesus will not only be a son but will be the Son of God - God Himself
What really struck me was that this was the aspect Matthew (and the Spirit) chose to highlight.
They shall call his name: “Powerful-Destroyer-of-Evil,” “God-Coming-to-Judge,” “Great-Genie-on-Earth”
God understood that the most powerful, significant, meaningful, and unique name he could give the Messiah was “God with us.”
This is significant in relation to other religions:
God is not standing afar
God is not “part of us” or “in us”
Jesus did not claim god-like status and seek to achieve it — an angel declared it before he was born!
‘God with us’ is a reality and a relationship
‘God with us’ is a reality and a relationship
1. God as spirit, is present, in His fullness, everywhere all the time — Omnipresence
God is with us theologically
a. (not “is God in this room and that room — Better to say, there is no place or space that is not always before the face of God.)
God’s presence is real even if it is not accompanied by a ‘feel.’
Were all human beings suddenly to become blind, still the sun would shine by day and the stars by night, for these owe nothing to the millions who benefit from their light. So, were every man on earth to become atheist, it could not affect God in any way. He is what He is in Himself without regard to any other. To believe in Him adds nothing to His perfections; to doubt Him takes nothing away.
- A W Tozer
You don’t need to seek God’s omnipresence.
This has an implication for your life
1. God’s universal presence is experienced in a very real way — Relational Presence
ILLUST - You may know there is a president, but that is different than knowing the president.
This has an importance for y our life
I don’t feel like God is near
God wouldn’t want me
‘God with us’ is God’s goal.
‘God with us’ is God’s goal.
Believe it or not, God’s goal is not simply to get you into heaven. It is not simply to have you obey him, become religious, or to follow a set of rules.
God’s goal for your life is for you to be with him.
and yes, the place of heaven is the fullest expression of the presence of God, but it is not the only expression of the presence of God.
ILLUST - wedding ring is a reminder that I have the presence of my wife and when I am home I have the fullest expression of her presence by being in the same physical space as her
The entire storyline of the Bible can be summed up like this: “God with us, so we might be with God”
Genesis 1
God created man and woman in his image and he would routinely spend time with them in the Garden of Eden - the place of perfection.
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
They hid from God’s presence
God is still there but his presence is no longer comforting, it’s convicting. (How do you see God’s presence?)
From this point forward, God shows up to be with his people so his people might be with him.
God speaks to and makes a covenant of relationship with Noah
When Abram was a nobody, God met him, made a covenant with him
17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,
God did not just send Abram a letter, he met with him — God with Abram
Genesis 18 - When Sara is lonely and without children, God meets with her
To humble and redirect Jacob, God met and wrestled with Jacob
When Joseph was mistreated and abused — God was with him:
2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.
21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.
When Moses finds himself in the desert after failing when he tried to control his own life, God’s presence was found in a burning bush to give Moses new purpose
10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
I don’t believe Moses’ question was feigning pride.
By asking ‘Who am I?’, Moses is really asking, ‘Am I enough?’, Do I have what it takes?, Do you think I can accomplish it?
What is God’s response?
Moses, you’re awesome. I mean, look at you! The sheep really follow you!
He doesn’t even point to Moses’ education in Egypt, his connections to the royal family, etc.
12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
It is not about you, Moses, it is about GOD WITH YOU.
Exodus 15 - When the people of God needed direction and protection, God sent his presence as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
Exodus 19 - God personally met with Moses
14 And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Exodus 40 - The presence of God fills the tabernacle
God’s presence is found above the Ark of the Covenant
Solomon builds the Temple and God’s presence is found there.
When the people of God face fiery trials God is with them in the fire:
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
What makes the people of God special is not their own ability, skill, wealth, fame, or power.
It is the fact that God is with them.
400 years of silence as the people of God rejected the relational presence of God.
This is the significance of Jesus. He is “God with us.”
In reality, when did Jesus begin?
when did Jesus begin? It is popular to think at Christmas but this is wrong. John 1:1 - Jesus has always existed. The presence of Jesus has always been. Jesus was present at Creation, etc
Though many did not recognize, he was there
This is why Jesus said, before Abraham was, I Am
The physical presence of Jesus was at his birth at Christmas, but when did the presence of Jesus leave? It hasn’t.
Matthew 28 but I will be with you to the very end of the age
So even as we may not now feel the presence of God, just like those in the Old Testament. He is here.
Poor illustration, but an illustration still would be the ghosts of Christmas past present and future
The presence of Christ can be real in your life because Christ’s presence was real in this world
GOD
Jesus’ divinity
In taking on humanity, Jesus did not lose his divinity
addition not subtraction
Colossians 1:19 (ESV)
19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
Jesus is the Second Person of the Trinity
Always existed
The One who created the human race will now become part of it.
WITH
Jesus’ humanity
As Jesus was fully God, he was also fully human.
This moment would, in one sense, change Jesus forever.
He would now have a body forever.
Prior to this, he had no body.
emotions
John 11:35 (ESV)
35 Jesus wept.
Jesus ate
Jesus slept
Jesus died
US
Jesus is God with you.
Jesus didn’t need to come. But he did — for you.
This has personal implications for your life.
Because Jesus said it is better for him to go physically, but he will remain, and that is because he gives us his spirit. Actually, he says it’s better that he goes. His spirit gives us a better presence than when he was physically here. How many of us wish Jesus were walking along side of us today?
Everywhere you look, the greatest promise, power, and reality is God with us.
This reality means:
‘God with us’ is enough for you.
‘God with us’ is enough for you.
Truth is every earthly relationship will either fail or fade. In contrast, Jesus is faithful and forever.
Unfortunately, we tend to Look for or Lean on other relationships to satisfy us.
Those not in a relationship look for a relationship to satisfy
“If only ________ were in my life” “If he /she hadn’t left, I would be satisfied” “Everyone else has someone,
ILLUST - I know I say this as a man celebrating his 24th wedding anniversary. But I also say this as a man who was once so lonely I contemplated the lies of the enemy which tried to convince me in the face of losing a relationship that no one would miss me if I were gone. I say this as a man who needed to learn that God with me is the first and foremost relationship in my life.
It is GOD who completes me — this changed my lonely to longing. It’s ok to long for a godly relationship as long as you recognize you are not lonely and looking of any relationship to attempt to fulfill you.
Those in a relationship lean on our relationship to satisfy.
Even if things are “going well” we must be careful not to have our spouse be the one who fulfills us.
That is God’s place.
Every earthly relationship will fail or fade.
It is not “Immanu-Christine.” It is Immanuel.
It is unfair to expect from Christine what only Jesus can
If this is a season of loneliness for you (and even if it is not)
Seek the Presence of God
13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
if it is true that Jesus is with us ( and it is) then we are NOT alone.
While not alone, we can still feel lonely. (ILLUST - feeling lonely in a crowd)
How does one not feel lonely? By meaningfully engaging the relationships around you
Seek the presence of God as the priority
or, Seek the presence of God before you seek the presence of others
This applies to everyone currently in a relationship and those who wish to be.
Seek the presence of God more than things from God.
Stop asking God to fix the things in your life. Start asking Him to BE in your life.
Let Him lead
Where is God in your life?
ILLUST - Who’s the coach?
Some people live their lives as the coach of their own lives and have God on the bench to throw out some crucial plays here and their, but in the end their drawing up the plays they expect God to run.
For God’s presence to make a difference in your life HE needs to be the one directing the plays and calling who or what in your life needs to be benched.
Whether you are in the garden or the desert, the flood or the fire, childless or spouseless, powerless or directionless, GOD IS WITH YOU!!
You are NOT alone and need not feel lonely - God is with you!
Whether you are single, married, divorced, or widowed — Jesus is enough and Jesus alone satisfies. You do not need to look for or lean on anyone else to be complete.
You can give your longing to God, forgive your spouse for not being enough for you, and start seeking the presence of God.
**Communion**
“In short, since neither as God alone could he feel death, nor as man alone could he overcome it, he coupled human nature with divine that to atone for sin he might submit the weakness of the one to death; and that, wrestling with death by the power of the other nature, he might win victory for us.”
— John Calvin —
The Eucharist is a participation in the presence of Christ - “is it not participation in Christ?”
In the Eucharist something is added (christs presence) not changes into
ILLUST - iron in the fire. It takes on the heat and power of the fire without ceasing to be iron
