GCM-42
081130AM
Short Clip
Christmas in America is mostly about gifts I give and receive. Billions and billions of dollars of sales attest to the fact that for these 4-6 weeks Americans flood the retail outlets and search out the gifts that are most wanted, most sought after, most unique, most memorable and so on.
But the real Christmas was the very first one, when God confronted the world with the only gift everyone really needs. Jesus is the gift everyone needs.
God provided the only gift that everyone absolutely, critically needs—the substitutionary death of His Son, who came to meet our eternal-life-threatening need, prompted by our sins.
To help us understand Christmas from God’s perspective:
• look over the holiday crowds that always seems to get in front of us everywhere we want to go these days;
• look beyond our house, our street, our city, our state, and even our planet—and look above and remember to see our God on His Throne.
GOD IS ON HIS THRONE
This very moment—as the six billion plus of souls on Earth go through their routines of eating, sleeping, working and living—our God is enthroned in the Heavens; He is sitting in power and majesty, He is surrounded by countless angelic hosts bowing before Him and reverently crying out Holy, Holy, Holy.
• Before Him, the Ancient of Days—burn seven fires, reflected in the mirror-like surface of the crystal sea.
• Around Him, the King of Glory—peal endless claps of thunder and flashes of lightning as angelic hosts and saved sinners rise and fall in adoration.
• In front of Him, the Almighty God—rises the constant incense of prayers and worship songs from His redeemed creatures.
Our God sits enthroned in Heaven, as Ruler over the entire Universe. But as the Lord looks down from His Throne upon this planet overspread with people—it looks pretty dark down here.
Listen to the picture that God left us; this is His analysis of our human plight. Please stand as we listen to God from Luke 1:78-79:
Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
From God’s perspective, all of humanity is hopelessly lost, sitting in the dark and awaiting destruction. He said:
WE ARE LOST IN DARKNESS