Ornaments

So it's significant that the message was given to all, but first to the shepherds, because that was a preview of Jesus' coming life.

Jesus hung out with and was attracted by and to that lowest class of society so often we saw it. When Jesus was born, God invited the most ordinary people to meet the newborn Savior, demonstrating a great truth that we're diving into today on Connect with Skip Hytik as Skip shares a special Christmas message. But before we begin, we want to let you know about a resource that will help you experience the joys and rewards of a steadfast prayer life. Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China said, it is possible to move men through God by prayer alone. Ian Bounds who authored nine books on prayer said, God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world, the better the world will be. And Billy Graham said, to get nations back on their feet, we must first get down on our knees.

Here's Skip Hytik. You know, the Bible says that we will experience God's peace when we pray. And it tells us to pray about everything. We want to help you know how and what to pray and what to expect. That's why we're offering Lord teach me to pray in 28 days by K. Arthur. When you give to support this ministry, prayer is meant to up the game of peace and joy in our hearts. Lord teach me to pray is our thanks when you give $25 or more today to help keep this ministry on the air, connecting you and others to God's word.

Call 800-922-1888 or give online securely at connectwithskip.com slash offer. Okay, we'll be in Luke chapter two, John chapter 17 and Revelation chapter five for today's study. So let's join Skip Hytik. In the Philippines, in the city of San Fernando, they hold a festival known as Ligligan Paru. I'm sure I'm saying everything wrong in this pronunciation. It means giant lantern festival. It features dazzling lanterns, each holding thousands of spinning lights that symbolize the star of Bethlehem. Over in China, they have a celebration among the believers called Shen Dong Zhi or holy birth festival. They put up a tree called the tree of light.

They decorated with lanterns, flowers and red paper chains to symbolize happiness. In Japan, you heard this tonight. But this is funny. Because Japan, there's not a whole lot of Christian believers. They're a minority in Japan. And so Western traditions like eating ham and turkey and Christmas, they don't do that.

They do, however, love to go to KFC and get Kentucky Fried Chicken. It has become a Christian tradition in Japan. Inquiring minds want to know why. It's because of a 1974 marketing campaign that was very successful.

That went like this. Kuri Sumasu, Niwa, Kentucky. Which simply means Kentucky for Christmas.

So why not go to KFC and have fried chicken? In Ethiopia, Christmas is called Ghana. Christians there go to church, everyone dressed in white to symbolize the purity of the occasion. In Poland, the Christmas Eve meal known as Vigilia, it's a word that means to watch. And a thin layer of hay is placed between the tablecloth and the table to commemorate the Christ child being born in a manger. Over in Spain, tambourines, rattles, cassanets, miniature guitars are sold on the street to encourage singing and dancing with joy.

And then down in Mexico, they decorate their homes with lilies, evergreens, and they make farolitos, which we know in New Mexico as luminarias, which are there to illuminate the community. Tonight what I'd like to share with you is all about ornaments, one nation, one people, or all nations, all people, one message. And I want you to sort of think of it like a Christmas party. You have the invitation, you have gifts, and you have ornaments. Those are the three things I want to focus on. The invitation, the gifts, and the ornaments.

Now the invitation is given to everyone. You remember the angel in the sky outside of Bethlehem in Luke chapter two. I'll read that verse. There were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night. Behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them. The glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were greatly afraid. And the angel said to them, do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which will be to all people.

That's the universal invitation. For there is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord. It's always noteworthy that Jesus was not born in a large city. He was born out in the country.

In a large city. He was born out in the country. He was not born near Rome, the center of power and influence. He was born in the backwaters of the Roman Empire, Judea of all places, Bethlehem of all places. We know the song. We know the importance of Bethlehem to us. O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie. Beneath the deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark street shineth the everlasting light.

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. But the question is, why there? Well, it was mandated, if you read it up into the text, a few verses prior that Rome demanded a census to be taken. And the reason that Roman, the Roman government or any government for that matter would mandate a census or a registration to be taken is number one, militarily find out how many fighting men you have available in case you need to conscript them for war.

And number two, to tax them for all the benefits you so benevolently give to them. Rome offered peace and enforced peace. It came with a price to put soldiers up at roads, which they built connecting large population centers.

It took a budget. So for military purposes and for the purpose of garnishing taxes, this was done. We, however, know the real reason it was done. It was done because God foretold that it would be done way back in Micah in the Old Testament, chapter five, verse two. The prophecy read, but you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah, though you are small among the cities of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to me the one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old from everlasting. It was a prediction that the Messiah was going to be born in Bethlehem.

God said that, God foreknew that, God foretold that, and God simply used all that was available to Him in terms of the Roman government to get it done. So the angel showed up and made the invitation to all people. The first ones to hear it were shepherds. Now angels I get, blazing glory I get, but shepherds? Now, you wouldn't even care about a shepherd were shepherds not written into the Christmas story because nobody cared about shepherds. They were the lowest rung of the totem pole. They were overlooked by society.

They were rendered ceremonially unclean, even from a Jewish perspective. Nobody cared about shepherds. So the fact that the angels gave the message first to the shepherds, but it was to the whole world, is noteworthy. Every society has its shepherds, those overlooked, those that we know are there, but we don't necessarily have personal relationships with. When was the last time you took a cab, not an Uber, but a cab, and got the name of the cab driver? Or the male person, male or female, who drops your mail off, do you know their name, their first name? Do you regularly speak to them? Do you regularly speak to them? Or the person who picks up the trash once a week? Who is that person? Where do they live?

What do they like? Every society has its shepherds, and I would say most of the world is in this category of humble and poor, and often they feel overlooked. So it's significant that the message was given to all, but first to the shepherds, because that was a preview of Jesus' coming life. Jesus hung out with and was attracted by and to that lowest class of society so often we saw it. The women who wanted to bring their children to Jesus and the disciples said, keep them away, keep them away, and Jesus said, let them come, let them come.

Such is the kingdom of God. Also, the birth of Jesus is a preview of the cross of Jesus, the death of Jesus. Jesus was not crucified on an altar between two candles.

Jesus was crucified on a cross between two thieves, and it was on a crossroads. It was on a place where anybody could come. So why shepherds? Why a manger? Why Bethlehem?

One easy, simple word, accessibility. Anyone can come, and thus the angel said, it is a message for everyone. But now we have the gifts, and you know, when it comes to Christmas time and gifts, this is a source of anxiety to a lot of us. Probably not that we're going to get the perfect gift as much as, what do I get that guy? Or should I give him this gift? Maybe I gave that same gift to him last year. And so we often struggle to find the right gift and we often give the wrong gift.

And I'm guilty of that. I remember being a little kid one time. I wanted to get my oldest brother something for Christmas, so I got him a book. The problem was it was his book, but I swore he never saw it. It was stuck in the back of the closet. I don't even think he knew he had it. So I wrapped it up and gave it to him. Well, predictably, it was a bad move because he opened it up Christmas morning and said, open the front cover with his name in it.

I forgot to look inside. And he said, Doofus, you gave me my book. So we often give wrong gifts. And by the way, there are polls taken each year on what are the worst gifts you can get. They include unattractive socks, cheap perfume, personalized handkerchiefs and executive stress toys.

You know, you just squeeze it for hours. Like who does that? But among the worst gifts, according to most polls, is the venerable fruitcake. And I remember reading that in several articles. I thought, Amen to that.

I'm glad somebody's calling that out. I see a fruitcake is more or less a weapon. So according to 31%, getting a fruitcake is worse than getting no gift at all. And when asked, How do you dispose of bad gifts that are given to you? 30% said hide it in the closet. 21% said return it.

19% said give it away. Which to me explains why fruitcakes taste the way they taste. I think it's just the same cake recycled year after year after year.

Might be in somebody's closet for the last couple years. But when it comes to the gift that we're referring to here, this is where you come in. I don't know if you ever thought of yourself as a gift. In fact, I bet you've read this passage, but you've sort of overlooked what I'm about to point out to you. In John Chapter 17, that's when Jesus prays to the Father in that very, very intimate prayer before his crucifixion. 17 times, Jesus uses a word give, gave, or given.

But listen to this. I won't read all the verses that speak of this, but I'm reading out of John 17 verse 6. Jesus said to the Father, praying to the Father, I have manifested or shown forth your name to the men whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours.

You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. According to the Bible, you're a gift to Jesus. Now, from an earthly perspective, we say, I've given my life to Christ. On this day, at this place, at this hour, I gave my life to Christ.

That's from earth's perspective. From heaven's perspective, when you come to him, God gives your life to Christ. That's why you're so safe because God gave you to Jesus. You know, sometimes people will chide you and kind of get in your face and say, what do you think you are? God's gift to the world? Next time, answer that by saying, no, I don't. I actually think I'm God's gift to Jesus Christ.

And you are. It's called his church. God the Father thought his son should have a very special gift. So every redeemed person is a gift the Father gives to Jesus. And he can because Jesus paid the price for that gift. In a parable, in a parable that Jesus gave, he said the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field.

When a man finds it, he hides it again. But then in his joy, he goes out, sells all that he has, and he bought the field. In that same section, Jesus uncoated the parables by saying the field is the world.

There's only one person in history that could buy the world, the field, and that is Jesus Christ who purchased it by his own blood. And those who are redeemed individuals are those special gifts that the Father gives to the son. And like I just said, because God gives you to Jesus, you're safe. Christ said, I give them eternal life and they shall never perish.

You can't get any safer than that. So we have the invitation to everyone. We have the gifts, those that receive Christ. I want to take you to the end of the story, literally, and that is the book of Revelation chapter five, a couple of verses where I'm calling this really the ornaments. This is Revelation chapter five. This has not happened yet.

This is yet future. This will take place in heaven. And in that chapter, beginning in verse eight, we read, now when he had taken the scroll, that is the son, the lamb, had taken the scroll, the four living creatures, these are special angelic beings, and the 24 elders, representatives of the church of Jesus Christ on earth, each having a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song saying you are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, for you were slain and you have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, all nations, all people, one message, and you have made us kings and priests to our God and we shall reign upon the earth. Notice that the lyrics of this future song are all about redemption.

The setting is the future. The theme of the song is all about the past, redemption. All the people, all the nations singing about one thing, the same thing, and that is Jesus saved me. Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

I'm redeemed by him. Listen, if you want God to anoint songs, you songwriters and worship leaders, always have songs that center on the blood of Jesus Christ. Never be afraid to sing about that. There's a tendency in church that today to be super cool and leave out all the gospel songs about the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. If you want God to get behind songs, sing about redemption. That is what they sing about in heaven and one day we will be gathered there doing that.

All nations, all people, one message. So once you're saved and given as a gift to Jesus Christ, now you have a future with Jesus Christ and in a sense you become his eternal ornaments. Ornaments from every tribe, every nation, every tongue, all gathered together in heaven adorning his house. You've given your life to him, but he gave your life to Jesus and Jesus keeps you in his father's house as ornaments forever.

That's the future. Back to Bethlehem. Just, I couldn't resist this. In Bethlehem when the angels showed up, what were they doing up in the skies there? What were they doing? They were praising him. How were they praising him? They were worshiping him. Okay, so you're kind of afraid to answer because you don't want me to call you out.

So here, I'll just. You know what most people would say? They were singing. They were singing. After all, the Christmas carol says, hark, the herald angels sing.

Doesn't say they were singing. In fact, in the entire Bible, there's only two times it is said that angel sang and at Bethlehem, it's not one of them. What it does say is the angel said, that's speaking, do not be afraid. Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy to all people. Then down in verse 13 and suddenly with the angel, the multitude of the heavenly angels sang, and at Bethlehem, it's not one of them.

It's suddenly with the angel, the multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, not singing, saying glory to God in the highest peace on earth, goodwill toward men. But that would best up the Christmas carol, wouldn't it? Hark, the herald angels speak. That's just sort of hard. You meek.

What rhymes with that? You know, so we've always thought that the angels are singing. Now I mentioned there's only two times in the Bible where it says angels sang.

Number one, before the fall, before creation actually. There's this cryptic text in the book of Job, I think chapter 38, where it talks about the morning stars singing together and the sons of God rendering praise. Those are euphemism for angelic beings before the creation, before the fall, they were singing. The second time we see angel singing is in Revelation chapter 5, where you have four living creatures, that's a type of angelic being, along with the 24 elders singing. Now that's after the curse on the earth has been removed.

So if you want to really be biblical about it, you should always want to do that. The only time the angels are singing is before the fall, and after the curse is lifted, it's as if they are restrained from singing while the curse is on the earth. And they minister in silence, though they can certainly speak in their praise, until that curse is lifted. Well, then where does the singing come from?

You. You are redeemed. You are not angels. You look good, but you're not angels.

And the Bible tells us over and over and over and over and over again that we should be singing songs of redemption. He said, well, I don't have a good voice. I had a, I had a camp leader.

I love this. He always told me sing. And the little kid said, well, I have a bad voice. He goes, give it back to God. God gave you a bad voice.

Give it back to him. Sing. So I'm encouraging you. Let this Christmas Eve for some of you, it's going to be the start.

Will you break the silence? You break the silence and you say every time I get together with God's people and those songs start, I'm going to do my hardest to learn the lyrics and sing from the bottom of my heart. You are God's ornaments. You and I are meant to adorn his house for all eternity.

What a privilege. You are a gift that God the father gave to his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, because he so loved the world. He gave his only son. That concludes Skip Heitzig's Christmas message called ornaments. Now here's Skip to share how you can keep these messages coming your way to connect you and others to the good news of Jesus. As believers, we've received the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. But we're also a gift from the father to Jesus, his eternal ornaments, so to speak, as I mentioned today. We want to reach more people around the world and bring them into God's family.

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