Dec 17 2017 Advent 3 - Ways to be a Prophetic Voice to the World

The original Christmas story in the Gospels was in part a witness against, or a protest voice – a speaking out against – the Roman Empire and what was going on in the Jewish world. We are going to look at Mary’s song – her Magnificat – it is almost like the 60s song – We Shall Overcome. Of course it is different from that, but Mary speaks against the evils of her day.

Mary speaks in a prophetic way and turns her world upside down. Mary was probably between 13 and 16 years old – and in the TV adaptations, she always seems so sweet – and so sweet – but we see – in these worlds, she is much more than sweet.

Today, in contrast, the celebration of Christmas has become an advertisement for the way the world is – a promotion for the way the world is now. For them is was a protest, for us it is an endorsement. I am not criticizing Christmas celebration. Celebrating and giving gifts is a very important thing. The foods we eat are very important things. I am not criticizing how we celebrate Christmas, but I want us to examine our world and culture.

We are going to look at how to have a more prophetic spirit as we celebrate Christmas – and how to have a more contemplative spirit. This means taking time to think about and give thought to what Christmas is really about – what took place. Last night – Cindy and I – after six years, figured out how to use our smart television. We figured out we can watch YouTube on it! Last night we listened to Mary Did You Know – the Pentatonix version. Hearing the words – they speak sharply into the world. This comes from taking time to think about what really happened – when she kissed her baby’s face, she kissed the face of God! Think about what that means! We tend to just accept it and say oh yeah yeah yeah….

Whatever it is for you to do that – to think about and contemplate…

Christmas carols contain some deep theology – and open the meaning in ways we can’t put in our own of what took place. That is why we do the readings – and Mike Jundi put a lot of work into putting that together – and it gives us new ways to think about Advent.

We’ve been collecting Advent Candle lighting readings – and we gave Mike the entire stack. There are Advent devotionals – every morning that lead you to Christmas time. There are calendars where you open a window a day. Advent is about WHO? Jesus.

Luke 1:46 And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, (Magnificat is Latin for MAGNIFIES.) 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.

Two words – Lowliness – humility. We are usually good with humility – just don’t get too extreme. But when we hear the word lowliness, it opens up humility even more. These words are bigger than our language can fit.

I’ll also look at the word ‘mercy’ here.

Mary knows her position in the world – she recognizes she is one of the ‘have nots’ – and that is foundational to Mary’s calling. We see this in the angels coming to Mary – foundational is humility. Humility - A proper posture of a servant of God. That is the posture that Jesus took.

What is so clear about Jesus – He took a posture of humility – He did not regard equality with God but humbled himself – gave up to become one of us.

Humility and mercy are tied together twice. Mercy is mentioned five times in Luke 1. This means that Luke felt that mercy is an important aspect of advent. Mercy – a deep feeling of pity and compassion for those who are suffering and in need and then taking action on their behalf.

When Christ came to the world, God felt pity and compassion for the world.

Here is a question – how often do we use these words to describe ourselves? Lowliness before God? Needing Mercy before God?

Mercy is used over 60 times in the New Testament and always points to God’s mercy toward us. We think sinners need mercy – and they do – but so often, this word Mercy is used in relation to believers.

If we lack in our understanding of our need for mercy from God, we probably lack humility.

After having spoken of her lowliness, she speaks against the powers that be in her world:

Luke 1:51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

Look what she says here – in speaking against – speaking up – and her prophetic voice tells us this is from a posture of humility and in need of mercy – and then we can speak with tremendous confidence and boldness! Confidence and Boldness without humility is arrogance.

Look how she says – He HAS shown strength – HE HAS scattered the proud – HE HAS brought down the powerful…

She is demonstrating – a competent assertion that these things have happened – already happened – a current reality. But what is important about that? There appears to be a problem. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones? The problem is Herod is still on the throne. He would have been very similar to Kim Jung Ill – of North Korea – Herod killed anyone who was a threat to the throne – and he would go out, sometime in the next couple years – kill all the Jewish boys under the age of two. And he is still on the throne – but Mary pronounces an entirely different truth.

The prophet understands that what happens in heaven and the spiritual realm is more real and sure than what we observe in this world.

The prophet knows that God has won the victory over darkness and sin. He HAS conquered and disarmed the power of evil. In Him we are more than conquerors – even though we cannot observe any of this in this world – but it has already happened in heaven and it is more sure than what we see with our eyes. Because of that, Mary can speak with incredible confidence and boldness, yet with humility.

Hebrews 11 talks about all the greats – and all the amazing deeds they did – but all of them ‘died in faith, not having received what was promised – only seen from a distance and welcoming them from afar.’ Not being able to physically observe what they lived by. That is what faith is – learning to continue to remain faithful when we don’t see it. That is what Mary is doing. Her life hasn’t changed at all – but her perspective has dramatically changed.

The second passage that speaks of the prophetic voice -

Luke 2:8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

These are the famous lines – the word – gospel – good news – breaking news – news flash. Then the angel quotes what we know to be the gospel – and that word was around before Jesus was born. When a Caesar was born – there are inscriptions describing Augustus Caesar, born decades before Jesus – they sent out evangelists to proclaim this – Augustus Caesar – the son of god is lord and savior of the world and will bring peace to the world. And what is happening, God is saying – oh yeah? Really? Do you think? You’ve got another thing coming. I’ll take your own words – this little baby is the Son of God and the Lord of creation and the only Savior.

The gospel we have is a prophetic proclamation. What happens sometimes – we domesticate it so it doesn’t offend anyone. We have made it ‘nice’. We shouldn’t be offensive with it, of course, but I doubt any of us are on the verge of that.

We get so wrapped up with what is going on in our world – we forget that the gospel story is what is needed to change people’s hearts and the world.

We hear of policies – and we should think – the Gospel addresses that – because the gospel addresses people’s hearts. Our persuasive arguments bounce off everything. But the Gospel does not bounce off. Only the story of Jesus can enter in and change a soul – of people and a culture – nothing else.

There are those who have a hard heart against the Christmas story - but if given correctly, it will pierce even the hardest heart, because God loves people so much and has mercy on people - like a parent with a needy child - your heart goes out; it breaks. That is how God is with us. He doesn't dislike us because of our needs, He is drawn to us.

Matthew 2:1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him;

Wow – a threat – and all of Jerusalem, frightened. We don’t have kings – we have elections – but if you study history – they were so concerned about who would be next in line – they would lock ones up and put them away and kill children so they couldn’t be the next king.

Imagine a giant star over someone’s house – and imagine it means that the person becomes the new president! What about election? Doesn’t matter! This big star is the only election we need.

The only other way I can describe this – since it is Christmas time – is Bob Dylan:

Come senators, congressmen, Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway, Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt, Will be he who has stalled There's a battle outside, And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows, And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

This is Mary's song in her world.

10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

3 ways we can be a prophetic voice – Advent is a time of waiting and expectation. The first prophetic practice is the practice of learning to wait on the Lord. To wait on the Lord is one of the most repeated commands in Scripture. We are told over and over again. Waiting on God is a witness against the world. In their world, they had a 500 year wait.

In 1976, when I became a Christian – with Hal Lindsey and his prophetic books – we were convinced that 1980 would never come – and now, 40 years later – we are still waiting. But the culture has immediate gratification for everything. If we can just wait – and not do things ourselves – but wait on God.

One simple way of doing that? Financial waiting. What a voice to our culture that never waits. Just buy. Instead, wait!

We’ve gone through many financial principles as a church – budgeting, planning – and all that, but what it all boils down to is waiting.

Next – Peace on earth –

Luke 19:41 When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.

We need to be people who work for peace – and are people of peace in our normal situations. In everything that we do – be people of peace. "Now they have been hidden from your eyes."

We think of calm and no conflict – but the peace Jesus speaks of is very disruptive. He gives peace not as the world gives peace – it can deconstruct our assurances and surety – but then it reconstructs us to become workers of peace. That doesn’t mean protesting something – there are people who protest for peace but don’t live as peaceful people.

First – be civil in the public arena. Marcus Mariota is the starting quarterback for Tennessee Titans– and is known as a good guy. They had a bad week last week – He came into the after game press conference and was very short and left. The next day he apologized to the media. He said he should have been more respectful – but what he said was mild. The press was like – "it wasn’t that bad – why are you apologizing?" Marcus: "Yesterday after the game, my mom called – and I got an earful. I was not raised to be that kind of person and I will not be that kind of person." That is an example of civility in the public realm.

Second – reconciliation in your relationships. Real reconciliation. That is what we need more of.

Finally – Jesus is really clear – and He leaves no room for fudging or getting out of it – Love your enemy. There is no getting around it. When Jesus speaks of loving your enemy and blessing those who curse you – you can’t get around it. People call for peace because they hate their enemy! You can’t be a person of peace unless you are able – and it is so hard to love the person on the other side. To love your enemy. Not – love your not so close friend – but love your enemy.

So to summarize - first, by waiting on God, it is a prophetic witness against our world that doesn't want to wait for anything.

Second - Work toward peace by being civil in the public arena and working toward reconciliation in your relationships, and

Third - learn to love your enemies.