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Counting the Cost of Following Christ This Christmas Luke 1; Matthew 1; Luke 2; Matthew 2

Counting the Cost of Following Christ This Christmas Luke 1; Matthew 1; Luke 2; Matthew 2. Canadians spend millions of dollars every Christmas One-third of Canadians will end up buying gifts that they know  they can't afford.

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Counting the Cost of Following Christ This Christmas Luke 1; Matthew 1; Luke 2; Matthew 2

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  1. Counting the Cost of Following Christ This ChristmasLuke 1; Matthew 1; Luke 2; Matthew 2 • Canadians spend millions of dollars every Christmas • One-third of Canadians will end up buying gifts that they know they can't afford. • Do you count the cost of Christmas when you plan your holiday spending budget?

  2. Being a follower of Christ also comes with a cost we need to prepare for. • Luke 14:27–28 (NIV) And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?

  3. 1. Mary – The Cost of Her Reputation • Luke 1:28–37 (NIV) - “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

  4. “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”

  5. Mary’s reputation was on the line. • But she took God at his word! She counted the cost and responded with obedience. • Luke 1:38 (NIV) – “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” • Luke 1:42,45 (NIV) - “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!...Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” • Mary accepted the cost of being obedient to God’s purpose for her life.

  6. 2. Joseph – The Cost of His Honour. • Matthew 1:18,19 (NIV) - This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

  7. Joseph “pledged to be married” to Mary • A legal contract was established between the two families in front of witnesses so that the “betrothal” could not be broken unless by a formal certificate of divorce. • Unfaithfulness at this point would have been considered adultery and punishable by stoning according to Levitical law.

  8. Joseph was a “righteous man”  speaks about his character. • A devout Jew – he would do what was right according to the law of Moses • He loved Mary  his compassion for her could not bear the thought of putting her through public shame and disgrace much less even consider the thought of putting her to death. • He decided to “divorce her quietly” • His motives were to protect her – not punish her.

  9. Matthew 1:20-21 (NIV) - But after [Joseph] had considered this [divorce], an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

  10. Joseph considers the cost of obedience: His honourwas at stake. • His family & community might have questioned his discernment, integrity, faithfulness to the law • Joseph did not dwell on those consequences. • Matthew 1:24 (NIV) - When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

  11. 3. The Shepherds – The Cost of Their Livelihood • The shepherds were watching over their sheep their livelihood • Luke 2:9–14 (NIV) - An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviourhas been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

  12. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” • Luke 2:15,16 (NIV) - When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

  13. “hurried off” - the shepherds dropped everything they were doing to go find the Messiah. • They were willing to leave their livelihood behind while they went in search of the newborn Christ. • “they found Mary and Joseph, and the baby” - implies there was considerable searching involved. • The shepherds had to step out in faith to find the Saviour. • In response to what they saw, they went and told others the good news.

  14. 4. The Magi – The Cost of Wealth and Time • Matthew 2:1,2 (NIV) - After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” • Magi – men from the east, probably from the area of ancient Babylon and Persia.

  15. Magi were usually leading figures in the religious court life of their country of origin, employing a variety of scientific (astrology), diplomatic (wisdom), and religious (magical incantations) elements in their work. (Willikins) • The Magi also counted the cost of finding Jesus. • Significant preparations for the long journey. • The Magi’s gifts for Jesus: •  Gold for his royalty •  Incense for his deity •  Myrrh for his humanity

  16. Scripture is filled with accounts of people who counted the cost of following God: • Abraham – leaving his home to live in a foreign land • Daniel – disobeying the king’s edict at the risk of being thrown in the den of lions • Peter & John - preaching the gospel at the risk of being arrested and beaten • Jesus himself counted the cost of obeying the Father:

  17. Philippians 2:5–8 (NIV) - Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!

  18. Have you counted the cost of following Christ this Christmas? • Let’s follow the example of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and Magi. • Matthew 16:24–25 (NIV) Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

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