Northside Church - Sydney
Makin' A List & Checkin' It Twice – Week 1: Expect to be Surprised
You're listening to another great message from Northside Community Church. Well our pre-Christmas series is entitled Make and a List and Check in a Twice rising out of a very popular Christmas song but also acknowledging the fact that Christmas is all about making lists. I mean you think of the list we make at Christmas time, you make a Christmas card list, you make a gift list, you make an invitation list for those Christmas functions, you might even make a visitation list if your itinerary, if your family is so big you've got to get it in some kind of a sequence, we're just list crazy at Christmas. My question in this series, what about your list of expectations? What are you expecting from Christmas this year? Just on that list and the thing we're looking at this morning is the idea of surprise, Mary was surprised, so is Elizabeth, so were a number of people that first Christmas drama, we can learn a lot from their experience and we can go into Christmas ready to be surprised out of our minds by some of the things God is going to reveal. So let's, with that thought in mind, let's join together and pray, shall we? Well Father God, we thank you for this beautiful season of the year when this familiar story comes back to us with great clarity and great affection, Lord we don't want to miss one of the surprises you might have for us in this season, so will you please open our hearts and minds this morning and prepare us for these coming weeks as we seek in your power to extract all we possibly can from this amazing spiritual and festive season through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray, Amen. Now there are two basic components to a surprise and they're not very complicated, there's the person or persons giving the surprise and there's the person or persons receiving the surprise. Now the surprise or person giving and the surprise the, are supposed to look at the surprise in a kind of a different way, one knows what's coming, the other one doesn't know what's coming, they're not meant to both receive a surprise. Now let me explain what I'm talking about, I heard something this week on the radio where both the surprise or and the surprise experience something that was well quite remarkable really. I was on a long drive across our suburbs and doing what, obviously what Catherine does listening to the radio, I decide to give the seat each bit of a break and here was a talk back radio show and they said we're going to ring this lady and she's just won a trip for two to London to attend the Chelsea Flower Festival. And so they made the call and you've said you know the kind of things ringing and all of a sudden this lady picks up the phone and they call it and announces it, is that Dorothy? She said yes, he said Dorothy congratulations, you have won our trip for two to London to see the Chelsea Flower Show and there was a pause and the lady said, I need to run off the road, she said you know I don't really want to go on that, I'm not kidding and I'm just about what and the radio announcer said what do you mean you don't want to go on that, she said well you know no I don't really want to go, I'm too old and he said how old are you? He said 71, oh my gosh, and then he said well look you know and he was just flabbergasted, he said look this has never happened in 35 years of radio, I've never had anybody refuse a surprise or a gift, he said is there anybody who could go with you and she said well I've got a daughter and I'm going oh please God don't make a, I'm thinking that daughter you know I mean she finds out, he said well look maybe a daughter could go with you, she said well you know I don't really, I don't really want to go and he said look I tell you what we can't transfer this prize, we will draw this prize from you, are you really, you fair deacon, you don't want to go, she said no not really, I don't want to go, I'm going oh my goodness, I'm sort of thinking about family discussion over this, what have you done? Anyway, they came back a few minutes later and they said look we've given Dorothy the benefit of the doubt in case she thinks this is a hoax call or something, plus we're giving the opportunity to check with that daughter, you know just to see if we can work something out, amazing, the guy said he'd never in 35 years had anybody knocked back a gift, so the surprise, all was surprised as well as the surprise he giving a really unusual response, look guys surprise as if they're pleasurable and if they're enjoyable, surprises are among the great blessings of life, would you agree? And I'm well qualified to speak having just returned from an overnight visit to Adelaide, specifically to see my grandchildren and that visit like all those is, it's all about surprises, there was the anticipation of surprises from Grandpa after his trip to America, so that was negation over the phone and then the actual presentation of the surprises went down so well I can't tell you how right I got it with the gifts, it was fantastic and of course for Harlow, the little one turning two yesterday, it was just wonderful to see her you know with surprise after surprise and the reaction on her face, it was just fantastic, let's face it, when we're dealing with little children, the allure of a surprise is the currency that we deal with, isn't that right? That's the main currency they understand, the allure of a surprise, so it goes like this, you know if you'll get ready for bed early, there'll be a surprise for you, oh wow, if you get ready for school early, cadence, there'll be a surprise for you, fantastic and if you hit up all your veggies, this is my approach to grandparenting okay, now some of you parents may not like this, particularly when you realise that most of my surprises have a chocolate component and it can be anything from a Fredo Frog to even a half eaten koala bear, I found there, like I said a little bit, would you like that, oh wow, fantastic, so or even a single smartie, it's just, it doesn't matter, kids love a surprise, you know and it's a great way to trade for certain deals with the kids, now here's the question guys, here's the question, what happens to our insatiable appetite for surprises as we get older, what happens to it? I'm not suggesting that we don't enjoy surprises, although I do know some people who don't, I know, some people who can't stand surprises, got some in my own family, it's just that like other factors tend to creep in when we're adults, to the whole thing of surprises and these are things that the little children know nothing about, but it happens to us as adults, like there's there's mock humility, oh, me, oh, what have you done that for me, you know, and there's also insecurity, look at me, look how I'm impressed and you've done this in front of all these people, you know, and then there's suspicion, this is not always spoken, but you know, what's behind this, why are people doing this, what's the agenda here, and then there's anxiety, again, not always spoken, how am I going to possibly do something like this in return for you, these are the complicating factors that creep in as we're adults, so the reception of surprises can become a little more complex as we move into adulthood, and friends, that's sad, that is really sad because here's the point, I believe we are designed, we are designed both to give and receive surprises, I really believe that, that's how God has created us to be, and I say that based on a profound biblical truth which we can trace way back to Genesis where it says that we as humans at the top of the creation order, we are created in the image of God with a capacity, a unique capacity to think, to plan, to feel, to love, and to be loved, and for my purposes this morning with a capacity to give surprises and receive surprises, you see, our God loves to surprise, have I thought about that? Our God loves to surprise one way of looking at the unfolding story of the Bible, one way of looking at it, there are many ways, but one way of looking at it is to see it as an unfolding extended series of surprises, just one after the other, one way of looking at church history is to see it as a series of surprises, surprise interventions, surprise encounters, surprise moments in time, one way of looking at our own personal journey with God, your journey, my journey, one way of looking at it is to see it as a series of surprises, as God reminds us that he is with us, that he's caring for us, that he's on our case, is that not your story? Many of you, so many of you, God's showing up, surprisingly, just at the right time to get you through some very, very tough times, gently reminding you of his presence and power. Our God loves to surprise, let's unpack this a little more, he loves to surprise in the choices he makes, an elderly couple, Abraham and Sarah, chosen to be the original parents of the Israelite nation, an insecure, stuttering, stuttering Moses, chosen to lead the people of God out of bondage, a teenager called David, chosen to take on the awesome giant, three metre high giant called Goliath, a man called Gideon with just a few hundred troops, chosen to take on the might of the Philistine army, an army which numbered thousands of troops, and moving to our reading this morning brought to us by Melanie, a humble young woman of low socio-economic standing, chosen to bear God's son. Yes, God loves to surprise in the choices he makes, he loves to do that, he loves to surprise in the risks he takes. Imagine, entrusting the birth and the upbringing of his son to a couple with very little of this world's necessities. Why not choose a more secure, a more resourced couple? Why not choose a more regal setting where they're used to raising royalty? Imagine entrusting the establishment of the Christian church to a group of fairly dodgy guys, most of whom at some point or other had been exposed as people of little faith and of real doubts and uncertainties with a tendency to fail and falter, why not minimise the risk by selecting people with a proven track record in product launches and event management? Like Patricia, why not choose, why not reduce the risk but that's not our God, he chooses something that's very, very risky. Our God is a God who loves to surprise, he loves to surprise in the promises received, that is those received by ordinary people like you and me who open our hearts and minds by faith and grasp the amazing, the amazing guarantees that God has given. Aren't you surprised by the grace and forgiveness of our God? Aren't you surprised as I am at despite our wanderings and our waywardness, he's promised to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness? Aren't you surprised as I am that he has promised never to leave us or forsake us? He's promised that nothing will ever separate us from his love, does that surprise you? It surprises me, why? Because there are so many times in my life when I am so undeserving of that sort of guilt, age, guarantee from the God of the universe, that's why it surprises me. But that's the nature of his love and grace. He is relentless in his pursuit of you and me, it's stunning, it's overwhelming, it's surprising. It was too much for the people of Jesus day of course, especially the religious leaders they couldn't handle, his radical forgiveness, it was too much of a surprise to them compared to the strict legalism of the old covenant and it led to our Lord being crucified. Yes, our God loves to surprise and the promises received and in the outcomes achieved. As we trace the biblical story as it unfolds, you think about some of the key moments. A nation is formed, a people are liberated, a Savior is promised, a baby is born, people are healed, lives are transformed, a dead person is raised, an international worldwide movement is launched. And in the intervening years so many of the humanitarian and social justice initiatives of history have been brought about by men and women who caught a vision of what was possible and they surprised and they shocked their contemporaries but they introduced changes to our world and many of these were born out of a deep passion for the things of God and a desire to see people treated fairly and the outcomes have been transformational. In other words, the outcomes achieved in the name of Jesus in the last 2000 years, I think even the most cynical person would agree have been quite surprising. Our God is a God who loves us to surprise. So why are we sometimes inclined to approach Christmas, this amazing season of the year, why are we so inclined on occasions to approach it with relatively low expectations, spiritually speaking? We know this story through and through. We know all the songs, we know how it's all going to pare it out, no surprises for Bethlehem for us because we know it so well. How many Christmases have you experienced? How many Christmases have I experienced? More than I care to remember but in reality Christmas can be one of the most important seasons of the year. Wow, it's an amazing time. It's the end of a year, it's the doorway to a new year, it's a time for reflection, it's a time for evaluation, it's a time for renewal, it's a time for getting things right, for drawing on God's power and strength to just re-align our lives with Him. It's an incredible season. But friends, it doesn't happen automatically. This is the point, it doesn't happen automatically. Any surprise we experience this Christmas in a spiritual sense will most likely come via the choices we make. It'll come via the risk we take. It'll come via the promises we receive, by the outcomes we achieve. These are the ways in which God reveals His surprises to us and these are the ways we can tap into the new things He is wanting to do in your life and in mind. I have no idea, absolutely no idea how that might look for you, if you were to take all of those seriously. The choices could involve you deciding on a more reflective Christmas rather than a purely materialistic Christmas. Just kind of like scaling things back a little bit, let's just keep it real. It's crazy. The risks could involve you attempting to bring about a reconciliation in a situation where there's now estrangement and where there's tension. You really put in God of the test in that regard. The promises could involve you trusting God more more than ever as you resolve to hand over your life more completely to Him, contemplating greater levels of service, greater levels of involvement in His Church. That could be a real step into the promises of God because He said He'll meet you more than half way if you step into His promises, His guilt, edge, guarantees. The outcomes may involve you being directly influential in a powerful and transformational way in the lives of some people close to you and you can't even imagine at this stage how that might happen. That could be the outcome for you and for your family depending on how open you are to the leading of the Holy Spirit, how open I am to the leading of the Holy Spirit. So you're making a list in preparation for Christmas. We all are. Christmas, cards, shopping. We all are. What about a list of expectations? Don't let the routine of Christmas rob you of the special surprises God wants to give to you. Be sure to include the notion of surprise on your list of expectations. If it's not there, then you've totally diminished the chances of it being a surprise. I don't care how many Christmases you've seen. I say it every year Christmas is a chance for you to experience and encounter God in a way as never before. It's all about surprises and this book is all about surprises and the people who receive the surprises were those prepared to have the risk or the courage and the faith to risk and to change and to make choices and to receive and to be part of an exciting transformational outcome. It's consistent. They're the ones. I don't know about you, friend. I want to be one of those people. I don't know what Christmas has got in store for me. I know those little four little grandies are going to be living with me for a week and we're probably going to drive their parents nuts with all these surprises. I don't know what it's going to be for you, but let's just factor that in. God, please, I'm ready for any surprise you want to give me because I need more of you. I need to embrace all that Jesus means and can mean to me. So let's bow in prayer, shall we? Father God, we thank you that Mary and Elizabeth and some of these key characters like the shepherds, they all received incredible surprises at Christmas, that first Christmas and I guess on paper we understand why that was because it was a an earth-shattering world premiere. Lord forgive us if over the years we've tended to just drift into one Christmas after another with its predictability, with its sameness. Help us, Lord, to even at this early stage of the season factor in the possibility, the desirability of some real surprises in the way you're going to show up in our lives and show up in the lives of our families and among our friends and colleagues. Lord, we want to receive all that you want to give to us at this special season. May we have eyes and hearts and ears wide open and may we not miss a thing through Jesus Christ our law be prayed. Amen.