Christmas is the most beautiful time of the year. There is just something about Christmas that makes people more loving, tolerant, caring, patient, tender, and more giving. Even in the heat of wartime battle, Christmas makes a difference. It was during WWI on Christmas Day that the British and Germany armies put down their weapons and engaged in a friendly soccer match. Christmas appeals to all that is lovely, pure, wholesome, good and beautiful. The power of Christmas has a strong effect on this creature called mankind.

Our Scripture is the Christmas story in its totality. It was St. Francis of Assisi who created the manger scene so that the unlearned masses would be able to remember the story of Jesus’ birth. On this Celebration Sunday in our “Following the Vision” campaign we begin the Advent and Christmas season with a bit of a different twist to the Christmas story. While Christmas appeals to all that is good, did you ever think that Christmas also appeals to the gambler instinct in all of us? It’s true. Christmas is a story of gambling.

Now, gambling is very much a part of our society today because gambling is very much a part of our human nature. According to some gambling is the largest industry in America today. Las Vegas is the fastest growing city in the country and more and more states are increasing the ways and means to permit people to gamble. There is a gambling instinct in all of us. In fact when you think about it, we are all gamblers.

The Christmas story is a story of love, of compassion, of hardship, gift giving, joy and redemption. The Christmas story is also a story of gambling. Take Mary for instance. A young woman probably in her teenage years was visited by an angel who made a startling announcement to her, “You will become pregnant.” In spite of her protests, the angel continued to explain that she would conceive a child by the Holy Spirit and this child would be called ‘the Son of God.’ We all know Mary’s response, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” At that point Mary became a gambler. She gambled that Gabriel was indeed a messenger from God Himself and that he was speaking the truth. She gambled with her own reputation. She gambled that Joseph would still marry her. She gambled that her parents would believe such an outlandish story. For Mary that first Christmas was a huge gamble.

And then there is Joseph. Mary had told him this incredible story about an angel’s visitation and how she would become pregnant by God and that the baby would be called God’s Son. What would you do if your bride-to-be told you that story? What would Joseph do? How should he respond to this news? The Law very clearly stated that she should be handed over to the authorities and stoned to death for her adultery. Instead, Joseph sent her away privately to stay with Elizabeth. At this point I imagine that Joseph had only pity for poor deluded Mary.

The Bible tells us that an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him that what Mary had said was true and he was to take her as his wife. Now Joseph too became a gambler. He gambled on Mary’s integrity and that what Mary said was true. He gambled that the dream really was a message from God. Joseph gambled with his reputation in the community and he gambled that God knew what He was doing.

The Christmas story now moves to a hillside on the outskirts of the little village of Bethlehem (House of Bread). As some shepherds were caring for their sheep one night, suddenly out of the darkness a brilliant light shone and an angel chorus declared the birth of God’s Messiah. When the angels left, they said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this great thing that has happened, that the Lord told us about.” At this point these unknown shepherds became gamblers. They gambled on the reality and veracity of what they had seen and heard. After all it could very well be some Steven Spielberg production scene! They gambled that they could find the people and the place the angels talked about. They gambled when they left their flocks that their sheep—all they owned--would still be there upon their return.

The wise men from the East were gamblers as well. Of all the actors in the Christmas drama they were the ones who were more prone to gambling. Their stock and trade, astrology, was a gamble because they were betting their lives and futures on the movements of the stars—not unlike some people today who base their lives and make their decisions on their horoscope readings. Very much a part of the Christmas story, they had seen an unusual star in the east and had begun to follow that star. They gambled on this star for they had no idea where this journey would lead them nor what they might discover. They gambled that the star was indeed a sign from God who made the heavens.

When these wise men arrived in Jerusalem they naturally inquired at the local castle of King Herod about this newborn king. Where else would one inquire about a newborn king except in a king’s castle! When they finally discovered Joseph and Mary and the baby Jesus, they gave them gifts of frankincense, gold, and myrrh—all of which were quite expensive gifts. And again these Eastern Magi gambled that these gifts would be put to good use and not squandered and wasted recklessly. They gave these gifts unconditionally with no strings attached, trusting—gambling, if you will—that they would be appreciated and used wisely. After finding the baby Jesus, these men were warned in a dream not to return to King Herod but to go home by a different route. What a gamble this was. Herod told them to report back to him concerning this baby king, but instead they gambled that the dream was true and real, and they gambled that the wrath and vengeance of a double-crossed Herod would not catch up with them on their journey home.

Christmas is all about gambling and is really a gamblers’ holiday. Unfortunately the gaming halls will be packed with those seeking their fortune, trusting in luck and fate rather than in the One whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. And so we discover that the greatest time of year is filled with gamblers, betting that what they had seen and heard was really from God.

There is one more participant in this Christmas story that was a very big gambler—God Himself. His stakes were the highest of all for He had the most to lose. He gambled the very life of His only begotten Son. He gambled that the world would receive His Son, believe on His name, and become His disciples. It was like God had slid all His chips into the center of the poker table. It was all or nothing as the eternal destiny of all God’s creation hung in the balance. How would the world respond? What would be their reaction? Would people accept Jesus as the Messiah or would they reject Him? And God had no other plan of salvation. God gambled it all!

The drama is still not over for there is yet one more actor on the stage of this Christmas pageant—you and me. We are the extras on the world’s stage for whom this story was created. Are you a gambler? Are you ready to risk it all for Jesus, or would you prefer to deal with life rationally, dealing only with tangible reality? Will you believe even though you cannot see? Will you trust the Living God and gamble that His Word is true and His Way is right and good?

Yes, there is a risk in following Jesus. We do not know what the future holds. Life itself is a gamble. Marriage is a gamble. Your jobs are a gamble. Having kids is a gamble. Having grandkids is a gamble. Moving to South Jersey was a gamble (it was for me!)

When it comes to the things of God’s Kingdom and God’s people, do you want to hide in the cave of security and protection with the bats, or would you rather soar through the heavens with the eagles?

Building our Family Life Center is a huge gamble for us as a congregation. There is a large uncertainty surrounding God’s vision. God gives us enough of a glimpse of His vision to tease us, to peak our interest, to get us out of our secure caves to see this thing that the Lord is doing, and then we walk by faith.

Some of you are going to take the safe way. Some of you will put your big toe in the waters of God’s vision to test it out risking a little. Some are going to leave your caves to check it out. Some are going to really gamble big time and soar out into God’s provision and care. It is a risk, it is a gamble.

I just ask of you one thing. You do what God is telling you to do and be obedient to His will in your life…whether that is committing one dollar per week, or $5,000 per week, or maybe God is calling you to tithe your income. God works in our lives at the place where each of us is. Some of you are not spiritually ready to leave the security of the cave, some of you need to be kicked out of the cave and forcibly dragged out.

In all of this we have God’s promise of provision. God told us: trust me and I will take care of you. That is the bottom line in life and in following Jesus.

Thank You for Taking The Time to Read This Message.
May God Use These Words to Help You and Strengthen You.