We Wait

Advent is the season of hopeful waiting.

Mary waited in expectation of her son.

Israel waited for their eternal King.

The Jews waited for their Messiah.

The angels waited to declare Jesus’ birth.

The world waited for their redeemer. 

Waiting does not come easy to any of us.

Waiting is something that must be taught.

Waiting is something that must be practiced.

Waiting is something that must be learned.

The promise of a gift gives us hope.

And yet we must still wait. 

We anticipate. 

We hope. 

We wait.

The Psalmist begins; “I waiting patiently for the Lord...”. This is a good reminder for us all - to wait and to wait patiently for the Lord. And yet, he concludes his Psalm; “...God, do not delay” (Psalm 40). 

What are you waiting on right now? 

Are you waiting in hopeful anticipation?

Are you waiting patiently for The Lord?

“Blessed are this who trusts - who hope - who wait - in The Lord” (Psalm 40:4).

Redeemed and Reconciled

I was talking to a couple of ladies this morning about the relationship between Christmas and Easter. In the midst of this conversation two words came up - two of my favorite words - "redeemed" and "reconciled". 

 

We understand that Jesus came from heaven - that He was sent - to redeem all of humankind from the penelty of sin - that is death. We also understand that Jesus gave up His life on a Roman cross so that our sin debt would be paid. Furthermore, we understand that Jesus arose from the dead - that He arose from the tomb - so that we could be eternally reconciled with God our Father. 

This afternoon I was reminded of one of my favorite passages of Scripture - a passage I think of often around Easter but rarely around Christmas. And yet, without the gift of Jesus at Christmas we cannot celebrate the gift of Christ at Easter. 

Romans 5:6-11; You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Worship The Lord This Morning

We have quite a bit of snow on the ground at our home this morning, many of the roads are covered with a thin sheet of ice, the temperatures are in the low 20's this morning, and many folks are asking whether we will still meet for worship today.

The answer is yes. Yes, we will still meet at the church for worship. Yes, although there is snow and ice on the ground, we will still worship The God that created the snow and the ice. Yes, we will still worship, because God is still worthy to be worshiped. I understand the families and individuals that are unable to - or fearful to - get out in the cold weather. I sympathize with the elderly who risk a fall or an accident on the slick surface. And I sympathize with the individuals who risk getting ill in the frigid temperatures. Yet God still deserves and still desires our worship.

So - wherever you are and whatever your situation - worship The Lord this morning. Worship Him through your prayer - words spoken to Him this morning. Worship Him through your song - played, sung, spoken, or otherwise. Worship Him through your reading - open His Word for your life today. Worship Him through your commitment - stating your promise to serve Him. Worship Him through your life - loving Him by serving others in His name.

This morning, as we gather at our church we will open to Isaiah 61 to discuss the joy of Christmas.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

Jesus came down from Heavenly Glory to be born in a manger. Jesus lived a life of poverty to serve the weak and the weary. Jesus died a death of cruelty to save us from the curse of sin. Jesus' life on earth brings us joy, peace, love, salvation, and hope.

This morning, whether you gather at your home church or gather in your own home, worship the Lord and focus on what He came to bring to you. Luke 2 gives us the message of the great joy that Jesus brought to earth the night that He was born. Notice that this was a message of GREAT JOY that was for ALL PEOPLE, but don't miss that this GREAT JOY has come TO YOU.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 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 that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."

All I Want For Christmas Is Jesus

This past Sunday we began new series. It was unable to be recorded. Below are some of the sermon notes from the first sermon in this exciting series.

I often find it odd that We spend a season celebrating what we are most thankful for and then we immediately follow it with a season concentrating on what else we want - what else we still need.

“What do you want for Christmas?” This is, perhaps, the most frequently asked question at Christmastime.

Personally, I never have a good answer for this question, ether because I don’t know what I want or because I don’t want to ask someone for it. And it is frustrating to hear “I don’t know”

“What do you want for Christmas?” My mother-in-law asked me this question, to which I responded “I don’t know”.

“What do you want for Christmas?” Children ask their parents this question. To this day when we ask mom she will say “to have all of my family to be healthy and to be together”. This answer is even more frustrating than “I don’t know” because I can't provide this for my mom.

But it is sometimes that things that we want – and need – the most that we don’t ask for, we won’t ask for, we don’t even talk about them. Most of us have a need that we rarely recognize. Most of us have a need that we seldom express - a need we would never state on our Christmas list - even though it’s all that we really want and all that we really desire

What do you want for Christmas? What do you really need? Joy?  Peace?  Love? Hope?

Over the next month we will take part in a series together; "All I Want For Christmas Is…" Throughout this series we will continue to ask the question: "What do you want for Christmas?” And we will continue to come back to Isaiah 61 - the mission statement of Jesus - the purpose of why He came to earth.

Isaiah 61:1-3a: The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

All I want for Christmas is Jesus.

·       Jesus is our Joy

o   Good news for the poor and the afflicted

·       Jesus is our Peace

o   Healing for the brokenhearted and troubled

·       Jesus is our Love and our Salvation

o   Freedom for the captives and a pardon for all prisoners

·       Jesus is our Hope

o   The time of the Lord’s favor has come for us

Where all other gifts fall short, Jesus fulfills. This year He can bring you joy, peace, love, and peace

It’s time that we take our focus off of the hurry, the greed, the chaos, and the rush of Christmas – that’s not Christmas anyway! It’s time we stop asking and wishing for gifts that break down, spoil, rust, and disappoint us. It’s time we focus on the true gift of Christmas – Jesus Christ. Who reigns eternally and fulfills our every desire and need.

All I want for Christmas is Jesus. Jesus is our peace. Jesus is our love. Jesus is our salvation. Jesus is our hope. Now and for all of eternity

This Christmas let us look for opportunities to speak Jesus into lives - to speak Jesus into our own life and to speak Jesus into the lives of others.

The Traditional Elf On A Shelf

Last year our family began participating in this "Elf on the Shelf" craze. The elf was delivered to our home and our children decided to name her Elle. Although the elf came to keep an eye on the children it turned out to be a fun activity for my wife and I as well. Every night (and sometimes throughout the day) the elf moves around the house and the kids find her in crazy places participating in crazy activities. Once the elf built a zip-line across our living room, another time she decided to watch a movie, and the morning the kids found her in a pile of M&M's making "snow angels". We are having fun with our family's elf and the kids are enjoying the time she spends at our house.

However, it has come to my attention that some families have elves that get into mischief and are causing strive, arguments, and heartache. Now, to each his own so perhaps I should stay out of their family business. Yet it occurs to me that when an inanimate object is causing messes in your home, when a toy is ruining good food and clothing, when a doll is causing you to repaint portions of your home, perhaps it is too much. When arguments are starting over your breakfast table and carrying on for days because your elf on the shelf can't behave and when the children - who are suppose to enjoy having the elf around - watch as their parents fight about the elf, it has gone too far.

I write all this (based on information obtained through my facebook friends and their family members) to simply say, maybe your family traditions are getting carried away and perhaps these traditions are getting in the way of your celebration. This does not just pertain to elves. Think through some of your Christmas traditions - even the practice of buying and giving of gifts. Is anything keeping you from truly celebrating what matters most this Christmas? Even if it is a tradition that has been a part of your family for generations - if it is keeping you from fully celebrating - get rid of it!

The Cross is an Embarrassment without...

Easter Sunday is the day when each if us have the honor of celebrating the greatest blessing given to us.

Christmas is wonderful and is to be celebrated, yet Christmas is of little meaning without the cross.

And the cross is an embarrassment without the empty tomb!

The Shepherd's Final Response

In the four weeks od advent leading up to Christmas day our church family took part in a teaching series; “And There Were Shepherds”

·         We have looked at the message of the birth of Jesus Christ according to Luke 2.

·         We looked at the response to this message by the shepherds.

·         And we looked at the response that this message requires of each us

Luke 2:8-20 says:

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 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 Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 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.” 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. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."

We asked questions within the church family:

·         “What will the glory of The Lord bring to you this Christmas?”

·         “How will we (as a church) continue to go and to see this Christmas?”

·         “How will we come to Christ this Christmas?”

·         “How will we act (with love) toward others this Christmas?”

We see the final three responses that the shepherds took;

·         The shepherds returned

o   They returned to their normal environment

§  We too must return to our normal environments

·         Where hearts begin to harden to the thoughts of generosity

·         Where hearts grow cold to the message of Christ

·         Where it’s not as easy to drop Jesus name into everyday conversation

o   They returned to their normal tasks

§  We too must return to our normal tasks

·         Where the drive to achieve and outdo can drive our time and our energy

·         Where the stress and anxiety can overwhelm

·         The shepherds glorified

o   To glorify is to give honor – to impart glory on something – to declare it excellent – to clothe it with splendor.

o   They glorified what they were once unaware of.

·         The shepherds praised

o   To praise is to make promise or vow to something – to  admire – to worship – to devote yourself to.

o   They praised what they were once terrified of.

See, this is what we do – or all called to do;

·         Glorify and praise a God that we were once unaware of

·         Glorify and praise a God that we were once terrified of

·         Glorify and praise a God that is deserving of all our praise and glory

Worship, as defined by Colossians 3:17, is doing “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

As we celebrate Christ’s birth this Christmas season, let us glorify Him

·         When we return to our normal environments and our normal tasks, let us praise Him

o   Let us do everything we do “in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him”.

Comforts of Christmas

I write this from my bed this evening, Christmas Eve. at 10:00. We are setting a record this year, this is the earliest we have ever gotten to bed since having kids.

I gave my wife a luxury pillow today and she climbed into bed to enjoy the plush comfort of it's embrace.

The furnace just kicked on, completely quiet except for the sound of the rushing warm air from the vents next to our bed. That reminds me of a couple more luxuries; the quiet safety of our home and the warmth that we enjoy within it.

All these thoughts of our comforts and luxuries bring to mind luxuries that were missing the first Christmas night in Bethlehem.

I think of Mary and Joseph sleeping in a barn on the cold, damp straw, both of them probably hungry and tired from their long journey, Mary still writhing from the pains of childbirth, and both with thousands of questions and uncertainties on their minds.

I think of the shepherds leaving their fields in the middle of the night, leading their flocks throughout the town of Bethlehem, and embarking on a search to find The One they have heard to be the Savior of the world.

And I think of Jesus, The One giving up the most. Giving up the comforts of heaven to be born here in earth. Giving up the luxuries of glory to begin a life of humanity, all so that He could be killed.

So, while we enjoy our comforts and luxuries this Christmas Eve. Let us give thanks for those that did without on the first Christmas and let us give thanks to The One that gave up His glory, His honor, and His life for us.

Praise be to Jesus Christ this Christmas

It Was A Week before Christmas...

It was the week before Christmas
And all through the church
People sung about Jesus
While others just searched
 
It was the week before Christmas
And I sat in my pew
Focusing on Christ’s birth
It was the least I could do

It was the week before Christmas

Still a lot on my mind
Things to be wrapped up
And others to find

It was the week before Christmas

And I sat in my pew
Christ called me to action
Said; “go, I’m calling you”

It was the week before Christmas
And God pulled on my heart
Said, this is my message
Now go, do your part

It was the week before Christmas

And I sat in my pew
God’s message was clear
Now what will I do

The Shepherds Acted Inwardly

This Christmas season the sermon series on Sunday mornings are focused on Luke 2 and specifically on the response; the response that the shepherds had to the message they heard and the response that we must also take to the message of Jesus Christ.

Luke 2:8-11 says: And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 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 that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

The shepherds were...ordinary men...living ordinary lives...doing ordinary tasks.

In the middle of the night it was...quiet...dark...and still

And an angel of The Lord appears to them. And the glory of the Lord came to them.

And their initial reaction was...TERROR!

The angel announces to them...comfort...goodness...and joy. But also...a sign...and an invitation.

Luke 2:12 says: This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Jesus birth was a sign...of God's promises fulfilled...of Jesus' humility...and of Jesus' humanity.

And because of these signs, the angel extends an invitation to the shepherds; "you will find a baby". But, the shepherds would only "find a baby" if they responded to the message...in faith and I'm action.

But, these shepherds were terrified. What could take them from their state of terror to a state of faith and action?

Luke 2:13-14 says: Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

This one angel is joined by a great company of angels proclaiming praise to God...glory to God...and peace to men.

But this is not peace on earth as many understand it today, it is a peace that comes through...this invitation of Christ...forgiveness of our sins...freedom from this world...the control of God...the security in eternity...and a response to God.

And, this peace only comes when we first make peace with God. When we give Him all the glory, with our lives and our actions.

And that's what the shepherds did, they responded.

Luke 2:15 says: 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.”

The shepherds responded inwardly. They said to one another...let's go...let's see.

Let's go and see what the...glory of The Lord I'd all about...glory of the Lord has brought to us...Lord's comfort and joy is...Lord's peace is.

You see, the shepherds had to respond to the message of Jesus Christ. And so do we!

How will we act inwardly this Christmas season?

Will will continue to go and see?

Will we continue to act?

Will we continue to respond to the glory of God?

Take Time

This past fall we focused on prayer within our church. As I said to our church family; God desires for us to be people of prayer. God desires that we desire to talk to Him - to communicate our wants and needs to Him. God desires that we desire to listen to Him - to have Him communicate to us.

There is much to be said about prayer, much that is stated in the Old and New Testaments, and much that God continues to reveal to us today. I believe that prayer must be at the heart of our local churches and that prayer must be the pulse of Christ's worldwide Church.

Allow me to pause this thought for a moment, I'll come right back to it.

Our current teaching series looks to the shepherds who first heard the message of Christ's birth. (Luke 2). The amazing thing is that God picked these shepherds, who had been despised by much of the religious community, to be the first to hear the amazing news. Many reasons can be given for why God chose this group. As Max Lucado writes; "God goes to those who have time to hear Him - so on this cloudless night He went to the simple shepherds".

Let me say this; take time to hear God this Christmas season, allow the glory of God to come to you as you worship, pray, and celebrate Him.

Extraordinary Stories

Last Sunday I began an Teaching series from Luke 2; "And There Were Shepherds". This series will focus on the message of Christ's birth that the shepherds heard, what their response was to this message, and what our response must be now that we have heard this message if Jesus' birth.

See, these shepherds were ordinary men, living ordinary lives, and doing ordinary jobs on the night "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us" (John 1). But, their lives were changed and their story made extraordinary when they heard of Jesus birth.

The same can be said of us. When we hear the message of Christ and respond in faith and action, our lives are transformed, changed forevermore, and the story of our lives go from ordinary to extraordinary.

The Shepherds Were Terrified

Luke 2: 8-11 says;
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 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 that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."

The shepherds were
- Together, as a community
- Living, in their normal environment
- Working, doing their normal task

This is what we are called to this Christmas season, to live and work together. God does not call us to abandon others, to abandon our lives, or to abandon our tasks - He calls us to live life together for Him.

An angel of the Lord came to the shepherds with a message of comfort, good news, and great joy. Then, the glory of the Lord shone around them. And their reaction was terror!

The glory of the Lord came to the shepherds (and to us). "Today...a Savior has been born to you, He is Christ, The Lord."

WHAT WILL THE GLORY OF THE LORD BRING TO YOU THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON?
o To some it brings fear (vs. 9)
o To some it brings comfort (vs. 10)
o To some it brings good news (vs. 10)
o To some it brings great joy (vs. 10)
o To some it brings a Savior (vs. 11)

One Last Christmas

Matthew West wrote a beautiful song not too long ago, One Last Christmas. With this song, Matthew tells the true story of a little boy, Dax, that was suffering with lukemia. His parents were determined that he was going to see "one last Christmas" and they put up the decorations early in the year. Soon the entire community joined in, it caught the local news and people from all around were joining in.

Watch the video of "One Last Christmas" here:



Dax did eventually lose his battle with lukemia following this Christmas celebration with his family. And today he celebrates Christmas with Jesus Christ in heaven. Dax's parents would like for his legacy to live on here too and so they are asking for donations to be made to the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in his honor. They are hoping to raise enough money to run the hospital for an entire day (a cost of 1.6 million dollars). To donate to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, click here.

As I watched this video I was inspired by the life of Dax and by the committment that his parents had to helping him see one more Christmas. I thought about all of the time we waste everyday, especially around the holidays, on such frivilous things. If we new that this might be the last Christmas, the last day, the last moments that we have with some individuals, how might we spend our time differently?