Western Territory
Corps Ministries Department
Advent and Christmas Resources 2014
Resource
Page
Advent Celebrations (Scripture Reading / Candle Lighting / Prayer)
Week One—LOVE
Week Two—HOPE
Week Three—PEACE
Week Four—JOY
Christmas Eve
2
3
4
5
6
Responsive Readings
Incarnation
The Messiah
1st Corinthians 13 – The Christmas Version
Jesus, The Promised Light of Christmas
8
9
10
11
Devotional
The Humble Magi
12
Max Lucado
Stories
14
Sermons - preaching.com (reformatted)
Mary Before Christmas
All I Want for Christmas
Incarnation: When Jesus Stepped Out
Extreme Makeover - Christmas Eve Message
Holy Joseph
Love Never Fails: Why Christmas is About Letting God Make the Arrangements
The Child Who Brings Peace
‘Til He Appeared
We Interrupt This Christmas
Whose Child Is This?
15
17
19
22
27
30
34
38
40
44
Christian Tools of Affirmation
Free, full-colored downloadable resources for nine different Christmas events from
invitations to program covers, to the music and message.
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48
Page 1
Advent Celebration 2014: Week One--LOVE
Major Cathi Boyd
Scripture Reading:
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a woman pledged to be
married to a man named Joseph…The young woman’s name was Mary. The angel came to her and said,
“Greetings you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words, and wondered what kind of a 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 rule over the house of Jacob forever; His
kingdom will never end.”
“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…For nothing is impossible with God.”
Luke 1:26-37.
Candle Lighting:
(Light the first candle as the following thought is read.)
Today is the first Sunday of Advent. It is the
beginning of our celebration of Christmas. Each week we light one more candle, counting down the weeks until
Christmas. The word “advent” is defined as the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event. For us, Advent is
symbol of our need to prepare our hearts and minds to “Come and worship Christ, the new-born King.” This
week we will focus on love.
The world around us has also been making preparations for Christmas. Catalogs and sales flyers began
arriving at our homes long before “the frost was on the pumpkin.”
Stores and malls have been decked out in red and green for weeks, Black Friday promised the best
prices of the year to people willing to get up early, or even to wait overnight for these “mega deals.” Each
commercial break during our favorite T.V. show promises that if we buy just the “right” gift for everyone on our
list, there would truly be “peace on earth, and goodwill to mankind.” Anyone want a shining new Lexus with a
humongous red bow?
At Christmas we reach out like no other time to those in need—the simple prayer “God bless you” never
seems more profound. We enjoy the “warm fuzzy” feeling of the season.
In lighting the Advent candles we are fixing our eyes on Jesus, the only real reason for the season. We
are coming back to the heart of worshipping God, who gave us the greatest gift ever. John tells us:
“God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that
we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His one and only
Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and
sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we ought also to love one
another.” (1 John 4:8-11)
Prayer:
Father God, we come today to worship You. We want to thank You for Your indescribable gift of love,
Jesus Christ. Help us in this Christmas season to remember always that Jesus is the reason for the season. In all
of our busyness, remind us to pause often and give thanks for all the good things You give us. May our thoughts,
our words, and our actions be wrapped up in Your love, and then help us to reach out to those around us with
that love. Amen
Carol Suggestions: #79 “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus” / #75 “Come and Worship”
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Advent Celebration 2014: Week Two--HOPE
Major Cathi Boyd
Scripture Reading:
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.
But after he had considered this, 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.
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and
will give birth to a son, and they will call Him “Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:18-23)
Candle Lighting:
(Light the second candle as the following thought it read).
This second Sunday of Advent we are thinking about hope. Christmas is a time of hope for many people.
Children search through catalogs and toy stores, making long lists of the gifts they hope for. Parents and
grandparents hope they can afford to make some of those wishes come true. Families hope that the holiday
season will bring loved ones home again. There is hope for a brighter tomorrow, a better world—a hope for the
establishment of “peace on earth.”
Joseph had hopes. He was looking forward to bringing his wife Mary home and to starting his own
family. God’s plan wasn’t exactly what Joseph had in mind. Mary’s parents also had hopes for their daughter;
hopes that did not include a baby before she was married.
The nation of Israel had hopes. For hundreds and hundreds of years they had been hoping for the
promise of the Messiah. They were looking for a Savior who would free His people from the oppression of
foreign rulers—a Mighty Warrior King—not a defenseless baby, the son of simple peasants. And definitely not a
carpenter who would die a horrible criminal’s death on a cross.
God’s plans for our lives don’t always line up with our hopes. He sees the entire picture, while we have
only a single puzzle piece before us. Each of us can think of times when we felt defeated as we saw our hopes
being snatched away. Does this mean we should stop hoping? Of course not. We just need to trust God’s plan
for us is a perfect fit—each puzzle piece fitting together to make a wonderful picture.
We now see the whole picture of God’s plan to save the world through Jesus Christ—and we know that
it is a perfect plan. God speaks directly to each of us in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,”
declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we come together today to worship You. We thank You for this wonderful time of
celebrating Your hope for all the world, Jesus Christ. We thank You that Your plans for us are perfect, giving us
hope for the future. Help us to take hold of this hope, which is an anchor for our souls, firm and secure, that it
might both encourage us, and spur us on to spread this message to a world in need. May we be “hope-bringers”
this Christmas to everyone around us. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
Carol Suggestions: #78 “Christians, Awake”
#86 “O Little Town of Bethlehem
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Advent Celebration 2014: Week Three--PEACE
Major Cathi Boyd
Scripture Reading:
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An
angel 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 the baby wrapped in clothes and laying
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.”
Candle Lighting:
(Light the third candle as the following thought it read).
“Sleep in heavenly peace” is the refrain of a well-loved Christmas carol. Yet the time and place where
God sent His Son into the world was anything but peaceful. Mary and Joseph were forced by the Roman
government to travel across the country to be counted in a census. After Jesus was born the family was warned
in a dream to run away to Egypt to escape being killed by King Herod.
We also live in a time where there is little peace in the world. Men call for peace with their lips, but their
actions are anything but peaceful. During the Civil war Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote these words to
describe his search for peace in a war-torn world.
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet, the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said.
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men!”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead; nor doth He sleep!
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men!”
This is the message of Christmas that we can share with the world: God is not dead and He is not asleep.
He has given us His Son, the Prince of Peace—and one day Jesus will sit on the throne and be known to all
mankind as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In that day there truly will be peace on earth and knowing this
gives us peace of mind and heart for today.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we praise You because Your hand is always at work in this world, even when it is hard
for us to see it. Our world needs Your message of peace—peace with God and peace man to man. We know that
this peace will only come when everyone acknowledges Jesus as Lord and King. Help us this Christmas season to
do all we can to spread this message of peace with the world around us. Amen
Carol Suggestions: #82 “Hark the Herald” / #89 “Silent Night”
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Celebration 2014: Week Four--JOY
Major Cathi Boyd
Scripture Reading:
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. (Luke 2:8-20)
Candle Lighting:
(Light the fourth candle as the following thought it read).
Today we light the fourth candle of Advent, the candle of joy. The angels brought good news of great joy
to a most unusual audience. Shepherds were people of the earth, simple, hard-working, and usually just
scraping by. They spent their days in the hot sun, leading their sheep over rocky hills in search of water and
patches of weeds to feed upon. At night they wrapped their robes around themselves and slept with a rock for a
pillow and the stars as a ceiling. They rarely went into town, living separate lives from friends and family. When
they did go home they were not welcome in the synagogue for worship because their work made them
“unclean.” Shepherds were at the bottom of the list in this society. So why did God send His angels to these men
to announce the birth of the Savior?
This is a question that will only be fully answered when we sit together in the courts of heaven. Until
then we can rejoice to know that God gave the greatest honor to the poorest and lowliest of men. Paul reminds
us in 1 Corinthians, chapter one, that God likes to use the simple, and weak and foolish things of this world to
confound the wise, the mighty, and the complicated plans of man. The shepherds went to find the baby, and
after they had worshipped, they were full of so much joy that they couldn’t help but go throughout the village
telling everyone the good news: “Joy to the World, the Lord is Come!”
If you are looking for joy this Christmas season, go back to the basics, like the shepherds. Bow down
before the miracle of Immanuel, God with us, and worship Him. Don’t worry about who you are, what you have
done, or what you have left undone. Come with a simple faith that believes God loves you so much that He sent
His Son to be your Savior. This is where true joy begins.
Prayer:
Father God, we thank you for this season of Christmas. We enjoy the sights and the sounds and the
tastes of celebration. We love to come into Your house to worship and give thanks for Jesus, the ultimate
Christmas gift. We come to You, like the shepherds, as simple men and women, seeking to worship and to know
the joy of Your presence, Immanuel, God with us, today and every day. Bless those whose hearts are heavy this
Christmas season, and help us to be sensitive to their needs. May we share the joy we have in You with
everyone around us. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Carol Suggestions: #84 “Joy to the World”
#85 “O Come, All Ye Faithful”
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Advent Celebration 2014: Christmas Eve
Major Cathi Boyd
Reading:
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
And we beheld His glory;
The glory of the Only Begotten,
This is the Christmas story.
The Mystery from ages past,
Revealed in a tiny Babe;
The very image and fullness of God,
By Mary in a manger laid.
Did she know You were the Light of the World,
As she counted Your fingers and toes?
Did she glimpse eternity in Your eyes
When she kissed Your tiny nose?
And what about me, do I still treasure
The Christ in my Christmas today?
Oh may I never lose my sense of wonder
As I kneel before God in the hay. (CB 2010)
Candle Lighting:
(Light the Christ candle as the following thought is read).
Tonight we light the center candle of our Advent wreath, the Christ candle. In the four weeks since
Thanksgiving we have been very busy preparing ourselves for Christmas. We have sung carols and decorated
trees, baked all sorts of cookies and treats, bought and wrapped presents and mailed out lots of cards. We have
filled our homes, our schools, our work places with symbols of the season. Many of us have reached out to
someone in need with a word of cheer or a kind deed. Each Sunday we have gathered here together to refocus
our hearts and minds on Jesus, the real reason for the season.
Tonight we rejoice to see all of the candles shining brightly on this wreath. Tonight we sit back, take a
deep breath and sing with angel choir: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His
favor rests.” Tonight we know that the promises of God have been fulfilled in His Son.
The prophet Isaiah wrote: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the
land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” John wrote: “In Him was life, and that life was the light of
men.” They were both speaking of Jesus Christ. He is the Light of the World, and the world needs this message
more than ever in this present age.
These candles, and the lights on our trees and homes will soon go out for another year. The light in our
heart, however, can continue to brighten this dark world and bring the message of God’s gift to the world, Jesus,
to those who need to hear it.
Prayer:
Father God our hearts are filled with wonder and joy as we take the time to remember Your gift of love
to this dark and broken world. We rejoice in the miracle of new life that is ours through Jesus.
We know there are many people who don’t know the truth that You love them with an everlasting love.
They don’t know that You have reached down from heaven through Jesus. They don’t know that You are only a
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prayer away. We ask that You would help us to take this light You have given us and share it with those who
need it. Help us to point the world to You, in our families, our neighborhoods, and where ever we find ourselves.
In this way we know we can keep the wonder of Christmas alive year round. In Jesus name, Amen
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Responsive Reading
Incarnation
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory;
The glory of the only begotten, this is the Christmas story.
The mystery from ages past, revealed in a tiny babe;
The very image and fullness of God by Mary in a manger laid.
Did she know that You were the Light of the world as she counted Your fingers and toes?
Did she glimpse eternity in Your eyes when she kissed Your tiny nose?
And what about me, do I still treasure the Christ in my Christmas today?
Oh, may I never lose my sense of wonder as I kneel before God in the hay.
Major Cathi Boyd
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Responsive Reading
The Messiah
The Lord Himself will choose a sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a Child!
She will give birth to a Son and will call Him Emmanuel: “God is with us.”
Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old
root. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon Him.
For a Child is born to us, a Son is given to us. And the government will rest on His shoulders.
These will be His royal names: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end
The One who is, who always was, and who is still to come, the Almighty One.”
Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly we pray. Come into our world, our lives, and our hearts.
(Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 11:-12, Isaiah 9:6, Revelation 1:8)
Major Cathi Boyd
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1st Corinthians 13--The Christmas Version
If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show
love to my family, I'm just
another decorator.
If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at
mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.
If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all
that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me
nothing.
If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes,
attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata
but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.
Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china
and table linens.
Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful
they are there to be in the way.
Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return, but
rejoices in giving to those who can't.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures
all things.
Love never fails.
Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust.
But giving the gift of love will endure.
Merry Christmas!
(Anonymous)
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Responsive Reading
Jesus, The Promised Light of Christmas
Leader: The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.
Response: For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a place where death casts its shadow, a Light will shine.
Leader: For a Child is born to us; a Son is given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders, and He will be called:
Response: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Leader: Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited His people and redeemed them. He has sent us a mighty
Savior from the royal line of David, just as He promised through His prophets long ago.
Response: Because of God’s tender mercy, the Light from Heaven is about to break upon us,
Leader: To give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.
Response: Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world. If you follow Me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will
have the Light that leads to life.”
(Isaiah 9:2, 6-7; Luke 1:69-70, 78-79; John 8:12; New Living Translation)
Major Cathi Boyd
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Christmas Devotion – The Humble Magi
The Magi Visit the Messiah—Matthew 2:1-12 (NIV)
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to
Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it
rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When
King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called
together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to
be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But
you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then
Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.
sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him,
report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
8 He
9 After
they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went
ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were
overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down
and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold,
frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned
to their country by another route.
This portion of the Christmas story from the Bible shows us a human response to Christ coming
into the world from people very different from the shepherds.
The shepherds by virtue of their lowly work were humble men. Most of the people in their
world looked down upon them. It is not hard to see how they would fall in adoring worship at the sight
of the baby lying in the manger, for it was all just as the angels had told them.
In these verses, we see a very different sort of men in humble adoration. The Magi were
essentially the elite of their day. They represented wealth and wisdom. Some say they were kings,
others say scientists, or religious scholars. Maybe they were all these things. We don’t really know. We
do know that they came from a great distance in the East to humble themselves before a tiny baby
who they believed would someday change the world. They gave gifts fit for a king—for the King of
Kings.
As we celebrate this season, it is important that we bow in that same humble adoration we see
from the Magi. They were overjoyed to see the star that led them to Mary and Joseph’s home. The
Bible tells us that they came into the house and bowed in worship before the baby Jesus. Before we do
anything else this Christmas, we, too, should humble ourselves before the Lord. There is no Christmas
without Christ, and all celebration is empty unless He is first lifted up in our hearts and minds.
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So with every gift you wrap, every carol you sing, every “Merry Christmas” you speak, whisper a
prayer at the altar of your heart to thank God for Christ, the King. You’ll find your holiday much the
richer for it.
Major Cathi Boyd (2014)
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Max Lucado Christmas Stories
Here are links to Max Lucado’s website where you will find stories and excerpts from his Christmas writings and
books.
It Began In A Manger
http://maxlucado.com/read/topical/it-began-in-a-manger-christmas/
An Angel’s Story
http://maxlucado.com/read/topical/an-angels-story-christmas/
Joseph’s Prayer
http://maxlucado.com/read/topical/josephs-prayer-christmas/
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Sermon - Faith: Mary Before Christmas (Luke 1:26-38)
By Gary D. Stratman (Preaching.com)
It's really crazy, isn't it? Here we are listening to the same story, again. Who doesn't know how it is
going to come out? The plot doesn't change from year to year. Every shepherd is in place; the star is
shining on cue. No matter how predictable, we do keep listening. We lean forward with anticipation, for
somehow, despite the too familiar details, we believe that this story is about us. What if God does
invade a world of "business as usual," do what you have to do to survive? What if the angel's message
to Mary (the Lord is with you) is God's message to us?
If we want to find ourselves in this ancient but life giving tale, we need to look at the one who received
this word of assurance: Mary. For in her we see the one Karl Barth called, "the figure that is raised
above all the figures of Advent." In John, we may see our need to prepare the way of the Lord, but in
Mary we see the even greater need to prepare Him room. In her, we see the response of faith.
There is a problem of long-standing that faces us as we seek to focus on Mary, who is called blessed. For
Mary has been either highly venerated or, reacting against that veneration, she has been ignored. In
either case, a beautifully human witness to the coming of God in Christ has been missed. For if you want
to render someone ineffective and powerless, place her (or him) on a pedestal. Long before I had heard
anything of such truth, I observed some strange things through the eyes of childhood and the window of
a '48 Plymouth.
Every time we journeyed to see my grandparents, we passed an A & P store in a town that was largely
Catholic. In the very top of that wood frame store, there was a stone niche with a statue of Mary carved
out of it. She seemed so silent, pure and flawless. Every Sunday on the way home from church, I would
see a string of small signs shaped like the then familiar Burma Shave signs. Instead of the punch line on
the last sign it said something like, "Mary, pray for us now and in the hour of our death." When I asked
about such things, I was told simply, "Catholic superstition."
But for all our Protestant rejection of such notions, we are indebted to the Roman Catholic Church for
keeping alive the singular place of Mary in the "gospel," the good story. For she has much to say to us
now as we are poised between belief and unbelief.
Mary gives us a picture of faith that is a response to God's grace. As P. T. Forsyth reminds us, "Faith is
not something we possess, but something that possesses us." Faith is an obedient response to God
showing Himself in our lives. In Jesus Christ, we have experienced God as loving and giving; that is
grace. Grace is God's love and care in action. This love is not superficial and sentimental. Mary learns
that this is tough love that shows itself in a cry of pure pain in a birth and later the jagged pain of a
piercing loss. "You shall call his name Jesus."
It is a virgin birth, just as faith is always a virgin birth. Trusting in God to deliver you from ultimate
despair, discouragement and defeat does not come from the faith of your parents, or from a friend. They
may prepare the way for faith but they cannot create faith in us. Faith comes only as we discover for
ourselves that we have been favored, chosen, and blessed. We begin haltingly, trusting in One who
loved, created, accepted us before the foundation of the world. That is an aspect of the doctrine of the
virgin birth that I have missed before.
Mary, a young and evidently poor woman, is chosen for this high calling of giving birth to the world's
savior, before she is married, before she has children. In her time and culture a woman's status came
from her husband and ability to rear children. Remember the poverty of Ruth and Naomi who had no
husband? Recall the anguish of Sarah who was barren in her old age. Yet Mary is cherished, loved,
chosen for herself. After she responded to God in faith, then came the promise of a savior for all
generations. God's message to Mary is His message to you and me. Our status comes not from any
attainment, skill, or connection. We are loved first, thus empowered we turn to God in faith.
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Mary's faith was not a mindless, blind leap. She has the holy nerve to challenge the "messenger" or
angel. So we, too, should not be ashamed of our questions, or testing the spirits, to discern if the
message squares with the God who is revealed in Jesus. The Church of Jesus Christ does not require
that you check your mind at the door as you live by faith. Mary lived out what her Son later advised.
She was wise as a serpent, but gentle as a dove. Do not even suppose that a tender, sensitive heart
means a soft head.
There is much in modern life that persuades us that obedient, humble faith like that of Mary is a sign of
weakness. We are likely to respond to the story of Mary by saying, "If you are going to talk of faith, at
least give us a model like John the Baptist." He seemed to fit our concept of strength. He wore his
strength in clothes of animal skin, rock hard muscles, booming voice. Now that strength we can
understand.
Yet Mary who is falsely understood as weak and frail reveals the strength of God given to those who will
quietly receive it. Is not Mary the pregnant teenager who made the rough trek to Bethlehem when she
was nearly at term? How long did she have to savor the miracle of birth before fleeing into a strange
country to escape a rampaging tyrant? Then there were long hours of loving a son she could not fully
understand. Can you and I know the strength that came to her as she watched her son undergo the
agony of the cross? Could we have believed that God was still alive in the world? Nevertheless, her
strength glorified God.
Yes, she knew fear. Part of her fear came from the fact that God wanted her, that she was needed for
God's purposes. That is a kind of awe that we know little of ... to believe in fear and trembling we have
been grasped by the Holy. It is fear that comes every time something new is to be born in us. We know
that with every fresh birth of courage or obedience, there is a death of an old lifestyle, an old way of
coping or not coping. It's scary. Yet despite the fear, strength comes. Strength borne of suffering. For
faith is not an inoculation against pain or disappointment. Mary was not spared her humanity; she was
given the strength and faith to live it fully, redemptively.
So we have heard this story again, this time through the eyes of a woman of faith. Still there are
questions, intellectual doubts that block our belief. Can we be like Mary who asked questions but did not
wait until every doubt was answered before she risked herself in believing the fantastic story?
The times I have shied away from trusting God for my future, or from believing that God's will was
superior to my plans and schemes were not times of intellectual doubt, but fear. I was afraid that
believing God might mean losing something, giving up my own comfort, or security or familiar lifestyle.
Emil Brunner once said that, "Faith is obedience, nothing else; literally, nothing else at all." Faith is not
dwelling on what we do not understand, but being faithful to the light we are given. Faith is not an act, it
is a process It is committing all we know of ourselves to all we know of God in Jesus Christ. Both will
grow. As we know more of who we are, there will be more to invest in a God who has come to us, and
said, "Fear not!" Mary stands out on the corner of faith for she not only prepared the way of the Lord,
she provided Him room!
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Sermon - All I Want for Christmas (Luke 1:46-47)
By Robert R. Kopp: Preaching.com
All I want for Christmas is my two-car garage, twin-engine outboard, double-barrel shotgun, and just
about anything that will double my pleasure and double my fun.
Christmas is a lot of fun. Younger children think about all of the fun things they'll get. Older children
tend to think about all of the fun times they've had. Christmas is a time for memories: looking back with
signs of satisfaction and some longing, and looking ahead to all of the precious moments to be made.
And it's always the right time to pause with Mary, focus heart and mind and soul on Jesus as the reason
for the season, and softly sing as we pray, "My soul glories the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my
Savior."
When I think about Christmas, I remember my grandparents driving in from New York City to WilkesBarre, Pennsylvania.
I remember popcorn balls. I love popcorn balls. And around this time of the year, I always sneak off to
buy a half dozen and eat them all by myself! Everybody has her or his own Christmas tradition!
I remember searching through the house for Santa's stash.
And I remember that special book which my family -- along with every other family -- kept so
prominently displayed in preparation for the big day. Every family had one. And every family cherished
it, adored it, and searched its pages to fill the holiday with meaning. No, I'm not talking about the Bible.
I'm talking about the Sears Christmas Catalog!
My parents struggled in those days. And when it came to Christmas, we celebrated it in the oldfashioned way -- the Smith-Barney way: we earned it! But no matter how much we had or got, I never
recall a bad Christmas because my family would always go to church on Christmas Eve to reopen the
best gift of all: the good news of God coming in Jesus as the Babe of Bethlehem to provide an assurance
of eternal life and the capability for confident living.
Around this time of the year, wonder, love, and praise fill my spirit. I think of fun things. I think of fun
times. But most of all, I think of Jesus. Because of Jesus, I really enjoy thinking back and forth. Because
of Jesus, I know those fun things and times are how His people have celebrated His birth into their lives.
Because of Jesus, I'll always have all I want for Christmas. Because of Jesus, we can softly sing as we
pray, "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."
When I think about Christmas, snow comes to mind. I like snow. Every time it snows, I feel good. And I
always like it when it snows on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, even if it's just a flurry or two. Snow
reminds me of God's grace. Let me explain. When it snows, all of the potholes and ditches and dirt and
garbage and scars of the world are covered. That reminds me of how God's grace through faith in Jesus
covers all of the potholes and ditches and dirt and garbage and scars of our lives. Of course, the snow
melts and gets dirty and all of the potholes and ditches and garbage and scars are exposed again. But
then it snows and covers them all over again. That's why Christmas reminds me of snow. Jesus' love
and grace and forgiveness cover us again and again and again.
When I think about Christmas, Walter and Milton the cockroach come to mind.
When Walter started working for the largest corporation in the world, the personnel director said he
would have to start at the bottom and work his way up. So Walter found himself in the basement of the
corporation's headquarters building in the mailroom. Walter liked his job, but often daydreamed about
what it would be like to be a junior executive, vice president, president, or even chairman of the board.
One day, as Walter was busy collating the mail, he heard tiny footsteps in the corner and noticed a small
cockroach creeping around. Just as he was about to step on it, he heard a small voice scream: "Don't kill
me! Please, don't kill me! I'm Milton the cockroach. And if you spare my life, I promise to grant all of
your wishes." That sounded like a pretty good deal to Walter. So he spared Milton the cockroach's life.
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Walter's first wish was to get out of the mailroom and be a junior executive. Milton granted that wish.
Next Walter wanted to become one of the vice presidents of the corporation. That wish was granted too.
As a matter of fairy tale fact, Milton the cockroach kept granting every one of Walter's wishes until
Walter was finally elevated to be chairman of the board, on the top floor of the headquarters building, of
the largest corporation in the world.
Now everybody looked up to Walter and he was very happy. Ever so often, Milton the cockroach could
hear Walter saying to himself: "I am Walter. Everybody respects me. Everybody knows I'm in control.
I'm at the top. No one is bigger or better or more important than me."
One day as Walter was sitting behind his desk and daydreaming about how important he had become,
he heard footsteps on the top of the roof. When the sound of the footsteps suddenly stopped, Walter
decided to investigate. What he found was a little boy who was on his knees praying.
By this time, as you can imagine, Walter had become quite impressed with himself and his position as
chairman of the board of the largest corporation in the world. So he asked the boy, "Are you praying to
Walter?" "Of course not," said the little boy with a smile of innocence. "I'm praying to God!" Walter
responded, "Why are you praying to God? I'm chairman of the board of the largest corporation in the
world. What can God do for you that I cannot do for you?" The little boy replied, "God made me and God
saved me."
Walter didn't know what to say. Very disturbed by this turn of events, he sent for Milton the cockroach
as soon as he got back to his office on the top floor of the headquarters building of the largest
corporation in the world. "I want to be like God," Walter told Milton. So Milton the cockroach granted
Walter's wish and Walter went back to the mailroom in the basement.
That's what Christmas is all about. God works out His serving ministry in the mailrooms of life. God
comes down to our level to show us how to move up in life and eternity. It's a gift. The Babe of
Bethlehem. Jesus. Our Lord and Savior. And He makes us want to sing softly as we pray with Mary, "My
soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."
When I think about Christmas, I think of God gathering all of the angels together, pulling out His wallet,
showing them our pictures, and saying, "That's my boy! That's my girl! Have you seen my boy today?
Have you seen my girl today? I love them. I'm going down there to get them. I'd just die for them. I'd
just die to bring them back home."
What are you thinking about today? Fun things? Fun times? When you think about Christmas, what do
you think about? God wants us to remember the fun things and fun times. When we think of them, we
think of Him. Jesus has always been why we had them. And Jesus will keep them coming.
All of the fun things and fun times of Christmas remind us that the greatest gift of God Himself was
Jesus as our Lord and Savior. That's why we've got all we want for Christmas through Him.
Merry Christmas!
From Preaching.com
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Sermon - Incarnation: When Jesus Stepped Out (John 1:14)
By William Richard Ezell (Preaching.com)
"I'll be back soon," a World War II soldier told his wife before leaving her and their infant son. Five years
of war and fighting went by. The young mother would show her boy a portrait of the soldier and say,
"See, that's your daddy. One day he's going to come home." In reality, she didn't know what to expect.
One morning the boy said, Mommy, wouldn't it be great if Daddy would just step out of the picture
frame?"
In a sense that's what God did 2000 years ago. As part of His eternal plan, He stepped out of heaven
and became a man so you and I could look at Jesus and say, "That's what God looks
like."
The apostle John described the stepping out, "The Word became flesh and lived among us. We have
seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth"
(John 1:14). Jesus made His dwelling among us. He camped out in our midst. He moved into our
neighborhood. It is as though we were looking at God through one of those snowy glass balls and
couldn't clearly see God, so Jesus stepped out of the encasement and took up residence on this planet
so we could better understand and know God.
On the first Christmas some 2000 years ago, God came to earth to live among us. The human mind is
boggled by that. Even more unexpected is the first picture we see. No flaming chariots brought God into
the world, and no royal entourage greeted Him. God entered the world as a helpless baby with a feeding
trough as His bed. Why? So we would better understand Him and know Him.
Remember the story of the little girl who was frightened at night during a thunderstorm. She cried out
to her Daddy, "Help me."
Her Daddy said, "Honey, God loves you and will take care of you."
Another bolt of lighting and clap of thunder caused the girl to cry out again, "Daddy!"
Her Daddy gave her the same response, "Honey, God loves you and will take care of you."
The storm raged again and the frightened girl yelled again.
Her Daddy's response was the same.
But the girl replied, "Daddy, I know that God loves me, but right now I need someone with skin on."
When Jesus stepped out He was love with skin on. He didn't just talk about love, He loved. He didn't just
preach on forgiveness. He forgave. He didn't just proclaim the necessity of justice and righteousness. He
attacked the unrighteous institutions of His day. He didn't start a Bible school. He invited people to live
with Him twenty-four hours a day. He became flesh. He was God's love with skin on.
When Jesus stepped out He came from God. This is important. Jesus was not some self-appointed
religious leader seeking to make a buck off of helpless and hopeless people. He was God's son, His
emissary, His flesh and blood coming to this sin-stained planet on behalf of the Father.
Some years ago, I used to visit a woman at the nursing home. Nursing homes have improved greatly in
recent years. But this facility was one of those homes that had a foul stench. The garbage cans were
always overflowing. The help was less than cordial. Hattie had once been a brilliant teacher; even at 87
she retained more wit than most of us ever get.
Our visits were genuine and stimulating. As her pastor, I was one of her few contacts with the outside
world. Of course there were a few church people who visited. Most of her family lived far away and
rarely visited. Curious, one day I asked her, "Why do you always want to see me?"
"Because you come for God."
This answer helped me understand the function of pastor in a new and profound way. Maybe she liked
me as a person, but primarily for her, I was a representative of God in a way no one else could be.
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In like manner, when Jesus visited this planet there was a stench from the sin that pervaded the place.
The garbage of humanity was strewn everywhere. The care of people's souls was left undone. And then
Jesus came. He came as God's representative. He came bearing not only the love of God, but also the
authority of God.
But, why? Why did Jesus do it? Why did He step out of the glory and splendor of heaven to come to a
forsaken and condemned planet? The answer is simple, yet, it boggles the mind.
Jesus stepped out because He just had to.
A little girl came to tell her Daddy she loved him. Her father was in the den, in his easy chair, reading
the newspaper. "Daddy, I love you!" the little girl blurted out. With the paper still in front of him, the
father mumbled, "I love you, too." The little girl, somewhat disappointed with this half-hearted
response, jumped in the middle of her daddy's lap, gave him a kiss and a hug and exclaimed, "I love
you Daddy, and I just had to do something about it."
Jesus loved us so much that the comforts of heaven could not distract Him, the walls of heaven could
not encase Him, the voices of the angels could not dissuade Him, the power of deity could not hold Him.
He had to come. He could do no other. He stepped out of the heavenly portrait to take His place in a
dirty, faded, and mangled earthly photograph.
And when Jesus stepped out He touched us at our point of need. Into this earthly existence He came
bearing the gifts of His heavenly home. He was earthly in guts but was heavenly in grace. While we
deserve justice and punishment, Jesus granted us favor and mercy.
Remember the picture when Jesus came upon the lepers, men who had probably not been touched by
anyone who was whole for many years? Before Jesus healed them, He stepped out of His comfort zone
and touched the lepers who had been so untouchable before.
Do you remember the little old stingy Zacchaeus whom his community despised and hated as a tax
collector, as a representative of the Roman oppression in their town? Jesus, immediately upon entering
that community, stepped out of popular etiquette and looked up and saw Zacchaeus hiding in the tree
and said, "Zacchaeus, I'm coming to your house for dinner today."
Remember the woman at the well in Samaria? She went to the well at the hottest point of the day,
because she couldn't bear the scorn of the other women in town who looked down upon her in shame
because of her immoral lifestyle. Jesus stepped out of the cultural traditions and asked her for a drink of
water and then turned and offered her the living water.
Remember Jesus and the children? The disciples thought of the children as pests, and they were shooed
away. Jesus stepped out of accepted "religious leader" behavior and said, "No, no, let the little children
come to me." Do you remember what He did? He didn't just reach down and pat them on the head. He
reached out and scooped them up and hugged them.
Throughout all of Jesus' time on this earth, and even today, He steps out to meet people at their point of
need. He is just that way. He is a man of grace. He demonstrates it over and over again.
And when Jesus stepped out He was real. John says that Jesus was also full of truth. The word "truth"
literally means "that which is open to view, that which is unconcealed, that which is transparent." I
especially appreciate Moffat's translation of this verse. He translates this word as "reality," that Jesus
was full of grace and reality. Do you hear what he's saying? Jesus was real -- the most real person who
had ever lived before that time, who was living then, and who has ever lived since. When Jesus stepped
out He was real.
Have you noticed that there is a surrealism about Christmas? We have come to believe in the Nike
commercial that says "Image is Everything." We have created this image of Christmas as bright lights
and missing the reality of the Light of the World. We have created this image of Christmas as buying
and receiving gifts and have missed the reality of the Giver of Life. We have created this image of
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Christmas with parties and social gatherings and have missed the reality of the baby born in the
manager. Christmas is not a surrealistic image of what life might be like; it is the reality of the one
called the Christ who stepped out to show us what life really is.
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Sermon - Extreme Makeover - A Christmas Eve Message (2 Corinthians
5:17)
By John A. Huffman, Jr. (Preaching.com)
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has
become new!"
All this evening, we have been lighting various Advent candles. One of them stands for the Wise Men.
I have a Christmas Eve question for you. Do you know what would have happened if it had been Wise
Women instead of Wise Men?
1. They would have asked directions.
2. They would have arrived on time.
3. They would have delivered the baby.
4. They would have cleaned the stable.
5. They would have made a casserole.
6. They would have brought practical gifts.
Let's talk for a moment about practical gifts.
I've been fascinated by the "extreme-makeover" approaches we are seeing on TV. You've seen them,
haven't you?
One morning, on the Today Show, they took a somewhat ordinary-looking woman, sent her off to
another room and, later, on that same three-hour show, brought her back with a whole new look:
hairdo, makeup, clothes and accessories.
One day, on the Jane Pauley Show, they had an Afro-American couple who had been married some
thirty years. I guess this caught my attention because he was a pastor and she the pastor's wife. They
surprised this couple by completely redoing their bedroom. To top it off, they sent them off on a second
honeymoon to Hawaii.
The December 20, 2004 issue of TIME has an article describing one of the top ten television shows,
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. It told the story of Alice Harris of South Central Los Angeles, who
remembers the day the good people from ABC volunteered to demolish her house. In 2003, a flood had
left the community activist and her family, who had no insurance, living in one bedroom. Worst of all,
the waters had ruined a stash of Christmas toys Harris had collected for poor kids. Harris said, "I figured
no one was going to come to Watts and help us. No one had ever done that." But Extreme Makeover:
Home Edition found her. It's bullhorn-wielding host, Ty Pennington, shipped Harris and her family off for
a week's vacation in Carlsbad, California. A hundred workers and neighbors tore her home down to the
foundation and built a new, bigger one. They replaced the Christmas toys and donated appliances,
mattresses and landscaping to her flood-stricken neighbors. They even threw in a basketball court for
the neighborhood kids.
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That's an extreme makeover, isn't it!
All three of these extreme makeovers have something in common. What is it? An outsider comes in with
a one-two-three program.
First, that outsider sees the possibilities you couldn't see.
Second, that outsider does what you couldn't do.
Third, that outsider pays for what you could not afford to pay.
You know, that's actually what Christmas is all about. That is, if you put aside the nomenclature of
political correctness, allowing "Christ" to be put back into Christmas.
You see, the God of all creation, who is "totally other," engages himself in this three-step extreme
makeover on behalf of all humanity.
This God sees possibilities you and I couldn't see.
This God does what you and I couldn't do.
And this God pays the price that you and I couldn't afford to pay.
That's what Jesus came to do, except for one major difference. His extreme makeover is not just a
cosmetic outside job. It is a life-changing inside job.
The Bible is primarily the story of God's extreme makeover. He created you and me in His image. You
and I were not made to be robots. He gave us the capacity to choose to live the way He created us to
live or to do our own thing. The Bible says the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, chose to disobey
God. In the process, they became alienated from Him. Ever since, we all have chosen to do the same
thing. Our disobedience and rebellion have established a chasm between us and God. The Bible says,
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." The Bible also says, "The wages of sin is
death." That's the bad news. But the Good News is that God has done something about it. God has
taken the initiative. The Creator God has come from the outside, breaking into human history in the
form of "the second Adam," His Son, Jesus Christ. That baby at Bethlehem grew up experiencing
everything you and I experience, yet without sin. The Bible says that He himself bore your and my sins
on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
The Bible calls this the Gospel. That literally means Good News!
This is the extreme makeover of a NEW CREATION.
The Apostle Paul wrote, "If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away;
see, everything has become new!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
This is the extreme makeover of SPIRITUAL REBIRTH.
Jesus said, "'Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above'"
(John 3:3). The man he was talking to was puzzled. He wanted to know how you could be born a second
time. This man asked Jesus, "'Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?'" Jesus
answered, "'Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and
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Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that
I said to you, 'You must be born from above'" (John 3:5-7).
This is the extreme makeover of SALVATION.
Jesus said, "'Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that
the world might be saved through him'" (John 3:17).
I came across a saying the other day that reads: "Jesus died on the cross — that's history. Jesus died
for me — that's salvation."
That's what the Bible is talking about when it quotes the angel as saying, "Do not be afraid; for see — I
am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a
Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11).
This is the extreme makeover of FORGIVENESS.
Jesus said, "'Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned
already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God'" (John 3:18).
Are you aware that there is no unforgivable sin? There is nothing you have ever done that is
unforgivable. The Bible says, "If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins
and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
This is the extreme makeover of RECONCILIATION.
The Apostle Paul continued writing, "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ,
and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to
himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us"
(2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
This is the extreme makeover of ETERNAL LIFE.
Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him
may not perish but may have eternal life" (John 3:16). This means God-quality life, right now, in this life
and in the life to come. Talk about extreme makeover! This remakes you to not only live a God-quality
life right now in this world. It also remakes you to live in Heaven for eternity with God when you die.
This extreme makeover is designed to help you live and help you die so that you may live again with
God in eternity!
The coming of Jesus Christ into the world makes possible this extreme makeover!
Frederick Buechner, in his book titled Listening to Your Life, wrote:
When the child was born, the whole course of human history was changed. That is a truth that is as
unassailable as any truth. Art, music, literature, western culture itself, with all its institutions and
western man's whole understanding of himself and his world. It is impossible to conceive how differently
things would have turned out if that birth had not happened, whenever, wherever, however it did. And
there is a truth beyond that for millions of people who have believed since. The birth of Jesus made
possible not just a new way of understanding life, but a new way of living it. The truth of this incarnation
should never cease to amaze us. The mystery of the eternal, cradled in a manger, elicits awesome
wonder and grateful praise.
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God, since the very time of Adam and Eve, has reached out to all humankind. The Old Testament gives
record to it as the prophets foretold the coming of the Savior of the world. All through human history, up
until that night in Bethlehem, men, women and children have, in anticipation of that coming,
experienced this extreme makeover. And it has been happening ever since that night since Jesus came.
I could walk around this sanctuary with a roving mike and have person after person stand up and
describe their experience with eternal life, spiritual rebirth, salvation, forgiveness, new creation,
reconciliation.
Let me tell you just one brief story. One of the toughest guys in the Nixon White House was a man by
the name of Chuck Colson: New Englander, Ivy-League trained, a tough Marine. He was the president's
lawyer. He had a sign on his door: "I'd walk over my own grandmother to re-elect Richard Nixon." There
were those who, during the terrible months of the Watergate inquisition, were convinced that Chuck
Colson was behind it all. Colson himself was deeply troubled as he watch the administration he had
given his life to come crumbling down around him. Searching for some kind of help, he talked with his
friend, Tom Phillips, the CEO at Raytheon. Phillips told him about how Jesus Christ had transformed his
life and could do the same thing for Colson.
Colson didn't believe it. Nonetheless, he took the little book, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, that Phillips
had given him and, in the dark moment of his soul, began to read through it. God spoke to him. Colson
realized his need and, intellect that he was, faith did not come easy. Cynical lawyer that he was, he
didn't want to be spiritually gullible. But then, in the extremity of his need, he finally opened his heart to
God and admitted he was a sinner. He repented of that sin and put his trust in Jesus Christ alone for
salvation. Chuck Colson received God's promised eternal life. He was born again. He experienced
salvation, forgiveness of sins. He understood what it was to be a new creation in Christ. He was
reconciled with the Father.
But that's not the end of the story. He was subpoenaed to testify about his knowledge of the Watergate
break-in and coverup. Now, as a new creature in Jesus Christ, having experienced God's extreme
makeover, he had to be honest. Much to the shock of the investigators, he declared that he had known
nothing in advance of the Watergate break-in and was in no way involved in the coverup. The instinctual
reaction of those examining him was to see him as a person who was using religion as a way of getting
out of trouble and then even denying the trouble he was in.
But, wait a moment! Much to their amazement, Colson stopped and declared that although he knew
nothing about the Watergate matter, he had been engaged in criminal activities of which they had no
idea. Under oath, he confessed — owning up to what he had done wrong; that which God through Christ
had already forgiven him, but for which, in human terms, he was responsible to the American people.
For those self-confessed crimes, he went to jail.
At the time, I was a young pastor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Having followed the Watergate saga
closely, I was cynical about Chuck Colson. I had a prime-time television interview show on the NBC
station, probing the ethical, personal and spiritual dimensions of life. When Chuck Colson came out of
prison in the mid-seventies, I asked my producer if we could take a film crew to Washington to interview
Colson. The station approved it, and I had one of the first television interviews with Chuck Colson, fresh
out of jail.
I am embarrassed now to admit that I wasn't very kind to him in that interview. He was joined by his
mentor, Senator Harold Hughes from Iowa, one of the brothers in his covenant group. After he told his
story, I said, "Chuck, I'm not sure I believe you. In fact, I resent the way you have used the name of
my Savior, Jesus Christ, to get the publicity you have gotten surrounding your experience in jail and
now your release. How do I know you are telling the truth, that this not just some exploitation of
Christianity?"
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Colson looked at me and, with an unmerited graciousness toward me, said "John, I guess the only way I
can answer that question — both for you and for myself — is to simply say, check me out and see what I
am doing ten years from now."
You know the rest of the story. That was thirty years ago, and Chuck Colson today is a living witness to
God's extreme makeover. Touched by the plight of men and women in prison, he established the Prison
Fellowship Ministry. Withstanding the struggles that he had intellectually with the faith, he has written
numerous books and articles and lectured widely on the issues of our day, pointing to the power of Jesus
Christ to transform lives. We serve together on the board of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and
often make reference to that interview and what God has done in his life in the intervening thirty years.
There are literally hundreds of equivalent personal testimonies of God's transformational power within
this very room tonight. Our stories may not be as dramatic and well known as that of Colson's, but they
are just as true and just as transformational and every bit as clear of the evidence of God's extreme
makeover.
There is one more dimension to this business of extreme makeover. God won't do it to you unless you
let Him. It is sort of a strange paradox in a way. You can't make over yourself without God's help. On
the other hand, God doesn't spiritually rape you. He invites you to allow Him to come into your life. You
are the one who has to say yes or no. And you know whether or not you have experienced the extreme
makeover of His eternal life, His spiritual rebirth, His salvation, His forgiveness, His new creation, His
reconciliation.
He offers you His gift of extreme makeover. But it will never happen unless you let it.
Have you received this gift? If you have, you know it. Perhaps you have wandered away a bit from the
Lord and you need to come back to Him. But you know whether or not you have admitted your need and
put your trust in Him alone for salvation. If you haven't, I invite you to do it tonight. Don't delay. Don't
put it off. Now is the accepted moment. This is what our whole ministry at St. Andrew's is all about —
leading men, women and children to a personal, saving faith in Jesus Christ, helping us grow in our
faith, and serving others here and throughout the world.
Right now, as this center candle, the Christ candle, is lit, I urge you to take one of three actions.
One, if you have already given your life to Jesus Christ, celebrate His extreme makeover.
Two, if you have wandered away from Him, come home.
Three, if you have never repented of sin and trusted Jesus Christ alone for His extreme makeover, I
invite you now to invite Him into your life, join His forever family and receive His great gift!
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Sermon - Holy Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25; Matthew 2:13-23)
By Allan Effa (Preaching.com)
Back in the summer time, in the season of thunderstorms, there was a warning in the newspaper about
lightning. It said that if you felt a tingling sensation and the hairs of your body standing on end, to
crouch low because you were probably a target for a lightning bolt out of the heavens.
Just before Christ's birth there were a few people who were targets for messages out of the heavens.
There was a fair amount of spine tingling and maybe some hair flying as angels made their visits and
communicated God's revelation: Mary, Zechariah, shepherds and the wise men. But no one received
more heavenly messages than Joseph. Like his namesake in the Old Testament, Joseph had some
amazing dreams.
We don't think very much about Joseph when we read the Christmas story. Joseph is the silent character
of the nativity scene. Not a word is recorded spoken from his mouth in any of the four Gospels. Even
though he never performed any great miracles or wonders or preached mighty sermons the church has
referred to him as St. Joseph for many centuries because of his character. Some translations call him
"good;" others say he was "upright." This is the same label Luke applies to devout, righteous people
who carefully observed the Jewish law: Zechariah, Elizabeth, Simeon, Joseph of Arimathea, even the
Roman Centurion. Matthew applies the same word to describe Christ himself. In the incident of Jesus'
trial before Pilate the governor's wife came running to him with advice based on a disturbing dream:
"Don't have anything to do with that righteous man..." (Matthew 27:19).
While at Christmas time we often remind ourselves of the fact that God chose Mary because she was
highly favored and blessed among women, Joseph, too, received a divine appointment because of a
similar life of piety and devotion to God.
This can be seen in the way he responded to the crisis when he learned that his fiancée, with whom he
had never been intimate, was pregnant. He sought to avoid the extreme. He was not willing to make a
public example of her or bring the judgment of the law against her.
He would seek to divorce her as quietly and privately as possible, without creating a big scene.
Matthew refers to him as a "righteous man." There are at least four character qualities that combine to
make this a fitting label.
1. Radical Submission
Over the years Joseph must have cultivated a reverence for God and a sensitivity to hearing His voice.
Perhaps he had started at an early age, like the boy Samuel, or, maybe it was only now in his adult life
that, for the first time, God spoke so plainly and clearly. This could only come through a lifestyle of
spiritual discipline, cultivation of silence and creating space for God. In Joseph, we find a life of one who
has made his heart ready and developed a precious sense of God's presence and an ability to hear His
word coming to Him.
When that word came, he did not hesitate to act upon it and obey: "You, Joseph, have been
commissioned! You will name him Jesus, Savior! You will raise him, care for him, protect him and his
mother! Immanuel will live under your roof and sit upon your lap - you will change his diapers, teach
him how to walk, paddle a boat, use a saw and hammer!"
He sought God's direction, listened to His voice and his whole life was turned around! He became a
father God could mightily use for his purposes.
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2. Risky Faith
When you think about it, who had to demonstrate the greater faith in the angel's message — Mary or
Joseph? As the child grew within Mary's womb, she had little reason to doubt the promise made to her;
she knew she was a virgin. For Joseph, there must have been those periods when he felt torn between
doubt and belief, when he wrestled with all that nature and the laws of reason and science stood for on
the one hand and the word of the Lord and the testimony of his fiancée on the other. Still he trusted,
though he could not see the outcome clearly. Some of it plainly did not make sense. He must have
shared with Mary the conviction that "nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37).
After the birth of the child Joseph was instructed to seek refuge in Egypt. We do not find him objecting.
He and his young family set out for Egypt, as a step of faith, like Abraham, not knowing exactly where
to go. He faced a difficult journey, with meager provisions and an uncertain welcome. Though Joseph
believed this to be the Son of God, he sees no miracle performed for his preservation, no manna from
heaven or water gushing out of rocks. The truth sinks in that he is to be God's instrument, for this very
purpose.
3. Remarkable Devotion
The word of the Lord came and turned Joseph's life upside-down. His marriage to Mary and the
responsibility of raising the Christ-child became the number one priority of his life. All other pursuits,
dreams, goals took back seat to this one purpose of being the shepherd of this holy family.
Note that as soon as the word of the Lord came he took Mary home as his wife. He acted immediately.
His devotion to Mary and the Child were demonstrated in at least three ways:
A. His devotion to Mary and the Child within her took priority over his own needs or desires. "But he had
no union with her until she gave birth to a son" (Luke 1:25). He denied himself the pleasure of the kind
of intimacy that would normally be expected from the marriage relationship. The angels had not said
anything about this. It was probably not expected. Yet, it demonstrates the attitude with which Joseph
approached his marriage. His consideration for the needs of his wife and his awe before the holy child
that was being formed in her womb were such that he willingly took on a servant role on their behalf. As
a model father, Joseph knew the meaning of service and selfless giving to his family, even when it was
costly to himself.
B. His devotion to Mary and the Child within her took priority over his own security. The pathway of faith
and obedience was one of risk and vulnerability for Joseph. It would have been so much easier to
remain disengaged, to not get involved in this dangerous drama. It was a pathway strewn with obstacles
and trials: the journey to Bethlehem, the lack of accommodations, the need to flee from a wicked,
demented king, the journey to Egypt, living as refugees in a strange land . . . all the while seeking to
care and provide for the family.
The fear of vulnerability, of losing one's independence and sense of security keeps many from taking
that step of commitment we call marriage. The angel's word to Joseph was "fear not!" Joseph entered
matrimony with a sense of abandon, putting everything on the line for the good of someone he cared for
and loved.
C. His devotion to Mary and the Child within her took priority over his own career advancement. Part of
Joseph's sense of security must have been derived from his trade. He was a carpenter. In all likelihood
this was a family business, a source of income and a place where he could achieve and feel proud of his
skills and accomplishments. The mission God called Joseph to required him to surrender all his dreams
and aspirations and to subject them to the higher calling of being husband and father.
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4. Role Model Father
A good question for us to ponder is how and when did Jesus' understanding of God and his role as the
Son of God develop in his life? It was certainly a process over a period of years of developing intimacy
with God the Father, pondering the prophecies of the Old Testament, the story of his own unique birth
retold by Mary and Joseph, the affirmation received from the voice in heaven at his baptism. It was a
growing process, much as it is for you and me. Jesus' first concepts of God as Father must have been
impressed upon him by his relationship with Joseph.
Conclusion
Joseph was chosen for this special mission to raise Jesus because he was a righteous man, a man who
radically submitted to the will of God, a man who risked everything to say yes to God's command, a
man who wholeheartedly devoted himself to his wife and children. He was a role model man, a godly
man, whose conduct and example would have a part in forming the life of the greatest man who ever
walked on the face of this earth.
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Sermon – Love Never Fails: Why Christmas is About Letting God
Make the Arrangements
By Mike Coppersmith (Preaching.com)
"I'll make all the arrangements."
It's good to hear these words when they come from the lips of a travel agent, cruise director, concierge,
wedding coordinator, mortgage broker, real estate agent, husband or wife.
"I'll make all the arrangements."
CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT LETTING GOD MAKE THE ARRANGEMENTS. And God is so much more able
to make all the arrangements than these other people who specialize in making arrangements.
Why? BECAUSE HIS LOVE NEVER FAILS!
Think of THAT FIRST CHRISTMAS AND HOW GOD MADE ALL THE ARRANGMENTS. Galatians 4:4-5
speaks of that first Christmas: "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His son, born of
a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law that we might receive the
adoption as sons." (NLT)
Yes, that first Christmas God made all the arrangements. He arranged for:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Joseph and Mary to meet and be engaged
Mary, while still a virgin, to become with child by the Holy Spirit
Caesar Augustus to issue a decree that a census should be taken in Palestine
Joseph and Mary to take that journey to Bethlehem
The labor pains to begin and the manger to be available
The shepherds to be in the field keeping watch over their flock by night
The angel chorus
The star in the heavens
The wise men from the East
That first Christmas God made all the arrangements! His love never fails!
Because God made all the arrangements, when Jesus Christ came, He came in three ways. First of all,
He came AT THE RIGHT TIME. As Galatians 4 says, "When the fullness of time had come …" That word
"fullness" carries with it a sense of everything being ready — like a woman at full-term pregnancy. In a
similar way, the world was ready when Jesus came. Never before in history had this earth been in a
better position for the message of Jesus to spread throughout the world. The Roman world was, at that
moment, at peace — the "Pax Romana". An unprecedented system of roads made communication and
travel safer, swifter and more secure than ever before. God's people, the Jews, were scattered to many
lands and were acquainted with the promises and prophecies of Scripture, looking for the
Messiah. There was a common language, the Greek language, spoken and understood by many. The
world was ready for the message of Jesus Christ to travel far and wide.
Because God made all the arrangements, Jesus Christ came at the right time. His love never fails!
Secondly, Jesus came IN THE RIGHT WAY. Galatians 4:4 says, "…God sent forth His son, born of a
woman, born under the law…" When God the Father sent forth from the halls of Heaven God the Son,
He sent Him forth to be "born of a woman" Jesus was born not of a man and a woman, but of a woman
— a virgin birth — so that He would be a sinless Savior. For God knew that a sinful Savior would be no
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Savior at all. And Jesus was "born under the law" This law is the perfect expectations and standards of
God that the human race has miserably failed to fulfill. In our miserable failure to fulfill this law, we find
ourselves held hostage to it — kidnapped away from life with God today and forever. But when Jesus
came, He was "born of a woman, born under the law."
Because God made all the arrangements, Jesus Christ came at the right time in the right way. His love
never fails!
Thirdly, because God made all the arrangements, Jesus Christ came TO DO THE RIGHT THING. As
Galatians 4:5 says: "…to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as
sons." At Christmas, God became man. In His humanity Jesus Christ lived the perfect life — He kept
the law all of us have failed to keep. It is important to realize that in order to be acceptable to God, you
must have a perfect life to present to Him — a life without sin and imperfection. This is something none
of us have. But when you trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have a perfect life to present to God
the Father: the perfect life of God the Son! Jesus lived the perfect life. Then, Jesus died the perfect
death. He shed His blood as a payment, as a ransom price, to redeem those of us who were under the
law so that we might become the children of God He made us to be. This is how one paraphrase of the
Bible puts Galatians 4:4-5: "But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent His
son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law, so that He might redeem those of
us who have been kidnapped by the law. Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful
heritage." (The Message)
It's like the time a mother, getting ready to go some place, spilled a glass of orange juice all over her
dress and all over the kitchen floor. Because she was in a hurry, she decided to leave the Kool-Aid on
the kitchen floor and run upstairs to change her dress. When she came back down stairs, she saw that
her little boy had wiped the orange juice off the kitchen floor. The mother was so touched she reached
into her purse and offered a couple of dollars to her son to repay him for his kindness. "That's alright,
Mama," said the little boy, "I done it for love."
And it is the same with Jesus Christ. Because God made all the arrangements that first Christmas, Jesus
came at the right time, in the right way, to do the right thing. His love never fails!
Now the good news of Christmas is that GOD STILL MAKES ALL THE ARRANGEMENTS TODAY! He
always comes at the right time, in the right way, to do the right thing. His love never fails!
1 Corinthians 13:8-13 says this: "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease;
where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away…now we see
but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall
know fully, even as I am fully known…And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the
greatest of these is love." (NIV)
When we look at our lives today, we see things but in a poor reflection. We know only in part. It's hard,
if not impossible, to understand what happens to us, when it happens, why it happens. We struggle, we
doubt, we question, we ask our "Why?", but amid the dimness and the darkness shines the resounding
promise of Christmas that God still makes all the arrangements today! For that baby sleeping in a
manger in Bethlehem is now the King of Kings and Lord of Lords reigning upon a throne in Heaven. He
rules in perfect wisdom, perfect power and perfect love. He is always working on behalf of His followers,
always bringing good even from the darkest and most difficult of circumstances in His children's
lives. This is our faith, this is our hope, this is our love and His love never fails!
All the people, the presents, the productions, the products of Christmas as the world knows sooner or
later will fade away and fail you. If you put your faith, your hope, your love in these things, you'll end
up disappointed.
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It's like the 90-year-old grandmother who was struggling with the hectic pace of Christmas shopping
and made a decision. She would no longer send presents to her family and friends. Instead she would
send Christmas cards and include a check with each one so that they could purchase their own
presents. So she carefully prepared the card and wrote in each one: "Buy your own present." Then
she sent the cards off in the mail well before Christmas. Strangely, no one ever made any mention of
having received a card. When some of her family visited her, she asked them if they had received her
cards. They were polite, but not enthusiastic. They barely even thanked her. A year later, as she was
preparing to send her cards again, she made a rather disturbing discovery. Underneath the pile of
Christmas paper, she found all of the checks. She had failed to include any of the checks in the
cards. Instead, each of her family and friends received a card with nothing inside it but these words,
"Buy your own present."
Yes, the people, the presents, the productions, the products, the arrangements of Christmas as most
people know it sooner or later will fail. Don't put your faith, your hope, your love in these things.
Instead put your faith, your hope, your love in Jesus Christ! He still makes all the arrangements
today. Though now you see things in a mirror dimly, the day will come when you will see things face to
face. Though you now know in part, the day will come when you know fully even as you are fully
known. Then you will see then that even in your darkest and most difficult moments, Jesus always came
at the right time, in the right way, to do the right thing. His love never fails!
SO LET GOD MAKE THE ARRANGEMENTS IN YOUR LIFE! Galatians 3:11 in The Message Bible
says: "The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for
him."
Tonight I invite you, because Jesus Christ Himself invites you, to embrace faith, hope and love.
I invite you to embrace Faith. Choose to rest in Jesus Christ and to trust in Him. Does this mean that
you will never struggle, doubt or ask "Why?" Absolutely not! If God is exalted, majestic, lifted up and
mysterious enough to evoke our awe and worship, He is also exalted, majestic, lifted up and mysterious
enough to evoke our questions and our whys. But He is also loving enough to come and give us what we
really need: not just the answers to our questions but to give us Himself. That's what Christmas is all
about. And when we have Him, we find out that He is enough. So embrace Faith! Embrace Jesus!
I invite you to embrace Hope. For when you have embraced Faith, by the power of the Holy Spirit you
can embrace Hope. You can choose to be patient in affliction, faithful in prayer, consistent in worship
and joyful in your struggles. So embrace Hope! Embrace Jesus!
And I invite you to embrace Love. Receive anew the love of Jesus Christ for you. For when you have
embraced Faith and Hope, then you can embrace a new measure of love for others. You will be able to
love people you can't love right now, because Christ will love them through you. So embrace Love!
Embrace Jesus! His love will not fail.
All of this is possible for you to do because God still makes the arrangements today. What He asks of
you is that you stop trying to make all the arrangements. He asks that you surrender yourself to Him,
that you let Him set the priorities and agenda for your life. As the living and loving Savior who is on the
throne of Heaven, He wants to be on the throne of your heart and your life.
Go ahead; make that choice. Take that step. No matter what burden you are bearing, struggle you are
facing, fear you are fighting, question you are asking, loss you are grieving, hurt you are nursing — let
go of these things. Give them to Jesus. Begin to let Him make the arrangements in your life. He will
work all things out. He will always come at the right time in the right way to do the right thing. His love
will not fail you!
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It is as a mother once wrote:
Each December I vow to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I cut back on non-essential
obligations — extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even over-spending. Yet still one
Christmas I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments and, of course,
the true meaning of Christmas.
My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a 6 year old. For weeks
he had been memorizing songs for the school's "winter pageant". I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd
be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his
teacher. She assured me that there would be a dress rehearsal on the morning of the presentation. All
parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy
with the compromise.
So the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in 10 minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and
sat down. Around the room I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited
the students were led into the room. Each class accompanied by their teacher sat cross-legged on the
floor. Then each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.
Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn't
expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment, songs of reindeers, Santa Claus, snowflakes
and good cheer. So when my son's class rose to sing a song entitled "Christmas Love," I was slightly
taken aback by its bold title.
Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters and bright
snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the
title of the song. As the class would sing, "C is for Christmas", a child would hold up the letter C. Then
"H is for Happy" and on and on until each child holding up his letter had presented the complete
message "Christmas Love".
The performance was going smoothly until suddenly we noticed her: a small quiet little girl in the front
row holding the letter M in Christmas upside down, totally unaware that her letter M appeared as a
W. The audience of 1st through 6th graders seated in the cafeteria giggled at this little girl's mistake,
but she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall proudly holding her W.
Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was
raised and we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen. At that
instant we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why
even in the chaos there was a purpose for our festivities…and for our lives.
For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear: "CHRISTWAS LOVE". And I
believe He still is.
And so do I! Amid my struggles, doubts, questions and whys, I still believe that God makes all the
arrangements. Amid the pain and imperfection of an imperfect world, Jesus still comes at the right time
in the right way to do the right thing. That first Christmas God made all the arrangements. He still
makes all the arrangements today. So let Him make the arrangements in your life and you'll find out
that His love never fails!
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Sermon - The Child Who Brings Peace
(Micah 5:2-6; Ephesians 2:11-19)
By Terry A. Bowland (Preaching.com)
"I can't find anything organically wrong with you," the doctor said. "You probably have some business or
social problem that you should talk over with a good counselor. As you know, many illnesses come from
worry. A case very similar to yours came to me only a few weeks ago. The man had a $5,000 note due
and couldn't pay it. Because of his money problem, he had worried himself into a state of nervous
exhaustion."
"And did you cure him?" asked the patient.
"Yes," said the doctor. "I told him to just stop worrying, that life was too short to make himself sick over
a scrap of paper. Now he's back to normal. He stopped worrying, entirely."
"I know," the patient said sadly. "I'm the one he owes the $5,000 to."
Albert Camus has called ours "an age of overt anxiety." Worry has been termed the "official emotion of
our generation," "the basis of all neuroses," and "the most pervasive psychological problem of our time."
Mark Twain once said "From his cradle to his grave a man never does a single thing which has any first
and foremost object save one -- to secure peace of mind for himself."
It is in such a world that Christians this time of year talk and sing and dream and preach about "Peace
on Earth." In an age of anxiety, how is it that we can come today and celebrate? Why, it all has to do
with a child being born in a stable on a still and silent night. Angels proclaimed Peace on Earth because
the Prince of Peace had come. Long ago the prophet Micah prophesied of His coming, declaring that this
child of Bethlehem would be our peace.
Maybe the holidays for you have been anything but peaceful. If so, you need to step out of the shopping
malls, out of the office parties, out of the overtime to pay for it all, and gather once again around the
cradle of the child who brings peace.
There are several aspects of the peace which this little baby brings.
I. This Child of Christmas Brings Peace with God (Ephesians 2:11-14)
This is the one true message of the holidays which is the basis for everything we do and say. We
celebrate the birth of Jesus, first and foremost, because He has brought us peace with God.
A man close to death was in the hospital. His minister came to see him and asked: "Have you made
your peace with God?"
"I didn't know we had ever quarreled," said the man.
Many people in today's world feel exactly this way. At the heart of this idea of Jesus bringing us peace
with God is the concept that without Christ we are not at peace with God at all. In fact, without this child
of peace, we are at war with God. This is exactly what the Apostle Paul says in
Ephesians 2:12-14:
Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel, and
foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now, in
Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For He,
Himself, is our peace!
In this context the Scriptures give one of its most solemn yet definite teachings. The Bible declares
plainly that without Christ we are without God's promises; that without Christ we are without hope; that
without Christ we are without God; that without Christ we are lost -- lost forever.
At this point, many today balk at the teachings of the Church. "Do you mean to say," they ask, "that all
those outside the church have no hope whatsoever? What about all the sincere folks who never come to
Christ? What of the billions of people in the worlds of Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism? What of those
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who have never heard? What of my neighbors and friends who are good-hearted people, but who have
never given their hearts to Christ? Are you saying that they are lost? Well," they add, "if that's true,
then the message of Christmas has made you Christians the most narrow-minded, bigoted people on the
face of the earth."
How are we to respond to such claims? I would respond by saying that, far from being narrow-minded
and bigoted, Christians are the most loving people in the world.
Suppose you are a doctor and one day an individual comes to you and describes his symptoms. After
testing his blood, you realize that this fellow has acute diabetes, for which you prescribe insulin
injections. "Insulin!" he cries. "I don't want to take insulin." You assure him that he must take insulin.
The diabetic responds, "But I don't want to take insulin. Can't I take some other drug? How about
penicillin? How about a double dose of aspirin? Won't those do?" Again you reaffirm your opinion that
without the insulin he will die.
Then the patient says, "Why, doctor, I do believe you are the most narrow-minded, closed-minded,
bigoted physician I have ever met." But is the doctor bigoted? Or is he loving in telling the man the
truth, the only truth which will give him life?
Christians are not narrow or bigoted. Christians are loving because we declare truth to the world. In our
sin, we are at war with God, without hope, without God in the world. But Jesus is our solution. The child
of Christmas brings peace with God. There is no peace that can be purchased on the bargain-counter.
Only through Christ's victory on the cross where God justly punishes sin and mercifully pardons the
sinner, only on the cross do we find that which brings peace: "He is our peace!" This isn't narrow or
bigoted. It is the truth! This is the season of peace because this child of Christmas brings us peace with
God.
II. This Child of Christmas also Brings Us Peace with Others (Ephesians 2:14-19)
For many years, a silver star hung over the birthplace of Jesus in the Church of the Nativity in
Bethlehem. Eastern Orthodox churchmen wanted to replace the star with one of their own. Roman
Catholic churchmen rejected the idea. The former was backed by Russia and the latter was backed by
France. When Turkey (which held jurisdiction over Palestine) sided with the French, Russia declared war
on Turkey. Great Britain, France and Italy rallied to the side of Turkey. For three long years, 1853-1856,
the Crimean War raged. Two years after the war, the silver star was permanently removed from the
site.
It has been estimated that only 8% of recorded history has been peace-time. Of the last 3,000 years,
only 300 years have been without war, and over 8,000 treaties have been broken. In our own nation,
few years have been peaceful since World War II, in which was inflicted over 100,000 enemy casualties.
Every day we read the headlines and wonder, "Where is the peace promised by this child of Christmas?"
The Bible teaches that the time of ultimate peace is coming in the future when Christ will return to
earth. But His peace is a present reality in His Church. Hear what the apostle
Paul continues to teach in Ephesians 2:14-19:
For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two (that's Jew and non-Jew) one and has destroyed the
barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the Law with its commandments and
regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and
in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death the
hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For
through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer
foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household.
If there is any place on this planet where men and women can live in harmony and peace with one
another, it must be in the Church. This must be our goal. This must be the reality we live out before the
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Lord every day. How will the world believe that Jesus brings us peace with God if we cannot live at
peace with one another?
Oh, we put on a pretty good show most of the time. A young Chinese man was hired to be the
housekeeper of a well-to-do family with two teenage sons. The boys made it their mission to make
things miserable for this poor fellow. One day they nailed his shoes to the floor, but he just smiled and
pulled out the nails. Another time they put a bucket of water over the door, but the housekeeper just
smiled and dried himself off when a bucketful of water fell on him. He continued to show those
teenagers the utmost respect. In fact, his courtesy made the boys feel so guilty that they approached
him one day and assured him they would reform.
"No more shoes nailed to floor?" he asked. "No," the boys assured him.
"No more water over door?" he questioned. "No," they replied.
"Ah, very good," he said. "Then no more spit in soup."
Isn't that the way it is sometimes? We bicker and backbite, put up a good front, and then we "spit in the
soup" -- that is, we sour our relationships with people whom Christ holds dear. The message of
Christmas is "Peace on Earth!" It is a message to God's people. Those who have received peace with
God must live at peace with one another. If we fail in this, we deny the purpose of Christmas.
III. This Child of Christmas Brings Us Peace with Ourselves (Ephesians 1:14)
He is our peace! When Christ, through His sacrifice, makes us at peace with God and with others in His
Church -- then and only then can we be at peace with ourselves. The Bible promises that when we set
our minds and actions upon the things of God, then and only then will the "peace of God which
surpasses all comprehension guard our hearts and our minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).
Isaiah 26:3 says, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in
you."
Some say, "Good theology, preacher, but how can I be at peace when all of life is crashing down ground
me?"
Billy Graham tells the story of a little bird. The sea was beating against the rocks in huge dashing
waves, the lightning was flashing, the thunder was rolling, the wind was blowing; but the little bird was
asleep in the crevice of the rock, its head serenely under its wing -- it was sound asleep. That is peace - to be able to sleep in the storm!
In Christ, we are at peace in the midst of the confusions, bewilderments, and perplexities of this life.
The storm rages, but our hearts are at rest. When Christ comes in, He stands against the winds and the
storms and cries out: "Peace, be still!" If Christ is here in our hearts, then we can be at peace. We find
peace when we find Him. He is our peace!
Drop Thy still dews of quietness, Till all our strivings cease; Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess, The beauty of Thy peace.
Augustine said, "Thou hast touched me and I have been translated into Thy peace."
The key to being at peace is found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Not a "Sunday-go- tomeetin' religion," but a personal relationship. How long have you been holding out on God? The message
of Christmas isn't narrow and bigoted. It is the truth. The only hope we have in this world is to allow
Jesus to restore our lost relationship with God.
Dwight L. Moody once said, "A great many people are trying to make peace, but that has already been
done. God has not left it for us to do; all we have to do is to enter into it." Have you entered into
personal relationship and peace with Jesus Christ? Have you allowed Him to change your heart? This is
the only hope of the world which longs for peace, the only hope for our communities, the only hope for
our lives -- to allow Christ to remake our hearts.
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An old proverb says: "If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character. If
there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home,
there will be order in the nation. And when there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world."
Ephesians 2:13-14 reminds us: "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought
near, through the blood of Christ -- for He Himself is our peace."
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Sermon - 'Til He Appeared (I John 3:5,8;4:9)
By Steven C. Lombardo (Preaching.com)
In Charles Dickens Christmas Classic, A Christmas Carol, Mr. Scrooge says, "Humbug! Merry Christmas?
What right have you to be merry? What reason do you have to be merry?" Well, there is an answer for
Mr. Scrooge, and there is an answer for "Scrooges" everywhere this Advent season because believers,
indeed, have every right to be merry at Christmas. Why?
Simply because Jesus Christ has appeared! "Scrooge, did you hear that? Christ as appeared!"
In the pages of 1 John 3, Jesus' appearing is mentioned. John refers to the first Christmas and he does
so to encourage believers, those who have been born anew by the Spirit of God. He encourages
believers to rejoice and celebrate because of this fundamental and simple fact, Jesus Christ has
appeared.
But the question is: "Why did He appear?" He appeared to dispel your sins. That's what John tells us. He
appeared to deal with sin once and for all. Note in 1 John 3:5, And you know that He appeared to take
away sins. And in Him there is no sin. Jesus Christ appeared, to carry away, to remove, sins (our sins),
to give us forgiveness. To give us a relationship with God. To provide for us escape from the wrath of
God, the judgment of God upon our sins. He appeared in order to take away, to remove sins and in Him
there is no sin. He is the perfect one. And really the emphasis here in this verse in upon the fact that
Jesus Christ, who came to remove our sins, stands against sin. There is no sin in Him. He is holy, He is
pure and those who would have their sins taken away; those who are trusting Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of all of their sins, are then called to stand against sin and hate it with the kind of holy
hatred that God has for sin. In Him there is no sin.
I like Billy Sunday's attitude toward sin. Billy Sunday was an evangelist in the early part of this century.
He said, "I am against sin. I'll kick it as long as I have a foot. I'll fight it as long as I have a fist. I'll bite
it as long as I have a tooth. And when I'm old and footless, and fistless and toothless, I'll gum it until I
go home to glory." That's hatred of sin.
You see, this is the time of the year when the release from sins should be a cause of great joy for us.
That's why He appeared to take away our sins and He stands against sin. And those who name His
Name are called to stand with Him in a holy hatred of sin. Now you won't hear much about sin at
Christmas but the reality of sin and Jesus having taken away sins is at the heart of Christmas. He
appeared to dispel your sins.
Because He did that, then, John is saying to believers, don't compromise with sin. Don't see how close
you can get to it. Stand against it. Don't practice sin. Don't continue in it without any sensitivity to God
and God's will for your life. He came to deliver from sins. In fact, He was made to be sin for you, that
you might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). He took all of your sins. All of
the past, failures, shame, He died for you, He loves you, He cares for you. He won't let you go. He'll run
after you all the way to the very gates of hell. Jesus Christ has appeared. He appeared to dispel your
sins.
He also appeared to destroy the devil's works. 1 John 3:8, The Son of God appeared for this purpose
that He might destroy the works of the devil. He came not only to deal with sins and sinners, but He
came to destroy the works of the devil. That word "destroy" means "to render ineffective, to rob of
power". When Jesus Christ came He dealt Satan a death blow. The devil who tempts, who inflames, who
deceives, Jesus came to deal with that arch enemy of our souls.
Once a missionary in Africa returned to his house. When he got inside he discovered a huge python. He
quickly ran outside to his truck, got a 45 pistol, came back in the house. He was careful, he was quiet,
but he got close enough to fire a shot and that bullet hit its mark, and that python was dealt a mortal
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wound. A bullet right in its head. But the python didn't die instantly. It began to thrash around. Crashing
around that house, knocking things off of tables and counters, wreaking havoc. The missionary had gone
outside to stay away. And finally, after a while, the noise died down and he came in and found that
python dead. But, in its death throes it had done a lot of damage.
When Jesus Christ came, when He died on the cross, He put a bullet in the head of the devil. The devil is
defeated, but he's still thrashing around. He's still wreaking havoc of one kind or another. But the devil
is defeated and there is no reason for you to accept the devil's lies. There is no reason for you to follow
Satan's agenda. He is defeated, he is gone, he is done. God calls us to follow the one who is victorious,
the one who came to destroy the works of the devil. To follow Jesus Christ, to know Him, accept Him
and love Him. The devil would like nothing better in his dying agony to take with him each one of you to
hell forever. That's what he wants. That's his agenda. That's his concern, to rob you of your inheritance
in Jesus Christ.
That's why John here says, "He came to destroy the works of the devil. So that not a one would have to
be lost in hell forever. The devil is a great liar, the father of lies, the great deceiver and he will deceive
you at every turn. He will give you a false assurance, he will use his deception so that you aren't
concerned about eternal life; so that you aren't concerned about heaven or hell; so that you go on your
way not giving much thought to your soul. But one day it will be too late. Jesus came to destroy the
works of the devil, the call is to cast our lot with Jesus and not accept the lies of a defeated enemy of
God.
The devil's lies are: "You're good enough. You don't have to be concerned about hell"; or, "the way to
heaven is a broad way, there are many avenues, you don't need that narrow fundamental, evangelical
view."
The devil's deception is to even say, "Go ahead, trust Christ, give your heart to Him, but you don't need
to do so today. What's you hurry? Why don't you live life? Why don't you enjoy life?. Why don't you
indulge and pamper yourself and live for the immediate? There'll be enough time later on to get things
sorted out with God." But God's Word says, Now is the acceptable time. Today is the day of salvation.
Don't put it off. The Bible says, Today, if you would hear His voice, don't harden your heart. It's that
important, that's why Christ came, that's why He appeared.
And then, Jesus appeared to deliver life to you. He appeared to give life. 1 John 4:9, By this the love of
God was manifested in us. That God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live
through Him. Notice, by this the love of God appeared toward us is literally, "appeared". "Was
manifested", "revealed", that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live
through Him. That we might have life now, so that we might have life in eternity to come. He appeared
to deliver His life to you.
You perhaps have heard the story about the drunk who was on his hands and knees on the sidewalk. He
appeared to be looking for something. A friend of his came by and noticed him, came over and asked
him what he was doing. He said, "I've lost my wallet." So the friend got down on hands and knees and
together they began to look for that wallet and they looked and looked. Finally, the friend said, "Are you
sure you lost it here?" The drunk said, "No, I lost it over there, a block or two down." His friend asked,
"You lost, it over there. Why are you looking for it here?" "Because there's no street light over there!"
People look for life in the wrong places. You have to have the light to find the life. And the light is Jesus
Christ. I am the light of the world. And when that light of Jesus Christ shines through His Word and the
Holy Spirit calls you through His Word, then you come to know life. The forgiveness of all of your sins.
The promise of heaven. The strength to live each day when life gets tough and the discouragement and
the stresses press upon you, to know that you have a friend, one who cares deeply for your physical and
spiritual needs. He came to deliver life to you, to you personally. No matter who you are, whether you
have a church background or not, whether you are rich or poor or in between. No matter what you look
like, regardless of your nationality, your race. God has appeared in the person of Jesus Christ to give
you life.
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Isn't it interesting that John in his first letter goes out of his way to mention the appearance of Jesus. He
appeared to dispel your sins, to carry them away. He appeared to destroy the works of the devil. He
appeared to deliver life if you will take it, by faith.
Dad gathered his family together. He gave them his speech. He said, "This Christmas I want you to
manage your time better. I want you to watch your spending for gifts. I want you to make up your mind
to get along with the relatives when they come. And I want our home to be more congenial this
Christmas." Well after he had given his speech, he ended it with this cry, "Let's make this the best
Christmas ever!" One of his little boys piped up, "But, dad, do you think we could ever improve on the
first Christmas?"
The little guy had a point. You can't improve on the first Christmas. We might be able to improve on our
ways of celebrating Christmas, but you can't improve on the first Christmas because of this fact: Jesus
Christ has appeared! And, let me ask you, "Does the appearing of Jesus Christ make the difference in
your life today?" Because He has appeared are you a better husband, father; a better wife, mother?
Because He has appeared are you more concerned for the things of God? Because He has appeared do
you know that you have a place in heaven? And are you living with heaven in view, with that kind of
perspective? Because He has appeared has that appearing made the difference in your life. You can't
improve on the first Christmas, for Jesus came. And He makes all the difference.
And so to Scrooge, with his bah, humbug stuff, with his question, "How can anyone be merry at
Christmas?" we say to him, "Jesus Christ has appeared. That's why we're merry. That's why we rejoice!
That's why we're enthused -- because of His appearing. So Scrooge, Merry Christmas!" And Merry
Christmas to you because Jesus appeared!
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Sermon - We Interrupt This Christmas... (John 1:1-4, John 1:14)
By Mike Coppersmith (Preaching.com)
A little boy had had part in a Christmas play at his church in which he was to recite some verses from
the Bible about the birth of Jesus Christ. To jog his memory, he wrote the verses on pieces of paper and
pinned them to various places on his clothing.
The evening of the play, his memory was serving him well. He began quoting from the prophet Isaiah:
"To us a child is born, to us a son is given, and his name shall be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty
God, Everlasting Father . . . " Just then a cell phone went off in the audience. Thrown off by the
interruption, the boy forgot what was next.
So he started again: "To us a child is born, to us a son is given, and his name shall be called . . . " But
the interruption had caused him to lose his train of thought, so he tried again: "To us a child is born, to
us a son is given, and his name shall be called . . . "
He still had no success so he decided to move to his fallback position. He confidently began: "To us a
child is born, to us a son is given, and his name shall be called . . . " Then, looking into the waist of his
pants he finished the verse: "Fruit of the Loom!"
Interruptions! It's hard when they happen. They are one of life's great frustrations. Everything is moving
along well, and then the unexpected happens. But interruptions are inevitable. They are part of life.
And we shouldn't be surprised by this, because God is a God of interruptions. The word "interrupt"
actually comes from two Latin words: the word "intero," which means "into," and the word "rupere"
which means "to break." To interrupt means "to break into." And this is what God likes to do. He likes to
break into our lives.
We are people with full schedules. We often think that our security is in our plans, our routines, our
calendars and in the control that we imagine we have over situations and circumstances around us. So
we develop neatly planned, tightly wrapped, well-ordered lives and think that our sufficiency will be in
these things. Then come the interruptions, because God is a God of interruptions.
This is why Christmas is all about interruptions. It is all about God breaking into neatly planned tightly
wrapped, well-ordered lives and doing something new.
Think about Mary. She was a young virgin, engaged to be married, when suddenly God the Father
makes her pregnant with God the Son by the power of God the Holy Spirit. That's an interruption!
Think about Joseph. He was a man of righteousness and purity, treating his fiancé with integrity and
respect when suddenly the angel of the Lord announces to him that Mary is pregnant and that God did
it. That's an interruption!
Think about the Shepherds. They were following their routine, working the midnight shift, when an angel
told them to go to Bethlehem and find a king in a feed trough. That's an interruption!
Think about the Wise Men. They were studying the stars (a well-ordered occupation), when God said:
"Get those baby gifts wrapped, saddle up those animals and follow the star." That's an interruption!
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Christmas is all about interruptions. Many of us are familiar with the Christmas story found in Luke 2.
There is another Christmas story found in John 1. It is less familiar to many people. You could call it "the
Reader's Digest Condensed Version" of the Christmas story. Here is how it goes:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God
in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been
made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men . . . The Word became flesh and made his
dwelling among us" (John 1:1-4, John 1:14).
The word "flesh" as it appears in this passage is the Greek word "carne," which literally means: "raw
meat". That first Christmas, God became "raw meat" and made his dwelling among us. That's an
interruption — God breaking into our world, so that He could be broken for us upon a cross, so that the
wall of our sin that separated us from Him could be broken down, so that He could break into our hearts
with his pardon and presence.
Christmas is all about interruptions because God is a God of interruptions! So here are three concrete
actions to which the interruptions of Christmas call you.
First of all, the interruptions of Christmas call you to
Acknowledge Your Need for God to Break Into Your Life
Go ahead and admit it. You like to develop your plans, routines, schedules and imaginary control over
circumstances around you and then think that your salvation and security is in these things. If you
doubt this, just consider what it has been like for you the past few weeks leading up to Christmas.
You can probably relate to the story of a little girl whose mother was busy getting ready for Christmas —
cooking, cleaning, shopping and wrapping presents. She was so wrapped up in it all that she was getting
stressed and irritable. Her daughter, excited by the Season, was also misbehaving. Finally, the mother
lost her temper and sent her daughter to her room, telling her to stay there and not come out.
After a while, the mother started regretting her harshness with her daughter. She went to the door of
her daughter's room, cracked it open, and heard her daughter praying this prayer: "And forgive us our
Christmases, as we forgive those who Christmas against us."
That's a prayer you may need to pray right now: "God forgive me for missing the main meaning of
Christmas. Forgive me for thinking that it is found in all the outward trappings of the Season, all the
routines, traditions and schedules. Help me to see that the real meaning of Christmas is found in You
breaking into this world in Jesus Christ and then breaking into my life to do something new."
The interruptions of Christmas call you to acknowledge your need for God to break into your life.
Secondly, these interruptions call you to
Ask Jesus Christ to Break In!
They summon you to invite Jesus to break into your life.
Parents and grandparents, I have a great line for you to say to your children or grandchildren on
Christmas Day if they start complaining that they didn't get what they wanted for Christmas. Just sit
them up on your lap, look them in the eye, and say: "Well, it isn't your birthday!"
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Remember this: it isn't your life. If you want to trust in Jesus as your Savior and follow Him as your
Lord, it isn't your life. Your life is Christ's life! As the Scripture says: "You are not your own; you were
bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). So invite Jesus Christ
to break into your life and to do what He wants to do.
Here's a one sentence prayer for you to pray every day in the New Year ahead: "Lord Jesus Christ, I
invite you to break into my life in a new way today." Pray this prayer every day with full sincerity of
heart and watch what Jesus Christ will do!
Acknowledge your need for God to break into your life. Ask Jesus Christ to break in. And here is the
third concrete action that the interruptions of Christmas call you to:
Look at Interruptions Not as Obstacles but as Opportunities
See them as opportunities for God to work in new and wonderful ways in your life. This is what Mary did.
This is what Joseph did. This is what the Shepherds did. This is what the Wise Men did. In turn, they saw
the glory of God manifested in their lives.
Many of the most significant, influential and impacting moments of our lives are not on our appointment
calendars and pre-planned schedules.
This is true for the everyday, mundane interruptions of life — the unexpected phone call, the chance
encounter, the unplanned delay in the middle of your day. Sometimes the whole course of our lives
hinges on moments like these. These everyday interruptions may seem like inconveniences, but they
are actually opportunities to see God work if you will have eyes to see.
This is true for the happy, joyous interruptions of life. Think about it. Who could schedule the moment
you first fall in love, or your child's first steps, or your grandchild's first words? You can't put such
important moments on your appointment calendar.
This is also true for the heartbreaking interruptions of life. Who would try to schedule the death of a
loved one, the moving away of a friend, the loss of a job, a financial setback or a major illness? These
interruptions disrupt our neatly planned, tightly wrapped, well-ordered lives. But they are also stepping
stones to a new and deeper life with God. They become some of the most profound opportunities we will
ever have to experience the glory of God in our lives.
This Christmas, you don't need a piece of paper pinned to your pants to remind you of these truths. All
you need is a manger, a cross, an empty tomb, a living Savior who says to you: "Acknowledge your
need for God to break into your life. Invite Me to do it. Look at interruptions not as obstacles but as
opportunities. And yes, you will have moments when — like the shepherds outside Bethlehem — you are
terrified by the interruptions. But I will be there saying ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great
joy. For this very day I will be born afresh into the circumstances and challenges of your life!'"
So go ahead. Pray that prayer. Pray it this Christmas. Pray it everyday in the New Year ahead. Pray it
right now: "Lord Jesus Christ, I invite you to break into my life in a new way today!" Amen!
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Sermon - Whose Child is This? ( Luke 1:39-55)
By Patrick R. Bruns (Preaching.com)
The little boy quickly reached for the Christmas package. It was from his grandmother. He was excited
about opening it and seeing what was inside. Grandma always came up with such great things. He
tossed aside the bow and, using a well-practiced two-handed method that seems to come instinctively to
all children, he tore away the bright red and green Christmas wrapping.
There was a white box. The boy took hold of the top. It stuck a little. He finally got the top off, tossed it
aside, wadded up the tissue that was underneath it, and dumped out the contents.
"What a beautiful sweater," remarked mom.
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"That looks just great," said dad.
"I wish I had one like that," said grandpa.
"I hope you like it," beamed grandma.
"Oh yuk! Clothes!" moaned the little boy. He started to cry. He could not be consoled.
Have you been in that family? I guess he wanted some toys. What we expect has a lot to do with how
we respond to life. Expectations and life go together somehow. Some would say: "Reach for the stars or
you'll be settling for less than you can be. Expect the most." Yet others would say: "Don't expect too
much and then you'll never be disappointed."
Whose advice should we take this Christmas? What kind of expectations should we have: ones that
reach for the stars, or ones that settle for whatever might happen to come along? Should we be filled
with expectations that marvel at all that might be possible in our lives and in our world, or should we
calm our expectations and simply hope beyond hope that nothing too awful comes our way? How should
we see things this Christmas?
These questions, of our expectations and how we see things, are central to this morning's Scripture
lesson. In the gospel we meet two women, Mary and her cousin Elizabeth. Both women are pregnant
and just amazed that they are. Neither had anticipated that they would conceive at this point in their
lives. Pregnancy was far from their minds, the last thing they would have expected.
Elizabeth was an old woman. She had never conceived before. She never thought she would. She had
quit thinking about it. All of a sudden, here she was in her later years -- pregnant. When this news
became apparent to her she heard these words: "Nothing is impossible with God."
And Mary was young, just a child really, engaged but not married. She wasn't thinking about getting
pregnant or worried about it, certainly not expecting it. But she was pregnant, too. When this news
became apparent to her she heard these words: "Do not be afraid."
Both of these women were confused and bewildered by these experiences, unsure what to make of
them, how to feel, how to respond. They didn't know how these events would affect their lives. They
wondered what to expect.
Yet, in their own ways, both women opened themselves to the possibilities that this turn of events might
offer in their lives. They did not merely expect the worst; rather, they clung to much higher aspirations,
reaching for a star.
They saw possibilities where others might only see problems.
They saw hope where others might only experience helplessness.
They saw marvelous responsibilities, where others might have seen miserable realities.
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Mary makes the long journey to visit her cousin Elizabeth. The journey probably took several days. Mary
stays with Elizabeth during the last months of her pregnancy. And these two women -- one older and
filled with the wisdom of life, one younger and filled with hope for the future --these two women become
good friends as they talk and wonder and worry and reflect on the unusual things that are happening to
them. They spend long hours talking about what all this must mean. In the end, they are filled with a
sense that something powerful and wonderful is in the offing, something that will affect everything;
nothing will ever be the same.
The scene was crowded, busy, hectic, frantic, rushed, pressured. You guessed it: I was in the mall. And
I had prayed to God that I would never ever have to make another trip to the mall the week before
Christmas.
Our three-year-old daughter Elizabeth was with me and with the press of people I thought it best to rent
one of those mall strollers so I could keep her nearby. I went to the information area and waited to pay
my dollar and take a stroller. It was some wait there too: crowded, crowded, crowded.
As Elizabeth and I waited, more or less patiently, we heard this loud crying. It went on and on. It was a
shrill and panicked cry. We had to look around to see where the crying was coming from. Soon my eyes
focused on a lost child and my heart hurt. There she was: sobbing, screaming, terrified. The child didn't
know where her parents were. Friendly folks near the child bent down to speak to her. She cried all the
harder. Someone tried to take her hand, but she fearfully jerked her hand away and cried harder still.
One of the mall employees noticed what was going on and paged mall security. Another employee went
to the child, tried to talk to her -- got nowhere; tried to take her hand -- got nowhere; and then began
asking everyone and no one in particular this question: "Whose child is this? Whose child is this?"
Within moments the child's dad appeared on the scene -- just in the nick of time, for the girl looked like
she was about to fall apart. And then she recognized dad and rushed to him. Dad knelt to scoop his
daughter in his arms and gave her a long reassuring hug and a kiss on the neck. We knew then "whose
child this was." Both dad and child had tears drifting down their cheeks.
In that wild scene in the mall -- crowds of people, some interested in this child, others giving quick
glances and rushing by, others with absolutely no idea that anything out of the ordinary was happening
-- it struck me that the question of Christmas had been lifted up: "Whose child is this?" It is the question
Elizabeth and Mary struggled with and resolved in their own minds with such high expectations. It is a
question we are invited to struggle with also.
Whose Child is this? This is the child who transformed all life and will transform our lives if we let Him.
Whose Child is this? This is God's child. The child who lets us know that God cares in a powerful way;
the child who whispers to us the things that are really important, things that matter and things that we
can trust, now and forever; the child who declares God's wondrous presence, if only we stop long
enough and quiet ourselves enough to see and to hear that presence.
Whose Child is this? This is our child, the child of our hopes and of our dreams, the child of our fondest
imaginings, the child who can bring those things that we so deeply want to this tumultuous world and to
our troubled lives. This is the child who bears the peace that passes all understanding, that invites us to
meanings that go far beyond the external trappings of life, that go far beyond the pains or
disappointments we may encounter in life.
Whose Child is this? This is the world's child, the one who can direct us to what is important, the one
who can focus on what deeply matters, the one who can become the center of meaning and purpose in
life.
What are our expectations this Christmas? What are our hopes? Whose Child is this?
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http://www.ctainc.com/Free_Resource_Index_Page.asp
At this website known mostly for selling ministry themed gifts, and Christmas ornaments, is a hidden
treasure trove of top quality free downloadable items, including many that can be customized.
There are nine different themes for children’s ministries, including “Happy Birthday Jesus,”
“A Night Like No Other,” “Jesus, The Sweetest Gift,” and “Great News, Great Joy,” (artwork pictured
above).
The downloadable items include full color: invitations, flyers, program covers, songs, Power Point
presentations, activity pages and more. Many of these items are customizable. Included with each
theme are ministry messages that could easily be used with children and adults. There are also
coordinating songs, skits, and videos all of which could be used for a Christmas party, family night,
Sunday School event, Christmas evening program, etc.
CTA also has similar materials available in a dozen other events, spanning from Thanksgiving to
Valentine’s Day, Women’s Ministry, Men’s Ministry, Visitor, Community Outreach, and Children’s
Ministry. In addition, there is a link on top of the page for a monthly church newsletter: the front side
with thoughts to “Pause, Ponder, and Pray” based on that month and you can add your ministry's
information to the back, add or delete calendar dates and send out to your corps members.
Advent Resources (USW, 2014)
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