SERMON: THE AFTER-CHRISTMAS JESUS

30 December 2012

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Acts 18:1-11

Acts 18:1-11 (NIV)

1 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them,

3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.

4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

5 When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

6 But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

7 Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God.

8 Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.

9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.

10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city."

11 So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

            -- well, it's over -- after weeks of frantic activity -- after weeks of buying and decorating trees and putting up lights -- after weeks of shopping and wrapping presents -- of going to Christmas parties and preparing special meals and goodies only made once a year -- Christmas came and went with a whisper -- just a moment in time -- and now it's done and gone
            -- you'd think that given the amount of time and preparation that we put into Christmas, that we'd see it last a lot longer than it does -- you'd think Christmas would be something that would linger -- a celebration that would at least last as long as the time of preparation -- but by Christmas Day, the gifts are opened, the food has been eaten, and plans are being made to take the decorations down
            -- just think for a moment about how much time you spent preparing for Christmas and how quick it was over -- much like the first coming of Christ to this world
            -- the world looked for the coming of the Messiah for 4,000 years -- the Jews spent thousands of years preparing the people to receive their King -- but despite all their years of preparation -- despite all the time they took getting ready and decorating their temple with religious trapping, when He came, He really was not with us that long
            -- Jesus only lived 33 years on this earth -- and other than the two stories in Matthew and Luke about His birth and the one account of Jesus being left in the temple as a boy of 12, we know nothing about how He spent the first 30 years of His life
            -- really, all we know about Jesus is what He did during the last three years of His life -- the three years of His ministry that culminated in the cross and the empty tomb

            -- and I bring this up to make a point -- if before even the creation of this world, the plan had been for Jesus to come to earth to be our Savior and to show wayward humans the way back to the Father -- if God had prepared the people for 4,000 years to get ready for the coming of the Messiah through His word and His prophets, it seems to me that He would have spent more time on earth with us than just 33 years

            -- and certainly it seems that if His mission was so great as to cause the death of His one and only Son, that He would have spent more than just three years out of His short 33 years of life directly ministering to us

            -- His time here was brief, to say the least -- and that makes me wonder why -- and that makes me wonder what we are to do with this after-Christmas Jesus
            -- C.S. Lewis once wrote that “a great many things have gone wrong with this world that God made -- and God insists, and insists very loudly, on our putting them right again”
            -- this is the reason for Christmas -- this is why Jesus came to us as the incarnate Messiah 2,000 years ago

            -- He came to show us how to live in God's kingdom -- He came to put things right in the world again through His death -- He came to give us power through His very presence indwelling us -- and then He returned to us the original responsibility given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden -- the responsibility to take care of this world and of all He has created

            -- in his essay, "The Mood of Christmas," Howard Thurman wrote:

            -- "When the song of the angels is stilled -- When the star in the sky is gone -- When the kings and princes are home -- When the shepherds are back with their flock --
The work of Christmas begins:
            -- "To find the lost -- To heal the broken -- To feed the hungry -- To release the prisoner -- To rebuild the nations -- To bring peace among people -- To make music in the heart."

            -- Jesus stayed no longer than necessary to put all things right once again and to give us the power to do the work of Christmas -- He restored the world through His death -- He broke the chains of sin and death through His resurrection -- and then He left this earth and returned to Heaven, leaving us as His stewards and instruments of His grace in this world

            -- so what do we do with an after-Christmas Jesus? -- what do we do now that Jesus has left and Christmas is over? -- we continue on with the work He started -- we complete the mission Adam and Eve failed to do -- we take back the night and usher in the light of Christ into this world
            -- Christ told us in the Great Commission given in Matthew 28:18-20 what to do -- He said to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all the things He commanded us to do

            -- but what does that look like? -- it's an easy passage to memorize -- it's an easy passage to talk about within the safe confines of a Sunday worship service -- but what does this look like in practice? -- how do we fulfill the Great Commission? -- how do we the work of Christmas?

            -- educators tell us there are two primary ways of learning -- you either learn by doing -- by hands-on education -- learning on-the-job, if you will -- or you learn by example -- by watching what someone else does and then applying it in your own life
 
            -- the church doesn't do a great job any more with teaching by doing -- but that's a direction that I would like to see us go -- for example, the bags that we prepared at Christmas to pass out to people working on Christmas Day was designed to teach by doing -- rather than just donating money or resources, this ministry requires us to get our hands dirty and to go into uncomfortable settings to pass on the love of Christ through a simple gift -- I'd like to see us do more of this kind of thing in the future because this is a great way to learn how to do more than just talk about ministry -- it teaches us how to do ministry
            -- but, that said, clearly we can't teach by doing very well in a Sunday morning worship service, so we are left with learning by example
            -- and so this morning we are going to look at a passage from Acts 18 to see how the Apostle Paul did the work of Christmas in his day so we might learn to follow his example and do the same in our own communities and areas of influence
 
            -- before we turn back to the Scriptures, let me give you the context of this passage -- Acts 18 finds the Apostle Paul in the midst of his second missionary journey -- this trip throughout the lands of the Mediterranean started with an argument -- a sharp dispute with his partner Barnabas -- and that spirit of contention followed Paul throughout his journey
            -- in Philippi Paul and Silas were thrown in prison because of their ministry -- in Thessalonica and Berea Paul found himself at odds with the Jews and was forced to flee these cities because of their threats against him -- and then in Athens, Paul was rejected by the Greeks with his talk of the resurrection -- Acts 18 finds Paul moving yet again, from Athens to the city of Corinth

            -- if you would, please look back at verse 1 here and lets see what we can learn about doing the work of Christmas through Paul's ministry in Corinth

            -- verse 1

Acts 18:1-11 (NIV)

1 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them,

3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.

4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

5 When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

 

            -- when Paul was in Athens, he was alone -- when he fled Berea because of the threats of the Jews, he left Silas and Timothy behind and went to Athens by himself -- and although he spoke to the Greeks at a meeting of the Areopagus, the gathering of the leaders and great thinkers of Athens, Paul did not enjoy great success in that place
            -- so when he arrived in Corinth, he immediately sought out the company of two other Christians -- Aquila and Priscilla -- and he stayed with them and worked with them until his companions arrived from Macedonia
            -- there's a lesson there for us -- God's plan was not for us to minister alone, but to minister and to serve alongside others -- when Jesus sent out His disciples to minister in the region around Judea, He didn't send them alone -- He sent them out in pairs -- and we read in Ecclesiastes 4:9, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work"
            -- Paul's example to us is to seek the company and support of another Christian as we seek to do the work of Christmas -- that doesn't mean we use this as an excuse to not share the gospel or not minister to those in need -- if  you are the only one there, God certainly expects you to do as Paul did in Athens and to speak and act in His name -- but the best option is to minister with someone else to share the load and to offer support and encouragement

            -- verse 6

6 But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

7 Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God.

8 Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.

 

            -- the world will always be filled with two kinds of people --  those who receive the word of God with gladness and trust and believe in Jesus as their Savior and those who reject Jesus and His gospel of grace

            -- when you do the work of Christmas, expect opposition -- expect rejection -- Jesus was rejected from the moment He was born as we read in Matthew of Herod trying to take His life -- Paul was rejected by his own people and cast out of the synagogues in every town he went to -- and you will experience the same rejection as you try to do the work of Christmas in this world today
            -- but know that when you face opposition and rejection, it is not you they are opposing -- it is not you they are rejecting -- they are rejecting the person of Christ -- they are opposing the message of the gospel because their eyes have been blinded by the god of this age and they do not want to come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed
            -- opposition and rejection will come -- but, on the other hand, so will acceptance -- when Paul was forced to leave the synagogue in Corinth because of the Jew's opposition, he turned to the Gentiles and saw great fruit among them -- many of the Corinthians heard the message of grace and believed in Jesus as their Lord and Savior and were baptized
            -- if you persevere in doing the work of Christmas, you will see fruit -- when Brooke and I went out to pass out the bags to workers on Christmas, I have to say I was a little disheartened at first -- we went to three jiffy stores and passed out bags to the people working there -- the response was not great -- they took the bags like they were poisonous snakes and were not thankful at all -- they didn't want what we had to offer -- it wasn't what I hoped it would be and I was a little disappointed
            -- but then we went to a few other places, and the response was different -- the workers were genuinely excited to receive the little gift we had -- they smiled and thanked us and some even gave us hugs -- all for a bag with just a little bit of candy and cookies
            -- that's the way it is when you do the work of Christmas -- that's what we see here in Paul's ministry -- some will reject what you have to offer -- but others will receive the good news of Christ with open hearts and open arms, just as Luke says many of the Corinthians did

            -- verse 9

9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.

10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city."

11 So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

 

            -- when I think of the Apostle Paul, I picture him as a giant of a man -- maybe not large in stature, but large in ministry -- here was a man who went on three missionary journeys -- who suffered at the hands of his own people -- who was stoned to death once but revived by God -- who was in peril at the hands of thieves and robbers -- who went hungry and thirsty -- who experienced shipwrecks and prison -- but who persevered and continued to carry the message of grace to the world
            -- I picture him as a man who never gave up -- who never faltered in the face of opposition -- who always picked himself up and kept going no matter what came against him -- a man who was always strong and never doubted
            -- but these verses tend to say otherwise -- Paul was a man like us -- and there were times when he was afraid -- when he was discouraged -- when he despaired
            -- can you imagine what it felt like to be rejected time and time again by your own kin? -- to only find welcome in the arms of strangers?
            -- I think there were times when Paul felt like giving up -- and I think Paul may have been in that state of mind while he was in Corinth -- so God spoke to Paul in a vision and encouraged him -- He told Paul to not be afraid, but to keep on speaking -- for He was with him and would never leave him or forsake him
            -- and then at the end of verse 10, the Lord tells Paul the reason why he should not give up -- "I have many people in this city"

 

            -- the first time I read that verse, I thought that the Lord was referring to the other believers in Corinth -- the church that He had established through Paul -- but looking at the context, that doesn't bear out
            -- why would Paul be afraid if he was surrounded by great numbers of believers? -- why would he doubt if he was seeing this much fruit from his ministry?
            -- I think God was giving Paul a glimpse of the harvest to come -- I think God was telling Paul to stay, because there were many in the city of Corinth who had not come to believe yet, but who were destined to put their faith in Jesus as their Lord and Savior
            -- Jesus had many people in the city of Corinth who needed to hear the gospel from Paul

 

            -- I think that's something we should consider as we seek to do the work of Christmas -- it's easy to get discouraged and disheartened when we don't see any results -- when we share the love of Christ by giving people money and resources and never hear from them again until they need something else -- it's easy to lose heart and question why we're here in the first place
            -- but I believe this message of God to Paul is true for us, as well -- there are many people in this city who belong to Jesus -- they just don't know it yet
            -- there are many people in this city who need to hear the gospel -- who need to know the love of Christ -- and who Jesus promises will come to Him -- and He wants us to be the ones to reach them
            -- we know by experience that there are people in this city who are not being reached by the traditional churches -- people who have been overlooked and who are struggling in the shadow of the steeples
            -- we have seen some of these people respond to Christ through the ministry He has given us here at Koinonia -- and I believe there are many more that He is calling for us to reach
            -- it's just a matter of trusting in God's word and persevering in the work to which He has called us -- Paul responded to this vision of God by staying in Corinth for a year and half -- longer than he had spent at any city prior to this time
            -- I'm sure it wasn't easy -- I'm sure he faced continual difficulty and opposition -- but many were added to the church through Paul's ministry in that place -- and I believe that God wants us to continue on and minister in His name so many might be added to His church in this place

IV.  Closing

            -- there’s a song that we occasionally sing here in church -- "God of This City" -- -- it was originally written and performed by a group from Ireland called, “Blue Tree,” but it really took off when Chris Tomlin released it -- when I started thinking about doing the work of Christmas and the message of God to Paul in Corinth, I couldn’t help but think about this song
            -- the story behind it is remarkable and speaks to what an after-Christmas Jesus does in our world today -- I know some of you know this story, but maybe not all of you -- so let me share it with you this morning
 
            -- the band Blue Tree had been invited by some friends to travel to Thailand to be part of a Christian worship event -- the lead singer for the group wrote that this was the darkest place anyone would ever go to -- physically and spiritually -- they said you can just feel the evil there -- you can just feel the enemy all over that place
            -- the band played for several days in a resort area there in Thailand -- and they said it was great -- they really experienced God’s presence there -- but they felt called to do more -- and so they told their friends, “If you can get us anywhere else to play -- anywhere -- we want to play -- we just want to do what we do in the middle of somewhere and go head-on [against the evil in this place]”
            -- there was a bar there in Thailand called the Climax Bar -- it’s on a street that is filled with every vice imaginable -- thousands of prostitutes -- including children as young as eight and nine years old selling themselves on the street to whoever wanted them -- drugs -- alcohol -- gambling -- a den of iniquity -- a cesspool of evil
            -- the owners of this bar said that Blue Tree could come in and sing if they brought a group of people with them and if the people agreed to buy drinks during the entire show -- the owners didn’t know that Blue Tree was a Christian band -- in fact, the band said most of the people there didn’t even speak English -- all the owners wanted was to get someone in there who would spend money
            -- it turns out the bar was a strip club and brothel -- but Blue Tree still went and played -- and for two hours -- standing right there on the stage next to the stripper poles -- Blue Tree lifted God up in praise
            -- in the middle of the darkness, they did the same thing that Paul did in Corinth -- they did the same thing that God is calling us to do today -- they praised Him for what He had done -- they praised Him for His miracles -- for His forgiveness of sin -- for His victory over death
            -- and as they were singing, God spoke to the band -- all of a sudden, the lead singer started singing the phrase, “Greater things,” over and over again -- and he said it felt like God was prophesying over that city -- over the evil in that land
            -- the words just came -- the music followed -- and before they knew it, God had given them the song, “God Of This City” -- played for the first time on earth in a brothel -- played for the first time on earth in a place of evil -- played to proclaim God’s presence and plan for the people in that city in Thailand
            -- here’s the words that God gave them that night:

            -- "You’re the God of this city -- you’re the King of these people -- You’re the Lord of this nation -- You are

            -- You’re the light in this darkness -- You’re the hope to the hopeless -- You’re the peace to the restless -- You are
            -- There is no one like our God -- There is no one like our God
            -- For greater things have yet to come -- and greater things are still to be done in this City -- For greater things have yet to come -- and greater things are still to be done here
            -- We believe -- We believe in you, God"

            -- the message of this song is the same one that Jesus brought when He was born in a manger over 2,000 years ago -- it's the same message that He carried up the hill of Calvary -- it's the same message that burst forth from the tomb on Easter morning -- it's the same message that Paul proclaimed in Corinth and the same message we are called to proclaim here in Valdosta

           -- God is in the business of doing great things -- that is what Christmas is all about -- God has done great things -- but greater things have yet to come -- greater things are still to be done -- for there are many people in this city who belong to Jesus that He wants us to reach because we can do it where no one else can    

            -- the question before us this morning is, “What greater things does God want to do in this place? What greater things does God want to do in you?”

            -- Christmas may be over, but Christ is not done -- the after-Christmas Jesus calls us to action this morning -- He is calling us to carry His light to the darkness -- His hope to the hopeless -- His peace to the restless
            -- He is calling us to greater things -- so as I close, let me ask, will you commit to His call right now? -- will you leave here and do the work of Christmas in this new year?

            -- let us pray

 

SERMON: ROOM FOR HIM

23 December 2012

 

I.  Introduction

      -- turn in Bibles to Luke 2:1-7

Luke 2:1-7 (NIV)

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.

2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)

3 And everyone went to his own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,

7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

      -- when I became a pastor, I assumed that everyone was familiar with the traditional Bible stories like the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden -- Noah and the Ark -- David and Goliath -- and Jesus walking on the water -- but I quickly found out that I was wrong, and I came to realize that many of the people who may be regular attendees at our church services were never taught these stories and don't know them

      -- but there are two stories that everyone seems to know -- regardless of whether they are regular church-goers or just casual visitors -- they know the story of Easter -- of Jesus' death and resurrection -- and they know this story -- the story of Jesus' birth -- the story of Mary's miraculous pregnancy -- of Joseph's display of faith shown in his willingness to remain engaged to Mary -- and the story of the couple travelling to Bethlehem where Jesus is born in a manger
      -- this is probably one of the most well known stories of all time -- we grew up knowing it, and we celebrate it in our churches during this season -- we relive it when we put up our nativity sets and we remember it again when we see Christmas pageants or the Christmas stories on TV
      -- because it is such a well-known story, you would think this story would grow dull in its telling -- after hearing it time and time again, you would think there would be nothing new to learn -- nothing new to experience
      -- I have probably read this passage of scripture hundreds of times -- I even have it memorized -- and because I'm so familiar with it -- because I know it so well, I never imagined that I might get anything new out of it
      -- but, as the Bible says, God's Word is living and active -- it speaks to our hearts and reveals new truths, even in familiar passages like this, if we but let the Holy Spirit speak to us
      -- I was recently reading this passage again in preparation for Christmas when God revealed something new to me -- something that I had never seen -- I'm sure others have seen it -- you might have reflected on it yourself -- but this was a new revelation for me

II.  The Nativity Story

      -- if you don't mind, let me spend just a minute here and recap the story of Mary and Joseph captured in the first couple of chapters of Luke
      -- Joseph and Mary are living in Nazareth -- they had been engaged to be married for some time when Mary was found to be pregnant -- she claimed that an angel from God came and told her that she would bear a child, the Son of God, even though she was a virgin
      -- Joseph wasn't sure what to do -- he wrestled with divorcing her or putting her away or even having her punished for being pregnant out of wedlock -- but God spoke to him in a dream and confirmed Mary's story, so Joseph remained faithful to her and trusted her even though no one else in Nazareth probably did
      -- as they are there in Nazareth -- waiting for their wedding -- waiting for the baby to be born -- the word comes that Caesar is requiring everyone to go to the town of their fathers to be registered -- to be counted in a new census -- probably so he could make sure everyone was being taxed correctly
      -- since Joseph was of the line of David, Joseph and Mary leave Nazareth and head out to Bethlehem
      -- this is a journey of about 100 miles -- and Luke doesn't give us a lot of details about it -- we do know that it would have been an arduous journey -- crossing deserts and treacherous terrain -- it would have been difficult for a healthy adult to do in a reasonable amount of time -- we can only imagine how difficult it was for Mary, because she was in her eighth or ninth month of pregnancy
      -- they eventually make it to Bethlehem -- they stumble into the village -- no doubt they were tired and worn out from their journeys -- Mary was probably in great discomfort from her travels -- and I'm sure they looked forward to getting a room at a local inn -- to spend the night inside for a change -- to be in a place that was warm and dry and comfortable -- not just a campsite by the road
      -- but Luke says that they couldn't find an inn that would take them -- there was no room for them -- so they were forced to stay in a stable, which was probably nothing more than a cave cut out of the solid rock -- there Mary gave birth to Jesus and laid Him in a manger -- the Lord God Almighty -- the Creator of the Universe -- the Bread of Life -- laying in a trough used to feed livestock

III.  No Room for Them

a.  No room for them

      -- now here's that part that I had never noticed before -- look back at verse 6

6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,

7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

      -- let me read one phrase for you again -- "because there was no room for them in the inn" -- did you catch what that said? -- this is what I had never seen before -- "there was no room -- for them"

      -- all my life I was under the impression that the reason Mary and Joseph ended up in the stable was because the inn was full -- that's exactly what we sing in our hymns and our Christmas songs -- that's exactly what we see in all of the movies about the birth of Christ

      -- when Joseph and Mary make it into Bethlehem, right at dark, she is having labor pains and they rush to the inn, but they are told, "There is no room -- the inn is full -- but you can stay in the stable out back"
      -- but, that's not what Luke says happened here -- he doesn't say the inn was full -- he just says that there was no room "for them"
      -- talk about your pregnant phrases -- what does that mean? -- "For them" -- what was it about this couple that made the innkeeper turn them away?

b.  Open Doors

     -- as I was meditating on this passage, I thought about a vision statement the Methodist Church used a few years ago while I was still a Methodist pastor -- "Open Hearts -- Open Minds -- Open Doors"
      -- out of all the slogans the Methodist Church came up with while I was with them -- out of all the vision statements they created as a way to reach people -- this was my favorite -- and it became part of the vision of Koinonia as we came together to form this church
      -- open hearts -- open minds -- open doors

      -- I guess it's obvious from even a casual reading of this passage from Luke that the little inn in Bethlehem didn't have open doors -- regardless of the great need, its doors weren't opened to receive this small family from Nazareth or the coming Messiah

      -- in Revelation 3:20, Jesus said, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." -- I wonder if He thought back to that time in Bethlehem -- I wonder if He thought of the innkeeper as He said those words
     -- when Mary and Joseph showed up at the door of the inn with the Savior of the world and knocked, it remained closed to them -- but this shouldn't be a surprise to us -- in Jesus' time here on earth, many doors were closed to Him -- He knocked on the door of the synagogue in Nazareth and proclaimed the fulfillment of prophecy, and was thrown out -- He knocked on the doors of the temple and proclaimed His deity, and was crucified -- He knocked on the door of this world which He created and cried out to the people He had chosen, and He was rejected

     -- Jesus continues to knock on doors to this very day -- the doors of our lives -- seeking entrance as our Lord and Savior -- what happens when He stands at your door and knocks? -- is it like the inn at Bethlehem -- locked and closed to Him?
      -- do you turn Him away, telling Him that there is no room for Him in your life? -- "I'm sorry -- my life is already filled with family and friends -- with my job -- with my things -- with pleasure and the pursuit of happiness -- I just don't have room for you right now -- try again later"

      -- there's one thing about me that I don't know if I've ever shared with you or not -- when I go places, I like to stop and visit churches -- I like to visit these holy places -- to catch a glimpse and a vision of what God is doing in these places     -- almost everywhere I've been, I've gone and just dropped in to look around churches -- I've been in churches in Washington, D.C., and in Key West and in other places -- in fact, when we went on the cruise this past September, I went into a church in the Cayman Islands just to look around

      -- a few years ago I happened to go by a large Methodist church in our area -- and I thought to myself, "You know, I've never seen their sanctuary" -- I'd been in the church before, but never in the sanctuary -- and I just wanted to see what it was like -- so I climbed the steps up to the double doors that led to the place of worship, grabbed the handle, and pulled -- the door was locked tight -- no one was getting in there
      -- as I walked back down the steps, I glanced to my left and noticed the church had a banner right next to the entrance proclaiming the current slogan for the church: "Open hearts -- Open Minds -- Open Doors" -- but their doors were not open to all
      -- but to be honest, this isn't just a problem in this particular church -- we see the same thing in many churches today -- our doors may not always be physically shut to those who drop by to visit, but the doors to our hearts and to our lives and to true fellowship with others are closed and no one is allowed in

      -- the vision of "open doors" is a bold statement, and I like to think it applies to us here at Koinonia -- it is a declaration that our church is an open, receiving place where people like Mary and Joseph won't be turned away -- that our little congregation will be a place where people can find grace through the presence of the Lord

      -- when we started Koinonia, this was one of my first prayers and remains a continuing vision for us to this day -- I pray that we will be known as a welcoming sanctuary -- a place and a people whose doors are always open to those in need -- to those seeking rest -- to those seeking the Lord -- regardless of who they are

c.  Open Minds

      -- which brings us to our next point -- what about open minds? -- that is one thing the innkeeper certainly didn't have
      -- we don't know the real reason the inn was closed to Mary and Joseph -- why there was no room "for them" -- but we can guess that there was something about the couple that the innkeeper just didn't like and just didn't want around 
      -- what prejudice was displayed when he only offered up to them the stable in the back? -- who else had he rejected that night?
      -- were they turned away because of their appearance? -- because they weren't wearing fine clothes -- because the innkeeper thought they were too poor to have the money for a room?          -- or did he turn them away because he had heard their story? -- it is likely that others from Nazareth had made the journey to Bethlehem for the Roman census -- did they carry with them the gossip of the day? -- did they share with the innkeeper their suspicions that Mary had been unfaithful to Joseph and engaged in sexual relations before marriage? -- when they knocked on his door that night, did he recognize them and refuse them entry because she was a sinner and he didn't want that type of person mingling with his righteous guests?
      -- having an open mind means you accept all who come -- the rich and the poor -- the noble and the peasant -- the saved and the sinner -- without judgment or prejudice

      -- we sometimes forget the root meaning of that word prejudice -- it means to pre-judge someone -- it means we assume something about someone before we ever even meet them -- before we know anything about them -- and, truth be told, we do it all the time

      -- Max Lucado, the Christian author, writes in one of his books about the time he was at a service station when this family pulls up next to him -- they get out of the car and he immediately stereotypes them -- look at that man -- he's probably a work-a-holic with no time for his family -- and look at his wife -- another bleached-blonde trophy wife -- probably drinks during the day -- that son looks like a hoodlum -- probably on drugs -- and look at the daughter with her piercings and hair -- she's probably someone with a bad reputation at school
      -- and as he's thinking these thoughts -- as he's pre-judging them -- all of sudden, the mother looks over and sees him and says something to her family and they run over and surround him -- they start shaking his hand and saying, "We recognized you immediately from your books -- we just love your books -- we've studied several of them at church -- and we really wanted to come hear you speak in our sanctuary last month, but that was family night for us, and we never let anything come between us and the time we have carved out with our family" -- then they prayed with him and asked God to bless him and they left, waving through the windows as he stood there watching them drive away
      -- Lucado says he had committed the worst sin possible -- he had pre-judged these people and shut the door of grace to them in his heart

      -- the Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God -- that none of us are righteous in His eyes - that all of us need a Savior

      -- the good news of Christmas is that the Savior accepts all who come to Him -- all who knock on the door and seek His face -- regardless of their situation -- regardless of where they are in their lives -- and He offers forgiveness and healing and salvation to all who come
      -- as it says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have eternal life"
      -- when we say we are a church and a people with open minds that means that we believe that God accepts all -- it means that we believe in the power of God to heal and save all who come -- and it means that we trust in His power to bring eternity into the lives of those who need it most

d.  Open Hearts

      -- not having an open mind might explain one reason that the innkeeper didn't open his doors to Mary and Joseph on that winter night in Bethlehem so many years ago -- but there could be another -- to borrow from Dr. Seuss's story, "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas"
      -- "it could be perhaps that his shoes were too tight -- it could be his head wasn't screwed on just right -- but I think the most likely reason of all -- was that his heart was two sizes too small"
      -- why did the innkeeper close his door to Mary and Joseph and Jesus that night? -- it could be because his heart was not right

      -- in order to receive the Christ Child at Christmas -- in order to receive Jesus -- we have to have an open heart -- we have to answer that knock on the door of our life -- we have to hear His voice calling us to repentance and forgiveness -- we have to respond to His call to be our Lord and Savior

      -- and in order to be a person or a church who leads others to Christ, we have to have an open heart -- to receive them as they are -- to lead them to the cross -- and to point them to the Savior
      -- we can't reject people because of their status -- because of their wealth or lack of wealth -- because of their clothes -- we can't reject people because of their race -- or their sex -- or any other factor -- even because of their sins -- because the manger is big enough to take us all in -- the cross is big enough to cover all our sins -- and the Savior is big enough to save us all

IV.  Closing

      -- let me close by sharing with you a true story about the time a typical Christmas pageant at church turned magical -- Miss Lumbard was trying to assign all the children to their appropriate roles
      -- Wally wanted to be a shepherd and have a flute, but Miss Lumbard found a more important role for Wally -- He was about nine, and rather big for his age, but he was also rather slow -- Miss Lumbard thought his size would make the lines of the Inn Keeper more forceful -- also, this wasn't a big role and it shouldn't be hard for Wally to remember the lines
      -- on the night of the play, the usual crowd of parents and loved ones gathered for the church's program -- none of them more taken up by the story than Wally -- Wally stood in the wings fascinated and so caught up in the story that from time to time Miss Lumbard had to remind him not to wander on stage
      -- Then the time came -- Mary and Joseph made their way to Bethlehem and appeared slowly moving toward the inn -- Joseph knocked on the door and Wally the Innkeeper was there waiting -- "What do you want?" He said as he swung the door open. "We seek lodging"
      -- "Seek it elsewhere" Wally said looking straight ahead and speaking brusquely
      -- "Sir, we have asked everywhere in vain and we have traveled so far." -- "There is no room in the inn for you." -- Wally was playing his part well and looked properly stern to the couple who had showed up at his door
      -- "Please, Mr. Innkeeper, this is my wife -- she is heavy with child and we need a place to rest for the night"
      -- Now for the first time Wally relaxed -- He looked at Mary -- and with that there was a long pause
      -- The audience got a little bit tense and embarrassed -- they could tell something was wrong -- did Wally forget his part?
      --Miss Lumbard called out the next line from the side of the stage, "No, be gone!" -- and dutifully, Wally repeated, "No, be gone.!"
      -- Joseph placed his arm around Mary and walked sadly away -- The tired little mother of Jesus laid her head on his shoulder -- but, the innkeeper didn't return to his inn -- Wally stood there watching the forlorn couple walk away -- his mouth stood open, his brow was creased, his eyes began to fill with tears -- suddenly this Christmas pageant became different from all the others.
      -- "Don't go Joseph," Wally called out. "Bring Mary back". -- Wally's face grew into a beaming smile, "You can have my room."

     

     -- Open Hearts -- Open Minds -- Open Doors -- how few and far between those were on that original Christmas Eve in Bethlehem so many years ago -- and how few and far between do they seem in our day and time
      -- as we join together today on this last Sunday before Christmas -- as we join together to celebrate the coming birth of our Messiah -- may we reflect for a moment on what it means to truly have open hearts -- open minds -- and open doors -- not only for our family and friends -- not only for those who come to our services -- but also for Jesus Himself
      -- maybe some of you have never opened your hearts and your lives to Christ -- maybe there is no room for Him in your life -- but this morning, He is knocking -- this morning He is asking to be allowed in -- will you respond as the innkeeper or as Wally? -- will you open your heart to Him and receive Him as Lord and Savior -- or will you turn Him away?

      -- the good news of Christmas is as easy as A-B-C

      -- Admit that you are a sinner -- that you have done things that you shouldn't have done -- that you are not living the life you should
      -- Believe that Jesus is the Son of God -- that He died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead on the third day to bring us eternal life
      -- and Confess with your lips that Jesus Christ is Lord and you will be saved

      -- if you have never done that before -- or if you're not sure of where you stand with God -- then Christ invites you to do so before you leave here today -- I will be happy to pray with you -- just come up and ask or catch me after the service

      -- for those of you who are saved -- who have received Christ into your life -- I urge you to leave here today with your hearts and your minds open to those around you -- open to those who need Jesus -- and I urge you to make sure the doors to our hearts are never closed to any who wish to come and share with us the joy of the Lord and true Koinonia with one another

      -- let us pray

SERMON: THE HERALDS OF CHRISTMAS

 

9 December 2012

I.  Introduction

      -- turn in Bibles to Luke 2:1-20

 Luke 2:1-20 (NIV)
¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
³ And everyone went to his own town to register.
⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,
⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
¹⁰ 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.
¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
¹⁴ "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
¹⁵ 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."
¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,
¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

-- as you know, it's Christmas time -- the signs are all around us -- the stores are filled with people -- Christmas trees are for sale on every corner -- but the greatest sign of all is when Christmas lists start appearing in your e-mail or on your refrigerator -- everyone wants to make sure you know exactly what it is they want for Christmas so you don't go out and get them the wrong thing

-- it reminds me of a joke I heard the other day -- two little boys had gone over to their grandparent's house to spend the night right before Christmas -- and when they were getting ready for bed and had kneeled down to say their bedtime prayers, the smallest boy began yelling his prayer at the top of his lungs: "DEAR GOD, FOR CHRISTMAS I WOULD LIKE A PLAYSTATION, A MOTOR BIKE, SCOOTER, NEW VIDEO GAMES..."

     -- His brother said, "Why are you yelling? God can hear you; He is not deaf." -- The younger brother replied, "I know God's not deaf, but grandma is..."
      -- this little boy had an announcement to make, and he wanted to be sure his grandmother heard what he had to say

      -- it seems like there are always announcements like this at Christmas -- in addition to the lists we make that announce what presents we want Santa to bring -- there are the announcements of special sales in the stores and special services in our churches and in our communities -- and if you visit one of the major stores in our area right now, you'll hear the bells ringing out from the Salvation Army bell-ringers announcing they need our help to feed the homeless

      -- it seems like someone always is trying to get our attention and tell us their particular message at this time of the year -- so this morning I wanted to spend some time talking about the heralds of Christmas -- those people who had a message to share about Christmas and the coming of the Messiah and Savior

II.  The Angels

      -- look back at verse 1

 Luke 2:1-20 (NIV)
¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
³ And everyone went to his own town to register.
⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,
⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

            -- Luke opens his story of the birth of Christ with three words wrapped in a depth meaning we sometimes miss -- he write, "In those days..." 

      -- what are "those" days? -- what is he referencing? -- it appear Luke has a specific time period in mind when he writes those three words, "In those days..."
      -- in order to understand the point Luke is trying to get across you have to know the message of Malachi and what happened since Malachi's day -- Malachi was the last prophet of the Old Testament -- his words are recorded for us in the last book of the Old Testament
      -- Malachi prophesied to the nation of Israel about the coming of the Lord and the need to prepare their hearts for His arrival -- in Malachi 3:1 we read, "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me -- Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire will come," says the Lord Almighty."
      -- and over in Malachi 4 we are told the day of the Lord is coming and coming soon -- and from the moment Malachi wrote those words and delivered this message to the people of Israel, God was silent -- no more prophets were sent -- no more scriptures were written -- and the people were left waiting for 400 years until Jesus arrived on the scene as a baby born in a manger
      -- so, when you read those words, "in those days," it points to the time of waiting -- the time of anticipation -- for the coming of the Messiah -- and everyday, when the nation of Israel woke up to greet the dawn, they wondered, "Is this the day the Messiah comes?"

      -- now that the long period of waiting is over -- now that the Messiah has been born -- now that Mary has given birth to Jesus and laid him in a manger in the small town of Bethlehem -- how will the Israelites know? -- who will tell them that their Savior has come?

      -- verse 8

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
¹⁰ 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.
¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
¹⁴ "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

      -- and here we are introduced to the first heralds of Christmas -- the angels of God sent to shepherds living out in the fields to tell them the Savior had been born

      -- isn't it funny how you can wait for something for so long and then miss it when it comes? -- as we just talked about, the people of Israel had been waiting for the coming of the Messiah for a long time -- it wasn't just Malachi who promised the coming of the Messiah -- it goes all the way back to the book of Genesis

      -- for millennia, the world had been waiting for the Messiah, but when He came, they didn't even notice -- even though the Jews were supposed to be preparing the world to receive the Savior -- even though every day they got up thinking, "This could be the day," their longing and their anticipation got wrapped up in the ordinary existence of life and they quit looking with eyes of faith and let the cares and worries of this world distract them from what was truly important
      -- but, we can't say much to criticize them because we do the same thing -- we get so caught up on the hustle and bustle of Christmas we miss the real reason for the season -- Christmas just kind of gets lost in the midst of preparation

      -- let me share with you a story called, "Coffee at the Mall," that talks about this very situation  -- it was written by a gentleman named Mr. Durango:

     -- "Mrs. Durango and I took a trip to the mall on Saturday, seems she had a couple of last minute items she needed to get. While Mrs. Durango ran into the card store I grabbed a cup of coffee at Starbucks and sat down at a table outside of the coffee shop.

     -- I watched as people rushed by running from store to store in a frenzy doing their Christmas shopping -- seemed the people were being very abrupt and pushy toward one another -- Christmas hustle and bustle at it's worst -- People arguing over who was first in line to pay for the overpriced items they held in their arms -- arguing over who was the first one to grab that last green sweater -- arguing over trivial things all in the name of "Christmas" -- All these people acting so anxious and obnoxious all because "Christmas" was coming . . .
     -- And I sat back sipping my coffee wondering if they'd all be as anxious and obnoxious if they were truly anticipating the Lord's return . . . Would they all be acting the same way -- pushing and shoving -- Arguing and fighting -- over such meaningless things.
     -- Then I noticed a little boy standing there in the middle of the mall -- he couldn't have been anymore than four years old -- He was standing there in the middle of this hustle and bustle crying his little eyes out . . . And no one seemed to notice . . . people simply walked by the poor little guy ignoring his cries for help.
     -- I walked over and asked the little guy why he was crying and he told me he was lost -- He didn't know where his Mommy was! -- There in the midst of the Christmas madness somehow he got separated from his mother and no one seemed to care . . . or even notice!
     -- I was able to attract the attention of the policeman who was patrolling the mall and explained the situation to him -- he took the little guy and was able to reunite him with his mother a short time later -- I returned to my coffee and waited for Mrs. Durango.
     -- As I sat there sipping my coffee I thought about the madness going on around me . . . I thought about how that little boy got lost and forgotten in the shuffle, ignored by everyone around him because everyone was too busy getting ready for "Christmas" . . .
     -- And then I thought about that little baby Jesus, lying there in the manger . . . And how HE seems to have been lost and forgotten in all the Christmas madness as well. May we all remember that "Jesus is the reason for the season!"

            -- I think we can all sympathize with Mr. Durango's story -- sometimes we get distracted from what's important -- sometimes we get so caught up with what's going on around us that we fail to see God in our midst

            -- I think that's the reason God sends heralds into the world -- He sends them to get our attention -- that's certainly the reason He sent the angels to the shepherds on that first Christmas night -- even though it was "in those days," I think that the majority of the world had forgotten that the Messiah was coming -- they had gotten so caught up with getting ready for the Messiah that they missed Him when He finally came 
            -- so God sent His angels that night to proclaim the coming of the Messiah and to remind the people of His promises -- He sent them to the lowest of the low -- to shepherds living out in the fields -- rejected from most of society because of their lowly condition -- but the first to hear the good news of great joy about the Messiah

III.  Shepherds

            -- have you ever wondered why God only sent the angels to a bunch of shepherds out in the fields near Bethlehem? -- if He really wanted to herald the coming of the Messiah -- if He really wanted the world to know about Jesus -- why didn't He announce it from the mountaintops -- why didn't He send the angels to Jerusalem or even to the whole village of Bethlehem?
            -- for that matter, why doesn't God just speak out to the whole world right now at once and tell them to believe in Jesus?
            -- I really don't know, but I think it has to do with the fact that believing in Jesus is more about the heart than about the head -- it's not just knowing about Jesus that gets you saved -- it's believing in your heart and trusting in faith in His promises
            -- and the best way to spread that message to the world is not through angelic intervention -- but through the hands and feet and voice of those who have been changed through the message of Christ

            -- In his book "Quiet Talks on Service", Dr. S. D. Gordon tells us a fictional story about what happened after Jesus ascended to heaven -- All heaven is eager to greet Him and welcome Him, and the first to rush up in excitement and greet Him is the angel Gabriel -- Gabriel says, "Master, You died for the whole world down there and suffered much for them -- do they all know what You did for them?" -- Jesus replied, "No, only a few in Palestine know about it so far"

            -- Gabriel replied, "Well, Master, what’s Your plan? What have You done about telling the world that You died for them, that You shed Your blood for all of them? What is your plan?"
            -- And Jesus answered, "Well, I asked Peter and James and John and Andrew and a few other fellows to make it the business of their lives to tell others -- and then the ones that they tell could tell others -- and then the ones that they tell could tell others -- and on and on and finally it would reach to the farthest corner of the earth and all would know the thrill and power and blessing of the gospel."
            -- Gabriel said, "But suppose Peter fails? -- Suppose after awhile that John just doesn’t tell anybody? -- What if James and Andrew are ashamed or afraid? What if the rest of them simply chicken out? -- What your plan then?"
            -- Jesus said, "There is no other plan -- I'm totally counting on them"

            -- verse 15

¹⁵ 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."
¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,
¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

 

            -- when the shepherds heard the message of Christmas from the angels, they did two things:
            -- first, they acted on it -- they went to Bethlehem to see for themselves if the message was true and the promise fulfilled
            -- when God speaks to us -- when He sends His messengers and heralds to our door, the first thing we have to do is act on what He has told us -- when God speaks, He speaks for a reason -- and His message is an invitation to join Him in His work
            -- when Paul spoke to the people in Berea, they didn't just receive the gospel message passively -- they didn't just listen to Paul speak in the synagogue and go home and forget about it until the next Sabbath -- no, we read in the Book of Acts that they diligently searched the Scriptures to see if what Paul was saying was true -- they acted on the word that had been given to them -- and they believed in faith that what God had told them through Paul was true

            -- secondly, the shepherds passed the message on to others

            -- Luke says that once the shepherds saw Jesus lying on the manger, they immediately went out and shared with the people around them the good news that the Messiah had come -- he says they "spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child" -- we are called to do the same
            -- there is nothing more important that you can do in your life than to tell someone else about Jesus -- and there's no better time to do that than Christmas
            -- we are part of God's plan to spread the word concerning what we know about this child born at Christmas -- we are the ones who have been entrusted with the precious knowledge of the Messiah and who are called to be the heralds of Christmas to those around us
            -- I'm not going to ask you to raise your hands, but I do want you to honestly answer this question in your heart -- have you told anyone about Jesus this year? -- have you shared with anyone the hope you have in Christ?
            -- this is the perfect time to do that -- at a time when the name of Christ is on everyone's lips and everyone is rushing around getting ready to celebrate the birth of the Savior, we have the best opportunity in the world to tell others about why He came and to remind them that He's coming back soon

IV.  Closing

            -- Two women were having lunch together in this elegant hotel when a mutual friend saw them and stopped at their table to visit -- she asked why they were sharing such a fancy meal in the middle of the week -- One lady replied, "We are celebrating the birth of my baby boy."
            -- her friend looked around, but didn't see a baby anywhere -- "But where is he?" she asked -- "Oh," the mother said, "you didn't think I'd bring him to a restaurant like this, did you?"
            -- What a picture of the way the world treats Jesus at Christmas -- we rush around celebrating the birth of the Savior and don't bring Him with us or even think about Him in all the preparations

            -- that's the reason we are here -- that's the reason this church exists -- we are called to remind the world of Jesus -- we are called to proclaim the coming of the Messiah and to share with all those around us the good news of Jesus

            -- the first heralds of Christmas were the angels who appeared to the shepherds in the fields where they were living -- the second heralds were the shepherds themselves -- but the true heralds of Christmas today are supposed to be you

            -- will you go from here and tell others about Jesus? -- will you leave here today and share the good news of Christ with this world who has forgotten Him and left Him behind?
            -- will you use this opportunity in this Christmas season we are in to tell someone the true reason for the season and the hope we have in Christ?

            -- let us pray