Sermons From My Heart

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. We remember the visit of the three wise men, but we also remember that Jesus came into the world for everyone-Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, upper class people and lower class people, humble shepherds and wise men and so on.

It is also a happy time or a sad time depending on how you look at it. It marks the end of the 12 Days of Christmas and the end of the holiday season. For most of us, the decorations have been put away for another year, the parties and celebrations are over, visitors have returned home, and we are settling back into our daily routines after the Christmas season. We, like the Magi, need to break away from our daily routines and busyness to take time to look for the Christ Child. It might mean stopping in the midst of our daily lives to pray that God will help us center our thoughts on Jesus more than our daily lives. It might mean that we have to put down our to-do list to pick up our Bibles to read and absorb God’s Word.

The wise men endured a long, difficult journey. They endured dangers, hardships and scorn to find Christ, and so should we. When they found him, they worshipped him, and so should we. They set an example for us as Christians to follow. The Magi were on a quest, looking for more in their lives. They were not satisfied with the way things were. Otherwise, they would have stayed put. Change started for them when God made the first move and showed them a light in their darkness. They didn’t have to follow that light, but they picked up and began a journey that took them to Christ. They left their daily routines to find Jesus.

The star the Magi followed was not a natural phenomenon. It is a reminder that we need divine intervention to find out where Christ is in our lives. The busyness of our everyday lives can distract us from seeing the Messiah. When the light of Christ dwells in us, it guides us and blocks out the light from outside, worldly distractions. The light of Christ gives us the strength we need to make the name of Jesus known throughout the world.

The wise men studied the stars and believed in astrology. They believed that a person’s destiny was influenced by the star they were born under. They believed that if something strange happened in the sky, it was because God was breaking into the natural order to announce some special event. That is why they noticed and followed the star of Bethlehem. They had a limited sign and came to the Messiah, but those who knew the truth about God, his words and actions failed to take the Messiah’s birth seriously when they found out about it. In fact, they, like Herod, saw it as a threat to their positions and their way of life. Herod even saw it as a threat to his rule.

The Magi could not return to their old way of living after they met the Messiah, and we can’t return to our old way of living after we meet the Messiah. Jesus’ presence changes everything. There is more to life than our routines and careers. Life has more meaning now because the light of God’s presence is among us.

Those who refused to take the Messiah’s birth seriously were wrong. Jesus was a threat to their positions and their way of life because he challenged their way of doing things. He challenged them to change their ways, accept God in faith and follow his ways and teachings. He was ignored and despised not only because he challenged the established way of doing things, but also because he was not the type of Messiah people were looking for. They were looking for a Messiah who would come from the established ruling class and drive out the Romans. Instead, they got a humble servant who came from earthly parents who belonged to the lower classes of society. This fit in with one part of God’s plan for salvation-concern for the poor and disadvantaged members of society.

Epiphany is more than the inclusion of the Gentiles as part of God’s Kingdom. It is about breaking down the barriers that divide people. It challenges us to reconsider how we look at people whom we see as being outside the boundaries of God’s love. We must remember that God’s love knows no boundaries. We must take off our spiritual blinders and welcome those whom we don’t want to love.

The wise men represent us in God’s plan. They represent everyone who sets out in search of a king and finds the son of God. They gave Jesus the most precious material gifts they had, but each and every one of us can give him something even better-ourselves. Those who, like Herod and the chief priests and scribes, try to derail God’s plan for salvation will fail. They are no match for God or God’s people. God loves everyone, and Jesus came to save everyone.

The Magi were foreigners in the eyes of the ruling class, but Jesus was of keen interest to them. They went out of their way to find him and set treasures before him. The gifts the Magi brought were symbolic. Gold was a gift fit for a king, and Matthew’s Gospel introduced his Jewish audience to a king who would rule with love instead of hate, peace instead of violence. Frankincense is a gift for a priest. Jesus ministers to God on behalf of men. Myrrh is a gift for someone who is about to die. Jesus came to die for us on the cross. As we end another Christmas season, one of the best things we can do is to think about what gifts we can bring to him.

Bibliography

• Billy Graham, “Who Were the Wise Men?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com

• Augsberger, M.S. and Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 24: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)

1. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2009)
2. Jim Liebelt, “The First Christmas Gifts”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
3. Mel Lawrenz, “”Magi”. Retrieved from thebrookletter@me.com
4. Exegesis for Matthew 2:1-12. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
5. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, Epiphany of the Lord (A)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
6. Karen Ehman, “Search Carefully”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
7. Fr. John Boll, O.P., “Volume 2, Feast of the Epiphany (A)” Retrieved from Volume2@preacherexchange.org 

Today, we heard about Jesus’ baptism and the coming of the Holy Spirit on him. John proclaimed Christ’s superiority by distinguishing between his own baptism with water and the baptism that Christ would provide with the Holy Spirit. Several Old Testament passages speak of the Holy Spirit being poured out like water. Jesus’ baptism with the Holy Spirit supplies us with supernatural power just like the Holy Spirit revealed its supernatural power at Jesus’ baptism.

All three members of the Trinity-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-were present at Jesus’ baptism. The parting of heaven was a foretaste of both Jesus’ statement in Mark 1:15 that the kingdom of heaven was near and the tearing of the veil of the temple when Jesus died on the cross. Jesus’ birth ended the separation of God and man that was created when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.

The Holy Spirit changes things. It works through Jesus to bridge the gap between us and God. Reconciliation with God was possible because of Jesus’ birth, ministry, death and resurrection. Not only was this gap first bridged at Jesus’ baptism when the Holy Spirit descended from heaven like a dove, it was also bridged at his death when the veil in the temple was torn in two. The Temple was divided into several sections, including the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the temple by a curtain. The only person who could enter this particular part of the temple was the High Priest, and even then he could only enter on the Day of Atonement. No one else could enter, so a rope was tied to the high priest’s waist so that if anything happened to him he could be removed without anyone else having to enter. A bell was attached to the high priest so that people on the outside could hear him move. If the bell stopped ringing for any length of time, the people would know that something happened to the high priest and that they needed to pull him out of there immediately.

God claims us through baptism. In the waters of our baptism, God speaks our name, unites us to Christ and grants us the promise of new life. He says that he loves us, he claims us and he is proud pf us. Nothing else is needed. No one can take our new identity in Christ away from us. No matter what other names we are called by others or even by ourselves, we are now beloved children of God. In the Baptism Service in the Anglican Church of Canada’s Book of Alternative Services, there is a line that is read when a person is baptized-“I sign you with the sign of the cross, and I mark you as Christ’s own forever.” We have been adopted into God’s family. God’s love for us can’t be changed. It guides our behaviour. Because of God’s love, there are certain things we won’t do and there are certain things we will do-things that we must do. Through Jesus, we have a love that will take risks and a family identity that can’t be broken.

Baptism tells us that we are deeply rooted in the possibility toward goodness. That is a revelation to us. It goes against the stain of original sin which I mentioned earlier. It encourages us to take a risk by going into this unknown territory. God offers harmony, intensity, peace, compassion and justice-things that are alien to our world.

Why did Jesus have to be baptized? After all, he was sinless. Jesus said in Mathew 3:15 that he needed to be baptized “to fulfill all righteousness.” It was God’s counsel in Luke 7:29-30 that people be baptized of John. In other words, God tells us to repent. Jesus asked John to baptize him as an act of obedience to God’s purposes. Jesus wanted to set a good example for us by doing the Father’s will. His baptism also served to introduce him to John and the people of Israel as the long-promised Messiah.

Jesus’ baptism was necessary in order to fulfill the requirements of the Old Testament law, which required repentance from sins and hence John the Baptist’s baptism of repentance. Jesus had to be baptized because he was born and died under the law to deliver us from the law (which was so strict that it could not be obeyed perfectly). The Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus at his baptism commissioned Jesus for a unique service. Jesus carried the Holy Spirit wherever he went and gave it to those who were receptive to his message. When the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we are empowered to do God’s work in our world.

Jesus was God’s answer to Isaiah’s prayer that God would come down to earth and be fully present with humanity. He was and is God’s son in a way that others created in God’s image are not. Jesus was the Son of God, but his baptism gave him the verbal assurance that he was indeed God’s son. He was born of the Holy Spirit, but his baptism gave him the visible assurance that the Spirit was certainly present with him. Jesus’ baptism gave him the positive assurances that he would need during his temptation, his time of ministry, his sufferings and death.

We long for someone to tell us the truth even if it will hurt us. God created this longing in our hearts. We long to have someone who can help us understand what is going on in the world and what we need to do. That person may or may not be a prophet as long as he or she speaks the truth of God’s word. Take me, for example. I don’t consider myself to be a prophet, but each and every message I preach is based on the truth of God’s word as written in the Bible.

Jesus and John the Baptist also spoke the truth. They spoke of the need for repentance, and repentance is the first step in a journey that leads us to baptism by the Holy Spirit. It requires us to change our direction. In other words, we have to “turn or burn.” Baptism is the second step in the journey. It means a burial with Jesus and resurrection to a new life in Christ. Baptism with water is a symbol of the washing away of the dirt of our old, sinful life. Forgiveness of sins is the third step. It is ushered in by our baptism and our repentance. When God forgives us, he wipes our record clean. He takes his big bottle of Liquid Paper or his big roll of correction tape and crosses out the mistakes of our lives, just like the father forgave his wayward son in the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Jesus’ baptism ushered in a new way of dealing with sin. People did not have to go to the temple in Jerusalem because Jesus became the new temple. Repentance is not something we can do only once in our lives and then forget about it. Repentance must be done each and every day because each and every day Satan will try to get us to move in a different direction. When we come together in worship, God tells us that he loves us, and in return we tell him that we love him too.

Baptism with the Holy Spirit allows us to see ourselves as gospel peacemakers in our world. It allows us to be merciful to those who ask for forgiveness. It allows us to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves-the poor, the hungry, the oppressed, prisoners and so on. It allows us to spread God’s love to everyone.

When I was preparing this homily, I saw a story about a mother who was at home with her two young daughters one lazy afternoon. Everything seemed to be just fine until the mother realized something strange. The house was quiet. And as every parent knows, a quiet house in the daytime can only mean one thing: the kids are up to no good.

Quietly walking into each of the girls’ rooms and not finding them there, she began to get worried. Then she heard it: the sound of whispering followed by the flushing of a toilet. Following the sound, she soon realized where it was coming from. It was coming from her bathroom. Whispers, flush. Whispers, flush. Whispers, flush. Poking her head into the room, she was able to see both of her daughters standing over the commode. Whispers, flush. One of them was holding a dripping Barbie doll by the ankles and the other one had her finger on the handle. Whispers, flush. Wanting to hear what her daughter was saying, she slipped quietly into the room. Whispers, flush. And this is what she heard: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and in the hole you go.” Flush.

We know what it feels like to have life grab us by the ankles and dangle us over the waters of chaos. And we know that this happens in spite of our faith. We even know that, at times, it happens precisely because of our faith. When this happens, we can take comfort in the knowledge that because we have been baptized with the Holy Spirit, we have the strength we need to face life’s challenges.

Baptism means that God has broken through the barrier between him and us. In return, we are to break through the challenges and problems of the world with everything we have been given by the Holy Spirit. Saying yes to our baptism means saying yes to facing the challenges of our world and yes to a life torn open by God’s love. Saying yes to our baptism means that our sins have been forgiven and we have been given a new start in life through Jesus Christ.

As soon as he was baptized, Jesus was on the move, and that fits in with the urgency of Mark’s Gospel. We have a similar calling. We are baptized for action. We are baptized to go out into the world and be the hands, voice and presence of Christ. We are baptized for the sake of others and for the sake of the world. For example, I publish all of my sermons on my blog-www.sermonsfrommyheart.blog.ca-and they have been viewed over 88,000 times by people from all over the world. Regardless of what we do, say or think, we must be bold in our actions and faithful to our calling. That way, when we get to the Pearly Gates, we can hear God say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Bibliography

• Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

• McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 25: Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)

• ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.

• Exegesis for Mark 1:4-11. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

• Kristopher J. Hewitt, “I Love You Too.” Retrieved from dailydevotional@ucc.org

• Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, Baptism of the Lord, (B)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

• The Rev. David Lewicki, “As It Was in the Beginning.” Retrieved from www.day1.org

• The Rev. Timothy T. Boggess, “In the Hole He Goes.” Retrieved from www.day1.org

• Rick Morley, “Handling Sin: A Reflection on Mark 1:4-11.” Retrieved from www.rickmorley.com/archives

• Brian P. Stoffregen, “Mark 1:4-11, 1^st Sunday after the Epiphany/Baptism of Our Lord-Year B.” Retrieved from http://www.crtossmarks.com/brian/mark1x4.htm

• The Rev. Maxwell Grant, “Torn Open, By God.” Retrieved from www.day1.org

• Pastor Dave Risendal, “Baptism: the Heart of our Faith.” Retrieved from http://onelittleword.org/?p=6765     

I want to take you (especially those of you who are among the older members of this congregation) on a trip down memory lane for a minute. Some of you may remember a famous comedian named Flip Wilson. He had a TV show in the 1970s, and on this show he had such famous characters as Geraldine Jones and Brother Leroy. He also had some famous lines, including one that ties in nicely with the reading we heard from the Book of James earlier in today’s service. That line was, “The devil made me do it!” The characters in Flip Wilson’s comedy routines often blamed the devil for leading them into trouble, and they were partially right. The devil can’t make anyone do anything, but he can definitely tempt us and influence our choices.

The devil is part of earthly wisdom, and James contrasts earthly wisdom and heavenly wisdom. People’s lives reflect the source of their wisdom. There is “earthly, unspiritual, devilish” wisdom that leads to “envy and selfish ambition” in the individual and “disorder and wickedness of every kind” in society. Against this, there is “wisdom from above” that is “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits…” Trouble arrives, he tells us, when we act based on earthly wisdom and not out of faithfulness to God.

The Letter of James was controversial for much of Christian history, largely because its emphasis on doing good works seemed to clash with parts of Paul’s writings that emphasized salvation by faith alone and not by works. This passage can help us understand that faith in God and charity towards our neighbor are inseparable. It is our faithful adherence to the “wisdom from above” that spurs us to act gently, justly, and in ways that will yield “good fruits.”

If we have a right relationship with God, we will be understanding people and show concern for others, and therefore we will demonstrate heavenly wisdom. Heavenly wisdom is shown through Jesus, available through the Holy Spirit, written in the Bible and delivered in a steady flow from God to us. Heavenly wisdom is the foundation for our Christian lives. When we draw close to God, he will draw closer to us in response. If we put ourselves under God’s control, we will be open to God’s grace. This will be the ultimate challenge for proud people.

If we trust in God’s wisdom, we will be seen as meek. This is not to be confused with the world’s definition of meekness, which is cowardice and passivity. Earthly wisdom comes from sin and Satan. Earthly wisdom causes chaos, self-ambition and the playing of the “blame game.” Peace is the opposite of selfish ambition. If we bring peace, we will harvest a rich crop of righteousness.

Selfish desires cause people to make war against each other, even in the church. For example, James talks about murder taking place in the church. How could that happen? One possible reason is that the rich were taking the poor to court and basically stripping them of all they owned. Without food or the necessities of life, the result was death. In addition, how many churches have been divided because of selfish desires? Some of us may remember the division in the United Church of Canada several years ago when the Church’s General Council decided to allow the ordination of homosexual clergy. That decision caused several individual churches to leave that denomination.

Another example is people who leave a church because they don’t like the Order of Service or the music or the minister or something else. We don’t come to church because of the Order of Service or the music or the minister. We come to church to worship with both God and fellow believers.

We show earthly, sin-filled wisdom when we are estranged from God. James tells us that if we try to get what we want through our own efforts instead of asking God, we will end up being frustrated. Worldly pleasures never satisfy us. They provide short-term pleasure and long-term pain. External conflict is often a sign of internal conflict, because if we are not at peace with ourselves, we are not likely to be at peace with others, especially within the church.

One of the deepest problems in our world is the problem of the human heart. If there were no greed, jealousy, anger, covetousness or any other sin, the world would be a much better place. If we truly loved one another and treated each other with respect, the world would also be a much better place. Unfortunately, this will be wishful thinking unless and until we put others first instead of ourselves. This will be wishful thinking unless and until we seek God’s will for our lives

Wisdom is more than understanding something intellectually. Wisdom must be demonstrated in our Christian lifestyle. Wisdom must be pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruit, without hypocrisy or partiality, and show true justice. This type of wisdom comes only from God. James is concerned with our ability to understand the truth of God’s Word and live it by faith. We do these things by submitting to God, denying ourselves, taking up our crosses daily and humbling ourselves before God. When we humble ourselves before God, we grow closer to him, and when we grow closer to him, offering forgiveness becomes easier over time, our faith will increase and our concern for the spiritual conditions of others will expand. Heavenly wisdom is full of sacrificial earthly action. We must use our circle of influence or friends to make a difference for God. After all, wisdom is not what we know but what we sow.

The main way we humble ourselves before God is through prayer. God makes us ask for what we want and need, even though he already knows what we need and want. He makes us ask because he wants to have fellowship with us, and the only way he can have fellowship with us is for us to talk to him through prayer. Those who humble themselves before God and trust him to provide for their needs will receive his grace. That grace will give us the desire and ability to obey God and respond in a way that pleases him.

Prayer is the lifeblood of our relationship with God, but sometimes we have questions about its power and effectiveness. We will find the answers to those questions when we take them to God, study the Bible for answers and talk to a trusted spiritual mentor. Some of these answers will cause us to question the motives behind our prayers.

God is very concerned with those motives. He’s interested in the state of our hearts. We need to check our motives from time to time. James points out that there are two problems in prayer lives-lack of prayer and wrong motives. Believers don’t get what they ask for when they do not ask or when they ask with selfish motives. Some of us have promised God that we will walk closely with him or that we will spend time in his word only to find that we became busy or tired and therefore broke those promises. We became disappointed with life’s circumstances, so we gave up on the promises we made.

Resisting the devil means that we have submitted to God, and that means going to his word as written in the Bible to counteract our earthly thoughts, feelings and wants. If we obey his word, he will draw near to us, and when that happens, wars will cease. We will not be at war with God, so we will not be at war with ourselves or with others. Prejudice, bitterness, anger and hatred will be uprooted at the foot of the cross. We as Christians must not have any of these things in our hearts because we are all sinners in need of a Saviour in spite of our differences.

Bibliography

• Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

• David Jeremiah, “Defeating Temptation.” Retrieved from turningpoint@davidjeremiah.org

• ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.

• Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NKJV (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)

• Cedar, P.A. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 34: James/1&2 Peter/ Jude (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1984)

• MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)

• Dr. Charles Stanley, “Spiritually Satisfied.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Bayless Conley, “The Motive of Faith.” Retrieved from Christianity.comn@crosswalkmail.com

• Pastor Ed Young, “Make the Most of Your Opportunity.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

• Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “Coming Back to the Cross.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org

• Stormie Omartian, “Maturing in Prayer.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Dr. Neil Anderson, “Your Position in Christ.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Alex Crain, “Not What You Wanted?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Dr. Charles Stanley, “Does Prayer Make a Difference?” Retrieved from Jesus.org@crosswalkmail.com

• Billy Graham, “What is the World’s Greatest Challenge?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com

• Steve Arterburn, “Fellowship with God.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

Well, Christmas is almost over for another year. For most of us the holidays are over and our lives get back to normal this week. Children will be going back to school, people will be going back to work, family and friends will be going home (if they haven’t gone home already), and we will be settling back into our normal routines.

There is one more part of Christmas to come, and that’s why I said that Christmas is almost over. There is one more gift for all of us, and today-the Feast of the Epiphany-we receive that gift. That gift is the fact that Jesus came for all of us-both Jews and Gentiles. This concept is represented in the visit of the Magi, which we heard in Matthew 2:1-12, but it is also represented in the legendary story of the fourth wise man-a man named Artaban.

As he journeyed with his friends, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, he became separated from them. He never made it to Bethlehem. For many years he sought the Christ Child and in the process had many adventures and assisted many people, including dying beggars and frightened mothers, to whom he gave two of the three great jewels he had originally planned to give to Jesus. He even traveled to Egypt, hearing that Jesus and his parents had gone there, but was again frustrated in his quest. Now, after 33 years of searching he arrived in Jerusalem, hoping at last that he might find the child.

At Passover time, Artaban, now an old man, noted an unusual commotion and inquired about its cause. People answered him, “We are going to the place called Golgotha, just outside the walls of the city, to see two robbers and a man named Jesus of Nazareth, who are being crucified on crosses. The man Jesus calls himself the Son of God, and Pontius Pilate has sent him to be crucified because he claims to be the king of the Jews.”

Artaban knew instinctively that this is the king he had been searching for his whole life. Thus, he rushed to the scene. On the way he encountered a young girl being sold into slavery. She saw his royal robes and fell at his feet pleading with him to rescue her. His heart was moved and he gave away the last jewel for her ransom. Just then, darkness fell over the land and the earth shook, and great stones fell into the streets. One of them fell upon Artaban, crushing his head.

As he lay dying in the arms of the girl he had just ransomed, he cried out in a weak voice, “Three and thirty years I looked for thee, Lord, but I have never seen thy face nor ministered to thee!” Then a voice came from heaven, strong and kind, which said, “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of my brothers or sisters, you did it to me.” Artaban’s face grew calm and peaceful. His long journey was ended. He had found his king!

This popular story powerfully presents the Epiphany message. The three magi of whom Saint Matthew speaks in his gospel brought their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, recognizing Jesus as priest, prophet, and king. Additionally, their presence in Bethlehem demonstrated how Christ was manifest to the nations. In a similar way, Artaban’s adventure showed that Christ calls us to manifest his glory to all nations. Artaban’s goodness and openness to all, even those he did not know, brought the face of Christ, namely the one he sought, to him. Additionally, those to whom he came, the poor and destitute, became Christ to him. Without realizing it, all his life he had been achieving his goal, to see the Christ Child. We, in turn, are challenged to be Christ to others; we must be ambassadors of the Lord.

God came to us in the form of Jesus so that we could come back to him. When we come to Christ, we are adopted into his family. We are also freed from the bondage of sin. That freedom has a purpose, which is being part of God’s plan for our lives. Our lives and the paths we take in life matter to God. We are to remember this when our lives seem aimless and without direction.

The church was unknown in the Old Testament and the Gospels. It wasn’t fully revealed until the events in Acts 2 occurred, especially the events that happened on the Day of Pentecost. It was not fully explained until Paul began his mission. The heart and soul of the mystery of the church is that Jews and Gentiles are joined into one body. The Gentiles are fellow heirs with the Jews, fellow members of God’s household, and fellow partakers of the promise of salvation for everyone. This process started with the visit of the Magi, but it was not fully realized until Peter preached to and baptized the Roman centurion Cornelius and his family.

Paul was the apostle, teacher and preacher to the Gentiles. The sufferings he experienced during his ministry were on their behalf, just like Jesus’ suffering and death were for everyone-both Jews and Gentiles. There are times when we as Christians will suffer for our faith like Paul, Christ and the disciples did. When we praise God, especially when we suffer, it forces us to keep our eyes on him and lifts us out of the pain of our suffering. It allows us to see clearly how God works in and through all believers to change something that is evil into something that is good. That does not mean that God causes pain and suffering. It means that God is with us and that he can use our suffering for his purposes.

Paul’s calling to preach to the Gentiles was the disposition of God’s grace. God not only appointed Paul a minister of the Gospel to the Gentiles through grace, but anointed him with power. This verified Paul’s apostleship-an amazing thing considering that Paul so violently persecuted the church previously.

Christ came to unite Jews and Gentiles into one body of believers through the Gospel. Christ revealed the mystery to Paul on the road to Damascus and at other times during his ministry. The purpose of his ministry was of interest to angels, especially since they rejoice when a sinner repents.

The mystery is made known to us through both God’s direct intervention in our lives and through Scripture. This revelation is a gift for everyone, whereas until Christ was born it was seen only as a gift to the people of Israel. We are to share the promise with everyone.

If we enlarge our horizons, our theology will not be restricted to a denominational understanding but will affirm the ecumenical affirmations of the Christian faith centered in Jesus Christ. To be sure, we ought to preserve the best in our own theological tradition, but admittedly we do not possess the whole truth. We can learn from one another, and as we dialogue we sharpen our basic convictions. I’m speaking from experience. I have learned from preaching and leading worship here at Bridgewater United and at other non-Anglican churches, and in return I have been able to share parts of the Anglican Church traditions.

In order to share the gift, we have to use the gifts God has given us. Some of us have the gift of preaching and teaching. Some of us have the gift of singing. Others have the gift of leadership, and still others have the gift of just being able to talk to other people and share what God has done for them in their lives. We know what our gifts are, but we also know our limitations. We don’t have to worry, because God will make up for our limitations.

God created the church to be a public testimony to his grace-a place where anyone (both Jews and Gentiles) can go to receive a constant flow of mercy, and a place to hear the message of the Gospel. Yet the church not only declares the truth to humanity; God also designed the church to display the truth to angels.

The church is called to be a house of prayer. God’s people don’t need a priest to be a mediator to approach him, as was required in the Old Testament. Jews and Gentiles both have full access to God through Jesus.

Within the church there are to be no divisions due to race, spiritual or social reasons. Faith gives us free and unlimited access to God. When we place our trust in God, it opens the way for us to communicate with and have fellowship with him at any time and in any place. Anyone and everyone can come to him. We can do so because of God’s grace.

God wants everyone to see and share his wisdom. It’s up to us to make certain that this happens. Sometimes we can’t see that Christ came for everyone and can use everyone. We need to share our gifts and burdens just like Christ shared himself with everyone-both Jews and Gentiles. We are to spread the Good News to a world that desperately needs to hear it. When we spread the Good News, we are to share it with everyone, because Christ came for everyone-and that is the greatest gift that everyone can give and receive.

Bibliography

 * Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 1642-1643)

• Preaching Magazine, November/December 2015 (Nashville, TN: Salem Publishing Inc.; p. 65)

1. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
2. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 31: Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pgs. 175-182)
3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
4. Don Ruhl, “Our Job: Make People See the Manifold Wisdom of God.” Retrieved from comment-reply@wordpress.com
5. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “Moments of Weakness.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org
6. Joni Eareckson Tada, “Let Me Not Shrink.” Retrieved from communications@joniandfriends.org
7. Dr. R.C. Sproul, “Answering the Ultimate Question.” Retrieved from Corsswalk@crosswalkmail.com
8. Pastor Bob Coy, “Access-able.” Retrieved from www.activeword.org
9. Don Ruhl, “The Privilege of Sharing the Preaching of Christ.” Retrieved from comment-reply@wordpress.com
10. Richard Hasler, “Enlarge Your Horizons.” Retrieved from http://sermons.com/sermon/enlarge-your-horizons/14228
11. Richard Gribble, “Ambassadors of the Lord.” Retrieved from http://sermons.com/sermons/ambassadors-of-the-lord/1467337

UNICEF-the United Nations Children’s Fund-estimates that 353,000 babies are born every day-just over four babies each second. Birth begins a life of 70-100 years and impacts those whose lives overlap with the child’s. Every generation relates most profoundly with those who share their time in history. Jesus is the exception to that statement.

Many people wonder why Jesus didn’t come sooner and why mankind didn’t have the benefit of His birth, death and resurrection immediately after Adam and Eve sinned. The answer is that the time which was predicted in the Old Testament, and when it was proper that He should come, was complete. The exact period had arrived when all things were ready. It was the time when all prophecies centered in Jesus were fulfilled. It was proper that the world should be brought to see its need of a Saviour, and that a fair and satisfactory opportunity should be given to all men to try other ways of salvation and that they might be prepared to welcome Him.

It was also a time when the world was at peace. There was order under Roman rule. Because of roads built by the Romans, communication between various parts of the Roman Empire was faster and more secure than at any other time in history. The Jews were scattered throughout the Empire. They were familiar with the promises and were looking for a Messiah. They had synagogues where the Gospel could be preached. Thanks to the conquests of Alexander the Great, the same language (Greek) was spoken and understood throughout the Empire.

Figuratively speaking, God’s calendar had a day with a big star on it-then the time was right for Christ to be sent forth into the world. It was the proper time to make God’s plan of salvation known. It was the appropriate time for the people to be freed from the bondage of sin. The fullness of time was the fullness of God’s time to fulfill His promise to Abraham. That fulfillment was Christ’s birth. He accomplished His purpose of providing the way for all of us to become children of God. He came from God to stand beside us as we face evil. He became our brother so He could suffer the punishment we deserve for our sins. Jesus was born under the law so that He could fulfill every claim and demand of the law on our behalf. He fulfilled the moral law in His life and the ceremonial law in His death. Jesus had to be fully God for His sacrifice to be of the infinite worth needed to atone for sin. He also had to be fully human so He could pay the penalty for our sins.

From a human perspective, Jesus’ birth and life on earth were not confined to His own generation. Simeon declared in Luke 2:31 that Jesus appeared “before the face of all peoples.”-old people like Simeon and the very young. Because Jesus is the eternal Son of God, He is alive for every generation following His own.

God, the Creator of the universe, submitted to the rule of others so we could claim His holiness as if it was our own. Talk of being a child of God is common in Christian circles, but how often do we stop and take time to consider what a privilege being a child of God is and what that really means not only to us but to God? When we are heirs because of adoption by God, it means that God is well pleased when we become children of God, exercise our authority and enjoy the fullness of our inheritance.

In New Testament times, some 60 million slaves lived in the Roman Empire. When someone bought a slave, the buyer could either own and use the slave or set the slave free. When God purchases or redeems people through Christ, He does so to set them free. Because we are not natural children of God, we can become sons and daughters only by divine adoption. Because we have been adopted as God’s children, we have the spirit of Jesus-the Holy Spirit, which is in our hearts and reassures us of our relationship with God. He encourages us to speak with love and trust and total openness to God our loving Father, just like a child on his or her father’s lap.

When we receive Christ, His Spirit takes up residence in the core of our being, giving us an internal power that we never had before and transforming our hearts from hateful and rebellion to loving and obedient. Our hearts control our words and actions. It isn’t easy for us to accept ourselves; to love and be loved, to feel worthwhile to ourselves and others. It is a time of overwhelming grace when we accept the fact that God knows us thoroughly and loves us thoroughly.

When God adopts us, his reaction is similar to that of a little girl named Olivia. Olivia had always liked to hear how her parents loved her from the time they first saw her at the adoption agency. But as she approached her twelfth birthday, the fact that she was adopted didn’t seem so entertaining any more. “I don’t really belong to anybody,” she thought one day as she picked wild berries in a field near her home. “Sure, Mom and Dad took care of me since I was six weeks old, but I’m not a blood relative, so I’m not really a member of their family.”

As Olivia started home, a rather dirty, skinny little dog timidly approached her. “Hi, little guy,” Olivia said gently. “Did someone dump you along the road? Why don’t you come live with me?” It didn’t take much coaxing to get the hungry puppy to follow her home. I wonder if Mom will let me keep him, she thought. Nice word–Mom. I wish it were really true.

Olivia’s mother saw them coming and went out to meet them. “Did you bring company for supper?” she asked, dropping to her knees and stroking the little dog. “I wonder if he has a name? He doesn’t look like he’s got a home.”

“Can I keep him?” Olivia asked eagerly. “We need to find out if he has an owner,” Mom replied. “If not . . . we’ll see.” No owner was found, and Olivia’s parents decided she could keep the dog. She called him Bingo.

“Well,” said Dad one morning, “it looks as if your adopted dog is happy here with you, Olivia.”

“Adopted!” Olivia exclaimed. “Dad, he’s not adopted. He’s my very own dog!”

“Of course he is,” replied Dad, “but he wasn’t always your dog.”

A slow smile crossed Olivia’s face as the truth sank in. That’s right! she thought. Bingo and I really belong together, even if it wasn’t always that way–and Mom and Dad and I belong together, too. Bingo wouldn’t want to be any other place in the world, and neither would I!

“Being adopted isn’t a bad thing, you know,” continued Dad. “In fact, all of us who are Christians are adopted, too. We’re adopted into God’s family.”

Olivia giggled and gave her dad a big hug, “We’re one big, happy family of adoptees–even Bingo,” she said.

For God, adoption matters more than blood. Whatever family race or religion we inherited by blood, our real Parent isn’t finally the one to whom we’re genetically related, but the one who adopts us and makes us heirs to the greatest of estates-the heavenly Kingdom.

Although a human father cannot give his own nature to an adopted child, God can. The Holy Spirit, whom God places within us at the moment of salvation, confirms us as God’s children and stirs us to cry, “Abba, Father!” This term is found only two other times in the New Testament, and means “Dearest Father.” It is the Bible’s greatest argument against legalism.

God’s family includes second-class people, those who are never quite good enough to be members of a church, never included in the social elite, never with enough money to quite fit the mold. Some potential church members might be considered second-class people by church leaders, but God has no second-class children. God’s love reaches down, forgives us and accepts us freely and without reservation.

The bondage of the Law had to precede the telling of the Gospel. It was like the period of development by which children are trained for adulthood. The child is subject to the terms of a will by a loving parent. Eventually the child will be free, but for now the child is restricted by the parent’s rules. The child is no different from a slave.

Through this bondage children learn to trust their parents. Similarly, through the bondage of the Law we learn to trust God. It allows us to pray “Abba, Father” as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane because we know the joy of being not a servant but a child of God. Before we can receive our inheritance from God, we must respond in faith to His promise.

When a person is saved, the law moves to the side and love moves to the centre. The believer is no longer enslaved to the harsh master of sin, but becomes a mature son or daughter of God. This shift in a person’s essence from slave to child with full rights as an heir of God is immediate, although believers often do not understand it until later in their Christian experience.

When we have a relationship with God, things change for the better. We feel different about our time, money and gifts. We realize that they belong to God, and He allows us to be stewards of them. We can experience His love in each situation. That changes everything. How many Christians today have received Christ’s forgiveness but miss out on living in the freedom they have? We don’t have to live under the impression that we have to earn our salvation.

God is our redeemer and liberator. The goal is freedom-not a freewheeling looseness without purpose and direction, but the kind of freedom where we can be what we are created to be, where we can reach the goals from whose glory we have fallen short. There is no reason for us to return to a life of slavery. We can live in the freedom that Christ has brought us-and that is the best gift we can receive at Christmas or at any time in the year.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1628)
2. “Part of the Family.” Retrieved from keys@lists.cbhministries.org
3. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
4. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 31: Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 78-83)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. John North, “Time with God.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
7. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for Galatians 4:4-7.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
8. Dr. Jack Graham, “What Would It Be Like if Jesus Hadn’t Come?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
9. Dr. Harold Sala, “No Second-Class Citizens in His Kingdom.” Retrieved from guidelines@guidelines.org
10. Pastor David McGee, “Our Relationship Changes Everything.” Retrieved from www.crossthebridge.com
11. “Living in the Freedom Christ has Given You.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
12. Elisabeth Johnson, “Commentary on Galatians 4:4-7.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
13. Dr. David Jeremiah, “A Man for All Ages.” Printed in Turning Points Magazine, Dec. 2017, p. 45
14. Swindoll, Charles R.: Swindoll’s Living Insights: Galatians/Ephesians (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.: 2015; pp. 89-92)
15. Quinn G. Caldwell, “Real.” Retrieved from www.ucc.org

Have you ever heard of the old saying, “Good things come to those who wait”? If so, the story of Simeon, Anna and the baby Jesus in the temple in Luke 2:22-40 is a good example. The coming of Christ involved all manner of waiting on God. A young maiden, a dying man and an old widow all model hearts yielded to God.

The tale of Simeon and Anna is a tale of grace. Anna’s name means “grace”, an early reminder by Luke that his gospel is a story of God’s free gift of self to us through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Simeon and Anna are recognized and graced by God. That is why the aged Simeon, over a long period of waiting and from the numerous children brought to the temple recognized God’s salvation in Christ.

Simeon and Anna waited for years for the coming of the Messiah. In Simeon’s case, the centre of his joy was the privilege of being God’s servant, and in return, God let him see the salvation of the world as it dawned. Simeon saw the baby Jesus as the fulfillment of all the hopes and dreams of the Jewish people throughout the years. In the Old Testament, God promised Moses that a prophet would come who would be unlike any other prophet. God promised David a son who would reign forever. God told Isaiah that a son would be born of a virgin and he would be called Emmanuel-God with us. The Prophet Micah predicted that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

 Anna was an eighty-year-old widow who stayed close to the temple and served God through fasting and praying. In return, God blessed her by allowing her to see the Saviour of the world as a tiny, newborn baby. God fulfilled the promise he made to Simeon that he would not die before he saw the Messiah. When God fulfilled that promise, Simeon uttered the words that are part of the funeral liturgy in the Anglican Church-the Song of Simeon, also known as the Nunc Dimittis-“O Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which hath been since the world began”.

Simeon and Anna are symbolic and representative figures. The world has never been without people like them, people with a forward look in whom there burned a great hope, people on tiptoe, the flame of freedom in their souls, the light of knowledge in their eyes, living in hope and expectation that a great day was coming when wrong would be righted, when justice would be done, when God would reveal his arm and bring salvation to mankind. One night over two thousand years ago, the Word became flesh in a baby born in Bethlehem. One day, it will become flesh again when Christ returns to set up his kingdom here on earth.

Simeon also told Mary of the suffering and death Jesus would have to endure for all of his people. Most people thought of the redemption of Jerusalem and God’s people in terms of freedom from Roman rule, but some had a vision of an even greater redemption-a vision of spiritual renewal. God’s salvation is for all of us, but not all of us will accept it, just like some people did not accept Christ and his teachings and salvation. Those who reject Christ are already condemned.

God’s salvation doesn’t mean that we will never suffer troubles, illness, rejection or death. It happened to Jesus. It happened to Mary. It will happen to us, but if we endure hardships with faith, we will have a great future. It takes faith to know a blessing from God. It is the joy of celebrating God’s goodness in the midst of our chaotic, suffering world.

As life passes us by, how do we grow old in such a way to end well and finish awaiting Christ’s message, “Well done, good and faithful servant”? Since many of us will end our earthly pilgrimage alone with our spouse preceding us, how will we finish when we will be alone and old for some of those years? We are never too old, weak or sick to make a difference. Our attitude and behaviour will make a difference. Like Anna, God will guide us to share the story of Jesus with everyone we meet.

We have also been told of the coming Christ. Like Simeon and Anna, we are heirs of a promise. We are prompted by the same Spirit. We long to see the same face. To do so successfully, we must wait forwardly, patiently and vigilantly. When we look at Jesus’ face, we will know that it is time for us to repent and come home to our heavenly Father, just like Simeon knew it was time for him to go to his heavenly home when he saw the face of the baby Jesus.

We have just come through the seasons of Advent and Christmas, and during those seasons we, like Simeon and Anna, had to wait and prepare for the coming of the Messiah. God works in a time zone where a day is as a thousand years. For those who have walked the long road of faith, who have held the long cord of life in their hands and felt all of its frays and burrs, but also found it very sturdy, for those who have waited on the Lord while holding on for their lives, they have received the reward of joy

When our dreams don’t come true in a day, we, like Simeon and Anna, need to keep in mind that God is still at work. He is still wrapping the package. He is still preparing the gift to fit our needs. We need to pray, not just for the gift, but also for patience to wait for God’s unveiling. As we practice faith, hope, attentiveness, submission and patience, we see the Christ child.

Like Simeon, our eyes have seen God’s salvation. When we receive the bread and wine during Holy Communion, we are holding Christ’s very body and blood, which was nailed to the cross and poured out for our forgiveness. We have seen it with our own eyes and felt it with our own hands and on our tongues. Having been saved, we glorify God and depart in peace to share Christ’s salvation throughout the world.

 Bibliography

• Stanley, Charles F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB ( Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers: 2009)

• “Jesus: The Consolation of Israel”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

• Pastor Bob Coy, “Anna”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

• Exegesis for Luke 2:22-40. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

• Pastor John Barnett, “Simeon and Anna: Single-Hearted Devotion”. Retrieved from www.dtbm.org

• Phil Ware, “Heartlight Daily Verse”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

• Max Lucado, “Waiting Forwardly”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

• Jill Carattini, “Remember Me”. Retrieved from www.rzim.org/Slice

• Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions: Feast of the Holy Family”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org.

• David Timms, “Sacred Waiting”. Retrieved from www.ChristianityToday.com/global/printer.html?/moi/2011/006.december/22.22.html

1. Jamieson-Fawcett-Brown Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.
2. Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.
3. Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.
4. ESV Study Bible. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.
5. MacArthur, John: MacArthur Study Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006;2008)
6. Larson, Bruce; Ogilvie, Lloyd J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 26: Luke(Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc., 1983)
7. The Rev. Dr. Ozzie E. Smith. Jr. “A Sight for Certain Eyes”. Retrieved from www.day1.org/1125-sight_for_certain_eyes.print
8. The Rev. Beth Quick, Sermon 12-29-02. Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/sermon12-29-02.htm
9. The Rev. Dr. William K. Quick, “Seeing and Believing”. Retrieved from www.day1.org/702-seeing_and_believing.print.

Well, it’s all over with. The weeks of preparation, the four weeks of Advent, the pageants and concerts, the shopping, gift-wrapping, delivering, waiting for loved ones to come…it’s all over, and the celebrations can begin. There’s no better way to celebrate this joyous night than by singing. In fact, there is an ancient legend about the angel chorus that is mentioned in tonight’s Gospel reading.

One day, God called the angels of heaven together for a special choir rehearsal. He told them he had a special song he wanted them to learn..a song they would sing at a very special occasion. The angels went to work on it. They rehearsed long and hard…with great focus and intensity. In fact, some of the angels grumbled a bit…but God insisted on a very high standard for his choir.

As time passed, the choir improved in tone, in rhythm, and in quality. Finally God announced that they were ready…but then he shocked them a bit. He told them that they would sing the song only once…and only on one night. There would be just one performance of this great song they had worked on so diligently. Again, some of the angels grumbled. The song was so extraordinarily beautiful and they had it down pat now…surely, they could sing it many, many times. God only smiled and told them that when the time came, they would understand.

Then one night, God called them together. He gathered them above a field just outside of Bethlehem. “It’s time,” God said to them..and the angels sang their song. O my, did they sing it! “Glory to God in the highest…and on earth peace and good will toward all…” And as the angels sang, they knew there would never be another night like this one.

When the angels returned to heaven, God reminded them that they would not formally sing that song again as an angelic choir, but if they wanted to, they could hum the song occasionally as individuals. One angel was bold enough to step forward and ask God why. Why could they not sing that majestic anthem again? They did it so well. It felt so right. Why couldn’t they sing that great song anymore? “Because,” God explained, “my son has been born…and now earth must do the singing!”

Once each year, Christmas comes around again to remind us that God’s Son has come to earth…and now we must do the singing! He came to earth to save us and reconcile us to the God who made us and loves us. We need to be set right with God and we need to be right with other people.

It is more blessed to give than to receive, but tonight we are blessed with the greatest gift of all-the gift of Christ’s arrival as a baby in the manger. Babies are like Christ in that they are both innocent. Christ was sin-free, but he made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. God reached out through Christ to embrace a sinful, hurting world. Luke wants us to ponder the events of this night to find ourselves full of wonder, to consider the possibility that we, too, might glorify and praise God for all we have experienced because of the life of Christ child.

Most of us have attended several parties this season, but Christ has given us the most important invitation of the season-one from God with an RSVP. God made Christmas for us, but we have to make our Christmas. All the salvation of God is finished, but it isn’t ours until we claim it. What we see and what we hear depends not on the event but upon ourselves. We have two kingdoms to choose from-God’s and the world’s. The world’s kingdom is full of material wealth and material goods; whereas God’s kingdom is represented by the shepherds. They had no time to worry about prestige and power. Their emphasis was on serving and caring. Christ’s life is a good example of God’s kingdom-an example for all of us tonight. God humbled himself out of love for us. We must humble ourselves out of love for God and our fellow man. This love takes many forms, including serving the poor, the lonely, the oppressed and the less fortunate.

When God humbled himself by becoming human, every human being became someone. Everyone has a name, everyone has value, identity and dignity. Everyone can have a Saviour-all of this because of the baby born in Bethlehem. God has been at work in both ordinary and extraordinary events of life, creating places where we can encounter God in real, powerful, transformational ways. We find God in the worst kind of places on earth-lowly mangers, the poor, the lowly, the oppressed and those who care for them.

Christmas can only be experienced through the eyes of faith. Only then can we look beyond our immediate world and see that God is here, and He is for everyone. The Gospel reading we heard earlier tonight is good news for tough times, and it is just as hopeful and meaningful today as it was on that first Christmas Eve. God entered into time and space on that first Christmas Eve. He became human in Jesus Christ. He came into human life.

The Christ child is for us, and the gifts of eternal life, God’s healing, God’s forgiveness, and new birth of love are for us. When we finally understand that Christ is for us, we take Christ into our arms and hold him. We hold him in our arms and we understand, and when we understand, there is the glow-ria in our hearts, and we begin to sing the Gloria.

At Christmas, our hearts often yearn for home. That’s why many of you have travelled great distances-so you can be with those you love at this special time of year. After all, Christmas is a family celebration. That’s why families come together at Christmas-even if it means travelling long distances like the Holy Family did on that first Christmas.

People gather on Christmas Eve to stare silently to celebrate the star, the stable and the song of Him whose coming is the light that shines in the darkness and which the darkness can’t and won’t overcome. Christmas comes each year as a reminder that peace is still possible. Goodwill speaks of love and acceptance and a desire for another’s well-being.

Sometimes we get so busy with our own lives that we crowd out the birth of the Saviour from our lives. We have to let Christ into our Christmas. We have to make the time and room for Jesus. We have to let Him into our hearts and lives. We have to let our hearts become a manger where the Christ child can be born afresh in us. Every year Jesus still searches for hearts to fill. The trouble is, He can only fill the space we allow for Him. Will you make room in your heart for Jesus this season?

We also have to let Him into our attitudes. It’s not so much what we do as how we do it and why. Christ talked about attitudes and motivations because that’s what He was interested in. God breaks into the midst of our business about other things, especially at Christmastime and does the best thing. He breaks forth in our lives like a spotlight on a dark, dismal night and we can always look to Him in our lowest moment and celebrate Him even on the mountain tops of our lives.

There is a story about a cobbler, a godly man who made shoes in his humble shop. One night the cobbler dreamed that the next day Jesus was coming to his shop. He got up early the next morning and went to the woods to gather green boughs to decorate his shop in order to receive so great a guest. He waited all morning and the only thing that happened was that an old man shuffled up, asking to rest. The cobbler saw that his shoes were worn through, so he brought the man in. “I’ll give you a new pair of shoes,” he said and put on the old man the sturdiest shoes in the shop before sending him on his way.

He waited through the afternoon and the only happening was that an old woman under a heavy load of firewood came by. She was weary and, out of compassion, he brought her in and gave her some of the food he had prepared for his special, anticipated guest. She ate with relish, for she was hungry. Refreshed, she went on her way. At night came a lost child, crying bitterly, into his shop. The cobbler was annoyed by the child’s presence, because he felt it necessary to leave his shop and take the child to his home. As he returned to his shop he was convinced that he had missed his Lord. Sadly, he sat down, and in his imagination he lived through the moments with Jesus as he imagined they might have been. He thought to himself, “What a great time it could have been.”

He cried, “Why is it, Lord, that your feet have delayed in coming? Have you forgotten that this was the day?” Then softly in the silence a voice was heard: Lift up your heart for I kept my word. Three times I came to your friendly door; Three times my shadow was on your floor. I was the beggar with bruised feet; I was the woman you gave food to eat; I was the homeless child on the street.

Have you ever received the wrong gift? Well, God gives the wrong gift in the wrong package to the wrong people. God identifies with our sorrows, weaknesses, sins-even in our death. God is there in those hours of our lives when it seems everything is wrong, when all is dark, when things just stink-precisely when we need God the most. God wants to be reconciled with you and me, indeed with the whole world. God wants the whole world to know His love and His peace, the kind that little Caesars and little gods can never give. God chose to be born into our world with all of its faults because of them. God chose to come not into a palace, but into the squalor of humanity’s injustice and cruelty to one another, with a family that wanders homeless, announced to shepherds in a pre-dawn stupor, in a place normally reserved for the animals. God came in the middle of a dying world to bring life, and we are sent into the middle of a dying world to announce God’s presence and life.

Jesus, the Prince of Peace, says: I have come to bring you peace, to teach you to walk in the paths of peace. I have come to teach you what you need to learn most—to be a person of peace. Today, we often have to look hard for the signs of God’s peace, but they are all around us. Once we find it, we have to accept it and put ourselves in the place of God’s peace-the place where the Christ child is. Instead of looking at the baby in the manger, we must pick him up, embrace him, and make him our own. Only then will we have God’s peace-the peace that offers hope in our difficult, hurting world.

The enjoyment of singing is one of the gifts that God has given to almost all of us. Singing is important at this time of year because it’s the best way to communicate our deepest thoughts and emotions, especially since Christ’s coming brought a new message of hope to humankind. Music tells us who we are. Its mystical qualities touch us to the core. Music is our offering of Thanksgiving and praise to God.

When the angels sang their chorus of joy on the night of Jesus’ birth, they were singing a song that would conquer their enemies and overcome the power of death. They were singing a song of hope, of joy, of life, of peace. They were celebrating the greatest event in human history-the time when the Almighty God came down and walked upon this earth. We are being invited to join in the holy song that began in creation and continues in Christ. And it will be our theme song in heaven, so we would do well to get plenty of practice singing it here below.

We are well into the season of Advent. It is a season of hope. It is a hope that we remember as we prepare to celebrate both Christ’s birth in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago and His eventual return. This hope included bringing good news to the oppressed. This hope was expressed in the passage we heard from Isaiah. It is the same passage that Jesus based His message in the temple on in Luke 4:16-21.

Isaiah’s message refers to things that have been torn down or destroyed. Things that were depressing will be better. Things that were ugly will be beautiful. Things in general will be better. The passage offers encouragement and hope. It is a model for vision, mission and tone of leadership for all generations.

This is the fifth of Isaiah’s Servant Songs. The Servant would be anointed by God’s Spirit to proclaim a message of deliverance to the people. Jesus fulfilled the task of the Servant when He quoted these words at the beginning of His ministry. Jesus’ redemptive work as a servant begins with inner transformation. Jesus frees us from the bondage of sin. He frees us to live. When we are free to live, we are free to serve. It gives us self-esteem.

People who lack the self-esteem that results from a right relationship with God tend to be self-centered in their motivation and interest. When we are freed because of God’s grace, we become servants ourselves and a channel of grace for others. We are not freely served by God until we serve others, including those who are classified as rejects by society. These people represent the ruins caused by sin. For those who claim to follow Christ, they simply can’t refuse to help the poor, oppressed and needy in their midst. When we refocus our attention on the needs of others when we are in turmoil, it allows the burden of our circumstances to be removed from us.

For example, listen to this story about a little boy named William. “Dad, can I use your oil can to get rid of the squeak in the cupboard doors?” William asked. “Mom says the hinges need a little oil and that I can be the oil man. If they don’t get oiled soon, the squeaking is going to drive her crazy.”

Dad laughed as he took the oil can from the workbench and handed it to William. “Then by all means, take it away!” said Dad.

When William returned the oil can some time later, Dad was still at his workbench. “I oiled the hinges all over the house,” William reported. “I told Mom that if she hears any squeaks now, she’ll know we have mice. She says that would really drive her crazy.” They both laughed, and then William went out to play soccer with his friends.

At dinner that evening, William shared the neighborhood news. “Troy and Jim are mad at each other again,” he said. “And did you know that Mrs. Gentry broke her arm? She fell down her basement stairs.” William helped himself to a piece of ham. “And Mr. Snell stood at his window for half an hour and watched us guys play soccer,” added William.

“I guess he doesn’t have anything better to do.” William nibbled his salad.

“It sounds like the people in our neighborhood could use some oil,” observed Dad.

“Oil?” asked William. “What do you mean?”

“The Bible speaks of the ‘oil of gladness,’ and it sounds like some of our neighbors could use a little gladness in their lives,” Dad replied. “Since you’re the oil man today, I think it would be nice if you would spread some oil of gladness around the neighborhood.”

“Yeah?” William looked thoughtful. “I know one thing I can do. I can offer to run errands for Mrs. Gentry,” he decided. “I don’t know what I can do about Troy and Jim, though–but I’ll think of something!”

William eyed the dessert on the counter. “Can I take a piece of pie to Mr. Snell?” he asked. Then he grinned. “And I better take an extra piece so I can sit down and eat with him!” Dad laughed. “Good thinking,” he said.

Life is hard. No one gets through life without being hurt. No matter how good our lives are, suffering is always a few blocks away. Perhaps your childhood was less than ideal. Perhaps you had an alcoholic father, an absent father, an abusive mother, or an aloof mother. Perhaps you lived in poverty, grew up in an orphanage, a foster home, or with parents who felt you were a bother instead of a blessing. No matter what your childhood memories hold, God can and will use every bit of it for His purposes and for His glory…if we let Him. It doesn’t matter how you started; what matters is how you finish.

There is a time to grieve. It’s important to go through that process and release the hurt to God. But God wants to exchange our hurt for His healing. He wants to fill us with His peace and joy. When we put our painful pasts behind us and obey what God is calling us to do in the present, we will experience a fruitful, fulfilling, fascinating adulthood. He can take the miseries of the past and turn them into ministries in the present.

God will give us peace in His presence and security in the fact that He has overcome the world-and that includes suffering. When we face life’s problems, it’s hard for us to think, let alone pray. When evil seems to gain a victory over good, we wonder and question and ask ourselves if we really can trust God. We ask where He is in those times.

God can create beauty out of the ashes of our lives. He gives us praise to defeat the spirit of despair. It transforms us from weak people into mighty oaks of righteousness. A hope that has been set free from sin is beautiful. When we are freed from our sin, we can live a life more in tune with God. We can testify to the glory of God and give others hope that He can change our lives. If we share our feelings with God, He is willing to listen. He is willing to give us hope.

Hope can ease the pain each of us has within us. Whether it is a shameful past, a breakup, losing a loved one or bad decisions, we all have hidden pain. We try to cover over loss with a beautiful exterior, attempting to make the pain less painful than it really is. The only way to experience healing is for us to let that hidden pain go. God sees what is in our hearts. He wants to turn that pain to praise and give us hope, but we can prevent that healing process from taking place if we hold too tightly to that pain. Jesus will walk us through that pain if we let Him.

Let Jesus’ purpose be the reason for our hope. Let these words-which we dare to hope for-fan the flame of our freedom. Then watch as that freedom burns away despair and gives rise to joy:

• As death is defeated and life is reborn
• As obstacles crumble and opportunities rise.
• As fears are loosened and dreams revive.

 Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1628)
2. “The Oil Man.” Retrieved from keys@lists.keysforkids.org
3. Gathering, Advent/Christmas/Epiphany 2017-2018 (Toronto, ON: Worship, Music and Spirituality Office, Church in Mission Unit, United Church of Canada, p. 10)
4. McKenna, D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 18: Isaiah 40-66 (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1994; pp. 231-242)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
7. Kelly McFadden, “Beauty for Ashes.” Retrieved from www.homeword.com
8. Os Hillman, “Listening to the Father’s Heart-July 23, 2017.” Retrieved from tgif@marketplaceleaders.org
9. Os Hillman, “Listening to the Father’s Heart-May 11, 2017.” Retrieved from tgif@marketplaceleaders.org
10. Steve Arterburn, “Fulfilling Your Mission.” Retrieved from www.newlife.org
11. Os Hillman, “Oaks of Righteousness.” Retrieved from tgif@marketplaceleaders.org
12. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for Isaiah 64:1-4,8-62:3.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
13. “Do You Know This Jesus?” Retrieved from www.dailydisciples.org
14. Joel Osteen, “Double is Due to You!” Retrieved from www.joelosteen.com
15. Joel Osteen, “Garment of Praise.” Retrieved from www.joelosteen.com
16. Sharon Jaynes, “Transforming a Painful Childhood into a Purposeful Adulthood.” Retrieved from www.girlfriendsingod.com

John 1:6-8, 19-28 sets the stage for Christ’s ministry. John the Baptist was the witness to the light of Christ. He was the light that would lead people to Christ. Jesus would fulfill the expectations the Jews had regarding the long-expected Messiah, but not in the way many Jews expected. He would meet these expectations through love and not by force as a military ruler who would drive out the Romans.

John the Baptist’s baptism with water was a sign of repentance, but Christ’s baptism was with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the ultimate purifier. Christ does not just come once with the baptism with the Holy Spirit. He comes to us all the time. He is not in some far off “heaven’, but is right here among us. He is always working in the background of our lives and he is always there for us, especially when we need him.

If Christ is the light, and we’re just meant to witness to the light, what does it mean if Jesus says to us that we are the light of the world? Just like John the Baptist prepared people for the coming of the Messiah, we are to prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ in our lives. We are called to witness to Christ by word and deed, in good times and bad, when it suits us and when it doesn’t, when it is dangerous and when it isn’t. We are to point people to the one who taught us to care for the less fortunate in society.

We are called to risk everything that John the Baptist risked, and that includes the risk that the person we are waiting for to do God’s will may reveal that God’s will is not identical to ours, that God’s plans for the world may not be the same as ours. John the Baptist prepared the way not for God’s people to return to the Promised Land, but for God to come to us. When we have Christ in our lives, we no longer have to be afraid.

Belief is the purpose of the testimony of both John the Baptist and the Gospel of John. To walk in the Spirit and not get rid of His authority in our lives means we immediately obey His initial promptings. Every area of our lives has been brought into submission to His will. No matter what happens or what He requires of us, we do not complain or become upset. Instead we follow Him in faithful obedience and joy.

John the Baptist made an astonishing statement when he said that he was not worthy to untie the straps of Jesus’ sandals. Such a task was usually done only by slaves, people whose lives were not their own. John the Baptist stated the he was not worthy to do even that. When we see that kind of utter selflessness shine forth, we know we are in the presence of something very precious. John the Baptist’s example is a powerful one for all Christians to follow. People such as health care workers are also powerful examples. They humble themselves to provide compassionate care to the sick-work that other people cannot or will not do.

We betray our Christian calling whenever we forget our servant role; whenever the institution becomes more important; whenever power is our preferred mode of operation; whenever we cling to our status and office; whenever we become just like everyone else in society; whenever we blend in. Instead, we must be like John the Baptist. Our voice must be heard in the desert called out modern society. We have to recognize our need for him and confess our need of his grace and love. Only then will we truly experience him as the Lord and Saviour of our lives.

Perhaps the voice we hear calling from the desert is telling us today that the way to prepare for the coming of the Messiah is to do the best we can. We can do that by not going off in seclusion. We are to do the best we can in our daily tasks, but at the same time we must stop and ask ourselves “What do you want me to do next Lord?”

God accepts us just the way we are, but he is not willing to leave us the way we are. He wants righteousness from us, but we do not have to earn his love. He calls us to justice and compassion, but first he offers his own justice and compassion to us. Only by wading into the life that Christ offers and letting it wash away our sins, our false identity, our injustice and selfishness, our commitment to violence will we be recognized and worship the One who is coming in Bethlehem. As disturbing and inconvenient and disruptive as it may be amid the celebrations of the Christmas season, we have to drown our sins in the waters of repentance if necessary if we are to know the identity of the One whose birth we will soon be celebrating.

Bibliography

 1. Frederikson, Roger L.; Ogilvie, Lloyd J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series Volume 27: John (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc., 1985)

1. Sarah Dylan Breuer, “Dylan’s Lectionary Blog; Third Sunday of Advent, Year B”. Retrieved from www.sarahlaughed.net/lectionary/2005/12/third_sunday_of.html
2. Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2009)
3. Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Wordsearch Bible Software packages
4. Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Wordsearch Bible Software packages
5. Fr. John Boll, O.P., “First Impressions, Advent 3, Year B”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
6. John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Advent 3, Year B. Retrieved from www.seemslikegod.org
7. Exegesis for John 1:6-8, 19-28. Retrieved from www.saermonwriter.com
8. Notes from Peter Anthony’s Bible Study on the Gospel of John
9. The Rev. Beth Quick, UMC, “Sing We Now of Christmas: I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light”. Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/sermon12_14_08.htm
10. Bishop Kenneth L. Carder, UMC, “A Necessary Step on the Way”. Retrieved from www.day1.org
11. Dr. Mickey Anders, “A Negative Gospel”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
12. Pastor Steve Molin, “Straight Paths in a Crooked World”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
13. Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “Are You the Messiah”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

Do you know what the key to a healthy life is? It is healthy emotions, and the healthiest emotion to have is gratitude. Gratitude actually helps our immune system. It makes us more resistant to stress and less susceptible to illness. People who are grateful are happy because they are satisfied with what they have. An attitude of gratitude reduces stress in our lives and leads to greater spiritual and physical health.

Having an attitude of gratitude is not easy. It involves lots of prayer. Paul revealed that he needed prayer just as much as other people. He wanted to be preserved blameless. Christians must remember to pray for their spiritual leaders, because their leaders, like all Christians, will face hardships. Every hardship is a gift from God that is to be used for our growth, sanctification and intimacy with God.

God wants us to be people of prayer. Regular prayer creates intimate fellowship with God. Through prayer we discover the goodness and faithfulness of God. While taking time to get alone with God is ideal, we don’t have to limit ourselves to such times. God hears our prayers no matter where we pray.

Will God’s plan fail if we don’t pray? God does not depend on our prayers. The time we invest in speaking with God affects the work that he is doing in our lives and in the world, but he will carry on without us. Does our prayer (or lack thereof) impact God’s work? The answer is both yes and no, depending on the situation.

Prayer will help us to abstain from anything that might lead us to sin or look like sin to others. Prayer will help us to have pure hearts and impeccable Christian witness. Prayer will help to warn us about the dangers of sin.

We are called on to pray for our Christian leaders. We are called on to respect and obey our Christian leaders as long as what they tell us to do is in line with God’s will for our lives and as long as these leaders are true followers of Christ and not false teachers. Being a disciplinarian is not an easy task, as those of you who have children know all too well. The health of a congregation depends on commitment to standards of conduct and doctrine. Leadership is hard work with a measure of authority from God to do that work. That authority is not personal power but moral responsibility to lead and guide.

The Thessalonians were not giving their church leaders proper respect. That’s why the apostle Paul was careful to defend his apostolic authority and the apostolic authority of elders and deacons in the church. Paul accused the Thessalonians of being unruly and out of line. Fellow believers must warn those who refuse to walk in unity with the Christian family. Believers must encourage those who are unruly, weak or new in the faith.

Part of the role of leadership involves discipline. All Christians share that responsibility. We are to tame the unruly and comfort those who are weak in body, mind and spirit. That includes praying for them. Discipline must be tempered with patience. There is no room for retaliation. Patience and discipline must have the ultimate goal of restoration and reconciliation. Jesus outlines the steps to take when imposing discipline in Matthew 18:15-17:

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”

Discipline is in line with what the church is called to do in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18-rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in everything. We are called on to rejoice in our sufferings. When Paul tells us to give thanks in everything, he does not mean that we should thank God for the bad things that happen in our lives. It means realizing that God is working to produce something good even in bad circumstances.

On the surface this doesn’t make sense. Why should we rejoice when we are going through tough times? Why should we rejoice when the ravages of old age and age-related health problems have put us in nursing homes such as this one? Why should we rejoice when we are hurting? The answer is because we always have a basic joy called Jesus. In this season of Advent, we are celebrating both the joy of his birth over 2,000 years ago and his eventual return. The light of Christ that shone with his birth, ministry, death and resurrection shines through into the reality of our daily lives. This can only happen when we rejoice and pray constantly. When we do, God will work in and through us and in spite of our circumstances. Obedience to this requirement won’t be easy, but the rewards of obedience are rich and full.

The Holy Spirit will help us to be obedient. Our Christian life must be focused on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We must not allow people to quench the fire of the Holy Spirit in us. We must not put out the fire of the Holy Spirit. We put out the fire when we deny or resist the working of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

One of these gifts is the gift of prophecy. Like all gifts, the gift of prophecy must be tested, especially since false teachers can disguise themselves as genuine prophets. We must pay attention to true prophecies that are tested against Scripture. Prophecies must be rejected if they contradict God’s Word. The standard for testing these gifts is the Bible. It provides the standards by which prophecies, doctrines, practices, and other gifts can be measured. These standards can be summarized as follows:

1. Is the person giving the prophetic utterance living a balanced and righteous lifestyle?
2. Is the person committed to building God’s kingdom or his own? Is Christ being lifted up or is the person giving the prophecy being lifted up?
3. Does the prophetic utterance establish confidence in the Word and is it consistent with a balanced presentation of it?
4. Does the use of the spiritual gift bring unity to the church and build up the body?

Anything that does not measure up to these standards must be made subject to discipline, as I mentioned earlier. True prophecies are not to be treated lightly. When God’s Word is preached or read, it is to be received with great seriousness.

When we are evaluating something and we are using Scripture as our guide, there will always be some people (including Christians) who will disagree with us. How should we respond to this criticism? Here are some options to use, depending on the situation:

1. Always leave room for opposing viewpoints.
2. Don’t engage in “character assassination.”
3. If you don’t get your way, get over it and get on with life.
4. If all else fails, separation might be necessary. In other words, it might be necessary to leave the church or group that you are having disagreements with.

Paul concludes 1 Thessalonians with a reminder that our being set apart from the world is the achievement of God himself. It involves every part of our being, our lives. Our lives are to be characterized by prayer. We are to be quick to pray in all circumstances, and not just in emergencies. We are to give thanks in everything through prayer. If we pray constantly, our faith will flow from the current of communication with God, and our faith will be bulletproof.

Bibliography

 * Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

• Demarest, G.W. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 32: 1&2 Thessalonians/1&2 Timothy/Titus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1984)

• Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NKJV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2005)

• Macarthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2006)

• Pastor Rick Warren, “An Attitude of Gratitude.” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com

• Charles R. Swindoll, “Modelling Grace through Disagreeable Times.” Retrieved from eministries@insightforliving.ca

• Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “Quenching the Spirit.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org

• Dr. Charles Stanley, “The Impact of Prayer.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Dr. Neil Anderson, “Discerning the Truth.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com