Christmas Eve 2013 - A Different Road, Matthew 2, 12/24/13

Christmas Eve 2013  A Different Road -  by another route

 

Christmas Eve.  The crowning moment of the Christian tradition.

I want to talk with you for a few moments tonight about love and grace.

As long as people are nervous about the church

As long as people still wonder if God loves them

As long as people hurry thru Christmas and are glad that it is over

          And breath a sigh of relief

There is still a deficit, a shortage of love

There is still a dearth, a want of grace

There must be another path, another way to live.

 

In Matthew 2 we find the story of the wise men

Came from the east to Jerusalem asking, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

 

³ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed,

He called the wise men secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

 

⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

 

This month our church has been talking about Christmas

Some of our topics were

Jesus is different than Santa.   – hes not magic – but knowing him can be miraculous
Christmas is not perfect.  You don’t have to be perfect.  messy is ok
Gods love is amazing.  – the central message of Christmas is gods love
Jesus has a wish list. – every body gets gifts but jesus

His list- love God and love others, be Christ’s hands and feet

And now we come to Christmas. 

The story that changes everything that went before. 

The story that could change everything for us.

 

warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

 

Isaiah the prophet wrote

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light.

We are all walking

We are all on a journey

When we encounter Christ, our direction changes

The wisemen went home a different way

The shepherds left glorifying and praising god

The angels probably are still talking about making the all district choir

No one leaves this story quite the same as when they found it

 

Robert Frost wrote

I took the road less travelled and to me it has made all the difference

 

Christmas is not about us. 

It is something that we enjoy but it is not just something that we enjoy

It is not just something that we consume

There is more

 

The birth of Jesus is the greatest story every told

It is the greatest love story every told

God so loved the world

The story should change us

 

What does change mean?

How are we changed by the story

 

Do you believe?

·        Yes I believe

·        Yes I know the formula

 

Do you love him

·        Yes I know the feeling

·        Yes I feel the love

·        My heart has been strangely warmed

 

Many people have the beliefs down and the

I am supposed  to love god down,

But their lives are still filled with fear and worry

 

In the old days

The story changed you by guilt

It’s how I was raised

Guilt is no one’s friend

Jesus did not exercise guilt

 

Some spend their lives trying to earn a love that we can never earn

We cant earn it because God offers his love freely

The message of Christmas should smash once for all the question of whether or not God loves us

He gave his son

 

Will we try to live by the rules or finding a life of grace

Each of us must choose – this video makes the question clear

 

Show video                                                                                     video

http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/mini-movies/9929/Rules-Vs-Grace

 

Each of us must choose

 

Transformation is not about being perfect

It is not about who is right

Its about the holy spirit at work in your heart

 

Bob tuttle – commenting on the way Christians disagree

when the holy spirit comes in he does not take sides, he takes over

imagine so much of God in you that we are no longer fighting, just filled with awe

 

In the old days the story was supposed to change you by guilt

I chased others w guilt

Our youth group was sent out into golden gate park in san Francisco to tell people that they were going to hell if they didn’t accept Jesus

 

Our success rate was predictable

Today I reject this method of reaching people

It doesn’t work

And jesus did not use this method

 

Jesus chased no one to come back to him

They were allowed to listen and follow of their own accord without condemnation

 

In Jn 4 jesus meets a woman by a well who has been married 5 times

He doesn’t condemn the woman                                                   picture

She also wants to argue about the right place to worship

Jesus does not bite

he didn’t argue with the woman about the right way to worship

he simply talked about the rivers of living water that pour through a persons soul when they choose to trust in him

 

The disciples were not guilted into following him

They came of their own accord

They were changed by love

 

Changed by love

By love compelled.

Its an interesting thought.  A compelling thought

 

Have you ever met someone that was so good that you wanted to be like them

So kind that you wanted to become more kind

So generous that you wanted to become more generous?

I can talk w my kids til they are blue in the face

I can try to force an idea on them.  it just doesn’t work

Image what happens though if my kids ever see me so loving so kind that they say, wow.  That is how I want to live my life.

 

The story of God’s love

It still changes lives

It is the soul of god at work in the heart of man

 

Every year around Christmas I get pictures like these

Pic of the virgin mary                                                                     picture

The stories of the virgin mary being stolen

They have a lot of fun with me

 

Picture of don canfields front yard                                                         picture

 

the movie, As If It Were Yesterday,

is about the Belgian Christians who sheltered 4000 Jewish children during World War II to save them from Nazi death camps, a 6-year-old Jewish boy was plac10321ed with a Christian family. After a time, they said they could no longer keep the boy. They said, "He's a thief."

Those making the placements were distressed and one went to visit the family.

"How can a 6-year-old boy be a thief? That's impossible ...."

"Yes, he's a thief. Our little girl got a manger for Christmas, with the little Jesus and the rest, whatever there is. And hestole the little Jesus. Our daughter is very upset. She won't eat."

So the placement worker took him aside. "Listen, you know that the Nazis want to kill us all. And here you are with good people trying to save you from death. Why did you steal?"

"Sir, I didn't steal."    "I have taken Jesus to hide him."

"What do you mean?"

"I know little Jesus is a Jew. The Germans could take him. So I hid him to save him."

 

Why have you taken in jesus?  Have you chosen him?

Yes?  But Why?

Those that have chosen him for traditions sake – that always feels hollow

Those who choose him out of duty or guilt- that ultimately feels heavy

God wants to be loved

We are invited to respond to his love

To feel his love.  To be motivated, infiltrated, gripped by his love

Have you taken in Jesus?

There is so much fear in the world.  We still have not heard the message.

 

During the construction of the golden gate bridge

Many workers fell to their deaths – the pace of work ground to a crawl.

[if I was out on the bridge I would be moving at a crawl]

After much discussion, the construction company installed a giant net

The pace of work picked up.

Workers still fell, but they were caught.  They were saved.

 

Christmas is god’s invitation to us to learn to live without fear.

Jesus is the net.  We can be saved.  We can be freed to live without fear.

 

We can find a different way to live

After hearing the story we can go home by a different route.

 

Christmas is the ultimate story of love

And It is still changing lives

God so loved the world

the soul of god is still looking to work in the hearts of men and women, boys and girls

 

the love of Christ is the light that lightens the world

He is the light that still shines in the darkness

Beckoning all who wish to know this love to come

To receive him and join him in this life of love

 

If you have never experienced true, guilt free love

I invite you as the light of the candle comes to you

To welcome into your heart, the forgiving love of God thru Jesus chirst

In this dark world there is a  message of hope

We are the bearers of that light.

 

Pls stand to receive the light of Christ.

 

Christmas Eve Sermon 2009 Isaiah 9:2

Christmas Eve Sermon 2009 Isaiah 9:2

2The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

On Christmas Eve we celebrate the light that has come into our world, Jesus Christ brings the light of God's love and grace

Darkness is universally understood. We sense it in war and fear. Even scary movies and our bumbling in the dark looking for a switch. As children we all had a fear of being lost in the dark, unable to make if home and we grow into adults and sometimes, that darkness and those fears are still present. Except now they are no longer child sized, they are adult sized and they are not imagined but real.

But this Jesus makes our lives wonderful, changing us from the inside out. Except we don;t always feel wonderful do we....

It's A Wonderful Life movie - 1947
Starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed
Jimmy Stewart is George Bailey
An average man in many ways who lives as each of us tries to live, reaching out and caring about others as we can.

Things are all well until he faces a crisis in his life.
He will lose his job, his family, end up in prison. Decides that he is worth more dead than alive. He wishes he had never been born

Goes out onto a bridge to end it all.
Is met by his guardian angel; Clarence who shows him all the good he has done in his life.

He saved his brothers life
He stuck up for the little people
Sign on wall - "All that you can take with you is that which you have given away."
Served the community
He was a good father and husband

Angel helps him see what the world would be like without him - the world is different and on one knows him He does not like this world.
Clarence says...Strange isn't it each mans life touches so many others lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole.
What a gift, you had a wonderful life...wouldn't it be a mistake to throw it away

Begs for his life back. His life where people know him and he gets to play a part. Begs for another chance. I want to live again.

Gets that chance, runs home embraces hie family. All of this friends come over and celebrate the gift of life...it's a wonderful ending.

Have you ever felt like life was not so wonderful?
Have you been feeling down-unneeded? Maybe you are here tonight and you as I have had times in your life when you wondered if it was worth it.

Let an angel come to you and stop and think of all those you have helped.

Transition One
What if they all came back, all those in whose lives you have invested come back to show their appreciation?
What if we lined them up right here and they could speak to you.

Can you see their smile, can you hear them say thank you?

If someone is here tonight that helped you, be sure to tell them thank you.

But I want to say thank you for them tonight for every person whom you have ever helped.

But Pastor, I never saved any one's life. I an not very involved in the community. Really I have not lived the wonderful generous life.

Do not let others rob you of your joy. You may not have done it exactly as others thought that you should,

just a little light is all that it takes - a spark of faith within your heart, small as a mustard seed
And suddenly we are standing on holy ground because one of the amazing things about light is that it dispels darkness. The smallest amount of light is infinitely more powerful than massive amounts of darkness. The smallest amount of light turns a dark place into holy ground.

1. Have you visited someone in a hospital? Alli in the hospital.. Something else, something sacred, something more going on here. Something else is going on in that room that we only get glimpses of from time to time
2. You are at a restaurant of grocery store visiting with a server that you have got the chance to know. They are telling you their story about how they don;t go to church anymore because they got tired of being judged and condemned. You look at them with the most sincere face and tell them the truth. Our church will not treat you this way. You will be welcomed and loved. They know immediately that it is true because the light always dispels the darkness.
3. Maybe you went on a mission trip or spent time reaching out to the needy here locally in Kansas City.
4. Maybe you have dome to a funeral visitation and stood by a friend in their hour of need. Something happened in such moments and the light goes forth.
5. New church start "The Beacon" one little light becomes 5, 10, 25, 50, 75.......100
   
   We have to learn to set aside the negative message and remember how to offer this message just as Children, unencumbered by the cares and worries of this life, are a great source of light - letter from Skylar to Luka
   
   Dear Luca, I wanted to give this to you. This is a story that is so true.
   And this is how it goes. A long, long time ago, Jesus was born.
   He was born in a manger that was so warm.
   Shepherds looked up in the sky, They saw a Angel flying high.
   The angel said, "Peace on earth good will to men."
   Jesus Christ will forgive our sins.
   Three wise men from far and along came and hummed their favorite song.
   They brought presents...myrrh, frankincense, and gold.
   And that's why we celebrate Christmas. Love, Skylark
   
6. At Thanksgiving I asked Olivia what she wanted Santa to bring her. Her reply: "MOM, DID YOU KNOW that Christmas is not about Santa bringing gifts? It's about celebrating the birth of baby Jesus and giving gifts to poor people!" A week later, we were in Barnes and Noble looking for gifts for family members. she said, "Mom, we need to buy a gift just in case there weren't enough. Something that would work for a boy or a girl." She promptly picked out a children's Bible. "In case the needy person didn't know about Jesus."

And the list of Jesus dispels the darkness

Transition Two
If you still feel that you would not be missed, well then here is what I must tell you.
The message of the light comes to us and for us. You are forgiven and free. Tonight is your night. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life. You can make a change. Reach out. Help another. Make a difference. Receive and share the love of God and the world will never be the same.

Receive this light of Christ. Giving God's love and amazing grace. This is your chance to live a life of significance. A life filled withe meaning and purpose.

Never underestimate the power of one little light

When you do an act of kindness
You become a part of something bigger than one alone
Your influence goes out into the world for good, exponentially.

The light of Christ was not meant to be balled up in the hearts of Christians or held prisoner within the confines of a church.
It is out there, within you tonight as we speak.
We just have to learn to give it away.

Conclusion
You know that this is the time of the service when the pastor lights his candle and passes it to the ushers, and they pass it around. What if this year, something different happens, what if you have the light out there and you get it out of your pocket and the light begins from you, from places all over the congregation.

A spontaneous combustion of the light of Christ from within the congregation - because we just can't hold it back.

Jesus, the light of the world, can make our lives wonderful.