To Me? Yes You!!

Notes from Fred:

Saturday was a wonderful day – as we gathered to hear the Good News on Christmas Eve in Scripture (from six young men) and song (through our Band, Choir, and Children’s Christmas Choir), culminating in the light of more than one hundred candles….

Sunday was special – as we gathered to celebrate the birth of our Savior on Christmas Sunday (an opportunity only once every seven years), on his birth day, hoping and praying that this would be a new birth day for us, culminating with joyful singing of “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” moving  us to move out to tell the Good News to others….

And this coming Sunday, the light and love of Christmas continue into the New Year, as we gather for a Love Feast, reviving the Agape Feast of the first Christian Church, a Feast of forgiveness, light, and love – even breaking bread together in the midst of Worship…!

To Me? Yes You!

On Sunday, God’s Word affirmed that Jesus was born to each of us; that he offers to give us the gift of himself as our Savior, Liberator, and Ruler; and that we open his gift by “going and seeing” that God’s Word is true, can come true for all that he wants for us. (Luke 2:1-20)

In summary:

1. We celebrate and give thanks for the birth of Jesus, not just to marvel at the birth of the Son of God, but because Jesus was born to give us a new chance at a new heart and a new life – the Abundant Life now, filled with love, joy, peace and more; and the Eternal Life forever with him, filled with love, joy, and peace that never ends….
2. We focused on three questions from Luke’s telling of the birth of Jesus. The First Question is this: Who does Jesus come to, to give a new chance at a new heart and a new life? The answer is found in two words within the 389 words of this story: “Today a Savior has been born to you; he is the Christ, the Lord!”  Jesus comes to you. He is no generic Jesus. He comes because he cares, in particular, for each of us, to be our personal Savior.
3. Many of us experienced this on Christmas morning. There was a present under the tree with your name on it. Someone cares enough about you, to find a gift that fulfills you, wrapped it for you, put your name on it, offered it specifically for you. It is the same way with Jesus – He offers you himself as a gift with your name on it, to give you what you personally need! Too many people miss the gift of Jesus because they believe that they do not deserve him. But Jesus is not like Santa Claus, giving gifts depending on whether we are “bad or good.”
4. We know this because the gift of Jesus was first offered to shepherds. Shepherds were outcasts. They worked a dirty job, which made them unclean, which meant that they were not entitled to enter the Temple, hear God’s Word and give sacrifices to receive forgiveness. They were out in the fields, ignored and forgotten.  They often added to their flocks from the flocks of others. The Talmud declares: “Do not help a heathen or a shepherd; and do not let them testify in court.”
5. When the Angel said, “A Savior is born to you,” I suspect that each shepherd said – “Not me!” But God sent the gift of His Son specifically to shepherds so that we would believe that Jesus came to be our Savior, no matter what we have done or not done; no matter if we have ignored, rejected, made fun of Jesus. He knows that. Yet he is born to you – for you to receive the gift of himself, to let him become your Savior, and more….
6. It is the “Savior and more” that answers the Second Question: What is the gift that Jesus offers? The answer is in three words: (a) Savior, which means healer and reconciler of all that is in us that is not what God wants for us, that keeps us from a right relationship with God and each other; (b) Christ, which means “Liberator” from all the powers that keep us from the Abundant and Eternal Life he wants for us; (c) Lord, which means “Ruler” over all the decisions that we make.
7. Jesus offers to heal, free, and lead us away from our past; our fears; our selfishness; our love of money and things that we love more than God; our anger and sharp tongues; our addictions….
8. Yet, these are just offers. The Third question moves us from words to lives: How do we open this gift of Jesus and receive a new chance at a new heart and a new life? I wish it were as simple as saying: “I accept you, Jesus, as my Savior, Liberator, Ruler.” Our lives are not changed by saying or believing these words. But receiving the gifts Jesus offers is as simple as what the shepherds show us: “Go and see what the Lord has told you!”
9. Once the Shepherds had heard the words, they had a choice – to stay where they were, reject, ignore, talk about, or just decide that they were too busy to respond. Or they could go and see if the Words of God are true. They chose to go and see. They saw Jesus, and their lives were changed, to glorifying God, living lives that gave God glory.
10. This presents a problem for us, because we cannot see the physical Jesus. But that is not what changed the Shepherds. What changed them was seeing that God’s Word was true – that we can rely on His Word. This is our choice – to continue as we live now, and not be changed; or go and see what God says in His Word is true for us, and be changed into the new life he wants for us. Jesus promises that if we will do as he tells us, he will come and live in our hearts, changing our hearts to his heart; and he will send his Spirit which will fill us with the Abundant Life and bring us to the Eternal life with him.
11. I urge you to go and see if God’s Word for your life is true. Try and see if: (a) Your relationships will be healed, if you forgive and seek forgiveness, and overcome evil with good; (b) You will be freed from stress and the value judgments of the world, if you love God more that money and things, and give to, and serve, all who are in need; (c) You will be filled with love, joy, and peace, if you let Jesus set your priorities, do everything in his name, love as he loves you.
12. Tens of millions of Christians have received new hearts and lives by receiving the gifts of Jesus. It is never too late for us. A new chance at a new heart and a new life can begin for us today, because we know something that the shepherds did not know – This child became a man and died on the Cross to take away everything that stands between us and the life he wants for us; he was raised from the dead to be with us, to be our Savior, Liberator, Ruler, if we will go and see that God’s Word is true!

Connection for the Week: During the two weeks between now and Congregation Appreciation Sunday (January 8), go and see if God’s Word heals, liberates, leads you to the Abundant Life and relationships that God wants so much for us; and if you struggle with opening God’s Word to your life and relationships, come and see me, and we, like the shepherds, will go and see together.