TO THE WORLD REALLY
Philippians 1:3-11
LUKE 1: 68-79
December 9, 2018
The prophet Nahum reminded those who believe in God … those who are connected in faith to the One; the One God … the only God. God, who as believers we have heard has promises for our future; a future with hope that should fill each of us with great expectation. The prophet reminded the people of God’s intent and plans.
We are in Advent friends, the candles are being lit each Sunday around the world and Christmas is quickly approaching. Those of us and can I include each of you in this statement? Are each of you with me in this journey? Do you get it when you hear of the joy that faith brings? Are you right there with Paul in telling friends and family that you are rejoicing always; rejoicing in the Lord? Are you ready to sing JOY TO THE WORLD THE LORD has come at any time on any day in the year because you get it … you know it … you have experienced being changed by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior … Salvation and taking on Christianity as a lifestyle not merely as an adjective changes who we are friends! We become the people who love not the people who allow fear to take over our conversations and lives like the world does.
So, yes the prophet Nahum’s words carry the same meaning today that they held when he shared what God had told him with the people of faith of his day.
“The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; The Lord cares for those who take refuge in Him.”
The Lord is good church … And, all the time the Lord is good!
Are you willing to take refuge in God? In Jesus? And allow the Holy Spirit to care for you? Is that where you are in your journey of faith … is that where you want to be in this Advent Season when you and I can be filled with great anticipation that Jesus not only was born in that manger … that Jesus not only lived and taught with and about love … our Jesus humanity’s Jesus, the very Son of God accepted the cross knowing He was the ultimate sacrifice for humanity’s sins but JESUS my friends did not die … JESUS did not evaporate into nothingness …
Jesus is not merely a name morphed into a debated greeting mandated to be spoken after people purchase stuff …. Jesus Christ did not come to raise up xenophobic powers attempting to claim that God had preferences amongst the human race when those of us who have opened up this book … those of us who have taken the time to connect with the Creator … we know truth because God has provided God’s clear statement that all of humanity was created in the Holy image and equally loved by the Creator and Jesus Christ not just some who bowed or are bowing to certain kings and leaders.
Jesus, His message of Good News that is just as revolutionary to our world today as it was to His world; a world that chose to condemn Him to death because Jesus challenged the rules of the powerful. They didn’t like hearing God’s truths. Jesus rose from the tomb on EASTER morning and our Jesus … your Jesus … her Jesus … his Jesus … their Jesus is ALIVE and today that should bring intense amazing smiles of joy because you are amongst those in this world who have chosen to worship God and allow this side step to be part of your Advent journey AND … AND FRIENDS you know that eternal life is down our road and that Jesus will be back one day. JOY TO THE WORLD the LORD HAS COME … LET EARTH PROCLAIM HER KING.
HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING GLORY TO THE NEWBORN KING …
Joy, Anticipation, Truth, and change. Truly offering us the hope for our future that Jeremiah spoke of. And, my oh my, the LORD is oh so good. And, church … frequently … very frequently I need the Lord … Church do you need Jehovah? Do you need God? Are you finding refuge in God … do you sense how God cares for you because God does.
On Monday morning, as I was thinking about Day Two of Hanukkah and the power of two candles burning in the darkness when that verse showed up on my Twitter. I do not personally know the young man who posted this verse although we have exchanged notes periodically over the years but I have followed him for a long time.
This young man does not have to post Bible verses nor faith messages on his Twitter but he does. Regularly. He has TWO HUNDRED and FIFTY THOUSAND FOLLOWERS. He was a number one draft pick in the NFL draft after being a star running back at Clemson University. He made millions of dollars playing a game and that is why TWO HUNDRED and FIFTY THOUSAND people follow him. CJ Spiller could post about anything … He could trash talk or make a big deal of his career. But there is more.
But you know what he uses to describe who he is? On Twitter … for the world to see … he could have posted about football but instead he has LUKE 12:48 on his profile not the verse just the Good News connection from Scripture. I am sure he intended people to look for that … to see what that verse says and means. I know I had to look it up.
In these times when social media has taken over every day conversations, I am not an every day Twitter guy so as I read this verse from the Prophet Nahum on Monday I decided to see what CJ had posted the day before. This time it was from Paul’s letter to the people of EPHESUS, EPHESIANS 2:8.
Let’s take a look at that verse <<SHOW SECOND SLIDE>> “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” If you look in your Bibles you can read how Paul continued, “It is not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
A reason for joy church? God didn’t need a pretty box wrapped up in ribbon to provide a gift for us but this gift is all on God … we needed the gift but the gift is not something to be proud of … it’s something to be thankful for.
And, the best part … the very best part in this Advent season is that we … you and I … THE BEST PART CHURCH … good news JOY to the WORLD kind of news … the awesome and incredible best part of the gift of GOD is that we who worship in West Deptford and those of you who worship with us online are in a very comfortable position to share the gift. To pass it along … to bring the joy of God’s Light and the Salvation message of hope with all those we know.
God created us in Christ Jesus to do good works … what could be a greater good work than to share the message of Jesus Christ? We have the freedom of speech … we do not have police or others spying on us to insure we never say anything about God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, Salvation, the real meaning of Christmas, Good Friday, Easter morning and what we believe … my goodness church … don’t you want to shout out to each person you see … I HAVE A GIFT TO SHARE WITH YOU and IT IS FREE!! And, it is everlasting.
CJ Spiller does not have to post on his Twitter messages about his faith but he does … yes, he has TWO HUNDRED and FIVE THOUSAND followers. None of us knows a quarter of a million people but together … church when we work as a body of believers who take on the Jesus message rather than worrying about some worldly designed and politically motivated adjective of Christian …
When we each find it within ourselves to boldly proclaim that we are Christians … we are believers … we accept God’s call to be loving and forgiving people who care for the hurting whoever they are and we have opened up our Bibles to read the directions of Jesus who clearly said GO INTO THE WORLD as my witnesses …
And church, if together we each share that message on social media, through our life actions, and rather than being embarrassed we let the world know we believe not in the season not in the wrapping paper not in the popular acceptable sentiment of the day but if you and I go out into the world showcasing love that makes people look twice; forgiving when others condemn; and sharing God’s loving Salvation not a fear drenched concept of damnation, Jesus told Nicodemus “God didn’t send God’s Son into the world to judge the world but that the world might be saved through Him”… who knows how many lives we can touch or change?
It is our decision … our choice … be quiet afraid to disturb the sleeping baby Jesus or shouting for joy that JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN … HE’s ALIVE … JESUS IS MY SAVIOR … DO YOU KNOW HIM … ARE you loving GOD?
It’s the Christmas Season … it’s Advent … it’s a time to experience the joy, relive the birth and be renewed for God whose salvation is God’s gift to each of us providing joy, hope and shelter. To the world, really? YES to the WORLD!
So, today are you so filled with joy that you are thinking about THE ONE; our GOD whose grace … whose love is so incredible that Jesus is ours?
God the gift giver … God the One from whom life springs … our God who has given each of us amazing gifts. Individualized gifts to be yours, mine, theirs so that we can worship God and change the world for God. I think our creativity is part of God’s gift to us since deep inside of each of us we have the capability of creating messages … creating love … being special … and truthfully I think that using our creativity is our gift back to God because when we each think of ways to share and live our faith we are not relying on others to do it but understand that all are called to go into the world bringing and sharing the Good News we have heard!
And, to quote the lyrics of a special song of the season, “I don’t need boxes wrapped in strings and designer love and empty things. Just a chance that maybe we’ll find better days. So take these words and sing out loud. Cause everyone’s forgiven now!”
Yes, my friends … the God of Creation has brought us a Savior whose name will be Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace and with today’s technology you and I have the means to tell the story to the world, really!
AMEN
Watch a video of today’s worship service: