Bob’s Blog

The new life in Christ as Jesus-followers will be increasingly exciting in each season of life if we place Christ first in our lives.

The seasons of life—we all go through them.  Someone has said that there are four seasons of life: childhood, youth, young adult, and “you look marvelous!”  We know we have reached middle age or beyond when people say “you look marvelous” instead of “Hello.”  The ambiguous comment may cover a multitude of wrinkles and gray hair.

Being able to enjoy the season of life we’re in is not easy.  So much of life is lived in anticipation of the next season. Experts in human development tell us that if we skip a period of natural growth and experience, we spend the rest of our lives trying to recapture it.  The popularity of all the “life passages” books indicates that we all long to understand why we react the way we do at each season of our development as people.  There are some of us who are old in attitude and reaction long before our time, and others who never grow up.  To be mature in our growing years and viably youthful as we grow old is the challenge of adventuresome living.

What is true for enjoying the human developmental seasons of life is also true for the spiritual seasons of life in our relationship with God and others.  The Apostle John wrote to groups of Jesus-followers in the churches in Asia.  Let’s note his words in 1 John 2:12-14…

12 I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, because you have overcome the evil one. 14 I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

We can observe in these verses that John addressed three groups of Jesus-followers: dear children, the young people, and the fathers.  The usual approach of interpretation of this passage is that John wrote to three different groups.  But let’s shift the sails a bit, to catch the winds of the Spirit about this passage.

Let’s imagine for a moment busy streets lined with billboards, each with a person’s name on the top, that continually flash images—the true, uncut contents of that person’s heart.  If we have Jesus Christ in our lives, there’s no need to be nervous.  The things at our core of our character are headed in the right direction. God is light; God is love; God is life; God is joy; God is purity.

God liberates our heart from the secret condemnation that poisons and shames every human being. We follow those new instincts; and like the apostle John, we will practically itch to lead others into that kind of freedom and kinship with God.  Our spiritual senses will sharpen, leading us to seek people in darkness, letting God use us to “work on” them until they know God like we know God. 

Seasons of Spirituality

Every church has newborn babes in Christ, those who are the energetic growing Jesus-followers, and others who are the mature, seasoned saints of God.  The tragedy is that we lose the best of all three seasons.  We often lose the excitement and dynamic warmth of the first experience of being loved just as we are.  We can remember when we first experienced the joy of falling in love with Jesus Christ.  How easily the delight of the new birth is lost in routine forms of religion without experiencing the deep faith of our traditional Christianity.

It has been said that “traditionalism is the dead faith of the living saints, and tradition is the living faith of the dead saints.”  All too often form takes precedence over function.  So there must be a quality of discipleship which takes Jesus seriously.  We want to follow Christ and communicate his love to others.  And then, truly mature Jesus-followers who know the Lord in depth, and know from experience that they are faithful in all life’s circumstances, is a work of God—beautiful to behold and know.

John shares these seasons of spirituality with a challenge.  This challenge is to keep together the excitement of becoming a Jesus-follower, the daring of growing up in Jesus, and ripened depth of mature personality under the control of Jesus.  We need the best of all three seasons of spiritual growth.

John is trying to capture the basic ingredients of each season of spiritual growth and urges the Jesus-followers to never lose the best of all three.

1.  Always beginning

12 I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name… 14 I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father.

John addresses the dear children. Forgiveness is the quality of the dear children in the faith which we should never lose.  The experience of forgiveness is the nutritious milk for new babes in Christ.  We are set free of the sin and failure of our old life.  Acceptance by God through Christ and the cross helps us grasp the amazing fact that the old is gone and we have made a new beginning.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17…

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

I can still remember the freshness and freedom I felt when I accepted Christ as my Savior and surrendered my life to him.  Life began for me that night as a Junior Higher.  It was a triumphant transition in which I became a new person in Christ through the power of forgiveness and liberating grace.  At a tender age of 13 I was filled with enthusiasm for Jesus, I wanted the whole world to know the joy of being a new person in Christ.

So as dear children Jesus-followers are always beginning!

2.  Constantly adventuring

13 … I am writing to you, young people, because you have overcome the evil one.      14 … I write to you, young people, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

John addresses the young people. Babies are lovely, but it would be a terrible tragedy if we remained a baby all of our lives.  The same is true in the Christian life.  Growth in the implications of the Lordship of Christ is demanding and sometimes painful.  The thrill of being one of Jesus’ followers also means the cost of following him.  John knew the challenges of making Jesus as Lord.  He understood the testing of the adolescent and young-adult seasons of growing in Christ regardless of the age at which we are “born again.”  The implication is not that the battle is completely over, but that there are specific evidences of victory which should give hope and strength to future conflicts.  Each new battle is engaged with the knowledge that, if we trust Christ and what he has accomplished on the cross, we too will have victory.

Paul writes in Romans 12:1-2…

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

It didn’t take but a few years before the experience of Jesus as my Savior flamed into the challenge of following him as my Lord.  My mind had to be renewed around Christ’s mind; my emotions needed healing and release; and my will had to be taught the ways of obedience.  As a college student I soon had to come to grips with the power of evil in me and others, and in my world.  I needed to understand that spiritual adolescence, regardless of my chronological age, is a necessary and unavoidable part of my growing up in Christ.  I am never finished with it.  I had to grow strong with the word of God living in me. It was during this season of my spiritual growth that I accepted a call into ministry.  I was young and strong, seeking the Word of God to live powerfully in me.

So as young people Jesus-followers are constantly adventuring!

3.  Forever secure

13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning…  14 … I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.

John addresses the fathers. The danger is that we are tempted to think that the growing years of our Christian lives can be finished.  Our Lord is at work helping us to be pilgrims all through the years of our lives.  We are called to be adventuresome, vigorous, daring followers of Jesus right up to the end.  John seems to expect that there should be a discernable result of knowing Christ through the years.  That forces us to question the ways in which we are different because of companionship with Jesus through life’s agonies and ecstasies.  Paul challenged people to grow up to maturity so we would no longer be like children hurled back and forth by false teaching and crafty ways.  Maturity in Christ is becoming like Christ in thought, action, and reaction. 

Paul writes in Ephesians 4:13-15…

13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.  14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the head, that is, Christ.

So I have discovered over the years in my walk with Christ that age does not insure my maturity.  I need to be childlike in my later years, but not childish.  I do not want to experience “spiritual senility.”  I can major in the minors and cripple the movement of the local church.  So I choose to grow up, not merely old emotionally and spiritually.  I will always be eternally grateful to God for members and leaders of my congregation who are mature in years and Christian character.  A long life in Christ has produced an admirable combination of unfailing hope, ready-for-anything openness, discernment salted with love, and inclusive receptivity to new people and innovative ideas.  They are examples to all of us of what God can do with a person who is completely yielded to the Lordship of Christ. 

So as fathers Jesus-followers are forever secure!

Now let’s see the perspective of these three seasons of spiritual growth with the following diagrams:

The spiritual life is traditionally seen as moving from developing faith to fruit-bearing and finally to full maturity…

        Developing Faith                                Fruit-bearing                                Full Maturity

           Childhood                                   Young Adulthood                    Older Adulthood

This view tends to compartmentalize spiritual life into three clearly defined dimensions.  Although each of these life periods contains a mixture of developing faith, fruit-bearing, and full maturity, these elements tend not to be balanced or blended.  Let’s look at another diagram…

            Fruit-bearing                              Fruit-bearing                           Fruit-bearing

            Full Maturity                                                                                 Full Maturity

        Developing Faith                   Full Maturity

                                                             Developing Faith                    Developing Faith

            Childhood                                Young Adulthood                      Older Adulthood

William Barclay, in The Daily Study Bible, has a vital summary of John’s seasons of spiritual growth:

All Christians are like little children, for all can regain their innocence by the forgiveness of Christ.  All Christians are young men, with glorious and vigorous strength to fight and win their battles against the tempter and his power. All Christians are like fathers; like full-grown, responsible men, who can think and learn their way deeper and deeper into the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  It seems…that indeed is John’s wider meaning.

The Christian life is always beginning, constantly adventuring, forever secure.  It is for each of us to decide in which season we presently live in our Christian life.  Some of us may still be babes and need to grow up.  Others are in the heat of the battle to be faithful and obedient as disciples of Jesus.  Still others are enjoying the security of having grown to maturity in Christ.  We must have the desire to keep the best of all three seasons for all our years.  If we become more mature in every day we are privileged to live, we will have the abundant life Christ lived, died, and is with us now to make maximum.  The new life in Christ will be exciting all the way through the seasons if we put him first in our lives.

King Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 3:1…

1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.

I would like to pass on three important objects to you before I bring my final message to a close: a staff, a compass, and binoculars.

The staff represents that a new undershepherd is coming to Christ First in God’s timing.  Accept this undershepherd, love and follow the lead of Christ’s shepherd to you.

Isaiah 30:21                                                                                                                          21  Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

The compass represents the Word of God.  It will lead you in the right direction.  Continue to rely on God’s promises for you lives as you take the light of his Word with you along your paths.

Psalm 119:105                                                                                                                        105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. 

The binoculars represent the vision of the church.  Continue to bring the things that seem far off into focus with the vision of allowing God to show you “new things.”

Isaiah 48:6    6 You have heard these things; look at them all.  Will you not admit them?  “From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you.”

Now a final word and a promise.  The principles and examples I have shared with you in my messages over the years are tools to help you focus your energy on what God has for you to accomplish in the seasons of your spiritual life.  As you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you, the eyes of your understanding will be opened and God’s vision for you will be revealed.  Take the vision God shows you and bathe it in prayer.  As you faithfully apply the principles you have learned, you will find yourself moving from where you are to where God wants you to be.  God has something better ahead for you if your future is centered on Christ and his Word.  Press on and fight the good fight of faith, laying hold of everything God has for you, because God’s best is yet to come!

Jeremiah 29:11                                                                                                                              11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Prayer: Creative Lord of growth and new life, we praise you for all three seasons of life. Help us to keep all three as we live our days.  We long to stay fresh and vital with daily experiences of forgiveness.  Give us the power of your Spirit to confront and overcome the frustrations of life.  And enable us to grow up to full maturity in every aspect of our faith.  Thank you for calling us to a faith journey in which we are always beginning, constantly adventuring, and forever secure.  In Jesus our life and Lord.  Amen!                                             “Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much”

Jesus-followers are God’s solution to a troubled world but we can only share that solution if we do go, making Jesus the Christmas choice.

We gather together this Christmas Eve to reflect upon the Christmas choice that each of us needs to make as we approach this Holy Day.  This Christmas choice is welcoming Jesus into the center place of our Christmas celebration.  Many of us are ready for Christmas.  The Christmas tree is decorated, our presents are beautifully wrapped under the tree, the pine needles are beginning to fall from the tree, and the house is decorated.  We may be ready in the external preparations for this holiday, but are we ready in the inner recesses of our lives for a Holy Day?  Have we made the Christmas choice of welcoming Jesus afresh and anew in our hearts?

It’s not easy as well to keep Jesus in the center of our lives as we enter a new year.  Following Christmas there is the usual deluge of sales, the finishing up of left-over turkey, a few days of holidays, New Year’s and then it’s back to school or work.  Christmas is over for another year.  And just as we were getting into it, too!

But the Christmas choice of placing Jesus at the center of our celebration doesn’t have to end.  It was not meant to end.  Christmas is, rather, the beginning of something big.  The birth of Jesus was the beginning of something big for the shepherds who long ago tended their flocks by night on a Bethlehem hillside.

Let’s read a portion of the Christmas story from Luke 2:8-20…

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,  14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”  15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”  16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

 Just because the world around us treats Christmas as a shallow façade of a holiday that wears off by January 1 does not mean that we need to sell out on the celebration of Christmas throughout the year.  We can put the tree and decorations away, but that does not mean that Christmas should be forgotten in our hearts.

The shepherds on that Christmas Eve long ago certainly didn’t put Jesus away after they found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  They spread the world concerning what had been told to them about the baby Jesus.  They returned to their places of routine, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen.

Christmas, in its essence, is about God entering our world—God coming to live life as one of us as flesh and blood just like us.  This reality is not something we should only celebrate for a couple of weeks every year.  Rather it is something we should celebrate every day of the year.  In fact, if we want Christmas to be meaningful for us, it is the rest of the year that helps us appreciate the true spirit of Christmas.

In our text this evening, we find the shepherds who attended and cared for sheep discovering that Mary and Joseph would attend and care for their baby.  There is a startling contrast with this imagery.  The shepherds were to present in the Temple the unblemished lambs for sacrifice.  Mary and Joseph would present to all people the unblemished Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world.

God discloses to us in the gospels John the Baptist knowing what is the real meaning of Christmas in John 1:29…

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

“Look,” John says pointing to Jesus, the Lamb of God.  After John’s testimony, two of his followers—Andrew and Peter—left to follow Jesus.  But why go?  What did these two followers expect to get by following Jesus?  What led them to follow this man?  They believed they had found the Messiah, the Savior, but so what?

Perhaps they expected to obtain wealth, or power or prestige, or honor?  Perhaps they thought it would be fun—a good experience?  Hardly!  As Jewish men, they knew all about the Old Testament passages which told about the Lamb of God.  They knew all about the Passover Lamb.  They had been taught all about the suffering servant songs in Isaiah and the illustration of a lamb being led to the slaughter.

To call someone the Lamb of God as John had called Jesus was not an illusion to worldly power or riches.  The two men who left to follow Jesus expected none of these things.  Perhaps these Jewish shepherds on Christmas Eve knew all about the Lamb of God as well as these future followers of Jesus.  So why go?  If these shepherds in the likeness of the Jesus-followers did not expect wealth, power or prestige, or honor, why follow?  Why indeed?

They simply followed because they were called to go.  They went because they knew that life would be unfulfilled unless they gave themselves completely to God.  They knew the illusions of fulfillment which the world offers, that those things of wealth, power, family, and prestige are just that, illusions. For the shepherds, they did not know where God would take them, but they knew that by following, they would find fulfillment.  The fulfillment came, not because of what happened to them, but because they were following God.  They went away from Jesus praising and glorifying God because they knew that there was no other road that offered fulfillment.

This evening we hear that Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”  How do we respond?  Christmas has come.  Jesus has entered our lives.  How do we respond to that reality of God becoming flesh?  Do we go or not?  Do we follow Jesus—not necessarily in the sense of packing our bags and leaving home—but definitely in a sense of living our lives for God?  How do we respond?

1.  It is a choice of perspective

How we respond depends on how we see God.  Many of us have fallen into an illusion that contentment comes from wealth, from family and from the social and economic values which we take from the culture around us.  For these people, the call of God makes us uncomfortable because we see it as a call to fanaticism.  We see it as a call to give up everything that we value.

2.  It is a choice of price

We will believe in God only so long as there is not commitment, no cost, no sacrifice, no challenge to our false illusions of contentment, and no call to “Go!”  If the price tag is too much to pay then we will forfeit the committing everything that we value.  If we are ever asked for more, then we are tempted to put away our faith just as easily as we put away our Christmas decorations.

These two responses keep us in our comfort zone.  So comfortable are we in the life we have built that we are more prepared to live an illusion than in accepting the offer of real fulfillment.

But there is a third response.

3.  It is a choice of purpose

There are also those among us who, when they are introduced to the Lamb of God, set down everything and go.  Their fulfillment comes from walking with God.  Their meaning and existence are wrapped up in the fact that they do not journey through life alone. God is their guide.  God has given them a purpose for living, a journey marked before them with intention and direction.

Their joy comes when they proclaim the Lamb of God to others through their words and actions.  Their lives are not consumed by some false illusion, but rather they are filled with a closeness to God. Like the shepherds, they simply share with others what they have heard and seen.  What have you heard and seen this Christmas?

Oh, you say, had I been there at Bethlehem that night I would have heard and seen. I would have understood. I would have known it was the Christ child. Would you? There is a way of knowing:

Ask yourself what you have heard this Christmas Season?

Did you hear only the blast of music and carols, or did you hear the silent sighs of the lonely and the bereaved who may be dreading Christmas because it accentuates their loneliness, their loss of a loved one.

And in the midst of the sounds of honking horns and people arguing over parking places, did you hear faint sounds of laughter coming from church missions’ projects because you furnished shoeboxes, food and toys for families and children.

Ask yourself what you have seen this Christmas Season?

When you watched the 6:00 news did you see chaos and strife, or did you see sheep without a shepherd.

When you went out to do your shopping did you see only hordes of people in the stores, or did you notice the worried expressions on some of their faces–worried because they are facing this Christmas without employment or enough money and they don’t know how they are going to make ends meet.

So often what we hear and what we see is not dependent upon the event but upon us. If we did in fact hear the cry from the lonely, the laughter of poor children, if we saw the sheep without a shepherd, then, and only then, might we have noticed the events that took place in Bethlehem that night. If we lacked that spiritual hearing and seeing then we probably would have been with the 99% who were present but who heard or saw nothing out of the ordinary.  In the end perhaps one of our carols, “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” words it best: No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin. Where meek souls shall receive him still, the dear Christ enters in. 

There are people for whom Christ enters in and lives on at Christmas.  “Look, the Lamb of God.”  Christ has entered our world at Christmas.  Now is our opportunity to decide how we will respond.  We are invited to follow.  We are invited to walk with God.  We are God’s solution to a troubled world but we can only share that solution if we do go.  “Look, the Lamb of God.” Let us follow him because Jesus is the Christmas choice, not only this Christmas Eve but also after Christmas!  Amen.

[Drama—“Lamb of God.”  The angelic voices announced the Radiance of Light—Jesus, the Lamb of God.  Let’s listen to what a young shepherdess recalls the night she first met Jesus, the Lamb of God.]

God is always in the midst of great darkness and suspicion, and when hatred and hostility rule, he brings love through the light of Jesus.

Many people today, even Jesus-followers, have lost sight of the simplicity and serenity of the Christmas season.  Jesus offers hope, joy, peace and love for the hurting and eternal life for those who are willing to accept the Father’s gift of light—the birth of his Son.  This Advent message series helps to remind us all that Christmas is not about us—Christmas is Jesus!

We are living this Christmas in a culture that is caught up with too much concentration on self.  We are driven to guarantee that our desires are met in the activities and relationships of our lives.  Besides, self-absorption impedes any true love of others or for that matter, any true celebration including Christmas. We want our desires to be met before we sense the needs of others.  Like our children, we want the gifts and perks of the Christmas season. We become infected with what may be called “life-rage.” “Life-rage” is an irritation that surges through our spirit when anyone or anything impinges upon our “space”.  For example, we are overcome with “road-rage” when another driver cuts us off on the highway as we enter a crowded mall. We even feel “parking lot rage” when a shopper blocks our “right-of-way” and takes away our parking place at that mall.

 Now that I am older and slower I sometimes feel rage welling up inside me when the young rush by riding their skateboards or bikes on the narrow sidewalks, oblivious of my presence, sometimes brushing against me as they crowd together, obviously more interested in each other than in me. Over time I am beginning to realize that this is but an aspect of a more general rage, a “geezer rage” at their being young and vigorous while I am growing old and wobbly.

We are centering our focus upon four key declarations concerning darkness and light:

In the darkness of DESPAIR Jesus is the light of HOPE

In the darkness of FEAR Jesus is the light of JOY

In the darkness of ANXIETY Jesus is the light of PEACE

In the darkness of SUSPICION Jesus is the light of LOVE

The first Advent message focused on the fact that God brought us hope from despair through the Father’s gift of light—the birth of his Son.  Traditionally Christmas is seen as a time of hope, but for so many people despair is the controlling emotion of their lives.  And that despair can bring a suffocating darkness.

The second Advent message focused on the fact that God brought us joy from fear through the Father’s gift of light—the birth of his Son.  Christmas is seen as a time of joy, but for so many people fear is the compelling emotion of their lives, and that fear can bring a paralyzing darkness.

The third Advent message focused on the fact that God brought us peace from anxiety through the Father’s gift of light—the birth of his Son.  Christmas is seen as a time of peace, but for so many people anxiety is the constraining emotion of their lives, and that anxiety can bring a troubling darkness.

The fourth and final message focuses on the fact that God brings us love from suspicion through the Father’s gift of light—the birth of his Son.  Christmas is seen as a time of love, but for so many people suspicion is the critical emotion of their lives, and that suspicion can bring a disbelieving darkness.

Suspicion = to have a feeling of distrust or perceived guilt for someone or something.

There are many people today who suspect that something is wrong without proof or on slight evidence.  Suspicion causes a state of mental uneasiness and uncertainty.  This uneasiness and uncertainty even carries over into our value or belief system.  Therefore, many people today cannot believe that God would enter the world in the miracle of the Incarnation.  “God becoming flesh” causes suspicion—this feeling of distrust for believing in the true essence of Christmas.

So it is obvious that such suspicion delivers a death-blow to the possibility of displaying authentic love with others. Such attention to self is the root of a destructive pride whereby we believe that we are better than everyone else, or that we take on a disbelieving suspicion when it comes to trusting others in their pursuits of life. We are enraged when others do not seem to recognize our superiority. We, the self-proclaimed philosophers, are infuriated by the utter ignorance of those around us. Love them? They are lucky that we do not sweep them out of our way!

We will discover in this message that Herod embodied a “life-rage,” a suspicious nature toward anyone who would challenge his superiority as king. 

Let’s center our attention on the gospel writer’s account in Matthew 2:1-12…

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “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, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 ” ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search 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.

We can observe in these verses another important contrast in our message series.  We see the suspicious nature of Herod unwilling to acknowledge Jesus’ right to the throne—in essence, the throne of people’s lives.  Alongside this suspicion is the loving nature of the magi that willingly serve as a positive model of response to Jesus.  These foreign visitors come expectantly to the house where the little family lived.

God took the darkness that caused suspicion in Herod, and ushered in a worshipful spirit of trust in the lives of the magi.  In the likeness of our previous messages, God took the  suspicious and distrusting situation of Mary and Joseph, he took the things that made no sense at all and out of that darkness and suspicion, he brought light and love…not just for the magi, but to all who will allow Jesus to rule on the throne of their lives.  We affirm once again that it’s just like God to take what’s weak, worthless, uneasy and dark and use it to bring light and love to the world.

The Greek word agape (love) seems to have been virtually a Christian invention — a new word for a new thing (apart from about twenty occurrences in the Greek version of the Old Testament, it is almost non-existent before the New Testament). Agape draws its meaning directly from the revelation of God in Christ. It is not a form of natural affection, however, intense, but a supernatural fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). It is a matter of will rather than feeling (for Christians must love even those they dislike — Matt. 5:44-48). It is the basic element in Christ-likeness.  We can read 1 Corinthians 13 and note what these verses have to say about the…

Primacy of love (vv. 1-3)    

Profile of love (vv. 4-7)

Permanence of love (vv. 8-13) 

During the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, sentenced a soldier to be shot for his crimes. The execution was to take place at the ringing of the evening curfew bell. However, the bell did not sound. The soldier’s fiancé had climbed into the belfry and clung to the great clapper of the bell to prevent it from striking. When she was summoned by Cromwell to account for her actions, she wept as she showed him her bruised and bleeding hands. Cromwell’s heart was touched and he said, “Your lover shall live because of your sacrifice. Curfew shall not ring tonight!” 

As we approach Christmas Day, many of us may be called to sacrifice our own lives like this young woman for the sake of those we love.  We are living in the midst of suspicion.  However, these magi will teach us that we can place the longing in our hearts upon the baby Jesus and worshipfully seek his lordship this Christmas.

A Twofold Outcome

We can affirm one last time the fact that God is not afraid of the dark. Out of darkness God can bring light and love where otherwise suspicion would rule.  No sooner was Jesus born than we see a twofold outcome in which people are always to be found in regard to Jesus Christ.  Through Herod, we can perceive what it means to harbor suspicion and distrust.  Through the magi, we can discover what it means to seek Jesus—gladly bow down in his presence in adoring worship, and welcome him with our gifts not only as Savior but also as our Lord.

The birth of Jesus and the subsequent journey of the magi unfold for us a twofold outcome:

1.  The reaction of hatred and hostility in the midst of royalty

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

It came to the ears of Herod that the magi had come from the East, and that they were searching for the little child who had been born to be King of the Jews.  Any king would have been suspicious at the report that a child had been born who was to occupy his throne.  But Herod was doubly disturbed.

Herod was concerned that this little child was going to interfere with his life, his place, his power, his influence, and therefore his first instinct was to distrust and destroy him.  He even summoned the chief priests and scribes.  However, they were completely indifferent to Herod’s distrust.  They were so engrossed in their Temple ritual and their legal discussions that they completely disregarded this babe from Bethlehem.  He meant nothing to them.  So Herod was unrestricted in his suspicion to react with hatred and hostility.  The Jewish leaders were non-players in this drama of the Incarnation.

It’s never enough to know who Jesus is.  Those who acknowledge his supernatural birth, but fail to commit themselves to him as Savior and Lord, are very much like Harod. There are still those people today who would gladly destroy Jesus Christ, because they see in him the one who interferes with their lives. They wish to do what they like, and being a Jesus-follower is based upon selflessness—not doing what they like. So many would dismiss Jesus as a Savior and Lord of their lives.  Jesus-followers are those who have ceased to do what they like, and have dedicated their lives to do as Jesus likes.  The outcome: like Harod, suspicion is embedded in our minds.

2.  The response of humility and homage in the midst of sovereignty

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.

Alerted by the appearance of an unusual star, the magi traveled to Judea to honor One born to be King.  We’ve noted that their arrival caused consternation, and Herod demanded to know where such a Person might be found.  The magi traveled a great distance to witness this child with his mother Mary.

As a side light, do we know what would have happened if it had been Three Wise Women instead of Three Wise Men? They would have asked for directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole and brought disposable diapers.

When the magi arrived at the house (not a barn in Bethlehem), they bowed down in humility and worshiped Jesus.  The gifts recorded are the traditional gifts given to One in authority—gold, frankincense and myrrh.   More significant, however, is the pattern we see here in the magi.  They worshiped Jesus first, and then they opened their treasures and presented Jesus with gifts.  In humility, the response of adoring worship was the desire to lay at the feet of Jesus the noblest gifts which they could bring.

Too often we worship our treasures.  Money, or the things money can buy, becomes the focus of our lives.  When we worship wealth we have no room for Jesus, or for others.  We suspiciously hold close our treasures, unwilling to part with them for any cause.  Worshipping Jesus frees us from materialism.  Our “treasures” lose their grip on our hearts, and as we discover the blessing of serving Jesus, we willingly present our material treasures to him as gifts.  The outcome: like the magi, love is engraved upon our hearts.

Jesus provides a remedy for this darkness of suspicion.  Let’s note some of Jesus’ words…

Mark 12:30

30 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

John 14:15

15 “If you love me, keep my commands.”

John 14:23

23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”

Matthew 6:24

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

Matthew 25:40

40 “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it for me.”

When God is involved, out of darkness comes light.  Out of suspicion comes love.  This truth is tenderly illustrated by the care given to an unsuspecting child—one considered like Jesus to be the “least of these.”

Ted Stallard undoubtedly qualifies as the one of “the least.” Turned off by school. Very sloppy in appearance. Expressionless. Unattractive. Even his teacher, Miss Thompson, enjoyed bearing down her red pen — as she placed Xs beside his many wrong answers. If only she had studied his records more carefully. They read: 1st grade: Ted shows promise with his work and attitude, but (has) poor home situation. 2nd grade: Ted could do better. Mother seriously ill. Receives little help from home.  3rd grade: Ted is good boy but too serious. He is a slow learner. His mother died this year.  4th grade: Ted is very slow, but well-behaved. His father shows no interest whatsoever.

Christmas arrived. The children piled elaborately wrapped gifts on their teacher’s desk. Ted brought one too. It was wrapped in brown paper and held together with Scotch Tape. Miss Thompson opened each gift, as the children crowded around to watch. Out of Ted’s package fell a gaudy rhinestone bracelet, with half of the stones missing, and a bottle of cheap perfume. The children began to snicker. But she silenced them by splashing some of the perfume on her wrist, and letting them smell it. She put the bracelet on too.  At day’s end, after the other children had left, Ted came by the teacher’s desk and said, “Miss Thompson, you smell just like my mother. And the bracelet looks real pretty on you. I’m glad you like my presents.” He left. Miss Thompson got down on her knees and asked God to forgive her and to change her attitude.

The next day, the children were greeted by a reformed teacher—one committed to loving each of them—especially the slow ones. Especially Ted. Surprisingly, or maybe, not surprisingly, Ted began to show great improvement. He actually caught up with most of the students and even passed a few.

Time came and went. Miss Thompson heard nothing from Ted for a long time. Then, one day, she received this note… Dear Miss Thompson: I wanted you to be the first to know. I will be graduating second in my class. Love, Ted.

Four years later, another note arrived… Dear Miss Thompson: They just told me I will be graduating first in my class. I wanted you to be first to know. The university has not been easy, but I liked it.  Love, Ted.

And four years later…Dear Miss Thompson: As of today, I am Theodore Stallard, M.D. How about that? I wanted you to be the first to know. I am getting married next month, the 27th to be exact. I want you to come and sit where my mother would sit if she were alive. You are the only family I have now; Dad died last year. Love, Ted.

Miss Thompson attended that wedding, and sat where Ted’s mother would have sat. The compassion she had shown that young man entitled her to that privilege.  Let’s have some real courage, and start giving to those considered the “least of these.” They may become like a Ted Stallard. Even if that doesn’t happen, we will have been faithful to the One who has always treated us—as unworthy as we are—like very special people.

What will be the outcome for you this Christmas?  Will you allow suspicion to rule your mind through a reaction of hatred and hostility?  Or will you allow love to embrace your heart through a response of humility and homage?  You may be in the darkness right now, restless with suspicious thoughts concerning the events surrounding your life.  If suspicion describes your mental and emotional state, your life—then I want to encourage you with the Christmas story.  It is a story of God taking suspicion…the suspicion of hatred and hostility, and out of that suspicion bringing LOVE.  God will do the same with your suspicion.  That’s what God does best.  In the darkness of SUSPICION Jesus is the light of LOVE! Amen.

God is always in the midst of great darkness and anxiety, and even through life’s troubling times, he brings peace through the light of Jesus.

Many people today, even Jesus-followers, have lost sight of the simplicity and serenity of the Christmas season.  Jesus offers hope, joy, peace and love for the hurting and eternal life for those who are willing to accept the Father’s gift of light—the birth of his Son.  This Advent message series helps to remind us all that Christmas is not about us—Christmas is Jesus!

Why do we call “rush hour” “rush hour”? Nobody rushes anyplace. Life is like that—too much to do and not enough time to do it. Trying to keep up and seemingly falling behind. The holiday season only seems to make this worse with even more things to do. And emotions—everyone is suppose to experience contentment at Christmas. We sing “Silent Night”, and we’re not silent.  We’re just trying to keep up. Many will see empty chairs at the family table—loved ones who are missed. Anxiety is a way of life this holiday season.

The circumstances of our lives and families—the economy, the world we live in—are constantly working to rob us of our peace. We constantly struggle to feel safe, less anxious, more in control of our lives. Where is the peace of Jesus in all this?  That word “peace” is crucial for our lives.  It’s crucial because we long for peace. Crucial because it is so hard for us to really know peace. With all the efforts of all the philosophers, all the governments, working to solve the deeper issues that plaque humankind, are we any closer to peace than the night when Jesus was born? How can we truly share the peace of Christmas when we are “wrapped up” and “tied up” in such a hectic pace called “rush hour”?

We are centering our focus upon four key declarations concerning darkness and light:

In the darkness of DESPAIR Jesus is the light of HOPE

In the darkness of FEAR Jesus is the light of JOY

In the darkness of ANXIETY Jesus is the light of PEACE

In the darkness of SUSPICION Jesus is the light of LOVE

The first Advent message focused on the fact that God brought us hope from despair through the Father’s gift of light—the birth of his Son.  Traditionally Christmas is seen as a time of hope, but for so many people despair is the controlling emotion of their lives.  And that despair can bring a suffocating darkness.

The second Advent message focused on the fact that God brought us joy from fear through the Father’s gift of light—the birth of his Son.  Christmas is seen as a time of joy, but for so many people fear is the compelling emotion of their lives, and that fear can bring a paralyzing darkness.

The third Advent message focuses on the fact that God brings us peace from anxiety through the Father’s gift of light—the birth of his Son.  Christmas is seen as a time of peace, but for so many people anxiety is the constraining emotion of their lives, and that anxiety can bring a troubling darkness.

Anxiety = a feeling of uneasiness or apprehension,                                                            cued by a future threat to something held essential.

When we were little, we lived in a world that seemed mostly safe and relatively secure. Our biggest worry was likely the monster living under the bed, waiting to pounce at “lights out.” As adults, we graduated to bigger worries — finances, illness, relationships and jobs, to name a few — and the world didn’t seem quite as safe anymore.

From the time the alarm rings in the morning till we crawl under the covers at night, we are faced with a multitude of choices, responsibilities and unknowns that add up to fatigue, stress and sometimes, chaos. The pressure of everyday life is only worsened by modern technology’s ability to beam play-by-play satellite pictures of political events and natural disasters wreaking havoc around the globe. Is it any wonder, then, that many of us find ourselves living with anxiety on a daily basis?

Despite our best attempts at positive thinking — amidst a cultural landscape abounding with counselors, therapists and self-help books — we often find ourselves plagued with both tangible concerns as well as seemingly unfounded feelings of uneasiness or apprehension. We wonder if it’s possible to find calm and peace anywhere.

Perhaps the answer to the question begins with taking a look again at the understanding of the origins of fear and anxiety. The common ground between the two is a threat, whether real or perceived, to security and safety. Fear and anxiety differ in a profound way, however. At its core, fear stems from an instinctual desire to survive and to recoil from the pain of outward circumstances. In contrast, anxiety stems from mental thought patterns in which safety is perceived as being jeopardized. Our mind becomes fixated on the future, possible events that may challenge our well-being or bring pain — whether that focus is three days or three minutes in the future.

Anxiety is characterized by “What if …?” thinking.

What if … I disappoint someone?

What if … my spouse leaves me?

What if … my boss lets me go?

What if … (Fill in the blank)?

The problem with “what if” thinking is focus. Fear sees the present danger and says, “It is happening, now!” Anxiety, on the other hand, pulls our focus away from the present, fixates on the future and says, “What if it happens someday, maybe?” The future does not yet exist, and may never exist the way we envision it in our mind. It’s likely that most of the things we’ve become anxious about over the years have never come to pass.

Duke University did a study on “peace of mind.” Factors found to contribute greatly to emotional and mental stability are: 1) the absence of suspicion and resentment. Nursing a grudge was a major factor in feeling discontent. 2) Not living in the past or drawn to the future. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures or potential problems leading to depression. 3) Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions we cannot change. Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it. 4) Force ourselves to stay involved with the living world. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress. 5) Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands us a raw deal. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune. 6) Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues–love, humor, compassion and loyalty. 7) Do not expect too much of ourselves. When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and our ability to meet the goals we have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable. Find something bigger than ourselves to believe in. Self-centered egotistical people score lowest in any test for measuring happiness.

Paul warns Jesus-followers about being anxious in Philippians 4:6-7…

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Paul reminds us that we can do something—we can do the most effective thing when facing anxiety.  We can place the problem squarely in the hands of the one Person in the universe who can deal with every threat.  It is by prayer and petition with thanksgiving.  It is our affirmation of faith that God will surely deal with the situation we have just handed over to him.

Why does the peace of God “transcend all understanding”?  Larry Richards writes…On the surface, our circumstances will not have changed.  Something we hold dear will still be threatened.  We’ll still be out of work.  Or our child will still be bullied on the playground.  Or our spouse will still face a battle with ill health.  We could explain the peace we feel to others if we could announce, ‘I have a new job’!  Or if the bully was kicked out of school, or the doctor announced the illness cured.” 

The thing that is special about the peace God gives, and the thing we can never explain to those who have never had the experience, is that we experience peace before the situation changes in any way.  God’s Spirit calms us, and whispers in our hearts.  “It’s all right now.  I will provide.” Many people, of all walks of life, of all faiths, of all experiences find themselves apprehensive in the darkness of anxiety so deeply that they are restless and nervous.  Yet, out of the darkness of anxiety, God brings Jesus—the light of peace.

To understand this peace, let’s look again at the continuing message announced to the shepherds on a hillside outside of Bethlehem. This time it was a calming message declared to them by an angelic choir that God would bring to them peace on earth.  It’s a contrast of restless shepherds with the peaceful message of God’s glory in the highest heaven.  It is the light of peace when God chose to bring his Son into the world.

This angelic encounter with the shepherds is recorded in Luke 2:12-17…

12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,  14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”  15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”  16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,

We can observe in these verses that the angelic choir, in similarity to the message of joy, appeared to shepherds in fields near Bethlehem.  In Christ the Savior, our deepest anxiety is met.  Through Christ, God’s goodwill is poured out on all whom God’s favor rests!  

But that is exactly what God did.  God took the darkness that caused nervousness in these restless shepherds.  In the likeness of our previous messages in the series, God took the despairing and terrifying situation of Mary and Joseph, he took the things that made no sense at all and out of that darkness and anxiety, he brought light and peace…not just for sheepherders, but upon all whom God’s favor rests.  We affirm that it’s just like God to take what’s weak, worthless, uneasy and dark and use it to bring light and peace to the world.

Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered.  The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled.  As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd.  A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner. The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace? A turbulent waterfall cascaded down a rocky cliff; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a small, thin tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power. A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil. 

Peace is more than absence of conflict. It is inner quietness, deep stillness in the soul, serenity of the spirit, a state of order, harmony, and wholeness. A peaceful individual lives in the midst of conflict without inner turmoil and anxiety. Peace does not depend on outward circumstances but on an inner relationship.

As we venture deeper into this Christmas season, many of us may feel like that little bird.  We are living in the midst of stormy surroundings.  However, this angelic choir will teach us that we can place our contentment upon the Lord and remain undisturbed in our stormy surroundings, manifesting peace that transcends all earthly turmoil.

A Threefold Peace

We affirm once again the fact that God is not afraid of the dark. Out of darkness God can bring light and peace where otherwise there would be none.  Let’s return once more to Luke’s narrative concerning the message of peace from this angelic choir to these restless shepherds.

Through the angels, God tells the shepherds the meaning of this most significant event in cosmic history.  The meaning of peace; Jesus’ birth is to bring peace, shalom, blessedness, fullness.  This is the message from the angels to the shepherds and through them to us.  Christ’s coming means peace.  Not the cessation of war necessarily, but a different kind of peace. 

The angelic announcement of peace to these anxious shepherds proclaims a threefold blessing or fullness:

1.  The forecast of peace in troubling times

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven…

The angels predicted this peace will come when we give glory to God in the highest. The peace does not come when wars among nations end.  Peace will not come with arms or nuclear limitations treaties.  Peace does not come when a general flow of goodwill wells up and we all feel high-minded about our neighbors.  The angels give us the precondition for peace—that we give glory to God in the highest.  This peace has nothing to do with whether or not we win the war.

The tragedy today is that we have made war glorious and peace dull and uninteresting.  We have glamorized war and all its pursuits and have missed the excitement of the ultimate cause which is peace.  It is a gift only God can give us, and it is the one thing for which our hearts yearn.

The lesson God has for us here is that we need to make peace with God.  That’s where peace begins.  We may be running because we are keeping a hectic pace which keeps us from settling down before God.  We may simply be caught up in our own busyness.  We can come home this Christmas.  We belong to him.  We give glory to God in the highest.

2.  The favor of peace in unsettling times

14 “…and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”  

How surprising that this profound message of peace was entrusted to shepherds.  We noted in our last message that these shepherds were likened to a despised class of people, outcasts from all respectable society.  Their honesty and integrity was so questionable, not only were they banned from the Temple, they were not even allowed to testify in a court of law in those days.  Now these particular shepherds were a part of an outcast group through whom God chose to reveal the meaning of Christ’s birth.

In giving this message to the shepherds God bypassed the professional peacemakers.  He gave the message and its interpretation to amateurs. We need amateur peacemakers.  The great diplomats and ambassadors of two thousand years ago, the councils that met and the peace treaties that were signed are mostly forgotten.  But the world still reverberates with the peacemakers like the apostle Paul and Luke himself.

The next lesson God has for us here is that we need to make peace with our neighbor.  We need reconciliation between the advantaged and the disadvantaged in our cities and in our land.  America is a nation of the advantaged like no other nation.  We are called to reconciliation in families, between husbands and wives, between parents and children.  We are called to effect political reconciliation between right and left, liberal and conservative, the minority and the majority.

3.  The form of peace in disquieting times

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

The form of peace is manifested in a child—a baby lying in the manger.  This baby Jesus meets our deepest need for peace.  In the shepherd’s search for peace they found Jesus.  They didn’t find this peace in the right situation or circumstance.  It was experienced in a personal encounter with Jesus—the light of peace.  Peace within was one of the greatest needs for the shepherds.  The same is true today for those who are disquieted and “wrapped up” with the hectic pace of life.  The peace that Jesus offers is contentment—accepting God’s sovereign control over all life’s circumstances.  Real peace hinges on what’s happening inside us, not around us.  We are all tempted to believe the lie that our peace hinges on our ability to control what is going on around us.

To experience real peace, we need to experience Jesus firsthand.  God will meet all our needs for peace in the form of a baby.  God is going to take good care of us.  When circumstances rob us of our peace, we must take responsibility.  We must acknowledge that we are looking to what we cannot control to provide us with our peace.  Only then can we begin to look to Jesus for our true form of peace.

The final lesson God has for us here is that we need to make peace with ourselves.  The only way we can find harmony with ourselves is by experiencing peace with God through Jesus Christ.  There is the old saying: “Know Jesus, know peace.  No Jesus, no peace.”  This real peace comes when we are willing to receive personally the babe of Bethlehem as Savior and Lord of our lives. An important dimension of peace comes to us when the head and heart and all our conflicting emotions come together in Jesus.

This Prince of Peace provides a remedy for this darkness of anxiety.  Let’s note some of the comforting words of Jesus…

John 14:27

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 16:33

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 20:21-22

21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 5:4, 9

4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted…   9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Matthew 6:33-34

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

When God is involved, out of darkness comes light.  Out of anxiety comes peace.  This truth is vividly illustrated by a young college graduate who was traveling overseas and needed to get home in time for Christmas.

The first time I remember sensing the peace of God was when I was traveling in Europe after graduating from college. I had taken the trip with my younger sister. When we got to the London airport to catch our flights back to the US, her plane was ready to leave as

scheduled, but my flight was delayed. I found out that my plane could not leave because it

was presently not permitted to land in US airports. The plane was a DC-10, and there had been a major accident involving that type of plane a few days earlier. Since I had paid for a charter fight, the airline was under no obligation to pay for any food or lodging expenses incurred from the situation. I had little money left for expenses, and the information from the airlines was that the planes might not be allowed to land in the US for a week or more. Christmas Eve was only three days away, and I desperately wanted to be home with my family.  Soon, my sister’s flight departed and I was left alone on my first major trip overseas. I could not get in touch with my parents through a collect phone call. The situation scared me and I could not think clearly about what to do because I was so upset. I spent the rest of that day and all of the next trying to get help—with no results. In desperation, I prayed for God’s help. Soon after I prayed, I sensed that I would be OK and make it home with the small amount of money I had.  I experienced a sense of peace that had no rational basis in light of what I had been told by the airlines.

The assurance I sensed turned out to be correct. I called the airline again and learned that they had arranged for the passengers to fly on other airlines—at no additional cost. My connecting flight in New York City had left a few days earlier, but when I explained the situation the ticket employee wrote “involuntary reroute” on the ticket and told me I had a seat on the plane. I had to spend only a minimal amount of money to eat at the airport and arrived home safely the next day just in time for Christmas!

The Christmas story is a beautiful story from a growing darkness of anxiety to the light of peace.  I don’t know what anxiety you may be dealing with in your life from unsettling turmoil or stormy situations this Christmas season.  I don’t know if it’s just a shade of darkness or if it’s apprehensive anxiety.  Whatever anxiety you are dealing with in the ever changing and challenging circumstances of life—whatever the situation you find to be anxious, I know that God isn’t afraid of the dark.  I know that, just as he did on the night outside of Bethlehem to some restless shepherds, God will take that darkness and anxiety and he will bring light and peace…it’s what God does best.

You may be in the darkness right now, restless with anxious thoughts concerning your future.  If anxiety describes your emotional state, your life—then I want to encourage you with the Christmas story.  It is a story of God taking anxiety…the anxiety of troubling times, unsettling times and disquieting times, and out of that anxiety bringing PEACE.  God will do the same with your anxiety.  That’s what God does best.  In the darkness of ANXIETY Jesus is the light of PEACE! Amen.

God is always in the midst of great darkness and fear, and when all life seems lost, he brings joy through the light of Jesus.

Many people today, even Jesus-followers, have lost sight of the simplicity and serenity of the Christmas season.  Jesus offers hope, joy, peace and love for the hurting and eternal life for those who are willing to accept the Father’s gift of light—the birth of his Son.  This Advent message series helps to remind us all that Christmas is not about us—Christmas is Jesus!

Let’s face it, the Christmas season is a time that is loved by many and hated by just as many. Yet, regardless of which side of that issue you fall on, this much is true: the Christmas season is a time filled with many mixed messages and with pagan and worldly rituals. This is supposed to be the one time in the year when the world remembers the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, and every year we muddy the waters of truth by allowing the Scriptural meaning of the season to be mingled with other messages that have their origin in the world.

Now. I enjoy Christmas.  It is my favorite time of the year.  But I just want you to be aware that there are some terrible misconceptions surrounding the true meaning of the season. To many people it’s all about money, commercialism and greed. Others see it as a time for parties, meals and get-togethers. Many children know Christmas only as a time for Santa, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and other equally misguided fairy tales. As a result, some children have no idea what is the true meaning of Christmas. Jesus is up against good old Santa. And tragically, Santa captivates their hearts and minds.

Some one has compared Santa Claus and the Lord Jesus in a piece called “Santa Versus Jesus.”

Santa lives at the North Pole. Jesus lives everywhere.

Santa rides in a sleigh. Jesus rides on the wind and walks on the water.

Santa comes once a year. Jesus is an ever present help.

Santa comes down your chimney. Jesus stands at your heart’s door and knocks.

Santa fills your stockings with goodies. Jesus supplies all your needs.

You have to wait in line to see Santa. Jesus is as close as the mention of his name.

Santa lets you sit in his lap. Jesus holds you in his arms.

Santa has a belly like a bowl of jelly. Jesus has a heart of love.

Santa’s little helpers make new toys. Jesus makes new lives.

Santa puts gifts under your tree. Jesus became our gift and died on a tree.

Christmas is Jesus, not Santa!

We are centering our focus upon four key declarations concerning darkness and light:

In the darkness of DESPAIR Jesus is the light of HOPE

In the darkness of FEAR Jesus is the light of JOY

In the darkness of ANXIETY Jesus is the light of PEACE

In the darkness of SUSPICION Jesus is the light of LOVE

The first Advent message focused on the fact that God brought us hope from despair through the Father’s gift of light—the birth of his Son.  Traditionally Christmas is seen as a time of hope, but for so many people despair is the controlling emotion of their lives.  And that despair can bring a suffocating darkness.

The second Advent message focuses on the fact that God brings us joy from fear through the Father’s gift of light—the birth of his Son.  Christmas is seen as a time of joy, but for so many people fear is the compelling emotion of their lives, and that fear can bring a paralyzing darkness.

Fear = an emotional response to external threats and danger when facing the uncertain circumstances of life. Fear should be distinguished from anxiety, which typically occurs without any external threat. Additionally, fear is related to the specific behaviors of escape and avoidance, whereas anxiety is the result of threats which are perceived to be uncontrollable or unavoidable.

Paul warns Jesus-followers about putting out the Spirit fire through fear in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19…

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.

Putting out the Spirit’s fire is stifling or limiting him.  Fear seriously restricts the Spirit’s control of our body which God would otherwise strengthen and use.  Instead of fear, we should be able to rejoice.  The word rejoice means to return to the source of joy.  This joy is initially experienced when we first received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of our lives.  This joy is strengthened as we live day after day by faith in God’s love, and God’s plan for our lives.  This keeps us rejoicing through the Spirit in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves.

When fear instead of joy controls our lives, we become like turtles.  Dr. Maltz in his book, Psycho-Cybernetics says: “To live creatively, we must be willing to be a little vulnerable.  We must be willing to be hurt a little, if necessary, in creative living.  A lot of people need a thicker and tougher emotional skin than they have.  But they need only a tough emotional hide or epidermis—not a shell.  To trust, to love, to open ourselves to emotional communication with other people is to run the risk of being hurt.  If we are hurt once, we can do one of two things.  We can build a thick protective shell, or scar tissue, to prevent being hurt again, and not be hurt.  Or we can ‘turn the other cheek,’ remain vulnerable and go on living creatively.”

“A turtle is never ‘hurt.’” Turtles have a thick shell which protects them from everything.  They are isolated when they retreat into their shell.  Turtles are secure, but not creative.  They cannot ‘go after’ what they want—they must mostly wait for it to come to them.  Turtles know none of the hurts of emotional communication with their environment—but neither can turtles know the joys.

As Jesus-followers, once fear has been faced as a violation of trust in God rather than excused as a behavior pattern, we are well on our way to recovery provided we are willing to submit ourselves to the continual leading or prompting of the Holy Spirit.  Many people, of all walks of life, of all faiths, of all experiences find themselves paralyzed in the darkness of fear so deeply that they are robbed of joy.  Yet, out of the darkness of fear, God brings Jesus—the light of joy.

To comprehend this joy, let’s look at the message announced to the shepherds on a hillside outside of Bethlehem. It was declared to them by an angel of the Lord that God would bring to them good news of great joy.  It’s a contrast of terrified shepherds with the joyful message of a Savior being born.  It is the light of joy when God chose to bring his Son into the world.

This angelic encounter with the shepherds is recorded in Luke 2:6-11…

6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.  8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

We can observe in these verses that the angel of the Lord appeared to shepherds in fields near Bethlehem, praising God.  Rather than limit the promise of joy to people of good will, the angelic shout proclaims a grace of God that is Good News and the promise of joy to all!  In Christ the Savior, our deepest need is met.  Through Christ, God’s favor is poured out on all who will but believe.  

But that is exactly what God did.  God took the darkness that paralyzed these terrorized shepherds.  In the likeness of our first message in the series, God took the terrifying situation of Mary and Joseph, he took the things that made no sense at all and out of that darkness and fear, he brought light and joy…not just for sheepherders, but for the entire world.  We affirm that it’s just like God to take what’s weak, worthless, fearful and dark and use it to bring light and joy to the world.

There is a cartoon of the freckle-faced, Dennis-the-Menace-type toddler standing outside his parents’ bedroom door.  This toddler’s pajama bottoms are unsnapped; his Pampers are soaked and sagging; his teddy bear’s nose is torn off, and its one remaining button eye is dangling.  From the looks of things, this child could definitely keep six healthy adults hopping.  But in front of him, hanging from the doorknob, is the sign his exhausted mother has printed: CLOSED FOR BUSINESS.  MOTHERHOOD OUT OF ORDER!

As we enter this Christmas season, many of us may feel like that parent in the cartoon.  “Closed for business.  I’m out of order.”  Life is coming unsnapped, and our spirit is sagging.  However, the angel of the Lord will teach us that we can set our gaze upon joy, and how we can find the way through life’s circumstances with an unmistakable confidence in Christ. 

Joyful Reasons for the Season

We affirm once again the fact that God is not afraid of the dark. Out of darkness God can bring light and joy where otherwise there would be none.  Let’s return to Luke’s narrative concerning the angel of the Lord’s message to these terrified shepherds.

The angelic announcement of joy to these lowly shepherds proclaims three joyful reasons for the season…

1.  A command of stillness in a stressed out world

10 “Do not be afraid.”

This stillness is founded upon the understanding that joy is an assurance in God’s leading and security in his never-failing love.  The shepherds needed to hear this message of joy in a stressed out period of time.  The shepherds would care for the unblemished lambs that would be offered in the Temple as sacrifices before God.  But the shepherds themselves were prohibited from entering the Temple courts.  They needed this message of stillness—do not be afraid.  Don’t be fearful of the uncertain circumstances of life which foster the emotional responses to threats and danger.

So when we feel that we are stressed out—closed for business and out of order—when life is coming unsnapped; when our spirit is sagging—we gaze upon the light of joy in the Lord with unmistakable stillness.  Do not be afraid.  This command of stillness is ordered at least 365 times in scripture—one for each day of the year!

2.  A commencement of gladness in a disheartened world

10 “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

Many of us have been raised to believe that joy and happiness mean the same thing.   What is the difference between joy and happiness?  Joy is a supernatural delight in God and God’s goodness.  And it is a very different thing from happiness.  Happiness is our translation of the Latin word fortuna, and it is closely related to chance.  Thus, if things happen to work out in a way which we approve, we are happy.  If they do not so happen, we are unhappy. Happiness is circumstantial, but not joy.  Joy is an inner quality of delight in God, or gladness, and it is meant to spring up within the Jesus-follower in a way totally unrelated to the adversities or circumstantial blessings of this life. 

So the angel of the Lord inclusively announces to the shepherds good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  This good news isn’t just offered to a select few, but it is even extended to those who are considered second rate.  If we are able to receive what God wants to give, the message of joy is for each of us.  Would that it were for all.  It is available for all, and when and if we receive what God wants to give us, we have joy.

We’ve already affirmed that joy is stillness in God’s leading and security in his never-failing love.  So to rejoice in the Lord does not mean to ignore our responsibilities; neither does it mean to evade obvious issues.  Rather, it means to be fully mindful of the situation, fully prepared to deal with it responsibly, and fully convinced of the power of the Lord to give wisdom, grace, and courage to deal with what comes along.  This is why the angel announces the good news of great joy.  And this good news is Jesus Christ, the light of joy, coming into the world!

In essence, happiness is found in circumstances that are subject to change, while joy is rooted in our ever-constant Lord.  Happiness is gladness in the gift, while joy is an abiding delight in the Giver!

3.  A claim of uprightness in a depraved world

11 “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

The angel told the shepherds this joy was to come by a Savior who is Messiah, the Lord.  The angel used two names to identify the one who would bring this joy.  First was Savior, a Hebrew word meaning rescuer; then Messiah, a Greek word for the anointed one, the chosen one. So Jesus was to be the rescuer and the anointed One—the bearer of this joy.  When living in a depraved world, we need a Savior who comes to rescue us.  One who is anointed to save and bring joy in the midst of the darkness of fear.

This baby who has been born to us has a threefold claim: he is a present Savior, a promised Savior, and a personal Savior. 

A Present Savior—Today

A Promised Savior—In the town of David

A Personal Savior—Born to you

This present, promised, and personal Savior provides a remedy for this darkness of fear.  Let’s note some of the reassuring words of Jesus…

John 6:19-20

19 When they had rowed about three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”

John 14:1-3

1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 My Father’s house has plenty of room; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

Matthew 11:28-30

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.          29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Luke 5:10

10 Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”

Acts 18:9-10

9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

When God is involved, out of darkness comes light.  Out of fear comes joy.  This truth is beautifully illustrated by the following example of a time when a young, fear-stricken mother loaned her son to a total stranger at Christmas time.

There came an appeal from the local newspaper: Is there any place where we can borrow a little boy three or four years old for the Christmas holidays?  We have a nice home and would take wonderful care of him and bring him back save and sound.  We used to have a little boy, but he couldn’t stay, and we miss him so when Christmas comes.—N. Muller.

As I read the above appeal in our local newspaper, something happened to me.  For the first time since my husband’s death, I thought of grief as belonging to someone else.  I read and reread the letter to the editor. 

Some months before, I had received word from Washington that my husband had been killed in the service overseas.  Fear-stricken, I had taken my little son and had moved back to the tiny village of my birth.  I’d gone to work to help support my son and time had helped to erase a few scars in my heart.  But there were special times when the ache would return and loneliness would engulf me—birthdays, our wedding, anniversary and holidays.

This particular Christmas, the old paralyzing fear was returning when my eyes caught the appeal in the newspaper column… “We used to have a little boy, but he couldn’t stay and we miss him so…” I, too, knew what missing was, but I had my little boy.  I knew how empty the sparkle of Christmas is unless you see it in the joyous eyes of a child.  I answered the appeal.  The writer of the letter was a widower who lived with his mother.  He had lost his beloved wife and his little son the same year. That Christmas, my son and I shared a joyous day with the widower and his mother.  Together, we found a joy that we doubted would ever return.  But the best part is that this joy was mine to keep throughout the years and for each of the Christmases since. You see, the man who wrote the letter, months later, became my husband. –Mrs. N.H. Muller.

The prophet affirms the truth of the darkness of fear turning to the light of joy in Isaiah 51:3…

3 The LORD will surely comfort… and will look with compassion… Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

The Christmas story is a beautiful story from a growing darkness of fear to the light of joy.  I don’t know what fear you may be dealing with in your life from outside circumstances this Christmas season.  I don’t know if it’s just a shade of darkness or if it’s a paralyzing fear.  Whatever fear you are dealing with in the ever changing and challenging circumstances of life—whatever the situation you find to be fearful, I know that God isn’t afraid of the dark.  I know that, just as he did on the night outside of Bethlehem to some fearful shepherds, God will take that darkness and fear and he will bring light and joy…it’s what God does best.

You may be in the darkness right now, quenching the Spirit of God.  If fear describes your emotional state, your life—then I want to encourage you with the Christmas story.  It is a story of God taking fear…the fear of stress, the fear of sadness, the fear of a depraved people and out of that fear bringing JOY.  God will do the same with your fear.  That’s what God does best.  In the darkness of FEAR Jesus is the light of JOY! Amen.

God is always in the midst of great darkness and despair, and when God’s people forsake him, he brings hope through the light of Jesus.

Many people today, even Jesus-followers, have lost sight of the simplicity and serenity of the Christmas season.  Jesus offers hope, joy, peace and love for the hurting and eternal life for those who are willing to accept the Father’s gift of light—the birth of his Son.  This Advent message series will help remind us all that Christmas is not about us—Christmas is Jesus!

In
America today, when most people think of Christmas, they think of certain images. (Show slides of Christmas images.)  We have a very glamorous, glittery, plastic, cheery, bright image of Christmas here in America. 

It’s a holiday of parties, and gifts and shopping and decorations. 

It’s a holiday loaded with nostalgia and memory. 

It’s a holiday full of children singing and Rockwellian images of snow covered roofs and Christmas trees

It’s a holiday of joy in discovering just what lies entombed within the shiny red, white, gold and green paper covered boxes under the tree.

We don’t really have a solid grasp on this holiday.  That’s largely due to the fact that we celebrate a holiday when the true celebration should be that of a HOLY DAY.  It must be made clear that Christ actually never called for us to celebrate, commemorate or in any other way remember his birth.  He did call us to celebrate and remember his death, but not his birth.  However, if we’re going to celebrate his birth, we need to focus on the Holy Event that occurred and not on the entire glitzy, sparkly minutia that accompanies our current celebration of Christmas.

Typically, we get so caught up in the celebration, the business, the shopping, the decorations, the grand memories, that we forget that there is a dark side to Christmas.  We often forget that it was because of despair, fear, anxiety, and suspicion that Christmas even occurred.

We’re so distracted by the bright lights of the holiday that we forget the darkness that brought us a Holy Day.  That’s why, this Christmas season, we’re looking at a message series called “Christmas is Jesus!” The focus is not the darkness, but the light of Jesus.  We don’t want to focus on the dark, negative, depressing aspects that are symptomatic of our need for Christmas, but we must understand the dark side so that we may have greater understanding of the amazing grace of God.  So that we may have a greater understanding of just what it was God gave us through the gift of his Son on Christmas.

We will center our attention upon four key declarations concerning darkness and light:

In the darkness of DESPAIR Jesus is the light of HOPE

In the darkness of FEAR Jesus is the light of JOY

In the darkness of ANXIETY Jesus is the light of PEACE

In the darkness of SUSPICION Jesus is the light of LOVE

This first Advent message will focus on the fact that God brought us hope from despair through the Father’s gift of light—the birth of his Son.  Traditionally Christmas is seen as a time of hope, but for so many people despair is the controlling emotion of their lives.  And that despair can bring a suffocating darkness. 

Despair = the lack of hope; to lose all hope;

to be overcome by a sense of futility or defeat.

Many people, of all walks of life, of all faiths, of all experiences find themselves buried in the darkness of despair so deeply that hope isn’t a glimmer in the distance; it’s barely a distant memory.  Yet, out of the darkness of despair, God brings Jesus—the light of hope.

To understand this hope, let’s look at the contrast between the darkness of despair Israel found themselves in, and the light of hope when God chose to bring his Son into the world. 

This contrast is illustrated in Isaiah 9:2-7…

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

3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as soldiers rejoice when dividing the plunder.  4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. 5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.  

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

We can observe in these verses a sharp contrast with the darkened condition found in Isaiah 8:22…

22Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.

This condition of darkness was one in which the whole nation with but a few had forsaken the Lord. It is also seen that when we forsake the Lord there is darkness and despair. But the God of all grace is always in the midst of great darkness and despair, in the midst of sin and when God’s people forsake him, he shows grace and promises.

Their new condition will be based upon the fact that the darkness, and all the destructiveness associated with it, will be replaced by the light which inaugurates a new era of hope, joy, peace and love.

This despair represented two important movements:

Movement 1: A growing darkness

There was a growing darkness.  The Jewish people were called out of slavery in Egypt to represent God to the nations.  God always hears the cry of the oppressed.  However, God’s people failed to live up to their God given destiny and returned to slavery under the Babylonians.  The Persians defeated the Babylonians, giving the Jews a small degree of self-rule.  But the prophet Isaiah announced God’s promise of rescue through a child who would be born, a Son given.  Concerning the increase of his government and peace of this promised deliverer, there would be no end.  But the Old Testament period ends with a promise still awaiting fulfillment.

Movement 2: A ray of hope

The ray of hope, announced by the prophet Isaiah, begins approximately 700 years before Herod began his insidious reign over the Jewish people. Throughout those years of despair, bloodshed, disillusionment, betrayal, mistrust, anger and fear, there was a ray of hope.  The Jews knew that God had promised a deliverer. They knew that God had promised them that a day was coming when there would be judgment for sin and when they would be set free from their oppression. 

These two movements affirm the truth that sometimes hope comes from the most unlikely places.  We expect hope to come into the darkness of despair like a beam of light through the skylight of a king’s palace.  But God doesn’t always work that way.  In fact, God rarely works that way.  God sometimes chooses to come into the darkness like a shaft of sunlight through the broken ceiling of a dark and dusty barn.  Here, in Israel’s darkest hour, God sends them a deliverer, a Messiah, but he doesn’t send a ray of light into the darkness…he brings the ray of light, the SUN of RIGHTEOUSNESS out of darkness.  God brings HOPE OUT OF DESPAIR. 

God takes what would appear to be a hopeless and dark situation and brings to Israel—and to us—the hope that was longed for, the light that would do more than illuminate the darkness, it would eventually eradicate the darkness.  In the midst of Israel’s darkness and hopelessness God begins to work as only God can.  Through a young, unmarried teenager and her fiancé, both of whom have been terrified, God’s redemptive plan begins to unfold. 

Let’s imagine for a moment the deliverer of Israel, God’s “Treasured Possession” being born to a young Jewish girl through a situation that violated all the Jewish customs, norms and religious traditions.   Let’s imagine the deliverer being born in a stable during a time when the power of Rome held the people down like a boot on their backs.  Deliverers, Kings are not born in stables.  That’s not what we think of when we think of the God shattering the darkness with his light.  Surely God would use a powerful and royal Messiah.  Surely God wouldn’t take the darkness of an illegitimate child, born in a barn, to bring light and hope.

But that is exactly what God did.  He took the darkness that engulfed the people of Israel, he took the desperate situation of Mary and Joseph, he took the things that made no sense at all and out of that darkness and despair, he brought light and hope…not just for Israel, but for the entire world.  It’s just like God to take what’s weak, worthless, hopeless and dark and use it to bring light and hope to the world.

Light Promised and Practiced

God is not afraid of the dark. Out of darkness God can bring light and hope where otherwise there would be none.  So we return to Isaiah’s promise…

2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned… 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Nothing is more beneficial to any one whom darkness has so overtaken than to find light; to have light provided for them. There are a number of reasons for this.

Because light gives illumination

Because light gives understanding

Because light shows the clear path to take

Because light drives away despair

Because light reveals what is in the darkness

The dimensions of this promised light are also beneficial to any one whom darkness has so overtaken to find light.  There are four dimensions.

“Wonderful Counselor” alongside to bring understanding

“Mighty God” above to provide protection

“Everlasting Father” underneath to offer care

“Prince of Peace” within to bring contentment

Just as the former things are spiritual realities, the Lord provides a remedy for this darkness of despair.  It is experienced practically in his Son.

Jesus is the light that gives the great hope of our text in Luke 1:78-79…

78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

The claim of the Savior in John 8:12 and 12:46…

12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

This light in reality has come into the hearts of everyone that are saved in 2 Corinthians 4:6…

6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

That we have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness…into his light in Colossians 1:13…

13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.

When God is involved, out of darkness comes light.  Out of despair comes hope.  This truth is beautifully illustrated by the following testimony of a young woman who lost her husband to cancer.

This is my fourth holiday season without my husband at my side. His death in the spring of 2005 still rocks my recovering world especially in the holiday season. I can still replay our last Christmas together in my head. A new baby, our lovely 6 year old son and death loomed over our head. Dave’s diagnosis with stage four pancreas cancer had only come a few short months before in October. We were still in shock and still trying to comprehend. We were surrounded with support of our family, friends and faith community. There was light in the darkness, hope through our despair.

Advent has a way of pulling at me. Darkness, such deep seasonal darkness forces me to reflect on the darkness and despair I have walked through in the past few years. It also has such a strong force that makes me look at the light. The light always returns…how is that! Every fall, we walk into growing darkness and after sitting in the darkness for sometimes what seems like a lifetime…we are greeted by growing light and warmth. We all walk into despair and darkness in our lives. Advent gives us a moment to look at our growth or possibly lack of growth through these moments.  It is this great moment where we are invited to still ourselves and look at our darkest moments with the light of hope growing and inviting us into warmth, growth and love.

This Advent, I can certainly see my family’s growth in this time of tragedy. My children are still growing of course.  We have chosen to find hope in our lives again. It is definitely a conscious choice…time does not always heal. Holidays find so many of us blue and despairing, especially when times are tragic, but Advent reminds us that the light can grow. The seasons remind us that the light and warmth will grow with or without our consent. Our great Creator has built in this system, a cycle of hope for us to guide us through times of despair. It will always happen, God never gives up. Sometimes our loving God is just sitting in the darkness with us, still and present while building the light around us. Our Advent always culminates with the Light coming into our world. It is the gift that keeps on giving even when we feel weak and hopeless…the light will build. When we choose to turn toward the light, we open up a new time of love and growth that we may have never expected.

The Christmas story is a beautiful story from a growing darkness to a ray of hope.  It’s the story of God reaching into the darkness and, out of that darkness, bringing light, hope, and life.  It’s a story that we must never get tired of hearing.  It’s a story that, as we learn more and more about it, becomes more meaningful to us.  Every time we hear this story…the story of God bringing hope out of despair… we fall in love with it all over again.  I fall in love with the story of Christmas because it is MY story.  And if we really think about it and if we’re honest, it’s YOUR story too.

That first Christmas wasn’t all bright and cheery.  It wasn’t decorated with plastic trees, bright lights, candy canes and gifts.  The first Christmas came in a time of darkness and despair.  It was a time that many believed to be hopeless.  It was a time when people called out to God for deliverance, and God always hears the cry of the oppressed.  There was a dark side to that first Christmas, but God wasn’t limited by the darkness.  Instead, God used it to bring light and hope.  In the darkness of DESPAIR Jesus is the light of HOPE.

And here is the good news for us today; here is how this story is our story.  God still brings light out of darkness.  God still brings hope out of despair.  God didn’t limit his transforming power to the first Christmas.  God’s hope wasn’t dangled in front of Israel and all of humankind as a limited one time offer.  God makes it available to each and every one of us right here, right now.

I don’t know what despair you may be dealing with in your life this Christmas season.  I don’t know if it’s just a shadow of darkness or if it’s all consuming.  Debt, divorce, bad health, broken relationships, spiritual emptiness—whatever despair you are dealing with, whatever the situation you find to be hopeless, I know that God isn’t afraid of the dark.  I know that, just as he did the first Christmas, God will take that darkness and despair and he will bring light and hope…it’s what God does best.

If you are in the darkness right now, if despair describes your emotional state, your life—then I want to encourage you with the Christmas story.  It is a story of God taking despair…the despair of oppression, the despair of poverty, the despair of a hopeless pregnancy, the despair of a hopeless people and out of that despair bringing HOPE.  God will do the same with your despair.  That’s what God does best.  In the darkness of DESPAIR Jesus is the light of HOPE! Amen.

Jesus-followers are called to be partners with God in which we anticipate an absolute harvest because what is sown always determines what is reaped.

This stewardship series is entitled, Full Disclosure—a revealing link between faith and finances. Countless Jesus-followers are not aware of the connection between their faith and their finances. Many believers feel their income is too limited to give. Others want to share in the work of God’s kingdom, but don’t know where to start. How we handle our earthly possessions directly impacts our eternal soul.

We are living in a culture where we want full disclosure regarding our financial institutions, government, schools, work places, and even the church. When full disclosure is revealed, complete details of security vulnerability are disclosed to the public, including details of the vulnerability and how to detect and exploit. The theory behind full disclosure is that releasing vulnerable information immediately results in quicker fixes and better security.

Full disclosure provides a revealing link between faith and finances when dealing with the subject of Christian stewardship. The body of Christ, the church, must not keep secret the management of God’s resources. It must disclose to Jesus-followers the truth that the church becomes at risk when it fails to put into practice the irrefutable truths of being responsible for the management of God’s resources.

This message series on Christian stewardship centers upon three of these irrefutable truths:

Faithful Dependability—trustworthiness marks the true steward

Consistent Collection—consistent giving facilitates consistent ministry

Absolute Harvest—sow sparingly, reap sparingly; sow bountifully, reap bountifully

Full disclosure of these irrefutable truths concerning the grace of giving has an undeniable capacity to transform our thinking and crystallize our priorities. This fact more than any other has motivated Jesus-followers to faithfully steward the resources entrusted to us by God.

Our first message highlighted the importance of Jesus-followers being trustworthy. They show a faithful dependability in managing God’s resources by giving full disclosure now and at the end of their earthly existence. Our second message disclosed the significance that consistent giving facilitates consistent ministry by offering weekly a consistent collection of what they have allocated in managing God’s resources. This final message in our series focuses upon an absolute harvest—sow sparingly, reap sparingly, sow bountifully, reap bountifully.

In civil law, changes occur constantly as legislators—our “lawmakers”—debate, devise and decide the standards that govern our lives culturally. Laws come and go as society evolves.

In criminal law, changes occur with less frequency but they do happen. For example, capital punishment was for many years allowed by the law, then for years it wasn’t, then again it was instituted. Such shifts are common in a complex, democratic system.

In spiritual law, however, changes do not occur at all, for there is but one Lawmaker and God never changes his character. Love and Truth remain constant. God may change his mind, but God doesn’t alter his nature, spirit and makeup. The Lord is “the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). God’s standards are fixed and permanent. Many of God’s spiritual laws have a counterpart in the physical world, and none is more evident than the spiritual law of Sowing and Reaping.

Paul refers to the spiritual law of Sowing and Reaping in 2 Corinthians 9:6-11…

6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: “They have scattered abroad their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

According to this spiritual law, we can observe in these verses that whatever is sown always determines what is reaped. If we sow corn, we’ll reap corn, not wheat or beans or rice. It is impossible to reap something different from what a person has sown. The truth applies in the spiritual dimension. There is an important corollary to the spiritual law of Sowing and Reaping, an essential principle of stewardship which we can identify as the irrefutable law of absolute harvest.

We find this same truth in the ancient Proverbs of King Solomon, many centuries before the time of Christ in Proverbs 11:25…

25 A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Absolute =

“the state or quality of being complete, unlimited and fixed”

The irrefutable truth of absolute harvest is unalterable; it is totally in God’s control. However, the decision as to what a person sows is an individual decision. God’s doesn’t force us to plant against our will; it’s up to us to plant good seed and cultivate good crops in the soil of life.

Give Cheerfully

The phrase “God loves a cheerful giver” has become a cliché for many Jesus-followers. Somehow we are supposed to smile as we drop those hard-earned dollars into the offering plate. Paul is not looking for people who are compelled to give by rules and manipulation, but from their own internal convictions. If treasure in heaven is the true goal of life, then we can be cheerful while giving up treasures on earth—treasures that are bound to disappear in any case. Many Jesus-followers are unable to be cheerful when they give because they have never known or experienced this inner change.

A mother wanted to teach her daughter a moral lesson. She gave the little girl a quarter and a dollar for church. “Put whichever one you want in the collection plate and keep the other for yourself,” she told the girl. When they were coming out of the church, the mother asked her daughter which amount she had given. “Well,” said the little girl, “I was going to give the dollar, but just before the collection the man in the pulpit said that we should all be cheerful givers. I knew I’d be a lot more cheerful if I gave the quarter and kept the dollar, so I did.”

Fortunately, the Apostle Paul’s words can become more than just a cliché. Paul insists that cheerful giving calculates into an absolute harvest in four measurable ways:

1. That we are never the loser because we are generous

6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

We have already mentioned the spiritual law of Sowing and Reaping. Giving is like sowing seed. Those who sow with a sparing hand cannot hope for anything but a meager harvest, but those who sow with a generous hand will in due time reap a generous return. The New Testament is an extremely practical book and one of its great features is that it is never afraid of the reward motive. It never says that goodness is all to no purpose. It never forgets that something new and wonderful enters into the life of those who accept God’s commands as his law. But the rewards that the New Testament envisions are never merely material. It promises not the wealth of things, but the wealth of the heart and of the spirit.

2. That it is the happy givers whom God loves

7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

There was a rabbinic saying which said that to receive a friend with a cheerful countenance and to give him nothing is better than to give him everything with a gloomy countenance. To give with a dismal spirit is almost worst than not to give at all. Good and generous persons scatter their seed, that is they sow it not sparingly but generously; they give to the poor; and their action is to their credit and joy forever. There is indeed joy in giving.

3. That God can give us both the substance to give and the spirit in which to give it

8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: “They have scattered abroad their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.

Paul speaks about the all-sufficiency which God gives us. He does not describe the sufficiency of those who possess all kinds of things in abundance. It means independence. It describes the state of those who have directed life not to amassing possessions but to eliminating needs. It describes those who have taught themselves to be content with very little. It is obvious that those persons will be able to give far more to others because they want so little for themselves.

4. That it makes prayers of thanksgiving go up to God

11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

It extends prayers of thanksgiving upward to God. People around us will be blessed as they see our good deeds and glorify not us, but God. It is a tremendous blessing that something we can do can turn people’s hearts to God. This means that something we can do can bring joy to God.

When we count our blessings, we have more than we realize. Once we have declared God as Master of our possessions, we may be discouraged because of the big task before us. Johnson Oatman, Jr. wrote the following words to the hymn “Count Your Blessings,” taken from Psalm 40:5…

5Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.

When you look at others with their hands and gold,

Things that Christ has promised you his wealth untold;

Count your many blessings money cannot buy,

Your reward in Heaven, nor your home on high.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

Count your many blessings, see what God has done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

Count your many blessings, see what God has done.

As we move into a Thanksgiving week, it might be good to take an inventory of the blessings we have received from God by faithfully sowing seeds of generosity.

Sometimes we are so busy adding up our troubles that we fail to count our blessings.

Here are some blessings that we may not have considered as important, but which have great value.

Family: How has God blessed us with our families? Parents, brothers, and sisters, a husband or a wife, children?

Friends: Who surrounds our lives? Family friends, personal friends, friends from church, other acquaintances?

Health: What are the good things about your health for which you can thank the Lord?

Food: Most of us, far from having to worry about starvation, have at our fingertips more than we need.

Home: We must think of the place we call home. We thank God for the comfort of our homes—shelter, heat, running water, toilets, electricity, and a bed.

Clothes: We thank God for the clothes that God he has so graciously provided for us.

Work: We thank God for the opportunity he has given us to work and provide for ourselves and our families.

Money: We consider not just our main income, but also the unexpected gifts that come our way—the possible appreciation in our homes and the profits we have seen in our investments.

Faith: Do we have hope beyond the physical boundaries of this life? We thank God for hope in this present life and in the life to come.

Through this exercise, we are able to see clearly the creative ways that God has blessed our lives. We will be surprised as we recall the friends who took us out to lunch, the hand that a neighbor gave in difficult yard work, and even the less-than-ideal crop of tomatoes in the garden. With this mindset we’ll begin to give, not out of compulsion or because we’ve been instructed in Scripture to do so, but out of a cheerful and grateful response to what God has done first. Giving is no longer a chore, but a joyful response because our generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Living Out the Absolute Harvest—

The irrefutable truth of absolute harvest is a truth that can clarify our thoughts and purify our motives. Remembering that we reap exactly what we have sown helps us to keep life in perspective and impels us to plant good seed at every opportunity.

We bear in mind these priorities:

We sow generously not sparingly. God gives us a supply of “seed” to be planted for his purposes. Whatever God supplies to us, we sow it generously and wisely. We don’t waste our time or resources sowing seeds of unrighteousness because all we’ll get is a crop of weeds. We sow with an abundant intensity and we’ll reap abundantly.

We never give up in doing good. Sometimes Jesus-followers are mocked as “do-gooders.” If it happens to us, we let them mock, because we will be the victors; those who do good will reap a great harvest. We keep up the good work! Tenacity in well-doing is a sterling quality of stewardship.

We develop patience. The spiritual harvest will come. It is a well-defined, well-ordered process that is in God’s hand, not our own. Just as a physical crop comes in its own time and on its own terms, the spiritual crop cannot be rushed. We till the ground, we sow the seed, we cultivate the plants, but God gives the increase—for he and he alone is Lord of the harvest.

Let’s support one another in these days to give Full Disclosure, a revealing link to our faith and finances in the body of Christ, the church. An awakening in the twenty-first century has the potential to make us realize that:

God has provided all our resources to sow wisely;

God has given us the responsibility to manage those resources as stewards;

We can choose to experience thanksgiving—the joy of being generous.

God will ultimately hold us accountable for Full Disclosure—how we use his resources. Such a realization could do no other than cause giving to escalate. Are we actively praying to the end? Are we attentively looking to God for an absolute harvest? Amen.

Jesus-followers are called to invest in God’s treasury fund by offering weekly a consistent collection of what they have allocated in managing God’s resources.

This stewardship series is entitled, Full Disclosure—a revealing link between faith and finances. Countless Jesus-followers are not aware of the connection between their faith and their finances. Many believers feel their income is too limited to give. Others want to share in the work of God’s kingdom, but don’t know where to start. How we handle our earthly possessions directly impacts our eternal soul.

We are living in a culture where we want full disclosure regarding our financial institutions, government, schools, work places, and even the church. When full disclosure is revealed, complete details of security vulnerability are disclosed to the public, including details of the vulnerability and how to detect and exploit. The theory behind full disclosure is that releasing vulnerable information immediately results in quicker fixes and better security.

Full disclosure provides a revealing link between faith and finances when dealing with the subject of Christian stewardship. The body of Christ, the church, must not keep secret the management of God’s resources. It must disclose to Jesus-followers the truth that the church becomes at risk when it fails to put into practice the irrefutable truths of being responsible for the management of God’s resources.

This message series on Christian stewardship centers upon three of these irrefutable truths:

Faithful Dependability—trustworthiness marks the true steward

Consistent Collection—consistent giving facilitates consistent ministry

Absolute Harvest—sow sparingly, reap sparingly; sow bountifully, reap bountifully

Full disclosure of these irrefutable truths concerning the grace of giving has an undeniable capacity to transform our thinking and crystallize our priorities. This fact more than any other has motivated Jesus-followers to faithfully steward the resources entrusted to us by God.

Our first message highlighted the importance of Jesus-followers being trustworthy. They show a faithful dependability in managing God’s resources by giving full disclosure now and at the end of their earthly existence. This message focuses upon the need of a consistent collection. Consistent giving facilitates consistent ministry.

Time magazine reported in an article entitled, “The New Philanthropy,” that poorer Americans give a greater percentage of their income to charity. For example, it is now estimated that those who earn under $15,000 give 5.2 percent of their income; those who earn $15,000 to 32,000 give 3.3 percent; and those who earn $75,000 to $99,000 give 1.6 percent. Who gives the most? Well, those who lean toward the impoverished side of the spectrum when it comes to amount of income one earns.

The impoverished Jesus-followers at Jerusalem were in dire straits. We don’t know precisely why they were suffering so severely, but their situation was compellingly bad—so bad, as we noted in our first message, that the Apostle Paul instructed the believers in other places to take up a special offering for them. Paul reasoned in Romans 15:27 that “if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.” But it was important that the offering be given in the right spirit and in the right way.

The Baptist preacher just finished his sermon for the day and stood at the front of the sanctuary of the church for his usual greetings and handshaking as the congregation left the church. After shaking a few adult hands he came upon the seven year old son of one of the Deacons of the church. “Good morning, Jonathan,” the preacher said as he reached out to shake Jonathan’s hand. As he was doing so he felt something in the palm of Jonathan’s hand. “What’s this?” the preacher asked. “Money,” said Jonathan with a big smile on his face, “It’s for you!” “I don’t want to take your money, Jonathan,” the preacher answered. “I want you to have it,” said Jonathan. After a short pause Jonathan continued, “My daddy says you’re the poorest preacher we ever had and I want to help you.”

Paul describes how this offering was to be earmarked in 1 Corinthians 16:1-3…

1 Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. 3 Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.

We can observe in these verses that they were to set aside or allocate an amount of money the first day of every week, in proportion to the Lord’s blessing upon them during the week. In the King James Version, a key phrase in this passage reads, “as the Lord has prospered…” The word prospered has a wonderful meaning in the original Greek language of the New Testament. Literally, it means “blessing in the good way.” That “good way” might be a good way in relationships; it might be a good way in deeper fellowship with God; it might be a good way in financial needs being met.

Now while the essential idea it to give of our material wealth as God enables us to obtain it, there is also prosperity of the soul that God gives. It is inadequate to measure our prosperity only in dollars and cents when God gives us so much in divine love, grace and mercy. We would be wise to think in terms of giving to God according to the full measure of his blessing.

Let’s imagine for a moment that each time God unfolded a new truth to us or answered a prayer or delivered us from danger, we would honor his gifts with an appropriate response. Let’s imagine how much richer our lives would be. In the larger context, financial gifts seem the very least we can do in obedience to the Lord and appreciation for God’s goodness.

The irrefutable truth of consistent collection, the principle at the core of Paul’s instruction in these verses, teaches us that consistent giving facilitates consistent ministry.

Consistent =

The state or quality of being steady, unswerving and unfailing

in the midst of conflicting or contradictory circumstances.

Consistency has the potential for drawing people closer together when facing adverse times. Many people today are nervous and terrified about many of the things happening in their culture. Consistent giving creates a bond in relationships when circumstances are shaky.

Practical Plans

Paul gets down to the practical things of ministry. There isn’t a legalistic demand that the believers give an amount of money every week to the Lord’s work, but that they plan to give in a practical way—regularly and consistently. God’s desire is that things be done decently and in order, not in chaos or uncertainty. When there is a need, God’s practical plan is that his people give responsively to meet it.

2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

So consistent giving facilitates consistent ministry. Consistent giving is a measure of how serious we take our Christian stewardship before God.

Ronald Vallet writes…

Stewardship is nothing less than a complete lifestyle, a total accountability and responsibility before God. Stewardship is what we do after we say we believe, that is, after we give our love, loyalty, and trust to God, from whom each and every aspect of our lives comes as a gift.

Key Principle: People who give to the cause of a mission grow in their love for the cause to which they give.

The ongoing operation of a church’s ministry, for example, requires the ongoing support of faithful believers. Full disclosure—a revealing link between faith and finances is exercised. Just as we commit ourselves to causes in our community, we give to the cause of the church. Thereby, we grow in our love for the cause to which we give.

[Let’s note our ‘Faith Share’ brochure located in our church bulletin.]

Over the years I’ve watched this principle vividly play out when men, women, boys, and girls invest their lives in God’s treasury fund. There is ministry awareness, ministry support, and ministry involvement. Ministry awareness simply focuses on the need. Ministry support funds the need. Ministry involvement fuels the meeting of the need. When Jesus-followers not only give of their money, but of their time and talents to meet a need, they grow in their love for the cause to which they give.

Whether it’s going to Thailand, to Tijuana, to Samoa, to New Orleans, to Los Angeles or serving locally in our church through a kingdom assignment, faith-in-action project, teaching a class, or leading a ministry—we give not only of our money but of our time and experience. In the process of bringing our plans to completion we meet all the needs of those who need Christ’s love and our eyes are open to Christian mission and service. Not only are our efforts significant in advancing Christ’s work, but one of the valuable by-products is a group of Jesus-followers who invest in God’s treasury fund through their money, time, and talents. They now have a much larger interest in the needs of their fellow human beings around them. They truly understand the importance of supporting weekly the work of the church.

So as we understand the importance of supporting weekly the work of the church, there are a number of stages that provide a paradigm for us to assess where we are in the revealing link between our faith and finances. These stages are developmental in nature—the deeper the stage, the deeper the level of maturity. We all make choices daily as to the trail we will follow when it comes to a consistent collection.

Imitator—is able to mimic the examples of others in giving when shown or instructed.

Modeler—gives sporadically when given an example to follow.

Conformer—gives because it is the thing to do. Likes recognition, tax benefits and other personal gain from giving.

Individual—starts to give in proportion to what God has given. Danger of becoming prideful regarding giving or giving for the wrong motives.

Generous Giver—recognizes that all one owns is from God. Begins to give of one’s own initiative, rather than out of obligation or routine. Derives joy from giving.

Mature Steward—recognizes the role of a faithful steward of God’s possessions. More concerned with treasures in heaven than on earth. Content with daily provision.

Living Out the Consistent Collection—

Consistent contributions to the Lord’s work are acts of worship, expressions of devotion to God. It is important that we give on a continuing basis because it demonstrates that we recognize the Lordship of Christ. The spirit in which we give is also important:

We give with consistent gratitude. Everything in our hands has come from God’s hand, and we are but channels through which God’s work is carried out. When we live in primary consideration of God, gratitude minimizes our tendencies to squander our resources on self-gratification.

We give with consistent sacrifice. David said, “I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24). Sacrifice always costs, but it has less to do with how much we give than how much we give up. In the measure of sacrifice, we must ask, “what does this truly cost me?” When we pay a sacrificial price we accentuate the sacred over the secular—the eternal over the temporal.

We give with consistent praise. The distinction between gratitude and praise is this: gratitude is appreciation for what God has done; praise is appreciation for who God is. King David knew the distinction: “Now our God, we give you thanks and praise your glorious name” (1 Chronicles 29:13). As we worship the Lord daily in times of meditation and prayer, we must remember that God is our provider and we commit ourselves consistently to being a good steward of his provision.

So God wants us to invest in his treasury fund. Obviously, God doesn’t need our money. If this is the case, why does the Bible tell us over and over to honor God with the first part of our income? God wants us to give the first part of our income consistently because doing so reveals the state of our heart.

Jesus says the familiar words in Matthew 6:21…

21 “For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Jesus said that wherever our treasure is, our heart is going to be there.

Would we like to get interested in, say, Microsoft? There is a way to do it very quickly: buy shares of Microsoft. All of a sudden we will become very interested in articles about Microsoft. Do we want to be interested in an insurance company? Then buy some shares in that company. Do we want to be interested in Christ First Baptist Church? Then commit some faith shares in the church. The Bible says that wherever we put our treasure, our heart is going to go there. This is why God says, “I want the first part of your money because our heart will follow and come to me.”

Let’s get practical when it comes to a consistent collection.

If the principle, consistent giving facilitates consistent ministry is applicable to Jesus-followers today, then worship is the gift given when and where we worship. In our text, we have noticed that Paul says to give every Sunday, meaning that worship is the weekly giving of what we have put aside or allocated from our earnings. This means the worship gift is planned on a weekly basis.

Annual income: $52,000 $26,000

Tithe (10%): 5,200 2,600

Weekly Offering: 100 50

We place in a giving envelope each week the amount that week’s offering represents. If not attending worship on a given week, then we bring to our next worship experience the accumulation of the weekly offerings. Thus, we plan to give weekly and it also helps the church consistently through the year on a regular basis. Consistent giving facilitates consistent ministry.

Ron Blue, a Christian financial adviser, writes…

We plan for retirement or for starting a business or for funding our children’s education, but few of us have a plan for giving. There will always be unlimited ways to use limited resources, and—unless we plan ahead—we will only be able to give the leftovers, if anything. Even an increase in our salaries won’t make any difference. Needs always expand to meet income.

Thus, giving is planned, not just spontaneous. Perhaps we think that the greatest kind of giving is spontaneous, like after suddenly being moved by a sermon or a video and finding ourselves pulling out our wallets and just giving everything we have. This type of spontaneous giving is actually not the best kind of giving.

God says he wants us to plan our worship giving because he says, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). Because God wants us to love him with our mind, not just our heart we should plan our worship giving.

This point is clear: God expects us to give to this treasury fund before we give to any other fund or cause. God desires this because he wants our heart. We give our undesignated gift to the treasury fund (general fund), as an act of worship, when and where we worship.

Let’s encourage one another in these days of economic insecurity to give Full Disclosure, a revealing link to our faith and finances in the body of Christ, the church. We can order our lives to set aside a portion of our money for God, a portion of our savings, and a portion for spending. To handle them rightly with consistent collection because consistent giving facilitates consistent ministry! Amen.

Jesus-followers are called to show a faithful dependability in managing God’s resources, giving full disclosure now and at the end of their earthly existence.

This stewardship series is entitled, Full Disclosure—a revealing link between faith and finances. Countless Jesus-followers are not aware of the connection between their faith and their finances. Many believers feel their income is too limited to give. Others want to share in the work of God’s kingdom, but don’t know where to start. How we handle our earthly possessions directly impacts our eternal soul.

We are living in a culture where we want full disclosure regarding our financial institutions, government, schools, work places, and even the church. When full disclosure is revealed, complete details of security vulnerability are disclosed to the public, including details of the vulnerability and how to detect and exploit. The theory behind full disclosure is that releasing vulnerable information immediately results in quicker fixes and better security.

The issue of full disclosure was first raised in the context of locksmithing, in a 19th century controversy regarding whether weaknesses in lock systems should be kept a secret in the locksmithing community, or revealed to the public.

Full disclosure provides a revealing link between faith and finances when dealing with the subject of Christian stewardship. The body of Christ, the church, must not keep secret the management of God’s resources. It must disclose to Jesus-followers the truth that the church becomes at risk when it fails to put into practice the irrefutable truths of being responsible for the management of God’s resources.

This message series on Christian stewardship will center upon three of these irrefutable truths:

Faithful Dependability—trustworthiness marks the true steward

Consistent Collection—consistent giving facilitates consistent ministry

Absolute Harvest—sow sparingly, reap sparingly; sow bountifully, reap bountifully

Full disclosure of these irrefutable truths concerning the grace of giving has an undeniable capacity to transform our thinking and crystallize our priorities. This fact more than any other has motivated Jesus-followers to faithfully steward the resources entrusted to us by God.

What we do with our resources has a huge effect on the Christian life—in the present and in the future. It influences both the temporal and the eternal!

The Apostle Paul infers that there will come a time of full disclosure for every believer in 1 Corinthians 3:13, TLB…

There is going to come a time of testing at Christ’s Judgment Day to see what kind of material each builder has used. Everyone’s work will be put through the fires so that all can see whether or not it keeps its value, and what was really accomplished.

We can observe in this verse that Paul knew that his accomplishments would be evaluated one day on the basis of his work when revealed by Christ and tested by fire. What we do with our resources will also be judged by this standard. When Judgment Day comes for each of us, there will be full disclosure—our work will be revealed.

William Arthur Ward writes…

“Each of us will one day be judged by our standard of life, not by our standard of living; by our measure of giving, not by our measure of wealth; by our simple goodness, not by our seeming greatness.”

Top 10 Things You Never Hear in Church:

10. Hey! It’s my turn to sit in the front pew. 9. I was so enthralled, I never noticed your sermon went 25 minutes overtime. 8. Personally I find witnessing much more enjoyable than golf. 7. I’ve decided to give our church the $500 a month I used to send to TV evangelists. 6. I volunteer to be the permanent teacher for the Middle school class. 5. My devotions and prayer time at 5:a.m. really make my day! 4. I love it when we sing songs and choruses I’ve never heard before! 3. Since we’re all here, let’s start the service early. 2. Pastor, we’d like to send you to this Bible conference in Hawaii. 1. Nothing inspires me and strengthens my commitment like our annual stewardship message series!

Well, this first message in this series highlights the irrefutable truth of faithful dependability. Trustworthiness marks the true steward of God.

Bill the Bible college student was taking a test. After cruising through a number of questions on the life of the Apostle Paul he came upon one that stopped him in his tracks. “In 150 to 200 words, describe Paul’s attitude toward the Macedonians.” Bill reasoned that the Macedonians represented a nation that rose to world-wide power and presented a threat to Christianity. So Bill wrote an appropriately lengthy explanation. As Bill learned to his chagrin, the Macedonians were not a dreaded nation, but a dedicated people among the churches of Macedonia who advanced the work of Christ by their rich generosity in the midst of very severe poverty.

In Paul’s letter to the believers in Corinth, he writes about these remarkable people, and the description is both encouraging and convicting.

Let’s note our passage of instruction from 2 Corinthians 8:1-9…

1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5 And they went beyond our expectations; having given themselves first of all to the Lord, they gave themselves by the will of God also to us.

6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

The Macedonians were above all, believers who could be counted on. In the situation of severe poverty they desired to share with the Lord’s people in a collection, helping the mother church in Jerusalem that had become poor. Many of Paul’s so-called friends and co-workers had deserted him, but not the Macedonians. They were living examples of the irrefutable truth of faithful dependability that Paul taught to the Corinth believers in 1 Corinthians 4:2…

Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

Another translation puts it this way: Now what we look for in stewards is that they should be trustworthy.

Trustworthiness =

the state or quality of being honest, dependable,

and constant in the face of dishonesty, irresponsibility and infidelity.

Trustworthiness—the Mark of Excellence

Trustworthiness—faithful dependability—is the mark of excellence in a faithful steward of God. The Macedonians epitomized this quality in all of their service for the Lord. The Macedonians understood perfectly that as stewards for Christ’s sake they were co-workers, not competitors.

Paul teaches four principles of faithful dependability to appeal to the Corinth believers:

1. Giving is more a matter of the heart than of circumstances

1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity… 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

Everything about the circumstances in the Macedonian churches would have suggested that, because of their own needs, this was not a good time for them to be concerned about the needs of others. They were experiencing both deep poverty and a very severe trial, and yet they participated liberally and joyfully in the offering.

Many people would say today that in the midst of our financial and economic crises that this is not a good time to be concerned about the needs of others in supporting the work of Christ. A few people would even say that this is not a good time to present a message series on Christian stewardship and talk about finances. On the contrary, like the Macedonian believers, we can respond with an overwhelming joy in giving to advance Christ’s work in the Covina Valley and beyond, even in the midst of economic crisis.

Poverty does not automatically create unselfishness nor does persecution automatically produce giving. Those who insist they were much happier when they had less need to remember that it isn’t what we have or don’t have that promotes happiness or generosity. The difference, according to Paul, is the grace of God which creates an open and generous heart. Anyone within the church community who feels that the raising of money is nothing more than finding a way to pay the bills will profit by carefully reading Paul’s words, but since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. These words stress the truth that learning to be generous with material things is a matter of spiritual growth and maturity.

2. Giving becomes a joy when it comes out of sacrifice than of substance

3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability… 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

This principle is a paradox. Paul’s mode for sacrificial giving was Christ himself, though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. The Macedonian Jesus-followers had taken Christ’s model, and in total disregard for their present needs or future requirements, they gave even beyond their ability. Theirs was a sacrificial offering and it became an inspiration for Jesus-followers everywhere. Giving became a matter of sacrifice, not merely the giving of stuff.

By contrast, I sometimes feel there is little sacrifice in much of our giving. Christmas is rapidly approaching. At Christmas time our tendency is to spend more on presents for ourselves and family than we give to the Lord. And it has been estimated that the personal budget of most church people for sporting events far exceeds gifts to religious and charitable causes.

For the most part, there’s little sacrifice or joy for many people in our giving. But Paul lays down the principle that people who give generously out of love for the Lord and his church grow and mature in their faith because they count the cost and are willing to make the sacrifice.

3. Giving is a matter of purpose than of pressure

3 …Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.

The Macedonians didn’t have to be pressured into giving. On the contrary, Paul says they gave entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded for the privilege. They evidently felt an inner prompting of concern rather than outward pressure which compelled their giving. They were not reluctant, but joyful in their stewardship.

This pattern of giving out of concern and not coercion is illustrated by a wise woman who was traveling in the mountains and found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But, a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. “I’ve been thinking,” he said. “I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to freely and without constraint give me this stone.”

Joy and Christian growth come to those who gladly assume the responsibility for the Lord’s work.

4. Giving flows from the gift of self than of selfishness

5 And they went beyond our expectations; having given themselves first of all to the Lord, they gave themselves by the will of God also to us.

Finally, Paul tells us that joyful giving flows freely from the gift of self. His statement that having given themselves first of all to the Lord, they gave themselves by the will of God also to us, gives us the secret to their generosity. There is a sense in which the only thing we can give to God is ourselves, and this is the gift that needs to come first. Those who give their money but not their hearts have made a lesser gift.

A pastor was sitting in an executive suite high above the city visiting with a very successful businessman who tried to impress this pastor with his religion by saying, “Reverend, every week I have my secretary mail a check to my church.” This commitment reminded this pastor of the missionary who was witnessing to the chief of a very primitive tribe. In response the chief tried to impress the missionary with gifts of horses, blankets, and jewelry. But the missionary said, “My God does not want the chief’s horses or blankets or jewelry. My God wants the chief himself.” Then the chief smiled and said, “You have a very wise God, for when I give him myself he also gets horses and blankets and jewelry.” This chief showed more wisdom than the wealthy businessman friend.

So Christlike stewardship is the by-product of a Christlike attitude toward our faith and finances. That attitude begins by first giving ourselves to God. Faithful dependability as a Christian steward relates to the management of money, but also to a great deal more. The “portfolio” for which we are responsible includes a wide range of components, and God’s expectation is that we make the most of each one.

A Tool, A Test, and A Trademark—

At the heart of the management of God’s resources is ordering our faith and finances. We need to understand how God views this process. The process is three-fold:

A Tool—our possessions are to be used as a tool to further God’s kingdom here on earth.

To be a trustworthy steward, we must handle the small things with the same regard as the big things. The irrefutable truth of faithful dependability applies to the minor as well as the major things of life. The greater our dependability, the greater our blessing.

A Test—our possessions are given to us as a test to see how much responsibility we will be given in heaven.

To be a trustworthy steward, we must see everything in life as sacred. The irrefutable truth of faithful dependability includes everything in life. Everything is to be devoted to the Lord. Whatever our talents, whatever our treasures, whatever our time, all are to be dedicated to the God’s purpose.

A Trademark—our possessions serve as a trademark to those around us that we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

To be a trustworthy steward, we must share the secret things of God liberally. The irrefutable truth of faithful dependability gives permission to share the secrets of God openly. We show and tell them freely, for no area is more important than the stewardship of the Gospel.

Let’s take inventory and think of all the “personal assets” we have under management:

Who we are as a person: character development, spiritual and emotional maturity.

Who we are in our connection with God: knowing Jesus, growing spiritually.

Who we are in our relationships: loving, forgiving, encouraging, serving.

Who we are in our higher purpose: using our treasures, time and talents uniquely.

Added to this long list are the “spiritual assets” with which we are entrusted:

The Gospel of Christ, the mystery of godliness, the secret things of God.

Pastor Rick Warren, best-selling author of the Purpose-Driven Life, says… “there are very few things that I would rather talk about than generosity and giving. Through learning to give by faith, I have increased my faith, grown closer to Jesus Christ, and my heart has been changed more than any other discipline in my life. Giving is the fundamental issue of life. Everything is God’s, and we are simply stewards of what he gives us.”

Rick says God wants us to invest in his service fund by following the example of the Jesus-followers at Macedonia because “they gave not only what they could afford but far more. And they did it of their own free will.” Rick shares an illustration of a Korean church in Los Angeles. A couple of years ago he was at a Korean church that owned nearly an entire block, and he asked them how in the world they got an entire block of downtown property. They said, “We sold our blood.” They were all poor and didn’t have anything, so they started selling their own blood. All of the profit enabled them to build their church and thereby reach out to other poor Koreans in downtown Los Angeles who were desperately in need of the love of Jesus Christ. They literally gave their blood for that church. By investing in God’s service fund and giving more than they could afford, the members of this Korean church were showing faithful dependability by their trustworthiness.

So we invest in God’s service fund by using some of our money to expand our ministry. Ministry is meeting needs in the name of Jesus Christ. Anytime we help anybody else in the name of Jesus Christ, whether it’s financial, physical or emotional needs, we are ministering to them. By using our talents, our gifts, our background, our assets, our resources or whatever God has given us to help other people, we are ministering. When we get to heaven one day, God is going to ask us to give full disclosure—what we did with what we were given.

This is no small responsibility we bear—offering Full Disclosure, a revealing link to our faith and finances. To handle them rightly with faithful dependability demands absolute trustworthiness! Amen.

God placed the desire for a committed relationship with a member of the opposite sex through the benefits and bonds upon the foundation of marriage.

The future of marriage: Is it becoming extinct? Some of the modern, liberal thinkers of our day have said that marriage will one day become extinct. They’ve predicted marriage will slowly but surely be thought of as old-fashioned and unnecessary despite its current popularity and existence throughout human history.

Perhaps their predictions are based on the changes in the way society views love and marriage. During the 1960’s, society showed us a picture of love somewhat unfamiliar to American culture at that time. It was portrayed as “Free Love.” The popular love stories of the day began focusing only on passion and held an attitude that said, “I’m not committed to you but I am having a great time with you sexually and romantically. I like how you make me feel right now. But who knows what I’ll feel tomorrow? So let’s not make any kind of commitment to each other but just enjoy this moment.”

Novels, newspapers and other forms of media touted this as the ideal kind of love. A direct correlation can’t be proven, but during that time the divorce rate skyrocketed and has remained high until today. That warped concept of love taught us that if we can’t have all the passion and pleasure we want from one person, we can always find someone else who will give it to us. Perhaps that is why some marriage researchers tell us that today 6 in 10 marriages at some time in the course of the marriage are affected by extra-martial affairs.

Before this infatuation-based love concept, the majority of American society saw marriage as a commitment that was kept often in the face of obstacles and tough times. Unselfishness was the key to marriage then and the focus was on the big picture of “till death do us part” and raising children in a home with a mom and a dad.

According to the Census Bureau, the number of children living with only one parent has increased from 9% in 1960 to 28% in 2002. This statistic is discouraging news for those of us who support commitment-based, traditional marriage. The infatuation-based, passion-only ideal of marriage is certainly alive and well today, but that doesn’t mean committed, unselfish love is dead or dying.

Because of our belief in God and his message to us in the Bible, Jesus-followers believe God placed the desire for a committed relationship with a member of the opposite sex in each of us. Men and women will not give up the benefits of traditional marriage relationships even though it is under fire now. There are too many positive side-effects that marriage provides society for it to be tossed aside.

Though we can cite the Bible’s recipe for marriage and believe it because of our Christian faith, modern research also tells us that the marriage of one man and one woman provides benefits to the couple and any children they might have. Research suggests that:

Married people live longer and generally are more emotionally and physically healthy than those who aren’t married

Married people need less health care

Married people exhibit increased satisfaction and happiness in the workplace

Married people exhibit decreased feelings of loneliness and boredom

Married people have prolonged access to increased intimacy

Married people report greater levels of sexual fulfillment and frequency

Children of a marriage of one man and one woman receive the benefits of learning from role models of each gender. Each gender brings different strengths to the table and in marriage; children can receive a balanced influence of the two.

Not to be afraid of why we believe what we do. Christ First Baptist Church affirms a number of Core Beliefs. Our church’s constitution supports ten key tenets of belief:

When it comes to the institution of marriage. We believe the following…

God created man and woman in his own image and for each other in the bonds of marriage. There must be no attempt to rationalize and promote sexual conduct—heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual—which is outside the scriptural will of God for his children.

The book of beginnings affirms this core belief of marriage in Genesis 2:18-25…

18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” 19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and they will become one flesh. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Jesus Christ also affirmed this core belief of marriage in his teaching from Matthew 19:4-6…

4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

God knew that a number of benefits existed with the marriage of man and woman and that is why he instituted it with the first man and woman (Adam and Eve). Modern research also supports the Biblical-based concept of marriage as the ideal environment for a loving relationship of man and wife–and for stable, happy, well-adjusted children. Because humans need the security and committed love that marriage offers, it will continue to be the backbone of society until the end of time.

The Benefits of Marriage

Marriage is one of most intimate relationships of life which is both a beautiful experience and a very awesome responsibility. Marriage is more than a contract or license to live together. It is an unconditional commitment to an imperfect person. It is a sacred relationship based on the marvelous foundation of God’s love in which a man and a woman build a mutually satisfying and deeply enriching marriage. God’s foundations for Christian marriage originate in the Holy Scriptures.

Not everyone who hears these words is married, and not everyone who is married is in a healthy, growing relationship. There are those whose marriage bonds have been separated by death or divorce. There are those who are single. In some ways it doesn’t matter what our particular situation might be. We all need to hear what God’s Word has to say.

The bond of marriage is joined together by three key principles:

1. Marriage is a purposeful union

18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Marriage is purposefully designed by God. It is a gift from God but we don’t always see it that way.

A seven-year-old girl saw the movie Cinderella and was talking with her friends about it afterward. “I know how it ends,” said one, “Cinderella and the Prince live happily ever after.” “Oh no they don’t,” she replied. “They got married!”

God’s answer to Adam’s loneliness is simple and profound. God created a partner for Adam — like him, from him, yet different. Adam’s deep loneliness is met by a woman created by God. From this we learn that the gift of a wife comes from God himself. When God brought Eve to Adam, he showed his sovereignty over the most intimate areas of life. And we learn that God can be trusted to provide a mate at the right time and in the right way. Anxious single men and women need to hear this word from the Lord.

So God has carefully created us to complement each other. A complement is likened to a helpmate; someone who completes or makes perfect. God designed a woman—not another man—to be the completion of a man, and the man—not another woman—to be the completion of a woman. God made man and woman different by nature and nurture to fit together in a mutually beneficial way.

Marriage is a permanent union

24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and they will become one flesh.

The Hebrew word united means to be bonded together in such a way that the relationship is secure and permanent. To be united also means to be totally committed to the marriage relationship so that no hardship, difficulty or problem can separate the two. Furthermore, to be united carries the meaning to be joined together with, and in spirit. Marriage is a permanent union in a threefold process—leave, cleave and weave. Too often couples cleave before they leave by co-habitation. This not God’s design for a committed, bonded relationship.

This union and oneness of marriage can be illustrated in the following way. If we take two different colored pieces of paper and bond them together with glue, they become one unit. If we try and separate one piece of paper from the other, there is most often a tearing or defacing of the paper. Each piece of paper, though separated, will show evidence of the other color of paper still remaining. We can show that one side has its original color intact, but on the reverse side a trace of the other paper’s color also remains. The same is true for a man and a woman bonded by God as one union in marriage. Separation through divorce may happen, but each other’s nature will still be a part of their lives. They may show their own color to the world on the outside, but on the inside the nature of their former mate will remain.

Thus marriage is a permanent union; a life-long process. It is a deliberate effort of two persons bringing all of their differences, backgrounds, personalities, feelings, interests, temperaments, and expectations into a relationship that will be built, but over the years progress into a one flesh relationship.

Marriage is a private union

23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

The marriage bond is one of intimacy. Thus, the essence of the marriage relationship is saved for private disclosure and not for public demonstration. Physical union makes marriage distinct from any other relationship, even the closest of relationships.

The writer to the Hebrews supports the privacy of marriage in Hebrews 13:4…

4Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Marriage is basically a human illustration of God’s love for us. Adam could not totally comprehend God’s creative order until he provided for Adam a helpmate suitable for his nature and nurture. Now Adam can understand God’s love for him when he created Eve. This is a mystery, according to God’s Word, but one that reflects the totality of the marriage union and its uniqueness.

With these biblical principles in place, let’s consider the following response to the issue of marriage in our nation. It is a widespread consensus across our country that Americans don’t like gay and lesbian coupes having their relationships called “marriage.” However, for the most part, people are more likely to support the proposal of civil unions. Even President Bush has come out strong against gay marriage, although he has not voiced opposition to civil unions for homosexual couples. He has said that marriage is a sacred institution and should be reserved for the union of one man and one woman.

If this is the case—and most Americans agree with our president on this issue—we have to ask why the government is involved at all in marrying people. If marriage is really a sacred institution, then why is our government controlling it, in a nation that affirms the separation of church and state?

Let me share personally on this issue. I am an ordained minister of the Gospel. I always feel a little uneasy toward the end of the weddings I perform when I have to say, “And now, by the authority given unto me by the State of California, I declare that you are husband and wife.” At weddings, after having performed a variety of religious exercises, such as reading Scripture, saying prayers, giving a bible based meditation and declaring blessings on the marriage, I suddenly shift to being an agent of the state. It seems inconsistent that in a highly religious ceremony I should have to turn the church into a place where government business is conducted. It is a conflict for me to unify my pastoral role with that of a state agent.

There is a way out of this conflict and the difficult questions being raised these days, especially during an election year, about whether our country should approve of homosexual marriages. Perhaps the government should get out of the business of marrying people and, instead, only give legal status to civil unions. The government should sanction a civil union, but don’t call it a marriage. Leave marriage in the hands of the church and other religious entities. Let’s not redefine marriage beyond the biblical union. If a couple wants their relationship blessed—to be married—they go to a church, synagogue or other house of worship. Marriage should be viewed as an institution ordained by God and should be out of the control of the state.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 4th, and we have the opportunity to vote to protect marriage in California.

California is poised to amend the state constitution to clearly define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. This would stop all marriages outside of God’s intentional will for marriage in their tracks and reverse the controversial California Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage earlier this year. Passage of Proposition 8 will ensure that marriage is protected for the next generation of our families. It will give all of California’s kids the best chance for a mom and a dad, and will protect California families from attempts by activists outside the state or rogue judges within the state, who want to change the legal and biblical definition of marriage.

Three R’s of Proposition 8…As responsible Jesus-followers we need to be aware and take action on the issues defining marriage in our society. We can respond to these challenges in three practical ways:

Restore the definition of marriage. Man-woman marriage is the only natural way to build families, which in turn builds a society. In the United States, same-sex couples are free to live as they choose in likeness to a civil union. It is dangerous, however, to treat marriage as a “social construct” that is changeable. Husband-wife unions are the basic source of society. Because society is not the source of marriage’s definition, it cannot change the accurate description of marriage by its own will.
Reaffirm Proposition 22, by which California voters upheld man-woman marriage. A strong majority upheld the natural definition of marriage in this 2000 statewide referendum. Prop 22 amended state civil code, however, and the California Supreme Court said it violated the state constitution. Prop 8 would amend the constitution itself to secure husband-wife marriage.

Reject judicial activism. In May 2008, four judges voted that laws “limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples violate the state constitutional rights of same-sex couples.” They overturned laws passed by voters and the state legislature, to create same-sex marriage. Yet their job is to interpret the real meaning of the law and apply it to specific situations — not to create new laws. Lawmaking on such a pivotal issue, by unelected officials, is tyranny and it should not be permitted.

We all understand that the future of marriage is being challenged today and is under attack. Many young people doubt that a lifelong marriage is possible. They’ve seen so much divorce that it seems normal to them. They are right in one sense. Divorce happens. It happens in the world, it happens in the church at large, and it happens in this particular local church. Sometimes Christian people behave irresponsibly. Husbands and wives don’t always keep their vows. Sometimes they walk out and sometimes they just drift apart.

After making full allowance for all the problems we face, it’s still true that God’s way is the best way. When we buy a new car, it is wise choice for us to take the owner’s manual out of the glove compartment and read it. We need to do the same thing today. The Bible is still the “owner’s manual” for marriage. Perhaps if we were more attentive to the instructions of the Designer we would find that marriage works much better.

Marriage is a challenge in the best of circumstances but it can also be a great blessing. In a society like ours, where healthy marriages are the exception and not the rule, if we can build marriages that move against the prevailing tide, we will have a fantastic base from which to share the message of Jesus Christ with our friends and neighbors. Nowhere will the difference between Christianity and modern secularism be more clearly seen than in a truly Christian marriage.

God’s desire for each couple who enters into the bonds of marriage is for them to experience all that God intended and to understand all that he requires for that union to be a reality. When both partners have experienced God’s love and forgiveness in their own lives, there is the possibility for marriage that brings the fulfillment that God designed. The future of marriage depends upon it!

Let’s spend time together and pray for our marriages, our relationships, our friendships. Let’s pray for the upcoming election and the opportunity for Jesus-followers to protect marriage in California. Couples who are together in the service please join hands for a prayer of recommitment.

Let’s stand as a congregation for prayer.

If you are married, take a moment to recommit yourself to your spouse.

If your marriage is in some difficulty, pray for God’s healing power to come into your relationship.

If you are a widow or a widower, thank God for the good memories. Ask God for the grace you need this week.

If you are single because of divorce, pray for an intimate relationship with God to fill the void in your heart.

If you are a single parent, ask God to be the missing parent for your children.

If you have never married, pray that God will bring his best to you in his own time and commit to the Lord that you won’t settle for second best.

Father, we thank you for the gift of marriage. We acknowledge that your ways are perfect and that you make no mistakes. We gladly confess that without you we can do nothing. Help us to submit ourselves to you completely with no strings attached. May we become a church of happy Christian homes where Jesus Christ can be seen in our closest relationships. We pray for those who are hurting and lonely that they might receive a fresh touch from your Spirit. Grant healing and hope to us as we pray.

We lift up all the marriages in our congregation and pray that each one might be strengthened. We stand united by faith against everything the devil would do to destroy those marriages. We pray that none would be lost, that all would be preserved. And we thank you for husbands and wives who love you and who love each other. Grant that our marriages will not merely survive, but that they will thrive—grow and prosper and be filled with joy. Give grace to each couple that they might serve the Lord together joyfully as long as they both shall live. And when the time to leave this life comes, may they still be together, still in love, still faithful, and still believing in the promise of eternal life.

We pray for the upcoming election and the opportunity we have as Jesus-followers to protect marriage. O Lord, we acknowledge that a man-woman marriage is ordained by you as the only natural way to build families, which in turn builds a society. We pray these things in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.