Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Mary the Mother of Jesus have something in common and something important for us to hear. You can listen to the message by following the link or read the text below. Merry Christmas.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/0vrxohjg2oj/Christmas Caroling.mp3
INTRODUCTION [ADVENT WREATH]
A couple of weeks ago I was in a meeting and we were evaluating our worship service. During the course of the meeting, I was informed that lighting the Advent Wreath would smell really bad since it was plastic and that we should really write the lighting of the Advent Candles. Right after that, someone else, who will remain unnamed but who gave me permission to share this, said, “Not to nitpick but can we get a fourth purple candle. That pink one is driving me crazy.” We explained to him that the pink candle was supposed to be there and had special significance.
I thought it would be good as approach Christmas to briefly explain the Advent Wreath. Advent is from a Latin word that means “coming.” Advent is the time of preparation for Christmas. It proclaims the birth of Christ. The wreath is a visual way to mark the nearing of the holiday. The three purple candles mark the first, second, and fourth weeks and represent royalty. The pink candle represents Joy and is supposed to be lit on the third Sunday of Advent because we are over half way to Christmas. In some traditions there isn’t a pink candle… so our nameless friend wasn’t completely wrong. On Christmas Eve, the white Christ Candle will be lit to remind us of Jesus’ birth.
One of the reasons I like the Advent Wreath is that it reminds me of God’s light in a sometimes dark world. The meaning of the Christmas/Advent Seasons can often get quenched in the midst of holiday festivities. The candles each represent the Sundays of Advent. The first candle speaks of HOPE. During the first week of Advent we talked about how the pressures of Christmas can leave us feeling hopeless. We watched and learned as George Bailey rediscover hope through friendship and prayer. The second candle speaks of PEACE. We talked about the turmoil of the Christmas Season. We shared in the frustration of a lack of peace as we watched Ebenezer Scrooge discover peace in his life. The third candle speaks of JOY. Last week, we learned from Dr. Seuss about rediscovering Christmas joy as the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes in one day. The fourth candle which we lit today speaks of LOVE.
While Christmas season has a tendency to bring the best and the worst out of people, the best was evident on Friday as people from our church and the community delivered food baskets and presents to needy families in the Brimfield community. We served 96 baskets this year and ministered to many more children and families. It is truly a blessing to be a part of a church that believes in doing the ministry of Jesus Christ in such tangible and meaningful ways. When we engage in acts of mercy, we share the love of Christ and spread the true Spirit of Christmas. Christmas truly isn’t Christmas without the sharing of God’s love. During this last Sunday of Advent we will be attempting to discover Christmas LOVE through the eyes of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the blessed Mother of Jesus, Mary.
RUDOLPH THE OUTCAST
Perhaps on first glance Rudolph and Mary don’t have much in common, but as we will see this morning they in fact do. More importantly, they have an important message to speak to each of us this morning about God’s love and acceptance. Let’s watch and learn about Rudolph.
[VIDEO CLIP]
You might say that Rudolph had a rough childhood. When he was born, Rudolph’s nose was a source of humiliation and ridicule. It was shiny and” if you ever saw him, you would even say it glows.” He stood out in a crowd. His nose carried a stigma. The other reindeer judged him and “used to laugh and call him names. They never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games.” Today, he would have been an outsider. Rudolph probably had a low self-esteem, poor self-image, and didn’t like himself very much. Life was tough for little ol’ Rudoph.
Do you ever feel like Rudolph? Are you left out, ridiculed, and humiliated for being different? Some of us probably have flashback to our own childhood. We know the feeling of being picked last on the play ground, not invited to a birthday party, and having no one to go to the school dance with. There is tremendous peer pressure to fit in as a kid. Unfortunately, that pressure doesn’t stop as an adult. Sometimes, we are still excluded from a group of people, or gossiped about at the work place. Some of you might even feel the ridicule at those Christmas family gatherings. Maybe you are that in-law or that disappointing child. Regardless of how you’ve been left out, in my opinion, it is one of the worst feelings in the world. Thankfully, God understands the pain of being ridiculed, left out and gossiped about, and he has a powerful antidote for it.
LOVING OUTCASTS
The antidote for that pain is borne out of the God’s love and unconditional acceptance. Much of Jesus’ ministry was a ministry of healing and restoration. The real miracles happened not the physical healing but the social restoration. One of my favorite healing stories happens when a woman with a blood disorder. She secretly slips through the crowd and touches the hem of Jesus’s garment. As her fingers roll over it, power leaves Jesus and she receives her physically healing. The more important healing occurs as Jesus makes a public scene to expose the woman’s actions. The spectacle is meant to publically acknowledge that the woman is healed and should be fully restored to proper standing in society. This social restoration is equally as important as the physical healing.
Jesus understands and values the importance of being accepted and loved by a community of people. Jesus most likely grew up much of his life as somewhat of an outsider. The whispers and gossip began before he was even born. They started when a teenage girl was engaged and ended up pregnant. The neighbors began to whisper because premarital sex was more than taboo it was punishable by death. She claimed to still be a virgin and was sent away to her cousin’s house to protect her. Then after claiming an angelic visitation her fiancé decided to still marry her.
We often don’t think of Mary’s pregnancy and Jesus’s birth in such scandalous terms because we have the whole picture. We know about the angelic visitations and the virgin birth. Mary’s friends and family might not have received these explanations with such enthusiasm. The fact that Mary was sent to stay with her cousin Elizabeth speaks to this reality. Mary became an outcast of the group. She was gossiped about, ridiculed, and laughed at. We might assume that the ridicule stopped after Jesus was born, but the actuality of the situation is that it most likely didn’t. The looks probably continued to come much of Jesus’s childhood. People either didn’t know or didn’t believe that Jesus was the messiah or even special. They most likely thought that he was a bastard child of a loose woman. Even with divine assurance, I am sure there were difficult days in their family. Jesus and Mary were without a doubt outcasts most of their lives
MARY’S AND RUDOLPH’S SONGS
Mary was able to overcome her outcast status, because she knew God’s love and acceptance. She knew that while she was different that she had a purpose and a mission from God. She had a song in her heart that reminded her of this fact. Listen to her words: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.”
Mary knew that God’s love would triumphant over the voices of ridicule. She knew that “All generations will call her blessed.” She knew this because God used her for great things. She knew she would raise a son that would break down all kinds of barriers. Barriers between people groups, between races, between classes, and most importantly the barrier between humanity and God would be brought down because of her son. She understood that the thing that made her different was the very thing that God would use to bring about his purposes. And so she sang that song again and again in her heart and it enabled the love of God to prevail on the earth.
In a similar way to Mary, Rudolph’s differences made him unique and special. His status as an outsider allows him to be used powerfully by God. Let’s watch the clip where that red nose is transformed from a source of ridicule and exclusion to a source of joy and purpose.
[CLIP OF RUDOLPH LEADING THE SLEIGH]
Rudolph’s nose was no doubt a source of embarrassment for him. That all changed when, “One foggy Christmas Eve Santa came to say: ‘Rudolph with your nose so bright, won’t you guide my sleigh to night?” Rudolph’s nose had caused him much pain, but in an instant that would all change. When Rudolph saved Christmas and lit guided the way, “All the reindeer loved him as they shouted out with glee, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, you’ll go down in history!” Mary was to be called blessed by all generations and Rudolph was to go down in history. Each was used for an important task. Both were outcasts that came to belong because of their unique purpose in the world.
BELONGING TO GOD
So often, when society points and laughs, God is working his master plan behind the scenes. The things that make us unique are often what enable us to be used by God. We all have our quirk, our oddities, and our eccentricities. Even if society tries to make us outcasts, we should embrace that which God has given us. If we submit it before the Lord, God can redeem them for his glory. When we try to hide them, suppress them and when are embarrassed by them, is when he hinder God from using us. God’s love accepts exactly for who we are. He is able redeem all things and make all things new. When we yield all of ourselves to God, God is able to work all things for God. God calls us his own, calls us his children, and calls us citizens in heaven. When we receive the gift of God’s love, we belong unconditionally. No strings attached. No forced molds to conform to. Just God’s accepting love.
if we can embrace who we have been uniquely made, then God will use us powerfully. God has a specific purpose and mission that no one can accomplish except you. The problem is that many of us spend our entire lives trying to be someone else. And not only that, but we spend our time trying to force others to conform to societal norms as well. God’s love is a radical alternative to the pressures of the world.
CONCLUSION: EMBRACING OTHERS
As we learn to embrace God’s love and experience the acceptance of God, we should seek to share God’s love with others. Jesus’s experience as an outcast uniquely shaped him and his capacity for ministry. It gave him a unique heart from the outcasts of society, because he was one of them. He suffered from the judging, harsh standards of society. When we are accepted by God, we need to actively welcome others regardless of their differences. Many of your past experiences will give you avenues to share God’s love with others. You can relate uniquely to certain types of people. God’s love is made apparent by accepting people for who they are. When we do so, we emulate the one who accepted us.
As I mentioned, we delivered food and presents to over 100 families in the community. In those baskets, we included invitations to the Christmas Eve Service. I felt it was important that we invite each of these families to be a part of our church community. If you have never had to get food from a cupboard, you might not realize the shame and embarrassment people feel about it. Having a lack of resources, or being poor, carries a stigma with it. People assume you are lazy or stupid or something worse.
The poor among us often feel like Rudolph and Mary. They feel the sting of being left on the outside looking in. As I church community, we need to actively embrace these people with the unconditional love of God. Each one of the people who we minister to through that cupboard is a unique child of God with a specific and important purpose from God. It is part of our calling this Christmas to embrace each person as God’s very own. When you sing Rudolph this year, be reminded that you are loved by God and to love others. To do so, is to rediscover the Love of Christmas.
Let’s pray.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
The Grinch Who Found Joy
This week was the third week of Advent... the message was that of JOY. As you listen/ read, may you been filled with Christmas Joy. A side note, the video clips from "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" have been editted out for copyright reasons.
Follow the link to listen to the downloaded sermon or read the text below.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/nzyymm00i2t/The Grinch who Found Joy.mp3
Follow the link to listen to the downloaded sermon or read the text below.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/nzyymm00i2t/The Grinch who Found Joy.mp3
“The Grinch Who Found Joy”
Brimfield Faith UMC
December 13, 2009
Luke 3:7-15
Joy is a funny thing. It can be so fleeting. In one moment you experience pure ecstasy and the next tremendous misery. In those moments of joy and happiness, it feels as if it will never end. And in the same way, suffering feels like an eternity. Having a newborn, I am all too familiar with the emotional rollercoaster that sometimes characterizes the human experience. One moment, I have the most peaceful, beautiful and perfect child. Life is absolutely amazing. Just as I become aware of that moment, it seems to pass into a screaming fit of frustration. In those moments of crying it can be really hard to remember those joy-filled ones. The joyful moments for me are often times at night when I am helping Caleb to fall asleep. I’ll be holding him in the living room with the Christmas Tree lit and the lights over the mantel on. He is resting peacefully in my arms and I am just filled with the most incredible feeling. The worst moments come when he is fussy, gassy, and crying. Those moments get amplified when Sienna, our dog starts crying too.
The Christmas season is often a similar rollercoaster of emotions: joy as family reunites after months without seeing one another. The joy lasts until chaos and arguments erupt when the dinner is finished and a few drinks have been consumed. Or there is the excitement of Christmas morning when the presents are stacked under the tree, which quickly turns to disappointment when you open another knitted sweater from your Grandma. (They were cute when you were five, but they are cause ridicule in high school.) Why does it seem like joy is such a fleeting emotion?
The movie that we’re watching this morning is “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” The story is about Mr. Grinch, a bit, anger outcast of the joyful people of Whoville. In attempts to destroy joy, Grinch develops and evil plot to ruin Christmas for the people by dressing up as Santa Claus and stealing all of the presents. We are going to watch part of the opening of the movie as we learn about Mr. Grinch.
[CLIP – HATES CHRISTMAS]
STOLEN JOY
The Grinch’s joy has been stolen because he has a heart two-sizes too small. As a result, he is trying to steal other people’s joy. What tries to steal your joy? It is a small heart? Is it a person? Is it stress and anxiety? Whatever it is, chances are something has tried and succeeded at stealing your joy at some point in your life. The reality is that this week something happened that took your joy away.
Maybe you don’t think losing your joy is a big deal. I mean, life is interesting because of the ups and downs, right? Without the down times, how can we ever come to appreciate the good? The reality is that your small heart is robbing you of life and negatively affecting others. I think the Scriptures have something important to say about joy in our lives.
SCRIPTURAL JOY
Joy is so important to God that we are commanded to rejoice. Philippians 4:4, which we read earlier, says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” This letter is written by Paul from jail. Jail in ancient times was not the cushy, cable tv prisons of today. Jails were dug into the sides of hills. They were dark, cold, and filled with disease. There was nothing to rejoice about in Roman jails. Paul has been falsely imprisoned and yet he is still rejoicing and calling us to rejoice as well. Philippians is one of many places that calls us to rejoice in the Scirptures.
The Bible has a lot more to say about joy than we might initially think. Occasionally, Christians and Christianity get a bad rap for being boring, fuddy-duddies. All work and no play makes Christians dull. It’s all about rules that keep us from having fun. While there are Christians and churches that seem to outlaw fun in the name of holiness, joy is an integral part of God’s heart. In fact, one of the ways that I gauge people’s spiritual walks is by the amount of joy in their lives. You know the type of person who seems to have memorized the entire Bible and is very serious about their faith. When they talk, they harp on how sinful people are and how we need to get back to God. We have a tendency to think, “Wow! They are really holy.” I think the Bible depicts a much different picture. In fact, in Galatians 5, joy is the second fruit of the Spirit. Christians who are filled with God are marked by joy.
HOW TO LIVE JOYFULLY
This is the type of sermon where it is tempting for me to say, the Bible calls us to have more joy so go and be joyful. There might be some fruit in this approach. After all, joy is highly subjective and what brings you joy might be pure torture for someone else. With that said, I want to share a few principles of how we might live joyfully and rejoice in the face of difficulty.
#1. Joy is a matter of presence.
The key to joy is found in the song we sang earlier this morning. “I’m trading my sorrows, my shame, my sickness, my pain… for the joy of the Lord.” I remember the first time singing that song. I was a freshman in college and was having some growing pains and trouble adjusting. I went to an evening large group worship gathering held on campus. As I was singing this song, I felt the presence of God in a way that I never had before. In that moment, I felt the Holy Spirit trade my struggles in for a new found joy. It is hard to fully describe the experience, but it served to change something inside of me. It caused me to want to chase after God. That experience of joy drew me into a deeper relationship with God.
When we experience the presence of God through a personal relationship with him, we are given a fresh lease on life. Jesus came to give us life. The Spirit enables us to be filled with joy. When we are touched by God and empowered to live more fully.
What is your default reaction in difficult situations? Do you run towards God or do you run into bad habits, addictive behaviors, and dysfunctional relationships? 1 Thessalonians calls us to “Give thanks in all circumstances.” If we are going to be overcomers and keep the joy through all circumstances then we need to deepen our relationship with God. During the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, we don’t always make time for God. I would implore you make time to read your Bibles, pray, and attend worship during the Christmas season. I hear so many people say they haven’t been at church because they’ve been dealing with difficulties and life has just gotten away from them. I see these same people burned out, frustrated, and lacking joy. It’s not going to be a magic elixir but maintaining your relationship with God is going to increase your joy.
#2. Joy is a matter of perspective.
A stronger relationship with God increases your joy because it helps shifts our perspective. It keeps life in focus. It helps us to have faith in the face of adversity. The reality is that life is going to throw curve balls at us. There are people and forces in the world that will try to steal your joy. Let’s watch the scene where the Grinch is trying to steal Christmas from the Whos.
[CLIP - GRINCH STEALING X-MAS]
The prophet Zephaniah says, “Sing, O Daughter of Zion, shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem” (Zeph 3:14). Isaiah 12:6 reads, “Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.” The Philippians exhortation along with the two I just read are not given in good circumstances. In fact, each time the people are suffering, oppressed, and downtrodden. A distant promise does not seem powerful enough to cause they to sing with joy. Have you ever tried to sing joyfully when you are depressed or down? There is a reason they call them funeral dirges. You don’t typically hear polkas sung at funerals because it is virtually impossible to sing joyfully in the face of death. And yet, each of these three words, God is calling his people to sing joyfully at their own funerals.
Your perspective is going to be challenged in life. God’s joy cannot be circumstantial because life is not always going to be rosy. There will be difficulties. Bad things are going to happen. When you have a deep relationship with God, you are able to see with a different type of perspective. You understand and know that God is victorious over sin and death. You know the ultimate outcome. You know you are on the winning side. It’s like watch a sporting event and knowing the team you are cheering for is going to win. They may go down 24-3 but you don’t worry because you know they are going to win. You watch with anticipation to see how they beat the other team. You almost get excited about how it’s going to happen. We should be the same way in life because we know the outcome. God wins.
SPREADING JOY
#3. Joy is a matter of choice.
The reality is that knowing the final outcome doesn’t always make the difficulties of today easier to cope with. That is why ultimately joy is a matter of choice. We have to choose to remember that God wins in the end. We have to choose to maintain a proper perspective on life. When we have a relationship with God and God’s perspective, we can indeed choose joy. So while I don’t know what has tried to steal your joy, I do know that you can choose joy. It may not be easy. It may require you to choose joy each and every day. By you can choose it.
The people of Whoville faced the tragedy of the Grinch stealing all of their presents and Christmas decorations. They could have wailed in despair but instead they choose to rejoice. In the face of hardship, the Whos choose joy because they maintain their relationships and their perspective. They understood that Christmas joy wasn’t about the gifts. They still had each other and their voices. They could still sing with joy. We can be like the Whos and choose joy. Let’s watch how the Whos choose joy and the affect that it has.
[CLIP OF GRINCH’S HEART GROWING]
CONCLUSION
The Grinch thought that he has stolen Christmas. He has taken all of the toys and the decorations. All to do is wait to hear the crying and weeping from Whoville. Instead of hearing the weeping, he hears the Whos singing. In that moment, the Grinch realizes that there is something more to Christmas than what you can buy in a store. And as we see his heart grew three sizes. It was the Whos faith and joy that positively impacted the Grinch.
Joy when it flows out of our relationship with God is contagious. The Grinch in each of us needs to gain a fresh perspective. In that fresh perspective, our hearts can grow and our joy can increase. But our joy can reach beyond ourselves. When you continually choose joy over sorrow, you can influence and impact people. Even the Grinch’s heart can grow. True joy shared at the Christmas season can heal wounds, mend hearts, and foster greater joy.
It is time that we draw together to rediscover the joy that God intends for us to live out. It is time for your heart can grow. It is time for the Grinches in your life to be transformed. It is time for you to experience the presence of God, time receive a new perspective. This Christmas is the time to rejoice and to be filled with joy.
Let’s pray.
Brimfield Faith UMC
December 13, 2009
Luke 3:7-15
Joy is a funny thing. It can be so fleeting. In one moment you experience pure ecstasy and the next tremendous misery. In those moments of joy and happiness, it feels as if it will never end. And in the same way, suffering feels like an eternity. Having a newborn, I am all too familiar with the emotional rollercoaster that sometimes characterizes the human experience. One moment, I have the most peaceful, beautiful and perfect child. Life is absolutely amazing. Just as I become aware of that moment, it seems to pass into a screaming fit of frustration. In those moments of crying it can be really hard to remember those joy-filled ones. The joyful moments for me are often times at night when I am helping Caleb to fall asleep. I’ll be holding him in the living room with the Christmas Tree lit and the lights over the mantel on. He is resting peacefully in my arms and I am just filled with the most incredible feeling. The worst moments come when he is fussy, gassy, and crying. Those moments get amplified when Sienna, our dog starts crying too.
The Christmas season is often a similar rollercoaster of emotions: joy as family reunites after months without seeing one another. The joy lasts until chaos and arguments erupt when the dinner is finished and a few drinks have been consumed. Or there is the excitement of Christmas morning when the presents are stacked under the tree, which quickly turns to disappointment when you open another knitted sweater from your Grandma. (They were cute when you were five, but they are cause ridicule in high school.) Why does it seem like joy is such a fleeting emotion?
The movie that we’re watching this morning is “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” The story is about Mr. Grinch, a bit, anger outcast of the joyful people of Whoville. In attempts to destroy joy, Grinch develops and evil plot to ruin Christmas for the people by dressing up as Santa Claus and stealing all of the presents. We are going to watch part of the opening of the movie as we learn about Mr. Grinch.
[CLIP – HATES CHRISTMAS]
STOLEN JOY
The Grinch’s joy has been stolen because he has a heart two-sizes too small. As a result, he is trying to steal other people’s joy. What tries to steal your joy? It is a small heart? Is it a person? Is it stress and anxiety? Whatever it is, chances are something has tried and succeeded at stealing your joy at some point in your life. The reality is that this week something happened that took your joy away.
Maybe you don’t think losing your joy is a big deal. I mean, life is interesting because of the ups and downs, right? Without the down times, how can we ever come to appreciate the good? The reality is that your small heart is robbing you of life and negatively affecting others. I think the Scriptures have something important to say about joy in our lives.
SCRIPTURAL JOY
Joy is so important to God that we are commanded to rejoice. Philippians 4:4, which we read earlier, says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” This letter is written by Paul from jail. Jail in ancient times was not the cushy, cable tv prisons of today. Jails were dug into the sides of hills. They were dark, cold, and filled with disease. There was nothing to rejoice about in Roman jails. Paul has been falsely imprisoned and yet he is still rejoicing and calling us to rejoice as well. Philippians is one of many places that calls us to rejoice in the Scirptures.
The Bible has a lot more to say about joy than we might initially think. Occasionally, Christians and Christianity get a bad rap for being boring, fuddy-duddies. All work and no play makes Christians dull. It’s all about rules that keep us from having fun. While there are Christians and churches that seem to outlaw fun in the name of holiness, joy is an integral part of God’s heart. In fact, one of the ways that I gauge people’s spiritual walks is by the amount of joy in their lives. You know the type of person who seems to have memorized the entire Bible and is very serious about their faith. When they talk, they harp on how sinful people are and how we need to get back to God. We have a tendency to think, “Wow! They are really holy.” I think the Bible depicts a much different picture. In fact, in Galatians 5, joy is the second fruit of the Spirit. Christians who are filled with God are marked by joy.
HOW TO LIVE JOYFULLY
This is the type of sermon where it is tempting for me to say, the Bible calls us to have more joy so go and be joyful. There might be some fruit in this approach. After all, joy is highly subjective and what brings you joy might be pure torture for someone else. With that said, I want to share a few principles of how we might live joyfully and rejoice in the face of difficulty.
#1. Joy is a matter of presence.
The key to joy is found in the song we sang earlier this morning. “I’m trading my sorrows, my shame, my sickness, my pain… for the joy of the Lord.” I remember the first time singing that song. I was a freshman in college and was having some growing pains and trouble adjusting. I went to an evening large group worship gathering held on campus. As I was singing this song, I felt the presence of God in a way that I never had before. In that moment, I felt the Holy Spirit trade my struggles in for a new found joy. It is hard to fully describe the experience, but it served to change something inside of me. It caused me to want to chase after God. That experience of joy drew me into a deeper relationship with God.
When we experience the presence of God through a personal relationship with him, we are given a fresh lease on life. Jesus came to give us life. The Spirit enables us to be filled with joy. When we are touched by God and empowered to live more fully.
What is your default reaction in difficult situations? Do you run towards God or do you run into bad habits, addictive behaviors, and dysfunctional relationships? 1 Thessalonians calls us to “Give thanks in all circumstances.” If we are going to be overcomers and keep the joy through all circumstances then we need to deepen our relationship with God. During the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, we don’t always make time for God. I would implore you make time to read your Bibles, pray, and attend worship during the Christmas season. I hear so many people say they haven’t been at church because they’ve been dealing with difficulties and life has just gotten away from them. I see these same people burned out, frustrated, and lacking joy. It’s not going to be a magic elixir but maintaining your relationship with God is going to increase your joy.
#2. Joy is a matter of perspective.
A stronger relationship with God increases your joy because it helps shifts our perspective. It keeps life in focus. It helps us to have faith in the face of adversity. The reality is that life is going to throw curve balls at us. There are people and forces in the world that will try to steal your joy. Let’s watch the scene where the Grinch is trying to steal Christmas from the Whos.
[CLIP - GRINCH STEALING X-MAS]
The prophet Zephaniah says, “Sing, O Daughter of Zion, shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem” (Zeph 3:14). Isaiah 12:6 reads, “Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.” The Philippians exhortation along with the two I just read are not given in good circumstances. In fact, each time the people are suffering, oppressed, and downtrodden. A distant promise does not seem powerful enough to cause they to sing with joy. Have you ever tried to sing joyfully when you are depressed or down? There is a reason they call them funeral dirges. You don’t typically hear polkas sung at funerals because it is virtually impossible to sing joyfully in the face of death. And yet, each of these three words, God is calling his people to sing joyfully at their own funerals.
Your perspective is going to be challenged in life. God’s joy cannot be circumstantial because life is not always going to be rosy. There will be difficulties. Bad things are going to happen. When you have a deep relationship with God, you are able to see with a different type of perspective. You understand and know that God is victorious over sin and death. You know the ultimate outcome. You know you are on the winning side. It’s like watch a sporting event and knowing the team you are cheering for is going to win. They may go down 24-3 but you don’t worry because you know they are going to win. You watch with anticipation to see how they beat the other team. You almost get excited about how it’s going to happen. We should be the same way in life because we know the outcome. God wins.
SPREADING JOY
#3. Joy is a matter of choice.
The reality is that knowing the final outcome doesn’t always make the difficulties of today easier to cope with. That is why ultimately joy is a matter of choice. We have to choose to remember that God wins in the end. We have to choose to maintain a proper perspective on life. When we have a relationship with God and God’s perspective, we can indeed choose joy. So while I don’t know what has tried to steal your joy, I do know that you can choose joy. It may not be easy. It may require you to choose joy each and every day. By you can choose it.
The people of Whoville faced the tragedy of the Grinch stealing all of their presents and Christmas decorations. They could have wailed in despair but instead they choose to rejoice. In the face of hardship, the Whos choose joy because they maintain their relationships and their perspective. They understood that Christmas joy wasn’t about the gifts. They still had each other and their voices. They could still sing with joy. We can be like the Whos and choose joy. Let’s watch how the Whos choose joy and the affect that it has.
[CLIP OF GRINCH’S HEART GROWING]
CONCLUSION
The Grinch thought that he has stolen Christmas. He has taken all of the toys and the decorations. All to do is wait to hear the crying and weeping from Whoville. Instead of hearing the weeping, he hears the Whos singing. In that moment, the Grinch realizes that there is something more to Christmas than what you can buy in a store. And as we see his heart grew three sizes. It was the Whos faith and joy that positively impacted the Grinch.
Joy when it flows out of our relationship with God is contagious. The Grinch in each of us needs to gain a fresh perspective. In that fresh perspective, our hearts can grow and our joy can increase. But our joy can reach beyond ourselves. When you continually choose joy over sorrow, you can influence and impact people. Even the Grinch’s heart can grow. True joy shared at the Christmas season can heal wounds, mend hearts, and foster greater joy.
It is time that we draw together to rediscover the joy that God intends for us to live out. It is time for your heart can grow. It is time for the Grinches in your life to be transformed. It is time for you to experience the presence of God, time receive a new perspective. This Christmas is the time to rejoice and to be filled with joy.
Let’s pray.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The Ghost of Christmas PEACE
This past Sunday we talked about the peace of Christmas. If you want to listen to the sermon click here and download it. The movie clips have been edited out.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/4ngu0cjwkld/The Ghost of Christmas Peace.mp3
If you'd rather read text just scroll down.
“The Ghost of Christmas Peace”
Brimfield Faith UMC
December 6, 2009
Luke 3:1-4
Depending on your perspective, the Christmas Season can either be one filled with joy or one filled with discouragements, frustrations and difficulties. Last week, we talked about the hopelessness that has the ability to overcome us during the holiday season. So often, we struggle through life silently and in isolation, refusing to open up about our problems and challenges. After all, everybody has it rough these days and nobody wants to hear about my junk, right? The message of silent struggle is a false message. It is a message that keeps us in bondage. It is a message that drains the life from us.
Together we named the struggle of hopelessness and we attempted to rediscover the meaning of hope during the Advent Season. This morning I hope to rediscover the Advent meaning of peace. The struggle this morning is one of anxiety, guilt, shame, turmoil and chaos. I’ll make a bit of a confession about the Christmas season. One of the things that I struggle with this time of year is all of the charity work that goes on. Everybody and their brother is getting in on the action. Toys for Tots, Coats for Kids, Food for the Hungry, Salvation Army, and the list goes on. Then, the kids are selling stuff at school, ornaments, candy, flowers, and the like. The worst for me is at the cash register they will ask if you would like to donate a dollar to _____ charity. I usually say no, but then I think, “Gosh it was only a dollar.”
I don’t have a problem with people doing good deeds, in fact, I encourage it. My struggle in in the fact that if you say no, you feel like you are a horrible person. I know personally, I don’t feel like I can give to every organization that is asking for money. We tithe to the church and that doesn’t leave us with much additional margin to give to other charities. They are all good organizations, working towards worthy causes. I just don’t have enough to go around.
At any rate, I think most of us can get cynical about all of the charities that are soliciting this time of year. If you don’t and you just give to everyone, you are probably a saint and bless you for that. Most of us probably get a little hard hearted towards the movement just a little bit. The movie that we are going to watch this morning is “The Christmas Carol” addresses some of these age old struggles. It is a classic Christmas story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a wealthy man who is a stingy man. Throughout the years, he has become jaded, greedy, and downright mean. The story unfolds on Christmas Eve as three ghosts of Christmas: past, present, and future visit Scrooge in the night. Through the experience, Scrooge is a renewed man and rediscovers the true Christmas Spirit.
We are going to join Scrooge on his journey towards redemption, in attempts of discovering peace in our own lives. e are going to watch a clip from the beginning of movie. In it you will see the hardness of Scrooge’s heart and inner turmoil that he experiences.
[CLIP OF SCROOGE]
PROPHETS AND JOHN THE BAPTIST
Scrooge is definitely a bitter old man. Don’t all of us have a little bit of Scrooge in us. We are stingy, we hoard, and at times we are even mean. As Scrooge makes his way home on Christmas Eve, the poor of the streets, badger Scrooge for a little bit of help: a coin, a piece of bread, anything on Christmas Eve. While Scrooge’s heart has been hardened over the years, the voices on the street seem to have a penetrating effect on him. As he returns to his house, he is visited by the three Ghosts of Christmas, past, present, and future. The purpose of these voices is to call Scrooge out of that place of bitterness and inner turmoil and into a place of peace and joy.
While you may not ever be visited by the Ghosts of Christmas or read about them in the Bible, God does speak into our lives and in the Scriptures in order to call us out of our own turmoil and chaos. As we the Gospel text was read this morning, we heard one of God’s voices calling out into the word. The voice is that of John the Baptist. John is considered a prophet in the same vein that the prophets of the Old Testament. In the Bible, prophets were God’s mouth piece to the world. They cried out against the injustices of the world, they exposed people’s sinful actions, their wrong motives, and called them back into a relationship with God.
As Jesus is beginning his ministry, John is acting as a prophet and calling the people to repent and be baptized. In Luke 3 it tells of John’s ministry: “He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’” The people responded in crowds to John’s message. They felt convicted of their evil ways and wanted to receive forgiveness for their wrongs. It was the voice of John that allowed the people to receive and respond fully to the ministry of Jesus later on.
VOICES, SIN, AND REPENTANCE
Although prophets like John the Baptist aren’t common these days, God is still speaking to us. There are voices in our lives that call out to us and call us back to a relationship with God. The voices come in various forms. It can be the friend who falls ill and causes you to reevaluate life. It might be your own near death experience. It might be that you’ve hit a place of rock bottom like George Bailey does in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” How do you hear the voices of the prophets in your life? What do your Ghosts of Christmas look like? Regardless of how you hear God calling to you, he is attempting to do several things in your life.
#1. God’s voice is revealing your sin and its affects.
Sin is one of those funny concepts in today’s culture. Biblically, the word sin was an ancient archery word that meant to miss the mark. Biblically, sin is something that everyone struggles with. Romans states, “That all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Sin results in an alienation from God. It permeates everything relationship we have, every decision that we make, every thought that we have. Sin results in conflict, turmoil, and a lack of peace. Sin is the antithesis of peace. The Hebrew word for peace is “shalom” and it means wholeness, completeness. It is the action of sin that breaks the shalom of God. If you lack peace this Christmas season, sin is ultimately at the root of the problem. God wants to show you your sin so that you can turn away from it and repent of it.
While most of us aren’t as hardened, conflicted or even as rich as Scrooge, we all have a bit of Scrooge in us. Scrooge’s sins were numerous. He was greedy, he was vindictive, he was selfish, and he was hardhearted. At the beginning of the movie, Scrooge’s sinful ways negatively affect Tiny Tim’s family and many others. As we consider Scrooge’s, we should ask ourselves:
What are our sins? What effect on others does our behavior have?
#2. God’s voice is leading you to repentance.
When God gives us the gift of awareness of our sin and its affects, it should move our hearts. It should lead us to a place of brokenness and sorrow. Our response needs to go beyond simply feeling bad about our behavior. It needs to lead to actual repentance. The word repentance means to change direction. In regard to God’s voice, God is calling us to repent of our sin that is to turn away from it and back to God.
Ezekiel talks about repentance of sin like this: “Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!” (Ezekiel 18:30-32).
For Scrooge, repentance comes as he realizes that his behaviors have so negatively affected others. When faced with the prospect of death, he wants to live so that he can change his ways. Repentance is the component that will allowed Scrooge to move from turmoil to peace. IT will allow him to discover redemption.
We must repent of our own sin as well if we are going to discover peace. Repentance call us to rid ourselves of all our offenses. It means to stop actively engaging in the areas that God has revealed as sins.
DISCOVERING PEACE
#3. God’s voice is helping us to discover peace. When we stop our old ways, we can receive a new heart and spirit. We will receive new life. As we receive new life, we can also discover the peace in our hearts that we long for. God’s voice leads us to repentance which allows us to receive a new heart and spirit. Repentance is not just a change of heart. Repentance leads us into action. A good rule of thumb is that your new actions should help make right your sinful actions. If you robbed from God, you should give back to God more than you stole. In Catholic terms it is called penance. Penance these days is ascribed as say a few Hail Mary’s and Our Father’s. True penance is making right what we messed up.
When your heart and conscience are clear, you will be able to experience the peace of God. Your good deeds don’t earn the forgiveness that you have received and they don’t make your sinful actions disappear but they make a difference. They promote peace in others lives and they promote peace in your own lives.
Scrooge discovers Christmas peace through helping others. We are going to watch a clip as Scrooge begins to act out of his new heart and make right his sinful ways.
[CLIP SCROOGE DISCOVERS PEACE]
CONCLUSION - PERSONAL PEACE
The only way for us to experience peace is to be in right relationship with God. As long as we have unconfessed sin in our lives, we will be haunted by the Ghosts of Christmas. The voice of God will cry out against our spirits until we can see the sinful actions in our lives. The acts of confession, repentance, and penance are not easy. They are can be frightening and difficult, but they lead to life.
As we conclude this morning, I want to take a moment and lead you in a prayer of confession and repentance. #1. Confession #2. Repentance #3. Peace through action (Penance)
Prayer: Lord, I confess that there are motives and thoughts in my heart, words that I speak, things that I have done, and things I Have left undone that did not please you. Among the things I struggle with are the following: __________. Please forgive me through the name of Jesus. Amen.
Now be empowered by the Holy Spirit to engaged in acts of peace and generosity. Be filled with the true Ghost of Christmas and know the peace of God!
http://www.mediafire.com/file/4ngu0cjwkld/The Ghost of Christmas Peace.mp3
If you'd rather read text just scroll down.
“The Ghost of Christmas Peace”
Brimfield Faith UMC
December 6, 2009
Luke 3:1-4
Depending on your perspective, the Christmas Season can either be one filled with joy or one filled with discouragements, frustrations and difficulties. Last week, we talked about the hopelessness that has the ability to overcome us during the holiday season. So often, we struggle through life silently and in isolation, refusing to open up about our problems and challenges. After all, everybody has it rough these days and nobody wants to hear about my junk, right? The message of silent struggle is a false message. It is a message that keeps us in bondage. It is a message that drains the life from us.
Together we named the struggle of hopelessness and we attempted to rediscover the meaning of hope during the Advent Season. This morning I hope to rediscover the Advent meaning of peace. The struggle this morning is one of anxiety, guilt, shame, turmoil and chaos. I’ll make a bit of a confession about the Christmas season. One of the things that I struggle with this time of year is all of the charity work that goes on. Everybody and their brother is getting in on the action. Toys for Tots, Coats for Kids, Food for the Hungry, Salvation Army, and the list goes on. Then, the kids are selling stuff at school, ornaments, candy, flowers, and the like. The worst for me is at the cash register they will ask if you would like to donate a dollar to _____ charity. I usually say no, but then I think, “Gosh it was only a dollar.”
I don’t have a problem with people doing good deeds, in fact, I encourage it. My struggle in in the fact that if you say no, you feel like you are a horrible person. I know personally, I don’t feel like I can give to every organization that is asking for money. We tithe to the church and that doesn’t leave us with much additional margin to give to other charities. They are all good organizations, working towards worthy causes. I just don’t have enough to go around.
At any rate, I think most of us can get cynical about all of the charities that are soliciting this time of year. If you don’t and you just give to everyone, you are probably a saint and bless you for that. Most of us probably get a little hard hearted towards the movement just a little bit. The movie that we are going to watch this morning is “The Christmas Carol” addresses some of these age old struggles. It is a classic Christmas story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a wealthy man who is a stingy man. Throughout the years, he has become jaded, greedy, and downright mean. The story unfolds on Christmas Eve as three ghosts of Christmas: past, present, and future visit Scrooge in the night. Through the experience, Scrooge is a renewed man and rediscovers the true Christmas Spirit.
We are going to join Scrooge on his journey towards redemption, in attempts of discovering peace in our own lives. e are going to watch a clip from the beginning of movie. In it you will see the hardness of Scrooge’s heart and inner turmoil that he experiences.
[CLIP OF SCROOGE]
PROPHETS AND JOHN THE BAPTIST
Scrooge is definitely a bitter old man. Don’t all of us have a little bit of Scrooge in us. We are stingy, we hoard, and at times we are even mean. As Scrooge makes his way home on Christmas Eve, the poor of the streets, badger Scrooge for a little bit of help: a coin, a piece of bread, anything on Christmas Eve. While Scrooge’s heart has been hardened over the years, the voices on the street seem to have a penetrating effect on him. As he returns to his house, he is visited by the three Ghosts of Christmas, past, present, and future. The purpose of these voices is to call Scrooge out of that place of bitterness and inner turmoil and into a place of peace and joy.
While you may not ever be visited by the Ghosts of Christmas or read about them in the Bible, God does speak into our lives and in the Scriptures in order to call us out of our own turmoil and chaos. As we the Gospel text was read this morning, we heard one of God’s voices calling out into the word. The voice is that of John the Baptist. John is considered a prophet in the same vein that the prophets of the Old Testament. In the Bible, prophets were God’s mouth piece to the world. They cried out against the injustices of the world, they exposed people’s sinful actions, their wrong motives, and called them back into a relationship with God.
As Jesus is beginning his ministry, John is acting as a prophet and calling the people to repent and be baptized. In Luke 3 it tells of John’s ministry: “He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’” The people responded in crowds to John’s message. They felt convicted of their evil ways and wanted to receive forgiveness for their wrongs. It was the voice of John that allowed the people to receive and respond fully to the ministry of Jesus later on.
VOICES, SIN, AND REPENTANCE
Although prophets like John the Baptist aren’t common these days, God is still speaking to us. There are voices in our lives that call out to us and call us back to a relationship with God. The voices come in various forms. It can be the friend who falls ill and causes you to reevaluate life. It might be your own near death experience. It might be that you’ve hit a place of rock bottom like George Bailey does in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” How do you hear the voices of the prophets in your life? What do your Ghosts of Christmas look like? Regardless of how you hear God calling to you, he is attempting to do several things in your life.
#1. God’s voice is revealing your sin and its affects.
Sin is one of those funny concepts in today’s culture. Biblically, the word sin was an ancient archery word that meant to miss the mark. Biblically, sin is something that everyone struggles with. Romans states, “That all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Sin results in an alienation from God. It permeates everything relationship we have, every decision that we make, every thought that we have. Sin results in conflict, turmoil, and a lack of peace. Sin is the antithesis of peace. The Hebrew word for peace is “shalom” and it means wholeness, completeness. It is the action of sin that breaks the shalom of God. If you lack peace this Christmas season, sin is ultimately at the root of the problem. God wants to show you your sin so that you can turn away from it and repent of it.
While most of us aren’t as hardened, conflicted or even as rich as Scrooge, we all have a bit of Scrooge in us. Scrooge’s sins were numerous. He was greedy, he was vindictive, he was selfish, and he was hardhearted. At the beginning of the movie, Scrooge’s sinful ways negatively affect Tiny Tim’s family and many others. As we consider Scrooge’s, we should ask ourselves:
What are our sins? What effect on others does our behavior have?
#2. God’s voice is leading you to repentance.
When God gives us the gift of awareness of our sin and its affects, it should move our hearts. It should lead us to a place of brokenness and sorrow. Our response needs to go beyond simply feeling bad about our behavior. It needs to lead to actual repentance. The word repentance means to change direction. In regard to God’s voice, God is calling us to repent of our sin that is to turn away from it and back to God.
Ezekiel talks about repentance of sin like this: “Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!” (Ezekiel 18:30-32).
For Scrooge, repentance comes as he realizes that his behaviors have so negatively affected others. When faced with the prospect of death, he wants to live so that he can change his ways. Repentance is the component that will allowed Scrooge to move from turmoil to peace. IT will allow him to discover redemption.
We must repent of our own sin as well if we are going to discover peace. Repentance call us to rid ourselves of all our offenses. It means to stop actively engaging in the areas that God has revealed as sins.
DISCOVERING PEACE
#3. God’s voice is helping us to discover peace. When we stop our old ways, we can receive a new heart and spirit. We will receive new life. As we receive new life, we can also discover the peace in our hearts that we long for. God’s voice leads us to repentance which allows us to receive a new heart and spirit. Repentance is not just a change of heart. Repentance leads us into action. A good rule of thumb is that your new actions should help make right your sinful actions. If you robbed from God, you should give back to God more than you stole. In Catholic terms it is called penance. Penance these days is ascribed as say a few Hail Mary’s and Our Father’s. True penance is making right what we messed up.
When your heart and conscience are clear, you will be able to experience the peace of God. Your good deeds don’t earn the forgiveness that you have received and they don’t make your sinful actions disappear but they make a difference. They promote peace in others lives and they promote peace in your own lives.
Scrooge discovers Christmas peace through helping others. We are going to watch a clip as Scrooge begins to act out of his new heart and make right his sinful ways.
[CLIP SCROOGE DISCOVERS PEACE]
CONCLUSION - PERSONAL PEACE
The only way for us to experience peace is to be in right relationship with God. As long as we have unconfessed sin in our lives, we will be haunted by the Ghosts of Christmas. The voice of God will cry out against our spirits until we can see the sinful actions in our lives. The acts of confession, repentance, and penance are not easy. They are can be frightening and difficult, but they lead to life.
As we conclude this morning, I want to take a moment and lead you in a prayer of confession and repentance. #1. Confession #2. Repentance #3. Peace through action (Penance)
Prayer: Lord, I confess that there are motives and thoughts in my heart, words that I speak, things that I have done, and things I Have left undone that did not please you. Among the things I struggle with are the following: __________. Please forgive me through the name of Jesus. Amen.
Now be empowered by the Holy Spirit to engaged in acts of peace and generosity. Be filled with the true Ghost of Christmas and know the peace of God!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Advent 2009 - It's a Wonderful Life... really?
We began our Advent series, "A Very Movie Christmas" this past week with a message of hope in the face of hopelessness. The message is called, "It's a Wondeful Life... really?" Please join us this week for a message of peace through the eyes of Ebenezer Scrooge.
Download and listen to the audio here or read the text below.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/mywngonli2h/Its a Wonderful Life really.mp3
A TIMELESS STRUGGLE
Download and listen to the audio here or read the text below.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/mywngonli2h/Its a Wonderful Life really.mp3
“It’s a Wonderful Life… Really?”
Brimfield Faith UMC
November 29, 2009
Luke 21:32-36
Brimfield Faith UMC
November 29, 2009
Luke 21:32-36
INTRODUCTION
With Thanksgiving celebrated, the turkey eaten and pie consumed, the Christmas holiday season has officially commenced. At the promise of a really good deal on a gifts I wanted to get for Michelle, I ventured out to Toys-R-Us on Thursday night as the opened the store at the stroke of midnight for their door buster deals. I was not a Black Friday shopper before this weekend and I won’t be after this weekend. I’ll be honest though, the experienced was worth it. I didn’t get the item I was hoping to get. I never really expected to get it because when I pulled into the parking lot at Chapel Hill at 11:45 pm and it was full. The line outside the store wrapped under the overhang all the around past the Burlington Coat Factory. There were probably 1000 people there easily. I stood outside the front of the store instead of getting in line because I wanted to watch as people went it. I laughed out loud as people in line were screaming at the people standing next to the line to go to the end of the line. It was an unbelievable event to witness.
Eventually I got into the line and went into the store. It was a bit saddening to watch as people filled their carts with discounted toys as they pushed and shoved and became frustrated and angry with each other. . It kind of broke my heart as I drove home thinking about all of the people that seemed to think they needed to have this stuff. I had two thoughts: First, I thought these people should have heard the “Enough” sermon series that we just finished at church. Second, I thought what a way for us to prepare for Christmas and the birth of our Savior. This type of stuff was what Jesus came to free us from and here were all of these people preparing to celebrate his birth by remaining in bondage.
The Christmas season is supposed to be a time of preparation: a time of hope, joy, peace, and love. For many of us, the Christmas season is anything but. The pressures of a struggling economy, the stress of provided lavish gifts, feelings of inadequacy, shame and guilt seem to mark the season. The reality is that the Christmas season can be an overwhelming time to deal with for many of us. As we gather this morning, I think it is important that we recognize and name these pressures for what they are. If we gather together, we can overcome the messages of this world and rediscover the purpose and meaning of the Christmas season.
Hollywood in all of its shortcomings has produced some classic Christmas movies that have powerful captured the Christmas spirit. This Advent season, the four weeks leading up to Christmas that we use to prepare for the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, we are going to look at several of these movies and listen for the messages of Christmas in them. The first movie we are going to look at is “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The title of the sermon is “It’s a Wonderful Life… really?” Because as we’ve just discussed, most of us probably don’t feel like it is a wonderful life, especially if we are feeling the pressures of the season.
Eventually I got into the line and went into the store. It was a bit saddening to watch as people filled their carts with discounted toys as they pushed and shoved and became frustrated and angry with each other. . It kind of broke my heart as I drove home thinking about all of the people that seemed to think they needed to have this stuff. I had two thoughts: First, I thought these people should have heard the “Enough” sermon series that we just finished at church. Second, I thought what a way for us to prepare for Christmas and the birth of our Savior. This type of stuff was what Jesus came to free us from and here were all of these people preparing to celebrate his birth by remaining in bondage.
The Christmas season is supposed to be a time of preparation: a time of hope, joy, peace, and love. For many of us, the Christmas season is anything but. The pressures of a struggling economy, the stress of provided lavish gifts, feelings of inadequacy, shame and guilt seem to mark the season. The reality is that the Christmas season can be an overwhelming time to deal with for many of us. As we gather this morning, I think it is important that we recognize and name these pressures for what they are. If we gather together, we can overcome the messages of this world and rediscover the purpose and meaning of the Christmas season.
Hollywood in all of its shortcomings has produced some classic Christmas movies that have powerful captured the Christmas spirit. This Advent season, the four weeks leading up to Christmas that we use to prepare for the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, we are going to look at several of these movies and listen for the messages of Christmas in them. The first movie we are going to look at is “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The title of the sermon is “It’s a Wonderful Life… really?” Because as we’ve just discussed, most of us probably don’t feel like it is a wonderful life, especially if we are feeling the pressures of the season.
A TIMELESS STRUGGLE
For those of you less familiar with the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life” was released in 1946. It is the story of one man, George Bailey’s, timeless struggle with life. The short synopsis goes like this:
On the Christmas Eve of Bedford Falls, the guardian angel Clarence is assigned to convince the desperate George Bailey to not commit suicide. George is a good man, that sacrificed his dreams and his youth on behalf of the citizens of his small town. He inherited the loan business of his father and he gave up traveling the world and joining University as scheduled. Later he resisted the proposals of the evil banker Mr. Potter, and never sold his business to protect the poor community of Bedford Falls and offer a means to afford to buy their own house. He married his beloved Mary Hatch Bailey and had four children with her and a tough life with his family. When his uncle Billy loses US$ 8,000.00, found and stolen by Mr. Potter, George decides to commit suicide, since he believes he worth more dead than alive. When Clarence sees that he is not able to persuade George to give up his intention, he decides to show the life in town if George had never existed. George concludes that life is wonderful.
George is like many of us. We’ve gone through life doing everything we can to live a good life and to care for others needs before our own. As I was watching the movie this week, I kept thinking through the movie that this could really be a movie about how a person needs to act selfishly once in a while in order to succeed in life and be happy. George seems to have gotten the raw end of life’s deal. And as a result he has come to the end of his rope and decides that life just isn’t worth living anymore. The clip we are going to watch right now, George has lost $8000 and he is finally overcome by feelings of hopelessness.
[CLIP- GEORGE MELTDOWN]
Like George, most of us eventually come to a place of mental and emotional breakdown. We hit the wall and we find ourselves overcome with frustration, anguish, despair and hopelessness. We find ourselves in a dark hole or what the addict calls hitting rock bottom. How many of you find yourselves in a similar place this morning? I know some of you have felt this way in the past. And others of you are going to be there in the future. The reality is that George’s struggle is not a unique one nor is it a new one. George’s struggle is a story of human struggle. This life comes with obstacles, challenges, and difficult moments, and given the right set of circumstances it can bring even the most powerful man to his knees. The ultimately problem does not lie in arriving at this destination, but rather how we respond when we get to a place of despair and hopelessness.
For George, he initially responds to his hopelessness by contemplating suicide. When we arrive to a moment of hopelessness in our own lives, we too may be tempted to do something drastic. Thanksfully, most of us won’t commit physical suicide; instead, we simply give up on life. We begin to go through the motions like a mindless robot. We live in a place of lifelessness devoid of hope, joy, peace, and love. We resign ourselves to the dead end job, to the broken relationship, to the dysfunctional children, to the joyless existence. We become embittered, angry, and resentful. Thankfully, God doesn’t intend for us to live in a place of hopelessness and fear. Which brings us to our Scripture…
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
Earlier we heard some interesting verses out of Luke 21. This text is the lection text for the first Sunday of Advent. I always thought that it was a strange text with which to start Advent. In this chapter, Jesus spends some time prophesying about the future and the end of times. He talks about the temple being destroyed, the persecution that will come, and even the wars and insurrections that will arise. He tells how people won’t be able to withstand the challenges ahead. These words are very different from most of Jesus words. They are frightening words, overwhelming words, and even doom-filled words.
Many people feel that these words describe the times that we live in. Indeed, today’s culture seems to be obsessed with end-times prophesies and how and when the world is going to end. The alleged 2012 Mayan prophecy is all over the news. Nostradamus also has been popular in recent years. Christians with certain perspectives have even gotten into the fold. Most widely known of course is Tim LaHaye and the Left Behind Series. While this passage, the book of Revelation, and other biblical texts do in fact discuss the end of the world, they don’t talk about them in the context that we might think they do.
Many people think of prophecy as a tool of gloom and doom. It is a way in which to scare and guilt people into doing the right thing. Christians are sometimes the worst offender of this use of prophecy, but God never intended prophecy to be used in this manner. Sure prophecy is a way to sound the warning shot against certain behaviors and actions but prophecy is much more than that. Prophecy, at its heart, is the way to undermine the established authority. It is a subversive way to spread hope in the face of hopelessness. Prophecy is meant to inspire not to frighten. Prophesy speaks truth where false messages have been spread.
The prophesy of the second coming of Christ which is the subject of the Luke 21 text is perhaps the most powerful text in the Scriptures. In verse 27 Jesus shares amazing words: “Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory.” Unfortunately, many Christians have gotten caught up in the wrong details of the text. They try to literally interpret texts that are poetic, cryptic, and figurative. They get caught up in trying to figure out the exact moment of Jesus’s return or precisely when the world will end. While the Scriptures make it very clear that Jesus will return triumphant over heaven and earth, they make it equally as clear that we will not know the time or place. In short, we waste valuable energy trying to postulate the time, place, location, and specific events of Jesus’s glorious return.
DISCOVERIES FOR LIFE
When Jesus prophesies about his return, I think he wants us to be prepared in the midst of the darkest hour. These words apply to the ultimate end of time, but in a very real sense we have been living in the end times ever since Jesus ascended into heaven in Acts 1. So whether we are living in the literal end times or not, we all face moments of darkness, despair and hopelessness. Jest as George Bailey reaches the end of his rope, we too find ourselves weighed down by the burdens of life.
With that in mind, Jesus says to his followers, in verse 34-36, “34 “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap… 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” George had let his guard down and fallen into the trap. He needed to say alert. Instead he had lost perspective and thought that losing $8000 meant his life was over. Through George’s time with Clarence, his guardian angel, he is about to discover two important things about life.
On the Christmas Eve of Bedford Falls, the guardian angel Clarence is assigned to convince the desperate George Bailey to not commit suicide. George is a good man, that sacrificed his dreams and his youth on behalf of the citizens of his small town. He inherited the loan business of his father and he gave up traveling the world and joining University as scheduled. Later he resisted the proposals of the evil banker Mr. Potter, and never sold his business to protect the poor community of Bedford Falls and offer a means to afford to buy their own house. He married his beloved Mary Hatch Bailey and had four children with her and a tough life with his family. When his uncle Billy loses US$ 8,000.00, found and stolen by Mr. Potter, George decides to commit suicide, since he believes he worth more dead than alive. When Clarence sees that he is not able to persuade George to give up his intention, he decides to show the life in town if George had never existed. George concludes that life is wonderful.
George is like many of us. We’ve gone through life doing everything we can to live a good life and to care for others needs before our own. As I was watching the movie this week, I kept thinking through the movie that this could really be a movie about how a person needs to act selfishly once in a while in order to succeed in life and be happy. George seems to have gotten the raw end of life’s deal. And as a result he has come to the end of his rope and decides that life just isn’t worth living anymore. The clip we are going to watch right now, George has lost $8000 and he is finally overcome by feelings of hopelessness.
[CLIP- GEORGE MELTDOWN]
Like George, most of us eventually come to a place of mental and emotional breakdown. We hit the wall and we find ourselves overcome with frustration, anguish, despair and hopelessness. We find ourselves in a dark hole or what the addict calls hitting rock bottom. How many of you find yourselves in a similar place this morning? I know some of you have felt this way in the past. And others of you are going to be there in the future. The reality is that George’s struggle is not a unique one nor is it a new one. George’s struggle is a story of human struggle. This life comes with obstacles, challenges, and difficult moments, and given the right set of circumstances it can bring even the most powerful man to his knees. The ultimately problem does not lie in arriving at this destination, but rather how we respond when we get to a place of despair and hopelessness.
For George, he initially responds to his hopelessness by contemplating suicide. When we arrive to a moment of hopelessness in our own lives, we too may be tempted to do something drastic. Thanksfully, most of us won’t commit physical suicide; instead, we simply give up on life. We begin to go through the motions like a mindless robot. We live in a place of lifelessness devoid of hope, joy, peace, and love. We resign ourselves to the dead end job, to the broken relationship, to the dysfunctional children, to the joyless existence. We become embittered, angry, and resentful. Thankfully, God doesn’t intend for us to live in a place of hopelessness and fear. Which brings us to our Scripture…
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
Earlier we heard some interesting verses out of Luke 21. This text is the lection text for the first Sunday of Advent. I always thought that it was a strange text with which to start Advent. In this chapter, Jesus spends some time prophesying about the future and the end of times. He talks about the temple being destroyed, the persecution that will come, and even the wars and insurrections that will arise. He tells how people won’t be able to withstand the challenges ahead. These words are very different from most of Jesus words. They are frightening words, overwhelming words, and even doom-filled words.
Many people feel that these words describe the times that we live in. Indeed, today’s culture seems to be obsessed with end-times prophesies and how and when the world is going to end. The alleged 2012 Mayan prophecy is all over the news. Nostradamus also has been popular in recent years. Christians with certain perspectives have even gotten into the fold. Most widely known of course is Tim LaHaye and the Left Behind Series. While this passage, the book of Revelation, and other biblical texts do in fact discuss the end of the world, they don’t talk about them in the context that we might think they do.
Many people think of prophecy as a tool of gloom and doom. It is a way in which to scare and guilt people into doing the right thing. Christians are sometimes the worst offender of this use of prophecy, but God never intended prophecy to be used in this manner. Sure prophecy is a way to sound the warning shot against certain behaviors and actions but prophecy is much more than that. Prophecy, at its heart, is the way to undermine the established authority. It is a subversive way to spread hope in the face of hopelessness. Prophecy is meant to inspire not to frighten. Prophesy speaks truth where false messages have been spread.
The prophesy of the second coming of Christ which is the subject of the Luke 21 text is perhaps the most powerful text in the Scriptures. In verse 27 Jesus shares amazing words: “Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory.” Unfortunately, many Christians have gotten caught up in the wrong details of the text. They try to literally interpret texts that are poetic, cryptic, and figurative. They get caught up in trying to figure out the exact moment of Jesus’s return or precisely when the world will end. While the Scriptures make it very clear that Jesus will return triumphant over heaven and earth, they make it equally as clear that we will not know the time or place. In short, we waste valuable energy trying to postulate the time, place, location, and specific events of Jesus’s glorious return.
DISCOVERIES FOR LIFE
When Jesus prophesies about his return, I think he wants us to be prepared in the midst of the darkest hour. These words apply to the ultimate end of time, but in a very real sense we have been living in the end times ever since Jesus ascended into heaven in Acts 1. So whether we are living in the literal end times or not, we all face moments of darkness, despair and hopelessness. Jest as George Bailey reaches the end of his rope, we too find ourselves weighed down by the burdens of life.
With that in mind, Jesus says to his followers, in verse 34-36, “34 “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap… 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” George had let his guard down and fallen into the trap. He needed to say alert. Instead he had lost perspective and thought that losing $8000 meant his life was over. Through George’s time with Clarence, his guardian angel, he is about to discover two important things about life.
#1. Georges discovers a new perspective on life.
He sees that life is not purposeless. He sees that his life is indeed part of God’s plan. Many people would have suffered if it weren’t for George’s selfless living. George discovers the truth of Jeremiah 29:11, “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.” When we find ourselves in moments of despair, it is important that we remember the purpose of God. We can stand firm on the fact that God wants us to prosper and thrive. Even when we give up on ourselves, our lives, and our God, God never gives up on us.
#2. George discovers the power of friendship and prayer.
All throughout George’s life, he had made sacrifices on the behalf of his friends. He gives up desire to go to college, to travel the world, and even to go on a honeymoon for the sake of the people of Bedford Falls. George’s ability to see that life still had meaning and purpose hinged on the friends George had unknowingly surrounded himself with. These friends understood the power of prayer and the importance of generosity. They understood how the plans for prosperity were executed by God in Jeremiah 29. God says, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and I will restore your fortunes.”
George was not able to pray much himself, but his friends stood in the gap for him. They petitioned on his behalf. While George may have given up on himself, no one else had. They loved George too much and knew God was not finished with him. As a result, George is able to discover that life has a future with hope.
The clip were are going to watch now is a piece from the opening of the movie and then the very end. Listen to the affect George’s friends’ prayers have and then see how George’s life is transformed as he discovers hope again.
[CLIP – PRAYER AND MIRACLE]
CONCLUSION
Life isn’t always as wonderful as we think it should be. In fact, life is often filled with challenges, difficulties, and obstacles. There will be times when we are filled with frustration, despair and hopelessness. In those moments, remember that Jesus will return, that God is in control and that life will triumphant over death. The situation may not change. When George is filled with hope and joy, nothing has changed. It doesn’t matter because George has rediscovered purpose and found hope again.
So as this Christmas season begins, do your best to stay on guard against hopelessness. Refuse to give into the pressures of this world. Remember God is not finished with us. During the darkest time of the year, God brought the brightest light into the world. There is a reason we celebrate Jesus’s birth in the cold of winter. It reminds us there is hope in the midst of despair. Therefore, As Advent continues over the next several weeks, will you seek to hear the voice of God who speaks hope over your life? Will discover and nurture friendship that will sustain you in the difficult times?
Let’s pray.
#2. George discovers the power of friendship and prayer.
All throughout George’s life, he had made sacrifices on the behalf of his friends. He gives up desire to go to college, to travel the world, and even to go on a honeymoon for the sake of the people of Bedford Falls. George’s ability to see that life still had meaning and purpose hinged on the friends George had unknowingly surrounded himself with. These friends understood the power of prayer and the importance of generosity. They understood how the plans for prosperity were executed by God in Jeremiah 29. God says, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and I will restore your fortunes.”
George was not able to pray much himself, but his friends stood in the gap for him. They petitioned on his behalf. While George may have given up on himself, no one else had. They loved George too much and knew God was not finished with him. As a result, George is able to discover that life has a future with hope.
The clip were are going to watch now is a piece from the opening of the movie and then the very end. Listen to the affect George’s friends’ prayers have and then see how George’s life is transformed as he discovers hope again.
[CLIP – PRAYER AND MIRACLE]
CONCLUSION
Life isn’t always as wonderful as we think it should be. In fact, life is often filled with challenges, difficulties, and obstacles. There will be times when we are filled with frustration, despair and hopelessness. In those moments, remember that Jesus will return, that God is in control and that life will triumphant over death. The situation may not change. When George is filled with hope and joy, nothing has changed. It doesn’t matter because George has rediscovered purpose and found hope again.
So as this Christmas season begins, do your best to stay on guard against hopelessness. Refuse to give into the pressures of this world. Remember God is not finished with us. During the darkest time of the year, God brought the brightest light into the world. There is a reason we celebrate Jesus’s birth in the cold of winter. It reminds us there is hope in the midst of despair. Therefore, As Advent continues over the next several weeks, will you seek to hear the voice of God who speaks hope over your life? Will discover and nurture friendship that will sustain you in the difficult times?
Let’s pray.
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